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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Myanmar earthquake: Working to meet the biggest needs News Apr 04, 2025

    Source: Doctors Without Borders –

    We’re getting ready for what seems will be a long and intense emergency.

    The health care system has been severely impacted at multiple levels, with secondary care being particularly affected. Hospitals, including operating theaters, are non-functional—not only for emergency surgeries but also for essential procedures like C-sections. MSF teams are prioritizing efforts to provide immediate relief by strengthening secondary health care services.

    At the same time, primary health care remains crucial in this context, so that the patients with diabetes or hypertension can continue their care. We are also worried about the psychological toll on the affected communities, many of whom are experiencing stress and acute trauma following the earthquake and ongoing aftershocks. To help build resilience, our teams are actively providing psychological first aid training as an integral part of the emergency response.

    A key priority for MSF in Myanmar is community engagement—working closely with local efforts to ensure a meaningful and lasting impact on the health and well-being of those affected. Our goal is to strengthen existing capacities, particularly through the dedication of local communities and our local staff, who have been at the forefront of MSF’s response since day one. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Opening Remarks of Commissioner Kristin N. Johnson at GAIM Ops AI Summit: Using AI To Combat Cybersecurity and Fraud Risks

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    Good afternoon. Thank you to the event organizers for the generous invitation to join you to kick off the AI Summit. The Summit will explore critical topics—data quality and security, good governance for AI, critical third-party service providers, and the integration of generative AI in operating infrastructure, trade execution, clearing, and settlement, and trade surveillance, among others.
    I’d like to highlight two risks implicated by the integration of AI in our markets—cybersecurity and fraud risks. 
    Cyber and fraud risks are ever-present in our markets. Sophisticated AI models have the potential to facilitate high-quality, near-flawless, synthetic content, enabling stunning heists. AI models train, test, and refine their functionality by aggregating and analyzing vast amounts of data, creating enticing targets for cyber intrusion campaigns.
    While the threats are well-documented, we have not yet fully explored the potential for AI to address cyberthreats and AI-driven fraud. In the least, carefully studying coordinated efforts to develop cyber resilience may teach us some important lessons regarding how to use AI to mitigate cyber and fraud threats in our markets. 
    We are witnessing an increasing number of cyber and fraud threats executed using AI technologies. In some instances, the technology that drives these cyber and fraud threats may be an important offensive and defensive tool. 
    Your agenda rightly aims to identify pathways to good AI governance and best practices for individual firms and the broader financial ecosystem.[1]  
    AI and Financial Markets 
    Over the last few years, markets have witnessed the increasing potential for AI to engender efficiencies, reduce costs, harness and analyze vast amounts of data, and enable personalized access to markets. Many firms quickly discovered the potential for AI to streamline trade reporting, anti-money laundering (AML), and other regulatory compliance obligations. Financial services firms have used AI tools for many years, but “maturity in utilization and deployment of AI systems varies by institution and continues to evolve.”[2] 
    In addition, financial services firms use AI tools in both cyber and fraud threat assessments. Integrating innovative AI into legacy systems may, however, create vulnerabilities. 
    In recent years, firms have discovered that AI may become a tool for addressing these vulnerabilities. Machine learning or generative AI may replace or enhance legacy tools for fraud and cyber detection and risk management strategies. AI is enabling firms to educate employees and customers and to identify gaps in their cybersecurity and fraud detection and prevention measures.[3]
    These issues are at the heart of the work of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and its mission[4] and resonate with my experiences as a lawyer in private practice, in-house, and my service as a Commissioner.[5] At the CFTC, I sponsor the Market Risk Advisory Committee (MRAC), a multi-stakeholder group of market participants that examines risk management issues and makes recommendations on how to improve market structure, mitigate risks, and enhance market integrity and stability for global derivatives markets.[6] MRAC has spent a significant amount of time considering cybersecurity and recommendations to enhance cyber resilience.[7] Fraud-related risks and applications are part of these conversations.
    We know that algorithmic models that may be accurately described as AI have long been employed in financial services markets[8] and that these applications include regulatory surveillance and compliance monitoring.[9] In recent years, however, the use and integration of predictive technologies has increased. 
    In January of 2024, the CFTC issued a request for comment seeking to learn more about the uses of AI in CFTC-regulated markets.[10] I applaud the Commission for issuing the RFC as a pathway to increase visibility and better understand the implications of AI use in our markets. This dialogue between the Commission and market participants aims to enable markets and the Commission to leverage the benefits of evolving AI models while mitigating risks.
    AI fraud and cyber threat prevention, detection, and mitigation represent common ground areas where the Commission and market participants are focused on the potential for AI to enhance market integrity.[11] 
    AI Fueled Cyber and Fraud Threats
    About a year ago, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) released a report on Managing Artificial Intelligence-Specific Risks in the Financial Services Sector.[12] Several of the observations in the Treasury Report are unlikely to surprise this audience—cyber and fraud-related incidents continue to increase and, in parallel, the losses that firms experience as a result of these threats increase.[13]
    Surveyed market participants indicate that cyberthreat actors benefit from lower barriers to entry, increasingly sophisticated automation, and decreasing time-to-exploit.[14] Firms face cyberthreats from actors including opportunistic fraudsters with access to advanced AI tools to sophisticated nation-state hackers who deploy targeted attacks.
    AI-Driven Fraud
    Evidence suggests that hackers are repurposing AI-based tools previously used in cyber defense tactics to identify weaknesses in networks and cybersecurity applications.[15] These weaknesses open back doors for cyber attacks. Generative AI may enable sophisticated actors to execute more convincing phishing campaigns. Deep fakes and similar campaigns may be more difficult to identify. Generative AI may accelerate the creation of new malware variants, lowering the barrier to entry and empowering a greater number of less sophisticated threat actors.[16] As a result, time-to-exploit is shrinking and the overall risk level to financial organizations is climbing. Notwithstanding many AI developers’ efforts to prevent the adaptation of their models to facilitate fraud, there is a rising tide of misuse of AI technologies.
    Vulnerabilities of Technology
    In addition to cyber threats, the vulnerability of AI systems is equally concerning. Through data poisoning, model evasion, and model extractions, those seeking to adapt models may introduce false data, model weights, and similar tactics to corrupt the AI models to manipulate outputs to benefit their outcome and distort or steal from AI-driven processes.[17] These adaptations potentially undermine the reliability of the models as well as features designed to enable cybersecurity and fraud detection. Data privacy also presents a notable concern. 
    Synthetic Identities and Impersonation
    Identity impersonation and synthetic identity fraud are becoming ever more sophisticated. “Fraudsters can use AI to mimic voice, video, and other behavioral identity factors that financial institutions use to verify a customer’s identity.”[18] The ability to generate near-flawless fake credentials and believable digital appearances raises the stakes for banks, insurers, payment processors, and other financial entities that have traditionally relied on physical or behavioral markers for identification. Fraudsters posing as CEOs and CFOs have caused millions in losses by using AI to execute elaborate schemes to develop synthetic identities to convince company employees to make unauthorized transfers.[19] In response to these concerns, the Commission has issued customer education and outreach announcements to enhance market participants and customers’ awareness of these threats.[20]
    Third Party Risks
    Addressing these threats requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach to third-party risk management and data security. 
    According to the Treasury Report, “financial institutions should appropriately consider how to assess and manage the risks of an extended supply chain, including potentially heightened risks with data and data processing of a wide array of vendors, data brokers, and infrastructure providers.”[21] 
    In some instances, there may be high barriers to entry for providing third-party services. For example, few firms have the capability to offer globally accessible cloud-based services that demonstrate the requisite security protocols to enable financial services market participants to comply with substantial data security, integrity, and transfer standards. 
    As a result, only a few service providers may have the capability to deliver the quality of services needed or to respond to the vast amounts of data or information stored or processed by financial services firms. The limited competition for services may lead to a significant percentage of market participants relying on a handful of service providers.
    We may describe these concerns as concentration risks.[22] While CFTC-regulated entities must “assess the risks of using AI and update policies, procedures, controls, and systems, as appropriate, under applicable CFTC statutory and regulatory requirements,”[23] the Commission, as a regulator, should also take an active role in understanding these risks.
    Each of these links in the supply chain introduces potential vulnerabilities, especially with the increasing volume of data and the complexity of AI models. I have repeatedly raised these concerns.[24] It is important that all partners adhere to robust data protection, privacy guidelines, and contingency planning. These protocols are not only essential for safeguarding financial services firms, but also crucial for the resilience of the entire financial system.
    Next Steps 
    The Treasury Report suggested next steps that identify both challenges and opportunities. I’d like to highlight a few of them that resonate with me and some proposals that I have advocated for during my service at the CFTC.
    As I have intimated, as we study market participants’ use of AI, we are increasingly thoughtful about the Commission’s use of AI. As I’ve noted previously:
    The CFTC has on staff surveillance analysts, forensic economists, and futures trading investigators, each of whom identify and investigate potential violations. These groups use supervisory technology (SupTech) in support of their work. Over the past few years, the CFTC has transitioned much of its data intake and data analysis to a cloud-based architecture. This increases the flexibility and reliability of our data systems and allows us to scale them as necessary. This transition will allow the Commission to store, analyze, and ingest this data more cost-effectively and efficiently.[25]
    Coordination
    I have consistently encouraged both inter-agency and international coordination on issues related to AI.[26] 
    I have advocated for “the creation of an inter-agency task force composed of financial regulators…. [to develop] guidelines, tools, benchmarks, and best practices for the use and regulation of AI in the financial services industry.”[27]  As I have noted, “this approach promises efficiencies and a needed clarity for market participants trying to navigate diverse and sometimes divergent regulatory and compliance frameworks.”[28] 
    Financial services firms have indicated a desire to clarify regulatory approaches to innovative technologies. As reported to Treasury, “[s]ome financial institutions, however, expressed concern about the possibility of regulatory fragmentation as different financial sector regulators at both the state and federal level consider regulations around AI. This concern also extends to firms operating under different international jurisdictions.”[29] 
    Collaboration can help address significant issues and problems of scale, as well as some smaller changes that can help along the way. For example, the Treasury Report notes that “[a]s Generative AI increases in usage, there appears to be a significant gap in data available to financial institutions for training their models to prevent fraud….Ramifications of this data divide are especially apparent for anti-fraud use cases where larger institutions generally have much more internal data.”[30] This is not something that can be solved overnight, and will require thoughtful consideration and coordinated efforts.
    The Treasury Report also encourages clarifying how we understand AI by advocating for a common lexicon specific to AI. Developing an agreed upon definition  which would benefit financial institutions, regulators, and consumers alike, to “not only facilitate appropriate discussion with third parties and regulators but could help improve understanding of the capabilities AI systems may have to improve risk management or to amplify new risks,” and “may help address the current lack of clarity around measuring and identifying risks, especially with the rapid adoption of Generative AI. As noted in the introduction, terminology can have implications for the common understanding of AI technology and its associated risks as well.”[31]
    Conclusion
    I usually offer a standard disclaimer at the start of my remarks—something like, my thoughts are my own and do not reflect the perspectives of others. Today, however, I feel compelled to disclose that I used ChatGPT to draft this speech. Just kidding. 
    The research and development of this speech reflects weeks of effort by my staff and their patience with my not-so-gentle editing. However, as someone who spends significant amounts of time reading, studying, and processing data, I am tempted, at times, to defer to an increasingly capable generative AI model to serve as my speechwriter-in-chief. Assuming others will find tempting uses for AI as well, let’s figure out the best, responsible path for bringing this technology into our markets. 

    [1] The thoughts and perspectives that I share with you today are my own; they are not the views and perspectives of my fellow Commissioners, the Commission, or the staff of the CFTC.

    [3] Treasury Report at 12-15.

    [4] See, e.g., 7 U.S.C. § 5.

    [5] See, e.g., Keynote Remarks of Commissioner Johnson for Governing Data at Iowa Innovation and Business Law Center and Yale Law Journal of Law & Technology at Yale Law School: Twin Peaks – Emerging Technologies (AI) and Critical Third Parties (Apr. 4, 2025), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/opajohnson16.

    [8] U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Request for Comment on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in CFTC-Regulated Markets (Jan. 25, 2024), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/8853-24 (citing Commissioner Kristin Johnson, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Financial Markets, Manuel F. Cohen Lecture, George Washington University Law School (Oct. 17, 2023) (describing the historic development and integration of increasingly complex algorithms including supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms in financial markets)).

    [11] For example, a joint letter from trade associations and exchanges referred to the use of AI for compliance processes and controls and the World Federation of Exchanges identified compliance as a use case, stating “AI can be used to reduce manual inputs for trade documentation and regulatory reporting, as well as reducing market manipulation….” See Letter from World Federation of Exchanges to CFTC, Regarding Response to Request for Comment on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in CFTC-Regulated Markets (Apr. 24, 2024), https://comments.cftc.gov/PublicComments/ViewComment.aspx?id=73447; Letter from Futures Industry Association, FIA Principal Traders Group, CME Group, Inc., and Intercontinental Exchange Inc. to CFTC, Regarding Release No. 8853-24 (Jan. 25, 2024) Request for Comment on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in CFTC-Regulated Markets (Apr. 24, 2024), https://comments.cftc.gov/PublicComments/ViewComment.aspx?id=73444. The Bank Policy Institute stated that “… AI models, including generative AI tools, are being evaluated or piloted [by banking organizations] to enhance operational efficiencies and risk mitigation in the cybersecurity and fraud prevention contexts.” See Letter from Bank Policy Institute to CFTC, Regarding Request for Comment on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in CFTC-Regulated Markets (CFTC Release No. 8553-24) (Apr. 17, 2024), https://comments.cftc.gov/PublicComments/ViewComment.aspx?id=73424.

    [12] See Treasury Report. 

    [13] Treasury Report at 10-11. Responses to the CFTC’s RFC also highlighted AI-driven fraud risk. For example, Letter from Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy to CFTC, Regarding Request for Comment on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in CFTC Regulated Markets (Apr. 24, 2024), https://comments.cftc.gov/PublicComments/ViewComment.aspx?id=73457.

    [14] Treasury Report at 16.

    [15] See, e.g., id. at 17.

    [21] Treasury Report at 19.

    [29] Treasury Report at 35.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Work to start on Athllon Drive upgrades

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Part of the road, between Sulwood Drive and Drakeford Drive in Tuggeranong, will be duplicated.

    Work to duplicate part of Athllon Drive in Tuggeranong is set to start in the coming months.

    The ACT Government will invest in the project through the 2024–25 ACT Budget, as part of a 50:50 funding agreement with the Australian Government.

    The project will see the duplication of 2.4 kilometres of Athllon Drive between Sulwood Drive and Drakeford Drive in Tuggeranong.

    The work to begin in the coming months will include:

    • relocating overhead electricity cables
    • water and sewer works
    • new walking and cycling path connections
    • path widening
    • new lighting.

    The first work on the northern section of the duplication will also commence in the coming year.

    This will include the construction of a widened intersection at Shea Street in Phillip to support access to the future Woden Bus Depot.

    About Athllon Drive

    Athllon Drive extends south from Woden, through Mawson and Wanniassa to Tuggeranong.

    Two rapid bus routes, cyclists and nearly 2,000 vehicles currently use this road every hour during peak periods.

    The duplication project will improve safety for motorists, walkers and cyclists, and result in a smoother, safer and faster journey between Tuggeranong and Woden.

    Budget invests in roads across Canberra

    This year’s Budget will maintain and upgrade the ACT’s road network over the coming years.

    This will include investment to start planning on new and upgraded roads, through a 50:50 partnership with the Australian Government, following commitments in the recent Federal Budget.

    Included in this is the future Molonglo Parkway-Drive Connector. The road will provide access between the future Molonglo Town Centre and the Tuggeranong Parkway.

    Design will also commence on future road improvements in Gungahlin. This includes possible road widening and intersection upgrades, following the finalisation of the Gungahlin Transport Plan later this year.

    The Budget commits additional funding to complete the Beltana Road upgrade in Pialligo and the Gundaroo Drive duplication in Belconnen in the coming financial year.

    In addition to these new road projects, this Budget continues to invest in road maintenance. This includes:

    • creating four new full-time positions in the City Services in-house line-marking crew, to renew faded road and path line-marking
    • carrying out critical bridge upgrades and improvements to traffic signals
    • renewal of Canberra’s green road signs, the Diddams Close boat ramp in Belconnen and the Parkes Way tunnel through Acton.

    Road pavement maintenance and rehabilitation will also remain a focus, thanks to investment from the Australian Government through the Roads to Recovery program.

    Funding to improve active travel

    Budget funding will be used to establish a new path replacement crew.

    This includes an additional 10 full-time positions plus new equipment to replace old or hazardous sections of concrete paths.

    This insourced crew will be able to respond to cracked, broken and lifted paths more quickly.

    They will also be able to make small-scale age-friendly improvements, such as building new ramps, kerbs and missing sections of paths.

    Over the next year, budget funding will be used to construct missing path links and connections across the city.

    This is in response to community feedback on gaps in the path network.

    New lighting will be installed to improve visibility and safety, prioritising areas identified by women and vulnerable users as requiring improvement.

    Funds will be invested in major works to renew the Emu Bank foreshore as part of the next stage of the Lake Ginninderra path upgrade.

    These works will include:

    • completely reconstructing the ageing lake retaining wall
    • replacing the pavers which present ongoing trip hazards
    • widening the path along the foreshore to create a safer, more pleasant environment.

    New funding will also be provided to undertake planning and design on segments of the future walking and cycling network identified in the Active Travel Plan, released earlier this year.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castor, Buchanan, Soto and Bilirakis Aim to Protect Florida’s Coasts from Offshore Drilling

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor (FL-14), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Darren Soto (FL-9) and Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) introduced critical bipartisan legislation, the Florida Coastal Protection Act, to permanently prohibit oil and natural gas exploration, development, and production off Florida’s coast.  

    “Florida is a special but fragile place, and our way of life depends on clean water. Dangerous offshore drilling can devastate both our environment and our economy, posing huge risks to everything that makes Florida special. Our Florida coasts are beloved by people across the globe. Tourism and fishing are the lifeblood of our coastal economy in the Sunshine State, so we must ensure our water, beaches, and wildlife in the Eastern Gulf are sustained, said Rep. Castor. “Together we can permanently protect these waters, our planet, our pocketbooks and our people from costly oil disasters and pollution.”

    “While I support responsible investments in American energy, we must also recognize the unique importance of protecting Florida’s coastline,” said Rep. Buchanan. “The Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010 showed just how devastating an offshore spill can be to our economy, environment and way of life. As co-chair of the bipartisan Florida congressional delegation, I remain committed to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to safeguard our state’s beautiful beaches and coastal waters.”

    “Florida’s coastline is more than a beautiful backdrop—it’s a vital part of who we are. Our beaches and marine ecosystems support hundreds of thousands of jobs, drive tourism, sustain our fishing industries, and provide a home to some of the most unique and fragile wildlife in the world,” said Rep. Darren Soto. “Offshore drilling puts all of that at risk. One spill could devastate our economy and irreparably damage ecosystems that took generations to build. This bipartisan legislation reflects a shared commitment to safeguarding our waters—not just for today, but for every generation that comes after us. Floridians deserve clean beaches, thriving marine life, and a resilient coastal economy—and that starts with keeping oil rigs off our shores for good.”

    “We’ve seen the long-lasting harm that can come from oil spills including: damage to the environment, disruption to marine life, and the paralysis of local economies that depend heavily on fishing, tourism, and recreation,” said Rep. Bilirakis. “Protecting Florida’s pristine coastline from future oil spills is crucial for preserving its unique ecosystems.  Ensuring the health of the coastline will safeguard not only the environment but also the livelihoods of communities that rely on its natural beauty and resources.”

    Endorsing organizations of the Florida Coastal Protection Act include Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, League of Conservation Voters, Environment America, Surfrider Foundation, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Lee (MA) Greener Gateway Committee, South Shore Audubon Society (Freeport, NY), Sierra Club, and The CLEO Institute.

    Read the full text of the bill.

    “Oceana applauds Rep. Castor and Rep. Buchanan for advancing the bipartisan tradition of protecting Florida’s coasts,” said Oceana Campaign Director Joseph Gordon. “Oil spills can be economically devastating for communities that rely on clean oceans and healthy wildlife. This visionary bill will forever secure Florida’s treasured coastlines from the threat of offshore oil drilling, protecting an essential way of life for millions of people who call the Sunshine State home – and millions more who visit its shores every year.”

    “This important legislation will protect Florida’s environment, economy, climate, and way of life from the harmful effects of offshore oil and gas development,” said Katie Bauman, Florida Policy Manager of the Surfrider Foundation. “The Surfrider Foundation urges members of Congress to support the Florida Coastal Protection Act and other bills to permanently prohibit new offshore drilling in U.S. waters.”

    Yoca Arditi-Rocha, Executive Director of The CLEO Institute added, “As a state where our clean beaches are a central driver of our tourism economy, The Florida Coastal Protection Act is essential to protecting the people and places we love. We can avoid using dirty and dangerous fuels by transitioning to clean electric vehicles and investing in public transportation. This is how we guarantee clean water and air for all.

    “Florida’s beaches, bottlenose dolphins and manatees are too important to risk for more oil, but we’ve seen repeatedly that when we drill, we spill,” said Lisa Frank, Executive Director of Environment America. The Florida Coastal Protection Act would conserve our waters and wildlife for generations to come by keeping offshore drilling out of Florida’s waters. Congress should pass this bill immediately and send it to President Trump’s desk.”

    “The barrier islands, white sandy beaches and coastal marshes surrounding Florida’s shoreline provide necessary habitat for iconic reef fish, extensive shorebird populations, sea turtles and marine mammals like the Florida manatee,” said Ben Prater, Southeast Program Director for Defenders of Wildlife. “This legislation will protect Florida’s coasts from the known, concrete risks of offshore drilling while moving to ensure a safer future for the endangered and imperiled coastal wildlife that call the state home.”

    “Permanently protecting Florida’s pristine Gulf coast from the threats of offshore drilling has had resounding support for years, regardless of political party,” said Earthjustice senior legislative representative Laura M. Esquivel. “From their robust tourism sector to their vital sustainable fishing industry, Floridians cherish the Gulf and want it free of toxic oil and gas. This bipartisan bill is proof that safeguarding a brighter future for Florida’s Gulf coast is within reach, and that Representatives Castor, Soto, Buchanan, and Bilirakis can make it happen.”

    “For decades, Floridians—Democrats and Republicans alike—have stood united against offshore drilling, knowing it threatens the state’s tourism-driven economy, coastal communities, and way of life. The Florida Coastal Protection Act reflects this long-standing bipartisan opposition by ensuring that our beaches, fisheries, and marine ecosystems are not put at risk for the sake of short-term fossil fuel profits. Healthy Gulf supports efforts to secure permanent protections for Florida’s waters, and we urge Congress to uphold the will of the people by passing this vital legislation,” said Martha Collins, Executive Director for Healthy Gulf.

    “Protecting Florida’s waters puts coastal communities and wildlife above polluters and brings us closer to a world where our waters are free from oil spills, endangered whale populations are free from seismic blasting, and local economies can thrive,” said Taryn Kiekow Heimer, Director of Ocean Energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Now more than ever, we need leadership from Congress to protect our oceans from an industry that only cares about its bottom line – and a Trump administration willing to do anything to give those oil billionaires what they want.”

    “Our coasts are a source of life, livelihood, and recreation for coastal communities and the millions of visitors they see every year,” said Athan Manuel, Director of Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program. “They also support untold diverse wildlife and ecosystems that are put at risk by exploitation from the oil and gas industry. This bill provides much-needed critical protections for the health of our coastal communities and to ensure that future generations will get to enjoy the wonders of our oceans and beaches.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Trenton Man Sentenced To 168 Months In Prison For Assaulting, Robbing And Discharging A Firearm At A Federal Agent (DOJ)

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    RENTON, N.J. – A Trenton man was sentenced to 168 months in prison for assaulting a federal agent with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Jabree Johnson, 30, of Trenton, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to a three-count indictment charging him with one count of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon of an individual with custody of federal property, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence, in which the firearm was discharged. 

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

    On March 22, 2021, federal law enforcement officers were conducting an investigation of firearms trafficking and other illegal activities in and around Trenton and Hamilton, New Jersey. In connection with the investigation, a federal law enforcement agent, working in an undercover capacity, arranged to purchase multiple firearms from an individual later identified as Johnson.

    After arriving at an agreed-upon location for the firearms transaction, Johnson entered the undercover federal agent’s vehicle, and handed the agent a black, semi-automatic firearm. The undercover federal agent inspected the firearm and then returned it to Johnson and requested to see the other firearms that Johnson had agreed to sell. Instead, Johnson pointed the loaded firearm directly at the undercover federal agent and demanded money from the agent. In response, the undercover federal agent provided Johnson with an amount of U.S. currency that the agent had on him to purchase the guns. Johnson then ordered the undercover federal agent out of the vehicle at gunpoint. The agent exited the vehicle as ordered and immediately drew his/her service-issued firearm and fired at Johnson, striking Johnson in the shoulder. Johnson also fired his handgun multiple times at the undercover federal agent.  Johnson fled the area with the money. Johnson was later identified at a local hospital as the individual who had assaulted and robbed the undercover federal agent at gunpoint and placed under arrest.    

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Johnson to five years of supervised release and ordered him to forfeit the firearm using during the commission of the crimes.

    U.S. Attorney Alina Habba credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, Trenton Satellite Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr.; special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge­­­­ Terence G. Reilly; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Steve E. Wilson; officers of the Hamilton Township Police Division, under the direction of Police Chief Kenneth DeBoskey; troopers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and detectives and prosecutors of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

                                                                           ###

    Defense Counsel: Mark Catanzaro, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Helium Evolution Closes Second Tranche of Private Placement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Helium Evolution Incorporated (TSXV:HEVI) (“HEVI” or the “Company“), a Canadian-based helium exploration company focused on developing assets in southern Saskatchewan, is pleased to announce the closing of the second tranche of the strategic private placement and an outsider private placement (together, the “Private Placement”), as announced on March 10, 2025.

    Pursuant to the Private Placement, HEVI issued 9,217,000 units (“Units”) for gross proceeds of $1.6 million.   Each Unit will be comprised of one common share of the Company and one half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a “Warrant“).  Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one common share of the Company at a price of $0.27 for a period of one year from the closing date of April 4, 2025 (the “Closing Date”), with an acceleration feature if the closing price over a 30-day period remains at or above $0.51 per common share at any time following the six-month anniversary of the Closing Date.

    Stay Connected to Helium Evolution

    Shareholders and other parties interested in learning more about the Helium Evolution opportunity are encouraged to visit the Company’s website, which includes an updated corporate presentation, and are invited to follow the Company on LinkedIn and X for ongoing corporate updates and helium industry information. Helium Evolution also provides an extensive, commissioned ‘deep-dive’ research report prepared by a third party whose background includes serving as a research analyst for several bank-owned and independent investment dealers.

    About Helium Evolution Incorporated

    Helium Evolution is a Canadian-based helium exploration company holding the largest helium land rights position in North America among publicly-traded companies, focused on developing assets in southern Saskatchewan. The Company has over five million acres of land under permit near proven discoveries of economic helium concentrations which will support scaling the exploration and development efforts across its land base. HEVI’s management and board are executing a differentiated strategy to become a leading supplier of sustainably-produced helium for the growing global helium market.

    For further information, please contact:

    Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements.” Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “projects,” “potential” and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “will,” “would,” “may,” “could” or “should” occur.

    Forward-looking statements in this document include statements regarding the Company becoming a leading supplier of sustainably-produced helium, the Company’s beliefs regarding growth of the global helium market and other statements that are not historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, among others: there may not be long-term growth; new laws or regulations and/or unforeseen events could adversely affect the Company’s business and results of operations; stock markets have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the performance of companies and such volatility may adversely affect the price of the Company’s securities regardless of its operating performance; risks generally associated with the exploration for and production of resources; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to expenses and the Company’s working capital position; constraint in the availability of services; commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations; adverse weather or break-up conditions; and uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures.

    When relying on forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and risks other uncertainties and potential events. The Company has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraphs will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    The MIL Network –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Proposals Sought for New Cruise Terminal in Buffalo

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the state is moving forward with plans to bring Great Lakes cruises to Buffalo. A Request for Proposals was issued today by the state’s Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation seeking proposals to design, develop and create a new cruise terminal to support Great Lakes cruise operations at Slip 2 on the Outer Harbor. Based on expressed interest by cruise companies, it is expected that Buffalo could serve as a port as early as 2027. This request follows ECHDC’s previously completed Market Demand Study for the cruise industry in Buffalo, which is available on the Empire State Development website. Proposals must be submitted to ESD by May 7 at 2 p.m. with an anticipated contract start date in June 2025.

    “Adding Buffalo as a terminal on a Great Lakes cruise itinerary is a tremendous opportunity for the City of Buffalo and Western New York,” Governor Hochul said. “Buffalo is well-positioned as a destination in the growing industry, allowing the city and region to benefit from the increased visitors and resulting positive economic impact. New York State is committed to providing the facilities needed to accommodate the cruise operations and ensure smooth sailing ahead.”

    The project aims to reimagine the current site for cruise ship docking for both domestic and international travel. Site improvements will include upgrades to seawall shoring; site remediation; improved public access; landscaping, drainage, lighting, and a small parking lot. The scope of work also includes design of one or two small, single-story buildings for customs processing and public restroom facilities.

    In 2024, ECHDC completed a Market Demand Study for the cruise ship industry in Buffalo, that focused on the potential and viability for Buffalo to become a destination for cruise lines already touring the Great Lakes. The study also analyzed six potential locations along the Buffalo waterfront that could support cruise operations. The recommended site for this is at the south berth space of Slip 2, near the former location of the Pier Restaurant that was demolished in 2007. ECHDC used this study to initiate conversations with several Great Lakes cruise lines to bolster the city’s potential as a cruise destination. Based on these conversations, ECHDC is issuing this RFP for a consultant to work with ECHDC and various state, federal, and local agencies to develop a comprehensive site plan to support cruise operations. The building and site design will be reflective of the aesthetic created by previous ECHDC projects at the nearby Bell Slip and Wilkeson Pointe.

    While a small subset of the cruise ship industry, the Great Lakes cruise sector has nearly tripled its total passenger numbers—from 9,000 in 2010 to more than 25,000 in 2023. The post-COVID growth of the industry is expected to continue, with larger numbers of passengers, vessels, revenues, and related activities in Great Lakes port cities. Cleveland, Milwaukee, Duluth, Detroit, and other coastal cities are already taking advantage of these upward trends. Buffalo’s strategic position at the southern end of the Welland Canal – the only access point for cruise ships into the Great Lakes from the St. Lawrence River – coupled with its unique attractions and assets make the destination a logical stopover point. Given Buffalo’s variety of tourist sites, airports, hotels, and access to consumers within a four- to six-hour drive, the community has in place the primary destination infrastructure necessary to support homeport status, meaning starting or ending a cruise itinerary, activities as well.

    Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation Chairperson Joan Kesner said, “With a cruise terminal on the Outer Harbor, Buffalo can play an important and growing role as a unique, seasonal destination for small vessels across the industry, whether luxury, expedition, or niche market cruises. Governor Hochul recognizes the tremendous cultural, architectural, and other assets our region offers and now we’re ready to share them with the rest of the world.”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Buffalo offers diverse cultural and historical experiences, making it ideal for cruise operations and their customers on the Great Lakes. As we take the first step toward establishing a cruise terminal on the Outer Harbor, we are also taking steps toward contributing to economic development in a new industry for Western New York by the associated boost in local tourism that will support local businesses and create new jobs.”

    The Buffalo waterfront and its development are priorities for Governor Hochul, with today’s announcement being the latest milestone in a series of her Buffalo waterfront announcements. Construction on the Wilkeson Pointe Improvement Project on the Outer Harbor and the Gateway Building at Canalside are slated to be complete by Memorial Day with the Waterway of Change exhibit at the Longshed also opening then. The Slip 2 ecosystem restoration continues this summer with the North Aud Block and Terminal B water’s edge project in the planning phase. Terminal B and the Bell Slip were completed last year.

    State Senator April Baskin said, “I applaud Governor Hochul for her forward thinking in developing a cruise terminal on the Outer Harbor and the economic impact it will undoubtedly have on tourism in Western New York. I value any economic development, and this project is uniquely positioned to highlight the beautiful assets only our area can tout.”

    Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera said, “Reimagining Buffalo’s Outer Harbor to allow for Great Lakes Cruises will give locals and visitors the chance to explore what makes Western New York special. This project is yet another way we can chart our own course using natural resources to expand the blue economy in Buffalo and along other port cities. I look forward to seeing this site grow into another tourism asset on our Great Lakes thanks to the leadership of Governor Hochul.”

    Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz said, “It makes tremendous sense to include Buffalo as a port on the Great Lakes Cruise schedule and is another way that Erie County can showcase all that it has to offer. This plan will bring more visitors to our area to enjoy our restaurants, sports teams, shopping and recreation. I thank Governor Hochul for moving this plan forward and I look forward to cruise ships full of tourists arriving here.”

    City of Buffalo Mayor Christopher P. Scanlon said, “Buffalo has long been known for its waterfront and its revitalization, and today’s announcement by Governor Hochul marks an exciting new chapter in how we can connect that asset to tourism and economic development. The potential to welcome Great Lakes cruises to Buffalo not only elevates our city as a premier destination, but also opens the door to new jobs, businesses, and investment opportunities. I thank Governor Hochul and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation for their continued commitment to revitalizing our waterfront.”

    About Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation

    As a subsidiary of ESD, the state’s chief economic development agency, ECHDC supports and promotes the creation of infrastructure and public activities at Canalside, the Ohio Street corridor and the Outer Harbor that is attracting critical mass, private investment and enhance the enjoyment of the waterfront for residents and tourists in Western New York. Its vision is to revitalize Western New York’s waterfront and restore economic growth to Buffalo based on the region’s legacy of pride, urban significance, and natural beauty.

    ECHDC is governed by a nine-member board consisting of seven voting directors and two non-voting, ex-officio directors. The seven voting directors are recommended by the New York State Governor and are appointed by the New York State Urban Development Corporation d/b/a ESD as sole shareholder of ECHDC. The two non-voting, ex-officio director positions are held by the Erie County Executive and the City of Buffalo Mayor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Boone County Schools Maintenance Supervisor Pleads Guilty to $3.4 Million Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael David Barker, 47, of Foster, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Barker admitted to a scheme to defraud the Boone County Schools system by more than $3.4 million while employed as the maintenance director.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, from about November 2019 through December 2023, Barker ordered custodial and janitorial supplies for Boone County Schools from Jesse Marks and his company, Rush Enterprises. These supplies included hand soap, trash can liners, face masks, face shields, and hand sanitizer.

    Barker admitted that he and Marks agreed that Rush Enterprises would overbill the Boone County Board of Education for these supplies. As part of this scheme, Barker approved invoices on behalf of Rush Enterprises that significantly inflated the number of products that were actually delivered to Boone County Schools. Barker submitted these fraudulent invoices to the Boone County Board of Education, which relied on them to mail checks to Rush Enterprises using the United States Mail.

    Marks deposited the checks from Boone County Schools into the business bank account for Rush Enterprises, wrote himself checks on that account that he cashed at various banks, and personally delivered some of that cash to Barker in manila envelopes. Barker admitted that he spent the cash delivered by Marks to buy vehicles and equipment and make substantial improvements to his residence in Foster.

    Marks deducted the cost of the products actually delivered to Boone County Schools from the proceeds of the overbilling scheme. Boone County Schools paid Rush Enterprises $4,310,714.82 from in or about November 2019 through in or about December 2023. Barker admitted that approximately 80 percent of the total payments received by Rush Enterprises, or $3,448,571.85, was based on fraudulent invoices.

    Barker is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Barker also owes $3,400,000 in restitution.

    “Mr. Barker took advantage of COVID-19 pandemic relief funds and put his own greed above the interests of the Boone County School system and the children it serves,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “His actions caused serious reputable harm and diminished the trust in the Boone County School system.”

    Marks, 65, of Rush, Kentucky, pleaded guilty on February 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2025.

    Barker’s parents, Michael P. Barker, 68, and Lana Barker, 66, both of Foster, pleaded guilty on March 3, 2025, to structuring transactions with one or more domestic financial institutions. They admitted to making 11 cash deposits to their bank accounts totaling $97,215 starting on or about November 7, 2023, through on or about November 28, 2023. Financial institutions are required to report cash deposits of more than $10,000, and federal law prohibits structuring multiple cash deposits to avoid this reporting requirement. The deposits were in amounts ranging from $8,000 to $9,500 specifically to avoid the currency reporting requirement. The structuring scheme was uncovered by the same investigation that resulted in the indictment of their son. Michael P. Barker is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2025, and Lana Barker is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1, 2025.

    Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Education-Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the West Virginia State Police, and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Department of Education.

    “This case is a result of outstanding teamwork and reflects the tireless dedication of this office and its law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who stole from the American people during a national emergency,” Johnston said. “We will continue to pursue all available avenues to recover defrauded public funds and identify and prosecute those responsible.”

    United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price is prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-194.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fifteen Defendants Charged with Federal Immigration Crimes (DOJ)

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    IRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Alabama has charged 15 individuals with immigration crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona.

    The following defendants were indicted for illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported:

    • Salvador Rodriguez-Villa, of Mexico;
    • Noel Paz-Diaz, 34, of Guatemala;
    • Christian Mendoza-Salas, 29, of Mexico;
    • Isidro Gutierrez Gabriel, 35, of Guatemala;
    • Mateo Pascual-Francisco, 40, of Guatemala;
    • Tomas Naz-Gonzalez, 27, of Guatemala;
    • Marco Julio Agustin-Miranda, 27, of Guatemala;
    • Rafael Juan-Francisco, 35, of Guatemala;
    • Jose Rigoberto Acosta-Calles, 36, of El Salvador;
    • Elmer Geovany Sarmiento-Sifrian, 32, of Honduras;

    The following defendants were charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm:

    • Elmer David Hernandez-Garcia, 39, of Honduras;
    • Christian Ivan Sanchez, 36, of Mexico;
    • Jhoan Jesus Rodriguez-Perez, 21, of Mexico;
    • Orli Umberto Marquez-Cordon, 24, of Mexico;

    Maria Monserrat de Jesus Bautista-Hernandez, 41, of Mexico, has been charged with illegal re-entry after a prior removal and for being an alien in possession of a firearm.

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Operation Take Back America partners, Homeland Security Investigations – Atlanta, U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Houston Division, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Nashville Field Division, investigated these cases. 

    An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Waterbury Man Guilty of Firearm Offense Related to Gun Trafficking Operation (DOJ)

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    arc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced a federal jury in New Haven today found LUIS PEREZ, 46, of Waterbury, guilty of a firearm offense related to an extensive gun trafficking investigation.

    According to court documents, statements made in previous court proceedings, and evidence presented during the trial, in May 2023, members of the FBI Waterbury Safe Streets Task Force conducted three controlled purchases of a total of nine firearms, and one controlled purchase of cocaine, from Perez.  An expanded investigation revealed that Perez was acquiring numerous firearms, most of which were purchased by straw purchasers from licensed gun dealers in Kansas and then shipped through the U.S. Mail to a stash location maintained by Perez’s associate, Algelly Diaz, in Hartford.  Perez then sold the firearms, which included assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to others throughout Connecticut.  Perez and Diaz are previously convicted felons who cannot lawfully purchase or possess firearms.

    The investigation further revealed that, between August 2020 and May 2023, one of Perez’s co-conspirators purchased at least 73 firearms from a licensed gun dealer in Deerfield, Kansas. 

    Perez and Diaz were arrested on May 19, 2023.  On that date, investigators executed search warrants at locations in Connecticut, Kansas, and California.  A search of Perez’s residence and vehicle revealed nine firearms; more than 200 rounds of ammunition; distribution quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl/heroin; items used to process and package narcotics for street sale; and more than $7,000 in cash.  In addition, a search of Diaz’s residence revealed approximately 90 rounds of ammunition, and a search of a package that was shipped to Diaz and seized from the mail stream revealed an additional three firearms.

    The jury found Perez guilty of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  On March 19, 2025, Perez pleaded guilty to the other nine counts of the indictment in which he was charged, including one count of firearms trafficking conspiracy, three counts of firearms trafficking, two counts of mailing nonmailable firearms, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.

    At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Perez faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

    Perez has been detained since his arrest.

    Diaz pleaded guilty and, on February 4, 2025, was sentenced to 48 months of imprisonment.  Three others charged as a result of this investigation also pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

    This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Connecticut State Police; and the Waterbury, Meriden, Hartford, Manchester, East Hartford, West Hartford, and Chino (Calif.) Police Departments.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Christopher J. Lembo through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Finds Redwood Falls Man Guilty of Possession of Firearms and Ammunition, Trafficking Marijuana

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS– On Friday, April 4, 2025, a federal jury convicted Andrew David Munsinger, 41, a resident of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition as a felon and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to evidence presented at trial, Munsinger was a member of the Aryan Freedom Network, a white supremacist organization, and he was the subject of a year-long FBI investigation that gathered multiple audio- and video-recordings of Munsinger possessing and shooting firearms, purchasing and using ammunition, and admitting that he could not legally possess a firearm. On February 7, 2024, FBI agents executed search warrants at Munsinger’s residence in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, his two vehicles, and a farm near Lake Lilliam, Minnesota. Law enforcement seized a total five firearms, including two personally made semi-automatic rifles, two shotguns, and a nine-millimeter pistol, hundreds of rounds and casings of ammunition, multiple high-capacity magazines and other firearm accessories, and a tactical bullet-resistant vest. They also discovered over five pounds of marijuana in heat-sealed packages, a marijuana grow operation, and $24,300 cash in $100-bill denominations. Because Munsinger has prior felony convictions, he was prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.

    “The safety and security of Minnesotans is of the upmost importance to my office. We will ensure Munsinger—and all others who bring violence and drugs to Minnesota—sees federal justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “We are grateful to the FBI for their work on this this investigation.”

    “A convicted felon with a cache of firearms, ammunition, and drugs is a clear threat to public safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our partners will not tolerate individuals who break the law and promote extremist views that incite violence. Together, we will continue to disrupt violent extremists and prevent convicted felons from arming themselves and endangering others.”

    After a five-day jury trial before Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court, Munsinger was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of firearms, one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, and one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar and Raphael B. Coburn tried the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: The radical European peasant movements that formed populist parties and breakaway republics

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jakub Beneš, Associate Professor in Central European History, UCL

    From Poland and France to the US, rightwing populist parties dominate rural and post-industrial hinterlands while the centrist liberal vote is concentrated in cities. This urban-rural divide is arguably the main political fault line in Europe and North America today.

    It appears the backlash against globalised capitalism is strongest when associated with rural conservatism and xenophobia against migrants. But anti-urban populism has not always been – and perhaps isn’t now – a simple reaction against the forces of modernity.

    In my new book, The Last Peasant War: Violence and Revolution in Twentieth-Century Eastern Europe, I explore how peasant movements in eastern Europe during the first half of the 20th century often combined deep resentment of cities with aspirations for radical social and economic change. These movements aimed to create a more egalitarian countryside while enhancing its influence and prosperity.

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

    The first world war was the main catalyst. Warring countries in central and eastern Europe introduced harsh controls of the rural economy to secure food for armies and the urban labour force. Villagers working small plots of land resented these measures and the cities that dictated their terms.

    Confronted with shortages at home and death at the front, hundreds of thousands of peasants deserted from the poorly led armies of Austria-Hungary and Russia. In Austria-Hungary, and later in the Russian civil war, scores of thousands of armed peasant deserters banded together to form motley “green” forces based in forests and hilly areas.

    These men, along with recently demobilised soldiers, led a wave of bloody violence in many areas of the east European countryside as the old empires disintegrated. Large estates were sacked, officials chased off, and Jewish merchants robbed and humiliated. Peasant crowds often targeted towns as the places that appeared to mastermind and benefit from their exploitation.

    In most places, the unrest did not last long. Yet the deserter movements and other forms of rural wartime resistance galvanised interwar agrarian politics – that is, politics concerned with the cultivation and distribution of land – on a scale not seen before or since.

    Peasants demanded the breakup and redistribution of large estate land, the end of wars led by parasitic cities, representation of peasants in national governments proportionate to their numbers, and local autonomy.

    These were undeniably revolutionary goals. The Russian Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin and his followers were forced to revise the mainstream Marxist view of a backward peasantry. His government legalised land seizures by peasants with a 1917 decree before reintroducing the despised wartime economy and later concluding an uneasy truce with the countryside during the 1920s. The war against the Soviet peasantry was finally won during Stalin’s brutal collectivisation drive in the early 1930s.

    Many ambitious peasant initiatives remained isolated from each other: village republics sprouted up in parts of the former Habsburg and Romanov empires with the chief aim of redistributing large estate land.

    As the new countries of east central Europe consolidated their power, they faced competition from micro-states in parts of Croatia, Slovenia and Poland. Many short-lived republics were reported across Ukraine and European Russia.

    More durable were the rural populist parties that became a defining feature of east European politics. From 1919 to 1923, Bulgaria was ruled by the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union under Aleksandar Stamboliyski, who introduced far-reaching reforms to elevate and reward agricultural work before he was murdered in a coup.

    In the former Habsburg lands, agrarian politics mushroomed in the aftermath of the first world war, influencing national politics through the end of the second world war. The peasant masses looked to the Polish People’s party, the Croatian Peasant party, and others to lead them forward on a “third way” to modernity, avoiding the pitfalls of both heartless liberalism and tyrannical communism.

    Eastern European governments implemented agrarian reform to benefit land-hungry villagers, but it fell short of expectations. Later, the rise of authoritarian regimes across much of the region by the early 1930s forced many peasant movements out of parliamentary politics. Politically marginalised, reeling from the Great Depression, millions of villagers embraced extremist politics, fascism included.

    But Hitler’s occupation of much of eastern Europe found little support among them. Large numbers of peasants joined or supported resistance movements, tipping the scales against the axis forces in Yugoslavia. In Poland, the rural populists had their own armed resistance numbering in the hundreds of thousands: the Peasant Battalions.

    By around 1950, peasant revolution was extinguished in Europe. Collectivisation in the east and mechanisation across the continent altered the fabric of rural life. Tens of millions left the land for cities, never to return.

    The politics they backed in the era of world wars are now a distant memory. At the time, city dwellers looked at them with a mixture of fear and puzzlement. How, they asked, could men like Stamboliyski and Stjepan Radić of the Croatian Peasant party rail against city life while claiming they wanted to make their societies more equal and prosperous?

    Then, as now, the world beyond the metropolis nurtured sentiments far more radical than we often assume.

    Jakub Beneš has received funding from UKRI’s Arts and Humanities Research Council.

    – ref. The radical European peasant movements that formed populist parties and breakaway republics – https://theconversation.com/the-radical-european-peasant-movements-that-formed-populist-parties-and-breakaway-republics-251379

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rare Crystal Shape Found to Increase the Strength of 3D-Printed Metal

    Source: US Government research organizations

    The quasicrystals found in this study form the corners of 20-sided shape called an icosahedron. To prove that he found an icosahedron, Andrew Iams had to rotate the sample under his microscope to show that it had fivefold, threefold and twofold rotational symmetry. This animation shows these three views of an icosahedron, as well as what the crystals look like under the microscope from the three different angles.

    Credit: J. Wang/NIST

    Andrew Iams saw something strange while looking through his electron microscope. He was examining a sliver of a new aluminum alloy at the atomic scale, searching for the key to its strength, when he noticed that the atoms were arranged in an extremely unusual pattern. “That’s when I started to get excited,” said Iams, a materials research engineer, “because I thought I might be looking at a quasicrystal.”

    Not only did he find quasicrystals in this aluminum alloy, but he and his colleagues at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) found that these quasicrystals also make it stronger. They published their findings in the Journal of Alloys and Compounds.

    The alloy formed under the extreme conditions of metal 3D printing, a new way to make metal parts. Understanding this aluminum on the atomic scale will enable a whole new category of 3D-printed parts such as airplane components, heat exchangers and car chassis. It will also open the door to research on new aluminum alloys that use quasicrystals for strength.

    What Are Quasicrystals?

    Quasicrystals are like ordinary crystals but with a few key differences.

    A traditional crystal is any solid made of atoms or molecules in repeating patterns. Table salt is a common crystal, for example. Salt’s atoms connect to make cubes, and those microscopic cubes connect to form bigger cubes that are large enough to see with the naked eye.

    This Penrose tile pattern has some of the same properties as quasicrystals. Even though the image is made of a few identical basic shapes, the overall pattern never repeats.

    Credit: elfinadesign/Shutterstock

    There are only 230 possible ways for atoms to form repeating crystal patterns. Quasicrystals don’t fit into any of them. Their unique shape lets them form a pattern that fills the space, but never repeats.

    Dan Shechtman, a materials scientist at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, discovered quasicrystals while on sabbatical at NIST in the 1980s. Many scientists at the time thought his research was flawed because the new crystal shapes he found weren’t possible under the normal rules for crystals. But through careful research, Shechtman proved beyond a doubt that this new type of crystal existed, revolutionizing the science of crystallography and winning the chemistry Nobel Prize in 2011.

    Working in the same building as Shechtman decades later, Andrew Iams found his own quasicrystals in 3D-printed aluminum.

    How Does Metal 3D Printing Work?

    There are a few different ways to 3D-print metals, but the most common is called “powder bed fusion.” It works like this: Metal powder is spread evenly in a thin layer. Then a powerful laser moves over the powder, melting it together. After the first layer is finished, a new layer of powder is spread on top and the process repeats. One layer at a time, the laser melts the powder into a solid shape.

    NIST’s 3D Printer Testbed

    This 3D printer builds objects by melting a fine metal powder with a laser. First, the surface is coated with metal powder. Then, a high-power laser melts that powder in a particular pattern. The process is repeated hundreds or thousands of times, building the metal piece layer by layer. Finally, when the object is complete, the excess powder is removed. Credit: Jennifer Lauren Lee/NIST

    3D printing creates shapes that would be impossible with any other method. For example, in 2015 GE designed fuel nozzles for airplane engines that could only be made with metal 3D printing. The new nozzle was a huge improvement. Its complex shape came out of the printer as a single lightweight part. In contrast, the previous version had to be assembled from 20 separate pieces and was 25% heavier. To date, GE has printed tens of thousands of these fuel nozzles, showing that metal 3D printing can be commercially successful.

    One of the limitations of metal 3D printing is that it only works with a handful of metals. “High-strength aluminum alloys are almost impossible to print,” says NIST physicist Fan Zhang, a co-author on the paper. “They tend to develop cracks, which make them unusable.”

    Why Is It Hard to Print Aluminum?

    Normal aluminum melts at temperatures of around 700 degrees C. The lasers in a 3D printer must raise the temperature much, much higher: past the metal’s boiling point, 2,470 degrees C. This changes a lot of the properties of the metal, particularly since aluminum heats up and cools down faster than other metals.

    In 2017, a team at HRL Laboratories, based in California, and UC Santa Barbara discovered a high-strength aluminum alloy that could be 3D printed. They found that adding zirconium to the aluminum powder prevented the 3D-printed parts from cracking, resulting in a strong alloy.

    The NIST researchers set out to understand this new, commercially available 3D-printed aluminum-zirconium alloy on the atomic scale. “In order to trust this new metal enough to use in critical components such as military aircraft parts, we need a deep understanding of how the atoms fit together,” said Zhang.

    The NIST team wanted to know what made this metal so strong. Part of the answer, it turned out, was quasicrystals.

    How Do Quasicrystals Make Aluminum Stronger?

    In metals, perfect crystals are weak. The regular patterns of perfect crystals make it easier for the atoms to slip past each other. When that happens, the metal bends, stretches or breaks. Quasicrystals break up the regular pattern of the aluminum crystals, causing defects that make the metal stronger.

    Electron microscope image of the aluminum alloy from the study. The light gray areas are sections of traditional crystals within the aluminum alloy, while the black dots are sections where NIST found quasicrystals. Meandering black lines emanate from the quasicrystal sections. These lines are defects that break up the pattern of traditional crystals throughout the alloy, increasing its strength.

    Credit: NIST

    The Measurement Science Behind Identifying a Quasicrystal

    When Iams looked at the crystals from just the right angle, he saw that they had fivefold rotational symmetry. That means there are five ways to rotate the crystal around an axis so that it looks the same.

    “Fivefold symmetry is very rare. That was the telltale sign that we might have a quasicrystal,” said Iams. “But we couldn’t completely convince ourselves until we got the measurements right.” To confirm they had a quasicrystal, Iams had to carefully rotate the crystal under the microscope and show that it also had threefold symmetry and twofold symmetry from two different angles.

    “Now that we have this finding, I think it will open up a new approach to alloy design,” says Zhang. “We’ve shown that quasicrystals can make aluminum stronger. Now people might try to create them intentionally in future alloys.”

    Paper: A.D. Iams, J.S. Weaver, B.M. Lane, L.A. Giannuzzi, F. Yi, D.L. LaPlant, J.H. Martin and F. Zhang. Microstructural Features and Metastable Phase Formation in a High-Strength Aluminum Alloy Fabricated Using Additive Manufacturing. Journal of Alloys and Compounds. Published online April 7, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2025.180281
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Peru is losing its battle against organised crime

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amalendu Misra, Professor of International Politics, Lancaster University

    The president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, declared a state of emergency in the capital city, Lima, on March 18. The decree, which came amid a wave of violence, gives the police and military full control of the security situation there for a period of 30 days.

    Peru is no stranger to emergencies of this kind. Only last year, in September 2024, Boluarte’s government declared a 60-day state of emergency in 12 districts of the capital. The rationale for declaring the emergency now, as in the past, remains the same: to address the threat posed by criminal gangs.

    The latest emergency was prompted by the brazen killing of Paul Flores, the popular 39-year-old lead singer of a Peruvian band called Armonia 10. Flores was shot dead by assailants who attacked a bus he was riding in with bandmates and attempted to extort money from them as they left a concert.

    Peru has seen a spate of killings, violent extortion and attacks on public places in recent months. According to the Peruvian police, there were 459 killings across the country between January 1 and March 16, and over 1,900 reports of extortion in January alone.

    Many Peruvians point to the fact that the extortion and homicide racket may be far more severe than official statistics suggest. Plenty of those affected by criminality do not report their misfortune for fears of reprisal by criminal gangs.

    On March 21, a few days after the state of emergency in Lima was declared, Peru’s Congress voted to remove the interior minister, Juan José Santiváñez, from office. In a post on X, they said Santiváñez must take responsibility for his “inability to address the wave of citizen insecurity the country is facing”.

    Peru serves as a hotspot for sexual slavery, illegal organ trafficking and labour exploitation. In addition, it is also the second-largest producer of cocaine in the world.

    Over 95,000 hectares of land was dedicated to coca cultivation in the country in 2023 – an 18% increase from the figure recorded in 2021. This expansion has been driven primarily by cultivation in Peru’s indigenous territories and protected areas. Indigenous territories now account for 20% of all the coca cultivated in Peru.

    These lucrative operations are led by local crime organisations, often working in collusion with corrupt public officials and foreign partners. According to Organized Crime Index, these criminal networks include police officers and migration officials who work at control points on the borders and facilitate illegal activities.

    The logistics of Peru’s cocaine trade are often also managed by Serbian, Mexican and Colombian mafias. From Peru, cocaine goes through Mexico for the US market and Brazil for the European market. Some shipments are sent directly to Oceania and Japan.

    Criminal governance

    Peru’s perpetual political instability, weak criminal justice system and the poor presence of the state in its outlying territories allow various criminal groups to engage in their nefarious trade.

    Two former Peruvian presidents have faced corruption charges. One of them, Alejandro Toledo, was sentenced to 20 years in jail for corruption in 2024. The authorities accused Toledo of accepting US$35 million (£27 million) in bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to allow the company to build a highway in Peru.

    Another controversial former president, Alberto Fujimori, had been in prison for 16 years for human rights abuses and corruption after being extradited from Chile in 2007. He was released in 2023 on humanitarian grounds and died the following year.

    Meanwhile, prosecutors in Peru are seeking a 34-year sentence for ex-president Pedro Castillo, who was removed from office and arrested after his attempt to dissolve Congress in late 2022 and rule by decree. Castillo has described his trial as “politicised” and has refused legal counsel provided by the judicial system.

    So many former Peruvian presidents have been accused of crimes that the country has designated a small jail on the outskirts of Lima specifically to house them. As Colombia-based journalist John Otis put it in a radio interview in 2023, the Barbadillo prison not only serves as a symbol of corruption, but also a testimony to political dysfunction in the country.

    The spread of economic activities operating outside the law, such as illegal gold mining, has emboldened organised crime in Peru. Instances of politicians and criminals working together to line their pockets are not uncommon.

    A good example is César Álvarez, the governor of the resource-rich Áncash region of western Peru. Nicknamed “the beast” by the citizens of the province because of his reputation for political violence, Álvarez allegedly operated with impunity by asserting his control through an elaborate network of government institutions and criminal organisations.

    According to an indictment by Peru’s public prosecutor’s office, Álvarez extorted, threatened and ordered the assassination of political adversaries while in office between 2007 and 2014. Álvarez, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison in 2019.

    When the government in Lima last declared an emergency in parts of the capital in 2024, the country’s federation of business associations stated: “We live under siege from organised crime which has taken control of the country in the alarming absence of the state”.

    This statement appears prophetic. Peru, it appears, is losing the battle against organised crime.

    Amalendu Misra is a recipient of Nuffield Foundation and British Academy Fellowships.

    – ref. Peru is losing its battle against organised crime – https://theconversation.com/peru-is-losing-its-battle-against-organised-crime-252349

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: At a pivotal meeting, the world is set to decide how to cut shipping emissions

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Simon Bullock, Research Associate, Shipping and Climate Change, University of Manchester

    GreenOak / shutterstock

    You’re probably reading this article on a device assembled in Asia, using materials shipped there from all around the world. After it was made, your phone or laptop most likely travelled to your country on a huge ship powered by one of the world’s largest diesel engines, one of thousands plying the world’s oceans. All this maritime activity adds up: international shipping burns over 200 million tonnes of fossil fuels a year.

    The sector is trying to clean up its act. Its 2023 global climate strategy set a “strive” ambition of 30% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, relative to 2008 emissions and 80% by 2040. That’s close to a level of ambition that can deliver on the Paris climate agreement, but this target urgently needs policies to make it happen. This is also urgent: 2030 is only five years away.

    The technology to deliver a rapid transition exists. Wind propulsion technology – yes, sails – can be fitted to existing ships, and much of the sector could soon switch to zero-emission fuels if they were seen as a good investment.

    That said, the transition needs to be fast and will be costly. This raises questions about who is to foot the bill.

    That’s the backdrop for a pivotal meeting this week in London at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The IMO is the United Nations’ agency, made up of 175 nation states, charged with coordinating a response on shipping’s climate pollution. At this meeting, nations will take a series of decisions which will have a profound impact on whether the sector makes a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, or if it continues to limp along on its current high-carbon course.

    There are two crucial and interlinked decisions to be taken, and at the moment the proposals range from strong to exceptionally weak. Outcomes could go either way.

    Improving efficiency

    The efficiency of shipping hasn’t got much attention, even though it’s an important part of reducing emissions. One key policy is the Carbon Intensity Indicator, which measures how much carbon is emitted per tonne of cargo for every mile travelled. The IMO’s current strategy requires improving this efficiency by 40% by 2030, compared to 2008 levels.

    Annual fuel oil consumption (by ship type):

    How different fuels were used by different ship types (2023 data).
    IMO Future Fuels, CC BY-NC-SA

    But here’s the problem: global demand for shipping is expected to grow by around 60% in that same time. So even with a 40% efficiency boost, total emissions from shipping could stay the same – or even go up – because so much more cargo will be moved.

    Despite this, many countries haven’t updated their policies to reflect this growing demand or to align with the IMO’s updated “30% cuts by 2030” target.

    Some countries, including Palau – a Pacific island nation vulnerable to climate change – and the UK, have pushed for stronger action. But there remains a long way to go before the world agrees on an ambitious path forward.

    Green energy

    The more hotly debated issue is around a fiendishly complicated set of “mid-term measures”. A key part of this is creating a “global fuel standard” – essentially, targets for how much “zero emission” (or “green”) fuel ships must use and by when.

    These rules would come with penalties or costs for using polluting fuels, which would effectively put a price on greenhouse gas emissions. Experts have long agreed that putting a price on shipping pollution is the most effective way to encourage cleaner and more efficient practices. But despite nearly 20 years of discussions, countries still haven’t agreed how to do this.

    Decisions are further complicated by wrangles over how to fairly distribute the revenues from these penalties.

    Who should get the revenues from shipping pollution?
    Uncle_Dave / shutterstock

    The good news is that the world is less than a week away from a decision which will put a price on shipping pollution in some form. The bad news is that proposals on the table could easily deliver a weak, uncertain price signal which doesn’t push the industry to invest in more green solutions. And the fuel standard itself might fall short of the ambitious climate targets set in 2023.

    Until now, talks on improving shipping efficiency and on pricing polluting fuels have happened separately. A big task at the IMO summit in London is to integrate the two into one coordinated plan.

    From a climate perspective, these policies should be judged by whether they will work together to cut shipping emissions by 30% by 2030 (the IMO’s current target).

    As things stand, that outcome is still possible – but is now an uphill battle. Agreement this week is crucial and countries will show their true colours. If they can’t agree to agree more ambitious policies it will undermine the IMO’s ability to regulate shipping emissions.

    Historically, the IMO tends to take its biggest decisions in the last hours of Thursday in week-long negotiations. Both ambitious and more cautious countries have a lot on the line, as the measure adopted will be legally binding for all of them.

    A positive result depends on whether powerful groups such as the European Union line up to support ambitious measures, as as proposed by African, Caribbean, Central American and Pacific countries as well as the UK.

    Although countries have agreed on climate targets for shipping, some still refuse to support the policies needed to actually phase out fossil fuels fast enough. That stance much change. If done right, IMO negotiations this week could be a turning point – not just for shipping, but for renewable energy and climate action worldwide.

    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 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Simon Bullock is a member of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology

    Christiaan De Beukelaer receives funding from the ClimateWorks Foundation.

    Tristan Smith owns shares in UMAS International, that working alongside UCL Energy Institute, provides advisory services on the subject of maritime decarbonisation. My research group is recipient of research funding from UKRI, Climateworks Foundation and Quadratue Climate Foundation. I am on the advisory board of the Global Maritime Forum, and the Strategy Board of the Getting to Zero Coalition – not for profit structures that work across governments and industry stakeholders on maritime decarbonisation.

    – ref. At a pivotal meeting, the world is set to decide how to cut shipping emissions – https://theconversation.com/at-a-pivotal-meeting-the-world-is-set-to-decide-how-to-cut-shipping-emissions-253462

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Drinking pee to improve health is an ancient practice – but the risks outweigh the evidence

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University

    KK_face/Shutterstock

    TV star Ben Grylls says he does it for survival – and teaches his reality show contestants to do the same. Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Márquez practised this therapy to train for his 2009 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr (he lost). Former Indian prime minister Morarji Desai claimed a daily glass of the stuff was a remedy for many diseases and contributed to his longevity.

    What is the therapy these celebrities practice? Urophagia, also known as urine therapy, is the practice of drinking urine.

    Whether the urine is your own, someone else’s or even obtained from an animal, people have been drinking pee as medicine for thousands of years. Most claims about urine therapy are based on anecdotes or ancient texts with no robust scientific evidence to support the benefits of urine therapy. There is evidence to show that drinking urine has a number of health risks, however,

    In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, urine was used to treat asthma, allergies, indigestion, wrinkles and even cancer. The Roman poet Catullus believed urine helped to whiten teeth – possibly due to its ammonia content.

    As a rudimentary test for diabetes, doctors used to taste urine to check how sweet it was. Now, of course, we have urine test strips to check for glucose in the urine.

    In 1945, British naturopath John W. Armstrong published a book called “The Water of Life: A Treatise on Urine Therapy.” He claimed that drinking one’s own urine and massaging it into the skin could cure major illnesses.

    Historically, drinking pee to treat illnesses may have made sense because of a lack of medical alternatives. But, as the urine-sipping celebrities above show, the practice is still followed today.

    There are reported cases of using urine for home remedies to treat seizures in children in Nigeria. The China Urine Therapy Association claims that drinking and washing with urine can cure constipation and skin sores.

    Waste not, want not?

    Urine is made by the body to get rid of waste. It is mostly made up of water (about 95%) and several waste products, including urea (2%), which is made by the liver after breaking down proteins in the body, creatinine, which is left over from energy-releasing processes in the muscles, and salts. If urine is just waste, how could drinking it be beneficial?

    The kidneys act as regulators – not just to get rid of any toxins but to remove anything that it doesn’t need. For example, excess vitamins that aren’t needed by the body are found in urine.

    Drinking urine means these vitamins and minerals are getting recycled instead of being wasted – this also goes for other hormones, proteins and antibodies that can be found in urine. However, the amounts of these substances in a glass of urine are unlikely to be enough to be beneficial and a vitamin supplement may be more effective.

    Some advocates of urine therapy believe it can help prevent allergic reactions and control autoimmune conditions. The antibodies in the urine are supposed to make the immune system stronger.

    Other modern uses also include cleansing and detoxification – some people have claimed that continually drinking recycled urine leads to cleaner urine and blood by removing toxins and leading to better overall health.

    However, there’s no scientific evidence to support any of these claims.

    Some social media influencers claim that urine has healing properties and drinking or applying it to the skin can help skin conditions such as acne and infections. As mentioned, urine does contain urea, which is often added to skin care products as a moisturiser. But the concentration of urea in urine is unlikely to be high enough to have this effect.

    Urine also contains dehydroepiandrosterone, a steroid hormone produced by the body that declines with age, which has been marketed as an anti-ageing ingredient – but there isn’t enough data to demonstrate its efficacy.

    Risky business

    Some advocates of urine therapy believe that urine is sterile. However, research has found that urine naturally contains low levels of bacteria and research shows that bacteria can further contaminate the urine when it leaves the body. Drinking urine, then, can introduce bacteria and toxins into the gut and potentially cause further illness like stomach infections.

    Urine becomes more concentrated when it comes out again – the kidneys may have to work harder to filter out the excess, putting extra strain on them. The kidneys need water to process these salts.

    Drinking urine means you have to pee out more water than you get from it, which speeds up dehydration – it’s similar to drinking seawater. Some drugs, such as penicillin antibiotics or heart medicines, are also excreted in the urine – by drinking urine, it can cause toxic levels of these drugs to build up in the body.

    Mainstream medical communities do not endorse urine therapy as it lacks scientific evidence. Small amounts of urine drinking are unlikely to be harmful. But for tangible health benefits, other therapies with scientific evidence may be the way to go.

    Dipa Kamdar 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. Drinking pee to improve health is an ancient practice – but the risks outweigh the evidence – https://theconversation.com/drinking-pee-to-improve-health-is-an-ancient-practice-but-the-risks-outweigh-the-evidence-253353

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Children from poorer families do worse at school – here’s how to understand the disadvantage gap

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ceri Brown, Associate Professor (Reader) in Education, University of Bath

    Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

    The problem of the disadvantage gap – also known as the attainment gap – is a persistent one in education in England. It refers to how children from certain groups, such as those from poorer backgrounds, ethnic minorities or who have been in care, do worse at school than their peers.

    It’s a central concern of the recent interim report of the ongoing review into England’s national curriculum, which points out that the current system is not working well for everyone.

    The disadvantage gaps between groups can be measured in different ways. The more simplistic way is to consider outcome measures, such as exam results, in isolation.

    For example, at the end of their primary schooling, eleven-year-olds in English state schools take standardised key stage assessments – SATs. These results are used to calculate the disadvantage gap index. The index ranks all pupils in the country and assesses the difference in the average position of disadvantaged pupils and others. It shows whether the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is widening or closing.

    A disadvantage gap of zero would indicate that there is no difference between the average performance of disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils. According to the Department for Education’s figures for 2023-24, the disadvantage gap index at this level is 3.13 in children’s key stage scores. While it had been decreasing between 2011 and 2018, the gap rose to the highest level since 2012 in 2022.

    For GCSEs, taken at age 16, the disadvantage gap index is 3.92. It has decreased slightly after widening in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

    Measuring progress

    A more sophisticated analysis of the disadvantage gap can be made by comparing the rate of progress that children achieve through their schooling career. Children in English state schools take a baseline assessment when they first enter their reception year, and their progress from this point can be measured by comparing with their SATs key stage results in year six.

    Ideally, all children would progress in their learning at the same rate. But research by one of us (Nadia Siddiqui) shows that pupils from persistently low socioeconomic groups do not progress at the same level as their counterparts.

    A recent longitudinal research study – meaning that it has tracked the same participants over years – has shown that since the pandemic, there has been a very big impact on the reading and maths progress of primary school children from poorer backgrounds.

    At secondary level, progress can be measured by comparing children’s progress from their SATs at the end of primary school with their GCSE exam results. This measure is called “progress 8”. It indicates how much a secondary school has helped pupils progress from their point of entry at year seven, when compared to a government-calculated expected level of improvement.

    The progress 8 measure focuses on the progression children make from their starting points, as opposed to fixating only on the end points in children’s learning.

    The disadvantage gap can be measured using test results to gauge progress over time.
    panitanphoto/Shutterstock

    The government uses this measure not to compare individuals, but rather schools to see how much value has been added by each school relative to other schools. But it also measures the progress of key groups, such as children receiving free school meals or of different ethnicities.

    The latest data shows that pupils from poorer backgrounds – those eligible for free school meals – made less progress than their peers. This was the case in every ethnic group.

    Reducing the gap

    In the last few decades, a number of education policies have been introduced to narrow the disadvantage gap determined by household poverty.

    Direct funding to improve educational targets is a popular approach and has been adopted in countries across the world. This means schools receive additional funding for admitting disadvantaged pupils. This money should be spent on evidence-informed interventions for improving educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils.

    Since 2010, schools in England have been incentivised by pupil premium funding to invest directly in the academic learning of disadvantaged pupils if they are not reaching expected levels. Schools receive funding for each pupil who is, or has been, eligible for free school meals, and for those who have been in care.

    Pupil premium funding has changed the pattern of intake of disadvantaged pupils by schools. Segregation of poorer and wealthier pupils, in which pupils from poorer households are clustered in particular schools, has reduced. Schools now take more of a mix of children from poorer and wealthier backgrounds.

    This is good because mixed schools create fairer and more inclusive societies where pupils are better equipped to succeed in diverse environments. What’s more, the relative disadvantage gap has slightly improved for pupils at primary school.

    The evidence on interventions for disadvantaged pupils is still evolving. For practical reasons, approaches to improving the academic disadvantage gap are mainly applied at school level.

    However, in some places, area-based funding schemes, which channel funding to selected regions of particular high poverty, have been introduced. Our research is exploring the extent to which this may be a feasible way to narrow the disadvantage gap.

    Ceri Brown receives funding from UKRI (ESRC) and the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit.

    Nadia Siddiqui receives funding from UKRI, EEF, British Council.

    – ref. Children from poorer families do worse at school – here’s how to understand the disadvantage gap – https://theconversation.com/children-from-poorer-families-do-worse-at-school-heres-how-to-understand-the-disadvantage-gap-235706

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nasa and Esa want to bring Martian rocks to Earth. Here’s what will happen to the samples once they get here

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Bridges, Professor of Planetary Science, University of Leicester

    Nasa/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

    A mission will deliver rock and soil from Mars to laboratories on Earth in the 2030s. Mars Sample Return (MSR) is led by Nasa with participation from the European Space Agency (Esa). The mission will allow scientists to use the best laboratory instruments on Earth to determine whether Mars hosted microbial life billions of years ago.

    So what will happen to the samples once they arrive on Earth?

    Nasa’s Perseverance rover has already been doing the hard work of collecting the samples. The rover has been exploring a Martian location known as Jezero Crater since landing in February 2021. Along the way, it has used its drill to extract cores – cylindrical samples of rock – from Martian rocks, depositing them in sample tubes on the floor of the crater.

    Present day levels of cosmic radiation at the Martian surface are thought to be too high for life to survive there. However, conditions may have been more hospitable to life billions of years ago, and it is these potential traces of ancient life that Perseverance was designed to seek out.

    In September 2023, an independent review board found MSR’s budget and schedule to be “unrealistic,” and said that this would potentially delay the mission’s launch beyond 2028. This has led Nasa to seek alternative approaches to carrying out the mission.

    The space agency issued a call for ideas from industry and is currently studying two proposals. But in terms of the broad mechanics, something – a rover or small helicopter – will need to collect the sample tubes and deliver them to a vehicle. That vehicle will then blast off the surface of Mars.

    A capsule, carrying those Martian samples, will eventually enter the Earth’s atmosphere and parachute down to a government facility in Utah, US. This is all projected to happen in the 2030s.

    Once safely on Earth, the samples from Jezero Crater will be analysed using sensitive instruments that are too big and complex to send on a rover to Mars. That’s the essence of MSR: in order to unambiguously identifying any traces of ancient Martian life, scientists will need to carry out multiple experiments and replicate the results.

    In other words, separate and independent scientific teams will have to show that they can get the same outcomes from those experiments.

    The scientific community is still making new discoveries with the 380kg of rock and soil from the Moon that was delivered to Earth by the six Apollo missions over 50 years ago. In the Apollo era, scientists had to work out a plan to keep the Moon samples pristine, in order to preserve them for generations of scientists to study.

    One concept for how Mars Sample Return would work.

    Their solution was to put them in glove boxes: sealed containers that allow users to manipulate the contents via long gloves that extend from the outside to the inside of the box. These glove boxes contain dry nitrogen gas that protects against chemical changes to the samples. That’s worked well for the Moon rocks; the Apollo 11-17 samples can be seen and studied at Nasa’s Johnson Space Center in Houston today.

    A more challenging plan will be needed for the approximately 500g of carefully selected Martian rock and soil. The facilities in which they are eventually stored will need to carefully control factors such as humidity and temperature. They will also need to prevent the samples from being contaminated by terrestrial microbes.

    The requirements for managing the Martian samples are decided by an organisation called the Committee on Space Research (Cospar). Under Cospar guidance, MSR is defined as a Category V Restricted Earth Return Mission.

    While scientists do not generally expect the Martian samples to contain present-day life, the requirements mean that the samples will be treated as if they do until the possibility is excluded. Cospar says: “A program of life detection and biohazard testing, or a proven sterilisation process, should be undertaken as an absolute precondition for the controlled distribution of any portion of the sample.”

    Thus, a major part of MSR planning is the design and construction of a sample receiving facility (SRF), a building where initial analyses of the rock and soil are to take place. The work will be conducted under strict biocontainment rules, which mean that scientists will use equipment and follow procedures usually deployed in some of the most world’s most secure labs, designed to study harmful bacteria and viruses such as Ebola and Marburg virus. This situation will persist until a “sample safety assessment” has taken place.

    This safety assessment will determine whether the samples can be studied at lower levels of biological containment. Only after that stage and another called “basic characterisation”, where scientists carry out an initial study of the minerals and chemistry of the rocks, will the samples gradually be released to the wider scientific community.

    One problem for the mission is the complexity and cost of the SRF, which is expected to rise to hundreds of millions of dollars, or euros. This is largely because of the need to not only comply with the Cospar rules but also to incorporate the range of microscopes and spectrometers needed for the analyses.

    Much of the reason for the delays in delivering the overall MSR programme come down to cost, so there is currently pressure to reduce the price tag. Against this background, Nasa and Esa have convened a measurement definition team, a panel of scientists who will determine which analyses are needed within the SRF. The resulting report will be published shortly.

    In parallel, a programme of work to design and build new technology for MSR that allows both biological containment and analysis of the minerals in Martian samples is taking place. Esa, with Nasa collaboration, is funding the design of secure chambers called multi-barrier isolator cabinets, inside which the Martian rock and soil can be studied.

    These cabinets will also incorporate the range of different scientific instruments needed for the basic characterisation stage. These could include powerful microscopes and a Raman spectrometer.

    Combining the requirements for containment and analysis in this way has the potential to not only reduce the time needed before samples can be released to the scientific community, but also to substantially reduce the costs of the SRF and thus help the overall MSR programme.

    John Bridges of Space Park Leicester, University of Leicester is funded by the European Space Agency and UK Space Agency to design and build isolator, spectroscopic and portable technology for Mars Sample Return at Space Park Leicester. He is a member of the NASA-ESA MSR Measurement Definition Team.

    – ref. Nasa and Esa want to bring Martian rocks to Earth. Here’s what will happen to the samples once they get here – https://theconversation.com/nasa-and-esa-want-to-bring-martian-rocks-to-earth-heres-what-will-happen-to-the-samples-once-they-get-here-253914

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: More than 100 projects in the healthcare sector are being implemented under the Construction program

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    As part of the comprehensive state program “Construction”, supervised by the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services, in 2025, construction, renovation and implementation of 109 facilities and activities in the healthcare sector are underway. This was reported by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.

    “Today marks World Health Day. This is a reason to pay attention to the work on developing healthcare infrastructure. In recent years, a number of significant projects in the healthcare sector have been implemented in Russia. Among them are modern multidisciplinary hospitals equipped with advanced medical equipment, renovated outpatient clinics that meet all the requirements for patient comfort and safety, as well as specialized medical centers where innovative diagnostic and treatment methods are being implemented. As part of the comprehensive state program “Construction”, we are building, updating and implementing 109 facilities and events in the healthcare sector. Among them are the construction of federal children’s rehabilitation centers in Yevpatoria and Novosibirsk Oblast, a new multidisciplinary medical center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia in Yalta and many other institutions,” said Marat Khusnullin.

    Thus, the Federal Children’s Rehabilitation Center, which is being built in Yevpatoriya by specialists from the PPC “Unified Customer in the Sphere of Construction”, is intended for children with diseases of the nervous system, musculoskeletal system, somatic and other diseases. An administrative building with an area of about 2 thousand square meters has already been put into operation after a complete restoration. In addition, a consultative and diagnostic building and a hospital building with 300 beds have been erected, which are now being equipped. Also under construction is a boarding house for children and parents, a hostel for medical personnel for 225 places and a building with a dining hall.

    “The Federal Children’s Rehabilitation Center in Crimea is being built on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In Podolsk, Moscow Region, such a facility has already been operating since 2023. Another large facility is the Federal Children’s Rehabilitation Center in Novosibirsk Region. On the territory of the medical institution, a hospital building with 300 beds and the main building are being built. Recently, specialists began to build a boarding house building, where young patients will live with their parents. Its area will exceed 8 thousand square meters,” said Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities Yuri Gordeyev.

    Also in St. Petersburg, a clinical building of the N.N. Petrov National Medical Research Center is being built. The new building will include an admissions department, a 204-bed hospital, bone marrow transplant, resuscitation and intensive care departments. An operating block with 8 operating rooms is planned to provide high-tech care to cancer patients. This will allow the center to expand scientific research and training of specialists.

    Another landmark building in the Northern capital is the new building of the Research Institute of Children’s Oncology, Hematology and Transplantology named after R.M. Gorbacheva, which is a division of the First Saint Petersburg State Medical University named after Academician I.P. Pavlov. The building, with an area of 17 thousand square meters, includes a hospital with 110 beds, bone marrow transplant departments, resuscitation and intensive care, 5 operating rooms and a blood transfusion department.

    A treatment and diagnostic building for the Center for Dermatovenereology and Cosmetology is being built in Moscow. The building will include admission departments for adults and children, a radiation diagnostics department, a 40-bed hospital, 2 operating rooms, a 6-bed intensive care unit, and a sterilization department. The center will provide assistance to patients with lymphomas, skin tumors, and severe dermatosis.

    In addition, a multidisciplinary medical center of the FMBA is being built on the Crimean peninsula, in the resort city of Yalta, which will provide emergency, planned and high-tech care in key areas: surgery, cardiology, oncology, pediatrics and resuscitation. The center will include a clinic, a diagnostic department, classrooms and housing for employees.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Washington State Ferries to update Triangle route backup schedule ahead of busy summer season

    Source: Washington State News 2

    Visit the online open house April 7-18 to comment on the two-boat backup schedule

    SEATTLE – Washington State Ferries is updating the backup two-boat Triangle route schedule ahead of the busy summer travel season. The route serves more than 2 million customers each year who travel between West Seattle, Vashon Island and South Kitsap County, via Southworth.

    Ferry riders are encouraged to participate in an online open house with the draft schedule to share their input. Customer engagement was essential to developing the draft schedule, thanks to feedback from community members and feedback from WSF crewmembers.

    “Since we moved to the two-boat Triangle route schedule in 2020, we’ve heard extensively from customers and crews on the route,” said Jason Rogers, WSF planning manager. “Our customers want more reliable and consistent service that they can count on, and crews need a more realistic schedule to better support that reliability”.

    The previous two-boat schedule had not been updated in a decade and was designed for very occasional use during emergencies.

    Triangle route schedule update open house information

    When: Monday, April 7, through Friday, April 18

    Where: engage.wsdot.wa.gov/triangle-route-schedule-update-project/

    Details: The online open house is available anytime for the public to visit, review materials and ask questions via the contact form.

    Free internet access

    Free, temporary internet access is available to those who do not have broadband service in locations throughout the state. To find the nearest Drive-In WiFi Hotspot visit: www.commerce.wa.gov/building-infrastructure/washington-state-drive-in-wifi-hotspots-location-finder/

    While WSF is excited to return to three-boat service on the Triangle route this summer, due to ferry and crew availability, there may be times when WSF will need to use a two-boat schedule.  

    The route will remain on the current two-boat schedule until June 30, when three-boat service starts. Then the “new” two-boat schedule will become the backup schedule in the event of a service reduction. 

    WSF, a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation, is the largest ferry system in the U.S. and safely and efficiently carries tens of millions of people a year through some of the most majestic scenery in the world. For breaking news and the latest information, follow WSF on X, Facebook and Instagram.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Money laundering gang who exploited Russia-Ukraine war jailed

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two people have been jailed for a combined 13 years for laundering more than £6 million, after an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s economic crime team.

    The group used criminal money to purchase vans and lorries in the UK and sold them to Ukraine. The earnings were then converted into cryptocurrency. They exploited the legitimate demand in Ukraine for vehicles as part of their war effort, and the lack of cryptocurrency regulation, to maximise their profit and made millions in just over a year.

    Valeriy Popovych, 52, (08.09.1972) of The Avenue, Sudbury‐on‐Thames, and Vitaliy Lutsak, 43, (07.08.1981) of Shortmead Drive, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, were sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Monday, 7 April, following a five-week trial.

    Oksana Popovych, 42, (19.03.1983) of The Avenue, Sudbury‐on‐Thames is due to be sentenced on Friday, 30 May at Wood Green Crown Court.

    They were all found guilty of transferring criminal property and running an unregistered money service business, following an investigation by the Met.

    The criminal enterprise enabled Valeriy and Oksana Popovych and to purchase a second house in South West London for just under £1 million.

    Detective Constable Harry Davies, from the Metropolitan Police, who led the investigation, said:

    “This was a thorough and complex investigation into an organised crime gang operating internationally, I’d like to thank the dedicated officers and our partners for their work in bringing this group to justice.

    “Mr Popovych presented himself as a hardworking, legitimate tradesman and used his reputation within the second-hand lorry market to clean criminal cash. He also callously saw the conflict in Ukraine as a lucrative business opportunity.

    “The sentences given to the group today show how committed we are in tackling organised crime groups and the serious risk they pose to our communities.”

    The investigation

    Valeriy Popovych ran an export business, Sprint Commercial Ltd, purchasing vehicles in the UK from legitimate traders and selling them in Ukraine. His wife, Valeriy Popovych, was also employed by the business.

    He would purchase the goods with criminal cash, the money was deposited in Ukraine and converted to cryptocurrency.

    Lutsak acted as the money co-ordinator and would send the Popovychs to collect criminal cash from ‘customers’ in the UK. During the investigation officers found more than $14million in cryptocurrency had passed through his “cyrptowallets” stored on his computer.

    A part of the laundered cash was controlled by a Russian National called Semen Kuksov, who was convicted on Friday, 27 October 2023 at Southwark Crown Court, under the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) Operation Destabilise.

    Kuksov was sentenced to five years and seven months’ imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, 1 February 2024.

    The arrests

    Acting on intelligence, on Wednesday, 28 June 2023, police stopped a vehicle in Twickenham in which Valeiry Popovych was the passenger. Following a search of the vehicle Met officers found more than £60,000 in cash and arrested him at the scene.

    During a further search at his address on Gloucester Road, Feltham, officers recovered £130,000 in cash. This was seized, alongside a laptop and mobile devices.

    Following Popovych’s arrest, extensive investigations by the Economic Crime Unit discovered the link with Oksana and Lutsak, who were arrested at their homes on Wednesday, 15 May 2024. Lutsak was charged on the same day.

    Valeriy and Oksana Popvych were charged on Tuesday, 14 June 2024.

    They were all found guilty by the jury on Wednesday, 5 March 2025 at Wood Green Crown Court.

    A variety of complex evidence was obtained by officers, including chats, money transactions, CCTV, cryptocurrency wallets and call logs.

    The Met’s economic crime unit worked with partner agencies including the NCA, HM Revenue and Customs and the Financial Conduct Authority to conduct a robust investigation.

    Messages outlined key times in which Valeriy and Popovych visited addresses to collect cash.

    The most crucial element was an Excel spreadsheet, named ‘V Enf Acc’. This document proved the group laundered over £6 million between August 2022 and June 2023.

    Valeriy Popovych and Vitaliy Lutsak were were both sentenced to six years and six months’ imprisonment.

    They were all found guilty of transferring criminal property over the value of £6 million under Section 327 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and running an unregistered money service business under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds Regulations 2017.

    Negeen Momtahen, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

    “Together, these defendants used an export business as a front to launder millions of pounds of criminal cash across borders. They attempted to conceal the source of this illicit money by using secret token exchanges and cryptocurrency.

    “Money laundering is not a victimless crime – it is the financial lifeline which enables criminals to profit from their illegal activities.

    “Last year we convicted other key members of this same money laundering network. I hope this latest prosecution demonstrates our ongoing determination to dismantling these criminal operations and bringing all involved to justice.

    “We will be pursuing confiscation proceedings against the defendants to remove any available criminal benefits gained from this enterprise.”

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Euronext announces volumes for March 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Euronext announces volumes for March 2025

    Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Milan, Oslo and Paris – 7 April 2025 – Euronext, the leading European capital market infrastructure, today announced trading volumes for March 2025.

    Monthly and historical volume tables are available at this address:

    euronext.com/investor-relations#monthly-volumes

    CONTACTS  

    ANALYSTS & INVESTORS – ir@euronext.com

    Investor Relations        Aurélie Cohen                 

            Judith Stein        +33 6 15 23 91 97          

    MEDIA – mediateam@euronext.com 

    Europe        Aurélie Cohen         +33 1 70 48 24 45   

            Andrea Monzani         +39 02 72 42 62 13 

    Belgium        Marianne Aalders         +32 26 20 15 01                 

    France, Corporate        Flavio Bornancin-Tomasella        +33 1 70 48 24 45                 

    Ireland        Andrea Monzani         +39 02 72 42 62 13                 

    Italy         Ester Russom         +39 02 72 42 67 56                 

    The Netherlands        Marianne Aalders         +31 20 721 41 33                 

    Norway         Cathrine Lorvik Segerlund        +47 41 69 59 10                 

    Portugal         Sandra Machado        +351 91 777 68 97                

    Corporate Solutions        Andrea Monzani         +39 02 72 42 62 13                  

    About Euronext  

    Euronext is the leading European capital market infrastructure, covering the entire capital markets value chain, from listing, trading, clearing, settlement and custody, to solutions for issuers and investors. Euronext runs MTS, one of Europe’s leading electronic fixed income trading markets, and Nord Pool, the European power market. Euronext also provides clearing and settlement services through Euronext Clearing and its Euronext Securities CSDs in Denmark, Italy, Norway and Portugal.

    As of March 2025, Euronext’s regulated exchanges in Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Portugal host nearly 1,800 listed issuers with €6.3 trillion in market capitalisation, a strong blue-chip franchise and the largest global centre for debt and fund listings. With a diverse domestic and international client base, Euronext handles 25% of European lit equity trading. Its products include equities, FX, ETFs, bonds, derivatives, commodities and indices.

    For the latest news, go to euronext.com or follow us on X and LinkedIn.

    Disclaimer

    This press release is for information purposes only: it is not a recommendation to engage in investment activities and is provided “as is”, without representation or warranty of any kind. While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the content, Euronext does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Euronext will not be held liable for any loss or damages of any nature ensuing from using, trusting or acting on information provided. No information set out or referred to in this publication may be regarded as creating any right or obligation. The creation of rights and obligations in respect of financial products that are traded on the exchanges operated by Euronext’s subsidiaries shall depend solely on the applicable rules of the market operator. All proprietary rights and interest in or connected with this publication shall vest in Euronext. This press release speaks only as of this date. Euronext refers to Euronext N.V. and its affiliates. Information regarding trademarks and intellectual property rights of Euronext is available at www.euronext.com/terms-use.

    © 2025, Euronext N.V. – All rights reserved. 

    The Euronext Group processes your personal data in order to provide you with information about Euronext (the “Purpose”). With regard to the processing of this personal data, Euronext will comply with its obligations under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and Council of 27 April 2016 (General Data Protection Regulation, “GDPR”), and any applicable national laws, rules and regulations implementing the GDPR, as provided in its privacy statement available at: www.euronext.com/privacy-policy. In accordance with the applicable legislation you have rights with regard to the processing of your personal data: for more information on your rights, please refer to: www.euronext.com/data_subjects_rights_request_information. To make a request regarding the processing of your data or to unsubscribe from this press release service, please use our data subject request form at connect2.euronext.com/form/data-subjects-rights-request or email our Data Protection Officer at dpo@euronext.com.

    Attachment

    • Euronext PR Volumes – March 2025

    The MIL Network –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Telnyx builds momentum in Global Partner Motion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Austin, TX, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As part of its strategic expansion, Telnyx is launching a dedicated channel team to strengthen its global partner network. This initiative underscores Telnyx’s commitment to empowering solution providers, system integrators, MSPs, and distributors with the tools, support, and incentives needed for mutual success.

    Telnyx appointed Anwar Karzazi as VP of Global Partner Sales to lead its channel expansion. With extensive experience in scaling Partner Sales at Cloudflare, he will drive the channel team globally to accelerate growth and success. Additionally, Darren Laurie joined as Head of Partner Sales for EMEA from VMware, and Ron McNab is Head of Partner Sales for the Americas from Telarus, strengthening regional strategies to support partners in key markets.

    Empowering partners through a scalable program

    The new channel initiative will help Telnyx expand its presence in key markets by fostering strategic partnerships. Through a structured model, Telnyx will provide partners with increasing benefits, resources, and support to drive revenue and improve customer outcomes.

    “Our partners are at the core of our growth strategy. We’re committed to equipping them with the resources needed to succeed,” said Anwar Karzazi, VP of Global Partner Sales at Telnyx. “This initiative raises the bar by delivering top-tier benefits and rewarding excellence.”

    To support this effort, Telnyx is investing in dedicated channel resources and developing a scalable partnership framework that offers competitive incentives, seamless access to Telnyx solutions, and hands-on enablement.

    Aligning with Telnyx’s growth strategy

    “Expanding our partner network is a key driver of our long-term success,” said Ian Reither, COO at Telnyx. “By strengthening our global partnerships, we’re opening new paths for collaboration and innovation that will accelerate revenue growth and improve customer engagement.”

    This expansion aligns with Telnyx’s broader vision of scaling its business and reinforcing its position as a leader in connectivity and AI-driven solutions. Through its growing partner ecosystem, Telnyx aims to penetrate new markets, drive revenue, and deliver enhanced value to customers.

    About Telnyx

    Telnyx is a global connectivity and AI platform that powers voice, messaging, networking, and real-time AI solutions. Telnyx delivers ultra-low latency, enterprise-grade security, and unmatched reliability with a private IP network and direct carrier connections.

    For more information and updates, visit the Telnyx website and follow us on LinkedIn or X.

    Media contact

    Telnyx Media Relations
    press@telnyx.com

    The MIL Network –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Joint statement at the 58th Session of the UN Commission on Population and Development

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Joint statement at the 58th Session of the UN Commission on Population and Development

    Joint statement on the 58th Session of the UN Commission on Population and Development delivered by Sierra Leone on Monday 7 April 2025, on behalf of Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Eswatini, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uruguay, Zambia and the United Kingdom.

    We are making this collective statement to emphasise the urgent need for action to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3. Health is a human right and a foundation of sustainable development, driving economic growth, social cohesion, and individual dignity.

    Over the past decades, significant progress has been made in many areas of health. We have seen a reduction in maternal and child mortality, expanded access to modern contraceptive methods as well as maternal and newborn medicines and commodities, improvements in adolescent health and education, addressing sexually transmitted diseases including HIV, and a decline in child and early forced marriages. These achievements give us hope for a healthier future.

    However, significant challenges persist, and the urgent need for equal access to health services and opportunities for healthy lives remains out of reach for many.

    Health inequalities stemming from complex, interrelated factors such as economic disparities, social exclusion, significant financial hardship, discrimination, and unequal access to resources, has a profound impact on individuals and communities. These inequalities manifest in poor health outcomes, lower life expectancy, reduced household income, and weaker national economic growth potential. Income inequality exacerbates vulnerabilities, limiting access to health services in low-income countries and disadvantaged communities. Social disparities rooted in gender, race, age, class, religion, and ethnicity perpetuate stigma, violence, and adverse health determinants.

    Economic disparities within and among countries remain significant, impacting the lives of many individuals. Far too many people are unable to access essential health services or are forced to forgo care due to unaffordability. Rising out-of-pocket health costs are pushing millions into poverty, hindering the realisation of Universal Health Coverage. Conflicts and climate change are straining health systems and the health workforce, contributing to stagnating maternal mortality rates, growing mental health challenges, and the inability of health systems to cope with the rise of non-communicable diseases.

    Equitable, inclusive, and resilient health systems are essential to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being. It is imperative to prioritize universally accessible, quality, and comprehensive primary healthcare services. Sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights must enable individuals to make free and informed decisions about their health and their lives. Addressing the social determinants of health – such as poverty, malnutrition, education, water and sanitation, and gender inequality – is critical for achieving inclusive economic growth that strengthens and benefits all of society.

    The health and well-being of adolescents and youth also demands greater attention – they require better access to health services, education, and information that enable them to make informed decisions about their lives.

    Investing in health, particularly sexual and reproductive health, is not just a matter of well-being, but also a powerful driver of economic growth. UNFPA estimates that allocating an additional $79 billion by 2030 to expand maternal health and family planning services could yield $660 billion in economic benefits by 2050—preventing 400 million unplanned pregnancies, 1 million maternal deaths, 6 million stillbirths, and 4 million newborn deaths, while also enhancing workforce participation and economic productivity (UNFPA, 2022). Similarly, closing the women’s health gap more broadly could further accelerate economic progress, with the World Economic Forum projecting a potential boost of at least $1 trillion annually to the global economy by 2040.

    Greater investments in health infrastructure, workforce capacity, and innovative solutions like digital health can improve service delivery and expand access to services. Strengthening and expanding the global health workforce is at the heart of this. We must address health workforce shortages, ensure equitable distribution, enhance training and pay attention to sustainable retention strategies.

    It is vital that we, as policymakers, health organizations, and civil society, address disparities within and among countries, ensuring that people in vulnerable situations, including women, children, older persons, migrants, people with disabilities, and those in extreme poverty, have access to quality, comprehensive health services without financial hardship and discrimination. Our role in promoting responsive health systems that cater to the unique needs of at-risk individuals are key to sustainable and inclusive progress.

    A healthier population is central to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The ICPD’s Programme of Action has guided countries toward inclusive, equitable policies advancing health and gender equality. By strengthening health systems and addressing inequalities, we can work toward a world where all people can live healthy, productive and fulfilling lives.

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    Published 7 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Conference on Radiation Applications: From Planes and Plastics to Climate Change and Culture

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Around a thousand experts, policymakers and industry leaders will attend ICARST in 2025. (Photo: D.Calma/ IAEA)

     ICARST-2025 will feature plenary presentations, panel discussions and poster sessions covering a wide range of topics, including:

    • advances in radiation chemistry, science, and technology
    • radiation-modified materials for industrial applications
    • non-destructive testing applications, including ai-driven neutron and muon radiography
    • dosimetry, standards, and quality management of irradiation facilities
    • environmental applications, such as radiation sciences for remediation and post-disaster management
    • emerging radiation sources, including next-generation gamma rays, electron beams, and x ray technologies

    Moreover, experts will present innovations in radiotracers, sealed sources and nucleonic control systems used for industrial process control and optimization.

    Beyond technical discussions, ICARST-2025 will also explore education, training and certification in radiation science and technology, ensuring that the next generation of experts is well-equipped to drive innovation in the field. Several side events and networking opportunities will further support knowledge sharing and collaboration.

    The conference proceedings, including recorded sessions and key takeaways, will be made available to participants and the broader scientific community. For those unable to attend in person and for anyone interested, the conference is being livestreamed here.

    The IAEA helps countries maximize the benefits of radiation science and technology through technical cooperation, expert guidance and training programmes. The Agency also fosters knowledge transfer through initiatives such as Collaborating Centres and Coordinated Research Activities, while providing peer reviews, safety standards and technical documents. These efforts help countries integrate radiation science and technology in their national plans to address critical challenges in health, industry and environmental sustainability.

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Buffalo Man Arrested on Gun and Drug Charges

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    UFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jeremy Hodge, 39, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on April 4, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Hodge’s Ernst Avenue residence and his vehicle. Investigators seized a loaded 9mm firearm, a loaded magazine, ammunition, quantities of suspected heroin and fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia. Hodge was arrested at the scene. He has three prior felony convictions and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    Hodge made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained.

    The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.   

    # # # #

     

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: A Colombian judge leads judicial transformation with Copilot 

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: A Colombian judge leads judicial transformation with Copilot 

    The judge proudly notes that she can now issue up to 20 rulings in a week, a substantial increase from the four rulings she managed before adopting Copilot. 

    She uses the AI assistant daily for transcriptions, summarizing hearings and drafting various judicial documents. Copilot also aids in reviewing grammar and wording, comparing draft rulings and managing internal data. 

    “For us, this is magic… These tools have come to facilitate and improve judicial work,” Quiñones says. 

    A far-reaching AI plan 

    Colombia’s judiciary is among the first in Latin America to embrace AI. The country’s constitutional court ruled in 2024 that judges could use AI tools to speed up processes under specific rules.  

    The judicial governing body then issued regulations in December, mandating that judges review and verify any AI-generated information and disclose its use. The regulations also prohibit the use of free AI chatbots and the use of AI to “assess evidence, scrutinize facts, make value judgments, or solve legal problems,” like drafting final rulings.  

    At the same time, virtual hearings have become increasingly frequent in Colombia. What began as a necessity in 2020 during the pandemic, has become a staple in the country’s judicial process. In 2024, virtual hearings grew to 1.1 million, accounting for around 80% of total hearings, with Teams becoming the exclusive provider in October. 

    Johanna Pimiento, a top Colombian judicial official, said the primary motivation for using AI is the high level of backlog rates. Photo by Johanna Pimiento.

    The Copilot beta program, launched last year, is set to expand to some 150 participants, including judges and clerks, says Johanna Pimiento, head of digital transformation at Colombia’s judicial governing body.  

    The primary motivation for using AI is the high level of backlog rates, Pimiento points out. “Judges are constantly overwhelmed … and they need to be able to provide more timely responses. That’s why we are keen to start using AI tools.” 

    More than 2.5 million cases were pending resolution in 2023, the latest year available, which represents half of all cases, according to Colombia’s judicial authority. The average caseload for a Colombian judge in 2023 exceeded 800 cases. An administrative ruling, for instance, takes 10 years on average to be resolved, according to the judicial authority’s data.  

    The use of technology doubled the volume of total hearings in the country in the last 14 years, to nearly 1.4 million in 2024, Pimiento says, and the introduction of Copilot is expected to further enhance judges’ productivity and efficiency. 

    While some judges are resistant to digitalization, most have welcomed the shift, recognizing the benefits of AI in making their work more manageable, Pimiento says, although proper training, data privacy and potential data breaches are among the top challenges. 

    Microsoft’s privacy policies and commitment to data security are some of the key reasons for Colombia’s judiciary to partner with the company, according to the judiciary’s head of digital transformation. Copilot runs on Microsoft Azure, ensuring that users retain ownership of their data, which is never shared with third parties or used for marketing purposes, she points out. 

    Improvement in efficiency 

    Potential benefits are manifold. Judges and their teams can be more productive. Ordinary citizens can gain access to justice while saving precious time thanks to virtual hearings since they don’t need to travel to the courtroom, and it helps lawyers too. 

    Roberto Serrato, a prominent Colombian lawyer, estimates that virtual hearings and AI have halved the duration of judicial processes. Photo by Roberto Serrato.

    Lawyer, Roberto Serrato, estimates that virtual hearings and AI have cut the duration of judicial processes in half, while also enhancing transparency and accountability of judges and other public officials by facilitating attendance for all parties involved. “The efficiency of the judiciary has greatly improved” with the use of technology, he says. 

    The possibilities of Copilot applied to justice are almost endless, Quiñones adds: “It has a thousand spectacular things … This is something we couldn’t humanly do before.” 

    For instance, she recently asked Copilot to compare a draft ruling sent by a colleague with all previous rulings available on one specific topic. She obtained an answer in seconds. Without Copilot, the judge says, her team would have spent a whole morning browsing files. Quiñones uses internal data—over 10,000 digitalized legal cases accumulated and archived over the years.  

    The judge has even created custom Copilot prompts to streamline her workflow while using several other platforms, including Microsoft Power Automate and SharePoint, tools that optimize work processes and manage content. She then shares best practices with the other judges participating in the beta program through a Teams chat. 

    Born in Bogotá, Quiñones attended a military school while pursuing a career as a high-performance sprinter. Both experiences instilled in her the discipline and efficiency she now seeks to bring to the judiciary, she says. 

    Her experiences as a police officer first and later as a lawyer, exposed her to the challenges of the judicial system, sparking her interest in using technology to improve access to justice, a topic she eventually explored in her thesis. 

    For the judge, the ultimate goal of integrating technology is to provide better public service, especially to those with fewer resources, and be more accountable. 

    It’s a concern that has particularly troubled her ever since she read No One Writes to the Colonel, one of her favorite books by Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez, who was born in the Magdalena region. 

    In the novella, a colonel waits endlessly for a government pension that never arrives, which Quiñones sees as a metaphor of the slow pace of justice: “That’s what happens in Colombia’s justice system and in many other places, people waiting and waiting for years to get an answer from the administration.” 

    Meanwhile, the judge can’t hide her pride in being recognized for her role in the integration of technology and the use of AI in the judiciary. She often jokes that, unlike other parents who struggle with even the TV remote, she teaches her two children how to use devices.  

    “For me, it’s the opposite—I’m always the one showing them how things work,” Quiñones says with a smile.  

    Top image: Colombian judge María Victoria Quiñones, who has championed the use of AI for years, at her office in Santa Marta, in the Magdalena region. Photo by Federico Ríos Escobar.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Children diagnosed with malnutrition on Samos island Greece

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    A Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) medical team has reported six cases of malnutrition among children in the Samos closed controlled access centre (CCAC) in Greece, which houses asylum seekers. This is the first time MSF has identified malnutrition in the facility since we began working there in 2021.

    Six children aged six months to six years were diagnosed with severe or moderate acute malnutrition— a life-threatening condition requiring immediate medical intervention to prevent further deterioration. However, paediatric care remains inadequate, not only in the CCAC but across all of Samos island.

    Additionally, cash assistance for asylum seekers has been halted since June, leaving families without the means to buy essential, nutritious food for their children.

    Refugee families already endure extreme hardships traveling through multiple countries while facing food insecurity and a lack of medical care. Children are especially vulnerable to the cumulative effects of prolonged malnutrition.

    The Greek authorities and European Union institutions must ensure a healthy and safe environment for refugee children, including adequate paediatric healthcare. Cash assistance should also be reinstated so that families can afford nutritious food.

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    MIL OSI NGO –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Leads Canada In Organ And Tissue Donation

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on April 7, 2025

    Awareness is Growing in the Province

    Saskatchewan will promote and celebrate National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Month (NOTDAM) this April with a variety of activities, as well as commemorating Green Shirt Day (GSD) on April 7 to honor Logan Boulet, who died in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash and whose legacy inspired nearly 150,000 Canadians to register as organ donors.

    The Saskatchewan Health Authority’s Organ Donation Program has seen a remarkable 75 per cent increase in deceased organ donors in the 2023 calendar year compared to the previous year. According to the latest report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, for the first time ever, Saskatchewan has achieved the highest rate of deceased organ donors in the entire country, with 28.9 donors per million population. 

    “This is a remarkable milestone, considering that in 2014, the rate was just 7.2 donors per million,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. “It is a testament to the growing awareness Saskatchewan residents have of organ and tissue donation and their commitment to saving lives. Increased participation in events like Green Shirt Day and the illumination of landmarks in green reflect the province’s dedication to this vital cause.”

    The Government of Saskatchewan has committed increased funding to enhance kidney health across the province. The 2025-26 Budget has allocated an additional $319,000 to the Saskatchewan Heath Authority (SHA) Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplant program in ongoing support for staff who are essential to the program’s continued success. This budget also includes a significant investment of nearly $4.3 million to strengthen kidney health programs, with a focus on expanding and stabilizing dialysis services across the province. This funding will support the addition of nearly 30 full-time staff in Regina, Saskatoon and five rural locations. The allocation of these positions will help expand services at the Meadow Lake, North Battleford, and Fort Qu’Appelle dialysis units, while also elevating existing operations in Saskatoon, Tisdale, Moose Jaw and Regina. These enhancements help to ensure kidney patients receive timely, high-quality care, improving access to essential services throughout the province. 

    “We honour the incredible work of our organ transplant and donation physicians, along with our dedicated health care teams, through efforts that raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation,” Cockrill said. “Choosing to register as an organ and tissue donor, or as a living donor, is an act of great generosity. We urge everyone to have a conversation with their loved ones about their decision to become a donor and join our provincial registry.”

    On Monday, April 7, Members of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly will wear green in support of organ and tissue donors (OTD) and share photos using the #GreenShirtDay #LoganBouletEffect hashtags to spread the word on social media. 

    The T.C. Douglas Building in Regina will be illuminated with green lighting from April 7-11, joining other landmarks across Canada in showing support for this important cause and inspiring new organ and tissue donors.

    This year, Saskatchewan is once again participating in the national ‘Great Actions Leave a Mark’ campaign which showcases living organ donors, recipients and physicians from Saskatchewan who will be featured on givelifesask.ca.

    View the personal stories of living organ donors and recipients as well as physicians from Saskatchewan at https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/health/accessing-health-care-services/organ-and-tissue-donor-registry/personal-stories/great-actions-leave-a-mark. 

    With a clear understanding of a loved one’s wishes, it is easier for families facing tragedy to make the decision to donate if approached by a Donor Coordinator. One organ donor can save up to eight lives and one tissue donor can help 75 people.

    Anyone over the age of 16 is eligible to register their decision to be an organ and tissue donor and request information about the process of becoming a living organ donor through the Saskatchewan Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, available at saskatchewan.ca/residents/health/accessing-health-care-services/organ-and-tissue-donor-registry.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    April 8, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Carbajal, Brownley, Panetta Demand the Trump Administration Halt its Illegal Plans to Close Facilities Vital to the Central Coast

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

    Reps. Carbajal, Brownley, Panetta Demand the Trump Administration Halt its Illegal Plans to Close Facilities Vital to the Central Coast

    Washington, April 7, 2025

    Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) sent a letter to Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian of the General Services Administration over the planned illegal closures of crucial facilities across the Central Coast. The planned closures will impact U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and United States Forest Service (USFS) facilities in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties.

    “These are critical agencies that help support our local economies’ vitality and the American way of life,” wrote the lawmakers. “Efforts to justify these closures as a measure to help better serve the American people is, at best, disingenuous.”

    The full text of the letter is available
    As Representatives of the Central Coast, we write to demand that you halt planned facility closures at the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) that would impact our constituents in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. These are critical agencies that help support our local economies’ vitality and the American people. These indiscriminate closures, done in an arbitrary and capricious manner, are antithetical to our Constitution and values as Americans.
    Trying to shutter the physical locations for these vital agencies is reflective of the illegal actions undertaken by DOGE to undermine the effectiveness of our government rather than working to improve it to better serve our constituents and the American people.
    DOI was created by an act of Congress in 1849 and is critical in managing our nation’s cultural heritage— including our public lands, which have been a boon to our local recreational economies. In fact, California is home to the nation’s largest active outdoor industry economy, contributing $73.8 billion in economic spending annually. This is not by coincidence. California is also home to nine national parks—more than any other state. The Central Coast of California alone is home to the Channel Islands National Park and Pinnacles National Park. The positive contribution to our economies is reflected by the fact that in 2023, 36.2 million visitors to California’s national parks spent $3.2 billion, supporting 39,678 jobs.
    Likewise, NOAA is essential to America’s innovation and economic vitality. Under the Department of Commerce, NOAA is tasked with the critical mission to provide daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings, and support marine commerce. NOAA’s mission is carried out by some of our nation’s top scientists. The products and cutting-edge research generated by NOAA helps support more than one-third of America’s gross domestic product. Everyday Americans rely on NOAA’s science for basic day-to-day needs like determining the weather. This information is critical for commercial and public safety needs. It is NOAA’s data that helps provide the public with free and lifesaving alerts when Americans are facing natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires.
    Furthermore, with more than $59 billion in agricultural sales, California leads the nation as the top producer of agricultural products in the United States. Throughout the world, California was the world’s largest agriculture producer in 2022. Closing USDA offices only serves to harm American families and our farmers who rely on USDA to ensure food safety, manage our natural resources, and support our food supply chains and economic well-being.
    Finally, the U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of public lands and provides potentially life-saving expertise in fire management. Our constituents are no strangers to wildfires. Fires in the Western United States have only become larger, more destructive and deadly. We cannot pretend that this is not a reality that many Americans are experiencing.
    Efforts to justify these closures as a measure to help better serve the American people is, at best, disingenuous. As outlined above, these agencies are critical to our nations and region’s wellbeing and help maintain our economic vitality to support our way of life. Again, we demand that you cease these office closures. Further we ask that you let us know under what authority are you acting to close these offices without, at the very least, consultation with Congress—a co-equal branch of government.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 8, 2025
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