NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How rising living costs are changing the way we date, live and love

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Melise Panetta, Lecturer of Marketing in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University

    Young adults in their 20s and 30s face an altered social landscape where financial realities influence their relationships. (Rene Ranisch/Unsplash)

    If it feels like rising prices are affecting your dating life or friendships, you’re not imagining it. Around the world, economic pressures are taking a significant toll on personal relationships.

    From strained romantic partnerships to postponed life milestones, financial uncertainty is changing the way people connect and relate to with one another.

    Young adults in their 20s and 30s, in particular, are facing an altered social landscape where even the most fundamental aspects of relationships are being influenced by financial realities.

    Dating today can feel like a mix of endless swipes, red flags and shifting expectations. From decoding mixed signals to balancing independence with intimacy, relationships in your 20s and 30s come with unique challenges. Love IRL is the latest series from Quarter Life that explores it all.

    These research-backed articles break down the complexities of modern love to help you build meaningful connections, no matter your relationship status.

    Financial stress and relationship strain

    Money has long been one of the biggest sources of conflict in relationships, but today’s economic landscape has made financial stress an even greater burden.

    In Canada, a staggering 77 per cent of couples report financial strain, and 62 per cent say they argue over money. The rising cost of rent, food and everyday expenses has forced many couples to make difficult financial decisions, sometimes at the expense of their relationship.

    These concerns are not unique to Canadian couples. A study in the United Kingdom found that 38 per cent of people in a relationship admit to having a secret account or “money stashed away” that their partner doesn’t know about. And in the United States, couples surveyed reported having 58 money-related arguments per year.

    Money has long been one of the biggest sources of conflict in relationships.
    (Shutterstock)

    Even more concerning, financial instability is affecting how long relationships last. A recent RBC poll found 55 per cent of Canadians feel they need to be in a relationship to afford their lifestyle.

    The economic barriers to independence are particularly pronounced for those contemplating separation or divorce. Traditionally, a breakup meant one partner moving out, but now more divorced and separated couples are finding themselves cohabitating simply because they can’t afford to live alone.

    Understanding how to maintain a healthy relationship when facing financial troubles is essential for couples to navigate these difficult times.

    Postponing major life decisions

    The cost-of-living crisis is also delaying key life milestones for young adults worldwide. A Statistics Canada survey found that 38 per cent of young adults have postponed moving out due to economic uncertainty, an increase from 32 per cent in 2018.

    This issue is not only delaying the journey to independent adulthood, it is also reversing it. For example, in the United Kingdom, one in five young adults who moved out have had to move back into their family home due to the cost of living crisis.

    Housing affordability plays a major role in these delays. With housing prices soaring in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere, home ownership feels out of reach for many. For instance, 55 per cent of young Canadians report the housing crisis is fuelling their decision to delay starting a family.

    The cost-of-living crisis is also delaying key life milestones for young adults worldwide. Real estate signs seen in Calgary in May 2023.
    (Shutterstock)

    These delays have cascading effects on individuals and on broader societal trends, including lower fertility rates and shifts toward smaller families.

    Dating in a cost-conscious era

    One side effect of the rising cost of living is that couples are moving in together sooner than they might have otherwise in order to split living expenses. Others are adopting a more pragmatic approach to dating and bringing up topics like financial stability, job security and housing much earlier in their relationships.

    A dating trend known as “future-proofing” is also spreading. According to Bumble’s annual trend report, 95 per cent of singles say their worries about the future are impacting who they date and how they approach relationships. Top concerns include finances, job security, housing and climate change.



    Read more:
    The price of love: Why millennials and Gen Zs are running up major dating debt

    At the same time, financial strain is leading to simpler and cheaper date nights. More than half of Canadians say the rising cost of living is affecting dating. Many people are opting for budget-friendly activities like coffee dates, picnics or home-cooked meals instead of expensive dinners or weekend getaways.

    In the U.K., inflation and other day-to-day expenses have also made 33 per cent of the nation’s young singles less likely to go on dates. Around one-quarter of them say it has made them less likely to seek out a romantic partner altogether.

    Financial strain is leading fewer people to go on expensive, extravagent date nights.
    (Shutterstock)

    These costs are forcing single Americans to adjust their dating plans. With 44 per cent of single Americans reporting adjusting a date for financial reasons, and 27 per cent outright cancelling plans due to financial pressures, it is clear that the cost of living is fundamentally changing how Americans date.

    Also, with 38 per cent of dating Canadians saying the costs associated with dating have negatively impacted their ability to reach their financial goals, some are even skipping dating altogether.

    The cost of friendship

    Friendships, too, are feeling the pinch. Gone are the days of casually grabbing dinner or catching a concert on the weekend. Nearly 40 per cent of Canadians, 42 per cent of Britons and 37 per cent of Americans have cut back on social outings due to financial constraints.

    While this may seem like a small sacrifice, the decline in social interactions carries serious consequences. Regular social engagement is critical for mental health, resilience and career development. The more social activities are reduced, the greater the risk of loneliness and isolation — two factors that can significantly impact emotional well-being.

    For many, socializing now means opting for budget-friendly alternatives. However, even with creative adjustments, financial pressures are making it harder to maintain strong social ties.

    The changing landscape of connection

    If you’re in your 20s or 30s, you’ve probably felt the way the economic realities of today are reshaping what relationships look like. Rising costs are influencing everything, from who you live with, how you date and when — or if — you take major life steps.

    Maybe you’ve moved in with a partner sooner than planned to split rent, swapped nights out for budget-friendly hangs or put off milestones like starting a family. You’re not alone. Financial pressures are redefining how we connect with each other.

    Finding ways to maintain strong relationships under economic stress is essential. Research shows providing emotional support to your partner, employing positive problem-solving skills and engaging in open communication are key maintaining high-quality relationships.

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

    – ref. How rising living costs are changing the way we date, live and love – https://theconversation.com/how-rising-living-costs-are-changing-the-way-we-date-live-and-love-252709

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ showcases Donald Trump’s penchant for visual cruelty

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Marycarmen Lara Villanueva, PhD Candidate, Department of Social Justice Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

    The United States government recently announced the opening of a massive immigrant detention facility built deep within the Florida Everglades that’s been dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a media briefing that “there is only one road leading in … and the only way out is a one-way flight.”

    For some taking in her remarks, the moment felt dystopian. According to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the facility is surrounded by swamps and alligators and is equipped with more than 200 security cameras, 8,500 metres of barbed wire and a security force of 400 personnel.

    Accounts from some of the first detainees at the facility have shed light on the inhumane conditions. They’ve described limited access to water and fresh air, saying they received only one meal a day and that the lights are on 24/7.

    Apparently designed to be an immigration deterrence and a display of cruelty, Alligator Alcatraz is much more than infrastructure. It is visual policy aimed to stage terror as a message while making Trump’s authoritarian and fascist politics a material reality.

    Contributing to this fascist visual apparatus, AI-generated images of alligators wearing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hats have circulated widely on social media. Some have questioned whether these images were satire or state propaganda.

    A screenshot of a June 2025 Homeland Security post on X, formerly Twitter.

    Surveillance, migration, debilitation

    In a moment of growing right-wing rhetoric and support for anti-immigrant violence, understanding how visual regimes operate, and what they attempt to normalize, is important.



    Read more:
    Nearly 54% of extreme conservatives say the federal government should use violence to stop illegal immigration

    Surveillance and deterrence technologies used along the U.S.–Mexico border for decades were intentionally designed to restrict the movement of undocumented migrants. According to Human Rights Watch, this has resulted in more than 10,000 deaths.

    Since 1994, U.S. Border Patrol has been accused of directing migrants away from urban crossings along the southern border, intentionally funnelling them into harsh and inhospitable terrain like the Sonora Desert.

    The desert serves as a deterrent to prevent immigrants from reaching their destiny. American theorist Jasbir Puar’s concept of debility is useful in making sense of the strategic process whereby the state works not to kill, but to weaken, as a form of slow violence that wears people down over time. The desired outcome is deterrence.

    On the southern U.S. border, severe dehydration and kidney failure can be outcomes of this debilitating process, potentially resulting in disability or death.

    Infrastructures of violence

    Sarah Lopez, a built environment historian and migration scholar in the U.S., describes the architecture of migrant immobilization as existing on a continuum with prison design. She’s highlighted the increasingly punitive conditions of immigration detention facilities, such as small dark cells or the absence of natural light.

    French architect and writer Léopold Lambert explains that architecture isn’t just about buildings, but about how space is used to organize and control people. He coined and developed the term weaponized architecture to describe how spaces are designed to serve the political goals of those in power.

    Colonialism, capitalism and modernity are closely connected, and architecture has played a key role in making them possible. Alligator Alcatraz sits at the intersection of all three, intentionally created to invoke danger and isolation. In other words, it’s cruel by design.

    As Leavitt put it, the facility is “isolated and surrounded by dangerous wildlife and unforgiving terrain.” The Trump administration has essentially transformed land into infrastructure and migrants into disposable threats.

    Terrorizing the marginalized

    State-sanctioned “unforgiving terrains” are not new, and the use of alligators to terrorize people of colour isn’t new either.

    The grotesque history of Black children being used as “alligator bait” in Jim Crow-era imagery is well-documented.

    So when Trump publicly fantasized about alligators eating immigrants trying to escape the new detention centre, it came as no surprise to those familiar with the long racist visual history linking alligators to representations of Black people.

    This logic is redeployed in the form of a racial terror that is made visible, marketable and even humorous in mainstream political discourse.

    Visuality and migration

    “Visuality” is a key term in the field of visual and cultural studies, originally coined by Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle and reintroduced in the early 2000s by American cultural theorist Nicholas Mirzoeff. It can be understood as the socially, historically and culturally constructed ways of seeing and understanding the visual world.

    Visual systems have historically been used to justify western imperial and colonial rule by controlling how people see and understand the world.

    While Alligator Alcatraz is a brand-new detention facility, it draws from a longer visual and spatial history of domination.

    The AI-generated images of alligators wearing ICE hats can be seen as part of a broader visual system that makes racialized violence seem normal, justified and even funny. In this absurd transformation, the alligator is reimagined as a legitimate symbol of border enforcement.

    Migrant death by water

    The spectacle of Alligator Alcatraz, with its swampy inhospitable landscape, cannot be divorced from the long visual history of migrant death by water that’s relied on the circulation of images to provoke outrage — and sometimes state action.

    Examples include the iconic image of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian child whose lifeless body washed ashore in Turkey in 2015, and the devastating photo of Oscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez and his two-year-old daughter who both drowned crossing the Rio Grande in 2019.

    These images sparked global concern, but they also reinforced the idea that migrant lives only matter when they end in death — as if borders only become visible when they cause deaths.

    Alligator Alcatraz was built in eight days. The fact that a detention camp — or what some have called a concentration camp — can be assembled almost overnight, while basic human needs like clean drinking water or emergency warning systems go unmet for years, speaks volumes about where political will and government priorities lie.

    Marycarmen Lara Villanueva 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. ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ showcases Donald Trump’s penchant for visual cruelty – https://theconversation.com/alligator-alcatraz-showcases-donald-trumps-penchant-for-visual-cruelty-260566

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Biology is complex and diverse, so scientific research approaches need to be too

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Thomas Merritt, Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laurentian University

    The beautiful, fascinating and often perplexing world around us grows from intricate and convoluted interactions of millions of pieces. As scientists, we work to understand and describe the parts and interactions of these systems.

    Scientific understanding is only as good as the questions we ask. Observing the world from a variety of viewpoints and asking questions from a diversity of perspectives helps us recognize and understand biological complexity. Science, and our own experience, tells us that diverse collaborations lead to better questions and more innovative solutions — but diversity in research is under threat.

    A major advancement in modern biology, specifically in the world of modern genetics that our research team works in, has been the realization that genes are far more complicated than we thought 20 years ago. When the human genome was first sequenced in 2001, scientists realized that each person’s DNA contained around 20,000 genes. Earlier estimates had been between 80,000 and 100,000.

    This drastic downsize may seem like a step back in complexity, but the reduced number means genes must be more complex in order to fulfil multiple roles and functions. There are fewer genes, but each gene has a complicated set of multiple functions modulated through intricate, interconnected and interactive gene-regulation mechanisms.

    Model species, surprising discoveries

    Our research group studies gene regulation using the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as a model species — a non-human species studied extensively to reveal more about other organisms. Flies, like humans, have two copies of each chromosome, each copy with a full set of genes. Typically, regulation of each copy has been assumed to be independent.

    Flies, like humans, have two copies of each chromosome.
    (Mr.checker/Wikimedia)

    Unexpectedly, our research has found that in fruit flies, the copies on separate chromosomes physically interact to modulate each other’s regulation. This means that the chromosomes aren’t independent: they co-regulate in a way that depends on genome structure, or what we call chromosome architecture.

    This form of inter-chromosomal gene regulation, called transvection, was originally described in the 1950s, but is largely unknown. Its potential role to drive biological complexity is underappreciated because its effects are often (but not always) subtle and generally overshadowed by “typical” mechanisms of gene regulation along a single chromosome, cis-regulation.



    Read more:
    How to kill fruit flies, according to a scientist

    Complex genetic interactions

    Our transvection research focuses on subtle differences between individuals and environments. Too often, biology assumes that phenomena are simple, uniform and discreet.

    A classic example, taught in high school biology classes, demonstrates this thinking. Austrian biologist Gregor Mendel studied genetics in pea plants to propose dominant and recessive hereditary traits. His data was a little too clean, too good to be true: Mendel’s peas were either wrinkled or round, yellow or green.

    Genetics is works in more complex ways: think of eye colour. Our eyes are not a dichotomous brown or blue. Colour varies in a spectrum of shades of blues, greens, grays, hazels and browns.

    Similarly, we have shown that transvection, itself an unexpected twist, varies subtly and substantially, in unexpected ways. Recognizing that inter-chomosomal regulation was even possible, let alone could itself be modulated and variable, meant looking at our results from a non-typical view point, a different perspective.

    Our research into stress biology has drawn similar conclusions; diverse responses are the norm and appreciating this variability is absolutely fundamental to understanding the system.

    Differences between male and female biologies

    In our research into metabolism, we have repeatedly found significant and substantial differences between male and females. For example, in recent unpublished data, we find that differences between male and female fruit fly responses to metal toxicity were as large as we would have expected to occur between different species.

    Past conventional wisdom in the field assumed that the biology in the two sexes was interchangeable, with females essentially being just hypervariable males, although recent research in our lab and others is broadly pushing back against this misconception.



    Read more:
    Sex matters: Male bias in the lab is bad science

    The male and female responses are similar but distinct, and this is an important point. To understand biology, our research indicates, we need to identify, appreciate and study these subtle differences in order to produce more thorough scientific investigations.

    Unexpected complexity

    Our research regularly reveals unexpected biological complexity and, not coincidentally, the studies listed above were all collaborations. The technical complexity of research often requires involving experts in multiple disciplines.

    A typical project can involve half a dozen or more experiments and methods, ranging from biochemistry to genetics to life history, and techniques from enzyme kinetic assays to mass spectrometry and DNA sequencing.

    We are part of a genetics research group at Laurentian University whose diversity has greatly strengthened the quality and originality of contributions we have made to the field. In our experience, diverse collaborations combining different perspectives and viewpoints lead to innovative conclusions.

    The literature bears this out: a series of large-scale studies involving millions of researchers and publications repeatedly show that diverse groups of scientists ask more interesting, perceptive and innovative questions and pose more interesting solutions.

    Diversity and innovation

    But this diversity-innovation connection is under attack in the current social and political climate. This has been most visible under the current political regime in the United States, but is also present here in Canada.

    If successful, these attacks will narrow the perspective of scientific research and cripple scientific advances. Current diversity is the result of decades of programs fighting generations of systematic discrimination. Many researchers have been making research a more diverse and inclusive place.



    Read more:
    Want to reach out to an Indigenous scholar? Awesome! But first, here are 10 things to consider

    Sustainability is essential to the long-term health of scientific research. The research, and our own experiences, clearly shows that diverse groups of researchers conduct more creative, innovative and impactful science. Visibility in scientific research is important to ensure its sustainability. More young students will pursue careers in research if they can see themselves in that role.

    Our hope is that a broader appreciation of the importance of diversity in research, will lead to greater community and political, support for research programs that recognize the fundamental importance of diversity, equity and inclusion.

    The biological world is a beautifully diverse and complex place. To truly understand that world, the research laboratory must to be, too.

    Thomas Merritt receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

    Allie Hutchings 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. Biology is complex and diverse, so scientific research approaches need to be too – https://theconversation.com/biology-is-complex-and-diverse-so-scientific-research-approaches-need-to-be-too-260696

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: What is peer review? The role anonymous experts play in scrutinizing research before it gets published

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joshua Winowiecki, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Michigan State University

    Reviewer 1: “This manuscript is a timely and important contribution to the field, with clear methodology and compelling results. I recommend publication with only minor revisions.”

    Reviewer 2: “This manuscript is deeply flawed. The authors’ conclusions are not supported by data, and key literature is ignored. Major revisions are required before it can be considered.”

    These lines could be pulled from almost any editorial decision letter in the world of academic publishing, sent from a journal to a researcher. One review praises the work, while another sees nothing but problems. For scholars, this kind of contradiction is common. Reviewer 2, in particular, has become something of a meme: an anonymous figure often blamed for delays, rejections or cryptic critiques that seem to miss the point.

    But those disagreements are part of the peer-review process.

    A world of memes – like this one shared on Reddit – has sprung up about the ridiculous feedback provided by a mythical Reviewer #2.
    Reddit/r/medicalschool

    As a clinical nurse specialist, educator and scholar who reviews studies in nursing and health care and teaches others to do so critically as well, I’ve seen how peer review shapes not just what gets published, but what ultimately influences practice.

    Peer review is the checkpoint where scientific claims are validated before they are shared with the world. Researchers and scholars submit their findings to academic journals, which invite other scholars with similar expertise – those are the peers – to assess the work. Reviewers look at the way the scholar designed the project, the methods they used and whether their conclusions stand up.

    The point of peer review

    This process isn’t new. Versions of peer review have been around for centuries. But the modern form – anonymous, structured and managed by journal editors – took hold after World War II. Today, it is central to how scientific publishing works, and nowhere more so than health, nursing and medicine. Research that survives review is more likely to be trusted and acted upon by health care practitioners and their patients.

    Millions of research papers move through this process annually, and the number grows every year. The sheer volume means that peer review isn’t just quality control, it’s become a bottleneck, a filter of sorts, and a kind of collective judgment about what counts as credible.

    In clinical fields, peer review also has a protective role. Before a study about a new medication, procedure or care model gains traction, it is typically evaluated by others in the field. The point isn’t to punish the authors – it’s to slow things down just enough to critically evaluate the work, catch mistakes, question assumptions and raise red flags. The reviewer’s work doesn’t always get credit, but it often changes what ends up in print.

    So, even if you’ve never submitted a paper or read a scientific journal, peer-reviewed science still shows up in your life. It helps shape what treatments are available, what protocols and guidelines your nurse practitioner or physician uses, and what public health advice gets passed along on the news.

    This doesn’t mean peer review always works. Plenty of papers get published despite serious limitations. And some of these flawed studies do real harm. But even scholars who complain about the system often still believe in it. In one international survey of medical researchers, a clear majority said they trusted peer-reviewed science, despite frustrations with how slow or inconsistent the process can be.

    What actually happens when a paper is reviewed?

    Before a manuscript lands in the hands of reviewers, it begins with the researchers themselves. Scientists investigate a question, gather and analyze their data and write up their findings, often with a particular journal in mind that publishes new work in their discipline. Once they submit their paper to the journal, the editorial process begins.

    At this point, journal editors send it out to two or three reviewers who have relevant expertise. Reviewers read for clarity, accuracy, originality and usefulness. They offer comments about what’s missing, what needs to be explained more carefully, and whether the findings seem valid. Sometimes the feedback is collegial and helpful. Sometimes it’s not.

    Peer reviewers’ comments can help researchers revise and strengthen their work.
    AJ_Watt/E+ via Getty Images

    Here is where Reviewer 2 enters the lore of academic life. This is the critic who seems especially hard to please, who misreads the argument, or demands rewrites that would reshape the entire project. But even these kinds of reviews serve a purpose. They show how work might be received more broadly. And many times they flag weaknesses the author hadn’t seen.

    Review is slow. Most reviewers aren’t paid, with nearly 75% reporting they receive no compensation or formal recognition for their efforts. They do this work on top of their regular clinical, teaching or research responsibilities. And not every editor has the time or capacity to sort through conflicting feedback or to moderate tone. The result is a process that can feel uneven, opaque, and, at times, unfair.

    It doesn’t always catch what it is supposed to. Peer review is better at catching sloppy thinking than it is at detecting fraud. If data is fabricated or manipulated, a reviewer may not have the tools, or the time, to figure that out. In recent years, a growing number of published papers have been retracted after concerns about plagiarism or faked results. That trend has shaken confidence in the system and raised questions about what more journals should be doing before publication.

    Imperfect but indispensable

    Even though the current peer-review system has its shortcomings, most researchers would argue that science is better off than it would be without the level of scrutiny peer review provides. The challenge now is how to make peer review better.

    Some journals are experimenting with publishing reviewer comments alongside articles. Other are trying systems where feedback continues after publication. There are also proposals to use artificial intelligence to help flag inconsistencies or potential errors before human reviewers even begin.

    These efforts are promising but still in the early stages of development and adoption. For most fields, peer review remains a basic requirement for legitimacy, while some, such as law and high-energy physics, have alternate methods of communicating their findings. Peer review assures a reader that a journal article’s claim has been tested, scrutinized and revised.

    Peer review doesn’t guarantee truth. But it does invite challenge, foster transparency, offer reflection and force revision. That’s often where the real work of science begins.

    Even if Reviewer 2 still has notes.

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

    – ref. What is peer review? The role anonymous experts play in scrutinizing research before it gets published – https://theconversation.com/what-is-peer-review-the-role-anonymous-experts-play-in-scrutinizing-research-before-it-gets-published-258255

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Examining mushrooms under microscopes can help engineers design stronger materials

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mohamed Khalil Elhachimi, PhD Student in Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, State University of New York

    White button mushrooms are one of the types studied to inform stronger materials. DigiPub/Moment via Getty Images

    Pick up a button mushroom from the supermarket and it squishes easily between your fingers. Snap a woody bracket mushroom off a tree trunk and you’ll struggle to break it. Both extremes grow from the same microscopic building blocks: hyphae – hair-thin tubes made mostly of the natural polymer chitin, a tough compound also found in crab shells.

    As those tubes branch and weave, they form a lightweight but surprisingly strong network called mycelium. Engineers are beginning to investigate this network for use in eco-friendly materials.

    Filaments called hyphae are a mushroom’s support structures both above and below ground, and the mycelium network links multiple mushrooms together.
    Milkwood.net/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

    Yet even within a single mushroom family, the strength of a mycelium network can vary widely. Scientists have long suspected that how the hyphae are arranged – not just what they’re made of – holds the key to understanding, and ultimately controlling, their strength. But until recently, measurements that directly link microscopic arrangement to macroscopic strength have been scarce.

    I’m a mechanical engineering Ph.D. student at Binghamton University who studies bio-inspired structures. In our latest research, my colleagues and I asked a simple question: Can we tune the strength of a mushroomlike material just by changing the angle of its filaments, without adding any tougher ingredients? The answer, it turns out, is yes.

    2 edible species, many tiny tests

    In our study, my team compared two familiar fungi. The first was the white button mushroom, whose tissue uses only thin filaments called generative filaments. The second was the maitake, also called hen-of-the-woods, whose tissue mixes in a second, thicker type of hyphae called skeletal filaments. These skeletal filaments are arranged roughly in parallel, like bundles of cables.

    The two types of mushrooms used in the study: The white button mushroom is monomitic, shown on the left, meaning it has only one type of hyphae. The maitake is shown on the right, and is dimitic, meaning it has two types of hyphae.
    Mohamed Khalil Elhachimi

    After gently drying the caps and stems to remove any water, which can soften the material and skew the results, we zoomed in with scanning electron microscopes and tested the samples at two very different scales.

    First, we tested macro-scale compression. A motor-driven piston slowly squashed each mushroom while sensors recorded how hard the sample pushed back – the same way you might squeeze a marshmallow, only with laboratory precision.

    Then we pressed a diamond tip thinner than a human hair into individual filaments to measure their stiffness.

    The white mushroom filaments behaved like rubber bands, averaging about 18 megapascals in stiffness – similar to natural rubber. The thicker skeletal filaments in maitake measured around 560 megapascals, more than 30 times stiffer and approaching the stiffness of high-density polyethylene – the rigid plastic used in cutting boards and some water pipes.

    The two mushrooms tested include the maitake, left, and the button mushroom.
    Lance Cheung/USDA and edenpictures/Flickr, CC BY

    But chemistry is only half the story. When we squeezed entire chunks, the direction we squeezed in mattered even more for the maitake. Pressing in line with its parallel skeletal filaments made the block 30 times stiffer than pressing across the grain. By contrast, the tangled filaments in white mushrooms felt equally soft from every angle.

    A digital mushroom and twisting the threads

    To separate geometry from chemistry, we converted snapshots from the microscope into a computer model using a 3D Voronoi network – a pattern that mimics the walls between bubbles in a foam. Think of ping-pong balls crammed in a box: Each ball is a cell, and the walls between cells become our simulated filaments.

    We assigned those filaments by the stiffness values measured in the lab, then virtually rotated the whole network to angles of 0 degrees, 30 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 degrees and completely random.

    Horizontal (0 degrees) filaments flexed like a spring mattress. Vertical (90 degrees) filaments supported weight almost as firmly as dense wood. Simply tilting the network to 60 degrees nearly doubled its stiffness compared with 0 degrees – all without changing a single chemical ingredient.

    The researchers modeled structures with different fiber orientations to see which are the strongest: (a) represents a horizontal fiber orientation, (b) a 30-degree fiber orientation, (c) a 60-degree fiber orientation, (d) a vertical fiber orientation, and (e) a random fiber orientation.
    Mohamed Khalil Elhachimi

    Basically, we found that orientation alone could turn a mushy sponge into something that stands up to serious pressure. That suggests manufacturers could make strong, lightweight, biodegradable parts – such as shoe insoles, protective packaging and even interior panels for cars – simply by guiding how a fungus grows rather than by mixing in harder additives.

    Greener materials – and beyond

    Startups already grow “leather” made from mycelium – the threadlike fungal network – for handbags, and mycelium foam as a Styrofoam replacement.

    Guiding fungi to lay their filaments in strategic directions could push performance much higher, opening doors in sectors where strength-to-weight ratio is king: think sporting goods cores, building-insulation panels or lightweight fillers inside aircraft panels.

    The same digital tool kit also works for metal or polymer lattices printed layer by layer. Swap the filament properties in the model, let the algorithm pick the best angles, and then feed that layout into a 3D printer.

    One day, engineers might dial up an app that says something like, “I need a panel that’s stiff north-south but flexible east-west,” and the program could spit out a filament map inspired by the humble maitake.

    Our next step is to feed thousands of these virtual networks into a machine learning model so it can predict – or even invent – filament layouts that hit a targeted stiffness in any direction.

    Meanwhile, biologists are exploring low-energy ways to coax real fungi to grow in neat rows, from steering nutrients toward one side of a petri dish to applying gentle electric fields that encourage filaments to align.

    This study taught us that you don’t always need exotic chemistry to make a better material. Sometimes it’s all about how you line up the same old threads – just ask a mushroom.

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

    – ref. Examining mushrooms under microscopes can help engineers design stronger materials – https://theconversation.com/examining-mushrooms-under-microscopes-can-help-engineers-design-stronger-materials-260477

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Inflation increased to 2 percent in June 2025

    Source: Bank of Botswana

    Headline inflation increased from 1.9 percent in May to 2 percent in June 2025, remaining below the lower bound of the medium-term objective range of 3 – 6 percent and was lower than the 2.8 percent recorded in June 2024. The marginal increase in inflation between May and June 2025 was mainly on account of the acceleration in the rate of annual price changes of a few categories of goods and services, notably Transport and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & other Fuels. Similarly, the 16 percent trimmed mean inflation and inflation excluding administered prices increased from 1.8 percent and 3.7 percent to 2 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively, between May and June 2025.

    Inflation for domestic tradeables decreased from 4.5 percent to 4.3 percent between May and June 2025, mainly on account of the deceleration in the rate of annual price changes of some food items in this category, including sorghum meal, white bread flour, and samp. Conversely, inflation for imported tradeables increased from 0.8 percent to 1.1 percent over the same period, mainly on account of the increase in the price of most alcoholic beverages and vehicles. Overall, all tradeables inflation increased from 1.8 percent to 2 percent between May and June 2025. Meanwhile, inflation for non-tradeables was unchanged at 2 percent in the same period.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Three MS-13 Members Charged with Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Murder

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Three alleged members of the notorious gang La Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, made their initial appearance in the District of Maryland yesterday for their role in a racketeering conspiracy, including murder and drug trafficking.

    “As alleged, the defendants are MS-13 members who carried out a brutal and senseless murder in exchange for promotions within the gang and drugs,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their actions furthered MS-13’s reign of terror across communities in Maryland. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue charges against MS-13 members and associates and will not relent until this dangerous gang is eradicated from our streets.”

    “The brutal retaliatory murder of this victim is a chilling reminder of the MS-13 gang’s callous disregard for human life,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Those who assault and kill others must be brought to justice and ultimately held accountable for their actions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will continue to work relentlessly with our law enforcement partners to dismantle violent criminal organizations that terrorize our communities.”

    “The FBI and our partners are committed to using every tool available to prevent violent criminals from terrorizing the communities they live in,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We will not let up. We will relentlessly pursue those who engage in violent activity like murder and drug trafficking until they are held accountable.”

    According to court documents, on July 4, 2024, Maxwell Ariel Quijano-Casco, 24, of El Salvador; Daniel Isaias Villanueva-Bautista, 19, of El Salvador; and Josue Mauricio Lainez, 21, of Hyattsville, Maryland, allegedly killed a homeless man as part of their involvement with MS-13. On July 5, 2024, a passerby called 911 after seeing the victim sitting in a blue 2008 Dodge Caravan that was parked in a used car lot in Hyattsville, Maryland. When the police arrived, they found the deceased victim, who appeared to have been stabbed in the neck. Investigators obtained video surveillance from a nearby business that captured the incident.

    The surveillance video shows that at approximately 11:35 p.m Quijano-Casco and another person approach the victim. The video shows the victim wielding what looks like a metal pole at Quijano-Casco, at which point Quijano-Casco and the other person flee on foot and the victim returns to the Dodge Caravan. About 15 minutes later, Quijano-Casco returns with co-defendants Villanueva-Bautista, Lainez, and another person. At approximately 11:48 p.m., the video surveillance shows all four of them approaching the blue Dodge Caravan. 

    The surveillance video then shows Quijano-Casco, Villanueva-Bautista, Lainez, and the unnamed person opening the van’s rear sliding driver’s side door, reaching inside, and moving as if striking someone. 

    The victim does not exit the blue Dodge Caravan after the attack.

    On Aug. 23, 2024, Prince George’s County Police arrested Quijano-Casco and Villanueva-Bautista. Quijano-Casco was in possession of a black Ruger P95DC semi-automatic handgun and about eight grams of cocaine at the time of his arrest. Quijano-Casco and Villanueva both admitted that they were present for the altercation where the victim was murdered. Quijano-Casco allegedly admitted to Prince George’s County Police to stabbing the individual.

    Quijano-Casco, Villanueva-Bautista, and Lainez are each charged with racketeering conspiracy, including the July 4, 2024, murder. If convicted, Quijano-Casco, Villanueva-Bautista, and Lainez face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI and Prince George’s County Police Department are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Springfield Man Sentenced to 95 Months for Illegally Possessing Firearm

    Source: US FBI

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for unlawfully possessing a firearm.

    Michael G. Caldwell, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen R. Bough to 95 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

    Caldwell pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon on Aug. 29, 2024.

    On April 2, 2024, officers with the Springfield Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a Dodge Charger driven by Caldwell. As the Charger slowed to pull over, officers observed Caldwell making furtive movements and reaching near the center console.

    The officers removed Caldwell from the vehicle and Caldwell physically resisted arrested. After a brief struggle, the officers were ultimately able to detain him. When detectives searched the Charger, they found a Ruger pistol between the center console and front passenger seat. Officers also seized $1,610 in cash from Caldwell.

    The Ruger pistol linked Caldwell to a shooting that occurred in the Springfield, Missouri area, on March 21, 2024, in that the shell casings from that shooting were a presumptive match to the shell casings from the Ruger seized from Caldwell. In addition, cell site data from a cell phone seized from Caldwell on April 2, 2024, confirmed that Caldwell’s cell phone was at the shooting.   

    Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Caldwell has prior felony convictions for robbery, possession of a controlled substance, and delivery of a controlled substance.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Wan. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kansas City Man Indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine

    Source: US FBI

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ramon Arambula, 44, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

    Today’s indictment alleges that on July 9, 2025, Arambula possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute. This charge stems from a vehicle stop conducted on a vehicle being operated by Arambula on July 9. After a drug detection K-9 gave a positive alert on the vehicle, officers recovered 5 brick-shaped packages that contained cocaine. The total amount of cocaine seized was approximately 5,892 grams.

    The charge contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan A. Baker. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kansas City Missouri Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Jackson County Drug Task Force and Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

    KC Metro Strike Force

    This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Southwest Missouri Man Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of Stolen Firearm

    Source: US FBI

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Bolivar, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for unlawfully possessing a firearm.

    Timothy E. Parker, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen R. Bough to 48 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

    On Sept. 25, 2024, Parker pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    On Sept. 23, 2023, deputies with the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a U-Haul that Parker was driving. Instead of stopping, Parker initially fled the area.  Eventually, Parker pulled the vehicle over and when contacted and searched, the deputies located a loaded Taurus G3C pistol concealed in a chest sling holster. Deputies also seized a backpack belonging to Parker that contained a 50-round box of ammunition, a Kydex style gun holster, a lock picking set, and 2.42 grams of methamphetamine during the stop. Police records indicated that the pistol and holster had been reported as stolen earlier that month.

    Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Parker has prior felony convictions for property damage, forgery, burglary, driving stolen motor vehicles, and resisting arrest.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: AIXA Miner Launches New Green Cloud Mining Contracts with Boosted Daily Returns

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Denver, USA, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AIXA Miner, a trusted name in global cloud mining solutions, today announced the rollout of upgraded Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Bitcoin mining contracts featuring a 2.5% increase in daily returns. The performance gains coincide with AIXA Miner’s transition to 100% green energy across its 200+ data centers worldwide.

    “We initiated a green mining model to reduce environmental impact and improve operational efficiency,” said a company spokesperson for AIXA Miner. “By leveraging low-cost renewable energy, we’ve been able to cut mining costs by up to 50%, enabling higher returns for our users.”

    Scaling Sustainable & Profitable Cloud Mining

    Founded in 2020, AIXA Miner has grown rapidly by aligning sustainability with profitability in cloud mining. The company operates globally distributed mining centers powered exclusively by solar and wind energy, helping reduce carbon emissions while optimizing crypto mining yields—particularly for Bitcoin.

    This cost-effective approach has made AIXA Miner one of the most profitable platforms for crypto mining participants, attracting over 2 million new users following the announcement of increased returns.

    New Mining Contract Options: Short-Term with High ROI

    AIXA Miner offers a range of short-term mining contracts to suit various investment sizes. Each contract delivers fixed daily income and allows for full capital withdrawal at term completion.

    Contract Amount Duration Daily Income Total Income Daily Interest Rate
    $550 5 days $7.32 $36.58 1.33%
    $1,500 10 days $20.40 $204.00 1.36%
    $2,600 12 days $37.18 $446.16 1.43%
    $6,300 15 days $95.13 $1,426.95 1.51%
    $15,700 17 days $285.74 $4,857.58 1.82%
    $25,000 20 days $515.00 $10,300.00 2.06%
    $57,000 15 days $1,350.90 $20,263.50 2.37%
    $87,000 20 days $2,366.40 $47,328.00 2.72%
    $127,000 12 days $3,987.80 $47,853.60 3.14%
    $235,000 15 days $12,925.00 $193,875.00 5.50%

    AIXA Miner also offers a free Litecoin mining contract for new users, which includes a $20 welcome credit that allows immediate onboarding and platform testing. 

    Affiliate & VIP Incentives

    To further enhance user experience and earning potential, AIXA Miner provides a three-tier affiliate program, rewarding users with up to 5% commissions on referred investments. VIP memberships offer one-time bonuses and increased ROI for users with active contract levels of $50,000 and above. For example, VIP Level 3 users receive an additional 0.11% ROI bonus and a $613 reward on qualifying investments.

    How to Get Started With AIXA Miner With a Smartphone: Three Simple Steps

    1. Install the app: Visit the AIXAminer.com website and download the AIXA Miner mobile app (Android/iOS).
    2. Sign up with a username and password and a valid email address to activate the free trial and gain access to the mining platform.
    3. Select the mining contract, connect the user crypto wallet, and start earning.

    And that is all! The app allows users to track their earnings daily and provides options to withdraw or reinvest their profits at will.

    About AIXA Miner

    AIXA Miner is a cloud-based cryptocurrency mining platform founded in 2020. Specializing in AI-optimized, eco-friendly mining operations, AIXA Miner enables individuals worldwide to generate passive income through transparent, automated crypto mining services. AIXA Miner’s upgraded mining contracts are now available globally via its official website: www.aixaminer.com. The platform offers transparent earnings dashboards, same-day payouts (once the minimum is reached), and a range of contract durations to suit both beginner and seasoned crypto participants. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: AIXA Miner Launches New Green Cloud Mining Contracts with Boosted Daily Returns

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Denver, USA, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AIXA Miner, a trusted name in global cloud mining solutions, today announced the rollout of upgraded Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Bitcoin mining contracts featuring a 2.5% increase in daily returns. The performance gains coincide with AIXA Miner’s transition to 100% green energy across its 200+ data centers worldwide.

    “We initiated a green mining model to reduce environmental impact and improve operational efficiency,” said a company spokesperson for AIXA Miner. “By leveraging low-cost renewable energy, we’ve been able to cut mining costs by up to 50%, enabling higher returns for our users.”

    Scaling Sustainable & Profitable Cloud Mining

    Founded in 2020, AIXA Miner has grown rapidly by aligning sustainability with profitability in cloud mining. The company operates globally distributed mining centers powered exclusively by solar and wind energy, helping reduce carbon emissions while optimizing crypto mining yields—particularly for Bitcoin.

    This cost-effective approach has made AIXA Miner one of the most profitable platforms for crypto mining participants, attracting over 2 million new users following the announcement of increased returns.

    New Mining Contract Options: Short-Term with High ROI

    AIXA Miner offers a range of short-term mining contracts to suit various investment sizes. Each contract delivers fixed daily income and allows for full capital withdrawal at term completion.

    Contract Amount Duration Daily Income Total Income Daily Interest Rate
    $550 5 days $7.32 $36.58 1.33%
    $1,500 10 days $20.40 $204.00 1.36%
    $2,600 12 days $37.18 $446.16 1.43%
    $6,300 15 days $95.13 $1,426.95 1.51%
    $15,700 17 days $285.74 $4,857.58 1.82%
    $25,000 20 days $515.00 $10,300.00 2.06%
    $57,000 15 days $1,350.90 $20,263.50 2.37%
    $87,000 20 days $2,366.40 $47,328.00 2.72%
    $127,000 12 days $3,987.80 $47,853.60 3.14%
    $235,000 15 days $12,925.00 $193,875.00 5.50%

    AIXA Miner also offers a free Litecoin mining contract for new users, which includes a $20 welcome credit that allows immediate onboarding and platform testing. 

    Affiliate & VIP Incentives

    To further enhance user experience and earning potential, AIXA Miner provides a three-tier affiliate program, rewarding users with up to 5% commissions on referred investments. VIP memberships offer one-time bonuses and increased ROI for users with active contract levels of $50,000 and above. For example, VIP Level 3 users receive an additional 0.11% ROI bonus and a $613 reward on qualifying investments.

    How to Get Started With AIXA Miner With a Smartphone: Three Simple Steps

    1. Install the app: Visit the AIXAminer.com website and download the AIXA Miner mobile app (Android/iOS).
    2. Sign up with a username and password and a valid email address to activate the free trial and gain access to the mining platform.
    3. Select the mining contract, connect the user crypto wallet, and start earning.

    And that is all! The app allows users to track their earnings daily and provides options to withdraw or reinvest their profits at will.

    About AIXA Miner

    AIXA Miner is a cloud-based cryptocurrency mining platform founded in 2020. Specializing in AI-optimized, eco-friendly mining operations, AIXA Miner enables individuals worldwide to generate passive income through transparent, automated crypto mining services. AIXA Miner’s upgraded mining contracts are now available globally via its official website: www.aixaminer.com. The platform offers transparent earnings dashboards, same-day payouts (once the minimum is reached), and a range of contract durations to suit both beginner and seasoned crypto participants. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NextNRG Signs Letter of Intent for Two Healthcare Facility Smart Microgrid Projects in Los Angeles County

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Strategic expansion into essential healthcare sector demonstrates NextNRG’s energy-agnostic technology and own-and-operate model

    Projects establish NextNRG as dedicated energy provider under long-term contracts to facilities requiring mandatory continuous power

    MIAMI, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NextNRG, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXXT), a pioneer in AI driven energy innovation transforming how energy is produced, managed, and delivered through its Next Utility Operating System®, smart microgrids, wireless EV charging, and mobile fuel delivery, today announced it has signed a letter of intent to develop critical energy infrastructure for two healthcare facilities operated by Sunnyside Nursing and Post-Acute Care (Sunnyside) and Topanga Terrace Rehabilitation & Subacute (Topanga) in Los Angeles, California.

    NextNRG will own and operate the complete smart microgrid systems and sell electricity directly to both facilities under separate 28-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), establishing predictable long-term revenue streams in the essential healthcare sector where continuous, reliable power is not just preferred but mandatory. The PPA for the Sunnyside facility will generate revenue at $0.25 per kWh with a 2% annual escalator, while the Topanga facility will generate revenue at $0.22 per kWh with a 2% annual escalator, providing NextNRG with contracted cash flows extending through 2053.

    NextNRG will design, build, own and operate comprehensive smart microgrid systems for each facility, then sell electricity from these NextNRG-owned grids to the healthcare facilities. The energy infrastructure will incorporate generation through solar and renewable sources, as well as battery storage for enhanced reliability. All components will be integrated into comprehensive smart microgrids powered by NextNRG’s proprietary UOS (Utility Operating System) and SmartGrid technology. Each system will feature up to 830 kWh DC of solar photovoltaic capacity and 2.2 MWh of battery energy storage with ground-mounted solar arrays.

    By combining batteries with generators, NextNRG will significantly reduce the risk of power outages while ensuring compliance with HCAI (Healthcare Access and Information) requirements. The healthcare facilities gain operational resilience and access to tax incentives, while NextNRG establishes a strategic foothold in the highly regulated and lucrative healthcare sector.

    “These projects represent our strategic entry into the healthcare market, where energy reliability is mandatory rather than optional,” said Michael D. Farkas, Founder and CEO of NextNRG. “The 28-year contracted revenue from selling electricity generated by our owned infrastructure provides exceptional visibility and stability, while demonstrating our software’s ability to manage and optimize power from any source. This energy-agnostic functionality positions us to capture significant opportunities across the healthcare sector, where facilities require uninterrupted power for life-safety systems and patient care.”

    The projects showcase NextNRG’s proprietary technology platform designed to optimize and manage diverse energy inputs through advanced artificial intelligence, including traditional grid power, renewable sources, solar, and emerging technologies. This energy-agnostic capability provides maximum flexibility for healthcare facilities while demonstrating NextNRG’s ability to serve as a complete energy solution provider rather than just a renewable energy company.

    Healthcare facilities represent a particularly compelling market opportunity for NextNRG’s own-and-operate model. Hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities prioritize energy reliability and long-term cost predictability, making them ideal candidates for long-term PPA arrangements. The healthcare sector’s essential nature and regulatory requirements create a stable customer base with predictable energy needs and willingness to pay for enhanced reliability.

    The addressable market for NextNRG’s smart microgrid solutions in the healthcare sector is substantial, with 15,300 nursing homes and 32,231 assisted living facilities across the United States. These facilities are subject to stringent regulatory requirements mandating backup power systems to ensure continuous operation of life-safety equipment, HVAC systems, and critical care infrastructure. NextNRG’s comprehensive smart microgrids provide a superior alternative to traditional diesel generators, offering cleaner, more reliable backup storage while meeting all applicable healthcare regulations and emergency preparedness standards. NextNRG’s TAM in healthcare microgrids is roughly $3.2 billion in annual revenue opportunity today, growing into the $7–8 billion range by the early 2030s, driven by resilient infrastructure needs, AI integration, and regulatory tailwinds.

    “The healthcare sector represents a massive market opportunity where our ownership model and technology create significant value,” added Mr. Farkas. “These facilities cannot afford power interruptions, and our comprehensive smart microgrid solutions powered by machine learning provide the energy security they require while generating stable, long-term cash flows for NextNRG from our owned energy assets. We see substantial potential to replicate this ownership and energy sales model across thousands of healthcare facilities nationwide.”

    These projects build on NextNRG’s recent momentum, including its partnership with Hudson Sustainable Group, inclusion in the Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® indexes, and record-breaking revenue growth with preliminary May 2025 revenue of $6.6 million representing 148% year-over-year growth. The healthcare market expansion complements NextNRG’s established mobile fueling operations across six U.S. states with 144 active delivery trucks.

    The agreement advances NextNRG’s strategy of deploying next-generation energy infrastructure through its integrated ecosystem of AI-optimized solutions, establishing the company as a leader in intelligent energy management and delivery across essential service sectors.

    About NextNRG, Inc.

    NextNRG Inc. (NextNRG) is Powering What’s Next by implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into renewable energy, next-generation energy infrastructure, battery storage, wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging and on-demand mobile fuel delivery to create an integrated ecosystem.

    At the core of NextNRG’s strategy is its Next Utility Operating System®, which leverages AI and ML to help make existing utilities’ energy management as efficient as possible; and the deployment of NextNRG smart microgrids, which utilize AI-driven energy management alongside solar power and battery storage to enhance energy efficiency, reduce costs and improve grid resiliency. These microgrids are designed to serve commercial properties, healthcare campuses, universities, parking garages, rural and tribal lands, recreational facilities, and government properties, expanding energy accessibility while supporting decarbonization initiatives.

    NextNRG continues to expand its growing fleet of fuel delivery trucks and national footprint, including the acquisition of Yoshi Mobility’s fuel division and Shell Oil’s trucks, further solidifying its position as a leader in the on-demand fueling industry. NextNRG is also integrating sustainable energy solutions into its mobile fueling operations. The company hopes to be an integral part of assisting its fleet customers in their transition to EV, providing fuel delivery while advancing efficient energy adoption. The transition process is expected to include the deployment of NextNRG’s innovative wireless EV charging solutions.

    To find out more visit: www.nextnrg.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statement describing NextNRG’s goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions, or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Words such as “expect,” “intends,” “will,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those related to NextNRG’s business and macroeconomic and geopolitical events. These and other risks are described in NextNRG’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. NextNRG’s forward-looking statements involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although NextNRG’s forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by NextNRG. Except as required by law, NextNRG undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements.

    Investor Relations Contact

    NextNRG, Inc.
    Sharon Cohen
    SCohen@nextnrg.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Say goodbye to cryptocurrency speculation anxiety! Decryption: Get a stable daily income of $9 to $19,494 through ETHRANSACTION cloud mining

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Watching the market late at night, heartbeats soaring with the K-line – this is the daily life of retail investors in cryptocurrency trading. When Bitcoin broke through $120,000 and Ethereum fluctuated violently, countless people lost all their money due to leverage liquidation. However, a group of “lazy investors” quietly made money: the numbers on their mobile phone screens jumped steadily every day, $9, $50, and even $9,000… What’s the secret? The answer is ETHRANSACTION, a cloud mining platform that sweeps the world.

    Why did 8 million users give up cryptocurrency trading and choose ETHRANSACTION?

    Traditional cryptocurrency trading is like a casino, and ETHRANSACTION has reshaped the rules – turning fluctuations into daily cash flow. With three core advantages, the platform has become a safe haven for retail and team investors:

    Absolutely stable daily income:
    Regardless of market ups and downs, ETHRANSACTION contracts automatically pay dividends every day. For example:

    $100 trial contract: $18 profit in 2 days, $9 per day

    $33,000 advanced contract: daily profit up to $613.8, principal doubled in 40 days

    Users do not need to analyze the market, and the profit is credited to the account on time like wages, completely saying goodbye to “roller coaster anxiety”.

    “Lazy Revolution” with zero threshold

    ✅ No hardware required: abandon mining machines and sky-high electricity bills, and rent cloud computing power with one click;

    ✅ 3-step start: register → select contract → wait for profit, 24-hour automatic settlement;

    ✅ Mobile first: view profit in real time, withdraw cash at any time, and the interface is simpler than food delivery APP.

    AI-driven mining hegemony:
    ETᕼRANSACTION deeply implants artificial intelligence into ASIC mining machines and GPU chips to achieve:

    Dynamic optimization of computing power, efficiency improvement of 30%;

    Professional team on duty for operation and management throughout the day, with failure rate close to zero;

    Intelligent switching of high-return currencies (supporting BTC, ETH, XRP and other 10+ currencies), and the profit will never fall behind.

    Green computing power: How can mining be more environmentally friendly?
    ETHRANSACTION’s global mines are rewriting the history of high energy consumption:

    100% renewable energy power supply: self-built wind, hydro, and solar power plants, excess power fed back to the city power grid;

    Carbon neutral certification: annual carbon reduction of a single mine ≈ 740,000 trees planted, with both benefits and ecology.

    “The mine is not only a computing power center, but also a green energy hub.” – Platform energy architect revealed

    A safer crypto asset fortress than a bank:

    When hackers ravaged the cryptocurrency field, ETHRANSACTION built an “impossible to break” defense system:

    Fund insurance: Cooperated with London L&G Insurance Company, user assets are fully insured;

    Information encryption: McAfee® security system + Cloudflare® protection, 100% zero-accident operation;

    Take action now: seize the most certain profit opportunity in the bull market
    New user exclusive benefits: Sign up and get a $19 experience bonus, and start a zero-cost trial of earning $0.9 a day immediately!

    The path to wealth only takes 3 steps:
    · Register an account: 30 seconds to complete, no download required;
    · Choose a contract: from $100 short-term contracts to $570,000 whale plans, flexible matching;
    · Wait for income: the system automatically settles income every 24 hours and arrives on time.

    The era of passive income has arrived:
    When others are struggling on the edge of liquidation, ETHRANSACTION users are drinking coffee and collecting interest. Whether it is an office worker, housewife or retiree, you only need a mobile phone to own a “digital money printing machine”.

    “The bull market does not wait for anyone, but you can always be one step ahead of the market.” – The platform is the key to unlocking wealth for investors in 2025; take action now to visit the official website https://ethransaction.vip/ and start your daily income plan!

    Media Details:Email: info@ethransaction.vip/Website: https://ethransaction.vip/

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on the Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan. 

    David Seymour, Director of Data Partnerships, Health Data Research UK, said: 

    “The ambition in these new government plans is much needed, but it is colliding with a system full of potholes that disrupt, delay and damage vital health data research.

    “Our life sciences sector holds the key to faster discovery of treatments, better patient care, prevention of diseases and the essential economic growth required to fund a revitalised NHS.  Yet in access to health data, researchers and innovators are gridlocked by legal, governance and contractual complexity, coupled with a lack of people with the capacity and authority to unblock barriers and make decisions.  This is the harsh reality that undermines our boldest plans.

    “While major investments in the genomics revolution and Health Data Research Service are welcome, there is a real danger of ‘planning blight,’ where the focus on designing the future system stops us from improving the performance of the current system.  The most radical thing we can do is get the basics right.  This means a relentless focus on maximising the value of our existing world-class data assets – the likes of the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) research service, UK BioBank, Genomics England and Our Future Health – enriched through data linkage and novel data collection.

    “Fixing today’s ‘potholes’ isn’t a distraction from the long-term vision – it’s the only way to make it happen.  Anything less holds back the UK’s global competitiveness and fails patients and the public.”

    Prof Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, British Heart Foundation, said:

    “A thriving life science sector is key to unlocking the next generation of treatments and cures for some of the UK’s biggest killers, including cardiovascular disease. It’s great to see the Government recognising this in today’s plan, which will help researchers grasp this moment of immense scientific opportunity.

    “We welcome the pledge to continue investing in science which drives life-changing discoveries in medicine, whilst ensuring that patients benefit quickly from those discoveries.  The commitment to shift health research funding towards making advances in prevention is also very encouraging.

    “As key funders of UK research and development, charities like the British Heart Foundation are vital in helping to achieve this plan’s vision.  We look forward to working in close partnership with Government and the wider sector to fully deliver the improvements needed.”

    Prof Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair, Medical Research Council, said:

    “The new Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out a bold vision to transform how one of the UK’s most dynamic and globally competitive sectors delivers for our economy and for people around the world.

    “The Medical Research Council is committed to playing a central role in realising this vision by accelerating the translation of curiosity-driven research into innovations that support disease prevention, earlier diagnosis and better treatments.

    “In partnership with researchers, charities and industry, we will help more people live healthier, more productive lives, and attract further investment to strengthen the UK’s life sciences sector.”

    Nicola Perrin MBE, Chief Executive, Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), said: 

    “We’re pleased to see life sciences recognised as a priority sector for the UK.  This is a triple win for the economy, for the NHS and for patients.  It will benefit people across the country and unlock new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease.

    “We welcome the positioning of research at the heart of the Life Sciences Sector Plan, from the earliest stages of discovery science and beyond.  We also welcome the focus on ensuring that the NHS embraces new discoveries and innovations – these will only have an impact if they get to patients quickly and effectively.

    “It’s reassuring to see a clear focus on implementation and accountability in the plan.  This will help to ensure urgent action and real change.  Medical research charities must be key delivery partners – they support R&D that focuses on patients, addresses areas of unmet need and accelerates impact.”

    Dr Iain Foulkes, Executive Director of Research and Innovation, Cancer Research UK, said:

    “The Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out promising ambitions to make the UK a global leader in science, but it doesn’t do enough to tackle the challenges holding back clinical research.

    “We need government, industry and charities to work together so that people get faster access to the most promising new cancer treatments.

    “The Plan rightly highlights the delays in setting up commercial clinical trials in the UK, but it overlooks the fact that non-commercial trials – often led by charities or the NHS – are facing the same issues.  These trials are being held back by slow and complicated processes, excessive red tape, and a lack of capacity across the system.

    “Government action is needed to strip away these barriers and build more time for research in NHS staff contracts.”

    Prof Andrew Morris CBE FRSE PMedSci, President, Academy of Medical Sciences, said:

    “The Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan delivers a robust framework that industry, academia and the NHS have long needed to help unlock the full potential of one of the UK’s most important sectors.

    “As we highlighted in our Future-proofing UK Health Research report, a coordinated and people-centred approach is essential to secure a sustainable future for life sciences research and deliver maximum health benefits for people everywhere.  With over £2bn of funding and clear accountability mechanisms, this plan provides actionable commitments that can drive economic growth, improve the UK’s standing on a world stage and transform health equity.

    “The six headline actions align closely with priorities the Academy of Medical Sciences has consistently championed, including cutting clinical trials times, strengthening health data infrastructure, and streamlining regulation and procurement.  These measures have the potential to transform how we develop and deploy new treatments, placing people at the heart of the UK health research system whilst maximising discovery science and the research potential of the NHS.

    “Recognising that the NHS must become a thriving site of research is key to improving health and prosperity in the UK and driving health outcomes globally.  The plan’s effectiveness will depend on sustained coordination across all sectors and funders, and engagement with patients and the public, to enable the UK’s life sciences sector to flourish and deliver health benefits for people everywhere.” 

    Plan: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687653fb55c4bd0544dcaeb1/Life_Sciences_Sector_Plan.pdf; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-sciences-sector-plan

    Press release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/life-sciences-sector-plan-to-grow-economy-and-transform-nhs

    Declared interests

    The nature of this story means everyone quoted above could be perceived to have a stake in it. cAs such, our policy is not to ask for interests to be declared – instead, they are implicit in each person’s affiliation.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leeds reaffirms its commitment to LGBT+ inclusive support in time for Pride weekend

    Source: City of Leeds

    The event is expected to attract over 60,000 people as the city centre is transformed with a colourful parade on Sunday 20 July.

    For this year’s celebration, which is the largest free Pride in the UK, Leeds City Council is reaffirming its commitment to LGBT+ inclusive support.

    The council first set out its aim for Leeds to be an LGBT+ inclusive city in 2018, and this was renewed last year with the launch of the 2024-2029 LGBT+ Inclusive Leeds plan.

    The council’s LGBT+ hub provides a forum for the LGBT+ community to speak to, hear from and provide feedback to council services, partners in the statutory and voluntary sectors and the business sector, about how they shape their services and policies. 

    For more information on the council’s work to make Leeds an LGBT+ Inclusive City and the LGBT+ hub, visit LGBT+ Hub | Leeds.gov.uk.

    This year’s Pride parade will be kicking off at 12.15pm on Sunday opposite Leeds Town Hall before making its way down to Lower Briggate.

    As every year, the council has contributed an access bus to ensure the Pride event is open to everyone. The bus will take part in the parade where spaces have been booked in advance.

    Councillor Fiona Venner, Leeds City Council’s executive member for equality, health and wellbeing said: “We love seeing everyone coming together for Pride in Leeds, it’s a brilliant celebration of equality and of our vibrant LGBT+ community.

    “As always, we are working hard for Leeds to be a truly LGBT+ safe and inclusive city. The council recently launched an anti-discrimination campaign in recognition that alongside other forms of discrimination, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia remain a real issue.”

    Accessibility information:

    There will be a raised access platform in Millennium Square (also known as Accessible Viewing Area (AVA)), reserved for disabled people and their carers. Next to the AVA there is a changing places toilet and other disabled toilets. There are also accessible toilets in the permanent toilet provision under Millennium Square. Down at Lower Briggate there is also an AVA with its own dedicated accessible toilet provision.

    Read more about accessibility at the event at https://leedspride.com/accessibility/.

    For more information about Leeds Pride, visit https://leedspride.com/.

    For more information about the anti-discrimination campaign, visit https://www.leeds.gov.uk/strongerleeds.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: I. Repin’s canvases will soon meet the Chinese public

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) — Crates designed to store and transport exhibits that will be displayed at the upcoming exhibition of works by Russian artist Ilya Repin at the National Museum of China (NMC) in Beijing were unveiled on Wednesday after being transported long-distance to the Chinese capital.

    In front of the press present, two canvases by I. Repin were carefully unpacked and checked – the sketch “Barge Haulers on the Volga” and “Rest. Portrait of Vera Repina, the Artist’s Wife”. Representatives from the two organizations shared with the media the history of these paintings and their features.

    “Before Repin, there were Russian artists who tried to paint a picture on the theme of barge haulers’ labor, but none of them managed to reveal it on such a full scale as Repin did. He was the first Russian artist who touched upon a very important, interesting and curious topic. We are very glad that it was in China that this topic found such a response,” said Svetlana Kapyrina, head of the painting department of the second half of the 19th – early 20th century at the State Tretyakov Gallery.

    At the exhibition, the creative team dedicated to the creation of “Barge Haulers on the Volga” will demonstrate portrait sketches of barge haulers, script sketches, oil sketches and other materials related to this most recognizable famous painting in China. This will provide viewers with a unique opportunity to deeply immerse themselves in the history of the birth of this masterpiece and feel how I. Repin step by step transformed the initial idea into a work that conquered the whole world, the NMC statement notes.

    Moving on to the portrait of the artist’s wife, Svetlana Kapyrina said: “My colleagues and I thought many years ago whether there were other examples in world art where a sleeping wife poses for her husband. However, when we x-rayed this painting, we saw that she had one /open/ eye – she was not sleeping.”

    “She got tired while posing and fell asleep, and the artist, with tenderness and love, did not wake her up,” added S. Kapyrina.

    As one of the main events within the framework of the China-Russia Cross Years of Culture, this exhibition, jointly organized by the NMC and the State Tretyakov Gallery with the support of the State Russian Museum, will open on July 23 and run until January 11, 2026.

    With 92 works to be displayed, the exhibition will be the largest and most representative exhibition of its kind ever held in China. It is worth noting that such famous masterpieces by Repin as “Tsarevna Sophia”, “Religious Procession in Kursk Province”, “They Didn’t Expect Him” and “Sadko” will be brought to China and presented to the Chinese public for the first time.

    During the exhibition, NMK will also hold a number of thematic events, including lectures, educational excursions for teenagers and young people, and a visit to the exhibition via live broadcast. -0-

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Small penises are still the butt of the joke in film and TV

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Neil Cocks, Associate Professor in the Department of English Literature, University of Reading

    Gen V (2023-present), the recent iteration of the wildly successful superhero satire The Boys (2019), thrives on scenes of bodily outrage. One such episode concerns a young woman who is able to shrink – an ability triggered by self-induced vomiting.

    Her boyfriend persuades her to use her powers during sex and we see her touching his penis, which is now taller than she is. We also understand why the boyfriend is so insistent about her transformation: relatively speaking, he has a small penis.

    In Companion (2025), a film about a young man who has an abusive sexual relationship with a self-conscious robot, a small penis is also mocked. When the robot gains autonomy, and has an intelligence boost, she confronts and shames the abusive man, claiming that he is motivated in his violent and controlling behaviour by “a below average-sized penis”.

    What interests me about these works, as a researcher of sexuality and film, is that they are otherwise committed to questioning reductive ideas about the body. Yes, in the universe of The Boys there is undoubted glee at all the exploding heads and superpowered, murderous buttocks, but the keynote is pathos.

    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 girl who changes her shape through vomiting is arguably representing bulimic experience and there are characters whose superpowers can be understood to negotiate, for example, self-harm and dysmorphia. But when it comes to a man with a small penis, it’s a different story. His body is understood to directly influence both his actions and sense of morality.

    Likewise, in Companion, which is in so many senses a meditation on the fraught relationship between mind and body, the small penis of the young man is understood to be the obvious source of his repressive actions.

    In both cases, the audience is expected to laugh at the abuser because of his small penis. The small penis is framed as both a signifier and cause of abusiveness.

    ‘We are still so medieval about penis size’

    It could be argued that in Companion and Gen V, the small penis itself is not what is being mocked. The men involved in both are young, white and heterosexual. The idea is, perhaps, that mocking those with small penises is acceptable, because in this the creators are really questioning white, heterosexual and male power structures, and that the inadequacy of that power, its mythic nature, is exposed.

    One difficulty in this is that as only power held by men with small penises is mocked, the power of the well endowed, regardless of racial or sexual identity, is naturalised.

    Equally, those people of colour or queer people who have small penises might implicitly be included in the mockery, with the implication that they are somehow the beneficiaries of power structures, misuse this power, and have obvious, biologically rooted motivations in so doing.

    The trailer for Gen V.

    Gen V qualifies the laughter – the girl , talking later to a friend, makes clear that there is nothing wrong in having a small penis, just “don’t be a dick about it”. But the only small-penised character we see is, of course, being “a dick”.

    There have been a number of television shows that focus on penis size, but each explores the pathos of having a large penis: Hung (2009), The Hard Times of RJ Berger (2010), Sex Education (2019). Imagine an equivalent concerning a character with a small – or even simply not large – penis.

    As journalist Caitlin Moran wrote in a 2023 Guardian article introducing her book, What About Men:

    We are still so medieval about penis size that we see male genitalia as being inimical to a man’s soul. Remember when Stormy Daniels told the world that Donald Trump’s penis was ‘smaller than average – a dick like the mushroom character in Mario Kart’. And we were all like: ‘Yes, it makes sense the horrible man has a small, weird mushroom penis.’ The whole world joined in on that one.

    Let us instead question the relationship between biology and destiny. And let this action be taken not to frame heterosexual white men as a disadvantaged group, but for the good of us all. Our bodies are ours to negotiate, with ourselves, and with our significant others, as well as those others that find in them indifference, or more troubling affects.

    As Gen V and Companion suggest, in recent science fiction stories that otherwise reimagine the body, the small penis can only be imagined as shameful. It is taken to be an obvious motivation for abusive behaviour. Such an understanding helps no one. As the science fiction genre is especially well placed to question common-sense ideas about the human and its form, it would be a good place to begin.

    Neil Cocks 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. Small penises are still the butt of the joke in film and TV – https://theconversation.com/small-penises-are-still-the-butt-of-the-joke-in-film-and-tv-256748

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Alpha males are surprisingly rare among primates – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Louise Gentle, Principal Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University

    Female lemurs are often dominant. Miroslav Halama/Shutterstock

    Is it true that male animals are dominant over females? Previous studies have often found male-biased power in primates and other mammals.

    A new study, investigating physical encounters between members of the same species in 121 primates (around a quarter of all primate species) found that half of all aggressive contests were between males and females. But males won these contests in only 17% of primate populations, with females dominating in 13% – making it almost as likely for females to dominate males.

    The remaining 70% of primate populations showed no clear-cut dominance of one sex over the other. This study may have shown different results to previous research because it assessed individual contests rather than categorising species based on their social structure and physical attributes.

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

    The new study found male dominance, where males have a greater ability to influence the behaviour of the opposite sex, to be prevalent in primate species where the males are much larger than the females. This enables males to gain dominance through physical force or coercion. It was also widespread in species where males have weapons and mate with lots of females.

    This is typical of African and Asian monkeys and the great apes, such as gorillas. Weighing in at around 200kg, a silverback male can be twice the size of the females within his troop. Male gorillas also have large canine teeth that can seriously injure or even kill other gorillas.

    Male dominance often twins with weapons throughout the animal kingdom, – horns, antlers, claws or tusks. The largest antlers ever known were those of the now extinct Irish elk, spanning lengths up to 3.5m.

    The Irish elk is extinct but once had huge antlers.
    Fotokon/Shutterstock

    Female dominance

    Female power was seen in primate species that had a scarcity of females, one exclusive sexual partner, similar sized males and females but did not have bodily weapons, according to the new study. These are all factors that give females more choice over who to mate with.

    Female dominance was also seen in species where fighting with a male was less risky for the dependent offspring of females. For example, some primates “park” their young on their own in nests while foraging, rather than carrying them around. If a mother is holding her baby when she’s attacked, she may submit to protect her young.

    Finally, matriarchal societies were common in species that live primarily in trees, which makes it easier to flee an attacker.

    Female-dominated species were more likely in lorises, galagos and lemurs. So, contrary to the film Madagascar where King Julien is the king of the lemurs, females are, in fact, in charge. In the ring-tailed lemurs, females control access to food and mates, and maintain the dominance hierarchy where males are often at the bottom.

    This is also true of bonobos, the closest relatives of humans. Although male bonobos are larger, females form coalitions to overcome the physical power of the males and force them into submission. This show of solidarity has also been shown in humans.

    Think of how the suffragettes campaigned for women’s rights to vote in the UK. Or more recently, how women demanded new safety measures after Sarah Everard was murdered by Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens in 2021.

    Galagos, also known as bushbabies, tend to live in female dominant societies.
    Jurgens Potgieter/Shutterstock

    Although female dominance has been documented less often in the wider animal kingdom, there are some examples that defy expectations. Spotted hyenas have a matriarchal society where females dominate the clans. They even have a pseudo-penis that they erect to indicate submission to more dominant individuals.



    Read more:
    Sex and power in the animal kingdom: seven animals that will make you reconsider what you think you know

    Naked mole rats have a queen that gives birth to all of the young while her offspring find food and defend the nest. The males are subordinate to the queen, but so too are the other females. In fact, the queen bullies the other members of her colony so much that the females are all rendered sterile through stress.

    But what about the 70% of primate species that were found to show no dominant sex bias in the new study? These were largely the South American monkeys such as marmosets, tamarins and capuchins, that are generally small, live in trees, are social and omnivorous.

    They also tended to have a prehensile tail that helps them grasp things. The ecology of these species fall in the middle of the male and female dominated species, with size difference and weapons being neither extreme nor absent, mating systems being neither polygamous nor monogamous, and the frequency of females being nether abundant nor rare.

    The absence of a definitive sex-bias in dominance found in the majority of primate species may be a result of the rarity of contests between males and females, or because males and females were both equally likely to win. Nevertheless, dominance varied within species. For example the percentage of intersexual contests won by female patas monkeys ranged from 0% to 61%, depending on the population studied.

    What does this mean for humans?

    Human traits are not skewed towards those of male-dominated societies in other primates. We may not live in trees but males do not have natural weapons. Males are not always bigger than females, females do not tend to outnumber males and our sexual habits are varied.

    Humans are actually more aligned to the 70% of species that show no clear distinction in sex biases, where species of either sex can become dominant. Let’s see which way evolution takes us.

    Louise Gentle works for Nottingham Trent University.

    – ref. Alpha males are surprisingly rare among primates – new research – https://theconversation.com/alpha-males-are-surprisingly-rare-among-primates-new-research-260472

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Zonal pricing is dead – here’s how the UK should change its electricity system instead

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Cassandra Etter-Wenzel, DPhil Candidate in Energy Policy, University of Oxford

    Marcin Rogozinski/Shutterstock

    The UK government has decided against setting different prices for electricity based on the locations of consumers.

    Zonal pricing would have categorised Britain into distinct zones, each with wholesale electricity prices that reflect how much power is generated locally, and how much demand there is for it. It would have raised prices in areas with lots of demand but low generation, like London, and lowered them where supply outstrips demand, such as in the turbine-rich Scottish Highlands.

    This might have caused an immediate increase in the energy bills of already vulnerable households in some high-demand, low-generation areas, such as Tower Hamlets in London and Blackpool in north-west England.

    But the idea was to encourage the construction of renewable energy to meet high demand in higher-priced zones, and prompt big electricity consumers to move to where electricity is cheaper. It was also intended to ease the need for new infrastructure to transmit electricity over long distances, like pylons. Australia, Norway and several EU nations already use this method.

    The ultimate goal of zonal pricing was to make the price of electricity more accurately reflect generation and transmission costs. However, one thing has significantly inflated electricity prices in recent years, which this pricing method wouldn’t have addressed on its own: gas.

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

    Gas is expensive, even more so since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Britain’s electricity system operator brings power plants onto the system to meet demand in order of the lowest to highest marginal costs.

    The point at which supply meets demand forms the wholesale price of electricity. Renewable sources, like wind and solar, have zero or very low marginal costs. But most of the time the wholesale price is set by gas plants, because they can readily fill a gap in supply but have high and erratic marginal costs (largely tied to what they pay for fuel).

    We need another, cheaper technology to set the wholesale price of electricity. Batteries, which can store electricity over several hours, and options capable of storing energy for longer, such as compressed air and low-carbon hydrogen, could be just the thing.

    The idea is simple: batteries can be charged at times when there is a lot of surplus electricity generation (on a bright, windy day, for example) and discharge it at times of peak demand (or when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow). This would entail grid operators (and ultimately, consumers) not having to pay gas plants to fire up when renewable generation cannot meet the shortfall.

    Unfortunately, batteries comprised just 6% of Britain’s total electricity capacity in 2024. Investment in energy storage has lagged behind what the government forecasts is necessary to meet its 2030 clean power goals, but it is at least increasing.

    Research shows that the more money that is invested in batteries, the more associated costs come down. If used instead of gas to stabilise the grid, energy storage could significantly lower the wholesale cost of the UK’s energy over time, and with the right balance of policies, household bills too. This would require subsidies to cover some of the cost of making and installing batteries, and planning mandates to build new renewables alongside new batteries.

    Affordable and fair

    The government could also try alternatives to zonal pricing. Wholesale electricity prices could reflect the “strike” price in renewable energy contracts. This is the price at which developers have agreed to build clean electricity generation projects, like wind farms. This would mean that gas no longer sets the wholesale price, but stable, predictable prices agreed years in advance, which would help to regulate the retail costs consumers pay.

    Solar arrays installed on farmland in Devon, southern England.
    Pjhpix/Shutterstock

    These types of reforms can help set efficient energy prices, which the government usually talks about as the price needed to encourage investment in new energy technologies. But just because prices are efficient, it doesn’t mean they’re fair. Some households struggle to afford their energy bills even when markets are working efficiently. So, when prices change to encourage cleaner energy, it can hit them harder.

    The government should implement new policies and expand eligibility for existing measures to take the burden off energy-poor households. These include social tariffs, which offer discounted rates to vulnerable consumers, and discounts for blocks of electricity use when renewables are generating a lot of it.

    Transition funds could help poorer households meet bills, while schemes to encourage home insulation and other improvements could see more homes with rooftop solar panels and battery storage.

    This support, combined with increasing investment in energy storage and renewables, will lower the wholesale price of electricity over time – and make energy more affordable (and fair) for everyone.

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

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

    Anupama Sen has previously received funding from the Quadrature Climate Foundation and Children’s Investment Fund Foundation.

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

    – ref. Zonal pricing is dead – here’s how the UK should change its electricity system instead – https://theconversation.com/zonal-pricing-is-dead-heres-how-the-uk-should-change-its-electricity-system-instead-260985

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: MethaneSat: The climate spy satellite that went quiet

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Vincent Gauci, Professorial Fellow, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham

    Satellites circling the Earth have many different functions, including navigation, communications and Earth observation. About 8%-10% of all active satellites are military or “dual use” serving intelligence or reconnaissance functions as spy satellites.

    But it was a climate satellite serving as both spy and “name and shame” police officer in the sky that recently caught the world’s attention when it went quiet.

    MethaneSat was developed to spot emission hot spots or plumes of invisible methane pollution from space. Built by the US non-profit, the Environmental Defense Fund with Nasa’s support, it tracked methane leaks from oil and gas sites, farms and landfills across the globe.

    These are among the biggest human-caused emission sources. But methane emissions are traditionally hard to spot because they come from so many relatively small point sources or plumes.

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

    This specialist observation satellite was developed and deployed because methane acts differently to other greenhouse gas emissions. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that, over 20 years, is more than 80 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

    Since 1750, additional human-caused methane emissions have contributed directly and indirectly, to around 60% of the global warming of carbon dioxide over that time.

    Methane also has a short lifetime. Where carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for in excess of 100 years, relying on plant uptake for its removal from the atmosphere and conversion into other carbon forms, methane is broken down in the atmosphere by molecules known as hydroxyl radicals. These are nicknamed “the atmosphere’s detergent”, because they effectively remove methane from the atmosphere in less than ten years.

    A gas flare at an oil refinery – one of many pinpoint sources of methane emissions.
    hkhtt hj/Shutterstock

    This combination of short lifetime and high global warming potential (a measure of the climate strength of the gas relative to carbon dioxide) makes methane both a problem and an ideal target for reduction. In fact, growth in atmospheric methane is occurring at such a rate that it is placing us dangerously off track from meeting our Paris agreement obligations to stay within 1.5°C of climate warming by 2050 and 2°C by 2100.

    Eyes in the sky

    But how can we achieve these reductions and what was the role of MethaneSat in seeking to meet this objective?

    There are two ways atmospheric methane concentrations can be reduced. A recent and more challenging proposition is that methane is actively removed from the atmosphere.

    This is difficult because it relies on technological advances that are at their earliest stages (although growing more trees can go some way to achieving this). Another more realistic approach is to reduce emissions and then to let atmospheric chemistry do the work of removing excess methane in the atmosphere.

    The global methane pledge was announced in 2021 at the UN climate summit, Cop26, in Glasgow. This aimed to reduce human-caused methane emissions by 30% on 2020 levels by 2030. More than 150 countries have now signed up to this pledge. If successful, it could reduce warming by up to 0.2°C by 2050. That’s why MethaneSat was so useful.

    MethaneSat is fitted with a hyperspectral sensor – which can record sunlight reflected off Earth in hundreds of narrow colour bands across the spectrum, far beyond what our eyes can see. It’s capable of picking up concentrations of methane in air at minute quantities.

    This sensor allowed the satellite to spot individual plumes of methane, so it had a crucial role in identifying those problem areas. Given that these are dispersed but also individual point sources, it was invaluable in intervening in the leaks, permitting identification of those responsible so they could be held to account and so address the problem.

    No one instrument can cover what MethaneSat could do with freely available data. It had high precision, high spatial resolution and, critically, global coverage and it was particularly useful at identifying plumes in nations that don’t have the resources for the sort of regional surveys using aircraft mounted systems that can fill the gap in developed regions.

    Now that MethaneSat is no longer operational, there are some other tools to identify small anthropogenic emissions sources, but they tend to be regionally focused like the aircraft measurements mentioned.

    Other satellites gather similar data but that data sits behind commercial paywalls, whereas MethaneSat data was freely available. Collectively, these drawbacks mean that it’s just going to be that much harder to spot the emissions MethaneSat was so good at tracking.

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

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

    Vincent Gauci receives funding from the NERC, Spark Climate Solutions, the JABBS Foundation and has received funding from the Royal Society, Defra and the AXA Research Fund.

    – ref. MethaneSat: The climate spy satellite that went quiet – https://theconversation.com/methanesat-the-climate-spy-satellite-that-went-quiet-261022

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: AI can be your wingman when online dating – but should you let it?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Natasha McKeever, Lecturer in Applied Ethics, University of Leeds

    YWdesign/Shutterstock

    Many dating app companies are enthusiastic about incorporating generative AI into their products. Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder of dating app Bumble, wants gen-AI to “help create more healthy and equitable relationships”. In her vision of the near future, people will have AI dating concierges who could “date” other people’s dating concierges for them, to find out which pairings were most compatible.

    Dating app Grindr is developing an AI wingman, which it hopes to be up and running by 2027. Match Group, owner of popular dating apps including Tinder, Hinge and OK Cupid, have also expressed keen interest in using gen-AI in their products, believing recent advances in AI technology “have the power to be transformational, making it more seamless and engaging for users to participate in dating apps”. One of the ways they think gen-AI can do this is by enhancing “the authenticity of human connections”.

    Use of gen-AI in online dating is not just some futuristic possibility, though. It’s already here.

    Want to enhance your photos or present yourself in a different style? There are plenty of online tools for that. Similarly, if you want AI to help “craft the perfect, attention-grabbing bio” for you, it can do that. AI can even help you with making conversation, by analysing your chat history and suggesting ways to reply.

    Extra help

    It isn’t just dating app companies who are enthusiastic about AI use in dating apps either. A recent survey carried out by Cosmopolitan magazine and Bumble of 5,000 gen-Zers and millennials found that 69% of respondents were excited about “the ways AI could make dating easier and more efficient”.

    An even higher proportion (86%) “believe it could help solve pervasive dating fatigue”. A surprising 86% of men and 77% of the women surveyed would share their message history with AI to help guide their dating app conversations.

    Dating today can feel like a mix of endless swipes, red flags and shifting expectations. From decoding mixed signals to balancing independence with intimacy, relationships in your 20s and 30s come with unique challenges.Love IRL is the latest series from Quarter Life that explores it all.

    These research-backed articles break down the complexities of modern love to help you build meaningful connections, no matter your relationship status.

    It’s not hard to see why AI is so appealing for dating app users and providers. Dating apps seem to be losing their novelty: many users are reportedly abandoning them due to so-called “dating app fatigue” – feeling bored and burnt out with dating apps.

    Apps and users might be hopeful that gen-AI can make dating apps fun again, or if not fun, then at least that it will make them actually lead to dates. Some AI dating companions claim to get you ten times more dates and better dates at that. Given that men tend to get fewer matches on dating apps than women, it’s also not surprising that we’re seeing more enthusiasm from men than women about the possibilities AI could bring.

    Talk of gen-AI in connection to online dating gives rise to many ethical concerns. We at the Ethical Dating Online Network, an international network of over 30 multi-disciplinary academics interested in how online dating could be more ethical, think that dating app companies need to convincingly answer these worries before rushing new products to market. Here are a few standout issues.

    Pitfalls of AI dating

    Technology companies correctly identify some contemporary social issues, such as loneliness, anxiety at social interactions, and concerns about dating culture, as hindering people’s dating lives.

    But turning to more technology to solve these issues puts us at risk of losing the skills we need to make close relationships work. The more we can reach for gen-AI to guide our interactions, the less we might be tempted to practise on our own, or to take accountability for what we communicate. After all, an AI “wingman” is of little use when meeting in person.

    Also, AI tools risk entrenching much of dating culture that people find stressful. Norms around “banter”, attractiveness or flirting can make the search for intimacy seem like a competitive battleground. The way AI works – learning from existing conversations – means that it will reproduce these less desirable aspects.

    Gen-AI may reproduce the negative elements of online dating culture.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    Instead of embracing those norms and ideals, and trying to equip everyone with the tools to seemingly meet impossibly high standards, dating app companies could do more to “de-escalate” dating culture: make it calmer, more ordinary and help people be vulnerable. For example, they could rethink how they charge for their products, encourage a culture of honesty, and look at alternatives to the “swiping” interfaces.

    The possibility of misrepresentation is another concern. People have always massaged the truth when it comes to dating, and the internet has made this easier. But the more we are encouraged to use AI tools, and as they are embedded in dating apps, bad actors can more simply take advantage of the vulnerable.

    An AI-generated photo, or conversation, can lead to exchanges of bank details, grooming and sexual exploitation.

    Stopping short of fraud, however, is the looming intimate authenticity crisis. Online dating awash with AI generated material risks becoming a murky experience. A sincere user might struggle to identify like-minded matches on apps where use of AI is common.

    This interpretive burden is annoying for anyone, but it will exacerbate the existing frustrations women, more so than men, experience on dating apps as they navigate spaces full of with timewasting, abuse, harassment and unwanted sexualisation.

    Indeed, women might worry that AI will turbo-charge the ability of some men to prove a nuisance online. Bots, automation, conversation-generating tools, can help some men to lay claim to the attention of many women simultaneously.

    AI tools may seem like harmless fun, or a useful timesaver. Some people may even wholeheartedly accept that AI generated content is not “authentic” and love it anyway.

    Without clear guardrails in place, however, and more effort by app companies to provide informed choices based on transparency about how their apps work, any potential benefits of AI will be obscured by the negative impact it has to intimacy online.

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

    – ref. AI can be your wingman when online dating – but should you let it? – https://theconversation.com/ai-can-be-your-wingman-when-online-dating-but-should-you-let-it-254666

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Looking for meaningful romantic relationships? Start by diversifying your friendships and forgetting your wishlist

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mariko Visserman, Assistant Professor in Psychology, University of Sussex

    loreanto/Shutterstock

    When you’re looking for a relationship, chances are you’ll start off with a wishlist for your ideal partner. Maybe someone who is attractive or wealthy, someone who likes the same movies and the outdoors. Seems like a solid starting point, right? The problem is that in the real world, these wishlists are rarely helpful. And how realistic is the idea that one person can fulfil all our needs in the first place?

    In 2017, researchers conducted a large speed-dating study. They wanted to see how well the preferences people indicated for a potential partner predicted who they wanted to see again after the event.

    The researchers were left with nothing: people’s wishlists did not predict who they actually liked. Instead, they suggested that the best predictor of whether you like someone is seeing how they make you feel when you interact with them. Do you feel comfortable in their presence? Do they make you laugh?

    The scientific evidence suggests that you have to meet people in the flesh if you want to find your match.

    Dating today can feel like a mix of endless swipes, red flags and shifting expectations. From decoding mixed signals to balancing independence with intimacy, relationships in your 20s and 30s come with unique challenges. Love IRL is the latest series from The Conversation’s Quarter Life that explores it all.

    These research-backed articles break down the complexities of modern love to help you build meaningful connections, no matter your relationship status.

    People used to find their romantic partner by tapping into their social networks – through friends, family, or the people they met in their daily lives. Nowadays, we often look for a romantic partner using online dating platforms, which allow us to access a larger network of potential romantic partners than ever before.

    This apparent abundance may encourage a critical comparison with your wishlist and you may spend a lot of time swiping through profiles of potential partners, without initiating meeting them.

    Research suggests that doing so can leave you feeling paralysed by an overload of choice and less optimistic about your chances. Research also shows that people tend to have fewer matches as the number of profiles on offer increases.

    The researchers of this paradox suggest that you may be wise to put yourself on a dating diet: only looking at a limited number of profiles each day and exploring them with a curious mind. Then, when contact is established and you feel positive about the initial interaction, the real experiment begins.

    When you spend a long time interacting online you may construct an idealised version of your potential partner and what you hope they’re like. That leaves you all the more likely to be disappointed when meeting them in person, as it’s easy for them to fall short of your expectations.

    When you spend long time interacting online you may construct an idealised version of your potential partner.
    dodotone/Shutterstock

    A better strategy would be to meet them in the flesh with a curious mind, before becoming overly invested in an online persona that is not a fair representation of what the other person may be like.

    Taking it offline

    Whether you will go on to have a satisfying relationship in the long run depends more than anything on your relationship expectations and behaviour.

    Being kind and attentive to each other’s goals and needs ensures each partner’s happiness and will help weather any challenge, small or large, that couples inevitably face. But here too, technology may disrupt your mindful awareness of others – for example being on your phone in the presence of your partner – posing a risk to enjoying relationships.

    Couples today also seem to have historically high expectations for their partner to help them fulfil all their goals and needs. You may want a partner to be a passionate lover, your best friend, your motivational coach and help you achieve personal growth.

    In other words, people’s wishlists people carry into relationships too, as we long for a partner to fulfil all our needs.

    Diversifying your friendships can put less pressure on your romantic connection.
    Dupe/Daniel Bughiu

    Demanding all of this from one partner can place too much pressure on the relationships, rather than satisfying your needs. You may be left with a dissatisfying relationship that falls short of your expectations.

    In some ways, we may all benefit from adopting lower expectations when looking for a partner and when being with them long term. This may help us appreciate them instead of taking their support and kind acts for granted.

    It’s also a good idea to diversify your relationships. Having other important close (and even less close) relationships can help fulfil some needs your partner may not be best suited to meet, such as friends who like the same movies you do or who like to explore the outdoors together.

    Research has shown that a greater diversity of relationships benefits happiness, as different relationships can serve different roles in fulfilling your needs, which may take some pressure off “the one” fulfilling all your needs.

    Putting some brakes on your expectations for a romantic partner, when looking for a partner and when sharing your life with them, may help you to see more clearly who they are and appreciate what they contribute to your life.

    Mariko Visserman 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. Looking for meaningful romantic relationships? Start by diversifying your friendships and forgetting your wishlist – https://theconversation.com/looking-for-meaningful-romantic-relationships-start-by-diversifying-your-friendships-and-forgetting-your-wishlist-254022

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three MS-13 Members Charged with Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Murder

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Three alleged members of the notorious gang La Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, made their initial appearance in the District of Maryland yesterday for their role in a racketeering conspiracy, including murder and drug trafficking.

    “As alleged, the defendants are MS-13 members who carried out a brutal and senseless murder in exchange for promotions within the gang and drugs,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their actions furthered MS-13’s reign of terror across communities in Maryland. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue charges against MS-13 members and associates and will not relent until this dangerous gang is eradicated from our streets.”

    “The brutal retaliatory murder of this victim is a chilling reminder of the MS-13 gang’s callous disregard for human life,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Those who assault and kill others must be brought to justice and ultimately held accountable for their actions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will continue to work relentlessly with our law enforcement partners to dismantle violent criminal organizations that terrorize our communities.”

    “The FBI and our partners are committed to using every tool available to prevent violent criminals from terrorizing the communities they live in,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We will not let up. We will relentlessly pursue those who engage in violent activity like murder and drug trafficking until they are held accountable.”

    According to court documents, on July 4, 2024, Maxwell Ariel Quijano-Casco, 24, of El Salvador; Daniel Isaias Villanueva-Bautista, 19, of El Salvador; and Josue Mauricio Lainez, 21, of Hyattsville, Maryland, allegedly killed a homeless man as part of their involvement with MS-13. On July 5, 2024, a passerby called 911 after seeing the victim sitting in a blue 2008 Dodge Caravan that was parked in a used car lot in Hyattsville, Maryland. When the police arrived, they found the deceased victim, who appeared to have been stabbed in the neck. Investigators obtained video surveillance from a nearby business that captured the incident.

    The surveillance video shows that at approximately 11:35 p.m Quijano-Casco and another person approach the victim. The video shows the victim wielding what looks like a metal pole at Quijano-Casco, at which point Quijano-Casco and the other person flee on foot and the victim returns to the Dodge Caravan. About 15 minutes later, Quijano-Casco returns with co-defendants Villanueva-Bautista, Lainez, and another person. At approximately 11:48 p.m., the video surveillance shows all four of them approaching the blue Dodge Caravan. 

    The surveillance video then shows Quijano-Casco, Villanueva-Bautista, Lainez, and the unnamed person opening the van’s rear sliding driver’s side door, reaching inside, and moving as if striking someone. 

    The victim does not exit the blue Dodge Caravan after the attack.

    On Aug. 23, 2024, Prince George’s County Police arrested Quijano-Casco and Villanueva-Bautista. Quijano-Casco was in possession of a black Ruger P95DC semi-automatic handgun and about eight grams of cocaine at the time of his arrest. Quijano-Casco and Villanueva both admitted that they were present for the altercation where the victim was murdered. Quijano-Casco allegedly admitted to Prince George’s County Police to stabbing the individual.

    Quijano-Casco, Villanueva-Bautista, and Lainez are each charged with racketeering conspiracy, including the July 4, 2024, murder. If convicted, Quijano-Casco, Villanueva-Bautista, and Lainez face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI and Prince George’s County Police Department are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Enough of passing the buck, enough of the delay, enough of the bloodshed

    Source: Oxfam –

    In response to the EU’s foreign affairs ministers meeting to discuss the list of options for political action against Israel, Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam’s Policy Lead in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Gaza, said:  

    “Every day that passes without real action means more death and destruction. Yet, once again, Europe is kicking the can down the road.  

    “The recent aid deal may have been a step, but, in reality, it is mere breadcrumbs. Aid alone cannot stop this catastrophe. We cannot continue to watch children killed and say ‘we are making progress’. We cannot watch food rot in aid trucks while people starve and say ‘this is working.’ 

    “The EU cannot continue to maintain full ties with a government it acknowledges may be violating EU human rights principles, while offering humanitarian aid with one hand and enabling impunity with the other. 

    “We do not need another cautious statement nor another backroom deal. We need real leadership and decisive action. Enough of passing the buck. Enough of the delay. Enough of the bloodshed.”  

    EU foreign affairs ministers met today for the Foreign Affairs Council. At the meeting, EU Foreign Affairs Chief, Kaja Kallas, presented a list of options to EU foreign affairs ministers including the full or partial suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.    

    The EU is Israel’s biggest trading partner.   

    Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement states “Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement.” Israel’s well-documented violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank, violate Article 2.     

    On Thursday, the EU and Israel agreed on steps that include “the substantial increase of daily trucks for food and non-food items to enter Gaza, the opening of several other crossing points in both the northern and southern areas; the reopening of the Jordanian and Egyptian aid routes” among other items.    

    Beyond suspending this agreement, Oxfam is calling for a permanent ceasefire, safe and unhindered humanitarian aid, an end to illegal Israeli occupation and a halt in all arm sales and transfers to Israel while there is a risk they are used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law.      

    Jade Tenwick | Brussels, Belgium | jade.tenwick@oxfam.org | mobile +32 473 56 22 60 | Personal (WhatsApp only) +32 484 81 22 94            

    For more information on our work and to see our latest press releases, please visit oxfam.org/eu.         
        
    For updates, follow us on Twitter, BlueSky and LinkedIn.          

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Export Finance makes historic first visit to Turkmenistan

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    World news story

    UK Export Finance makes historic first visit to Turkmenistan

    UK Export Finance visited Turkmenistan for the first time last month and met with key ministries and institutions.

    Ms Clare Allbless, Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy Ashgabat, Ms Sebnem Alp, UKEF Country Head for Türkiye, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Ms Irem Kayhan, Deputy Head for Türkiye, Turkmenistan & Mongolia, Mr Eldar Latypov, Project Officer, British Embassy Ashgabat.

    The British Embassy in Ashgabat is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the first-ever visit to Turkmenistan by senior representatives of UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK Government’s export credit agency. From 23 to 27 June 2025, Ms Sebnem Alp, UKEF Country Head for Türkiye, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Ms Irem Kayhan, Deputy Head for Türkiye, Turkmenistan & Mongolia, held high-level meetings with key ministries and institutions across Turkmenistan.

    Productive discussions with the Ministries.

    The visit, graciously facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, included productive discussions with the Ministry of Finance and Economy, Ministry of Energy, Central Bank, Vnesheconombank, and other strategic agencies. These engagements explored opportunities for UKEF to support major sovereign projects across infrastructure, fertiliser, transport, agriculture, water, and green transition sectors in Turkmenistan, potentially backed by UKEF guarantee support of up to £5 billion

    Ms Clare Allbless, Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy Ashgabat, Ms Sebnem Alp, UKEF Country Head for Türkiye, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Ms Irem Kayhan, Deputy Head for Türkiye, Turkmenistan & Mongolia, Mr Eldar Latypov, Project Officer, British Embassy Ashgabat.

    This milestone visit marks a new chapter in UK – Turkmenistan relations and opens the door to deeper bilateral trade and investment cooperation. The British Embassy stands ready to support continued dialogue and collaboration between UKEF and the Government of Turkmenistan to deliver sustainable, high-quality development outcomes.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government tackles postcode lottery of school technology

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Government tackles postcode lottery of school technology

    Every school to have reliable, safe tech in classrooms as government rolls out plans for the future of digital standards to ensure no child is left behind

    Pupils and staff across the country will have access to reliable, safe technology in their classroom as the government announces plans to help narrow the digital divide in schools – making outdated systems and patchy connectivity a thing of the past.

    Across the country there are stark inequalities where some pupils suffer from basic digital access whilst others benefit from cutting-edge technology, including AI – creating unfair barriers to learning and future opportunities.

    Following consultation with schools, the government is today (16 July) setting out expectations for schools and colleges to meet six digital standards by 2030, helping to end the postcode lottery in access to tech that has left too many pupils behind, by preventing teachers from delivering modern lessons and stopping pupils developing digital skills essential for modern careers.

    The six standards cover broadband internet, wireless networks, network switches, digital leadership, plus two safety requirements: cyber security and filtering and monitoring to keep pupils safe online. 

    Online safety is at the heart of the government’s plans, with the cyber security and filtering and monitoring standards designed so that as digital access improves, school IT systems are protected from cyber security threats and the risk of online threats – ensuring technology enhances children’s education.

    To support schools, the government will expand its Plan technology for your school service to give every school tailored support and guidance on how and where to make lasting, cost effective improvements to their technology.

    This comes alongside a £45 million investment from government this year to boost school infrastructure, including upgrades to fibre and wireless networks – helping get classrooms online and boosting standards where it is most needed.  

    Minister for Early Education, Stephen Morgan, said: 

    Every child deserves access to the digital tools that will prepare them for the modern world, regardless of which school they attend. For too long, we’ve seen a postcode lottery where some pupils thrive with cutting-edge technology whilst others are held back by outdated equipment. 

    Meeting our six digital standards will ensure that by 2030, all schools have the digital provision they need. We’re investing in our children’s futures, supporting pupils to get the digital access they need to succeed whilst keeping them safe online. 

    This is a key part of our Plan for Change – ensuring every child has the chance to reach their full potential and no pupil is left behind in the digital age.

    The Plan technology for your school service helps schools understand their bespoke technology needs, create digital strategies fit for the future and save money with guidance to enable them to strike the best deal possible with suppliers.

    Jisc will also continue to support colleges with expert advice on the use of technology and access to Janet, the UK’s National Research and Education Network.

    Evidence is clear that access to technology can boost a student’s attainment and meeting the standards will ensure every school has the digital infrastructure to deliver the technological support for staff and pupils for years to come. 

    The work forms part of the Government’s wider plan to break down barriers to opportunity, as too many pupils currently miss out on digital skills that are essential for modern careers, creating lasting disadvantage and impacting their future. The Connect the Classroom programme has so far improved connectivity for more than 1.3 million pupils in 3,700 schools.   

    By ensuring schools have reliable, safe technology, the Government is giving pupils – regardless of their school’s location or resources – the digital foundation they need to succeed in education and beyond. 

    Schools will work towards meeting the standards by 2030, with government support to ensure no pupil is left behind in the digital age.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs raids two suspected illicit cigarette storage centres in Sham Shui Po (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs shut down two suspected illicit cigarette storage centres in Sham Shui Po today (July 16), seizing a total of about 1 million suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $4.5 million and a duty potential of about $3.3 million. One 45-year old non-local man was arrested.

    Customs officers conducted an anti-illicit cigarette operation in Sham Shui Po this afternoon and spotted a suspicious man moving some carton boxes near an illicit cigarette black spot in Kweilin Street. Customs officers then intercepted the man and found about 70 000 suspected illicit cigarettes. After follow-up investigations, about 80 000 and about 850 000 illicit cigarettes were uncovered respectively from two units at a nearby rear lane.

    After preliminary investigations, Customs believes that the two suspected illicit cigarette storage centres have been operating for about three months, supplying illicit cigarettes to the aforesaid black spot. An investigation is ongoing.

    Hong Kong Customs has been mounting a territory-wide enforcement operation codenamed “Thunder” since last week to combat illicit cigarette telephone-ordering activities, including illicit cigarette storage centres, black spots and peddling. Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for interception at source as well as through its multipronged enforcement strategy targeting storage, distribution and peddling to spare no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities.

    Customs stresses that it is an offence to buy or sell illicit cigarettes. Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

    Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKSAR reiterates Lai Chee-ying’s case and his custodial arrangements always handled in accordance with the law

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    HKSAR reiterates Lai Chee-ying’s case and his custodial arrangements always handled in accordance with the law 
    A spokesman for the HKSAR Government pointed out that, “The HKSAR Government has emphasised time and again that as the legal proceedings involving Lai Chee-ying are still ongoing, it is inappropriate for any person to comment on the details of the case in an attempt to interfere with the court to exercise judicial power independently, which might otherwise constitute perverting the course of justice. However, foreign organisations primarily from the US and Western countries, including governments and the media, continue to distort the truth, blantantly discredit the judicial system and trials of the HKSAR, and make false and misleading statements by fabricating information about the treatment provided to Lai Chee-ying during his custody, in an attempt to glorify criminal behavior and exert pressure on the courts of the HKSAR. In fact, Lai Chee-ying’s actual legal representative has already made a clarification earlier that Lai Chee-ying has all along been receiving suitable treatment and care in prison. However, the organisations from the US and Western countries choose to turn a blind eye to these facts and evidence, and carry on with their malicious political maneuvers with ulterior motives. The HKSAR Government opposes such actions.”
     
    The spokesman reiterated, “The Correctional Services Department (CSD) attaches great importance to the safety and health of persons-in-custody (PICs). Regardless of the identities, ages and nationalities of PICs, the CSD is committed to ensuring that the custodial environment is secure, safe, humane, appropriate and healthy, and that an environment with good ventilation, as well as appropriate and timely medical support will be provided. If inmates require further examination and treatment, they will be referred to specialist medical staff or to public hospitals for further follow-up. The CSD has also put in place an established mechanism, including regular independent visitors, namely Justices of the Peace, who inspect the prisons to ensure the rights of PICs are protected. The CSD also adopts the above arrangements when handling matters related to Lai Chee-ying, which are no different from those applicable to other PICs.
     
    “In the interests of a particular prisoner or for the maintenance of good order and discipline, the Commissioner of Correctional Services is empowered to make arrangements under section 68B of the Prison Rules that such prisoner should not associate with other prisoners (i.e. the so-called ‘solitary confinement’). One of the purposes of the relevant arrangement is to ensure the personal safety and well-being of the PICs, which can be requested by the PICs themselves and approved by the Commissioner after considering the matter in accordance with the law; or the Commissioner may make such arrangements after considering the relevant factors in accordance with the legal requirements and procedures. We must once again point out the fact that the arrangement for Lai Chee-ying’s removal from association from other PICs has all along been made at his own request and approved by the CSD after considering all relevant factors in accordance with the law. The remarks by organisations from the US and other Western countries regarding Lai Chee-ying’s solitary confinement are completely fact-twisting, reflecting a malicious intention to smear and attack the HKSAR Government.”
     
    The spokesman stressed, “All cases in the HKSAR (including Lai Chee-ying’s case) are handled strictly on the basis of evidence and in accordance with the law; the Department of Justice of the HKSAR, by virtue of Article 63 of the Basic Law, controls criminal prosecutions, free from any interference; all defendants will receive fair trial with applicable Hong Kong laws (including the Hong Kong National Security Law) and under the safeguards of the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights.”
    Issued at HKT 21:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Men Indicted on 22 Counts for Wire Fraud Conspiracy, Sale of Stolen Vehicles, and Trafficking Stolen Vehicles with Altered VINs

    Source: US FBI

    Greenbelt, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland unsealed a 22-count indictment, charging Jamaican national — Charles Edwards Madden, 39, of New Carrolton, Maryland — and Michael R. Bourne, 33, of New York, New York, with conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, operating a chop shop, sale or receipt of stolen vehicles, and trafficking in motor vehicles with altered vehicle identification numbers (VINs).

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Washington Field Office, and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).

    According to the indictment, between at least January 2020, and continuing into June 2024, Madden and Bourne engaged in a conspiracy to buy and sell vehicles that they knew were stolen from various locations across the United States.  As part of the conspiracy, Madden and Bourne altered the VINs to conceal the stolen vehicle scheme and evade law enforcement. 

    Madden and Bourne combined parts from salvaged vehicles and resold them to victim purchasers in Maryland and elsewhere, concealing the prior salvage or damage status and misrepresenting their conditions to buyers.  During the conspiracy, Madden and Bourne obtained dozens of stolen vehicles collectively worth more than $1 million, many of which were transported to and altered in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

    If convicted, Madden and Bourne face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud conspiracy, a maximum of 10 years for sale or receipt of stolen vehicles, and a maximum of 10 years for trafficking in motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts.  Additionally, Madden is charged with operating a chop shop located in Prince George’s County which carries a maximum of 15 years.

    Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and PGPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy and Trial Attorneys Amy Schwartz and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein, Justice Department Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, who are prosecuting this case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –