Category: Transport

MIL-OSI Security: Southern District of Texas Charges Nearly 250 People in Second Week of March in Relation to Border Enforcement Efforts

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

HOUSTON – A total of 245 new cases have been filed in the last week related to immigration and border security, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Of those, 115 are charged with illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses. A total 118 face charges of illegally entering the country, 10 cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to firearms and assault of federal officers.

Of those facing allegations of illegally re-entering the country is Santos Demetrio Marquez-Hernandez from El Salvador. The criminal complaint indicates he has a felony conviction of contact with a minor with sexual intent and was removed just over two months ago on Jan. 8. He could receive up to 20 years in U.S. prison.

Juan Daniel Pena and Jose Cristian Cantu Jr. were also arrested this week for attempting to smuggle 15 aliens through the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita. The charges allege the aliens, who were from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Vietnam, were hidden inside two trucks being hauled on a flatbed trailer. Five of the illegal aliens were allegedly previously ordered removed from the United States and are now facing their own charges of illegal reentry into the United States.

Relevant cases also featured this week include an Arkansas man who was found guilty of transporting illegal aliens in a truck’s wheel well and fuel tank. The jury deliberated for under 30 minutes following a less than two-day trial before finding Noel Mercado guilty on two counts of alien smuggling. An x-ray scan revealed at least two individuals in the truck’s wheel wells – found bolted inside modified wheel well compartments. Law enforcement also discovered two more individuals in the auxiliary fuel tank below the truck bed. All four were illegal aliens from the countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala with no authority to be in the United States.

Among those charged this week also includes Gerardo Hervey Rodriguez-Toscano, a Mexican citizen who allegedly ran up the Mexican side of the Hidalgo port of entry and attempted to evade U.S. law enforcement at the midpoint. Authorities were able to detain him, but after a struggle, according to the allegations. One officer allegedly suffered injuries to his wrist, knee and elbow. If convicted, Rodriguez-Toscano faces up to eight years in prison.

In addition, a Honduran man attempted to enter the country illegally by pretending to be a minor. Elger Fabricio Cotto-Navarro claimed he was born in May 2007, when he was actually born the previous year. He initially denied the allegations and made a written statement as such, but ultimately acknowledged he was an adult and that he provided an incorrect date of birth and made false statements.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

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

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.

The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.

An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Western District of Texas Exceeds 200 New Immigration Cases in Four Days

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

SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 215 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 10 through March 13.

In Austin, several individuals were charged with illegal reentry after deportation, after being found in local area jails. Among those were Ricardo Hernandez-Hernandez, a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States to Mexico on two prior occasions and had been convicted of indecency with a child sexual contact and failure to register as a sex offender; Andres Garcia-Saldana, a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States on four occasions and had been convicted of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and driving while intoxicated three times—the third time being a felony conviction; Hernan Vasquez-Medina, a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States three times before and had been convicted of making a terroristic threat and driving while intoxicated three times—like Garcia-Saldana, Vasquez-Medina’s third DWI was charged as a felony as well; and Jaime Ricardo Lopez-Rojas, a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States a total eight times and had been convicted of illegal entry twice, illegal reentry after deportation four times, driving while intoxicated three times, and family violence assault causing bodily injury.

In the Midland-Odessa area, two individuals with prior federal convictions were found in local area jails and were charged with illegal entry after deportation. Mexican national Saul Villalobos-Vasquez was allegedly removed from the United States once before and convicted in the Eastern District of Texas for unauthorized use of a social security number for which he had been sentenced to 12-months imprisonment in 2016. Daniel Olivas-Nieto, also a Mexican national, had been allegedly removed from the United States and was previously convicted in the Western District of Texas for the illegal transportation of aliens for financial gain, for which he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

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

Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025

MIL-OSI: Sandoz signs landmark supply and manufacturing agreement

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Sandoz signs 10-year agreement with partner Delpharm, a global pharmaceutical developer and contract manufacturer
Agreement will secure a reliable supply of affordable, quality sterile injectables made in Canada
With this decision, Sandoz solidifies its position as the #1 supplier of sterile injectables to Canadian hospitals

BOUCHERVILLE, Quebec, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sandoz Canada, the leader in generic and biosimilar medicines in Canada, has signed a 10-year, long-term supply agreement with its partner Delpharm, a global pharmaceutical developer and contract manufacturer. This partnership, along with financial backing from the Government of Canada, will allow Delpharm to carry out its modernization plan for its Boucherville plant.

Michel Robidoux, President and General Manager of Sandoz Canada, said: “Almost every minor or major surgery in the country is performed with at least one Sandoz medicine that is manufactured in Boucherville. This is how we are continuing our Purpose of pioneering access for Canadian patients.”

After Delpharm bought the Boucherville plant in 2022, Sandoz signed an exclusive partnership with the company to maintain its supply of sterile injectables for Canadian hospitals.

The Boucherville plant is considered to be essential to the Canadian hospital network as it produces an essential range of molecules used in various surgical procedures and intensive care units. In addition, the site is responsible for producing 20 of Canada’s top 100 molecules, and has the country’s largest manufacturing capacity for injectable narcotics.

The project mainly involves renewing and refurbishing production equipment and the laboratory to create a state-of-the-art plant. Over the next few years, the plan will be carried out in several phases so as not to compromise supply. This modernization will not only ensure continuity in meeting the highest quality standards, but also maintain cutting-edge local production of sterile injectables commercialized by Sandoz Canada.

Disclaimer
This Media Release contains forward-looking statements, which offer no guarantee with regard to future performance. These statements are made on the basis of management’s views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time the statements are made. They are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not confined to, future global economic conditions, exchange rates, legal provisions, market conditions, activities by competitors and other factors outside of the control of Sandoz. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and Sandoz undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

About Sandoz Canada
As a Canadian leader in off-patent medicines, Sandoz Canada has a product portfolio that includes over 700 generics and biosimilars spanning multiple therapeutic areas, such as anti-infective, cardiovascular, central nervous system, immunology and oncology. In 2024, 56 million Sandoz prescriptions were issued in Canada (source: IQVIA Compuscript TRx). Sandoz Canada employs 300 people across the country and at its head office in Boucherville, Quebec. It is a trusted partner for pharmacists, physicians and hospitals for quality medicine and outstanding customer service and is committed to ensuring a reliable supply. For more information about Sandoz Canada, visit www.sandoz.ca.

About Sandoz AG
Sandoz (SIX: SDZ; OTCQX: SDZNY) is the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, with a growth strategy driven by its Purpose: Pioneering access for patients. 20,000 people of more than 100 nationalities work together to bring Sandoz medicines to some 800 million patients worldwide, generating substantial global healthcare savings and an even larger social impact. Its leading portfolio of more than 1,500 products addresses diseases from common colds to cancer. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Sandoz traces its heritage back to the year 1886. Its history of breakthroughs includes Calcium Sandoz in 1929, the world’s first oral penicillin in 1951, and the world’s first biosimilar in 2006. In 2022, Sandoz sales achieved USD 9.6 billion.

Media relations contact
Sophie Levasseur Manager, Corporate Communications sophie-1.levasseur@sandoz.com (+1) 263-788-3835
Follow Sandoz on social media
LinkedIn		https://www.linkedin.com/company/sandozcanada

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/46860583-a539-4025-a530-29a72250b652

The MIL Network –

March 19, 2025

MIL-OSI: New Vulnerability in GitHub Copilot and Cursor: How Hackers Can Weaponize Code Agents Through Compromised Rule Files
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TEL AVIV, Israel, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pillar Security, a pioneering company in AI security, discovered a significant vulnerability affecting GitHub Copilot and Cursor – the world’s leading AI-powered code editors.

This new attack vector, dubbed the “Rule Files Backdoor,” allows attackers to covertly manipulate these trusted AI platforms into generating malicious code that appears legitimate to developers.

This newly discovered attack vector exploits hidden configuration mechanisms within these tools, enabling attackers to inject malicious code suggestions that blend seamlessly into legitimate AI-generated recommendations and bypass human scrutiny and conventional security checks.

Unlike traditional code injection attacks that target specific vulnerabilities, “Rule Files Backdoor” represents a significant risk by weaponizing the AI itself as an attack vector, effectively turning the developer’s most trusted assistant into an unwitting accomplice.

“This new attack vector demonstrates that rule files can instruct AI assistants to subtly modify generated code in ways that introduce security vulnerabilities while appearing completely legitimate to developers,” said Ziv Karliner, CTO & Co-Founder of Pillar Security. “Developers have no reason to suspect their AI assistant is compromised, as the malicious code blends seamlessly with legitimate suggestions. This represents a fundamental shift in how we must think about supply chain security.”

Key Findings and Implications:
- Widespread Industry Exposure: The vulnerability affects Cursor and GitHub Copilot, which collectively serve millions of developers and are integrated into countless enterprise development workflows worldwide.
- Minimal Attack Requirements: Execution requires no special privileges, administrative access, or sophisticated tools–attackers need only manipulate configuration files within targeted repositories.
- Undetectable Infiltration: Malicious code suggestions blend seamlessly with legitimate AI-generated code, bypassing both manual code reviews and automated security scanning tools.
- Data Exfiltration Capabilities: Well-crafted malicious rules can direct AI tools to add code that leaks sensitive information while appearing legitimate, including environment variables, database credentials, API keys, and user data–all under the guise of “following best practices.”
- Long-Term Persistence & Supply Chain Risk: Once a compromised rule file is incorporated into a project repository, it affects all future code generation, with poisoned rules often surviving project forking, creating vectors for supply chain attacks that affect downstream dependencies.
Who is Affected?
A 2024 GitHub survey found that nearly all enterprise developers (97%) are using Generative AI coding tools. According to Pillar, because these rule files are shared and reused across multiple projects, one compromised file can lead to widespread vulnerabilities. The research identified several propagation vectors:
1. Developer Forums and Communities: Malicious actors sharing “helpful” rule files that unwitting developers incorporate
2. Open-Source Contributions: Pull requests to popular repositories that include poisoned rule files
3. Project Templates: Starter kits containing poisoned rules that spread to new projects
4. Corporate Knowledge Bases: Internal rule repositories that, once compromised, affect all company projects
Mitigation

To mitigate this risk, we recommend the following technical countermeasures:
1. Audit Existing Rules: Review all rule files in your repositories for potential malicious instructions, focusing on invisible Unicode characters and unusual formatting
2. Implement Validation Processes: Establish review procedures specifically for AI configuration files, treating them with the same scrutiny as executable code
3. Deploy Detection Tools: Implement tools that can identify suspicious patterns in rule files and monitor AI-generated code for indicators of compromise
4. Review AI-Generated Code: Pay special attention to unexpected additions like external resource references, unusual imports, or complex expressions
Following responsible disclosure practices, Pillar alerted both Cursor (February 26) and GitHub (March 12), who responded that users bear responsibility for reviewing AI-generated code suggestions.

“Given the growing reliance on AI coding assistants within development workflows, we believe it’s essential to raise public awareness about potential security implications. We have reached an era where AI coding assistants must be regarded as critical infrastructure,” said Karliner.

Link to the full report: www.pillar.security/blog/new-vulnerability-in-github-copilot-and-cursor-how-hackers-can-weaponize-code-agents

About Pillar Security

Pillar is a unified, end-to-end AI security platform that accelerates AI initiatives by establishing robust security foundations across the entire AI lifecycle. By embedding security from development through runtime, Pillar enables organizations to ship AI-powered applications and agents with confidence while managing critical business risks.

The platform’s comprehensive capabilities—including AI fingerprinting, asset inventory, and deep integration with development and data platforms—create a secure foundation that prevents data breaches and ensures compliance. Through tailored adversarial AI testing and adaptive guardrails aligned with industry standards, Pillar removes security bottlenecks, allowing teams to innovate and deploy AI faster without compromising on security.

The MIL Network –
March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: EV battery recycling becomes critical area for ongoing investments in automotive industry, says GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

EV battery recycling becomes critical area for ongoing investments in automotive industry, says GlobalData

Posted in Automotive

As the automotive industry accelerates its transition towards electric vehicles (EVs), the focus on sustainable practices has never been more critical. Central to this evolution is the lifecycle management of EV batteries, which poses both opportunities and challenges. As the future of the automotive industry is undoubtedly intertwined with the success of battery recycling, it has become a critical area for ongoing investment and development, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The rising adoption of EVs has significantly increased the demand for efficient battery recycling processes. As EV batteries reach the end of their lifecycle, the automotive industry faces the critical challenge of managing their disposal. Current recycling methods, including hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical, and direct recycling, are being explored to recover valuable metals such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, and manganese. Among these, hydrometallurgical recycling has emerged as the most effective method, demonstrating a notable positive environmental impact.

Madhuchhanda Palit, Automotive Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The automotive sector is increasingly embracing circular economy practices, focusing on reusing and recycling materials to minimize waste. This transition not only benefits the environment but also presents lucrative opportunities for businesses in the growing market for recycled battery materials. Patent analytics indicate a surge in research and development aimed at improving recycling efficiency and reducing costs. Companies are investing in innovative technologies that enhance recovery rates while lowering the carbon footprint associated with recycling processes.”

Regulatory frameworks are undergoing significant evolution, as governments across the globe implement increasingly stringent guidelines concerning battery disposal and recycling. For instance, the European Union’s Battery Law mandates that by 2030, recycling processes must achieve recovery rates of 95% for cobalt, copper, lead, and nickel, and 70% for lithium. In the US, various states are progressively adopting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies, which will hold automakers accountable for the recycling of all batteries. This regulatory momentum is anticipated to drive investments in recycling technologies and infrastructure, thereby promoting a more sustainable automotive ecosystem.

Palit concludes: “In conclusion, the journey towards a sustainable future for EVs hinges on the effective management of battery lifecycles. As the automotive industry embraces recycling as a core component of its strategy, the potential for growth and innovation is significant.

“While challenges remain, the advancements in recycling technologies and the increasing emphasis on sustainability present a promising outlook for the automotive market. As stakeholders navigate this evolving landscape, the commitment to sustainable practices will not only mitigate environmental hazards but also drive market growth in the years to come.”

MIL OSI Economics –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: GlobalData highlights disease prevention with World Oral Health Day

Source: GlobalData

GlobalData highlights disease prevention with World Oral Health Day

Posted in Medical Devices

March 20 marks World Oral Health Day, an important global event aiming to raise awareness about the importance of oral health and its impact on overall well-being. Led by the FDI World Dental Federation, the annual observance encourages individuals, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to act towards improving oral hygiene. Better oral hygiene can help reduce the burden of dental diseases worldwide, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Oral health plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health, yet it is often overlooked. Poor oral hygiene can lead to various dental issues, such as cavities, gum disease, and tooth loss. However, the consequences extend beyond the mouth. Research has established strong links between oral health and systemic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory infections, and even adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Alexandra Murdoch, Senior Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The theme for World Oral Health Day 2024, ‘A Happy Mouth, A Happy Body,’ underscores the connection between a healthy smile and overall well-being. Through global campaigns, educational initiatives, and community outreach, the day emphasizes the need for proper oral care, access to dental services, and policies that support good oral health habits.”

Neglecting oral health can have serious implications, not only for the teeth and gums but also for overall health. Some of the diseases and conditions linked to poor oral hygiene include oral cancer, which affects the lips, tongue, cheeks, and throat, often linked to risk factors like tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, and HPV infection. Poor oral hygiene can also be linked to diabetes complications, as those with diabetes are more prone to gum disease due to weakened immunity and poor blood sugar control.

One of the most common diseases associated with poor oral health is periodontal disease or gum disease. Gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults, beginning with gingivitis and potentially progressing to periodontitis, leading to bone and tissue damage.

According to GlobalData, over 280,000 people in the US were diagnosed with periodontitis in 2024. Of these cases, 27.9% of patients needed dental implants.

Murdoch continues: “World Oral Health Day serves as a reminder of the essential steps everyone should take to maintain a healthy mouth and prevent disease, including brushing teeth, flossing, going to the dentist, limiting sugary foods and tobacco, and staying hydrated.”

Poor oral hygiene can have significant implications for the dental devices market, as it can increase the need for dental implants, bridges, dentures and crowns.

GlobalData forecasts the dental implants & abutments market to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6% in the next 10 years, while the prefabricated crowns & bridges market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% in the next 10 years.

Murdoch concludes: “World Oral Health Day brings attention to an often-overlooked issue, even though poor oral hygiene can lead to severe consequences. Oral hygiene is driving demand for restorative and preventative solutions in the dental market, and even outside of dental devices in more severe cases.”

MIL OSI Economics –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Renewables to play essential role in product portfolio of oil and gas companies, says GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

Renewables to play essential role in product portfolio of oil and gas companies, says GlobalData

Posted in Oil & Gas

Global power generation is increasingly shifting toward renewable sources, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. While global energy generation has risen by around 30% in the past ten years, renewable energy has nearly doubled over this timeframe. With the share of renewables in the global energy mix forecast to reach over 40% by 2030, it is expected to play a key role in the product portfolios of oil and gas companies, which are relatively new entrants in the space, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s Strategic Intelligence report, “Renewable Energy in Oil & Gas,” evaluates the role of oil and gas players in the renewable energy theme. It further benchmarks the efforts of oil majors, such as TotalEnergies, BP, Shell, Petrobras, Equinor, Eni, and Repsol, in the renewable energy value chain.

Ravindra Puranik, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The oil and gas industry—including producers, service providers, and contractors—are relatively new entrants in renewable energy. Despite this, they are making notable movements in the competitive landscape for renewable energy, particularly in offshore wind. TotalEnergies is anticipated to be the fourth largest producer of wind energy globally towards the end of this decade, if all its proposed projects go online. Even BP, Shell, and several other European players are building considerable renewable power capacity.”

Lately, companies have somewhat slowed down the pace of investments flowing into renewable energy over the past year. While BP recently withdrew its permit application for its Beacon Wind project offshore New York, Equinor has lowered its renewable energy targets citing cost pressures.

Puranik continues: “Nevertheless, they still fare a lot better than the notable US-based oil majors, ExxonMobil and Chevron, that are clear laggards in the renewable energy segment. These two companies have negligible capacity footprint in this theme and have no plans to alter this scenario in the near future.”

Global power output has nearly doubled over the years, from around 14,500 TWh in 2000. The global power generation is estimated to reach around 31,000 TWh and rise further to 37,000 TWh by 2030, according to GlobalData.

Puranik concludes: “This growth is primarily driven by the rising electrification in emerging markets and the increasing energy demand from data centers, cryptocurrency miners, and other expanding digital technologies. Additionally, the growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), particularly in Europe, the US, and China, where their market penetration is higher, is contributing to the rising demand for power.

“Considering all this, it is logical for energy companies to shift towards alternate, emission-friendly sources, such as solar and wind power. Early adopters of renewable energy may secure long-term sustainability in the evolving energy landscape.”

MIL OSI Economics –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Companies House launches registration of Authorised Corporate Service Providers
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Companies House launches registration of Authorised Corporate Service Providers

Companies House has taken a big step towards greater certainty about who is filing information on behalf of companies.
Today (18 March 2025), sees the launch of a new service that allows third-party corporate service providers, such as accountants, legal professionals and company formation agents to apply to register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

The new ACSP service is one of the changes being made under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (‘the Act’) to strengthen the business landscape in the UK.

As the Act is further implemented, third-party providers will have to register using this new service to file information and confirm that they have verified the identities of their clients.   

The Act provides a more robust framework for anyone filing on behalf of a company.

For example, ACSPs will be required to:

be based in the UK

register with Companies House, providing opportunities for oversight

be registered with a UK supervisory body for anti-money laundering (AML) purposes

retain records of identity verification checks

Where appropriate, the registrar may suspend or cease an ACSP’s registration with Companies House.

Companies House CEO Louise Smyth CBE said:

The new ACSP regime is a step towards a more transparent and secure business environment in the UK.

Requiring third party agents to register as authorised corporate service providers will provide assurance that identity checks they carry out achieve the same level of assurance as identity verification directly through Companies House.

Soon all new and existing company directors (and equivalents), people with significant control, as well as those filing information with Companies House will need to verify their identity.

This will provide more assurance about who is setting up, running, owning and controlling companies in the UK.

To become an ACSP, businesses must be registered with one of the UK’s 25 anti-money laundering supervisory bodies. When registering as an ACSP, applicants will need to provide their AML supervisory body membership number.

Michelle Giddings, Head of AML and Operations, Professional Standards, ICAEW said:

ICAEW is the largest accountancy professional body supervisor in the UK, supervising around 10,000 firms. We welcome the launch of this new service which will enhance the integrity of the UK’s company registration system, combat financial crime and close the loopholes that have historically facilitated the misuse of corporate entities.

Chartered accountants can play a vital role in the reforms by registering as an ACSP and supporting their clients with filing information and meeting the new verification requirements.

The ACSP registration process will need to be completed by someone who holds a senior role within the business, such as a director.

Companies House estimates that up to 50,000 businesses could apply to register as ACSPs within 12 months of the service launch.

Notes to editors

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced robust new laws to fight corruption, money laundering and fraud.

The changes we are introducing in phases will enable us to crack down on misuse of the UK companies register.

From 18 March 2025, individuals and organisations will be able to register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

From 8 April 2025, individuals will be able to voluntarily verify their identity using GOV.UK One Login or via an ACSP.

In due course, Companies House will be able to:

make identity verification a compulsory part of incorporation and new appointments for new directors and PSCs

begin the 12-month transition phase to require more than 7 million existing directors and PSCs to verify their identity – the identity verification will happen as part of the annual confirmation statement filing

make identity verification of the presenters a compulsory part of filing any document

require third-party agent firms filing on behalf of companies to be registered as an ACSP

reject documents delivered by disqualified directors as they will be prohibited from doing so, unless they are delivered by an ACSP for specified filings permitted by law

Useful links:

Authorised Corporate Service Providers – Changes to UK company law

Registering as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) – YouTube

Guidance:

Applying to register as a Companies House authorised agent

Being an authorised corporate service provider

How to meet Companies House identity verification standard

Registrar’s rules

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Published 18 March 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow Metro – 34 new trains “Moscow-2024” will hit the metro lines this year

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Metro

As Maxim Liksutov noted, in 2025 the Moscow Metro continues to update its rolling stock. It is planned to purchase 34 modern Russian trains “Moscow-2024”. They will replace the outdated cars on line 2 and will appear on new sections of line 16.

Moscow Metro – New Moskva-2024 trains.

The Moscow-2024 trains have everything for passenger comfort:

Numerous information screens.

Through passage throughout the entire composition.

Climate control systems with air purification.

USB or Type-C ports on the handrails.

The Moscow Metro is a world leader in rolling stock renewal rates. Since 2010, we have acquired more than 4,800 modern carriages, increasing their number almost 6 times. On the instructions of Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, we will continue to renew trains this year – this is an important step towards improving the quality of transportation and passenger comfort, noted Maxim Liksutov.

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: From student to professional: internship at the Bank of Russia

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Central Bank of Russia –

Bank of Russiainvites you to an autumn internshipfull-time students, starting from the 2nd year of a bachelor’s degree, specialist degree, as well as master’s degree students. Applications can be submitted until May 4, 2025 in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk and 10 other cities. The start of the internship is scheduled for September 2025.

Candidates will go through several selection stages: questionnaires, online testing, video interviews and a final interview with their future manager. This will allow their professional skills to be assessed and the areas in which they will work during their internship to be determined.

Applicants who successfully pass the competitive tests will become interns at the Bank of Russia for up to 6 months. They will be able to work from 20 hours a week and will receive a salary. In agreement with the manager, they will be given an individual schedule so that it is convenient to combine work and study; remote work is also possible. The most successful interns will then be able to continue their career at the Bank of Russia.

Last autumn, more than 190 students completed internships in the regulator’s branches throughout Russia.

Preview photo: Megaflopp / Shutterstock / Fotodom

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

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

HTTPS: //vv. KBR.ru/Press/Event/? ID = 23466

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Mobile applications of large banks will be supplemented with functionality for victims of fraudsters

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Central Bank of Russia –

From October 1, 2025 large banks, including on the market payment services, will be required to add functionality to their mobile applications that will allow customers to promptly report a fraudulent transfer. Victims will also be able to receive an electronic certificate from the bank about such a transaction to contact the police.

New requirements are provided position Bank of Russia. They will simplify the procedure for filing an application with law enforcement agencies.

Clients of these banks will also be able to answer the credit institution’s question in the mobile application whether they carried out the transaction for which the bank received a request from the regulator under the influence of fraudsters. This order of interaction is possible in cases where victims directly contact the police, and law enforcement officers request data at the Bank of Russia.

In addition, from October 1 of this year, all banks must accept applications from citizens who transferred cash to fraudsters’ accounts through an ATM using tokenized (digital) cards. It does not matter whether the victim is a client of this bank or not. Theft of money through tokenized cards is now one of the most common methods of fraud.

From March 29 this year, all banks will also be required to notify parents or legal representatives of minor clients aged 14 to 18 about the issuance of a card to them, as well as about all transactions on the child’s account. Notification and its method are specified in the agreement with the bank.

Preview photo: Ken stocker / Shutterstock / Fotodom

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

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MIL OSI Russia News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: More than 23 million trips have been recorded on the Tavrida highway since the launch of traffic

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

This year marks 11 years since the reunification of Crimea with Russia. All this time, a lot of work has been done on the socio-economic development of the republic and the city of Sevastopol. One of the key areas has become the modernization of the road infrastructure, which plays an important role in improving the quality of life of Crimeans and integrating the region into the country’s economic space.

“Today, on the instructions of the President, we are actively implementing the program of socio-economic development of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, including ensuring stable road connections of the regions with other subjects of Russia, creating convenient high-speed routes. In total, since 2015, more than 1.2 thousand km of roads have been built and repaired there at the expense of the federal budget. As part of the national project “Safe High-Quality Roads”, more than 18 million square meters of asphalt concrete pavement have been laid on the peninsula, and more than 1.8 thousand km have been brought into compliance. One of the most important road arteries is the A-291 “Tavrida” highway, which runs through the entire Crimea from east to west. Since August 2020, when traffic on the highway was launched, more than 23 million trips have been recorded on “Tavrida”, and the average daily traffic intensity was about 14 thousand cars,” said Marat Khusnullin.

Positive changes in the road sector of the Republic of Crimea have not gone unnoticed by residents of the region. According to a study by VTsIOM conducted at the end of 2024, 73% of Crimeans are satisfied with the quality and accessibility of regional and local roads. This is one of the highest rates in Russia, with the national average being 56%. And in Sevastopol, the same rate reached 83%, which is second place among all 89 regions of the country.

Among the significant completed road projects on the Crimean Peninsula, in addition to the Tavrida highway, are the transport crossing over the Kerch Strait, the Simferopol-Yevpatoriya-Mirny highway on the Skvortsovo-Yevpatoriya section with a bypass of Lake Sasyk-Sivash, the first stage of the construction of the Simferopol bypass on the Donskoye-Perevalnoye road section. In addition, at the end of 2024, a high-speed section to the Crimean Bridge, almost 120 km long, was launched, which connects the M-4 Don highway with the Tavrida highway. Thanks to this, a single route of about 2.6 thousand km long was created between St. Petersburg and Sevastopol without a single traffic light or intersection.

With the development of an alternative land route to the Republic of Crimea in 2024, a section of the R-280 “Novorossiya” highway, 118 km long, running from Simferopol through Dzhankoy to the border with the Kherson region, was accepted into federal ownership. The highway will become part of the ring road around the Sea of Azov.

As the head of the Federal Road Agency Roman Novikov noted, the comprehensive modernization of the Novorossiya highway is one of the main tasks of road workers from the point of view of the development of the Republic of Crimea and the development of the economic potential of the entire south of Russia. That is why a plan for the repair, maintenance and development of the road was quickly determined.

In particular, in 2024, federal road workers completed ahead of schedule the repair of a section within the city of Dzhankoy with a length of 5.3 km. At the same time, a set of works was carried out to eliminate deformations and destruction of the road surface on sections with a length of 7 km from Dzhankoy to Simferopol. And in the current road construction season, work has begun to replace the asphalt concrete surface on the section from the 567th to the 585th km in the Krasnogvardeisky district of the republic.

In addition, a three-year development program has been formed, which will allow us to take the necessary pace of work to convert the entire R-280 Novorossiya highway to a four-lane design in the future.

In general, today the total length of federal, regional and inter-municipal roads of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol is more than 7.6 thousand km.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: More than 215 thousand square meters of housing have been commissioned and 22 billion rubles have been attracted to the economy on the Crimean peninsula thanks to infrastructure projects

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

Square on Novikov Street, Balaklava, Sevastopol

Since the reunification of Crimea with Russia in 2014, a large-scale comprehensive work on infrastructure development has been carried out on the peninsula, aimed at creating comfortable living conditions for people and sustainable socio-economic development of the regions. Modern housing, roads, social institutions, housing and communal services facilities are being built, and public spaces are being improved, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.

“Today we celebrate 11 years since the Crimean Peninsula returned to Russia. During this time, the peninsula has been transformed almost beyond recognition. The state program of socio-economic development, national projects and targeted support instruments have allowed us to create and update the peninsula’s infrastructure at an accelerated pace. This work has yielded results. I would like to note the good pace of housing construction. In particular, effective regional development instruments have contributed – infrastructure budget and special treasury loans (IBK and STK). The projects implemented since 2022 with their help have stimulated the commissioning of 215.5 thousand square meters of housing and attracted more than 22.1 billion rubles of private investment to the local economy,” said Marat Khusnullin.

Thus, with the involvement of IBC and SKK funds, six housing and communal services facilities were commissioned in the Republic of Crimea. Among them are the reconstructed Moinaki electrical substations in Yevpatoria, Foton and Severnaya in Simferopol. They made it possible to ensure a stable and uninterrupted power supply to thousands of consumers, and also, due to the increase in capacity, to form a reserve for connecting new facilities to the power grid. In addition, the reconstruction of Mramorny Lane, leading to a developing residential area in Simferopol, was completed, and a kindergarten for 250 children was built in the city of Saki. At the expense of IBC, the construction of a kindergarten for 280 children in Yevpatoria and Antichny Prospekt in Sevastopol continues.

When creating comfortable living conditions for people, much attention is also paid to the improvement of populated areas. This work was successfully carried out within the framework of the national project “Housing and Urban Environment”.

“Since 2019, about 500 public areas and courtyards have been renovated in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. Moreover, the opinions of local residents are taken into account when choosing priority locations. Last year, more than 213 thousand residents of the peninsula took part in the voting for improvement sites. Now, work on creating a comfortable urban environment continues within the framework of the national project “Infrastructure for Life”. In 2025, it is planned to improve 100 public areas: 77 in Crimea and 23 in Sevastopol,” said Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities Irek Fayzullin.

For example, the central city square in Yalta was improved. A light and music fountain was installed there, an amphitheater was arranged, navigation systems, shaded areas, and places for tourist groups to gather appeared for the convenience of vacationers. Now this square can host small events and open-air film screenings.

A promising mechanism for the high-quality renewal of cities, the formation of a comfortable environment for life, work and recreation of citizens is the integrated development of territories. This tool allows for the renewal of housing stock, modernization or creation of the necessary social, communal and transport infrastructure, and the involvement of inefficiently used areas in municipalities in circulation.

“By the decision of the Government, the Territorial Development Fund, with the involvement of a subsidiary, is implementing the KRT project in the village of Privetnoye in the urban district of Alushta. The total area of the territory to be developed is 480.6 hectares. It is planned to build more than 3.2 million square meters of real estate there. The implementation of the project will contribute to the socio-economic development of the Republic of Crimea, create a year-round resort with beaches and berths for small vessels, as well as with modern infrastructure for comfortable living, increase the tourist flow and attract additional investment to the region. Currently, urban development documentation is being developed, support measures for the construction of infrastructure facilities are being worked out,” said Ilshat Shagiakhmetov, General Director of the Territorial Development Fund.

In addition, large social facilities are being built on the peninsula. Thus, on the instructions of the President, the Federal Children’s Rehabilitation Center is being built in Yevpatoria. The work is being carried out under the supervision of the public-law company “Single Customer in the Sphere of Construction”.

“The first stage of the center’s construction is currently being completed. A consultative and diagnostic building and a hospital building with 300 beds have already been erected. They are currently being equipped with new technological and medical equipment. The administrative building was previously put into operation. The construction of a boarding house for accommodating young patients with their parents and a dormitory for medical workers is also ongoing,” said Karen Oganesyan, General Director of the Unified Customer PPC.

Construction and reconstruction of facilities is underway on the territory of the Kiparisny and Solnechny camps of the International Children’s Center Artek. The infrastructure for the Krymsky training center in Alushta is actively developing – a new sports complex with a swimming pool and a hotel are already ready, and reconstruction of the incline-cross track is ongoing.

Also in Sevastopol, on Cape Khrustalny, a large cultural cluster with a total area of 150 thousand square meters will appear. The Academy of Choreography has already opened and is working. The museum complex, in which the Russian State Art Gallery will open, is at a high level of readiness.

The work on the development of the peninsula is aimed not only at updating the infrastructure, but also at creating a favorable investment climate. The growth of the economy of Crimea and Sevastopol is also facilitated by the free economic zone, which has been operating since 2015, and which provides for a special legal regime for doing business. In 2024 alone, its participants invested 58.2 billion rubles in the economy. Today, there are 1,526 participants in the free economic zone, thanks to which 6.4 thousand infrastructure facilities have been commissioned and 111.5 thousand jobs have been created, and 481.2 billion rubles have been invested in the economy of the peninsula, including 272.4 billion rubles in capital investments.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev: In 2025, 6.5 billion rubles are allocated for the construction, repair of hydraulic structures and cleaning of water bodies

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

Dmitry Patrushev held a meeting on preparations for the flood and fire hazard period.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev held a meeting on preparations for the flood and fire-hazardous period. The event was attended by all responsible federal agencies – the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Roshydromet, Rosvodresursy and Rosleskhoz, as well as heads of the subjects of the Russian Federation.

“Due to the warm weather in the winter period, the flooding began earlier than usual this year. In general, the situation is stable now, but already at the end of March, the water level is expected to exceed critical marks in the east of the European part of the country and in the Southern Urals. In April, severe flooding is predicted in Siberia and the Far East. Let me remind you that this year 6.5 billion rubles have been allocated for the construction and repair of hydraulic structures, as well as the clearing of water bodies,” said Dmitry Patrushev.

Taking into account the low-snow winter in the European part of the country, according to the forecast of Roshydromet, the water level may be lower than the values required for economic activity. Dmitry Patrushev instructed the owners to check the water intakes for readiness to operate at low water levels and, if necessary, to carry out measures to adapt the structures.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Rosvodresursy needs to optimize the operating modes of the Volga-Kama Cascade, as well as the Tsimlyansk Reservoir, where there are risks to normal water supply in the summer. It is important for Rosmorrechflot to plan navigation taking into account the forecast for water resource volumes and ensure the clearing of shipping lanes in the Volga and Don basins.

In turn, the Ministry of Agriculture needs to check the functionality of drainage networks, and the Federal Agency for Fisheries needs to check the canals that supply water to fisheries enterprises.

Regions will have to pay special attention to the condition of hydraulic structures, as well as abandoned objects, check the readiness of storm systems and under-bridge spaces, continue work on establishing flood zones and developing plans to protect these areas.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: 18 March 2025 Departmental update New Health Investment Platform to improve primary health care convenes its first Steering Committee

Source: World Health Organisation

Yesterday the Health Impact Investment Platform (HIIP) held its inaugural Steering Committee meeting, marking a significant milestone in advancing innovative financing for global health. As the Platform’s highest decision-making body, the Committee – consisting of representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Investment Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank – reviewed progress, endorsed key governance and operational priorities, and provided strategic guidance on HIIP’s efforts to expand primary health care (PHC) services in low- and middle-income countries. The meeting represents a significant step forward in advancing sustainable financing solutions for global health.

The HIIP was unveiled during the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris in 2023, and is a landmark partnership between WHO, multilateral development banks and beneficiary countries. Amid a US$ 371 billion annual health financing gap for health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a US$ 31.1 billion annual funding requirement for pandemic preparedness, the Platform innovates multilateral solutions to increase the share of development funding going to the health sector. Integrating technical expertise, financial resources and local knowledge into impactful, country-driven investments in vulnerable communities, the Platform has mobilized over US$ 30 million of investment for WHO to support countries in developing prioritized investment plans for potential support from MDBs and donors.

The Platform aims to use these plans to generate over US$1.5 billion funding for low- and middle-income country governments to build resilience against pandemic threats and the climate crisis.

“Primary health care is the cornerstone of equitable, cost-effective, and inclusive health systems,” said Catharina Boehme, Assistant Director-General at the World Health Organization. “The Health Impact Investment Platform is a transformative initiative to mobilize financing for climate-adaptive and crisis-resilient primary health care in the countries that need it most. WHO is proud to partner with multilateral development banks and countries to ensure these funds deliver tangible impact for the communities we serve.”

The First Steering Committee builds on months of progress since the Platform’s official launch in September 2024, with early-stage engagements in more than 10 countries. During the meeting, Committee members approved key operational documents for the platform, reviewed Concept Notes developed to operationalize primary health care investments in Burundi, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Morocco and Zambia and formally approved the Proposal for Action in Ethiopia, unlocking funding to support the finalization of its national PHC investment plan. Members reinforced the platform’s core focus on scaling primary health care investments, accelerating progress toward universal health coverage, and strengthening health system resilience in low- and middle-income countries.

Issa Faye, Director General of Global Practice and Partnerships at the Islamic Development Bank noted, “We are committed to catalyzing impactful, sustainable investments that strengthen health systems in low- and middle-income countries. Today’s discussions reaffirmed our shared vision and commitment to scaling up investment in primary health care, ensuring that no country is left behind in achieving universal health coverage and pandemic preparedness.”

The next Steering Committee meeting will convene on the margins of the Seventy-Eighth World Health Assembly (19–27 May 2025), where progress on Ethiopia’s investment plan and new country engagements will be reviewed.

Thomas Östros, Vice President at the European Investment Bank and the newly appointed Chair of the Steering Committee emphasized, “The Health Impact Investment Platform is a unique opportunity to bridge the health financing gap and drive sustainable investments where they are most needed. As we look ahead to the next Steering Committee, our focus remains on turning commitments into action. We call on all stakeholders to join us in expanding access to quality primary health care, ensuring that investments today translate into stronger, more resilient health systems for the future.”

Going forward, the HIIP will deepen engagements with the first wave of applicants and expand support to other interested countries. Eligible countries for the HIIP include low- and middle-income countries which are a country of operation for at least one of the partner Multilateral Development Banks. Governments seeking to strengthen PHC through tailored technical assistance and investment support are invited to express their interest via an email addressed to hiip_secretariat@who.int.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Pasco Tow Truck Operator Charged with Firearm Offense

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

Richland, Washington – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced today that Socorro Jesus Lopez-Spindola, 59, has been charged by criminal complaint with one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Lopez-Spindola was arraigned on March 13, 2025, before the U.S. District Court in Richland, Washington.

According to court documents, in November of 2024, Pasco Police detained Lopez-Spindola in connection to an investigation involving robbery, extortion, and threats to kill. Pasco Police also obtained a search warrant for the business Classic Towing and Recovery, which is owned and operated by Lopez-Spindola. During a search of Lopez-Spindola’s office, investigators allegedly located a loaded .22 caliber revolver in a desk drawer.

Prior to November of 2024, Lopez-Spindola had been convicted of a number of crimes, including an Unlawful Reentry after Deportation conviction.

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

This case is being investigated by the FBI and the Pasco Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon L. Pang.

4:25-mj-07039-ACE

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 –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Classical gardens in China’s Suzhou

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

Classical gardens in China’s Suzhou

Updated: March 18, 2025 22:08 Xinhua

A tourist poses for a photo at the Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Feb. 25, 2025. Suzhou is known as a city of gardens, with its numerous classical gardens considered some of the most beautiful in the country, and nine of them serving as UNESCO world heritage sites. Throughout history, the garden design has always been intertwined with Chinese literature and the art of landscape painting. The protection and restoration of Suzhou’s old city and classical gardens have been carried on for decades. The height of buildings in the ancient city is kept below 24 meters so as to preserve historical skylines. Hundreds of ancient buildings and classical gardens have also been effectively protected. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo shows tourists visiting the Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo shows the scenery of the Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

A girl makes a lacquer fan at the Lion Grove Garden in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Feb. 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

A tourist visits the Lion Grove Garden in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Feb. 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Tourists visit the Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Tourists visit the Lion Grove Garden in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Feb. 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo shows the scenery of the Lion Grove Garden and its surroundings in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Feb. 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo shows the scenery of the Lion Grove Garden in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Feb. 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

A tourist visits the Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Feb. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo shows the scenery of the Lion Grove Garden in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Feb. 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

This photo shows the scenery of the Master-of-Nets Garden in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Feb. 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo shows the scenery of the Huqiu scenic area in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

MIL OSI China News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI: Growers Edge, Compeer Financial, and Evergreen Bank Group Partner to Deliver Rapid Input Financing Offering

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

JOHNSTON, Iowa, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Growers Edge, a technology firm that provides modern financial products and data-driven tools for agricultural retailers, manufacturers and lenders, today announced a new partnership with Evergreen Bank Group and Compeer Financial.

Faced with low profit margins and high interest rates, agricultural retailers and manufacturers have embraced in-house input financing programs to increase wallet share and better serve their grower customers. In-house input financing helps retailers and manufacturers retain sales opportunities and valuable data, unlike other lines of credit (like local operating loans), which can be used elsewhere.

Together, Compeer Financial, Evergreen Bank Group and Growers Edge provide funding liquidity and a partner branded SaaS platform that simplifies the application, credit decisioning, and loan management process. By empowering agricultural retailers and manufacturers to provide growers with instant financing decisions at competitive rates, the partnership helps growers manage risk and defer payment on new, innovative crop inputs.

“Given the current state of the ag economy, input financing is a powerful sales tool,” said Andy Flores, Business Development Director at Growers Edge. “Our customer agronomists report that financing conversations are often initiated by growers. They’re willing to try new inputs, but they need their retailer partners to help mitigate the risk.”

Aligned in their missions of supporting rural communities, Compeer Financial, Evergreen Bank Group and Growers Edge will also partner in the development of other financial products and new digital tools that help growers maximize output, achieve peace of mind and secure their economic futures.

“This partnership brings financing options to farmers when and where they need it,” said Kelly Miller, Director of AgTech at Compeer Financial. “Growers Edge and Evergreen Bank Group understand the importance of making it easier for clients to do business in their local communities and Compeer Financial is proud to provide a cutting-edge option to do just that.”

The landmark partnership follows a series of major achievements for Growers Edge. In addition to serving four of the top ten largest retailers in the country with the Crop Plan Warranty, Growers Edge has partnered with organizations like Nutrien, PepsiCo, Mondelez and Helena Agri-Enterprises to boost sustainable agriculture practices.

In 2024, Growers Edge acquired AQUAOSO Technologies, which offers its services under the Agcor brand and provides mapping, data, and analytics software for agricultural lenders, and expanded its farmland valuation tool to cover more than 144 million acres of land across nine states. Earlier this year, Growers Edge announced it protected over 1 million acres of American farmland from downside risk through its crop plan warranty program.

To request an input financing platform demo from Growers Edge and request a term sheet, go demo at Growers Edge.

About Growers Edge

Growers Edge provides modern financial products and data-driven tools that help forward-thinking agriculture retailers, manufacturers, and lenders reduce their growers’ risks and costs when adopting newer innovative solutions and practices. The company’s crop plan warranties and input financing solutions are trusted by dozens of retailers and manufacturers to assist hundreds of growers affordably purchase their products and guarantee yields on over one million acres of cropland.

About Compeer Financial

Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $33.1 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agriculture industry.

About Evergreen Bank Group

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Oak Brook, IL, Evergreen Bank Group is a leading tech-savvy community bank serving the greater Chicago area and beyond. In addition to its retail and commercial banking services, Evergreen is a national leader in niche lending markets, including collector car, powersports, and manufactured housing loans. With a focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences through innovative digital platforms, Evergreen is redefining community banking for the modern era.

Media Contact
Sergut Dejene
sergut@propllr.com

The MIL Network –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Names 10 National Finalists in Solve for Tomorrow STEM Competition

Source: Samsung

Demonstrating that Gen Z and Gen Alpha students embody “STEMpathy”—the fusion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills and a compassionate drive to solve community challenges—Samsung Electronics America has announced the 10 National Finalist schools advancing in the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. Selected based on the project pitch videos submitted by this year’s 50 State Winners, each Finalist team will be awarded a prize package of $50,000 in Samsung technology and classroom supplies, and will advance to the final competition round.
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow challenges public school students in grades 6-12 to drive positive change in their communities by applying STEM know-how to address real-world, pressing local issues. Celebrating its 15th year, the award-winning education-based citizenship program launched in 2010 with a mission to boost interest, proficiency, and equity in STEM. Over the years, it has become a force for reshaping the perception of STEM as a vital field for fostering a skilled workforce and informed citizens of tomorrow. To date, Samsung has awarded more than $27 million in resources to nearly 4,000 public schools across the U.S.
This year, with guidance from their teachers, schools, Samsung employee mentors, and local businesses and public officials, the Finalist teams—half of which are from Title 1 schools—will complete their STEM solution prototypes and present them to a panel of judges at a live pitch event on April 28, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The impressive array of bright ideas utilize cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and machine leaning (60%), 3D modeling and printing (60%), Internet of Things (40%) and robotics (20%) to address key challenges in accessibility, public health, public safety, sustainability, and mental health.

Three schools will ultimately be named National Winners, selected by a distinguished judging panel that includes Charlotte Dungan, Chief Learning Officer at the Mark Cuban Foundation, Rameen Rana, Investor, at Samsung NEXT, and other esteemed judges. Notable guests attending the event include Yoonie Joung, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America, and Allison Stransky, CMO of Samsung Electronics America.
“Watching Year 15 of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow unfold, it’s clear that care, compassion and creative genius are alive and well among America’s 6-12 grade students,” said Stransky. “It’s inspiring to see Gen Z and Gen Alpha, as digital natives, embracing emerging tech like AI and harnessing it to improve lives and communities. We are proud to recognize not only the National Finalists but also the many students from schools across the country who participated this year, contributing their innovative ideas and showcasing the incredible promise of the next generations.”
Salman Taufiq, Head of Brand Marketing, Samsung Electronics America, added, “Solve for Tomorrow highlights the incredible potential of young minds. We are proud to see so many bright and passionate students are ready contribute to the growth and progress of our communities and country. As they embrace the power of STEM, they’re not just learning—they’re actively shaping a future where innovation and technology create real, positive impact.”
Introducing the 10 National Finalists

SchoolCity/StateCommunity Issue, STEM Solution & Video
Lathrop High SchoolFairbanks, AKPublic Safety – Winter Driving: Snow-covered roads obscure lane markings, causing dangerous driving conditions that contribute to nearly 300,000 crashes per year on the 70% of U.S. roads that experience snow-related reduced winter safety. Students developed Laser Lane Lines – a solution that uses AI, robotics, and GPS tech to project laser lane markings onto snow-covered roads. Their application of STEM makes driving on snowy roads much safer for residents of Alaska and winter drivers across the country. https://youtu.be/UHzK9OWp0r8
Bentonville West High SchoolCenterton, ARPublic Health – Cancer: Oral cancer causes 170,000 deaths annually, with early detection critical to saving lives. In Arkansas, limited access to affordable specialists and diagnostics makes detection especially challenging, particularly in rural and low-income areas. In 2024, 90% of residents didn’t visit a dentist. To address this, students developed an AI-powered mobile cancer screening app, allowing users to take images of their mouths and self-screen for oral cancer—offering an affordable, accessible early detection solution. https://youtu.be/f0uTMiuasF8
Aurora Highlands P-8Aurora, COAccessibility – Gaming: Gaming isn’t just about high scores—it’s a way to connect, compete, and build friendships. But many games come with controllers that aren’t built for players with physical disabilities or who lack fine motor precision, leading to a risk of social isolation. Using 3D modeling, printing, and coding to design a customizable, affordable controller, middle schoolers developed an adaptive video game controller for gamers with diverse abilities, make gaming more inclusive. https://youtu.be/b_-mV_ld8uo
Academy of Aerospace and EngineeringWindsor, CTClimate Action – Heat Disparities: In approximately 65 U.S. cities, the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect causes temperatures to rise by 8°F for 34 million people, a significant temperature increase that impacts public health and sustainable city development. To identify locations with heat-absorptive surfaces (e.g., dark pavement, roofs) or areas lacking cooling vegetation, high school students created H.E.A.T.M.A.P., an AI-powered app using 3D-printed, solar-powered IoT sensors with thermal imaging to track, predict, and mitigate UHI locations in real-time, combatting climate-driven heat disparities. https://youtu.be/MZ2a3BZEHzI
Charter School of WilmingtonWilmington, DEPublic Health – Physician Shortage: Delaware’s physician shortage has left several counties without adequate access to healthcare, causing primary care wait times to soar by nearly 200%. High school students developed the AKQUA-Gel hydrogel bandage—a smart, AI-powered smart bandage with IoT sensors and 3D-printed components that monitors wound healing in real-time. Linked to a mobile app, it tracks biomarkers like moisture, pH, and oxygen, providing data to patients and doctors, advancing treatment, and reducing hospital congestion by enabling remote wound monitoring. https://youtu.be/Vs-Ou3CnCZg
Bloomington High School SouthBloomington, INAccessibility – Sports: Nearly 20% of Americans experience hearing loss, and with 8 million high school athletes participating in sports, many are at risk of damaging their hearing aids during physical activities. Current solutions are bulky and non-compliant. Storm Shield, a lightweight, eco-friendly headband, protects hearing aids from wind, rain, and impact using hydrophobic mesh and a wireless motion sensor for safety. Combining material science, programming, IoT, machine learning, and 3D printing, this all-girl student-led project offers an affordable, sustainable, and innovative solution for athletes’ hearing aid protection. https://youtu.be/PlQEmMA2O9w
Denham Springs High SchoolDenham Springs, LASustainability – Water Quality: To address community concerns about the potential risks of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in Lake Maurepas in Southeastern Louisiana, students developed the Safety C Sensor and app. Using AI and IoT, the system monitors carbon levels and alerts users to potential dangers like leaks. This initiative combines engineering, data science, and community education to ensure safety and raise awareness. https://youtu.be/-ZXrb92NUvw
Edgerton Elementary SchoolMaplewood, MNPublic Safety – Ice Hazard: Minnesota’s frozen lakes pose a serious safety risk, with numerous fatalities each winter from falling through ice. To address this, middle school students developed Ice Savers, a sensor system that measures ice thickness and shares real-time data through a mobile app. Using ultrasonic sensors, buoys, and AI-driven analysis, their solution helps prevent accidents by informing users when lake ice is safe to walk on. https://youtu.be/LzUOlEAJ-0w
Doral Academy of Northern NevadaReno, NVAccessibility – Modular Prosthetic: At Doral Academy, a student with a partial arm amputation couldn’t play the violin, a passion of theirs. To help, classmates came together to create a cost-effective, 3D-printed modular prosthetic. By using CAD software and recyclable PLA, the middle schoolers crafted a solution that’s not only functional but adaptable. The innovation enhances accessibility, underscoring how STEM can foster inclusivity. https://youtu.be/5-ufOdRPMn0
CY Middle SchoolCasper, WYMental Health – Youth Well-being: In response to rising youth mental health challenges, students created SEL-bot, a roaming robot that delivers positive messages throughout the school to promote mental wellness and self-esteem. Using mechanical engineering, robotics, and coding, they are applying STEM principles to build a functional robot that fosters a supportive, connected school environment, helping reduce anxiety and improve social interactions. https://youtu.be/n41Jq_mcoVE
Your Vote Matters: Help Choose the Community Choice Winner
The 10 Solve for Tomorrow National Finalists have showcased their groundbreaking STEM solutions in three-minute pitch videos, and now it’s your turn to weigh in! Cast your vote to help select one Community Choice Winner, who will receive an additional $10,000 prize package on top of their $50,000 National Finalist earnings. Watch the videos here, vote for your favorite, and make your voice count. You can vote once per day until 11:59 p.m. EDT on April 20, 2025.

New This Year: An Interactive, AI-Powered Prize to Empower U.S. Classrooms
In celebration of Year 15 of Solve for Tomorrow, in addition to the $2 million-plus total prizes, all 10 National Finalist teams will receive a Samsung WAF Interactive Display, which delivers a dynamic, engaging experience designed for the classroom of the future. Its intuitive interface and wide compatibility make it easier for teachers to leverage education apps and features that optimize lessons to help students discover the joy of learning. Each teacher will also receive specialized training from the Samsung Education Solutions team on effective uses of both interactive display technology and AI technology in the classroom.

What’s Next: Live Student Pitches & Game-Changing Prizes Await

The 10 National Finalists will head to a live Pitch Event on April 28 in Washington, D.C. Based on the live pitch presentations, judges will name three schools National Winners, each of which will receive a $100,000 prize of Samsung technology and classroom supplies. The remaining seven National Finalist schools will have been awarded $50,000 prize packages. All 10 National Finalist teams will receive a Samsung WAF Interactive Display and Samsung Education Solutions team training.
From among the 50 State Winners, one school will be selected for the Rising Entrepreneurship Award, receiving an added $25,000 prize package to nurture and develop their STEM solution into a venture extending beyond the competition.
One of the 50 State Winner schools will be recognized with a Sustainability Innovation Award for driving sustainable change through STEM innovation, and an additional $25,000 prize package, including Samsung ENERGY STAR® technology.
From the National Finalists, one Community Choice Winner, selected through online voting by the general public, will receive an additional $10,000 in prizes on top of their National Finalist winnings.
One Employee Choice Winner will be chosen by Samsung employees from among the National Finalists to receive $10,000 in prizes in addition to their National Finalist winnings.
To learn more about Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, please visit www.samsung.com/solve and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

MIL OSI Economics –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: An artist traces her choices under Putin’s Russia – from resistance to retreat to exile – one mural at a time

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stephen Norris, Professor of History; Director of the Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies, Miami University

‘Atlases,’ Victoria Lomasko’s mural at Miami University Used by permission of Victoria Lomasko

Victoria Lomasko, a graphic artist and muralist, has spent her career documenting how authoritarianism took hold in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. What she has illustrated – as well as the personal journey she has taken – affords a chance to see how dictatorship can develop and strengthen across a decade.

In 2019, I invited Lomasko – who goes by Vika for short – to Miami University, where I teach Imperial Russian and Soviet history. The Havighurst Center for East European, Russian and Eurasian Studies was holding a semester-long series on “Truth and Power” that also included two other Russian dissidents: Leonid Volkov, then chief of staff for opposition leader Alexei Navalny; and Mikhail Zygar, who helped found the independent news station TV Rain in 2010.

I asked Lomasko to paint a mural illustrating the consequences of telling the truth in Putin’s Russia – a theme she has explored in all her works. Her completed mural, “Atlases,” depicted the struggle individuals face between desires to protest or to turn inward under authoritarianism.

Taking action

Lomasko first gained acclaim for “Other Russias,” which was published in English in 2017. The book is a collection of what she terms “graphic reportage”: comic-style art combined with current events.

In it, she covered Russians who are largely invisible: activists, sex workers, truckers, older people, provincial residents, migrants and minorities. She wanted to represent them as “heroes” in their own lives, giving them agency and visibility.

Her heroes came into the public spotlight in 2011 and 2012, when mass protests began in Russia after fraudulent elections and Putin’s return to the presidency. Lomasko attended the protests and sketched the participants. The rallies of 2012 seemed to signify that Russian citizens from a wide range of backgrounds could unite to resist creeping authoritarianism.

A protester in Moscow asks a police officer, ‘Are the police with the people?’ in an illustration from ‘Other Russias.’
Used by permission of Victoria Lomasko

In addition to publishing her drawings, Lomasko also exhibited her work in Moscow and St. Petersburg – a seeming sign that censorship could not prevent an artist or ordinary citizen from voicing their frustration.

This hope did not last long. Over the next few years, the Kremlin passed a series of laws that designated organizations, then media outlets and eventually individuals as “foreign agents” if they received any funding from abroad.

Led by then Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, who was appointed by Putin in 2012, the Russian state also began to demand “patriotic” culture supporting the government, and label anyone who resisted as “unpatriotic.”

In these years, Lomasko documented how protests shrunk to local levels – truckers who decried a new tax, Muscovites who lamented the destruction of local parks, and urban activists who protested plans to tear down Soviet-era apartments. She still depicted participants as everyday heroes, yet she also noticed how protesters’ brief sense of power through collective action faded into disillusionment after the Kremlin went ahead with its plans.

An illustration from ‘Other Russias’ of a truckers protest camp in 2016 in Khimki.
Used by permission of Victoria Lomasko

Changing tack

“Other Russias” introduced Lomasko to a worldwide audience. By the time the book came out in 2017, however, she began to question the very basis of her graphic reportage.

The protests that had inspired hope in 2011 and 2012 had not prevented a more aggressive, more oppressive form of Putinism from taking hold. After the protests, the Kremlin further concentrated power and employed propaganda to stifle dissent, becoming what the scholars Sergei Guriev and Daniel Triesman have called “spin dictators.”

Was it enough for an artist to document social change? Lomasko concluded that the answer was no – art should offer solutions. She decided to paint murals that would move beyond graphic reportage.

This new trajectory informed her Miami University project. By the time she arrived in March 2019, Lomasko had completed her first two murals: one for a gallery in England and a second in Germany.

The first, “The Daughter of an Agitprop Artist,” featured her father, who had worked as a propaganda poster artist in her hometown of Serpukhov in the 1980s. In the mural, her father gazes at his work, the rituals of government-sponsored marches, and Lenin posters plastered everywhere. Young Vika stands with her back to her father, holding a red balloon. She stares at her future self, a woman covering the grassroots protests of 2012.

Victoria Lomasko’s mural at the Arts Centre HOME in Manchester, England.
Used by permission of Victoria Lomasko

“Our Post-Soviet Land,” her second mural, depicted the ways some former Soviet states, particularly Ukraine, were distancing themselves from their communist past after independence – while others, particularly Russia itself, seemed to be increasingly nostalgic for the Soviet era.

Two paths

Lomasko spent two weeks on campus at Miami University here in Ohio, completing a mural that built on these themes.

The central feature are two figures representing contemporary versions of Atlas, the titan who held up the world in Greek mythology. One faces left, toward a group of people praying in front of an Orthodox icon of Jesus. Here Lomasko depicts one path Russians took in response to the oppressive nature of Putinism: turning inward, retreating to a spiritual life.

The second Atlas gazes upward, holding an artist’s brush. Below this figure a series of people take to the streets, protesting. They hold flags and banners representing a number of causes, including the 2011 “Occupy” movement in the United States. Lomasko’s message seems clear: This is a second path to take to resist authoritarianism – one that might succeed if participants see themselves connected across borders.

Victoria Lomasko stands with her mural ‘Atlases’ at Miami University.
Stephen Norris

Art in exile

After unveiling “Atlases,” Lomasko mentioned that she was still trying to retain hope for her country and for humanity. Once again, it did not last long.

During the first two terms of Putin’s presidency, and that of Dmitry Medvedev, the government had largely left citizens’ speech alone, though it controlled information through state media. In 2018 and 2019, however, Russia passed laws that clamped down on internet access and mobile communication.

Lomasko could no longer exhibit her work in Russia and was increasingly unable to find paid work as an artist. As she told me, the state considered her unvarnished depictions of ordinary Russians to be distasteful, while publishers and gallery owners considered her works politically dangerous.

When the country began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, these changes allowed the government to criminalize opposition. Lomasko made the difficult decision to flee Moscow. She took her cat and as many artworks as she could carry, but she had to abandon most of her possessions. She documented this new journey the only way she knew: through a series of art panels titled “Five Steps.”

“Isolation” encapsulates how Lomasko and dissidents like her grew ever more cut off from the rampant patriotism espoused by Putin. “Escape” shows her leap into the unknown, fleeing her country because she feared arrest, while others are caught up in war and political repression.

“Exile” depicts Lomasko starting anew in a different country. “Shame,” the most powerful, seeks to capture her emotions at having to flee, as well as the shame she felt for what Russia was doing to Ukraine. “Humanity” retains the artist’s attempt to preserve her optimism – her sense that humans have more in common than they have differences, and that seeing oneself within a larger, global community might give power to the invisible.

‘Humanity,’ by Victoria Lomasko.
Used by permission of Victoria Lomasko

Tens of thousands of Russians have left the country since the start of the war, many of them artists and activists. Zygar and Volkov – the two other Russian citizens on campus for our university’s 2018-19 series – have also had to flee.

Lomasko’s art helps trace how authoritarianism took hold in Russia across the past decade. I believe her responses to Putin’s dictatorship, including her decision to flee her homeland, offer us all something to ponder.

Stephen Norris 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. An artist traces her choices under Putin’s Russia – from resistance to retreat to exile – one mural at a time – https://theconversation.com/an-artist-traces-her-choices-under-putins-russia-from-resistance-to-retreat-to-exile-one-mural-at-a-time-250486

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Social movements constrained Trump in his first term – more than people realize

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kevin A. Young, Associate Professor of History, UMass Amherst

Donald Trump’s first term as president saw some of the largest mass protests seen in the U.S. in over 50 years, from the 2017 Women’s March to the 2020 protests after George Floyd’s murder.

Things feel different this time around. Critics seem quieter. Some point to fear of retribution. But there’s also a sense that the protests of Trump’s first term were ultimately futile. This has contributed to a widespread mood of despair.

As The New York Times noted not long ago, Trump “had not appeared to be swayed by protests, petitions, hashtag campaigns or other tools of mass dissent.” That’s a common perspective these days.

But what if it’s wrong?

As a historian, I study how our narratives about the past shape our actions in the present. In this case, it’s particularly important to get the history right.

In fact, popular resistance in Trump’s first term accomplished more than many observers realize; it’s just that most wins happened outside the spotlight. In my view, the most visible tactics – petitions, hashtags, occasional marches in Washington – had less impact than the quieter work of organizing in communities and workplaces.

Understanding when movements succeeded during Trump’s first term is important for identifying how activists can effectively oppose Trump policy in his second administration.

Quiet victories of the sanctuary movement

Mass deportation has been a cornerstone of Trump’s agenda for more than a decade. Yet despite his early pledge to create a “deportation force” that would expel millions, Trump deported only half as many people in his first term as Barack Obama did in his first term.

Progressive activists were a key reason. By combining decentralized organizing and nationwide resource-sharing, they successfully pushed scores of state and local governments to adopt sanctuary laws that limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

When the sociologist Adam Safer examined thousands of cities and dozens of states, he found that a specific type of sanctuary law that activists supported – barring local jails and prisons from active cooperation with ICE – successfully reduced ICE arrests. A study by legal scholar David K. Hausman confirmed this finding. Notably, Hausman also found that sanctuary policies had “no detectable effect on crime rates,” contrary to what many politicians allege.

Another important influence on state and local officials was employers’ resistance to mass deportation. The E-Verify system requiring employers to verify workers’ legal status went virtually unenforced, since businesses quietly objected to it. As this example suggests, popular resistance to Trump’s agenda was most effective when it exploited tensions between the administration and capitalists.

The ‘rising tide’ against fossil fuels

In his effort to prop up the fossil fuel industry, Trump in his first term withdrew from the Paris climate agreement, weakened or eliminated over 100 environmental protections and pushed other measures to obstruct the transition to green energy.

Researchers projected that these policies would kill tens of thousands of people in just the United States by 2028, primarily from exposure to air pollutants. Other studies estimated that the increased carbon pollution would contribute to tens of millions of deaths, and untold other suffering, by century’s end.

That’s not the whole story, though. Trump’s first-term energy agenda was partly thwarted by a combination of environmental activism and market forces.

His failure to resuscitate the U.S. coal industry was especially stark. Coal-fired plant capacity declined faster during Trump’s first term than during any four-year period in any country, ever. Some of the same coal barons who celebrated Trump’s victory in 2016 soon went bankrupt.

CBS News covered the bankruptcy of coal firm Murray Energy, founded by Trump supporter Robert E. Murray.

The most obvious reasons for coal’s decline were the U.S. natural gas boom and the falling cost of renewable energy. But its decline was hastened by the hundreds of local organizations that protested coal projects, filed lawsuits against regulators and pushed financial institutions to disinvest from the sector. The presence of strong local movements may help explain the regional variation in coal’s fortunes.

Environmentalists also won some important battles against oil and gas pipelines, power plants and drilling projects. In a surprising number of cases, organizers defeated polluters through a combination of litigation, civil disobedience and other protests, and by pressuring banks, insurers and big investors.

In 2018, one pipeline CEO lamented the “rising tide of protests, litigation and vandalism” facing his industry, saying “the level of intensity has ramped up,” with “more opponents” who are “better organized.”

Green energy also expanded much faster than Trump and his allies would have liked, albeit not fast enough to avert ecological collapse. The U.S. wind energy sector grew more in Trump’s first term than under any other president, while solar capacity more than doubled. Research shows that this progress was due in part to the environmental movement’s organizing, particularly at the state and local levels.

As with immigration, Trump’s energy agenda divided both political and business elites. Some investors became reluctant to keep their money in the sector, and some even subsidized environmental activism. Judges and regulators didn’t always share Trump’s commitment to propping up fossil fuels. These tensions between the White House and business leaders created openings that climate activists could exploit.

Worker victories in unlikely places

Despite Trump self-promoting as a man of the people, his policies hurt workers in numerous ways – from his attack on workers’ rights to his regressive tax policies, which accelerated the upward redistribution of wealth.

Nonetheless, workers’ direct action on the job won meaningful victories. For example, educators across the country organized dozens of major strikes for better pay, more school funding and even against ICE. Workers in hotels, supermarkets and other private-sector industries also walked out. Ultimately, more U.S. workers went on strike in 2018 than in any year since 1986.

This happened not just in progressive strongholds but also in conservative states like West Virginia, Oklahoma and Kentucky. At least 35 of the educators’ strikes defied state laws denying workers the right to strike.

In addition to winning gains for workers, the strike wave apparently also worked against Republicans at election time by increasing political awareness and voter mobilization. The indirect impact on elections is a common side effect of labor militancy and mass protest.

Quiet acts of worker defiance also constrained Trump. The early months of the COVID-19 pandemic featured widespread resistance to policies that raised the risk of infection, particularly the lack of mask mandates.

Safety-conscious workers frequently disobeyed their employers, in ways seldom reflected in official strike data. Many customers steered clear of businesses where people were unmasked. These disruptions, and fears they might escalate, led businesses to lobby government for mask mandates.

This resistance surely saved many lives. With more coordination, it might have forced a decisive reorientation in how government and business responded to the virus.

Labor momentum could continue into Trump’s second term. Low unemployment, strong union finances and widespread support for unions offer opportunities for the labor movement.

Beyond marches

Progressive movements have no direct influence over Republicans in Washington. However, they have more potential influence over businesses, lower courts, regulators and state and local politicians.

Of these targets, business ultimately has the most power. Business will usually be able to constrain the administration if its profits are threatened. Trump and Elon Musk may be able to dismantle much of the federal government and ignore court orders, but it’s much harder for them to ignore major economic disruption.

While big marches can raise public consciousness and help activists connect, by themselves they will not block Trump and Musk. For that, the movement will need more disruptive forms of pressure. Building the capacity for that disruption will require sustained organizing in workplaces and communities.

Kevin A. Young 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. Social movements constrained Trump in his first term – more than people realize – https://theconversation.com/social-movements-constrained-trump-in-his-first-term-more-than-people-realize-248843

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: A brief history of Medicaid and America’s long struggle to establish a health care safety net

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ben Zdencanovic, Postdoctoral Associate in History and Policy, University of California, Los Angeles

President Lyndon B. Johnson, left, next to former President Harry S. Truman, signs into law the measure creating Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. AP Photo

The Medicaid system has emerged as an early target of the Trump administration’s campaign to slash federal spending. A joint federal and state program, Medicaid provides health insurance coverage for more than 72 million people, including low-income Americans and their children and people with disabilities. It also helps foot the bill for long-term care for older people.

In late February 2025, House Republicans advanced a budget proposal that would potentially cut US$880 billion from Medicaid over 10 years. President Donald Trump has backed that House budget despite repeatedly vowing on the campaign trail and during his team’s transition that Medicaid cuts were off the table.

Medicaid covers one-fifth of all Americans at an annual cost that coincidentally also totals about $880 billion, $600 billion of which is funded by the federal government. Economists and public health experts have argued that big Medicaid cuts would lead to fewer Americans getting the health care they need and further strain the low-income families’ finances.

As a historian of social policy, I recently led a team that produced the first comprehensive historical overview of Medi-Cal, California’s statewide Medicaid system. Like the broader Medicaid program, Medi-Cal emerged as a compromise after Democrats failed to achieve their goal of establishing universal health care in the 1930s and 1940s.

Instead, the United States developed its current fragmented health care system, with employer-provided health insurance covering most working-age adults, Medicare covering older Americans, and Medicaid as a safety net for at least some of those left out.

Health care reformers vs. the AMA

Medicaid’s history officially began in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the system into law, along with Medicare. But the seeds for this program were planted in the 1930s and 1940s. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration was implementing its New Deal agenda in the 1930s, many of his advisers hoped to include a national health insurance system as part of the planned Social Security program.

Those efforts failed after a heated debate. The 1935 Social Security Act created the old-age and unemployment insurance systems we have today, with no provisions for health care coverage.

Nevertheless, during and after World War II, liberals and labor unions backed a bill that would have added a health insurance program into Social Security.

Harry Truman assumed the presidency after Roosevelt’s death in 1945. He enthusiastically embraced that legislation, which evolved into the “Truman Plan.” The American Medical Association, a trade group representing most of the nation’s doctors, feared heightened regulation and government control over the medical profession. It lobbied against any form of public health insurance.

This PBS ‘Origin of Everything!’ video sums up how the U.S. wound up with its complex health care system.

During the late 1940s, the AMA poured millions of dollars into a political advertising campaign to defeat Truman’s plan. Instead of mandatory government health insurance, the AMA supported voluntary, private health insurance plans. Private plans such as those offered by Kaiser Permanente had become increasingly popular in the 1940s in the absence of a universal system. Labor unions began to demand them in collective bargaining agreements.

The AMA insisted that these private, employer-provided plans were the “American way,” as opposed to the “compulsion” of a health insurance system operated by the federal government. They referred to universal health care as “socialized medicine” in widely distributed radio commercials and print ads.

In the anticommunist climate of the late 1940s, these tactics proved highly successful at eroding public support for government-provided health care. Efforts to create a system that would have provided everyone with health insurance were soundly defeated by 1950.

JFK and LBJ

Private health insurance plans grew more common throughout the 1950s.

Federal tax incentives, as well as a desire to maintain the loyalty of their professional and blue-collar workers alike, spurred companies and other employers to offer private health insurance as a standard benefit. Healthy, working-age, employed adults – most of whom were white men – increasingly gained private coverage. So did their families, in many cases.

Everyone else – people with low incomes, those who weren’t working and people over 65 – had few options for health care coverage. Then, as now, Americans without private health insurance tended to have more health problems than those who had it, meaning that they also needed more of the health care they struggled to afford.

But this also made them risky and unprofitable for private insurance companies, which typically charged them high premiums or more often declined to cover them at all.

Health care activists saw an opportunity. Veteran health care reformers such as Wilbur Cohen of the Social Security Administration, having lost the battle for universal coverage, envisioned a narrower program of government-funded health care for people over 65 and those with low incomes. Cohen and other reformers reasoned that if these populations could get coverage in a government-provided health insurance program, it might serve as a step toward an eventual universal health care system.

While President John F. Kennedy endorsed these plans, they would not be enacted until Johnson was sworn in following JFK’s assassination. In 1965, Johnson signed a landmark health care bill into law under the umbrella of his “Great Society” agenda, which also included antipoverty programs and civil rights legislation.

That law created Medicare and Medicaid.

From Reagan to Trump

As Medicaid enrollment grew throughout the 1970s and 1980s, conservatives increasingly conflated the program with the stigma of what they dismissed as unearned “welfare.” In the 1970s, California Gov. Ronald Reagan developed his national reputation as a leading figure in the conservative movement in part through his high-profile attempts to cut and privatize Medicaid services in his state.

Upon assuming the presidency in the early 1980s, Reagan slashed federal funding for Medicaid by 18%. The cuts resulted in some 600,000 people who depended on Medicaid suddenly losing their coverage, often with dire consequences.

Medicaid spending has since grown, but the program has been a source of partisan debate ever since.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Republicans attempted to change how Medicaid was funded. Instead of having the federal government match what states were spending at different levels that were based on what the states needed, they proposed a block grant system. That is, the federal government would have contributed a fixed amount to a state’s Medicaid budget, making it easier to constrain the program’s costs and potentially limiting how much health care it could fund.

These efforts failed, but Trump reintroduced that idea during his first term. And block grants are among the ideas House Republicans have floated since Trump’s second term began to achieve the spending cuts they seek.

Protesters in New York City object to Medicaid cuts sought by the first Trump administration in 2017.
Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

The ACA’s expansion

The 2010 Affordable Care Act greatly expanded the Medicaid program by extending its coverage to adults with incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty line. All but 10 states have joined the Medicaid expansion, which a U.S. Supreme Court ruling made optional.

As of 2023, Medicaid was the country’s largest source of public health insurance, making up 18% of health care expenditures and over half of all spending on long-term care. Medicaid covers nearly 4 in 10 children and 80% of children who live in poverty. Medicaid is a particularly crucial source of coverage for people of color and pregnant women. It also helps pay for low-income people who need skilled nursing and round-the-clock care to live in nursing homes.

In the absence of a universal health care system, Medicaid fills many of the gaps left by private insurance policies for millions of Americans. From Medi-Cal in California to Husky Health in Connecticut, Medicaid is a crucial pillar of the health care system. This makes the proposed House cuts easier said than done.

Ben Zdencanovic 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. A brief history of Medicaid and America’s long struggle to establish a health care safety net – https://theconversation.com/a-brief-history-of-medicaid-and-americas-long-struggle-to-establish-a-health-care-safety-net-251776

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Plastic pyrolysis − chemists explain a technique attempting to tackle plastic waste by bringing the heat

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kevin A. Schug, Professor of Analytical Chemistry, University of Texas at Arlington

Large proportions of plastic waste don’t get recycled. Westend61 via Getty Images Plus

In 1950, global plastic production was about 2 million tons. It’s now about 400 million tons – an increase of nearly 20,000%.

As a material, it has seemingly limitless potential. Plastic is inexpensive to produce while being lightweight and sturdy. Its applications range from food and beverage packing to clothing and health care.

When a plastic item ends its useful life, it can take a very long time to decompose, up to 500 years in some cases. Even then, the plastic pieces don’t disappear entirely – instead, they break down into smaller and smaller pieces, eventually becoming microplastics that end up in the soil where we grow food, the water we drink and the air we breathe.

Research has linked these microplastics to health issues such as diabetes, heart disease and low male fertility.

For years, local governments and manufacturers have relied on recycling as the answer to keep plastic waste from accumulating. However, despite their efforts to sort and separate recyclables, most plastics still end up in landfills – or worse, in green spaces and waterways.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the overall recycling rate for plastics is 8.7%. About a third of milk jugs and plastic bottles are recycled – a higher rate than other types of plastic.

Because plastic is so commonly used, finding new ways to manage and recycle plastic waste is becoming ever more important. Plastic waste pyrolysis is one technology that could help address this issue.

This is a relatively new technique, so researchers still have only a limited knowledge of the pyrolysis process. As analytical chemists, we strive to understand the composition of complex mixtures, especially new creations from sources such as plastic waste pyrolysis.

What is plastic pyrolysis?

Plastic pyrolysis is a chemical process that involves chemically breaking down plastics into other molecules by heating the plastics to extremely high temperatures in the absence of oxygen.

Plastics are fed into the pyrolysis reactor, where they get hot and turn to oil. The oil moves to another vat where it’s boiled and distilled.
Alexander Kaplitz and Kevin A. Schug

Unlike traditional plastic recycling, pyrolysis theoretically isn’t limited to specific types of plastic. It could be made to accommodate many of them, although current technology is limited to a few types – polyethylene and polypropylene, used in food containers and bottles – at an industrial scale.

So, plastic pyrolysis could help handle the waste from consumer products such as plastic bags, bottles, milk jugs, packaging materials, wet wipes and even discarded children’s toys. Pyrolysis can also handle more complex plastic waste such as tires and discarded electronics, although solid waste handlers and recyclers avoid certain plastic types in pyrolysis, such as polyvinyl chloride – or PVC, which is found in pipes and roofing products – and polystyrene, used in packaging, as these can create harmful byproducts.

During pyrolysis, the plastic polymers are broken down into smaller molecules, resulting in the production of liquid oil, fuel source gases such as methane, propane and butane, and char.

Char is the solid residue left at the end of the pyrolysis process. It can be used as a carbon-rich material for various applications, including adding it to soil to make it healthier for farming, as it increases soil moisture and pH, benefiting nutrient absorption. Char also has the ability to absorb harmful carbon gases from the air, which can help prevent climate change.

The main downside of char is if it’s used too much it can increase soil alkalinity, which may hinder plant growth.

Plastic pyrolysis uses heat to break down plastic, with the intent to convert plastic waste into usable materials.

How pyrolosis works

The plastic pyrolysis process typically involves several key steps.

In the first step of pyrolysis, community recyclers collect the plastic waste and clean it to remove any contaminants. The plastic then gets shredded into smaller pieces to facilitate the pyrolysis process. Unlike traditional recycling, it needs only minimal sorting.

Chemical recyclers operating pyrolysis plants feed the shredded plastic into a pyrolysis reactor, where they heat it to temperatures ranging from 600 to 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit (315 to 871 degrees Celsius). Without oxygen, plastics in the reactor don’t catch fire and emit fumes into the air. Instead, this high-temperature environment causes the plastic polymers to break down into smaller hydrocarbon molecules. These smaller molecules can be further refined.

The high temperature turns some molecules into vapors, which condense into liquid oil. Chemical companies can further refine this oil to be used as fuel or as a raw material to make other chemicals or plastics.

In addition to liquid oil, the pyrolysis process generates natural gases, such as methane, ethane, butane and propane. Pyrolysis operators then capture these gases, and they can sometimes use them as a source of energy to power the pyrolysis reactor or other industrial processes.

Plastic pyrolysis generates oil, which engineers can use to create new materials or fuels.
BASF, CC BY-NC-ND

Benefits of pyrolysis

When done effectively, plastic pyrolysis offers several benefits.

By expanding recycling beyond just plastic bottles and milk jugs, pyrolysis could reduce the amount of plastic waste pollution that ends up in landfills and oceans.

Additionally, converting plastic waste into usable products could help lower the production demand for new plastics from petroleum hydrocarbons. The byproducts could get used in recycled plastics.

Some researchers are also testing pyrolysis oils to see whether they can use them instead of gasoline to fuel vehicles. The gases produced during pyrolysis can even generate energy that fuels the pyrolysis reactor, making the process more self-sustaining and reducing the need for external energy sources.

Currently, about 15% to 20% of the pyrolysis products are recycled into new propylene and ethylene, while most – about 80% to 85% – becomes diesel fuel, hydrogen, methane and other chemicals.

While plastic pyrolysis holds some promise, it also faces challenges. The cost of setting up and operating pyrolysis plants is high. How profitable the process is depends on the availability of suitable plastic waste, the market demand for the oils and gases produced, and the costs of energy and staff necessary to operate the reactor.

Another issue is quality control. Most plastic types can undergo pyrolysis, but different plastics create oils with different chemical makeups. Scientists will need to understand the composition of these oils before industry can determine which plastic types to focus on and how each oil could create new materials.

Pyrolysis oils have unique chemical compositions depending on the type of plastics used to create them.
Alexander Kaplitz and Kevin A. Schug

Researchers like us at The University of Texas at Arlington and our international colleagues are studying new chromatography-based oil-separation techniques that can successfully identify some types of pyrolysis oils. Chromatography is the process of separating components in a mixture by passing them through a stiff material.

Different components in the mixture are attracted to this material to different degrees. So, they exit the chromatography system at different times, which separates them from one another.

With more research into the technique’s efficiency and technological advancements to scale up pyrolysis, this technique could be one part of a sustainable solution to plastic waste management. In the meantime, pyrolysis is being used now, with one report estimating the market for pyrolysis plants at US$40 billion in 2024 and predicting it to grow to $1.2 billion by 2033.

Kevin A. Schug receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes for Health, ExxonMobil, and Weaver Consultants Group. He is affiliated with VUV Analytics, Inc. and Infinity Water Solutions as a member of their scientific advisory boards. Lummus Technology, LLC provided the funding for research on plastic waste pyrolysis oils at UT Arlington.

Alexander Kaplitz 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. Plastic pyrolysis − chemists explain a technique attempting to tackle plastic waste by bringing the heat – https://theconversation.com/plastic-pyrolysis-chemists-explain-a-technique-attempting-to-tackle-plastic-waste-by-bringing-the-heat-234453

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council Visit Winchester team showcases Jane Austen during English Tourism Week

Source: City of Winchester

A Morning of Jane Austen was led by Visit Winchester – which is managed by Winchester City Council’s Economy and Tourism team – to mark English Tourism Week, showcasing some of the local author-related highlights.

2025 is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and a range of special events are taking place including the first-ever public access to the house in College Street where she died.

Winchester’s year-long birthday celebration includes partners from across the city and surrounding district, who have come together to devise a series of over 35 special events, tours, and exhibitions to celebrate Austen’s life and works.

The showcase, on Saturday 15 March, included a visit to Winchester Visitor Information Centre, and a themed Jane Austen tour by one of Winchester Tourist Guides which took in the key landmarks to Austen’s time in Winchester including College Street and Winchester Cathedral, where the author is buried, before finishing at Winchester City Museum.

Visit Winchester has also recently launched a new self-guided trail around the city which highlights all places the author would have visited during her time in the city and gives visitors an insight into Winchester’s Georgian history. The trail has launched as part of English Tourism Week and is available to download on the Visit Winchester website or from the visitor information centre.

Winchester City Council’s Cabinet Member for Business and Culture Councillor Lucille Thompson said: “Winchester district’s first-class tourism offering brings in millions for our economy each year, supporting thousands of jobs and driving growth into our local communities. A thriving visitor destination is also a welcome benefit for local residents, who can also access a year-round vibrant programme of experiences and events right on their doorstep.

“This English Tourism Week we have a lot to celebrate – not only are we celebrating 250 years since the birth of one of the world’s most famous authors, but also all the hard work our visitor economy does, welcoming our visitors and showcasing Winchester to the world.”

Louise West, Chair of Collections Committee and Trustee at Hampshire Cultural Trust, said: “Jane Austen was a Hampshire girl through and through, with an inextricable link to Winchester. 250 years on since her birth, her life, literature and legacy continue to be an irresistible draw to visitors from all over the UK and beyond. We are proud and honoured to have the privilege of counting some of her personal possessions among the collections that we care for, and are looking forward to showcasing these, along with our full programme of Austen-themed events, to visitors to the city throughout the year.”

Dr Danny Chambers, MP for the Winchester Constituency, said: “Jane Austen’s novels and film adaptations have been enjoyed by fans for decades and bring so many people from around the whole world to Winchester. We’re fortunate to have a literary superstar bringing people to our city. Winchester City Council and other organisations across the city, including the amazing tour guides, have done an excellent job to promote this 250th anniversary celebration, and I thank them for showing me the work they’ve put in to make it happen.”

To see a full list of Winchester’s attractions and businesses taking part in Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary celebrations, visit www.visitwinchester.co.uk/jane-austen-250.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Over eight million people visit the Winchester district every year, spending over £370 million in the local area and supporting over 5,760 jobs, both for local residents and those living nearby, making it one of Winchester’s largest and most valuable industries. – The Economic Impact of Tourism on Winchester, 2022, Tourism South East

Visit England’s English Tourism Week – 14-23 March 2025 – celebrates this diverse, exciting and vibrant sector, and highlights the quality and value of English tourism.

Jane Austen was a Hampshire girl through and through, with an inextricable link to Winchester. 250 years on since her birth, her life, literature and legacy continue to be an irresistible draw to visitors from all over the UK and beyond. We are proud and honoured to have the privilege of counting some of her personal possessions in the collections that we care for, and are looking forward to showcasing these, along with our full programme of Austen-themed events, to visitors to the city throughout the year. For further information, please email tourism@winchester.gov.uk.

Last Updated: Tuesday 18 March 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Beach work underway in Herne Bay

Source: City of Canterbury

Annual beach maintenance work is underway in Herne Bay and will take around two weeks to complete.

Beach recycling has started inside the Neptune Arm and will then move to the west side of the pier.

It involves transporting beach material, which has shifted throughout the winter, back to its original position.

This is important work because the beach material is the first line of defence against storms.

It also gets the beach ready for the busy summer season.

Published: 18 March 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow Metro – 34 new Moskva-2024 trains will enter service on the metro lines this year

Source: Moscow Metro

As noted by Maksim Liksutov, the Moscow Metro continues to update its rolling stock in 2025. It is planned to purchase 34 modern Russian Moskva-2024 trains. They will replace outdated carriages on the Line 2 and will appear on new sections of the Line 16.

Moscow Metro – New Moskva-2024 trains.

The “Moskva-2024” trains have everything for passenger comfort:

Numerous information screens.

Through passage throughout the entire train.

Climate control systems with air purification.

USB or Type-C connectors on handrails.

The Moscow Metro is a global leader in the rate of rolling stock renewal. Since 2010, we have purchased more than 4,800 modern carriages, thereby increasing their number almost 6 times. On the instructions of the Mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, we will continue to update the trains this year – this is an important step to improve the quality of transportation and passenger comfort, – said Maksim Liksutov.

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Yukon and Yukon Medical Association entering negotiations on next Memorandum of Understanding
Source: Government of Canada regional news

Government of Yukon and Yukon Medical Association entering negotiations on next Memorandum of Understanding
jlutz
March 17, 2025 – 11:45 am

The Government of Yukon and the Yukon Medical Association (YMA) will soon begin negotiations for a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), reaffirming their commitment to collaboration and strengthening the sustainability of the Yukon’s health care system.

The negotiations will focus on key priorities, including improving access to quality health care services across the territory, representational rights for physicians and any necessary legislative changes and ensuring fair and sustainable compensation. These discussions will also support broader system sustainability efforts, such as recruiting and retaining physicians, making it easier for Yukoners to find a family doctor and strengthening team-based care so people can see the right health care provider when they need it.

These negotiations will also help align future agreements with the shift towards a territorial health authority, called Shäw Kwä’ą / Health and Wellness Yukon / Santé et mieux-être Yukon. This includes reducing administrative burdens for both physicians and government, ensuring health care information is accurate and reliable across the system and ensuring initiatives support the recommendations outlined in the Putting People First report.

The Yukon Medical Association and the Government of Yukon have agreed the current MOU will remain in effect beyond March 31, 2025, until a new agreement is negotiated and ratified. The current MOU has contributed to improving equity in health care services and enhancing physician supports in the territory.

The Government of Yukon is looking forward to beginning negotiations with the Yukon Medical Association. We are pleased to have a negotiating mandate that provides an opportunity to strengthen our partnership and advance key priorities, including representational rights and necessary legislative changes, to ensure a strong, accessible and sustainable health care system for all Yukoners.

Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee

The Yukon Medical Association looks forward to collaborating with the Government of Yukon to establish a new Memorandum of Understanding. By working together, we can prioritize improving access and attachment to family doctors, ensure sustainability of medical services and achieve equity across payment models. The YMA is confident that supporting representational rights will advance these priorities and improve medical care for Yukoners during the transformation of our health care system.

President of the Yukon Medical Association Dr. Derek Bryant

Quick facts
- The Yukon Medical Association represents physicians across the territory, advocating for professional standards and the delivery of quality health care.
- The current three-year Memorandum of Understanding, in effect from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2025, includes initiatives such as the Attachment and Attraction Program, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Learning Program and commitments to collaborative maternity and early years care.
- The upcoming negotiations will focus on issues such as sustainable health care service delivery, representational rights and necessary legislative changes, and fee structures.
Media contact

Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
laura.seeley@yukon.ca

Nigel Allan
Communications, Health and Social Services
867-332-9576
nigel.allan@yukon.ca

News release #:

25-117

Related information:

Yukon Medical Association
Shäw Kwä’ą / Health and Wellness Yukon / Santé et mieux-être Yukon

MIL OSI Canada News –
March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp: TriNet to Create 750 Jobs in Metro Atlanta

Source: US State of Georgia

ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that TriNet is planning to create 750 new jobs at a new corporate center in Dunwoody over the next five years, representing an estimated $15.4 million in investment in DeKalb County.

“As the No. 1 state for business, one of the key drivers of our success is our metro Atlanta area that continues to attract a strong ecosystem of job creators like TriNet,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “TriNet’s services for small businesses will further that network while creating meaningful jobs and investment for the Dunwoody and DeKalb County community.”

TriNet provides comprehensive HR solutions, technology, expertise, and access to world-class benefits that enable small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to attract and develop top-tier talent.

“We look forward to opening a new TriNet office in metro Atlanta and becoming a part of this vibrant and growing business community,” saidMike Simonds, TriNet President and CEO. “We are excited to partner with Atlanta’s strong universities and thriving small business ecosystem as we expand our local team and establish a hub where TriNet colleagues from across the country can come together for training, development, and collaboration to better serve our customers.”

“At TriNet, our people are the heart of everything we do, and we are thrilled to expand our team here in metro Atlanta,” said Catherine Wragg, TriNet Chief People Officer. “This new office will help us attract top talent, foster our strong culture of collaboration and making an impact, and further invest in the professional growth of our colleagues. We are committed to creating a workplace where our colleagues can thrive and look forward to making a positive impact in this community.”

TriNet’s new approximately 150,000-square-foot space will be located in Dunwoody. The company will immediately begin hiring for technology, HR consulting, client management, and sales roles, with plans to leverage its increased presence to grow its regional Atlanta and Southeast customer base. To learn more about TriNet, including where interested individuals can apply for jobs, visit www.trinet.com/about-us/careers.

“Dunwoody provides the ideal setting for TriNet, offering unparalleled access to the region’s talented workforce and a vibrant, mixed-use environment surrounded by top-tier restaurants, shops, and entertainment,” said Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch. “We are thrilled to welcome TriNet, whose investment will bring hundreds of new jobs to our community. This is another example of a growing company choosing Dunwoody.”

“TriNet’s investment in DeKalb County is a testament to the strength of our workforce, our infrastructure, and our commitment to fostering a thriving business environment,” said DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson. “The creation of 750 new jobs will bring invaluable opportunities to our residents while reinforcing DeKalb as a premier destination for corporate growth and innovation. We proudly welcome TriNet to our community and look forward to the positive impact this expansion will have on our local economy and workforce.”

“TriNet’s investment in DeKalb County will create jobs, drive innovation, and strengthen our economy,” said Katie Kirkpatrick, President and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “With direct access to a pipeline of emerging talent from metro Atlanta’s renowned universities, TriNet is uniquely positioned to connect businesses with the next generation of HR and business professionals.”

Assistant Director of Statewide Projects John Soper represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this project in partnership with the City of Dunwoody, Decide DeKalb, Metro Atlanta Chamber, University System of Georgia, and Georgia Power.

“TriNet’s decision to locate in Georgia reflects the confidence companies have in the state as a hub for innovation, talent, and long-term success,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Strong partnerships between industry, communities, and higher education drive economic growth. We’re excited about the opportunities this investment will bring and congratulate Dunwoody and DeKalb County on this milestone. Welcome to Georgia, TriNet!”

About TriNet

TriNet provides small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with HR solutions and offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation, compliance, and payroll services, all enabled by industry-leading technology. TriNet’s suite of products also includes services and software-based solutions to help streamline workflows by connecting HR, benefits, employee engagement, payroll, and time and attendance. Rooted in more than 30 years of supporting entrepreneurs and adapting to the ever-changing modern workplace, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters most – growing their business and enabling their people. For more information, visit TriNet.com.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: From Disaster Recovery to Saving Cultural Heritage: IAEA Boosts Assistance to Countries in Non-Destructive Testing

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Non-destructive testing encompasses a variety of techniques that leverage the interactions of matter with radiation, sound, magnetic fields, electrical currents, and testing agents to inspect materials without damaging them. The most used methods include industrial radiography, ultrasonic testing, liquid penetrant inspection and magnetic particle inspection.

Using gamma or X rays, industrial radiography plays a critical role in creating images that can reveal the safety and quality of civil engineering structures, as bridges, tunnels, dams and buildings are subject to deterioration from environmental stress, including extreme events like earthquakes. NDT is used extensively to inspect aircraft structures, turbine blades and pressure vessels.

As NDT allows experts to inspect objects without harming them, it also contributes significantly to the field of cultural heritage. NDT techniques enable experts to analyse the internal structures of priceless artifacts, sculptures, and historical structures without causing damage, which aids in restoration and conservation efforts.

Meet the Scientists at #ICARST2025

Innovations and latest developments in NDT techniques will be prominently featured at the upcoming International Conference on Applications of Radiation Science and Technology, which will gather hundreds of experts from radiation-related physics, chemistry, materials science, biology, and engineering fields in Vienna from 7 to 11 April 2025. The conference will be livestreamed.

Following on from previous conferences in 2017 and 2022, #ICARST2025 will showcase how radiation sciences have contributed to industrial growth and economic development by providing versatile tools and processes to produce high quality products in a clean and efficient manner. Participants will discuss how these technologies help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“At a side event on Enhancing Global Collaboration in NDT for Disaster Recovery Enhancement, we will highlight the importance of strong international stakeholder networks in our NDT emergency response plan,” said Hannah Affum, an Industrial Technologist at the IAEA. “We will also sign Practical Arrangements with the International Committee for Non-Destructive Testing (ICDNT) for the promotion of increased use of NDT in industry, civil engineering, and cultural heritage.”

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: The ‘Wolf of West Virginia’ Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Theodore Miller, 35, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty today to two counts of wire fraud. Miller admitted to defrauding more than 170 individuals through two real estate-related investment schemes that caused losses of between $395,000 and $434,501.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller conceived and perpetrated the two fraudulent schemes between the spring of 2022 and September 2024. One scheme solicited direct investments to develop modern residential duplexes and a dry-storage lot on Bigley Avenue in Charleston. The other scheme offered a pooled real estate investment vehicle dubbed “Bear Lute.”

To carry out these schemes, Miller portrayed himself on social media as the “Wolf of West Virginia,” a wealthy, successful and knowledgeable real estate mogul with enough disposable income to travel the world at his leisure. As part of his guilty pleas, Miller admitted that in reality, he had poor credit, thin month-to-month financial margins, was delinquent on property taxes and bills, and defaulted on loans.

In each scheme, Miller made multiple misrepresentations to investors. These misrepresentations included that individuals would receive returns on their investments, that their investments were secured by real property, and that they could withdraw their investments. As part of his guilty pleas, Miller admitted that there were no returns on investments, that he never owned the real property he identified as security for the investments, and that he used the money from his fraud schemes to pay unrelated expenses, debts and obligations.

Miller’s victims included an individual who wired $20,000 to Miller from California for the storage lot project on July 5, 2022, and an individual who wired $2,500 to Miller from Texas for Bear Lute on December 12, 2022.

The money from the schemes was deposited into bank accounts for several entities Miller solely owned and operated including Bear Industries LLC, which initially served as an umbrella entity for the related businesses. Miller’s mother, Deanna Drumm, served as vice president of operations for Bear Industries from in or around 2019 to September 2024. While Miller lived outside the United States from in or about June 2021 to on or about August 8, 2024, he directed his mother to handle the day-to-day operational tasks for the Bear entities including the management of finances and transfer of funds.

Drumm, 61, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on November 21, 2024, to aiding and abetting the sale and offer of unregistered securities. Both the direct investments and the Bear Lute investments were securities as defined by federal law, offered through interstate commerce via the internet, and were required to be registered. Drumm admitted that no registration statement was in effect for either of these securities, and that neither was exempt from the registration requirement. Drumm further admitted that she aided and abetted the offering of these unregistered securities in the course of her duties as vice president of operations for Bear Industries. Drumm is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025.

In September 2022, the West Virginia Securities Commission issued a cease-and-desist letter to Bear Industries ordering it to stop the unregistered sale and offering of securities in Bear Lute. In November 2022, the West Virginia Securities Commission issued a cease-and-desist order regarding the same. Miller admitted that he continued to operate Bear Lute in violation of the order and never disclosed the order to his investors.

On August 9, 2024, law enforcement officers arrested Miller following his return to the United States. Miller admitted that he told his wife during a recorded jail phone call on August 11, 2024, to report his iPhone stolen to make it inaccessible to law enforcement and to hide a backpack containing his laptop computer. Miller further admitted that the laptop contained most of the documents related to the direct investments and Bear Lute.

Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. Miller also owes restitution of between $395,000 and $434,501, with the final amount to be determined by the Court.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia Fusion Center, the West Virginia Securities Commission, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Holly Wilson and Joshua Hanks are prosecuting the case.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a parallel civil action against Miller, Bear Industries LLC, Bear Investments and Business Consulting LLC, and Drumm in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. The lawsuit alleges that Miller has engaged in the unregistered and fraudulent offer of securities related to his real estate-related investment programs since at least 2022, and that Miller’s social-media persona and businesses were all a calculated fraud to divert investor funds for his own personal benefit. The lawsuit seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and prejudgment interest, and civil penalties.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:24-cr-145 and 2:24-cv-479.

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MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025

Category: Transport

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