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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Global: Labour’s first budget: redistribution away from the rich after over a decade of Conservative rule

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Smith, Anniversary Professor of Politics, University of York

    Treasury/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

    Labour’s first budget in 14 years appears to have avoided the Halloween nightmares that many predicted. Yes, the overall tax burden is at its highest level since 1948, but this budget’s tax and spend distribution is such that it spreads both the pain and the benefit. Most of the pain has been focused on the well off, sparing others from increased taxation.

    This was, as is so often the case, a budget that was more about politics than economics.

    The political emphasis is naturally very different from the previous Conservative administration. Like the 1990s governments of Tony Blair, Labour is now focusing on improving the public sector rather than cutting taxes.

    The government claims there will be no return to austerity. Instead, Reeves’s budget is based not only on investment and growth, but education – which gets a 19% real-terms funding uplift. An extra £22 billion is also available for the NHS. Perhaps more importantly, there is an attempt to shift away from hospital-based provision to preventative approaches and community care.

    This is a budget centred on redistribution. Taxes are increasing for employers (through increased national insurance) and on inheritance tax and capital gains. Second home owners, non-doms and parents sending their children to private school will also be taxed more. Beneficiaries include those on a minimum wage, pensions and carers.

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    It is, then, very much a Labour budget. It focuses on taking money from what may be called the upper middle class and the very well off, and spending it on the public sector, the lower paid and the worse off in society. Even the hinted-at increases on taxes around pensions and pension pots were not fulfilled for fear of alienating Labour supporting, public sector workers.

    Delivering a vision

    From this perspective, the budget can be regarded as a political success. It has done what Keir Starmer’s government has hitherto failed to do: set out a new, distinct agenda. Revising the existing fiscal rules to include both new stability and investment rules highlights Labour’s commitment to longer-term growth, which it hopes will secure the investment for renewed public services.

    This strategy harks back to the traditional social democracy that runs from Tony Crosland – one of the foremost Labour thinkers on a reformed social democracy – and the Labour governments of the 1960s to New Labour. Economic growth, rather than the radical redistribution of wealth associated with Labour leaders such as Michael Foot and Jeremy Corbyn, is Labour’s mechanism for enhancing public services and improving the position of the worst off in society.

    Budget 2024: a political document first, an economic plan second.
    Treasury/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

    But therein lies the rub. The initial market reaction was good. Much of Reeves and Starmer’s pre-budget spin was about making sure the markets remained calm. There was no repeat of the Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng mini-budget debacle, where unfunded tax cuts led to the unstable economic conditions and ultimately Truss’s downfall.

    The whole of the Labour government strategy is based on modest but consistent economic growth between a high of 2% and a low of 1.5% between now and 2030. But, of course, economic growth is very difficult to predict and dependent on conditions that the government does not control.

    Just this week, Israel’s decision not to target Iranian oilfields led to a 20% drop in oil prices. But any intensification of war in the Middle East could see that situation rapidly reversed.

    So while Labour’s promise to increase capital spending and greater investment in science, research and development is important for growing the economy, it is only one factor and others may thwart Labour’s growth plan.

    There is though one important lesson from history. All – and that really is all – Labour governments have ended their time in office amidst a financial crisis. Often, it is not directly of their own making, but the plight of the economy has subsequently undermined their original spending plans.

    Reeves’s first budget has seen clear benefits for particular sectors. The adaptation of the fiscal rules creates new opportunities for growth through borrowing, capital spending and investment. Yet whether it can trigger the scale of economic takeoff needed to overcome the backlog of investment in public services is to be seen. This may well prove to be the key factor in determining both the longevity and legacy of this Labour government.

    Martin Smith receives funding from Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship and Nuffield Foundation.

    Dave Richards receives funding from two projects related to this article: 1. ‘Public Expenditure, Planning and Control in Complex Times’ – Nuffield Foundation, https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/public-expenditure-planning-and-control/ 2. ‘The UK Productivity-Governance Puzzle: Are UK’s Governing Institutions Fit for Purpose in the 21st Century?’ – The ESRC Productivity Institute https://www.productivity.ac.uk/people/professor-david-richards/

    Sam Warner receives funding from the Nuffield Foundation.

    – ref. Labour’s first budget: redistribution away from the rich after over a decade of Conservative rule – https://theconversation.com/labours-first-budget-redistribution-away-from-the-rich-after-over-a-decade-of-conservative-rule-242548

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Proclamation on National Lung Cancer Awareness Month,  2024

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
         Too many Americans know the pain of losing a loved one to lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in the United States.  During National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we honor all those living with lung cancer and their loved ones.  We thank the researchers searching for answers and the medical professionals who are working tirelessly to care for those with lung cancer, and we recommit to ending cancer as we know it.
         Although scientists have made incredible breakthroughs that have improved prevention, detection, and treatment for cancer and saved lives, a lung cancer diagnosis can be terrifying.  This year, nearly 250,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease.  Treatment can be grueling.  Medical bills can cause concerns for the whole family.  And the flood of medical information directed toward patients and their caretakers can be overwhelming.  Too often, people feel lost and left behind, especially those who are disproportionately impacted by lung cancer — such as Black men, rural residents, and women under 50 years old.
         Cancer is personal to many families, including mine, so I made fighting cancer a top priority in my Administration.  The First Lady and I began by reigniting the Biden Cancer Moonshot, aiming to cut the cancer death rate by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years.  I also secured $4 billion in bipartisan funding and established the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health to support scientists, innovators, and public health professionals in driving innovation to prevent, detect, and treat cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
         My Administration is also working around the clock to make cancer treatments more affordable and the treatment process more manageable for families.  We have saved millions of families $800 per year on their health insurance premiums by strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.  Through my Inflation Reduction Act, we are capping total out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $2,000 per year, including for cancer drugs, which can cost many times that.  And for the first time ever, families fighting cancer can access patient navigation services that are fully paid for through Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance — helping guide families through the diagnosis and treatment process and offering them much-needed support.
         My Administration is also committed to preventing cancer by tackling another driver of cancer deaths in this country:  smoking.  To ensure that Americans who want to quit have the support they need, the Department of Health and Human Services created a Framework to Support and Accelerate Smoking Cessation, setting goals and strategies to help our communities reduce smoking.  And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a $15 million program that will help increase awareness about smoking and options for services to help people quit.  For anyone looking to quit smoking, you can find resources at BeTobaccoFree.gov or smokefree.gov or by calling 877-44U-QUIT.
         My Administration is expanding early detection and screening services because an early diagnosis of lung cancer can save lives.  Together, Federal agencies, community health centers, and other partners are providing early detection knowledge and support services to underserved communities.  I encourage all Americans to talk to their doctors about lung cancer symptoms.
         During National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we strengthen our commitment to standing by all those facing lung cancer and their families, and we ensure they have access to the care they need.  We also rededicate ourselves to spreading awareness about lung cancer and working to end cancer as we know it, in order to save more lives. 
         NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2024 as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month.  I call upon the people of the United States to speak with their doctors and health care providers to learn more about lung cancer.  I encourage citizens, government agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, the media, and other interested groups to increase awareness about what Americans can do to prevent, detect, and treat lung cancer.
         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
                                   JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Proclamation on National Adoption  Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
         Every child deserves to know the unconditional love of a permanent home.  During National Adoption Month, we honor all the wonderful families that grow through adoption, we remind our foster youth and adoptees that we are right by their side, and we rededicate ourselves to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
         More than 100,000 children are in our Nation’s foster care system awaiting the adoption that could offer them familial love, a lasting home, and a stable foundation for them to grow.  That is why I have called on the Congress to make the adoption tax credit fully refundable, lowering the cost of adoption and giving families and legal guardians some breathing room.  I have also called on the Congress to provide housing vouchers to all 20,000 youth exiting foster care annually — a key step in helping them secure stable housing during this difficult transition.  To further support kinship caregivers, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule last year that requires States to provide them with the same level of financial support that other foster parents receive.  My Administration is also working to eliminate barriers LGBTQI+ families face in the adoption process and ensure LGBTQI+ foster youth grow up in safe and loving environments.  And through the expanded Military Parental Leave Program, we are giving service members more time to spend with their families after a child is born, adopted, or placed in their homes for long-term foster care.
         My Administration also remains committed to supporting youth who are aging out of foster care.  Since the beginning of my Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded over $60 million to provide over 4,000 vouchers to foster youth, helping them secure housing as they leave the foster care system.  And my Administration is working to ensure these youth can keep their SNAP benefits without work reporting requirements, easing a difficult transition period.  We have also been working to help foster youth stay in school and graduate, make the successful transition to postsecondary education, train for jobs, pay their bills, and get their lives off to a solid start.
         During National Adoption Month, we celebrate the love shared by adoptive families and professionals across our country.  And we honor the millions of adoptive and kinship families who have welcomed new family members into their loving homes.
         NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2024 as National Adoption Month.  I encourage all Americans to honor this month by helping the children and youth in their communities secure their forever homes and find the love and connection that they need to thrive.
         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
                                 JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study on sugar rationing in utero and early life reducing the risk of chronic disease in adulthood using post-WWII data

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Science looks at sugar rationing in the first 1000 days of life and the risk of chronic disease in adulthood. 

    Dr Hilda Mulrooney, Reader in Nutrition and Health, London Metropolitan University, said:

    “This is a really interesting and timely paper, given the currently high intakes of sugar in the UK population, and prevalence of chronic disease including Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. 

    “The potential for diet in utero to impact on long-term health risks has long been recognised, and there are a number of plausible mechanisms to explain how these may occur. In this study, the authors used data from what could be considered a natural experiment – rationing in response to World War 2. By comparing individuals exposed and not exposed to sugar rationing in utero and in early childhood, a significant effect was seen. Those exposed to rationing had significantly lower risks of Type 2 diabetes (35% lower) and hypertension (20% lower), compared to those who did not. Early childhood was especially important; only a third of the increase in risk for both type 2 diabetes and hypertension was explained by in utero exposure. This highlights the potential for early childhood diet as a risk factor for chronic disease. Given the high levels of sugar in foods and drinks aimed at toddlers and young children, this is of concern.

    “The study cannot demonstrate causality; it is not possible from this sort of study design. Nonetheless it is a strong study, with several potential confounding factors taken into account and large numbers of participants (38,155 exposed to rationing and 22,028 not exposed to rationing). The groups were similar in relation to gender, race, family history of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (for which hypertension is a strong risk factor), and genetic scores calculated for obesity (which could confound for both type 2 diabetes and hypertension). In addition to sugar intakes immediately and markedly rising after rationing of sugar ended, risk of obesity was also significantly higher in those not exposed to rationing in utero and the first year of life, compared with those who were. 

    “This study inevitably has weaknesses, due to its type and reliance on historical data. Changes to sugar intakes were unlikely to be the only changes that occurred to participants at that time. The authors  took as many factors as they could into account and the message is clear – exposure to high intakes of added sugar in utero and early childhood is a significant risk factor for chronic disease. This suggests that action to reduce the sugar content of foods and drinks aimed at or attractive to children is needed. This  will not entirely reduce the risk, since diet in pregnancy is what enables in utero exposure – so action on all foods and drinks high in added sugar is needed. However this will have to be approached with care – simply replacing sugar with sweeteners will not enable the population to reduce their preference for sweet tastes.”

     

    Jerusa Brignardello, Lecturer in Dietetics & Nutrition, Oxford Brookes University, said:

    Does the press release accurately reflect the science?

    “Yes, the press release is aligned with the conclusions and findings to the study. This press release emphasises in the importance of the sugar restriction during the first 1000 days of life as an early dietary intervention for the reduction of hypertension and diabetes risk.”

    Is this good quality research?  Are the conclusions backed up by solid data?

    “This is an interesting retrospective piece of research that explores the consequences of early of sugar restriction during early life and comparing the effects of sugar consumption in the same age group after the rationing of food was lifted in the post-war UK. However, results should be interpreted with caution, as nutritional environments from the 1950s differ significantly from those of today.

    “The information was obtained from the UK- Biobank with 60183 participants. However, the Biobank cohort is not nationally representative of the population and tend to represent a part of the population that was healthier and wealthy. Nonetheless, the quasi-experimental design of the exposure conditions makes this study very rigorous to study the sugar exposure in humans.”

    How does this work fit with the existing evidence?

    “Current evidence suggests that early exposure to sugar during pregnancy and early life may impact neonatal metabolism, obesity risk, and taste perception, which may later influence food choices and the risk of other chronic diseases. This study supports the findings related to chronic diseases and contributes to the “fetal origins hypothesis” described by British physician and epidemiologist David Baker in the 90s.”

    Have the authors accounted for confounders?  Are there important limitations to be aware of?

    “Yes, the authors have worked on the limitations inherent in studying a cohort like this. It is important to be aware that food environments and dietary patterns in the 50s were very different compared to the current food environment. In addition, lifestyle during those years was not the same as today, and obesity was not considered for statistical purposes as a potential variable to study public health.

    “Therefore, the risk found in the UK-Biobank cohort that was exposed to sugar rationing may be different if that is compared to other populations given the differences in lifestyle, dietary habits, food environment, and obesity prevalence. Consequently, the extrapolation of the results presented in the work of Gracner et al. should be interpreted with caution, for example, if these results will be used to build machine learning models for risk predictions for the current population. However, these results contribute to the “Baker hypothesis” or “Fetal origins hypothesis” showing how a simple nutritional intervention as cutting sugar during this crucial period of pregnancy and early life affect in the reduction of risk of diabetes and hypertension in later life.”

    What are the implications in the real world?  Is there any overspeculation?

    “As mentioned previously, the food environment, lifestyle, and physical activity are very different from those in their 50s. Therefore, the results found in this research should be a call for attention for women in the stages of preconception, pregnancy, and parents of children in early life. In addition, this should reinforce the actions of policymakers for the promotion of low sugar intake during these critical life stages in parents and children. Finally, the food industry should consider reformulating products targeted at these groups in light of the evidence, prioritising the well-being of future generations.

    “I do not believe there is overspeculation in this article, as it has undergone peer review, meaning that multiple academics have evaluated the research, including its methodology, results, discussion, and conclusions.”

     

    Dr Katie Dalrymple Lecturer in Nutritional Sciences, Kings College London said:

    “This study provides further epidemiological evidence which supports the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis. DoHaD suggests that certain environmental influences during critical periods of growth and development during early life may have significant consequences on a child’s long-term health. Given the complexity of this research question, the study relies on observational data and an event study design to draw meaningful conclusions of the relationship between nutrition in early life and the development of chronic diseases. Whilst it is important to consider confounding factors which may have occurred between the exposure and the outcome and potential bias of the Biobank cohort, the results are consistent with existing DoHaD literature, and they support the notion of public health initiatives which focus on sugar reduction.”   

    Amanda Adler, Professor of Diabetic Medicine and Health Policy from the University of Oxford’s Radcliffe Department of Medicine said:

    “The investigators take advantage of the ‘natural experiment’ of post-war food rationing to test the theory that exposure to sugar rationing in utero and in early childhood prevents or delays the onset of type 2 diabetes and hypertension years later.

    “The investigators observed that people conceived during rationing indeed had lower rates of disease when compared to people conceived after rationing ended.

    “But, we still don’t really know if the children less likely to get diabetes later in life were indeed the ones not exposed to sugar in utero or after birth – even in a setting of rationing.

    “It may be that at the same time rationing ended and people consumed more sugar, they also changed other habits becoming, for example, less physically active.  So, this may have influenced in part their risk for diabetes later in life. 

    “It’s intriguing and entirely possible that a lower exposure to sugar in utero via the mother would lead to life-long benefits. 

    “This study is an open invitation to clinical trialist to clarify the ‘right’ levels of sugar to add to the diet for pregnant or lactating women, and for their infants.”

    ‘Exposure to sugar rationing in the first 1000 days of life protected against chronic disease’ by Gracner et al. was published by AAAS in the journal Science at 18:00 UK time on Thursday 31st October.

    DOI: 10.1126/science.adn5421

    Declared interests

    Dr Hilda Mulrooney “In terms of conflicts, I am a committee member of the Obesity Group of the British Dietetic Association, a committee member of the European Specialist Dietitians Network for Obesity and a Council member for Public Health to the Nutrition Society. I am not paid by any of these organisations and not representing them in these comments.”

    Jerusa Brignardello “In 2013 I was awarded scholarships from Kraft Foods to attend to the Young Global Nutrition Leader in the International Unions of Nutrition Societies and International Nutrition Foundation. I worked as International Nutrition Consultant for the World Food Programme at United Nations in the Latin American and Caribbean Bureau between 2013 and 2014 . I have worked in Nutrigenomix which is a company for nutritional genetic testing based in Canada between 2012 and 2017. Also, as a clinical trial coordinator for Nestle Switzerland in 2010 and as consultant for Nestle Chile doing activities related to science communication in gut health topics in 2024. In 2018 I received a funding from the American Egg Board from USA to do research in food biomarkers, while I studied at Imperia College London- UK. I am not aware about significant industry funding in my department at Oxford Brookes University. I do not have any conflicts of interest related to this research for my own research.”

    Dr Katie Dalrymple “I worked for Danone for 4 years (2012-2016) before I did my PhD.”

    Amanda Adler “No conflicts of interest to declare.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister on protecting reproductive freedom and covering essential health care costs

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister on protecting reproductive freedom and covering essential health care costs

    October 29, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario

    Check against delivery

    Good afternoon.

    I am going to start by talking about the Canadian economy. I will then discuss measures our government is taking to protect women’s reproductive freedom. And finally, I will provide an update on the Canada Health Transfer.

    Minister Ien will then speak in more detail about how we are protecting women’s reproductive freedom.

    Minister Holland will provide an update on dental care and pharmacare.

    Finally, Minister Duclos will go into greater detail about what today’s announcements mean for Canadians.

    So, let me start by talking just for a minute about the good economic news we have been receiving.

    Inflation was down to 1.6 per cent in September. That is a three-and-a-half year low. It means that for nine months in a row, inflation in Canada has been within the Bank of Canada’s target range.

    Thanks to that good news on inflation, we’ve now seen the Bank of Canada lowering rates four times in a row. The Bank of Canada is now the first central bank in the G7 to cut interest rates four times. I emphasize this because this is really important relief for Canadians and Canadian businesses—it means more money for your household, more money in your pocket, and it means real relief for Canadians who are looking ahead to renewing their mortgage.

    Wages have now outpaced inflation for 20 months in a row and in September, we had good jobs numbers, with 47,000 jobs created.

    Today, 1.4 million more people are working in Canada compared to before the pandemic. That is a 7.1 per cent increase in employment, which is the largest increase of any G7 country. And, in September, unemployment did actually move down to 6.5 per cent.

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) published its World Economic Outlook last week. That Outlook showed Canada to have lower inflation than the U.S. since 2021 and across other advanced economies since 2022. The World Economic Outlook also projects Canada to have lower inflation than many peer economies going forward.  

    There is a lot more to do, but we are seeing solid progress.

    We know that now is not the time to pull back on support for Canadians. Now is not the time for cuts and austerity. Our government knows that we need to make investments in Canadians so that everyone in our great country has the tools they need to succeed.

    And that brings me to our first announcement.

    Every woman—every Canadian woman—must be free to make her own decisions about her own body. Every woman in Canada must have access to the health care she needs.

    Today, however, there are some anti-choice organizations that use misleading tactics to make it hard for women to make informed choices and to have access to the full range of reproductive care. That undermines a woman’s fundamental right to make her own reproductive decisions.

    What makes this particularly inappropriate is that many of these groups are benefiting from Canada’s tax incentives for charitable donations, which are among the most generous in the world.

    That’s wrong. And that’s why, today, Minister Ien has tabled a Notice of Ways and Means Motion in Parliament to fix this. Minister Ien will speak about her motion and why it matters in a few minutes.

    We are introducing this legislation to ensure that women who are seeking information about their health care options are not misled.

    And we are doing this to ensure that those who mislead Canadian women are not rewarded with subsidies from Canadian taxpayers.

    This announcement builds on other measures our government has taken to improve health care for Canadians, like the Canada Health Transfer.

    This month, our government transferred $4.34 billion for health care to provinces and territories.

    This year alone, provinces and territories are receiving $52.1 billion from the federal government through the Canada Health Transfer.

    That’s the equivalent of $1 billion a week, every week.

    This amount is going to provincial and territorial governments to support them in delivering health care to Canadians, no matter where they live.

    The $52.1 billion for 2024-25 is 62 per cent higher than in 2014-15, when our government was elected.

    This is part of our historic $200 billion,10-year plan to clear backlogs, improve primary care, cut wait times, and deliver the health care that people need and deserve.

    A fair and strong health care system is essential to ensuring fairness for every generation. That’s why the federal government is proud to be doing its part. No matter your age, your income, or your circumstances, every Canadian deserves to know that they will get the care and support they need. 

    Thank you very much.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin Honors Dwight Worden as October 2024 Constituent of the Month

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Sander Levin (9th District of Michigan)

    October 30, 2024

    Del Mar, CA – Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) announced former Del Mar City Councilmember and Mayor Dwight Worden as his October 2024 Constituent of the Month for his legislative and environmental work in the community.

    Dwight provided nearly ten years of service on the Del Mar City Council, including two terms as Mayor, before retiring from the City Council this past September.

    Dwight Worden (center) with Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (left) and Rep. Mike Levin (right)

    See below for Rep. Levin’s statement recognizing Dwight Worden in the Congressional Record:

    “M. Speaker, it is my great honor to recognize Dwight Worden as my Constituent of the Month for October 2024.

    “Dwight Worden served for nearly ten years on Del Mar’s City Council, along with two terms as Mayor, and has been a driving force behind many of Del Mar’s most significant legislative and environmental accomplishments. During his career on the Del Mar City Council, he played a pivotal role in shaping policies related to coastal preservation, affordable housing, and environmental protection. Dwight, as a dedicated community leader, consistently prioritized sustainable growth and protecting Del Mar’s natural resources.

    “Beyond his work on the City Council, Dwight’s contributions to Del Mar include regional issues such as bluff stabilization and climate change adaptation. His expertise as an environmental attorney was critical in promoting responsible land use and ensuring that Del Mar’s unique coastal character is preserved for future generations.

    “Dwight has had a great impact on our entire region, our climate, and our environment, and I am proud to call him a friend. It is my honor to recognize Dwight as my October 2024 Constituent of the Month. I know his legacy will last long beyond his service to Del Mar.”

    ABOUT THE CONSTITUENT OF THE MONTH PROGRAM:

    Rep. Levin’s Constituent of the Month program recognizes outstanding North County San Diego and South Orange County residents who have gone above and beyond to help their neighbors, give back to their community, and represent the best of our country. Rep Levin honored Miriam Zuniga as his September 2024 Constituent of the Month, and his August 2024 Constituents of the Month were North County Students.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Increased medicines access continues following budget boost

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see further increased availability of medicines for Kiwis following the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac.

    “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour.

    “When this Government assumed office, New Zealanders were facing an uncertain future for medicine access. Pharmac had a $1.7 billion funding hole and had no new money to increase access for medicines.

    “It was a priority for this Government to fix that. We’ve allocated Pharmac its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, so that it can get on and do its job – negotiating the best deals for medicine for New Zealanders.

    “Tangible results continue to flow from our investment, with new cancer drugs, as well as other medicines, continuing to be made available. The early signs of Pharmac’s redirection remain positive, as expanding opportunities and access for patients and their families continue to be prioritised. 

    “Today is a positive day for cancer patients as access to treatments continue to flow from this government’s $604 million uplift. From today, an estimated 380 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, located on the left side of the bowel, without genetic mutations, will be able to access cetuximab (branded as Erbitux) funded as a first and second-line treatment, in the first year of funding. 

    “The $604 million will also enable an estimated 120 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma access to funded nivolumab (branded as Opdivo) as second line treatment in the first year of funding. 

    “Patients with blood and bone marrow cancer will be able to access funded bendamustine and pemetrexed will also be funded for any relevant use. 

    “Also funded from today are medicines for a range of non-cancer health conditions, such as schizophrenia, low iron levels, urinary tract infections, constipation, and severe psoriasis.

    “I’m pleased to see Pharmac’s responsiveness to the voices of patients and their families by expanding access to treatments based on feedback and the consultation process. 

    “This government is committed to a more adaptable and patient-centered approach to medicines access, as evidenced by these funding decisions and my acceptance of Patient Voice Aotearoa’s white paper last week.” 

    Note to editors: Pharmac is an independent Crown entity responsible for deciding which medicines and medical devices are funded in New Zealand. The recent funding uplift from the Government has enabled Pharmac to make these significant changes. Further details about the funding changes will be available on Pharmac’s website and through their communications channels.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon Sentenced After Eluding Police While Possessing Loaded Firearms

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

    TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Jacob James McCord, 31, of Tulsa, for Eluding a Law Enforcement Officer in Indian Country and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Judge Frizzell ordered McCord to 120 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.

    According to court documents, in November 2023, McCord was driving a vehicle with fraudulent tags when Sand Springs Police officers attempted to pull him over. Instead of pulling over, McCord led several officers on a pursuit where he endangered the lives of others when he drove over 120 mph. McCord crashed into another vehicle, injuring one person. He was finally stopped and arrested once his vehicle became inoperable. During a search of the vehicle, officers found several loaded firearms.

    Court records show that while McCord was on bond in state court for the November incident, he was pulled over again in December 2023. When officers asked if he had a firearm on him, McCord said no. When officers searched McCord, they found a loaded stolen handgun inside his jacket.

    McCord is a citizen of the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma.  He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sand Springs Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy M. Mackenzie prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fleeing felon found with firearm faces federal fate

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

    RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents, on Feb. 28, 2024, Israel Maleek Mangram, 23, failed to maintain his lane while driving on Interstate 95. A Trooper with Virginia State Police ran the information on the vehicle and learned that the owner had a suspended driver’s license. The Trooper could not see the driver, so he initiated a traffic stop to investigate. Mangram pulled the vehicle onto the right shoulder of the interstate but did not stop. Mangram returned to the travel lanes of the interstate and increased his speed to over 100 mph. After a high-speed chase, Mangram lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a single-family home.

    Mangram tried to climb out of the passenger-side window. The Trooper approached Mangram, who was lying next to the passenger-side of the SUV and ordered Mangram to show his hands. Lying next to Mangram was a handgun. Mangram was convicted of robbery on Aug. 5, 2020. As a previously convicted felon, Mangram cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

    Mangram is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2025, and faces up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent; and Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.

    Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert are prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-109.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sudan’s civil war has left at least 62,000 dead by our estimate − but the true figure could be far higher

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Sarah Elizabeth Scales, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Department of Environmental, Occupational, and Agricultural Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center

    The ongoing war in Sudan has often been overlooked amid higher-profile conflicts raging across multiple continents. Yet the lack of media and geopolitical attention to this 18-month-long conflict has not made its devastation in terms of human lives any less stark.

    Since fighting broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, both of which had been part of a power-sharing military government, the country has seen the displacement of more than 14 million people and the carving up of the country by geography and ideology.

    And while we may never know the exact death toll, the conflict in Sudan is certainly among the deadliest in the world today.

    As scholars of public health, conflict and human rights and Sudanese-American health workers, we are keenly aware of how fraught it can be to estimate mortality in war for a slew of practical and political reasons. But such estimates are of critical importance: They allow us to understand and compare conflicts, target humanitarian aid for those still at risk, trigger investigations of war crimes, bear witness to conflict and compel states and armed groups to intervene or change.

    The difficult work of counting the dead

    A profound humanitarian crisis is occurring in Sudan, characterized by ethnic cleansing, mass displacement, food scarcity and the spread of disease, complicated further by flooding in the northern states.

    Considering a death toll in such a conflict includes counting not only those who are killed as a direct result of violence – itself a difficult thing to determine in real time – but also those who have died by conflict-exacerbated factors, such as the absence of emergency care, the breakdown of vaccination programs and a lack of essential food and medicine. Estimating this latter death toll, called indirect mortality, presents its own challenge, as the definition itself varies among researchers.

    In congressional testimony, U.S. special envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello recognized the estimation challenges when noting there had been anywhere between 15,000 and 150,000 deaths in Sudan – an exceedingly wide range that was attributable, in part, to the complexity of determining indirect mortality.

    Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), a nonprofit specializing in conflict-related data collection, has recorded an average of more than 1,200 direct conflict deaths per month in Sudan, with nearly 19,000 deaths in the first 15 months of the conflict. This figure is similar to the 20,000 deaths estimated by the Sudan Doctors Union and the 19,000 figure used by the Sudan Protection Cluster, a centralized group of U.N. agencies and NGOs that used World Health Organization data.

    ACLED sources its estimates of deaths from traditional media, reports from international NGOs and local observers, supplemented by new media such as verified Telegram and WhatsApp accounts. The Sudan Doctors Union, on the other hand, gives on-the-ground estimates of conflict deaths.

    When available, distinct data sources such as surveys, civil registers and official body counts can make an estimation more accurate. However, this data is often available only in retrospect, after the cessation of conflict. It is therefore critical to use both the available data and precedents from previous conflicts to capture a reasonable estimate of the human costs of an ongoing conflict.

    Internally displaced Sudanese children in Port Sudan, Sudan, on Jan. 3, 2024.
    Omer Erdem/Anadolu via Getty Images

    A 2010 article in The Lancet estimated that there are 2.3 indirect deaths for every direct conflict death, based on data from 24 small-scale surveys conducted in Darfur from 2003 to 2005. As such, using ACLED’s data of 18,916 direct deaths, we estimate that in the current Sudan conflict, there are an additional 43,507 indirect deaths – or more than 62,000 total deaths.

    We believe our estimate is very conservative. When estimating mortality in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, a different group of scholars, also writing in The Lancet, used a multiplier of four indirect deaths for every direct death to estimate the overall mortality there.

    Meanwhile, a report from the Geneva Declaration Secretariat showed an average of 5.8 indirect deaths for every direct death across 13 armed conflicts from 1974 to 2007.

    Using that latter multiplier, the number of indirect deaths in Sudan would jump to nearly 110,000 – meaning the total deaths in the region amount to 130,000 – double our estimate.

    This range is wide, but it acknowledges how difficult it can be to estimate indirect deaths and how they can vary significantly with the shape of a conflict.

    The Sudanese conflict in context

    For all the tremendous loss of life these numbers reflect, they surely underestimate the true human costs of the conflict.

    Sudan already had a fragile and underfunded health system before the fighting started. And compared with other ongoing conflicts such as in Gaza and Ukraine, there was already a more precarious baseline, with higher child mortality and lower life expectancy.

    Since the war in Sudan began, there have been consistent reports of mass killings, forced disappearances, sexual violence, deliberate blocking of food and medicine, and other forms of violence against civilians.

    Much of the violence is ethnically targeted, and the Darfur region – where a full-scale famine has been declared – has suffered disproportionately.

    The destruction of civilian infrastructure and interrupted aid mechanisms are preventing medicine, food, clean water and vaccinations from getting to in-need populations.

    Health care workers and facilities, not only in at-risk Darfur but also throughout the country, have been the target of attacks. Nearly 80% of medical facilities have been rendered inoperable. And at least 58 physicians have been killed, in addition to the many that were targeted in previous crises.

    Given the persistent targeting of health care systems and restricted access to humanitarian corridors, indirect deaths in Sudan are likely to grow as hospitals shut down, even in the capital Khartoum, due to bombardments, ground attacks and a lack of critical supplies.

    The costs for Sudanese children are especially alarming. Thirteen children die per day in Zamzam camp in North Darfur, according to Doctors Without Borders, mostly due to undernutrition and food scarcity.

    And nearly 800,000 Sudanese children will face severe, acute malnutrition through 2024, a condition that requires intensive care and supplemental nutrition merely to prevent death. Even before the conflict, children were severely threatened by a lack of access to care, including basic preventive care such as early immunization.

    Finally, the transmission of communicable diseases thrives in conflicts like the one in Sudan, where there has been widespread population displacement, malnutrition, limited water and sanitation, and lack of appropriate sheltering. In August, a cholera outbreak led to a spiking death rate of more than 31 deaths per 1,000 cholera cases. And instances of such disease effects are likely underestimates in a country lacking health care penetration and monitoring.

    The limitations of estimations

    The massive internal displacement of more than 14 million people in Sudan complicates the estimation of death tolls, as shifting populations make establishing baselines nearly impossible.

    Moreover, there is typically a dearth of official information collected and released during conflicts.

    So establishing a concrete estimate of the true impact of armed conflict often comes after the cessation of hostilities, when expert teams are able to conduct field studies.

    Even then, estimates will require assumptions about direct deaths, indirect-to-direct death ratio and the quality of existing data.

    But as scholars working at the intersection of public health and human rights, we believe such work, however imperfect, is necessary for the documentation of conflict – and its future prevention. And while there are many current global conflicts that require our urgent attention, the conflict in Sudan must not be lost in the mix.

    _Editor’s note: Israa Hassan, a physical medicine and rehabilitation resident at Texas Rehabilitation Hospital-Fort Worth and advocacy director at the Sudanese American Physicians Association, contributed to this article.

    Rohini J Haar receives funding from FCDO.

    Blake Erhardt-Ohren, Debarati Guha Sapir, Khidir Dalouk, and Sarah Elizabeth Scales do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Sudan’s civil war has left at least 62,000 dead by our estimate − but the true figure could be far higher – https://theconversation.com/sudans-civil-war-has-left-at-least-62-000-dead-by-our-estimate-but-the-true-figure-could-be-far-higher-242073

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Laurel Lee Urges USDA to Expedite Aid for Hurting Florida Agriculture Producers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Laurel Lee – Florida (15th District)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15) joined Senators Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, Congressman Scott Franklin (FL-18), and the entire Florida delegation in writing Secretary Vilsack to strongly urge the USDA to take immediate action to provide disaster assistance for Florida agricultural producers affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. 

    “Agriculture is such an important part of Florida’s 15th District, and after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, our farmers and producers need our support,” said Congresswoman Laurel Lee. “I am urging the USDA to quickly take action and deliver aid to our agriculture producers in Florida who were affected by these disasters so they can get back to feeding America.”

    “The devastation from Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton has hit Florida’s farmers hard, and the impacts are rippling through our state. These back-to-back storms wiped out crops, destroyed infrastructure, and put countless livelihoods in jeopardy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture must act swiftly to deliver the critical aid our agricultural producers need to rebuild and recover. Florida can’t do this alone, and our farmers deserve nothing less than our full support,” said Senator Rubio (R-FL).

    “Back-to-back hurricanes have dealt a devastating blow to Florida’s agricultural producers, many of whom are still recovering from the disastrous 2022 season. After four major storms in two years, our farmers and ranchers desperately need help now. One-size-fits-all federal disaster programs consistently fail our state’s agricultural sector, creating onerous application processes and delaying critical aid. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, when USDA administered appropriated funds to Florida through a block grant, the state quickly got help into the hands of our producers. Putting Florida in the driver’s seat made all the difference. Forgoing a federal program in favor of a state solution is a critical, but simple fix,” said Congressman Franklin.

    Specifically, in the letter, the Florida delegation:

    • Emphasize the necessity for the USDA to utilize block grants to distribute aid to Florida and other specialty-crop states, where high volume of disaster program applications overwhelm local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices and delay assistance for producers;
    • Demand USDA enhance current FSA operations and improve staffing issues;
    • Urge the USDA to provide a budgetary request to House and Senate Appropriations Committees to ensure Congress can appropriate adequate funding for disaster response;
    • Discuss crop insurance reforms to help specialty crop producers recover in tandem with disaster aid; and
    • Reasserts Congress’ desire to collaborate with USDA to ensure proper support for Florida agriculture.

    Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast just 13 days after Helene and brought high winds, flooding and damage across the entire state. Milton’s path impacted some of Florida’s most productive agricultural areas for fruits, vegetables, dairy, cattle, citrus and other specialty crops. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), the preliminary estimate of total crop and infrastructure losses ranges from $1.5 to $2.5 billion.

    Congress appropriates relief and disaster funds for the USDA to disburse relief. Currently, it is USDA’s practice to stand up new, unique programs after disasters. These programs are administered by FSA, the USDA subagency charged with helping agricultural producers apply for aid and other USDA assistance programs.

    This practice not only makes the disaster relief process arduous, but also delays delivery of critical assistance for the producers who feed our state and nation. FSA offices across Florida are still having trouble facilitating disaster assistance programs after 2022 Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, which were not in the form of a block grant.

    In contrast, block grants administered by the state expedite disbursement, free up personnel at FSA to efficiently carry out routine programs and provide needed flexibility for states. After Hurricane Irma, Congress appropriated relief to help Florida agriculture and USDA delivered that aid through a block grant to the state. The State of Florida was successful in getting that aid without delay.

    Cosigners include: Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL-03); Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL-13); Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL-02); Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL-21); Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12); Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-26); Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL-15); Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL-06); Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27); Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL-11); Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL-04); Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL-08); Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL-05); Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL-09); Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL-19); Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL-7); Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23); Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25); Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL-17); Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL- 22); Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL-28); Rep. Federica Wilson (D-FL-24); Rep. Sheila Cherfilus- McCormick (D-FL-20); Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16); Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01); Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14)

    You can read the text of the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Laurel Lee Announces Winner of 2024 Congressional App Challenge

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Laurel Lee – Florida (15th District)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-FL) announced Eeshan Sakamuri as the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge for Florida’s 15th District for his app, VeteranCare. Sakamuri, a student at Middleton High School, was inspired to create VeteranCare to fulfill a need he noticed within our local veteran population. VeteranCare serves as a centralized hub for our nation’s veterans to find information on benefits, resources, and community support.

    “Congratulations to Eeshan Sakamuri for winning this year’s Congressional App Challenge for Florida’s 15th District,” said Congresswoman Laurel Lee. “VeteranCare stands to be a tremendous resource for our nation’s heroes all over the country. I was quite impressed by the talent, knowledge, and creativity of each of the students who submitted their apps. This competition is a wonderful way for students to get involved and to inspire the next generation of trailblazers in the STEM, coding, and computer science fields.”

    Advik Aditya from Middleton High School, earned second place for their app, HurricaneHub. HurricaneHub will provide communities with a unified resource hub to keep residents informed, prepared, and connected in the event of a hurricane.

    Ryan Sumiantoro and Alyssa Hayman from Steinbrenner High School earned third place for their app, SkyBoard. This app provides insights and resources for student’s college readiness as well as personal and professional development tools.

    The Congressional App Challenge was created in 2015 by Congress to promote and highlight Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, and to encourage students to learn coding and computer science skills. The nationwide competition is designed to have students compete against their peers to create an application or “app” for mobile, tablet, or computer devices. Learn more about the Congressional App Challenge here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Valencia Floods

    Source: NASA

    Intense rainfall in southeastern Spain produced deadly and destructive flash floods in the province of Valencia. On October 29, 2024, more than 300 millimeters (12 inches) of rain fell in parts of the province, reported Spain’s meteorological agency, AEMET. In the town of Chiva, nearly 500 millimeters (20 inches) fell in 8 hours.
    The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured this image (right) showing widespread flooding of urban and agricultural lands in and around the coastal city of Valencia on October 30. Sediment-laden floodwaters also filled the channel of the Turia river, which empties into the Balearic Sea (part of the Mediterranean), and the L’Albufera coastal wetlands south of the city. For comparison, the image on the left, also acquired by Landsat 8, shows the same area in late October 2022. (Note that more recent Landsat scenes of the region were cloud-covered or otherwise unfit for an image comparison.)
    The rains came from a high-altitude low-pressure weather system that became isolated from the jet stream, according to AEMET. These storm systems are known locally by the Spanish acronym DANA or more generally as cut-off lows. They occur where cold fronts encounter warm, humid air masses, such as over the Mediterranean Sea. The storms can remain relatively stationary before dissipating, amplifying their flooding potential.
    News outlets reported on October 30 that around 100 people—including at least 40 in the town of Paiporta—died in the flooding, and more remained missing. Infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and rail lines sustained damage, and photos show displaced vehicles and debris filling city streets. A military emergency unit deployed more than 1,100 personnel to support rescue operations in the region.
    NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Greene County Bridge Replacement Project Complete

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of a $4.4 million bridge replacement project over I-87 in Greene County. The Cauterskill Road bridge (milepost 112.57) in the Town of Catskill was replaced with a modern structure. The bridge carries Cauterskill Road (County Road 47) over the Thruway (I-87).

    “The completion of the Cauterskill Road Bridge represents New York’s continued commitment to enhancing our transportation system and ensuring that our motorists commute on safe and reliable roads,” Governor Hochul said. “This bridge replacement will not only improve the quality of our roadways, but enrich the overall experience for all individuals traveling through our state.”

    The new bridge features increased vertical clearance from 14’9” to 16’8”, safety guiderail, snow fencing, and a new riding surface.

    The old bridge was built in 1955 and was one of dozens of bridges on the Thruway more than 60 years old.

    New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, “The completion of this replacement bridge, which has stood for over 60 years, reflects our commitment to modernization and structural safety. Infrastructure investment projects enhance the durability of the Thruway system and improve safety for motorists.”

    Bette & Cring LLC of Latham, NY was the contractor for the project. Approximately 870 vehicles per day travel over the bridge.

    About The Thruway Authority

    The Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway, built in the early 1950s, is one of the oldest components of the National Interstate Highway System and one of the longest toll roads in the nation. The maintenance and operation of the Thruway system is funded primarily by tolls. The Thruway Authority does not receive any dedicated federal, state or local tax dollars and is paid for by those who drive the Thruway, including one-third of drivers from out of state.

    The Authority’s approved 2024 Budget invests a total of $451 million to support its Capital Program, which is expected to invest $2.4 billion into capital projects over the next five years — a $500 million increase following the toll adjustment that was enacted in January 2024. The increased investment will lead to work on approximately half of the Thruway’s more than 2,800 lane miles as well as projects on approximately 90 of Thruway’s 817 bridges.

    The Thruway is considered one of the safest roadways in the country with a fatality rate far below the nationwide index, and toll rates are among the lowest in the country compared to similar toll roads. The Thruway’s base passenger vehicle toll rate is less than $0.05 per mile, compared to the Ohio Turnpike ($0.06 per mile), the New Jersey Turnpike ($0.11 and $0.31 per mile) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike ($0.14 per mile).

    For up-to-date travel information, motorists are encouraged to download the mobile app  which is available to download for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic and navigation assistance while on the go. Travelers can also visit the Thruway Authority’s interactive Traveler Map  that features live traffic cameras. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert  e-mails, which provide the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway.

    For more information, follow the Thruway on Facebook, X and Instagram, or visit the Thruway website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dauphin — Dauphin RCMP traffic stop leads to multiple arrests

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On October 28, 2024, at approximately 8:30pm, Dauphin RCMP detachment conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with five occupants on Main Street in Dauphin.

    As the officer approached the vehicle, the driver indicated that they did not have their license with them. The driver, a 33-year old female from Crane River was also found to be in violation of curfew, and a 29-year-old male passenger, was deemed to have an outstanding warrant.

    After a search of the passenger, drug paraphernalia was located.

    A subsequent search of the vehicle was completed, and officers found 44 grams of crack cocaine, and Canadian currency inside.

    The following individuals were arrested and charged:

    Ariel Anderson, 24, of Norway House, MB

    • Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
    • Possession of property obtained by crime
    • Failure to comply with a release order
    • Warrant of arrest out of Ottawa, Ontario

    Breann Breland, 33, of Crane River, MB

    • Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
    • Possession of property obtained by crime
    • Failure to comply with a release order

    Marsha McDonald, 39, of Ochre River, MB

    • Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
    • Possession of property obtained by crime

    Karen Spence, 59, of Ochre River, MB

    • Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
    • Possession of property obtained by crime

    Owen Spence, 29, of Ochre River, MB

    • Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
    • Possession of property obtained by crime
    • Warrant of arrest out of Winnipeg, MB

    Marsha McDonald and Karen Spence were later released from custody on a Release Order.

    Ariel Anderson, Breann Breland, and Owen Spence were remanded into custody with a court appearance at a future date.

    Dauphin RCMP continue to investigate.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Update 257 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    At Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), repairs are being conducted in one of its six reactors after a small water leakage was detected from an impulse line – essentially a small pipe – connected to the unit’s primary circuit, with the work expected to be completed later this week, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

    The IAEA expert team stationed at the ZNPP visited unit 1 on Tuesday after being informed that one of the impulse lines, part of the reactor coolant pump support systems, was leaking and required repair. For this work, the pressure in the primary circuit had to be decreased to atmospheric level.  The team was informed today that welding work had been completed and that radiography checks of the welds were on-going.

    “The Agency will continue to follow this issue closely, although we don’t see any immediate issue for nuclear safety. In general, we have identified regular equipment maintenance – which is vital to ensure sustainable nuclear safety and security – as a challenging area for the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant during the conflict,” Director General Grossi said.

    Like the ZNPP’s five other reactors, unit 1 has been in cold shutdown, generating no electricity for the grid, prior to this week’s change in status to shutdown for maintenance. It is expected that unit 1 will be put back to cold shutdown after the repair of the impulse line is completed and tested.

    The IAEA team has also carried out other walkdowns during the past week as part of their continuous work to assess – and report on – nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP, where the general situation remains precarious on the frontline of the conflict.

    Earlier this week, for example, the team visited the main control rooms of all six units to examine key plant parameters as well as the staffing situation. The IAEA staff have also visited some of the emergency diesel generators (EDG) of units 2 and 5 to verify the readiness of equipment and check the diesel fuel levels.

    As virtually every week, the team has continued to hear explosions daily, although no damage to the plant was reported.

    Elsewhere in Ukraine, an IAEA team last week completed its visits to seven electrical substations, as part of the Agency’s work to assess the status of the electrical grid infrastructure essential to nuclear safety that began in September.

    During the visits, which were requested by Ukraine, the team reviewed how damage caused by military activities earlier this year had impacted the substations’ deliveries of off-site power to the country’s operating nuclear power plants (NPPs), an area highlighted in the Seven Indispensable Pillars of nuclear safety and security outlined by Director General Grossi in March 2022.

    The IAEA teams present at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs and the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security is being maintained despite the effects of the ongoing conflict, including air raid alarms for several days over the past week.

    On Monday, the team at the Khmelnytskyy NPP had to shelter at their hotel for several hours after hearing drones which triggered an air raid alarm. The IAEA was subsequently informed by the Ukrainian regulator that 12 drones had been flying near the site during the morning, the closest 400 metres away. The regulator also said drones had been reported near the South Ukraine site on three occasions over the past week.

    “Frequent reports of drones flying near nuclear power plants continue to be a source of deep concern for nuclear safety and security. As we have stated repeatedly, any military activity in the vicinity of nuclear power plants represents a potential risk,” Director General Grossi said.

    The IAEA is continuing to implement its comprehensive programme of assistance in support of nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, including by delivering requested equipment.

    Over the past two weeks, the South Ukraine NPP received radiation and contamination monitoring devices, while State Enterprise USIE Izotop – involved in the management of radioactive material intended for medical, industrial and other purposes – received personal protective equipment. These items were procured with funds from Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. So far, a total of 73 deliveries of equipment and other supplies have been completed by the IAEA.

    Last week, remote training on human performance and management observation and coaching was completed for 109 staff at the Chornobyl, Rivne and South Ukraine sites. The training aimed to equip staff and management with skills on how to prevent or reduce the risk of human errors with potential implications for nuclear safety.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: DPR Korea, Lebanon/Humanitarian, Cuba & other topics – UN Daily Press Briefing (31 Oct 2024)

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    -Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
    -UNIFIL
    -Lebanon/Humanitarian
    -Occupied Palestinian Territory
    -Ukraine
    -Security Council
    -Deputy Secretary-General
    -Cuba
    -South Sudan
    -West and Central Africa
    -World Cities Day
    -Guest briefing
    -Briefings tomorrow

    Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
    The Secretary-General strongly condemns the launch today of a long-range ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
    The DPRK’s continued launches of missiles using ballistic missile technology are clear violations of relevant Security Council resolutions.
    The Secretary-General remains concerned about the situation on the Korean Peninsula. He has consistently called for de-escalation and the full implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as for an environment that is conducive to dialogue, and the resumption of talks. 
    Diplomatic engagement remains the only pathway to sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

    UNIFIL
    In Lebanon, Blue Helmets – who remain at their positions and continue their essential work to monitor and report to us and the international community what is actually happening on the ground, tell us that intense clashes between Hizbullah and the Israel Defence Forces have been reported in the Khiam area in UNIFIL’s Sector East.
    The Israeli Defence Forces have continued to strike areas across Lebanon, including in the south, Baalbek and near Beirut, with multiple casualties reported. Hizbullah’s rocket fire has reportedly killed five people today near Metula in northern Israel.
    Yesterday, a UNIFIL position near the Blue Line, south of the Shab’a village (Sector East) sustained minor damage to its barracks and a vehicle due to a nearby explosion.
    We once again remind all involved in this conflict of the inviolability of UN premises, and those premises must be respected, as well as our peacekeepers, both uniformed and civilians.
    The intensifying hostilities are, of course, extremely concerning. We urge all actors to stop the violence immediately and avail themselves of the diplomatic initiatives to end this conflict. We continue to support efforts towards de-escalation and a diplomatic solution.
    The UN peacekeeping mission also remains focused on helping local communities. This week, they delivered essential humanitarian aid to the Municipality of Tyre amid a challenging situation in south Lebanon. The aid included medical devices as well as medicines.

    Lebanon/Humanitarian
    On the humanitarian front, as in many conflicts, children and woman bear the brunt of the ongoing hostilities.
    In a statement today, UNICEF’s Executive Director, Catherine Russell, said that 166 children have been killed in Lebanon since October 2023, that is what Lebanese authorities are telling UNICEF, while thousands of others have been injured.
    UNICEF is on the ground providing emergency psychological support to thousands of children and their caregivers.
    For its part, the UN Population Fund says the conflict is also impacting more than 10,000 pregnant women including 1,300 who are expecting to give birth soon amid significant damage to infrastructure and a health system that is extremely strained.
    The displacement crisis remains a key issue. Our humanitarian colleagues are telling us that today, the Israeli army issued new orders for people to leave their homes in several villages as well as in the Rashiedeh Palestinian refugee camp, which is located in the south. This is the first time the Israeli army has called for the evacuation of a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.
    OCHA says that yesterday’s displacement orders and strikes in Baalbek and surrounding areas have forced thousands of people to flee their homes. Many of them spent the night in their vehicles.
    And yesterday, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, visited Akkar in Tripoli, which currently hosts around 70,000 people who have been forced to flee, and are in conditions that you can only imagine.

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=31%20October%202024

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_88Ll_nbRg

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Tours Sugar Farm and Meets with South Louisiana Farmers, Discusses Next Farm Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) visited with farmers in Port Allen and Jennings, to discuss the next Farm Bill and what Louisiana’s farmers need to continue feeding our state and the world.
    “Our farmers and fishermen produce the best sugarcane, rice and seafood in the world,” said Dr. Cassidy. “It’s my goal to protect them against unfair, foreign competition, to keep crop insurance affordable, and to prevent the cost of farming from rising. I appreciate being able to meet with Louisiana farmers and work together to reach these goals in the next Farm Bill.”
    On Wednesday, Cassidy toured a sugar farm in Port Allen alongside Mr. Travis Medine, the managing partner of Medine Farms and a fifth-generation Louisiana sugarcane farmer. He learned how they use modern technology to plant and harvest sugarcane, which was Louisiana’s second most lucrative commodity in 2023, according to the LSU AgCenter.
    Additionally, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Cassidy participated in roundtables with farmers in Jennings and Port Allen to discuss issues important to Louisiana farmers. The main topic was the upcoming Farm Bill and the need to focus on providing affordable crop insurance, among other crucial tasks. Cassidy also discussed challenges in hiring workers, the need for rural health care services, and preventing unfair competition from overseas.
    During his time in Congress, Cassidy has taken the lead in advocating for Louisiana farmers. Last September, he introduced legislation to protect Louisiana shrimpers and rice farmers from the dumping of cheap products by China and India into the United States. He also quizzed the U.S. Trade Representative on this matter during a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing in April.  
    Farmers and their families have also benefitted from Cassidy’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Last April, he announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would grant Louisiana over $1.5 million to support public schools, roads and other municipal services in rural areas where farmers work. Moreover, in separate appropriations, Cassidy secured $9 million in Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024 for the USDA/ARS Sugarcane Research facilities in Houma and is on track to secure another $7 million in the Fiscal Year 2025 agricultural appropriations bill.
    While meeting with farmers in Port Allen, Cassidy was joined by Mr. Richard Fontenot, President of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. Cassidy was recognized as a Friend of Farm Bureau for outstanding service to farmers.
    “This marks the eighth Congress in a row in which Senator Bill Cassidy has received the Friend of Farm Bureau Award presented by the American Farm Bureau,” said Mr. Fontenot. “It’s given on his voting record, which shows that he and his staff are close allies of the Louisiana Farm Bureau and listen to and respond to the needs of our farmers and ranchers. With farm income down 23% since 2022 and some Louisiana farmers facing a third straight year of losses due to record high input costs and low commodity prices, we’re thankful Senator Cassidy took the time to hear those struggles directly from Louisiana Farm Bureau members.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Announces More than $20 Million for Rail Safety and Performance Improvements in North Dakota

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    10.31.24

    BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Committee, today announced that the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration has awarded $20,714,004 to the Red River Valley & Western Railroad Company to replace 25 miles of rail between Gwinner and Oakes, and construct two new sidings to hold trains near Casselton. 

    “North Dakota’s economy is dependent on freight transportation, including rail, to ship bulk agricultural commodities, energy products and manufactured goods,” said Hoeven. “This funding will help rehabilitate aging rail and ensure that our producers in the region can continue to get their products to market safely and efficiently. Improving the railroad network in our state is vitally important to helping to grow North Dakota’s economy.”

    The North Dakota delegation wrote a letter earlier this year to the Department of Transportation to help secure the grant. Click here for the letter.

    This funding was made available through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program to ensure rail transportation remains safe and reliable. This will be the third consecutive round of CRISI that RRVW has been awarded.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The NFB at FICFA 2024. Natalie Robichaud’s Trécarré opening the festival and Kim O’Bomsawin’s Ninan Auassat: We the Children screening in competition. Fest marking 50 years of NFB film production in Acadie.

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) returns to the Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie (FICFA) with two documentaries. Trécarré: à la source du son de la Baie Sainte-Marie (Trécarré: Exploring the Saint Mary’s Bay Sound), by Acadian filmmaker Natalie Robichaud, will be opening the festival with its world premiere. And Ninan Auassat: Nous, les enfants (Ninan Auassat: We, the Children), by Abenaki filmmaker Kim O’Bomsawin, is screening in competition and making its Atlantic début.

    October 29, 2024 – Moncton – National Film Board of Canada

    The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) returns to the Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie (FICFA) with two documentaries. Trécarré: à la source du son de la Baie Sainte-Marie (Trécarré: Exploring the Saint Mary’s Bay Sound), by Acadian filmmaker Natalie Robichaud, will be opening the festival with its world premiere. And Ninan Auassat: Nous, les enfants (Ninan Auassat: We, the Children), by Abenaki filmmaker Kim O’Bomsawin, is screening in competition and making its Atlantic début. The festival’s opening night will also be celebrating 50 years of NFB French film production in Acadie and the contribution of late filmmaker Léonard Forest, one of the great pioneers of French-language production. The 38th FICFA will be held November 19 to 24, 2024, in Greater Moncton.

    Quote

    “For 50 years, the NFB has been a privileged witness to the creativity and originality of Acadian cinema. As Natalie Robichaud’s film Trécarré illustrates, Acadian cultural heritage is still a powerful source of inspiration for younger generations who are reaffirming its vitality and relevance. This work is the ideal opening film for FICFA and offers an opportunity for the NFB to reiterate its commitment to supporting filmmakers and production partners in creating original works. Have a wonderful festival!” – Nathalie Cloutier, Executive Producer, NFB French Documentary Unit

    Opening night

    Trécarré: à la source du son de la Baie Sainte-Marie (Trécarré: Exploring the Saint Mary’s Bay Sound) by Natalie Robichaud (30 min) – WORLD PREMIERE
    Produced at the NFB (Moncton) by Christine Aubé
    Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/trecarre

    • Musical culture is part of the DNA in the Nova Scotia Acadian community of Baie Sainte-Marie. Brimming with talent, members of the local music scene are reinventing tradition and taking their vibrant rhythms far beyond the region’s boundaries. Rich in dialect and bursting with local tunes, Trécarré invites us to discover the magic of music that asks us not just to listen, but to share it, dance to it and live it.
    • The film will have its world premiere on opening night, Tuesday, November 19, at 7 p.m. at the Théâtre l’Escaouette in Moncton with the filmmaker in attendance.
    • Born in Saulnierville, Nova Scotia, Natalie Robichaud has served as executive director of the Société acadienne de Clare since 2017. As part of her role, she’s led numerous cultural projects and helped preserve Acadian heritage while always being on the lookout for sources of vitality and inspiration in her community. In 2023, Francopresse named Natalie one of the most influential members of Canada’s francophone community outside Quebec. Trécarré is her first professional film.

    50 years of French NFB film production in Acadie

    • Opening night will also highlight this major milestone in Acadian and French-Canadian cinema, with Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB, and Nathalie Cloutier, Executive Producer of the NFB’s French Documentary Unit, in attendance.
    • In 1974, the NFB launched francophone film production in Acadie. In large part, the NFB’s production unit came to be through the tireless efforts of the great NFB Acadian filmmaker Léonard Forest, who FICFA will also be honouring on this occasion.

    Documentary feature film competition

    Ninan Auassat: Nous, les enfants (Ninan Auassat: We, the Children) by Kim O’Bomsawin (93 min) – ATLANTIC PREMIERE
    Produced at the NFB by Mélanie Brière, Nathalie Cloutier and Colette Loumède
    Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/ninan_auassat_en

    • Ninan Auassat is a captivating documentary celebrating the power and vitality of Indigenous youth. Shot over more than six years, the film brings us the moving stories of three groups of children from three different Indigenous nations—Atikamekw, Eeyou Cree and Innu. Filmed from “a child’s eye-view” and without adult voices and “experts” on young people, the film powerfully reveals the dreams of a new generation poised to take flight.
    • Winner of the Tides Award for Best Canadian Documentary at the Vancouver International Film Festival, the film will have its Atlantic premiere with the filmmaker in attendance on Wednesday, November 20, at 3 p.m. at the Dieppe Arts and Culture Centre.
    • Kim O’Bomsawin is an award-winning Abenaki documentary filmmaker and sociologist who’s deeply passionate about sharing the stories of Indigenous Peoples. Her recent credits include the feature-length documentary Call me Human (Je m’appelle Humain), honoured at the Gémeaux Awards in 2020, and her series Telling Our Story, shown in TIFF’s Primetime program in 2023.

    – 30 –

    Stay Connected

    Online Screening Room: NFB.ca
    NFB Facebook | NFB Twitter | NFB Instagram | NFB Blog | NFB YouTube | NFB Vimeo
    Curator’s perspective | Director’s notes

    About the NFB

    Lily Robert
    Director, Communications and Public Affairs, NFB
    C.: 514-296-8261
    l.robert@nfb.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Through Medical Education UConn Professor Helps Maintain Normalcy in War-Torn Ukraine

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    This fall in Lviv, Ukraine for three days over 250 Ukrainian health care professionals gathered together for a medical conference to take a master class in radiology and participate in hands-on training workshops.

    The conference held Sept. 25-27 was co-chaired by UConn School of Medicine professor and chair of Diagnostic Imaging & Therapeutics Dr. Leo Wolansky who also delivered several lectures.

    Dr. Leo Wolansky.

    “I am so impressed with the spirit of the Ukrainian people. They insist on keeping their lives normal. Hopefully, our resuming our in-person conference series, now in its twenty-eighth year, contributed a little bit to that normalcy,” says Wolansky.

    The three-day conference was also co-chaired by Dr.  Tetyana Yalynska. It was organized by Friends Of Radiology in Ukraine (FORUkraine), the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA), and the Association of Radiologists of Ukraine (ARU), and was hosted by the First Territorial Medical Association of Lviv. Additional sponsorship came from Rotary, St. Paraskeva’s, Azaris, Ulrich, and Guerbet.

    This year’s event carries forward the FORUkraine conference series founded by Wolansky in 1996 at the Lviv Medical University (the Lviv Medical Institute). Since its inception, the conference series has been innovative using state-of-the-art education as a tool to promote the Ukrainian language. The purpose of the program is to teach Ukrainian-language based, state-of-the-art Diagnostic Imaging (Radiology).

    The long-standing in-person conference was interrupted for the last five years due to the COVID-19 crisis and followed by the war in Ukraine. Starting in 1998, Dr. Yuriy Ivaniv, head of post-graduate imaging education for the Lviv Oblast co-chaired the conferences with Wolansky and renamed it “Practical Questions in Contemporary Clinical Imaging.”  The conference series continued every one or two years from then till 2019 when the program joined forces with the ARU and the American Society of Neuroradiology and held a combined conference with the Ukrainian Congress of Radiology, with ARU President Yalynska co-chairing with Wolansky. This took place in Kyiv and Irpin, the only time the program deviated from its home in Lviv.

    Despite the war, several international imaging experts attended the event in-person in Ukraine to lecture. One of these was Dr. John (Ivan) Kachura, an Interventional Radiologist and professor of Medical Imaging at University of Toronto, who stated that he was impressed by the knowledge of Ukraine’s radiologists, but especially by their tremendous interest in the presented material. Also onsite was Dr. Andrew Dobrotwir, consultant radiologist from Melbourne, Australia, who lectured and also ran a hands-on workshop on Point Of Care Ultrasound (POCUS). Dobrotwir was accompanied by his sister-in-law, Teresa Lachowicz, who spoke at the conference about humanitarian work that she and Dobrotwir were carrying out including donations of POCUS equipment.

    Several international lecturers also virtually presented for the conference including Laura Oleaga, Amy Juliano, Diana Kaya, Andrew Loginsky, and Ivan Wolansky. In addition, virtual presentations came from UConn’s Jill Wruble, Sarah LaPierre, and Racquel Helsing. Several Ukrainian physicians also presented at the conference, including Nataliya Deresh, Igor Ivaniv, and others.

    Nataliya Motrynets, medical director of the host institution, presented about the hospital’s accomplishments, and also gave the faculty a tour of the facilities where many soldiers who have lost limbs in the war are being rehabilitated with cutting-edge prostheses.

    For Wolansky, a semiprofessional musician, a highlight of his trip to Ukraine was when he and his wife, Maria, met Dudaryk, Lviv’s internationally renowned boys choir, at Mass on the last day of the trip. The children’s choir had performed the refrain for Wolansky’s recent music video, helping draw attention to the plight of Ukraine’s children.

    Wolansky added, “Despite air alerts driving conference participants into the bomb shelter on two occasions, these brave Ukrainians insist that normal life must go on!”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Cooper Highlights Tourism Industry in Western North Carolina at Grandfather Mountain, Surveys Storm Damage in Avery County

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Cooper Highlights Tourism Industry in Western North Carolina at Grandfather Mountain, Surveys Storm Damage in Avery County

    Governor Cooper Highlights Tourism Industry in Western North Carolina at Grandfather Mountain, Surveys Storm Damage in Avery County
    bconroy

    Today, Governor Roy Cooper traveled to Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery County to highlight the importance of supporting Western North Carolina’s tourism industry in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Afterward, the Governor assessed damaged areas and spoke with people impacted by the storm in Banner Elk, where he was joined by Western North Carolina native and Grammy-nominated country musician Eric Church.

    “Today I visited beautiful Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery County and traveled to Banner Elk to see areas that were damaged during Helene,” said Governor Cooper. “Tourism is a critical part of Western North Carolina’s economy, and there are still many wonderful spots in the region open and accepting visitors. I’m grateful for the work of our federal, state and local responders as well as partners like Eric Church who have given time and effort to help communities in need.”

    This week, Governor Cooper signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Western North Carolina native and country musician Eric Church confirming his commitment that publishing royalties from Church’s recent song, “Darkest Hour,” will help fund response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

    Unaccounted For People

    The DPS Task Force to locate unaccounted for people has 7 people remaining on this list. The Task Force has handed over remaining work on this to local law enforcement.

    Travel to Western North Carolina

    Some roads are closed because they are too damaged and dangerous to travel. Other roads still need to be reserved for essential traffic like utility vehicles, construction equipment and supply trucks. However, some parts of the area are open and ready to welcome visitors which is critical for the revival of Western North Carolina’s economy. If you are considering a visit to the area, consult DriveNC.gov for open roads and reach out to the community and businesses you want to visit to see if they are welcoming visitors back yet.

    North Carolina National Guard Response

    More than 1,700 Soldiers and Airmen are working in Western North Carolina. Joint Task Force- North Carolina, the task force led by the North Carolina National Guard continues to help with commodity distribution and critical debris removal alongside local government workers, volunteers and  numerous civilian entities to get much-needed help to people in Western North Carolina.

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping to assess water and wastewater plants and dams. Residents can track the status of the public water supply in their area through this website.

    FEMA Assistance

    Approximately $195 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western North Carolina disaster survivors and approximately 239,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance. Over 8,600 people are being helped through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance. Nearly 6,200 registrations for Small Business Administration Loans have been filed.

    Nearly 1,800 FEMA staff are in the state to help with the Western North Carolina relief effort. In addition to search and rescue and providing commodities, they are meeting with disaster survivors in shelters and neighborhoods to provide rapid access to relief resources. They can be identified by their FEMA logo apparel and federal government identification.

    North Carolinians can apply for Individual Assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 from 7am to 11pm daily or by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov, or by downloading the FEMA app. FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs.

    Help from Other States

    More than 1,750 responders from 39 state and local agencies have performed 153 missions supporting the response and recovery efforts through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This includes public health nurses, emergency management teams supporting local governments, veterinarians, teams with search dogs and more.

    Beware of Misinformation

    North Carolina Emergency Management and local officials are cautioning the public about false Helene reports and misinformation being shared on social media. NCEM has launched a fact versus rumor response webpage to provide factual information in the wake of this storm. FEMA also has a rumor response webpage.

    Efforts continue to provide food, water and basic necessities to residents in affected communities, using both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard. Food, water and commodity points of distribution are open throughout Western North Carolina. For information on these sites in your community, visit your local emergency management and local government social media and websites or visit ncdps.gov/Helene.

    Storm Damage Cleanup

    If your home has damages and you need assistance with clean up, please call Crisis Cleanup for access to volunteer organizations that can assist you at 844-965-1386.

    Power Outages

    Across Western North Carolina, approximately 2,200 customers remain without power, down from a peak of more than 1 million. Overall power outage numbers will fluctuate up and down as power crews temporarily take circuits or substations offline to make repairs and restore additional customers.

    Road Closures

    Some roads are closed because they are too damaged and dangerous to travel. Other roads still need to be reserved for essential traffic like utility vehicles, construction equipment and supply trucks. However, some parts of the area are open and ready to welcome visitors which is critical for the revival of Western North Carolina’s economy. If you are considering a visit to the area, consult DriveNC.gov for open roads and reach out to the community and businesses you want to visit to see if they are welcoming visitors back yet.

    NCDOT currently has more than 2,000 employees and more than 900 pieces of equipment working on damaged road sites.

    Fatalities

    101 storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. This number is expected to rise over the coming days. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will continue to confirm numbers twice daily. If you have an emergency or believe that someone is in danger, please call 911.

    Volunteers and Donations

    If you would like to donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate. Donations will help to support local nonprofits working on the ground.

    For information on volunteer opportunities, please visit nc.gov/volunteernc.

    Additional Assistance

    There is no right or wrong way to feel in response to the trauma of a hurricane. If you have been impacted by the storm and need someone to talk to, call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. Help is also available to anyone, anytime in English or Spanish through a call, text or chat to 988. Learn more at 988Lifeline.org.

    If you are seeking a representative from the North Carolina Joint Information Center, please email ncempio@ncdps.gov or call 919-825-2599.

    For general information, access to resources, or answers to frequently asked questions, please visit ncdps.gov/helene.

    If you are seeking information on resources for recovery help for a resident impacted from the storm, please email IArecovery@ncdps.gov.

    ###

    Oct 31, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What should I do to prepare for a monologue performance?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natasha Beaumont, Lecturer in Creative Arts, School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney

    Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock

    Monologue performance is a technically demanding but deeply rewarding form of theatre. Monologues are the purest form of storytelling an actor can engage in.

    Before I was a drama teacher and researcher, I was an actor on stage and television in Australia and in the United Kingdom.

    As an actor, you are always having to prepare monologues as audition pieces. Here are some principles and techniques to help you with this process, to allow you to draw in your audience and strengthen your artistic expression.

    Choosing your monologue

    Successful characterisation in monologue acting depends on “casting” yourself well. This means choosing a text and a character that resonate with your own persona and emotional range.

    Even if you decide you want to play someone with a completely different age, gender and life experience to your own, there should be something about this character that speaks to you: maybe it’s their sense of vulnerability, their love of life, their rage at unfair circumstances. The more you can relate to some specific aspect of this person, the easier it will be to access the emotional range to play them.

    If you decide on a character from a well-known play, make sure you have an understanding of the whole text the piece comes from.

    Finding the personality

    As an actor, you should have a good grasp of your character’s personality and attitudes to life.

    Look for clues in the monologue or the overall play that tell you something about this person’s inner psychology. Do they always agree with everyone, or are they always complaining? How do they talk about themselves, how do they talk about other people?

    In a well-written play, dialogue is always filled with signals like these that actors rely on when creating characters.

    Get clues about your character’s personality from the script.
    Cynthia Smith/Unsplash

    Another useful approach is to develop a detailed backstory for the role you are playing. Performers often use journalling or visualisation to deepen their emotional connection with the person they are depicting.

    Taking time to imagine these key “memories” can provide an emotional anchor when you want to access different parts of their personality. The audience will never know these choices you have made, but you will carry them within you, and they can add depth and dimension to your portrayal.

    Making the character physical

    Along with analysing your character’s psychology and motivations, spend time working on their physicality.

    How does this person move through the world? Are they a daydreaming wanderer, or a short sharp stepper who is always in a hurry? Do they close themselves off from the world with hunched shoulders, or do they stand tall and project themselves outward?

    These qualities might change throughout the monologue as your character moves through different thoughts and memories.

    Making stage direction choices for a monologue can be one of the most challenging things to get right. Simple things such as walking downstage to talk directly to your audience, or sitting down at a particular moment, can add effective dynamics to your performance. But any choices you make must come from an inner impulse within your character. Movement needs to be motivated by some kind of shift in their thoughts.

    Breaking down the monologue

    To identify these shifts, break down your script into key “beats”. These are the moments in a text where your character starts talking about something new. You can use these to create shifts in movement, tone and pace.

    Incorporating different beats into your piece is vital for keeping your audience’s interest. Every monologue should take the audience on a journey through a character’s inner life. Ensuring this journey includes some surprises or effective use of dramatic tension will help make your piece work as a solo performance.

    Sit down with the script and a pencil to find the ‘beats’ of the monologue.
    Media_Photos/Shutterstock

    Sit down with a pencil and mark down any point in the script where you think the character starts thinking or talking about something new. Once you have all these internal shifts marked out, decide if any of these could be played with a contrasting emotional tone and pace to create dramatic effect.

    Who are you talking to?

    Performing a piece on your own can be daunting as there are no other characters to respond to or generate reactions from. Understanding who your character is speaking to during the monologue means you can use your audience as an additional “actor”. Are they an ally or an enemy? Or are these private thoughts, with the audience as a witness to your inner mind?

    Clarifying this relationship can help you make clearer choices in how you deliver your lines.

    Give yourself time

    There are many creative decisions to be made when preparing a monologue performance.

    Make sure to give yourself enough time to make these decisions and to learn your lines by heart.

    Think about the physicality of the character you have chosen.
    foto-lite/Shutterstock

    Experiment with lots of different choices when you are starting out and rehearse your piece as often as possible. This will help reduce nerves when it comes to your final performance as it’s difficult to focus on acting when your mind is racing trying to remember what to say next.

    Once the hard work of preparation, experimentation and creative expression is done, there is no better feeling than nailing a solo performance!

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

    – ref. What should I do to prepare for a monologue performance? – https://theconversation.com/what-should-i-do-to-prepare-for-a-monologue-performance-238778

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The ‘big 4’ accounting firms often consult for the same clients they audit. Should that be allowed?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Spiropoulos, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney

    Public trust in the auditing profession is under intense pressure. A series of high-profile scandals, both in Australia and overseas, has severely damaged its reputation.

    This week, Australia’s corporate watchdog – the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) – put the entire sector on notice.

    In a letter to auditors on Wednesday, ASIC announced it would soon commence a new data-driven surveillance of auditor independence and conflicts of interest. Put simply, any practices that could compromise the integrity of auditing work.

    The move comes amid longstanding calls for stronger regulation. Some have gone as far as to call for auditors – particularly the “big four” – to be banned from offering consulting services to their audit customers. Why? Fears it helps companies unethically game the system.

    But our recent research, which specifically examines chief executive pay, offers an alternative perspective and suggests we should tread carefully.



    Read more:
    A year after the PwC scandal, the furore is gone – as well as any real appetite for structural change

    Objectivity and independence

    The “big four” – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), KPMG and Deloitte – are the world’s largest professional services firms. They offer services in auditing, consulting, tax and advisory services.

    Known for their extensive resources and global reach, these firms serve major clients, including many publicly listed companies and governments.

    However, some have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest that may arise when these firms provide both consulting and auditing to the same client.

    Auditing is the process of examining a company’s financial statements and processes to ensure both accuracy and compliance with accounting standards.

    Conducted by external auditors, it’s meant to give investors, regulators, and the public confidence that a company’s financial picture is accurate and trustworthy.

    The key worry is that offering both services risks compromising an auditor’s objectivity and independence.

    Auditors may be incentivised to shy away from scrutinising their clients too closely, if it helps preserve lucrative consulting contracts.

    How much money should the boss make?

    Professional services firms, including the big four, are often engaged as external consultants to help decide on “executive compensation” – how much a company’s chief executive should be paid.

    Chief executive pay is highly contentious. They can earn staggering amounts of money, which can sometimes appear disconnected from how well a company is actually performing and what’s in its shareholders’ best interests.

    Large companies often outsource decisions about how much to pay chief executives.
    GaudiLab/Shutterstock

    Compensation consultants are hired to help structure these pay packages, ideally by setting up performance targets that align chief executives’ incentives with shareholder value.

    The idea is that if you don’t meet a certain goal as the boss, you should miss out on being paid for it.

    But these consultants can also be a part of the problem. As chief executives can influence whether a particular consultant is hired or retained, consultants might design favourable contracts to increase their chances of getting hired again.

    How? By setting up targets that are easy to hit, or vague enough to avoid true accountability.

    Such accountability in executive compensation is extremely important. How much those at the top get paid should reflect the quality of their decisions.

    Without proper oversight, pay structures risk incentivising quick wins instead of long-term growth, which could potentially harm investors, employees and the company’s future.

    To solve this problem, you need transparent performance metrics. This makes it easier for shareholders to see whether chief executives are truly earning their pay.

    When executive compensation consultants do their job well, such transparency gets built in. So how does the big four score?

    What we found

    Our study, published in the Australian Journal of Management, analysed chief executives’ compensation structures in a sample drawn from the 500 largest companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), between 2005 and 2019.

    We found that the big four, when engaged as compensation consultants, appeared to uphold more rigorous standards than their smaller counterparts.

    For example, big four firms were more likely to recommend including performance measures like “relative total shareholder return”, which takes the performance of a company’s competitors into account.

    This can reduce the likelihood of “pay for luck” – paying a chief executive extra when a company performs well simply due to market-wide factors, such as movements in commodity prices or currency exchange rates.

    Non-big four consultants, on the other hand, showed a tendency towards less clearly defined targets, which can open the door to less accountability.

    Compensation consultants should set targets for chief executives that genuinely reflect good performance.
    Owlie Productions/Shutterstock

    What’s behind this effect?

    One possible explanation for our findings is that the big four’s multi-service approach gives them less reliance on securing repeat business from any single client.

    With consulting, tax, audit and advisory services across various industries, these firms aren’t as dependent on individual clients, which can give them greater freedom to recommend compensation packages that may not always align with a chief executive’s preferences.

    It has been argued, including by former chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Graeme Samuel, that the big four’s consulting services pose potential conflicts that could compromise their audit duties.

    The same could be said for other advisory services provided by these firms.

    However, our findings offer evidence that when it comes to executive compensation, the big four’s reputation and expertise may actually discourage practices that obscure performance metrics or result in excessive chief executive pay.

    Any reforms should tread carefully

    The auditing sector will be watching the outcomes of ASIC’s forthcoming “crackdown” closely. The case for stricter oversight is strong.

    But we should be careful not to lose the nuance of this issue. In some cases, the big four’s multi-service approach may actually elevate governance standards rather than erode them.

    In a market dominated by these firms, the consequences of their exit from consulting services could extend beyond audit independence.

    Ironically, forcing these firms out of consulting could make auditing their primary revenue source from many clients, creating the very dependence regulators aim to avoid.

    Are we ready to face the unintended effects of limiting these firms’ roles? If our research is any indication, the answer is not so clear-cut.

    As an undergraduate student, Helen Spiropoulos did two internships at Deloitte in the areas of Audit and then Consulting (Strategy and Operations).

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

    – ref. The ‘big 4’ accounting firms often consult for the same clients they audit. Should that be allowed? – https://theconversation.com/the-big-4-accounting-firms-often-consult-for-the-same-clients-they-audit-should-that-be-allowed-242588

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In Norway, students get grades for their behaviour – could this work in Australia?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Dobson, Professor and Dean of Education and the Arts, CQUniversity Australia

    Student behaviour is one of the biggest issues facing Australian schools. A survey of Queensland teachers earlier this year found “managing student behaviour” was the main thing taking their time away from teaching.

    Along with students talking out of turn, using their phones or not paying attention, there are regular reports of students being violent and abusive towards teachers. Australian classrooms are rated among the “least favourable” for discipline in the OECD.

    Amid a push to include more classroom management training for teachers, what other approaches could we look at to improve behaviour?

    What happens in Norway?

    For several decades Norwegian school children have been assessed twice a year on their sense of personal order (being punctual, well-prepared and following up on homework) and social behaviour (showing care and respect for others).

    In some schools this might involve following rules against throwing snowballs, eating in class or leaving school grounds.

    Until Year 8, students receive comments and then they also get a grade (good, quite good or not so good).

    Teachers in all subjects report to the child’s home base teacher who calculates an average, noting any poor examples of poor personal order and social behaviour. The overall report is shared with the student and parents receive a copy.

    The goal, as specified in Norway’s Education Act, is to ensure a good and safe school environment and “social learning”. This means learning to behave around others through observing, modelling and imitating the behaviours of others.

    This is on top of learning knowledge and skills.

    Norwegian students can be graded on whether they follow rules about snowball throwing.
    Maria Sbytova/Shutterstock

    Does it work?

    Norwegian society takes these grades seriously. It has been part of the Norwegian schooling system since 1939.

    Research on teachers and students describe it as a valued tool for dealing with students who disrupt the learning environment in the classroom.

    Even when young adults apply for jobs after university or vocational study, employers can be interested in the grade received for order and behaviour at school. Students and their teachers are aware it can indicate trustworthiness and employability.

    A not uncommon story repeated by Norwegian parents to their teenage children is “if you have a record of behaving poorly or arriving late at school it doesn’t bode well whether you want to work on a construction site, in an office or on a hospital ward”.

    There are Norwegian critics of this approach. Some researchers argue behaviour grades can sometimes say more about who are the “teachers’ favourites”.

    But despite some limited trials to refine Norway’s behaviour grading, there are currently no plans to remove it.

    What about Australia?

    There is some precedence for reporting on behaviour in Australia.

    For example, Queensland public schools report about effort and behaviour against a five-point scale: excellent, very good, satisfactory, needs attention and unacceptable.

    But assessment criteria and evidence for the reporting of student effort and behaviour seems to be a more subjective appraisal than reporting against other standards in the curriculum.

    Some Australian schools already report on aspects of student behaviour.
    Monkey Business Images/ Shutterstock

    School is about more than maths and reading

    Schools can teach students more than academic knowledge or vocational skills.

    And while addressing behaviour in schools is complex (and will not be solved by any single thing), reporting on behaviour could provide a regular opportunity for Australian teachers, schools and parents to reflect on how a students is progressing.

    Grading students could make students more accountable for how they interact with their peers and their teachers.

    It could also help build their understanding of what is acceptable, not just in the classroom but in the community more broadly. For example, if there are specific rules about how you speak to others, whether you are safe in the playground and respectful in the classroom.

    This type of social learning is important, because it can help teach students to be inclusive and responsible towards others. It can also help to create a safer school environment for all students and staff.

    At the moment, there is a general requirement in the Australian Curriculum to teach students social and emotional skills across all subjects.

    But it is up to state and territory education authorities to work out if and how students are assessed about this. This includes any reasonable adjustments for students with disability or other special needs.

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

    – ref. In Norway, students get grades for their behaviour – could this work in Australia? – https://theconversation.com/in-norway-students-get-grades-for-their-behaviour-could-this-work-in-australia-239384

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: From eye exams to blood tests and surgery: how doctors use light to diagnose disease

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Griffith, Associate Professor and ARC Future Fellow and Director, UniSA Microscopy and Microanalysis Facilities, University of South Australia

    megaflopp/Shutterstock

    This is the next article in our ‘Light and health’ series, where we look at how light affects our physical and mental health in sometimes surprising ways. Read other articles in the series.

    You’re not feeling well. You’ve had a pounding headache all week, dizzy spells and have vomited up your past few meals.

    You visit your GP to get some answers and sit while they shine a light in your eyes, order a blood test and request some medical imaging.

    Everything your GP just did relies on light. These are just some of the optical technologies that have had an enormous impact in how we diagnose disease.

    1. On-the-spot tests

    Point-of-care diagnostics allow doctors to test patients on the spot and get answers in minutes, rather than sending samples to a lab for analysis.

    The “flashlight” your GP uses to view the inside of your eye (known as an ophthalmoscope) is a great example. This allows doctors to detect abnormal blood flow in the eye, deformations of the cornea (the outermost clear layer of the eye), or swollen optical discs (a round section at the back of the eye where the nerve link to the brain begins). Swollen discs are a sign of elevated pressure inside your head (or in the worst case, a brain tumour) that could be causing your headaches.

    The invention of lasers and LEDs has enabled many other miniaturised technologies to be provided at the bedside or clinic rather than in the lab.

    Pulse oximetry is a famous example, where a clip attached to your finger reports how well your blood is oxygenated. It does this by measuring the different responses of oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood to different colours of light.

    Pulse oximetry is used at hospitals (and sometimes at home) to monitor your respiratory and heart health. In hospitals, it is also a valuable tool for detecting heart defects in babies.

    See that clip on the patient’s finger? That’s a pulse oximeter, which relies on light to monitor respiratory and heart health.
    CGN089/Shutterstock

    2. Looking at molecules

    Now, back to that blood test. Analysing a small amount of your blood can diagnose many different diseases.

    A machine called an automated “full blood count analyser” tests for general markers of your health. This machine directs focused beams of light through blood samples held in small glass tubes. It counts the number of blood cells, determines their specific type, and reports the level of haemoglobin (the protein in red blood cells that distributes oxygen around your body). In minutes, this machine can provide a snapshot of your overall health.

    For more specific disease markers, blood serum is separated from the heavier cells by spinning in a rotating instrument called a centrifuge. The serum is then exposed to special chemical stains and enzyme assays that change colour depending on whether specific molecules, which may be the sign of a disease, are present.

    These colour changes can’t be detected with the naked eye. However, a light beam from an instrument called a spectrometer can detect tiny amounts of these substances in the blood and determine if the biomarkers for diseases are present, and at what levels.

    Light shines through the blood sample and tells us whether biomarkers for disease are present.
    angellodeco/Shutterstock

    3. Medical imaging

    Let’s re-visit those medical images your GP ordered. The development of fibre-optic technology, made famous for transforming high-speed digital communications (such as the NBN), allows light to get inside the body. The result? High-resolution optical imaging.

    A common example is an endoscope, where fibres with a tiny camera on the end are inserted into the body’s natural openings (such as your mouth or anus) to examine your gut or respiratory tracts.

    Surgeons can insert the same technology through tiny cuts to view the inside of the body on a video screen during laparoscopic surgery (also known as keyhole surgery) to diagnose and treat disease.

    Doctors can insert this flexible fibre-optic tube with a camera on the end into your body.
    Eduard Valentinov/Shutterstock

    How about the future?

    Progress in nanotechnology and a better understanding of the interactions of light with our tissues are leading to new light-based tools to help diagnose disease. These include:

    • nanomaterials (materials on an extremely small scale, many thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair). These are being used in next-generation sensors and new diagnostic tests

    • wearable optical biosensors the size of your fingernail can be included in devices such as watches, contact lenses or finger wraps. These devices allow non-invasive measurements of sweat, tears and saliva, in real time

    • AI tools to analyse how blood serum scatters infrared light. This has allowed researchers to build a comprehensive database of scatter patterns to detect any cancer

    • a type of non-invasive imaging called optical coherence tomography for more detailed imaging of the eye, heart and skin

    • fibre optic technology to deliver a tiny microscope into the body on the tip of a needle.

    So the next time you’re at the GP and they perform (or order) some tests, chances are that at least one of those tests depend on light to help diagnose disease.

    Matthew Griffith receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research council.

    – ref. From eye exams to blood tests and surgery: how doctors use light to diagnose disease – https://theconversation.com/from-eye-exams-to-blood-tests-and-surgery-how-doctors-use-light-to-diagnose-disease-231379

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Explainer: a short history of the Electoral College and how it subverts the will of voters

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hart, Emeritus Faculty, Australian National University

    For a fleeting moment in early October, it looked like the US presidential electoral system might become an issue in this year’s election. The Democratic vice presidential candidate, Tim Walz, told two audiences that the Electoral College should be abolished and replaced by a direct national popular vote.

    Walz was shut down quickly by Kamala Harris’ campaign with a brief statement that abolishing the Electoral College is not its official position. Walz duly walked back his comments and the story had a shelf-life of fewer than 24 hours.

    But the Electoral College issue may well come back to haunt the Harris campaign should this year’s election produce yet another “runner-up” president – when the loser of the popular vote wins the electoral vote and therefore the election.

    If the race is as close as most polls are indicating, this is a possible outcome. And Republican former President Donald Trump is more likely than Harris to be the beneficiary of this archaic, undemocratic voting system.

    How the Electoral College works

    There is a two-stage, indirect election for the president under the Electoral College system.

    First, there is the popular vote in each of 50 states and District of Columbia on November 5 to choose “electors”, who formally cast the “electoral vote” on December 17 in what is known as the “Electoral College”.

    It is the electoral vote that determines the president, not the popular vote.

    To make things even more complicated, each state is awarded electoral votes based not on its population, but on its representation in the US Congress.

    Each state has at least one member of the House of Representatives and two members of the Senate, meaning every state has at least three electoral votes regardless of its population size.

    There are 538 votes in the Electoral College, and an absolute majority of those – 270 or more – is needed to win. The Constitution also contains a complex and highly undemocratic contingency procedure should no candidate win an Electoral College majority. The choice of president would then be decided by the House of Representatives with each state delegation having just one vote.

    Sample presidential ballot from Arlington County in the state of Virginia showing that voters will be selecting electors, not the candidate directly.
    Arlington County Electoral Board

    The origins of the Electoral College

    It is not surprising the Electoral College is an undemocratic institution – it was deliberately designed to be. The method of electing the president was an expression of a very conservative philosophy of government embodied by most of the framers of the Constitution when they met in Philadelphia in 1787.

    The framers had strong views the presidency should be an office above politics. They also felt the choice should be made by those with knowledge, experience and understanding of government and statecraft.

    As such, the framers objected to a popular vote for the president, because they feared it would lead to what one of the founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, called “tumult and disorder”. The framers were vehemently opposed to direct democracy, preferring instead what they called a “republic”.

    Their solution was to allow the state legislatures to determine how the electors from each state should be chosen. In the beginning, most states’ legislatures chose the electors to decide who was president – not the people.

    The Electoral College structure – and its philosophical underpinnings – were then locked into the Constitution and purposely designed to exclude the people from the process.

    It has also been argued that race and slavery were integral to its design. By piggy-backing on the already-agreed compromise over representation in Congress and the counting of slaves as “three-fifths of all other persons”, the framers of the Constitution handed the major slave-holding states far more clout not only in Congress, but in the selection of the president, as well.

    In the longer term, the framers weren’t entirely successful in their efforts because two major political developments in the early 19th century forced some adaptation to the model.

    As the American frontier expanded and political parties were developed, people began demanding a greater role in American democracy. This put pressure on state legislatures to cede their power to select electors and allow popular voting for the Electoral College instead.

    By the mid-19th century, the Electoral College was operating in much the same way as it does today.

    Surprisingly, this required no constitutional amendment because the wording of the Constitution gave the states the flexibility to respond to the demand for popular voting:

    Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of Electors…

    But that didn’t change the fact that it was the “electors” who would still choose the president, not the people directly.

    How the Electoral College distorts the popular vote

    The electoral vote always distorts the popular vote by exaggerating the winner’s margin of victory. In very close contests, it can also go against the popular vote, as it has done on four occasions – 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016.

    Two mechanisms are responsible for this.

    First, the populations of small states are over-represented in the Electoral College compared to the larger states because of the guaranteed minimum three electoral votes.

    For example, Alaska, with three electoral votes, has one electoral vote for every 244,463 inhabitants (based on 2020 US census data). In contrast, New York, with 28 electoral votes, has one electoral vote for every 721,473 inhabitants. So, an electoral vote in Alaska is worth almost three time as much as an electoral vote in New York.

    Second, and far more significant, is the “winner-takes-all” arrangement. In every state, except Maine and Nebraska, the winner of the popular vote takes 100% of the electoral votes, no matter how close the contest is.

    Even in Maine and Nebraska, it’s winner-takes-all, except those states award two electoral votes to the statewide winner of the popular vote and one electoral vote to the popular vote winner in each of its congressional districts.

    Few Americans would be conscious of how the winner-takes-all system works, either.

    Put simply, when voters cast a ballot, they are, in effect, voting multiple times – once for each elector in the state supporting the presidential candidate of their choice. They do this by marking just one box alongside their preferred candidate’s name.

    For example, if Harris defeats Trump by 51-49% of the popular vote in Pennsylvania, every one of the 19 electors on Harris’ slate will defeat every one of Trump’s 19 electors by the same margin. The popular vote may have been close, but in the electoral vote, it’s 19-0 for Harris.

    When that is repeated across all 50 states, the Electoral College vote will always exaggerate the margin of victory compared to the popular vote.

    In the 1992 presidential election, for example, Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush by a landslide in the electoral college, 370-168. However, Clinton only edged Bush by 5.5 percentage points in the popular vote (43% to 37.45%). Independent candidate Ross Perot, meanwhile, earned nearly 19% of the popular vote, but because he didn’t carry any states, he got zero electoral votes.

    And when the loser of the popular vote wins the electoral vote, such as Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016, it shows the total number of popular votes won by a candidate is less important than where those votes are located.

    To win in the Electoral College, a candidate needs to have their vote distributed economically between the states. In a majoritarian democracy (based on the principle of majority rule), this ought not to be a feature of the electoral system. But the US presidential election process was never designed to operate this way.

    Lastly, the Electoral College also heavily determines the nature of the election campaign. Most states in the US are “safe” wins for one party or the other.

    As such, the efforts of the candidates are concentrated in the handful of states that are competitive – the so-called “battleground” states. The rest of the country tends to be ignored.

    The future of the Electoral College

    That the Electoral College survives into the 21st century is partly due to the adaptability of the Constitution to deal with the earlier challenge in the 1800s over the selection of electors in the states, as well as the immense difficulty of amending the Constitution.

    This is despite the fact a clear majority of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favour of a national, direct popular vote for the presidency.

    What happens in this election is anyone’s guess. With the polls showing such narrow margins in the popular vote in the battleground states, the outcome is not only unpredictable, it may even be random. And that’s a terrible comment on the state of American democracy.

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

    – ref. Explainer: a short history of the Electoral College and how it subverts the will of voters – https://theconversation.com/explainer-a-short-history-of-the-electoral-college-and-how-it-subverts-the-will-of-voters-239206

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ancient mud reveals Australia’s burning history over the past 130,000 years – and shows a way through our fiery future

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michela Mariani, Associate Professor in Physical Geography, University of Nottingham

    Lano Lan / Shutterstock

    Increased land management by Aboriginal people in southeastern Australia around 6,000 years ago cut forest shrub cover in half, according to our new study of fossil pollen trapped in ancient mud.

    Shrubs connect fires from ground cover to the forest canopy, allowing fires to spread and intensify quickly. The reduction in shrub cover, linked to evidence for increasing population size and more widespread landscape use by Aboriginal people, would have dramatically decreased the potential for high-intensity bushfires.

    We also found the shrub layer in modern forests is even greater than it was 130,000–115,000 years ago, when the climate was similar to today’s but there were no people around.

    Our deep-time research shows how important Indigenous cultural practices were for reducing dangerous high-intensity fires. It also suggests a way forward in Autralia’s current fire crisis, which climate change is making worse.

    The trouble with shrubs

    For decades, Australia has tried to manage fires by suppressing them. This strategy may be effective in the short term, but it has led to dire consequences in the long term.

    Over the past 20 years, the forests and woodlands of southeastern Australia have become hotspots for major fires.

    Fire suppression has allowed vegetation, particularly in the shrub layer, to grow without constraint. Shrubby, mid-height vegetation acts as a ladder, enabling fires to spread up from the ground to the forest canopy. This results in more intense and uncontrollable fires.

    Summary timeline of past landscape changes across southeastern Australia. We show changes from pre-human contact (top), through Indigenous population expansion (middle), to the present (post-colonial, bottom).
    Simon Connor, CC BY

    Evidence for denser vegetation comes from tiny, fossilised grains of pollen that are laid down in layers of ancient sediment in wetlands and lake beds. By extracting fossil pollen from mud, scientists can develop a picture of vegetation in the past.

    Our new study used archaeological data and information preserved in ancient mud. We looked at how the vegetation of southeastern Australia changed in response to climate and human management over the past 130,000 years.

    We wanted to see how things changed in key periods: before human arrival in Australia, through periods of Indigenous occupation, and following British colonisation.

    We used sophisticated models to estimate vegetation cover and how it related to human land use at different times.

    Caring for Country

    Indigenous Australians have been the custodians of this continent for millennia. Their journey in Australia started at least 65,000 years ago.

    Direct evidence of cultural burning traces back at least 11,000 years in the Top End, although it may have begun much earlier.

    Indigenous Australian cultural burning practices are complex and varied. However, in many parts of the continent they included regular, controlled burns. These helped to manage vegetation growth and reduce the risk of high-intensity fires.

    Since British colonisation, the landscape of Australia has undergone significant changes, with both more open pastures and more densely vegetated forests. The introduction of European land management practices, including fire suppression, disrupted the fire regimes Indigenous Australians had maintained for thousands of years.

    This suppression-focused approach has led to an accumulation of plant matter, creating a tinderbox ready to ignite.

    A call for change: integrating Indigenous Knowledge

    To address this crisis, a shift in fire management strategies is essential. One promising approach is to integrate Indigenous fire management practices into contemporary fire management plans, working with Traditional Owners to best care for Country.

    This must be done in a way that supports Indigenous livelihoods and fosters connection to Country, not by management agencies simply appropriating Indigenous know-how.

    Indigenous Australians possess hundreds of generations’ worth of experience in managing the country’s fire-prone landscapes. Indigenous-led fire management is already being reinvigorated in northern Australia.

    Our research demonstrates that southeastern forests and woodlands were effectively managed in the past and would also benefit from Indigenous caring-for-Country practices today.

    Reducing dangerous fuels in the shrub layer means less high-intensity fires threatening the bush–urban interface, such as the 2019–20 Black Summer fires.

    Indigenous-led burning at a project site in Tasmania.
    Matthew Newton / RUMMIN Productions

    Higher temperatures and prolonged droughts have created ideal conditions for bushfires to spread. Colonisation has compounded the problems arising from human-driven climate change.

    But there is no fire without fuel. It is the combination of increased biomass and a warming climate that now fuels fires of unprecedented scale and intensity, posing a significant threat to lives, property and ecosystems.

    Australia’s fire crisis is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted solution. By learning from and working with Indigenous practitioners, Australia can develop more effective and sustainable fire management strategies. This collaborative approach offers a path forward to tame the flames and protect the nation’s unique and diverse landscapes.

    Michela Mariani receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust and is affiliated with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH) and the Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures (CIEHF).

    Anna Florin receives funding from the Australian Research Council and is affiliated with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH).

    Haidee Cadd receives funding from the Australian Research Council and is affiliated with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH).

    Simon Connor receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is affiliated with CABAH, the Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage.

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

    – ref. Ancient mud reveals Australia’s burning history over the past 130,000 years – and shows a way through our fiery future – https://theconversation.com/ancient-mud-reveals-australias-burning-history-over-the-past-130-000-years-and-shows-a-way-through-our-fiery-future-239561

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Treating open wounds in the West Bank Palestine

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    It’s a sunny morning in Nur Shams refugee camp, in Tulkarem, West Bank, Palestine. Over 20 women are filing into a room set up by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff, sitting in a circle and chatting over Arabic coffee. In the middle of the room, there is a table with gauze, tourniquet devices and charts explaining blood flow in the human body. This is MSF’s ‘stop the bleeding’ training.

    Most women gathered in this room have little to no medical training, but trauma wounds and severe bleeding are not new to them. They are here to learn how to care for wounds, apply tourniquets, and provide basic first aid to family members and neighbours until they can reach medical care during frequent military incursions by Israeli forces.

    “We experience raids, bombings, and injuries from shootings,” says Saeda Ahmad, a participant in the training. “We often have an injured person right in front of us. In such situations, it’s important for us to have the knowledge and background to properly administer first aid.”

    “During raids, it’s extremely difficult for ambulances to reach the scene,” continues Ahmad. “That’s why everyone in the camp needs to have some knowledge of first aid. So that we ourselves can help the injured person.”

    Here, military raids by Israeli forces are becoming increasingly frequent, and blockages of access to healthcare are part of the modus operandi. Roads are blocked, ambulances cannot move, healthcare workers are harassed and targeted or otherwise hindered, and wounded people often cannot reach hospitals.

    Incursions from Israeli forces are also increasing in violence and intensity; on 3 October, 18 people were killed in an airstrike on Tulkarem refugee camp. The use of drone strikes, air strikes and other bombardments by Israeli forces, in often densely-populated areas and refugee camps, has become increasingly common. Incursions are also increasing in length, and not only here; last August, in Jenin, north of Tulkarem, Israeli forces launched a large-scale military incursion that lasted nine days.

    In this context of constant violence and insecurity, people in the camps have spoken with MSF mental health staff of the deep psychological impacts of these raids. Military incursions by Israeli forces reshape the lives of people, stripping them of normalcy and any sense of safety.

    People are always in the aftermath from the last incursion, rebuilding torn up streets and destroyed houses, while holding their breath until the next military raid. Our teams are also providing psychological first aid to residents in the camp, to address the significant mental health issues stemming from the impact of these incursions, which affect all residents, but particularly children.

    “The situation is very difficult. The children in the camps are afraid to go to school, as they fear a raid might happen while they are there,” says an MSF community health educator for MSF in Tulkarem. “In their home life, stability has vanished. People remain on edge.”

    “Children have stopped playing in the alleys. They spend most of the time at home and are not able to go out,” says our health educator. “They can’t even go out to buy what they need because their parents won’t let them, out of fear that a raid or incident might occur while they’re outside. There are children whose entire playtime has become centred around the violence they have experienced.”

    In a context of fear and insecurity, it becomes impossible for people to live a normal life or plan for the future. Training like ‘stop the bleeding’ can provide some sense of control over the situation, by giving residents the tools to act in a medical emergency during an incursion. But their very existence highlights the direness of the situation in the West Bank.

    In this room, as participants practice wrapping gauze around each other’s arms, emotional wounds also reveal themselves. Participants share stories of the violence they have experienced, in conversations, stories, and photos of killed family members on a phone’s lock screen.

    The psychological wounds, also, are deep. And mending them takes more time than applying pressure or tightening a tourniquet.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Joint Statement on Behalf of Council Leader, Raymond Bremner, Convener, Bill Lobban and Leader of the Opposition, Alasdair Christie.

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    ‘Today Highland Council took an important step forward in its plans to sustain care provision in the Lochaber Area. In a confidential paper to council, various options were considered that could ensure that there is minimum disruption to residents of Moss Park Nursing Home.

    While there are a lot of sensitive matters still to deal with and no guarantees at this stage, there is now hope that a solution can be found by the partnership between Highland Council and NHS Highland.

    As there are still so many issues remaining unresolved, NHS Highland’s core team and its partners will continue to ensure that everyone is focused on the best interests and well-being of all residents.

    Further communications regarding progress on this important matter will be provided in due course, with communications with residents and families being our key priority.’

    31 Oct 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –