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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI: Gabelli Utility Trust Rights Offering Concludes Raising $58 Million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RYE, New York, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Gabelli Utility Trust (NYSE: GUT) (the “Fund”) is pleased to announce the successful completion of its transferable rights offering (the “Offering” or “Offer”). Preliminary results indicate that the Fund will issue 11,624,109 common shares, for gross proceeds to the Fund of $58,120,545 (including over-subscription requests and notices of guaranteed delivery).

    Pursuant to the Offering, the Fund issued one transferable right (a “Right”) for each common share of the Fund held by shareholders of record as of September 9, 2024 (“record date shareholders”). Holders of Rights were entitled to purchase common shares by submitting five Rights and $5.00 for each share to be purchased (the subscription price). The Offering expired at 5:00 PM Eastern Time on October 21, 2024 and the Rights no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

    Subject to approval of the over-subscription privilege by the Board of Trustees’ pricing committee, the over-subscription shares will be allocated in full among those fully exercising record date shareholders who over-subscribed in the Offering.

    The new common shares subscribed for will be issued on or about October 25, 2024.

    Any common shares issued as a result of the Offering will be eligible for the Fund’s monthly distribution to be paid on November 21, 2024 to shareholders of record on November 14, 2024 but will not be record date shares for the Fund’s monthly distribution to be paid on October 24, 2024 and will not be entitled to receive such distribution.

    We thank all our subscribing shareholders as well as the full service brokers and financial advisers who assisted our shareholders throughout the Offering.

    The information herein is not complete and is subject to change. This document is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. This document is not an offering, which can only be made by a final prospectus. Investors should consider the Fund’s investment objective, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The base prospectus contains this and additional information about the Fund and the prospectus supplement contains this and additional information about the Offering. For further information regarding the Offering, or to obtain a prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, please contact the Fund at 800-GABELLI or 914-921-5070.

    About The Gabelli Utility Trust

    The Gabelli Utility Trust is a diversified, closed-end management investment company with $362 million in total net assets, after giving effect to the Offering and assuming the over-subscription privilege is exercised, whose primary investment objective is to seek long-term growth of capital and income by investing primarily in utility companies involved in the generation and distribution of electricity, gas, and water. The Fund is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC, a subsidiary of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (OTCQX: GAMI).

    NYSE – GUT
    CUSIP – 36240A101

    For information:
    David Schachter
    (914) 921-5057

    Investor Relations Contact:
    David Schachter
    (914) 921-5057
    dschachter@gabelli.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three men have been convicted of murder and one of manslaughter following the Naython Muir murder investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Four men have been convicted for their active role in the murder of Naython Muir in Hounslow.

    Mahdi Mumin, 24 (01.12.99) of Slough, Khalfani Sinclair, 23 (04.08.01), of Hayes, Phillip Jones, 48 (18.08.76), of Feltham and Christian Braimah, 24 (12.03.00) of West Drayton appeared at the Old Bailey for a trial on Monday, 2 September. On Tuesday, 22 October they were convicted as follows:

    – Mumin was convicted of murder [unanimous verdict]
    – Sinclair was convicted of murder [unanimous verdict]
    – Jones was convicted of murder [majority verdict]
    – Braimah was convicted of manslaughter – he was found not guilty of murder [majority verdict]

    All four were remanded in custody to appear for sentencing at the same court on Thursday, 28 November.

    An investigation was launched after police were called at approximately 22:45hrs on 13 October 2023 to reports of a stabbing on Parkside Road, TW3.

    Officers and London Ambulance Service attended but despite their efforts 43-year-old Naython Muir from Hounslow sadly died at the scene.

    A post-mortem examination established the cause of Naython’s death to have been a stab wound.

    Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, the senior investigating officer who led the investigation, said: “These convictions are the result of a meticulous, dedicated and thoroughly professional police investigation.

    “Naython, who was also known as ‘Nayff’, was a caring father, son and brother who had his own struggles in life.

    “He was being used as a pawn by a drugs line to exert their control of drug supply within the Hounslow area.

    “When Naython crossed paths with the defendants he was ambushed and subjected to a sudden, unprovoked, violent and ultimately fatal assault using a Zombie type knife.

    “During the trial, Naython’s family were present every day and listened to deeply traumatising evidence of the events leading up to his murder. I would like to pay tribute to their strong family bond and determination in what was clearly a deeply traumatising time for them. They continue to be supported by my team.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Civilian support for military coups isn’t a bug – it’s a feature

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Salah Ben Hammou, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Rice University

    Members of the Malian junta wave as civilians gather to celebrate the overthrow of the president on Aug. 21, 2020. AP Photo/File

    In September 2024, authorities in Benin detained the country’s former sports minister and a prominent businessman for allegedly plotting a coup against the West African nation’s president, Patrice Talon. Had a putsch materialized, Benin would have joined a growing list of African countries to have experienced a military coup over the past four years.

    Dubbed an “epidemic of coup d’états” by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the resurgence of military takeovers has left many observers perplexed. For one, the frequency of coups worldwide had reached historic lows prior to 2020.

    But perhaps even more puzzling is that several of the recent military coups – such as those in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea – have been accompanied by significant civilian support. Indeed, while various commentaries or news reports have treated civilian support as an exceptional feature of this recent coup wave, these perspectives rely on a common misunderstanding.

    As I’ve observed over the course of my research on the politics of military coups, civilian support is actually a common, if not critical, part of coup politics, and far from unique to this recent resurgence of military takeovers.

    How common are civilian-supported coups?

    In the popular imagination of a military coup, power-hungry soldiers command tanks down a capital’s streets to seize authority from the political leadership. In this vision, civilians are often passive actors or otherwise assumed to be the opponents of coups. Yet such a setting is belied by numerous examples, both recent and throughout history.

    In West Africa’s Niger, for example, the M62 movement – a coalition of civil society organizations – gathered its members on the streets to support the coup in July 2023, outnumbering prior protests calling for the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum. In neighboring Mali, the M5-RFP protest movement served a similar role in the aftermath of the country’s 2020 coup – although fissures in its relationship with the junta have since surfaced.

    Even Benin’s thwarted plot had a civilian dimension. Its alleged masterminds, the sports minister and prominent businessman who were said to have funded the planned coup, were not soldiers but part of the governing bureaucracy or elite civil society.

    To see how common such cases are, I collected data on civilian support and involvement in all successful military coups since 1950. Defining coups as “successful” if the soldiers manage to stay in power for at least seven days, that gave me 242 cases over a period of nearly 75 years to analyze, spanning different regions like Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.

    Out of the 242 episodes, 189 coups – or nearly 80% – saw some type of civilian support, either in the takeover’s instigation or in the later consolidation of power.

    Coups without any sign of civilian support were generally those that saw a military leader ousted by other members of the ruling junta – contexts where soldiers already dominated the political landscape.

    Breaking down the numbers over time, civilian-supported coups represented the lion’s share in each decade, even as the overall frequency of coups ebbed by the 1990s with the end of the Cold War.

    But in the past two decades, virtually every successful coup has been associated with some level of support outside the military. So while civilian support might not be unique to recent cases, there is evidence that it has become a more common fixture of military coups – at least among the successful ones.

    Of course, these stats do not include failed coups or thwarted conspiracies. But the failed attempts to instigate a coup in Benin – or, for that matter, in Brazil in January 2023 – suggest that these numbers might underestimate the frequency of civilian support for, and involvement in, coups.

    How civilians support coups

    In general, civilian support for coups can manifest in different ways. But in a recent study, I identified two broad patterns: instigation and consolidation.

    Instigation, by default, occurs in the pre-coup stage and involves civilians taking action to spark a coup attempt.

    Protests and insurrections in pursuit of a military coup are common methods of instigation. For example, early in 2023, supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro seized the National Congress after weeks of publicly calling on the military to stop President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s inauguration. While their efforts ultimately failed to produce a coup, they are illustrative of the civilian dynamic.

    In late 2021, disgruntled members of Sudan’s transitional government organized protests in Khartoum, the capital, calling for the military’s intervention. The military answered days later by removing Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok from power.

    Instigation can also involve more targeted actions. For instance, the alleged Benin coup plot involved targeting specific members of the security services with bribes in exchange for their participation. In Brazil, recent court documents implicated Bolsonaro himself in coordinating a coup plot and attempting to ensure the participation of top military leaders.

    In other cases, political parties developed secret cells in the armed forces to later give the go-ahead for a coup – like in Bolivia in 1952, Iraq in 1963, Afghanistan in 1978 and Sudan in 1989.

    Consolidation, on the other hand, involves actions taken during and in the immediate aftermath of a coup.

    This could include actions like taking up arms alongside soldiers during a military takeover, organizing pro-coup protests or assuming important governing tasks alongside a new junta. Here, civilians seek to ensure a coup succeeds and its objectives take root – even against domestic and international opposition.

    Among the recent West African cases, civilians have especially worked to consolidate coups against international opposition. For example, after the Economic Community of West African States threatened military intervention to reverse Niger’s coup in 2023, M62 and other civilian-led protest groups rallied to support the coupists. Thousands also enlisted in the Volunteers for the Defense of Niger, a pro-junta civilian militia created to combat international intervention against the coupists.

    Why civilian coup support matters

    Soldiers are unlikely to even attempt a coup without confidence that at least some civilians will back their efforts.

    Portraying civilian support for military takeovers as exceptional thus misses a critical component of coup politics. And this misconception benefits coupists, who can use civilian allies to present their actions as legitimate or even revolutionary, which is what happened in Egypt in 2013.

    Coupists can also retain political influence after stepping aside by ensuring that their civilian supporters secure power.

    Military coups also do not occur in a vacuum. A proper focus on the civilian element of coup politics allows researchers and international observers to better contextualize military takeovers in broader social struggles for the state.

    This could lead to greater engagement with the issue of what kinds of civilian segments are instigating and consolidating coups. Are they close to the targeted leader such as in Benin’s alleged plot? Or are they members of the political opposition, like in Niger and Mali?

    These nuances should be front and center to researchers, policymakers and diplomats as they seek to understand – and mitigate – sudden and often destabilizing takeovers of a state.

    Salah Ben Hammou has received funding from the United States Institute of Peace and Minerva Research Initiative. He is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Rice University’s Baker Institute of Public Policy.

    – ref. Civilian support for military coups isn’t a bug – it’s a feature – https://theconversation.com/civilian-support-for-military-coups-isnt-a-bug-its-a-feature-240877

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Victorian ghost photographs amused viewers with spooky thrills

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Andrea Kaston Tange, Professor of English, Macalester College

    ‘The Haunted Lane,’ a stereoscope card from L.M. Melander & Bro., 1875.
     Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

    October has long been associated with ghosts – from ancient Celtic festivals to ward off restless spirits after harvest time to the modern standby of using an old sheet to make a last-minute Halloween costume. In the middle of the 19th century, however, popular portrayals of ghosts became a year-round staple, in part because photographers discovered that they could depict them.

    The first ghost photographs were accidents. Early cameras required 30 seconds or more to take a photo. If someone wandered briefly into the shot, the resulting picture would contain their ghostly trace superimposed over substantial furniture, buildings or people who had held still for the full exposure.

    When shrewd photographers realized that the inconvenience of long exposure time could become an asset, detailed directions for creating these illusions proliferated. Photographers could cut ghost figures from transparent material and place them onto glass negatives or inside camera bodies. Or they could make real people half-transparent through tricks of double exposure.

    As early as 1856, experts gleefully noted that one could create images of ghosts “for the purpose of amusement.” Commercial photographers began producing this spectacular phenomenon for fun and profit and – as I have found while researching early portrait photography – thereby helped feed media fascination with all things ghostly.

    Turning accident into amusement

    Photographs became collectible amusements partly thanks to the midcentury invention of the stereoscope – a device that created three-dimensional optical illusions.

    Stereoscope cards contain two pictures of the same scene, photographed from slightly different angles. A viewer selects a card, inserts it and then presses the instrument to their face. The device isolates their eyes, so each sees only one picture. As the brain, trying to avoid double vision, merges these images into one, the result is a 3D effect.

    The Perfecscope from 1895 and a collection of stereoscopic cards.
    Andrea Kaston Tange, CC BY

    In the 1850s, reading aloud was the primary form of at-home entertainment. Daily newspapers ran no images, and the technology to reproduce photographs in books or periodicals was still 40 years away. But this affordable gizmo could bring the whole world into your living room.

    My archival research has turned up newspapers full of articles and ads promoting stereoscopic “marvels.” The London Stereoscopic Co. advertised “effects almost miraculous” and marketed the device for family entertainment. By 1856, a mere two years after the company’s founding, its catalog listed over 100,000 cards, including views of dramatic landscapes, exotic tourist destinations, famous portraits and card sets that told stories.

    Among these collections of sights unseen were plenty of ghostly images. “The Ghost in the Stereoscope,” a colorized card, shows two men in open-mouthed surprise at the sudden appearance of a ghost at their supper table. The title signals the jump scare that the image maker hoped would likewise amaze the viewer when the 3D ghost loomed before their very eyes.

    ‘The Ghost in the Stereoscope,’ a hand-colored card.
    Photographer unknown, 1856. London Stereoscopic Company. Met Museum collection

    On another card, “That’s Too Thin,” a ghost points an accusatory arm at one man sitting at a gaming table. The 1876 guide “How to Write Letters” lists “too thin” among its “slang words and phrases” to be avoided for their “low associations and vulgar ideas,” which suggests that the offender is doing something unseemly for a respectable man. This visual joke relied on a pot-kettle formula: A figure so thin as to be see-through is calling out someone else as “too thin.”

    ‘That’s Too Thin’ card.
    L.M. Melander & Bro., 1874. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

    Popular ghosts

    Nothing was meant to imply that these were pictures of actual spirits. Some – like “The Haunted Lane,” in which two men who cower in supposed terror from a ghost are obviously photographed in a studio with “lane” props – were so melodramatic as to be funny. Others were more melancholy and featured mourning husbands whose ghost-wives played the piano beside them, or orphaned children whose ghost-mothers watched over them from beyond the grave. All of them were performances.

    And all of them helped stoke a midcentury market hungry for ghostly thrills. In 1859, novelist Wilkie Collins published his spectral “The Woman in White” in installments in Charles Dickens’ weekly magazine. It sold over 100,000 copies and launched a decade-long craze for hair-raising sensation fiction.

    The “Illustrated Police News,” launched in 1864, contained supposedly true tabloid-style stories that often featured ghosts. And in 1862, John Henry Pepper, a British scientist and popular lecturer, refined a projection technique that could create apparitions onstage during live theater productions. Commonly known as Pepper’s Ghost, the dramatic illusions began appearing immediately on both sides of the Atlantic.

    Some stereoscope cards referenced multiple forms of popular entertainment to create ghost images that worked as layered visual jokes. The 1865 card “A Dream After Seeing Pepper’s Ghost” is a great example of how the Victorian penchant for allusions and wordplay found its way into this visual pastime.

    The sleeping young woman’s “dream” is a photographic ghost: The looming, gauzy figure filling the dark space of the window beside her bed would have appeared to float in 3D stereoscope. “Seeing Pepper’s Ghost” obviously refers to a play she has attended: Her fine clothes tossed haphazardly on the furniture indicate a late evening out.

    But the ghost has the head of a cow and wears a necklace on which is lettered “MUSTARD.” A Victorian viewer accustomed to wordplay riddles would realize that this ghost-of-pepper also implies that the sleeper ate too much of an overly seasoned roast beef dinner, for indigestion was commonly understood to cause bad dreams.

    Together, these details may allude to Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” A theater company in 1865 would undoubtedly use the sensational new Pepper’s technique to place the ghost of Jacob Marley onstage to torment his former business partner, the miser Scrooge. And Scrooge quite famously dismisses Marley’s ghost initially as “an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard” – that is, as merely a bad dream brought on by overeating. A clever viewer would delight in puzzling through these playful layers of stereoscopic magic.

    There were, of course, also Victorian photographers who purported to capture actual ghosts. They sometimes worked with mediums at séances, and their claims to record the spirit world engendered huge controversy.

    But in the Halloween season, it’s fun to contemplate the lighter side of this history, when an appetite for haunting tales inspired photographic ghost effects that seem delightfully ahead of their time.

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

    – ref. Victorian ghost photographs amused viewers with spooky thrills – https://theconversation.com/victorian-ghost-photographs-amused-viewers-with-spooky-thrills-240776

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Florida and North Carolina are making it easier for people to vote after the hurricanes – but some risks remain

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michael T. Morley, Assistant Professor of Law, Florida State University

    People walk into an early voting site in Hendersonville, N.C., on Oct. 17, 2024. Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images

    Polls opened in North Carolina on Oct. 17, 2024, as about 14,000 people in Asheville and surrounding areas remain without power in their homes following Hurricane Helene. In Florida, which started early voting in some counties on Oct. 21, about 400,000 residents are still without power after Hurricane Milton.

    Some experts have said that the hurricanes could cause voter numbers to drop – and impacts of Helene have already prompted a few early polling stations in western North Carolina to close. But more North Carolina residents turned out to vote on the first day of early voting than they did in 2020.

    Amy Lieberman, a politics and society editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Michael T. Morley, who studies natural disasters and election law, to understand how these recent storms could complicate voting in the presidential election.

    A home in Manasota Key, Fla., that was damaged by Hurricane Milton is seen on Oct. 13, 2024.
    Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    What are the major issues that hurricanes can create ahead of an election?

    A hurricane or natural disaster makes an election tremendously more challenging for both election officials and voters on various practical levels.

    Election administrators might have been injured, or their homes could be flooded or destroyed. State officials need to ensure, especially in areas that have been hardest hit, that enough local administrators remain in place to continue distributing absentee ballots and to staff early voting locations.

    Still, I have not seen empirical evidence that the results of any federal elections in recent decades have changed as a result of hurricanes.

    What could these major hurricanes mean for voters in North Carolina and Florida?

    Florida has one of the most comprehensive laws to deal with election emergencies of this sort because it faces them frequently.

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order on Oct. 3, 2024, in response to Hurricane Helene. Among other things, Florida law says that in a state of emergency the governor can suspend state statutes or regulations governing state business when complying with them can interfere with disaster response.

    Florida, like other states, has deadlines for when election officials must designate polling locations. DeSantis waived this deadline to authorize county officials to designate new ones. DeSantis’ order also gives election officials more discretion about where new polling locations may be located. And he made it easier for state employees to step in and serve as poll workers, particularly on Election Day.

    DeSantis suspended a state requirement so a person who cannot return to their home can ask by phone to have a vote-by-mail ballot sent to wherever they are staying – not just their registered home address. Making it easier for ballots to be sent to people, wherever they are, is one of the most effective measures that Florida has implemented to help make voting easier.

    In North Carolina, meanwhile, state officials have authorized different changes that will apply to the 25 counties in the western part of the state that are under emergency orders because of the hurricane. These changes are mostly focused on voting by mail and polling place workers. They also allow county boards of elections to change Election Day voting locations and permit voters to drop off absentee ballots at any county board of election office by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

    Western North Carolina voters now also have until Nov. 4 to request a mail-in ballot, as opposed to the original deadline of Oct. 29.

    Overall, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper authorized US$5 million for the state’s board of elections in order to make it easier for western North Carolina residents to vote.

    What sort of legal issues, if any, do these changes open up?

    Disputes have already arisen about potential extension of the voter registration deadlines in states affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Courts in Florida and Georgia have already declined emergency motions to extend the voter registration deadline.

    A South Carolina state court, in contrast, held in October that the deadline had to be extended for 10 additional days.

    Similar disputes are likely to arise over such election rules as photo identification requirements at polling places and the deadlines for requesting and returning absentee ballots.

    Occasionally, challenges also arise alleging that certain measures to address an emergency have gone too far.

    During the height of the pandemic, for example, the Trump presidential campaign filed lawsuits that unsuccessfully challenged state decisions to automatically mail absentee ballots to people registered to vote.

    A U.S. post offic, damaged by flooding from Hurricane Helen, is pictured on Oct. 3, 2024, in Marshall, N.C., showing one of the complications for people who planned to vote by mail.
    Mario Tama/Getty Images

    What are you most concerned about heading into the election?

    My biggest concern is that, particularly if the election is close, a losing candidate might attempt to use the hurricane as a way of trying to challenge the election results or call them into question.

    Courts will almost certainly reject that. Once the election has happened, a court generally will not set aside the results or order additional voting, even if voters faced substantial burdens and people think there is more that election officials could have done. This is especially true in the context of a presidential election, since the U.S. Constitution and federal law establish several important postelection deadlines involving the Electoral College.

    Some people already have unwarranted skepticism about the electoral process. It would be bad for our democracy if the recent hurricanes are exploited as a basis for refusing to accept the election’s results.

    Michael T. Morley is Sheila M. McDevitt Professor of Law at FSU College of Law. He serves as Faculty Director of the FSU Center for Election Law established by the Florida State Legislature and Vice Chair of the Florida Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission for Civil Rights. He is a member of the National Task Force on Election Crises and Election Officials Legal Defense Network.

    – ref. Florida and North Carolina are making it easier for people to vote after the hurricanes – but some risks remain – https://theconversation.com/florida-and-north-carolina-are-making-it-easier-for-people-to-vote-after-the-hurricanes-but-some-risks-remain-240961

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Don’t panic reading ‘electoral process porn’: There are plenty of safeguards to make sure voters’ wishes are respected

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Justin Levitt, Professor of Law, Loyola Law School Los Angeles

    Electoral process porn can make people think their vote will be stolen, so what’s the point of voting? Illustration: wildpixel/ iStock / Getty Images Plus

    You’ve probably seen them: alarming columns or stories with alarming headlines about how somebody is going to exploit an obscure provision in election law to undo the 2024 presidential election and toss it to the House of Representatives. Your vote won’t count, and democracy will go to hell.

    Election law scholar Justin Levitt throws cold water on those scenarios, and in an interview with Naomi Schalit, The Conversation’s senior editor for politics and democracy, he says the voters will decide the election, “flat out.”

    What’s “electoral process porn?”

    It’s a writing genre identifying a tactic or loophole that’s supposedly going to fundamentally change the election process – what I called “The Key to the Whole Thing This Time” in a Slate piece earlier this year – usually, by taking away everyone’s voting rights and magically delivering the election to one candidate. It’s a lurid, titillating take that depends on the fact that election law and process can sometimes seem impenetrable.

    What distinguishes this type of think piece from other reporting on the election process is tone and emphasis, rather than information. Just like not every sex scene in the movies needs an NC-17 label, not every piece about how elections work is going to be electoral process porn.

    Perhaps the worst part about electoral process porn is that it leaves readers with an unjustified feeling of helplessness, even the thought that voting might be pointless, if it’s all subject to this supposed hidden gimmick. It is dystopian fiction masquerading as analysis, feeding on people’s anxieties that a basic process of self-government might be taken out of their own hands.

    A selection of headlines trumpeting the ways the 2024 presidential election could be subverted.
    Mother Jones, Politico, USA Today

    Can you give me a few examples? I want the person who reads this to understand concretely what you’re talking about.

    Sure. One example fits the mold of the artful con: the heist movie or spy thriller that depends on knowing the particular procedural lever to deliver results, the MacGuffin nobody else can anticipate, making the person who’s the center of the thriller the smartest person in the room. It’s the story about an Electoral College feature in which an obscure part of the law, say subparagraph (ii)(B) of paragraph (1)(c) about delivering a particular piece of paper, secretly holds the spell to make millions of votes disappear. It depends on a wildly implausible sequence of events and a whiff of magical legalism, with a basic misunderstanding of what legal rules are for.

    Another example is the armchair detective mystery, with the promise that if you squint just right, you can find the clues that finally solve the big crime. This type of piece often centers on alleged voter fraud, making a legitimate loss feel more palatable by suggesting it’s theft instead. The thing is, these are usually murder mysteries with no dead bodies. People motivated to play detective will often find suspicious patterns in conduct that’s entirely lawful.

    A third version is a horror story, with jump scares at scale: tales of voter suppression predicting that evildoers will steal the election by preventing millions of legitimate voters from casting ballots that count.

    But there are practices and rules that can be obstacles to voting.

    There sure are. I’m a civil rights lawyer, so it’s worth noting that some election rules do make the process harder than it needs to be. Sometimes intentionally. Rules disenfranchising people with convictions offer a particularly stark version of that very real problem. We’ve got an obligation to keep making the election process better.

    But these electoral process porn articles often portray the system as an endless nightmare of procedural hurdles. That’s not reality for most of the electorate.

    Democrats and others have criticized Trump and his followers in the GOP for destroying confidence in our elections. Yet much of this kind of what you label “porn” comes from Democrats and progressives. Doesn’t this also diminish people’s confidence in the election’s integrity?

    Yes. And it diminishes people’s confidence in the power of their vote. I think it would be somewhat less harmful if it were paired with a message of empowerment, like, “Here is what people are trying to do to take power. But it’s not going to work. And you can ensure your voice counts by registering and casting your ballot.”

    A person drops off a mail-in ballot on Oct. 15, 2024, in Doylestown, Pa.
    Hannah Beier/Getty Images

    I don’t mean to shake my finger at writers who are trying to present information in a way that draws readers in. But the tone of these columns, and the degree to which they empower or discourage, matters. These process-porn pieces are at their worst when the voters are peripheral, when the articles say, “This is being done to you, and there’s really nothing you can do about it other than get angry and give us money.”

    We’re getting pretty close to Election Day, which is the culmination of the vote. Are there legitimate problems that voters should be aware of?

    There will be some bumps, sure. Until humans figure out how not to make mistakes, there will be issues that crop up. It’s a good thing that for most Americans, voting is a period of time, rather than a single day. That gives opportunities to catch and address the problems.

    The U.S. election process is remarkably robust. Everyone saw that in 2020, the most scrutinized election in the nation’s history, during the middle of a pandemic. The system was stress-tested in ways beyond anyone’s wildest imagination, and it responded remarkably well.

    There’s always work to improve the voting system – the Constitution reminds Americans to work toward a “more perfect union.” But the fact that we can and should do better should not shake people’s confidence in the integrity of the election results overall.

    The Electoral College means that a few thousand voters in a few swing states are going to decide the winner. It’s going to be up to those voters, flat out – who decides to cast a ballot and who they decide to vote for – not a deus ex machina. The election process is designed to tell us who we chose, not to determine the answer without us.



    Read more:
    Why Pennsylvania is the key to a Harris or Trump Electoral College victory

    Of course, it has happened that a presidential election came down to 537 votes in a single state – remember Florida in 2000. When it’s that close, everything matters. A butterfly ballot flaps its wings in one part of the country and the answer changes nationwide.

    But 537 votes is an anomaly. The elections of 2016 and 2020 were very close in the states that determined the Electoral College results – but still nowhere near Florida-in-2000 close.

    And because of all the fail-safes built into the system, even very close is something the election process can handle. I’m very confident that the voters are going to decide this election, not the lawyers or the courts.

    Electoral process porn is adult fiction. In the real world, it turns out “The Key To The Whole Thing This Time” isn’t a process quirk. It’s us.

    Professor Levitt served as the country’s first White House Senior Policy Advisor for Democracy and Voting Rights, from 2021-2022.

    – ref. Don’t panic reading ‘electoral process porn’: There are plenty of safeguards to make sure voters’ wishes are respected – https://theconversation.com/dont-panic-reading-electoral-process-porn-there-are-plenty-of-safeguards-to-make-sure-voters-wishes-are-respected-241403

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Women are at a higher risk of dying from heart disease − in part because doctors don’t take major sex and gender differences into account

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Amy Huebschmann, Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

    Rates of heart disease and cardiac events in women are often underestimated. eternalcreative/iStock via Getty Images

    A simple difference in the genetic code – two X chromosomes versus one X chromosome and one Y chromosome – can lead to major differences in heart disease. It turns out that these genetic differences influence more than just sex organs and sex assigned at birth – they fundamentally alter the way cardiovascular disease develops and presents.

    While sex influences the mechanisms behind how cardiovascular disease develops, gender plays a role in how health care providers recognize and manage it. Sex refers to biological characteristics such as genetics, hormones, anatomy and physiology, while gender refers to social, psychological and cultural constructs. Women are more likely to die after a first heart attack or stroke than men. Women are also more likely to have additional or different heart attack symptoms that go beyond chest pain, such as nausea, jaw pain, dizziness and fatigue. It is often difficult to fully disentangle the influences of sex on cardiovascular disease outcomes versus the influences of gender.

    While women who haven’t entered menopause have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than men, their cardiovascular risk accelerates dramatically after menopause. In addition, if a woman has Type 2 diabetes, her risk of heart attack accelerates to be equivalent to that of men, even if the woman with diabetes has not yet gone through menopause. Further data is needed to better understand differences in cardiovascular disease risk among nonbinary and transgender patients.

    Despite these differences, one key thing is the same: Heart attack, stroke and other forms of cardiovascular disease are the leading cause of death for all people, regardless of sex or gender.

    We are researchers who study women’s health and the way cardiovascular disease develops and presents differently in women and men. Our work has identified a crucial need to update medical guidelines with more sex-specific approaches to diagnosis and treatment in order to improve health outcomes for all.

    Gender differences in heart disease

    The reasons behind sex and gender differences in cardiovascular disease are not completely known. Nor are the distinct biological effects of sex, such as hormonal and genetic factors, versus gender, such as social, cultural and psychological factors, clearly differentiated.

    What researchers do know is that the accumulated evidence of what good heart care should look like for women compared with men has as many holes in it as Swiss cheese. Medical evidence for treating cardiovascular disease often comes from trials that excluded women, since women for the most part weren’t included in scientific research until the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993. For example, current guidelines to treat cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure are based primarily on data from men. This is despite evidence that differences in the way that cardiovascular disease develops leads women to experience cardiovascular disease differently.

    Gender biases in health care influence the kind of tests and attention that women receive.
    FG Trade Latin/E+ via Getty Images

    In addition to sex differences, implicit gender biases among providers and gendered social norms among patients lead clinicians to underestimate the risk of cardiac events in women compared with men. These biases play a role in why women are more likely than men to die from cardiac events. For example, for patients with symptoms that are borderline for cardiovascular disease, clinicians tend to be more aggressive in ordering artery imaging for men than for women. One study linked this tendency to order less aggressive tests for women partly to a gender bias that men are more open than women to taking risks.

    In a study of about 3,000 patients with a recent heart attack, women were less likely than men to think that their heart attack symptoms were due to a heart condition. Additionally, most women do not know that cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death among women. Overall, women’s misperceptions of their own risk may hold them back from getting a doctor to check out possible symptoms of a heart attack or stroke.

    These issues are further exacerbated for women of color. Lack of access to health care and additional challenges drive health disparities among underrepresented racial and ethnic minority populations.

    Sex difference in heart disease

    Cardiovascular disease physically looks different for women and men, specifically in the plaque buildup on artery walls that contributes to illness.

    Women have fewer cholesterol crystals and fewer calcium deposits in their artery plaque than men do. Physiological differences in the smallest blood vessels feeding the heart also play a role in cardiovascular outcomes.

    Women are more likely than men to have cardiovascular disease that presents as multiple narrowed arteries that are not fully “clogged,” resulting in chest pain because blood flow can’t ratchet up enough to meet higher oxygen demands with exercise, much like a low-flow showerhead. When chest pain presents in this way, doctors call this condition ischemia and no obstructive coronary arteries. In comparison, men are more likely to have a “clogged” artery in a concentrated area that can be opened up with a stent or with cardiac bypass surgery. Options for multiple narrowed arteries have lagged behind treatment options for typical “clogged” arteries, which puts women at a disadvantage.

    In addition, in the early stages of a heart attack, the levels of blood markers that indicate damage to the heart are lower in women than in men. This can lead to more missed diagnoses of coronary artery disease in women compared with men.

    The reasons for these differences are not fully clear. Some potential factors include differences in artery plaque composition that make men’s plaque more likely to rupture or burst and women’s plaque more likely to erode. Women also have lower heart mass and smaller arteries than men even after taking body size into consideration.

    Reducing sex disparities

    Too often, women with symptoms of cardiovascular disease are sent away from doctor’s offices because of gender biases that “women don’t get heart disease.”

    Considering how symptoms of cardiovascular disease vary by sex and gender could help doctors better care for all patients.

    One way that the rubber is meeting the road is with regard to better approaches to diagnosing heart attacks for women and men. Specifically, when diagnosing heart attacks, using sex-specific cutoffs for blood tests that measure heart damage – called high-sensitivity troponin tests – can improve their accuracy, decreasing missed diagnoses, or false negatives, in women while also decreasing overdiagnoses, or false positives, in men.

    Our research laboratory’s leaders,collaborators and other internationally recognized research colleagues – some of whom partner with our Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus – will continue this important work to close this gap between the sexes in health care. Research in this field is critical to shine a light on ways clinicians can better address sex-specific symptoms and to bring forward more tailored treatments.

    The Biden administration’s recent executive order to advance women’s health research is paving the way for research to go beyond just understanding what causes sex differences in cardiovascular disease. Developing and testing right-sized approaches to care for each patient can help achieve better health for all.

    Amy Huebschmann receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart Lung Blood Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the United States Health Resources and Services Administration and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government.

    Judith Regensteiner receives funding from the National Institutes of Health focused on sex differences in the cardiovascular consequences of type 2 diabetes. She also has a mentoring grant from the NIH.

    – ref. Women are at a higher risk of dying from heart disease − in part because doctors don’t take major sex and gender differences into account – https://theconversation.com/women-are-at-a-higher-risk-of-dying-from-heart-disease-in-part-because-doctors-dont-take-major-sex-and-gender-differences-into-account-233861

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Colonialism’s legacy has left Caribbean nations much more vulnerable to hurricanes

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Farah Nibbs, Assistant Professor of Emergency and Disaster Health Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

    Hillside streets can quickly become muddy rivers during hurricane rains in the islands. Estailove St-Val/AFP via Getty Images

    Long before colonialism brought slavery to the Caribbean, the native islanders saw hurricanes and storms as part of the normal cycle of life.

    The Taino of the Greater Antilles and the Kalinago, or Caribs, of the Lesser Antilles developed systems that enabled them to live with storms and limit their exposure to damage.

    On the larger islands, such as Jamaica and Cuba, the Taino practiced crop selection with storms in mind, preferring to plant root crops such as cassava or yucca with high resistance to damage from hurricane and storm winds, as Stuart Schwartz describes in his 2016 book “Sea of Storms.”

    The Kalinago avoided building their settlements along the coast to limit storm surges and wind damage. The Calusa of southwest Florida used trees as windbreaks against storm winds.

    In fact, it was the Kalinago and Taino who first taught the Europeans – primarily the British, Dutch, French and Spanish – about hurricanes and storms. Even the word ‘hurricane’ comes from Huracán, a Taino and Mayan word denoting the god of wind.

    But then colonialism changed everything.

    A French advertising card from around 1900 depicts colonial power in Guadeloupe, with a trader sitting comfortably among sacks of cotton, cocoa and coffee while islanders work in the field.
    Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    I study natural disasters in the Caribbean, including how history molded responses to disasters today.

    The current disaster crisis that the Caribbean’s small islands are experiencing as hurricanes intensify did not start a few decades ago. Rather, the islands’ vulnerability is a direct result of the exploitative systems forced upon the region by colonialism, its legacies of slave-based land policies and ill-suited construction and development practices, and its environmental injustices.

    Forcing people into harm’s way

    The colonial powers changed how Caribbean people interacted with the land, where they lived and how they recovered from natural hazard events.

    Rather than growing crops that could sustain the local food supply, the Europeans who began arriving in the 1600s focused on exploitative extractive economic models and export cash crops through the plantation economy.

    They forced Indigenous people off their lands and built settlements along the coast, which made it easier to import enslaved peoples and goods and to export cash crops such as sugar and tobacco to Europe – and also left communities vulnerable to storms. They also developed settlements in low-lying areas, often near rivers and streams, which could provide transportation for agricultural produce but which became flood risks during heavy rains.

    Homes built to the water’s edge in Saint-Martin, an overseas collectivity of France, were devastated when Hurricane Irma hit in 2017.
    Helene Valenzuela/AFP via Getty Images

    Today, more than 70% of the Caribbean’s population lives along the coast, often less than a mile from the shore. These coastlines are not only highly exposed to hurricanes but also to sea-level rise fueled by climate change.

    Legacies of slave-based land policies

    Colonialism’s legacy of land policies has also made recovery from disasters much harder today.

    When colonial powers took over, a few landowners were given control of most of the land, while the majority of the population was forced onto marginal and small areas. The local population had no legal right to the land, as the people did not possess land certificate titles or deeds and were often forced to pay rent to landlords.

    After independence, most island governments tried to acquire land from former plantations or estates and to redistribute it to the working class. But these efforts, mainly in the 1960s and ’70s, largely failed to transform land ownership, improve economic development or reduce vulnerability.

    One colonial legacy perpetuating vulnerability to this day is known as crown land, or state land. In the English-speaking Caribbean, all land for which there was no land grant was considered property of the British crown. Crown land can be found in every English-speaking island to this day.

    How colonial powers controlled the Caribbean over time.

    For example, in Barbuda, all land is vested in the “crown in perpetuity” on behalf of Barbudans. This means that an individual born on the island of Barbuda cannot individually own land.

    Instead, land is communally owned, which limits access to the credit and development opportunities that were sorely needed to reconstruct the island after Hurricane Maria in 2017. Most Barbudans were unable to insure their homes because they had no title deeds to their property.

    This and other collective land tenure systems created by colonialism places Caribbean residents at greater risk from a variety of natural hazards and limits their ability to seek financial credit for disaster recovery today.

    The roots of poor construction

    Vulnerability to disasters in the Caribbean also has roots in post-slavery housing construction and subsequent failures to institute proper building codes.

    After emancipation from slavery, freed people had no right nor access to land. To build houses, they were forced to lease land from the former enslavers who at a whim could terminate their employment or kick them off the land.

    This led to the development of a particular type of housing structure known as chattel houses in countries such as Barbados. These houses are tiny and were constructed in a way in which they could be easily taken apart and loaded onto carts, should the residents be forced out by their former enslavers. Many Bajans still live in these houses today, although quite a few have been converted to restaurants or shops.

    Chattel houses are still used as homes in Barbados.
    Shardalow via Wikimedia, CC BY

    In Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, owned by the Dutch, slave huts were built along the coast, on land not suitable for agriculture and easily damaged by storms. These former slave huts are now tourist attractions, but the colonial patterns of settling along the coast has left many coastal communities exposed to hurricane damage and rising seas.

    The vulnerability of such houses is not only a result of their exposure to natural hazards but also the underlying social structures.

    Slave huts were built on the coast in Bonaire, where they were vulnerable to storm surge.
    Leslie Ket via Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    In many islands today, poorer residents can’t afford protective measures, such as installing storm shutters or purchasing solar-powered generators.

    They often live in marginal and disaster-prone areas, such as steep hillsides, where housing tends to be cheaper. Houses in these areas are also often poorly constructed with low-grade materials, such as galvanized sheeting for roofs and walls.

    This situation is made worse by the informal and unregulated nature of residential housing construction in the region and the poor enforcement of building codes.

    Due to the legacy of colonialism, most housing or building standards or codes in the Commonwealth Caribbean are relics from the United Kingdom and in the French Antilles from France. Building standards across the region lack uniformity and are generally subjective and uncontrolled. Financial limitations and staffing constraints mean that codes and standards more often than not remain unenforced.

    Progress, but still a lot of work to do

    The Caribbean has made progress in developing wind-related building codes to try to increase resilience in recent years. And while damage from torrential rain is still not properly addressed in most Caribbean building standards, scientific guidance is available through the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology in Barbados.

    Individual islands, including Dominica and Saint Lucia, have new minimum building standards for recovery after disasters. The island of Grenada is hoping to guide new construction as it recovers from Hurricane Beryl. Trinidad and Tobago has developed a national land use strategy but has struggled to use it.

    Construction standards can help the islands build resilience. But work remains to be done to overcome the legacy of colonial-era land policies and development that have left island towns vulnerable to increasing storm risks.

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

    – ref. Colonialism’s legacy has left Caribbean nations much more vulnerable to hurricanes – https://theconversation.com/colonialisms-legacy-has-left-caribbean-nations-much-more-vulnerable-to-hurricanes-231913

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The whip-poor-will has been an omen of death for centuries − what happened to this iconic bird of American horror?

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jared Del Rosso, Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology, University of Denver

    An illustration, drawn and engraved, of an eastern whip-poor-will, by Richard Polydore Nodder. Florilegius/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    In one of the most haunting scenes of Stephen King’s 1975 novel “Salem’s Lot,” a gravedigger named Mike Ryerson races to bury the coffin of a local boy named Danny Glick. As night approaches, a troubling thought overtakes Mike: Danny has been buried with his eyes open. Worse, Mike senses that Danny is looking through the closed coffin back at him.

    A mania overcomes Mike. Prayers run through his head – “the ways things like that will for no good reason.” Then more disturbing thoughts intrude: “Now I bring you spoiled meat and reeking flesh.” Mike leaps into the hole he’s dug and furiously shovels soil off the coffin. The reader knows what he’s going to do, but ought not to do, next: Mike will open the coffin, freeing whatever Danny has become.

    Enter the whip-poor-wills. Several of them, King writes, “had begun to lift their shrilling call,” the demand for violence that gives the species its name: whip-poor-will.

    This isn’t the first time whip-poor-wills appear in “Salem’s Lot,” nor is it the last time King would invoke them in his work. But despite the importance of the species to King, whip-poor-wills never appear in film and television adaptations of “Salem’s Lot.”

    Released on Oct. 3, 2024, the most recent adaptation of “Salem’s Lot” incorporates birdsong but makes little use of them. Here and there, an American crow or blue jay calls. Sparrowlike chirps pepper scenes at night. And as Mike unburies the undead Danny, the less threatening call of a barred owl replaces that of whip-poor-wills.

    The whip-poor-will got its name from the male’s three-note call that sounds like it’s wailing, ‘Whip poor will.’

    As a cultural sociologist writing a book about eastern whip-poor-wills, I’m interested in this omission not because it reflects an unfaithful recreation of King’s novel. Rather, I see the erasure of whip-poor-wills from “Salem’s Lot” as a symptom of broader ecological changes, one in which species loss is also tied to cultural loss.

    The horror of the night

    As least as early as Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the call of whip-poor-wills, a member of the nocturnal nightjar family, haunted American fiction.

    Perhaps the best known whip-poor-wills in American horror appear in H.P. Lovecraft’s novella “The Dunwich Horror.” Lovecraft references the species nearly two dozen times in his story, with the birds often appearing around the deaths of the Whateley family, who live in the fictional town of Dunwich, Massachusetts.

    By behaving in ways that real whip-poor-wills never do, Dunwich’s nightjars symbolize the horrors the Whateleys unleash on the townspeople. The birds also act as psychopomps: beings who guide the souls of the newly deceased to the afterlife.

    Horror writer H.P. Lovecraft.
    Wikimedia Commons

    Dunwich’s whip-poor-wills remain in the town until Halloween – “unnaturally belated,” Lovecraft writes – as they chant in unison with the dying breaths of Whateleys. (Indeed, most whip-poor-wills leave the Northeast by the end of September, and they usually don’t coordinate their singing.) But though whip-poor-wills are essential to the plot of “The Dunwich Horror,” another common owl, this one a great horned owl, replaces whip-poor-wills in the 1970 film adaptation of Lovecraft’s story.

    King, too, uses whip-poor-wills to great effect. In “Jerusalem’s Lot,” the short story King later published as a prelude to “Salem’s Lot,” whip-poor-wills haunt the Maine town. And in his 1989 novel “The Dark Half,” King references the lore of whip-poor-wills as psychopomps.

    Lovecraft’s and King’s fictional whip-poor-wills draw on widespread Indigenous, European and American beliefs about the species. A whip-poor-will singing near one’s home was an especially ominous sign, usually meaning that death would soon take someone in the house. An 1892 article in the American Journal of Folklore documents this belief in King’s home state, Maine. It also offers a story, probably apocryphal, as evidence: “A whippoorwill sang at a back door repeatedly; finally, the woman’s son was brought home dead, and the corpse brought into the house through the back door.”

    Birds and belief disappear

    For the better part of the 19th and early 20th centuries, whip-poor-will lore circulated among people who encountered the bird. Outside of the world of folklore studies, you can find passing mention of ill omens in the nature writing of Henry David Thoreau and Susan Fenimore Cooper, though neither gave credence to these superstitions. Into the 20th century, local newspapers continued to share lore about the birds with their readers.

    But as erasure of the species from horror suggest, broader cultural familiarity with whip-poor-wills has atrophied. In one exception, “Chapelwaite,” a 2021 television series based on King’s “Jerusalem’s Lot,” the characters explicitly discuss the birds’ behaviors, so that viewers understand the reference.

    The cultural erasure of whip-poor-wills mirrors the species’ actual decline. Conservationists estimate that eastern whip-poor-will populations have declined by about 70% since the 1970s. This decline is likely leading to what the naturalist Robert Michael Pyle calls the “extinction of experience.” Pyle reasons that when a species declines, people lose opportunities to encounter it in local landscapes and are less likely to be familiar with it in the first place.

    Such declines also drive social and cultural losses. This is most stark when a species goes extinct. Consider the passenger pigeon. As the writer Jennifer Price shows in her book “Flight Maps,” the life of Americans was once entwined with the species. When massive flocks of passenger pigeons arrived, communities gathered to hunt the birds, which were once an integral part of the American diet. Now, however, the species is remembered almost exclusively as a symbol of human-induced extinction.

    A passenger pigeon pictured in the early 20th century, shortly before the species went extinct.
    Bettmann/Getty Images

    Similarly, the decline of common birds alters people’s relationships to the environment. For instance, in the U.K., the decline of house sparrows robs landscapes of the beloved sight and sound of a once ubiquitous species. The loss of common cuckoos, meanwhile, means that spring arrives in the U.K. without its iconic song.

    Beyond cultures of loss

    I think we are witnessing similar cultural changes with whip-poor-wills. Their absence in the adaptations of King’s work mirrors their absence both in the landscape and in people’s lives. But though loss and grief rightfully characterize many people’s relationship with whip-poor-wills and other declining species, I want to make a case for hope.

    On one hand, there’s reason to be hopeful about the possibility of conservation: Whip-poor-wills appear to respond well to forest management practices that create diverse forests with a mix of younger and older trees. Many places where whip-poor-wills breed have active conservation plans to support the bird and other species that share their habitats.

    Nor are whip-poor-wills culturally extinct.

    After all, readers still find their way to the works of Lovecraft and King. These and other enduring references to the species offer people an opportunity to find their way back to the bird – and to what the species meant to all those who have cared for them.

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

    – ref. The whip-poor-will has been an omen of death for centuries − what happened to this iconic bird of American horror? – https://theconversation.com/the-whip-poor-will-has-been-an-omen-of-death-for-centuries-what-happened-to-this-iconic-bird-of-american-horror-240873

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Solve for Tomorrow OpEd: The Greatest Untapped Resource in STEM Are Hispanic Students

    Source: Samsung

    As Hispanic Heritage Month segues into Global Diversity Awareness Month, Instructional Technology Specialist for New Mexico’s Gadsden Independent School District Saul Nunez, who guided his Santa Teresa High School student team to a National Finalist honor in the 2022-2023 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, focused attention on underappreciated opportunities that science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and careers offer for Hispanic students in the U.S.
    Saul Nunez, Instructional Tech Specialist for New Mexicos Gadsden Independent School District, a Samsung Solve for Tomorrow alum.
    His Opinion piece, ”Let’s expand our kids’ vision of what’s possible,” in The El Paso Times highlighted that:
    “Hispanic youth represent an underutilized resource for a society that needs a vibrant STEM workforce. Between 2023 and 2033, STEM jobs are projected to grow by 10.4%, far above the 3.6% growth in non-STEM jobs. The Hispanic community is among the fastest-growing U.S. populations; with both youth and entrepreneurial spirit on our side. The more we can encourage Hispanic students’ participation in STEM, the better off all America will be.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: Acceleware Selected to Attend the Chile-Canada Mining Innovation Summit

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Acceleware Ltd. (“Acceleware” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: AXE), a leading innovator of transformative technologies targeting the decarbonization of industrial process heat, is very pleased to announce that it is one of 10 companies selected by The Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA) and by Chilean mining operators to attend the Chile-Canada Mining Innovation Summit (CCMIS) on October 24, 2024 in Santiago, Chile. In addition, Acceleware will participate in Global Mining Group’s (GMG) Santiago Forum, “Igniting Action: Building the Mines of The Future Today” on October 22- 23, 2024.

    The intent of CCMIS is to focus on accelerating the adoption of new technologies and sustainable practices in mining and is ideally suited for Acceleware to present potential benefits of EM Powered Heat to operators and mining equipment innovators active in Chile. As part of the commitment under the Canada/Chile memorandum of understanding signed at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) 2024 conference in Toronto, the CCMIS summit will enable Canada to leverage its leadership in Chile’s world-class mining industry. This collaboration will promote the sustainable use of natural resources and uphold Canada’s position as a leader in clean, efficient technologies and smart mining innovations.

    “Acceleware is very excited to be heading to Santiago, Chile for these two events, where we will have the opportunity to network with mining companies and innovators including BHP, Codelco, Glencore, Teck, Hatch, South32, Anglo Gold and others. These events are specifically focused on bringing together operators and innovators who are actively working to evaluate decarbonization opportunities and deploy electrification technologies like ours,” said Geoff Clark, Chief Executive Officer. “We see a significant opportunity for our mining decarbonization technologies to be of interest there, especially given that Chile is the world’s largest copper producer with one third of world production and reserves, and is also a leading producer of molybdenum, gold, silver and lithium.”

    In addition to having the opportunity to showcase its technology and solutions, Acceleware will also engage in pre-arranged meetings with Chilean mine operators, integrators and industry leaders. MICA will share an update on collaboration or pilot projects that result from the CCMIS initiative at PDAC 2025 in Toronto.

    About Acceleware
    Acceleware is an advanced electromagnetic (EM) heating company with highly scalable EM solutions for large industrial applications. The Company’s solutions provide an opportunity to economically electrify and decarbonize industrial process heat applications previously considered difficult to abate, which could have a significant impact on global GHG emissions.

    Acceleware is piloting RF XL, its patented low-cost, low-carbon EM thermal production technology for heavy oil and oil sands that is materially different from any heavy oil recovery technique used today. The Company is also working with a consortium of world-class potash partners on a pilot project using its patented and field proven Clean Tech Inverter (CTI) to decarbonize drying of potash ore and other minerals. Acceleware is actively developing partnerships for EM heating of other industrial applications in mining, steel, agriculture, cement, hydrogen and other clean fuels.

    Acceleware and Saa Dene Group (co-founded by Jim Boucher) have created Acceleware | Kisâstwêw to raise the profile, adoption, and value of Acceleware technologies. The partnership is intended to improve the environmental and economic performance of industry by supporting ideals that are important to Indigenous peoples, including respect for land, water, and clean air.

    Acceleware is a public company listed on Canada’s TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol “AXE”.

    About MICA
    MICA was created on July 9, 2021 through an investment of $40 million from the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund. MICA is a $112.4 million pan-Canadian initiative bringing together stakeholders from a wide range of fields to accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative technologies to make the mining sector more productive and sustainable.

    Disclaimers

    This news release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “continues”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “believes” or “intends” or variations or negatives of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results “may” or “could”, “would”, “might”, “shall” or “will” be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

    In this news release, forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, statements relating to the benefits of CTI electrification, and future development plans and timing. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Company. The material facts and assumptions include initial studies of applicability of CTI technology to industrial applications are accurate, third party estimates of market size are correct, and the timeline estimates are reasonable. Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in this news release due to certain material risk factors. The Company cautions the reader that the above list of risk factors is not exhaustive and additional risk factors risk factors are described in detail in Acceleware’s continuous disclosure documents, which are filed on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Due to the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

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

    For further information:
    Geoff Clark, CEO
    Tel: +1 (403) 249-9099
    geoff.clark@acceleware.com
    Acceleware Ltd.
    435 10th Avenue SE
    Calgary, AB, T2G 0W3 Canada
    Tel: +1 (403) 249-9099
    http://www.acceleware.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Medical school task group meets

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau and Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin today co-chaired the first meeting of the Task Group on New Medical School to discuss strategic directions and major parameters for the establishment of a third medical school in Hong Kong.

    The task group concluded that the third medical school should adopt an innovative strategic positioning in pursuit of complementary development with the two existing medical schools.

    It recommended that the curriculum design of the new medical school should be accorded top priority and that the medical curriculum should meet the requirements stipulated by the Medical Council of Hong Kong.

    The task force also required that arrangements should also be made for medical students to undergo adequate clinical training to ensure they are well equipped with both professional knowledge and clinical skills to safeguard the interest of patients.

    Additionally, the new medical school should set out a forward-looking and long-term development plan for its campus and teaching facilities, as well as an interim arrangement for a campus and a teaching hospital if admission of students is essential before the long-term facilities are available, alongside strategies to ensure financial soundness.

    Prof Lo said the establishment of a third medical school is a significant project in the development of medical education in Hong Kong.

    “Not only will it attract global talent and nurture more outstanding doctors to reinforce the city’s healthcare system in the sustainable provision of healthcare services with enhanced quality and quantity, but also serves to promote high-quality development in medical education and research, dovetailing with the city’s development as an international hub for medical training, research and innovation.”

    Noting that the establishment of a new medical school will elevate Hong Kong’s position as an international education hub, Ms Choi supplemented that the scope of local medical teaching and research will be expanded through an innovative curriculum design and diversified student recruitment arrangements, complementing the goals of nurturing future talent and promoting the “Study in Hong Kong” brand.

    Land will also reserved in the Northern Metropolis Ngau Tam Mei for the new medical school campus and the associated integrated medical teaching and research hospital.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Investments in Warfighter Sustainment: Arrival of USS Oscar Austin

    Source: United States Navy

    The Oscar Austin departed Norfolk, Va., September 30, after being homeported there since its commissioning Aug. 19, 2000, and is now assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 60 / Commander, Task Force (CTF) 65 and U.S. 6th Fleet, now the fifth DDG in Rota with a sixth to follow.

    Oscar Austin is ballistic missile defense, anti-submarine, and anti-surface warfare capable.

    NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Sigonella (FLCSI) Site Rota has been preparing for the arrival for years to ensure the crew and their families, approximately 500 people, can be properly supported with mailing and household goods services.

    “NAVSUP FLCSI plays a huge role in behind-the-scenes logistics,” said Commander Travis Miller, NAVSUP FLCSI Site Rota director. “We strive and take strategic action to meet the operational needs of the forward-deployed ships, and in parallel, support the needs of the crew and their families.”

    FLCSI is responsible for all material processing, shipping, receiving and woodworking since the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) turned over their largest warehouse and its responsibilities to NAVSUP in 2020. While everything, including the storage containers for fuels, was built before the arrival of the first DDG to Site Rota in 2014, FLCSI has been investing to improve the support of all operational forces operating out of this base.

    “Moving a ship to a new homeport is a very big deal,” said Andrew Benson, the FLCSI executive director, who attended the ceremony. “The new sailors and their families have property that needs to be shipped overseas. They have letter mail and Amazon packages coming into our post offices. We have to figure out how to store more fuel and more parts for the ships. This is what we do at FLCSI; we sustain the warfighter. This isn’t something that just happens, we’ve been planning for this for a long time to ensure we are ready to support.”

    Prior to Oscar Austin’s arrival, the mail center in NAVSTA Rota was at 98 percent capacity for boxes on site. With the arrival of USS Oscar Austin, the estimated growth was 250 new mailboxes. To prepare, NAVSUP FLCSI Site Rota added 360 new mailboxes with plans for a fleet mail center expansion to improve functionally and storage on site.

    NAVSUP FLCSI, in conjunction with NAVSUP headquarters, identified a need for more manpower resulting in a proposed increase of 24 additional personnel being added to NAVSUP FLCSI Site Rota to support this growth in mission.

    “We’ve had considerable growth in all products and services supporting all customers across the Iberian Peninsula,” Miller said. “The Oscar Austin is the acute eyes on target that is arriving, but the base footprint itself has grown considerably.”

    Over the last two years, NAVSUP FLCSI Site Rota has seen an increase of 500 household goods shipping transactions to support new sailors and their families. This number doesn’t include the other increases in manning around the base as new units move in to support the ships.

    The arrival of the Oscar Austin and the other DDGs doesn’t impact just Rota; it makes an impact on FLCSI sites around the region as the ships move through their areas of responsibility.

    “As these additional ships operate throughout our critical area of responsibility, we are likely to be supporting them from every site across the FLCSI enterprise,” Benson said. “Our wonderful team of logistics professionals is standing by to support the Oscar Austin and all the other DDGs that now call Rota their home as the move throughout the region.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Risk Strategies Acquires George W. Blaisdell Insurance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Risk Strategies, a leading national specialty insurance brokerage and risk management firm, today announced the acquisition of George W. Blaisdell Insurance, a well-established agency focused on employee benefits based in Hampton Falls, NH. The acquisition further enhances the presence and capabilities of the Risk Strategies Employee Benefits Practice in its New England region. Terms of the deal were not announced.

    Founded in 1988 by its principal, George W. Blaisdell, the agency has been a successful, specialized provider of employee benefits insurance and related services to clients across the New England region. The agency primarily specializes in designing and delivering group benefit plans to employers of all sizes. It also offers individual health and Medicare supplements, as well as 401k services.

    “We are excited to welcome George W. Blaisdell Insurance to the Risk Strategies family,” said John Greenbaum, National Employee Benefits Practice Leader, Risk Strategies. “Their expertise and strong reputation in the employee benefits space align perfectly with our strategic goals. We look forward to using our combined strengths to build new business and deliver exceptional value to our clients.”

    Company founder George W. Blaisdell brings over 35 years of experience and specialty expertise in providing clients with expert guidance and robust employee benefits plans. With a diverse client base throughout New England across various industries, Blaisdell is dedicated to designing and delivering group plans tailored to meet the unique needs of organizations of all sizes.

    “Joining Risk Strategies is a significant milestone for our agency,” said Blaisdell. “With their resources and support, we can continue to grow and provide our clients with even better service and solutions. We are thrilled to become part of such a dynamic specialty organization.”

    Blaisdell is the second benefits-focused addition to the Risk Strategies National Benefits Practice in the New England Region this year. In June, it was announced that Risk Strategies had acquired Baker Benefit Group, with operations in Maine and Connecticut.

    Additionally, Risk Strategies made two other benefits-focused acquisitions in 2023: Connecticut-based May, Bonee & Clark in April and Massachusetts-based Strategic Benefit Solutions in September.

    Other notable acquisitions in the New England region in recent years include Gerard B. Tracy Associates in 2019, CBG Benefits in 2018, and Mosse & Mosse Associates in 2017.

    “We have one of the industry’s most knowledgeable employee benefits practice,” said Ed Flanagan, New England Region Leader, Risk Strategies. “Adding Blaisdell to the group is further demonstration of our commitment to deepening this expertise at all levels of the organization.”

    To learn more about Risk Strategies, please visit riskstrategies.com.

    About Risk Strategies

    Risk Strategies, part of Accession Risk Management Group, is a North American specialty brokerage firm offering comprehensive risk management services, property and casualty insurance and reinsurance placement, employee benefits, private client services, consulting services, and financial & wealth solutions. The 9th largest U.S. privately held broker, we advise businesses and personal clients, have access to all major insurance markets, and 30+ specialty industry and product line practices and experts in 200+ offices – Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Grand Cayman, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington, DC. RiskStrategies.com

    Media Contact:

    Brittany Gould

    Senior Account Executive

    rsc@matternow.com

    978.518.4506

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Rosneft and the Ministry of Tourism of the Samara Oblast Present the “Zhiguli Weekend” Motor Tourist Route

    Source: Rosneft

    Headline: Rosneft and the Ministry of Tourism of the Samara Oblast Present the “Zhiguli Weekend” Motor Tourist Route

    Rosneft and the Ministry of Tourism of the Samara Oblast presented the “Zhiguli Weekend” motor tourist route, which runs along the region’s landmark and most picturesque locations.

    Rosneft is committed to the development of domestic automobile tourism and aims to create comfortable conditions for car travellers. One of Rosneft’s key objectives is to enhance the quality of its roadside assistance and customer service at its filling stations.

    The route presentation was held at a Rosneft filling station in Samara. Egor Okhotnikov, a notable navigator of LADA Sport ROSNEFT racing team, took part in the event.

    The tourist route “Zhiguli Weekend” runs through Samara, Togliatti, Syzran and unique landscapes and locations of the region. Tourists can efficiently use their travel time and immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Volga region thanks to well-designed logistics. Rosneft filling station app makes it easy to find the nearest filling station along the route.

    In the historic city of Syzran, guests will be introduced to the region’s only Kremlin. It was built in 1683 and is recognized as an object of national cultural heritage.

    In the “Russia’s car capital” Togliatti tourists will be able to visit the AVTOVAZ museum, as well as the production site of LADA Sport ROSNEFT, the leading team in Russian circuit racing, whose title sponsor for many years is Rosneft.

    Samara, the capital of the region, will surprise travelers with the longest five-kilometer waterfront. From any point of the waterfront there is a breathtaking panoramic view of the Volga River. In the historical part of the city visitors will be welcomed by the museum-appartment of the author of “The Golden Key” Alexei Tolstoy, an art museum and a unique underground structure – Stalin’s bunker, 37 metres deep.

    Along the way, motor tourists can visit other cultural sights of the region: the old village Shiryaevo, where Ilya Repin wrote sketches for the painting “Barge Haulers on the Volga”, a Gothic castle on the shore of the Zhiguli Sea (Kuybyshev Reservoir) and much more.

    The route also includes unique natural monuments: Samarskaya Luka National Park and Zhiguli Nature Reserve. This year the Samarskaya Luka National Park celebrates its 40th anniversary. Rosneft’s Samara Enterprises have been supporting the national park’s projects for 13 years, the most significant of which is the study and preservation of the population of the Red Book white-tailed eagle.

    Samara Oblast is one of Rosneft’s strategic regions of operation. The Company is present in the region with a powerful full-cycle production complex, including scientific and project support, oil and gas production, oil and gas processing, oil refining, production of lubricants, additives and catalysts, as well as a retail network. Large enterprises such as Samaraneftegaz, Kuibyshev Refinery, Novokuibyshevsk Refinery, Syzran Refinery, Novokuibyshevsk Oil and Additives Plant, Novokuibyshevsk Petrochemical Company, and Samaranefteprodukt operate in Samara Oblast.

    Rosneft’s network of filling stations is the largest in the region, covering all major highways in key tourist destinations, including the M-5 highway, as well as highways leading to neighboring regions: the Republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, Ulyanovsk, Saratov and Orenburg Oblasts. In the Samara Oblast there are 77 stations of the company, where you can fuel your car with high-quality fuel, have a comfortable rest in a cafe or buy goods you need on the road.

    Rosneft filling stations with well-developed infrastructure will help to make traveling along the “Zhiguli Weekend” route as comfortable as possible.

    Reference:

    Rosneft’s retail network is the largest in the Russian Federation in terms of geographical coverage and number of stations, and the Rosneft filling station brand is one of the leaders in Russia in terms of recognition and fuel quality. The retail chain of the Company covers 61 Russian regions. The Company has a network of approximately 3,000 operating filling stations. In addition to high-quality fuel, the Company offers its customers a wide range of goods and services – from shops and cafes to roadside assistance.

    Earlier, Rosneft signed memorandums on cooperation in the development of domestic tourism with the Moscow City Tourism Committee, the Krasnoyarsk and Altai Territories, the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Republic of Udmurtia, and the Arkhangelsk, Samara, Voronezh and Ulyanovsk Regions, and the Stavropol Krai.

    In 2023, Rosneft launched a special information and service platform “Russian Horizons: Come With Us!”. The special project allows car tourists to choose and plan routes to places of interest using the infrastructure of Rosneft’s network of motorway services and filling stations.

    Rosneft
    Information Division
    August 21, 2024

    Keywords: Social News 2024

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Happy Valley-Goose Bay — RCMP Traffic Services Labrador continues traffic enforcement, six vehicles seized

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Traffic Services Labrador is continuing traffic enforcement between Sheshatshiu and Happy Valley-Goose Bay with a number of motorists ticketed for various offences over the past weekend.

    On October 18, 2024, at approximately 1:15 p.m., police stopped a vehicle on Route 520 near Sheshatshiu. The driver, a 37-year-old man, was driving while prohibited and was arrested. The man was released from custody and is set to appear in court at a later date to answer to charges of driving while prohibited and breach of a probation order.

    A short time later, police stopped an unregistered vehicle on Route 520 near Sheshatshiu. The driver, a 49-year-old man, was operating an uninsured vehicle with a suspended driver’s licence. The man was ticketed for the offences.

    On October 19, 2024, at approximately 1:15 p.m., police stopped a vehicle on Route 520 near Sheshatshiu that had been unregistered since 2014. In addition, the vehicle was uninsured and the driver, a 35-year-old man, had a suspended licence. The man was ticketed for the violations.

    Approximately an hour later, police stopped a suspected prohibited driver operating a vehicle on Route 520 near Sheshatshiu. The 37-year-old man was confirmed as driving while prohibited and was arrested. The man was released from custody and is set to appear in court at a later date to answer to a charge of driving while prohibited.

    On October 20, 2024, at approximately 1:00 p.m., police stopped a vehicle on Route 520 near Goose River. The driver, a 32-year-old man, who was operating the vehicle with a suspended licence, provided a roadside breath sample that was above the provincial limit for alcohol. The man was issued a further licence suspension and was ticketed for operating a vehicle while suspended.

    Later that evening, at approximately 7:00 p.m., police stopped an unregistered vehicle on Royal Street in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The driver, a-49-year-old man, was operating an uninsured vehicle. He was ticketed for both offences.

    All six vehicles were seized and impounded. RCMP NL Traffic Services remains dedicated to road safety and the enforcement of the Highway Traffic Act.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/BANGLADESH – Archbishop of Dacca: “We have faith in the work of the interim government”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Dhaka (Agenzia Fides) – “The interim government in power in Bangladesh is doing its best, working against corruption and for transparency. The executive, led by Mohammad Yunus, is made up of people who seem sincerely committed to the good of society,” said the Archbishop of Dhaka, Bejoy D’Cruze, OMI, to Fides about the present and future of the South Asian country where a student uprising between July and August 2024 led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India. “The interim government gave itself about two years to carry out the necessary reforms in the country, listening to the representatives of the student movement, civil society, political movements and religious communities,” he reports. “I met Yunus and he assured me that he is committed to respecting the rights of all, including those of religious minorities such as Hindus and Christians,” D’Cruze continued. Meanwhile, Yunus announced the establishment of six commissions to deal with reforms in as many areas as possible: electoral system, police, judiciary, anti-corruption, public administration and the constitution. “The issues on the agenda are diverse and challenging, and we need time to take the right steps. I believe that the Bangladeshi people must now be patient and confident. It is important that democracy is always protected, that the rights of religious and ethnic minorities are guaranteed, that the secularity of the state is not abandoned and that the rule of law is always respected and promoted,” the archbishop hopes. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has in recent days begun trials for crimes against humanity committed during anti-government protests in July and August, issuing arrest warrants for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 45 others, including several prominent members of the Awami League, Hasina’s party. The new government reinstated the court and appointed judges who have examined more than 60 complaints of crimes against humanity and genocide. Former Prime Minister Hasina is implicated in over 200 investigations for murders, attempted murders, kidnappings and other crimes. Recalling the days of protests, the archbishop said: “In truth, no one expected such a major turnaround. The former prime minister had ruled for three terms and was accused of political manipulation, corruption and lack of transparency. Her government was then harsh towards any political opposition and restricted freedom of opinion, conscience and speech. After initial protests, the police responded with strong violence, which further inflamed tempers and increased the scale of the revolt, which ultimately led to the fall of the government,” the Archbishop notes. “It was a shock for many, but it must be said that the country needed a change. Now we are trying to build a just and peaceful future. It is true that we are in a transitional phase of uncertainty, that the protests have not yet completely subsided and that there have been some problems, for example for the Hindu communities, which have suffered unfounded aggression. There is a fear that radical Islamist groups could seize the opportunity and recruit new followers. As Bangladeshi Catholics, we have confidence and hope in the good work and goodwill of the Yunus government, which we hope will lead the country into a new historic phase of stability, justice and prosperity,” Archbishop D’Cruze concludes. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 22/10/2024)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/NIGER – Another world is possible when invisible chains are recognized as such

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 22 October 2024

    by Mauro ArmaninoNiamey (Agenzia Fides) – Pierluigi Maccalli, who was held hostage for more than two years by Salafist-inspired groups, has returned to Niger, the place of his kidnapping, to spend a few days (see Fides, 7/10/2024). This return coincides with the same date on which his captivity began in the savannah of Burkina Faso and then in the immense Sahara desert. A beginning and an end.Between these symbolic moments, two years of solitude in captivity, marked by chains that accompanied him during the long starry nights of the desert. Since then, Pierluigi has been very attentive to the progress in negotiations for other hostages like him, held in the Sahel and elsewhere. His chains were of freedom, as they transformed him into a hostage of peace, of words and of unarmed hands. However, for those who have not had the same dramatic and privileged destiny as his friend and confrere mentioned, life can pass as if they were prisoners, without realizing it or without wanting it. Sometimes, they may even prefer to live as hostages to avoid risking what is most dangerous in life: freedom. Pierluigi saw, felt and suffered the chains at his feet. For about a month, he was chained day and night to a chain one meter and twenty centimeters long. Only dogs, perhaps, can understand what that means for a person accustomed to moving, traveling and deciding where to go. There are those who do not realize that they are chained, just as Pierluigi was, and are content with the food offered to them in their daily lives.There are hostages of misery, created, reproduced and accepted as unavoidable, and sometimes maintained because that is how the world seems to have worked since the world began. Some are born to live as slaves, resigned to their destiny written in a book of sand, while others can decide the kind of future they will have for themselves and their children. There are also hostages of the humanitarian world that thrives right where the cry of those suffering from a disease that kills more than war resonates loudest: hunger. Hostages who, often, have never been told that what is written in the book of destiny is nothing more than sand scattered by the wind. A different world is possible when invisible chains are recognized.In the Sahel, this extraordinary space of history, cultures, traditions, conflicts and adventures, there are still hostages of fear. Fear of the present, of the possible arrival of armed groups that impose the law and death. Fear of tomorrow: sowing, harvesting, granaries, the taxes to be paid per person, forced conversions and recruitment into the jihadist nebula, which trades in religion, gold, drugs, weapons and the best years of the young. Fear of denunciation that turns everyone into a suspect, even within families and villages where for decades there has been relative harmony and acceptance of differences. Then come the fostered identities that are exclusive, deadly and divisive.Finally, there are hostages who are perhaps less recognizable and, perhaps for that reason, more harmful. They are the hostages of the lie, which prevails through rhetoric that justifies the means to an end. They associate, support, justify, defend and align themselves with the dominant thought of the moment. Politics becomes irrelevant and human rights are a commodity of ideological change, because what matters is the good of the people, as a group of “enlightened” people, often armed. Hostages who infiltrate what remains of the parties, unions, media and even the medals of merit in the field. My friend Pierluigi was right. He said that they can chain the feet but not the heart and the spirit. As a reminder of his time in captivity, he has carried with him a link of the chain. To remember that only those who have carried the chains risk their lives for the freedom of others. (Agenzia Fides, 22/10/2024)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Empowering Türkiye’s Energy Sector: The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) And SAMPA Sign Eur 15 Million Term Sheet

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    For further details, please contact:Nabil El-Alami
    Communications & Corporate Marketing Division Manager
    nalami@isdb.orgSampa, a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicle parts based in Türkiye, has transformed from a small workshop into a globally recognized industry leader. With a robust global presence across multiple industries, the company is dedicated to innovation, sustainability, and promoting equal opportunities within its workforce. Through strategic expansion, Sampa has established a foothold in key markets across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) is a multilateral development financial institution and a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group. Established in November 1999, ICD supports the economic development of its member countries through financing private sector projects, promoting competition and entrepreneurship, providing advisory services to governments and private companies, and encouraging cross-border investments. ICD is rated by international credit agencies, including A2 by Moody’s, A+ by Fitch, and A- by S&P.

    ICD aims to complement the activities of IsDB and national financing institutions in member countries by focusing on private sector institutions across various activities and operations in full compliance with the principles of Islamic Shari’ah. The organization focuses its financing on development projects such as infrastructure and private equity funds that aim to create job opportunities and encourage exports. For more information, please visit: http://www.ICD-PS.org.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: [User Guide] Unlock New Possibilities With Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra

    Source: Samsung

     
    The Galaxy Tab series serves as a versatile companion to professionals who prioritize work-life balance, supporting both work and leisure. The lightweight, portable design maximizes productivity with powerful multitasking capabilities during the workday — while the rich selection of entertainment and streaming features elevates relaxation after work.
     
    The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is Samsung Electronics’ first AI-powered tablet and latest premium offering. Through various features optimized for a larger screen, the device has garnered enthusiastic responses from Galaxy fans and set a new standard for next-generation tablets. Samsung Newsroom explored how the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra can support modern individuals as they pursue balance in their work and personal lives.
     

     
     
    Unleashing the Power of AI on an Ultra-Large Screen
    The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra boasts the largest screen in the Galaxy Tab series so far — and with the integration of Galaxy AI, the device has become even more capable. Designed to be a dependable tool for professionals who frequently handle extensive documents and search for various resources online, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is poised to significantly enhance work efficiency.
     
    ▲ (From left) The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Circle to Search
     
    When viewed vertically, the huge 14.6-inch screen allows users to read large amounts of text without the need to scroll through multiple pages. The screen can be divided into three sections to create a multitasking environment that improves productivity and adapts to individual workflows.
     
    Circle to Search, a feature that enables instant searches with a simple gesture, becomes even more powerful with the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. Streamlined for the massive screen, this intuitive image-based search can display more results and information than before.
     

    ▲ Press and hold the Home button, then tap Translate to instantly translate comments on social media.
     

    ▲ Translation
     
    Furthermore, the large screen proves invaluable when viewing resources on social media or PDF documents in foreign languages. With a press of the Galaxy AI button, PDF files are translated in real time. The Translation feature allows users to absorb information quickly and efficiently.
     
     
    Making Meetings Smarter From Note-Taking to Minute-Taking
    Meetings are an integral part of work, but lengthy sessions can make keeping track of information and conversations difficult. The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra offers a smarter way to participate in meetings and stay organized with features designed for efficient note- and minute-taking.
     
    ▲ Note Assist
     
    Note Assist is handy for meetings since the feature records users’ voices and automatically transcribes the content. AI technology will summarize meetings and provide translations if necessary, allowing users to focus entirely on the discussions at hand. What’s more, Galaxy AI assists in taking minutes — significantly reducing the time required for post-meeting tasks.
     

    ▲ Handwriting mode
     
    The benefits of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra continue even after meetings end. The tablet’s large screen provides a comprehensive view of the conversation’s flow, ensuring that key points can be reviewed without missing any details. When jotting down notes in a hurry, users need not worry about messy handwriting. Handwriting mode enhances the legibility of scribbles by leveling text, aligning lines, adjusting word spacing and more. Now, users can keep their notes neat and organized to make reviews a breeze.
     
     
    Working Without Boundaries Anytime, Anywhere
    ▲ More portable than ever, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra can serve as a secondary monitor for a laptop.
     
    Although the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra has the largest ever screen in the Galaxy Tab series, the device remains comfortably portable with a sleek 5.4-mm thickness and lighter weight when compared to its predecessor. Perfect for different working styles, the tablet can be taken anywhere — whether that’s home, a café or a coworking space.
     
    For those with a laptop, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra’s Second screen feature is a game-changer. By connecting the tablet to a laptop, users can extend or duplicate their screen to enhance productivity and multitask on a larger workspace.
     
    ▲ The Book Cover Keyboard with the AI Assistant key allows the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra to be used like a laptop.
     
    Equipped with a Book Cover Keyboard and Bluetooth mouse, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra works just like a laptop. Both the Book Cover Keyboard and Book Cover Keyboard Slim accessories include a dedicated key for instant access to AI Assistant. With a single tap, users can work smarter and more efficiently.
     

     
    The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra takes after-work leisure to the next level by elevating creativity, enhancing entertainment and enriching enjoyment of life’s simple pleasures.
     
     
    Transform Sketches Into Masterpieces With S Pen

    ▲ Sketch to Image with the S Pen
     
    True to its title as an AI tablet, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra’s S Pen also leverages AI. By simply picking up the S Pen and pressing the pen-shaped icon on the right side of the screen, users can activate Air Command for a range of AI capabilities. Sketch to Image automatically transforms simple sketches into high-quality images through AI recognition. These images can then be rendered into various styles — including watercolor, illustration, pop art and 3D cartoon — making it easy for anyone to create art. The tablet’s large screen further enhances this experience, providing a spacious digital canvas for unleashing creativity.
     
     
    Playing Immersive Games With Uninterrupted Performance
    
    ▲ The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra offers smooth gameplay for even the most demanding games.
     
    The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra handles demanding, high-performance mobile games by leveraging the advanced cooling system to prevent the tablet from overheating, even during extended gaming sessions.
     
     
    Maximizing Immersion for Unparalleled Viewing Experiences

     
    The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra’s 14.6-inch screen provides an immersive experience for both video watching and gaming. The Dynamic AMOLED 2X display delivers accurate colors and crisp, high-definition images as the 120Hz refresh rate supports smoother transitions. While the anti-reflection screen minimizes glare, Vision Booster adjusts the display based on external brightness for more comfortable viewing.
     
    ▲ Go to Sound quality and effects in Settings and select Dialogue Boost
     
    Notably, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra’s Dialogue Boost uses AI technology to analyze voices and isolate conversational speech for enhanced clarity when watching content on YouTube or streaming platforms. To activate this feature, select Sound quality and effects under Settings and tap Dialogue Boost. Users will be able to more clearly hear conversations in TV and movies for a fully immersive experience.
     

     
    After a long day at work, relaxing in bed while watching YouTube or streaming videos is truly one of life’s small pleasures. The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra enhances these moments by offering superior picture and sound quality along with convenient features to enrich leisure time beyond mere content consumption.
     
    The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra delivers a comprehensive mobile experience on an expansive screen — improving productivity and maximizing immersion through its unique Galaxy AI features. For today’s professionals, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra will be a premium tablet bringing new meaning to work-life balance.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Dot plots for the Eurosystem? | Speech at Harvard University

    Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English

    Check against delivery.
    1 Introduction
    Ladies and gentlemen,
    it is a great pleasure to be at Harvard again, to meet long time companions like Hans-Helmut Kotz and to exchange ideas with top scientists such as Benjamin Friedman. When I was in this round two years ago, we were dealing with an unprecedented global inflation spike.[1] Fortunately, the worst is behind us, and inflation in the euro area is heading back to the Eurosystem’s target. We have not brought the inflation ship safely back into the 2% harbour, but the port is in sight. Thus, I can focus on another question today.
    Before I do that, let me share an analogy to set the stage for my discussion. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the field of economics was split into two seemingly incompatible schools of thought: New Keynesian and New Classical. Their proponents were not too polite in their language, calling assumptions “foolishly restrictive” or comparing an opponent to someone attempting to pass himself off as Napoleon Bonaparte.[2] But, over time, ideas from both camps ultimately merged to form a consensus called the New Neoclassical Synthesis, the very foundation of modern macroeconomics.[3] Gregory Mankiw neatly described this story in his essay “The Macroeconomist as Scientist and Engineer”.[4]
    The takeaway from this analogy is that complex issues are rarely black or white. With this in mind, I want to explore whether the conduct of monetary policy in the euro area could be enhanced by offering more detailed and nuanced information regarding its future outlook. More specifically, today I will address the following question: Should the Eurosystem introduce dot plots?
    To explore this, I will first examine current experience with dot plots and other forms of forward guidance in both the United States and the euro area. I will then evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating dot plots into the Eurosystem’s communication strategy. In this analysis, I will concentrate on the implications for policymakers’ independence, the effectiveness of monetary policy and the management of uncertainty.
    2 The dot plot and other forms of forward guidance
    Let me begin with some basics. Most central banks in advanced economies have a clear mandate to keep prices stable. They do this mainly by setting the policy rate and communicating their decisions in order to manage the expectations of economic agents, including market participants, households and firms. When central banks provide explicit signals about the future path of the policy rate, we call it forward guidance.
    We can classify forward guidance into two ideal types: “Odyssean” and “Delphic”.[5] Odyssean forward guidance means the central bank makes a firm commitment to a future course of action, like promising to keep interest rates at a certain level for a certain time. Like Odysseus, who famously tied himself to the mast of his ship to resist the call of the sirens, central banks are committing to staying on course – whatever the future brings.
    In contrast, Delphic forward guidance is conditional and involves sharing information about the central bank’s economic outlook and policy intentions without making firm commitments. This term comes from the Oracle of Delphi, famous for its prophecies and predictions, which were so ambiguous and open to interpretation that they always seemed to be borne out in hindsight. A prime example of Delphic forward guidance is the policy rate forecasts published by central banks such as Norges Bank and Sweden’s Riksbank.
    A more subtle way of monetary policy communication is through the central bank’s reaction function. A reaction function indicates how the central bank adjusts its policy rate in response to key macroeconomic variables like the inflation rate or economic growth. When economic agents have a clear understanding of this reaction function, communication about the expected development of these macroeconomic variables can also help shape their expectations regarding the future trajectory of the policy rate.
    2.1 The Fed’s dot plot
    To consider if the Eurosystem should introduce dot plots, let me briefly recall what the Fed dot plots are and how market observers view them. Twelve years ago, the Fed began publishing the federal funds rate projections of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) participants. Its intention was to boost transparency and communication with financial markets and the general public. On the other side of the Atlantic, the Eurosystem has, from its inception, held public press conferences and published monetary policy statements, the minutes of its meetings, and the results of its quarterly macroeconomic projections.
    As you are well aware, before the FOMC meeting, FOMC participants share their individual assessment of the appropriate level of the fed funds rate for the end of the current year, the end of the coming two to three years and over the longer run. The longer run projection refers to “each participant’s assessment of the value to which each variable would be expected to converge, over time, under appropriate monetary policy and in the absence of further shocks to the economy.”[6]
    Due to its visual representation in the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP), the combined projections of all FOMC members are known as the dot plot. These dots complement the FOMC participants’ projections for GDP growth, unemployment and inflation. While each FOMC participant submits their funds rate projection together with corresponding projections for macroeconomic variables, these correspondences are not revealed by the SEP. Accordingly, market observers cannot directly link the interest rate projections to the projections of the other macro variables.
    The dot plot was meant to complement the Fed’s communication, not to replace the forward guidance it provided in the monetary policy statement at that time during the press conference. For example, in January 2012, the FOMC statement provided explicit forward guidance on rates, saying that the Committee “[…] anticipates that economic conditions […] are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate at least through late 2014.”[7] During the accompanying press conference, Chairman Ben Bernanke introduced the dot plot, observing that “[…] eleven participants expect that the appropriate federal funds rate at the end of 2014 will be at or below 1 percent, while six participants anticipate higher rates at that time.”[8]
    Although the Federal Reserve did not introduce the dot plots as an explicit tool for forward guidance, many market analysts began to interpret them as such. When the forward guidance in the statement and the dot plot sent mixed signals, FOMC chairs often downplayed the dot plot’s importance.
    In 2014, Janet Yellen famously stated: “[…] one should not look to the dot plot, so to speak, as the primary way in which the Committee wants to or is speaking about policy […].”[9] Similarly, in 2019, Jerome Powell noted that “[…] the dot plot has, on occasion, been a source of confusion. Until now, forward guidance in the statement has been a main tool for communicating committee intentions and minimizing that confusion.”[10]
    And this is also how Fed watchers now see the dot plot, ranking it as the Fed’s fifth most important communication tool.[11] The top communication tools are the press conference, the Summary of Economic Projections (excluding the dots), the FOMC statement, and speeches by the chair.
    Numerous studies show that the Fed has successfully used monetary policy communication to influence long-term interest rates and other asset prices.[12] And some research suggests that the dot plots significantly and independently influence market interest rates. [13] But there is a fundamental issue about these results: it is very challenging to determine how much each communication channel contributes to the overall effect.
    To identify the causal effect of monetary policy, scholars often define a so-called event window around central banks’ monetary policy meetings. Changes in market interest rates during this event window are then attributed to monetary policy.
    But there is a problem: when the dot plot is released, it is published together with the monetary policy statement. That makes it hard to determine which one caused the interest rate changes observed during the event. And because of this, it is unclear whether those channels actually provide complementary information or are just substitutes.
    2.2 Monetary policy communication at the Eurosystem
    So, what does the Eurosystem’s monetary policy communication look like? The Eurosystem began using explicit forward guidance in the introductory statement to its July 2013 meeting. At that time, inflation in the euro area was low, and the Eurosystem expected underlying price pressures to stay subdued in the medium term. Interest rates were already at the effective zero lower bound.
    To provide further accommodation, the ECB’s Governing Council, which is the counterpart of the FOMC, announced in its July 2013 meeting that it “expects the key ECB interest rates to remain at present or lower levels for an extended period of time.”[14] The Governing Council continued to use variations of this statement for almost a decade. And there is now also ample evidence that the Eurosystem has been successful in implementing its forward guidance.[15]
    With the resurgence of inflation in 2021 and high uncertainty caused by major shocks and structural changes, the Eurosystem shifted to a data-dependent, meeting-by-meeting approach, largely stepping away from explicit forward guidance.
    More specifically, we now base our interest rate decisions on three elements: first, our assessment of the inflation outlook in light of the incoming economic and financial data, second, the dynamics of underlying inflation, and third, the strength of monetary policy transmission. These three elements can be seen as a further specification of our reaction function. However, the Governing Council does not pre-commit to any specific rate path.
    Taken together, apart from the publication of the dot plot, the approaches to monetary policy communication taken by the Federal Reserve System and the Eurosystem are largely comparable. Both institutions regard the monetary policy statement and the press conference as their primary communication tools. And both central banks have recently shifted from explicit forward guidance towards a data-dependent meeting-by-meeting approach.
    But the Eurosystem also continues to provide signals about future policy rates. It simply does it more implicitly. For example, the wording of the monetary policy statement and the answers of the ECB President during press conferences provide insights into future policy rates. As do speeches and interviews given by Governing Council members. Additionally, the Eurosystem influences market expectations through its quarterly staff projections.[16]
    Unlike some other central banks, the Eurosystem uses the interest rate implied by financial market prices on a specific cut-off day as a conditioning assumption for its macroeconomic projections. Specifically, this means that our medium-term inflation forecast aligns with market expectations for a particular policy rate path. Market participants can subsequently compare the exogenous path for the policy rate, as embedded in our macroeconomic projections, with our actual monetary policy decisions, in order to gain insights into our reaction function.
    You could say that the Eurosystem provides Athenian communication. Athena was known as the Goddess of wisdom and as a protector and guide to many Greek heroes. Rather than communicating directly with those she protected, Athena often used indirect guidance. And through her subtle guidance, Athena empowered the heroes she protected to take decisive action and make wise choices.
    3 A dot plot for the Eurosystem?
    Now, let us get to the heart of the matter. Should the Eurosystem introduce dot plots? Although this question can only be answered “yes” or “no”, complex issues are rarely black and white, as mentioned earlier.
    In the following, rather than simply listing the pros and cons of introducing dot plots in the Eurosystem, I will structure my discussion around three themes: First, the impact dot plots could have on the independence of the Eurosystem. Second, the potential for dot plots to improve the effectiveness of our monetary policy communication. And third, the role dot plots could play in capturing projection uncertainty around our baseline forecasts.
    Throughout, I will only consider adding projections for the policy rates to the existing macroeconomic projections by Eurosystem staff. For simplicity, I will not consider whether to also complement our current consensus projections for macroeconomic variables with individual macroeconomic projections.
    3.1 Independence
    Let me begin with the theme of independence. The ECB’s Governing Council consists of the six ECB Executive Board members and the 20 governors of the euro area’s national central banks. Although this setting may resemble that of the Federal Open Market Committee, which includes Federal Reserve Bank Presidents, there is a significant difference.
    The euro area is not composed of regions within a single country but of individual countries within a larger union, each with its own fiscal authority and national laws, as well as considerable differences in economic size and performance. Therefore, within the Governing Council we have a strong interest in finding and communicating a consensus perspective. This is, for example, enshrined in our statute, which states that the proceedings of the meetings of the Governing Council are confidential.
    When we discussed introducing ECB accounts from our Governing Council meetings – comparable to the published minutes of FOMC meetings – about a decade ago, we aimed to balance two things: On the one hand, to clearly articulate the consensus perspective. Yet on the other hand to represent the full spectrum of views in order to help market participants better understand the ECB Governing Council’s decision-making process.[17]
    In the end, the Eurosystem decided to represent the full spectrum of the discussion without naming individuals. Nevertheless, despite the anonymity of the arguments presented, markets and the media alike continue to attempt to discern the identities of the individuals behind them. Given that numerous members of the Governing Council express their views on monetary policy through speeches and interviews, identifying their positions is not a particular challenge.
    If there were anonymous dot plots of Governing Council members, media and the markets alike would probably attempt to match individual members to each dot as well. The primary distinction between speeches and dot plots is that Governing Council members deliver speeches voluntarily. In contrast, dot plots would force all Governing Council members to regularly articulate their perspectives on the future trajectory of interest rates. And this could potentially influence the Governing Council’s independence.
    Once national stakeholders become aware of “their” representative’s views on future interest rates, they may exert pressure on the representative to align with national interests. I am confident that, even if we were to publish dot plots, every member of the Governing Council would continue to act independently and in the best interests of the entire euro area. However, I believe we are well advised not to put ourselves in a situation that might increase pressure on us to act in ways others want us to.
    3.2 Effectiveness of monetary policy communication
    My second theme is whether a dot plot could significantly enhance the Eurosystem’s effectiveness of monetary policy communication. And here I am sceptical. To begin with, there is the previously discussed issue: the dot plot may conflict with the consensus message conveyed in the monetary policy statement. But the main reason for my scepticism is that comparative studies on different methods of monetary policy communication are inconclusive.
    A BIS working paper shows that interest rate projections provide additional information to macroeconomic projections, meaning that they are not redundant.[18] That could be seen as an argument for introducing dot plots. However, while market participants in countries that publish both interest rate projections and macroeconomic projections prefer the former, they might still be able to obtain sufficient information from macroeconomic projections alone.
    Furthermore, research on central bank communication in Norway and Sweden shows that publishing interest rate projections has not improved market understanding of what new macroeconomic information implies for future interest rate.[19] In other words, the publication of interest rate paths did not help market participants better understand the central banks’ reaction functions.
    This finding aligns with research published by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand that shows that announcements with interest rate forecasts and those with only written statements lead to similar market reactions across the yield curve.[20] The authors pointedly conclude that, while central bank communication is important, the exact form it takes is less relevant.
    This result echoes a seminal study by Blinder and co-authors, who concluded back in 2008 that there was no consensus on what constitutes an optimal communication strategy.[21]
    All things considered, I see no compelling evidence that the Eurosystem’s monetary policy communication would be significantly enhanced by the introduction of a dot plot.
    3.3 Projection uncertainty
    Now to the third and final theme – uncertainty. I am quite sure that the Eurosystem has room to improve how we handle projection uncertainty. Currently, the ECB’s Governing Council summarises its view on the uncertainty surrounding economic growth and inflation in the risk assessment section of its monetary policy statement. More specifically, the Eurosystem addresses the uncertainty around its baseline inflation forecast in two ways.[22]
    First, it produces fan charts with symmetric ranges around the point forecast, based on past projection errors. In this setup, past projection errors act as a catch-all proxy for uncertainty. Second, it occasionally publishes risk scenarios, conditional on assumptions different from those in the baseline projection. For instance, during the pandemic, the Eurosystem began using alternative assumptions about the future path of infections and contact restrictions to illustrate macroeconomic uncertainty.
    Could the use of dot plots enhance the communication of inflation forecast uncertainty within the Eurosystem? Given that dot plots offer only an indirect method for conveying uncertainty about the inflation outlook, there may be more effective alternatives.
    One might be to enhance the communication of our existing measures of uncertainty. Another might be to develop new measures, such as scenario and sensitivity analyses, as well as improved fan charts. We must carefully evaluate the pros and cons of each approach.
    Hence, it is quite fitting that the Eurosystem is currently performing an interim strategic review, which includes an analysis of how risk and uncertainty should inform both policy decisions and policy communication. I’m already looking forward to the results.
    4 Conclusion
    Ladies and gentlemen, let me conclude. I began my talk by discussing different schools of thought – New Keynesian and New Classical – and argued that complex issues are rarely black or white. When it comes to central bank communication about the future, there are certainly many promising approaches. And, undoubtedly, dot plots are an intriguing instrument for central bank communication.
    However, given the prevailing evidence, I do not see a compelling case for introducing dot plots for the Eurosystem.
    On the other hand, I firmly believe that we can and should enhance how we account for uncertainty in our macroeconomic projections. I have outlined a few options which the Eurosystem will address in the ongoing strategy review.
    Footnotes:
    Nagel, J. (2022), The ECB’s mandate: maintaining price stability in the euro area, speech at the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University.
    Mankiw, G. (2006), The Macroeconomist as Scientist and Engineer, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 20(4), pp. 29-46.
    Goodfriend, M. and R. King (1997), The New Neoclassical Synthesis and the Role of Monetary Policy, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual, Bernanke, B. and J. Rotemberg (eds.), MIT Press, pp. 231-283.
    Mankiw, G. (2006), op. cit.
    Campbell, J. et al. (2012), Macroeconomic Effects of Federal Reserve Forward Guidance, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Vol. 43(1), pp. 1-80. Another distinction is between time-dependent (or calendar-dependent) and state-dependent forward guidance. The former ties monetary policy to a specific time frame, whereas the latter ties future policy actions to specific economic conditions or thresholds. The concepts can overlap and be used in combination.
    SEP: Compilation and Summary of Individual Economic Projections, 24-25 January 2012.
    FOMC Statement, 25 January 2012.
    Bernanke, B. (2012), Transcript of Chairman Bernanke’s Press Conference, 25 January 2012,
    Yellen, J. (2014), Transcript of Chair Yellen’s Press Conference, 19 March 2014.
    Powell, J. (2019), Monetary Policy: Normalization and the Road Ahead, speech at the SIEPR Economic Summit, Stanford Institute of Economic Policy Research, Stanford, California.
    Wessel, D. and S. Boocker (2024), Federal Reserve communication – survey results, Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings.
    See, for example, Gürkaynak, R. et al. (2005), Do Actions Speak Louder Than Words? The Response of Asset Prices to Monetary Policy Actions and Statements, International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, Vol. 1(1), pp. 55-93; Wright, J. (2012), What Does Monetary Policy Do to Long‐term Interest Rates at the Zero Lower Bound?, Economic Journal, Vol. 122(564), pp. 447-466; and Swanson, E. (2021), Measuring the effects of federal reserve forward guidance and asset purchases on financial markets, Journal of Monetary Economics, Vol. 118(C), pp. 32-53.
    See, for example, Couture, C. (2021), Financial market effects of FOMC projections, Journal of Macroeconomics, Vol. 67 and Hillenbrand, S. (2023), The Fed and the Secular Decline in Interest Rates, Accepted, Review of Financial Studies.
    Draghi, M. and V. Constâncio (2013), Introductory statement to the press conference (with Q&A), Frankfurt am Main, 4 July 2013.
    See, for example, Altavilla, C. et al. (2021), Assessing the efficacy, efficiency and potential side effects of the ECB’s monetary policy instruments since 2014, ECB Occasional Paper, No. 278; Andrade, P. and F. Ferroni (2021), Delphic and Odyssean monetary policy shocks: Evidence from the euro area, Journal of Monetary Economics, Vol. (117), pp. 816-832; Kerssenfischer, M. (2022), Information effects of euro area monetary policy, Economics Letters, Vol. 216(C); and Monetary Policy Committee, Taskforce on Rate Forward Guidance and Reinvestment (2022), Rate forward guidance in an environment of large central bank balance sheets: A Eurosystem stock-taking assessment, ECB Occasional Paper No. 290.
    The Eurosystem produces macroeconomic projections four times a year. ECB staff produces them in March and September. In June and December, they are co-produced by ECB and national central bank staff.
    See Morris, S. and H. Shin (2005): Central Bank Transparency and the Signal Value of Prices, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Vol.36(2), pp. 1-66 for a general treatment of the role of transparency.
    Hofmann, B. and D. Xia (2022), Quantitative forward guidance through interest rate projections, BIS Working Paper No. 1009.
    Natvik, G. et al. (2020), Does publication of interest rate paths provide guidance?, Journal of International Money and Finance, Vol. 103.
    Detmers, G.-A (2021), Quantitative or Qualitative Forward Guidance: Does it Matter?, Economic Record, Vol. 97(319), pp. 491-503.
    Blinder, A. et al. (2008), Central Bank Communication and Monetary Policy: A Survey of Theory and Evidence, Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 46(4), pp. 910-945.
    See ECB (2024), ECB staff macroeconomic projections for the euro area, March 2023, box 6 for a rundown.

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Local Plan plea for more brownfield sites to come forward

    Source: City of Canterbury

    Home  »  Latest News   »   Local Plan plea for more brownfield sites to come forward

    Owners of brownfield sites in the district that could be developed are being urged to come forward. 

    The plea is the latest part in the process of pulling together a draft Local Plan, the document that allocates land in the district for new homes, jobs, new schools, a new hospital and community uses. 

    Leader of the Council, Cllr Alan Baldock, said: “When we took office in May 2023, we decided to take a fresh look at the draft Local Plan and we consulted on our proposals in the spring of this year. 

    “While our draft already prioritised development on brownfield sites, the results of the consultation made it clear people wanted us to strain every sinew to try and find more. 

    “So, to make sure we leave no stone unturned, and before any final decisions on sites are made, we are asking people to come forward with potential brownfield sites within the district that are suitable, and available, for development. 

    “We are also open to hearing about a range of other types of sites that might be suitable too.” 

    This part of the Local Plan process is officially known as a Call For Sites and will run from 9am on Monday 21 October until 5pm on Monday 16 December. 

    Officers are keen to hear about new sites for any type of future use that have not been submitted before, and are particularly interested in: 

    • brownfield land that could be suitable and available for development for any future use (capable of accommodating a minimum of five dwellings or 500sqm floorspace) 
    • small and medium-sized sites (capable of accommodating a minimum of five dwellings up to around 100 dwellings) 
    • land that could be suitable for employment and commercial development (above 0.25ha or 500sqm floorspace)  
    • land that could be suitable for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation 
    • land that could be suitable for renewable energy schemes 

    The Call For Sites process follows a decision at the end of September by Canterbury City Council’s Cabinet to extend the current Local Plan timetable by around six to seven months so council officers could consider government changes to national planning policy which are coming down the track. 

    The deadline for a final draft has now moved from the one imposed by the last government of June 2025 to spring 2026. 

    The council will use this time to: 

    • digest the feedback it received from the consultation and what it should do about it 
    • think carefully, in light of that feedback and numerous other technical considerations, about where in the district the bigger sites, known as strategic allocations, that are needed to deliver the government’s housing targets should go. It has to be remembered housing targets are likely to be mandatory and the government has suggested the district’s target needs to go up ever so slightly 
    • keep talking to stakeholders such as Kent County Council, National Highways, Natural England, the Environment Agency, other councils etc 
    • continue to assess any potential sites that may come forward 
    • make progress on the modelling needed to test the council’s transport strategy is robust 
    • ensure its net zero and biodiversity net gain policy ambitions remain as robust as humanly possible 

    What is brownfield land? 

    A brownfield site is land which has previously been developed.  

    This usually means that it is occupied by a permanent structure, or has been in the past, including the curtilage of the developed land (although it should not be assumed that the whole of the curtilage should be developed) and any associated fixed surface infrastructure.  

    Typical brownfield sites might include land used for commercial or industrial purposes such as warehousing or offices and car parks.  

    It excludes land that: 

    • is or was last occupied by agricultural or forestry buildings 
    • was developed for minerals extraction or waste disposal by landfill, where provision for restoration has been made 
    • is in built-up areas such as residential gardens, parks, recreation grounds and allotments 
    • was previously developed but where structural remains have blended into the landscape 

    People can suggest brownfield land that is currently in use, but for a site to be able to deliver development in the future, it must be available for development now or likely to be available within the Local Plan timescales (up to 2040). 

    Find out more about the Call for Sites process.

    Published: 22 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Report calls for urgent action to reverse soil degradation in Europe

    Source: European Union 2

    Launched today at the EU Soil Observatory Stakeholder Forum, the 2024 State of Soils in Europe report assesses the state of soil degradation across the EU and other countries in the European Economic Area, including Ukraine, Türkiye, and the Western Balkans. The report shows alarming status and trends, with soil degradation getting much worse in recent years, and highlights the need for immediate action to reverse this trend. 

    For example, overall soil erosion is estimated to amount to 1 billion tonnes per year across the EU. At present date, approximately a quarter (24%) of EU soils are affected by water erosion, mainly in cropland, with projections referring to a possible increase of 13-25% by 2050. Unsustainable water erosion affects about a third (32%) of agricultural land. The mechanical agitation of soil, a common practice in agriculture, can also initiate soil degradation. This phenomenon, called tillage erosion, can have a significant impact on cultivated fields. Other forms of erosion include wind erosion and crop harvesting, among others.

    Nutrient imbalancesare also on the rise: they are now estimated to affect 74% of agricultural land. These changes to the composition of soil can have negative consequences. For example, nitrogen surplus is increasing and can be harmful to human health, crops, eco-systems, and the climate. Meanwhile, soil organic carbon, which is essential to keeping soil healthy, is decreasing in agricultural areas. An estimated 70 million tonnes of this organic carbon were lost from the mineral soils of croplands across the EU and UK between 2009 and 2018.

    The degradation of peatlands is also concerning. These wetlands are essential carbon sinks: they absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and store them, contributing to mitigate climate change. When they deteriorate, peatlands can release those gases back into the atmosphere. In the EU, peatland drainage is responsible for around 5% of total greenhouse gas emissions. 50% of peatlands in the EU are now estimated to be degraded, many of which have been irreparably damaged.

    Outside the EU, the situation is similarly dire – particularly in Ukraine, where military activities have caused severe soil destruction. Over 10 million of Ukraine’s 60 million hectares of land are estimated to be degraded because of Russia’s invasion. Recovery from this damage could take decades or even centuries. In Türkiye, approximately 1.5 million hectares of land have salinity issues, which can impact both agricultural productivity and ecosystem health. The Western Balkans have reported over 100 identified contaminated or potentially contaminated sites due to mining and industrial activities, although the true extent of soil pollution in these areas remains unknown.

    The importance of soil monitoring and new legislation

    The State of Soils in Europe report is a collaboration between the Joint Research Centre and the European Environment Agency. It sets out the scale of the problem facing Europe today, but it also aims to reinforce and build capacities among the soil research community, while enhancing the engagement of soil users and society.

    The EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) has already laid the foundation for better soil monitoring, using advanced tools to improve the quality of data on soil erosion, soil organic carbon levels, and nutrient imbalances. Together with other collaborations and soil monitoring networks, EUSO is also giving a clearer understanding of how agricultural practices and climate change are impacting Europe’s soils.

    The EU Soil Monitoring Law aims to ensure that soil degradation is assessed more accurately by creating a monitoring framework, to promote sustainable soil management and to identify potentially contaminated sites. It will standardise data collection across EU member states, ensuring that the insights gathered by EUSO and initiatives like the Land Use/Cover Area frame Survey (LUCAS-Soil) are implemented effectively.

    As part of the common agricultural policy (CAP), the sustainable use of agricultural soils is already supported through the CAP Strategic Plans in all Member States by a mix of mandatory and voluntary measures for farmers. For the period 2023-2027, 47% of the European farmland (compared to 15% in the past) will receive support for actions aimed at improving soils or avoiding soil degradation, including by water erosion. 

    The EU Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ is a large-scale applied R&D funding programme that supports the EU soil strategy, the upcoming Soil Monitoring Law, and the CAP. The Mission funds actions to establish harmonised soil health monitoring in the EU; to develop and promote the adoption of sustainable soil management practices and technologies to restore soil health; and to provide advice and education on soil health to managers and citizens. The Mission has invested €435 million so far and has created the first of a network of 100 living labs, with more than 1000 testing sites across a wide range of land-use sectors (agriculture, forestry, industry, urban and regional planning) across Europe. The Mission currently encompasses 50 projects, which are contributing to increase and improve the knowledge of the state of soils in the EU.  

    Protecting our soils: a shared responsibility

    Tackling soil degradation is vital for achieving the EU’s environmental, agricultural, and climate goals. The numbers are clear: soil degradation has worsened significantly in the last decade, but with collective action, enhanced monitoring, and legislative support, the EU can restore this vital resource and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

    Background:

    The EUSO Stakeholder Forum serves as the platform for the formal presentation of the 2024 report, bringing together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from across Europe. Discussions focus on future strategies for reversing soil degradation trends, with particular attention to the upcoming soil legislation and how it facilitates more comprehensive restoration efforts across the continent. With the EU Soil Strategy, the EU Soil Mission, and the Soil Monitoring Law on the horizon, the EU is positioning itself to implement coordinated actions that could dramatically improve soil health in the coming years.

    Related links

    JRC report: The state of soils in Europe

    Article in Nature: Policy implications of multiple concurrent soil erosion processes in European farmland

    European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC)

    EUSO Stakeholders Forum

    Land Use and Coverage Area frame Survey (LUCAS) project

    Soil health

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Conducts Second Multi-Large Deck Event with Italian ITS Cavour CSG

    Source: United States Navy

    MLDE provide the ships and aircrafts of the two naval forces, comprised of more than 7,500 U.S. and Italian Sailors and Marines, an opportunity to advance interoperability by carrying out integrated planning and coordination, communications, cross-deck leadership exchanges, a fast-roping exercise, and an air defense exercise to strengthen combined maritime operations and combat readiness.

    “The opportunity to exercise our interoperability with our Cavour CSG counterparts for a second time in our deployment, highlights our strategic advantage inherent to our network of strong alliances,” said Rear Adm. Adan Cruz, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 3. “We have seized every opportunity to fly and sail with our Italian counterparts to deepen our combined operational capacity anywhere in international waters.”

    During the event, Rear Adm. Giancarlo Ciappina, commander, Cavour Carrier Strike Group, hosted Cruz, aboard the ITS Cavour for a visit focused on building relationships.

    “We are proud to work once again alongside Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, after almost two months from our first interaction in the Pacific Ocean,” said Ciappina. “[It] has represented another precious opportunity to train together and to exchange experiences and knowledge, highlighting the versatility and flexibility of Navies operating on a global scale, wherever a presence is required to keep maritime lines of communication open and safe to strengthen our bonds and to enhance levels of cooperation with commitment to security.”

    This marks the second time the Abraham Lincoln CSG participated in an MLDE with the Italian Navy during the 2024 deployment. The previous event in August marked the first-ever MLDE between U.S. and Italian Navies in the Indo-Pacific.

    Participating ships in the MLDE included Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Integrated Air and Missile Defense Commander (IAMDC) USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr. (DDG 121), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS O’Kane (DDG 77) & USS Michael Murphy (DDG 111), assigned to Destroyer Squadron 21, Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550), Italian Frigate ITS Alpino (F 594), and Italian Multipurpose Combat Ship Raimondo Montecuccoli (P 432).

    Participating aircraft included MH-60S and MH-60R Sea Hawks, F/A-18E & F Super Hornets, E/A-18G Growlers, F-35C Lightning II, and E-2D Hawkeye, all assigned to Carrier Air Wing 9; and Italian F-35B Lightning II and AV-8B Harrier II assigned to Cavour CSG.

    Cruz and Ciappina conducted a conditions check via virtual teleconference prior to the commencement to ensure all participants were ready, Oct. 17. The exercise started with personnel exchanges where key Abraham Lincoln CSG leadership toured Cavour and Italian officers toured Abraham Lincoln. O’Kane and ITS Raimondo Montecuccoli conducted a joint live-fire exercise, while the embarked U.S. explosive ordnance disposal team conducted a subject matter expert exchange and fast rope exercise with Italian counterparts. The event concluded with a complex air defense exercise involving both CSG’s tactical aircraft.

    “It is an honor to once again have the opportunity to work jointly with our NATO Allies,” said Cruz. “I am grateful to Rear Adm. Ciappina and his entire crew of the ITS Cavour for their gracious hospitality aboard their ship. I am also grateful to continue training and operating together to drive interoperability forward.”

    Ciappina responded with his reflection on the MLDE.

    “I am very grateful to Adm. Cruz and to the whole crew of ABE CSG for their great effort and professionalism continuously shown during these challenging times for peace and international stability and that clearly confirm their strong commitment towards own common values, which are shared within the allied and partner Navies on a global scale,” concluded Ciappina.

    The Abraham Lincoln CSG stands ready to successfully conduct any mission essential to U.S. National security, spanning combat operations to integrated maritime operations with our allies and partners to maritime security and stability in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. It also operates postured to deliver unfaltering maritime force to deter, defend, and if necessary, defeat coercive behavior from those who seek to challenge the rules-based international order.

    The Abraham Lincoln CSG consists of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), embarked staffs of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Three and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21, squadrons of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) Nine, IAMDC USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121), and USS O’Kane (DDG 77), USS Spruance (DDG 111), and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112).

    CVW-9 consists of an F-35C squadron, the “Black Knights” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314; three F/A-18E/F Super Hornet squadrons, the “Tophatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14; “Black Aces” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, the “Vigilantes” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 151; “Wizards” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 133, operating the EA-18G Growler; “Wallbangers” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 117, operating the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye; “Chargers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 14 operating the MH-60S Sea Hawk; and “Raptors” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71, operating the MH-60R Sea Hawk.

    For more news from CSG-3, http://www.dvidshub.net/unit/USSAL-CVN72#

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Giftbit Makes Global Incentive Programs Easy, Automated, and Transparent

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SEATTLE and VICTORIA, British Columbia, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Giftbit, a digital rewards provider that helps companies increase revenue and productivity, today launched a major update to their rewards platform offering global reach, automation, and transparency.

    “The updated Giftbit platform is another step forward for the digital rewards industry, one that in the past has been characterized by waste, opaque pricing, and manual effort,” said Leif Baradoy, Giftbit’s CEO. “Companies can now launch a modern automated incentive program in just a few clicks and know exactly where and how their rewards budget is being used.”

    International Options Mean Something for Everyone

    The expanded global platform makes it easy for businesses of all sizes to incentivize employees, recruit research participants, and reward customers. Giftbit’s catalog now offers nearly 1000 gift card options, including dozens of options from countries in Europe, the UK, Australia, and India. In addition to the growing gift card options, Giftbit has also launched a new international prepaid card which can be used in over 100 countries.

    Ease of Use and Automation That Can Reach Participants in Any Country

    Giftbit’s platform is automation-first. Its single API can power an entire global rewards program, meaning nobody has to juggle dozens of contracts and technical setups. By running their incentives through Giftbit, companies can automate what were once mundane and time-consuming reward fulfillment tasks.

    For example, a market research firm can automatically send a digital gift card or prepaid card when a survey is completed or a sales organization can instantly reward employees when they hit a sales goal.

    Transparent Financials and Customer-Friendly Pricing

    Price transparency remains a core part of the newly expanded platform. In contrast to similar platforms, Giftbit gives customers a clear view into their program financials and offers innovative ways to save money or tap into revenue opportunities.

    “If you’ve been wanting to launch or grow a rewards program but you’ve been turned off by the effort required, a fear of being ripped off, or a clunky international setup, the updated Giftbit platform is for you,” added Baradoy.

    About Giftbit

    Giftbit is a leading platform for digital reward and payout fulfillment, designed to help businesses achieve their goals with effective incentive programs. Knowing that rewards work, Giftbit offers a robust catalog of gift cards and prepaid cards, along with easy integration and transparent pricing. Giftbit ensures businesses can effortlessly motivate their prospects, customers, partners, and employees. Learn more about Giftbit at http://www.giftbit.com.

    Media Contact
    Sergut Dejene
    sergut@propllr.com

    Giftbit Media Contact
    pr@giftbit.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks in Kyiv by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (As Delivered)

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Well, good afternoon.

    Thanks for welcoming me back to Kyiv, and to this proud academy.

    Director Nadolenko, I’m very grateful for those generous words.

    And speaking of outstanding diplomats: All Americans should be proud of our tireless and fearless ambassador, Bridget Brink. Ambassador, thanks for doing tremendous work.

    [Applause]

    Let me also thank my good friend, Minister Umerov. Rustem, thanks for that very kind introduction and for your tremendous service to your country.

    Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a great honor to be here with you today.

    I’d like to talk today about Ukraine’s just war of self-defense, and the road ahead.

    And I’d like to start by echoing the words of President Kennedy in his historic 1963 speech in Berlin.

    There are some who say that they don’t understand — or say they don’t understand — what is at stake between the free world and an aggressive tyrant like Putin.

    And I say to them: Let them come to Kyiv.

    There are some who say that both sides are to blame for Putin’s war of aggression.

    Let them come to Kyiv.

    There are some who blur the lines between aggressor and victim.

    Let them come to Kyiv.

    There are some who deny that the Kremlin targets Ukrainian civilians.

    Let them come to Kyiv.

    There are some who say that Ukraine isn’t a real nation.

    Let them come to Kyiv.

    And finally, there are some who claim that Ukraine lacks the courage to prevail.

    Let them come to Kyiv.

    Ladies and gentlemen, let us never forget how this war began.

    For years, Putin had harassed and assaulted the independent nation-state of Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, Putin crossed the line into an all-out invasion. And the Kremlin started the largest war in Europe since World War II.

    Now, Putin’s war of choice poses fundamental questions to every government and every person who seeks a decent and secure world.

    And so I ask today: Do rules matter?

    Do rights matter?

    Does sovereignty matter?

    I believe that they do.

    President Biden believes that they do.

    And every free citizen of Ukraine believes that they do.

    When the largest military in Europe becomes a force of aggression, the whole continent feels the shock.

    When a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council tries to deny self-rule to more than 40 million people, the whole world feels the blow.

    And when a dictator puts his imperial fantasies ahead of the rights of a free people, the whole international system feels the outrage.

    And so that’s why nations of goodwill from every corner of the planet have seen and have risen to Ukraine’s defense. And that’s why the United States and our allies and partners have proudly become the arsenal of Ukrainian democracy.

    America’s values call us to stand by a peaceful democracy fighting for its life. And America’s security demands that we stand up to Putin’s aggression.

    America’s security demands that we stand up to Putin’s aggression.

    Ukraine matters to U.S. security for four blunt reasons.

    Putin’s war threatens European security.

    Putin’s war challenges our NATO allies.

    Putin’s war attacks our shared values.

    And Putin’s war is a frontal assault on the rules-based international order that keeps us all safe.

    Now, this invasion hasn’t gone the way that the Kremlin planned. After 970 days of war, Putin has not achieved one single strategic objective.

    Not one.

    President Zelenskyy didn’t flee. Kyiv didn’t fall. And Ukraine didn’t fold.

    Instead, Russia has paid a staggering price for Putin’s imperial folly.

    Russian forces have suffered hundreds of thousands of casualties since February 2022. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Russian losses in just the first year of Putin’s war were more than Moscow’s losses in all of its conflicts since World War II—combined.

    And Russia has had to dig so deep into its Soviet stockpiles that it’s attacking Ukraine with tanks from the time of World War II.

    And Russia has squandered more than 200 billion dollars to sustain its invasion. And Russia has given up untold billions of dollars more in previously anticipated economic growth.

    Now, Ukraine has suffered terribly at Putin’s hands.

    Since February 2022, according to the U.N., Russian forces have killed more than 11,000 Ukrainian civilians in verified civilian casualty incidents. And that includes more than 600 children.

    The U.N. says that Putin’s forces have bombed more than 250 Ukrainian schools and hospitals. And they’ve wrecked treasured sites of Ukrainian history, culture, and memory.

    But the Kremlin’s malice has not broken Ukraine’s spirit. Ukraine stands unbowed — and strengthened.

    You know, your fight began with soldiers setting tank ambushes on the streets of Kyiv, and with ordinary citizens making Molotov cocktails to defend their homes.

    And it continues today with a battle-tested Ukrainian military and security forces — and a roaring Ukrainian defense industrial base.

    Ukrainian factories are now pumping out some of the best UAVs in the world, and experienced Ukrainian air defenders are protecting their forces and their families. 

    And your soldiers have shown incredible skill. Your frontline defenders have shown heroic resolve. And your citizens have shown stunning courage.

    Ukraine’s resistance is powered by the emergency workers who rush to the scene; and by the energy workers who race to fix the damage of the Kremlin’s attacks; by the doctors who risk their own lives to save the wounded; by the nurses who provide comfort in hours of anguish; and by the clergy who tend to suffering souls; by the teachers who keep Ukraine’s schools open; and by the parents and grandparents who fight every day to keep their children safe and give them a future of peace.

    So your admirers around the world are studying the Ukrainian way of resistance. And we strongly encourage the reforms that Ukraine has launched to help realize its people’s hopes of joining the European Union and NATO. 

    Ukraine’s defenders have brought inspiration to the world — and glory to Ukraine.

    Slava Ukraini!

    [Audience responds in Ukrainian]

    Yet this struggle imposes obligations on us all. As President Biden told the U.N. General Assembly in September, “Our test is to make sure that the forces holding us together are stronger than the forces that are pulling us apart.”

    And make no mistake. The outcome of Ukraine’s fight for freedom will help set the trajectory for global security in the 21st century.

    Europe’s future is on the line.

    NATO’s strength is on the line.

    And America’s security is on the line.

    So the U.S. government has moved with urgency and purpose. And we’ve seen the huge progress that principled diplomacy can produce —the kind of diplomacy taught right here in this academy.

    Since April 2022, I have been convening the Ukraine Defense Contact Group — the coalition of some 50 countries from around the world determined to help Ukraine fight Putin’s aggression. The Contact Group has met 24 times now.

    And I know that Minister Umerov and my other Ukrainian friends often refer to the Contact Group as “the Ramstein format”— after Ramstein Air Base, where the Contact Group was forged.

    And each time that I’m back at Ramstein, I find it moving to look around that long table; to see in human form the global indignation over Putin’s crimes; and to see determined defense leaders from around the world — from Argentina to Australia, and from Tunisia to Türkiye.

    And it has worked.

    America’s allies and partners are sharing the burden of our shared security.

    And that’s the power of Ramstein.

    You know, as a percentage of GDP, a dozen U.S. allies and partners now provide more security assistance to Ukraine than the United States does. And members of the Contact Group have provided more than [51] billion dollars in direct security assistance to Ukraine.

    And I am proud to remind you that the United States is doing our part as well.

    My country has committed more than 58 billion dollars in security assistance for Ukraine since February 2022. We’ve delivered two Patriot batteries and dozens of other air-defense systems. We’ve provided 24 HIMARS [rocket] systems, and thousands of armored vehicles and drones, and millions of rounds of artillery and other critical munitions.

    Now, that is a very real financial commitment. But for anyone who thinks that American leadership is expensive — well, consider the price of American retreat.

    In the face of aggression, the price of principle is always dwarfed by the cost of capitulation.

    Our allies and partners know that. And I’ve been proud to watch the pro-Ukraine coalition dig deep.

    So just consider Germany, host to Ramstein Air Base. Germany alone has provided or committed to military assistance for Ukraine valued at close to 31 billion dollars.

    And through the Contact Group and its capability coalitions, Ukraine’s friends are now forging an unprecedented, coordinated, 13-country drive to increase industrial production, to meet Ukraine’s battlefield requirements, and to build up the force to deter and repel Russian aggression in the future.

    And so, not since World War II has America systematically rallied so many countries to provide such a range of industrial and military assistance for a partner in need.

    Now, there is no silver bullet. No single capability will turn the tide. No one system will end Putin’s assault.

    What matters is the way that Ukraine fights back. What matters is the combined effects of your military capabilities. And what matters is staying focused on what works.

    Now, I believe that President Biden and Vice President Harris will have a proud place in history for rallying the world to defend Ukraine.

    So will the allies and partners who seek a free Ukraine in a safer world.

    But the proudest place of all will go to the Ukrainian people.

    From President Zelenskyy on down, your leaders chose to fight back. And the people of Ukraine have met Russia’s aggression and atrocities with magnificent defiance.

    The spirit of Ukraine has inspired the world. And it has reminded us all to never take our freedom for granted.

    So we refuse to blame Ukraine for the Kremlin’s aggression.

    We refuse to offer excuses for Putin’s atrocities.

    And we refuse to pretend that appeasement will stop an invasion.

    We fully understand the moral chasm between aggressor and defender.

    And we will not be gulled by the frauds and the falsehoods of the Kremlin’s apologists.

    And we will continue to defend the Ukrainian people’s right to live in security and freedom.

    The Kremlin has forced us into an age where Europe’s largest military invades Europe’s second-largest country. And we dare not believe, as the novelist George Eliot once wrote, that “the giant forces that used to shake the earth are forever laid to sleep.”

    America’s goals remain clear, achievable, and principled. We seek a free and sovereign Ukraine that can defend itself from Russian aggression today — and deter Russian aggression in the future.

    We seek a more secure Europe — and a reinforced commitment from nations of goodwill worldwide to an open international system of rules, rights, and responsibilities.

    I know that the Kremlin’s war is a nightmare from which the Ukrainian people are trying to awake. But we should all understand that Putin’s assault is a warning. It is a sneak preview of a world built by tyrants and thugs — a chaotic, violent world carved into spheres of influence; a world where bullies trample their smaller neighbors; and a world where aggressors force free people to live in fear.

    So we face a hinge in history.

    We can continue to insist that cross-border invasion is the cardinal sin of world politics. And we can continue to stand firm against Putin’s aggression.

    Or we can let Putin have his way. And we can condemn our children and grandchildren to live in a far bloodier and more dangerous world.

    So we must continue to face, to squarely face, the specter of an aggressive Russia — backed by other autocrats from North Korea and Iran.

    If Ukraine falls under Putin’s boot, all of Europe will fall under Putin’s shadow.

    Putin is not just hammering at the norms of the international system built at such a terrible cost by the Allies after World War II. He is shoving us all toward a world where right — where might makes right, and where empire trumps sovereignty. And he is determined to show that his brand of autocracy can outlast the world’s democracies.

    You see, Putin does not just think that his will is stronger. He thinks that his system is better.

    But he could not be more wrong.

    You know, few forces are more powerful than a democracy fighting for freedom.

    As I have said: Peace is not self-executing. Order does not preserve itself. And the principles of freedom, and sovereignty, and human rights do not uphold themselves.

    Yes, there is a price to be paid for human freedom. But it is dwarfed by the price that we would all pay for letting aggression go unchecked.

    So President Biden has chosen the path of mutual responsibility and common security. And we have chosen to share the responsibility of ensuring that Ukraine remains sovereign and free.

    And make no mistake. The United States does not seek war with Russia. And even as Putin makes profoundly reckless and dangerous threats about nuclear war, we will continue to behave with the responsibility that the world rightly demands of a nuclear-armed state.

    So the United States will uphold our sworn NATO obligations.

    The United States will defend every inch of NATO territory.

    And the United States will get Ukraine what it needs to fight for its survival and security.

    [Applause]

    Ladies and gentlemen, let’s be clear.

    Ukraine does not belong to Putin.

    Ukraine belongs to the Ukrainian people.

    And Moscow will never prevail in Ukraine.

    You know, Putin thought that Ukraine would surrender. He was wrong.

    Putin thought that our democracies would cave. He was wrong.

    And Putin thought that the free world would cower. He was wrong.

    And Putin thinks that he will win. He is wrong.

    And as I said in Halifax almost two years ago: free people will always refuse to replace an open order of rules and rights with one dictated by force and fear.

    Now, Ukraine faces complex challenges in the days to come.

    And as then-Vice President Biden said at this academy in 2014, “Democracy is not a destination. Democracy is a road traveled. And it’s a hard damn road to travel.”

    But you have shown the world the moral power of a free people fighting to defend their country.

    That force can bend the arc of history.

    Ladies and gentlemen: never underestimate the strategic advantage of a just cause.

    Never underestimate the resolve of free citizens.

    And never underestimate the power of a democracy summoned to defend itself.

    Ukraine has chosen the course of courage.

    And so have we.

    My friends, you walk a hard road.

    But you do not walk it alone.

    Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless all who fight to defend freedom.

    [Standing ovation]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA is Hiring: Help with Hurricane Helene and Milton

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA is Hiring: Help with Hurricane Helene and Milton

    FEMA is Hiring: Help with Hurricane Helene and Milton

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Come to work for FEMA and help your community recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.FEMA is conducting local hiring for more than 600 jobs in Gainesville, Melbourne Beach, Sarasota and Tallahassee, Florida. Local Hire employees are typically local residents who aid in the recovery of their community and help fellow neighbors in the recovery process. Many FEMA employees began their careers in emergency management by helping their own communities recover from a disaster.These positions are full-time 120-day appointments that may be extended depending on operational needs.FEMA Local Hire employees are eligible for the following benefits:Health insurance for individual or family coverage. Employer contribution is 75% of premium. Local Hire employees are eligible for enrollment for health insurance coverage as of the official hire date/employment date with FEMA.Flexible spending accountsFederal long-term care insuranceAbility to earn 4 hours of paid sick leave per pay periodHoliday payWorker’s compensationFEMA is accepting applications for the following positions:Accepting by 11:59 p.m. ET Saturday, October 26:IT Specialist: USAJOBS – Job AnnouncementManufactured Housing Specialist: USAJOBS – Job AnnouncementAccountable Property Specialist: USAJOBS – Job AnnouncementOrdering Specialist: USAJOBS – Job AnnouncementLogistics Specialist: USAJOBS – Job AnnouncementEnvironmental Floodplain Specialist: USAJOBS – Job AnnouncementEnvironmental Compliance Review Specialist: USAJOBS – Job AnnouncementAccepting by 11:59 p.m. ET Monday, October 28:Emergency Management 2: USAJOBS – Job AnnouncementAll positions will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date or when the maximum number of applications are received. More positions may be added later. To see all open roles, visit USAJobs.gov, type “Local Hire” in the keywords section and “Florida” for location.For tips, including how to prepare your resume and navigate the website, visit USAJOBS Help Center – Application Process. All applicants must be U.S. citizens, 18 years of age or older, and possess a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma. Individuals will be required to pass a background investigation that includes fingerprinting and a credit check. Employees are also required to participate in direct deposit or electronic funds transfer for salary payment. If you are found qualified, you may be called for an interview. For the latest information about Hurricane Milton recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4834. For Hurricane Helene recovery information, visit fema.gov/disaster/4828. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.
    kirsten.chambers
    Tue, 10/22/2024 – 13:06

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scott Celebrates Missy Elliott, National Medal of Arts Recipients At The White House

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

    Headline: Scott Celebrates Missy Elliott, National Medal of Arts Recipients At The White House

    WASHINGTON  – Yesterday, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) was in attendance at a White House celebration honoring the 2022 and 2023 recipients of the National Medal of the Arts. Missy Elliott, a native of Portsmouth, VA, was one of the 2022 National Medal of Arts recipients.

    “Missy Elliott is a legendary, trailblazing music artist. She is a global superstar as well as an immense source of pride for Virginia and the Hampton Roads region,”said Congressman Scott.“It was very fitting that she was among those honored by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, and I was proud to attend today’s celebration to honor her legacy. Some could say it would be a ‘Misdemeanor’ to not honor her life and career. I congratulate her, and all the other recipients for their creativity and important contributions to our country.”

    The National Medal of Arts is the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the federal government. It is awarded by the President of the United States to individuals or groups who are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the United States.

    More information can be found by CLICKING HERE. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: GTCS accreditation for School of Education The School of Education is very pleased to announce that its Inclusive Pedagogy course has been awarded General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS) accreditation for Professional Recognition.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    The award recognises the need for high-quality professional learning and development programmes that ensure teacher professionalism is maintained and enhancedThe School of Education is very pleased to announce that its Inclusive Pedagogy course has been awarded General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS) accreditation for Professional Recognition.
    A team of four presented an application to a GTCS panel for accreditation of the ED5501 Programme. The team included Programme Director Dr Shannon Babbie, faculty member Dr Annette Moir, PGT student Gillian Armstrong, and Dr Tracy Edwards of Leeds Beckett University, a recent doctoral graduate of Aberdeen.
    In a brief presentation the team brought the course to life through personal stories of how the teaching, collaboration and overall experience impacted their professional practice.
    In awarding accreditation, the GTCS stated the University offered: “A strong values-based programme in terms of social justice and meeting the needs of all learners. It is very well connected to the professional standards more broadly, with the standard for career-long professional learning coherently woven throughout the reflective supports for participants.
    “A well-designed programme clearly aligned with the Scottish Education policy context, it is well placed to help meet national priorities around inclusion.”
    Securing accreditation, which runs from 2024 to 2029, means students may apply to GTCS for professional recognition upon successful completion of the course and completion of the additional activities.
    As noted by GTCS, the award is in recognition of the need for high-quality professional learning and development programmes that ensure teacher professionalism is maintained and enhanced, and that learning experiences are professionally recognised and valued.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City council helps businesses create apprenticeships

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Tuesday, 22nd October 2024

    Stoke-on-Trent shared £63,000 with 15 businesses and organisations in the city last year to help them create 37 new apprenticeships.

    Employers with an annual payroll of over £3m pay a 0.5 per cent UK Government apprenticeship levy.     

    The money can then be used by the employer on apprenticeship training. As one of the area’s largest employers, the council pays the levy.    

    In 2023/24 as well as supporting 106 new people to study for apprenticeship qualification while working for the council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council paid out some of its levy to employers with staff who live in the city.  

    These included the KMF Group, a sheet metal fabrication company, IAE, who make livestock handling equipment, stabling, and fencing, Staffordshire Police and Teasdale Healthcare.   

    A total of 15 local employers were then able to help 37 apprentices  

    Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We’ve got a brilliant record of supporting and creating apprenticeships within the city council using our levy.    

    “If the money in our levy account is not used every two years, it’s returned to the UK Government. Sadly prior to us taking office the city had to return money to the government for not employing enough apprentices.   

    “This led to us approaching local employers to see how we could make sure the money was used to do what it was intended to do. The take-up has been fantastic, and it’s led to more people being able to earn money while learning vital skills on-the-job and through studying.  

    “It was vitally important that we sorted this out and got the most out of every penny due to the city and our young people” 

    Browns Distribution, High and Lifted, and TMT First are three businesses who have successfully applied for some of the council’s unused levy.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –