Category: Transport

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘People-powered archaeology’ boosts residents’ wellbeing

Source: City of York

A partnership between City of York Council and York Archaeology is helping residents uncover the hidden history of Walmgate, while improving their wellbeing, making connections and gaining skills.

The award-winning Archaeology on Prescription project is one of the first in the world to apply the social prescribing model to archaeology and heritage.

Social prescribing connects people to activities, groups and services in their local community and has been shown to benefit those with long-term medical conditions, who need support with mental health, or who are socially isolated.

The project is taking place on the site of Willow House, a former care home, which sits a stone’s throw from the city’s historic walls.

Speaking in a new video about the project, Archaeology on Prescription participant, Jean, said:

“I’d never really thought about archaeology or history before, but having got here, I was hooked and I’ve kept going since.”

Explaining the personal impact of the programme, Jean explained:

“When I’m here, I’m concentrating on something, so I haven’t got all sorts of other thoughts going round – I’ve got that little bit of ground.

“I’ve found something new that I really enjoy doing. It’s no pressure, but we’re doing archaeology.”

Participants often have never taken part in an archaeological project before but have been referred to the project by local GPs and charities such as Converge, The Hut and Blueberry Academy.

Once onsite, they can get involved in all aspects of the archaeological process, from carrying out pre-excavation research through maps and census data, to excavating trenches and cataloguing finds.

Another participant, Jane, speaking as she helped uncover the cellar of a Victorian terraced house, said that the programme had helped her regain her confidence after a period of illness:

“I was looking for something to do with my time and to meet new people, because I was new to York.

“Since doing the dig, I’ve found that my confidence that I had while I was here, that I’ve rediscovered, has stayed with me, even when I haven’t been digging.”

Reflecting on the project, Arran Johnson, Assistant Community Project Manager, said:

“Alongside the benefits gained through taking part, participants are also carrying out meaningful research, discovering evidence of the area’s development from as far back as prehistory to as recently as the 1970s.

“The most exciting part for me is that our participants’ discoveries are even beginning to call some accepted theories into question, such as the extent of Roman activity in this area, which seems to be greater than previously thought.

“We will continue this project in 2025, continuing to provide social prescribing, alongside broadening access to wider community involvement as part of our mission to make archaeology more accessible and allow everyone to experience the wonder of uncovering the past.”

Cllr Pete Kilbane, Executive Member for Economy and Culture at City of York Council, said:

“The rich tapestry of York’s long history is something that belongs to all of us.

It is truly inspiring to see how this project is empowering residents to take an active role in learning more about the people who’ve shaped the city over centuries.

“The results have been transformative for many of the participants, who have had the opportunity not only to discover a new passion for archaeology, but to make social connections, gain new skills and build their confidence.”

As well as providing permission to dig on the site, the council has provided £85,000 of financial support to the project through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and has previously provided £120,0000 through the Community Renewal Fund.

Find out more about the project and its impact by watching the full case study video.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Innovative Essex health projects get cash boost

Source: Anglia Ruskin University

Published: 15 October 2024 at 14:30

Funding from Anglia Ruskin University is helping small firms’ cutting-edge initiatives

Virtual reality therapy for people suffering from mental health disorders, using AI to manage demand on NHS services, and technology that listens to a child’s cough to assist early diagnoses are among the Essex innovations that have received thousands of pounds of funding from Arise Innovation Hubs – part of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).

The ABOVE (Arise Beyond Open Innovation for Value and Entrepreneurship) innovation support grants are aimed at assisting small and medium-sized enterprises in Essex working on healthcare solutions through medical technology. Not-for-profit, charitable organisations, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and start-ups are all eligible for support.

The following eight businesses have been awarded grants of up to £5,000:

• Aerial Icon Limited, which is pioneering the production of ultra-high-quality aerial 360 videos to deliver innovative virtual reality (VR) therapeutic health interventions for mental health disorders such as anxiety, fear of heights, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The initiative has also received funding from Innovate UK.

• Elixir AI is working on a project to determine if listening to a child’s cough at the time of GP referral can lead to early diagnosis, and received funding to enhance their software for a larger study with Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals.

• Japeto, a software agency in Harlow, used their grant to build a dedicated computer rig capable of running Large Language Models (LLMs) at sufficient speed. This project, named ‘The Blue Fairy,’ aims to establish the viability of different LLMs in healthcare chatbot applications.

• C-Prio Ltd, focusing on automation and AI to meet the growing demand on NHS histopathology services, used its ABOVE grant in the clinical validation phase of their AI models, specifically for acquiring real digital images of colorectal biopsies, enabling rigorous testing and refinement.

• Tech Balance Limited received grant funding to support the development of a wellbeing app using behavioural science to guide UK university students towards better wellbeing.

• Guardpack Ltd, a manufacturer of sachets and wipes, used its funding to help develop more environmentally friendly options for its customers.

• eScent is developing a wearable, context-driven scent intervention to address increasing levels of anxiety and stress. The funding will be used to secure the company’s intellectual property in the USA and commission a design.

• Southend-based Surgical Holdings will use its grant to complete ecodesign work, leading to patent protection of new products which are sold worldwide.

The funding for the ABOVE programme has been provided by Essex County Council as part of its 10-year sector strategy to grow life science, digitech, advanced manufacturing and engineering sectors, leading to more opportunities, jobs and growth across Essex.

Arise Innovation Hubs are also working closely with partners Medilink Midlands, a specialist provider of support to the life science sector, to help SMEs overcome barriers to growth.

Dr Beverley Vaughan, Director of Arise Innovation Hubs, said:

“We were delighted to receive so many applications for the first round of ABOVE funding from healthcare innovators across the county.

“The enterprises that have been supported by these grants are working on projects that have potential to make a real difference to people’s lives.

“The ABOVE funding has been a vital cog in the development of some of these projects, assisting these small firms with job creation, testing and product design.”

Melanie Davidson, CEO at Medilink Midlands, added:

“Developing the partnership with Arise Innovation Hubs, our innovation focused business support programmes have gone from strength to strength, and the ABOVE funding grants allow the eight awarded innovators to further develop and grow their health care solutions within the medtech sector.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Experts to identify underground objects on Millbay development site

Source: City of Plymouth

Plans to carry out investigative works at a patch of unused land between Bath Street and Martin Street in Millbay will be carried out on 18 November 2024 to understand what two unknown metal objects underground are.

The Council-owned land is in the early stages of development to transform the entire site into new Plymouth Community Homes affordable housing.

As part of the ground investigation works, two metal objects have been identified underground. These could be a number of things e.g. reinforced concrete or pieces of track from the old railway station nearby.

So that experts can determine what the objects are, all work has stopped within the compound. Whilst the items remain underground, the experts have provided reassurance that the area is very safe.

As the items do need to be removed in order for the development work to continue, on the 18 November, experts plan to carry out an ‘uncovering’ to establish what the objects are. During this work there will be no need to evacuate.

Whilst it is thought that in all likelihood the items will be old, abandoned equipment, the Council has to prepare for all eventualities. Should the experts find that one or both items are not simply pieces of metal, they will need to assess the objects and determine how best to dispose of them. To do that, there is a small percentage chance that a cordon would need to be put in place. Details of how large the cordon would be, or how long it would be in place, would be determined by experts’ assessment of the items.

The clear message to local residents and businesses at the moment is that the area is safe and there is currently no need to avoid the area. We will provide regular updates on the day through the Council website, social media or the Council’s new What’s App channel.

Councillor Sally Haydon, Plymouth City Council Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: “The first thing to make clear is that we do not know what is under the ground in Millbay. Bear in mind that this site has previously had commercial premise on it, a brewery, a builder’s yard, a night club, a garage and a car park and there have never been any problems.

“All we know is that there are two metal objects and our experts have told us that there is a very strong likelihood that they are probably nothing to worry about.

“However, we do need to be prepared for all possibilities. So, we are letting people know in advance so when our experts do further exploratory works – if they find anything ominous they we will need to move quickly.

“There will never be a right time to do this work and we know that businesses in the area will have a lot of questions, and Council officers are available to offer support to help them prepare and make any necessary decisions.

“We will update residents and businesses throughout this process. But for now, our advice is you are safe and you do not need to do anything or evacuate.”

Plymouth Police Commander, Temporary Chief Superintendent Scott Bradley, said: “We have been preparing for this investigative work with the Council and have a clear plan to deal with any eventuality once more is known as to what the objects are.

“We have a very close working relationship with the Council and other partners to ensure the matter is dealt with safely and swiftly with as little impact as possible on businesses and residents in the area.”

If you are a local business or hotel/bed and breakfast and would like to discuss this further, please contact CommercialSupport@plymouth.gov.uk.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Department of State Daily Press Briefing – October 15, 2024 – 1:15 PM

Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

Spokesperson Matthew Miller leads the Department Press Briefing, at the Department of State, on October 15, 2024.

———-
Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at http://www.state.gov and on social media!
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Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
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#StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCsz-NQsXvk

MIL OSI Video –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Chris Deluzio and House Democratic Veterans Slam Election-Denying Republicans for Attempts to Disenfranchise Active Duty Servicemembers, Ask Secretary of Defense Austin to Guarantee Troops’ Voting Rights Are Protected

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17)

Last week, 6 Republican Members of Congress from Pennsylvania, who all refused to certify the 2020 election, filed a lawsuit to strip voting rights away from U.S. citizens living abroad, including military personnel

CARNEGIE, PA– Today, Navy veteran Congressman Chris Deluzio, alongside five fellow House Democratic veterans, slammed election-denying Republicans for their attempts to disenfranchise active duty servicemembers, and asked Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to guarantee that the voting rights of military personnel stationed overseas are protected. Last week, 6 House Republicans, all of whom refused to certify the 2020 election, filed a lawsuit challenging the Uniform and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), which requires states to allow eligible Americans living abroad, including military personnel, to vote in federal elections. Secretary of Defense Austin is the principal executive official with administrative responsibility for carrying out UOCAVA. The letter, co-led by Army veteran Congressman Pat Ryan and Air Force veteran Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, was also signed by Marine Corps veterans Congressman Seth Moulton and Congressman Salud Carbajal, as well as Army veteran Congressman Mike Thompson.

“The un-American efforts by my Republican colleagues attacking our service members’ right to vote is despicable. With this letter today, we are drawing a line in the sand,” said Congressman Chris Deluzio. “I will always fight like hell to ensure that every eligible American, in uniform abroad or here at home, can freely exercise their right to vote.”

“Six election-denying extremists are trying to disenfranchise our men and women in uniform. It’s disgraceful and anti-democratic,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “These are quite literally troops who raised their right hands and swore an oath to protect and defend our Constitution – and now extremists are stripping them of their constitutional rights. This isn’t about Democrats and Republicans. It’s about doing right by those putting their lives on the line for our country, and they deserve to know immediately their right to vote will be protected.”

“Pennsylvania is the bedrock on which the foundation of our constitution and rights as Americans was formed. I am deeply ashamed of my colleagues who are trying to prevent members of our military, who are stationed overseas from voting in this upcoming election,” said Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan. “We cannot allow six Republican Pennsylvanian members, the same ones who refused to certify the 2020, to toss aside those rights and disenfranchise the very people who are serving us and are in harm’s way across the globe. I stand alongside other veterans in Congress in sending this letter to Secretary Austin to ensure our servicemembers’ fundamental rights are preserved and protected in this upcoming election.”

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) was enacted by Congress in 1986. UOCAVA requires that the states and territories allow members of the United States Uniformed Services to register and vote absentee in elections for Federal offices. The legislation was last updated in 2010 to make voting easier for service members. In March 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order 14019, which put further steps in place to ensure service member’s right to vote.

A copy of House Democratic veterans’ letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is included below:

Dear Secretary Austin,

We write to express deep concern about the actions of our congressional colleagues and request your support in ensuring overseas military personnel and Americans abroad retain their right to participate fully in U.S. elections. My colleagues are attempting to usurp the right to vote from our men and women in uniform, as well as their families. These Americans who raised their right hand and swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution may be stripped of one of the most fundamental rights it guarantees.

Earlier this month, six Congressmen, who all refused to certify the 2020 election, filed a lawsuit threatening the right to vote for Americans overseas. Our colleagues seek to litigate longstanding federal law at the expense of our service members. Undercutting confidence in our free and fair elections by disenfranchising our service men and women is unacceptable. Unfortunately, we must remind them that it is the Sense of Congress: that “each uniformed services voter receives the utmost consideration and cooperation when voting, each valid ballot cast by such a voter is duly counted, and all eligible American voters, regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, the language they speak, or the resources of the community in which they live, should have an equal opportunity to cast a vote and to have that vote counted.”

As the principal executive official with administrative responsibility for carrying out The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), we seek further clarification on how you will carry out this Act and if this lawsuit will affect the constitutional rights of service members. UOCAVA was enacted by Congress in 1986 and was last updated in 2010 to make voting easier for service members. Executive Order 14019 puts further steps in place to ensure service member’s right to vote.

While some of our colleagues are actively seeking to sow discord and misinformation, we urge you to carry out President Biden’s executive order and Federal Law to the best of your ability and ensure that all Americans have their constitutionally guaranteed right to participate in federal elections.

Thank you for considering this request. We look forward to hearing what the Department is doing to ensure that servicemembers and Americans abroad can have confidence that their ballots will be counted.

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MIL OSI USA News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Appointments to the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission

Source: Government of Canada News (2)

The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the appointments of Graham Flack, Douglas Hodson, and Anne Giardini, to the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission.

October 15, 2024 – Ottawa – Department of Justice Canada

The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the appointments of Graham Flack, Douglas Hodson, and Anne Giardini, to the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission.

The Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission, also known as the Quadrennial Commission, is established under the Judges Act (the Act) to examine the adequacy of the salaries and benefits of the federally appointed judiciary. Additional information on the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission is available at quadcom.gc.ca.

Biographies

Graham Flack of Ottawa is appointed as the member nominated by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. Mr. Flack received degrees in political science and economics from Dalhousie and Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He is a former law clerk of the Supreme Court of Canada and graduated with an LL.B. from Dalhousie University and an LL.M. from Harvard University. Mr. Flack began his career in the Privy Council Office and worked on the Quebec referendum campaign, the Quebec Secession Reference and Clarity Act. Following 9/11 he became Director of Operations and led work on the Canada-US Smart Borders Declaration, as well as Canada’s first National Security Policy. He held senior executive roles at Natural Resources Canada and the Department of Finance where he was Assistant Deputy Minister, International Trade and Finance and worked on the G7 and G20 response to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. From 2010-2013, he was Associate Deputy Minister then-Acting Deputy Minister at Public Safety Canada. From 2013-14, he was Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet at the Privy Council Office. From 2014-18, he was Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage. From 2018-2022, he was Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada. From 2022-2024, he was Secretary of the Treasury Board. Mr. Flack is the founding chair of the Deputy Minister Committee on Innovation and Deputy Minister Champion for the Federal Youth Network and for Dalhousie University.

Douglas Hodson, K.C., of Saskatoon is appointed as the member nominated by the judiciary. Mr. Hodson attended the University of Saskatchewan and earned a B.Comm. (with honours) in 1981 and a LL.B. (with distinction) in 1984. He was admitted to the Saskatchewan bar in 1985. Mr. Hodson is a partner at MLT Aikins LLP in Saskatoon since 1984. He focuses on commercial litigation and has significant experience in complex arbitrations, transportation law, and shareholder disputes. He has argued significant cases before all levels of court in Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario and before the Federal Courts and the Supreme Court of Canada. He was appointed King’s Counsel in 2007. Mr. Hodson is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. He is one of the most distinguished community leaders in Saskatoon. His volunteer portfolio is diverse and extensive, and includes active involvement with a number of professional, business and social organizations. His significant contributions to his profession and community have been recognized on numerous occasions.

Anne Giardini, K.C., of Toronto is appointed Chair following her nomination by the other two members of the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission. Ms. Giardini is a Canadian business executive, journalist, lawyer, and writer. She earned a B.A. from Simon Fraser University and a LL.B. from the University of British Columbia. She also holds an LL.M. from Cambridge University. She was admitted to practise in Ontario, British Columbia, and Washington State. From 1985 to 2020, Ms. Giardini clerked at the Court of Appeal for British Columbia, articled at Bull Housser & Tupper (now Norton Rose), practised at Mawhinney & Kellough (now Dentons) in Vancouver, before moving to Italy to work for a US law firm. In 1994, she joined Weyerhaeuser Company Limited, Canadian subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company, an international forest products company with a head office in Washington. She was Canadian vice-president and general counsel from 2006 to 2008 and president from 2008 to 2015. Since 2015, she is a sole corporate director. She was appointed King’s Counsel in 2009. Ms. Giardini is an active volunteer and has served as Chair of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Vancouver International Writers Festival, UniverCity at SFU, and Simon Fraser University as deputy chair. She is also a supporter of Plan Canada and volunteer for Vancouver YWCA’s Women of Distinction Awards and Young Women in Business. She served as the 11th chancellor of Simon Fraser University from 2014 to 2020. She has been on the boards of Hydro One, mining companies, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. and other companies. Ms. Giardini was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in January 2013 for her fundraising efforts for Plan Canada’s Because I’m a Girl campaign. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2016 and was appointed an Officer of British Columbia in 2018.

Chantalle Aubertin
Deputy Director, Communications
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General
613-992-6568
Chantalle.Aubertin@justice.gc.ca

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the province of Manitoba

Source: Government of Canada News (2)

October 15, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada

The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

Kelli L. Potter, Partner at Patersons LLP in Brandon, is appointed a Judge of His Majesty’s Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba (Family Division) in Winnipeg. Justice Potter replaces Justice M.A. Thomson (Winnipeg), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective September 2, 2024.

Quote

“I wish Justice Potter every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve Manitobans well as a member of His Majesty’s Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba”.

—The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Biography

Justice Kelli L. Potter grew up as the fourth generation on her family’s farm in Dauphin, Manitoba. She received her Bachelor of Arts (Conflict Resolution Studies) from the University of Winnipeg, before pursuing her Bachelor of Laws at the University of Manitoba. She was called to the Manitoba Bar in 2005.

Justice Potter started her legal career in Winnipeg. She then relocated to Southwest Manitoba and joined Patersons LLP in Brandon as an associate, becoming a partner in 2019. Throughout her career, she has practiced predominantly in the area of family law, appearing in all levels of Court in Manitoba.

Justice Potter has been a presenter on various family law topics for Continuing Professional Education through the Manitoba Bar Association and the Law Society of Manitoba. Additionally, she has been a guest speaker at the University of Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law, and Assiniboine Community College on topics related to family law, access to justice issues, alternative dispute resolution, and legal ethics. Active in the legal profession, she was a Life Council Member of the Manitoba Bar Association. She has also served as a Bencher for the Law Society of Manitoba, an Executive member of the Manitoba Bar Association Family Subsection, and as a past President of the Western Manitoba Bar Association. She was an active volunteer with a variety of sports and arts organizations.

Justice Potter and her husband, Ryan, have four children and two grandchildren.

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Health Care Manager Sentenced to Prison for Embezzlement Scheme

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

MACON, Ga. – The former office manager of a Middle Georgia chiropractic office was sentenced to serve more than five years in prison after a federal jury found her guilty of committing bank fraud and other federal crimes in an embezzlement scheme that cost an established spinal center more than $200,000 in losses and resulted in its closure.

Emiliya Radford, 33, of Warner Robins, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 66 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Oct. 9. In addition, Radford will pay $298,042.72 in restitution to Dr. James C. Smith on behalf of Smith Spinal Care Center. Radford was found guilty of one count each of bank fraud, wire fraud and federal program theft following approximately one hour of deliberations by a federal jury on June 27. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Financial crime can be life-changing for its victims; here, it forced a business’s closure and burdened innocent people with debt and other troubles,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “FBI and our other federal, state and local law enforcement partners will work to protect small businesses from financial crimes and hold fraudsters accountable.”

“Radford violated the trust of the company that hired her and elevated her to a position of leadership,” said Robert Gibbs, Senior Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “Because of her selfishness and greed, she has not only thrown away her career, but crippled a business and took away jobs from numerous victims. She will now serve a well-deserved prison sentence.”

According to court documents and evidence submitted at trial, Radford’s company, Cyber Pinecone, was hired in Sept. 2019 under a one-year contract to perform marketing work for Smith Spinal Care Center (SSCC) in Warner Robins. In May 2020, Radford was hired as Office Manager at the business, and her new salary included marketing work. Radford was given signatory authority over the SSCC bank account and was responsible for issuing and signing all biweekly payroll checks, including her own.

Radford collected her salary as office manager and, without authorization of SSCC, continued to write and endorse checks to her business, Cyber Pinecone, for extensive marketing work totaling more than $200,000. In addition, she gave herself an unauthorized pay raise and used money from the SSCC bank account to purchase $11,015.67 worth of items from the Apple store that she shipped to her residence. When Radford quit on Dec. 19, 2022, none of the Apple items could be located at SSCC, but some were found inside her home when federal agents executed a search warrant on May 4, 2023. A portion of the embezzled funds came from COVID-19 Federal Economic Disaster Loans (EIDL) directed to aid the business.

The case was investigated by FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard prosecuted the case for the Government.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Civil Disorder During January 6 Capitol Breach

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

WASHINGTON – A South Carolina man pleaded guilty on Oct. 10, 2024 to a felony charge stemming from his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

William Robert Norwood III, 41, of Greer, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to a felony offense of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols. Judge Nichols will sentence Norwood on Feb. 21, 2025.

According to court documents, Norwood drove from South Carolina to Washington D.C. to attend then-President Trump’s speech on Jan. 6, 2021, near the Ellipse. After the rally, Norwood walked to the U.S. Capitol building and entered its restricted perimeter. Norwood ascended the partially covered stairs on the northwest side of the Capitol and ultimately entered the building through the northwest Senate Wing door at approximately 2:23 p.m.

Once inside, Norwood briefly entered an office across the hall from the Old Supreme Court Chamber. Norwood recorded a video of himself entering this office. In this video, Norwood can be heard saying, “Well we in this b— now. What now? This is our house,” upon entering the office, and “Where you at Nancy?” upon leaving the office.

After leaving the office, Norwood made his way through the Crypt and ultimately toward the Rotunda. There, Norwood was part of a crowd of rioters making their way through Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office suite. As Norwood walked through the Speaker’s wing, he took a paper coaster with the words “U.S. Congress” and the Congressional seal printed on it, which another rioter had thrown to him from a desk outside of Speaker Pelosi’s offices.

Norwood then walked to the balcony outside the Speaker’s chamber and recorded two videos of the crowd gathered outside on the west front of the Capitol building. In one of these videos, Norwood can be heard shouting, “It’s our house b—.” In the second, Norwood can be heard shouting, “The [inaudible] house! Go home police! Bye, you b—.”

After leaving the balcony, Norwood entered one of Speaker Pelosi’s offices for approximately 25 seconds. He then walked back through the Speaker’s wing.

After leaving the Speaker’s wing, Norwood walked back through the Rotunda and to the East Rotunda doors, which were being guarded from the inside by at least three U.S. Capitol Police officers. Norwood went to the front of the line of rioters that had gathered there and began banging on the doors in an attempt to open them.

Norwood yelled at officers to open the doors, but the officers repeatedly told Norwood and the others that the doors would not be opened. Norwood knew that the officers were attempting to keep the doors closed, yet he continued to push on the doors with his arms. At approximately 2:38 p.m., Norwood and the rioters behind him eventually pushed open the doors, which allowed hundreds of rioters to enter the Capitol building from the outside.

After participating in the breach of the doors, Norwood continued wandering around the Capitol building and recorded a one-minute video inside the Rotunda that showed a line of Metropolitan Police Department officers. During the video, Norwood can be heard saying, “Oh these a—, trying to push us out. . . . Should we take our house back? Our house. Y’all are a bunch of p—. It’s about to go down bro.” Norwood then turns the camera on himself and says, “It’s about to go down. Cause I’m gonna go [unintelligible] guns or their asps and attack these m—f— later. No f— around, no no.”

Norwood eventually left the Capitol through the East Rotunda door at approximately 2:59 p.m. After exiting the building, Norwood took a U.S. Capitol Police helmet and plate carrier from a bin outside the building.

The FBI arrested Norwood on Feb. 25, 2021, in South Carolina.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina provided valuable assistance.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Columbia and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 45 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,532 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 571 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Swaminathan J: Central banks and financial stability

Source: Bank for International Settlements

Distinguished panellists – Prof. Randall S. Kroszner, Professor, University of Chicago and Former Governor, Federal Reserve Board; Ms. Emmanuelle Assouan, Director General, Financial Stability and Operations, Banque de France; Ms. Sarah Breeden, Deputy Governor for Financial Stability, Bank of England; Dr. Sajjid Chinoy, Managing Director and Chief Economist India, JP Morgan; esteemed delegates and colleagues from the Reserve Bank. A very good afternoon to all of you.

It is an honour to open this discussion on this very important and pertinent topic in today’s financial world – “Central Banks and Financial Stability: Assessing Risks and Building Resilience.”

The financial sector is the backbone of the economy, enabling efficient allocation of resources, managing risks through various instruments, and ensuring smooth payments and settlements. It performs crucial functions that support investments and drives economic growth. Therefore, the financial sector becomes the cornerstone of a well-functioning economy.

The financial sector is vulnerable to risks-especially systemic ones that, which if left unchecked, can have far-reaching consequences. As you are aware these systemic risks manifest across two dimensions: time and interconnectedness. On the one hand, financial risks can build up over time, especially in periods of economic euphoria. On the other, the growing interconnections between financial institutions, markets, and the broader economy make the system more open to shocks.

In today’s world, challenges are more complex and unpredictable than ever. Traditional risks, like credit and liquidity risks, now have new and faster drivers. For example, bank runs that once unfolded over days, giving regulators time to respond, can now occur within hours due to the speed of internet and mobile banking. The increasing reliance on technology also introduces vulnerabilities, such as dependence on third-party service providers and heightened cybersecurity threats, all while customers expect uninterrupted services. Additionally, we face emerging risks, such as climate risk.

In this increasingly volatile environment, building resilience is crucial to maintaining financial stability. However, resilience is a balancing act-too much emphasis on safeguarding can stifle innovation and growth, while too little can expose the system to significant vulnerabilities. Finding that right balance so that we can have a robust financial system that can weather crises without constraining economic progress is one of the key challenges that we face today.

Indeed, central banks are much like wicketkeepers in cricket or goalkeepers in football-often unnoticed in success but always in the spotlight during failure. When everything works seamlessly, their efforts remain behind the scenes, often taken for granted. However, when a crisis occurs, they are asked as to how they could allow the ball to slip through their fingers! In addition, Central Bankers are also tasked with preventing further damage and restoring stability quickly.

Let me offer an analogy: imagine a person teetering on the edge of a cliff, seemingly about to fall, only to be pulled back just in time by a watchful observer. When central banks intervene in such a manner to prevent a potential crisis, those they protect may claim they didn’t need saving at all. This highlights a common paradox-while regulators work tirelessly to maintain stability and avert disasters, their successes often go unnoticed, and their actions are sometimes viewed as unnecessary, intrusive or excessive by those unaware of the risks. Yet it is precisely this proactive oversight that ensures the safety and soundness of the financial system, allowing it to function smoothly even in times of uncertainty.

Over the years, the role of central banks has significantly evolved. Initially seen as the lender of last resort, today, central banks are equipped with a broad range of tools-regulatory, supervisory, and monetary-to ensure the stability of the financial system. In some countries, central banks do not have supervisory roles, with the supervision being carried out by a separate agency, but a coordinated approach is essential. Governments, central banks, financial regulators, and the industry must all work together to ensure appropriate and timely action is taken to safeguard financial stability.

In India, the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC), chaired by the Union Finance Minister, along with its sub-committee led by the Governor of the Reserve Bank, has been effectively facilitating discussions and enhanced understanding of risks across the financial sector. Biannually, Reserve Bank publishes Financial Stability Reports that deliver a thorough risk assessment of India’s financial landscape. These reports utilise macro stress tests, sensitivity analyses, network and contagion assessments, and systemic risk surveys to provide valuable insights into potential vulnerabilities that affect the financial sector. Apart from inter-regulatory coordination, RBI also actively engages with the industry through regular engagements/ interactions including conferences with the Boards of supervised entities, periodic meetings with the MDs & CEOs, Heads of Assurance functions as well as interactions with auditors.

Having discussed the importance of domestic coordination, I would also like to emphasise the significance of global supervisory cooperation. Historically, crises have acted as catalysts for bringing supervisors together to address shared challenges. For instance, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision was formed in the aftermath of the Herstatt Bank failure, highlighting the necessity for a coordinated response to systemic risks. However, we should not wait for crises to play out before strengthening international collaboration. Greater engagement for proactive horizon scanning of potential risks and vulnerabilities, along with discussions on strategies to mitigate and address these challenges, can enhance our collective resilience and crisis preparedness.

Indeed, as a part of our agenda for the next decade, RBI@100, the Reserve Bank intends to engage more with the central banks of the global south. The Reserve Bank also aims to establish a global model of risk-focused supervision by fostering a strong risk discovery and compliance culture, building a “through-the-cycle” risk assessment framework. Reserve Bank is working to create a comprehensive data analytics ecosystem to support its supervisory functions.

With these thoughts in mind, I look forward to a rich and insightful panel discussion on how central banks can continue to enhance financial stability and build a resilient global financial system. Thank you!

MIL OSI Economics –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Awarding of Nuclear Test Medals marked at City Hall

Source: City of Norwich

A veteran of the UK’s nuclear testing programme in the 1950s received recognition for his participation in the tests in the Pacific with a presentation at Norwich City Hall today.

David Freeman, 85, of Thorpe St Andrews, was presented with the medal by Lord Mayor Cllr Vivien Thomas.

He was joined by the family of the late Robert (Bob) Carman, 84, from Norwich, who are recipients of the Nuclear Test Medal on Mr Carman’s behalf. Widow Pam Carman, daughters Sally Williams, Alison Carman and Sonia Billing, with grand-daughter and great grand-daughter Kasey and Lorena Williams, joined with Mr Freeman for the presentations and tea in the Lord Mayor’s parlour.

Both Mr Freeman and Mr Carman, alongside thousands of services personnel, were at Christmas Island for the nuclear tests in 1957. Mr Freeman, who was a regular in the RAF for 12 years working with safety equipment, took part in the first test on November 8, 1957. Mr Carman, who passed away at the age of 88 in 2018, was in the Royal Engineers and was also present on that day and then took part in a second test.

Mr Freeman, who was 18 at the time of the tests, said: “They kept everything very secret. There were rumours but we didn’t know what was about to happen. It’s something you never forget – the heat, the blast, tremendous winds. You could see the shock waves building up across the sky, and then there was torrential rain bringing down all the rubbish out of the cloud. Some of the sand turned to glass crystals. It’s a miracle that any humans were left standing.”

Mr Freeman said there was no after care following the tests. “We were just sent home. About 6 to 7 weeks afterwards my gums started to bleed. I was told to take aspirin. Not long afterwards, I started losing my teeth. Even now I have to blend a lot of my food due to that. I still can’t get access to my medical records from that time.”

Mr Freeman has also suffered other debilitating health issues with a long-running cough and lung problem, bowel and blood cancers, an aneurysm and he has suffered a heart attack. He also lost the sight in one eye. “But I feel I am one of the lucky ones – I am still here.”

Mr Carman’s daughters said their father also felt he was lucky and whilst he had health issues, including prostate cancer, he “didn’t want to make a big deal of it”.

The Carman family met with Mr Freeman after hearing him talk on Chatterbox about the Nuclear Test Medal.

Alison Carman said: “David wanted more veterans to come forward as a lot of people are unaware of being able to receive the medal.”

She said: “My dad used to tell us stories about the big piles of driftwood which after the bomb had exploded just turned to ash. He also said they held their hands up in front of their faces during the blast and could see all the bones in their hands. Today’s event has been lovely. It’s just a shame Dad couldn’t be here for it.”

Mr Carman wrote down his recollection of the events on Christmas Island for his family. He said:

“There was this huge bright flash. My goggles went white, then there was a searing blast of heat which we all felt pass through our backs and neck, and then the tremendous blast, the huge thunderclap and the island shook.

“I turned around and it was awesome, like a giant golden ball of curling flames above the palm trees as it turned into the mushroom shape. We were allowed back to camp and our tents and belongings were thrown everywhere.”

For the second test, he said: “The tremendous blast did not rock the island quite so much, but the heat felt like a razor cutting through my neck. I remember the Bay of Wrecks where we went a short time after the explosion. There was not a piece of driftwood to be seen. It had been evaporated by the heat. There was not a sound to be heard. The birds were all gone.”

Lord Mayor Cllr Vivien Thomas said: “Sadly, there are lots of families whose fathers have passed away who wouldn’t know about these medals.”

She said: “It’s been a pleasure to welcome you here, to hear your stories and to pass on the medals on behalf of all of us in gratitude for what you experienced. The events which happened all those years ago should be recognised as part of our history, as should the suffering they generated.”

The Nuclear Test Medal was released in 2023. Around 40,000 British personnel took part in the testing of atomic and hydrogen bombs in the 1950s and 1960s, and around 2,000 are believed to be still alive. 22,000 veterans are expected to be eligible for the new honour, marking their service and contribution to the United Kingdom’s nuclear test programme. The medal can be awarded posthumously to a veteran’s legal next of kin.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Angling brothers prosecuted for 3 counts of illegal fishing
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Two brothers from Redditch pleaded guilty at Northampton Magistrates Court to fishing illegally.
An Environment Agency fisheries enforcement officer checking rod licences.

Fishing in the close season, without a licence and using an illegal bait has led to prosecutions for two brothers.

Fisheries enforcement officers clamp down on illegal angling to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable .

Two brothers from Redditch have pleaded guilty at Northampton Magistrates Court to three counts of illegal fishing in cases brought by the Environment Agency on Monday 23 September 2024.

Liam Astley Morris, 19 and Joseph Astley Morris, 21, of Kingsley Avenue pleaded guilty to fishing in the close season, fishing without a licence and using an illegal bait at Cleeve Prior, River Avon, Evesham on 21 April 2024.

The fines

Joseph Astley Morris received a fine of £87 as well as costs of £65 and a victim surcharge of £34. His brother, Liam received a fine of £40, costs of £65 and a victim surcharge of £16.

The annual close season (from 15 March – 15 June) prevents fishing for coarse fish in rivers and streams across England. This helps to protect fish when they are spawning and supporting vulnerable stocks.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

These two brothers were not only fishing in the close season, but they were also fishing without a licence and using an illegal bait. We hope their prosecutions will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws and byelaws we have in place across England.

We urge anglers to respect the close season to help reduce pressures on our fisheries, benefitting fish and the wider environment.

Illegal fishing undermines the Environment Agency’s efforts to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable.  Money raised from fishing licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries for the benefit of legal anglers.

We inspect rod licences 24/7, seven days a week to check on cases of illegal fishing and for those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.

Fishing licences

Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence to fish. A 1-day licence costs from just £7.10, and an annual licence costs from £35.80 (concessions available). Junior licences are free for 13 – 16-year-olds.

Licences are available from http://www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Fisheries enforcement

The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency incident hotline 24/7 on 0800 807060 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The charges

Joseph Astley Morris and Liam Astley Morris were both charged with the following offences:

On the 21st day of April 2024 at Cleeve Prior – River Avon, Evesham fished for freshwater fish in the close season contrary National Byelaw 2 of the Environment Agency Byelaws made on the 12th July 2010 and contrary to National Byelaw 6 confirmed 23rd March 2010 made pursuant to sections 210 and 211 Schedule 25 of the Water Resources Act 1991.

On the 21st day of April 2024 at Cleeve Prior – River Avon, Evesham in a place where fishing is regulated, fished for freshwater fish or eels by means of an unlicensed fishing instrument, namely rod and line. Contrary to Section 27(1)(a) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975. 

On the 21st day of April 2024 at Cleeve Prior – River Avon, Evesham used an illegal bait in connection with fishing with rod and line. Contrary to Byelaw 5 of the Environment Agency Byelaws which were confirmed on 11 May 2001 and made pursuant to Section 210 and Schedule 25 of the Water Resources Act 1991 and Contrary to Section 211 of the said Act.

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Published 15 October 2024
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: AG Ferguson DNA collection project adds 3,000 DNA profiles of serious criminal offenders to national database
Source: Washington State News

Work is part of Ferguson’s Survivor Justice Unit

SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that his lawfully owed DNA project has helped law enforcement collect and log 3,000 DNA profiles of serious criminal offenders to the national database. State law requires many offenders to provide DNA samples as a condition of their conviction, but over the years thousands of serious violent and sexual offenders have neglected to do so.

Ferguson’s lawfully owed DNA project has helped close the gap in DNA collection since it launched in October 2019. The samples collected and added to the national DNA database over the past five years are critical to identifying perpetrators of unsolved rapes, murders and other violent crimes — here in Washington and across the country.

Of the new profiles added, 105 of the samples led to a “hit,” or a match between the DNA provided and the evidence already on file with the national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). These hits in the national DNA database can help identify serial rapists, link cases across the country, shed new light on cold cases and provide answers to crime victims and their families. DNA evidence can also exonerate individuals who were wrongfully convicted.

“We must ensure that every serious offender who legally owes a DNA sample provides one,” Ferguson said. “Closing the gap in DNA collection, with the help of local law enforcement, has resulted in more evidence that will help us solve more crimes and improve public safety. This work makes Washington safer.”

The Attorney General’s Office estimates thousands of violent offenders are living in Washington with an obligation to provide their DNA. This estimate is based on initial data from the Department of Corrections, followed by an extensive verification process designed to identify and locate offenders who still owe a sample. Ferguson’s lawfully owed DNA project aims to stop these offenders from slipping through the system.

Ferguson’s office started by collecting samples from currently registered sex offenders and offenders under the supervision of the state Department of Corrections, including those who are incarcerated and in community custody. Then, the office collected DNA from offenders convicted of sex, kidnapping and homicide offenses.

Now, the Attorney General’s Office is working to collect samples from offenders convicted of a variety of violent and felony offenses, including assault and robbery.

Washington law requires certain offenders to submit DNA samples

Every state requires that individuals convicted of certain crimes — including violent crimes and sex offenses, among others — must have a DNA sample taken to be submitted to CODIS. Jails, correctional facilities and local law enforcement agencies are responsible for collecting the samples and submitting them to the Washington State Patrol Crim Lab, which enters them into CODIS.

In July 2023, a new law took effect to improve the process for timely collection of DNA from offenders who owed samples. Before that, no uniform process existed. House Bill 1028 directs courts to create time-sensitive protocols for collecting DNA upon sentencing. It originated from a recommendation from the Attorney General’s Office Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) Advisory Group.

Specifically, courts must implement a sample collection system that includes scheduling a compliance hearing within 10 days if DNA is not collected at the time of sentencing. The new law does not address thousands of samples that were previously ordered and are still owed.

Attorney General’s Office multistep process for collecting DNA

The Attorney General’s Office uses a lengthy, multistep investigative process to locate offenders who still owe DNA.

First, investigators with the office’s Survivor Justice Unit (SJU) — formerly Sexual Assault Kit Initiative — use data from the Department of Corrections and Washington State Patrol to identify offenders who owe DNA. Attorney General investigators confirm which offenders already have a DNA profile in CODIS and analyze offenders’ conviction histories to confirm that they still owe DNA.

Then, investigators use numerous databases to confirm that the offender is still located in the state and find the last known contact information. Investigators then send letters to offenders asking them to report to local law enforcement to provide a sample, informing them that refusing a legal request to provide a DNA sample is a violation of state law. Attorney General staff conduct direct outreach and work with local law enforcement to contact individuals who do not respond to the letters.

Ferguson’s Survivor Justice Unit

Ferguson’s lawfully owed DNA project is part of his new Survivor Justice Unit. In addition to this project, the unit:
- Assists local law enforcement to investigate sexually motivated homicides. The SJU is currently assisting with two cold sexually motivated homicides: one in King County and one in Port Orchard.
- Helps solve cold cases by assisting with genetic forensic genealogy and other advanced DNA testing. A response that is commonly received from such agencies is that they do not have the resources and or personnel available to delve into cold cases to determine whether such testing would be appropriate. For example, in August, AGO-funded forensic genetic genealogy testing helped Kent police narrow the list of suspects and make an arrest in the 44-year-old murder of Dorothy “Dottie” Silzel. Kenneth Duane Kundert, 65, was arrested in Arkansas on Aug. 20 after DNA on a cigarette butt Kundert discarded matched the profile of the suspect in the crime.
- Stands up for survivors by following up on cold cases from backlogged sexual assault kits. The SJU uses available data to track sexual assault cases and identify serial sex offenders.
The SJU has helped solve dozens of cold case sexual assaults and homicides.

Ferguson requests $534,000 for the upcoming biennium to support the ongoing work of this new unit.

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Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit http://www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

Media Contact:

Brionna Aho, Communications Director, (360) 753-2727; Brionna.aho@atg.wa.gov

General contacts: Click here

MIL OSI USA News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: The

Source: US State of Pennsylvania

October 11, 2024 – Yardley, PA

The “It’s Fall-ier in PA Swagon” is On the Road to Promote Pennsylvania as The Great American Getaway

The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) launched the “It’s Fall-ier in PA Swagon” to demonstrate why Pennsylvania: The Great American Getaway is the ultimate destination for fall enthusiasts. The Swagon is a classic hay wagon and rustically designed trailer that will provide an immersive experience to evoke the scents and sights of fall in Pennsylvania.

Announced September 23, the Visit PA “It’s Fall-ier in PA” campaign is leaning into Pennsylvania’s premier position as the place to experience the very best of autumn – from unrivaled fall foliage and the nation’s most historical haunts to the season’s best scents and treats. On Wednesday, Governor Josh Shapiro promoted fall travel in Pennsylvania by visiting Black Moshannon State Park – one of 124 free state parks in Pennsylvania – and unveiled new color-correcting viewfinders to help colorblind and color deficient visitors view the best fall foliage in the nation.

“We’re excited to take Pennsylvania’s fabulous fall season on the road to encourage and inspire more people to experience all that the Commonwealth has to offer,” said DCED Deputy Secretary of Tourism Anne Ryan. “Fall travel is vital to Pennsylvania’s economy and contributes significantly to the $76.7 billion impact that tourism generates for the Commonwealth. Our “It’s Fall-ier in PA Swagon” will help entice the millions who live within a four-hour drive of the Commonwealth to discover why they should plan their perfect fall getaway in Pennsylvania.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Robert Garcia and House Democrats Call on Fortune 1000 CEOs to Reject Division and Uphold Workplace Equality Initiatives

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Garcia California (42nd District)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) led a group of 49 colleagues to call on the CEOs of Fortune 1,000 companies to affirm their commitment to workplace equality and stand against coordinated conservative efforts to dismantle programs and policies that foster inclusive workplaces. The letter comes in response to at least three Fortune 75 companies succumbing to a conservative media campaign aimed at scaling back critical diversity initiatives and gutting employee resource groups. To read the full letter, click here.

“Employees deserve to work in environments that are free from discrimination and that are welcoming to Americans from all backgrounds,” said Congressman Garcia. “Corporations must stand up to groups that aim to bring our country backward. Supporting programs that foster inclusivity in the workplace is good for business and benefits employees, customers, and the bottom line.”

Studies have shown that creating corporate environments where everyone is welcome improves business revenue, strengthens workplace morale, increases employee retention, and encourages innovation. The letter reminds corporations that decisions to end these programs not only jeopardizes the well-being of workers, but strips away overwhelming benefits for businesses.

Co-signers of the letter include: Congresswoman Alma Adams, Congresswoman Becca Balint, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Congresswoman Shontel Brown, Congresswoman Julia Brownley, Congressman André Carson, Congressman Joaquin Castro, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, Congressman James E. Clyburn, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Congressman Danny Davis, Congresswoman Lois Frankel, Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Congresswoman Pramila Jaypal, Congressman Henry Johnson, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Congressman Daniel Kildee, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Summer Lee, Congressman Ted Lieu, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, Congresswoman Eleanor Norton, Congressman Scott Peters, Congressman Mark Pocan, Congresswoman Katie Porter, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, Congresswoman Linda Sánchez, Congresswoman Janice Schakowsky, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, Congressman Mark Takano, Congressman Bennie Thompson, Congresswoman Dina Titus, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Congressman Paul Tonko, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Congresswoman Susan Wild, Congresswoman Nikema Williams, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, and Congressman Jimmy Gomez.

As the first gay immigrant in Congress, Congressmember Garcia has always fought to protect marginalized communities in the workplace and beyond. In June, Congressman Garcia sent a letter to federal officials asking them to help protect LGBTQ+ people from violence during Pride month in response to threats from anti-Pride extremists. In January, Congressman Garcia demanded that the Pentagon resolve cases of LGBTQ+ people dishonorably expelled from the military under “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Last year, Congressman Garcia introduced the International Human Rights Defense Act with Senator Markey to enshrine global protections for LGBTQ+ people in US law and foreign policy, reaffirming the U.S.’s role in protecting and promoting LGBTQ+ rights. As former Mayor of the City of Long Beach, Congressman Garcia worked to ensure the city achieved a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index every year he served in office. During his tenure, the city ensured that gender-affirming care was made available to all city employees.

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MIL OSI USA News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: The Villers-Cotterêts Call for an honest, trustworthy digital space in the Francophone world (4 Oct. 2024)

Source: Republic of France in English
The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

A free, open and safe Internet is an essential tool for promoting exchanges, inclusion and development. As digital platforms form a significant part of the Internet, their social responsibility must not be ignored.

The Francophonie is a community of language and values, of women and men whose common language is French, and of the 88 member countries of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) which promote the same values: democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as a constant commitment to cultural and linguistic diversity.

While a source of progress and opportunities, the digital transformation also raises multiple challenges for OIF member countries: fighting the digital divide, promoting inclusion, protecting fundamental rights, promoting pluralism of currents of thought and opinion, maintaining the integrity of electoral processes and promoting and protecting the right to reliable, high-quality information, and to be protected from fraudulent, malicious and hate content, as well as all forms of discrimination.

This Call is intended to help address these challenges by inviting digital platforms to step up their commitment to a safer and more honest digital space.

To this end, We, the Heads of State and Government of countries which have a shared relationship with French, meeting on 4 and 5 October 2024 for the 19th Francophonie Summit in the French Republic,

Intending to work to develop, within the Francophonie and beyond, a digital space which is inclusive, respectful of democracy and human rights and encourages cultural and linguistic diversity, in accordance with our commitments in the Bamako Declaration (2000), the Saint-Boniface Declaration (2006), the 2022-2026 Strategy for Digital Francophonie, the Declaration on the French Language in the linguistic diversity of Francophonie (2022) and the Declaration of the 18th Francophonie Summit in Djerba (2022);

Drawing on the guidelines applicable to digital cooperation and the governance of artificial intelligence (AI) provided by international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but also the specific instruments of the acquis of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), incorporated in the Geneva Declaration of Principles and the Geneva Plan of Action, as well as in the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the NETmundial+10 Multistakeholder Statement, the UNESCO Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms and the Global Digital Compact;

Continue to pay special attention to the specific needs of all people in the Francophone space, in all their diversity.

Call on digital platforms to step up their efforts and commitments to an inclusive, pluralistic, high-quality and trustworthy digital space, especially by implementing the following actions and measures:

Providing greater transparency, diversity and proximity

1. Guarantee access, in French and in the largest possible number of national and official local languages of OIF member countries, in clear and understandable language, to the terms of service, as well as their policies and content moderation methods;

2. Implement simple mechanisms which are easily accessible to all, in French and in the largest possible number of local languages of OIF member countries, in order to highlight content which is considered illegal or runs contrary to the terms of service;

3. Report to the relevant stakeholders, including the users, public authorities and regulatory authorities, on the implementation of their terms of service and content-related policies;

4. Facilitate Francophone researchers’ and academics’ access to application interfaces and data, under conditions which appropriately protect legitimate rights and interests, including compliance with and protection of users’ personal data and the confidentiality of algorithmic processes protected by trade secrets;

5. Provide protection for personal data based on transparent, accessible procedures which are understandable by all, in French and in the languages of the countries providing a service, and ensure that there are sufficient human capacities to undertake this role.

Taking greater responsibility in terms of content moderation

6. Appoint single regional and subregional contact points with sufficient capabilities to ensure direct communication with the public authorities of OIF member countries, and effective processing of user requests, in French and local languages;

7. Forge deeper ties with the relevant regulatory authorities, based on the model of commitments made with the Francophone Network of Media Regulators (REFRAM) at the Abidjan Conference on 23 and 24 April 2024;

8. Set up moderation policies and methods for online content, scaled according to needs and capable of taking account of diverse cultures and national and regional languages, whether they be carried out automatically or are supervised by humans;

9. Acknowledge the key role of associations, action groups, non-governmental organizations, and more generally, recognized bodies in Francophone civil societies as trusted flaggers, which can produce well-founded, reasoned requests to facilitate priority processing by digital platforms.

Helping better protect Francophone societies and information spaces from risks linked to the use of their services

Under all circumstances:

10. Assess, within public reports, the risks of large-scale dissemination in OIF member countries of content which could channel hate speech or lead to violence on any discriminatory grounds; propose, in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders, preventive measures aimed at reducing such discrimination;

11. Strengthen the legal and normative frameworks which organize the protection of the rights of the child in the digital space, in accordance with international human rights law and in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

12. Set up measures to provide high levels of confidentiality, safety and security for minors using their services;

13. Collaborate, in accordance with the 2019 Christchurch Call, on quickly and effectively eliminating illegal terrorist and violent extremist content online;

14. Take special care to prevent risks relating to misinformation and foreign interference; to this end, support independent fact-checking initiatives, including by backing the work of the OIF in this area, such as its ODIL platform;

15. Use recommendations systems which provide a wide variety of information sources, as well as the free expression of pluralism of currents of thought and opinion, including by identifying and promoting content which is labelled by independent professionals, such as the Journalism Trust Initiative, all in compliance with national legislation;

16. Help develop ethical and responsible artificial intelligence, which respects human rights, development and peace, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals;

In election periods:

17. While strictly observing countries’ sovereignty and complying with their legislation, help strengthen democratic institutions by maintaining the integrity of electoral processes, including by setting up public assessment and risk-reduction protocols specifically dealing with the integrity of elections or referendums in OIF member countries, before, during and after each process;

18. Transparently identify public policies, particularly during electoral cycles; monitor the monetization of publications by political parties and their representatives and store these ads and all information enabling them to be analysed in a library with exhaustive content, which is accessible online and regularly updated;

In crisis periods:

19. In emergency or crisis situations such as armed conflict, environmental or public health crises, analyse the impact of operations, products, services and advertising systems of companies on fundamental rights and the dynamics of said situations.

Contributing to cultural and linguistic diversity and fair remuneration for content creation

20. Actively and tangibly promote cultural and linguistic diversity in creating, producing, distributing, disseminating, accessing and using cultural goods and services online, including in developing artificial intelligence;

21. Help develop artificial intelligence which encourages cultural and linguistic diversity to combat the risk of homogenous, culturally-poor content;

22. Help promote the use of various languages in this area, particularly in order to incorporate this cultural and linguistic plurality/diversity into the training for generative artificial intelligence models;

23. Help with the discoverability of Francophone cultural and scientific content and in national and local languages spoken within the Francophone space as well as making available and promoting digital content which is representative of the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Francophonie, including by (i) presenting collected data to create models without prejudice to applicable intellectual property rules and (ii) promoting algorithmic explainability in the interests of users;

24. Provide effective protection for works protected by copyright and related rights without depriving users of the effective benefit of exceptions to copyright and related rights;

25. Guarantee fair and equal remuneration for creators in all countries in the Francophone space and for rights holders when they have consented to their work being used on digital platforms through licensing agreements.

Contributing to digital inclusion and the training of users to create Francophone digital citizens

26. Actively contribute to strengthening digital literacy and training in digital careers for people from OIF member countries, particularly young people and women, by supporting and collaborating with the “D-Clic, Formez-vous au numérique” project, thus improving the digital literacy of all Francophone users regarding products, services, processes and risks associated with the platforms in their design, operations and uses;

27. Help implement media and information education programmes to give users more autonomy and develop their critical thinking with regard to information with which they interact online, in French and in the local languages of OIF member countries, including by supporting OIF action in the areas like the ODIL platform, and by collaborating with the relevant public authorities, universities, civil society organizations which work with groups in vulnerable situations, researchers, librarians, teachers, special educators, IT and media professionals, journalists, artists and cultural professionals;

28. Contribute to cooperation between OIF member countries in the area of education on the media, IT and digital citizenship, encouraging shared experiences, best practice and resources.

We continue to work towards the objectives set out in this Call and to support the actions enabling us to meet them;

To this end, we ask the International Organisation of La Francophonie to regularly monitor this Call, in conjunction with the relevant stakeholders within the framework of the Strategy for Digital Francophonie and work already underway in this area;

We call on digital platforms to hear this Call and help achieve its objectives, in particular by cooperating with the relevant stakeholders.

Source: Press Service, Presidency of the French Republic

MIL OSI Europe News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: Prospect Capital Corporation Closes $764 Million of New Investments in Fiscal Year June 2024
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Prospect Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: PSEC) (“Prospect”) closed $764 million of new investments during its fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, investing in 38 new and existing portfolio companies.

91% of PSEC’s originations during fiscal year 2024 were first lien, senior secured loans.

Selected investments in both new and existing portfolio companies during fiscal year 2024 include:
- $56 million of first lien loans to refinance the debt of a provider of clinical trial services. The company is a clinical development services provider that operates and conducts clinical trials for pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers.
- $60 million of primarily first lien loans to finance an acquisition of a provider of business process outsourcing solutions. The company provides customer experience services and business process outsourcing services, which includes customer call centers, online chat, text message, and general ‘contact center as a service’.
- $26 million of primarily first lien loans to finance an acquisition of a healthcare services provider. The company is a detox and rehabilitation provider that offers residential inpatient treatment, partial hospital programs, and intensive outpatient care in multiple restore facilities.
- $30 million of a first lien loan to finance a shareholder distribution for a direct-to-consumer marketing company. The company is a direct marketer and distributor of modern-era government-issued gold and silver coins.
- $37 million of primarily first lien loans to finance an add-on acquisition and shareholder distribution for a logistics service provider. The company provides turnkey inventory management and transportation services.
- $13 million of a first lien loan to finance an add-on acquisition by a furniture provider. The company provides furniture and furnishings to residential and commercial end markets, including churches, hospitality, offices, restaurants, and schools.
- $10 million of first lien loans for a healthcare services provider in a secondary transaction. The company is a home-based infusion pharmacy services provider serving patients with chronic conditions.
- $20 million of first lien loans to finance a shareholder distribution of a branded jeweler designer. The company is a designer and retailer of distinctive handcrafted gold-plated women’s jewelry decorated with semi-precious stones, including necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings.
In addition, as of October 14, 2024, Prospect is processing an investment pipeline of more than $350 million, which includes transactions where due diligence and analysis are still in process.

The investment pipeline includes transactions for which a formal mandate, letter of intent, or signed commitment may or may not have been issued. The consummation of any of the investments in this pipeline depends upon, among other things, one or more of the following: satisfactory completion of Prospect’s due diligence investigation of the prospective portfolio company, Prospect’s acceptance of the terms and structure of such investment, and the execution and delivery of transaction documentation satisfactory to Prospect. In addition, Prospect may sell all or a portion of these investments and certain of these investments may result in the repayment of existing investments. Prospect cannot assure you that it will make any of these investments or that Prospect will sell all or any portion of these investments.

About Prospect Capital Corporation

Prospect is a business development company that focuses on lending to and investing in private businesses. Prospect’s investment objective is to generate both current income and long-term capital appreciation through debt and equity investments.

Prospect has elected to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”). Prospect is required to comply with a series of regulatory requirements under the 1940 Act as well as applicable NASDAQ, federal and state rules and regulations. We have elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, whose safe harbor for forward-looking statements does not apply to business development companies. Any such statements, other than statements of historical fact, are highly likely to be affected by other unknowable future events and conditions, including elements of the future that are or are not under our control, and that we may or may not have considered; accordingly, such statements cannot be guarantees or assurances of any aspect of future performance. Actual developments and results are highly likely to vary materially from any forward-looking statements. Such statements speak only as of the time when made, and we undertake no obligation to update any such statement now or in the future.

For further information, contact:

Grier Eliasek, President and Chief Operating Officer

grier@prospectcap.com

Telephone (212) 448-0702

The MIL Network –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Staff Completes 2024 Article IV Consultation Mission to Chad
Source: IMF – News in Russian

October 15, 2024

End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for discussion and decision.
- After increasing to 4.9 percent in 2023, growth is expected to moderate this year, reflecting a slight decline in oil production and the impact of floods.
- Following a decline in 2023, inflation is expected to increase significantly in 2024 on account of higher fuel and food prices before moderating over the medium term.
- The authorities are encouraged to pursue ongoing efforts to enhance sustainability of public finances and increase their contribution to development objectives.
- As the authorities are finalizing their National Development Plan for the next five years, the IMF staff team discussed with them a number of medium-term macroeconomic challenges Chad is facing. The team made recommendations aimed at increasing resilience against climate change, improving the business climate, strengthening governance, and reducing gender disparities.
Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Mr. Édouard Martin, Mission Chief for Chad, visited N’Djamena to hold discussions on the 2024 Article IV consultation from October 3–15, 2024. Mr. Vitaliy Kramarenko, Deputy Director of the IMF African department, joined the mission for policy discussions. The Article IV discussions will continue in the coming days.

At the conclusion of the discussions, Mr. Martin issued the following statement:

“Chad’s economic activity grew by 4.9 percent in 2023, driven by a rebound in agricultural production, an increase in public investment, and higher oil production. After declining in 2023 (to 4.2 percent from 8.3 percent at end-2022) owing to a slowdown in food prices, year-over-year inflation went back up to 8.7 percent at end-August 2024, reflecting a rebalancing in domestic fuel prices and a rebound in food prices during a particularly difficult lean season.

“The overall fiscal balance deteriorated substantially in 2023—to -2.7 percent of non-oil GDP from +4.9 percent in 2022. Non-oil revenue increased steadily as a result of tax administration reforms while current expenditures remained elevated, reflecting in part spending pressures related to the arrival of refugees from Sudan and the large use of emergency spending procedures (Dépenses avant ordonnancement, DAOs).

“The banking sector remains undercapitalized. At end-December 2023, the sector’s capital adequacy ratio was below the regulatory minimum, while non-performing loans amounted to 31.5 percent of total loans. The mission emphasized the need to promptly finalize and start implementing restructuring plans for the two systemic public banks.

“Looking ahead, the outlook for 2024-25 remains broadly favorable but subject to significant risks. The economy is expected to decelerate this year owing to a slight decline in oil production and the impact of floods. Despite a further decline in oil production, growth would increase to 3.4 percent in 2025 owing to better agricultural crops and livestock activity. Reflecting substantial increases in food and fuel prices, inflation would increase to 8.8 percent year-over-year at end- 2024 before gradually declining over the medium term. Risks include a possible intensification of regional conflicts, large fluctuations in oil prices, and an increase in climate-change related events, such as the recent floods.

“Despite a further decline in oil revenue, the overall fiscal balance would somewhat recover in 2024. Non-oil revenue would increase significantly, reflecting further tax administration reforms, the increase in domestic fuel prices, and the renewal of telecommunications licenses. Current spending would decline, reflecting the phasing out of one-off spending related to the political transition and the election and the progress in reducing the use of emergency spending procedures.

“With oil revenue expected to further decline over the medium term, discussions focused on measures to further improve domestic non-oil revenue mobilization, including through digitalization, and contain current expenditure, including the wage bill and transfers to the energy sector. The mission also encouraged the authorities to ensure that budget allocations for social spending (e.g., health, education, women, and environment) are actually spent and to reform public procurement to increase the efficiency of public investment.

“The authorities are finalizing their National Development Plan, which will articulate the policies and reforms the government intends to implement over the next five years to meet its development objectives. In this context, the mission discussed the key medium-term macroeconomic challenges that Chad is facing. It stressed the importance of ensuring a sustainable and inclusive development, which will notably require mobilizing concessional financing and grants to finance investment in key areas and taking measures to promote the development of the private sector and the diversification of the economy. It also made recommendations aimed at increasing resilience against climate change, improving the business climate, strengthening governance, and reducing gender disparities.

“The IMF team would like to thank the Chadian authorities and other counterparts for their hospitality, excellent cooperation, and candid and constructive discussions.”

The mission met with Mr. Mahamat Idriss Déby Into, President of the Republic of Chad; Mr. Tahir Hamid Nguilin, Minister of State for Finance, Budget, Economy and Planning; Ms. Ndolenodji Alixe Naïmbaye, Minister of Hydrocarbons, Mines, and Geology; Mr. Patalet Kanabe Marcelin, Minister of Water and Energy]; Mr. Idriss Ahmat Idriss, National Director of the regional central bank (BEAC); and other senior officials, as well as representatives of the private sector, civil society and international development partners.

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER: Julie Ziegler

Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

@IMFSpokesperson

https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/10/15/pr-370-chad-imf-staff-completes-2024-article-iv-consultation-mission

MIL OSI
MIL OSI Russia News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Deadline Approaching in North Dakota for SBA Working Capital Loans Due to Severe Winter Storm and Straight-line Winds

Source: United States Small Business Administration

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Francisco Sánchez Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration, today reminded North Dakota private nonprofit organizations of the Nov. 15, 2024, deadline to apply for an SBA federal disaster loan for economic injury caused by severe winter storm and straight-line winds that occurred Dec. 25‑27, 2023. Private nonprofits that provide essential services of a governmental nature are eligible for assistance.

According to Sánchez, eligible private nonprofits of any size may apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. “Economic Injury Disaster Loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster’s impact. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the private nonprofit suffered any property damage,” Sánchez said.

These low-interest federal disaster loans are available in Barnes, Cass, Dickey, Grant, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele, Stutsman and Traill counties.

The interest rate is 3.25 percent with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Interest does not begin to accrue until 12 months from the date of the first disaster loan disbursement. SBA disaster loan repayment begins 12 months from the date of the first disbursement.

Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

###

About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.sba.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: ProCap Ushers in the Grand Opening of a New Business Lounge in China Hong Kong SAR

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Hong Kong, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On 9th October 2024, ProCap leaders from China, Japan, The Philippines, and South Korea graced the grand opening of ProCap’s new Hong Kong business lounge. The business lounge is located right in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui district and marks a significant milestone in ProCap’s business expansion plans as the company is preparing to launch a strategic entry in the Mainland Chinese markets. The grand opening is a testament of ProCap’s commitment to serving our valued partners and business associates in the Pearl River Delta Region. Additionally, the new business lounge is a symbol of the company’s confidence in Hong Kong and the Greater China Region as the company continues to regard it as a key strategic focus market for expansion.

Last Wednesday’s grand opening was the culmination of the hard work and dedication by ProCap’s management team and Hong Kong’s leaders as the company intends to capitalise on our presence in Hong Kong as a launching pad to realise the huge business potential in the Pearl River Delta Region. Specifically, the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone as a trading and logistics hub presents itself with unique opportunities for ProCap as the company seeks to make inroads into a bustling regional hub for trade and commerce. Additionally, the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone is also where the different economies of China, Hong Kong, and Macau converge, which gives rise to a dynamic and robust business environment; this is crucial and in-line with ProCap’s business ethos as the company seeks to grow continuously amidst an ever-changing fast paced regional backdrop.

At ProCap, we believe in constantly expanding our presence and network to better serve our growing customer base. With the new business lounge sited in Hong Kong, it will provide ProCap with access to a dynamic and vibrant region of Southern China while providing greater connectivity to our valued customers in the region. Additionally, the presence of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will provide ProCap with further expansion and growth opportunities beyond Hong Kong. The company is aware of recent developments in China’s fiscal and monetary stimulus push and looks optimistically towards a better outlook for the domestic economic situation.

ProCap would like to express our immense gratitude to all leaders and associates for attending the grand opening ceremony in Hong Kong. The company would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to our valued clients for their continuous support and trust placed in ProCap as your preferred partners for capital protection. ProCap will continue to grow as a company as we strive to be the world’s leading capital protection services provider by providing our clients with world class protection coverage.

About Procap International

ProCap International a technology-empowered, innovative financial services provider, is the pioneer of Capital Protection. The company is built on the basis of risk management in prediction games; and selected trading instruments on exchanges.

By following the ProCap Formula, clients can get to enjoy stable returns daily by making the correct predictions; without the need to worry about making the wrong predictions and incurring any financial losses.

As the industry transits through consolidation and technological disruptions, ProCap’s avant-garde operating model is poised to provide the most competitive and cost-effective insurance products tailored to our clients’ ever evolving needs. The amalgamation of ProCap, Clients and Gaming Operators seamlessly is an industry first with the company having tremendous growth potential to carve out a niche for itself with this revolutionary business model.

Web: http://www.procap.insure

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: NVIDIA Contributes Blackwell Platform Design to Open Hardware Ecosystem, Accelerating AI Infrastructure Innovation

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OCP Global Summit—To drive the development of open, efficient and scalable data center technologies, NVIDIA today announced that it has contributed foundational elements of its NVIDIA Blackwell accelerated computing platform design to the Open Compute Project (OCP) and broadened NVIDIA Spectrum-X™ support for OCP standards.

At this year’s OCP Global Summit, NVIDIA will be sharing key portions of the NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 system electro-mechanical design with the OCP community — including the rack architecture, compute and switch tray mechanicals, liquid-cooling and thermal environment specifications, and NVIDIA NVLink™ cable cartridge volumetrics — to support higher compute density and networking bandwidth.

NVIDIA has already made several official contributions to OCP across multiple hardware generations, including its NVIDIA HGX™ H100 baseboard design specification, to help provide the ecosystem with a wider choice of offerings from the world’s computer makers and expand the adoption of AI.

In addition, expanded NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking platform alignment with OCP Community-developed specifications enables companies to unlock the performance potential of AI factories deploying OCP-recognized equipment while preserving their investments and maintaining software consistency.

“Building on a decade of collaboration with OCP, NVIDIA is working alongside industry leaders to shape specifications and designs that can be widely adopted across the entire data center,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “By advancing open standards, we’re helping organizations worldwide take advantage of the full potential of accelerated computing and create the AI factories of the future.”

Accelerated Computing Platform for the Next Industrial Revolution
NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform was designed to power a new era of AI.

GB200 NVL72 is based on the NVIDIA MGX™ modular architecture, which enables computer makers to quickly and cost-effectively build a vast array of data center infrastructure designs.

The liquid-cooled system connects 36 NVIDIA Grace™ CPUs and 72 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs in a rack-scale design. With a 72-GPU NVIDIA NVLink domain, it acts as a single, massive GPU and delivers 30x faster real-time trillion-parameter large language model inference than the NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPU.

The NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking platform, which now includes the next-generation NVIDIA ConnectX-8 SuperNIC™, supports OCP’s Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI) and Software for Open Networking in the Cloud (SONiC) standards. This allows customers to use Spectrum-X’s adaptive routing and telemetry-based congestion control to accelerate Ethernet performance for scale-out AI infrastructure.

ConnectX-8 SuperNICs feature accelerated networking at speeds of up to 800Gb/s and programmable packet processing engines optimized for massive-scale AI workloads. ConnectX-8 SuperNICs for OCP 3.0 will be available next year, equipping organizations to build highly flexible networks.

Critical Infrastructure for Data Centers
As the world transitions from general-purpose to accelerated and AI computing, data center infrastructure is becoming increasingly complex. To simplify the development process, NVIDIA is working closely with 40+ global electronics makers that provide key components to create AI factories.

Additionally, a broad array of partners are innovating and building on top of the Blackwell platform, including Meta, which plans to contribute its Catalina AI rack architecture based on GB200 NVL72 to OCP. This provides computer makers with flexible options to build high compute density systems and meet the growing performance and energy efficiency needs of data centers.

“NVIDIA has been a significant contributor to open computing standards for years, including their high-performance computing platform that has been the foundation of our Grand Teton server for the past two years,” said Yee Jiun Song, vice president of engineering at Meta. “As we progress to meet the increasing computational demands of large-scale artificial intelligence, NVIDIA’s latest contributions in rack design and modular architecture will help speed up the development and implementation of AI infrastructure across the industry.”

Learn more about NVIDIA’s contributions to the Open Compute Project at the 2024 OCP Global Summit, taking place at the San Jose Convention Center from Oct. 15-17.

About NVIDIA
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the world leader in accelerated computing.

For further information, contact:
Kristin Uchiyama
NVIDIA Corporation
+1-408-313-0448
kuchiyama@nvidia.com

Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to: the benefits, impact, and performance of NVIDIA’s products, services, and technologies, including NVIDIA Blackwell accelerated computing platform, NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking platform, NVIDIA GB200 NVL72, NVIDIA NVLink, NVIDIA HGX H100, NVIDIA MGX modular architecture, NVIDIA Grace CPUs, NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPU, and NVIDIA ConnectX-8 SuperNIC; NVIDIA contributing foundational elements of its NVIDIA Blackwell accelerated computing platform design to the Open Compute Project (OCP) and broaden NVIDIA Spectrum-X support for OCP standards; the benefits and impact of NVIDIA’s collaboration with third parties; third parties using or adopting our products or technologies; NVIDIA working alongside industry leaders to shape specifications and designs that can be widely adopted across the entire data center; by advancing open standards, NVIDIA helping organizations worldwide take advantage of the full potential of accelerated computing and create the AI factories of the future; as the world transitioning from general-purpose to accelerated and AI computing, data center infrastructure becoming increasingly complex; and the timing and themes of the 2024 OCP Global Summit are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: global economic conditions; our reliance on third parties to manufacture, assemble, package and test our products; the impact of technological development and competition; development of new products and technologies or enhancements to our existing product and technologies; market acceptance of our products or our partners’ products; design, manufacturing or software defects; changes in consumer preferences or demands; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when integrated into systems; as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the most recent reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on the company’s website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

Many of the products and features described herein remain in various stages and will be offered on a when-and-if-available basis. The statements above are not intended to be, and should not be interpreted as a commitment, promise, or legal obligation, and the development, release, and timing of any features or functionalities described for our products is subject to change and remains at the sole discretion of NVIDIA. NVIDIA will have no liability for failure to deliver or delay in the delivery of any of the products, features or functions set forth herein.

© 2024 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, ConnectX, NVIDIA Grace, NVIDIA HGX, NVIDIA MGX, NVIDIA Spectrum-X, NVLink and SuperNIC are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a75e1ec2-a3aa-4833-a1fc-65420becb4cf

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Villers-Cotterêts Declaration (7 Oct. 2024)

Source: Republic of France in English
The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

1. We, the Heads of State and Government of countries which have a shared relationship with the French language, meeting on 4 and 5 October 2024 for the 19th Francophonie Summit in the French Republic;

2. Welcome the opening of this Summit at the Cité Internationale de la Langue Française, where in 1539 the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts was signed, for the first time making French the official language of France;

3. Reiterate our commitment to the French language, a language of teaching and communication, development, transmission and sharing, of creation and opportunities, a language of negotiation in international forums, for our populations, particularly young people, in accordance with the Declaration on the French Language in the Linguistic Diversity of Francophonie, adopted at the 18th Summit in Djerba;

4. Aware of the multi-faceted crises affecting the Francophone space, including armed conflict, situations of occupation and settlement, as well as terrorist acts, support the International Organisation of la Francophonie in its role as a key forum for dialogue, which is essential to strengthen the shared values of humanity, i.e. peace, sustainable development, democracy, the rule of law and human rights, pursuant to the Charter of the Francophonie, the Bamako Declaration (2000) and the Saint-Boniface Declaration (2006) and in compliance with the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the United Nations Security Council resolutions;

5. Condemn violations of international law and international humanitarian law;

6. Remain committed to addressing the challenges of climate change, working to protect the environment, and supporting the work of the OIF through the 2023-2030 Francophonie Strategic Framework in order to encourage Francophone synergies and consultations prior to multilateral events on these issues, and highlight that the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) must urgently enter into force and call for swift progress in negotiating the International Treaty against Plastic Pollution with a view to the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC 2025); remain committed to the challenge of climate finance and recall that no State or government should have to choose between fighting poverty and preserving the planet; and in that regard, welcome the organization by France of the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris in 2023;

7. We therefore recall that climate financing is the cornerstone in the global effort to fight climate change and highlight, in that regard, the importance of the Loss and Damage Fund established at COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, recognizing its role in addressing the negative impact of climate change; Welcome the support provided by the OIF through the training of climate negotiators, in achieving this objective;

8. Recall our commitment to the role of civil society and non-governmental organizations, and support an active Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations for the benefit of populations and Francophone institutions.

9. Renew our commitment to promoting gender equality, in accordance with the Francophonie Strategy for the Promotion of Gender Equality, the Rights and the Empowerment of Women and Girls, adopted at the 17th Francophonie Summit in Yerevan;

10. Believe that the future of our young people is a priority which requires us to continually work with them to foster peace and sustainable development in our societies, in line with the Francophonie values of solidarity, tolerance, justice and inclusiveness;

11. Reiterate that the promotion of the diversity of languages and cultures, as well as the diversity of expression and creation of cultural and educational content within the framework of a pluralistic, knowledge-based society are Francophonie’s most precious assets;

12. Urge all OIF countries as well as institutions and agencies of the Charter of the Francophonie to promote the spirit of solidarity and respect shown both at the 2023 Francophone Games in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in France in the summer of 2024, with a view to upcoming international sporting events, particularly the Francophone Games, to be hosted by Armenia in 2027;

13. Building on the legacy of Francophonie institutions, including the 36th session of the Francophonie Ministerial Conference (FMC) in Monaco and the 18th Francophonie Summit in Djerba, having highlighted the importance of innovation in promoting science and the digital economy in order to reduce the digital divide, ensure high-quality education and better access to employment;

Have decided to make the theme of the 19th Summit: “Create, innovate and do business in French”

I. The French language, serving an education, training and employability continuum

Considering that the French language remains the bedrock of our Organisation, while respecting linguistic diversity and promoting multilingualism;

14. Reiterate our commitment to the teaching of French, and teaching in French, and welcome the key role of educators and school communities. Commit to working alongside the OIF to develop linguistic training and teaching, in order to significantly increase the number of trained educators to ensure high-quality education for all; to this end, encourage sharing of expertise and best practices among training institution networks, the implementation of shared programmes and mechanisms, including greater online resources for educators and educational officials in the Francophone space;

15. Support the adaptation of academic, professional and technical Francophone training, including through work-based learning, apprenticeships and mentoring in French, in order to promote a spirit of creation, innovation and entrepreneurship for young people, in line with the necessary skills to make them employable and boost the economic development of OIF member countries;

16. Highlight the importance of facilitating exchanges among young Francophones in training, volunteers, academics, researchers and entrepreneurs, particularly within the framework of cross-cutting mobility projects in the Francophone space; encourage, to that end, multi-stakeholder cooperation involving OIF member countries and Charter of the Francophonie institutions and agencies, with economic and civil society stakeholders;

17. To better tackle pandemics, call for greater French-language training in the area of healthcare through digital tools and in this regard, welcome national and multilateral efforts, particularly within the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, which this year will open its continuous training centre, the WHO Academy in Lyon, and the cooperation agreement signed between the OIF and WHO in 2021;

18. Encourage Charter of the Francophonie institutions and agencies to strengthen their work for cultural diversity, in line with the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, adopted by UNESCO in 2005, thus enabling greater visibility among the huge diversity of French-language productions;

19. Recall that Francophone cultural and linguistic diversity is very important within the digital space, and encourage Francophonie to actively continue its contribution to global digital governance, in accordance with the 2022-2026 Strategy for Digital Francophonie, particularly the process linked to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva, the Global Digital Compact in New York and the 2025 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris.

20. Recognize the urgent need to take action in the digital environment and urge Charter of the Francophonie institutions and agencies to implement solutions for accessibility, linguistic diversity and the discoverability of French-language cultural, educational and scientific content and French-language training of generative artificial intelligence; welcome the scale of digitized collections of Francophone documentation centres and new cooperation opportunities created by the Cité Internationale de la Langue Française in Villers-Cotterêts in these areas;

21. Call for high-level dialogue and advocacy to continue in the area of culture, particularly with regard to protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural and linguistic expressions;

22. Reiterate our commitment to the multilateral media outlet, TV5, and commit to promote and distribute it; in this regard, we will take every appropriate measure, using all distribution methods, to ensure our populations have the widest possible access to TV5’s channels and the TV5MondePlus digital platform, which showcase the cultural diversity of the Francophone space;

23. Recalling UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, welcome the fact that advances in artificial intelligence can contribute to the fields of translation and interpreting, including within international bodies; and call for these technological developments to fully respect the essential role of French-speaking translators and interpreters;

24. Highlight the determination of OIF member countries to maintain a reliable, free and safe information space, in accordance with the resolution on good governance adopted at the 44th Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie (CMF) in Yaoundé; declare our full support for the Information and Democracy Partnership and the need to promote media and information education; in this regard, we welcome the 1st High-Level Forum of members of the Network of French-speaking media regulatory authorities (REFRAM) and the major digital space platforms, the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration of 24 April 2024 aimed at strengthening dialogue between regulators and major online platforms in Africa and the Francophone space, as well as the signing of the voluntary commitment protocol, and in this regard, welcome the Villers-Cotterêts Call for an honest, trustworthy digital space in the Francophone world, launched at the opening of this 19th Francophonie Summit;

II. Create, innovate and do business in the Francophone space

Considering that success in Francophonie can only be achieved once the French language has been acquired;

25. Highlight the essential role of compliance with the fundamental freedoms of creation, innovation and enterprise, in accordance with the Bamako Declaration;

26. Together call on all Charter of the Francophonie institutions and agencies to encourage freedom of creation, in all the diversity of artistic expression, invite them to develop their work for cultural and creative industries, particularly through the development and improvement of vocational training in these sectors, which offer a wide range of employment opportunities;

27. Recall that the future of artists and creators from all cultural sectors requires working in compliance with copyright and neighbouring rights, and we are committed to strengthening these legal and administrative mechanisms for the regular collection and payment of royalties, and to support the international distribution of works, including within the digital space;

28. Welcome the work of the OIF for Francophone authors and express our commitment to the Francophonie literary awards, including the Prix des cinq continents, as well as the programmes to support broadcasting productions through the Images de la Francophonie and the Francophonie TV5Mondeplus Funds;

29. Invite Charter of the Francophonie institutions and agencies in collaboration with civil society, to discuss the importance of Francophonie in sport, highlighting the social and economic opportunities it offers for young Francophones, as well as its positive impact on health and well-being;

30. Welcome the meaningful results of the Francophonie economic and trade missions, as part of the Economic Strategy for La Francophonie 2020-2025, and reiterate our support for the involvement of women and young entrepreneurs in these missions; support partnerships with Francophone economic networks to back companies as they develop internationally;

31. Encourage initiatives to promote Francophone entrepreneurship, particularly in sectors linked to climate change and sustainable tourism, and call for enhanced relations between companies and academic, vocational and technical training institutions, as well as Francophone standardization and intellectual property networks;

32. Also encourage concerted Francophone efforts to facilitate access for OIF member countries and local authorities to climate and biodiversity finance, in support of innovation and entrepreneurship;

33. Place special emphasis on actions to promote the empowerment of women and urge all OIF member countries to support the strengthening of the La Francophonie Avec Elles Fund, with regard to its importance for direct beneficiaries and positive impacts for local communities;

34. Aware of the economic and cultural cooperation opportunities opened up by the French language, we are committed to promoting mobility via Francophonie programmes and movement within our space for nationals of our countries, entrepreneurs, artists and graduates who, for professional purposes, are required to travel regularly, in compliance with national visa legislation and regulations;

35. Take note, in this regard, that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF), in its declaration on citizen mobility in the Francophone space, recommends implementing measures to consolidate Francophonie as a more integrated space and to make better use of its social and economic potential;

36. In the interests of all these commitments, encourage the institutions and agencies of the Charter of the Francophonie to continue diversifying their sources of finance, in addition to voluntary contributions from OIF member countries, in order to strengthen the implementation of their programmes, including through public-private partnerships and development banks.

Source: Website of the Presidency of the Republic

MIL OSI Europe News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s musical interlude is a twist on the long tradition of candidates enlisting musicians’ support, from Al Jolson to Springsteen to Swift

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Matt Harris, Associate Professor of Political Science, Park University

Donald Trump dances to the song “Y.M.C.A.” with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, during a town hall event in Pennsylvania on Oct. 14, 2024. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Donald Trump made liberal use of music in what’s being called a “surreal” or “bizarre” town hall meeting on Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pennsylvania. After two attendees at the event had medical problems, Trump declared he would stop answering audience questions, and music would be played instead.

Then, as the Washington Post reported, “For 39 minutes, Trump swayed, bopped — sometimes stopping to speak — as he turned the event into almost a living-room listening session of his favorite songs from his self-curated rally playlist.”

The music included “YMCA” by the Village People and Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.”

The use of music in campaigns is a long tradition, although this may be the first time a playlist has substituted for talking points. While Trump is bopping at campaign events, both Democrats and Republicans anticipate what looks to be another coin flip election that could come down to a few hundred thousand votes in a handful of states. Every voter matters – no matter how you reach them. With that in mind, Democrats are communicating not just on matters of policy, but matters of pop culture.

Specifically, Democrats are embracing football and Taylor Swift. The Harris-Walz campaign trotted out endorsements from 15 Pro Football Hall of Famers and sells Swiftie-style friendship bracelets on its campaign website, among other overtures. Swift herself has endorsed Kamala Harris.

The Harris-Walz campaign is definitely stressing Walz’s football coach background.
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Tim Walz cited his experience as a football coach and mentioned Swift in the vice presidential debate.

Democratic challenger and former NFLer Colin Allred, who is running to unseat GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, has put out ads in which he appears moments from taking to the gridiron.

But how much does pop culture campaigning, if you will, matter? Does trying to link a campaign to a sport, or a culture, or a style of music actually influence elections? Looking to five different election campaigns in the past can give a sense of the effects, or lack thereof, of such campaigning.

An ad for Texas Democrat Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL player, stresses his football past in his bid to unseat GOP Sen. Ted Cruz.

Reagan and Springsteen

Any discussion of the embrace of pop culture by candidates should probably start with Ronald Reagan’s Bruce Springsteen era.

Reagan, attempting to reach beyond his base, viewed 1984 as a vibes-based election and cited Springsteen as an exemplar of the hope his campaign wished to inspire. Springsteen rejected a request from Reagan’s camp to use his often-misunderstood “Born in the U.S.A.” on the campaign trail. The song’s lyrics describe a down-on-his-luck Vietnam War veteran, but if you don’t listen carefully to the lyrics, the song can sound like a celebration of veterans and being American.

While Reagan went on to win 49 states in that year’s election, perhaps the biggest long-term impact of his courtship of Springsteen fans was to turn Springsteen from a relatively apolitical performer to a staunch supporter of the Democratic Party.

In this way, Springsteen’s transformation mirrors that of Taylor Swift, with Marsha Blackburn, the Tennessee Republican senator, serving as her Reagan – the person who pushed the performer into the political arena after years on the sidelines.

Springsteen and Kerry

Springsteen’s foray into politics eventually led him to back Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004 with a series of concerts called the “Vote for Change” tour.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry greets the crowd with musician Bruce Springsteen while campaigning in Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 28, 2004.
AP Photo/Laura Rauch

Kerry, meanwhile, undertook his own efforts at cultural turf claiming. His attempts to demonstrate his bona fides as a sports-loving everyman went awry at times, when he flubbed the name of “Lambeau Field,” home of Wisconsin’s Green Bay Packers, and referred to a nonexistent Boston Red Sox player, “Manny Ortez.” The ill-fated sports references arguably didn’t hurt his campaign – he won Wisconsin and Massachusetts – but he was ridiculed for a photo-op hunting trip late in the campaign and went on to lose rural Midwestern voters decisively – as well as the election.

Kerry’s dabbling with hunting imagery was perhaps an attempt to dull President George W. Bush’s advantage in perceived strength of leadership, which was in part burnished by his adoption of a cowboy persona.

Harding, Jolson and the Cubs

While Reagan’s attempt to woo 1980s rock fans is one of the best-known attempts to campaign on a mantra of popular culture, it was far from the first.

Sen. Warren Harding’s 1920 front porch campaign for president was given a jolt of enthusiasm by a visit from singer and actor Al Jolson. Harding was also visited in his hometown, Marion, Ohio, by other actors and celebrities and the Chicago Cubs.

Harding’s strategy probably better serves as a template for things to come than a decisive move in the 1920 election: His victory with over 60% of the popular vote suggests no celebrity could have saved Democrat James Cox.

Bill Clinton and MTV

As the Harris-Walz campaign tries to draw votes from Swift’s young fans, parallels can be drawn to Democratic Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton’s attempts to embrace youth culture in the 1992 presidential election. Among other appearances, Clinton took questions from young voters on MTV and played saxophone on “The Arsenio Hall Show.”

While the direct effect of Clinton’s forays into youth culture is difficult to measure, he did surge among young voters relative to Democrat Michael Dukakis’ 1988 presidential campaign.

In his 1992 campaign, Bill Clinton went on MTV to answer young people’s questions, which included ‘If you had it to do over again, would you inhale?’

Ford and football

Any discussion of politicians embracing football culture would be incomplete without a discussion of the American president best at playing football, Gerald Ford, the vice president who became the nation’s 38th president in 1974, when Richard Nixon resigned during the Watergate scandal.

Ford played center on two national championship teams at the University of Michigan. While not using his football player background to the same level as former football coach Walz did at the Democratic National Convention, Ford did make use of his football credentials on the stump during the 1976 presidential campaign and was joined on the campaign trail by Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

But the votes of football fans were apparently not enough to keep Ford in the White House for long. He lost the 1976 election to Democrat Jimmy Carter.

Potentially fruitful pickups

Will the Harris-Walz strategy of recruiting voters through pop culture be successful? Swift’s fans are largely young, suburban women, and NFL fans are strewn across the political spectrum. There are potentially fruitful pickups in both camps. The candidates certainly think it matters: Walz said he “took football back” from Republicans, a claim disputed by Trump.

Stressing pop culture credentials can also provide attention to a campaign, regardless of persuasion. Clinton’s pop culture appearances generated coverage beyond the appearances themselves and were cost-effective for a campaign short on funds.

This type of pop culture campaigning generates coverage, then, even if voters aren’t moved by thinking a candidate shares their love of football or pop music.

This story has been updated to include the Trump town hall in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 14.

Matt Harris 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. Trump’s musical interlude is a twist on the long tradition of candidates enlisting musicians’ support, from Al Jolson to Springsteen to Swift – https://theconversation.com/trumps-musical-interlude-is-a-twist-on-the-long-tradition-of-candidates-enlisting-musicians-support-from-al-jolson-to-springsteen-to-swift-239381

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: StableMetal Disrupts Traditional Metals Market with Innovative Tokenized Assets

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — StableMetal, a trailblazing project on the ToneOpenNetwork, is ecstatic to announce the forthcoming launch of its innovative tokenized metals – AuS, CuS, and FeS – scheduled for early 2025. These tokens, backed by real-world physical assets, aim to revolutionize the commodities market by introducing stability, security, and accessibility to metal trading.

Reshaping the Metals Trading Landscape with Tokenization

Driven by its mission to transform the metal trading landscape, StableMetal has constructed a robust platform that leverages derivative tokens secured by NFTs. This ingenious approach empowers investors to participate in the tokenized metals market while ensuring transparency and liquidity. The STBL token, the lifeblood of the platform’s ecosystem, has already gained significant traction with a market cap of $6 million, while the combined capitalization of its upcoming tokenized metals approaches a staggering $2 billion.

Expanding Reach: Upcoming Listings on Major Cryptocurrency Exchanges

StableMetal is actively engaged in discussions with leading cryptocurrency exchanges, including MEXC, BitMart, and Bitvavo, for listing the STBL token. Acquiring the necessary funds will be the final step before securing these listings, which will play a pivotal role in enabling global access to STBL and its tokenized metal derivatives.

The project has further ambitions to secure additional listings on prominent exchanges like Gate.io, KuCoin, and Bybit, solidifying its market presence and bolstering liquidity. “Our primary objective is to make STBL and our tokenized metals universally available, granting investors effortless access to metal-backed assets,” stated the StableMetal Team.

Rewarding Early Supporters and Bolstering Growth

To commemorate the launch of these novel tokenized metals, StableMetal is planning a unique airdrop catering to early investors and active users. This campaign will shower participants with exclusive tokens, presenting an exciting opportunity to become an integral part of the StableMetal community.

Furthermore, StableMetal is gearing up for a funding round, prioritizing a decentralized token distribution strategy. “We are thrilled to welcome new investors who share our vision of building a transparent and highly liquid metal trading ecosystem,” commented Semion Bozbei, CEO of StableMetal.

Seamless Integration and Continued Expansion

While STBL currently lacks EVM compatibility, StableMetal is diligently developing bridge solutions to achieve cross-chain compatibility. This initiative will ultimately enhance accessibility and facilitate integration with other platforms.

Join the StableMetal Revolution

StableMetal extends an open invitation to metal enthusiasts, investors, and traders to join its journey as it redefines the future of metal trading. To learn more, explore their website or connect with them on their social media platforms.

About Us

Stable Metal is a ground-breaking platform that combines blockchain technology with real-world precious metals. Built on top of vast metal reserves, the platform’s native token, STBL, ushers in a new era of market stability for cryptocurrencies. Combining the stability of precious metals with the potential of blockchain technology on the TON network, this novel strategy gives investors a chance to partake in the conventional and digital asset markets at the same time.

Contact

Company: StableMetal
Name: Semion Bozbei, CEO
Email: mail@stablemetal.com
Website: https://stablemetal.com/

Disclaimer: This content is provided by StableMetal. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/867ad240-f580-42ea-94b6-4a62c03be312

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Navy Demonstrates First At-sea Reloading of Vertical Launching System

Source: United States Navy

SAN DIEGO—The U.S. Navy achieved a breakthrough in combat readiness today as it successfully demonstrated the Transferrable Reload At-sea Method (TRAM) on an underway warship in open ocean for the first time.

Sailors aboard the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Chosin (CG 65) used the hydraulically-powered TRAM device to load an empty missile canister into the ship’s MK 41 vertical launching system (VLS) while off the coast of San Diego on Oct. 11.

The successful demonstration marks a critical step in the capability to rearm warships at sea—a top priority outlined by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.

“Today, we proved just how game-changing TRAM truly is—and what a powerful deterrent it will be to our competitors,” said Del Toro, who witnessed the demonstration. “This demonstration marks a key milestone on the path to perfecting this capability and fielding it for sustained operations at sea.”

“This was an outstanding effort by the sailors and civilians involved in demonstrating this game-changing capability for the Navy,” said Capt. James “Mike” Williams, commanding officer of Chosin.

The groundbreaking at-sea test follows a successful land-based demonstration in July at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) in California.

Engineers at NSWC PHD developed the TRAM prototype as a way to rearm warships during the underway replenishment (UNREP) process—when a supply ship connects to a combatant at sea to transfer vital material such as fuel and food.

“The combatant can stay near the fight to be rearmed, refueled and resupplied all at the same time,” said Rich Hadley, UNREP division manager at NSWC PHD. “As Capt. Arleigh Burke said, ‘All time spent in replenishing was time lost in combat.’ TRAM improves operational effectiveness by reducing the amount of time the warfighter must spend away from the fight replenishing.”

For the at-sea demonstration, Chosin connected to USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11), a Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship, which transferred the missile canister across cables to the cruiser. The sailors then used TRAM to move the missile canister along rails attached to the cruiser’s VLS modules, tilt it into a vertical position, and lower it into a VLS cell with TRAM’s built-in cable and pulley system.

“Deploying TRAM into the Military Sealift Command logistics fleet,” said Tim Barnard, director of the NAVSEA technology office (05T), “would enable combatants to remain in theater while reloading their VLS missile launchers instead of having to travel long distances to a port, greatly expanding the volume and tempo of long-range fires—and the U.S. Navy’s advantage over adversaries.”

MK 41 VLS provides rapid-fire missile launch capability for the U.S. Navy’s destroyers, cruisers and future Constellation-class frigates.

Del Toro said the Navy is on track to begin fielding TRAM in two to three years.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Charlottetown — PEI RCMP complete check stops and numerous traffic stops to promote Operation Impact
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Operation Impact is a traffic initiative led by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police . Each year, motor vehicle collisions kill about 2,000 Canadians, seriously injure another 10,000 people and injure about 165,000 citizens in this country. This year, the message to Canadians from Operation Impact 2024 is – Don’t risk lives with bad driving behaviours. Safety is literally in every driver’s hands.

In support of Operation Impact, PEI RCMP conducted check stops and numerous traffic stops throughout the province from October 11^th to 14^th, 2024.
- On October 11^th, 2024, at 8:05 p.m. Queens District RCMP stopped a vehicle that was failing to maintain the driving lane. A 63-year-old woman was arrested for failing to comply with a breath demand.
- On October 11^th, 2024, at 8:55 p.m. Kings District RCMP received a call from the public that an individual was operating a motor vehicle while impaired. A 47-year-old man was arrested and provided breath samples over the legal limit.
- On October 12^th, 2024, at 7:01 p.m. PEI RCMP Traffic Services stopped a vehicle for speeding in Hampton, PE, and completed a roadside breath test with the driver, resulting in a seven-day license suspension.
- On October 14^th, 2024, at 11:11 p.m. Queens District RCMP stopped a vehicle for speeding on the Charlottetown Perimeter Highway. A 25-year-old female was arrested and provided breath samples over the legal limit.
“As a driver on Island roads, you have the power to save lives, and keep others safe as well,” said Constable, Kevin MacKay, Acting Media Relations Officer with PEI RCMP. “We cannot say it enough, don’t drive impaired, by alcohol or drugs; plan your rides and make smart choices,” adds Cst. MacKay.

If you see a driver who is an immediate threat to road safety, call 911 and pass the following information along, if possible:
- A description of the vehicle and driver;
- A licence plate number;
- The direction the vehicle is travelling.
MIL Security OSI –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada continues progress on greening operations and supporting clean electricity infrastructure

Source: Government of Canada News (2)

October 15, 2024 Calgary, Alberta Public Services and Procurement Canada The Government of Canada is taking further action on its Greening Government Strategy commitment to use 100 per cent clean electricity in federal buildings. This strategy supports green energy projects and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, leading Canada’s continued energy transition.

October 15, 2024 Calgary, Alberta Public Services and Procurement Canada

The Government of Canada is taking further action on its Greening Government Strategy commitment to use 100 per cent clean electricity in federal buildings. This strategy supports green energy projects and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, leading Canada’s continued energy transition.

Today, on behalf the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview, announced contracts totalling over $73 million, awarded to hep solar and South Head Switch Power, for the supply of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).

These contracts support the Government of Canada’s commitment to the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The announcement aligns with Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) clean electricity initiative and Canada’s ongoing commitment to invest in renewable energy. These contracts will supply 100,600 RECs annually from new clean electricity solar facilities.

This agreement will enable the Government of Canada to attribute its electricity consumption as being clean in regions where opportunities for new clean renewable sources are not yet available, while supporting the creation of new green energy facilities. The RECs will reduce up to 32,600 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (eCO₂) for the Government of Canada’s real property operations, which is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of more than 9,980 gas-powered passenger vehicles.

Furthermore, these contracts will help promote Indigenous business capacity in the clean energy sector and contribute to Canada’s efforts to strengthen economic relationships with Indigenous entrepreneurs. South Head Energy is an Indigenous-owned business, and South Head Switch Power is joint venture with Switch Power, which is registered with the Indigenous Business Directory.

“As a leader in clean energy, Canada is making significant progress toward a sustainable future with the announcement of over $73 million in Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). This investment supports our commitment to powering federal buildings with 100% clean electricity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions all while boosting our economy. Together, with our Indigenous partners, we are not just envisioning a net-zero future by 2050; we are actively creating it, ensuring that environmental responsibility and economic growth go hand in hand.”

George Chahal
Member of Parliament of Calgary Skyview

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Message from the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health – Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

Source: Government of Canada News

Statement

Today, we recognize Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, a time to extend our compassion and support to the many families across Canada who have experienced the loss of a child during pregnancy or early infancy. This day serves as a reminder that behind each statistic is a family forever changed by grief and loss.

October 15, 2024 | Ottawa, Ontario | Public Health Agency of Canada

Today, we recognize Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, a time to extend our compassion and support to the many families across Canada who have experienced the loss of a child during pregnancy or early infancy. This day serves as a reminder that behind each statistic is a family forever changed by grief and loss.

Too many Canadian families experience a perinatal loss each year. Families often face complex emotions. For many, the grief that accompanies the loss of a baby is indescribable, affecting the parents and their loved ones. Recognizing the emotional weight of such a loss, it is essential that families feel supported by their community and health care providers through tailored care, rooted in empathy and respect—as they navigate their personal grief journey.

We can all contribute to making sure that no one feels isolated during such a difficult time. Loved ones provide crucial emotional support, while health professionals and community support groups play a critical role in providing the necessary information and emotional care during and after these moments.

Canada’s Family-centred maternity and newborn care: National guidelines outline principles for supporting families experiencing perinatal loss. These include offering parents the opportunity to make informed choices, ensuring they have the time and space to grieve in a way that feels right for them, and receiving care that respects their personal and cultural preferences. Families also benefit when they are given opportunities to connect with others who have faced similar losses, creating a space for shared healing and understanding.

If you or someone you know is dealing with pregnancy or infant loss, reaching out to organizations such as Baby’s Breath Canada can provide helpful resources and guidance. These support networks can be invaluable in helping families find their way forward after a loss. By keeping the conversation open, we can help break down the isolation often felt by families and provide the care and understanding they need.

You can also visit Canada.ca/mental-health for the most up-to-date information and resources, including information on free, virtually delivered mental health and substance use supports and services offered across Canada.

The Honourable Ya’ara Saks, P.C., M.P.

Contacts

Yuval Daniel
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Ya’ara Saks
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
819-360-6927

Media Relations
Health Canada
613-957-2983
media@hc-sc.gc.ca

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Students Harness Power of New Kestrel Supercomputer for Cutting-Edge Energy Research and Innovation

Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Surendra Sunkari, a high-performance computing (HPC) engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, examines Kestrel. Photo by Joe DelNero, NREL

Students pursuing careers in energy research had a unique opportunity this year to use Kestrel—the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE’s) third-generation supercomputer hosted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

This summer, NREL completed the full buildout of Kestrel, reaching 44 petaflops of computing power focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency research. Students from across the country were invited by EERE to apply for access to this powerful tool to advance their research and to expand EERE’s computational efforts for the energy transition. Last fall, over 25 students from 15 universities across the United States applied to use Kestrel for the 2024 spring and summer semesters.

Students like Yifan Hu at Iowa State University used Kestrel to study the effect of solar wind and other space weather phenomena on solar energy infrastructure. Using the supercomputer’s advanced central processing unit nodes, his team tested new scalable algorithms to provide robust and accurate methods to model solar wind using a numerical method called the relativistic Vlasov-Maxwell system, with the goal of understanding the effects of solar wind on the stability and efficiency of solar power plants to improve power grid reliability and resilience. Access to Kestrel enabled Hu to receive computing results within a week, which led to the submission of two journal articles currently under review.

Rajat Goel, a chemical engineering student at the University of California, Davis used Kestrel’s high-performance graphics processing units to simulate uranium and its defects, an extremely complex problem that requires significant computational power. Goel researched developing future protective coatings for nuclear reactors to prevent uranium hydride formation, as it is highly toxic and incredibly flammable. Using Kestrel, he significantly reduced the time needed for these simulations. Nuclear energy plays a role as a noncarbon energy source by generating carbon-free power. Ensuring its safe and reliable production is an important factor toward achieving the Department of Energy’s 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target.

Hu and Goel’s research projects highlight Kestrel’s ability to address large-scale challenges, particularly in enhancing energy resiliency. Meanwhile, across the country, students used the supercomputer for different yet equally impactful energy research.

Stanford University student Mark Benjamin used Kestrel’s advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities in his manufacturing research project to apply AI models, including convolutional neural networks to model drag and convolutional autoencoders to represent realistic car shapes. The project goal was to set new standards for vehicle design and optimization, aiming to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

Students from the University of Minnesota, led by Suryanarayan Ramachandran, used computational fluid dynamics codes on Kestrel to design novel engines that use hydrogen for combustion. This project leveraged an Exascale Computing Project code called AMRex Combustion PeleC to perform first-of-its-kind high-fidelity three-dimensional simulations of explosive hydrogen reactions, called oblique detonation waves, to investigate how hydrogen combustion can be used for future hypersonic propulsion systems, advancing fuel technologies research to reduce fossil fuels.

Tackling complex energy challenges requires powerful computational resources along with support to ensure the productive use of these resources. Students received help getting their accounts set up and running their workflows on Kestrel from the User Operations staff in the Computational Science Center at NREL. Providing students with access to Kestrel not only advances current research but also shapes the future of clean energy technologies by equipping students with advanced skills to lead in the field of energy innovation and research.

Students interested in using Kestrel for their energy research should keep an eye out for future opportunities at nrel.gov/news.

Read blog posts about the installation of NREL’s Kestrel high-performance computing system.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Lankford Visits Arizona Border, Receives Briefings from Border Patrol and ICE Officials

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) concluded a two-day trip to the US-Mexico border in Arizona last week, where he met with federal agents, toured border facilities, and received briefings on the escalating challenges of securing the southern border.

During his visit, Lankford toured the Gwen Mikeal Village, a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) facility that cares for unaccompanied minors who have crossed into the United States. He also received in-depth briefings at the Tucson Border Patrol headquarters and the Tucson CBP Air and Marine Operations headquarters, followed by a night tour with the Border Patrol Union. While on the tour, Lankford witnessed firsthand a gap in the border wall that is exploited by illegal border crossers.

The following day, Lankford toured the DeConcini port of entry, where he saw the process for the CBP One app. He then visited the Nogales Border Patrol Station and finished his visit with a briefing at the Tucson ICE facility with the Homeland Security Investigations to learn about the current state of interior enforcement. To view pictures from the trip, click here.

“People from all over the world—including Russia and countries in Africa—are crossing our southern border illegally because they know they can get away with it,” said Lankford. “This isn’t just a border crisis; it’s a national security threat. Since the CBP One app doesn’t require photo ID verification, there’s no way to confirm the person filling out the information is who they say they are, which means we have no idea who is really coming into our country and that puts our communities at risk.”

There also has been a surge of dangerous drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamines crossing the southern border, and Oklahoma communities are feeling the effects. Meth remains the top drug threat in the state.

“When drug traffickers and illegal drugs slip through the cracks, families in Oklahoma suffer,” said Lankford. “Meth is responsible for more overdose deaths in our state than any other drug, and the increasing flow of it across the border is putting more lives in danger.”

Senator Lankford has been an outspoken advocate for stronger border security measures. As a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Lankford will continue to fight to secure the border by pushing for stronger policies and ensuring that federal agencies have the resources and support they need to effectively protect America’s borders.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 23, 2025