NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Global: Machine learning cracked the protein-folding problem and won the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Marc Zimmer, Professor of Chemistry, Connecticut College

    Protein molecules can have complicated structures that dictate their functions. Christoph Burgstedt/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

    The 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry recognized Demis Hassabis, John Jumper and David Baker for using machine learning to tackle one of biology’s biggest challenges: predicting the 3D shape of proteins and designing them from scratch.

    This year’s award stood out because it honored research that originated at a tech company: DeepMind, an AI research startup that was acquired by Google in 2014. Most previous chemistry Nobel Prizes have gone to researchers in academia. Many laureates went on to form startup companies to further expand and commercialize their groundbreaking work – for instance, CRISPR gene-editing technology and quantum dots – but the research, from start to end, wasn’t done in the commercial sphere.

    Although the Nobel Prizes in physics and chemistry are awarded separately, there is a fascinating connection between the winning research in those fields in 2024. The physics award went to two computer scientists who laid the foundations for machine learning, while the chemistry laureates were rewarded for their use of machine learning to tackle one of biology’s biggest mysteries: how proteins fold.

    The 2024 Nobel Prizes underscore both the importance of this kind of artificial intelligence and how science today often crosses traditional boundaries, blending different fields to achieve groundbreaking results.

    The challenge of protein folding

    Proteins are the molecular machines of life. They make up a significant portion of our bodies, including muscles, enzymes, hormones, blood, hair and cartilage.

    Proteins are chains of amino acid molecules that form a 3D shape based on their atoms’ interactions.
    ©Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

    Understanding proteins’ structures is essential because their shapes determine their functions. Back in 1972, Christian Anfinsen won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for showing that the sequence of a protein’s amino acid building blocks dictates the protein’s shape, which, in turn, influences its function. If a protein folds incorrectly, it may not work properly and could lead to diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cystic fibrosis or diabetes.

    A protein’s overall shape depends on the tiny interactions, the attractions and repulsions, between all the atoms in the amino acids its made of. Some want to be together, some don’t. The protein twists and folds itself into a final shape based on many thousands of these chemical interactions.

    For decades, one of biology’s greatest challenges was predicting a protein’s shape based solely on its amino acid sequence. Although researchers can now predict the shape, we still don’t understand how the proteins maneuver into their specific shapes and minimize the repulsions of all the interatomic interactions in a few microseconds.

    To understand how proteins work and to prevent misfolding, scientists needed a way to predict the way proteins fold, but solving this puzzle was no easy task.

    In 2003, University of Washington biochemist David Baker wrote Rosetta, a computer program for designing proteins. With it he showed it was possible to reverse the protein-folding problem by designing a protein shape and then predicting the amino acid sequence needed to create it.

    It was a phenomenal jump forward, but the shape chosen for the calculation was simple, and the calculations were complex. A major paradigm shift was required to routinely design novel proteins with desired structures.

    A new era of machine learning

    Machine learning is a type of AI where computers learn to solve problems by analyzing vast amounts of data. It’s been used in various fields, from game-playing and speech recognition to autonomous vehicles and scientific research. The idea behind machine learning is to use hidden patterns in data to answer complex questions.

    This approach made a huge leap in 2010 when Demis Hassabis co-founded DeepMind, a company aiming to combine neuroscience with AI to solve real-world problems.

    Hassabis, a chess prodigy at age 4, quickly made headlines with AlphaZero, an AI that taught itself to play chess at a superhuman level. In 2017, AlphaZero thoroughly beat the world’s top computer chess program, Stockfish-8. The AI’s ability to learn from its own gameplay, rather than relying on preprogrammed strategies, marked a turning point in the AI world.

    Soon after, DeepMind applied similar techniques to Go, an ancient board game known for its immense complexity. In 2016, its AI program AlphaGo defeated one of the world’s top players, Lee Sedol, in a widely watched match that stunned millions.

    Demis Hassabis and John Jumper at Google DeepMind on Oct. 9, 2024, after being awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry.
    AP Photo/Alastair Grant

    In 2016, Hassabis shifted DeepMind’s focus to a new challenge: the protein-folding problem. Under the leadership of John Jumper, a chemist with a background in protein science, the AlphaFold project began. The team used a large database of experimentally determined protein structures to train the AI, which allowed it to learn the principles of protein folding. The result was AlphaFold2, an AI that could predict the 3D structure of proteins from their amino acid sequences with remarkable accuracy.

    This was a significant scientific breakthrough. AlphaFold has since predicted the structures of over 200 million proteins – essentially all the proteins that scientists have sequenced to date. This massive database of protein structures is now freely available, accelerating research in biology, medicine and drug development.

    Designer proteins to fight disease

    Understanding how proteins fold and function is crucial for designing new drugs. Enzymes, a type of protein, act as catalysts in biochemical reactions and can speed up or regulate these processes. To treat diseases such as cancer or diabetes, researchers often target specific enzymes involved in disease pathways. By predicting the shape of a protein, scientists can figure out where small molecules – potential drug candidates – might bind to it, which is the first step in designing new medicines.

    In 2024, DeepMind launched AlphaFold3, an upgraded version of the AlphaFold program that not only predicts protein shapes but also identifies potential binding sites for small molecules. This advance makes it easier for researchers to design drugs that precisely target the right proteins.

    Google bought Deepmind for reportedly around half a billion dollars in 2014. Google DeepMind has now started a new venture, Isomorphic Labs, to collaborate with pharmaceutical companies on real-world drug development using these AlphaFold3 predictions.

    David Baker speaks on the phone with Demis Hassabis and John Jumper just after they got the Nobel Prize news on Oct. 9, 2024.
    Ian C. Haydon/UW Medicine Institute for Protein Design

    For his part, David Baker has continued to make significant contributions to protein science. His team at the University of Washington developed an AI-based method called “family-wide hallucination,” which they used to design entirely new proteins from scratch. Hallucinations are new patterns – in this case, proteins – that are plausible, meaning they are a good fit with patterns in the AI’s training data. These new proteins included a light-emitting enzyme, demonstrating that machine learning can help create novel synthetic proteins. These AI tools offer new ways to design functional enzymes and other proteins that never could have evolved naturally.

    AI will enable research’s next chapter

    The Nobel-worthy achievements of Hassabis, Jumper and Baker show that machine learning isn’t just a tool for computer scientists – it’s now an essential part of the future of biology and medicine.

    By tackling one of the toughest problems in biology, the winners of the 2024 prize have opened up new possibilities in drug discovery, personalized medicine and even our understanding of the chemistry of life itself.

    Marc Zimmer 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. Machine learning cracked the protein-folding problem and won the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry – https://theconversation.com/machine-learning-cracked-the-protein-folding-problem-and-won-the-2024-nobel-prize-in-chemistry-240937

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Podcast: How can leaders invest the time that AI gives back?

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Podcast: How can leaders invest the time that AI gives back?

    [Music] 

    MOLLY WOOD: Tomas, thanks so much for being on the show.  

    TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC: It’s a great pleasure. Thank you for having me.  

    MOLLY WOOD: So, you’re a psychologist, an educator, an executive, an author. I’d love to hear a little about your career path and how your interest in AI developed alongside of that. 

    TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC: So I started my career as an academic, but I was always very interested in the real-life or real-world applications of psychology. About a third of our lives or so is spent at work. And if you think about organizations, we know that most of their problems have to do with people, and psychology provides really interesting theories and tools to not just understand people at work, but also help organizations unlock human potential, and of course help people thrive in their careers, and that really is where my passion is. My expertise has always been in creating data-driven tools, starting from psychometric assessments all the way to analytics, and of course, more recently, AI, that help organizations be more data-driven when they’re trying to, for example, assess potential. So imagine having a hiring manager interview you in 10 minutes and decide intuitively and subjectively whether they like you or not, kind of like a swipe right or swipe left option in the analog world, and then unleash their biases and make random decisions that land you in the wrong job, to everybody’s perils. The extreme opposite of that is to actually look at an individual’s past behavior, past performance, their psychological assessment results, and of course even use AI, artificial intelligence, when it comes to decoding how they behave in a digital interview. We’ve been working on the applications of AI to talent identification and psychological assessment for about 15 years. 

    MOLLY WOOD: I mean, on the one hand, it feels like these things are disparate—AI and psychology—but it sounds like you’re saying they’re really not. How has the work that you do affected your perspective on AI and what it can do better?  

    TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC: First of all, I think if you want to really understand artificial intelligence, it’s a good starting point to get better at understanding human intelligence. Secondly, I think the big promise of artificial intelligence is to not so much surpass human intelligence, but to complement it. So I think, you know, understanding human intelligence has been really important, because if you want to understand how we structure language, ideas, knowledge, et cetera, you know, most of what AI is is profoundly inspired by the human brain and neuroscience. At the same time, we’re at this really, really interesting point in time where every organizational leader needs to wonder not just how they could leverage AI to be better at their job, to be more effective, but that how also they can future-proof their organizations and prepare their talent and cultures so that they can actually thrive in the human-AI age. So I think the human-AI age is the most, I would say, significant period in the last 30 or 40 years when it comes to the potential for progress, and of course, also, some of the risks that need to be mitigated.  

    MOLLY WOOD: So how should leaders think about seizing the potential of the technology, but also limiting the risks? 

    TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC: The goal for AI or any new technology or innovation isn’t immediate perfection, but it’s long-term progress, which is mostly incremental improvements over the status quo. So AI doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be better than the status quo. AI is a work in progress, and we have a lot of opportunities to improve. Now, the risks are separated into two buckets. If we think about AI 1.0, a prediction machine, or machine learning, we have seen its main application, which is social media platforms or direct-to-consumer platforms or apps that we have. AI 2.0, if you like, is generative AI or AI as a production machine, something that automates the passage from insights to actions. I think it’s a really, really impressive and valuable tool, but if we don’t understand that the whole point is that with the time that we can save from boring and low-value and predictable activities, which might be 30 to 40 percent of a day’s work, the whole point is that that frees us up to then reimagine how we add value. We have seen a lot of data showing that generative AI has incredible adoption, organic adoption levels, in organizations, but guess what? The typical employee who is saving 30 or 40 or maybe 50 percent of their day, achieving the same output with less input, isn’t running to their boss saying, Hey, boss, I have 45 to 50 percent of my time free now, can you give me more work? It’s a big challenge for managers and leaders. And that, again, speaks to the important connection between artificial intelligence and human leadership.  

    MOLLY WOOD: How should leaders manage for that, figure out where the value and the benefits lie in adopting AI? 

    TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC: The first, really, is to experiment, to not either ban AI because they’re afraid of it, or to actually invest really, really heavily on a top-down global AI tool platform, assuming that then next week they’re going to have productivity benefits, because both are equally mistaken, but actually to try it out, experiment, to share success stories, to also share its limits. That takes me to the second one, which is really to not see this as a solution waiting for a problem to be solved, but to be very problem-centric. Most leaders don’t need to completely reimagine their strategy because there is this thing called generative AI that has arrived and gone mainstream. What they have to think is whether generative AI or other versions of AI can actually be helpful in accelerating their strategy or translating their current strategy into execution. So, you know, being solution-agnostic means they’ll probably want to consider generative AI but not put all eggs in that basket. And the third one, I think, is about really learning from mistakes, failing fast, or as my colleague and friend Amy Edmondson says, failing smart, which is to create small, lean, agile, fast experiments. Or, basically, you structure relevant business problems, almost a scientific experiment, and you invite AI to be part of that solution, and then you measure the impact. And if you structure in a smart way, it means that even if you don’t get the result that you wanted, you actually increase your capabilities and increase your know-how. Most leaders, managers, organizations don’t need to become the number one technical experts in AI tomorrow, but it’s advisable that they shop around for expertise or that they develop some capabilities internally. In essence, Molly, the good news is that there’s nothing radically new about how to embed AI in the organizations vis-à-vis other technologies that happened before, even if AI is groundbreaking. And, of course, their adoption is always difficult. Change management is always a challenge. Everybody loves change until they have to do it. So I think there are only two ways in which you can get people to change. One is you force them. The other one is to win their hearts and minds. So it is important, then, that you sell the benefit to leaders and particularly mid-level managers who are where everything either makes or breaks. So if there’s one tactical recommendation for HR it’s invest more in upskilling and reskilling your mid-level managers because they hold the key to unleashing AI in your organization in a positive and strategic way.  

    MOLLY WOOD: It feels like this upskilling and reskilling piece is really important. So you’re saying to organizations, focus on the outcome, the problem that you need solved, as opposed to the ideal happily-ever-after ending. But also, I think there is a tendency in organizations to say, We’re going to bring this tool and then you’re all going to be 40 percent more productive and then you’re going to do 40 percent more work and you’re going to love it. And it sounds like what you’re saying is, Be more empathetic than that. And if you’re going to give people more work to do, give them better work to do.  

    TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC: That is the key. We have never in the history of humanity, throughout our evolutionary history, we never, ever invented a technology to work harder, right? This applies to the wheel, to fire, to the dishwasher, the car, anything. Same with AI. We haven’t invented it to work harder, but we have invented it to work smarter and better. If you think about it, we have a wonderful opportunity to make work better and more creative, because so many things that we do, even among knowledge workers, are not dependent on our creativity or ingenuity and our intelligence. I can do this very well, even if it ends up being the intellectual version of fast food or a kind of microwave for ideas. The value is going to come not from what AI does, because that becomes commoditized, but from either interacting with AI in a unique way that makes us creative, or from reimagining how we add value in our current role, because, by the way, AI doesn’t really eliminate that many jobs; where it does eliminate entire jobs it creates many new jobs in turn at a faster rate. But what it does is it eliminates tasks within jobs, changing the skills constellation needed to add value. I don’t even think it’s about so much upskilling and reskilling, but incentivizing people to really harness and apply the skills that AI is unlikely to replace or master, things like emotional intelligence, human connectedness, critical thinking, understanding, right? Because AI is really good at explaining everything, sometimes without understanding anything, which of course, I know some humans are also very good at doing, but you know, we don’t like too many of those. [Laughter]  

    MOLLY WOOD: You mentioned this phrase “microwave for ideas,” that AI could be a bit of a microwave for ideas. I just want you to define that a little bit more for us.  

    TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC: Yeah. So first, if you think about it, generative AI is amazing because it managed to automate output that is extremely creative—jokes, sonnets, poems, even things like, you know, the most creative or funny human, it would take them three years to get to something like that. And it can just churn it out and out and out and out. In a way, it’s the intellectual equivalent of a microwave for ideas because it gives you as many ideas as you want, really quick, almost reheated ideas because it’s taking what everything or the crowds or a specific group thinks about something and repackaging it. So it’s synthetic. And I think we’re going to use it, or we’re using it or should be using it, as a microwave. It’s convenient to use it all the time, but, you know, if you want to have some people over for dinner at your home and impress them, you’re probably not going to microwave a frozen meal that you picked up in the supermarket. The number of people who every day tell me, Oh, I have done this presentation and I did it with generative AI, and instead of taking me five days, it took me five seconds. Well, you can tell because it’s not that great, right? Probably 50 percent of my emails can be automated with generative AI. But if I really want to reach to you and tell you something meaningful, I better sit down and think about how I can connect with you. Not everything should be automated. For sure, generative AI automates a lot of our creative output. It also automates a lot of our mediocre output. And for that it’s great because we don’t want to spend time on stuff that is low value. 

    MOLLY WOOD: You wrote a whole book about systemic problems in leadership and how the cream doesn’t necessarily rise to the top in all organizations. In fact, you put it pretty bluntly, the book is titled, Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? So do you think new technology can root out mediocre men, or mediocre leaders? 

    TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC: I think AI poses at least a double threat to mediocre men. And, of course, mediocre women, even though mediocre women are underrepresented in the highest echelons of organizational hierarchies, right? The biggest one is that AI is a really, really powerful and promising tool that could help organizations make decisions more data-driven, including, of course, promotion decisions and executive assessment and selection decisions, right? In a world in which AI helps organizations become more meritocratic and talent-centric, fewer, if maybe perhaps not any at all, incompetent men will rise to the top of those hierarchies and there will be a much smaller gap, and perhaps no gap at all, between a person’s individual career success and their ability to add value to an organization. So, in fact, my hypothesis, and it might be a little bit of a cynical conspiracy theory here, is that a lot of the backlash that we are seeing against AI is coming from those people. I know in the US the expression is that it would be like the turkey voting for Thanksgiving or Christmas or… if you are in charge of an organization and here comes a tool that has like an X-ray machine power to help people understand who really is adding value to the organization and who is actually managing up and operating in a very Machiavellian politically skilled and, you know, manipulative way, that’s a threat to incompetent men who are in charge. And the second one, of course, is that expertise is commoditized and disrupted by AI. It is much harder now for somebody who is mediocre to make stuff up or to actually even make a living giving advice or selling consulting to others, because right now, if you really want to show and convince others that you are an expert, you need to have deep expertise. There is a difference between spending five minutes on ChatGPT and thinking that you are an expert in medieval history because you read that, or spending five years studying that. It’s the combination between human intelligence and artificial intelligence that holds the key to progress.  

    MOLLY WOOD: I do take your point about adoption, and I have wondered about the resistance and where you encounter that, because there is a question, I think, as we think about the future of work we have to ask what work is, and for a lot of people, it’s meetings, it’s summaries, it’s summaries of meetings.  

    TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC: I know, but I think just like, you know, my academic colleagues in the beginning were like, Oh my God, we should ban it because students are writing essays with these tools. I said, well, you know, a future for academia in which students write the essays with ChatGPT and academics grade them with ChatGPT isn’t that bad. Maybe then we can work out what valuable activities we can do instead, right? And equally, a future in which you produce your PowerPoint presentations with generative AI, and I have my AI reading them, or I use my AI algorithms to hire candidates who submit their CVs with AI, or I send my avatar or deepfake or copilot to a meeting and you send yours. All of that is fine, but let’s not kid ourselves. That’s not where the value is going to come from. The value will come from working out what we’re going to do with the 40, 50, or maybe even 30 percent of the time we actually save. Look, it’s no different from how technology automated even creative or artistic output in other fields, right? When the synthesizer appeared, it didn’t kill musical composers, but it gave a chance to some musical composers to invent electronic music and other types of music. When digital photography came, it didn’t kill professional photographers. At the end of the day, the difference between good and bad photography is not the equipment, it’s the interaction of human skills with the technology. 

    MOLLY WOOD: Yeah, you need the soft skills and the technical skills to succeed, right? Okay, I want to ask you about growth next. Do you have some pretty specific advice about how leaders should think about incorporating AI and company growth strategies that includes a really data-led approach?  

    TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC: Yeah. And I think, well, first of all, AI has arrived as the latest stage in the evolution of digital transformation, which most large organizations underwent or are still undergoing, which is basically trying to become more data-driven. And I think partly because we don’t have enough data scientists to translate data into insights, we started using AI to automate that. And now, we are basically using AI to automate the passage from insights to actions. So I think three important recommendations. One, again, is to be problem-centered and to really measure what matters and see how well AI can help leaders and organizations improve on their relevant KPIs as opposed to, you know, no organization is in the business of showing that AI works or in the business of running experiments. The point is to solve useful problems. The second one is really to manage this human-AI interface, which comes from rehumanizing their cultures, making their cultures a relevant ecosystem for AI to be adopted and for AI to be leveraged, which, by the way, involves selling it to people, not demanding that they’re more productive and throwing it at them. And then the final one, of course, is to be ethical and to only implement AI that is ethical by design. The good news and the advantage is that most models, most frameworks, most parameters look very similar. If there is transparency, if there is informed consent, if people opt in, if you protect their data and data is confidential and anonymous. And fundamentally, if there is a benefit for the user, the risks are minor, as Gartner’s adoption curve always shows, we might be over slightly the hype phase, things are settling. And at this stage, we can start to expect real face of maturity and real productivity gains to kick in. 

    MOLLY WOOD: If you had to pick one leadership skill that’s going to become 10 times more important in the age of generative AI, what would it be?  

    TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC: Coachability. I think even if you’re a great leader, a leader who is a finished product, is finished, and, regardless of how talented you are, what will make a big difference in the next five or 10 years is your willingness to change and get better. And I think people differ in their coachability, but mostly we can all trigger or incentivize ourselves to be more willing to change and get better. More and more what will matter is your potential, not your past performance and to augment your potential, you need to be coachable. And that means, by the way, being open to feedback from others, listening to what you need to hear not what you want to hear, not surrounding yourself with people who suck up to you and tell you what you want to hear, and actually go outside your comfort zone and really see yourself as somebody who is still to be molded or sculptured and somebody who needs to change and who is very much an unfinished product. So I think coachability, which, you know, I think is a lovely skill.  

    MOLLY WOOD: Author, professor, and Chief Talent Scientist at Manpower Group, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. Thank you so much for the time today. This is outstanding.  

    TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC: Thank you for having me. 

    MOLLY WOOD: And that is all for this episode of WorkLab. Please subscribe if you haven’t already and check back for the rest of season 7, where we will continue to explore how AI is transforming every aspect of how we work. If you’ve got a question or a comment, please drop us an email at worklab@microsoft.com, and check out Microsoft’s Work Trend Indexes and the WorkLab digital publication, where you’ll find all our episodes along with thoughtful stories that explore how business leaders are thriving in today’s new world of work. You can find all of it at microsoft.com/worklab. As for this podcast, please, if you don’t mind, rate us, review us, and follow us wherever you listen. It helps us out a ton. The WorkLab podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of work, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own, and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft’s own research or positions. WorkLab is produced by Microsoft with Godfrey Dadich Partners and Reasonable Volume. I’m your host, Molly Wood. Sharon Kallander and Matthew Duncan produced this podcast. Jessica Voelker is the WorkLab editor. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Multi-agency training exercise09 October 2024 On Tuesday 8 October, the emergency services and other responders took part in a live major incident exercise to test procedures at the harbour, and how agencies work together in a crisis. It gave… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    09 October 2024

    On Tuesday 8 October, the emergency services and other responders took part in a live major incident exercise to test procedures at the harbour, and how agencies work together in a crisis. 

    It gave those involved the opportunity to practise in a safe and secure environment, to learn lessons and continually improve the way they work together to save lives and reduce harm in response to incidents. 

    The exercise involved testing the emergency response when establishing a Survivor Reception Centre. 

    Exercise Director and Deputy Emergency Planning Officer, Richard Blake said: “The Government of Jersey Emergency Planning Team and the Jersey Resilience Forum take training, exercising and learning very seriously. 

    “The approach is risk based, where we analyse risks that are serious enough to meet the definition of a major incident or emergency, and then focus our planning, and training and exercising on those that are considered to be the most serious. 

    “Yesterday we brought together the emergency services, Jersey Customs and Immigration Service, Government departments and others to focus on our capabilities in response to an incident at the harbour. The benefit of such an exercise allows us to check test our plans but also to make sure that our generic major incident response arrangements can adapt to any crisis response. 

    “I’d like to thank all our emergency services, and resilience partners in the Jersey Resilience Forum for their ongoing support and dedication. Their degree of commitment, dedication and professionalism to emergency preparedness should be extremely reassuring for the public. 

    “We would also like to thank those that we drafted in to perform as actors. Without their assistance we would not have been able to successfully operate this exercise.” 

    Among the actors were a contingent from Highlands College’s Uniformed Services course. This experience will form part of their education this term, and provided insight into some of the roles they may consider as a career in later life.​​

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Patagonia’s Ethics Expert to Talk About Building Trust in Business

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The School of Business’ 2024-25 Equity Now Speaker Series will kickoff this month with a presentation by Lauren Cleary, an ethics and compliance professional at Patagonia, the popular outdoor equipment and apparel brand.

    Cleary’s presentation is titled “Building Trust in Business: The Power of Privacy in Organizations,’’ and it will be livestreamed beginning at 6 p.m. on Oct. 21. To register for the event, please visit our registration page.

    “I believe trust is the most valuable currency in business,’’ Cleary said. “If a company isn’t doing what it says it is or is hiding things, that trust will erode, and that’s really the beginning of the end.’’

    Cleary is particularly invested in safeguarding the personal data of Patagonia’s customers. She will share examples of how privacy challenges are handled in a large and highly regarded organization like Patagonia, which has staked its reputation on quality, sustainability, activism, and a staunch commitment to its values.

    “Understanding the importance of privacy is critical throughout an organization and in every industry,’’ Cleary said. “Whether your expertise is in marketing, legal, or another field, having a strong privacy policy to guide decisions is an invaluable and necessary asset.’’

    That privacy policy should be both intentional transparent and easy to understand, she said.

    “What I hope to impart to those in attendance is that they become inspired to serve as privacy advocates throughout their careers. Whether they are creating a new app or handling customer data, I hope they will always consider the impact of the decisions they make,’’ she said. “I hope they see customer privacy not as a constraint or a burden, but as an opportunity to build stronger trust with their communities.’’

    Cleary is the first of four speakers in Equity Now Speaker Series, which features expert insights on how law and policy can create diversity, equity and fairness in both organizations and society. The series is organized by UConn business law professor Robert Bird and is conducted in affiliation with the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, Virginia Tech, Indiana, Boston and Temple universities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada announces $15 million in additional assistance for Lebanon and matching of donations to Canadian Red Cross and Humanitarian Coalition

    Source: Government of Canada News

    News release

    October 9, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

    Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, accompanied by members of parliament and humanitarian partners, announced that Canada will provide an additional $15 million in funding for humanitarian assistance to address urgent needs of civilians in Lebanon.

    This funding will help trusted and experienced Canadian and international organizations provide food, water, emergency health care, protection services and other life-saving assistance.

    The Minister also announced that Canada will allocate up to $6 million in donations made to the Canadian Red Cross’ Lebanon Humanitarian Needs Appeal and the Humanitarian Coalition’s Lebanon Emergency Appeal. Every donation made by individuals to these organizations from September 24 to November 3, 2024, will be matched to a maximum of $3 million for each appeal.

    The funding Canada will provide to the Canadian Red Cross and the Humanitarian Coalition has been allocated from the $10 million in humanitarian assistance funding announced by Minister Hussen on September 28, 2024. The remaining $4 million will be allocated equally between the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food Programme.

    Working with the Canadian Red Cross, Canada will also send relief items from its stockpiles to help the humanitarian response efforts in Lebanon, including 5,000 blankets and 1,000 hygiene kits.

    Canada remains steadfast in its call for a cessation of hostilities and the need for compliance with international humanitarian law. The safety and well-being of civilians, including humanitarian workers, must be a top priority.

    Quotes

    “The critical and immediate needs of people affected by the conflict becomes clearer with each day that goes by. This is why we are teaming up with Canadians, working together to support our partners on the ground as they provide urgent, life-saving assistance to those most impacted by this humanitarian crisis.”

    – Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development

    “Canada is deeply alarmed by the rapid escalation of the crisis in Lebanon. We are mobilizing to ensure that Canada is there to bring much-needed assistance to the Lebanese people.”

    – Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs

    “Canada continues to be a strong partner to people facing crises like what we’re seeing unfolding in Lebanon. We will continue to work with humanitarian partners to make sure this funding reaches those who are suffering.”

    – Anita Vandenbeld, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development

    “The conflict is taking a terrible toll on people in Lebanon, and it is critical that those who need life-saving assistance receive it as soon as possible. Canada is stepping up to provide urgent relief efforts and will continue to call for the protection of civilians.”

    – Fayçal El-Khoury, Member of Parliament for Laval-Les Îles, Quebec

    “In recent years, Lebanon has endured significant hardships, and throughout these challenging times, Canada has consistently offered its support. This time is no different, and the funding announced today will go toward those who need it the most.”

    – Lena Metlege Diab, Member of Parliament for Halifax West, Nova Scotia

    Quick facts

    • The funding announced today brings Canada’s total amount of humanitarian assistance funding announced for Lebanon in 2024 to more than $56 million.

    • The Canadian Red Cross will allocate its funding to support the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon.

    • The Humanitarian Coalition will disburse its funding among its members—12 of Canada’s leading humanitarian organizations—based on criteria such as capacity and presence in the affected region.

    • Canada provides its funding for humanitarian assistance based on need and through experienced and trusted humanitarian organizations that have the necessary operational capacity on the ground to respond.

    Related products

    Associated links

    Contacts

    Olivia Batten
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of International Development
    Olivia.Batten@international.gc.ca

    Media Relations Office
    Global Affairs Canada
    media@international.gc.ca
    Follow us on X (Twitter): @CanadaDev
    Like us on Facebook: Canada’s international development – Global Affairs Canada
    Follow us on Instagram: @canadadev

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joins Stop Corrupt Gratuities Act to Crack Down on State, Local Corruption

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    Bill comes after the Supreme Court decision gutted anti-corruption laws
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) in introducing the Stop Corrupt Gratuities Act to strengthen federal corruption laws after the U.S. Supreme Court made it easier for state and local officials to accept “gratuities” for official actions. The Stop Corrupt Gratuities Act makes it clear that gratuities and other gifts of value outside of official duties, intending to reward or to be a reward, are criminal acts under federal law. The bill strengthens public trust in state and local government officials by clearly banning corrupt payments, veiled gifts, or the exchange of any valuables intended to influence decision-makers. 
    “Let’s call a spade a spade: when money exchanges hands after an official action, that’s a bribe. Leaving corruption unchecked undermines the integrity of our democracy, which is why it needs to be addressed immediately. It’s disappointing that our activist majority on the Supreme Court, already mired in ethical scandals of its own, took a knife to the ethical standards meant to protect other institutions against unethical ‘gratuities,’ and bribes,” said Senator Welch. “This commonsense bill will help protect our democratic institutions from corruption and increase accountability.” 
     “Gratuities that change hands after the completion of an official action are bribes, plain and simple,” said Senator Merkley. “This crooked and corrupt practice is a clear threat to the integrity of our democratic institutions and should be banned. We must put the people ahead of the privileged and powerful—my Stop Corrupt Gratuities Act does just that by providing a simple fix to strengthen federal anti-bribery laws.” 
    “Bribery is bribery, and we need to fight back against Donald Trump’s extremist Supreme Court’s attempts to rig our government for the wealthy and well-connected,” said Senator Warren. “The Stop Corrupt Gratuities Act will help make sure our state and local officials are working for the American people, not the highest bidder.” 
    Decided by the Supreme Court earlier this year, the Snyder v. United States case stems from the corrupt actions of the former mayor of Portage, Indiana, who awarded a $1.1 million contract to purchase garbage trucks and then accepted a $13,000 “gratuity” from the same truck company afterward. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that state officials may accept “gratuities” from people who wish to reward them for their official actions, weakening federal anti-corruption statute. 
    The Stop Corrupt Gratuities Act is endorsed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Transparency International U.S., Project On Government Oversight (POGO), and Public Citizen. 
    Read the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Going off grid is a financial win for some, but it’s a threat for poorer families and the environment

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Joshua M. Pearce, John M. Thompson Chair in Information Technology and Innovation and Professor, Western University

    How would you like to never have another electric bill? Advances in technology have made it possible for some consumers to disconnect from the power grid — a move that was once only available to the ultra-wealthy who could afford the associated costs, or survivalists willing to trade convenience for freedom. This is no longer the case.

    A recent study I coauthored with energy researcher Seyyed Ali Sadat reveals that the balance of economics has shifted and now many families may be better off financially by cutting ties to the grid. However, this might not be a good thing for everyone.

    How did we get here?

    Back in the 2000s, solar was costly. The solar industry’s goal was to push the cost of solar panels below $3 per watt because that would produce solar electricity at a low enough cost to be economically competitive without subsidies. Over the year, the cost of solar plummeted.

    By 2011, we showed for the first time in both the United States and Canada that the levelized cost of solar electricity had reached grid parity. This means people could have a net-metered, grid-connected solar system and pay the same for electricity as the grid costs.

    Your utility meter would spin backward during the day as you amassed solar electric credits, then spin forward at night when you used grid electricity. If you sized your solar correctly, you would never pay an electric bill.

    When I moved to Michigan in 2011, I installed solar, earning a return on investment of more than 10 per cent. Many other faculty members at Michigan Tech did the same, and our area was the first to hit Michigan’s arbitrarily mandated one per cent distributed generation limit.

    Solar costs kept dropping, and ten years later, I collaborated with an engineer from Sweden — where nearly every house has a heat pump — to show that solar costs were so low they could effectively subsidize heat pumps into profitability in both northern Michigan and Ontario. Although the return on investment was modest — only a few per cent — it was enough to make solar-powered heating more viable than natural gas.

    Concern among electric utilities

    Today, more heat pumps are sold that normal furnaces in the U.S., but Canada is still warming up to them. The price of solar modules has since dropped well below $1 per watt.

    This shift caused concern among some electric companies; under their traditional business models, every new solar customer reduces their profit. Forward-thinking companies embraced solar and funded it for their customers. Some even rented their customers’ roofs for solar panel use.

    Many electric companies, however, took a different path by trying to weaken net metering. Some manipulated the rate structure by increasing unavoidable charges for customers while decreasing the electric rate, making net-metered solar systems less appealing for customers. As off-grid systems are now more affordable, this strategy could push customers away.

    Solar costs continued to drop and are now the lowest cost power in history. The costs of electric batteries also plummeted by over 50 per cent just last year.

    Grid defection is a real option

    Grid-tied residential solar systems currently dominate the market, primarily due to historical net metering. As utility rate structures shift away from real net metering, increase unavoidable fees or restrict grid access, solar consumers are finding that going off-grid is becoming more economically viable.

    Our recent study shows that grid defection is economically advantageous for many families because of these rate structure changes.

    Consider a typical family in San Diego, for example. After an initial investment of $20,000 on the off-grid system (solar, diesel generator and batteries), they could pay 45 per cent less for electricity than if they remained connected to the grid.

    The system would pay for itself in just six years, and even with a battery replacement, they would break even again in year eight. Over the lifespan of the system, these families could save over $40,000 in electricity costs.

    Since our analysis using data from one year ago, battery costs have dropped even further, increasing the return on investment. Locations that were previously on the borderline of economic viability are now clear opportunities for grid defection.

    These trends, coupled with increasing grid electricity costs and decreases in both solar and battery costs, have made economic grid defection a salient issue.

    But this also raises concerns about potential “utility death spirals,” where as more customers leave the grid to save money, the ones who are left face higher electricity costs, prompting even more to leave until the utility is bankrupt.

    Stay on the grid

    This trend raises two major concerns. First, those who can’t afford to leave the grid — often the poorest households — will end up paying the most for left-over fossil fuel electricity from the grid. Leaving the grid requires a hefty up-front cost, and not everyone can afford it.

    Second, our research shows that the diesel generators used as back up for off-grid solar and battery systems will cause significant pollution — even more than the grid in some locations.

    Our results show that regulators must consider mass economic grid defection of PV-diesel generator-battery systems as a very real possibility in the near future. To prevent utility death spirals and increased carbon emissions, it’s imperative we have rate structures that encourage solar producers to remain on the grid.

    The worst thing regulators can do is allow the electric utilities to increase unavoidable costs for their short-term profits. This can backfire, as utilities will lose customers entirely in the long run. With solar and battery costs continuing to decline, this problem is only becoming more urgent.

    Joshua M. Pearce has received funding for research from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Mitacs, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, U.S. Department of Defense, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the National Science Foundation. His past and present consulting work and research is funded by the United Nations, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, and many companies in the energy and solar photovoltaic fields. He does not directly work for any solar manufacturer and has no direct conflicts of interests.

    – ref. Going off grid is a financial win for some, but it’s a threat for poorer families and the environment – https://theconversation.com/going-off-grid-is-a-financial-win-for-some-but-its-a-threat-for-poorer-families-and-the-environment-240615

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NIH launches large study to tackle type 2 diabetes in young people

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

    News Release

    Wednesday, October 9, 2024

    Effort to identify risk factors for youth-onset type 2 diabetes to improve prevention and treatment.

    The National Institutes of Health has launched a nationwide consortium to address the dramatic rise in youth diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over the past two decades, a trend that is expected to continue. The effort aims to advance understanding of the biologic, social, and environmental drivers of youth-onset type 2 diabetes, with the goals of determining which children are at highest risk for developing the disease and how to better prevent, screen for, and manage type 2 diabetes in young people.

    “Our children who are overweight or have obesity are at risk, but we don’t know how best to identify the children who will progress to type 2 diabetes,” said Rose Gubitosi-Klug, M.D., Ph.D., study lead, and chief of pediatric endocrinology at Case Western Reserve University/Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland. “This study will bring us closer to our goal of prevention of type 2 diabetes in future generations of youth.”

    The observational study is funded by the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and builds on previous NIDDK-funded research indicating that youth-onset type 2 diabetes is more challenging to treat and progresses more aggressively compared to adult-onset type 2 diabetes. In youth with type 2 diabetes, good blood glucose control is harder to achieve, and the ability of the pancreas to secrete insulin declines much more rapidly. Many young people with type 2 diabetes also don’t respond well to metformin, the drug most commonly used as the first-line treatment for diabetes in adults. In addition, youth-onset type 2 diabetes is associated with earlier development of diabetes-related complications, such as damage to the eyes, kidneys, and nerves.  

    “These factors all create a picture of a disease that is much more aggressive in youth than in adults, but we don’t understand what drives these differences,” said Barbara Linder, M.D., Ph.D., NIDDK program director who is overseeing the study. “Consequently, young people are developing devastating complications of the disease during what should be the most productive years of their life.”

    The study will aim to identify unique drivers of youth-onset type 2 diabetes distinguishing it from the disease in adults, which will help clinicians better understand which children will develop the disease and guide more effective, targeted prevention and intervention strategies. Study sites across the country will recruit 3,600 participants, ages 9 to 14, who are considered at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. They must have started puberty, have overweight or obesity, and have high-normal to above-normal hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. The participants will reflect the U.S. population of youth with type 2 diabetes, including people from diverse racial and ethnic, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and underserved rural populations.

    The research team is also seeking extensive input from youth, young adults, and parents with lived experience of type 2 diabetes on both study design and conduct, including how to best recruit and retain participants, how frequently participants should be seen during the study, what questionnaires should be used to collect data, and more.

    In addition to looking at biological factors, the study team will gather comprehensive data from participants and their families to understand what social and environmental factors may be adversely contributing to health disparities and poor outcomes among youth with type 2 diabetes. Research has suggested that these social determinants of health—the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age—have a powerful influence on shaping health outcomes. For example, people without access to healthy food and safe places to engage in physical activity may be more likely to develop obesity, which is associated with type 2 diabetes.

    “Most children we currently consider ‘at-risk’ for developing type 2 diabetes will not actually do so, so we need to better understand what factors define who is at risk and would benefit from targeted prevention strategies,” said Dr. Linder. “These efforts are critical to lessen the immense burden, not just on young people and their families, but also the U.S. healthcare system, arising from the growing numbers of youth living with this disease and its debilitating complications.”

    For more information about the study, known as DISCOVERY of Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes in Youth, please visit discovery.bsc.gwu.edu.

    Funding: DISCOVERY is funded through NIH grants DK134971, DK134984, DK134975, DK134996, DK134958, DK134967, DK135002, DK134982, DK135007, DK134988, DK134978, DK134981, DK135012, DK135015, DK134976, and DK134966.

    The NIDDK, a component of the NIH, conducts and supports research on diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutrition and obesity; and kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. Spanning the full spectrum of medicine and afflicting people of all ages and ethnic groups, these diseases encompass some of the most common, severe, and disabling conditions affecting Americans. For more information about the NIDDK and its programs, see https://www.niddk.nih.gov.

    About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

    NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IADC Endorses ADIPEC 2024 as a Media Partner and Supporting Association

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: IADC Endorses ADIPEC 2024 as a Media Partner and Supporting Association

    IADC and Drilling Contractor magazine are proud to be a supporting association and media partner of ADIPEC 2024, a premier event for the energy industry. The event will take place in Abu Dhabi from 4-7 November, exploring the power of energy in accelerating an economy-wide transformation that delivers for people, the planet, and our collective prosperity. Building on 40 years of energy leadership, ADIPEC 2024 unites communities, nations, and industries worldwide, driving collaborative industry action towards affordable, secure, and sustainable energy for all.

    Representatives of IADC and Drilling Contractor (DC) will be in attendance. This event provides an opportunity for IADC to network with many professionals representing global companies in the energy industry. During the conference, team members will connect and catch up with Member companies in the region, attend technical sessions, and gather the most up-to-date information to share with IADC Members and DC readership. 

    This event encompasses both technical and strategic conferences. Over four transformative days, ADIPEC will facilitate critical dialogue and collaboration across diverse sectors – from energy, technology, and finance to maritime, logistics, manufacturing, and transport – essential for advancing the energy transition and fast-tracking climate action. 

    We’re looking forward to attending ADIPEC 2024 in November and are pleased to continue supporting this conference. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada commits to purchase carbon dioxide removal services to green government operations and achieve net-zero emissions

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    News release

    October 9, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

    Today at the Carbon Removal Canada’s “Procuring with Purpose: Canada’s Opportunity to Shape the Carbon Removal Market” report launch event, the Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport, announced the Government of Canada’s commitment to purchase carbon dioxide removal (CDR) services as part of the Greening Government Strategy. The federal government will purchase at least $10 million in carbon removal services between now and 2030 to help reach its goal of net-zero emissions in Government operations by 2050.

    The Greening Government Strategy commits the federal government to reducing its operational emissions to as close to zero as possible and then balance out any remaining emissions with an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide removal. To redouble these efforts, Minister Anand also announced the Government’s intention to work with public and private leaders to advance the development and responsible deployment of carbon dioxide removal solutions in Canada.

    This investment will enable the Government to lower its emissions, while supporting the development of these critical technologies and markets so they are available when we need them the most.

    With climate change being one of the greatest global challenges of our time, the Government of Canada is leading by example by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fostering a low-carbon, climate-resilient and clean-growth economy.

    Quotes

    “Today, we are taking another step to demonstrate our government’s leadership in greening Government operations and fighting climate change. In addition to lowering our emissions, we are adopting carbon removal solutions to ensure we reach our goal to be net-zero emissions by 2050. By working together and innovating, we are building a greener, cleaner future for all generations.”

    –        The Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport

    Quick facts

    • Carbon dioxide removal refers to human activities that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (for example, direct air capture, enhanced carbon mineralization) and durably store it in natural reservoirs or in products. 

    • The Greening Government Strategy, under the responsibility of the Centre for Greening Government at Treasury Board Secretariat is a set of commitments that apply to all core government departments, agencies and Crown corporations, and support the Government of Canada’s commitment for net-zero emissions by 2050.

    • The purchases in carbon removal services will be made through TBS’ Low-Carbon Fuel Procurement Program (LCFPP), an eight-year, $134.9 million initiative to reduce emissions from federal air and marine operations. This investment follows the Budget 2024 decision to expand the LCFPP to include the procurement of carbon dioxide removal services in addition to low-carbon intensity fuels.  

    • Through the LCFPP, the Government of Canada will work with public and private sector leaders to use their purchasing power to advance the development and responsible deployment of CDR solutions in Canada.

    • As stated in Canada’s Carbon Management Strategy, Canada needs to scale up solutions that permanently remove emissions from the atmosphere, since some residual emissions are likely to remain despite aggressive mitigation efforts, including in agriculture, aviation, and shipping. The removal of CO2 from the atmosphere is also the only way to directly address historical emissions, which have accumulated in the atmosphere over centuries of industrial activity and continue to contribute to global temperature rise.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    Myah Tomasi
    Press Secretary
    Office of the President of the Treasury Board
    myah.tomasi@tbs-sct.gc.ca
    343-543-7210

    Media Relations
    Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
    Telephone: 613-369-9400
    Toll-free: 1-855-TBS-9-SCT (1-855-827-9728)
    Email: media@tbs-sct.gc.ca

    Stay connected
    X: @TBS_Canada
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TBSCanada
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tbs-sct/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Treasurer Stacy Garrity Announces Major Milestone for Keystone Scholars

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    October 09, 2024 – Pittsburgh, PA

    Treasurer Stacy Garrity Announces Major Milestone for Keystone Scholars

    Treasurer Stacy Garrity joined representatives of Neighborhood Allies and Point Park University to celebrate more than $100 million saved by Keystone Scholars families in companion PA 529 College and Career Savings Program accounts.

    Keystone Scholars automatically provides a $100 education investment for every baby born to, or adopted by, a Pennsylvania family since January 1, 2019, using no taxpayer money. PA 529 accounts provide a tax-advantaged way to save for post-high school education.

    “Keystone Scholars is designed to encourage families to save early for education, and today’s announcement shows that it’s working,” Treasurer Garrity said. “Our oldest Keystone Scholars are already in kindergarten, and our youngest were born today. It’s tremendous to see so many families claiming their accounts and committing to saving for the future. Saving early and often will really pay off when a child picks their career path – no matter where it leads, whether it’s a four-year degree at Point Park University, community college, technical training, or an apprenticeship. Taking the first step is often the hardest part of saving, but Keystone Scholars does that for you.”

    Speakers Include:
    Stacy Garrity, Pennsylvania Treasurer
    Toni Corinealdi, Senior Program Manager of Empowerment and Outreach, Neighborhood Allies
    Presley Gillespie, President and CEO, Neighborhood Allies
    Marlin Collingwood, VP of Enrollment Management, Point Park
    University

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis and Department of Higher Education Announce Waived College Application Fees Oct. 15-17

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – To encourage Coloradans to continue their education, Governor Jared Polis and the Department of Higher Education announced today that all 32 public colleges and universities in Colorado and several private institutions will allow students to apply for free from Tuesday, Oct. 15 through Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, as part of the seventh annual Colorado Free Application Days. View Gov. Polis’ announcement in English and Spanish. 

    “We want to help Coloradans save money on college, and Free Application Days do exactly that. I encourage every Colorado student to take advantage of this opportunity to avoid application fees. In Colorado, we are focused on breaking down barriers to accessible, affordable education and connecting Coloradans to the skills necessary for a good-paying job and power Colorado’s thriving economy,” said Governor Polis. 

    The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) has posted admissions application and fee waiver information for each college and university that allows students to apply, from Oct. 15-17 only, with no application fees to as many participating institutions as they are interested in. For the fourth consecutive year, the program has been extended from one day to three days. 

    The Free Application Days campaign is a conscious effort by the state, designed to increase Colorado’s college-going and FAFSA and CASFA completion rates. This statewide push strategically aims to support low-income and first-generation students, while keeping Colorado students in state. According to 2023 numbers from CDHE’s Pathways to Prosperity Report, 49.9% of high school graduates enrolled in postsecondary education the fall after graduation (a slight decrease from 2020) – race and ethnicity enrollment gaps persist. 

    “We want Coloradans to shoot for the stars. Free Application Days supports students in achieving their postsecondary goals,” said Dr. Angie Paccione, executive director of CDHE. “If we increase FAFSA and CASFA completion through these two campaigns, then not only do our students and families benefit but Colorado benefits as a whole.” 

    During last year’s campaign, students turned in nearly 65,000 applications, and 44% came from students of color and over a third from first-generation students. Statewide, 2023 applications were up 1% compared to 2022. 

    By waiving application fees—a common barrier to higher education—Colorado Free Application Days aims to improve access to further education and training, which is becoming increasingly critical in the state’s rapidly changing economy. The 2023 Colorado Talent Pipeline Report identified that 94.7% of Tier 1 Top Jobs and 64.7% of Tier 2 Top Jobs required some type of postsecondary education past a high school diploma or equivalent to be relevant for a particular role and 70.4% of Tier 2 top jobs require a credential beyond high school. According to the Lumina Foundation, 60.5% of Coloradans 25 and older hold a postsecondary credential, indicating a supply-and-demand gap for some occupations. 

    In response to these workforce demands, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education set a strategic goal to increase the number of Coloradans benefiting from valuable career skills, obtained while in high school or via postsecondary education, that –at a minimum– enable additional lifetime earnings greater than the cost of attendance, in its statewide plan for higher education, Building Skills for an Evolving Economy. Increasing postsecondary enrollment and reducing equity gaps—the racial disparities in educational attainment—are priority strategies to improve access and reduce costs for Coloradans. 

    For more information, visit the Colorado Free Application Day webpage. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Seizure of contraband and unauthorized items at Mission Institution – medium-security unit

    Source: Government of Canada News

    On October 5, 2024, as a result of the vigilance of staff members, a package containing contraband and unauthorized items was seized in the medium-security unit at Mission Institution.

    October 9, 2024 – Mission, British Columbia – Correctional Service Canada

    On October 5, 2024, as a result of the vigilance of staff members, a package containing contraband and unauthorized items was seized in the medium-security unit at Mission Institution.

    The contraband and unauthorized items seized included 816 grams of crystal methamphetamine, four SD cards, two charging cables, and one charging block. The total estimated institutional value of these seizures is $575,500.

    The police have been notified and the institution is investigating.

    CSC is heightening measures to prevent contraband from entering its institutions in order to help ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone. CSC also works in partnership with the police to take action against those who attempt to introduce contraband into correctional institutions.

    CSC has also set up a telephone tip line for all federal institutions so that it may receive additional information about activities relating to security at CSC institutions. These activities may be related to drug use or trafficking that may threaten the safety and security of visitors, inmates, and staff members working at CSC institutions.

    The toll-free number, 1‑866‑780‑3784, helps ensure that the information shared is protected and that callers remain anonymous.

    Reina Linares
    Assistant Warden Management Services
    Mission Institution
    604-820-5856

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Message from the Minister of Health and the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health – Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 2024

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Statement

    October 9, 2024 | Ottawa, Ontario | Public Health Agency of Canada

    October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a period when we come together to support and honor those impacted by this disease.

    Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among womenFootnote * living in Canada. One in eight women is expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

    Raising awareness of breast cancer screening, which aims to detect cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage, is crucial for the Government of Canada. We are dedicated to advancing women’s health through comprehensive breast cancer screening and prevention efforts. We are also taking action by collaborating with partners and stakeholders to address identified gaps in breast cancer research.

    The Canadian Institutes of Health Research has invested almost $140 million over the past five years to advance breast cancer research in Canada. Through more than 500 grants and awards, these investments are supporting cutting-edge research to prevent, detect, and treat breast cancer more effectively.

    For example, researchers from Sunnybrook Hospital Research Institute are using artificial intelligence to develop more personalized breast cancer screening strategies; a team from the University of Saskatchewan is developing new techniques that combine radiation therapy and the body’s immune system to target breast cancer; and a project led by McGill researchers is examining how to prevent breast cancer from spreading to surrounding tissues. With support from the Government of Canada, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer is refining its OncoSim-Breast microsimulation model, a tool used in the development of more effective breast cancer prevention and treatment policies.

    The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is working closely with Statistics Canada to conduct analyses of national cancer trends. They are looking at differences in breast cancer rates based on where people live, their age and ethnicity, and how advanced it is when people are diagnosed. Statistics Canada is also examining data on access to, and participation in, breast cancer screening by mammography to fill identified data gaps. These initiatives will enhance our understanding of the current state of breast cancer in Canada.

    Breast cancer touches the lives of so many, either through a personal diagnosis or that of a loved one. We strongly believe that nobody should have to face this alone. If you or a loved one is having difficulty coping with a cancer diagnosis, there are many ways you can seek support. Visit Canada.ca/mental-health or visit the Canadian Cancer Society’s community services locator, which helps cancer patients, caregivers and healthcare providers find the services they need to feel supported.

    Let’s empower everyone to make informed health care decisions, supported by the best available science and evidence.

    Reference

    Footnote *

    Cisgendered women and other adults assigned female at birth, such as transgender men and nonbinary people

    Return to footnote * referrer

    Contact

    Matthew Kronberg
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Honourable Mark Holland
    Minister of Health
    343-552-5654

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: How AI is poised to transform air travel, from reservations and check-in to baggage handling

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: How AI is poised to transform air travel, from reservations and check-in to baggage handling

    Introducing a new industry reference architecture for airlines and airports

    The aviation industry is entering a new era: airlines and airports worldwide are on the brink of transformation, driven by the power of generative AI. This powerful technology is creating new value at every stage of the aviation ecosystem, revolutionizing the way we fly and operate. From personalized travel offers to instant responses for customer service requests, AI is enhancing every step of your journey, making travel smoother and more personalized than ever before.

    Generative AI is also transforming the core operations of airlines and airports. Research shows that up to 35% of flight delays can be reduced through AI-powered decision-making—saving time, reducing stress, and increasing safety for both travelers and staff.1

    AI is also reshaping the workforce. With streamlined tasks and smarter tools, staff can dedicate more time to enhancing the passenger experience—both on the ground and in the air. AI-powered personalization can increase revenue per passenger by 10 to 15%. At the same time, intelligent AI chatbots can reduce customer service costs by up to 30%, creating significant value for both airlines and airports.2

    This is the future of aviation. AI is not just a tool—it’s a revolution, creating value across the entire industry. Microsoft has developed a new industry reference architecture enabling AI for a seamless traveler journey, efficient airline operations, and enhanced airport operations. 

    Create connected mobility experiences with AI-powered solutions >

    Seamless traveler journey

    The experience begins the moment a traveler considers a trip. They can interact with an AI-powered mobile app to explore options, book flights, and receive personalized recommendations. Throughout their journey, the app serves as a digital assistant, providing real-time updates on flight status, gate changes, and the weather at the destination. At the airport, travelers can navigate through a touchless experience, from check-in to security, using biometric identification and e-boarding passes on their mobile devices. The app continues to assist by guiding them to their gate, offering lounge access, and updating any travel alerts.

    Once on board, the digital assistant ensures a comfortable experience by allowing travelers to control in-flight entertainment, order food and items from the onboard shop, and adjust seating preferences through their mobile device. The journey concludes with the app facilitating a smooth arrival process, including customs and baggage claim guidance, and arranging for ground transportation. Throughout this journey, AI and machine learning algorithms work behind the scenes to anticipate needs, offer timely assistance, and personalize the travel experience.

    Air India passengers, for example, now get answers to all their questions from planning to arrival at their fingertips. Their AI.g virtual assistant, powered by Microsoft AI services, quickly proposes a travel itinerary for passengers, finds answers about check-in options and flight status, recommends the best food options, finds the next business lounge or helps with lost luggage. Another example is Saudia Airlines. The flag carrier of Saudi Arabia developed an AI-powered travel companion for their passengers using Microsoft technology to enable travel-related services like: planning and booking, refund management, and exploring new destinations.

    Efficient airline operations

    AI working on data platforms enhances efficiency and customer experience across various segments of the airline value chain.

    • In aircraft handling, AI-powered predictive maintenance can forecast potential issues before they occur, minimizing downtime and ensuring timely operations. Ground support equipment can be optimized using AI algorithms to streamline processes and reduce delays.
    • In ground operations, AI can manage complex logistics, from baggage handling to fuel management, by analyzing vast amounts of data to optimize workflows and resource allocation. This leads to smoother operations and can significantly reduce turnaround times for aircraft.
    • Flight operations benefit from AI through advanced analytics that can assist in route planning, weather forecasting, and fuel consumption optimization. By leveraging historical data and real-time inputs, AI can provide pilots and flight planners with insights that lead to safer and more cost-effective flights.
    • For marketing and sales, AI enables personalized customer experiences by analyzing customer data to tailor offerings and promotions. This can lead to increased customer loyalty and revenue as airlines can offer the right product to the right customer at the right time.
    • In customer support, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants provide around the clock support, handling inquiries and resolving issues promptly. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also frees up human agents to deal with more complex queries, enhancing overall service quality.

    Lufthansa, for example, developed the one data platform built on Microsoft Azure to provide self-service applications and leverage cognitive AI services like image and speech recognition.

    “Leveraging Microsoft Azure’s robust cloud capabilities, we’ve transformed Lufthansa’s operations with a unified data platform. This innovation empowers us to optimize every aspect of our service, from ground operations to in-flight experiences, ensuring punctuality and safety across our global network—continuing to use AI will help us advance to the level.”

    Ganesh Swaminathan, Head of Platforms, Lufthansa Group Digital Hangar

    American Airlines, the world’s largest airline, is using Azure as its preferred cloud platform. Their team members now use the ConnectMe app for the latest crew information while the airline is using AI to reduce taxi time and turn times at gates.

    Microsoft AI

    Enhanced airport operations

    Generative AI and data platforms also play a pivotal role in enhancing airport operations, catering to the needs of tens of thousands of passengers daily. Airports can optimize their critical infrastructure management, such as energy, water, and climate control. The integration of AI into security and emergency services significantly enhances their capabilities, providing a safer and more secure environment for travelers. Connected transportation systems such as buses and trains benefit from predictive analytics and real-time data processing capabilities, leading to improved scheduling and passenger flow management.

    In the realm of commerce, which encompasses retail stores and restaurants within the airport, generative AI and data platforms offer valuable insights into consumer behavior, enabling businesses to tailor their services and inventory to meet the dynamic needs of passengers.

    The logistics and supply chains for cargo, fuel, and baggage are also transformed by these technologies, with AI-powered systems facilitating better tracking, forecasting, and management of resources. This results in a more streamlined and cost-effective operation, reducing delays and enhancing the overall passenger experience. Fraport has introduced FraportGPT, an example of an employee-facing app powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to streamline internal processes.

    “Fraport’s company GPT app, powered by Generative AI, has been a resounding success, swiftly adopted by our team. It’s not just streamlined our processes; it’s accelerated skill acquisition, empowering our employees to master new competencies with unprecedented speed.”

    Christian Wrobel, Chief Data Architect, Fraport AG

    Together with Microsoft, Miami International Airport (MIA) has developed a centralized data hub environment, known as the Common Data Environment (CDE), to store, manage, and share business data, apps, and business process flows. This is crucial for breaking down data silos and ensuring data accessibility for analysis and helps unlocking additional value from generative AI.

    “By integrating various data sources, including on-premises, cloud, and edge environments, we provide a unified and scalable platform for data management. This is the basis, and together with our partner Microsoft we will now be able to leverage advanced technologies such as AI, machine learning, and IoT to gain insights, make data-driven decisions, and drive innovation.”

    Maurice Jenkins, Chief Innovation Officer, Miami International Airport

    The overarching reference architecture and partners

    Our common architecture for airports and airlines is built among core elements with the ultimate goal to create AI-enhanced experiences for everyone, from passengers to ground personnel: the creation of user-facing applications, data storage and analytics, and data ingestion and integration of existing data systems.

    Figure 1: Industry reference architecture for airlines
    Figure 2: Industry reference architecture for airports

    The AI-enhanced experiences are tailored to each user group.

    • For passengers, it is all about a smooth journey from origin to destination, with plenty of time to enjoy travel with retail, entertainment, and restaurant offers.
    • Ground staff and customer service focus on making the passenger experience smooth, even when something goes wrong.
    • Pilots and crew members require support for coordination, communication, and the reduction of their management overload.
    • For technicians, it is about knowing where to go next, reducing cognitive workload for maintenance and repair tasks, and automating documentation.
    • Terminal managers require support to manage traffic, ensure security, and provide travel comfort.
    • For airside operators, it is about managing baggage, refueling, and safety.

    Different user groups require different backend applications and data sources. The user-facing applications layer describes some of the common front-end experiences that can be built using Microsoft services.

    • End users require mobile and web applications built using services such as Azure API Management, Azure App Service and Azure Functions. Developers create AI-powered user experiences leveraging services such as Azure OpenAI Service. These applications can be deployed in Azure tenants and can scale to millions of users.
    • Business users leverage Dynamics 365 (Customer Service, Finance, Project Operations, and Customer Insights) to manage business operations, such as claims, promotions, and ticketing. Dynamics 365 has built-in custom agents for many common business use cases such as customer service, sales, finance, field service, and customer insights.
    • Front line workers are fully integrated in the business with customized workflows and automated operations with custom AI, tailored to their needs and the ergonomics of their workplaces—wherever fixed terminals, mobile devices, or augmented reality. Microsoft Copilot Studio facilitates the creation of custom AI agents to support their work. Power Apps enables the creation of custom user interfaces, while Power Automate enables the creation of business workflows.
    • With Microsoft 365 Copilot, employees can collaborate and communicate using Microsoft products such as Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook.

    The operation of airports and airlines generates large amounts of data. The data storage and analytics layer describes how to securely store business data to support operations and create insights.

    • Microsoft Dataverse is a scalable data platform that securely stores and manage business data. The data model is a structure framework that organizes data in tables with relationships. It is possible to use industry models to harmonize and integrate business data across multiple applications.
    • Microsoft Fabric is an end-to-end data and analytics platform that includes real-time analytics capabilities. OneLake is a unified logical data lake that centralizes and simplifies data management, with multiple analytical engines and workspaces. Fabric enables organizations to process and analyze data for timely insights and decision making.

    Airports and airlines are established businesses. It is important to integrate existing data systems, such as connected assets as well as existing systems. Messaging services on Azure enables connectivity to assets and devices using standardized communication protocols such as Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) with Azure Event Grid, or data streams like Apache Kafka using Azure Event Hubs. Serverless solutions like Azure Functions provide compute to process messages.

    We’re also proud to collaborate with leading partners driving innovation in aviation.

    • Amadeus and Microsoft have formed a global strategic partnership that harnesses cloud technology to innovate and explore new products and solutions and create smoother travel experiences.
    • SAP deployments on Azure provide robust cloud solutions tailored to customer needs.
    • Our partnership with SITA, and their SITA Mission Control solution, helps duty personnel anticipate and respond to real-time changes during flight operations.
    • We also integrate independent software vendors (ISVs), such as SmartKargo, PROS, and Satavia, to contribute to a smarter, more connected aviation ecosystem.

    Creating frontline worker experiences

    Frontline worker experiences are highly customized to the task and require constant adaptation. The power of low-code platforms like Power Apps and Copilot Studio significantly reduce the time to value, allowing for rapid development and deployment of tailored solutions. These platforms enable the integration of multiple data sources, such as location-based services, logistical information from Dynamics 365, and documentation search. Additionally, task support is enhanced through the use of knowledge graphs and manuals, while collaboration and information regarding connected assets are seamlessly incorporated.

    Figure 3: Terminal maintenance experience

    Overcoming the challenges of using AI in aviation

    While the potential of AI in aviation is immense, there are key challenges: defining the most valuable AI use cases, setting up cloud infrastructure, organizing the data estate, and minimizing costs during development, testing, and deployment phases.

    Microsoft addresses the challenges of AI in aviation by working closely with partners, establishing a framework for responsible and trusted AI principles, and leveraging its comprehensive suite of tools and services. It helps define valuable AI use cases through collaborative workshops and industry-specific solutions. Azure provides scalable cloud infrastructure, while Microsoft Dataverse and OneLake streamline data management. Cost efficiency is achieved through optimized development, testing, and deployment processes. Additionally, Microsoft provides extensive training programs to equip employees with necessary AI skills and collaborates with regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with legal frameworks governing AI usage.

    Moving forward with generative AI in aviation

    Taking advantage of generative AI requires a pragmatic approach, where existing solutions are combined with new capabilities and partner solutions. Correctly identifying the use cases with the highest priority and impact is critical for success.

    Visit Microsoft for travel and transportation or contact our team to learn more and take the next step in your AI journey.

    “We’re excited to introduce our new reference architecture for the aviation industry, built on Azure’s cloud capabilities and advanced AI tools. What truly makes this effort stand out is our collaboration with leading aviation partners. Together with our partners, we’re shaping the future of the aviation industry.”

    Julie Shainock, Managing Director Travel & Transportation Industry, Microsoft

    “Microsoft’s Industry Solutions team is ready to help you deliver and implement AI-driven solutions across your organization: From a first [proof of concept] POC to full-scale rollouts, we are dedicated to providing the expertise you need to ensure a smooth and successful deployment.”

    Eric Chaniot, General Manager of AI Industry Solutions, Microsoft

    “At Microsoft Cloud for Industries, we are committed to empowering our partners with proven patterns and comprehensive enablement resources. By leveraging our industry-specific solutions and collaborative approach, we help partners accelerate innovation, streamline operations, and deliver exceptional value so that their customers can achieve more.”

    Monica Ugwi, General Manager Cloud for Industries, Manufacturing & Mobility, Microsoft

    1Worldmetrics: AI in the Airline Industry, 2024.

    2The economic potential of generative AI, McKinsey & Co., 2023.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Assists in Identifying Victims of Tennessee Floods

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

    FBI agents often dust for fingerprints to track down criminals and unravel complex cases. But this mission was different. The fingerprints here are not about solving crimes—they are about providing answers in the face of a tragedy that devastated parts of their community.

    After deadly floods swept through East Tennessee and Western North Carolina last week, the FBI has joined local authorities in the grim task of identifying victims. Special agents from the FBI’s Johnson City Resident Agency are working alongside the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Northeast Regional Medical Examiner’s Office at East Tennessee State University, employing cutting-edge technology to provide grieving families with some semblance of closure.

    In a region mostly unfamiliar with natural disasters, the flood’s devastation has left communities reeling. But the FBI’s involvement here is somewhat atypical. Known usually for connecting crime scenes to criminals, the FBI’s fingerprint expertise is being used not to solve crimes but to reunite families with loved ones.

    “When you’re doing this, you still take extra care because that was a human and that was somebody’s loved one, it was somebody’s mother, brother, sister,” said Special Agent Paul Durant, who has been with the FBI for five years. “It’s tough, but it’s rewarding to know that we can provide some answers to families who are suffering.”

    Durant, alongside Special Agent Reanna O’Hare, used electronic fingerprint devices to collect prints from victims, sometimes resorting to advanced forensic methods to recover identities. The fingerprints were sent directly to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, using smartphone technology, streamlining what can otherwise be a lengthy process.

    FBI Special Agent Paul Durant at the William L. Jenkins Northeast Tennessee Regional Forensics Center where agents have been working with state and local partners to help identify flood victims from North Carolina and Tennessee.

    The process is both emotionally and physically taxing. The agents often had to work with severely compromised remains made unidentifiable through traditional means. Some victims were swept across state lines from North Carolina into Tennessee, compounding the challenge.

    “The first time I walked into the morgue, I was hit with a sense of disbelief,” Durant said. “I had never been to a medical examiner’s office before, so it was surreal. You know what your job is, but it doesn’t fully sink in until you’re standing there, face to face with the victims. That’s when it becomes real, and you switch into work mode. There were days when it was overwhelming—seeing the destruction and hearing the stories. But at the end of the day, knowing we can help identify these victims and bring some comfort to their families makes it all worth it.”

    Special Agent O’Hare, who has served as the senior team leader on the Knoxville FBI’s Evidence Response Team, echoed the sentiment: “And just seeing the pictures and knowing that people have lost everything, including their family members, it’s devastating.”

    The FBI’s files only have fingerprints that are lawfully collected and the identification effort was not without its technical challenges. In several cases, agents had to use advanced forensic techniques to obtain usable prints. This method, often seen as a last resort in forensic work, is both unsettling and necessary for precise identification.

    “Knowing we have this unique access to national fingerprint files that others might not is critical,” said O’Hare, emphasizing the FBI’s role in tapping into Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security databases. “We’ve been able to identify some victims who otherwise might have remained unknown.”

    The FBI’s efforts in these floods are part of a broader collaboration with local and state authorities. Special Agent J.D. Anderson, the aupervisory senior resident agent overseeing the efforts in Johnson City, stressed the importance of such partnerships. “Our hearts go out to the families affected by this tragedy. We are committed to doing everything in our power with our partners to bring them closure.”

    “It’s not just about the fingerprints; it’s about the people and the families we’re serving,” said Joe Carrico, special agent in charge of the FBI in Tennessee. “Our role is to support our state and local partners in bringing answers to those who need them most. In moments like these, it’s impossible not to feel the weight of that responsibility.”

    Durant and O’Hare relied heavily on the Mobile Biometrics Application (MBA) and Special Processing Center (SPC) teams to expedite the identification of victims. These specialized units, operating out of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services in West Virginia, provided agents in the field with real-time support, often pulling fingerprints and running them through reference files within minutes. In some cases, results were returned in as little as 15 to 20 minutes, streamlining the identification process during critical moments.

    The MBA team, in particular, played a vital role by not only processing prints swiftly but also actively monitoring quality control and troubleshooting more difficult cases. When automated systems didn’t yield a match, the SPC team took over, applying manual processes to assist with identification. This seamless coordination between field agents and the FBI’s lab-based experts highlights the bureau’s ability to deploy advanced technology in disaster zones, ensuring that victims’ families receive answers as quickly as possible.

    While working to bring closure to grieving families, the agents also feel the storm’s personal impact. Special Agent O’Hare’s daughter and grandchildren evacuated from North Carolina to stay with her in Upper East Tennessee after being displaced by power loss. They plan to return to their town later this week now that power has been restored. “I joined the FBI to help people,” O’Hare said. “In situations like this, that’s why I am doing my very small part to try to provide some closure for the families of the victims.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Peru Woman Sentenced to 15 Years for Selling More Than 1.5 Kilos of Methamphetamine to Undercover Officer

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

    PORTLAND, Maine: A Peru, Maine woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for trafficking methamphetamine and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Mandy Lynn Shorey, 43, to 180 months to be followed by five years of supervised release.

    According to court records, between July 2022 and January 2023, Shorey sold approximately 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine to an undercover officer across four controlled buys. For three of the buys, the purity of the methamphetamine Shorey sold to police approached 100%. During one of the buys, Shorey explained that she carried a firearm with her for protection when she met with new drug customers and removed the firearm from a bag and placed it in her waistband. During another exchange, she told the undercover officer that meeting her to conduct their next transaction would be safe because she would “bring one armed man to back me up that they will never see, just in case.” When Shorey was arrested, she was in possession of a Charter Arms .22 revolver.

    The FBI Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case.

    ###

     

    Updated 10/9/24 to correct defendant’s city of residence at time of arrest from Windham, ME to Peru, ME 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Trio Responsible for Eight Armed Robberies of Indianapolis-Area Cell Phone Stores Sentenced to Combined 65 Years in Federal Prison

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

    INDIANAPOLIS- Robdarius Williams, 21, D’Maurah Bryant, 21, and Quintez Tucker, 20, all of Indianapolis, have all been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a series of eight armed robberies of Indianapolis cell phone retailers.

    Defendant Charges Sentence
    Quintez Tucker, 20

    Eight counts of robbery

    Four counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence

    30 years in prison
    3 years of supervised release

    $64,894 in restitution
    D’Maurah Bryant, 21

    Four counts of robbery

    Three counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence

    25 years in prison
    3 years of supervised release

    $24,485 in restitution
    Robdarius Williams, 21

    One count of robbery

    Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

    		 9.5 years in prison
    3 years of supervised release

    In April of 2024, Tucker and Bryant each plead guilty. In June of 2024, a federal jury found Williams guilty following a one-and-a-half-day trial.

    According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, from November 8 through December 3, 2021, Tucker and Bryant worked together to rob eight cell phone retailers around Indianapolis. During each robbery, the men brandished firearms and pointed them at employees, demanded cash, cell phones, and accessories from the store and customers. Williams joined in the eighth and final armed robbery as the getaway driver, stole a license plate for the getaway car and took Tucker to pick up an AR-style rifle used in the robbery.

    In total, the trio robbed eight businesses in twenty-five days:

    Date Location Defendants
    November 8, 2021 Verizon, Olio Rd., Fishers. Tucker & Bryant
    November 18, 2021 T-Mobile, Southport Rd. Tucker & Bryant
    November 23, 2021 Verizon, Kessler Blvd. Tucker & Bryant
    November 26, 2021 T-Mobile, E. 86th St. Tucker & Bryant
    November 29, 2021 T-Mobile, Fox Rd. Tucker & Bryant
    December 1, 2021 T-Mobile, E. Stop 11 Rd. Tucker & Bryant
    December 1, 2021 T-Mobile, W. 38th St. Tucker & Bryant
    December 3, 2021 AT&T, S. Emerson Ave. Tucker & Williams

    “No one should have a gun pointed in their face by heartless criminals simply because they went shopping, or went to work,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “These armed criminals terrorized their victims with utter disregard for the consequences of their actions—going so far as to point an AR-style firearm at a toddler as their parent shielded the child with their body. These horrific crimes will not be tolerated in our community. The Department of Justice has no higher priority than keeping the public safe from armed, violent crimes. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the FBI, the Fishers Police Department, IMPD, and our federal prosecutors, our communities will be protected from these criminals for many years to come.”

    “The lengthy sentences handed out should serve as a deterrent to remind potential offenders that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting those who live in the communities we serve,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The defendants didn’t just steal items; they instilled a sense of fear in and disrupted the lives of their victims.

    “The sentencing of these three violent felons to a combined 65 years in prison sends a strong message that our community will not tolerate such criminal behavior,” said Ed Gebhart, Fishers Police Chief, “I commend the hard work of our officers, our law enforcement partners and the justice system for ensuring that these dangerous individuals will be off the streets for a significant amount of time.”

    The FBI investigated this case. The Fishers Police Department, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and the Marion County Prosecutors Office also provided valuable assistance. The sentences were imposed by U.S District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.

    U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy C. Fugate and Peter A. Blackett, who prosecuted this case.

    This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Who Bound and Raped Au Pair, Victimized Other Women and Girls, Sentenced to Life in Prison

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

              GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Arisknight Winfree, 32, of East Lansing, was sentenced to life in federal prison for sexually exploiting four women, including two minors, in 2022. Winfree was convicted on multiple charges that included Kidnapping (Count 1), Coercion and Enticement (Count 2), Attempted Coercion and Enticement (Count 3), and Production of Child Pornography (Counts 4 and 5).

              “Arisknight Winfree is a sexual predator whose horrendous acts caused immeasurable harm to the women and girls upon whom he preyed,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “This life sentence is necessary to protect the community and bring a measure of justice to the survivors.”

              Winfree targeted his victims in multiple ways, including through use of the messaging service on various social media apps and through an online service that connects individuals, often young women, with host families in need of childcare and light housework. The Court convicted Winfree of five crimes involving four victims.

              First, Winfree was convicted of Kidnapping (Count 1) and Coercion and Enticement (Count 2) for the crimes he committed against S.D. The victim was a young woman living in Italy who Winfree contacted on September 5, 2022 through AuPair.com, a website service that connects young women with potential host families. Winfree falsely represented that his family was in search of an au pair to care for his niece. On October 12, 2022, S.D. flew from Italy to Detroit, Michigan, and then took a bus to Winfree’s residence in East Lansing, Michigan. The day after she arrived, Winfree handcuffed his victim’s hands behind her back, placed a gag ball in her mouth, and raped her. Winfree considered killing his victim and hiding her body to avoid prosecution.

              Second, Winfree was convicted of Attempted Coercion and Enticement (Count 3) for the crimes he committed against A.S. Winfree connected with A.S. through AuPair.com in July 2022, falsely representing he needed someone to watch his 7-year-old niece every other week. Winfree paid for A.S. to fly to Michigan on September 14, 2022. When A.S. got to Winfree’s residence, she noticed all the windows were covered with paper and cardboard. She also noticed there were cameras around the house. A.S. saw no signs of children. She saw several knives and guns around the house. On September 16, 2022, A.S.’s family called the East Lansing Police Department and requested a welfare check for A.S. With the assistance of the police, the victim left the residence with her belongings and returned to Kansas.

              Third, Winfree was convicted of Production of Child Pornography (Count 4) for the crimes he committed against Minor Victim 1 (MV1). Winfree connected with MV1 on Instagram in November 2022, when the victim was 17 years old. From November 29-30, MV1 created nude images at Winfree’s request and sent them to him through the social media app’s messaging feature. On November 30, 2022, Winfree picked MV1 up from her high school, drove her to his home, and engaged in sexual acts with her.

              Fourth, Winfree was convicted of another count of Production of Child Pornography (Count 5) for the crimes he committed against Minor Victim 2 (MV2). Winfree connected with MV2 in September or October of 2022 on SnapChat, when the victim was 16 years old. He instructed MV2 to engage in sexual acts and send images and videos to him through SnapChat and later through WhatsApp.

              Further details are provided in the attached Complaint and the United States’ Statement of Facts Establishing Defendant’s Guilt.

              “The sentencing of Arisknight Winfree marks a significant step towards healing for all those who suffered from his callous and heinous criminal acts,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Individuals who engage in sexual exploitation involving minors will be investigated and arrested by the FBI and our law enforcement partners in Michigan. The collective investigative efforts by members from FBI Michigan, the East Lansing Police Department, and the prosecutorial efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office of Western Michigan prevented another crime from being committed by Mr. Winfree.”

              “The East Lansing Police Department would like to thank the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan for their commitment to this case,” said ELPD Police Chief Chad Pride. “Arisknight Winfree’s conviction on multiple charges shows our collaborative partnerships were essential in bringing justice to the survivors of these awful acts and holding Arisknight accountable for his actions.”

              This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following website: http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.

              Assistant United States Attorney Davin Reust prosecuted this case. The East Lansing Police Department, Michigan State University Police and Public Safety, and the FBI investigated it.

              The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan issued the previous press releases in this case and a related case:

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Red Lake Woman Sentenced to Prison for Child Neglect Following the Death of a Child on the Red Lake Reservation

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

    MINNEAPOLIS – A Red Lake woman has been sentenced to 15 months in prison following the death of a child in her care, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

    According to evidence presented at trial, Sharon Rosebear, 64, intentionally deprived a child, Minor A, of necessary food and health care over the course of 2022. The evidence at trial established that Minor A died in 2022 from the combined effects of starvation and infection. Rosebear’s codefendant, Julius Fineday, Sr., pleaded guilty to one count of felony child neglect causing the death of a child and was sentenced to five years in prison earlier this year.

    The evidence at trial established that Rosebear acted as one of Minor A’s caretakers in 2022. In accordance with Minnesota law, the jury was instructed that Rosebear’s lack of formal legal custody of Minor A did not alter her responsibility to the child. The evidence at trial established that Rosebear was reasonably able to provide for Minor A’s nutrition and healthcare—including evidence establishing that healthcare and transportation to healthcare is free within the Red Lake Nation, and that all of the adults and children involved in the case received nutritional and cash assistance adequate to meet their basic needs—and that Rosebear nonetheless intentionally deprived Minor A of those basic needs by withholding food, and by looking the other way while Minor A’s health deteriorated. The evidence at trial included evidence that Minor A died at the same weight she had been nearly three years earlier, and that while Rosebear was aware of Minor A’s severe lice infestation, Rosebear responded by keeping Minor A isolated rather than seeking medical attention for Minor A.  

    Medical testimony at trial established that the type of infection Minor A had when she died could have entered Minor A’s body through scratches in her scalp related to her unaddressed lice. The medical testimony also established that Minor A’s prolonged starvation may have been an independently sufficient cause of death, or may have severely compromised Minor A’s immune system’s ability to fight infection. 

    On April 29, 2024, Rosebear was found guilty of felony child neglect following a six-day trial in U.S. District Court. She was sentenced today by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz. 

    In handing down the sentence, Chief Judge Schiltz commented, “One of the most tragic things about Minor A’s death is that it was so easily preventable … day after day, week after week, month after month, Ms. Rosebear watched as Minor A slowly starved to death.”
    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey E. Middlecamp and Rachel L. Kraker tried the case. 
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Bank Loan Officer Sentenced for Defrauding Federal Credit Union

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

    BOSTON – A Boston woman was sentenced on Oct. 4, 2024 for conspiring to defraud the federal credit union where she worked as a loan officer by obtaining loans in the names of inmates at a Massachusetts prison where a co-conspirator was incarcerated.

    Nadaje Hendrix, 27, of Brighton, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Julia E. Kobick to eight months in prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. Hendrix was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $134,000. In July 2024, Hendrix pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. In January 2024, Hendrix was indicted by a federal grand jury along with alleged co-conspirator Glenroy Miller

    Between December 2019 and August 2021, Hendrix and, allegedly, Miller agreed to defraud the credit union where Hendrix worked as a loan officer and assistant branch manager, by obtaining loans in the names of other individuals, including inmates at a Massachusetts prison where Miller was incarcerated. While in prison, Miller allegedly gave Hendrix information about fellow inmates for Hendrix to use in creating fraudulent loan applications, and then arranged to have other co-conspirators go into the credit union to pretend to be the inmates, sign loan forms and obtain loans from the credit union through Hendrix. The scheme also involved obtaining loans in the names of individuals whose identities were stolen. In total, Hendrix and, allegedly, Miller stole about $134,000 from the credit union in about two months in 2021.

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Announces the Repatriation of a Nazi-Looted Monet, Missing for More than 80 Years, to the Heirs of Original Owners

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

    With the help of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, a consent judgment was secured in May 2024. This judgment awarded full ownership of the Monet to the Parlagi heirs.

    “We are immensely proud to have been able to recover this remarkable piece of art and bring it home to its rightful owners,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough. “I want to commend the work done by the FBI Art Crime Team and thank the Schlamp family for their cooperation in returning this significant artwork back to its rightful heirs. This moment brings to light not only the historical significance of this repatriation, but also the committed work of the FBI in cultural restitution and importance of our partnerships with organizations like The Commission for Looted Art in Europe. The FBI continues its commitment to returning stolen art and other objects of cultural and historical significance to the communities to which they belong.”

    “We’re honored to have played a role in returning this stolen artwork to its rightful owners,” said James Dennehy, assistant director in charge of the FBI in New York City. “While this Monet is undoubtedly valuable, its true worth lies in what it represents to the Parlagi family. It’s a connection to their history, their loved ones, and a legacy that was nearly erased. The emotions tied to reclaiming something taken so brutally can’t be measured in dollars—it’s priceless.”

    “We are proud to support the work of the Art Crime Team, especially in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil of FBI New Orleans. “Nothing can excuse the hateful and heinous behavior of the past, but we are most grateful to the Schlamp family for their role in righting this wrong. We need and appreciate the ongoing support of the public and the art community at large to ensure there are more success stories like this in the future.”

    The FBI’s work on this case is ongoing. In addition to the Monet, several other pieces of artwork were stolen from the Parlagi family in 1940. A signed Paul Signac watercolor from 1903, titled “Seine in Paris (Pont de Grenelle),” was sold to the same Nazi art dealer and is still missing today. As it is common for titles of stolen art to change over time, and due to the history of the Signac watercolor, it is very likely that it may be known under a different title today.

    To assist in the search for the stolen Signac, the piece has been entered into the FBI’s National Stolen Art File (NSAF) catalog. The NSAF is a database of stolen art and cultural property. Stolen objects are submitted for entry to the NSAF by law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

    If you believe you have information about the stolen Signac, you are encouraged to contact the FBI’s Art Crime Program or FBI New York at NYArtCrime@fbi.gov. You may also submit online to tips.fbi.gov, call 1-800-CALL FBI (800-225-5324), or contact your nearest local FBI field office or U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Go Flourish opens outdoor learning garden at North Kessock Primary School

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    A nature pilot project founded by the Go Flourish charity was officially opened on Saturday 5 October by Raoul Curtis-Machin, Director of Horticulture, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, much to the excitement of the many North Kessock Primary School pupils, parents and carers, teachers, and local community members who attended the event.

    The Go Flourish Charity was established by Jane-Julia Gladwin in 2023 to bring a range of benefits to schools by establishing high quality teaching gardens within school grounds. The three-year North Kessock pilot project will be monitored by researchers at the University of St Andrews, Psychology and Neuroscience School, to examine the impact of the gardening programme on children’s well-being and to demonstrate proof of concept by gathering data on a range of benefits.

    The North Kessock PS Go Flourish project is supported by fully qualified teacher, Laura Dorantt, who, as Liaison Teacher, has been working with the school over the last year in preparation to establish the garden in the school’s outdoor education curriculum. With the garden now installed and open, she will lead timetabled classes for pupils, and as the garden develops, will liaise with the local community to develop and sustain the Go Flourish Garden for the benefits of education, health, and community resilience. Based on the enthusiastic attendance of the school and local community at the Opening Day, Go Flourish is off to a very promising start.

    The Highland Council’s Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “This partnership project, designed to improve wellbeing and essential life skills is supported by the vision of the “Go Flourish Project” and St Andrews University’s School of Psychology and Neuroscience who will collate appropriate data and analysis to demonstrate the impact of the pilot project.

    “I would like to acknowledge our gratitude to the Go Flourish founder and Garden Designer, Julia-Jane Gladwin for her unwavering support and I really look forward to visiting the outdoor classroom and learning from the pupils, staff and community involved in this wonderful project.”  

    This pilot project will provide:

    • A three-year scoping study funded by Go Flourish and St Andrews University.
    • Quantitative data to demonstrate educational, financial and societal benefits of Go Flourish school gardens.
    • Data backed evidence to inform local education authorities across Scotland and to the Scottish Government on the benefits of incorporating “Go Flourish Gardens” within school communities.
    • Learning the procedures and steps needed to establish and maintain sustainable gardens on Highland schools.

    Go Flourish Charity Founder, Julia-Jane Gladwin said: “Our vision is to reinstate nature at the heart of education. The children at North Kessock Primary School will themselves be the proof of the intrinsic value of this.”

    Primary 6 Pupil said: “The garden is cool! I like looking up through the trees when you see the sun shining through. And it smells really nice. It makes me happy.”

    To learn more about the work of the Flourish charity visit – http://www.flourishcharity.org (external link)

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Increase in wolf attacks and the need to protect livestock farms and the public – E-001561/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. Several measures are supported by the EU to improve coexistence with large carnivores, including through the CAP Strategic Plans (CSP) funded by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as well as by the LIFE programme[1].

    Within the CAP Strategic Plans (CSP), support schemes are designed by the Member States and approved by the Commission. These may include activities or investments such as the installation of various types of fences or acquisition of livestock guarding dogs and also including shepherding costs under some interventions. In the Italian CSP, four regions have included some of these elements (Calabria, Liguria, Piedmont and Tuscany).

    2. In December 2023, the Commission published a comprehensive study on the wolf in the EU[2], that also addressed the specific issues mentioned by the Honourable Member[3]. Under the current EU legislation in force[4], national authorities have already the necessary tools to take appropriate preventive and reactive measures to address conflicts, problems, and any public safety situation related to protected wildlife species. Furthermore, on 20 December 2023, the Commission proposed a Council decision to change the wolf’s protection status under the Bern Convention[5], to which the EU and its Member States are parties. Following its adoption by the Council, the Commission has submitted the proposal to the secretary of the Bern Convention. The proposal is meant to create additional flexibility for the Parties to the Bern Convention to decide on the most appropriate management measures.

    3. Damage compensation payments of up to 100% of direct and indirect costs of damages caused by protected species can be granted by the Member State within the framework of the EU State Aid rules.

    • [1] https://commission.europa.eu/funding-tenders/find-funding/eu-funding-programmes/programme-environment-and-climate-action-life_en
    • [2] https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/5d017e4e-9efc-11ee-b164-01aa75ed71a1/language-en
    • [3] See paragraphs 3.5 and 4.7 of the study for the aspects related to public safety and to the management of so called ‘bold wolves’.
    • [4] Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.
    • [5] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_6752
    Last updated: 9 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Fort William improvement works start next week

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council are preparing to carry out improvement works at Monzie Square and its junction with Middle Street, Fraser Square to High Street and at An Aird Roundabout in Fort William. 

    The scope of the work is to improve access and will include resurfacing of footways, creating new drop kerbs and installing tactile paving.  

    Work is scheduled to start on Monday 14 October 2024 and will take approximately 4-6 weeks. 

    George Gordon Construction are the appointed contractor. They along with the Council will work together to minimise any disruption for road users and pedestrians during the works. Traffic management will be in operation as required and if at any time works might temporarily restrict access, businesses and residents will be notified in advance. 

    9 Oct 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – The need for reinforced border checks on live animal imports – E-001452/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Regulation (EU) 2017/625[1] establishes the framework for the performance of official controls on animals and goods entering the Union to verify compliance with Union rules, in particular in the areas of food safety and animal health.

    It provides that no consignments of animals coming from third countries can be introduced into the EU territory without being presented at the designated border control post of first arrival into the Union, where all consignments of animals must be inspected by official veterinarians.

    The regulation obliges the competent authorities to have sufficient suitably qualified and experienced staff so that official controls are performed efficiently and effectively.

    The Commission carries out audits and inspections aimed at monitoring the implementation and enforcement of Union law on live animal imports.

    The list of countries authorised to import ovine and caprine animals to the EU is limited to six countries, where no case of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) has been reported so far.

    According to currently available statistics, no consignments of sheep or goats have been imported into the EU from non-EU countries in 2024.

    Therefore, there are no grounds for concluding that more veterinary staff would need to be deployed at the external border due to this disease incursion.

    The Commission is not aware of any specific request by Greece for increased EU support for the border checks made over the last five years.

    • [1] Regulation (EU) 2017/625 (‘Official Controls Regulation’) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products (OJ L 95, 7.4.2017, p. 1-142, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/625/oj)
    Last updated: 9 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Team Europe launches new funding envelope to support economic growth in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • The ACP Trust Fund has received pledges worth more than €74 million from seven EU countries.
    • Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Sweden are the first contributors, adding to the EU contribution launched in February 2023.
    • In line with the EU Global Gateway strategy, the primary focus of the support will be to provide grants and technical assistance to projects promoting sustainable growth in ACP countries.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB Global) has signed agreements with seven EU Member States pledging just over €74 million to a new envelope under the ACP Trust Fund. This funding will promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth and human development, especially in least developed countries and fragile states in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The ACP Trust Fund envelope supported by EU Member States will target EU Global Gateway projects in ACP countries and support the UN’s Agenda 2030 as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

    “This is a great example of Team Europe partners working together. I look forward to welcoming future donors to the fund so that, together, we can invest in energy, health, climate, food security and digital solutions that will foster green and inclusive growth – ultimately boosting prosperity in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros.

    Denmark has pledged around €9.9 million, Finland €4.3 million, Germany €30.6 million, Luxembourg €5.4 million, Portugal €2.8 million, Spain €9 million, and Sweden €12.25 million.

    Denmark: “Denmark is committed to supporting inclusive green growth globally, including in least developed countries and fragile states. Our ambition is to promote the European Union as an effective and impactful global actor, and that is why we support the EIB’s new ACP Trust Fund. Through the trust fund, we are delighted to be contributing to inclusive and sustainable development – especially in Africa, which is well-aligned with Denmark’s new strategy of stronger engagement with African countries. The trust fund is financed by a true Team Europe approach, and I strongly encourage other European partners to join,” said Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Denmark’s Minister for Foreign Affairs.

    Finland: “Finland sees the ACP Trust Fund as an important vehicle to support the implementation of the Global Gateway in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. We hope that our contribution will, for example, contribute to greater, safer digital connectivity in our partner countries and give European companies more ways to invest in and develop projects in the ACP countries,” said Juha Savolainen, Director General (Department for Development Policy) of Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

    Germany: “Fostering human and social development, addressing climate change and mobilising investments for sustainable and inclusive growth are at the heart of the EU-ACP partnership. The EIB ACP Trust Fund can help increase the development impact of EIB projects in ACP partner countries, including with regard to the implementation of Global Gateway projects. Therefore, we support it in a Team Europe spirit together with other EU partners,” said Dirk Meyer, Director-General of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. 

    Luxembourg: “Luxembourg is proud to contribute €5.4 million to the ACP Trust Fund, reflecting our commitment to sustainable and inclusive growth in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. This funding, from the reflows of the former ACP Investment Facility, aims to empower communities, promote environmental sustainability and enhance resilience. We look forward to ongoing collaboration with the EIB, the European Commission and EU Member States to achieve impactful development outcomes,” said Finance Minister of Luxembourg Gilles Roth.

    Portugal: “Portugal’s contribution to the ACP Trust Fund reflects our ongoing commitment to sustainable economic, social and environmental development in these regions. By partnering with the European Union and other Member States, we can better leverage resources and collectively unlock financial and technical assistance to target global challenges and achieve impact in areas like climate action, connectivity and job creation,” said Portugal’s Minister of State and Finance Joaquim Miranda Sarmento.

    Spain: Spain’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares said, “Spain’s €9 million contribution will increase EIB Global’s capacity to reach ACP countries through tailored instruments, such as technical assistance to support capacity-building. We need to unlock sustainable finance for the countries that need it the most, as they often face adverse financing conditions that hinder sustainable development. This contribution reinforces our support for the ACP countries, and is consistent with our commitment to implementing the SDGs and raising more financing for the development agenda, as shown by Spain’s move to host the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville in 2025.”

    Sweden: “Sweden is glad to contribute to the ACP Trust Fund in a renewal of the historic partnership between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific States. The Trust Fund will play an important role in fulfilling the overall objectives of the Global Gateway, linking trade, business and development cooperation in the entire ACP region. We look forward to being part of a broad collaboration encompassing four continents, 79 countries and 1.5 billion people, and to work together on issues of green transition, entrepreneurship and digitalisation”, said Benjamin Dousa, Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade.

    European Commission: “Enabling the private sector is key to sustainable development. I welcome the Member States’ contribution to the ACP Trust Fund. Together with our powerful risk-sharing instrument, the EFSD+, these resources will underpin the implementation of the Global Gateway investment strategy,” said Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen.

    In 2023, the European Commission and EIB Global signed an agreement for €500 million and launched the first of two envelopes of the ACP Trust Fund to realise high-impact projects in the private sector that could not otherwise be brought to fruition.

    The ACP Trust Fund forms part of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI – Global Europe). Through this programme, the European Commission supports technical assistance and financial instruments spanning equity, quasi-equity, subordinated debt and risk-sharing. Last year in Madagascar, for example, the ACP Trust Fund supported agricultural mechanisation for smallholder farmers and the construction of a refrigerated facility for local fishermen. In Uganda, it helped fund the installation of over 500 telecom towers to broaden access to communications in the countryside.

    The Member States envelope of the ACP Trust Fund is an effective complement to the European Commission-financed envelope, and provides technical assistance, investment grants and interest rate subsidies in both the public and private sectors. The technical assistance is expected to help raise standards and ensure that environmental and social requirements are met throughout the preparation and implementation of each project. Investment grants and interest rate subsidies help reduce total financing needs, especially where a project promoter faces debt sustainability constraints.

    Background information

    The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by the Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investments that pursue EU policy goals. EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner in the Global Gateway. It aims to support €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027 – around one-third of the overall target of this EU initiative. With Team Europe, EIB Global fosters strong, focused partnerships, alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the Group closer to local people, companies and institutions through its offices around the world.

    Global Gateway

    The Global Gateway strategy is the European Union’s offer for partner countries to support their resilience and sustainable development. It aims to narrow the global investment gap with value-driven investments from the public and private sectors, supporting global economic recovery and accompanying the twin green and digital transitions outside the European Union. Worldwide, the Global Gateway aims to mobilise €300 billion in investments between 2021 and 2027, with a mix of grants, concessional loans and guarantees to de-risk private sector investments.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Madrid-Lisbon high-speed rail link – E-001937/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001937/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Borja Giménez Larraz (PPE), Elena Nevado del Campo (PPE)

    In August 2024, the Spanish Ministry of Transport pledged to map out the route that the Madrid-Badajoz-Lisbon high-speed rail link would take through the province of Toledo. However, the Spanish Government is still dragging its feet over this decision, jeopardising the 2030 completion deadline set by the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) for this railway.

    And Spain is not the only country affected. Portugal will also be impacted, given that this high-speed railway line is a key border crossing between Madrid and Lisbon that would boost regional development and combat depopulation. Not to mention that both countries are hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

    Due to the Spanish Government’s lack of commitment and given that this railway line is part of the TEN-T core network, there is a need for EU-level action.

    In view of the above:

    • 1.What mechanisms does the Commission have at its disposal to enforce the deadlines for implementing the TEN-T?
    • 2.Has the Spanish Government informed the Commission of its timeline for completing the Madrid-Lisbon high-speed railway?
    • 3.Does the Commission think that the deadlines will be met?

    Submitted: 3.10.2024

    Last updated: 9 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Solidarity and funding to renovate the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in the Azores – E-001931/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001931/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    André Rodrigues (S&D)

    On 4 May 2024, a major fire broke out at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (DESH) in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores, putting it out of action. The entire hospital had to be evacuated, with patients being moved into alternative accommodation. The health care system and services on the island and in the wider region also had to be reorganised.

    DESH is the largest health facility in the region and the hospital for the other health centres, giving it an important role on the island and in the region as a whole. The disaster has therefore considerably disrupted health care and has had a significant financial impact on the Azores region’s health service and budget.

    • 1.Has Portugal activated the EU Solidarity Fund to help cover the costs of this disaster and quickly restore the hospital? If so, how much funding has been requested?
    • 2.What other EU funding is available to the region and Member State to quickly restore and improve a crucial health facility in one of the EU’s outermost regions?

    Submitted: 3.10.2024

    Last updated: 9 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Possible breaches of NextGenerationEU criteria with regard to projects in Aragon (Spain) – E-001928/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001928/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Estrella Galán (The Left)

    Spain’s Ministry of Industry has allocated upwards of EUR 35 million in European funds to a series of projects in the Autonomous Community of Aragon which, besides failing to comply with the obligatory deadlines for implementation (50 % by December 2024), may be in violation of criteria 1, 2, 3 and 6: mitigating and adapting to climate change; sustainably using and protecting water and marine resources; and protecting and restoring biodiversity and ecosystems.

    At issue are (i) the construction projects for new ski lifts in Astun-Candanchú and Benasque-Cerler (which would entail tree felling and severe ramifications on biodiversity and ecosystems); (ii) the construction of a golf course in Panticosa (which would require a large quantity of water and have a devastating impacton water resources, making the recovery of biodiversity difficult); and (iii) the construction of car parks in Sallent de Gállego and Formigal (which would promote the use of private vehicles).

    • 1.Does the Commission intend to investigate the infringement of the basic NextGenerationEU criteria and objectives which may result from the use of EU funds to finance these projects?
    • 2.Given that currently only 1 % of the projects has been completed and, as the Autonomous Community of Aragon itself confesses, 50 % of those projects will not have been completed by the end of December, can the Commission clarify whether it has relaxed the implementation dates for these projects?

    Submitted: 2.10.2024

    Last updated: 9 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –