Category: Transport

MIL-OSI USA: Higher doses of buprenorphine may improve treatment outcomes for people with opioid use disorder

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

News Release

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

NIH-funded analysis suggests higher doses of buprenorphine were associated with lower rates of future behavioral health-related emergency department and inpatient care.

Adults with opioid use disorder who receive a higher daily dose of the opioid addiction treatment medication buprenorphine may have a lower risk of subsequent emergency department visits or use of inpatient services related to behavioral health (such as for mental health and substance use disorders) than adults receiving the recommended dose, according to an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These findings suggest that higher buprenorphine doses could be more effective in managing opioid use disorder, which may be particularly relevant for improving treatment for those who use fentanyl, a major driver of the overdose crisis.

Researchers reviewed insurance claims data from over 35,000 people who were diagnosed with opioid use disorder and began buprenorphine treatment between 2016 and 2021. They found that among all people who started treatment with buprenorphine, 12.5% experienced an emergency department or inpatient visit related to behavioral health within the study period. After adjusting for patient demographics and medical history available in the data, researchers then analyzed how long it took for people receiving different doses of buprenorphine to use emergency care or have an inpatient stay after starting treatment.

The recommended target dose for buprenorphine in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s approved labeling is 16 mg per day. Researchers found that those taking higher daily doses of buprenorphine (>16 to 24 mg) took 20% longer to have a subsequent emergency department or inpatient health care visit related to behavioral health within the first year after receiving treatment, compared to those receiving >8 to 16 mg a day. Those taking daily doses of more than 24 mg of buprenorphine went 50% longer before having a subsequent emergency or inpatient health care visit related to behavioral health within the first year after receiving treatment, compared to those receiving >8 to 16 mg a day.

“As the overdose crisis evolves, particularly with the rise of fentanyl, it is crucial to investigate how to best adapt and deliver the lifesaving and evidence-based treatments for opioid use disorder that we have available,” said Nora D. Volkow, M.D., director of NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). “The findings add to the growing evidence that higher doses of buprenorphine may have meaningful health impacts for people with opioid use disorder.”

In 2022, of the nearly 108,000 overdose deaths reported in the U.S., almost 70% were primarily due to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times stronger than heroin. The ubiquity of fentanyl in the drug supply and associated overdose deaths have raised questions about whether existing dosing guidelines for buprenorphine should be modified to better address the unique challenges posed by such a potent opioid. Higher doses of buprenorphine may be necessary to effectively manage the more severe withdrawal symptoms, cravings, and tolerance associated with fentanyl use.

“Preventing or delaying the need for high-intensity, urgent health care among people with opioid use disorder has tremendous benefits on health and recovery,” said Bradley D. Stein, M.D., Ph.D., a study co-author and director of the RAND-USC Schaeffer Opioid Policy Tools and Information Center. “As we continue to gather data across studies, findings suggest that higher doses of buprenorphine may have the ability to significantly improve treatment in the era of fentanyl, as both fatal and nonfatal overdoses remain unacceptably high.”

The authors also note that addressing barriers to accessing higher doses, such as state laws and insurance policies, will be important in ensuring that all patients receive effective care. In addition, revisiting guidelines that serve as barriers to higher doses could be beneficial, as these may limit access to potentially life-saving treatment for patients at high risk of relapse or overdose.

Notably, the data used in the study were pulled from a single commercial insurance company, which does not include uninsured people and those with Medicaid or fee-for-service Medicare coverage, and the sample of people included in the analysis was 75% non-Hispanic white. Further research is needed to explore the effects of higher buprenorphine doses in more diverse populations, including those with different insurance statuses or in different clinical settings. In addition, the authors note that future research should also investigate additional outcomes such as the long-term effects of high-dose buprenorphine on opioid use disorder treatment retention and overall health outcomes using similar data.

These findings build upon accumulating evidence of the safety and efficacy of higher doses of buprenorphine. Studies have shown that more than 16 mg of buprenorphine is safe and well tolerated in people with opioid use disorder in emergency department and outpatient treatment settings, and that higher buprenorphine doses are associated with improved retention in treatment for opioid use disorder.

This study was funded by the NIH’s NIDA and published in JAMA Network Open. The data analyzed in the study came from a large insurer’s database of commercial claims, including those for Medicare Advantage.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol conditions, visit FindSupport.gov. If you are ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly to FindTreatment.gov or call 800-662-HELP (4357).

About the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): NIDA is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy, improve practice, and advance addiction science. For more information about NIDA and its programs, visit www.nida.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 www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health^®

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MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: NFL and FEMA Launch National Strategy to Build Resilience in Communities, Designate Venues as Mission Ready Locations During Disasters
Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: NFL and FEMA Launch National Strategy to Build Resilience in Communities, Designate Venues as Mission Ready Locations During Disasters

NFL and FEMA Launch National Strategy to Build Resilience in Communities, Designate Venues as Mission Ready Locations During Disasters
WASHINGTON — Stadiums and venues provide a central and accessible location to help communities respond to extreme weather crises, providing safe storage and shelter in times of need. With these events becoming more frequent, severe and expensive, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier today announced that FEMA and the NFL are launching a new strategy to build resilience in communities through a program that will designate NFL stadiums and fields as mission capable venues that can be used during response and recovery missions. Through Mission Ready Venues, a public-private partnership, NFL stadiums are recognized for their capabilities to better sustain public safety and be a source of support for the communities they serve. The designation identifies the ways the stadium or venue could be used for response and recovery activities during declared emergencies or disasters.

“During large-scale emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, or tornados, we’ve seen how large music, sports and entertainment venues can serve as a safe space for communities,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “This new strategy we’re launching with the NFL is a groundbreaking opportunity to help our partners use these venues for emergency response and recovery needs, while keeping communities safe and making them more resilient. While we are starting with the NFL, all venues across sports organizations and leagues can become assets to their communities, and I encourage them to join in this collaborative effort as we grapple with the impacts of the climate crisis.”

“Stadiums are valuable community assets that are often used in times of disasters,” said NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier. “This designation reflects the role that many stadiums play, not only on Sundays, but especially in times of need. We are proud to work with FEMA and first responders at the local and state level to ensure disaster response agencies have the information and tools they need to help a community recover when disaster strikes.”

According to the NYU School of Professional Studies and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, stadiums and arenas can improve the public health and well-being of their communities—including pandemic response during COVID-19. The initial stadiums to receive designations include MetLife, home of the Jets and the Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Lumen Field, home of the Seahawks in Seattle, Washington, Acrisure Stadium, home of the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Raymond James Stadium, home of the Buccaneers in Tampa, Florida. SoFi Stadium, home of the Rams and the Chargers in Los Angeles, California is under review.

Given the size, capabilities and locations of large sports venues, these existing community assets can serve the public in a variety of ways including emergency shelters, staging areas, commodity distribution sites, evacuation pick up points, disaster recovery centers, mass vaccination and testing, temporary hospitals and more. FEMA and the NFL recognized this unique opportunity for collaboration and are enlisting the support of venue owners, operators and the tenants of these facilities to work with government officials in the planning and preparation for emergency or disaster response and recovery efforts. To receive an official Mission Ready Venue designation, venues must undergo a comprehensive assessment to determine what capabilities the venue may be able to support in emergency and disaster response and recovery efforts. The designation highlights the following attributes of selected venues:
- Provide Safety and Security: Stadiums are usually centrally located, close to major roadways and transportation hubs and critical services like hospitals. If used to respond to a disaster, the designation will save valuable time and resources and will further enhance coordination between the public and private sectors during disaster response and recovery.
- Provide Accessibility: Stadiums are also compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act and can support persons with disabilities and others with access or functional needs. Additionally, 73% of NFL venues are accessible by mass transportation. This provides an avenue to promote equitable service to underserved populations to access potentially critical lifesaving/life-sustaining services after an event.
- Strengthen Community Resilience: Stadiums and arenas are a focal point of communities and help strengthen social networks by enhancing connections between residents with home team pride. These Mission Ready Venues can boost morale amidst disaster. By providing a more robust and resilient environment, these venues can enhance social networks amongst survivors while providing ample opportunities to establish connections with the venue’s main tenants.
- Ensure Unity of Effort: Coordination of stadium resources and services can support survivors and responders and help stabilize an incident quickly. Since stadiums are fixed locations, resources and services can be deployed quickly. This promotes the community’s physical and economic recovery.
Mission Ready Venue designations are for five-year increments with a yearly check-in to ensure continued readiness of the venue. Redesignation will be necessary every five years and designation does not supersede any agreements with state, local or private sector entities.
amy.ashbridge
Wed, 09/25/2024 – 15:01

MIL OSI USA News –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: 28% Decline in Shootings in Communities Across New York
Source: US State of New York

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that shooting incidents with injury declined 28 percent through August 2024 compared to the same eight-month period last year, as reported by police departments participating in New York State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative. This overall decline in shootings is the result of significant, sustained reductions in gun violence across communities served by the 28 police departments participating in GIVE.

“Public safety is my number one priority, and protecting New Yorkers and their communities is the foundation of all our efforts,” Governor Hochul said. “Our strategies for tackling gun violence are proving effective, but our work is never finished – we will continue investing, innovating and partnering with law enforcement to make New York a safer place for everyone.”

The 28 percent decline reflects 417 shooting incidents with injury from January 1 through August 31, 2024, compared to 578 incidents from January 1 through August 31, 2023.

New York State’s GIVE initiative supports 28 police departments in 21 counties with the majority of the state’s population outside New York City.

The following police departments reported particularly significant declines in shootings through August 2024 compared to the same seven-month period last year:
- Nassau County: 40 percent decline
- Rochester: 39 percent decline
- Suffolk County: 39 percent decline
- Syracuse: 26 percent decline
- Utica: 47 percent decline
- Yonkers: 56 percent decline
August 2024 data for each of the 28 police departments participating in the GIVE initiative are available on the State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) website.

In addition to the decreases in gun violence experienced in GIVE communities, the New York City Police Department reported 12 percent (602 vs. 682) decline in shootings in New York City through August 2024 compared to the same time last year.

The FY25 Enacted Budget included $347 million secured by Governor Hochul to fund a comprehensive plan that addresses gun violence, reduces crime and recognizes the importance of a multifaceted approach improving public safety.

New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “Governor Hochul recognizes that enforcement alone doesn’t make neighborhoods safer. Under her leadership, DCJS has received record-level funding for GIVE, our SNUG Street Outreach program, alternatives to incarceration programs, and re-entry services that allows our local partners to address not only the consequences of crime, but its causes. This significant investment in a collaborative, multifaceted approach to a complex issue is paying dividends and improving public safety in communities across the state.”

State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “New Yorkers deserve to feel safe, that is why last year under my leadership, the New York Senate Democratic Majority invested $347 million to fund smart violence interventions that deliver meaningful results, such as the GIVE program. It is remarkable that the GIVE initiative has achieved a 28 percent reduction in gun shootings in participating localities statewide, with Yonkers leading the way with an impressive 56 percent decline. I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul for her tireless and effective leadership with this program and other innovative initiatives to tackle gun violence. While this downward trend signifies meaningful progress in our efforts to improve public safety, we remain committed to investing in innovative approaches that reduce gun violence and create safer communities.”

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “Today’s announcement shows that our investment in gun violence prevention is working to make New York safer. I am incredibly proud that our efforts have led to such a significant reduction in shootings, but the Assembly Majority remains committed to working with our state partners to make our communities even safer. My colleagues and I know that we can build a future where no New Yorker has to live in fear of gun violence devastating their community and are willing to put the needed resources and investment toward accomplishing this future.”

Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz said, “The 28% decline in shootings across New York is a testament to the power of coordinated action and strategic investment. Governor Hochul’s commitment to public safety has brought critical resources to our communities, empowering law enforcement and grassroots organizations to tackle gun violence head-on. With $350 million invested in proven solutions like the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative, we’re seeing real results in making our neighborhoods safer. This progress is a step forward in ensuring that every New Yorker, whether in Yonkers, Rochester, or right here in the Bronx, can feel secure in their community.”

State Senator Jamaal Bailey said, “Gun violence has deeply affected many in our community, so I am overjoyed to see a significant decline in shootings, with reductions of up to 56% in some areas. This progress shows that focused investments in reducing gun violence are making a real impact. By supporting evidence-based strategies like the GIVE initiative, community outreach through SNUG, and models such as Project RISE, we are not only saving lives but also restoring safety and trust in our neighborhoods. This achievement demonstrates the power of a comprehensive approach, combining law enforcement with community-driven efforts to address gun violence at its core. I also want to thank Governor Hochul and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for the FY25 Enacted Budget, which allocated $347 million to help achieve these results.”

The Governor’s investments include nationally recognized initiatives administered by DCJS, which provides funding, training and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations in communities hardest hit by gun violence and violent crime:
- Nearly $36 million for the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative. Through GIVE, DCJS helps 28 police departments in 21 counties implement evidence-based strategies that have proven to be successful at reducing gun violence, including Problem-Oriented Policing, Hot-Spots Policing, Focused Deterrence/Group Violence Intervention, Street Outreach, and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design. These strategies focus on the few people and places that are responsible for most of the violence and engage the broader community to build trust. GIVE also funds district attorneys’ offices, probation departments, and sheriffs’ offices in those counties.
- $21 million for the SNUG Street Outreach program, which uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting transmission, and treating individuals, families and communities affected by violence. Community-based organizations and hospitals operate the program in 14 communities and employ nearly 200 outreach workers, social workers and case managers. Outreach workers are credible messengers who have lost loved ones to violence or have prior justice system involvement. They respond to shootings to prevent retaliation, detect conflicts and resolve them peacefully before they lead to additional violence. Social workers and case managers work with individuals affected by community violence, including friends and family. DCJS also supports New York City’s violence interruption efforts, providing $5 million for its Crisis Management System (CMS) so it can bring those programs to scale.
- $18 million for the state’s unique network of Crime Analysis Centers, which analyze, compile and distribute information, intelligence and data to local law enforcement agencies statewide. No other state has anything similar and the centers – operated in partnership with local law enforcement agencies in 10 counties and New York City – are hubs of state and local efforts to deter, investigate, and solve crimes. Last year alone, staff handled more than 90,000 requests for assistance, helping agencies solve everything from retail theft to murders.
- Up to $20 million for Project RISE, a unique funding model that convenes community stakeholders to respond to gun violence, invest in solutions, sustain positive programming and empower communities. In its first year, the initiative supported 99 organizations, including 74 small, grassroots programs, many of which had never received state support for their work. Programs and services funded by RISE include academic support, employment services, mentoring and delinquency/violence prevention.
MIL OSI USA News –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: New Jersey Announces ‘Fund My Future’ Grant Opportunity to Support New Jerseyans Seeking Job Training and Career Advancement

Source: US State of New Jersey

TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) today announced the release of a Notice of Grant Opportunity (NGO) to provide funds to organizations that can offer career coaching and services to New Jerseyans aspiring to reach their career goals.

The grant funding is part of “Fund My Future” (FMF), a transformative pilot program that helps qualified New Jersey residents achieve life-changing career goals by providing financial assistance for upskilling and education. Selected organizations will work with program participants to develop Individual Employment Plans (IEPs) tailored to specific career development needs. Participants will be partnered with a professional career counselor who can help navigate the evolving job market.

“This grant creates valuable opportunities for underserved New Jersey residents,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “It will ensure that our residents can overcome barriers to meaningful employment and help make New Jersey’s economy fairer for everyone.”

Grant applicants can include non-profit and for-profit entities, government agencies, or higher education institutions. Grantees must work with residents whose household incomes are below ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) guidelines. Awarded grantees will receive funding contingent upon meeting the grant’s performance metrics and expenditures.

“Fund My Future allows us to help New Jersey workers who are struggling to stay competitive develop marketable skills today that will grow into their careers of tomorrow,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “This initiative will serve as a launch pad for individuals who want to take the leap to redefine themselves in the workforce to change the trajectory of their profession and lives.”

FMF is designed to facilitate financial support to participants by having grantees pay service providers directly. Participants may use FMF funds for job training, supportive services and other expenses that assist in the search for meaningful employment.

The Fund My Future program stemmed from Governor Murphy’s Future of Work Task Force recommendations. The program was built on the idea of empowering participants to drive their own career development by helping them secure the supportive services they need to find training and a pathway to sustainable employment.

For more information about Fund My Future and application details, please visit the NJDOL grant opportunities page or email OTWS@dol.nj.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024

MIL-OSI Security: Over 100 Defendants Federally Charged With Fraud Related To The COVID-19 Pandemic

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved by the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO-MDFL) has federally charged 109 individuals with fraud schemes designed to exploit state and federal programs implemented to alleviate the economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These efforts include complementary actions by the USAO-MDFL’s Criminal, Civil, Asset Recovery, Appellate Divisions, in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

“The Middle District of Florida United States Attorney’s Office, in cooperation with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, is committed to holding accountable those people who schemed to steal or otherwise obtain through misconduct benefits intended for Americans coping with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg.

With respect to criminal enforcement, the USAO-MDFL and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies combined resources in March 2020 to form the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force with the purpose of identifying, investigating, and federally prosecuting fraud related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, the Task Force has prosecuted 109 defendants for fraud schemes designed to exploit federal programs including the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”), Unemployment Insurance (“UI”), the Main Street Lending Program (“MSLP”), the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (“ERAP”), as well as government Healthcare programs such as Medicare. Collectively, these defendants sought to defraud the United States of over $96 million. Of the 109 charged defendants, 74 have already been found guilty while prosecution remains pending against 35 defendants.

The Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force continues to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals that took advantage of COVID-19 programs. On September 20, 2024, for example, a federal grand jury convicted Angela Chew (60, Leesburg) of conspiracy to bribe a public official and commit wire fraud, three counts of bribery of a public official, and six counts of wire fraud. Chew faces up to 5 years in federal prison on the conspiracy count, up to 15 years in federal prison on each of the bribery counts, and up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the wire fraud counts. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 18, 2024.

According to evidence presented at trial, Chew conspired with three others to submit applications for COVID-19 EIDLs containing false and fraudulent information in exchange for bribe payments. The evidence showed Chew used her position as a loan specialist for the Small Business Administration (SBA) to internally access those loan applications that she and a co-conspirator had submitted on behalf of others. Chew then took actions on the applications within the SBA’s internal processing system that moved the loans towards approval. For example, Chew submitted a loan on behalf of a co-conspirator’s business that she knew was not active or operating at the time she submitted the loan. The loan was flagged as a duplicate by the SBA’s internal system, which stopped the application from progressing toward approval and funding. Chew then entered the SBA’s loan processing system, accessed the loan application, reactivated it, and manipulated the loan’s status multiple times to progress the application toward approval and funding in the amount of $150,000. In exchange, Chew received thousands of dollars in bribe payments from two of her co-conspirators. The evidence showed that Chew caused the funding of at least six EIDL applications, for a total loss of over $800,000.

In July 2024, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Jared Dean Eakes (33, Jacksonville) with five counts of wire fraud and three counts of bank fraud. According to the superseding indictment, Eakes participated in a scheme to defraud investors and fraudulently secured approximately $4,752,270 in PPP loans. Eakes caused the submission of four PPP loan applications—including applications for two of the entities involved in the scheme to defraud investors—which contained false and fraudulent supporting documentation and statements regarding the entities’ employees and payroll. Once Eakes obtained the PPP loans, he did not use the funds for qualifying expenses as required by the program. Instead, he used the funds to engage in options trading or withdrew the funds in cash.

In addition to criminal prosecutions, the MDFL-USAO continues to investigate and pursue civil redress against individuals and entities who fraudulently obtained PPP funds. For example, in September 2024, Miles Partnership, LLC (“Miles”), a travel and tourism consulting company headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, agreed to a civil settlement of $2,281,950 to resolve allegations that Miles improperly obtained and received forgiveness for a second draw PPP loan. According to the information contained in the qui tam complaint, Miles was required to file a registration statement under FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) due to its work with various foreign tourism boards. The United States investigated these allegations with the cooperation of Miles. The civil settlement will conclude the lawsuit.

Further, the USAO-MDFL’s Asset Recovery Division and federal seizing agencies have completed the forfeiture of more than $20 million of EIDL, UI, and PPP funds that were fraudulently obtained, depriving the fraudsters of their ill-gotten gains and recovering the proceeds for the victims. More than $18 million in additional pandemic fraud proceeds have been seized and are pending civil or criminal forfeiture.

The U.S. Attorney General has established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Through the PPP, the federal government authorized over $600 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The EIDL program provides economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. The MSLP provided support to small and medium-sized businesses and their employees across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. UI programs provided unemployment benefits to eligible workers who became unemployed through no fault of their own.

The criminal cases charged by the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force have been investigated by the Small Business Administration—Office of Inspector General, the Small Business Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, the Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Service, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation—Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board—Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Agency for International Development, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Winter Park Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys throughout the Middle District of Florida.

The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (“NCDF”) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation.

United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida COVID Fraud Criminal Cases
Charged Cases
Defendant(s) (Age)	Charge(s) Max. Imprisonment	Type of Fraud*	Intended Loss Amount
Tampa Division
Devontaie Deravil	Aggravated identity theft Maximum Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive Access device fraud Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years	UI	$480k
Jordan Ross	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years	EIDL/PPP	$1.3M
Marquett James Alyson Marquett	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	EIDL/PPP	$96k
Willie Murray Jr.	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Aggravated identity theft Maximum Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive	HCF	$5M
Charles Driver Jr.	Conspiracy Maximum Prison Term: 5 years Access device fraud Maximum Prison Term: 10 years	UI	$175k
Eric Canonico	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years	PPP	$2.3M
Alexander Leszczynski	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years	PPP	$1.1M

Capree Holmes	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	EIDL	$159k
Javarus Polite	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$20k
Luis Morales	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$40k
Rosson Hamilton	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$20k
David Antonetti	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$40k
Carlos Dones	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$14k
Santos Cruz Rivera	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$16k
Tevyan Hepburn	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$20k
Jeanty Cherilus	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	EIDL/PPP	$370k
Gage Bowen	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	PPP	$20k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Tiffany Fields, Greg Pizzo, Candace Rich, Jennifer Peresie, Michael Kenneth, Merrilyn Hoenemeyer, and Daniel Baeza
Orlando Division
Evan Edwards Joshua Edwards	Conspiracy to commit bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 years Bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 years Visa fraud Maximum Prison Term: 10 years False statements Maximum Prison Term: 30 years	PPP	$8M
Emmet Bowens	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years	PPP	$740k
Latresia Wilson	False statements Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years	HCF	$2.6M
Shawn Simmerer Seth Downes	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 years Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 years False claim Maximum Prison Term: 5 years	PPP	$344k

Daniel Bohorquez		Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 years Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 years		EIDL			$546k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Kara Wick, Amanda Daniels, and DOJ Trial Attorney Keith Clouser
Fort Myers Division
Venera Price		Mail fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		ERAP			$82k
Timothy Jolloff		Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Money laundering Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years		PPP/EIDL			$2.1M
Lisa Jolloff		Money laundering Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years		PPP/EIDL			$2.1M
Diop McKenzie		Bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 years Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Aggravated identity theft Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive		EIDL/PPP			$237k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSA Yolande Viacava and Trent Reichling
Jacksonville Division
Jared Eakes		Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 years		PPP			$4.7M
Natasha Hemming Tiffany Gonsalves Joshua Seedhaire		Conspiracy Access device fraud Aggravated identity theft Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive		UI			$5.6M
These COVID Fraud cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs David Mesrobian and John Cannizzaro
Ocala Division
Lisa Starkes Ivan Starkes		Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		PPP			$80k
This COVID Fraud case from the Ocala Division is being handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk
Adjudicated Cases
Tampa Division
Demarius Wilson	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		PPP		$18k
This COVID Fraud case from the Tampa Division is being handled by AUSA Michael Kenneth
Orlando Division
Robert Burns	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		PPP		$57k
William Barrientos Grisoris Barrientos	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		EIDL		$693k
Angela Chew	Conspiracy Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years Bribery of a public official Maximum Prison Term: 15 Years Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		EIDL		$732k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by Amanda Daniels, Diane Hu, and Richard Varadan
Jacksonville Division
James Wigg	Wire Fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 years		PPP		$476k
Crystal Harvell	Wire Fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 years		PPP		$20k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSA, Kevin Frein and Tysen Duva
Ocala Division
Passion Jackson	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		PPP			$20k
Nicole Harding	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		PPP			$20k
Henry Wade	Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years		EIDL			$500k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk
Sentenced Cases
Tampa Division
Louis Thornton, III	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 42 months in federal prison		EIDL/PPP		$815k
Kary Stevenson Corey Quinn	Conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 5 years, 10 months in federal prison (Stevenson) Sentence Imposed:7 years in federal prison (Quinn)		UI		$1M
Bridgitte Keim	Bank fraud Sentence Imposed: 2 years in federal prison		PPP		$588k
Wayne Ganaway	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 4 years in federal prison		EIDL		$300k
Rolanda Wingfield	Access device fraud, aggravated identity theft Sentenced Imposed: 3 years in federal prison		UI		$135k
Eriaius Bentley	Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud Sentence Imposed: One year in federal prison		UI		$3M
Tywon Spann	Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud Sentence Imposed: 6 years and 9 months in federal prison		UI		$3M
Keaujay Hornsby	Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud Sentence Imposed: 10 years and 10 months in federal prison		UI		$3M
Kareem Spann	Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud Sentence Imposed: 10 years and 10 months in federal prison		UI		$3M
Randy Jones	Wire fraud, aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 5 years and 1 month in federal prison		EIDL/UI		$250k
Julio Lugo	Conspiracy to commit money laundering Sentence Imposed: 7 years and 6 months in federal prison		EIDL/PPP		$4.4M
Keith Nicoletta	Conspiracy to commit money laundering Sentence Imposed: 24 months in federal prison		PPP		$1.9M
Rosenide Venant	Conspiracy to commit money laundering Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison		EIDL/PPP		$413k
Melinda Hernandez	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft Sentence imposed: Three years and six months in federal prison		UI		$1.5M
Bri’antina Mills	Wire fraud and theft of government funds Sentence imposed: 15 months in federal prison		EIDL		$10K
Jorge Gutierrez Echeverria	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: Two years and six months in federal prison		EIDL		$150k
Omar Esquivel Bello	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: 15 months in federal prison		EIDL		$242k
Steve Moodie	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft Sentence imposed: 5 years and 10 months in federal prison		UI		$1.5M
Richard Simpkins	Conspiracy to commit money laundering Sentence imposed: 5 years and 10 months in federal prison		PPP		$1.9M
Devaris McClain	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud Sentence imposed: 5 years and 1 month in federal prison		UI		$85k
Jalissa McDuffy	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: 3 years supervised release with 6 months home detention		PPP		$41k
Kieanna Garrett	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: 60 days’ imprisonment		EIDL		$40k
Marqus Willard Johnson	Bank fraud Money laundering Sentence imposed: 18 months’ imprisonment followed by 60 moths supervised release		PPP		$500k
Mehdi Tazi	Conspiracy, Aggravated identity theft Sentenced imposed: 5 years imprisonment followed by4 years supervised release		UI		$1.5M
Tyree Wingfield	Conspiracy, Aggravated identity theft Sentenced imposed: 5 years and 10 months imprisonment followed by4 years supervised release		UI		$1.5M
Dawn Ogundele	Theft of government funds Sentence imposed: 2 years’ probation		PPP		$20k
Alexander Alli	Wire fraud conspiracy Sentence imposed: 13 months’ imprisonment		EIDL		$80k
Charles Cunningham	Bank fraud Sentence imposed: 21 months’ imprisonment		PPP		$800k
Jailyn Holmes	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: 5 years’ probation		PPP		$20k
Nicole Bramble-King	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: 5 years’ probation		PPP		$40k
Tommy Louisville	Wire fraud Sentence imposed: 12 months’ imprisonment		PPP		$33k
Joseph Abdo	Wire fraud Illegal monetary transactions Sentence imposed: 5 years’ probation		PPP		$500k
Barrett Purvis	Wire fraud Money laundering Sentence imposed: 2 years and 9 months in federal prison		EIDL		$499k
Bergeline Lexis	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Sentence imposed: 10 months in federal prison		EIDL/PPP		$68k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Tiffany Fields, Diego Novaes, Jennifer Peresie, Merrilyn Hoenemeyer, Jay Trezevant, SAUSA Chris Poor, and DOJ Trial Attorney John Scanlon
Orlando Division
Daniel Johnson	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, unlawful transfer of firearm Sentence Imposed: 7 years, 6 months in federal prison		UI		$2.3M
Jacquavius Smith	Possession of short-barreled rifle; felon in possession of firearm; and aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 7 years, 1 month in federal prison		PPP		$10k
Johnson Eustache	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison		EIDL/PPP		$2.2M
Joseph Harrison	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 12 months in federal prison		UI		$2.1M
Tomas Ziupsnys	Conspiracy to commit bank fraud; bank fraud; aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison		PPP		$2M
Holly Urban	Conspiracy to commit bank fraud Sentence Imposed: 30 months in federal prison		PPP		$1.5M
Joel Greenberg	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and other offenses while on pretrial release Sentence Imposed: 11 years in federal prison		EIDL		$430k
Don Cisternino	Wire fraud, illegal monetary transactions, and aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 8 years and 6 months in federal prison		PPP		$7.2M
Keith Ingersoll	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft Sentence imposed: 9 years, 1 month in federal prison.		EIDL		$66k
Jaheim Davis	Access device fraud and aggravated identity theft Sentence imposed: 3 years, 6 months in federal prison.		UI		$219k
Teresa McIntyre	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and other offenses Sentence Imposed: 5 years’ probation		EIDL		$730k
Brian Blake	Possession of device-making equipment, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 9 years and 8 months in federal prison		PPP/UI		$832k
Joseph Faubert	Bank fraud Sentenced Imposed: 5 years probation		PPP		$778k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs John Gardella, Amanda Daniels, Chauncey Bratt, Emily Chang, Shannon Laurie, and Jennifer Harrington, and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg
Jacksonville Division
Jacob Byrd	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 5 years’ probation		PPP		$10k
Deconna Burke	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 5 years’ probation		PPP		$20k
Desmond Williams	Wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud Sentenced Imposed: 5 years’ probation		PPP		$40k
Kenneth Landers	Wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction Sentence Imposed: 1 year in federal prison followed by 1 year of supervised release		PPP		$1.4M
Christopher Daragjati	Wire fraud , Theft of government funds, and Aggravated identity theft Sentenced imposed: 5 years’cisternino imprisonment followed by 3 years’ supervised release.		PPP		$150k
This COVID Fraud case from the Jacksonville Division was handled by AUSA Kevin Frein and Michael Coolican
Fort Myers Division
Casey Crowther	Bank fraud, false statement to a financial institution, illegal monetary transaction Sentence Imposed: 3 years, 1 month in federal prison		PPP		$2.7M
Anthony Bruey Amber Bruey	Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, illegal monetary transactions Sentence Imposed: Anthony Bruey: 4 years, 3 months in federal prison Amber Bruey: 4 years in federal prison		PPP/EIDL		$881k
Edrica Leann Watson	False statement to a lending institution Sentence Imposed: 15 months in federal prison		PPP		$392k
Daniel Joseph Tisone	Wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person Sentence Imposed: 7 years in federal prison		PPP/EIDL/MSLP		$10.7M
Liliana Gonzalez	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 5 years of probation with 18 months of home confinement		PPP		$169k
Al Clint LaRoche	Bank fraud Sentence Imposed: Two years in federal prison		PPP		$1M
Denis Casseus	Bank fraud and illegal monetary transaction Sentence Imposed: 2 years in federal prison followed by 3 years’ supervised release		PPP		$298k
Evan Graves	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 18 months in federal prison		EIDL		$1.3M
Ismaelle Manuel	Bank fraud Sentence Imposed: Credit for time served followed by 5 years supervised release		PPP		$280k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSAs Trent Reichling, Michael Leeman, Jesus M. Casa, Simon Eth, and Yolande Viacava
Ocala Division
Lavelle Harris	Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: Two years and three months in federal prison		PPP		$1.2M
This COVID Fraud case from the Ocala Division was handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk
Types of Fraud* Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Unemployment Insurance (UI) Main Street Lending Program (MSLP) Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Health Care Fraud (HCF)

MIL Security OSI –

September 29, 2024

MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon is ready to keep customers connected ahead of Hurricane Helene
Source: Verizon

Headline: Verizon is ready to keep customers connected ahead of Hurricane Helene

ALPHARETTA, GA – As potential Hurricane Helene approaches the Florida coast, Verizon remains committed to keeping communities and first responders connected. Verizon’s Response Team has prepared year-round to respond to extreme weather situations, like hurricanes, by taking part in emergency drills, fortifying the network infrastructure, and ensuring resources are mobilized for rapid response.

“Verizon is committed to keeping communities connected. From consumers, to businesses, to first responders, Verizon offers the dependable service they need to face Hurricane Helene and the days to come,” said Atlantic South Market President, Leigh Anne Lanier. “Our dedicated team is working around the clock to ensure our customers stay informed, stay in touch with loved ones, and access critical services when they need them most.”

Verizon’s networks are primed

Verizon’s networks are primed to maintain connectivity even in the face of extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes. With redundancy built into critical paths and components, Verizon’s network is engineered to withstand severe weather. Verizon engineers have prepared by conducting thorough checks, as well as ensuring backup systems, like batteries and generators, are operational and refueled.

In preparation for potential network recovery operations, Verizon has bolstered its arsenal with:
- A fleet of over 550 portable network assets, including generator-powered cell sites, drones, and a fixed-wing aircraft for aerial support.
- An industry-leading nearly 300 satellite-based portable network assets, providing crucial connectivity in scenarios where fiber connections are compromised.
- More than 1,000 mobile generators to assist communities in maintaining or restoring connectivity, and rapid recovery efforts.
Verizon Frontline stands at the ready, prepared to assist first responders in any capacity needed

The Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team stands ready to help ensure that public safety agencies on the front line of any potential disaster have the mission-critical communications capabilities needed to achieve their missions. This team, composed primarily of former first responders and military personnel, is solely dedicated to supporting public safety customers during emergencies at no cost to the supported agencies.

In the first nine months of 2024, the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team has responded to more than 1,000 requests for mission-critical communications support from more than 500 different agencies in 46 states.

Being prepared is essential to support local businesses and communities

Recognizing the critical role of connectivity in business continuity, Verizon Business provides a suite of solutions tailored for seamless operations during emergencies. Businesses and government organizations need the right game plan. Suggested actions include:
Mitigate customer disruption: Think about what you need to ensure continuous service to your customers, and what software and equipment your business needs to continue operations. Make a detailed list, including service contracts and warranty information, and all pertinent phone numbers for local authorities, utility companies, suppliers, and vendors.

The right tech makes an impact: Ensure you have the right technology to support your business connectivity needs assuming you might need to move away from your primary location.

Contacts and documents are key: Make sure you have contact information updated and readily available for all employees, including at-home information for remote workers and branch information for satellite offices.

Test, test, and test again: Stress-test primary and backup networks and shore up any weak areas.

Keep track of equipment: Ensure employees working from home have documented all corporate equipment being used to work from home in case of damage or loss.

Have a backup plan: Ensure backup plans are in place to shift work in case work-from-home employees in a storm-impacted area have to evacuate their homes or their home loses commercial power.
Are you hurricane ready?

Verizon’s team works year-round to ensure customers remain connected to their loved ones and the activities that provide comfort during a disaster. As residents prepare to stay connected and entertained, consider these tips:
- Stock Up on power supplies like batteries for flashlights and radios or device chargers. Take it a step further by charging your devices that can act as chargers for other devices like laptops and party box speakers. Don’t forget to ensure you have the cables!
- Download Movies, Books, Apps and Games or gather board games, card games and puzzles to go device-free.
- Locate materials for hobbies like knitting or drawing, and get creative.
- Plan activities like cooking easy-to-make meals and even no-bake treats. Keep a few non-perishable ingredients, a manual can opener and other kitchen tools on hand.
- Grab some candles, blankets, pillows or anything that makes your space cozy.
- Read up on the American Red Cross’ hurricane preparedness tips.
**Editor’s Note: To access images and b-roll of past storms, Verizon equipment, recovery efforts and more, please visit Verizon’s Emergency Resource Hub at https://www.verizon.com/about/news/emergency-resource-center
MIL OSI Economics –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Global: Gangs’stories: Danny’s tales of machismo in Glasgow

Source: The Conversation – France – By Alistair Fraser, Professor of Criminology, University of Glasgow

Glasgow – 1973, Queen Street Rail Station. Helmutt Zozmann, CC BY-NC-ND

For the past five years, the GANGS project, a European Research Council-funded project led by Dennis Rodgers, has been studying global gang dynamics in a comparative perspective. When understood in a nuanced manner that goes beyond the usual stereotypes and Manichean representations, gangs and gangsters arguably constitute fundamental lenses through which to think about and understand the world we live in.

_Alistair Fraser and Angela Bartie present the story of Danny, who was a Glaswegian gang member in his youth. Drawing on interviews carried out when he was 18, 59, and 70 years old, they trace his changing self-reflection about his past experiences which mirror the broader transformation of the city from a violence urban space in the 1960s to a thriving “people’s city” in 2024.

_

As Danny left the room, that autumn of 2022, our eyes locked together in shock. For the last three hours, this spry seventy-year-old had held us rapt. Tanned, lean, and composed in his smart coat and cap, he was someone you’d have happily bought a used car from. But in the room he had been regaling us with tales of his teenage years running with the ‘Drummy’, a street gang notorious in Glasgow’s history. How had he got from there to here?

Danny grew up in Easterhouse, a 1950s housing scheme on the periphery of the city that quickly attracted negative publicity. Tens of thousands were rehoused from crumbling tenements in the city centre. They were sold a bright new vision of progress but found themselves deserted on the edge of town, with only fields for company. Without shops, jobs, or facilities, young people made their own entertainment, forming themselves into gangs and fighting for kicks. Membership was decided simply by which street you happened to live on, a kind of natural selection where geography would land you on one side or the other. Unlike gangs in other cities, in Glasgow it was not about control of drug markets but a more primal law of the jungle, fighting for kicks and respect.

The violence of the Easterhouse gangs was legendary. As Danny recalled:

“It was just out and out tribal, that’s all it was, you know. And it was a day-to-day routine… some of the things you did were ludicrous. I mean, we used to run, we had football pitches, and you would run into the football pitches, maybe 50, 60 of yous, in pitch black. You would charge each other. Now, the British Army wouldn’t do that, in pitch black, run into it, not knowing what’s there. And you ran at each other, not knowing if the guy’s got a sword, a knife, a hatchet, anything.”

The issue didn’t stay local for long. Warfare involving Easterhouse gangs attracted national media attention, drew concerned responses from politicians, and even garnered a celebrity visit from popular entertainer Frankie Vaughan who asked the gangs to put down their knives.

Years before series such as the Peaky Blinders, the movie Small Faces (1996) would highlight gang violence in industrial towns such as Glasgow.

The violence also attracted the attention of radical criminologists. Gail Wilson and Mary Wilson were part of a loose association of “Anarchists, CND, young Communists and international Socialists” (Cohen 1974: 27) who were trying to rewire academic approaches to youth culture. Rather than looking at the rule-breakers, these upstarts were looking at the rule makers and asking why some groups were criminalised more than others. Gail and Mary spent years working alongside gang youth in Easterhouse, studying their daily lives and comparing this with media narratives. They applied a theory called “social constructionism”, which tries to untangle stereotypes and reality.

Meeting Danny

We first met Gail and Mary back in 2010, after our studies of 1960s gangs had led us to their doorsteps. During our first meeting, Gail climbed a ladder to a storage hatch and retrieved a dusty box. Our eyes widened as we saw what lay inside. Notes, news clippings, sketches, essays and – incredibly – eighteen hand-written transcripts of interviews with members of the “Drummy” gang from 1969.

We set about trying to trace these boys, who would now be in their fifties. We wondered how their lives had gone, where they’d ended up, and what lessons they would want to tell the current generation. We weren’t always successful. Some had died, others relocated. One got in touch to say he didn’t want to talk about that period in his life. Danny was one that said yes.

Glasgow Gangs, 1968.

Danny’s story, in a way, was the story of Glasgow. After his teenage gang years, Danny surfed Glasgow’s wave of industrialisation into a career in sales. He worked hard and moved out of the estate, initially to an area a few miles west of Easterhouse. His manager saw his potential, and Danny reflected that his street skills had prepared him for organisational roles and promotion.

When we first spoke in 2011, he had been bullish in his talk of days gone by. His eyes glinted at the retelling of tales of violence, like a cowboy in a Western saloon. He revelled in one about his strict father taking him to the pub for his 18th birthday, where they had been challenged to a fight by a man and his dog. “Needless to say”, he told us with a grin, “we leathered them.”

It sealed a bond between father and son. As he told us, “I kind of walked up the road as proud as punch, me and my dad”. We interpreted this as a link between past and present – the gang was a hand-me-down masculinity, like the legend of the Glasgow hardman swaggering through the pages of history.

Ten years later, however, he told the story differently. As we sat squeezed around a table too big for the room, the air was thick with regret not bravado. His father had recently passed away, and this former hardman was suddenly vulnerable. As he recalled in 2022 of the altercation:

“That’s the first time I probably ever bonded, truly, with my dad, if you know what I mean, in all the years… on my 18th birthday, I’ll never forget it.”

The macho image started to fracture

The macho image that we had of Danny, and of the Glasgow hardman, started to fracture. Ever since, we have been re-evaluating what we thought we knew about Danny’s life – and gang lives in general – and our own part in retelling his story. The oral historian Lynn Abrams says:

“The story that a person tells is just one of many that are possible. The script is not deterministic. Its shape, form and content is determined by the need for the narrator to construct a memory story with which he or she can feel comfortable at that moment. And a comfortable telling is often one in which the story told coheres with larger cultural understandings.”

Danny’s perspectives on his youthful gang experiences have altered not just in response to his own changing life circumstances, but also to how the culture of Glasgow has transformed in the fifty years since he was involved in the Drummy.

Today, Glasgow is hailed as a city that has beaten the gangs, with talk of a Glasgow miracle of violence reduction.

As he swaggered out the door, every inch the successful businessman, a stillness descended on the room. Danny was as far from the stereotype of a gang member as you could possibly imagine. He is your grandfather, your neighbour, your friend.

Meeting Danny reminded us that stories matter, but like a city they can change – and paying attention to when and why these stories change can often reveal more than the stories themselves.

Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.

– ref. Gangs’stories: Danny’s tales of machismo in Glasgow – https://theconversation.com/gangsstories-dannys-tales-of-machismo-in-glasgow-224876

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin took part in the meeting of the State Council Presidium on the issue of export development

MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

President of Russia Vladimir Putin held an extended meeting of the State Council Presidium on the issue of export development. The Mayor of Moscow took part in the meeting Sergei Sobyanin.

One of the key topics was further steps to increase the country’s export potential and the role of regions in this process. Russia continues to be an active participant in international trade, despite the difficulties that businesses face.

“We are developing external business relations, expanding their geography, strengthening cooperation with predictable, reliable partners who, like Russia, understand their national interests and value mutually beneficial trade, production, and cooperation relations,” the Russian President noted.

At present, world trade and the global economy as a whole are actively developing. A new system of relations is currently being built, where the leading roles are taken by the states of the so-called Global South. These are dynamically growing countries, participants in promising integration associations, such as, for example, BRICS. Already now, the contribution of the BRICS countries to the world economy exceeds the share of the “Big Seven” and continues to grow.

Thus, in 1992, the G7 accounted for 45.5 percent of global GDP, and in 2022, it was already 30.5 percent. According to forecasts, in 2028, the share of the G7 will decrease to 27.9 percent. At the same time, the share of the BRICS countries (excluding new members) in global GDP in 1992 was 16.7 percent, in 2022 it grew to 31.4 percent, and by 2028 it may reach 33.8 percent.

This trend will continue in the future, since the growth of the BRICS countries’ contribution to the global economy is an objective process that is not related to the current geopolitical situation.

“This means [that] real markets of the future are being formed, based on strong strategic partnerships, principles of combining economic potentials and mutually enhancing growth. It is important not only to understand these trends, but also to take advantage of the advantages and export opportunities that are opening up for our businesses, for enterprises. We need to provide them with assistance at all levels,” Vladimir Putin emphasized.

The Russian President recalled that this year, a six-year national project to support exports is ending. During this time, it was possible to create tools, including in the country’s regions, that allowed domestic companies to go through the pandemic stage, successfully supply products abroad, and, over the past two years, redirect commodity flows to promising, growing markets.

“Next year, the updated national project “International Cooperation and Export” will be launched. The basis for its decisions, measures and mechanisms should be the results achieved in the export sphere, the priorities of economic development facing our country, and, of course, the objective global trends that I just spoke about,” the Russian President noted.

For the long-term development of foreign economic relations, it is necessary to increase the efficiency of financial and information support for exports, actively create logistics and transport infrastructure, as well as platforms for industrial cooperation.

In addition, it is important to stimulate the entry of Russian companies into markets for goods with high added value, to increase so-called non-resource, non-energy exports, including supplies of engineering goods and food products.

“I would like to note that from 2001 to 2023, the volume of Russia’s non-resource, non-energy exports has grown more than fourfold. This is a good result: four times – not some percentage, but four times – from 36 to 148 billion dollars. This, of course, is far from the limit for us, it is still not that much. But in the first seven months of this year, non-resource, non-energy exports continued to grow and increased by another five percent – to 89.8 billion [dollars],” Vladimir Putin said.

In some areas, particularly in food supplies, Russia has already become one of the world’s leading exporters. According to the Russian President, this result is primarily the merit of specialists and labor collectives of enterprises, as well as those who provide them with support, in particular development institutions and regional leaders.

“In the message to the Federal Assembly, and then

in the decree on national development goals a target was set, namely, to increase non-resource, non-energy exports by at least two-thirds by 2030 compared to 2023. This is an ambitious goal, especially given the challenges that our companies have faced recently,” Vladimir Putin noted.

In his opinion, this task requires a comprehensive approach from the state, development institutions and regional leaders. Thus, the Russian Export Center (REC) is implementing a special program “Made in Russia”, which helps promote domestic brands in domestic and foreign markets. It is necessary to scale up this practice and expand its coverage.

“Within the framework of interregional cooperation, partnerships are being built with friendly countries, and this, of course, contributes to strengthening Russia’s technological sovereignty, sets a higher pace of economic development for the subjects of the Federation, and therefore for the entire country,” Vladimir Putin emphasized.

The Russian President noted that individual regions of the country are consistently and comprehensively developing non-resource exports, working with small and medium businesses. For this purpose, regional exporter support centers have been created and teams of specialized specialists are working.

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

Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

https://vvv.mos.ru/major/themes/11824050/

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL OSI Russia News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Casten, Brownley Propose Voluntary Carbon Footprint Label for Food
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)
September 25, 2024

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) and Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26) introduced the Voluntary Food Climate Labeling Act, legislation to revolutionize the way consumers learn about the climate impact of the food they purchase.

Under the legislation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will work with food producers, manufacturers, and retailers to develop a voluntary food climate label to place on products that will contain EPA-verified information relating to the carbon footprint of that product.

“A growing number of consumers are eager to know the climate impacts of the items they purchase,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “The Voluntary Food Climate Labeling Act provides them with the information they need to make climate-conscious decisions–if they so choose–with their hard-earned money, empowering them to take control of their own carbon footprint.”

“The food and agriculture sector currently contributes an estimated 10 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. “While a majority of U.S. consumers say that sustainability is important to them when purchasing food, research shows that consumers struggle to identify which products are the most sustainable. This food climate label would help consumers more easily identify sustainable foods and food production, creating a simple and effective solution to address one of the significant causes of greenhouse gas emissions. Creating this label will be a real win-win for the agriculture sector, consumers, and our environment.”

The label will include information on the greenhouse gas emissions released during the production, manufacturing, distribution, consumer use, end-of-life reuse, and recycling of a food product. This will help food producers, manufacturers, and retailers showcase the work they’ve done to reduce their carbon footprint, while empowering consumers with more information to shop more sustainably.

Text of the legislation can be found here.

How it Works:
- The legislation would establish the Voluntary Food Climate Labeling Program at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in consultation with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in implementing the program.
- Entities selling food products will be allowed, but not mandated, to apply to the Program to put a food climate label on the packaging of their food product.
- The label will:
- Provide a numerical summary of the best available information regarding the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released during the growing of the food ingredients, manufacturing, processing, packaging, distribution, storage, presentation in the retail establishment, consumer use (including the energy involved in refrigeration and cooking), end-of-life reuse, recycling, composting, treatment, and disposal of the food and its packaging.
- Of the above information, the food producer, manufacturer, or retailer will provide the “cradle-to-gate” information, from the growing of the food to its arrival at the retail establishment. Because the rest of the food lifecycle – including how it is stored, prepared, and disposed of – is beyond the control of these businesses, EPA will provide the information on the rest, based on the typical use case, in consultation with the producer, manufacturer, or retailer.
- In addition, the label will:
1. Convey the information in a manner determined to be most useful to the consumer at the point of sale;
1. Not convey that any given food is acceptable or unacceptable – that kind of decision being left to the consumer, presumably as informed by the factual information conveyed through the label;
1. Convey that the information has been verified by EPA;
1. Include a logo to help the consumer identify the label;
1. Include a QR code to provide the consumer access to the above-described in-depth information.
1. In specifying the visual form, the information to be included, and the method for verification, the EPA shall consult with food industry stakeholders, and may do so through the establishment of a federal advisory committee or a negotiated rulemaking.
# # #
MIL OSI USA News –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Translation: SDG Flag Day in Lugano: the important role of cities in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals

MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in French

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 25.09.2024 – Since 2019, the SDG Flag Day has been held every year on 25 September, at the initiative of the business community (UN Global Compact). Schools, municipalities, organisations, companies and governments raise a flag depicting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to symbolically express their support for the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. By participating in the SDG Flag Day event in Lugano, the two Federal Council delegates for the 2030 Agenda, Markus Reubi and Daniel Dubas, are emphasising the importance of cities in implementing the 2030 Agenda.

Access to green spaces and public spaces, sustainable transport systems, waste sorting or urban planning with all stakeholders: cities are particularly confronted with the challenges of sustainability. Although they only cover 3% of the Earth’s surface, they consume three quarters of the world’s resources and are responsible for 75% of global emissions. This is why SDG 11 “Sustainable cities and communities” of the 2030 Agenda also addresses this central theme.

Cities and municipalities must be designed to be more inclusive, resilient and green. On this year’s SDG Flag Day, the City of Lugano is illustrating with various examples how it is contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

“With his program

Today’s event in Lugano is the starting point for closer collaboration between the FDFA and various cities in the field of sustainability, which will be supported by a city symposium at the 2025 edition.

Agenda 2030The 2030 Agenda is the global framework for local, national and international efforts to find common solutions to major global challenges, such as climate change, resource exploitation, biodiversity conservation and health crises. The 2030 Agenda was adopted on 25 September 2015 by 193 UN Member States, including Switzerland. It applies to all States and sets sustainable development goals until 2030. In Switzerland, too, the 2030 Agenda outlines the broad outlines of sustainable development policy. The 17 SDGs and their 169 targets are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda. They are structured around five principles that guide action: people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. With these five principles, the 2030 Agenda aims to ensure human well-being, economic development and environmental protection and addresses aspects such as peace, the rule of law and governance. The SDG Flag Day event is an initiative of the United Nations Global Compact, a global network of businesses committed to the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Address for sending questions

Communication DFAE Federal Palace WestCH-3003 BernTel. Press Service: 41 58 460 55 55E-Mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.chTwitter: @EDA_DFAE

Author

Federal Department of Foreign Affairshttps://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/fr/dfae.html

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL Translation OSI

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Security: Stockton Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Offense

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

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ricardo Sanchez, 32, of Stockton, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 20, 2023, law enforcement officers found Sanchez to be in possession of a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. Sanchez is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple prior felony convictions, including conspiracy to commit a crime and inflicting injury on a spouse/cohabitant or fellow parent.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitnee Goins is prosecuting the case.

Sanchez is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2025, by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb. Sanchez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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

This case is the result of the ongoing collaboration between the Sacramento Police Department and its local, state, and federal partners as part of a Public Safety Partnership (PSP) to address violent crime in our community. Started in 2022, the Sacramento PSP is a multifaceted violence-reduction strategy that relies on innovative data-driven strategies to promote public and community safety. Participating PSP partners include the Sacramento County’s District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the DEA, the ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

MIL Security OSI –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: At Hearing, Warren Slams Trump for Role in Criminalizing Abortion, Pushes Back on Misinformation

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
September 25, 2024
Warren: “The consequences (of overturning Roe v. Wade) have been disastrous. Women hemorrhaging in parking lots until they are closer to death, women airlifted to another state for an emergency abortion, women traveling from emergency room to emergency room, desperate for help, only to be turned away and left to miscarry at home.”
Warren: “Thanks to Donald Trump, doctors in nearly half the country now have to wonder if they will face criminal penalties for providing medically necessary care.”
Video of Exchange (YouTube)
Washington, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) highlighted the dangerous consequences women have faced two years after Donald Trump’s Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Senator Warren recounted recent tragedies in states with abortion bans and warned that doctors’ ability to perform life-saving care in emergency situations is under attack. Just last week, ProPublica reported on the untimely deaths of two Georgia mothers, Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, who were denied timely care following rare, but treatable, complications from medication abortion.
Senator Warren pushed back on Republican efforts to use these womens’ deaths to spread misinformation about the safety of medication abortion, which Dr. Amelia Huntsberger, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, confirmed is “extremely safe.” When asked what is to blame for the unnecessary suffering women are facing when attempting to receive emergency medical care in states with abortion bans, Dr. Huntsberger clarified that “lawmakers, who may or may not have bothered to understand the complexity of pregnancy and medical care, made laws that are impacting physicians’ ability to act and to take care of their patients.”
Senator Warren also highlighted the stakes of the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss a case related to the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospitals that accept Medicare to provide stabilizing care to individuals with an emergency medical condition. Professor Michele Goodwin, JD, Georgetown University School of Law, described the Court’s failure to affirm the 200-year-old principle that federal law preempts state law as “incredibly dangerous.”
Senator Warren called for restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade to protect women’s lives and bodily autonomy.
Transcript: Hearing on Chaos and Control: How Trump Criminalized Women’s Health Care Senate Finance CommitteeSeptember 24, 2024
Senator Elizabeth Warren: So it has been two years since Donald Trump’s Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade. The consequences have been disastrous. Women hemorrhaging in parking lots until they are closer to death, women airlifted to another state for an emergency abortion, women traveling from emergency room to emergency room, desperate for help, only to be turned away and left to miscarry at home.
Ms. Joshua, I am deeply sorry for what happened to you. It should not have happened to anyone. Trump’s abortion bans aren’t just causing unnecessary suffering, they’re killing women.
Last week, we learned about Amber Nicole Thurman. Amber lived in Georgia. She was mother to a six year old boy. She hoped to become a nurse. After learning she was pregnant, she fled to another state, where she got a medication abortion back in Georgia, Amber experienced a rare complication. She waited 20 hours before doctors performed the life saving surgery that she needed, but 20 hours made it too late. Anti-abortion extremists want to twist Amber’s story to spread misinformation about the safety of medication abortion.
Doctor Huntsberger, you are an OBGYN. How safe is medication abortion?
Dr. Amelia Huntsberger, Obstetrician and Gynecologist: Extremely safe. We have decades of research on mifepristone demonstrating its safety. Risk of complications are always present with any medication, but are quite low. It’s also important to note that the same both medications and treatment with surgical procedures are identical for the management of early pregnancy loss or miscarriage and abortion,
Senator Warren: All right, so extremely safe, is what I heard you say. And in the rare case where there is a complication, is it treatable?
Dr. Huntsberger: Yes.
Senator Warren: Eminently treatable. But anti-abortion extremists want to misdirect and cast blame on the providers, arguing that doctors are willfully misapplying the law.
Dr Huntsberger, tell us, what’s really going on here?
Dr. Huntsberger: I think it’s important that instead of trying to shift blame to physicians who are practicing in a really hostile and challenging environment, for us to look at why they are in that circumstance in the first place, and that is because lawmakers, who may or may not have bothered to understand the complexity of pregnancy and medical care made laws that are impacting physicians’ ability to act and to safely take care of their patients.
Senator Warren: Okay, so the problem is not here with the physicians, it’s with the lawmakers who are passing these laws. I think what we’re seeing is Republican politicians who pass these medically unsound and dangerous laws that end up intimidating and confusing physicians who are just trying to provide care.
Tragically, another Georgia mother, Candy Miller, died at home because Georgia’s abortion ban made her afraid to seek the medical care that she needed. Amber and Candy should be alive today.
Now we have a federal law that is designed to prevent tragedies like this from occurring, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, EMTALA, as it’s known, requires hospitals to provide stabilizing care to individuals in an emergency situation. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court heard arguments about whether Idaho’s near total ban on abortion conflicts with EMTALA.
Professor Goodwin. You’re a constitutional law expert. The Supreme Court did not actually resolve this. They sent it back to the lower court. What should we take away from this? Does this mean we are now safe and we’ll have the protection in emergency circumstances? Go ahead, Professor Goodwin.
Professor Michele Goodwin: No, we should all be deeply alarmed by the Supreme Court’s procedural move, rather than substantively answering the question that federal law trumps states’ laws. It’s been a principle in American law for over 200 years, and the Supreme Court’s failure to be clear on that, that a state law does not preempt federal law is something that is incredibly dangerous.
Senator Warren: Okay. Dangerous. I hear alarm bills going off. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Thanks to Donald Trump, doctors in nearly half the country now have to wonder if they will face criminal penalties for providing medically necessary care.
44% of women of reproductive age now live in states where they don’t get to make decisions about their own bodies, and two women, undoubtedly more, have now died because they were not able to access the timely care they needed. We must restore the protection of Roe to make sure this never happens again.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: This is how we can minimise the impact of heavy rain

Source: Anglia Ruskin University

Published: 25 September 2024 at 16:00

VIEWPOINT: ARU expert explains how to reduce flood risks – and build a better society

By Maryam Imani, Anglia Ruskin University

A month’s worth of rain has poured down in just a few hours in parts of central and southern England. More than 300 flood-related emergency calls were made, major roads were submerged, trains were delayed, and an enormous sinkhole opened up on a football pitch in south London.

This follows similar torrential rain across central and eastern Europe two weeks ago, which led to flash floods and widespread damage and deaths. As climate change alters rain patterns and makes extreme downpours more common, and more extreme, such flooding is increasingly the new normal.

Intense rain doesn’t lead to serious floods every time, of course. Sometimes we get lucky: a well-timed low tide might help, or a rainstorm could be surprisingly localised in a place where water can easily flow into the sea, a river or a pond. And some of the actions taken by humans to minimise the risk of catastrophic floods can actually make life more pleasant anyway, even when it isn’t raining. For this reason, we should see rains like this not just as a challenge, but as an opportunity.

Minimising the risk of disaster

There are various things we can do to minimise flood risks before and after torrential rains and prevent smaller floods from escalating into disasters.

We can build bigger and better drainage and stormwater infrastructure, for instance, and make sure drains are unblocked and flood walls are properly maintained. This is an example of so-called “hard” flood defences.

Features like ponds and wetlands, larger parks, or trees on hillsides, help slow down or store rainwater and can ensure the flow is spread out over days or even weeks. Water flows much faster over bare ground, and especially over concrete roads and buildings, where urban drainage systems can soon be overwhelmed – causing floods. These features are known variously as “nature-based solutions” or “sustainable drainage systems” or “blue-green infrastructure”.

We can also use smart technologies for flood warning systems and we can ensure people are aware and prepared. We can ensure people don’t live in flood-prone areas in the first place, through climate-resilient planning, and that those who do live there are insured and have flood-proofed their homes as best they can.

More sustainable flood management

In the UK, several exemplary projects address flood management. The most iconic is the Thames Barrier in London, which protects the city from storm surges and high tides coming from the North Sea. Another is the the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, which protects over 3,000 properties and 500 businesses in the UK’s fourth-largest urban area. It involves a combination of hard defences – weirs, flood walls – and natural solutions like planting trees and constructing water storage areas.

The National Storm Overflows Plan for England report is being reviewed by the UK government for approval by December 2024. One of its recommendations is to make sustainable drainage systems mandatory.

A government scheme (Flood Re) also ensures homeowners in flood-risk areas can protect their homes and obtain affordable insurance. And various rivers have been allowed to “wiggle” once again, by flooding over nearby fields. This has proven effective at reducing peak flows during storms, which is especially beneficial downstream where people live and where rivers are often encased in human-made banks.

These initiatives are part of a broader trend toward more sustainable flood management practices. Key projects such as the “slowing the flow” project in Pickering, Yorkshire or projects along the River Derwent in Cumbria focus on reconnecting rivers with their floodplains.

Worldwide lessons

The Netherlands is one of the world leaders in flood management. The Delta Works, a massive system of dams, sluices, locks, dikes and storm-surge barriers, protects the country, much of which is below sea level, from flooding due to rainfall and rising sea levels.

The Room for the River programme, started in 2007, manages higher water levels in rivers by lowering flood plains, creating water buffers, relocating levees, increasing the depth of side channels, and constructing flood bypasses. Urban adaptations, such as those in Rotterdam, are also crucial for managing flash flooding.

Japan, particularly in flood-prone areas like Tokyo, has built massive underground flood tunnels to divert rainwater during storms. This system helps protect the city from excessive rainfall and typhoons. In many European countries, sustainable drainage systems are now integrated into urban planning. This helps absorb excess rainwater during storms, while offering ecological and social benefits too (grass and ponds are ultimately a lot nicer than bare concrete).

It’s crucial to be aware of the problem of intense rain and view it as a chance to improve society. Prolonged droughts highlight the need to focus on storing and using excess water during high-demand times, which can be done by creating wetlands, storing floodwaters or by enabling the soil to store and retain more moisture.

Engineers can’t do all this by themselves. Neither can tree-planters or wetland creators. We need a hybrid approach combining engineering solutions with nature and community efforts.

Maryam Imani, Associate Professor of Water Systems Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Further success for Edinburgh pupils

Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

Liberton High School pupils celebrate after receiving exam results.

Edinburgh’s pupils continue to be amongst the best performing in Scotland.

Results from the SQA Insight report shows Edinburgh’s learners are performing better than their virtual comparators in 14 out of 15 key measures, with 7% more pupils gaining at least one Advanced Higher than in other areas in Scotland.

Edinburgh learners are also out-performing their virtual comparators in Literacy and Numeracy for all stages and levels.

A virtual comparator is a sample of students from other areas of Scotland who have similar characteristics to a school’s students.

The news builds on the SQA exam results in August showing levels of attainment for pupils across Edinburgh remaining above those achieved before the Covid pandemic.

Insight provides teachers and lecturers with a summary of how learners have performed in their exams and coursework for each subject at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level over the past year.

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said:

This has been another positive year for our pupils. I want to congratulate them, as well as all our teaching and support staff. Their hard work has certainly paid off and praise should go to them as well as all the parents and carers who have supported the children.

I welcome the results from the SQA Insights report. We have invested heavily in improving the skills of our workforce and I am confident that our staff will continue to improve the quality of teaching and learning to meet the needs of the city’s young people.

Let’s not forget there is no wrong pathway for our young people as everyone’s learner journey is different. School is about ensuring all our young people are able to fulfil their potential by attaining the highest level of achievements possible and by receiving the best possible experience. We want all our learners to find their pathways into the world of higher and further education, employment or training and to narrow the gap between those living in different areas of affluence.

Course reports – written by principal assessors and principal verifiers – are published to give an insight into how learners performed, detailing which areas of the course assessment where learners performed well, and which areas proved to be more demanding.

Principal assessors and other senior appointees are experienced teachers and lecturers who work with SQA to produce the course reports and highlight examples where candidates have performed well in their external assessments.

The reports also contain advice for teachers, lecturers, and training practitioners on preparing learners for the coming year’s assessments, as well as statistical data relating to grade boundaries.

Published: September 25th 2024

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO RELEASE: Sen. Johnson’s Full Roundtable Discussion, American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

WASHINGTON – On Monday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) led a roundtable discussion titled, American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion. Sen. Johnson and a panel of experts provided a foundational and historical understanding of the changes that have occurred over the last century within agriculture, food processing, and healthcare industries which impact the current state of national health.

Watch the full four-hour discussion here.

PARTICIPANTS:

Dr. Casey Means

Dr. Casey Means is a medical doctor, New York Times bestselling author, tech entrepreneur (Levels), aspiring regenerative gardener, and outdoor enthusiast. While training as a surgeon, she saw how broken and exploitative the healthcare system is and left to focus on how to keep people out of the operating room.

Dr. Jordan Peterson

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson is a renowned psychologist, author, and online educator. His bestselling books, including “12 Rules for Life” and “Beyond Order,” have sold millions of copies worldwide. Dr. Peterson’s lectures and podcasts consistently attract large audiences, providing valuable insights into topics such as mythology, psychology, and personal development.

Calley Means

Calley Means is the co-founder of Truemed, a company that enables tax-free spending on food and exercise. He recently started an advocacy coalition with leading health and wellness companies called End Chronic Disease. Earlier in his career, he was a consultant for food and pharma companies and is now exposing practices they use to weaponize our institutions of trust.

Mikhaila Fuller

Mikhaila Fuller is a podcaster, lifestyle and diet blogger, the Co-Founder and CEO of Peterson Academy, and the founder of Fuller Health and The Lion Diet. The Lion Diet is a therapeutic and plant free ketogenic diet that can be used to treat autoimmunity and psychiatric disorders. On “The Mikhaila Peterson Podcast,” she discusses health, cultural phenomena, politics, and other topics.

Alex Clark

Alex Clark is a food activist, advocate for healthier food systems, and host of the “Culture Apothecary” podcast. She is committed to educating consumers on the importance of organic farming and the dangers of harmful additives in food products. Clark’s mission is to inspire positive change in both personal health choices and industry standards, driving the movement toward cleaner, more responsible food production.

Vani Hari (Food Babe)

Vani Hari, known as the “Food Babe,” is a food activist, author, and speaker committed to improving food quality and safety. She has built a powerful platform through her blog, advocating for transparency in food labeling, and the removal of harmful chemicals from processed foods. Her activism has spurred significant changes in the food industry, encouraging consumers to make healthier, more informed choices while prompting companies to adopt cleaner practices.

Jillian Michaels

Jillian Michaels is a globally recognized fitness expert, entrepreneur, and best-selling author. With her no-nonsense approach to health, she has inspired millions through her fitness programs, books, and digital platforms. Best known for her role on “The Biggest Loser,” Michaels promotes a balanced approach to fitness and nutrition, emphasizing long-term health and self-empowerment.

Max Lugavere

Max Lugavere is a leading health and wellness advocate, filmmaker, and New York Times bestselling author of “Genius Foods.” His work focuses on the link between diet, lifestyle, and brain health, and he has become a trusted voice in educating people about how nutrition impacts cognitive function.

Dr. Chris Palmer

Dr. Chris Palmer, MD is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, researcher, and author of “Brain Energy,” where he explores the groundbreaking connection between metabolic health and mental illness. He is a leader in innovative approaches to treating psychiatric conditions, advocating for the use of diet and metabolic interventions to improve mental health outcomes. Dr. Palmer’s work is reshaping how the medical field views and treats mental health disorders.

Brigham Buhler

Brigham Buhler is the founder and CEO of Ways2Well, a healthcare company that provides personalized preventative care through telemedicine. With a strong background in the pharmaceutical industry, Buhler has focused on making healthcare more accessible by harnessing the power of technology to deliver effective and tailored treatments. His vision for improving health outcomes has positioned him as a leader in modern, patient-centered healthcare solutions.

Courtney Swan

Courtney Swan is a nutritionist, real food activist, and founder of the popular platform “Realfoodology.” She advocates for transparency in the food industry, promoting the importance of whole foods and clean eating. Swan is passionate about educating the public on the benefits of a nutrient-dense diet, and she encourages sustainable, chemical-free farming practices to ensure better health for people and the planet.

Jason Karp

Jason Karp is the Founder and CEO of HumanCo – a mission-driven company that invests in and builds brands focused on healthier living and sustainability. In addition to HumanCo, Jason is the Co-Founder of Hu Kitchen, known for creating the #1 premium, organic chocolate in the U.S.. Prior to HumanCo, Jason spent over 21 years in the hedge fund industry where he was the Founder and CEO of an investment fund that managed over $4 billion. Jason graduated summa cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Grace Price

Grace Price is an 18-year-old citizen scientist and health activist. Grace gained recognition for her documentary Cancer: A Food-Borne Illness, which challenged the commonly held belief that cancer is a genetic disease. The main focus of her work is advocating for the health of her generation through exposing the corruption behind big food and pharmaceutical conglomerates.

Dr. Marty Makary

Dr. Marty Makary MD, MPH is a surgeon and public policy researcher at Johns Hopkins University. He writes for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal and is the author of two New York Times bestselling books, “Unaccountable” and “The Price We Pay.” He has been an outspoken opponent of broad vaccine mandates and some COVID restrictions at schools. Dr. Makary holds degrees from Bucknell University, Thomas Jefferson University, and Harvard University.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Adams, McGovern; Sen. Booker Introduce Climate-Smart Farm Conversion Bill

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Alma Adams (12th District of North Carolina)

Bicameral legislation would enable producers to transition away from factory farming model using conservation dollars

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12), Representative Jim McGovern (MA-02), and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act (IACA), which would allow farmers to voluntarily convert their on-farm infrastructure toward more climate-friendly uses with USDA conservation dollars.

The IACA would use existing agricultural conservation funds to support farmers transitioning from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to more sustainable and humane production systems. Reps. Adams and McGovern are leading the bill in the House, and Sen. Booker introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

“Farmers want to produce food in ways that are good for people and the planet, but aren’t always empowered to do so in a consolidated food system like ours. I’m thrilled to introduce the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act, which unlocks climate-forward conservation dollars to assist producers who want to transition out of the factory farm model,” said Congresswoman Adams. “Whether pasture-based or plant-based, farmers want to farm sustainably, humanely, and resiliently. I’m glad to support them in partnership with Representative McGovern, Senator Booker, and dozens of organizations on the ground.”

“We need a food system that feeds everyone while doing right by the people, the planet, and animals” said Congressman McGovern. “Farmers are at the center of that vision, and we need to do everything we can to support them. I’m proud to co-lead this bill with Representative Adams and Senator Booker so that we can empower farmers to break free from a broken system and thrive as independent producers.”

“Corporate meatpackers use their market power to trap producers in the factory farm system with terrible profit margins and unsustainable debt,” said Senator Booker. “Their practices contribute to climate change and destroy rural communities. This legislation leverages conservation funding to give farmers a completely voluntary new path forward by providing them with the resources they need to transition to a more climate-friendly and humane production system that is good for people, animals, and the planet.”

The IACA is the first stand-alone federal legislation to assist producers who want to make the move from intensive animal agriculture to pasture-based animal agriculture or specialty crop production. It would allow the USDA to create a grant program for eligible climate-smart conversion projects, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act’s pathbreaking investments in agricultural conservation. Earlier this year, Congresswoman Adams, Congressman McGovern, and Senator Booker all signed a letter cautioning against the use of IRA conservation money towards industrial agriculture; the IACA would ensure the integrity and effectiveness of these funds.

“Factory farming is not just a nightmare for animals—contract farmers who were promised easy profits and the chance to ‘feed the world’ find themselves taking on seemingly endless debt to raise animals in this cruel industrial model, threatening the security of their families and farms,” said Kara Shannon, director of farm animal welfare policy for the ASPCA. “The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act offers resources to support farmers who are climbing the ladder out of the pit of factory farming and want to transition to more humane and economically sustainable practices. We commend Representatives Adams and McGovern, and Senator Booker for introducing this groundbreaking legislation to create a more compassionate food system that respects animals, farmers, rural communities and our environment.”

“The factory farming industry preys on our nation’s farmers by trapping them in exploitative contracts and depriving them of meaningful autonomy. The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act seeks to promote competition in our food system by creating a program for farmers who wish to transition from the highly consolidated factory farming model to climate-smart practices, such as specialty crop production,” said Frances Chrzan, senior federal policy manager, the Transfarmation Project of Mercy For Animals. “We applaud Rep. Alma Adams, Rep. McGovern, and Sen. Cory Booker for introducing legislation to create kinder and more sustainable pathways for farmers, which will benefit not only farmers and our economy but human health, the environment, and farmed animals.”

“I know firsthand the difficulty both financially and socially in transitioning from a confinement animal system to a regenerative farming system, having transitioned our farm in 1996,” said Ron Holter of Holterholm Farms. “Financially there is often a lag time from the beginning of what can be an expensive transition to eventually achieving an improved income while the land heals and the livestock become accustomed to a healthier, happier lifestyle. Transitional funds like those provided in the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act would be a blessing to farmers attempting to move to more regenerative, livestock friendly systems.”

“We took on over $400,000 in debt to become contract chicken farmers and came close to foreclosure when we decided to get out of industrial animal agriculture. When we cancelled our contract, the integrator came out to our farm, picked up their $20 sign and drove away without another thought,” said Paula Boles, co-owner of JB Farms. “We know too many farmers have similar stories of being exploited by integrators and left with few options to keep their farms going. The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act would help support farmers like us across the country who want to transition to more sustainable and economically viable farming systems.”

“In North Carolina’s Duplin and Sampson counties, hogs outnumber people by approximately 30-to-1. The vast majority of these industrial agricultural operations use an outdated cesspit and spray field system in which hog feces and urine are flushed into open-air pits and sprayed onto nearby fields, causing higher rates of anemia, kidney disease, and infant mortality among local communities,” said Dr. Rania Masri, Co-Director of the NC Environmental Justice Network. “NCEJN applauds Rep. Alma Adams, from North Carolina, for introducing the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act and speaking up for the contract farmers, trapped as serfs on their own land, and the communities who are struggling against this polluting industry.”

“Too many farmers have been exploited and trapped in the factory farm system for too long, which is why Farm Aid applauds the introduction of the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act,” said Hannah Tremblay, Policy and Advocacy Manager of Farm Aid. “We’re especially excited that livestock farmers will have an opportunity to be a part of the solution to climate change through the funding for climate-smart conversion projects.”

“The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act will release farmers ensnared in the highly flawed industrial animal agriculture model and usher in much-needed sustainable food and farm system reform. ‘Get Big or Get Out’ has failed farmers, rural communities, and our country. The IACA will help farmers and rural America get out from under CAFOs and thrive,” said Harry Manin, deputy legislative director of the Sierra Club.

“The factory farm system that traps farmers under mountains of debt and damages rural communities, public health and the environment didn’t happen by accident,” said Patty Lovera of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment. “Factory farms are the result of decades of failed enforcement, bad farm policy and direct government support, including federally-guaranteed loans for new factory farms. The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act would be a critical first step in the transition away from factory farms to a system based on independent, family farm livestock production.”

“Today’s factory farm system stacks the cards against farmers, workers, consumers, and the environment while letting Big Ag corporations reap all the rewards. The Industrial Agricultural Conversion Act is an important opportunity to transition our food and agriculture sector away from factory farms and an important lifeline for those squeezed by corporate consolidation,” said Rebecca Wolf, senior food policy analyst for Food and Water Watch.

“This bill would give small farmers more control over their operations to not have the larger corporations controlling what they do on their own farms. Factory farms put a strain on our health. This gives those farmers an opportunity to create a better product for our communities and consumers and improve our food system as a whole,” said Philip Barker, farmer and co-founder/co-project director of Operation Spring Plant, Inc.

“More than ever before, consumers want the assurance that the products they buy are aligned with their values. The data shows us that 80% of U.S. consumers are concerned about the environmental impact of the products they buy,” said David Levine, Co-founder and President of the American Sustainable Business Network. “In just the last few years, the sale of meat with labels boasting environmental and labor benefits increased 18% compared to conventionally labeled meat products. In addition, the sustainable fashion industry market is expected to more than double to $15 billion by 2030. Sustainable business is no longer just about doing the right thing, it’s also a wise investment and makes good business sense. Once farmers can move out of the industrial model, they will see higher profits and more resiliency to extreme weather and volatile markets, the Industrial Agriculture Conservation Act will begin to provide the needed support to take that first step to transition.”

“Over a decade ago I began to transition away from conventional cattle production to more sustainable, humane and regenerative practices and I’ve seen more benefits than I can name in the health of my animals and land. But without the kind of support this legislation offers, doing the right thing has been a slow and extremely risky process for myself and farmers like me across the country,” said Don Jackson, owner of Pompey’s Rest Farm. “The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act gives farmers a way out of a destructive system that’s squeezing them dry, and that’s a wonderful thing.”

Specifically, the IACA would:

The text of the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act is available here.

A section-by-section of the IACA is available here.

A list of endorsers of the IACA at the time of publication is available here.

###

Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. represents North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County) and serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, and the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, where she serves as ranking member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Johnson Re-Introduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Hold Judiciary Accountable To Its Employees

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

Reps. Johnson, Nadler, Torres Re-Introduce Bill In House To Protect Employees of the Federal Judiciary Against Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Retaliation, and Other Forms of Workplace Misconduct

Sens. Hirono, Murkowski Introduce Bill in Senate

Legislation would protect workers and whistleblowers, create effective workplace misconduct prevention programs, investigate complaints, and hold the powerful accountable

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, in concert with Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), and Rep. Norma Torres (CA-35), senior member of the Appropriations Committee and member of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee that oversees the Federal Judiciary – and Sen. Mazie Hirono (HI), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK) – reintroduced the Judiciary Accountability Act of 2024 (JAA).

The JAA would ensure the more than 30,000 employees of the federal judiciary have strong statutory rights and protections against discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and other forms of workplace misconduct.

The foundational federal anti-discrimination statutes — such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — still do not apply to the federal judiciary, making it one of the only employers in the entire country – public or private – whose employees are not protected by federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination and retaliation. The federal judiciary has faced sustained criticism for its approach to preventing, investigating, and redressing sexual harassment and discrimination by judges and other high-level judicial branch officials. This summer, back-to-back reports were released — one from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the other from the Federal Judicial Center and National Academy of Public Administration— underscoring that the internal dispute resolution mechanisms implemented by the judiciary to combat these issues have instead led to a lack of accountability for judges who mistreat employees.

“It is the height of injustice that judiciary employees who support the daily functioning of our courts lack basic workplace protections,” said Rep. Hank Johnson, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts. “These protections are already provided to congressional and executive branch staff. Why should we continue to exempt our third branch of government? In the face of clear, repeated evidence of unaccountable judges committing egregious misconduct, Congress has the power and the duty to fix it and ensure judicial employees who use their voices and bravely sharing their experiences do not do so in vain. I’m pleased to lead re-introduction of the Judiciary Accountability Act, which is common-sense legislation that would align the federal judiciary with not just the rest of the federal government but with private sector workplaces as well.”

“It is unconscionable that over 60 years after the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employees of the federal judiciary are not protected from workplace discrimination,” said Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler. “The lack of protections undermines credibility in the court, which is why I’m proud to reintroduce the Judiciary Accountability Act, to bring the same basic rights available to congressional and executive branch staff to the judicial branch.”

“The Judiciary Accountability Act is a significant step towards ensuring the safety and rights of judiciary employees. It is crucial that judiciary employees feel secure in expressing concerns about misconduct without fearing for their safety or job security. All Judiciary members are entitled to fundamental workplace rights that safeguard them from harassment and discrimination,” said Rep. Norma Torres. “The era of judges abusing their power and instilling fear in the work environment is over. That is why I am honored to co-lead the Judiciary Accountability Act alongside ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Rep. Johnson. We are deeply committed to providing protections backed up by the full force of United States law for employees who come forward after experiencing sexual harassment. Our federal Judiciary must set an example of accountability in addressing sexual harassment, and the provisions outlined in this bill will help achieve that goal.”

“No one is above the law, but most federal judiciary employees lack essential workplace protections, preventing them from obtaining justice when they face discrimination and harassment,” said Senator Hirono. “Employees of the federal judiciary dedicate their careers to providing justice, and they deserve justice when they face misconduct in the workplace. Yet these employees are among the only ones in the United States who lack the right to sue when they face discrimination or harassment. The Judiciary Accountability Act will help to protect the 30,000 federal judiciary employees by extending basic anti-discrimination protections to cover them, giving them access to federal court to vindicate those rights, and helping to ensure more accountability in the federal courts.”

“The Judiciary Accountability Act expands federal laws that prohibit workplace harassment and discrimination to employees of the judiciary, putting them on par with executive branch, congressional, and private sector employees who have long-had these protections,” said Senator Murkowski. “This legislation not only helps safeguard employees from mistreatment at work, but also establishes a review system to foster accountability when those rights are violated. I appreciate the opportunity to lead this bipartisan legislation with Senator Hirono to cultivate transparency and a positive working environment within the judicial branch.”

The Judiciary Accountability Act will:

• Give judicial branch employees the same anti-discrimination rights and remedies private sector and government employees have had for decades. Today, judicial branch employees are not protected by the federal civil rights statutes that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age, and disability. The Judiciary Accountability Act would correct that injustice.

• Protect judicial branch employees from retaliation against them by providing them with the right to sue for relief if they are retaliated against. Unlike most other federal employees, judicial branch employees currently have no statutory protection against retaliation. At a House Judiciary Committee hearing in 2020, multiple witnesses testified that they and others were afraid to come forward about the sexual harassment they suffered or witnessed.

• Establish a comprehensive workplace misconduct prevention program overseen by an improved and expanded Office of Judicial Integrity. The Office’s Board of Directors would include members experienced in investigating and enforcing civil rights laws against workplace discrimination, as well as experience assisting victims of discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. The Office would administer a nationwide, confidential reporting system and a comprehensive training program addressing workplace behavior and bystander intervention, among other duties.

• Establish an Office of Employee Advocacy to assist judicial branch employees in matters related to workplace discrimination and harassment. The Office of Employee Advocacy would advise covered judicial employees about their rights and the resources available to them, provide legal assistance where appropriate, and operate an anonymous reporting hotline for covered judicial employees.

• Require regular assessments of workplace culture to determine the effectiveness of judicial branch policies designed to prevent and remedy harassment and discrimination.

• Make clear that discrimination and retaliation constitute judicial misconduct and ensure that the judicial misconduct laws apply to all federal judges, regardless of whether they subsequently resign, retire, or pass away.

Cosponsors: Reps. Madeleine Dean (PA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Adam Schiff (CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC)

What Groups Are Saying

“Sexual harassment in the judiciary is a judicial ethics problem” said Debra Perlin, Policy Director at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). “The public’s trust in our democracy depends on the credibility of an accountable judicial branch. Repeated credible complaints of sexual harassment and assault in the judiciary undermines that accountability. CREW applauds Congressman Johnson and Senator Hirono for reintroducing the Judiciary Accountability Act to extend protections against sexual harassment and discrimination to judicial branch employees, who are essential to our courts.”

“Legal Momentum, The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund is proud to endorse the Judicial Accountability Act as it is a long-overdue and crucial step forward in the fight to advance workplace gender equality. Our nation’s federal judicial workers deserve a workplace free from discrimination, sexual harassment, and other forms of misconduct, and it is unacceptable that federal judges are exempt from the very laws they are tasked with enforcing. History has proven time and time again that protections that benefit women benefit everyone, and when employees feel safe to advocate for themselves at work, the entire system only grows stronger,” said Azaleea Carlea, Legal Director of Legal Momentum.

Fix the Court Executive Director Gabe Roth said: “Anti-harassment policy is one of the many areas in which the judiciary falls short when compared to the other two branches and the rules that apply to them. Among the shortcomings, though, this is the most indefensible. I applaud Reps. Johnson and Torres for their legislation to finally bring third branch workplace policies up to par to give employees both the remedies they need should they experience misconduct and the resources they deserve to help prevent harassment, discrimination, and retaliation from happening in the first place.”

###

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Wittman, Stefanik Call For Air Force to Reduce Supply Chain Dependency on China
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) called the U.S. Air Force to reduce its supply chain dependency on China for critical weapons platforms. The service branch was reported to have increased its usage of Chinese suppliers by 68.8% over the past year.

“Despite the Pentagon having identified China as the greatest strategic threat to the United States, the department continues to rely on China for components in critical weapons platforms that are being produced to deter conflict,” said Congressman Wittman. “With our Army and Navy both able to decrease their reliance on Chinese suppliers over the past year, it is unacceptable for our Air Force to still rely on 130 Chinese suppliers across 15 critical technology areas. The service branch must do everything it can to reduce this dire threat to U.S. national security.”

“I am proud to work with Congressman Wittman to demand the Air Force address and mitigate the presence of Communist Chinese manufacturers in their supply chains,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “It is completely unacceptable that the Department of the Air Force has increased their reliance on Communist China for components in our critical weapons and defense platforms.”

To read the full letter, click here or scroll below.

__________

The Honorable Frank Kendall
Secretary of the Air Force
U.S. Department of Defense
The Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has identified the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the greatest strategic threat to the United States. However, DOD continues to rely on the PRC for components in critical weapons platforms that are being produced to deter conflict. It is unacceptable that a wide swath of defense programs, as well as defense-critical sectors of the U.S. economy, are dependent on PRC suppliers. This is a serious national security risk.

In addition to identifying the PRC as a pacing threat, DOD has also recognized that the PRC seeks to defeat the United States without engaging in armed conflict. Allowing China access and leverage over DOD supply chains empowers Beijing to do just that. The reliance on the PRC for components is a well-established challenge to new programs and legacy programs alike which will take great effort to mitigate. For example, in 2016 the U.S. Air Force identified avionics in 50 weapons systems, including the F-35, with embedded PRC-related hardware vulnerabilities. Several other DOD programs have faced similar challenges; DOD is still reliant, for example, on PRC optics suppliers for optical sighting and ranging equipment.

According to Govini’s 2024 National Security Scorecard, the Department of the Air Force (DAF) is still reliant on 130 PRC suppliers across fifteen critical technology areas essential for U.S. national security. While the scorecard shows that the Departments of the Army and Navy both decreased their reliance on PRC suppliers over the past year, DAF was reported to have increased its usage of PRC suppliers by 68.8 percent. It is unacceptable for any organization in DOD to be increasing their reliance on PRC supply chains for critical capabilities and platforms.

Asked about the Govini scorecard, DAF told Forbes on August 23 that identifying PRC activities and supplies is a “whole-of-DAF” effort and that these are serious and merited concerns. We agree with that sentiment. However, DAF’s increased reliance on PRC suppliers over the last year do not match the concerns expressed.

Increasing dependence on PRC suppliers is clearly the wrong direction especially when both the Army and the Navy are moving to reduce their exposure. We therefore request the following information by October 7, 2024:
1. Which DAF-related supply chains have become more dependent on PRC suppliers in the past year, what caused the increased dependency, and which if any programs are now more reliant on PRC suppliers today than a year ago?
2. What is the DAF’s strategy to address its supply chain vulnerabilities, and how has the DOD National Defense Industrial Strategy informed its approach?
3. What are the roadblocks – informational, financial, statutory, or otherwise – that have hindered DAF’s strategy from being maximally effective?
Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and we look forward to hearing your reply.

###

MIL OSI USA News –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Capito Introduce Methane Reduction and Economic Growth Act

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced legislation to create a tax credit that will incentivize the capture and repurposing of methane emissions from active and abandoned mines. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and coal mines are the country’s fifth-largest source of methane emissions. Leveraging methane capture technology can not only prevent harmful emissions from entering our atmosphere, but also allow the gas to be converted or reused for productive use, providing an additional supply of lower-emission energy that has numerous industrial and commercial applications.
“Capturing and repurposing methane from Virginia’s active and abandoned mines will have a significant impact in the Commonwealth and across the country,” Sen. Warner said. “This legislation will lead to new investment in methane capturing efforts, and will contribute meaningfully to efforts across the country to repurpose methane that otherwise would have harmful impacts when emitted into the atmosphere while at the same time boosting the economy and creating jobs.”
“Allowing methane capture efforts to be eligible for the 45Q Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage tax credit would result in positive environmental, economic, and investment impacts for West Virginia. I’m proud to help introduce this legislation, which could help capture and utilize mine methane emissions as a fuel source from coal mines, creating another step for West Virginia to continue leading in an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy approach,” Sen. Capito said.
Specifically, the Methane Reduction and Economic Growth Act would amend Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code – which houses an existing tax credit for carbon capture and sequestration – to create a Mine Methane Capture Incentive Credit. The new credit would credit taxpayers based on the amount of qualified methane that is captured and injected into a pipeline or is otherwise used for producing heat or energy. Qualified methane includes methane which:
Is captured from mining activities, including underground mines, abandoned or closed mines, or surface mines;
Would otherwise be released into the atmosphere as industrial greenhouse gas emission; and
Is measured at the source of capture and verified at the point of injection or utilization.
Sen. Warner has been a leader on efforts to clean up and reclaim abandoned mine lands (AML) in Virginia, including by securing funding for this process through the bipartisan infrastructure law he helped to negotiate.
The Methane Reduction and Economic Growth Act would give a boost to existing efforts in Virginia, which recently received more than $99 million in federal funding to capture and convert methane emissions from coal mines and landfills. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Reps. Carol Miller (R-WV) and Terri Sewell (D-AL).
“Finding ways to incentivize the capture of mine methane will have a positive impact here in Virginia,” Jonathan Belcher, Executive Director of the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, said. “Encouraging beneficial use of methane, which would otherwise be wasted and emitted into the atmosphere, stimulates our economy by creating jobs in our local communities and improves our tax base, while reducing emissions both at a local and global level. Captured methane can be sold into existing marketplaces to help drive down costs for consumers and can be used as both a fuel source and a manufacturing feedstock, which will assist our existing industry and encourage new economic development in the region. We applaud Senator Warner for his leadership on this issue and his focus on the economic health of Southwest Virginia.”
“This is a perfect example of how Washington ought to work,” Cecil Roberts, International President of the United Mine Workers of America, said. “This is strong bi-partisan legislation that will grow coalfield jobs, support coalfield communities and help reduce methane emissions. It is a win-win for workers and communities in Virginia and across Appalachia and I thank Senators Warner and Capito for taking the lead. The UMWA wholeheartedly supports this legislation and will work to secure its passage.”
A copy of the bill text can be found here.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Say ‘hello’ to Citizen Science in the North
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Talking watercourses are asking people in the region to provide information to help shape water quality improvement plans.
A sign at Windermere asking people to get involved.

People visiting or living near Lake Windermere, the River Ribble at Edisford Bridge or the River Nidd in Yorkshire are being asked to become citizen scientists by providing a range of information, about what they can see at the sites, to help shape future plans to improve water quality.

To support this, the Environment Agency have joined forces with Hello Lamp Post, a two-way communication platform that can reach any member of the community via their mobile phone.

Interactive signage, including QR codes, has been placed on fences, benches and walls. Smartphone users can scan the code or text the number on the sign to share their findings and views, get information about local bathing waters and learn more about how to get involved in the Environment Agency’s citizen science work.

The data will be used to supplement that already gathered by the Environment Agency, as part of its extensive monitoring programme, to help ensure that as much information as possible is used to inform plans going forward.

Citizen science is valuable research carried out by members of the public who help collect scientific data.

Previous work in Cumbria and Lancashire has included the Big Windermere Survey, which has been supported by the Environment Agency, and activity along the River Douglas in collaboration with the Douglas Catchment Partnership and Groundwork.

The Nidd Action Group and Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust are also working alongside the Environment Agency to support the Hello Lamp Post project, and it is hoped that this will complement existing work in the area.

This includes projects such as iNidd and iWharfe as well as the wider activity of the local catchment partnership.

The first interactive objects are now live at four locations at Windermere Rayrigg, four locations at Windermere Millers Ground and four locations at the Ribble at Edisford Bridge.

Signage will soon also go live at Oak Beck Park, Knaresborough Lido, Valley Gardens, Nidd Gorge and Hookstone Beck.

Kelly Haynes, Citizen Science Advisor for the Environment Agency, said:  

We are pleased to be teaming up with Hello Lamp Post on this innovative project as we look to gather even more data on how people interact with their local watercourses at Windermere and the Ribble at Edisford Bridge.

This clever piece of modern technology will explain all the whys, what and the what ifs of bathing water monitoring and our citizen science work. It will also allow participants to become a citizen scientist themselves and tell us about what they can see at the time they visit a specific bathing water.

We know how much our rivers and inland waters mean to communities across Cumbria and Lancashire and we hugely value the contribution of England’s enthusiastic citizen scientists. This work is an important step bringing that together to gather real-time observation of the water environment and how it is being used.

I would encourage everyone living in the area or visiting to try out this new, interactive service.

If you are already involved in monitoring the water environment through citizen science, the Environment Agency would love to hear from you! Using this feedback service, you can share details of the citizen science you are involved in and provide feedback on the supporting citizen science information page.

The feedback survey is open until 31 December 2024.

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Updates to this page

Published 25 September 2024
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI: UPDATE — Tactile Medical Announces Positive Clinical Trial Results in Lymphedema Patients Using Advanced Pneumatic Compression Device Therapy
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tactile Systems Technology, Inc. (“Tactile Medical”; the “Company”) (Nasdaq: TCMD), a medical technology company providing therapies for people with chronic disorders, today announced the publication of a new clinical study in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, Venous and Lymphatic Disorders. This study assessed outcomes associated with use of the Company’s Flexitouch advanced pneumatic compression device (APCD) in Veterans with lower extremity lymphedema. Notably, this 52-week study represents the largest peer-reviewed, prospective, clinical trial investigating PCDs and lymphedema ever published in the United States.

The prospective, longitudinal, pragmatic study publication, titled “Longitudinal assessment of health-related quality of life and clinical outcomes with at home advanced pneumatic compression treatment of lower extremity lymphedema”, was authored by Padberg et al. and included 179 Veterans across four participating VA medical centers. The primary outcome measures included disease-specific health-related quality of life (QoL) endpoints obtained at baseline and again at each of 12, 24, and 52 weeks. The secondary outcome measures assessed limb circumference, cellulitis events, skin quality, and therapy compliance over the course of 52 weeks. Among the patients included in the study, chronic venous insufficiency was the most common etiology of lymphedema (phlebolymphedema), presenting in approximately 63% of study participants. Further, mild lymphedema was the most common disease stage, presenting in 68% of patients.

The study demonstrated significant improvements in its primary endpoint of health-related and general quality of life measures. Specifically, Lymphedema Quality of Life (QoL) increased from 6.2 to 6.9, which includes improvements in function, appearance, symptoms, and emotion.

The secondary endpoint results demonstrated several statistically significant improvements, baseline to 52 weeks, with reductions in limb girth, cellulitis events, and skin hyperpigmentation. Among these results, the following were observed:
- Limb girth decreased by 1.4 cm
- Cellulitis events decreased from 21.4% to 6.1%
- Skin hyperpigmentation decreased from 75% of patients to 40%
There were additional improvements also noted in compliance and limb girth reduction which included:
- 92% patient compliance (defined as used for 5 to 7 days per week) with Flexitouch at 8 weeks and 72% patient compliance at 52 weeks
- 74% patient compliance with compression garments at 52 weeks, compared to 64% at baseline
- 6% limb girth reduction at 12 weeks in patients with moderate (stage 2) and severe (stage 3) lymphedema.
“We sincerely thank the clinical researchers, patients, and VA Medical Centers for advancing peer-reviewed evidence that supports clinical and patient benefits of our Flexitouch therapy,” said Sheri Dodd, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tactile Medical. “Achieving these impressive study results, including outstanding compliance over a 1-year timeframe, validates the importance of APCD therapy outcomes and demonstrates a patient experience that supports strong adherence to therapy. We are proud to provide Veterans the at-home tools they need to improve their clinical symptoms and quality of life.”

Full text of the study may be found online at: https://www.jvsvenous.org/article/S2213-333X(24)00208-7/fulltext.

About Tactile Systems Technology, Inc. (DBA Tactile Medical)

Tactile Medical is a leader in developing and marketing at-home therapies for people suffering from underserved, chronic conditions including lymphedema, lipedema, chronic venous insufficiency and chronic pulmonary disease by helping them live better and care for themselves at home. Tactile Medical collaborates with clinicians to expand clinical evidence, raise awareness, increase access to care, reduce overall healthcare costs and improve the quality of life for tens of thousands of patients each year.

Investor Inquiries:
Sam Bentzinger
Gilmartin Group
investorrelations@tactilemedical.com

The MIL Network –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI NGOs: Italian authorities punish Geo Barents rescue ship with two detention orders

Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

Rome – the Italian authorities imposed yet another punitive measure on the Geo Barents, the search and rescue vessel operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), for performing its legal and humanitarian duty to save lives at sea. This time, the vessel received two separate detention orders, immediately after the Geo Barents had finished disembarking 206 survivors in Genoa, in northern Italy. The orders are a clear attempt by the authorities to ensure that the Geo Barents will not be able to sail again to save lives in the Mediterranean Sea.

The first detention order for 60 days was issued under the ‘Piantedosi Decree’1 and was based on the recurrent allegations that the Geo Barents had failed to comply with instructions of the Libyan Coast Guard during a rescue operation on 19 September. On that day, the Geo Barents had performed a first rescue and was assigned Genoa as a place of safety. While navigating there, they received a distress alert from Sea-Watch’s monitoring plane, Seabird2, about 100 people in distress on an overcrowded wooden boat. The Geo Barents was given the go-ahead by the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) to assess the situation, and was the only vessel on scene when it arrived. Given the seriousness of the situation and the captain’s obligation under international law to render immediate assistance, the MSF team proceeded with the rescue.

Just as the MSF team was about to finish the rescue, with no more than 20 people left in the boat out of 110, a Libyan Coast Guard patrol boat2, donated by Italy, arrived on the scene.

“The Libyan patrol boat arrived when we were almost finished with the operation, more than five hours after the first alert about these people in distress,” said Fulvia Conte, MSF search and rescue team leader. “They arrived, threatened to shoot, and carried out unsafe and intimidating manoeuvres around the people in distress and the MSF rescue team.”

This is the fourth detention order for Geo Barents under the ‘Piantedosi decree’, following the one issued a month ago. That order was also for 60 days, but was later suspended by the Civil Court of Salerno.

In addition, a second detention order, under technical regulations, was issued on 23 September after a very in-depth Port State Control inspection of the vessel found eight technical deficiencies.

“The Port State Control inspections are another layer of administrative and technical instrumentalisation of laws and regulations that the authorities have been using for the past seven years to obstruct the work of humanitarian search and rescue vessels in the Mediterranean,” added Conte. “Our vessel had successfully passed previous inspections; this one seems to have the intention to ensure we don’t operate anytime soon. We are moving to quickly address these deficiencies and to go back to prevent deaths at sea.”

The most recent detention came just 12 days after the Court of Salerno suspended a similar detention, acknowledging the lifesaving and humanitarian nature of MSF’s search and rescue vessel.

“We will appeal to the competent court against these new detentions,” says Juan Matias Gil, MSF search and rescue representative. “The more Italian courts rule in favour of humanitarian vessels, the more arbitrary detentions are imposed by this Italian government. This is unacceptable for a country under the rule of law.”

“People fleeing Libya often tell us about the violent interceptions at sea carried out by the EU-backed Libyan Coast Guard,” continues Gil. “It has been documented not only by the United Nations, but also by independent investigative journalism, that the Libyan Coast Guard is complicit in serious human rights violations, amounting to crimes against humanity, and collusion with smugglers and traffickers.

“It is a disgrace that the Italian authorities still consider the Libyan Coast Guard to be a reliable agency and source of information,” says Gil.

MSF has been active in search and rescue activities since 2015, working on eight different rescue vessels (alone or in partnership with other NGOs) and having rescued more than 91,000 people. Since launching search and rescue operations on board Geo Barents in May 2021, MSF teams have rescued more than 12,540 people, recovered the bodies of 24 people, arranged for medical evacuation of 16 people and assisted in the delivery of one baby.

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MIL OSI NGO –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Northern Border Security
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

Despite Dramatic Uptick In Unauthorized Crossings, Northern Border Security Strategy Has Not Been Assessed Since 2018

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference on the Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act, bipartisan legislation that would update and strengthen security at the northern border. The legislation comes following a significant increase in unauthorized crossings in the last two years, which has placed serious strain on state resources. Additionally, a number of migrants have died while attempting to cross the border in winter.

“Customs and Border Protection agents along our northern border are struggling to address a dramatic increase in the number of unauthorized border crossings,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill is a commonsense, bipartisan measure to give federal law enforcement and congressional leaders more data and strategic direction to address the situation. I look forward to getting it passed.”

The number of migrant encounters at the northern border has roughly doubled over the past year. Officials reported more than 190,000 encounters in 2023, and apprehensions of migrants crossing illegally from Canada jumped 241% from 2022 to 2023. Gillibrand’s bill would help ensure that Customs and Border Protection has the data and insights necessary to address the increasing apprehensions along the northern border and combat illegal drug and weapons trafficking.

Specifically, the Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act would:
1. Require a Northern Border Threat Analysis to be completed every three years;
2. Require that the analysis include an assessment of recent changes in the number and demographics of apprehensions at the northern border;
3. Require that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Northern Border Strategy be updated within 90 days of the completion of the threat analysis, and have DHS brief Congress within 30 days.
Senator Gillibrand introduced this bill along with Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND). It unanimously passed out of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs today.
MIL OSI USA News –
September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Launching Into Action: White Sands Firefighters on the Frontlines of New Mexico’s Wildfire Crisis

Source: NASA

Ruidoso, New Mexico lay in an unusual hush on June 20, 2024. During any normal summer day, the village in the southern part of the state lives up to the Spanish translation of its name — noisy.
But the bustle of this vacation hotspot, which attracts nearly 2 million visitors each year, was stifled by a mandatory evacuation order issued as wildfires raged unchecked across Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation.  After four days of fires, news of the disaster began spreading to surrounding communities.

At NASA’s White Sands Test Facility (WSTF), Fire Department Deputy Chief James Herrera and his team were on high alert from the moment the blaze began. 
“There were so many rumors, so many things going on,” Herrera said. “People were saying the town was completely burning down. We were expecting the worst before we even got there.”
Herrera’s expectations were realistic. 
Tinderbox conditions, rough terrain, and winds reaching more than 70 miles per hour fueled the flames raging at the South Fork area west of Ruidoso, devouring nearly 5,000 acres just hours after the fire started.
As first responders expended every resource available to them both on the ground and in the air, a second fire — the Salt Fire — broke out on tribal land south of the village.
Now the twin infernos closed in on Ruidoso like a set of jaws poised to snap shut. 
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham quickly declared a state of emergency and the early whispers crescendoed into an urgent plea for aid from anyone who would listen.
There was no doubt in Herrera’s mind: WSTF, based 150 miles from Ruidoso in Las Cruces, New Mexico, would answer the call. 
“Never once did [WSTF leadership] say ‘Sorry, we can’t help,’” he said. “They asked, ‘What can we do to help? How can we get there as soon as possible?’” 
Shift changes made for an earliest possible departure at dawn on June 20. The WSTF Fire Department spent the night preparing their truck, gathering their belongings, and bracing for the uncertain.
“We didn’t know where we were going to sleep, there were no hotels, everything was closed,” Herrera said. “More than likely, we were going to end up sleeping in our engine.”
For the moment, rest was off the table. 
“I’m not going to lie, we probably didn’t even sleep. I know I didn’t,” Herrera said. “I closed my eyes, and it was two o’clock in the morning. Time to get going.”
After checking in at the Incident Command Post, Herrera and the WSTF team — Lieutenant Gary Sida, firefighters Steven Olsson and Gabriel Rodriguez, and driver and engineer Tommy Montoya — were deployed to Ruidoso’s Casino Apache Travel Center off Highway 70.

When Herrera and his four-man crew reached the edge of the deserted mountain town, the silence was more than unusual. It was unsettling, as heavy as the smoke suffocating the Sierra Blanca Peak.
“You could not see more than 100 feet,” Herrera said. “The only sign of life was all the fire agencies that were there. It was an eerie feeling.”
NASA’s arrival on scene brought a shift from anxiety to optimism and relief.
“There were tears in some of their eyes because we were showing up to help,” he said. “I could hear people saying, ‘What’s NASA doing here?’” He added, “One gentleman asked us how we got there. I joked that we drove the whole line from Kennedy Space Center.”
By the afternoon, the light-heartedness among comrades was extinguished as escalating winds charged the situation to a fever pitch. The fire, once perched atop the mountains, began hurling down in a landslide of embers, leaping across Highway 70, and forming a nearly complete ring of danger.
Breathing grew difficult as ground crews, with aerial units roaring overhead, battled a relentless assault of heat. WSTF Fire Department’s assignment evolved into an effort to protect anything and everything within reach. “It makes you realize how fast something can be taken away from you,” Herrera said.

Though disaster descended in an instant, the day itself had been long. Herrera and his team were released from duty after a grueling 12 hours spent providing critical support to wildland units and successfully protecting nearby buildings.
“Once it starts to calm down, you can feel your hands start to shake a little bit because this thing was getting out of control really fast,” Herrera said. 
By the weekend, containment efforts were gaining ground thanks to the efforts of a combined 780-strong emergency response force. Eager to rebuild, Ruidoso residents trickled back in, but the village soon encountered another challenge: rain.
Following the South Fork and Salt fires — which claimed an estimated 25,000 acres, 1,400 structures, and two lives — monsoons battered Ruidoso. Throughout July, deluges washed over the region’s burn scars in an ironic insult to injury leaving people trapped in vehicles and homes underwater. As recently as Aug. 7, evacuations continued as the Ruidoso Police Department worked to preemptively clear the Cherokee Mobile Village due to past flash flooding in the area. 
In this harsh landscape of crisis and aftermath, Herrera views mutual aid as more than a tactical response, but a vital investment.
“Building goodwill with the community is akin to cultivating fertile ground for growth and success,” he said. “I strongly feel it strengthens the bond between us and our community.” 
With the wet season expected to continue through the end of September, Ruidoso’s forecast remains uncertain. Even as storm clouds gather, one thing is clear: if the call comes again, the WSTF Fire Department will always be ready to answer.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Record-Breaking Laser Demo Completes Mission

Source: NASA

NASA’s TBIRD (TeraByte InfraRed Delivery) demonstration and its host spacecraft — the PTD-3 (Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-3) — have completed their technology demonstration. The TBIRD payload spent the past two years breaking world records for the fastest satellite downlink from space using laser communications.
NASA’s PTD series leverages a common commercial spacecraft to provide a robust platform for effective testing of technologies with minimal redesign in between launches. After launch in May 2022 on the SpaceX Transporter 5 mission, the PTD-3 spacecraft entered low-Earth orbit and shortly after TBIRD began sending laser communications signals to an optical ground station in Table Mountain, California.

TBIRD’s two-year demonstration showcased the viability of laser communications. Most NASA missions rely on radio frequency communication systems, however, laser communications use infrared light and can pack significantly more data in a single communications link. This technology is ideal for science and exploration missions that need large data transmissions.
In 2023, TBIRD continuously broke its own records, reaching its peak in June when it transmitted 4.8 terabytes of error-free data — equivalent to about 2,400 hours of high-definition video — in five minutes at 200 gigabits per second in a single pass.

The TBIRD payload was one of many laser communications demonstrations. NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program is maturing this technology to demonstrate the impact laser communications can have for bringing more science and exploration data home. The next demonstration will be on the Artemis II mission.

In addition to breaking a world record, this mission demonstrated cost-effective design and extremely low size, weight, and power requirements — both on the PTD-3 spacecraft and within the TBIRD payload. The tissue-box-sized payload contained two commercial telecommunication modems that the TBIRD team modified for the extreme environment of space.

The PTD-3/TBIRD system also overcame one of the major challenges associated with laser communications: making the narrow beam laser link connection while moving at orbital speeds while being buffeted by atmospheric drag. The PTD-3 spacecraft’s precision “body pointing” and stability enabled the TBIRD payload to make its record-breaking achievement while moving as fast as 17,000 mph through space. The spacecraft set a record for the highest accuracy pointing ever achieved by a NASA CubeSat without any moving mechanisms or propulsion systems.

The end of PTD-3 and TBIRD’s mission was expected. The system did not contain a propulsion system, meaning once it was deployed into its low Earth orbit, the mission could only last until its orbit naturally decayed.
While only planned to operate for six months, TBIRD carried out its demonstration for well over two years, enabling NASA to learn more about laser communications operations in low Earth orbit.
The lessons learned during TBIRD will be applied to future implementations of laser communications and minimize downlink constraints for mission designs enabling future exploration and discoveries.
All of the PTD-3/TBIRD accomplishments were made possible by collaborations across NASA centers and beyond. TBIRD was a collaborative effort among NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley; NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Massachusetts; and Terran Orbital Corporation in Irvine, California. Funding and oversight for the TBIRD payload came from NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program office within the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. The PTD-3 mission was managed and funded by the Small Spacecraft Technology program within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Crew Returns from Simulated Trip to Mars—Take a Peek Inside their Journey

Source: NASA

An all-volunteer crew on a simulated trip to Mars “returned” to Earth on Sept. 23, 2024, after being isolated in a tiny habitat at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Their work is contributing to the science that will propel humanity to the Moon and eventually Mars.
The HERA missions provide valuable scientific insights into how humans may respond to the confinement, demanding work-life conditions, and remote environments that astronauts may encounter on deep space missions. These insights help NASA prepare for humanity’s next giant leap to the Moon and Mars.
Campaign 7 Mission 3 started when HERA operations lead Ted Babic rang the bell outside the habitat 10 times, a ceremonial send-off wishing the crew a safe and successful simulated mission to Mars. Seven rings honored the campaign, and three more signaled the mission—continuing a long-standing tradition.
At ingress, Anderson, a structural engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia, told HERA’s mission control, “We’re going to take good care of this ship of yours on our journey.”

Life on a 45-Day Journey
The HERA crew members participated in 18 human health and performance studies, seven of which were led by scientists from outside the United States. These international studies are in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre and the European Space Agency.

Throughout the simulation, the crew performed a variety of tasks. They harvested plants from a hydroponic garden, grew shrimp, deployed a small cube satellite to simulate data gathering, conducted a virtual reality “walk” on the surface of Mars, and flew simulated drones on the Martian terrain. These activities are designed to immerse the crew in the task-focused mindset of astronauts. NASA scientists then monitor HERA crew to assess how routine tasks, along with isolation and confinement, impact behavior and performance.
As their mission progressed, the team experienced longer communication delays with mission control, eventually reaching five-minute lags. This simulates the challenges astronauts might face on Mars, where delays could be up to 20 minutes. Scientists studying HERA crew are interested to see how this particular group builds independent, autonomous workflows, despite this communication delay.
Here are some snapshots of crew activities:

All crew members brought books to accompany them on their journey to the Red Planet, while Kent left behind letters for his two daughters to open each day.
McCandless also brought letters from loved ones, along with Legos, her favorite card game, and a vintage iPod.
Iakymov, an aerospace engineer with more than 15 years of experience in research and design, is carrying postcards and photos of family and friends.
Anderson, who describes herself as a massive space nerd, brought extra socks and “The Never Ending Story,” a book she has cherished throughout her life.
The crew all shared appreciation for being part of a mission that contributes to the aspirations of future human space exploration travel.

Returning to Earth
As the mission neared its end, McCandless and Anderson participated in a Groundlink—a live session connecting them with middle school students in a classroom in Coconut Grove, Florida, and in Olathe, Kansas. Groundlinks provide a unique opportunity for students to engage directly with crew members and learn about the realities of long-duration missions.
The students asked the crew about life inside the habitat, the challenges of isolation, and what it might be like to live on Mars. They were also curious about the crew’s favorite foods and activities. McCandless shared her love for cheddar crisps and freeze-dried Pad Thai and proudly showed off favorite sports teams from her home state of Kansas, much to the cheers of the crowd. Anderson displayed the massive collection of comics and fantasy books that she read inside the habitat.
In the late afternoon of Sept. 23, 2024, the crew egressed from HERA, marking the end of their 45-day simulated mission to Mars. After stepping out of the habitat, the crew expressed gratitude for the opportunity and reflected on the mission’s significance.
“Following our safe passage to Mars, and our safe return to Earth, as the crew of Campaign 7, Mission 3, we hereby officially transfer this exploration vessel to the flight analogs operations team,” said Kent. “We hope this vessel continues to serve as a safe home for future HERA crews.”
Want to Participate in HERA?
NASA is actively seeking healthy, non-smoking volunteers, aged 30 to 55, for future HERA missions. Volunteers, who will be compensated for their participation, must pass a physical and psychological assessment to qualify.
For those inspired to take part in this groundbreaking research, opportunities to join future HERA missions await:
https://analogstudies.jsc.nasa.gov

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Security: RM of Stanley — Pembina Valley RCMP respond to vehicle-pedestrian collision

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

On September 24, 2024, at 9:40 pm, Pembina Valley RCMP responded to a report of a male walking in the middle of Highway 3, near Road 25 W, located three kilometres east of Morden, in the RM of Stanley.

As the officers were responding to the scene, an update was received that the male had been struck by an eastbound vehicle.

Officers arrived on scene and located a 32-year-old male, from Somerset, who was pronounced deceased on scene.

The driver of the vehicle, a 17-year-old male from Winkler, was not physically injured.

Pembina Valley RCMP, along with an RCMP Forensic Collision Reconstructionist, continue to investigate.

MIL Security OSI –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Security: European prosecutors join forces to systemically fight organised criminal groups in new network

Source: Eurojust

An important step in the fight against organised crime has been taken today with the launch of the European Judicial Organised Crime Network (EJOCN), hosted at Eurojust. The complex and fast-evolving nature of major crimes in Europe make strengthening international judicial coordination necessary. The EJOCN will go beyond the investigation-based collaboration and combat organised crime strategically. Dangerous criminal groups active in drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, cybercrime and more will now face the full force of specialised prosecutors from all 27 EU Member States.

76 per cent of criminal groups in the EU are active in two to seven countries and profits from all illicit activities are estimated at around EUR 139 billion annually. Dismantling these groups requires a transnational approach that is fast and flexible and that can adapt to an ever-changing criminal landscape. The EJOCN will focus on horizontal issues that arise in the investigation and prosecution of high-risk criminal networks. It will allow prosecutors to tackle recurring legal challenges and identify new, practical opportunities to cooperate.

Over the past 20 years, Eurojust has built up a solid track record in providing operational, technical, logistical and financial support to national prosecutors active in the fight against organised crime. The work of the EJOCN will benefit from Eurojust’s unique operational expertise in setting up joint investigation teams and using other judicial cooperation tools in cross-border criminal investigations.

Eurojust President, Mr Ladislav Hamran, commented on the launch of the network: ‘Today, we step up the fight against organised crime across the European Union. Supported by Eurojust, the European Judicial Organised Crime Network will strengthen coordination among specialist prosecutors and judges throughout the EU and will reinforce our commitment to justice and security for all citizens. Through closer collaboration and by aligning judicial strategies across Member States, we send a clear message: organised crime knows no borders, but neither does our resolve to investigate and prosecute.’

The network was officially launched at Eurojust on 25 September. Prosecutors from all Member States came together in The Hague to discuss the scope, vision and practical functioning of the EJOCN. High-level representatives such as Didier Reynders, EU Commissioner for Justice, and Ylva Johansson, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, addressed the participants during the opening.

The EJOCN will address the poly-criminal nature of criminal networks and their agility in adapting to changes in the criminal environment. The EJOCN’s initial priority focus is combatting drug-related organised crime connected to European ports and other logistic hubs. As key gateways to Europe, ports are not only important hubs for trade but also for crime. 70 per cent of drug seizures done by customs take place in ports. The availability of illicit drugs continues to increase, making drug trafficking one of the most lucrative revenue sources for international criminals. According to Europol’s report on the EU’s most threatening criminal networks, 50 per cent of networks active in the EU are involved in drug trafficking. Criminals active in drug trafficking often resort to extreme violence, money laundering and other offences.

Eurojust has been actively working with national authorities to combat drug trafficking. The number of drug trafficking cases at Eurojust has doubled since 2020. In 2023 alone, Eurojust worked on almost 2 500 cases that led to the seizure of drugs worth more than EUR 25 billion. More on Eurojust casework can be found here.

Facts and Figures

MIL Security OSI –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI: Visiting Media Appoints Steve Sackman as Senior Vice President of Global Sales

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Visiting Media, the leader in immersive sales enablement for the hospitality industry, is proud to announce the appointment of Steve Sackman as Senior Vice President of Global Sales. A proven hospitality veteran with over 20 years of experience, Sackman will lead Visiting Media’s global sales efforts, accelerating growth and expanding the adoption of cutting-edge immersive technologies designed to transform how hotels engage and convert customers.

Sackman’s impressive career spans senior leadership roles with top-tier hospitality brands, including Highgate Hotels, Destination Hotels & Resorts, and Convene. His deep expertise in aligning sales strategies with industry trends and delivering exceptional revenue growth has made him a trusted advisor in the industry. Sackman’s hands-on experience working with prestigious properties like CoralTree Hospitality and SLS South Beach enables him to bring a unique perspective to Visiting Media—ensuring the company’s innovative solutions continue to meet the evolving needs of hoteliers and above-property sales teams.

“Steve’s extensive background in hospitality sales leadership brings a valuable operator’s perspective to our team,” said Jascha Kaykas-Wolff, COO of Visiting Media. “His deep empathy for the challenges and opportunities facing hotel sales executives will be crucial as we continue to deliver impactful solutions like SalesHub™ and Hospitality Cloud. Steve’s leadership will be a game-changer in helping us empower our customers to close deals faster and drive revenue growth.”

Known for his ability to cultivate high-performing sales teams and foster cross-functional collaboration, Sackman joins Visiting Media at a pivotal moment. With more than 3,300 customers worldwide, the company’s immersive sales enablement platforms are rapidly transforming how hotels showcase their spaces, engage prospective customers, and streamline the booking process. As the industry increasingly embraces virtual experiences to enhance customer engagement, Sackman will play a key role in scaling Visiting Media’s global footprint and delivering powerful, immersive sales tools to hotels around the world.

“I’m thrilled to join the innovative team at Visiting Media,” said Sackman. “Having worked on the frontlines of hotel sales, I understand firsthand the critical importance of technology that enhances sales efforts and accelerates the decision-making process. Visiting Media’s immersive solutions are a game-changer for the industry, and I’m excited to help more hotels leverage these tools to elevate their sales performance and drive lasting success.”

With Sackman’s leadership, Visiting Media is poised to strengthen its position as a leader in the hospitality tech space, helping hotels and above-property teams maximize their sales potential through immersive experiences and next-generation sales enablement tools.

About Visiting Media
Visiting Media is a software company on a mission to simplify selling spaces and experiences for hospitality. We aim to revolutionize sales enablement and digital asset management solutions for property and above-property sales teams by harnessing the power of immersion to gain a competitive edge. Our innovative solutions redefine the management and distribution of immersive assets across channels, reshaping how the hospitality industry conducts sales and communication. Learn more at visitingmedia.com.

The MIL Network –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Russia: The management of the State University of Management visited the DPR on a working visit

MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

On September 25, 2025, representatives of the rector’s office of the State University of Management, headed by Vladimir Stroyev, paid a working visit to the Donetsk People’s Republic.

A delegation from the State University of Management headed by rector Vitaly Stroyev handed over humanitarian aid to one of the combat units operating on the territory of the DPR. The handover took place as part of the “State University of Management – to Ourselves” campaign; the cargo included various equipment and first aid supplies.

After that, a round table was held, at which the State University of Management was represented by Rector Vladimir Stroyev, Vice-Rectors Maria Karelina, Vitaly Lapshenkov and Pavel Pavlovsky, as well as the Director of the Educational and Training Center for Actions in an Emergency Situation and Basic Military Training, Moscow City Duma Deputy Maxim Dzhetygenov. The host party was the head of the regional executive committee of the People’s Front in the DPR Sergey Samokhin, the head of the Department of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the DPR Alexey Yankel, the rector of the Donetsk National Technical University Alexander Anoprienko, the vice-rector for research Sergey Borshchevsky, as well as representatives of the Interregional Office of Rosfinmonitoring of the DPR, LPR, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions.

The round table was devoted to the issues of training specialists based on additional professional education programs, organizing work with youth, humanitarian cooperation, creating network programs for training engineers and developing the skills of young specialists. The possibilities of jointly submitting an application for the Advanced Engineering School were also discussed.

The Second Round Table was held on the territory of the Mariupol State University named after A.I. Kuindzhi. Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky took part in it. The agenda included issues of preserving the sovereignty and integrity of the Russian Federation.

After this, Vladimir Stroev made a working visit to the Priazovsky State Technical University, where he discussed with the acting rector Igor Kushchenko the possibilities of cooperation on scientific projects and educational programs.

Let us recall that yesterday the management of the State University of Management made a working visit to the Don State Technical University.

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 09/25/2024

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

Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

The management of the State University of Management visited the DPR on a working visit

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL OSI Russia News –

September 29, 2024

Category: Transport

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Verizon Frontline stands at the ready, prepared to assist first responders in any capacity needed

Being prepared is essential to support local businesses and communities

Are you hurricane ready?

**Editor’s Note: To access images and b-roll of past storms, Verizon equipment, recovery efforts and more, please visit Verizon’s Emergency Resource Hub at https://www.verizon.com/about/news/emergency-resource-center

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