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Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Telescopes Tune Into a Black Hole Prelude, Fugue

    Source: NASA

    NASA released three new pieces of cosmic sound Thursday that are associated with the densest and darkest members of our universe: black holes. These scientific productions are sonifications — or translations into sound — of data collected by NASA telescopes in space including the Chandra X-ray Observatory, James Webb Space Telescope, and Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE).

    This new trio of sonifications represents different aspects of black holes. Black holes are neither static nor monolithic. They evolve over time, and are found in a range of sizes and environments.

    [embedded content]
    Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Infrared: (Herschel) ESA/NASA/Caltech, (Spitzer) NASA/JPL/Caltech, (WISE) NASA/JPL/Caltech; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Webb ERO Production Team; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida)

    The first movement is a prelude to the potential birth of a black hole. WR124 is an extremely bright, short-lived massive star known as a Wolf-Rayet at a distance of about 28,000 light-years from Earth. These stars fling their outer layers out into space, creating spectacular arrangements seen in an image in infrared light from the Webb telescope. In the sonification of WR124, this nebula is heard as flutes and the background stars as bells. At the center of WR124, where the scan begins before moving outward, is a hot core of the star that may explode as a supernova and potentially collapse and leave behind a black hole in its wake. As the scan moves from the center outward, X-ray sources detected by Chandra are translated into harp sounds. Data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is heard as metallic bell-like sounds, while the light of the central star is mapped to produce the descending scream-like sound at the beginning. The piece is rounded out by strings playing additional data from the infrared telescopic trio of ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) Herschel Space Telescope, NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope, and NASA’s retired Wide Image Survey Explorer (WISE) as chords.

    [embedded content]
    Credit: X-ray: (IXPE): NASA/MSFC/IXPE; (Chandra): NASA/CXC/SAO; (XMM): ESA/XMM-Newton; IR: NASA/JPL/Caltech/WISE; Radio: NRAO/AUI/NSF/VLA/B. Saxton. (IR/Radio image created with data from M. Goss, et al.); Image Processing/compositing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk & K. Arcand; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida)

    In the second movement of this black hole composition, listeners can explore a duet. SS 433 is a binary, or double, system about 18,000 light-years away that sings out in X-rays. The two members of SS 433 include a star like our Sun in orbit around a much heavier partner, either a neutron star or a black hole. This orbital dance causes undulations in X-rays that Chandra, IXPE, and ESA’s XMM-Newton telescopes are tuned into. These X-ray notes have been combined with radio and infrared data to provide a backdrop for this celestial waltz. The nebula in radio waves resembles a drifting manatee, and the scan sweeps across from right to left. Light towards the top of the image is mapped to higher-pitch sound, with radio, infrared, and X-ray light mapped to low, medium, and high pitch ranges. Bright background stars are played as water-drop sounds, and the location of the binary system is heard as a plucked sound, pulsing to match the fluctuations due to the orbital dance.

    [embedded content]
    Credit: X-ray: (Chandra) NASA/CXC/SAO, (IXPE) NASA/MSFC; Optical: ESO; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand, J. Major, and J. Schmidt; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida)

    The third and final movement of the black hole-themed sonifications crescendos with a distant galaxy known as Centaurus A, about 12 million light-years away from Earth. At the center of Centaurus A is an enormous black hole that is sending a booming jet across the entire length of the galaxy. Sweeping around clockwise from the top of the image, the scan encounters Chandra’s X-rays and plays them as single-note wind chimes. X-ray light from IXPE is heard as a continuous range of frequencies, producing a wind-like sound. Visible light data from the European Southern Observatory’s MPG telescope shows the galaxy’s stars that are mapped to string instruments including foreground and background objects as plucked strings.
    For more NASA sonifications and information about the project, visit https://chandra.si.edu/sound/
    These sonifications were led by the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC), with support from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA’s Universe of Learning program, which is part of the NASA Science Activation program. The collaboration was driven by visualization scientist Kimberly Arcand (CXC), astrophysicist Matt Russo, and musician Andrew Santaguida (both of the SYSTEM Sounds project), along with consultant Christine Malec.
    NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science from Cambridge Massachusetts and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. NASA’s Universe of Learning materials are based upon work supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
    The agency’s IXPE is a collaboration between NASA and the Italian Space Agency with partners and science collaborators in 12 countries. The IXPE mission is led by Marshall. BAE Systems, Inc., headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, manages spacecraft operations together with the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder.
    To learn more about NASA’s space telescopes, visit:
    https://science.nasa.gov/universe

    Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here:

    chandra

    https://chandra.si.edu

    This release features three sonifications related to black holes, presented as soundtracks to short videos. Each sonification video features a composite image representing a different aspect of the life of a black hole. These images are visualizations of data collected by NASA telescopes. During each video, a line sweeps through the image. When the line encounters a visual element, it is translated into sound according to parameters established by visualization scientist Kimberly Arcand, astrophysicist Matt Russo, musician Andrew Santaguida, and consultant Christine Malec.
    The first sonification features WR124, an extremely bright, massive star. Here, the star is shown in a short-lived phase preceding the possible creation of a black hole. At the center of the composite image is the large gleaming star in white and pale blue. The star sits at the heart of a mottled pink and gold cloud, its long diffraction spikes extending to the outer edges. Also residing in the cloud are other large gleaming stars, glowing hot-pink dots, and tiny specks of blue and white light. In this sonification, the sound activation line is an ever-expanding circle which starts in the center of the massive star and continues to grow until it exits the frame.
    The second sonification features SS 433, a binary star system at the center of a supernova remnant known as the Manatee Nebula. Visually, the translucent, blobby teal nebula does, indeed, resemble a bulbous walrus or manatee, floating in a red haze packed with distant specs of light. Inside the nebula is a violet streak, a blue streak, and a large bright dot. The dot, represented by a plucking sound in the sonification, is the binary system at the heart of the nebula. In this sonification, the vertical activation line begins at our right edge of the frame, and sweeps across the image before exiting at our left.
    The third and final sonification features Centaurus A, a distant galaxy with an enormous black hole emitting a long jet of high-energy particles. The black hole sits at the center of the composite image, represented by a brilliant white light. A dark, grainy, oblong cloud cuts diagonally across the black hole from our lower left toward our upper right. A large, faint, translucent blue cloud stretches from our upper left to our lower right. And the long, thin jet, also in translucent blue, extends from the black hole at the center toward the upper lefthand corner. In this sonification, the activation line rotates around the image like the hand of a clock. It begins at the twelve o’clock position, and sweeps clockwise around the image.

    Megan WatzkeChandra X-ray CenterCambridge, Mass.617-496-7998mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu
    Lane FigueroaMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama256-544-0034lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sols 4532-4533: Polygon Heaven

    Source: NASA

    Written by Catherine O’Connell-Cooper, Planetary Geologist at University of New Brunswick
    Earth planning date: Monday, May 5, 2025
    Our 29-meter weekend drive (about 95 feet) was successful, and we are still in the band of polygon-rich bedrock.
    The origin of these cracks is not clear — could they have formed as desiccation cracks as Mars began to get drier, billions of years ago? Or during later periods when groundwater moved through the bedrock? Spending time in this area will help us to tease out their origin by sampling as much of the diversity as we can, from regular bedrock to the stranger textured targets. Touch and Go plans allow only a few hours of science at a given workspace — in this plan, the rover turns on around 9 a.m. local time, and by 2 p.m. we have picked up and moved on to the next stop. So planning on a day like today is quite the balancing act, trying to cram in as much science, as efficiently as possible, in a small amount of time.
    On Friday, I helped plan APXS on some of the polygon features, so today we were able to concentrate on more typical bedrock without polygonal features, to compare with our last targets. We wiIl acquire a short APXS integration on the brushed target “Encinitas,” and image the target with MAHLI. In contrast, ChemCam will use LIBS to analyze “Jack Creek,” an elongated vein feature about 30 centimeters long (about 12 inches), which may be related to the polygon features. Both Mastcam and MAHLI will image this vein.  
    Beyond the workspace, but relatively closer to the rover, Mastcam will image “Loma Verde” on a small, overturned block and “Temescal Canyon,” looking at a larger expanse of bedrock with polygonal structures. Further afield, ChemCam will acquire a long-distance image at “Agua Tibia,” which is close to “Torote Bowl,” a circular feature that we have been imaging periodically since sol 4486.  
    Once all the science has been gathered here in our very busy morning, we move on in a 26-meter drive (about 85 feet). We are edging closer to the “boxwork structures” — it feels like we have been saying this in every blog for a long time, but we will have “wheels on” for the first time within the next few drives. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Hubble Pinpoints Roaming Massive Black Hole

    Source: NASA

    Like a scene out of a sci-fi movie, astronomers using NASA telescopes have found “Space Jaws.”
    Lurking 600 million light-years away, within the inky black depths between stars, there is an invisible monster gulping down any wayward star that plummets toward it. The sneaky black hole betrayed its presence in a newly identified tidal disruption event (TDE) where a hapless star was ripped apart and swallowed in a spectacular burst of radiation. These disruption events are powerful probes of black hole physics, revealing the conditions necessary for launching jets and winds when a black hole is in the midst of consuming a star, and are seen as bright objects by telescopes.
    The new TDE, called AT2024tvd, allowed astronomers to pinpoint a wandering supermassive black hole using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, with similar supporting observations from NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the NRAO Very Large Array telescope that also showed that the black hole is offset from the center of the galaxy.
    The paper will be published in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

    This six-panel illustration of a tidal disruption event around a supermassive black hole shows the following: 1) A supermassive black hole is adrift inside a galaxy, its presence only detectable by gravitational lensing; 2) A wayward star gets swept up in the black hole’s intense gravitational pull; 3) The star is stretched or “spaghettified” by gravitational tidal effects; 4) The star’s remnants form a disk around the black hole; 5) There is a period of black hole accretion, pouring out radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from X-rays to radio wavelengths; and 6) The host galaxy, seen from afar, contains a bright flash of energy that is offset from the galaxy’s nucleus, where an even more massive black hole dwells.
    Artwork: NASA, ESA, STScI, Ralf Crawford (STScI)

    Surprisingly, this one million-solar-mass black hole doesn’t reside exactly in the center of the host galaxy, where supermassive black holes are typically found, and actively gobble up surrounding material. Out of approximately 100 TDE events recorded by optical sky surveys so far, this is the first time an offset TDE has been identified. The rest are associated with the central black holes of galaxies.
    In fact, at the center of the host galaxy there is a different supermassive black hole weighing 100 million times the mass of the Sun. Hubble’s optical precision shows the TDE was only 2,600 light-years from the more massive black hole at the galaxy’s center. That’s just one-tenth the distance between our Sun and the Milky Way’s central supermassive black hole.
    This bigger black hole spews out energy as it accretes infalling gas, and it is categorized as an active galactic nucleus. Strangely, the two supermassive black holes co-exist in the same galaxy, but are not gravitationally bound to each other as a binary pair. The smaller black hole may eventually spiral into the galaxy’s center to merge with the bigger black hole. But for now, it is too far separated to be gravitationally bound.
    A TDE happens when an infalling star is stretched or “spaghettified” by a black hole’s immense gravitational tidal forces. The shredded stellar remnants are pulled into a circular orbit around the black hole. This generates shocks and outflows with high temperatures that can be seen in ultraviolet and visible light.
    “AT2024tvd is the first offset TDE captured by optical sky surveys, and it opens up the entire possibility of uncovering this elusive population of wandering black holes with future sky surveys,” said lead study author Yuhan Yao of the University of California at Berkeley. “Right now, theorists haven’t given much attention to offset TDEs. “I think this discovery will motivate scientists to look for more examples of this type of event.”

    This is a Hubble Space Telescope image of distant galaxy that is host to the telltale signature of a roaming supermassive black hole.
    Science: NASA, ESA, STScI, Yuhan Yao (UC Berkeley); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

    A Flash in the Night
    The star-snacking black hole gave itself away when several ground-based sky survey telescopes observed a flare as bright as a supernova. But unlike a supernova, astronomers know that this came from a black hole snacking on a star because the flare was very hot, and showed broad emission lines of hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen, and silicon. The Zwicky Transient Facility at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory, with its 1.2-meter telescope that surveys the entire northern sky every two days, first observed the event.
    “Tidal disruption events hold great promise for illuminating the presence of massive black holes that we would otherwise not be able to detect,” said Ryan Chornock, associate adjunct professor at UC Berkeley and a member of the ZTF team. “Theorists have predicted that a population of massive black holes located away from the centers of galaxies must exist, but now we can use TDEs to find them.”
    The flare was seemingly offset from the center of a bright massive galaxy as cataloged by  Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and the DESI Legacy Imaging Survey. To better determine that it was not at the galactic center, Yao’s team used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory to confirm that X-rays from the flare site were also offset.
    It took the resolving power of Hubble to settle any uncertainties. Hubble’s sensitivity to ultraviolet light also allows it to pinpoint the location of the TDE, which is much bluer than the rest of the galaxy.

    This is a combined Hubble Space Telescope/Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of a distant galaxy that is host to the telltale signature of a roaming supermassive black hole. Both telescopes caught a tidal disruption event (TDE) caused by the black hole eating a star.
    Science: NASA, ESA, STScI, Yuhan Yao (UC Berkeley); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

    Origin Unknown
    The black hole responsible for the TDE is prowling inside the bulge of the massive galaxy. The black hole only becomes apparent every few tens of thousands of years when it “burps” from capturing a star, and then it goes quiet again until its next meal comes along.
    How did the black hole get off-center? Previous theoretical studies have shown that black holes can be ejected out of the centers of galaxies because of three-body interactions, where the lowest-mass member gets kicked out. This may be the case here, given the stealthy black hole’s close proximity to the central black hole. “If the black hole went through a triple interaction with two other black holes in the galaxy’s core, it can still remain bound to the galaxy, orbiting around the central region,“ said Yao.
    An alternative explanation is that the black hole is the surviving remnant of a smaller galaxy that merged with the host galaxy more than 1 billion years ago. If that is the case, the black hole might eventually spiral in to merge with the central active black hole sometime in the very far future. So at present, astronomers don’t know if it’s coming or going.
    Erica Hammerstein, another UC Berkeley postdoctoral researcher, scrutinized the Hubble images as part of the study, but did not find any evidence of a past galaxy merger. But she explained, “There is already good evidence that galaxy mergers enhance TDE rates, but the presence of a second black hole in AT2024tvd’s host galaxy means that at some point in this galaxy’s past, a merger must have happened.”
    Specialized for different kinds of light, observatories like Hubble and Chandra work together to pinpoint and better understand fleeting events like these. Future telescopes that will also be optimized for capturing transient events like this one include the National Science Foundation’s Vera C. Rubin Observatory and NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. They will provide more opportunities for follow-up Hubble observations to zero in on a transient’s exact location.

    The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.
    ZTF is a public-private partnership, with equal support from the ZTF Partnership and from the U.S. National Science Foundation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 5.8.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    May 8, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Gena Castro Rodriguez, of Daly City, has been appointed to the Board of State and Community Corrections. Castro Rodriguez has been Owner of Castro Rodriguez Consulting since 2025 and an Assistant Professor at the University of San Francisco since 2012. She was the Executive Director of the National Alliance for Trauma Recovery Centers at the University of California, San Francisco from 2023 to 2025. Castro Rodriguez was the Director of Survivor Policy at the Prosecutors Alliance from 2021 to 2023. She was the Chief of Victims Services and Parallel Justice Programs at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office from 2014 to 2021. Castro Rodriguez is a Co-Leader of the University of San Francisco Center for Counseling and Community Wellness, and a member of the National Organization of Victim Assistance. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Clinical Psychology from the California Institute for Integral Studies, a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, Sacramento. This position requires Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Castro Rodriguez is a Democrat.

    Joshua Yang, of Huntington Beach, has been appointed to the Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee. Yang has been a Professor at California State University, Fullerton since 2009. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at University of California, San Francisco from 2007 to 2009. Yang was a Senior Researcher at the Center for Health Policy Research at University of California, Los Angeles from 2005 to 2007. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Public Health, a Master of Public Health degree in Community Health Sciences, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiological Sciences from University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Yang is registered without party preference.

    Katie Nair, of Roseville, has been appointed to the Board of Registered Nursing. Nair has been Senior Director of Nursing Operations at Sutter Health since 2024, Director of Inpatient Nursing at Sutter Health since 2022 and Director of Performance Improvement and Spiritual Care Services at Sutter Health since 2020, where she was Interim Director and Clinical Manager for Cardiovascular Services from 2017 to 2019. She was the Director of Nursing for Cardiovascular and Respiratory Services at Green Valley Hospital from 2015 to 2017. Nair held several positions at Tucson Medical Center from 2008 to 2015, including Manager of the Intensive Care Unit, Intensive Care Nurse, and Adult Medical Telemetry Registered Nurse. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree in Health Care Management from the University of Phoenix, and a Master of Science degree in Nursing, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Grand Canyon University. Nair is a Co-Lead of the Accredited Chaplain Professional Education Consultation Committee and is a member of the Sacramento Chapter of the Association of California Nurse Leaders, Institute of Healthcare Improvement, Northern California Chapter of the Association of Vascular Access, and the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Nair is registered without party preference.

    Jovita Dominguez, of Castroville, has been reappointed to the Board of Registered Nursing, where she has served since 2021. Dominguez has been a Staff Nurse III at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital since 1987 and a Clinical Instructor at Hartnell College since 1999. Dominguez earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from California State University, San Jose. She is a member of the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses and the California Nurses Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Dominguez is a Democrat.

    John Russell, of El Dorado Hills, has been appointed to the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. Russell has been Executive of Operations at Sutter Health since 2025, where he has held multiple positions since 2007, including Director of Area Operations, Regional Administrator, Regional Director, Director and Manager. He was a Licensed Vocational Nurse and Floor Nurse at O’Connor Hospital from 2004 to 2007. Russell earned a Doctor of Health Administration degree from Virginia University of Lynchburg, and a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Russell is a Democrat.

    John Bolton, of Huntington Beach, has been appointed to the Private Security Disciplinary Review Committee South. Bolton has been the Principal at Bolton Security Group since 2022. He was the Assistant Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge for the Federal Air Marshall Service from 2002 to 2017. Bolton was an Officer/Technician for the United States Secret Service from 1990 to 2002. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Emory and Henry University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Bolton is registered without party preference.

    Jeffrey Dodd, of Napa, has been appointed to the 25th District Agricultural Association Napa Town & Country Fair Board. Dodd has been a Partner at Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass LLP since 2021. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dodd is a member of the Napa Valley College Board of Trustees, Community Health Initiative, and the Napa County Bar Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Dodd is a Democrat.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Workshops – Consent-based rape legislation in the EU – 19-05-2025 – Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

    Source: European Parliament

    On Monday, 19 May 2025, the Policy Department for Citizens, Equality and Culture, at the request of the FEMM Committee, will organise a workshop entitled ‘Consent-based rape legislation in the EU’.

    The workshop will examine key aspects of consent, the state of play of consent-based rape legislation throughout the EU, as well as awareness raising and capacity building in this regard. The workshop proceedings will feed into the joint LIBE-FEMM own-initiative report on the ‘Importance of consent-based rape legislation in the EU’. Members will debate with Sara Uhnoo (University of Gothenburg), Kristien Michielsen (KU Leuven) and Donna von Allemann (Women against Violence Europe Network (WAVE)).

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Kiwi kids once led the world in reading – this 1950s primary school syllabus still has lessons for today

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Boyask, Director of LitPlus, AUT School of Education, Auckland University of Technology

    Getty Images

    There is a well-known whakatauki (Māori proverb) that goes: “Ka mua, ka muri” – “walking backwards into the future”. It applies to many areas of life, but in education the idea of looking to the past to inform our way forward seems more relevant than ever.

    New Zealand was once a world leader in reading. In the early 1970s, as leading literacy educationalist Warwick Elley reminds us, Kiwi teenagers performed best of all countries participating in the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.

    New Zealand students remained good readers throughout the 1990s, earning the top results for reading out of 32 participating countries in the first Programme for International Student Assessment survey in 2000.

    Overall, New Zealand children are still above average. But while many children learn to read successfully, significant numbers do not. And concern about reading capability has led to a recent curriculum overhaul.

    The reforms focus on raising reading standards and regular testing. But the lessons of the past suggest we performed better with less focus on raising test scores. In fact, it was a more flexible, balanced approach to English education that provided a strong foundation for literacy.

    Some clues to why this was possible can be found in the 1953 Primary School Reading Syllabus from the old Department of Education. It was among the first of many research-based reading initiatives in the mid-20th century, along with Ready to Read books in the 1960s, and the Reading Recovery program developed by Marie Clay in the 1970s.

    Given New Zealand was a conservative postwar society that was yet to grapple meaningfully with colonial history and Treaty rights, the document is surprisingly less rigid than one might expect.

    In fact, it is largely compatible with contemporary ideas about teaching and learning. In some areas, the 1953 syllabus seems more progressive than the current curriculum, with clear views on inclusiveness and designing teaching to meet individual needs.

    Ironically, many of today’s parents and grandparents – some of whom support a “back to basics” school system – were educated using this flexible and purpose-driven approach.

    New Zealand in 1953

    According to the New Zealand Official Yearbook for 1953, the country was enjoying postwar prosperity with 72% of its exports going to other Commonwealth countries.

    England was still the “mother country” and the young Queen Elizabeth’s post-coronation visit – also in 1953 – fuelled intense royal fervour. Edmund Hillary conquered Everest, and a highly publicised air race from London to Christchurch helped popularise plane travel.

    Society was far more egalitarian. In a population of just over two million, only 15 people received an unemployment benefit (there were a variety of other welfare payments such as war pensions).

    At the same time, New Zealand did not view itself as bicultural in the way it does today. For many Pākehā, Māori culture was little more than a curiosity or a tourist attraction.

    School was already compulsory from ages seven to 15, and roughly 17% of the population were enrolled in primary schools. These were the children taught to read according to the 1953 syllabus.

    A brief A5-sized booklet of just 13 pages, it recognises reading as a central component of a rich and full life – and that it can be used for “useful, harmless or nefarious” purposes.

    Competing with other temptations such as “the exploits of Superman and Mighty Mouse”, as well as cinema and radio, is one of its concerns. But its main aim is to “teach the child to read […] in ways that will encourage him (sic) to use his skill freely and naturally”.

    Postwar prosperity and a royal tour too: schoolchildren wave Union Jack flags at the Duke of Edinburgh during in early 1954.
    Getty Images

    Avoiding a standardised approach

    The syllabus outlines ideal components of a classroom reading programme: reading to self (silently) and peers (aloud), listening to story and verse, participating in dramatisation, word study and study skills.

    Word study should include learning about phonics. But the syllabus tempers this with the advice that “there can be no doubt that too early a preoccupation with phonics may serve to kill interest in reading”.

    This might have been written today by those concerned that structured approaches to literacy will crowd out other important parts of early reading education.

    The 1953 syllabus says reading material should encompass fiction (including local authors), non-fiction, plays and poetry. While competent reading by all is the goal, the syllabus also states: “A uniform standard of achievement […] is a mistaken aim.”

    This recognition of variable individual capability is something critics say is missing from today’s curriculum. Expectations are set for each year at school, with teachers strongly encouraged to teach to the year level.

    The fear is that some students will fall behind as their class moves on, while progress for others will be restricted if they are ahead of those expectations.

    The 1953 syllabus cautions that the “results of standardised tests should be weighed against the teacher’s own observation […] and modified accordingly”.

    Encouraging teacher autonomy

    By comparison, the new English curriculum is long at 108 pages, complex and prescriptive. It includes a range of aims clustered under the headings “Understand”, “Know” and “Do”.

    The first encompasses five big ideas learners are expected to develop during their schooling. The second covers the knowledge required in English to become literate. The third outlines the practical steps learners will take in the different phases of their schooling.

    To be fair, the new curriculum aims to make all children feel good about reading. It encourages using different kinds of texts, focuses on assessment activities that build on one another, and supports teachers to adapt for student differences.

    And, given its contemporary context, there is an awareness of the important role of culture and the unique place of Māori in New Zealand that is entirely missing in the 1953 document.

    But the new curriculum also contains directives the 1953 syllabus warned teachers against – namely a preoccupation with teaching phonics, and teaching linked to prescriptive progress measurement and outcomes.

    Although brief, the 1953 document is arguably broader in scope and requires teachers to have greater skills. A strength of the old syllabus is that it encouraged teacher professionalism, autonomy and judgement in deciding the best next steps for each learner.

    Overall, the 2025 curriculum seems the more constrictive document. The 1953 syllabus presents a view of reading that prioritises the human experience – reading as an aesthetic experience as well as a practical skill.

    This article is based on original work by Jayne Jackson, senior lecturer and educational researcher at Manukau Institute of Technology, with the help of AUT’s LitPlus research group.

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

    – ref. Kiwi kids once led the world in reading – this 1950s primary school syllabus still has lessons for today – https://theconversation.com/kiwi-kids-once-led-the-world-in-reading-this-1950s-primary-school-syllabus-still-has-lessons-for-today-253719

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How the word ‘incel’ got away from us

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Farid Zaid, Senior Lecturer, Psychology, Monash University

    Javier Bermudez Zayas/Shutterstock

    Imagine a young man whose voice has been worn down by years of feeling invisible. Plain, numb and bitter, the “incel” tries to explain the kind of hopelessness most of us would rather not confront:

    I believed I was unlovable, so who the hell is gonna love me? I won’t get a good job, and if I don’t get a good job, I won’t be able to live the kind of life I want. I’ll be lonely and depressed, and what’s the point of living?

    You start seeing life not as something to look forward to, but as something you just have to survive.

    The pain it describes is far more common than we care to admit.

    Today, the word “incel” conjures images of angry online forums, misogyny and even mass violence.

    But it didn’t start that way. Incel began as a term for the ache of not being chosen – an ache that, for many young men, has become defining.



    Read more:
    ‘Looksmaxxing’ is the disturbing TikTok trend turning young men into incels

    The birth of ‘incel’

    In the late 1990s, a Canadian woman known only as Alana created “Alana’s Involuntary Celibacy Project”, a support group for people of all genders struggling to form romantic or sexual relationships.

    There was no ideology, just stories of heartbreak, confusion and the quiet sadness of feeling left behind.

    She coined the term “invcel”, later shortened to incel. It was a label for isolation, not anger.

    But as it often does, the internet repurposed it and angry subcultures took root.

    The term hardened: incel began to describe a threat.

    Today, it refers to a loosely connected online subculture of young men who see themselves as romantically excluded, blame women or society for their condition, and often express their resentment through misogynistic language, fatalism and at times, violent rhetoric.

    How did a word born in solidarity become shorthand for male radicalisation and resentment?

    Incel evolution

    By the mid-2000s, forums such as 4chan, Reddit and obscure message boards had begun to distort the term.

    This new banner of incel identity was encompassed by grievance, rage and rejection.

    The digital architecture of these spaces didn’t just permit this shift, it accelerated it. Anonymous avatars, endless algorithms and upvote economies rewarded extremity.

    Pain was no longer expressed, it was curated, memed and weaponised.

    Incel communities developed their own jargon: “Chads” (attractive, socially successful men), “Stacys” (the women who desire them), and “blackpill theory” (a fatalistic belief that one’s romantic or sexual failure is biologically determined and irreversible).

    This crude mythology was used to explain why some men supposedly get everything and others get nothing.

    As these forums grew, many also became incubators for dehumanising language and open hostility towards women.

    Some of the most active subreddits and boards were eventually banned for promoting violent content or glorifying attacks on women.

    Law enforcement agencies in several countries have since begun monitoring incel spaces as potential sites of radicalisation.



    Read more:
    We research online ‘misogynist radicalisation’. Here’s what parents of boys should know

    Loneliness and isolation

    While these online communities became more extreme, they also came to dominate the cultural narrative – distracting us from a quieter, more pervasive truth: most young men who feel unwanted or invisible aren’t in these online spaces at all.

    They’re not angry or radicalised. They’re just trying to make sense of a life that feels increasingly empty – the very men the word incel was once meant to describe.

    That emptiness is part of a growing epidemic of loneliness, particularly among young men.

    As social ties fray and emotional isolation deepens, many find themselves without the friendships, intimacy or sense of belonging that once buffered against despair.

    One in four Australian men say they have no close friends they can confide in.

    These young men are also struggling with the language to name what they feel.

    Being single often makes these men feel irrelevant and worthless. Disconnected and ashamed, many go silent. Or they go online in search of community.

    What can be done?

    The first step is resisting the urge to caricature and dismiss.

    Most of these young men are not ticking time bombs – they are simply struggling with disconnection. We need more places where that pain can be acknowledged without shame or fear of ridicule.

    It starts with how we talk to, and about, young men. That means fostering emotional literacy in ways that feel authentic and supporting initiatives that build connection without moralising.

    This can be done through mentorships and community groups that allow for real relationships to form.

    We need more male-friendly mental health services and more male psychologists, too: there are more than four women for every man in this field.

    Mental health services that reflect men’s lived realities – through tone, approach and practitioner experience – are more likely to break down the barriers that keep many men away.

    Policy can help, too: civic infrastructure that fosters belonging – such as community sports clubs, trade apprenticeships and structured volunteering opportunities – play a critical role. These are the spaces where purpose grows roots and where men in particular often find meaning and community outside formal support systems.

    Time for a change?

    While the threat from radicalised men online remains, maybe it’s time to retire the word incel.

    What began as a label for loneliness has become a painful slur for many men – a shortcut for contempt.

    When we lose the language to describe the pain, we can lose the people too.

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

    – ref. How the word ‘incel’ got away from us – https://theconversation.com/how-the-word-incel-got-away-from-us-255109

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: As Filipinos prepare to vote, ex-strongman Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest is dividing families – all the way to the president

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Noel Morada, Visiting Professor, Nelson Mandela Centre, Chulalongkorn University; and Research Fellow, Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, Chulalongkorn University

    It’s been two months since former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face potential prosecution for crimes against humanity.

    Duterte’s arrest has angered his supporters and caused polarisation to worsen in the lead-up to important parliamentary elections on May 12.

    The election could be a referendum on the current president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose approval rating fell to 25% in March after Duterte’s arrest. It had been 42% a month earlier.

    Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, meanwhile, has seen her approval rating increase to 59%, despite the fact she was impeached by the House of Representatives earlier this year for threatening to assassinate Marcos.

    Some of Marcos’ former allies are now drifting towards Sara Duterte, potentially setting her up for a successful run for the presidency herself in 2028.

    Family feuding

    Marcos is not only dealing with the resentment of some segments of the public, he’s also facing a challenge from his own sister, Imee Marcos, a senator.

    Imee Marcos conducted several hearings in the Senate to probe into the procedures followed by the national police and other government agencies in implementing Duterte’s arrest warrant, which had been issued through Interpol.

    Right from the start, she denounced Duterte’s surrender to the ICC as a violation of the Philippine constitution and the country’s sovereignty. She asserted the court did not have jurisdiction over the Philippines after it withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019.

    In a press conference on April 29, Imee Marcos announced a Senate committee is recommending the filing of criminal charges against the head of the Department of Justice and other officials who arrested and turned him over to the ICC. On May 7, the ombudsman asked these officials to respond to the Senate committee complaint within 10 days.

    Imee Marcos has political motivations of her own for acting in this way. She is seeking another term herself and has been trailing in public opinion polls.

    To make the political machinations even more complex, Sara Duterte has now endorsed Imee Marcos’ bid for re-election. Some of Duterte’s supporters, however, have been sceptical about Marcos’ motives in conducting the hearings.

    Controlling the narrative

    Though Duterte’s arrest has dominated the headlines in the Philippines, it’s unclear whether Marcos’ declining popularity as president is tied solely to this incident.

    Many Filipinos supported Duterte’s arrest, according to one poll in March. And Marcos’ government has also been criticised for the state of the economy.

    But at least one observer has pointed to the Duterte family’s effective use of Tiktok to control the narrative around his arrest, portraying it as a kidnapping. Sara Duterte has recently claimed her name is on the ICC prosecutor’s list of those who will be arrested next.

    It is also important to note Duterte’s supporters have resorted to the dissemination of fake news and disinformation against the Marcos administration. His supporters have also aimed their attacks on the ICC pre-trial judges, as well as victims of the drugs war during Duterte’s time in office.

    The 2028 presidential race

    The outcome of the elections in the Philippines next week will no doubt have short- and medium-term implications for the country’s politics.

    First, if all nine of the Senate candidates backed by the Marcos administration win, they would expand his bloc of supporters in the chamber. This bloc may then vote to convict Sara Duterte when her impeachment case moves to a Senate trial.

    If she’s convicted, she would be banned from running for president in 2028. But it’s uncertain if two-thirds of senators would vote to convict – the threshold necessary for impeachment. Some pro-Marcos and independent senators may be wary of antagonising loyal Duterte supporters.

    If Sara Duterte is acquitted, this would likely only boost her bid for the presidency.

    The ICC’s pre-trial chamber will hold a hearing in September that will be watched closely by pro- and anti-Duterte forces in the Philippines. On May 8, the chamber rejected a petition filed by Duterte’s defence team to excuse two judges over alleged bias.

    His loyal supporters will likely increase their attacks against the ICC, the victims of Duterte’s drugs war, and the Marcos administration through the use of fake news and disinformation as the trial progresses.

    If Duterte is convicted by the court prior to the 2028 election, it will certainly be used as a campaign issue by both sides, too. And this will only further worsen polarisation in the Philippines.

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

    – ref. As Filipinos prepare to vote, ex-strongman Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest is dividing families – all the way to the president – https://theconversation.com/as-filipinos-prepare-to-vote-ex-strongman-rodrigo-dutertes-arrest-is-dividing-families-all-the-way-to-the-president-255600

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Hidden connections of more than 100 migratory marine species revealed in interactive map

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lily Bentley, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland

    Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock

    From the enormous blue whale to the delicate monarch butterfly, animals of all shapes and sizes migrate across the globe. These migrations connect distant habitats, from the tropics to the poles. They are also crucial to both the health of species making these epic journeys, and the habitats where they live.

    It is hard to visualise these epic, globe-spanning journeys and the habitats they connect. But an interactive map we developed, alongside an international team of scientists from the University of Queensland and Duke University and in partnership with the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative, can help.

    Known as Mico (Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean), this map is a valuable conservation tool that demonstrates just how connected our oceans are due to animal migration. It is freely available here, and has just been updated with our newly published research in Nature Communications. This research synthesises thousands of records of more than 100 species of birds, mammals, turtles and fish that connect almost 2,000 crucial habitats.

    Mico brings together the migratory movements of more than 100 migratory marine species, including the Arctic tern.
    Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean/Mico

    An evolving science

    Humans have contemplated animal migrations for millennia. Representations of and theories about these journeys are observable in Stone Age rock art and the writings of Ancient Greek philosophers. Indigenous peoples and local communities have also long relied upon and understood the seasonal movements of culturally important species.

    But for much of human history, identifying specific destinations of migratory species was an inexact science. This has started to change in recent decades, as scientists have developed and deployed animal-borne satellite tags which can record and transmit an animal’s location as it migrates.

    These tags can be very expensive to deploy and collect data from. They also require enormous investments of time and expertise. But they are crucial if we are to understand where migratory species go when they’re outside the range of normal human observations.

    Animal-borne satellite tags can be expensive, but are crucial for understanding where turtles and other migratory animals travel.
    NOAA/NMFS/Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Blog

    The journeys of migratory species also span multiple jurisdictions. This means cooperation between countries is required to ensure they are protected.

    For example, many albatross species receive significant conservation investment at their nesting islands within national jurisdictions. But they are at high risk of being incidentally caught and killed or injured in longline fisheries operating in international waters.

    Synthesising more than 1,300 studies

    For our new study, we reviewed the literature on the movements of marine migratory species from 1990 to 2017. We synthesised the start and end points of migrations reported in more than 1,300 individual studies. These studies covered 109 marine species.

    This information was then aggregated to remove duplicate data and combine sites very near to each other (on a global scale) into one “metasite” to make it easier to display. Each data point is also linked to the study from which it comes. This means you can always find the work of the original team who tagged those animals.

    In synthesising the studies in this manner, we created an interactive map and downloadable dataset estimating the measured migratory connections of the global ocean.

    If you look up the green turtle map, for example, you can see just how much information there is for this highly-studied species. The red links show many tracked movements from breeding to foraging areas within each ocean basin.

    Sperm whales, on the other hand, are globally distributed – you can toggle on the species distribution in the top menu. But we only have information about connectivity for animals in the Atlantic and east Pacific oceans. You can see these sites on the map, mostly in North America and in the Mediterranean.

    Because researchers are yet to track animals in all parts of the globe, the map is missing some information about the migratory movements of key species in particular areas. We are planning updates as more information becomes available.

    Sperm whales are globally distributed, but Mico currently only captures their connectivity in the Atlantic and east Pacific oceans.
    Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean/Mico

    A tool for conservation

    This summary of migratory information is important for improving global conservation.

    Scientists have published many papers on migrations, both of single populations or species, and combining data about taxonomy from several different sources. But these can be difficult to keep up with for managers or policymakers who may not have time to engage with every single piece of emerging scientific literature.

    Our information can help identify stakeholders when planning or managing a conservation project. Many of these stakeholders may be across an ocean basin or even in a different hemisphere.

    The scientific synthesis we provide can help countries take more informed actions to achieve the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s target of conserving a “well-connected” 30% of terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas by 2030. This is particularly true in the high seas, as a mechanism to implement protected areas outside of national waters is developed under the soon-to-be-ratified High Seas Treaty.

    Various seabirds, including the Amsterdam Albatross, are included in the new research.
    Sergey 402/Shutterstock

    In addition to sharing the enormous scope of work that has been conducted on the migration of large ocean animals over the last decades, our work has already fed into policy processes.

    For example, it has been used by seven United Nations conventions or organisations. We hope to formalise the role of our map as a node of the Convention on Migratory Species’ Atlas of Animal Migration at their next meeting in March 2026.

    More broadly, we hope this work will support better international collaboration to conserve our incredible oceanic migrants for years to come.

    Lily Bentley receives funding from a Queensland-Smithsonian Fellowship on understanding migratory connectivity of seabirds in the Great Barrier Reef. She has presented on the work discussed at policy fora including the Conference of Parties (COP) for the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on Migratory Species. She works on the Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MiCO; mico.eco) system, which has been previously supported by the German International Climate Initiative (IKI) and UNEP-WCMC.

    Autumn-Lynn Harrison directs the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute’s Migratory Connectivity Project, supported by a gift to the Smithsonian by ConocoPhillips. She is also a Partner Investigator on an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant for understanding migratory connectivity in the ocean.

    Daniel Dunn receives funding to support the development of the Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MICO) system from a grant to the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI) from the International Climate Initiative (IKI), UNEP-WCMC, and from an Australian Research Council Discovery Project grant. The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports the IKI on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.

    – ref. Hidden connections of more than 100 migratory marine species revealed in interactive map – https://theconversation.com/hidden-connections-of-more-than-100-migratory-marine-species-revealed-in-interactive-map-255972

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Experts split on Australia’s Papua New Guinea military recruitment plan

    By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist

    Australia’s plan to recruit from Papua New Guinea for its Defence Force raises “major ethical concerns”, according to the Australia Defence Association, while another expert thinks it is broadly a good idea.

    The two nations are set to begin negotiating a new defence treaty that is expected to see Papua New Guineans join the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

    Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James believes “it’s an idiot idea” if there is no pathway to citizenship for Papua New Guineans who serve in the ADF

    “You can’t expect other people to defend your country if you’re not willing to do it and until this scheme actually addresses this in any detail, we’re not going to know whether it’s an idiot idea or it’s something that might be workable in the long run.”

    However, an expert associate at the Australian National University’s National Security College, Jennifer Parker, believes it is a good idea.

    “Australia having a closer relationship with Papua New Guinea through that cross pollination of people going and working in each other’s defence forces, that’s incredibly positive.”

    Parker said recruiting from the Pacific has been an ongoing conversation, but the exact nature of what the recruitment might look like is unknown, including whether there is a pathway to citizenship or if there would be a separate PNG unit within the ADF.

    Extreme scenario
    When asked whether it was ethical for people from PNG to fight Australia’s wars, Parker said that would be an extreme scenario.

    “We’re not talking about conscripting people from other countries or anything like that. We’re talking about offering the opportunity for people, if they choose to join,” she said.

    “There are many defence forces around the world where people choose, people who are born in other countries, choose to join.”

    However, James disagrees.

    “Whether they’re volunteers or whether they’re conscripted, you’re still expecting foreigners to defend your society and with no link to that society.”

    Both Parker and James brought up concerns surrounding brain drain.

    James said in Timor-Leste, in the early 2000s, many New Zealanders in the army infantry who were serving alongside Australia joined the Australian Army, attracted by the higher pay, which was not in the interest of New Zealand or Australia in the long run.

    Care needed
    “You’ve got to be real careful that you don’t ruin the Papua New Guinea Defence Force by making it too easy for Papua New Guineans to serve in the Australian Defence Force.”

    Parker said the policy needed to be crafted very clearly in conjunction with Papua New Guinea to make sure it strengthened the two nations relationship, not undermined it.

    Australia aims to grow the number of ADF uniformed personnel to 80,000 by 2040. However, it is not on track to meet that target.

    Parker said she did not think Australia was trying to fill the shortfall.

    “There are a couple of challenges in the recruitment issues for the Australian Defence Force.

    “But I don’t think the scoping of recruiting people from Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, if it indeed goes ahead, is about addressing recruitment for the Australian Defence Force.

    “I think it’s about increasing closer security ties between Papua New Guinea, the Pacific Islands, and Australia.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A: National Nurses Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    Q: What is National Nurses Week?
    A: Efforts to honor and celebrate nurses in the United States first got underway during the Eisenhower administration. In 1974, President Nixon issued a proclamation to honor the expanding role nurses were taking on in the health care system, such as nurse practitioners and those specializing in pediatric, cardiac, oncology and geriatric care. In 1982, President Reagan signed a proclamation to mark “National Recognition Day for Nurses” that observed the indispensable role nurses have in patient care, from intensive care in trauma and burn units to community health and home care, nursing homes and schools. Since then, grassroots-led efforts expanded the observance to National Nurses Week that continues today during the week of Florence Nightingale’s birthday, who is celebrated as the founder of modern nursing. Since 1991, I’ve supported an annual joint resolution of Congress to reflect on the important contributions nurses make in our society. With an estimated 4.7 million registered nurses in the United States, nurses are on the front lines treating sick and injured patients, including during natural disasters and public health emergencies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses put their own lives on the line to care for the sickest among us. The nursing profession continues to meet the moment in scientific inquiry, medical research and team-based delivery of care. With limited faculty and spots available for prospective nursing students across the country, I support efforts to strengthen workforce development and academic training programs. I value the feedback I get from Iowans to solve problems and improve the delivery of health care in communities across our state. I’m pleased the University of Northern Iowa last year launched a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program that will help address the nursing shortage across the state, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
    Q: How do Iowa nursing professionals inform your work at the policymaking table?
    A: As former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I led efforts to ensure fairness for Medicare reimbursements that directly impact providers delivering essential health care in communities across our state. For example, requiring Medicare to directly reimburse nurse practitioners and other specialists is an important tool in rural areas to expand access to health care services. More recently, I’m pushing to improve advanced practice nurses and clinical nurse reimbursement for nurse practitioners in their diagnosis and treatment for diabetic patients. I’m also spearheading bipartisan efforts to provide rural hospitals with financial stability. My Rural Hospital Support Act would help prevent rural hospital closures by extending and modernizing critical Medicare programs for rural hospitals. Specifically, my bill would permanently extend the Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) and the Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) programs. For many hospitals located in rural areas, costs often outpace their revenue. If hospitals can’t pay their bills and are forced to close their doors, nurses are out of work and patients would have to travel further for life-saving care. I’ve also led efforts to improve maternal and infant health across our state. At a roundtable discussion in Bettendorf in 2022, I heard first-hand accounts from health care professionals about the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. Home visits from a nurse and other health care professionals provide important support and resources to improve health outcomes for at-risk pregnant moms and families with children from birth to kindergarten. My advocacy for this home visiting program reflects my longstanding support for health care professionals in our communities who provide evidence-based services to improve childhood development, reduce post-partum depression and help families thrive.
    During National Nurses Week, I applaud the labor of love and patient-centered care that legions of nursing professionals provide around-the-clock, year-round to loved ones of all ages and all walks of life. Nurses are ranked among the most honest and ethical professions in society. I thank nurses for their tireless commitment to their vocation and encourage Iowans to celebrate those in your lives who have answered the call to this noble profession.
    National Nurses Week is May 6-12, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEW SCHUMER ANALYSIS: TRUMP’S BUDGET PROPOSAL IS ALL-OUT ASSAULT ON FEDERAL PROGRAMS UPSTATE NY RELIES ON MOST, RAISING COSTS FOR SENIORS, FAMILIES, & SMALL BUSINESSES AND SLASHING CRITICAL INVESTMENT…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Trump Just Released His “Skinny Budget” Blueprint Of Next Year’s Spending – And It Completely Zeroes Out And Slashes Many Of The Programs Most Important To Communities From Albany, To Buffalo, To Watertown, To Westchester  

    Schumer Data Shows Upstate NY Families Would Lose BILLIONS – Ripping Away Support For Seniors & Families To Heat Their Homes In The Winter, Community Grants Our Cities Rely On For Economic Development, Decimating Support To Reduce Housing Costs, Ending Funding To Fight Opioid Crisis, Slashing Funding For Removing Lead Pipes, Cutting Support For Rural Air Service, & More

    Schumer: Trump’s Budget Is All-Out Assault On Upstate NY Families, Seniors & Communities

    After President Trump released his “skinny budget” plan for the next year, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer revealed how these devastating cuts would totally eliminate and slash many of the federal programs Upstate NY relies on the most. Schumer is sounding the alarm on the most dangerous and severe of these cuts for Upstate NY, which could cost our seniors, families, local governments, and small businesses billions.

    “Trump’s budget proposal is an all-out assault on hardworking Upstate New York families and seniors and the programs our communities rely on most – from totally eliminating funding to help our seniors keep the heat on during cold winters, to slashing funding to fight the opioid crisis, to cutting funding for rural air service in the North Country, to decimating the CDBG and HOME grant programs that deliver tens of millions of dollars every year for cities from Buffalo to Rochester to Albany to reduce housing costs and create local jobs. The chaos and cruelty of these cuts to incredibly effective, popular and essential federal programs show no one is safe from government by chainsaw,” said Senator Schumer. “Donald Trump’s budget is dead on arrival in the Senate, and all NY House Republicans should stand up and be vocal against these cuts, which are so damaging to Upstate NY, and get them reversed and removed from this misguided budget proposal.”

    Schumer highlighted some of the most severe and alarming cuts proposed in Trump’s budget that would hit Upstate NY hardest:

    Totally Eliminates LIHEAP – Ripping Away Nearly $400 Million Per Year For NY Seniors & Families To Heat And Cool Their Homes

    Trump’s budget proposal completely eliminates all federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), zeroing out the funding. LIHEAP is the program that provides federal support to seniors & families to help pay their winter heating bills or summer cooling bills.

    Schumer said, “We all know Upstate winters can be harsh, and it is beyond cruel Trump could turn off the heat for thousands of seniors who rely on this program to stay safe and warm in their homes.”

    Last year, more than 1.8 million families across New York State received nearly $400 million in funding thanks to LIHEAP. A full county-by-county breakdown of New Yorkers receiving LIHEAP can be found HERE, with some of the largest counties highlighted below:

    Upstate NY Major Counties LIHEAP Benefits

    Counties

    Households

    Benefits

    Erie

    119,693

    $41.7 million

    Monroe

    65,920

    $19.7 million

    Onondaga

    41,559

    $15.1 million

    Oneida

    28,545

    $13.8 million

    Albany

    19,603

    $6.7 million

    Westchester

    34,060

    $3.3 million

    Broome

    20,166

    $9.6 million

    St. Lawrence

    13,940

    $8.6 million

    Cuts $4.2+ Billion for CDBG and HOME Grants, Eliminating the Programs – These Investments Are Some of the Main Tools Local Governments Use To Reduce Housing Costs And Revitalize Neighborhood

    Trump’s budget proposal eliminates the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Programs. Schumer said CDBG and HOME have long been cornerstones of funding for building new housing to reduce costs and increase access, economic development, and community revitalization creating jobs for Upstate NY.

    Below is a breakdown of the CDBG and HOME funding levels Upstate NY communities are receiving for Fiscal Year 2025 that would be eliminated under the Trump budget proposal:

    Upstate CDBG and HOME Grant Breakdown

    Grantee

    2025 CDBG Award

    2025 HOME Award

    Total Combined

    State of New York

    $47,644,860

    $23,805,148

    $71,450,008

    Buffalo

    $13,103,636

    $3,092,955

    $16,196,591

    Rochester

    $8,068,072

    $2,316,840

    $10,384,912

    Syracuse

    $4,795,536

    $1,278,624

    $6,074,160

    Westchester County

    $4,646,543

    $1,027,065

    $5,673,608

    Yonkers

    $3,248,745

    $1,223,019

    $4,471,764

    Erie County

    $2,994,630

    $921,687

    $3,916,317

    Albany

    $3,043,143

    $857,575

    $3,900,718

    Rockland County

    $2,691,786

    $970,993

    $3,662,779

    Schenectady

    $2,050,241

    $1,187,096

    $3,237,337

    Monroe County

    $1,842,072

    $1,146,571

    $2,988,643

    Onondaga County

    $2,272,403

    $673,565

    $2,945,968

    Utica

    $2,320,311

    $590,075

    $2,910,386

    Orange County

    $1,645,340

    $1,110,380

    $2,755,720

    Niagara Falls

    $2,150,047

    $449,818

    $2,599,865

    Dutchess County

    $1,497,550

    $884,623

    $2,382,173

    Binghamton

    $1,790,607

    $442,780

    $2,233,387

    Mount Vernon

    $1,548,930

    $591,829

    $2,140,759

    New Rochelle

    $1,385,726

    $446,046

    $1,831,772

    Troy

    $1,725,397

    $0

    $1,725,397

    Union Town

    $1,253,674

    $390,411

    $1,644,085

    Tonawanda Town

    $1,592,983

    $0

    $1,592,983

    Amherst

    $625,669

    $838,600

    $1,464,269

    Jamestown

    $1,105,265

    $313,260

    $1,418,525

    Elmira

    $1,095,403

    $239,101

    $1,334,504

    Ends The Northern Border Regional Commission, Great Lakes Authority, and Economic Development Administration – Federal Investments Aimed Specifically At Spurring Economic Growth and Job Creation In Upstate NY

    Trump’s budget proposal would completely get rid of the Northern Border Regional Commission, which has delivered more than $48 million for 78 projects across Upstate NY since its creation, and the Great Lakes Authority which specifically benefit NY counties. These agencies provide targeted help for Upstate NY infrastructure, rural health care, child care access, workforce training, small business support, and community projects that otherwise would go unfunded. The Trump budget also eliminates the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which has delivered well over $320 million for New York State projects since 2018 alone. These EDA investments have created or supported nearly 40,000 New York jobs and spurred more than $4.4 billion in private investment.

    At the end of last year, the Economic Development Administration was reauthorized with wide bipartisan support. This bill that passed into law also reauthorized the Northern Border Regional Commission for another 5 years, increasing funding and expanding the critical grant program.

    1. The Northern Border Regional Commission includes: Cayuga, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Orleans, Oswego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Sullivan, Washington, Warren, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties.
    2. The Great Lakes Authority includes: Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Allegany, Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming, Jefferson, Orleans, Oswego, Wayne, Monroe, Cayuga, Lewis, Herkimer, Hamilton, Oneida, Seneca, Onondaga, Tompkins, Schuyler, Yates, Ontario, Madison, Cortland, Chemung, Steuben, Livingston, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Essex, and Clinton counties.

    Slashes $1 Billion For Fighting The Opioid Epidemic And Combating Addiction

    Trump’s budget slashes the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s (SAMSA) budget by over $1 billion, a nearly 15% reduction. This will make it harder for Upstate NY to fight the opioid epidemic reducing critical treatments and mental health care, especially rural programs that uniquely rely on this funding.

    New York State-based institutions received nearly $650 million in grant funding in FY2024. A 15% reduction would rip away nearly $100 million from NY’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.

    Devastating 40% Cut to NIH Funding – Harming Medical Research On Cancer, Alzheimer’s And More: Hurting Healthcare and Jobs In Upstate NY

    Trump’s budget slashes the National Institutes of Health budget by approximately $18 billion, a roughly 40% reduction. Every corner of New York is using this funding to study cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other life-threatening diseases.

    Schumer said, “These extreme cuts will lead to layoffs in Upstate NY and make it more difficult for sick people to receive care, and set our country back decades in developing lifesaving medical treatment.”

    New York State institutions received more than $3.5 billion in grant funding in FY2024. A 40% reduction in the total NIH budget means that all of the money New York receives is at risk. Institutions could see millions of dollars ripped away for research efforts across NY. A full list of NIH grant recipients and federal funding awards can be found here.

    Examples of Upstate NIH Cut Subsidy Summary

    Recipient

    FY2024 Grants

    University of Rochester

    $187,470,266

    University at Buffalo

    $90,062,504

    Roswell Park Cancer Institute

    $48,999,339

    Albany Medical College

    $13,233,444

    University at Albany

    $11,007,516

    89% Slash For Federal Funds For Clean Drinking Water And Eliminating Lead Pipes

    Trump’s budget proposal cuts nearly $2.5 billion from the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds, amounting to an overall budget of $305 million which is a nearly 89% cut. The SRFs are one of the primary federal tools for municipalities to get low-cost financing for water and sewer infrastructure projects that ensures the water New Yorkers rely on is safe and clean.

    Schumer said, “Upstate NY has some of the oldest water infrastructure, and our cities like Buffalo and Troy have more lead pipes than most places in the country.  No amount of toxic lead exposure is safe for our children, and these cuts would leave communities high and dry when it comes to upgrading their water and sewage infrastructure.”

    According to the EPA, New York State received more than $368 million in funding from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and nearly $294 million from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for a total of more than $662 million in FY2024. Under Trump’s proposed FY2026 funding levels, New York State would see a reduction of nearly $580 million.

    Cutting Rural Air Service Support For North Country Airports

    Trump’s budget proposal slashes funding for FAA’s Essential Air Service (EAS) program by 50%. The EAS provides federal support to bring air service to underserved & rural communities, and specifically all five of the North Country’s major airports. All of NY’s airports that rely on EAS are in the North Country: Ogdensburg, Massena, Plattsburgh, Watertown, and Adirondack Regional Airport.

    Cuts Funding For Programs That Help Seniors And People With Disabilities Pay Rent

    Trump’s budget proposal would consolidate funding for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, Public Housing, Project-Based Rental Assistance, Housing for the Elderly, and Housing for Persons with Disabilities into a new State Rental Assistance Block Grant, cutting nearly $27 billion across these programs and foisting responsibility over these programs onto state and local governments, reducing their ability to help people in need. Over half a million New Yorkers rely on this assistance, the vast majority of whom are seniors, people with disabilities, and children. Schumer explained that as rent costs continue to go up across the country, the administration is slashing funding for rental assistance. 

    In FY2023, New York State received more than $7.4 billion across these programs that would not be consolidated into a new State Rental Assistance Block Grant and receive a massive cut of 42.8%. Below is a breakdown of funding for each program and how much would be allocated to New York State if Trump’s major cuts to the programs were to go through.

    NY State Rental Assistance Block Grant Breakdown

    Grant

    FY2023 Funding Levels

    Award Based on Proposed FY2026 HUD Funding Levels

    Amount Cut Based on Proposed FY2026 HUD Funding Levels

    Tenant-Based Rental Assistance

    $140,182,508

    $80,184,395

    $59,998,113

    Public Housing

    $5,239,042,468

    $2,996,732,292

    $2,242,310,176

    Project-Based Rental Assistance

    $1,907,344,837

    $1,091,001,247

    $816,343,590

    Housing for the Elderly

    $122,626,159

    $70,142,163

    $52,483,996

    Housing for Persons with Disabilities

    $14,109,993

    $8,070,916

    $6,039,077

    Total

     $7,423,305,965

    $4,246,131,012

    $3,177,174,953

    Cancels $1.3 Billion For NOAA- Essential To The Health Of Great Lakes & Weather Monitoring

    Trump’s budget proposal eliminates more than $1.3 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grants and research programs which uniquely support the Great Lakes, including programs which helps identify storm water infrastructure in need of upgrades to ensure community safety during extreme weather events.

    In addition, Trump wants to cancel $209 million for weather satellites and infrastructure critical for Upstate NY communities to get timely and accurate forecasts, and without could put safety at risk.

    Senator Schumer said, “Trump’s seismic cuts to the NOAA Great Lakes programs are the equivalent of wandering outside during a blizzard in Buffalo without a jacket. It’s not just dumb, it’s dangerous. NOAA Great Lakes scientists are how we monitor the health of Lake Erie, how we keep our waterways clean, how Western NY gets daily weather reports and this funding is one of our best tools for knowing when a lake effect snow will drop and how extreme it will be.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven, Shaheen Statement on Introduction of House Companion to Air Traffic Control Workforce Legislation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    05.08.25

    Senators Authored Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Strengthen Enhanced AT-CTI Program, Improve ATC Recruitment, Training & Retention

    WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) issued the following statement after Representatives Nick Begich III (R-AK) and Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) introduced a House companion bill to their Air Traffic Control (ATC) Workforce Development Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation they introduced with Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.). The bill will help address ATC staffing shortages, improve working conditions and ensure the safe transportation of people and goods within U.S. airspace. Additional House cosponsors include Representatives Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Salud Carbajal (D-Cal.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Julie Fedorchak (R-N.D.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Jennifer Kiggans (R-Virginia), Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and David Taylor (R-Ohio) and Delegate King-Hinds (R-Northern Mariana Islands).

    “Recent aviation tragedies and accidents have made it clear that we need to do more to overcome attrition in the ATC workforce. Our legislation is all about training, recruiting and retaining air traffic controllers to ensure air travel is safe and efficient,” said Senator Hoeven. “We appreciate Representatives Begich and Stanton for introducing a House companion bill. We continue working to pass this legislation to expand the training capacity at schools like the University of North Dakota (UND) and get more controllers into FAA towers and radar facilities. At the same time, our legislation provides better benefits to support workers and boost recruitment and retention. Our bill is all about improving the safety of our skies for the American public.”

    “Increasingly frequent aviation tragedies and close calls are serious, solemn reminders that there’s more we can do to make our skies safer – and our bipartisan bill to strengthen the air traffic controller workforce is a good place to start,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m glad to see our Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act earn strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. I hope our bill now moves quickly through both chambers so we can expand the air traffic controller workforce pipeline, enhance training facilities and equipment, improve recruitment and retention efforts and more to strengthen aviation safety.”

    Specifically, the legislation would:

    • Expand the ATC workforce training pipeline by codifying and strengthening the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program.
      • The bill authorizes $20 million per year for grants to AT-CTI schools to invest in curriculum, high-fidelity simulators, faculty and classroom supplies.
      • The legislation also removes disincentives that discourage retired air traffic controllers from working as instructors at AT-CTI schools.
      • Hoeven worked to advance UND’s selection as an Enhanced AT-CTI program, under which graduates are immediately eligible for hire by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and to begin localized training at an air traffic facility. Currently, four schools, including UND have been selected for the Enhanced AT-CTI program.
    • Authorize the procurement and placement of Tower Simulator Systems at ATC facilities nationwide, supporting more efficient certification of ATC trainees.
    • Require the FAA to develop Air Traffic Controller recruitment and retention incentive programs, which inspired the FAA to implement new ATC incentive programs.
    • Support the development of mental health services equipped to address the particular stressors faced by the ATC workforce.

    The ATC Workforce Development Act is supported by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA), Airlines for America (A4A), Regional Airline Association (RAA), American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), U.S. Contract Towers Association and the Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven: Energy Committee Advances Andrea Travnicek’s Nomination to Full Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    05.08.25

    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee has approved Dr. Andrea Travnicek’s nomination to serve as Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the U.S. Department of the Interior, sending her nomination to the full Senate for approval.

    “The Senate Energy Committee approved Dr. Travnicek’s nomination with bipartisan support not only because of her vast technical knowledge, but because she has a proven record of collaborating across all levels of government, as well as with tribes and private stakeholders. Andrea was a trusted advisor and an important member of my staff when I was governor, and has the right background for this position,” said Senator Hoeven. “As the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, she will be a great partner as we work to advance critical priorities, including completing more drought-resistant water supply projects in North Dakota, and ensuring we have USGS studies necessary to unlock our nation’s energy potential. Andrea’s nomination now goes to the full Senate and we’ll work to get her confirmed as quickly as possible.”

    A member of the Senate Energy Committee, Hoeven introduced Dr. Travnicek at her confirmation hearing last week and outlined her depth of experience and qualifications for the role. Additionally, Hoeven and Travnicek discussed issues relevant to agriculture, energy and water development under her role, including:

    • Ensuring access to reliable water supplies for North Dakota’s communities.
      • Hoeven continues working to advance his legislation to increase authorizations under the Dakota Water Resources Act (DWRA).
      • The increased funding from the Municipal, Rural, and Industrial (MR&I) program is needed to complete water supply projects like the Northwest Area Water Supply (NAWS) and the Eastern North Dakota Alternate Water Supply (ENDAWS).
    • Keeping U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) surveys of oil and gas reserves updated, reflecting the latest technologies and industry practices.
    • Maximizing access to taxpayer-owned energy resources, including the abundant oil, gas and coal reserves that fall under federal control.
      • The senator highlighted his North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act, which would allow equal-value exchanges to reduce fragmentation of state and tribally-owned lands and minerals, while supporting greater development of these resources.
      • Hoeven also stressed the need to provide regulatory relief and streamline federal permitting.

    Dr. Travnicek holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources Management/Communication from North Dakota State University. During President Trump’s first term, she served as a deputy assistant secretary at Interior. Most recently, she was Director of the North Dakota Department of Water Resources. As governor, Hoeven appointed her as a senior policy advisor in his office following her service with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Sacramento, California.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: University spinouts to grow industries of the future with new government backing

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Press release

    University spinouts to grow industries of the future with new government backing

    Public sector is being primed to bring innovative ideas out of government labs and onto the market with £30 million backing and new guidance.

    • 4 of the UK’s most exciting regional research clusters to grow their ideas into thriving companies and industries of tomorrow with £30 million government backing
    • £30 million awarded to world-leading universities working with industry partners across Merseyside, East Anglia, Northeast England and the Midlands to grasp the opportunity to incubate and scale-up the businesses and jobs of the future
    • Alongside, first-of-its-kind guidance priming public sector to bring innovative ideas out of government labs and into markets, pulling in the investment that’s vital for growth and job creation to deliver on our Plan for Change

    4 innovative UK hubs across Merseyside, East Anglia, the Midlands, and Northeast England will today (Friday 9 May) get fresh backing to grow more ‘spinouts’,  innovative new businesses created from within research institutions. 

    In turn creating new jobs, developing the industries of tomorrow and driving economic growth through the Plan for Change.

    UK innovators have made great strides in getting bright ideas onto the market and in front of investors, but red tape, talent shortages and a lack of access to funding is holding back innovators from turning their ideas into viable growing businesses.  

    New £30 million funding will support a taskforce of world-leading universities and industry experts across the 4 locations to take advantage of this huge, and all-too-often untapped, opportunity.  

    It will support efforts to incubate and spin out new companies and create the most fertile and attractive environment for the brightest thinkers and entrepreneurs.

    The government is also priming the public sector with first ever guidance to put groundbreaking ideas on the path to investment, becoming the next generation of businesses, creating a pipeline of innovative businesses emerging from the UK’s excellent public sector research landscape.  

    With step-by-step advice, a new generation of British R&D entrepreneurs in the public sector will be empowered with the tools and support they need to turn ambitious research into marketable products – and in turn unlock benefits from clean energy, to healthcare, and beyond. 

    Announcing the news on a visit to Aston University, Science Minister, Lord Vallance said: 

    The UK is home to some of the world’s best universities, and we have deep strengths from life sciences to cutting-edge fields like quantum and engineering biology. But we can and must do more to unlock scientific research’s vast economic potential, and to help our innovators world-leading public sector labs turn brilliant ideas into businesses that attract investment and sustain jobs.

    The funding and guidance we are announcing today will reinforce those efforts – supporting our mission to grow the economy as part of the Plan for Change.

    The 4 projects receiving funding from Research England 

    Strategic Commercialisation Ecosystem North East (SCENE)

    Based in the North East is receiving over £8 million over 5 years to strengthen and expand the region’s ecosystem, engaging businesses, sector bodies, Catapults and investors more actively in commercialising university research. 

    Forging ahead/Forging beyond

    Based in the Midlands is receiving almost £10 million over 5 years to address the talent, expertise and skills gaps in the Midlands by creating a Talent Pool, inward investment champions and innovation networks. The project will particularly target Heath, Advanced Manufacturing, Net Zero, and Creative & Digital sectors.  

    Biologics Regional Innovation and Technology Ecosystem (BRITE)

    Based in Merseyside will get over £4 million over 3 years to establish a sustainable life sciences ecosystem, in the Liverpool City Region (LCR), focused on developing treatments like vaccines, by addressing gaps in the development of products and materials from living cells or their components, scale-up, and commercialisation.

    It will strengthen collaboration between academia, industry, and civic partners to create a connected innovation ecosystem and accelerate the translation of biologics for antimicrobial resistance, infectious diseases, and emerging health challenges.

    Agri-Tech Commercialisation Ecosystems (ACE)

    Based in Lincolnshire and East Anglia will receive almost £5 million over 3 years to establish a world-leading, self-sustaining Agri-Tech research commercialisation cluster in Greater Lincolnshire and East Anglia, with support from Barclays Eagle Labs, Greater Lincolnshire LEP, New Anglia LEP, and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority plus commercial partners.  

    Ana Avaliani, Director of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Hub, said:

    Industry Academia partnerships create the ideal setting for transforming groundbreaking research into spinouts, addressing real world challenges while fostering economic growth and creating pathways for talented researchers to become entrepreneurs. These spinouts drive innovation and represent a crucial and growing component in our economic future. Our Spotlight on Spinouts 2025: UK academic spinout trends report tracked UK university spinouts securing over £2.6 billion in funding, nearly 40% more than the previous year.

    This welcome investment and new guidance from government will enhance support for these fledgling businesses as they face complex issues such as skills gaps and funding challenges. They will help foster strategic alliances that aren’t just beneficial but essential for maintaining competitive advantage in today’s innovation landscape.

    Notes to editors

    The Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) is publishing 2 guides. They provide step-by-step advice on how public sector organisations can create spinouts.

    The publications are: 

    The universities involved in the 4 projects

    Project: Strategic Commercialisation Ecosystem North East (SCENE)

    The universities involved are:

    • Durham University (Lead)   
    • Newcastle University   
    • Northumbria University   
    • University of Sunderland  
    • Teesside University   

    Project: Forging ahead/ Forging beyond 

    The universities involved are:

    • Loughborough University (Lead)   
    • Aston University  
    • University of Birmingham    
    • Birmingham City University   
    • Cranfield University  
    • Coventry University  
    • Derby University  
    • De Montfort University  
    • Keele University   
    • Leicester University  
    • University of Lincoln  
    • University of Nottingham 
    • Nottingham Trent University   
    • University of Warwick   
    • University of Wolverhampton   

    Project: Biologics Regional Innovation and Technology Ecosystems (BRITE)

    The universities involved are:

    • Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (Lead)   
    • University of Liverpool  
    • Liverpool John Moores University  
    • Edge Hill University    

    Project: Agri-tech commercialisation ecosystems (ACE)

    The universities involved are:

    • University of Lincoln (Lead)   
    • University of Cambridge  
    • University of East Anglia  
    • Cambridge Enterprise

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 9 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 05.08.2025 Sen. Cruz Introduces Bill Penalizing Universities that Mask Foreign Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Actto penalize universities that take money from foreign adversaries and do not report foreign funding as required by the Higher Education Act.
    Sen. Cruz said, “The Chinese Communist Party expends vast resources to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think, as do other adversaries including Russia and Iran. Unchecked foreign funding flowing into American universities opens the door for such adversaries to influence American students and research. This bill would ensure that higher education institutions are held accountable if they fail to disclose foreign funding, as required by law. I call on my colleagues to expeditiously advance it, for the House to then pass it, and to get it to the President.”
    This bill is supported by Heritage Action and FDD Action.
    Ryan Walker, EVP for Heritage Action said, “The Department of Education has failed the American people for years as billions in undisclosed foreign funding poured into our higher education system. $6.5 billion has seeped into academia from adversarial nations such as China and Russia. The Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act will address the failures on foreign funds to academic institutions and force universities to be transparent as to where their endowments are coming from. Heritage Action commends Senator Ted Cruz for introducing this legislation and for his staunch commitment to upholding institutional integrity, transparency, and American values within higher education.”
    Nick Stewart, Senior Director of Government Relations for FDD Action said, “FDD Action strongly supports Senator Ted Cruz’s Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act, a vital measure to safeguard American higher education from foreign interference. By imposing rigorous audits and substantial penalties, this legislation ensures transparency and accountability, deterring malign actors like China and Russia from exploiting our universities. Protecting our academic institutions from covert foreign influence is essential for national security, and we urge swift passage of this bill.”
    Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX-26).
    Rep. Gill said, “American universities that receive taxpayer funding and mold the minds of our next generation of working adults should not be compromised by the foreign influence of adversarial nations and their big ticket donations. I am honored to team up with Senator Ted Cruz of Texas to combat foreign propaganda in our higher education system through this legislation.”
    Read the full text of the bill here.
    BACKGROUND
    The Higher Education Act requires U.S. colleges and universities to disclose foreign gifts and contracts that total $250,000 or more in a calendar year. Under this law, all U.S. institutions of higher education that receive federal funding must comply with the reporting requirement.
    This bill would require the following:
    Implement a 300% excise tax on all funds institutions receive from designated countries of concern.
    Mandate a biennial audit of 30 universities, prioritizing institutions with large endowments and a history of misconduct.
    Implement a 110% excise tax on unreported funds by institutions that fail to disclose funding from any foreign entity.
    The taxes are cumulative, meaning an institution of higher education receiving money from an entity of concern and failing to report under section 117 is assessed a 410% excise tax.
    This past month, President Trump’s administration launched an investigation into the University of California over its alleged failure to report $220 million from the Chinese government.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Honors Puck Esposito of Auburn as “May Veteran of the Month”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) released a video honoring U.S. Navy Captain Paul “Puck” Esposito as the May “Veteran of the Month.”
    Excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s remarks can be found below, and complete remarks can be found here. 

    “In Alabama, we take a lot of pride in honoring and supporting the heroes who have served in our nation’s military. But it takes people who are dedicated to this mission 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
    No one embodies this cause better than Captain Paul “Puck” Esposito of Auburn, Alabama. The son of a World War II and Korean War veteran, Puck followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Navy in 1986. Puck spent 30 years in active duty as a Navy Aviator. From flying Grey helicopters, serving on an exchange tour with the Canadian Air Force, to spending eight years at sea—you name it, Puck did it. He was sent on nine long deployments and served in every theater the Navy has a presence in. 
    […]
    His role at the Vets Resource Center has been an essential part of filling the gaps for Auburn student-veterans and military-affiliated students. Though the Center is largely focused on providing academic resources for its participants, Puck has taken a deeper approach. In addition to educational support, Puck and his team have worked to combat critical issues such as veteran suicide, food insecurity, and homelessness.
    Under the last decade of Puck’s leadership, Auburn’s Vets Resource Center has expanded from supporting 600 students to 2,100 currently. They put on events like Project Iron Ruck and help Auburn recognize and honor veterans at many of the University’s athletic events. We’re proud to now call Puck one of our own, and are grateful for all he does to support our veterans.”
    Senator Tuberville recognizes a different Alabama veteran each month for their service and contribution to their community. Constituents can nominate an Alabama veteran and submit their information to Senator Tuberville’s office for consideration by emailing press_office@tuberville.senate.gov. 
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Alberta has long accused Ottawa of trying to destroy its oil industry. Here’s why that’s a dangerous myth

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ian Urquhart, Professor Emeritus, Political Science, University of Alberta

    “Alberta is a place soaked in self-deception.” Those words began Alberta-based journalist Mark Lisac’s 2004 book aimed at shattering the myths that have unhelpfully animated too much of Alberta’s politics over the past few decades.

    Current and former Alberta politicians are once again embracing and treating separatist grievances seriously. That means it’s time once again to highlight and challenge political misconceptions that have the potential to destroy Canada.

    Oil is the root of one such myth. The misconception? That Ottawa perenially opposes the oil and gas sector and is determined to stop its continued growth. The National Energy Program (1980), the Northern Gateway pipeline project (2016), the Energy East Pipeline (2017) and the proposed greenhouse gas pollution cap allegedly prove Ottawa’s hostility.

    Notably missing from these grievances is the Keystone XL pipeline and the Trans Mountain Expansion Project. Ottawa supported these projects aimed at transporting Alberta oilsands crude to foreign markets. The federal government even purchased the Trans Mountain project from Kinder Morgan in 2018 — not to kill it, but to build it.



    Read more:
    Justin Trudeau’s risky gamble on the Trans Mountain pipeline

    As for Keystone XL, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney thanked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for supporting the project. This doesn’t fit the separatist narrative, so it’s largely ignored.

    Oilsands booster

    No one should dispute the National Energy Program’s devastating impact on Alberta’s conventional oil and gas sector 40 years ago. But the oilsands, not conventional oil, propelled Canada to its position as the world’s fourth largest oil producer.

    Has Ottawa facilitated or obstructed the spectacular post-1990 growth of oilsands production?

    The record shows that, since the mid-1970s, Ottawa has facilitated and supported the oilsands sector. The federal government helped keep the Syncrude project alive in 1975 when it took a 15 per cent interest in Canada’s second oilsands operation.

    Ironically, Ottawa’s enthusiasm for more, not less, petroleum from the oilsands also appeared in 1980 via the National Energy Program (NEP), the devil in Alberta’s conservative catechism. What most accounts of the NEP don’t mention is that Ottawa offered tax benefits to oilsands companies while stripping them from conventional oil producers.

    Furthermore, the NEP’s “made-in-Canada” pricing effectively guaranteed Syncrude would receive the world price for its production. At $38 per barrel, Syncrude received more than double what conventional producers received. If the NEP was harsh on conventional oil producers, it helped create a golden future for the oil sands.

    In the mid-1990s, Ottawa helped propel the post-1995 oilsands boom. The industry-dominated National Task Force on Oil Sands Strategies sought federal tax concessions to promote oilsands growth. The federal government delivered them in its 1996 budget, despite Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s general concern with cutting the deficit.

    Again, these measures clearly contradict the myth of federal opposition to the oil industry.

    Generous emissions caps

    Ottawa’s policy favouritism towards the oilsands didn’t end there. It has consistently animated the federal government’s treatment of the oilsands in its climate change policies.

    The federal Climate Change Plan for Canada (2002) treated oil and gas leniently. Its measures for large industrial emitters bore a striking resemblance to the climate change policy preferences of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. Suncor and Syncrude, the two leading oilsands producers, estimated these federal proposals would add a pittance, between 20 and 30 cents, to their per barrel production costs.

    Justin Trudeau’s response to Alberta’s 2015 oilsands emissions cap also underlined Ottawa’s favouritism, not hostility, to the dominant player in Canada’s oil patch.

    Rachel Notley’s NDP government set this cap at 100 million tonnes of GHG per year, plus another 10 million tonnes allowed to new upgrading and co-generation facilities. This cap was a whopping 39 million tonnes or 55 per cent higher than what the oilsands emitted in 2014.

    This generous cap contributed to a tremendous increase in oilsands production. Healthy profits became record profits in 2022. Ottawa embraced Alberta’s largesse, incorporating the province’s cap into its post-2015 climate policies.

    Furthermore, Ottawa increased its leniency towards the oilsands by exempting new in-situ (non-mining) oilsands projects in Alberta from the federal Impact Assessment Act. This exemption applies until Alberta’s emissions cap is reached. Canada’s latest National Inventory Report on greenhouse gas emissions reported record oilsands GHG emissions of 89 million tonnes in 2023, still 11 million tonnes shy of the 100 million tonne threshold.

    Weaponizing myths

    Finally, we have today’s proposed national cap on greenhouse gas emissions. Alberta is apoplectic about the cap. But whether or not it’s intentional, Premier Danielle Smith’s outrage feeds into secessionist sentiment by seemingly misrepresenting the cap’s impact on oil and gas production.

    Smith and her environment minister use the work of the Parliamentary Budgetary Officer (PBO) to nurture their “Ottawa hates oil” narrative. They claim the officer’s analysis of the cap’s economic impact showed it “will cut oil and gas production by five per cent, or more than 245,000 barrels per day.”

    This is simply not true.

    In fact, the PBO concluded that, with the cap, oilsands production “is projected to remain well above current levels” — 15 per cent higher than in 2022. The proposed federal emissions cap, like the Alberta NDP’s cap of a decade ago, is higher than current oilsands emissions levels. The PBO concluded the proposed ceiling for oilsands emissions would be six per cent higher than 2022 emissions.

    Ottawa’s proposed cap, in fact, continues its decades-long support of the oilsands.

    Myths are central to our being. When I tell my grandsons about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, I hope to inspire curiosity, imagination and interest in their grandmother’s Irish heritage.

    But in politics, fanciful stories can be dangerous. Some weaponize myths, using the fictions at their core to encourage followers to let falsehoods rule their behaviour. That seems to be playing out yet again in Alberta. We must demand better from the political class.

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

    – ref. Alberta has long accused Ottawa of trying to destroy its oil industry. Here’s why that’s a dangerous myth – https://theconversation.com/alberta-has-long-accused-ottawa-of-trying-to-destroy-its-oil-industry-heres-why-thats-a-dangerous-myth-255908

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Leads Fight to Confirm Key Trump Small Business Administration Nominee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – To ensure the Small Business Administration (SBA) is equipped to properly serve Iowa’s job creators, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) led the fight to break through a Democrat effort to block a key Trump nominee.
    During his nomination hearing, Chair Ernst detailed how Chief Counsel for Advocacy Nominee Casey Mulligan has the expertise and experience to slash the bloated bureaucracy, roll back burdensome regulations, and unleash Main Street.
    Click here to watch her remarks.
    Ernst’s full remarks:
    “I rise today to seek unanimous consent to confirm Dr. Casey Mulligan, the President’s nominee to be the Chief Counsel of the Office of Advocacy at the Small Business Administration.
    “I will make that motion in just a moment but first, let me explain why I am doing this.
    “This week is National Small Business Week – a week to recognize the achievements of our nation’s entrepreneurs.
    “As Chair of the Small Business Committee, I have a front row seat to the successes and challenges of our small business owners – and I have the privilege of being a champion for Iowa entrepreneurs.
    “Mr. President, our small businesses are more vulnerable to burdensome government regulations.
    “Over the past few years, the cost of regulations for small businesses has been out of control.
    “The previous administration created more than eleven hundred final rules costing 1.8 trillion dollars. 
    “The Biden administration’s regulatory costs were 600 times higher than that of the first Trump administration and 3.7 times higher than that of the Obama administration.
    “I have been encouraged by President Trump’s efforts to freeze and roll back regulations.
    “SBA Administrator Loeffler and the White House are working hard to eliminate burdensome and unnecessary regulations.
    “But to truly be effective, small businesses need a Senate-confirmed, Chief Counsel to continue this mission.
    “The Office of Chief Counsel for Advocacy has been vacant, without a Senate confirmed occupant, for nearly a decade.
    “This key role ensures small business interests are protected.  
    “Having served as the top Republican on the Small Business Committee for years now, I truly understand the need for this position to be filled immediately, and we are fortunate that President Trump nominated a highly qualified individual for this role.
    “Dr. Casey Mulligan’s unique mix of academic success and real-world small business experience makes him the best candidate for the job.
    “A Harvard graduate, Dr. Mulligan received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago, where he currently serves as an economics professor.
    “In addition to his academic role, Dr. Mulligan also owns two small consulting and economic research businesses. 
    “He has also conducted extensive research on the economic effects of regulation on small businesses.
    “At the SBA Office of Advocacy, Dr. Mulligan would serve as a champion for small businesses nationwide, as the agency undergoes much-needed changes to policy and direction.
    “Mr. President, Advocacy’s role remains true regardless of party — to ensure that a strong Chief Counsel stands up for the little guy and warns regulators when small firms will be harmed. 
    “Dr. Mulligan understands Main Street and the importance of examining all costs imposed on America’s entrepreneurs.
    “I urge my colleagues to consent to the confirmation of Dr. Mulligan as Chief Counsel of the Office of Advocacy at the SBA.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Announces One Appointment to the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission, Fills Two County Vacancies

    Source: US State of Missouri

    MAY 8, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced one appointment to the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission and filled two county vacancies.

    Jessica Cole, of Noel, was appointed as the McDonald County Clerk.

    Ms. Cole currently serves as the human resources director for the McDonald County Clerk’s Office. She is an active member of the McDonald County Republican Club, Pineville Schools Parent Teacher Organization, and Elk River Baptist Church. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Iowa.

    David Martin, of Vienna, was appointed as the Maries County Coroner.

    Mr. Martin is the owner of KLM Funeral Homes in Vienna, Dixon, and Crocker, Missouri. He holds licenses from both the Missouri Funeral Directors and the Missouri Embalmers association. Martin earned his associate degree in mortuary science from the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science in Louisville, Kentucky.

    Katie Sinquefield, of Columbia, was appointed to the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission.

    Ms. Sinquefield is an active community volunteer and advocate for criminal-justice reform, serving on the boards of The Weldon Project, Show-Me Defenders, and the Private Enterprise Advisory Council of the American Legislative Exchange Council. She also currently serves on the Missouri State Public Defender Commission. Sinquefield holds a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in art, sociology, and business from the University of Missouri–Columbia.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Alert: Reed Warns Trump’s Efforts to Dismantle NOAA Threatens Economy, People, & Environment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – As hurricane season approaches, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is leading Senate colleagues in sounding the alarm about President Trump’s attacks on the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) and urging bipartisan action to protect the critical agency from privatization.  

    Every day, NOAA employees collect, analyze, and freely disseminate vast amounts of data through its National Weather Service – vital information all Americans count on.  American commerce – particularly the transportation sector – relies heavily on federal weather forecasts, flooding predictions, hurricane and storm alerts, air temperature readings, nautical charts, and other scientific data.  The research, services, and forecasts provided by these federal agencies is essential for everything from accurately predicting the next severe weather front to supporting farmers and fishermen to scientifically assessing the long-term costs of extreme weather events linked to climate change.

    In a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Senator Reed led U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ed Markey (D-MA) in pointing to a new public letter released this week by five former Weather Service directors. The Senators say it offers an early warning on how the Trump Administration’s cuts to staff and programs could lead to “needless loss of life.”

    “On May 2, five former NWS Directors – who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations – wrote a letter expressing alarm that the NWS is operating at a dangerous staffing deficit, with more than 10% of its workforce lost in recent months due to the Trump Administration’s reckless buyouts and mass firings,” the Senators wrote.  “These massive staffing cuts, combined with the Trump Administration’s proposal to slash funding for the NWS’s parent agency – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – by 25%, led these Directors to conclude that their “worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life.””

    In his preliminary budget request, President Trump called for a $1.5 billion cut to NOAA programs, including a $209 million cut for NOAA’s weather satellites which help to ensure accurate weather forecasting is available to Americans. 

    In their letter, the five Senators called on Secretary Lutnick to “reverse course on the Trump Administration’s staffing and funding cuts, which will prevent the National Weather Service (NWS) from being fully prepared and operational.”

    According to NWS, its employees collect over six billion weather observations every day, monitor local conditions through a host of field offices across the nation, issue daily forecasts, and circulate warnings before dangerous weather events. NWS provides the public with forecasts and alerts free of charge. Private companies like AccuWeather, Google, and Apple also rely on NOAA’s observational data and satellites, buoys, and weather sensors to power their own weather products.

    The Senators say that President Trump’s proposed cuts, paired with the administration’s efforts to significantly downsize NOAA and NWS, is already upending the agency’s ability to promptly alert and prepare Americans for imminent and dangerous severe weather events.

    “Forecasters at Colorado State University have predicted an “above-average” 2025 hurricane season, with an estimated nine hurricanes, four of which are expected to reach Category 3 status or stronger,” the Senators continued.  “Understaffed forecast offices mean longer wait times for critical alerts, slower radar maintenance, and a reduction in the high level of accuracy the public has come to rely upon. Any degradation in service risks loss of life, economic disruption, and long-term damage to public trust in our nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to extreme weather.”

    Earlier this year, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) either fired or pushed out more than 10 percent of NOAA’s workforce, including top meteorologists and researchers who are charged with providing the public with accurate, life-saving weather reports and data. The Administration is reportedly working on further diminishing NOAA’s workforce by another 10 percent.

    According to data obtained by the Associated Press, nearly half of all NWS forecast offices are now critically understaffed. Due to these shortages, NWS meteorologists are reportedly being forced to forego important surveys of storm damage that help inform and improve future forecasts and warnings.

    While researchers, scientists, and experts point to a connection between climate change and worsening extreme storms, the Trump Administration is reportedly planning to propose eliminating NOAA’s research office and cutting NOAA research funding by 74 percent. It is anticipated that cuts to NOAA climate programs and activities will also have impacts on the collection of key weather data.  

    In March, Senator Reed called attention to the Trump Administration’s staffing cuts at NOAA and NWS and warned about negative impacts for Rhode Islanders. And last fall, Senator Reed sounded the alarm about Project 2025’s extremist plan to dismantle NOAA, which it labelled “one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry.”  Reed warned plans to gut the National Weather Service and emergency management would be a major disaster.

    Full text of the letter follows:

    May 8, 2025

    The Honorable Howard Lutnick, Secretary

    U.S. Department of Commerce

    1401 Constitution Ave NW

    Washington, D.C. 20230

    Dear Secretary Lutnick:

    As we approach the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1, we write to demand you reverse course on the Trump Administration’s staffing and funding cuts, which will prevent the National Weather Service (NWS) from being fully prepared and operational.

    The NWS and its employees play a critical role in protecting lives, property, and our national economy. From issuing tornado and hurricane warnings to providing essential weather information for aviation, shipping, agriculture, and emergency response, the NWS is integral to Americans’ daily lives. Its employees include highly trained meteorologists, technicians, and support staff who work hard to deliver life-saving data all across the United States.

    On May 2, five former NWS Directors – who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations – wrote a letter expressing alarm that the NWS is operating at a dangerous staffing deficit, with more than 10% of its workforce lost in recent months due to the Trump Administration’s reckless buyouts and mass firings. These massive staffing cuts, combined with the Trump Administration’s proposal to slash funding for the NWS’s parent agency – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – by 25%, led these Directors to conclude that their “worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life.”

    Forecasters at Colorado State University have predicted an “above-average” 2025 hurricane season, with an estimated nine hurricanes, four of which are expected to reach Category 3 status or stronger. Understaffed forecast offices mean longer wait times for critical alerts, slower radar maintenance, and a reduction in the high level of accuracy the public has come to rely upon. Any degradation in service risks loss of life, economic disruption, and long-term damage to public trust in our nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to extreme weather.

    We urge you to provide a detailed plan on how you will ensure that this critical agency has the staffing and resources it needs to ensure Americans are safe heading into this hurricane season. We look forward to your prompt response to this important matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Celebrating NY FFA’s 100th Anniversary

    Source: US State of New York

    [embedded content]

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    New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “There’s a long list of things that make The Great New York State Fair the best in the nation, but its continued focus on agriculture is what truly sets it apart, and its deep partnership with FFA has been a huge part of that. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this powerful program’s centennial than by breaking ground on a new building that will help introduce a whole new generation of young people to the value of our industry and inspire them to pursue meaningful careers in agriculture. I want to thank our Governor, our partners across the state, and of course our very own NY FFA who share this vision and make it a priority – because of their work, I know the future of agriculture is bright.”

    New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, “Agriculture is a major driver of New York’s economy, providing a source of fresh food and income to people across our state. OGS is proud to partner with the State Department of Agriculture and Markets in the construction of a 4,000-square-foot building at the Great New York State Fairgrounds. This new facility will further demonstrate Governor Hochul, Commissioner Ball, and our support for New York State’s farmers and FFA’s efforts to prepare its members for careers in all sectors of the agricultural industry. As FFA marks 100 years of its annual convention here, there’s no better opportunity for us to break ground on this new space.”

    New York State FFA Director Juleah Tolosky said, “For 100 years, New York FFA has empowered students to lead, serve, and grow in agriculture and beyond. This new building at the Fairgrounds is more than a structure — it’s a symbol of what happens when we invest in young people and believe in their potential. We’re grateful to Governor Hochul and Commissioner Ball and our partners across the state for supporting a vision that honors our past while building a stronger future for agricultural education.”

    Dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Benjamin Houlton said, “The FFA is one of the most important organizations of America’s agricultural leadership—past, present and future. The historic celebration of the organization’s success reflects the commitment of many generations of farmers, agribusiness innovators and natural resources professionals to serve the foundation of society with the food they produce. At CALS, we are so grateful for our state partners’ unyielding support and proud to see a growing number of FFA students join us in shaping the future of agriculture—whether through a CALS or SUNY college degree, technical training or direct-to-career paths. There has never been a more exciting time for agriculture, and this generation of agriculture innovators will ensure that the country is in a strong position for continued prosperity.”

    New York State Fair Director Julie LaFave said, “The Great New York State Fair is a tradition rooted in agriculture, and our work with the New York State FFA has been the driving force behind keeping this tradition alive. Here at the Fair, these incredible students showcase their projects, participate in competitions, and teach tens of thousands of Fairgoers what New York agriculture is all about. We’re thrilled to help this remarkable organization celebrate its 100th anniversary by investing in a new building right here at the Fair that will help spotlight their work and introduce more young people to the importance of this industry. I congratulate FFA on their centennial, and thank Governor Hochul, a 4-H kid who knows firsthand the value of ag education, for her support of this critical investment.”

    Supporting agricultural education is essential to developing a generation of leaders who understand where our food comes from and value the hard work of our farmers.

    Governor Kathy Hochul

    New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “There’s a long list of things that make The Great New York State Fair the best in the nation, but its continued focus on agriculture is what truly sets it apart, and its deep partnership with FFA has been a huge part of that. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this powerful program’s centennial than by breaking ground on a new building that will help introduce a whole new generation of young people to the value of our industry and inspire them to pursue meaningful careers in agriculture. I want to thank our Governor, our partners across the state, and of course our very own NY FFA who share this vision and make it a priority – because of their work, I know the future of agriculture is bright.”

    New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, “Agriculture is a major driver of New York’s economy, providing a source of fresh food and income to people across our state. OGS is proud to partner with the State Department of Agriculture and Markets in the construction of a 4,000-square-foot building at the Great New York State Fairgrounds. This new facility will further demonstrate Governor Hochul, Commissioner Ball, and our support for New York State’s farmers and FFA’s efforts to prepare its members for careers in all sectors of the agricultural industry. As FFA marks 100 years of its annual convention here, there’s no better opportunity for us to break ground on this new space.”

    New York State FFA Director Juleah Tolosky said, “For 100 years, New York FFA has empowered students to lead, serve, and grow in agriculture and beyond. This new building at the Fairgrounds is more than a structure — it’s a symbol of what happens when we invest in young people and believe in their potential. We’re grateful to Governor Hochul and Commissioner Ball and our partners across the state for supporting a vision that honors our past while building a stronger future for agricultural education.”

    Dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Benjamin Houlton said, “The FFA is one of the most important organizations of America’s agricultural leadership—past, present and future. The historic celebration of the organization’s success reflects the commitment of many generations of farmers, agribusiness innovators and natural resources professionals to serve the foundation of society with the food they produce. At CALS, we are so grateful for our state partners’ unyielding support and proud to see a growing number of FFA students join us in shaping the future of agriculture—whether through a CALS or SUNY college degree, technical training or direct-to-career paths. There has never been a more exciting time for agriculture, and this generation of agriculture innovators will ensure that the country is in a strong position for continued prosperity.”

    New York State Fair Director Julie LaFave said, “The Great New York State Fair is a tradition rooted in agriculture, and our work with the New York State FFA has been the driving force behind keeping this tradition alive. Here at the Fair, these incredible students showcase their projects, participate in competitions, and teach tens of thousands of Fairgoers what New York agriculture is all about. We’re thrilled to help this remarkable organization celebrate its 100th anniversary by investing in a new building right here at the Fair that will help spotlight their work and introduce more young people to the importance of this industry. I congratulate FFA on their centennial, and thank Governor Hochul, a 4-H kid who knows firsthand the value of ag education, for her support of this critical investment.”

    Agricultural Education in New York State
    New York State continues to prioritize investments in agricultural education to support workforce development and ensure that agriculture remains a viable industry in New York State. In 2024, Governor Hochul increased support for the FFA by $250,000 for a total of $1.25 million and dedicated $500,000 to support the New York Agriculture in the Classroom program and $500,000 for the New York Association of Agricultural Educators to increase the number of certified agricultural educators in the state. In addition, $250,000 was included in support of Urban Agricultural Education and $50,000 for the MANRRS program.

    Additionally in 2024, the Governor convened the first ever youth agriculture leadership conference. Following the conference, the Governor announced the establishment of a Blue-Ribbon Panel to Advance Agriculture Education, which will bring together food and agriculture industry stakeholders, educational institutions, and educators to chart a course for strengthening agriculture education and supporting the multi-faceted needs of the workforce.

    The State’s efforts are paying off, with the number of agricultural teachers growing to 424 in 2025. Alongside this growth in teachers, the number of FFA charters and members has also increased. With 224 chapters established in 52 of New York’s 62 counties, there are now over 13,000 FFA members in New York State, an increase from 9,300 in 2022. In 2016, the State Agriculture Commissioner challenged the FFA to increase its number of charters across the State by 100; the FFA reached that goal in time for its 100th anniversary this year, an exciting benchmark as it celebrates its centennial and looks forward to the next hundred years.

    In addition, there are currently five MANRRS collegiate chapters statewide, up from just two in 2022, and one junior chapter at John Bowne High School in New York City. Today, there is also a 4-H program in all 62 counties in New York State, providing educational opportunities to young people interested in agriculture in every corner of the State. Together, these programs help meet the growing demand for agricultural education across New York.

    Embedded Flickr Album

    State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “New York is the fastest-growing FFA state in the country, and for 100 years, this incredible program has been the bedrock of outstanding student leadership in our state, helping students find their strengths, find ways to serve their communities, and become leaders in every sector of the agriculture industry and beyond it. Congratulations to New York FFA on its centennial—the future of New York looks exceptionally bright with such dedicated young leaders at the forefront.”

    State Senator Rachel May said, “The longevity of New York’s FFA program underscores its significance to agriculture in our state. For 100 years, this program has been educating the next generation of farmers, ensuring that our vital agricultural sector remains strong. The history of the New York State Fair is closely linked to the FFA program, so it’s only appropriate that it has a dedicated building on the fairgrounds, showcasing its significance to our state. Thank you, Governor Hochul, for recognizing the importance of the FFA program with this new facility and support for New York State agriculture.”

    Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “FFA is one of the premier youth leadership development organizations in our country. Members have gone on to successful careers as farmers, chemists, government officials, business leaders, teachers, and more. The hands-on experience this organization provides is invaluable, and with the new FFA Building at the State Fairgrounds, they will have the opportunity to showcase their work in an impressive new facility. Congratulations to the FFA on their centennial.”

    Assemblymember Al Stirpe said, “I would like to congratulate the New York FFA for this historic milestone, marking a century of inspiring the agricultural leaders of tomorrow. As a stronghold for Northeastern agriculture, New York thrives thanks to organizations like FFA that help students realize their potential in the agricultural classroom and beyond. I look forward to the construction of the new FFA building, as well as the growth of their now 224 chapters across the state.”

    Assemblymember Bill Magnarelli said, “The New York State Fair and New York State FFA have a long and storied history going back 100 years together. I applaud the work that organizations like New York State FFA and 4-H do in providing quality agricultural education to future generations to continue New York State’s long tradition of farming.”

    About New York State FFA
    Administered by Cornell University, the New York State FFA Association is a youth organization that helps middle and high school students become leaders in a variety of career fields, including agriculture. NY FFA develops premier leadership, personal growth and career success through activities and opportunities nationwide. Learn more about NY FFA at www.nysffa.org.

    About the New York State Fair
    Founded in 1841, The Great New York State Fair showcases the best of New York agriculture, provides top-quality entertainment, and is a key piece of the State’s CNY Rising strategy of growing the Central New York economy through tourism. It is the oldest fair in the United States and is consistently recognized as being among the top five state fairs in the nation.

    The New York State Fairgrounds is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. Audiences are encouraged to learn more about The Great New York State Fair online, browse photos on Flickr, and follow the fun on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Stepmums, alien mums, robot mums, vengeful mums: 7 films to watch this Mother’s Day

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Gildersleeve, Professor of English Literature, University of Southern Queensland

    With Mother’s Day around the corner, you may be wondering what gift you’ll give mum – or any of the mums in your life. This year, why not skip the fancy dinner and offer one of the most precious gifts there is: quality time, in front of the TV.

    When I asked seven experts what movies they’d recommend for Mother’s Day, I wasn’t expecting I, Tonya or Alien: Romulus – but their responses have made me realise just how multifaceted the experience of motherhood is, and how weirdly and wonderfully it can be reflected onscreen.

    So here’s what to watch if you want to laugh, cry, or scream, in an ode to mothers everywhere.

    I, Tonya (2017)

    The first film from Margot Robbie’s production company LuckyChap Entertainment – which earned Robbie an Oscar nomination for best actress – is an ideal viewing choice for anyone wanting to support Aussie female talent.

    Former American figure skater Tonya Harding became a household name in 1994, after her then-husband Jeff Gillooly orchestrated an assault on her primary rival, Nancy Kerrigan, in a bid to block Kerrigan from representing the United States at that year’s Winter Olympics.

    I, Tonya presents the event, and those of Harding’s career leading up to it, from a more sympathetic perspective than usual. Although it is careful to open with the caveat that the story is derived from “irony-free, wildly contradictory, totally true interviews with Tonya Harding and Jeff Gillooly”, the film presents Harding’s life as one of abuse and cruelty at every turn.

    The judges can’t stand her “unfeminine” power. Her husband only shows love through violence. And her heartless mother, LaVona (Alison Janney) is desperate to cash-in on the financial gains from her career success, while simultaneously resenting it.

    Janney’s performance as LaVona won her the Academy Award for best supporting actress, a title thoroughly deserved as an ice-cold LaVona chainsmokes through barbed criticisms and physical threats. While I, Tonya may not be the most obvious choice for a film to watch on Mother’s Day, it certainly will make you appreciate yours.

    – Jessica Gildersleeve

    Stepmom (1998)

    Stepmom, starring Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon, is a family weepy for anyone who needs a cathartic cry. Directed by Chris Columbus, the comedy–drama follows the story of terminally ill woman Jackie Harrison (Sarandon) as she comes to grips with the fact her ex-husband’s new girlfriend Isabel (Roberts) will soon be her children’s stepmother.

    The film, like others under Columbus’ direction, is a critique of domestic dysfunction (think Home Alone, Mrs Doubtfire, or Nine Months), and an exploration of the lengths characters will go in order to restore the ruptured (nuclear) family, whether literally or symbolically.

    Despite its melodramatic machinery and predictable ending, Stepmom offers a nuanced portrayal of the struggles of children during separation or divorce. We see 12-year-old Anna and her little brother, Ben, an aspiring magician, caught in an emotional tug-of-war between their loyalty to their dying mother and their natural affection for their new stepmum.

    In an honest moment, an anxious Ben asks his dad, “can you ever fall out of love with your kids?”

    “No, that’s impossible,” Dad responds.

    In an equally realistic thread, the sullen Anna begrudgingly turns to Isabel for advice on boys, clothes and makeup – their relationship soon resembling one of sisters rather than adversaries (controversially, Roberts’ character even takes it upon herself to explain the concept of “snowblowing” to the tween).

    In 1998, Stepmom was ahead of its time – not in its representation of motherhood, but in its acknowledgement the nuclear family was, even back then, a thing of the past.

    – Kate Cantrell

    Double Jeopardy (1999)

    Like most thrillers made in the 1990s, Double Jeopardy begins in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States: the epicentre for murder and mist.

    Libby Parsons (Ashley Judd) is living the idyllic waterfront life with her husband Nick (Bruce Greenwood) and son Matty. After being convinced by Nick to go yachting, Libby wakes up on the boat (during what could best be described as a mist storm) to discover Nick is missing, and there is an endless path of blood from her hands to the yacht’s edge.

    Libby is tried and convicted for Nick’s murder. While grieving her son in jail, she finds out her husband is actually alive and has framed her. Libby’s cellmate tells her about the “double jeopardy” rule: you can’t be tried for the same crime twice.

    The montage of Libby preparing for revenge in jail signals an uptick in campy action. Upon her release, we’re introduced to parole officer Travis (Tommy Lee Jones). A game of cat and mouse ensues that is equal parts thrilling and ridiculous.

    Ultimately, Libby must choose between vengeance and getting her son back. Will she follow the rules and wait, or will she put her relentless jail workouts to good use? Double Jeopardy is profoundly stupid and fun, with all the unexpected charm of a midday movie that pulls you in, despite not making much sense.

    It’s just the kind of movie my mum and I have found ourselves glued to on a Saturday afternoon – cheerleaders for revenge.

    – Kathleen Williams

    Monster-in-Law (2005)

    What lengths would you go to protect your son from marrying someone unsuitable? One of the first references to the roles of the mother-in-law can be traced back to Latin literature, and the comedic play Hecyra, by Roman playwright Terence, which was first successfully performed in 160 BC. The play’s comedic twist is that the mother-in-law is accused of hating her son’s wife.

    The 2005 box office hit Monster-in-Law (2005) follows this trajectory and takes it to the extreme. Viola Fields (Jane Fonda) becomes manipulative and acts downright dirty to prevent her son, Kevin (Michael Vartan), from getting married to his fiancée Charlie (Jennifer Lopez) – who she thinks is not good enough for him.

    This romantic comedy has the conventions of love, romance, a wedding, and overall impending chaos. It is about a mother trying to do what she thinks is best for her son, as well as the fragile links between romantic love, familial love and matriarchy.

    In parts, the film transgresses into slapstick territory, as Kevin remains oblivious of Viola’s volatile antics towards Charlie. The tension between the two strong female leads hilariously spirals out of control in the lead-up to the wedding.

    Monster-in-Law is a feel-good film that draws on the close bond between mother and child, making it good viewing for Mother’s Day.

    – Panizza Allmark

    The Wild Robot (2024)

    There’s a cultural belief that once your baby is in your arms, you’ll immediately know how to look after them, or that you can draw on your own experience of being mothered, or find the right path in one of eleventy billion parenting books.

    But even if you did have a good experience of being mothered (and many don’t), or you find some great books, parenthood remains a journey of uncertainty and trial and error.

    When I took my young children to see The Wild Robot, I laughed and cried way more than them. Not just because the animation was so beautiful, or because the story was so moving, but because of the non-didactic moments that resonated so strongly with how we parents feel.

    We often don’t know what we’re doing; we’re trying our best, and wishing it will be the right thing – playing out an internal war between wanting to protect our children and wanting them to forge their own path.

    In The Wild Robot, Roz the robot (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) is focused on helping her adopted gosling Brightbill (Kit Connor) learn how to fly – something she has no experience of. More importantly, Brightbill must fly on a migration flight with other birds, where she can’t join him.

    The film mirrors the beautiful and horrifying knowledge parents carry: if we do our job, our children will become their own individuals who are able and willing to leave us. All we can hope is we’ve formed a bond that will make them want to return.

    – Rebecca Beirne

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

    Was your mother born overseas? It’s likely. Nearly half of all Australians have a parent born overseas. Or perhaps you married into a family where your “new mum” was born overseas?

    Your mother-in-law counts on Mother’s Day. Don’t forget it. And if you married into a wonderfully loud Greek/Italian family as I did, then your mother-in-law is likely a hard worker who deserves to be entertained. So why not offer her, and all the mums in your life, a sweet, disarming rom-com about a clash of cultures and a life milestone all mums can get behind: a wedding. A Big Fat Greek Wedding, to be precise.

    Written by and starring Nia Vardalos, this film tells the tale of Toula Portokalos, who, at the “advanced” age of 30, remains persistently unmarried in the early aughts Chicago. In Greek terms, this is already a tragedy. The title does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of what comes next.

    The real charm of the film is the clash of cultures that anyone with any ethnic background will recognise.

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a small film with huge global success. Will your mum care it was made with a budget of just US$5 million but grossed more than US$360 million worldwide, making it one of the most profitable films of all time, with a more than 6,150% return? Probably not.

    But she’ll love John Corbett, that tall guy who was also in Sex in City (and he’s really good in this one). Just make sure you skip the sequels.

    – Ruari Elkington

    Alien: Romulus (2024)

    Not everyone wants to watch saccharine romantic comedies on Mothers’ Day. If you can relate, dystopian horror film Alien: Romulus (2024) offers much darker pleasures.

    Feminist scholars have long found the Alien franchise to be rife with symbolism and repressed fears about motherhood, birth and reproductive organs. Alien: Romulus goes further than the original 1979 film in making the theme of sexual violation explicit. As you might expect from Fede Álvarez, the director of Evil Dead (2013), there is plenty of body horror as human characters are assaulted and orally impregnated by Alien species.

    The film also includes neo-Marxist messages about “the company” and its violation of workers’ bodies. Working mums may enjoy the dark humour of a futuristic corporation that literally sucks the life out of workers before politely thanking them for their service.

    Leading action woman Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) is more vulnerable and relatable than the iconic character Ripley of previous films. When Rain discovers her work contract has tipped over into slavery, she joins up with her ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux) and his pregnant sister Kay (Isabela Merced) to hijack a space station.

    They must then manage a coolly indifferent IT operating system called “MU/TH/UR” to control the ship. The fact Kay is pregnant does not bode well; her baby eventually bursts out as a hideous alien-human mutant which tries to eat her.

    Alien Romulus is basically every unspeakable anxiety about pregnancy and motherhood realised through spectacular special effects. It’s also the franchise’s best film since the original.

    – Susan Hopkins

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

    – ref. Stepmums, alien mums, robot mums, vengeful mums: 7 films to watch this Mother’s Day – https://theconversation.com/stepmums-alien-mums-robot-mums-vengeful-mums-7-films-to-watch-this-mothers-day-255004

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ever wanted to ditch the 9-to-5 and teach snowsports? We followed people who did it for 10 years

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marian Makkar, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, RMIT University

    Konstantin Shishkin/Shutterstock

    Workplace burnout – a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion – and the COVID pandemic have sparked a rethink of the traditional 9-to-5 job.

    It’s been estimated 30% of the Australian workforce is experiencing some degree of burnout, raising serious concerns about the possible impacts on mental health.

    Is it possible – and if so, wise – to take addressing burnout into your own hands? Some responses to the problem, such as “micro-retirement”, have enjoyed recent popularity on social media.

    But a small number of people take an even more radical approach – dumping the 9-to-5 path entirely for careers that prioritise meaning, enjoyment and personal growth. We sought to find out how this move played out for one group in particular – snowsports instructors.

    Our research – published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing – covers a 10.5-year study of snowsports instructors who left their 9-to-5 jobs for a meaningful career on the slopes of Canada, Japan, the United States and New Zealand.

    We looked at instructors’ journeys into the lifestyle, how they managed their new careers, and what led some to eventually return to the 9-to-5.

    Chasing winter

    We interviewed 13 snowsports instructors aged 25 to 40 (seven men, six women), collected image and video artefacts, followed social media accounts and surveyed snow school reports. Our lead researcher also participated in the lifestyle herself.

    All our participants had at least a bachelor degree and previous steady careers in fields such as education or information technology.

    During our decade-long field work, we found instructors earned just enough money to maintain this lifestyle, often travelling with their possessions in one or two bags.

    Whistler Mountain, Canada: instructors get to live and work in places of great natural beauty.
    Kevin503/Shutterstock

    Beyond the adrenaline and beauty of a life in the snow, we found people were first motivated to enter this career to escape the corporate world and ties of modern life. One participant, Lars, said:

    If you just get a job, you get maybe 20 days off a year for the next 40 years, and once you stop, once you’ve got a job and a house and a mortgage and a kid […] you’re trapped.

    A sense of accomplishment

    At the centre of our research was the idea of building a career around the ancient Greek concept of “eudaimonia”. This term is sometimes translated to “happiness” in English, but its broader connotations mean it’s closer to “flourishing” and involves a sense of purpose and living a life of virtue.

    That’s in contrast to the related concept of “hedonism” – which centres on the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake. Eudaimonia is meant to make us reflect on life’s purpose, potential and meaning.

    As our participants mastered the sport and career, they moved from mere enjoyment or hedonism of being in the snow to finding meaning and purpose in their jobs.

    They felt a sense of accomplishment and appreciation of snowsports as a sport and job requiring dedication, care and commitment.

    Challenges along the way

    However, with every career there are demands that shape how people manage work and purposeful pursuits. Instructors must bear financial costs such as buying their own equipment, paying for certifications and accommodation.

    Eventually the lifestyle was not sustainable for some due to precarious working conditions and minimal wages. Relying on the weather to produce snow, unfair compensation and fixed-term contracts wore many down.

    An unhappy participant confessed:

    You think about money all day everyday […] working out the costs, staffing and lesson prices! Yet they (ski resort managers) tell me as an instructor that I shouldn’t think about my monetary work. Well, if it wasn’t about the money, you wouldn’t charge as much for lessons.

    In the period we studied, six returned to a regular 9-to-5 job.

    An alternative to meaningless jobs?

    The late American anthropologist David Graeber coined the phrase “bullshit jobs” to describe jobs that comprise meaningless tasks that add no real value aside from providing a salary.

    The 9-to-5 can be a grind.
    Shutterstock

    Our study offers a window into the lives of those who sought an alternative, trying to build something they love into the daily work they do to earn a living.

    For many, despite challenges the ability to ride slopes daily remained more appealing than a desk job. One told us:

    At university my first management lecturer said, ‘you could go on to be a CEO, earn $300,000 a year and have a month off every year to go skiing’, and I said, ‘or I could go skiing every day and still afford to eat and pay my rent’. It’s all I really need.

    But things didn’t work out for all of them. The experience of those who left suggests choosing meaningful work can be difficult and can force people out if the surrounding organisational system is not supportive.

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

    – ref. Ever wanted to ditch the 9-to-5 and teach snowsports? We followed people who did it for 10 years – https://theconversation.com/ever-wanted-to-ditch-the-9-to-5-and-teach-snowsports-we-followed-people-who-did-it-for-10-years-255012

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Old drains and railways are full of life. Here’s how to make the most of these overlooked green spaces

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Stanford, Researcher Associate, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University

    Much of the old circular railway line in Paris, La Petite Ceinture, or Little Belt, has been turned into a public park. ldgfr photos, Shutterstock

    Across Australian cities, leftover and overlooked green spaces are everywhere. Just think of all the land along stormwater drains, railway lines and vacant lots. While often dismissed as useless or unsightly, there’s a growing understanding of the value these spaces bring to cities.

    These informal green spaces can support biodiversity and offer rare freedom to explore, play or connect with nature in a less controlled way than formal spaces such as parks. They also help to cool our cities.

    My new research looks at how cities globally are rethinking overlooked green spaces. I identified three ways to unlock the value of these areas: leaving spaces intentionally unmanaged, supporting temporary or informal uses, or formalising them as parks or other public places. Each approach offers different benefits and challenges for cities trying to create greener, more liveable neighbourhoods.

    Local councils are under increasing pressure to create more formal green space, with residents, at times, calling on councils to buy land for new parks. But let’s start with what’s already there.

    1: Hands off: the case for doing less

    In some cases, doing nothing can be surprisingly powerful.

    When governments step back, communities and nature can step in, with potentially joyful, creative and ecologically rich results. In the Belgian capital of Brussels, for example, disused railway land, left unmanaged, has become a haven for biodiversity, offering valuable insights into how ecosystems can regenerate without human interference.

    Closer to home, there are many examples of railway land being used informally as green space. One site, in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote, has become a makeshift trail used by walkers, dog owners and children on bikes. Though not officially a park, it functions like one, with its informal character fostering a sense of ownership and spontaneity among users. In the past few months, local residents have started planting native vegetation and putting up makeshift art installations, and even a swing.

    But this hands-off approach has limitations. It works best where a strong sense of community, or ecological value, already exists. And while nature can bounce back in surprising ways, it often needs a helping hand.

    Locals have embraced a small patch of land in a railway reserve near Dennis Station in Northcote, Melbourne.
    Hugh Stanford

    2. Helping out: supporting informal or temporary uses

    Where informal installations already exist – such as art installations or unauthorised plantings known as guerrilla gardens – councils can support and even help grow these initiatives.

    Some councils may see local-led efforts as a liability, but these efforts represent an opportunity to bring life to underused land at minimal cost. By recognising and supporting such activities, including financially, councils can empower residents to shape their own neighbourhoods in meaningful ways. This can include expanding existing installations or establishing new installations on other underused sites.

    There is also benefit in local councils creating their own temporary installations such as pop-up parks. This has been shown to be an effective way to activate underused space and trial initiatives before more permanent plans are developed.

    Examples include the creation of a temporary park in Ballarat Street, Yarraville in 2012. Community support for the temporary park led to the construction of a permanent park in 2014.

    Local councils can offer support to communities seeking to revitalise disused green space.
    Hugh Stanford

    3. Stepping in: when formalising makes sense

    There are times where formal intervention is warranted – for example, where land is contaminated or supports invasive weeds. In such cases, transforming a site into a fully developed park can deliver significant benefits. Land alongside a river, road or railway line, can be readily transformed into a long “linear park” with walking trails and bike paths.

    In Paris, the conversion of a former industrial railway line into a linear park is a great example, attracting both locals and tourists.

    Melbourne, too, has its own success in revitalising disused infrastructure. The Greening the Pipeline project in Melbourne’s west involves converting a disused sewer main into a vibrant linear park. These projects demonstrate the benefits that can be achieved from developing high-quality, permanent public green spaces from underused land.

    But formalising public use of urban green space comes at a cost, financially and otherwise: a highly designed park can crowd out the quirky, unplanned character that makes many informal spaces feel special. That’s why it’s crucial to see formalising green space as one option among many, and to reserve it for sites where potential benefits justify the investment.

    The Greening the Pipeline project in Melbourne’s west highlights what can be achieved.
    Hugh Stanford

    A call to action

    If you work in urban planning or local government, resist the urge to control and replace. Look at what’s already available. Sometimes the best thing you can do is observe, step back and support. Not all public spaces need a master plan.

    If you’re a resident, get out there. Start small: plant something native, or set up a swing (where safe to do so). By engaging with the green spaces already around you, you might help create your own slice of urban paradise – no land purchase required.

    Start small and set up a swing, where safe to do so.
    Hugh Stanford

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

    – ref. Old drains and railways are full of life. Here’s how to make the most of these overlooked green spaces – https://theconversation.com/old-drains-and-railways-are-full-of-life-heres-how-to-make-the-most-of-these-overlooked-green-spaces-255736

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why it’s important to read aloud to your kids – even after they can read themselves

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn Cox, Professor of Literacy Education, University of Tasmania

    Mart Production/Pexels , CC BY

    Is reading to your kids a bedtime ritual in your home? For many of us, it will be a visceral memory of our own childhoods. Or of the time raising now grown-up children.

    Perhaps it involves a nightly progression through the Percy Jackson series or the next Captain Underpants book. Or maybe there’s a request to have Room on the Broom again (and again).

    But for some households, reading aloud is not a regular activity. A recent UK report by publisher Harper Collins found many parents are not reading to their kids. Fewer than half (41%) of 0–4-year-olds are read to frequently. More than 20% of parents surveyed agreed reading is “more a subject to learn than a fun thing to do”.

    The report also found some parents stop reading to their children once they can read by themselves. As the Guardian reported, some parents assume “it will make [their child] lazy and less likely to read independently”.

    Here’s why it’s important to read to your children – even after they have learned to read.

    What’s involved in reading skills?

    Research on reading skills suggests there are two main types of skills involved in learning to read.

    1. Constrained skills are skills that once we learn, we keep. For example, once we learn the alphabet we don’t have to keep learning it. It’s like riding a bike.

    2. Unconstrained skills are skills we continue to learn throughout life. For example, vocabulary, reading fluency (how quickly and smoothly you read) and reading comprehension. Even as adults we continue to learn new word and language forms.

    We know reading to infants and younger children can build early language skills, such as the sounds of words and the alphabet. Reading to older children is a simple way to build unconstrained skills.

    Reading aloud builds vocabulary skills, which we continue to build all our lives.
    RDNE Stock Project/ Pexels, CC BY

    How reading aloud helps

    The books we read aloud at bedtime to young readers tend to be those they can’t read themselves.

    So it introduces more complex ideas, words and sentence patterns. This is why reading aloud to your children is a parental superpower – you can continue to build where the school learning stops.

    Reading together can also encourage closeness between children and parents, as well as shared knowledge and laughs.

    When you are reading to your child, they have your full attention, which also makes the time special.

    What should you be reading?

    Reading aloud doesn’t necessarily have to involve multiple chapters of a book. Research suggests what matters is that it’s something you are both interested in and enjoying.

    You could read to your child on a device, or you could even tell a traditional tale without a book.

    You could read poetry, news articles or magazine articles about a favourite football team or player – these can all build unconstrained literacy skills.

    Even re-reading a beloved picture book from younger years can build fluency and focus on direct speech in text (especially when the reader does “funny” voices).

    You can read non-fiction as well as fiction books, magazines and news articles.
    Kindel Media/Pexels, CC BY

    How often should you read to your child?

    Family life is busy and parents often have many commitments. So there are no rules, other than to make it fun. Don’t be put off by “how much you have to do” – a few minutes of engaged reading time together is better than none at all.

    You could read to your child when you yourself are reading something and want to share it. If it’s too hard to read to your child every night, do it every weekend night or make another time during the week. Or ask a grandparent or older sibling to help.

    And there is no set age to stop – if you like, keep reading to your kids until they leave home!

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

    – ref. Why it’s important to read aloud to your kids – even after they can read themselves – https://theconversation.com/why-its-important-to-read-aloud-to-your-kids-even-after-they-can-read-themselves-256089

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A community-led health program in remote Arnhem land is showing promising results for First Nations locals

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hasthi Dissanayake, Research Fellow in Indigenous Health, The University of Melbourne

    The Doherty Institute

    Indigenous Australians are more than twice as likely as non-Indigenous Australians to suffer from disease, particularly chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease.

    The health disparities are worse in remote and very remote areas. The burden of diabetes in the remote Aboriginal population of the Northern Territory, where it affects more than one in four adults aged over 20, is among the highest in the world.

    The Yolŋu (or Yolngu) people of Northeast Arnhem land, a large, remote area in the NT, maintain one of the oldest continuously living cultures in the world. They also represent one of the largest Indigenous groups in Australia.

    Yet, people in these communities face the highest number of avoidable deaths in Australia, mostly from chronic disease. A diet of too much sugar, refined and processed food products, smoking and an unhealthy lifestyle contribute to this region’s health crisis.

    Beginning in 2014, senior Yolŋu women in Galiwin’ku, one of the largest communities in Northeast Arnhem land, have been developing a unique diet and lifestyle change program called Hope for Health. The program has been running intermittently since then, and includes on-Country health retreats, individualised health coaching, and group classes and activities.

    We recently evaluated this program. We found it offers significant benefits which could reduce chronic disease risk among the Yolŋu people.

    Hope for Health participants and staff at a cooking workshop.
    Hope for Health

    A holistic approach

    Most Yolŋu live on Aboriginal land in remote communities of various sizes and hold a deep unbroken connection to their ancestral country.

    Health and wellbeing is considered a holistic concept that connects physical, social, emotional, cultural, spiritual and ecological wellbeing at both an individual and community level.

    The Hope for Health program is based on the values of Margikunhamirr (making known and sharing understanding) and Goŋ-ŋthanhamirr (supporting and walking alongside each other) to empower Yolŋu to gain control of their health.

    Over four months, the program focuses on giving people the knowledge to make their own lifestyle changes and choices to improve health and prevent chronic disease.

    It includes:

    • An on-Country health retreat: this is an immersive 12-day bush retreat focused on reconnecting with the Yolŋu tradition of living, eating, and healing from the land, and learning about the body and health.

    • In-community support and mentoring: over 14 weeks following the retreat, this part of the program is focused on overcoming barriers to introducing lifestyle changes. It includes group activities for identifying healthy food options at the shops, storing and cooking fresh produce, and yarning about healthy lifestyles.

    • Individual and home-based health coaching: this takes place during the retreat and afterwards in participants’ homes or places of their choosing. Health coaches explain blood test results to participants, offer education in their language and help with goal setting, such as reducing sugar consumption, smoking, or increasing exercise.

    The Hope for Health program seeks to give people the knowledge they need to make their own lifestyle changes.

    What we found

    Together with colleagues at the Doherty Institute and other collaborators, we evaluated a Hope for Health program in the second half of 2022.

    We assessed outcomes such as body weight and blood sugar levels among 55 adults before and after they took part in the program. All participants were overweight or obese at the beginning.

    We recently published our findings in the Medical Journal of Australia.

    By the end of the program, 52% of participants reduced their HbA1c – a measure of blood sugar – by at least 0.3%. Some 33% of participants lost at least 3% of their body weight.

    Changes such as these are called “clinically significant” because they’re big enough for doctors to see real health benefits such as reduced risk of chronic disease, including diabetes and heart disease.

    Other outcomes we looked at improved too. Overall, participants had smaller waist circumferences at the end, lower body-mass index, better “good” cholesterol levels, were drinking less sugary drinks, and doing more daily exercise.

    Why did it work?

    Behavioural change is not necessarily easy to achieve in these communities, which have a very different language and culture from mainstream Australia.

    Our study is the first in remote Aboriginal communities to comprehensively evaluate a lifestyle change program with such promising results.

    The study design cannot prove the intervention directly caused the changes. That is, there may have been other factors which contributed to the outcomes.

    A randomised controlled trial would have provided stronger proof the program led to the health improvements we observed, but these trials can be unsuitable in remote Indigenous communities. In this study, the community was concerned delaying the program for some people would harm their health. Also, many wanted their extended family to take part, making it difficult to select a representative control group which would be needed for this type of study.

    Nonetheless, our results suggest support for culturally sensitive health initiatives such as Hope for Health is crucial for reducing the burden of chronic disease in remote Indigenous communities.

    We believe Hope for Health worked because it was led by Yolŋu people and is built on Yolŋu knowledge, language and culture. Education provided to remote Aboriginal people such as the Yolŋu needs to be liya-lapmarnhamirr – that is, presented in a way that brings revelation and understanding.

    Hasthi Dissanayake receives or has received funding from the Medical Research Future Fund, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and Australian government postgraduate and research grants.

    Beverley-Ann Biggs receives research funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and Medical Research Future Fund competitive grant schemes.

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

    – ref. A community-led health program in remote Arnhem land is showing promising results for First Nations locals – https://theconversation.com/a-community-led-health-program-in-remote-arnhem-land-is-showing-promising-results-for-first-nations-locals-255519

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Some Reddit users just love to disagree, new AI-powered troll-spotting algorithm finds

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marian-Andrei Rizoiu, Associate Professor in Behavioral Data Science, University of Technology Sydney

    ginger_polina_bublik/Shutterstock

    In today’s fractured online landscape, it is harder than ever to identify harmful actors such as trolls and misinformation spreaders.

    Often, efforts to spot malicious accounts focus on analysing what they say. However, our latest research suggests we should be paying more attention to what they do – and how they do it.

    We have developed a way to identify potentially harmful online actors based solely on their behavioural patterns – the way they interact with others – rather than the content they share. We presented our results at the recent ACM Web Conference, and were awarded Best Paper.

    Beyond looking at what people say

    Traditional approaches to spotting problematic online behaviour typically rely on two methods. One is to examine content (what people are saying). The other is to analyse network connections (who follows whom).

    These methods have limitations.

    Users can circumvent content analysis. They may code their language carefully, or share misleading information without using obvious trigger words.

    Network analysis falls short on platforms such as Reddit. Here, connections between users aren’t explicit. Communities are organised around topics rather than social relationships.

    We wanted to find a way to identify harmful actors that couldn’t be easily gamed. We realised we could, focusing on behaviour – how people interact, rather than what they say.

    Teaching AI to understand human behaviour online

    Our approach uses a technique called inverse reinforcement learning. This is a method typically used to understand human decision-making in fields such as autonomous driving or game theory.

    We adapted this technology to analyse how users behave on social media platforms.

    Behavioural analysis could help the fight against the growing problem of online misinformation.
    Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock

    The system works by observing a user’s actions, such as creating new threads, posting comments and replying to others. From those actions it infers the underlying strategy or “policy” that drives their behaviour.

    In our Reddit case study, we analysed 5.9 million interactions over six years. We identified five distinct behavioural personas, including one particularly notable group – “disagreers”.

    Meet the ‘disagreers’

    Perhaps our most striking result was finding an entire class of Reddit users whose primary purpose seems to be to disagree with others. These users specifically seek out opportunities to post contradictory comments, especially in response to disagreement, and then move on without waiting for replies.

    The “disagreers” were most common in politically-focused subreddits (forums focused on particular topics) such as r/news, r/worldnews, and r/politics. Interestingly, they were much less common in the now-banned pro-Trump forum r/The_Donald despite its political focus.

    This pattern reveals how behavioural analysis can uncover dynamics that content analysis might miss. In r/The_Donald, users tended to agree with each other while directing hostility toward outside targets. This dynamic may explain why traditional content moderation has struggled to address problems in such communities.

    Soccer fans and gamers

    Our research also revealed unexpected connections. Users discussing completely different topics sometimes displayed remarkably similar behavioural patterns.

    We found striking similarities between users discussing soccer (on r/soccer) and e-sports (on r/leagueoflegends).

    This similarity emerges from the fundamental nature of both communities. Soccer and e-sports fans engage in parallel ways: they passionately support specific teams, follow matches with intense interest, participate in heated discussions about strategies and player performances, celebrate victories, and dissect defeats.

    Despite their differences, fans of soccer and the online multiplayer battle game League of Legends behave in very similar ways online.
    Vasyl Shulga/Shutterstock

    Both communities foster strong tribal identities. Users defend their favoured teams while critiquing rivals.

    Whether debating Premier League tactics or League of Legends champions, the underlying interaction patterns – the timing, sequence and emotional tone of responses – remain consistent across these topically distinct communities.

    This challenges conventional wisdom about online polarisation. While echo chambers are often blamed for increasing division, our research suggests behavioural patterns can transcend topical boundaries. Users may be divided more by how they interact than what they discuss.

    Beyond troll detection

    The implications of this research extend well beyond academic interest. Platform moderators could use behavioural patterns to identify potentially problematic users before they’ve posted large volumes of harmful content.

    Unlike content moderation, behavioural analysis does not depend on understanding language. It is hard to evade, since changing one’s behavioural patterns requires more effort than adjusting language.

    The approach could also help design more effective strategies to counter misinformation. Rather than focusing solely on the content, we can design systems that encourage more constructive engagement patterns.

    For social media users, this research offers a reminder that how we engage online – not just what we say – shapes our digital identity and influences others.

    As online spaces continue to grapple with manipulation, harassment and polarisation, approaches that consider behavioural patterns alongside content analysis may offer more effective solutions for fostering healthier online communities.

    Marian-Andrei Rizoiu receives funding from the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator, the Australian Department of Home Affairs, the Defence Innovation Network, and the National Science Centre, Poland.

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

    – ref. Some Reddit users just love to disagree, new AI-powered troll-spotting algorithm finds – https://theconversation.com/some-reddit-users-just-love-to-disagree-new-ai-powered-troll-spotting-algorithm-finds-255879

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Research Council Celebrates New Indigenous Workforce Program

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on May 8, 2025

    Today, the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) is pleased to officially launch its Indigenous Workforce Program and celebrate the inaugural cohort of students in a re-imagined Indigenous Summer Student Program, Kiskiyihta (Kiskee ih-taah). Kiskiyihta is a Cree word meaning to learn or to know.

    One of several employment strategies within SRC’s wider Indigenous Action Plan launched earlier this year, the Indigenous Workforce Program aims to increase the recruitment and retention of Indigenous employees at SRC. Coordinated through the Indigenous Workforce Program, Kiskiyihta provides Indigenous students studying at a Saskatchewan post-secondary institution with opportunities for hands-on learning in a research and technology environment at SRC. 

    “Through SRC’s Indigenous Workforce and Kiskiyihta Summer Student Programs, more Indigenous youth will have the chance to work in a specialized research and technology environment, gaining valuable job experience, coaching and mentorship,” Minister Responsible for SRC Warren Kaeding said. “The new initiative complements SRC’s Indigenous Action Plan, with a goal to create new employment opportunities and further advance economic reconciliation in the province.”  

    The First Nations University of Canada, the Gabriel Dumont Institute, the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies and the Saskatoon Tribal Council are integral Workforce Program collaborators. Through these relationships, SRC will work collaboratively to identify skilled candidates for summer work placements, internships, apprenticeships, co-op placements and other job opportunities. 

    Four students are part of this year’s inaugural program and will be immersed in learning experiences in SRC’s Rare Earth Element Division and Nuclear Division, as well as its Environmental Remediation and External Relations teams. 

    “We want to be an employer of choice for Indigenous Peoples by providing unique job experiences they may not have had prior access to,” SRC President and CEO Mike Crabtree said. “Our goal is to engage and empower Indigenous Peoples so they can thrive in a culturally safe workplace and achieve their professional goals.” 

    SRC’s Indigenous Workforce Program also places focus on developing strategies for the retention and advancement of Indigenous employees once they are part of SRC’s workforce, such as increasing opportunities for participation in leadership roles and all-staff events to celebrate Indigenous culture. 

    SRC is Canada’s second largest research and technology organization with 1,400 clients in 22 countries around the world. With more than 350 employees, SRC has been helping clients solve technology problems, make improvements, increase productivity and develop new markets for more than 77 years. More details about SRC’s Indigenous Action Plan can be found at src.sk.ca/IAP. 

    –30-

    For more information, contact: 

    Allison Collins
    External Relations
    Saskatchewan Research Council
    Phone: 306-385-4208
    Email: allison.collins@src.sk.ca 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Donald Trump’s assault on universities echoes earlier American conservative ideas

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Michael Williams, Professor of International Politics, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

    Fifty years ago, the American philosopher and conservative thinker James Burnham wrote his most infamous book, The Suicide of the West: An Essay on the Meaning and Destiny of Liberalism.

    Burnham argued that liberalism — which he associated with unbridled individualism and excessive belief in human progress — was eroding the foundations of the West’s social orders and, equally importantly, its geopolitical power.

    In an ironic twist, it’s not liberals ushering in the decline of America in contemporary times. Burnham’s acolytes in Donald Trump’s administration are busy doing that work.

    Influence on the American right

    It is easy to recognize Burnham’s ideas in the arguments and actions of the Trump administration.

    In both The Suicide of the West and his previous 1941 bestseller, The Managerial Revolution, Burnham argued that liberalism’s individualism weakened social bonds and national allegiance. At the same time, it promoted the rise of a new class of experts that eroded democracy and individual rights under the guise of acting for the common good.

    This “new class” of highly educated, managerial elites had come to dominate virtually all aspects of life, from business and bureaucracy to commerce, culture and education.

    Ruling through their claims to expertise, Burnham argued that these elites spread relativistic liberal values that undermined social cohesion and national confidence, sapping the West’s ability to define and defend its fundamental values.

    If these trends continued, he warned, the West would not long survive. Burnham exercised an important influence on the American right from the 1950s through the 1970s, and near the end of his life received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Ronald Reagan. Yet by the 1990s, his ideas had fallen out of fashion and few remembered his warnings.

    Rediscovered by radical conservatives

    Recently, however, Burnham’s provocative ideas have resurfaced as one of the most important intellectual lineages underpinning American radical conservatism and its attacks on “elite institutions.”

    In his writings, and those of his followers such as Samuel Francis, a range of political and intellectual figures have found the ideological ammunition needed to launch their crusade against liberalism in order to save the West — or in the case of the U.S., to “Make America Great Again.”



    Read more:
    Why the radical right has turned to the teachings of an Italian Marxist thinker

    JD Vance’s attack on Europe’s democratic credentials, Elon Musk’s DOGE determination to “deconstruct” the administrative state and the Trump administration’s assaults on elite universities all reflect Burnhamite ideas.

    Risk bringing about America’s decline

    There is considerable irony in this situation. Most obviously, Burnham was wrong about the self-inflicted death of the West. Contrary to his predictions, liberalism did not lead to the erosion of western global power.

    Far from collapsing, the United States and its allies fought the Cold War to a victorious conclusion and by the turn of the 20th century emerged with a power and dominance that Burnham could scarcely have imagined. Liberalism was the reigning ideology. American and western commerce, culture, science and technology dominated the world.

    Yet the greatest irony is that Burnham’s followers risk bringing about the very situation he sought to avoid – the decline of America and its dominant status.

    Nowhere is this clearer than in the attack on elite universities, where no one should not be misled by charges of antisemitism.

    Important as addressing antisemitism is, this framing distracts from the ways that the right’s attack on universities are part of its wider assault the foundations of “new class” power.

    Tech leadership, geopolitical dominance

    In this broader campaign, leading illiberal zealots in the Trump administration are pursuing policies that will damage the foundations of American power far more than liberalism ever did.

    Most obviously, the attacks on universities threaten U.S. technological leadership, since research universities remain an indispensable site of basic research, innovation and next-generation training — something especially vital at a time when the country’s leadership in these areas is challenged in ways unseen for nearly half a century.



    Read more:
    Three scientists speak about what it’s like to have research funding cut by the Trump administration

    At the same time, assaults on academic freedom threaten the considerable cultural power and prestige that, as Burnham was well aware, are vital areas of geopolitical struggle.

    Finally, these policies undermine the American ability to attract the best and the brightest from around the world — a capacity that has long underpinned its dominance in science and innovation, and ultimately its global influence.

    Diminished intellectual capital

    One might be tempted to say: fine, if America no longer values its intellectual capital, other countries can reap the benefit by attracting the expertise it shuns. To some degree, this may be true.

    But no western country or group of countries – such as the EU – possesses the institutional research capacity, network density and depth of funding found until now in the U.S.

    At best, a more fragmented, diffuse and less impactful situation is likely to occur, with America weakened and the benefits gained by others unlikely to make up the balance. The West as a whole is likely to emerge weaker rather than stronger.

    Geopolitical decline

    Recognizing these negative outcomes does not require treating elite universities as paragons of virtue or viewing higher education as beyond reproach. Nor are today’s Burnhamites completely delusional. Increased inequality, economic dislocation and the death of local industries have followed in the footsteps of liberal globalization.



    Read more:
    How Commonwealth universities profited from Indigenous dispossession through land grants

    Cultural divides are significant, even if they are often polarized for political purposes. But addressing such issues demands serious engagement, not simplistic accusations of elite decadence and divisive political rhetoric. Crucially, it requires seeing elite (and other) universities as sources of global power as well as sites of education.

    The conservative columnist Irving Kristol once said that politics is a struggle over “who owns the future.”

    Materially and ideologically, Burnham’s contemporary followers are making sure that America will no longer be on the winning side of this struggle. Their efforts to “make America great again” misunderstand important parts of what made it great in the first place. The most likely outcome will be the decline, not the recovery, of America.

    The Conversation

    Michael Williams receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Rita Abrahamsen receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

    – ref. How Donald Trump’s assault on universities echoes earlier American conservative ideas – https://theconversation.com/how-donald-trumps-assault-on-universities-echoes-earlier-american-conservative-ideas-255470

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –