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Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, accompanied by Indian Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Andhra Pradesh Minister Kandula Durgesh, monks, and officials, arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Source: Government of India

    Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, accompanied by Indian Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Andhra Pradesh Minister Kandula Durgesh, monks, and officials, arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Union Minister conveyed a meaningful message on behalf of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the people of India

    A Sacred Bodhi tree sapling from India was planted by the Union Minister at the Vietnam Buddhist University

    Relics were enshrined at Thanh Tam Monastery following ceremonial prayers

    Posted On: 02 MAY 2025 5:57PM by PIB Delhi

    In a significant cultural and spiritual milestone, the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha arrived in Ho Chi Minh City today aboard a special aircraft from India, marking the beginning of the United Nations Day of Vesak celebrations in Vietnam from May 6–8, 2025.

    The Indian delegation, led by Union Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju and Andhra Pradesh Minister Shri Kandula Durgesh, was joined by monks and senior officials in accompanying the Sacred Relics from Sarnath, India. Upon arrival, they were warmly received by the Government of Vietnam and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, reflecting the profound and shared spiritual values that unite both nations.

    Following ceremonial prayers, the Holy Relics were reverently enshrined at Thanh Tam Monastery. In a symbolic gesture of peace and friendship, a Sacred Bodhi Tree sapling from India was also planted at the Vietnam Buddhist University. A joint press conference was held by the Indian delegation and leaders of the Vietnamese Sangha, where Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju conveyed a heartfelt message from Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the people of India. The Government of Vietnam expressed its sincere gratitude for this sacred gesture, which stands as a symbol of the enduring civilizational and spiritual ties between the two countries.

    The Holy Relics are being exhibited with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, the National Museum of India, and the International Buddha Confederation. They will be displayed to the public in Ho Chi Minh City until May 7, 2025, before continuing to Tay Ninh, Hanoi, and Ha Nam until May 21, 2025.

    A grand public procession brought the Sacred Relics to Thanh Tam Pagoda, where they will remain on public exposition. Cultural programs, including a specially curated exhibition and a dance-drama on the life of Lord Buddha, will accompany the celebrations, underscoring the deep-rooted India-Vietnam Buddhist heritage.

    The Sacred Relics will be in Vietnam from May 2 to May 21, 2025, as part of the Vesak Day commemorations, strengthening people-to-people connections and honoring Lord Buddha’s message of peace, compassion, and harmony.

    ***

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2126226) Visitor Counter : 73

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government announces extension of Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme to cover all nine Mainland cities in GBA

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    　　The Government announced today (May 2) the extension of the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme to include 12 additional medical institutions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), with a view to offering more convenience for eligible Hong Kong elderly persons to use Elderly Health Care Vouchers (EHCVs) in the GBA. The number of pilot medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme will be significantly increased from the current seven to 19, covering all the nine Mainland cities in the GBA. Together with the two existing service points operated by the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH), a total of 21 service points in the GBA will be allowed to use EHCVs, benefitting more than 1.78 million eligible Hong Kong elderly persons.

    　　All the 12 medical institutions newly included in the Pilot Scheme (see Annex for details) are Tier III Class A hospitals providing integrated healthcare services (including dental services). They are:
     

    GBA city Name of medical institution
    Guangzhou Guangdong Clifford Hospital
    Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine
    Shenzhen
    (including the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone)    		 Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University
    Peking University Shenzhen Hospital
    Zhuhai The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
    Zhuhai People’s Hospital
    Foshan The First People’s Hospital of Foshan
    The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University
    (Previously: Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University)
    Huizhou Huizhou Central People’s Hospital
    Zhongshan Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
    Jiangmen Jiangmen Central Hospital
    Zhaoqing The First People’s Hospital of Zhaoqing

    　　The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, “The main purpose of implementing the Pilot Scheme is to offer more convenience and flexibility for eligible Hong Kong elderly persons by providing more service points for them to better use their EHCVs for primary healthcare services to improve their health. The service points of the Pilot Scheme are meticulously planned to extend to GBA cities that are not yet covered, namely Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing, as well as to set up additional service points in the GBA cities that are already covered. The extension of the Pilot Scheme also includes Chinese medicine hospitals for the first time to provide eligible elderly persons with additional choices in healthcare services.

    　　”I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Health Commission of Guangdong Province (GDHC) and the health authorities of relevant cities for providing us invaluable advice and tremendous help on selecting suitable medical institutions and the regulations relevant to the monitoring of healthcare quality and fee level, among others, during the implementation of the Pilot Scheme.”

    　　The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address announced the extension of the Pilot Scheme to cover nine Mainland cities in the GBA last October. The Health Bureau (HHB) and the Department of Health (DH) have thereafter promptly taken forward the relevant work proactively, including seeking advice and recommendations from the GDHC, inviting medical institutions to briefing sessions, and conducting site visits.  

    　　The service scope eligible for claims for the EHCVs at medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme will be largely the same. The arrangements for shared use of EHCVs between spouses and the EHCV Pilot Reward Scheme are also applicable. Moreover, eligible elderly persons have to register with eHealth. The “Cross-boundary Health Record” and “Personal Folder” functions of the eHealth mobile application will also be applicable to the medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme, with a view to offering convenience for Hong Kong citizens to self-carry their electronic health records for cross-boundary uses. 

    　　To ensure the proper use of public money, the DH adopts a robust monitoring mechanism for checking and auditing EHCV claims, including routine checking, monitoring and investigating in respect of aberrant transactions, and investigations into complaints. In the monitoring issues and investigations of the Pilot Scheme, apart from the above measures, the DH has established a mechanism with the health authorities of the Mainland, through which the health authorities of the Mainland will provide assistance to the DH when necessary, with a view to enhancing its monitoring capabilities and ensuring the proper reimbursement of EHCV claims to the participating medical institutions under the Pilot Scheme. 

    　　The HHB and the DH are working on the follow-up arrangements with various new pilot medical institutions, such as personnel training, financial arrangements and system configuration. It is expected that the new pilot medical institutions will gradually launch the relevant arrangements by the fourth quarter of this year.

    　　Launched by the Government in 2009, the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHVS) currently subsidises eligible Hong Kong elderly persons aged 65 and above with an annual voucher amount of $2,000 (with the accumulation limit set at $8,000) for them to choose in their own community private primary healthcare services that best suit their health needs. The Government launched the Pilot Scheme last year to extend the coverage of EHCVs to suitable medical institutions in the GBA. As at September of the same year, the coverage of EHCVs has been extended to seven integrated medical/dental institutions located in Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Dongguan and Shenzhen. 

    Members of the public may refer to the EHVS website (www.hcv.gov.hk) or call the hotline (2838 2311) for more information on EHVS.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Donald J. Trump’s Commencement Address at the University of Alabama

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    President Donald J. Trump to the University of Alabama Class of 2025:

    “I’ve learned that perseverance is everything. So whatever happens, no matter where you are in life, stay optimistic and just keep pushing forward. Just don’t stop. Never, ever give up.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-YUY95QrfQ

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Investing $62M in SUNY Nursing Simulation Centers

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that nursing simulation centers will be established on three SUNY campuses as part of her signature legislation to expand simulation-based education in SUNY nursing programs. The $62 million investment includes $35 million in direct SUNY capital awards, with the remaining funds contributed by campus matches. The three nursing simulation centers will be located on the University at Buffalo, SUNY Canton and Stony Brook University campuses.

    “By investing in nurses of the future, we’re investing in the talent of aspiring professionals across our state and in the health care workforce we all rely on,” Governor Hochul said. “The SUNY nursing simulation centers will make extraordinary strides toward preparing students and strengthening the pipeline of excellence in our SUNY system and beyond.”

    The University at Buffalo has been designated a SUNY System-Wide Nursing Simulation Center of Excellence, envisioned as a cutting-edge hub for simulation-based education and innovation across the system. SUNY Canton and Stony Brook University have been named SUNY Regional Nursing Simulation Centers, and will serve as critical resources for the North Country and Long Island regions.

    SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “SUNY is committed to strengthening New York’s healthcare workforce, and today’s groundbreaking investment in nursing simulation is a testament to this commitment, and a reminder of the key role public higher education plays in health outcomes and workforce development. Following enactment of Governor Hochul’s 2023 law championed by Senators Stavisky and Fahy and Assemblymember Lupardo to establish nursing simulation, SUNY is at the forefront of simulation-based nursing education – transforming how we prepare our students to address the healthcare workforce shortage and evolving healthcare needs of New Yorkers.”

    SUNY Board Trustee Eric Corngold said, “This landmark investment takes us a step closer to providing nursing simulation centers across The Empire State and further advances our work with Governor Hochul and State leadership to address local and regional workforce shortages that are affecting many of our communities. We look forward to our continued progress in providing students interested in healthcare with the resources they need and deserve to obtain an excellent public education at the best value.”

    The selected campuses will provide high-quality, hands-on training for some of the most needed clinical practice areas in health care, such as labor and delivery, high acuity cases, and community health. With their investments, each campus has committed to significant prelicensure nursing program enrollment growth, leveraging the legislation Governor Hochul signed in May of 2023 permitting nursing students to complete up to one-third of their clinical training through high-quality simulation experiences.

    This further enhances the Governor’s other transformative initiatives to increase the state’s health care workforce, including Nurses and Healthcare Workers For Our Future Scholarships and free associate degrees at community colleges for students pursuing high-demand fields, including health care fields, all advancing Governor Hochul’s goal of growing New York’s health care workforce by 20 percent.

    SUNY’s goal to fully leverage nursing simulation aligns with recommendations from the SUNY Future of Health Care Workforce Task Force , a group convened to guide SUNY in addressing the critical health care workforce shortage. In its findings, the task force identified fully leveraging nursing simulation as one of its four priority areas for short-term action and investment. The $62 million investment will directly support prelicensure nursing program enrollment increases. Collectively, the three designated simulation centers are projected to add hundreds of new prelicensure nursing students annually, while also expanding training capacity at partner SUNY campuses across the State.

    The nursing simulation investment will have the following impact across participating campuses:

    • At the University at Buffalo, the new system-wide nursing simulation center will support a 34 percent increase in prelicensure nursing enrollment in the first-year post-project completion, with a projected 67 percent increase over the next decade. By leveraging cutting-edge simulation technology and telepresence robots, UB will enable expanded in-person and remote participation in hyper-realistic clinical scenarios while fostering collaboration across campuses.
    • At SUNY Canton, the new regional nursing simulation center will support significant growth across all levels of undergraduate nursing programs, including a 133 percent increase at the practical nursing level, a 160 percent increase at the associate’s level, and a 192 percent increase at the baccalaureate level within five years post-project completion. SUNY Canton’s simulation space will support nursing education in the North Country, where limited clinical placement opportunities present significant challenges in training future nurses, particularly in obstetrics, labor and delivery, and pediatric care.
    • At Stony Brook University, the new regional nursing simulation center will support a 19 percent increase in prelicensure nursing enrollment in the first-year post-project completion, with a projected 27 percent increase over the next five years. Stony Brook will significantly expand its simulation space footprint to enhance in-person nursing education while also leveraging advanced simulcast software technology to provide remote learning opportunities across Long Island.

    State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, “I am delighted to see SUNY continuing its significant investment in its nursing simulation program. The creation of three centers at University at Buffalo, SUNY Canton, and Stony Brook University will not only address the shortage of nurses but ensure that they receive first-class training. The capacity of nursing programs will hopefully increase dramatically across all SUNY campuses. No longer will schools have to turn away qualified applicants. This is exactly the result I envisioned when the Governor signed Assemblymember Lupardo and my nursing simulation bill into law in 2023.”

    State Senator April N. M. Baskin said, “This generous grant will have a profound impact on the lives of countless patients who will benefit from the training and expertise of the nurses that were fortunate to learn at the University at Buffalo, SUNY Canton, and Stony Brook University campuses. This cutting-edge medical simulation training can only improve clinical skills and enhance the professionalism of nursing students. Hands-on work by SUNY students will undoubtedly enhance actual clinical scenarios when patients’ lives are in their hands.”

    State Senator Anthony Palumbo said, “This critical funding to establish a Nursing Simulation Center at Stony Brook University will help New York’s flagship university remain on the cutting edge of medical advancements in the field of nursing and will provide students with the skills and experience needed to meet today’s growing healthcare challenges. As home to Long Island’s Regional Nursing Simulation Center, SBU will equip the next generation of nurses—helping them provide the highest quality of care to patients throughout Long Island and the greater metropolitan region.”

    Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said, “There is no experience quite like hands-on experience and with these investments, SUNY is ensuring that students in the nursing programs at the University at Buffalo, Canton and Stony Brook, are equipped with the very best tools to learn and fill in the gaps within our health care workforce.”

    Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman said, “This $62 million investment in SUNY’s nursing simulation centers is not only a victory for our students, but a critical step forward in building a more equitable and prepared healthcare workforce. As someone who proudly represents communities with some of the most dedicated future healthcare professionals, I know how transformative access to cutting-edge training can be. These new centers—from Buffalo to Canton to Stony Brook—will expand opportunity, increase enrollment, and prepare more nurses to serve in areas where they’re needed most. I applaud SUNY and Governor Hochul for this bold investment in the future of healthcare in New York State.”

    Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest said, “As a nurse and a SUNY graduate, I’m happy to see this year’s record investment in nursing simulation centers at SUNY. Sims are absolutely critical in any nurse’s training and I’m glad to see SUNY creating regional centers that can help educate future nurses across the SUNY system.”

    Assemblymember Rebecca Kassay said, “As SUNY Stony Brook’s representative in the New York State Assembly, I am thrilled to see this transformative investment in our region’s nursing education infrastructure. The establishment of a Regional Nursing Simulation Center at Stony Brook University is a critical step toward building a stronger, more resilient healthcare workforce on Long Island and across New York State. This initiative will not only expand access to high-quality, hands-on training for our aspiring nurses but will also support our hospitals, clinics, and communities by preparing more qualified professionals. I am grateful for SUNY’s leadership in pioneering innovative, simulation-based education that meets the moment and addresses our state’s urgent nursing shortage.”

    Assemblymember Scott A. Gray said, “This new regional nursing simulation center represents a game-changer for SUNY Canton and the North Country. We will not only see substantial growth across our nursing programs, but more importantly, we will be able to provide our students with critical training that limited clinical placement opportunities have hindered in the past, especially in high-demand specialties like obstetrics, labor, and delivery, and pediatric care. This will ultimately lead to better healthcare outcomes for our communities.”

    SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran said, “This major and transformative investment further establishes SUNY Canton as the North Country’s regional nursing education simulation center. It also will allow us to more than double access to our quality programs at all levels, allowing us to help fill the local and state-wide need for highly qualified nurses. The new simulation center will augment our hands-on learning opportunities and further strengthen SUNY Canton’s commitment to offering affordable, accessible and applied experiences with the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice.”

    University at Buffalo School of Nursing Dean Annette Wysocki said, “The School of Nursing at the University at Buffalo is grateful to Governor Hochul and honored to have been selected to establish the new SUNY System-Wide Nursing Simulation Center of Excellence that will be a major resource for SUNY system schools of nursing across New York State. The design and construction of a new simulation center will lead to educating faculty and the expert nursing workforce of the future where therapeutic advances are leading to new clinical challenges. This combined $34 million dollar investment to establish the SUNY System-Wide Nursing Simulation Center of Excellence at the University at Buffalo School of Nursing represents the largest investment ever made to develop resources for the School of Nursing and advance the future success of the nursing profession in New York state.”

    Stony Brook University School of Nursing Dean Dr. Patricia Bruckenthal said, “We are grateful to Governor Hochul, SUNY, and Stony Brook University for this opportunity to expand and enhance nursing education through simulation-based learning. The Stony Brook School of Nursing NEXUS Innovation Center epitomizes our commitment to advancing nursing education through innovation and collaboration. By integrating cutting-edge simulation technologies, we are not only enhancing the clinical competencies of our students and nursing students across our region but also fostering an environment where interdisciplinary teams can engage in transformative learning experiences. This center stands as a testament to our dedication to preparing nurse leaders who will shape the future of healthcare delivery.”

    Executive Vice President for Stony Brook Medicine Dr. William A. Wertheim said, “As Suffolk County’s only academic medical center, Stony Brook University is proud to be at the forefront of healthcare education and workforce development. This designation as a SUNY Regional Nursing Simulation Center reflects our long-standing commitment to preparing the next generation of nurses. Through this important partnership with SUNY, we will significantly expand access to high-quality, hands-on clinical training — helping to address the critical nursing shortage, grow the healthcare workforce and ensure our communities have the skilled professionals they need to thrive.”

    This announcement builds on a series of efforts by SUNY to expand and enhance nursing education through simulation-based learning. In October, Chancellor King announced the inaugural class of the SUNY Nursing Simulation Fellowship, a key initiative to further advance the integration of simulation into SUNY nursing programs. Additionally, SUNY has invested $3.7 million through its High Needs Nursing Fund to further advance simulation-based education across 40 of SUNY’s nursing programs. Over two consecutive years, the SUNY High Needs Nursing Fund has equipped SUNY campuses with the necessary tools, training, and resources to modernize and expand simulation experiences for students.

    To further support simulation-facing faculty and staff across the SUNY system, an additional SUNY System-Wide Nursing Simulation Center of Excellence dedicated to faculty training and professional development in nursing simulation is expected to be announced in the near future.

    About The State University of New York

    The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DOE Announces New Leadership to Tackle Challenges of Growing Energy Demand

    Source: US Department of Energy

    WASHINGTON—The Department of Energy (DOE) today announced new leadership to tackle the challenge of strengthening and securing the U.S. energy system and ensuring America can lead the global race for AI leadership. To unleash American Energy Dominance, the systems and infrastructure that produce and deliver energy to the American people must be reliable, resilient, and secure. As energy demand continues to grow, the U.S. needs to upgrade both existing energy infrastructure and build new infrastructure – all of which must be done with resilience and security as priorities. 

    To advance these goals, today DOE is announcing that the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) will be led by DOE Chief of Staff Alex Fitzsimmons. Carl Coe, who currently leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) at DOE, will assume the role of DOE Chief of Staff.

    “The race for global leadership in AI is the new Manhattan Project, and winning this race depends on our ability to increase access to abundant supplies of reliable, affordable energy and build secure infrastructure,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “The Department of Energy is focused on the need to meet growing energy demand while strengthening the resilience and security of U.S. energy infrastructure against all threats and hazards.  

    “Alex has served as a critical leader across the Department in our first 100 days, and his expertise and ability to take on complex problems make him the right person to spearhead this important office. I am grateful for his ongoing leadership within the Department, and I look forward to continuing to work with Carl Coe in his new role as Chief of Staff.”

    As Chief of Staff to the Secretary, Alex Fitzsimmons led the DOE beach-head team on day one and through the first 100 days of the Administration. He has an extensive background in energy technology policy, having served at DOE in the first Trump Administration. Alex has also completed a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from Georgia Tech.  

    Carl Coe joined the Department of Energy to lead DOGE efforts in 2025. In this role, he has worked closely with Secretary Wright and 40 key offices in DOE focused on process improvement and cost savings.

    Coe grew up in Ohio and graduated from Ohio State University. He spent 17 years with PTC in various senior roles, including positions in London, Brazil, and Americas. While at PTC, he worked extensively with the Department of Energy and the National Labs focused on product development and lifecycle management. In 2018, Coe acquired Mango Practice Management, and over the next 5 years with Coe serving as CEO, the company grew by over 700%.

                                                                                            ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Britain’s nuclear future? What small reactors, fusion and ‘Big Carl’ mean for net zero

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tomas Martin, Associate Professor in Materials Physics, University of Bristol

    Former UK prime minister Tony Blair recently argued nuclear power is an “essential part of the answer” to net zero. Writing in the foreword of a report by his thinktank, the Tony Blair Institute, he claimed small modular nuclear reactors, nuclear fusion and other advanced technologies can help lower the emissions of the electricity sector.

    It’s worth looking at what these technologies involve, and how far off the UK is from integrating them into its electricity system. But we should first recognise great progress in the electricity sector in the past 15 years, and how dramatic reductions in the cost of wind and solar have led to huge increases in renewable capacity across the globe.

    The UK completely removed all coal-fired power in 2024, largely replaced by offshore wind and gas. However, relying on any one technology makes an electricity grid less resilient, and nuclear is zero-carbon and can help stabilise the grid when so much electricity comes from intermittent renewables.

    Historically, nuclear has contributed around 15% to 25% of the UK’s electricity supply, however most reactors have closed or are approaching the end of their life. The fleet of 26 Magnox reactors built in the 1960s finished operation by 2015 and are now being decommissioned.

    Over the past three years three other sites have also closed, with the remainder currently anticipated to run until 2028-2030. At this point, what was once 41 reactors will have shrunk to just Sizewell B, a power plant operational on the Suffolk coast since 1995.

    Replacing this drop in electricity production must be a big priority. The construction of two new reactors at Hinkley Point C in south-west England started in 2016 but won’t finish until at least 2029. Significant planning has taken place for an identical site at Sizewell C in Suffolk, and a final decision is expected shortly.

    The pressurised water reactor design at these two sites produces significantly more electricity than past UK designs, and these four reactors will together produce 6.4GW of electricity, replacing all 14 of the reactors that are retiring.

    Supporting the construction of new reactors at Hinkley Point and Sizewell is essential for maintaining the UK’s electricity supply, but basically returns the country to the status quo. Beyond, there are number of exciting new developments.

    SMRs

    Small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs) have frustratingly similar names, but have become the main way to categorise the two options. The “small” in SMRs is because they produce between 30MW and 300MW of electricity, compared to 1,600MW for each reactor at Hinkley Point C.

    The “modular” is driven by a desire to produce multiple identical reactors at once in a factory, rather than constructing on site. This can dramatically reduce manufacturing and installation time, potentially making them much cheaper.

    A combination of new SMRs and one or two new Hinkley C-sized reactors would enable UK nuclear capacity to expand beyond the status quo in the 2030s, further reducing the carbon emissions of the electricity sector.

    The next generation

    Further into the future, exciting research is taking place on the next “generation IV” nuclear designs: advanced modular reactors (AMRs).

    Some AMRs can run at much higher temperatures, which could help decarbonise tricky industries like steelmaking or produce hydrogen for energy storage or low-carbon plane fuel. Some designs can even reuse nuclear waste, reducing how long it needs to be stored safely.

    Even further in the future, nuclear fusion – the same process that powers the sun – could offer clean electricity without producing long-lasting radioactive waste. The UK is supporting this by building a demonstration fusion plant called STEP which aims to start operating by 2040.

    One of the biggest criticisms of nuclear is the cost. Building a nuclear plant is a massive project that can take many years or even decades. Hinkley Point C, for example, has up to 10,000 workers and more than 100 cranes on site, including the world’s biggest crane “Big Carl”.

    Because plants take so long to build, the money is borrowed years before any electricity is generated, gathering significant interest in the meantime. These interest payments can ultimately make up as much as two-thirds of the total cost.

    A new funding model, similar to that used for big infrastructure projects like Crossrail, should lower costs.

    But once a nuclear plant is built and paid off, it’s one of the cheapest ways to generate electricity – especially as modern reactors can run for up to 80 years. That’s why government support to cover upfront construction costs can pay off in the long run.

    The previous UK government ambition was to build 24GW of new nuclear power by 2050 – about four times more than the country has today. However, the current government has not confirmed it will stick to this target.

    To get there, the UK would need to approve several new nuclear projects every few years starting in 2030, which will require major investment in skills, resources and collaborations.

    We urgently need to decarbonise our energy system, and future nuclear reactors can play an important role in that alongside renewables and other technologies.

    Tomas Martin receives funding from EDF and the Royal Academy of Engineering as part of the Royal Academy of Engineering Senior Research Fellowship scheme. His research work includes projects sponsored by EDF, UKAEA and UKNNL.

    – ref. Britain’s nuclear future? What small reactors, fusion and ‘Big Carl’ mean for net zero – https://theconversation.com/britains-nuclear-future-what-small-reactors-fusion-and-big-carl-mean-for-net-zero-255797

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Prioritizing mental health for successful school communities

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Prioritizing mental health for successful school communities

    Explore resources for Mental Health Awareness Month. Enhance well-being, develop a growth mindset, and support mental health awareness in education.

    The month of May in the US is dedicated to Mental Health Awareness Month, and it serves as a reminder for all of us to reflect on the role wellness plays in building thriving communities. Mental health awareness in education is crucial for both learning and teaching. When educators are grounded and supported, they can communicate more clearly, teach more efficiently, and build stronger relationships. A focus on well-being helps create a more positive and productive learning environment for everyone.

    Healthy classrooms—where students understand their emotions, educators feel empowered, and empathy is a shared value—often create the best conditions for success. There are many ways to support wellness across your school community, including tools and resources from Microsoft Education. We’re here to help make it easier to prioritize mental health for both you and your students—for Mental Health Awareness Month 2025 and throughout the school year.

    The global well-being crisis demands a bold shift in education—one that recognizes emotions as central to learning, decision-making, and achieving goals. Emotional intelligence is the foundation for life’s most essential skills: clear communication, good judgment, resilience, and strong relationships—key drivers of personal well-being and success in any career.

    Marc Brackett, Ph.D., Author of Permission to Feel and Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

    Cultivate collaboration and connection with Minecraft Education

    Minecraft Education is a game-based learning platform that promotes skill building, teamwork, and problem-solving. It provides students with a safe space to express themselves, collaborate and practice empathy, and navigate their emotions in a low-stress environment. With Minecraft Education, you can help your students develop essential skills with immersive and engaging educational experiences.

    Spin the Wheel of Steve and discover the magic of teamwork in this fun, skills-based adventure inspired by A Minecraft Movie! Students will venture through the Overworld competing in five team-based challenges designed to strengthen creativity, communication, connection, and critical thinking. Witness the wonder of collaboration when precious gems are at stake!

    Spin the Wheel of Steve

    Use these additional Minecraft Education activities and worlds as they are, or as a starting point to adapt to your students’ needs:

    • Reflect World – Students practice emotional processing strategies, encourage teamwork, and visualize emotions to develop empathy and self-awareness.
    • Building Community – Students work together to discuss what resources and services help people thrive and then build a community together within Minecraft.
    • Empathy Train – Explore what it means to think about other people’s feelings by constructing a diorama that captures a peer’s thoughts and feelings.

    Build social, emotional, and academic skills with Reflect

    Reflect, a Learning Accelerator, can make it easy to bring emotional check-ins and SEL into your daily practice. With Reflect, everyone has the opportunity to feel heard while learning to identify, understand, and manage emotions. Reflect offers:

    • Intentional emotional check-ins – Quickly survey students about their feelings and help them develop their emotional vocabulary with age-appropriate reflection.
    • Ready-to-use activities – Explore a variety of fun activities for you and your students to practice well-being skills.
    • Data-driven insights – Understand the emotional patterns and needs for each student and the whole class so you can better support their well-being and academic success.
    • Easy access and seamless integration – Access Reflect through your web browser (sign in required), via the Windows app, Microsoft Teams for Education, and through integrations into learning management systems (LMS).
    Get started with Reflect

    Additionally, Reflect Compass is a tool within Reflect that helps you navigate student check-in results with evidence-based strategies to enhance well-being, engagement, and a sense of belonging. It’s built on the expertise of Challenge Success and grounded in over 20 years of research at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education.

    Enhance educator well-being and connection

    Reflect isn’t just for students, it supports your wellness, too. You can access breathing exercises, meditation, and mindfulness activities from Reflect—great for moments when you need a mental reset or want to model self-regulation for your students.

    Reflect also helps school leaders foster a healthier, more connected work environment. Staff check-ins in Reflect give colleagues a safe space to share how they’re feeling—creating opportunities to be heard, supported, and seen.

    Create a staff check-in with Reflect

    If you’re a team owner, follow these steps to get started:

    1. Open your staff team in Microsoft Teams for Education.
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    5. Publish your check-in to give staff space for personal and community reflection.

    Focusing on your own wellness not only contributes to a positive learning environment, but it’s also a meaningful investment in yourself. Nurture yourself by taking a moment to recharge. Calm, the leading mental health brand, integrates mindfulness and movement activities into Reflect. Use a variety of engaging activities from Calm to foster a happier, healthier, and more balanced school community. As a bonus, educators and students can enjoy an exclusive 40% discount on a subscription to Calm, providing a wealth of activities designed specifically for personal rejuvenation.

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    We understand that your time and energy are precious. AI can assist you by streamlining everyday tasks and freeing up your time so you can stay focused on what matters most—whether spending time on individualized instruction or taking time to support your own well-being. By reducing the administrative burden, AI can help you to dedicate more attention to your students, their learning experiences, and your needs.

    Microsoft 365 Copilot is your AI assistant for everyday tasks, helping you support student learning outcomes, boost productivity, and save time. No matter your role, Copilot can help securely empower everyone at your institution, making it easier to work smarter and stay organized. Schools using Copilot have seen tangible benefits, with educators in Brisbane, Australia, reporting an average savings of 9.3 hours per week on routine tasks.

    Try Copilot Chat

    This time savings is especially crucial—and hopeful—in a profession where burnout is common. As St Francis College Principal John Marinucci highlights, Copilot can transform education by streamlining administrative tasks that often overwhelm educators. This means teachers can now devote more energy and time to their core mission of helping students be successful and grow.

    To help you and your team build competency with AI and Copilot, check out the AI for educators learning path which walks you through AI uses and tools in education.

    Prioritizing mental health and wellness isn’t just a moment, it’s a movement. This Mental Health Awareness Month, and throughout the year, you have the opportunity to lead a classroom where emotional intelligence, empathy and well-being are foundational to learning. Make mental health awareness and SEL a natural part of your day—supporting your students and yourself in meaningful, lasting ways.

    Discover SEL resources

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Want to walk the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage? Leave your phone at home

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Una Cunningham, Professor emerita, Department of Teaching and Learning, Stockholm University

    The yellow shell symbol that marks the path of the Camino de Santiago. Armando Oliveira/Shutterstock

    Pilgrimage offers a chance to disengage from the everyday and think deeply about what is important. Leaving home and spending some time on the move with no concerns other than putting one foot in front of the other can be life-changing.

    Pilgrimage has been described as a liminal experience, which means you are neither at home nor at your destination, caught between two existential levels. Many people return home feeling transformed.

    Since the mid-1990s, the numbers of people walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route to what the faithful believe to be the tomb of Saint James the Apostle in northwestern Spain have rocketed. And they continue to rise, probably approaching the numbers who made the pilgrimage in the middle ages, when up to 2 million people are believed to have walked each year.

    Medieval pilgrims prepared for pilgrimage by setting their financial and spiritual affairs in order: writing a will and going to confession. Pilgrimage was seen as a rite of passage, or an individual quest where social status and networks were traded for anonymity and poverty in constant mobility. Arrival conveyed salvation, or perhaps a cure or a mystical revelation.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Contemporary, postsecular pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago is often undertaken at turning points in the pilgrim’s life, for psycho-existential motives. Pilgrimage allows you to take time out from your life. Authenticity and simplicity are valued and will show you that you actually need very little. Slow mobility facilitates introspection and may have transformative effects.

    At the same time, you can prepare for a pilgrimage as for any other activity, using the digital tools at your fingertips to gather information from official apps and online communities, possibly to learn some Spanish, and to make decisions in the planning of the route, accommodation, equipment and training. It is possible to arrange everything in advance, but you risk becoming hyper-informed, losing the opportunities for discovery, wonder and surprise that are part of pilgrimage.

    Technology during your pilgrimage

    I research online Camino forums. They are divided on the use of technology (such as smartphones) while actually on pilgrimage.

    Unbroken digital interaction with family and friends at home will thwart some of the goals of your journey. Instead of being fully in the moment you will remain socially present in a symbolic world somewhere else, with all the worries of that world close at hand.

    You’ll also miss opportunities to trust your intuition, and the community of pilgrims you meet on the Camino. You don’t need a map. The trail is blazed with yellow arrows and stylised scallop shells. Without a phone you can plan your next day’s walk using a guidebook and if you want to book a bed for the next day, the albergue (pilgrim hostel) staff can help.

    The Camino path is well signposted.
    Soloviova Liudmyla/Shutterstock

    Many see a Camino pilgrimage as an opportunity for a digital detox and attempt to at least regulate the amount of time spent with a smartphone. But even if you keep your phone in your backpack during the day and concentrate tech time to the evening, you will be interrupting the separation from your life at home that is necessary if your pilgrimage is to be a liminal experience. When you catch up on news, email and family, you step back into the everyday.

    Live blogging and vlogging from the Camino is encouraged by prospective pilgrims lurking in the Camino forums. Those who have already completed one or more Caminos comment to relate and vicariously relive their own Camino experiences. Live turn-by-turn reports are also appreciated by those undertaking virtual pilgrimage.

    After your return home you can join the ranks of veterans who retell their pilgrimage to the online community and contribute with advice to prospective pilgrims. But doing this while on the Camino focuses your attention to other people and places rather than the here and now.

    The liminal experience that was supposed to bring the pilgrim to insight does not always happen, due, at least partly, to digital distraction and incomplete extraction from the everyday environment. In the words of Camino anthropologist Nancy Frey, use the Camino as a chance for disconnection. If you must take a phone, keep it turned off in your backpack – strictly for emergencies.

    Una Cunningham 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. Want to walk the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage? Leave your phone at home – https://theconversation.com/want-to-walk-the-camino-de-santiago-pilgrimage-leave-your-phone-at-home-252676

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can drinking champagne reduce your risk of sudden cardiac arrest? Here’s why it’s only a small part of the story

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David C. Gaze, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Pathology, University of Westminster

    Lomb/Shutterstock

    “My only regret in life is that I didn’t drink enough champagne,” the English economist and philosopher John Maynard Keynes (1883–1946) is reported to have said. As it turns out, there may be a surprising ounce of truth to that quote.

    Picture this: a glass of champagne – bubbly, crisp and, for many, reserved for toasts and celebrations. Now imagine it being mentioned in the same sentence as a way to help prevent sudden cardiac arrest: a condition where the heart abruptly stops beating, killing tens of thousands each year, often without warning. Sounds too good to be true, right?

    Yet, a Canadian study has uncovered a curious link. Using data from over half a million people in the health research database the UK Biobank, researchers found that those who consumed moderate amounts of white wine or champagne had a lower risk of experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. Surprising, especially given the widely held belief that red wine, not white, is what benefits the heart.

    To rule out coincidence, the researchers double-checked their findings using genetic data – and the connection seemed to hold firm. This suggests there might be more to the story than chance alone.

    The study didn’t stop at wine. It explored more than 100 lifestyle and environmental factors tied to sudden cardiac arrest, including diet, exercise, air pollution, emotional wellbeing, body composition and education levels – all of which have been independently associated with risk. The conclusion? Up to 63% of sudden cardiac arrest cases could potentially be prevented by addressing these risk factors.

    Among all the protective factors identified, a few stood out: fruit consumption, regular computer use (yes, really) and moderate drinking of white wine or champagne were all linked to a reduced risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Why? That remains uncertain.

    One theory is that white wine contains antioxidants that may support heart health. Another possibility is that people who drink these types of beverages may also be more affluent and more likely to engage in other healthy behaviour, such as eating well, exercising regularly – and have access to better healthcare.



    Read more:
    Wealth, wellness and wellbeing: why healthier ageing isn’t just about personal choices

    But before you pop a cork in celebration, a word of caution: alcohol remains a complex and often contradictory player in heart health. Other large-scale studies suggest a U-shaped relationship between alcohol and cardiovascular disease. Non-drinkers may have a certain level of risk, moderate drinkers of one glass of wine a day may see some benefit, but heavy drinking sharply increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart failure.

    One observational study involving over 400,000 participants even found that moderate drinking could raise the risk of arrhythmias, which in some cases can lead to sudden death.

    So while champagne may offer a hopeful glimmer, it’s no magic bullet. The study’s broader message was clear: it’s the overall lifestyle that matters most. Better sleep, regular physical activity and a balanced diet significantly reduced the risk of sudden cardiac arrest – and could prevent nearly one in five cases.

    On the flip side, obesity, high blood pressure and chronic stress were among the strongest risk factors, along with lower education levels and exposure to air pollution. These findings underscore that preventing sudden cardiac arrest isn’t just about personal habits: it’s also about the environments we live in and the policies that shape them. Cleaner air, better education and easier access to nutritious food could all play a role.

    Sudden cardiac arrest is not entirely random. Many of the contributing factors are within our control. Managing stress, staying active, maintaining a healthy weight, getting quality sleep – and yes, perhaps enjoying the occasional glass of white wine – can all help. But the real power lies in stacking small, healthy choices over time. Prevention is rarely about a single change; it’s about the cumulative effect of many.

    And in case you were wondering: Keynes suffered a series of heart attacks in 1946, beginning during negotiations for the Anglo-American loan in Savannah, Georgia. He described the process as “absolute hell”. A few weeks after returning to his farmhouse in Firle, East Sussex, he died of a heart attack at the age of 62.

    Maybe he was right about drinking more champagne after all.

    David C. Gaze 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. Can drinking champagne reduce your risk of sudden cardiac arrest? Here’s why it’s only a small part of the story – https://theconversation.com/can-drinking-champagne-reduce-your-risk-of-sudden-cardiac-arrest-heres-why-its-only-a-small-part-of-the-story-255708

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From vigorous brushing to clear aligners, here’s what might be causing your gums to recede

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Flavio Pisani, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Periodontology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Central Lancashire

    sruilk/Shutterstock

    One of the most common concerns patients bring to the dental chair is receding gums. Often, the immediate assumption is: “I must have gum disease.” While this can be true, gum recession isn’t always a clear-cut sign of disease. In fact, many people don’t notice any problem until they begin to experience tooth sensitivity to cold, hot, or sweet foods – or they notice their smile changing, with more visible tooth surfaces or small gaps appearing between the teeth.

    Dentists often respond to this concern with a quick fix: applying white composite fillings near the gum line. While this may help with sensitivity in the short term, it can make the problem worse over time by contributing to further gum recession.

    Gum disease – also known as periodontitis – is a serious condition. Symptoms such as bleeding when brushing, drifting teeth, persistent bad breath, or tooth mobility should always be investigated. However, gum recession can have other causes, too.

    Even ex-fiances of Jennifer Lopez can develop gum disease.

    Perhaps surprisingly, one of the biggest culprits behind receding gums is actually overzealous brushing. Using too much force or brushing with the wrong tools – like a hard-bristled toothbrush – can gradually wear away gum tissue. Electric toothbrushes can help by reducing pressure, especially newer models that light up when you brush too hard. But in reality, many people focus more on how long they brush than how they brush. Even the smart apps that pair with these toothbrushes usually highlight brushing time in each area, rather than pressure applied.

    That’s why teaching proper brushing technique is so important. The best method will vary depending on a patient’s individual tooth and gum structure – and it should always aim to remove plaque effectively while using gentle, consistent pressure. If someone is doing well with a manual toothbrush and has a solid technique, there’s no reason to switch to an electric one.

    Another growing cause of gum recession is cosmetic tooth straightening with clear aligners. While aligners are effective for aligning teeth quickly, they’re often paired with fixed retainers – wires bonded behind the teeth to hold them in place. Over time, this can cause the roots to drift outside the natural bone housing of the jaw, resulting in gum tissue shrinking away from the teeth.

    Solutions

    The good news is that there are solutions. Every case is unique, but with the right knowledge and techniques, dentists can help patients restore both gum health and appearance.

    For cases where the gum tissue has receded significantly, there are several surgical options depending on the patient’s needs and goals.

    For functional concerns, a technique called the free gingival graft is commonly used. This involves transplanting a thin layer of tissue – usually taken from the roof of the mouth (the palate) – to create a band of tough, pink gum around the base of the teeth. This helps patients brush comfortably without irritating the soft tissue of the gum. While this procedure can slightly reduce recession, the main goal is improving durability and comfort, not aesthetics. The graft is often visibly different in colour and texture.

    For cosmetic concerns, more advanced “plastic surgery” techniques are available. One popular method involves carefully lifting the local gum tissue, inserting a tissue graft beneath it (again, typically taken from the palate), and stitching it in place. This “sandwich” approach thickens the gums and gives them a healthier appearance. The graft acts as a scaffold for the existing gum tissue to grow back over, improving both form and function.

    These procedures are safe, effective and minimally invasive. They’re typically performed under local anaesthetic in a dental practice and require only a few days of recovery with over-the-counter pain relief. For anxious patients, conscious sedation can also be used – a technique where medications are used to relax a patient during a medical procedure, allowing them to remain awake and alert while feeling less nervous and potentially less aware of what’s happening.

    Long-term studies show these techniques to be reliable, with a success rate of up to 93% and minimal relapse even five years after surgery.

    The most important step in managing gum recession is a comprehensive patient assessment. While cosmetic concerns matter, the real priority is making sure gum disease isn’t being overlooked. Periodontitis is a silent and progressive condition, leading to chronic inflammation, bone loss and eventually tooth loss.

    More importantly, research links periodontal disease to systemic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even dementia. Protecting our gums isn’t just about maintaining a nice smile – it’s about safeguarding our overall health.

    Flavio Pisani 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. From vigorous brushing to clear aligners, here’s what might be causing your gums to recede – https://theconversation.com/from-vigorous-brushing-to-clear-aligners-heres-what-might-be-causing-your-gums-to-recede-255123

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Who gets to be called an astronaut? Private space travel has reignited debate over use of prestigious title

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ian Whittaker, Senior Lecturer in Physics, Nottingham Trent University

    Copyright: Blue Origin

    The recent all-women spaceflight carried out on Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin vehicle has raised discussion of who gets to be called an astronaut. Sean Duffy, Donald Trump’s transportation secretary, disputed the astronaut title given to those on the flight, including singer Katy Perry and journalist Gayle King.

    The term astronaut was only rarely disputed until the first “celebrity” suborbital flight in 2021. In the 1960s, pilots flying the experimental, rocket-powered X-15 jet were awarded astronaut status by the US Air Force if they flew above 50 miles (80km).

    Sir Richard Branson’s 2021 flight aboard his Virgin Galactic vehicle reached 53 miles (85km) – an altitude recognised by some experts as being within outer space. Bezos followed a few days later, travelling on his Blue Origin New Shepard vehicle. This flight reached about 68 miles (106km) in altitude.

    Bezos has focused on reaching an altitude of about 62.1 miles (100km), one proposed boundary of space known as the Kármán line, named after the early 20th-century polymath Theodore von Kármán.

    A 2021 post on social media by Bezos’s Blue Origin capitalised on the fact that his New Shepard vehicle reached the higher boundary. The suggestion from the post was that those who travelled to the lower boundary on rival Virgin Galactic flights could have their “space traveller” status questioned, whereas those who travelled with Blue Origin could not.

    This particular post did not mention the question of who is an “astronaut”. However, this is how Blue Origin currently describes those who travel on New Shepard.

    Indeed, some definitions of “astronaut” simply state that it is a person who has been to space. Therefore, another implication of the post – intentional or not – might be that those who travel with Bezos’s company are more eligible for such a designation than those who have been to lower altitudes.

    While Blue Origin calls the Kármán line an “internationally recognised boundary” of space, it is far from universally accepted. Theodore von Kármán wanted to separate out aeronautics (the science of flying aircraft) and astronautics (the science of space travel).

    As a byproduct, he calculated the maximum altitude that an aircraft could go without reaching orbital velocity (where it would start orbiting the Earth) to be around 52 miles (84km).

    A researcher and associate of von Kármán called Andrew Haley was interested in space law. He established von Kármán’s calculation as the boundary of space. This was later raised to 62.1 miles (100km) by the world governing body for air sports, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.

    The Kármán line has very little scientific rationale, however. If you ask a geologist, an atmospheric scientist and a space physics expert where the definition of space is, you will get vastly different answers.

    For example, as somebody who specialises in magnetospheric physics and solar influence, I would say space properly starts at the plasmapause. This is a boundary around the Earth that’s based on differences in the charged particles that exist on either side of the division. The plasmapause sits at an altitude of around 35,000 miles (57,000km).

    Who is an astronaut?

    The recent Blue Origin flight understandably made a strong positive impression on the passengers. Gayle King compared the flight to the historic launch in 1961 that made Nasa astronaut Alan Shepard the first American in space.

    The effusive reactions from the passengers, along with King’s and Blue Origin’s use of the term “astronaut” to describe the team members prompted a backlash online. King noted that men on similar flights hadn’t been subjected to such criticism, and Katy Perry says she felt “battered and bruised” by the reaction.

    Among the critics was the US transport secretary, Sean Duffy, who stated that the participants could not be astronauts as they failed to meet the FAA astronaut criteria. The FAA requirements for an astronaut are for them to be a member of crew, to contribute to spaceflight safety and to demonstrate activities essential to public safety. Their minimum altitude for “space” is the 50 mile (80km) limit.

    As New Shepard is fully automated, none of the passengers could really be considered “crew members”. Similarly, if you buy a ticket on a plane, you are not crew unless employed by the airline to do a job.

    Would it be different if private space travellers were able to carry out scientific research during their journey? This might make them more than just passengers and potentially qualify them for the “crew” designation. Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic are actually not suited for any sort of weightlessness research. Passengers experience around 3-4 minutes of weightlessness.

    By contrast, a flight on the Airbus A310 zero-G plane gives 25-30 seconds of weightlessness. When this is repeated 25-30 times, you get between 10 and 15 minutes of weightlessness in total. This avenue for carrying out research in microgravity is also open to anybody with a sensible scientific idea to test rather than just members of the rich elite.

    Why it matters

    Does it matter what space travellers actually call themselves? The FAA designation of “astronaut” is not the only one. Some dictionary definitions simply define an astronaut as a person trained to go into space or, as mentioned, a person who has flown in space. The passengers on Blue Origin’s New Shepard flights would probably qualify under both of these definitions.

    But let’s consider the legal dimension. Star Trek actor William Shatner flew with Blue Origin on a New Shepard vehicle in 2021. If Shatner had experienced a health-related incident during the flight, who would have been at fault?

    If Shatner was an “astronaut”, could it be argued that he held a greater level of responsibility for any adverse effects from the flight? If he was simply a passenger, might the company share more responsibility?

    Thankfully, such a situation has not yet occurred, which means that any associated legal arguments remain hypothetical. But as more paying passengers travel on flights to space, the chances of adverse incidents increase.

    Ultimately, everyone can have an opinion about whether just going into space – wherever the boundary may lie – makes you an astronaut. But there may be more to consider than a nice title.

    Ian Whittaker 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. Who gets to be called an astronaut? Private space travel has reignited debate over use of prestigious title – https://theconversation.com/who-gets-to-be-called-an-astronaut-private-space-travel-has-reignited-debate-over-use-of-prestigious-title-255630

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can vitamin D help prevent colorectal cancer? The science is promising – but not straightforward

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

    Yulia Furman/Shutterstock

    The potential role of vitamin D in preventing and treating colorectal cancer (CRC) has attracted growing research interest – especially as CRC rates are rising, particularly among younger adults. This isn’t a new area of study. Low vitamin D levels have long been linked to a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer.

    One large study involving over 12,000 participants found that people with low blood levels of vitamin D had a 31% greater risk of developing CRC compared to those with higher levels. Similarly, another study reported a 25% lower CRC risk among individuals with high dietary vitamin D intake.

    Data from the Nurses’ Health Study – a long-term investigation of American nurses – showed that women with the highest vitamin D intake had a 58% lower risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to those with the lowest intake.

    Now, a review highlights vitamin D’s promise in colorectal cancer prevention and treatment – but also underscores the complexity and contradictions in current research.

    While observational data, which follow people’s use of vitamin D, and mechanistic studies, to investigate how vitamin D works in the laboratory, suggest protective effects, this isn’t confirmed by larger trials.

    In fact, randomised controlled trials (RCTs), in which some people receive vitamin D and others don’t, the gold standard by which treatments are judged, reveal inconsistent outcomes. This highlights the need for a balanced approach to its integration into public health strategies.

    Vitamin D is synthesised in the skin in response to sunlight and exerts its biological effects through vitamin D receptors (VDRs) found throughout the body, including in colon tissue. When activated, these receptors help regulate gene activity related to inflammation, immune response and cell growth – processes central to cancer development and progression.

    Preclinical studies have shown that the active form of vitamin D (calcitriol) can suppress inflammation, boost immune surveillance (the immune system’s ability to detect abnormal cells), inhibit tumour blood vessel growth and regulate cell division – a key factor in cancer development, as demonstrated in my recent research.

    Epidemiological studies, which track health outcomes across large populations over time, consistently find that people with higher blood levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of developing CRC. This paints a hopeful picture, suggesting that something as simple as getting more vitamin D – via sun exposure, diet, or supplements – could lower cancer risk.

    But the story gets more complicated.

    Mixed results

    When it comes to medical decision-making, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard. These studies randomly assign participants to receive either a treatment (like vitamin D) or a placebo, helping eliminate bias and isolate cause-and-effect relationships.

    Unfortunately, RCTs on vitamin D and CRC have produced mixed results.

    For example, the VITAL trial – a major RCT involving over 25,000 participants – found no significant reduction in overall colorectal cancer incidence with 2,000 IU/day of vitamin D supplementation over several years.

    However, a meta-analysis of seven RCTs did show a 30% improvement in CRC survival rates with vitamin D supplements, suggesting potential benefits later in the disease course rather than for prevention.

    On the other hand, the Vitamin D/Calcium Polyp Prevention Trial found no reduction in the recurrence of adenomas (pre-cancerous growths) with supplementation, raising questions about who benefits most, and at what dosage.

    Adding to the uncertainty is the question of causation. Does low vitamin D contribute to cancer development? Or does the onset of cancer reduce vitamin D levels in the body? It’s also possible that the observed benefits are partly due to increased sunlight exposure, which itself may have independent protective effects.

    The big picture

    These discrepancies highlight the importance of considering the “totality of evidence” – treating each study as one piece of a larger puzzle.

    The biologic plausibility is there. Observational and mechanistic studies suggest a meaningful link between vitamin D and lower CRC risk. But the clinical evidence isn’t yet strong enough to recommend vitamin D as a standalone prevention or treatment strategy.

    That said, maintaining sufficient vitamin D levels – at least 30 ng/mL – is a low-risk, cost-effective health measure. And when combined with other strategies like regular screening, a healthy diet, physical activity, and personalised care, vitamin D could still play a valuable role in overall cancer prevention.

    Vitamin D is not a miracle cure – but it is part of a much broader picture. Its role in colorectal cancer is promising but still being defined. While it’s not time to rely on supplements alone, ensuring adequate vitamin D levels – through sun exposure, diet, or supplements – remains a smart choice for your health.

    Colorectal cancer is a complex disease, and tackling it requires an equally nuanced approach. For now, that means focusing on evidence-based lifestyle changes, regular screenings, and staying informed as new research unfolds.

    Justin Stebbing 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. Can vitamin D help prevent colorectal cancer? The science is promising – but not straightforward – https://theconversation.com/can-vitamin-d-help-prevent-colorectal-cancer-the-science-is-promising-but-not-straightforward-255025

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Law Faculty Member and Librarian Receive Promotions

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The Office of the Provost has announced the promotions of one UConn School of Law faculty member and a law librarian. Rachel Timm has been promoted to Clinical Professor of Law. Tanya Johnson has been promoted to Librarian 3.

    “We are extremely proud of these two outstanding colleagues,” Dean Eboni S. Nelson said. “Professor Timm is an excellent educator who helps prepare students for successful and meaningful careers. Tanya Johnson is a skilled librarian and teacher who provides invaluable assistance to our students, faculty, and patrons. We could not be more pleased to see their many contributions recognized.”

    Timm, who joined UConn Law in 2019, teaches legal practice courses, including Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiation, and Research and Writing. She was recently named the winner of this year’s Perry Zirkel ’76 Distinguished Teaching Award. Timm previously worked as a trial attorney for the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section at the Department of Justice. She earned her JD from Creighton University School of Law.

    Johnson provides reference and research services in all areas of the law, co-manages the library’s research assistant pool, and provides general and specialized legal research instruction. She also teaches courses as an adjunct professor, including Advanced Legal Research, Research for Social Justice, and Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Profession. Johnson earned her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law and her MLIS from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Prior to her library work, Tanya practiced law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

    These promotions come on the recommendation of the Office of the Provost and by vote of the University’s Board of Trustees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump’s tariffs could hit developing economies – even those not involved in the trade war

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Selim Raihan, Professor of Economics, University of Dhaka

    The world has witnessed a resurgence of protectionism since Donald Trump returned to the White House. So-called “reciprocal” tariffs, imposed on all US trading partners at varying degrees based on the tax they charge on American goods, have been one of the hallmark features of Trump’s economic policy. They aim to correct what he perceives as “unfair” trade practices.

    In early April, Trump said many countries had “ripped us off left and right” and declared “now it’s our turn to do the ripping”. His administration swiftly imposed sweeping tariff increases, with some of the highest rates falling on poorer countries like Laos and Lesotho.

    A 90-day suspension was eventually made for most of these tariffs, and Trump has now softened duties on imported cars and car parts. But the danger remains high. No one can be certain that the initial reciprocal tariffs will not be reinstated.

    Developing countries, many of which rely heavily on the export of manufactured goods to the US, will be keeping a keen eye on what happens next.

    We employed the Global Trade Analysis Project model to analyse the possible effects of US tariffs on trade and economic growth. The model captures interactions and feedback among economic agents (households, firms and governments), markets, sectors and regions in the world economy.

    It can be used to forecast the effect of trade reforms on various indicators such as production, welfare, income, prices and trade flows. Based on certain assumptions, the changes are likely to be seen in between two and three years.

    We used simulations to compute the effects of Trump’s tariff regime under two alternative scenarios. In the first, which reflects the global trade situation at the time of writing, baseline tariffs are levied on all countries at 10%. The duties are 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico, and 145% on China. Retaliatory duties by China on US goods are set at 125%.

    In the second, across-the-board reciprocal tariffs are imposed on countries at the levels Trump declared in his initial plan on April 2. This is in addition to the 145% tariff on Chinese goods, 25% on those from Canada and Mexico and a 125% duty by China on imports from the US.

    Winners and losers

    As shown by the graph below, our simulations suggest the US tariff regime will distort export patterns worldwide. The most painful effects will fall on China and the US itself.

    Chinese exports would shrink by 10.8% in the first scenario and 10.9% in the second. The US would suffer an even larger loss of 11.7% and 14.9%, respectively.

    The model suggests that other major US trading partners such as Canada and Mexico would also experience deep export declines of over 5% in both scenarios. Roughly 75% of Canada’s exports head south towards the US.

    Among the developing Asian economies, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines would experience substantial export declines. This is particularly the case in the second scenario, with losses ranging from 2% to 4.4%. These countries are particularly vulnerable to reciprocal tariffs because they rely heavily on exports and are deeply tied to global supply and production chains.

    Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam may benefit in the first scenario due to a possible diversion of trade. These countries, which are known for having some of the lowest labour costs in the world, offer cheap alternatives for goods that US importers would previously have sourced from China.

    But they are expected to lose the majority of these benefits in the second scenario under a full reciprocal tariff regime. The exceptions are Cambodia and Indonesia, which our simulations suggest will retain positive export growth – albeit reduced to 1.6% from 4% for Cambodia and unchanged at 0.7% for Indonesia.

    This may be because Cambodia and Indonesia have slightly more diversified export baskets than countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and trade with more partners. However, these gains are likely to be short lived if global uncertainties continue.

    Major advanced economies such as Japan, the UK and EU will lose exports by a moderate amount. And the Middle East, north Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America (excluding Brazil) will see similar declines.

    The second graph presents a concerning picture of how trade disruption could affect GDP, which economists use to measure the size of a country’s economy. The US and China are again set to suffer the steepest GDP losses, of 0.3% in the US and 1.9% in China under the second scenario. This confirms the well-established economic consensus that trade wars are mutually destructive.

    Under the second scenario, most emerging and developing economies would suffer modest GDP declines between 0.3% and 1%. Thailand (1%), Malaysia (0.9%), Brazil (0.9%) and Vietnam (0.9%) are the worst hit countries in this category.

    Like most of the developing countries in Asia, which are not directly involved in the trade war, many countries in Latin America, the Middle East, north Africa and sub-Saharan Africa would still face hits to their GDP. This underscores the global interconnectedness of trade and investment flows.

    The simulations confirm what economists have been asserting for years: trade wars do not have winners. While some countries do benefit in the short term by way of trade diversion, the total losses are high and developing countries are not immune from the damage.

    However, there are strategies developing countries can employ to improve their resilience to global trade disruptions. This includes diversifying their export markets by, for example, establishing stronger trade ties in regional blocs.

    One example is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a free trade agreement between the Asia-Pacific nations of Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Such ties can be strengthened further.

    Developing countries should also use this turbulent period to streamline customs, upgrade port infrastructure and improve logistics. This can reduce costs, enhance competitiveness and help developing economies engage more deeply in international trade.

    No country is exempt from disruptions to global trade. But those with diversified economies, strong regional linkages and resilient trade infrastructure will weather the turbulence more successfully.

    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. How Trump’s tariffs could hit developing economies – even those not involved in the trade war – https://theconversation.com/how-trumps-tariffs-could-hit-developing-economies-even-those-not-involved-in-the-trade-war-255435

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Historical films and TV shows are embracing diversity – but real historical voices are still overlooked

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Éadaoin Agnew, Senior lecturer in English literature, Kingston University

    In the Disney+ television series, A Thousand Blows, Malachi Kirby plays Hezekiah Moscow, a Jamaican immigrant in London who is part of an underground boxing ring in the 1880s.

    The character, like many in the show, is based on a real-life figure. However, as historian David Olusoga recently explained in a comment to the Radio Times, Moscow is typical of many people who have come from the Caribbean or Africa in that we only have a fractured biography in the British historical records. We get flashes of information before he disappears.

    In recent years, there have been increasing creative efforts to fill these historical gaps. This suggests there is a willingness, at least in some spheres, to acknowledge the long history of multiculturalism in Britain and to see people of colour in 19th-century histories (see also 2019’s David Copperfield starring Dev Patel and the multicultural cast of Bridgerton).

    These costume dramas build on decades of scholarly work. There are now many excellent historical studies that document the various ways in which the Atlantic slave trade and imperialism produced routes and reasons for travel to Britain.

    Most people who arrived here from the colonies in the 18th and 19th centuries did not have the means to write their own stories, so we glance their lives through incomplete historical records. But, there were also British subjects of colour who were educated in English with a degree of relative privilege and who produced compelling and popular accounts of their experiences in Britain or life in the colonies. They also wrote fascinating fiction and beautiful poetry.

    These narratives directly challenge the general perception that multiculturalism emerged in Britain after the Windrush (Caribbean immigrants who arrived in Britain after the second world war to rebuild the nation) and that 19th-century English literature emerged only from Britain. Yet, there remains an unwillingness to centre these stories and to allow diverse voices to speak for themselves.

    My own work on the AHRC-funded Victorian Diversities Research Network seeks to recuperate and promote these stories.

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    Historical writers of colour and writers from other marginalised communities are continually excluded from school curricula, literary anthologies and TV adaptations. This is a kind of cultural gate-keeping that reinforces imperialist ideas about literary value.

    One example of this literary exclusion is Mary Seacole (1805-1881). Born in Jamaica to a Creole mother and Scottish father, she is now remembered in Britain for her contributions to nursing during the Crimean War. She is commemorated for her work by a statue at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London and by John Aagard’s wonderful poem Checking Out Me History (2019).

    Even so, there is a notable neglect of her fantastic memoir. Published in 1857, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands is a funny, insightful and interesting account of her fulsome life. It clearly shows an affinity for Britain, while also acknowledging the difficulties she experienced there.

    One of two known photographs of Mary Seacole, taken circa 1873.
    Wiki Commons

    Another example is Ham Mukasa (1870-1956), who penned an account of his travels to England as part of an official African delegation in 1902 titled Uganda’s Katikiro in England. Written in a light and lively manner, his travelogue offers a fascinating picture of London at the turn of the century, as seen from a unique perspective.

    When Mukasa visited the British Museum not long after arriving in the metropolis, he admired the displays of “wonderful things of long ago”. He explains to his readers that these items are stored behind glass so visitors cannot touch them. It’s a fact that becomes particularly pertinent when he comes across several Ugandan artefacts donated to the museum by British travellers:

    We saw different articles from our country; some had been brought by Sir H. H. Johnston, who had given a great many things, and others by other Englishmen … the Rev. R. P. Ashe had given a great many, and others too had given things from our country of Uganda.

    It is a powerful image: the Ugandan men standing in a British institution looking at their own indigenous culture through a glass. The encounter speaks directly to contemporary debates about museum collections and the need for inclusive cultural spaces.

    Both Mukasa and Seacole, as people of colour and colonial subjects, articulate feelings of belonging and unbelonging in the metropolitan centre. They find much to admire in British culture and society while also acknowledging the fact of racial marginalisation.

    As such, they give historical and literary expression to the affects of mobility, migration and multiculturalism. As professor of global literatures Ruvani Ranasinha argues, current debates on citizenship rights, migration policy, what constitutes “Englishness” and multiculturalism were prompted and anticipated by the presence of colonial subjects within Britain over a century ago.

    Ignatius Sancho by Thomas Gainsborough (1768).
    National Gallery of Canada

    In a 2019 paper, he explains that “Britain was always ‘multicultural’ even before multiculturalism was theorised: multicultural in terms of a sense of (un)belonging, a redrawing of culturally and racially defined borders and remapping of British identities”. And so, Ranashina notes, we must do more than simply acknowledge the historical presence of marginalised people and start engaging with diverse cultural contributions.

    This is vital because an inclusive canon more accurately represents the multiple stories that make up English literary history.

    It also makes important critical and cultural contributions to the creation of an inclusive society today. This is acknowledged by actor and writer Paterson Joseph who recently fictionalised the letters of Ignatius Sancho, a writer and composer, who was born on a slave ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean:

    “I was once timid about my place here in the UK, but researching Sancho’s story … has given me a deep sense of belonging, of a shared history with a nation that sometimes ignores, sometimes rejects, my people’s right to an equal role in its storytelling.”

    Éadaoin Agnew receives funding from AHRC for the Victorian Diversities Research Network https://victoriandiversities.co.uk

    – ref. Historical films and TV shows are embracing diversity – but real historical voices are still overlooked – https://theconversation.com/historical-films-and-tv-shows-are-embracing-diversity-but-real-historical-voices-are-still-overlooked-253191

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Three strategies to help European carmakers regain their edge

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Francesco Grillo, Academic Fellow, Department of Social and Political Sciences, Bocconi University

    sylv1rob1/Shutterstock

    Even before US president Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on all imported cars, European automakers had been facing a multitude of challenges. Sales have slumped and manufacturers face rising costs, while Chinese rivals have rapidly been gaining market share.

    The day before the tariffs announcement, the combined market capitalisation of Europe’s five major automakers (Volkswagen, Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Renault) stood at around US$212 billion (£159 billion). This total is less than a quarter of the value of Tesla alone.

    Yet the five European giants sell 25 million vehicles annually, accounting for a third of all cars purchased worldwide. Tesla, despite losing half of its market value since the beginning of the year, only just makes the top 15 automakers. It sells less than a third of what Stellantis alone delivers.

    This essentially means that financial markets no longer believe that European carmakers can make money out of a business they have been dominating for almost a century.

    The crisis does, in fact, stem from the obsolescence of the technology upon which the entire industrial model of the car was built.

    The invention of German engineer Karl Benz, later made widely accessible to millions of consumers by American entrepreneur Henry Ford, was far more than just a product.

    Cars enabled people to go anywhere whenever they wanted. This fuelled the last industrial revolution and one of the greatest leaps in human prosperity.

    However, more than 100 years after the first assembly lines appeared in Detroit, the dream has stalled. In a world where economic and environmental resources are increasingly scarce, an entire industrial model looks unsustainable.

    Why? Because it became inefficient.

    A privately owned car is used for only 5% of its potential lifetime. It remains idle and occupying valuable parking space for the other 95%. It carries an average of just 1.2 passengers, utilising only a quarter of its capacity.

    If an alien were to observe human civilisation, it might conclude that humans have lost that special ability that made them so different from all other species: to do more with less.

    Additionally, around 80% of cars are still powered by fossil fuels that cost significantly more than electricity per mile. This is despite economies of scale that are bringing down the price of purchasing a plug-in electric vehicle (EV).

    These issues have hit the European – and also the US – automotive industries hard. These regions were the birthplace of the industry itself. For CEOs and policymakers, who often belong to a generation (and a gender) steeped in traditional automotive culture, finding solutions has proven difficult. However, there could be a clear path forward.

    Here are three ideas to bring the European automotive industry in the 21st century.

    1. Become more competitive by attracting EV rivals

    China has already secured a technological advantage in this field – similar to the dominance once held by Volkswagen when it first established factories in Shanghai.

    In the same week when BYD announced that it has surpassed Tesla in terms of revenues of electric cars, the Chinese automaker also revealed that it had developed a system to charge an electric car with 400km (249 miles) of range in five minutes.

    BYD and other Chinese manufacturers export less than 10% of their products to the EU. They will survive any import duty that the EU imposes on them. Instead of fearing Chinese automakers, the EU should entice them to establish production facilities in the bloc, encouraging competition and innovation within its borders.

    2. Sell services and symbols

    New business models should focus on selling services as well as objects. This trend is prevailing in many industries, and carmakers should embrace it to develop partnerships with organisations that can make driving a less wasteful experience. Autonomous driving technology, for example, offers the chance to take vehicle-sharing to a much wider customer base.

    And European automakers should trade on their history as a symbol of expertise and longevity. This is not so different to what camera-maker Kodak has done to survive to the digital revolution. It is notable that Ferrari is now worth more than its bigger sister company Stellantis.

    3. Governments must get involved

    For the transformation to succeed, governments must play a role. It is not about propping up the European industry with subsidies or treating cars as the new steel industry. Rather, it is about designing and implementing the infrastructure that the future of mobility requires.

    The Fiat Topolino brought private transport to the masses.
    Dan74/Shutterstock

    A century ago, European cities were completely restructured to transition from horse-drawn carriages to the first Fiat Topolinos rolling out of the Mirafiori factory.

    Today, we need new charging networks and dedicated lanes for electric and autonomous vehicles. This is already happening in China clearly showing that without a significant modernisation of infrastructure innovation does not happen.

    The impact of tariffs

    Trump’s tariffs will hurt – badly. Volkswagen, which exports two thirds of its production outside western Europe, will suffer most after assuming that its “people’s cars” could be sold indiscriminately to different populations.

    However, the era of tariffs should serve as a wake-up call rather than a death sentence. The European automotive sector must use this challenge to reinvent itself, just as it did in the post-war era.

    In the 1960s, countries like Italy and France combined industrial strategy of the likes of Fiat and Renault with a vision of the future. This alignment of industrial ambition and pragmatic policymaking was a key part of post-war reconstruction.

    Now European leaders must embrace the same spirit of bold, forward-thinking innovation to build a transport system that is capable of setting global standards. The automotive crisis is not just an industry-specific issue. It demands a revival of both vision and pragmatism.

    Francesco Grillo is affiliated with Vision, an independent European Think Tank. Vision is the convenor of two global conferences: on “the Europe of the Future” (in Siena) and on “global governance of climate change” (in Trento).

    – ref. Three strategies to help European carmakers regain their edge – https://theconversation.com/three-strategies-to-help-european-carmakers-regain-their-edge-255259

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How dogs and cats are evolving to look alike and why it’s humans’ fault – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Grace Carroll, Lecturer in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast

    Africa Studio/Shutterstock

    Domestication has made cats and dogs more diverse, but also curiously alike – with serious implications for their health and welfare, new research shows.

    At first glance, Persian cats and pugs don’t seem like they’d have much in common. One’s a cat, the other’s a dog, separated by 50 million years of evolution. But when evolutionary biologist Abby Grace Drake and her colleagues scanned 1,810 skulls of cats, dogs and their wild relatives, they found something strange. Despite their distant histories, many breeds of cats and dogs show striking similarity in skull shape.

    In evolutionary biology, divergence is a common process. In simple terms, divergence is where two organisms that share a common ancestry become increasingly different over time, while convergence means becoming more similar. As populations of animals split and adapt to different environments, they gradually develop new traits, a process known as divergent evolution.

    This is one of the main ways new species form different traits, causing populations to evolve along separate paths. But sometimes, evolution can take a different direction. Convergence happens when unrelated species, shaped by similar pressures, independently evolve similar features.

    In the case of domestic cats, dogs and many other domesticated species, intentional and unintentional selection by humans seems to have created convergence, accidentally steering different species toward similar traits.

    Despite a long history of evolutionary separation, flat-faced breeds like the Persian cat and pugs share similar skull structures.

    Persian cats have a similar skull structure to pugs.
    Zanna Pesnina/Shutterstock

    To investigate how far domestication has reshaped skull structure, Drake and her colleagues analysed 3D scans of skulls from museum specimens, veterinary schools and digital archives. Their dataset included domestic cats such as Siamese, Maine coon and Persian breeds, as well as over 100 dog breeds from short-muzzled dogs like pugs, to long-muzzled breeds like collies.

    Their findings showed that domestication has not only increased skull shape diversity beyond that of wolves and wildcats, but also led some cat and dog breeds to resemble one another, with convergence towards either long or flat faces. Wild canids (the group of animals that includes dogs, wolves, foxes and jackals) tend to share a similar elongated skull, while wild felids (the group of animals that includes domestic cats, lions, tigers and jaguars) show more natural variation.

    Yet domestic breeds of both species now span a more extreme range at both ends of the scale. This trend can be seen in the emergence of cats bred to resemble XL bully dogs.

    Domestication has long shown that when humans intervene, even distantly related species can end up looking, and sometimes suffering, in similar ways.

    Selective breeding has exaggerated traits across species. Many other human-made changes can push animals beyond what their bodies can naturally support. For instance, some chickens bred for their meat carry 30% of their body weight in breast muscle, which often results in heart and lung problems.

    The human preference for flat-faced pets taps into some of our most fundamental instincts. Humans are hard-wired to respond to infant features like rounded heads, small noses and large, low set eyes. These traits, which are exaggerated in many flat-faced cat and dog breeds, mimic the appearance of human babies.

    Of all species, humans are among the most altricial, meaning that we are born helpless and dependent on caregivers for survival, a trait we share with puppies and kittens. In contrast, precocial animals are able to see, hear, stand and move shortly after birth. Because human infants rely so heavily upon adult care, evolution has shaped us to be sensitive to signals of vulnerability and need.

    These signals like the rounded cheeks and wide eyes of babies, are known as social releasers. They trigger caregiving behaviour in adults, from speaking in higher-pitched tones to offering parental care.

    Herring gulls (a type of seagull) are an example of this in non-human animals. Their chicks instinctively peck at a red spot on the parent’s beak, which triggers the adult to regurgitate food. This red spot acts as a social releaser, ensuring the chick’s needs are met at the right time. In a similar way, domesticated animals have effectively hijacked ancient caregiving mechanisms evolved for our own offspring.

    These traits may give pets an advantage in soliciting human care and attention, but they come at a cost.

    The UK government commissions its Animal Welfare Committee to provide independent expert advice on emerging animal welfare concerns. In reports they produced in 2024, the committee raised serious concerns about the effect of selective breeding in both cats and dogs.

    The reports highlighted that breeding for extreme physical traits, like flat faces and exaggerated skull shapes, has led to widespread health problems, including breathing difficulties, neurological conditions and birth complications.

    The committee argues that animals with severe hereditary health issues should no longer be used for breeding, and calls for tougher regulation of breeders. Without these reforms, many popular breeds will continue to suffer from preventable, life-limiting conditions.

    Selective breeding has shown how easily humans can bend nature to their preferences, and how quickly millions of years of evolutionary separation can be overridden by a few decades of artificial selection.

    In choosing pets that mimic the faces of our own infants, we have, often unwittingly, selected for traits that harm the animals. Understanding the forces that drive convergence between species is a reminder that we play a powerful and sometimes dangerous role in shaping it.

    Grace Carroll 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 dogs and cats are evolving to look alike and why it’s humans’ fault – new research – https://theconversation.com/how-dogs-and-cats-are-evolving-to-look-alike-and-why-its-humans-fault-new-research-255260

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Senator Mullin Visits University of Oklahoma’s Sooner Advanced Manufacturing Lab

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

    RELEASE: Senator Mullin Visits University of Oklahoma’s Sooner Advanced Manufacturing Lab

    Washington, D.C. – During the April in-state work period, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), visited the University of Oklahoma’s Sooner Advanced Manufacturing Lab (SAML) in Norman. SAML is at the forefront of high-tech manufacturing research and workforce training, serving both federal and industry partners. The lab is expanding through an exciting new collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 
    While touring the lab, Senator Mullin met with OU students, including some employees from Tinker Air Force Base, and learned how they utilize the lab’s resources to design, test, and enhance manufacturing processes.

    “The Sooner Advanced Manufacturing Lab (SAML) at OU is an incredible asset to the world-class defense industry in Oklahoma,” said Senator Mullin. “I am proud of the work they are doing to spur innovation and produce elite products.”
    “The U.S. military and defense industrial base face constant challenges to speed up critical equipment repairs, reduce costs, and maintain legacy systems to ensure combat mission readiness. SAML is playing a crucial role in meeting these needs while also developing a skilled workforce to support Oklahoma’s growing defense sector,” Gen (ret.) Robin Rand, Executive Director of OU’s Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute 

    Background:
    SAML was established in 2021 following an initial $1.8 million federal grant to purchase a state-of-the-art direct metal 3D laser printer, enabling the on-site production of metallic (titanium) components used for characterization and analysis that is essential for optimizing advanced manufacturing processes.
    SAML combines education, research and development and industry support for the growth of the manufacturing and defense industries in Oklahoma. 
    OU’s expanded relationship with Oak Ridge National Lab will expand capabilities and establish a cutting-edge additive manufacturing center in Norman, which will collaboratively advance research, training and workforce development in metal additive manufacturing, hybrid manufacturing, machining and data analytics.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Reform enters local government for the first time with UK mayoral election wins

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alex Nurse, Reader in Urban Planning, University of Liverpool

    The UK now has two regional mayors representing the Reform party, following English local elections on May 1. This is the first time anyone from the party has held a government position at any level.

    Andrea Jenkyns, formerly a Conservative government minister, is now the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire following an election win on May 1. She becomes the first Reform and Luke Campbell is now mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire. Both are new mayoralities, created as part of the government’s developing devolution plans.

    The creation of more mayoralties meant that, perhaps inevitably, the near-monopoly that Labour held on mayors after the 2024 local elections has ended. But with an unproven track record, it’s reasonable to ask what we might expect from the new reform mayors as they take office.

    Since the first devolution deals were signed back in 2014, English devolution has always been about the ability of local governments to convince Westminster to let go of power. The result has been that devolution deals have varied in strength across the country.

    In broad terms, city regions have tended to get more powers, while others get slightly less. This means that not every new regional (also known as metro) mayor will be a budding Andy Burnham – though in practice most can expect to have core powers of housing, transport and education. Over time we have seen how the existing mayors have sought to inhabit those powers in their own way, and bring about their own priorities.

    So, we now wait to see what that means for the new mayors as they take power. We already know that Jenkyns’ election manifesto touched upon the key powers the mayor will hold (transport, education and the economy) but her agenda on these was painted only in the broadest of brush strokes.

    For example, there were promises to upgrade major roads, and to secure more funding for transport – although achieving both would require a willing Labour government to play nice. More realistic promises include more frequent buses which better serve parts of what is a large rural area, and creating skills bodies to work with local employers.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

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    Elsewhere, however, the manifesto delved into the realm of memes and bogeymen. For example, Jenkyns has proposed creating “DOGE Lincolnshire”, mirroring Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency in the US.

    This promises to cut government waste and “ensure efficiency”. Yet, given the combined authority she heads was only constituted in February, it’s not quite clear what inefficiencies Jenkyns is referring to.

    Another pledge is to push back against net zero – something that Reform seems to be using as their protest lodestar now that Brexit is no longer fertile feeding ground. Here, the policies seem to be to fight against national government policy on net-zero rather than anything really specific.

    Playing nicely with central government

    A regional mayor’s fate often hinges on their ability to interact effectively with central government – either by trying to secure concessions from it, or resisting it. Here, it will be very interesting to watch how Jenkyns, Campbell and the new Conservative mayor of Cambridge and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, assimilate.

    They are now members of the Council of the Regions – which for the last 12 months has been largely a cosy cabal of Labour mayors (and Tory Ben Houchen).

    How will Reform mayors – and Jenkyns in particular do business with the others? She is known as a disruptor so it could change the dynamic significantly.

    English local government is littered with examples of national government visiting retribution on local authorities for perceived transgressions. For example, most famously, Margaret Thatcher’s government abolished the Metropolitan Councils in 1986 for getting a bit too big for their boots. While there is no suggestion that will happen this time, current devolution deals are heavily premised on trust and ability to work with government.

    The other issue will be how what started as a protest party deals with the minutiae of governing. Mario Cuomo, a former governor of New York, once famously said that you campaign in poetry and govern in prose. Sometimes, however, local government can be about the grammar – dealing with those minor details.

    I remember interviewing a local councillor who once told me most of the time people want to talk about dog poo and bins. Equally, things like potholes are shown to be what residents want to see fixed.

    From now on, Jenkyns and other reform-led councils will have a record that they will have to defend. Ultimately, while a manifesto that is half-built on memes might grab attention on election day, it probably isn’t going to make the buses run on time.

    Alex Nurse receives funding from the ESRC.

    – ref. Reform enters local government for the first time with UK mayoral election wins – https://theconversation.com/reform-enters-local-government-for-the-first-time-with-uk-mayoral-election-wins-255731

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Perfect storm of tech bros, foreign interference and disinformation is an urgent threat to press freedom

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Felle, Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Galway

    Media freedom has long been essential to healthy democracy. It is the oxygen that fuels informed debate, exposes corruption and holds power to account. But around the world, that freedom is under sustained attack.

    The actions of populist political elites, tech billionaires and foreign disinformation campaigns are reinforcing one another. This is weakening independent journalism and reshaping the global public sphere.

    This convergence was on full display at US president Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration. The presence of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg signalled that the tech elite are no longer simply disruptors. They are increasingly aligned with populist politics, a project openly hostile to independent journalism and democratic accountability.

    Nowhere is this clearer than on X (formerly Twitter). Musk’s takeover has transformed the platform into a breeding ground for conspiracy theories and misinformation, while systematically undermining the credibility of established media outlets. Meta’s decision to abandon factchecking political content in the US also marks a dangerous retreat from even the minimal efforts once made to curb disinformation.

    At its core, journalism’s role is simple but essential: to inform the public and hold power to account. Independent media – outlets free from government, political, or corporate control – are essential to democracy. They play a critical role in exposing corruption, amplifying marginalised voices, scrutinising government decisions and challenging abuses of power.

    When media organisations are weakened, this essential accountability collapses – allowing governments, politicians and corporations to operate unchecked. Minorities and vulnerable groups suffer most when no one is left to shine a light on abuse or discrimination. Human rights violations go unreported. Misinformation and rumour fill the void.

    That is precisely what is happening, not just in fragile states but in established democracies. Populist leaders have attacked journalists as enemies of the people and smeared media outlets that challenge them.

    Donald Trump infamously branded critical coverage as “fake news”. Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro vilified journalists who investigated corruption and environmental crimes. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has systematically dismantled media independence. Slovakia’s Robert Fico called journalists “bloodthirsty bastards” and “possessed by the devil”.

    These leaders know that controlling the narrative is key to holding power. Discrediting the media is the first step.

    One of the clearest recent examples is the Trump administration’s shuttering of Voice of America (VOA). This move to silence a broadcaster that had promoted press freedom for over 80 years has been celebrated by authoritarian regimes. China’s state media mocked VOA as “discarded like a dirty rag”.

    Foreign threats

    What makes this moment uniquely dangerous is that these political attacks are now supercharged by technology platforms retreating from accountability, and exploited by hostile foreign powers.

    The latest European External Action Service (EEAS) Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Threat Report paints a stark picture of how disinformation is used as a strategic weapon to weaken democracies from within.

    In 2024, the EEAS – the diplomatic service of the European Union – detected
    record levels of foreign manipulation, particularly from Russia and China. The EEAS recorded more than 500 coordinated manipulation campaigns targeting 90 countries.

    These included AI-generated deepfake videos impersonating European politicians, such as a fabricated video of Moldova’s president endorsing a pro-Russian party.

    Bot networks were deployed to amplify false narratives about migration and inflation, distorting online discourse and inflaming social divisions. Impersonation tactics cloning legitimate news websites like Le Monde and German media were used to disseminate pro-Kremlin disinformation. All these efforts were aimed at undermining trust in democratic institutions, inflaming social divisions and creating confusion.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    Disinformation has become a standard geopolitical weapon, often used as a precursor to military or economic action. In the lead-up to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia conducted a sustained disinformation campaign. Fabricated videos and false flag operations portrayed Ukraine as the aggressor to justify military action.

    Similarly, during the 2020-21 border clashes with India, China spread disinformation downplaying its military build-up while casting India as the instigator.

    Russia has also used disinformation to pursue economic goals, notably by spreading falsehoods about European renewable energy and gas supply stability, to influence energy policy and sow public doubt about the EU’s energy independence strategy.

    While this happens, platforms like Meta and X are retreating from content moderation and fact-checking. The result is a perfect storm where domestic populism, platform failure and foreign manipulation reinforce one another. Platforms like X have become the key battleground, accounting for 88% of detected disinformation activity.

    What’s at stake – and what must change

    As these threats grow, the traditional media model is collapsing. Advertising revenue – once the lifeblood of newspapers, radio, and television – has shifted almost entirely to digital platforms. Local newsrooms are closing, while investigative journalism is increasingly rare, expensive and risky.

    In the UK, more than 320 local papers have closed since 2009. Titles like the Evening Standard ended daily print in 2024 due to plummeting ad revenues. Across Europe, rising news deserts and newsroom cuts are weakening media’s democratic role.

    In the US, things are even worse – 3,200 newspapers have closed since 2005. More than half of all counties now have little or no local news coverage.

    As social media platforms abandon even basic content moderation, they create vast, ungoverned digital spaces where bad actors dominate the conversation.

    Into this gap flood social media influencers, partisan outlets and state-backed propaganda. The result is a fractured, polarised information ecosystem. Facts struggle to compete with viral misinformation and coordinated disinformation campaigns.

    News consumers must navigate a sea of misinformation and propaganda.
    Olezzo/Shutterstock

    In the end, it is citizens who pay the price, bombarded by propaganda and adrift in a sea of misinformation. This is not just a media problem, it is a fundamental threat to democracy itself. Without independent journalism, there is no one left to ask difficult questions, expose wrongdoing or defend the public interest.

    Protecting media freedom must now be treated as a democratic priority, as essential as free and fair elections or an independent judiciary. Governments need to regulate tech platforms effectively, enforcing transparency over algorithms and bringing in meaningful protections against disinformation.

    Public investment in journalism is critical to ensure the press can survive and hold power to account. Democracies must coordinate efforts to counter foreign information manipulation, and protect journalists facing harassment and threats from authoritarian regimes.

    The future of democratic accountability now depends on whether governments, regulators and the media can reclaim this space before it is lost entirely. Above all, this means recognising that journalism is not a luxury or a relic. It is a vital public good.

    Tom Felle 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. Perfect storm of tech bros, foreign interference and disinformation is an urgent threat to press freedom – https://theconversation.com/perfect-storm-of-tech-bros-foreign-interference-and-disinformation-is-an-urgent-threat-to-press-freedom-252986

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Museum of Edinburgh hosts two new summer exhibitions exploring wellbeing and connection to nature

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    This summer, the Museum of Edinburgh presents two inspiring exhibitions celebrating the powerful relationship between wellbeing, nature, and place, each told through unique creative lenses.

    Nature Through Nurture: Wellbeing and the Natural World in Children’s Books

    Thu 1 May to Sun 7 Sep 2025

    Developed in partnership between the Museum of Childhood and Scotland’s Early Literature for Children Initiative (SELCIE) at the University of Edinburgh, Nature Through Nurture delves into the enduring presence of the natural world in children’s literature over the past 150 years.

    Flowers, trees, animals, insects and birds feature heavily in children’s books, set in both the real world and imaginary worlds. Children’s books from the last 150 years will be on display with beautiful illustrations, poetry and information about how to find green spaces throughout Edinburgh. The positive influences of nature on mental health and wellbeing will be examined alongside a programme of public events for children and families.

    Dr Sarah Dunnigan, Senior Lecturer, School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures at the University of Edinburgh and co-founder of SELCIE said:

    The partnership between SELCIE and the Museum of Childhood for the Nurture through Nature exhibition beautifully highlights how children’s books can connect young readers to the natural world. This collaboration brings together literature, history, and nature in a way that we hope will inspire visitors to explore Edinburgh’s green spaces and reflect on the links between nature and well-being. The project has also made accessible many previously uncatalogued books from the Museum of Childhood collection, with several being displayed publicly for the first time. This collection is of great significance, and we look forward to continuing our partnership in the future.

    Wellbeing in the City: Feel-Good Places in and Around Edinburgh

    Thu 10 Apr to Sun 31 Aug 2025

    Created by participants of photography and creative writing courses run by Access to Industry, this exhibition offers personal and heartfelt reflections on the places in Edinburgh that inspire calm, joy, and connection.

    Each member of the photography course has chosen a place in and around Edinburgh that makes them feel good. The group visited every place nominated to take photos and have selected their favourites to present in the exhibition. The creative writing group have produced short pieces of writing about places or activities in Edinburgh that make them feel well.

    Helen Murray, Encompass Caseworker form Access to Industry said:

    Access to Industry are delighted to have been able to work with Museums and Galleries Edinburgh on the joint project, Wellbeing in the City – feel good places in and around Edinburgh.

    We support clients with complex barriers to employment, many of whom have suffered trauma, isolation and marginalisation. This project has been run with our wellbeing through photography group, PAGE, and our Creative Writing group. It has enabled participants to enjoy improved wellbeing on trips they have chosen and reflect on what makes them feel well. We are now extremely pleased to be able to share these places and that sense of wellness with local residents and visitors from far and wide.

    City of Edinburgh Council Leader Jane Meagher said:

    These exhibitions beautifully highlight how nature and place shape our sense of wellbeing from childhood through adulthood. By showcasing stories, creativity, and lived experience, this summer the Museum of Edinburgh invites us all to reconnect with the natural world and discover the restorative spaces that exist all around us.

    Admission to both exhibitions is free.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bloomsburg Man Convicted of Drug Distribution Resulting in Death

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tysheem Dunlap, age 28, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was convicted of drug delivery resulting in death after a four-day jury trial in front of Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, on August 20, 2022 in Bloomsburg, PA, Dunlap delivered a substance to four individuals who were current or recent students at Bloomsburg University and were seeking to use cocaine that night.  The substance delivered by Dunlap, however, was fentanyl and not cocaine.  After using it, three of the four individuals overdosed.  The fourth individual called 911.  Emergency responders were able to revive two of the overdose victims, but the third victim’s overdose was fatal.

    Laboratory analysis of the substance sold to the victims by Dunlap revealed it contain fentanyl.  Autopsy and post-mortem toxicology confirmed the presence of fatal levels of fentanyl in the deceased victim’s bloodstream.  During the trial, expert testimony established that but for the toxic level of fentanyl, which is 50-100 times more potent than morphine, the otherwise healthy victim would not have died.  At the conclusion of trial, the jury returned a verdict finding Dunlap guilty on one count of drug distribution resulting in death; two counts of drug delivery resulting in serious bodily injury; and two counts of distribution of cocaine.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bloomsburg Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Geoffrey W. MacArthur and Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.

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

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Reform enters government for the first time with mayoral election wins

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alex Nurse, Reader in Urban Planning, University of Liverpool

    The UK now has two regional mayors representing the Reform party, following English local elections on May 1. This is the first time anyone from the party has held a government position at any level.

    Andrea Jenkyns, formerly a Conservative government minister, is now the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire following an election win on May 1. She becomes the first Reform and Luke Campbell is now mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire. Both are new mayoralities, created as part of the government’s developing devolution plans.

    The creation of more mayoralties meant that, perhaps inevitably, the near-monopoly that Labour held on mayors after the 2024 local elections has ended. But with an unproven track record, it’s reasonable to ask what we might expect from the new reform mayors as they take office.

    Since the first devolution deals were signed back in 2014, English devolution has always been about the ability of local governments to convince Westminster to let go of power. The result has been that devolution deals have varied in strength across the country.

    In broad terms, city regions have tended to get more powers, while others get slightly less. This means that not every new regional (also known as metro) mayor will be a budding Andy Burnham – though in practice most can expect to have core powers of housing, transport and education. Over time we have seen how the existing mayors have sought to inhabit those powers in their own way, and bring about their own priorities.

    So, we now wait to see what that means for the new mayors as they take power. We already know that Jenkyns’ election manifesto touched upon the key powers the mayor will hold (transport, education and the economy) but her agenda on these was painted only in the broadest of brush strokes.

    For example, there were promises to upgrade major roads, and to secure more funding for transport – although achieving both would require a willing Labour government to play nice. More realistic promises include more frequent buses which better serve parts of what is a large rural area, and creating skills bodies to work with local employers.

    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

    Elsewhere, however, the manifesto delved into the realm of memes and bogeymen. For example, Jenkyns has proposed creating “DOGE Lincolnshire”, mirroring Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency in the US.

    This promises to cut government waste and “ensure efficiency”. Yet, given the combined authority she heads was only constituted in February, it’s not quite clear what inefficiencies Jenkyns is referring to.

    Another pledge is to push back against net zero – something that Reform seems to be using as their protest lodestar now that Brexit is no longer fertile feeding ground. Here, the policies seem to be to fight against national government policy on net-zero rather than anything really specific.

    Playing nicely with central government

    A regional mayor’s fate often hinges on their ability to interact effectively with central government – either by trying to secure concessions from it, or resisting it. Here, it will be very interesting to watch how Jenkyns, Campbell and the new Conservative mayor of Cambridge and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, assimilate.

    They are now members of the Council of the Regions – which for the last 12 months has been largely a cosy cabal of Labour mayors (and Tory Ben Houchen).

    How will Reform mayors – and Jenkyns in particular do business with the others? She is known as a disruptor so it could change the dynamic significantly.

    English local government is littered with examples of national government visiting retribution on local authorities for perceived transgressions. For example, most famously, Margaret Thatcher’s government abolished the Metropolitan Councils in 1986 for getting a bit too big for their boots. While there is no suggestion that will happen this time, current devolution deals are heavily premised on trust and ability to work with government.

    The other issue will be how what started as a protest party deals with the minutiae of governing. Mario Cuomo, a former governor of New York, once famously said that you campaign in poetry and govern in prose. Sometimes, however, local government can be about the grammar – dealing with those minor details.

    I remember interviewing a local councillor who once told me most of the time people want to talk about dog poo and bins. Equally, things like potholes are shown to be what residents want to see fixed.

    From now on, Jenkyns and other reform-led councils will have a record that they will have to defend. Ultimately, while a manifesto that is half-built on memes might grab attention on election day, it probably isn’t going to make the buses run on time.

    Alex Nurse receives funding from the ESRC.

    – ref. Reform enters government for the first time with mayoral election wins – https://theconversation.com/reform-enters-government-for-the-first-time-with-mayoral-election-wins-255731

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Mountain America Credit Union’s Margaret Mathis Named 2025 Utah Business HR Achievement Award Recipient

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANDY, Utah, May 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mountain America Credit Union is proud to announce Margaret Mathis, director of talent acquisition, has been named a 2025 Utah Business HR Achievement Award recipient. Her exceptional leadership and significant impact in the field of human resources have earned her recognition as one of Utah’s top HR professionals.

    A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available in this link.

    The Utah Business HR Achievement Award program honors the human resources professionals who have gone beyond the call of duty to make their companies great places to work. Mathis was featured in the April issue of Utah Business and honored at an awards ceremony on April 30 at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business.

    “Margaret consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to her role in HR,” said Trent Savage, senior vice president of human resources. “This achievement and recognition is a testament to her unwavering commitment to excellence, leadership and the people she serves every day.”

    With over 20 years of experience in human resources, Mathis has excelled in various roles across industries such as staffing, call centers, and automotive. She has been a key contributor at Mountain America Credit Union for nearly a decade, where her leadership has been instrumental in driving the success of our talent acquisition team.

    Mathis’ outstanding achievements have been recognized with multiple awards, including the OnCon Top 50 Talent Acquisition Professionals in North America Award in 2021 and the OnCon Top 100 Talent Acquisition Professionals in North America Award in 2023. Under her leadership, Mountain America’s talent acquisition team received the OnCon Top 100 Talent Acquisition Team in North America Award in 2023.

    To learn more about Mountain America, visit macu.com/newsroom.

    About Mountain America Credit Union
    With more than 1 million members and $20 billion in assets, Mountain America Credit Union helps its members define and achieve their financial dreams. Mountain America provides consumers and businesses with a variety of convenient, flexible products and services, as well as sound, timely advice. Members enjoy access to secure, cutting-edge mobile banking technology, over 100 branches across multiple states, and more than 50,000 surcharge-free ATMs. Mountain America—guiding you forward. Learn more at macu.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Trump Admin Weaponizes IRS, Warren, Schumer, Senators Demand Investigation into Potentially Criminal Activity Against Harvard

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    May 02, 2025
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), sent a letter to the Acting Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Heather Hill, demanding that she open an investigation into alarming reports that the Trump Administration is pressuring the IRS to consider revoking the non-profit status of Harvard University. 
    In a Truth Social post, the President stated that “Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax-Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness.’” Furthermore, according to reports, the President is also targeting Harvard’s tax-exempt status because he disapproves of the university’s diversity and inclusion programs and claims that it has not sufficiently addressed antisemitism on campus. 
    “The President is targeting the non-profit status of Harvard University for blatantly political purposes,” the senators wrote. 
    It is illegal and unconstitutional for the IRS to use politically motivated reasons to revoke the tax-exempt status of schools, hospitals, churches, or any other tax-exempt entities. The senators are demanding an investigation into potential criminal activity related to this decision and into whether or not the Trump Administration is using the IRS to take other politically motivated actions.
    “The president’s call for Harvard to lose its tax-exempt status raises troubling constitutional questions, including whether the president is trying to squelch Harvard’s free speech rights and whether the revocation of its tax-exempt status will deprive the university of its due process rights,” the senators continued. 
    The lawmakers also note that while Harvard University could potentially have the resources to fight this particular legal battle, it sets a dangerous precedent for President Trump to attack his perceived political enemies. 
    “Churches and synagogues, non-profit hospitals and clinics, charter and private schools, and any others that land on the President’s target list will be forced to relinquish their free speech rights in order to remain in existence, or otherwise face this organizational death sentence,” the senators wrote. 
    The full letter can be seen here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Announces Chief Bryan Waugh to Lead Nebraska State Patrol

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Pillen Announces Chief Bryan Waugh to Lead Nebraska State Patrol

     

    LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen announced his appointment of Chief Bryan Waugh as the next superintendent for the Nebraska State Patrol. He will assume his duties on June 2. Waugh replaces Colonel John Bolduc, who is retiring on May 4.

    Wauch is the 19th superintendent to oversee the agency, consisting of more than 700 public servants, of which over 400 are sworn officers. For the past six years, he has been the police chief in Kearney.

    “Chief Waugh brings over 30 years of law enforcement experience, marked by innovation, collaboration, and a public servant’s heart,” said Gov. Pillen. “As Kearney’s chief for six years, he has led a growing department, managed a $13 million budget, achieved accreditation, and launched programs like the Mental Health Co-Responder Initiative and a citywide license plate reader system that sparked a statewide effort. His leadership during the 2019 flood kept Kearney safe while strengthening community trust. I am confident we’ve chosen the right person to lead the Patrol and build on its 88-year-old legacy.”

    Four candidates were interviewed for the leadership position. Lt. Governor Joe Kelly noted that all were highly qualified.

    “It’s encouraging to know that there are many good law enforcement officers in Nebraska capable of fulfilling a role like this,” he said.  

    Speaking about Waugh in particular, the Lt. Governor said he was very impressed with his experience interacting with federal, state and local government.

    “You have to be able to play across the field with everybody in law enforcement. Bryan is someone who can reach across those lines and bring everyone together.”

    Senator Stan Clouse, who hired Waugh in 2019 when he was Kearney’s mayor, joked that today felt like a proud dad moment.

    “The things that Bryan brought to our city are incredible. What stands out to me most is his professionalism. You can see that in the officers he hired and in the culture that he changed. We are going to miss him in Kearney, and I think the state will be very pleased with the leadership role that Bryan is taking on. He understands policing.”

    Originally from West Virginia, Waugh served four years of active duty as a U.S. Air Force security police/law enforcement specialist at Offutt Air Force Base. He had two tours of duty in Southeast Asia during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Southern Watch/Enduring Freedom. He has nearly 32 combined years of law enforcement experience, serving 21 years with the La Vista Police Department, prior to making the move to Kearney.

    Waugh holds multiple law enforcement certifications, including through the FBI. He is president of the Police Chiefs Association in Nebraska. Waugh earned his master’s degree in administrative leadership from the University of Oklahoma.

    “I am incredibly humbled, proud, and honored by the faith Governor Pillen has placed in me to become the 19th colonel of the Nebraska State Patrol. This storied organization’s professional men and women are first-class, dedicated, committed, and driven toward providing the highest level of public safety and professional services for the entire state of Nebraska,” said Waugh.

    At today’s announcement, Gov. Pillen also took time to highlight the service of Col. Bolduc, who has reached the Patrol’s mandatory retirement age of 60. He has been superintendent since 2017. Gov. Pillen thanked Bolduc “on behalf of every Nebraskan.”

    Acknowledging the Governor’s appreciation, Col. Bolduc remarked that it had been an incredible honor to serve as colonel for the State Patrol.

    “I’m proud of the work our team has done and the constant effort our troopers, investigators, and professional staff put forth every day to serve Nebraskans. As this chapter of the agency closes and a new one begins under Chief Waugh’s leadership, I have no doubt that our team will remain dedicated to providing excellent public service and our shared mission to keep Nebraska safe.”

    “I am eager, motivated, and committed to leading our premier law enforcement organization into the future,” said Waugh. “With enthusiasm, integrity, care, and a strong vision to strengthen our ranks, leverage technology, broaden efficiencies, build on our successes, and embrace our challenges I look forward to getting started. We will honor the past, live in the present, and reimagine our future, together.”

    Until Waugh begins his new position in June, Gov. Pillen has appointed Lt. Colonel Jeff Roby to serve as the interim superintendent for the Patrol.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Applauds Tennessean Whitney Hermandorfer, Trump’s Nominee to be Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    May 2, 2025

    Hermandorfer is the first major judicial nominee in President Trump’s second term

    NASHVILLE, TN—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) applauded the nomination of Whitey Hermandorfer, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

    “I am delighted that President Donald Trump has nominated Whitney Hermandorfer, a native Tennessean, to serve as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit,” said Senator Hagerty. “Few can boast equal credentials, having clerked for Justices Alito and Barrett, as well as then-Judge Kavanaugh. Whitney graduated top of her law school class at the George Washington University Law School. She also led the Strategic Litigation Unit for the Tennessee Attorney General. Whitney is principled, genuine, kind, and has a brilliant legal mind that will make all Tennesseans proud.  I will work tirelessly to ensure that Whitney is confirmed by the Senate.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump and many GOP lawmakers want to end all funding for NPR and PBS − unraveling a US public media system that took a century to build

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Josh Shepperd, Associate Professor of Media Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

    Cast members of the children’s television show ‘Sesame Street’ pose with Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover, Ernie, Bert and Oscar the Grouch in 1969. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

    The Trump administration’s drive to slash government spending on everything from the arts to cancer research also includes efforts to carry through on the Republican Party’s long-standing goal of ending federal funding for NPR, the nation’s public radio network, and PBS, its television counterpart.

    Across the country, 1,500 independent stations affiliated with NPR and PBS air shows such as “Morning Edition,” “Marketplace,” “PBS NewsHour,” “Frontline” and “Nova.” Some 43 million people tune into public radio every week, and over 130 million watch PBS every year, according to the networks.

    Public media stations air local news and, when necessary, emergency information. Most also feature regional, national and global coverage of arts and culture. With commercial media divesting from local news reporting, audiences that have long relied on public media to inform their communities are even more dependent now on that service, as are audiences that got their local news from commercial sources.

    Investigating public media

    Public media is also under attack from the Republican majority in Congress and facing scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission, the government agency that regulates media.

    Brendan Carr, whom President Donald Trump appointed to lead the FCC, helped draft Project 2025. That’s the conservative blueprint that Trump distanced himself from during the 2024 campaign but has since embraced.

    As proposed in Project 2025, the FCC is examining NPR’s approach to underwriting. Through underwriting, financial support from sponsors is acknowledged on air without asking audiences to form an opinion about a product or make a specific purchase.

    The FCC is investigating whether those messages on NPR and PBS “cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements.”

    The top executives of NPR and PBS have denied that their underwriting practices violate any regulations or laws.

    At the same time, House Republicans are holding hearings regarding what they say is public media’s “liberal bias.” Their attention is primarily directed at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the nonprofit corporation that stewards federal money that Congress appropriates for NPR and PBS.

    And in a separate move, Trump demanded that CPB “cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law” and “decline to provide future funding” in an executive order issued on May 1, 2025. Trump’s order accused NPR and PBS of bias in its “portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.”

    I’m a media historian who wrote a book about the origins of public media in the U.S. and how NPR and PBS contribute to democratic participation. Both networks are designed to provide equal access to information for every listener and viewer.

    In my view, as these efforts to investigate and end the funding of public media proceed, it’s worth revisiting why the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was founded in the first place and to understand how it contributes to equal access to information today.

    Beginning with education

    U.S. public media took root in the 1920s, when public universities built radio stations so that rural communities could receive better access to the kind of education available in cities.

    The first programs consisted of professors and radio hosts giving lectures about history, finance and other subjects such as cooking, quilting and music appreciation.

    Some of those professors believed so strongly in democratic access to media that they built radio stations with their own hands, including one at the University of Wisconsin. In other cases, professors experimented with performing live drama. Ohio State University broadcast the first educational radio Shakespeare performances in the late 1920s.

    Many people liked the programming enough to tune in, but the quality of early educational broadcast experiments was inconsistent. Some professors didn’t understand how to talk with audiences and were criticized for their monotone deliveries.

    Amid threats to its federal funding, PBS reports on the history of U.S. public media.

    Running the ‘bicycle network’

    Interest in improving the quality of educational radio grew once radio ownership became more widespread. Over 500 U.S. stations were on the air in 1940. By 1945, when World War II ended, over 95% of families owned radio receivers.

    Every listener could take correspondence classes. And educators started to research how to make learning through the radio more compelling and fun.

    By the late 1940s, colleges and universities started to pay better attention to making education on the radio both entertaining and informative. They traded their best programs all around the country, through a system they called the “bicycle network.”

    Once national distribution was in place, producers of educational radio and TV shows came to an agreement about their best programs through a group called the National Association of Educational Broadcasters. They landed on formulas now associated with NPR and PBS. Home economics instruction evolved into cooking shows. Interviews with professors became public affairs programs.

    Radio stations started to combine different kinds of programs that spanned an entire school day. A half-hour children’s comedy show now weaved math, storytelling, music and civics. This format laid some of the groundwork for “Sesame Street.”

    In the 1950s a philosophy of public media emerged.

    The National Association of Educational Broadcasters’ members believed that everyone should have equal access to education no matter where they lived. They argued that information they presented should be held to rigorous standards, such as fact-checking and even peer review, the academic practice of verifying research validity.

    Educational broadcasters aired programs for all kinds of audiences, including in communities not served by commercial media.

    To stay focused on their mission, educational broadcasters decided to bar taking money from corporate advertisers. This meant that most money came from state and local governments instead of businesses.

    State authorities were able to make public announcements, quickly report emergencies and provide free airtime for political candidates. State lawmakers also thought that these media outlets could help their constituents learn trades at their own pace.

    Phasing in government funding

    Using broadcasting to provide equal access to education required a lot of new infrastructure.

    By the late 1950s the federal government started to fund the construction of radio towers, transmitters and buildings so that every person could access educational programs via broadcasts. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a law in 1958 that funded educational access because it could contribute to national defense.

    Nearly a decade later, in 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act. That law guaranteed a permanent stream of government funding for educational radio and television. Congress had pivoted from “education” to “public” broadcasting as the medium incorporated a wider array of programs, including BBC shows from the U.K.

    PBS first went live in 1970, and NPR’s first broadcast aired in 1971.

    To buffer NPR and PBS from the influence of political parties and commercial sponsors, the law called for the creation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

    In addition to receiving and then disbursing to NPR and PBS the federal funds that Congress appropriates for public media, the CPB provides additional grants to stations across the country. Notably, federal funds help to pay for maintaining equipment and studios where public media programs are taped. That is, most government funding for public media is dedicated to maintaining the technology necessary to continue with its mission to provide equal access.

    The rest of the federal money supports the same program development and audience engagement research that started with the National Association of Educational Broadcasters’ “bicycle network.”

    NPR has gotten more sophisticated since it first went on the air in 1971, as CBS News reports.

    Establishing a strong track record

    The CPB model has succeeded by many measures. About 99% of Americans have access to public media through their television sets, car radios, computers and other devices.

    The CPB received $535 million in government funding in the 2025 fiscal year, equal to roughly $1.60 per American. About 70% of that money supports local radio and television stations. Public media costs taxpayers far more elsewhere. A 2022 study found that Germany spends around $142 per person, the U.K. spends $81, and Canada spends over $26 per year.

    The U.S. system is also unusual in that the local affiliates are nonprofits that have to pay for the NPR and PBS programs they run. Like the CPB, NPR and PBS are independent nonprofits, not government agencies.

    Rather than having the federal government foot the whole bill, in the U.S. public media also relies on $1.3 billion in annual charitable donations from viewers, listeners, corporations and foundations. Of that, public media receives $170 million in underwriting, according to a 2023 report.

    But should the federal government end all federal funding for the CPB, their NPR- and PBS-affiliated stations would have more trouble buying, repairing and replacing the transmitters, antennas and websites required to broadcast their programs.

    Losing access to local news

    The CPB has already sued the Trump administration over its attempt to oust three of its board members. The CPB asserts that because it is an independent organization and not a federal agency, the federal government can’t dictate who serves on its board. Trump’s executive order could also be challenged in court. And, as is the case with all executive orders, any future administration could rescind it.

    Most likely, the original target audience of educational radio − rural communities − would feel the biggest impact if the Trump administration does end federal funding of NPR and PBS. That’s because rural areas have few alternatives now that local journalism has been hit hard by corporate cuts to newsrooms.

    Public media’s first century inspired an alternative approach to media other than producing programs that tobacco companies, automakers and other businesses would want to sponsor. How Congress, the FCC and the courts proceed today will influence public media’s reach and practices for the next century.

    Josh Shepperd is under contract to co-author an update of the history of public broadcasting for Current, public media’s trade journal, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Josh is not a paid employee or vendor of either institution.

    – ref. Trump and many GOP lawmakers want to end all funding for NPR and PBS − unraveling a US public media system that took a century to build – https://theconversation.com/trump-and-many-gop-lawmakers-want-to-end-all-funding-for-npr-and-pbs-unraveling-a-us-public-media-system-that-took-a-century-to-build-253206

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Women’s Health Initiative has shaped women’s health for over 30 years, but its future is uncertain

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jean Wactawski-Wende, Professor of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo

    Women make up more than 50% of the population, yet before the 1990s they were largely excluded from health and medical research studies.

    To try to help correct this imbalance, in 1991 the National Institutes of Health launched a massive, long-term study called the Women’s Health Initiative, which is still running today. It is the largest, longest and most comprehensive study on women’s health ever conducted in the U.S. It also is one of the most productive studies in history, with more than 2,400 published scientific papers in leading medical journals.

    On April 20, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services told the study’s lead investigators it plans to terminate much of the program’s funding and discontinue its regional center contracts. On April 24, after pushback from the medical community, HHS officials said the funding had been reinstated. But the reversal was never officially confirmed, so the study’s lead investigators – including me – remain concerned about its future.

    I am a public health researcher who has studied chronic disease prevention in women for nearly 40 years. I have been centrally involved with the Women’s Health Initiative since its inception and currently co-direct one of its four regional centers at the University at Buffalo.

    The project’s findings have shaped clinical practice, prevention strategies and public health policies across the U.S. and the world, particularly for older women. In my view, its loss would be a devastating blow to women’s health.

    An imperative to invest in women’s health

    The Women’s Health Initiative was established in response to a growing realization that very little medical research existed to inform health care that was specifically relevant to women. In the U.S. in the 1970s, for example, almost 40% of postmenopausal women were taking estrogen, but no large clinical trials had studied the risks and benefits. In 1985 an NIH task force outlined the need for long-term research on women’s health.

    Launched by Bernadine Healy, the first woman to serve as director of the NIH, the Women’s Health Initiative aimed to study ways to prevent heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis.

    About 42,000 women ages 78 to 108 remain active participants in the Women’s Health Initiative.
    Frazao Studio Latino/E+ via Getty Images

    Between 1993 and 1998, the project enrolled 161,808 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 to participate in four randomized clinical trials. Two of them investigated how menopausal hormone therapy affects the risk of heart disease, breast cancer, hip fractures and cognition. Another examined the effects of a low-fat, high-fiber diet on breast and colorectal cancers as well as heart disease. The fourth looked at whether taking calcium plus vitamin D supplements helps prevent hip fractures and colorectal cancer.

    Women could participate in just one or in multiple trials. More than 90,000 also took part in a long-term observational study that used medical records and surveys to probe the link between risk factors and disease outcomes over time.

    Clarifying the effects of hormone therapy

    Some of the most important findings from the Women’s Health Initiative addressed the effects of menopausal hormone therapy.

    The hormone therapy trial testing a combination of estrogen and progesterone was set to run until 2005. However, it was terminated early, in 2002, when results showed an increased risk in heart disease, stroke, blood clotting disorders and breast cancer, as well as cognitive decline and dementia. The trial of estrogen alone also raised safety concerns, though both types of therapy reduced the risk of bone fractures.

    After these findings were reported, menopausal hormone therapy prescriptions dropped sharply in the U.S. and worldwide. One study estimated that the decreased use of estrogen and progesterone therapy between 2002 and 2012 prevented as many as 126,000 breast cancer cases and 76,000 cardiovascular disease cases – and saved the U.S. an estimated US$35 billion in direct medical costs.

    Reanalyses of data from these studies over the past decade have provided a more nuanced clinical picture for safely using menopausal hormone therapy. They showed that the timing of treatment matters, and that when taken before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause, hormones have more limited risk.

    Defining clinical practice

    Although the Women’s Health Initiative’s four original clinical trials ended by 2005, researchers have continued to follow participants, collect new data and launch spinoff studies that shape health recommendations for women over 65.

    Almost a decade ago, for example, research at my institution and others found in a study of 6,500 women ages 63 to 99 that just 30 minutes of low to moderate physical activity was enough to significantly boost their health. The study led to changes in national public health guidelines. Subsequent studies are continuing to explore how physical activity affects aging and whether being less sedentary can protect women against heart disease.

    Bone health and preventing fractures have also been a major focus of the Women’s Health Initiative, with research helping to establish guidelines for osteoporosis screening and investigating the link between dietary protein intake and bone health.

    One of the Women’s Health Initiative’s biggest yields is its vast repository of health data collected annually from tens of thousands of women over more than 30 years. The data consists of survey responses on topics such as diet, physical activity and family history; information on major health outcomes such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and cause of death, verified using medical records; and a trove of biological samples, including 5 million blood vials and genetic information from 50,000 participants.

    The Women’s Health Initiative set out to prevent heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis in menopausal women.

    Any researcher can access this repository to explore associations between blood biomarkers, disease outcomes, genes, lifestyle factors and other health features. More than 300 such studies are investigating health outcomes related to stroke, cancer, diabetes, eye diseases, mental health, physical frailty and more. Thirty are currently running.

    What does the future hold?

    In addition to data amassed by the Women’s Health Initiative until now, about 42,000 participants from all 50 states, now ages 78 to 108, are still actively contributing to the study. This cohort is a rare treasure: Very few studies have collected such detailed, long-term information on a broad group of women of this age. Meanwhile, the demographic of older women is growing quickly.

    Continuing to shed light on aging, disease risk and prevention in this population is vital. The questions guiding the project’s ongoing and planned research directly address the chronic diseases that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced as national priorities.

    So I hope that the Women’s Health Initiative can continue to generate discoveries that support women’s health well into the future.

    Jean Wactawski-Wende receives funding from the NIH.

    – ref. The Women’s Health Initiative has shaped women’s health for over 30 years, but its future is uncertain – https://theconversation.com/the-womens-health-initiative-has-shaped-womens-health-for-over-30-years-but-its-future-is-uncertain-255311

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: When presidents try to make peace: What Trump could learn from Teddy Roosevelt, Carter, Clinton and his own first term

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Andrew E. Busch, Professor and Associate Director, Institute of American Civics, University of Tennessee

    U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, center, introduces Russian and Japanese delegates during negotiations at the Portsmouth Peace Conference in Kittery, Maine, in August 1905. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

    Throughout his 2024 campaign for the presidency, Donald Trump made diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine-Russia war a major priority, suggesting that he could bring peace within “24 hours.” Even before Trump resumed office in January 2025, as president-elect he named envoys and held preliminary discussions with a variety of leaders.

    Since Trump returned to the White House, he has talked with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, met twice with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and made frequent public comments on the war.

    How does Trump’s mediation effort stack up historically? I’m a scholar of the presidency, and while we don’t yet know the outcome of the Trump-led negotiations, we do know one thing: He’s not conducting them in the ways presidents – including Trump himself – have conducted them in the past.

    President Donald Trump erupted at Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting on Feb. 28, 2025, angrily sending the Ukrainian leader out of the White House because he was ‘not ready’ for peace with Russia.
    Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    Some worked, others didn’t

    There are several examples of presidents who attempted to play a mediating role in foreign conflicts.

    Theodore Roosevelt: Roosevelt won a Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to ending the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War, fought over control of Manchuria and Sakhalin Island. Roosevelt had been asked to mediate by Japan, and Russia agreed. In many ways, this episode marked the beginning of the role of the U.S. president as a world leader.

    Jimmy Carter: Carter’s greatest presidential success arguably came in the Camp David Accords, the framework for peace negotiated in 1978 between Israel and Egypt after decades of conflict. Carter did not win a Nobel Prize for his accomplishment, but Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin did.

    Bill Clinton: Clinton made two ambitious attempts to broker peace between old adversaries. One ended in success, the other in failure.

    Clinton’s envoy, former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, mediated an accord between the British government, the Republic of Ireland and the warring factions in Northern Ireland that was signed on Good Friday 1998.

    On the other hand, one of Clinton’s greatest frustrations was a failed attempt to arrange peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Clinton blamed the failure on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat walking away from a deal in 2000. Instead, peace efforts were supplanted by a Palestinian uprising that killed an estimated 1,053 Israeli civilians by early 2005.

    Dealing with a third situation – the wars set off by the disintegration of Yugoslavia– the Clinton administration also obtained an agreement over Bosnia in the 1995 Dayton Accords when the parties were sufficiently exhausted.

    Donald Trump: In his first presidency, Trump himself brokered the September 2000 Abraham Accords that established formal diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. The accords, brought about largely through negotiations led by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, had strategic aims of putting greater pressure for peace on the Palestinians and strengthening a common front against Iran. (The Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas may have been an attempt to stop subsequent efforts to extend the Abraham Accords to Saudi Arabia.)

    Although all of these examples involved presidential leadership and involvement, they did not follow a single model.

    How they did it

    Former President Bill Clinton bows as he meets former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, who spearheaded peace negotiations on behalf of Clinton that led to the end of 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland.
    Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images

    Roosevelt never attended the peace negotiations over the Russo-Japanese War in Portsmouth, but he actively offered proposals through intermediaries before and during the conference. The final stages of negotiation were held on his yacht, the Mayflower.

    Carter’s breakthrough came when he engaged in intense personal diplomacy at Camp David, where he, Sadat and Begin were sequestered for 13 days. To complete the deal, Carter had to shuffle back and forth between the principals and at one point had to make a frantic appeal to Sadat not to leave.

    Clinton’s unsuccessful efforts to broker an agreement between Arafat and a succession of Israeli prime ministers extended over the duration of his two-term presidency and frequently involved personal meetings and exchanges.

    On the other hand, Clinton’s involvement in the Northern Ireland resolution did not primarily come in the form of personal diplomacy at the end of the process. Rather, he set the conditions for a settlement earlier when he approved a visa for Irish Republican leader Gerry Adams to enter the U.S., against the wishes of Britain and Clinton’s own advisers.

    When Clinton went to Belfast for a Christmas tree lighting in 1995, he brought together Catholic leaders committed to the unification of Ireland and Protestant leaders loyal to Britain. First lady Hillary Clinton also contributed by meeting with Irish women’s organizations on both sides.

    In contrast, in the Dayton process Clinton was later portrayed by chief negotiator Richard Holbrooke as essentially disengaged.

    Not like the others

    Although each mediation effort was unique, there were some commonalities.

    First, where sensitive issues of land possession were involved, many of the negotiations benefited from privacy in the process.

    Second, successful mediations came most often when the U.S. was neutral, such as in the Portsmouth negotiations, or friendly toward both parties to some degree, such as with the Camp David, Good Friday and Abraham negotiations. Dayton was the exception in that the U.S. had become quite hostile toward the Serbs.

    In Ukraine, Trump is attempting to mediate a conflict in which, until now, the U.S. has been firmly and materially supportive of one side against the other. And he is attempting to do it by publicly making, so far, proposals that were destined to be toxic to the Ukrainian public.

    Trump appears to be violating the first rule above – no public negotiations over land – in order to chase compliance with the second, which is no mediation without neutrality. By, among other things, publicly offering proposals that the Ukrainians see as one-sided against them, Trump has largely erased the image of the U.S. as pro-Ukraine.

    This is a highly controversial and risky strategy that has damaged relations with U.S. allies and cost the U.S. moral capital in pursuit of an uncertain peace.

    Whatever success Trump ultimately achieves, it is little surprise that the effort, which has been pursued over a period of six months so far, has been more difficult than he anticipated.

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

    – ref. When presidents try to make peace: What Trump could learn from Teddy Roosevelt, Carter, Clinton and his own first term – https://theconversation.com/when-presidents-try-to-make-peace-what-trump-could-learn-from-teddy-roosevelt-carter-clinton-and-his-own-first-term-255550

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –