Category: Universities

MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Neguse Demand Commerce Department Reverse Planned Cuts to NOAA, Colorado-Based Research Centers
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with Representative Joe Neguse, urged Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to preserve funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its Cooperative Institutes (CIs) following recent reports that the Trump administration plans to cut funding for NOAA in its upcoming budget proposal.

“Cooperative Institutes are integral to solving some of our biggest problems and making all of us safer and better prepared for short-term and long-term hazards. Any plan to terminate funding for NOAA CIs would be detrimental not just to the people of Colorado, but to people across the entire country,” wrote the lawmakers.

Colorado is the only state in the nation to house two CIs, which are academic and nonprofit research centers that provide invaluable support to NOAA’s mission.
- The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), located at the University of Colorado Boulder, is the oldest and largest CI. It employs nearly 800 researchers, support staff, and students focused on research related to drought, wildfire, and space weather.
- The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), located at Colorado State University, employs nearly 200 individuals who are working to improve weather and fire forecasting.
“We strongly condemn any such plan and believe terminating this funding would be extremely short-sighted and costly to the American people and economy in the long run,” continued the lawmakers.

Read their full letter HERE.
MIL OSI USA News –
April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Social workers urged to embed Aboriginal cultural practices in First Nations communities

Source:

30 April 2025

Social workers in First Nations communities need to incorporate Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing at the heart of their supervision practices on Country.

That’s the recommendation from University of South Australia (UniSA) researchers in a new study published in Australian Social Work.

First author Jamie Sorby – a Kamilaroi woman, qualified social worker and UniSA lecturer – says that current supervision practices in social work are centred on Western practices that overlook a community-grounded approach that is valued in First Nations culture.

“Western models of supervision often focus on managerial oversight, risk aversion and clinical outcomes, and are disconnected from the lived realities of both workers and clients in Aboriginal communities,” Sorby says.

“They tend to favour formal, hierarchical structures and overlook cultural values, emotional safety and relational trust.

“For Aboriginal workers, this can feel alienating and unsafe. Supervision should be a space of support, growth and cultural reflection, but often it’s not. This is why culturally responsive models are urgently needed,” she says.

The authors argue that traditional Western approaches to supervision often fail to acknowledge the lived experience of Aboriginal workers or the intergenerational trauma stemming from colonisation. As a result, these approaches contribute to staff burnout, mistrust, and poor retention of First Nations workers in social services.

The study introduces a suite of conceptual maps and visual artefacts that guide supervisors and practitioners to embed cultural safety into their practice.

The work was born out of conversations on Country between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal practitioners who wanted to challenge the status quo and embed Indigenous knowledges into professional development.

“For decades, Aboriginal communities have expressed concerns about social work practices often operating from individualistic models that don’t reflect our collectivist values or ways of being,” Sorby says.

“The issue is not new, it’s just that it hasn’t been listened to or acted on at a systemic level and we want that to change.”

Sorby says the impact on First Nations communities would be “transformative” if social workers were guided by Aboriginal perspectives, working with communities, not on them.

Notes for editors

“Supervision on Country: Enhancing Culturally Safe Social Work Supervision Through First Nations Knowledges” is published in Australian Social Work. DOI: 10.1080/0312407X.2025.2462304

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Contact for interview: Jamie Sorby E: Jamie.Sorby@unisa.edu.au

Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

Other articles you may be interested in

MIL OSI News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Pilot project delivers promising results for sustainable urban design

Source: Auckland Council

Advocates for living roofs, those lush, plant-covered patches of green on our city buildings, have long championed these slices of eco-paradise in our urban jungle. Now, thanks to a pioneering project between Auckland Council and the University of Auckland, we have the data to prove their value.

The Living Roof Monitoring project was launched to assess how well these verdant rooftops perform compared to conventional ones. After months of careful monitoring, the results highlight their effectiveness as a sustainable urban solution.

Stormwater superstars

Auckland Council’s Senior Healthy Waters Specialist Rachel Devine highlights the global success of integrating nature into urban infrastructure. She explains that planting vegetation on rooftops is one of the ways that cities can effectively absorb rainfall, reduce flooding and mitigate the stormwater network from becoming overwhelmed.

“But now, having the local data to back this up gives us context that is relevant to Auckland’s climate and environment,” Ms Devine says.

University of Auckland Professor Asaad Shamseldin who leads the research with Dr Kilisimasi Latu and Dr Conrad Zorn, is pleased with the robust dataset collected by the team’s PhD students Aung Naing Soe and Sihui Dong, which focuses on assessing the benefits of plants over conventional coverings on rooftops.

Their findings show living roofs significantly reduce stormwater runoff, with some substrate types retaining nearly 80 per cent of rainfall, even during heavy downpours. And that almost every drop is retained in light rainfall, demonstrating the excellent absorption potential of these gardens.

Chair of the Policy and Planning Committee Councillor Richard Hills says the findings of this research are very promising for roof gardens, helping to prevent flooding and water pollution in built-up urban areas like the inner city.

“This preliminary research indicates that if we could retrofit roof gardens all over Auckland’s city centre it would not only enhance our place as a clean green city on the global stage but would also be a viable aid in reducing heat and help prevent or reduce flooding in parts of the city centre.

“It would also make the city look more beautiful for residents in high rise apartments, staying in hotels or working in offices and provide tangible environmental benefits, including providing habitats for native plants and birds.

“Stormwater run-off in the city centre also contributes to the pollution of the Waitematā and the Hauraki Gulf, and these findings point to roof gardens curtailing much of this run-off into our precious oceans and harbours.

Nature’s air conditioner: cooling our concrete jungles

Professor Shamseldin adds it is important to remember living roofs aren’t just about stormwater management; they are also very effective at keeping things cool.

“When urban temperatures rise, green roofs act like nature’s air conditioners,” says Professor Shamseldin.

In Auckland’s hottest months, when temperatures can exceed 25°C, the data shows living roofs lower rooftop surface temperatures by an impressive 32 per to 56 per cent. The research even uncovered a surprising ally in urban cooling: the wind.

“During the day, sea breezes help cool green roofs and delay peak temperatures, while at night, city-to-sea winds help reduce the temperature difference between green and conventional rooftops,” explains Associate Professor Shamseldin.

This translates to tangible energy savings for buildings and a potential reduction in the Urban Heat Island effect – truly, a breath of fresh air from above.

A living legacy: onshore islands

The pilot study was inspired by Auckland’s Central City Library living roof, a project developed in partnership with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei that was launched five years ago.

Featuring over 2,000 hardy native plants, the roof reflects a shared commitment to enhance urban biodiversity and live in harmony with te taiao (the natural world).

Native grasses flourishing in the Auckland Central Library living roof.

“Kaupapa like this green roof are examples of cultural infrastructure, they integrate nature into our cities and allow us to actively elevate the mauri of our taiao,” says Etienne Neho of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

Greener cities, smarter cities: a vision for the future

This collaboration already has the potential to influence Auckland’s future. By providing policymakers and urban planners with data, the project can inform smarter, greener development decisions that enhance urban environments.

“If we want to create a sustainable, healthy city, one that future generations can enjoy – working with nature is a must,” adds Ms. Devine.

“These results prove what we’ve long suspected: nature-based solutions can help our journey towards becoming a more sustainable and resilient city.”

The research team continues to monitor additional biodiversity benefits, and more updates will follow as the data flourishes. Although urbanisation and climate change present numerous challenges, one thing is certain, working with nature is a positive step towards a healthier urban environment.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

April 30, 2025

MIL-OSI: Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. Q1 2025 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SEATTLE, April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: SFBC), the holding company for Sound Community Bank (the “Bank”), today reported net income of $1.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, or $0.45 diluted earnings per share, as compared to net income of $1.9 million, or $0.74 diluted earnings per share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, and $770 thousand, or $0.30 diluted earnings per share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The Company also announced today that its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend on the Company’s common stock of $0.19 per share, payable on May 23, 2025 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 9, 2025.

Comments from the President / Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer

“Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, we remained focused on lowering our cost of deposits and originating new loans at higher rates, which contributed to a 12-basis point improvement in our net interest margin compared to the prior quarter. This reflects the team’s strong efforts to build full banking relationships by addressing both the lending and deposit needs of our consumer and business clients,” remarked Laurie Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer.

“We continue to prioritize expense management, even though expenses increased compared to the previous quarter. The quarter-over-quarter increase was largely due to typical year-end accrual adjustments and annual expenses that are recognized in the first quarter. However, when compared to the first quarter of 2024, we have seen reductions in combined salaries and benefits, and operational expenses, thanks to our investments in technology. We also expect the year-over-year growth in data processing costs to moderate as the year progresses,” explained Wes Ochs, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Ochs continued, “While we did see an increase in nonperforming loans this quarter mainly due to two specific credits, one of which has since been repaid, we have not observed broader signs of stress in the loan portfolio. Importantly, we also successfully exited a $17 million loan that had been rated as special mention, which contributed to the decline in overall loan balances. Notably, 83% of our nonperforming loans are tied to just four loans, each with its own unique circumstances. These loans are well-secured, and we are actively working toward resolutions in the near-term.”


Q1 2025 Financial Performance
Total assets increased $75.6 million or 7.6% to $1.07 billion at March 31, 2025, from $993.6 million at December 31, 2024, and decreased $17.5 million or 1.6% from $1.09 billion at March 31, 2024.				Net interest income decreased $149 thousand or 1.8% to $8.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, from $8.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, and increased $611 thousand or 8.2% from $7.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.

Loans held-for-portfolio decreased $13.9 million or 1.5% to $886.2 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $900.2 million at December 31, 2024, and decreased $11.7 million or 1.3% from $897.9 million at March 31, 2024.				Net interest margin (“NIM”), annualized, was 3.25% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to 3.13% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 and 2.95% for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.

Total deposits increased $72.5 million or 8.7% to $910.3 million at March 31, 2025, from $837.8 million at December 31, 2024, and decreased $6.5 million or 0.7% from $916.9 million at March 31, 2024. Noninterest-bearing deposits decreased $5.8 million or 4.4% to $126.7 million at March 31, 2025 compared to $132.5 million at December 31, 2024, and decreased $2.0 million or 1.5% compared to $128.7 million at March 31, 2024.				A $203 thousand release of provision for credit losses was recorded for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to a $14 thousand provision and a $33 thousand release of provision for credit losses for the quarters ended December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2024, respectively. At March 31, 2025, the allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans outstanding was 0.95%, compared to 0.94% at December 31, 2024 and 0.96% at March 31, 2024.

The loans-to-deposits ratio was 98% at March 31, 2025, compared to 108% at December 31, 2024 and 98% at March 31, 2024.				Total noninterest income decreased $62 thousand or 5.3% to $1.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2024, and was virtually unchanged compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2024.

Total nonperforming loans increased $2.2 million or 28.9% to $9.7 million at March 31, 2025, from $7.5 million at December 31, 2024, and increased $600 thousand or 6.6% from $9.1 million at March 31, 2024. Nonperforming loans to total loans was 1.09% and the allowance for credit losses on loans to total nonperforming loans was 86.95% at March 31, 2025.				Total noninterest expense increased $856 thousand or 12.1% to $7.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2024, and increased $258 thousand or 3.4% compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2024.

				The Bank continued to maintain capital levels in excess of regulatory requirements and was categorized as “well-capitalized” at March 31, 2025.

Operating Results

Net Interest Income after (Release of) Provision for Credit Losses

	For the Quarter Ended								Q1 2025 vs. Q4 2024					Q1 2025 vs. Q1 2024
	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024		March 31, 2024			Amount ($)			Percentage (%)		Amount ($)			Percentage (%)
	(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)
Interest income	$	13,706		$	14,736	$	13,760		$	(1,030	)	(7.0)	%	$	(54	)	(0.4)	%
Interest expense		5,635			6,516		6,300			(881	)	(13.5)	%		(665	)	(10.6)	%
Net interest income		8,071			8,220		7,460			(149	)	(1.8)	%		611		8.2	%
(Release of) provision for credit losses		(203	)		14		(33	)		(217	)	(1550.0)	%		(170	)	515.2	%
Net interest income after (release of) provision for credit losses		8,274			8,206		7,493			68		0.8	%		781		10.4	%

Q1 2025 vs Q4 2024

The decrease in interest income from the prior quarter was primarily due to a lower average balance of loans, investments and interest-earning cash, an eight basis point decline in the average yield on loans, a 41 basis point decline in the average yield on interest-bearing cash, and a 57 basis point decline in the average yield on investments.

Interest income on loans decreased $482 thousand, or 3.7%, to $12.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to $13.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. The average balance of total loans was $896.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, down from $900.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in the average balance of total loans was primarily due to declines in construction and land loans and one-to-four family loans, offset by growth in commercial and multifamily loans and home equity loans. The average balances for manufactured home loans, floating home loans, commercial business loans, and other consumer loans remained relatively flat from the fourth quarter of 2024. The average yield on total loans was 5.69% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, down from 5.77% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. The decline was primarily due to interest that was reversed on nonaccrual loans during the first quarter, as well as interest that had been recognized on those loans in the fourth quarter. This was partly offset by new loans being made at higher interest rates and some variable-rate loans adjusting upward. Interest income on investments was $108 thousand for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to $132 thousand for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. Interest income on interest-bearing cash decreased $524 thousand to $1.0 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to $1.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. This decrease was a result of both lower average yields and average balances during the quarter.

The decrease in interest expense during the current quarter from the prior quarter was primarily the result of lower average balances and rates paid on all categories of interest-bearing deposits. The average cost of deposits was 2.37% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, down from 2.58% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 as higher costing deposits repriced lower due to market interest rate cuts beginning in September 2024. The average cost of FHLB advances was 4.25% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, down from 4.31% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024.

A release of provision for credit losses of $203 thousand was recorded for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, consisting of a release of provision for credit losses on loans of $85 thousand and a release of provision for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments of $118 thousand. This compared to a provision for credit losses of $14 thousand for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, consisting of a release of provision for credit losses on loans of $73 thousand and a provision for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments of $87 thousand. The decrease in the provision for credit losses for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2024 resulted primarily from a smaller loan portfolio and a reduced balance of unfunded commitments, partially offset by an additional qualitative adjustment applied to certain loan segments, specifically consumer and construction loans, reflecting increased uncertainty in market conditions tied to the impact of tariffs and other external factors affecting our clients. Expected credit loss estimates consider various factors, including market conditions, borrower-specific information, projected delinquencies, and anticipated effects of economic trends on borrowers’ ability to repay.

Q1 2025 vs Q1 2024

Interest income on loans increased $355 thousand, or 2.9%, to $12.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to $12.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The average balance of total loans was $896.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, up from $895.4 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The average yield on total loans was 5.69% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, up from 5.49% for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The increase in the average loan yield during the current quarter, compared to the same quarter in 2024, was primarily due to the origination of new loans at higher interest rates. Additionally, variable-rate loans resetting to higher rates contributed to the increase in average yield compared to the first quarter of 2024. Interest income on investments was $108 thousand for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to $111 thousand for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. Interest income on interest-bearing cash decreased $406 thousand to $1.0 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to $1.4 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The decrease was a result of both a lower average yield and average balance.

The decrease in interest expense during the current quarter from the same quarter a year ago was primarily the result of a $18.9 million decrease in the average balance of interest-bearing demand and NOW accounts, a $25.5 million decrease in the average balance of certificate accounts, and a $15.0 million decrease in the average balance of FHLB advances, as well as lower average rates paid on all categories of interest-bearing deposits; resulting from lower market interest rates generally. These average-balance decreases were partially offset by a $51.0 million increase in the average balance of savings and money market accounts. The average cost of deposits was 2.37% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, down from 2.57% for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The average cost of FHLB advances was 4.25% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, down from 4.31% for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.

Noninterest Income

	For the Quarter Ended								Q1 2025 vs. Q4 2024					Q1 2025 vs. Q1 2024
	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024		March 31, 2024			Amount ($)			Percentage (%)		Amount ($)			Percentage (%)
	(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)
Service charges and fee income	$	684		$	619	$	612		$	65		10.5	%	$	72		11.8	%
Earnings on bank-owned life insurance (“BOLI”)		195			127		177			68		53.5	%		18		10.2	%
Mortgage servicing income		269			277		282			(8	)	(2.9)	%		(13	)	(4.6)	%
Fair value adjustment on mortgage servicing rights		(99	)		77		(65	)		(176	)	(228.6)	%		(34	)	52.3	%
Net gain on sale of loans		49			53		90			(4	)	(7.5)	%		(41	)	(45.6)	%
Other income		—			7		—			(7	)	(100.0)	%		—		100.0	%
Total noninterest income	$	1,098		$	1,160	$	1,096		$	(62	)	(5.3)	%	$	2		0.2	%

Q1 2025 vs Q4 2024

The decrease in noninterest income during the current quarter compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2024 was primarily related to

a $176 thousand downward adjustment in fair value of mortgage servicing rights due to a smaller servicing portfolio, partially offset by :
an increase of $68 thousand in earnings from BOLI primarily due to the strategic decision to surrender and exchange existing policies into higher yielding policies in the first quarter, offset by fluctuations in financial markets which decreased the values of policies; and
a $65 thousand increase in service charges and fee income due to a volume incentive paid by Mastercard in the first quarter of 2025 and higher interchange income.

Loans sold during the quarter ended March 31, 2025, totaled $2.0 million, compared to $3.5 million and $4.2 million of loans sold during the quarters ended December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2024, respectively.

Q1 2025 vs Q1 2024

The increase in noninterest income during the current quarter compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2024 was primarily due to

a $72 thousand increase in service charges and fee income primarily due to the reasons noted above, and
an $18 thousand increase in earnings from BOLI primarily due to the strategic decision to surrender and exchange existing policies into higher yielding policies in the first quarter, offset by fluctuations in financial markets, which reduced the values of policies. The increases in service charges and fee income and in earnings from BOLI were partially offset by
a $13 thousand decrease in mortgage servicing income as a result of the portfolio paying down at a faster rate than originations replace repayments;
a $34 thousand decrease in the fair value adjustment on mortgage servicing rights due to a smaller servicing portfolio; and
a $41 thousand decrease in net gain on sale of loans due to fewer loans sold.

Noninterest Expense

	For the Quarter Ended							Q1 2025 vs. Q4 2024				Q1 2025 vs. Q1 2024
	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024			March 31, 2024		Amount ($)		Percentage (%)		Amount ($)			Percentage (%)
	(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)
Salaries and benefits	$	4,595	$	3,920		$	4,543	$	675	17.2	%	$	52		1.1	%
Operations		1,365		1,329			1,457		36	2.7	%		(92	)	(6.3)	%
Regulatory assessments		221		189			189		32	16.9	%		32		16.9	%
Occupancy		437		409			444		28	6.8	%		(7	)	(1.6)	%
Data processing		1,293		1,232			1,017		61	5.0	%		276		27.1	%
Net loss (gain) on OREO and repossessed assets		3		(21	)		6		24	(114.3)	%		(3	)	(50.0)	%
Total noninterest expense	$	7,914	$	7,058		$	7,656	$	856	12.1	%	$	258		3.4	%

Q1 2025 vs Q4 2024

The increase in noninterest expense during the current quarter from the quarter ended December 31, 2024 was primarily a result of:

a $675 thousand increase in salaries and benefits related to higher salaries expense, partially due to accrual reversals in the fourth quarter 2024, along with an annual deferred compensation contribution for key executives made in the first quarter of each year, higher 401(k) contributions, and higher payroll taxes related to annual bonus payments;
a $32 thousand increase in regulatory assessments due to a higher estimated accrual for exam costs;
a $28 thousand increase in occupancy due to higher annual property charges and maintenance fees recognized in the first quarter;
a $61 thousand increase in data processing due to higher vendor fees associated with annual subscription renewals; and
a $24 thousand increase in OREO and repossessed assets due to the addition of a new property in the first quarter of 2025 and the absence of property sales in the prior quarter.

Q1 2025 vs Q1 2024

The increase in noninterest expense during the current quarter from the quarter ended March 31, 2024 was primarily a result of:

a $276 thousand increase in data processing expenses due to various project implementations that began amortizing in the third quarter of 2024 and the reimbursement of expenses by a software vendor in the first quarter of 2024;
a $32 thousand increase in regulatory assessment expenses due to a higher estimated accrual for exam costs.

These increases were partially offset by a $92 thousand decrease in operations expense, primarily due to the recognition of annual fee reimbursements from Mastercard beginning in the first quarter of 2025 and lower expenses across various accounts resulting from ongoing cost saving initiatives and process improvements.

Balance Sheet Review, Capital Management and Credit Quality

Assets at March 31, 2025 totaled $1.07 billion, up from $993.6 million at December 31, 2024 and down from $1.09 billion at March 31, 2024. The increase in total assets from December 31, 2024 was primarily due to an increase in cash and cash equivalents, partially offset by a lower balance of loans held-for-portfolio. The decrease from one year ago was primarily a result of lower balances of cash and cash equivalents and loans held-for-portfolio.

Cash and cash equivalents increased $87.9 million, or 201.3%, to $131.5 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $43.6 million at December 31, 2024, and decreased $6.5 million, or 4.7%, from $138.0 million at March 31, 2024. The increased cash and cash equivalents from the prior quarter-end was primarily due to the strategic decision to sell reciprocal deposits at the end of 2024, which reduced our cash balances. These reciprocal deposits returned to our balance sheet in the first quarter of 2025.

Investment securities decreased $110 thousand, or 1.1%, to $9.8 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $9.9 million at December 31, 2024, and decreased $462 thousand, or 4.5%, from $10.3 million at March 31, 2024, as pay-offs and paydowns of investments exceeded new purchases. Held-to-maturity securities totaled $2.1 million at both March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, and totaled $2.2 million at March 31, 2024. Available-for-sale securities totaled $7.7 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $7.8 million at December 31, 2024 and $8.1 million at March 31, 2024.

Loans held-for-portfolio were $886.2 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $900.2 million at December 31, 2024 and $897.9 million at March 31, 2024. The decrease from both prior dates was primarily due to the payoff during the first quarter of 2025 of one $17.0 million loan that was risk rated special mention.

Nonperforming assets (“NPAs”), which are comprised of nonaccrual loans (including nonperforming modified loans), other real estate owned (“OREO”) and other repossessed assets, increased $2.2 million, or 29.4%, to $9.7 million at March 31, 2025, from $7.5 million at December 31, 2024 and decreased $49 thousand, or 0.5%, from $9.7 million at March 31, 2024. The increase in NPAs from December 31, 2024 was primarily due to the addition of six loans totaling $2.4 million to nonaccrual status, including two commercial real estate loans of $1.1 million and $988 thousand. The increase also included $41 thousand of other real estate owned properties. These additions were partially offset by $207 thousand in regular loan payments. Subsequent to quarter-end, the $988 thousand commercial real estate loan added during the quarter was paid-off. The decrease in NPAs from one year ago was primarily due to payoffs totaling $2.1 million, the return of $522 thousand of loans to accrual status, the sale of two other real estate owned properties for $690 thousand, and regular loan payments. These decreases were partially offset by the placement of an additional $3.6 million of loans on nonaccrual status, which included the two commercial real estate loans noted above.

NPAs to total assets were 0.91%, 0.75% and 0.90% at March 31, 2025, December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2024, respectively. The allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans outstanding was 0.95% at March 31, 2025, compared to 0.94% at December 31, 2024 and 0.96% at March 31, 2024. Net loan charge-offs for the first quarter of 2025 totaled $21 thousand, compared to $13 thousand for the fourth quarter of 2024, and $56 thousand for the first quarter of 2024.

The following table summarizes our NPAs at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):

	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024
Nonperforming Loans:
One-to-four family	$	762		$	537		$	745		$	822		$	835
Home equity loans		368			298			338			342			83
Commercial and multifamily		5,627			3,734			4,719			5,161			4,747
Construction and land		22			24			25			28			29
Manufactured homes		501			521			230			136			166
Floating homes		2,363			2,363			2,377			2,417			3,192
Commercial business		—			11			23			—			—
Other consumer		10			3			32			3			1
Total nonperforming loans		9,653			7,491			8,489			8,909			9,053
OREO and Other Repossessed Assets:
Commercial and multifamily		—			—			—			—			575
Manufactured homes		41			—			115			115			115
Total OREO and repossessed assets		41			—			115			115			690
Total NPAs	$	9,694		$	7,491		$	8,604		$	9,024		$	9,743

Percentage of Nonperforming Loans:
One-to-four family		7.9	%		7.3	%		8.7	%		9.1	%		8.5	%
Home equity loans		3.8			4.0			3.9			3.8			0.9
Commercial and multifamily		58.0			49.8			54.8			57.2			48.7
Construction and land		0.2			0.3			0.3			0.3			0.3
Manufactured homes		5.2			7.0			2.7			1.5			1.7
Floating homes		24.4			31.5			27.6			26.8			32.8
Commercial business		—			0.1			0.3			—			—
Other consumer		0.1			—			0.4			—			—
Total nonperforming loans		99.6			100.0			98.7			98.7			92.9
Percentage of OREO and Other Repossessed Assets:
Commercial and multifamily		—			—			—			—			5.9
Manufactured homes		0.4			—			1.3			1.3			1.2
Total OREO and repossessed assets		0.4			—			1.3			1.3			7.1
Total NPAs		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%

The following table summarizes the allowance for credit losses at the dates and for the periods indicated (dollars in thousands, unaudited):

	At or For the Quarter Ended:
	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024
Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans
Balance at beginning of period	$	8,499		$	8,585		$	8,493		$	8,598		$	8,760
(Release of) provision for credit losses during the period		(85	)		(73	)		106			(88	)		(106	)
Net charge-offs during the period		(21	)		(13	)		(14	)		(17	)		(56	)
Balance at end of period	$	8,393		$	8,499		$	8,585		$	8,493		$	8,598
Allowance for Credit Losses on Unfunded Loan Commitments
Balance at beginning of period	$	234		$	147		$	245		$	266		$	193
Provision for (release of) provision for credit losses during the period		(118	)		87			(98	)		(21	)		73
Balance at end of period		116			234			147			245			266
Allowance for Credit Losses	$	8,509		$	8,733		$	8,732		$	8,738		$	8,864
Allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans		0.95	%		0.94	%		0.95	%		0.96	%		0.96	%
Allowance for credit losses to total loans		0.96	%		0.97	%		0.97	%		0.98	%		0.99	%
Allowance for credit losses on loans to total nonperforming loans		86.95	%		113.46	%		101.13	%		95.33	%		94.97	%
Allowance for credit losses to total nonperforming loans		88.15	%		116.58	%		102.86	%		98.08	%		97.91	%

Total deposits increased $72.5 million, or 8.7%, to $910.3 million at March 31, 2025, from $837.8 million at December 31, 2024 and decreased $6.5 million, or 0.7%, from $916.9 million at March 31, 2024. The increase in total deposits compared to the prior quarter-end was primarily a result of the movement of reciprocal deposits off balance sheet for strategic objectives at year-end, followed by the return of those deposits to our balance sheet in the first quarter of 2025, and a decrease in one high cost money market deposit relationship as part of our strategic decision to decrease our overall cost of funds. Noninterest-bearing deposits decreased $5.8 million, or 4.4%, to $126.7 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $132.5 million at December 31, 2024 and decreased $2.0 million, or 1.5%, from $128.7 million at March 31, 2024. Noninterest-bearing deposits represented 13.9%, 15.8% and 14.0% of total deposits at March 31, 2025, December 31, 2024 and March 31, 2024, respectively.

FHLB advances totaled $25.0 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $25.0 million at both December 31, 2024, and March 31, 2024. FHLB advances are primarily used to support organic loan growth and to maintain liquidity ratios in line with our asset/liability objectives. FHLB advances outstanding at March 31, 2025 had maturities ranging from early 2026 through early 2028. Subordinated notes, net totaled $11.8 million at both March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, and $11.7 million at March 31, 2024.

Stockholders’ equity totaled $104.4 million at March 31, 2025, an increase of $765 thousand, or 0.7%, from $103.7 million at December 31, 2024, and an increase of $3.4 million, or 3.4%, from $101.0 million at March 31, 2024. The increase in stockholders’ equity from December 31, 2024 was primarily the result of $1.2 million of net income earned during the current quarter, $81 thousand in share-based compensation, and $21 thousand in common stock options exercised, partially offset by a $17 thousand increase in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax and the payment of $487 thousand in cash dividends to the Company’s stockholders.

Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc., a bank holding company, is the parent company of Sound Community Bank, which is headquartered in Seattle, Washington and has full-service branches in Seattle, Tacoma, Mountlake Terrace, Sequim, Port Angeles, Port Ludlow and University Place. Sound Community Bank is a Fannie Mae Approved Lender and Seller/Servicer with one loan production office located in the Madison Park neighborhood of Seattle. For more information, please visit www.soundcb.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

When used in this press release and in documents filed or furnished by Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in the Company’s other press releases or other public or stockholder communications, and in oral statements made with the approval of an authorized executive officer, the words or phrases “will likely result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimate,” “project,” “intends” or similar expressions are intended to identify “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, which are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events and may turn out to be wrong because of inaccurate assumptions we might make, because of the factors listed below or because of other factors that we cannot foresee that could cause our actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.

Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, include, but are not limited to: adverse impacts to economic conditions in the Company’s local market areas, other markets where the Company has lending relationships, or other aspects of the Company’s business operations or financial markets, including, without limitation, as a result of employment levels, labor shortages and the effects of inflation or deflation, a recession or slowed economic growth, as well as supply chain disruptions; changes in the interest rate environment, including increases and decreases in the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Federal Reserve) benchmark rate and the duration at which such interest rate levels are maintained, which could adversely affect our revenues and expenses, the values of our assets and obligations, and the availability and cost of capital and liquidity; the impact of inflation and the current and future monetary policies of the Federal Reserve in response thereto; the effects of any federal government shutdown; the impact of bank failures or adverse developments at other banks and related negative press about the banking industry in general on investor and depositor sentiment; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; fluctuations in interest rates; the risks of lending and investing activities, including changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses; the Company’s ability to access cost-effective funding; fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial real estate market conditions; demand for loans and deposits in the Company’s market area; secondary market conditions for loans;expectations regarding key growth initiatives and strategic priorities; environmental, social and governance goals and targets; results of examinations of the Company or the Bank by their regulators; increased competition; changes in management’s business strategies; legislative changes; changes in the regulatory and tax environments in which the Company operates; disruptions, security breaches, or other adverse events, failures or interruptions in, or attacks on, our information technology systems or on our third-party vendors; the potential for new or increased tariffs, trade restrictions, or geopolitical tensions that could affect economic activity or specific industry sectors; the effects of climate change, severe weather events, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics and other public health crises, acts of war or terrorism, civil unrest and other external events on our business; and other factors described in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC, which are available at www.soundcb.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The risks inherent in these factors could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, the Company and could negatively affect the Company’s operating and stock performance.

The Company does not undertake—and specifically disclaims any obligation—to revise any forward-looking statement to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement.

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	For the Quarter Ended
	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024
Interest income	$	13,706		$	14,736		$	14,838	$	14,039		$	13,760
Interest expense		5,635			6,516			6,965		6,591			6,300
Net interest income		8,071			8,220			7,873		7,448			7,460
(Release of) provision for credit losses		(203	)		14			8		(109	)		(33	)
Net interest income after (release of) provision for credit losses		8,274			8,206			7,865		7,557			7,493
Noninterest income:
Service charges and fee income		684			619			628		761			612
Earnings on bank-owned life insurance		195			127			186		134			177
Mortgage servicing income		269			277			280		279			282
Fair value adjustment on mortgage servicing rights		(99	)		77			101		(116	)		(65	)
Net gain on sale of loans		49			53			40		74			90
Other income		—			7			—		30			—
Total noninterest income		1,098			1,160			1,235		1,162			1,096
Noninterest expense:
Salaries and benefits		4,595			3,920			4,469		4,658			4,543
Operations		1,365			1,329			1,540		1,569			1,457
Regulatory assessments		221			189			189		220			189
Occupancy		437			409			414		397			444
Data processing		1,293			1,232			1,067		910			1,017
Net (gain) loss on OREO and repossessed assets		3			(21	)		—		(17	)		6
Total noninterest expense		7,914			7,058			7,679		7,737			7,656
Income before provision for income taxes		1,458			2,308			1,421		982			933
Provision for income taxes		291			389			267		187			163
Net income	$	1,167		$	1,919		$	1,154	$	795		$	770

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$	131,494		$	43,641		$	148,930		$	135,111		$	137,977
Available-for-sale securities, at fair value		7,689			7,790			8,032			7,996			8,115
Held-to-maturity securities, at amortized cost		2,121			2,130			2,139			2,147			2,157
Loans held-for-sale		2,267			487			65			257			351
Loans held-for-portfolio		886,226			900,171			901,733			889,274			897,877
Allowance for credit losses – loans		(8,393	)		(8,499	)		(8,585	)		(8,493	)		(8,598	)
Total loans held-for-portfolio, net		877,833			891,672			893,148			880,781			889,279
Accrued interest receivable		3,540			3,471			3,705			3,413			3,617
Bank-owned life insurance, net		22,685			22,490			22,363			22,172			22,037
Other real estate owned (“OREO”) and other repossessed assets, net		41			—			115			115			690
Mortgage servicing rights, at fair value		4,688			4,769			4,665			4,540			4,612
Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) stock, at cost		1,734			1,730			2,405			2,406			2,406
Premises and equipment, net		4,591			4,697			4,807			4,906			6,685
Right-of-use assets		3,546			3,725			3,779			4,020			4,259
Other assets		6,957			7,031			6,777			6,995			4,500
TOTAL ASSETS	$	1,069,186		$	993,633		$	1,100,930		$	1,074,859		$	1,086,685
LIABILITIES
Interest-bearing deposits	$	783,660		$	705,267		$	800,480		$	781,854		$	788,217
Noninterest-bearing deposits		126,687			132,532			129,717			124,915			128,666
Total deposits		910,347			837,799			930,197			906,769			916,883
Borrowings		25,000			25,000			40,000			40,000			40,000
Accrued interest payable		586			765			908			760			719
Lease liabilities		3,828			4,013			4,079			4,328			4,576
Other liabilities		10,774			9,371			9,711			9,105			9,578
Advance payments from borrowers for taxes and insurance		2,450			1,260			2,047			812			2,209
Subordinated notes, net		11,770			11,759			11,749			11,738			11,728
TOTAL LIABILITIES		964,755			889,967			998,691			973,512			985,693
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
Common stock		25			25			25			25			25
Additional paid-in capital		28,515			28,413			28,296			28,198			28,110
Retained earnings		76,952			76,272			74,840			74,173			73,907
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax		(1,061	)		(1,044	)		(922	)		(1,049	)		(1,050	)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY		104,431			103,666			102,239			101,347			100,992
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$	1,069,186		$	993,633		$	1,100,930		$	1,074,859		$	1,086,685

KEY FINANCIAL RATIOS
(unaudited)

	For the Quarter Ended
	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024
Annualized return on average assets	0.45	%	0.70	%	0.42	%	0.30	%	0.29	%
Annualized return on average equity	4.53	%	7.40	%	4.50	%	3.17	%	3.06	%
Annualized net interest margin⁽¹⁾	3.25	%	3.13	%	2.98	%	2.92	%	2.95	%
Annualized efficiency ratio⁽²⁾	86.31	%	75.25	%	84.31	%	89.86	%	89.48	%

(1)	Net interest income divided by average interest earning assets.
(2)	Noninterest expense divided by total revenue (net interest income and noninterest income).

PER COMMON SHARE DATA
(unaudited)

	At or For the Quarter Ended
	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024
Basic earnings per share	$	0.45	$	0.75	$	0.45	$	0.31	$	0.30
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.45	$	0.74	$	0.45	$	0.31	$	0.30
Weighted-average basic shares outstanding		2,554,265		2,547,210		2,544,233		2,540,538		2,539,213
Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding		2,578,609		2,578,771		2,569,368		2,559,015		2,556,958
Common shares outstanding at period-end		2,566,069		2,564,907		2,564,095		2,557,284		2,558,546
Book value per share	$	40.70	$	40.42	$	39.87	$	39.63	$	39.47

AVERAGE BALANCE, AVERAGE YIELD EARNED, AND AVERAGE RATE PAID
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

The following table presents, for the periods indicated, the total dollar amount of interest income from average interest-earning assets and the resultant yields, as well as the interest expense on average interest-bearing liabilities, expressed both in dollars and rates. Income and yields on tax-exempt obligations have not been computed on a tax equivalent basis. All average balances are daily average balances. Nonaccrual loans have been included in the table as loans carrying a zero yield for the period they have been on nonaccrual (dollars in thousands).

	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2025							December 31, 2024							March 31, 2024
	Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/Paid		Yield/Rate		Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/Paid		Yield/Rate		Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/Paid		Yield/Rate
Interest-Earning Assets:
Loans receivable	$	896,822		$	12,588	5.69	%	$	900,832		$	13,070	5.77	%	$	895,430		$	12,233	5.49	%
Interest-earning cash		95,999			1,010	4.27	%		130,412			1,534	4.68	%		107,361			1,416	5.30	%
Investments		12,924			108	3.39	%		13,263			132	3.96	%		14,038			111	3.18	%
Total interest-earning assets	$	1,005,745			13,706	5.53	%		1,044,507		$	14,736	5.61	%	$	1,016,829			13,760	5.44	%
Interest-Bearing Liabilities:
Savings and money market accounts	$	335,419			2,058	2.49	%	$	350,495			2,476	2.81	%	$	284,455			1,866	2.64	%
Demand and NOW accounts		140,905			108	0.31	%		144,470			128	0.35	%		159,762			141	0.35	%
Certificate accounts		289,960			3,039	4.25	%		301,293			3,413	4.51	%		315,495			3,696	4.71	%
Subordinated notes		11,766			168	5.79	%		11,756			168	5.69	%		11,724			168	5.76	%
Borrowings		25,000			262	4.25	%		30,546			331	4.31	%		40,000			429	4.31	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities	$	803,050			5,635	2.85	%	$	838,560			6,516	3.09	%	$	811,436			6,300	3.12	%
Net interest income/spread				$	8,071	2.68	%				$	8,220	2.52	%				$	7,460	2.32	%
Net interest margin						3.25	%						3.13	%						2.95	%

Ratio of interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities		125	%						125	%						125	%
Noninterest-bearing deposits	$	126,215						$	130,476						$	132,438
Total deposits		892,499		$	5,205	2.37	%		926,734		$	6,017	2.58	%		892,150		$	5,703	2.57	%
Total funding ⁽¹⁾		929,265			5,635	2.46	%		969,036			6,516	2.68	%		943,874			6,300	2.68	%

(1)	Total funding is the sum of average interest-bearing liabilities and average noninterest-bearing deposits. The cost of total funding is calculated as annualized total interest expense divided by average total funding.

LOANS
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024
Real estate loans:
One-to-four family	$	262,457		$	269,684		$	271,702		$	268,488		$	279,213
Home equity		28,112			26,686			25,199			26,185			24,380
Commercial and multifamily		392,798			371,516			358,587			342,632			324,483
Construction and land		42,492			73,077			85,724			96,962			111,726
Total real estate loans		725,859			740,963			741,212			734,267			739,802
Consumer Loans:
Manufactured homes		42,448			41,128			40,371			38,953			37,583
Floating homes		86,626			86,411			86,155			81,622			84,237
Other consumer		18,224			17,720			18,266			18,422			18,847
Total consumer loans		147,298			145,259			144,792			138,997			140,667
Commercial business loans		14,690			15,605			17,481			17,860			19,075
Total loans		887,847			901,827			903,485			891,124			899,544
Less:
Premiums		688			718			736			754			808
Deferred fees, net		(2,309	)		(2,374	)		(2,488	)		(2,604	)		(2,475	)
Allowance for credit losses – loans		(8,393	)		(8,499	)		(8,585	)		(8,493	)		(8,598	)
Total loans held-for-portfolio, net	$	877,833		$	891,672		$	893,148		$	880,781		$	889,279

DEPOSITS
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024
Noninterest-bearing demand	$	126,687	$	132,532	$	129,717	$	124,915	$	128,666
Interest-bearing demand		143,595		142,126		148,740		152,829		159,178
Savings		63,533		61,252		61,455		63,368		65,723
Money market		287,058		206,067		285,655		253,873		241,976
Certificates		289,474		295,822		304,630		311,784		321,340
Total deposits	$	910,347	$	837,799	$	930,197	$	906,769	$	916,883

CREDIT QUALITY DATA
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	At or For the Quarter Ended
	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024
Total nonperforming loans	$	9,653		$	7,491		$	8,489		$	8,909		$	9,053
OREO and other repossessed assets		41			—			115			115			690
Total nonperforming assets	$	9,694		$	7,491		$	8,604		$	9,024		$	9,743
Net charge-offs during the quarter	$	(21	)	$	(13	)	$	(14	)	$	(17	)	$	(56	)
Provision for (release of) credit losses during the quarter		(203	)		14			8			(109	)		(33	)
Allowance for credit losses – loans		8,393			8,499			8,585			8,493			8,598
Allowance for credit losses – loans to total loans		0.95	%		0.94	%		0.95	%		0.96	%		0.96	%
Allowance for credit losses – loans to total nonperforming loans		86.95	%		113.46	%		101.13	%		95.33	%		94.97	%
Nonperforming loans to total loans		1.09	%		0.83	%		0.94	%		1.00	%		1.01	%
Nonperforming assets to total assets		0.91	%		0.75	%		0.78	%		0.84	%		0.90	%

OTHER STATISTICS
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	At or For the Quarter Ended
	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024

Total loans to total deposits		97.53	%		107.64	%		97.13	%		98.27	%		98.11	%
Noninterest-bearing deposits to total deposits		13.92	%		15.82	%		13.95	%		13.78	%		14.03	%

Average total assets for the quarter	$	1,051,135		$	1,089,067		$	1,095,404		$	1,070,579		$	1,062,036
Average total equity for the quarter	$	104,543		$	103,181		$	102,059		$	100,961		$	101,292

Contact

Financial:
Wes Ochs
Executive Vice President/CFO
(206) 436-8587

Media:
Laurie Stewart
President/CEO
(206) 436-1495

The MIL Network –

April 30, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Kamlager-Dove, Adams Convene Roundtable to Address Black Higher Education and Strengthening HBCUs

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager California (37th District)

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, Congressional Black Caucus Whip Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caucus Chair Alma Adams (NC-12) held a roundtable discussion with Reps. Sewell (AL-07),Hayes (CT-05), Sykes (OH-13), Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Brown (OH-11), and Figures (AL-02), HBCU leadership, students, and advocacy organizations to highlight the impacts of Trump Administration policies on the HBCUs that have played a vital role in empowering Black students across the country. Photos are available here.

The roundtable included presidents from Howard University, Bowie State University, Morgan State University, and Virginia Union University and representatives from Texas Southern University, the United Negro College Fund, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the 1890 Foundation to discuss student life concerns, academic access and funding, infrastructure and facilities, and the role of the federal government.

“Our HBCUs continue to face systemic challenges that impact student success, campus quality-of-life, and institutional growth. Shamefully, the Trump Administration’s attacks on DEI initiatives and higher education funding have only made these challenges worse,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “Now is the time for policymakers, education leaders, and students to engage in direct dialogue about solutions to protect and uplift Black students.”

“HBCUs have always punched above their weight, producing the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who move this country forward,” said Congresswoman Adams. “Despite their success though, they face historic underfunding that force them to do more with less. It’s time we meaningfully invest in HBCUs so they can continue serving their students for generations to come.”

MIL OSI USA News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Mfume Joins Elfreth, Maryland House Colleagues to Press for Answers on Behalf of International Students Attending Maryland Universities
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03) led a letter with Representatives Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), and Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on behalf of Maryland university international students who have been arrested or had their student visas revoked by the Trump Administration. To date, over 1,700 visas have been revoked and 4,736 students have had their status terminated across the country by this Administration.

“We write with profound concern that the Department of State revoked the status of student visas in the United States and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a number of students without any transparency or explanation of why they are being targeted,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Students have been picked up in the street – in some cases by plain clothed immigration agents in unmarked cars – and being held in detention facilities with no warning and limited information as to why they are being deported. These students should be entitled to the fundamental rights of due process and freedom of speech – just as our Framers intended,” the lawmakers continued. “The Administration’s egregious policies have already had serious impacts at Maryland universities, including Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland College Park, and University of Maryland, Baltimore County. These students are from different countries, in different programs, and have been in the U.S. for different lengths of time, yet are suffering the consequences of the indiscriminate policies of this Administration without explanation.”

In their letter, the lawmakers press for information on the following:
- The number of student visas revoked from Maryland Universities
- If the Department of State plans to reissue these visas
- How many Maryland students have had their legal status terminated in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) by ICE, including: the specific legal status terminated and the legal authority for termination
- A timeline for SEVIS record termination framework
- The criteria the Department of State and ICE use to identify students for visa revocation and termination of legal status in SEVIS
Beyond the international students’ fundamental rights of due process and freedom of speech, international students enrolled in English language programs at U.S. colleges and universities contributed $371.3 million and supported 2,691 jobs to the U.S. economy during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Congresswoman Elfreth, a former Maryland college professor, issued an original statement on the rights of international students at the beginning of April, which is available HERE.

The full text of the letter is available HERE.

###

MIL OSI USA News –
April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal, Sanders, Dingell, Hundreds of Health Care Workers Introduce Medicare for All

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), and U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today introduced the Medicare for All Act with hundreds of nurses, health care providers and workers from around the country at a press conference in front of the Capitol.

In America today, despite spending twice as much per person on health care as other wealthy nations, more than 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, one out of every four Americans cannot afford their prescription drugs, over half a million people go bankrupt due to medically-related debt, and more than 60,000 die because they cannot afford to go to a doctor.

“It is a travesty when 85 million people are uninsured or underinsured and millions more are drowning in medical debt in the richest nation on Earth,” said Jayapal. “We don’t suffer from scarcity in America, we suffer from greed. That’s most clear in our broken health care system, which is why we need Medicare for All. People deserve and want comprehensive health care that covers mental health, long-term care, reproductive care, dental, vision and hearing, all without copays, private insurance premiums, sky-high deductibles or other hidden fees. Health care is a human right, that is exactly why it’s time to pass Medicare for All.”

“The American people understand, as I do, that health care is a human right, not a privilege and that we must end the international embarrassment of the United States being the only major country on earth that does not guarantee health care to all of its citizens,” said Sanders. “It is not acceptable to me, nor to the American people, that over 85 million people today are either uninsured or underinsured. Today, there are millions of people who would like to go to a doctor but cannot afford to do so. This is an outrage. In America, your health and your longevity should not be dependent on your wealth. Health care is a human right that all Americans, regardless of income, are entitled to and they deserve the best health care that our country can provide.”

“Every American has the right to health care, period. If you’re sick, you should be able to go to the doctor without being worried about the cost of treatment or prescription medicine. Too many families must decide between putting food on the table and getting medical care that they desperately need,” said Dingell. “A health care system that ties coverage to employment will always leave patients vulnerable. It’s flat-out wrong and Medicare for All would put a stop to it. We’ve been fighting this fight since the 1940s, when my father-in-law helped author the first universal health care bill. It’s time to get this done.”

Under this legislation, Medicare would provide comprehensive health care to every American with no premiums, no co-payments and no deductibles. It would also expand Medicare to include dental, hearing, and vision care, and it would give every American the freedom to choose their doctors without endless paperwork or fighting their insurance company. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that Medicare for All would save our health care system $650 billion a year. Further, researchers at Yale University have estimated that Medicare for All would save 68,000 lives a year.

This legislation would also create a health care system that finally puts people over profits. In fact, since 2001, the top health care companies in America spent 95 percent of their profits, $2.6 trillion, not to make Americans healthy but to make their CEOs and stockholders obscenely rich. While nearly one out of four Americans cannot afford the life-saving medicine their doctors prescribe, ten top pharma companies made $102 billion in profits in 2024. Meanwhile, the CEOs of just 4 prescription drug companies – Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, and Merck – together made over $100 million last year.

“Nurses see the failure of our country’s profit-driven health care system every time we clock in to work,” said Nancy Hagans, President of National Nurses United. “In the richest country on earth, nobody should be forced to choose between taking their medications and putting food on the table. Yet countless families are pushed to the breaking point while greedy corporations charge astronomical, ludicrous fees for care that our patients have every right to receive. Nurses are fighting for a future in which our patients’ health is put first always and that’s why we are proud to continue our support for Medicare for All. When we guarantee health care for all, corporations and billionaires will no longer be able to deny anyone the care that they need.”

“We are long overdue for a universal health care system that guarantees care for all — free of copays, deductibles, and job-based coverage restrictions,” said Dr. Diljeet K. Singh, M.D., Dr.P.H., and President of Physicians for a National Health Program. “With the passage of the Medicare for All Act, physicians can focus on healing patients, not battling insurers over denials and delays. Patients will finally be able to seek care without the constant fear of crushing medical bills. Physicians for a National Health Program proudly stands with our legislators in the fight to make excellent health care a reality for everyone in America.”

“As Donald Trump, Robert Kennedy and Congressional Republicans rush to strip health care from millions of Americans, we know this: We must not only block their cruel cuts but move America to a system that provides health care to everyone as a matter of right,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen. “America spends much more than other wealthy countries on health care only to have the worst health outcomes. The system works for health insurers, Big Pharma, hospital chains and private equity firms – but no one else. Medicare for All would ensure everyone in America can get the care they need throughout their lives. It is the realistic, humane, just and efficient reform we need.”

“Postal workers know the value of affordable, universal services, grounded in a commitment to putting people over profits. That’s the type of service we are committed to provide communities across the country, day in and day out,” said Mark Dimondstein, President of American Postal Workers Union. “For too long, greedy corporations and their Wall Street investors have been able to deny the people of the country the quality, affordable, universal health care working people deserve. Medicare for All, health care as a human right, will make us all healthier and financially better off. A health care system that works for working people, not the profits of the insurance companies, is long overdue. It’s time for Medicare for All.”

“Health care should be a human right. But every time we negotiate with a boss for the right to see a doctor, they nickel and dime us until people have to choose between their health and putting food on the table,” said Shawn Fain, President of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). “We’re sick of having to go on strike just to have decent health care. We’re sick of corporate America asking us to give up raises, retirement security, or work-life balance at the bargaining table so working-class people can avoid medical bankruptcy. Our current health care system is a con job that only works for the billionaire class. Medicare for All is common sense, and it’s what the working class needs. The UAW is proud to support this bill.”

“If you want to renew the public’s faith in our political system, pass the Medicare for All Act of 2025,” said Alan Minsky, Executive Director, Progressive Democrats of America. “This one piece of legislation will instantly end the era, which has lasted far too long, when profits and wealth accumulation are more important than human life, including yours. MFA will return the general welfare, and the well-being of every individual, to the heart of our social contract. That will renew faith in America.”

“Health care is a right, not a privilege. The reintroduction of the Medicare for All Act is a crucial step toward ending a system that profits from people’s pain,” said Analilia Mejia and DaMareo Cooper, Co-Executive Directors of Popular Democracy. “Too many Americans are forced to choose between paying their rent and paying for life-saving medication, while corporations rake in billions. Medicare for All isn’t just a policy—it’s the lifeline working families desperately need. Our communities deserve a health care system that prioritizes people over profits. We will fight until we win the health care we deserve.”

“Health care is a human right and a basic need. Yet instead of getting health care, Americans get delays, denials, and bills they cannot afford. Today, predatory insurance CEOs are poised to reap the windfall from the tax scam giveaways earmarked for billionaires and corporations. The oligarchs that put Donald Trump and Dr. Oz in power want everything we have. We get sicker, make impossible choices, and go broke. They boost the stock prices of corporations – like UnitedHealth – that profit off our pain, and buy more mansions and yachts. We can put an end to those warped priorities through Medicare for All,” said Sulma Arias, executive director of People’s Action Institute. “Working people have made this the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, and there is more than enough if we don’t let the corporate crooks and billionaires steal it. So it’s time to choose: Our health care or their greed?”

The legislation has an additional 102 cosponsors in the House: Alma Adams (NC-12), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-7), Troy Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Al Green (TX-09), Josh Harder (CA-09), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), William Keating (MA-09), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Tim Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

The legislation also has an additional 15 cosponsors in the Senate: Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

It is also endorsed by dozens of organizations, which can be found here.

Issues: Health Care

MIL OSI USA News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Dmitry Chernyshenko met with volunteers from the Zaporizhia region

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmytro Chernyshenko, as part of a working visit to the city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhia region, held a meeting with representatives of the 80th Anniversary of Victory volunteer corps and activists of the “Volunteers of Victory” movement at the Youth Center. The event was also attended by the Governor of the Zaporizhia region Yevhen Balitsky.

The meeting took place in the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland and on the eve of the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The Deputy Prime Minister discussed with the volunteers their participation in the preparation for the celebration, assistance to veterans, and the projects that the guys plan to implement.

Dmitry Chernyshenko emphasized the importance of the volunteer movement in the country and noted the contribution of volunteers to preserving historical memory and supporting veterans.

He spoke about his personal involvement in the creation of the volunteer movement in Russia and its role in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

“Now volunteers have even more responsibility on their shoulders. You are helping our country cope with the difficulties its residents are facing. I would like to thank you for giving the most precious thing you have, an irreplaceable resource – time. I am sure that by giving, you also get satisfaction from what you do, you feel a sense of involvement in a great cause. And the only way to repay volunteers in a good way is recognition,” he added.

At the Youth Center, the Deputy Prime Minister got acquainted with the eco-workshop, the creative project “Art-Yug”, the work of the regional headquarters “We are together”, the media studio and the center for preparation for the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory. Since the opening of the Youth Center, about 12 thousand people have taken part in its events.

Dmitry Chernyshenko also visited a number of sports and educational facilities in Melitopol, where significant transformations took place with the support of the Government.

One of them, the Spartak stadium, is being built practically from scratch. The first stage of work has been completed, and the second stage will begin soon – the arrangement of stands, installation of lighting poles, installation of video surveillance and utility networks. It is expected that the Spartak stadium will become one of the largest football grounds in Donbass and Novorossiya.

The Deputy Prime Minister spoke with the young football players and presented his team with a certificate for the development of the material and technical base.

“This year, declared the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland, we are approaching a significant date – May 9. Every family keeps the memory of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers who fought for their native land. Today, our brothers continue this fight in the special military operation zone. We remember and honor their feat. As a sign of support and respect, we have brought you a gift that we hope will help you in your training. We wish you to grow up to be strong athletes, achieve success in the Russian Football Premier League and take worthy places,” he said.

In addition, Dmitry Chernyshenko met with the students of the Children’s and Youth Sports School No. 1 and presented the team with a certificate for the purchase of sports equipment and gear.

The school was launched in September last year by President Vladimir Putin.

“In less than a year, a major overhaul of the building and premises was carried out here: the gyms, locker rooms, showers, utility rooms were completely renovated, the ventilation was replaced, a new fire-fighting system and new sports equipment were installed. The territory was also improved. More than 6 thousand children are involved in the system of children’s and youth sports schools of the region, and this number is constantly growing. Only at the Melitopol Youth Sports School No. 1, about a thousand children are involved in sports,” said the governor of the Zaporizhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky.

At Melitopol State University (MelSU), Dmitry Chernyshenko assessed the progress of major repairs. The comprehensive program for modernizing MelSU infrastructure includes academic buildings, student dormitory buildings, gyms, canteens, a library, boiler houses and other facilities. By September 1, 2025, it is planned to complete major repairs of four academic buildings.

“More than 13 thousand students receive higher education at Melitopol State University, last year more than 5.5 thousand students from 73 regions of Russia entered MelSU, which once again demonstrates the demand and development of education in the Zaporizhzhya region, which is fully integrated into the educational field of the Russian Federation,” added Evgeniy Balitsky.

Dmitry Chernyshenko presented Melitopol University with a certificate for the purchase of printing equipment. The Deputy Prime Minister laid flowers at the monuments to Hero of the Soviet Union Nikolai Malyuga and twice Hero of Socialist Labor Dmitry Motorny.

In Melitopol, Dmitry Chernyshenko also got acquainted with the multimedia historical park “Russia – My History”. He paid special attention to the exhibition dedicated to the celebration of Victory Day.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders, Jayapal, Dingell, Hundreds of Health Care Workers Introduce Medicare for All

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
WASHINGTON, April 29 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), alongside Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), today introduced the Medicare for All Act. Hundreds of nurses, health care providers and workers from around the nation joined the lawmakers for a press conference in front of the Capitol.
In America today, despite spending twice as much per person on health care as other wealthy nations, more than 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, one out of every four Americans cannot afford their prescription drugs, over half a million people go bankrupt due to medically-related debt, and more than 60,000 die because they cannot afford to go to a doctor.
“The American people understand, as I do, that health care is a human right, not a privilege and that we must end the international embarrassment of the United States being the only major country on earth that does not guarantee health care to all of its citizens,” said Sanders. “It is not acceptable to me, nor to the American people, that over 85 million people today are either uninsured or underinsured. Today, there are millions of people who would like to go to a doctor but cannot afford to do so. This is an outrage. In America, your health and your longevity should not be dependent on your wealth. Health care is a human right that all Americans, regardless of income, are entitled to and they deserve the best health care that our country can provide.”
“It is a travesty when 85 million people are uninsured or underinsured and millions more are drowning in medical debt in the richest nation on Earth,” said Jayapal. “We don’t suffer from scarcity in America, we suffer from greed. That’s most clear in our broken health care system, which is why we need Medicare for All. People deserve and want comprehensive health care that covers mental health, long-term care, reproductive care, dental, vision and hearing, all without copays, private insurance premiums, sky-high deductibles or other hidden fees. Health care is a human right, that is exactly why it’s time to pass Medicare for All.”
“Every American has the right to health care, period. If you’re sick, you should be able to go to the doctor without being worried about the cost of treatment or prescription medicine. Too many families must decide between putting food on the table and getting medical care that they desperately need,” said Dingell. “A health care system that ties coverage to employment will always leave patients vulnerable. It’s flat-out wrong and Medicare for All would put a stop to it. We’ve been fighting this fight since the 1940s, when my father-in-law helped author the first universal health care bill. It’s time to get this done.”
Under this legislation, Medicare would provide comprehensive health care to every American with no premiums, no co-payments and no deductibles. It would also expand Medicare to include dental, hearing, and vision care, and it would give every American the freedom to choose their doctors without endless paperwork or fighting their insurance company. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that Medicare for All would save our health care system $650 billion a year. Further, researchers at Yale University have estimated that Medicare for All would save 68,000 lives a year.
This legislation would also create a health care system that finally puts people over profits. In fact, since 2001, the top health care companies in America spent 95 percent of their profits, $2.6 trillion, not to make Americans healthy but to make their CEOs and stockholders obscenely rich. While nearly one out of four Americans cannot afford the life-saving medicine their doctors prescribe, ten top pharma companies made $102 billion in profits in 2024. Meanwhile, the CEOs of just 4 prescription drug companies – Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, and Merck – together made over $100 million last year.
The legislation has 104 cosponsors in the House and has 16 cosponsors in the Senate – an increase in the number of Senate cosponsors from last Congress – including Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
“Nurses see the failure of our country’s profit-driven health care system every time we clock in to work,” said Nancy Hagans, President of National Nurses United. “In the richest country on earth, nobody should be forced to choose between taking their medications and putting food on the table. Yet countless families are pushed to the breaking point while greedy corporations charge astronomical, ludicrous fees for care that our patients have every right to receive. Nurses are fighting for a future in which our patients’ health is put first always and that’s why we are proud to continue our support for Medicare for All. When we guarantee health care for all, corporations and billionaires will no longer be able to deny anyone the care that they need.”
“We are long overdue for a universal health care system that guarantees care for all — free of copays, deductibles, and job-based coverage restrictions,” said Dr. Diljeet K. Singh, M.D., Dr.P.H., and President of Physicians for a National Health Program. “With the passage of the Medicare for All Act, physicians can focus on healing patients, not battling insurers over denials and delays. Patients will finally be able to seek care without the constant fear of crushing medical bills. Physicians for a National Health Program proudly stands with our legislators in the fight to make excellent health care a reality for everyone in America.”
“As Donald Trump, Robert Kennedy and Congressional Republicans rush to strip health care from millions of Americans, we know this: We must not only block their cruel cuts but move America to a system that provides health care to everyone as a matter of right,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen. “America spends much more than other wealthy countries on health care only to have the worst health outcomes. The system works for health insurers, Big Pharma, hospital chains and private equity firms – but no one else. Medicare for All would ensure everyone in America can get the care they need throughout their lives. It is the realistic, humane, just and efficient reform we need.”
“Postal workers know the value of affordable, universal services, grounded in a commitment to putting people over profits. That’s the type of service we are committed to provide communities across the country, day in and day out,” said Mark Dimondstein, President of American Postal Workers Union. “For too long, greedy corporations and their Wall Street investors have been able to deny the people of the country the quality, affordable, universal health care working people deserve. Medicare for All, health care as a human right, will make us all healthier and financially better off. A health care system that works for working people, not the profits of the insurance companies, is long overdue. It’s time for Medicare for All.”
“Health care should be a human right. But every time we negotiate with a boss for the right to see a doctor, they nickel and dime us until people have to choose between their health and putting food on the table,” said Shawn Fain, President of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). “We’re sick of having to go on strike just to have decent health care. We’re sick of corporate America asking us to give up raises, retirement security, or work-life balance at the bargaining table so working-class people can avoid medical bankruptcy. Our current health care system is a con job that only works for the billionaire class. Medicare for All is common sense, and it’s what the working class needs. The UAW is proud to support this bill.”
“If you want to renew the public’s faith in our political system, pass the Medicare for All Act of 2025,” said Alan Minsky, Executive Director, Progressive Democrats of America. “This one piece of legislation will instantly end the era, which has lasted far too long, when profits and wealth accumulation are more important than human life, including yours. MFA will return the general welfare, and the well-being of every individual, to the heart of our social contract. That will renew faith in America.”
“Health care is a right, not a privilege. The reintroduction of the Medicare for All Act is a crucial step toward ending a system that profits from people’s pain,” said Analilia Mejia and DaMareo Cooper, Co-Executive Directors of Popular Democracy. “Too many Americans are forced to choose between paying their rent and paying for life-saving medication, while corporations rake in billions. Medicare for All isn’t just a policy—it’s the lifeline working families desperately need. Our communities deserve a health care system that prioritizes people over profits. We will fight until we win the health care we deserve.”
“Health care is a human right and a basic need. Yet instead of getting health care, Americans get delays, denials, and bills they cannot afford. Today, predatory insurance CEOs are poised to reap the windfall from the tax scam giveaways earmarked for billionaires and corporations. The oligarchs that put Donald Trump and Dr. Oz in power want everything we have. We get sicker, make impossible choices, and go broke. They boost the stock prices of corporations – like UnitedHealth – that profit off our pain, and buy more mansions and yachts. We can put an end to those warped priorities through Medicare for All,” said Sulma Arias, executive director of People’s Action Institute. “Working people have made this the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, and there is more than enough if we don’t let the corporate crooks and billionaires steal it. So it’s time to choose: Our health care or their greed?”
Read the bill text here.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The impact of strategic voting in Canada

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Terri Givens, Professor, Political Science, University of British Columbia

Initially expected to result in a decisive Conservative victory, the Canadian federal election took a dramatic turn as Mark Carney led the Liberals to victory. It also offered an important lesson in the power of strategic voting — driven not just by domestic politics but by external pressures from the United States and a re-energized Liberal campaign.

In December 2024, the Conservative Party was leading the Liberal Party by more than 20 points in the polls. But Justin Trudeau’s resignation, combined with U.S. President Donald Trump’s antagonistic stance towards Canada, triggered a sharp shift in public opinion.

When Carney stepped in as prime minister and party leader, the stage was set for a Liberal comeback. But what had been seen as a referendum on the 10-year rule of the Liberal Party ended up being focused on the existential threat posed by Trump’s tariffs and his calls to turn Canada into the 51st state.

During the campaign, many voters discussed their intention to switch from the Conservatives to the Liberals.

The pushback against the Conservatives, and in particular their leader, Pierre Poilievre, led to him losing in his own riding, although the Conservatives gained more seats overall.

The Liberals benefited from strategic voting, but it was the NDP that appeared to lose the most from this strategy.

The NDP went from winning 25 seats in the previous election to only seven, while their leader Jagmeet Singh also lost in his riding, leading to his resignation as party leader.

Strategic voting on display

My first book, Voting Radical Right in Western Europe (2009), focused on the impact of strategic voting. At the time, I observed that political parties would often try to induce voters to vote strategically for a party or candidate that might not otherwise be their first choice.

This type of strategic voting was clearly on display in the second round of the French presidential election in 2002, when Jean-Marie Le Pen of the far right National Front faced Jacques Chirac in the second round.

Some left-leaning voters went to the polls with clothespins on their noses or latex gloves on to vote for Chirac and keep Le Pen out of the presidency.

This strategy worked again in the July 2024 legislative elections in France, where the left and mainstream right-leaning parties came together to make sure that they didn’t split the vote in districts where it could lead to a win by the far-right Rassemblement National (National Rally). In both cases, voters chose more moderate candidates, reducing the influence of the far right.

Electoral systems are often designed to encourage voters to choose a more moderate candidate. This approach includes putting electoral hurdles in place. For example, parties in Germany have to win at least five per cent of the vote or win three district seats to enter the legislature.

This approach had been successful since the Second World War in keeping far right parties out of the legislature — that is until the recent success of the Alternative for Germany party.

The ability of that party to gain votes in the former East Germany has been the main reason for its success.

Winners and losers in Canada

Canada presents an interesting case for strategic voting. In the lead-up to the federal election, many voters were posting suggestions for strategic voting in districts where the vote was being split between parties, particularly on the left.

For example, there was a close race in a riding in British Columbia between the Green and Conservative candidates. I noticed social media posts in which voters were encouraged to shift their vote from the NDP or Liberal candidates to give the Green candidate a better chance of winning the riding.

As of April 25, Conservatives were expected to win the riding, but on election night, Elizabeth May from the Green Party won with 39 per cent of the vote, with the Conservative candidate falling to third place behind the Liberals.

Given the fact that the Canadian electoral system is winner-take-all in each riding, it’s important that voters understand the broader impact of their vote on the national outcome.

It’s likely that many voters switched their votes from their smaller, preferred party — particularly the NPD — to one of the main parties, depending on the kind of poll projections they might have been seeing in their ridings.

This situation exemplifies the importance of parties providing clear information on potential outcomes to encourage voters to use their vote strategically to get a desired outcome at the national level.

Terri Givens 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. The impact of strategic voting in Canada – https://theconversation.com/the-impact-of-strategic-voting-in-canada-255489

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Dmytro Chernyshenko thanked teachers and mentors of schools in the Kherson region for preserving historical memory

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmytro Chernyshenko made a working visit to the Kherson region.

The Vice Prime Minister assessed the progress of construction and restoration of institutions in the spheres of education, youth policy, sports, religion, and also talked to their representatives. The events were attended by the Governor of the Kherson region Volodymyr Saldo.

The event “The glory of these days will not fade!” was held at Genicheskaya School No. 1. In the presence of Dmitry Chernyshenko, students recited poems about the Great Patriotic War and performed songs about Russia.

In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister assessed the work of the school museum “History of One Family”. It features the exhibition “Suitcase of Memory” dedicated to the Great Patriotic War and the SVO.

“On the eve of one of the most important holidays – Victory Day – I express my deep gratitude to the teachers and mentors who so carefully preserve the history of their native land. Let’s make sure that your experience with the “Memory Suitcase” is spread. At the very least, we will start with your sister schools, and then we will conduct such a relay race throughout the country. Everything that you have come up with here will now be repeated by your friends, colleagues from other cities of our vast country,” Dmitry Chernyshenko emphasized.

Currently, the school has 14 sister schools throughout Russia, including in Krasnodar Krai, Volgograd, Adygea, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Khabarovsk.

The Deputy Prime Minister thanked the Republic of Adygea and its head Murat Kumpilov for the renovation of the physical education and health complex and the music room, and also noted the need for major repairs at the school.

In conclusion, he presented the school with a certificate for improving its material and technical base and history textbooks. “Promise that you will definitely study and try. After all, the most important thing you can do for our country now is to study well. And we, on our part, on the instructions of President Vladimir Putin, will continue to create conditions so that you can realize your potential and talents. And you have a lot of talents – we are convinced of this!” the Deputy Prime Minister addressed the students.

Also in Genichesk, Dmitry Chernyshenko assessed the progress of the comprehensive reconstruction of the Kherson Technical University and talked to students. The Deputy Prime Minister was provided with detailed information about the work of the Russian Children and Youth Movement “Movement of the First”, the physics and chemistry laboratory, the design department, as well as a presentation of the computer sports development center and the UAV research laboratory. In conclusion, the Deputy Prime Minister handed over a certificate to the university for the purchase of a vehicle.

“In the Kherson region, I see a huge focus on raising the level of socio-economic development. The most important thing is that on the eve of such an important holiday for our country – Victory Day – we decided to focus on children and youth and on the opportunities that are provided in accordance with the national goal outlined by President Vladimir Putin, to realize the potential and develop the talents of each person,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

He emphasized the professional involvement of teachers and also noted the importance of the role of modern defenders of the Fatherland: “We are very grateful to our heroes today, the participants of the SVO, who protect us and strive to ensure that peaceful life comes as soon as possible and we continue our positive development.”

In addition, Dmitry Chernyshenko and Vladimir Saldo visited the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where they discussed work issues with Metropolitan Filaret of Novaya Kakhovka and Genichesk and Archpriest Alexander Demkin.

“This is one of the most significant Orthodox churches in the Kherson region. A place where history, faith and national unity have always been close. The church is more than a century old – it has had to endure a lot at different times. Today it is open to people again, lives and receives parishioners. For the Kherson region, preserving churches is not just caring for buildings. It is preserving our history, our roots, which give us the strength to move forward,” said Volodymyr Saldo.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI: Silvaco Expands Product Offerings in Photonics and Wafer-Scale Plasma Modeling for AI Applications with Acquisition of Tech-X Corporation
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silvaco Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SVCO) (“Silvaco” or the “Company”), a provider of TCAD, EDA software and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation, today announced the strategic acquisition of Tech-X Corporation, a leading provider of multi-physics simulation software used in applications such as Photonics, Electromagnetics and Plasma Dynamics.

Tech-X cutting-edge tools enable:
- Multi-physics simulation of electromagnetic, and electrostatics in complex dielectric and metallic environments;
- Combination of computational speed leveraging GPUs, and high-fidelity results for Photonics applications;
- Plasma Dynamics simulation trusted by engineers and researchers in aerospace and semiconductor manufacturing; and
- Monte Carlo simulation solution used for radiation analysis in aerospace applications.
By combining Tech-X’s unique multi-physics simulation tools with Silvaco’s Victory TCAD platform, customers will be able to create more accurate digital twin models for photonics, semiconductor devices and wafer-scale plasma etching —accelerating innovation across the industry. Tech-X brings deep expertise to Silvaco in developing state-of-the-art algorithms that harness high-performance, multi-node GPU-based computing to significantly improve simulation speed and accuracy.

“Bringing Tech-X’s expertise and multi-physics simulation technology into Silvaco represents a significant step forward in our growth strategy for expansion into AI applications with technologies, talent and new customers,” said Babak Taheri, CEO of Silvaco. “By leveraging our TCAD foundation, we are expanding further into fast multi-physics transistor-level simulation from device to wafer-scale geometries, for photonic components, processes, materials, and plasma modeling. We’re also thrilled to welcome Professor John Cary to the team. His 40+ years of experience in computational physics will play a key role in accelerating our innovation and expanding our presence in the rapidly growing photonics market.”

“We are excited to join forces with Silvaco and take advantage of the many synergistic capabilities between our organizations,” said John Cary, CTO of Tech-X and Professor of Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. “By leveraging Silvaco’s global reach and strong technical team, we see tremendous opportunities to expand the application of Tech-X’s advanced photonics and plasma modeling technologies across the semiconductor and photonics industries.”

Needham & Company acted as financial advisor to Silvaco in the transaction.

About Silvaco
Silvaco is a provider of TCAD, EDA software, and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation. Silvaco’s solutions are used for semiconductor and photonics processes, devices, and systems development across display, power devices, automotive, memory, high performance compute, foundries, photonics, internet of things, and 5G/6G mobile markets for complex SoC design. Silvaco is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has a global presence with offices located in North America, Europe, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. Learn more at silvaco.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding Silvaco’s acquisition of Tech-X Corporation, technologies and product offerings, business strategy, plans and opportunities, industry and market trends including TAM estimates and the expected benefits and impact of the transaction and combined business on Silvaco’s growth. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “believe,” “hope,” “target,” “project,” “goals,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “may,” “will,” “might,” “could,” “intend,” “shall” and variations of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside Silvaco’s control. For example, the markets for Silvaco’s products and services may develop more slowly than expected or than they have in the past; operating results and cash flows may fluctuate more than expected; Silvaco may fail to successfully integrate Tech-X Corporation; Silvaco may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition; Silvaco may incur unanticipated costs or other liabilities in connection with acquiring or integrating Tech-X Corporation; the potential impact of the announcement or consummation of the transaction on relationships with third parties, including employees, customers, partners and competitors; Silvaco may be unable to motivate and retain key personnel; changes in or failure to comply with legislation or government regulations could affect post-closing operations and results of operations; and macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions could deteriorate. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent Silvaco’s views as of the date of this press release, and Silvaco disclaims any obligation to update any of them publicly in light of new information or future events.

Contacts
Media Relations:
Tiffany Behany, press@silvaco.com

Investor Relations:
Greg McNiff, investors@silvaco.com

The MIL Network –
April 30, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago today, yet films about the conflict still struggle to capture its complexities

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlette Nhi Do, Sessional Academic, The University of Melbourne

Scene from Apocalypse Now (1979) Prime Video

The Vietnam War (1955–1975) was more than just a chapter in the Cold War.

For some, it was supposed to achieve Vietnam’s right to self-determination. For others, it was an attempt to found a nation-state independent of both capitalist and communist influences.

In the 50 years since the war ended, the stories we’ve heard about it have struggled to convey these many different views. Cinema – in Hollywood and in Vietnam – offers some insight into this struggle, which we continue to face today.

A war by any other name

The war is known by many names, and each one highlights the different objectives of the forces involved.

For the United States, “The Vietnam War” was one battleground against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. To prevent communism from spreading, the US sent resources to establish the Republic of Vietnam (known informally as South Vietnam) as its proxy. It had already used this strategy with West Germany and South Korea.

The Communist Party of Vietnam thought of US involvement as a form of colonialism.

By calling the conflict “the sacred resistance against the US to salvage the country” (Cuộc Kháng Chiến Chống Mỹ, Cứu Nước), or “the American war” (Chiến Tranh Mỹ) for short, the communist party encouraged the perception of the war as a stepping stone towards Vietnam’s full independence following Chinese imperialism (circa 111 BCE–939 CE), French colonialism (1862–1954) and Japanese occupation (1940-45).

The communist objective was to “liberate” South Vietnam from the US and its puppet administration, and reunify the country. This is why, in Vietnam, April 30 is called “Reunification Day” or “Independence Day”, to commemorate the communists’ victory in capturing Saigon.

However, former citizens of South Vietnam call April 30 the “Day of National Mourning” (Ngày Quốc Hận), as it marks the Republic’s defeat and the beginning of decades of political persecution and refugee displacement. Although the South Vietnamese were pluralistic in their political beliefs, they were united in their anti-communism.

For them, the conflict was “the Civil War” (Nội Chiến), fought between communists and anti-communists over the future of Vietnam. After the Republic fell, many grieved (and still do) the vision of what South Vietnam could have become.

Apocalypse then

While the US eventually lost control over South Vietnam, it continued to influence how Vietnam was thought of in the West through Hollywood.

Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now is loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s classic novel, Heart of Darkness.
Shutterstock

In the 1970-80s, Vietnam War films such as Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979), Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket (1987) and Oliver Stone’s Platoon (1987) established these directors as household names.

The films focus on US soldiers’ psyche and discontent with incompetent leadership, pushing the Vietnamese people and their struggles for independence into the background. They frame the war as something done to American society, rather than something the US orchestrated.

This victimhood fostered what became known as “the Vietnam syndrome” – an unofficial condition in American mindset characterised by feelings of woundedness and a loss of trust in the capability of the US.

In Vietnam, early communist-controlled cinema in the north depicted the Vietnamese as an oppressed people who must band together to defeat Western corruption. Wartime films such as Along the Same River (1959) and 17th Parallel, Days and Nights (1972) leaned into melodramatic love stories to allegorise the divided Vietnam as separated lovers who must be reunited.

As directors in the north slowly gained some freedom from the communist party, films increasingly dealt with the war’s immense impact and questioned the party’s ability to bring about the classless society it had promised. The Girl on the River (1987) and Living in Fear (2005) are two good examples.

Living in Fear (Sống trong sợ hãi) trailer.

Meanwhile, filmmakers in the south were independents who occasionally collaborated with the state or military, as seen with the classic 1971 film Faceless Lover (also known as Warrior, Who Are You?).

South Vietnamese people saw film as a medium to negotiate their fledgling national identity. For them, it was important to establish and safekeep an identity that was distinct from the “foreign ally” (the US) and the “domestic foe” (the communists).

This is why films from the south often portrayed love triangles, where the hero must choose between the vessels of modern Vietnamese femininity and Western excess. Some examples include Afternoon Sun (1972) and Late Night’s Dew (1972).

Apocalypse now

New perspectives on the war are emerging as historically marginalised groups gain footing in Western media. And some of these challenge early portrayals.

Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods (2020) was the first major production to show the war through Black American veterans’ eyes. Hollywood neglected to do this, despite the over-representation of Black soldiers in conscription, combat and casualties during wartime.

Although Da 5 Bloods still fails to account for the Vietnamese’s fight for self-determination, it acknowledges Black Americans’ and the Vietnamese people’s mutual suffering under white supremacy.

One independent feature from a son of refugees, Journey from the Fall (2006), conveys the resentment many exiled South Vietnamese people feel towards the communist party. It also explores the trauma of leaving Vietnam by boat and resettlement in the US.

Most recently, the 2024 TV series The Sympathizer, adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel, moved the needle by probing at complex issues such as wartime loyalty, complicity and authenticity.

Communist narratives persist

In Vietnam today, the scale of communist party-funded movies has grown immensely, with many films resembling Hollywood blockbusters. But the messages have become more conservative.

Films such as The Scent of Burning Grass (2012) and The Legend Makers (2013) continue to support the communist party narrative by omitting South Vietnam’s anti-communist objective. They also undermine women’s contributions to the war efforts, whereas earlier films put women at the centre of community organisation.

A new generation of filmmakers is challenging these narratives through collaboration with international production companies and distributors. Features such as Viet and Nam (2024) experiment with film form to show the true costs of war, including the widening wealth disparity in Vietnam, and the lengths many would go to close this gap.

Viet and Nam trailer.

Scarlette Nhi Do 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. The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago today, yet films about the conflict still struggle to capture its complexities – https://theconversation.com/the-vietnam-war-ended-50-years-ago-today-yet-films-about-the-conflict-still-struggle-to-capture-its-complexities-253837

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 30, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Trump says diversity initiatives undermine merit. Decades of research show this is flawed

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula McDonald, Professor of Work and Organisation, Queensland University of Technology

Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

US President Donald Trump declared earlier this year he would forge a “colour blind and merit-based society”.

His executive order was part of a broader policy directing the US military, federal agencies and other public institutions to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Framing this as restoring fairness, neutrality and strength to American institutions, Trump argued DEI programs “discourage merit and leadership” and amounted to “race-based and sex-based discrimination”.

In Australia too, debates over gender quotas and “the war on woke” have repeatedly invoked meritocracy as a rallying cry against affirmative action.

The narrative of rewards going to the most qualified people is compelling. Yet decades of research show this is flawed. Far from being the great equaliser, an uncritical reliance on “merit” can perpetuate bias and inequality.

The myths of meritocracy

The merit rhetoric invokes the ideal of a neutral, objective system rewarding talent and effort, regardless of identity.

In theory, merit-based evaluations such as exams, performance reviews, employee recruitment processes and competitive bids, should be impartial.

In practice however, there are several myths associated with the notion of merit.

1. Merit is purely objective or unbiased. In the employment context for example, studies show that even so-called objective and standardised cognitive or aptitude tests can systematically favour men due to the type of questions asked.

Decision-makers may unknowingly redefine merit to fit whoever already belongs to a favoured group. A study of elite law firms, for example, found male applicants were rated as more qualified than identical resumes from women.

This is known as “plasticity of merit”, meaning the criteria of excellence can bend to preference, all while appearing objective.

Supposedly merit-based judgments can reflect unconscious bias, or comfort with candidates who fit a traditional mould. Over time, preference may be given to a particular type of candidate irrespective of their actual contribution. Privilege and prejudice can be baked into merit-based evaluations.

2. Merit can be separated from social and historical context. Meritocracy or the so-called meritocratic promise assumes a level playing field, where everyone competes under the same conditions.

In reality however, past inequalities shape present opportunities. What counts as merit is dynamic and socially shaped, not an eternal universal standard.

For example, during the second world war there was a shortage of male workers. Qualities women brought to jobs previously held by men such as capacity for teamwork were suddenly deemed meritorious. But these same qualities were downgraded when the men returned.

Merit is often defined in masculine terms. For example, physicality or hyper-competitive traits have long been seen as prerequisites for military service and policing.

Merit is often defined in masculine terms commonly associated with military, policing and firefighting services.
Charnsitr/Shutterstock

This alignment of masculine norms with standards of merit has been termed “benchmark man”.

Science careers too were built in an era when women were largely excluded. They were predicated on long-hours work and total availability – requirements that clash with caregiving responsibilities. The result is women in STEM careers leave or are pushed out.

3. Outcomes are the result of personal choice or deficiencies, not structural barriers. Meritocracy carries a moral narrative: those at the top earned their place while those left behind didn’t measure up or chose not to compete.

Research shows, for example, that when women don’t advance, it’s explained as lifestyle choices, or they lack ambition, or have opted out to prioritise caregiving.

This narrative wilfully overlooks the structural constraints impacting choices. When a woman “chooses” a lower-paying, flexible job, it may be less about preference than inadequate social supports.

By accepting unequal outcomes as the natural result of individual choices, institutions can conveniently obscure disadvantage and discrimination and erase responsibility to correct inequities.

How the merit mandate undermines equality

Trump’s vision is to remove equity initiatives and programs that monitor or encourage fair hiring and promotion, cease training that alerts employees to hidden biases, and fire or reassign DEI staff.

This is conceptually flawed and will actually entrench the very biases and barriers that have kept institutions unequal.

In the military, for example – an area highlighted by Trump – leaders have recognised they need to foster more inclusive cultures.

For years, defence forces have grappled with sexual harassment, recruitment shortfalls and retention of skilled personnel. In Australia, the Australian Defence Force undertook major reviews to identify violent and sexist subcultures, understanding a more inclusive force is a more effective force.

Yet Trump’s order bars the Pentagon from even acknowledging historical sexism in the ranks.

Favouring the in-group

Removing equity measures under a banner of neutrality means hiring and promotion will increasingly rely on informal networks and subjective judgements. These can tilt in favour of the in-group – usually white, male and affluent.

DEI initiatives can increase representation of women, or people from diverse racial or cultural backgrounds, in an organisation or occupational group.

However, without challenging the norms of merit, or without broadening the definitions of talent and leadership, people in those groups may continue to feel like outsiders.

Australian experts and business leaders increasingly acknowledge objective merit is mythical.

Redefining merit

Fair rewards for effort can improve performance. However, we need to stop pitting merit against diversity. True fairness requires acknowledgement structural inequality exists and bias affects evaluations.

Organisations need to re-imagine merit in ways that work with inclusion, rather than against it. This includes refining hiring and promotion criteria to focus on competencies that are measurable and relevant.

Paula McDonald currently receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

– ref. Trump says diversity initiatives undermine merit. Decades of research show this is flawed – https://theconversation.com/trump-says-diversity-initiatives-undermine-merit-decades-of-research-show-this-is-flawed-255100

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 30, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Renewables, coal or nuclear? This election, your generation’s energy preference may play a surprising role

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magnus Söderberg, Professor & Director, Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, Griffith University

Christie Cooper/Shutterstock

In an otherwise unremarkable election campaign, the major parties are promising sharply different energy blueprints for Australia. Labor is pitching a high-renewables future powered largely by wind, solar, hydroelectricity and batteries. The Coalition wants more gas and coal now, and would build nuclear power later.

So how might these two competing visions play out as Australia goes to the polls this Saturday?

Research shows clear generational preferences when it comes to producing electricity. Younger Australians prefer renewables while older people favour coal and gas. The one exception is nuclear power, which is split much more on gender lines than age – 51% of Australian men support it, but just 26% of women.

While many voters are focused squarely on the cost of living, energy prices feed directly into how much everything costs. Research has shown that as power prices rise, the more likely it is an incumbent government will be turfed out.

Coal, renewables or nuclear?

About half of young Australians (18–34) want the country powered by renewables by 2030, according to a 2023 survey of energy consumers. Only 13% of the youngest (18–24) group think there’s no need to change or that it’s impossible. But resistance increases directly with age. From retirement age and up, 29% favour a renewable grid by 2030 while 44% think there’s no need or that it’s impossible.

On nuclear, the divide is less clear. The Coalition has promised to build Australia’s first nuclear reactors if elected, and Coalition leader Peter Dutton has claimed young people back nuclear. That’s based on a Newspoll survey showing almost two-thirds (65%) of Australians aged 18–34 supported nuclear power.

But other polls give a quite different story: 46% support for nuclear by younger Australians in an Essential poll compared to 56% support by older Australians. A Savanta poll put young support at just 36%.

There’s a gender component too. The demographic most opposed to nuclear are women over 55.

Younger voters remain strongly committed to environmental goals – but they’re also wary of cost blowouts and electricity price rises. Some see nuclear as a zero emissions technology able to help with the clean energy transition.

Older Australians are more likely to be sceptical of nuclear power. This is likely due to nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl as well as the prospect of nuclear war during the Cold War.

It’s an open question how robust support for nuclear would be if the Coalition was elected and began the long, expensive process of construction. New findings by the National Climate Action Survey shows almost 40% of Australians would be “extremely concerned” if a nuclear power plant was built within 50 kilometres of their homes and another 16% “very concerned”.

These energy preferences aren’t just found in Australia. In recent research my co-authors and I found a clear divide in Sweden: younger favour renewables and nuclear, older favour fossil fuels. Why the difference? Sweden already gets about 40% of its power from nuclear, while renewables now provide about 40% of Australia’s power.

We found younger Swedes strongly favoured renewables – but also supported nuclear power, especially when electricity prices rose. That is because nuclear is perceived to stabilise the supply of electricity. They wanted clean energy, as long as it was reliable and affordable. Our study found older people were not necessarily pro-fossil fuels, but were more focused on keeping energy affordable – especially for businesses and industry.

When electricity prices rose in Sweden, our survey respondents broadly became less concerned about climate change and more likely to be favourable to nuclear energy.

In Australia, the cost of the clean energy transition has crept up. While solar and wind offer cheap power once built, there are hidden costs.

If electricity prices keep rising, we should expect to see declining support for the clean energy transition.

Overcoming the energy divide

During Australia’s decade-long climate wars from roughly 2012 to 2022, climate change was heavily politicised and energy became a political football. Under a Coalition government in 2014, Australia became the first nation to abolish a carbon tax.

Labor took office in 2022 pledging to end the climate wars and fast-track the clean energy transition. But the Coalition has opened up a new divide on energy by proposing nuclear power by the 2040s and more gas and coal in the meantime.

This election, the cost of living is the single biggest issue for 25% of voters in the ABC’s Vote Compass poll. But climate change is still the main concern for about 8% of voters, energy for 4% and the environment 3.5%. Here, Coalition backing for fossil fuels and nuclear may attract some older and younger voters but repel others. Labor’s renewable transition may attract younger voters but lose older energy traditionalists.

Energy preferences could play out through a cost of living lens. Parties pushing too hard on green policies this election risk alienating older voters concerned about rising costs. But going nuclear would be very expensive, and keeping old coal plants going isn’t cheap. Downplaying climate action or dismissing nuclear outright could alienate some younger Australians, who are climate-conscious and energy-savvy.

Policymakers should resist framing energy as a zero-sum game. There is a path forward which can unite generations: coupling ambitious climate targets with pragmatic policies to protect consumers. Transitional supports such as energy rebates, time-of-use pricing or community-scale renewables and batteries can soften any economic impact while building public trust.

Our research suggests electricity price rises can quickly erode support even for well-designed energy policies.

As Australia navigates a complex and costly transition, keeping both younger and older generations on board may be the greatest political – and moral – challenge of all.

Magnus Söderberg 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. Renewables, coal or nuclear? This election, your generation’s energy preference may play a surprising role – https://theconversation.com/renewables-coal-or-nuclear-this-election-your-generations-energy-preference-may-play-a-surprising-role-253832

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 30, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: ‘No compassion… just blame’: how weight stigma in maternity care harms larger-bodied women and their babies

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Briony Hill, Deputy Head, Health and Social Care Unit and Senior Research Fellow, Monash University

Kate Cashin Photography

According to a study from the United States, women experience weight stigma in maternity care at almost every visit. We expect this experience to be similar in Australia, where more than 50% of women of reproductive age live in larger bodies.

Weight stigma can present as stereotyping, negative attitudes and discriminatory actions towards larger-bodied people.

It occurs in other areas of health care and in society at large. But our research is focused on weight stigma in maternity care, which can cause significant harm for larger-bodied women and their babies.

What does weight stigma look like in maternity care?

Sometimes weight stigma is explicit, or on purpose. Explicit weight stigma includes health-care professionals having negative attitudes towards caring for larger-bodied pregnant women. This might present, for instance, when health professionals make negative comments about weight or accuse women of dishonesty when they discuss their dietary intake.

Sometimes weight stigma is implicit, or unintentional. Implicit weight stigma includes maternity care providers avoiding physical touch or eye contact during consultations with larger-bodied women.

Policies, guidelines and environments also contribute to weight stigma. Women in larger bodies frequently report feeling stigmatised and unable to access the type of maternity care they would prefer. Lack of availability of adequately fitting hospital clothing or delivery beds are other notable examples.

In a review published last year, we looked at weight stigma from preconception to after birth. Our results showed larger-bodied women are sometimes automatically treated as high-risk and undergo extra monitoring of their pregnancy even when they have no other risk factors that require monitoring.

This approach is problematic because it focuses on body size rather than health, placing responsibility on the woman and disregarding other complex determinants of health.

Weight stigma is common in maternity care.

How does this make women feel?

Qualitative evidence shows women who experience weight stigma during their maternity care feel judged, devalued, shamed and less worthy. They may feel guilty about getting pregnant and experience self-doubt.

As one research participant explained:

One doctor told me I was terrible for getting pregnant at my weight, that I was setting up my baby to fail […] I was in tears, and he told me I was being too sensitive.

A 2023 Australian paper written by women who had experienced weight stigma in maternity care recounted their care as hyper-focused on weight and dehumanising, robbing them of the joy of pregnancy.

According to one woman, “there was no compassion or conversation, just blame”.

Beyond making women feel humiliated and disrespected, weight stigma in maternity care can affect mental health. For example, weight stigma is linked to increased risk of depressive symptoms and stress, disordered eating behaviours and emotional eating.

One of the key reasons why weight stigma is so damaging to pregnant women’s health is because it’s closely linked to body image concerns.

Society unfairly holds larger-bodied women up to unrealistic ideals around their body shape and size, their suitability to be a mother, and the control they have over their weight gain.

Self stigma occurs when women apply society’s stigmatising narrative – from people in the community, the media, peers, family members and health-care providers – to themselves.

Larger-bodied pregnant women can face stigma from health-care professionals and society at large.
antoniodiaz/Shutterstock

Impacts on mum and baby

Several adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes have been linked to weight stigma in maternity care. These include gestational diabetes, caesarean birth and lower uptake of breastfeeding.

While we know these things can also be linked to higher body weight, emerging evidence shows weight stigma may have a stronger link with some outcomes than body mass index.

There are a variety of possible reasons for these links. For example, weight stigma may result in delayed access to and engagement with health-care services, and, as shown above, poorer mental health and reduced confidence. This may mean a woman is less likely to initiate and seek help with breastfeeding, for example.

Experiencing weight stigma also leads to a stress response in the body, which could affect a woman’s health during pregnancy.

In turn, the adverse effects of weight stigma can also affect the baby’s health. For example, gestational diabetes has a range of potential negative outcomes including a higher likelihood of premature birth, difficulties during birth, and an increased risk of the child developing type 2 diabetes.

But the burden and blame should not fall on women. Pregnant and postpartum women should not have to accept experiences of weight stigma in health care.

Weight stigma in maternity care has been linked to a higher likelihood of caesarean birth.
photosoria/Shutterstock

What can we do about it?

While it’s essential to address weight stigma as a societal issue, health services can play a key role in undoing the narrative of blame and shame and making maternity care more equitable for larger-bodied women.

Addressing weight stigma in maternity care can start with teaching midwives and obstetricians about weight stigma – what it is, where it happens, and how it can be minimised in practice.

We worked with women who had experienced weight stigma in maternity care and midwives to co-design resources to meet this need. Both women and midwives wanted resources that could be easily integrated into practice, acted as consistent reminders to be size-friendly, and met midwives’ knowledge gaps.

The resources included a short podcast about weight stigma in maternity care and images of healthy, larger-bodied pregnant women to demonstrate the most likely outcome is a healthy pregnancy. Midwives evaluated the resources positively and they are ready to be implemented into practice.

There is a long road to ending weight stigma in maternity care, but working towards this goal will benefit countless mothers and their babies.

Briony Hill receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Some research reported in this article was funded by the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre. The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre was supported through the NHMRC partnership centre grant scheme with the Australian Government Department of Health, ACT Health, Cancer Council Australia, NSW Ministry of Health, Wellbeing SA, Tasmanian Department of Health, and VicHealth. It is administered by the Sax Institute.

Haimanot Hailu 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. ‘No compassion… just blame’: how weight stigma in maternity care harms larger-bodied women and their babies – https://theconversation.com/no-compassion-just-blame-how-weight-stigma-in-maternity-care-harms-larger-bodied-women-and-their-babies-252725

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 30, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: State of the states: the campaign is almost over, so how has it played out across Australia?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Clune, Honorary Associate, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney

While many Australians have already voted at pre-poll stations and by post, the politicking continues right up until May 3.

So what’s happened across the country over the past five weeks?

Here, six experts analyse how the campaign has looked in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

New South Wales

David Clune, honorary associate, government and international relations, University of Sydney

The campaign in NSW is concluding much as it began, largely mirroring the Australia-wide trend with little evidence of localism.

The main themes of both sides remain similar: cost-of-living alleviation, improved health care and housing affordability. Both leaders quickly matched each other’s promises: it could be described as the “Albanutton” campaign.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s campaign continued to be hampered by slip-ups and a lack of focus, detail and discipline. Although the government’s record had given him plenty of scope, Dutton struggled to land a blow.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had his share of gaffes, but appeared more coherent and convincing. Labor’s negative campaign to portray Dutton as a local Trump clone seems to have been effective.

Some in the Liberal Party argue there’s pent-up resentment against the government in Western Sydney that hasn’t been picked up by opinion polls. Whether this hypothetical backlash turns into seats on polling day remains to be seen.

Bennelong (notionally Liberal after the redistribution) and Gilmore, seem the most likely Liberal gains. Parramatta, Reid, Paterson, Robertson and Werriwa are also in play. There is speculation about an independent threat in the safe Labor seat of McMahon.

The Coalition has a fight on its hands to retain Cowper and Bradfield, with strong independent challenges in both seats. There is a tight three-way contest in Calare between former National turned independent, Andrew Gee, a National and a Teal.

As there is little real policy differentiation between the major parties; it seems to come down to which side the voters find more credible and trustworthy in uncertain times.

According to a Newspoll published on April 27, Albanese led Dutton as preferred prime minister by 51% to 35%. Only 39% of those surveyed believed the government deserved to be re-elected. However, 62% believed the Coalition was not ready to govern.

An aggregate of polling data showed in NSW, as at April 28, Labor’s two-party preferred vote was 53.0%, an increase since the March Budget of 2.8% and of 1.6% since the 2022 election.

Queensland

Paul Williams, associate professor of politics and journalism, Griffith University

In the campaign’s closing week, Queensland remains largely inconsequential as to whether Albanese or Dutton will call The Lodge home.

But that doesn’t mean the Liberal National Party (LNP) isn’t concerned about its prospects north of the Tweed.

While the LNP still leads Labor in the two party-preferred vote, 54 to 46, across Queensland – roughly the 2022 result – last week’s YouGov poll found that result to be a three-point fall for the LNP from the previous week.

While Labor is hardly going to blitz Queensland, some LNP seats are nonetheless more vulnerable than at any time over the past decade. These include the regional seats of Leichhardt (3.4 %) and Flynn (3.8%), the outer suburban seats of Dickson (held by Dutton by just 1.7%), Longman (3.1%), Forde (4.2%) and Petrie (4.4%), and the middle-suburb mortgage-belt seat of Bonner (3.4%).

Independent Suzie Holt might also worry the LNP in the usually safe seat of Groom, around Toowoomba.
But the last-minute “rescue” of the LNP by Pauline Hanson’s One Nation (PHON) – Hanson (reciprocating the LNP’s preferencing of PHON) pulped existing how to vote cards and printed new ones placing the LNP second in most seats – might just save the opposition.

However, the campaign has offered little clarity on the prospects in other key Queensland contests: the battles for three Greens-held inner-urban seats of Brisbane, Ryan and Griffith.

But a mid-April DemosAU poll found the Greens’ primary vote falling by 1.7 points to 29%, a figure exactly tied with Labor’s, which has risen 2.7% since 2022.

Problematically for Dutton, the LNP, whose primary vote remains locked at 36%, appears not to have capitalised on cost-of-living angst in inner Brisbane.

Despite 58% of inner Brisbane leaning centre-left, these figures suggest the LNP may fail to win any Greens seats, with the contest a close one between the Greens and Labor only. The result rests on who runs third: Labor or the Greens. There could be a mere 100 votes in these must-watch seats.

In the Northern Territory, the seat of Lingiari, which takes in Alice Springs and Katherine, is held by Labor’s Marion Scrymgour by 1.7%. In 2022, just one in three enrolled voters cast a ballot in the electorate, prompting the Australian Electoral Commission to try to increase voter turnout. In the wash-up, it will be interesting to see if this improves.

South Australia

Rob Manwaring, associate professor of politics and public policy, Flinders University

Given SA is home to only a handful of marginal seats, it’s not a well-trodden part of the campaign trail. That’s typical of most federal elections.

What’s not so typical is the overall feel of the campaign. The rhythms of Australian elections are changing. On one level, there are the familiar tropes and activities; TV debates, campaign launches and letter box blitzes in key marginal seats.

Yet, on the other hand, voters behave differently than they used to. Data from the Australian Election Study(AES) tells us far fewer voters have made their decision “a long time ago” (55% in 2007, down to 36% in 2022).

This means the number of “soft” voters is probably much higher as major parties have fewer “lifetime voters”. Voters are much more transactional.

Voters are more distanced from parties, too. The study shows fewer voters use how to vote cards (51% used them in 2007, 31% in 2022). We can’t rely on traditional metrics in the same way, such as the national two-party preferred vote given the number of “non-traditional seats”.

In short, it’s now harder to more know how the campaigns are tracking. So while the Coalition campaign has been beset by a number of mis-steps, how this is playing out is far less clear.

Further, a strange paradox of the emergence of the Teals and other independents is there is a stronger local focus on representation, rather than broader policy debates. Again, AES data suggests most voters tend to vote for policy reasons (like the economy or health) but the current media focus on the major parties, especially through the TV debates, actually seems to narrow the broader policy discussions.

So while the proof will be in the pudding when the votes are counted, it may be high time to reflect on what campaign strategies work best for politics in 2025.

Tasmania

Robert Hortle, deputy director of the Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania

On Australia’s South Island, most of the campaign focus has been on Lyons, Franklin and Braddon.

In Lyons, Tassie’s most marginal electorate (ALP by 0.9%), the latest polls have swung behind the ALP’s Rebecca White. Her popularity as a state MP for the electorate has been bolstered by some crucial slip ups from Liberal candidate Susie Bower.

One potentially vote-winning policy announcement that has gone under the radar nationally is Labor’s commitment of $24 million to guarantee the continued operation of the Boyer Paper Mill in Lyons, an important employer and regional symbol of economic activity.

Franklin has been full of drama. 19-year-old Greens candidate Owen Fitzgerald had to withdraw his candidacy after it emerged that he is likely to still be a New Zealand citizen. It seemed like the Greens would encourage their voters to preference independent anti-salmon candidate Peter George.

However, when the party’s how to vote cards were published, they said “Vote 1 – Owen Fitzgerald”.

According to the Greens, this was to make sure that voters completed their ballot correctly. The Liberal Party argued the Greens were just trying to secure public funding.

There have also been billboard shenanigans and various other dirty (or should that be clean?) tricks.

The result is likely to rest on how Liberal voters feel about salmon farming and how this influences their preferences. Are they so anti-Labor that they will preference Peter George ahead of Julie Collins despite his anti-salmon stance? Or will they put Collins ahead of George based on Labor’s support for the industry?

In Braddon, where salmon farming is again a key issue, Labor’s Anne Urquhart has been more visible on the campaign trail than Liberal Mal Hingston. Although the margin at the last election was 8% in favour of the Liberals, last-minute polling (albeit with a small sample size) has offered Labor hope of winning the crucial seat.

Bridget Archer, Liberal MP for Bass, has had a solid if unspectacular campaign. She was helped by Labor selecting a low-profile first-time candidate, Jess Teesdale, who the party sees as “one for the future”. Teesdale revealed her “greenness” – in both senses of the word – by accidentally contradicting the ALP’s position on native forest logging, which is always a flashpoint in Tassie.

Victoria

Zareh Ghazarian, senior lecturer in politics, school of social sciences, Monash University

With just days to go in this campaign, Victoria still looks like a key state that will determine who governs for the next three years. Many seats across the state have new boundaries following the AEC redistribution.

Victoria is also home to the most marginal seat in the country. Deakin, which covers the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, is held by Liberal Michael Sukkar with a margin of just 0.02%, according to ABC Election Analyst Antony Green.

Deakin will be the seat to watch on election night. If the Liberal Party can’t hold on to Deakin, it would be unlikely to be able to win government.

There are also other seats that will provide a fascinating contest on Saturday night. Labor will face its own test in trying to retain Chisholm and Aston, both in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Chisholm is a swinging seat. It has been won by both Labor and Liberal parties over the past 40 years and is currently held by Labor with a margin of 3.3%. It has had a significant redistribution, losing strong Labor booths in the north and south parts of the electorate.

Aston is also on a similarly slim margin of 3.6% and was famously won by Labor at the by-election in 2023. Holding onto Aston will be a crucial test for Labor. Losing this seat may threaten Labor’s chances of forming a majority government after the election.

There are also the two seats held by the independents which promise to be tight contests. The previously safe Liberal seats of Kooyong and Goldstein, which were won by Monique Ryan and Zoe Daniel respectively, have been targeted by the Liberal Party. The independents will face a significant battle and, if successful, will demonstrate a significant shift in voting behaviour has occurred in these electorates.

Western Australia

Narelle Miragliotta, associate professor in politics, Murdoch University

The idea that WA would determine the outcome of government has been a persistent theme throughout the campaign, reinforced by four visits from Albanese and three from Dutton. The amount of attention WA has received from the major party leaders was more than any state or territory other than the three big population states: NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Even then, Albanese made one more visit to WA than he did Queensland at the time of writing.

Both major parties brought their big guns on the campaign trail. Former Liberal PM John Howard visited Curtin, Tangney and Bullwinkel. The newly re-elected WA Labor Premier Roger Cook campaigned heavily with Albanese during his visits. And in the final days of the campaign, Mark McGowan, the popular former premier, was seen on the hustings with Labor candidates in four marginal seats.

Neither major party leader ventured to places where they might receive an unwelcome reception. Dutton’s intention to steer clear of the Shire of Collie, particularly the town of Muja, the proposed site of the one of the seven nuclear power plants, was signalled early in the campaign. Albanese avoided electorates in the state’s southwest opposed to coastal wind farms.

There were no significant candidate blunders. However, questions were raised about the whereabouts of Andrew Hastie, shadow defence minister and (putative) future Liberal leader. Hastie was also questioned about the missing party logo (as against party authorisations) on his campaign materials.

The competition between the Nationals and Liberals in the seat of Bullwinkel was without major media incident. This includes when the Nationals’ candidate, Mia Davies, broke with the federal coalition over support for Labor’s production tax credits plan.

The contest for Curtin attracted outsized local media attention. In the final days of the campaign, there were renewed efforts to link the independent incumbent, Kate Chaney, to the Greens. All the proof the West Australian newspaper required was Chaney’s connection to a senior Greens party official, evidenced by a 2024 donation totalling $104, a photo and an author’s credit.

To what extent has the leader visits and the campaign moved the needle? A recent study found party leader visits make only a modest impact on the vote. Polling for Labor and the Liberals in WA has remained very steady. This doesn’t mean some seats won’t change, but to which party or candidate remains unclear.

Paul Williams is a research associate with the T.J. Ryan Foundation.

David Clune, Narelle Miragliotta, Rob Manwaring, Robert Hortle, and Zareh Ghazarian 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. State of the states: the campaign is almost over, so how has it played out across Australia? – https://theconversation.com/state-of-the-states-the-campaign-is-almost-over-so-how-has-it-played-out-across-australia-253125

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Donald Trump’s first 100 days have badly damaged trust in America both economically and as an ally

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Steve Dunne, PhD researcher, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick

As in life, trust matters in international politics. Vital for cooperation and reciprocation, trusting someone nevertheless leaves one vulnerable should they break faith and pursue self-serving goals. As US political scientist Andrew Kydd recognised, trust is the belief that someone “prefers mutual cooperation to exploiting and suckering others”.

Two versions of trust matter in international relations. Strategic trust, in the form of institutionalised agreements and organisations which provide certainty – as well as material incentives – to encourage people and nations to honour their commitments. And moralistic trust, based on what social scientists call an “implicit theory of personality” that involves people making everyday judgements regarding a person’s character and integrity.

A brief look at the liberal post-war economic order shows how trust has proved fundamental. The Bretton Woods system of multilateral institutions that developed after the second world war, including the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization, created a rules-based consistency for mutual benefit.

The WTO, for example, promised members that economic conditions between countries would not opportunistically and suddenly change. If they did, independent recourse was available through its appellate body.

This certainty encouraged many otherwise hesitant states to engage. The collapse of the appellate body in 2019 – after the US, under then-president, Donald Trump, blocked further appointees, thus denying it the required quorum – was a critical first step towards the present crisis in trust.

How is Donald Trump’s presidency shaping up after 100 days? Here’s what the experts think. If you like what you see, sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter.

Across the opening 100 days of his second term, Trump has broken both these conceptions of trust. In doing so, he has devastated – perhaps irreparably – economic confidence in the US.

In terms of strategic trust, look no further than Trump’s attacks on Canada and Mexico. On February 1, Trump threatened near-universal 25% tariffs on exports from America’s two largest trading partners. These tariffs entered into effect on March 4 and were followed by additional duties on aluminum, steel and auto parts.

Viewed from Canada and Mexico, Trump’s actions were an unambiguous breach of trust and the US-Mexico-Canada agreement, which Trump had personally signed in 2020. Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, reacted by forewarning that “its clear the US is no longer a reliable partner” and predicted a “fundamentally different relationship” between the two countries going forwards.

When it comes to moralistic trust, Trump was on weak ground before even becoming president. Beyond his business dealings – which have historically involved unpaid vendors and fraudulent practices – as well as serious allegations of abuse, Trump’s first term was marked by numerous reputational failings. These included a historic two impeachments, the second for his role in the January 6 insurrection that attempted to unlawfully overturn the 2020 election result.

“Liberation Day” on April 2, which was when Trump announced the details of his tariffs, delivered a singular blow. The heavy targeting of poorer countries such as Cambodia and Lesotho – while exempting Russia – strengthened reservations about Trump’s character. Equally, the blatant idiocy of many tariffs – most prominently the Heard and McDonald Islands, which are uninhabited save for penguins – further limited confidence in his administration’s competency and judgement.

Combined with Trump’s imperialistic bullying of other nations, from Greenland, to Panama to Ukraine, his remaining integrity in economic affairs has imploded. Although the full effects (and damage) of Trump’s actions on America’s reputation are not yet known, adverse consequences should be expected in both the short and longer terms.

The long and the short

In the short term, decreased economic trust will prolong market volatility. April 3-4 saw the largest-ever two-day loss, as US$6.6 trillion (£5 trillion) was erased from US stocks. Trump’s tariffs are also expected to depress growth, both at home and abroad.

JP Morgan now rates the likelihood of a recession this year at 60% – more than double when Trump took office. Consumer confidence, meanwhile, is at its second lowest since records began.

Increased prices for groceries – two-thirds of US vegetable imports come from Mexico – as well as energy bills – the US imports 61% of its oil from Canada – is also likely. Higher tariffs on goods from China will similarly impact domestic spending.

In the longer-term, diminished economic trust will continue to weaken bond markets, hampering America’s ability to service its colossal national debt. The increased cost of dollar-denominated goods could also spark a debt crisis reminiscent of the 1980s, when Latin America defaulted en masse, causing widespread economic turmoil.

Perhaps most significantly, declining global trust will accelerate processes of de-dollarisation and reduce reliance on the dollar as a reserve currency. The ending of the “exorbitant privilege” – the advantage enjoyed by the US thanks to the dollar being the global reserve currency – could spell disaster vis-à-vis borrowing costs and, ultimately, risk a balance of payments crisis. More broadly, de-dollarisation would leave the US economically marginalised in a more multipolar global economy.

Extending beyond economics, however, Trump’s trade policy will eviscerate American soft power unless corrected. With trust in the US dwindling, an increase in coercive forms of bargaining with international trade partners over more cooperative approaches becomes inevitable. Despite the demonstrable superiority of the latter approach, mutual trust is required to facilitate successful collaboration.

Without trust, negotiation itself becomes an impossibility. And if trust is consistently broken, even those predisposed towards cooperation will be deterred.

The US under Trump is fast becoming untrustworthy. American reliability must now be broadly questioned, from collective security to the rule of law. The effect of this widespread loss of trust – embodied by Trump’s indiscriminate and ill-mannered economic attacks – will be the neutering of US soft power.

The foundation of American strength for decades, its ability to attract and appeal to its allies as an alternative to coercion, is now on life support. Meanwhile, China – purportedly “the greatest threat to America today” – is actively exploiting this decline and accelerating its own soft power initiatives.

If Trump truly wishes to make America great again, then betraying allies through coercive mistreatment is not the answer. Honest engagement that builds trust is.

Steve Dunne receives funding from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

– ref. Donald Trump’s first 100 days have badly damaged trust in America both economically and as an ally – https://theconversation.com/donald-trumps-first-100-days-have-badly-damaged-trust-in-america-both-economically-and-as-an-ally-255150

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How the UK’s microchip industry is bouncing back after a quarter of a century

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Peter Gammon, Professor of Power Electronic Devices, School of Engineering, University of Warwick

A silicon carbide wafer, from which microchips are manufactured. Peter Gammon

Silicon microchips underpin our modern lives. They are at the heart of our smartphones and laptops. They also play critical roles in electric vehicles and renewable energy technology.

Today, more than three-quarters of microchips, also known as semiconductors, are produced in Asia. But in the 1990s, chip production was more widely distributed across the globe – and the UK punched above its weight.

Scotland’s central belt – the area of highest population density, including Glasgow, Edinburgh and the towns surrounding them – became known as “Silicon Glen”, employing 50,000 people in the electronics industry at its peak.

The region exported everything from PCs to Playstation chips. Multinational companies like NEC, Motorola and Texas Instruments operated major facilities there. In the 2000s, the dotcom crash triggered industry-wide consolidation and a shift to lower-cost manufacturing facilities in east Asia. The UK’s domestic capability was almost wiped out.

But the UK semiconductor industry is quietly bouncing back. A new wave of companies is focusing on microchips designed for clean energy technology. These chips power electric vehicles and are vital for integrating renewable energy into the grid. They’re also widely used in data centres.

Whereas most microchips are based on the element silicon, these new chips are made from “compound” semiconductors: silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN).

The chemical compounds SiC and GaN offer a range of attractive properties, including the ability to conduct an electrical current efficiently at high temperatures and to withstand electric fields more than nine times stronger than those silicon on its own can tolerate before breaking down.

This allows SiC chips to be nine times thinner than equivalent silicon chips. This in turn results in lower resistance to electrical current in the devices they’re used in – translating to greater efficiency.

If you know how hot a phone or laptop charger can get, you’ve experienced inefficient power conversion. This heat is the result of silicon chips switching thousands of times per second to transform one type of electrical current, known as AC, to another, called DC.

In the case of chargers, 230 volts (V) in AC from the wall socket is transformed into the 19V in DC that a laptop battery needs – with some energy lost as heat. SiC and GaN devices switch faster than their silicon counterparts and dissipate less energy as waste heat.

This makes them ideal for high-performance, compact and energy-efficient charging systems. GaN-based wall chargers are now becoming common and they’re smaller, lighter and more efficient.

Chips used in electric car charging need to withstand high voltages.
4045 / Shutterstock

This efficiency boost is vital for electric vehicles too, in which a large power converter changes DC electricity coming from the batteries to AC electricity, as required by the electric motor. SiC-based power converters can reduce the energy lost by this converter by over 60%, a saving that means the car’s range can be extended by up to 5%.

Producing SiC and GaN requires complex, expensive and energy-intensive manufacturing processes. It wasn’t until the 2010s that materials like these could be produced at the scale and cost needed for mass market adoption. Silicon carbide, for instance, must be grown under extreme temperatures and pressures over the course of a week, forming a small cylindrical crystal – or boule – often less than 5cm long.

In contrast, to source silicon for chips, metre-long silicon ingots are pulled continuously from a vat of molten silicon, known as the melt. This fundamental difference drives the cost gap: SiC chips remain around three times more expensive than their silicon counterparts, posing a challenge for widespread adoption. Nevertheless, SiC chips remain vital for specific applications.

New industry hubs

In March 2024, US-based Vishay Intertechnology acquired Newport Wafer Fab – one of the UK’s last major semiconductor plants – for US$177 million (£132 million). In March 2025, it announced a further £250 million investment to expand production, modernise equipment and grow the workforce at the Welsh facility. Around 400 jobs were safeguarded.

The focus in Newport will be on compound semiconductors, beginning with SiC chips destined for electric vehicles, data centres and industrial applications. At capacity, thousands of silicon carbide wafers, or discs, will be processed every month. It is from these wafers that the chips are cut. Measuring 200mm in diameter, each wafer will yield enough SiC chips to supply more than 15 electric vehicle power converters.

Chip manufacturing has also returned to Silicon Glen. In Lochgelly, Fife, Clas-SiC Wafer Fab was founded in 2017 and it too produces SiC chips. The processing carried out at Lochgelly is similar to that at Vishay, except that Clas-SiC operates what’s known as a foundry model, producing devices to the designs of international customers. This model separates out the design and manufacturing aspects of the chip industry.

Silicon carbide chips are also being used in data centres.
VL-PhotoPro/Shutterstock

Compound semiconductors also play a crucial role in national security. The UK Ministry of Defence recently made key investments in UK semiconductors. One of these aims to secure the domestic supply of gallium arsenide and gallium nitride chips, which are critical for radar systems and fighter jets.

World-class research in UK universities is fundamental to success stories like these. More than a decade of coordinated public investment – particularly through the 2010s – helped build globally recognised academic expertise.

At the University of Warwick, for example, our team leads national efforts to develop the next generation of SiC devices. We are focusing on ultra-high-voltage power devices for use in the trains and ships of the future, along with the grid and in radiation-hardened power electronics for space, with funding from the UK government’s semiconductor strategy.

As the UK government looks to drive growth through clean energy and advanced
manufacturing, its recent support for this sector via the UK semiconductor strategy has been significant. The forthcoming industrial strategy presents a clear opportunity to build on this momentum.

The challenge ahead is to ensure that the next generation of compound microchip technologies – developed in UK universities and labs – can grow and scale up here in the UK, rather than abroad.

Peter Gammon works as a Professor of Power Electronic Devices at the University of Warwick, and as the Founder of PGC Consultancy Ltd. At Warwick, he receives funding from UKRI, Horizon Europe and industrial partners. This work is supported via the Rewire Innovation and Knowledge Centre.

– ref. How the UK’s microchip industry is bouncing back after a quarter of a century – https://theconversation.com/how-the-uks-microchip-industry-is-bouncing-back-after-a-quarter-of-a-century-253772

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: UK must grow more of its own wood to meet climate goals – new research

Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Healey, Professor of Forest Sciences, Bangor University

shutterstock ShaunWilkinson/Shutterstock

Wood is often hailed as a low-carbon hero, a natural alternative to steel, concrete and plastic. It’s a vital tool in the UK’s strategy for reaching net zero. But there’s a catch – the country don’t grow nearly enough of it.

The UK has one of the lowest levels of forest cover in Europe, with just 14% of land forested. It is also the second-largest importer of wood in the world, meeting only 20% of its wood demand from domestic sources.

That leaves the UK not only exposed to volatile global markets, but also facing a serious challenge of “wood security”. And our new research shows the problem goes well beyond economics.

Relying heavily on imported timber, especially from boreal forests in Scandanavia and the Baltic States, could actually undermine the carbon-cutting benefits of using wood in place of high-emissions materials.

Boreal forests occurring in colder northerly environments grow slowly. The carbon stored in them takes decades, sometimes centuries, to recover after harvesting through the growth of the next generation of trees.

In contrast, conifer forests in the UK’s warmer temperate climate restock carbon through regrowth more quickly after harvesting. This makes them much better suited for higher yields of sustainable wood production.

So, how can countries such as the UK increase wood use without making the climate crisis worse? To address this, we created a new model that tracks carbon at every stage of a tree’s journey, from how it grows in the forest to how it’s harvested, transported, processed and used. This includes temporary storage of carbon in wood products, and the avoidance of having to use high-emitting materials and energy sources that would be needed in the absence of wood.

We combined this with models of how carbon storage changes in forests under different harvesting intensities. Our analysis showed that it is possible for rising wood demand to make a positive contribution to national and global net zero targets. But that’s only if the domestic production of wood is dramatically increased in temperate countries such as the UK.

Even a modest annual increase in demand (1.1%) would require a 50% expansion in the area of productive forest over the next 50 years. A more ambitious approach, such as doubling productive forest area and increasing tree growth rates by 33%, could boost the overall contribution of wood use to slowing global warming by 175%. But that would require huge changes in forestry practice and land use policy.

In contrast, under a scenario of higher demand growth (2.3% per year), we found that the climate benefit of wood use is reduced. And only a doubling of forest area and a 33% increase in growth rates would be enough to deliver a meaningful contribution to slowing global warming over the next century.

These benefits would be at risk if forest productivity is undermined by increasing incidence of pests, disease or drought as climate change progresses.

Challenges ahead

Our findings point to three major challenges the UK must address if wood is to play a meaningful role in its net zero strategy.

First, the expansion of productive conifer forest in the UK has slowed to a standstill over the past 30 years. The amount of wood available for harvest is projected to fall after 2039. This trend will have to be reversed very soon to rapidly increase the area of conifer forests. This will need a rethink of how the UK balances land for forestry, farming and nature recovery.

Second, forest management must be improved to sustain productivity under increasing stress from pests, pathogens and drought.

Third, wood must be used more efficiently. That includes reducing waste during processing, designing products for longevity and reusing wood products as many times as possible.

So, the UK’s net zero policy must connect the push for using more wood with a clear plan for how it will grow and manage the forests needed to supply it. At the same time, when policymakers assess the climate effects of cutting down trees, they need to look at the whole picture. That means considering not just what’s lost from the forest, but how the wood is used, how long it stores carbon and how much it replaces more polluting materials.

This kind of joined-up, forward-looking analysis – like the one we developed in our study – is essential if wood is to play a truly sustainable role in fighting climate change.

John Healey receives funding from the Natural Environment Research Council, the Centre for Forest Protection, and the Wildlife Trusts. He is affiliated with Woodknowledge Wales, Rainforest Builder and the Institute of Chartered Foresters.

David Styles received funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (UK) and from the Department of Environment, Climate & Communications (Ireland) for research related to this article.

Eilidh Forster received funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (UK) for research related to this article.

– ref. UK must grow more of its own wood to meet climate goals – new research – https://theconversation.com/uk-must-grow-more-of-its-own-wood-to-meet-climate-goals-new-research-254353

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Global Training and Development Institute Marks Significant Milestone

Source: US State of Connecticut

The Office of Global Affairs’ Global Training and Development Institute (GTDI) at the University of Connecticut, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, recently marked a significant milestone with the graduation of the 20th cohort of the Nexus Startup Hub.

Administered by UConn and funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Nexus Entrepreneurship Empowerment Program (NEEP) operates under the broader Nexus 3.0 initiative. Its mission is to strengthen India’s startup ecosystem while deepening economic and cultural ties between India and the United States. By offering intensive training, expert mentorship, and access to critical business resources, NEEP empowers Indian entrepreneurs to build scalable, high-impact ventures that contribute to both local communities and global markets.

Tolga Turker, Director of Global Entrepreneurial Programs, highlighted the international scope of the program’s vision, stating, “Nexus training helps drive American economy and growth by fostering innovation, attracting investments, and expanding global market opportunities.”

Participants in the program receive comprehensive support to refine their business models, explore funding opportunities, and tackle the challenges of entrepreneurship. This holistic approach not only cultivates successful startups but also contributes to broader goals of community resilience and economic empowerment.

Several graduating entrepreneurs shared the personal and professional impact of the program. One participant remarked, “Nexus has made a larva into a butterfly. That’s exactly my experience.” Another added, “Post coming to Nexus, we have grown our revenue by 7x, which is a significant number.” These reflections speak to the program’s ability to transform early-stage ideas into thriving, mission-driven enterprises.

The program also nurtures a global mindset, encouraging entrepreneurs to think beyond local markets. “With the understanding that we have received at Nexus, we are now looking to scale our operations in different parts of the world,” said a graduating entrepreneur, highlighting the program’s focus on international growth and long-term sustainability.

The graduation ceremony further emphasized the value of international collaboration. Gloria Berbena, Minister-Counselor of Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy in India, addressed the cohort with words of encouragement: “The prosperity of the United States has long been fueled by visionary entrepreneurs who push boundaries of innovation. Your startups have the potential to join that global landscape.”

This spirit of partnership and cross-cultural learning is woven into the fabric of Nexus. As the program continues to evolve, it remains a powerful example of how institutions like UConn can drive meaningful impact on a global scale by investing in people, ideas, and innovation.

With the 20th cohort now moving forward to scale their businesses and deepen their impact, the Nexus Startup Hub continues to serve as a launchpad for entrepreneurs committed to solving pressing challenges, building community resilience, and fostering economic opportunity across India and beyond. As Nexus advances its mission, the University of Connecticut remains a proud partner in shaping a more connected, innovative, and inclusive global future.

To learn more, visit Startup Nexus.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Black style and resistance: The Met Gala, dandyism and blackface in Canada

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Cheryl Thompson, Canada Research Chair, Professor in Performance, Toronto Metropolitan University

In her groundbreaking book, Canada and the Blackface Atlantic: Performing Slavery, Conflict and Freedom, 1812-1897, Cheryl Thompson, professor of performance at Toronto Metropolitan University, maps the transnational flow of minstrel culture and racial ideologies, revealing how blackface performance — and the racism it reflects — was not strictly an American phenomenon.

In this interview with The Conversation Canada, Thompson shares some of her ideas on performance, politics and race, including this year’s Met Gala.

Your book uses the term ‘Blackface Atlantic.’ Can you explain what that means, and how Canada fits into that history?

Traditionally, when we talk about Atlantic world studies, we’re usually focused on the United States, the Caribbean, maybe parts of Europe. Canada is not often considered to be part of conversation. But blackface performance/minstrelsy was actually one of the first forms of entertainment that travelled across the Atlantic. It started in the U.S., moved to Britain and then landed in Canada. That means many of the same cultural and political issues we associate with the United States — racism, segregation, white supremacy — have been part of Canada’s narrative too, from the beginning.

Book cover of ‘Canada and the Blackface Atlantic: Performing Slavery, Conflict and Freedom, 1812-1897’
Wilfrid Laurier University Press

The book draws on Paul Gilroy’s concept of the “Black Atlantic.” He defined this not just as a geographic space shaped by European colonization and Black servitude and resistance, but as an ideological space, too. Gilroy articulated how Black people disidentified with western ideas of nationhood, citizenship and freedom to forge new ways of imagining their identities and futures.

Canada and the Blackface Atlantic asks us to stop seeing Canada as a self-contained nation-state. It places Canada within an Atlantic world context where race was traded as a currency in terms of slavery but also on the theatrical stage where it was performed. On stage, “Blackness” became a way for white audiences to make sense of Black people as performing subjects without having to contend with Black people as real political agents.

Why do you think Canada’s role in the history of blackface performance has been so overlooked?

I think it’s partly because writing about blackface requires such a multidisciplinary understanding of different disciplines, multiple points of view, historically and geographically disparate people and places. While as an academic, I have sometimes been discouraged from positioning myself in “too many” disciplines, my training across disciplines helped me to see the throughline in the story.

And that throughline is about race, but also the building of cities and towns, migration and immigration, visual culture and print culture, theatre and performance.

I also believe it has been overlooked because many white Canadian academics simply do not talk about or examine issues related to race. It’s not something they are comfortable with in the context of Canada, and to research blackface requires that you confront race and white supremacy head-on.

And because discussions of race in Canada are still taboo in some circles, blackface remains a topic that is largely ignored or minimized.

I think my work is changing this pattern, and my book will help to open people’s minds to a topic that has long been avoided in Canadian cultural conversations. These conversations have already been happening for decades in the U.S. and the U.K. and elsewhere.

The Met’s big show and gala this year focuses on Black Style and dandyism as powerful forms of self expression and resistance. How do you think fashion can help challenge racist narratives?

I love that the Met is thinking about questions of race and style, because Black dandyism is so intertwined with the question of Black freedom. What shows like this do is remind the public of how Black communities have historically used expression as a means to exercise their own agency. In the absence of political agency, Black men, in particular, used style to assert their autonomy. Clothing, hair, etc., were the few sartorial elements that could not be sanctioned or denied to Black people even if other aspects of life were restricted or denied. I think at this moment these conversations are so timely given the renewed restrictions being placed on Black, racialized, LGBTQIA+ people under the Trump administration. The Black dandy says unequivocally that we’re here, and we’re showing up to be seen. It’s a powerful statement that contradicts the deficit model that is often placed onto Black bodies as being in states of lack, and disempowerment.

What are some of the most surprising or revealing sources you uncovered in your research?

I was truly surprised about how much of the book required me to understand American history as it intersected with Canadian history.

For example: the songs that came out of the War of 1812 became some of the first popular songs in America. Communities in Ontario, Québec and New Brunswick were conflicted in their allegiance to the North and South during the American Civil War. There were a lot of Confederate sympathizers in Montréal and New Brunswick. All that really surprised me because that’s not history that we learn about in school.

I was also surprised by the number of Canadians who became stars on the American minstrel stage. There was Toronto-born Colin “Cool” Burgess (1840–1905) who performed in blackface on stages across Canada, the U.S. and Britain. There was Québec-born Calixa Lavallée (1842–91), who would become best known as the composer of “Chant national” (“O Canada”), a song he wrote after performing across the U.S., and as a blackface minstrel musician for the Union Army during the Civil War. These two figures have been written about before, but authors often excused or tried to minimize their participation in minstrel shows. It’s likely because there are no pictures.

What I’ve been surprised about most is how so much of this history has been hidden in plain sight. The book reflects my ability to make connections, explain complex narratives across time and space, and to intertwine narratives that have, before now, been kept separate. It was quite a feat!

Cheryl Thompson receives funding from Social Science Humanities Research Council and the Canada Research Chair Program.

– ref. Black style and resistance: The Met Gala, dandyism and blackface in Canada – https://theconversation.com/black-style-and-resistance-the-met-gala-dandyism-and-blackface-in-canada-253604

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: The Holy Buddha Relic of Sarnath for Exposition to Vietnam will arrive at National Museum

Source: Government of India

The Holy Buddha Relic of Sarnath for Exposition to Vietnam will arrive at National Museum

Holy Relic will be transported to Ho Chi Minh City by a special aircraft on 1st May 2025

High level delegation will be led by Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Minister of Minority Affairs

Posted On: 29 APR 2025 6:39PM by PIB Delhi

The Ministry of Culture, Government of India in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) New Delhi will be holding for the first time an exposition of the sacred Buddha Relic of Sarnath at Vietnam during the gala celebrations of the United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak 2025.

The Holy Relic will be ceremonially brought to Delhi on April 30, 2025, amidst prayers from Mulagandha Kuti Vihara, (monastery) in Sarnath to the Varanasi airport. The Vihara is enshrined with the sacred relics of Sakyamuni Buddha. It was built by Angarika Dharmapala, who was the founder of Mahabodhi society and is still maintained and run by the Mahabodhi Society.

Upon reaching Delhi the Holy Relic will be placed in a special protected enclosure at the National Museum for prayers, chanting and meditation by the followers of Dhamma, including eminent members of the community and the diplomatic representatives from the Buddhist countries at 5.30 pm on April 30, 2025.

The following day, May 1, 2025, the Holy Relic of the Buddha will be transported from the National Museum with great reverence escorted by senior monks with full religious sanctity and protocol to Ho Chi Minh City by a special Indian Air Force aircraft.

A high-level delegation from the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) led by Secretary General Ven. Shartse Khensur Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden, including member of the Governing Council are attending the Holy Exposition ceremonies and the Vesak celebrations in Vietnam. The delegation will be led by Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Minister of Minority Affairs.

The Holy Relics of the Buddha enshrined in Mulagandha Kuti Vihara were excavated in Nagarjuna Konda, a prominent site in Andhra Pradesh. It holds historical significance as a major centre of Mahayana Buddhism and is associated with the monk, philosopher Nagarjuna of second century CE. These were worshiped and venerated for ages since the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha. A.H. Longhurst, the then superintendent of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted full scale excavation from 1927-31; most of the monuments at the site were constructed in third-fourth century CE; remains of more than thirty Buddhist establishments were found here. Inscription date the oldest great Stupa around 246 CE but archaeologist say the Stupa could be older.

After the excavations they were presented to the Mahabodhi Society of India on December 27, 1932, by Rai Bahadur Dayaram Sahni, Director General of ASI, on behalf of H.E. the Viceroy of India before a distinguished gathering of Buddhists. Every year on the foundation day of the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara which is celebrated in the month of November, when thousands of people from different parts of the world come to Sarnath.

The sacred Relic will be ceremoniously enshrined, venerated, and worshiped at the following important sites; At Hanh Tâm Monastery in Ho Chi Minh city from May 2–8, 2025 (coinciding with the United Nations Day of Vesak 2025); next at the Bà Đen Mountain, Tây Ninh Province from May 9–13, 2025 (Southern Vietnam’s national spiritual pilgrimage site); from here the sacred Relic will be placed for exposition at Quán Sứ Monastery, Hanoi from May 14–18, 2025 (Headquarters of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha), and finally at Tam Chúc Monastery, Hà Nam Province from May 18–21, 2025 (the largest Buddhist centre in Southeast Asia).

The important exposition coincides with the United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak 2025 as it is being celebrated in Vietnam, an opportunity for not only the citizens of Vietnam to seek blessings of the Holy Relic but also the international delegates from over 100 countries and regions who would be participating in the Vesak Day celebrations.

Every year, since the passing of the resolution by the United Nations General Assembly on 15th December 1999, the thrice-sacred day of Vesak (celebrating the birth, enlightenment, and passing away of the Buddha Gautama) has been celebrated internationally. The International Day of Vesak was celebrated at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the first time in 2000. This had inspired annual celebrations of the United Nations Day of Vesak (UNDV) by international Buddhist communities.

The International Council for the Day of Vesak (ICDV) has held a Special Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social Council since 2013. The main theme for the UNDV 2025 Celebrations and Academic Conference will be “Buddhist Approach to Unity and Inclusivity for Human Dignity: Buddhist Insights for World Peace and Sustainable Development,” at Vietnam Buddhist University, Ho Chi Minh City, Sunworld Buddhist Cultural Centre, Tay Ninh Province.

Exhibitions on the Buddha Dhamma

On the occasion International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) will also be hosting three exhibitions on the dissemination of Buddha Dhamma and its cultural practices from India to Vietnam. These are and electronic display of Jataka tales; the sculptures depicting different forms of the Buddha; and a comparative study of Buddhist artefacts from India and Vietnam.

The analysis draws on a variety of resources to deepen understanding of this rich cultural exchange, including epigraphic inscriptions, historical texts, and visual artifacts. This multifaceted approach aims to provide a comprehensive narrative of the evolution of Buddha Dhamma in Vietnam, reflecting its profound impact on art, spirituality, and cultural identity throughout history.

The highlight is a display of the digital restoration of the Ajanta Cave murals, illuminating the ancient Jataka Kathas. The IBC, in collaboration with the Prasad Pawar Foundation of Pune will unveil 8 panels and exhibit on separate TV screens showcasing the digital restoration process of the famous Bodhisattva Padmapani, a mural painting dating from the late 5th century. The mural is in Cave 1 of the Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra, and it reflects the beauty and classical sophistication of the arts of India’s Gupta dynasty.

The exhibition invites visitors to walk among visions of Bodhisattvas and celestial beings, as ancient narratives gently unfold. These tales remind us that compassion knows no borders, wisdom belongs to all, and peace is born from the shared dignity of every living being.

****

Sunil Kumar Tiwari

pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Willis warns of a ‘tight’ budget to come, but NZ should be going for productivity, not austerity

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis Wesselbaum, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Otago

Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has warned her 2025 “Growth Budget” will be “one of the tightest budgets in a decade”, with plans to reduce spending by billions.

It’s clear New Zealand is following a global trend towards austerity by focusing on reducing government spending and lowering government debt.

Complicating the economic picture for the government are Donald Trump’s tariffs and his trade war with China. In early April, financial services company J.P. Morgan Research said there was a 60% probability of the United States experiencing a recession in 2025 — with a 40% chance of a global recession.

Despite this uncertain economic future, the idea that New Zealand’s debt-to-GDP ratio requires immediate and drastic austerity-like measures is not supported by the evidence.

The ratio measures the government’s debt compared to its gross domestic product (GDP). Currently, New Zealand’s ratio is about 47%. This is substantially higher than before the pandemic (32% in 2019) and higher than Australia (35%).

But it is at the lower end compared with other advanced economies. The 2023 debt-to-GDP ratio in the US was 112%, 101% in the United Kingdom, and about 50% in Canada, Ireland and South Korea.

Rather than tightening the belt to reduce debt and increase fiscal balance, New Zealand needs to focus on boosting productivity, investing in education, building strong and resilient infrastructure and supporting health and wellbeing.

Lowering debt and creating fiscal space are legitimate goals. But they should be viewed as a means to an end, not an end in itself.

A necessary medicine

Austerity is often presented as necessary medicine during an economic crisis. The logic is seemingly straightforward: reduce government spending and debt to not overstimulate the economy, create fiscal resilience for future shocks, support low and stable inflation, and signal fiscal responsibility to international markets.

Several countries adopted austerity measures in response to high deficits following the global financial crisis.

Greece implemented deep spending cuts, tax hikes and pension reforms under the terms of a bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF). This reduced its deficit but caused a severe economic contraction and social unrest.

Spain similarly cut public wages, raised taxes and reformed pensions, stabilising its finances but causing persistently high unemployment.

Italy’s austerity measures involved pension reforms and tax hikes, achieving modest fiscal improvement but sparking political instability.

The UK focused on reducing public spending and welfare support, significantly lowering its deficit while putting pressure on public services and increasing inequality. Research found UK’s austerity measures led to hundreds of thousands of avoidable deaths.

While in many cases austerity helped restore fiscal balance, it often came with heavy economic and social costs, particularly in terms of unemployment, growth and public welfare.

In March, people in the United Kingdom took to the streets to protest ongoing austerity measures.
Mike Kemp/Getty Images

Productivity is the key

Research indicates that debt-to-GDP ratios above about 80% tend to be associated with lower growth. But below this threshold, the ratio tends to be associated with increases in growth.

It is clear that deficits are neither always bad for economic growth, nor that they always lead to inflation, when combined with a credible fiscal strategy to return to surpluses in the future.

To raise the future wellbeing of all New Zealanders we need to avoid the heavy costs of austerity and rather focus on stimulating economic growth. And this comes with a price tag.

Using debt to finance investments into capital, which in turn increases our productivity, is key to fostering economic growth. This goes hand-in-hand with targeted industrial policies, reduction in regulation, increases in government efficiency and trade liberalisation

Importantly, public investment boosts economic growth mainly through two channels: efficiency (how much infrastructure is actually delivered for the money spent) and productivity (how well that infrastructure supports economic activity).

Research from the IMF suggests an increase in public investment of one percentage point of GDP is associated with an increase in output of about 0.2% in the same year and 1.2% four years later.

All-of-government focus

What New Zealand needs is a long-term growth strategy and an all-of-government focus on lifting productivity. This must be grounded in fiscal responsibility – one that boosts government efficiency. But not at the cost of delaying high-impact investments or leaving growth opportunities on the table.

Maintaining discipline while strategically investing in the drivers of long-term prosperity is essential for securing New Zealand’s economic future.

The path ahead requires careful navigation, not a rush towards austerity.

By thoughtfully balancing the need for fiscal prudence with the importance of investing in our productivity, human capital and infrastructure, we can ensure a more resilient and prosperous future for all New Zealanders.

Dennis Wesselbaum 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. Willis warns of a ‘tight’ budget to come, but NZ should be going for productivity, not austerity – https://theconversation.com/willis-warns-of-a-tight-budget-to-come-but-nz-should-be-going-for-productivity-not-austerity-254689

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Scientists Chart the Sun’s Subsurface Weather Tied to Its 11-Year Activity Cycle

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 29 APR 2025 5:05PM by PIB Delhi

An international team of solar physicists have traced giant tides of plasma beneath the Sun’s surface at a region called near-surface shear layer (NSSL). The plasma currents shift with the Sun’s magnetic heartbeat and could have far-reaching influence on space weather and Earth.

The near-surface shear layer (NSSL) extending to about 35,000 km in depth is a critical region beneath the Sun’s surface. It is marked by distinct rotational behaviours that vary with depth and by changes, over space and time, that relate to active region magnetic fields and the solar cycle.

A study led by astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) have probed the dynamic “inner weather” of the Sun – plasma currents just beneath its surface at the NSSL, that pulse in step with its 11-year sunspot cycle.

In the research published last week, in ‘The Astrophysical Journal Letters’, researchers from the IIA, Stanford University (USA), and the National Solar Observatory (NSO, USA) have traced how these hidden flows shift over time, potentially reshaping our understanding of solar dynamics in general and how the Sun’s interior connects to its outer magnetic behaviour in particular.

Employing helioseismology—an advanced technique that tracks sound waves as they travel through the Sun—the team observed changes in the movement of solar material using more than a decade of data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory/ Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (SDO/HMI) and the ground-based Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) of National Solar Observatory (NSO), USA.

Peering Beneath the Surface

The analysis led by Professor S.P. Rajaguru and PhD student Anisha Sen from IIA revealed fascinating patterns — surface plasma flows converge toward active sunspot latitudes, but reverse direction midway through the NSSL, flowing outward to form circulation cells. These flows are strongly influenced by the Sun’s rotation and the Coriolis force—the same force responsible for the spin of hurricanes on Earth.

The Coriolis effect swirls and shifts those inflows and outflows into a subtle but powerful sculptor of how the Sun spins at different depths, modifying the rotational shear (the gradient of rotation with depth). Yet intriguingly, these local currents do not power the Sun’s larger-scale zonal flows—known as torsional oscillations—suggesting that these global flows, which ripple through the Sun’s vast interior, must be powered by something deeper and more mysterious.

Fig 1: Depictions of how flow structures near the surface (0.99 solar radii) and at a deeper layer near (0.95 solar radii) develop as sunspots appear and evolve over time (over the 11-year solar cycle). The directions of swirly motions in the northern and southern hemispheres of the Sun are determined by the Coriolis force, just the same way it shapes the storm systems on the Earth.

Fig 2. Sketch showing the Coriolis force mediated average flow structures around active regions in the northern hemisphere of the Sun. The labels depict the signs of residuals in meridional flows, δU_θ , and that in resulting residual rotational shear, δ(∂Ω/∂r), for the two depths, 0.99 and 0.95 R_sun which mark the radial boundaries of the NSSL. Figure Artwork Credit: Amrita Rajaguru}

Zooming In and Looking Ahead

“To validate our findings, we zoomed in on a massive sunspot region using 3D velocity maps. The localized flow patterns we observed matched the global trends—confirming both surface inflows and deeper outflows,” said lead author Anisha Sen.

“This is a stunning look into how the Sun’s inner weather patterns form and evolve,” says Professor S.P. Rajaguru one of the authors of the paper. “Understanding these hidden patterns is not just academic—solar activity influences space weather that can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communications on Earth. This work brings us closer to understanding and building realistic models to predict the Sun’s behaviour.” The study group also included Abhinav Govindan Iyer and other international collaborators.

These findings give us a better understanding of how the Sun’s magnetic activity is linked to its internal flows and hint that we might still be missing something lurking in deeper layers that truly drives its global dynamics.

Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adc919

Media contact: Prof. S.P. Rajaguru, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, rajaguru@iiap.res.in

***

NKR/PSM

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Denounce Trump’s Disjointed International Student Visa Revocations That Drives Away Top Talent

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – Earlier this month, the Trump Administration abruptly and arbitrarily removed thousands of international students from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information Systems (SEVIS) database, which schools and the federal government use to monitor visa compliance. Students at Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design were among those reported to be impacted.
Multi-state litigation was launched on behalf of students and communities nationwide affected by the revocations, and those fearful they could be next, and the courts sided with the international students, forcing the Trump Administration to halt and reverse its wave of visa revocations. But with uncertainty and concern still high among families and schools, Rhode Island’s two U.S. Senators are taking action to help impacted foreign students and local schools and universities. The senators also warn President Trump is driving top talent away and harming U.S. interests.
Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse joined Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 32 of their Senate colleagues in pressing the Trump Administration to reconsider recent decisions to revoke student visas in a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons.
The 35 U.S. Senators began by urging the Administration to undo unlawful student visa revocations, writing: “We recently learned that your agencies have been revoking student visas and terminating Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records across the country. These actions to end student status reflected an unannounced change in policy and were inconsistent with existing laws, regulations, policies, and agency guidance governing the maintenance and termination of student status—that is why we welcomed the news late last week that in response to litigation around the country, ICE has reversed these SEVIS terminations. We now urge you to undo other actions to end student status that are inconsistent with such laws, regulations, and agency guidance and ensure that all future actions to end student status fully comply with the law.”
The Senators continued by highlighting the lack of reasoning provided in many of these visa revocations, writing: “[S]tudents across the country—who by all accounts appear to have followed all of the applicable laws and agency guidance—have reported visa revocations with no clear explanation as to the basis to terminate status. SEVP has completed at least 4,736 total terminations of student visa holders’ SEVIS records. By DHS’s own admission, the statute and regulations do not provide SEVP the authority to terminate nonimmigrant status by terminating a SEVIS record. Your decision to reverse such terminations is therefore prudent and required by law.”
The Senators then outlined the Trump Administration’s apparent violation of federal law in revoking these visas, writing: “Current laws, regulations, and agency guidance also require notice to be provided when a student’s status is being terminated or revoked. Here, it is not clear that students were provided the notice required by law. Many students were notified by universities that they have lost their student status when their SEVIS records have been terminated, without being provided any information about potential reinstatement. Some students received emails that their visas were revoked and were directed to self-deport, with no clear information as to the basis for their revocation or means by which they can appeal the revocation. Some students only learned about losing status when arrested by masked federal agents. These reports suggest that students were not given notice of the termination of their status in a manner consistent with existing laws, regulations, and agency guidance.”
The Senators conclude with an appeal to the Administration to reconsider these visa revocations and warning to adhere to federal law, before making a series of immigration requests, writing: “Students who have entered through our legal immigration system and followed the law remain unsure of what, if any, steps they may take to maintain their status and safeguard themselves from immigration enforcement. While we are relieved that ICE has reversed these SEVIS terminations, we now urge you to undo other actions to end student status that are inconsistent with such laws, regulations, and agency guidance. Finally, we understand that you are contemplating additional actions to end student status. Any such changes must be consistent with applicable statutes, including requirements for notice with respect to changes that would deprive a student of their status and ability to live and study in the United States and place them at risk of detention.”
In addition to Reed, Whitehouse, and Durbin, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennett (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Full text of the letter follows:
Dear Secretary Noem, Secretary Rubio, and Acting Director Lyons:
We recently learned that your agencies have been revoking student visas and terminating Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records across the country. These actions to end student status reflected an unannounced change in policy and were inconsistent with existing laws, regulations, policies, and agency guidance governing the maintenance and termination of student status—that is why we welcomed the news late last week that in response to litigation around the country, ICE has reversed these SEVIS terminations. We now urge you to undo other actions to end student status that are inconsistent with such laws, regulations, and agency guidance and ensure that all future actions to end student status fully comply with the law.
Foreign students must navigate a complicated mix of agencies to maintain their status. Under current regulations and policy, students who enter into the United States on an F-1 student visa or J-1 exchange visitor visa are admitted to the United States for “duration of status.” This essentially means that F-1 and J-1 visa holders may be in good standing as long as they comply with the terms and conditions of their status, even if their visa has expired. Students who enter on an M-1 visa for vocational education are admitted for a fixed time period to complete their course of study. The Office of Student Exchange and Visitor Programs (SEVP), within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), works with universities and program administrators to determine whether F-1 and M-1 students are meeting requirements for their visas and terminate SEVIS records as appropriate under SEVP regulations. The Department of State (DOS) Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administers the J-1 exchange visitor visa, but their records are maintained by SEVIS. Existing regulations and agency guidance inform students and other visa holders of how they might lose their student status, including that they cannot be convicted of serious crimes, cannot work unless authorized by DHS, and must be completing the education or program related to their visa. However, students across the country—who by all accounts appear to have followed all of the applicable laws and agency guidance—have reported visa revocations with no clear explanation as to the basis to terminate status. SEVP has completed at least 4,736 total terminations of student visa holders’ SEVIS records. By DHS’s own admission, the statute and regulations do not provide SEVP the authority to terminate nonimmigrant status by terminating a SEVIS record. Your decision to reverse such terminations is therefore prudent and required by law.
Current laws, regulations, and agency guidance also require notice to be provided when a student’s status is being terminated or revoked. Here, it is not clear that students were provided the notice required by law. Many students were notified by universities that they have lost their student status when their SEVIS records have been terminated, without being provided any information about potential reinstatement. Some students received emails that their visas were revoked and were directed to self-deport, with no clear information as to the basis for their revocation or means by which they can appeal the revocation. Some students only learned about losing status when arrested by masked federal agents. These reports suggest that students were not given notice of the termination of their status in a manner consistent with existing laws, regulations, and agency guidance.
Once a student’s visa is revoked, although their status is not automatically terminated, removal proceedings may be initiated against them, allowing them to be detained at the discretion of DHS. Similarly, when a student’s SEVIS record is terminated, the student is no longer in an authorized period of stay in the United States, and students and their universities cannot regularly maintain student records in SEVIS, as is required to maintain student status. In addition, upon SEVIS record termination, the student must depart the United States or take other action to restore legal status, and DHS “may investigate to confirm the departure of the student.”
Students who have entered through our legal immigration system and followed the law remain unsure of what, if any, steps they may take to maintain their status and safeguard themselves from immigration enforcement. While we are relieved that ICE has reversed these SEVIS terminations, we now urge you to undo other actions to end student status that are inconsistent with such laws, regulations, and agency guidance. Finally, we understand that you are contemplating additional actions to end student status. Any such changes must be consistent with applicable statutes, including requirements for notice with respect to changes that would deprive a student of their status and ability to live and study in the United States and place them at risk of detention.
We also request information to better understand how your departments are implementing any new, unannounced policies with respect to identifying students for status revocation. Please provide the following information by May 12, 2025:
1. Any guidance issued by DOS and/or DHS governing the revocations of nonimmigrant visas, issued from January 20, 2025 to date.
2. Any guidance issued by DOS and/or DHS governing how nonimmigrants are to be notified of visa revocations, issued from January 20, 2025 to date.
3. Any guidance issued by DOS and/or DHS governing the terminations of SEVIS records, issued from January 20, 2025 to April 25, 2025.
4. Any guidance issued by DOS and/or DHS governing how student visa holders are to be notified of SEVIS terminations, issued from January 20, 2025 to April 25, 2025.
5. Any guidance issued by DOS, DHS, and/or the Department of Justice governing the initiation of removal proceedings or immigration enforcement against student visa holders and other nonimmigrants, issued from January 20, 2025 to date.
6. Any guidance issued by DOS and/or DHS regarding the use of artificial intelligence to search national databases, criminal records, and social media to identify nonimmigrants for visa revocation or to otherwise end status, issued from January 20, 2025 to date.
7. The total number of student visas (F-1, M-1, or J-1 visas) that have been revoked since January 20, 2025 to date, disaggregated by:
a. Student’s country of origin;
b. Consulate or embassy that issued the visa;
c. Visa category/Optional Practical Training (OPT);
d. Date of revocation;
e. University of study;
f. Type of degree or field of study;
g. Notice provided;
h. Legal basis for revocation;
i. Any grace period to allow students to make travel or other arrangements; and
j. Whether the student’s SEVIS record was also terminated.
8. The total number of SEVIS record terminations that have been issued since January 20, 2025 to April 25, 2025, disaggregated by—
a. Student’s country of origin;
b. Visa category/Optional Practical Training (OPT);
c. Date of revocation;
d. University of study;
e. Type of degree or field of study;
f. Whether the termination was initiated by the university or by DHS;
g. Basis for termination;
h. Notice provided;
i. Any grace period to allow students to make travel or other arrangements; and
j. Whether the student’s visa was revoked.
9. The number of student visa holders on F-1, M-1, J-1 nonimmigrant status issued Form I862, Notice to Appear, initiating removal proceedings.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this critical matter.
Sincerely,

MIL OSI USA News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s Conservatives, with an assist from Donald Trump, are down — but they’re far from out

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sam Routley, PhD Candidate, Political Science, Western University

Canada’s Liberals have, once again, risen from the dead. Their re-election with Mark Carney at the helm is a remarkable development in Canadian federal politics — the party not only managed to reverse the dire predictions of its demise but also, despite voters expressing a desire for change, retained its control of government for a rare fourth consecutive term.

This is a crushing disappointment for the Conservative Party of Canada. Although they have so far held the Liberals to a minority government — votes are still being counted in some ridings — their continuing role as the lead opposition, albeit a bigger one, pales in comparison to the large majority government they’d been projected to form.

Leader Pierre Poilievre even lost his own Ottawa-area seat.

But for all this dejection, Conservatives still had a solid and promising performance. Rather than constituting a total failure, their standing is better regarded as an inability to fully close the deal.

The Trump factor

Conservatives won the greatest share of the national vote by any federal centre-right party since 1988, and the popular vote remains close to a virtual tie.

The narrow margins of many Liberal gains also suggests that a Conservative minority was within the realm of possibility. For all his success, a politically inexperienced Carney so far appears to have failed to win a majority government, and may have inherited yet another fractious and unstable minority that will probably not last long.

While it’s still too early to get a full grasp of how voters made their decisions, it appears that the nearly 25-point swing in the polls was largely due to United States President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats against Canada.

From the moment he came to office for a second term, Trump’s constant threats transformed the election from a fairly routine matter of anti-incumbent backlash to one focused on leadership, national unity and crisis management. Overnight, Canadian sovereignty became the top issue, and the NDP vote collapsed as most voters decided that their choice was really been two leaders.

Divided electorate

Carney was able to leverage his background as governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, and his short initial tenure as prime minister, to not only depict a steady hand, but to generate a rally-around-the-flag effect.

Poilievre, in contrast, was unable to continue with the disruptive, anti-establishment tone of much of his previous rhetoric.

Read more:
From dog whistles to blaring horns, Poilievre makes his case

But even while Carney, from the moment campaign started, performed better on the Trump issue than Poilievre, it was far from the only issue that mattered to voters.

What ultimately drove voters back to the Liberals seems to be confined to largely one aspect of the population — older and more economically established Canadians.

Many voters still prioritized domestic issues — such as the cost of living crisis, housing affordability and economic stagnation — that had once characterized the campaign. Conservatives seemed to gain support throughout the campaign from young adults, newer Canadians, blue-collar workers and some NDP defectors.

Rather than providing Carney with a clear mandate, the results suggest Canada continues to grow increasingly divided along the lines of age, class and region. The Liberals have been able to hold onto power with the support of Canadians wanting to defend what they have, but Conservatives are gaining ground among voters who feel increasingly disenchanted with and locked out of the Canadian project they’re now being told to embrace.

Poilievre’s future

Poilievre has signalled his intention to stay on as Conservative leader. In the months ahead, he’ll not only need to find a way to return to Parliament via a byelection — he’ll also need to convince his party and caucus he should remain leader.

While the party doesn’t have an automatic leadership review following elections, there are several mechanisms to challenge Poilievre’s leadership.

There are certainly several areas where Poilievre and his team can be faulted by Conservative party members. A loss is a loss, and there have been well-publicized reports of internal discord and frustration about his campaign strategy.

Ultimately, however, a sustained movement to push out Poilievre seems unlikely. For all his drawbacks, Poilievre has not only brought the party its greatest electoral performance in decades, but he’s generated a unique degree of energy and enthusiasm among supporters that no obvious successor seems capable of maintaining.

The challenge now is about determining what the Conservative party, having received just above 41 per cent of the vote, needs to do in order to gain a few more percentage points.

Sam Routley 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. Canada’s Conservatives, with an assist from Donald Trump, are down — but they’re far from out – https://theconversation.com/canadas-conservatives-with-an-assist-from-donald-trump-are-down-but-theyre-far-from-out-255396

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Ghana’s citizens have a right to protest: what does the law say about restricting it?
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Justice Tankebe, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Cambridge

Ghana’s attorney general and minister of justice dropped charges against members of Democracy Hub, a civil society group, in February 2025, after four months of prosecution. The group had organised a protest in September 2024 against the widespread destruction and contamination of the country’s water bodies by persons and gangs engaged in illegal artisanal mining.

Media reports alleged police harassment and use of excessive force during the three-day protest. The actions of the police and the courts were the latest in a history of suppression of the exercise of the right to protest. They are based on a military-era law that the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional three decades ago.

The situation highlights the tension between the right to protest and lawful interference with those rights. As a criminologist and an expert in constitutional law, we argue that the tension can be minimised by considering four factors:
- location and time
- rights of others
- target of protest
- intentions of protesters.
Right to protest in Ghana

Ghana’s 1992 constitution guarantees the right to protest. However, as is standard practice in democracies, the constitution also allows these rights to be restricted on specified public interest grounds. Restrictions must be “reasonably required” in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public health or the running of essential services.

The challenge democratic societies face is managing the apparent tension between people’s fundamental rights to protest and the need, sometimes, to interfere with those rights in the larger public interest.

While Ghana’s Supreme Court ruling in 1993 forbids any action that would deny protesters their right to protest, it had grey areas. For example, it did not offer clear guidance on what would make a restriction “reasonably required” and “reasonably justifiable in terms of the spirit of the constitution”.

Ghana is a former British colony, and its law and legal system continue to be influenced by UK legal principles. So the UK can offer guidance. In 2021, in the case of Director of Public Prosecutions v Ziegler and others, the UK Supreme Court pronounced certain principles and factors that police, prosecutors and judges must consider.

Location and time

The UK court reasoned that the right to protest includes the right to choose when and where to hold the protest. The location or path of a protest will determine whether its message is received by the intended target and what impact it will have.

The Ghanaian police and courts have often violated this principle when a protest is stopped because the location is a so-called “security zone”. The basis for this categorisation is not clearly specified or defined in law. The Ghana constitution specifies that any restriction of the right to protest must be contained in “a law”.

Rights of others

Ghanaian law does not allow protesters to obstruct traffic, cause confusion or disorder, or violate the rights and freedoms of other members of the public. But protests almost always do cause some interference with the rights of others.

That’s not sufficient reason to interfere with the right to protest. According to the UK Supreme Court, the police and courts must establish the extent of the actual violation of citizens’ rights – such as how many people were likely to be inconvenienced.

Target of protests

Where there is obstruction, there must be evidence that it was not connected to the reasons for the protest. One accusation against the Democracy Hub protesters was that they blocked the entrance to a health facility. Had they blocked access to, say, an authority responsible for granting licences for artisanal mining, the police would not have been justified in arresting them. The police must also show that no alternative routes were reasonably available to the inconvenienced public.

Intentions of protesters

This factor requires the police and courts to consider whether a protest is intended to be peaceful. Cooperating with the police, such as notifying them about the intended protest, signifies a peaceful intent. The UK court notes that where a protest is intended to be peaceful and is, indeed, peaceful, protesters will have the right to resist police arrest.

A fair hand

The checklist is not exhaustive, but it puts an important obligation on the police and the courts not to interfere unreasonably with the fundamental rights of citizens. While the right to protest is not absolute, it remains fundamental in a democracy. Therefore, a restriction of the right cannot be absolute either. The restriction must be reasonable and proportionate.

In short, the restrictions attached to the right to assemble and to protest are designed to do no more than restrict (limit or constrain), within reasonable limits, how, where and when the right may be exercised. They are not meant to destroy or undermine protesters’ ability to exercise that right to achieve their desired goals.

Current Ghanaian police and judicial practice must change, along the lines of the UK Supreme Court’s ruling, to ensure the right to protest is not treated as less valuable or less important than the restrictions that may be applied to limit it.

Henry Kwasi Prempeh, who co-authored this article, is a Ghanaian lawyer and educationist, and the current executive director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development.

– Ghana’s citizens have a right to protest: what does the law say about restricting it?
– https://theconversation.com/ghanas-citizens-have-a-right-to-protest-what-does-the-law-say-about-restricting-it-248049

MIL OSI Africa –
April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: University of San Diego Women’s Volleyball Team Joins U.S. Attorney’s Office and City Attorney’s Office to Launch Fentanyl Awareness Campaign

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SAN DIEGO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, San Diego City Attorney’s Office and Olé Foundation for the University of San Diego today launched a social media campaign featuring members of USD’s women’s volleyball team to promote fentanyl awareness and overdose prevention. The campaign coincides with the fourth annual National Fentanyl Awareness Day on April 29.

The goal of this joint effort is to raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl, to reduce accidental use or overdose, and in the event of an overdose, to educate students on how to save lives in an emergency.

“These student athletes are terrific ambassadors for the messages of fentanyl awareness and prevention,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, “We are making progress every day in preventing accidental fentanyl poisonings, and we are grateful for such committed partners like the City Attorney’s Office and the University of San Diego knowing that their actions will help save lives.”

“Fentanyl continues to claim lives across our communities, and awareness is one of the most powerful tools we have to fight back,” said City Attorney Heather Ferbert. “We’re proud to partner with the Department of Justice and the University of San Diego’s student athletes to share life-saving information. By working together, we can help prevent tragedy and protect our community”.

The student athletes are showcased in a video filmed at various locations on USD’s campus, each reciting a line about the dangers of fentanyl, recognizing the signs of an overdose, and the importance of naloxone (also known by the brand name Narcan).

Naloxone is an opioid overdose reversal medication, available either as a nasal spray or an injector. Many pharmacies carry naloxone. In California, you can get naloxone from a pharmacist without a prescription. It is also possible to get naloxone from community-based distribution programs, local public health groups, or local health departments, free of charge. For more information about naloxone and how to get training on using it, visit: Naloxone Information.

In the public service announcements, the student athletes state the following:

Winning at the Division One level takes a lot of skill, a team committed to excellence, and maybe a little luck.

Because I know some of us have our superstitions

I must have this meal before every game

I always put my left shoe on before my right shoe

But the one thing I will not do is try my luck with a pill that I didn’t get at a pharmacy

That’s because what you might think are common medicines like Adderall, Xanax, or Percocet

Could contain a deadly amount of fentanyl

Taking drugs is a risk that we just won’t take.

Fentanyl doesn’t care about the win or the loss. It doesn’t care about your age. It doesn’t care about your family, teammates, or friends. It doesn’t care if you get lucky the first time.

As a student athlete, I know I set an example to those around me, on our team and in our community.

Know what Narcan is, and how to use it – or know who to call to get help.

And know what those overdose signs are, like someone you can’t arouse, snoring sounds, shortness of breath, vomiting or turning blue. You have the power to keep our community safe.

We here at USD are all members of the same team.

And safety isn’t about luck, it’s about knowledge and prevention.

Just remember, if you are ever in doubt, call 911.

Let’s take luck out of it

We are teaming up to save lives from fentanyl

Because as a USD Torero, we know it takes a team.

This campaign uses the hashtags #TakesMoreThanLuck #ItTakesATeam. The social media public service announcement can be found here.

The campaign is being deployed over social media platforms, including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, LinkedIn, and YouTube, by the individual student-athletes, the Department of Justice, the University of San Diego Athletic Department, and other coalition members.

This is the third time that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office have teamed up to feature student athletes in partnership with an NIL collective. For this social media campaign, the offices partnered with the Olé Foundation at USD, which is dedicated to empowering student-athletes by providing education, resources, and guidance to navigate the evolving landscape of NIL opportunities. The department helps scholar-athletes maximize their personal brand, ensuring they make informed decisions while maintaining integrity and balancing their academic and athletic commitments. Through strategic partnerships, mentorship, and compliance support, the department prepares student-athletes for success in the NIL space and beyond.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office have previously partnered with the SDSU women’s soccer team, Aztec Link, the SDSU men’s basketball team and their NIL collective, the MESA Foundation, to create similar public service announcements and media campaigns that at the time were the first such collaborations of their kind. The campaigns have since received over a million impressions.

Additional fentanyl prevention resources can be found at San Diego County’s Community & Parent Toolkits, which are available in both English and Spanish.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s participation in the social media campaign with USD’s NIL Department is not an endorsement of any product, service, or enterprise associated with the department.

MIL Security OSI –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Record Attendance at 30th Annual NREL Industry Growth Forum as Innovation Soars
Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

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History was made this year at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Industry Growth Forum (IGF), and not only because it celebrated the 30^th anniversary of the event. The IGF also reached a record high number for attendance: more than 1,000 people

“Thank you all for being here for this milestone anniversary,” NREL Director Martin Keller said during his welcoming remarks. “For 30 years, this forum has brought together the energy ecosystem. You help NREL understand industry challenges, refine our research priorities to address real-world needs, and accelerate market adoption of new technologies. NREL benefits from your market insights and challenges, and you benefit from our technical expertise and research capabilities. This two-way exchange is why the IGF has thrived for 30 years.”

Held March 26–28, 2025, at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Denver, Colorado, the event featured several new opportunities for investors, startups, and other industry professionals. The theme of the event was unlocking value, inspiring the creation of original programming aimed at leveraging the power of the IGF.

More than 1,000 people attended the 2025 NREL Industry Growth Forum. Photo by Kira Vos

Attendees focused on bringing innovative energy solutions to the market, including battery construction, novel ways to power buildings, and maximizing energy efficiency to lower costs. The event included new programs such as a reverse pitch session, a spotlight of companies that are part of NREL’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) portfolio, Growth Stage dialogues, resource roundtables, and more.

“What a difference 30 years makes,” IEC Director Trish Cozart said during her opening remarks. “Since the first NREL Industry Growth Forum, we’ve increased the size of the event by tenfold, and while our computers are eight orders of magnitude more powerful than they were 30 years ago, one thing that has not changed is that the key to unlocking value in this business is people. No matter how much compute power we build, I believe 30 years from now, we will still be sitting across the table talking to each other.”

Networking has always been at the core of IGF, and this year was no different with nearly 3,000 meetings held. The marquee event for many attendees was the one-on-one meetings between startups and investors. During this 3.5-hour session, each startup and investor had 10 minutes to talk during each prescheduled meeting before moving on to the next.

The IGF also featured a competition where 52 different presenters pitched in front of panels of investor judges and then received questions and scores from the judges. The pitch competition awarded top ventures across several stages: Growth, Commercialization, Pre-Commercialization, and Early. Other categories awarded included Best International Venture (for the first time), People’s Choice, and Best Overall Venture.

First-Time Attending Startup Seeks Connections

One of those participating in the Early-Stage pitch competition was first-time IGF attendee Michael Solomentsev, co-founder and CEO of Palanquin Power. Solomentsev is also in NREL’s Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program, West Gate. Palanquin helps make data centers more efficient using advanced power electronics, and Solomentsev often describes the technology by pointing to a laptop charger.

Michael Solomentsev, co-founder and CEO of Palanquin Power, delivers his pitch during his session at the IGF. Solomentsev is also in NREL’s Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program, West Gate. Photo from Kira Vos

“With that type of device, you don’t really care if it’s 80% or 90% efficient,” Solomentsev said. “But a data center has the same need for power conversion, and each percentage point means much more power on that scale, so they have a huge premium for efficiency. Our approach enables efficiencies that no one else can achieve.”

West Gate provides participants technical support via a two-year program at NREL, working with experts to help further develop technology. Solomentsev has about 18 months left in the program, and leading up to the IGF, he was very excited about the one-on-one meetings.

“Meeting that many investors and who are in the particular niche I inhabit, it’s worth its weight in gold,” Solomentsev said.

Long-Time Investor Advises Multiple Entrepreneurs

Tim Woodward, managing director of Prelude Ventures, began coming to the IGF just after its creation in the 1990s. His firm typically funds companies before first revenue with a Seed or Series A check and continues the relationship through commercialization to scaling.

“There really isn’t another event that happens at this scale that brings this many investors and companies together,” he said. “There isn’t an equivalent.”

Over the years, Woodward has acted multiple times as a member of the selection committee that chooses the startups to present at the event).

“I’ve been coming to this for almost all 30 years,” Woodward said. “From a gathering of 50 to 100 investors and startups to more than 1,000 people today, it’s really become the place to be for industry investors and startups.”

Accelerator Looks for Technologies To Take Home

Suzanna Caldwell, tech deployment track manager for Launch Alaska, came to the IGF seeking to expand her program’s reach. Launch Alaska, based in Anchorage, is an eight-month accelerator program for companies to develop technologies in the Alaska environment.

“It’s always great when you find a technology and the innovators are interested in Alaska,” Caldwell said. “It’s amazing to make those connections in a place like this far from home. It’s inspiring. At the end of it, I walk away saying: ‘Wow, this is such a cool space.’”

Several companies in the Launch Alaska portfolio came to this year’s IGF, which Caldwell thinks is an invaluable experience for both her accelerator and the innovators.

“I don’t know of other conferences that are like this,” she said, “that bring together so much diversity in the marketplace. I’m really impressed by NREL’s ability to bring this together.”

Bob O’Connor, a partner in the Wilson Sonsini law firm, gave the keynote speech at the closing session. Photo from Kira Vos

Startup Service Provider Keeps Coming Back Each Year

Law firm Wilson Sonsini began sponsoring the IGF several years ago. Bob O’Connor, a partner in the law firm, said the relationship dates back to 2003, when one of the first innovative energy technology companies he represented also happened to be a spinoff that was commercializing NREL-created technology.

“People come to the IGF in order to ascertain what’s next,” O’Connor said. “It is a bit like coming home in many respects. It’s always a great opportunity to see all the key players in the industry catching up and sharing stories, vulnerabilities, and accomplishments. I’ve always thought of NREL as quite literally the most optimistic place on earth. If you aren’t sure we as a community, or as an industry, can meet the challenges ahead of us, come to IGF. The answers are probably here!”

O’Connor gave a keynote address on Friday, March 28, where he focused on what NREL means to the community.

“NREL brings us optimism, and optimism requires resilience. Optimism doesn’t come cheap,” O’Connor said. “Yet, resilience is an opportunity, and that is why the community is rallying around NREL. To me, NREL is resilience.”

Resource Roundtables were among the several new programs offered at the 2025 IGF. Photo from Kira Vos

New Programs Offer New Opportunities

Solomentsev took part in several of the new programs at this year’s IGF, including the IEC Spotlight session. This invite-only event brought together investors and industry professionals for special pitches from 10 startups that came from IEC programs such as the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2), the Shell GameChanger Powered by NREL (GCxN), West Gate, and Chevron Studio.

The spotlight was just one of several new programs. The others included:
- Industry Reverse Pitches: In addition to the regular pitch competition, the IGF hosted a reverse pitch session during the event. Executives with Wells Fargo, Shell, Fortescue, National Grid, Halliburton Labs, and Chevron gave short presentations about what they are looking for from startups to advance their businesses and when considering what to invest in.
- Resource Roundtables: Hosted by service providers, these sessions included advice from lawyers, accountants, and technical analysis companies. Advisors chose topics and answered questions from startups based on their areas of expertise.
- Growth Stage Dialogues: Companies pitching in the Growth Stage met with investors and other stakeholders for 25-minute sessions outside of the pitch competition. The conversations delved into legal issues, insurance questions, and how to bring in partners.
- International Competition: Earlier in 2025, NREL held, a virtual competition for organizations headquartered outside of the United States, Canada, and Europe. The winner, Ampersand, based out of Kigali, Rwanda, was invited to pitch at the in-person IGF, where the company also earned the award for Best Growth Venture.
- Developer University: As a customized offering for the IGF, project development and project finance experts from CREO, Spring Lane Capital, and Wilson Sonsini delivered a snapshot of their Developer University curriculum. The morning session provided attendees with a crash course on the practical tools and strategies used for project development and the finance and legal structures that enable first-of-a-kind energy deployments.
- NREL Tech Talks: Startups and investors alike benefited from discussions with NREL researchers who shared the state of innovation in 30-minute talks spanning across advanced solar manufacturing, built environment, the grid, critical materials and batteries.
Attendees at the Industry Growth Forum participated in nearly 3,000 meetings over the course of the event. Photo by Kira Vos

Face-to-Face Meetings Encourage Innovation

Nearly 3,000 meetings were held at this year’s IGF, many of them during the must-attend one-on-one sessions. A longtime IGF attendee, Woodward treats the one-on-one sessions like office hours.

“In a perfect world, you come across a company that’s interesting and that you want to continue to do due diligence on, and that ultimately leads to an investment,” he said.

Two of the companies Woodward met with early on are from the West Gate portfolio. He asked pointed questions, tracking responses to challenges and opportunities. His advice for innovators remained consistent.

“Control what you can control, keep your head down, plug away, and build a good team,” he said.

Solomentsev met with 15 to 20 investors during the IGF, many of them during the one-on-one session.

Palanquin Power CEO Michael Solomentsev (left) met with 15 to 20 investors, many during the one-on-one meeting session. Photo by Kira Vos

“It was really high value,” he said. “I loved the one-on-ones; I loved meeting a lot of people. I like learning about what other people are doing, and some of my most pleasant conversations are the ones with zero stakes where you’re just talking to another startup and then maybe there’s an introduction or a lead that comes out of that.”

The meetings at the IGF saved him months of work, by bringing everyone together as only NREL can.

“The reputation of the event, of NREL and the IEC, and their ability to attract great people and get them to come to Denver for this is unparalleled,” Solomentsev said.

The Incubator/Accelerator Open House took place at the same time as the one-on-one meetings. The open house provided an opportunity for incubators and accelerators to set up tables in the expo hall and connect with startups, investors, and other IGF attendees to share information about their organizations and services.

“That was so great for me,” Caldwell said. “If I wasn’t able to schedule time with folks, I could at least connect with them then, make eye contact, and say hello because everyone is friendly and willing to support you. Even if you meet someone that’s outside of the sphere you’re working in, there’s probably connections to be made.”

Six startups won awards at the 2025 IGF. Photo from Kira Vos

Award Winners and Beyond

Before the closing remarks of the conference, Cozart announced the winners of the pitch competition awards. Solomentsev was among the winners, earning the Best Early Venture award for Palanquin Power.

“I’m very excited—I’m very happy to have won the award,” Solomentsev said. “It is very nice to get some sort of validation that people think the core business is a big enough opportunity.”

Learn more about the winners.

“I hope this forum has brought you promising new connections and opportunities,” Cozart said during the closing remarks. “Startups out there, you see things that other people can’t see. Investors, you are bold because you believe in a future that only innovators can see. I look around this room and I see the future. I can’t wait to see the value that’s unlocked from the last couple of days.”

To learn more about the IGF, visit www.nrelforum.com.

MIL OSI USA News –
April 30, 2025

Category: Universities

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