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  • MIL-OSI Economics: The ultimate guide to Microsoft Security at upcoming RSAC 2025 event

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: The ultimate guide to Microsoft Security at upcoming RSAC 2025 event

    So you just finished watching Microsoft Secure. That means by now, you’ve heard about our new protections for AI and Microsoft Security Copilot agents. These innovations will be the focus of Microsoft Security’s sessions and activities at RSACTM 2025 Conference (RSAC 2025).  

    The can’t-miss conference is just around the corner. Microsoft Security is bringing an exciting lineup of sessions, expert panels, and exclusive networking opportunities to empower security professionals in the era of AI. Our entire presence at RSAC 2025 is designed to help you boost your AI skills so you can stay ahead of threats and manage security more effectively.  

    Whether you’re interested in protecting all your AI investments, AI-driven security, threat intelligence, or securing cloud environments, we’ve got something for you. To help you plan your time from Sunday, April 27 to Thursday, May 1, 2025, in San Francisco, here’s a quick and easy guide to all the key Microsoft Security moments at RSAC 2025.

    Microsoft Pre-Day | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Palace Hotel 

    For the fourth year in a row, Microsoft Pre-Day kicks off the full lineup of Microsoft events and activities throughout RSAC 2025. We will host these at the Microsoft Security Hub at Palace Hotel, just a short walk from Moscone Center.  

    Hear directly from Microsoft Security leaders as they share reporting on emerging cyberthreat trends and the product innovations designed to protect against them. See the lineup below:  

    • Vasu Jakkal, Corporate Vice President (CVP), Microsoft Security Business 
    • Charlie Bell, Executive Vice President, Microsoft Security 
    • Sherrod DeGrippo, Director of Threat Intelligence Strategy 
    • Dorothy Li, Corporate Vice President (CVP), Microsoft Security Copilot 
    • Ann Johnson, Corporate Vice President (CVP) and Deputy CISO 
    • And more.  

    Register for Pre-Day today.  

    Networking Reception | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Microsoft Security Hub, Palace Hotel, Second Floor 

    Stick around after Microsoft Pre-Day to attend the Networking Reception—a lively evening designed to connect with the security community, engage with Microsoft leaders, and exchange ideas in a relaxed atmosphere. It’s the perfect way to kick off an inspiring week at RSAC 2025. 

    On Monday we ease into things by focusing on what’s new all around. We’ll share lots of goodness about agents and our new innovations announced in March. 

    Security Demo Experience at the Microsoft Security Booth #5744 | All day, every day | Moscone Center North Expo Hall  

    Monday is the first day to explore the show floor. Stop by the Microsoft Security Booth #5744 in Moscone Center North Expo Hall to explore live demos, meet Microsoft Security experts, and get hands-on with the latest tools. 

    Become a defender against cyber threats in a fast-paced, interactive game. You’ll be a part of a mission, navigating realistic incident response scenarios using Microsoft Security solutions, including our new AI Agents. Engage in quick skill challenges and wrap up with expert insights. Are you ready to beat the bad actors? 

    Keynote: Security in the Age of Agentic AI | 4:40 PM | Moscone Center (West Stage) 

    Agentic workflows will dramatically reshape what is possible in security. By enabling more complex problem-solving, agent collaboration, and iterative learning, agentic AI will empower a new paradigm for security that was once the domain of science fiction. Vasu Jakkal will take an imaginative look at the future of security AI agents, and the very human-driven way they will change the game. 

    Microsoft Sessions at RSAC 2025 | All day | Moscone Center 

    Our top Microsoft Security experts were chosen by RSAC to share their insights and best practices to help you level up your own security strategy. These sessions are designed for learning, not selling. So, you’ll hear more about what’s happening in the security space and less about products. 

    • Practical Strategies for Security Architecture in a Changing World​ @ 8:30 AM – 9:20 AM 

    This session will delve into the core pillars of security architecture and share practical strategies that uphold foundational principles. Will discuss holistic system thinking and provide a practical playbook for navigating the complexities of security architecture while maintaining a focus on the fundamentals and essential considerations for a secure digital environment. 

    Speaker: Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Partner Security Architect, Microsoft 

     

    • RSAC Innovation Sandbox @ 9:30 AM – 12:40 PM ​ 

    Ten of cybersecurity’s boldest new innovators compete in Innovation Sandbox for the title of “Most Innovative Startup.” ISB celebrates 20 years & spotlights startups with potentially game-changing ideas. The Finalists have 3 minutes to share groundbreaking products & solutions with a panel of judges. Interact first-hand with these companies as the judges deliberate before the winner is crowned. 

    Speakers: Christopher Young, Executive Vice President, Business Development, Strategy and Ventures, Microsoft; David Chan, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley; Dorit Dor, Chief Technology Officer, Check Point Software Technologies; Niloofar Razi Howe, Operating Partner, Capitol Meridian Partners; Hugh Thompson, Executive Chairman & RSAC Conference Program Committee Chair, RSAC; Paul Kocher, Researcher, Independent Researcher; and Nasrin Rezai, SVP & CISO, Verizon 

     

    • AI Era Authentication: Securing the Future with Inclusive Identity @ 1:10 PM – 2:00 PM 

    This session explores the security and usability risks of authentication techniques for users with diverse needs. Emergence of AI agents, a new user identity acting on our behalf, also necessitates a rethink of authentication methods. Discover AI-era authentication using sensors like location and behavior and learn about the shift from active to passive authentication with prototypes in action.  

    Speakers: Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Partner Security Architect, Microsoft and Aditi Shah, Senior Data & Applied Scientist, Microsoft 

     

    • DPRK Remote IT Workers – Have You Hired One and Are You at Risk? @ 2:20 PM – 3:10 PM 

    The DPRK actively deploys remote IT workers to generate revenue for the regime while circumventing sanctions. DPRK IT workers pose risks to companies, including insider access, potential intellectual property theft, and exposure to other malicious cyber activity. This panel will discuss best practices for identifying and preventing the hiring of DPRK IT workers. 

    Speakers: Greg Schloemer, Senior Threat Intelligence Analyst, Microsoft; Elizabeth Pelker, Special Agent, FBI; Chris Horne, Director, Trust & Safety Intelligence & Investigations, Upwork; Adam Meyers, SVP Intelligence, CrowdStrike; and Bryan Vorndran, Assistant Director, FBI 

     

    Microsoft Expert Sessions | All day Monday – Wednesday | Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor) 

    Don’t miss our deep-dive sessions happening at the Microsoft Security Hub. Build your AI cybersecurity skills as Microsoft Security experts will share what they’ve learned and provide insights you can apply in your own organization. 

    • Harnessing Diversity – Strengthening the Cybersecurity Workforce in the Age of AI ​@ 10:30AM – 11:30AM​ 

    Speakers: Amanda Minnich, Principal Research Manager, Microsoft; Nicole Ford VP, Customer Security Officer, Microsoft; Kyla Guru, Founder/CEO, Bits N’ Bytes Cybersecurity Education; Tanell Ford, Assistant General Counsel, Microsoft; and Sherrod Degrippo, Directory of Threat Intelligence Strategy, Microsoft 

     

    • Reshaping SecOps for the Cloud AI Era @ 10:30AM – 11:30AM​ 

    Speakers: Scott Woodbridge, General Manager, Product Marketing, Microsoft and Corina Feuerstein, Principal Product Manager for Copilot in Defender and Sentinel 

     

    • Practical use of CoPilot AutoFix to address Security Backlog @ 12:00PM – 1:30PM​ 

    Speakers: Alexis Wales, CISO, GitHub and Marcelo Oliveira, VP, Product Management, GitHub 

     

    • Executive Lunch: Scaling Compliance for Global Regulations @ ​12:00PM – 1:30PM​ 

    Speakers: Bret Arsenault, CVP, Chief Cybersecurity Advisor, Microsoft  

     

    Theatre Sessions | Location: Microsoft Security Booth #5744 

    Here’s where we talk products. These 15-20 minute informal, come-and-go sessions run all day at the Microsoft Security booth. They’re demo-heavy product showcases to help you learn how to better use the tools you’ve got now. 

    • Identity Security in the Era of AI with Security Copilot @ 5:35PM – 5:55 PM 
    • Security Copilot Agents: Autonomous, adaptive, with you in control @ 6:05PM – 6:25 PM 
    • From Risk to Resilience: The Next Evolution in Multicloud Security @ 6:35 PM– 6:55PM 

    MISA Awards| Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor) 

    It’s time to suit up in heroic attire for an epic celebration at the 6th annual Microsoft Security Excellence Awards! Just like the Avengers, assembling to save the world, we’re coming together to honor the extraordinary achievements of our MISA members who work so diligently to protect customers from external threats!  Congratulations to the incredible finalists for the sixth annual Microsoft Security Excellence Awards presented by MISA! 

    Customer Meetings | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor) 

    Take advantage of the opportunity to connect with Microsoft Security experts and enhance your cybersecurity knowledge. From April 28 to April 30, 2025 customers and CISOs can schedule one-on-one meetings at the Palace Hotel to discuss your most pressing security product and threat intelligence questions. Secure your spot by visiting the Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page.  

    Tuesday is the busiest day of the conference, with lots of choices in front of you, so plan ahead. 

    Keynote: AI Safety: Where Do We Go From Here? | 8:30 AM | Moscone Center (West Stage) 

    During this keynote session, Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and the UK AI Safety Institute leaders come together for this blockbuster panel to explain the evolving landscape of AI safety. Attendees will gain insights into key developments in AI safety that should matter to organizations, its intersection with existing security initiatives, and time-tested approaches to translate AI safety to practice.  

    Speakers: Ram Shankar Siva Kumar, Data Cowboy, Microsoft; Jade Leung, Data Cowboy, Microsoft; and Daniel Rohrer, VP Software Product Security, Architecture & Research, NVIDIA 

     

    Microsoft Sessions at RSAC 2025 | All day | Moscone Center 

    RSAC has chosen top Microsoft Security experts to share insights and best practices, letting you learn about the latest in security without the sales pitch. 

    • Incident Response Dilemmas: Sharing Intel Across Sectors in Critical Times​ @ 9:40 – 10:30 AM ​ 

    An incident may be a singular event affecting one entity. What happens when it affects our critical infrastructure and has the possibility of sector-wide impact and cascading effects? How do companies share information and meet regulatory expectations? The session will dive into the work that financial services companies, the government, and cloud service providers are taking to mature IR. 

    Speakers: Ann Johnson, CVP & Deputy CISO, Customer Security Managment Office, Microsoft; Ted Conklin, Chief AI Officer & Deputy Assistant Secretary, US Treasury; Heather Hogsett, Senior Vice President, Deputy Head of BITS, Bank Policy Institute; and Erez Liebermann, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP 

     

    • XPIA Attacks – Rethinking Defense in Depth for an AI-Powered World @1:15 – 2:05 PM​ 

    As adversaries rapidly develop sophisticated AI attacks, the solutions also need to evolve rapidly. This panel will explore Cross/Indirect Prompt Injection Attacks (XPIA) and the need to rethink traditional defense in depth strategies. Gain insights into XPIA trends, risk analysis, and innovative solutions to protect critical infrastructure. Join for practical strategies and expert insights.  

    Speakers: Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Partner Security Architect, Microsoft; Aanchal Gupta, CVP, Microsoft; John Leo, Jr, Managing Director – Threat and Vulnerability Management Leader, EY; and Stefano Zanero, Professor, Politecnico di Milano 

     

    • A Year(ish) of Countering Malicious Actors’ Use of AI: What Have We Learned? @ 2:25 –3:15 PM​ 

    Artificial Intelligence has changed the game when it comes to how cyber adversaries operate, and how defenders respond. This panel will explore lessons learned from the past year of countering malicious cyber actors’ use of AI, challenges and limitations of legal actions involving AI, and what roadblocks might appear going forward as AI, and the actors who use it, continues to evolve. 

    Speakers: Sherrod DeGrippo, Director, Threat Intelligence Strategy, Microsoft; Morgan Adamski, Executive Director, US Cyber Command; Cynthia Kaiser, Deputy Assistant Director, FBI; and Sean Newell, Chief, National Security Cyber Section, National Security Division, Department of Justice 

     

    Microsoft Expert Sessions | All day | Monday – Wednesday Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor) 

    Join Microsoft Security product leaders as they share their learnings and how you can apply them in your organization.  

    • Defending Against Modern Threats: Enhancing Endpoint Security and IT Resilience @ 8:00AM – 9:30AM 

    Speakers: Archana Devi Sunder Rajan, Partner Group Product Manager, Microsoft and Peter M. Thompson, Principal PM Manager, Microsoft   

    • Secure and Govern AI to safeguard your data, reduce risks, and support compliance @ ​10:30AM – 11:30AM​ 

    Speakers: Herain Oberoi, GM, Data & AI Security, Microsoft; Rudra Mitra, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Purview; and Neta Haiby, Director of AI Security, Microsoft 

    • Microsoft Security Copilot @ 12:00PM – 1:30PM 

    Speaker:  Dorothy Li, CVP, Microsoft Security Copilot

    • Secure your data in the era of AI with Microsoft Purview @ 2:30PM – 3:30PM 

    Speakers: Talhah Mir, Principal Group Product Manager, Microsoft Purview and Maithili Dandige, Partner Group Product Manager, Microsoft Purview 

    • ​AI and Automation Panel: The Startup Innovation for Enterprise Resilience – moderated by FC @ 2:30PM – 3:30PM 

    **Attendees will have the opportunity to receive a copy of FC’s book, How I Rob Banks, and the chance to have it signed by the author at the end of the session.

    Speakers: Kevin Magee, Director Cybersecurity Startups, Microsoft for Startups; FC, Co-founder & CEO, Cygenta; Shane Coleman, Chief Data Security Evangelist; Christ “Tito” Sestito, CEO, HiddenLayer; Ravid Circus, Co-founder & CPO, Seemplicity; and Jeremy Vaughan, CEO, Start Left Security 

     

    Theatre Sessions | Location: Microsoft Security Booth #5744 

    Stop by the Microsoft Security booth to catch a short demo of your favorite product. 

    • See Beyond Silos and Protect Better with Microsoft Security Exposure Management 11:00 AM –11:20 AM              
    • Accelerate your Zero Trust journey with the Microsoft Entra Suite 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM 
    • Automating Vulnerability Management: The Power of “Endpoint Vulnerability Remediation Agent” in Microsoft Intune 12:00 PM – 12:20 PM  
    • From Risk to Resilience: The Next Evolution in Multicloud Security 12:30 PM – 12:50 PM 
    • Accelerating post-breach deep content analysis and mitigation with Microsoft Purview @ 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM  
    • Microsoft Sentinel Uncovered: Advanced Capabilities to Transform the SOC @ 1:30 PM – 1:50 PM     
    • Protect AI Workloads from Code to Runtime with Microsoft Defender for Cloud @ 2:00 PM – 2:20 PM    
    • Security Copilot Agents: Autonomous, adaptive, with you in control @ 2:30 PM – 2:50 PM 
    • Unified SecOps: Defending Critical Infrastructure with Microsoft Defender @ 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM  
    • Be Fast as Lighting: Automate Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel Service Delivery @ 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM  
    • Mastering Cloud Threats: Detect, Investigate, and Respond in real-time with Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Defender XDR integration @ 4:00 PM – 4:20 PM  
    • Practical Strategies for Securing AI-Driven Data: Enhancing Cyber Resilience and Insider Risk Management @ 4:30 PM – 4:50PM  
    • Secure and govern access to GenAI apps with the Microsoft Entra Suite @5:00 PM – 5:20 PM  
    • Bolster your SOC with Microsoft’s Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) @ 5:30 PM – 5:50PM  

    Networking and Fun | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor) 

    • Secure & Sip: DevOps Edition @ 4:30PM – 6:30PM  

    Speaker: Alexis Wales, CISO, GitHub 

    Gather with GitHub’s security leaders and experts for meaningful conversations, thoughtfully crafted cocktails, and a custom ramen bar to round out your day at RSAC. 

    Customer Meetings | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor) 

    Day 2 of meetings with Microsoft Security experts continues. Secure your spot by visiting the Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page.  https://MicrosoftSecurityEvents.eventbuilder.com/MicrosoftRSAC2025events?source=blog_techcomm 

    As the conference starts to wrap up, don’t miss your chance to get hands-on with Microsoft Security solutions and ask questions at the Hub and booth and in 1:1 meetings. 

    Microsoft Sessions at RSAC 2025 | Location: Moscone Center 

    • Guardians of the Cyber Galaxy: Allies Against AI-Powered Cybercrime​ @ 8:30 – 9:20 AM  

    ​AI is revolutionizing cybercrime, putting traditional defenses to the test. Expert panelists unite to detail innovative public-private strategies and real-world case studies from their experience in INTERPOL, the FBI, Microsoft, and the Privacy & Cybersecurity Group of an international law firm. Gain actionable insights to protect the global community and fortify cybersecurity defenses.  

    Speakers: Sean Farrell, Lead Counsel, AI Strategy, Digital Crimes Unit, Microsoft Corporation; Garylene Javier, Privacy & Cybersecurity Counsel, Crowell & Moring LLP; Craig Jones, Immediate Past Director Cybercrime, INTERPOL; and Andrew Sczygielski, Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation 

     

    • Green and Sustainable AI for Cybersecurity​ @1:15 – 2:05 PM​ 

    The session will consider the carbon cost of AI and analytics. It will focus on the estimated energy and carbon costs of many cybersecurity use cases and approaches that can be taken to build more sustainable solutions. This will be illustrated through the use of a threat hunting and detection analytical solution and how that could be designed to be most power efficient.  

    Speakers: Lesley Kipling, Chief Security Advisor, Microsoft and Sian John, CTO, NCC Group 

     

    • Scaling AppSec With an SDLC for Citizen Development​ @ 1:15 – 2:05 PM​ 

    AppSec programs are difficult. Filled to the brim with vulnerabilities. Overloaded staff and inadequate budget. The common “solution” is to narrow scope and focus on crown jewels and their devs. Increasing the scope to 100x devs and 1000x apps surprisingly worked, resulting in program remediation of >50K vulnerabilities in 3 months. 18K of them in a single night. This session will show how. 

    Speakers: Ryan McDonald, Principal Program Manager, Microsoft and Michael Bargury, Co-Founder & CTO, Zenity 

     

    Microsoft Expert Sessions | All day Monday – Wednesday | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor) 

    Don’t miss the final few Microsoft Security focused sessions at our Hub. 

    • Threat intelligence trends and insights panel: Exclusive briefing from Microsoft Threat Intelligence @10:30AM – 11:30AM​  

    Speakers: Sherrod De Grippo, Director of Threat Intelligence Strategy, Microsoft; Jeremy Dallman, Senior Director of Security Research in Microsoft Threat Intelligence; and Steven Masada, Assistant General Counsel, DCU 

    • Secure access for your employees with Entra Suite @ ​10:30AM – 11:30AM​ 

    Speaker:  Irina Nechaeva, General Manager, Identity and Network Access 

    • Securing the AI Powered Enterprise Executive Panel Lunch @​12:00PM – 1:30PM​ 

    Speakers: Bret Arsenault, Chief Cybersecurity Advisor, Microsoft; Brandon Dixon, Partner Product Manager, Security AI Strategy, Microsoft; Manny Sahota, Director, Global Cloud Privacy, Microsoft; Herain Oberoi, General Manager, Data Security, Governance, Compliance, Privacy Business and Marketing, Microsoft; and Sarah Bird, Chief Product Officer of Responsible AI, Microsoft 

     

    Theatre Sessions | Location: Microsoft Security Booth #5744 

    Don’t miss your chance to see demos and ask questions casually at the booth. 

    • Make Windows endpoints more secure and prevent downtime 11:00 AM – 11:20 AM            
    • Unlocking Opportunities: A Guide to Partnering with Microsoft 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM            
    • EY Security Copilot Empowered Solutions 12:00 PM – 12:20 PM 
    • Microsoft Security Copilot: Protect at the speed and scale of AI 12:30 PM – 12:50 PM           
    • Phishing-Resistant Authentication, Trusted Onboarding & Recovery @ 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM 
    • Building a multi-layered approach to data security SOC @ 1:30 PM – 1:50 PM     
    • Secure your email and collaboration tools against sophisticated cyber attacks @ 2:00 PM – 2:20 PM  
    • The latest intelligence on North Korean remote IT workers @ 2:30 PM – 2:50 PM 
    • Secure and govern M365 Copilot with Microsoft Purview @ 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM 
    • Proactively Mitigate Risks with Microsoft Security Exposure Management @ 3:30 PM – 3:50 PM 
    • Windows 365: The security of Windows, the scale of the cloud@ 4:00 PM – 4:20 PM 
    • Shift your SOC from manual incident response to automatic attack disruption @ 4:30 PM –4:50PM  
    • A Look Inside Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative: Progress, Innovations, and Best Practices @ 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM 
    • Simplifying Data Security for the Modern Network with Microsoft Purview and Netskope One @ 5:30 PM – 5:50 PM 

    Customer Meetings | Location: Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel (Second Floor) 

    It’s your final chance to ask your questions and give your suggestions directly to Microsoft Security experts. Book your meeting here: Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page. 

    Microsoft Sessions at RSAC | Location: Moscone Center 

    Last but certainly not least. 

    • Shaping Cybersecurity: How Regulation Shapes Operational Cyber Defense​ @ 10:50 – 11:40AM​  

    In 2024, elections and growing cyberthreats pushed cybersecurity to the forefront of government priorities. The panel will explore governments’ efforts to strengthen cybersecurity and resilience through regulation, the impact on operational cyber defense, and discuss where greater alignment is possible. Attendees will gain an understanding of the quickly evolving global regulatory landscape.  

    Speakers: Ted Maurer, Senior Director, Global Cybersecurity Policy, Microsoft; Christiane Kirketerp de Viron, Director for Digital Society, Trust & Cybersecurity, DG Connect, European Commission; Ari Schwartz, Managing Director, Cybersecurity Services, Venable LLP; Josephine Wolff, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity Policy, Tufts University, The Fletcher School; and Florian Schütz, Director, NCSC – National Cybersecurity Centre 

     

    • Taking the Fight Upstream: Pursuing Systemic Defense Against Phishing​ 12:20 – 11:10 PM​  

    Three decades into the public internet, cybercrime is booming and phishing remains a key vector. With AI-enhanced attacks rising, common users are increasingly ill-equipped to defend themselves. What can be done upstream to protect society? This session explores systemic defense strategies across the ICT ecosystem that hold the potential for significant ecosystem-wide impact.

    Speakers: Kelly Bissell, CVP Security & Fraud, Microsoft; Tal Goldstein, Head of Strategy, World Economic Forum Centre for Cybersecurity; Steven Kelly, Chief Trust Officer, Institute for Security and Technology; and Kemba Walden, President, Paladin Global Institute, Paladin Capital Group  

     

    • Fraud, Risk, Hollywood & Government—A Strategy for AI Across Industry 12:20 – 11:10 PM 

    ​Dive into the high-stakes world of AI as the experts in this session unravel AI’s game-changing roles in Hollywood, government, and finance. Experience firsthand revolutionary strategies, ethical showdowns, and futuristic trends set to redefine industry landscapes. Get ready for a session that’s as dynamic and ambitious as a Hollywood blockbuster! 

    Speakers: Vishal Amin, GM, National Security Group, Security; Gurpreet Bhatia, Acting Deputy CIO for Cybersecurity, Acting CISO, DOD; David Mahdi, CIO, Transmit Security; and Scott Mann, Film Director & Co-Founder/Co-CEO, Flawless 

    • Generative AI Meets Identity Governance: Automating the Overlooked​ @ 1:30 – 2:20 PM​ 

    Identity governance is often the last thing to be implemented and rarely gets the attention it deserves due to its complexity. This session will explore how Generative AI agents can help overcome this by automating critical but often deprioritized tasks like role mining and identity lifecycle management, particularly addressing the challenges of managing ‘movers’ within organizations.  

    Speakers: Angelica Faber, Sr Security Architect, Microsoft and Wesley Kuzma, Architect Manager, Microsoft 

     

    Theatre Sessions | Location: Microsoft Security Booth #5744 

    Catch the last day of theater sessions. 

    • How Enterprises will Continue to Learn from Open Source 11:00 AM – 11:20 AM  
    • Creating Bespoke Identity Governance Solutions with Microsoft Entra Suite 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM  
    • Identity-first security: Using an event-based approach for threat remediation @ 12:00 PM – 12:20 PM 
    • Securing and governing Agents built-in Microsoft Copilot Studio @ 12:30 PM – 12:50 PM 
    • Azure Platform Security in an Evolving Threat Landscape @ 1:00 PM – 1:20 PM 

    How to Make the Most of Microsoft Security at RSAC 2025 

    Plan Ahead: Bookmark this blog to easily find the things that interest you the most. 

    Visit the Booth: Engage with our security experts and experience live demos.

    Follow Along Online: Stay updated by following Microsoft Security on LinkedIn and X. 

    Book a Meeting: Want to connect 1:1 with a Microsoft Security expert? Secure your spot by visiting the Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page. 

     

    See you at RSAC 2025! 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Fitzgerald and House Judiciary Committee Republicans Hold Press Conference on NIL and Antitrust Issues in Madison, WI

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05)

    MADISON, WI – Today, Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) and his House Judiciary Committee Republican colleagues held a press conference on the Madison campus of the University of Wisconsin following a roundtable discussion on the antitrust issues facing the NCAA.

    The press conference highlighted the current landscape around antitrust liability for the NCAA, which has created issues around name, image, and likeness (NIL) payments, the transfer portal, and eligibility rules in college athletics.

    “It was great to be on the ground in Madison with my Judiciary colleagues to further the discussion on antitrust concerns that are reshaping the structure and future of college athletics,” said Congressman Fitzgerald. “We heard directly from NCAA leadership, student-athletes, coaches, and university stakeholders about the challenges and unintended consequences stemming from how antitrust laws are currently affecting the structure and oversight of college athletics. Hearing from those most impacted is essential as we consider potential legislative solutions that preserve fairness in the evolving model of college sports.”

    Watch the full press conference in Madison, WI here.

    Press conference attendees:

    • Chairman Jim Jordan
    • Subcommittee Chairman Scott Fitzgerald
    • Congressman Tom Tiffany
    • Congresswoman Harriet Hageman
    • Congressman Kevin Kiley
    • NCAA President Charlie Baker

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Takes Action to Protect Free Speech

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other attorneys general today took legal action to stop the Trump administration’s “Ideological Deportation Policy,” a sweeping and alarming effort to arrest, detain, and deport noncitizens for exercising their right to free speech. In an amicus brief filed in American Association of University Professors v. Rubio, the attorneys general urge the Court to block enforcement of the administration’s policy, which targets individuals, many of them students and scholars, for immigration enforcement based on their beliefs. The attorneys general argue this policy is a blatant violation of the First Amendment and is inflicting lasting harm on academic institutions, students, and state economies.

    “Our democracy depends on the freedom to think, to speak, and to learn without fear,” said Attorney General James. “No one should face detention or deportation for exercising their right to free speech – not in New York, or in any other state in our nation. This policy is a dangerous overreach, and I will not allow fear and censorship to replace freedom and opportunity. My office is standing firmly against any effort to weaponize immigration to silence free speech and dissent.”

    In the brief, Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the Trump administration is weaponizing immigration enforcement to punish individuals for expressing their political views, in clear violation of the First Amendment’s free speech protections. The attorneys general assert that this targeted censorship, which has reportedly resulted in more than 800 visa cancellations in recent weeks, undermines academic freedom, suppresses classroom conversation, and sends a chilling message to students and faculty nationwide. The attorneys general highlight disturbing examples of federal overreach, including the arrest of a Tufts University PhD student by masked, plainclothes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after she co-authored an op-ed in a campus newspaper – a case that has created widespread fear among international students at institutions across the country.

    The attorneys general argue that the federal government’s aggressive enforcement tactics, including sudden raids, public arrests by undercover officers, and swift out-of-state transfers, serve no legitimate public safety or national security purpose. Instead, they simply serve to intimidate noncitizens into silence, violating constitutional rights and using fear as a tool of enforcement.

    Attorney General James and the coalition warn of the devastating impact this policy has on higher education. Colleges and universities rely on the open exchange of ideas to foster learning and innovation, and international students and scholars are central to that mission. In New York and across the country, noncitizens bring vital perspectives, conduct groundbreaking research, and contribute significantly to economic growth. Their forced departure threatens both institutional excellence and state economies.

    In New York, the effects are already being felt. The State University of New York (SUNY) system has already experienced a sharp decline in international applications, visa approvals, and continued enrollment. Moreover, faculty and students are canceling academic travel, forgoing research funding, and reconsidering their futures in the country out of fear of deportation or reentry denial. The federal government’s policy is also having a chilling effect on academic speech, particularly on global and political issues, and threatening programs, finances, and international partnerships.

    The policy’s consequences extend beyond academia. The attorneys general argue that when noncitizens fear they could be deported for their beliefs, they are less likely to report crimes, seek healthcare, or participate in civic and religious life – threatening public safety, public health, and religious freedom. Economically, the policy discourages global talent from coming to or remaining in the United States, jeopardizing industries that rely on international workers and students.

    Attorney General James and the coalition are urging the Court to halt this policy immediately, which they argue is making states less safe, less democratic, and less free.

    Joining Attorney General James in this brief are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Stefanik Joined Fox News The Story to Discuss Safeguarding American Elections and Joining President Trump in Holding Columbia University Accountable

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (21st District of New York)

    ICYMI: Stefanik Joined Fox News The Story to Discuss Safeguarding American Elections and Joining President Trump in Holding Columbia University Accountable | Press Releases | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Missouri Gang Member Indicted for Murder in Aid of Racketeering and Other Crimes Including Three Murders

    Source: US State of California

    A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri returned an indictment on Wednesday charging Travis Santel Jones, 21, of St. Louis, Missouri, with one count of murder in aid of racketeering, RICO conspiracy, using a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing death with a firearm, all related to Jones’s alleged part in the Cochran Crips, a violent street gang based in St. Louis. Two victims were gunned down in the street and one victim was killed at his own home.

    “There is no place in our communities for groups that terrorize their neighbors,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This indictment alleges violent criminal acts and the tragic loss of three lives, all at the hands of a dangerous gang member. The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division will continue to pursue justice for these victims and for the people of St. Louis.”

    “The alleged activity here is exactly the type of case that the Violent Crime Initiative was designed to tackle — complex criminal conspiracies involving drugs and years of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri. “There are severe federal consequences for anyone who is tempted to kill and maim to peddle poison.”

    “For years, FBI St. Louis has been investigating violent crimes and drug trafficking by Cochran Crips gang members. In 2020, our office surged resources to assist the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department after two innocent Saint Louis University students were gunned down simply because their vehicle was misidentified by the gang,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not stop until we bring all those involved in the murders to justice.”

    “Violence has no place in our community, and this indictment sends a clear message: we will always be a voice for victims, and we will not stop pursuing justice until there is accountability,” said St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert J. Tracy. “I am proud of the dedication by our investigators on this case, and we will continue to work with our federal law enforcement partners to keep our neighborhoods safe and take dangerous criminals off our streets.”

    According to court documents, Jones conspired with other Cochran Crips members to commit multiple acts of murder and multiple drug trafficking offenses. Specifically, it is alleged in July 2020, Jones and other members were driving the streets of St. Louis, armed with multiple firearms, looking for “get backs” (retaliation) against a rival gang. While searching for rival gang members, Jones and others allegedly killed two innocent people whom they mistakenly believed to be rivals. After allegedly shooting and killing the victims, Jones and other Cochran Crips allegedly sped away, fleeing the scene and endangering other motorists on the road. Just a day after the murders, it is alleged that Cochran Crips gang members glorified the murders in a rap song.

    In 2022, Jones allegedly murdered another Cochran Crips member when the gang believed that the victim had disrespected a fellow gang member. The gang members are alleged to have obtained a car, armed themselves with multiple firearms, drove to the victim’s home, and murdered him.

    If convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, Jones faces a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison or the death penalty. All other charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.  

    The FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Jared A. Hernandez and Matthew Mattis of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj for the Eastern District of Missouri are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in St. Louis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Missouri and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in St. Louis.

    This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Adam Gordon Sworn in as U.S. Attorney

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Adam Gordon, a career prosecutor who became a nationally-recognized expert on prosecutorial strategies to combat the fentanyl epidemic, was sworn in today as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, one of the busiest federal districts in the nation. Mr. Gordon, 43, was appointed by Attorney General Pamela Bondi.

    U.S. District Court Chief Judge Cynthia A. Bashant administered the oath of office to Gordon in the presence of his senior leadership team, office colleagues, friends and family.

    “Thank you to President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for the opportunity to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California,” Mr. Gordon said. “I am deeply honored to lead this office and protect the people of this district. For too long, criminal organizations have exploited the chaos at our border. That chaos of criminality and lack of consequences cannot prevail. Together with our dedicated law enforcement partners, we will focus our resources on the Operation Take Back America priorities including securing the border, prosecuting cartel leaders, and removing dangerous offenders from our communities.”

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office enforces federal criminal laws in the Southern District of California, which includes San Diego and Imperial counties, and represents the federal government in civil litigation.  The office is one of the nation’s largest, comprised of approximately 300 attorneys and staff members.  As the U.S. Attorney, Gordon is the chief federal law enforcement official for the district.

    Mr. Gordon is a veteran prosecutor who has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California since 2019. He most recently worked in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Unit. Prior to that assignment, he was the office’s Criminal Division Opioid Coordinator for approximately three years.

    Gordon was instrumental in creating the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (“FAST”) in San Diego County which is now a national model. Formed in September 2022, FAST is a multi-agency task force led by Homeland Security Investigations working in conjunction with federal partners, along with state and local agencies to target significant fentanyl distributors in San Diego County to reduce the overdose death rate. He also has personally prosecuted many of resulting in death cases, achieving justice for the families of victims of fentanyl poisonings, including the drug dealer responsible for the death of a 13-year-old in Coronado.

    Prior to serving as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Gordon was a Deputy District Attorney in San Diego County where he prosecuted a variety of criminal matters but focused on violent crimes. From 2014 to 2018, Adam was in private practice in San Diego. Gordon received his bachelor’s degree in economics in 2004 from Harvard University, and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2008.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Files Brief Challenging Trump Administration’s Unjustified and Unconstitutional Revocation of Student Visas

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, as part of a coalition of 19 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief challenging the Trump Administration’s executive orders allowing for the ideologically-motivated revocation of visas for students and faculty who exercise their free speech and association rights. In the past month, the Trump Administration has revoked the visas, and in some cases arrested, detained, and sought to remove, hundreds of visa-holding and legal permanent resident students at higher education institutions for expressing opinions that the Trump Administration disagrees with. In other cases, students have been provided little to no justification for the termination grounds, much less the meaningful opportunity to challenge the sudden denial. In just California, nearly 100 students across the California State University system, University of California campuses, and Stanford University have had their visas revoked. 

    “Students across the country are being aggressively targeted without notice and for no clear reason beyond the President’s political agenda, creating a culture of fear and disrupting our institutions of higher education,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The unjustified and unconstitutional revocation of student visas for expressing their opinions sends a stunning message to campuses across the nation: fall in line or face deportation. I urge the court to put a swift stop to this policy before it can do any further damage.”

    The Trump Administration’s “Ideological Deportation Policy” is based on two Executive Orders (14161 and 14188).These orders direct federal agencies to vet foreign nationals seeking to enter the U.S. based on ideological grounds rather than on direct safety threats. These orders further direct federal agencies to investigate, detain, and deport noncitizen students and faculty who engage in political speech with which the Administration disagrees. Last month, the Trump Administration began using these orders as the basis to begin revoking hundreds of student visas. 

    During the 2023-2024 school year, states represented in the amicus brief hosted over 640,000 international students who supported more than 235,000 jobs and contributed approximately $27.5 billion annually to our economies through tuition, living expenses, and related spending. These noncitizen students not only make substantial economic contributions to the states; they also enrich academic discourse, strengthen our research capabilities, and enhance our global competitiveness. 

    In the brief, Attorney General Bonta and the multistate coalition argues that the Trump Administration’s Ideological Deportation Policy inflicts irreparable harms to the states, is contrary to the public interest, and violates the First Amendment’s protection of free speech, which the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed extends to noncitizen residents within the United States. The coalition respectfully urges the court to grant a preliminary injunction to stop deportations based on this policy while litigation continues. 

    Attorney General Bonta is committed to upholding the rights and protections of all of California’s residents, including the nearly 11 million immigrants who call California home. He has defended pathways for legal immigration for those fleeing dangerous conditions in their home counties, supported challenges to the early termination of the TPS designation for Venezuela and Haitians, and secured a preliminary injunction in his lawsuit challenging the President’s unlawful executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship.

    Attorney General Bonta has also vigorously defended President Trump’s assault on the rule of law. Last month, Attorney General Bonta, along with 20 other state attorneys general issued an open letter urging the legal community to stand together in defense of the rule of law in response to President Trump’s recent attacks. Attorney General Bonta also issued a separate statement on the need to speak up and push back when our democratic norms are violated, our legal system undermined, and our laws broken. 

    Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont in filing the amicus brief. 

    A copy of the brief is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Missouri Gang Member Indicted for Murder in Aid of Racketeering and Other Crimes Including Three Murders

    Source: United States Attorneys General 2

    A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri returned an indictment on Wednesday charging Travis Santel Jones, 21, of St. Louis, Missouri, with one count of murder in aid of racketeering, RICO conspiracy, using a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing death with a firearm, all related to Jones’s alleged part in the Cochran Crips, a violent street gang based in St. Louis. Two victims were gunned down in the street and one victim was killed at his own home.

    “There is no place in our communities for groups that terrorize their neighbors,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This indictment alleges violent criminal acts and the tragic loss of three lives, all at the hands of a dangerous gang member. The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division will continue to pursue justice for these victims and for the people of St. Louis.”

    “The alleged activity here is exactly the type of case that the Violent Crime Initiative was designed to tackle — complex criminal conspiracies involving drugs and years of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri. “There are severe federal consequences for anyone who is tempted to kill and maim to peddle poison.”

    “For years, FBI St. Louis has been investigating violent crimes and drug trafficking by Cochran Crips gang members. In 2020, our office surged resources to assist the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department after two innocent Saint Louis University students were gunned down simply because their vehicle was misidentified by the gang,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not stop until we bring all those involved in the murders to justice.”

    “Violence has no place in our community, and this indictment sends a clear message: we will always be a voice for victims, and we will not stop pursuing justice until there is accountability,” said St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert J. Tracy. “I am proud of the dedication by our investigators on this case, and we will continue to work with our federal law enforcement partners to keep our neighborhoods safe and take dangerous criminals off our streets.”

    According to court documents, Jones conspired with other Cochran Crips members to commit multiple acts of murder and multiple drug trafficking offenses. Specifically, it is alleged in July 2020, Jones and other members were driving the streets of St. Louis, armed with multiple firearms, looking for “get backs” (retaliation) against a rival gang. While searching for rival gang members, Jones and others allegedly killed two innocent people whom they mistakenly believed to be rivals. After allegedly shooting and killing the victims, Jones and other Cochran Crips allegedly sped away, fleeing the scene and endangering other motorists on the road. Just a day after the murders, it is alleged that Cochran Crips gang members glorified the murders in a rap song.

    In 2022, Jones allegedly murdered another Cochran Crips member when the gang believed that the victim had disrespected a fellow gang member. The gang members are alleged to have obtained a car, armed themselves with multiple firearms, drove to the victim’s home, and murdered him.

    If convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, Jones faces a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison or the death penalty. All other charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.  

    The FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Jared A. Hernandez and Matthew Mattis of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj for the Eastern District of Missouri are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in St. Louis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Missouri and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in St. Louis.

    This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Moran Welcomes Pastor Michael Gossett to Capitol as Guest Chaplain

    Source: Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01)

    Washington, D.C. ­– Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01) released the following statement recognizing Dr. Michael Gossett, Senior Pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, for his dedicated service and recent role as Guest Chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives:

    “It’s my honor to introduce Dr. Michael Gossett, Pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, to serve as the Guest Chaplain this week and offer a prayer.

    “Dr. Gossett and his wife lead the largest congregation of believers in East Texas. They also proudly shepherd a flock of four wonderful children at home. Pastor Michael, as he’s known, and Katie are passionate about their call to serve—to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ—and they are personable and approachable in their style, showing the same love and grace as our risen Lord and Savior.

    “Having been a firefighter for five years before entering full-time ministry, this Liberty University alum is tough-minded, disciplined, and steady in his leadership. He is authentic and genuine, and always faithful to preach the truth of the Word of God.

    “Because of that, he has been a strong and effective leader for Green Acres since he arrived in 2019. I’m proud to call him my friend and proud he’s dedicated his life to be salt and light in this lost and dark world.

    “To God be the glory for the great things He’s doing through the Gossetts and Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas. Welcome, Pastor Gossett.”

    Watch Congressman Moran’s Full Remarks HERE

    Dr. Michael Gossett is the Senior Pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, where he has served since 2019. A graduate of Liberty University and former firefighter, he and his wife, Katie, have four children and are passionate about sharing the Gospel and serving the East Texas community.

    Watch Pastor Gossett’s Opening Prayer HERE

    Pastor Gossett’s Full Prayer as Delivered:

    ”Heavenly Father, we come to You today and acknowledge that You alone are the King of kings and Lord of lords. You alone are sovereign over the nations and the peoples of the Earth. Just as Psalm 24:1 says, “The Earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord.” You alone, Lord, have ordained each government official to serve, and we ask that You raise up leaders and call each representative to lead with justice, and wisdom, and humility.

    “We ask Your blessings on each member here and the families and people they represent. I pray that You would grant each Representative clarity of mind, integrity of heart, and a deep concern for truth and righteousness according to Your Word. I pray there would be no fear among them except a fear of the Lord. May they seek the good of the people and the flourishing of all, especially the most vulnerable. Please remind us today that our hope alone is in Your Son, Jesus Christ. We pray all this in the name of Jesus, our risen Lord and coming King. Amen.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Markey and Wicker Announce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Long-Term Weather Forecasting

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Bill Text (PDF) | One Pager
    Washington (April 11, 2025) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), today announced legislation to improve subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) weather forecasting efforts at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through investments in advanced approaches to S2S weather forecasting. S2S forecasting refers to timescales of two weeks to three months and three months to two years, respectively. The Forecasting Optimization for Robust Earth Climate Analysis and Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Tracking (FORECAST) Act of 2025 would authorize federal funding to support research, demonstration, and application of cutting-edge data management and weather modeling technologies to improve the reliability of S2S forecasts. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).
    “The recent devastating tornadoes, torrential rains, and flooding in the central United States demonstrate the urgent need for improved forecasts to support our farmers, mariners, utility workers, city planners, and communities,” said Senator Markey. “In pursuit of a 21st-century weather enterprise that brings predictability to disaster planning, NOAA requires robust subseasonal-to-seasonal forecasting capabilities. The FORECAST Act will provide NOAA with the direction and resources needed to fully realize an S2S forecasting architecture that is cutting-edge, reliable, and maintainable, ensuring the short- and long-term safety of communities in the face of severe weather.”
    “As Mississippians live through this year’s tornado season, it is hard to think of a timelier bill,” said Senator Wicker. “We must keep improving weather forecasting, and I will continue supporting congressional efforts to make predictions as early and accurate as possible.”
    “Long-term forecasts on storms like atmospheric rivers are critical for preparing communities for growing water challenges and flooding in the West,” said Senator Padilla. “This investment in the next generation of our weather workforce will strengthen our long-term forecasting capabilities and keep the public informed beyond traditional two-week weather forecasts in the face of the climate crisis.”
    “As communities experience more extreme weather, we need to invest in forecasting technology and workforce development to make sure we’re prepared for these events,” said Senator Rosen. “That’s why I’m helping to introduce this bipartisan bill to build the next generation of researchers and engineers who will improve and operate forecasting and weather modeling technology. I’ll keep pushing for commonsense solutions that allow us to better adapt to climate change and become more resilient.”
    The FORECAST Act also directs NOAA to continue its record of successful cross-sectoral collaboration with leading universities and scientific organizations to make the most of the latest advances in S2S forecasting efforts. The bill also directs NOAA to leverage emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and unmanned systems, and creates a new workforce development program to develop the next generation of professionals in the weather enterprise.
    This legislation is endorsed by Woodwell Climate Center and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).
    Senators Markey and Padilla previously introduced the FORECAST Act in July 2024.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025 Congressional Art Competition Winner

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN)

    BLOUNTVILLE, TN — Today, Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger joined students, teachers, and community members in Blountville to announce the winners of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition, celebrating the exceptional talent of young artists across Tennessee’s First District. 

    Taking home first place was William McNeill of Providence Academy, whose stunning piece, “Great Dhalia,” captured the top honor and will be proudly displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

    Additional award recipients include:

    • Second Place: Laurel Pearson, Providence Academy
    • Third Place: Frances Stewart, University School
    • Honorable Mention: Annalise Burns, Providence Academy
    • Honorable Mention: Aleecia Rema Davis, Morristown East High
    • Art Teacher of the Year: Sharon Squibb, University School

    Congresswoman Harshbarger shared her admiration and appreciation for the students and educators who participated:

    “It always amazes me to see how much talent the young people of Tennessee’s First District have. It’s one of the reasons this is one of my favorite events of the year, and I’m thankful for the nearly one hundred students who submitted their art. I’m also extremely thankful to the teachers who helped make this competition possible through their guidance and leadership.”

    The Congressional Art Competition is held annually to showcase the artistic achievements of high school students from across the nation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: National Defense University Foreign Fellows Visit U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Joel Carey, chief of staff for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, engages with National Defense University Foreign Fellows during their capstone event at USINDOPACOM headquarters on Camp H.M. Smith, Honolulu, April 10, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Army to sunset milSuite platform

    Source: United States Army

    The milSuite platform – a secure, cloud-based collection of tools for Department of Defense personnel to share information and connect with peers – will be decommissioned on April 30, 2025. On this date, all milSuite products will sunset, including milBook, milUniversity, milSurvey, milTube and milWiki.

    After April 30, all milSuite data will be permanently deleted and unrecoverable. Users must personally export or migrate any data they want to preserve to other collaboration capabilities like Army 365 (Teams, SharePoint online). The data on milSuite will not be automatically transferred to another platform. Although no single platform fully replicates milSuite’s capabilities, existing resources provide similar collaboration, communication and knowledge-sharing functions.

    “Innovations in collaboration, knowledge management and communications offer the DoD approved enterprise tools that better support the Army’s digital modernization efforts in line with our goal of a globally connected Army by 2030,” said Lt. Gen. Jeth Rey, the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff, G-6.

    For additional information, guidance and helpful resources about milSuite sunsetting, go to the milSuite Support Forum. There you will find milSuite alternatives, including instructions on transferring content out of milSuite. On this site, you can also access the milSuite Data Collection Points of Contact list. If you are part of any of the organizations or chains of commands listed in that document and want to ensure your organization is aware of your usage, please contact the appropriate individual(s).

    The milSuite team will be available on this site to assist with the process.

    “We are focused on helping milSuite users understand how to download and export their data over the next few weeks,” said Tom Curran, milSuite program manager. “We’ve established weekly workshops every Thursday at 1 p.m. EDT that provide a forum to share information and connect our technical experts with our user community to address any questions they have. We’ve also established a community page containing details, FAQs and resources across each milSuite platform to assist our users.”

    Due to the short timeline, it is strongly recommended that milSuite users take action as soon as possible to avoid losing important information.

    Refer to our FAQ page at https://www.milSuite.mil/.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy: Trump Is Dismantling Our Democracy. We Must Come Together And Act Before It’s Too Late.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to sound the alarm about Trump’s coordinated effort to dismantle the pillars of American democracy. Murphy warned attacks on journalists, universities, lawyers, and the business community are eroding the institutions that hold leaders accountable—paving the way for a fake democracy where elections still happen, but only one side ever wins.
    “Most of the time, there is not a singular moment when the executive dramatically seizes power,” Murphy said. “There’s not normally a brazen attempt to burn down the Parliament building. No, instead democracies die when gradually, often quietly and methodically over time, the structures that hold the executive accountable–for corruption, for thievery, for wrongdoing–are dismantled. Dismantled so that citizens can no longer hold the executive accountable. Dismantled so that the political opposition never has enough room to maneuver meaningfully. There are still elections. The executive doesn’t try to stuff the ballot box. Occasionally, at lower levels, the opposition still wins. But what happens is that those structures of accountability are either so degraded or so completely co-opted by the regime that the truth is just buried and the political opposition loses the basic tools that it needs to win.”
    Murphy warned authoritarian regimes begin by targeting the press—and that Trump is following the same playbook: “From Hungary to Belarus to Venezuela – countries that have elections but elections where one party just keeps on winning –  these are places journalists are subject to [a] non-stop harassment campaign from the regime, such that people just stop doing journalism, or journalists stop telling the full truth. Last month, for instance, the Turkish President Erdogan locked up 11 journalists simply for covering the protests against Erdogan’s jailing of the top opposition leaders. Now Trump has not started jailing journalists, but the pace of harassment in the first 60 days of his second term is alarming. He’s denied access to government buildings, including the White House, to journalists who don’t use pre-approved language from the White House. He is preferencing credentials to partisan journalists who simply parrot his party line. His FCC has begun to deliberately harass media companies that are owned by political opponents of the President.”
    Murphy underscored the chilling similarities between autocratic regimes’ attacks on universities and Trump’s own crackdown on higher education: “Universities, over the long history of democracy, have been the place where protest – especially youth protest – begins. They are a thorn in the side of leadership. The famous Tiananmen Square protests in China were, of course, started by university students. So it’s no surprise that if you want to crush democracy, you need to crush the independence of universities. That’s why Trump’s decision to target universities that permit criticism of President Trump is so bone-chilling. He pretends like he’s standing up to anti-Semitism on campuses, but what he’s really trying to do is make clear that protest against his policies on campuses will result in federal funding being cut off. Columbia University was forced to agree to a stunning list of free speech concessions in order to gain assurances from President Trump that their federal funding would continue. They had to agree to allow campus police to arrest protestors. They had to essentially agree to receivership – federal receivership – over an academic department that houses professors who are critical of Trump and his policies. Effectively, the President of the United States got to pick the person who will oversee the Columbia department on the Middle East, South Asian and African Studies as well as the Center for Palestine Studies. That is extraordinary. That’s not what happens in a healthy democracy–the leader of the country micromanaging academic departments at major universities to assure that academic work aligns with the regime.”
    Murphy also highlighted the striking parallels between Trump’s campaign against law firms and autocrats who silence legal opposition: “Maybe there’s not a lot of love for lawyers in this country, but lawyers are the ones that bring the lawsuits to stop the thievery and illegality. Lawyers are compelled, by their oath, to stand up for the Constitution. Putin arrested Nalvalny’s lawyers right on the eve of Navalny’s trial. In Venezuela, Maduro routinely harasses and detains lawyers – human rights lawyers – because he knows those are the ones that will hold him accountable. In Tunisia, the regime stormed the offices of the Bar Administration to intimidate the legal profession into silence. Here in America, Trump is engaged in a shameless campaign of extortion against any major law firm that has taken a position against Trump or Trump’s interests. What he is doing is extraordinary, and it is mind blowing to me that it is just being ignored by my Republican colleagues. He’s going firm by firm – and not to every firm, just to the firms that have represented Democrats or brought cases against him – and he’s telling them that if they don’t fall in line and stop doing work to oppose him, their clients will lose access to federal work. That is extortion.”
    He concluded: “If journalists are constantly looking over their shoulder and unable to report on the truth; if protest is suppressed, even moderately, at universities; if lawyers start giving cover, instead of uncovering corruption and illegality in the regime. If companies start being mouthpieces for the regime, as a price of doing business. If all that happens, then we are not a real democracy anymore. We are a fake democracy. Elections still happen– like in Turkey, like Hungary, like Venezuela – but the rules are going to be tilted and dissent will be suppressed so much that the same side – Trump’s side – wins over and over and over. And this should matter not just to Democrats – not just to members of the minority party – this should matter to Republicans as well. We swear an oath to uphold the constitution and it’s time for us to see the game that is being played…Only if we come together are we going to have a chance to save ourselves from the fate that has befallen so many other countries that have slowly, too quietly, seen their countries transition from real democracy to fake democracy.”
    A full transcript of his remarks can be found below:
    MURPHY: “Thank you, Mr. President. 
    “Mr. President, I was sitting with the CEO of one of America’s biggest and most influential companies last month, and I asked him a simple question: what could President Trump do that would be a bridge too far for you? What attack on democracy or the rule of law could Trump make that would cause you to speak up?
    “His answer was pretty simple and it was pretty confident. He said that if Trump were to ignore a Supreme Court ruling, that would cross the line. He was reflecting a familiar theme. That until President Trump thumbs his nose definitively at a court ruling, then his attacks on democracy are troubling, but not lethal. It’s normal politics up until that dramatic confrontation between the executive branch and the judicial branch for which the Constitution, as we know, really has no prescribed remedy.
    “And for many Americans, they might breathe a sigh of relief that America’s most influential private sector leaders would rise up to defend democracy if this confrontation that we worry about came to pass. Combined with a massive public mobilization, we could be saved.
    “But I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief. The opposite: I’m deeply worried that we have really spent little time studying the paths that democracies take when they collapse. Most of the time, there is not a singular moment when the executive dramatically seizes power. There’s not normally a brazen attempt to burn down the Parliament building. No, instead democracies die when gradually, often quietly and methodically over time, the structures that hold the executive accountable–for corruption, for thievery, for wrongdoing–are dismantled. Dismantled so that citizens can no longer hold the executive accountable. Dismantled so that the political opposition never has enough room to maneuver meaningfully. There are still elections. The executive doesn’t try to stuff the ballot box. Occasionally, at lower levels, the opposition still wins. But what happens is that those structures of accountability are either so degraded or so completely co-opted by the regime that the truth is just buried and the political opposition loses the basic tools that it needs to win.
    “In every democracy that stops being a democracy, then, there’s a familiar story. There are four institutions that the regime attacks, and attacks relentlessly, until those structures of accountability are so disintegrated that even though elections continue to happen, the same party or the same person wins power election after election And those four institutions are the press, the legal profession, universities, and the business community. If you degrade or co-opt these four institutions, you never need a high stakes fight with the top court in your country. You don’t need to burn the Reichstag down. You can still have elections. But only one party will win.
    “So that’s why this CEO’s ‘assurance’ frankly sent a chill down my spine. Because our democracy isn’t at risk of dying. It isdying. As we speak. We are watching it die.
    “It is not too late to save it. Let me say that again – it is not too late to save our democracy. But we can’t continue to close our eyes and think that our democracy can survive a coordinated assault on those four key institutions of accountability. Democrats and Republicans need to see what is happening before our eyes, rise up, and defend the independence of journalists, of lawyers, of universities, and of the private sector.
    “So I want to spend a minute or two to walk you through what President Trump is doing, and how it frankly–chillingly–mirrors the tactics other leaders have used to transition real democracy into pretend, fake democracy.
    “It always starts with journalists. From Hungary to Belarus to Venezuela – countries that have elections but elections where one party just keeps on winning –  these are places journalists are subject to [a] non-stop harassment campaign from the regime, such that people just stop doing journalism, or journalists stop telling the full truth. Last month, for instance, the Turkish President Erdogan locked up 11 journalists simply for covering the protests against Erdogan’s jailing of the top opposition leaders. 
    “Now Trump has not started jailing journalists, but the pace of harassment in the first 60 days of his second term is alarming. He’s denied access to government buildings, including the White House, to journalists who don’t use pre-approved language from the White House. He is preferencing credentials to partisan journalists who simply parrot his party line. His FCC has begun to deliberately harass media companies that are owned by political opponents of the President.
    “But Trump’s campaign to destroy independent journalism has a darker and more menacing side. Because Trump isn’t just trying to intimidate journalists so that they’ll be afraid to tell the truth. He’s also trying to destroy the concept of truth itself. And again, this is a key facet of leaders who are elected who are trying to transition democracies away and into something very different. How do you destroy truth? Well, that’s why the Secretary of Defense looks into the camera and tells the American public that the text messages that everybody read – filled with classified information and war plans – did not include classified information and war plans. The White House wants you to believe that 1+1 does not equal 2 any longer. That you should doubt even the clear things you see with [your] eyes. That nothing is real and nothing is true. That if you’re a supporter of the regime and I tell you that one plus one equals three, then one plus one equals three. Those weren’t war plans. Those weren’t classified documents.
    “That’s also why the official position of White House on key issues – like tariffs – changes every hour. Because if the ground truth just changes constantly, then there’s no truth at all. Journalists are made to look foolish by reporting a true thing at 9am that becomes untrue at 10am. Journalism loses its credibility when the facts being distributed by the White House change all the time. Trump says the tariffs are permanent. Journalists report, ‘the president says the tariffs are permanent.’ An hour later, Trump says, ‘I never said they were permanent. They’re not permanent. I’m cutting deals.’ They write that he’s cutting deals. An hour later, they’re suspended, no more tariffs. When the truth changes constantly, it’s hard to believe that there’s anything true any longer.
    “Second, universities are always – always – the target of would-be autocrats. Again, in Turkey, the government has terminated thousands of professors, just because they criticize the government. In Hungary, one of the nation’s most prestigious universities was forced to move out of the country because President Orban attacked it so ceaselessly for fomenting protest against his government.
    “Universities, over the long history of democracy, have been the place where protest – especially youth protest – begins. They are a thorn in the side of leadership. The famous Tiananmen Square protests in China were, of course, started by university students. So it’s no surprise that if you want to crush democracy, you need to crush the independence of universities. 
    “That’s why Trump’s decision to target universities that permit criticism of President Trump is so bone-chilling. He pretends like he’s standing up to anti-Semitism on campuses, but what he’s really trying to do is make clear that protest against his policies on campuses will result in federal funding being cut off. Columbia University was forced to agree to a stunning list of free speech concessions in order to gain assurances from President Trump that their federal funding would continue. They had to agree to allow campus police to arrest protestors. They had to essentially agree to receivership – federal receivership – over an academic department that houses professors who are critical of Trump and his policies. Effectively, the President of the United States got to pick the person who will oversee the Columbia department on the Middle East, South Asian and African Studies as well as the Center for Palestine Studies. That is extraordinary. That’s not what happens in a healthy democracy–the leader of the country micromanaging academic departments at major universities to assure that academic work aligns with the regime.
    “And now, having successfully forced Columbia to bend the knee and quell dissent on their campus, Trump is targeting other universities. Some of them will sign similar agreements, giving President Trump power over those campuses. But frankly, all Trump has to do is make an example of a handful of universities, and others will simply comply and obey in advance. Why, as an academic president, when you’ve got federal dollars that employ people at your university, would you permit a major protest against a Trump policy if you know that that’s going to jeopardize federal funds? Or maybe you allow it, because you don’t want to so brazenly stand in the way of free speech, but you just make sure that it’s not too big a protest, or it’s not too critical. You police speech to be on the right side of the regime. That is what happens in all of these fake democracies, and that is what’s happening here.
    “But controlling speech on campuses is not enough. Controlling and intimidating journalists is not enough. You’ve got to go after the lawyers too. Now maybe there’s not a lot of love for lawyers in this country, but lawyers are the ones that bring the lawsuits to stop the thievery and illegality. Lawyers are compelled, by their oath, to stand up for the Constitution. Putin arrested Nalvalny’s lawyers right on the eve of Navalny’s trial. In Venezuela, Maduro routinely harasses and detains lawyers – human rights lawyers – because he knows those are the ones that will hold him accountable. In Tunisia, the regime stormed the offices of the Bar Administration to intimidate the legal profession into silence.
    “Here in America, Trump is engaged in a shameless campaign of extortion against any major law firm that has taken a position against Trump or Trump’s interests. What he is doing is extraordinary, and it is mind blowing to me that it is just being ignored by my Republican colleagues. He’s going firm by firm – and not to every firm, just to the firms that have represented Democrats or brought cases against him – and he’s telling them that if they don’t fall in line and stop doing work to oppose him, their clients will lose access to federal work.
    “That is extortion. This body, Republicans and Democrats, should stand up against it. But it is working. Several law firms have signed deals with Trump that obligate them to support – guess what? Causes aligned with Donald Trump. Paul Weiss was targeted by an executive order and struck a deal. But so did Skadden – they struck a deal with Trump before they’d even been targeted. Already, collectively, these firms have pledged – think about this – about a quarter of a billion dollars of pro bono work to file cases in coordination with the President of the United States’s political interests. 
    “And just like what happened with universities, there’s a lot of extra compliance that’s happening. I know for a fact that firms that have already signed these agreements with Trump have gone above and beyond the terms of the agreements to quiet their criticism of the government. And no doubt, every single major law firm will think twice before bringing an action against an illegal or corrupt action of the President, in fear of Trump retaliating against their business. That’s the point. The point is to try to crush dissent. The point is to try to stand in the way of anybody who is going to hold Trump accountable by using the power – the official power granted to him by the people of the United States – to try to signal retaliation against anyone who dares oppose him.
    “But collective action–it can be a powerful tool. Together, the collective might of our universities and our law firms is significant. So they could choose to band together and decide to sign no agreements with Trump; to refuse to let the President of the United States dictate the terms of their speech, their business and their defense of the rule of law. 
    “And I don’t want to make the victim the perpetrator. This is all Trump’s fault, what he is doing to extort political loyalty from universities and law firms.  
    “But instead of their being collective action on behalf of these industries, the opposite is happening. In the legal profession, when Paul Weiss was targeted, the other big firms didn’t rise to their defense, they started making calls to Paul Weiss clients and lawyers, using Trump’s assault as a means to poach business or partners. That’s shameful, acting like ravenous vultures. Putting your profits first instead of your country’s interests or the interest of the legal profession, which pledges before a court to stand up for the rule of law. 
    “Instead, these big firms are aiding and abetting the destruction of the rule of law by doing Trump’s work for him, making targeted firms even more vulnerable by working behind the scenes to strip them bare for parts. There are good, patriotic lawyers at many of these high-priced firms who know this is wrong, and they should speak up. Some of them already have. 
    “And now, finally, Trump is coming for the rest of the private sector. Listen, I have no idea what the Trump tariff policy is. The constantly shifting positions of the last week are an embarrassment. It’s complete incompetent malpractice that has jeopardized jobs and retirement savings and college funds all across this country. 
    “But the tariffs are complicated and convoluted and hard to understand likely because they aren’t actually economic or trade policy. They are a political tool– this one designed to force every major company to come before Trump to plead for tariff relief in exchange for giving Trump the company’s political loyalty, no different than what’s happening in the legal progression or in America’s universities.  A tariff can be written very easily to favor one industry over another, or one company over another, and the confusing nature of the tariff regime is a means for Trump to require every major company in the country to come on bended knee to him to get the relief they need.
    “And that loyalty pledge could be anything – the purchase of Trump crypto coin, public support for Trump’s economic policies, donations to his political campaign. But having watched what Trump has done, one by one, to universities and law firms, why would we assume the tariffs aren’t just simply a tool to do the same thing to big companies?
    So what I’m trying to say here is that you don’t need a Battle Royale between the President and the Supreme Court for democracy to die. If journalists are constantly looking over their shoulder and unable to report on the truth; if protest is suppressed, even moderately, at universities; if lawyers start giving cover, instead of uncovering corruption and illegality in the regime. If companies start being mouthpieces for the regime, as a price of doing business. If all that happens, then we are not a real democracy anymore. We are a fake democracy. Elections still happen– like in Turkey, like Hungary, like Venezuela – but the rules are going to be tilted and dissent will be suppressed so much that the same side – Trump’s side – wins over and over and over. 
    “And this should matter not just to Democrats–not just to members of the minority party–this should matter to Republicans as well. We swear an oath to uphold the constitution and it’s time for us to see the game that is being played.
    “The good news is that the rules have NOT been fully rigged yet. There is still time – not loads of it – but there’s still time for this body to set a tone that causes the kind of massive public outrage necessary to stop this campaign of destruction in its tracks.
    “But that requires those of us who believe that the threat to democracy is urgent to act like it. That means saying to our Republican colleagues that we’re not going to act like business as usual. That we’re not going to proceed to legislation unless we have agreement – Republicans and Democrats –  to stop this assault on free speech and dissent. It requires the minority party to say that right now. Only if we come together are we going to have a chance to save ourselves from the fate that has befallen so many other countries that have slowly, too quietly, seen their countries transition from real democracy to fake democracy. 
    “I yield the floor.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Champlain Towers South Investigation Team Provides Update to Structural Engineers

    Source: US Government research organizations

    NCST Slab-beam-column test timelapse

    This timelapse video of a test at the University of Minnesota shows how a full-scale replica of a reinforced concrete slab, beam and column from the Champlain Towers South building would perform under certain conditions believed to be present at the time of the collapse. In this test, the slab and beam on the left break away from the column, simulating the collapse of the pool deck.

    On Thursday, April 10, three members of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) National Construction Safety Team (NCST) investigating the June 2021 partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, Florida, shared technical details of the investigation’s progress with members of the structural engineering professional community. This outreach will help ensure that the team’s findings and recommendations lead to improvements to codes, standards and practices that can prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

    Investigative lead Judith Mitrani-Reiser gave the technical presentation along with investigative co-lead Glenn Bell and Jim Harris, co-lead of the investigation’s Building and Code History Project. The presentation took place at Structures Congress 2025, an annual event of the Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, held this year in Phoenix. While the three experts did not provide new findings, they did offer new technical details from the evidence analysis and testing that supported the preliminary findings NIST released in earlier public presentations.

    The 2002 NCST Act authorizes NIST to conduct investigations of building failures to determine the technical cause or causes and to recommend ways to make buildings safer.

    “We want to make sure the structural engineering community understands how we tested our collapse hypotheses and arrived at our preliminary findings because these are the people who will help to develop and implement improvements to codes, standards and practices that can help save lives,” said Mitrani-Reiser.

    Mitrani-Reiser, Bell and Harris explained the team’s systematic approach to analyzing its hypotheses of what caused the building to fail on June 24, 2021. This effort has involved the collection, examination and testing of physical evidence extracted from the collapse site; collection and analysis of documents and imagery; materials and geotechnical analysis and testing; interviews and focus groups with eyewitnesses and other stakeholders; reconstruction of the condition of the structure at the time of collapse; laboratory testing of full-scale replicas of components of the building; and advanced computer simulations of the collapse initiation and progression.

    Full-scale replicas of portions of the Champlain Towers South building were built at the University of Washington and University of Minnesota and tested to failure. This image shows a test specimen at the University of Minnesota before the test.

    Credit: NIST

    “The work we have been doing is thorough and detailed, so that we can understand as much as we can about the conditions that led to this terrible tragedy,” said Bell. “We are committed to working with the engineering and construction community, including standards development organizations, to ensure our work is applied to making buildings safer.”

    The team is nearly done testing full-scale replicas of building components at the University of Washington and the University of Minnesota. The replicas were built using information the investigation has revealed about the building’s design and construction, the properties of its materials, and the forces acting on it.

    A replica of a Champlain Towers South reinforced concrete column whose construction did not meet original building design requirements was tested at the University of Washington. Specifically, the as-built columns had “short lap splices,” that is, the reinforcement did not overlap sufficiently to provide the required strength.

    Credit: NIST

    In his portion of the presentation, Harris offered an overview of the potential implications of the investigation’s findings for building design, construction and maintenance.

    In a new behind-the-scenes video, Harris explained that the detailed testing will lead to “improved practices for assessing the deterioration and effect of that deterioration on the safety of reinforced concrete buildings.”

    NCST Insider | feat. Jim Harris

    The investigation team plans to provide its next technical presentation in June 2025. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In trade war with the US, China holds a lot more cards than Trump may think − in fact, it might have a winning hand

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Linggong Kong, Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science, Auburn University

    When Donald Trump pulled back on his plan to impose eye-watering tariffs on trading partners across the world, there was one key exception: China.

    While the rest of the world would be given a 90-day reprieve on additional duties beyond the new 10% tariffs on all U.S. trade partners, China would feel the squeeze even more. On April 9, 2025, Trump raised the tariff on Chinese goods to 125%.

    The move, in Trump’s telling, was prompted by Beijing’s “lack of respect for global markets.” But the U.S. president may well have been smarting from Beijing’s apparent willingness to confront U.S. tariffs head on.

    While many countries opted not to retaliate against Trump’s now-delayed reciprocal tariff hikes, instead favoring negotiation and dialogue, Beijing took a different tack. It responded with swift and firm countermeasures. On April 11, China dismissed Trump’s moves as a “joke” and raised its own tariff against the U.S. to 125%.

    The two economies are now locked in an all-out, high-intensity trade standoff. And China is showing no signs of backing down.

    And as an expert on U.S.-China relations, I wouldn’t expect China to. Unlike the first U.S.-China trade war during Trump’s initial term, when Beijing eagerly sought to negotiate with the U.S., China now holds far more leverage.

    Indeed, Beijing believes it can inflict at least as much damage on the U.S. as vice versa, while at the same time expanding its global position.

    A changed calculus for China

    There’s no doubt that the consequences of tariffs are severe for China’s export-oriented manufacturers – especially those in the coastal regions producing furniture, clothing, toys and home appliances for American consumers.

    Amid tariffs, China’s President Xi Jinping senses a historic opportunity.
    Carlos Barria/AFP via Getty Images

    But since Trump first launched a tariff increase on China in 2018, a number of underlying economic factors have significantly shifted Beijing’s calculus.

    Crucially, the importance of the U.S. market to China’s export-driven economy has declined significantly. In 2018, at the start of the first trade war, U.S.-bound exports accounted for 19.8% of China’s total exports. In 2023, that figure had fallen to 12.8%. The tariffs may further prompt China to accelerate its “domestic demand expansion” strategy, unleashing the spending power of its consumers and strengthening its domestic economy.

    And while China entered the 2018 trade war in a phase of strong economic growth, the current situation is quite different. Sluggish real estate markets, capital flight and Western “decoupling” have pushed the Chinese economy into a period of persistent slowdown.

    Perhaps counterintuitively, this prolonged downturn may have made the Chinese economy more resilient to shocks. It has pushed businesses and policymakers to come to factor in the existing harsh economic realities, even before the impact of Trump’s tariffs.

    Trump’s tariff policy against China may also allow Beijing a useful external scapegoat, allowing it to rally public sentiment and shift blame for the economic slowdown onto U.S. aggression.

    China also understands that the U.S. cannot easily replace its dependency on Chinese goods, particularly through its supply chains. While direct U.S. imports from China have decreased, many goods now imported from third countries still rely on Chinese-made components or raw materials.

    By 2022, the U.S. relied on China for 532 key product categories – nearly four times the level in 2000 – while China’s reliance on U.S. products was cut by half in the same period.

    There’s a related public opinion calculation: Rising tariffs are expected to drive up prices, something that could stir discontent among American consumers, particularly blue-collar voters. Indeed, Beijing believes Trump’s tariffs risk pushing the previously strong U.S. economy toward a recession.

    U.S. President Donald Trump looks at Chinese President Xi Jinping during the plenary session at the G20 Summit on July 7, 2017, in Hamburg, Germany.
    Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

    Potent tools for retaliation

    Alongside the changed economic environments, China also holds a number of strategic tools for retaliation against the U.S.

    It dominates the global rare earth supply chain – critical to military and high-tech industries – supplying roughly 72% of U.S. rare earth imports, by some estimates. On March 4, China placed 15 American entities on its export control list, followed by another 12 on April 9. Many were U.S. defense contractors or high-tech firms reliant on rare earth elements for their products.

    China also retains the ability to target key U.S. agricultural export sectors such as poultry and soybeans – industries heavily dependent on Chinese demand and concentrated in Republican-leaning states. China accounts for about half of U.S. soybean exports and nearly 10% of American poultry exports. On March 4, Beijing revoked import approvals for three major U.S. soybean exporters.

    And on the tech side, many U.S. companies – such as Apple and Tesla – remain deeply tied to Chinese manufacturing. Tariffs threaten to shrink their profit margins significantly, something Beijing believes can be used as a source of leverage against the Trump administration. Already, Beijing is reportedly planning to strike back through regulatory pressure on U.S. companies operating in China.

    Meanwhile, the fact that Elon Musk, a senior Trump insider who has clashed with U.S. trade adviser Peter Navarro against tariffs, has major business interests in China is a particularly strong wedge that Beijing could yet exploit in an attempt to divide the Trump administration.

    Chinese and U.S. flags fly at a booth during the first China International Import Expo on Nov. 6, 2018, in Shanghai.
    Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

    A strategic opening for China?

    While Beijing thinks it can weather Trump’s sweeping tariffs on a bilateral basis, it also believes the U.S. broadside against its own trading partners has created a generational strategic opportunity to displace American hegemony.

    Close to home, this shift could significantly reshape the geopolitical landscape of East Asia. Already on March 30 – after Trump had first raised tariffs on Beijing – China, Japan and South Korea hosted their first economic dialogue in five years and pledged to advance a trilateral free trade agreement. The move was particularly remarkable given how carefully the U.S. had worked to cultivate its Japanese and South Korean allies during the Biden administration as part of its strategy to counter Chinese regional influence. From Beijing’s perspective, Trump’s actions offer an opportunity to directly erode U.S. sway in the Indo-Pacific.

    Could China’s dragon economy slay Trump’s tariffs?
    Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images

    Similarly, Trump’s steep tariffs on Southeast Asian countries, which were also a major strategic regional priority during the Biden administration, may push those nations closer to China. Chinese state media announced on April 11 that President Xi Jinping will pay state visits to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia from April 14-18, aiming to deepen “all-round cooperation” with neighboring countries. Notably, all three Southeast Asian nations were targeted with now-paused reciprocal tariffs by the Trump administration – 49% on Cambodian goods, 46% on Vietnamese exports and 24% on products from Malaysia.

    Farther away from China lies an even more promising strategic opportunity. Trump’s tariff strategy has already prompted China and officials from the European Union to contemplate strengthening their own previously strained trade ties, something that could weaken the transatlantic alliance that had sought to decouple from China.

    On April 8, the president of the European Commission held a call with China’s premier, during which both sides jointly condemned U.S. trade protectionism and advocated for free and open trade. Coincidentally, on April 9, the day China raised tariffs on U.S. goods to 84%, the EU also announced its first wave of retaliatory measures – imposing a 25% tariff on selected U.S. imports worth over €20 billion – but delayed implementation following Trump’s 90-day pause.

    Now, EU and Chinese officials are holding talks over existing trade barriers and considering a full-fledged summit in China in July.

    Finally, China sees in Trump’s tariff policy a potential weakening of the international standing of the U.S. dollar. Widespread tariffs imposed on multiple countries have shaken investor confidence in the U.S. economy, contributing to a decline in the dollar’s value.

    Traditionally, the dollar and U.S. Treasury bonds have been viewed as haven assets, but recent market turmoil has cast doubt on that status. At the same time, steep tariffs have raised concerns about the health of the U.S. economy and the sustainability of its debt, undermining trust in both the dollar and U.S. Treasurys.

    While Trump’s tariffs will inevitably hurt parts of the Chinese economy, Beijing appears to have far more cards to play this time around. It has the tools to inflict meaningful damage on U.S. interests – and perhaps more importantly, Trump’s all-out tariff war is providing China with a rare and unprecedented strategic opportunity.

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

    – ref. In trade war with the US, China holds a lot more cards than Trump may think − in fact, it might have a winning hand – https://theconversation.com/in-trade-war-with-the-us-china-holds-a-lot-more-cards-than-trump-may-think-in-fact-it-might-have-a-winning-hand-254173

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, addresses the inaugural session of the two-day National Level Review Meeting in Shillong, Meghalaya

    Source: Government of India

    Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, addresses the inaugural session of the two-day National Level Review Meeting in Shillong, Meghalaya

    Initiatives and formulation of strategies to further strengthen and modernise the Cooperative Sector across the country discussed during the Review Meeting

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah Ministry is committed to promoting cooperative-led economic growth

    Gujarat and Maharashtra are shining examples of how dairy can empower women and improve child nutrition

    Role of national-level cooperative institutions such as NCEL, NCOL, BBSSL, NCCF, and NAFED pivotal in enhancing the cooperative ecosystem and driving innovation and inclusivity

    Posted On: 11 APR 2025 6:24PM by PIB Delhi

    The Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, addressed the inaugural session of the two-day National Level Review Meeting in Shillong, Meghalaya. The Review meeting, held on 10-11 April 2025, discussed initiatives and formulation of strategies to further strengthen and modernise the Cooperative Sector across the country.

     

    Speaking at the inaugural session, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah the Ministry is committed to promoting cooperative-led economic growth with robust inter-state cooperation to realize the vision of “Sahakar Se Samriddhi.” He stressed on collating the PAN numbers of all cooperative societies of the country to enable more accurate representation of the cooperative sector in the national GDP. Dr. Bhutani reaffirmed the Government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening and advancing the cooperative ecosystem in the country.

    The Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation said that White Revolution 2.0 is one of the flagship initiatives, aimed at rural upliftment through the dairy sector. States like Gujarat and Maharashtra are shining examples of how dairy can empower women and improve child nutrition. He said that we are partnering with institutions like Amul and NDDB to support states Assam, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and other states in expanding dairy infrastructure. The economic potential of animal husbandry now exceeds that of traditional crop cultivation.

    Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani said that passing of the bill to establish India’s first Tribhuvan Sahkari University is a historic move. This university will standardise cooperative education across states and uplift over 250 existing cooperative institutions.

    Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, and Chief Secretary, Govt. of Meghalaya, along with senior officials, took part in a tree plantation drive under the initiative “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative in International Year of Cooperatives.

    The meeting brought together key stakeholders including representatives from States and Union Territories, officials from cooperative federations, financial institutions, and policymakers, fostering a collaborative platform for knowledge exchange and strategic alignment.

    The States Review Session spotlighted the pivotal role of national-level cooperative institutions such as NCEL, NCOL, BBSSL, NCCF, and NAFED in enhancing the cooperative ecosystem and driving innovation and inclusivity.

    Director of IRMA, Anand (Gujarat), outlined the vision of Tribhuvan Sahkari University, the strategic objectives, and proposed institutional structure. The session reflected the Ministry’s long-term commitment to developing world-class cooperative education and research infrastructure.

    A dedicated workshop on the International Year of Cooperatives 2025, focusing on strategic priorities such as benchmarking cooperative societies, impact assessment, and the formulation of a Business Reform Action Plan for the upcoming fiscal year. Delegations from Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand shared best practices and innovations in cooperative development.

    The focus areas of the two-day sessions were on expansion of banking services for cooperative societies and ensure doorstep banking services via micro-ATMs along with provision of zero-interest loans through RuPay Kisan Credit Cards to members of Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS), Dairy Cooperative Societies and other Cooperative institutions, and strengthening of Rural Cooperative Banking. Expansion of time-bound establishment of Multi-Purpose Agriculture Cooperative Societies (MPACS), Dairy and fishery cooperatives, Grain Storage Plan, digital transformation of PACS and Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) with an aim to improve transparency, operational efficiency, and service accessibility was also discussed. An analytical discussion was also held on the impact of NCDC’s schemes and the realignment of its strategic direction with broader national development priorities.

    ******

    RK/VV/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2121020) Visitor Counter : 50

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Keeping Canberra’s hospital wards safe

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Laura, a registered nurse at North Canberra Hospital says the Safewards model has allowed her team to develop stronger therapeutic relationships with their patients.

    Safewards is a program that supports staff and consumers to make hospital wards a more positive place to be.

    The Nurses and Midwives Towards a Safer Culture ‘The Next Steps’ Strategy has supported four wards to implement Safewards across Canberra Hospital and North Canberra Hospital, where a range of tools are used to reduce the occurrence of occupational violence and restrictive practice.  Another four wards at University of Canberra Hospital will be commence implementation of Safewards in September 2024.

    Safewards includes evidenced based activities like:

    • staff and consumers agreeing on their expectations of each other
    • finding more positive ways to support consumers when they are in distress
    • supporting consumers when they receive bad or surprising news to limit the distress the person or their families may experience.

    Laura is a registered nurse with Canberra Health Services, who works in a ward that has implemented Safewards at North Canberra Hospital. Her team have introduced a new ‘know each other’ initiative. People in the ward also call it the ‘sunflower tool’.

    Using the tool, staff, visitors and consumers in the ward can share details about themselves. This includes their hobbies, favourite TV shows or pets. Sharing information like this helps to build stronger relationships between people in the ward. This creates a better sense of understanding, safety and connection.

    “After introducing the tool, we had a patient’s family fill out some of their information,” Laura said.

    “Later, we were able to use the information provided as a prompt to help them during episodes of agitation and distress due to their advanced dementia and post traumatic stress disorder.”

    “Being able to use some familiar nicknames used by family, friends and colleagues in the military, we were able to help them calm down.”

    Laura says the tool has allowed her team to develop stronger therapeutic relationships with their consumers.

    “By displaying our own staff sunflower, it’s allowed us to learn more about each other and to connect both staff and patients in a really special way.”

    The initiative promotes care that is:

    • person-centred
    • trauma-informed
    • recovery orientated.

    Research shows that Safewards interventions ensure staff, consumers, and carers are supported. This helps to reduce potential conflict, rates of occupational violence and restrictive practices.

    By the end of June 2026, the program will be in place at 12 wards across Canberra Health Services.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Unlawful Illinois DEI Scholarship Program Suspended After Justice Department Threatened Lawsuit

    Source: US State of California

    WASHINGTON—Today, the Justice Department announced that it has acted to end the state of Illinois’ unlawful minority-only scholarship program.  After the Justice Department threatened to file suit, the state and six universities suspended the program.

    On March 31, 2025, the Justice Department found that an Illinois scholarship program unconstitutionally discriminated on the basis of race in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.  Following the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellow of Harvard Coll., 600 U.S. 181 (2023), colleges and universities are prohibited from using race to select winners and losers in higher education. The scholarship program established by Illinois law used race as a prerequisite for participation, specifically excluding students of some races but not others in violation of federal law.

    After the Justice Department notified the educational institutions of its findings, multiple universities informed the Justice Department that they had ended their participation in the program, including Northwestern University, Loyola University of Chicago, and the University of Chicago.  None of the institutions that the Department notified of its findings is currently electing to continue its participation in the program.

    Additionally, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, which administers the state-created DEI scholarship program, responded to the Department’s threatened lawsuit by suspending all its activities relating to the program until it can comprehensively review the program with the Illinois General Assembly during the current legislative session.   

    “This Department of Justice is committed to rooting DEI out of American institutions, including in the education system,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This latest victory illustrates that the threat of legal action can be enough to force bad actors into dissolving harmful practices that disregard merit and divide Americans based on race.”

    To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at 800-253-3931.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Oregon Delegation Denounces Trump Administration’s Attacks on Humanities Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    April 11, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today led his Democratic colleagues in the Oregon delegation—Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)—in slamming federal funding cuts at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) following a majority of the agency’s entire staff being placed on paid administrative leave and cuts to more than 1,200 NEH grants across the country.
    “The NEH is a critical federal agency that supports the building blocks of American civil society, helping to examine the human condition, promote civics education, understand our cultural heritage, foster mutual respect and empathy, and develop media and information literacy across communities big and small,” the lawmakers wrote. “Without these critical resources, we fear that Americans will lose access to important cultural institutions and conversations across the country. For that reason, we implore you to reverse course and release grant funding and reinstate staff immediately.”
    Their letter to the Acting Chairman of the National Endowment of the Humanities on the impact of NEH funding cuts by the Trump Administration follows reports that a team from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had been visiting NEH offices.
    The lawmakers continued, “Since its founding in 1965, NEH has awarded over $6 billion in grants to museums, historic sites, colleges, universities, K–12 teaching, libraries, public television and radio stations, research institutions, independent scholars, and to its humanities council affiliates in each of the nation’s 56 states and jurisdictions. In Oregon, the impacts of these awards have been far- reaching across universities, museums, and our state humanities council, and yet, some of this work is already being cancelled.”
    Cancelled grants include approximately $1 million for Oregon Humanities; federal funding for the University of Oregon’s Institute for Resilient Organizations, Communities, and Environments; and more than $600,000 to the High Desert Museum in support of storytelling and educational resources, as well as museum expansion.
    The Oregon delegation pressed the Trump Administration: “We expect the Administration to implement the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025 in a manner consistent with these allocations enacted in Fiscal Year 2024. We also expect the Administration to allow the NEH to promote progress and scholarship in the humanities in the United States as Congress intended and as authorized in the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act.”
    Full text of the letter can be found by clicking here and follows below:
    Dear Mr. McDonald:
    We write to you to express deep concerns regarding cuts to previously appropriated funding to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and news that NEH staff have been placed on paid administrative leave. The NEH is a critical federal agency that supports the building blocks of American civil society, helping to examine the human condition, promote civics education, understand our cultural heritage, foster mutual respect and empathy, and develop media and information literacy across communities big and small. Without these critical resources, we fear that Americans will lose access to important cultural institutions and conversations across the country. For that reason, we implore you to reverse course and release grant funding and reinstate staff immediately.
    The NEH was established in 1965 alongside the National Endowment for the Arts, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act. The establishing legislation highlighted the importance of the arts and humanities, explaining that “democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens. It must therefore foster and support a form of education, and access to the arts and the humanities, designed to make people of all backgrounds and wherever located masters of their technology and not its unthinking servants.”
    Since its founding in 1965, NEH has awarded over $6 billion in grants to museums, historic sites, colleges, universities, K–12 teaching, libraries, public television and radio stations, research institutions, independent scholars, and to its humanities council affiliates in each of the nation’s 56 states and jurisdictions. In Oregon, the impacts of these awards have been far- reaching across universities, museums, and our state humanities council, and yet, some of this work is already being cancelled.
    For example, the Trump administration recently cancelled an NEH grant at the University of Oregon’s Institute for Resilient Organizations, Communities, and Environments for research to document the “cultural burning” of trees by Indigenous people in the Cascades and create a template for sustainable and resilient forest management. “Cultural burning” is a form of land management passed on by Indigenous tribes whereby Indigenous people set low-intensity fires to protect ecosystems and reduce wildfire risks. Leveraging a partnership with Oregon State University and the National Science Foundation, the project included funding for students to engage in field work on the Willamette National Forest documenting how living trees were historically modified and sustainably managed as a food source by Indigenous peoples.
    Oregon Humanities, which is Oregon’s state humanities council, was also recently notified that its standard operating grant from NEH was terminated, even though it was set to run through 2027. The loss of the grant is approximately $1 million, which is almost half of the organization’s yearly expenditure. Without these funds, Oregon Humanities will not be able to distribute federal dollars to other organizations in Oregon and do the critical work of creating conditions for people to connect and think together even when they disagree.
    In addition, museums in Oregon like the High Desert Museum have also benefitted from NEH funding and recently had all five of their NEH grants terminated, which totaled more than
    $600,000 in funding. This includes funding to increase storytelling about and educational resources for the largely rural High Desert region, and funding to expand the museum and its programming.
    For Fiscal Year 2024, Congress appropriated $207 million to NEH. We expect the Administration to implement the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025 in a manner consistent with these allocations enacted in Fiscal Year 2024. We also expect the Administration to allow the NEH to promote progress and scholarship in the humanities in the United States as Congress intended and as authorized in the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act.
    We hope you are mindful of these actions and the negative impacts this will have on Oregon’s communities, and we look forward to working with you to support NEH in fulfilling its purpose and meeting all of its statutory requirements.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Towards new technologies: GUU at the Russian Venture Forum

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Representatives of the State University of Management took part in the largest event of the venture industry of our country – the XIX Russian Venture Forum, which was held from April 9 to 11 in Kazan.

    Our university was represented at the forum by the Director of the Business Incubator Dmitry Rogov and students of the State University of Management, residents of the Academy of Innovators: the founder of the HolterTech startup (a wireless Holter for monitoring heart function) Mikhail Zorin and the CEO of the MedTech startups m.GEN (a digital service for health monitoring based on genetic testing) and AXON (innovative gloves for electrocurrent therapy for the rehabilitation of people with brain injuries) Varvara Karamysheva. It is worth noting that in 2025 Mikhail Zorin will defend his final qualification work in the “Startup as a Diploma” format, which will be a very important step for the development of technological entrepreneurship at the State University of Management.

    The “zero” day of the Russian Venture Forum was held at the A.S. Popov Technopark of the Innopolis SEZ. Representatives of the State University of Management were able not only to get acquainted with the infrastructure of the first IT city of Russia, but also to communicate with experts, exchange useful contacts, create a foundation for scientific collaborations and receive feedback on startup projects. In particular, the investment attractiveness of our students’ innovative solutions was highly appreciated by Veniamin Kizeev, a member of the board of directors of the WINbd Management Academy, and business angel Martin Kohlhauser, who gave the students valuable advice on developing and scaling their startups into a real working business. The panel discussions of the “zero” day of the forum were devoted to the role of regional clusters and economic zones in shaping the flow of venture deals, as well as the implementation of technological projects – from scientific research to industry.

    The main part of the business program at the Kazan Expo IEC was opened by the plenary session “Technological Entrepreneurship – a Space of Higher Competencies” with the participation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Valery Falkov and the Head of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. Invited experts and government officials discussed the transformation of the venture market, growth paths for university projects and new national priorities in technological development. During his speech, the Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov noted that the country has created a full-fledged infrastructure to support technology startups, which gives young entrepreneurs the opportunity to move forward and become small technology companies.

    Today, the ecosystem of projects of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia includes 142 universities, 50 advanced engineering schools, 38 technology transfer centers and more than 900 youth laboratories. The Minister paid special attention to the federal project “Technologies”, in which our university is integrated. The State University of Management implements acceleration programs for NTI markets, conducts trainings in entrepreneurial competencies, our students participate in and become winners of the Foundation for Assistance to Innovations “Student Startup” competition.

    On the first day of the forum, more than 10 thematic sessions were held – from industrial transformation to investments in sustainable development. Representatives of the State University of Management visited a startup exhibition, a conference dedicated to technological leadership, startup battles Venture Games, where experienced entrepreneurs competed for the attention of authoritative investors and representatives of the business community, as well as educational lectures from venture market experts in the Tech Shorts format.

    The final day of the forum began with the session “Opportunity for growth: from “Student Startup” to IPO”, organized by the Platform of University Technological Entrepreneurship of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. The discussion was attended by young entrepreneurs who have gone from an idea to their first revenue.

    Other thematic sessions attended by the representatives of the State University of Management were devoted to DeepTech startups, development of the intellectual property market and technology transfer. Our students also gave an interview for the FranchCamp entrepreneurial platform, telling about their projects and shared their impressions of the Russian Venture Forum, which this year brought together over 5 thousand participants from 25 countries of the world – startups, corporations, universities and everyone who is building the technological future right now.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 11.04.2025

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Unlawful Illinois DEI Scholarship Program Suspended After Justice Department Threatened Lawsuit

    Source: United States Attorneys General 10

    WASHINGTON—Today, the Justice Department announced that it has acted to end the state of Illinois’ unlawful minority-only scholarship program.  After the Justice Department threatened to file suit, the state and six universities suspended the program.

    On March 31, 2025, the Justice Department found that an Illinois scholarship program unconstitutionally discriminated on the basis of race in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.  Following the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellow of Harvard Coll., 600 U.S. 181 (2023), colleges and universities are prohibited from using race to select winners and losers in higher education. The scholarship program established by Illinois law used race as a prerequisite for participation, specifically excluding students of some races but not others in violation of federal law.

    After the Justice Department notified the educational institutions of its findings, multiple universities informed the Justice Department that they had ended their participation in the program, including Northwestern University, Loyola University of Chicago, and the University of Chicago.  None of the institutions that the Department notified of its findings is currently electing to continue its participation in the program.

    Additionally, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, which administers the state-created DEI scholarship program, responded to the Department’s threatened lawsuit by suspending all its activities relating to the program until it can comprehensively review the program with the Illinois General Assembly during the current legislative session.   

    “This Department of Justice is committed to rooting DEI out of American institutions, including in the education system,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This latest victory illustrates that the threat of legal action can be enough to force bad actors into dissolving harmful practices that disregard merit and divide Americans based on race.”

    “While the Justice Department is pleased these schools came into compliance with the law, other schools should be on notice that the Justice Department will not rest until all discrimination is eliminated from our society,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Chad Mizelle.

    To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at 800-253-3931.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dingell Leads Michigan House Democrats in Requesting Answers from Administration About Student Visa Revocations

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

    Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today led the Michigan Democratic delegation in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem requesting answers about the sudden and seemingly arbitrary revocations of international students’ visas at universities in Michigan and across the country.

    “In the past week, the nation learned that the Trump administration has begun revoking international students’ visas without explanation,” the lawmakers wrote. “In light of these visa revocations, international students are experiencing great anxiety about how the administration’s policies will affect their ability to continue studying at academic institutions across the United States.”

    “Academic institutions in Michigan and across the United States are trying their best to address students’ concerns and help impacted students understand required actions, but much remains unclear,” the lawmakers continued. “Students, parents, and academic institutions are trying to understand what appears to be arbitrary decisions to revoke student visas. The timing of this is especially difficult just weeks before the end of the semester, with some students expecting to graduate within the month.”

    “Equally perplexing, academic institutions are not receiving any clear guidance from the administration. Universities are only learning of their students’ visas being revoked by checking the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Beyond upending current international students’ studies and lives, we are deeply concerned these revocations are having a chilling effect on international student enrollments.”

    The lawmakers requested answers to the following questions within two weeks:

    1. What student records are being reviewed by DHS?
    2. What specific factors are being considered in the decision to terminate a visa?
    3. How are students being notified that their visa is being terminated? Are they receiving information regarding the exact basis of the decision?
    4. How much time do impacted students have to understand the implications and determine next steps?
    5. What guidance is being given to impacted students? What are their options? Can you outline any appeal processes that are available if a SEVIS record is terminated/a student’s visa has been revoked?
    6. If a student decides to stay after their visa is terminated, would that constitute unlawful presence and affect their ability to obtain a different visa?
    7. How are academic institutions being notified when the visa of an enrolled student is revoked?
    8. In the past, revocation of a student’s visa did not result in the termination of a student’s SEVIS record. Why has this changed, and what is the legal basis for terminating a student’s SEVIS record when a student’s visa has been revoked?
    9. Will DHS clarify with principal designated school officials (PDSOs) what the exact basis was for students having their records terminated?
    10. Can USCIS clarify the social media vetting announcement vis-a-vis the proposed regulation on social media handle collection (https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-to-begin-screening-aliens-social-media-activity-for-antisemitism)
    11. What is the status of state-side visa renewal implementation?
    12. Are individual U.S. consulates/embassies able to offer more liberal visa interview waivers than the revised DOS guidance permits?

    The letter is signed by every member of the U.S. House Michigan Democratic delegation: Representatives Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), and Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08).

    View the full text of the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kelly, Doggett, Davis, Feenstra Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Financial Assistance for College

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support, and Randy Feenstra (R-IA) introduced the bipartisan Tax-Free Pell Grants Act to remove a financial and logistical barrier impairing students from securing higher education opportunities. 

    Specifically, the legislation expands the usage of Pell Grants on a tax-free basis, improves coordination with the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC), and ensures students do not lose out on any AOTC benefits. An incredibly timely solution as ongoing cuts to postsecondary institutions and research labs across the country result in lost revenue and financial gaps in operating costs, potentially leading to increases in tuition and fees for students and their families.

    “Pell Grants are an important way for more lower-income Americans to get an education and work toward a successful career,” said Rep. Kelly. “More than 216,000 Pennsylvania students benefitted from Pell Grants last year. I’m again proud to join Congressman Doggett on this bipartisan legislation that will expand what these grants can be used for – including child care and computers — so many more Americans, particularly single mothers, have the ability to access higher education to achieve long-term financial stability for themselves and their families.”

    “Everyone deserves a chance at success, and we should be simplifying our tax code to unlock more support for students interested in going to college but who may need a little financial help to get there,” said Rep. Doggett. “This legislation would also expand eligible expenses under the existing tax credit to include computers and childcare, which for many is essential to achieving their dreams and growing our economy.”

    “Education is fundamental to our democracy,” said Rep. Davis. “I am proud to join Representatives Doggett, Kelly, and Feenstra in leading this bill that helps low-income students get the most from the American Opportunity Tax Credit. In my District, relatively few taxpayers use the AOTC because many attend community colleges and can’t claim their childcare and computer costs. Ensuring that students can fully benefit from the AOTC credit without worry about being taxed on the Pell grant helps educate our citizenry and strengthen them economically.”

    “I have long supported Pell Grants because they offer academic opportunities to our students and ensure that Iowans who might otherwise skip higher education because of the cost can pursue advanced studies. These grants are an important investment in the next generation of leaders, farmers, innovators, and entrepreneurs who will support our communities and power our economy forward,” said Rep. Feenstra. “However, current law still requires some students to pay taxes on their Pell Grants, reducing the financial support that these grants are intended to provide. That’s why I’m glad to help introduce legislation to make Pell Grants completely tax-free so that our kids can focus on their studies without worrying about the cost.”

    “The Tax-Free Pell Grant Act is a commonsense, bipartisan solution that ensures students—especially those at community colleges—can fully benefit from the financial aid they’ve earned without facing burdensome tax rules,” said Megan Coval, President of Butler County Community College (BC3). “As a proud member of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges, Butler County Community College joins our colleagues across the commonwealth in supporting this important legislation. By making Pell Grants fully tax-free and aligning them with the American Opportunity Tax Credit, the bill removes barriers that disproportionately impact low-income students and those attending lower-cost institutions, like BC3. We applaud Congressman Kelly and Congressman Doggett for their leadership and strongly support this effort to expand opportunity, reduce financial uncertainty, and empower community college students in Butler County and across the nation.”

    BACKGROUND

    While Pell Grant awards used to pay for tuition and fees are already treated as tax-free income, any portion of a Pell Grant used for other education-related items like living expenses is taxed. Currently, using Pell Grants to cover tuition reduces potential AOTC eligibility and creates complications for students in maximizing their educational benefits. As a result, many students simply forgo the AOTC, leaving an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars unclaimed each year. By increasing compatibility with the AOTC, we can ensure that Pell Grants are not treated as taxable income, even if they are used for non-tuition education expenses.

    The AOTC covers up to $2,500 in annual college tuition, fees, and other education-related expenses — 40% of the credit, up to $1,000, is refundable. With more than 3 million undergraduate students in the United States being parents—nearly one in five college students—access to affordable childcare can be the difference between completing a degree program or not. The Tax-Free Pell Grants Act meets this need by adding childcare and computer costs as qualifying expenses for the AOTC.

    Endorsing organizations: American Association of Community Colleges, American Association of State Colleges and Universities, American Council on Education, Association of American Universities, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

    The bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Director General Visits China to Strengthen Cooperation

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing.

    China is making remarkable progress in nuclear energy and is a strong supporter of the IAEA’s mission to ensure that nuclear technology serves peace and development, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said while meeting China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. They also exchanged on China’s commitment to multilateralism and non-proliferation.

    During a week-long visit to China, Mr Grossi has met with several high-level officials, signed agreements and visited nuclear and energy facilities and institutions as well as the prestigious Peking University.

    Nuclear Energy and SMRs

    China operates 58 civil nuclear reactors and has almost 30 new builds in progress. This represents nearly half of all power reactors currently under construction worldwide.

    Mr Grossi began his visit at the Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant, which has some of the country’s most advanced nuclear technologies. This includes a high-pressurized water nuclear reactor and a commercial small modular reactor (SMR).

    What are Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)? | IAEA

    Later, Mr Grossi addressed nuclear power plant personnel and students from the region at a special event where a SMR user requirements document was presented. The document outlines the specific needs and expectations for SMRs, covering design, safety, licensing, and other relevant aspects.

    “China is making strong progress in SMR deployment,” said Mr Grossi. “This event marks an important step toward safe and effective implementation.”

    Meeting the new Chairman of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA), Shan Zhongde, Mr Grossi added,  “China plays a leading role across the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology — from power to medicine, food and more.”

    Artificial Intelligence

    Mr Grossi also discussed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative technologies with the President from China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), Shen Yanfeng, signing an arrangement with China Nuclear Power Engineering to apply AI and other innovative technology to boost performance at nuclear facilities.

    Nuclear and the Energy Transition

    Mr Grossi spoke with Liu Zhenmin, China’s Special Envoy for Climate Change about how China is investing in nuclear to help power its growing economy and decarbonize.

    In 2020, President Xi Jinping pledged to start cutting CO2 emissions by 2030 and that China would become a carbon-neutral country by 2060.

    During a visit to China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) on Friday, Mr Grossi also exchanged with SPIC Chairman Liu Mingsheng on clean, smart and innovative energy generation. SPIC owns a number of nuclear power plants under construction and in operation.

    On the last day of his visit, Mr Grossi visited China Huaneng Group (CHNG) in Beijing, one of the largest state-owned electricity companies in China. CHNG has participated in projects such as the Shidao Bay and Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Plants.

    “Huaneng Group is central to China’s energy transition — showcasing the value of a diversified low-carbon energy mix including nuclear,” he said.

    Nuclear Safety and Security

    As China expands its nuclear energy programme, the country continues to strengthen its cooperation with the IAEA in nuclear safety. On Wednesday, Mr Grossi met with Dong Baotong, the Administrator of the National Nuclear Safety Administration of China and agreed on increased cooperation between the IAEA and China in this area.

    Energy, Health and Atoms4Food

    China is supporting the IAEA’s initiatives to use nuclear techniques and technologies to help boost energy security, enhance global health and grow better food.

    Mr Grossi met with the Director of China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) Luo Zhaohui to discuss these priorities.

    While at CAEA, Mr Grossi signed a new Country Programme Framework with China and an arrangement with CAEA to strengthen education and training in the safe and peaceful use of nuclear technology via a Chinese university consortium at the authority.

    He also discussed education during an exchange with China’s Education Vice Minister Xu Qingsen.

    “The IAEA works closely works closely with Chinese universities — and we’ll do more — to train the next generation of professionals,” he said. Mr Grossi expressed his gratitude to China for its support to the IAEA Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme, which provides scholarships and internships to women master’s students studying STEM subjects.

    IAEA Director General Rafael Marano Grossi spoke with students at Peking University. Photo: IAEA

    During a visit to Peking University, one of the most prestigious universities in China, Mr Grossi gave a keynote presentation and had the chance to talk to students in the School of International Studies. He spoke about the IAEA’s work, from energy to security, and the role of effective multilateralism in addressing global issues.

    China, a member of the IAEA since 1984, is involved in around 100 IAEA technical cooperation projects – spanning national, regional and interregional activities.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: White Lotus: ‘the show’s depiction of sibling sexual behaviour is incredibly harmful’ – expert opinion

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham

    This article contains spoilers for season three of The White Lotus

    The White Lotus is a show where a lot of sex happens and many taboos are explored. For instance, in episode seven the impact on one character of watching his parents having sex as a child and how that affected his sexuality is talked about. Given all of this, it might seem like no big deal to feature an incest storyline, which this series did. But, as researchers of sibling sexual behaviour-abuse, we were particularly perturbed by the show’s take on this issue.

    In episode five, we see holidaying brothers Lochlan and Saxon Ratliff kiss after a night of partying with drugs and alcohol. This quickly escalates in the next episode where Saxon learns through flashbacks and conversations that Lochlan “jerked [him] off.”

    Child sexual abuse, harmful sexual behaviour among children and young people and intra-familial sexual abuse are not new topics. It’s only recently, however, that sibling sexual behaviour-abuse has garnered similar levels of attention.

    While this topic does come under the definition of intra-familial sexual abuse, conversations about this have tended to focus on intergenerational cases. For instance, parent or step-parent and child.

    However, sibling sexual behaviour-abuse is thought to be one of the most prolific forms of intrafamilial sexual abuse. Research estimates that it may be five times more prevalent than parent-child sexual abuse, yet is rarely spoken about due to the taboos that exist around children and sex – but also the shame that many families feel when experiencing this issue.

    Mainstream explorations on shows such as White Lotus could be incredibly helpful in spreading awareness about sibling sexual behaviour-abuse. As experts in sexual behaviours and sexual abuse, we believe the show’s handling of an incredibly complex and traumatic issue is insensitive and sensational. Far from spreading awareness, this storyline is simply shocking and inaccurate. We would argue that it actively harms the important research that is only just beginning in helping those who experience this sort of abuse and those who work with them.

    Take the way Saxon finds out. It’s the next morning. He had blacked out the night before and fragments of what happened are slowly coming back to him. He suspects something bad happened but confirmation is delivered in a matter-of-fact way by the two young women who were with him that night.

    Rather than expressing horror or concern, both young women are very calm about what happened, letting him know his brother “jerked him off”. They then laugh and are dismissive of Saxon’s horror. In this way, the abuse is normalised as one of them says: “Everyone has their thing – it’s fine.” This would seem to imply that sexual behaviour between siblings is a sexual preference rather than a traumatic situation that needs specific support and intervention.

    While Saxon and Lochlan express disgust when they remember what has happened, this is not portrayed in any great depth. Instead, it is framed in a way that is not too dissimilar to how someone may respond to a consensual sexual encounter they may regret after a night out – rather than a serious sexual experience with a sibling.

    In our research, we found a key reason why people don’t report instances is that the behaviour may sit within a context of family dysfunction, so it is difficult for those victims to recognise it. This is why early developmentally appropriate relationships and sex education is important.

    Serious family dysfunction is evident within the programme with the mother showing disconnection and the father exhibiting signs of depression, suicide ideation and fantasies of killing members of his family. The children also have unusual relationships with each other where boundaries of sexuality are blurred.

    In episode one, Saxon states: “Brother and sisters don’t sleep together when they have fully formed genitals.” Later, he calls his sister “pretty hot” and muses about her virginity. He also asks Lochlan, “What kind of porn do you like?” and says, “How am I going to jerk off with you in here all week?” before walking naked to the bathroom to masturbate.

    The deep shame that is strongly linked to families that experience such abuse is also was not explored in any depth. After the initial act and flashbacks the sibling sexual behaviour is not mentioned in any great depth again.

    The only real acknowledgement we get is in the final episode when Saxon rebuffs Lochlan’s wishes to spend time together. Noticing Saxon is not OK, Lochlan says: “All you care about is getting off and I saw you lying there and I thought you looked a little left out … and you know, I’m a pleaser. I just want to give everyone what they want and I’m in a family full of narcissists.”

    This complicated family dynamic is not explored and the abusive behaviour isn’t even properly condemned. “Dude, let’s just drop this forever, please,” Saxon simply retorts – and the series does, as the incident is swept away as a small sub-plot, and lost in rising tide of drama in the rest of the finale.

    TV shows can be incredibly powerful tools in spreading awareness and increasing public knowledge about how to spot, respond to and prevent issues such as sibling sexual behaviour-abuse. It could have explored the nature of the behaviour, the links to family factors and the interventions that are needed to support disclosures and recovery from this type of sexual abuse and behaviour-based family issue.

    The White Lotus, however, did not take this opportunity. Instead we are left guessing, as the Ratliffs sail back to their lives, how this complex and traumatic incident in the brothers’ lives came to pass and how it will affect them in the future.

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

    Sophie King-Hill receives funding from ESRC.

    Kieran McCartan receives funding from the European Union (Horizon 2020) and the Bristol City Council.

    – ref. White Lotus: ‘the show’s depiction of sibling sexual behaviour is incredibly harmful’ – expert opinion – https://theconversation.com/white-lotus-the-shows-depiction-of-sibling-sexual-behaviour-is-incredibly-harmful-expert-opinion-253972

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ARU research addresses postcode lottery for victims

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    Dr Mirna Guha, Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Deputy Head of the School for Humanities and Social Sciences

    Research from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has highlighted how one Cambridgeshire project could serve as a blueprint to end the postcode lottery faced by domestic abuse and sexual violence (DASV) victims across England and Wales.

    Nationally, there is a significant shortage of support services provided by and for women from minority backgrounds. Dr Mirna Guha of ARU is leading initiatives to address this by fostering racially diverse leadership within services that tackle violence against women and girls. 

    Dr Guha recently presented her research findings, which highlighted regional disparities in service provision and showcased the success of an innovative scheme in Peterborough, to a national audience in London.

    Following her pilot study focusing on Asian women in Cambridgeshire which showed the need for DASV services to be more culturally responsive, Dr Guha collaborated with Peterborough Women’s Aid to secure Home Office funding for the first ‘by and for’ provision for Asian women experiencing domestic abuse in the county.

    The Dahlia Project is delivered entirely by a team of newly recruited Asian women from the British Pakistani community in Peterborough and is governed by a board of Asian men and women.

    Dr Guha is currently evaluating The Dahlia Project, which has received around 200 referrals since launching in 2023, including from women of African Caribbean, Middle Eastern and South-east Asian backgrounds, highlighting its importance to different racial minority groups.

    Additionally, further research carried out in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Suffolk last year by Dr Guha, in collaboration with Dr Katherine Allen from the University of Suffolk, identified the need for representative and culturally responsive leadership to ensure organisations delivering DASV services are welcoming for diverse members of staff, and the support provided is accessible for victims-survivors.

    It also underlined the need for practitioners from diverse backgrounds to have access to role models and networking opportunities to help combat professional isolation.

    In response to this regional need, Dr Guha and Dr Allen recently established a Community of Practice for Diverse Women Leaders and last week introduced the HUM Leadership Model for Emerging Leaders at the event in London, which brought together a diverse group of women leaders from voluntary and national statutory organisations, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

    The event, which also featured a speech by Superintendent Jasvinder Kaur, Domestic Abuse Lead at Suffolk Constabulary and co-founder of the National Women of Colour in Policing, UK, highlighted the success of The Dahlia Project and demonstrated how the Peterborough scheme could be replicated in regions similarly affected by the postcode lottery. 

    “In certain regions, representation of women from racially and culturally diverse backgrounds in politics and policymaking is low, and systemic barriers also prevent victims from these communities seeking support.

    “Celebrating and supporting Black and racialised women’s leadership in organisations that address violence against women and girls is crucial. The network we have set up aims to accelerate the leadership of minoritised women and make domestic abuse services inclusive and responsive to the complex needs of victims-survivors from different backgrounds.

    “Evidence from my research will support efforts by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner to advocate for a dedicated national ‘by and for’ funding pot. This would ensure minoritised victims-survivors across England and Wales receive high-quality support, regardless of their location. The Dahlia Project is making a real difference in Cambridgeshire, but we need more projects like it across the country to end this postcode lottery of provision.”

    Dr Mirna Guha, Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Deputy Head of the School for Humanities and Social Sciences at ARU

    The Community of Practice will be hosted online through Anglia Ruskin University, with the goal of evolving into a Regional Advisory Body to influence future practice, research and policy design affecting victims-survivors.

    Dr Guha’s work ‘Nothing about us without us’: Investigating the impact of the leadership of ethnic minority women on domestic abuse service provision in East England has received Medical Research Council UK Prevention Research Partnership VISION funding.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Executive Committee

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    ATO Executive Committee

    The ATO Executive Committee focuses on the strategic matters that relate to the direction and positioning of the organisation.

    Our Commissioner and Second Commissioners are statutory appointments. The ATO Executive Committee consists of the Commissioner, 3 Second Commissioners and the leads from the operations and technology sections of the ATO.

    For more information about our organisation, see:

    Commissioner and Registrar

    Commissioner of Taxation and Registrar of the Australian Business Register and the Australian Business Registry Services

    Rob Heferen

    Rob Heferen was appointed as the 13th Commissioner of Taxation on 1 March 2024.

    Rob has had a long career in the Australian Public Service, beginning in 1989 as a graduate at the Australian Customs Service. Over 35 years, he’s accumulated diverse experience across policy development and program delivery in a range of portfolios. Rob has represented Australia in international forums including the United Nations (UN), International Energy Agency (IEA) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

    For almost 20 years, Rob’s interest and expertise in economics and tax policy led him to various roles in the ATO and Commonwealth Treasury. This included leading the Secretariat for the Australia’s Future Tax System Review (the Henry Tax Review) and culminated in his role as Deputy Secretary, Revenue Group at the Commonwealth Treasury between 2011–2016. Here he had responsibility for tax policy, tax legislation and revenue forecasting.

    Rob’s other Senior Executive roles include:

    • Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
    • Deputy Secretary of Higher Education, Research and International in the Department of Education, Skills and Employment
    • Deputy Secretary of Energy at the Department of the Environment and Energy (where he served as Australia’s representative on the International Energy Agency’s Governing Board)
    • Deputy Secretary of Indigenous Affairs at the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

    Rob is a proven people leader, with an open, collaborative and authentic style. He has a strong record of achievement in leading organisations to help shape and deliver on Government priorities.

    Rob has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tasmania, and a Graduate Diploma of Economics from the Australian National University.

    Second Commissioner – Client Engagement

    Jeremy Hirschhorn

    Jeremy Hirschhorn was appointed to the Second Commissioner role from 16 April 2020. He has overall responsibility for the ATO’s Client Engagement Group, which fosters willing participation in Australia’s tax and super systems through well-designed client experiences.

    Jeremy has more than 20 years’ experience in roles managing complex tax matters.

    As Deputy Commissioner of Public Groups & International from April 2015, Jeremy was responsible for ensuring that the largest Australian and multinational companies were meeting their corporate tax obligations and providing the Australian community with confidence that these large companies were being held to account.

    Jeremy also worked as Chief Tax Counsel, with responsibility for the provision of the ATO’s legal advice in relation to interpretation of the tax and super laws, when he joined the ATO in August 2014.

    Prior to joining the ATO, Jeremy was a senior partner in KPMG’s tax practice.

    Jeremy holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from the University of NSW. He is a Chartered Tax Adviser and Chartered Accountant.

    Second Commissioner Frontline Operations

    David Allen

    David Allen was appointed to the Second Commissioner Frontline Operations role from 1 November 2024. In this role, David leads the Frontline Operations Group which is responsible for a broad range of the ATO’s taxpayer services for all segments of the community.

    These include:

    • processing all payments, activity statements, income tax returns, superannuation lodgments and other forms
    • administering the Tax File Number register, Australian Business Register and Director ID Services.

    David joined the ATO in 2010 as an Assistant Commissioner in Public Groups & Internationals – working in Capital Gains Tax risk, Internationals. In 2016, he was the ATO’s delegate to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD) based in Paris.

    In 2018, David was promoted to Deputy Commissioner and established the Enterprise Strategy and Design (ESD) business line – which takes the leadership role in working with business areas to shape the ATO’s strategic direction, risk management, planning and reporting, as well as internal audit and design.

    Prior to joining the ATO, David held senior roles in different tiers of the public service including Commonwealth, United Kingdom, NSW and local government.

    David has a degree in Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration from Australian Graduate School of Management.

    Second Commissioner for Law Design and Practice

    Kirsten Fish

    Kirsten has overall responsibility for the ATO’s law practice, including law interpretation, public advice and guidance, independent dispute prevention, litigation and resolution, and the ATO’s contribution to policy and law design.

    The Law Design and Practice Group serves the community, government and clients by ensuring the tax and super laws are informed, understood, administered and applied with confidence and integrity and is respected and trusted as the authoritative voice of the Commissioner on matters of law and revenue analysis.

    Kirsten joined the ATO in 2014 and the ATO’s Chief Tax Counsel from 2015, one of the highest legal authorities within the ATO, leading the Tax Counsel Network and providing technical leadership in relation to significant tax issues, cases and rulings. Kirsten was acting Second Commissioner for 12 months before being formally appointed to the role in October 2021.

    Prior to joining the ATO, Kirsten was a tax Partner at Clayton Utz with a focus on the financial services industry and providing finance and investment transaction advice.

    Kirsten holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and Masters of Law (Tax).

    Chief Operating Officer

    Jacqui Curtis

    The Chief Operating Officer (COO) leads the ATO’s Enterprise Strategy and Corporate Operations functions.

    These functions include Strategic Planning, Governance, Finance, Corporate, Risk Management, People, Integrity, Change Management and Design for the organisation. In this role, Jacqui is a member of the ATO Executive, responsible for shaping and setting strategic direction and oversight implementation.

    The COO position gives greater strength and integration to our corporate positioning, and ensures we are well positioned for Australian Public Service (APS)-wide reforms of corporate and shared services, and that our planning, governance and risk management is strategic and sensible. The COO brings together an integrated picture of our people and resource management and ensure we have the right capability and culture to meet our strategic intent.

    This position has a role in managing the relationship with key stakeholders like our scrutineers.

    All of these underpin our ability to deliver on a better client and staff experience. 

    Prior to the COO role, Jacqui joined the ATO in September 2013 as Deputy Commissioner ATO People and was responsible for delivering an enterprise-wide human resource management service which supports ATO employees in providing a sustainable, open and accountable workplace. Jacqui was also responsible for leading the Reinvention Program Management Office and the change management driving this key reform.

    Before joining the ATO, Jacqui was General Manager of the People Capability Division with Services Australia, where she led the department’s leadership and change, people development, workforce planning and research functions. Jacqui has also worked for the Australian Public Service Commission, where she was responsible for delivering integrated people development, SES and APS-wide leadership and talent, change management, strategic recruitment, communications, and learning and development. She also has extensive international experience.

    Jacqui holds an Executive Masters in Public Administration from the Australian National University and is a Fellow of Australian Human Resource Institute, and was appointed Adjunct Professor University of Canberra in 2018.

    In October 2019, Jacqui was appointed the inaugural Head of the APS HR Professional Stream.

    Chief Information Officer

    Mark Sawade

    Mark Sawade was appointed to the Chief Information Officer role from 11 March 2025.

    In this role Mark has overall responsibility for the ATO’s Enterprise Solutions and Technology Group, who work to ensure we maintain a contemporary, secure and reliable technology environment that supports tax, super and registry systems into the future.

    Mark has nearly 25 years’ experience in the Australian Public Service, primarily in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) leadership roles. Preceding his appointment at the ATO, Mark was the Chief Information Officer at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, where he led and delivered a range of digital transformation initiatives.

    In 2019, Mark led the School Funding and Data Collection division in the Department of Education, where he delivered significant reform that focused on increased use of government data in the calculation of school funding entitlements.

    Mark has also held ICT senior executive leadership roles in a number of public sector agencies, including at the Department of Education, Australian Bureau of Statistics, ComSuper and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

    Mark holds a Bachelor of Computer and Information Science from the University of South Australia.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Steven J. Jensen Named Assistant Director in Charge of the Washington Field Office

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

    Director Kash Patel has named Steven J. Jensen as the Assistant Director in Charge of the Washington Field Office. Mr. Jensen most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Columbia Field Office in South Carolina.

    Mr. Jensen joined the FBI as a special agent in 2006. He was first assigned to the New York Field Office, where he investigated health care fraud, domestic terrorism, and Asian organized crime. Mr. Jensen also served on the SWAT team and as a firearms and defensive tactics instructor.

    In 2012, Mr. Jensen was promoted to supervisory instructor at the FBI Academy in Quantico, where he was a firearms instructor. He moved in 2014 to the Rockford Resident Agency of the Chicago Field Office to serve as the supervisory senior resident agent. The office covered the 10 northwestern counties outside of Chicago.

    Mr. Jensen was named assistant special agent in charge for the Jackson Field Office in 2017 and oversaw the National Security, Criminal, and Administrative branches. In 2020, Mr. Jensen reported to the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington as the section chief of the Domestic Terrorism Operations Section.

    In 2021, Mr. Jensen was promoted to deputy assistant director of the Training Division, where he oversaw all basic field training programs and the National Academy training programs. He was named special agent in charge of the Colombia Field Office in South Carolina in 2023.

    Mr. Jensen also served temporary duty assignments to the Attorney General Protection Detail, the Safe Streets Gang Program, and as the director of the High Value Interrogation Group.

    Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Jensen was a police officer with the Colorado Springs Police Department. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Stony Brook University in New York and a master’s degree in leadership studies from Northeastern University.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Phillip E. Bates Named Special Agent in Charge of the Counterterrorism Division at the Washington Field Office

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

    Director Christopher Wray has named Phillip E. Bates as the special agent in charge of the Counterterrorism Division at the Washington Field Office. Mr. Bates most recently served as section chief of the Inspection Division’s Internal Affairs Section.

    In July 2008, Mr. Bates began his career at the FBI as a special agent. He reported to the Seattle Division’s Everett Resident Agency, where he worked on their Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and covered Indian country matters.

    In 2013, he transferred to the Phoenix Field Office, where he was a member of the Violent Street Gang Task Force. He was promoted to supervisory special agent (SSA) in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate at FBI Headquarters in 2014. During his time in WMDD, he oversaw weapons of mass destruction (WMD) investigations in the western United States and Asia before returning to Phoenix in 2016 to serve as the primary WMD coordinator. 

    In 2018, he was promoted to supervisor of the Phoenix JTTF, where he led the Threat Assessment and Mitigation squad, moving to lead the Domestic Terrorism and WMD squad in May 2019. In April 2021, he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge over the counterterrorism program at the Phoenix Field Office.

    Prior to becoming a special agent, Mr. Bates served for six years as a police officer and a member of the special weapons and tactics team for the City of Mesa, Arizona Police Department. Mr. Bates graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in education and graduated in 2012 from Norwich University with a master’s degree in organizational leadership.

    MIL Security OSI –