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Category: Universities

  • MIL-Evening Report: The strategies and risks European powers must consider when it comes to tackling Trump

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Genauer, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Flinders University

    Since commencing his second term as United States president, Donald Trump has distanced the US from Ukraine and warmed relations with Russia.

    This presents a predicament for European nations.

    A changing landscape

    Europe relies on the US for military and technology capability.

    The US is responsible for more than a third of the total funds spent on defence worldwide.

    It is also a critical member of the NATO security alliance and has more than 80,000 troops on the European continent.

    Since January 20, the Trump administration has coupled economic isolationism with a surprisingly interventionist foreign policy agenda.

    This is driven by a realist, interests-based approach to political leadership.

    Trump’s actions align with a worldview that emphasises material advantage over values and ideas – the interests of great and regional powers are considered to be the only ones that matter.

    The heated exchange between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 28 underscored the crumbling architecture and protocols of the international rules-based order in place since the second world war.

    It appears the Trump administration may expect unilateral concessions from Ukraine to Russia for peace. This would likely include ceding significant territory to Russia.



    Read more:
    In siding with Russia over Ukraine, Trump is not putting America first. He is hastening its decline

    A rock and a hard place

    Ukraine borders four EU and NATO-member countries: Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. This poses a serious security risk.

    Europe’s foremost security challenge is to deter Russia from further offensive action on the continent.

    European countries have a direct interest in stopping the war, because a continuing conflict presents a costly threat, draining resources in military and humanitarian aid.

    According to the Kiel institute for the World Economy, since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European countries have collectively committed more than $US138 billion ($A222 billion) in military and non-military aid.

    European countries want to see an end to the war that leaves Ukraine a safe and sovereign nation state. For European countries, it is crucial that any political settlement effectively deters Russia from further incursions into Ukrainian or Eastern European territory.

    Without deterrence measures in place, there is no guaranteed prevention of wider state-to-state conflict on the European continent in future.

    On the one hand, Europe needs the US military and economic might. On the other hand, Europe has pressing security concerns that drive a divergence from the US in its position on Ukraine.

    How far will Trump go with Russia?

    A key question on European leaders’ minds is: will the NATO alliance hold if there is an incursion into NATO-member territory?

    If the borders of Poland or a Baltic state are violated, NATO’s article 5 will be triggered. This article requires the collective defense by all NATO allies of any ally under attack.

    This could mean the US is obliged to join a direct confrontation with Russia.

    Would Trump actually commit US military support to a fight with Russia? Or would the US abandon their NATO treaty obligations?

    Trump’s rhetoric and actions so far suggest European countries should prepare for the latter possibility.



    Read more:
    How Trump’s spat with Zelensky threatens the security of the world – including the US

    Strategic autonomy and deterrence

    Given this dilemma, Europe needs to focus on strategic autonomy and deterrence.

    Strategic autonomy includes not only defence, but also economics, environment, energy and values.

    In terms of defence, strategic autonomy means Europe taking more responsibility for its own security. Former European Defence Agency chief Jorge Domecq notes this includes having the ability to “develop, operate, modify and maintain the full spectrum of defence capabilities”.

    Effective deterrence of further Russian aggression on the continent requires providing substantive security guarantees to Ukraine. This may include a multilateral security structure for European countries (without the US) that could guarantee Ukraine’s security.

    The idea of a European Army has also reemerged. This would go beyond defence cooperation to full military and strategic integration. Such an entity could underpin a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine.

    At a summit in London on March 2, EU countries and the UK proposed a one-month truce that could be followed by European troops on the ground in Ukraine to maintain the peace.

    What does Ukraine want from Europe?

    A Gallup survey in late 2024 suggests the percentage of Ukrainians who want a negotiated end to the war has increased from about 20% in early 2022 to more than 50% in late 2024.

    Over the same period, those who favour fighting for a military solution has declined from more than 70% to just under 40%.

    The same survey revealed most Ukrainians prefer a key role for the EU in negotiations (70%) and the UK (63%), with less than half preferring a significant role from Trump.

    Interestingly, more than 40% supported a central role for Turkey in negotiations.

    China: a country to watch

    China’s approach to Russia and the war could have an impact on Europe’s security and political stability.

    China is mostly concerned with domestic economic growth and regime stability, and it has not directly involved itself in the war in Ukraine.

    However, China is a close friend of Russia and a security ally of North Korea, which is currently fighting in the Kursk province of Russia against Ukrainian forces.

    In 2023, China put forward its own “peace plan” proposal for Ukraine.

    A rapprochement between the US and Russia may be viewed unfavourably by China which could see this as a threat to its own regional geopolitical influence.

    China maintains significant influence over Russian President Vladimir Putin due to economic and security ties.

    If China senses a fundamental shift in the international order, it may become more assertive in attempting to influence Russia and the trajectory of the war in Ukraine.

    For Europe, distancing from the US may mean getting closer to China.

    However, this comes with its own risks.

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

    – ref. The strategies and risks European powers must consider when it comes to tackling Trump – https://theconversation.com/the-strategies-and-risks-european-powers-must-consider-when-it-comes-to-tackling-trump-251253

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘High agency’: what the science says about the latest tech buzzword

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine H. Greenaway, Associate Professor, The University of Melbourne

    Caspar David Friedrich / The Conversation, CC BY-SA

    In 218 BC, the Carthaginian general Hannibal crossed the Alps against the advice of his men, who claimed it was impossible. “Aut inveniam viam, aut faciam,” Hannibal is said to have replied: “I shall either find a way, or make one.”

    Though apocryphal, Hannibal’s bold statement captures a trait much sought in the tech industry today: “high agency”. This means being able to positively influence yourself or the world around you.

    Psychologists use a range of other terms to refer to this kind of trait — including perceived control, mastery, and efficacy. All of them boil down to being able to achieve the things you want, when you want.

    Recognising agency

    In the business world, the term high agency is used in much the same way as “disruptor”, “game-changer” and “self-starter” were before it. As you might expect from those comparisons, high agency is a catch-all phrase for people who see and take opportunities where others see roadblocks.

    More than this, high agency describes a person who creates their own opportunities where there appear to be none.

    High agency is beneficial in more than the professional sphere, however.

    Research shows that feeling able to achieve important goals is a building block for motivation in most domains of life, including education, health and political action. This is because people who feel “in control” set higher goals, are more committed those goals, and exert greater effort to achieve those goals than people who feel “out of control”.

    Agency differs by demographic, including factors such as age. Some research suggests people feel more in control of their life circumstances and outcomes in middle age than in old age.

    Socioeconomic factors such as education, income and work history also play a role. Put simply, people who are “better off” feel more agentic.

    Mental health seems to be both an outcome and a predictor of high agency. People who are less depressed feel more in control of their lives, and those who feel more in control are less depressed.

    Rethinking agency

    The concept of “high agency” is an amalgamation of, or an umbrella term for, a range of traits that psychologists have studied for decades. Related concepts include the prized “growth mindset” (the belief that one’s talents are developable rather than innate), “proactivity” (acting in advance of, rather than reacting to, situations), and the somewhat controversial “grit” (perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals). Note, however, that some argue grit is just a rebranded version of the personality trait “conscientiousness”.

    High agency, as the tech world sees it, appears to borrow from all these concepts, wrapped up in one convenient package. Agentic people are those who see possibility where others see barriers, take action rather than wait to be told what to do, and aren’t afraid to go after what they want.

    These traits are also stereotypically associated with particular people in society: members of advantaged majority groups, such as men, those with high socioeconomic status, and white people.

    In many ways, high-agency behaviour is an act of privilege. It involves trusting that others will react well to your efforts to try a new approach or disrupt the status quo.

    The reality is that the way other people respond will depend at least in part on factors outside our control. This may be particularly true for less privileged people, who tend to see less opportunity to exert choice and influence the world due to the very real structural barriers they face. This means acting “high agency” may be a risk for some people: actions that see one person praised as a “game changer” could easily see another labelled a “troublemaker”.

    Taken to an extreme, high agency could read as “alpha” – the kind of person who takes charge and is a natural leader. Alpha is a gendered term, most commonly applied with a suffix such as male, bro or dude.

    The already male-dominated tech industry should be wary of baking gendered traits into personnel selection procedures. If high agency is understood to mean a certain type of person rather than just a type of personality, it could be a problem for equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.

    Realising agency

    Given the rising value of high agency in professional settings – not to mention its personal emotional and motivational benefits – you might wonder how people can become more agentic.

    Many proponents of high agency emphasise its value for looking at the world in a different way. So too it might be valuable to look at high agency in a different way: not what makes an individual agentic, but what are the conditions that allow agency to thrive.

    Research shows that certain types of environments set people up for success. Environments that allow people to thrive are those that meet three basic psychological needs.

    The first is the need for autonomy: the ability to freely choose what we do and when we do it. The second is the need for competence: the feeling of being capable of performing desired actions. Finally, there is the need for relatedness: the feeling of being connected to others.

    These needs can be fostered by the work environment. (Google famously adopts similar motivational workplace practices.) People can also adapt themselves by “job crafting” to help create the conditions conducive to success.

    While high agency may seem like an innate personality trait, emerging research suggests the people around us may be a powerful source of personal agency. People who are better able to influence their own outcomes are often those who can turn to, or recruit, others to help them achieve those outcomes.

    Paradoxically, this means that “high agency” might not (just) be a quality of you personally, but a quality of the people around you.

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

    – ref. ‘High agency’: what the science says about the latest tech buzzword – https://theconversation.com/high-agency-what-the-science-says-about-the-latest-tech-buzzword-250767

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Adam Lynch Appointed IAM International Auditor

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes has appointed longtime Local 325 leader Adam Lynch as an International Auditor, effective March 1, 2025. Lynch will help ensure the financial stewardship of IAM locals and districts in Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and southern Missouri and Illinois.

    “Adam has proven himself to be a true leader and a dedicated unionist throughout his IAM career,” said IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes. “We’re thrilled to welcome him from the Rail Division. He brings a wealth of knowledge needed for the rail sector of our membership.”

    Lynch initiated into Local 325 in October 2000 as a Locomotive Diesel Mechanic Apprentice in North Little Rock, Ark., at Union Pacific Railroad. He has served in various leadership roles such as Committeeman, Vice Local Chairman, and Local Chairman. In 2017, Lynch began serving as Local 325 Secretary-Treasurer for members at Union Pacific Railroad, Burlington Northern Railroad, and Southwest Airlines in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

    “IAM members throughout the South will be well served by Adam’s attention to detail and care for our membership,” said Paul Kendall, IAM Assistant Secretary to the General Secretary-Treasurer. “We know that locals and districts throughout the region will enjoy working with Adam.”

    Lynch has been a delegate to the Arkansas State Council of Machinists, the IAM North American Transportation Conference, the IAM International Convention, and District 19 Convention. He also served on the Auditing Committee for the 2018 and 2022 District 19 meetings. Lynch began serving as an Executive Board Member in 2018 for the Arkansas State Council and from 2018 to 2022 for District 19.

    “Our International Auditors work around the clock on behalf of our membership,” said Bryan Pinette, IAM Special Assistant to the General Secretary-Treasurer. “Adam will fit right in with our group, which is dedicated first and foremost to serving our membership.”

    Lynch holds an associates of science degree from Arkansas State University. He has also completed Leadership I, Transportation Local Election Program, Railroad Local Chairman Development, Advanced Railroad Local Chairman Development, and Financial Officers Seminar at the IAM’s Winpisinger Education and Technology Center. He also received training in Railroad Hazardous Materials Worker Awareness Train the Trainer from IAM CREST.

    Lynch has two daughters and one granddaughter. He enjoys coaching and working with his daughter in competitive archery and 4-H shooting.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ governments enjoy an ‘executive paradise’ – a longer parliamentary term won’t change that

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Shaw, Professor of Politics, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

    Getty Images

    Extending the length of the parliamentary term is one of those recurring issues in New Zealand politics, emerging from the constitutional shadows every 30 years or so and quickly retreating from the bright light of scrutiny.

    The pending introduction of the Term of Parliament (Enabling 4-year Term) Legislation Amendment Bill – a coalition initiative of the ACT Party but which enjoys qualified cross-party support – sees the question once again enjoying a moment in the sun.

    Because of the constitutional protection of the parliamentary term, and if the bill becomes law, an extension would require a public referendum with the 2026 general election (or the support of 75% of all MPs, a route the government will not take).

    The standard maximum term of parliament would remain three years. But a prime minister would have the option at the start of a new parliamentary term of advising the governor-general it would be extended to four years.

    This could only happen if the allocation of places on select committees reflected the distribution of non-executive MPs across all parliamentary parties. Theoretically, this would be a check on executive power.

    But while the coming debate will be framed as one about parliament, the real issue is whether voters wish to extend the length of time governments spend in office. This is a crucial distinction.

    Lack of checks and balances

    New Zealand voters do not directly elect the executive branch. Rather, the government is formed by the party or parties able to command a majority of MPs following each election.

    In short, we elect parliaments, which then provide governments. The length of one is connected to that of the other – meaning elections are one of the few ways New Zealanders can hold their governments to account.

    Perhaps for this reason, voters have consistently supported a three-year term, despite historical attempts by earlier governments to extend it. Two previous referendums, in 1967 and 1990, maintained the status quo.

    This does make New Zealand something of an outlier internationally. Of 190 lower houses and unicameral national legislatures around the world, only nine have terms of three years or less. The vast majority have terms of four or five years.

    But New Zealand also lacks the checks and balances found in many of those other countries: a codified constitution, a Supreme Court responsible for policing it, and an upper legislative chamber.

    Consequently, the frequency with which governments are held accountable to the people really does matter.

    An ‘executive paradise’

    This absence of the sorts of constitutional guardrails common elsewhere is what led former prime minister and constitutional lawyer Geoffrey Palmer to call New Zealand an “executive paradise”.

    Former prime minister Geoffrey Palmer.
    Getty Images

    The introduction of a four-year parliamentary term would do little to alter that, despite the argument it would improve the quality of parliamentary law and the standard of public policy-making.

    A three-year cycle, it is often claimed, forces governments to spend their first year in office removing as many traces of the previous administration as possible, the second consolidating its own policy agenda, and the third campaigning for the next election.

    A four-year term, the logic goes, would give ministers more time to learn the intricacies of their portfolios and develop policy expertise. It would allow for longer parliamentary deliberation on complex legislation, and ensure parliament properly scrutinises government policies, budgets and performance.

    All things being equal, a longer parliamentary term could improve governance and create a more stable, durable policy mix. But, of course, all things are rarely equal.

    Missing provisions

    In and of itself, a longer parliamentary term is unlikely to produce the benefits its proponents promise. Improved policy-making requires resources as well as more time, including policy and procedural expertise, judgement and institutional wisdom.

    These things reside in the professional bureaucracy. Without also addressing the systemic crisis in the public service, an extra year won’t improve matters.

    It would be especially important to ensure a longer term went hand in hand with more effective parliamentary scrutiny of government activity, both its forecasts and actual results.

    As a 2019 report from the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies suggested, investment in MPs’ policy expertise, systematic work plans for select committees and changes to parliament’s Standing Orders are also needed to improve the legislative process.

    But these do not feature in the draft legislation. And without them, an extended parliamentary term would simply tip the balance even further towards the executive branch and away from the legislature.

    Democratic accountability

    There are other important issues the draft legislation doesn’t address, including the implications of making a four-year term discretionary, and what might prevent a government from ignoring irksome select committee recommendations (as can and does presently occur).

    Worryingly, too, advice from the Ministry of Justice to the justice minister points out that parts of the proposed legislation are “constitutionally and practically problematic”.

    The inevitable uncertainty at the start of every new parliament would “undermine democratic accountability” and “risks undermining the legitimacy of parliament and its exercise of public decision-making powers”.

    The advice also says the legislation is “out of step with other long-standing legal and constitutional principles, including that it appears to encroach on the House of Representatives’ right to control its own operations”. In our constitutional tradition it is not for the executive to determine how parliament functions. A king’s head once rolled over this issue.

    The proposed legislation starkly illustrates the tensions that can emerge when constitutional arrangements blur the boundaries between the executive and legislative branches, enabling the former to dictate terms to the latter.

    Without other changes – an increase in the size of the House relative to the executive, say, or restrictions on the power of the prime minister to call early elections – the variable parliamentary term promised by the bill will inject more uncertainty into public life, not less.

    And it will not improve the quality of our laws. It will simply extend the length of time government ministers get to spend in paradise.

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

    – ref. NZ governments enjoy an ‘executive paradise’ – a longer parliamentary term won’t change that – https://theconversation.com/nz-governments-enjoy-an-executive-paradise-a-longer-parliamentary-term-wont-change-that-251139

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Solar farms can host up to three times as many birds as crop fields – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Catherine Waite, Research Associate, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge

    A stonechat on the edge of a solar farm. Joshua Copping

    The UK’s installed capacity of solar power expanded rapidly over the past decade to reach 17.2 gigawatts (GW) in 2024 – enough electricity to power roughly 4 million homes. The government aims to raise solar generation capacity to 70 GW by 2035. And by 2050, the government’s advisers estimate that as much as 90 GW of solar power may be needed to achieve net zero emissions.

    Building solar farms – large-scale installations of solar panels on agricultural land – will have to be done carefully, to avoid exacerbating another environmental crisis: the dwindling variety of wildlife, or biodiversity.

    However, surprisingly few studies have examined the impact of solar farms on biodiversity. Our new research is one of the first to study the impact of solar farms on birds in the UK. And, hectare-for-hectare, we found that solar farms in the farm-rich East Anglian countryside that were managed with biodiversity in mind contained a greater number of bird species, and more birds overall, than surrounding cropland.

    Farmland is frequently disturbed and can be a fraught habitat for wildlife.
    David Calvert/Shutterstock

    During spring 2023, we used the breeding bird survey method to survey solar farms in the East Anglian fens that were under different management styles.

    These sites ranged from intensively managed solar farms, in which the grass surrounding panels is cut or grazed short throughout the year, with no hedgerows or small trees, to mixed-habitat solar farms where infrequent cutting or grazing has allowed wildflowers, trees and hedgerows to grow along boundary fences. For comparison, we also surveyed the surrounding farmland.

    Good habitats for birds

    We found that the number of birds on the mixed-habitat solar farms was typically twice that of the intensively managed sites, and three times higher than adjacent high-yielding cropland. The number of species on mixed-habitat solar farms was 2.5 times higher than both of the alternatives.

    Our study also showed that solar farms offer important habitat for a number of threatened bird species. In fact, birds such as yellowhammer, linnet, greenfinch and corn bunting, which are of particular concern to conservationists due to their declining national populations, were considerably more abundant on mixed-habitat solar farms.

    Perhaps our results aren’t that surprising. After all, the mixed-habitat solar farms we surveyed contained many of the features birds prefer (similar to nature-friendly farms in less intensively farmed areas). These features include hedgerows, which can offer berries to eat and crevices to shelter in, particularly for birds adapted to woodland habitats. The tall and diverse vegetation around the solar panels contains a variety of habitats, with insect prey or seeds for food. The intensively managed cropland and solar farms had none of these features.

    By providing the right habitat, birds have been naturally drawn to these solar farms in an area that sorely lacks it.

    A golden opportunity

    So, solar farms can benefit biodiversity in rural landscapes dominated by intensive agriculture in the UK. Especially when they are designed to allow plants to grow around the panels, and have hedgerows or trees in the margins. Prioritising the needs of wildlife when planning solar farms could help the UK meet its climate commitments while helping nature.

    When grass was allowed to grow long on solar farms, it appeared to encourage birds.
    Joshua Copping

    What’s more, our previous research has shown that the UK has enough land to deploy 90 GW of solar power – enough to meet suggested capacity by 2050 – without damaging bird populations at a national scale or affecting food production. Our new findings should allay public concerns about some of the risks of renewable energy to wildlife.

    We have a golden opportunity for finding multiple functions for land: generating clean energy while restoring biodiversity at the same time.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Catherine Waite receives funding from The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

    Joshua Copping receives funding from The Natural Environment Resource Council (NERC) and is employed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

    – ref. Solar farms can host up to three times as many birds as crop fields – new research – https://theconversation.com/solar-farms-can-host-up-to-three-times-as-many-birds-as-crop-fields-new-research-249551

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Netflix’s Toxic Town offers a stark warning on environmental rollbacks

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kirsty Pringle, Atmospheric Scientist and Project Manager, Software Sustainability Institute, University of Edinburgh

    Netflix’s new drama Toxic Town tells the true story of a group of women from Corby in Northamptonshire, UK, who gave birth to children with limb differences in the 1980s and 90s. The children were born with shortened arms or legs or missing fingers. The drama follows their battle to uncover the cause and their subsequent fight for justice.

    This skilful portrayal of a real-life tragedy isn’t just compelling drama, it’s a stark warning about the dangers of weak environmental protections. With the UK no longer following EU environmental standards and the US rolling back key pollution regulations and scaling down environmental enforcement, the issues at the heart of Toxic Town feel more urgent than ever.

    As two atmospheric scientists, we were pleased to see Netflix taking on this recent event in UK history.

    Corby’s industrial heritage mirrors that of many English towns: for decades, the town’s steelworks provided jobs. Then in the 1980s they were decommissioned, leaving behind high unemployment and thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste. While many areas have decommissioned steelworks, the difference here is that environmental procedures for decommissioning hazardous waste appear not to have been followed.

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    Waste from the steelworks was transported through town in lorries to sites for long-term storage. Despite government advice to ensure their lorries were cleaned and their loads covered to prevent contamination, dirty, uncovered lorries carrying hazardous waste were repeatedly driven through the area, allowing toxic sludge to spill out on to the roads.

    Drivers were also paid bonuses for extra loads, which encouraged them to ignore regulations and cut corners. And, as the sludge spilled from their lorries dried, it turned into dust that was carried through the air and inhaled by residents, including pregnant mothers.

    Crucially, this dust was not typical air pollution which, while harmful, doesn’t usually come from contaminated land so doesn’t contain high concentrations of heavy metals and industrial chemicals. Yet, to the naked eye, Corby’s toxic dust would have been pretty indistinguishable from everyday grime.

    What is clear, however, is that there was a lot of it. During the 2009 court case against what was then Corby Borough Council, which was responsible for the steelworks’ decommissioning, residents recalled the orange dust coating surfaces and filling the air. Many stressed the need to wash their cars frequently as they quickly became coated in dust.

    As the show depicts, in 1999 concerns were raised about the impact of the pollution by mothers in the area who had given birth to children with upper limb differences. Northamptonshire Health Authority conducted an initial investigation and concluded the problem was no worse than elsewhere in England and Wales.

    Acting on behalf of the mothers, the solicitor Des Collins launched his own investigation. Ultimately birth differences in Corby were, in fact, found to be three times higher than in surrounding areas

    Inexplicably, even among environmental researchers, the Corby toxic waste case remains relatively unknown despite being a landmark legal case. It was the first time a link between airborne pollution and limb differences in children was officially established.

    The council lost the case and was found liable for public nuisance, negligence and breach of statutory duty. It disputed the verdict but reached a confidential private settlement with the families.

    Corby’s story has been dubbed the “British Erin Brockovich”. This is due to its parallels with the famous US environmental lawsuit in which Erin Brockovich, a legal clerk, helped build a case against Pacific Gas and Electric who were fined US$330 million (£415 million) for contaminating the water supply in Hinkley, California.

    Why environmental regulation matters

    It’s tempting to watch Toxic Town with the reassurance that such a disaster couldn’t happen again. Surely, with modern environmental monitoring and stronger regulations, we are now better protected?

    Environmental protections are only as strong as the political will to enforce them. History has repeatedly shown that weak or poorly enforced regulations can lead to catastrophic consequences. For example, the Bhopal gas disaster in India in 1984 saw a toxic gas leak that killed thousands.

    The Love Canal incident in the US in the 1970s exposed residents to hazardous waste, causing birth defects and illness. And the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the US in 2010, which became one of the largest marine oil spills in history.

    Despite such repeated events, environmental regulation is increasingly dismissed by some politicians and industry leaders as red tape –a bureaucratic burden that hampers industrial and economic growth.

    The UK’s exit from the EU means that it no longer needs to adhere to EU environmental regulations, including the Reach law which mandates the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals, It’s the main EU law that governs chemicals to protect both the environment and human health. While not flawless, Reach is considered to be the most robust chemicals regulation in the world and because of global supply chains, it often encourages manufacturers beyond Europe to comply.

    Campaigners worry that the UK’s departure from the EU environmental regulations will weaken its environmental benchmarks. Water quality in the UK has worsened in the past decade and is now worse than that of most EU countries. Yet, evidence shows that the chemicals industry lobby is powerful.

    The attitude of the new administration in the US to environmental protection laws has caused considerable concern across the global scientific community. There has been a rollback of more than 100 environmental regulations, including 39 relevant to air and water pollution. Most of these rule reversals have already been enacted, just over a month into the new administration.

    The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has had 168 staff placed on leave and environmental groups have warned “that these cuts put minority and lower income families living close to polluting sites at risk”. In parallel, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), another federal agency which monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditions, is facing drastic cuts to it’s staff and budget. These cuts harm the capacity of the US to monitor and enforce environmental regulations.

    What happens in the US often sets a precedent for other countries. It is worrying that reducing environmental protection in the US may encourage other countries, including the UK, to follow suit.

    So, far from being a thing of the past, we could be witnessing a return to the toxic times seen in Corby if we fail to prioritise stringent environmental safeguards. As solictor Des Collins starkly reminds us at the end of the drama: “A town that is made by burning up red tape and using it as fuel does so much damage.”

    Kirsty Pringle receives funding from UKRI.

    Jim McQuaid receives funding from UKRI, Horizon Europe, The Royal Society and Defra

    – ref. Netflix’s Toxic Town offers a stark warning on environmental rollbacks – https://theconversation.com/netflixs-toxic-town-offers-a-stark-warning-on-environmental-rollbacks-251168

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Banning first cousin marriage would be eugenic and ineffective – expert view

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dominic Wilkinson, Consultant Neonatologist and Professor of Ethics, University of Oxford

    AliAshraf/Shutterstock

    A bill that proposes to ban first-cousin marriage in the UK will receive its second reading in the House of Commons on March 7.

    The bill, proposed by Conservative former minister Richard Holden, follows the introduction of a ban on cousin marriages that came into effect in Norway in 2023 and a planned ban in Sweden from mid-2026.

    Different reasons might be given for proposing to ban first-cousin marriage. However, one significant reason given by supporters of these bans is concern for public health. Holden claimed in his speech to parliament that: “First-cousin marriage should be banned on the basis of health risk alone.”

    In the UK, a long-standing research study of childhood outcomes in Bradford, where there has traditionally been a high rate of cousin marriages within the Pakistani community, recently found that children of first cousin parents had higher rates of learning and speech problems and more visits to hospitals and doctors.

    The increased incidence of certain genetic illnesses in children of related parents has long been recognised. When parents are closely related, they are more likely to carry the same faulty genes.

    If both parents pass on the same faulty gene to their child, the child has a higher chance of developing a genetic illness (about double the risk of parents who aren’t related). The Bradford study had earlier found that first-cousin marriages were linked to 30% of cases of birth defects in the studied population.

    The recent study suggests that even once you exclude those children diagnosed with recessive genetic conditions – and even after adjusting for other risk factors such as poverty – the children had higher rates of illness and developmental problems.

    Although it is laudable to wish to seek measures to prevent health and learning problems in future children, there is a fundamental ethical challenge.

    Banning first-cousin marriage will not prevent children from having genetic illness or health problems, rather, it will prevent some children from being born and mean that different children (with a lower chance of genetic or other problems) are born instead.

    Harm principle

    A basic legal and ethical principle, defended by the 19th-century philosopher John Stuart Mill, is that states are only justified in restricting the basic freedoms of individuals to prevent harm to others. But if we take the “harm principle” seriously, then the health case for a marriage ban dissolves. There will be no child who is saved from illness or harm because of a law banning first-cousin marriage.

    It might be thought that a ban would still be justified, based on community health rather than for the sake of specific children. The idea would be that it would be important to prevent first-cousin marriage because of the high rate of genetic illness in offspring. Perhaps the hope would be to reduce pressure on the health system. But there are several problems with this argument.

    First, most children of parents who are first cousins are healthy. The rate of genetic or congenital problems is 6% (compared with 3% in parents who are not related). This means that 94% of children will not have genetic or congenital problems. Or to put it another way, given the small additional risk, over 30 couples would have to be prevented from marrying to prevent one child from being born with an inherited genetic problem. The same argument applies to the extra learning problems seen in the Bradford study that were not diagnosed as genetic problems: most children of first-cousin parents did not have learning difficulties or serious illness.

    Next, a ban on cousin marriage to reduce the rates of illness or learning problems in their offspring would represent an attempt to prevent certain people from having children for the sake of benefiting the population. But once we frame it in that way, it is clear that such an effort would be eugenic, based on a particular group’s perceived genetic fitness to reproduce.

    Such a policy would be an example of some of the most troubling forms of eugenics: restricting basic freedoms (the freedom to marry and have children) for the sake of the common good.

    Third, the health-based reason to ban first-cousin marriages is because of the elevated rate of birth defects and health problems in children. However, the rate of these problems is also increased in parents who are related more distantly. And in close-knit ethnic groups there can be shared genes and increased rate of congenital problems (so-called endogamy), even without cousin marriage.

    If we ban first-cousin marriages, families could shift to others within their extended family. Or, if we wanted to prevent higher rates of birth defects, we might need to ban not just first- and second-cousin marriages, but also marriage within ethnic communities. But that would look even more problematic.

    How should we respond then to the high rates of health and learning problems in communities like those in Bradford?

    One important response is to be aware of the additional needs of those communities (Bradford has areas that are among the most deprived in the UK) and to ensure that the needs of children are addressed.

    A second response is to provide education to families and to young people who are potentially marrying so that they are aware of the increased risks associated with cousin marriage and can make informed decisions.

    Finally, there are more sophisticated and targeted ways of identifying risks for couples while respecting their reproductive rights. So-called expanded reproductive carrier screening could identify before they become pregnant, whether both partners in a couple are carriers for the same genetic illness. That could help them to decide whether to have children together, whether to use other techniques – such as IVF – to prevent genetic illness or to adopt. That expanded screening isn’t currently available on the NHS, but it could be made available to couples who are related.

    We should be concerned about higher rates of illness in the children of parents who are related. But the ethical answer isn’t to ban them from getting married.

    Dominic Wilkinson receives funding from the Wellcome Trust.

    – ref. Banning first cousin marriage would be eugenic and ineffective – expert view – https://theconversation.com/banning-first-cousin-marriage-would-be-eugenic-and-ineffective-expert-view-251187

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation, Cyberstalking, and Sextortion Offenses

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

    Jackson, MS – A Jackson man entered a guilty plea to federal charges relating to a “sextortion” scheme that targeted multiple victims, including minors, across several states.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Marquez Cameron Jones Weston, 22, operated a “sextortion” scheme in which he engaged in cyberstalking, interstate threats, extortion, attempted production of child pornography, and transportation of child pornography over the internet. As part of the scheme, Weston attempted to and did extort money and sexually explicit photographic images and videos from numerous female victims, some of whom were minors, over the internet.

    Weston pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography over the internet, extortion, and cyberstalking. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 27, 2025 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

    The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Sam Houston State University Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly T. Purdie and Dave Fulcher are prosecuting the case.

    The FBI provides the following six tips on how people can protect themselves from sextortion schemes:

    • Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
    • Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
    • Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
    • Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and this person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
    • Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
    • Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone.

    If you, your child, or someone you know is being exploited via sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or report it online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additional resources can found at Sextortion and Financially Motivated Sextortion — FBI.  If you believe you are a victim in this particular case, please also contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer – so why is breast screening attendance still a problem?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anietie Aliu, Postgraduate Researcher, Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey

    Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women globally. But, in part thanks to screening programmes, over 75% of those diagnosed with breast cancer in England now survive for ten years or more.

    However, due to a complex combination of racial disparities in the quality of healthcare patients receive, social factors such as poverty, and differences in tumour biology, Black women in the UK are more likely to die from the disease than women from other ethnicities.

    Breast screening improves breast cancer survival by identifying cancer at an earlier stage when it is easier to treat. In the UK, breast screening by mammography is offered free to women who are between the ages of 50 and 71 through the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme.

    Research shows that Black women in the UK are less likely to take part in breast screening programmes but are more likely to die from the disease from late diagnosis. So, why are Black women less likely to attend breast screenings when it could help save their lives?

    I was part of a team that reviewed all the studies which examined the barriers to breast cancer screening which Black women in the UK experience.

    The review found significant gaps in existing research on breast cancer in the Black community and barriers preventing Black African and Black Caribbean women in the UK in partaking in potentially life-saving breast cancer screenings. We reviewed nearly 1,000 papers, but only eight articles included Black women.

    The review found that previous research often grouped Black women from diverse backgrounds together, including Black African and Black Caribbean, masking important cultural nuances and different experiences. Additionally, the limited research available primarily focused on women who either attend screenings or who are ineligible, overlooking the crucial perspectives of those who are eligible but do not participate.

    As part of our research, we also wanted to identify any effective interventions to improve screening uptake for Black women – but we found no interventions that exclusively targeted Black women.

    Our study found that barriers were physical, emotional, cultural and related to healthcare. Black women who believed breast cancer could be treated if caught early were more likely to attend screening. Some of the key barriers, though, seem applicable to women from all ethnic groups. For example, fear of positive diagnosis.

    Cancer diagnosis is often seen as a death sentence but we found that Black women, in particular, are less likely to discuss breast cancer. Our review found that fear, stigma and negative perceptions of cancer contributed to a strong culture of silence which hindered responses to screening.

    Our review also found that many Black women who participated in the studies placed a high value on family relationships. Some Black African women, for example, were worried that if they were diagnosed and treated for breast cancer their partner might leave them or that their marriage prospects could be negatively affected because potential partners might think that cancer runs in their family.

    Barriers from healthcare structure were also flagged. Black women reported difficulties in attending screening appointments during work hours and lack of evening or weekend appointments prevented some women in full-time employment from attending screening.

    The review found that knowledge and awareness of breast cancer could be low, especially among some women born outside the UK, some of whom believed they weren’t vulnerable to breast cancer because they weren’t familiar with it in their country of birth. This shows a need for more culturally sensitive research on breast cancer screening in the Black communities.

    To reduce health disparities, then, and to enhance awareness of breast cancer screening, we recommend tailored community health programs and outreach initiatives that resonate with the people they are targeting.

    Anietie Aliu is affiliated with University of Surrey

    Aliu, A.E., Kerrison, R.S. and Marcu, A. (2025), A Systematic Review of Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening, and of Interventions Designed to Increase Participation, Among Women of Black African and Black Caribbean Descent in the UK. Psycho-Oncology, 34: e70093. https://doi-org.surrey.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/pon.70093

    – ref. Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer – so why is breast screening attendance still a problem? – https://theconversation.com/black-women-are-more-likely-to-die-from-breast-cancer-so-why-is-breast-screening-attendance-still-a-problem-250324

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How our bodies react when we use social media – and when we stop

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Niklas Ihssen, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Durham University

    shutterstock rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

    The typical adult in the UK spends nearly two hours on social media per day. And for younger users, this can easily be up to five hours. The likes of Instagram or TikTok seem to draw us into their ever-changing feeds and it’s difficult to tear ourselves away from these platforms.

    Now our latest study shows that even our body reflects a state of being glued to the screen when we are on social media.

    We asked 54 young adults to browse their Instagram on their phone for 15 minutes as they would normally do in their daily life. However, in our study we had attached electrodes to their chest and fingers that allowed us to record their heart rate and “skin conductance”, which is an indicator of sweating. Psychologists can use these physiological markers to infer subtle mental states and emotions. We also added a control condition where our participants read a news article on their phone, just before they logged onto Instagram.

    What we found was that, relative to the news reading condition, scrolling away on Instagram led to a marked slowing of participants’ heart rate while, at the same time, increasing their sweating response.

    From other research we know that such a pattern of bodily responses shows that someone’s attention is fully absorbed by a highly significant or emotional stimulus in their environment – it’s a state of simultaneous excitement and deep immersion into something very meaningful to us.

    Importantly, from the control condition we knew that it was not just being on the phone or reading that caused this bodily response. So there seems to be something special about social media that can easily engross us.

    The most intriguing effect in our study happened when we interrupted participants at the end of their Instagram stint and asked them to go back to reading another news article. Rather than snapping out of the excitement and returning to a calmer state, participants’ sweating response increased further, while heart rate also increased rather than slowed down further.

    Is it addiction?

    What was going on? What helped us interpret these effects were participants’ ratings of their emotions. We collected these before their social media bout and at the time we asked them to log off.

    Participants reported being stressed and anxious when they had to disconnect from their feed. They even reported having social media cravings at that moment. So it looked like the physiological response that we observed when participants had to log off reflected another form of arousal – but this time it was more negative and stress-related.

    Such bodily and psychological stress responses also occur when people with a substance addiction go through withdrawal during abstinence or after quitting “cold turkey”. So were these signs that we observed “withdrawal” from Instagram?

    The answer to this question is not straightforward. However, our study may give us some clues. After the experiment, we asked all participants to fill in a questionnaire assessing symptoms of “social media addiction”.

    While this concept is controversial and currently not recognised as a mental health disorder, the questionnaire told us something about how social media use can negatively affect someone’s daily life. This can even include their work or school results, or lead to conflict with their partners.

    Notably, we did not see any heart rate and sweating differences between participants who scored high or low on these addiction measures. That means, that all our participants showed a pattern of excited immersion during use and stress-related arousal when use was interrupted.

    We don’t think that this finding means that we are all addicted to social media though. Instead, we believe that social media offers very powerful rewards. And some of its features may indeed have an addictive dimension, such as the personalised short-video streams that trap us in an endless loop of entertaining content.

    Critically however, our previous study shows that it is primarily the social aspect of social media that drives most people to use it so intensively. This also means that – in contrast to drugs – social media taps into basic human needs: we all want to belong and to be liked.

    So if we recognise the existence of “social media addiction”, we might also need to recognise a “friendship addiction”. We should therefore exert caution with the term addiction in the context of social media – the risk is that normal behaviour could become “pathologised” and lead to stigma.

    And, as our previous research indicates, we may be just fine abstaining or cutting down from social media for a while without experiencing dramatic changes to our wellbeing (either positive or negative). The reason for this is that in contrast to drugs, we can satisfy our needs through other means – for instance, by talking to people.

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

    – ref. How our bodies react when we use social media – and when we stop – https://theconversation.com/how-our-bodies-react-when-we-use-social-media-and-when-we-stop-251291

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Police in Northern Ireland unlawfully spied on journalists – this is not how covert policing is meant to work

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Steve Christopher, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice (Police Programmes), De Montfort University

    At the end of last year, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (an independent judiciary body) made a shocking landmark judgement. The tribunal found that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Metropolitan Police had unlawfully conducted surveillance into two investigative journalists.

    The PSNI was forced to pay £4,000 in damages to Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney, producers of No Stone Unturned, a 2017 documentary about alleged police collusion in the unsolved Loughinisland massacre in 1994.

    The two journalists were arrested in 2018 by the PSNI over leaked documents that appeared in the film. Their arrest was later ruled unlawful. Suspecting that this was one of multiple attempts by the police to identify their sources, McCaffrey and Birney brought a complaint. The tribunal’s subsequent investigation and ruling has revealed the extent of the surveillance on the pair, and drawn attention to more examples of surveillance on journalists. These are now being investigated by a review set up after the tribunal’s ruling.

    The PSNI admitted last year to making 823 applications for communications data for journalists and lawyers over 13 years. Additionally, more than 4,000 phone communications between 12 journalists were monitored by police over three months.

    The force also admitted employing covert tactics against 320 journalists while intercepting over 4,000 telephone calls and texts between McCaffrey, Birney and a dozen BBC journalists. This is espionage on an industrial scale.

    The treatment of the journalists has rightly raised concerns about press freedom. But as a senior detective who specialised in covert policing, and who now lectures criminal investigation students about the practice, I find this case extremely worrying for the future integrity of covert policing in the UK.

    Covert policing and human rights

    Covert policing refers to a combination of clandestine policing tactics used to
    lawfully access information and evidence that may not otherwise be obtainable. These tactics are an essential investigative tool in tackling contemporary organised and serious crime – they are not intended to police the 4th estate.

    Journalistic confidentiality is a privilege legally protected from covert policing, other than in exceptional circumstances. These privileges (along with legal and medical) are basic and sacrosanct, and cannot simply be ignored or trampled upon. Hence, the reason for the checks and balances in the process of authorising covert policing.

    With the advent of the UK Human Rights Act in 1998, an accountability framework was necessary for covert policing to satisfy the rights set out in the European convention on human rights.

    I was a member of various national working groups which worked tirelessly around the turn of the millennium to legitimise and regulate clandestine tactics through the introduction of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and its associated codes of practice.

    To comply with human rights, the deployment of covert policing must be justified, necessary, proportionate and lawful. Law enforcement agencies employing theses tactics are held accountable through oversight by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

    This framework has largely proved to be very effective and compliant with the relevant laws and human rights. Although there has been a rise in the number of complaints by private individuals to the IPT since 2017, less than 4% were actually found to have failed to comply with the framework.

    UK law enforcement and the public are still coming to terms with serious and systematic abuses by undercover police officers targeting campaigners over a period of 40 years. Against that backdrop, it is imperative that the deployment of covert policing by law enforcement agencies complies with the governance regime put in place.

    The tribunal found that in the case of Birney and McCaffrey, the former PSNI chief constable did not comply with the necessary legal requirements to authorise the surveillance operation. They said that the constable failed to “consider whether there was an overriding public interest justifying an interference with the integrity of a journalistic source”. Clearly, there is public interest in identifying who was responsible for the Loughinisland massacre, which is what the journalists were seeking to do with their documentary.

    Trust in police

    At the heart of this calamity lies public confidence and legitimacy in policing. The British public believes in press freedom to expose unacceptable behaviour, especially by public servants, and greatly dislikes the abuse of power by the police to prevent that.

    In this case, the police service has again overstepped the mark by its egregious conduct. And I am concerned that it is merely the tip of the iceberg. Given the collaboration between the PSNI and Met police reported in this case, it would be very surprising if such proactive “monitoring” of journalists was not underway in many forces.

    McCaffrey, Birney and others are right to call for a public inquiry to establish the extent of such covert operations by the police service. There is a clear and significant danger when the police extend their clandestine reach to unjustifiably and unnecessarily spy on journalists. A review of the extent of such operations across the UK would be in the interests of transparency and accountability. It would also go a long way to repairing the damage caused to public trust in the police and covert policing by this case.

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

    – ref. Police in Northern Ireland unlawfully spied on journalists – this is not how covert policing is meant to work – https://theconversation.com/police-in-northern-ireland-unlawfully-spied-on-journalists-this-is-not-how-covert-policing-is-meant-to-work-247628

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: UK arts sector is getting a £270 million funding boost – but there are winners and losers

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Behr, Senior Lecturer in Popular and Contemporary Music, Newcastle University

    “In any civilised community the arts … serious or comic, light or demanding, must occupy a central place. Their enjoyment should not be regarded as something remote from everyday life.” This was a central statement in the white paper (a statement of policy intent) issued 60 years ago by Jennie Lee, the UK’s first minister for the arts under Labour prime minister Harold Wilson in 1965.

    Outlining A Policy for the Arts – The First Steps was the first white paper for the arts (and the only one until 2016), and suggested that the arts should be publicly supported, also arguing for increased local and regional support besides national institutions.

    Many of Lee’s assertions still ring true today, not least that, “Today’s artists need more financial help, particularly in the early years before they have become established”. There were echoes of that 1965 statement of support for the arts in Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s recent announcement of a £270 million funding package. Indeed, the timing was no accident, Nandy explicitly referenced Lee’s “vision for accessibility in the arts”.

    This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.

    It’s a broadly welcome intervention for a sector in straitened circumstances. A drop of more than 30% investment through local authorities in England since 2010, and of 21%, overall has left organisations struggling to maintain infrastructure, creating a drag on new developments. So an injection of government support for public assets like museums and libraries is a necessary step to stem the decline.

    Much, though, has changed since 1965. Absent from Lee’s communitarian account of governmental support for the arts is the language of economic return. The intervening decades have seen a sea change in the logics of arts funding.

    While the stated benefits of arts to society – and particularly education – remain salient, the emphasis has shifted over time from support to “investment”, with the arts and culture increasingly recognised and valued for, as Nandy puts it, “their growth potential to drive our economy forward”.

    This rhetorical and practical co-mingling of “culture” with the “creative industries” is a longitudinal shift. In political terms this was made clear by the 1997 rebranding of the Department for National Heritage (the first “culture” department, founded by Conservative prime minister John Major in 1992) as the Department for Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS) the last time Labour returned from a long spell in opposition.

    This defence of arts funding in “instrumental” terms (its economic return, or value in bumping up educational achievements) is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, there’s a risk of losing sight of culture’s intrinsic value as something worthy of support – art for art’s sake.

    At the same time, it has been accompanied by a move away from the more patrician conception of what merited state support. National institutions and the “high arts” were the main focus in the birth of the arts councils as part of the major overhaul of the role of the state – the postwar consensus – after the second world war.

    This points towards wider tensions in arts funding and the DCMS portfolio that derive from the evolving landscape since 1965. There was a strong emphasis in Lee’s paper, and in Nandy’s recent announcement, on buildings, infrastructure and established spaces. Vital as these are, the idea of what counts as culture has moved on and expanded since then.

    Even beyond their economic potential, the cultural value of practices more traditionally associated with commercial activity has become more central to the national conversation.

    Arts education has also become strategically important in both economic terms and in supporting widening access to opportunities across society, requiring a broad conception of “the arts”. The barriers between high art and popular culture have become porous, and this has a bearing on state support, especially when cultural activity overall is reeling from a pandemic and years of austerity.

    This is at the heart of those sectors left out of the current largesse. Drawing on both economic and cultural arguments Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, has noted the absence in Nandy’s proposal of live music venues, nightclubs and festivals.

    “The government has placed traditional and heritage culture at the forefront while completely ignoring the vital creative spaces that fuel innovation, inspire younger generations, and contribute significantly to our economy,” he wrote recently.

    DCMS funding is also a microcosm of any government spending in that it also comes with questions around opportunity cost (as the recent announcement about boosting the defence budget and immediate ramifications for foreign aid also make clear). Here too, the grassroots are a factor.

    Mark Davyd of the Music Venue Trust, for instance, has pointed out that his suggested “£20m to open 40 new grassroots music venues” was derided, but that there’s “£15m to build yet another hall for the National Railway Museum and £5m to build a poetry centre, and nobody thinks that £20m is funny.”

    Also rising rapidly up the agenda are concerns about the longer term impact of AI on creative careers, another area in which the DCMS – and the Department of Science Innovation and Technology – might see their plans for growth at odds with those in the creative industries and organisations.

    Artists are objecting to a suggested exception to copyright restrictions that would require them to actively “opt out” of their work being used to train AI models, and which benefit AI companies with the presumption that works can be used for that purpose.

    None of this is easy, especially after a long period of austerity in the arts, and a context of global uncertainty. But Nandy’s recent announcement of funding can only be seen as a holding action to halt the deterioration.

    To realise Jennie Lee’s vision, a more substantive, structural approach is needed, one that brings those activities at the grassroots, and at the margins of traditional views of “culture” under the umbrella of funding.

    Adam Behr has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy.

    – ref. UK arts sector is getting a £270 million funding boost – but there are winners and losers – https://theconversation.com/uk-arts-sector-is-getting-a-270-million-funding-boost-but-there-are-winners-and-losers-251340

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Congratulations to Svetlana Yankelevich on her new appointment!

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Svetlana Yankelevich, a graduate of the Academic Reserve educational program, has been appointed acting rector of the Siberian State University of Geosystems and Technologies (SSUGT).

    The educational program for training the personnel management reserve in the field of science and education “Academic Reserve” is implemented by the State University of Management by order of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. Svetlana Yankelevich graduated from the program in 2023.

    In 1995, Svetlana Yankelevich graduated from the Siberian State Geodetic Academy (since 2014 – SSUGiT) with a degree in Cartography. In 1998, she completed her postgraduate studies at the same university. Associate Professor, Candidate of Technical Sciences. Author of 101 scientific articles, 4 educational publications and 1 collective monograph.

    Svetlana Yankelevich has dedicated her entire career to her native university. She started her career as an assistant, then became a senior lecturer, head of the department of cartography and geoinformatics at SSUGIT. Since 2017 – Vice-Rector for Academic and Educational Work at SSUGIT. Since 2022 – Vice-Rector for Academic and Educational Work and Youth Policy. Since 2025 – Acting Rector of SSUGIT.

    Awarded the Certificate of Honor and the medal of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia “For contribution to the implementation of state policy in the field of education”.

    Congratulations to Svetlana Sergeevna on her new appointment! It is gratifying to see how graduates of the GUU family are climbing the career ladder. We are confident that the knowledge and connections gained will contribute to the successful completion of work tasks and the further development of USTUGIT!

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/04/2025

    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 USA: Governor Kehoe Announces Three Appointments to Various Boards, Fills Two County Office Vacancies 

    Source: US State of Missouri

    MARCH 4, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced three appointments to various boards and filled two county office vacancies.

    Scott Albers, of Country Club, was appointed to the Missouri Western State University Board of Governors.

    Mr. Albers is the president of Public Refrigerated Warehousing at Nor-Am Cold Storage and has served in leadership roles at the company since 2009. Active in the community, he serves on the board of the Global Cold Chain Alliance and previously held roles with the Greater St. Joseph United Way and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. Albers earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from the University of Northern Iowa and a Master of Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Business.

    Kathy Lambertz, of Harrisonville, was appointed as the Cass County Clerk.

    Ms. Lambertz currently serves as the chief deputy clerk in the Cass County Clerk’s Office, a position she has held since 2019. She previously served as Cass County clerk from 1999 to 2012 and worked as a senior appraiser in the assessor’s office from 2012 to 2019. With more than 30 years of experience in county government, she is also active in civic organizations, serving on the University of Missouri Extension Board and as an active member of the Harrisonville Kiwanis Club.

    William “Blaine” Luetkemeyer, of St. Elizabeth, was appointed to the University of Missouri Board of Curators.

    A retired U.S. Congressman, Mr. Luetkemeyer represented Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District from 2013 to 2025 and the 9th Congressional District from 2009 to 2013. During his tenure in Congress, he played a key role on the House Financial Services Committee, chaired multiple subcommittees, and helped secure $20 million for the NextGen MU Research Reactor at the University of Missouri. Before serving in Congress, Luetkemeyer was a Missouri State Representative, and as the Director of the Missouri Division of Tourism. Mr. Luetkemeyer has decades of experience as a small businessman, having worked as a community banker and bank examiner. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Business Administration from Lincoln University. In recognition of his contributions to higher education, Mr. Luetkemeyer received the Henry S. Geyer Award from the Mizzou Alumni Association in 2023.

    Todd Michalski, of St. Joseph, was appointed to the Missouri Western State University Board of Governors.

    Mr. Michalski is the senior vice president of sales and marketing at Gray Manufacturing Company, Inc. He serves as a board member for the Missouri Western State University Foundation and the Automotive Lift Institute. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and minor in Marketing and Management from Missouri Western State University.

    Dave Schatz, of Sullivan, was appointed as the Franklin County Presiding Commissioner.

    Mr. Schatz is the vice president of Schatz Underground and the former president of Schatz Construction. He previously served as Missouri Senate President Pro Tem and was a State Senator from 2015 to 2022 and a State Representative from 2011 to 2014. A longtime business owner and community leader, Schatz remains active in local government, education initiatives, and community service throughout Franklin County.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Markey and Cassidy Reintroduce Children and Teen’s Online Privacy Protection Legislation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Bill Text (PDF)
    Washington (March 4, 2025) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) today reintroduced the bipartisan Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), which would update online data privacy rules for the 21st century and ensure children and teenagers are protected online. Senator Markey first introduced this legislation to update his original COPPA law in 2011 as a member of the House of Representatives and has introduced the bipartisan legislation in every Congress since.
    “We need strong modern legislation that keeps pace with the ever-evolving digital landscape and creates a safer online environment by addressing the youth mental health crisis and protecting the personal information of our kids,” said Senator Markey. “Congress must finally pass my Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act to extend these protections to teenagers, block targeted advertising to kids and teens, and give parents of young people an eraser button to protect them from predatory data collection practices.”
    “Every kid has an iPad or smartphone. They’re going to use the internet. Parents should be confident they can do it safely,” said Dr. Cassidy. “COPPA 2.0 is the tool that will give parents the peace of mind they need and keep their children’s personal information secure.”
    The legislation is also cosponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Shelly-Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).
    Specifically, the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act would:
    Ban targeted advertising to children and teens;
    Create an “Eraser Button” by requiring companies to permit users to delete personal information collected from a child or teen;
    Establish data minimization rules to prohibit the excessive collection of children and teens’ data;
    Revise COPPA’s “actual knowledge” standard to close the loophole that allows platforms to ignore kids and teens on their site; and
    Build on COPPA by prohibiting internet companies from collecting personal information from users who are 13 to 16 years old without their consent.
    The legislation is endorsed by AASA – the School Superintendents Association, ACCESS Lab – Washington University in St. Louis, Alaska Eating Disorders Alliance, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological Association, Association of Educational Service Agencies, Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, Carolina Resource Center for Eating Disorders, Center for Change, Center for Digital Democracy, Center for Humane Technology, Centerstone, CHILD USA, Children’s Justice Fund, Common Sense Media, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Watchdog, Defending the Early Years, Design It For Us, Early Childhood Work Group, Screen Time Action Network, Eating Disorder Foundation, Eating Disorders Coalition, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), Fairplay, Farrington Specialty Centers, Foolproof, IFEDD – The International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians, Inseparable, International Society for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses, Issue One, Lines for Life, Marsh Law Firm PPLC, Mentari, MO Eating Disorders Council, Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association, Inc. (MEDA), National Association for Pupil Transportation, National Association of School Nurses, National Federation of Families, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), National Rural Education Association, Network for Public Education, P.E.A.C.E (Peace Educators Allied for Children Everywhere), Parents Who Fight, Phone Free Schools Movement, Public Interest Privacy Center (PIPC), Postpartum Support International, Prosperity Eating Disorders and Wellness, Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAN), Public Citizen, PEDC, REGO Payment Architectures, Sandy Hook Promise, Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders, Student Data Privacy Project, University of Connecticut Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health, Western Youth Services, Yellowstone Human Trafficking Task Force, and Young People’s Alliance.
    “The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, reintroduced by Senators Markey and Cassidy and other Senate co-sponsors, is more urgent than ever. Children’s surveillance has only intensified across social media, gaming, and virtual spaces, where companies harvest data to track, profile, and manipulate young users. COPPA 2.0 will ban targeted ads to those under 16, curbing the exploitation, manipulation, and discrimination of children for profit. By extending protections to teens and requiring a simple ‘eraser button’ to delete personal data, this legislation takes a critical step in restoring privacy rights in an increasingly invasive digital world,” said Katharina Kopp, Deputy Director of the Center for Digital Democracy.
    “Common Sense Media believes Congress must update the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to strengthen safeguards for young children and extend vital protections to teenagers. Common Sense applauds Senators Markey and Cassidy for their unwavering commitment to this critical cause. With strong bi-partisan support having carried this legislation through the Senate last year, we are optimistic about securing passage in both chambers this year – America’s families deserve no less. This bill would take decisive action by prohibiting targeted advertising to young users, requiring platforms to acknowledge and protect children on their sites, and prevent companies from exploiting youth vulnerabilities for profit. This time has come for Congress to finally pass this essential legislation,” said James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media. 
    “The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act is an essential step toward addressing youth mental health and online safety. By expanding critical privacy protections to teens for the first time, banning targeted advertising, and closing loopholes that allow platforms to ignore the presence of underage users, COPPA 2.0 will disrupt the business model that capitalizes on our kids’ attention at the expense of their physical and mental wellbeing. Last year, the Senate demonstrated the importance of this landmark legislation by passing it in a historic 91-3 vote. We applaud Senators Markey and Cassidy for reintroducing it so that Congress can finish the job and pass privacy protections for all youth in the 119th Congress,” said Haley Hinkle, Policy Counsel at Fairplay.
    “National PTA is committed to making sure that safeguards are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth online,” said Yvonne Johnson, President of the National Parent Teacher Association, the nation’s oldest and largest child advocacy association. “That’s why we’ve strongly advocated for COPPA 2.0, which would provide a long-overdue and desperately needed update of federal law to better protect the personal information of children online and ban targeted advertising toward children and teens. Our association applauds Senators Markey and Cassidy for reintroducing this critical legislation.”  
    “Design It For Us strongly supports Senators Markey and Cassidy reintroducing COPPA 2.0 to better protect the privacy of young people online. As a coalition of young advocates, we are all too familiar with Big Tech’s toxic business model that collects massive amounts of data on young people and uses it to target them with ads and content. Young people deserve the critical protections COPPA 2.0 has to offer, including privacy tools and an eraser button to delete personal information,” said Zamaan Qureshi, Co-Chair of Design It For Us.
    “Social media companies generate astronomical profits off our nation’s young people by turning platforms into a playground for advertisers. They are literally selling access to our children with targeted ads designed to prey on kids’ vulnerabilities. A child as young as 13 struggling with an eating disorder will be targeted with a constant stream of deceptive ads for the next miracle diet pill. In what other setting would we ever allow that? Parents across the country are calling for common-sense age restrictions on targeted ads on social media. COPPA 2.0 is a much-needed answer to their call,” said Dr. S. Bryn Austin, Board Member at Eating Disorders Coalition and Director of the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders.
    “The Public Interest Privacy Center (PIPC) is proud to support the re-introduction of COPPA 2.0. COPPA 2.0 increases the age of individuals entitled to foundational privacy protections online from children under 13 to teens under 17. In today’s digital world, prioritizing the privacy and safety of children and teens online should no longer be optional. COPPA 2.0 will help to make this a reality,” said Amelia Vance, President of Public Interest Privacy Center.
    “AASA is proud to support the re-introduction of COPPA 2.0. This legislation is more important than ever, as it will fill the gap left by the Federal Trade Commission declining to codify long-standing guidance allowing schools to consent to edtech in their recent update to the COPPA Rule. COPPA 2.0 finds the right balance between increasing protections for children and teen privacy online while still allowing schools to provide appropriate, technology-enhanced educational opportunities for all students,” said Dr. David R. Schuler, Executive Director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association.
    “Public school educators and parents want kids to learn and thrive in safe, engaging and welcoming schools. However, Big Tech’s dismal failure to erect basic safeguards around its predatory social media products has resulted in a growing plague of loneliness, anxiety and depression. We must pass commonsense regulations and laws to protect children from these dangers, just as we did with lead paint and seatbelts, and as Congress almost did last year before Meta’s last minute opposition lobbying. Sen. Ed Markey’s bill, COPPA 2.0, would protect our kids by modernizing and strengthening privacy laws to reflect the online world they live in now. And it would stop Big Tech’s invasive data practices that track and traumatize kids for profit,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
    “For too long, Big Tech has evaded accountability by exploiting young users with manipulative design features and harvesting their data to fuel addictive algorithms. As long as these companies profit from hooking children and exploiting their sensitive data, they will continue to prioritize profits at-all-cost over democracy. The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act 2.0 shifts this paradigm by introducing critical protections, including data minimization requirements, a ban on targeted advertising to children and teens, and the closure of loopholes that allow platforms to ignore young users on their sites. Congress now has a crucial opportunity to stand with millions of Americans — parents, young people, and advocates — demanding common-sense safeguards for kids online,” said Alix Fraser, Vice President of Technology Reform at Issue One.
    “In the absence of a strong federal comprehensive privacy law, it’s critical that we at least protect the most vulnerable people online — kids and teens. Senator Markey and Cassidy’s Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) does this by placing critical limits on the amount of data that can be collected from young users online to what is necessary for the product or service requested by the child or teen. EPIC is proud to support COPPA 2.0,” said Caitriona Fitzgerald, Deputy Director at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC).
    “The Young People’s Alliance supports Senator Markey and Senator Cassidy as they reintroduce COPPA 2.0, a critical step in curbing Big Tech’s exploitative revenue model. Data privacy cuts predatory platforms off at the source, limiting their ability to track, manipulate, and profit off kids. This, alongside banning targeted ads and allowing minors to delete their data will give young people more control over their online experiences, which we are extremely grateful to see,” said Ava Smithing, Advocacy Director at the Young People’s Alliance.
    “The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) is an important piece of legislation to protect young people from harmful and exploitative advertising online. We strongly support this bipartisan bill and applaud the legislators who are working to see that it passes. Kids are not just tiny adults – their young minds are incredibly vulnerable to the content they’re exposed to on social media. This can lead to terrible and tragic outcomes like violence, self-harm, and suicide. As trusted adults, we must do all we can to protect our youth from these kinds of dangerous marketing practices and online materials,” said Mark Barden, Co-Founder and CEO of the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.
    In December 2024, Senator Markey blasted the decision not to include COPPA 2.0 in the continuing resolution to fund the government through March 14, 2025. In September 2024, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed COPPA 2.0 by a voice vote. In July 2024, the U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, which included COPPA 2.0, by a 91-3 vote. In July 2023, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee unanimously passed COPPA 2.0.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Statement on Confirmation of Linda McMahon to be U.S. Secretary of Education

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    March 3, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), issued the following statement after voting to confirm Linda McMahon as U.S. Secretary of Education:
    “The best way to improve educational outcomes is by empowering states and local school districts. Linda McMahon understands that. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education. She spent 16 years serving Sacred Heart University as a trustee. Her record of service will be an asset to the Department of Education.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Research Cultures Strategy unveiled by University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen has today launched a new Research Cultures Strategy designed to foster an inclusive environment and provide a purposeful approach to strengthening how colleagues work together.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    The University of Aberdeen has today launched a new Research Cultures Strategy designed to foster an inclusive environment and provide a purposeful approach to strengthening how colleagues work together.
    The Strategy recognises and supports the diverse research cultures that already exist at the University, while looking for opportunities to find synergies between them and to connect these to the broader institutional vision.
    Drawing on conversations with colleagues across the University to understand priorities within diverse research cultures, the Strategy focusses on embedding four positive ways of working: 
    The Strategy responds to important developments across the sector on improving research culture for all. It embodies the belief that how research is done is as important as the research itself, and is a strategy that includes all staff who undertake and enable research across the University.
    The Strategy aligns closely with Aberdeen 2040, the University’s overarching strategic vision, which seeks to create a university that is more connected, inclusive and sustainable – breaking down boundaries within and beyond the institution.

    This is a living strategy that will continue to evolve in response to feedback and evidence. Together, we will drive positive change and achieve our ambitions for the future.” Professor Nick Forsyth, the University’s Vice-Principal for Research

    Professor Nick Forsyth, the University’s Vice-Principal for Research said: “We are proud of what we have achieved in co-developing this strategy and are excited about the journey ahead. This is a living strategy that will continue to evolve in response to feedback and evidence. Together, we will drive positive change and achieve our ambitions for the future.”
    Professor Ben Tatler, the University’s Dean for Research Culture said: “Research thrives when we provide the right conditions for people to work in. Our aim with this strategy was to talk to people involved in research across the University to understand how these conditions are changing and are likely to change. From these conversations, we have co-developed a strategy that can adapt as the needs of our research community change over time and can reflect the developing understanding of research culture in the sector. By focusing on how we work together we can build a research environment that is inclusive, dynamic, and sustainable.”
    Dr Liz Rattray, Director of Research and Innovation said “Our Research Cultures Strategy is both forward-looking and firmly aligned with national priorities. What sets our approach apart is its authenticity—shaped by the insights and experiences of our research community and designed to be both practical and progressive. By prioritising ways of working over fixed goals, we ensure that our strategy remains adaptable, innovative, and capable of driving meaningful change that benefits staff, students, and partners alike.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 4 March 2025 South Africa: applying the lessons learned from tackling HIV to accelerate action on obesity

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Therncountry has already taken some bold moves to transform the food system, enablernequitable access to healthy food and physical activity and provide healthyrnmeals to children through the National School Nutrition Programme. rnSpecifically, as part of efforts to create healthier food environments, arnsugar-sweetened beverage tax, introduced in 2018, has helped reduce sugaryrndrink purchases, and regulations to reduce salt in processed foods has reducedrnsalt intake. 

    Obesityrnchronic care programs now need to be scaled up across all levels of thernhealth system with a focus on community and primary care and referral and backrnreferral to secondary and tertiary care. “The task is now to replan, reorganizernand reorient health services and train health-care providers to expand accessrnto all those in need and offer services where people are, with an impetus neverrnseen before,” said Professor Francois Venter, Director of Ezintsha atrnthe University of the Witwatersrand. “And there are many lessons from ourrnexperience in implementing large scale HIV programmes that are highly relevant,”rnhe added.   

    Asrnwith the HIV response in the early 2000s, the voices of health advocates andrnresearchers are critical to ensuring a person-centred, rights-based response tornaddressing obesity in South Africa. Robust civil society is a strength of SouthrnAfrican society that can be leveraged to combat obesity. A key player, thernDesmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF), expanded the HIV focus of its researchrnand advocacy to cover HIV within the broader health context of NCDs and mentalrnhealth in 2020. “Obesity is the new South African epidemic, with many parallelsrnto HIV. Both require lifelong care and impact every part of society. The samernlevers that drove South Africa’s HIV response – advocacy, community engagement,rncollaboration and long-term commitment – are just as crucial for tacklingrnobesity and sustained action beyond World Obesity Day,” noted DrrnNomathemba Chandiwana, Chief Scientific Officer at DTHF. 

    Onrnthe same line, the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) has been runningrneducational campaigns on healthy living for decades. As well as educating thernpublic and enabling research, CANSA strives to influence policymakers on cancerrncontrol issues and advocates to protect people’s right to health care. 

             © WHO / Barry Christianson

    Torntackle obesity, action is needed across different areas of governmentrnincluding, among others, health, social services, finance, education, trade andrnurban planning.  Government efforts can be amplified by collaboration withrnresearchers who can help with problem solving and filling knowledge gaps withrntargeted research. At the same time, supportive non-governmental organizationsrn(NGOs) and community groups – joining forces with the government and scientistsrn– can call for robust, rights-based public health action.  

    Byrnharnessing the superpower of joint government, civil society and academiarnaction, and building on the hard-won success of HIV programmes, South Africa isrnleading the way and delivering the change that is needed to respond to thernobesity challenge.

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    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 4 March 2025 Departmental update Lifelong learning in health: a global outlook from the WHO Academy

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Opened in December 2024, the WHO Academy is moving ahead with it ambition to become the global centre for lifelong learning in health. Last month, it held its inaugural conference in Lyon, France, where learning and health experts from around the world gathered to discuss the role of quality in health learning, training and capacity building.

    Currently, there are no widely accepted global standards for high-quality learning courses in health. Building on the World Health Organization’s 75 years of expertise in setting global norms and standards, the WHO Academy aims to promote quality assurance standards in developing, implementing and evaluating learning materials.

    “Quality is essential, and it is a key word for the entire operation of the Academy. Providing health and care workers with continuous access to upscaling and rescaling learning is crucial to achieving health for all,” explained Dr David Atchoarena, WHO Academy Executive Director, who also highlighted the Academy’s commitment to bringing together global expertise on learning in public health.

    In her keynote address, Professor Asha Kanwar from Beijing Normal University stressed the urgent need to address the projected global shortfall of 11 million healthcare workers by 2030. She also advocated for integrating technology into lifelong learning, including AI-generated and interactive content.

    A round table discussion featured global learning and health experts who shared best practices and success stories on improving learning opportunities and implementing online and blended courses. Through a series of in-person workshops in the afternoon, participants shared their inputs on the localization of learning content, the potential of team-based learning and assessments, and what learning recognition of WHO Academy courses could look like to ensure they are well-received by ministries of health or public accreditation bodies in their own contexts.

    “It is necessary to construct a shared vision for lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is a right for health workers. Health workers are committed to their training, so we have to take advantage of that. We need to make lifelong learning more relevant for their careers and ensure their training is more relevant. It is not a personal possession but a collective good,” explained conference participant Isabel Dure.

    Professor Janusz Janczukowicz from the Medical University of Lodz, Chair of the WHO Academy Quality Committee, concluded the conference by reiterating the importance of interprofessional and team-based learning in providing inclusive and high-quality patient care.

    The WHO Academy will promote the incorporation of best practices in learning in the design and delivery of training across WHO to optimize the impact of lifelong learning. The insights from the conference will inform the WHO Academy Quality Standards and Criteria for Learning Programmes, which will be published in 2025.

    The WHO Academy offers a range of free courses on its global online platform, open to anyone who would like to register at whoacademy.org.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Student wellbeing probed on biggest campus in Aotearoa New Zealand – UoA

    Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

    One of the country’s biggest investigations into student wellbeing is being carried out by psychology students and their teachers at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.

    In-depth interviews with more than 100 undergraduate students from minority and marginalised groups such as Māori, Pasifika, Chinese, South Asian, and LGBTQIA+ will inform student support on the nation’s biggest campus, which has 47,000 students. Most of the research is being carried out by nine postgraduate students.

    Professor Kerry Gibson, who’s Pākeha, and Dr Sarah Kapeli, of Tongan descent, lead the project, which is backed by University leadership including the Vice-Chancellor and the Māori and Pacific Pro-Vice Chancellors. Recommendations on how to better support students are likely to come later this year and facilitating connection will be key.

    “When students come to university it is for more than just a degree. It’s a time when young people are working out who they want to be and how they fit in the world,” said Gibson. “This is more important than ever after Covid had such a disruptive effect on young people’s learning and socialising.”

    Rates of mental health problems are increasing among university students, according to international studies.

    “Changing the environment so that it supports students better will help their academic success and also help prevent the development of mental health problems in this age group and into adulthood,” Gibson said.

    Stresses reported by students in the Auckland study include:

    academic pressure
    academic competition
    financial insecurity
    balancing paid work and university work
    balancing home and family commitments with university
    feeling disconnected and isolated in a large institution
    wider worries such as a competitive job market and climate change

     
    “Finding a sense of belonging is central to young people’s success at university and later in life,” said Kapeli. “Feeling comfortable at university is important for all students but can be particularly challenging for marginalised groups of students.”

    Challenges for Sāmoan and Tongan students include juggling family-comes-first commitments with university life and working out where self-care fits within collectivist values, say masters students Seulele Vine and Malia Vaka’uta. Pasifika students value Pasifika spaces on campus and highlight the role of religiosity or spirituality in wellbeing.
     
    In the study, interviews, talanoa and kōrero have mostly been conducted by researchers from the same minority or marginalised groups as the interviewees.

    Jemma Dixon, Shelby Symons, and Jack Dobson are researching Māori students’ experiences; Skyler Hsieh, Rainbow students; Senuri Panditharatne, South Asian students; and Kahn Tasker, Chinese students. Emma Johnston is studying the impact of existential threats such as climate change.

    The first theses based on the research, which began in 2022, were submitted last month.

    “For some students, it’s been cathartic,” says Kapeli. “They’ve never been asked questions like this before. We know that some are struggling – they don’t know where to get help or don’t think they can ask for help.”

    Also contributing to the project are Kaiwhakaako Mātai Hinengaro Hineatua Parkinson and Dr Roshini Peiris-John, co-director of the University’s Centre for Asian and Ethnic Minority Health Research and Evaluation.  The Spencer Foundation, a US organisation funding education research, contributed US$50,000 toward Māori and Pasifika aspects of the study.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Trump, Congress Gain New Advocates for Tax and Economic Policies Among Major Economists, Entrepreneurs

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WASHINGTON, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A group of influential economists, entrepreneurs, and academics announced today the formation of the Private Economic Council, an organization that will advocate for small businesses and taxpayers in consultation with the Trump administration and Congress. These are high-profile supporters who will use their respective platforms as influencers to help President Trump and the GOP majority deliver for the American people.

    “This is a pivotal moment in American history, and the decisions our leaders make in the coming months and years will influence the lives of the American people for generations,” said renowned economist Steve Moore. “For the first time in our lives, we have a chance to enact meaningful spending cuts, permanently reduce taxes for working Americans, and take the federal government’s thumb off the scale of our economy.”

    Members of the Private Economic Council will work together to advocate for policies that expand economic freedom, incentivize growth, and reduce the burden of government on workers and business owners alike. In addition to weighing in on hot-button topics, they will propose additional policy innovations designed to advance their shared goals of economic freedom and prosperity.

    “There is a genuine appetite for change in Washington right now, but we need to move quickly and decisively before this window of opportunity closes,” said Julio Gonzalez, founder and CEO of Engineered Tax Services.

    “I’m pleased to be a part of this group,” said Barry Habib, a longtime entrepreneur who currently serves as CEO of MBS Highway. “We will work hard to make improvements and increase economic growth.”

    “I’m proud to be a S.O.B. (son of a butcher). Only in America can sons of butchers become successful,” said Wayne Allyn Root. “This is the land of opportunity — but only because of capitalism, limited government, and low taxation and regulation. I am honored to join this prestigious group to help keep it that way.”

    “Corporations spend millions of dollars on lobbyists to make sure elected officials are aware of their interests; we’re going to make sure Congress knows just as much about the interests of the workers and small business owners who are the real engine of our economy,” said Papa John’s founder John Schnatter.

    About the Private Economic Council

    Steve Moore is a Senior Visiting Fellow in Economics at The Heritage Foundation. He is the founder and former president of the Club for Growth, and a former member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board. He served as a senior economic advisor to President Trump’s 2016 campaign, helping create the blueprints for the policies that unleashed a historic era of prosperity, including the Trump tax cuts.

    Dave Brat is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia who won his first term in office after defeating sitting House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the primary election. He currently serves as Dean of the Liberty University School of Business.

    Barry Habib is an award-winning economist and entrepreneur who is widely credited with saving the mortgage industry from margin calls by persuading the Federal Reserve to avoid actions that could have created severe instability during the COVID pandemic in 2020. He has been a longtime contributor to both Fox News and CNBC.

    Julio Gonzalez is the founder and CEO of Engineered Tax Services, the country’s largest specialty tax engineering firm. Julio helps small and mid-sized businesses take advantage of the same tax loopholes used by major corporations, and is a tireless advocate for small businesses.

    Wayne Allyn Root is a CEO, businessman, best-selling author, and national conservative TV and radio host who has interviewed President Trump 16 times. He is also a nationally syndicated columnist who helped originate and popularize some of President Trump’s most popular campaign promises, such as “No Tax on Social Security benefits” and “No taxes on overtime.” Root was the 2008 Libertarian Vice-Presidential nominee.

    John Schnatter is the founder of Papa John’s International, which he started in a broom closet and grew into one of the largest pizza chains in the world. He is a prolific philanthropist and outspoken advocate for entrepreneurs.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Increased Tax Credit Provides Up to $24,000 to Support Post Secondary Graduates

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on March 4, 2025

    Post-secondary graduates building their careers in Saskatchewan can now benefit from up to $24,000 in tax credits from the Graduate Retention Program (GRP). Saskatchewan has increased the lifetime GRP maximum by 20 per cent for students who graduate on or after October 1, 2024.

    The GRP offers tuition rebates to graduates who live and file taxes in Saskatchewan after they complete their post-secondary program. Graduates receive the tax credits over a seven-year period and have up to 10 years after graduation to claim GRP or apply any unused credits.

    “The Graduate Retention Program has been supporting post-secondary graduates for over a decade and we are proud to increase this incentive,” Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said. “Post-secondary graduates play a pivotal role in supporting Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan and Labour Market Strategyand we encourage them to take advantage of this tax credit and build their lives here in Saskatchewan.”

    Eligible graduates will begin receiving the increased tax credit when they file their 2025 taxes in spring 2026.

    “Growing up in Saskatchewan has been a privilege, and as I prepare to graduate from USask’s College of Engineering, I am excited about the many opportunities available to my peers and me,” University of Saskatchewan student Arliss Sidloski said. “The 20 per cent increase to the Saskatchewan Graduate Retention Program is a fantastic incentive for graduates to build their careers and families here. I encourage my fellow graduates to take advantage of this program and contribute to strengthening Saskatchewan’s workforce and economy.”

    Individuals who graduated before October 1, 2024 may still be eligible to receive GRP up to the original $20,000 maximum. Individuals with a graduation date between October 1 and December 31, 2024, should claim GRP at the original maximum on their 2024 taxes and will receive a top-up certificate to file with their 2025 taxes. 

    For more information on the changes, visit saskatchewan.ca/grp. For questions on filing income taxes, contact the Canada Revenue Agency directly or talk to an accounting professional.

    The GRP is the most generous program of its kind in Canada and has provided over $801 million in tuition tax credits to more than 85,200 graduates since 2008. Saskatchewan employers also benefit from the GRP as the program incentivizes graduates from both inside and outside the province to live and work in Saskatchewan.

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Don’t miss the Family Hubs Festival for free family fun!

    Source: City of Derby

    Derby City Council’s Family Hubs are holding a fantastic free event for children and young people. The first Family Hubs Festival takes place on Monday 10 March at the Museum of Making.

    During the day, there’ll be loads of free fun for families with under-fives. Then, from 4pm, there will be youth activities galore for older children to enjoy.

    The event kicks off at 11am in the beautiful surroundings of the Museum’s Italian Mill. There’s no need to book – parents, carers and little ones can just turn up and join in with whatever they fancy.

    Together with our partners, we’ve planned a full programme of activities that will run until 3pm. These include:

    • Storytelling with Derby Libraries
    • Family Hub Programme information and taster sessions with our teams
    • Nature Connect Sessions with the University of Derby and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
    • A Family Hub treasure hunt around the museum
    • Creative literacy sessions with Bridge the Gap
    • Sensory Stay and Play for neuro-diverse children
    • Move Me! taster sessions with CANVAS
    • Health drop-in sessions with midwifery, health visitors and the infant feeding teams

    Plus much more – so why not drop in and join in with the fun? Children will also be provided with a free lunch, while parents and carers can relax with a free hot drink.

    Our Family Hubs aren’t just for younger children. From 4pm until 5.30pm you can discover what’s on offer for older ones too. The activities are aimed at 11-19-year-olds, but younger children are welcome to come along with their parents and carers.

    There’ll be performances and a variety of workshops including music, sport, breakdancing, wellbeing, art and theatre – and it’s all free. You can even get free chips and hotdogs!

    Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills, said:

    The Family Hubs Festival is a brilliant opportunity for Derby families to come together and discover the wealth of free support and activities available right here in our city, for our youngest children right up to teenagers. 

    The sheer variety of activities on offer is testament to the strength of our partnerships. From storytelling to breakdancing, health drop-ins to nature sessions, this event shows the comprehensive support our Family Hubs provide. Come along and find out what’s on offer!

    The Family Hubs Festival takes place on Monday 10 March at the Museum of Making on Silk Mill Lane, Derby DE1 3AF. Families with under-fives are welcome from 11am until 3pm. From 4pm until 5.30pm, the activities will be aimed at 11-19-year-olds, but younger children can attend with a parent/carer. The free sessions are drop-in – no booking is required.

    You can find more information about Family Hubs on our website.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Gaza ceasefire deal looks doomed as Israel blockades Strip and bars entry of humanitarian aid

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Scott Lucas, Professor of International Politics, Clinton Institute, University College Dublin

    When Israel signed a ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza on January 15, the agreement was structured in three phases. Phase one, a six-week period in which Hamas would release hostages in return for Israel releasing Palestinians detained in its jails, ended on March 1.

    The shaky deal has held for the full six weeks – just. At one point Hamas threatened to halt the exchange of hostages when it said Israel was breaching the terms of the deal. The Netanyahu government responded – with US backing – by threatening to end the ceasefire in mid-February, saying that Hamas was not living up to its side of the deal.

    The hostage releases have continued, although Israelis have been shocked and angered at the condition of some of the hostages after 17 months in captivity. Hamas has also taken advantage of the world’s gaze during hostage releases to stage large parades of its fully armed fighters.

    On March 1, as stage one of the deal was due to end, Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a full blockade of humanitarian aid entering Gaza. Middle East expert, Scott Lucas, answered our questions as to what is happening and how this situation may play out.

    Why has Israel decided to block humanitarian aid to Gaza?

    The Netanyahu government’s blocking of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s population is part of a scheme to avoid a phase two of the ceasefire, while putting pressure on Hamas to extend phase one.

    That would allow the Israeli government to pursue the return of the remaining 59 hostages, alive or dead, held by Hamas while avoiding the requirements of phase two – notably the withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza and the restoration of a Palestinian government in Gaza.

    Of course, those who will pay the cost are more than 2.2 million Gazans, around 90% of whom have been displaced amid 17 months of mass killing. But Israel’s leaders are counting on that causing little concern, or at least significant action, by the international community.

    Wasn’t the ceasefire deal dictated by a timetable?

    Phase one of the agreement only stipulated that discussions for a phase two to begin within 14 days of implementation, which would have been about the start of February.

    But the Netanyahu government reportedly sent mediators to Qatar without the authority to discuss phase two, only to ensure that hostage releases continued. The limit of its cooperation has been sending representatives to Egypt and conferring with Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, with current discussions suggesting little prospect of agreeing phase two.

    What is driving Netanyahu’s decision-making right now?

    Netanyahu’s vow has been “absolute victory over Hamas”. But as there is no sign that Hamas is going to disband – or even that its leaders will leave the Gaza – there is zero chance of that happening in phase two.

    That assessment is compounded by pressure on Netanyahu from hard-right ministers and supporters, such as finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and former national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. Their powerful hard-right factions only accepted phase one if there was no follow-up and certainly no return to the aim of allowing Palestinian self-determination in Gaza.

    On the other side, Netanyahu faces families of hostages and their supporters, who say the priority must be the return of those held by Hamas. Thus the “solution”, proposed by the US and backed by the Israeli government is for a six-week extension until the end of Ramadan and Passover, or until April 20. Half the hostages would be released on day one of the extension and the remainder once a permanent ceasefire is agreed.

    Hamas is unlikely to agree to that provision, as the hostages are their only leverage in discussions for a lasting ceasefire and their continued place in Gaza. But Netanyahu can frame their refusal in such as way as to blame Hamas for not wanting a peaceful solution and as an excuse for resuming military operations.

    Where is the White House in all this?

    For now Netanyahu can count on US backing for the pressure on Hamas and the extension of phase one.

    Donald Trump’s ego trip was to claim credit for the phase one ceasefire. Since then, he and his officials have shown little interest in supporting a phase two. Instead, the US president has proposed what would amount to an ethnic cleansing of Gazans – removing and relocating them to other Arab countries to make way for his dream of a “Middle East Riviera” on the coast.

    He shared a bizarre AI-generated video with a vision of “Trump Gaza”, complete with a gilded, giant statue of him as he and Netanyahu sit topless and sip drinks on the beach amid bearded belly-dancers.

    Perhaps widespread Israeli military operations, and the consequent mass killing of civilians, would dent Trump’s “peacemaker” image. But it is likely that Israel could get US officials to back the “Blame Hamas” rationale. And, meanwhile, the administration is fine with the Israelis expanding their military presence and settlements in the West Bank.

    What about the Arab world?

    After more than a year of negotiations, the phase one settlement brought some relief to Egypt and Qatar, the chief sites of discussions. Jordan, always at risk of being unsettled by assaults on Palestinians, encouraged further talks. Gulf States, their plans for “normalisation” with Israel in tatters, could envisage a gradual return to the process.

    But all of this has foundered on the lack of possibility for phase two. Most Arab leaderships have no affection for Hamas, but with no clear Palestinian alternative, they have no appetite for contributing to the necessity security arrangements.

    So the easy option for now is to condemn the excesses of others, such as Trump’s ethnic cleansing whim or Netanyahu’s threat of renewed attacks. The tougher option is to envisage any untangling of the knot around Israeli occupation and Gaza governance.

    That may mean that, without giving an endorsement, most Arab States will be happy with the kicking of the can down the road in a phase one extension.

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

    – ref. Gaza ceasefire deal looks doomed as Israel blockades Strip and bars entry of humanitarian aid – https://theconversation.com/gaza-ceasefire-deal-looks-doomed-as-israel-blockades-strip-and-bars-entry-of-humanitarian-aid-251280

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The People’s Joker remixes familiar characters to create a new kind of comic book movie

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alex Fitch, Lecturer and PhD Candidate in Comics and Architecture, University of Brighton

    The ultimate villain of DC Comics, the Joker, has been brought to screen many times. From Cesar Romero’s 1960s camp prankster in Batman: The Movie (1966), to Jack Nicholson’s villain-with-flare in Tim Burton’s iconic Batman (1989) and Heath Ledger’s wonderfully textured psychotic criminal in The Dark Knight (2008).

    Though he’s never the hero, the “crown prince of crime” usually dominates whatever film he’s in.

    Other versions of the character have been less well received. Critics disliked Jared Leto’s take in Suicide Squad (2016), calling the film “shallow”, and many fans loathed his gang-style tattoos and makeup.

    Joaquin Phoenix’s downtrodden schizophrenic Arthur Fleck in Joker (2019) was initially championed by audiences and critics. But the film felt disconnected from Joker’s history and more like a critique of poverty and social isolation than a comic book movie.

    Phoenix’s reappearance in sequel Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) was widely panned, due to an incoherent plot and unusual choice of the jukebox musical genre.

    This is the landscape that welcomes The People’s Joker, a parody film with an LGBTQ+ twist. Written by Vera Drew and Bri LeRose, and directed by and starring Drew in the lead role, it has just started a screening tour of the UK.

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

    Set in an alternate (unaffiliated and unofficial) DC universe, this semi-autobiographical dark comedy explores Drew’s real-life gender transition, using a fictional alter-ego, “Joker the Harlequin”. This character is used as a metaphor for the difficulties of transgender adolescence.

    The film is a re-imagining of Drew’s coming of age story. She moves to Gotham City, trying to launch a comedy act in a place where comedy has been outlawed. After a poor audition, she decides to create “anti comedy”, supported by a slew of recognisable Batman villains such as the Riddler, Mr Freeze and Poison Ivy.

    Alternate versions of famous characters

    As the film conjures provocative versions of familiar characters – both similar and radically different to previous incarnations seen on screen – The People’s Joker is well timed to compete with changes to the official cinematic superhero universes made by Marvel and DC.



    Read more:
    Multiverse films take characters to increasingly dark places – as Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom casting shows

    These film universes have leant into multiverse storytelling, with different versions of the same characters (such as Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland’s Spider-Men) leaving their respective universes to team-up or cause havoc.

    As such, it seems apt that The People’s Joker name-checks multiple versions of Batman characters, and includes them in the same film.

    The trailer for The People’s Joker.

    Drew’s character is a mix of both Harley Quinn and the Joker, while a former comic-book Robin, Jason Todd, becomes a Leto-style Joker. The film uses this opportunity to satirise Leto’s characterisation including the “damaged” forehead tattoo that annoyed fans.

    Drew dances to a song called Party Woman, a not-so-subtle reworking of Party Man by Prince, which soundtracked the arrival of Nicholson’s Joker in Batman (1989). The film also satirises Phoenix’s dance on a flight of steps in both of his Joker movies.

    Reimagining continuity

    The People’s Joker mines Batman comic lore and gleefully stirs it up. Todd announces: “Before I was Jason Todd my name was Carrie Kelley” (a young, female iteration of Robin who appeared in Frank Miller’s landmark graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns).

    Old speculation around the nature of Batman and Robin’s relationship is also referenced when Todd notes that after he transitioned, Batman made a pass at him.

    These name-checks and motifs are cleverly used and a perfect fit for their new context. Smylex (the Joker’s rictus grin inflicting poison) becomes a teen medication riffing on Ritalin, and metaphor for the repression of identity. This ironically also leads Drew to discover that she can use Smylex-induced humour to deflect attention from her secret identity and transition.

    A film starring two different versions of the Joker has a surprising precedent. DC Comics has run a storyline since 2016 that suggested Batman had actually come up against three different Jokers. All three then teamed up in a 2020 mini-series.

    This goes hand in hand with Joker: Folie à Deux, and the Gotham TV series which both suggest a new Joker will arrive when a previous one dies.

    A clip from The People’s Joker.

    The People’s Joker matches its anarchic content with stylistic surrealism: blurred backgrounds, extensive use of green screen, bargain basement makeup, periodic slips into animation or action figures, and CGI effects to create the rictus grins. These all give the film a hallucinogenic feel, culminating in an ending where Drew sails through the sky with fifth-dimensional imp Mister Mxyzptlk, floating between an infinite number of possible timelines.

    With various superhero franchises leaning into different media, continuities and multiverses, The People’s Joker follows in the tradition of previous re-imagingings of Batman.

    As many authorised comic book films are starting to feel like they’re retreading too familiar ground, hopefully the critical appreciation of this film will point towards stranger and more unique comic adaptations yet to come.

    Alex Fitch previously received funding from Design Star for PhD research.

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

    – ref. The People’s Joker remixes familiar characters to create a new kind of comic book movie – https://theconversation.com/the-peoples-joker-remixes-familiar-characters-to-create-a-new-kind-of-comic-book-movie-250693

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘I’ve never paid myself’: why the reality for female entrepreneurs doesn’t always match the rhetoric

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sarah Marks, Lecturer in HRM and Organisational Behaviour, Swansea University

    BongkarnGraphic/Shutterstock

    Inspiring stories of female entrepreneurs are a familiar part of International Women’s Day. Typically, these portraits follow a narrative arc of adversity, resilience, passion and success. The message is that women are skilled, resourceful and successful entrepreneurs.

    However, one thing you are unlikely to learn from these role model stories is how much (or perhaps more pertinently, how little) money the founder pays herself. While this partly reflects taboos on discussing money, it contributes to a gendered veil of silence regarding the very poor personal incomes of most women entrepreneurs.

    My research on female founders in the UK suggests that entrepreneurship rarely pays for women. It may also exacerbate gendered financial precarity, particularly as women get older. This hidden picture of women’s entrepreneurial poverty will form part of my submission to the UK government’s public inquiry into female entrepreneurship this spring.

    I spent two years interviewing more than 50 women in London from various backgrounds. They had established their enterprises in diverse sectors, with the hope of generating at least a living-wage income.

    But a self-sustaining income proved an elusive goal for most. Only four had matched or surpassed their former salary in employment. This was less than 8% of my sample. A further three managed to bring in about £2,000 a month – similar to a living-wage income in London at the time.

    Eight women paid themselves (sometimes) around £1,000 a month, despite working for their business full time. A similar number generated up to £100 a week. The rest – more than half the sample – took no income at all.

    While some were in early-stage entrepreneurship, many had been investing labour and resources into their venture for four or more years without generating pay for themselves. Some women were supported by partners or savings, others relied on state benefits, paid employment or drastically reduced their living standards.

    Lian, for example, moved into her business premises to slash her living costs. Lucy had not socialised for four years and Rebecca complained that her house was “falling apart”.

    Bleak about the future

    Coping on a low entrepreneurial income was not simply a question of foregoing discretionary spending. At 49, Rebecca admitted she often felt “really bleak about the lack of a pension”, while Lucy, 39, worried that she would end up “penniless in the gutter”. As few women were investing in a pension, the research suggests that, in the UK at least, women’s entrepreneurship could worsen both gender income gaps and long-term financial equality.

    Notably, most women had received support from enterprise programmes and business advisers. Four women took loans from the UK government’s Start-up Loan Company, which lends up to £25,000 at commercial rates, and targets non-traditional founders such as women and young people.

    However, three had returned to paid employment to service the loan, reducing the time they had to grow the business. This included Stacie, who said: “Forget my time, I’ve never paid myself. Never. Basically, the money that came in went straight back to the loan.” Stacie’s entrepreneurship journey had nonetheless been packaged into a celebratory success story on the Start-Up Loan’s website.



    Read more:
    How the gender pay gap evolves into a gender pension gap

    Analysing social patterns in household economic structures and women’s entrepreneurial income suggests two things.

    First, it is now relatively easy for women in the UK to borrow money to start a business. But it is very difficult for them to raise enough funds to develop an income-generating enterprise.

    Second, women who had salaried partners or family wealth could afford to invest their labour into growing their business. This gives them a substantial advantage over single women. Single mothers especially face a stark choice between investing their time in their business or in employment to meet household needs.

    While many male entrepreneurs also struggle to generate income, my research highlights specific gendered issues.

    Notably, gendered norms around social value mean women often disguise disappointment with low incomes and make a virtue out of non-financial rewards.

    Reflecting on the £100 a week she earned from her craft business, Maggie said: “I just love … talking to people and hearing about their lives and just having a good chat.” But having a good chat does not pay bills. Maggie, a widower, was anxious to grow the business to replace her former income of £38,000 a year and come off benefits.

    Second, fear of violating gendered norms may inhibit some women from pursuing profit. Most women were adamant they must not appear “greedy”.

    Greta, for example, had switched her for-profit business plan to a social value buy-one-give-one model because she feared that being seen as “profiteering” would derail her brand story. Yet, the extra costs of a social-value buiness model imposed serious constraints on her future income.

    The income disappointment of female entrepreneurs can be overlooked when their stories are repackaged into inspirational stories of innovation.
    Me dia/Shutterstock

    The income disappointment women revealed is not reflected in the public discourse. Lian, Stacie and many other non-earning interviewees were publicly hailed as successful, contented, female entrepreneurial role models at enterprise events as well as in digital and traditional media outlets.

    As Deanna remarked: “Founders are the new celebrities.” Such role model stories, devoid of any facts about income, feed a pernicious myth that entrepreneurship is a desirable, feasible and sustainable career for all women.

    But my research also indicates ways of approaching the hidden financial impact. We need much better evidence about incomes for women business owners – and we need to make this public. Conversations about what holds women back from talking about the income they need is important. Paying yourself a decent income is not greed.

    It should also be made clear that social value goals can harm income prospects.

    And, given the UK’s goals of financial equality, we should be honest and ask if encouraging women to open businesses is even the right thing to do.

    All research participants’ names have been changed.

    Sarah Marks received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council for this research.

    – ref. ‘I’ve never paid myself’: why the reality for female entrepreneurs doesn’t always match the rhetoric – https://theconversation.com/ive-never-paid-myself-why-the-reality-for-female-entrepreneurs-doesnt-always-match-the-rhetoric-249189

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: PKK leader’s call to disarm fuels hope for end to Kurdish conflict – but peace is not imminent

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Pinar Dinc, Associate Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science & Researcher, Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University

    Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), has called on the group to disarm and dissolve itself. In a letter read out by his political allies in Istanbul, Turkey, on February 27, he wrote: “I take on the historical responsibility for this call … All groups must lay down their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.”

    Two days later, the PKK’s executive committee declared a ceasefire to its armed struggle against the Turkish state. The conflict, which began in 1984 with the aim of establishing an independent Kurdish state in response to state oppression, has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more.

    Öcalan has been imprisoned on an island south of Istanbul since 1999, when he was captured by Turkish security forces in Kenya. But he has remained the leader of the PKK throughout and has kept his strong personality cult among the Kurdish freedom movement.

    He was the force behind the PKK’s shift away from its separatist goals in the 2000s. He argued that the solution to the Kurdish question in the Middle East was for greater autonomy and Kurdish rights through the idea of “democratic confederalism”, built on the pillars of direct democracy rather than a nation-state model.

    In his letter, Öcalan repeated this argument. He blamed the past 200 years of capitalist modernity for the break up of the alliance between the Kurds and the Turks. And he highlighted the importance of a truly democratic society and political space for a lasting solution to the Kurdish struggle.

    Öcalan’s letter mainly addressed the Turkish public and international community, and is likely to have been “approved” by the Turkish state. As such, it was rather short, at times vague, and did not propose a detailed framework about the peace process between Turkey and the PKK.

    But after Öcalan’s letter was read out, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy party (DEM), shared with journalists an additional remark Öcalan had made.

    Öcalan had apparently said: “Undoubtedly, in practice, the laying down of arms and the dissolution of the PKK require the recognition of democratic politics and a legal framework”. This point suggests that Öcalan’s call to disarm is merely the beginning of a long process to bring the conflict to a close.

    The PKK has announced that, in order for disarmament and dissolution to be put into practice, Öcalan needs to lead this congress personally. This indicates an expectation for Öcalan to gain some sort of freedom to communicate and direct the process.

    Support for dissolution

    Leading figures from several pro-Kurdish groups have welcomed the order for the PKK to disarm. This has included Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and Salih Muslim, the former co-chairperson of the Democratic Union party (PYD) in Syria.

    Öcalan’s call has also received support from the international community. This includes the US and UK, which alongside many other nations, recognise the PKK as a terrorist organisation. On February 27, US National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes told CNN that the announcement was “a significant development” that “we believe will help bring peace to this troubled region”.

    Perhaps most importantly, Öcalan’s announcement has been welcomed almost unanimously by political parties in Turkey. Only the ultra-nationalist Good and Victory parties oppose the call to dissolve the PKK, seeing any negotiations with the group as compromising national integrity.

    But, despite this important step towards peace, it remains difficult to see an imminent end to the Kurdish struggle in Turkey. The Justice and Development party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement party, which have ruled Turkey together since 2023, have been continuing their oppression of the democratic sphere.

    They have replaced elected Kurdish mayors with government officials, while also imprisoning democratically elected Kurdish politicians. And people in the media, civil society and other democratic movements, such as the People’s Democratic Congress, have been criminalised and detained.

    At the same time, Turkey considers the SDF and other Kurdish organisations like the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the PYD as offshoots of the PKK. It has supported its militia force in Syria, the Syrian National Army, to stop the Kurdish autonomous region on its border from achieving political status, seeing it as a direct threat to national security.

    Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has warned the PKK of further action if the process of disarmament is stalled. In a post on X on March 1, Erdoğan wrote: “If the promises are not kept … such as delaying, deceiving, changing names … we will continue our operations, if necessary, until we eliminate the last terrorist”.

    This signals an expectation from the Turkish state that they want all of the groups they associate with the PKK, armed and non-armed, to also disband. However, Abdi has asserted that Öcalan’s call for the PKK to dissolve does not apply to the group he leads. “If there is peace in Turkey, that means there is no excuse to keep attacking us here in Syria”, Abdi said.

    The Syrian National Army has been launching attacks in northern Syria to capture territory from the SDF, with fighting particularly intense around the Tishreen Dam.

    The Turkey-backed SNA has been attacking SDF positions in northern Syria.
    Institute for the Study of War

    So far, the only positive approach from the Turkish government has been signalling a possible change in the constitutional definition of citizenship to go beyond ethnic criteria. This would be a first step towards a more pluralist and inclusive description of citizenship in Turkey, where people from several ethnic groups have lived for centuries.

    There are various concerns over the ways in which the dissolution process will be carried out. But the possibility of peace is valuable as it opens up democratic avenues for struggle. Resolving the Kurdish question, one of Turkey’s most pressing unresolved issues, will pave the way for progress in other areas such as democratisation and freedom of expression.

    Pinar Dinc is the principal investigator of the ECO-Syria project, which receives funding from the Strategic Research Area: The Middle East in the Contemporary World (MECW) at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University, Sweden.

    – ref. PKK leader’s call to disarm fuels hope for end to Kurdish conflict – but peace is not imminent – https://theconversation.com/pkk-leaders-call-to-disarm-fuels-hope-for-end-to-kurdish-conflict-but-peace-is-not-imminent-251281

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How the risk of AI weapons could spiral out of control

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Akhil Bhardwaj, Associate Professor (Strategy and Organisation), School of Management, University of Bath

    marina.rodrigues/Shutterstock

    Sometimes AI isn’t as clever as we think it is. Researchers training an algorithm to identify skin cancer thought they had succeeded until they discovered that it was using the presence of a ruler to help it make predictions. Specifically, their data set consisted of images where a pathologist had put in a ruler to measure the size of malignant lesions.

    It extended this logic for predicting malignancies to all images beyond the data set, consequently identifying benign tissue as malignant if a ruler was in the image.

    The problem here is not that the AI algorithm made a mistake. Rather, the concern stems from how the AI “thinks”. No human pathologist would arrive at this conclusion.

    These cases of flawed “reasoning” abound – from HR algorithms that prefer to hire men because the data set is skewed in their favour to propagating racial disparities in medical treatment. Now that they know about these problems, researchers are scrambling to address them.

    Recently, Google decided to end its longstanding ban on developing AI weapons. This potentially encompasses the use of AI to develop arms, as well as AI in surveillance and weapons that could be deployed autonomously on the battlefield. The decision came days after parent company Alphabet experienced a 6% drop in its share price.

    This is not Google’s first foray into murky waters. It worked with the US Department of Defense on the use of its AI technology for Project Maven, which involved object recognition for drones.

    When news of this contract became public in 2018, it sparked backlash from employees who did not want the technology they developed to be used in wars. Ultimately, Google did not renew its contract, which was picked up by rival Palantir instead.

    The speed with which Google’s contract was renewed by a competitor led some to note the inevitability of these developments, and that it was perhaps better to be on the inside to shape the future.

    Such arguments, of course, presume that firms and researchers will be able to shape the future as they want to. But previous research has shown that this assumption is flawed for at least three reasons.

    The confidence trap

    First, human beings are susceptible to falling into what is known as a “confidence trap”. I have researched this phenomenon, whereby people assume that since previous risk-taking paid off, taking more risks in the future is warranted.

    In the context of AI, this may mean incrementally extending the use of an algorithm beyond its training data set. For example, a driverless car may be used on a route has not been covered in its training.

    This can throw up problems. There is now an abundance of data that driverless car AI can draw on, and yet mistakes still occur. Accidents like the Tesla car that drove into a £2.75 million jet when summoned by its owner in an unfamiliar setting, can still happen. For AI weapons, there isn’t even much data to begin with.



    Read more:
    Is Tesla’s sales slump down to Elon Musk?

    Second, AI can reason in ways that are alien to human understanding. This has led to the paperclip thought experiment, where AI is asked to produce as many paper clips as possible. It does so while consuming all resources – including those necessary for human survival.

    Of course, this seems trivial. After all, humans can lay out ethical guidelines. But the problem lies in being unable to anticipate how an AI algorithm might achieve what humans have asked of it and thus losing control. This might even include “cheating.” In a recent experiment, AI cheated to win chess games by modifying system files denoting positions of chess pieces, in effect enabling it to make illegal moves.

    But society may be willing to accept mistakes, as with civilian casualties caused by drone strikes directed by humans. This tendency is something known as the “banality of extremes” – humans normalise even the more extreme instances of evil as a cognitive mechanism to cope. The “alienness” of AI reasoning may simply provide more cover for doing so.

    Third, firms like Google that are associated with developing these weapons might be too big to fail. As a consequence, even when there are clear instances of AI going wrong, they are unlikely to be held responsible. This lack of accountability creates a hazard as it disincentivises learning and corrective actions.

    The “cosying up” of tech executives with US president Donald Trump only exacerbates the problem as it further dilutes accountability.

    Tech moguls like Elon Musk cosying up to the US president dilutes accountability.
    Joshua Sukoff/Shutterstock

    Rather than joining the race towards the development of AI weaponry, an alternative approach would be to work on a comprehensive ban on it’s development and use.

    Although this might seem unachievable, consider the threat of the hole in the ozone layer. This brought rapid unified action in the form of banning the CFCs that caused it. In fact, it took only two years for governments to agree on a global ban on the chemicals. This stands as a testament to what can be achieved in the face of a clear, immediate and well-recognised threat.

    Unlike climate change – which despite overwhelming evidence continues to have detractors – recognition of the threat of AI weapons is nearly universal and includes leading technology entrepreneurs and scientists.

    In fact, banning the use and development of certain types of weapons has precedent – countries have after all done the same for biological weapons. The problem lies in no country wanting another to have it before they do, and no business wanting to lose out in the process.

    In this sense, choosing to weaponise AI or disallowing it will mirror the wishes of humanity. The hope is that the better side of human nature will prevail.

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

    – ref. How the risk of AI weapons could spiral out of control – https://theconversation.com/how-the-risk-of-ai-weapons-could-spiral-out-of-control-251167

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Gifts from top 50 US philanthropists rebounded to $16B in 2024 − Mike Bloomberg; Reed Hastings and Patty Quillin; and Michael and Susan Dell lead the list of biggest givers

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By David Campbell, Professor of Public Administration, Binghamton University, State University of New York

    Mike Bloomberg speaks at the Global Renewables Summit in September 2024. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bloomberg Philanthropies

    The 50 American individuals and couples who gave or pledged the most to charity in 2024 committed US$16.2 billion to foundations, universities, hospitals and more. That total was 33% above an inflation-adjusted $12.2 billion in 2023, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s latest annual tally of these donations. Media mogul and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg led the list, followed by Netflix co-founder and chairman Reed Hastings, along with his wife, Patty Quillin. Businessman Michael Dell and his wife, Susan Dell, pledged the third most in 2024.

    Neither MacKenzie Scott nor Elon Musk, both of whom announced donations large enough to land them on this list, provided enough information for the Chronicle to include them. Musk didn’t name the nonprofits to which he gave stock, and Scott declined to confirm how much money she put into the donor-advised funds through which she gives. Known as DAFs, these funds are savings accounts reserved for charitable giving.

    The Conversation U.S. asked David Campbell, Lindsey McDougle and Susan Appe, three philanthropy scholars, to assess the significance of these gifts and to consider what they indicate about the state of charitable giving in the United States.

    What trends stand out overall?

    Appe: I think it’s good to see that eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, an Iranian-American entrepreneur born in France, with his wife Pam, are among the top 12 donors. Omidyar is the only foreign-born philanthropist on this list who reported giving to democracy promotion in the U.S. through his Democracy Fund. The Omidyars also funded the AI Collaborative, a group that promotes artificial intelligence governance based on democratic values, and their Omidyar Network, an organization promoting responsible technology.

    Given concerns about democratic backsliding around the world, which could arguably include President Donald Trump’s efforts to expand the executive branch’s power, I’m surprised not to see more top donors clearly funding democracy promotion.

    I study philanthropy by U.S. immigrants. They either give more or at the same rate as people born in the United States.

    Omidyar is one of seven immigrants among 2024’s top U.S. donors. The others are Herta Amir, who was born in what was then Czechoslovakia; Sergey Brin, a Russian immigrant; the Pagidipati family, which came from India; K. Lisa Yang, who was born in Singapore; Michele Kang, who immigrated from South Korea; and Joe Wen, a Taiwanese immigrant.

    In 2024, as in most years, many of these wealthy donors supported prestigious universities and large hospitals and stowed millions in their own foundations and donor-advised funds. Although it’s impossible to predict exactly what their foundations and DAFs will support in the future, history suggests that they’re unlikely to focus on addressing systemic issues such as economic inequality.

    McDougle: It doesn’t appear that any of these top 50 donors are Black or Latino. This lack of representation is undoubtedly a reflection of broader societal disparities and may influence how individuals from these groups perceive their own potential as philanthropists.

    Philanthropic capacity often correlates with wealth accumulation, and significant gaps in wealth between racial groups are likely to have a direct influence on who we see in the Philanthropy 50. Black families, for instance, possess just 15% of the wealth of white families, while Hispanic families have only about 22%. These wealth disparities likely prevent many Black and Latino Americans from having the wealth necessary to engage in large-scale philanthropy.

    This reality highlights the need for the nation’s leading philanthropists to fund initiatives that focus on addressing systemic barriers to economic equality. MacKenzie Scott has been doing this through the millions of dollars she has donated to support racial equity and economic mobility.

    Addressing these disparities also involves changing the narrative around who is considered a philanthropist. As I have argued before, underrepresented groups may not always see themselves as philanthropists, partly due to limited resources and the historical portrayal of philanthropy as the domain of the wealthy. But by redefining philanthropy to include a broader spectrum of giving, philanthropy can play a pivotal role in leveling the playing field and creating more opportunities for all.

    What surprises you about the biggest donors?

    Appe: The absence of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, Google co-founder Larry Page and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer also stands out due to the presence of many other tech billionaires, including Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, on this list.

    Campbell: In addition to Elon Musk, a South African immigrant, not making this list for the second year in a row – even though he is the richest person in the world – Jeff Bezos isn’t listed either. Few private citizens have sought to change American society more than they have – Musk most recently through his role in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and Bezos through actions he takes as the owner of The Washington Post and the founder of Amazon, among other initiatives.

    I believe that it is worth asking why neither of these men, who rank among the wealthiest Americans, made the list this year. While Musk gave too little information to make the list, his previous giving choices raise questions about his commitment to philanthropy as a way to advance the public good. In 2022 and 2023, for example, his foundation gave away less money than required by law and supported organizations that benefit him and his interests, such as schools attended by his children.

    Bezos, by contrast, got a lot of attention in 2022 when he announced he would give away his fortune during his lifetime. Yet his giving has come in fits and starts since 2018, when he began to give away billions of dollars to support people experiencing homelessness, preschools for low-income children and efforts to fight climate change.

    Do you have concerns about the big gifts these donors provide?

    McDougle: The nonprofits receiving these large donations can end up in a precarious situation if that funding suddenly stops. When nonprofits rely too heavily on a few wealthy donors, they may be forced to make abrupt decisions like cutting crucial programs or laying off staff. Obviously, this underscores a core problem with overdependence on these types of major gifts: They can leave nonprofits in a bind and unable to sustain their operations without continued long-term support.

    This is particularly problematic if it affects a nonprofit’s ability to engage in long-term planning. As such, when focusing on the giving of the super rich, it is important to consider not just the immediate benefits of their generosity but also the potential instability it can create for the recipients if their gift is not managed strategically.

    Campbell: The total given by America’s top donors in 2024 was the sixth-highest in the past decade, after adjusting for inflation. I’d expected to see a larger amount, given that 2024 was the second straight year of stock market gains of 20% or more.

    In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, the top donors gave nearly twice as much to charity as they did this past year; and they gave close to $8 billion more than that in 2021. Why haven’t the wealthiest Americans sustained that level?

    Giant gifts to universities, museums and hospitals are surely making a meaningful difference in America and the world. But I wonder why these donors tend not to focus on the challenges facing those who have the least.

    One significant exception is the $1 billion Ruth Gottesman gave the Bronx-based Albert Einstein College of Medicine to allow the school to become tuition-free. Gottesman, a former faculty member at the school, chose to honor and support the many first-generation and low-income students trained there. Bloomberg, upping his commitment to ease the tuition burden at Johns Hopkins University, made a similar gift to the medical school at his alma mater and four medical schools at historically black colleges and universities.

    To be sure, some of these philanthropists use the foundations they or their relatives control to help meet the basic needs of Americans struggling to get by and address issues such as poverty, disease prevention and criminal justice reform. Melinda French Gates, Warren Buffett, and John and Laura Arnold all directed much of their giving in 2024 to those kinds of foundations.

    What do you expect or hope to see in 2025 and beyond?

    Appe: The Trump administration has frozen most U.S. foreign aid, endangering the lives of millions of the world’s poorest people. There are calls for the wealthiest philanthropists to help to fill this void. I hope some big donors respond with large gifts to UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, and the WHO Foundation, which supports the World Health Organization.

    Top philanthropists have been slow to react so far. However, the MacArthur Foundation just announced plans to increase its giving over the next two years. MacArthur president John Palfrey said this is a response to what he called a “major crisis” brought on by the Trump administration’s spending cuts. I will observe whether other foundations or some of the wealthiest Americans follow suit.

    Still, philanthropy cannot fill all these gaps. The $60 billion in foreign aid cuts represent a sliver of the trillions the Trump administration wants to slice from the federal budget. If it succeeds, donors will have countless other priorities.

    Campbell: Events that took place during the first Trump administration, like the murder of George Floyd, the erosion of democratic norms and the separation of immigrant families, led philanthropists to embrace giving that addressed these issues, notably diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. In the early days of the second Trump administration, prominent donors like Mark Zuckerberg have enthusiastically backtracked on their own DEI policies. I am now watching how other donors position themselves relative to the Trump administration’s objectives – as cheerleaders, combatants or something in between.

    The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Arnold Ventures have provided funding for The Conversation U.S. in the past. The Gates foundation currently provides funding for The Conversation internationally.

    David Campbell receives grants from the Learning by Giving Foundation and the Conrad and Virginia Klee Foundation to support the experiential philanthropy course he teaches at Binghamton University. He also serves as the chair of the Klee Foundation board.

    Lindsey McDougle and Susan Appe do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Gifts from top 50 US philanthropists rebounded to $16B in 2024 − Mike Bloomberg; Reed Hastings and Patty Quillin; and Michael and Susan Dell lead the list of biggest givers – https://theconversation.com/gifts-from-top-50-us-philanthropists-rebounded-to-16b-in-2024-mike-bloomberg-reed-hastings-and-patty-quillin-and-michael-and-susan-dell-lead-the-list-of-biggest-givers-250577

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: We invite teachers of the State University of Management to participate in the All-Russian competition “Golden Names of Higher Education”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Applications for participation in the All-Russian competition “Golden Names of Higher Education” are accepted from March 1 to May 31, 2025. We invite the teaching staff of the State University of Management to participate in the Competition.

    The Golden Names of Higher Education Competition has been held by the Interregional Public Organization League of Higher Education Teachers with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation since 2017. It is aimed at identifying and supporting talented teachers and scientists who have made a significant contribution to the development of Russian higher education and science. Over the entire history of the Competition, more than 7 thousand teachers have taken part in it.

    This year, the Competition is held in 10 nominations, revealing various aspects of the teaching profession: educational, scientific, educational work, training of postgraduate students, project and international activities. In the nomination “For the implementation of innovative teaching methods” additional points are awarded to participants and winners of the International Film Festival of Educational Films and Innovative Educational Content “KinoIntellect”. There is also a special nomination for young teachers.

    Applications are accepted on the website https://goldennames.professorstoday.org/.

    The award ceremony for the competition winners will take place on Higher Education Teachers’ Day, November 19, 2025, at the National Center “Russia”.

    Let us recall that last year, the State University of Management organized the award ceremony, and the rector’s advisor Nikolai Mikhailov received the award in the nomination “For Contribution to Science and Higher Education.”

    All additional information about the Competition can be found in the attached information letter.

    Golden Names of Higher Education. Information Letter

    Subscribe to the tg channel “Our State University” Announcement date: 03/04/2025

    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 –