NewzIntel.com

Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI China: Staying ‘TikTok refugees’ keep rednote exchanges alive

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    How is “Ne Zha 2” being received in the U.S.? American “TikTok refugees” on Xiaohongshu, the Chinese social media app known overseas as “rednote,” have ready answers.

    Tony Oswald, a freelance filmmaker based in New York, shared his observations in a short video that garnered more than 2,500 likes and 700-plus comments. Some users thanked him for “answering their burning question” and — despite his apology for not speaking fluent Chinese — some even called him “a quick language learner.”

    Regarding whether American cinema-goers understand the Chinese legend-inspired story, Oswald’s answers were straight: “The story is very simple. Everyone can understand. Some Chinese myths… Americans possibly don’t quite understand, but the jokes, emotions and animation all very good.”

    When asked for his personal comment as a director by netizen Joylion, Oswald replied: “I could never in a million years make something as intricate as ‘Ne Zha.’ But my personal taste calls for more minimalist human dramas!”

    One month after rednote received a massive influx of TikTok refugees, Oswald is among the American netizens who remain active on the app helping maintain the new bridge of grassroots exchanges between the two countries.

    In mid-January, the U.S. government’s looming TikTok ban drove a significant number of the app’s American users onto rednote, which fuses the features of Instagram and Pinterest, in search of a new community.

    Their arrivals were then met with an overwhelmingly warm welcome from Chinese netizens, and what started as a temporary “refuge” has evolved into a space for grassroots communications, from sharing daily life experiences to exchanging cooking tips and cute pet photos.

    Since the TikTok ban was temporarily postponed in late January, many American netizens have returned to TikTok and bid emotional farewells to their new Chinese friends on rednote while promising to remember “the encounter.”

    Others decided to stay, drawn to the friendly and positive vibe.

    “I intend on staying because it’s objectively nicer over here,” said “finnfinndog,” a netizen from Michigan. Another American user, “Inspiration,” added that “those who like to be calm and at peace will stay here on rednote.”

    “I like the content, people and cultural sharing here, that’s why I still want to stay on rednote,” said Cristian from the state of New York.

    “This app opened my eyes to how hospitable the Chinese people can be. I’ve met some friends here and we sent pictures of our lives to each other. One of my friends sent me pictures of the Forbidden City and that was awesome,” Cristian added.

    Observers have noted that the appeal of rednote extends beyond its friendly atmosphere, as it provides a space for American and Chinese users to connect at a grassroots level, sharing cultural experiences and forming bonds.

    Many American reviewers of “Ne Zha 2” said they had received recommendations from their Chinese followers, which prompted them to watch a film that “many other Americans have not heard about.” The animated feature has become the highest-grossing animated movie of all time globally, with more than 1.7 billion U.S. dollars in the box office.

    Even professional exchanges have flourished. Kevin, an electrician from Florida, has 13,000 fans after posting regular updates about American construction practices and engaging with Chinese electricians in technical discussions.

    Ruthie, also from Florida, shared her decision to study in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. The post prompted Shenzhen University, where she is headed, to issue a post welcoming the American student. Many Shenzhen locals have also joined the discussion, offering tips on local food, transportation and tourist spots.

    “Don’t sweat it homie, Shenzhen’s basically China’s litty Miami — we got palm trees, beaches and that 24/7 vibe,” one netizen from Guangdong Province, where Shenzhen is located, commented.

    “Come visit me, I’ll buy you the best bubble tea,” remarked another. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/SOUTH KOREA – In the Jubilee Year, Catholics entrust themselves to the intercession of Cardinal Stephen Kim, Servant of God

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    CBCK

    Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – Hundreds of people – up to 800 a day – come every day to the Catholic cemetery of Yogin, a city south of Seoul, to visit the tomb of Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan (1922-2009), “Servant of God” and former Archbishop of Seoul, and to entrust themselves to his intercession. In order to commemorate, in the Jubilee Year, the evangelizing impulse that marked the Cardinal in his ministry as a baptized person, priest and bishop – in accordance with the Gospel phrase he often quoted: “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world” – the Catholic communities of Seoul have organized in recent days the second symposium dedicated to the Cardinal and on February 16 they took part in a memorial mass on the 16th anniversary of his death in the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Seoul.During the Eucharist, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Seoul, Auxiliary Bishop Job Koo Yobi, emphasized that “Cardinal Kim has personally shown today’s believers, even those who do not believe in God, how to live the Gospel.” His testimony will be valuable to Korean believers in the Jubilee year and also in view of World Youth Day, which will take place in Seoul in 2027, said the Auxiliary Bishop.Among the more than a thousand faithful who attended the mass, 200 were active donors to the foundation created in 2010, a year after the death of Cardinal Kim, the “Fool sharing Foundation”, which takes up one of the mottos and proverbs of the Cardinal, who loved to define himself as “a fool of Christ”, adding that “a fool speaks to fools”.The Eucharist was the first commemorative Mass since Cardinal Kim was named a “Servant of God” after the official opening of the diocesan phase of the beatification process in July 2024. The Mass is usually held annually in the cemetery where the cardinal is buried. This year, the celebration in the cathedral was intended to give more people the opportunity to be present, pray and ask for the cardinal’s intercession together.Meanwhile, the symposium dedicated to Cardinal Kim affirmed that the beatification process will only move forward with the “full trust of the people in the intercession of the candidate for beatification and canonization,” explained Fr. Boguslaw Turek, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, who spoke at the conference. The symposium, entitled “The Life, Virtues and Fame of Holiness of Cardinal Stephen Kim Soo-hwan II,” was organized by the Committee for Beatification and Canonization of the Archdiocese of Seoul and the Korean Research Institute of Church History.”Prayers of intercession must continue without interruption,” the Vatican dicastery’s Undersecretary continued. Regarding the recognition of the miracle, Fr. Turek explained that “the prayer of intercession must be offered before the event considered a miracle occurs.”Good work in the diocesan phase of the process helps the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to continue the process, he stressed. The diocesan tribunals must actively question witnesses, conduct historical and archival research, and collect all documents about the candidates in order to carefully and in detail reconstruct their lives and prove their heroic virtues.Father Cho Han-gyu of the Catholic University of Seoul stressed: “Cardinal Kim is the person who has best lived and exemplified the imitation of Christ in our time: an example for all Christians.” Father Koh Jun-seok, parish priest of the Hyehwa-dong parish in the Archdiocese of Seoul, affirmed: “When Cardinal Kim was Archbishop of Seoul, his pastoral letters focused primarily on ‘renewal of the Church and evangelization.’ His work was a multifaceted pastoral service for a community that was called to proclaim the Gospel while celebrating the faith and exercising the service of charity and community: all this he did in a deeply Eucharistic life in which he gave himself completely.” Auxiliary Bishop Job Koo Yobi concluded: “Today’s society seems to be moving in a different direction from that followed by Cardinal Kim. I hope that this event will be an opportunity for many people to follow his exemplary life and virtues.” The memory of the person and work of the Cardinal are promoted and preserved by the “Stephen Cardinal Kim Institute”, a research institute named after him, which manages a historical archive and the publications dedicated to him. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 22/2/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Explainer: 5 common myths about child marriage

    Source: United Nations 2

    Health

    Every day, almost one in five young women are married off while still children, according to the UN reproductive and sexual health agency, UNFPA, which is urging countries to say “I don’t” to child marriage, an illegal practice that is almost universally condemned and yet remains widespread globally.

    “I was married at 14, and I lost my first child at 16 during pregnancy,” Ranu Chakma said. Child marriage is common in her village of Teknaf Upazila, on the southern coast of Bangladesh, even though it is illegal and a human rights violation.

    Those violations occur even at a time when many countries are banning the illegal practice, most recently in Colombia, where a law came into effect earlier this month.

    Here are five common misconceptions about child marriage:

    Myth 1: It’s always illegal

    Child marriage is banned under many international agreements, from the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women to the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994. Still, there are 640 million women and girls in the world who were child brides, with more child marriages taking place every day.

    How is that possible? Many countries ban child marriage in principle, but define the permissible age of marriage as something other than 18 or permit exceptions with parental consent or under religious or customary law. In many cases these marriages, and marriages in general, are not legally registered, making enforcement of the law difficult.

    Addressing child marriage requires more than laws; it requires rethinking how society values girls.

    Programmes like Taalim-i-Naubalighan, in Bihar, India, where two in five children marry before age 18, are having an impact. These programmes encourage young people to think about topics such as gender roles and human rights.

    “That’s why I was able to help my sister,” said Altamash, a male student whose sister wanted to avoid child marriage and continue her studies. “When I understood her desire and how it would help her, I advocated for her to my father. She is now going to complete her education, and I am so proud of her.”

    © UNFPA Madagascar

    In Madagascar, information sessions are key in changing minds and raising awareness about child marriage and other harmful practices.

    Myth 2: Sometimes child marriage is necessary

    Child marriage remains pervasive in part because it is seen as a solution to other problems.

    In humanitarian crises, child marriage rates often rise, with parents believing marriage will secure a daughter’s future by making a husband responsible for economically supporting her and protecting her from violence. Child marriage is seen as a solution that will preserve the honour of a girl and her family after – or in some cases before – she becomes pregnant. In developing countries, the majority of adolescent births take place within a marriage.

    Yet, child marriage is not a real solution to any of these issues. Child marriage itself leads to girls experiencing high levels of sexual, physical and emotional violence from their intimate partners. Pregnancy is dangerous for girls; complications of pregnancy and childbirth are one of the leading causes of death among adolescent girls. Child brides and adolescent mothers are often forced to drop out of school, upending their future prospects.

    Nicolette, 16, in Madagascar was so accustomed to seeing her classmates disappear from school after marrying and becoming pregnant, she never thought to question the practice. That’s until she attended a UNFPA-supported awareness session.

    “I didn’t know that we could be victims of child marriage,” she said. Now, she wants all the girls in her community to know: “Everyone has the right to realise their ambitions, and marriage is a choice.”

    © UNFPA Niger

    More than three quarters of girls in Niger are married while they are still children.

    Myth 3: This problem is going away

    Child marriage may sound like a problem of the past or of faraway places, but in fact it remains a serious threat to girls around the world.

    While global child marriage rates are slowly falling, the places with the highest rates also have the most population growth, meaning the absolute number of child marriages is expected to increase.

    The problem is indeed global. The largest number of child brides live in the Asia and Pacific region, the highest rate of child marriage is seen in sub-Saharan Africa and lack of progress in Latin America and the Caribbean mean that this region is expected to have the second highest prevalence of child marriage by 2030.

    Yet, the issue is not limited to developing nations. It takes place in countries like the United Kingdom and United States, too.

    “I was basically introduced to somebody in the morning, and I was forced to marry him that night,” Sara Tasneem said, recalling her marriage, first an informal spiritual union at age 15 then legally at age 16. “I got pregnant right away, and we were legally married in Reno, Nevada, where it only required permission signed by my dad.”

    To change this, actions must be accelerated to end child marriage, especially by empowering girls.

    “I was 13 years old when my father gave my hand in marriage to a cousin,” 16-year-old Hadiza, in Niger, said. Fortunately, she had access to a safe space through a UNFPA-supported youth programme. “I spoke to a safe space mentor, who, with the help of the neighbourhood chief, negotiated with my parents to postpone the wedding.”

    Today, Hadiza is an apprentice to a tailor, learning the skills to become economically self-sufficient. “In three years I plan to get married to the man I love,” she said.

    © UNFPA Zambia/Julien Adam

    Nurse Suvannah Sinakaaba attends to pregnant teenagers at the UNFPA-supported mobile clinic in Namalyo village, Zambia.

    Myth 4: It’s a cultural or religious issue

    Child marriage is sometimes misrepresented as a religiously or culturally mandated practice. But, there are no major religious traditions that require child marriage.

    In fact, cultural and religious leaders around the world often take a strong stance against child marriage, especially when provided evidence about the consequences of the practice.

    “We have always taught young people that, both religiously and legally, it was not advisable,” Shirkhan Chobanov, the imam of Jumah Mosque in Tbilisi, Georgia, said. “We also explained to those young people that they had to accomplish other tasks, primarily concerning their education, before thinking about starting a family.”

    UNFPA works with faith leaders around the world who are working to end child marriage, including priests, monks, nuns and imams.

    “We are seeing very good results as far as warding off child marriage is concerned,” said Gebreegziabher Tiku, a priest in Ethiopia.

    Myth 5: It only happens to girls

    While the vast majority of child marriages involve girls, boys can also be married off.

    Globally, 115 million boys and men were married before age 18, according to 2019 data. These unions are also linked to early fatherhood, constrained education and reduced opportunities in life.

    Still, girls are disproportionately affected by the practice, with about one in five young women aged 20 to 24 years old married before their 18th birthday, compared to one in 30 young men. Child marriage rates for boys are very low even in countries where child marriage among girls is relatively high.

    © UNFPA Nicaragua

    Youth empowerment programmes are reaching all adolescents with information about their human rights in Nicaragua, which has one of the highest rates of child marriage among boys.

    No matter the gender of the child affected nor the country in which the union takes place, child marriage is a harmful practice that requires addressing a common set of root causes. They include economic inequality, limited access to sexual and reproductive health services and information, and factors such as conflict. One of the biggest root causes – gender inequality – requires urgent and renewed focus.

    “While we have abolished child marriage, we have not abolished predatory masculinity,” said Dr. Gabrielle Hosein, director of the Institute of Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies, in Trinidad and Tobago, shortly after that country had outlawed child marriage.

    Kevin Liverpool, an activist with the advocacy group CariMAN, said men and boys have a critical role to play.

    “It’s important to raise awareness among these groups, among these individuals, about what feminism is, why gender equality is important for women, but also for men and for all of society,” he said.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Albanese pledge: nine in ten GP visits bulk billed by 2030, in $8.5 billion Medicare injection

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    The Albanese government on Sunday will pledge $8.5 billion for Medicare, declaring this would enable all Australians to have access to bulk billing by 2030.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will announce the policy at a rally in Tasmania, where the Labor seat of Lyons and the Liberal seat of Bass are in play.

    Under the plan, Labor would extend the bulk billing incentive to all Australians, and also create an extra incentive payment for practices that bulk billed all their patients.

    The changes would mean an extra 18 million bulk billed GP visits annually, the government says. Nine out of ten GP visits would be bulk billed by 2030. On the government’s figures, this would increase the number of fully bulk billing practices to about 4,800, triple the present figure.

    The government says its plan would produce patient savings of up to $859 million a year by 2030.

    It says this is the single largest investment in Medicare since it was created more than 40 years ago.

    The promised big health spend is designed both to focus the election campaign on an area of traditional strength for Labor, and to address the serious erosion of bulk billing rates in recent years. The rate is currently down to about 78%.

    The health package also promises to boost the number of nurses and doctors in the system. Four hundred nursing scholarships would be provided. By 2028 2,000 new GP trainee places would be funded each year in federally-funded GP training programs. The number funded in 2025 is 1600.

    The government has peviously tripled the bulk billing incentive for pensioners, concession card holders and families with children. From November 1, that would be widened to all Australians.

    Also from November 1, in addition to the bulk billing incentive, practices that fully bulk billed would receive an extra 12.5% loading on their Medicare rebates.

    “The combined investment means around 4,800 practices will be in a better financial position if they adopt full bulk billing,” Albanese and Health Minister Mark Butler said in a statement.

    Albanese said the plan “will make Medicare even stronger, help with cost of living pressures and ensure every Australian receives the best health care that they deserve”.

    Butler said people would be worse off if Peter Dutton became PM. “Peter Dutton tried to end bulk billing with a GP tax and then started a six-year freeze to Medicare rebates that froze GP incomes and stripped billions out of Medicare.”

    Proposed New Bulk Billing Arrangments

    The table below shows how total Medicare payments for common visits would increase from November 1, with the expansion of the bulk billing incentive to all Australians and the new incentive payment for practices that bulk billed every patient.

    The bulk billing incentive is scaled according to how far a general practice is from a major city or metropolitan area, with larger Medicare payments as communities get more remote.

    The total cost of the bulk billing initiatives over the forward estimates is nearly $7.9 billion.

    The costs year-by -year are: 2025-26, nearly $1.2 billion; 2026-27, nearly $2 billion; 2027-28, $2.3 billion, and 2028-29, $2.4 billion.

    The government said most of the cost of the Medicare package is accounted for the the December budget update and the rest would be in the next budget.

    The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners this month called for the extension of bulk billing incentives to those under 35. It said this would boost the national rate to 85%.

    The Greens have called for tripling the bulk billing incentive for everyone with a Medicare card.

    Michelle Grattan 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. Albanese pledge: nine in ten GP visits bulk billed by 2030, in $8.5 billion Medicare injection – https://theconversation.com/albanese-pledge-nine-in-ten-gp-visits-bulk-billed-by-2030-in-8-5-billion-medicare-injection-249948

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese scientists find evidence for existence of intermediate-mass black holes

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Chinese astronomers have identified a runaway star that was ejected from the M15 globular cluster, providing strong evidence for the existence of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs), a long-missing link in our understanding of black hole evolution.
    The discovery was led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ National Astronomical Observatories (NAOC) in collaboration with multiple institutions, and was published as a cover story in the National Science Review journal.
    Black holes with masses between those of stellar-mass black holes, which are formed from the collapse of massive stars, and those of supermassive black holes, which reside at the centers of large galaxies, are known as IMBHs, said Huang Yang, an associate professor at NAOC and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who co-led the study.
    IMBHs are often considered a crucial missing link in our understanding of the evolution of seed black holes into supermassive black holes. To date, only a few controversial candidates have been found, leaving the existence of IMBHs an open question in astrophysics.
    The high-velocity runaway star, J0731+3717, was ejected from M15 approximately 20 million years ago at a staggering speed of nearly 550 kilometers per second, according to the study.
    An analysis of data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft and China’s Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), as well as data from other large-scale spectroscopic surveys, has also revealed that the star has a near-identical chemical composition and age to M15, said Liu Jifeng, director of NAOC and co-lead author of the study.
    Prior observations hinted that M15’s center might host an IMBH weighing 1,700 to 3,200 solar masses. However, uncertainties persisted as the gravitational signals observed could also stem from dense clusters of neutron stars.
    The extreme velocity of J0731+3717 resolves this debate.
    “Such a high-speed ejection requires a tight binary star to pass within 1 astronomical unit of an IMBH,” Huang said. “The black hole’s tidal forces would rip the binary apart, capturing one star and hurling the other outward.”
    This phenomenon, known as the Hills mechanism, confines thousands of solar masses within a region just a few astronomical units wide, ruling out alternative explanations such as the presence of clustered compact stars.
    “With the continuous accumulation of data from Gaia and large-scale spectroscopic surveys such as those of LAMOST, we expect to discover several more stars like J0731+3717 in the near future, which will greatly advance our understanding of the elusive IMBHs,” said Zhang Huawei, director of the Department of Astronomy at Peking University’s School of Physics and co-lead author of the study. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Jobseekers leverage digital economy boom

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A growing number of jobseekers are extending their career boundaries to more cutting-edge areas thanks to the development of digital economy, and embracing flexible jobs breaking the stereotyped notion of labeling them as low-income or with lower working skills. The new trend makes experts to call for the working rights protection of these flexibly employed and secure the sustainable and healthy development of the thriving job sector.
    Lin Qin, 28, is among the nation’s growing population of seeking or taking new types of flexible jobs, with these jobs incubated by information technology and digital economy development.
    Li, who offers online consultancy services on AI technology to some small-sized companies after quitting his job as a cloud-computing engineer in August, said that it’s no longer a shame taking flexible jobs.
    “I get more free time to arrange my working plans, and the income is no less than my previous job, roughly 20,000 yuan ($2,800) per month,” he said.
    A recent report by the recruitment portal Zhaopin and Jinan University in the southern province of Guangdong shows that the proportion of job hunters for new types of flexible jobs bounced back to a high point of 36.4 percent last year at Zhaopin’s platform, with the number seeing a continuous drop from 2019 to 2021 due to people’s concerns of the economy amid the COVID-19 epidemic.
    The report classifies the current new types of flexible jobs into two categories: one is location-based, with registered flexible workers taking online orders but serving in a specific real-world location, such as ride-hailing drivers and food delivery workers; while the other is cloud-based, with all services fulfilled online by workers ranging from online lecturer to livestreamer and online salesperson.
    The report observed that cloud-based flexible jobs are more lucrative to young people, females and those with higher education backgrounds.
    According to the report, youths aged between 21 and 25 take the largest proportion of jobseekers competing for cloud-based flexible job openings at Zhaopin’s platform, which is about 45.2 percent.
    Female job hunters show higher preference, accounting for 56.1 percent of the total seeking flexible jobs. The number is 12.2 percentage points higher than males, as cloud-based flexible jobs have lower requirements of physical strength but better ability of communicating and teamwork, the report said.
    Tian Xiaomin, 31, working as an accountant at a pressing house in Shanghai, is a part-time online lecturer of English language. She said that the job earns her extra income of 3,000 to 5,000 yuan per month with the payment fluctuating based on her class hours.
    “I’ve taken the part-time flexible job since 2023 out of my interest. It’s very common to see a ‘slashie’ nowadays who won’t confine to one single job but take flexible work in spare time. One of my friends is a fitness trainer at weekends while a financial analyst at workdays,” she said.
    Feng Shuaizhang, dean of the Institute for Economic and Social Research of Jinan University, said that the recovering economy and flourishing digital economy, platform economy and sharing economy have created more flexible job opportunities.
    More jobseekers recognize the benefits of working as new types of flexible workers, which offer them personal fulfillment and quality life.
    Li Qiang, vice-president of Zhaopin, noticed that flexible job openings are not limited to labor-intensive ones, but require higher working skills or professionalism of workers with the combination of digital technology and traditional industries.
    “For example, the development of AI technology gives birth to some new flexible jobs requiring people to have AI knowledge or digital skills,” he said, adding that employers have also digitalized their recruitment channels with big data or AI tools to help them match flexible workers with the job openings.
    However, Feng, the dean, called for more sound working rights protection to people taking new types of flexible jobs by perfecting the law or regulations on labor relations, using smart tools like algorithm and big data to balance the benefits between employers and flexible workers.
    He also suggested improving flexible workers’ awareness of getting social security and enhancing the working skills training or services to the flexibly employed.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cross-border railway’s benefits hailed

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The China-Laos-Thailand Railway, with construction ongoing for the Thai section, has significantly enhanced regional connectivity and economic growth, despite several social and environmental challenges, according to a recent report.

    Led by scholars from China, Laos and Thailand, the report released in Bangkok earlier this week was based on research on the social and economic impact of the completed portion of the high-speed network that will connect Thailand with China through Laos.

    Currently, the railway has the section connecting the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming with the Laotian capital of Vientiane fully operational. Thailand expects to complete its portion of the network linking the country to China by 2030.

    In Thailand, construction of the first phase linking Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima is about 36 percent complete. On Feb 4, the Thai Cabinet approved the second phase of the project that will extend to Nong Khai, which borders Laos.

    The second phase also includes the construction of a logistics hub in the northeastern Nong Khai province, which will facilitate freight movement between Thailand’s 1-meter gauge railway and the 1.435-meter standard gauge used in the China-Laos Railway, offering a one-stop service for cargo transfer, Thai government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said at a recent news conference.

    “The railway has improved trade efficiency and logistics, reinforcing China’s role as a global infrastructure leader,” said Tian Qian, director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asia Studies at Yunnan Minzu University.

    As a main contributor to the research’s section on the influence in China, Tian said the railway has also fostered cross-cultural exchanges and social mobility, facilitating better access to education and healthcare.

    Crucial economic link

    In Laos, the railway has emerged as a crucial economic and transportation link, enhancing tourism and boosting local businesses in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Luang Namtha regions, according to Lumngeune Souliyavong, a researcher from the National University of Laos.

    “The influx of visitors has stimulated the hospitality, transportation, and trade sectors, creating new employment opportunities,” he added.

    In Thailand, anticipation is growing over the railway’s potential to drive urban expansion, economic connectivity and real estate growth in key cities, said Thanapauge Chamaratana, associate professor in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Khon Kaen University who led the research in Thailand.

    “Land prices near future railway stations have already surged, reflecting increased investment interest. The project is expected to solidify Thailand’s role as a logistics hub in Southeast Asia,” he said.

    However, the report also raises challenging issues such as noise and a shortage of skilled labor in railway operations.

    While the China-Laos-Thailand Railway is reshaping regional connectivity, trade and urban development, the report emphasized the need for sustainable and inclusive policies to ensure that the project benefits all stakeholders.

    It is suggested that addressing challenges such as community displacement, economic inequalities, and environmental concerns will be critical in the next phases of development.

    As the project progressed, researchers have called for continued collaboration among governments, the private sector and local communities to optimize the long-term benefits of this ambitious infrastructure initiative.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Open letter: No, Mr Trump, we will not be ‘happy’ and ‘safe’ elsewhere

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    OPEN LETTER: By Hassan Abo Qamar

    Dear Mr Trump,

    I am writing to you as a Palestinian and a survivor of genocide, who was born and raised in Gaza — a city of love and resilience.

    I have read your statements about Gaza and frankly, I am confused.

    You claim to be a “peacemaker”, but encourage Israel to continue its genocide, calling for “all hell” to break loose if your demands are not fulfilled.

    Mr Trump, we have already been through hell. We lost 60,000 martyrs in it.

    You claim credit for the ceasefire deal, and yet your government — one of its guarantors — refuses to pressure Israel into fulfilling all its obligations under it.

    You call Gaza a “demolition site” but conveniently fail to name the criminal responsible — while simultaneously supplying it with more bombs, funding, and diplomatic cover.

    You talk about Palestinians being “safe” and “happy”, yet you refer to us as if we are a burden to be offloaded onto Jordan, Egypt, or any country willing to take us.

    You claim that we “only want to be in the Gaza Strip because [we] don’t know anything else”.

    “Gaza is not [President Trump’s] business venture, and it is not for sale. Gaza is our home, our land, our inheritance.” Image: Instagram/#flyer_for_falastin/@tahiapretiti

    You profoundly misunderstand us

    Mr Trump, I think you profoundly misunderstand who we are and what Gaza is to us.

    You may think of us as a mere obstacle to your vision of luxury resorts, but we are a people with deep roots, long history, and unalienable rights.

    We are the rightful owners of our land.

    Gaza is not your business venture, and it is not for sale.Gaza is our home, our land, our inheritance.

    And no, it is not true that we want to stay here because we “know nothing else”.

    Although the 17-year-long Israeli siege has made life incredibly difficult for us, some of us have still managed to travel — for education, medical treatment or work. But these people still return because Gaza is home.

    A powerful example is Dr Refaat Alareer, an inspiring figure, who the Israeli occupation targeted and killed in 2023.

    He earned his master’s degree in the UK and later completed his PhD at Universiti Putra Malaysia.

    Despite having the opportunity to stay abroad, he chose to return to Gaza, where he taught creative writing and literature at the Islamic University.

    He also co-founded We Are Not Numbers, an initiative that paired young Palestinian writers with experienced authors to amplify their voices and resist occupation through storytelling. One of these voices is mine.

    Last spring, I, too, had the opportunity to leave, but I decided against it. I could not leave my family, friends and Gaza amid a genocidal war. However, like many others, I plan to travel to complete my education and then return to help rebuild and support my people.

    The Palestinian way
    This is the Palestinian way – we seek knowledge and opportunities, not to abandon our homeland, but to build and strengthen it.

    Speaking of building — you talk about your plans to turn Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East”. The thing is, Gaza was the Riviera of the Middle East. Our ancestors built it into a flourishing trade hub, port city and cultural centre. It was “magnificent” — to use your words — until Israel was created and it started destroying it.

    And yet, after every brutal Israeli assault on Gaza, Palestinians would rebuild. Despite all the Israeli violence, restrictions and thievery, Palestinians still made sure Gaza was a safe place with a cosy rhythm of life, where its youth were doing their best to pursue decent livelihoods, where families were happy and together, and where homes thrived.

    Israel has now tried to reduce all of Gaza to rubble and death so we are no longer able to live in it. You have picked up on the idea, effectively endorsing our ethnic cleansing under the veneer of humanitarianism.

    No, Mr Trump, we will not be “happy” and “safe” elsewhere.

    But I agree with you on something else you said: “You’ve got to learn from history”. Indeed, history teaches us that settler-colonialism in modern times is unsustainable. In this sense, your plans and Israel’s plans are doomed to fail.

    We, the people of Gaza – like any Indigenous people – refuse to be uprooted. We refuse to be dispossessed. We refuse to be forced into exile so that our land can be handed to the highest bidder. We are not a problem to be solved; we are a people with the right to live in our homeland in freedom and dignity.

    No amount of bombs, blockades, or tanks will make us forget that. We will not be relocated, resettled, or replaced.

    Power and wealth will not decide the fate of Gaza. History is not written by thieves – it is written by those who resist, by the will of the people. No matter the pressure, our connection to this land will never be severed. Surrender and abandonment are not an option. We will honour our martyrs with resistance by nourishing this land with love, care and remembrance.

    Wishing you all the best in your futile pursuits,

    Hassan Abuqamar
    Gaza, Palestine

    This open letter was first published by Al Jazeera.

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta: California Remains Unwavering in Our Commitment to Protecting Gender-Affirming Care

    Source: US State of California

    Co-leads coalition of 18 attorneys general in filing amicus brief to support plaintiffs in PFLAG v. Trump 

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led a coalition of 18 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland supporting the motion for a preliminary injunction sought by Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality, and individual patients and their families in their lawsuit against the Trump Administration. On February 4, 2025, PFLAG challenged President Trump’s Executive Orders 14168 and 14187 targeting transgender individuals by stating that gender identity was a “false” idea and by attempting to strip federal funding from institutions that provide life-saving gender affirming care for young people under the age of 19. The attorneys general argue that these actions blatantly and unlawfully discriminate against transgender youth based on their identity, and urge the Court to grant PFLAG’s motion for a preliminary injunction. 

    “Health care decisions, including gender-affirming care, should be made by patients, families, and doctors, free from political interference,” said Attorney General Bonta. “As we continue to face relentless attacks on transgender rights, my office remains unwavering in our commitment to defending the rights of transgender individuals as they seek to live their lives as their authentic selves. Alongside attorneys general nationwide, I am proud to submit this amicus brief today in defense of the law and against the federal government’s unlawful, hate-mongering attempts to strip away the right to access gender-affirming care.”

    The states submitting today’s amicus brief have enacted their own laws, policies, and protections for transgender residents, including transgender youth under the age of 19. California law, including the Unruh Civil Rights Act, Civil Code section 51, and Government Code section 11135, prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Electing to refuse services to a class of individuals based on their protected status, such as withholding services from transgender individuals based on their gender identity or their diagnosis of gender dysphoria, while offering such services to cisgender individuals, is discrimination. 

    In today’s amicus brief, the attorneys general argue that there is considerable medical evidence showing that gender-affirming care improves the health outcomes for individuals with gender dysphoria, a medical condition characterized by significant distress that occurs when an individual’s gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. Denying this care can have tragic consequences on patients’ physical and mental well-being. A recent study conducted by the University of Washington found that in individuals ages 13-20, receiving gender-affirming care was associated with 60% lower odds of moderate to severe depression and 73% lower odds of having suicidal thoughts over a 12-month period. 

    The attorneys general also argue that the Administration’s Executive Orders have sown chaos and confusion among gender-affirming care providers and caused anxiety and fear among transgender youth and their families. The Trevor Project, which provides confidential counseling to LGBTQ+ youth, reported a 700% increase in access to its crisis services since the Presidential election and a 46% increase in volume following Inauguration Day. In the immediate aftermath of the Executive Orders, facilities across the country halted gender-affirming care for young people, citing fears of losing federal funding for healthcare unrelated to gender-affirming care.    

    While gender-affirming care remains available in California, the Executive Orders have undeniably and unacceptably scared providers and patients here and across the country. Shortly after PFLAG filed their lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta joined 14 other attorneys general in issuing a statement reaffirming their commitment to protecting access to gender-affirming care, reminding providers that federal courts have stopped the Administration from withholding federal funding from institutions, including ones that provide gender-affirming care, and making clear that no federal law prohibits or criminalizes gender-affirming care.  

    In submitting this brief, which is co-led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, and Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, are the attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. 

    A copy of the amicus brief can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New report highlights need to break down barriers between vocational education and university

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    Better connecting vocational education and training (VET) and higher education will help more people gain the skills and qualifications they need.

    That’s according to a new report released today from Jobs and Skills Australia, entitled Opportunity and Productivity: Towards a Tertiary Harmonisation Roadmap. 

    The report says a more connected tertiary education system has the potential to lift workforce productivity and skill levels and help build the workforce we will need in the future. 

    The report also finds that better connecting VET and higher education will help improve access to tertiary education and improve the status, sustainability, and impact of TAFE and the wider VET system.  

    The Australian Universities Accord was clear that more people need to participate in tertiary education in the future to deliver the large and skilled workforce that Australia needs. 

    In response to the Accord, the Albanese Labor Government invested $27.7 million as part of first steps towards breaking down barriers between VET and higher education to ensure a more seamless and aligned tertiary education system.  

    It also includes facilitating better student pathways by improving guidance on credit and recognition of prior learning and streamlining regulation for dual sector providers.  

    This complements the Government’s investment in establishing more nationally networked TAFE Centres of Excellence, which are built on partnerships between TAFEs, universities and industry. 

    It also complements funding for TAFEs and other high quality not-for-profit specialist providers to significantly expand their higher education offerings, including delivering degrees.  

    Jobs and Skills Australia’s report builds on this critical work already underway with additional recommendations to further support tertiary harmonisation over the longer term. 

    The Government will consider the report’s recommendations and respond in due course, including the establishment of a council with state and territory representation to drive tertiary harmonisation reform. 

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare: 

    “We are not going to fix the skills shortages we have, and will have, unless we better integrate higher education and vocational education and training. 

    “We have already started work on breaking down the artificial barrier between uni and VET, but there is a lot more to do.

    “Breaking down these barriers and allowing people to move more seamlessly between VET and higher education will give people the skills they need.”  

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles: 

    “When we came to government, we were faced with the worst skills shortage in more than half a century, after a decade of neglect by the Liberals, where they ripped billions of dollars out of TAFE and training. 

    “This report highlights how tertiary harmonisation is an opportunity to create deeper connections and greater collaboration between our two high-quality tertiary education sectors.

    “Our investment in Free TAFE and getting more apprentices into the workforce is testament to our commitment to ensure every Australian has an opportunity to attain higher education which leads to good, secure jobs.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden at ENR Hearing: Musk’s Business Dealings in China and Workforce Purge at BPA Threaten National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    February 21, 2025

    WATCH: Wyden’s Exchange with University of Oregon’s Presidential Chair in Science, Dr. Richmond Here 

    Washington, D.C. — During a hearing held today in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., underscored that Elon Musk’s business dealings in China pose a serious threat to national security. 

    According to public reporting, Elon Musk is running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as a federal employee while remaining Tesla’s largest shareholder. Public filings indicate Tesla invested billions of dollars in China and annually produces nearly 1 million cars at a factory in Shanghai on land owned by the Chinese government.

    “According to public reporting, Tesla’s contract allows the Chinese government to revoke Tesla’s lease on the land at any time if it determines doing so is in the public interest,” Wyden said. “Now, on this committee, every one of us works for the AMERICAN public interest. And given that is our highest priority, I intend to come back and ask further questions about this in the days ahead.”

    Senator Wyden also questioned Dr. Geraldine Richmond, Presidential Chair in Science at the University of Oregon and former Under Secretary for Science and Innovation at the Department of Energy, on the national security consequences of Musk’s decision to make drastic and abrupt workforce cuts at the Bonneville Power Administration. Dr. Richmond emphasized that these cuts would undermine the grid’s safety and drive up energy prices for working families across America. 

    Last week, Senator Wyden demanded answers from the Trump administration in a letter regarding Musk’s workforce cuts at the Bonneville Power Administration. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Language is a passport to understanding humanity itself- Mr. Tim Curtis, Director, Representative UNESCO

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Language is a passport to understanding humanity itself- Mr. Tim Curtis, Director, Representative UNESCO

    IGNCA commemorated International Mother Language Day with a two-day celebration on 21st and 22nd February 2025

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 9:00PM by PIB Delhi

    Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) commemorated International Mother Language Day with a two-day celebration on 21st and 22nd February 2025. Centred on the theme ‘Make Languages Count for Sustainable Development’, the event brought together eminent scholars, linguists, and cultural experts to deliberate on the role of languages in fostering sustainable growth. The inaugural session on 21st February featured the launch of ‘Indian Calligraphy: Unveiling Ancient Wisdom through Rajeev Kumar’s Art’, alongside the inauguration of the exhibition BHASHARRITI, curated by Ms. Aashna and Ms. Ritu Mathur. The occasion was graced by Mr. Tim Curtis, Director and Representative, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, as Chief Guest, and Ms. Lily Pandeya, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, as Special Guest. The session was chaired by Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, and the welcome address was delivered by Prof. Ramesh Chandra Gaur, Director  & Head- Kala Nidhi and Dean (Administration), IGNCA. The event provided a dynamic platform for insightful discussions, reinforcing a collective commitment to preserving and promoting linguistic heritage.

    (L-R) Ms. Ashna , Ms. Ritu Mathur, Prof. Ramesh Chandra Gaur, Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi , Mr. TIm Curtis. Prof. Shobhana Chelliah, Prof. Sadaf Munshi Launching the book at the Event

    Mr. Tim Curtis and Prof. Ramesh Chandra Gaur walking through the Exhibition

    Mr. Tim Curtis, while delivering his address, emphasised that celebrating International Mother Language Day is deeply personal and universally significant, as it honours the languages that shape our thoughts and words. More than mere tools of communication, languages define identities and connect individuals to their histories and communities. Highlighting South Asia’s rich linguistic landscape, he noted that research indicates over 7,000 languages are endangered, with indigenous languages being the most vulnerable. These languages encapsulate unique knowledge systems and millennia of wisdom, making their loss a threat to cultural heritage.

    He referred to the United Nations’ declaration of 2022–2032 as the Decade of Indigenous Languages, aimed at documentation, revitalisation, and celebration of linguistic treasures.  He acknowledged IGNCA’s ongoing contributions in this regard and expressed gratitude for organising Mother Language Day. Stressing the importance of multilingual education, he cited India’s National Education Policy as a model for embracing linguistic diversity, enhancing both learning outcomes and national unity. UNESCO, he affirmed, is scaling up efforts for indigenous language preservation, advocating community-led initiatives that bridge linguistic communities and foster equity.

    Mr. Tim Curtis concluded by stating that language is not just a tool for communication but, in a way, a passport to understanding humanity itself. When we speak in our mother tongue, we do not merely exchange words but share ways of perceiving and interpreting the world. By honouring each other’s mother tongue, we facilitate understanding that transcends borders and cultures.

    Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, in his chair remarks, stated that it is always a pleasure to acknowledge that India is a nation with one of the highest numbers of languages and dialects. With over 1,700 languages once spoken across the country, this linguistic wealth has long been a matter of pride. However, the other side of the coin is the rapid decline of languages, with many disappearing at an alarming rate, an issue that warrants serious concern.  He emphasised that collective efforts are being made to preserve and promote languages, and the National Education Policy rightly places significant emphasis on education in one’s mother tongue. While discussing language, he noted that it consists of three fundamental components-language itself, script, and phonetics. He pointed out that among these, phonetics remains the most overlooked aspect in conversations about mother tongues. Without attention to phonetics, he asserted, a language remains incomplete.

    Prof. Ramesh Chandra Gaur, while speaking at the event, emphasised that there can be no disagreement about the importance of any language. He observed that the linguistic landscape has been evolving in the wake of globalisation. While acknowledging the rising number and percentage of people conversing in English, he clarified that this is not a matter of concern. Instead, he accentuated the real issue-people increasingly refraining from speaking in their mother tongue. Stressing the significance of multilingualism, he asserted that being multilingual is not just beneficial but essential for sustainable development. He further asserted that languages can only be preserved if communities continue to speak and engage with them actively in their daily lives.

    The first day featured three panel discussions. The first session, titled ‘Make Languages Count for Sustainable Development’, was moderated by Prof. Ramesh Chandra Gaur. The panel included Prof. Shobhana Chelliah from Indiana University, USA; Prof. Sadaf Munshi from the University of North Texas, USA; and Dr. Huma Masood, Senior Gender Specialist at UNESCO’s New Delhi Office. The second session focused on a discussion of the book Indian Calligraphy: Unveiling Ancient Wisdom through Rajeev Kumar’s Art. The panel comprised Ms. Jaya Jaitly, Founder of Dastkari Haat Samiti, New Delhi; Prof. Ramesh Chandra Gaur; and cultural entrepreneur and exhibition curator Ms. Ritu Mathur.

    The third session explored the theme ‘National Education Policy and Indian Languages’. Moderated by Mr. Sudhakar Pathak, President of the Hindustani Bhasha Academy, the session featured insights from Prof. Bandana Jha of Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Department of Indian Languages; Dr. Pawan Vijay of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University; Dr. Alok Ranjan Pandey of Ramanujan College, University of Delhi; and Dr. Vijay Kumar Mishra of Hansraj College. The event witnessed a significant gathering of language enthusiasts, academicians, and researchers, reaffirming the commitment to linguistic preservation and discourse.

    ****

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2105420) Visitor Counter : 32

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: BOLSTERING INNOVATION: GOVERNOR HOCHUL AND SENATOR SCHUMER ANNOUNCE $65 MILLION EXPANSION OF NEXT-GENERATION BATTERY INNOVATION COMPANY BAE SYSTEMS IN THE SOUTHERN TIER

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    BAE Systems Commits To The Creation Of More Than 130 New Good-Paying Jobs At Village Of Endicott Location
    Continued New York State Investments Support The Southern Tier Region’s Comprehensive Strategy To Revitalize Communities And Grow the Economy By Focusing On Clean Energy Solutions
    Governor Kathy Hochul and Senator Charles Schumer today announced that BAE Systems is investing $65 million to expand operations in the Village of Endicott, Broome County. The company will add a total of 150,000 square-feet to its existing site to make way for the addition of a new battery production line and lab space, and new office space. As a result of the expansion, the company has committed to creating up to 134 good-paying jobs onsite. BAE Systems is a global defense, aerospace and security company with approximately 93,500 employees worldwide. The BAE Systems facility in Endicott designs, develops and produces a broad portfolio of safety-critical electronic systems from flight and engine controls to power and energy management systems. The company has been operational at the Huron Campus site since 2011.
    “BAE Systems’ decision to further expand its business represents yet another win for New York State and for the Southern Tier, which is laser focused on becoming a global hub for next-generation battery innovation efforts,” Governor Hochul said. “Since taking office, I have remained committed to bringing jobs back to Upstate New York. This incredibly successful company chose to grow its operations here, spurring top-quality, good-paying job creation in the region because they have seen firsthand how hardworking New Yorkers are.”
    Senator Charles Schumer said, “BAE Systems is adding 130+ good-paying jobs right here in the Southern Tier to make sure the next generation of America’s batteries are stamped ‘Made in Upstate NY.’ This $65 million expansion to add a new battery production line, research lab, and office helps show how we can bring this supply chain back from overseas, with the Southern Tier leading the way to make sure the future of battery manufacturing is manufactured in Broome County, not Beijing. BAE Systems is a vital part of the Southern Tier economy, with a world-class workforce of over 1200 people, and selecting this area for their major battery production expansion is no accident. I’m proud of the millions in federal support I’ve delivered – via the American Rescue Plan and my bipartisan CHIPS & Science Act – to the region to make it a global center for battery research and set the stage for today’s announcement. Today BAE is helping add another loop to establish this region as a core of manufacturing and innovation for America’s battery belt.”
    The project involves the expansion of BAE Systems battery production line, including the purchase and installation of machinery and equipment to efficiently produce an energy storage system for electric/hybrid electric aircraft. This facility will include an automated state-of-the-art production line, an engineering lab, and an aftermarket center, and is expected to be fully complete in 2027.
    Empire State Development is assisting the project with up to $8.5 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program in exchange for the job creation commitments. Broome County is also providing assistance for the project.
    BAE Systems Senior Director Jim Garceau said, “This facility expansion reinforces our commitment to the Southern Tier and builds on New York State’s vision to create a regional hub for battery innovation.  With this investment, we will enhance our capabilities to address the emerging needs of the next-generation hybrid/electric aircraft.”
    Bolstering Next-Generation Battery Innovation
    Governor Hochul and Senator Schumer were instrumental in the company’s decision having worked closely with company officials to ensure that the project would move ahead in New York’s Southern Tier region which is laser-focused on supporting next-generation energy efforts – a top priority for the governor and senator.
    In January 2024, the Governor and Senator announced that the U.S. National Science Foundation had designated the New Energy New York (NENY) Storage Engine as a Regional Innovation Engine (NSF Engine), which was created by the Senator’s bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law. The NENY Storage Engine, anchored at Binghamton University in the Southern Tier Region, will receive up to $15 million in federal funding for two years and up to $160 million over 10 years to establish a hub that will accelerate innovation, technology translation and the creation of a skilled workforce to grow the capacity of the domestic battery industry. Through Empire State Development, New York State will match up to 20 percent for the first five years of the project as well as provide support through established programs. The NENY Storage Engine was chosen for its diverse, cross-sector coalition that will build a leading ecosystem driving battery technology innovation, workforce development and manufacturing to support U.S. national security and global competitiveness.
    Schumer has long fought to secure federal investment to boost the Southern Tier’s battery manufacturing and R&D. In 2021, Schumer created the Build Back Better Regional Challenge in the American Rescue Plan that he led to passage as Majority Leader. The senator personally advocated for the selection of the Binghamton University-led New Energy New York’s (NENY) battery hub proposal, helping deliver a $63.7 million federal investment with a $50 million funding match from New York State. In 2023, Schumer also delivered the prestigious federal Tech Hub designation, also created by his bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law for the Binghamton University-led NENY proposal.
    Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Governor Hochul’s strategic and laser-focused support for next-generation clean energy companies accelerates this cutting-edge industry’s growing presence in New York State. BAE Systems’ expansion will create top-quality jobs and opportunities in the Southern Tier, furthering the region’s leadership in battery technology innovation.”
    New York State’s Climate Agenda
    New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.
    New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “BAE Systems has been a major driver of economic growth in Broome County, and I congratulate them on their new $65 million expansion. Thanks to strategic investments from Governor Hochul and Senator Schumer, New York has become a testbed for battery storage innovation, and NYPA will continue to support firms like BAE Systems developing cutting-edge technology and spurring economic growth with low-cost power.”
    New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “With this investment in next generation battery technology at their Broome County location, BAE Systems is supporting local jobs and strengthening the state’s clean energy supply chains, ensuring New York continues to lead the way in innovation and clean tech economic opportunity. The expansion will also advance clean transportation in the aviation industry and support NYSERDA’s efforts in research, development, and demonstration of new technologies in the energy storage sector.”
    State Senator Lea Webb said, “It’s exciting to see BAE Systems expand its next-generation battery innovation operations right here in the Southern Tier, bringing up to 134 new jobs to the Village of Endicott, ” said State Senator Lea Webb. “This investment strengthens our region’s role as a leader in clean energy technology and advanced manufacturing. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her commitment to growing our local economy and everyone who made this expansion possible. This investment not only creates new opportunities for workers but also reinforces New York’s leadership in the future of sustainable energy solutions.”
    Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “Years of hard work and dedication have made our area a designated hub for battery innovation and manufacturing. BAE’s expansion to include a new battery production line will further establish our community as a leader in clean-energy technology. Their work on electric/hybrid bus and aircraft battery systems are game changers for the industry and for our local workforce. I’d like to thank BAE Systems for their continued investment in our community, and the Governor and Empire State Development for their ongoing support of this important work.”
    Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said, “BAE Systems’ expansion in Endicott is another major win for Broome County, reinforcing our region’s role as leader in next-generation battery innovation while creating even more job opportunities for our community. Thank you to Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to economic growth in the Southern Tier and to BAE Systems for choosing to expand here in Broome County.”
    Village of Endicott Mayor Nick Burlingame said, “BAE Systems’ decision to expand its operations in Endicott is a testament to the strength of our community, our workforce, and our region’s commitment to innovation. This investment not only reinforces Endicott’s legacy as a hub for cutting-edge technology but also brings new opportunities for local families and businesses. We are proud to support BAE Systems as they continue to grow and shape the future of clean energy and battery innovation right here in our village. We look forward to the jobs, economic impact, and advancements this expansion will bring to Endicott.”
    For additional information about BAE Systems, visit: https://jobs.baesystems.com/global/en/.
    Accelerating Economic Development in the Southern Tier
    Today’s announcement advances the Southern Tier Strategic Plan and complements “Southern Tier Soaring” strategy by facilitating economic growth and community development. These regionally designed plans focus on attracting a talented workforce, growing business and driving next-generation innovation. More information is available here.
    About Empire State Development
    Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state’s 10 regions, ESD oversees the Regional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development. 
    The agency engages with emerging and next generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state’s world class tourism destinations through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visit esd.ny.gov, and connect with ESD on LinkedIn, Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Enhancing Computing Power for the Public Good

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced further details of her proposal to expand New York’s first-in-the-nation Empire AI Consortium. The Governor’s FY26 Executive Budget includes $90 million in capital funding to substantially increase the computing power of Empire AI, expand access for SUNY researchers, and support the addition of new members including the University of Rochester, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The proposal will be matched by $50 million in private funding from new members and $25 million in SUNY operating funding over ten years. This investment will make the Empire AI supercomputer more powerful, leading to more research for the public good being done faster and more efficiently compared with currently available computing power.

    “The United States is in a race with China and the rest of the world in the global AI revolution, and with our first-in-the-nation Empire AI Consortium, New York is leading the way in research and innovation,” Governor Hochul said. “With Empire AI, we are setting the standard for harnessing the power of AI for the public good and ultimately creating a better future for New Yorkers.”

    Last year, Governor Hochul reached historic agreement with the state legislature as part of the FY25 Budget to establish Empire AI, a first-of-its-kind independent consortium to secure New York’s place at the forefront of artificial intelligence research. The consortium will leverage a $275 million state investment to create and launch a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence computing center on the University at Buffalo’s campus. The center will be used by leading New York institutions to promote responsible research and development, create jobs and advance AI for the public good. The founding members of Empire AI include SUNY, CUNY, Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the Flatiron Institute.

    In October 2024, only six months after Budget enactment, Governor Hochul launched the first phase of Empire AI thanks to a philanthropic contribution from the Simons Foundation. Housed at the University at Buffalo, the Empire AI Alpha system is operating at maximum capacity and has allowed over 200 researchers across the seven founding members to begin work aimed at addressing major societal challenges.

    Researchers are already using Empire AI to conduct groundbreaking research, from medical breakthroughs in treating cancer to making better weather predictions, which will make life better for everyday New Yorkers. Current projects include:

    • Developing technologies that could provide adaptive speech and language therapies to children with special needs.
    • Building models of the climate, which can help communities prepare for future impact of extreme weather events.
    • Building models to help analyze CT scans to better diagnose and treat lung cancer.

    Now, Governor Hochul’s proposed expansion will allow Empire AI to secure a future full-scale computing system that supports expanded capacity for SUNY and the addition of new members. The proposed new members of Empire AI consortium include:

    • University of Rochester, a leading research university and the largest health care system in Upstate New York, will vastly improve AI-powered medical research and give consortium researchers unparalleled access to medical technologies and information.
    • Rochester Institute of Technology, which announced the formation of its Artificial Intelligence Hub last August, has proven to be a nationwide leader developing AI solutions for teaching and learning. By joining the consortium, they are contributing academic and strategic power to Empire AI’s member schools and researchers.
    • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, one of the top medical schools in the country, the first medical school to establish a Department of Artificial Intelligence (the Windreich Department of AI and Human Health) and is ranked as number 1 in AI according to Nature AI Index, has expressed intent to join the Empire AI consortium. The School will work collaboratively with the other healthcare and public health partners to accelerate health AI research with a focus on translation, aimed at improving New York’s health care and public health infrastructure.
    • SUNY will double its participation in Empire AI’s consortium, allowing more researchers and students from SUNY’s most research-intensive campuses to access the world-class computing power.

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s vision and commitment, New York State is a clear leader in harnessing the power of AI – one of the most revolutionary technologies of this century – to improve people’s lives and promote the public good. ESD is proud of its pioneering part in its effort, and eager to work with the expanded consortium, to not only leverage AI to tackle society’s most vexing challenges, but also cultivate New York’s AI ecosystem, which will create quality jobs, attract additional investments, and further grow the state’s economy.”

    SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul, New York State is leading the nation in the use of artificial intelligence to advance the public good. SUNY’s world-class researchers are already accelerating groundbreaking work on climate change, curing diseases, and civic discourse thanks to Empire AI, and Governor Hochul’s budget proposal will help SUNY and other higher education institutions conduct research that strengthens our economic well-being and national security.”

    Empire AI Interim Executive Director Robert Harrison said, “Empire AI is advancing research in public health, environmental science, computing and countless other areas, and we’re doing it at a scale and pace that would have been unthinkable even a few short months ago. This is only possible because of Governor Hochul’s leadership and the legislature’s vision to partner with some of the state’s leading research institutions and invest in New York’s computing capabilities. And thanks to Governor Hochul, we now have the opportunity to do even more, adding new members and increasing our research capabilities to cement New York as the national leader in AI research for the public good.”

    Rochester Institute of Technology Research Vice President Ryne Raffaelle said, “Joining Empire AI would strengthen our commitment to leading the way in the higher education artificial intelligence space. Our researchers would have unique opportunities to access cutting-edge equipment, connect with other thought leaders, and engage students in work related to responsible artificial intelligence. This partnership would be valuable for our university and would escalate our state as a national leader in this area.”

    University of Rochester Research Vice President Steve Dewhurst said, “AI is rapidly changing our lives in fundamental and profound ways. That’s why we would be so excited to join Empire AI to leverage our incredible assets and strengths in AI and supercomputing. In partnership with our state’s leading experts, we could enhance how we learn, discover, heal, and create, while harnessing our collective strengths to best position New York to lead and benefit from this technology. I am grateful to Governor Hochul for her leadership and vision in creating this innovative collaboration and look forward to working with our partners when it passes in the Budget.”

    Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience Director, The Friedman Brain Institute Dean for Academic Affairs, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Chief Scientific Officer, Mount Sinai Health System Dr. Eric Nestler said, “Joining Empire AI would ensure that we remain at the forefront of AI innovation and progress — where AI-driven insights enhance diagnosis, personalize treatments, and revolutionize research and practice. Together, we and members of this consortium would harness the power of AI technology to improve patient health, drive medical breakthroughs, and shape the future of healthcare.”

    State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “The Rochester region is fortunate to have nationally renowned universities on the cutting edge of technological research like Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Rochester. Today’s announcement from Governor Hochul that these institutions will be bringing their expertise to the Empire AI consortium is a win for our universities, their students, and our area as a whole. With the inclusion of RIT and University of Rochester, area researchers will be leading the way on AI innovation and helping to establish New York on the forefront of this vital work.”

    Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson said, “Congratulations to the Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester on their intention to join Empire AI consortium. This collaboration will connect the Rochester region to the world-class talent and cutting-edge technologies needed to prepare the workforce of today and tomorrow, and ensure these universities continue to lead the way in pioneering technological advancements. As Chair of Labor, I recognize that this initiative is critical to growing our economy by guaranteeing we have the expertise and qualified workforce required for nation-leading research and education.”

    Expanding Artificial Intelligence Across New York State
    Access to the computing resources that power AI systems is prohibitively expensive and difficult to obtain. These resources are increasingly concentrated in the hands of large technology companies and other global competitors, who maintain outsized control of the AI development ecosystem. As a result, researchers, public interest organizations, and small companies are being left behind, which has enormous implications for AI safety and society at large. Empire AI is bridging this gap and accelerating the development of AI centered in the public interest for New York State. Enabling this pioneering AI research and development is also helping educational institutions nurture the next generation of talent that will create AI-focused technology startups, driving job growth.

    By increasing collaboration between New York State’s world-class research institutions, Empire AI is creating efficiencies of scale not achievable by any single university, empowering and attracting top notch faculty, expanding educational opportunity, and enabling responsible innovation that will significantly strengthen our state’s economy and our national security.
    The initiative is currently funded by over $400 million in public and private investment, including a $250 million State capital grant investment and $25 million over ten years in SUNY operating funding. The project will also receive more than $125 million from the founding institutions and other private partners, including the Simons Foundation, whose Flatiron Institute works to advance research through computational methods, and Tom Secunda, co-founder of Bloomberg LP and the Secunda Family Foundation, which provides millions of dollars a year in grants to conservation, health care, scientific advancement and other causes.

    Governor Hochul’s Innovation Agenda
    Governor Hochul’s commitment to advancing New York’s leadership in artificial intelligence builds on her broader agenda to expand cutting-edge technology development in the Empire State. Last year, Governor Hochul announced that IBM CEO Arvind Krishna and Girls Who Code CEO Dr. Tarika Barrett would co-chair the new Emerging Technology Advisory Board (the Board) — an independent group of industry leaders tasked with informing and accelerating New York’s transformation into a hub for growth and innovation. The Board released their initial recommendations in December 2024.

    The Governor previously signed New York’s historic Green CHIPS legislation to drive semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing in New York State and announced a $10 billion partnership to bring next-generation chips research to NY CREATES’ Albany NanoTech Complex. The Governor has continued to advance a $620 million Life Science Initiative to support innovation in biomedical research. And through strategic investments like the $113.7 million Battery-NY initiative, Governor Hochul has fueled the growth of the sustainability, green technology and energy storage economies in New York State.

    The Governor’s innovation agenda has catalyzed major public and private investments, transforming New York’s economy and creating good-paying jobs of the future. GlobalFoundries recently announced an $11.6 billion investment to expand its chip manufacturing campus in New York’s Capital Region, creating 1,500 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. In 2022, Micron announced a 20-year, $100 billion investment to create a megafab campus in Central New York, creating 50,000 new direct and indirect jobs and unlocking hundreds of millions of dollars in community benefits.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: I went to CPAC as an anthropologist to see how Trump supporters are feeling − for them, a ‘golden age’ has begun

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Alex Hinton, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology; Director, Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights, Rutgers University – Newark

    Attendees take selfies at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md., on Feb. 20, 2025. Andrew Harnick/Getty Images

    At the start of his inaugural address on Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump declared, “The golden age of America begins right now!”

    A month later, Trump’s supporters gathered at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in Oxon Hill, Maryland, from Feb. 19-22 to celebrate the advent of this golden age.

    Gold glitter jackets, emblazoned with phrases like “Trump the Golden Era,” are for sale in the CPAC exhibition hall. There, attendees decked out in other MAGA-themed clothing and accessories network and mingle. They visit booths with politically charged signs that say “Defund Planned Parenthood” and collect brochures on topics like “The Gender Industrial Complex.”

    Another booth with a yellow and black striped backdrop resembling a prison cell’s bars was called a “Deportation Center.” Attendees photographed themselves at this booth, posing beside full-size cutouts of Trump and his border czar, Tom Homan.

    Former Jan. 6 prisoners, including Proud Boys’ former leader Enrique Tarrio, have also been a visible – and controversial – presence at CPAC.

    The conference’s proceedings kicked off on Feb. 20 with an Arizona pastor, Joshua Navarrete, saying, to loud applause, “We are living in the greatest time of our era – the golden age!”

    Many subsequent speakers repeated this phrase, celebrating the country’s “golden age.”

    For many outside observers, claims of a golden age might seem odd.

    Just months ago during the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump said that an American apocalypse was underway, driven by a U.S. economy in shambles and major cities overrun by an “invasion” of “illegal alien” “terrorists,” “rapists” and “murderers.”

    Now, Trump’s critics argue, the U.S. is led by a convicted felon who is implementing policies that are reckless, stupid and harmful.

    Further, these critics contend, Trump’s illegal power grabs are leading to a constitutional crisis that could cause democracy to crumble in the U.S.

    How, they wonder, could anyone believe the country is in a golden age?

    As an anthropologist of U.S. political culture, I have been studying the Make America Great Again, or MAGA, movement for years. I wrote a related 2021 book, “It Can Happen Here.” And I continue to do MAGA research at places like this year’s CPAC, where the mood has been giddy.

    Here are three reasons why the MAGA faithful believe a golden age has begun. The list begins, and ends, with Trump.

    Elon Musk holds a painting of himself during CPAC in Oxon Hill, Md., on Feb. 20, 2025.
    Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    1. The warrior hero

    Trump supporters contend that after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attacks, which they consider a “peaceful protest,” Trump became a political pariah and victim.

    Like many a mythic hero, Trump’s response was “never surrender.” In 2023, he repeatedly told his MAGA faithful, “I am your warrior, I am your justice.”

    Trump’s heroism, his supporters believe, was illustrated after a bullet grazed his ear during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July 2024. Trump quickly rose to his feet, pumped his fist in the air and yelled, “Fight, fight, fight.”

    The phrase became a MAGA rally cry and, in February 2025, it has been stamped on CPAC attendees’ shirts and jackets.

    After Trump’s 2024 election victory, many Trump supporters dubbed it
    “the greatest comeback in political history.” MAGA populist Steven Bannon invoked this phrase at a pre-CPAC event on Feb. 19.

    When Bannon spoke on the CPAC main stage on Feb. 20, he led the crowd in a raucous “fight, fight, fight” chant. He compared Trump with Abraham Lincoln and George Washington and called for him to run again for president in 2028.

    This is despite the fact that Trump running for a third term would violate the Constitution.

    2. A wrecking ball

    The MAGA faithful believe that Trump is like a human “wrecking ball,” as evangelical leader Lance Wallnau said in 2015. This metaphor speaks to how Trump supporters believe the president is tearing down an entrenched, corrupt system.

    The day Trump took office, MAGA stalwarts underscore, he began to “drain the swamp” with a slew of executive orders.

    One established the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which is devoted to eliminating government waste. DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk, has dismantled USAID and fired thousands of government workers whom MAGA views as part of an anti-Trump “deep state.”

    Musk stole the show at CPAC on Feb. 20. Speaking to a cheering crowd, Musk held up a large red chain saw and yelled, “This is the chain saw for bureaucracy.”

    Speaker after speaker at this year’s CPAC have celebrated this and other wrecking-ball achievements on panels with titles like “Red Tape Reckoning,” “Crushing Woke Board Rooms” and “The Takedown of Left Tech.”

    3. The Midas touch

    A golden age requires a builder. Who better, the MAGA faithful believe, than a billionaire businessman with a self-proclaimed “Midas touch.” This refers to King Midas, a figure in Greek mythology who turns everything he touches into pure gold.

    “Trump Will Fix It” signs filled his 2024 campaign rallies. And MAGA supporters note that Trump began fixing the country on Day 1 by “flooding the zone” with executive orders aimed at implementing his four-pronged “America First” promise. In addition to draining the swamp, this plan pledges to “make America safe again,” “make America affordable and energy dominant again” and “bring back American values.”

    These themes run through the remarks of almost every CPAC speaker, who offer nonstop praise about how Trump is securing the country’s borders, increasing energy independence, repatriating who they call illegal aliens, restoring free speech and reducing government regulation and waste.

    CPAC speakers said that Trump has already racked up a slew of successes just a month into his presidency.

    This includes Trump using the threat of tariffs to bring other countries to the negotiating table.

    Meanwhile, Trump supporters are pleased that he has been working to cut deals to end the conflict in Gaza and the war between Russia and Ukraine, while reorienting U.S. foreign policy to focus on China.

    House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed the prevailing MAGA sentiment when he stated at CPAC that Trump “wrote the art of the deal. He knows what he’s doing.”

    CPAC attendees wear Trump-themed clothing at the four-day political conference on Feb. 20, 2025.
    Andrew Harnick/Getty Images

    American exceptionalism restored

    The golden-age celebration at CPAC centered on Trump and his mission to “make America great again.”

    Speaker after speaker, including foreign conservative leaders from around the world, paid homage to Trump and this message.

    During her CPAC speech, Liz Truss, the former prime minister of the U.K., stated, “This is truly the golden age of America.” Truss, who does not have a current political position, told the CPAC audience that she wanted to copy the MAGA playbook in order to “make Britain great again.”

    The MAGA faithful believe that Trump is restoring an era of American exceptionalism in which the U.S. is an economic powerhouse, common sense is the rule, and traditional values centered on God, family and freedom are celebrated.

    And they believe in a future where the U.S. is, as Trump said in his inaugural address, “the envy of every nation.”

    Alex Hinton receives funding from Alex Hinton receives funding from the Rutgers-Newark Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America, Rutgers Research Council, and Henry Frank Guggenheim Foundation.

    – ref. I went to CPAC as an anthropologist to see how Trump supporters are feeling − for them, a ‘golden age’ has begun – https://theconversation.com/i-went-to-cpac-as-an-anthropologist-to-see-how-trump-supporters-are-feeling-for-them-a-golden-age-has-begun-250219

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lieutenant Governor Primavera Appoints Ian J. Kellogg to the 2nd Judicial District Court

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, pursuant to her authority as acting Governor under the Colorado Constitution, Article IV, § 13, Lieutenant Governor Primavera appointed Ian J. Kellogg to the 2nd Judicial District Court. The appointment fills the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of the Honorable Darryl F. Shockley, and is effective immediately.

    Mr. Kellogg is a Trial Attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission, a position he has held since 2022. His practice consists of civil and federal securities matters. Previously, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office (2014-2022); Associate Attorney at Morrison & Foerster (2011-2014); Associate Attorney at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (2008-2011), and Law Clerk for Judge Neil Gorsuch, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit  (2007-2008). Mr. Kellogg earned his B.A. from Gonzaga University in 1999 and his J.D. from Stanford Law School in 2007.

    ###
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Issues Joint Statement on Lawsuit to Preserve Funding for Medical and Public Health Research Ahead of Hearing

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general in issuing a joint statement ahead of a court hearing in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. National Institutes of Health. At today’s hearing, the attorneys general will seek an extension of a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the Trump administration’s unlawful cuts to funds that support life-saving medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country, such as research institutes at CUNY and SUNY, including Stony Brook University, University at Buffalo, University at Albany, and others. The coalition today released the following statement:

    “The Trump administration’s attempt to cut research funding at thousands of research institutions across the country is not only unlawful; it undermines public health, our economy, and our competitiveness. There are laws in place that protect this funding, and the President cannot simply toss those laws aside.  

    “This research funding covers expenses that facilitate critical components of biomedical research, such as lab, faculty, infrastructure, and utility costs. Without it, lifesaving and life-extending research, including clinical trials, could be significantly compromised. These cuts would have a devastating impact on universities around the country, many of which are at the forefront of groundbreaking research efforts – while also training future generations of researchers and innovators. They would force many universities to redirect funds and ultimately reduce research activities. Research funded by the National Institutes of Health has found new treatments for adult and childhood cancer, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, PTSD, and more.  

    “Attorneys general are not just fighting for the rule of law; we are fighting for our loved ones, our friends, and our neighbors, and we will not allow President Trump to play politics with our public health. We are heartened that less than six hours after filing our lawsuit, the court recognized the devastating impacts of this directive and granted an emergency temporary restraining order preventing the administration from implementing these unlawful cuts. Today, we urge the court to continue to block these funding cuts as we keep fighting this reckless abuse of power.” 

    On February 10, Attorney General James joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to unilaterally cut “indirect cost” reimbursements at every research institution throughout the country. Less than six hours after the attorneys general filed their lawsuit, the court issued a TRO against NIH, barring it from cutting billions in funding for biomedical and public health research. 

    Joining Attorney General James in making today’s statement are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments

    Governor Stein Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today, Governor Josh Stein announced Boards and Commissions appointments. 

    Governor Stein has appointed the following individual to the MyFutureNC Board of Directors: 

    • Kindl S. Detar of Mecklenburg as the Governor’s Office Designee. Detar is currently a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Governor Josh Stein. Previously, Detar served as the Special Deputy Attorney General & Director of the Public Protection Section for the North Carolina Department of Justice.  

    Governor Stein has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission: 

    • The Honorable James Beaty, Jr. of Forsyth as a Public Member. Beaty Jr. is a retired United States District Court Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina. He has remained active in his community, serving on the Board of Deacons at United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church of Winston-Salem. James Beaty Jr. further remains an active member of the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Guardsmen.   

    Governor Stein has appointed the following individual to the State Board of Refrigeration Contractors: 

    • Professor Srinath Ekkad of Wake as the Engineering School of the UNC System. Ekkad is the Department Head of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and the Special Advisor to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at North Carolina State University. Ekkad has over 25 years of experience in research, teaching and administration.  

    Feb 21, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NREL Plant Biologist Maureen McCann Named Senior Research Fellow

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    Senior Research Fellow Maureen McCann poses with a mass spectrometer in a research lab. Photo by Agata Bogucka, NREL

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has selected Maureen McCann, an internationally renowned plant biologist, to its highest technical position for a scientist: Senior Research Fellow.

    Of the more than 4,000 people who work at NREL, only 16 are current senior research fellows. Fellows are nominated by the leaders of NREL’s five research directorates, and recommendations from peer scientists play a large role in the selection process. In this prestigious role, McCann will advise NREL’s executive leadership on the strategic direction of laboratory research as it works toward advanced energy solutions.

    “The role of senior research fellow carries great responsibility at NREL,” Laboratory Director Martin Keller said. “They are in the trenches every day, conducting and overseeing research while also keeping an eye on the bigger picture and evaluating our long-term approaches. Elevation to this position is a recognition of Maureen’s talent, experience, and leadership and our belief that she can help take the laboratory to new heights. Congratulations to a fellow biologist.”

    McCann joined NREL in 2020 to direct the laboratory’s Biosciences Center. The center’s team of researchers aims to understand, predict, and control pathways and processes in living organisms to benefit the bioindustrial and agricultural sectors of the bioeconomy.

    Before NREL, she was a professor of biological sciences and director of the NEPTUNE Center for Power and Energy at Purdue University. While there, she also led an Energy Frontier Research Center, the Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels, in which NREL was a senior partner. 

    In 2023, McCann took on a leadership role as associate director of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, a partnership between NREL and the University of Colorado Boulder.

    Speaking on her new role, McCann said she is excited for this next phase of her work at NREL.

    “I’m delighted and honored—it’s a little overwhelming—but can’t wait to step up to this new role and contribute my passion for how life sciences can be entrained for the bioeconomy and biomanufacturing,” McCann said.

    Maureen McCann presents her research at the Senior Research Fellows Dinner. McCann was awarded the distinction prior to her talk at the event. Photo by Agata Bogucka, NREL

    Her career of research uses biochemical, genetic, and molecular biology approaches to understand how the plant cell wall influences the final form and stature of plants. Using basic science to study the proteins and structural properties of the cell wall, McCann can engineer plants to be more productive and resilient for their use as sources of biofuels, chemicals, and materials.

    She is widely cited for her 1990 Journal of Cell Science article, “Direct Visualization of Cross-Links in the Primary Plant Cell Wall,” a field-defining study where measurements were obtained, for the first time, by directly visualizing the primary cell wall of an onion using novel electron microscopy techniques.   

    McCann’s work has also made advancements in the molecular basis of biomass recalcitrance, or the cell wall’s natural resistance to being broken down by microbes and enzymes. Converting plant biomass into usable sugars and aromatics, such as capturing glucose and xylose from cell wall polysaccharides, is an avenue to create economic value from heterogeneous waste streams. McCann’s discoveries on recalcitrance could help companies decrease energy inputs needed to prepare biomass for multiple conversion processes, therefore lowering the costs and making biofuel and biochemical production more efficient.

    McCann has authored or co-authored more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles and has a lifetime h-index of 65, with nearly 22,000 citations. She is a graduate of Churchill College at the University of Cambridge, where she obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in natural sciences before gaining a Ph.D. in botany from the University of East Anglia.

    Learn more about NREL’s science of biological energy conversion research that McCann will help lead.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa’s fight over VAT raises a key question: who should bear the burden of taxes?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Fabio Andrés Díaz Pabón, Research Fellow, African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research (ACEIR), University of Cape Town

    The unprecedented postponement of the tabling of South Africa’s 2025 budget because of disagreement within the coalition government over a two percentage point increase in value added tax (VAT), highlights the country’s dilemma.

    The government needs to raise revenue to deliver on its constitutional obligations. But in a context where the global outlook is uncertain and unpredictable, trade-offs are required.

    South Africa has a deficit of around 4.3% of GDP, accounting for R377 billion (US$20,479 billion). According to the Unpublished budget review public debt stands at 76.1% of its GDP.

    Whereas the public debt as a percentage of GDP is in line with that of similarly sized economies, its debt servicing costs are considerably higher. The country pays around 5% on public debt interest as a share of GDP while developing and upper-middle-income countries pay, on average, 2.2% and 1.8% respectively.

    These figures point to why the finance minister wanted to raise more revenue. Treasury’s estimates in the 2025 unpublished Budget Review were that the increase in Vat and other tax adjustments plus factoring in tax foregone due to expanding the basket of zero-rated goods would have brought in an additional R58 billion (US$3.1 billion) for the 2025/26 financial year.

    To date, debates around previous years’ budgets have mostly been about expenditure, with very little scrutiny of the revenue side. Not since the 2013 Davis Tax Committee has there been public debate about reforming the tax policy.

    Read more: South Africa’s economy needs a shot in the arm, not austerity: 3 key areas where more public spending would get results

    Based on our academic research we believe the crucial question around tax reform is: who will bear the burden of the reform? And how taxes connect to the promise of the South African social compact. The social compact since democracy, expressed in the constitution, promises to uphold the rights of all citizens.

    Evidence shows that increases in the rate of VAT affect poor households more, particularly women-headed households.

    While the government is concerned about financing its budget and being able to raise the resources needed to make the state work, a rethink is needed about who must bear the burden of raising the money.

    The cost of food

    VAT is a flat tax on consumption of goods and services, usually paid by the end consumer. It affects lower income households more because they spend a greater share of their income on goods such as food, electricity and water.

    The uproar over the recent proposed increase is therefore not surprising.

    At least 34% of the yearly income of poor households is spent on food and groceries. Almost 50% of South Africans live under the poverty line. This is where the impact will be felt in a number of ways.

    Firstly, the net effect of an increase in VAT will mean that mean that already financially stretched households will be paying more for food. This comes on top of food inflation was 8% between 2023 and 2024.

    Secondly, meagre increases in social grant payments in the last decade – over 28 million grants are paid out every month – have not kept pace with inflation.

    One of the largest grants is the old age pension grant. There are around 3.9 million beneficiaries. It amounts to R2,190 (US$118) a month for those between 65 and 74 years and is the sole source of income for many families.

    Between 2023 and 2024 this grant increased by R110 (US$5.45) – a 5.2 % increase, while inflation stood at 4.5%. However, after taking into account inflation, the grant amounts to R2,091 (just over US$107), having the net grant increase (after adjusting for inflation) of meagre R11 (the grant was in 2023 R2.080).

    A VAT increase would raise their cost of living for working-class South African households (those earning between R8,000 (US$432) and R22,000 (US$1,188) a month) too. This cohort is already using 67% of their income to cover their debts. Middle class households (earning between R22,000 (US$1,188) and R35,000 (US$1,893) a month) use 69% of their income to cover their debts. A VAT-induced increase in the cost of living may push some to neglect servicing debt to maintain their living standards.

    If middle and working class households defaulted in large numbers on their debt obligations, a vicious cycle might unfold.

    Firstly, banks and financial institutions might face significant losses due to unpaid loans. This could trigger an economic recession as consumption could fall, leading to lower revenue collection. This could increase government debt as the state might need to bail out banks or get loans to cover the revenue shortfall. The result would be a credit downgrade which might make it more expensive to borrow money on international markets.

    In a country with such a limited and vulnerable tax base (in 2024, only 7.4 million people of 63 million paid income tax) these risks should not be taken lightly.

    Poor households spend 34% of their income on food. Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images

    Wealthy South Africans

    Wealthy South Africans will not be as badly affected by an increase in VAT. Their consumption as a share of their incomes is less. Yet they remain central to the government’s dilemma about raising money from taxes. That’s because taxing wealthier South Africans will result in a push-back, and in some cases put a strain on struggling companies and industries that are central for job creation.

    However, the most likely reason a VAT increase was chosen as opposed to a higher income tax for high income earners, taxes on capital gains, or taxes on wealth is that the government knows the wealthy elites (including those in government) will oppose increases taxes targeted at them. They are more organised and have more leverage over the government than vulnerable households.

    What next?

    The government needs to spend money properly and meet its constitutional obligations. And corruption must be reduced.

    What the standoff over the VAT increase has highlighted is that, if South Africa aims to be a society where everyone actually counts, it should place the well-being of all its citizens at the forefront. This should be the principle that informs the process of raising the resources needed to drive future.

    – South Africa’s fight over VAT raises a key question: who should bear the burden of taxes?
    – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-fight-over-vat-raises-a-key-question-who-should-bear-the-burden-of-taxes-250412

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: South Africa’s fight over VAT raises a key question: who should bear the burden of taxes?

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Fabio Andrés Díaz Pabón, Research Fellow, African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research (ACEIR), University of Cape Town

    The unprecedented postponement of the tabling of South Africa’s 2025 budget because of disagreement within the coalition government over a two percentage point increase in value added tax (VAT), highlights the country’s dilemma.

    The government needs to raise revenue to deliver on its constitutional obligations. But in a context where the global outlook is uncertain and unpredictable, trade-offs are required.

    South Africa has a deficit of around 4.3% of GDP, accounting for R377 billion (US$20,479 billion). According to the Unpublished budget review public debt stands at 76.1% of its GDP.

    Whereas the public debt as a percentage of GDP is in line with that of similarly sized economies, its debt servicing costs are considerably higher. The country pays around 5% on public debt interest as a share of GDP while developing and upper-middle-income countries pay, on average, 2.2% and 1.8% respectively.

    These figures point to why the finance minister wanted to raise more revenue. Treasury’s estimates in the 2025 unpublished Budget Review were that the increase in Vat and other tax adjustments plus factoring in tax foregone due to expanding the basket of zero-rated goods would have brought in an additional R58 billion (US$3.1 billion) for the 2025/26 financial year.

    To date, debates around previous years’ budgets have mostly been about expenditure, with very little scrutiny of the revenue side. Not since the 2013 Davis Tax Committee has there been public debate about reforming the tax policy.



    Read more:
    South Africa’s economy needs a shot in the arm, not austerity: 3 key areas where more public spending would get results

    Based on our academic research we believe the crucial question around tax reform is: who will bear the burden of the reform? And how taxes connect to the promise of the South African social compact. The social compact since democracy, expressed in the constitution, promises to uphold the rights of all citizens.

    Evidence shows that increases in the rate of VAT affect poor households more, particularly women-headed households.

    While the government is concerned about financing its budget and being able to raise the resources needed to make the state work, a rethink is needed about who must bear the burden of raising the money.

    The cost of food

    VAT is a flat tax on consumption of goods and services, usually paid by the end consumer. It affects lower income households more because they spend a greater share of their income on goods such as food, electricity and water.

    The uproar over the recent proposed increase is therefore not surprising.

    At least 34% of the yearly income of poor households is spent on food and groceries. Almost 50% of South Africans live under the poverty line. This is where the impact will be felt in a number of ways.

    Firstly, the net effect of an increase in VAT will mean that mean that already financially stretched households will be paying more for food. This comes on top of
    food inflation was 8% between 2023 and 2024.

    Secondly, meagre increases in social grant payments in the last decade – over 28 million grants are paid out every month – have not kept pace with inflation.

    One of the largest grants is the old age pension grant. There are around 3.9 million beneficiaries. It amounts to R2,190 (US$118) a month for those between 65 and 74 years and is the sole source of income for many families.

    Between 2023 and 2024 this grant increased by R110 (US$5.45) – a 5.2 % increase, while inflation stood at 4.5%. However, after taking into account inflation, the grant amounts to R2,091 (just over US$107), having the net grant increase (after adjusting for inflation) of meagre R11 (the grant was in 2023 R2.080).

    A VAT increase would raise their cost of living for working-class South African households (those earning between R8,000 (US$432) and R22,000 (US$1,188) a month) too. This cohort is already using 67% of their income to cover their debts. Middle class households (earning between R22,000 (US$1,188) and R35,000 (US$1,893) a month) use 69% of their income to cover their debts. A VAT-induced increase in the cost of living may push some to neglect servicing debt to maintain their living standards.

    If middle and working class households defaulted in large numbers on their debt obligations, a vicious cycle might unfold.

    Firstly, banks and financial institutions might face significant losses due to unpaid loans. This could trigger an economic recession as consumption could fall, leading to lower revenue collection. This could increase government debt as the state might need to bail out banks or get loans to cover the revenue shortfall. The result would be a credit downgrade which might make it more expensive to borrow money on international markets.

    In a country with such a limited and vulnerable tax base (in 2024, only 7.4 million people of 63 million paid income tax) these risks should not be taken lightly.

    Wealthy South Africans

    Wealthy South Africans will not be as badly affected by an increase in VAT. Their consumption as a share of their incomes is less. Yet they remain central to the government’s dilemma about raising money from taxes. That’s because taxing wealthier South Africans will result in a push-back, and in some cases put a strain on struggling companies and industries that are central for job creation.

    However, the most likely reason a VAT increase was chosen as opposed to a higher income tax for high income earners, taxes on capital gains, or taxes on wealth is that the government knows the wealthy elites (including those in government) will oppose increases taxes targeted at them. They are more organised and have more leverage over the government than vulnerable households.

    What next?

    The government needs to spend money properly and meet its constitutional obligations. And corruption must be reduced.

    What the standoff over the VAT increase has highlighted is that, if South Africa aims to be a society where everyone actually counts, it should place the well-being of all its citizens at the forefront. This should be the principle that informs the process of raising the resources needed to drive future.

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

    – ref. South Africa’s fight over VAT raises a key question: who should bear the burden of taxes? – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-fight-over-vat-raises-a-key-question-who-should-bear-the-burden-of-taxes-250412

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: James Bond is now controlled by Amazon – the franchise’s history holds clues to the future of 007

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Yannis Tzioumakis, Reader in Film and Media Industries, University of Liverpool

    The Broccoli family have controlled the James Bond franchise ever since the films were launched by Albert “Cubby” Broccoli in 1962. Now, his daughter and stepson, long-serving producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, have announced that they have surrendered creative control to Amazon MGM Studios.

    Within minutes of the announcement on February 21, critics, analysts and fans of the Bond films rushed to proclaim the end of the beloved franchise. “Quite possibly the worst thing to happen to this franchise”, “the end of an era” and “RIP James Bond” were just a few of the responses.

    The fear is that, under Amazon’s leadership, Bond will go down the same route as other beloved media properties, such as Star Wars and Marvel.

    Having found themselves under the control of global entertainment conglomerates, these franchises have been treated as intellectual property and content. Films and TV shows expanding the universe of the franchises were used to serve corporate aims and cross-support other business segments of their parent companies.

    This is exactly what happened with Disney, after it acquired Lucasfilm and Marvel and assumed creative control of the Star Wars, Indiana Jones and the Marvel films.

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    Disney embarked on a well-orchestrated campaign that expanded the narrative universe of its franchises through a host of new films, TV series, documentaries and other content. Such content also supported the launch of its streaming service, Disney+, introduced new lines of merchandise for its stores, and installed new attractions in its theme parks.

    While, for a period, this strategy paid off handsomely for the conglomerate, the power of its brands started to become diluted. Complaints about the quality of some of its output and fan fatigue from an infinitely expanding narrative universe seem to have had a strong impact both on Disney’s ability to extract maximum value from its properties. Not to mention the fans’ relationship with their once-favourite stories and characters.

    Will Bond meet with a similar fate? A look at the franchise’s history as well as at Amazon’s recent business practices offers a glimpse into what the future may hold for 007.

    Bond’s studio history

    Eon Productions has controlled the franchise since Bond made his first successful, though not spectacular, appearance in theatres in 1962.

    Originally established by Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman as a company through which to produce the James Bond films, Eon was a subsidiary of Danjaq, a holding company through which the two men managed the film series’ business.

    Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli.
    Wiki Commons

    The film’s distributor, United Artists, eventually became Danjaq’s co-owner and therefore Eon’s production partner, even though creative decisions remained with Eon.

    In the 1980s and early 1990s, MGM took United Artists’ place as Eon’s partner. But after a barrage of corporate takeovers and litigation cases, production of the films in the early 1990s halted. They were only reignited in 1995 when Eon passed on to Broccoli’s children.

    A new corporate takeover of MGM by a consortium of companies led by Sony in the 2004 brought yet another partner on board for EON. But it also led to the transformation of Bond from a film series to a full-fledged franchise.

    Eon rebooted Bond with the origin film Casino Royale in 2006. Ever since, it has carefully managed the Bond universe through a series of films that proved major box office hits worldwide. And it has also cultivated a list of marketing partners, the majority of whom are luxury retail brands such as Tom Ford and Omega.



    Read more:
    The ideal James Bond is an actor on the cusp of superstardom – as film history shows

    At the same time, Sony was able to use product placement in the Bond films as advertisements for its consumer electronic products, as well as benefiting from releasing the films theatrically worldwide.

    The arrangement with Sony was modified in the late 2000s as MGM reemerged as a self-owned production company with an ability to make its own deals. MGM and Eon continued their collaboration with Sony for Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015). But for the most recent James Bond outing, No Time to Die (2021), the Bond franchise owners decided on a split distribution deal that was not as successful.

    Amazon enters the frame

    It was at that time that Amazon took over MGM in a deal worth £6.48 billion (US$8.45 billion), making Amazon Studios Eon’s next production partner. But even with the one of the biggest conglomerates in the picture, Eon continued to have ironclad control of the franchise. This was secured through contracts negotiated following MGM’s successive takeovers.

    Amazon’s takeover of MGM was part of a list of acquisitions motivated by the tech company’s efforts to support their streaming service, Prime. It meant it could add the approximately 4,000 films and TV programmes available in MGM’s library to their streaming catalogue, with the hopes of attracting new subscribers.

    No Time to Die was Craig’s final outing as Bond.

    But Amazon is also in the business of producing original content through what is now known as Amazon MGM Studios. This is the reason for the rampant speculation on how it would manage the franchise, and whether there would be a blitz of new Bond-branded content à la Disney’s treatment of Star Wars.

    Amazon has the resources to pour vast amounts of funding into productions that can support its other business segments. This means it has the means required to reboot Bond and spend lavishly on production and top talent. This could redefine the franchise for audiences in the streaming era.

    Perhaps more intriguingly, Amazon could use Bond’s proven ability to market upscale and luxury products and services through its e-commerce division. This could drive even more (and even more lucrative) business to its online shopping site.

    Indeed, I can see a scenario whereby a new James Bond film will be released on Black Friday, creating an unprecedented level among Amazon’s divisions and redefining “Bondmania” for a new, digital era.

    Yannis Tzioumakis 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. James Bond is now controlled by Amazon – the franchise’s history holds clues to the future of 007 – https://theconversation.com/james-bond-is-now-controlled-by-amazon-the-franchises-history-holds-clues-to-the-future-of-007-250563

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Gout used to be an affliction of royalty but is now a disease of the masses

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol

    Toe with gout inflammation PJjaruwan/Shutterstock

    “The Queen’s had an attack of gout! Hurry!”

    So exclaimed the crotchety Mrs Meg in Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite, in which Olivia Colman plays a moribund and overweight Queen Anne. The queen was afflicted with, among many other conditions, gout – a disorder which causes joint inflammation and severe pain.

    In the film, while screaming out in pain, her swollen feet are wrapped in strips of soothing beef. The next day her soon-to-be new favourite, Abigail, collects wild herbs to make a poultice for her. A bit more effective than raw steak, she finds.

    You’ve got to feel sorry for Queen Anne. She really didn’t have much of a chance, since doctors of her day had no options for treating gout other than quackery.

    She may have been subject to many other absurd treatments of the time to alleviate the symptoms, like scorching the blood vessels supplying the feet, slathering them in goose fat, or bloodletting with leeches. By the time she passed away in 1714 aged just 49, death may have come as a welcome relief.

    Queen Anne wasn’t the only member of royalty to suffer with gout. Prince Regent George (later George IV) was similarly afflicted. Gout, then, came to be associated with the aristocracy and over indulgence.

    Gout still affects many people. In fact, it is estimated that in 2020 gout affected nearly 56 million people worldwide, a figure that’s predicted to grow to 96 million by 2050. So, a condition that was once considered the disease of kings and queens is a now a disease of the masses, with younger patients also being diagnosed.

    Luckily, raw meat strips and herbs are no longer required. We now know much more about how to treat gout and how to prevent it recurring.

    Understanding gout

    Gout is a crystal arthropathy – a group of joint disorders that occur when crystals build up in joints and soft tissues. Gout develops when uric acid levels rise in the bloodstream, before infiltrating the joints where it solidifies and becomes needle-like crystals that inflame the joints, making them incredibly sore.

    And when I say “sore”, I really do mean sore: many people who experience gout often describe it as one of the worst pains they have ever felt. It most commonly affects the big toe and it can make even the lightest touch to the skin unbearable.

    Some gout patients sleep with a special cage over their foot that lifts up the bedclothes because they can’t bear even the weight of a bed sheet on the affected joint.

    Gout can affect other joints. It may also cause “tophi” to develop (hard swellings around joints and the ears).

    The Gout by James Gillray. Published May 14th 1799.
    Wikimedia Commons

    Gout typically occurs in bouts or attacks, before settling with treatment and becoming dormant. But it can reoccur, requiring more acute treatment.

    A diagnosis of gout is based around the classic symptoms: excruciating pain,
    swelling in and around the affected joint and redness. Microscopic examination of the fluid taken from the swollen joint may also show crystals and there is usually raised uric acid levels on blood tests.

    High uric acid

    High uric acid levels are usually linked to alcohol excess, obesity, diabetes and hypertension. A diet high in purine-rich foods has been found to have the strongest association.

    Purines are compounds comprised of uric acid. Purine-rich foods include meat and offal, oily fish like mackerel and anchovies, and yeasty foods, like Marmite and beer. It may be a good idea to avoid these foods in excess if you suffer from frequent episodes of gout.

    Medication

    But dietary changes alone are unlikely to stave off symptoms of gout. Medications can treat both an acute episode of gout and prevent it recurring.

    When the joints are inflamed, options include anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, naproxen, or steroid medications. Another option is colchicine, which is typically used for short periods and can be very effective – though it commonly causes bouts of diarrhoea.

    When the inflammation has settled down, it is important to prevent future attacks. Allopurinol can reduce uric acid levels and therefore the risk of further bouts. There’s also evidence to suggest that eating cherries or drinking tart cherry juice could reduce the risk of gout attacks, especially if combined with alloprinol.

    If you want to stay free of gout then perhaps it’s time to consider taking preventative action by making subtle lifestyle modifications. Maintain a healthy weight, eat a balanced diet, cut down on alcohol and avoid binge drinking, take regular exercise and keep yourself well hydrated.

    Dan Baumgardt 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. Gout used to be an affliction of royalty but is now a disease of the masses – https://theconversation.com/gout-used-to-be-an-affliction-of-royalty-but-is-now-a-disease-of-the-masses-249397

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine war three years on: the bloodiest battles may be still to come

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alexander Titov, Lecturer in Modern European History, Queen’s University Belfast

    Just ahead of the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the conflict has taken a dramatic and unexpected turn. The US is abruptly disengaging from its support of Ukraine, having previously promised that they would stand with Kyiv for “as long as it takes”.

    Europe is in panic mode, while Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is having public spats with the freshly installed US president, Donald Trump.

    At this stage, it seems that Vladimir Putin is firmly on top. But Trump is not the main cause of the current crisis, he merely reflects a more serious problem for Ukraine.

    When war broke out in the early hours of February 24 2022, the world was shocked, but not entirely surprised. Warnings of Russia’s attack on Ukraine had the advantage of preparing a united western front against Russia.

    Western resolve strengthened as expectations of a quick Moscow victory faded and Ukraine’s self-confidence grew. This mood was reflected in Josep Borrell’s statement the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs on April 9 that Russia must be defeated on the battlefield.

    Two weeks earlier, US president Joe Biden declared that Putin “cannot stay in power”. In September 2022, when the Ukrainian army recaptured a large part of the territory occupied by Russia in the Kharkiv region, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, told the EU parliament that “Russia’s industry is in tatters,” and that Moscow was using dishwashing machine chips for its missiles.

    In an atmosphere of euphoria on October 4, Zelensky issued an official ban on negotiations with Putin. There would be only one outcome to this war: Putin’s defeat.

    Indeed, Putin’s original plan had failed. Russia was retreating in Kharkiv and abandoning its strategic foothold on the right bank of the Dnieper in Kherson. On September 21 Putin had to declare a partial mobilisation, the first since the second world war, because Russia’s professional army was running out of men.

    Fortunes of war

    How things have changed: as the war approaches its three-year mark the west’s triumphalist mood is now a distant memory. Mark Rutte, secretary general of Nato, warned on January 13 that “what Russia now produces in three months, that’s what the whole of NATO from Los Angeles to Ankara produces in a year”. It’s a far cry from von der Leyen’s “Russian economy in tatters” jubilation of 2022.

    In its dying days, the Biden administration rushed more weapons to Ukraine and imposed ever harsher sanctions on Moscow. This could not hide the fact that the US could not continue to fund Ukraine as it had for the first three years. Any US president would now struggle to get another Ukraine funding bill through Congress.

    And Donald Trump is not just any US president. In his first month he has changed his country’s Ukraine policy in a characteristically dramatic and abrupt way.

    But the underlying problem was always there: what to do with this war that Ukraine is not going to win and in which Russia is slowly getting the upper hand. It’s been clear since the failure of Ukraine’s much touted counteroffensive in summer 2023 that Ukraine can’t win militarily. So continuing to supply Ukraine at current levels can only prolong the fight, not change the course of the war.

    From Trump’s perspective, this is a Biden war that has already been lost. And politically, it’s much easier for Trump to seek peace than his European counterparts because he campaigned on an anti-war message, repeatedly blaming Biden for the war and saying it would never have happened if he were president. Trump wants to find a quick fix and move on. If it fails, he can wash his hands of it and let the Europeans deal with it.

    Europe clearly doesn’t know what to do now: it can’t accept defeat, but neither can it pretend that Ukraine can win the war without US support. It is a sign of their desperation that in “emergency meetings” called by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, they spend so much time discussing hypothetical and, frankly, highly unlikely scenarios for sending European troops into Ukraine.

    After talks with the US in Saudi Arabia, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov made clear the Russian position: “The troops of Nato countries [in Ukraine] under a foreign flag – an EU flag or any national flag … is unacceptable.” And the Europeans are simply not in a position to impose conditions on the Kremlin.

    The best that the EU can do on the third anniversary of the invasion is to unveil yet another sanctions package: number 16. But now that the US has changed its mind about its war aims, there’s no hiding the fact that Europe’s war strategy is in tatters.

    The end point

    Russia is under no pressure to rush into a deal it doesn’t like. Moscow’s terms are known: formal recognition that the four regions it annexed in September 2022 plus Crimea are now part of Russia, and withdrawal of the remaining Ukrainian troops from those regions. Kyiv must pledge permanent neutrality, limits on its armed forces. It must recognise and establish Russian language rights in Ukraine and ban far-right parties.

    But these terms are completely unacceptable to Kyiv. And while there’s no good way out for Ukraine, it’s not yet in a desperate enough position to accept such a deal.

    The only way to force it on Kyiv is either a complete military collapse by Ukraine’s forces, which is not looking likely at the moment, or concerted pressure from a united west to accept Russia’s unpalatable terms. But the west is divided on this issue, with the Europeans insisting that Ukraine should keep fighting until it can negotiate “from a position of strength”.

    It’s a heroic assumption that Ukraine will be in a stronger position by this time next year. After the peak of confidence in early 2023, when Zelensky declared that “2023 will be the year of our victory!” each subsequent anniversary of the invasion saw Kyiv’s position weaker. But still, on current trends, it would take Russia until the end of the year to capture the rest of the eastern province of Donbas, without which an end to the war is unlikely anyway.

    For these reasons, there is no guarantee that the US-Russian talks will lead to a resolution of the conflict. Unfortunately, this means that the bloodiest battles of the war are yet to come, as the Russian military pushes to maximise its military advantage.

    In keeping with the wishes of Josep Borrell, the outcome of this war is still likely to be decided on the battlefield.

    Alexander Titov 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. Ukraine war three years on: the bloodiest battles may be still to come – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-three-years-on-the-bloodiest-battles-may-be-still-to-come-250422

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Fast furniture is terrible for the environment – here are five ways to spot it

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Katryn Furmston, PhD candidate in sustainable furniture, Nottingham Trent University

    The UK spent more than £20 million on furniture in 2024, predominantly for bedrooms and living rooms. Many of us are aware of the problems with fast fashion, including the problems caused by dumping this cheap, low-quality clothing in landfills. But there’s a similar issue with furniture, with more than 22 million pieces sent to landfill every year. Unfortunately, most of this will be fast furniture, as it can’t be recycled or reused.

    Fast furniture is classed as being made, bought, consumed and disposed of quickly and cheaply. Its flimsiness is due to the materials used and how it is made. The companies making it are often chasing fast-changing trends in interior design.

    Unlike fast fashion, though – which lasts up to a year, sometimes only being worn once – fast furniture will last a maximum of five to seven years, if you’re lucky. This makes it a burden on our waste systems, especially when furniture should ideally last ten to 20 years at least.

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    Of course, it can be enticing to kit out your house quickly and on the cheap, especially if you’re moving into somewhere unfurnished. But if you have the time and the money, you really should avoid fast furniture as much as possible.

    So, if you want good furniture that lasts long, looks good and isn’t going clog up the planet, here are five simple ways to help you spot fast furniture.

    1. If the price seems too good to be true …

    The biggest giveaway of fast furniture is the price. It tends to be pretty inexpensive and very accessible. Unfortunately, the low cost is often thanks to poor materials or build quality, which means the piece is unlikely to last you very long.

    For example, an £89 sofa from a fast furniture company might seem like a good deal when you consider that a good quality sofa will cost you in the region of £800 to £1,500. But while £89 might seem great now, it probably won’t last long and will end up costing the environment and you more as you’ll have to replace it sooner rather than later.

    2 . Always check the materials

    Companies are supposed to list all the materials in the furniture. If you see a mix of MDF (medium density fibreboard), plastic and chipboard, this is often a signifier that the piece is fast.

    For cabinets, shelves, wardrobes and items with a backboard, a key signifier that it’s fast furniture will be that the backboard is made of taped-together sheets of hardboard that you have to nail in place. You will often find that this backboard starts to come away after a while and sometimes separates at the joins.

    3. Does it require an Allen key?

    If the answer is yes, it’s probably fast. What are the fittings like when you put it together? Do they come in a little bag all jumbled together? If you are using standardised fittings like dowels and bolts with pre-cut holes, known as knockdown fittings, to put the piece together, it will likely be a fast furniture piece.

    These fittings are cheap and easy to use, plus companies can easily provide you with an Allen key or small screwdriver in the kit. Unfortunately, these fittings don’t last very long, either separating from the material they are fixed to or snapping from too much load.

    4. There’s only one image online

    Don’t you just hate it when a company only gives you one view of an item and no way to see any of the details? It’s often not available to view in real life, and the item is either set in a room and looks like a sticker, or is just on a white background.

    Similarly, is the image a photograph or a 3D render? You will likely know because renders either look too perfect or just a bit strange.These things can mean that the company hasn’t had the time or money to do a proper photoshoot. It can also mean that the product you receive may not look exactly like the image, or that the parts might not fit together properly.

    5. Look at the piece’s finish

    Does it have plastic edging strips? Are the finish choices white, black or wood effects? Is it easy to wipe clean? All of these are signifiers of a fast furniture item.

    In short, go and look at the piece before purchase, and also look after whatever you choose as this will also make a big difference to how long it lasts.

    With the rise of television programmes like BBC’s Repair Shop, we are seeing an increase in furniture repair and upcycling. However, this hasn’t stopped us Brits from continuing to buy new.

    While these are a few ways to spot fast furniture, at the end of the day, the decision to buy is yours. Not everyone can spend a lot of money on new pieces but if your budget is smaller and you really don’t want to contribute to fast furniture, consider looking at second-hand items on Facebook Marketplace and in charity shops. Also see if you can repurpose something you already own. The planet will thank you and you will have pieces which will live with you for a long time.

    Katryn Furmston receives funding from AHRC via a university scholarship through NTU. She is affiliated with the British Sociological Association and is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers.

    – ref. Fast furniture is terrible for the environment – here are five ways to spot it – https://theconversation.com/fast-furniture-is-terrible-for-the-environment-here-are-five-ways-to-spot-it-245965

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jefferson, Reading between the Lines? Textual Analysis of Central Bank Communications

    Source: US State of New York Federal Reserve

    Thank you, President Daly, for organizing this conference and for the opportunity to talk to this group.1 I have paid close attention to the papers presented at this annual conference in the past, and I look forward to today’s presentations and discussion.

    Today, I will talk about central bank communications and the use of textual analysis tools. These tools help process qualitative information that may be hard to capture in numerical forecasts. Also, they can improve our understanding of economic concepts that are otherwise difficult to measure. This topic has been covered at this conference in the past. Last year, for example, there was a paper on the program that highlighted the importance of considering the impact that speeches by the Chair of the Federal Reserve (Fed) have on asset prices when evaluating the transmission of monetary policy to the rest of the economy.2 This paper also shows that speeches by the Vice Chair are less important than those by the Chair. So this might be a good time to catch up on your text messages! (Just kidding!)
    My talk is organized as follows. First, I will briefly discuss central bank communication and its effect on asset prices. Next, I will discuss how recent advances in automated textual analysis may be having an impact on how the information in central bank communication is incorporated into asset prices. Then I will review how researchers and market participants use textual analysis techniques, among other techniques, to gauge who is listening to central bank communication and to understand how monetary policy is transmitted to the economy. Before concluding, I will broaden my coverage and discuss how textual analysis tools can be used to estimate difficult-to-measure concepts in economics such as uncertainty and supply chain disruptions.
    These new textual analysis techniques are important to me as a policymaker because I want to understand how our communications are being heard, interpreted, understood, and acted upon.
    Central Bank Communication and its Effect on Financial MarketsFormer Fed Chair Ben Bernanke often highlighted the importance of central bank communication, saying that “monetary policy is 98 percent talk and 2 percent action.”3 Obviously, the “98 percent” is hyperbole; it is not meant to be taken as an exact measure of how much of the transmission of monetary policy is due to central bank communication. Even so, research and my own experience confirm that central bank communication is key for the transmission of monetary policy. In remarks I delivered almost two years ago, I discussed how monetary policy is transmitted to the rest of the economy through financial market prices.4 Changes in the federal funds target range are transmitted to overnight money market rates and other short-term interest rates through arbitrage relationships. The configuration of short-term interest rates, central bank communication about the likely future path of short-term interest rates, and the associated economic outlook, in turn, affect long-term interest rates through investors’ expectations.5 Higher long-term interest rates increase the cost of borrowing for households and businesses, thereby affecting households’ and businesses’ spending, savings, and investment decisions.
    Evolution of Fed CommunicationsPolicymakers’ approach to communication has evolved over time. In the past, policymakers were not focused on clarity and transparency in their communications as they are today. For example, former Fed Chair Alan Greenspan famously quipped in 1987, “If I seem unduly clear to you, you must have misunderstood what I said.”6 In the 1990s, however, he started to embrace transparency. Figure 1 shows a timeline of the steps taken toward increasing transparency at the Fed since the 1990s. In 1993, the Fed started to publish Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes in their current form, and, soon after, it began releasing FOMC meeting transcripts with a five-year lag. In February 1994, the FOMC started to issue post-FOMC meeting statements following meetings at which there was a change in the intended policy stance. Later, it regularly incorporated the target federal funds rate into these statements. In May 1999, the FOMC started to publish statements after every meeting, even on occasions when there was no change in policy. In 2004, the FOMC accelerated the release of the minutes to three weeks after the meeting as opposed to after the subsequent FOMC meeting. During the tenure of former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke, the Fed’s transparency increased significantly. In November 2007, the FOMC began releasing the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP). In 2011, Chair Bernanke started holding press conferences after every other FOMC meeting. In 2012, under his leadership, the FOMC adopted an explicit inflation target of 2 percent in its new Statement on Longer-Run Goals and Monetary Policy Strategy. Also, it started publishing anonymized individual FOMC participants’ views on the appropriate future path of the federal funds rate, now famously known as the “dot plot.” In 2019, Chair Powell continued this march toward transparency and started holding press conferences after every FOMC meeting.
    Of course, Chair Powell and other policymakers testify regularly before Congress, as required by law. Also, FOMC participants give public speeches and transparently discuss their views on monetary policy and associated issues, as evidenced by my speech here today.
    Previously, I have spoken about two primary reasons for the increase in transparency.7 First, transparency allows for greater accountability to the public. Second, there is a growing appreciation in the economics profession that clarity about policy actions helps the transmission of monetary policy to the rest of the economy by, for example, making asset prices more informationally efficient. Relatedly, by conveying aspects of the Fed’s reaction function, communications can help inform investors’ views about the likely future path of monetary policy in a way that helps achieve the Fed’s monetary policy objectives.
    Using Textual Analysis to Quantify Central Bank CommunicationCentral bank communication is clearly important in shaping the path of interest rates, so it is not surprising that investors and researchers use textual analysis techniques, including artificial intelligence, to quantify in an automated way information conveyed through FOMC statements and other communications, such as speeches by Governors and Fed Bank presidents.8 Researchers have tested the hypothesis that clarity about policy actions would help the transmission of monetary policy to the rest of the economy. Using textual analysis, high-frequency asset price data, and high-frequency central bank communication data, this research shows that investors’ reactions to specific sentences communicated by the central bank are quickly incorporated into asset prices.9 In addition, economists have used textual analysis to understand how media reporting of central bank communication affects short-term interest rates.10 For example, some have used a bag-of-words technique to estimate media sentiment during FOMC announcement days.11 By design, a high media sentiment is meant to capture times when journalists report that the FOMC is more likely to tighten monetary policy in the near future. Figure 2 shows that the correlation between media sentiment and six-month U.S. Treasury yield changes is positive and relatively high (40 percent), which suggests that media reporting of central bank communication plays an important role in the transmission of monetary policy.
    Policymakers know that their communications are likely to affect the course of short-term interest rates, other asset prices, and the associated economic outlook, resulting in an easing or tightening of financial conditions. Therefore, policymakers have always paid close attention to what they say, well before market participants started applying artificial intelligence tools to central bank communications.
    In general, researchers argue that automated textual analysis and automated trading have increased the speed with which information is incorporated into asset prices. That suggests that asset prices have become more informationally efficient, sometimes in a matter of seconds or even milliseconds instead of minutes after information is released.12 Thus, increased transparency and advances in technology have potentially made asset prices more informationally efficient, which, in turn, helps with the transmission of monetary policy. Yet others argue that automated algorithms may be more prone to mistakes than humans, may provide an incentive for investors to value speed over accuracy, and may reduce the long-run informativeness of asset prices, which could hurt the transmission of monetary policy.13
    I look forward to the findings of future research as we develop a deeper understanding of this issue. For now, I do not think artificial intelligence is changing the way policymakers communicate, but research shows that it has affected how quickly information about policy is incorporated into asset prices.
    Central Bank Communication: Is Anyone Listening?Next, I will discuss whether research using textual analysis is helping policymakers to understand better who is listening to central bank communication. In 2018, former Fed Vice Chair Alan Blinder predicted that “central banks will keep trying to communicate with the general public, as they should. But for the most part, they will fail.”14 He explained further that “many economic models presume that central bank communication is aimed at wage-setters, price-setters, consumers, or investors—maybe all of them. But are they listening?” His answer was no, they are not listening to central bank communications, and he cited economic research using survey data to support his answer.15
    More recently, however, research shows that nonexperts and households are listening to central bank communications. Some of this research uses textual analysis, and some uses randomized control trials. Researchers have used textual analysis to process automatically and quantify more than 3.2 million posts on social media by experts and nonexperts. This research shows that journalists and professional forecasters who comment often on central bank policies, as well as nonexperts who do not comment regularly on central bank policies do listen to central bank communications.16
    Central Bank Communication and Monetary Policy TransmissionFurther, research shows that direct central bank communication and the media’s reporting of central bank communication are highly correlated. Yet when they do not align, the media’s reporting tends to have a larger effect on asset prices and professional forecasters’ views about the future than the central bank’s direct communication.17 In addition, a randomized control trial with nearly 20,000 U.S. individuals shows that central bank communication affects households’ inflation expectations, which, in turn, affects their behavior as measured by scanner-collected data.18 This research shows that while central bank communication tends to affect household expectations and spending behavior, the way households receive information matters. In particular, households appear to react more to information conveyed by social media, friends, and family than to information conveyed by traditional media. All told, this research suggests that central bank efforts to communicate with the general public are having some success, but there is still room for improvement.
    Measuring Economic Concepts Using Textual AnalysisTextual analysis is not only helping researchers understand who is listening to central bank communication. Generally, it is helping them to measure qualitative information that is hard to capture with numerical forecasts and estimate difficult-to-measure economic concepts such as uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and financial conditions.19 As I mentioned in a previous speech, uncertainty is not directly observable in the same way that inflation and economic output are.20 Notwithstanding the difficulty in measuring uncertainty, researchers have developed tools to assess it. In fact, in the past two decades, there has been tremendous growth in research devoted to the subject, especially on text-based measures of uncertainty. For example, researchers created an economic policy uncertainty index, shown in figure 3, based on the number of leading newspaper articles that contain a combination of words related to economic policy uncertainty.21 As shown in the figure, economic uncertainty in the U.S. reached an all-time high at the onset of the pandemic, came down slightly after the pandemic, and has recently increased as the potential economic implications of new government policies are discussed in newspaper articles. Research also shows that newspaper text-based measures are highly correlated with stock price volatility, and that higher values of these measures are associated with lower investment and employment. A corollary to that insight is that policymakers should communicate as clearly as possible to avoid increasing uncertainty.
    Recent research has also discovered that narrative sentiment conveys information that may be hard to capture in numerical forecasts. For example, it was shown that the tone of text accompanying a set of economic forecasts produced by the Fed’s staff, predicts forecast errors of the Fed’s staff as well as Blue Chip participants.22 The predictive power of sentiment seems to be arising from signaling the downside risks to economic performance for output, employment, and stock returns. These findings suggest that the tone of the narrative captures information that is not necessarily provided by corresponding forecasts. Not surprisingly, given this information, the tonality has predictive power for stock prices as well as monetary policy surprises.
    Another example of how textual analysis is helping researchers estimate difficult-to-measure concepts is new measures of firms’ demand and supply shocks. Traditionally, academic researchers use sign restrictions in price and quantity measures to identify and differentiate demand shocks from supply shocks. An increase in price and quantity is considered a demand shock; an increase in price accompanied by a decline in quantity is considered a supply shock. These so-called sign restrictions are useful tools; however, it is possible that an increase in price and quantity can be due to a surge in demand in the face of supply chain disruptions. Other popular measures of supply chain disruptions are supplier delivery times and order backlogs provided by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). These measures, however, only estimate firm activity relative to the previous month and can lack important context for understanding short-term dynamics that can otherwise be captured in qualitative, text-based measures. Thus, it can be useful to complement sign restriction methods, supplier delivery times, and order backlogs with textual analysis techniques that quantify firms’ narratives in earnings calls and the Beige Book to identify better demand and supply shocks.23 For example, figure 4 shows the Supply Chain Bottleneck Sentiment Index, the solid black line, estimated by a Board economist using textual analysis techniques to quantify the information conveyed in the Fed’s Beige Book publications, along with the ISM Supplier Delivery Index, the dashed red line.24 For illustration purposes, both indexes are normalized to have a zero mean and a standard deviation equal to one, with large positive numbers indicating that supply chains are stressed. Both indexes surged in the 1970s after the oil price increase and ensuing energy crisis. Supply chain disruptions reappeared in the 2000s with chip shortages, and, most recently, bottlenecks arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. The figure illustrates how the text-based measure signals a more prolonged period of supply chain disruptions during the pandemic. Comparing both measures, we see that the monthly changes in delivery times improved at a fast pace, as shown in the ISM index, but narratives of the post-pandemic recovery, as captured in the Beige Book, were signaling elevated levels of supply chain disruptions that eased more slowly.
    ConclusionThe idea of using qualitative information on media, government records, central bank, or management communication in economic research to understand better the transmission of monetary policy is not new.25 What is novel is that, in the past two decades, there have been advances in textual analysis techniques and incredible growth of data that are easily available to researchers and investors, in terms of both volume and variety. The advances in textual analysis techniques and the growth in alternative data have, in turn, helped researchers to better estimate difficult-to-measure economic concepts, to more easily identify who listens to central bank communications, and to investigate how quickly central bank communication is incorporated into asset prices, among other things. Also, we have greater access to high-frequency data, such as millisecond timestamp financial transactions, and “alternative data,” which includes textual information from social media posts. As I mentioned earlier, these new textual analysis techniques are important to policymakers because we seek to understand how our communications are being heard, interpreted, understood, and acted upon.
    While I am grateful that textual analysis techniques and data access have improved over the years, I will end on a cautionary note. Automatic textual analysis should not be regarded as superseding other analysis of the historical record on monetary policy. A wealth of data and techniques to analyze text does not necessarily translate into greater insight. Therefore, it is important that policymakers, researchers, and investors continue to be diligent in using the right tools and the right data to make the best possible inferences.26
    Thank you!
    ReferencesAdams, Travis, Andrea Ajello, Diego Silva, and Francisco Vazquez-Grande (2023). “More than Words: Twitter Chatter and Financial Market Sentiment,” Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2023-034. Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, May.
    Appelbaum, Binyamin (2012). “A Fed Focused on the Value of Clarity,” New York Times, December 13.
    Baker, Scott R., Nicholas Bloom, and Steven J. Davis (2016). “Measuring Economic Policy Uncertainty,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 131 (November), pp. 1593–636.
    Bernanke, Ben S. (2015). “Inaugurating a New Blog,” Ben Bernanke’s Blog, March 30.
    ——— (2022). “Ben Bernanke: The Fed from the Great Inflation to COVID-19 (PDF),” webinar, Brookings Institution, Washington, May 23.
    Bernanke, Ben S., and Kenneth N. Kuttner (2005). “What Explains the Stock Market’s Reaction to Federal Reserve Policy?” Journal of Finance, vol. 60 (June), pp. 1221–57.
    Blinder, Alan S. (2018). “Through a Crystal Ball Darkly: The Future of Monetary Policy Communication,” AEA Papers and Proceedings, vol. 108 (May), pp. 567–71.
    Chaboud, Alain P., Benjamin Chiquoine, Erik Hjalmarsson, and Clara Vega (2014). “Rise of the Machines: Algorithmic Trading in the Foreign Exchange Market,” Journal of Finance, vol. 69 (October), pp. 2045–84.
    Cieslak, Anna, and Michael McMahon (2023). “Tough Talk: The Fed and Risk Premium,” working paper, April (revised June 2024).
    Coibion, Olivier, Yuriy Gorodnichenko, and Michael Weber (2022). “Monetary Policy Communications and Their Effects on Household Inflation Expectations,” Journal of Political Economy, vol. 130 (June), pp. 1537–84.
    Dessaint, Olivier, Thierry Foucault, and Laurent Fresard (2024). “Does Alternative Data Improve Financial Forecasting? The Horizon Effect,” Journal of Finance, vol. 79 (June), pp. 2237–87.
    Dugast, Jerome, and Thierry Foucault (2017). “Data Abundance and Asset Price Informativeness,” Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 130 (November), pp. 367–91.
    Gertler, Mark, and Peter Karadi (2015). “Monetary Policy Surprises, Credit Costs, and Economic Activity,” American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, vol. 7 (January), pp. 44–76.
    Ehrmann, Michael, and Alena Wabitsch (2022). “Central Bank Communication with Non-experts – A Road to Nowhere?” Journal of Monetary Economics, vol. 127 (April), pp. 69–85.
    Gardner, Ben, Chiara Scotti, and Clara Vega (2022). “Words Speak as Loudly as Actions: Central Bank Communication and the Response of Equity Prices to Macroeconomic Announcements,” Journal of Econometrics, vol. 231 (December), pp. 387–409.
    Gómez-Cram, Roberto, and Marco Grotteria (2022). “Real-Time Price Discovery via Verbal Communication: Method and Application to Fedspeak,” Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 143 (March), pp. 993–1025.
    Hanson, Samuel G., and Jeremy C. Stein (2015). “Monetary Policy and Long-Term Real Rates,” Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 115 (March), pp. 429–48.
    Jefferson, Philip N. (2023a). “Implementation and Transmission of Monetary Policy,” speech delivered at the H. Parker Willis Lecture, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Va., March 27.
    ——— (2023b). “Communicating about Monetary Policy,” speech delivered at “Central Bank Communications: Theory and Practice,” a conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, May 13.
    ——— (2023c). “Elevated Economic Uncertainty: Causes and Consequences,” speech delivered at “Global Risk, Uncertainty, and Volatility,” a research conference sponsored by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Swiss National Bank, and the Bank for International Settlements, Zurich, Switzerland, November 14.
    Kumar, Saten, Hassan Afrouzi, Olivier Coibion, and Yuriy Gorodnichenko (2015). “Inflation Targeting Does Not Anchor Inflation Expectations: Evidence from Firms in New Zealand (PDF),” Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Fall, pp. 151–208.
    O’Hara, Maureen (2015). “High Frequency Market Microstructure,” Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 116 (May), pp. 257–70.
    Piazzesi, Monika, and Martin Schneider (2006). “Equilibrium Yield Curves,” NBER Working Paper Series 12609. Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research, October (revised January 2007).
    Romer, Christina D., and David H. Romer (1989). “Does Monetary Policy Matter? A New Test in the Spirit of Friedman and Schwartz,” NBER Macroeconomics Annual, vol. 4, pp.121–70.
    ——— (2023). “Presidential Address: Does Monetary Policy Matter? The Narrative Approach after 35 Years.” American Economic Review, vol. 113 (June), pp. 1395-423.
    ——— (2024). “Lessons from History for Successful Disinflation,” Journal of Monetary Economics, vol.148, Supplement (November), 103654.
    Schmanski, Bennett, Chiara Scotti, Clara Vega, and Hedi Benamar (2023). “Fed Communication, News, Twitter, and Echo Chambers,” Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2023-36. Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, May.
    Sharpe, Steven A., Nitish R. Sinha, and Christopher A. Hollrah (2023). “The Power of Narrative Sentiment in Economic Forecasts,” International Journal of Forecasting, vol. 39 (July–September), pp. 1097–121.
    Soto, Paul (2023). “Measurement and Effects of Supply Chain Bottlenecks Using Natural Language Processing,” FEDS Notes. Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, February 6 (revised January 16, 2025).
    Swanson, Eric T., and Vishuddhi Jayawickrema (2024). “Speeches by the Fed Chair Are More Important Than FOMC Announcements: An Improved High-Frequency Measure of U.S. Monetary Policy Shocks,” working paper, University of California, Irvine.
    von Beschwitz, Bastian, Donald B. Keim, and Massimo Massa (2020). “First to ‘Read’ the News: News Analytics and Algorithmic Trading,” Review of Asset Pricing Studies, vol. 10 (February), pp. 122–78.
    Young, Henry L., Anderson Monken, Flora Haberkorn, and Eva Van Leemput (2021). “Effects of Supply Chain Bottlenecks on Prices using Textual Analysis,” FEDS Notes. Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, December 3.

    1. The views expressed here are my own and are not necessarily those of my colleagues on the Federal Reserve Board or the Federal Open Market Committee. Return to text
    2. See Swanson and Jayawickrema (2024). Return to text
    3. See Bernanke (2015, 2022). Return to text
    4. See Jefferson (2023a). Arbitrage is the economic force that keeps prices of financial instruments with similar payoffs, such as the federal funds rate and repo rates, close to each other. Return to text
    5. More specifically, according to the expectations theory of the term structure of interest rates, intermediate- and long-term interest rates are importantly affected by the weighted average of expected future short-term interest rates. In addition, monetary policy affects risk premiums (see, for example, Bernanke and Kuttner, 2005; Hanson and Stein, 2015; and Gertler and Karadi, 2015) and term premiums (if monetary policy tightens in response to inflationary shocks, term premiums also tend to rise as longer-maturity bonds become riskier; see, for example, Piazzesi and Schneider, 2006). Return to text
    6. See Appelbaum (2012). Return to text
    7. See Jefferson (2023b). Return to text
    8. See, for example, Cieslak and McMahon (2023); Gardner, Scotti, and Vega (2022); Gómez-Cram and Grotteria (2022); and Sharpe, Sinha and Hollrah (2023). Return to text
    9. See, for example, Gómez-Cram and Grotteria (2022), who use textual analysis, high-frequency asset price data, and high-frequency central bank communication data to understand investors’ reactions to specific sentences communicated by the FOMC. Return to text
    10. See Schmanski and others (2023). Return to text
    11. A bag-of-words technique is a natural language processing technique that uses a collection (or “bag”) of words and a scoring system to quantify qualitative textual information. Schmanski and others (2023) use this technique to pair a set of topic keywords with modifiers and determine whether the combination of topic-modifier communicates tightening, neutral, or easing news. By construction, the sentiment is high when the media thinks the FOMC is more likely to tighten monetary policy in the near future. Return to text
    12. See Chaboud and others (2014) for evidence that automated trading has increased the informational efficiency of foreign exchange markets by reducing the frequency of triangular arbitrage opportunities and the autocorrelation of high-frequency returns. See von Beschwitz and others (2020) for evidence that automated textual analysis speeds up the stock price response to news. Return to text
    13. See, for example, von Beschwitz, Keim, and Massa (2020); Dugast and Foucault (2017); and O’Hara (2015). Return to text
    14. See Blinder (2018, p. 569). Return to text
    15. See Kumar and others (2015). Return to text
    16. Ehrmann and Wabitsch (2022) document that the number of expert and nonexpert comments posted on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) that discuss central bank communication increases after European Central Bank (ECB) press conferences and other ECB communications, such as speeches by the ECB president. The authors also document that the content of the discussion tends to be objective (factual) rather than subjective, according to the authors’ dictionary base subjectivity measure. Return to text
    17. See Schmanski and others (2023). Return to text
    18. See Coibion, Gorodnichenko, and Weber (2022). Return to text
    19. See, for example, Baker, Bloom, and Davis (2016) for textual analysis measures of economic policy, Soto (2023) and Young and others (2021) for textual analysis measures of supply chain disruptions, and Adams and others (2023) for a textual analysis measure of financial conditions. Return to text
    20. See Jefferson (2023c). Return to text
    21. See Baker, Bloom, and Davis (2016). Return to text
    22. See Sharpe, Sinha, and Hollrah (2023). Return to text
    23. See Young and others (2021) and Soto (2023). Return to text
    24. See Soto (2023). Return to text
    25. See, for example, Romer and Romer (1989, 2023, 2024) for a description of the “narrative” approach. Return to text
    26. For example, Dessaint, Foucault, and Fresard (2024) suggest that alternative data mainly help forecast short-term outcomes, and not so much long-term outcomes. Return to text

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: National roles for senior ARU Peterborough staff

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    ARU Peterborough’s impact is being recognised on the national stage, with senior staff being appointed to the Boards of leading education organisations.

    Professor Ross Renton, Principal of ARU Peterborough, has joined the Executive Board of GuildHE, while Vice Principal Dr Lucy Jones is now a Board member of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), in addition to her position at ARU Peterborough.

    The QAA is an independent UK charity with an international footprint and has a leading role in maintaining the standards and quality of Higher Education.

    GuildHE is an organisation that represents the interests of 67 member institutions across the country, including universities, colleges and specialist institutions, all with a focus on delivering vocational and technical Higher Education qualifications.

    “I am delighted that Ross has been appointed to the GuildHE Executive Board. He brings a wealth of experience from different sector and external organisations including significant experience at the University of Hertfordshire, the University of Worcester, and now as Founding Principal at ARU Peterborough.

    “Ross’ energy will be invaluable to our efforts to evolve GuildHE in line with member and sector needs, as will his commitment to inclusion and social justice.  As well as joining the GuildHE Board, he has been nominated and agreed to be the Board member lead for equality, diversity, and inclusion. We look forward to his contribution.”

    Professor Ken Sloan, the Chair of GuildHE

     “ARU Peterborough has been a member of GuildHE since launching in 2022 and I have seen first-hand what a powerful voice it has, helping to promote the interests of universities like ours that specialise in courses with a vocational element; courses that are crucial for delivering key skills and enabling social mobility across the country. It’s an honour to be joining its Board.

    “I’m thrilled that Dr Lucy Jones will be sharing her knowledge with the QAA. As Vice Principal for Academic Development here at ARU Peterborough, Lucy has an instrumental role in the development of the wide range of employment-focused courses we offer, and I know that the QAA will also benefit enormously from her experience and expertise.”

    Professor Ross Renton

    ARU Peterborough is a partnership between Anglia Ruskin University, Peterborough City Council and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

    Photo by Richard Fraser Photography

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Ernst, Bennet Fight to Make Higher Education Accessible for Farm Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON––U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the bipartisan Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act to reverse changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process that threaten to reduce or even eliminate access to need-based student aid for farm families and small business owners. 

    Specifically, the legislation would amend the FAFSA Simplification Act to restore the original exemption of all farmland, machinery, other operational materials and small businesses with fewer than 100 employees from being declared as assets on the FAFSA form.

    “We rely on our farm families to feed, clothe and fuel the world,” said Boozman. “Supporting agriculturalists by ensuring their children have the opportunity to access an affordable education is commonsense. As Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I am proud to champion a bipartisan solution that helps rural America’s future generations pursue higher learning.”

    “No one should have to sell off the farm – or their small business – to afford college. As a farm kid myself, I know the enormous impacts grants and financial aid have on rural students’ decision to go to college,” said Ernst. “I’m fighting for Iowa families, so unfair policies don’t hold them back from investing in their child’s education.” 

    “From Colorado to Iowa, federal financial aid helps ensure more students can afford college – including students from farm families, whose businesses are vital to our communities and economies,” said Bennet. “Our bipartisan bill will help ensure these students receive the financial aid they need.”

    This legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Jim Justice (R-WV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), John Hoeven (R-ND), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Thom Tillis (R-NC). 

    Congressman Tracey Mann (R-KS-01) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    The Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act is endorsed by several stakeholders including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, SchoolHouse Connection, National Milk Producers Federation, United Egg Producers, Land O’Lakes and Farm Credit Council.

    Find the full bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Director General in Japan Supporting Nuclear Safety and Remediation

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    During the Director General’s visit to Kashiwazaki Kariwa, Japan’s largest nuclear power plant, he viewed improvements in safety response and secure access facilities, as well as enhanced seismic and tsunami proofing.

    There he met with TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa and Site Vice President Takeyuki Inagaki, a former IAEA safety officer who was working at the Fukushima Daiichi plant when it was struck by the tsunami in 2011.

    “Needless to say, it was the most bitter experience in my life with many lessons learned that needed to be reflected,” said Mr Inagaki. “Now as Site Vice President of the Kashiwazaki Kariwa station, I am determined to never let such an accident happen again.”

    After viewing the improvements at the station, the Director General spoke to local media, and said he was “very satisfied with the progress” he had seen.

    “Nuclear safety and security are an everyday effort. One by one all the recommendations made by IAEA experts have been duly and correctly addressed here.”

    During his trip, the Director General also joined an ongoing IAEA effort to monitor marine radioactivity near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. On a boat off the coast in front of the station, Mr Grossi worked with scientists from the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, and Switzerland, to collect seawater samples together.

    The samples will be now be analysed by the IAEA laboratories in Monaco, and national laboratories in Japan and the participating countries, each members of the IAEA’s Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA) network, chosen to ensure a high level of proficiency.

    Read more about the Director General’s sampling trip and the additional measures aim to facilitate broader participation in the monitoring of the ALPS-treated water being released from the station.

    “Through these efforts, third parties can independently verify that water discharge levels are, and will continue to be, in strict compliance and consistent with international safety standards,” said Director General Grossi.

    Additional remediation efforts being managed by Japan in the region are focused on soil removal and recycling, another area where the IAEA is providing safety guidance.

    “In this area, the presence of the IAEA is as intense and systematic as in other areas in the decommissioning effort,” said Mr Grossi.

    Read more about the IAEA’s safety review of Japan’s plan for the managed recycling and the final disposal of removed soil and radioactive waste around the Fukushima Daiichi site.

    During his trip the Director General also met with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and other key political leaders, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Takeshi Iwaya, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoji Muto, and the Minister of Environment Keiichiro Asao.

    Mr Grossi also had an extended meeting and joint press conference with Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, where they discussed their strong cooperation, and Japanese support to IAEA work, including non-proliferation worldwide, nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, cancer care through the Rays of Hope initiative, food security and more.

    On his final day in the country the Director General strengthened IAEA cooperation with the Japanese private sector, by signing a practical arrangement with the Sumitomo Corporation and addressing the Japanese business federation, Keidanren. Read more about the meetings with industry here.

    The Director General also signed practical arrangements on cooperation for IAEA educational and training activities with Sophia University and engaged with students and faculty members on IAEA contributions to global issues.

    During his visit to Tokyo, Rafael Mariano Grossi also met with Japan Atomic Energy Agency President Masanori Koguchi and signed practical arrangements on cooperation for both nuclear power and non-power applications.

    View images from the Director General’s entire trip.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Will the UK send troops to Ukraine? The challenges facing Starmer’s plan

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christopher Featherstone, Associate Lecturer, Department of Politics, University of York

    Plans for the UK and other European countries to send troops to Ukraine are in their very early stages. But the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, will already be thinking about how such a move could play out at home. Sending UK troops abroad, even on a “peacekeeping” mission, always has the potential to spark huge public debate.

    This is the first time the government has considered deploying military forces in 11 years, when the Cameron government debated intervening in Syria alongside the US Obama administration in 2014. Since then, the UK has not seriously considered deploying troops overseas.

    In the intervening years, the Chilcot inquiry found that the UK’s decision to join the invasion of Iraq was made prematurely, before all peaceful options were exhausted.

    This, along with the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, may well have decreased UK public support for military interventions.

    When polled in 2021, the British public were unconvinced about involvement in Afghanistan, with 53% thinking that two decades of war in Afghanistan didn’t achieve anything. Worse, 62% think that the conflict either didn’t improve the lives of ordinary Afghans, or made their lives worse.

    The picture, for now, is a bit different on deploying troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers. Of those polled in mid-January, 58% either strongly or somewhat support deploying UK troops as peacekeepers. Among Labour voters, support is higher at 66%, with Tory voters (67%) and Lib Dem voters (70%) showing similar levels of support.

    Reform voters show far less support (44%), potentially building more of a split between Reform and the other mainstream parties. This division may increase polarisation, and could make it even harder for Starmer to slow the rise of Reform’s challenge to Labour’s voter base.

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

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

    Starmer will draw comfort from the limited opposition to deploying peacekeepers. Only 15% of Labour voters somewhat or strongly oppose deploying UK troops as peacekeepers, below the national average of 21%.

    But looking at history, we can see how changeable public support can be when it comes to war. In 2003, 54% of those polled supported the US and UK invasion of Iraq.

    Despite this, there were voluble public protests against the invasion. In February 2003, an estimated 1 million people marched through London.

    The 12-week initial campaign went well, so this continued level of support is not surprising. However, when people looked back at the war in 2015, only 37% thought it had been a good idea.

    Only eight years later, in 2023, this had fallen further to 23%. Meanwhile one in five thought Tony Blair should be tried as a war criminal for his decision.

    Starmer will need to ensure that the public understand what his government sees as the need for UK troops to serve as peacekeepers in Ukraine – and he will need to do so honestly. Much of the criticism Blair received over Iraq stemmed from accusations he wasn’t “straight” and that he “overstated” the case for UK involvement in Iraq.



    Read more:
    Iraq war 20 years on: the British government has never fully learned from Tony Blair’s mistakes

    The Iraq inquiry report also found the military was ill-equipped at the time of the invasion. There are similar concerns now about the readiness of the British army.

    Party politics and spending

    Starmer will be aware of the importance of parliamentary support for military action. When Cameron sought support for military intervention in Syria, Ed Miliband as leader of the Labour Party was crucial in the vote against this deployment.

    In contrast, when Blair won parliamentary support for invading Iraq, opposition from within the Labour party was so strong that Blair only won because of support from Tory MPs. Starmer will watch the responses in parliament from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, the Lib Dems and SNP.

    At the time of writing, Badenoch hasn’t commented on the idea of sending troops to Ukraine. She has, however, rejected Donald Trump’s attacks that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is a dictator.

    Comments from former prime minister Boris Johnson that Trump accusing Ukraine of starting the war was the same as claiming that “America attacked Japan at Pearl Harbor” may help build cross-party support.

    The most important challenge to Starmer’s plans could come from the Treasury rather than the Tories. Proposals reportedly involve 30,000 British and European troops.

    The number of troops that the UK would contribute to this joint force is unclear. However, the cost will be the prime focus for the chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves.

    Reeves has committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP (up from 2.3%), but the timeline for this has not been set out. Starmer is under pressure to increase it even further, but any increase will be financially difficult given the state of Britain’s finances.

    This might help Starmer on his trip to Washington next week. Trump will be less likely to criticise Starmer if the PM can show that he is listening to Trump’s demands for Nato countries to increase their military spending.

    But crucially, while increased spending to enable this deployment may improve UK-US relations, it could also make things difficult with voters, who could have to endure tax rises or further cuts to public spending.

    Badenoch has said that failing to increase defence spending “is not peacemaking, it is weakness”. This suggests that the cost of intervention will be a key point of contention for the Tory leader.

    Deploying UK troops to Ukraine may be a defining part of Starmer’s foreign policy. Increasing military spending and showing that the UK will help bear the cost of peacekeeping in Ukraine may also help set the tone of Starmer’s relationship with Trump.

    However, politically, the consequences of deploying UK troops to Ukraine could spark numerous domestic challenges. While Labour voters appear to support the proposal now, there is likely to be opposition from at least some Reform voters – something Starmer doesn’t need more of right now. The financial costs will also put even more pressure on Labour’s spending plans, and could build division between PM and chancellor.

    Christopher Featherstone 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. Will the UK send troops to Ukraine? The challenges facing Starmer’s plan – https://theconversation.com/will-the-uk-send-troops-to-ukraine-the-challenges-facing-starmers-plan-250330

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –