NewzIntel.com

Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: mRNA vaccine candidate for norovirus – the start of an RCT

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Norovirus, a virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea, can be a particular problem in closed settings which have high numbers of vulnerable (e.g. elderly) people, such as care home and cruise ships.  But we’ve never had a vaccine against norovirus.

    Now, a phase 3 randomised controlled trial of a new norovirus vaccine candidate is being launched in the UK and globally, to investigate whether the vaccine works.

    The vaccine candidate is an mRNA vaccine, produced by Moderna, and the trial is being run as a collaboration between the NIHR, Moderna and DHSC.

    Journalists came to this SMC briefing to hear from those running the trial about what the vaccine is, how it works, what data so far has suggested about whether it will work, how the trial will be run and how it will recruit those most at risk from norovirus, etc.

    Speakers included: 

    Dr Patrick Moore, Chief Investigator of the study, and GP

    Prof Saul Faust, Professor of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Southampton, and NIHR Vaccination Innovation Pathway co clinical lead

    Dr Melanie Ivarsson, Chief Development Officer, Moderna

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Baranki, kokoshniks, bast dolls: Russian Culture Day held at HSE

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    At the end of October, the Russian Culture Day festival was held in the HSE building on Pokrovsky Boulevard. The traditional holiday, organized by Directorate for Internationalization of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, is designed to help foreign and Russian students learn more about our country and its color, make new acquaintances and get a boost of emotions.

    Today, almost 5,000 foreign students study at the HSE Moscow campus. To help them adapt to a new country, HSE offers them the opportunity to get to know multicultural Russia as part of the Russian Culture Day festival. On October 17, in the atrium on Pokrovka, participants had the opportunity to take part in master classes on assembling and painting a wooden hut, making a bast doll and wax candles, and also take lessons on playing the button accordion, balalaika, and wooden spoons. In addition, they could enjoy pies, bagels, and drinks in a Russian teahouse, play quizzes on Russian literature and music, cuisine, and geography, and guess the paintings and meanings of rare Russian words.

    Foreign students studied each topic with interest and took souvenir photos wearing kokoshniks. Edna Jacob came to Russia from Tanzania as part of the HSE International Preparatory Year program (International Prep Year). “A teacher from HSE told us about today’s event, and we were all excited. I’ve already made a wooden hut and painted it,” she shared. “I’ve fallen madly in love with HSE, there are wonderful people and teachers here. I see that they teach us with a special passion for their work.”

    Zhang Yifan came to HSE from China. “This is my second month at HSE, and I will be studying for a total of four months as part of an exchange program. I am studying sociology here as a postgraduate. HSE is different from my university. I was a little worried before coming to Moscow, but now I am very inspired, I like it here,” she said.

    Other HSE students also shared their impressions of the festival.

    Ilya Shevchenko, OP “Economics”, 1st year

    — I can study history in lectures, or I can sit here and make dolls out of bast, immersing myself in the atmosphere. It’s great that HSE organizes such festivals. One of the best things about HSE is that there is constant life here, something is always happening, and every time you want to stop and participate.

    Elena Hassan, MP “Pedagogical Education”, 2nd year

    — I have already managed to make a candle from wax with my own hands, decorated it, I am thinking of using it in the interior of my home. A good and interesting event, everyone here is involved in the process of creating different products, very soulful.

    Alina Asanalieva, OP “Economy”, 4th year

    — It’s atmospheric and cozy, everyone here is cheerful, playing something. I took part in all the activities: guessing cities, famous people, books. HSE is distinguished by such events, every day is a holiday. They help you relax between classes, thanks to HSE for such an opportunity.

    Taisiya Gavrishchuk, MP “Pedagogical education”, 1st year

    — I played the accordion here. I can play the piano, but the accordion is completely different, you can’t even see the keys where to press. It was an unforgettable experience, I really liked it. I also tried to play the spoons and bells, it was also fun. The mood is positive, I like it here.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Schools need a new approach in identifying special educational needs

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Penelope Hannant, Assistant Professor in Educational Inclusion, University of Birmingham

    Media_Photos/Shutterstock

    The assessment system for children and young people with additional needs in England is failing.

    More people than ever are on waiting lists for autism and specific learning difficulties. Some NHS trusts are closing waitlists for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Services are overloaded and past breaking point.

    Based on my expertise in neurodiversity and educational inclusion, I believe a different approach is needed to identify and support those with additional needs in schools.

    In the current education system, when there are concerns about a child’s progress, behaviour or wellbeing, schools follow a multi-step process to assess the child’s strengths and needs.

    This process involves trying school-based approaches such as literacy, mathematics and nurture groups, before seeking help from external specialists if this does not lead to improvement. Specialists may include educational and clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, specialist teachers and community paediatricians, among others.

    The right support

    Making accurate and timely referrals to these specialists is a complex task. A crucial role is played by the school’s special educational needs coordinators (Sencos)– qualified teachers who are responsible for the strategic development and provision of assistance for children with special educational needs and disabilities across a school.

    A Senco’s decisions are pivotal in determining which specialists to involve and when. Mistakes at this stage can have significant emotional and financial consequences. Misdirected referrals can strain school budgets and leave the child’s needs unmet.

    Despite this, current teacher training and Senco training does not adequately prepare teachers or Sencos for these complex and crucial analyses – and other responsibilities leave Sencos short of time.

    Introducing a more detailed assessment process within schools would help bridge the gap between education and specialist services. It would provide a comprehensive and holistic understanding of each child’s needs.

    I took this approach in my recent research based on tracking three cases from first referral to final conclusion. Rather than being referred directly to a specialist following the Senco’s observations, three children with different learning and development needs were referred instead to a developmental psychologist who made their own assessment of the child’s overall needs. This was unusual and occurred as part of my research.

    In each case, the developmental psychologist collected detailed background histories. They also conducted thorough observations and assessed cognition, achievement and behaviour using both standardised and “gold standard” diagnostic tools. The resulting reports offered a comprehensive overview of each child’s strengths and challenges, directing them to the most appropriate specialist.

    One assessment outcome confirmed the Senco’s initial concern of autism. One revealed additional co-occurring diagnoses of dyslexia and dyspraxia. The third identified ADHD, differing from the Senco’s initial judgment. Without the developmental psychologist’s input, some of these children’s needs would have been missed.

    Following the developmental psychologist’s thorough assessments and full profiles of each child, diagnoses were made immediately or within six months. Rapid targeted recommendations were provided in each case.

    Skilled practitioners in schools could help children get more appropriate support more quickly.
    Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

    To address the inefficiencies of the current system, which leads to long waiting lists, I believe a skilled educational inclusion practitioner should become part of the school environment. This would be someone with expertise across various areas, and with strong connections to both educational and health services.

    This role would span a number of schools and does not necessarily require a developmental psychologist. Specialist teachers or Sencos could receive additional training in developmental psychology. By doing so, they could help promote greater understanding of neurodiversity in schools, where the foundations of relationships and learning begin.

    This educational inclusion practitioner would create a profile of the child’s strengths and difficulties. They would take on the role of diagnosing specific learning difficulties and identifying appropriate specialists for likely neurodivergence, and recommending interventions – thereby streamlining referrals and reducing guesswork.

    My research highlights the value of having a skilled practitioner in schools or trusts with expertise beyond that of what a Senco would bring. A skilled generalist who connects education, home and health services can foster better collaboration between health and education, and more thoroughly assess a child’s needs.

    The costs would be minimal compared with the significant benefits of avoiding late, missed or incorrect diagnoses in childhood. This, ultimately, would have a positive impact on children’s lives and futures.

    Penelope Hannant 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. Schools need a new approach in identifying special educational needs – https://theconversation.com/schools-need-a-new-approach-in-identifying-special-educational-needs-235909

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Cuba’s power grid collapse reveals the depth of the country’s economic crisis

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nicolas Forsans, Professor of Management and Co-director of the Centre for Latin American & Caribbean Studies, University of Essex

    Cuba’s national grid collapsed four times in as many days last week, after the island’s largest power plant, Antonio Guiteras, failed. Millions of Cubans are still without power, with food rotting in powerless fridges and many lacking access to clean water.

    The Communist government closed schools on October 18 and ordered non-essential public sector activities to stop as work began on restoring the grid. But this was hindered by the arrival of Hurricane Oscar on Sunday night, which unleashed heavy rain and strong winds across eastern Cuba.

    Antonio Guiteras is now back online, and Cuban energy officials say electricity has been restored in most of the capital city, Havana, and some outlying areas. But they have warned against too much optimism.

    Cuba’s five thermoelectric power plants are obsolete and crumbling. And with oil products accounting for over 80% of power generation, the island depends on Venezuela for fuel shipments. But shipments have been cut in half this year as Venezuela struggles to ensure its own supply, forcing the Cuban government to seek far more expensive fuel on the spot market.

    The problem is that the Cuban government is running out of money as it grapples with the island’s worst economic crisis in 30 years, so power cuts of up to 20 hours a day are now common. Indeed, Lazaro Guerra, Cuba’s top electricity official, has said that Cubans “should not expect that when the system comes back online the blackouts will end”.

    How did Cuba get here?

    The roots of this crisis can be traced back to the cold war when Fidel Castro overthrew the US-backed government of Fulgencio Batista in January 1959. Convinced that the Cuban revolution was the most advanced among all far-left movements in Latin America, the former Soviet Union sided with the island and provided it with industrial goods and technical assistance.

    Cuba’s relations with the US worsened dramatically, and by July 1960 it had announced the expropriation of US industrial, banking and commercial operations on the island. Within a few months, the Cuban state had taken over all sugar mills, most industry and trade, half of the land, and every bank and communication network in the country.

    Retaliation swiftly followed. The US introduced its first embargo on all exports to Cuba in 1960, with exceptions for food and medicine. And this was followed in 1962 by a ban on all trade and financial transactions with the island. In 1964, the then US president, Lyndon B. Johnson, ordered a multilateral policy of “economic denial”, severely inhibited Cuba’s efforts to foster economic relations with other countries.

    The island would receive considerable amounts of aid from the Soviet bloc over the next 30 years. But this only deepened Havana’s dependence on a single export product: sugar, which was purchased at an inflated price as part of the aid programme. In return, Cuba purchased the crude oil it needed to operate its electricity plants.

    But, by the time the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, Cuba had failed to diversify its industrial structure and move away from its low productivity, monocultural economy. The country enjoyed limited self-sufficiency even in the production of food, with all means of production in the state’s hands.

    With the disappearance of its main oil supplier, Cuba was also forced to increase its domestic oil production and turn to Venezuela to meet its energy needs. The US embargo, which has been in place for 62 years, has cost Cuba an estimated US$130 billion (£100 billion), and has limited its access to basic goods and services.

    During Barack Obama’s second term as US president, there was a step change in relations between the two countries. Diplomatic relations resumed from 2014 and the embargo was eased, including restrictions on the ability of Cuban-Americans to travel back to the island and send remittances.

    In March 2016, Barack Obama became the first US president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge in 1928.
    Kimberly Shavender / Shutterstock

    This kicked off a boom in private sector activities in Cuba and prompted reforms by the Cuban government aimed at restructuring the economy. However, the government was unwilling to reduce its grip on the centrally planned economy, and the reforms moved too slowly to produce any meaningful improvement.

    Then, in his final week in office in 2021, Donald Trump reimposed trade restrictions targeting tourism, remittances, and energy supplies, as well as adding Cuba to the list of “state sponsors of terrorism”. The move led to severe shortages and inflation, both of which were worsened by the pandemic.

    Logistical bottlenecks disrupted supplies and inflated shipping costs further. Heavily dependent on tourism, Cuba suffered a severe depletion of its foreign currency reserves.

    Patience is running out

    The economic situation has continued to decline. Export earnings in 2023 were still US$3 billion short of their pre-pandemic level, and Cuba’s economic output is not expected to return to its level before the pandemic until after 2025.

    Half a million people – most of whom were young – left the country for the US between 2021 and 2022. And thousands more have made their way to Brazil, Russia, Uruguay and elsewhere in an exodus that is unprecedented in the history of the island.

    The future outlook looks bleak, yet the government is keen to quash dissent. Speaking during the latest blackouts, Cuba’s current president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, said: “We will not accept or allow anyone to act by provoking acts of vandalism, and much less disturbing the civil tranquillity of our people … And that is a principle of our revolution.”

    Díaz-Canel was reelected by lawmakers in April 2023 for a second and final term. But the weak state of Cuba’s economy will pose significant challenges for his government, testing its strength and the legitimacy of its hold on power.

    Cuba’s relations with the US are also likely to remain strained. In an attempt to curb Cuba’s outreach to Russia and China for predominantly economic assistance, the US president, Joe Biden, has loosened some sanctions. But this could all change with a Republican victory in the upcoming US election.

    Nicolas Forsans 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. Cuba’s power grid collapse reveals the depth of the country’s economic crisis – https://theconversation.com/cubas-power-grid-collapse-reveals-the-depth-of-the-countrys-economic-crisis-241819

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Immunotherapy was meant to defeat cancer – what happened to the great promise?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Fisher, Associate Professor, UCL

    In 1893, the American Journal of the Medical Sciences reported on ten patients whose large and hitherto incurable cancers had been injected with bacteria taken from skin infections. In every case, striking improvement was seen, marking the birth of “cancer immunotherapy” – using the power of the immune system to attack cancer.

    The immune system is the body’s most powerful weapon against cancer and infection. For a cancer cell, surviving long enough to divide and eventually form a lump or tumour is the result of a brutal Darwinian process. To reach this point, cancer must adapt, hiding from immune detection and co-opting patients’ immune machinery to betray its original programming and instead protect the cancer.

    Immunotherapy – which really started to take off just over a decade ago – is an attempt to artificially tip the balance back in favour of tumour elimination. Sometimes this can be done by taking off the brakes from immune cells already in the cancer.

    This works because cancers have fooled the body by using its own natural safety switches, or “checkpoints”, that usually keep our immune systems under control. Blocking these switches using specially chosen antibodies – biological drugs – turns the immune response back on. This approach is called “immune checkpoint blockade”.

    Mutations are alterations in genetic code that can lead to cancer. All cancers fall on a spectrum, depending on how many mutations the cells have. Typically, cancers caused by exposure to toxic or harmful things have higher numbers of mutations than those which are not – examples include melanoma, a type of skin cancer, and some types of colon cancer.

    From the perspective of the immune system, the more mutations there are, the “hotter” the cancer is. This may make a cancer more aggressive, but it also increases the chances that the immune system will have detected it and mounted a response. This is why immune checkpoint blockade therapy works well for these high-mutation cancers, but less well for others.

    The other type of immunotherapy does not rely on the natural activity of the immune system. This approach uses immune machinery that is designed in a laboratory, a bit like biological Lego. Scientists take pieces of existing immune mechanisms and combine them to make new ones, which enhance the way the body’s defence system responds.

    When put into the patient’s T-cells (a type of immune cell that usually fights viruses), this machinery allows them to attack and kill cancer. Called cell therapy, this approach has cured patients with previously incurable leukaemia.

    The new machinery, called a “chimeric antigen receptor” or “Car”, transforms a diverse T-cell population into Car-T, where the engineered cells all respond to the same cancer-associated marker.

    Victims of their own success

    Both types of immunotherapy have been victims of their own success. This has led to the replication of existing technology rather than riskier diversification. Of 11 immune checkpoint blockade treatments approved by American regulators, nine target the same immune interaction. And of the Car-T cell treatments approved in the US since their debut in 2017, all target one of two markers found exclusively on blood cancers.

    Substantial effort has been spent on iterative developments of the existing Car concept. Examples include changing the target or tuning the signals that stimulate the T-cells.

    This has yielded important advances, but the saturation of both academic and commercial research space has contributed to a diminishing appetite for funding more cell therapy programmes.

    Success against solid cancers has also been extremely low. The Darwinian adaptiveness shown by cancer creates a suppressive environment in a cancer lump, where it is hard for Car-T to work properly. So, reliance on a single technology has not delivered on its initial promise.

    Given that Car-T costs around £282,000 per patient in the UK, and the patient’s disease often worsens in the two-to-three weeks it takes to manufacture them, confidence is waning.

    This phenomenon is not new. In the 1950s, confidence in chemotherapy was low because single drugs failed to produce lasting cures. But by the 1960s, combination chemotherapy began to deliver durable patient benefit, and multi-drug regimens now form a mainstay of cancer therapy.

    Immunotherapies that use combination approaches are now emerging. Recent research from University College London demonstrated how engineered immune cells called gamma-delta T-cells could act as delivery vehicles for anti-cancer antibodies.

    In this approach, not only did the engineered cells kill cancer in mice, they also empowered other cells to join the fight. Also, gamma-delta T-cells can be safely taken from a healthy donor and given to several patients.

    So there is hope.

    Cell therapies that can be made beforehand from healthy donor cells and then stored, ready to use, are receiving more interest. For example, the number of trials using gamma delta T-cells doubled between 2022 and 2023, the fastest-growing area of activity.

    This could remove the waiting time for treatment manufacture, reducing the chance of disease worsening in the interim. A move away from reliance on single-axis immune interventions, such as immune checkpoint blockade or Car-T in isolation, should yield better outcomes.

    The immune system is highly complex. Our attempts to manipulate it must live up to this complexity if we are to deliver lasting patient benefit.

    Jonathan Fisher works for University College London and is an inventor on patents pertaining to gamma-delta T cell immunotherapy. In the past 5 years he has received research funding from UKRI, the Academy of Medical Sciences, Cancer Research UK, CCLG, and the UCL Technology Fund.

    – ref. Immunotherapy was meant to defeat cancer – what happened to the great promise? – https://theconversation.com/immunotherapy-was-meant-to-defeat-cancer-what-happened-to-the-great-promise-241232

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Drug-related deaths have risen by record numbers in England and Wales – latest data

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ian Hamilton, Honorary Fellow, Department of Health Sciences, University of York

    Cocaine is the second most-used drug in England. PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/ Shutterstock

    Deaths from drug use in England and Wales have risen by 11%, according to the latest annual data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In 2023, there were 5,448 fatalities (93 deaths per million people) – the highest number of drug-related deaths since records began in 1993.

    Over half these deaths involved opiates, such as heroin and morphine. The highest rate of deaths from opiate misuse was among those aged between 40 and 49 years old.

    It’s unknown how many opiate deaths last year were due to synthetic opiates, such as nitazenes. Delays in when the data on synthetic opiate deaths was published meant it could not be included in this latest report. But while these drugs remain of serious concern, and related deaths may be being under-counted, heroin remains the opiate associated with most harm.

    Those born in the 1970s (referred to as “generation X”) are more likely to die from drug misuse than any other age group. It’s not entirely clear why drug deaths are higher in this age group, but it could be due to people beginning to develop a number of physical and mental health problems in their forties that make them more vulnerable to a fatal overdose. For example, breathing problems could make someone more vulnerable to an opiate overdose, as these drugs have a depressant effect on the respiratory system.

    Men of any age outnumber women two-to-one in deaths from drug misuse – a finding which has been true since records began. Men are more likely to use drugs than women, which may account for the difference in fatalities.

    There are also stark regional differences in drug-related deaths. For example, the north-east of England continues to have much higher rates of deaths from drug misuse, compared with other parts of the country.

    There were 174.3 drug-related deaths per million people in the north-east, compared with 58.1 drug-related deaths per million people in London. The rate of drug-poisoning deaths reported in the north-east were the highest they have been for the past 11 years. In the main, these deaths will have been due to an instant fatal overdose, while other deaths will have been cumulative.

    The stark regional differences in all drug-related deaths align with socioeconomic factors, such as poverty and deprivation. There’s a strong link between socioeconomic deprivation and problematic drug use.

    As the popularity of cocaine has increased over the past decade – it is now the second-most used drug in England after cannabis – so too have fatalities. Although it’s not possible to distinguish from the data whether these fatalities were from crack or powder cocaine, the ONS recorded the 12th consecutive rise in deaths due to cocaine, with such deaths rising almost 31% year-on-year. This is a large rise, even in the context of increasing drug-related deaths over the past 20 years.

    One possible explanation for this sharp increase could be that the purity of cocaine has been increasing without the cost going up. This makes cocaine not only more potent, but more affordable to more people than it was. Yet despite high levels of cocaine use throughout England, there have been no coordinated prevention and harm reduction campaigns. Treatments also remain underdeveloped compared with other drugs.

    Many of the drug deaths deaths published in the ONS’s report involved multiple substances, including alcohol. So we can’t be certain in many cases which drug was the cause of a death.

    And some of these deaths occurred in people who had other physical health problems – such as respiratory problems, heart issues and liver disease. These health problems are exacerbated by use of drugs such as heroin and cocaine. This again makes it hard to attribute some deaths entirely to drug use.

    What can be done?

    The UK government is funding research to explore whether artificial intelligence could help reduce drug overdoses. Some of the projects that have received funding involve using wearable devices that would alert emergency services if signs of an overdose are detected.

    Existing interventions could also be more widely adopted. Naloxone, a medication that can reverse the effects of opiates, should be made more widely available. While some emergency services carry Naloxone, there’s scope to broaden this so those most at risk have timely access to this life-saving medication.

    Making Naloxone more accessible could save lives.
    Elena Berd/ Shutterstock

    There’s also a pressing need to change how health services are provided to people struggling with drug misuse – and the kind of services they can access. For example, people that use heroin daily can find it difficult to keep appointments with health services. Tailoring when and where health support is provided could help engage this group of people.

    Stigma around drug use can also prevent people seeking help – or when they do, they can feel judged by others. But there are ways of providing these necessary services that would make it easier for people who are struggling to get the help they need without judgment.

    Improving the knowledge and skills of staff in specialist drug treatment services about physical health problems would be one positive step. Being able to directly intervene by assessing and treating cardiac and respiratory issues, for instance, would eliminate the need for drug users to attend multiple appointments in different locations. This would make them more likely to continue accessing services.

    The Labour government has made it clear that it will be difficult to ensure public services receive all the resources they need. Yet every year, we are seeing record levels of drug-related deaths across the UK.

    It’s clear that what is currently being done is not enough. More money needs to be invested in specialist drug treatment services, both to save lives and improve the quality of life for all those who face problems with drugs. This will provide economic savings in the long term, and reduce the suffering that too many families experience.

    Harry Sumnall receives funding from public grant awarding bodies for alcohol and other drugs research, and fees from (international) not-for-profit organisations and government departments for consultation work. He is an unpaid member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Mind Foundation, the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals, an unpaid advisor to the UK Drug Education Forum, and an unpaid co-opted member of the UK Government Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) Working Groups.

    Ian Hamilton 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. Drug-related deaths have risen by record numbers in England and Wales – latest data – https://theconversation.com/drug-related-deaths-have-risen-by-record-numbers-in-england-and-wales-latest-data-241180

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What 12 ancient skeletons discovered in a mysterious tomb in Petra could tell us about the ancient city

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Claire Isabella Gilmour, PhD Candidate, Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol

    Twelve skeletons have been found in a large, 2,000-year-old tomb directly in front of the Khazneh (“Treasury”) in the city of Petra in Jordan. Alongside them, excavators have discovered grave goods made of pottery, bronze, iron and ceramics. There is much excitement among archaeologists because of what the rare opportunity to investigate this site might tell us about Petra’s ancient people, the Nabataeans, and their culture.

    One of the most headline-grabbing discoveries has been dubbed a “holy grail” in many reports, suggesting that the vessel is similar to the fictional cup from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, also discovered at the Khazneh. In fact, it’s a humble jug, not a cup offering the drinker eternal life.

    The similarities between the vessels aren’t a case of art imitating life, but the result of painstaking research into Nabataean pottery carried out by Deborah Fine, who was the director of archives at Lucasfilm Ltd.

    Nabataean pottery is very fine – often only 1.5mm thick – and best suited to ceremonial purposes or local use than the thicker, more robust contemporary Roman wares which could travel better. Nabataean pottery is also often painted with images such as flowers, figures and geometric motifs. These styles reflect Petra’s status as an important trading point, and the Nabataeans’ skill in creation and invention.

    We do not know anything yet about the identities of those buried, although their interment in separate sarcophagi and their placement at the Khazneh suggest high status.

    The work on analysing and interpreting these new finds is only beginning. The pottery, sediments, and skeletal material will hopefully narrow down construction dates for the site. Their discovery confirms that there is more to be found at the Khazneh.

    The history of Petra

    Petra is a Unesco World Heritage Site, and millions of people visit it each year. The city has been inhabited since 7000BC, but it really flourished in the 1st century AD.

    Home to the Nabataeans (a nomadic Arab group who called it Raqmu) for around 300 years, Petra was a hub of commercial activity and a key location for trade route, connecting Egypt, the Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula. The site’s many still-existing structures display this unique blending of cultures.

    The decline of the city began after the Romans took it over in AD106. Its decreasing importance followed the opening of sea routes and a devastating earthquake in the 4th century, which destroyed many buildings and led to the city eventually being abandoned.

    Petra’s desert location had allowed the Nabataeans to develop an impressive and ingenious water management infrastructure to master the arid landscape. But this also meant that after the city fell into disuse, it was effectively lost. Enclosed within moutain passages and entered via a natural cleft in the rock, it was completely unknown to the west until 1812, when it was rediscovered by the Swiss geographer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

    The Khazneh, where these burials were discovered, is the most recognisable part of the city. It is cut from the surrounding red sandstone and displays an intriguing fusion of eastern and Hellenistic architectural features. This decorated structure is a facade for the rock-cut space behind it, thought to have been built during the reign of Nabataean king Aretas IV Philopatris circa AD40, perhaps as a tomb.

    According to myth, the front of the decorated urn over the entrance was magically created by the pharaoh for all the gold of Egypt, during his escape when Moses parted the Red Sea. It bears the marks of bullets as people have tried over the centuries to reveal the treasure.

    Surveys and excavations have been conducted at Petra since the turn of the 20th century. The current US-Jordan expedition, led by Pearce Paul Creasman, is aiming to uncover further secrets of the city. One of the enduring mysteries is the true purpose of the Khazneh – these burials could help answer that question, while revising our understanding of this cosmopolitan ancient city.


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    Claire Isabella Gilmour 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. What 12 ancient skeletons discovered in a mysterious tomb in Petra could tell us about the ancient city – https://theconversation.com/what-12-ancient-skeletons-discovered-in-a-mysterious-tomb-in-petra-could-tell-us-about-the-ancient-city-241850

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson co-leads 25-state letter to Columbia University concerning antisemitism on campusRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson co-led a 25-state coalition of attorneys general in sending a letter to Columbia University to raise grave concerns about antisemitism on campus. The letter also encourages the university not to give in to demands to divest from Israel.

    “I visited Israel a few months ago, talked to people who lost family members to the horrific October 7th Hamas attacks, and visited some of the locations where people were kidnapped or killed,” Attorney General Wilson said. “We must stand against antisemitism everywhere, including on college campuses here in America.”

    The letter, to Columbia University Interim President Katrina Armstrong, MD, says, “In April of this year, several pro-Palestinian groups staged occupation protests on Columbia University’s campus in New York City, established encampments, and demanded the university divest from Israel. Even after some protesters were arrested, occupations continued, and the school entered negotiations with protesters. The school appropriately declined to divest from Israel. But demands for divestment have not abated. And the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks heralded an escalation in antisemitic rhetoric by pro-Palestinian campus protest groups.”

    The letter goes on to list examples of actions and rhetoric by pro-Palestinian protesters calling for even more violence, including one member of Columbia University Apartheid Divest saying the school was lucky he wasn’t out killing Zionists.

    The letter from the attorneys general commends Columbia University for its decision not to divest from Israel and urges the administration to maintain that position, despite blatantly antisemitic pressure from some pro-Palestinian student groups.

    The letter was co-led by Attorney General Wilson and Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin and joined by the attorneys general of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

    You can read the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US election: why more men and fewer white women say they will vote for Trump

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex

    Donald Trump is leading Kamala Harris by 11 percentage points with male voters, according to a recent New York Times poll. Trump is carving out a definitive advantage with US men.

    While Trump’s core support comes from white men, he has also made notable gains with Hispanic-American and African-American men. Though Trump has repeatedly denigrated Hispanics and regularly uses anti-immigrant rhetoric, this has not been a deal breaker for the Latino community. Surveys have shown that around 50% of Hispanic men think that Trump is “tough” enough to be president.

    Trump helped ramp up disinformation around Barack Obama’s qualification to run as president by claiming that he had concerns about Obama’s birth certificate. Trump also defended white supremacists marching in Charlottesville, Virginia, but these moves have not deterred some young African American men from supporting him. About one in four African American men under the age of 50 plan to vote for Trump, polls suggest.

    Why young men like Trump

    A lot of Trump’s support comes from young men, in particular. Pollsters noted that when President Joe Biden was still in the race, he had lost one particular category of Democrats – people who liked podcaster Joe Rogan – a demographic that is mostly young men aged 18-29.

    Harris is underperforming compared with Joe Biden in 2020, and this is almost entirely due to losing support with young men. The same New York Times poll showed that Trump leads Harris among young men by 58% to 37%, more or less the same as Biden before he dropped out of the race.

    One of the reasons why some men are flocking to Trump is that young American men have moved more to the right in general.

    In 2024, young men are more likely to be Republican and more likely to see themselves as conservative than in the past, while the most progressive group in US history are young women. In fact, the gap between young men and young women and the politics they believe in has almost doubled in the past 25 years.

    Young men may be drawn to Trump because he pushes against societal pressure that men need to be apologetic for being themselves. Almost two-thirds of American men believe that men should be represented and valued more in society, according to a YouGov study.

    J.D. Vance and his childless cat ladies comment.

    Another issue may be that some men face tremendous pressure to live up to certain expectations. Past research argued that most men who found Trump appealing were finding it difficult to live up to social standards of masculinity, referred to as a fragile masculinity hypothesis.

    This connection was not associated with male support for Mitt Romney in 2012 or support for John McCain in 2008, but did correlate with support for Trump in 2016 and for Republicans in the midterm elections.

    Trump has bolstered his macho image by increasingly acting on the campaign trail as if he is speaking to a bunch of guys in a locker room. He has become more profane and vulgar, even talking about the size of pro golfer Arnold Palmer’s penis in a bizarre campaign moment.

    Trump also makes no attempt to be politically correct in the post-MeToo era, even complaining that noted sexual offender Harvey Weinstein got a raw deal .

    Though many women were repelled by Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance’s past videos where he claimed Washington was run by childless cat ladies, it did little to turn off Trump’s supporters.

    For some men, these ideas play into their fears about women becoming too powerful, and that men are facing a major threat to their social status. Some of these men that Vance has been trying to appeal to are Christian extremists who would like to overturn the 19th amendment (which gave US women the right to vote), and see women return to roles as homemakers.

    Trump also taps into the fears that some men may have about the threats posed to them by women’s advancement. One-third of men who support Trump believe that women have made gains at men’s expense, rising to 40% for men under 50 who support Trump, according to Pew Research from 2024.

    A survey from the Survey Center on American Life demonstrated that 19% of men say that women have it easier than men do, but it is men aged 18-29 who are twice as likely as men over the age of 64 to believe that this is the case.

    Indeed, some of the struggles young American men face are not just imagined. A Pew Research survey from 2023 found that young men in the US were less likely than in years gone by to be financially independent or have a full-time job by the age of 25.

    Young men are also less likely than young women to be enrolled in university, and have higher rates of suicide.

    Why do most women not like Trump?

    While Trump is doing well with some men, he has been haemorrhaging support from women. In particular, women have been mobilised by Trump and Vance’s misogynistic rhetoric, and by the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v Wade, which had given American women the right to an abortion.

    Support for reproductive rights does not differ much by gender with about 61% of men in support, compared to 64% of women, but the issue is more salient for women than men.

    Sensing the issue of abortion could be a problem for Trump with female voters, he tried to connect with women claiming that he would be their “protector” and that he was the “father of IVF”.

    But so far these strange statements, and Trump’s boorish comments may be turning off female voters – even white women – who were a core part of Trump’s support in 2016 and 2020. Trump only leads with white women by one percentage point in 2024, compared to seven points in 2020.

    In a historic election that has been defined by a notable gender gap, the two candidates’ communication styles could not be more different. However, it remains to be seen which candidate’s gender advantage will propel them to victory.

    Natasha Lindstaedt 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. US election: why more men and fewer white women say they will vote for Trump – https://theconversation.com/us-election-why-more-men-and-fewer-white-women-say-they-will-vote-for-trump-241721

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: DIY musicians: how digital ‘bedroom pop’ has transformed the music industry

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul G. Oliver, Lecturer in Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Edinburgh Napier University

    The ever-advancing technologies of our digital age have transformed many industries, including – and perhaps especially – music. One of the most significant shifts has been the rise of DIY artists. These independent musicians take on roles traditionally held by record labels and managers, such as producing, recording, promoting and distributing their music.

    The ubiquitous nature of digital platforms has enabled artists to reach their audiences more directly. According to a study by MIDiA Research, independent artists generated over US$1.2 billion (£900 million) in 2020, accounting for 5.1% of the global recorded music market, reflecting how digital transformations continue to reshape the music industry.

    The COVID pandemic further accelerated this process, forcing artists to find new ways to connect with their audiences when live performances were no longer possible. Many independent musicians turned to digital platforms as crucial tools to engage with their fans and generate income.

    Platforms such as TikTok, Twitch, Instagram Live, YouTube, Patreon and Bandcamp saw a surge in usage as artists adapted to the new reality, showcasing their music to a global audience and attracting new fans who might have never discovered them otherwise. These platforms became lifelines for visibility and growth when traditional avenues were shut down.

    As a lecturer in digital innovation and entrepreneurship, my work looks at the relationship between digital transformation and DIY culture in the music industry and how it is changing the game for fledgling musicians and the business end of music too.

    DIY and artistic integrity

    The DIY ethos, rooted in independence and resistance to mainstream commercialisation, has evolved very successfully in the digital domain. Historically associated underground cultures, this ethos emphasises creativity, self-management and sustainability.

    DIY artists are often inspired by the punk movement, which championed autonomy and a do-it-yourself approach to music production and distribution. This ethos is now applied digitally, where artists use online platforms to stay independent while reaching a global audience, that in more analogue times would just not have been possible.

    One of the significant challenges DIY artists face is balancing artistic integrity with the ability to make a living. While digital platforms offer unprecedented opportunities for exposure and direct-to-fan (D2F) engagement, they also introduce new pressures and dependencies.

    For example, the algorithms that govern visibility on platforms like YouTube and Spotify can also be unpredictable, often favouring more commercial content over niche or experimental works, forcing artists to compromise their creative vision to achieve financial viability.

    While DIY artists are known for their self-sufficiency, some commercial artists have also adopted elements of the DIY approach, particularly in their use of digital platforms to bypass traditional industry structures.

    Being discovered and making money

    There are numerous success stories of DIY artists who have used digital platforms to build their careers commercially. For example, the British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks has gained significant recognition by blending personal experiences with broader social themes.

    Her success is a testament to the power of authenticity and the ability to connect with a diverse audience through digital platforms. Similarly, artists like Billie Eilish and (her brother) Finneas have shown how bedroom pop can achieve mainstream success, showing the potential of DIY approaches in the digital age.

    Social media platforms play a vital role in the success of DIY artists by helping audiences discover new talent. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are particularly effective for reaching younger audiences and creating viral content. TikTok, for example, has over 1 billion active users worldwide, and its algorithm can propel a song to viral status overnight – significantly boosting an artist’s visibility and reach.

    Subscription platforms like Patreon, Bandcamp and YouTube enable artists to make money from their work directly. These platforms allow fans to financially support their favourite artists, offering exclusive content, early access to new releases and other perks in exchange for a subscription fee. This D2F model helps artists generate a steady income, enabling them to focus more on their creative endeavours while maintaining a direct connection with their audience.

    Despite the vast opportunities digital platforms create, DIY artists face big challenges, for example, in terms of financial instability. A recent report by Help Musicians revealed that 98% of musicians are worried about rising costs in the UK. An inability to make a proper living has led many artists to seek alternative income sources, such as crowdfunding and exclusive content through subscription services like Patreon.

    However, the pressure to maintain a consistent online presence can also affect mental health – as One Direction’s Liam Payne spoke about in the months before his death – making it essential for artists to balance D2F engagement and personal wellbeing.

    DIY artists like Clairo, who rose to fame through her self-produced online content, have also spoken of her struggles with the pressures of maintaining a public persona and the toll it can take on mental health.

    DIY communities operating within the digital domain thrive on mutual support and collaboration because artists support each other with production, promotion and distribution. This sense of community is crucial for maintaining the DIY ethos and managing the complexities of the digital domain.

    The future of music looks promising, with this intersection between DIY culture, creativity and digital platforms continuing to evolve and offer new opportunities for artists. The DIY music market grew by 7.6% between 2021 and 2024.

    However, for this growth to continue, these platforms must remain artist-friendly and provide fair compensation for creators. Independent musicians can thrive in the digital domain by embracing the DIY ethos and using digital platforms with the potential for global reach, D2F engagement, and diversified income streams, providing a robust foundation for sustainable careers.


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

    Paul G. Oliver 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. DIY musicians: how digital ‘bedroom pop’ has transformed the music industry – https://theconversation.com/diy-musicians-how-digital-bedroom-pop-has-transformed-the-music-industry-233364

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill  Biden at the 2024 HLTH  Conference

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Las Vegas, Nevada
    Good morning.
    It was an ordinary Saturday in an extraordinary life.
    I was in my office in the East Wing doing what community college teachers do on weekends—especially on a weekend so late in the semester: I was grading papers.
    It was late April last year. Earlier that morning, I’d read in The New York Times that the U.S. loses $1.8 billion in working time every year to the menopause symptoms that upend women’s lives.
    It struck me—I’d experienced those kinds of symptoms too, so had many of my friends, but, I thought, that’s the way life is, isn’t it?
    And then, that afternoon, Maria Shriver, the former First Lady of California, came in for a meeting. She wanted to talk about women’s health research.
    It’s a problem that’s so simple—yet often ignored: women’s health is understudied and research is underfunded. As a result, too many of our medications, treatments, health products, and medical school textbooks are based on men.
    That’s why, if you ask any woman in America about her health care, she probably has a story to tell.
    You know her.
    She’s the woman who gets debilitating migraines, but can’t find treatment options that work for her. She’s the woman whose heart attack isn’t detected because her symptoms don’t look like a man’s, even as heart disease is the leading cause of death among women. She’s the woman going through menopause, who visits her doctor and leaves with more questions than answers, even though half the country will go through menopause at some point in their lives.
    It seems like women’s bodies are considered miracles when we’re in our child-bearing years, and mysteries as we age.
    I knew this had to change.
    My husband, President Joe Biden, has a deep understanding of how government works and how to get things done quickly. So when I told Joe about this research gap, he got to work.
    Last November, we launched the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research.
    From an ordinary Saturday conversation, the Biden Administration has done something extraordinary and fast. All in less than a year, we used the convening power of the White House to bring together government agencies, researchers, medical experts, innovators, and investors. 
    Joe signed the most comprehensive Executive Order ever, to expand and improve research and innovation in women’s health.
    The NIH is investing millions of dollars in new, interdisciplinary women’s health research, like how menopause affects our hearts, brains, and bones.
    The Department of Defense is committing half a billion dollars each year to women’s health research. And what helps women service members helps all women.
    And just today, ARPA-H, the agency that Joe created to invest in the most cutting-edge health breakthroughs, announced $110 million for women’s health researchers and startups to bring new treatments and cures to market. 
    This is government at its best.
    ARPA-H received an unprecedented 1,700 submissions for this funding sprint, which shows the energy and exploration that’s possible in this field. From there, ARPA-H chose to fund 23 recipients with the best “sparks”—meaning the most promising ideas so that researchers can take their work to the next level, and the best “launchpads”—those are the teams that are ready to bring new treatments and health products to market within the next two years.
    Let me give you a couple of examples.
    One in 10 women suffers from a painful, debilitating condition called endometriosis. It can take as long as a decade for women to get a diagnosis. One of today’s recipients from Washington University is developing a blood test—the first of its kind—to reduce the time it takes to diagnose the disease from years to days. So, women can get the treatments they need more quickly.
    We also know that women are more likely to get migraines, but we don’t know why. At UNC-Chapel Hill, a study is being funded to see how migraines are connected to the lymphatic system to help solve that mystery. And the team is working toward personalized treatments for migraines.
    ARPA-H is de-risking investments in these big ideas, so that answers can get to the women who need them now.
    The potential in this space is too great to ignore. In 2021, the Boston Consulting Group estimated that the size of the women’s health market would grow from $9 billion to $29 billion in just eight years, because of the growing momentum from funders and founders to address the unmet health needs of women. I know you see these opportunities in your day-to-day work.
    Here’s what I also want you to know. The women of America are waiting on you.
    Any time I get together with my sisters and friends, we have conversations about our health. We ask each other: should I be taking hormone therapy for symptoms related to menopause? How is it possible that my heart attack was almost missed? 
    It’s time for investors, researchers, and business leaders to have those conversations too, not as an afterthought but as a first thought. Those kinds of questions belong in your research proposals, in your laboratories, in your pitch decks.
    There is incredible momentum behind women’s health right now.
    What are you going to do to make sure this energy is unstoppable?
    So that we leave doctors’ offices with more answers than questions. And take this moment of opportunity to create something extraordinary.
    You can count me in. And I hope women can count on you.
    To continue this discussion, it’s my pleasure to introduce Dr. Carolyn Mazure, the chair of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. Dr. Renee Wegrzyn, who leads ARPA-H. Maria Shriver, a tireless advocate for advancing women’s health. And Lucy Pérez, a senior partner with McKinsey & Company.
    Please help me welcome them to the stage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Message to the CAHNR Community on Low Completion/Enrollment Academic Programs

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    To the CAHNR Community,

    After recent coverage of UConn’s ongoing process to review academic programs with low completion and/or enrollment, we have heard from many of you with questions and concerns. We write today to respond to those questions and clarify the potential impact on CAHNR programs.

    First and foremost, we want to reassure students that the College’s existing academic programs will continue without disruption. CAHNR’s unique experiential learning opportunities in animal science, plant science, human health, resource economics, and the environment provide our alumni with specialized skills and are central to UConn’s land grant mission.

    As an institution that seeks to make data-driven decisions to align our programs with student and community needs, we regularly analyze and evolve academic offerings. This may mean adding new majors, renaming existing majors, consolidating programs, etc.

    In press coverage, incorrect statements were made about some CAHNR programs flagged as having low completion/enrollment. For example, it was stated that Animal Science was below the threshold for review. The Department of Animal Science graduated 400 students in the 5-year review window and is thus not below the threshold. Similarly, Horticulture, Turfgrass, and Soil Science were highlighted as “no enrollment,” which is true because they are no longer active majors. However, they are still offered as concentrations within the active Sustainable Plant & Soil Systems/Plant Science major.

    To reiterate information provided by University leadership earlier this week, UConn is not directing that any programs under review be closed or that any majors be ended.

    This remains true for CAHNR programs. The College is taking advantage of this opportunity to thoughtfully consider strategies to adapt, evolve, and update our programs, if needed, to ensure student success, robust professional opportunities, and responsible use of resources.

    Please do not hesitate to connect with your department or CAHNR’s Office of Academic Programs if you have additional questions or concerns.

    We thank you for your continued support of UConn and CAHNR.

    Sincerely,

    Indrajeet Chaubey
    Dean and Director

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: After 60 Years, Nuclear Power for Spaceflight is Still Tried and True

    Source: NASA

    Editor’s Note: Originally published on June 21, 2021.

    Six decades after the launch of the first nuclear-powered space mission, Transit IV-A, NASA is embarking on a bold future of human exploration and scientific discovery. This future builds on a proud history of safely launching and operating nuclear-powered missions in space.

    “Nuclear power has opened the solar system to exploration, allowing us to observe and understand dark, distant planetary bodies that would otherwise be unreachable. And we’re just getting started,” said Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “Future nuclear power and propulsion systems will help revolutionize our understanding of the solar system and beyond and play a crucial role in enabling long-term human missions to the Moon and Mars.”

    From Humble Beginnings: Nuclear Power Spawns an Age of Scientific Discovery

    On June 29, 1961, the John’s Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory launched the Transit IV-A Spacecraft. It was a U.S. Navy navigational satellite with a SNAP-3B radioisotope powered generator producing 2.7 watts of electrical power — about enough to light an LED bulb. Transit IV-A broke an APL mission-duration record and confirmed the Earth’s equator is elliptical. It also set the stage for ground-breaking missions that have extended humanity’s reach across the solar system.

    Since 1961, NASA has flown more than 25 missions carrying a nuclear power system through a successful partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), which provides the power systems and plutonium-238 fuel.

    “The department and our national laboratory partners are honored to play a role in powering NASA’s space exploration activities,” said Tracey Bishop, deputy assistant secretary in DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy. “Radioisotope Power Systems are a natural extension of our core mission to create technological solutions that meet the complex energy needs of space research, exploration, and innovation.”

    There are only two practical ways to provide long-term electrical power in space: the light of the sun or heat from a nuclear source.

    We couldn’t do the mission without it. No other technology exists to power a mission this far away from the Sun, even today.

    Alan Stern
    Principal Investigator, NASA’s New Horizons Mission to Pluto and Beyond

    “As missions move farther away from the Sun to dark, dusty, and harsh environments, like Jupiter, Pluto, and Titan, they become impossible or extremely limited without nuclear power,” said Leonard Dudzinski, chief technologist for NASA’s Planetary Science Division and program executive for Radioisotope Power.

    That’s where Radioisotope Power Systems, or RPS, come in. They are a category of power systems that convert heat generated by the decay of plutonium-238 fuel into electricity.

    “These systems are reliable and efficient,” said June Zakrajsek, manager for NASA’s Radioisotope Power Systems Program office at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “They operate continuously over long-duration space missions regardless of sunlight, temperature, charged particle radiation, or surface conditions like thick clouds or dust. They’ve allowed us to explore from the Sun to Pluto and beyond.”

    RPS powered the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package. They’ve sustained Voyager 1 and 2 since 1977, and they kept Cassini-Huygens’ instruments warm as it explored frigid Saturn and its moon Titan.

    Today, a Multi-Mission Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) powers the Perseverance rover, which is captivating the nation as it searches for signs of ancient life on Mars, and a single RTG is sustaining New Horizons as it ventures on its way out of the solar system 15 years after its launch.

    “The RTG was and still is crucial to New Horizons,” said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute. “We couldn’t do the mission without it. No other technology exists to power a mission this far away from the Sun, even today.”

    New Horizons carries seven scientific instruments and a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. The spacecraft weighs 1,060 pounds.
    NASA/JHUAPL

    Great Things to Come: Science and Human Exploration

    Dragonfly, which is set to launch in 2028, is the next mission with plans to use an MMRTG. Part of NASA’s New Frontiers program, Dragonfly is an octocopter designed to explore and collect samples on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, an ocean world with a dense, hazy atmosphere.

    “RPS is really an enabling technology,” said APL’s Zibi Turtle, principal investigator for the upcoming Dragonfly mission. “Early missions like Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini that relied on RPS have completely changed our understanding and given us a geography of the distant solar system…Cassini gave us our first close-up look at the surface of Titan.”

    According to Turtle, the MMRTG serves two purposes on Dragonfly: power output to charge the lander’s battery and waste heat to keep its instruments and electronics warm.

    “Flight is a very high-power activity. We’ll use a battery for flight and science activities and recharge the battery using the MMRTG,” said Turtle. “The waste heat from the power system is a key aspect of our thermal design. The surface of Titan is very cold, but we can keep the interior of the lander warm and cozy using the heat from the MMRTG.”

    As the scientific community continues to benefit from RPS, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is investing in new technology using reactors and low-enriched uranium fuel to enable a robust human presence on the Moon and eventually human missions to Mars.

    Astronauts will need plentiful and continuous power to survive the long lunar nights and explore the dark craters on the Moon’s South Pole. A fission surface power system could provide enough juice to power robust operations. NASA is leading an effort, working with the DOE and industry to design a fission power system for a future lunar demonstration that will pave the way for base camps on the Moon and Mars.

    NASA has also thought about viable ways to reduce the time it takes to travel to Mars, including nuclear propulsion systems.

    As NASA advances its bold vision of exploration and scientific discovery in space, it benefits from 60 years of the safe use of nuclear power during spaceflight. Sixty years of enlightenment that all started with a little satellite called Transit IV-A.

    News Media ContactJan WittryNASA’s Glenn Research Center

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Bank of Canada’s latest interest rate cut: Monetary policy is not enough to address economic issues on its own

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sorin Rizeanu, Assistant Professor, Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria

    The Canadian and American economies are deeply intertwined. With the United States Federal Reserve cautious amid mixed signals from the labour market and rising inflation worries, the Bank of Canada has just lowered its key interest rate to 3.75 per cent – cutting it by half a percentage point.

    Strong U.S. job growth and cooling inflation could result in a smaller Fed rate cut compared to its previous cut and to Canada’s recent cut. It could also pause the rate entirely, which may change economic conditions in the U.S. and Canada in the months to come. Upcoming U.S. elections complicate the problem further.

    In Canada, cooling inflation, slowing manufacturing sales and more cautious consumer spending opens the door to another half percentage point rate cut by the end of the year.

    But does the Bank of Canada have the ability to offset shifts in U.S. monetary policies through its own monetary instruments? In fact, how much room does it have to diverge from U.S. policy at all?

    Monetary conditions are transmitted from the world’s biggest financial centres to the rest of the world through gross credit flows and leverage. Any policy differences between Canada and the U.S. immediately impact Canada, including spillover effects on the loonie exchange rates and other widespread economical and social effects.

    Canada’s double trilemmas

    Canada’s key challenges include economic growth as a potential recession looms, taming inflation, housing, managing interest rates while private and public debt is sky-high and stabilizing Canada’s commodity-linked currency in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment. Failing to address these challenges could lead to severe systemic imbalances.

    A country cannot have an independent monetary policy, stable exchange rate and free capital flows simultaneously. It must choose one side of this triangle and give up the opposite corner.
    (Sorin Rizeanu), CC BY-ND

    The Bank of Canada has good reasons to cut the interest rate back to 2.5 to 3.5 per cent, but this could have a significant impact on the loonie.

    Canada is facing two sets of trilemmas: a monetary one for the central bank and a fiscal one for the government. On the monetary side, stable exchange rates, independent monetary policy and financial market openness are three objectives that cannot all be achieved simultaneously. European countries have sacrificed monetary independence in exchange for a strong euro and financial openness.

    It’s impossible for policymakers to pursue all three choices at the same time. For instance, a country spending more without raising taxes has to increase public debt and deficit.
    (Sorin Rizeanu), CC BY-ND

    Canada, in contrast, has opted for free capital mobility and independent monetary policy at the expense of exchange rate stability. This allows the loonie to be determined by market forces, giving the central bank the ability to adjust interest rates while capital moves freely across the border.

    On the fiscal side, the government is grappling with climate change, immigration and wealth inequality. However, there is also strong public resistance to higher taxes, and public debt and deficits are currently at alarming levels.

    If the central banks are at odds

    If the Bank of Canada were to cut interest rates while the Fed doesn’t, the loonie would likely depreciate sharply, forcing a response. Such a divergence happened in June 2024, with the Fed following with a 0.5 per cent cut only in September.

    On such short-term deviations, sterilization is typically implemented to dampen the depreciation of the loonie by acquiring Canadian dollars and selling reserves.

    If the central banks were to remain at odds in the longer term, a decrease in money supply as investors flee would likely cause a decrease in domestic bank lending, which is already under pressure from public and private debt and increased default rates.

    This could decrease longer term interest rates and put additional pressure on the economy through the capital account. If investors believe the central bank is merely delaying the inevitable depreciation of its currency, it could also reinforce carry trade dynamics — an investment strategy where money is borrowed at a low cost in one currency to earn higher returns from investments in another currency.

    The bond market would also react, with notable effects in key economic sectors and asset valuation. Long-term interest rates tend to align more across countries than short-term rates, especially if global factors are influencing real rates or if investors are seeking safer assets.

    While the Bank of Canada can set its policy rate independently of the Fed’s rate, it has less control over the long-term. Long-term rates are tied to exchange rates and reflect expectations for future short-term rates and risk factors. Mortgage rates and corporate borrowing rates would be affected as well.

    Monetary policy can’t be the only answer

    The Bank of Canada’s mandate is to “keep inflation low, stable and predictable.” While this can be fulfilled through rate cuts, diverging from U.S. policy will have widespread effects on the Canadian economy. These impacts will be uneven, with indebted investors and banks likely benefiting while the working class may bear the brunt.

    The Bank of Canada focuses on providing liquidity to the financial sector, often with little regulation or oversight. However, this approach tends to overlook challenges faced by the working class. In 2022, for instance, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem advised against employers increasing wages to match inflation over concern that a wage-price spiral would occur.

    Even if the central bank wanted to address these issues, it’s limited by the ability to manage multiple outputs with just one instrument. As a result, the central bank should report not only on inflation, but also on the overall trade-offs of rate cuts.

    The Bank of Canada has a vested interest in tampering the effects of a new rate cut, especially since it could trigger a “capital famine” in the long-term and weaken the Canadian dollar. In the short-term, divergences from the U.S. will likely be manageable, but in the longer term, currency depreciation may be unavoidable to keep the economy afloat.

    Monetary policy is vital, but it’s merely the first line of defence against inflation. To truly address Canada’s economic issues, both monetary and fiscal policies need to work together in harmony, with a broader public discussion that goes beyond inflation.

    Sorin Rizeanu 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. Bank of Canada’s latest interest rate cut: Monetary policy is not enough to address economic issues on its own – https://theconversation.com/bank-of-canadas-latest-interest-rate-cut-monetary-policy-is-not-enough-to-address-economic-issues-on-its-own-238396

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman De La Cruz Announces $2 Million in Funds for Community Projects for UTRGV and the City of Edinburg

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Monica De La Cruz (TX-15)

    Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz announced Wednesday (October 23rd) nearly $2 million in funding for community projects in South Texas. University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley will receive $500,000 in funds dedicated to its Manufacturing Incubator Dry Room Project, which will encourage innovation and investment into the RGV.  The City of Edinburg will receive nearly $1.4 million for Lift Station No. 19 Force Main Realignment and Sanitary Sewer Improvements Project, ensuring reliable, safe water by relieving existing sanitary sewer lines experiencing overflows.

    “These funds will play a vital role in driving progress and adding industry to the RGV. It is my duty to work for the people of South Texas, and these funds are going back directly into their communities,” said De La Cruz. “I will continue to work tirelessly within Congress and with local leaders to foster a community of growth, investment, and opportunity to allow every community member to thrive.”

    “This funding is a testament to UTRGV’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge research that directly impacts the Rio Grande Valley. With the Dry Room project, we are poised to drive innovation in manufacturing, benefiting industries like electronics and medical devices while creating new opportunities for our students and community,” said UTRGV President Dr. Bailey. 

    “We are celebrating the Lift Station No. 19 Force Main Realignment and Sanitary Sewer Improvements Project, a vital milestone for Edinburg. This $1.394 million investment will enhance our city’s wastewater infrastructure, especially in the rapidly growing northern area. The improvements will benefit vibrant neighborhoods, businesses, schools, and community spaces like the Boys and Girls Club,” said Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr. 

    Read more about secured appropriation funds for TX-15 here.
    La Congresista Monica De La Cruz anunció el miércoles (23 de octubre) casi $2 millones en fondos para proyectos comunitarios en el sur de Texas. La Universidad de Texas – Valle del Río Grande (UTRGV) recibirá $500,000 para su Proyecto de Sala Seca para Incubadora de Manufactura, el cual fomentará la innovación y la inversión en el Valle del Río Grande. La Ciudad de Edinburg recibirá casi $1.4 millones para el Proyecto de Reubicación de la Línea Principal y Mejoras al Alcantarillado Sanitario de la Estación de Bombeo No. 19, garantizando agua segura y confiable al aliviar las líneas sanitarias existentes que han presentado desbordamientos.

    “Estos fondos serán clave para impulsar el progreso y desarrollar industrias en el Valle. Es un honor servir a la gente del sur de Texas, y estos recursos volverán directamente a sus comunidades. Seguiré trabajando sin descanso en el Congreso y junto a los líderes locales para construir una comunidad de crecimiento, inversión y oportunidades que permitan a cada persona prosperar”, dijo De La Cruz.

    “Estos fondos son un testimonio del compromiso de UTRGV con la investigación de vanguardia que impacta directamente al Valle del Río Grande. Con el proyecto de la Sala Seca, estamos listos para impulsar la innovación en la manufactura, beneficiando a industrias como la de dispositivos electrónicos y médicos, mientras creamos nuevas oportunidades para nuestros estudiantes y la comunidad”, dijo el presidente de UTRGV, Dr. Bailey.

    “Estamos celebrando el Proyecto de Reubicación de la Línea Principal y Mejoras al Alcantarillado Sanitario de la Estación de Bombeo No. 19, un hito vital para Edinburg. Esta inversión de $1.394 millones mejorará la infraestructura de aguas residuales de nuestra ciudad, especialmente en la zona norte de rápido crecimiento. Las mejoras beneficiarán a vecindarios, negocios, escuelas y espacios comunitarios vibrantes, como el Boys and Girls Club”, dijo el alcalde de Edinburg, Ramiro Garza Jr.

    Lea más sobre los fondos asignados para el Distrito TX-15 aquí.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Speaks at Global Secure Shipping Facility Grand Opening in Old Town

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Click HERE, HERE, and HERE for individual photos
    Old Town, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins delivered remarks at the grand opening of Global Secure Shipping’s (GSS) second manufacturing facility in Old Town.  With the opening of today’s facility, GSS now has 32,500ft in total manufacturing space to produce its state-of-the-art secure cargo containers using patented technology first developed at the University of Maine (UMaine).
    Today’s event also celebrated the company’s selection for a $4.1 million Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contract to produce and test the next generation of secure cargo containers. 
    Joining Senator Collins at the grand opening were U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, GSS CEO Robert Lindyberg, Ph.D., and Executive Director of GSS and UMaine engineering professor Dr. Habib Dagher.
    “This is a great day for our State, for our nation, and for the security of cargo shipping around the world,” said Senator Collins during her remarks.  “The project we celebrate today is about seaport security.  But it also is about transitioning from research and development to manufacturing to create new industries, with new opportunities and good jobs.  GSS is in the vanguard of that transition.”
    “Most of all, this is about the innovative spirit of Maine and our maritime heritage, with our University, GSS, and a skilled local workforce joining together to achieve something truly remarkable.  Congratulations on this great accomplishment,” Senator Collins concluded.
    GSS was founded in 2018 to commercialize the hybrid composite secure shipping container technology developed at UMaine. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and now Vice Chair, Senator Collins helped secure funding for UMaine to research this technology, as well as funding for DHS that led to GSS’s $4.1 million contract.
    Senator Collins attended the groundbreaking for this facility in September 2023. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Harris and Trump differ widely on gun rights, death penalty and other civil liberties questions

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Donovan A. Watts, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Auburn University

    The Bill of Rights secures key liberties for U.S. citizens against the government’s power. U.S. Congress via Wikimedia Commons

    As the election nears, voters are considering the two leading presidential candidates’ records on a wide range of issues, including civil liberties – a broad term used to describe the constitutionally protected freedoms that protect citizens from excessive government power. These key freedoms are contained in the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. For example, the protection for free speech under the First Amendment and the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment define people’s abilities to criticize the government and own weapons for private use.

    In turn, as a scholar of American politics, I have seen that Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have very different records on these crucial American rights.

    First Amendment freedoms of speech and press

    As California’s attorney general, Harris indirectly found herself in a battle with the First Amendment. For many years, state law required nonprofit organizations registered in California to report names and addresses of donors of amounts over US$5,000 in a single year. In 2010, the year before Harris became attorney general, her predecessor began actually enforcing that law, which Harris continued when she took office in 2011. In 2014, several conservative groups sued Harris, saying her office’s enforcement of the law was violating their First Amendment right to give money anonymously.

    Part of Harris’ job was to oversee the defense of the law in court, arguing that soliciting donor names did not bar donor disclosure requirements like California’s. The case lasted beyond her term as California’s top law enforcement officer: The U.S. Supreme Court declared parts of the law unconstitutional in 2021, after Harris had become vice president.

    While he was president, Trump’s First Amendment record was more about the media than free speech. He repeatedly declared the press “the enemy of the people.” He has suggested that media outlets who provide coverage he dislikes lose their broadcasting licenses and has pressed to change laws about libel in ways that would make it easier for public figures to file suit against unfavorable coverage.

    As California’s attorney general, Kamala Harris worked to reduce gun violence in the state.
    Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

    Second Amendment right to bear arms

    Dating back to her tenure as a district attorney in San Francisco and as California’s attorney general, Harris has been an advocate for stricter gun control laws. However, she is not seeking to take away Americans’ guns – and recently revealed that she herself is a gun owner.

    When serving as district attorney in San Francisco, Harris worked with the city’s mayor at the time, Gavin Newsom, to develop some of the strictest local gun regulations in the country. In December 2004, Proposition H was placed on the ballot and passed by majority vote in November 2005. Proposition H banned possessing a handgun within San Francisco, with a few exceptions, and banned purchasing, possession, distribution and manufacturing of all firearms in the city. However, the proposition was overruled by the San Francisco Superior Court, which said gun ownership should be regulated at the state level.

    And in 2008, as the U.S. Supreme Court was preparing to hear a key gun control case, Harris led 18 elected prosecutors who urged the justices that a broad right to gun ownership could endanger local and state firearm laws. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to possess firearms.

    However, the Supreme Court’s ruling did not stop Harris in her continued fight for gun regulation. She pushed for additional funding to confiscate guns from thousands of people whom California law said were banned from having them. Later as a U.S. senator from 2017 to 2021, Harris continued to advocate for gun regulation by sponsoring bills that would have enacted universal background checks and ban assault rifles.

    During Harris’ term as vice president, she oversaw the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which seeks to focus government attention on a wide range of policies to reduce gun violence, including restrictions on firearms, increased mental health services and new powers for prosecutors to use against people who use firearms when committing a crime.

    In 2019, while he was president, Donald Trump spoke to a National Rifle Association meeting and expressed support for the organization.
    AP Photo/Michael Conroy

    Trump’s record on firearms, meanwhile, has been mixed. As president, he signed legislation in 2017 that softened background check requirements for gun buyers with particular mental illness diagnoses. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, he objected to the fact that many local orders to close businesses to protect public health included shutting gun shops.

    Yet in 2018, he also moved to ban bump stocks – a device attached to a semiautomatic firearm that enables it to fire more rapidly. His ban was overturned by the Supreme Court in June 2024.

    Trump also supported and signed the Fix NICS Act, a bipartisan law that strengthened reporting to the federal gun background checks system by requiring federal agencies to submit semiannual certification reports to the attorney general on their compliance with recordkeeping and transmission requirements.

    Eighth Amendment protections against ‘cruel and unusual punishments’

    The Eighth Amendment’s protection against “cruel and unusual punishments” has often been used by the Supreme Court to evaluate uses of the death penalty.

    Harris has consistently pledged to refuse to seek the death penalty in criminal cases, noting a multitude of systemic flaws that result in its disproportional application based on defendants’ race and income. She also noted the cost to taxpayers of keeping prisoners on death row. Harris’ position was tested just months into her service as district attorney when a police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2004. Harris declined to seek the death penalty for the shooter, who was convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

    While attorney general of California, however, she defended in court the state’s power to impose the death penalty. But when, in March 2024, the state’s governor – Newsom – declared a halt to executions, sparing all 737 people on California’s death row, Harris praised the action.

    Trump’s record on capital punishment dates back long before his political career. In 1989, he took out full-page newspaper ads calling for the return of the death penalty in New York. He specifically wanted it to be applied to the Central Park Five, five young Black and Hispanic men who were wrongly accused of raping and beating a woman. They pleaded not guilty but served years in prison before being exonerated by DNA evidence and the actual criminal’s confession.

    During his term as president, Trump resumed federal executions after a 17-year hiatus, executing 13 people in the last six months of his presidency, the last of which was just four days before his term ended.

    All in all, as voters decide who to vote for in the upcoming election, analyzing both candidates’ record on civil liberties is a good step in making an informed decision.

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

    – ref. Harris and Trump differ widely on gun rights, death penalty and other civil liberties questions – https://theconversation.com/harris-and-trump-differ-widely-on-gun-rights-death-penalty-and-other-civil-liberties-questions-240762

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Netflix’s Territory is a Succession-like drama packed with family rivalry and betrayal, set in Australia’s outback

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexa Scarlata, Research Fellow, Media & Communication, RMIT University

    Netflix

    The Australian commissioning team at Netflix has had a pretty good run over the past 12 months. In January, the adaptation of Trent Dalton’s novel Boy Swallows Universe proved to be the most successful Australian-made show to that point, scoring 7.6 million views globally in its first two weeks.

    A few months later, the second season of the streamer’s Heartbreak High reboot debuted at number one in Australia, and stayed on the Global Top 10 English TV Series list for three consecutive weeks.

    Will Netflix’s latest Australian series – one without any ties to a familiar book or TV show – be as well received? Luckily for the streamer, its new six-part outback western, Territory, has already been described as “epic”, “unforgettable” and “rollicking TV”.

    Robert Taylor plays patriarch Colin Lawson.
    Netflix

    Premium bush family drama

    The series takes place in the Northern Territory, on the “world’s largest cattle station”. The fictional Marianne Station is about the size of Belgium.

    The once-great dynasty of its owners, the Lawson family, is thrown into doubt when their heir apparent dies in the first episode. The Top End’s most powerful players – billionaire miners, rival cattle barons, desert gangsters and Indigenous elders – immediately start circling.

    While this is an original concept by creators Timothy Lee and Ben Davies, you’d be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu, as Territory has been described as equal parts Succession and Yellowstone. I can imagine Netflix executives running the numbers on the returns from those two hits and saying, “let’s throw some money into this”. And boy, did they.

    The show could double as a sophisticated Tourism Australia ad.
    Netflix

    No expenses spared on hats and helicopters

    Territory was directed by Wolf Creek heavyweight Greg McLean. According to him, it’s the

    biggest South Australian TV production ever. Possibly one of the biggest TV productions in Australia just in terms of the amount of crew (and) the incredible support that we had to put in place to go to the locations we went to.

    As Netflix put it, Bondi Beach this is not. While the interiors were filmed in South Australia, half of the series was filmed in stunning remote locations across the NT.

    As a result, the show looks like the most ambitious and sophisticated Tourism Australia ad you’ve ever seen. The wildlife! The panoramic drone shots! The hat budget! The rest of the world could go from thinking we ride kangaroos to work, to assuming we’ve all got our own helicopters.

    Overseas viewers watching would be forgiven for thinking the lot of us have our own helicopters.
    Netflix

    The show looks as expensive as it sounds, but is still kind of soapy. The irony in this story is that everyone’s dirty, but no one ever sweats.

    Territory was originally announced as “Desert King”. Changing the name was wise. The landscape is, for the most part, pretty lush – and not in a “look at this oasis we’ve stumbled upon” kind of way. I counted one fly.

    Desert queens

    What’s more, while the male characters are brilliant sources of humour and violence, it’s the ladies in Territory that bring the heart.

    Anna Torv leads the series as Emily Lawson. Emily is the wife to the next-in-line but perpetually drunk Graham (Michael Dorman). She’s also the girl from the property next door, belonging to the rival Hodge family – a slightly shifty bunch who’ve been known to steal the Lawson’s cattle.

    Anna Torv plays Emily Lawson with a keen sense of cunning.
    Netflix

    Torv was the perfect choice to embody Emily as the long-suffering wife, disdained daughter-in-law, loving sister and exasperated mother. Her poker face kept me guessing. She may not be a Lawson by blood, but her cunning makes her a great fit in this powerful family.

    Kylah Day plays Sharnie Kennedy, a young kid kicking (and fooling) around with a couple of Top End bandits. It was fun – if a little frustrating – to watch her figure out her loyalties and her limits.

    Finally, Sara Wiseman plays Sandra Kirby, a disgustingly wealthy and ruthless land developer who doubles as the quintessential villain. Sandra plays everyone – even her own son. Her merciless manipulation of aspiring Indigenous cattle baron Nolan Brannock (Clarence Ryan) stings, even as it feels quite heavy-handed.

    Clarence Ryan is impressive in his role as Indigenous station owner Nolan Brannock (left), who gets caught up in the drama.
    Netflix

    Whose land and whose legacy?

    Territory does a great job of establishing a simmering tension between the traditional owners of the land and the families and businesses that have taken possession of it.

    But for a show that’s so centred on the battle for power in the Top End, the plotlines that deal with the issue of dispossession move at a frustratingly slow pace.

    Perhaps this is to cater to a global audience, which will likely lack the context that local viewers have. And maybe, for Australian viewers, the enduring subordination and struggle of the original landowners is the intended takeaway.

    Ultimately, Territory is an ambitious and attractive series. It was wonderful to see so many resources poured into a new concept, filmed and set in a part of Australia that rarely sees the kind of spotlight it deserves.

    Sam Delich and Kylah Day play petty thieves Rich Petrakis and Sharnie Kennedy.
    Netflix

    Territory is streaming on Netflix from today.

    Alexa Scarlata 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. Netflix’s Territory is a Succession-like drama packed with family rivalry and betrayal, set in Australia’s outback – https://theconversation.com/netflixs-territory-is-a-succession-like-drama-packed-with-family-rivalry-and-betrayal-set-in-australias-outback-241896

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Unemployment’s up, house prices are stagnating. But is the Victorian economy doing as badly as it seems?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University

    The early 1990s in Victoria were tough. The economy was contracting severely, the population was shrinking, employment was collapsing and the unemployment rate skyrocketed to the highest in the land.

    A long-term Labor government got the blame for allowing state debt to spiral out of control. Victoria, reckoned a popular joke at the time, was “Australia’s Mexico without the sunshine”.

    Is it happening all over again?

    Some reporting in national media would suggest it is.

    The Australian Financial Review has recently run a series on the state, including a piece last week quoting business leaders saying the Victorian economy was in trouble.

    Reference was made to the latest unemployment figures as supporting evidence. Victoria’s unemployment rate has risen over the last year, and at 4.4% is now the highest in the country. Rising numbers of company failures and stagnant house prices were also cited.

    Earlier in the month, data showing a falling rate of Victorian business start-ups was highlighted, while another Financial Review article examined the decline in the number of conferences. All this was referred to as evidence of a state struggling under the weight of

    $8.6 billion in levies [imposed] in [Labor’s] 2023 budget to curb a mountain of state debt that is forecast to reach $188 billion by 2028.

    The Australian also ran a feature on Victoria echoing the same themes.

    Readers were asked, “What the hell has gone wrong with Victoria?”. Public debt and taxation figured as prominent causes of an economic catastrophe in the making. The Australian deemed the state to be

    at best, trapped in stagnation, forcing it to cover falling private investment and expenditure with ever greater public largesse. And at worst […] as the spending and debt build-up sets off the alarms, a vicious spiral is triggered […] until the whole Ponzi scheme collapses.

    But are things that bad? What does the economic data actually show?

    Some positive signs

    It is true that unemployment in Victoria is rising, and is also high compared to the rest of the country. But it has been stable for the last four months, reflecting the impact of interest rate increases over the previous couple of years.

    Also, looking back over the last 40 years, the increase has been from a very low base, and remains at an historically low level – and a long way off the highs of the 1990s.

    The number of people in the labour force is continuing to grow at a healthy clip. The participation rate is now the highest on record.

    Last month, the labour force increased in seasonally adjusted terms by 20,000, and almost all of these additional people ended up in employment.

    The growth in employment since the end of the pandemic is notable.

    Since January 2023, employment has increased by 268,000, or 8% in seasonally adjusted terms. That’s 37% of the jobs added in the whole of Australia during that time.

    Yes, the share of job growth is falling, but it is still higher than the state’s population share, and it is from an unbelievably high base (55% of all jobs created nationally in July were in Victoria).

    The Australian Financial Review acknowledged that the latest jobs data were indeed “unexpectedly strong”.

    What about business insolvencies?

    Victorian insolvencies are on the rise (up 61% in September compared to the same month last year). But so too are they across Australia, with the national number rising at a higher clip (up 70%).

    What about the number of conferences in Victoria? We simply cannot be sure whether they are up or down, because there is no consistent data base to settle the matter.

    And while Victoria may have fallen behind other states in the number of new startups per 1,000 businesses, the actual number of businesses has increased by more than 31,000, or 3%, since the beginning of the year.

    How are house prices and rents holding up?

    Yes, house prices are tumbling. In real terms, they are around 20% below their pandemic peak, at least partly caused by a bundle of new property taxes introduced in the 2023/24 state budget to help pay for pandemic-related debt.

    But with housing affordability at an all-time low courtesy of high interest rates, that is no bad thing, especially for those keen to buy their first home.

    That fall in house prices stands in contrast to a boom in rents over the same time period.

    Over the last 12 months, median rents in Victoria have increased by 13.3%, and by 4.3% over the last quarter. In the March quarter, the rental stock fell for the first time on record, perhaps supporting those who see an economy in trouble.

    But that fall amounted to barely 10,000 dwellings, or only 2.7% of the stock. Those properties had to be sold to someone, and it is likely many were sold to first time buyers who, in changing tenure, had no net effect on the rental market. A redistribution of wealth like that may be no bad thing.

    Debt is high – but so is infrastructure spending

    There is no doubt the Victorian economy has been slowing, as has the rest of the country. That is exactly the outcome sought by the Reserve Bank when it pushed up interest rates last year.

    But there is little evidence to show Victoria is following the disastrous path of the early 1990s.

    Back then, state debt grew alarmingly because of a savage recession. This time round, state debt has grown strongly, but largely to fund a construction pipeline on a scale the state has not seen before.

    Infrastructure spending is now running close to $25 billion a year, almost five times what it was a decade ago. There’s a lot of jobs in those numbers, and shortly a lot of that infrastructure will come on line, boosting the state’s economic potential.

    There is one other factor driving Victoria’s surprisingly resilient economy. Net international migration increased by 152,000 in the year to March 2024 – almost 30% of the Australian total – driven partly by the return of international students.

    Very fast, migration-driven population growth is not being matched by increased output, and the state’s household income per person is continuing its long-term decline, leading some to argue it has become a “poor state”.

    Treasurer Tim Pallas will hope that the increase stock of debt-funded infrastructure provides the productivity boost sorely needed to turn that around.

    While on several indicators Victoria’s economy is slowing, this largely reflects a national trend. Drilling down into the data shows there are signs of growth, which suggest alarm at this stage is not justified.

    David Hayward 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. Unemployment’s up, house prices are stagnating. But is the Victorian economy doing as badly as it seems? – https://theconversation.com/unemployments-up-house-prices-are-stagnating-but-is-the-victorian-economy-doing-as-badly-as-it-seems-241762

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: If a Year 12 student gets an early offer for uni, does it mean they stop trying?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew J. Martin, Scientia Professor and Professor of Educational Psychology, UNSW Sydney

    Ground Picture/Shutterstock

    Early entry schemes for university – where students get an offer before their final exams – are increasingly popular.

    For example, more than 27,000 students applied to the Universities Admissions Centre (which mostly deals with New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory unis) for an early offer in 2024. This was a record number and an almost 19% increase on 2023.

    On the one hand, early offers are seen as a way to reduce pressure on Year 12 students. But they are also increasingly criticised, with concerns students may stop trying once they receive an offer.

    Our new research shows applying for an early offer does not make a significant difference to how hard a student tries leading up to their final exams or their final results.

    What are early offers?

    The main round of university offers is in December-January, after students have done their final exams in the previous October and November and have their final results or ATAR.

    With early entry offer schemes, universities assess students using criteria other than (or on top of) final results.

    Amid concerns about students reducing their efforts, in February this year, federal and state education ministers agreed there would be no university offers until September. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare is pushing for a new, national approach to early entry by 2027.

    Year 12 students around Australia sit their final exams in October and November.
    Monkey Business Images/ Shutterstock



    Read more:
    ‘I don’t believe I would have gotten into university’: how early entry schemes help Year 12 students experiencing disadvantage

    Our research

    Our new study investigated the role of early entry offers on Year 12 students’ academic and personal wellbeing.

    We looked at three types of students: students applying for and receiving an early offer, students applying for but not receiving an early offer, and students who did not apply for an early offer.

    We then looked at multiple forms of academic and personal wellbeing, including:

    • the ATAR

    • motivation at school (their interest, energy, and drive to learn) and enjoyment of school

    • how students dealt with academic challenges (also called “academic buoyancy”)

    • study burnout

    • overall life satisfaction, mental health and self-esteem.

    Who did we study?

    The study involved Year 12 students in 2022 from schools in New South Wales.

    The average age for participants was 17, most (68%) were female, the majority (69%) lived in an urban area, just under a quarter (23%) were from a non-English speaking background, and just over half were from government schools (52%).

    We tracked the ATARs of 1,512 students for whom we had early offer data.

    We also surveyed a subset of 525 students from this group. We surveyed them in term 2 of Year 12 and then followed up with a second survey in term 4, about 2 weeks before their final exams.

    The surveys included questions about their academic and personal wellbeing. Both surveys were done online.

    What we found

    In terms of early entry status, 16% did not apply for an early offer, 21% applied but were unsuccessful, and 63% received an early offer.

    Using statistical modelling to control for prior differences in achievement and motivation between the groups, as well as age, gender, school type and learning difficulties, we found an early offer did not appear to have an impact on a student’s ATAR.

    We also found no impact on their motivation, effort, burnout or mental health.

    In fact, the best predictors of students’ final results were their previous results and their efforts earlier in Year 12.

    As our research showed, the findings for these predictors were statistically significant, meaning we can have confidence the results were not due to chance.

    This mirrors other research that suggests you can predict a student’s ATAR from their Year 11 results.

    Students in our study did not stop trying if they had an early offer to uni.
    Jacob Lund/ Shutterstock

    One important difference

    We did find one statistically significant effect. Those receiving an early offer scored about 10% higher in academic buoyancy than the other two groups.

    This means these students reported they were better able to overcome academic challenges, such as difficult assessment tasks and competing deadlines, as they approached their final exams.

    We found this difference even after controlling for any prior group differences in academic buoyancy.

    But we note it was only a relatively small effect.

    Why was there so little difference?

    Some possible explanations about why early offers did not appear to make much difference include:

    • Year 12 is a busy year full of activities (from formals and other events, to plans for life after school). It could be early entry status is quickly absorbed in all the demands of the final year and becomes normalised

    • the joy or relief of an early offer is short-lived and students return to their emotional equilibrium or their typical “set point” in terms of outlook on life

    • the ATAR looms large in students’ lives, so they may still want to do as well as they can – regardless of whether they get an early offer or not.

    What does this mean?

    Our study suggests receiving an early offer for university does not make much of a difference to final outcomes.

    So this suggests students can apply for an early entry offer if they want to.

    But once the application is submitted, they need to return their focus to factors that are influential in final outcomes — such as their learning, motivation, and engagement through Year 12.

    Helen Tam, Kim Paino, Anthony Manny, Mitch Smith and Nicole Swanson from the Universities Admissions Centre helped with the research on which this article is based.

    Andrew J. Martin has received funding from the Australian Research Council, International Boys’ Schools Coalition, NSW Department of Education, and Commonwealth Department of Education.

    – ref. If a Year 12 student gets an early offer for uni, does it mean they stop trying? – https://theconversation.com/if-a-year-12-student-gets-an-early-offer-for-uni-does-it-mean-they-stop-trying-241787

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Cultural burning isn’t just important to Indigenous culture – it’s essential to Australia’s disaster management

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bhiamie Williamson, Research Fellow, Monash University

    Toa55/Shutterstock

    Last month, Australia’s newly appointed minister for emergency management, Senator Jenny McAllister, and Senator Tony Sheldon, special envoy for disaster recovery, took part in a cultural burn outside Lismore in New South Wales, as part of the National Gathering on Indigenous Disaster Resilience.

    It was significant to see members of the federal government listening to and taking direction from a cultural burn expert, Oliver Costello of Jagun Alliance, before undertaking a burn.

    Cultural burning is increasingly being used in disaster management. Pictured: Oliver Costello, Senator Jenny McAllister, Bhiamie Williamson and Senator Tony Sheldon at a cultural burn held during the National Gathering.
    Gabrielle Connole, CC BY-NC-ND

    It represented a hopeful sign that cultural burning might be increasingly used as a tool for disaster mitigation. After all, McAllister isn’t the minister for Indigenous affairs or the environment – her role is emergency management. At last month’s meeting, Indigenous peoples spoke of their desire and inherent right to be involved in disaster management.

    Cultural burning is, of course, vitally important to culture. But these gentle, regular burns were one of the main ways Indigenous groups managed land. They created mosaics of burned and unburned land, reducing the chance of megafires by burning fuel loads and creating safe havens in dangerous times.

    Networks of Indigenous groups have begun using fire to once again care for Country all around Australia. These are positive signs. But there is more to do to dismantle remaining barriers to mainstreaming cultural burning – and making it possible to use these ancient techniques to reduce, or avoid, disasters.

    An ancient practice rekindled

    The evidence of Indigenous land management using fire is significant and growing.

    This evidence has emerged through formal truth-telling processes such as Yoorrook, whose commissioners heard about the deliberate suppression of Indigenous land management in Victoria. It has come from ongoing academic research stitching settler accounts of the land and observations of how Indigenous groups used fire. In 1802, for instance, the settler John Murray recorded his amazement at how Boon Wurrung people set and controlled fire in Victoria’s Western Port Bay. The fire, which “must have covered an acre of ground”, was “dous’d […] at once”.

    In Mary Gilmore’s account of 19th-century colonial life in the New South Wales Riverina, she writes:

    As to fire, it was [Indigenous people] who taught our first settlers to get bushes and beat out a conflagration […] Indeed, it was a constant wonder, when I was little, how easily [Indigenous people] would check a fire before it grew too big for close handling or start a return fire when and where it was safest.

    These historical observations are complementary to the work of passing on knowledge of fire to the next generation. Taken together, they reveal a fundamental truth about Australia – it is a land of fire, and Indigenous people are the masters.

    The return of parcels of land to Indigenous groups in recent decades means we can restart these ancient fire regimes, through Indigenous rangers and other organisations.

    The return of ancient practices

    The management of land over deep time by Indigenous groups has meant people and the land effectively co-evolved.

    Since 1788, colonisation and Indigenous dispossession have radically altered many parts of Australia. Land was cleared for farms, cities, roads and infrastructure. Rivers were dammed for irrigation.

    Grasslands and yam fields were converted to livestock farms or cropping. Forested areas in some areas were cleared and in other areas thickly regrew, replacing the park-like mix of grassland and stands of trees produced by Indigenous land management. Thirsty crops such as cotton were planted, siphoning off huge volumes of water from lakes and rivers.

    John Glover’s 1838 painting shows open savannahs and grasslands in the Surrey Hills district of north-west Tasmania. In our time, this area has become temperate rainforest.
    Art Gallery of NSW

    Even the creation of national parks transformed landscapes, as Western practices of more passive management replaced active Indigenous management.

    The suppression of cultural burning brought yet more difficult change to Australia’s plants and animals. Australia now has one of the highest extinction rates of animals in the world. But cultural burning is being applied as a method to help protect vulnerable species, such as the Corroboree Frog.

    Over years, Indigenous groups have worked diligently and strategically to rekindle this ancient practice. But they have also reimagined it. It’s time to ask the question: what would it mean to bring back cultural burning at scale?

    No longer do Indigenous groups apply fire as a normal and everyday rhythm of life, stopping to light small fires as they walk. It’s now much more deliberate, requiring careful planning, creation of fire breaks and management of fire using trucks and heavy machinery.

    Even ignition is done differently. For a ceremony, firesticks will be used, with further lighting done using drip torches. In remote areas, fires are lit from helicopters, making it possible to cover vast areas.

    Combining these ancient and contemporary practices creates something fundamentally new. We require innovative discourses to better describe these developments.

    Indigenous Yika rangers burn using drip torches.
    Rohan Carboon/Indigenous Desert Alliance, CC BY

    New fire season, new hazards

    This fire season is likely to be a dangerous one. The seasonal bushfire outlook released by the Australasian Fire and Emergency Council projects the risk of early fires and a higher-than-usual bushfire risk over vast areas of Australia.

    Large parts of Australia are forecast to have a higher fire risk this spring.
    Australasian Fire and Emergency Council, CC BY-SA

    Recent rainy La Nina years triggered rapid vegetation growth in many areas, increasing the fuel load. Fire authorities are worried about what a forecast hot, dry, windy summer will mean.

    In recent years, Indigenous ranger groups have been undertaking cool burns as much as possible. In arid areas, there are fears of fast-moving grass fires due to the spread of introduced and highly flammable buffel grass.

    As danger from climate change intensifies, making volatile and combustible landscapes safer poses challenges both complex – and urgent.

    Indigenous groups around Australia have begun the work of rekindling cultural burns, but barriers still remain. Responsibility for fire management in state forests, national parks and on private land has long been split between government authorities and landholders. It’s time this disaster management work by Indigenous groups was recognised and magnified by governments.

    To mainstream cultural burning will mean finding ways of sharing the knowledge of when and how to burn, and resourcing Indigenous groups to undertake training and burns. Doing this will not only benefit the land and Indigenous groups, but all Australians.



    Read more:
    Before the colonists came, we burned small and burned often to avoid big fires. It’s time to relearn cultural burning

    Bhiamie Williamson leads the National Indigenous Disaster Resilience Program at Monash University. He is also a Director of the environmental charity Country Needs People.

    – ref. Cultural burning isn’t just important to Indigenous culture – it’s essential to Australia’s disaster management – https://theconversation.com/cultural-burning-isnt-just-important-to-indigenous-culture-its-essential-to-australias-disaster-management-241269

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Being mentally flexible might influence our attitudes to vaccination, a new study shows

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Gomes-Ng, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Auckland University of Technology

    Getty Images

    Making decisions about our health is a complex and sometimes difficult process.

    On top of our own attitudes, experiences and perspectives, we are inundated with information from other people (friends, family, health professionals) and from external sources (news or social media) about what it means to be healthy.

    Sometimes, this information is consistent with what we think about our own health. At other times, it may contradict our own beliefs. And to make things even more complicated, sometimes this information is deliberate misinformation.

    How do we make sense of all this when making decisions about our health? What determines whether we hold fast to our attitudes, or change our minds?

    Most of us can probably relate to this. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to change many of our behaviours to slow the spread of the virus. This meant working from home, wearing a mask, staying in our “bubbles”, and eventually getting the vaccine.

    While the decision to get vaccinated was an obvious one for many people, it was not as straightforward for others. Research from the period immediately before the COVID vaccine became available in New Zealand showed a sizeable minority was unsure about or unlikely to be vaccinated.

    These people were more likely to be young, female and less educated, and were primarily concerned about unknown future side effects. Our new research suggests cognitive (mental) flexibility may also have something to do with attitudes towards vaccination.

    A flexible mind

    Past research suggests mental flexibility plays an important role in our decision-making. Imagine changing the way you do something at work, having a discussion with someone with a different opinion, or being told you should make healthier choices (such as exercising more).

    Some people navigate these situations with ease. Others find it more difficult to adapt. Mental flexibility describes this ability to adapt our attitudes, thoughts or behaviours when faced with new or changing information.

    Studies show mental flexibility influences how extreme our opinions are, how likely we are to believe misinformation or “fake news”, whether we make pro-environmental choices or engage in health-promoting behaviours (sun protection or physical exercise, for example).

    To increase vaccination coverage, governments often use education campaigns that emphasise the safety, effectiveness and importance of vaccination. However, these campaigns don’t always succeed in reducing feelings of uncertainty about vaccination.



    Read more:
    Vaccine hesitancy is one of the greatest threats to global health – and the pandemic has made it worse

    We wanted to know why, and we thought mental flexibility might play a role. To test this, we surveyed 601 New Zealanders on their opinions and experiences of vaccination.

    Some questions asked about external factors, such as how easy they thought it was to access or afford vaccines. Other questions asked about internal factors, such as personal beliefs about vaccination, perceptions of their own heath, and how important or safe they thought vaccines were.

    Overall, our participants reported few external barriers to vaccination, with 97% saying they found vaccines accessible or affordable. These percentages are promising, and may reflect the government’s continued efforts to make it easier to get a vaccine.

    In comparison, internal factors played a larger role in vaccine uncertainty or hesitancy. In particular, nearly a quarter (22%) of participants reported concerns about the health risks of vaccines. And 12% said they didn’t trust the processes or people who developed vaccines.

    Health information campaigns don’t always succeed in reducing anxiety or uncertainty.
    Getty Images

    Testing adaptive behaviour

    We also asked our participants to play a game designed to measure mental flexibility.

    This involved matching cards based on a rule – for example, match the cards with the same number of objects. The rule would randomly change during the game, meaning participants had to adapt their behaviour as the game went on.

    Interestingly, people who found it harder to adapt to the rule changes (meaning they had lower levels of mental flexibility) also reported more internal barriers to vaccination.

    For example, when we split participants into two groups based on their mental flexibility, the low-flexibility group was 18% more likely to say vaccination was inconsistent with their beliefs. They were also 14% more likely to say they didn’t trust vaccines, and 11% more likely to report concerns about the negative side effects of vaccines.

    This wasn’t the case for external factors. Mental flexibility didn’t predict whether people thought vaccines were accessible or affordable.

    Information is sometimes not enough

    These results suggest making decisions about our health – including whether or not to get vaccinated – depends on more than receiving the “right” information.

    Simply being told about the importance of vaccination may not be enough to change attitudes or behaviours. It also depends on each person’s unique cognitive style – the way they perceive and process information.

    Declining vaccination rates have been a concern worldwide, including in New Zealand, since well before the pandemic. Our findings suggest health education campaigns may be more effective if they take into account the role of cognitive flexibility.

    One technique is to change the way information is framed. For example, instead of just presenting facts about the safety or importance of vaccination, education campaigns could encourage us to question our own perspectives, or to imagine alternative realities by asking “what if?” questions.

    Research shows this type of framing can engage our deliberative thought processes (the ones that help us to think deeply and critically), increase mental flexibility, and ultimately make us more receptive to change.

    Stephanie Gomes-Ng received funding from the Ember Korowai Takitini Trust for this research. The funders had no influence over the study’s conceptualisation, design, methodology, data collection or interpretation, nor the decision to publish.

    – ref. Being mentally flexible might influence our attitudes to vaccination, a new study shows – https://theconversation.com/being-mentally-flexible-might-influence-our-attitudes-to-vaccination-a-new-study-shows-241559

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Abortion is back in the headlines in Australia. The debates in the United States tell us why

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Prudence Flowers, Senior Lecturer in US History, College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Flinders University

    The 2022 news that the US Supreme Court had overturned Roe v Wade and ended the constitutional right to abortion sent shockwaves around the world.

    For Australian opponents of abortion who had long looked to the US for leadership and inspiration, it prompted rejoicing.

    As a leader of Cherish Life Queensland put it, “if the USA can do it, with God’s help, so can we”.

    In late 2024, the abortion issue has suddenly erupted in Queensland and South Australia. A subset of local conservatives, energised by the fall of Roe v Wade and the example of Donald Trump, are embracing the divisive “culture war” tactics that dominate US politics.

    Abortion and Australian politics in 2024

    In the 2020 Queensland election, the Liberal National Party (LNP) has promised a “review” of the legislation that had decriminalised abortion two years prior. However, the party has spent most of the 2024 campaign studiously avoiding the issue.

    That is, until Robbie Katter MP, of Katter’s Australia Party, threw a spanner in the works.

    On October 8, Katter announced that if the LNP won, as was widely predicted, he would immediately introduce a private member’s bill to repeal the state abortion law.

    LNP leader David Crisafulli, who voted against decriminalisation, insists that changing the law is “not part of our plan”.

    However, last week Crisafulli was asked 132 times about abortion and the issue of conscience votes and refused to provide a clear answer.

    In the final leaders’ debate on Tuesday night, Crisafulli finally said there would be no change to abortion law and he was “pro-choice”.

    However, that is unlikely to be the end of the issue – opposition to abortion runs deep in the LNP.

    Party policy in 2018 was that abortion should remain a criminal offence. Despite being a conscience vote, the three LNP members who voted for decriminalisation were threatened with “punishment” afterwards.

    In 2024, several new anti–abortion candidates are running for the LNP. Former Liberal senator Amanda Stoker is a particularly high-profile one, having repeatedly addressed the Brisbane March for Life rally.

    The furore over the future of reproductive rights in Queensland occurred in parallel with controversy over anti-abortion legislation introduced by state Liberal MP Ben Hood in South Australia.

    His bill required anyone needing to end a pregnancy after 28 weeks to have labour induced and for the baby to be delivered alive, regardless of the health outcomes for the pregnant person or infant.

    Peak medical and legal bodies condemned the bill, which critics described as a “forced birth” measure. It was narrowly defeated in the upper house on October 16.

    Federally, Senator Jacinta Price has also called for abortion to be back on the “national agenda” and condemned abortion after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Her stance is out of step with abortion law in all Australian jurisdictions.



    Read more:
    Abortion is now legal across Australia – but it’s still hard to access. Doctors are both the problem and the solution

    Public and party opinion

    This sudden uptick in anti-abortion politics does not reflect Australian attitudes.

    A 2024 poll found 75% of Queenslanders agreed that decriminalising abortion had been the right action.

    This view was shared across partisan and geographical lines, held by 73% of LNP voters and 78% of regional Queenslanders.

    Historian Cassandra Byrnes demonstrates that these pro-choice attitudes have deep roots. A majority of the public opposed the police raids on abortion clinics that occurred under Nationals premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

    A 2020 poll of South Australians found 80% supported decriminalisation. And 63% considered that later abortion should be available “when the woman and her healthcare team decide it is necessary”.

    The LNP’s hostility towards decriminalisation was also markedly different from the approach in other states.

    Notably, in both New South Wales and South Australia, prominent Liberals, including premiers, voted to decriminalise abortion.

    In South Australia, two senior Liberals, Minister for Human Services Michelle Lensink and Attorney-General Vickie Chapman, led the cross-party group that achieved law reform.

    Importing the culture wars

    When Australian states and territories debated decriminalisation, anti-abortion opponents relied heavily on tactics, pseudoscientific evidence and outright misinformation that first emerged in the United States.



    Read more:
    How the US right-to-life movement is influencing the abortion debate in Australia

    For example, in 2008, one Victorian group controversially distributed graphic photographs of aborted fetuses, and American diagrams and descriptions of later abortion procedures.

    Now, as Australian conservatives seek to reopen the debate over abortion, American influence underpins the rhetoric and framing.

    For decades, opponents of abortion in the United States focused on chipping away abortion rights and eroding access. They never accepted that abortion was health care.

    Since 1995, their central focus was also on the statistically rare abortions performed after 20 weeks gestation. This focus has been imported wholesale into Australia.

    The anti-abortion activism surrounding Hood’s bill reflects these approaches. Opponents of abortions waged a broad and stigmatising campaign against abortion after 22 weeks and six days, the legal point in South Australia after which two medical practitioners must approve an abortion.

    Hood’s bill is best interpreted as an anti-abortion “messaging” exercise rather than a genuine attempt to amend the law.

    For decades, this was the default tactic motivating Republicans when they introduced extreme, unenforceable bills. The purpose was not legislative change but to amplify their rhetoric and arguments and energise conservative voters.

    Opposition to abortion is also part of a broader rightward shift taking place among some state Liberal branches.

    In South Australia, conservatives launched a power grab after abortion was decriminalised in 2021. This included a significant recruitment drive among Pentecostals.

    A similar recruiting focus on conservative religious faith groups has also occurred in Victoria, triggered by LGBTQI+ victories.

    In South Australia, the party takeover is openly led by Senator Alex Antic. He made a name for himself through his hostility to COVID-19 vaccines and his opposition to trans and abortion rights.

    Antic praises Trump and seeks out connections with conservatives who are or have been close to him, including Steven Bannon and Donald Trump junior.

    Meanwhile, in Queensland, Crisafulli’s desperate efforts not to be pinned down on abortion offer a local version of themes in the 2024 presidential election.

    Because Republicans have experienced significant voter backlash over abortion, Trump has charted an uneasy course.

    Trump claims sole responsibility for the end of Roe v Wade while simultaneously denying any connection to the abortion bans now in place in many states.

    Like Crisafulli, Trump has been unclear about what his victory would mean for reproductive rights.

    Political commentator Mark Kenny concludes that an “ideological battle” is unfolding among Australian Liberals.

    As in the United States, unwavering hostility to abortion is proving central to these politicians as a way to signify their priorities to voters and define themselves against others in their party.

    Prudence Flowers has received funding from the South Australian Department of Human Services. She is a member of the South Australian Abortion Action Coalition.

    – ref. Abortion is back in the headlines in Australia. The debates in the United States tell us why – https://theconversation.com/abortion-is-back-in-the-headlines-in-australia-the-debates-in-the-united-states-tell-us-why-241778

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Labrador Joins 25-State Letter to Columbia University Concerning Antisemitism on Campus

    Source: US State of Idaho

    [BOISE] – Attorney General Raúl Labrador joined a 25-state coalition of attorneys general in sending a letter to Columbia University to raise grave concerns about antisemitism on campus. The letter also encourages the university not to give in to demands to divest from Israel.
    “Like most Americans, I was dismayed at the antisemitic protests occurring on college campuses across the country,” said Attorney General Raúl Labrador.  “However, despite the demands from pro-Palestinian student groups and others supporting Hamas, I am encouraged that Columbia University has not divested from Israel.  I urge them to continue to resist that pressure.”
    The letter, to Columbia University Interim President Katrina Armstrong, MD, says, “In April of this year, several pro-Palestinian groups staged occupation protests on Columbia University’s campus in New York City, established encampments, and demanded the university divest from Israel. Even after some protesters were arrested, occupations continued, and the school entered negotiations with protesters. The school appropriately declined to divest from Israel. But demands for divestment have not abated. And the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks heralded an escalation in antisemitic rhetoric by pro-Palestinian campus protest groups.”
    The letter goes on to list examples of actions and rhetoric by pro-Palestinian protesters calling for even more violence, including one member of Columbia University Apartheid Divest saying the school was lucky he wasn’t out killing Zionists.
    The letter from the attorneys general commends Columbia University for its decision not to divest from Israel and urges the administration to maintain that position, despite blatantly antisemitic pressure from some pro-Palestinian student groups.
    The letter was co-led by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. In addition to Idaho, the letter was joined by the attorneys general of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.
    The letter can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Greenway Technologies Announces Gas to Hydrogen System H-Reformer®

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ARLINGTON, Texas, Oct. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Greenway Technologies, Inc. (OTC: GWTI), (“Greenway”), is an advanced gas-to-liquids (“GTL”) and gas-to-hydrogen (“GTH”) technology development company. Greenway has developed and marketed a patented system, the G-Reformer®, that converts natural gas (methane) from various sources to a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide (syngas). Continued ongoing research has developed a new version of the G-Reformer®, named the “H-Reformer®,” which converts natural gas to hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The H-Reformer® system is modular and small enough to be deployed in areas close to consumption, eliminating the cost of compressing and transporting the resultant hydrogen while separating and removing created carbon dioxide.

    Two significant changes have been made to the original G-Reformer® to make a reforming system focused on hydrogen creation rather than syngas creation. First, enhancements to the controlling software have modified the G-Reformer® to convert approximately 50% of the created carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide while also producing additional hydrogen. The H-Reformer® also includes an extension to the reforming vessel used in the G-Reformer®. This module will house the physical components needed to convert the remaining carbon monoxide to hydrogen and carbon dioxide within the reforming unit. The result is the generation of considerably more hydrogen per unit of natural gas input than the original G-Reformer® produces and high conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is externally separated from resultant hydrogen by commercially available processes, yielding highly pure hydrogen and liquid carbon dioxide, which will be removed, sold, or sequestered. This new reforming system is named the H-Reformer®.

    Created hydrogen will be available for use at the point of manufacture. Hydrogen compression or liquefaction costs are also eliminated for applications that do not need compressed hydrogen (e.g., electrical power generation). In cases where compressed hydrogen is required, the hydrogen can undergo the compression process at the consumption site while eliminating hydrogen transportation.

    Unlike other natural gas-to-hydrogen technologies, the Greenway reforming process does not require external heating sources, resulting in a highly efficient and lower carbon-generating process. When pipeline-quality fossil natural gas is the input, the system will make “blue hydrogen.” When renewable pipeline-quality methane is the input, the system will make “green hydrogen.” These distinctions are important for associated clean air credits, which depend on the input natural gas source and the resultant carbon’s disposition.

    The Greenway system is modular and can be scaled by adding additional H-Reformer® modules. The system produces hydrogen at an extremely low cost per unit compared to other technologies.

    Currently, Greenway is in discussions with several prospective parties interested in creating hydrogen for various potential uses.

    Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

    This news release contains “forward-looking statements,” as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this news release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the ongoing effects of the pandemic on delays and orders regarding Greenway’s proprietary gas-to-liquids system, potential business developments and future interest in our clean fuel technologies.

    Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, general economic and political conditions, the continuation of the JV withThe University of Texas at Arlington, and the ongoing impact of the pandemic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    CONTACT:
    Robert Kevin Jones
    Greenway Technologies, Inc.
    kevin.jones@gwtechinc.com

    For more information, visit GWTI’s website: www.gwtechinc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New era begins for post-secondary in Lethbridge

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Polytechnic education provides a wide range of hands-on learning opportunities for students, developing valuable skills that can be used throughout a career. By focusing on practical training in high-demand fields, these institutions not only ensure that graduates are prepared to meet the needs of the evolving job market but also support the province’s economic growth and innovation.

    Lethbridge College officially became Alberta’s newest polytechnic institution, Lethbridge Polytechnic, on Sept. 3. On Oct. 23, the redesignated institution officially celebrated its new status and unveiled its new logo at a gathering of students and administration, community supporters and other dignitaries. 

    “Seeing the exciting, new visual identity really brings home the fact that this is the start of a whole new era for Lethbridge Polytechnic. Students in southern Alberta will have new options to pursue polytechnic education programs without having to travel to our province’s largest centres. This will help them reduce living costs while they study and lessen their time away from family and familiar support networks. And they will have expanded career options in their own region upon graduating.”

    Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Advanced Education

    “I’m thrilled to see Lethbridge College become Lethbridge Polytechnic. This will help create even more opportunities for students to gain the skills and knowledge they need for success. As an alumnus myself, I know just how valuable and important this institution is to our community.”

    Nathan Neudorf, MLA for Lethbridge-East

    The new name and visual identity reflect a changing mandate. As Lethbridge Polytechnic, the institution has an expanded capacity to create career-focused degree, diploma, certificate and apprenticeship education programs. The new designation also gives Lethbridge Polytechnic greater flexibility to align more effectively with local student and business needs.

    Since it was established as Lethbridge Junior College in 1957, Lethbridge Polytechnic has played a key role in the economic, social and cultural life of Lethbridge and surrounding area. The transition to Lethbridge Polytechnic enhances the post-secondary system in southern Alberta, adding its own distinct programming to existing university, college and First Nations College programs to meet the diverse needs of the region’s communities.

    “The unveiling of our new logo is about more than just a new design. It symbolizes our transition from Lethbridge College to Lethbridge Polytechnic, marking our evolution as an institution that’s forged on providing industry-driven, hands-on education. This transition represents the spirit of innovation, collaboration and community that runs through everything we do.”

    Michael Marcotte, board chair, Lethbridge Polytechnic

    “The logo is the result of talking to people who know our institution well. The result speaks to our past and future, and the caring, inclusive environment students say they find here.”

    Brad Donaldson, president and CEO, Lethbridge College

    The redesignation of Lethbridge Polytechnic is aligned with the goals of the Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs strategy. The institution will offer an environment for applied research that aligns with high-demand industries in Alberta. Alberta’s government continues to work with Lethbridge Polytechnic to ensure a successful transition to polytechnic status.

    Quick facts

    • Polytechnic institutions in Alberta must offer apprenticeship education, and diploma and certificate programs. They are also able to offer degree programs.
    • Polytechnic status in Alberta supports the advancement of applied research and industry-driven results.
    • The Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs strategy is a transformational vision and direction for Alberta’s higher education system, which will develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, strengthen innovation and commercialization of research and forge stronger relationships between employers and post-secondary institutions.

    Related information

    • Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs | Alberta.ca

    Related news

    • Enhancing post-secondary learning in Lethbridge (June 25, 2024)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MoUs signed between NIEPVD Dehradun and Six Institutions for the welfare of Divyangjan

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 23 OCT 2024 8:20PM by PIB Delhi

    The National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD), Dehradun (under D/o Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities – DEPwD, M/o Social Justice and Empowerment), signed important Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with six institutions, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs) dedicated to the empowerment of Divyangjan.

     

    On this occasion, Secretary (DEPwD) Shri Rajesh Aggarwal said, “Today marks a significant milestone, and we are confident that the positive impact of these collaborations will be evident in the lives of Divyangjan in the near future.” This partnership is a crucial step towards enhancing the capabilities and welfare of Divyangjan by ensuring access to essential resources and support.

    The MoUs, with institutions including Uttarakhand Open University (Haldwani), National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) Haridwar, Max Hospital Dehradun, NGOs Pratham (Mumbai), National Association for the Blind (NAB) Delhi and Torchit Pvt. Ltd. (Ahmedabad), aim to promote the welfare and upliftment of Divyangjan.

    The partnership would focus on areas such as modern technology, artificial intelligence, psychological support, protection against online fraud, ease of access to technology, utilization of modern teaching-learning materials, and technical training for teachers working in special education.

    *****

    VM

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: INDIAN ARMY TO HOST THE SECOND EDITION OF CHANAKYA DEFENCE DIALOGUE: A GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR STRATEGIC INSIGHTS

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 23 OCT 2024 5:19PM by PIB Delhi

    The Indian Army is set to host the second edition of its flagship international seminar, the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, on October 24 and 25,, 2024  at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. Themed “Drivers in Nation Building: Fuelling Growth Through Comprehensive Security,” this high-profile event will facilitate vital discussions on integrating security dynamics within national and international policymaking, and aims to craft visionary strategies for sustainable and inclusive growth.

    The two-day event will bring together an exceptional group of policymakers, strategic thinkers, academics, defence personnel, veterans, scientists, and SMEs from India and abroad, with prominent speakers from the United States, Russia, Israel, and Sri Lanka. The dialogue will explore India’s strategic pathways towards Viksit Bharat @2047, focusing on the role of comprehensive security in national development.

    Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the event as the Chief Guest, where he will also launch the Indian Army’s Green Initiative 1.0 and Digitisation of IA 1.0. He will deliver a keynote address on ‘India’s Vision for Development and Security,’ underscoring the importance of comprehensive security in achieving Viksit Bharat @2047. General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff, will also address the audience, highlighting the Indian Army’s significant contributions to nation-building, including initiatives aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat.

    The Chanakya Defence Dialogue will consist of six expert-led sessions, each focusing on critical aspects of comprehensive security:

    Session 1. Geopolitical Dynamics: Navigating the International Coliseum

    This session will delve into the shifting geopolitical landscape and how nations navigate strategic partnerships while balancing national interests and global objectives. The panel will explore the impact of evolving global power structures on India’s strategic positioning, highlighting the growing importance of alliances and multilateral cooperation in an increasingly polarized world.

    Moderator: Ms Palki Sharma (Network 18)

    Panellists:

    • Ms. Lisa Curtis (Centre for a New American Security)
    • Ms. Carice Witte (SIGNAL Group, Israel)
    • Ambassador Kanwal Sibal (Former Foreign Secretary, Government of India)

    The panel will provide insights into geopolitical shifts, focusing on India’s role in the Indo-Pacific, its relations with key global powers, and the opportunities and challenges these present for India’s national security and development goals.

    Session 2. Economic Development Strategies & National Security Imperatives

    This session will examine how economic development and national security are interconnected, exploring the importance of a resilient economy for maintaining a strong defence posture. Panellists will discuss strategies for integrating economic policies with national security imperatives, and how India can leverage its growing economic strength to enhance its global influence.

    Moderator: Ms. Gaurie Dwivedi (NDTV)

    Panellists:

    • Mr. Asanga Abeyagoonasekera (IMF Technical Advisor)
    • Dr. G S Reddy (Former Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister)
    • Dr. Sanjeev Sanyal (Member, PM’s Economic Advisory Council)

    Key themes will include leveraging economic reforms, boosting domestic industrial capacities, and aligning economic growth with defence production under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The session will also explore how economic resilience can act as a deterrent against external threats.

    Session 3. Environmental Sustainability: Balancing Growth with Ecological Concerns

    With growing global focus on climate change, this session will explore the need to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. It will discuss how India can achieve development goals while ensuring that ecological concerns are addressed, particularly in the context of national security.

    Moderator: Dr. Tara Kartha (Director Research & Academics, CLAWS)

    Panellists:

    • Ms. Elizabeth Threlkeld (Stimson Center, US)
    • Mr. Rushikesh Chavan (Habitats Trust)
    • Lt Gen S A Hasnain (Retd)

    Panellists will discuss how sustainable development can contribute to long-term security by mitigating resource-driven conflicts, enhancing disaster preparedness, and ensuring the well-being of future generations. The session will emphasize the role of the military in ecological preservation, particularly in high-altitude and environmentally sensitive regions.

    Session 4. Social Cohesion and Inclusive Growth: Pillars of a Secure Nation

    This session will focus on the importance of social unity and inclusive growth for national security. The panel will examine how internal security can be strengthened by fostering social cohesion, addressing economic disparities, and promoting inclusive development across all sections of society.

    Moderator: Mr. RR Swain (Former DGP J&K Police)

    Panellists:

    • Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi (Member of Parliament)
    • Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi (Former MP and Lawyer)
    • Gen V K Singh (Retd) (Former COAS & ex-Minister of State for External Affairs)

    The discussion will highlight the role of law enforcement, legal frameworks, and policy initiatives in promoting internal security, with a focus on integrating marginalized communities into the national fabric. The panellists will offer strategies to merge social cohesion initiatives with internal security policies, fostering a shared national identity and promoting peace and stability.

    Session 5. Blurring Frontiers: The Convergence of Technology & Security

    This session will explore the integration of emerging technologies into national security frameworks. As new technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber warfare, and unmanned systems revolutionize warfare, the session will discuss how India can stay ahead of the curve while ensuring that technological advancements are deployed ethically and responsibly.

    Moderator: Lt Gen Raj Shukla (Retd)

    Panellists:

    • Dr. Chintan Vaishnav (NITI Aayog)
    • Brig Gen Eran Ortal (SIGNAL Group, Israel)
    • Mr. Dmitry Stefanovich (IMEMO, Russia)

    Panellists will explore the advantages and challenges of integrating AI, robotics, and other emerging technologies into security operations. The session will also address ethical considerations such as privacy, responsible use, and societal alignment, ensuring that technological advances serve national security without compromising civil liberties.

    Session 6. Groundbreakers: Shaping Land Warfare, Reflections for the Indian Army

    This concluding session will focus on the future of land warfare and how the Indian Army can adopt advanced technologies to enhance battlefield readiness. Panellists will examine lessons from global military practices and how India can foster homegrown defence technologies under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

    Moderator: Vice Admiral A B Singh (Retd)

    Panellists:

    • Dr. Konstantin Bogdanov (IMEMO, Russia)
    • Prof. Amit Gupta (University of Illinois, US)
    • Dr. Patrick Bratton (US Army War College)

    The discussion will explore the evolving nature of land warfare, emphasizing the need for the Indian Army to develop indigenous technological capabilities while leveraging strategic partnerships with global military and industrial leaders. The panel will debate how to balance innovation with operational effectiveness, creating responsible and sustainable military solutions.

    On the second day, Chanakya Defence Dialogue will feature special addresses by Dr. S Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, on the critical significance of India’s expanding space sector, and Ms. Ruchira Kamboj, Former Permanent Representative of India to the UN, who will share insights on India’s evolving position in a multipolar world and the need for strong diplomatic measures to safeguard national interests.

    The dialogue will conclude with a closing address by Lt Gen N S Raja Subramani, Vice Chief of the Army Staff, who will summarize the key takeaways from the event, reaffirming the Indian Army’s commitment to ensuring a secure, prosperous, and Viksit Bharat @2047.

    Through its comprehensive and diverse discussions, the Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2024 will serve as a landmark platform, fostering collaboration among military leaders, policymakers, strategic thinkers, and security specialists from around the world. This event is set to influence India’s strategic direction on national security and development, helping shape a secure and thriving future for the nation.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: National Learning Week: Empowering India’s Public Service through Knowledge Sharing

    Source: Government of India (2)

    National Learning Week: Empowering India’s Public Service through Knowledge Sharing

    Speakers for tomorrow’s webinars (24-10-2024)

    Posted On: 23 OCT 2024 5:13PM by PIB Delhi

    As ‘Karmayogi Saptah’ progresses under the banner of Mission Karmayogi, launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the National Learning Week (NLW) continues to foster lifelong learning and skill development for civil servants. The webinars scheduled for October 24, 2024, feature prominent experts discussing a wide range of topics critical to building India’s future, including research, infrastructure, public health, workplace culture, and education.

    The goal is to provide actionable insights for government officials to improve their effectiveness and contribute to a stronger, more responsive public service.

    Key Highlights of the Day:

    Mr Kris Gopalakrishnan

    Topic: Making India an R&D Superpower

    Time: 9 am – 10 am

    Mr Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Axilor Ventures, will address India’s journey towards becoming a global leader in research and development (R&D). He will highlight the critical areas where India can advance to build robust innovation ecosystems that propel the country towards R&D excellence.

    Mr Vinayak Chatterjee

    Topic: Stages of Infrastructure Development: The Indian Experience

    Time: 10 am – 11 am

    Founder and Managing Trustee of The Infravision Foundation, Mr Vinayak Chatterjee will discuss India’s infrastructure development journey. His talk will cover key phases of growth, challenges faced and the path forward for creating sustainable and world-class infrastructure.

    Dr. Soumya Swaminathan

    Topic: India Public Health Towards Viksit Bharat

    Time: 12 pm – 1 pm

    Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), will shed light on India’s public health challenges and solutions. She will outline a vision for how public health efforts can contribute to realizing the goal of a developed India (‘Viksit Bharat’).

    Sister B.K. Shivani

    Topic: Creating a Mindful Work Culture: Strategies for Leaders and Teams

    Time: 3 pm – 4 pm

    Sister B.K. Shivani from the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization will lead a session on building a mindful work culture. Her presentation will focus on how leaders and teams in public service can foster a supportive, mentally healthy, and balanced work environment through mindfulness and self-awareness.

    Mr Anurag Behar

    Topic: Inclusive Education & Capacity Building for Public Service

    Time: 5 pm – 6 pm

    Mr Anurag Behar, CEO of the Azim Premji Foundation and Chancellor of Azim Premji University, Bhopal, will explore how inclusive education can contribute to strengthening public service. His session will cover the role of capacity building in ensuring that civil servants are well-equipped to serve all sections of society, particularly the marginalized.

    These sessions reflect the core tenets of Mission Karmayogi, reinforcing the importance of continuous learning, capacity building, and leadership development for public servants. The webinars aim to inspire officials to take a proactive role in shaping India’s future through informed decision-making and innovative solutions.

    ***

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  • MIL-OSI USA: The Marshall Star for October 23, 2024

    Source: NASA

    Editor’s Note: Starting Nov. 4, the Office of Communications at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will no longer publish the Marshall Star on nasa.gov. The last public issue will be Oct. 30. To continue reading Marshall news, visit nasa.gov/marshall.

    For centuries, humans have dreamed of the ability to live safely on the Moon and Mars. At NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, team members supporting habitation systems development bring that dream closer to reality by envisioning and shaping humanity’s future in deep space and on the surface of other worlds.
    Marshall’s Habitation Systems business unit – the center’s featured organization for October – develops the next generation of habitation systems to make living and working in space and on planetary bodies possible. These efforts are carried out through the Habitation Systems Development Office, in which the team works across programmatic and engineering organizations to support formulation activities for planetary surface habitation (Moon and Mars), transit habitats for deep space exploration, and the Gateway program. In addition, the Marshall team collaborates with commercial partners on future habitation concept development and risk reduction activities through NextSTEP Appendix A: Habitation Systems and Reimbursable Space Act Agreements.   

    Seth Bell is currently the technical monitor for NASA’s commercial partner Sierra Space. Sierra has executed both full scale and subscale inflatable habitat burst tests at Marshall’s East Test Area. Bell has worked as a subsystem manager for the Mars Ascent Vehicle and as a system’s engineer and Engineering Directorate integrator.
    “I am excited to eventually see softgood inflatables in low Earth orbit,” Bell said. “Seeing the success of the many teams working in this office is exciting, especially after developing so many lasting relationships and putting so much time and energy into this work.”

    Since joining NASA in 2008, Yancy Young has served in multiple positions, including manager of several International Space Station research projects and Launch Package manager for Gateway Co-manifested Payloads. Currently, Young is the technical monitor for Boeing efforts under NASA’s NextSTEP Appendix A Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the development of deep space habitation concepts.
    “I love being a part of laying the foundation for long term deep space exploration,” Young said.
    Boeing’s current focus is a Design Analysis Cycle investigating the benefits and challenges of using composite materials in a pressurized Lunar Surface Habitat.

    In her 25-plus years at NASA, Brooke Thornton has worked on everything from ionized space radiation analysis to Earth observing satellites. Currently, Thornton is the industry engagement manager for the Habitation Systems Development Office and Strategy and Architecture Office. Thornton manages NextSTEP-2 Appendix A-Habitation Systems and Appendix R-Logistics and Mobility Systems BAA. In addition, Thornton fosters collaboration between industry and NASA for the Moon to Mars mission.
    “I am excited about working with industry to develop the elements and concepts of operations for humans to live on the Moon and beyond,” Thornton said.
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    Joseph Pelfrey, center, director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, talks with team members during the BBQ Fest hosted by the Marshall Exchange on Oct. 21. The event was held on the walking trail behind the Wellness Center and was open to team members, their family members, and retirees. “My thanks to those who came out to this year’s BBQ – and especially to those who helped make it happen,” Pelfrey said. “I could not have asked for better weather or a better group of people to spend the afternoon with. It was great to see everyone’s families join us on site to celebrate the hard work our teams have put in this year.” (NASA/Charles Beason)

    Children play on an inflatable at the BBQ Fest with a space shuttle inflatable in the background. (NASA/Charles Beason)

    Marshall team members participate in Bingo during the BBQ hosted by the Marshall Exchange. (NASA/Charles Beason)
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    Tony Clark has been named to the Senior Executive Service position of deputy director of the Engineering Directorate at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, effective immediately. In this role, Clark will be help lead the center’s largest organization, comprised of more than 2,500 civil service and contractor personnel, who design, test, evaluate, and operate flight hardware and software associated with Marshall-developed space transportation and spacecraft systems, science instruments, and payloads.

    Clark previously served as deputy director of the Space Systems Department at Marshall from 2021-2024 and served as acting director in 2024. In this role, Clark led the design, development, assembly, integration, testing, and delivery of flight, ground, prototype, and development products for NASA human spaceflight programs, science investigations, and exploration initiatives. He aided in the oversight of an annual budget of approximately $70 million and helped manage a diverse, highly technical workforce of approximately 660 civil service employees and contractors.
    Over his three decades of service to NASA, Clark has held numerous key leadership roles, bringing a wealth of technical and supervisory experience to Marshall’s broad range of engineering endeavors. He served as manager of the vehicle equipment area in Johnson Space Center’s Vehicle Systems Integration Office of the Gateway Program from 2018-2021. He was also manager of the Engineering Resource Management Office in Marshall’s Engineering Directorate from 2014-2018, tasked with leading and coordinating resources among eight engineering departments, laboratories and offices staffed by more than 2,300 civil service and contract personnel.
    He was acting deputy manager of the Engineering Directorate’s Spacecraft and Vehicle Systems Department from February 2014 to October 2014. Prior to that, Clark was chief of the directorate’s Electrical Integration and Fabrication Division from 2007-2014, and chief of the Electromagnetic Environmental Effects and Electrical Integration Branch from 2004-2007. He joined Marshall in September 1991 as an electromagnetic environmental effects engineer.
    Clark earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville in 1989 and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from The Ohio State University in Columbus in 1991.
    Among his many professional awards and honors, Clark received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2010 for his work on the Ares IX, the launch vehicle which informed development of NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System. He also received a Silver Snoopy award in 1999, reflecting outstanding service and the highest dedication to safe human spaceflight.
    Clark was a founding member in 2004 of the Huntsville Chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers’ Electromagnetic Compatibility Society.
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    A passion for puzzles, problem-solving, and propulsion led Sarah Ryan – a native of Columbus, Ohio – to her current position as Raptor engine lead for NASA’s HLS (Human Landing System) insight team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The SpaceX Raptor rocket engine powers the company’s Starship and Super Heavy rocket. SpaceX will land astronauts on the Moon for NASA’s Artemis III and Artemis IV missions using the Starship HLS. NASA’s Artemis campaign aims to land the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the Moon.

    “My team looks at how the components of the Raptor engine work together. Then, we evaluate the performance of the full system to make sure it will accomplish the NASA HLS and Artemis missions,” Ryan said. “I get to see lots of pieces and parts of the puzzle and then look at the system as a whole to make sure it meets NASA’s needs.”
    While earning a bachelor’s degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland with a dual major in aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering, Ryan had an internship at Marshall, working on a payload for a science mission onboard the International Space Station.
    After working for a year on satellite design, Ryan returned to Marshall. She noted that the opportunity to work in Marshall’s Engine Systems branch, to be involved with pushing technology forward, and to work on Artemis, really drew her back to NASA. Ryan later earned a master’s degree in aerospace systems from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
    When not occupied with rocket engine development, Ryan likes to work on quieter hobbies in her free time, including reading, board games, crocheting, and solving all manner of puzzles – crosswords, number games, word games, and more. Her interest for solving puzzles carries over into her work on the Raptor rocket engines for HLS.
    “My favorite tasks are the ones that most resemble a puzzle,” Ryan said. “If we’re investigating an issue and have a lot of information to assess, I love putting all the pieces together and figuring out what happened, why, and the path forward. I enjoy digging into the data and solving those puzzles.”
    With Artemis, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before, learn how to live and work away from home, and prepare for future human exploration of Mars. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, exploration ground systems, and Orion spacecraft, along with the HLS, next-generation spacesuits, Gateway lunar space station, and future rovers are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration.
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    While precision, perseverance, and engineering are necessary skills in building a Moon rocket, Casey Wolfe knows that one of the most important aspects for the job is teamwork.
    “Engineering is vital, but to get this type of work done, you need to take care of the human element,” said Wolfe, the assistant branch chief of the advanced manufacturing branch in the Materials and Processes Laboratory at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

    Together with her team, Wolfe is developing and producing the next generation payload adapter for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) super-heavy lift rocket. The adapter is made with some of the world’s most advanced composite manufacturing techniques.
    Wolfe’s work integrates the technical day-to-day operations and personnel management of the composites manufacturing team and additive manufacturing team, balancing production of SLS hardware with the creation of new engines using the latest manufacturing technologies. 
    “A lot of my day to day is in managing our two teams, making connections, building relationships, and making sure people feel supported,” Wolfe said. “I conduct individual tag ups with each team member so we can be proactive about anticipating and addressing problems.”
    Wolfe grew up in Huntsville, a place known as the “Rocket City,” but it wasn’t until she visited a job fair while studying at Auburn University for a polymer and fiber engineering degree that she began to consider a career at Marshall. Wolfe applied for and was selected to be a NASA intern through the Pathways Program, working in the non-metallic materials branch of the Materials and Processes Laboratory.
    Wolfe supported a coating system for electrostatic discharge on the first uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft. Launching Dec. 5, 2014, Orion traveled to an altitude of 3,600 miles, orbited Earth twice, and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. It was during her internship that Wolfe realized how inspirational it felt to be treated like a vital part of a team.
    “The SLS program gave everyone permission to sign the hardware, even me – even though I was just an intern,” Wolfe said. “It was impactful to me, knowing that something I had worked on had my name on it and went to space.” 
    Since being hired by NASA, Wolfe’s work has supported development of the Orion stage adapter diaphragms for Artemis II and Artemis III, and the payload adapters for Artemis IV and beyond. The first three Artemis flights use the SLS Block 1 rocket variant, which can send more than 27 metric tons (59,500 pounds) to the Moon in a single launch. Beginning with Artemis IV, the SLS Block 1B variant will use the new, more powerful exploration upper stage to enable more ambitious missions to deep space, with the cone-shaped payload adapter situated atop the rocket’s exploration upper stage. The new variant will be capable of launching more than 38 metric tons (84,000 pounds) to the Moon in a single launch.
    “While the engineering development unit of the payload adapter is undergoing large-scale testing, our team is working on the production of the qualification article, which will also be tested,” Wolfe said. “Flight components should be starting fabrication in the next six months.”
    When Wolfe isn’t working, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and hanging out with her dogs and large family. Recently, she signed another piece of SLS hardware headed to space: the Orion stage adapter for the second Artemis mission.
    With as many responsibilities as Wolfe juggles, it’s easy to lose sight of her work’s impact. “I work in the lab around the hardware all the time, and in many ways, it can become very rote,” she said.
    But Wolfe won’t forget what she saw one evening when she worked late: “Everybody was gone, and as I walked past the launch vehicle stage adapter, there were two security guards taking pictures of each other in front of it. It was one of those things that made me step back and reflect on what my team accomplishes every day: making history happen.”
    NASA is working to land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.
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    By Rick Smith
    New findings using data from NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) mission offer unprecedented insight into the shape and nature of a structure important to black holes called a corona.
    A corona is a shifting plasma region that is part of the flow of matter onto a black hole, about which scientists have only a theoretical understanding. The new results reveal the corona’s shape for the first time, and may aid scientists’ understanding of the corona’s role in feeding and sustaining black holes.

    Many black holes, so named because not even light can escape their titanic gravity, are surrounded by accretion disks, debris-cluttered whirlpools of gas. Some black holes also have relativistic jets – ultra-powerful outbursts of matter hurled into space at high speed by black holes that are actively eating material in their surroundings.
    Less well known, perhaps, is that snacking black holes, much like Earth’s Sun and other stars, also possess a superheated corona. While the Sun’s corona, which is the star’s outermost atmosphere, burns at roughly 1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of a black hole corona is estimated at billions of degrees.
    Astrophysicists previously identified coronae among stellar-mass black holes – those formed by a star’s collapse – and supermassive black holes such as the one at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy.
    “Scientists have long speculated on the makeup and geometry of the corona,” said Lynne Saade, a postdoctoral researcher at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and lead author of the new findings. “Is it a sphere above and below the black hole, or an atmosphere generated by the accretion disk, or perhaps plasma located at the base of the jets?”
    Enter IXPE, which specializes in X-ray polarization, the characteristic of light that helps map the shape and structure of even the most powerful energy sources, illuminating their inner workings even when the objects are too small, bright, or distant to see directly. Just as we can safely observe the Sun’s corona during a total solar eclipse, IXPE provides the means to clearly study the black hole’s accretion geometry, or the shape and structure of its accretion disk and related structures, including the corona.
    “X-ray polarization provides a new way to examine black hole accretion geometry,” Saade said. “If the accretion geometry of black holes is similar regardless of mass, we expect the same to be true of their polarization properties.”
    IXPE demonstrated that, among all black holes for which coronal properties could be directly measured via polarization, the corona was found to be extended in the same direction as the accretion disk – providing, for the first time, clues to the corona’s shape and clear evidence of its relationship to the accretion disk. The results rule out the possibility that the corona is shaped like a lamppost hovering over the disk. 
    The research team studied data from IXPE’s observations of 12 black holes, among them Cygnus X-1 and Cygnus X-3, stellar-mass binary black hole systems about 7,000 and 37,000 light-years from Earth, respectively, and LMC X-1 and LMC X-3, stellar-mass black holes in the Large Magellanic Cloud more than 165,000 light-years away. IXPE also observed a number of supermassive black holes, including the one at the center of the Circinus galaxy, 13 million light-years from Earth, and those in galaxies NGC 1068 and NGC 4151, 47 million light-years away and nearly 62 million light-years away, respectively.
    Stellar mass black holes typically have a mass roughly 10 to 30 times that of Earth’s Sun, whereas supermassive black holes may have a mass that is millions to tens of billions of times larger. Despite these vast differences in scale, IXPE data suggests both types of black holes create accretion disks of similar geometry.
    That’s surprising, said Marshall astrophysicist Philip Kaaret, principal investigator for the IXPE mission, because the way the two types are fed is completely different.
    “Stellar-mass black holes rip mass from their companion stars, whereas supermassive black holes devour everything around them,” he said. “Yet the accretion mechanism functions much the same way.”
    That’s an exciting prospect, Saade said, because it suggests that studies of stellar-mass black holes – typically much closer to Earth than their much more massive cousins – can help shed new light on properties of supermassive black holes as well. The team next hopes to make additional examinations of both types.
    Saade anticipates there’s much more to glean from X-ray studies of these behemoths. “IXPE has provided the first opportunity in a long time for X-ray astronomy to reveal the underlying processes of accretion and unlock new findings about black holes,” she said.
    The complete findings are available in the latest issue of The Astrophysical Journal.
    Smith, an Aeyon employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.
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    The Oort Cloud comet, called C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, passes over Southeast Louisiana near New Orleans, home of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility on Oct. 13. The comet is making its first appearance in documented human history; it was last seen in the night sky 80,000 years ago. The Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet made its first close pass by Earth in mid-October and will remain visible to viewers in the Northern Hemisphere just between the star Arcturus and planet Venus through early November. Eric Bordelon, a photographer for Michoud, captured the image, which was featured as NASA’s image of the day. “On Sunday evening I decided to head out to find the comet I’ve read so much about,” Bordelon said. “Struggling at first to see it, once my eyes adjusted to the darkness I could faintly see it. I pulled my camera out and set up a tripod, with a longer exposure around six seconds I was able to capture this shot with a single frame. The far off setting sun made a beautiful color gradient in the dark sky with the other stars just beginning to appear.” Read more about the comet. (NASA/Eric Bordelon)
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    A new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the striking spiral galaxy Messier 90 (M90, also NGC 4569), located in the constellation Virgo. In 2019, Hubble released an image of M90 created with Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) data taken in 1994, soon after its installation. That WFPC2 image has a distinctive stair-step pattern due to the layout of its sensors. Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) replaced WFPC2 in 2009 and Hubble used WFC3 when it turned its aperture to Messier 90 again in 2019 and 2023. That data resulted in this stunning new image, providing a much fuller view of the galaxy’s dusty disk, its gaseous halo, and its bright core.

    The inner regions of M90’s disk are sites of star formation, seen here in red H-alpha light from nebulae. M90 sits among the galaxies of the relatively nearby Virgo Cluster, and its orbit took M90 on a path near the cluster’s center about three hundred million years ago. The density of gas in the inner cluster weighed on M90 like a strong headwind, stripping enormous quantities of gas from the galaxy and creating the diffuse halo we see around it. This gas is no longer available to form new stars in M90, with the spiral galaxy eventually fading as a result.
    M90 is located 55 million light-years from Earth, but it’s one of the very few galaxies getting closer to us. Its orbit through the Virgo cluster has accelerated so much that M90 is in the process of escaping the cluster entirely. By happenstance, it’s moving in our direction. Astronomers have measured other galaxies in the Virgo cluster at similar speeds, but in the opposite direction. As M90 continues to move toward us over billions of years, it will also be evolving into a lenticular galaxy.
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