NewzIntel.com

Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Economists moot bold income tax plan – UoA

    Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

    What if your income tax didn’t go to the government but into your own savings account? A bold proposal makes the case.

    New Zealand’s ageing population and ballooning welfare and health costs are piling pressure on the public purse.

    In response, former Minister of Finance Sir Roger Douglas and University of Auckland economics professor Robert MacCulloch are reimagining their ambitious 2016 proposal to overhaul the country’s tax, health and welfare systems by shifting income taxation to mandatory savings.

    In their research article, the pair argue that income tax on earnings up to $60,000 should be redirected into individual savings accounts. These accounts would fund each person’s healthcare, pension and risk cover, replacing much of the current public system with private provision.

    By 2060, 26 percent of New Zealanders will be over 65, up from 16 percent in 2021, which will intensify the strain on superannuation and healthcare.

    “We need to change the way we’re doing things so government costs can be reduced, quality of outcomes increased, and the plight of low earners, who are most vulnerable to public cuts, improved,” say Douglas and MacCulloch in their paper How to change the welfare state from a taxation to a savings-based model.

    The economists attempt a politically feasible plan that maintains total welfare funding from both public and private sources, while opening up more choice and competition in the supply of healthcare services.

    “We need to adjust the tax system so the vast majority of New Zealanders of working age can provide for themselves,” says MacCulloch. “The first step is to build mandatory savings accounts for health, pensions and risk cover via the transfer into them of current taxes paid on income up to $60,000.”

    According to their model, an individual could save around $21,000 annually: $9,450 into a health account, $7,350 for superannuation, and $4,200 for risk cover.

    A drop in corporate taxes would help fund employer contributions, and the government would retain sufficient tax revenues so it could act as ‘insurer of last resort’, paying for people who can’t meet their welfare costs out of their savings accounts.

    “Our savings-not-taxation reform offers scope for efficiency gains in healthcare. It does so by opening up choice for individuals,” says MacCulloch.

    “Rather than the government dictating where to go, people can choose their preferred public or private supplier.”

    The researchers point to Singapore, which employs mandatory savings accounts and has one of the highest-quality healthcare systems in the world, yet spent 5.6 percent of its GDP on healthcare in 2021 (including both public and private sectors), compared to New Zealand’s 10.1 percent.

    “Our reform keeps the pension but would raise the retirement age gradually from 65 to 70 years old over a 20-year period,” says MacCulloch.

    The authors would do away with fee subsidies and interest-free loans for tertiary students from well-off families. Instead, a means test would see only students from low-income, low-capital families receive aid.

    They would scrap grants to the movie industry, winter energy subsidies to wealthy households, favourable tax treatment for owners of rental housing, and allowances to sectors such as forestry, fishing, and bloodstock.

    The money saved from these changes would be directed towards helping low earners build savings and cover the welfare needs of those who are chronically unwell.

    “Perhaps more than any other feature of our reform, it’s the ‘miracle of compound interest’ that governments like New Zealand’s are not taking proper advantage of,” says MacCulloch. “If we can do this, it’ll help our financial situation.”

    MacCulloch notes that the proposal isn’t without flaws, but says bold change and ideas are needed, and fast, if Aotearoa New Zealand is to create a resilient economy in the face of an ageing population.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – NAIDOC Week – Refugees feel welcomed by Indigenous communities – study

    Source: AMES

    Refugees settling in Australia feel welcomed by Indigenous communities and believe it is important to respect and learn about first nations’ culture, according to a new survey.

    More than half (63 per cent) of respondents said that felt welcomed by Indigenous communities and that it was important to be welcoming to Indigenous Australians, while just 13 per cent said it was not important.

    The findings are part of a survey of refugees who have settled in regional Australia, conducted by migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia and the University of Wollongong.

    The interim results of the ‘Settling Well’ survey found refugees in the regions feel welcome and safe, and value the peaceful environment regional communities provide in raising children.

    The study is a five-year longitudinal comparative assessment of the impacts of refugee settlement in regional Australia.

    The study surveyed refugee and established communities in Nhilll, Mildura, Albury-Wodonga, Cowra-Orange, Rockhampton and Townsville.

    Mildura based former refugee Jules Kangeta said it was important to respect Indigenous culture.

    “I find welcome to country ceremonies very moving. You can see an ancient culture at work and the local Indigenous community are telling us we are welcome,” Mr Kangeta said.

    “It is a very generous gesture that shows love and shows that these are good people. The ceremonies are important because the give authority and agency to newcomers, like me, to this country.

    “It is important that Indigenous communities are recognised and have a say in the country that was originally theirs,” Mr Kangeta said.

    AMES Australia CEO Cath Scarth said refugee and Indigenous communities had many things in common and natural affinity.

    “Many people from both communities can, at times, feel marginalised and can struggle to find their places in mainstream society. So, it’s not surprising there is a level of empathy between them,” she said.

    The study also found refugees were finding employment opportunities and affordable housing in the regions.

    It found refugees valued the lack of congestion in regional Australia and they most planned to stay.

    But it also identified issues with a lack of service provision and educational opportunities.

    It asked refugees how they felt about life in rural Australia in terms of economic, cultural and social outcomes as well as access to opportunity and health and wellbeing.

    The study surveyed 324 people from 25 countries. Most of the participants were from the Democratic republic of Congo, Burma, the Central African Republic, Afghanistan and Bhutan.

    “Overall, people feel safe and peaceful in regional Australia. They felt welcomed by, but also a little isolated from, communities mostly because of language barriers,” the report said.

    “They like the lack of congestion, and they see regional communities as better places to raise kids because they see them as safer from bad influences. But this also comes with less educational opportunities.

    “Many people have been able to buy houses, that would have been out of reach in the cities. And employment opportunities are generally good,” the report said.

    Asked if they planned to stay in regional Australia, 75 per cent said they planned to stay long term and just 5 per cent said they did not.

    The study found refugees were mostly satisfied with the support they received on settling into new communities.

    “We found that individuals – settlement workers, volunteers and community members – were important in helping people to settle,” the report said.

    The study also found services in the regions were less accessible that in cities.

    “In some communities we found a lack of things like dental services, refugee mental health and immigration lawyers,” the report said.

    “We also found that younger adults were missing out on schooling and further educational opportunities.”

    The study also identified a lack of English language tuition in secondary settlement locations, where mainstream settlement services are not available.

    The study’s preliminary recommendations included: flexible settlement core funding to respond to needs that arise; reassessment of needs after initial settlement, and flexible delivery of English language classes tailored to different aspirations and locations.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Tracking insect and bug health in a heartbeat from a digital camera

    Source:

    10 July 2025

    In a world-first pilot study, researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) have used video footage of insects to extract their heart rates without touching or disturbing them.

    The innovation, published in the Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology, could transform how scientists monitor the health and stress levels of arthropods, that account for more than 80% of animal species.

    Taking footage from smartphones, social media videos and digital cameras, the researchers used sophisticated signal processing methods to monitor the heart activity of ants, bees, caterpillars, spiders, grasshoppers and stick insects.

    Unlike mammals, arthropods have an open circulatory system in which blood fills the body cavity, bathing the internal organs and tissues. Their heart is located on the top (dorsal) side of their body in the abdomen.

    Led by UniSA PhD candidate Danyi Wang and her supervisor Professor Javaan Chahl, the study demonstrates that subtle body movements captured on standard digital or smartphone cameras can be analysed to reveal accurate and detailed cardiac activity in a range of insect species.

    Unlike traditional methods that require physical contact or immobilisation, this technique allows insects to remain free, without disrupting their natural behaviour.

    “Insects are vital to our ecosystems, and understanding their physiological responses to environmental change is essential,” Wang says.

    “Existing methods to measure insect’ vital signs are invasive, however. Our method preserves their natural behaviour while providing accurate insights into their heart activity.”

    The extracted heart rates closely matched the physiological ranges recorded via traditional techniques, validating the system’s accuracy.

    Senior author Prof Javaan Chahl says the system successfully captured heart rates across multiple insect species, detecting physiological differences influenced by factors such as wing morphology and temperature.

    “From ants with heart rates of around 50 beats per minute, to bees reaching 119bpm, our results consistently aligned with established reference values,” Prof Chahl says.

    “What’s exciting is that this was all achieved without attaching sensors or disturbing the insects in any way.”

    One of the most impressive validations came from caterpillar recordings, where the team compared their video-derived cardiac signals to data from infrared contact sensors in previous studies. The shapes and frequencies were almost identical.

    The study also revealed interesting inter-species variations. For example, spider heart rates varied significantly, reflecting differences between species rather than activity levels, since all subjects were at rest during filming.

    Advanced image processing techniques, including motion tracking algorithms and magnification, were applied to detect tiny movements associated with heartbeats. These signals were analysed using spectral filtering and transformed into frequency data to isolate the heart rate.

    According to Prof Chahl, the study marks an important step forward in insect research.

    “Non-invasive cardiac monitoring offers tremendous potential; not just for studying insect health, but also for understanding environmental stressors, pesticide effects, or even the wellbeing of social insects like ants and bees, where heart signals can provide insights into colony health and behaviour.”

    His team has previously used a similar technique with digital cameras to remotely extract cardiac signals in humans and wildlife.

    The researchers hope to test the system in the field and refine it by using machine learning to improve the accuracy across different body types and light conditions.

    “With more refinement, this could become a cost effective and valuable tool in the ecological research toolkit,” says Wang. “It gives us the ability to listen to the hearts of the smallest creatures without harming them.”

    ‘Extracting Cardiac Activity for Arthropods Using Digital Cameras: Insights from a Pilot Study’ is published in the Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology. DOI:  10.1002/arch.70076

    A video demonstrating the experiment is available at: redback_final.mp4 – Google Drive

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

    Research contact for interview: Professor Javaan Chahl E: javaan.chahl@unisa.edu.au

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

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: From robotic trucks to smart bins: how technology is helping cities sort their waste problem

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Breno Nunes, Associate professor in Sustainable Operations Management, Aston University

    Since early January 2025, residents of Birmingham in the UK have been caught in the dispute between the city council and the Unite union over pay, terms and conditions for waste and recycling collectors. The latest attempt at talks broke down in acrimony.

    At one point during the crisis, there were 17 tonnes of uncollected rubbish in Birmingham. Businesses and residents face public health and safety risks including pest infestations and the spread of disease and fire hazards.

    These have tainted the reputation of the city and hurt its chances of hosting events and attracting visitors. The news of cat-sized rats in Birmingham has made headlines from the US to Australia.



    Read more:
    Birmingham bin strikes: a threat to public health

    Workers’ pay is being negotiated between the union and the council in Birmingham. However, this is a fairly dangerous job and, with an ageing population, it may become more difficult to hire new workers. We argue that a more fair approach would be to use technology to help transition workers (including through training) towards better paid and safer positions.

    This would be an opportunity to build more sustainable waste management in the UK’s second largest city and beyond. Advances in robotics and AI are making automated refuse collection a reality, for example. Some cities in the US, Canada and parts of Europe already use robotics-enabled equipment in their refuse collection systems.

    A shortage of skilled personnel threatens the transition towards a greener economy. People have to be at the centre of the solution. In this case, skilled workers are needed to keep different types of waste separate and so improve recycling rates.

    The recovery value can be high for certain products such as electronics, automotive parts, as well as materials like plastic and metal. This is still difficult for machines to do.

    Smart bins and automated trucks

    Birmingham city council has already proposed improvements to waste collection. Based on publicly available information, it aims at increasing the number of rubbish trucks, reducing the number of collection days and retraining refuse collectors. But it has yet to take full advantage of existing advanced technologies.

    The plan, for instance, proposes improving communication with residents about collection day via text messages. While welcome, this is rather basic. It was only during the pandemic that all recycling centres started using online booking systems. Prior to that, endless queues were common – wasting time and increasing emissions with traffic jams.

    We argue that a whole-systems approach is needed to make the most of the opportunities new technology affords. Automated side loader trucks and smart bins are already used in various cities – the latter use sensors to monitor waste volumes and predict when collection is needed. The council could analyse the strengths and weaknesses of each technology in different areas of the city.

    Side loader trucks, which can lift up large bins and empty them, automate a dangerous process and are already considered a mature technology, used in cities across the US, Canada and Sweden. These trucks are difficult to drive in narrow streets. But, where appropriate, their benefits include increased productivity, reduced collection costs and greater worker safety.

    Sensors embedded in the vehicle, including from cameras, can provide data on the distribution of waste in different areas. This helps to produce a waste map. AI algorithms can analyse the data and provide customised collection schedules that optimise the use of trucks in the collection fleet. The algorithms can learn and be continuously revised to improve the service.

    In busy areas of the city, information from smart bins can prevent rubbish accumulating. Advanced machine learning techniques can then be employed to further optimise the collection schedule by detecting, for instance, anomalies such as a sudden increase in some types of waste. Such systems can provide more adaptable solutions and increase the productivity of officers.

    Recent improvements in imaging techniques and chemical analysis can help to identify different waste materials and allow automatic sorting, and the identification of hazardous waste.

    Other technological solutions, such as the use of smart underground large storage containers as communal bins allow for less frequent collections, but they may require significant changes to both infrastructure and trucks. These already exist in parts of Spain.

    Pneumatic waste collection systems have been tested in Wembley, a suburb in northwest London. In this system, waste is sucked through underground pipes by a fan system at speeds approaching 50mph to a central point, where it is stored in airtight containers until further treatment takes place. More than 30 countries adopt this system.

    Educating the public is vital too. Reducing waste in the first place is a good way to save money and would reduce pressure on waste collection systems.

    As far as Birmingham goes, overlooking advanced technologies won’t make the council’s task of satisfying residents and waste collection teams any easier. We think a lot of people would be happier to see more robotics trucks and smart bins than more rats in the streets.

    Breno Nunes receives funding from InnovateUK for a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project on sustainable manufacturing strategy.

    Roberto Castro Alamino 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. From robotic trucks to smart bins: how technology is helping cities sort their waste problem – https://theconversation.com/from-robotic-trucks-to-smart-bins-how-technology-is-helping-cities-sort-their-waste-problem-260023

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Sound recordings can give us an animals’ eye view of the war in Ukraine

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Janine Natalya Clark, Professor of Transitional Justice and International Criminal Law, University of Birmingham

    The documentary film, Animals in War, tells the story of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the point of view of the animals affected by the conflict. Sota Cinema Group

    The 2025 Tribeca Film Festival in New York included a world premiere of War Through the Eyes of Animals (also known as Animals in War). The documentary gives an animals-eye view of Russia’s war against Ukraine and features the wartime experiences of several different species, including a cow, a rabbit and a wolf.

    Throughout history, animals have been affected by war and exposed to its many dangers. Despite this, war is usually discussed from human-centred perspectives that marginalise animal experiences.

    My own work on the Russia-Ukraine war uses sound as a way of thinking about some of the war’s environmental impacts and the experiences of animals. The idea that sound can provide ecological information is not new. Research has shown how the sounds, for example, of plants and animals can tell us a lot about how their environment is changing. What is new is exploring this in the context of war.

    Trailer for War Through the Eyes of Animals.

    For my research project I interviewed more than 30 Ukrainians, including botanists, ornithologists, herpetologists (who study reptiles and amphibians) and a marine biologist. I also asked them to make short recordings of their local soundscapes.

    A scientist working in Tuzlivski Lymany National Park in the Odesa region of southern Ukraine made a recording of Iranian Shahed drones flying over his office and explained that these “abnormal” sounds greatly affect some species of birds.

    Shahed drones.
    Interviewee recording879 KB (download)

    In 2024, for example, there was a large colony of nesting flamingos in Tuzlivski Lymany. However, noise caused them to abandon their nests, leaving their eggs vulnerable to predators. No chicks were born in the flamingo colony that year. Research in peacetime has found that drones can lead to significant breeding failures among some birds.

    A herpetologist, meanwhile, shared his recording of natterjack toads and European tree frogs that he made in the Volyn region of northern Ukraine the year before the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

    Amphibian chorus.
    Interviewee recording985 KB (download)

    What he wanted to convey was that he may never hear this particular “amphibian chorus” again. The area is close to the border with Belarus, and it is unclear what impact the construction of Ukrainian defensive fortifications has had on local animal and plant life.

    I also asked interviewees whether the war has helped nature in any way. In response, they frequently talked about reduced anthropogenic (human-made) pressures on the environment. An example is the ban on hunting, first imposed at the start of the war in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

    Summer meadow.
    Interviewee recording281 KB (download)

    One interviewee recorded a nighttime summer meadow in Kyiv region and captured the distant sound of a fox calling. The prohibition on hunting has enabled foxes to thrive

    Another interviewee made a recording near the Kaniv Nature Reserve in central Ukraine. Alongside birdsong are the barking sounds of roe deer, another species that has benefited from the hunting ban.

    Roe deer.
    Interviewee recording3.98 MB (download)

    Of course, such population increases are not necessarily beneficial to wider ecosystems, as ecologist Aldo Leopold discussed in his classic Thinking like a Mountain (1949). Leopold found that uncontrolled numbers of deer due to the mass killing of wolves in the United States during the first part of the 20th century took a huge toll on the environment. “I have seen every edible bush and seedling browsed”, he wrote”, “first to anaemic desuetude, and then to death”.

    The fact that the Russia-Ukraine war has contributed to reducing some anthropogenic pressures does not in any way minimise the enormity of harm done to nature, including forests, soil and marine ecosystems. Yet it is too narrow to think about the environment only in terms of harms done to it.

    Nature’s recovery

    The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) created following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 is often cited as an example of nature’s ability to recover. One of the ornithologists whom I interviewed made a recording of birdsong from within the CEZ, in northern Ukraine.

    Chornobyl.
    Interviewee recording1.97 MB (download)

    When I listen to the recording I am reminded of research which has found that birds have adapted physiologically to radiation exposure within the CEZ.

    Another example of recovery relates to the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023. When Russian aggressors breached the dam, water drained from the Kakhovka reservoir, leaving it dry. Today, there is a young willow forest growing on the site of the former reservoir.

    To emphasise the resilience of nature, one of my interviewees made an audio recording from the Yelanets Steppe Nature Reserve in the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine. Against the acoustic backdrop of wind gusting through the grasslands are the repeated calls of the common pheasant.

    Common Pheasant.
    Interviewee recording2.18 MB (download)

    These sounds of the wild steppe awakening in early spring, the interviewee stressed, are also the sounds of nature getting on with life.

    Birdsong is clearly audible in a recording made by soldiers near the frontline in Kharkiv region.

    Near frontline.
    Made by Ukrainian soldiers801 KB (download)

    Similarly, birds continued to sing over the trenches during the first world war. Some interviewees also pointed out that certain species of birds, including cormorants, herons and white storks, have adapted to the sounds of war, becoming less sensitive to them.

    Justice and reparations

    I am particularly interested in the significance of nature’s sounds in the context of transitional justice – and especially reparations.

    Discourse on environmental reparations focuses on repairing harms done to nature – and sounds can provide useful insights into some of these harms.

    But what is missing from existing scholarship on reparations is attention to some of the ways that ecosystems can and do regenerate and recover. Moving forward, therefore, it is essential to think about how reparations can support (and not disturb) these natural ecosystem processes.

    Janine Natalya Clark receives funding for this research from the Leverhulme Trust (RF-2024-137)

    – ref. Sound recordings can give us an animals’ eye view of the war in Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/sound-recordings-can-give-us-an-animals-eye-view-of-the-war-in-ukraine-260519

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Attending events is the ticket to happiness

    Source:

    10 July 2025

    The cold winter snaps might make it hard to get out and about, but new research led by the University of South Australia has found that frequently attending in-person events can significantly boost wellbeing.

    A study by tourism and event management experts at UniSA and Flinders University has found that regularly attending events such as festivals, exhibitions, sporting events, farmer’s markets and food events can lead to greater positive emotions and feelings such as joy, contentment, happiness and excitement.

    It is also significantly related to higher levels of engagement and being fully absorbed and immersed in an activity, so time seems to slip away unnoticed.

    Researchers surveyed more than 350 South Australians about how often they attended in-person and online events and how this related to their wellbeing.

    The results revealed an association between the frequency of attending in-person events and higher well-being through higher levels of positive emotions, such as joy, happiness and excitement, as well as a stronger sense of being absorbed in an activity.

    UniSA’s Associate Professor Sunny Son says although it is often claimed that event experiences can enhance people’s wellbeing, there is limited research examining their overall impact.

    “Our study took a holistic approach by looking at the relationships between attending events and wellbeing. We found evidence that attending events can meaningfully improve individuals’ wellbeing, encouraging communities to leverage events to improve general well-being,” she says.

    “Wellbeing has become an increasingly important focus for individuals and communities and is linked to many benefits related to health, work, family and community.

    “Previous studies have shown that higher levels of wellbeing can lead to a reduced risk of illness and injury and increase longevity. People with high levels of wellbeing tend to perform better in the workplace and contribute positively to their community, so it’s important not only for public health but also for building strong socially sustainable and connected communities.”

    The study also found that attending virtual events – such as an online concert or livestream experience – contributes to people’s sense of accomplishment. However, unlike in-person events, virtual events have no impact on other dimensions of wellbeing.

    Flinders University Senior Lecturer Dr Eliza Kitchen says organisations can take advantage of the benefits of in-person events by incorporating them into employee reward programs, inviting clients, partners or other stakeholders to events or distributing free event tickets to staff.

    “These strategies not only enhance employee satisfaction and morale but also foster a more engaged and productive workforce,” she says.

    “We believe that universities and schools can also use events to support student wellbeing, which is particularly important given the high prevalence of mental health issues among young people.

    “Special events can provide students with valuable opportunities to interact with one another, relieve stress and achieve personal growth. This is also the case for local councils who can host free events to help their residents to connect with their neighbours and foster a stronger sense of community, support and wellbeing.”

    “What we found is that events do much more than just drive tourism and boost the economy; they also play a critical role in enhancing wellbeing. This gives us another strong reason to support events, not just for visitors, but for the benefits of locals as well.’

    View the research paper: Son, Sunny, Eliza Kitchen and Julia Jones, ‘The Value of Events for Personal Well-Being: A PERMA Perspective’ [2025] International Journal of Tourism Research.

    Contact for interview: Associate Professor Sunny Son, Program Director: Sport & Rec Management, Tourism & Event Management, Art & Cultural Management, UniSA E: Sunny.Son@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Melissa Keogh, Communications Officer, UniSA M: +61 403 659 154 E: melissa.keogh@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives shatters the church’s century-long effort to curate its own image

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brenton Griffin, Casual Lecturer and Tutor in History, Indigenous Studies, and Politics, Flinders University

    Hulu

    Reality TV series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows a number of social media influencers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who rose to prominence through social media, and particularly TikTok.

    The show is based in Utah, United States, where the church has its headquarters. But it stands in stark contrast with the stereotypical perception of Mormons – and especially Mormon women – the church has promoted for more than a century.

    Through its exploration of traditionally “taboo” topics such as sex, marital issues, mental illness and sexual abuse, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives clashes against the church’s carefully curated public image.

    Historical pariahs

    Historically, the church’s practice of polygamy placed it at odds with the mainstream sexual and familial norms of 19th century America.

    Polygamy had been practised by Mormons since at least the 1830s, and was officially announced as permissible by the church in 1852. The church now acknowledges its founder, Joseph Smith, married almost 40 women and teenage girls before his death in 1844.

    When Mormon missionaries began to proselytise throughout the world, newspapers criticised the practice, and Mormons were framed as sexual deviants and racialised “pariahs”. In other words, Mormons were presented as being racially different to the rest of white American society. This claim was even supported by doctors at the time.

    1904 Time cartoon by C.J. Rudd, captioned: ‘Mormon Elder Berry – out with his six year olds, who take after their mothers.’
    KUER/Religion of a Different Color: Mormonism and the Struggle for Whiteness’ (2017) by W. Paul Reeve.

    To Mormons, however, polygamy was a reintroduction of the correct form of marriage, and they pointed to biblical prophets to justify it.

    In 1862, the US congress passed a series of laws aimed at abolishing polygamy. This resulted in the arrest of church leaders and the confiscation of church-owned funds and properties in Utah.

    Then, in the 1870s, exposés written by former Mormons (particularly women) decried polygamy as evil, increasing hostility against Mormon leaders.

    Ann Eliza Webb Young, ex-wife of Mormon prophet Brigham Young, wrote the exposé ‘Wife No. 19, Or The Story of Life in Bondage’.
    Internet Archive Open Library

    In 1890, church leader Wilford Woodruff announced in a revelation known as the Manifesto that polygamy would cease. The Manifesto was accepted by most Mormons as the government’s harassment increased. However, breakaway groups called “fundamentalists” continued the practice.

    Today, Mormon scriptures continue to state polygamy is the correct form of marriage, and will exist in the afterlife.

    The stereotypical Mormon

    Since the ending of polygamy, the church has sought to establish itself as a moral equal to mainstream Christian norms, especially sexual norms. In 1995, it released a document titled Family: A Proclamation to the World which emphasised the view that heterosexual marriage and strict gender roles are divinely ordained.

    The 1995 official Mormon document, ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’.
    BYU Scholar Arcive

    As the church has grown, it has presented its members as model citizens of the nations they reside in.

    In doing so, it has promoted unique doctrines and practices, such as sexual abstinence before marriage, and a particular health code called the Word of Wisdom which bars alcohol, tea, coffee and tobacco.

    These doctrines, and existing stereotypes of Mormons, are examined in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

    Colliding perceptions

    The 2024 release of the series caused waves in the Latter-day Saints community, with a number of Mormon-focused publications condemning it.

    Before the show was released, the church published a general statement saying media portrayals of Mormons “often rely on sensationalism and inaccuracies that do not fairly and fully reflect the lives of our Church members”. It has yet to directly comment on the show.

    Nonetheless, the representation of Mormons in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is problematic for the church, because it transgresses its highly curated image of Mormonism.

    As the influencers put it, there is a desire to push back against stereotypes around Mormonism, and particularly Mormon women. These stereotypes have been crystallised by the church to combat perceptions of Mormons as sexually abhorrent, due to past practices of polygamy.

    The women in the show wear clothing that would not cover “temple garments”, the mandatory Latter-day Saint undergarments which seek to impose sexual modesty.

    There is also a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement that while the church prohibits stimulants such as tea, coffee and alcohol, Mormons within Utah and surrounds still consume other, somewhat surprising, substances. For instance, the use of ketamine in therapy is allowed when administered by a healthcare professional.

    The series also engages with topics considered taboo in the church, such as marital issues, mental health struggles and consensual sex. Even if these are being played up by the cast or producers, such discussions are lacking in broader Mormon circles.

    Importantly, there are admissions by some cast members, including one of the husbands, of being sexually abused as children. According to the cast members themselves, these disclosures are intended to empower viewers who may have had similar experiences.

    This is a powerful critique, because the Mormon church has come under intense scrutiny for its failure to properly respond to child sexual assault, both in the US and globally.

    The next steps

    The show is having a marked impact on perceptions of Mormonism, despite the church’s stance it doesn’t represent the beliefs and lifestyle of Mormons more broadly.

    For many viewers, it might be their introduction to the religion. This is concerning for adherents, and particularly for the church’s leadership.

    The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives reunion special aired earlier this month.
    Hulu

    There are internal tools the church could use against the show’s cast members, such as disciplinary councils or excommunication. But these would be ineffective since only about half the members consider themselves “faithful” Mormons.

    It’s interesting the church has yet to condemn the show. Perhaps maintaining an image of reluctant acceptance is more important, as in recent years the church has been criticised for overreach against its own members.

    In this case, the show would be an uncomfortable reality the church will just have to live with. Either way, the damage to the stereotypical Mormon image is done.

    The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is available to stream on Disney+.

    Brenton Griffin was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but is no longer a practising member of the church. His research is focused on the religion’s place in Australian and New Zealand popular culture, politics, and society from the 19th century to present.

    – ref. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives shatters the church’s century-long effort to curate its own image – https://theconversation.com/the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-shatters-the-churchs-century-long-effort-to-curate-its-own-image-260418

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Defence spending is like insurance – how will NZ pay the higher premiums?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Hickson, Lecturer in Economics and Director, Business Taught Masters Programme, University of Canterbury

    Getty Images

    Defence spending is like insurance – you have to pay for it but you hope you never have to use it. And the higher the risk you face, the higher your premium will be.

    New Zealand has now committed to paying those higher defence insurance premiums. The government’s 2025 Defence Capability Plan, released in April, includes NZ$9 billion in extra funding over the next four years. That’s a sizable increase on a current annual budget of just under $5 billion.

    New Zealand is not alone, of course. Driven by geopolitical tensions and US President Donald Trump’s demand that other countries spend a higher proportion of their GDP on defence, global military spending rose for the tenth year in a row to US$2,718 billion in 2024, with huge increases in Europe and the Middle East.

    How much “insurance” a country should buy in the form of defence spending will vary. Too little, and it cannot respond when it needs to; too much, and resources are needlessly wasted. For New Zealand, it is a matter of finding the right balance.

    Economically, however, defence spending is more complicated than simply buying weapons and recruiting more personnel. There can be benefits beyond basic security considerations.

    One involves what economists call “technology spillovers”. Past innovations developed for military use – such as jet engines, GPS and the internet – often found important civilian applications.

    The challenge is to design defence investments to deliberately build skills and technologies with wider economic benefit: advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity or clean tech. New Zealand’s defence plan includes this kind of spending, including
    between $100 million and 300 million on cybersecurity.

    On the other hand, promises of new jobs from large projects are often overstated, with New Zealand’s best known example being the “Think Big” policy of the 1970s. Rather, there can be job substitution as people move from civilian roles into military ones.

    Guns and butter

    In the end, of course, increased defence spending must be funded – through higher taxes, more debt or reduced spending on other items. Higher GDP growth would make the expenditure more affordable, but even then we face the same tradeoffs. It’s not possible to have lower taxes and debt as well as higher government spending.

    Most of the expenditure set out in the defence plan will be on equipment. But any increase in the output of the defence industry will likely crowd out other consumer and investment goods.

    While clearly an extreme example, one only has to look at how defence spending rose during WWII. The increase in military output came at the expense of other goods, leading to shortages and rationing.

    New Zealand doesn’t face that scale of change, but there is still likely to be some shift in production from “butter to guns”. We might also see a shift in how businesses spend their research and development money, towards military and away from civilian applications.

    New Zealand does not have a large defence industry and will need to import much of the new equipment. This implies a need for higher exports to pay for those imports, meaning fewer goods for New Zealanders to consume.

    Costs and benefits

    Most countries are understandably reluctant to cut spending on health, education and other things voters care about in order to boost defence. Hence, governments can be tempted to label new expenditures as “defence” when it could otherwise be classified as “updated infrastructure”.

    Spending on dual-purpose capital works is likely to increase, therefore, with projects earmarked for defence more likely to be funded. The New Zealand defence plan already allows for housing, airfield and port facilities that can all have multiple uses.

    There are also ethical considerations. Many consumers prefer not to invest in the arms trade, but components used in weapons manufacture often have non-military uses as well.

    Similarly, many consumer items, such as phones, vehicles and food, can be purchased by the military but clearly have non-military uses. We may see more of the output of companies that also produce non-military items directed into defence.

    All of this can make it difficult to classify a company as a defence contractor, and may be challenging for large investors (such as superannuation funds) with ethical investment policies. At the same time, the cost of not investing in defence firms might also rise as demand for their products or services increases and they become better investments.

    Like people in general, countries prefer lower insurance premiums. But when risks increase, so too does the price of insurance. Voters will disagree on how much should be spent on defence, but that is largely a political question.

    What economics teaches us, however, is that if you want to reduce your insurance premium, then reduce your risk. And that is something easier said than done.

    Stephen Hickson 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. Defence spending is like insurance – how will NZ pay the higher premiums? – https://theconversation.com/defence-spending-is-like-insurance-how-will-nz-pay-the-higher-premiums-260399

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Where do giant volcanic eruptions come from? New study finds missing link to ‘blobs’ deep within Earth

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicolas Flament, Associate Professor and ARC Future Fellow, Environmental Futures, School of Science, University of Wollongong

    Volcanic eruptions at Earth’s surface have significant consequences. Smaller ones can scare tourists on Mount Etna or disrupt air traffic.

    Giant, large-scale eruptions can have more serious impacts. One such event contributed to the demise of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Giant volcanoes also triggered events that led to the largest mass dying on Earth, the Permian–Triassic extinction 252 million years ago).

    But what fuels a giant eruption, and how does it make its way to the surface from deep within the planet?

    In a new study published in Communications Earth and Environment, we show that columns of hot rock, which rise some 3,000 kilometres through Earth’s mantle and cause giant eruptions, are connected to continent-sized source regions we call BLOBS.

    Hidden blobs within Earth

    BLOBS are hot regions at the bottom of Earth’s mantle (between about 2,000km and 3,000km in depth) which might be composed of different material compared with the surrounding mantle rocks.

    Scientists have long known about these two hot regions under the Pacific Ocean and Africa. Geologist David Evans from Yale University suggested the acronym BLOBS, which stands for Big LOwer-mantle Basal Structures.

    These BLOBS have possibly existed for hundreds of millions of years. It is unclear whether they’re stationary or if they move around as part of mantle motion (called convection).



    Read more:
    Volcanoes, diamonds, and blobs: a billion-year history of Earth’s interior shows it’s more mobile than we thought

    Mantle plumes were the implicit link in previous studies relating BLOBS to giant volcanic eruptions. Their shape is a bit like a lollipop: the “stick” is the plume tail and the “candy” is the plume head.

    Connection between the deep mantle and Earth’s surface showing the relationship between BLOBS, mantle plumes and giant volcanic eruptions – not drawn to scale.

    Mantle plumes rise very slowly through the mantle because they transport hot solid rock, not melt or lava. At lower pressures in the uppermost 200km of Earth’s mantle, the solid rock melts, leading to eruptions.

    A long-sought relationship

    In our new study, we simulated mantle convection from 1 billion years ago and found that mantle plumes rise from moving BLOBS and can sometimes be gently tilted.

    Giant volcanic eruptions can be identified by the volume of volcanic rocks preserved at Earth’s surface. The ocean floor preserves detailed fingerprints of mantle plumes for the past 120 million years or so (there is not much seafloor older than that).

    Oceanic plateaus, such as the Ontong Java-Manihiki-Hikurangi plateau currently in the southwest Pacific Ocean, are linked to plume heads. In contrast, series of volcanoes such as the Hawaii-Emperor seamount chain and the Lord Howe seamount chain are linked to plume tails.

    We used statistics to show that the locations of past giant volcanic eruptions are significantly related to the mantle plumes predicted by our models. This is encouraging, as it suggests that the simulations predict mantle plumes in places and at times generally consistent with the geologic record.

    Model BLOBS, plume tails, and giant volcanic eruptions under the African hemisphere from 300 million years ago. BLOBS are coloured in dark red and plume tails are coloured by depth in yellow to orange tones, with warmer colours at greater depths. At the surface, the outlines of continental blocks are shown in transparent grey, and giant volcanic eruption locations are shown as green triangles.

    Are BLOBS fixed or mobile?

    We showed that the considered eruption locations fall either onto or close to the moving BLOBS predicted by our models. Eruption locations slightly outside moving BLOBS could be explained by plume tilting.

    We represented fixed BLOBS with 3D images of Earth’s interior, created using seismic waves from distant earthquakes (a technique called seismic tomography). One out of the four seismic tomographic models that we considered matched the locations of past giant volcanic eruptions, implying that the fixed BLOBS scenario cannot be ruled out for geologically recent times – the past 300 million years.

    One of the next steps for this research is to explore the chemical nature of BLOBS and plume conduits. We can do so with simulations that track the evolution of their composition.

    Our results suggest the deep Earth is dynamic. BLOBS, which are some 2,000km below Earth’s surface, move hundreds of kilometres over time, and are connected to Earth’s surface by mantle plumes that create giant eruptions.

    To take a step back and keep things in perspective: while deep Earth motions are significant over tens of millions of years, they are generally in the order of 1 centimetre per year. This means BLOBS shift at roughly the rate at which human hair grows.



    Read more:
    Where should we look for new metals that are critical for green energy technology? Volcanoes may point the way

    Nicolas Flament receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Anglo American and De Beers.

    Annalise Cucchiaro receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Anglo American and De Beers.

    – ref. Where do giant volcanic eruptions come from? New study finds missing link to ‘blobs’ deep within Earth – https://theconversation.com/where-do-giant-volcanic-eruptions-come-from-new-study-finds-missing-link-to-blobs-deep-within-earth-259804

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Earth’s ‘oldest’ impact crater is much younger than previously thought – new study

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron J. Cavosie, Senior Lecturer, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University

    Outcrops of shocked rocks from the Miralga impact structure. Aaron Cavosie

    Ever been late because you misread a clock? Sometimes, the “clocks” geologists use to date events can also be misread. Unravelling Earth’s 4.5-billion-year history with rocks is tricky business.

    Case in point: the discovery of an ancient meteorite impact crater was recently reported in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia. The original study, by a different group, made headlines with the claim the crater formed 3.5 billion years ago. If true, it would be Earth’s oldest by far.

    As it turns out, we’d also been investigating the same site. Our results are published in Science Advances today. While we agree that this is the site of an ancient meteorite impact, we have reached different conclusions about its age, size and significance.

    Let’s consider the claims made about this fascinating crater.

    One impact crater, two versions of events

    Planetary scientists search for ancient impacts to learn about Earth’s early formation. So far, nobody has found an impact crater older than the 2.23-billion-year-old Yarrabubba structure, also in Australia. (Some of the authors from both 2025 Pilbara studies were coauthors on the 2020 Yarrabubba study.)

    The new contender is located in an area called North Pole Dome. Despite the name, this isn’t where Santa lives. It’s an arid, hot, ochre-stained landscape.

    The sun sets on the arid landscape of North Pole Dome in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
    Alec Brenner

    The first report on the new crater claimed it formed 3.5 billion years ago, and was more than 100 kilometres in diameter. It was proposed that such a large impact might have played a role in forming continental crust in the Pilbara. More speculatively, the researchers also suggested it may have influenced early life.

    Our study concludes the impact actually happened much later, sometime after 2.7 billion years ago. This is at least 800 million years younger than the earlier estimate (and we think it’s probably even younger; more on that in a moment).

    We also determined the crater was much smaller – about 16km in diameter. In our view, this impact was too young and too small to have influenced continent formation or early life.

    So how could two studies arrive at such different findings?

    Subtle clues of an impact

    The originally circular crater is deeply eroded, leaving only subtle clues on the landscape. However, among the rust-coloured basalts are unique telltale signs of meteorite impact: shatter cones.

    Outcrop photo of shatter cones in basalt at the Miralga impact structure. The black pen cap is 5cm long.
    Alec Brenner

    Shatter cones are distinctive fossilised imprints of shock waves that have passed through rocks. Their unique conical shapes form under brief but immense pressure where a meteorite strikes Earth.

    Both studies found shatter cones, and agree the site is an ancient impact.

    This new crater also needed a name. We consulted the local Aboriginal people, the Nyamal, who shared the traditional name for this place and its people: Miralga. The “Miralga impact structure” name recognises this heritage.

    Determining the timing of the impact

    The impact age was estimated by field observations, as neither study found material likely to yield an impact age by radiometric dating – a method that uses measurements of radioactive isotopes.

    Both studies applied a geological principle called the law of superposition. This states that rock layers get deposited one on top of another over time, so rocks on top are younger than those below.

    Example of the law of superposition, known as Hutton’s unconformity, at Siccar Point Scotland. The gently dipping layered rocks at the top left were deposited onto – and are therefore younger than – the nearly vertical layered rocks at the bottom right.
    Anne Burgess/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    The first group found shatter cones within and below a sedimentary layer known to have been deposited 3.47 billion years ago, but no shatter cones in younger rocks above this layer. This meant the impact occurred during deposition of the sedimentary layer.

    Their observation seemed to be a “smoking gun” for an impact 3.47 billion years ago.

    As it turns out, there was more to the story.

    Our investigation found shatter cones in the same 3.47 billion-year-old rocks, but also in younger overlying rocks, including lavas known to have erupted 2.77 billion years ago.

    Outcrop of shatter cones in 2.77-billion-year-old basalt at the Miralga impact structure. These lavas are the youngest rocks in the area we found to have shatter cones. They have distinctive holes (vesicles) representing trapped gas bubbles. The pen is 15cm long.
    Aaron Cavosie

    The impact had to occur after the formation of the youngest rocks that contained shatter cones, meaning sometime after the 2.77-billion-year-old lavas.

    At the moment, we don’t know precisely how young the crater is. We can only constrain the impact to have occurred between 2.7 billion and 400 million years ago. We’re working on dating the impact by isotopic methods, but these results aren’t yet in.

    Smaller than originally thought

    We made the first map showing where shatter cones are found. There are many hundreds over an area 6km across. From this map and their orientations, we calculate the original crater was about 16km in diameter.

    A 16km crater is a far cry from the original estimate of more than 100km. It’s too small to have influenced the formation of continents or life. By the time of the impact, the Pilbara was already quite old.

    Artist’s depiction looking northwest across the Pilbara, over the 16km-wide Miralga crater. The crater is shown 3km above the modern land surface to account for the deep erosion that has since erased it. The crater size is based on the distribution of shatter cones (inset). The cones point up and back towards the original ‘ground zero’ of the impact. Maps produced using Google Earth Studio.
    Alec Brenner

    A new connection to Mars

    Science is a self-policing sport. Claims of discovery are based on data available at the time, but they often require modification based on new data or observations.

    While it’s not the world’s oldest, the Miralga impact is scientifically unique, as craters formed in basalt are rare. Most basalts there formed 3.47 billion years ago, making them the oldest shocked target rocks known.

    Prior to impact, these ancient basalts had been chemically altered by seawater. Sedimentary rocks nearby also contain the earliest well-established fossils on Earth. Such rocks likely covered much of early Earth and Mars.

    This makes the Miralga impact structure a playground for planetary scientists studying the cratered surface (and maybe early life) of Mars. It’s an easily accessible proving ground for Mars exploration instruments and imagery, right here on Earth.

    Aaron J. Cavosie receives or has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the US National Science Foundation, and NASA.

    Alec Brenner 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. Earth’s ‘oldest’ impact crater is much younger than previously thought – new study – https://theconversation.com/earths-oldest-impact-crater-is-much-younger-than-previously-thought-new-study-259803

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AS SENATE GOP MOVES TO RIP AWAY FUNDING FOR UPSTATE NY PUBLIC TV & RADIO, SCHUMER DEMANDS CONGRESS BLOCK TRUMP’S CLAW BACKS THAT WOULD HURT RURAL AREAS, EDUCATION, & EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IN EVERY…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Schumer Says The GOP Plan To Gut Funding Would Eliminate $45+ Million From Over A Dozen NY Public TV & Radio Stations That Provide Critical Services Like Emergency Weather Alerts, Educational Content For Children, Essential Coverage Of Rural Areas, That Otherwise Wouldn’t Exist & More

    Senate Republicans Are Preparing For A Vote On Trump’s Request To Claw Back Funding For The Corporation For Public Broadcasting– And Without It Locally-Owned PBS TV & NPR Stations In Every Region Of The State Could Face Major Cuts To Community Programs & Layoffs

    Schumer: We Must Protect NY’s Public TV & Radio

    As the Senate prepares to vote on Trump’s plan to claw back over $1 billion in federal funding for America’s public radio and television stations, which could devastate communities across Upstate NY, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today demanded the GOP block cuts that would hurt children, rural areas, and emergency preparedness in every corner of New York.

    Schumer said that the GOP plan to strip funding from America’s public broadcasting would decimate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports more than 1,500 locally-owned public radio and television stations including dozens in New York State. The senator broke down the impact of these cuts for Upstate NY public news outlets that receive funding from the CPB and vowed to lead the fight in the Senate against these alarming cuts.

    “Our public TV and radio stations are the glue that keep so many of our communities connected & informed across Upstate NY and targeting them for radical funding cuts hurts all of Upstate. PBS and NPR and others are more than stations, they are a public service networks providing life-saving emergency alerts, educational content to children, and so much more at no cost. But right now, the GOP’s devastating proposal to claw back federal funding for our public TV and radio stations could devastate these vital services ripping away millions leading to layoffs and cuts to beloved programs,” said Senator Schumer. “Like so many New Yorkers. my daughters grew up watching Sesame Street. I know the tremendous value public media provides. Rescinding this funding would take away the programming people love and isolate Upstate NY’s rural communities, jeopardizing their access to information they rely on every day. I will be leading the fight to save public media in the Senate and we need all New Yorkers and Americans to make their voices heard to protect this essential public service.”

    Funds for public broadcasting supports educational initiatives, rural areas, and disaster preparedness efforts across New York State. New York’s public TV and radio stations send emergency alerts during natural disasters, develop educational content, license music from local artists, and more. These services are critical for New York’s communities. For example, with more severe weather across the country, timely weather alerts can save lives. In addition, for children not enrolled in formal pre-school, educational programming from public television ensures they can access educational content regardless of their families’ ability to pay, and teachers use worksheets and videos in local classrooms.

    Below is a list of recipients in Upstate NY that received funding from CPB, according to the NYS Association for Public Broadcasting that would be at risk if the plan to defund public media were to become law with much of this funding making up a major percentage of these stations’ budgets:

    City-Region

    Recipient

    Amount

    Binghamton-Southern Tier

    WSKG

    $1,317,231

    Western NY

    Buffalo Toronto Public Media

    $2,014,441

    Albany

    WAMC

    $422,724

    Oswego

    WRVO

    $166,192

    Watertown

    WPBS

    $1,283,561

    North Country

    North Country Public Radio

    $396,951

    Geneva

    WEOS

    $109,401

    Jeffersonville

    Radio Catskill

    $289,350

    Plattsburgh

    Mountain Lake PBS

    $922,826

    Rochester-Finger Lakes

    WXXI

    $1,913,857

    Syracuse-Central NY

    WAER

    $154,962

    Syracuse-Central NY

    WCNY

    $1,267,218

    Troy

    WMHT

    $1,597,703

    Schumer broke down how these cuts will hurt every corner of Upstate NY:

    • In the Southern Tier, WSKG (NPR) receives approximately $1.3 million, more than a fifth of its total budget, from the CPB to cover its predominantly-rural 21-county region. WSKG’s services include beloved free educational programs that include student writing challenges, creative events for students, lesson plans and interactive classroom resources for NY teachers, and more.
    • In the North Country, North Country Public Radio (NPR) would lose approximately $315,000 each year, approximately 12% of its annual budget. This funding enables NCPR to cover news across the North Country. For many rural areas in the North Country, NCPR is the only local news outlet, which is especially important for receiving local updates and timely weather alerts. Mountain Lake PBS also receives nearly $1 million, making up about 35% of its annual budget. Mountain Lake PBS provides local news including life-saving emergency alerts to the Adirondacks and Champlain Valley that might not otherwise have local coverage and says cuts of this magnitude would threaten its existence.
    • In the Capital Region, WAMC (NPR) receives approximately $500,000 in support from CPB. The station is headquartered in Albany with 29 towers covering a region that reaches the North Country, Hudson Valley, and Central New York, and the Mohawk Valley. WAMC offers coverage every day of the year and reaches many rural areas that don’t otherwise have reliable internet coverage. WAMC also collaborates with 12 other public radio stations across the state to share resources and reporting to ensure local journalism is reaching as many people as possible.
    • In Western New York, WBFO (NPR) and BTPM, Buffalo Toronto Public Media (NPR) would lose approximately 15% of its annual budget. WBFO and BTPM stream educational shows for kids on topics including science and civics and offers how-to programming on cooking, home improvement, and more.
    • In the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region, WXXI (PBS) would lose approximately $2 million, roughly 16% of its total annual budget of $12.9 million. WXXI is one of the few remaining local news sources in the region and offers free local programs for civic engagement. Other local stations including WEOS in Geneva and WXXY in Houghton rely on WXXI-produced content to deliver local news to rural areas.
    • In Central New York, WCNY (PBS) receives over $1 million annually from CPB. Originally known as “The Education Station,” WCNY offers renowned educational services including Enterprise America, a hands-on learning center for middle and high school students to learn about entrepreneurship. WRVO (NPR) receives approximately $165,000 which accounts for approximately 8% of its annual operating budget. WRVO said it depends on federal grant funding to pay salaries for WRVO, including local journalists.
    • In the Hudson Valley, Radio Catskill could lose $170,000, nearly 25% of its annual budget if these cuts go through. Local organizations, events, and businesses in the Catskills community relies on Radio Catskill for emergency alerts, local news, and cultural programming.

    In New York State, dozens of recipients last year received more than $45 million in through the CPB, generating a significant local economic impact. According to NPR, the public broadcasting sector in New York supports nearly 4,000 jobs, including 1,125 direct positions, 1,271 indirect jobs through supply chain activity, and 1,321 induced jobs driven by household spending. This generated $122 million in direct labor income and added nearly $750 million to the state’s GDP. The public broadcasting sector also contributed an estimated $177.1 million in tax revenue, including $33 million in state taxes and nearly $116 million in federal taxes.

    The CPB distributes nearly 70 percent of its funding directly to more than 1,500 locally-owned public radio and television stations – many of which are NPR or PBS affiliates – with the remaining going to shared infrastructure and services that benefit all public TV and radio stations. According to Northwestern University, nearly 55 million Americans have limited to no access to local news. According to PBS, 60 percent of its audience lives in rural communities, and its programming reaches more children than any of the children’s TV networks in a year. If passed, the GOP proposal would further limit access to local news for communities who depend on information from their local radio and television stations for vital information and services, devastating local communities who would get hit first and hardest.

    Though historically funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been approved with bipartisan support, the House GOP last month passed legislation at President Trump’s request that would claw back more than $1 billion in bipartisan federal investments in the CPB. Trump also issued an executive order stating no money from CPB can go to NPR, PBS, or their affiliates which is currently being challenged in court. Trump’s FY 2026 budget request completely eliminates federal funding and closeout CPB.

    Schumer and Senate Democrats will hold the Senate floor tonight to highlight why this bill would be devastating for New York and all of America.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: First Northwest Bancorp and First Fed Announce CEO Transition

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PORT ANGELES, Wash., July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Northwest Bancorp (Nasdaq: FNWB) (“First Northwest”) and its wholly owned subsidiary First Fed Bank (“First Fed” and, together with First Northwest, the “Company”) today announced that the boards of directors of First Northwest and First Fed and Matthew P. Deines have mutually agreed that Mr. Deines will resign as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the boards of directors of First Northwest and First Fed, effective as of July 12, 2025. Geraldine L. Bullard, Chief Operating Officer of the Company, has been appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective as of July 13, 2025. Ms. Bullard will also continue to serve as Chief Operating Officer.

    “The Board extends its sincere thanks to Matt for his dedicated service and commitment to the Company,” said Cindy H. Finnie, Chair of the boards of directors of First Northwest and First Fed.

    About the transition, Mr. Deines remarked, “I could not be more honored to have led First Fed and First Northwest as CEO over the past six years. This Company is made up of a very special group of people who serve Western Washington at a time when the role of community banks has never been more essential.”

    “As we begin the executive search for Matt’s replacement, we have full confidence in Geri to lead the organization during this transition,” Ms. Finnie continued. “With deep experience and a strong understanding of First Fed’s mission, Geri is well-positioned to provide stable, effective leadership as we conduct a thoughtful and thorough search for a replacement CEO.”

    Ms. Bullard added, “I am honored to serve the Company in this interim role. I look forward to working closely with the Board, our dedicated management team, and our exceptional employees across Washington as we continue our long-standing commitment to the communities we’ve proudly supported for over a century.”

    The boards of directors have engaged a leading executive search firm to assist with the process of identifying a replacement Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Bullard is expected to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer until a new Chief Executive Officer is appointed.

    About Geraldine Bullard
    Ms. Bullard has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company since October 2023, and also previously served as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer between March 2020 and March 2025. Ms. Bullard joined First Fed as Senior Vice President and Treasurer in January 2020. Prior to joining First Fed, Ms. Bullard served as Controller at Salal Credit Union, located in Seattle, from August 2018 to January 2020, as Chief Financial Officer of First Sound Bank, also in Seattle, from February 2017 to August 2018, and as Controller at Sound Community Bank from October 2015 to February 2017. Ms. Bullard also served as a bank examiner for the State of Idaho. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Humboldt State University, is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington, and is a licensed CPA.

    About the Company
    First Northwest Bancorp (Nasdaq: FNWB) is a financial holding company engaged in investment activities including the business of its subsidiary, First Fed Bank. First Fed is a Pacific Northwest-based financial institution which has served its customers and communities since 1923. Currently First Fed has 18 locations in Washington state including 12 full-service branches. First Fed’s business and operating strategy is focused on building sustainable earnings by delivering a full array of financial products and services for individuals, small businesses, non-profit organizations and commercial customers. In 2022, First Northwest made an investment in The Meriwether Group, LLC, a boutique investment banking and accelerator firm. Additionally, First Northwest focuses on strategic partnerships to provide modern financial services such as digital payments and marketplace lending. First Northwest Bancorp was incorporated in 2012 and completed its initial public offering in 2015 under the ticker symbol FNWB. The Company is headquartered in Port Angeles, Washington.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, expectations of the business environment in which we operate, projections of future performance and execution on certain strategies, perceived opportunities in the market, potential future credit experience, including our ability to collect, the outcome of litigation and statements regarding our mission and vision, and include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions that are not historical facts, and other statements often identified by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based upon current management beliefs and expectations and may, therefore, involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Our actual results, performance, or achievements may differ materially from those suggested, expressed, or implied by forward-looking statements as a result of a wide variety of factors including, but not limited to: increased competitive pressures; changes in the interest rate environment; the credit risks of lending activities; pressures on liquidity, including as a result of withdrawals of deposits or declines in the value of our investment portfolio; changes in general economic conditions and conditions within the securities markets, including potential recessionary and other unfavorable conditions and trends relating to housing markets, costs of living, unemployment levels, interest rates, supply chain difficulties and inflationary pressures, among other things; legislative, regulatory, and policy changes; and other factors described in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K under the section entitled “Risk Factors,” and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which are available on our website at www.ourfirstfed.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Any of the forward-looking statements that we make in this press release and in the other public statements we make may turn out to be incorrect because of the inaccurate assumptions we might make, because of the factors illustrated above or because of other factors that we cannot foresee. Because of these and other uncertainties, our actual future results may be materially different from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by or on our behalf and the Company’s operating and stock price performance may be negatively affected. Therefore, these factors should be considered in evaluating the forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. We do not undertake and specifically disclaim any obligation to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements. These risks could cause our actual results for 2025 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements by, or on behalf of, us and could negatively affect the Company’s operations and stock price performance.

    For More Information Contact:
    Aaron Blank
    The Fearey Group
    (206) 200-0103
    aaronblank@feareygroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raise alarms about right-wing extremism

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kawser Ahmed, Adjunct Professor at the Political Science department, University of Winnipeg

    This week, the RCMP arrested four men in Québec, alleging they were attempting to create an anti-government militia.

    The RCMP used the umbrella term “Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism” to categorize the suspects. Essentially, this means the RCMP alleges they share violent right-wing ideologies. Their arrests raise questions about whether Canada’s problem with right-wing extremism is getting worse.

    The group is accused of storing explosive devices, dozens of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. The RCMP seized all of it, and the four suspects are due to appear in Québec City court next week. Three are charged with facilitating a terrorist activity, along with weapon-possession offences.

    The suspects include active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, according to the RCMP. Given the allegations that they were planning terrorist attacks for an extremist militia, the inclusion of army personnel might not be surprising.

    But it could represent a stark manifestation of a deeply troubling and accelerating trend: the rise of violent right-wing extremism and anti-government or anti-authority radicalization within western democracies. This is a shift dramatically exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as many seized the opportunity to spread anti-government ideas based on restricted freedoms.

    Raphaël Lagacé, one of the suspects charged by the RCMP.
    (Instagram)

    Canada not immune to violent movements

    Canada often thinks it’s safe from violent movements, but it’s becoming more vulnerable. This is especially evident in places like Québec, where there has been ideological conflict in the past, including the massacre at a Québec mosque in January 2017.

    However, the threat is also clear on a national level.

    According to a Canadian intelligence report, far-right extremist groups actively recruit past and present members of the military and police.

    There’s also a long-running pattern of militia activity in North America. Activities in the United States show how dangerous it is when violent ideologies spread.

    This includes the nihilistic doctrine of accelerationism, which is a white-supremacist belief that the current state of society cannot be fixed and that the only way to repair it is to destroy and collapse the “system”.

    There are versions of accelerationism on both the right and left.

    The rise in right-wing extremism globally

    The charges in Québec shine a spotlight on the global trend of rising right-wing extremism that has been worsening since 2016.

    In the past decade, white supremacist, anti-government and militia groups have gained traction. That’s due in part to online echo chambers, growing political and social divisions and the rise and rapid spread of conspiracy theories.

    The U.S. is the best and most immediate example. Groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys are well-known, playing a significant role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. These groups are keen to recruit current and former military and law enforcement officers because they know how to handle weapons and use explosives.

    In 2023, the FBI repeatedly said domestic violent extremism continues to pose a threat, especially racially or ethnically motivated extremists and anti-government groups.

    Accelerationism is behind a lot of this violence. It underpins efforts to speed up the disintegration of society through targeted violence and technology, with the goal of starting a racial war or civil war to bring down liberal democratic institutions.

    The Base is an example of this trend. It’s a multinational, trans-border white supremacist network that supports violence to create chaos.

    But this is not just a North American problem. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, far-right members of the Ukrainian Azov Regiment reportedly drew western extremists to their cause, many of whom were looking for paramilitary training, possibly to use against their own governments.

    Canada: The Base, the ‘freedom convoy’

    This global tide doesn’t leave Canada out. The arrests in Québec are the most recent and concerning example.

    Patrik Mathews, a former Canadian Army reservist from Winnipeg, was involved in a well-known Canadian case that involved recruiting for The Base, as well as a plot to harm a journalist, Canadian investigative journalist Ryan Thorpe. His reports in the Winnipeg Free Press exposed Mathew’s membership in the The Base.

    Mathew fled to the U.S. in 2019. The FBI subsequently arrested him and charged him with gun-related crimes and taking part in a riot at a Virginia protest. Mathew is now serving a long prison sentence for his part in what the FBI called a “neo-Nazi plot to instigate a race war in the United States.”

    These examples clearly show how extremists work within national military systems to learn tactical capabilities.

    The so-called “freedom convoy” occupation of Ottawa in 2022 also showed troubling connections between radicalism and some parts of the Canadian Armed Forces.

    Investigations found numerous active and former Army members were either actively involved with the convoy or donated a lot of money. Some were found to have posted extreme anti-government views online. Some Army members are also vulnerable to the right-wing ideologies of a “white-ethnostate” fuelled by political rhetoric and hate.

    All of this paints a bleak picture: extremist ideas are slowly taking hold in Canada as adherents aim to leverage military training to spread cynicism in democratic institutions. Previous studies back this up.

    Countering the threat

    To deal with this complicated and changing threat, we need a whole society, integrated approach that includes reliable top-down enforcement and monitoring and proactive, bottom-up societal resilience.

    To quickly disrupt and deter extremist groups, top-down actions are very important. To properly monitor, penetrate and break up violent extremist networks, law enforcement and security services like CSIS and the RCMP need more resources, updated laws and better co-ordination.

    It’s also important for the Canadian Armed Forces and other security-sensitive organizations to have better screening processes to find and purge those with extremist ideas.

    But law enforcement isn’t enough. For one, it could be seen as biased, which could lead to more radicalization. Bottom-up methods are just as important for long-term prevention.

    We need programs that provide teachers, social workers, community leaders and families with the tools they need to spot early signs of radicalization and do something about it in a positive way.



    Read more:
    How not to counter the radical right

    Dialogue, education

    It’s important to teach people how to think critically, read the news to fight false information and learn about civic duties that stress democratic principles and diversity. This is especially critical to fight against rising hate-motivated crimes.

    I am involved in a one such project. It’s called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM). We strive to build resilient communities by creating awareness and early detection of radicalism.

    Dialogue and education are paramount.

    Canada can’t afford to wait for a disaster to happen before acting. It can’t let its soldiers — those tasked with protecting Canadians and Canada’s security — get caught up in right-wing extremism. They are a source of national pride and should remain so.

    Kawser Ahmed has led a Public Safety project called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM)

    – ref. Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raise alarms about right-wing extremism – https://theconversation.com/charges-against-canadian-army-members-in-anti-government-terror-plot-raise-alarms-about-right-wing-extremism-260778

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raise alarms about right-wing extremism

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kawser Ahmed, Adjunct Professor at the Political Science department, University of Winnipeg

    This week, the RCMP arrested four men in Québec, alleging they were attempting to create an anti-government militia.

    The RCMP used the umbrella term “Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism” to categorize the suspects. Essentially, this means the RCMP alleges they share violent right-wing ideologies. Their arrests raise questions about whether Canada’s problem with right-wing extremism is getting worse.

    The group is accused of storing explosive devices, dozens of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. The RCMP seized all of it, and the four suspects are due to appear in Québec City court next week. Three are charged with facilitating a terrorist activity, along with weapon-possession offences.

    The suspects include active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, according to the RCMP. Given the allegations that they were planning terrorist attacks for an extremist militia, the inclusion of army personnel might not be surprising.

    But it could represent a stark manifestation of a deeply troubling and accelerating trend: the rise of violent right-wing extremism and anti-government or anti-authority radicalization within western democracies. This is a shift dramatically exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as many seized the opportunity to spread anti-government ideas based on restricted freedoms.

    Raphaël Lagacé, one of the suspects charged by the RCMP.
    (Instagram)

    Canada not immune to violent movements

    Canada often thinks it’s safe from violent movements, but it’s becoming more vulnerable. This is especially evident in places like Québec, where there has been ideological conflict in the past, including the massacre at a Québec mosque in January 2017.

    However, the threat is also clear on a national level.

    According to a Canadian intelligence report, far-right extremist groups actively recruit past and present members of the military and police.

    There’s also a long-running pattern of militia activity in North America. Activities in the United States show how dangerous it is when violent ideologies spread.

    This includes the nihilistic doctrine of accelerationism, which is a white-supremacist belief that the current state of society cannot be fixed and that the only way to repair it is to destroy and collapse the “system”.

    There are versions of accelerationism on both the right and left.

    The rise in right-wing extremism globally

    The charges in Québec shine a spotlight on the global trend of rising right-wing extremism that has been worsening since 2016.

    In the past decade, white supremacist, anti-government and militia groups have gained traction. That’s due in part to online echo chambers, growing political and social divisions and the rise and rapid spread of conspiracy theories.

    The U.S. is the best and most immediate example. Groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys are well-known, playing a significant role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. These groups are keen to recruit current and former military and law enforcement officers because they know how to handle weapons and use explosives.

    In 2023, the FBI repeatedly said domestic violent extremism continues to pose a threat, especially racially or ethnically motivated extremists and anti-government groups.

    Accelerationism is behind a lot of this violence. It underpins efforts to speed up the disintegration of society through targeted violence and technology, with the goal of starting a racial war or civil war to bring down liberal democratic institutions.

    The Base is an example of this trend. It’s a multinational, trans-border white supremacist network that supports violence to create chaos.

    But this is not just a North American problem. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, far-right members of the Ukrainian Azov Regiment reportedly drew western extremists to their cause, many of whom were looking for paramilitary training, possibly to use against their own governments.

    Canada: The Base, the ‘freedom convoy’

    This global tide doesn’t leave Canada out. The arrests in Québec are the most recent and concerning example.

    Patrik Mathews, a former Canadian Army reservist from Winnipeg, was involved in a well-known Canadian case that involved recruiting for The Base, as well as a plot to harm a journalist, Canadian investigative journalist Ryan Thorpe. His reports in the Winnipeg Free Press exposed Mathew’s membership in the The Base.

    Mathew fled to the U.S. in 2019. The FBI subsequently arrested him and charged him with gun-related crimes and taking part in a riot at a Virginia protest. Mathew is now serving a long prison sentence for his part in what the FBI called a “neo-Nazi plot to instigate a race war in the United States.”

    These examples clearly show how extremists work within national military systems to learn tactical capabilities.

    The so-called “freedom convoy” occupation of Ottawa in 2022 also showed troubling connections between radicalism and some parts of the Canadian Armed Forces.

    Investigations found numerous active and former Army members were either actively involved with the convoy or donated a lot of money. Some were found to have posted extreme anti-government views online. Some Army members are also vulnerable to the right-wing ideologies of a “white-ethnostate” fuelled by political rhetoric and hate.

    All of this paints a bleak picture: extremist ideas are slowly taking hold in Canada as adherents aim to leverage military training to spread cynicism in democratic institutions. Previous studies back this up.

    Countering the threat

    To deal with this complicated and changing threat, we need a whole society, integrated approach that includes reliable top-down enforcement and monitoring and proactive, bottom-up societal resilience.

    To quickly disrupt and deter extremist groups, top-down actions are very important. To properly monitor, penetrate and break up violent extremist networks, law enforcement and security services like CSIS and the RCMP need more resources, updated laws and better co-ordination.

    It’s also important for the Canadian Armed Forces and other security-sensitive organizations to have better screening processes to find and purge those with extremist ideas.

    But law enforcement isn’t enough. For one, it could be seen as biased, which could lead to more radicalization. Bottom-up methods are just as important for long-term prevention.

    We need programs that provide teachers, social workers, community leaders and families with the tools they need to spot early signs of radicalization and do something about it in a positive way.



    Read more:
    How not to counter the radical right

    Dialogue, education

    It’s important to teach people how to think critically, read the news to fight false information and learn about civic duties that stress democratic principles and diversity. This is especially critical to fight against rising hate-motivated crimes.

    I am involved in a one such project. It’s called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM). We strive to build resilient communities by creating awareness and early detection of radicalism.

    Dialogue and education are paramount.

    Canada can’t afford to wait for a disaster to happen before acting. It can’t let its soldiers — those tasked with protecting Canadians and Canada’s security — get caught up in right-wing extremism. They are a source of national pride and should remain so.

    Kawser Ahmed has led a Public Safety project called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM)

    – ref. Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raise alarms about right-wing extremism – https://theconversation.com/charges-against-canadian-army-members-in-anti-government-terror-plot-raise-alarms-about-right-wing-extremism-260778

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Putting Alberta at the centre of U.S. energy talks

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Signs Education and Workforce Development Bills into Law

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JULY 9, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, during a bill signing ceremony at the Missouri State Capitol, Governor Mike Kehoe signed eight bills into law: House Bills (HB) 296 and 419, and Senate Bills (SB) 49, 63, 68, 150, and 160, and Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 3.

    “From implementing distraction-free classrooms to expanding school safety efforts, the legislation signed into law this afternoon impacts both K-12 students and Missourians pursuing higher and career technical education,” said Governor Kehoe. “We are proud to join the General Assembly in supporting these wins for Missouri schools, students, and teachers.”

    HB 296, sponsored by Representative Jim Kalberloh and Senator Rusty Black, modifies provisions relating to school personnel.

    • Expands substitute teaching eligibility for retired teachers.
    • Requires background checks to be conducted on all personnel employed by charter schools, consistent with public school requirements.
    • Raises the age for driver’s license renewal exams for school bus-endorsed drivers from 70 to 75 and adjusts the renewal requirements from annual to biennial.

    HB 419, sponsored by Representative Don Mayhew and Senator Sandy Crawford, modifies several provisions relating to education.

    • Requires the Missouri State High School Activities Association to waive the minimum practice requirement for all students who are active-duty military, including active-duty Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
    • Establishes a separate custodial account with the State Treasurer to deposit the moneys from the University of Missouri’s Seminary Fund to support agricultural programs at the University and general operations at Missouri University of Science and Technology.
    • Expands healthcare workforce recruitment by giving the Department of Health and Senior Services flexibility to approve more medical training programs for loan repayment

    SB 49, sponsored by Senator Rusty Black and Representative Brad Banderman, authorizes school districts and charter schools to employ or accept chaplains as volunteers.

    SB 63, sponsored by Senator Ben Brown and Representative Dirk Deaton, allows homeschool students to participate in school activities within their respective district, requires an intent to homeschool declaration, and exempts Family Paced Education from background clearance check requirements.

    SB 68, sponsored by Senator Mike Henderson and Representative Bill Allen, creates, repeals, and modifies provisions relating to elementary and secondary education.

    • Directs all school districts and charter schools to implement a written policy, starting in the 2025-26 school year, banning the use or display of students’ electronic personal communication devices throughout the day – including during class, meals, breaks, and study hall.
    • Improves school safety measures including:
      • Requires cardiopulmonary resuscitation training.
      • Requires school districts and charter schools to adopt a comprehensive emergency operations plan covering school safety, emergency response, prevention, and recovery.
      • Directs districts to designate a primary and secondary school safety coordinator and defines the job duties, trainings, and expectations for this position.
      • Requires local educational agencies report all school safety incidents and credible threats to DESE. DESE will maintain a regularly updated database of these incidents and threats and share this data with DPS.
    • Expands the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Scholarship to cover educational costs related to teacher preparation.

    SB 150, sponsored by Senator Jill Carter and Representative Ann Kelley, creates, repeals, and modifies provisions relating to workforce development initiatives.

    • Creates a temporary license that allows childcare providers currently licensed and in good standing to expand their current operations while the additional licensure requirements are being completed.
    • Raises the Access Missouri financial assistance award for students attending public two- and four-year institutions.
    • Expands the eligible use of the A+ Scholarship program to include career-technical education certificates offered outside traditional higher education settings, effective for the 2026-2027 school year.

    SB 160, sponsored by Senator Brad Hudson and Representative Darin Chappell, establishes provisions relating to educational institutions.

    • Establishes the Missouri Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act to prevent discrimination based on a person’s hair texture or protective hairstyle if commonly associated with a particular race or origin in elementary and secondary educational institutions.
    • Prohibits higher education institutions from taking adverse action against a student group due to the group’s beliefs or of its leaders.
    • Establishes Danny’s Law, which provides limited immunity to individuals who participated in hazing when they contacted authorities, sought immediate medical attention, provided necessary information to authorities, and remained on scene to assist the victim until authorities arrived.
    • Authorizes Missouri State University to offer research PhDs degrees in disciplines other than engineering and Bachelors of Science in Veterinary Medicine.

    SCR 3, sponsored by Senator Jill Carter and Representative Cathy Lo Joy, expands the mission of Missouri Southern State University from operating as a statewide institution of international or global education to also include health and life sciences and immersive learning experiences.

    For more information on the legislation and additional provisions signed into law, visit house.mo.gov and senate.mo.gov. Photos from the bill signing will be uploaded to Governor Kehoe’s Flickr page. Additional bill signings will continue to take place over the next several days. For more information on the bill signings, view Governor Kehoe’s schedule.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Thirsty future: Australia’s green hydrogen targets could require vastly more water than the government hopes

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madoc Sheehan, Adjunct Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering, James Cook University

    totajla/Shutterstock

    Green hydrogen is touted by some as the future – a way for Australia to slowly replace its reliance on fossil fuel exports. The energy-dense gas has the potential to reduce emissions in sectors challenging to decarbonise, such as steelmaking and fertiliser manufacturing.

    The Albanese government wants it to be a massive new export industry and has laid out a pathway through its National Hydrogen Strategy.

    Unfortunately, there’s a real gap between rhetoric and reality. Despite ambitious plans, no green hydrogen project has yet succeeded in Australia. The technology’s most prominent local backer, billionaire miner Twiggy Forrest, has dialled down his ambition. Globally, just 7% of announced green hydrogen projects are up and running.

    Economic viability is one problem. But there’s a much larger issue flying under the radar: water. Hitting the 2050 target of 15 million to 30 million tonnes of hydrogen a year would use 7–15% of the amount Australia’s households, farms, mines and black coal power plants use annually. That’s simply not sustainable.

    Splitting water

    Green hydrogen uses renewable energy to power electrolyser machines, which split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

    On the surface, this is an appealing use of clean energy, especially during solar peak periods.

    But what the government hasn’t properly accounted for is the water cost for green hydrogen. The strategy states water use is likely to be “considerable but not prohibitive”.

    This is questionable. For every kilogram of hydrogen produced through electrolysis, nine litres of water are directly consumed.

    That’s not all. The water needed to make hydrogen has to be extremely pure. Salt water has to be desalinated, and even fresh water needs purification. Equipment also needs cooling, which consumes even more water.

    All these processes incur substantial indirect water losses, such as the water used for industrial processes and cooling. The volumes used are highly uncertain. They can be up to 20 times greater than the direct water use.

    A key input value for the government’s hydrogen strategy modelling is taken from a 2015 report by the Argonne National Energy Laboratory in the United States, which assumes each kilogram of green hydrogen produced requires just over 30 litres of water.

    The Australian hydrogen strategy suggests 30 litres per kilogram of hydrogen would cover “all system losses including purification processes and cooling water required”. But it’s not clear if this figure covers other uses of water in making hydrogen, such as water treatment.

    Green hydrogen could help industrial sectors transition from fossil fuels. The problem is the water use.
    Audio und werbung/Shutterstock

    How much water would this use?

    According to the government’s modelling, making 15 million tonnes would require 740 billion litres of water. That would be about 7% of the 10,450 billion litres used by all of Australia’s households, farms, mines and black coal power plants.

    The government’s National Hydrogen Strategy shows the water use by major industries. Their total water use is 10,450 gigalitres annually.
    Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

    That’s substantial. One and a half Sydney Harbours worth, every year. But it might be a major underestimate. After all, estimates on indirect water use differ widely. The government’s figures are at the very bottom of the range.

    For instance, the latest research gives water consumption figures of about 66 litres per kilogram – more than twice as large. Other sources give values between 90 and 300 litres per kilogram of hydrogen – three to ten times higher.

    Uncertainty in modelling is normal. But the wide research suggesting much higher water use should give rise to real concern.

    If we take a middle-of-the-range figure of 95 litres per kilogram, this would mean that making 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen would use up 22% of the 10,450 billion litres used by households, farms, mines and black coal power plants annually by 2050.

    If hydrogen was even thirstier at 310 litres per kilogram, that would translate to 72% of that figure.

    These estimates are enormous. Even under the most optimistic scenario, the draw on Australia’s scarce freshwater resources would simply be too much. Where would this water come from? Farmers? Groundwater? Environmental flows from rivers?

    As the Queensland Farmers Federation pointed out in its response to the hydrogen strategy, the figures on water use “beg the question if they are in fact sustainable”.

    The Water Services Association of Australia has called for much greater attention to the water demands of green hydrogen, which it says are “often seriously underestimated”.

    What about saltwater? Australia has no shortage of oceans. The problem here becomes energy and wastewater. Desalination is still very energy intensive. Converting saltwater to fresh also produces large volumes of super-salty brine, which must then be managed as waste.

    Which way forward?

    Does this mean green hydrogen is a non-starter? Not necessarily. Improved electrolyser technology might offer ways to slash water use, while circular economy approaches such as resource recovery from brine could also reduce losses.

    But these concerns about water must be front and centre in future discussions about the shape and size of the industry in Australia.

    Madoc Sheehan 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. Thirsty future: Australia’s green hydrogen targets could require vastly more water than the government hopes – https://theconversation.com/thirsty-future-australias-green-hydrogen-targets-could-require-vastly-more-water-than-the-government-hopes-252044

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: We interviewed 205 Australians convicted of murder and manslaughter. Alcohol’s role was alarming

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Li Eriksson, Senior Lecturer, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University

    We’ve long known there’s a link between alcohol and violence, but when it comes to homicide the stories behind the statistics are harder to grasp.

    Our study sheds rare light on what actually happens when drinking precedes killing, because it draws not just on police or court records but on the first-hand accounts of convicted offenders.

    We interviewed 205 Australian men and women across Australia aged between 15 and 65 at the time of homicide and 20 to 71 when interviewed.

    Nearly half (43%) said they’d been drinking immediately before committing the act. While levels of intoxication varied, many described being heavily under the influence at the time.

    One man, when asked about his alcohol consumption, stated he had drunk “shitloads” before the incident occurred, adding he intended to “write (himself) off” that night.

    The study offers a disturbing but important window into the realities of alcohol-involved homicide.

    What do we know about alcohol and homicide?

    Most of our knowledge about homicide and alcohol comes from police reports, forensic toxicology and court proceedings. These are useful but limited. They often lack detail about how much was consumed, when and in what context.

    Self-report data – what offenders themselves say about their state of mind and substance use – add depth to this picture.

    While not without its flaws (memory and honesty being obvious concerns), such data helps us understand the psychological and situational dynamics of homicide better than numbers alone.

    What the study found

    Of the 205 homicide offenders interviewed, those who had been drinking prior to the offence shared some distinct characteristics.

    Alcohol-involved homicides were more likely to occur at night, happen in public places such as pubs or parks, involve older offenders, and be committed with knives.

    Interestingly, these cases weren’t necessarily the result of long-planned acts.

    Rather, they had many markers of impulsivity – spontaneous, emotionally charged and often reactive violence.

    Alcohol’s impact here could have played a role, as our study found drinkers and non-drinkers had similar self-control levels.

    Self-control is the ability to manage impulses, emotions and actions in pursuit of long-term goals and is typically seen as a buffer against offending.

    This suggests alcohol may overpower people’s behaviour even if they boast moderate impulse control.

    Why chronic alcohol problems matter

    The strongest predictor of alcohol-involved homicide wasn’t age, gender, or criminal history. It was whether the offender had ongoing problems with alcohol misuse.

    This points to the deeply entrenched nature of alcohol dependence and its capacity to fuel extreme violence. It also has clear implications for prevention.

    Tackling long-term alcohol abuse isn’t just a health issue – it’s a public safety issue.

    The data suggest that had some of these people received support or intervention earlier, lives may have been saved.

    More than a disinhibitor?

    We often think of alcohol as a “disinhibitor” – something that lowers self-control and makes people do things they wouldn’t otherwise do.

    That’s true to an extent but this study highlights the story is more complex.

    Many of these homicides didn’t happen because someone simply “lost control”, they happened in a context shaped by years of alcohol misuse, patterns of violence and social disadvantage.

    In some cases, alcohol didn’t cause the violence, it gave it an opportunity.

    What can we do?

    Understanding the characteristics of alcohol-involved homicide can help shape more effective crime prevention strategies.

    Some takeaways include:

    • Early intervention: addressing problem drinking before it escalates into chronic misuse is critical. This includes better screening, treatment programs and community-based support services.

    • Night-time and public place policing: since these homicides are more likely to happen in public at night, there may be a role for targeted interventions in high-risk locations—especially around bars, clubs and events where alcohol flows freely.

    • Knife crime prevention: the strong association with knife use suggests we also need to examine how accessible knives are in public settings and educate people about the risks of carrying them.

    Looking to the future

    This research doesn’t offer easy solutions but it does reinforce a vital truth: preventing homicide isn’t just about catching violent people, it’s about understanding the conditions that make violence more likely.

    By listening to those who’ve committed the ultimate crime, we might just learn how to help better prevent it from happening in the first place.

    Anna Hartley, science communicator at Griffith University, contributed to this article.

    Li Eriksson has received research funding from the Australian Institute of Criminology, Queensland Corrective Services, and Queensland Police Service.

    Paul Mazerolle received funding from the Australian Research Council to support research which informed this article..

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

    – ref. We interviewed 205 Australians convicted of murder and manslaughter. Alcohol’s role was alarming – https://theconversation.com/we-interviewed-205-australians-convicted-of-murder-and-manslaughter-alcohols-role-was-alarming-259794

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Waterstone Financial Announces Election of New Board Members

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WAUWATOSA, Wis., July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSBF) announced today that its Board of Directors has elected Molly Mulroy and Laura Piotrowski to serve on the Board of Directors of both WaterStone Bank and Waterstone Financial, effective July 22, 2025.

    “We are honored to have Molly and Laura join the Board of Directors of WaterStone Bank and Waterstone Financial and help guide our organization,” said Pat Lawton, Chair of the Board. “Each brings a wealth of experience, proven strategic leadership skills, and a shared commitment to delivering value to our customers, employees, shareholders, and the communities we serve. We are excited to welcome their respective talents to the Waterstone family.”

    Molly Mulroy currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of WEC Energy Group, one of the nation’s largest electric generation and natural gas delivery holding companies with utility subsidiaries serving 4.7 million customers. Since 2021, she has overseen Administrative Services, Facility Management, Human Resources, IT Services, Supply Chain, IT System Strategy, and Development.

    Previously, Mulroy served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer, leading enterprise-wide information technology, including cybersecurity and infrastructure. Since joining WEC Energy Group in 1999, she has held leadership positions in Customer Service, Finance, Wholesale Energy and Fuels, Regulatory Affairs, and State Government Affairs.

    She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Mulroy is active in the Milwaukee community and currently serves on the board of Milwaukee Ballet and Milwaukee Women, Inc., and chairs the boards of Milwaukee Tech Hub and Next Door Foundation.

    “I am grateful for the opportunity to join the Waterstone Financial Board and excited about the opportunities ahead,” said Mulroy. “I look forward to working with the Board and leadership team to further the company’s mission, value, and impact.”

    Laura Piotrowski is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Cavendish Vernal, a strategic advisory firm she founded in 2017. Cavendish Vernal provides strategic business planning, executive advising, succession planning, finance and human resource advising, executive coaching, and leadership development services.

    Previously, she was Executive Vice President of The Benefit Companies, where she provided strategic and executional leadership for the organization. Piotrowski has also held senior finance roles, including Chief Financial Officer of Stein’s Garden & Home and Managing Director of Finance for Robert W. Baird & Co.

    She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an Executive MBA from Marquette University. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Piotrowski also serves on the board of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southeastern Wisconsin.

    “I am honored to join the WaterStone Board of Directors and excited to contribute to this great organization,” said Piotrowski. “As a business owner, I understand the critical role community-focused banks play in our community.”

    About Waterstone Financial, Inc.
    Waterstone Financial, Inc. is the savings and loan holding company for WaterStone Bank, a community-focused financial institution established in 1921. WaterStone Bank offers a comprehensive suite of personal and business banking products and operates 14 branch locations across southeastern Wisconsin. WaterStone Bank is also the parent company of WaterStone Mortgage Corporation, a national lender licensed in 48 states.

    With a long-standing commitment to innovation, integrity, and community service, Waterstone Financial, Inc. supports the financial and homeownership goals of customers nationwide. For more information about WaterStone Bank, visit wsbonline.com.

    Contact:
    Mark R. Gerke
    Chief Financial Officer
    414-459-4012
    markgerke@wsbonline.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Waterstone Financial Announces Election of New Board Members

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WAUWATOSA, Wis., July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSBF) announced today that its Board of Directors has elected Molly Mulroy and Laura Piotrowski to serve on the Board of Directors of both WaterStone Bank and Waterstone Financial, effective July 22, 2025.

    “We are honored to have Molly and Laura join the Board of Directors of WaterStone Bank and Waterstone Financial and help guide our organization,” said Pat Lawton, Chair of the Board. “Each brings a wealth of experience, proven strategic leadership skills, and a shared commitment to delivering value to our customers, employees, shareholders, and the communities we serve. We are excited to welcome their respective talents to the Waterstone family.”

    Molly Mulroy currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of WEC Energy Group, one of the nation’s largest electric generation and natural gas delivery holding companies with utility subsidiaries serving 4.7 million customers. Since 2021, she has overseen Administrative Services, Facility Management, Human Resources, IT Services, Supply Chain, IT System Strategy, and Development.

    Previously, Mulroy served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer, leading enterprise-wide information technology, including cybersecurity and infrastructure. Since joining WEC Energy Group in 1999, she has held leadership positions in Customer Service, Finance, Wholesale Energy and Fuels, Regulatory Affairs, and State Government Affairs.

    She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Mulroy is active in the Milwaukee community and currently serves on the board of Milwaukee Ballet and Milwaukee Women, Inc., and chairs the boards of Milwaukee Tech Hub and Next Door Foundation.

    “I am grateful for the opportunity to join the Waterstone Financial Board and excited about the opportunities ahead,” said Mulroy. “I look forward to working with the Board and leadership team to further the company’s mission, value, and impact.”

    Laura Piotrowski is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Cavendish Vernal, a strategic advisory firm she founded in 2017. Cavendish Vernal provides strategic business planning, executive advising, succession planning, finance and human resource advising, executive coaching, and leadership development services.

    Previously, she was Executive Vice President of The Benefit Companies, where she provided strategic and executional leadership for the organization. Piotrowski has also held senior finance roles, including Chief Financial Officer of Stein’s Garden & Home and Managing Director of Finance for Robert W. Baird & Co.

    She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an Executive MBA from Marquette University. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Piotrowski also serves on the board of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southeastern Wisconsin.

    “I am honored to join the WaterStone Board of Directors and excited to contribute to this great organization,” said Piotrowski. “As a business owner, I understand the critical role community-focused banks play in our community.”

    About Waterstone Financial, Inc.
    Waterstone Financial, Inc. is the savings and loan holding company for WaterStone Bank, a community-focused financial institution established in 1921. WaterStone Bank offers a comprehensive suite of personal and business banking products and operates 14 branch locations across southeastern Wisconsin. WaterStone Bank is also the parent company of WaterStone Mortgage Corporation, a national lender licensed in 48 states.

    With a long-standing commitment to innovation, integrity, and community service, Waterstone Financial, Inc. supports the financial and homeownership goals of customers nationwide. For more information about WaterStone Bank, visit wsbonline.com.

    Contact:
    Mark R. Gerke
    Chief Financial Officer
    414-459-4012
    markgerke@wsbonline.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin of UConn Honored by the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The 2025 President’s Circle Reception was part of the annual meeting and hosted by AIMBE President, Lola Eniola-Adefeso, Ph.D. The event brought together AIMBE Fellows and supporters to recognize those who have gone above and beyond in advancing AIMBE’s mission of advocacy for medical and biological engineering.

    Each year, a leader from AIMBE, or the broader medical and biological engineering community, is invited to serve as the designated honored guest. Dr. Cato T. Laurencin of UConn was invited because of his exceptional leadership in biomedical engineering, and his pioneering work in regenerative engineering. His presence highlighted the importance of continued advocacy and engagement at the highest levels of science and policy.

    AIMBE is the authoritative voice and advocate for the value of medical and biological engineering to society.

    Laurencin is the University Professor at UConn and the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He is the CEO of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute created and named in his honor at UConn.

    Laurencin is a fellow of AIMBE and previously served on its board of directors. He served as chair of the College of Fellows for AIMBE. He received the Pierre Galletti Award, the highest honor of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. More recently, Laurencin received the Professional Impact Award for Leadership from AIMBE recognizing his work as the founder of the field of Regenerative Engineering.

    In 2025, he has received the Paul Terasaki Innovation Award from the Paul Terasaki Foundation,  and the Bioactive Materials Lifetime Achievement Award. He will receive the Dickson Prize in Medicine this year. Many of the Dickson Prize awardees have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize.

    Laurencin was bestowed Knight Commander of the Order of St. Lucia, under the auspices of King Charles III of England by the Governor General of Saint Lucia. He is recognized as the leading international figure in polymeric biomaterials chemistry and engineering who has made extraordinary scientific contributions and with profound contributions to improving human health.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raises alarms about right-wing extremism

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kawser Ahmed, Adjunct Professor at the Political Science department, University of Winnipeg

    This week, the RCMP arrested four men in Québec, alleging they were attempting to create an anti-government militia.

    The RCMP used the umbrella term “Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism” to categorize the suspects. Essentially, this means the RCMP alleges they share violent right-wing ideologies. Their arrests raise questions about whether Canada’s problem with right-wing extremism is getting worse.

    The group is accused of storing explosive devices, dozens of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. The RCMP seized all of it, and the four suspects are due to appear in Québec City court next week. Three are charged with facilitating a terrorist activity, along with weapon-possession offences.

    The suspects include active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, according to the RCMP. Given the allegations that they were planning terrorist attacks for an extremist militia, the inclusion of army personnel might not be surprising.

    But it could represent a stark manifestation of a deeply troubling and accelerating trend: the rise of violent right-wing extremism and anti-government or anti-authority radicalization within western democracies. This is a shift dramatically exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as many seized the opportunity to spread anti-government ideas based on restricted freedoms.

    Raphaël Lagacé, one of the suspects charged by the RCMP.
    (Instagram)

    Canada not immune to violent movements

    Canada often thinks it’s safe from violent movements, but it’s becoming more vulnerable. This is especially evident in places like Québec, where there has been ideological conflict in the past, including the massacre at a Québec mosque in January 2017.

    However, the threat is also clear on a national level.

    According to a Canadian intelligence report, far-right extremist groups actively recruit past and present members of the military and police.

    There’s also a long-running pattern of militia activity in North America. Activities in the United States show how dangerous it is when violent ideologies spread.

    This includes the nihilistic doctrine of accelerationism, which is a white-supremacist belief that the current state of society cannot be fixed and that the only way to repair it is to destroy and collapse the “system”.

    There are versions of accelerationism on both the right and left.

    The rise in right-wing extremism globally

    The charges in Québec shine a spotlight on the global trend of rising right-wing extremism that has been worsening since 2016.

    In the past decade, white supremacist, anti-government and militia groups have gained traction. That’s due in part to online echo chambers, growing political and social divisions and the rise and rapid spread of conspiracy theories.

    The U.S. is the best and most immediate example. Groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys are well-known, playing a significant role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. These groups are keen to recruit current and former military and law enforcement officers because they know how to handle weapons and use explosives.

    In 2023, the FBI repeatedly said domestic violent extremism continues to pose a threat, especially racially or ethnically motivated extremists and anti-government groups.

    Accelerationism is behind a lot of this violence. It underpins efforts to speed up the disintegration of society through targeted violence and technology, with the goal of starting a racial war or civil war to bring down liberal democratic institutions.

    The Base is an example of this trend. It’s a multinational, trans-border white supremacist network that supports violence to create chaos.

    But this is not just a North American problem. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, far-right members of the Ukrainian Azov Regiment reportedly drew western extremists to their cause, many of whom were looking for paramilitary training, possibly to use against their own governments.

    Canada: The Base, the ‘freedom convoy’

    This global tide doesn’t leave Canada out. The arrests in Québec are the most recent and concerning example.

    Patrik Mathews, a former Canadian Army reservist from Winnipeg, was involved in a well-known Canadian case that involved recruiting for The Base, as well as a plot to harm a journalist, Canadian investigative journalist Ryan Thorpe. His reports in the Winnipeg Free Press exposed Mathew’s membership in the The Base.

    Mathew fled to the U.S. in 2019. The FBI subsequently arrested him and charged him with gun-related crimes and taking part in a riot at a Virginia protest. Mathew is now serving a long prison sentence for his part in what the FBI called a “neo-Nazi plot to instigate a race war in the United States.”

    These examples clearly show how extremists work within national military systems to learn tactical capabilities.

    The so-called “freedom convoy” occupation of Ottawa in 2022 also showed troubling connections between radicalism and some parts of the Canadian Armed Forces.

    Investigations found numerous active and former Army members were either actively involved with the convoy or donated a lot of money. Some were found to have posted extreme anti-government views online. Some Army members are also vulnerable to the right-wing ideologies of a “white-ethnostate” fuelled by political rhetoric and hate.

    All of this paints a bleak picture: extremist ideas are slowly taking hold in Canada as adherents aim to leverage military training to spread cynicism in democratic institutions. Previous studies back this up.

    Countering the threat

    To deal with this complicated and changing threat, we need a whole society, integrated approach that includes reliable top-down enforcement and monitoring and proactive, bottom-up societal resilience.

    To quickly disrupt and deter extremist groups, top-down actions are very important. To properly monitor, penetrate and break up violent extremist networks, law enforcement and security services like CSIS and the RCMP need more resources, updated laws and better co-ordination.

    It’s also important for the Canadian Armed Forces and other security-sensitive organizations to have better screening processes to find and purge those with extremist ideas.

    But law enforcement isn’t enough. For one, it could be seen as biased, which could lead to more radicalization. Bottom-up methods are just as important for long-term prevention.

    We need programs that provide teachers, social workers, community leaders and families with the tools they need to spot early signs of radicalization and do something about it in a positive way.



    Read more:
    How not to counter the radical right

    Dialogue, education

    It’s important to teach people how to think critically, read the news to fight false information and learn about civic duties that stress democratic principles and diversity. This is especially critical to fight against rising hate-motivated crimes.

    I am involved in a one such project. It’s called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM). We strive to build resilient communities by creating awareness and early detection of radicalism.

    Dialogue and education are paramount.

    Canada can’t afford to wait for a disaster to happen before acting. It can’t let its soldiers — those tasked with protecting Canadians and Canada’s security — get caught up in right-wing extremism. They are a source of national pride and should remain so.

    Kawser Ahmed has led a Public Safety project called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM)

    – ref. Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raises alarms about right-wing extremism – https://theconversation.com/charges-against-canadian-army-members-in-anti-government-terror-plot-raises-alarms-about-right-wing-extremism-260778

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Celebrating sporting excellence in the Territory

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Sporting icon Robert de Castella presents cyclist Jay Vine with the 2024 Athlete of the Year – Men’s Sport Award

    In brief:

    • Winners of the CBR Sport Awards 2024 have been announced.
    • Awards are given to the ACT’s top athletes, teams and special contributors.
    • This article lists the winners and Hall of Fame inductees.

    Canberra’s top athletes, sporting teams and special contributors have been acknowledged at the 2024 CBR Sport Awards.

    The city’s sporting community came together to celebrate their outstanding achievements, both in the past year and over time.

    CBR Sport Awards 2024 winners

    Athlete of the Year – Men’s Sport
    Jay Vine – Cycling

    Athlete of the Year – Women’s Sport
    Jade Melbourne – Basketball

    Athlete of the Year – Para Sport
    James Turner – Athletics

    Team of the Year 
    Canberra Brave – Ice Hockey

    Rising Star 
    Cameron Myers – Athletics

    The Minister for Sport and Recreation’s Awards, which form part of the CBR Sport Awards were also awarded.

    These seek to recognise some of the great activities happening in ACT sporting clubs and organisations.

    Ministers Award for Event Excellence
    Softball ACT – 2024 Gilley’s Shield

    Ministers Award for Innovation
    Bowls ACT – Graded Reserve Open Gender Championships

    Hall of Fame inductees

    Four new inductees were welcomed into the ACT Sport Hall of Fame this year.

    The ACT Sport Hall of Fame is located at the Sporting Commons at the University of Canberra.

    It began in 1995 and recognises both athletes (Full Member) and non-athletes – including coaches, officials, sport scientists, journalists and administrators (Associate Member) from the region.

    This year the ACT Sport Hall of Fame welcomed:

    • Katrina Fanning – Full Member – Rugby League
    • Brad Haddin – Full Member – Cricket
    • Carrie Graf – Associate Member – Basketball
    • Ron Harvey – Associate Member – Basketball

    Sport in Canberra

    Sport unites the Canberra community, building pride in the city and breaking down barriers of culture, class and gender.

    The ACT has a proud sporting culture, boasting the highest sporting participation rates in the country.

    For more information about this year’s Awards visit the CBR Sports Awards website.

    Athlete of the Year – Women’s Sport winner Jade Melbourne (basketball)

    Ron Harvey, one of the four ACT Sport Hall of Fame inductees.

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


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: I Am Artemis: Joe Pavicic

    Source: NASA

    Listen to this audio excerpt from Joe Pavicic, Artemis operations project engineer

    Your browser does not support the audio element.

    Joe Pavicic will never forget when he told the Artemis launch director teams were NO-GO for launch.
    Before Artemis I lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in November 2022, the launch team made multiple launch attempts the months prior.  
    “During a previous Artemis I launch attempt, there was an issue with engine three,” said Pavicic, operations project engineer who worked on the engines console during Artemis I. “One sensor was showing that it wasn’t seeing liquid hydrogen through it. It was showing that it was at ambient temperature.”

    Joe pavicic
    Operations Project Engineer

    Prior to engine ignition, launch team controllers must first chill the engines before the cryogenic liquid propellant fuels and lifts the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft into the heavens and onward to the Moon. Chilling the engines ensures the hardware doesn’t get damaged when exposed to the super-cooled liquid hydrogen at -423 degrees Fahrenheit.   

    “We tried everything we could think of,” Pavicic recalls. “Any procedure we could try, we tried it, and we just never saw those rates that we should have.” 
    Thus, Pavicic, who is originally from West Palm Beach and studied aerospace engineering at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, went back to the drawing board with the rest of his team, working days and nights rewriting procedures and learning new lessons about the engines and sensors until they were finally able to get to a successful launch. 

    joe pavicic
    Operations Project Engineer

    NASA successfully launched and flew the Artemis I mission and now, Pavicic is working as one of the operations project engineers, continuing to help the launch team develop new launch commit criteria and procedures within the launch countdown ahead of Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission, which will send four astronauts around the Moon and back in 10 days next year.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DHS Sends Administrative Subpoenas to Harvard University

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: DHS Sends Administrative Subpoenas to Harvard University

    lass=”text-align-center”>After many previous requests to hand over relevant information concerning foreign students, DHS will now send subpoenas forcing Harvard to comply
    WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would send administrative subpoenas to Harvard University regarding its Student Visitor and Exchange Program

    This comes after the university repeatedly refused past non-coercive requests to hand over the required information for its Student Visitor and Exchange Program certification

    “We tried to do things the easy way with Harvard

    Now, through their refusal to cooperate, we have to do things the hard way,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin

    “Harvard, like other universities, has allowed foreign students to abuse their visa privileges and advocate for violence and terrorism on campus

    If Harvard won’t defend the interests of its students, then we will

    ” Given the allegations of disciplinary disparity involving nonimmigrant students, the documents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demand that Harvard turn over relevant records, communications, and other documents relevant to the enforcement of immigration laws since January 1, 2020

    On April 16, 2025, Secretary Noem demanded Harvard provide information about the criminality and misconduct of foreign students on its campus

    Secretary Noem warned refusal to comply with this lawful order would result in SEVP termination

    On May 22, she ordered DHS to terminate the Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification

    As Secretary Noem explained in a recent op-ed at the Washington Post, Harvard was given multiple chances to submit the requested information voluntarily and on its own timeline

    Because of the university’s repeated refusals, these subpoenas are the only option left for the Department

    Other universities and academic institutions that are asked to submit similar information should take note of Harvard’s actions, and the repercussions, when considering whether or not to comply with similar requests

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Denis Manturov met with the head of the Republic of Adygea Murat Kumpilov

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Denis Manturov met with the head of the Republic of Adygea Murat Kumpilov.

    First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov met with the head of the Republic of Adygea Murat Kumpilov, with whom he discussed the development of the region’s industry.

    The head of the republic reported to Denis Manturov on the status of the implementation of the investment project to create the Enem industrial park.

    In addition, Denis Manturov and Murat Kumpilov discussed the progress of the execution of the instructions given by the First Deputy Prime Minister during his working visit to Adygea in March 2025. Let us recall that at that time, Denis Manturov, among other things, instructed the transfer of drones from one of the leading Russian brands to the Military Training Center at the Maikop State Technological University for training cadets.

    On the instructions of the First Deputy Prime Minister, support was provided to the project of PAO Zarem to modernize the production of gearboxes through the federal Industrial Development Fund. In addition, work is underway to deepen cooperation between the Maikop Machine-Building Plant and the Kovrov Mechanical Plant. Currently, the enterprises, with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, are working on the issue of localizing the production of vane rotators and hydraulic distributors.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Continued Growth at Truxton Wealth Leads to Advisor Promotions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Truxton is pleased to announce that Buck Patton, CFP®, CPWA® has been promoted to the role of Senior Vice President, Wealth Advisor and Brandt Warner, JD, CFP® has been elevated to the role of Vice President, Wealth Advisor.

    Since joining Truxton in 2018, Mr. Patton has served in a range of key roles including Portfolio Analyst, Financial Advisor, and Associate Wealth Advisor. His well-rounded experience, working with individual clients, families, non-profit boards, and partnerships, has made a significant impact on both Truxton’s clients and business. He has played a critical role in refining processes, leading complex client initiatives, and coordinating seamlessly with other advisors to deliver comprehensive wealth strategies. Buck continues to elevate his work for the benefit of Truxton’s clients and team, earning certifications as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and Certified Private Wealth Advisor® practitioner.

    “Buck has made a lasting impact since joining Truxton in 2018,” said Drew Mallory, Senior Managing Director and Chief Fiduciary Officer. “He’s a true team player, a lifelong learner, and a trusted advisor whose clients genuinely enjoy working with him.”

    Mr. Warner joined Truxton Wealth in 2024 as an Assistant Vice President, Wealth Advisor, and has quickly become a key contributor. Known for his strategic thinking, technical expertise, and client-first mindset, Brandt has enhanced internal operations, tackled complexity with ease, and quickly built trust among clients and colleagues. A licensed attorney and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Brandt earned his J.D. cum laude from the University of Tennessee College of Law with a concentration in Business Transactions.

    “Brandt quickly became a major contributor to the Truxton Wealth team,” said Drew Mallory. “He has improved core processes and brings a strategic mindset to helping high-net-worth families move forward on important initiatives. We’re excited to see his continued growth at Truxton.”

    About Truxton
    Truxton is a premier provider of wealth, banking, and family office services for wealthy individuals, their families, and their business interests. Serving clients across the world, Truxton’s vastly experienced team of professionals provides customized solutions to its clients’ complex financial needs. Founded in 2004 in Nashville, Tennessee, Truxton upholds its original guiding principle: do the right thing. Truxton Trust Company is a subsidiary of financial holding company, Truxton Corporation (OTCID: TRUX). For more information, visit truxtontrust.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Continued Growth at Truxton Wealth Leads to Advisor Promotions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Truxton is pleased to announce that Buck Patton, CFP®, CPWA® has been promoted to the role of Senior Vice President, Wealth Advisor and Brandt Warner, JD, CFP® has been elevated to the role of Vice President, Wealth Advisor.

    Since joining Truxton in 2018, Mr. Patton has served in a range of key roles including Portfolio Analyst, Financial Advisor, and Associate Wealth Advisor. His well-rounded experience, working with individual clients, families, non-profit boards, and partnerships, has made a significant impact on both Truxton’s clients and business. He has played a critical role in refining processes, leading complex client initiatives, and coordinating seamlessly with other advisors to deliver comprehensive wealth strategies. Buck continues to elevate his work for the benefit of Truxton’s clients and team, earning certifications as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and Certified Private Wealth Advisor® practitioner.

    “Buck has made a lasting impact since joining Truxton in 2018,” said Drew Mallory, Senior Managing Director and Chief Fiduciary Officer. “He’s a true team player, a lifelong learner, and a trusted advisor whose clients genuinely enjoy working with him.”

    Mr. Warner joined Truxton Wealth in 2024 as an Assistant Vice President, Wealth Advisor, and has quickly become a key contributor. Known for his strategic thinking, technical expertise, and client-first mindset, Brandt has enhanced internal operations, tackled complexity with ease, and quickly built trust among clients and colleagues. A licensed attorney and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Brandt earned his J.D. cum laude from the University of Tennessee College of Law with a concentration in Business Transactions.

    “Brandt quickly became a major contributor to the Truxton Wealth team,” said Drew Mallory. “He has improved core processes and brings a strategic mindset to helping high-net-worth families move forward on important initiatives. We’re excited to see his continued growth at Truxton.”

    About Truxton
    Truxton is a premier provider of wealth, banking, and family office services for wealthy individuals, their families, and their business interests. Serving clients across the world, Truxton’s vastly experienced team of professionals provides customized solutions to its clients’ complex financial needs. Founded in 2004 in Nashville, Tennessee, Truxton upholds its original guiding principle: do the right thing. Truxton Trust Company is a subsidiary of financial holding company, Truxton Corporation (OTCID: TRUX). For more information, visit truxtontrust.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Imed Chaguetmi’s Story

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: Imed Chaguetmi’s Story

    The following is part of IADC’s 85th anniversary campaign, “Many Stories, One Voice,” which aims to showcase the real human stories behind the drilling industry. 

    The following story is from Imed Eddine Chaguetmi, Counselor, Founder and former Chair of the IADC University of Boumerdès Student Chapter and 2024 IADC Student Chapter scholarship recipient.

    I’m Imed Eddine Chaguetmi, drilling engineering student at the University of Boumerdès, Algeria. But this is not just about studies — this is the story of how I built something from nothing… and how it changed everything for me.

    When I reached my master’s degree, I was already active in several student chapters. But as a drilling student, I felt a deeper question rising: What legacy am I leaving for my field?

    That’s when I discovered IADC. I reached out to Hisham Zebian, IADC Vice President Eastern Hemisphere, and after a few exchanges, we scheduled a meeting that would eventually change everything.

    At the same time, I launched a new drilling club on campus — I built its structure, crafted the vision and formed a team of more than 50 students, including eight board members, from scratch. Balancing this with my studies was overwhelming. Meetings, general assemblies and strategy sessions were all packed into a short span. But I believed in it — and I knew it would be worth it.

    And it was.

    In April 2025, we received official recognition from IADC. That moment — seeing the IADC logo next to our university’s name — was unforgettable. We made history by becoming the first and only IADC student representation in Algeria.

    We didn’t stop there. We organized impactful national and international events, formed partnerships with professionals and fulfilled our mission: to bridge the gap between academia and industry.

    But behind every success were sacrifices. We faced internal conflicts – moments that tested our relationships and mental strength. Still, we never let go of respect, patience and vision — the values that held us together.

    In less than a year, we built a strong, recognized community. I met professionals who already knew about IADC Boumerdès, and many who connected with me through the work we accomplished. That wasn’t luck — it was passion, belief and consistency.

    More than anything, seeing our student members grow, lead with confidence and act like true professionals in every task they handled — that made me genuinely proud of the impact we could make together.

    Imed representing the IADC Boumerdès Student Chapter during a technical visit to the Algerian Petroleum Institute in June 2024.

    To every student reading this:

    University is more than academics.
     It’s your training ground for life.
     Take that first step. Try new things.
     Intern. Volunteer. Lead. Connect.
     And never be afraid to dream big — because nothing is impossible when you believe in your purpose.

    IADC has been a turning point in my life — a transition from being a student to becoming a young professional. It gave me the chance to speak on stage for the first time, to be supported in my studies and to grow through meaningful leadership.

    I’m truly grateful to our faculty adviser, the board team, our alumni and especially to Hisham; Mike DuBose, IADC Senior VP of International Development; and the IADC leadership who believed in us from the beginning.

    Happy 85th Anniversary, IADC — 85 years of legacy, excellence and impact.

    We are IADC, advancing the drilling industry together.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: President of Human Rights Council appoints Max du Plessis of South Africa as member of Iran fact-finding mission

    Source: APO


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    The President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Jürg Lauber (Switzerland), has announced the appointment of Mr. Max du Plessis of South Africa to serve as an independent member of the Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mr. du Plessis replaces Ms. Shaheen Sardar Ali of Pakistan on the three-member investigative panel and joins Ms. Sara Hossain of Bangladesh and Ms. Viviana Krsticevic of Argentina. Ms. Hossain serves as chair of the Fact-Finding Mission.

    The Human Rights Council established the Fact-Finding Mission with resolution S-35/1 of 24 November 2022, adopted at a special session, to “investigate alleged human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the protests that began on 16 September 2022, especially with respect to women and children”. The three-person Mission was further requested to “establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged violations and collect, consolidate and analyse evidence of such violations and preserve evidence, including in view of cooperation in any legal proceedings”.

    The mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission was subsequently extended for one year with resolution 55/19 of 4 April 2024 entitled “Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.” 

    In April 2025, with its resolution 58/21, the Council extended the Fact-Finding Mission’s mandate for an additional year and expanded its scope to, among other things, thoroughly and independently monitor and investigate allegations of recent and ongoing serious human rights violations in Iran. This resolution requests the Fact-Finding Mission to present a report to the Human Rights Council at its 61st session in February/March 2026, and to present an oral update, to be followed by an interactive dialogue, to the United Nations General Assembly at its 80th session (2025-2026).

    Mr. du Plessis is a South African barrister and academic whose career has been characterised by his involvement on justice and human rights issues. He has a Bachelor of Laws from the University of South Africa and the University of Natal (South Africa), completed his Master of Laws at the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) and completed his PhD studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa).

    His legal career began in 2000 when he became an advocate at the High Court of South Africa. His expertise in international, administrative, and constitutional law lead to a role as a senior research fellow in the International Crime in Africa Programme at the Institute for Security Studies. Mr. du Plessis has practiced law in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and has been a visiting expert at the International Criminal Court.

    Throughout his career Mr. du Plessis has been an adjunct professor at the University of Cape Town and Nelson Mandela University. He also served as a visiting professor at Law Futures Centre, Griffith University (Australia), Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford (United Kingdom), St. John’s College, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), the London School of Economics (United Kingdom), Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University (United States), and others.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

    MIL OSI Africa –