Podcasts about understanding mou

For review:1.  Updated Info on Strike that Targeted Hamas Leader.  The strike that targeted and possibly eliminated Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar in Gaza earlier this month was made possible when the terror chief made the rare mistake of moving without a defensive “hostage belt” protecting him, according to a Friday report. 2.  Israel will receive a “devastating and decisive response” if it attacks Iran, the IRGC said on Thursday as Tehran vowed to defend its nuclear sites, days after two separate reports suggested Israel was making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. 3.  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Tehran's discussions with the United States over its nuclear program were “complicated,” as the fifth round of talks concluded in Rome.  Asked about the negotiations, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said “we believe that we are going to succeed” in the talks and in Washington's push for no enrichment. 4. Russia & Ukraine Swap 390 Prisoners; More Expected in Coming Days. Russia will be ready to hand Ukraine a draft document outlining conditions for a long-term peace agreement once a prisoner exchange is completed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday. 5.  A former leading Ukrainian official has been shot dead outside an American school in the Spanish capital Madrid, authorities have confirmed. 6.  German defense firm Rheinmetall and India's Reliance Defence announced a “strategic partnership” on ammunition supplies today after officials from both companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).  A future production base in the Watad Industrial Area of Ratnagiri, will become one of the largest in South Asia and hold the capacity to manufacture up to 200,000 artillery shells, 10,000 tons of explosives and 2,000 tons of propellants annually. 7.  General Atomics is in talks to sell Saudi Arabia up to 200 MQ-9 unmanned systems, according to a company spokesperson. The discussions are part of the $142 billion in defense deals announced by President Donald Trump during last week's visit to the Gulf Region.8. USAF Test Launches Minuteman III Missile. Air Force Global Strike Command launched the Minuteman III at 12:01 Pacific time from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It flew about 4,200 miles, at a speed of more than 15,000 miles per hour, to a test site at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.  The missile was randomly selected and came from Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana.9. Article from Military.com: Summary of Transformative changes to the Army. 10. US Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar early this morning as it headed home following an eight-month deployment. The carrier is westbound in the Atlantic Ocean, a Navy official confirmed to USNI News Friday. 11. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will travel to the Shangri-La Dialogue, the largest defense conference in Asia, where he will deliver a speech on the Pentagon's approach to the region under the second Trump administration. The 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue event will take place in Singapore on 30 May–1 June. 

The US and Saudi Arabia say they have signed commercial deals worth $142bn during Donald Trump's ongoing trip in the Middle East. Also on the programme, the head of the UN agency for Palestinians has told the BBC that Israel's blockade of food deliveries to Palestinians inside Gaza constitutes a war crime; and, a self-declared "king" of Germany and three of his senior "subjects" have been arrested and their group banned for attempting to overthrow the state.(Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman exchange a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

HPQ Silicon and its France-based affiliate Novacium have taken a critical step toward revolutionizing hydrogen production with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) alongside Malaysian aluminum recycler GLD Alloys. Their collaborative innovation is a solid-state fuel that generates hydrogen without electricity, dangerous pressurized storage, or complex infrastructure—tackling some of the biggest barriers in traditional hydrogen systems.FRENCH MILITARY LOOKING TO FINANCE PILOT PLANT IN 2025 AND REAL WORLD TESTINGIn a powerful vote of confidence, France's Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) has pre-selected the project as a candidate for a €750,000 pilot plant grant, and the French military is set to be the first to test the technology in real-world conditions.STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN IMPACTGLD Alloys is a leading Malaysian producer of recycled aluminum. The MOU collaboration leverages GLD Alloys' 200,000-ton recycled aluminum production capacity, a critical input in METAGENE's low-carbon hydrogen solution. This partnership addresses two converging needs: scalable hydrogen production and decarbonized aluminum use.95% fewer carbon emissions than primary aluminum-based processesHydrogen output of 1.25 m³ per kg of fuel, surpassing conventional methodsTarget production of 500 tonnes of METAGENE™ fuel per year MILITARY-GRADE VALIDATION & MARKET READINESSThe announcement is more than a promising prototype—it's a platform with real commercial traction. A pilot system producing 10kg of hydrogen per day is set to launch this year, with field testing expected in early 2026 and commercial production soon after.“GLD Alloys is the ideal partner to make METAGENE™ a global commercial success. Their production capacity and environmental commitment position us to target the rapidly growing green hydrogen market.” – Bernard Tourillon, CEO, HPQ SiliconA MARKET POISED FOR EXPONENTIAL GROWTHAccording to BloombergNEF, the green hydrogen market is projected to reach US$500 billion by 2030.  HPQ and Novacium's METAGENE™ offers a rare, fully off-grid solution—ideal for defense, industrial, and remote applications where energy independence is critical.CONCLUSION: DISRUPTION IN MOTIONWith French military backing, an industrial-scale partnership, and a disruptive technology that eliminates long-standing hydrogen hurdles, HPQ Silicon is no longer just an early-stage innovator—it's an emerging force in the future of clean energy. Investors looking for the next transformative small cap may find this company difficult to ignore.

The European Space Agency (ESA) Council has released their Strategy 2040 which will guide upcoming activities. The US Space Force (USSF) has updated its Data and Artificial Intelligence Strategic Action Plan. UK-based Space Solar has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with space propulsion company Magdrive, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Our guest today is Ross Ruffing, Business Development Lead at Ryzing Technologies. You can connect with Ross on LinkedIn, and learn more about Ryzing on their website. Selected Reading ESA Strategy 2040 New Space Force plan charts path for enhanced Unified Data Library- DefenseScoop Space Solar and Magdrive unite for in-space infrastructure move SkyServe Collaborates with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and D-Orbit to Advance Earth Observation Systems NASA may require Boeing's Starliner to fly third uncrewed test SSC Expands Ground Station Support for EU Copernicus Program - Via Satellite Synspective Expands Global Presence with New USA Subsidiary Commercial Sector Participation in U.S. Department of State Roundtables on Commercial Space Next-Generation Water Satellite Maps Seafloor From Space T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It'll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

06th March: Blockchain DXB Podcast

Suvo Strategic Minerals Ltd (ASX:SUV) executive chairman Aaron Banks talked with Proactive's Tylah Tully about the company and its recent incorporated joint venture with PERMAcast R&D Pty Ltd, including its new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wind With Purpose Pty Ltd (WWP). The agreement grants Suvo the first right of refusal to supply low-carbon concrete for the footings and towers of wind turbines. Banks explained that traditional wind turbine construction relies on Portland cement concrete, a major industrial polluter. Suvo's solution offers a sustainable alternative that reduces carbon emissions and allows materials to be reused at the end of their lifecycle. If all projects under the MoU proceed, Suvo could supply concrete for 400 to 500 turbines, representing a potential revenue opportunity of $120 million to $150 million. Banks also discussed Suvo's collaboration with PERMAcast, one of Australia's largest precast concrete manufacturers. Together, they are developing new formulations and supply chains to bring sustainable concrete solutions to market. He added that Suvo is in the final stages of securing intellectual property rights for turbine footings and towers. Once finalised, the company will begin testing concrete formulations and integrating them into WWP's projects. Looking ahead, Banks sees this as a key step toward commercialising Suvo's low-carbon concrete solutions and expanding its role in renewable energy infrastructure. #SuvoStrategicMinerals #ASXSUV #WindEnergy #RenewableEnergy #GreenConcrete #LowCarbon #SustainableConstruction #WindTurbines #EcoFriendly #PERMAcast #WWP

Lithium Universe Ltd (ASX:LU7, OTC:LUVSF) CEO Alex Hanly spoke with Proactive's Tylah Tully about the company's latest Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Polytechnique Montréal, a top-tier engineering university in Canada. Hanly highlights that Polytechnique Montréal is a premier research institution, known for its expertise in engineering and technology development. The strategic collaboration is designed to integrate Lithium Universe's lithium refining and secondary product utilisation into academic research and training. The partnership will focus on three key areas: Industry Education – Lithium Universe experts will conduct short courses on lithium spodumene mining, processing and conversion technologies. Curriculum Development – The company will work with Polytechnique to enhance academic programs related to lithium processing. R&D Collaboration – Polytechnique will support Lithium Universe's research initiatives, including environmental studies and secondary product testing. This MoU follows a recent agreement with Lafarge, focusing on utilising Aluminosilicate Secondary Product (ACSR) in cement and concrete. Hanly noted that these collaborations aligned with Lithium Universe's strategy to strengthen its supply chain, optimise lithium processing and establish key industry partnerships. Looking ahead, the company is advancing financing discussions later this year, with a continued focus on strategic partnerships, offtake agreements, and OEM collaborations. #LithiumUniverse #ASXLU7 #LUVSF #PolytechniqueMontreal #LithiumProcessing #BatteryMetals #R&D #Sustainability #Investing #StockMarket #ProactiveInvestors

Firebird Metals Ltd managing director Peter Allen spoke with Proactive's Tylah Tully about the company's latest milestone, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Eramet and how this advances Firebird's long-term manganese strategy. Eramet is a French multinational metals and mining company involved in nickel, lithium and manganese production. The MoU specifically relates to Eramet's manganese mining operations in Gabon, which have been in production for 50 years and are expected to continue for at least another 20 years. Manganese from Gabon would be supplied to Firebird's proposed manganese processing operations in China. “Our annual demand is very small in comparison, so it makes them a strong and stable partner for us,” Allen said. The goal of the MoU is to accelerate Firebird's sulphide plant development, enabling early production and securing a reliable supply of manganese feedstock. The agreement is expected to transition into a formal offtake agreement once Firebird moves past its final investment decision (FID) and enters the construction phase. Looking ahead, Firebird has a busy 2025 planned, with a focus on advancing its sulphide plant project, progressing the Oakover manganese project and expanding its technical division, including innovations like calcining kiln technology, which has applications in multiple commodities. #FirebirdMetals #ASXFRB #Eramet #Manganese #Mining #BatteryMetals #SulphidePlant #CriticalMinerals #Investing #StockMarket #ProactiveInvestors

Lithium Universe Ltd (ASX:LU7, OTC:LUVSF) CEO Alex Hanly spoke with Proactive's Tylah Tully about the company's Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lafarge Canada and its strategic focus on Aluminosilicate Secondary Product (ACSR). Lafarge, a subsidiary of global cement and concrete leader Holcim, is one of Canada's largest concrete producers. The partnership centres on ACSR, a byproduct produced during Lithium Universe's lithium carbonate refinery process. This process generates ACSR in a 1:1 ratio to spodumene, alongside sodium sulphide. Hanly explained, “Rather than incurring high disposal costs, we see a valuable opportunity to integrate ASCR into the cement and concrete industry.” Following Lithium Universe's PFS announcement last year, Lafarge expressed interest in exploring its potential applications in construction. The next step involves procuring an ASCR sample that closely resembles what the company expects to produce at its Bécancour refinery. This material will undergo rigorous quality and strength testing in collaboration with Lafarge, industry labs and Montreal-based universities to ensure it meets construction standards. Hanly emphasised that ASCR was a key focus for Lithium Universe, aligning with its broader strategy to enhance lithium refining efficiency, reduce waste and create new revenue streams by supplying sustainable materials to the construction sector. #LithiumUniverse #ASXLU7 #LUVSF #Lafarge #Holcim #AluminaSilica #ASP #LithiumRefining #BatteryMetals #Concrete #Sustainability #Investing #StockMarket #ProactiveInvestors

Die Themen im heutigen Versicherungsfunk Update sind: Allianz ist wertvollste Versicherungsmarke Im diesjährigen "Brand Finance Global 500 Ranking", der Auflistung der stärksten Marken weltweit kletterte die Allianz um drei Plätze im Vergleich zum Vorjahr. Der Versicherer klettert auf Platz 25 und liegt damit allerdings deutlich hinter den Top-Marken Apple, Microsoft, Google und Amazon. Im Kreise der Versicherer konnte der Münchener Konzern den ersten Platz behaupten. Welcher deutsche Versicherer noch im Ranking vertreten ist lesen Sie unter www.versicherungsbote.de. Ein Drittel der Deutschen muss Ruhestandspläne finanziell anpassen Eine aktuelle Studie der BarmeniaGothaer zeigt, dass viele Deutsche ihre Ruhestandswünsche wie Reisen aufgrund finanzieller Engpässe anpassen müssen. Besonders betroffen sind Frauen, Alleinlebende und Ostdeutsche. 39 % der Befragten wissen nicht, wie hoch ihr Einkommen im Alter sein wird. Während 58 % glauben, dass ihre Einkünfte ausreichen, sehen 38 % das anders. Einsparungen, längeres Arbeiten und private Altersvorsorge sind Strategien, um die Rentenlücke zu schließen – doch für 15 % bleibt diese ungelöst. Die Bayerische bietet kostenlose KI-Beratung für KMUs Die Bayerische hat einen Digital Hub gegründet, um kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen (KMUs) in der bAV und Gewerbeversicherung kostenlose Unterstützung bei der Entwicklung ihrer KI-Strategie zu bieten. In 90-minütigen Expertensitzungen analysieren KI-Spezialisten des Hubs aktuelle Herausforderungen und erarbeiten Lösungsansätze, um die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der Unternehmen zu stärken. Ziel ist es, KMUs auf ihrer KI-Reise zu befähigen und sie für die Anforderungen des digitalen Wandels zu rüsten. GDV begrüßt EU-Omnibus-Paket Der GDV unterstützt das geplante Omnibus Simplification Package der Europäischen Kommission, das die Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung effizienter und weniger bürokratisch gestalten soll. GDV-Hauptgeschäftsführer Jörg Asmussen fordert eine Fokussierung auf qualitativ hochwertige Berichte und kritisiert die aktuellen Berichtspflichten, die auch kleine Versicherer wie internationale Konzerne behandeln. Der GDV schlägt vor, branchenspezifische Größenkriterien einzuführen, um Verhältnismäßigkeit und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit zu gewährleisten. BPCE und Generali planen größte Vermögensverwaltung Europas BPCE und Generali haben ein unverbindliches Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) unterzeichnet, um ihre Vermögensverwaltungsbereiche Natixis Investment Managers und Generali Investments Holding zu einem gemeinsamen Unternehmen zu verschmelzen. Mit einem verwalteten Vermögen von 1,9 Billionen Euro und 4,1 Milliarden Euro Umsatz würde die neue Einheit zur größten Vermögensverwaltung Europas und weltweit die Nummer 9. Beide Partner halten jeweils 50 % des Joint Ventures, das eine ausgewogene Governance-Struktur vorsieht. CEO wird Woody Bradford, Philippe Setbon übernimmt die Rolle des stellvertretenden CEO. WVVP ernennt neuen Vertriebsdirektor Makler Leben Tim Groothedde hat zum Januar 2025 die Position des Vertriebsdirektors Makler Leben bei der Württembergischen Vertriebspartner GmbH (WVVP) übernommen. Er folgt auf Frank Finkbeiner und wird den Maklervertrieb im Bereich Leben strategisch und operativ weiterentwickeln. Groothedde bringt über 20 Jahre Erfahrung in leitenden Vertriebspositionen mit, zuletzt als Vertriebsdirektor Pools und Finanzvertriebe Leben bei der ERGO Group AG.

GreenRoc Strategic Minerals CEO Stefan Bernstein joined Steve Darling from Proactive to announce a significant milestone for the company: the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Morrow Batteries ASA, a leading Norwegian company focused on the development and production of sustainable, high-performance lithium-ion battery cells. This collaboration marks a key step toward advancing GreenRoc's role in the European battery materials supply chain. Bernstein revealed that GreenRoc is also in the process of establishing a Norwegian-registered subsidiary to oversee work related to the production of graphite active anode material (AAM) for batteries. This strategic move aligns with the company's plan to supply graphite concentrate from its flagship mine at Amitsoq in Greenland, a resource considered one of the world's highest-grade graphite deposits. GreenRoc's graphite extraction and processing operations will emphasize both quality and sustainability. Given the single-source origin of its material from Amitsoq, the company aims to produce AAM of consistent quality, ensuring reliability for manufacturers like Morrow Batteries. Bernstein emphasized that the production process will adhere to best-in-class ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices, positioning GreenRoc to deliver a significantly improved ESG profile compared to existing suppliers in the market. By focusing on the responsible extraction of natural graphite and its subsequent transformation into battery-grade anode material, GreenRoc is well-positioned to meet the increasing European demand for locally-sourced, sustainable battery materials. This aligns with the broader push for green energy solutions across Europe and reflects the company's commitment to supporting the region's battery manufacturing sector with clean, high-quality inputs. The partnership with Morrow Batteries underscores the growing importance of collaboration across the supply chain to achieve sustainability targets. Morrow's dedication to producing environmentally friendly lithium-ion batteries, combined with GreenRoc's high-quality graphite supply, creates a strong synergy for advancing Europe's clean energy ambitions. As GreenRoc progresses toward production, the establishment of its Norwegian subsidiary further demonstrates its commitment to creating a robust, localized supply chain for the European battery industry. This development represents an important step in GreenRoc's growth strategy, as the company continues to align its operations with global sustainability goals and increasing market demand. #proactiveinvestors #greenrocstrategicminerals #ain #groc #GraphiteMining #EnergyTransition #BatteryMaterials #AmitsoqDeposit #GreenlandResources #SustainableEnergy #BatteryTech #AnodeMaterial #MineralProcessing #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

A healthcare protection fund is discussed is parliament The Cayman Islands Government has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dart Enterprises Limited. Protections for Cayman's kids are strengthened with the childrens protection bill. #RCNEWS #RADIOCAYMAN #CAYMANISLANDS

Kazakhstan is a major producer of critical raw materials (CRMs), and an increasingly important energy supplier for the European Union. Metals and chemicals from Kazakhstan are helpful in the EU's efforts to advance the green and digital transition. The Central-Asian state is becoming a key player in supporting EU sectors such as the net-zero industry, space, defence, and technology.The EU-Kazakhstan relations were recently strengthened by the Annual Cooperation Council which took place in October 2024, which aims to strengthen political, economic and trade cooperation. Cooperation in the raw material sector was particularly reinforced by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in November 2022.Kazakhstan's recent accession to the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP) Forum, which serves as a new platform for cooperation in the CRMs area, also broadened EU-Kazakhstan relations further.In the context of the upcoming European Commission's Raw Materials Week 2024, listen to this Euractiv Conference to explore the future of EU-Kazakhstan relations in the CRM sector and the emerging opportunities driven by the EU's green and digital transitions. Questions to be discussed include:- What are the implications of the Mineral Security Partnership Forum for EU-Kazakhstan cooperation in the CRMs area?- How can the MSP Forum support sustainability and diversification of the CRMs supply chains in EU-Kazakhstan trade relations?- Does the scaling up of Kazakhstan's CRMs production align with the EU's green and digital transition ambitions?

December 2, 2024 Rockingham County Commissioners MeetingAGENDA1.    Meeting Called to Order by Chairman Hall2.    Invocation - Dave Compton, Truth Network of Reidsville3.    Pledge of Allegiance - Sidda Kingston, age 10, Community Baptist School, Reidsville4.    Recognition - Lance Metzler, County Manager      1. Consider approval of a Resolution honoring Rush Collins, Jr., congratulating him for his 100th Birthday and thanking him for his service to Rockingham County.      2. Consider approval of a Resolution honoring John Norwood as the recipient of the 2024 NC Young Farmer of the Year Award.        5.    Swearing in of Newly Elected Rockingham County Commissioners      Kevin Berger by the honorable Justice Phil Berger, Jr.      Mark Richardson by the honorable Judge Erica Brandon      Jeffrey K. Kallam by the honorable Judge John Morris6.    Swearing in of Newly Elected Register of Deeds      Benjamin J. Curtis by the honorable Justice Phil Berger, Jr.7.    Brief Recess8.    Organizational Meeting - Rockingham County Board of Commissioners      Lance L. Metzler, County Manager - Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman - Year 20259.    Approval of the December 2, 2024 Agenda10.   Consent Agenda      Consent items as follows will be adopted with a single motion, second and vote, unless a request for removal from the Consent Agenda is heard from a CommissionerA. Will Strader, County Extension Director   1. Consider approval of Resolution establishing criteria for Design-Build delivery method for construction contract.   2. Consider approval of Resolution authorizing the use of design-build delivery method for the Rockingham County Livestock Marketing and Education Complex project.B. Susan Washburn, Clerk to the Board   1. Consider approval of the amendment to the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners 2025 Meeting Schedule changing the current meeting of July 14, 2025 to July 21, 2025.   2. Approval of Regular Commissioner Board minutes.C. Lance Metzler, County Manager   Consider approval of the Final Rockingham County Comprehensive Transportation Plan Socio-Economic Data Forecasting Methodology.D. Todd Hurst, Tax Administrator   Request the approval of all refunds for November 5, 2024 thru November 19, 2024.E. Mandy McGhee, Finance Director   1. Consider appropriation of $85,000 of the Bethany Fire District fund balance. Bethany Fire Department requested remaining fund balance to increase full time staffing and provide a better response to the community.   2. Request approval of increase to the Sheriff Department's budget in the amount of $17,485 for the Bureau of Justice Assistance Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) grant has been awarded on September 26, 2024. The BVP grant award is $5,719 for the purchase of the body armor and the grant requires $5,719 in matching funds which will be met with an appropriation of available Federal Forfeiture funds. An additional $6,047 appropriation of Federal Forfeiture funds is being requested to cover the cost of concealable carriers, special threat plates, outer carrier, and shipping/handling costs of the vests. A total of 13 vests will be purchased.   3. Consider appropriation of $72,483 in additional COVID-19 revenues that were received over budget in FY 2024. Rollover appropriated COVID-19 that were unspent at end of FY 24.   4. Request approval of budget amendment authorizing use of Public Safety's 911 Fund Balance to replace computers beyond life cycle.F.   Hiram Marziano, Community Development Director     Request approval for the interlocal agreement for the Rockingham County Community Development Department Inspections Division to provide Building Inspections services to the City of Reidsville, to include all building and trade inspections and plan review for a period of one year as needed.        G. Derek Southern, Assistant County Manager   Request approval to proceed with the "Fiscal Agent Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) for the Rockingham County Veterans Treatment Court" between Rockingham County and the Honorable Erica Brandon. The MOU outlines the respective roles and responsibilities between the two with respect to grant funds awarded for the Veterans Treatment Court.11.   Public Comment12.   New Business13.   Commissioner Comments14.   Adjourn###

Sherbro Island is one of Sierra Leone's most beautiful touristic landscape. In 2019, the Maada Bio regime signed an undisclosed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sherbro Alliance Partners, a company incorporated in early June 2019 as a private limited company (#12040217) under the UK Companies Act 2006 by Idris Akuna Elba and Siaka Stevens, the grandson of Sierra Leone's first president. The non-disclosed agreement proposed to incorporate and establish Sherbro Island into an autonomous economic zone to be governed by a 7-person board of directors who will have sovereign powers to manage Sherbro Island as a distinct legal entity independent of Sierra Leone's financial and economic laws and regulations. The agreement also grants exclusive powers to the proposed authority to establish its own private security, air and sea transport arrangement, its gambling infrastructure, agriculture and health, and the ability to issue its own debt securities and financial markets. However, the details of this agreement have not been made public to Sierra Leoneans. In this episode, we examine the proposed privatization of Sherbro Island and its planned transformation into a “Casino Republic” in Sierra Leone. We highlight the legal and political implications of the proposed takeover of Sherbro Island by multinational corporations. This episode is part of the Voice of Exile series of the Africanist Press.

The CBE's MPC is scheduled to meet on Thursday, 21 November. The IMF mission that is in Cairo is set to complete the fourth review of Egypt's USD8 billion loan program this week.Egypt's unemployment rate rose to 6.7% of the total workforce in the third quarter of 2024, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter.The Madbouly government on Thursday inked two MoUs with local and international energy players (Taqa Arabia and Voltalia consortium and UAE Alcazar) that could see them develop projects producing some 5.2 GW of renewable energy under a build-own-operate (BOO) system.Suez Canal revenues have reportedly dropped by 61% YoY in 9M24.The Cabinet approved amendments to the Unified Budget Act, setting an annual debt ceiling for the government and all 59 of its economic bodies. The Cabinet approved a new mechanism to ensure all entities responsible for customs clearance work seven days a week, including bank branches at ports. Egypt is now a member of the Baku Initiative for Climate Finance, Investment, and Trade unveiled at COP29. The National Industrial Strategy aims to boost the industrial sector's contribution to the country's GDP from to 20% by 2030 from 14% currently.The net foreign assets of the CBE increased by about USD168.5 million in October, reaching c.USD10.625 billion.Dana Gas is waiting for the Egyptian government to pay USD24 million of its dues.The cost of the export burden rebate program implemented during March 2024 through June 2025 is estimated at EGP23 billion, We raised our FV of LCSW from EGP30.08/share to EGP37.00/share and maintain our Overweight recommendation for the stock.SWDY reported 3Q24 consolidated results. Attributable earnings surged to EGP4.8 billion (+92%, +8% QoQ). MCQE reported enhanced financial performance in 3Q24. Attributable bottom line came in at EGP21.7 million in 3Q24 bouncing back from a recorded loss of EGP1.1 million in the previous quarter and a loss of EGP29.6 million in 3Q24.SWDY's Board approved guaranteeing and warranting Elsewedy Electric Power Systems Projects a facility contract of USD329.3 million.FWRY reported record 3Q24 results. Net profit came in at EGP478 million (+135% YoY, +48.5% QoQ). NTRA has issued licenses for seven firms to establish and operate call centers using voice over internet protocol and other tools. GBCO released 3Q24 results. Net profit recorded EGP746 million in 3Q24 (+12.6% YoY, +76.8% QoQ). State-owned El Nasr Automotive has officially restarted operations after a 15-year hiatus.JUFO reported 3Q24 financial results. Net profit recorded EGP958 million in 3Q24 (+197.2% YoY, -4.3% QoQ).POUL reported 3Q24 financial results. Bottom line recorded EGP681.8 million in 3Q24 (+88.2% YoY, +18.9% QoQ).HDBK 3Q24 standalone bottom line came in strong at EGP3,113 million (+14% q/q, +122% y/y). HDBK is currently trading at 2025 P/E of 2.8x and P/B of 0.8x. EXPA  3Q24 bottom line post minority interest recorded EGP1,564 million (+21% q/q, +53% y/y). CANA 3Q24 bottom line recorded a strong EGP1,314 million (+10% q/q, +80% y/y), BINV's bottom line in 3Q24 recorded a solid EGP342 million (+6.2% q/q, +423% y/y), bringing 9M24 net profit to EGP1.6 billion (+160 % y/y). United Bank is studying the acquisition of a bank in the local market.TAQA and Italian renewable energy developer Voltalia signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EETC and NREA to study a 3.2 gigawatt (GW) capacity wind/solar power plant in Suez.RMDA reported positive 3Q24 results. Net profit amounted to EGP120 million, up 89.7% QoQ and 54.5% YoY.

This session of the radio show shares the Town of Franklin Board of Health Meeting held on Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024. The meeting agenda listed it being conducted via Google meet and with no location shown, it was assumed to be virtual. However, the Board and Health Dept members apparently were present together. Quick Recap:Vote on IMA for the Public Health Excellence for Shared Services Grant, discussion that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) previously used is being replaced State documentation (IMA) with an advisory board, C Liberty is asking board to approve, confident of it being good to go, Town Administrator and others have concurred in changes. So moved, pass 3-0 via rollBlood pressure kits being set up for Library of Things as part of American Heart Assoc program, coordinating support, including an Ask the Nurse evening monthly for folks to confirm the basics. First library in MA to do this, coordinate with Senior Ctr nurse alsoCommunity coat drive, homelessness advertorial for Nov. Milford has been doing a drive the past 20 years. Partnering with FUMC, drop off at Y, Church, or fire station. Coat giveaway on Dec 14th, From 10 AM to 2 PM Inspector out doing one at this time so not participating in this session Nurse update: did get more COVID test kits at Senior Ctr. Only 2 flu cases this far, it hits differently every season. Central Park terrace part of regular activities. Exhibit at Senior Expo. Kids flu clinic held, left over vaccines used via house visits Norwood hospital support memo discussed, to be drafted and then signed by Board members individuallyMotion to adjourn, second passes via 3-0The meeting runs about 22 minutes. Let's listen to the Board of Health meeting Nov 6, 2024.--------------The Board of Health agenda can be found ->https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/11-6-24.pdf My notes collected in a Twitter thread PDF ->https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-45Dt7pUp8ebdcsV5UUopzVxEgOTiPkk/view?usp=drive_link --------------We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial. This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.How can you help?If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighborsIf you don't like something here, please let me know And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach. We'll share and show you what and how we do what we doThrough this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot comThe music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their...

SpaceX's Cargo Dragon is expected to complete a reboot demonstration this week as part of testing for the vehicle that will eventually deorbit the International Space Station.  Earth Observation company BlackSky has fully acquired small satellite manufacturer LeoStella. The Czech Ministry of Transport has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Vast, and more.  Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly intelligence roundup, Signals and Space, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Elysia Segal from NASASpaceflight.com brings us the Space Traffic Report. Selected Reading SpaceX's Dragon ready to give space station a boost for first time | Fox Weather BlackSky Acquires Full Stake in LeoStella Ahead of Gen-3 Constellation - Via Satellite Czech Ministry of Transport Signs Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vast to Partner on Engagement with Czech Space Industry NASA's Space Healthcare Innovation Programme will work with Lithuania's Delta Biosciences HERE Expands Partnership with Maxar Intelligence to Scale Automated Mapmaking- Business Wire ispace, GISTDA, and mu Space Agree to Collaborate on Lunar Exploration Mission for Thailand's National Space Program Ghana Launches National Space Policy NASA Shares Space Food Insight with Commercial Food Industry Trump Election Victory Sends Space Stocks Soaring - Nasdaq T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It'll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lightning Minerals Ltd (ASX:L1M) CEO Alex Biggs joins Proactive's Tylah Tully to discuss the three-year, non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the company has signed with Invest Minas, a government-backed entity in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The MoU aims to accelerate the development of lithium projects in the region, known as “Lithium Valley.” This agreement aims to establish Minas Gerais as a major contributor to the global green energy market by promoting lithium and battery materials production to support the energy transition. It was signed by Biggs, Invest Minas CEO João Paulo Braga, and Secretary of State for Economic Development Fernando Passalio, and outlines a partnership focused on regulatory support, local supply chain enhancement, and employment generation. Invest Minas will assist with licensing and environmental approvals for Lightning's Caraíbas, Sidrônio and Esperança projects, streamlining the exploration and development phases. The agreement aligns with Minas Gerais' Lithium Valley initiative, intended to foster economic growth and sustainability within the battery materials sector. Lightning Minerals has already initiated exploration efforts, including soil sampling and geophysical surveys. Biggs emphasised the importance of Brazil as a strategic location for lithium development, citing government support and regional lithium potential as key factors. #ProactiveInvestors #LightningMinerals #ASX #LithiumValley, #BrazilLithium, #GreenEnergy, #InvestMinas, #EnergyTransition, #BatteryMaterials, #MinasGerais, #LithiumSupplyChain, #ASX, #MiningPartnership, #EconomicDevelopment, #EnvironmentalApprovals, #GlobalEnergy, #SustainableMining, #JobCreation, #LocalPartnerships, #AlexBiggs, #LithiumProjects, #RenewableEnergy

Proactive's Tylah Tully breaks down ‘Just the Facts' of the latest news from St George Mining Ltd (ASX:SGQ). The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Minas Gerais State Economic Development Department and Invest Minas. The agreement prioritises regulatory support for St George's Araxá Niobium-Rare Earth Elements Project in Brazil, intended to fast-track exploration and mining licences to reduce project timelines. The Araxá Project, recognised by Invest Minas as a high-priority initiative, is expected to play a significant role in Brazil's critical metals sector, supporting sustainable regional growth. This collaboration aims to develop local supply chains for niobium and rare earth elements (REEs), both essential in renewable energy technologies. St George's local plans include hiring regional suppliers and workforce to stimulate job creation in Minas Gerais. The company's executive team in Perth and a newly established team in Brazil will focus on developing these local supply chains, advancing the project's sustainable impact. #ProactiveInvestors #StGeorgeMining #ASX #JusttheFacts #AraxáProject #Niobium #RareEarthElements #InvestMinas #CleanEnergy #MinasGerais #SustainableMining #MiningPartnership #EconomicGrowth #CriticalMetals #RenewableEnergy #MiningBrazil #ResourceDevelopment #LocalJobs #MiningMoU #BrazilMining #CriticalMinerals #MiningNews #GlobalSupply

Elixir Energy Ltd (ASX:EXR, OTC:ELXPF) managing director Neil Young joins Proactive's Tylah Tully to discuss the non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) the company has entered with the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) to explore the development of gas infrastructure in Queensland's Taroom Trough. This infrastructure would support future gas production from Elixir's Grandis Gas Project in the emerging region. The MoU was signed with AGI Development Group Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of AGIG, which is among Australia's largest gas infrastructure businesses. The key areas under consideration include a new gas transmission pipeline connecting to the Wallumbilla Hub, along with processing, compression and gas storage facilities. Young expressed satisfaction with the MoU, emphasising its significance in boosting confidence about the potential of Project Grandis and the wider Taroom Trough region. He also mentioned the possibility of involving other asset owners and government entities in the process. AGIG is a major infrastructure provider in Australia, servicing more than two million customers through various assets, including the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline and the Tubridgi Gas Storage Facility in Western Australia, as well as the Wide Bay Gas Pipeline in Queensland. #ProactiveInvestors #ElixirEnergy #ASX #AGIG #GasInfrastructure, #TaroomTrough, #GrandisGasProject, #GasTransmission, #QueenslandGas, #EnergySector, #NaturalGas, #MoU, #WallumbillaHub, #EnergyDevelopment, #GasProcessing, #GasCompression, #GasStorage, #AustralianEnergy, #EnergyPartnership, #PipelineDevelopment, #RenewableEnergy, #CleanEnergy

Proactive's Tylah Tully breaks down ‘Just the Facts' of the latest news from St George Mining (ASX:SGQ). The company has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SKI Hong Kong Limited to support the development of the Araxá Niobium-Rare Earth Element Project in Brazil. The MoU provides a framework for collaboration on marketing, offtake and financing, aiming to progress the project through feasibility studies and toward a financial investment decision. SKI could secure up to 20% of niobium products from the project through potential offtake agreements. The partnership also includes funding support through investment or pre-payment and marketing rights for niobium products. St George plans to produce sample niobium products by the first half of 2025 using a pilot plant at Araxá for testing by SKI and its clients. St George believes the partnership with SKI highlights the strategic significance of Araxá as a globally important supplier of niobium. SKI's expertise in niobium and steel materials positions it as a strong strategic partner for St George. The MoU is considered a major step in de-risking the project by facilitating technical and financial collaboration. The acquisition of the Araxá Project, approved by shareholders in October 2024, is nearing completion, with exploration scheduled to begin by the end of the year. #ProactiveInvestors #StGeorgeMining #ASX #JusttheFacts #AraxáProject #Niobium #RareEarthElements #SKIHongKong #MiningPartnership #FeasibilityStudy #NiobiumProducts #MiningInvestment #MetalsTrader #BrazilMining #OfftakeAgreements #ProjectDevelopment #MiningNews #ResourceExploration #CriticalMetals #PilotPlant #MineralExploration #InvestmentOpportunity #StrategicPartnership

As the MICE industry continues to evolve post-pandemic, staying relevant requires both innovation and investment in human capital. On 30 July, Singapore EXPO signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NTUC LearningHub (NTUC-LHUB), focusing on equipping industry professionals with emerging skills that meet the demands of a fast-changing landscape. This partnership complements Singapore EXPO's ongoing efforts to cultivate the next generation of MICE talent, ensuring they are prepared for future challenges and opportunities. How will these initiatives shape the industry, and what does it mean for aspiring professionals?  Here's our conversation with Khoo Yew Jin, Vice President of Brand & Customer Experience, Constellar & Michael Lim, Vice President of People & Development, Constellar.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iondrive Ltd (ASX:ION) CEO Dr Ebbe Dommisse joins Proactive's Tylah Tully to discuss a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with TNO, a Netherlands-based research & technology organisation. Through the MoU the parties hope to accelerate the commercialisation of Iondrive's sustainable battery recycling technology and strengthen the battery materials supply chain in the Netherlands and the EU by enhancing production capabilities and validating the technology for large-scale deployment. A key objective of the MoU is to establish industry partnerships and commercialisation opportunities. This agreement follows Iondrive's recent partnership with PEM Motion and RWTH Aachen University in Germany, forming a pan-European strategy to promote regionalised battery recycling. Iondrive's pre-feasibility study is set for completion in October 2024 with plans to build a pilot plant by 2025. TNO's expertise in sustainable innovation will support Iondrive's goal of meeting the EU's growing demand for recycled battery materials, particularly in line with new regulations for high recovery levels of critical materials like cobalt, lithium, and nickel by 2025. #ProactiveInvestors #Iondrive #ASX #TNO #BatteryRecycling #Sustainability #BatteryTechnology #EnergyTransition #RecyclingInnovation #CircularEconomy #EURegulations #Lithium #Cobalt #Nickel #BatterySupplyChain #EuropeanGreenDeal #RWTHAachen #PEMMotion #BlackMass #BatteryMaterials #SustainableSolutions #Netherlands #Commercialisation #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

NVIDIA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Equal1, a leader in silicon powered quantum computing, to collaboratively work together on furthering Quantum Computing. NVIDIA and Equal1 have agreed to collaborate on Quantum technology use cases, business models and proof of concept, with a particular focus on the integration and validation of quantum-classical infrastructure for cloud and data centre deployments. This collaboration combines Equal1's world-leading hybrid silicon classical quantum hardware, and its UnityQ quantum system on chip with NVIDIA's CUDA-Q quantum software platform to pioneer the future of quantum computing "We see NVIDIA CUDA-Q as a leading hybrid quantum classical software platform, and we are delighted to collaborate with NVIDIA as we extend our support for and integration with CUDA-Q" stated Jason Lynch, CEO of Equal1. "We are particularly excited about the opportunity this presents to work with joint customers who see the potential of hybrid quantum classical silicon compute to deliver scalable quantum computing." The MoU collaboration was announced at NVIDIA's headquarters in Silicon Valley yesterday, as part of an Enterprise Ireland trade mission to the West Coast of the USA, led by Ireland's Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment Peter Burke TD. Commenting on the collaboration, Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland said: "Equal1 is a pioneering company that is revolutionising industries with its cutting-edge quantum computing technology. Enterprise Ireland has supported Equal1 from the start of their journey and I was delighted to witness this very significant milestone today. This collaborative agreement between NVIDIA and Equal1 has the potential to unlock major technological advances." See more stories here.

Ocean Power Technologies CEO Philipp Stratmann joined Steve Darling from Proactive to announce the company has successfully shipped multiple WAM-Vs (Wave Adaptive Modular Vessels) to fulfill a previously announced contract with a U.S. government department. While the specific terms of the contract remain undisclosed due to its sensitive nature, this delivery marks a key milestone, enabling revenue recognition for the company. Stratmann highlighted that this delivery builds on OPT's recent commercial successes with both WAM-Vs and PowerBuoys®, which are used for autonomous Maritime Domain Awareness, Counter Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, and Mine Counter Measure Solutions across regions including North America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. He emphasized that the deployment of these systems underlines their growing role in advancing ocean security through small, unmanned surface vehicles, serving as cost-effective force multipliers for both the U.S. government and other offshore operators. The interview also touched on the company's efforts in Latin America, specifically its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SENAI in Brazil, which allows them to demonstrate their offshore energy platforms. Stratmann explained that having both government and commercial clients helps mitigate risks and supports stable revenue generation. #proactiveinvestors #oceanpowertechnologiesinc #nyseamerican #optt #PhillipStratmann, #USGovernmentContract, #OffshoreAutonomy, #MaritimeSecurity, #CommercialPlatforms, #GrowthStrategy, #BuoyBusiness, #VehicleBusiness, #InternationalExpansion, #ReadyToDeploy, #AutonomousSystems, #EconomicImpact, #ShippingLanes, #FreedomOfNavigation, #CostEffectiveSolutions, #LowEmissionTech, #SecurityInnovation, #GlobalShipping, #ProactiveNewsroom#invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

Provaris Energy Ltd (ASX: PV1) managing director and CEO Martin Carolan sits down with Proactive's Jonathan Jackson to discuss a tri-party Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Norwegian Hydrogen AS and Uniper for the supply of hydrogen to Germany. The MOU aims to develop hydrogen supply chains from Norway and other Nordic locations to northwest Europe, focusing on green hydrogen production by Norwegian Hydrogen, which will be transported using Provaris' H2 Neo carriers and H2 Leo storage barges. Current efforts are concentrated on finalising a hydrogen sales and purchase agreement term sheet by December 2024 with a target of a 10-year contract. Provaris and Norwegian Hydrogen are identifying potential sites for RFNBO-compliant hydrogen production in the Nordics, including the FjordH2 Project in Norway. Provaris recently conducted a concept design study confirming the energy-efficient and cost-effective nature of its compressed hydrogen technology. The study showed the advantages of compression over ammonia conversion, such as lower energy consumption and costs, allowing for higher volumes of hydrogen delivery. Compression-based shipping requires around €6 per kilogram, 20% less than ammonia-based transport. The EU hydrogen market shows strong demand for cost-effective hydrogen, with significant funding allocated to green hydrogen projects through the H2Global and EU Hydrogen Bank initiatives. #ProactiveInvestors #ProvarisEnergy #ASX #HydrogenSupply #GreenHydrogen #CompressedHydrogen #NordicHydrogen #RenewableEnergy #H2Neo #H2Leo #HydrogenTransport #EnergyEfficiency #HydrogenTechnology #RFNBO #HydrogenStorage #MarineTransport #CleanEnergy #EUHydrogenMarket #AmmoniaConversion #HydrogenEconomy #SustainableEnergy #Electrolysis #EnergyTransition #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

Aclara Resources Chief Operating Officer Barry Murphy joined Steve Darling from Proactive to announce significant developments surrounding the company's Carina Module, a regolith-hosted ion adsorption clay project in Goiás, Brazil. A recently released preliminary economic analysis reveals an after-tax Net Present Value (NPV) of $1.5 billion, using an 8% discount rate, and a 27% internal rate of return (IRR) over the mine's 22-year lifespan. The analysis highlights a payback period of just 4.2 years, with notably low initial capital costs of $593 million and sustaining costs of $86 million. Murphy shared that Aclara is now focused on accelerating the path to early production, with recent developments aimed at streamlining this process. The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with both the State of Goiás and Nova Roma Municipality in Brazil, facilitating a faster permitting process and ensuring that production is on track for between 2027 and 2028. In parallel, Aclara is working to complete its 15,200-meter Phase 2 reverse circulation drill campaign, which aims to convert inferred mineral resources into the measured and indicated categories. This phase is expected to wrap up by Q4 2024, adding further momentum to the project's advancement. #proactiveinvestors #aclararesourcesinc #tsx #ara #mining #rareearths#AclaraResources #CarinaProject #GoiásMoU #MiningInvestment #RenewableEnergy #EnvironmentalSustainability #JobCreation #InfrastructureDevelopment #BrazilMining #SustainableMining #ProactiveInvestors #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the national Ministers of Sport, Arts and Culture, and Basic Education on the implementation of sports, arts, culture and other co-curricular activities in all public schools across the country has been signed. This MOU enables the departments to move forward with speed to revitalise school sport in the Western Cape. They  are on a mission to increase access to sport and recreation activities for young people. These programmes ignite confidence, passion and potential in children, helping to set them up to succeed.Ricardo Mackenzie.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Element 25 Ltd (ASX:E25) managing director Justin Brown joins Proactive's Tylah Tully to discuss the partnership its entered with Nissan Chemical Corporation to explore the establishment of a High Purity Manganese Sulphate Monohydrate (HPMSM) facility in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. This collaboration aligns with Element 25's strategy to develop a global network of HPMSM facilities complementing the initial plant planned in Louisiana, USA, in cooperation with General Motors and Stellantis. The agreement, formalised through a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), reflects Japan's strategic interest in manganese as a critical mineral, particularly for the electric vehicle industry as it shifts towards high-manganese battery chemistries. The proposed facility in Japan would utilise Element 25's low-emission technology at Nissan Chemical's existing Tokyo Bay site, benefiting from existing infrastructure and logistics. The MoU includes plans for a comprehensive feasibility study, with key milestones such as engineering, procurement and construction contracts, and project financing. A final investment decision is targeted for September 2026. #ProactiveInvestors #Element25 #ASX #NissanChemical #HPMSM #Manganese #ElectricVehicles #BatteryProduction #Japan #ChibaPrefecture #ESG #AutomotiveIndustry #CriticalMinerals #SustainableTechnology #LowEmission #SupplyChain #IndustrialPartnership #InvestmentDecision #TokyoBay #FeasibilityStudy #GlobalFacilities #ElectricMobility #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

Better Cotton to Advance Gender Equality and Climate Resilience in India with New Impact Fund The fund will help cotton farming communities accelerate field-level sustainability work in the face of climate change, starting with India. Vetted Farmer Producer Organisations[1] (FPOs) across the country will be eligible to gain funding to expand their services and simultaneously build a positive credit history. Smallholders represent more than 90% of the world's cotton farmers. Supporting climate resilience Better Cotton, the world's largest cotton sustainability initiative, and impact investment firm, FS Impact Finance, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop and launch a fund directed at smallholder farmers in the cotton sector. The fund, initially piloted in India, will help incentivise cotton farming communities to invest in field-level work related to women's empowerment and climate resilience[2] by eliminating traditional financing barriers. Smallholders, who make up more than 90% of the world's cotton farmers, often struggle to access adequate financial support due to their Farmer Producer Organisation's (FPO[3]) lack of credit history. In India, with 16,000 FPOs representing over 5.8 million farmers, only a few large and well established FPOs have access to formal financial markets. However, the vast majority lack the turnover and credit history to qualify for finance, which is a prerequisite for growth. Under this new fund, FPOs will be supported in the implementation of gender and climate resilience activities with the goal of fast-tracking field-level results and improving their bankability. This will enable less developed FPOs to improve their credit history and benefit from services that will help them to create strategic and sustainable growth plans for the future. Better Cotton CEO, Alan McClay, commented, "This collaboration with FS Impact Finance has the potential to accelerate important work already underway in India, and it will do so in an inclusive way. Access to finance for smallholders is always a challenge and we are excited at the prospect of helping to change that." FS Impact Finance Managing Director, Martin Cremer, commented, "We look forward to jointly developing this innovative financing solution in the cotton sector that complements Better Cotton's great work in this area. Our goal is to improve the situation of smallholder farmers and contribute to the development and professionalisation of players along the local value chains". 1 Farmer Producer Organisations will be vetted via both financial- and governance-related due diligence processes. 2 Better Cotton's 2030 Strategy includes Impact Targets relating to women's empowerment and climate change mitigation. The organisation has committed to reaching one million women in cotton with programmes and resources that promote equal farm decision-making, build climate resilience, or support improved livelihoods. This is in addition to ensuring 25% of field staff are women with the power to influence sustainable cotton production. On climate change mitigation, Better Cotton has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% per tonne of Better Cotton lint produced by the end of the decade. 3 FPOs advocate for farming communities and negotiate on their behalf in international markets. About Better Cotton Better Cotton is the world's largest cotton sustainability initiative. Our mission: to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. In challenging times, we are meeting the challenge head on. In the 2021-22 cotton season, through our network of field-level partners, 22% of global cotton production was Better Cotton, grown in 22 countries around the world. Our programmes reached 2.8 million farmers, which included more than 2.2 million Better Cotton licensed farmers. Over one fifth of the world's cotton is now grown under the Better Cotton Standard. https://bettercotton.org/ A...

The University of Pittsburgh, through the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security (Pitt Cyber), and Trinity College Dublin, through ADAPT, the SFI research centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to foster collaboration in artificial intelligence (AI) research and education. The partnership will address critical issues such as bias, discrimination, and misinformation, as well as exploring the role of AI regulation, cyber hygiene, digital literacy, and the safeguarding of fundamental rights. The five-year MOU aims to advance research on areas such as human-centric AI, the safe and ethical development of AI-enabled products and services, and addressing risks associated with AI and other advanced technologies. The agreement will focus on regulatory initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic and will provide a platform for sharing best practices. Both institutions will develop shared capabilities by exchanging information, fostering cooperation, and facilitating exchanges of expert personnel, including faculty and students. The general public will also benefit from free lectures as part of the annual schedule of activities. Speaking about the partnership, ADAPT Director, Professor John D. Kelleher, said: "The importance of transatlantic cooperation for building a level AI playing field cannot be understated. This MOU highlights our commitment to promoting a global culture of ethical AI development, privacy and data protection. I am excited about the potential for transatlantic dialogue and collaboration that can contribute to the development of common AI regulations that ensure transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights." Echoing the sentiment, Professor David J. Hickton, founding Director of the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, saying: "This MOU represents an important step forward in our joint efforts to address the most pressing issues surrounding AI and digital technology. By working together, Trinity and the University of Pittsburgh can create a culture of shared learning that promotes innovation, protects privacy, and contributes to the responsible and ethical development of AI. The collaboration and cooperation between Europe and the United States in the development and governance of AI are essential for ensuring safe, ethical, and innovative AI technologies. A unified approach to AI governance can facilitate the development of global standards, ensuring that AI technologies are safe, transparent, and beneficial to all. The collaboration is effective immediately, with plans underway for public initiatives in the autumn. All events will be listed on the ADAPT Centre and Pitt Cyber's websites.

03rd July: Crypto & Coffee at 8

Stellenbosch University (SU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) of South Africa - the country's anti-corruption unit - to find new approaches and strategies in the fight against corruption. South Africa ranks 83 out of 180 countries on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) and has dropped two places since 2022. According to their survey 63% of people thought corruption increased in South Africa the previous 12 months, and 18% of public service users paid a bribe in 2023. Koogan Pillay, a board member at the Anti-Corruption Centre for Education and Research at Stellenbosch university said in an interview with Biznews that the agreement with the SIU will focus on training, research, community engagement, capacity building and exchange of information and expertise. Pillay, who has advised former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, the Presidency, and civil society on corruption, attributed the rise in corruption to the ANC government's failure to implement the National Anti-Corruption Strategy. He expressed hope that a new Government of National Unity will make “a big difference” in the fight against corruption. Pillay is also working with former Justice Richard Goldstone and Lord Peter Hain on the establishment of an International Anti-Corruption Court

Governor of New York State, Kathy Hochul, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a formal partnership between Empire State Development, Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC) and Furthr, to grow entrepreneurship and innovation opportunities between businesses in New York and Ireland. The announcement of the new partnership follows a visit to Dublin last week undertaken by Governor Hochul with meetings taking place with Furthr, a founding partner and the managing partner of the Guinness Enterprise Centre. The partnership, formalised in a MOU signed on Friday by Governor Hochul, recognises the entities' shared interest in collaborating on key technology and industry sectors and dedicates resources to creating innovative entrepreneurship opportunities in both New York and in Ireland. "While New York State and Ireland are geographically an ocean apart, we are united in the belief that we are stronger through the sharing of ideas and fostering innovation," Governor Hochul said. "This agreement between New York, the Guinness Enterprise Centre and Furthr, offers real opportunities and the potential for growth for Start-Ups in both economies and will build on our mutual strengths to advance the state's innovation economy." The MOU formalises a relationship between Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), the Guinness Enterprise Centre, and Furthr to accelerate technology-based commercialisation initiatives and spur economic activity. Commenting on the MOU signed between the respective parties, Martin Murray, CEO at Furthr said: "Under the agreement, each of the entities will make resources available to accelerate connections between New York and Ireland; share technical information, data, and analytics to inform best practices; and engage in outreach activities with other industry, government, and academic leaders to strengthen the partnership. Today's announcement really opens up a world of exciting opportunities for our Irish client companies to accelerate their growth directly into the US East Coast tech corridor while providing New York start-ups with a supportive landing location and ecosystem in Ireland." Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "Teaming up with the GEC and Furthr allows us all to share ideas and tap into a wide array of resources and expertise that will unleash unlimited potential for our entrepreneurs and startups on both sides of the Atlantic. This collaboration will foster innovative ideas to grow key segments of our economy." The Guinness Enterprise Centre is Ireland's home for entrepreneurs, housing more than 150 companies representing a range of industries from medtech to digital gaming. The GEC's mission is to empower entrepreneurs to take on local or global markets. Through the GEC, New York-based companies will have an avenue to plug into the Ireland ecosystems and markets, including access to physical space, peer and mentorship networks, academic institutions, and market entry. At over 95,000 square feet in Dublin City Centre, the Guinness Centre supports founders by providing an ecosystem of supports and services, including access to international markets. The GEC is supported in this mission by Furthr whose objective is to provide game-changing impacts to founders through events, mentorship, accelerators, and access to funding. This partnership builds on the work of NYSTAR, which plays a critical role in spurring technology-based applied research and economic development in New York State; promoting national and international research collaboration and innovation; and leveraging New York's research expertise and funding with investments from the federal government, foundations, businesses, venture capital firms and other entities. NYSTAR will be able provide Irish start-up technology companies with physical space; access to capital; coaching; mentoring; networking connections; prototype development; and ac...

Last week the Northfield Housing and Redevelopment Authority extended by one month their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Northcountry Cooperative foundation on a proposed manufactured home cooperative neighborhood on seven acres of land owned by the HRA in the southeast part of the city.  The project has been discussed for nearly a year. Last May, […]

In 2023, the FCA brought more charges for fraud offences against individuals than any other year in the regulator's history, and secured several convictions related to fraudulent investment schemes. Yet while the FCA has signaled that economic crime is on its radar, recent years have been defined by relative inactivity, as the higher burden of proof for criminal convictions has resulted in fewer opened enforcement cases and extended investigations. Still, with new leadership appointments to the market oversight team and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UK Serious Fraud Office, individuals will look for the coming year to reveal if the FCA has become a more assertive regulator. In this episode of Connected with Latham, the latest in a 10-part series complementing Latham's “10 Key Focus Areas for UK-Regulated Financial Services Firms in 2024” report, London partners Rob Moulton and Pamela Reddy discuss why the FCA seems poised to act more collaboratively – and assertively – on enforcement against individuals going forward. They examine the regulator's recent activity in criminal enforcement, why past investigations have been difficult to close, the potential impact of new leadership, and possible collaborations with other enforcement agencies.   This podcast is provided as a service of Latham & Watkins LLP. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney client relationship between you and Latham & Watkins LLP, and you should not send confidential information to Latham & Watkins LLP. While we make every effort to assure that the content of this podcast is accurate, comprehensive, and current, we do not warrant or guarantee any of those things and you may not rely on this podcast as a substitute for legal research and/or consulting a qualified attorney. Listening to this podcast is not a substitute for engaging a lawyer to advise on your individual needs. Should you require legal advice on the issues covered in this podcast, please consult a qualified attorney. Under New York's Code of Professional Responsibility, portions of this communication contain attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Results depend upon a variety of factors unique to each representation. Please direct all inquiries regarding the conduct of Latham and Watkins attorneys under New York's Disciplinary Rules to Latham & Watkins LLP, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, Phone: 1.212.906.1200

‘Devolution looks very different now than it did in 1998.' Dr Andrew Tickell, Lecturer in Law at Glasgow Caledonian University, hosts this discussion with the Convener and Deputy Convener of the Parliament's Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, Clare Adamson MSP and Donald Cameron MSP. On Monday, the Committee held a joint event with Strathclyde University Law School to discuss their report 'How is Devolution Changing Post-EU?' with leading academics and lawyers from across the UK. The Committee found that devolution has changed and now looks “very different” after the UK's departure from the EU, a key difference being how the regulatory environment within the UK is managed compared to how it was managed within the EU. Recommendations from the report include the establishment of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the UK and Devolved Governments and the development of supplementary agreements on both Common Frameworks and the use of delegated powers by UK Ministers in devolved areas. You can read the report in full here: How Devolution is Changing Post-EU | Scottish Parliament

On this Tuesday topical show, special guest host Shannon Cheng and fellow co-organizer with People Power Washington, Amy Sundberg, delve into everything they wish people knew about the looming Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) contract. The conversation starts by outlining the outsize control the SPOG contract has on the City of Seattle's police accountability system, the City budget, and efforts to civilianize jobs that don't require an armed response. Amy and Shannon then break down a soon-to-be-considered Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City and SPOG - what each side gets, its fiscal impacts, whether the agreement will have any effect on SPD understaffing, and why the already-disappointing dual dispatch pilot is worse than they thought. Next, the two non-labor lawyers try to explain why any attempt to offload roles from an overworked police department entails lengthy negotiation and sign off from SPOG, how SPD continues to be understaffed despite best efforts to counter attrition, and what might happen if City electeds stood up to the police guild. Finally, in anticipation of a full SPOG contract coming out sometime in the next year, they discuss why the MOU is a bad omen of what is to come, how the process is designed to exclude public input, the difference between police guilds and labor unions, a stalled attempt at a state legislative solution, what Councilmember Mosqueda stepping down from the Labor Relations Policy Committee means - and wrap up with Amy giving Shannon a powerful pep talk! As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the guest host, Shannon Cheng, on Twitter at @drbestturtle and find Amy Sundberg at @amysundberg.   Amy Sundberg Amy Sundberg is the publisher of Notes from the Emerald City, a weekly newsletter on Seattle politics and policy with a particular focus on public safety, police accountability, and the criminal legal system. She also writes about public safety for The Urbanist. She organizes with Seattle Solidarity Budget and People Power Washington. In addition, she writes science fiction and fantasy, with a new novel, TO TRAVEL THE STARS, a retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in space, available now. She is particularly fond of Seattle's parks, where she can often be found walking her little dog.   Shannon Cheng Shannon Cheng is the producer of Hacks & Wonks and new to being in front of the mic rather than behind the scenes. She organizes for equitable public safety in Seattle and King County with People Power Washington and for state-wide policies to reduce police violence and increase accountability with the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability. She also works on computational lighting technology, strives to be a better orienteer, and enjoys exploring the world in an adventure truck with her husband and her cat.   Resources Notes from the Emerald City   People Power Washington - Sign up for our mailing list   How the SPOG Contract Stands in the Way of Police Accountability with Shannon Cheng from Hacks & Wonks   Council Budget Action to authorize Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City and the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) | Seattle City Council   “City Council Agrees to Pay Cops Double Time for Working Special Events” by Ashley Nerbovig from The Stranger   “Will Seattle Pay SPOG a Premium to Let Others Help SPD with its Staffing Woes?” by Amy Sundberg from Notes from the Emerald City   “Harrell's Dual-Responder Proposal Would Fail to Civilianize Crisis Response” by Amy Sundberg from The Urbanist   Better Behavioral Health Crisis Response with Brook Buettner and Kenmore Mayor Nigel Herbig from Hacks & Wonks   Labor Relations in the City of Seattle | Seattle City Council Central Staff   Labor Relations Policy Committee | City of Seattle Human Resources   “Firefighters' Tentative Contract Could be Bad News for Other City Workers Seeking Pay Increases” by Erica C. Barnett from PubliCola   “Police Unions: What to Know and Why They Don't Belong in the Labor Movement” by Kim Kelly for Teen Vogue   “Seattle Police Officers Guild expelled from King County's largest labor council” by Elise Takahama from The Seattle Times   SB 5134 - 2021-22 | Enhancing public trust and confidence in law enforcement and strengthening law enforcement accountability for general authority Washington peace officers, excluding department of fish and wildlife officers.   SB 5677 - 2021-22 | Enhancing public trust and confidence in law enforcement and strengthening law enforcement accountability, by specifying required practices for complaints, investigations, discipline, and disciplinary appeals for serious misconduct. Labor 4 Black Lives - Seattle   DivestSPD   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review show and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. [00:00:52] Shannon Cheng: Hello everyone! This is Shannon Cheng, producer of Hacks & Wonks. You have me again today as your special guest host. Today, I'm super excited to have a fellow co-organizer with People Power Washington with me, Amy Sundberg, who also writes Notes from the Emerald City. And we were wanting to have a conversation about the Seattle police contract negotiations as they relate to the Seattle Police Officers Guild, or SPOG. We're hoping to break down what is a dense but very important topic for our listeners. Amy, do you have any thoughts on this before we get started? [00:01:29] Amy Sundberg: Yeah, I mean, I think it's really important whenever we talk about police guilds that we make the distinction that just because we might be being critical about police unions, police guilds - that in general, we are very supportive of labor and that there are many reasons why police guilds are different than all other labor that hopefully we'll have a chance to get into later in this episode. But until then, just to be clear - in general, we support workers' rights, we support workers organizing for better conditions in the workplace, and that is not a negotiable part of our philosophy. [00:02:06] Shannon Cheng: Yes, 100% - completely agree. We in no way are saying that workers' rights are not important. They absolutely are. Police are entitled to have living wages, but there are also issues that crop up with the way that negotiations happen in Washington state that sometimes are counter to other goals that we have as a society. So before we jump in, I wanna talk about what impact does the police contract have in the City of Seattle? So one aspect that I've been following super closely for the last many years is that the current police accountability system that we have here in Seattle - you may have heard of it before, it's composed of three independent bodies. There's the OPA or the Office of Police Accountability, the OIG or Office of Inspector General, and the CPC, the Community Police Commission. This three-body accountability structure - the powers that they have are completely governed by what the SPOG contract says that they have. And you may have heard that we had a strong accountability ordinance passed back in 2017 - establishing these bodies and giving them authority. Yet the following year in 2018, we passed a SPOG contract that rolled back a lot of those accountability provisions. So oftentimes I hear community members frustrated that we aren't able to hold an SPD officer accountable for something egregious that has happened. And it all goes back to the accountability system and what has been written in the SPOG contract. [00:03:44] Amy Sundberg: I would also just say that this is one of the reasons that police guilds are different from other unions - is because they are currently negotiating these sorts of accountability provisions in their contracts. And they're the only workers that are negotiating for the right to potentially kill other people, right? They're armed. And so it's a different matter because of the stakes involved. [00:04:09] Shannon Cheng: Yes, a very big difference. I used to be a union member of Unite Here Local 8 - I worked at a restaurant. And we had accountability measures in our contract, but it was for things like if I didn't charge a customer for a bread basket. And the consequences of me not charging $1.95 for the company I work for is very different than an officer using excessive deadly force to kill a community member. So stakes are completely different. So beyond the accountability system, the SPOG contract also has a huge impact on city funding and what the City budget looks like every year. We did an episode recently about the budget and how the police have an outsize portion of that - do you wanna talk a little bit more about that, Amy? [00:04:57] Amy Sundberg: Yeah, so the contract will determine how much money is flowing into SPD. And right now, SPD gets about a quarter of our general fund - so that's the part of the budget that can be allocated to anything that isn't already tied up via statute. So a quarter of the general fund, which is a significant amount of the money that we have available to us as a city. And the question always is - Is that number gonna grow? And how much of the general fund are we as a city comfortable with SPD taking up? That is a question that is decided basically in this contract. [00:05:32] Shannon Cheng: Yeah, 'cause the contract sets the pay rates and raises that SPD will receive. And I think we've heard from a lot of other city unions that are also currently bargaining their contracts that there's this issue that a lot of them are being offered raises that aren't keeping up with the cost of living. For example, the Firefighters, the Coalition of City Unions. So it will be interesting to observe and see, when the eventual SPOG contract comes out, what kind of raises do they get and how do they compare to other city workers? The final thing that I think the police contract holds a lot of power over is something that we know is extremely popular in the city. When we've done poll after poll, people really want to see an alternate crisis response available to community members. We know that police are not the best at deescalating crisis response situations. And sometimes it's very harmful - and actually escalates - and has led to deaths of community members. So we've been struggling as a city to stand up some kind of alternate crisis response since the summer of 2020. And unfortunately the SPOG contract has been a huge obstacle in the way of that. Could you explain that more for us, Amy? [00:06:44] Amy Sundberg: Yeah, I would say first of all, that definitely this alternate emergency crisis response is a big part of this, but the contract stands in the way of civilianization in general overall. So this is one big piece of that, but it also means that if there are jobs that we feel like should be done by civilians who are not armed - besides crisis response - that also gets decided in the contract. So I do think that's important to talk about. [00:07:10] Shannon Cheng: So that's why keeping an eye on this police contract is really important. It really does hold the key to so many facets of the change that we want to see in our city. Let's now talk about what's been happening more recently. During the Seattle budget process, we learned that the City had come to a possible temporary agreement with SPOG, which they call an MOU, or a Memorandum of Understanding. To be clear, this is not the final full contract that we do expect to see with SPOG eventually, and that we've been waiting for for several years now. The previous contract expired at the end of 2020, and they have been in negotiations for about three years at this time. So this MOU came out. It was meant to address what some electeds are calling "emergent needs" of the city. And they had to do this during the budget process because it had budget implications that needed to be approved. Do you want to tell us a little bit about what's in this MOU? [00:08:16] Amy Sundberg: Yes, I would love to. I'm glad that you emphasized this is different than the actual SPOG contract. It is temporary, and it is to address these "emergent needs," so to speak. So it does have an expiry date of the beginning of January of 2026. So I just want to get that out there first. But the MOU accomplishes three main things for the City, and then we'll talk about what it gives SPOG. So the three main things that it accomplishes for the City are - first of all, it would allow the City flexibility to sometimes use parking enforcement officers or other civilians to staff special events. They certainly wouldn't be the only people staffing special events, but perhaps they could do things like traffic control that don't really require a sworn armed officer to do. It would allow the City to use park rangers at parks outside of downtown. Right now, they have an agreement that park rangers can only be used in downtown parks. But last year, they started a huge expansion of the Park Ranger program, so now they have a lot more park rangers - or they're in the process of hiring them - and would like to be able to expand to use them at all the parks in the city. And the third thing it would do is allow the City to implement its new dual dispatch emergency alternative response program. Basically, the pilot just launched this past October. And it turns out that if this MOU is not approved - which it is not currently signed yet - it's not actually true dual dispatch yet, from my understanding. What was said in all of the press briefings and all of the communications is that how this program is supposed to work is that there's dual dispatch, so that means that SPD will go out at the same time as the alternative responders - CARE responders, I'm gonna call them. They go out at the same time. But apparently right now, they're not actually allowed to be dispatched at the same time because this MOU hasn't been approved. So the police have to go first, and then they can request to have an alternate CARE responder team come out after they arrive. So that is not how I understood this was going to work, and if this MOU is approved, then it will be able to work the way it's been described previously. [00:10:38] Shannon Cheng: Okay, so there's a difference between what we've seen from press releases and press briefings about this new dual dispatch pilot within the CARE department to what is actually possible right now without this MOU. [00:10:53] Amy Sundberg: Yeah, and my guess - and this is me guessing, to be clear - my guess is that, of course, people involved knew that this MOU was being developed, knew that this agreement was being developed. And so when they launched the pilot, they explained how it was gonna work if this MOU was signed, even though it hadn't been signed yet - in maybe a burst of hope that that's how it would turn out. As well, I imagine, because of - you're not allowed to talk about things that are going on in negotiations at the labor table, so they probably weren't allowed to talk about it. And instead of getting into the nitty-gritty of it and confusing people, that they might have decided - for simplicity's sake - explain it the way they did. But, you know, of course, now we know that that wasn't entirely accurate. [00:11:38] Shannon Cheng: Okay, so basically, what we had seen in the past that was all this glowing announcement about this new dual dispatch pilot should have a giant big asterisk next to it because they had not actually completed what needed to be done to be able to launch it in the way that they were talking about it. I do wanna eventually dig deeper into what the MOU specifically says about the dual dispatch, but first, we've talked about what the City is getting out of this agreement. And to be clear, even though this isn't the full contract, this is something that was negotiated with SPOG. And so I think that it's important for us to look at because it gives us a little hint as to how negotiations with SPOG are going. So we've heard what the City is getting. So what is SPOG getting out of this negotiation? [00:12:21] Amy Sundberg: Yeah, so what they have now in the MOU is that they want to give officers who volunteer to staff special events a special additional bonus. So it would be $225 bonus for each special event shift that they volunteer to do. And that's in addition to overtime. So what The Stranger reported, which I actually think is a really helpful way to think about it, is that this bonus basically means that officers will be getting paid double time for any shifts that they work - that they volunteered for - for special events. Normally, overtime is time and a half. So instead of time and a half, they're getting double time. However, if they finally reach an agreement on the full SPOG contract, the bonus would not necessarily increase - so it's not tied to their current wages. [00:13:15] Shannon Cheng: Okay, so let me get this right. We are giving SPOG extra bonuses to work shifts they already get paid overtime for. And in exchange, they are letting us let them work less at some of these special events. Is that a fair characterization? [00:13:33] Amy Sundberg: I mean, possibly. It's a little bit - to be honest, I'll be interested to see how it plays out because I don't know how much less they actually will end up working. So we might just be paying more to get the same thing, or we might be paying more for them to work less so that parking enforcement officers can take a few of their jobs. It's unclear how this will work out in practice. [00:13:59] Shannon Cheng: Yeah, I've heard some of the discussion of this. We all know, or we've been told over and over again from many quarters, that SPD is very understaffed, that the officers are overworked, that people are upset that response times are slow - and everybody blames the fact that there aren't enough officers to do the amount of work that is out there for them. So part of trying to offer these special event shift bonuses is that right now for these shifts, when they ask people to volunteer - if they don't get enough volunteers, my understanding is that they go by seniority. And so maybe some of the newer officers are made to work these extra shifts, thereby making them even more overworked than they already are. So some of the thinking behind this is that if they offer this bonus to sweeten the deal in terms of working these extra shifts, that perhaps some of the higher senior-ranked officers would be willing to take some of these volunteer shifts and thereby spread the workload out better across SPD. But this doesn't actually do anything to help with the overall understaffing issue, right? We still have the same number of officers doing the same amount of work, unless they do agree to let some of these other parking enforcement officers take over some of the shifts. [00:15:23] Amy Sundberg: Right, and unless there are actually shifts available for those parking enforcement officers to take after whoever has volunteered has volunteered. So it kind of depends how they set it up. I will say, I think what you said is exactly what the City and SPD has been saying - I think that's a very accurate characterization. But I've also heard from other sources that special event shifts are actually pretty popular among officers and that it's a nice way to make extra money potentially - because it is paid overtime, and now double time. So that's why I'm not really sure how this is gonna play out in practice. And just to talk about the overall impact of what offering this bonus does to the budget - because this was just passed in our 2024 budget now. This Memorandum of Understanding would start October 1st, 2023. And like I said, it would go to the beginning of January 2026. And we are paying $4.5 million - that would cover from October of this year 'til the end of next year. And then we'll be paying another $3.6 million for 2025 to cover these special event bonuses. So altogether, it's a little more than $8 million for a little bit over two years of bonuses. For at least this next year, the money came from a reserve fund. But again, this is $4.5 million that is being spent on these bonuses instead of on any other pressing needs that the city might have. Just to name one, we gave a big cut to mental health services in tiny home villages. And if those tiny home villages don't have these services, certain people who have more acute needs cannot live there. So it's gonna really impact who is able to live in a tiny home village going forward. So that is one thing that we cut in 2024 - we have much less money for that now. Obviously, there are lots of needs in the city though, so that's just one example. [00:17:24] Shannon Cheng: That's really good for us to understand - what is a concrete example of what we're giving up in order to give these bonuses to the police officer. So this really matters because we're in a time of budget shortfalls, both current and upcoming. We're being told that SPD is overworked, and yet we're in this state where we're being asked to pay SPOG more money to maybe do less work and accept help for tasks that they said they're not good at. And I'm talking about this dual dispatch co-responder program. So why don't we turn to that and get a little bit more into the weeds and delve into what is problematic about how this dual dispatch pilot is set up. I think there's been a lot of talk about the alternate crisis response that we've been trying to set up in the city. I think it's evolved a lot over time. And something that I want people to appreciate about all this is that all this talk fundamentally doesn't matter unless we have the agreement of SPOG - that they will accept how we want to do things. And this MOU is the first time that I have seen - spelled out - some of the details of what our dual dispatch program could look like. Amy, I know you've been following this for a very long time. I think you've been at pretty much every meeting that's been about this topic. And so - of people in the world who I think would know how we've ended up at this dual dispatch program, you could tell us about that whole history. So I will turn it to you. [00:19:04] Amy Sundberg: Yeah, I can. And I will say, I wrote an article about this for The Urbanist, I think, a couple of months ago. We'll link to it in the show notes. I will say it was a very hard piece to write because I have been following this since 2020 in all of its little details. And then I was trying to boil it down into a thousand words - explaining to someone who maybe knew very little about this - what exactly had been going on for the past three or so years. I do recommend you check that out. But it has been a very frustrating process, I will say. We started talking about some kind of alternative crisis response in summer of 2020 because of the George Floyd protests. And we had a few, I would say, champions on the city council who really wanted to see this happen. So it wasn't that there was nobody advocating for this - there definitely was. Councilmember Lewis in particular, and also Councilmember Herbold - both very strong proponents of having some type of program like this in Seattle. But what we saw was just obstacle after obstacle, after hurdle after hurdle, and just a lot of back and forth, a lot of dragging feet from both the executive's office - both previous Mayor Durkan and current Mayor Harrell - and a lot of dragging of the feet of SPD. You can kind of chart it out and see the strategy of making this take as long as possible, which I do in that article I was talking about. But I think one of the most powerful things I can do is compare Seattle to another city who did it differently. So in Seattle, we have this new pilot now through the CARE Department. It has six responders hired. They are focused, I think, only in the downtown area. And they work 11 a.m. to 11 p.m, so it's not 24/7 coverage - because there's only six of them, right? There's only so much you can do with six people, and they work in teams of two. So that is what we have. That just got stood up a month ago, month and a half ago - very recently. And like I said, it's not even a true dual dispatch until the MOU gets signed. And frankly, I was very disappointed that it was a dual dispatch at all. So that's what we've finally accomplished in Seattle after all of these years of politicking - versus Albuquerque. So Albuquerque, first of all, it's a little bit smaller than Seattle - maybe about 200,000 fewer people live in Albuquerque. So keep that in mind when we think about scale, right? So they also are under a consent decree, just as we have been, for a slightly shorter amount of time - but for a long time as well. So that is comparable in some ways. But in 2020, they took seriously the call from community to start some kind of emergency alternative response to respond to crisis calls. And in 2023, they budgeted $11.7 million to their response, which has been growing over the last several years. They now have over 70 responders employed to do this alternative emergency response. Their teams respond to calls related to homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health, as well as calls related to things like used needles and abandoned vehicles. And they are allowed to answer calls on their own, and they don't have to go out with the police. And they talk a lot about how what they're doing is using a public health approach. This is Albuquerque. And I guess I didn't mention earlier, but Seattle - what we are paying for our alternative response program for 2024 is $1.8 million. $1.8 million versus $11.7 million. And Albuquerque is smaller. [00:22:46] Shannon Cheng: That's incredible. And also I wanna call out - so $1.8 million is a little over a third of the bonuses that we are giving SPOG in this MOU to have them maybe work less special event shifts. That is just mind blowing - the difference in scale of what we're willing to put money towards. [00:23:08] Amy Sundberg: Yeah, and the Albuquerque program has been so successful, they keep scaling up. And they've scaled up pretty quickly - it's really impressive. So kudos to them. I really appreciate that they're offering us a vision of what could be, but it certainly is not what we have been doing here in Seattle - which is really disappointing, especially given how strongly people that live here reacted to the murder of George Floyd and how long those protesters were out there - night after night after night asking for something better, right? And we look now at where we are and like - well, we haven't given people something better. That's just - I mean, that's my opinion, but I think it's also - if you look at the facts, it's pretty backed up by facts. [00:23:53] Shannon Cheng: Yeah, and by polling. And I agree, it's been really frustrating to see other places around the country continue to lap us - even locally here. I don't feel like it's talked about very much, but we did do a show with them here on Hacks & Wonks. So up north, there's a five-city consortium that is Bothell, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, and Kirkland. And what they started with - they didn't start out immediately with full civilian-led crisis response. I think something that people are concerned about in standing up these programs is that they're worried - well, what if the crisis responder comes across something that they can't handle and they get hurt? - that kind of question. And that's why they're arguing that they need this police backup. There's all sorts of things about that - I mean, I would say sometimes the police tend to actually escalate these situations and make them more dangerous, and thereby I'm not sure that having the police backup would actually help. So what happened with this five-city consortium is that they started out with a program within the King County Sheriff's Office called RADAR. And it was a co-response model where a sheriff's deputy and the crisis responder co-responded to a situation. And I believe that it was more equal - that the co-responder had agency in these calls. It wasn't just the sheriff's deputy making all the decisions. But what happened is that over time - and I feel like it was a relatively short amount of time, like on the order of one to two years - the sheriff's deputies realized, You know what? We're not really needed at these calls. And it's actually really boring for us to sit around, watch a crisis responder who's skilled deescalate a situation, and I could spend my time better doing something else. And so that's actually what's happening. This program has now evolved into something called the Regional Crisis Response Agency, which is civilian-led. And they're not yet, I think, at 24/7 coverage, but they're working towards that. And so this is happening literally just north of us, okay? So it is possible here in Washington state - I know that there've been comments made that some of these other places, maybe they have different state labor laws that might affect things. But fundamentally, I think the difference is whether the police guild is willing to work with the program and allow it to happen. So I think for whatever reason, with the King County Sheriff's Office - they were more open to accepting this kind of program, and letting it grow and evolve, and thereby taking workload off of them. Whereas here in Seattle, we don't really see that same situation with SPOG. [00:26:33] Amy Sundberg: Yeah, I've been really interested in this consortium of cities that has done this. I think that is, from what I understand, it's not an uncommon path for these programs to take - to start out with more of a police presence and then kind of realize over time, Oh, maybe this isn't actually necessary, and to evolve in that way. So I mean, there is certainly hope that Seattle could do the same thing. We're just very far behind in terms of timing. And there's also - while there is hope, there's no guarantee that it will develop that way. [00:27:08] Shannon Cheng: Yeah, I would say that a lot of what I'm seeing happening in Seattle now is putting a lot of trust in faith that SPOG is going to allow certain things to happen, or not stand in the way, or not demand exorbitant amounts of money to get the things that the City wants. And I don't know that - looking at past history of our dealings with SPOG - that we can really trust that that's how things are gonna go. I mean, they have social media accounts that literally post made up images of a public safety index that has no relation to reality - doing fearmongering about whether people in the city feel safe or not. I just don't see them as being good faith participants in working with us on measures that make the public feel safe that doesn't involve the police department. [00:28:04] Amy Sundberg: Yeah, I agree with you. I am also concerned - certainly that's been part of my motivation for following this story so closely over the last several years. Because like I said, there's no - just because it's gone like that in other cities does not mean that it will happen that way here. And as we see, in fact, it hasn't. The type of program that Albuquerque has developed doesn't look very much like what we have developed in the same amount of time. So no guarantees then - just hopes, thoughts and prayers, which doesn't necessarily get you very far. [00:28:36] Shannon Cheng: Yeah, so I guess what was spelled out in this MOU about the dual dispatch that I found concerning is that it really looks like the police officer has authority over almost every aspect of what the alternate - well, I don't even know that we can call it an alternate crisis response - what the dual dispatch looks like. They get to decide when and if it's safe for the crisis responder to enter the scene. They get to decide whether they leave or not. The MOU specifically says that it doesn't affect the number of officers who respond to the incident. So if you're worried about understaffing and needing less officers going to some of these calls, that's not in this MOU. Something that really worried me is that even if the officer decides that the crisis responder can handle the situation - afterwards, the crisis responder will file the incident report within the police department's system. And so - I think in 2020, what we heard was a lot of community members coming out saying that they do not feel safe calling the police when they or a loved one is undergoing a crisis. And so if the solution we're offering now is one where police show up and even if they don't participate, they get record of what happened with the loved one - this kind of goes against everything that was being asked for, and it is still not going to serve people in the city who don't wanna use police for these situations. [00:30:08] Amy Sundberg: I agree. I don't think that it is what community was asking for. There definitely are people who don't feel safe calling the police who aren't gonna want their information then transferred to a police database to potentially be used later. I will say that one thing the MOU does do - that wasn't particularly clear from the original press release about it - is that it does allow a police officer to clear a scene while not being physically present. So it does clear the way for potentially calls being answered only by the CARE responders and not actually having a police officer there as well. So that is important to note, but even if that is happening, there will still be information about that filed into the police database - in SPD's database. So that is part of the agreement, part of what is being memorialized here. Also, the scope of the program is defined by this agreement, and I find that quite troubling. The number of responders allowed to be hired by the end of 2025, beginning of 2026 is 24 full-time. 24. So just to remind you, Albuquerque - smaller than us - has more than 70, and they were able to ramp that up in two to three years. So we're talking about a two-year ramp up here. If we were serious about this program, we could definitely ramp up above 24, but we will not be able to because of what this MOU says. We are limited to 24 - that's all we'll be able to do. And then the other thing that I found very interesting is that this MOU limits the call types that CARE responders will be allowed to answer to person down calls and welfare check calls. So there will be no ability to expand beyond those two call types, regardless of how anything might change in the interim. I thought that was really interesting because during one of the hearings - when they had Amy Smith, who is the director of the new CARE Department, people were really interested in the call types, right? What call types would be answered? Yes, right now it's person down and welfare check, but could we expand that later? And she seemed, to me, to be kind of reluctant to answer - kept heading off and being like, Well, first we need to expand to 24/7 coverage. Which reasonable, fair enough - but after reading this MOU, I was like, Oh, and also they won't be allowed to expand, so it's a moot point, right? These are the two call types, and that's all that they're gonna be able to do - period. [00:32:43] Shannon Cheng: So let's back out a little bit because this is something that I know I have been confused about for a long time. And to be clear, I am not a labor lawyer - if there's any labor lawyers listening to this and who can help explain this to me better, I would really appreciate it. But you hear about all these types of calls that we acknowledge - and I think even sometimes SPD acknowledges that they are not the best first responders for. So why is it that we have to go through this whole negotiation process - and whether it's through an MOU or the full contract - why does that have to happen before we can offload work from an understaffed department to other people who are better at the job? [00:33:26] Amy Sundberg: Well, Shannon, I am also not a labor lawyer, but I will do my best. From what I understand, workers have bodies of work. So you have to negotiate if you wanna take away any piece of that body of work and give it to a different worker. So that's what we're looking at here - because these are considered SPD's body of work. However, you make a really compelling point in that - for years now, SPD has been talking with increasing urgency about how understaffed they are, about the staffing crisis. And we know that this staffing crisis of police departments is not just here in Seattle - it's nationwide. Police departments all across the country are facing the exact same staffing shortages that we are here in Seattle. So obviously this is not just a local problem - this is larger than that. Given the fact that this is a problem that doesn't seem to be able to be addressed anytime soon. I mean, as much as people like to slag on City Council about these sorts of things, the fact is - they, in the last year or so, they passed these big police hiring bonuses. They've approved the hiring plans. They've done everything SPD has asked them to do regarding staffing in particular. And yet we do not see any particular improvement in this area. Staffing so far for 2023 for SPD - they actually still are in the negative. They are not hiring as much as they are losing officers - still, even with these bonuses, which have not been shown to work. So this is gonna be a problem for a while. This is not something you can fix quickly. There is a hiring training pipeline that takes quite a while to complete to get new police officers. There are not a lot of lateral hires - that is, police officers who are already trained, who are willing to move from a different department - we hired hardly any of those in 2023. Apparently we had some candidates, but they weren't qualified to serve in SPD - they weren't appropriate candidates. So we don't have a lot of them. Chief Diaz has said he expects potentially more lateral hires in 2024, but he did not give any reasons as to why he would expect that to be any different, so whether he has actual reasons or whether he's just kind of hoping - I'm not certain - but this is obviously something that's gonna go on for more than a year or two, right? [00:35:55] Shannon Cheng: Right. [00:35:55] Amy Sundberg: So because of that, I do think that there is potentially a legal argument to be made that some of the body of work of SPD officers needs to be given to other people because there just simply aren't enough SPD officers to do it all. And then you made a great point that what we've seen in other municipalities is that police officers - some of this work - they don't even wanna do it. They're actually end up being quite happy to have other people doing it so that they can go off and do other parts of the job that perhaps they prefer. So it's interesting watching this play out here and how it's kind of different from how it's playing out elsewhere in the country. [00:36:38] Shannon Cheng: Yeah, it feels like here - as you said, the City has done everything they possibly could to encourage staffing and hiring of new or lateral hires to the department and it just - it's not working. So in the meantime, we still have all these needs in the city to address - and they're not getting addressed, or they're getting addressed poorly. So it's frustrating that we're being held up by this issue of certain aspects being considered under the police body of work and not being able to let people who are better able to do that work - and honestly, for less money - and alleviate some of all the problems that people are frustrated about in this city. So again, not a labor lawyer, but my understanding is there would be concern that if we just went ahead and started taking some of this work from SPD without their signing off on it - is that SPOG could file an Unfair Labor Practice with the state PERC, the Public Employment Relations Commission, which oversees state labor law. And I guess I don't know what that ruling would be, but it seems like the City's not willing to go that route. I understand that it would entail standing up to SPOG, which I agree completely is a scary thing to do, but the people who are our electeds are the ones with the power to do that. So I don't know - if you've been elected, we need you to stand up to SPOG. [00:38:10] Amy Sundberg: Well, and because of the staffing shortage at SPD, that does present a really compelling argument that the city can make if there was to be an Unfair Labor Practice suit filed, right? Because if SPD is unable to do this work because they can't hire enough and they've been getting all the support they've been asking for to hire as much as possible, and yet they still don't have enough staffing, someone has to do the work. So I do think that - I don't know how that suit would go, but it's not for sure that SPOG would win. [00:38:44] Shannon Cheng: Right. I just wonder why that's not an option that the City seems to be pursuing and that they're just, with this MOU, basically just saying, Fine, we'll just pay out. - what to me feels like, I don't know, sort of a ransom that SPOG is holding us under to let us do things that we all fundamentally want to do. So where is this MOU in the process? You said that the $4.5 million plus $3.6 million the next year has already been approved through the budget process. So what happens next? [00:39:15] Amy Sundberg: Yeah, so the money has been approved - that part is done. But what happens next is that the full council has to vote on the actual MOU agreement. So there's money for it, but they haven't yet approved it. So that vote, I believe, will be happening at their full council meeting on Tuesday, December 5th, which is at 2 p.m. in the afternoon. So if people want to get involved and share their opinions with their councilmembers about this MOU, you have until December 5th to do so. You can email your councilmembers, you can call your councilmembers, you can see if now that budget season is over, you can potentially even meet with them - although it is a pretty tight timeline to do that. And then you can give public comment at that meeting on December 5th, either virtually - you can call in - or you can go to City Hall and do it in person. I do encourage people to do this if they are so moved. I think it's really important for our elected leaders to hear from the people and hear what we wanna see and what we are concerned about. Even if we are not able to stop this MOU from being approved, I think it's really valuable for our elected leaders to know that this is an issue of concern, that the people of Seattle care about it, and that we're paying attention. And I do feel that there is significant value in that as we move towards potentially looking at a completed contract with SPOG. Those negotiations are ongoing - I don't expect to see that contract this year, but I would not be shocked to see it sometime next year. So to let electeds know now that this is something that we care about will then build momentum for the bigger conversation that is to come. [00:40:59] Shannon Cheng: Yeah, completely. Our electeds really do need to hear that this is something that we're concerned about, that we understand is important, that we've been waiting for five years for a different full SPOG contract to help address some of the things we talked about at the beginning of this show. I would also - I just wanna let people know - I think this is also something that's very in the weeds and maybe isn't really well understood. But the way that these labor contracts get negotiated at the city is that there's a whole team on the City side, which includes representatives from the mayor's office, as well as from city council. And the way that it's structured - it's called the LRPC, or the Labor Relations Policy Committee - the way they have it set up is that five councilmembers, and the five is important because five is a majority. Five out of nine of our council sits on that LRPC, so they are privy to the negotiations. And under state labor law, all of these negotiations are behind closed doors. So the public really has no insight into what's happening until we get something like this temporary MOU coming out for approval, or eventually a full contract for approval. The last time that the public had any opportunity to give input into what this SPOG contract is gonna look like was in December of 2019, when a public hearing was held 90 days ahead of when they started negotiations for the new contract. So it has been four years since the public has had any chance to weigh in on what we would like to see in this contract. And as we all know, a lot has happened in those four years that may affect what we hope to see that comes out. Anyway, just going back - the LRPC, I believe, is purposely structured to have this majority of council on it. Because that means that any labor agreement that comes out of that committee means that it had the approval of those five councilmembers. So if we get to the City Council meeting where Council's gonna approve it, and one of those councilmembers ends up voting against it, there could be a argument made that they were not bargaining in good faith. So the whole thing is set up that the public has very little in the way of power to affect how these agreements happen. And I just wanna call that out. [00:43:14] Amy Sundberg: For sure, Shannon. If this is an area that you work on regularly as we do, it is very frustrating how few chances there are to have any real impact. [00:43:23] Shannon Cheng: I would also say that the other period of time where you might have impact is that period between contracts - so after a contract has been accepted and is implemented, and before the next contract is entering into this black box of contract negotiations. The way that we've seen some of these negotiations happen, they are so lengthy in time that - SPOG is currently working without a current contract for three years. I think the contract they're negotiating is five years long. So we're already behind the last time that we did this - last time they approved it in November of the third year, it's almost December. So this is gonna be even less time after they approve this contract before they're gonna have to start negotiating the next one. I seriously wonder if at some point we're gonna get to the point where they're gonna be negotiating two contracts at the same time, or maybe they need to make the contract longer than five years? I just - again, not a labor lawyer - I don't know what happens with all this. But the reason - I think, and I've seen indications of this - that the negotiations take this long is because SPOG is not willing to accept accountability provisions that the City wants. And what's gonna happen, which is the same thing as what happened the last time, is that so much time will pass with them not having a real contract that they're gonna come out and make this argument that they haven't had a living wage increase for many years, and we just - the City needs to cave and give them what they want so that they can get raised back up to whatever level that they deserve. Which I'm not saying that they don't deserve, but they're doing this at the expense of us getting things that we want in that contract. And it's the same playbook every single time - and we need people to step up and call this out if we don't want it to keep happening. [00:45:15] Amy Sundberg: I will say too, that from what I understand - and I actually did talk to a labor lawyer about this - this is fairly unusual in labor overall for these contracts to be so far extended. And one of the issues that arises because of this is issue of back pay. Because when negotiating for raises, it's actually not unusual for any kind of union to get back pay as part of it for when the negotiation is taking place. But normally that amount of time would be maybe six months max of back pay, because that's how long it takes to complete the contract. In this case though, we're talking about over three years of back pay, and three years in which there has been a lot of inflation, right? So we're talking about potentially millions upon millions of dollars in a lump sum that the City will need to pay when they approve this contract - just for back pay, for things that have already happened - not even looking forward and thinking about how much the raises will cost the City in the future. So that becomes a significant issue at that point. [00:46:22] Shannon Cheng: And this links back to why this MOU matters, right? As you were saying that - we know the money for it is coming out of some special pay reserve that the City has. I would think that that pay reserve has been put aside in part to probably help pay some of this back pay that we're expecting to get when there is a final SPOG contract. So if we're using up $4.5 million now through next year, $3.6 million the next year from this reserve, that is less money that we have at the bargaining table to have leverage over what we get from SPOG in the final contract. [00:46:53] Amy Sundberg: But not only that, Shannon - also it impacts all other city workers. That's the money that's potentially for them too. So I mean, if you look at the firefighters, they're in the middle of negotiating a contract right now - I guess they have one that maybe they're voting on - which doesn't keep up with inflation. So if they agree to this contract - in real terms, they'll be receiving a wage cut - our firefighters. And then we have the Coalition of City Unions, who I - unless this has changed in the last few days, the most recent offer was a 2.5% wage increase. 2.5% - do you know how much inflation has been? These poor workers. And of course we don't have any insight into what SPOG is being offered right now - that is not public information. But it will be really interesting - when this contract does become available to the public - to see how that compares to the contracts that the Coalition of City Unions is being pressured to accept, or the contract that the firefighters are being pressured to accept. So it's not like this all happens in a vacuum. Whatever SPOG does also affects all the other unions in the city. [00:48:01] Shannon Cheng: That's a good point. I mean, much like the general fund funds lots of aspects across the city, I imagine this pay reserve - it's not the SPD pay reserve, but effectively it feels like that might be what it is. And that's super unfair to all the other city workers. Everything at the city is interrelated - SPOG is not the only union that the City is dealing with, both in terms of funding for their department, but also the staffing and the pay raises. So let's go back and talk a little bit more about police guilds and other unions, and I've heard police guilds are different from other workers' unions and that sometimes aren't aligned with the working class. Could you talk a little bit more about that, Amy? [00:48:44] Amy Sundberg: Yeah, I mean, I would say that police guilds are different from other unions in at least three ways. The first way, as you said, is that in general - police are on the side of the boss. They're not on the side of working people. They get their power from protecting rich people, right? Obviously I could say it in more academic language, but that is basically what I mean. They get their power from protecting rich people's interests. They get their power from protecting rich people's property. And that is not in alignment with other working people who are fighting for different rights. And you can see this in history. If you look at the history of policing in this country - in the South, police kind of rose up - they caught slaves. That was one of the first things they did, right? And the police developed from that, which is obviously horrendous. And then in the North, it was a little bit different, but police rose up or were very heavily involved in union busting back at a time when that was a big deal. So they have never been aligned with the working class, but I do think that those origins have become hazy through the passage of time and because of messaging, right? It definitely benefits police guilds to be seen as part of unions, even though they're not necessarily gonna be fighting for the same things that unions fight for. And so I think that's part of why there is that kind of argument at play. So that is one reason why they're different. Like I said earlier, another reason why they're different is because they, along with potentially prison guards and border patrol workers - these are kind of a different class of workers in that they're the only ones negotiating for the right to use force, right? To potentially kill, to hurt somebody, to surveil people - all of that kind of stuff, which is just inherently very different than the rights that other workers are organizing to get. And then the last point is that they do benefit from exceptions to rules governing other workers in terms of scope and in terms of contract negotiations, particularly with respect to provisions governing transparency and discipline. So they have different rules applied to them. So it's just - it's different, they're different. And it's important to really talk about these things, and study these things, and look and see more deeply how they're different because this is an argument that is brought to bear to kind of stop further accountability from being possible - as I know, we've both seen that play out here in Washington state. [00:51:21] Shannon Cheng: Yeah, completely. As I mentioned before, I foresee that when the eventual SPOG contract comes out, there will be pressure from SPOG that this is part of their inherent labor rights, that if we don't get what we wanna see in it in terms of the accountability pieces specifically, that - Well, you'll just need to wait till next time, or something like that. It'll be this incremental approach. When the 2018 SPOG contract got approved - I was at that hearing - and definitely there was a division within labor there. As you were just mentioning, I think that some people do see that the police guilds are not always aligned with workers - and we did see some unions come out to that effect. We also saw other workers come out in solidarity with SPOG arguing that - Yeah, they deserve their raises and benefits and they had been working too long without a contract. At the time, SPOG was still a member of the MLK Labor Council, so I think that helped a lot. We did, in 2020, see SPOG get ousted from that MLK Labor Council. So I am curious to see if anything plays out differently this time around - remains to be seen. And finally, I will say that I've heard a lot of councilmembers reference this - that they are hoping for some kind of state legislative solution that will help them with being better able to negotiate these contracts with the police guilds. But we've been following this at the state level also. And I will say that currently any action on the state level - it's dead. It's been dead for several years. There was a bill introduced in 2021 that laid out some things, but there was no movement on it. And the reason there's no movement on it is because labor as a whole is not on board with it - they feel like it's gonna be an erosion of workers' rights. And it may be, but as you were saying, police guilds are different than unions - and I think that the legislation was crafted to try to make that distinction. And so I'm not sure whether those fears are completely founded or not, but in any case, nothing is happening on that front. [00:53:27] Amy Sundberg: I did find that legislation very interesting. And I agree that over time it was worked upon to be really laser precise in terms of what it did. And at the end of the development that I'm aware of, what the bill actually did is that it took accountability measures for police off of the bargaining table by creating an overall unified standard that police departments across the state would have to live up to. So it would no longer be something that you negotiate in the contract - it would just be, This is how we operate. This is how accountability works in the state of Washington. And as I said, that is one of the ways in which police guilds are different than unions - is that they have this bargaining power over these accountability issues that are just not relevant in any other union's bailiwick of work. So that is why the bill was crafted the way it was to be such a kind of surgical carve-out of certain things. The reason this would be helpful - first of all, it would set a statewide standard so that's inherently helpful. But also if you take those accountability issues off of the bargaining table, then you can actually spend more time and energy bargaining for other things - like a better emergency alternative response program, or something like this. So right now it's harder for the City to do that because they have to be thinking about these accountability pieces. And especially right now, because - I do not know that they will be allowed out of the consent decree totally until they meet the 2017 accountability ordinance in the SPOG contract. And I do not think that Judge Robart will allow them to leave without showing that that is part of the new contract. I will say as well, that one of the reasons the MOU is worrisome to me is because it kind of shows potentially how things are going with the larger negotiation around this actual contract, which as we know - because it takes so long to negotiate it, once we get one, we're stuck with it for potentially a really, really long time, right? So it's a big deal. Whatever ends up in this new contract is a really big deal because we'll be stuck with it for a while. So even though the MOU is term limited - it will expire at the beginning of 2026. So at first I was like, Well, at least we don't have to pay these special event bonuses in perpetuity, at least it's only for a couple of years, at least we're only limited to 24 alternate first responders for a couple of years. But the thing is, these are also aspects that will have to be in that full contract - something will have to be in that full contract to allow us to continue this pilot in 2026 and beyond. So what is that gonna say? Is that also gonna limit how many people we can hire by a really significant amount? Is that also gonna limit the call types to be very, very narrow that they can respond to? Is it going to memorialize this sort of bonus so that we're paying out millions upon millions of dollars just to have permission to do these things when we know that SPD doesn't have the staffing to do them? That is an issue of real concern. And the MOU - to me - says these are things that we are potentially - they're going to have to be addressed in the contract so that we have something that reaches after 2025, and this might be how they are addressed, right? I mean, we don't know, obviously - black box - but these are things that when that contract is released, I'm going to be looking at very carefully and going to be very concerned about. [00:57:11] Shannon Cheng: What if they don't include any of this stuff in the eventual contract? Does that mean on January 2nd, 2026, the dual dispatch pilot just suddenly has to stop operating? [00:57:20] Amy Sundberg: I mean, yes - I think so. Unless they come to another MOU, right? Or like you said, they could risk an Unfair Labor Practice suit. But I mean, ultimately, this is gonna have to be worked out. So it's all fine and good for councilmembers to be like, Well, this is temporary - but ultimately it cannot be temporary. We're going to have to come to some kind of arrangement as to how this is going to work in the future. [00:57:46] Shannon Cheng: Yeah, completely agree. I mean, Amy and I have been staring at this black box of contract negotiations for a really long time and trying to see any indication of anything that's going on with it. And this MOU is the first indication of how things are going. And I would say our estimation is - it's not going well. I mean, I think the other thing I saw that happened is we heard Councilmember Mosqueda say that she stepped down from the LRPC. I don't know that she fully explained what her reasoning was behind that, but my sense is she is probably the councilmember on current LRPC who is the most wanting of all the things we've been talking about in this episode. And she's specifically said that she didn't agree with the MOU because she felt like it was bad strategy in terms of the overall SPOG contract negotiation. So to me, part of her stepping down sounds like it's because those negotiations are not going well. And to me, that's very concerning. [00:58:45] Amy Sundberg: Absolutely, and especially because she's going to be moving over to King Council now - she got elected as a King County councilmember now and she knew it was going okay. So she knew that was a possibility for her political future. And so she only had a few months left and yet she still stepped down. To me, what that says - obviously she's not allowed to say anything - but to me what that says is that there were big problems because otherwise why wouldn't you just finish your term? Like it's no big deal to do just a couple more months. And we also know that Councilmember Mosqueda has in general been a fierce champion of workers' rights and is very aligned with labor. So I am very concerned both as to what this means about the upcoming SPOG contract and about what this means to other labor and how they're being treated by the City. And we've seen this already playing out. So the fact that she stepped down shows, I think, the potentially - some deeper issues that are going to continue to be revealed over the next several months. [00:59:49] Shannon Cheng: And I think this all happened kind of under the radar, but I was trying to do some digging to try to understand when that happened. And as far as I can figure, it was sometime around August. It was the same time that - from the mayor's side, Senior Deputy Mayor Monisha Harrell used to be on the LRPC. She has now been replaced by Tim Burgess. And with Councilmember Mosqueda stepping down, she has now been replaced by Councilmember Strauss. [01:00:12] Amy Sundberg: I will say that Monisha Harrell was also known as something of a champion when it came to accountability, right? I felt that accountability was genuinely important to her and that she was committed to fighting for that in the next contract. But with her gone - again, black box, so we don't know - but it is discouraging news. [01:00:35] Shannon Cheng: Yeah, so not to end everything on a huge downer, but that is the life you choose when you decide to make police contracts your issue of main interest. [01:00:49] Amy Sundberg: You know, I actually - yes, this is bad news. But I do not think people should take this as a downer at all. I think people should take this as encouragement to get involved. If you haven't gotten involved up until this point, or if you are involved and you're beginning to flag or feel a little tired - which believe me, at this point I can really, really relate to - we're gonna need all hands on deck next year. And that's just me being realistic. It is really frustrating, but the only way we're gonna see the change that we want in this regard is by organizing. Organizing, organizing, organizing. And I will be more specific than that because I remember a time when people would say that to me and I would be like - I don't know what that means. Like, sure, but what do I actually personally do? And what I would say is if you wanna get involved - and I highly, highly encourage you to get involved with this - you need to find an organization to plug into so that you have that accountability of structure and community to kind of keep you going. And it doesn't mean you can't take breaks. In fact, I'd say you 100% should be taking breaks as well. I am about to take a week and a half break and I'm very excited about it, so I am the last person that will say anything against taking breaks. But if you're part, if you're building those relationships with others, it will keep you involved for the longterm, which is what we need for this kind of fight. And organizations that are working on this specifically - I mean, I don't know them all, but I know People Power Washington - Shannon and I are involved with - we definitely are always working on this. Defend the Defund is another organization that you can look

Former Maryland Stadium Authority chairman Tom Kelso returns to answer more of Nestor's very serious questions about the Baltimore Orioles lease, the "Memorandum of Understanding" (MOU) and what happens to Steve Bisciotti and the Ravens if Governor Wes Moore promises all of The Warehouse and Camden Yards land and power to the Angelos family. The post Former MSA chairman Tom Kelso returns to answer more Orioles lease, land and money questions from Nestor first appeared on Baltimore Positive WNST.

Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:• Central European University: CEU• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD• The Podcast Company: scopeaudio Follow us on social media!• Central European University: @CEU• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @AHDCentre Subscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks!  GlossaryBelt and Road Initiative (BRI)(04:10 or p.1 in the transcript)China's Belt and Road Initiative is a strategy initiated by the People's Republic of China that seeks to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks with the aim of improving regional integration, increasing trade and stimulating economic growth. The name was coined in 2013 by China's President Xi Jinping, who drew inspiration from the concept of the Silk Road established during the Han Dynasty 2,000 years ago – an ancient network of trade routes that connected China to the Mediterranean via Eurasia for centuries. The BRI has also been referred to in the past as 'One Belt One Road'. The BRI comprises a Silk Road Economic Belt – a trans-continental passage that links China with southeast Asia, south Asia, Central Asia, Russia and Europe by land – and a 21st century Maritime Silk Road, a sea route connecting China's coastal regions with south east and south Asia, the South Pacific, the Middle East and Eastern Africa, all the way to Europe. The initiative defines five major priorities: policy coordination; infrastructure connectivity; unimpeded trade; financial integration; and connecting people. The BRI has been associated with a very large programme of investments in infrastructure development for ports, roads, railways and airports, as well as power plants and telecommunications networks. Since 2019, Chinese state-led BRI lending volumes have been in decline. The BRI now places increasing emphasis on “high quality investment”, including through greater use of project finance, risk mitigation tools, and green finance. The BRI is an increasingly important umbrella mechanism for China's bilateral trade with BRI partners: as of March 2020, the number of countries that have joined the Belt and Road Initiative by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China is 138. source BRICS(04:41 or p.2 in the transcript)"BRICS" is the acronym denoting the emerging national economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The term was originally coined in 2001 as "BRIC" by the Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in his report, Building Better Global Economic BRICs (Global Economics Paper No: 66). At that time, the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China experienced significant growth, raising concerns regarding their impact on the global economy. Foreign ministers of these countries began meeting informally in 2006, which led to more formal annual summits beginning in 2009. Generally speaking, these meetings are held to improve economic conditions within BRICS countries and give their leaders the opportunity to work in collaboration regarding these efforts. In December of 2010, South Africa joined the informal group and changed the acronym to BRICS. Together these emerging markets represent 42% of the world population and account for over 31% of the world's GDP according to the World Factbook. According to the 2023 summit chair South Africa, over 40 nations were interested in joining the economic forum for the benefits membership would provide including development finance and increase in trade and investment. At the conclusion of the summit, it was announced that Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will become new members of BRICS starting in 2024. source Global Gateway (25:52 or p.7 in the transcript)Global Gateway is a new European strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world. The European Commission and the EU High Representative launched it in 2021. Global Gateway aims to mobilise up to €300 billion in investments through a Team Europe approach, bringing together the EU, its Member States and their financial and development institutions. It seeks a transformational impact in the digital, climate and energy, transport, health, and education and research sectors. The focus is on smart investments in quality infrastructure, respecting the highest social and environmental standards, in line with the EU's interests and values: rule of law, human rights and international norms and standards. 6 core principles are at the heart of Global Gateway, guiding the investments: democratic values and high standards; good governance and transparency; equal partnerships; green and clean; security focused; catalysing the private sector. Global Gateway is the EU's contribution to narrowing the global investment gap worldwide. It is in line with the commitment of the G7 leaders from June 2021 to launch a values-driven, high-standard and transparent infrastructure partnership to meet global infrastructure development needs. Global Gateway is also fully aligned with the UN's Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Paris Agreement on climate change. source  

Nickel dropped down to the bottom end of $20-$22,000 range that we've largely been in since the beginning of May – dragged lower along with the rest of the base metal complex as China deflation concerns weighed on the market.  LME inventories are still low.According to statistics from the Stainless Steel Branch of China Iron and Steel Association, China's crude stainless steel production amounted to around 17.59 million tons in the first half of this year, up by 8.2% compared to the same period a year ago.  Among them, the output of Cr-Ni stainless steel (300 series) accounted for the largest proportion at 50.33%, totalling around 8.85 million tons, a year-on-year hike of 11.1%.  (we thought China was slowing down) - seeing cuts in the first half in ROW production after a big surge in 2021/22, but now seeing a turn in the West as well.  Analysts always underestimate stainless growth. Still not seeing any further momentum in nickel sulphate in China, but seeing more nickel directly utilized (in the form of MHP/matte) and more high nickel cathode material produced in Korea.FPX Nickel saw a big drop this week – down by 33% on news that one of the First Nations (FN) groups has made public communications from Tl'azt'en Nation with respect to the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) between Tl'azt'en Nation, family Keyoh Holders, and FPX, and concerns expressed related to resource development.The team at FPX have done a very good job responsibly advancing the project, but sometimes best efforts can't change the view of the local community.  The original 2012 group split into several groups – which may have different views on resource development. Elections in FN communities typically every 2-3 years so can have multiple leadership groups to deal with during the lifespan of the project (think with my old Dumont project, we had 5 different chiefs over 10 years).  The new chief came in a year ago and may be a catalyst for change, maybe another change in the future.Permitting/First Nations risk is real – even the best management team/approach can do everything 100% right, but the community may not want resource development. Encourage every investor to look at First Nations/permitting risk – not just to country, province, but the specific region – look at whether any mines operating in the area, have any operated before, and search for public comments on mining activity in the area. Can always be the first new mine in an area, but comes with lots of risks and need to manage accordingly.This is always been a key concern – 4 major assets that I've been involved with have been in established mining areas - Abitibi Quebec (Dumont), Abitibi area of Ontario (Crawford), Kalgoorlie (Beta Hunt), Manitoba/Snow Lake (Reed).  The Metals Company (TMC) stock has moved significantly higher over the last 2 months and just completed $27 million financing (think highlighted back in June that smaller scale start-up using existing Japanese processing capacity provides a lower capex path to production).  The Metals Company aims to apply next year for a licence to start mining in the Pacific Ocean, with production expected to start as early as the fourth quarter of 2025, it said in a statement.Magna Mining put out some nice drill holes this AM and has been busy retracing about 50% of what it gave up after the PEA announcement.101 FW ZoneMCR-23-041: 3.0% Ni, 0.7% Cu, 1.2 g/t Pt + Pd + Au over 31.6 metresMCR-23-042: 4.2% Ni, 1.4% Cu, 1.0 g/t Pt + Pd + Au over 27.6 metresGood results but would asterisk them a little bit – when historic drilling – look for step out versus infill, unless filling in some pretty wide gaps.  These holes look like in between 22-003 and 22-005 drilled earlier this year which in turn were between 1003080 and 1003090 and 1163050At the other end of step out level, our neighbour in Timmins, Aston Minerals, has started off their 2023 drilling season with some 500 metre step-outs in their B2 zone which in turn is more than 2 kilometres away from their initial Boomerang resource of 2.5 million tonnes of nickel.On the lithium-nickel front, Widgie Nickel got approval to mine its Faraday lithium deposit – will ship ore to one of the local lithium mines to be processed.Azure Minerals (nickel developer turned lithium developer) turned down $600 million offer from SQM.

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: 아버지의 유산 | The Life and Works of the Late Rev. Paul Ogunyale: Pioneering Herbal Medicine for Sickle Cell Patients and the “NICOSAN” Saga: Episode 21 (2023)The name 'Ogunyale' will surely ring a bell for anyone in the herbal medicine field in Nigeria. This week, we have the privilege of welcoming Mr. Oluniyi (Niyi) Ogunyale to our show. He is the son of the late Reverend Paul Ogunniyi Ogunyale, a true legend in the herbal medicine field in Nigeria and the founder of Nicosan (now called Paumascel), a breakthrough drug for managing sickle cell disease. Niyi takes us on a captivating journey, sharing life experiences and insights from his childhood in Oyo town, Oyo state, Nigeria.During our conversation, we delve into the origin and history of the groundbreaking herbal drug and how his father founded it, including measures to prevent possible consumer addiction due to its alcohol content. We also explore the implications of the legal battle between the Ogunyales and the Nigerian Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) over 'Nicosan.' Niyi shares his heartfelt account of the sad and heartbreaking events surrounding the case, shedding light on crucial details, including his father not signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).Towards the end of the show, Niyi and I engage in a thought-provoking discussion about the implications of cultivating trust between the local community and industry, given the legal battles the family is going through. He also emphasizes the importance of ensuring the accessibility and affordability of his herbal medicines while maintaining their quality and effectiveness. Niyi envisions his brand and an extension of his father's legacy, Paumatree, gaining global recognition in the next 5-10 years, with a strong emphasis on retaining affordability and accessibility.We deeply appreciate your continued support and encourage you to stay tuned for more engaging upcoming episodes!

 In the first episode of our new series, Tech in Africa, we discuss with the Secretaries General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), John Omo, and of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), Rodney Taylor:   *  the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between their organisations with a view to strengthening the partnership between them;     *  how digital diplomacy works between countries and regions of diverse sizes, economies and challenges;   *  projects or initiatives that could be implemented that leverage the MoU; and   *  outputs or outcomes the ATU and CTU would like achieved by the end of the current term of the MoU.   The episode, show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found on the ICT Pulse Podcast Page (www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/)    Enjoyed the episode?  Do rate the show and leave us a review!     Also, connect with us on: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ICTPulse/  Instagram –  https://www.instagram.com/ictpulse/  Twitter –  https://twitter.com/ICTPulse  LinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/company/3745954/admin/  Join our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/qnUtj    Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell Podcast editing support:  Mayra Bonilla Lopez   ---------------- Also, Sponsorship Opportunities! The ICT Pulse Podcast is accepting sponsors! Would you like to partner with us to produce an episode of the podcast, or highlight a product or service to our audience? Do get in touch at info@ict-pulse.com with “Podcast Sponsorship” as the subject, or via social media @ictpulse, for more details.   _______________

Join Lisa Foshee, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel of the Auto Care Association, and Paul McCarthy, President and CEO of MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers Group, as they discuss the recent update to the law and the challenges that may arise in enforcing it. The recent decision by a federal judge in Massachusetts to allow the law to go into effect is a big step forward for the automotive industry, but there are still some challenges that need to be addressed. They discuss the limitations of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) model for data sharing between Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and independent repair shops and urge listeners to sign the petition at repairact.com and support the Federal Repair Act, also known as HR 906. Lisa and Paul describe the bill as a reasonable and critical solution to ensure vehicle repairability, safety, and cybersecurity. They stress the need for unified and passionate support from the industry to push Congress to take affirmative action and pass the bill. Paul McCarthy, President and CEO of MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers Group. Find Paul's other episodes HERE. Lisa Foshee, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel of the Auto Care Association Show Notes Update on Right to Repair legislation (00:01:50) Enforcement of the law (00:03:15) The judge denied the request for an injunction, and the law is now in effect and can be enforced. However, the attorney general's office has no immediate plans to enforce the law, which may require private lawsuits by consumers or owners of vehicles to go out and enforce the law. Challenges in complying with the law (00:04:40) The OE's view is that the law is impossible to implement, and therefore they can't comply with it. The aftermarket has a different view and demonstrated to the judge in the trial that there were multiple ways to accomplish what the law requires. Supporting Right to Repair (00:06:12) Encouragement to support Right to Repair legislation by completing a form on autocareadvocacy.org Importance of Right to Repair (00:07:35) Discussion of the importance of Right to Repair legislation for free market competition and consumer choice, and the need for people to let their congressperson know that it matters to them. Maine Right to Repair Initiative (00:11:36) Democracy Win in Massachusetts (00:12:51) Paul McCarthy discusses the recent decision in Massachusetts as a win for democracy, as consumers voted overwhelmingly for the Right to Repair law. Monetization of data (00:17:10) The OES's desire to make money off of data and the fear of losing revenue streams. The Reasonable Bill (00:20:20) The Repair Act is a reasonable bill that seeks to ensure safety and cybersecurity in vehicle repairability. It is something the whole industry should support. Action Timebound (00:22:05) It is critical to show unified and passionate support for the Federal Repair Act by signing the petition on repairact.com. The goal is to have a public hearing by the end of summer or early fall. Thanks to our Partner, NAPA AUTO CARE Learn more about NAPA AUTO CARE and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting www.NAPAAutoCare.com

On 13 May 2023, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) announced a historic five-year cooperation and development Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). In this episode, Edem and Jabu unpack the significance and implications of the landmark MoU between CAF and SAFF, how this agreement fits within CAF and SAFF's strategies respectively and what this could potentially mean for the Africa Super League. Episode clips (in order of appearance): E47: Leading CAF's New Commercial Strategy - Hassan El Kamah, E41: Saudi Arabia's Booming Sport Sponsorship Sector - Dr. Rayan Karkadan, E18 - Qatar's Geopolitical World Cup - Professor Simon Chadwick⁠. ------------------- ⭐ The best way to support the podcast is to subscribe, share and leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

In the summer of 2022, several net spills in the Chesapeake Bay created some momentum in the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to do something about the many problems associated with commercial menhaden fishing. The result was a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that describes certain areas and times of the year where purse seine fishing for menhaden will be prohibited. Steve Atkinson, President of the Virginia Saltwater Sportfishing Association, provides background on what led to the MOU, what is and is NOT expected to come from the MOU and what more needs to be done to address conservation concerns. For more ways to get involved in sportfishing policy visit https://asafishing.org/

PGA HOPE—Helping Our Patriots Everywhere—is introducing and teaching golf to Veterans and active duty military to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. PGA HOPE is the flagship military program of PGA REACH, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America.The program introduces the game of golf through a developmental 6-8 week curriculum, led by PGA Professionals trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency. All programs are funded by PGA REACH and supplemented by PGA Section Foundations, so the cost of programming is free to all Veterans.PGA HOPE has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which enables direct referrals to the PGA HOPE program as a form of therapy. 

Episode 257: Back in Episode 117, we talked about how repair restrictions threaten the trucking industry. In this episode, we are going to talk about how the new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that John Deere has signed, and the implications this can have on the trucking industry, and the effect this can have on right to repair.Show Notes: Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com for complete show notes of this episode and to subscribe to all our content. Disclaimer: This content and description may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, The Heavy-Duty Parts Report may receive a small commission. Sponsors of this Episode:Want to look up parts but don't have a part number or the VIN? Download Diesel Parts for free on Desktop or on your Apple or Android device.Ambac International is hiring! Apply NowLooking for suspension, steering, and 5th wheel parts? Buy now from SAMPA.comLooking for OEM genuine parts? Buy now from AlliantPower.comSpecial Offer:AMBAC International is hiring. Apply NowBuy Parts from HDA Truck Pride: Are you looking to purchase heavy-duty parts and get your commercial vehicle repaired? Get access to one of HDA Truck Pride's 750 locations across the United States and Canada. Visit HeavyDutyPartsReport.com/BuyParts. Sign up for our weekly email so you never miss out on an episode: Follow the Show

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) India and Isha Outreach recently inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to partner on creating conversations, awareness, and outreach on sustainable food and nutrition security in India.Conscious Planet: https://www.consciousplanet.orgSadhguru App (Download): https://onelink.to/sadhguru__appOfficial Sadhguru Website: https://isha.sadhguru.orgSadhguru Exclusive: https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/sadhguru-exclusiveConscious Planet – Save Soil, a global movement envisioned by Sadhguru, seeks to bring about a concerted, conscious response to impending soil extinction. Action now to #SaveSoil. Sign up and become an #EarthBuddy: http://savesoil.org