(NewsUSA) - Wildflowers Never Die by Randall Howlett and Deb Turnbull DeVries

This book chronicles the first 30-year history of the Cold War from a third-party narrative perspective but also follows the careers of five key CIA agents involved in various world hotspots during that time period.

First-hand accounts and true stories are included not only by the agents but also others, allowing the reader to fully experience those tumultuous decades -- decades that began with the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War and ended with the fall of Vietnam. To a lesser extent, the authors recount their own experiences growing up as members of the Cold War generation. Purchase at https://bit.ly/44y4Km5.

No Stone Unturned by Nadean Stone

Told with humor and suspense, this is an inspiring, triumphant memoir of courage and perseverance against all odds, proving the miraculous and happy ending we can achieve when we never give up.

Between 1945 and 1973, about 350,000 unmarried Canadian mothers were persuaded, coerced or forced into giving their babies up for adoption. Many babies, like Nadean Stone, were illegally given away for a nominal donation to the church.

“No Stone Unturned” follows the author’s 44-year search for her birth mother. With no records of her birth, she battles against the frustration of bureaucracy and the unbearable pain of many heartbreaks. Fearful events unfold that propel her on a captivating journey of seemingly insurmountable personal challenges, as she strives to make a whole life with a fractured sense of identity. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3F572wV.

The Walls of Lucca by Steve Physioc

An inspiring, absorbing and suspenseful story of friendship, faith, love and loss in a tumultuous time in European history. When Franco, a weary Italian soldier who’s seen some of the worst of World War I, stumbles onto the Martellino vineyard, he’s looking for work – and not love. But he finds much more with Isabella, the feisty young woman who works there.

Franco pours himself into the vineyard, trying to create a wine that will save it from financial ruin and rescue him from his dark memories of war. But it’s not easy when Mussolini's evil shadow continues to loom over Italy. It’s even harder when Susanna, the vineyard’s matriarch, invites that shadow to the vineyard with her involvement in Fascist politics — and one very sinister political operative. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3DzY0s2.

Innocence Denied: A Holocaust Childhood by Johannes Krane

During what was known as the “Hunger Winter” of 1944-45, thousands of Dutch citizens were literally starving to death under the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Ten-year-old Johannes Krane and his older brother Dick lived in a small town northwest of Amsterdam. Their parents were both deaf and mute. How would their family survive the cruelties of the Nazi occupiers and life in the streets?

There was no answer but to support their mother's efforts to trade on the black market and steal from businesses and the authorities – perilous activities, punishable by death. This memoir chronicles the haunting experiences of a boy who survived to save his family through cunning and desperation, thus being robbed forever of a happy childhood – an innocence denied by the evils of war. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3lOULqV.

BookTrib’s Bites is presented by BookTrib.com.

(NewsUSA) - Painting bridges. Teaching kids to fish. Shining up an airplane museum. The 120 volunteer projects that took place across 19 states during Williams Volunteer Week this April were as varied as the employees who initiated them.

Williams is an energy infrastructure company that provides one third of the nation’s natural gas used every day to generate electricity and power America. From the Gulf Coast to the Northeast and all the way to the Pacific Northwest, more than 1,100 Williams employees fanned out in communities where they live and work to lend a hand on projects that mattered most to them.

“It’s always a pleasure to serve and I think more and more people at Williams are getting that opportunity and getting that mindset to really make a footprint in the community,” said employee Carlos Hopkins, a lead pipeline controller, who spent a morning painting a handrail across a bridge in Tulsa, Okla. along with about 25 other employees.

Each project was identified and led by individual employees. In Salt Lake City, Utah, dozens of employees packaged 1,200 bags of healthy snacks for students at Parkside and Mountain View elementary schools.

“Williams loves to connect with the communities where we live and work,” said Candyce Fly Lee, vice president and general manager of the company’s operations in the Rocky Mountains. “This also was a great opportunity for our employees to get together and bond in a different way outside of work.”

Projects ranged from picking up trash, volunteering at schools, spending time with veterans and swinging hammers with Habitat for Humanity.

“When people like our good friends at Williams invest their energy and time to build with Habitat, they help build much more than a house—Habitat volunteers help families build brighter futures and help whole communities build strength and stability that lasts,” said Beth Lechner, CEO of Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio.

At an airplane museum in Tulsa, Williams employees moved planes and other exhibits to ready for the nonprofit’s annual fundraising event. Mike Mansur, the employee who organized the project, said he was thrilled to volunteer at the museum, where he was inspired as a teen to enter the field of aviation.

“It’s fabulous to have Williams employees here to prepare the space,” said museum executive director Tonya Blansett. “We are a small staff with limited resources. Without these volunteers, it would be almost an impossible task to complete this work.”

Williams Volunteer Week, which coincides with National Volunteer Week, builds on the company’s long tradition of being a good neighbor through employee volunteerism and financial support. Last year, employees recorded more than 20,000 volunteer hours, serving as advocates, youth mentors, coaches, nonprofit board members and volunteer firefighters.

“As a company, we relish these opportunities to go out into the communities where we operate and demonstrate how much we can accomplish when we work together,” said Williams President and CEO Alan Armstrong. “But perhaps what makes me most proud is that these Volunteer Week activities are projects that our employees have identified as important and have volunteered to lead.”

To learn more about Williams and its tradition of community giving, visit Williams.com.

(By S. Phillips) - The era of digital geopolitical competition has arrived, and the widespread use of personal electronic devices, digital platforms, and communication infrastructure creates opportunities for citizens and countries alike to reach large segments of populations within seconds.

However, the global digital reach is not always benign. Since 2018, the video platform TikTok has provided the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with an unprecedented opportunity for access into the United States and our allies and partners.

Unfortunately, TikTok is likely the tip of the iceberg, according to experts at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a bipartisan nonprofit organization.

TikTok presents a unique challenge for policymakers because of its origin in the PRC, its complex corporate governance leadership and oversight, and its ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

National security concerns related to TikTok include:

CCP Control and Corporate Governance: TikTok’s corporate relationship to its China-based parent company, Bytedance, remains murky. As a PRC-based firm, Bytedance is ultimately subject to the rules and regulations of the CCP.

Data Security & Privacy: Despite denials that TikTok’s PRC-based developers can access TikTok’s U.S. user data, several instances have been reported of non-public U.S.-based user data being accessed by PRC-based engineers.

Malign Influence: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned that TikTok could be used by CCP authorities to execute influence operations, including the ability to influence potentially high-impact and senior U.S. Government officials.

Other societal and health concerns are associated with the platform as well, including polarization, addiction, and psychological well-being.

Other platforms that could pose similar challenges, particularly with respect to data harvesting, data exploitation, and potentially covert influence include WeChat (social media), Shein (fast fashion e-commerce), Temu (discount shopping), Capcut (video editing) and Tencent (gaming).

According to the SCSP, there are steps the U.S. government could consider mitigating the security risks associated with TikTok and similar platforms.

The most comprehensive solution to TikTok, and similar challenges for that matter, would be federal legislation. State level bans also could decrease the platform’s user base among state employees and contractors, although enforcement is unlikely.

A long-term and sustainable solution is a systemic approach to all foreign digital platforms from countries of concern. Such a solution would need to address current challenges in the e-commerce and social media domains, as well as prospective risks. Strategies include the adoption of comprehensive federal data privacy laws.

No matter how the United States deals with TikTok in the near-term, the risks extend beyond TikTok alone, and so must the solutions, according to the SCSP.

Visit http://www.scsp.ai to learn more.

(NewsUSA) - You have worked hard for your professional license, and protecting it is essential to your professional success. Unfortunately, a single accusation could derail your hard work and effort in establishing a professional reputation, especially if you work in state-regulated areas such as law, child care, or real estate.

The right legal expert can be a game-changer in helping you protect your license and in developing an effective defense in any litigation. The goal of your attorney should be to help you avoid disciplinary action, and protect you from having your license revoked, according to Scott Stewart, a professional license defense attorney in Arizona and author of the book, How to Protect Your Arizona License: What Professionals Need to Know.

“Each licensing board maintains unique procedures and requires sensitive legal representation,” says Stewart. “When you are being investigated for a possible license revocation, your best interests are not necessarily being considered, which is why strong legal representation is so important and why you need to hire a professional license defense lawyer near you,” he explains.

To mount the strongest and most effective defense, take the offense. Don’t wait until a state governing board notifies you of a complaint. Instead, hire a lawyer as soon as you know that someone has a complaint against you.

In his ebook, available online at azlicensedefense.com, Stewart addresses two main aspects of successfully managing a challenge to your professional integrity.

-Short-term steps. Stewart spells out the steps to take now to minimize further damage, such as gathering key relevant documents, staying off social media, and delegating authority to manage your patients/clients.

-General principles. If your professional license is threatened, don’t panic. Instead, meet with an experienced professional license attorney who can guide you through the process. Do some journaling and write out worst-case scenarios, even the crazy ones. Keep track of deadlines, don’t procrastinate. Don’t contact your local board or commission, because anything you say could be used against you, Steward notes.

Finally, choose the right attorney, one with experience in difficult licensing cases. “The good news is that a positive outcome is possible,” Stewart says. “The right steps could translate to a triumphant return to your profession.”

Visit azlicensedefense.com for more information.  

(NewsUSA) - ChatGPT has taken the world by storm. Since its release in November 2022, OpenAI’s chatbot has scored a 1020 on the SATs, passed a medical licensing exam, successfully negotiated a user’s cable bill, and even drafted legislation for how to regulate AI. But what does ChatGPT mean for national security?

Nations want to harness AI models for economic, military, and national security advantages, according to experts at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a bipartisan nonprofit organization.

Companies worldwide are driving Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT for a range of applications.

SCSP has used LLMs to help generate content in recent months, but LLMs not only talk about the national security landscape; they are actually starting to shape it. Some potential uses for LLMs in U.S. national security include:

LLM as interface: A ChatGPT-like LLM could be the interface through which humans access a wide range of AI-powered tools, including computer vision and robotics.

LLM as processor: ChatGPT and other emerging technologies have the capacity to enable a stronger and faster Intelligence Community across all intelligence disciplines (INTs) and phases of the intelligence cycle, and for the military across all levels of war.

LLM as decision support: Those who harness AI models as decision support tools will have an advantage. With the right combination of AI, data, modeling and simulation capabilities, and predictive insights, LLM models will game out policy options and provide analysis to human decision-makers.

Some other considerations for optimizing the power of ChatGPT:

The information landscapes: LLMs such as ChatGPT could generate unique texts at speed and scale that evade existing filtering systems. More people may question whether what they read on social media or elsewhere was generated by AI. However, LLMs are not oracles, and are only as good as the data on which they were trained.

AI vs. AI: As AI capabilities are integrated into national security, the AI of the United States will go up against that of our adversaries. We need ensure that our LLMs are the best in the world, but also that our tools are interoperable with those of our allies and partners.

The “black box” problem: As we increasingly rely on AI systems, we need a way to explain and understand why an AI system made a certain decision in order to establish trust.

Cybersecurity and code: LLMs will affect national security at a fundamental computer science level via coding, with implications for the national security apparatus, businesses, and consumers.

Moving at the speed of technology: Procurement processes and governance frameworks must be made sufficiently flexible that they can evolve at the pace of AI.

The United States has advantages at the cutting edge of LLM R&D today, according to SCSP, but long-term advantage will be shaped by the adoption of such tools.

For more information, visit scsp.ai.

(NewsUSA) - When will you break away from your 9-to-5 job so you can embrace the lifestyle of your dreams? “Hindsight 2020” author Kyle Corbett is motivating would-be entrepreneurs who are still in their 20s to make the leap now, before the economy tanks and life traps them at their desk jobs.

At just 38, Corbett owns and runs several businesses but doesn’t consider any of them to be jobs.

He started his first of several entrepreneurial efforts with $6,500. That business now grosses upwards of $650,000 a year. He runs sailing tours. He operates an ocean conservation and eco-tour business. He surfs, travels and lives his dream lifestyle. His book teaches others the skills to do the same.

“Anyone can do the stuff I do. The tools are right there in front of us,” he confirms. “You can travel the world. You’re just used to telling yourself that you can’t. It’s often easier to hang onto your career as your security blanket. You pursue the American dream: a mortgage and white picket fence. Before you know it, you can’t quit your job because you’ve taken on financial obligations you can’t get out of. Even if you’re capable of changing, you may be too afraid.”

Corbett stresses having what you want means believing in yourself. “I often ask my consultation clients: What are you waiting for? Find that one thing that you are truly passionate about and you will not be able to see any barriers. Then educate yourself and set yourself up for success. From the time your eyes open in the morning to the time they close at night, you are in school.”

His book describes how being in constant learning mode gave Corbett the tools to do more than stay financially afloat despite operating within the tourist industry during the pandemic. This enabled him to pivot, thrive and discover fresh ways to pursue his passions.

Here is where you can start, if you want to empower your dream lifestyle.

Manifest your mentors

Think of yourself as a university with one student: you. Mentors are all around you.

Someone who lives down the street can teach you more important lessons than what you might learn in a classroom.

“Those who manifest their mentors go the farthest in life. Talk with people in the field you are considering. We are all storytellers. As humans, we always want to share information with others that we think will help them,” advises Corbett, adding that his ‘baker story’ often creates epiphanies for would-be entrepreneurs.

“Maybe your dream is to own a small business. You have a relationship with Bob, the man who owns the bakery on the corner, and decide to make him a mentor. One morning, you arrive five minutes early and help him carry in inventory. You ask him about his business. You can get a life lesson in five minutes.”

What are you looking for in life?

Do you want to be your own boss and exchange the employee badge for one that says 'owner'? You can. “If you stay stuck, the worst-case scenario is that you’ll be in the exact same chair five years from now, and you still won’t want to be there,” cautions Corbett. “The best thing you can do for yourself, and your family may be to start creating your dream career and lifestyle right now.”

Find what will keep you motivated, then go for it! “The world needs small business people who are willing to get up in the morning and go to work.”

He concludes, “If you want to set yourself up for success and keep your motivation high even during hard times, “Hindsight 2020: An Inspiring Change” is the book to read right now.” Today is the day to start making your dream a reality.

(NewsUSA) -  MICE EXPO, organized by the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau & Sri Lankan Airlines, will take place from the 13^th to the 15^th of March 2023 @ Shangri - La. The multi-day event will see operators and stakeholders from across the world participating, positioning Sri Lanka as an ideal destination for MICE tourism.  

With its stunning natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and modern infrastructure, Sri Lanka has become a sought-after destination for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourism. The Island offers a unique blend of business and pleasure, and a strategic position geographically, making it an ideal location for companies and organizations looking to host events, meetings, and conferences in a professional, yet exotic and vibrant setting.

The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau is the primary contact point for Meeting Planners, Incentive Houses, Corporates and Associations for information, advice and expertise when planning and organizing events in Sri Lanka. The Bureau provides support and services for all stakeholders in the industry and works to promote and position Sri Lanka’s suitability for MICE tourism, globally. Chairman of the SLCB, Thisum Jayasuriya, and General Manager, Krishantha Fernando, both highlighted the positive impact of this event, as it will be attended by over 100 buyers hosted by SLCB – 60% from India, and the rest from the Middle East and Southeast Asia & Asia while providing a platform for a large number of exhibitors to showcase their offerings to a global audience.

Sri Lanka has emerged as a popular destination for MICE tourism, offering a perfect blend of natural beauty, cultural diversity, and modern infrastructure. MICE EXPO 2023 is expected to be an exciting event, with Cinnamon Life partnering as the host for the gala dinner, and Shangri-La serving as the hotel host. The MICE Business Forum, which will be hosted at the Galle face hotel, will provide an excellent opportunity for business networking, while MICE EXPO will showcase 22 exhibitors and 75 local vendors from Sri Lanka.

The event will commence with a welcome reception & MICE forum on the 13^th of March 2023, followed by the opening ceremony on the 14th, where B2B meetings between local MICE suppliers and buyers will take place. The event will be inaugurated by Honourable Harin Fernando, Minister of Tourism and lands. Subsequent to the conclusion of the EXPO in Colombo, buyers will have the opportunity to further explore the city and other locations around the country, hosted by SLCB, allowing them to experience Sri Lanka’s MICE facilities first-hand, in order to familiarize themselves with the island for potential future investments.

Sri Lanka provides indoor and outdoor event facilities, hotel venues, resorts, state-of-the-art convention centres and bespoke offerings, staffed by qualified personnel who can deliver in line with professional requirements. World-class infrastructure from hotels to many in-progress developments, such as Cinnamon Life, ITC Hotels & Port City Colombo, will also open more doors to growth and investments in the future. The Island's unique blend of business and pleasure, combined with its stunning natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, puts Sri Lanka among the top destinations for MICE tourism, worldwide.

(NewsUSA) - From election-season opinion polls to holiday-season parties, “fake news” is everywhere – and the harm goes beyond what’s said on the evening broadcast or the dinner table.

The new Intelligence Interim Panel Report from the bipartisan Special Competitive Studies Project argues that technological advances in artificial intelligence and new media platforms such as TikTok allow for more messages, real and fake, to flood the open information environment. Many people repeat fake news without realizing that it is fake, according to the report. Fake news may be disinformation or outright propaganda from foreign governments.

“U.S. rivals increasingly resort to the aggressive use of digitally enabled disinformation to target U.S. decision-making, America’s reputation abroad, and social cohesion at home,” according to the report. "The scale, scope and the snowballing effect of these influence operations make disinformation a particularly acute concern for national security.”

Older social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have tried to mitigate disinformation after facing years of criticism of spreading news and information most likely to be shared, with no verification of authenticity.

The newer and popular TikTok platform poses additional risks; its endless and rapid-fire scroll means users have less time and inclination to scrutinize what they see. Some in the national security sector also suspect the platform of providing data to the Chinese Communist Party leadership.

The report recommends several ways the U.S. can counter false information, including communicating common false narratives and themes to Americans and “prebunking” false information that is likely to enter the mainstream. The U.S. did this earlier this year when it alerted Americans of Russia’s intent to invade Ukraine, preempting Russian disinformation campaigns about the conflict and building American support for Ukraine, a strategy the report states “should be replicated whenever possible.”

The report also advises fighting AI with AI by training machines how to identify dangerous, harmful and false information. People play a role, too; all Americans can support digital literacy. Stay skeptical of your social media by checking sources, authors and dates, reading beyond the headlines and beyond the individual news items, checking biases and asking experts.

“Technology certainly challenges democracy,” said former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice at the recent Global Emerging Technology Summit. “But to the extent we can point out and replicate those places where technology helps the citizens to live better without fearing government, democracy will have the edge.”

Visit scsp.ai to learn more.

(NewsUSA) - In a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on May 17, 2022, by Mitch Carmichael, the Secretary of State for Economic Development of West Virginia, and Yong Soo Jun, Chairman of UNDBIO, Inc. the State of West Virginia agreed to provide fiscal, tax, and other incentives to promote UNDBIO’s production of insulin in West Virginia.  Secretary Carmichael also pledged to work with state, county, and local officials to promote UNDBIO’s insulin production.     

The purpose of the MOU is to meet the need for reasonably priced insulin in the United States and North America, as currently over 50 million persons are suffering from diabetes in the United States. In West Virginia alone 16 percent of the adult population suffers from diabetes.  The most commonly used forms of analogue insulin cost 10 times more in the United States than in any other developed country.     

UNDBIO estimates that its manufacture of insulin will create 1,200 new jobs in West Virginia and result in the transfer of its innovative technology platforms including human insulin, insulin analogues, and delivery innovation such as insulin sustained release injection.     

UNDBIO will commence its research and construction of its West Virginia manufacturing plant in the second half of 2022, complete its pilot facility in 2023, and manufacture clinical drugs for human clinical trials in 2024.     

“I am happy to establish our relationship with the State of West Virginia to manufacture affordable insulin and insulin analogues for the diabetic population around the globe,” said UNDBIO’s Chairman Jun. “We would welcome other partners and investors into our global insulin project,” he said.     

UNDBIO officials recently met with U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who said, “UNDBIO has showcased their commitment to bringing long-term, good-paying jobs to West Virginia and as UNDBIO, WVU and state officials continue discussions, my staff and I are prepared to support these efforts to bring manufacturing opportunities to the Mountain State.”     

Support is echoed by U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who said “The news of this agreement between UNDBIO and the State of West Virginia is a positive step forward in UNDBIO’s quest to manufacture insulin right here in West Virginia. While there is still more work to do to finalize this new facility, I stand ready to help to make sure this becomes a reality. I congratulate UNDBIO on this advancement and look forward to supporting them in their investment that could lead to creating more than 1,000 jobs in West Virginia.”     

UNDBIO has signed a Memorandum of Understanding indicating its intention to manufacture insulin at the Research Park owned by West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown, West Virginia. The support of federal and state officials of West Virginia was echoed by Gordon Gee, President of West Virginia University, who said, “We look forward to building a strong relationship with UNDBIO that can further an important part of our land-grant mission to provide opportunities for better access to health care.”     

For further information, contact: Dr. Haiching Zhao/UNDBIO, [email protected]; Tel: 240-234-4717.

Reissue: June 15, 2022