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  • MIL-OSI USA: On Senate Floor, Murray Again Slams Republicans for Using Deceptive Tactics to Hide True Cost of Deficit-Busting Tax Cuts for Billionaires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI EARLIER TODAY: Senator Murray Rips Into Republicans for Using Deceptive “Current Policy Baseline” to Hide True Cost of Deficit-Busting Tax Cuts for Billionaires
    Murray: “Republicans should know, if they replace math with magic, if they tear up the Senate process, if they blow off the Senate Parliamentarian, that bill will come due.”
    ***VIDEO of Senator Murray’s remarks HERE***
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Budget Committee, spoke out again on the Senate floor to slam Republicans’ use of a so-called “current policy baseline” to hide the true cost of their deficit-busting tax cuts for billionaires.
    Republicans’ 940-page reconciliation bill—the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—which they released in the dead of night, cuts more than $900 billion from Medicaid—$100 billion more than the House bill. About 17 million Americans will lose their health care, more than 300 rural hospitals could close, and more than 500 nursing homes could close. The legislation makes the largest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in history and will rip away nutrition assistance entirely from more than 5 million Americans and shift tens of billions of dollars in costs to states. The legislation also increases the debt by nearly $4 trillion dollars—nearly a trillion more than the House bill. About two in three Americans oppose the bill.
    Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below and HERE:
    “Mr. President, there are some things you can’t change with legislation, despite what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle seem to believe.
    “For example, one plus one is two. And while a trillion might have a lot of zeroes in it—it is, in fact, a much, much bigger number.
    “Now that might sound obvious, but apparently, my colleagues across the aisle need a little reminder.
    “Because, right now, Republicans are pretending not to get it. It is almost beyond belief, and it is certainly beyond common sense.
    “After years of complaining about the debt—in fact, at the same time they are talking about how we need to address the debt—Republicans now are suddenly pretending they don’t know how to count. Republicans are suddenly pretending the parliamentarian doesn’t exist if they don’t talk to her.
    “Republicans are suddenly pretending that precedent doesn’t exist if they just fake amnesia, and that norms, and consequences for breaking them, will disappear if they wish it away really hard.
    “My preschool students had more common sense!
    “Republicans should know, if they replace math with magic, if they tear up the Senate process, if they blow off the Senate Parliamentarian, that bill will come due.
    “And not just the bill for four trillion dollars—blown on tax cuts for billionaires and corporations—the bill will also come due for trashing this Senate process and precedent when Republicans are no longer in the majority.
    “And, M. President, if Republicans are serious about plowing forward with rewriting—or ignoring—Senate procedure, and the laws of mathematics—I just ask, spare me the empty excuses. Spare me the explanations that totally ignore the reality of what you are doing.
    “I mean, do they really think it washes away everything to say, “oh it’s fine to break the process in half because we say it’s fine’… ‘oh it’s fine, we have the authority to ignore math… give me a break!
    “To every Republican who really thinks that is a convincing argument… to anyone who thinks ‘we can’ is an acceptable rationale for going nuclear and pretending the most expensive bill in the history of our country can be paid for by some magic bean counting…
    “Here’s my challenge to you.
    “Go back home and try that game with your constituents. Tell them: ‘It’s okay. Yes, the debt is going to be four trillion dollars higher ten years from now… that’s true. But it’s fine! We voted on it, and we get to say, a trillion is actually zero.’
    “Go ahead, see how that works out for you. And you may as well tell them you are voting against gravity next, because that’s just as reasonable.
    “And don’t forget, when you tell your families back home that four trillion in tax cuts for the billionaires and companies are free because you waved a wand, or you said some magic words, don’t forget to tell them: those are just tax cuts for the billionaires, not for working families.
    “Don’t forget to tell the folks back home: ‘yeah, I voted to say a trillion dollars is nothing, but we still need to kick people off their health care—that’s too expensive. We still need to close those hospitals—we have to cut costs. And we still have to kick people off SNAP—because the debt is out of control.’
    “And don’t forget to mention that, ‘No, we can’t afford child care. No, we can’t afford paid leave. No, we can’t afford to solve your problems. Magic math is apparently just for billionaires. You all are getting less.’
    “Please, Republicans—send that message to your constituents. Just see how it goes over.
    “Because, you can fool yourself, but you are not going to fool the American people. They don’t get to balance their budget with magic math. They don’t get to pretend a trillion dollars is nothing. And they don’t get to pretend that this bill is free.
    “Because, at the end of the day, regardless of what policy baseline you all want to use in D.C., those families back home? They are the ones who will be paying the actual cost.
    […]
    Senator Merkley: Would you yield to a question?
    Senator Murray: I would.
    Senator Merkley: In the time that you were Budget Chair, did you every contemplate a situation in which you argued that renewing a tax break that was, by law, expiring, would somehow have no impact on the deficit?
    Senator Murray: To my friend from Oregon, I never would have contemplated, and I never would have put it forward. And I happen to know that if I had suggested that, that my Republican colleagues would have been all over me, telling me that breaks the rules.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Senate Floor Speech, Murray Rails Against Republican Bill That Will Rip Away Health Care, Nutrition Assistance, Abortion Access & Balloon National Debt to Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    In Washington state, at least 306,000 people will lose health care under Republican bill; 900,000 Washingtonians could see SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated; 14 rural hospitals will be at risk of closure
    ***VIDEO of Senator Murray’s full floor speech HERE***
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, took to the Senate floor to speak out forcefully against Republicans’ reconciliation bill—the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—which, as Murray detailed, will rip away health care from millions of Americans, shutter the doors of hospitals and health care clinics across the country, make the largest cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance in history, and blow up the national debt—all so Republicans can fund massive tax breaks for billionaires.
    Republicans’ 940-page bill, which they released in the dead of night, cuts more than $900 billion from Medicaid—$100 billion more than the House bill. That means about 17 million Americans will lose their health care, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and more than 300 rural hospitals and over 500 nursing homes could close because of the legislation. The legislation makes the largest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in history and will rip away nutrition assistance entirely from more than 5 million Americans and shift tens of billions of dollars in costs to states. The legislation also increases the debt by nearly $4 trillion dollars—nearly a trillion more than the House bill. About two in three Americans oppose the bill.
    In Washington state, 1.95 million people rely on Apple Health, Washington state’s Medicaid program, and over 300,000 Washingtonians access coverage through the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace (Washington Healthplanfinder). The Joint Economic Committee estimates that at least 306,312 people in Washington state would lose their health insurance under the Republican legislation—that includes 198,050 people who would be kicked off Medicaid and 108,262 people who would lose their coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Among other things, Republicans’ bill would institute work reporting requirements for Medicaid, which have been proven not to increase employment and just strip health care coverage from people who are already working or exempt—this would put more than 620,000 Washingtonians at risk of losing their health care coverage or having it delayed. Fourteen rural hospitals in Washington state would be at risk of closure under the Republican bill. The legislation also “defunds” Planned Parenthood for the next year, threatening the closure of up to 200 health centers across the country—90 percent of them in states where abortion is legal. 11 percent of Washington state residents rely on SNAP, and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services estimated that more than 900,000 people across the state could their see SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated under the House bill—the Senate bill is just as extreme.
    Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below and HERE:
    “I think it’s really important the discussion we had right now about the deficit and debt, but I want to talk a little bit more about this bill in general.
    “You know, recent KFF polling shows that this Republican Big, Ugly, Betrayal bill is overwhelmingly unpopular. In fact, this thing is more underwater than the Titanic.
    “Nearly two-in-three Americans view this bill unfavorably. That goes up to nearly three-in-four when they learn it will kick millions—millions—off their health insurance. And it goes up to nearly four-in-five when they learn it will choke off funding to their local hospital. In other words, the more the American people hear about what is actually in this Big, Ugly Betrayal bill, the more they dislike it.
    “So with that in mind, I want to be here today to say a little bit more about what is in the Republicans’ latest version. Spoiler alert: it is still big, it is still ugly—and it is an absolute betrayal of the people who sent us here to fight for them.
    “The Republican plan is still going to mean over 16 million people losing health care as patients get kicked off their ACA plans. Kids and struggling families will get kicked off Medicaid. Rural hospitals are going to forced to shut their doors.
    “The Republican plan is still going to mean more starving families. New red tape is going to cut people off from their SNAP benefits that they need to put food on the table, and it is going to take away kids’ school meals.
    “The Republican plan still rips away support from the people in this country who are struggling the most, to give away billions in tax breaks to billionaires who need help the least.
    “In short, this latest version of Republicans’ bill would still be one of the biggest transfers of wealth from the people at the bottom to the people at the top in our nation’s history.
    [Health Care]
    “When it comes to health care, this Republican abomination will cause millions of people to lose their insurance, and see their costs skyrocket in one way or another.
    “It will create mountains of new paperwork and bureaucratic barriers that are positively meant to kick people off their Medicaid and ACA coverage.
    “And there is new sabotage to the ACA health care markets, which will mean more people losing their affordable coverage. Meanwhile, there is nothing—a big, fat zero—when it comes to renewing the tax credits Democrats passed to lower your health care costs.
    “That’s right—while Republicans are showering their billionaire donors in new tax breaks, they will not lift a finger to extend health care tax credits that are saving millions of families thousands of dollars a year on health coverage.
    “Instead, they are going to make sure people lose health care coverage—including our seniors, people with disabilities, pregnant women, millions of patients who rely on Medicaid.
    “And let’s not forget, the cuts in their bill are going to shutter hospitals across the country, especially in our rural areas.
    “Do you have Medicaid? Medicare? Employer-sponsored-coverage? Regardless, Republicans have some pretty bad news for you—because it hardly matters what insurance you’re on when you don’t have a hospital to get care anymore!
    “In Washington state, we have fourteen rural hospitals that are fighting to survive and would likely close under this bill—mostly in areas represented by Republicans, I should add!
    “Not to mention, we have six rural labor and delivery units that could be forced to close their doors under this bill.
    “And you know what the Senate Republicans did? They made that problem worse! They put even more pressure on our rural hospitals!
    “I’m telling you, this betrayal is getting bigger and uglier by the day. And this cannot get lost: Republicans want to shut the doors of one of the biggest health care providers in the country.
    “They want to defund Planned Parenthood. That is wildly harmful and wildly unpopular.
    “It would shutter at least 200 health centers that provide a wide spectrum of care—including cancer screenings, pap smears, birth control for millions of women.
    [Nutrition]
    “And let’s not forget, Republicans are cutting nutrition assistance too.
    ‘This Big Ugly Betrayal would make one of the biggest cuts to SNAP in history. We are talking around a $200 billion dollar cut over the next ten years. Now it should be obvious, but that would be devastating for our country and for our kids’ future.
    “And yet, Republicans are not giving up on taking dinner off the table, taking school lunch off kids’ trays, all so they can shovel tax cuts at billionaires and wealthy corporations.
    “And it is worth underscoring, the new red tape in their bill is even targeted at some of our most vulnerable families! Because it expands work requirements to apply to seniors and parents with kids in school.
    “Mr. President, when my dad, a WWII veteran, got sick with Multiple Sclerosis, he lost his job. He lost his job. My mom was at home, 7 kids she was raising, my dad lost his job, and my mom had to spend some time getting some new skills so she could go back to work and take care of our family. You know what, during that time? We had to rely on food stamps in my family, to feed those seven kids in my family.
    “But under this Republican bill today—because neither of my parents had a job during those few months—my family would not be eligible for SNAP benefits. We would not have even gotten food on our table at the worst time in my family’s life. This is wrong.
    “Thanks to those food stamps, my family did get through that rough patch, and all seven of us kids grew up to give back to our communities—whether as a firefighter, a middle school teacher, or even here as a United States Senator.
    “So I can’t emphasize enough: Republicans want to cut families from SNAP and Medicaid—programs that give people a hand up in hard times—why? So they can give an enormous hand out to the richest people and biggest companies in the country.
    “Oh and, at the same time they are making it harder to afford groceries and health care, I should mention—they are also gutting energy investments in a completely chaotic way that is all but guaranteed to drive away jobs and drive up energy costs for all of American families.
    [Higher Education]
    “And at the same time, in this bill, they are giving billionaires billions of dollars, Republicans are going to give students the short end of the stick.
    “This big mess of a bill would tear away programs and protections that make it possible for many students to pursue a higher education: it eliminates GRAD PLUS loans, it cuts families off from Parent Plus loans, it punishes students who go into public service or a medical residency, and more.
    “Meanwhile, they are tearing down the guardrails—from gutting regulations that protect students whose universities commit fraud, to opening a Pandora’s box for Pell grants, with a new loophole that will let low-quality programs suck up our taxpayer dollars.
    “These changes are especially going to hurt students from low-income families, and first-generation college students, and our veterans.
    “Some of them will have no way to go to college when Republicans take their support away. Some will be driven into predatory private loans they can’t afford. And some will get lured into low-quality programs that take their money, waste taxpayer dollars, and leave the student worse off.
    “And if that wasn’t enough—if the Secretary of Education wanted to try and stop this kind of fraud, and protect students, Republicans will leave them about as much authority as a school hall monitor.
    “Because in this bill, Republicans prevent any Secretary of Education from making regulations that carry added benefits for borrowers.
    “And it hardly matters if that is a good impact—like saving students’ money, or protecting taxpayer dollars from fraud, or making higher education more accessible—Republicans are going to make problems worse, and make fixing them even harder.
    “Students in this country should be outraged.
    [National Debt]
    “And I want to be perfectly clear about something. If Republicans charge ahead with this big, awful, mess—which they seem intent on doing—they can kiss any last shred of credibility goodbye, as we just talked about, when it comes to pretending they care about balancing the budget or addressing the national debt.
    “The idea was already laughable—for the entirety of the 21st Century, the biggest driver of the national debt has been tax cuts that Republicans championed.
    “But now, as we just talked about, they want to put at least 4 trillion dollars—that is trillions, with a T—on the national credit card. Why? So they can shower the richest people on the planet with more money.
    “And then they’re pretending all the math works and it’s kind of easy-peasy if they only just, they can do it if they kick people off health care, or take enough meals away from kids, or close enough hospitals, or—better still—use some absurd accounting gimmick to pretend, to pretend that billions of dollars in new tax cuts for their billionaire donors actually just don’t cost anything.
    “Well I’ve got some bad news for Republicans—your math is terrible, and so is this bill. This thing is very expensive. And you don’t have to take my word for it.
    “Ask the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which just said the latest version of this bill will add $4 trillion, “T,” trillion to the debt just over the next 10 years.
    “If Republicans want to ignore them, you can also ask the fiscal hawks at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. They calculate that the House bill adds $5 trillion to our debt, when you include interest payments and the cost of making temporary provisions in this bill permanent. And we are told the Senate bill is even less fiscally responsible.
    “Everyone agrees: this thing is not beautiful, but it is recklessly big. And it won’t just increase the debt—it will blow it up!
    “Mr. President, this may very well be the most expensive bill in history. I say ‘may’ because Republicans are still planning changes, we have not yet gotten the final bill. They already cut out even more taxes for multinational corporations.
    “SNAP benefits? They’re still on the chopping block. Health care? Still on the chopping block. In fact, they want to cut Medicaid even more painfully.
    “We may not know how expensive the Republicans’ bill will be in the end, but we know who is paying for it. Paying for it is you, working families.
    [Blocked Provisions]
    “And it is important for people to know: as bad as this bill is, Republicans were trying to make it even worse.
    “Now, Democrats have been fighting them every step of the way, and we have notched a few important wins by challenging every single provision we possibly could under the Senate rules.
    “So I want to talk about some of the things Democrats were successful in striking out.
    “Because if Republicans had had their way, not only would this bill take away more food from our struggling families, or shutter even more hospitals, and kick even more people off their health insurance. It would have also sold off our public lands!
    “And instead of just slashing CFPB funding, it would have completely shuttered the doors of a very important federal watchdog that protects Americans from getting scammed.
    “If Republicans had had their way, this bill would make it easier to buy gun silencers, harder to get your earned income tax credit, or pay off your student loan, and effectively impossible to get insurance plans on the marketplace that cover abortion care.
    “If Republicans had had their way, this bill would have also given Trump more power to deny funding to our constituents on a whim, and less power for the courts to stop him.
    “We are talking about a whole smorgasbord of really awful, unpopular ideas and policies that would have hurt our families and weakened our democracy. Ideas that were this close to making it into this bill.
    “But Republicans did not have their way. Democrats have been fighting back at every single step. We got those provisions tossed in the shredder, and we are still doing our darndest to send the rest of the bill into the shredder as well.
    [Making People Heard]
    “Now let’s be clear, when we talk about how unpopular this bill is with the American people, the reason is simple: this bill polls like garbage, because it is garbage. That’s why it should go nowhere, except a trash bin.
    “Democrats are going to keep pushing back on this monstrosity with absolutely everything we’ve got, at every step we can.
    “We’re not going to stand by as Republicans shutter hospitals, so the richest people in the country can build another vacation home.
    “We are not going to sit around and let Republicans kick millions of people off of their insurance and raise working families’ premiums—so corporate executives can get a bigger bonus.
    “And we are not going to be silent as Republicans take food away from struggling families so they can help billionaires fuel up their private jets.
    “We are going to keep speaking up, we are going to keep pushing back, and we are going to make sure everyone—everyone—knows exactly what is going on here. This bill is deeply unpopular—that much is clear.
    “But if Republicans keep pushing for this disaster, buckle up, because we are only going to get louder and louder about how big this is, how ugly it is—and it is only going to get more unpopular with the folks back home as these provisions are enacted if this bill passes.
    “I’m pretty astounded by how far some Republicans are trying to stick their heads in the sand on this. One Republican Senator told their concerned constituents, and I quote, ‘We are all going to die.’
    “Maybe that’s a better name for the bill? At least it’s more honest. Because, when you take health care away from people, when you make it harder to get, when you make it harder to afford, when you close the only hospital for miles—yeah, you’re right, people will die.
    “You’d think my colleagues would show a bit more concern about that. Instead, that senator actually doubled down. And in a response video she filmed walking through a cemetery—I don’t know how you get out of touch that much to misunderstand this, but let me clear about something to our Republicans: whistling past the graveyard is a metaphor to stop ignoring dangers. It is not a literal messaging suggestion!
    “And if you thought Republicans couldn’t be any more dismissive to their own constituents, this week, another Republican Senator, who was speaking about people voicing their concerns about these Medicaid cuts, said they will, quote, people will ‘Get over it.’
    “Mr. President: I have news for every one of my Republican colleagues who is trying to deny the reality of this bill and pretend the fairytales they are telling themselves are true.
    “When someone’s local hospital closes, they don’t ‘get over it.’ When someone’s kid is kicked off health care, they do not ‘get over it.’
    “And Republicans don’t want to take my word for it, they can listen to the doctor I spoke with who warned, when patients go uninsured, they delay care and it increases costs for everyone. Instead of paying $10 for diabetic medication, we’ll pay $10,000 for an amputation.
    “Or, Republicans can actually read the countless letters I am getting from my constituents sharing their stories: ‘My dad is a double amputee, he relies on Medicaid,’ ‘Without Medicaid we couldn’t get my kids’ anti-seizure medication.’
    “Or, ‘I’m a full-time caregiver for my daughter with cerebral palsy’… or my son with spina bifida… or my elderly mother… and this bill threatens to kick them off the health care and supportive services they rely on to survive.
    “Or better yet, Republicans can go out and talk to their own constituents, because I have no doubt they will hear similar stories.
    “They will even come to you! Advocates have been here in D.C. all week. I’ve seen them in the halls. I’ve heard from them from my office!
    “And now Republicans can listen to the people across the country who are warning them about this bill. And they can do the right thing and abandon this effort, or they can keep ignoring them.
    “But make no mistake, in the end the American people will have their voices and their votes heard.
    “Because at the end of the day, this bill—this monstrosity of a bill—is all in the goal of a tax break for multi-billionaires and corporations. And the way they pay for it is by taking away your health care, and your nutrition—the things your families, or your neighbors, or people you know rely on. And that’s just wrong. It’s un-American. And we’re fighting back.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Union Home Minister Shah to chair ‘Manthan Baithak’ of states, UT’s Cooperation Ministers today

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah is scheduled to chair the Manthan Baithak of Cooperation Ministers from all States and Union Territories at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Monday. The high-level meeting organised by the Ministry of Cooperation will review progress and chart the future roadmap to strengthen the cooperative sector across India.

    The meeting will bring together Cooperation Ministers, Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and Secretaries of Cooperation Departments from all States and UTs.

    The primary objective of the Manthan Baithak was to evaluate the implementation of key initiatives, share best practices, and foster convergence towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahkar Se Samriddhi’ (Prosperity through Cooperation).

    A major focus of the conference was the establishment of two lakh new Multi-purpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), along with cooperative societies in the dairy and fisheries sectors. These efforts aim to enhance last-mile service delivery in rural areas and empower farmers, fishers, and local entrepreneurs.

    The meeting will review the progress of the World’s Largest Grain Storage Scheme in the cooperative sector, which is expected to boost agricultural infrastructure and food security in the country.

    Additionally, the role of states in supporting the three newly formed National Multi-state Cooperative Societies, National Cooperative Export Ltd (NCEL), National Cooperative Organics Ltd (NCOL), and Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Ltd (BBSSL), is a key point of deliberation.

    “States will also present their progress under the “Cooperation Among Cooperatives” campaign and the ongoing “International Year of Cooperatives 2025”, along with expectations for wider engagement,” said a press release by the Ministry of Cooperation.

    “This Manthan Baithak will act as a catalyst in highlighting the critical role of States/UTs in transforming state-level cooperatives into vibrant economic entities, through close collaboration between Center & States, with the spirit of cooperative federalism,” it added. (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI USA: MEMO: Padilla Slams Republicans for Continued Hypocrisy on Senate Filibuster Rules

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    MEMO: Padilla Slams Republicans for Continued Hypocrisy on Senate Filibuster Rules

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, circulated a memorandum to the Senate Democratic Caucus outlining Senate Republicans’ plans to shred longstanding filibuster rules by bypassing budget reconciliation restrictions with a partisan budget score. Republicans’ fabricated $440 billion budget score abuses Sec. 312(a) of the Congressional Budget Act by masking the actual cost of their billionaire-first reconciliation bill. In reality, the bill will cost $3.5 trillion over 10 years and will balloon the deficit beyond the 10-year window, which the Congressional Budget Office has explicitly stated violates the clear prohibitions of the statutory Byrd Rule.

    “Republicans are once again going nuclear on the rules of the Senate, shattering the filibuster through a fabricated budget score to pass their billionaire-first reconciliation bill. They want to deceive the public using their own partisan budget baseline to hide the truth that their bill will rack up trillions more in debt than they’re claiming — all to make Trump’s billionaire buddies richer,” said Senator Padilla. “Their plan to blow up the Senate rulebook and sidestep nonpartisan scorekeepers is unprecedented and further demonstrates their complete hypocrisy when it comes to the filibuster. And we will not forget.”

    This shortsighted move by Senate Republicans marks their second attempt to overrule the Senate Parliamentarian and circumvent the rules, after they abused the Congressional Review Act to eliminate California’s longstanding Clean Air Act waivers last month.

    Full text of the memo is available here and below:

    TO:                 Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus

    FROM:           Ranking Member Alex Padilla, Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

    DATE:            June 29, 2025

    SUBJECT:     Republicans Go Nuclear Again to Break Filibuster by Fabricating a Budget Score

    Summary

    On May 21, the Republican majority utilized the nuclear option to eliminate a legislative filibuster for three joint resolutions regarding EPA waivers issued to California under the Clean Air Act. 

    Senate Republicans are now using nuclear tactics AGAIN to avoid budget reconciliation restrictions, effectively tearing up filibuster rules.

    Now, they are using a fabricated budget score that claims their bill costs $440 billion, while their billionaire-first budget reconciliation bill actually costs $3.5 trillion over 10 years and adds to the deficit beyond the 10-year window, which is prohibited by the statutory Byrd Rule.

    The Republican Anti-Filibuster Playbook

    Step One – Abuse an existing law that provides expedited Senate consideration. With California’s Clean Air Act waivers, Senate Republicans abused the Congressional Review Act, which provides fast-track consideration to repeal rules, and created a new precedent to use the CRA on any action an agency submits to Congress, including waivers (which the Senate Parliamentarian determined are not rules).

    Now, Republicans are abusing Sec. 312(a) of the Congressional Budget Act in an unprecedented way to distort the true cost of their reconciliation bill while taking advantage of reconciliation’s simple majority vote threshold. For the first time in the Senate’s history, Chairman Graham is using Sec. 312 to sidestep the non-partisan CBO scorekeepers and singlehandedly use a “current policy baseline” score for reconciliation purposes. Chairman Crapo directed the production of their own, partisan budget score, and today, Senate Republicans confirmed their plan.

    Step Two – Go nuclear by ignoring the Parliamentarian’s guidance. With California’s waivers, the Republicans falsely claimed that they were not “overruling” the Parliamentarian because they contrived a process to avoid formally asking the question, but the record shows the Parliamentarian determined those resolutions were not entitled to expedited procedures. Republicans simply ignored that determination and went nuclear to create a new precedent and break a filibuster.

    When it comes to “current policy baseline,” Republicans are running a very similar play – to abuse Sec. 312, they are refusing to meet with the Parliamentarian on their planned tactics to violate the Budget Act and the Byrd Rule. No matter what Republicans try to call it, or floor tactics they use, this will be a nuclear option to avoid a 60-vote threshold where Senate rules say that it would otherwise apply.

    Future Senate Filibuster Implications

    The Legislative Filibuster: In May, Leader Thune stated: “[w]hile Republicans are in charge, the legislative filibuster will remain in place.” But Senate Republicans’ commitments to not overrule the Parliamentarian have a huge loophole – whenever the Parliamentarian may rule against them, they can contrive a process to ignore the rules and evade a filibuster and its 60-vote threshold.

    The reality is that Republicans will use majority-rule, filibuster-breaking tactics whenever it suits them. Once again, Senate Democrats should not forget.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Money Market Operations as on June 27, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 6,44,354.46 5.27 0.01-6.35
         I. Call Money 15,051.98 5.38 4.75-5.60
         II. Triparty Repo 4,06,137.85 5.42 5.20-5.72
         III. Market Repo 2,21,441.08 4.98 0.01-6.20
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 1,723.55 5.51 5.45-6.35
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 146.95 5.23 5.05-5.30
         II. Term Money@@ 185.50 – 5.10-6.20
         III. Triparty Repo 14,138.00 5.55 5.50-5.75
         IV. Market Repo 0.00 – –
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 481.00 5.72 5.72-5.72
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo Fri, 27/06/2025 7 Fri, 04/07/2025 84,975.00 5.49
    3. MSF# Fri, 27/06/2025 1 Sat, 28/06/2025 75.00 5.75
      Fri, 27/06/2025 2 Sun, 29/06/2025 0.00 5.75
      Fri, 27/06/2025 3 Mon, 30/06/2025 990.00 5.75
    4. SDFΔ# Fri, 27/06/2025 1 Sat, 28/06/2025 1,96,941.00 5.25
      Fri, 27/06/2025 2 Sun, 29/06/2025 47.00 5.25
      Fri, 27/06/2025 3 Mon, 30/06/2025 26,895.00 5.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -3,07,793.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       7,010.46  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     7,010.46  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -3,00,782.54  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on June 27, 2025 9,40,467.82  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending June 27, 2025 9,54,173.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ June 27, 2025 0.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on June 13, 2025 5,62,116.00  
    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.
    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
    & As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
    Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
    ¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
    # As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    
    Press Release: 2025-2026/620

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • President Droupadi Murmu to visit UP today for AIIMS Gorakhpur convocation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Droupadi Murmu is set to begin her two-day visit to Gorakhpur on Monday and will attend the first convocation ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Gorakhpur.

    According to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), on July 1, she is scheduled to inaugurate Uttar Pradesh’s first AYUSH University in Pipri, Bhathat, a key initiative aimed at strengthening traditional medicine and holistic healthcare education in the state.

    This will be President Murmu’s fourth visit to Gorakhpur in the last seven years, once again at the invitation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The event also marks the second time in recent years that a sitting President has visited AIIMS and a major state university in Gorakhpur, highlighting the city’s growing national importance.

    Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath personally reviewed the 31-kilometre route to be taken by the President from the city to Pipri, ensuring that all arrangements meet the highest standards.

    He has also directed that the Gorakhnath Temple, where the President is expected to offer prayers, provide specially prepared meals reflecting her stature and dignity.

    Security has been significantly tightened. SP (City) Abhinav Tyagi confirmed that the AIIMS auditorium and campus are under full security cover, with OPD services suspended for June 30. A 5-km radius around the Circuit House has been declared a no-fly zone, and a three-tier security system is in place.

    Earlier in April CM Yogi laid the foundation stone for a 500-bed ‘Powergrid Vishram Sadan’ at AIIMS Gorakhpur. The rest house, aimed at supporting patients and their families, is being developed for Rs 44 crore under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative of Power Grid Corporation of India. (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI China: Discoveries give the ancient past a future

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    In 1956, a golden seal with a snake-shaped decoration was unearthed from ancient tombs at the Shizhaishan site in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province.

    A gold seal with a snake-shaped knob inscribed with four Chinese characters reading “Seal of the King of the Dian Kingdom”. [Photo provided to China Daily]

    Bearing the inscription “Seal of the King of the Dian Kingdom”, the artifact stands as compelling evidence of the ancient Dian Kingdom’s existence, a regional state that thrived more than 2,000 years ago on China’s southwestern frontier.

    The gold seal dating to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) was granted by Emperor Wu of Han to the King of Dian after the local regime pledged allegiance, according to Western Han Dynasty’s historian Sima Qian’s Shiji, or Records of the Grand Historian.

    A gold seal with a snake-shaped knob inscribed with four Chinese characters reading “Seal of the King of the Dian Kingdom” (pictured). [Photo provided to China Daily]

    For years, the enigmatic southwestern frontier kingdom and its interactions with the central authority of the Western Han Dynasty have been shrouded in mystery, known only through brief mentions in Shiji. However, recent archaeological discoveries at Hebosuo site in Kunming’s Jinning district have brought to light the most compelling and detailed physical evidence.

    So far, over 2,000 clay seals have been unearthed at the Hebosuo site, revealing more than 10 different official titles. Additionally, more than 50,000 wooden slips have been discovered, which cover a wide range of topics, including official documents, legal papers, household records, postal communications, goods transactions and family property declarations.

    There are two notable highlights among the clay seals used to secure documents, much like stamped wax on an envelope. These include the seal of the magistrate of the Yizhou Commandery and the seal of the Dian Kingdom, each bearing distinctive inscriptions.

    1   2   3   4   >  

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: CPC membership grows as primary-level organizations become stronger

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    The membership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has steadily expanded, with its structure continuing to improve and primary-level Party organizations growing stronger, according to a statistical report issued Monday ahead of the Party’s 104th founding anniversary.

    The CPC had more than 100.27 million members at the end of 2024, up by nearly 1.09 million from 2023, said the report released by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee.

    The CPC had 5.25 million primary-level organizations at the end of 2024, an increase of 74,000 compared with the previous year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Zelensky approves Ukraine’s withdrawal from treaty banning anti-personnel mines

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Staff members of the State Service for Emergencies of Ukraine conduct search and clearance operations at the site of an air strike in Kiev, Ukraine, on June 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on Sunday to withdraw the country from the Ottawa Convention — an international treaty that bans the use of anti-personnel landmines.

    The decree approves the National Security and Defense Council’s decision to pull out of the treaty “so as to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.”

    The withdrawal will take effect once it passes parliament, said Ukrainian lawmaker Roman Kostenko.

    “Russia is not a side of this convention,” Kostenko wrote on Facebook. “We cannot stay bound when the enemy has no limitations.”

    Ukraine signed the Ottawa Convention in 1999 and ratified it in 2005.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Ruthless PSG cruise past Inter Miami 4-0 at Club World Cup

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    European champions Paris Saint-Germain highlighted the gulf in class between European and North American football on Sunday, as Luis Enrique’s side overwhelmed Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0 to book a place in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals.

    PSG was simply much sharper than a rival that may have Messi as its standard-bearer, but is clearly not quick or strong enough to compete with the elite.

    The Inter Miami squad had a familiar look to PSG coach Luis Enrique, with five key figures from his time at FC Barcelona – Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez and Messi – in the starting 11, and Javier Mascherano on the coaching staff.

    He may have known them well, but that didn’t mean Luis Enrique’s side showed any mercy.

    The problem for Inter was age. Busquets and Alba are both 36, while Messi and Suarez are 38. Although their talent and legacy are unquestioned, against Europe’s best, it wasn’t enough.

    Just three minutes into the match, goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was called into action to stop Bradley Barcola after a brilliant run by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

    It was only a matter of time. PSG opened the scoring in the sixth minute when Joao Neves ghosted in at the far post to head in Vitinha’s free kick.

    Fabian Ruiz had a goal ruled out, but with PSG completely overrunning its opponent, the second goal felt inevitable. It came in the 39th minute when Neves finished a smooth passing move set up by Ruiz.

    The third came five minutes later, just before halftime, when Tomas Aviles deflected Desire Doue’s drilled cross into his own net. In first-half stoppage time, PSG carved open Inter’s defense again, with Achraf Hakimi adding a fourth.

    With the result all but sealed, PSG eased off in the second half, giving the game a more open feel and allowing Messi a few flashes of activity. He forced a save from Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 80th minute with a header, while at the other end, Ustari tipped over a Barcola shot in a half that did little to change the outcome. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Kane, Neves lead Bayern, PSG to Club World Cup quarters

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain will meet in a tantalizing FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal after winning their round-of-16 matches on Sunday.

    In Miami, Harry Kane struck twice as Bayern Munich progressed with a 4-2 victory over a spirited Flamengo while Paris Saint-Germain eliminated Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami with a 4-0 rout in Atlanta.

    Bayern went ahead early at Hard Rock Stadium courtesy of an Erick Pulgar own goal and Kane doubled the lead with a long-range effort after a turnover.

    Gerson reduced the deficit by rifling home from 15 yards before Leon Goretzka controlled a defensive clearance with his chest and thumped a 25-yard drive past Agustin Rossi.

    The Brazilian side continued to press and Jorginho converted from the penalty spot after a Michael Olise handball just before the hour.

    But the Bundesliga champions pulled away again through Kane, who slotted a low shot past Rossi after Kimmich’s perfectly weighted pass.

    “In the first 20 minutes we were playing well but the intensity of the game was ferocious,” Bayern manager Vincent Kompany said.

    “I’m thinking, ‘Okay, in this heat, against this opponent, is this going to carry on?’ To be fair, we grew into the game and I think it was a good game for the fans. We are really happy to go to the next round.”

    Kompany said his team would prioritize rest before turning its focus to Saturday’s clash with PSG in Atlanta.

    “The main thing is we have to rest now, recover from this game, use every single day that we’ve got to rebuild our energy,” the former Manchester City defender said.

    “What more do you want? Top sides playing each other on the biggest stage. We’ll be ready for that.”

    Earlier, Joao Neves scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain netted four first-half goals en route to a comprehensive win over Inter Miami.

    Portugal international Neves opened the scoring for the European champions by meeting a sumptuous free-kick from compatriot Vitinha to head home at the far post. Neves then combined with Fabian Ruiz for an easy tap-in after Sergio Busquets gave the ball away in front of his own box.

    Nothing went right for the MLS club and Tomas Aviles inadvertently chested the ball into his own net after Desire Doue’s cross from the right flank. Moroccan right-back Achraf Hakimi fired home a fourth goal after his initial attempt from eight yards rebounded off the bar.

    Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, playing against his former club, did his best to lift Inter Miami in the second half with a series of vintage dribbles and a near-miss with a header. But his team could do little more than limit the damage as PSG showed the gulf in quality between Europe’s elite and the MLS.

    “It’s a great feeling. I think we started the match almost perfectly, controlling play and creating a lot of chances,” PSG manager Luis Enrique said.

    “The second half was different. We had less energy and they could have scored a goal, but I’m happy with all the players, with the mentality, with the attitude. We need to improve, like always because that’s professional football, but I’m happy.”

    Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano said he could not have asked for more from his players.

    “In terms of the tournament, my take is that we have accomplished the goals we set for ourselves,” the Argentine said. “We have met the expectations that were placed on us.

    “It’s difficult when it’s 4-0 and you know you don’t have much chance. You don’t expect to change the result but it was important to show a good image to the people. The players did really well in the second half, they tried to do their best, this is the way we want to play.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s manufacturing sector sees stronger momentum in June

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    China’s manufacturing sector sees stronger momentum in June

    Xinhua | June 30, 2025

    China’s manufacturing sector gathered steam this month as more industries returned to growth and high-tech and consumer goods production remained vibrant, official data showed Monday.

    The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for China’s manufacturing sector rose for the second straight month to 49.7 in June, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement. The reading was 49.5 in May and 49 in April.

    Of 21 surveyed industries, 11 logged expansion this month, up from 7 in May. The PMIs for the manufacturing of equipment, high-tech products and consumer goods have stayed in the expansion zone for two consecutive months, standing at 51.4, 50.9, and 50.4, respectively.

    A PMI reading above 50 reflects expansion, while suggesting contraction if below 50.

    Monday’s data also showed that the non-manufacturing PMI came in at 50.5 in June, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, and the general PMI climbed from 50.4 to 50.7. As all three major indices rose, the overall economic climate continued to improve, NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash, Cambridge Road, Waipa

    Source: New Zealand Police

    One person has died after a crash involving a truck and car on Cambridge Road in Waipa.

    Emergency services were called to the scene, between Storey and Cox roads, about 11.25am.

    Despite the best efforts of first responders, the driver of the car died at the scene.

    Police are providing support to the person’s family.

    The section of Cambridge Road remains closed and the Serious Crash Unit is carrying out a scene examination.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Renting taskforce returns to Melbourne’s southeast for inspections

    Source: Australian Capital Territory Policing

    Rental properties in the Clayton area were the focus of Consumer Affairs’ renting taskforce recently to check they’re safe, secure and fit for renters to move into.

    Clayton was the first suburb the taskforce visited when it began targeting rental open for inspections last year. Officers revisited the area to make sure rental providers were aware of their obligations to meet minimum standards and advertise properties fairly.

    There were 14 officers in the field inspecting rental properties in Clayton. They also spoke with the renters at the inspections and shared information about their rights.

    In good news, most properties inspected by the taskforce meet the minimum standards, but unfortunately around one in eight still fail to measure up. The most common issues are mould, windows without blinds or curtains, heating that doesn’t meet the legal specifications, and kitchens without stovetops.

    The taskforce has done inspections in several Melbourne suburbs, as well as Geelong and Bendigo. More targeted inspections are planned for the second half of 2025.

    Consumer Affairs Victoria uses a range of early interventions such as proactive inspections, education and awareness campaigns to prevent breaches.

    If the taskforce identifies a property that does not meet the standards, officers first work with property managers and rental providers to make sure repairs happen before a renter moves in.

    It’s an offence to let a renter move into a property that doesn’t meet minimum standards. Maximum penalties of more than $11,000 for individuals and more than $59,000 for companies may apply.

    The taskforce has issued over 80 fines totalling more than $670,000 for rental offences. These include not advertising a rental property at a fixed price, not lodging a bond with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority and failing to meet the minimum standards.

    The current ‘Funda-rentals’ campaign and the taskforce’s in-field presence has helped raise awareness of renters’ rights and renting rules, including how to report potential breaches.

    Renters who see an advertised rental property they think doesn’t meets minimum standards can report it anonymously.

    Learn more about the renting taskforce.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Deteriorating short-term outlook for east coast gas supply

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The east coast gas supply outlook for 2025 and 2026 has deteriorated despite an easing in gas prices in the second half of 2024, according to the ACCC’s latest gas inquiry report, released today.

    The report finds that there is a risk of shortfall in the fourth quarter of 2025 and throughout 2026 if Queensland LNG producers export all uncontracted gas.

    It is expected that southern states will need to continually rely on gas from Queensland as their local reserves deplete.

    There is no change to the medium-term outlook, with structural shortfalls on the east coast still projected from 2028 unless new gas supply is brought online.

    “Gas prices eased over the past 6 months, reflecting movements in international prices and an increase in market activity following implementation of the Gas Code,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.

    “However, prices continue to be higher than pre-2022 levels. Concerningly, supply into the domestic market has fallen since that time and gas is increasingly being sold on a short-term basis, posing challenges for gas users who need longer-term certainty for their businesses.”

    “Gas policy in recent years has largely been directed towards the LNG producers to ensure that their uncontracted gas is available in the short term to avert domestic shortfalls,” Ms Brakey said.

    “For long-term energy security and affordability, however, it is critical to address underlying barriers to more efficient investment in domestic supply.”

    There are sufficient gas reserves and resources to meet projected domestic demand for at least the next decade, but these are yet to be developed due to a combination of policy, technical and commercial factors.

    Long-standing impediments to the development of east coast gas reserves by a diversity of suppliers need to be addressed, the report recommends.

    The report finds that Queensland’s gas reserves and resources, which are substantially held by the LNG producers, will be key to meeting the needs of the east coast gas market.

    The report examines individual Queensland LNG producers’ export operations and their role in the domestic market given each of the LNG producers’ different gas holdings and impacts on the domestic market.

    The report also includes preliminary observations on how the market has responded to regulatory changes implemented since 2022-23.

    “The information in the June report will enable stakeholders to make more informed decisions in response to the most recent forecasts of the east coast’s supply-demand balance,” Ms Brakey said.

    “The report also provides a robust evidence base to support informed engagement by the market, government and the public on policy decisions and regulation, including in respect of the upcoming Government Gas Market Review in the context of continuing concerns about the adequacy of gas production and the efficiency of the east coast gas market,” Ms Brakey said.

    The supply outlook for 2025 and 2026 has deteriorated

    The short-term supply outlook for the east coast has deteriorated since the December 2024 report as some key producers have downgraded their production forecasts. The ACCC now expects between a 2 petajoules (PJ) shortfall and an 11 PJ surplus in the fourth quarter of 2025.

    There is a risk of shortfall throughout 2026 if the Queensland LNG producers export all their uncontracted gas. Refilling gas storage facilities over summer, when gas demand is typically lower, will be essential to meeting demand in the southern states next year, particularly for the winter months.

    The June inquiry report includes the supply outlooks for the Queensland LNG producers.

    “The LNG exporters are the only producers with discretion to either export their uncontracted gas, or supply it into the domestic market, so understanding what can affect this ‘swing gas’ and the decisions they could make about gas will be necessary for consideration of options to manage shortfall risks and for effective policy responses,” Ms Brakey said.

    Forecast east coast supply-demand balance in Q4 2025 and 2026 (PJ)

    Source:  ACCC analysis of data obtained from gas producers and of AEMO’s 2025 GSOO domestic demand forecast (Step Change scenario).
    Note:   Totals may not sum due to rounding.

    Prices have continued to decrease but remain higher than previous years

    Prices offered by producers and retailers showed a moderate decline over the second half of 2024. This continues the trend observed since the peak of the 2022 energy crisis and is consistent with changes in international prices and domestic supply-demand conditions.

    Prices offered by producers to retailers for 2025 supply averaged $13.34 per gigajoule (GJ) between June and December 2024; a 10 per cent decrease from the previous six months. Retailer offers to commercial and industrial (C&I) users over this period fell by seven per cent to $14.34 per GJ. Offers for 2026 supply fell by seven per cent over the same period for both producers and retailers.

    However, market activity was lower, with fewer offers being made during the second half of 2024 compared to the first half of that year. Gas volumes contracted under long-term Gas Supply Agreements over this period remained below pre-2022 levels.

    Background

    In 2017, the Australian Government directed the ACCC to conduct a wide-ranging inquiry to improve transparency of the gas market in Australia and support its efficient operation, and to monitor gas supply. On 25 October 2022, the Government announced the extension of the ACCC’s gas inquiry role through to 2030.

    The ACCC’s next interim report is scheduled for September 2025.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Do your clients need to lodge a TPAR?

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    If you haven’t received a TPAR client list from us before, check that your email or postal address is up to date in Online services for agents. 

    Your clients may need to lodge a TPAR if they’ve made payments to contractors or sub-contractors who provide the following services on their behalf:

    • building and construction
    • cleaning
    • courier, delivery or road freight
    • information technology (IT)
    • security, surveillance or investigation.

    If any of your clients don’t need to lodge a TPAR for 2024, you can complete a non-lodgment advice (NLA) form on their behalf. If they no longer pay contractors, you can also use this form to tell us they won’t need to lodge a TPAR in the future.

    You can lodge a TPAR or NLA form for your clients using SBR-enabled softwareExternal Link or through Online services for agents, which also allows you to: 

    • view each client’s outstanding TPARs in the ‘For action’ screen, or under ‘Lodgments’ 
    • confirm previous lodgments in the history section. 

    TPARs are due 28 August each year and overdue penalties may apply.

    Find out more at ato.gov.au/TPAR.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: On her new album, Lorde creates pop at its purest – performative, playful and alive to paradox

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Rosemary Overell, Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies, University of Otago

    “✏️Describe the vibe” goes the demand to commenters underneath the YouTube video for Lorde’s latest single, “Hammer”. Fans form a flow; a “vibe check” in Zillenial parlance:

    The pure rawness … (@lynmariegm)

    A more raw true-to-self form … (@m3lodr4matic)

    This is pure art … (@anishm-g1r)

    Lorde’s 2013 debut album was titled Pure Heroine. But, she tells us – and fans and critics agree – Virgin is the first album which “does not lie”. Pure pop. Not lying is not necessarily synonymous with truth, however. Rather, not lying in the present cultural moment is more akin to the careful articulation of a whole vibe.

    For women in particular, truth, authenticity – dare I say realness – mean modulating their feelings, but also a particular calibration and presentation of their bodies in media.

    Such a balancing act is captured in that YouTube imperative which moves between the pencil (“✏️”) – the demand to describe – and the “vibe”, the very thing we often find too hard to write down or put into words.

    Pop music is often at the nexus of these two seemingly opposite moves. Think about going to a gig and afterwards being asked “how was it?”, and all you can say is “you had to be there”.

    Of course it is not so simple. We are always putting our feeling into words – describing all manner of bodily responses. Lorde herself sings in “Broken Glass” about how her eating disordered body was marked by language: the “arithmetic” of calorie counting. Elsewhere, she lists other social signifiers in which she is enmeshed: daughter (“Favourite Daughter”), siren, saint (“Shapeshifter”).

    Words and the body

    Nonetheless, the repeated theme in press interviews is that Virgin moves beyond language, towards a pure woman’s body, free of the mark of sexuality. At the same time, the album is also “ravenously horny” according to one review. She is both as pure as a newborn (a “Virgin”), but marked by her sexuality.

    The song “Current Affairs” most clearly demonstrates proximity between the sexed body and its description in lyrics. Lorde collapses into her lover’s body (“He spit in my mouth”). But when he breaks her heart, she cannot put into language the hurt. Rather she blames her anguish on the news: “current affairs”.

    Pop music and pop culture thrives off the market exchange and saleability of sex, particularly young women’s sex. When I first wrote about Lorde 11 years ago, I pitted her against Miley Cyrus, noting the outrage at Miley’s “growing up” (from Hannah Montana to adulthood), which mapped onto her perceived new working class, tasteless identity.

    Against the crass vulgarity of Miley, I argued then, we had the middle-class intellectualism of Lorde. The argument stands. Virgin certainly adds a heightened sexiness to Lorde, but it is far from crude. She is branded, not just by the market (the cost of tour tickets and merchandise), but also by her identity as a tasteful and hip woman.

    More fleshy (“wide hips/soft lips” she sings in “GRWM”) than the teen “Royal” of 2012, but still on Universal Music Group’s repertoire and still circulated as an “alt” option for pop fans.

    We can also think of Lorde’s collaboration with her current working class alter, and last year’s popstar commodity, Charli XCX. In Lorde’s verse in “Girl, so confusing” she notes Charli is, essentially, a “Chav” – “still a young girl from Essex”. But in the same verse, Lorde shows her awareness of both women’s function on the market:

    People say we’re alike

    They say we’ve got the same hair

    It’s you and me on the coin

    The industry loves to spend

    This knowing wink to how women move within the pop-culture marketplace produces a different kind of purity, one based on an intimacy between the popstar and her listeners. We all know Lorde’s difference from Charli is about image: the “poet” versus the party girl.

    Intimacy as purity is part of what cultural theorist Anna Kornbluh recently dubbed the pressure of “immediacy”, characterised by an apparently ceaseless flow and demand to constantly share images and video of our bodies, afforded by the scroll of social media.

    While the depiction of our bodies and selves on screens is fundamental to this moment, according to Kornbluh, we contradictorily lose sight of this screening. Feeling as though we are #NoFilter – present and real. Key to this is the exhibition of our feelings and emotions.

    For all women, but particularly those in the public eye, the sharing of these feelings materialise into “coin”. Vulnerability, pleasure, all-the-feels-all-the-time – especially for women – make “bank”.

    Intimacy and knowingness

    Vulnerability has been a catch-cry in media characterisations of Virgin. Critics and fans equate Lorde’s lyrical confessions and press tour patter with a market-valuable “purity”, equated with immediate access (to quote the YouTube fan above) to a “true-to-self” Lorde.

    One of her more amusing (but fitting) press engagements was on Bella Freud’s Fashion Neurosis podcast. On the couch, we hear Lorde, wearing a Yohji Yamamoto blazer, musing about vulnerability, gender and her mother – with the great granddaughter of Sigmund Freud.

    Fashion Neurosis: Lorde on the psychiatrist’s couch.

    While the Charli XCX track shows Lorde’s intimacy through her knowingness about her role as “coin” for the music industry, the music videos from Virgin offer a more embodied intimacy. The clip for the album’s first single, “What Was That?”, features an extreme closeup inside her mouth. The album cover itself is an X-ray showing her hips and her IUD.

    Kornbluh suggests this emphasis on often literal bodily interiors – people’s “insides” – produces an ersatz sense of closeness and sociality, as our relationships become more and more beholden to the alienating circuits of “social” media.

    Virgin does not lie. It traces a truth of our times – a paradoxical truth – that we are at our most intimate, our most pure, when we are unmediated, all the while bearing out the imperative to “✏️Describe the vibe” – to mediate and expose ourselves onscreen.

    My own vibe check? I love the album. It is pop at its purest – performative, playful and certainly worth paying attention to.

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

    – ref. On her new album, Lorde creates pop at its purest – performative, playful and alive to paradox – https://theconversation.com/on-her-new-album-lorde-creates-pop-at-its-purest-performative-playful-and-alive-to-paradox-259994

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU will be the first in Russia to conduct pharmacological research using accelerator mass spectrometry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    A new research area, Innovative Biomaterials and Methods of Their Research, is being opened at the NSU-NNC Collective Use Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. The work will be carried out within the framework of the strategic project, Center for the Integration of Personalized Biomedicine, Pharmacy, and Synchrotron Binary Technologies, which received support from the Priority 2030 state program.

    For the first time in Russia, the method of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) will be used to study the pharmacokinetics of peptides, hemostatic composites and structural analysis of fossil tissues. The long-term result of the project will be the creation of a standardized approach to assessing the transdermal delivery of peptides, accelerating the development of new therapeutic agents and increasing the accuracy of predicting their clinical effectiveness, creating and introducing new synthetic functional materials for medical use, such as hemostatic materials and selective hemosorbents. Previously, this high-tech research method was used mainly for radiocarbon dating of archaeological finds, geological objects and paleontological samples.

    Accelerative masses of spectrometry (UMS) – a supers -sensitive method of absolute measurement of isotopic relations, based on the calculation of single atoms. Of greatest interest for medical research are the capabilities of the UMS in the registration of radioglerod-S-14. The accuracy of the method is so high that it allows you to carry out reliable measurements of the concentration of the S-14 isotope with its share of 1E-15 from the total carbon content. The unsurpassed sensitivity of the UMS gives a number of advantages, such as a small amount of test for analysis and the possibility of analyzing a carbon -containing sample located in any aggregate state. Therefore, for UMS-analysis in the simplest performance, about 2-4 mg of dry matter, 10 mg of a sample of biological tissues and less than 50 μl of fluid will be required. Due to the extremely small content of the radiocarod in the biosphere, the isotopic ratio of the S-14/S-12 is 1E-12-the radioactivity of the laid drugs necessary for accurate registration by the UMS method is several times less than the natural level of radiation. This allows you to safely conduct multiple studies, including involving children as subjects, which is very important when developing children’s forms of drugs due to significant differences in metabolism in adults and children. Currently, the world has accumulated a large array of data on the use of UMS in clinical studies of drugs to select personalized assistance to cancer patients, new drugs developed with the use of UMS are received on the market.

    There are about 200 UMS installations in the world, and about 30 large UMS centers with two or more installations. In Russia, there is only one such center — the UMS Center of Collective Use of the NSU-NNC, which has two accelerator mass spectrometers — the first domestic high-voltage one, developed by scientists from the G.I. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences 15 years ago, and a low-voltage MICADAS, manufactured in Switzerland. The center conducts research, most of which is aimed at radiocarbon dating of various objects, for customers from all over Russia, as well as from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, North Korea, Transnistria, etc. Most of the customers are scientific organizations, research institutes, and universities.

    — Our UMS center is registered in the international database of radiocarbon laboratories as “AMS Golden Valley” and successfully passed GIRI certification in 2022. Over the years of our work, we have conducted more than 10 thousand UMS analyses, with the measurement results published more than 80 scientific articles, including in the Nature publishing group, and annually fulfilled more than 40 contracts for UMS measurements. There is a scientific reserve for introducing a radiocarbon label into organic compounds (styrene) and materials (polymer nano- and microspheres), into the composition of the viral membrane, as well as for studying the distribution of toxic substances and the penetrating ability of aerosol particles in organs, — says Ekaterina Parkhomchuk, Director of the UMS Center of Collective Use at NSU-NNC.

    The new direction of research work implies active participation of students and young scientists willing to do scientific work in this field. Students will be involved in sample preparation procedures, as well as in studying hemostatics. Young scientists will work in a single team with experienced researchers and experts in the field of UMS application.

    — Within the framework of this direction, we intend to orient our UMS installations towards use in the field of biomedicine. For example, to create labeled compounds for medical purposes for the purpose of further studying their distribution and biological action in a living organism. The sensitivity of the UMS method significantly exceeds the capabilities of other methods for determining isotopic ratios. Such studies are rare and complex, and no one else conducts them in Russia. For example, studying the depth of penetration of a drug through the skin, its effectiveness at various stages of diseases, and routes of elimination from the body. Such work has already been carried out by specialists from our center, and we try to involve students and postgraduates in them, — explained Ekaterina Parkhomchuk.

    It is planned that medical centers, pharmaceutical companies and research institutes will be involved in the cooperation.

    It is already known that one of the first projects will be the assessment of transdermal delivery of peptides – organic substances formed by amino acid chains. The effectiveness of their impact with this route of delivery to the body has not been fully studied due to the lack of reliable methods for studying this process. UMS research can fill the gap and provide an answer to this question.

    Along with projects in the field of pharmacology and innovative medicine, the research staff of the NSU-NNC UMS Collective Use Center will continue to work on radiocarbon dating of archaeological and paleontological materials in the same volume, since the need for these studies among scientists of many specialties – archaeologists, soil scientists, paleontologists and geologists – remains very high.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Men traded wares – but women traded knowledge: what a new archeological study tells us about PNG sea trade

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Skelly, Archaeologist, Monash University

    Women loading pots on a Motu lakatoi trading vessel, in this photograph published in 1887.
     J. W. Lindt

    Australia’s closest neighbour, Papua New Guinea, is a place of remarkable cultural diversity. Home to cultures speaking more than 800 languages, this region has been interconnected by seafaring trade networks for thousands of years.

    Because seafaring was most often undertaken by men, it has long been assumed by anthropologists and archaeologists that information sharing between different cultures came via men.

    Our new archaeological research sheds light on the often overlooked role of women in developing past trade relationships. We found knowledge being shared that couldn’t have been shared among men – pointing the direction towards complicated relationships between women in cultures based hundreds of kilometres apart.

    Trade networks across Papua New Guinea’s south coast in the 19th century.
    Robert Skelly and Bruno David (2017)., CC BY-NC-ND

    The adventurous deeds of male seafarers

    In 1883, Papua New Guinea was colonised and annexed by Britain. Foreign anthropologists such as Darwin’s collaborator Thomas Huxley, Charles Seligman and Bronislaw Malinowski arrived shortly after.

    These male anthropologists became enamoured of the region’s seagoing trade networks, featuring huge sailing canoes, dangerous voyages and complex trade relationships.

    Their accounts often focused on the seafaring heroics of the men of Papua New Guinea. This is partly because they spoke to men almost exclusively, and partly because they admired fellow seagoing, risk-taking adventurers.

    The best example of this is Malinowski’s famous book Argonauts of the Western Pacific (1922), where he likens the voyagers of the Trobriands to Jason’s band of male adventurers in Greek mythology.

    Women seldom took centre stage in these histories.

    Yet crucially, women maintained the knowledge of how to make the earthenware pottery used for trade.

    Tracing trade through pottery

    These early anthropologists left us with detailed but male-focused accounts of trade networks. It is left to today’s archaeologists to trace histories of trade back in time, using material culture and carbon dates to see when it began.

    Most of the archaeology over the past six decades has taken place around Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea’s capital.

    This is the homeland of the Motu people (among others), famous for their long-distance trade.

    In the late 19th century, Motu men sailed west each year in fleets of up to 20 ships carrying some 20,000 pots. These were then traded for food with people in the Gulf of Papua.

    Archaeologists who began researching seafaring and trade on Papua New Guinea’s south coast in the 1960s were enthralled by early anthropological accounts. When they started to uncover similar-looking pieces of pottery across 400km of coastline, they thought it was probably made in one location and carried by seafarers.

    The most famous archaeological site near Port Moresby is Motupore Island. Excavations in the 1970s and 1980s recovered a staggering four tons of pottery fragments.

    In 2022, we began new excavations at Hood Bay, 100km to the east of Motupore Island, in partnership with the local Keapara communities. We found pieces of pottery with the same decorations as those found at Motupore Island. Yet there was no evidence of pottery ever being made in Hood Bay.

    Reflecting on what anthropologists had earlier written, it seemed reasonable to think that pottery was brought to Hood Bay by seafaring traders. But a crucial puzzle piece was missing: where was the pottery made?

    Shedding light on women’s roles

    We used an advanced type of scanning electron microscopy to compare the minerals and clay in pottery from Hood Bay and Motupore.

    Earthenware pottery is mostly made from clay and sand. By finding out what types of sand minerals are in the pottery we can see where it might have been made.

    To our surprise, we found the pottery was indeed locally made and was not traded by sea from Port Moresby. This is the first evidence of pottery being made in Hood Bay, a practice that was lost sometime in the past 300 years.

    So why did the pottery from two distant locations look so similar? If the pottery was not being traded, people must have been exchanging ideas about how to make it.

    Like the pottery, women’s tattoo designs at the two locations were also the same. This suggests community relationships were maintained through women sharing knowledge.

    Tattooing was an important women’s cultural practice in these regions, and tattoos signified major life stages such as marriage.

    Interestingly, the marriage tattoos used in Port Moresby and Hood Bay were identical in the 19th century, but no one that anthropologists spoke to remembered why. The tattoo designs suggest that Motu and Keapara women were once in very close contact.

    Successful pottery production requires precise skills. Becoming a proficient pottery maker was a long learning process for Motu women who acquired the skills needed from their aunts and mothers.

    The identical decoration on pots made by Motu and Keapara women can only be explained if ideas about pottery decoration were shared by women among each other and passed down through generations. Men were not involved in making pottery, so this knowledge was not shared by seafaring men.

    This means it was not the trading ventures of men that connected coastal villages, but women’s know-how.

    Women moved between villages and carried with them the knowledge of how to make and decorate pottery and shared ideas about tattoo designs.

    Hundreds of years ago it was women who caused cultural traditions to spread – possibly through intermarriage – linking communities along Papua New Guinea’s south coast.

    Robert Skelly receives funding from Australian Research Council DE200100544.

    Barbara Etschmann, Chris Urwin, Joël Brugger, and Teppsy Beni do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Men traded wares – but women traded knowledge: what a new archeological study tells us about PNG sea trade – https://theconversation.com/men-traded-wares-but-women-traded-knowledge-what-a-new-archeological-study-tells-us-about-png-sea-trade-258184

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: On her new album, Lorde creates pop at its purest – performative, playful and alive to paradox

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosemary Overell, Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies, University of Otago

    “✏️Describe the vibe” goes the demand to commenters underneath the YouTube video for Lorde’s latest single, “Hammer”. Fans form a flow; a “vibe check” in Zillenial parlance:

    The pure rawness … (@lynmariegm)

    A more raw true-to-self form … (@m3lodr4matic)

    This is pure art … (@anishm-g1r)

    Lorde’s 2013 debut album was titled Pure Heroine. But, she tells us – and fans and critics agree – Virgin is the first album which “does not lie”. Pure pop. Not lying is not necessarily synonymous with truth, however. Rather, not lying in the present cultural moment is more akin to the careful articulation of a whole vibe.

    For women in particular, truth, authenticity – dare I say realness – mean modulating their feelings, but also a particular calibration and presentation of their bodies in media.

    Such a balancing act is captured in that YouTube imperative which moves between the pencil (“✏️”) – the demand to describe – and the “vibe”, the very thing we often find too hard to write down or put into words.

    Pop music is often at the nexus of these two seemingly opposite moves. Think about going to a gig and afterwards being asked “how was it?”, and all you can say is “you had to be there”.

    Of course it is not so simple. We are always putting our feeling into words – describing all manner of bodily responses. Lorde herself sings in “Broken Glass” about how her eating disordered body was marked by language: the “arithmetic” of calorie counting. Elsewhere, she lists other social signifiers in which she is enmeshed: daughter (“Favourite Daughter”), siren, saint (“Shapeshifter”).

    Words and the body

    Nonetheless, the repeated theme in press interviews is that Virgin moves beyond language, towards a pure woman’s body, free of the mark of sexuality. At the same time, the album is also “ravenously horny” according to one review. She is both as pure as a newborn (a “Virgin”), but marked by her sexuality.

    The song “Current Affairs” most clearly demonstrates proximity between the sexed body and its description in lyrics. Lorde collapses into her lover’s body (“He spit in my mouth”). But when he breaks her heart, she cannot put into language the hurt. Rather she blames her anguish on the news: “current affairs”.

    Pop music and pop culture thrives off the market exchange and saleability of sex, particularly young women’s sex. When I first wrote about Lorde 11 years ago, I pitted her against Miley Cyrus, noting the outrage at Miley’s “growing up” (from Hannah Montana to adulthood), which mapped onto her perceived new working class, tasteless identity.

    Against the crass vulgarity of Miley, I argued then, we had the middle-class intellectualism of Lorde. The argument stands. Virgin certainly adds a heightened sexiness to Lorde, but it is far from crude. She is branded, not just by the market (the cost of tour tickets and merchandise), but also by her identity as a tasteful and hip woman.

    More fleshy (“wide hips/soft lips” she sings in “GRWM”) than the teen “Royal” of 2012, but still on Universal Music Group’s repertoire and still circulated as an “alt” option for pop fans.

    We can also think of Lorde’s collaboration with her current working class alter, and last year’s popstar commodity, Charli XCX. In Lorde’s verse in “Girl, so confusing” she notes Charli is, essentially, a “Chav” – “still a young girl from Essex”. But in the same verse, Lorde shows her awareness of both women’s function on the market:

    People say we’re alike

    They say we’ve got the same hair

    It’s you and me on the coin

    The industry loves to spend

    This knowing wink to how women move within the pop-culture marketplace produces a different kind of purity, one based on an intimacy between the popstar and her listeners. We all know Lorde’s difference from Charli is about image: the “poet” versus the party girl.

    Intimacy as purity is part of what cultural theorist Anna Kornbluh recently dubbed the pressure of “immediacy”, characterised by an apparently ceaseless flow and demand to constantly share images and video of our bodies, afforded by the scroll of social media.

    While the depiction of our bodies and selves on screens is fundamental to this moment, according to Kornbluh, we contradictorily lose sight of this screening. Feeling as though we are #NoFilter – present and real. Key to this is the exhibition of our feelings and emotions.

    For all women, but particularly those in the public eye, the sharing of these feelings materialise into “coin”. Vulnerability, pleasure, all-the-feels-all-the-time – especially for women – make “bank”.

    Intimacy and knowingness

    Vulnerability has been a catch-cry in media characterisations of Virgin. Critics and fans equate Lorde’s lyrical confessions and press tour patter with a market-valuable “purity”, equated with immediate access (to quote the YouTube fan above) to a “true-to-self” Lorde.

    One of her more amusing (but fitting) press engagements was on Bella Freud’s Fashion Neurosis podcast. On the couch, we hear Lorde, wearing a Yohji Yamamoto blazer, musing about vulnerability, gender and her mother – with the great granddaughter of Sigmund Freud.

    Fashion Neurosis: Lorde on the psychiatrist’s couch.

    While the Charli XCX track shows Lorde’s intimacy through her knowingness about her role as “coin” for the music industry, the music videos from Virgin offer a more embodied intimacy. The clip for the album’s first single, “What Was That?”, features an extreme closeup inside her mouth. The album cover itself is an X-ray showing her hips and her IUD.

    Kornbluh suggests this emphasis on often literal bodily interiors – people’s “insides” – produces an ersatz sense of closeness and sociality, as our relationships become more and more beholden to the alienating circuits of “social” media.

    Virgin does not lie. It traces a truth of our times – a paradoxical truth – that we are at our most intimate, our most pure, when we are unmediated, all the while bearing out the imperative to “✏️Describe the vibe” – to mediate and expose ourselves onscreen.

    My own vibe check? I love the album. It is pop at its purest – performative, playful and certainly worth paying attention to.

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

    – ref. On her new album, Lorde creates pop at its purest – performative, playful and alive to paradox – https://theconversation.com/on-her-new-album-lorde-creates-pop-at-its-purest-performative-playful-and-alive-to-paradox-259994

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Unsafe and unethical: bed shortages mean dementia patients with psychiatric symptoms are admitted to medical wards

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cindy Towns, Senior Lecturer in General Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Otago

    Getty Images

    New Zealand’s mental health crisis is well documented in the government’s 2018 inquiry, He Ara Oranga, which shows one in five people experience mental illness or significant mental distress.

    However, an almost singular focus on care of young people obscures the psychiatric needs of older adults.

    Failure to account for these needs has resulted in physicians facing pressure to admit psychiatric patients to medical wards that are not designed or resourced to care for them. This compromises patient safety and rights as well as fundamental standards of care.

    Our new research highlights the clinical, ethical and legal consequences of this practice and calls for urgent action.

    Dementia includes psychiatric features

    The memory deficits of dementia are well known but the condition also includes psychiatric presentations. These are known collectively as the “behavioural and psychiatric symptoms of dementia” (BPSD). When severe, they can include intrusive behaviour, violence and inappropriate sexual conduct. Such patients require admission and specialist treatment.

    However, New Zealand has a severe shortage of psychiatric beds for older adults. Even more concerning is that despite well recognised demographic trends and clinical concerns, bed numbers have decreased over time rather than increased.

    Reports that Dunedin plans to slash the number of psycho-geriatric beds by 50% reflect a lack of government insight into the risks this large and growing patient cohort poses.

    Hospitals routinely expect medical wards to admit dementia patients presenting with BPSD when no psycho-geriatric bed is available. Yet it is impossible for staff on medical wards to adhere to even basic standards of care.

    Poor design

    A lack of single rooms means medical teams cannot provide the security and minimisation of light and noise people with dementia require. Single rooms need to be prioritised for transmissible infections, delirium and terminal care.

    Medical wards are also not designed for aggressive patients. People can enter and exit freely, potential weapons (scissors, for example) are accessible, there are no seclusion rooms or low-stimulus areas, and nursing stations are not secure.

    Medical staff are not trained in de-escalation or restraint and ward pharmacists are not specialised in the medications required to treat BPSD.

    Those presenting with physical or sexual violence also need dedicated security, well beyond what healthcare assistants on “patient watches” can provide. Most healthcare assistants are women, which creates a grossly inadequate level of safety when managing violent male patients.

    The experience of Wellington general medicine staff documents numerous assaults on nurses and intrusive and frightening behaviour. Staff have been punched, hit, bitten and threatened. One nurse was stabbed while attending to another patient in a multi-bed room.

    Admissions have included physically robust patients who have seriously assaulted family or carers. This includes one man who committed a fatal assault and another who was sexually aggressive and stabbed a family member.

    High rates of mixed-gender bedding in hospital wards raise the risk of harm. The United Kingdom banned hospitals from placing men and women in the same room in 2010. Yet despite concerns for patient safety, New Zealand has no prohibition on this practice.

    Poor policy

    By comparison, Australia proposed a risk stratification approach more than 20 years ago whereby severe dementia patients would be managed in secure units with dedicated security staff and specialist psycho-geriatric care.

    This model is used throughout Australia in policy and planning. In New Zealand, severe dementia is defaulted to medical wards even in cases where patients are presenting solely due to extreme violence.

    According to the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights, patients are entitled to an appropriate standard of care. Admitting someone with dementia to medical wards that cannot meet basic standards of care clearly breaches this right.

    BPSD admissions also significantly compromise the rights of other patients. The risks are again demonstrable rather than potential. International media reports have documented male dementia patients assaulting female patients in medical wards without the necessary security measures.

    Medical staff in New Zealand hospitals have also witnessed numerous incidents of intrusion and harassment as well as assaults of other patients by dementia patients inappropriately admitted to medical wards with BPSD.

    We should also recognise indirect impacts of people with severe dementia being admitted on medical wards. Many patients wait overnight for admission, increasing their risk for complications, and breaching rights to privacy and dignity.

    When psychiatric patients occupy medical beds, they contribute to admission delays, complications and rights breaches for medical patients awaiting beds.

    Urgent need for more psycho-geriatric beds

    Wellington general medicine teams have raised serious concerns about dementia admissions for many years. Yet there are no secure areas and no additional psycho-geriatric beds.

    We need to ask why the practice continues when harm is so obvious. The answer appears to be about cost. When physicians relent and admit psychiatric patients, the risks are high but the financial cost is low. The consequences are born by elderly and frail patients seldom able to advocate for themselves.

    Change relies on health leaders and funders caring about safety, rights and basic standards of care. Unfortunately, the Wellington experience and the decision to cut beds in Dunedin suggest change will not happen unless physicians consistently refuse the admission of psychiatric patients. But this is a morally distressing position to be put in.

    New Zealand must urgently address the shortage of psycho-geriatric beds. Until these are in place, temporary secure accommodation must be made available under the care of mental health specialists.

    Medical teams can no longer be expected to manage the mental health crisis as well as their own medical workloads. It is unsafe, unethical and untenable for all involved.

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

    – ref. Unsafe and unethical: bed shortages mean dementia patients with psychiatric symptoms are admitted to medical wards – https://theconversation.com/unsafe-and-unethical-bed-shortages-mean-dementia-patients-with-psychiatric-symptoms-are-admitted-to-medical-wards-257634

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The government has established the Day of Russian Advocacy.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The decision was made on the instructions of the President.

    Document

    Resolution of June 25, 2025 No. 958

    The professional holiday – Russian Advocacy Day – will now be officially celebrated on May 31. The decree establishing it was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

    This date has informally become established in the legal community as a professional holiday. It was on this day in 2002 that the Federal Law “On Advocacy and the Bar in the Russian Federation” was signed, laying down the basic principles of the organization and activities of the modern legal profession.

    In addition, as is now tradition, at the end of May the Federal Chamber of Advocates and regional chambers of advocates hold the “Advocates for Citizens” campaign – days of free legal assistance to all citizens who apply for legal assistance.

    Establishing a professional holiday at the official level will emphasize the importance of advocacy as a public-legal institution of the Russian legal system and its high public-legal significance for Russian statehood.

    The Ministry of Justice initiated this decision. The proposal was supported by the President.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Shandong Province’s Caoxian County: Hanfu Industry Becomes New Driver of Rural Revitalization

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Caoxian County, Heze City, is located in the southwest of Shandong Province, bordering Henan Province. It is one of the production and sales bases of traditional Chinese costumes (hanfu) in China. Currently, there are more than 2,750 hanfu production enterprises, about 15,000 online stores, and about 100,000 workers in the county. The annual sales volume of hanfu is about 12 billion yuan, making this industry a new engine for local income growth and rural revival.

    Relying on hanfu production and e-commerce, Caoxian County has formed a complete industrial chain covering original R&D, design and production, copyright protection, cutting, embroidery and printing, show and exhibition, and online marketing. At present, the hanfu industry in Caoxian County is rapidly developing towards scale, branding, and high-quality production. Hanfu, mainly mamianqun skirts, are sold to more than 10 countries and regions around the world, including Australia, Canada, and the European Union.

    Photos by a Xinhua News Agency correspondent.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Flights between China’s Kunming and Myanmar’s Mandalay, disrupted by earthquake, have resumed

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    KUNMING, June 30 (Xinhua) — Flights in both directions between Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, and Mandalay in Myanmar, which were suspended in March due to a powerful earthquake, resumed on Sunday.

    According to the Yunnan branch of China Eastern Airlines, flights MU2029/MU2030 on the Kunming-Mandalay route are operated by Boeing 737 aircraft. The schedule remains the same: four round-trip flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

    Flights were suspended after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28. The natural disaster damaged many facilities, including the infrastructure of the Mandalay airport.

    China Eastern Airlines expressed confidence that the resumption of air traffic will have a positive impact on bilateral trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation in post-disaster recovery between China and Myanmar, and will strengthen ties between Yunnan Province and Southeast Asia.

    The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained China’s largest trading partner in January-May. During this period, trade turnover between the two sides reached 3.02 trillion yuan (about 422 billion US dollars), an increase of 9.1 percent compared to the same period last year. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 11 killed, seven injured in Sudan gold mine collapse

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    KHARTOUM, June 30 (Xinhua) — At least 11 people were killed and seven injured when a shaft collapsed at a gold mine in northeastern Sudan, state-owned Mineral Resources said Sunday.

    The incident occurred at the Kersh al-Fil mine in the Huwaid region, between the cities of Atbara and Haya, the company said in a statement, without giving a date for the collapse.

    The company said the mine had previously been closed for safety reasons.

    The company promised to continue monitoring mining operations and improve safety standards, calling on miners to comply with safety and environmental regulations.

    Traditional mining accounts for a significant share of Sudan’s gold production, but the sector is prone to accidents due to poor safety standards and outdated infrastructure.

    About 1.5 million prospectors mine almost 80 percent of Sudan’s gold, which was officially estimated to be about 64 tons in 2024. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: To the staff of the Saratov State Art Museum named after A.N. Radishchev.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On June 29, 2025, the museum will celebrate its 140th anniversary.

    Dear friends!

    I congratulate you on this significant event – the 140th anniversary of the founding of the Saratov State Art Museum named after A.N. Radishchev.

    Today it is one of the largest museums in our country, a scientific, cultural and educational center. Unique works of Russian and European art from different eras are carefully preserved here. Large-scale exhibition projects are implemented, which give visitors the opportunity to see masterpieces created by great masters.

    The highly professional team deserves special words of gratitude. Responsible, caring people, devoted to their work, you multiply museum traditions, conduct extensive research, restoration and educational activities. It is important that the creative development of children and youth is a priority for you. You introduce young people to the rich historical and cultural heritage of Russia, instill love for the Motherland.

    I wish you further success, new achievements, health, happiness and prosperity.

    M. Mishustin

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: On June 30, Mikhail Mishustin will meet with members of the Council of the Chamber of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The event will be attended by First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Deputy Prime Minister – Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko, Deputy Prime Ministers Tatyana Golikova, Alexander Novak, Dmitry Patrushev, Vitaly Savelyev, Marat Khusnullin, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov, Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly Valentina Matviyenko, First Deputy Chairmen of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly Vladimir Yakushev, Andrey Yatskin, Deputy Chairmen of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly Nikolay Zhuravlev, Konstantin Kosachev, Inna Svyatenko.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Death following crash on Thursday, Karaka

    Source: New Zealand Police

    A woman has died in hospital following a crash in Karaka last Thursday.

    Emergency services were called to SH22 about 1.15pm on 26 June to reports of a head on collision involving two vehicles.

    Four people were transported to hospital by ambulance, two in critical condition, one in serious condition and one moderate.

    Police can confirm one of the people in a critical condition, a 79-year-old woman, died in hospital on 27 June.

    A man remains in hospital in a critical condition, while the other two involved in the crash have been discharged.

    The Serious Crash Unit is continuing to investigate circumstances of the crash.

    ENDS.

    Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 30, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 30, 2025.

    Fiji’s Dr Prasad unveils $4.8b budget as deficit widens
    By Kaya Selby, RNZ Pacific journalist The Fiji government is spending big on this year’s budget. The country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Biman Prasad, unveiled a FJ$4.8 billion (about NZ$3.5 billion) spending package, complete with cost of living measures and fiscal stimulus, to the Fijian Parliament on Friday. This is about F$280

    Cities are heating up the planet – how they can do more to fight climate change
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Hurlimann, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Quality Stock Arts/Shutterstock Cities have a central role to play tackling climate change. They contribute 67–72% of the greenhouse gas emissions which are heating up the planet. At the same time, cities are increasingly at risk

    Tahiti prepares for its first Matari’i public holiday
    RNZ Te Manu Korihi Tahiti will mark Matari’i as a national public holiday for the first time in November, following in the footsteps of Matariki in Aotearoa New Zealand. Matari’i refers to the same star cluster as Matariki. And for Tahitians, November 20 will mark the start of Matari’i i ni’a — the “season of

    Scientists look to black holes to know exactly where we are in the Universe. But phones and wifi are blocking the view
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucia McCallum, Senior Scientist in Geodesy, University of Tasmania ESA / Hubble / L. Calçada (ESO), CC BY The scientists who precisely measure the position of Earth are in a bit of trouble. Their measurements are essential for the satellites we use for navigation, communication and Earth

    Could we live with a nuclear-armed Iran? Reluctantly, yes
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Zala, Senior Lecturer, Politics & International Relations, Monash University As the ceasefire between Israel and Iran seems to be holding for now, it is important to reflect on whether this whole episode was worth the risks. Wider escalation was (and remains) possible, and we do not

    How to reform the NDIS and better support disabled people who don’t qualify for it
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Bennett, Disability Program Director, Grattan Institute Australia is spending more than ever on disability services – and yet many people with disability still aren’t receiving the support they need. Since the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) began in 2013, it has transformed the lives of hundreds

    Mr Smith or Gary? Why some teachers ask students to call them by their first name
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Brownlie, Lecturer in Education, University of Southern Queensland Johnny Greig/ Getty Images When you went to school, did you call your teacher Mrs, Ms or Mr, followed by their surname? Perhaps you even called them Sir or Miss. The tradition of addressing teachers in a formal

    NZ cities are getting hotter: 5 things councils can do now to keep us cooler when summer comes
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Stand on any car park on a sunny day in February and the heat will radiate through your shoes. At 30°C air temperature, that asphalt hits 50–55°C – hot enough to cause

    Murdoch’s News Corp has moved into the mortgage business. Where are the regulators?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roberta Esbitt, Associate, RMIT University If you want to advertise a house online in Australia, you don’t have many options. Just two companies dominate the market. Australia’s largest property listings platform, realestate.com.au, belongs to digital media company REA Group, which is majority-owned by Rupert Murdoch’s US-based media

    Clark warns in new Pacific book renewed nuclear tensions pose ‘existential threat to humanity’
    Asia Pacific Report Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark has warned the country needs to maintain its nuclear-free policy as a “fundamental tenet” of its independent foreign policy in the face of gathering global storm clouds. Writing in a new book being published next week, she says “nuclear war is an existential threat to

    ‘Bridge for peace – not more bombs,’ say CNMI Gaza protesters
    By Bryan Manabat in Saipan Advocacy groups in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) disrupted the US Department of Defense’s public meeting this week, which tackled proposed military training plans on Tinian, voicing strong opposition to further militarisation in the Marianas. Members of the Marianas for Palestine, Prutehi Guahan and Commonwealth670 burst into

    Why manufacturing consent for war with Iran failed this time
    COMMENTARY: By Ahmad Ibsais On June 22, American warplanes crossed into Iranian airspace and dropped 14 massive bombs. The attack was not in response to a provocation; it came on the heels of illegal Israeli aggression that took the lives of more than 600 Iranians. This was a return to something familiar and well-practised: an

    A return to Nature.
    Headline: A return to Nature. – 36th Parallel Assessments Thomas Hobbes wrote his seminal work Leviathan in 1651. In it he describes the world system as it was then as being in “a state of nature,” something that some have interpreted as anarchy. However, anarchy has order and purpose. It is not chaos. In fact,

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: 21 Palestinians killed by Israeli army across Gaza

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Palestinians are seen near a site of an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on June 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    At least 21 Palestinians were killed on Sunday in Israeli airstrikes and gunfire across the Gaza Strip, Gaza’s civil defense said, as the Israeli army ordered the evacuation of wide areas in Gaza City and northern parts of the enclave amid escalating military operations.

    According to Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the civil defense in Gaza, Israeli warplanes struck residential houses and tents sheltering displaced people in various areas of the enclave, killing at least 17 people, including women and children. Dozens of others were injured, some critically.

    Basal told Xinhua that four other Palestinians were killed while searching for food near the U.S.-backed aid distribution center in the Shakoush area, north of Rafah in southern Gaza.

    There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on these incidents.

    Munir al-Bursh, director general of Gaza’s health authorities, told Xinhua on Sunday the Israeli army has intensified its attacks over the past 24 hours, targeting residential areas and shelter centers.

    “We are witnessing daily casualties and a worsening health crisis. Artillery fire is dispersing crowds waiting for aid,” al-Bursh said, noting that most injuries were to the head and chest.

    Gaza’s health authorities warned that the humanitarian and medical situation has reached catastrophic levels due to the continued blockade that restricts the entry of emergency medical supplies.

    Meanwhile, local sources told Xinhua that Israeli artillery shelled the eastern and southern outskirts of Gaza City, Jabalia in the north, and Khan Younis in the south, amid fierce fighting with Palestinian armed groups.

    Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said in a press statement on Sunday that its fighters had targeted an Israeli D9 bulldozer with a Yasin 105 missile east of Khan Younis, causing it to catch fire.

    The group also claimed to have shelled Israeli army positions in the Ma’an area with mortars.

    Also on Sunday, the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for residents in Jabalia and the Gaza City neighborhoods of al-Zaytoun, al-Tuffah, al-Daraj, and al-Sabra, urging civilians to move to the al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza. The directive marks one of the largest evacuation orders issued in recent months.

    Israeli army spokesperson for Arabic media Avichay Adraee warned that military operations would intensify in these areas and expand westward toward the city center.

    Following the warning, witnesses reported that dozens of families fled their homes under heavy bombardment. Streets were filled with civilians, many carrying belongings on foot or in private vehicles, heading southward in search of safety.

    On Sunday, Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh warned of the danger of what he described as the largest displacement campaign in Gaza since the start of the conflict.

    He urged the United States to pressure Israel to halt its operations and push for a ceasefire to prevent further escalation.

    Abu Rudeineh reaffirmed that any political initiative must guarantee the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital based on the 1967 borders.

    At least 6,175 Palestinians had been killed and 21,378 others injured since Israel renewed its intensive strikes in Gaza on March 18, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 56,500, and injuries to 133,419, Gaza’s health authorities said on Sunday.

    MIL OSI China News –