NewzIntel.com

Category: Agriculture

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Protecting our endangered fish

    Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

    Members of our Land Management and Biodiversity teams, along with representatives from EOS, ACCG and several local farmers, travelled to Corbies Creek to learn from Department of Conservation (DOC) rangers and Martha Jolly, who is completing her PhD at the University of Canterbury on built and natural barriers protecting native fish species.

    “These populations of endangered fish species are really small and fragmented,” Jolly said.

    Of particular note is the lowland longjaw galaxid, one of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s most endangered fish.

    “We have seven known populations left, all at risk of extinction through extreme events like floods, droughts and invasion by bigger predatory fish such as trout,” she said.

    Together with partners across the region, we have funded deliberate fish passage barriers to protect indigenous biodiversity in a practice known as isolation management.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Biosecurity policies can be annoying – but a century of Antarctic data shows they work  

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Leihy, Ecologist, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research

    Visitors to Australia are often shocked at having to declare an apple or wooden item under our biosecurity policies. Biosecurity policies are used to keep out pest species and diseases. But they’re expensive to uphold and people can question their worth.

    The good news is, they work – and Antarctica’s strict biosecurity policies prove it.

    Under the web of agreements governing Antarctica, cargo must be checked for any sign of plants, seeds, insects and rodents. Visitors must ensure the items they bring are clean.

    In our new research, we analysed a century of data on how many species have been introduced to the icy continent and surrounding sub-Antarctic islands.

    Though there’s little human presence here, many species have been introduced and several have established – including rodents, aphids, and weedy plants – in a surprisingly short time. But across most sub-Antarctic islands, we found the rate of introduced species has remained steady, or slowed, after biosecurity policies were introduced, even as more humans arrived.

    The exception was the Antarctic continent itself, where species introductions are increasing. This is likely due to surging visitor numbers and inconsistent biosecurity efforts between different nations and tourist operators.

    Our work shows biosecurity policies work – if they’re followed.

    Biosecurity in the cold

    Antartica and sub-Antarctic islands such as Heard and McDonald Islands have an exceptional richness of species. Wandering albatrosses and emperor penguins live nowhere else. Some islands are home to meadows of megaherbs.

    Unfortunately, introduced species have had dramatic effects. Mice eat albatrosses alive. Midges entirely change the functioning of terrestrial systems. Weedy plants outcompete and displace unusual plants on several islands.

    Antarctic environments are particularly susceptible to introduced species. New species tend to have faster life cycles and are more tolerant of disturbance. Most indigenous species evolved without predators or competitors.

    As the climate heats up, introduced species get a boost. Warmer conditions make it easier for them to get their first foothold, and they do better with warmer climates than do the indigenous species.

    These vulnerabilities are why nations responsible for sub-Antarctic islands and those who jointly govern Antarctica through the Antarctic Treaty put strict biosecurity protocols in place from the 1990s onwards.

    These policies ban the deliberate introduction of new species and specify the measures visitors and cargo have to undergo to reduce the chance of new species being introduced accidentally.

    These protocols include cleaning equipment, clothing and cargo. In many cases, these policies also require eradication of any potentially damaging species if found.

    Is it worth it?

    All this takes time and money. To do it properly requires many hours of inspections and specific facilities, among other things. Ongoing research is also needed, to ensure the policies keep working.

    But eradication of species once established is often even more expensive. Costs are rising globally. Invasive species have cost Australia at least A$390 billion since the 1960s. Eradicating introduced rabbits, rats and mice from Australia’s Macquarie Island cost about A$25 million.

    So, are our biosecurity efforts worth the cost?

    Assessing the effectiveness of biosecurity policies is rare because it is difficult. To properly gauge effectiveness, you need data from before and after the policy came in. It’s also hard to pinpoint when a species made the jump to the cold; it’s harder to spot one new plant than a thriving population years after the first seeds took root.

    We believe our work solves these problems. We collected data on species arrivals across the Antarctic region and corrected for biases using new mathematical approaches that account for differences in survey effort over time.

    Most species introductions now happen by accident. Because introductions are closely tied to the numbers of visitors, we expected more species would arrive as visitor numbers grew. But on most sub-Antarctic islands, that didn’t happen. Species arrived at the same rate or more slowly than expected, even as more visitors came.

    In other words, the policies are working.

    Why is Antarctica the exception?

    Since 1998, biosecurity policies for the Antarctic continent haven’t managed to slow the rates of introductions.

    Newly introduced species are largely being found on the Antarctic Peninsula, where most tourists and scientists go. The peninsula has the mildest climate of the whole continent and is where Antarctica’s native flowering plants are found, as well as mosses, lichens and fungi.

    The new arrivals include annual bluegrass which displaces native plants. Also arriving are invertebrates, such as midges and springtails which can alter how nutrients are cycled in soil and shift other ecosystem functions.

    It’s not fully clear why biosecurity policies aren’t working as well on the continent as for the islands. Likely causes include inconsistencies in how biosecurity is policed by different nations, a rapidly warming climate and very rapidly growing numbers of people to the peninsula.

    What does this mean for the world?

    Introduced species are one of the largest environmental and economic challenges we face, according to an authoritative recent assessment.

    This may seem surprising. But the unchecked impact of species such as red fire ants, varroa mite and feral pigs cost Australian farmers billions each year. Prevention is usually better – and cheaper – than the cure.

    What our research shows is that biosecurity policies actually work to protect the environment and are likely to be cheaper than the cost of control or eradication. Introduced species now cost the global economy an estimated $423 billion annually.

    Society and decision-makers can see environmental regulations as a cost without a benefit. Being able to show the real advantages of these regulations is vital.

    Rachel Leihy works for the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. This research was done as a part of the Australian Research Council funded program Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future.

    Melodie McGeoch receives funding from the Australian Research Council – SRIEAS Grant SR200100005 Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future.

    Steven Chown receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is an Honorary life member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.

    – ref. Biosecurity policies can be annoying – but a century of Antarctic data shows they work   – https://theconversation.com/biosecurity-policies-can-be-annoying-but-a-century-of-antarctic-data-shows-they-work-252494

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Advocating for our agriculture sector

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The graver Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, the quieter the BBC grows

    ANALYSIS: By Jonathan Cook

    The BBC’s news verification service, Verify, digitally reconstructed a residential tower block in Mandalay earlier this week to show how it had collapsed in a huge earthquake on March 28 in Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia largely cut off from the outside world.

    The broadcaster painstakingly pieced together damage to other parts of the city using a combination of phone videos, satellite imagery and Nasa heat detection images.

    Verify dedicated much time and effort to this task for a simple reason: to expose as patently false the claims made by the ruling military junta that only 2000 people were killed by Myanmar’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

    The West sees the country’s generals as an official enemy, and the BBC wanted to show that the junta’s account of events could not be trusted. Myanmar’s rulers have an interest in undercounting the dead to protect the regime’s image.

    The BBC’s determined effort to strip away these lies contrasted strongly with its coverage — or rather, lack of it — of another important story this week.

    Israel has been caught in another horrifying war crime. Late last month, it executed 15 Palestinian first responders and then secretly buried them in a mass grave, along with their crushed vehicles.

    Israel is an official western ally, one that the United States, Britain and the rest of Europe have been arming and assisting in a spate of crimes against humanity being investigated by the world’s highest court. Fourteen months ago, the International Court of Justice ruled it was “plausible” that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, is a fugitive from its sister court, the International Criminal Court. Judges there want to try him for crimes against humanity, including starving the 2.3 million people of Gaza by withholding food, water and aid.

    Israel is known to have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, many of them women and children, in its 18-month carpet bombing of the enclave. But there are likely to be far more deaths that have gone unreported.

    This is because Israel has destroyed all of Gaza’s health and administrative bodies that could do the counting, and because it has created unmarked “kill zones” across much of the enclave, making it all but impossible for first responders to reach swathes of territory to locate the dead.

    The latest crime scene in Gaza is shockingly illustrative of how Israel murders civilians, targets medics and covers up its crimes — and of how Western media collude in downplaying such atrocities, helping Israel to ensure that the extent of the death toll in Gaza will never be properly known.

    Struck ‘one by one’
     Last Sunday, United Nations officials were finally allowed by Israel to reach the site in southern Gaza where the Palestinian emergency crews had gone missing a week earlier, on March 23. The bodies of 15 Palestinians were unearthed in a mass grave; another is still missing.

    All were wearing their uniforms, and some had their hands or legs zip-tied, according to eyewitnesses. Some had been shot in the head or chest. Their vehicles had been crushed before they were buried.

    Two of the emergency workers were killed by Israeli fire while trying to aid people injured in an earlier air strike on Rafah. The other 13 were part of a convoy sent to retrieve the bodies of their colleagues, with the UN saying Israel had struck their ambulances “one by one”.

    Even the usual excuses, as preposterous as they are, simply won’t wash in the case of Israel’s latest atrocity — which is why it initially tried to black out the story

    More details emerged during the week, with the doctor who examined five of the bodies reporting that all but one — which had been too badly mutilated by feral animals to assess — were shot from close range with multiple bullets. Ahmad Dhaher, a forensic consultant working at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, said: “The bullets were aimed at one person’s head, another at their heart, and a third person had been shot with six or seven bullets in the torso.”

    Bashar Murad, the Red Crescent’s director of health programmes, observed that one of the paramedics in the convoy was in contact with the ambulance station when Israeli forces started shooting: “During the call, we heard the sound of Israeli soldiers arriving at the location, speaking in Hebrew.

    “The conversation was about gathering the [Palestinian] team, with statements like: ‘Gather them at the wall and bring some restraints to tie them.’ This indicated that a large number of the medical staff were still alive.”

    Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in Palestine, reported that, on the journey to recover the bodies, he and his team witnessed Israeli soldiers firing on civilians fleeing the area. He saw a Palestinian woman shot in the back of the head and a young man who tried to retrieve her body shot, too.

    Concealing slaughter
     The difficulty for Israel with the discovery of the mass grave was that it could not easily fall back on any of the usual mendacious rationalisations for war crimes that it has fed the Western media over the past year and a half, and which those outlets have been only too happy to regurgitate.

    Since Israel unilaterally broke a US-backed ceasefire agreement with Hamas last month, its carpet bombing of the enclave has killed more than 1000 Palestinians, taking the official death toll to more than 50,000. But Israel and its apologists, including Western governments and media, always have a ready excuse at hand to mask the slaughter.

    Israel disputes the casualty figures, saying they are inflated by Gaza’s Health Ministry, even though its figures in previous wars have always been highly reliable. It says most of those killed were Hamas “terrorists”, and most of the slain women and children were used by Hamas as “human shields”.

    Israel has also destroyed Gaza’s hospitals, shot up large numbers of ambulances, killed hundreds of medical personnel and disappeared others into torture chambers, while denying the entry of medical supplies.

    Israel implies that all of the 36 hospitals in Gaza it has targeted are Hamas-run “command and control centres”; that many of the doctors and nurses working in them are really covert Hamas operatives; and that Gaza’s ambulances are being used to transport Hamas fighters.

    Even if these claims were vaguely plausible, the Western media seems unwilling to ask the most obvious of questions: why would Hamas continue to use Gaza’s hospitals and ambulances when Israel made clear from the outset of its 18-month genocidal killing rampage that it was going to treat them as targets?

    Even if Hamas fighters did not care about protecting the health sector, which their parents, siblings, children, and relatives desperately need to survive Israel’s carpet bombing, why would they make themselves so easy to locate?

    Hamas has plenty of other places to hide in Gaza. Most of the enclave’s buildings are wrecked concrete structures, ideal for waging guerrilla warfare.

    Israeli cover-up
     Even the usual excuses, as preposterous as they are, simply won’t wash in the case of Israel’s latest atrocity — which is why it initially tried to black out the story.

    Given that it has banned all Western journalists from entering Gaza, killed unprecedented numbers of local journalists, and formally outlawed the UN refugee agency Unrwa, it might have hoped its crime would go undiscovered.

    But as news of the atrocity started to appear on social media last week, and the mass grave was unearthed on Sunday, Israel was forced to concoct a cover story.

    It claimed the convoy of five ambulances, a fire engine, and a UN vehicle were “advancing suspiciously” towards Israeli soldiers. It also insinuated, without a shred of evidence, that the vehicles had been harbouring Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters.

    Once again, we were supposed to accept not only an improbable Israeli claim but an entirely nonsensical one. Why would Hamas fighters choose to become sitting ducks by hiding in the diminishing number of emergency vehicles still operating in Gaza?

    Why would they approach an Israeli military position out in the open, where they were easy prey, rather than fighting their enemy from the shadows, like other guerrilla armies — using Gaza’s extensive concrete ruins and their underground tunnels as cover?

    If the ambulance crews were killed in the middle of a firefight, why were some victims exhumed with their hands tied? How is it possible that they were all killed in a gun battle when the soldiers could be heard calling for the survivors to be zip-tied?

    And if Israel was really the wronged party, why did it seek to hide the bodies and the crushed vehicles under sand?

    ‘Deeply disturbed’
     All available evidence indicates that Israel killed all or most of the emergency crews in cold blood — a grave war crime.

    But as the story broke on Monday, the BBC’s News at Ten gave over its schedule to a bin strike by workers in Birmingham; fears about the influence of social media prompted by a Netflix drama, Adolescence; bad weather on a Greek island; the return to Earth of stranded Nasa astronauts; and Britain’s fourth political party claiming it would do well in next month’s local elections.

    All of that pushed out any mention of Israel’s latest war crime in Gaza.

    Presumably under pressure from its ordinary journalists — who are known to be in near-revolt over the state broadcaster’s persistent failure to cover Israeli atrocities in Gaza — the next day’s half-hour evening news belatedly dedicated 30 seconds to the item, near the end of the running order.

    This was the perfect opportunity for BBC Verify to do a real investigation, piecing together an atrocity Israel was so keen to conceal

    The perfunctory report immediately undercut the UN’s statement that it was “deeply disturbed” by the deaths, with the newsreader announcing that Israel claimed nine “terrorists” were “among those killed”.

    Where was the BBC Verify team in this instance? Too busy scouring Google maps of Myanmar, it would seem.

    If ever there was a region where its forensic, open-source skills could be usefully deployed, it is Gaza. After all, Israel keeps out foreign journalists, and it has killed Palestinian journalists in greater numbers than all of the West’s major wars of the past 150 years combined.

    This was the perfect opportunity for BBC Verify to do a real investigation, piecing together an atrocity Israel was so keen to conceal. It was a chance for the BBC to do actual journalism about Gaza.

    Why was it necessary for the BBC to contest the narrative of an earthquake in a repressive Southeast Asian country whose rulers are opposed by the West but not contest the narrative of a major atrocity committed by a Western ally?

    Missing in action
     This is not the first time that BBC Verify has been missing in action at a crucial moment in Gaza.

    Back in January 2024, Israeli soldiers shot up a car containing a six-year-old girl, Hind Rajab, and her relatives as they tried to flee an Israeli attack on Gaza City. All were killed, but before Hind died, she could be heard desperately pleading with emergency services for help.

    Two paramedics who tried to rescue her were also killed. It took two weeks for other emergency crews to reach the bodies.

    It was certainly possible for BBC Verify to have done a forensic study of the incident — because another group did precisely that. Forensic Architecture, a research team based at the University of London, used available images of the scene to reconstruct the events.

    It found that the Israeli military had fired 335 bullets into the small car carrying Hind and her family. In an audio recording before she was killed, Hind’s cousin could be heard telling emergency services that an Israeli tank was near them.

    The sound of the gunfire, most likely from the tank’s machine gun, indicates it was some 13 metres away — close enough for the crew to have seen the children inside.

    Not only did BBC Verify ignore the story, but the BBC also failed to report it until the bodies were recovered. As has happened so often before, the BBC dared not do any reporting until Israel was forced to confirm the incident because of physical evidence.

    We know from a BBC journalist-turned-whistleblower, Karishma Patel, that she pushed editors to run the story as the recordings of Hind pleading for help first surfaced, but she was overruled.

    When the BBC very belatedly covered Hind’s horrific killing online, in typical fashion, it did so in a way that minimised any pushback from Israel. Its headline, “Hind Rajab, 6, found dead in Gaza days after phone calls for help”, managed to remove Israel from the story.

    Evidence buried
     A clear pattern thus emerges. The BBC also tried to bury the massacre of the 15 Palestinian first responders — keeping it off its website’s main page — just as Israel had tried to bury the evidence of its crime in Gaza’s sand.

    The story’s first headline was: “Red Cross outraged over killing of eight medics in Gaza”. Once again, Israel was removed from the crime scene.

    Only later, amid massive backlash on social media and as the story refused to go away, did the BBC change the headline to attribute the killings to “Israeli forces”.

    But subsequent stories have been keen to highlight the self-serving Israeli claim that its soldiers were entitled to execute the paramedics because the presence of emergency vehicles at the scene of much death and destruction was “suspicious”.

    In one report, a BBC journalist managed to shoe-horn this same, patently ridiculous “defence” twice into her two-minute segment. She reduced the discovery of an Israeli massacre to mere “allegations”, while a clear war crime was soft-soaped as only an “apparent” one.

    Notably, the BBC has on one solitary occasion managed to go beyond other media in reporting an attack on an ambulance crew. The footage incontrovertibly showed a US-supplied Apache helicopter firing on the crew and a young family they were trying to evacuate.

    There was no possibility the ambulance contained “terrorists” because the documentary team were filming inside the vehicle with paramedics they had been following for months. The video was included near the end of a documentary on the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, seen largely through the eyes of children.

    But the BBC quickly pulled that film, titled Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, after the Israel lobby manufactured a controversy over one of its child narrators being the son of Gaza’s deputy Agriculture Minister, who served in the Hamas-run civilian government.

    Wholesale destruction
     The unmentionable truth, which has been evident since the earliest days of the 18-month genocide, is that Israel is intentionally dismantling and destroying Gaza’s health sector, piece by piece.

    According to the UN, Israel’s war has killed at least 1060 healthcare workers and 399 aid workers — those deaths it has been possible to identify — and wrecked Gaza’s health facilities. Israel has rounded up hundreds of medical staff and disappeared many of them into what Israeli human rights groups call torture chambers.

    One doctor, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, director of the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, has been held by Israel since he was abducted in late December. During brief contacts with lawyers, Dr Safiya revealed that he is being tortured.

    Other doctors have been killed in Israeli detention from their abuse, including one who was allegedly raped to death.

    Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s hospitals and execution of medical personnel is part of the same message: there is nowhere safe, no sanctuary, the laws of war no longer apply

    Why is Israel carrying out this wholesale destruction of Gaza’s health sector? There are two reasons. Firstly, Netanyahu recently reiterated his intent to carry out the complete ethnic cleansing of Gaza.

    He presents this as “voluntary migration”, supposedly in accordance with US President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate the enclave’s population of 2.3 million Palestinians to other countries.

    There can be nothing voluntary about Palestinians leaving Gaza when Israel has refused to allow any food or aid into the enclave for the past month, and is indiscriminately bombing Gaza. Israel’s ultimate intention has always been to terrify the population into flight.

    Israel’s ambassador to Austria, David Roet, was secretly recorded last month stating that “there are no uninvolved in Gaza”— a constant theme from Israeli officials. He also suggested that there should be a “death sentence” for anyone Israel accuses of holding a gun, including children.

    Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has threatened the “total devastation” of Gaza’s civilian population should they fail to “remove Hamas” from the enclave, something they are in no position to do.

    Not surprisingly, faced with the prospect of an intensification of the genocide and the imminent annihilation of themselves and their loved ones, ordinary people in Gaza have started organising protests against Hamas — marches readily reported by the BBC and others.

    Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s hospitals and execution of medical personnel is part of the same message: there is nowhere safe, no sanctuary, the laws of war no longer apply, and no one will come to your aid in your hour of need.

    You are alone against our snipers, drones, tanks and Apache helicopters.

    Too much to bear
     The second reason for Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s health sector is that we in the West, or at least our governments and media, have consented to Israel’s savagery — and actively participated in it — every step of the way. Had there been any meaningful pushback at any stage, Israel would have been forced to take another course.

    When David Lammy, Britain’s Foreign Secretary, let slip in Parliament last month the advice he has been receiving from his officials since he took up the job last summer — that Israel is clearly violating international law by starving the population — he was immediately rebuked by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office.

    Let us not forget that Starmer, when he was opposition leader, approved Israel’s genocidal blocking of food, water and electricity to Gaza, saying Israel “had that right”.

    In response to Lammy’s comments, Starmer’s spokesperson restated the government’s view that Israel is only “at risk” of breaching international law — a position that allows the UK to continue arming Israel and providing it with intelligence from British spy flights over Gaza from a Royal Air Force base in Cyprus.

    Our politicians have consented to everything Israel has done, and not just in Gaza over the past 18 months. This genocide has been decades in the making.

    Three-quarters of a century ago, the West authorised the ethnic cleansing of most of Palestine to create a self-declared Jewish state there. The West consented, too, to the violent occupation of the last sections of Palestine in 1967, and to Israel’s gradual colonisation of those newly seized territories by armed Jewish extremists.

    The West nodded through waves of house demolitions carried out against Palestinian communities by Israel to “Judaise” the land. It backed the Israeli army creating extensive “firing zones” on Palestinian farmland to starve traditional agricultural communities of any means of subsistence.

    The West ignored Israeli settlers and soldiers destroying Palestinian olive groves, beating up shepherds, torching homes, and murdering families. Even being an Oscar winner offers no immunity from the rampant settler violence.

    The West agreed to Israel creating an apartheid road system and a network of checkpoints that kept Palestinians confined to ever-shrinking ghettoes, and building walls around Palestinian areas to permanently isolate them from the rest of the world.

    It allowed Israel to stop Palestinians from reaching one of their holiest sites, Al-Aqsa Mosque, on land that was supposed to be central to their future state.

    The West kept quiet as Israel besieged the two million people of Gaza for 17 years, putting them on a tightly rationed diet so their children would grow ever-more malnourished. It did nothing — except supply more weapons — when the people of Gaza launched a series of non-violent protests at their prison walls around the enclave, and were greeted with Israeli sniper fire that left thousands dead or crippled.

    The West only found a collective voice of protest on 7 October 2023, when Hamas managed to find a way to break out of Gaza’s choking isolation to wreak havoc in Israel for 24 hours. It has been raising its voice in horror at the events of that single day ever since, drowning out 18 months of screams from the children being starved and exterminated in Gaza.

    The murder of 15 Palestinian medics and aid workers is a tiny drop in an ocean of Israeli criminality — a barbarism rewarded by Western capitals decade after decade.

    This genocide was made in the West. Israel is our progeny, our ugly reflection in the mirror — which is why Western leaders and establishment media are so desperate to make us look the other way. That reflection is too much for anyone with a soul to bear.

    Jonathan Cook is a writer, journalist and media critic, and author of many books about Palestine. He is a winner of the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism. Republished from the Middle East Eye and the author’s blog with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba Ricardo Cabrisas held the 22nd meeting of the Russian-Cuban Intergovernmental Commission

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Dmitry Chernyshenko and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba Ricardo Cabrisas

    April 4, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba Ricardo Cabrisas held the 22nd meeting of the Russian-Cuban Intergovernmental Commission

    April 4, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko during the 22nd meeting of the Russian-Cuban Intergovernmental Commission

    April 4, 2025

    Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba Ricardo Cabrisas during the 22nd meeting of the Russian-Cuban Intergovernmental Commission

    April 4, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Dmitry Chernyshenko and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba Ricardo Cabrisas

    The 22nd meeting of the Intergovernmental Russian-Cuban Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation was held in the capital of Cuba, Havana. The co-chairs were Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba Ricardo Cabrisas.

    The parties discussed key areas of bilateral cooperation, including in the fields of energy, industry, tourism, agriculture, technology, education, culture and sports, as well as issues of implementing promising investment projects. Following the meeting, 13 documents were signed, including the final act and cooperation agreements.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko thanked Ricardo Cabrisas for the warm welcome of the Russian delegation in Havana and stressed that Russia expects the visit of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War in May 2025. Earlier, the President of the Republic accepted an invitation sent on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    “I would like to note with great satisfaction the regularity of the meetings of the intergovernmental commission. This allows us to work effectively to advance key issues on the bilateral agenda. We highly value the trusting and constructive political dialogue at all levels, including the highest. We intend to further strengthen Russian-Cuban relations in a wide range of areas: in the field of industrial cooperation, trade and humanitarian cooperation, exchange of experience and transfer of Russian technological developments, joint scientific research,” noted Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    The Deputy Prime Minister spoke about the support provided to Cuba, including the emergency measures program to minimize the consequences of the energy crisis that occurred on the island at the end of last year.

    In addition, according to Dmitry Chernyshenko, the educational sphere is an integral part of bilateral cooperation. Last year, over 60 agreements were concluded between Russian and Cuban universities. From 2023 to the present, eight open education centers for the study of the Russian language have been operating on the island. In 2024, Russian universities opened two geological classes in Cuban universities, as well as a Center for the targeted training of specialists in the field of energy and electronics. As part of the current visit of the Russian delegation, the work of the branch of the Southern Federal University in Havana will be launched.

    It is planned to continue work on expanding the portfolio of bilateral investment initiatives, the total number of which currently exceeds 100. The Deputy Prime Minister also noted the resumption of deliveries of Russian cars to Cuba. In 2024, over 180 units of mechanical engineering products were exported to the island.

    Within the framework of agro-industrial cooperation, a project for processing Russian wheat at a Cuban flour mill is being implemented for the second year in a row. The possibility of Russian business participation in the modernization of the sugar industry in Cuba is being considered.

    The tourism industry continues to develop. In 2024, the Russian tourist flow to Cuba remained at the level of the record 2023 and amounted to 160 thousand people. At the same time, the number of Cuban citizens who visited Russia last year increased by more than 50%.

    “To solve the challenges we face today, it is extremely important to have the support of reliable partners and allies, such as the Russian Federation. The current meeting of the intergovernmental commission is a suitable platform for studying the proposals that are on the negotiating table. I am confident that the meetings will yield concrete results that will help strengthen the relations between our countries,” said Ricardo Cabrisas.

    On the Russian side, representatives of the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Digital Development, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture and other departments also took part in the meeting of the IPC.

    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 USA: April 5th, 2025 As Republicans Tank Economy, Heinrich Fights Against Trump-Musk Handouts to Billionaires at the Expense of New Mexico Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON — Last night, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) stood up for New Mexico families by voting against Senate Republicans’ budget resolution that funds Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s tax handouts for billionaires at the expense of working people. 
    Heinrich pushed to amend Republicans’ resolution by repeatedly voting to lower costs for families — particularly as Trump’s tariffs push America to the brink of a recession. Heinrich and Senate Democrats also worked to block cuts to Medicaid, extend the tax credits for health care premiums, and prevent millions of Americans from losing health insurance, protect Social Security, and reverse cuts to the Social Security Administration, including cuts by Elon Musk’s DOGE. 
    Heinrich additionally led an amendment with U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) to prevent the sale of our public lands as Congressional Republicans publicly discuss public lands sales to fund their tax breaks for billionaires. Republicans blocked it.  
    “Republicans’ budget resolution is a massive tax handout for Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their billionaire donors. It has one aim: Billionaires win, American families lose.  
    “Throughout the night and into the early morning, I fought back, introducing and voting for dozens of amendments to shield New Mexico families from Republicans’ harmful legislation. Amendments that would rescind President Trump’s tariff taxes if the price of groceries, medicine, and other household goods increase, protect Medicaid by blocking Musk’s DOGE cuts that threaten rural hospital closures, reverse cuts to Social Security, and prevent the sale of our public lands to fund tax cuts for billionaires. Republicans blocked every single one of them.  
    “When Republicans had the opportunity to go on the record and show the American people whose side they’re on, they put their billionaire donors on a pedestal and threw working people under the bus. Rather than putting New Mexico families first, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their Republican enablers in Congress are tanking our economy, pushing us into a recession.” 
    Last night, Senate Republicans blocked Heinrich’s efforts to:
    Fight Increasing Costs, Including From Trump’s Tariffs
    Senate Republicans voted against: 
    Rescinding President Trump’s tariff taxes that increase the price of groceries, medicine, and other household goods. 
    Protecting food assistance for kids and seniors, who are otherwise significantly harmed by rising grocery prices. 
    Preventing essential services for children, families, and seniors from being defunded to give massive tax cuts to billionaires.  
    Protecting agriculture programs that support farmers and rural economies. 
    Prioritize Working Families Over Billionaires
    Senate Republicans voted against:  
    Providing tax cuts for the middle class and small businesses while ensuring large corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share. 
    Preventing tax handouts for people making over $100 million a year. 
    Preventing tax handouts for people making over $500 million a year. 
    Preventing tax handouts for people making over $1 billion a year. 
    Preventing tax handouts for corporations making over $1 billion a year. 
    Preventing more than $37 trillion from being added to the debt in 30 years—more debt than has accumulated over the past 249 years. 
    Protect Medicare and Medicaid
    Senate Republicans voted against: 
    Stopping cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. 
    Preventing cuts to Medicaid that could lead to rural hospital closures, increased costs for people with private insurance, and higher rates of uncompensated care. 
    Protecting Americans from losing health care through Medicaid, including seniors, children, families, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and military families. 
    Preserving access to health care by preventing cuts to Medicaid that could lead to loss of benefits or coverage, and slashed provider payments. 
    Lowering prescription drug costs for seniors and people with disabilities with Medicare. 
    Extending the health care premium tax credits created in the Affordable Care Act to prevent millions of Americans from losing health insurance. 
    Safeguard Social Security
    Senate Republicans voted against:  
    Reversing cuts to the Social Security Administration, including cuts by Elon Musk’s DOGE. 
    Preventing Elon Musk’s DOGE from closing Social Security field and regional offices, preserving access to benefits for seniors and people with disabilities. 
    Preventing Elon Musk’s DOGE from limiting access to Social Security phone services to protect seniors’ access to Social Security benefits. 
    Protect Our National Security and Provide Disaster Relief 
    Senate Republicans voted against: 
    Protecting service members by prohibiting the use of Signal and other commercial messaging applications for sharing information on the timing, sequencing, or weapons to be used related to impending U.S. military operations. 
    Prohibiting any reduction in U.S. security assistance and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine. 
    Supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) role in providing nonpartisan and long-term disaster relief to disaster survivors. 
    Support Our Farmers and Federal Workers
    Senate Republicans voted against: 
    Ensuring contracts made with our farmers are honored. 
    Protecting legally binding collective bargaining agreements and the right to organize for federal workers. 
    Below is a total list of amendments that Heinrich filed to amend Republicans’ budget resolution to cut taxes for billionaires at the expense of working people:
    Amendment to prevent the sale of public lands. 
    Amendment to lower housing costs for Americans.  
    Amendment to reduce Department of Veterans Affairs wait times for 136,000 veterans per day. 
    Amendment to reduce Social Security Administration wait times for 344,000 Americans per day. 
    Amendment to scale up American manufacturing by supporting small and medium-sized manufactures enhance competitiveness, productivity, and technological performance. 
    Amendment to recruit and hire additional wildland firefighters. 
    Amendment to exempt federal wildland firefighters and personnel from hiring freezes and reinstate federal wildland firefighters and personnel fired by Trump, Elon Musk, or DOGE. 
    Amendment to increase forest health and wildfire mitigation forest treatments to support wildland firefighting.   
    Amendment to hire reforestation crews and promote the recovery of burned forest land to support healthy watersheds, outdoor recreation, and timber resources.  
    Last month, Heinrich attempted to amend Republicans’ prior resolution by offering an amendment to reinstate blocked grants for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and ensure law enforcement can hold predators and abusers accountable. Republicans voted against his amendment. Watch Heinrich’s video here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Easter holidays – Liverpool’s libraries have you covered

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Last updated:

    From an Easter egg hunt to shadow puppet workshops and storytelling sessions, there’s lots to do for all the family in and around Liverpool libraries during the Easter holidays.

    It wouldn’t be Easter without an egg hunt. Culture Liverpool has commissioned Positive Pathways to host a community day at St John’s Gardens on Thursday 17 April between 12-4pm. As well as a chance to win prizes in an egg hunt, there will be lots of activities going on in and around Central Library including Lego building, STEAM Engineers (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) workshops and advice on weight control and diet for young people.

    Children can devise their own characters and stories and create their own puppets in a series of shadow puppetry workshops throughout the Easter holidays, culminating in a celebratory puppet showcase at Central Library on 10 May. The sessions take place on the following dates:

    • Tuesday 8 April 11am – 3pm at Wavertree Library
    • Wednesday 9 April 11am – 3pm at Norris Green Library
    • Thursday 10 April 11:30am – 3pm at Spellow Community Hub and Library
    • Friday 11 April 11am – 3pm at Sefton Park
    • Saturday 12 April 11am – 1pm at Birkenhead Library
    • Monday 14 April 2pm – 4pm at Huyton Library
    • Tuesday 15 April 11am- 12:15pm and 12:30 – 3pm at Prescot Library
    • Wednesday 16 April 11am – 1pm and 2 – 4pm at Halewood Library
    • Thursday 17 April 11am – 3pm at Fazakerley Community Federation & Library
    • Friday 18 April 11am – 3pm at Garston Library
    • Saturday 19 April 11am – 3pm at Allerton Library
    • Saturday 10 May 11am – 3pm Family Puppet Day at Liverpool Central Library

    The 11am – 3pm sessions will include a one-hour break with free healthy food provided. Email artgroupie@outlook.com to reserve a place.

    Storytelling sessions include:

    • Tuesday 8 April – Jude Lennon reading Little Lamb Tales throughout the day at Central Library. Perfect for ages 3-10.
    • Thursday 10 April Tina Freeman running Alice in Wonderland themed stories and crafts 10.30 – 3pm at Central Library.
    • Tuesday 15 April – Ma Bailey story sessions 10.30am – 2.30pm and 1.30 – 4pm at Central Library.
    • Saturday 19 April – Author Angela Ackah-McIntyre will deliver an interactive book-reading session based on her children’s fun fantasy adventure book Efua’s Magic Stew 1 – 4pm at Central Library.

    For theatre lovers, there are two exhibitions running until the end of the month at Central Library: Lights Up on Liverpool in the Hornby Library and Liverpool Empire Theatre 100 in the third-floor archive. The former, a partnership between ArtsGroupie CIC and Liverpool Libraries and Information Services, spotlights Liverpool’s groundbreaking, radical and experimental approaches to theatre and is a response to the decreasing number of working-class professionals in the performing arts. The latter, a collaboration between the theatre and the Liverpool Record Office and Archives, features photographs and artefacts – including programmes, tickets, letters, visitor books, flyers and architect plans – which tell the story of the Grade II listed Lime Street landmark.

    Other exhibitions at Central Library include Electrification of the Liverpool and Southport Railway Line in March 1904, a display of illustrations of the original four-car electric train sets and Liverpool Olympia 120, a display of illustrations of the stage machinery, circus ring and lake, and some programme covers marking the anniversary of the opening of Liverpool Olympia, West Derby Road, on 24 April 1905. The former closes on 22 April and the latter opens on 23 April.

    For more information about what’s on in Liverpool libraries, visit the libraries pages on Liverpool City Council’s website.  

    Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Health and Wellbeing, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:
    “Keeping the kids entertained over the school holidays can be hard work – and expensive – so we have programmed lots of participatory arts projects, which can help young people develop self-confidence, empathy and social skills.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Baldwin Votes Down Republicans’ Bill to Green Light Cuts to Medicaid, Tax Breaks to the Wealthy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted to set the stage for their massive tax cuts for big corporations and the wealthiest Americans at the direct expense of healthcare Wisconsin families rely on, including Medicaid. Overnight, Republicans rejected Senator Baldwin’s amendment that would have prevented cuts to Medicaid that will lead to rural hospital closures and protected rural health care from being decimated in the wake of their deep cuts to Medicaid.
    “Over the last two months, I’ve heard from Wisconsinites in every corner of our state who are terrified about what cuts to Medicaid, or BadgerCare, will mean for their families’ future, health, and finances. I’ve heard from Wisconsinites with cancer literally fighting for their lives, seniors in nursing homes, dairy farmers struggling to make ends meet, and rural hospitals working on tight margins – all of whom have begged me to protect Medicaid,” said Senator Baldwin. “But instead of listening to the 4 in 5 Americans who want to protect Medicaid, Republicans voted  for a plan that puts this essential lifeline for families on the chopping block so they can make room in the budget for tax giveaways to Wall Street investors and big corporations.”
    Overnight, Republicans rejected Senator Baldwin’s amendment to their legislation that would have protected rural health care services from these devastating cuts. Rural hospitals,  already closing at a more rapid pace than in suburban and urban places, depend on Medicaid for financial viability. Deep cuts to Medicaid as outlined in the Republican’s budget could force more hospitals in rural areas to shutter.
    Watch Senator Baldwin’s remarks on why Medicaid is so essential to rural hospitals here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Votes No on Republicans’ Destructive Budget Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Welch Votes No on GOP’s Destructive Budget Senate Republicans rejected Welch-led amendment to help hardworking Vermonters 
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance and Judiciary Committees and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, voted against the Senate Republicans’ budget plan early this morning:
    “Since taking office, President Trump has made it crystal clear that he’s willing to bulldoze programs hardworking Americans rely on to line the pockets of billionaires. It’s truly outrageous that Republicans agreed to this cruel budget, which will have disastrous long-term consequences for Americans across the country—from farmers and seniors in Vermont to Social Security beneficiaries and small businesses in Texas. I voted no on the GOP’s budget,” said Senator Welch.
    Senator Welch filed 61 amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget plan. The Senator’s amendments aim to help working families through the affordability crisis, defend vital government services and disaster aid from Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), and combat President Trump’s reckless, illegal agenda. Senate Republicans rejected Senator Welch’s amendment to block tax cuts to billionaires paid for by cutting meals for hungry seniors and eliminating child care services for families.
    Senate Republicans’ budget, unveiled Wednesday, attacks Medicaid, Medicare, and the health care of seniors, children, people with disabilities, and rural patients; threatens Social Security for millions; raises costs for working families and enables President Trump’s trade war; jeopardizes support and health care for veterans; and gives DOGE a greenlight to destroy the federal government—all in the service of paying for Trump’s tax cut to billionaires.  
    Senator Welch offered amendments to the Republican budget resolution aimed to:   
    Address the Affordability Crisis: 
    An amendment to block tax cuts to billionaires paid for by cutting meals for hungry seniors and eliminating child care services for families. 
    Amendments to support federal dairy programs, organic farmers, and young and beginning farmers. 
    An amendment to address the impacts of disasters in rural communities.   
    An amendment to promote innovation, domestic job creation and U.S. competitiveness. This amendment would support Vermont’s growing semiconductor industry and America’s Tech Hubs. 
    Amendments to block the extension of tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations until all federal services are provided. 
    Defend Federal Programs and Disaster Aid from Elon Musk: 
    Amendments to prohibit cuts to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Weatherization Assistance Program, and to improve rural access to nutrition programs. 
    Amendments to protect and defend rural broadband deployment and promote internet affordability.   
    An amendment to prohibit the elimination of over-to-phone identity verification for Social Security beneficiaries. 
    Amendments to prohibit the reduction or elimination of funding for rural care providers, health centers, and critical access hospitals.   
    Amendments to limit affiliates of the Department of Government Efficiency’s ability to access federal payment systems and personally identifiable information of Social Security beneficiaries. 
    An amendment to protect disaster survivors’ data privacy during any interaction with Department of Government Efficiency personnel. 
    An amendment prohibiting any reduction in disaster response and recovery programs for States and local communities. 
    Combat Trump’s Reckless and Illegal Agenda:   
    Amendments to preserve relations between the United States and Canada, and to prohibit Canadian energy tariffs that raise energy costs domestically.  
    An amendment to block legislation that enables U.S. troops to operate in Gaza to assist in the displacement or removal of Palestinians from Gaza. 
    An amendment to prevent enforcement of the Alien Enemies Act, unless there is a declared war between the United States and any foreign government, or an invasion of predatory incursion is perpetrated. 
    An amendment to prevent the arrest, detainment and deportation of college students and faculty on the grounds they have expressed views the sitting administration objects to. 
    An amendment that would block legislation banning the Associated Press from the White House. 
    An amendment that would preserve United States-Denmark relations. 
    An amendment to address global hunger including hiring aid workers and facilitating the dispersal of aid into Gaza 
    In addition, Senator Welch cosponsored 31 amendments. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján: On Heels of Disastrous Tariffs, Senate Republicans Push Partisan Budget That Guts Critical Programs Millions of Americans Rely On – All to Pay for the Next Tax Scam

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Senate Republicans Push Partisan Budget That Adds Trillions to Debt While Blocking Luján Amendment to Fight Food Insecurity
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after Senate Republicans advanced their partisan budget resolution: 
    “On the heels of President Trump’s reckless tariffs and in the dark of night, Senate Republicans passed a partisan budget resolution that guts critical programs millions of Americans rely on – all to pass the next Trump Tax Scam. 
    “This Republican budget will not help everyday Americans. Instead, it will rip away Medicaid and SNAP benefits to give a tax handout to the wealthiest Americans and corporations while exploding the national debt. Tonight, I joined my Democratic colleagues in introducing dozens of amendments that would keep food on the table, protect Medicare, and support our nation’s farmers. These amendments would help Americans nationwide, but Senate Republicans voted down every single one. 
    “While Americans brace for the harsh impacts of President Trump’s tariffs, Republicans are making life harder and more expensive for working families.” 
    Senator Luján introduced and co-led a series of amendments to the Republican budget to keep food on the table for families, protect Social Security, and defend Medicaid. Senate Republicans blocked Senator Luján’s common-sense amendments that boost the quality of life for New Mexicans.
    Keeping Food on the Table for New Mexicans 
    As the cost of groceries rise, Senate Republicans are trying to make sweeping cuts to SNAP that would take food away from millions of Americans. In an effort to block these changes, Senator Luján led 26 of his colleagues in introducing an amendment to undo these drastic cuts. Every American deserves to be able to meet their basic needs, including the 1 in 5 New Mexicans who rely on SNAP to put food on the table. Watch Senator Luján’s floor speech HERE.
    Defending Medicaid
    Senator Luján co-led a series of amendments that would defend Medicaid from Republican cuts and protect Medicaid access for seniors, children, families, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and military families.
    Supporting FEMA
    As FEMA continues to provide disaster relief to communities across the country, Senator Luján co-led an amendment to support FEMA’s efforts to provide nonpartisan disaster relief, including long-term recovery assistance, to disaster survivors in all States, territories, and Tribal nations impacted by disasters. 
    Protecting Social Security
    As the Social Security Administration faces attacks by the Trump administration, Senator Luján co-led an amendment to ensure that seniors across New Mexico can continue to access their hard-earned benefits. 
    Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for Seniors
    To protect our seniors, Senator Luján co-led an amendment that would prevent increased prescription drug costs for seniors or people with disabilities on Medicare. 
    Senator Luján introduced 23 amendments that improve the quality of life for New Mexicans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: California aims to forge own trade path amid US tariffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a bold initiative on Friday to shield the state’s economy from the impacts of the U.S. tariff policies by pursuing independent trade relationships with international partners.

    “Donald Trump’s tariffs do not represent all Americans,” Newsom said in a video message. “California remains a stable trading partner,” he said, directing his administration to pursue new trade opportunities globally.

    The move came just two days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs, including a 10-percent “minimum baseline tariff” on all imports, with higher rates for certain trading partners, effective on April 5.

    The new tariffs have drawn backlash from economies around the world, with countermeasures already pledged by some. Newsom urged the state’s “long-standing trade partners” to exempt California-made products from any retaliatory measures.

    “California leads the nation as the #1 state for agriculture and manufacturing — and it’s our workers, families, and farmers who stand to lose the most from this Trump tax hike and trade war,” said the governor in a statement.

    “To our international partners: As the fifth largest economy in the world, the Golden State will remain a steady, reliable partner for generations to come, no matter the turbulence coming out of Washington. California is not Washington, D.C.”

    With a gross domestic product of 3.9 trillion U.S. dollars, California is the largest importer among all U.S. states, with more than 675 billion dollars in two-way trade supporting millions of jobs across the state. Its economy is 50 percent bigger than the GDP of the nation’s next largest state, Texas, according to the governor’s office.

    The initiative directed the state administration to identify collaborative opportunities with trading partners that protect California’s economic interests, including workers, manufacturers and businesses, as well as broader supply chains linked to the state’s economy.

    The tariffs announced by the Trump administration could result in a 2.3 percent increase in overall inflation in the United States this year, including a 2.8 percent increase in food prices and an 8.4 percent increase in automotive prices. The tariffs’ impact could cost the average household 3,800 dollars a year, according to analysis by the Budget Lab at Yale University.

    Newsom is particularly concerned about the state’s agricultural sector. California produces about 80 percent of the world’s almonds, generating an industry worth approximately 5.6 billion dollars and supporting more than 100,000 jobs.

    The almond industry alone contributes about 11 billion dollars in added value to California’s economy, according to industry data. About 70 percent of the state’s almond crop is exported to more than 100 economies worldwide.

    Beyond agriculture, Newsom’s administration was concerned about disruptions to the state’s manufacturing sector. Manufactured goods dominate both California’s exports (87 percent) and imports (89 percent), making the state particularly vulnerable to tariff impacts.

    The Port of Los Angeles, a major trade hub, anticipates a possible 10 percent decrease in cargo volume due to the tariffs, which could result in job losses in the port and related industries.

    The governor’s initiative also aimed to safeguard access to critical construction materials needed for recovery efforts following the recent Los Angeles wildfires. Officials noted that current tariffs on Canadian lumber of 14 percent could rise to nearly 27 percent, hampering rebuilding efforts.

    State officials also expressed concern about supply chains between California and Baja, Mexico. They argued that taxing component goods each time they cross the border will raise final product prices for Californians.

    Moreover, the Sacramento Bee reported Friday that Newsom faced another serious question: “How much of a problem will tariffs be for the state’s economy, which is heavily reliant upon high-income earners, many of whom draw their wealth from stocks.”

    The UCLA Anderson Forecast issued a recession watch last month, citing tariffs as one factor in a possible downturn. But there are others, notably Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, which the Forecast saw as having the potential for reducing the labor pool in the state.

    Though legal experts noted that individual states do not have the constitutional authority to independently negotiate global trading deals regarding tariffs, as this power is reserved for the federal government, California has been cultivating relationships with foreign governments and officials independent of the current federal administration.

    California has a history of active engagement in international trade through various agreements and initiatives. It has entered into 38 international agreements with 28 different foreign partners, according to the governor’s office.

    The state government has established the International Affairs and Trade Development Interagency Committee, which advises Newsom on international trade matters and coordinates related state activities, and California maintains trade and investment desks in key markets to further its international economic objectives. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China suspends poultry meat, sorghum imports from certain U.S. firms

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) said on Friday that it has decided to suspend the exports of poultry meat from some U.S. firms to China as well as suspend the qualifications of some U.S. firms to export certain products to China.

    Effective April 4, China will suspend the qualification of C&D (USA) Inc. to export sorghum to China. It will also suspend the qualifications of three other U.S. firms, namely American Proteins, Inc., Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. and Darling Ingredients Inc., to export poultry meat and bone meal to China, the GAC said.

    The decision came after Chinese customs detected excessive levels of zearalenone and mold in imported U.S. sorghum, and salmonella in imported U.S. poultry meat and bone meal, the GAC said in a statement, adding that the suspension aims to protect the health of Chinese consumers and the safety of animal husbandry sector in China.

    In a separate announcement, the GAC also announced the immediate suspension of poultry meat imports from the two U.S. companies of Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. and Coastal Processing, LLC.

    The GAC said that this suspension follows the Chinese customs’ detection on several occasions of the prohibited drug furacillin in imported U.S. chicken products and that the suspension decision is to protect the health and safety of consumers.

    An official with the GAC said that the suspension of poultry meat import from the two U.S. companies would help prevent food safety risks from the source, and the decision was made in accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations and international standards.

    “The above measures taken by the General Administration of Customs are necessary precautions to ensure food safety, and they are reasonable and in line with international norms,” the official said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall, Ernst, and Slotkin Work to Ensure Fertilizer Access for Farmers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan), and other members of the Senate Agriculture Committee today urging U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to reinstate potash and add phosphate – both critical fertilizer ingredients – to the U.S. Critical Minerals List. In a letter to Secretary Burgum, the lawmakers explain this designation will support domestic production and strengthen supply chains, important steps to protecting food security and stabilizing the market for farmers.
    “The United States must address the growing risks to this supply chain, including a return to domestic production of potash as quickly as possible,” the senators wrote. “In contrast to potash, phosphate is more abundant in the U.S. Even so, we are heavily reliant on imports… Adding phosphate to the U.S. Critical Minerals List would be an important step in strengthening domestic fertilizer manufacturing, stabilizing and securing this critical supply chain.” 
    “At the very heart of this issue are the American farmers who work tirelessly to feed Americans and much of the world. Fertilizers containing potash and phosphate are essential to maintaining soil fertility, improving crop yields, and ensuring consistent food production,” the senators continued. “Without access to a stable and affordable supply of these minerals, farmers face higher costs, reduced yields, and increased uncertainty—challenges that threaten their livelihoods and the food security of millions of American families.”
    Read the full letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: To Improve Republican Budget Resolution, Shaheen Offers Dozens of Amendments that Would Lower Health Care Costs, Shield Families and Businesses from Rising Prices, Keep Americans Safe and Secure

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a top member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will offer dozens of amendments to the budget resolution tonight that would make health care more affordable, lower the costs of energy bills, protect American consumers and businesses from rising prices imposed by President Trump’s tariffs and keep Americans safe by enhancing military preparedness, strengthening our air traffic controller workforce, cracking down on drugs and investing in the northern border. 

    “Let’s be very clear: Tonight’s budget resolution process is all about slashing critical services and raising costs on families to free up dollars for tax cuts to the wealthiest in the country. Meanwhile, I’m offering opportunities for bipartisan collaboration to deliver commonsense solutions for Americans grappling with high costs,” said Shaheen. “Americans want, expect and deserve their elected representatives to work together to make progress on the issues they’re facing – and partisan exercises like this do nothing to make their lives better. I’m working to cut through Washington dysfunction and advocate for Granite Staters.” 

    Below is an overview of the dozens of amendments Senator Shaheen is introducing for consideration tonight. 

    To help lower everyday costs, Shaheen introduced amendments that would: 

    • Protect Americans from a national sales tax that raises costs on clothing, toys, electronics and energy. 
    • Help families struggling with high grocery bills by restoring cancelled federal food assistance programs. 
    • Support American jobs and manufacturers hurt by Trump’s tariffs. 
    • Enhance housing affordability by preventing construction cost increases due to tariffs and delays and expanding investment in housing development. 
    • Help households afford groceries, including preventing broad tariffs which would raise the price of food or cuts to food aid for families. 
    • Prevent funding cuts to child care or early childhood education programs helping New Hampshire families. 
    • Support affordable housing in disaster recovery by rebuilding with resilient and cost-effective methods, especially those that lower home insurance rates. 
    • Lower sugar prices for American businesses and consumers harmed by the U.S. sugar program. 

    To help make health care more affordable and accessible, Shaheen introduced amendments that would: 

    • Prioritize Affordable Care Act tax credits that give 22 million Americans access to affordable, quality health insurance. 
    • Ensure that Medicaid expansion programs aren’t eliminated by drastic cuts to federal funding, including New Hampshire’s Granite Advantage covering more than 60,000 Granite Staters. 
    • Ensure that patients suffering from diabetes do not face unnecessary barriers to care, including access to $35 insulin. 
    • Ensure hospitals and doctors working in rural areas can keep their doors open and continue providing lifesaving care for their patients. 
    • Ensure that our community health centers can continue to provide vital care to their patients. 

    To help enhance public safety and keep families secure, Shaheen introduced amendments that would: 

    • Make investments in the Air Traffic Controller workforce and overturning the reckless firing of hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration personnel critical to aviation safety. 
    • Support her Cooper Davis Act and limit illegal drug sales on social media. 
    • Improve cell service and communications for emergency services along the northern border. 
    • Ensure that DHS has the technology needed to monitor and defend the U.S.-Canada border against the flow of drugs and illegal migration. 
    • Raise pay for U.S. Bureau of Prisons correctional officers in New Hampshire and across the country. 
    • Preserve funding for programs that support survivors of sexual and domestic violence. 
    • Ensure local law enforcement agencies and communities are not left with the bill for unfunded federal mandates. 
    • Prioritize the deportation of undocumented individuals who pose threats to our national security or public safety. 
    • Ensure that increased funding for the DOJ and DHS is focused on stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. 
    • Restore retention incentives and union protections for federal correctional officers and staff, including those at FCI Berlin. 

    To help lower American households’ energy costs, Shaheen introduced amendments that would: 

    • Protect Americans from higher energy costs for gas, heating oil and propane due to broad tariffs. 
    • Protect bipartisan investments that lower energy costs, promote electric grid reliability and improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, including addressing PFAS contamination. 
    • Protect families, farmers and businesses from higher energy costs by ensuring energy saving and renewable energy projects funded by Congress continue. 
    • Prevent Congress from blocking state or local governments from updating their building codes to protect life and property, reduce losses from disasters or lower energy costs for families. 
    • Support energy efficient building construction and retrofits to lower energy costs and enhance electric grid reliability. 
    • Support resources that help make home heating more affordable, including energy assistance from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and weatherization. 

    To help bolster America’s national security and support American service members and their families, Shaheen introduced amendments that would: 

    • Support military service members, veterans and families, including by protecting family members who were recently fired from federal employment solely because they were new to a job. 
    • Replenish the defense industrial base ramping up to support Ukraine. 
    • Replenish the defense industrial base ramping up to support the defense of Taiwan. 
    • Ensure that federal employees essential to national security are not impacted by federal hiring freezes or reduction in force (RIF) initiatives. 
    • Require oversight over wasteful spending. 
    • Protect DoD’s policy that ensures service women receive the same coverage for contraception as civilian women. 
    • Ensure that U.S. farmers do not suffer economic harm due to the freeze on U.S. assistance. 
    • Call on the Administration to use the REPO Act authorities to seize Russian assets and support Ukraine. 

    Additional amendments introduced by Shaheen would: 

    • Prevent a reduction in postal service for rural America, including by preventing closure of processing centers. 
    • Ensure that Americans are protected against fraud, price gouging and higher rental and housing prices caused by illegal price information sharing. 
    • Support funding to assist Afghan SIVs and refugee resettlement. 
    • Cut more than $40 billion in wasteful agriculture spending going to large corporate farm operations while preserving benefits to small family farms. 
    • Ensure strong funding for the Northern Border Regional Commission. 
    • Prevent adding $5 trillion of tax cuts to the national debt and raising interest rates when the Federal Government is already paying $1 trillion per year in interest. 
    • Support American farmers and address world hunger. 
    • Address corruption and conflicts of interest from Special Government Employees like Elon Musk by prohibiting them from receiving federal contracts while they’re working for the government. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: California aims to forge its own path in global trade amid US tariffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a bold initiative on Friday to shield the state’s economy from the impacts of the U.S. tariff policies by pursuing independent trade relationships with international partners.

    “Donald Trump’s tariffs do not represent all Americans,” Newsom said in a video message. “California remains a stable trading partner,” he said, directing his administration to pursue new trade opportunities globally.

    The move came just two days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs, including a 10-percent “minimum baseline tariff” on all imports, with higher rates for certain trading partners, effective on April 5.

    The new tariffs have drawn backlash from economies around the world, with countermeasures already pledged by some. Newsom urged the state’s “long-standing trade partners” to exempt California-made products from any retaliatory measures.

    “California leads the nation as the #1 state for agriculture and manufacturing — and it’s our workers, families, and farmers who stand to lose the most from this Trump tax hike and trade war,” said the governor in a statement.

    “To our international partners: As the fifth largest economy in the world, the Golden State will remain a steady, reliable partner for generations to come, no matter the turbulence coming out of Washington. California is not Washington, D.C.”

    With a gross domestic product of 3.9 trillion U.S. dollars, California is the largest importer among all U.S. states, with more than 675 billion dollars in two-way trade supporting millions of jobs across the state. Its economy is 50 percent bigger than the GDP of the nation’s next largest state, Texas, according to the governor’s office.

    The initiative directed the state administration to identify collaborative opportunities with trading partners that protect California’s economic interests, including workers, manufacturers and businesses, as well as broader supply chains linked to the state’s economy.

    The tariffs announced by the Trump administration could result in a 2.3 percent increase in overall inflation in the United States this year, including a 2.8 percent increase in food prices and an 8.4 percent increase in automotive prices. The tariffs’ impact could cost the average household 3,800 dollars a year, according to analysis by the Budget Lab at Yale University.

    Newsom is particularly concerned about the state’s agricultural sector. California produces about 80 percent of the world’s almonds, generating an industry worth approximately 5.6 billion dollars and supporting more than 100,000 jobs.

    The almond industry alone contributes about 11 billion dollars in added value to California’s economy, according to industry data. About 70 percent of the state’s almond crop is exported to more than 100 economies worldwide.

    Beyond agriculture, Newsom’s administration was concerned about disruptions to the state’s manufacturing sector. Manufactured goods dominate both California’s exports (87 percent) and imports (89 percent), making the state particularly vulnerable to tariff impacts.

    The Port of Los Angeles, a major trade hub, anticipates a possible 10 percent decrease in cargo volume due to the tariffs, which could result in job losses in the port and related industries.

    The governor’s initiative also aimed to safeguard access to critical construction materials needed for recovery efforts following the recent Los Angeles wildfires. Officials noted that current tariffs on Canadian lumber of 14 percent could rise to nearly 27 percent, hampering rebuilding efforts.

    State officials also expressed concern about supply chains between California and Baja, Mexico. They argued that taxing component goods each time they cross the border will raise final product prices for Californians.

    Moreover, the Sacramento Bee reported Friday that Newsom faced another serious question: “How much of a problem will tariffs be for the state’s economy, which is heavily reliant upon high-income earners, many of whom draw their wealth from stocks.”

    The UCLA Anderson Forecast issued a recession watch last month, citing tariffs as one factor in a possible downturn. But there are others, notably Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, which the Forecast saw as having the potential for reducing the labor pool in the state.

    Though legal experts noted that individual states do not have the constitutional authority to independently negotiate global trading deals regarding tariffs, as this power is reserved for the federal government, California has been cultivating relationships with foreign governments and officials independent of the current federal administration.

    California has a history of active engagement in international trade through various agreements and initiatives. It has entered into 38 international agreements with 28 different foreign partners, according to the governor’s office.

    The state government has established the International Affairs and Trade Development Interagency Committee, which advises Newsom on international trade matters and coordinates related state activities, and California maintains trade and investment desks in key markets to further its international economic objectives. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: CMHA Cowichan Valley Branch opens Youth Emergency Shelter with support of legacy donor

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    From CMHA-Cowichan Valley Branch: https://assets.nationbuilder.com/cowichancmha/pages/102/attachments/original/1743800294/NR_CMHA_Media_Release_FINAL_updated.pdf?1743800294

    In June 2024, the Ministry of Children and Family Development and Canadian Mental Health Association – Cowichan Valley Branch (CMHA-CVB) announced plans to establish a Youth Emergency Shelter or YES pilot project. Less than one year later, the Cowichan YES is now officially open and ready to support the youth in Duncan who need it most.

    Youth aged 15 to 18 years who are in crisis, or at risk of harm or homelessness, will have access to critical supports delivered by the Cowichan YES open day and night for youth in need.  

    Several youth who have visited the YES have echoed the essence of the program’s purpose. “Wow, this is a house, and it feels like a home” –  youth aged 16. Another youth noted the comfort of the bedrooms. “I can come and stay in a real bedroom with a real bed, some of the beds are huge.” – youth aged 17. Another excited youth commented on the program’s amenities by joyfully exclaiming, “You have a gym in here? When can I use it?”

    “I am pleased to announce that a safe space for the most vulnerable youth in the Cowichan Valley is not only a reality today but will become a legacy for years to come,” said Laurie Harding, CMHA-CVB board chair. “This dream was made possible by CMHA-CVB, along with the incredible support of hundreds of local community members volunteering their time, resources, and donations through our annual Coldest Night of the Year campaign.”  

    Approximately $204,000 was raised between 2022 and 2024 through the CMHA-CVB campaigns and those funds were used as a down payment to purchase a home, which has been transformed into this vital shelter space for youth.

    “With the opening of this shelter, the most vulnerable youth in the Cowichan Valley will have a safe place to turn, day or night, when they find themselves with nowhere else to go,” said Jodie Wickens, Minister of Children and Family Development. “This home is another important resource to keep Cowichan youth safer by connecting them to the supports they need when they need them.”

    In addition to the funds from the Coldest Night of the Year campaigns and up to $4 million funding from the Province, the Mischa Weisz Foundation donated $450,000. That donation will allow CMHA-CVB to pay off the mortgage and to purchase a van to provide outreach to youth in Duncan and outlying communities within the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD). The significant legacy donation will help transform the lives of some of the most vulnerable young people in the Cowichan Valley.

    Recognizing with respect that YES Cowichan is located on Quw’utsun lands, and for the generous donation by the Mischa Weisz Foundation, the name Mischa Lelum has been chosen to recognize both the legacy of Mischa Weisz and because “Lelum” is a fitting Hulqiminum word meaning home.

    “We know that many young people in our community have been facing significant challenges since the pandemic,” said Debra Toporowski, MLA, Cowichan Valley. “It’s so gratifying to see the dedication and hard work of Cowichan Tribes, CMHA, community partners, the B.C. government and even an individual donor, come to fruition to make a difference for vulnerable youth.”

    “The creation of this home is reflective of our collective strength as a community, wisdom as an organization, and the unwavering care and concern for those we serve,” says Laurie Harding, CMHA-CVB board president. “Through a commitment to supporting a healthier community, it is our hope that our actions clearly demonstrate that ‘Everyone Matters.’  We cannot do this work alone, and we are extremely grateful to community partners who have supported our work by walking with us, volunteering, and through their generous donations. Thank you as well to MCFD, Guido Weisz, and all of you here today for working collaboratively with us. Through our partnerships, we demonstrate that ‘We are Better Standing Together’ and that our youth matter.”  

    The Cowichan Valley YES is one more youth-centred service that CMHA-CVB offers.

    Background:

    YES Cowichan

    The Youth Emergency Shelter is a 24/7 therapeutic community-based crisis service in Duncan that provides a temporary safe placement (one to 14 days) for youth who are experiencing homelessness, or unstable/precarious living situations, and are in need of a temporary placement and support services. Currently there are three bedrooms available. YES consists of three essential elements: overnight shelter, drop-in day programming, and outreach services. Community partners will provide wraparound supports to youth accessing the YES and will work together to ensure youth receive the resources and assistance they require. Youth will be involved in the design and implementation of the programs to ensure those fit their needs.  The first YES opened in Maple Ridge in December 2023.

    Cowichan Youth at Home Team

    The YES program is a result of efforts led by the Cowichan Youth at Home Team: a partnership organization made up of members from CMHA-CVB, Cowichan Tribes, Cowichan Valley School District, Cowichan Valley Youth Services, Island Health Population and Public Health, Our Communities Health Network, and the Ministry of Children and Family Development. “We are grateful to our community partners for their collective commitment and hard work in making a safe space a reality. Together we are making a difference because we believe that ‘Every Child Matters’.”

    Mischa Weisz Foundation

    The Mischa Weisz Foundation has been supporting unhoused youth by providing a grant that has been delivering food and making critical connections over the past three years. Mischa was an entrepreneur whose life was, sadly, cut short. Deeply grounded in his life values, Mischa believed that youth are the future and that we should invest in them if we want to make the world a better place. He also believed that “while people may be trapped in unfortunate circumstances, or disadvantaged by complex factors, all of us have potential within us,” says his brother Guido Weisz. Mischa created the Mischa Weisz Foundation which has been co-managed by his brother.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. LaMalfa Recognized for Leadership in Forestry and Rural Industry

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Doug LaMalfa 1st District of California

    Washington, D.C.—Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) was selected to receive the 2025 Congressional Leadership Award from the American Loggers Council (ALC) and the American Biomass Energy Association (ABEA) for his work to support the timber and biomass industries, improve forest management, and reduce wildfire risks. Each year, ALC and ABEA recognize one Republican and one Democrat in Congress for their leadership on forestry policy.

    “Our forests are in trouble, and the policies coming out of Washington have too often made things worse. Decades of hands-off management have left our forests overgrown and our logging infrastructure on the verge of collapse, all while catastrophic wildfires get worse,” said Rep. LaMalfa. “We need active management, and we need it now. I appreciate this recognition from the American Loggers Council and the American Biomass Energy Association, and I’ll continue working towards solutions that keep our forests healthy and our rural economies strong.”

    Rep. LaMalfa has led efforts in Congress to cut red tape and restore active management, pushing for legislation that prioritizes wildfire prevention, hazardous fuels reduction, and timber industry stability, including:

    • The Fix Our Forests Act, which cuts bureaucratic red tape to allow for better forest management.
    • The TORCH Act, which streamlines wildfire prevention efforts.
    • The Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act, which provides critical funding to rural areas affected by declining timber receipts.
    • $75 million in federal funding for shaded fuel breaks across California.

    Congressman Doug LaMalfa is Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and a lifelong farmer representing California’s First Congressional District, including Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba Counties.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine, Kiggans Lead Virginia Colleagues in Effort to Reinstate Funding for Food Banks, Hungry Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Representative Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), joined by Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-10), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07), and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), wrote a letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins pushing back against the cancellation of $500 million in previously-approved funding through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for food banks and other emergency food providers.
    Virginia’s families, food growers, and community foodbanks have already been hit hard by cuts to vital programs from the Trump administration. This continued attack on food security is set to impact more than 400 pantries and food delivery organizations across the Commonwealth.
    “Through TEFAP, USDA purchases nutritious commodity food from growers and producers, which is then provided to state agencies. Those agencies then deliver that food to distributers, including food banks and community organizations at no cost,” the lawmakers wrote. “More than 400 local pantries, including many faith-based partners from Hampton Roads to Southwest Virginia, distribute the food to eligible low-income recipients who typically do not qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and have few alternatives to turn to for help.”
    Given widespread impact of this move, the lawmakers are asking for more information regarding the decision to halt this funding: 
    Since USDA has relayed that it does not plan to move forward with distributing the previously announced $500 million in funding from the CCC to food banks through TEFAP in FY25, does the Department have alternative plans to provide supplemental nutrition assistance to food banks and other food providers who were relying on these earlier TEFAP commodities? If so, what authorities does the Department plan to utilize?
    Has USDA communicated with any producers or growers regarding the suspension or cancellation of commodity purchases through TEFAP? How will the Department work with these producers to ensure they face minimal economic harm?
    Has USDA communicated with any state distributing agencies, including the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), regarding the suspension or cancellation of food purchases and distributions through TEFAP? Is USDA working with the Commonwealth of Virginia and other states to ensure food banks and other food providers have adequate supplies of nutritious foods to serve their communities following the withdrawal of these funds?
    A copy of letter is available here and text is below.
    Dear Secretary Rollins: 
    We write regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) recent decision to halt up to $500 million in funding intended to support food banks and other providers from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). Emergency food providers, producers, and community organizations across the country rely on TEFAP to deliver critical nutrition assistance to millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Virginians.
    Through TEFAP, USDA purchases nutritious commodity food from growers and producers, which is then provided to state agencies. Those agencies then deliver that food to distributers, including food banks and community organizations at no cost. More than 400 local pantries, including many faith-based partners from Hampton Roads to Southwest Virginia, distribute the food to eligible low-income recipients who typically do not qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and have few alternatives to turn to for help.
    In Virginia, approximately 10 percent of households are “food insecure,” meaning their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources. On average, food pantry visits increased more than 20 percent in Virginia last year and Virginia food banks are spending five times more money now than in 2019 due to greater demand and higher food prices. TEFAP accounts for 20 percent of the food distributed by Virginia’s food banks, and the currently suspended CCC orders represent around one-third of all TEFAP product Virginia food banks were expecting this year.
    Given any suspension of TEFAP affects Virginia’s families, growers, and communities, we request answers to the following questions:
    Since USDA has relayed that it does not plan to move forward with distributing the previously announced $500 million in funding from the CCC to food banks through TEFAP in FY25, does the Department have alternative plans to provide supplemental nutrition assistance to food banks and other food providers who were relying on these earlier TEFAP commodities? If so, what authorities does the Department plan to utilize?
    Has USDA communicated with any producers or growers regarding the suspension or cancellation of commodity purchases through TEFAP? How will the Department work with these producers to ensure they face minimal economic harm?
    Has USDA communicated with any state distributing agencies, including the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), regarding the suspension or cancellation of food purchases and distributions through TEFAP? Is USDA working with the Commonwealth of Virginia and other states to ensure food banks and other food providers have adequate supplies of nutritious foods to serve their communities following the withdrawal of these funds?
    Thank you for your attention to this letter. We look forward to your response.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video: Kaine Speaks on Senate Floor to Oppose ‘Economic Idiocy’ of Tariffs, Program Cuts to Pay for Billionaire Tax Breaks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO IS AVAILABLE HERE.
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to highlight his strong opposition to Republicans’ budget plan. President Donald Trump and Republicans are proposing using the revenue from tariffs and massive, across-the-board cuts to programs that Virginians rely on—including Medicaid—to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Republicans are using a legislative process known as “reconciliation,” which allows certain legislation to be expedited and passed in the Senate by a simple majority, avoiding the 60-vote threshold needed for most other legislation.
    “President Trump deemed these tariffs as ‘reciprocal tariffs,’ but I got another phrase for them: They are economic idiocy,” said Kaine. “They will hurt our families, they will hurt our businesses, they will hurt our farmers, and all the economic signs suggest that President Trump is flipping the world’s strongest economy toward recession.”
    “President Trump started with the strongest economy in the world the day he was inaugurated—a strong stock market, strong consumer confidence, strong growth rates and growth projections, manufacturing up, infrastructure up, America building again,” Kaine continued. “In two months, his chaotic economic idiocy has turned it around… the American economy has nothing but red lights and question marks all over it.”
    “Trump says these are reciprocal tariffs—we are putting tariffs on nations who are treating us unfairly in trade. But he’s imposing tariffs even on nations that put no tariffs on U.S. products, that have no trade barriers on U.S. products,” Kaine continued. “He said he was imposing tariffs on nations where the U.S. has trade deficits … but guess what? We have trade surpluses with Brazil, Australia, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the U.K. So what did Donald Trump do? He put tariffs on them anyway.”
    “The tariffs are not designed to punish adversaries since we are hurting allies and treating them worse than adversaries in many ways. The tariffs are not designed to lower trade barriers since nations with no trade barriers are still getting socked. The tariffs are not designed to counter trade deficits since nations where we have trade surpluses are getting socked,” Kaine said. “So why do them at all? Why punish Americans with a national sales tax, which all the economists say is the largest peacetime tax ever imposed in U.S. history?”
    “It’s about raising money to fund a tax cut for the rich,” Kaine continued. “These tariffs will raise $6 trillion over the course of the next 10 years—about $600 billion all taken out of the pockets of everyday Americans who are paying more for groceries, who are paying more for building supplies when they do a home renovation, farmers who are paying more for fertilizer… the $6 trillion dollars that these tariffs will raise all come out of the pocketbooks of Americans who are working hard and who don’t want to pay more taxes.”
    “President Trump and my colleagues here are setting up a budget where they’ll take that $6 trillion and they’ll add to it all of these ‘slash-and-burn’ cuts,” Kaine said. “They’ll combine the tariff revenue with the savings from Medicaid cuts or cuts to school nutrition or cuts to the Pell Grant program, and then they will take all of that revenue and hand it over to the richest people in this country, many of whom are the richest people on the Planet Earth.”
    “That’s what we’re going to fight against in this budget, and in the same way that we succeeded by getting Republicans to vote with us against the Canadian tariffs a few days ago, it is my hope that when we get to the end of this process, we will have some Republican colleagues, in this house and the next, who will stand up against a President who thinks one man can shatter the economy and impose costs on everyday people to benefit himself and his friends,” Kaine concluded.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Leads Bipartisan Legislation to Reassert Congressional Trade Role

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Legislation requires the President to explain reasoning and impacts of new tariffs to Congress within 48 hours
    All new tariffs would expire after 60 days unless Congress explicitly approves them
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, this week joined U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in introducing the Trade Review Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation to reaffirm Congress’ key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy. The Senators’ legislation, modeled after the War Powers Resolution of 1973, would reestablish limits on the President’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs without the approval of Congress.    
    “As U.S. Senators, we have a moral and constitutional responsibility to stand up to any attempt by the Executive to undermine our system of checks and balances. We can’t let Trump’s lawlessness and reckless trade policies slide. The President’s trade war is hurting working Americans, small businesses, and farmers—not to mention relationships with our trusted allies. This bipartisan legislation will make it clear that Congress won’t cede its authority to the White House,” said Senator Welch.  
    “Trade wars can be as devastating, which is why the Founding Fathers gave Congress the clear Constitutional authority over war and trade. This bill reasserts Congress’s role over trade policy to ensure rules-based trade policies are transparent, consistent, and benefit the American public. Arbitrary tariffs, particularly on our allies, damage U.S. export opportunities and raise prices for American consumers and businesses,” said Senator Cantwell. “As representatives of the American people, Congress has a duty to stop actions that will cause them harm.” 
    “For too long, Congress has delegated its clear authority to regulate interstate and foreign commerce to the executive branch. Building on my previous efforts as Finance Committee Chairman, I’m joining Senator Cantwell to introduce the bipartisan Trade Review Act of 2025 to reassert Congress’ constitutional role and ensure Congress has a voice in trade policy,” said Senator Grassley. 
    The bill restores Congress’ authority and responsibility over tariffs as outlined in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution by placing the following limits on the president’s power to impose tariffs: 
    To enact a new tariff, the president must notify Congress of the imposition of (or increase in) the tariff within 48 hours. 
    The Congressional notification must include an explanation of the president’s reasoning for imposing or raising the tariff, and 
    Provide analysis of potential impact on American businesses and consumers. 
    Within 60 days, Congress must pass a joint resolution of approval on the new tariff, otherwise all new tariffs on imports expire after that deadline. 
    Under the bill, Congress has the ability to end tariffs at any time by passing a resolution of disapproval. 
    Anti-dumping and countervailing duties are excluded. 
    In addition to Senators Welch, Cantwell, and Grassley, the bill is cosponsored by Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).  
    Read and download the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Files Budget Amendments to Help Hardworking Vermonters  

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Welch filed 61 amendments to the budget 
    WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, filed 61 amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget plan. The Senator’s amendments aim to help working families through the affordability crisis, defend programs, services, and disaster aid from Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), and combat President Trump’s reckless, illegal agenda.  
    Senate Republicans’ budget plan, unveiled Wednesday, attacks Medicaid, Medicare, and the health care of seniors, children, people with disabilities, and rural patients; threatens Social Security for millions; raises costs for working families and enables President Trump’s trade war; jeopardizes support and health care for veterans; and gives DOGE a greenlight to destroy the federal government—all in the service of paying for Trump’s tax cut to billionaires.  
    “A budget plan says a lot about your values, and President Trump and Senate Republicans’ budget is cruel. They’re threatening the economic and physical health of families, seniors, children, and folks across the country. They’re trying to cut federal funding for hardworking Americans and pass $7 trillion in tax breaks for billionaires and corporations. I’m standing up against their nonsense every step of the way,” said Senator Welch. “That’s why I’ve filed 61 amendments to their budget, which will better address the affordability crisis Vermonters face right now and defend against Elon Musk’s attempts to dismantle our government and the programs people rely on.”   
    Senator Welch’s amendments to the Republican budget resolution would:   
    Address the Affordability Crisis: 
    An amendment to block tax cuts to billionaires paid for by cutting meals for hungry seniors and eliminating child care services for families. 
    Amendments to support federal dairy programs, organic farmers, and young and beginning farmers. 
    An amendment to address the impacts of disasters in rural communities.   
    An amendment to promote innovation, domestic job creation and U.S. competitiveness. This amendment would support Vermont’s growing semiconductor industry and America’s Tech Hubs. 
    Amendments to block the extension of tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations until all federal services are provided. 
    Defend Federal Programs and Disaster Aid from Elon Musk: 
    Amendments to prohibit cuts to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Weatherization Assistance Program, and to improve rural access to nutrition programs. 
    Amendments to protect and defend rural broadband deployment and promote internet affordability.   
    An amendment to prohibit the elimination of over-to-phone identity verification for Social Security beneficiaries. 
    Amendments to prohibit the reduction or elimination of funding for rural care providers, health centers, and critical access hospitals.   
    Amendments to limit affiliates of the Department of Government Efficiency’s ability to access federal payment systems and personally identifiable information of Social Security beneficiaries. 
    An amendment to protect disaster survivors’ data privacy during any interaction with Department of Government Efficiency personnel. 
    An amendment prohibiting any reduction in disaster response and recovery programs for States and local communities. 
    Combat Trump’s Reckless and Illegal Agenda:   
    Amendments to preserve relations between the United States and Canada, and to prohibit Canadian energy tariffs that raise energy costs domestically.  
    An amendment to block legislation that enables U.S. troops to operate in Gaza to assist in the displacement or removal of Palestinians from Gaza. 
    An amendment to prevent enforcement of the Alien Enemies Act, unless there is a declared war between the United States and any foreign government, or an invasion of predatory incursion is perpetrated. 
    An amendment to prevent the arrest, detainment and deportation of college students and faculty on the grounds they have expressed views the sitting administration objects to. 
    An amendment that would block legislation banning the Associated Press from the White House. 
    An amendment that would preserve United States-Denmark relations. 
    An amendment to address global hunger including hiring aid workers and facilitating the dispersal of aid into Gaza 
    In addition, Senator Welch cosponsored 31 amendments. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments and Nominations

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments and Nominations

    Governor Stein Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments and Nominations
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today, Governor Josh Stein announced Boards and Commissions appointments and nominations.

    Governor Stein has nominated the following to the Governor’s Crime Commission: 

    • The Honorable Erin S. Hucks of Union County as a Chief District Court Judge. Hucks is the Chief District Court Judge for Judicial District 30, where she created the Union County Family Drug Treatment Court and serves as a member of the Union County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and the Union County Child Fatality Prevention Team.
    • Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough of Forsyth County in a Sheriff’s seat. Kimbrough has been serving as the Sheriff of Forsyth County since 2018. His career in law enforcement began in the Winston-Salem Police Department, where he served as a Police Officer and Arson Investigator. He also served as a Special Agent in the Drug Enforcement Administration in the US. Department of Justice
    • Nisha G. Williams of Durham County as a representative from a domestic or sexual assault program. Williams is the Legal Director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence. 

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Historic Hillsborough Commission:

    • Joseph (Joe) Petrizzi of Orange County as an At-large member. Petrizzi is the Vice President of the Chapel Hill Historical Society and serves as the Associate Director of Development of the Office of University Development at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
    • Laura Juel of Orange County as an At-large member. Juel is currently the Lead Clinical Evaluator of Rare Disease Research and is an Occupational Therapist at Duke University Medical Center. She is also an active member of the Association of Driver Rehabilitation Specialists. 

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Board of Chiropractic Examiners: 

    • Dr. Kenneth Brown of Durham County as a Chiropractor. Brown has successfully owned and operated Back to Health Chiropractic Medical Center in Durham for over 25 years. Dr. Brown is an active member of the American Chiropractic Association, North Carolina Chiropractic Association, and a Lifetime Member of the American Black Chiropractic Association
    • Dr. Chad Robertson of Mecklenburg County as a Chiropractor. Robertson is the Co-Owner and Clinical Director of Queen City Chiropractic & Sports Performance and the Official Team Chiropractic Provider of the Charlotte Checkers Hockey Club. He is also a member of the National Athletic Training Association, the North Carolina Chiropractic Association, and the North Carolina Board of Chiropractic Examiners. 

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Board of Transportation: 

    • Graham Bennett of Forsyth County as a Representative of NCDOT District 9. Bennett was previously the Chairman and CEO of the Quality Oil Company in Winston-Salem. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Piedmont Triad Partnership and the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority.
    • Theresa (Tess) Judge of Dare County as a Representative of NCDOT District 1. Judge’s career has been dedicated to hospitality management and development. She serves on the Outer Banks Hospital Board of directors and is Vice Chair of the East Carolina University Health Foundation. 

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina College Foundation Incorporated Board of Trustees:

    • Shannon Trapp of Durham County as an At-large member. Trapp serves as the Chief of Staff at the Durham County Government. She also serves on the Leadership Triangle Alumni Board, the Museum of Life + Science Board of Directors, and the Durham Homeless Services Advisory Committee. Trapp is also a member of the International City/County Management Association, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, and the National Association of Counties. 

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Emergency Response Commission: 

    • Sheriff Willie Rowe of Wake County in a Sheriff’s seat. Rowe is a 30-year veteran of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office. He also serves on the Governor’s Crime Commission and the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association Legislative and Audit Committees and as a board member of the Wake County ABC Board, the Raleigh Inter-Church Housing Corporation, and the Foundation Board of the Fellowship Home of Raleigh.
    • Chief Robert Hassell of Nash County in a Chief of Police seat. Hassell currently serves as the Chief of Police at the City of Rocky Mount and is an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Mount Olive.

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System Board: 

    • Commissioner Shinica Thomas of Wake County in a County Commissioner seat. Thomas currently serves as Chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. Before Thomas was elected as Wake County Commissioner, she was the Director of Advocacy and Educational Partnership for the Girl Scouts North Carolina Coastal Pines. 

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission: 

    • Raquel Painter of Onslow County as a retired servicemember residing near Camp Lejeune. Painter is a retired Marine Corps Sergeant with more than 26 years of military service. She is currently serving as the President/Chief Professional Officer for United Way of Onslow County. After retiring from the Marine Corps in 2016, Painter began working with Hope For The Warriors as its Community Development Manager and subsequently as the Director of Community Development.

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Respiratory Care Board: 

    • Felita Livingston of Mecklenburg County as a public/at-large member. Livingston is a Professor of Management and Business Technologies at Sandhills Community College, where she also serves as an Academic Advisor and on the Student Success Committee.

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners: 

    • The Honorable Teresa H. Vincent of Guilford County as an at-large member. Vincent previously served as the District Court Judge of the 24th Judicial District serving Guilford County and has approximately 31 years of experience in the legal profession. 

    Governor Stein has nominated the following to the North State Board of Education: 

    • Dr. Janet Mason of Rutherford County as a Representative from the 8th Educational District. Dr. Mason currently serves as the Town Manager of the Town of Forest City and previously served as the Superintendent of Rutherford County Schools. She also serves as Chair of the Rutherford County Schools Education Foundation Board.

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Respiratory State Board of Examiners for Plumbing, Heating and Fire: 

    • Tommy Dean Rowland of Cleveland County as a Municipal Plumbing or Mechanical Inspector. Rowland serves as the Director of Building Inspections at the Town of Mooresville, a role he has served in since 2023. 

    Governor Stein has nominated the following to the North Carolina Utilities Commission: 

    • Michael Hawkins of Transylvania County as an at-large member. Hawkins currently works as a Business Officer in the Public Protection Section of the North Carolina Department of Justice. He is a former Transylvania County Commissioner. Hawkins also serves as a Trustee of Blue Ridge Community College, as a Board Member of the Transylvania Economic Alliance, and was a member of the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice from 2020-2024. 

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Veterans Affairs Commission: 

    • Louis D. Harvin-Ravin of Durham County as a representative of the 4th Congressional District. Harvin-Ravin serves as the Director of Veteran Services at the Curham County Department of Veterans Services. She also serves as the chair of the VA Greater Durham Community Veteran Engagement Board and as Vice President of the North Carolina Association of County Veteran Service Officers. Havin-Ravin served in the United States Army in multiple roles, finishing as a Non-commissioner Officer In-Charge of Security Plans and Operation.
    • The Honorable David Grier Martin III of Wake County as a representative of the 2nd Congressional District. Grier most recently served as the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and previously as the Assistant United States Secretary of Defense for Manpower & Reserve Affairs and as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. Martin also served as a judge advocate and field artillery officer in the United States Army Reserve.
    • Pastor Charles Thomas Dudley of Craven County as a representative of the 3rd Congressional District. Pastor Dudley founded and currently serves as Senior Pastor of New Beginnings Ministry of Faith church and was consecrated to Bishop in 2009. He previously served in the United States Marine Corps, having been awarded the Meritorious Service, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement, Marine Corps Good Conduct, National Defense Service, Kuwait Liberation (Kuwait and Saudi Arabia), Southwest Asia Service and Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medals.
    • Jeff Joyner of Durham County of Durham County as a representative of the 8th Congressional District. Jeff served aboard the USS James Monroe in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea as a launcher technician in the US Navy. Joyner has been a member of Rockingham American Legion Post 147 since 1970. He retired as a salesman in the fertilizer and chemical industry. 

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Underground Damage Prevention Review Board: 

    • Daryl Larimore of Forsyth County as a representative from a hazardous liquid transmission pipeline company. Larimore is the Right of Way Supervisor at the Colonial Pipeline Company. Larimore previously served as a CH-46 & MV-22 Crew Chief, Mechanic, and Shop Supervisor in the United States Marine Corps. 

    Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame Board of Directors: 

    • Larry Wooten of Wake County as an at-large member. Wooten joined the staff of North Carolina Farm Bureau in March of 1994, serving as Assistant to the President until his election as President in December 1999. He served as President of the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, the North Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Companies, and all affiliated corporations, until his retirement in December 2019. Wooten actively farmed for 21 years in partnership with his brother in a diversified tobacco and grain operation. 
    Apr 4, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons and Blunt Rochester demand Trump rescind illegal executive order threatening federal employee collective bargaining agreements

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester (both D-Del.) joined the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in urging President Donald Trump to rescind his March 27 executive order to end collective bargaining agreements between public employee unions and dozens of federal agencies and bureaus. In their letter, Senator Coons, Senator Blunt Rochester, and their colleagues blasted the move as a “gross overreach” of presidential authority, asserting that the executive order is a clear attempt to gut the federal merit-based civil service and implement a system of political cronyism. They stressed that the order poses a grave threat to the ability of over 1 million federal workers to carry out their missions and deliver important services for the American people, and thus should be rescinded immediately.

    “We write today in outrage over your recent executive order entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs, a gross overreach of the authority granted in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA),” the senators wrote. “This order is an insult to the hardworking public servants who go to work on behalf of the American people. They care for our veterans, deliver disaster assistance, prevent wildfires, help farmers improve crop yields, manage health benefits for 9/11 first responders, research treatments and cures for diseases, keep air travel safe, process tax returns, staff our national parks and much, much more. Nearly one third of these dedicated civil servants are veterans seeking to continue their service to our country out of uniform.”

    “The executive order effectively classifies two thirds of the federal workforce as having national security missions, a blatant misuse of a limited authority intended to provide operational flexibility to address legitimate security needs,” the senators added. “There is no evidence that the long-standing collective bargaining agreements at these agencies have jeopardized our nation’s security in any way; to the contrary, the protection collective bargaining has provided for employees allows them to conduct their work on behalf of the American people—including blowing the whistle on fraud or abuse—without political interference.”

    “This administration clearly does not have even a basic understanding of the legally binding nature of federal collective bargaining agreements and is actively trying to bend the law to undermine protections for federal civil servants. We urge you to immediately rescind this illegal executive order so that our dedicated public servants can continue to work on behalf of the American public without fear for their job or political retribution,” the senators concluded.

    The senators’ letter is endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

    In addition to Senators Coons and Blunt Rochester, the letter was also signed by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    You can read the full text of the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McGovern Leads 38 Members of Congress in Demanding Answers from USDA Over Abrupt Cancellation of Farm to School Program

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and a Senior Member of the House Agriculture Committee, led 38 House Democrats in a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins demanding answers after the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program was abruptly terminated without Congressional consultation or notice, harming farms and schools in communities across America, and making it harder to get healthy food into cafeterias across the country.

    The letter was co-led by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), and Chellie Pingree (D-ME), with strong support from Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN) and Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).

    “Every child in America deserves access to nutritious food as part of the school day to fuel their learning,” the lawmakers wrote. “The highly successful Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program provides just that. As you know, it helps schools across the country purchase produce from local farmers to incorporate into tasty and nutritious meals for kis, as well as provide hands-on education activities related to agriculture and nutrition. The program is good for kids, good for families, and good for farmers.”

    The Members expressed alarm that USDA inappropriately terminated the program’s grants on March 24, 2025, despite being authorized and funded by Congress. “To the best of our knowledge, there was no communication or consultation with Congress prior to the termination of this Congressionally authorized and funded program, and we are deeply concerned about the impact this program cancellation will have on students, schools, and farmers in our districts,” the letter states.

    They also noted the broader trend of USDA eliminating nutrition and agricultural programs, writing that: “[i]n just the past few weeks, USDA has terminated at least four programs that achieve the goals of improving health and supporting our farmers.”

    The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program has awarded over $100 million in funding to 1,275 projects nationwide since 2013, with a particular focus on rural communities. The program helps schools incorporate locally grown foods into their meal programs, supports school gardens, and promotes nutrition education. In their letter, lawmakers cited USDA’s own findings that 61% of school food authorities using the program reported increased fruit and vegetable consumption among students, and 57% said it improved access to higher quality foods. They also noted that Farm to School grantees have already reached out to their offices expressing confusion and distress about how to continue their programs without support.

    The letter demands a response by April 11, 2025, and asks USDA to clarify the scope of the termination, its legal authority to cancel funding, and what steps will be taken to fulfill the agency’s Congressionally mandated responsibilities.

    The signed letter is available here.

    The letter was signed by Representatives Becca Balint (D-VT); Nanette Barragán (D-CA); Sanford Bishop (D-GA); Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR); Julia Brownley (D-CA); Shontel Brown (D-OH); Nikki Budzinski (D-IL); André Carson (D-IN); Troy Carter (D-LA); Kathy Castor (D-FL); Angie Craig (D-MN); Sharice Davids (D-KS); Diana DeGette (D-CO); Rosa DeLauro (D-CT); Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ); Jahana Hayes (D-CT); Jared Huffman (D-CA); Seth Magaziner (D-RI); John Mannion (D-NY); April McClain Delaney (D-MD); Betty McCollum (D-MN); Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI); James McGovern (D-MA); Seth Moulton (D-MA); Brittany Pettersen (D-CO); Chellie Pingree (D-ME); Stacey Plaskett (D-VI); Mark Pocan (D-WI); Andrea Salinas (D-OR); Adam Smith (D-WA); Mark Takano (D-CA); Shri Thanedar (D-MI); Jill Tokuda (D-HI); Paul Tonko (D-NY); Lori Trahan (D-MA); Eugene Vindman (D-VA); Maxine Waters (D-CA); and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: WEEK 11 WINS: President Trump Unleashes Economic Prosperity

    Source: The White House

    It was another highly successful week for the American people as President Donald J. Trump continues his relentless pursuit of strength, prosperity, and peace — and lays the foundation for America to be the global powerhouse for generations to come.

    Here is a non-comprehensive list of wins in week 11:

    • Illegal crossings hit a stunning new record low — down 95% over last year.
      • The number of unaccompanied illegal immigrant children also reached a record low.
      • Los Angeles Times: “California-Mexico border, once overwhelmed, now nearly empty”
      • Bloomberg: “US-Bound Migration Plunges 99% Along Panama Jungle Route”
    • President Trump continued to rid our communities of illegal immigrant criminals.
      • The Trump Administration directed the successful arrests of three illegal immigrant MS-13 gang members in Florida, wanted on first-degree murder charges, and another high-ranking MS-13 member in New York, linked to 11 murders.
      • The Trump Administration directed the transfer of 17 violent illegal immigrant terrorists from the U.S. to El Salvador.
      • The Trump Administration, with state and local law enforcement, successfully arrested more than 40 individuals in a Texas operation targeting the brutal Tren de Aragua gang.
      • The Trump Administration deported an illegal immigrant “influencer” who infamously encouraged fellow illegal immigrants to become squatters.
      • Since taking office, the Trump Administration has arrested 113,000+ illegal immigrants, deported 100,000+ illegal immigrants, and released just nine illegal immigrants into the U.S. — a staggering 99.995% decrease over the same period last year under Biden.
    • President Trump implemented his bold plan for reciprocal trade as he seeks to reverse the decades of globalization that has decimated our industrial base.
      • Coalition for a Prosperous America: “A permanent, universal baseline tariff resets the global trade environment and finally addresses the destructive legacy of decades of misguided free-trade policies. President Trump’s decision to implement a baseline tariff is a game-changing shift that prioritizes American manufacturing, protects working-class jobs, and safeguards our economic security from adversaries like China. This is exactly the type of bold action America needs to restore its industrial leadership.”
      • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association: “For too long, America’s family farmers and ranchers have been mistreated by certain trading partners around the world. President Trump is taking action to address numerous trade barriers that prevent consumers overseas from enjoying high-quality, wholesome American beef.”
    • Americans saw early results of President Trump’s declaration that the days of economic surrender are over.
      • Nissan abandoned plans to eliminate a shift at its Tennessee production facility.
      • General Motors announced it will increase truck production at its Indiana assembly plant.
      • Guardian Bikes announced it will expand its production capacity and grow its U.S.-based investment.
      • Equipment giant JCB committed to doubling the size of its new U.S. manufacturing facility.
      • Ford Motor Company and Stellantis both announced they will offer U.S. consumers employee pricing on their vehicles.
    • President Trump continued to pursue peace through strength around the world.
      • President Trump deployed additional military assets to the Middle East as a warning to the Iranian regime.
      • The Trump Administration inked a $2 billion air defense deal with Poland.
      • President Trump secured a pledge from Finland to raise its defense spending to 3% of its GDP.
      • President Trump held a successful call with Egyptian President El-Sisi to discuss the immense progress the U.S. has made in eliminating Houthi terrorists.
      • President Trump had a “productive call” with Vietnamese leader To Lam, who expressed willingness to cut the country’s tariffs on U.S. imports.
    • President Trump’s economic agenda delivered more relief for Americans.
      • The latest jobs report shattered expectations for the second straight month — highlighted by massive private sector job growth, a spike in full-time employment, wage growth, and an expanding labor market.
      • CNBC: “Private companies added 155,000 jobs in March, more than expected”
      • Wholesale egg prices continued to drop, falling to an average price of $3 per dozen — or nearly 60% since January amid the Trump Administration’s efforts to combat the avian bird flu and repopulate the chicken supply.
    • President Trump secured the release of two U.S. citizens detained in Mexico.
    • President Trump signed an executive order to crack down on price gouging and ticket scalping in the entertainment industry.
    • President Trump established the United States Investment Accelerator to attract and facilitate billion-dollar investments in the U.S.
    • The Department of Energy unveiled plans to use thousands of acres of its land — including national laboratory campuses, nuclear sites, and former enrichment plants — to quickly develop data centers that will power the artificial intelligence revolution.
    • The Department of Energy removed additional regulatory barriers on liquefied natural gas exports.
    • The Department of the Treasury launched a new public-private partnership to safeguard the financial system against illicit activities by the Iranian regime and announced additional sanctions against Iran as part of the Trump Administration’s maximum pressure strategy.
    • The Department of the Treasury leveled new sanctions against financiers of the Sinaloa drug cartel, which has flooded our country with deadly fentanyl.
    • The Department of the Treasury announced additional sanctions against a network of Houthi terrorist facilitators.
    • The Department of the Treasury withdrew burdensome, duplicative climate-based financial risk guidelines from the banking industry.
    • The Department of the Interior announced its next oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of America, fulfilling President Trump’s pledge to unleash American energy.
    • The Department of the Interior implemented President Trump’s executive order to enhance public safety, clean up lands, protect federal parks, and preserve historic monuments in the District of Columbia.
    • The Department of Health and Human Services launched a department-wide restructuring to realign with its core mission and save taxpayers billions of dollars.
    • The Department of Health and Human Services announced states can bar welfare recipients from using taxpayer dollars to purchase unhealthy soft drinks.
    • The Department of Labor announced it will return $1.4 billion in unused COVID funds back to the U.S. Treasury.
    • The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced a record number of new agent applications under its new leadership.
    • The Department of Justice dismissed a Biden-era lawsuit against common-sense, effective Georgia election law reforms.
    • The Department of Justice launched investigations into DEI initiatives at Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of California, Irvine.
    • The Department of Justice said it will pursue the death penalty for the accused cold-blooded killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
    • The Environmental Protection Agency continued cutting wasteful spending, shuttering a politicized museum erected by the Biden Administration, consolidating office space, and eliminating duplicative grants and contracts — saving taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.
    • The Department of Defense directed a review of the military’s physical fitness standards to ensure it remains the strongest, most lethal fighting force on the planet.
    • The Department of Education and the Department of Justice launched a joint effort to ensure rapid investigations into violations of women’s civil rights.
    • The Department of Education issued a final warning to Maine over its ongoing refusal to comply with Title IX by forcing women to compete against men in athletics.
    • The Department of Education warned states with unlawful K-12 “diversity, equity, and inclusion” programs that they are at risk of losing federal funding.
    • The Department of Education encouraged state education officials to leverage federal funds to support school choice initiatives — a key part of President Trump’s education agenda.
    • The Department of Agriculture paused federal funding to Maine over its unlawful policies forcing women to compete against men in athletics.
    • The Department of Agriculture announced sweeping reforms to protect forests and boost domestic timber production.
    • The Department of Transportation announced an updated Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, eliminating DEI and environmental justice requirements that prevented money from getting where it is needed.
    • The Department of Transportation continued making progress on the unprecedented backlog of unfulfilled grants left over by the Biden Administration.
    • The Department of Housing and Urban Development launched a streamlined website that efficiently provides vital information to Americans and saves taxpayers in the long run.
    • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services formally removed the option of a third gender on immigration paperwork, further restoring common sense to government.
    • Dr. Mehmet Oz was confirmed as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Matthew Whittaker was confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO — continuing the rapid pace at which President Trump’s nominees receive final approval.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Senate Floor, Klobuchar Opposes Trump Tariff Taxes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE

    WASHINGTON—On the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke in opposition to the Congressional Republican budget resolution, which does nothing to stop President Trump’s tariff taxes that will increase costs by nearly $4,000 for the average family.

    “These sweeping tariffs are taxes that will raise costs for everything from medicine and food to clothes and housing,” said Klobuchar. “You already see the damage, the impact was immediate. Yesterday, the stock market fell almost 5% — the worst day since the pandemic crash in March of 2020—and today it continues to fall. Small businesses are freezing investments. Retailers, manufacturers and farmers are in limbo. …. This chaos and this uncertainty are hurting our economy.

    “We can and we should stand up to unfair trade practices. I have been a long believer in targeted use of tariffs … but what he is doing here, with these across-the-board tariffs, is reckless.”

    Download full Klobuchar’s remarks HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: DDG Ellard calls for further acceptances of Fisheries Subsidies Agreement

    Source: WTO

    Headline: DDG Ellard calls for further acceptances of Fisheries Subsidies Agreement

    Citing alarming data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) showing that 38% of global fish stocks are overexploited, DDG Ellard stressed that rebuilding stocks to sustainable levels could yield 16.5 million more tonnes of fish annually and generate USD 32 billion in economic gains. “Sustainable fisheries are not only critical for biodiversity and food security but also for the economic viability of communities that depend on them,” she said.
    Highlighting recent progress, DDG Ellard welcomed the decline in the provision of high-risk subsidies such as fuel support, as reflected in the OECD’s 2025 Review of Fisheries. However, she warned that 65% of global fisheries support risks encouraging unsustainable practices. “Imagine,” she emphasized, “what a positive difference we could make in improving fish stocks if we redeployed the USD 22 billion spent annually in harmful fisheries subsidies and instead dedicated these funds to fisheries management and improvement of fish stocks.”
    Adopted in 2022, the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies targets the worst forms of subsidies — those linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, overfished stocks, and unregulated high seas fishing — while preserving policy space for responsible support, particularly for small-scale and artisanal fishers.
    To date, 95 WTO members have deposited their instruments of acceptance — 16 short of the two-thirds threshold required for entry into force. “We are so close. I urge the remaining members to ratify swiftly so we can celebrate this milestone together at the United Nations Ocean Conference in June,” said DDG Ellard.
    DDG Ellard also highlighted the WTO Fish Fund, which will provide support for developing and least developed country (LDC) members to implement the Agreement and undertake fisheries management if they have formally accepted the Agreement.
    DDG Ellard further noted that WTO members are also working toward concluding a second wave of negotiations to develop additional rules addressing subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing.
    “We nearly reached consensus on a new text last December. A handful of members were not yet ready. But this remains within reach if members come together,” she said.
    The Chair of the negotiations, Ambassador Einar Gunnarsson of Iceland, is consulting with members to bridge gaps and advance the process before the summer.
    DDG Ellard reiterated that multilateral cooperation — with organizations like the OECD, FAO and World Bank — is critical to success. “The future of our ocean and the resilience of coastal communities depend on what we do next,” she concluded.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom directs state to pursue strategic relationships with international trading partners; urges exemptions of California-made products from tariffs

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 4, 2025

    “California is not Washington, D.C.”

    What you need to know:As President Trump’s tariffs take effect, Governor Gavin Newsom is pursuing new strategic partnerships with international trading partners while calling for California-made products to be excluded from any retaliatory measures and affirming California’s long-standing commitment to fair, open, and mutually beneficial global trade.

    Los Angeles, California – California took a major step forward in correcting the damage from 50 years of neglect to the state’s mental health system with the passage of Proposition 1. This historic measure — a signature priority of Governor Gavin Newsom — adds rocket fuel to California’s overhaul of the state’s behavioral health systems. It provides a full range of mental health and substance abuse care, with new accountability metrics to ensure local governments deliver for their communities.

    “California leads the nation as the #1 state for agriculture and manufacturing — and it’s our workers, families, and farmers who stand to lose the most from this Trump tax hike and trade war. To our international partners: As the fifth largest economy in the world, the Golden State will remain a steady, reliable partner for generations to come, no matter the turbulence coming out of Washington. California is not Washington, D.C.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Protecting California’s economic dominance 

    California is the fifth-largest economy in the world, the strongest economy in the nation, and the largest importer among all U.S. states, with more than $675 billion in two-way trade supporting millions of jobs throughout the state. California’s gross domestic product of $3.9 trillion is 50% bigger than the GDP of the nation’s next largest state, Texas, and is the key to the United States’ economic growth. California sends more than $83 billion to the federal government annually.

    California is home to the most Fortune 500 companies, beating out Texas, Florida, and all other states. California remains #1 in the nation for new business starts, #1 for access to venture capital funding, #1 for manufacturing, #1 for high-tech, and #1 for agriculture.

    California stands as the center for manufacturing output in the United States with over 36,000 manufacturing firms and employing over 1.1 million Californians. Since California supplanted New York in 1965, our manufacturing firms have created new industries and supplied the world with manufactured goods spanning aerospace, computers and electronics, and, most recently, zero-emission vehicles.

    California is home to 32 of the world’s 50 leading AI companies, high-impact research and education institutions, and a quarter of the technology’s patents and conference papers. California’s population has increased multiple years in a row and has one of the most equitable tax systems in the entire country. Travel spending reached an all-time high of $150.4 billion.

    California’s long-standing commitment to global cooperation, innovation, and openness has helped power its rise to the world’s fifth-largest economy — leading in good-paying jobs to support California’s working families. With the Governor’s announcement today, the state will extend that leadership through strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships rooted in respect, trust, and shared growth.

    Identifying partnerships 

    With this announcement, Governor Newsom is directing his Administration to identify collaborative opportunities with trading partners that protect California’s economic interests — workers, manufacturers, and businesses — and the broader supply chains linked to the state’s economy. The administration will explore ways to:

    • Support job creation and innovation in industries reliant on cross-border trade.
    • Promote economic stability for businesses and workers impacted by federal trade disruptions.
    • Safeguard access to critical supplies, such as construction materials needed for recovery efforts following the devastating Los Angeles firestorms.

    Impact of tariffs on state trade

    California’s economy and workers rely heavily on trade with Mexico, Canada, and China. Over 40% of California imports come from these countries, totaling $203 billion of the more than $491 billion in goods imported by California in 2024. The tariffs will also affect access to important construction materials critical to rebuilding after the Los Angeles fires, including timber and wood, steel and aluminum, and the most important components of drywall.

    Retaliatory tariffs will also have an outsized impact on California businesses, particularly its more than 60,000 small business exporters. Mexico, Canada, and China are California’s top three export destinations, buying nearly $67 billion in California exports, which was over one-third of the state’s $183 billion in exported goods in 2024. Retaliatory tariffs also impact farmers and ranchers during a difficult time in the U.S. farm economy – fostering a greater need for mitigation and expanding foreign market share.

    The magnitude of these tariffs on our North American allies, and the retaliation, will also result in major disruptions to cross-border supply chains, including the mutually beneficial co-production that takes place in the California-Baja mega-region. If these goods are taxed each time they cross the border, the price of the final product will rise and ultimately be passed on to California consumers. This will have far-reaching impacts, affecting everything from semiconductors to aerospace and automotive products.

    Analysis by the Yale Budget Lab found that the tariffs announced by the Trump Administration thus far will likely result in a 2.3% increase in overall inflation this year alone — including a 2.8% increase in food prices and an 8.4% increase in automotive prices — translating to an impact of $3,800 on the average American household.

    Long-standing international relationships

    California has long been a key player on the international stage — from taking joint action on climate change to identifying new pathways and partnerships for sustained economic growth. During the Newsom Administration alone, California has signed 38 international agreements with 28 different foreign partners that lay critical groundwork for prolonged economic success as well as prioritizing workers and businesses that benefit from these new opportunities.

    Recent news

    Apr 3, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Trista H. Woessner-Gonzalez, of Granite Bay, has been appointed Director of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, where she has served in several roles including as…

    Apr 3, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Ahead of a series of severe storms set to impact Kentucky, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the deployment of California firefighters to assist in staffing a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Incident Support Team, following FEMA’s…

    Apr 3, 2025

    News What you need to know: The Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force released a list of 25 key deliverables to build on the state’s ongoing efforts to protect Californians from increasing threats posed by catastrophic wildfire and a changing climate….

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Text of Vice-President’s Address at the Releaseof Book ‘AI on Trial’ Authored by Shri Sujeet Kumar, Hon’ble Member of Rajya Sabha (Excerpts)

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 04 APR 2025 8:31PM by PIB Delhi

    Good evening, all of you.

    Shri Sunil Kumar Gupta, his description goes beyond an IAS officer of 1987 batch. He’s an alumnus of IIT Kanpur. Shri Sujeet Kumar, a member of the Upper House, the Council of States, House of Elders, popularly known as Rajya Sabha. I have had the good occasion and benefit to know the Hon’ble Member of Parliament inside out. He’s a lawyer, he’s an academician, he’s a positive thinker, he acts subterranean, but makes very effective contribution in the Council of States, and equally impactful contribution as part of international delegation of Bharat to global institutions.

    I had the good fortune to interact with him briefly while he was invited to the banquet when we had the presence of Chilean president a decade younger to you. He’s 49, the president of Chile happens to be about 39. I must recognise a very distinguished presence of Smt. Sudha Murthy, has been accoladed for her simplicity, contribution to society, and captivating smile, ever positive. I remember in Rajya Sabha when the time came for her to ask a supplementary, it was 12 noon, which means Question Hour starts that was Zero Hour. I said, I’ll give you precedence.

    A veteran member reacted, she is always in public domain. I said, well earned, well deserved, public spirited, for a public cause. We had the occasion also, me and Dr. Sudesh Dhankhar, when we were at the coronation of King Charles in London in that ceremony, we found a slim, simple looking girl coming to us and discovered she was then a spouse of the Prime Minister of UK, her son-in-law, and it was her daughter.

    So the traditions of what we say, sanskar, rightly filtered to the next generation. Shri Haris Beeran, he shares one thing in common with Sudha Ji, a charming smile. Rekha Sharma recently became a member of Rajya Sabha from the state of Haryana, but has all India perspective, having occupied a very significant position of Chairperson of National Women’s Commission.

    Mithlesh Kumar, well grounded to real politics, and also his presence at this function reveals he is very forward looking. Well, these constitute the, if I may say, contingent from the Upper House. We are enormously benefited by Tapir Gao, a member in the House of People, popularly known as Lok Sabha, from the state of Arunachal. Me and Dr. Sudesh Dhankar had the occasion to attend a very important programme just a month or two back in his state, a great state, a state with many tribes, culture and his colleague, Kiren Rijiju Ji is our minister for Minority Affairs.

    Ladies and gentlemen, it is for the first time in this country that a person professing Buddhism is a Cabinet Minister that indicates our inclusive approach. The world must learn from India, Bharat, the concept of inclusivity. Yet, some try to impart lessons to us. It does happen on occasions that those who are to learn quickly become your teachers. But then, they learn fast if they are in positive frame.

    Shri Pradeep Gandhi, I share something very different with him. He’s an ex-MP, I’m also one. But I am an ex-MP with a difference. My category of MPs in 89 to 91, 96 to 97, 98. axed-MP, we did not have the occasion to complete our term. We have amongst us Shri Rajit Punhani, an IAS officer of 1991 batch, Secretary to the Council of States, alumnus of Doon School, alumnus of St. Stephen’s College, President of the Union of St. Stephen’s, Harvard. IIM Bangalore, and he’s from the State of Bihar.

    I must commend his role in human resource transformation in Rajya Sabha, and for crafting a very innovative skill for Rajya Sabha interns. Alongside, Sumant Narain, another Harvard product, Indian Audits and Accounts Service. We have Mahaveer Singhvi, Indian Foreign Service.

    We have a journalist here who is more seen on television, like some of our parliamentarians. Because our parliamentarians are drawn from my one-time fraternity. I say one-time fraternity because, when I took oath of office of Governor of the State of West Bengal, my son as a senior advocate had to be suspended. So, I parted company with the jealous mistress. I see him. He’s extremely fond of young lawyers and promoting them on television.

    There’s another journalist also, nearly having the same size as he has, with a little more height. I was having you in mind. Then, of course, Tosif Alam, the co-author.  Well, I greet each and everyone present in this hall. But my real greetings to team Sujeet Kumar.

    Ladies and gentlemen, I was extremely, all my life, benefited from intelligence. That intelligence, I call it SDI, Sudesh Dhankar Intelligence. That intelligence has always held me in good state, generating in me transparency, accountability, and has a very strong sense of disciplining. I dare not reveal the rest of it.

    AI on Trial is a fascinating, illuminating book on a subject of huge contemporaneous relevance. Artificial intelligence invasion, incursion in our daily life is being felt by all of us. Its seismic impact is on every part of our activity. Disruptive technologies, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain, machine learning, used to be just words but now, artificial intelligence is the buzzword. On a lighter note, let me tell you, a member of the Parliament from journalistic category, did not reflect due diligence while sending a notice to get suspension of the working of the house, so that her subject, I have revealed the gender inadvertently, gets precedence. She sent it on a particular date and wanted suspension of the house that had already taken place five days ago.

    I lamented that even artificial intelligence cannot help me to suspend which has already fructified but we never know, there may be a time when artificial intelligence couldn’t go that far also. While I congratulate the authors for their dedication to this critical field and for contributing in an area that will define not only our economic trajectory, in a sense guide our ethical compass for decades to come, but also impacts every societal activity. Artificial intelligence has got such fast traction. It is known to one and all, be it a village, be it semi-urban, urban, or highly urbanised areas, the meadows. It has agitated our minds, also generated concerns but ladies and gentlemen, let me remind you, last 10 years, India is defined as the nation that has had the highest growth amongst large nations.

    Its exponential economic upsurge, phenomenal infrastructure growth have been accoladed by global institutions like the IMF and the World Bank. But the greatest certification has emanated from global institutions in respect of technological penetration. India’s landscape is now dotted with technological footprint everywhere and that is why the World Bank President reflected what India has achieved in technologically spread out in about six years that is not possible even in four decades.

    We as a Nation have tested accessibility of technology and revealed to the world high degree of adaptability resulting in transparency, accountability of services. Youngsters would not even know that to pay an electricity bill or a water bill or a telephone bill. One was compelled to take a day’s leave. The queue was long. Getting a railway ticket or a platform ticket. All this is now in your hand, your mobile. Our mobile coverage, I can say, is reaching nearly saturation point.

    The visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi was reflected. When he thought of banking inclusion and brought about 550 million people, mostly in the villages, into banking service industry. In the shortest time that has stood us in good state during COVID. And also, imagine a Nation where farmers, hundred million in number, get three times a year, direct transfer into their bank accounts but we have to be extremely worry also. AI, the gene, is out of the bottle and it can be extremely destructive. It can create havoc if not regulated, in the age of defects, working of deep state, wokeism. These menacing trends can get wings if this gene of artificial intelligence is not regulated.

    To put it for young minds, a nuclear power can give you energy. Nuclear power can lighten houses, run industry but it can also be destructive. Therefore, we have both the possibilities before us. This calls for something on which the book has deeply focused. The author, Shri Sujeet Kumar, has given illustrations. If you see one of the most widely propagated on social media, one was taking a route using artificial intelligence but the road was broken in between. AI did not show it and it was a disaster.

    It can be a challenge to nations, organised societies, because it is a power that is now available to all. India, being the fastest growing country in the last 10 years, is no longer a nation with a potential. Our objective is well set out to be a developed nation by 2047, if not before. And that requires for us to harness every available area and vista of opportunity because our income has to go eightfold per capita and that being the situation, we must look to harness artificial intelligence for our benefit and that surely can be done.

    I would say India is amongst the few nations in the world that have focused on this aspect, much before others. But we are the most populous country, largest, oldest, most vibrant democracy. Regulating artificial intelligence is daunting, frightening, but imperative. Right balance will have to be struck between regulating artificial intelligence and fostering innovation, this is fundamental. Overregulation can choke like over disciplining a child. We don’t have to impede the spirit of entrepreneurship but at the same time, we have to be extremely cognisant of the evil effects. Underregulation can endanger public safety, perpetuate bias, and erode trust.

    The author in his address had reflected on these problems. One of the greatest challenges that we face these days is, and let me come to the institution which I preside, every word is spoken in the Council of States by a member of Parliament. The Member of Parliament has the immunity from civil prosecution, criminal prosecution. The constitutional protection given to the member, even if the observations are slanderous, malicious, defamatory, damaging reputations of people, setting narratives that are anti-national, not factually well-premised, no citizen of the country can take action. Therefore, action has to be taken by the Council of States, self-regulation. But then, the quickest we can do is, if an Hon’ble Member makes an objectionable observation, it can be expunged. That is expunged only from the record. That is expunged only for posterity. But it gets the widest traction, how to deal with it.

    I have tasked a committee headed by a senior parliamentarian, Ghanshyam Tiwari Ji. He heads a committee on ethics, to devise ways and means. One is counselling members. Secondly, calling upon the political parties that put their people in these institutions to discipline them, sensitise them but the critical question is, how do we save the damage? Artificial intelligence has an answer. Machine learning for me, to begin with, was only machine plus learning but it’s a mechanism that can deal with this menace in split seconds. So technology will have to be availed to make things a little more soothing to society.

    We must therefore design regulation as a scaffold, not a cage. Our goal should be to enable a framework where responsible innovation thrives and sinister designs, pernicious designs, are neutralised. A risk-based, sector-specific, and principle-driven approach may serve us well in this regard. For instance, the level of scrutiny required for AI used in medical diagnostics should differ from the artificial intelligence creating social media feeds. We must assert India’s cyber sovereignty as much as we do the sovereignty understood in common parlance. But we have to be aligned to global standards. There can be no stand-alone activity in such kind of situations. There will have to be global convergence. All stakeholders will have to come on one platform so that we have a global, rule-based order in the field of artificial intelligence.

    India is a unique country, our civilisational depth is more than 5,000 years. Our ethos, our culture, our values, our knowledge is reflected in our Vedas, our epics. India has been a thought leader for centuries. A global centre of culture. Our institutes of excellence were thrown by scholars from all over the world Takshashila, Nalanda, to name only two. They came, gave us much, took away much, shared it, our treasure.

    In G20, India has taken a great initiative to generate a global community and that was reflected in India’s G20 motto, “One Earth, One Family, One Future.” Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. It was the vision of the Prime Minister that brought in the fold of G20 nations of the African Union. European Union was already represented. Global South in neglect for quite long. A word not even known to many. But an important segment of countries in global polity and economy was put on the centre stage. We need to work out something where artificial intelligence can be on that level. The first step has been taken through our India Stack Programme. We are making many of our digital governance solutions open source so the journey of other developing nations gets this facility. Most importantly, the impact of artificial intelligence on ordinary citizens must be at the heart of regulatory regime.

    An ordinary person will not be able to find solutions on his own. The system must provide automatic, inbuilt relief to ordinary citizens. To protect our citizens from the hazards of artificial intelligence, we need enforceable rights, such as right to explanation, the right to contest automated decisions. Decisions are automated. How to contest them, we are not aware and the right to opt out of algorithmic processing, especially when decisions impact livelihoods, liberty, and dignity.

    Artificial Intelligence has generated a compulsive scenario for us. It has forced us to re-examine existing jurisprudence. Traditional legal concepts like liability, or even personhood come under pressure when actions are carried out by autonomous systems. Artificial intelligence opacity challenges legal transparency and accountability principles. Delegating legal interpretation to unexplainable systems undermines judicial trust.

    Current legal artificial intelligence use lacks, this use is not complete. If we use current legal artificial intelligence, we find one deficiency. It lacks comprehensive regulation and oversight. There is urgent need for standards and safeguards to prevent consequences of unregulated artificial intelligence. Debate continues to raise all over whether artificial intelligence promotes legal consistency or perpetuates historical biases.

    Justice at the risk, and the risk is great, justice at risk when algorithms lacking human qualities influence law, judgments can’t be robotised. There can be no artificial intelligence replication. Sometimes the distinction is too fine to be detected even by artificial intelligence. It is the brain of the judge, the discerning brain, that finds a resolution.

    This book, friends, provides a road map for responsible artificial intelligence integration through case studies and regulation proposals. To put it in layman’s language, if you wish to know a gentleman, Google has enough to give you. You can assimilate it, but trust me, you will be ignorant of the person.  You have to go much beyond Google, you have to go much beyond artificial intelligence to know the man.

    Future of legal artificial intelligence requires deliberate shaping by professionals and policy makers. Friends, if artificial intelligence is not regulated, we will face trial by artificial intelligence. That will be a tough trial. The fundamentals of legal jurisprudence, like opportunity of hearing, a fair process, are its first casualty. Therefore, to prevent that, time is now to focus on ‘Artificial Intelligence on Trial’.

    Every person now has power in his hand because of smartphones. Media has come to be defined very differently.

    People are increasingly focused. The focus is intense on social media. The news sharing is the fastest on social media but what happens if it is moderated? It is manipulated? It is inspired by interests inimical to Bharat? It is aimed at destroying our constitutional institutions? Let me give you a highly alarmingly concerning aspect.

    Access to judiciary is a fundamental right and when it comes to challenge to individual’s fundamental rights, the doors of the highest court are open under Article 32 petitions but what we have seen of late?

    Access to judiciary has been weaponised by forces in a systemic manner, fuelled by extra-legal mechanisms, dubiously financed, and the object being to destroy core values of Bharat. We have to be extremely worried.

    I must share a deep concern with you, while institutions have to self-regulate themselves but parliamentary institutions and judiciary blossom only when they self-regulate. We must have respect for these institutions’ inter se, and I hold every institution in high regard. But I firmly believe if there is an incursion in the domain of an institution, be it executive, judiciary, or legislature, by another institution, the doctrine of separation of powers will be stressed.  The stress will be severe. The consequences may be huge.

    Therefore, time has come. These institutions also, one, to apply technology like artificial intelligence to enhance, to secure cutting-edge in their administrative working, and in delivering in their core areas, like judiciary has to deliver through judgments, legislature has to do it through legislation, and holding the executive accountable.

    But similarly, and it is undoubtedly a considered proposition, in all democratic nations, executive governance is the only way of life, because people elect their representatives for governance and for legislation but those who have the numbers get into executive seat from governments. If executive function is performed not by the government but by legislature or by judiciary, where is the accountability? Executive governance by another institution other than government is antithetical to our constitutional values.

    It is negation of power of the people, ‘We the People’, who gave us this constitution. Therefore, such kind of technologies can really get into even-handedness working, equitable working. The equilibrium can be maintained. I strongly advocate that we must be extremely sensitive to institutional domains. But at the same time, we must have highest regard for our institutions. 

    We as a nation are proud for our Parliament, that we are proud of our judiciary. We are equally proud of our executive and you have to look back for last 10 years, our performance, and you will know the statement is well thought out, well premised.

    I must also advert to another aspect. India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, much is being talked about it. People are having varying opinions, and that is the essence of democracy. Because a dialogue requires varying opinions. No one can be judgmental that I alone am right in democracy. Our Digital Personal Data Protection Act is a landmark step, but it now has to evolve in tandem with artificial intelligence regulation. Consent must be meaningful, those who are lawyers know it. A consent that is not free is no consent in law. And free means real freedom to give your consent. Consent cannot be buried in opaque and abstruse terms of service. I am sometimes surprised when I use my mobile phone, go to some application, there is pressure, I agree.

    Now in utter helplessness, you concede a very personal ground. Unknowingly, you are lured or forced. Otherwise, the utilisation doesn’t fructify with ease. Consent cannot be in opaque and abstruse terms of service. Anonymisation, data minimisation, and purpose limitation must be rigorously enforced.

    The regulation of artificial intelligence must be very transparent. It must go hand in hand with re-skilling and workforce planning. As artificial intelligence displaces certain tasks, it will. Because it has come to your house, come to your office. It does jobs sometimes better than normal resource and then an impression is gathered. Are we risking the jobs of people who work? Maybe in some situations, but then it does offer the stars of involvement. We must look in that direction. This requires that we must invest very heavily in education, vocational training, digital literacy, particularly for those who are marginalised, who are vulnerable, who need hand-holding situations.

    Artificial intelligence, the governance part of it, I see it after deep thought, cannot be left only to technocrats or corporations. Democratic oversight is quintessence of democracy. Citizen engagement and transparency are essential. India’s parliamentary committees, judicial forums, and civil society, all are stakeholders. They must converge to secure the citizen against ill effects, evil effects of artificial intelligence.

    Now, artificial intelligence, disruptive technologies are like another industrial revolution. There is paradigm shift every moment.  We seem to be on quicksand when it comes to technological changes. Changes are taking place by the hour, I can say by the seconds. Therefore, to regulate something that is as dynamic as artificial intelligence, we need an agile and empowered institutional framework.

    A national artificial intelligence authority or commission, independent but accountable with representation from government, industry, academia, and civil society could serve as a think tank. Let me give a simple illustration. This is turning out into a huge problem.  People are losing the money from their banks. Now, artificial intelligence must find a solution that once something is stolen by electronic means on account of an inadvertent error or whereas citizen becomes prey to mischief in technology to neutralise and ensure traction of money is controlled. We are still very conventional.

    The person has to go to a police station, and we find the area is in another state, so a physical visit has to be made. By that time, the crooks, the rogues who get themselves this kind of unjust enrichment move their working pattern. We need to do something about it.

    I greatly appreciate the effort of Sujeet Kumar and his young colleague, Tosif Alam, and I have carefully gone through, having had the benefit of book in advance, of the comments that emanated from Justice Ranjan Gogoi and our N. R. Narayana Murthy, Justice T. S. Sivagnanam. He was a judge when I was governor of the state of Bengal.

    Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a technocrat with deep belief, I share one thing in common with our young friend, Tauseef Alam. Salman Khurshid is a dear friend of mine, a distinguished senior advocate, and you have to learn a lot from his style. He absorbs everything which is a challenge by way of thought process, but makes his point in a subtle manner.

    Friends, in conclusion, the topic of regulation of AI will determine the kind of society we aspire to be. It has become a most important factor where we will be. Do we wish to become a digital dystopia where humans serve algorithm or a humane artificial Indian society where technology serves the people? The choice is ours. The choice is well known. There is nothing in artificial intelligence, it is far away from the human mind, so we must use capacity of human mind to regulate this artificial intelligence.  It is on trial as per the book.

    Let artificial intelligence not put us on trial. I’m extremely happy to release this book. It will be an eye-opener to everyone in all spheres of life. I wish the authors success for their next venture.

    Thank you so much.

    ****

    JK/RC/SM

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Budget Session, 2025 of Parliament adjourns sine-die

    Source: Government of India

    Budget Session, 2025 of Parliament adjourns sine-die

    Productivities of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha during Budget Session were approximately 118% and 119% respectively

    16 Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament 

    Posted On: 04 APR 2025 6:14PM by PIB Delhi

    The Budget Session, 2025 of Parliament which commenced on Friday, the 31st of January, 2025, adjourned sine-die on Friday, the 4th of April, 2025. In between both Houses were adjourned for recess on Thursday, the 13th of February, 2025 to reassemble on Monday, the 10th of March, 2025 to enable Department related Standing Committees to examine and report on the Demands for Grants relating to various Ministries/Departments.

    The Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju held a press conference today after the end of the Budget Session, 2025 of Parliament. The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice & Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. L. Murugan were also present on the occasion. Union Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju informed that the first part of the Budget Session yielded a total of 9 sittings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.  In the second part of the Session, there were 17 sittings of both Houses.  During the entire Budget Session, in total, there were 26 sittings.

     

    This being the first Session of the year, the President addressed both Houses of Parliament assembled together in terms of Article 87(1) of the Constitution, on 31st of January, 2025. Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha was moved by Shri Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and seconded by Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad.  This item engaged the Lok Sabha for 17 Hours 23 minutes against allotted time of 12 Hours. 173 Members participated in the discussion. In Rajya Sabha it was moved by Smt. Kiran Choudhary and seconded by Shri Neeraj Shekhar. This item engaged the Rajya Sabha for 21 Hours 46 minutes against allotted time of 15 Hours. 73 Members participated in the debate. The Motions of Thanks on President’s Address were discussed and adopted after reply from the Prime Minister by the two Houses during the first part of the Session.

    The Union Budget for 2025-26 was presented on Saturday, the 1stof February, 2025. General Discussion on the Union Budget was held in both Houses in the first part of the Session.  This engaged the Lok Sabha for 16 Hours 13 minutes against allotted time of 12 Hours and 169 Members took part in the debate and Rajya Sabha for 17 Hours 56 minutes against allotted time of 15 Hours and 89 Members participated in the discussion.

    During the second part of the Session, Demands for Grants of individual Ministries of Railways, Jal Shakti and Agriculture & Farmers Welfare were discussed and voted in Lok Sabha. In the end the Demands for Grants of the remaining Ministries/ Departments were put to the Vote of the House on Friday, the 21stof March, 2025. The related Appropriation Bill was also introduced, considered and passed by Lok Sabha on 21.03.2025 itself.

    Appropriation Bills relating to Second and Final Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2024-25; Excess Demands for Grants for the year 2021-22 and Supplementary Demands for Grants of Manipur for the year 2024-25 and Demands for Grant on Account for the year 2025-26 in respect of the State of Manipur were also passed on 11.03.2025 in Lok Sabha. 

    The Finance Bill, 2025 was passed by Lok Sabha on 25.03.2025.

    In the Rajya Sabha the working of the Ministries of Education, Railways, Health & Family Welfare and Home Affairs were discussed. 

    The Rajya Sabha returned the Appropriation Bills related to Second and Final Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2024-25; Excess Demands for Grants for the year 2021-22 and Supplementary Demands for Grants for Manipur for the year 2024-25 and Demands for Grant on Account for the year 2025-26 in respect of the State of Manipur on 18.03.2025.

    The Appropriation Bill relating to the Demands for Grants for Union for the year 2025-26 and the Finance Bill, 2025 were also returned by Rajya Sabha on 27.03.2025. 

    As such the entire Financial Business was completed in the Houses of Parliament before 31stof March, 2025.

    Statutory Resolution approving the proclamation issued by the President on 13thFebruary, 2025 under Article 356(1) of the Constitution in relation to the State of Manipur was also adopted in both the Houses in their extended sittings on 3rdand 4thof April, 2025, respectively.

    After the presentation of the report of the Joint Committee, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was passed, which seeks to focus on improving the management of waqf properties, empowerment of stakeholders relevant to management of waqf properties, improving the efficiency in survey, registration and case disposal process, and development of waqf properties. While the core purpose remains to manage waqf properties, the aim is to implement modern and scientific methods for better governance.” The Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923 was also repealed.

    The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeks to bring more clarity and convergence in the roles of different organizations working in the field of Disaster Management to strengthen the efficient working of the National Disaster Management Authority and the State Disaster Management Authorities, empower the National Disaster Management Authority and the State Disaster Management Authorities to prepare the disaster plan at national level and state level,  provide for creation of disaster database at national and state level, make provision for constitution of “Urban Disaster Management Authority” for State Capital and large cities having Municipal Corporation and make provision for constitution of “State Disaster Response Force” by the State Government has also been passed.

    The “Tribhuvan” Sahkari University Bill, 2025 relating to establishment of “Tribhuvan” Sahakri University to provide education, training, and capacity building in the cooperative sector and undertake research and development activities in related areas. It will offer degree programs, distance learning and e-learning courses, and develop centres of excellence in co-operative sector was also passed. 

    The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 has been passed to simplify the laws for requirement of passports or other travel documents in respect of persons entering into and exiting from India and for regulating matters related to foreigners including requirement of visa and registration.

    The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was also passed to improve governance standards, provide consistency in reporting by banks to the RBI, ensure better protection for depositors and investors, improve audit quality in public sector banks and bring customer convenience in respect of nominations etc.

    During this Session a total of 11 Bills (10 in Lok Sabha and 1 in Rajya Sabha) were introduced. 16 Bills were passed by Lok Sabha and 14 Bills were passed/returned by Rajya Sabha. Total number of Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament is 16.

    A list of Bills introduced in Lok Sabha, Bills passed by Lok Sabha, Bills passed/returned by Rajya Sabha, Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament is attached in Annexure.

    The productivity of Lok Sabha during the Budget Session, 2025 was approx. 118% and that of Rajya Sabha was approx. 119%.

    ***

    SS/ISA

    Annexure

    LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS TRANSACTED DURING THE 4th   SESSION OF 18th LOK SABHA AND 276th SESSION OF RAJYA SABHA

    (BUDGET SESSION, 2025)

     

    1.      Bills introduced in Lok Sabha

    1. The Finance Bill, 2025
    2. The Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025
    3. The Income-Tax Bill, 2025
    4. The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025
    5. The Appropriation Bill (No.2), 2025
    6. The Appropriation Bill, 2025;
    7. The Manipur Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2025
    8. The Manipur Appropriation Bill, 2025
    9. The Appropriation Bill (No.3), 2025
    10. The Indian Ports Bill, 2025.

     

    2.      Bill introduced in Rajya Sabha

              1. The Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025

     

    3.      Bills Passed by Lok Sabha

    1. The Bills of Lading Bill, 2025
    2. The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2025
    3. The Appropriation Bill, 2025
    4. The Manipur Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2025
    5. The Manipur Appropriation Bill, 2025
    6. The Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2025
    7. The Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, 2025
    8. The Finance Bill, 2025
    9. The Boilers Bill, 2025
    10. The “Tribhuvan” Sahkari University Bill, 2025
    11. The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025
    12. The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025.
    13. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
    14. The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025
    15. The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2025.
    16. The Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025.

    4.      Bills Passed/Returned by Rajya Sabha

    1. The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2025
    2. The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2025
    3. The Appropriation Bill, 2025
    4. The Manipur Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2025
    5. The Manipur Appropriation Bill, 2025
    6. The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025
    7. The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025
    8. The Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, 2025
    9. The Finance Bill, 2025.
    10. The Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025
    11. The “Tribhuvan” Sahkari University Bill, 2025
    12. The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025
    13. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
    14. The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025

    5.      Bills Passed by Both Houses.

    1. The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2025
    2. The Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2025
    3. The Appropriation (No.2) Bill, 2025
    4. The Appropriation Bill, 2025
    5. The Manipur Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2025
    6. The Manipur Appropriation Bill, 2025
    7. The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025
    8. The Boilers Bill, 2025
    9. The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025
    10. The Appropriation Bill (3), 2025
    11. The Finance Bill, 2025.
    12. The “Tribhuvan” Sahkari University Bill, 2025
    13. The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025
    14. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
    15. The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025
    16. The Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025.

    ***

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