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  • Analysis – A Roundup of Significant Articles on ForeignAffairs.co.nz for June 19, 2025

    Analysis: Here is a summary of significant articles published on ForeignAffairs.co.nz on June 19, 2025.

    MIL-Evening Report: Migrating bogong moths use the stars and Earth’s magnetic field to find ancestral summer caves each year
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Warrant, Professor of Zoology at the University of Lund, Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, and Adjunct Professor, University of South Australia Vik Dunis/iNaturalist, CC BY-NC It’s a warm January summer afternoon, and as I traverse the flower-strewn western slopes of Australia’s highest mountain, Mount […]

    MIL-Evening Report: Jaws at 50: how a single movie changed our perception of white sharks forever
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Long, Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University Shane Myers Photography/Shutterstock It’s been 50 years since Steven Spielberg’s movie Jaws first cast a terrifying shadow across our screens. At a low point during production, Spielberg worried he’d only ever be known for “a big fish story”. The […]

    MIL-Evening Report: Robot eyes are power hungry. What if we gave them tools inspired by the human brain?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam D Hines, Research Fellow, Centre for Robotics, Queensland University of Technology A hexapod robot navigating outdoors. Adam Hines Robots are increasingly becoming a part of our lives – from warehouse automation to robotic vacuum cleaners. And just like humans, robots need to know where they are […]

    MIL-Evening Report: Winter viruses can trigger a heart attack or stroke, our study shows. It’s another good reason to get a flu or COVID shot
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tu Nguyen, PhD Candidate, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Irina Shatilova/Shutterstock Winter is here, along with cold days and the inevitable seasonal surge in respiratory viruses. But it’s not only the sniffles we need to worry about. Heart attacks and strokes also […]

    MIL-Evening Report: School playgrounds are one of the main locations for bullying. How can they be set up to stop it?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Arts and Education, Charles Sturt University Dan Kenyon/ Getty Images Children spend thousands of hours in playgrounds at school. A lot of this time does not have the same levels of teacher preparation and supervision as classrooms do. Research shows […]

    MIL-Evening Report: Would you cheat on your tax? It’s a risky move, the tax office knows a lot about you
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert B Whait, Senior Lecturer in Taxation Law, University of South Australia Soon, more than 15 million Australians should be lodging a tax return with the Australian Taxation Office in the hope of receiving at least a small refund. About 60% of taxpayers use an accountant to […]

    MIL-Evening Report: Companies are betting on AI to help lift productivity. Workers need to be part of the process
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Llewellyn Spink, AI Corporate Governance Lead, Human Technology Institute, University of Technology Sydney The Conversation, CC BY-NC Australia’s productivity is flatlining, posting the worst vitals we’ve seen in 60 years. Politicians and chief executives are prescribing artificial intelligence (AI) like it’s the new penicillin – a wonder […]

    MIL-Evening Report: Is Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend album cover satire or self-degradation? A psychology expert explores our reactions
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Muller-Townsend, Lecturer in Psychology, Edith Cowan University Island Records Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend album cover has fans divided. Carpenter poses on all fours, her glossy blond hair grasped by a male figure cropped from the frame. Her wide-eyed expression intensifies an ambiguous performance of subservience, […]

    MIL-Evening Report: Tracing the Drax family’s millions – a story of British landed gentry, slavery and sugar plantations
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Lashmar, Reader in Journalism, City St George’s, University of London ‘Planting the sugar-cane’: vast fortunes were made from the trades in both sugar and human slaves in the Americas. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library Rich […]

    MIL-Evening Report: Kicked out for coming out: more than half of LGBTIQ+ flatmates face discrimination for their identity
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brodie Fraser, Senior Research Fellow, He Kāinga Oranga Housing and Health Research Programme, University of Otago Sangar Akreyi/Getty Images People who belong to the LGBTIQ+ community say flatting is fraught with difficulties that go well beyond learning new routines and sharing space with strangers. Our new research […]

    MIL-Evening Report: Nineteen Eighty-Four might have been inspired by George Orwell’s fear of drowning
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Waddell, Associate Professor in Twentieth-Century Literature, University of Birmingham George Orwell had a traumatic relationship with the sea. In August 1947, while he was writing Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) on the island of Jura in the Scottish Hebrides, he went on a fishing trip with his young […]

    MIL-Evening Report: What happens when aid is cut to a large refugee camp? Kenyan study paints a bleak picture
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olivier Sterck, Associate professor, University of Oxford Humanitarian needs are rising around the world. At the same time, major donors such as the US and the UK are pulling back support, placing increasing strain on already overstretched aid systems. Global humanitarian needs have quadrupled since 2015, driven […]

    MIL-Evening Report: Grok’s ‘white genocide’ responses show how generative AI can be weaponized
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Foulds, Associate Professor of Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Someone altered the AI chatbot Grok to make it insert text about a debunked conspiracy theory in unrelated responses. Cheng Xin/Getty Images The AI chatbot Grok spent one day in May 2025 spreading debunked conspiracy […]

    MIL-OSI Global: World Refugee Day: Prolonged refugee separation is harming families — and Canada’s economy
    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Christina Clark-Kazak, Professor, Public and International Affairs, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa As World Refugee Day approaches on June 20, advocates and health experts are calling on the Canadian government to urgently address prolonged family separation for refugees. With wait times for family reunification now averaging more than four […]

    MIL-OSI Global: How discussion becomes discord: Three avoidable steps on the path to polarization
    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Emma Lei Jing, Assistant Professor, People and Organizations, Neoma Business School From tariffs and sovereignty to politics and conflict, there’s no shortage of controversial topics for us to grapple with. (Shutterstock) Many of us have become immersed in debates with family about a contentious political issue, or found […]

    MIL-OSI Global: Misogyny has become a political strategy — here’s how the pandemic helped make it happen
    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Brianna I. Wiens, Assistant Professor of Digital Media and Rhetoric, University of Waterloo Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more overt forms of gendered hate have jumped from obscure internet forums into the mainstream, shaping culture and policy. Social media doesn’t just reflect sexist, anti-feminist views; it helps to organize, […]

    MIL-OSI Global: Alzheimer’s: bacteria that cause stomach ulcers may protect the brain, our new research indicates
    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gefei Chen, Associate professor, Karolinska Institutet _H pylori_ is more commonly known as the culprit of stomach infections. Corona Borealis Studio/ Shutterstock Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for between 60% and 70% of all […]

    MIL-OSI Global: The UK’s warm homes plan has been saved – here’s how Labour can learn from a decade of failed insulation schemes
    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Madeleine Pauker, PhD Candidate, Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Natalia Nosova/Shutterstock The UK government confirmed in its June 2025 spending review that it will honour its manifesto pledge and not cut the £13.2 billion warm homes plan, as had been speculated. The money will be spent […]

    MIL-OSI Global: Wandering uteruses and far-reaching tubes: the surprising mobility of the female reproductive tract
    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michelle Spear, Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol The ancient wandering womb theory suggested that many ailments in women were caused by the uterus becoming dislodged and roaming the body in search of moisture. According to these theories, the uterus could roam freely around the body, pressing on […]

    MIL-OSI Global: England is expanding free school meals – here’s what could happen if they were given to all children
    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay, Professor of Development Economics , Queen Mary University of London Children in Jharkhand state, India, eating their midday meal at school. Mohammad Shahnawaz/Shutterstock The UK government has announced an extension of free school meals in England to all children whose parents receive universal credit, in order […]

  • Technology – A Roundup of Significant Articles on ForeignAffairs.co.nz for June 19, 2025

    Technology News – A Roundup of Significant Articles on ForeignAffairs.co.nz for June 19, 2025

    MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Questions Witnesses on Potential Crimes in Biden Health Cover-up
    US Senate News: Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn WASHINGTON – Today during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) co-chaired entitled, “Unfit to Serve: How the Biden Cover-Up Endangered America and Undermined the Constitution,” he discussed with witness Theodore Wold, Visiting Fellow for Law and Technology Policy at the […]

    MIL-OSI USA: Peters Reintroduces Legislation to Increase Diversity of Ownership in Broadcast Industry
    US Senate News: Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) reintroduced the Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service (VOICES) Act to increase diversity of ownership in the broadcasting industry by encouraging investment in women and minority-owned stations.  “Millions of Americans get their news everyday through TV and radio. When broadcasters […]

    MIL-OSI USA: Peters Reintroduces Legislation to Increase Diversity of Ownership in Broadcast Industry
    US Senate News: Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) reintroduced the Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service (VOICES) Act to increase diversity of ownership in the broadcasting industry by encouraging investment in women and minority-owned stations.  “Millions of Americans get their news everyday through TV and radio. When broadcasters […]

    MIL-OSI New Zealand: Amnesty International – Urgent need to protect civilians amid unprecedented escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran
    Source: Amnesty International As more and more civilians bear the cruel toll of the terrifying military escalation in Iran and Israel since 13 June 2025, and amid threats of further escalation in the conflict, Amnesty International is urging the Israeli and Iranian authorities to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians. […]

    MIL-OSI USA: Demanding Meaningful Stablecoin Guardrails, Reed Votes Against So-Called “GENIUS Act”
    US Senate News: Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed WASHINGTON, DC — Citing a lack of consumer and taxpayer protections and serious crypto corruption and national security concerns, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) voted against the so-called GENIUS Act (S.1582), which passed the U.S. Senate on a vote of 68-30. The controversial […]

    MIL-OSI: Reliance Global Group Announces Up To $6.75 Million Private Placement Priced At-The-Market Under Nasdaq Rules
    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) LAKEWOOD, NJ, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Reliance Global Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: RELI) (“Reliance,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”), today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements for the issuance and sale of an aggregate of 1,488,096 shares of its common stock (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof) and […]

    MIL-OSI China: China’s vision for deeper financial opening-up highlighted at Shanghai Lujiazui Forum
    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News China’s vision for deeper financial opening-up highlighted at Shanghai Lujiazui Forum SHANGHAI, June 18 — Multiple government officials have delivered speeches at the annual Lujiazui Forum being held in east China’s Shanghai, pledging efforts to promote high-standard financial opening-up despite mounting global geopolitical uncertainty. Among the […]

    MIL-OSI: Narda-MITEQ Awarded Prototype to Optimize Power Dividers in Growler Aircrafts for DoN
    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) LOS ANGELES, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Program Manager Air (PMA)–265 and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane), in partnership with NSTXL through the S²MARTS OTA, have announced a prototype award to optimize Power Dividers for the EA–18G aircraft. NAVAIR is qualifying a new design […]

    MIL-OSI Russia: Review: BRICS Cooperation Space Constantly Expands – SPIEF Participants
    Translation. Region: Russian Federal Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian – Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News St. Petersburg, June 18 (Xinhua) — The cooperation space between the BRICS countries is constantly expanding, especially after the expansion of the association began in 2024. This […]

    MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jim Kilby Visits Black Sea Technologies in Baltimore, Observes Small Unmanned Surface Vehicle Operations and Advanced Manufacturing Facility
    Source: United States Navy Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jim Kilby visited the BlackSea Technologies (BlackSea) headquarters and production facilities in Baltimore, June 18, to see first-hand how BlackSea supports the U.S. Navy’s Small Unmanned Surface Vehicles (sUSV) program and how it plans to continue to expand its capabilities to support fleet operations. MIL […]

    MIL-OSI: Embassy Bancorp, Inc. Announces Annual Cash Dividend
    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) BETHLEHEM, Pa., June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Embassy Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX: EMYB) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared an annual cash dividend of $0.48 per share, payable on July 15, 2025, to shareholders of record on June 27, 2025. This represents an over 14% increase over last year’s […]

    MIL-OSI USA: Energy Secretary Wright Testifies Before Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on FY2026 Budget Request
    Source: US Department of Energy WASHINGTON— U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright testified today before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on the Department of Energy’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request. Earlier this month, Secretary Wright testified before the U.S. House Energy Subcommittee to outline the department’s FY2026 request. He also appeared […]

    MIL-OSI New Zealand: Bachelor of Applied Science student lands internship mapping native bush remnants
    Source: Eastern Institute of Technology 19 hours ago Bachelor of Applied Science (Biodiversity Management) student Emily Strong helped iwi identify remnants of the historic Seventy Mile Bush during a summer internship with Sustainable Hawke’s Bay. The internship was part of her third year of study, delivered by EIT in partnership with Unitec. EIT graduate Michael […]

    MIL-Evening Report: Robot eyes are power hungry. What if we gave them tools inspired by the human brain?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam D Hines, Research Fellow, Centre for Robotics, Queensland University of Technology A hexapod robot navigating outdoors. Adam Hines Robots are increasingly becoming a part of our lives – from warehouse automation to robotic vacuum cleaners. And just like humans, robots need to know where they are […]

    MIL-Evening Report: Companies are betting on AI to help lift productivity. Workers need to be part of the process
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Llewellyn Spink, AI Corporate Governance Lead, Human Technology Institute, University of Technology Sydney The Conversation, CC BY-NC Australia’s productivity is flatlining, posting the worst vitals we’ve seen in 60 years. Politicians and chief executives are prescribing artificial intelligence (AI) like it’s the new penicillin – a wonder […]

    MIL-OSI: Artificial Intelligence Risk, Inc. and Fynancial, Inc. Awarded “Best in Show” at RIA Edge for “Fyn”, the First Agentic AI Powered Assistant for Financial Advisors
    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) Greenwich, CT, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Artificial Intelligence Risk, Inc. and Fynancial, Inc. were jointly awarded Best in Show at Wealth Management EDGE 2025 in Boca Raton, FL for Fyn, an agentic AI powered assistant for financial advisors. Fyn, launched this month in a JV between AI Risk and Fynancial […]

    MIL-OSI: Red Cat Holdings Announces Closing of $46.75 Million Registered Direct Offering of Common Stock
    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT) (“Red Cat” or “Company”), a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations, has successfully closed the previously announced registered direct offering with certain institutional investors for the purchase and […]

    MIL-OSI USA: Technology Entrepreneurship: Helping Students Pursue their Personal and Professional Dreams
    Source: US State of Connecticut As part of the UConn College of Engineering’s (CoE) commitment to entrepreneurial growth, outreach, and competitive opportunities, a collaborative team led by Leila Daneshmandi, director of The Matthew & Margarethe Mashikian Innovation & Entrepreneurship Hub (eHub) and assistant professor in residence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, has created an Entrepreneurship Fellowship […]

    MIL-OSI USA: North Dakota Launches ND Gateway, Laying the Foundation for a One-Stop Portal for State Services
    Source: US State of North Dakota In a major step toward modernizing and simplifying the user experience with state government, North Dakota has launched the first phase of ND Gateway. Led by North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) and other partner agencies, ND Gateway creates a single portal through which business owners and entrepreneurs can access […]

    MIL-OSI Video: US Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Crypto Investment Fraud Money Laundering
    Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements) The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $225.3 million in cryptocurrency. According to the complaint, law enforcement used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency is connected […]

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Representatives Will Remain Available in Kahului and Lahaina

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today the availability of SBA  Recovery Centers on Maui to assist small businesses, private nonprofit (PNP) organizations and residents affected by wildfires occurring Aug. 9-Sept. 30, 2023.

    FEMA has announced an end to in-person staffing at the two public-facing recovery centers on June 18. SBA customer service representatives will remain on hand at the Recovery Centers in Kahului and Lahaina to answer questions and assist with the disaster loan application process. No appointment is necessary, walk-ins are welcome. Those who prefer to schedule an in-person appointment in advance can do so at appointment.sba.gov.

    The following locations are open and continue to serve survivors:

    MAUI COUNTY
    Council for Native Hawaiian
     Advancement (CNHA)
    70 E. Kaahumanu Ave., Unit D-1
    Kahului, HI  96732

    Mondays – Fridays, 
    9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

    MAUI COUNTY
    Maui Office of Recovery West
    Lahaina Gateway, Unit 102-B
    (Near Ace Hardware)
    325 Keawe St.
    Lahaina, HI  96761

    Mondays –Fridays, 
    8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

    “SBA’s Business Recovery Centers have consistently proven their value to business owners following a disaster,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “Business owners can visit these centers to meet face‑to‑face with specialists who will guide them through the disaster loan application process and connect them with resources to support their recovery.”

    Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and private nonprofit organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to these disasters. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    SBA representatives will also provide help to business owners and residents at disaster recovery centers when they opened in the impacted area.

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses, 2.37% for nonprofits, and 2.50% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA determines eligibility and sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Serious crash at Munno Para Downs

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police and emergency services are at the scene of a serious crash at Munno Para Downs.

    Just after 9am Thursday 19 June police were called to Coventry Road with the intersection of Dalkeith Road after reports of a two-vehicle crash.

    Coventry Road is closed with Dalkeith Road.

    Please avoid the area.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video, Transcript, and Photos: Representatives Goldman, Nadler Conduct Congressional Oversight of Immigration Proceedings at 26 Federal Plaza

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    Rep. Dan Goldman: “And the question is, why can’t we go in? What are they hiding? If they’re going to treat Comptroller Lander, if they’re going to treat Senator Padilla, if they’re going to treat Congresswoman McIver the way that these agents have been treating them, as if it’s the police state out in the open in public, how are they treating immigrants behind closed doors who have to sleep on floors for multiple nights?” 

     

    Rep. Dan Goldman: “This is unacceptable. It is unacceptable that they denied our access, and we will be continuing to push for access with the executives at the Department of Homeland Security because they are violating the law. And we will not stop until we get to go in and observe what is going on in these detention centers with these non-criminal, nonviolent immigrants going through the process the correct way.” 

     

    Watch Video of Rep. Goldman Being Denied Access to Detention Area Here 

     

    Videos and Photos from the Press Conference Here 

    New York, NY — Congressmen Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Jerry Nadler (NY-12) hosted a press conference today after observing court proceedings at 26 Federal Plaza and being denied access to the federal building’s 10th floor, where immigrants are being detained for days and sleeping on the floor and benches in inhumane conditions. The Congressmembers confronted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Field Director Bill Joyce and Field Office Director Judith Almodovar, who confirmed reports that immigrants were sleeping on the floor. The members raised concerns about the detentions and ICE’s ongoing refusal to allow lawful congressional oversight of detention facilities. 

    The press conference came on the heels of continued ICE raids at federal immigration courts across the country, targeting law-abiding immigrants attending routine court appearances. Most recently, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander was detained at 26 Federal Plaza while overseeing similar proceedings. 

    On May 29, Rep. Goldman observed similar court proceedings at 290 Broadway in Manhattan, where he confronted ICE and Department of Homeland Security agents about their continued use of face coverings while detaining law-abiding immigrants following routine asylum hearings. 

    A transcript of the Congressman’s comments is available below: 

    Rep. Dan Goldman: “Thank you. Thank you all for coming.  

    I’m here with Congressman Nadler in front of 26 Federal Plaza. We just went in to conduct our constitutional oversight authority of ICE and ICE detention facilities. We were denied access, even though we are allowed to show up unannounced by statute, and we must be allowed in. 

    We gave advance notice that we would be coming this morning, and they still denied our access. They said that this building is not being used as a, this is not a “detention facility,” even though the statute very clearly says that we are allowed into any facility that is being used to detain or otherwise house aliens. 

    The Deputy Field Director said that there are people who have been staying there for two nights or more after they have been processed, sleeping on benches and on the floor. We are very concerned about what conditions these immigrants are being held in while this mass deportation scheme is underway.  

    We observed the courtroom before that, where the government is trying to dismiss these immigration cases. 

    These are nonviolent, non-criminal immigrants going through the proper process, and the government is trying to dismiss the cases.  

    We observed two cases where the respondent, the immigrant, rejected the government’s motion to dismiss it and moved ahead with their asylum claim. So they were not arrested by the numerous federal agents in masks who were waiting outside of the courtroom. 

    And those federal agents are not just ICE agents. There are numerous FBI agents. These are people whose responsibility and job duties are to investigate serious crimes. And they’re being pulled away from investigating serious crimes so that they can arrest nonviolent, non-criminal immigrants going through the lawful legal process so that they can be deceptively removed in an expedited fashion. 

    And the question is, why can’t we go in? What are they hiding? If they’re going to treat Comptroller Lander, if they’re going to treat Senator Padilla, if they’re going to treat Congresswoman McIver the way that these agents have been treating them, as if it’s the police state out in the open in the public, how are they treating immigrants behind closed doors who have to sleep on floors for multiple nights? 

    This is unacceptable. It is unacceptable that they denied our access, and we will be continuing to push for access with the executives at the Department of Homeland Security because they are violating the law. And we will not stop until we get to go in and observe what is going on in these detention centers with these non-criminal, nonviolent immigrants going through the process the correct way.  

    And the question for everybody to ask is, not only what are they hiding with the masks, but what are they hiding about this facility that they are using to house immigrants for multiple days?”

    Earlier this month, Rep. Goldman and and House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02) led 84 House Democrats in an oversight letter of inquiry to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem seeking answers regarding the rise in ICE employing its masked, plainclothes officers to detain non-violent, law-abiding immigrants immediately following and in coordination with the dismissal of their existing deportation cases by DHS attorneys.   

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 791 Chinese citizens evacuated from Iran: FM spokesperson

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

    Up till now, with the active assistance and support of nearby countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese embassy and consulate in Iran have organized and coordinated the evacuation of 791 Chinese citizens from Iran to safety, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday.

    At a daily press briefing, Guo elaborated on the Chinese government’s organization for the safe evacuation of Chinese citizens in Iran and Israel.

    Another 1,000-plus people are still being relocated and evacuated. Chinese embassies and consulates in neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, have sent working groups to border entry and exit points to assist fellow nationals in passing through the border and traveling back home. Some Chinese nationals have already been safely evacuated from Israel, Guo said.

    “We appreciate relevant countries’ support and assistance. Our Ministry and diplomatic and consular missions will continue to do everything possible to help our fellow nationals move to safety and evacuate,” he added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Majority of venues for 15th National Games completed

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

    Apart from six temporary venues that will be set up 15 to 20 days before the 15th National Games, all other venues in the Guangdong province have already been completed, according to the event’s organizing committee.

    “Of the venues, over 90 percent hosting competitions in Guangdong are existing facilities, which have been renovated, marking the fewest new venues constructed in recent editions of the National Games and the Special Olympics,” said Huang Mingzhong, deputy director of the Games’ Guangdong executive committee, during a press conference on Wednesday.

    In total, there are 105 venues for the National Games and Special Olympics, with 89 in Guangdong, nine in Hong Kong and seven in Macao.

    The opening ceremony of the 15th National Games and the Special Olympics, jointly hosted for the first time by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, is scheduled to be held on November 9 in Guangzhou, the provincial capital city of Guangdong.

    The 15th National Games and the Special Olympics will involve 36,000 athletes from across the country, along with 45,000 event volunteers and 4,000 journalists.

    Fifty-seven major events will be featured in the National Games and 46 events in the Special Olympics, making it the largest edition of its kind in the history.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Han, Zhang star as China top Japan in Asia Cup warm-ups

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

    Chinese centers Han Xu and Zhang Ziyu finished double-doubles respectively, helping China win over Japan 101-92 at the Asia Cup warm-up series on Wednesday.

    Han scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Zhang had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and guard Yang Shuyu got 17 points. Japan’s Mai Kawai led her team with 13 points.

    In 2024, China suffered two defeats consecutively in the warm-ups against Japan in Xi’an. Before today’s clash, Chinese player Li Yuan told Xinhua that although Japan missed some of its best players, “we would prepare carefully for the game.”

    China took a 26-25 lead in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Zhang Ziyu bagged 10 points, bringing the home team a 49-44 lead before the half break.

    In the middle of the third quarter, China enjoyed a 10-4 run, extending the lead to 14 points. Japan netted five three-pointers, cutting the deficit to 10 before the final period.

    Although Japan narrowed the gap to seven points in the fourth quarter, China regained control with a 9-2 run.

    “Japan is actually a team with very prominent characteristics. They move fast and they are good at shooting beyond the arc,” said China head coach Gong Luming.

    “We showed our advantages in height and strength. What’s more, all the players had good performances in offense.”

    “However, we didn’t deal with Japanese three-pointer shooters well. We will do some adjustments in the next game,” added Gong.

    The two teams will meet again this Friday in Hefei, the capital of eastern China’s Anhui Province.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: State Highway 7, Stillwater closed following crash

    Source: New Zealand Police

    State Highway 7, Stillwater is currently closed at the intersection with Taylorville Road following a crash.

    Just after 12pm, Police were notified that a vehicle had collided with a stationary vehicle.

    One person has sustained minor injuries.

    Diversions are in place and motorists are advised to avoid the area.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update: Man dies after Edmund Road crash

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Attributable to Detective Sergeant Phil Wilkinson

    Rotorua Police can confirm the man who was found critically injured following a crash on Edmund Road has died in hospital.

    The man was found critically injured after having been struck by a motorcycle when crossing a designated pedestrian crossing.

    Emergency services were called to the crash on Sunday 15 June at around 2.15pm, where the man was located and transported to hospital.

    Sadly, as a result of the injuries received in the incident the 24-year-old man died in hospital yesterday surrounded by family.

    Police and Victim Support are providing support to his family at this difficult time.

    We are still working to determine the circumstances of the crash, and the events leading up to it.

    Investigators are continuing to comb through evidence and information provided by the public, and urge anyone with information who has not yet contacted us to please do so.

    A number of people were in the area and witnessed the crash, and we would like to speak with them and obtain any video and still images people may have of the incident.

    Today, Police are releasing four additional images of the motorcycle and its rider, in the hope that members of the community will recognise them and contact Police.

    The motorbike is believed to have been damaged in the crash, with damage to the front fairing. Family, friends, neighbours will notice a difference in the motorbike with either damage, changes to the bike or a motorbike that had previously been ridden in the street is now not being seen in the neighbourhood.

    If you are the rider or know who the rider is, please get in touch with us – do the right thing. The events of this incident will be weighing heavily on the rider’s mind. It is important that they come forward and speak to us.

    Police are thankful for the positive response from the community and the information that has been provided so far.

    As the man’s family are dealing with the death of their loved one, we ask that any information is sent to Police to ensure the family can grieve in private.

    You can provide information online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or by calling 105.

    Please use the reference number 250615/1168.

    You can also provide information through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy backs McCormick, Fetterman resolution to condemn antisemitic violence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Sens. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and 33 bipartisan colleagues in introducing a resolution condemning the trend of political violence against Jewish people.

    “Attacking innocent people for their faith is an abhorrent betrayal of America’s fundamental principles. I’m sickened by the recent attacks on our Jewish community and stand firmly with my Senate colleagues in denouncing this vile, hateful ideology,” said Kennedy.

    The resolution recognizes and condemns the rise in attacks against Jewish individuals in the U.S., including the June 1, 2025, attack in Boulder, Colorado; the May 21, 2025, killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C.; and the April 13, 2025, arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home.

    “Antisemitism has no place is America. Since October 7, 2023, the Jewish community has faced unprecedented and persistent antisemitic hate and violence. This hatred cannot stand. Living in Squirrel Hill, right around the corner from the site of the devastating Tree of Life Synagogue attack in 2018, really brings this issue home for me. Protecting my friends and neighbors, and all Jewish people across the country, must be a national priority. I’m proud to team up with Senator Fetterman, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, to unequivocally condemn the alarming surge in antisemitic hate across the country,” said McCormick.

    “Amid a despicable rise in antisemitism, including the hateful arson at Governor Shapiro’s home in Pennsylvania, the shocking violence in Boulder, and the deadly attack on the Israeli embassy staff in D.C., we are starkly reminded that silence is complicity. These appalling attacks on our Jewish communities are not isolated events. After eleven lives were stolen at the Tree of Life massacre in 2018, I’ve felt an even stronger moral obligation to confront antisemitism wherever it appears and stand united against hate,” said Fetterman.

    Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) also cosponsored the resolution. 

    The full resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy backs McCormick, Fetterman resolution to condemn antisemitic violence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Sens. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and 33 bipartisan colleagues in introducing a resolution condemning the trend of political violence against Jewish people.

    “Attacking innocent people for their faith is an abhorrent betrayal of America’s fundamental principles. I’m sickened by the recent attacks on our Jewish community and stand firmly with my Senate colleagues in denouncing this vile, hateful ideology,” said Kennedy.

    The resolution recognizes and condemns the rise in attacks against Jewish individuals in the U.S., including the June 1, 2025, attack in Boulder, Colorado; the May 21, 2025, killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C.; and the April 13, 2025, arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home.

    “Antisemitism has no place is America. Since October 7, 2023, the Jewish community has faced unprecedented and persistent antisemitic hate and violence. This hatred cannot stand. Living in Squirrel Hill, right around the corner from the site of the devastating Tree of Life Synagogue attack in 2018, really brings this issue home for me. Protecting my friends and neighbors, and all Jewish people across the country, must be a national priority. I’m proud to team up with Senator Fetterman, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, to unequivocally condemn the alarming surge in antisemitic hate across the country,” said McCormick.

    “Amid a despicable rise in antisemitism, including the hateful arson at Governor Shapiro’s home in Pennsylvania, the shocking violence in Boulder, and the deadly attack on the Israeli embassy staff in D.C., we are starkly reminded that silence is complicity. These appalling attacks on our Jewish communities are not isolated events. After eleven lives were stolen at the Tree of Life massacre in 2018, I’ve felt an even stronger moral obligation to confront antisemitism wherever it appears and stand united against hate,” said Fetterman.

    Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) also cosponsored the resolution. 

    The full resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Secures Victory to Prevent Sexual Assault in the Military

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    Published: June 18, 2025

    DoD has appointed an official to oversee sexual assault prevention and has already begun updating Senator Ernst.

    WASHINGTON – After years of her work, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a combat veteran, secured a key victory to prevent sexual assault in the military. She discussed with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth how the Department of Defense (DoD) has appointed Steve Erickson to oversee its Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO). Erickson has already begun updating Senator Ernst, so they can work together to end sexual assault in the military.
    During the hearing, Ernst also pointed out how Iran has American blood on its hands, including how it backed the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks that took the lives of 43 Americans. Ernst continued her calls for DoD to pass a clean audit by 2028.

    Watch Senator Ernst’s full remarks here.
    “Secretary Hegseth, I do want to thank you because we’ve had many discussions about this. You have appointed Steve Erickson as the Executor of Director of Force Resiliency, and he will oversee the Department’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office…and he will directly report to you on the issue of sexual assault within our military. You’ve been very responsive on this issue, and I commend you for that. I have already received my first briefing by Mr. Erickson. To continue building on this progress, I’m going to hold quarterly meetings with the SAPRO, and we want to make sure that we continue the momentum that we are seeing within the Department on that,” said Senator Ernst. 
    “First of all, Senator, I want to thank you and other members of this committee for the work you’ve done on that issue. And I think in large part, and you’ll see this in this budget, we continue to fund the programs, which have seen efficacy. And so I think a lot of these were newer programs, new initiatives, new emphasis put in place that we have simply sought to maintain and accelerate, and you see that in that in this budget. And thankfully, we’ve seen this year sexual assault numbers decrease. One is too many, as we’ve said before, but a decrease is a good trend to see and we want to continue that,” said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Secures Victory to Prevent Sexual Assault in the Military

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    Published: June 18, 2025

    DoD has appointed an official to oversee sexual assault prevention and has already begun updating Senator Ernst.

    WASHINGTON – After years of her work, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a combat veteran, secured a key victory to prevent sexual assault in the military. She discussed with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth how the Department of Defense (DoD) has appointed Steve Erickson to oversee its Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO). Erickson has already begun updating Senator Ernst, so they can work together to end sexual assault in the military.
    During the hearing, Ernst also pointed out how Iran has American blood on its hands, including how it backed the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks that took the lives of 43 Americans. Ernst continued her calls for DoD to pass a clean audit by 2028.

    Watch Senator Ernst’s full remarks here.
    “Secretary Hegseth, I do want to thank you because we’ve had many discussions about this. You have appointed Steve Erickson as the Executor of Director of Force Resiliency, and he will oversee the Department’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office…and he will directly report to you on the issue of sexual assault within our military. You’ve been very responsive on this issue, and I commend you for that. I have already received my first briefing by Mr. Erickson. To continue building on this progress, I’m going to hold quarterly meetings with the SAPRO, and we want to make sure that we continue the momentum that we are seeing within the Department on that,” said Senator Ernst. 
    “First of all, Senator, I want to thank you and other members of this committee for the work you’ve done on that issue. And I think in large part, and you’ll see this in this budget, we continue to fund the programs, which have seen efficacy. And so I think a lot of these were newer programs, new initiatives, new emphasis put in place that we have simply sought to maintain and accelerate, and you see that in that in this budget. And thankfully, we’ve seen this year sexual assault numbers decrease. One is too many, as we’ve said before, but a decrease is a good trend to see and we want to continue that,” said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch, Crapo Celebrate Senate Passage of Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) today celebrated the Senate’s unanimous passage of their legislation to reauthorize the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program (SRS) through Fiscal Year 2026.

    “Idaho counties rely on SRS funding for schools, road maintenance, and other essential services. Until we can bring historic timber revenue back to these areas, this program must be reauthorized,” said Risch. “The federal government made a promise to rural communities, and I’m proud to see the Senate follow through.”

    “In many rural counties in Idaho, the loss of resource revenue sharing from vast tracts of federally owned land inhibit counties’ ability to support local schools or even fund basic emergency services–including search and rescue,” said Crapo. “The Senate’s unanimous passage of legislation to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools program is a critical first step in meeting the federal government’s responsibility to rural communities containing tax-exempt public lands. Without SRS, many counties in Idaho and across the country will fall short of the financial means to provide for these integral community functions for local residents and visitors alike. I urge the U.S. House of Representatives to move expeditiously on this legislation.”

    Risch and Crapo are joined by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mark Kelly (D-Az.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) in cosponsoring the legislation.

    The legislation also authorizes retroactive payments for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Risch and Crapo introduced the legislation in the 118th Congress, and the Senate unanimously passed it in November 2024. It did not receive a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives before the end of the Congress. The House must reauthorize the program as soon as possible to avoid a gap in funding for rural counties that rely on the program for much-needed services.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch, Crapo Celebrate Senate Passage of Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) today celebrated the Senate’s unanimous passage of their legislation to reauthorize the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program (SRS) through Fiscal Year 2026.

    “Idaho counties rely on SRS funding for schools, road maintenance, and other essential services. Until we can bring historic timber revenue back to these areas, this program must be reauthorized,” said Risch. “The federal government made a promise to rural communities, and I’m proud to see the Senate follow through.”

    “In many rural counties in Idaho, the loss of resource revenue sharing from vast tracts of federally owned land inhibit counties’ ability to support local schools or even fund basic emergency services–including search and rescue,” said Crapo. “The Senate’s unanimous passage of legislation to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools program is a critical first step in meeting the federal government’s responsibility to rural communities containing tax-exempt public lands. Without SRS, many counties in Idaho and across the country will fall short of the financial means to provide for these integral community functions for local residents and visitors alike. I urge the U.S. House of Representatives to move expeditiously on this legislation.”

    Risch and Crapo are joined by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mark Kelly (D-Az.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) in cosponsoring the legislation.

    The legislation also authorizes retroactive payments for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Risch and Crapo introduced the legislation in the 118th Congress, and the Senate unanimously passed it in November 2024. It did not receive a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives before the end of the Congress. The House must reauthorize the program as soon as possible to avoid a gap in funding for rural counties that rely on the program for much-needed services.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons statement on United States v. Skrmetti

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Skrmetti, which upheld the State of Tennessee’s ban on youth gender-affirming care: 

    “Today, the Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee state statute banning minors from accessing the gender-affirming hormone therapy that they, their parents, and their doctors all agree they need. These kids and their parents should have the same rights as anyone else – to make their own informed medical decisions and be treated equally under the law. Trans youth are some of the most vulnerable people in our country, more likely to commit suicide, to be depressed, to be bullied. Like all children, they deserve to live, to find a purpose, and to pursue happiness.

    “This comes as the Trump administration attacks trans Americans through executive orders, and Republicans in Congress try to use their tax bill to make changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act that will make it harder for vulnerable Americans to access healthcare. I’m proud to come from a state that trusts doctors and patients more than politicians and the government to make their own decisions about what’s best for their families.” 

    Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, Schumer, Murray, Reed, Warner statement on President Trump’s actions in the Middle East

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – Ranking Senate Defense Appropriator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Appropriations Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Senate Armed Services Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) today released the following statement as President Trump considers taking additional action in the Middle East:

    “Intensifying military actions between Israel and Iran represent a dangerous escalation that risks igniting a broader regional war. Iran poses a risk to the United States and our allies and must not be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon. The United States stands firm in our support for the continued defense of Israel, our partner and ally. Our commitment to Israel remains ironclad and we urge the administration to defend Israel against the barrage of Iranian airstrikes, including through the provision of additional air defense capabilities. We urge President Trump to prioritize diplomacy and pursue a binding agreement that can prevent a nuclear-armed Iran and reduce the risk to our diplomats, our service members, and the hundreds of thousands of Americans living in the Middle East.

    “As President Trump reportedly considers expanding U.S. engagement in the war, we are deeply concerned about a lack of preparation, strategy, and clearly defined objectives, and the enormous risk to Americans and civilians in the region. Iran has signaled that it would retaliate against American personnel if the United States participates in military strikes. More than 40,000 U.S. servicemembers are stationed in more than a dozen countries around the Middle East, all within striking distance of Iran and its proxies.

    “We are alarmed by the Trump administration’s failure to provide answers to fundamental questions. By law, the president must consult Congress and seek authorization if he is considering taking the country to war. He owes Congress and the American people a strategy for U.S. engagement in the region. We need a clear, detailed plan outlining the goals, risks, cost, and timeline for any proposed mission, as well as how he will ensure the safe evacuation of Americans in harm’s way all across the region. We demand immediate, detailed answers on these and other urgent matters to determine the way forward, including:

    1. What more needs to be done to resupply and bolster the defense of Israel and our interests in the region? What additional resources are required to maintain and supplement those defenses? 
    2. What is the Intelligence Community’s current assessment of Iran’s nuclear program, its leaders’ intent, and its capabilities? Following nearly a week of Israeli strikes, what remains of Iran’s conventional military capabilities and nuclear enrichment?
    3. What would be the objective of U.S. military intervention against Iran? President Trump has called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” – what does that mean?
    4. If there was a military intervention, what would be the estimated scope and duration of any such campaign? How many U.S. servicemembers would be involved? What resources and munitions would be required? What would such an operation cost?
    5. What would be the risk to U.S. forces across our bases in the region, both today and in the long term, and what steps is the administration prepared to take to protect our servicemembers?
    6. How many American citizens reside in Israel and surrounding countries, and what is the U.S. plan to facilitate evacuations?
    7. What constitutional or statutory authority would underpin this intervention?

    “Congress is an equal partner in preserving and defending U.S. national security around the world, and Congress has not provided authorization for military action against Iran – we will not rubberstamp military intervention that puts the United States at risk. Our foremost duty is to safeguard American citizens wherever they reside and to protect our troops serving on the front lines. The United States cannot sleepwalk into a third war in as many decades. Congress has a critical role to play in this moment.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New scanner could improve brain tumour treatment Scientists at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian have been awarded £350,000 of Scottish Government funding to investigate a new way to scan brain tumours.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    FCI scanner

    Scientists at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian have been awarded £350,000 of Scottish Government funding to investigate a new way to scan brain tumours.
    Funded by a Chief Scientist Office Translational Clinical Studies grant, the team will use Aberdeen-designed, Field Cycling Imaging (FCI) to generate never-before seen images of glioblastoma brain tumours.
    Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive type of brain tumour with over 3,000 new patients in the UK diagnosed each year. Half of all patients die within 15 months of diagnosis even after extensive surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
    Field cycling imaging (FCI) is a new and specialist type of low-field MRI scan pioneered in Aberdeen. The FCI scanner follows in the footsteps of the full body MRI scanner, also invented at the University around 50 years ago which has gone on to save millions of lives around the world. The FCI derives from MRI but can work at low and ultra-low magnetic fields which means it is capable of seeing how organs are affected by diseases in ways that were previously not possible.
    While similar to MRI, in that MRI uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body, the FCI scanner can vary the strength of the magnetic field during the patient’s scan. This means the FCI acts like multiple scanners in one and can extract more information about the tissues.
    A further benefit of this new technology is that it can detect tumours without having to inject dye into the body, known as contrast agents, which have been associated with kidney damage and allergic reactions in some patients.
    The Aberdeen scanner is the only one of its type used in patients anywhere in the world.
    The team of doctors and scientists involved in this project will scan glioblastoma patients undergoing chemotherapy after surgery and chemoradiotherapy.
    They hope to show that, unlike conventional MRI scans, FCI can tell the difference between tumour growth, known as progression, and ‘pseudo-progression’ which looks like tumour but is not cancerous tissue.

    Ultimately this study and related future work will improve quality, effectiveness and healthcare cost-effectiveness in the treatment of glioblastoma patients across Scotland and beyond.” Professor Anne Kiltie

    If they can distinguish pseudo-progression from true progression this could improve care and quality of life in future patients.
    Professor Anne Kiltie, Friends of ANCHOR Chair in Clinical Oncology at the University of Aberdeen, who is leading the study said: “We already have evidence that FCI is effective in detecting tumours in breast tissue and brain damage in patients following a stroke.
    “Applying this exciting new technology to glioblastoma patients could give us a much more accurate and detailed picture of what is going on in their brain. If we can detect true tumour progression early, we can swap the patient to a potentially more beneficial type of chemotherapy. Also, being able to verify that a patient has pseudo-progression will prevent effective chemotherapy being stopped too early, because it was thought that the tumour has progressed, thus worsening prognosis.
    “Providing certainty will also reduce anxiety for both patients and relatives and improve the quality of life of patients.
    “Importantly, having a reliable method to identify progressive disease will allow development and more precise evaluation of emerging potential treatments. This is of particular importance as patients currently have a limited choice of treatments for combatting their cancer.
    “Ultimately this study and related future work will improve quality, effectiveness and healthcare cost-effectiveness in the treatment of glioblastoma patients across Scotland and beyond.”
    Sarah-Jane Hogg, chief executive at Friends of ANCHOR, added: “This is a really promising development and another example of the pioneering work coming out of the University of Aberdeen.
    “Professor Kiltie’s role at the University is fully funded by Friends of ANCHOR through our Dream Big appeal, and our thanks go to our donors and fundraisers for the part they’ve played in supporting this work.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: BENIN: IMF Executive Board Completes Sixth Reviews of Extended Fund and Extended Credit Facilities, and Third Review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    June 18, 2025

    • The IMF Executive Board today completed the Sixth Reviews of Benin’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and the Third Review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). The decision allows for an immediate disbursement of about US$ 90 million.
    • Benin’s successful fiscal reforms supported the convergence to the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) fiscal deficit norm of 3 percent of GDP one year ahead of schedule, with sustained domestic revenue mobilization and prioritized social spending. The 2025 budget is designed to sustain this achievement.
    • A key challenge ahead for Benin is to preserve the reform momentum and strengthen policies that foster inclusive growth and an economic transformation that benefits all Beninese.

    Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the Sixth Reviews under the 42-month blended Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangements, and the Third Review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangement. The EFF/ECF was approved by the IMF Executive Board in July 2022 (see PR 22/252) and complemented by the RSF in December 2023 (see PR 23/452).

    The completion of the reviews allows for the immediate disbursement of about US$ 36 million (SDR 26.2 million) under the EFF/ECF—bringing total disbursements under the program to about US$ 623 million (SDR 457.6 million)—and of about US$ 54 million (SDR 39.616 million) under the RSF arrangement.

    Economic activity in Benin accelerated over the past five years, and markedly in 2024. Growth reached 7.5 percent year-over-year—its highest level yet— and it is expected to remain strong in the medium term. The current account of the balance of payments deteriorated temporarily, due to large professional services imports related to the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ). It is expected to recover gradually, as exports from the special economic zones increase and the services deficit continues to moderate over time. 

    Program performance under the EFF/ECF has been strong, with all end-December 2024 quantitative targets met and structural benchmarks completed. On the RSF front, the authorities adopted new regulations for water resources monitoring, construction, and renewable energy. They also revised electricity tariff regulations to improve the financial sustainability of electricity production and distribution companies. Benin’s partners have pledged financial support for the country’s climate agenda following COP29 and the 2024 climate finance roundtable. Accordingly, the authorities are working on a climate-related taxonomy that is aimed at further catalyzing climate finance.

    Following the Executive Board discussion on Benin, Mr. Okamura, Deputy Managing Director, and acting chair, issued the following statement:

    “Benin’s performance under its Fund-supported arrangements has been strong. Its strong institutional foundation and the authorities’ economic reform drive and sound macroeconomic management have yielded tangible dividends, with high and more stable growth, favorable access to international markets, and continued support from development partners. The authorities should nonetheless remain vigilant to regional and global risks, maintain fiscal discipline and reform momentum, and strengthen inclusive policies.

    “Frontloaded fiscal consolidation in 2024 supported Benin’s convergence to the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) fiscal deficit norm of 3 percent of GDP, one year in advance. The 2025 budget continues to target compliance with the deficit norm, while the fiscal adjustment remains anchored in the Medium-Term Revenue Strategy. In that context, maintaining the tax collection efforts coupled with prudent spending will preserve fiscal discipline. Rebalancing the debt portfolio toward domestic debt over time while remaining cognizant of refinancing risks, in line with the authorities’ Medium-Term Debt Strategy, and together with continued proactive debt management, will help mitigate external rollover risks.

    “The authorities should continue laying the foundation for inclusive private sector-led growth to entrench the ongoing economic transformation. Fiscal transparency and good governance are key to maintaining market confidence. Further efforts are needed to support the development of SMEs. Regularly updating the social registry and developing a comprehensive mapping of social protection programs will improve the efficiency and targeting of social assistance initiatives toward vulnerable households across the country.

    “Continued vigilance by supervisory authorities vis-à-vis public and non-public financial sector risks will help safeguard financial stability and limit contingent liability risks.

    “The authorities have revised regulations for water resources monitoring, construction, electricity tariffs, and renewable energy in line with their climate agenda. The authorities should accelerate the reforms aimed at enhancing resilience to climate change and continue to advance their agenda under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), to promote long-term balance of payments stability and catalyze private-led climate finance.”

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Kwabena Akuamoah-Boateng

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/18/pr-25207-benin-imf-executive-board-completes-6th-reviews-of-eff-and-ecf-and-3rd-review-of-the-rsf

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Matariki weekend forecast mixed for star-gazing across New Zealand

    Source: NIWA

    New Zealanders hoping to see the Matariki stars over the long weekend will have mixed conditions, with the best viewing likely on Friday and Saturday in many areas, according to NIWA’s 2025 Matariki cloud cover forecast.
    With the Matariki star cluster visible on New Zealand’s eastern horizon just before the rising of the sun, NIWA’s forecast for each region covers the pre-dawn period 3am to 6am.
    Eastern regions such as Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, and the lower North Island, along with parts of the upper and eastern South Island, can expect clearer skies for Matariki celebrations, says NIWA meteorologist and forecaster Chris Brandolino.
    “Stargazers can check NIWA’s cloud cover forecast for the best viewing conditions in their region Matariki Viewing Conditions on Vimeo, which is updated at 3:30pm each day for the following morning.”
    2025 Matariki Forecast for the hours between 3:00 am to 6:00 am
    Upper North Island (including Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Coromandel Peninsula)
    • Early Friday morning: Mostly cloudy with showers possible. Showers most likely over Northland and the Coromandel. Temperatures ranging from 11-13° in Whangārei and Auckland, to 7-9°C for the interior Waikato (e.g., Hamilton).
    • Early Saturday morning: Variable cloud cover, i.e., at times partly cloudy, other times mostly cloudy. Threat for scattered showers, mainly for the Auckland and Waikato regions. Best chances for ideal viewing conditions likely over eastern Northland and the Coromandel. Temperatures ranging from 10-12° in Whangārei and Auckland, to 7-9°C for the interior Waikato (e.g., Hamilton),
    East Coast (including Gisborne, Napier, Wairarapa)
    • Early Friday morning: Cloud cover looks to gradual thin in the lead up to sunrise. A few showers possible, especially Tairāwhiti/Gisborne. Temperatures ranging from 6-9°C.
    • Early Saturday morning: Partly cloudy, with overall for most, favourable viewing conditions likely. Temperatures ranging from 8-11°C.
    Western North Island (including New Plymouth, Whanganui)
    • Early Friday morning: Cloud will likely have the upper-hand. Threat for a few showers. Temperature between 9-11°C.
    • Early Saturday morning: Cloud will likely have the upper-hand. Threat for a few showers. Temperature between 6-8°C.
    Lower North Island (including Wellington)
    • Early Friday morning: Generally ideal viewing conditions with clear to partly cloudy skies. Temperature between 10-11°C.
    • Early Saturday morning: Generally ideal viewing conditions with clear to partly cloudy skies. Temperature between 7-9°C.
    Upper South Island (including Nelson, Blenheim)
    • Early Friday morning: Variable cloud cover, so viewing conditions are likely to range. Temperature between 5-7°C.
    • Early Saturday morning: Generally ideal viewing conditions with clear to partly cloudy skies. Temperature between 3-5°C.
    Eastern South Island (including Christchurch, Timaru)
    • Early Friday morning: Generally ideal viewing conditions with clear to partly cloudy skies. Temperature from 8-10°C.
    • Early Saturday morning: Variable cloud cover, so viewing conditions are likely to range. Temperature from 6-8°C.
    West Coast (including Greymouth, Hokitika)
    • Early Friday morning: Variable cloud cover, so viewing conditions are likely to range. Showers are likely to be around. Breezy, with a temperature around 8-9°C.
    • Early Saturday morning: Ideal conditions likely Hokitika/southwards, with more cloud likely farther north. Temperatures around 4-6°C.
    Lakes Region (including Queenstown, Wanaka)
    • Early Friday morning: Cloud is likely to have the upper-hand for most locations. Showers are likely to be around. Breezy with a temperature around 5-6°C.
    • Early Saturday morning: Variable cloud cover, so viewing conditions are likely to range. Temperature around 4-5°C.
    Lower South Island (including Dunedin, Invercargill)
    • Early Friday morning: Cloud is likely to have the upper-hand for Southland areas (e.g., Invercargill/Gore) with showers around. Eastern Otago and Dunedin is more likely to have less cloud and favourable viewing conditions. Breezy, with a temperature between 8-10°C
    • Early Saturday morning: Cloud is likely to have the upper-hand with less than ideal viewing conditions. Threat for a shower or two. Temperature between 8-10°C.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Amnesty International – Urgent need to protect civilians amid unprecedented escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran

    Source: Amnesty International
    As more and more civilians bear the cruel toll of the terrifying military escalation in Iran and Israel since 13 June 2025, and amid threats of further escalation in the conflict, Amnesty International is urging the Israeli and Iranian authorities to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians.
    On 16 June, an Iranian government spokesperson reported that Israeli attacks had killed at least 224 people, including 74 women and children, without specifying how many of them were civilians. The health ministry also stated 1,800 people have been injured.
    In Israel, the Israeli Military Home Front reported that Iranian attacks had killed at least 24 people, including women and children, stating that they were all civilians, with nearly 600 injured.
    “As the number of deaths and injuries continue to rise, Amnesty International is urging both parties to comply with their obligations and ensure that civilians in both countries do not further pay the price of reckless military action,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
    “Further escalation of these hostilities risks unleashing devastating and far-reaching consequences for civilians across the region and beyond.
    “Statements by the US and the G7 so far have failed to recognise the catastrophic impact this escalation will have on civilians in both countries.
    “Instead of cheering on one party to the conflict over another as if civilian suffering is a mere sideshow, states must ensure the protection of civilians. Preventing further suffering must be the priority – not the pursuit of military or geopolitical goals.
    “Both Israeli and Iranian authorities have time and again demonstrated their utter disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law, committing grave international crimes with impunity.
    “The world must not allow Israel to use this military escalation to divert attention away from its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, its illegal occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and its system of apartheid against Palestinians.
    “Likewise, the international community must not ignore the suffering that decades of crimes under international law by the Iranian authorities have inflicted upon people inside Iran, that is now being compounded by relentless bombardment.”
    Under international humanitarian law, all parties must take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and minimize their suffering and casualties. International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks directed at civilians and civilian objects, as well as attacks which do not distinguish between military targets and civilians or civilian infrastructure.
    For this reason, weapons that are extremely inaccurate and have large warheads that produce large area effects, such as ballistic missiles, should never be used in areas with large populations of civilians. Attacks on military objectives that are likely to result in disproportionate civilian casualties or destruction of civilian objects are also prohibited.
    In the deadliest incident in Israel, eight people including three children, were killed in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, on 15 June.
    In Iran, at least 12 people including children and a pregnant woman were killed in one attack in Tajrish square in Tehran on 15 June.
    In the shadow of this latest escalation, Israeli authorities continue to forcibly displace and starve Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip as part of their ongoing genocide. They have imposed a full closure on the West Bank, where state-backed settler violence continues to rise, further entrenching Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid system.
    Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have responded to Israel’s latest military attacks by imposing internet restrictions, arresting journalists and dissidents within the country. They have also restricted prisoners’ communication with the outside world, including those in prisons near sites of the bombings. On 16 June, the Iranian authorities executed a man for alleged espionage for Israel, raising concerns about the fate of others on death row for similar charges. The Iranian authorities must release all human rights defenders and others arbitrarily detained and should relocate other prisoners away from locations at risk of being attacked by Israel.
    Sinister and fear-inducing ‘ warnings’
    Over the past three days, Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defence Israel Katz, and Persian-language spokesperson of the Israeli army Kamal Pinchasi have issued alarming threats and overly broad, ineffective evacuation warnings to millions of civilians in Tehran a major city with a population of around 10 million people, located in Tehran province which is home to around 19 million people. In some cases, warnings were issued in the middle of the night when residents were asleep or did not clarify if they referred to the city or the province of Tehran.
    On 16 June, Israel Katz, Israel’s Minister of Defense threatened on X that “the residents of Tehran will be forced to pay the price” for the actions of the Iranian authorities. Hours later, the Israeli military’s Persian-language spokesperson warned civilians to evacuate Tehran’s District Three – an area of approximately 30 square km and home to over 350,000 people- via a video showing unclear danger zones. The video included a map indicating danger zones for civilians but did not clearly specify targeted locations or areas of blast and fragmentation hazard, leaving residents uncertain about which areas to avoid. Iranian civil society activists later republished the map with cleared boundaries and locations named.
    Prior to the “evacuation” warnings on 16 June, the Israeli army had issued another overly broad warning in Persian, instructing people across the country to “immediately leave areas … [housing] military weapons manufacturing facilities and their support institutions”. The statement sowed panic and confusion among people, as the locations of military facilities are not known to the general public, and no clear guidance was provided on where civilians should or should not go to ensure their safety.
    Evacuation warnings, even if detailed and effective, do not release Israel from its other obligations under international humanitarian law. They must not treat as open-fire zones areas for which they have issued warnings. Millions of people in Tehran cannot leave, either because they have no alternative residences outside the city or due to limited mobility, disability, blocked roads, fuel shortages or other constraints. Israel has an obligation to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to these civilians.
    Early morning Tehran time on 17 June, US President Donald Trump caused further panic with a Truth Social post stating: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the White House amplified the message on X, amid media reports that the United States may join Israel in striking Iran.
    In reaction to the Israeli warnings, Iranian state media reported on 15 June that the Iranian armed forces had issued warnings urging residents of Tel Aviv to evacuate. In a video aired on state media, Reza Sayed, spokesperson of the Communication Center of the General Staff of the Armed Forces stated: “Leave the occupied territories [referring to Israel and the OPT], as they will undoubtedly become uninhabitable for you in the future … Do not allow the criminal regime to use you as human shields. Avoid residing or moving near the aforementioned locations and know that even underground shelters will not provide you with safety.”
    In Israel, these Iranian warnings have not triggered the same level of chaos and mass evacuation, largely due to the presence of the Iron Dome defense system and available shelters. However, there have been cases where civilians, particularly Palestinian citizens of Israel and Bedouin communities, who do not have access to underground shelters, such as the Khatib family in the Palestinian town of Tamra, were killed as a result of an Iranian missile strike. Israeli civil society groups are calling on the government to urgently address the chronic lack of protected space for non-Jewish Israeli citizens
    Parties to armed conflicts are prohibited from issuing threats of violence which are designed to spread terror among the civilian population. They cannot hide behind overly general warnings to claim that they have met their obligations under international law. To constitute effective warnings under international humanitarian law, parties must provide civilians with clear and practical instructions on moving away from military objectives that will be targeted rather than unlawfully calling for the mass exodus of millions – an approach that appears designed more to incite panic and terror among civilians than to ensure their protection.
    Internet shutdowns and media censorship
    In Iran, the authorities have disrupted access to the Internet and instant messaging applications, preventing millions of people caught up in the conflict from accessing essential information and communicating with loved ones both inside and outside the country and thereby exacerbating their suffering.
    “Access to the Internet is essential to protect human rights, especially in times of armed conflict where communications blackouts would prevent people from finding safe routes, accessing life-saving resources, and staying informed. The Iranian authorities must immediately ensure full restoration of internet and communication services in all of Iran,” said Agnès Callamard.
    The Israeli authorities are also using vague security pretexts to target people over social media posts or sharing videos deemed to breach strict censorship rules.
    “Israeli authorities must refrain from using military escalations, as they have done in the past, as a further pretext to crack down on freedom of expression, disproportionately targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel, including through arbitrary detention over unsubstantiated allegations of incitement,” said Agnès Callamard.
    Background
    On 13 June 2025, Israeli authorities launched air and drone strikes against Iranian territory. Shortly afterwards, Israeli officials announced that they launched the operation to target Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and decapitate Iran’s military leadership. The Israeli strikes began as Iran and the US were in the process of negotiating a new deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program and enrichment activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
    Iranian authorities have retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones against Israeli territory.
    Israeli attacks have struck cities in multiple provinces across Iran, including the provinces of Alborz, East Azerbaijan, Esfahan, Fars, Kermanshah, Hamedan, Lorestan, Ilam, Markazi, Qom, Tehran, West Azerbaijan and Khorasan Razavi.
    Iranian attacks have struck several urban areas in Israel, such as Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Tamra, Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak, Haifa, Herzliya.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Migrating bogong moths use the stars and Earth’s magnetic field to find ancestral summer caves each year

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Warrant, Professor of Zoology at the University of Lund, Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, and Adjunct Professor, University of South Australia

    Vik Dunis/iNaturalist, CC BY-NC

    It’s a warm January summer afternoon, and as I traverse the flower-strewn western slopes of Australia’s highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, I am on the lookout for a tell-tale river of boulders that winds its way down into the alpine valleys below.

    Here, hidden in cave-like hollows and crevices formed deep within the river of boulders, is one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the insect world – the summer mass gathering of an iconic Australian insect, the bogong moth (Agrotis infusa).

    Tightly huddled together in their dim cool cavernous world, with each moth’s head pushed slightly under the wings of the moth just ahead, millions of bogong moths sleep out the summer, slumbering in a state of dormancy known as “aestivation”.

    Their little bodies coat the stone surfaces in an endless soft brown carpet, with 17,000 of them tiling each square metre of cave wall. It’s a sight that never fails to take my breath away.

    Bogong moths sleep through the summer heat clinging to the walls of caves in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales.
    Eric Warrant

    Marathon migrations

    To get here, these moths have flown from all over southeast Australia through the spring, arriving from as far away as south-eastern Queensland and far-western Victoria. Converted to human body length, these journeys of roughly 1,000 kilometres would be equivalent to a person circumnavigating Earth twice.

    The moths’ marathon voyages to the Alps are likely undertaken to escape the lethal heat of the coming summer in their breeding areas. When the cool of autumn arrives, the moths leave the mountains to produce their own offspring and die.

    Every summer, bogong moths travel up to 1,000 kilometres to sleep through the heat in cool mountain caves.
    Eric Warrant

    But how on Earth do they know how to find these caves? How do they know the direction to travel and how do they know when they’ve arrived?

    These questions have fascinated me and the other members of my research group for many years. It turns out bogong moths possess a most extraordinary ability to navigate, harnessing Earth’s magnetic field and the stars as compasses to follow their inherited migratory direction.

    Moths, magnets and stars

    We made these remarkable discoveries in a specialised lab we built a few years ago near Adaminaby in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales.

    First we light-trapped bogong moths that were either migrating towards the Alps in spring or away again in autumn. We next placed them in a special flight arena inside the lab, and finely controlled Earth’s magnetic field (with magnetic coils around the arena) and the starry night sky (by projecting a highly realistic starry night sky on the roof of the arena).

    Because we already knew bogong moths have a magnetic sense, we used the coils to completely remove, or null, the magnetic field in the arena. This ensured any orientation using the stars was not confounded by the ability to detect Earth’s magnetic field.

    The orientation of the nighttime sky determines the moths’ direction of movement. When researchers showed moths random star patterns, they flew in random directions.
    Dreyer et al./Nature

    What we found next astounded us. Using only the local Australian starry night sky projected above them, bogong moths flying in our arena were able to discern and follow their inherited migratory direction – both in spring and in autumn.

    If we turned this projected sky by 180°, the moths turned and flew in exactly the opposite direction. If we then took all of the stars in this projected natural sky and randomly distributed them across the roof of the arena, the moths became completely confused and lost their ability to migrate in their inherited migratory direction.

    Navigators with tiny brains

    In the absence of all other possible cues, bogong moths clearly used the stars as a true compass to discern a geographic direction relative to north.

    This is the first invertebrate we so far know of that can do this. Only human beings and some species of night-migratory birds are known to have this ability.

    But in moths this ability is even more remarkable considering their brain is approximately one-tenth the volume of a grain of rice and their eyes only a couple of millimetres wide.

    A magnetic backup system

    We made a final discovery when we moved our flight arena up onto the hill behind the lab under the magnificent dome of the natural starry sky. As expected, the moths were beautifully oriented in their inherited migratory direction.

    But on one of these nights the sky was heavily overcast with cloud. To our great surprise, the moths remained oriented in their migratory direction, even though the stars were obscured.

    The only remaining cue that could have been used was Earth’s magnetic field, which showed very clearly that moths rely on two compasses – a magnetic compass and a stellar compass.

    But of course, two compasses will always be better than one – if one becomes corrupted or drops out, the other can take over. Nature’s perfect solution for robust navigation!

    Bogong moths under threat

    Despite its fantastic abilities, this tiny navigator is under threat. A result of anthropogenic climate change, the recent drought in Australia saw bogong moth numbers fall by a jaw-dropping 99.5%.

    Endless thousands of generations of bogong moths have slept through summer in a few specific caves dotted across these outcrops.
    Eric Warrant

    Endangered alpine marsupials that depend on the moth’s arrival in spring for food – such as the mountain pygmy possum – suffered heavily as a result.

    Droughts in southeast Australia are only predicted to worsen in both frequency and intensity. The future of the bogong moth, as well as the fragile alpine ecosystem that depends on it, does not look very bright.

    Eric Warrant receives funding from the Swedish Research Council, the European Research Council, the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the Carl Tryggers Foundation. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, The German National Academy of Science Leopoldina, the Royal Danish Society of Sciences and Letters, the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Royal Physiographic Society.

    – ref. Migrating bogong moths use the stars and Earth’s magnetic field to find ancestral summer caves each year – https://theconversation.com/migrating-bogong-moths-use-the-stars-and-earths-magnetic-field-to-find-ancestral-summer-caves-each-year-259361

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Nirmala Naidoo to the annual conference of the National Campus and Community Radio Association

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Nanaimo, British Columbia
    June 18, 2025

    Nirmala Naidoo, Commissioner for Alberta and the Northwest Territories
    Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

    Check against delivery

    Thank you for the invitation to speak today and for that warm welcome. Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the traditional territories of the Snuneymuxw and Snaw-Naw-As First Nations. I thank them and pay respect to their Elders.

    Let me begin by saying: it’s great to be among my fellow broadcasters. In my short time with you today so far, I can see the excitement and exuberance for community broadcasting and news that so many of you have. It’s wonderful to be around that energy once again.

    My background is in the other side of broadcasting, of course, in television. But as a former journalist and anchor, and current CRTC Commissioner for Alberta and the Northwest Territories, I share your passion. Across my career I have seen firsthand how broadcasting connects people and how trusted sources of news can help inform public debate.

    And community and campus radio, as you all know, is all about connecting people. From its beginnings at Queen’s University amongst some student hobbyists in the 1920s, community and campus radio has blossomed into a vibrant community. There are stations across our country, from CHLY-FM here in Nanaimo to CJBI-FM broadcasting from Bell Island in Newfoundland and Labrador, and everywhere in between. Each of them plays a vital role in connecting Canadians in their communities to new opportunities, new artists, and the local news and information that matters to them.

    Campus and community stations continue to be a great entry point into radio for so many Canadians. I will give you a personal example from my own time at the University of Alberta to illustrate what I mean. For myself and so many of my fellow students, our campus radio station at the University of Alberta, CJSR, was our gateway into the world of local broadcasting. At CJSR we created content tailored specifically to our audience – our fellow students and the surrounding community.

    It was staffed and supported by the community it served. It was a place of hands-on learning, where students gained the real-world experience that would later become a career for some. It might have been only a few steps from our classrooms, but our time there prepared us better than any textbook could have.

    For some, campus and community radio provided the first step to a career in broadcast journalism or radio production. For others, community and campus radio provided a launching pad to stardom: Bob Cole, the longtime Hockey Night in Canada announcer started his career as a volunteer at CHFM in St. John’s; Tom Green hosted an overnight program in Ottawa on CHUO-FM; and back at the University of Alberta, I was lucky enough to witness k.d. lang’s rise from precocious talent to international star. Though lang would have certainly risen to the top regardless, I like to think CJSR played a small role in her emergence as we continually wore out recordings of her local band k.d. and the Reclines long before the artist’s Grammy wins and appearances on David Letterman.

    Connecting Canadians through broadcasting

    These are the types of Canadian success stories we love to see. And currently at the CRTC, we are focused on modernizing our broadcasting framework so we can ensure those same opportunities are still there for Canada’s next generation of radio producers, broadcast journalists, and yes, hockey announcers, comedians, and country western virtuosos.

    But before I get to the details of some of our ongoing proceedings, I’d like to give you one more example from my experiences, this one from earlier this year. I want to show you how the goals of NCRA members and those of the CRTC are often aligned and, importantly, how you can help us reach our goals together.

    Earlier this year I had the privilege of being on a panel that was considering two applications for a new radio licence to serve the community of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. The CRTC is still considering the applications and the public record, and we expect to issue our decision in the coming weeks.

    But I bring up that hearing not to discuss the decision, but to relate the incredible levels of engagement we saw in Yellowknife concerning local radio. Over two days in Yellowknife we convened in front of a packed and engaged audience, many of whom lined up first thing in the morning to ensure a seat. And in February, that meant braving temperatures of minus forty – you would have thought k.d. lang herself was going to be there.

    We heard from local and Indigenous residents, musicians, journalists, business owners and more. We heard, and could clearly see, how important local radio was to this community. How they depended on local news from trusted local sources. How evacuees and first responders relied on local radio for vital information during last year’s devastating wildfires. And we heard how important it was for those stations to be staffed and run by people in their communities who know their markets.

    I imagine for many of you that is starting to sound familiar, and well it should. Local radio is grounded in the communities they serve, whether they are broadcasting in remote areas or for localized communities living in our largest cities. And at the CRTC, we are working to ensure the conditions are favourable for radio stations to be part of the future of Canadian broadcasting.

    But to do that, we need your help. The CRTC is an independent quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates the Canadian communications sector in the public interest and makes decisions based on the public record. And that last point is key. All of our decisions are based on the interventions, submissions, and contributions of anyone who wants to provide input on our proceedings – from the largest broadcasters to members of the public.

    So when it comes to shaping the future of Canadian broadcasting, everyone has a role to play. You know your communities better than anyone else – we need your input to help us understand the needs of your stations and the communities you serve.

    Public participation is critical to CRTC proceedings. It’s how we ensure that the decisions we make are in the public interest, and how we ensure Canadians have access to the media, entertainment, and news that they enjoy and need.

    There are so many ways you can engage with the CRTC: by submitting a formal intervention, chatting with me here today, or simply giving us a call with your questions. Some of my colleagues are here with me today. They would be happy to answer your questions, and we have brought some cards in case you need to contact us in the future.

    When you take part in our proceedings, you are giving your stations and the communities you serve a voice in the regulatory process. So I encourage you to do so, either as part of the NCRA, your individual station, or simply as someone who listens and watches to content on radio, television or online.

    I would like to take the rest of my time today to turn to the broadcasting modernization process, our environment, and a few of our ongoing proceedings.

    Modernizing the broadcasting industry and ongoing radio policy proceedings

    We started the modernization process soon after Parliament adopted the Online Streaming Act, which amended the Broadcasting Act. While we have been moving quickly, this is the first major overhaul of Canada’s broadcasting frameworks since 1993 – it’s a big job.

    And as we have been working, we have been watching alongside all of you as the world in which we operate has become more unstable and uncertain. We know that the broadcasting industry is not immune to those currents of change.

    So it has made our job doubly difficult: we must do what we can to address the current challenges facing the broadcasting industry while also ensuring the frameworks we create will sustain a successful broadcasting system years into the future.

    We are taking into account both of these goals in all of our proceedings. There are two ongoing in particular concerning audio broadcasting that I would like to touch on.

    The first is our proceeding focused on reducing the regulatory burden on radio stations operating in Canada. By streamlining requirements, our goal is to help radio stations remain dynamic and competitive while still ensuring their programming serves the public interest.

    I know the NCRA submitted an intervention in this proceeding, and we thank you for it. We will continue to review all the information submitted on the public record, and will make a decision on this key issue as quickly as possible.

    Secondly, there is a review of the definition of Canadian content for audio services. In line with our efforts on the audio-visual side, we need to modernize our approach to radio and audio regulatory policy. So earlier this year, we sought comments on the definition for audio services, and received comments from a wide range of groups, communities, and industry members. Everything submitted to us will help us update the definition of Canadian content for audio services.

    This included French-speaking, Indigenous and official language-minority communities – many of which I know your members serve. If we are going to ensure our broadcasting system supports our homegrown musicians, we need to ensure the definition of Canadian content captures the full breadth of our country.

    The updated definition will be used to support the creation, distribution, and discoverability of Canadian and Indigenous audio content across radio and online audio streaming platforms.

    Ultimately, we want to ensure our system gives Canadians access to the audio and music content they want, and our aim is to help ensure that content can be easily discovered and enjoyed.

    And the timing for this update is fortuitous – we can see that perhaps at no other time in Canadian history has there been such an appetite for Canadian talent and a desire across the country to see Canadians succeed. We want to help ensure our broadcasting frameworks are creating the conditions for Canadian musicians, artists, and performers to excel. 

    Supporting local news

    At the same time, we are focused on ensuring local news is part of the Canadian broadcasting system and widely available. Given the instability I mentioned before and the growing prevalence of natural disasters like the wildfires currently affecting the Prairies, ensuring local news and information is widely available is more critical than it has ever been.

    Just as we heard in Yellowknife, we know this includes community radio stations. That’s why we decided the Community Radio Fund of Canada would receive additional funding as part of last year’s decision on base contributions that online services must make to support the Canadian broadcasting system. Community, campus and Indigenous stations can benefit through the Local Journalism Initiative administered by the Fund.

    And we are also currently looking at how to help support local news produced by commercial radio stations. Late last year we held a consultation on this, and we are exploring how we can best support local stations in rural and remote communities. We are currently considering an application submitted by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to run this fund, as well as all submissions made to us as part of this proceeding. We hope to have a decision ready in the coming weeks.

    Additionally, as part of our implementation of the Online News Act, we have established a framework which aims to ensure the largest online platforms fairly compensate Canadian news organizations when their content appears on those services. Google has secured an exemption from the mandatory bargaining under the Act and has committed $100 million annually for five years to support Canadian news organizations. Google’s initial contribution is being disbursed by the Canadian Journalism Collective, and news organizations across Canada are now receiving funding as a result of the Act. 

    Finally, I want to mention a decision we made just last week to modify the Independent Local News Fund, or ILNF. The decision was made after a consultation last fall reviewing the ILNF and its support for local news. We wanted to make sure that local, independent television stations across the country were supported as they produced news. We also wanted to address how any additional funding coming into the audio-visual broadcasting system should be allocated.

    The decision is an important step in supporting local news and information, and confirms that high-quality and diverse local news are an integral part of the Canadian broadcasting system. It also ensures that Canadians have access to local news and information in whatever medium they prefer: all recipients of ILNF funding are now required to make their local news and information available online.

    Although this recent decision supports television broadcasters, I mention it to point out how seriously we are taking the importance of local news and content. It remains a central part of Canadian broadcasting, and impartial news and information is something to be protected and preserved for years into the future.

    Conclusion

    The decisions and proceedings I have detailed today are key pieces of our ongoing work, but they are just a part of our overall modernizing of Canada’s broadcasting frameworks.

    And the message I want to leave you with today is that taken together, all of our proceedings, whether we are talking about removing regulatory burden or revising Canadian content definitions, are about connecting people.

    These are goals the CRTC and NCRA members share.

    We want to connect Canadians to the music and content they enjoy.

    We want to connect artists to new opportunities and new audiences.

    And we want to connect all Canadians to the local news and information they need, when they need it.

    These goals shape our decisions in the same way they guide the work you do each and every day at your local station.

    So, as I mentioned before, work with us. Contribute to our proceedings. Help give your communities and your stations a voice.

    Let’s work together to set up the next generation of Canadian broadcasting to succeed, to excel, and to thrive.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Russia sanctions target enablers of war, including Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced new sanctions on crucial enablers of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.

    This latest round of sanctions targets actors involved in Russia’s military-industrial complex, supporters from North Korea, Iran, and Belarus, as well as vessels that are part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’.

    “New Zealand must continue to hold Russia and its enablers accountable. Military support from actors in North Korea, Iran, and Belarus has helped Russia sustain its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine,” Mr Peters said.

    These new sanctions target a further 18 individuals and entities who have been assisting Russia’s war efforts.

    In addition, 27 ‘shadow fleet’ vessels have also been designated. Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ enablers are involved in illegal activities to avoid sanctions, including through the transport of Russian oil at above the G7 Plus oil price cap, which New Zealand adopted last year.

    “The designation of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ reflects a joint effort with likeminded international partners to prevent sanctions evasion and to maintain the pressure on Russia in support of a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” Mr Peters says.

    Since the Russia Sanctions Act entered into force in March 2022, New Zealand has imposed sanctions on more than 1,800 individuals, entities, and shipping vessels, along with a range of trade measures. 

    More information about sanctions, travel bans, and export controls against Russia, as well as diplomatic, military and economic support to Ukraine, can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website here

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Marshall Introduce Bill to Lower Costs and Improve Reliability of Freight Rail Service for American Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) reintroduced the Reliable Rail Service Act to help address the unreliable service and high costs of rail shipping for Wisconsin farmers and manufacturers. The legislation would strengthen our rail supply chain and ensure the largest freight railroads provide American businesses reliable services at reasonable rates so products can get to market more efficiently, and costs are lower for families. The Reliable Rail Service Act is supported by members of the agricultural industry, labor organizations, energy producers, and manufacturers who know firsthand how poor service, significant disruptions, and sky-high prices are impacting their businesses and prices for consumers.
    “Across the Badger State, our farmers, small businesses, and manufacturers rely on rail service to get their products to market and make ends meet,” said Senator Baldwin. “But when rail service is unreliable, it puts their livelihoods on the line, disrupts supply chains, and drives up costs for hardworking Wisconsin families. That’s why I am proud to work with my Republican colleague to once again introduce our Reliable Rail Service Act and help level the playing field for Wisconsin workers, grow our Made in Wisconsin economy, and keep costs down for consumers.”
    “Kansas’s farmers and ranchers depend upon reliable transport of their world-class goods to the rest of the country, and Class 1 railroads are not meeting expectations – this is a disservice to hard-working Kansans,” said Senator Marshall. “This bill lays out reasonable requirements for rail carriers to meet these important obligations, and I look forward to working with Senator Baldwin on getting this to the finish line.”
    Rail shippers including farmers, energy producers, and manufacturers continue to face poor service, significant service disruptions, and sky-high prices that are impacting communities and consumers, all while profits for the nation’s largest railroads are at record highs.
    The Reliable Rail Service Act takes a commonsense approach to addressing high costs and unreliable service by clarifying the “common carrier obligation,” which under current law requires rail carriers to serve the wider shipping public “on reasonable request.” Current ambiguity around this principle has contributed to insufficient rail services and exorbitant costs for American products to get to market. Clearly defining the “common carrier obligation” has taken on greater importance as the railroad industry faces consolidation and has undertaken Wall Street practices that reduce capacity on the rail network.
    The bill establishes specific criteria for the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to consider when evaluating whether carriers are meeting their common carrier obligation to give shippers much-needed certainty that is currently lacking.
    “For years, dairy processors have struggled to use America’s rail system because of lack of reliability and reduced service schedules. The Reliable Rail Service Act is commonsense legislation that will provide greater clarity to the railroad’s common carrier obligations and ensure that they provide more dependable service at sensible rates,” said Dr. Michael Dykes, President and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. “IDFA applauds Sen. Baldwin and Sen. Marshall for introducing this legislation to improve transparency in the rail industry and restore the balance between carriers and shippers so the U.S. dairy industry can move products more reliably by rail.”
    “Senators Baldwin and Marshall have proposed smart, and a much-needed reforms to help fix persistent freight rail service failures that are plaguing chemical manufacturers,” said Chris Jahn, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Chemistry Council. “If members of Congress are serious about bringing jobs back, leading global trade, and making more in America—not China—they should back this bill. We urge Democrats and Republicans to support this important legislation because it will help ensure that railroads deliver on their obligation to provide reliable service to U.S. manufacturers.”
    “IWLA strongly supports the Reliable Rail Service Act and thanks Senator Baldwin for reintroducing this important bill,” said Jay D. Strother, International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA) President & CEO. “Clarifying the common carrier obligation is critical to ensuring that railroads provide consistent, fair, and timely service. This legislation gives the Surface Transportation Board the tools it needs to hold carriers accountable, enforce meaningful service standards, and support the 3PL warehouses that keep America’s supply chain moving.”
    “We applaud Senators Baldwin and Marshall for reintroducing the Reliable Rail Service Act to improve our nation’s freight rail network,” said Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO. “Unfortunately, America’s freight rail companies too often fail to provide the equal, timely, and affordable service required of them by federal law. Let’s hold railroads accountable and better serve the small businesses, farmers, and other customers who rely on freight rail to transport their goods.”
    “Clarification of the common carrier obligation has been needed for decades and this bipartisan bill provides STB with clear oversight rules to help address our nation’s freight railroad supply chain challenges and improve rail service for agricultural shippers,” said Mike Seyfert, President and CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association. “NGFA members appreciate Senator Baldwin and Senator Marshall’s leadership in responding to rail service issues and for cosponsoring this legislation, which will help regulators respond to service disruptions that cause hardship for livestock producers, grain exporters, and grain processing facilities.”
    “The Wisconsin Farm Bureau appreciates the work of Sen. Baldwin to address the definition of common carrier service obligation and increase the authority of the Surface Transportation Board to address agricultural rail needs,” said Brad Olson, President of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. “Wisconsin farmers are dependent on the movement of agricultural goods by rail and we hope this increased authority will lead to greater efficiency within the rail industry.”
    The Reliable Rail Service Act is endorsed by the Agricultural Retailers Association, American Petroleum Institute, American Chemistry Council, American Forest & Paper Association, American Soybean Association, Consumer Brands Association, Essential Minerals Association, Freight Rail Customer Alliance, Glass Packaging Institute, Growth Energy, International Dairy Foods Association, International Warehouse Logistics Association, National Grain and Feed Association, National Industrial Transportation League, National Milk Producers Federation, National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, North American Millers’ Association, Private Rail Car Food and Beverage Association, The National Grange, Western Coal Traffic League, American Cement Association, Recycled Materials Association, Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD), National Farmers Union, Great Lakes Timber Professionals, American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED)-IBT, Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC), Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers (IBB), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Teamsters Rail Conference, National Conference of Firemen and Oilers, SEIU (NCFO), Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Mechanical Division (SMART-MD), Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD), Transportation Communications Union (TCU), Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), and Transportation Trades Department (TTD).
    A one-pager on the legislation is available here. Full text of the legislation is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Blasts Defense Secretary for Presenting Incomplete FY26 Pentagon Budget

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) blasted the Department of Defense (DoD) for not presenting the committee with a full year 2026 fiscal budget that fully reflects the department’s funding priorities and needs. In an unprecedented move, the DoD is submitting its FY2026 budget in two pieces – the core budget that reflects no increase in spending, and an additional budget via the GOP reconciliation bill to make up the difference and match the threats facing the United States.

    In the conversation with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, King suggested that the DoD budget needs to be presented to the committee in its entirety to prevent a yearly partisan decision making process.

    “Let me talk about the budget. I don’t understand why the budget is coming to us in two pieces. Why not give us an honest base budget instead of putting a piece of it in reconciliation? As I understand it, OMB (the Office of Management and Budget) is saying we are going to have a flat defense budget for the next four or five years. Are we playing reconciliation every year from now on? Why not give us an honest budget telling us what your priorities are, and we can consider it. This committee always works on a bipartisan basis on the defense budget. We all want to see some increases in the defense budget, yet you are giving us this fake [version] — here is a piece of the project, here is another. In the base budget you are cutting ship building in half and saying, well we’re going to make it up in reconciliation. Are we going to have reconciliation every year? Which basically puts a significant part, 10% or 15% of the defense budget in a wholly partisan decision-making process, whereas in the history of this committee it has always been bipartisan. Why are we doing it this way,” asked Senator King.

    “Senator, from our view the budget number, $961 [billion], meets the requirements for threats we face,” responded Secretary Hegseth.

    “That’s not the number. The number is $892.6 [billion]. You’re adding reconciliation. That is my whole point. Why not give us a base budget of $961 [billion] or whatever the right number is? What you consider the right number and then we can operate and make our decisions? Why do it in this bifurcated way that really is fooling the American people about what the defense budget is,” Senator King questioned.  

    Secretary Hegseth replied,” We are not trying to fool anybody, sir. It is two bills, one budget. We’re working with OMB. I feel very comfortable with the number of $961 billion.”

    “That’s not my question. Why is it being done this way? Why is it being done this way? Why don’t you give us a straight up budget for the defense department? That is my question,” said Senator King.

    “Senator, this is a straight up budget for the defense department. It’s a 13% increase over what Joe Biden gave us,” responded Secretary Hegseth.

    Senator King replied, “It is not. It is a two-part defense budget. Part of it is in reconciliation instead of in the budget that is being presented to this committee. This committee only has a partial review of the budget. I don’t understand why we can’t have an honest, straight forward, budget instead of this son of OCO (overseas contingency operation), that you’re putting over on us.

    As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Senator King has long championed sound fiscal Defense funding for priorities in Maine and across the United States. Maine defense industries, University of Maine, and the Maine National Guard rely on annual funding levels and Defense Department budget details to plan investments and maintain their workforce. There is over $4 billion in defense business conducted annually in Maine impacting every county. Budget bills help these stakeholders with short-term and long-term forecasting and are economic drivers for the state of Maine.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Urges U.S. Senate to Reject the ‘Big Ugly Betrayal’ of Working Families That Cuts Medicaid Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Finance Committee released their portion of the so-called ‘Big Beautiful Reconciliation Bill,’ which U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) has dubbed a ‘Big Ugly Betrayal’ of working families. 

    The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities outlines how the Senate Republican version of the reconciliation bill, which requires just 50 votes to pass the U.S. Senate, would decimate family and state budgets.  It includes steeper cuts to Medicaid than the House bill, which would terminate health care coverage for 16 million people, raise health care costs across the board, and cut more than $1 trillion from America’s health care system in order to give tax breaks to billionaires.

    Today, Senator Reed issued the following statement:

    “Somehow, Senate Republicans took the House’s terrible bill and made it worse.  They are going to decimate our health care system in order to give bigger tax breaks to billionaires and corporations.

    “This deficit-shattering bill would take Medicaid from even more Americans who need it and inflict a heavier financial burden on patients, hospitals, and blue states.  Instead of shuttering hospitals, raising premiums, and making it harder for families to find a quality, affordable nursing home for their loved ones, Congress should be supporting access to essential health care for those who need it most.

    “While Medicaid and SNAP nutrition assistance are targeted for massive cuts, Big Oil gets a big handout.  Big Oil lobbyists were able to get their preferred industry-backed language in the bill that would solely benefit fossil-fuel companies at the expense of tax payers and clean energy.  This would be a job killer and a giveaway to polluters.

    “Gun lobbyists got a big gift in this bill too: Shockingly, it removes registration requirements not just for silencers but short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and other weapons too.

    “Notably, the Senate Republican bill would shift considerable new costs to states and localities, posing a serious risk to critical public services such as schools, health care, and transportation projects.

    “President Trump and Congressional Republicans are prioritizing tax cuts for the rich and powerful at the expense of average Americans.  Billionaires and corporations get tax giveaways while more Americans are being squeezed and living paycheck to paycheck.  Yet the bulk of the benefits here go to the wealthiest while the safety net and basic services for average Americans gets shredded.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Demanding Meaningful Stablecoin Guardrails, Reed Votes Against So-Called “GENIUS Act”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC — Citing a lack of consumer and taxpayer protections and serious crypto corruption and national security concerns, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) voted against the so-called GENIUS Act (S.1582), which passed the U.S. Senate on a vote of 68-30.

    The controversial bill places a government stamp of approval on “stablecoins,” which are crypto dollars that could be minted by big retailers, big tech companies, foreign companies, and even President Trump’s family. In a similar way that banks allow customers to send and receive money, stablecoins claim to do the same in a faster and cheaper way.

    Exposing taxpayers, consumers, and the financial system to high levels of risk, the GENIUS Act says that stablecoin companies would not need to comply with dozens of the same consumer protection laws that apply to similar firms and that help prevent scams and fraud.

    This legislation repeats some of the same mistakes that led to the 2008 financial crisis, fostered by the mistaken belief that stablecoin issuers are simple and safe companies that are unlikely to get into trouble and do not need significant regulation to protect customer funds.

    Rather than provide meaningful protections for consumers, the legislation weakens existing state laws on cryptocurrency to make it possible for stablecoin companies to operate with near-zero capital, meaning that companies could be unable to weather a financial crisis.  This leaves U.S. taxpayers exposed to bailouts if crypto markets crash.

    Furthermore, the bill makes it possible for stablecoin companies to avoid getting an independent audit and makes it virtually impossible for the government to revoke a stablecoin company’s charter, even if the company engages in fraudulent activity. And if a stablecoin company goes bankrupt, consumers must get in line to get their money back and hope that they will make a full recovery.

    The bill coincides with the launch of the Trump family’s own stablecoin venture called “USD1,” which has already been used by a foreign government to funnel at least $2 billion to the President.  The bill actually includes an express provision greenlighting the ability to name a stablecoin “USD,” as President Trump has done.

    Another beneficiary of this bill is Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin that is based in El Salvador and is used by North Korea, Russian arms dealers, ransomware attackers, the Iranian military, drug cartels, and many other criminal organizations.  Russia, Iran, and North Korea will continue to have venues to use dollar alternatives to bypass U.S. sanctions.

    The GENIUS Act allows Tether to operate freely in the United States with minimal oversight and without providing sufficient tools for the government to stop its abuse for weapons proliferation, war, human trafficking, scams, and other illegal activity.

    Senator Reed says that Congress should be fostering innovation while protecting consumers and national security, however unless these issues are fixed, the GENIUS Act would not balance these two important goals.

    “The so-called GENIUS Act is deeply flawed and doesn’t do enough to protect consumers, national security, and U.S. taxpayers.  Instead of strengthening consumer protections and building clear guardrails that prevent America’s adversaries from using stablecoins to their advantage, this bill greenlights President Trump using his office to line his own pockets while looking the other way at North Korea’s crypto abuses,” said Senator Reed.  “As the popularity of stablecoins continues to grow, we need to provide real guardrails and authorities for regulators.  Nevertheless, Senate Republicans have prioritized the wants of President Trump over the needs of American consumers.”

    Senator Reed has taken to the Senate floor twice recently to outline his concerns with the GENIUS Act, including in a speech Monday night. In remarks on the Senate floor last Thursday, Senator Reed called on Republicans to work across the aisle to better serve American consumers and strengthen crypto guardrails.

    The full transcript of those remarks follows:

    Mr. President, I rise today to discuss S. 1582, the so-called GENIUS Act.

    Several weeks ago, when the Majority Leader said we would have votes on amendments, I took him seriously and was one of the first to file. 

    We could have been voting on my amendments and those of my colleagues at any time in the last few weeks, but that hasn’t happened.  That is regrettable, because the GENIUS Act, as it is currently drafted, is fundamentally flawed. 

    The GENIUS Act exposes taxpayers, consumers, and the financial system to unacceptable risk.  And it creates venues for criminals, terrorists, and rogue governments to finance their illicit activities.  

    Among other things, this bill places the U.S. government’s stamp of approval on Tether—the world’s largest stablecoin, which is based in El Salvador and favored by North Korea, Russian arms dealers, ransomware attackers, the Iranian military, the drug cartels, and so many other criminal organizations. 

    It takes already weak state laws, makes them weaker, and applies them nationwide…making it possible for stablecoin companies to operate with near-zero capital and unable to weather a financial crisis.  It’s possible for stablecoin companies to avoid getting an audit.  It’s impossible for the government to revoke a stablecoin company’s charter—even if it turns out to be a Ponzi scheme or if an executive dips into customer funds.

    The GENIUS Act buys into the belief that the billionaires running the industry know what they’re doing and that the marriage of complex financial products and complex technology simply can’t fail.  The one thing the billionaires know how to do is protect their interests. 

    Not surprisingly this bill leaves open the door to bailouts, which we have seen time and time again for other lightly regulated nonbanks that got into trouble, like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, AIG, and Bear Stearns. 

    When there is a run on a stablecoin…and there will be a run one day…the industry will run to the American taxpayer for a bailout, and the GENIUS Act paves the way for that to happen with no limits on the Federal Reserve’s authority to prop up the industry.

    Finally, this bill perpetuates Donald Trump’s naked corruption.  It actually greenlights the name of Trump’s stablecoin—USD1—and allows Trump’s hand-picked regulators to write the rules of the road governing his most recent business venture. 

    Mr. President, we need to provide real guardrails for financial regulators to protect consumers, real tools for national security agencies to address this new technology, and real authority for the government to intervene before a crisis gets out of hand. 

    Real guardrails and real tools . . .  not words on a page that give only the “aura” of regulation and protection with no teeth. 

    My amendments and those offered by colleagues on the both sides of the aisle would help provide these tools and authorities.  However, it appears that we won’t have the opportunity to consider a single one of them and fix this bill.

    I urge my colleagues to oppose this highly flawed bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: June 18th, 2025 Heinrich Raises Alarm About New Mexico Public Lands at Risk in Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member on the U.S. Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released a list of public lands in New Mexico that are at risk of being sold off if Republicans’ reconciliation package becomes law. Senate Republicans’ reconciliation package mandates the unprecedented sale of two to three million acres of public land, including in both Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service lands.

    “Our public lands hold our shared identity: they are where we gather, fish, hunt, and hike. These lands house our collective history, support jobs, and sustain our rural economies. From the hiking trails near the Sandia Crest to the biking trails of the Monumental Loop to the lands surrounding the Santuario de Chimayo, these places are the anvil on which our identities are forged. We can’t let Republicans take them from us.

    “Republicans can’t fool us: their scheme to sell public lands has nothing to do with affordable housing or lowering costs for families. It’s a direct attack on every New Mexican, whether you have an elk tag, a fishing license, a backpack, a tent, a mountain bike, or a soft spot, special memory, or sacred connection to a particular place important to you, your family, and your ancestors.

    “Now is the time to raise your voices and join our fight to keep public lands in public hands – before we lose these lands forever.”

    The following list includes many, but not all, of the places in New Mexico at risk of being sold off if Senate Republicans’ reconciliation bill becomes law:

    BERNALILLO COUNTY

    • Manzanita Mountains Recreation Zone
      • Oak Flat
      • Pine Flat
      • Tunnel Canyon
      • Cedro Trailheads
    • Sandia Mountains
      • Forest Service Lands East of Sandia Crest
      • 10K Trail

    CHAVES COUNTY

    • BLM Land Surrounding Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge

    CIBOLA COUNTY

    • Mount Taylor (Except Mines)
    • Lobo Canyon
    • La Jara Mesa
    • Zuni Canyon
    • Quartz Hill

    DOÑA ANA COUNTY

    • BLM Land Northeast of Las Cruces
    • Monumental Loop Mountain Biking Route

    EDDY COUNTY

    • La Cueva Trail System

    GRANT COUNTY

    • Fort Bayard Trail System
    • Little Walnut Trail
    • Dragonfly Trail

    LINCOLN COUNTY

    • Grindstone Canyon Loop Trail
    • Ski Run Road

    LOS ALAMOS COUNTY

    • St. Peter’s Dome Trail
    • Forest Service Land and Trails Around Pajarito Ski Area
    • Hiking Trails North and East of Los Alamos

    LUNA COUNTY

    • Little Florida Mountains, via Rockhound State Park
    • Florida Mountains Wilderness Study Area
    • Access to Cooke’s Peak WSA

    MCKINLEY COUNTY

    • Quaking Aspen Campground
    • Sixmile Canyon
    • The Hogback
    • Jagged Edge
    • Zuni Mountain Trail System

    OTERO COUNTY

    • Alamo Canyon trail
    • Dog Canyon Trail
    • Lower Karr Campground

    RIO ARRIBA COUNTY

    • Sombrillo Area of Critical Environmental Concern

    SAN JUAN COUNTY

    • Glade Run Recreation Area

    SAN MIGUEL COUNTY

    • Skyline Trailhead
    • Access to Pecos Wilderness

    SANDOVAL COUNTY

    • Ball Ranch/Espinosa Ridge Area of Critical Environmental Concern
    • Placitas Trailhead
    • Crest of Montezuma
    • Buffalo Tract
    • Strip Mine Trailhead

    SANTA FE COUNTY

    • Lands Between Santuario de Chimayo and Santa Cruz Lake
    • Diablo Canyon
    • Caja del Rio
    • Atalaya Trail
    • La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Site
    • Borrego Mesa Trailhead and Campground

    SIERRA COUNTY

    • East Side of Caballo Lake

    SOCORRO COUNTY

    • The Box Recreation Area
    • San Lorenzo Canyon
    • Quebradas Backcountry Byway
    • Socorro Nature Area

    TAOS COUNTY

    • Lands Surrounding Historic High Road to Taos
    • Recreation Areas on Highway 64 Towards Angel Fire
    • Cabresto Lake and Access to the Latir Peak Wilderness
    • NMDGF Unit 49 Hunting Area

    VALENCIA COUNTY

    • Manzano Wilderness Study Area
    • Encino Trailhead
    • Trigo Canyon Trailhead

    MIL OSI USA News –