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Category: AM-NC

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: A peaceful and secure country is in the interests of all Syrians and the wider region: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Speech

    A peaceful and secure country is in the interests of all Syrians and the wider region: UK statement at the UN Security Council

    Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the emergency UN Security Council meeting on Syria.

    President, I will make three points today.

    First, this remains a pivotal, but fragile, moment for Syria as it seeks a more stable and prosperous future. A peaceful and secure country is in the interests of all Syrians, and the wider region.

    There is a clear risk, as others have highlighted this morning, that the current crisis in the Middle East escalates, with serious implications for security across the region and beyond, including in Syria. We encourage all actors to avoid any activity that will further destabilise the region at this precarious moment.

    Second, June marks six months since the fall of the brutal Assad regime. We welcome the positive steps the Syrian Government has taken so far in advancing a peaceful political transition. 

    This includes diverse Cabinet appointments and internal agreements, including with the Syrian Democratic Forces. We look forward to progress on implementation.

    We welcome the formation, in recent days, of the Supreme Electoral Committee for the People’s Assembly Elections. 

    This is an important step in building legislative and electoral processes that serve the Syrian people and keeping up momentum on the transition process. 

    We urge those involved in the process to prioritise inclusivity and representation in the appointment and election of People’s Assembly members.

    Finally, we note progress on accountability efforts in Syria that pursue justice for victims and survivors, and initiatives for seeking truth for the families of those still awaiting answers.

    We encourage the newly formed National Commissions on Transitional Justice and Missing Persons to work in close partnership with Syrian civil society and the United Nations.
     

    As Ms Khoulani emphasised so eloquently, it is key that efforts are transparent and shaped by the experiences of survivors and families.

    We encourage the Syrian Government to continue to engage positively with UN mechanisms including the Commission of Inquiry, the Independent Institution on Missing Persons, and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, and use their expertise effectively as they lay out the next steps for their own accountability agenda in Syria.

    Updates to this page

    Published 17 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: From neural networks to stock markets: how computer science is being developed at the Nizhny Novgorod HSE

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Established in 2011 International Laboratory of Algorithms and Technologies for Network Structure Analysis (LATASS) HSE University in Nizhny Novgorod conducts a wide range of fundamental and applied research, including joint projects with large companies: Sber, Yandex and other leaders of the IT industry. The methods developed by HSE scientists not only enrich science, but also improve the work of companies’ transport, and conduct medical and genetic research more successfully. HSE.Glavnoe talked about the work of the laboratory with its head, Professor Valery Kalyagin.

    — Tell us how the laboratory was created.

    — It was organized in 2011 under the Russian government mega-grant program. At that time, the work of a foreign scientist was a mandatory condition for participation in the competition. We were lucky that Professor Panagiotis Pardalos of the University of Florida responded to our proposal for cooperation. He continues to actively collaborate with the HSE and remains the scientific director of the laboratory. Oleg Kozyrev, Eduard Babkin and Boris Goldengorin actively participated in the preparation of the application. Boris Goldengorin played an important role in the development of the laboratory.

    At that time, the study of algorithms for analyzing network structures and what is now called computer science was a new direction for HSE in Nizhny Novgorod.

    Three years later, the grant work was highly appreciated by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, and it was extended for two years. When it was ending, we applied to create an international laboratory at the HSE, we were supported, and now we continue our work as a laboratory of the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

    In the first years of our work, we attracted many young researchers who later became renowned scientists and practitioners.

    — What interested them in the new laboratory?

    — They had a unique opportunity to develop, to work with famous scientists in a creative atmosphere. Almost all of them took advantage of it and over the past years have grown as scientists, researchers and teachers. The development strategy from the very beginning was built on the obligatory combination of scientific research and teaching. And now all our research staff teach, this component of the work, the transfer of experience and competencies, is very important for a scientist.

    — What have you managed to accomplish during this time?

    — Over the past years, the laboratory has become a well-known scientific center in Russia and in the world, largely due to the efforts of Professor Pardalos, who pays much attention to recognition. We have many contacts with colleagues from different universities and scientific centers. Our laboratory is a co-organizer of a large international conference on optimization and applications, we participate in its program committee, and our scientific director is a multiple honorary chairman of the program committee.

    We actively cooperate with our leading universities – MIPT, MSU, the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, with Siberian and Ural scientific centers in Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and Yekaterinburg.

    — What are the key areas of your work?

    — These are mainly computer sciences: network models, technologies for analyzing network structures, various aspects of optimization, including problems of combinatorial or discrete optimization on graphs, applications to data mining.

    — How can this be explained to a person who is not knowledgeable in higher mathematics?

    — I will try to explain it in an accessible way. A network is a set of nodes and connections between them. The most understandable examples are social and telecommunication networks, where nodes are people or clients of a mobile operator, and connections are communications between them, measured in a certain way. This can be a graph with special attributes or a hypergraph.

    The optimization task is also clear: you have, for example, a social network, and you want to understand which nodes to place information in so that it passes through the network faster, or, on the contrary, which nodes to block so that a fake message stops circulating in the network.

    Another class of tasks that interests employees are large databases, queries for information in them. This is called the “nearest neighbor search problem” in a data array, when you give some query to a large data set and want to find the object in this database that is most similar to your query.

    If the database consists of 10-20 objects, there are no difficulties, but when there are many of them, you need to organize the search correctly and quickly. For this search, a special graph structure is created on this data, and it speeds up the search by an order of magnitude using special algorithms.

    — Is it possible to use your results in biology or medicine?

    — We are investigating a class of network models that includes some biological networks, such as the network of neurons in the brain or the co-expression network of genes.

    There are billions of neurons, and we can’t measure anything in these networks. But with the help of an electroencephalogram, it is possible to track the activity of individual areas of the brain and analyze the connections between them. Interesting network structures are being created that can be used to study brain activity, including in diseases — for example, analyzing neuron networks in Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy, which helps in their research.

    A gene co-expression network (GCN) is constructed based on gene expression profiles for multiple samples or experimental conditions. Researchers look for pairs of genes that show a similar expression pattern across all samples. The result is a network model that can be analyzed for practical purposes, such as identifying the most important nodes in the model. The identified gene cluster means that the gene and its neighbors have similar expression profiles. This can then be used to simplify drug testing.

    — How widely is your work applied in economics?

    — Another well-known network is stock markets. We analyze assets, identify connections between them. Taking them into account, a stock market network is formed. Analysis of stock market networks allows us to form investment portfolios. A classic example is the Markowitz model of the optimal investment portfolio. However, using such models does not mean that you will avoid a risk that can cancel out all potential income.

    Large trading companies, banks, and firms that advise investors want to have a clear model for how to form investment portfolios. They do not strive for super-profits, but want to invest reliably. And then network models turn out to be useful. Additional information about connections helps to identify portfolios with the necessary characteristics.

    – You and your colleagues are probably rich people.

    — We do not trade on the markets and do not give recommendations. Students write final theses on these and other topics and analyze how and which portfolios work on different markets.

    This does not replace analysis, but it is useful for it and opens up additional opportunities for activity in the stock market.

    For example, there is a possibility of choosing a portfolio by constructing a market network graph and identifying independent sets in it. It has been experimentally proven that such sets provide diversified and interesting portfolios in terms of profitability.

    — Do the models you have developed suggest different development scenarios?

    — The laboratory actively studies the uncertainty of algorithms for constructing various graph structures in network models such as gene co-expression networks, brain networks, and stock market networks.

    If uncertainty is high, then conclusions may be false: we hope to get rich, but our expectations do not come true.

    — How does solving fundamental scientific problems combine with applied work?

    — We have a strong group headed by Dmitry Malyshev. In its direction (algorithmic graph theory), the research of this group is closer to theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics. A significant number of postgraduate students and young employees of the laboratory have defended dissertations on these topics. Despite the fundamental theoretical nature of the research, it also has applied significance. Estimates of the computational complexity of problems on graphs help to identify computationally difficult problems and find classes of problems that can be solved quickly.

    In the first years of the laboratory’s work, we developed a direction of intelligent data analysis and AI. It is headed by Andrey Savchenko. He develops the direction of intelligent data analysis in conditions of limited resources, for example, on mobile devices that are less powerful than desktop computers or laptops. For example, we want to classify photos, texts, something else on our smartphone, but we do not have access to a powerful resource. On a smartphone, you cannot deploy a full-fledged neural network. He and his colleagues developed an approach that allows you to effectively solve such problems, and patented it as a result of intellectual activity (RIA). There are already applications that you can download and use.

    — Is this necessary now, when we are promised quantum computers with unlimited capabilities?

    — The head of a research center at a large foreign company recently said that we have returned to the situation of the 1970s, when scientists and practitioners, given the limited capabilities of processors and computer memory, paid special attention to the efficiency of algorithms. Then the speed of processors and the capacity of memory, including RAM, increased sharply, and this lost some of its relevance. Now the problem has returned, since we do not expect a significant improvement in hardware. When you train large language models or search large databases, you return to the need for fast calculations under conditions of limited resources. Now many large manufacturers of computing resources and IT companies are conducting research into the efficient use of existing capabilities. If we reduce calculations on at least one node by 1%, we will get a significant effect. We had a successful project with an IT company on the use of patterns (templates) of the computation graph to speed up the training of neural networks. Such tasks are becoming increasingly popular.

    The emergence of a quantum computer with unlimited capabilities is still not a matter for the very near future.

    — Which companies have used your developments?

    — We developed an algorithm for organizing the delivery of products to stores for a large retail chain. This is called the transport routing problem, it is also network-based and calculates traffic along a road network. The problem has high computational complexity. If you have 100 cars and 1000 stores and you want to optimize traffic, then solving such a problem manually is difficult. It is also not easy for a computer to solve it, but clever algorithms help. This enables AI to manage the logistics of transport use.

    — Is there a problem with the transition of scientists to industrial partners?

    — There is a problem of personnel outflow in IT companies. We start interacting with companies, companies see the qualifications of our personnel, offer them to engage in science and solve interesting problems and attract specialists with better conditions.

    — With which HSE departments does the laboratory collaborate?

    — The closest cooperation has been established with International Center for Analysis and Decision Making and with Laboratory of Applied Network Analysis.

    — How do you see the prospects for research?

    — We focus on a combination of fundamental and applied research so that we have both good theoretical results and publications, as well as joint projects with industry.

    The campus strategy is to expand applied research, and this is a nationwide trend. We must learn to meaningfully answer the question of how our theoretical developments can make a real contribution to the development of the country’s economy and social sphere. We see our prospects in the development of algorithms and technologies for artificial intelligence systems.

    In addition to the purely scientific component, popularization of science is important in order to make theoretical and applied results accessible to schoolchildren, our future students and laboratory staff.

    The laboratory, as one of the leading scientific centers in the field of computer science and applications, is open to new partnership projects of both fundamental and applied nature.

    — What educational programs do you participate in?

    “We are involved in two key programs on campus: “Applied Mathematics and Computer Science» (bachelor’s degree training) and «Intelligent data analysis» (training of masters). The laboratory’s subject matter is actively present in these programs. This is reflected both in teaching and in the students’ scientific work.

    All international laboratories develop research expertise and pass it on to young people. If we do not have contact with students, where will we recruit new young employees?

    I would like to add that our graduates are in demand in many companies and countries.

    — Why is it important to preserve fundamental research?

    — We are now seeing the second birth of mathematics, the development of intelligent data analysis and artificial intelligence technologies has generated tasks that require specialists with developed abstract thinking and a broad outlook, which fundamental mathematics provides. At the same time, many sections of mathematics are in demand. This is a sign of the 21st century.

    For example, we have a huge data set and are trying to understand how it is structured. Often, the high dimensionality of the data is an obstacle to its analysis. To reduce the dimensionality without losing information, we need to have a good understanding of many sections of fundamental mathematics – from classical methods of linear algebra and mathematical analysis to advanced probabilistic models and topology.

    Mathematicians have perked up, people see that they need to expand their field of activity to applied research, this is a characteristic feature of HSE.

    — How do you manage to maintain international connections?

    — We continue contacts with foreign scientists. Since 2012, we have regularly held an annual international conference on network analysis, international schools for young scientists. Almost everyone who came to Nizhny Novgorod continues to communicate, respond to proposals, despite the past pandemic and the current situation. For young scientists, this is an additional opportunity to assess the level of their research, it becomes clearer when in contact with colleagues from abroad. We strive for young people to actively communicate with guests. Students are also interested in this.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: China’s support for Mali’s military carries risks: researcher outlines what they are

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Paa Kwesi Wolseley Prah, Postdoctoral Fellow, Dublin City University

    Mali, a landlocked Sahelian nation of 25 million people, has faced significant instability since 2012, marked by terrorism, state neglect and armed conflicts.

    That year a Tuareg rebellion started in northern Mali and President Amadou Toumani Touré was ousted in a military coup. Constitutional rule was suspended. Rebels in northern Mali went on to seize cities like Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal, declaring an independent Islamic State of Azawad and imposing sharia law.

    They also destroyed cultural heritage sites, including 14 of Timbuktu’s 16 Unesco-listed mausoleums. The crisis prompted international intervention, including a UN authorised mission, which retook northern cities within weeks. Islamist rebels retreated into civilian populations and remote areas.

    Despite these efforts, violence against civilians by extremist groups and community militias has continued. By 2023, 8.8 million Malians needed humanitarian assistance. Over 375,500 were internally displaced, primarily women and children.

    Meanwhile, the former French colony had turned to China for military assistance. Between 2012 and 2013, China provided €5 million (about US$5.8 million) in logistical equipment to improve the Malian army’s mobility.



    Read more:
    China’s interests in Africa are being shaped by the race for renewable energy

    In August 2013, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army gave the Malian army military supplies totalling 1.6 billion CFA francs (about US$2.8 million). China made similar donations between 2014 and 2023.

    I am an international security and global governance researcher. My recent research explored the impact of China’s security sector assistance on Mali’s fragility.

    China’s assistance to Mali aims to equip the country to address terrorism and insurgency. But I argue that it may have unintended consequences and cause further damage to the country.

    The heavy reliance on Chinese supply exposes Mali to vulnerabilities, including supply disruptions, diminished bargaining power, and limited strategic flexibility. This could destabilise security even more should China face manufacturing issues or supply chain disruptions leading to delays or shortages in the production of weapons.

    It also raises concerns about the potential influence of China on Mali’s defence policies and decision-making processes. In turn this could entrench the Malian military government’s position. China takes a hands-off approach to the governance structures of the countries it engages with. Hopes of democratisation in the country could be affected.



    Read more:
    US trade wars with China – and how they play out in Africa

    Rich in resources

    Mali has significant natural resources, including 800 tons of gold reserves (it’s Africa’s fourth-largest producer), iron ore, manganese, lithium, and potential uranium and hydrocarbon deposits.

    In 2019, gold production generated US$734 million, or 9.7% of Mali’s GDP, supporting over 10% of the population.

    Chinese firms, such as Ganfeng Lithium and China National Nuclear Corporation, have invested heavily in Mali’s mining sector. They are involved in a US$130 million lithium project and uranium exploration in the Kidal and Falea regions.

    Despite security risks, including attacks on Chinese personnel in 2015 and 2021, China remains committed due to Mali’s resource potential.

    Beyond mining, China has invested in Mali’s infrastructure. A US$2.7 billion railway modernisation project connects Bamako to Dakar, facilitating resource exports like iron ore and bauxite.

    The total of Mali’s external debt to China is not explicitly stated. But the 2014 loan agreement of US$11 billion and the 2016 loan of US$2.7 billion alone suggest Mali’s debt to China could be at least US$13 billion. This is without including loans for projects like the Bamako-Ségou expressway, and bridges in Bamako.

    This has often been criticised as “debt trap diplomacy”, increasing recipient countries’ dependence on Beijing. In Mali, I believe this risks entrenching economic vulnerability and giving China geopolitical leverage.



    Read more:
    China reaps most of the benefits of its relationship with Africa: what’s behind the imbalance

    China’s security sector assistance to Mali

    Historically, Mali relied on France. More recently, it’s used Russia’s expeditionary corps, formerly known as Wagner Group, for security support.

    In 2011, China provided US$11.4 million in grants, US$8.1 million in zero-interest loans, and a US$100.8 million concessional loan to foster bilateral cooperation.

    China’s participation in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali, starting in 2013 with 395 personnel, marked a shift in its security engagement.

    Chinese peacekeepers, including engineers, medical personnel and security guards, repaired infrastructure, provided medical aid and supported Mali’s 2013 elections.

    Their professionalism earned praise from the UN special envoy Albert Gerard Koenders for helping to ensure a smooth election.

    China’s involvement in Mali challenged traditional European approaches to peacekeeping, particularly France’s military-heavy strategy.



    Read more:
    China-Africa relations: new priorities have driven major shifts over the last 24 years – 5 essential reads

    How China’s assistance contributes to Mali’s fragility

    In spite of the positives, China’s security sector assistance contributes to Mali’s fragility in several ways.

    First, its no-strings-attached nature allows Mali’s military junta to consolidate power without making democratic or governance reforms.

    This lack of accountability enables corrupt military factions to operate unchecked. Governance weaknesses and authoritarianism can continue.

    Second, the heavy reliance on Chinese supply raises concerns about the potential influence of China on Mali’s defence decisions.

    This over-reliance on military solutions risks escalating conflicts and could lead to human rights abuses by security forces, as seen in increased violence against civilians. It doesn’t address root causes of conflict like social cohesion or local governance.

    Third, Mali’s growing dependence on Chinese aid — both military and economic — makes it vulnerable to disruptions from geopolitical tensions, supply chain issues, or changes in China’s foreign policy. This limits Mali’s ability to diversify its military capabilities or respond to evolving threats.

    Finally, China’s infrastructure investments, such as the US$1.48 billion (750 billion CFA francs) Bamako-Dakar railway loan, creates “debt trap diplomacy”.

    This pattern deepens economic dependence and reduces policy autonomy, further weakening state resilience.



    Read more:
    Maps showing China’s growing influence in Africa distort reality – but some risks are real

    The way forward

    To mitigate the risks of Chinese security sector assistance and promote sustainable stability, Mali must adopt a multifaceted strategy.

    First, it should collaborate with China to align security sector assistance with civilian-led security approaches.

    Second, Mali should diversify security and economic partnerships with donors like the US, the UK, and the EU.

    Third, transparent guidelines, developed through consultation with stakeholders, should assess the impacts of assistance to avoid deepening dependence.

    Fourth, engaging civil society and publishing regular reports on security sector assistance use and outcomes will foster public trust.

    Finally, promoting regional economic integration and ties with global powers will bolster Mali’s economic resilience.

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

    – ref. China’s support for Mali’s military carries risks: researcher outlines what they are – https://theconversation.com/chinas-support-for-malis-military-carries-risks-researcher-outlines-what-they-are-257738

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada-Italy Joint Statement

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today in Kananaskis, Alberta, Prime Ministers Mark Carney and Giorgia Meloni met on the margins of the G7 Summit and reaffirmed the vitality and strategic value of the Canada-Italy partnership and their fruitful cooperation within the UN, NATO and the G7 to foster global peace, the rule of law, economic growth and prosperity and strong international institutions.

    The Prime Ministers took stock of the implementation of the Italy-Canada Roadmap for Enhanced Collaboration, including the launch of a Joint Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence, a Joint Statement on Critical Minerals and Critical Raw Materials Cooperation, actions to enhance cooperation in defence, outer space, science, technology and innovation, and mutual economic prosperity. As agreed during Prime Minister Carney’s recent visit to Rome, a Canada-Italy Energy Dialogue will be launched in the coming months to enhance cooperation on critical minerals, conventional and clean energies, and hydrogen.

    Acknowledging the unprecedented challenges facing the world since the Roadmap was launched last year, and the need to seize on new opportunities, Prime Ministers Carney and Meloni announced additional cooperation between Canada and Italy the following areas:

    Prosperity and Innovation

    Building on the strong foundation enabled by the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the Leaders committed to deepening commercial ties and diversifying trade between Canada and Italy. This would include organizing high level business and investment trade missions, aimed at foster greater engagement between respective industry and private capital stakeholders, in priority sectors such as energy, life sciences, defence and infrastructure.

    Noting also the recent high tempo of interaction between Canadian and Italian researchers and industrial stakeholders on artificial intelligence, quantum computing, clean technologies, nuclear and photonics, the Prime Ministers encouraged the pursuit of further opportunities for cooperation between Italian and Canadian organizations in areas such as nuclear energy and medical isotopes, hydrogen, AI and supercomputing and quantum. They likewise looked forward to proposals for future work by the Joint Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence on AI for Health and AI for Science.

    Security and Defence

    The two Leaders signaled the importance of closer collaboration as NATO Allies, including through information exchange and high-level dialogue to address current and future security challenges. They also recognized the opportunities for increased engagement and expanded commercial ties in the defence sector, as both countries seek to enhance their respective industrial defence bases.

    Finally, the two leaders expressed appreciation for the continuity of priorities and results between their respective G7 Presidencies and signaled the importance of close coordination on key global challenges, including in the lead up to the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague.

    Associated Link

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley Joins Trahan, Massachusetts Delegation to Demand Reversal of Trump Administration’s Disastrous Job Corps Center Closures

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Text of Letter

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) joined Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) and fellow members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation, including Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) as well as Representatives Richard E. Neal (MA-01), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) and Bill Keating (MA-09) in demanding that the Trump administration reverse its decision to cancel federal Job Corps funding, threatening the abrupt closure of 99 contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide.

    Their letter to U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez DeRemer highlights the impact to Massachusetts’ three Job Corps centers: Shriver Job Corps Center in Devens, Grafton Job Corps Center in North Grafton, and Westover Job Corps Center in Chicopee.

    “We are writing to express our deep concerns regarding the Department of Labor’s recent decision to pause operations at Job Corps centers across the country. We urge you to consider the long-standing value and potential of the Job Corps program in offering young people a critical second chance at personal and professional success,” the lawmakers wrote.

    On May 29, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a pause in operations at contractor-run Job Corps centers across the U.S. With more than 120 centers nationwide, the Job Corps program provides opportunities for low-income and at-risk youth to gain the skills necessary to begin successful careers in a skilled trade or other profession.

    “With 92,000 Massachusetts residents aged 18 to 24 living in poverty, the Shriver, Grafton, and Westover Job Corps Centers stand as vital resources for economic mobility and career development. Combined, they contribute an estimated $80 million to the local economy annually and across the state, we have seen the impact. Graduates have become union carpenters, plumbers, bricklayers, police officers, cybersecurity professionals, and entrepreneurs. This is not just an investment in the local talent pipeline for employers but an investment in our communities as many of these graduates stay in the region to live, work, and raise their families. Pausing operations at these centers at the end of the month will directly detract from workforce training and discourage economic development in communities across the country like Devens, North Grafton, and Chicopee,” the lawmakers continued.

    The decision to close Job Corps centers was met with swift legal opposition. On June 3, 2025, the National Job Corps Association, a trade organization representing Job Corps centers nationwide, filed a lawsuit against the DOL, arguing that the closure of the country’s largest residential career training program was both unlawful and based on misleading data about its performance. The following evening, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr. issued a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, blocking the DOL from suspending program operations.

    “The Job Corps program is built on second chances, and we urge you to offer this program the same opportunity to adapt and grow that it has provided its students for the last 60 years,” the lawmakers concluded.

    Text of the letter can be found here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley Joins Trahan, Massachusetts Delegation to Demand Reversal of Trump Administration’s Disastrous Job Corps Center Closures

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Text of Letter

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) joined Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) and fellow members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation, including Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) as well as Representatives Richard E. Neal (MA-01), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) and Bill Keating (MA-09) in demanding that the Trump administration reverse its decision to cancel federal Job Corps funding, threatening the abrupt closure of 99 contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide.

    Their letter to U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez DeRemer highlights the impact to Massachusetts’ three Job Corps centers: Shriver Job Corps Center in Devens, Grafton Job Corps Center in North Grafton, and Westover Job Corps Center in Chicopee.

    “We are writing to express our deep concerns regarding the Department of Labor’s recent decision to pause operations at Job Corps centers across the country. We urge you to consider the long-standing value and potential of the Job Corps program in offering young people a critical second chance at personal and professional success,” the lawmakers wrote.

    On May 29, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a pause in operations at contractor-run Job Corps centers across the U.S. With more than 120 centers nationwide, the Job Corps program provides opportunities for low-income and at-risk youth to gain the skills necessary to begin successful careers in a skilled trade or other profession.

    “With 92,000 Massachusetts residents aged 18 to 24 living in poverty, the Shriver, Grafton, and Westover Job Corps Centers stand as vital resources for economic mobility and career development. Combined, they contribute an estimated $80 million to the local economy annually and across the state, we have seen the impact. Graduates have become union carpenters, plumbers, bricklayers, police officers, cybersecurity professionals, and entrepreneurs. This is not just an investment in the local talent pipeline for employers but an investment in our communities as many of these graduates stay in the region to live, work, and raise their families. Pausing operations at these centers at the end of the month will directly detract from workforce training and discourage economic development in communities across the country like Devens, North Grafton, and Chicopee,” the lawmakers continued.

    The decision to close Job Corps centers was met with swift legal opposition. On June 3, 2025, the National Job Corps Association, a trade organization representing Job Corps centers nationwide, filed a lawsuit against the DOL, arguing that the closure of the country’s largest residential career training program was both unlawful and based on misleading data about its performance. The following evening, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr. issued a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, blocking the DOL from suspending program operations.

    “The Job Corps program is built on second chances, and we urge you to offer this program the same opportunity to adapt and grow that it has provided its students for the last 60 years,” the lawmakers concluded.

    Text of the letter can be found here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Memoriam: Former Athletics Administrator and Trustee Phil Barry

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Phil Barry ’54, who dedicated over 60 years of his life to the University of Connecticut as a student, Division of Athletics administrator, and later as a member of the Board of Trustees, passed away June 14 at the age of 96.

    Born Philip Paul Barry in Willimantic on March 30, 1929, to the late Patrick and Rosa (Giraca) Barry, he leaves his beloved wife of 68 years, Lena (Gray) Barry, of Brooklyn, Conn. A lifelong resident of eastern Connecticut, Barry was a friend to all, a dedicated family man, loyal associate, and collaborator to organize good times.

    Phil Barry (Contributed photo)

    A 1947 graduate of Windham High School, he was class president of his freshman and senior classes. He excelled in sports – particularly basketball and baseball.

    Barry enrolled at UConn and his academic career was interrupted by service in the United States Army, in which he completed officer training for two years during the Korean War. Following his military discharge, he graduated from UConn in 1954 and worked for two years at the former Willimantic Trust Company, where he met his wife when she came in to cash her nursing payroll checks.

    Barry was hired in the UConn Division of Athletics as ticket manager and worked for 31 years in the department. His career in athletics progressed to business manager and later assistant to the director of athletics. In August 1970, he was named assistant director of athletics and in 1983 was named associate director of athletics for operations, before retiring in 1987. At UConn, he served on many search committees to fill staff and team coaching vacancies.

    Barry served as the first treasurer of the Big East Conference at the league’s inception in 1979 and was also secretary-treasurer of the Yankee Conference.

    He was active for many years in the Collegiate Athletic Business Management Association, serving that national group as president in 1974 and being named National Athletic Business Manager of the Year in 1975.

    Following retirement, Barry was a member of UConn’s Board of Trustees from 2001-09 and the Board of Directors of the UConn Alumni Association. Barry was elected and served two terms as a member of the Mansfield Town Council. During his tenure, he focused on the Downtown Storrs project and worked to foster closer ties between the Town of Mansfield and UConn.

    Phil Barry accepts the National Athletic Business Manager of the Year Award in 1975 from the College Athletic Business Managers Association. (Contributed photo)

    In the community, Barry had many interests, including membership in the Willimantic Country Club, Elks Club, and Irish Club of Willimantic. He was one of the last living members of Roy’s Boys – a dedicated group of Willimantic area baseball players who benefited as teens under the guidance and teaching of Willimantic YMCA Director Roy Dissinger.

    Barry was predeceased by his brother, John (Eloise) Barry; his sister, Pauline (Ben) Nault; and his son-in-law, John Geissler.  In addition to his wife, Lena, Phil leaves four children: Patricia Geissler, David (Lori) Barry, Douglas (Pamela) Barry, and Daniel (Julie) Barry. He had nine grandchildren, which include Kristin (Phillippe and their children, Daysia, Mariah, and Devin), Alyssa (Michael), Sean, Nikki, Jessica, Anna, Emma, Ryan, and Bradley.

    Barry’s family will receive relatives and friends Tuesday, July 1, 2025, from 4 p.m. to 7p.m. at First Baptist Church of Mansfield, 945 Storrs Road, Storrs. A memorial service will be celebrated Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Mansfield in Storrs. The family invites those attending to wear UConn blue and white.

    The family would like to thank the kind and compassionate staff at Creamery Brook and Pierce Home in Brooklyn for its extraordinary care since 2019. Donations may be made in Barry’s honor to either St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Pierce Memorial Baptist Home Recreation Fund (checks made payable to PMBH, noting Recreation), 44 Canterbury Road, Brooklyn, CT 06234.

    Potter Funeral Home Obituary

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Picture This: Reflections of a Hospital Curator

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    I never imagined that art curation and hospitals could be such a dynamic pair. The idea of intentionally organizing the placement of artwork around such a facility was so foreign to me that I almost missed having one of the most enlightening roles of my career. I eventually realized how wrong I was and how right this job is for me, but I did not come to this conclusion easily. After a friend nudged me multiple times to apply for this position at UConn Health, it was not long before a mutual friend urged me to read the description again thoroughly, then apply. This was in fact a job for me. My experience up to that point in my career had all but placed a billboard in front of me with a giant red arrow pointing in this direction.

    The Frank Stella piece hanging behind curator Andre Rochester outside the Health Sciences Library is among the highest-profile pieces in UConn Health’s art collection. (2023 photo by Tina Encarnacion)

    After a few friendly nudges and divine signs, I went for it. On the day of the interview, I hit a massive traffic jam caused by a statewide police procession. I called ahead from the highway, mortified, but they could see it happening outside the window. The moment felt doomed, but it led to one of the most meaningful jobs of my life. Arriving 15 minutes late, prepared with a lengthy CV, anecdotes about my art career and a decade of curatorial experience, I entered the lobby where I met my future manager. She led me to a conference room where two others patiently awaited my grand entrance. Although I arrived flustered and felt like I somehow blew this opportunity by coming in so late, the interview went well. They invited me back a couple of weeks later and presented an offer.

    “The Family” is a bronze sculpture by Wolfgang Behl. (Photo provided by Andre Rochester)

    Becoming the art curator at UConn Health has broadened my perspective of art placement and its function in the healing environment. People may not even notice art as they walk past it in our public spaces every day. Yet, how do you think patients, staff, or visitors might feel without it there? How drab and boring would it be if there was nothing to break up the empty space in our corridors? A part of healing from any ailment is mental. The atmosphere in which you endure or help someone through that process is important. Art must engage, inspire, invoke, and uplift. Art has the power to change the environment in which we place it. We decorate our homes because it makes us feel something. The same can be said about our workspace. Art is a subtle, but important part of feeling better. I have made it my personal mission to ensure people notice the art at UConn Health, but more importantly, they connect with it. Being an art curator in a hospital means wearing a few hats: interior decorator, creative consultant, and sometimes you become somewhat of a community organizer.

    UConn Health art curator Andre Rochester (left) leads an art committee of volunteers who are current and former employees, including (as of August 2024, from left) Edith Lamonica, Ann Taridona, Christine McNally, Jillian Silverberg, Felicia Vezina, Emily Ziemba, Jo Cohen, and Rachael Norris. (Tina Encarnacion/ UConn Health photo)

    The Connecticut Collection (as it was named by its founder, Celeste LeWitt) is a gem hidden in plain sight. A full spectrum of visual art can be found throughout all UConn Health locations. It started with museum-level artwork thanks to Celeste’s appeal to some of the most notable artists in the state. Through her own network and that of her cousin, world renowned conceptual artist and Hartford native Sol LeWitt, the collection quickly developed into something truly special. Since 1979, The Connecticut Collection has grown to over 2,500 works of art, including items from a wall tapestry by Frank Stella, original prints by Anni Albers, an array of sculptures by Wolfgang Behl, and a drawing by Sol LeWitt. Throughout the year, we receive donations from artists of all backgrounds- professionals and hobbyists alike- with styles ranging from landscapes to portraits, folk art, and photography. Donors also include art collectors, current and former employees, patients, and their families. What makes the Connecticut Collection so unique is we have a little bit of everybody and a little bit of everything visual arts. In 2024, an artist from Oakland, California, donated a beautiful terra cotta sculpture- a testament to the breadth of our reach as a health institution and an alignment between Celeste LeWitt’s vision and the community at large.

    “Four Seasons in New England” by Tracy Kane is 10-ft-tall, 16-ft-wide acrylic mural on wood panels. (Provided by Andre Rochester)

    This role includes processing art donations, leading an art committee, curating exhibits, and bringing awareness to the art collection. I help select art for offices, conference rooms, waiting rooms, and some patient treatment areas. In addition to the Connecticut Collection, we have two galleries. Celeste LeWitt Gallery is on the north side of our main dining facility. It was established by our previous curator, Linda Webber, in honor of the late Celeste LeWitt. During her 22-year tenure as art curator, Linda started as a volunteer, advocating for this to become a paid position, and nearly doubled the size of the collection. This position would not exist without her efforts. I start every art tour at an original painting by Linda to pay homage to her legacy by acknowledging the big shoes I had to fill upon my arrival at UConn Health. Even in her retirement, Linda’s passion for art at UConn Health is still felt. She often attends our receptions. Our newly established Connector Gallery is in the main floor corridor connecting our main building to John Dempsey Hospital.

    “Visitor in My Garden” is a painting by Stanwyck Cromwell. (Provided by Andre Rochester)

    Celeste LeWitt Gallery is dedicated to exhibiting artists from across the state of Connecticut and parts of New England. We host four exhibits per year featuring two artists at a time. This recently included a debut for Maggie Prado from our carpentry and paint team and Martha G. Trask, who works for our library. The Connector Gallery started with an exhibit for Art Connection Studio (ACS), a program of Vinfen, an organization that provides support for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. This experience inspired me to connect UConn Health with organizations and people that use art as a tool for healing and cultivate opportunities for collaboration. Later that year, this mission expanded to include ongoing employee art shows in between these collaborative exhibits.

    I met the ACS team in 2023 at one of their receptions. They partner with local artists to teach participants how to make several types of art and schedule shows for them throughout the state. I was so inspired by their art that I offered an opportunity to exhibit at UConn Health. By spring 2024, with full support from our executive leadership team, we displayed a temporary installation of their 15-foot collaborative mural which says the words “THIS ABILITY” along with paintings from three of their artists. We also called attention to our Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service. As a result of this first collaboration, our Office of Diversity and Inclusion led a campaign to recruit members of the UConn Health community to volunteer at ACS.

    From left: UConn Health employees Jameson MacInnis, Irina Bezsonova, Rachael Norris, and Jo Cohen observe some of the submissions to the fall 2024 employee art show along the hallway connecting UConn Health’s Connecticut Tower and University Tower. Norris and Cohen are members of UConn Health’s art committee, and Bezsonova’s work has been accepted for an exhibit. (Photo provided by Andre Rochester)

    We have hosted four employee exhibits in the Connector Gallery so far. This includes a solo exhibition for Irina Bezsonova, associate professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics. I am proud to say that we get at least three submissions from someone new with each call for employee artwork. We have displayed art by employees from across the entire organization. It serves as proof that there are many talented people who work at UConn Health. I am especially proud that employee artwork has had a presence in our collection from the beginning. The Connector Gallery is only one year in its journey, and the impact of these exhibits is felt by all.

    I led an effort to source artwork for the New England Sickle Cell Institute and Connecticut Blood Disorder Center, an opportunity for which I am profoundly grateful. Their leadership team trusted my vision to engage artists from across the state directly. Some of whom shared that they have a personal connection to the population we serve in NESCI/CBDC. I have also collaborated with our Office of Professional Wellbeing and Engagement to facilitate lunchtime art workshops for employees that focus on forward thinking, goal setting, and mindfulness using a lesson in color theory. I also host tours for students, employees, and occasional visitors upon request.

    It has only been a two-and-a-half-year journey for me, but so much has happened in the time I have been the art curator at UConn Health. I am digging deeper into my purpose: a personal mission to use my own progress as an artist and creative professional to help others thrive. I continue to grow in this position, and with the help of our art committee, I will find more ways to raise awareness and increase engagement with art at UConn Health.

    We must acknowledge that the scope of art at UConn Health goes beyond visual media. Creativity is the foundation for writing, music, and theater. We have an Orchestra of UConn Health (O.U.C.H.), a student acapella group, and J.J. Odom. director of buildings and grounds, is a talented drummer. Furthermore, there are authors like Lucius Downing and Shawn Brown, who work in IT. UConn Health is a premier location for medical treatment, but there is an arts community that exists among the people who work here. I have only scratched the surface but there is a deep connection between health and creativity here and I am honored to be a part of it. I hope to continue cultivating a space where art, wellness, and community thrive together at UConn Health.

    Andre Rochester is UConn Health’s art curator. (Photo by Keith Claytor, Time Frozen Photography)

    About the author: Andre Rochester is an artist, curator, and arts administrator based in Hartford. He currently serves as the art curator at UConn Health, where he oversees the Connecticut Collection and curates exhibitions that elevate healing through creativity. A passionate advocate for the intersection of art and wellness, Andre uses his platform to support emerging artists, cultivate community, and foster a culture of belonging through visual storytelling.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Celebrating Completion of $45M Food Hub in the Bronx

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of the New York State Regional Food Hub, a $45 million cold-storage facility that will transform food access across New York. The first-of-its-kind 60,000 square-foot facility, operated by GrowNYC in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx, will enable a 600 percent increase in locally-sourced food distribution — from approximately 3 million pounds to 20 million pounds annually by 2034 — while creating over 200 new jobs and providing a critical economic lifeline to New York farmers. The facility, supported by $19 million from New York State, as recommended by the New York City Regional Economic Development Council, represents a joint State and City investment designed to strengthen the local food economy, support New York farmers, and improve access to healthy and affordable foods for low-income communities.

    “The New York State Regional Food Hub is a game-changer for families and farmers across New York,” Governor Hochul said. “From the streets of the Bronx to the farms of Batavia, the Empire State has so much to offer. That’s why we invested in this massive GrowNYC facility to expand access to fresh, local food while creating new economic opportunities for our agricultural producers.”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “We are proud to support this transformative infrastructure that will create jobs and dramatically expand access to affordable, healthy food for New Yorkers. ESD’s strategic investment enhances the efficiency, sustainability, and equity of our state’s food system by connecting upstate farmers directly to downstate markets, ensuring urban families have access to the quality produce they deserve. The New York State Regional Food Hub represents a model investment that will benefit communities across our state.”

    New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “The New York State Regional Food Hub is designed to be a game changer for our farmers bringing product to market and to our families who will have greater access to quality New York grown fruits and vegetables. We learned during the pandemic that we needed to double down on our efforts to strengthen the food supply chain and make sure that we had a food system right here in New York that was resilient and could feed its communities. This Food Hub is a tremendous piece of that puzzle and will provide an incredible benefit to our underserved populations and to our farmers.”

    GrowNYC President and CEO Marcel Van Ooyen said, “We’re beyond grateful for the vast support from City and State leaders that led to the completion of this state-of-the-art facility and that will advance our work promoting equitable food access in New York. Our Food Hub provides ample opportunities for GrowNYC and farmers to make a tangible impact on the everyday lives of underserved New Yorkers, and I’m hopeful it will serve as a scalable model for how cities across the United States can combat hunger while supporting local farm systems.”

    The Food Hub will enable GrowNYC to quadruple its aggregation and distribution square footage, dramatically expanding wholesale distribution capacity to make fresh, local foods accessible to underserved New Yorkers. The facility will serve wholesale buyers including institutions and restaurants while strengthening innovative partnerships with nonprofit organizations. Building on GrowNYC’s current work distributing free produce through New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets New York Food for New York Families program — which unites a network of 20 community partners including Graham Windham and The POINT to serve the Hunts Point community and beyond — the expanded Hub will significantly scale these vital food access efforts. Additional funding was provided by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York City Council, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Bank of America, and others.

    The facility addresses a critical need identified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when food insecurity in New York City grew from 1.4 million residents to approximately 2 million. By sourcing food directly from regional farms and creating new jobs, the Hub will support New York State farmers — particularly small- and mid-sized operations — while increasing food distribution capacity and enhancing access to New York City’s wholesale marketplace. The processing facility will assist upstate producers and processors in targeting institutional and private sector procurement opportunities, offering a significant boost to New York’s agricultural economy while building a more resilient food supply chain.

    NYCREDC Co-Chairs Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, City University of New York Chancellor, and William D. Rahm, CEO of Everview Partners, said, “The NYCREDC sees the Food Hub as a vital tool to address our region’s needs, and an engine of economic opportunity for New York City and our upstate neighbors. The expansive cold storage space will help alleviate food insecurity — a major struggle for many households in the region — and support farming communities’ livelihoods. This investment strengthens our regional food system and builds economic partnerships that benefit communities across New York State.”

    State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Strengthening the connection between upstate farmers and downstate communities has long been one of New York’s greatest opportunities — and the NYS Regional Food Hub brings that vision to scale. Every New Yorker deserves to eat fresh, healthy food, and this innovative model lays the groundwork to expand food access to more New Yorkers, especially those in historically underserved communities. It sets a national standard for how we fight hunger and invest in agriculture as a powerful engine of both economic growth and social progress, and I’m proud to champion this project alongside partners who share that vision.”

    Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “We have anxiously awaited the opening of GrowNYC’s new Regional Food Hub. Providing expanded market opportunities for NY farmers is a win-win for them and for the communities who will benefit from fresh and locally sourced fruits and vegetables. I’m very happy that Empire State Development agreed with NYC’s Regional Council to make this substantial investment. I’m sure that other cities will want to emulate the work being done here.”

    The New York State Regional Food Hub was first developed as the result of the New York State-New York City Regional Food Hubs Task Force, which created a roadmap to build a Regional Food Hub System. The goal was to enhance the connection between upstate food producers and the downstate market, increase access to fresh food for underserved populations, boost in-state food production and consumption, and create new job opportunities in the growing sector of food manufacturing. As a high priority in the task force’s final action plan, this facility now serves as a national model for creating sustainable, self-sufficient food systems that safeguard local food supplies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-State Conspiracy to Obtain Driver’s Licenses for Ineligible Applicants

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant conspired to fraudulently apply for driver’s licenses for more than 1,000 individuals who resided in states that prohibited illegal aliens from obtaining licenses

    BOSTON – A Waterbury, Conn. man pleaded guilty on June 13, 2025 to conspiring to obtain driver’s licenses for ineligible applicants, principally illegal aliens.  

    Cesar Agusto Martin Reis, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess with intent to transfer identification documents, and one count of possession with intent to use or transfer unlawfully identification documents. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Sept. 10, 2025. In December 2024, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis was charged along with four co-conspirators.

    From in or about November 2020 through in or about September 2024, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators fraudulently procured driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who resided in states that prohibited illegal aliens from obtaining driver’s licenses. Prior to July 2023, illegal aliens residing in Massachusetts were not permitted to obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses. Beginning in 2019, illegal aliens residing in New York became eligible to obtain New York driver’s licenses. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators conspired to fraudulently obtain New York driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who did not reside in New York, including Massachusetts residents, and after July 2023 to fraudulently obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who did not reside in Massachusetts. In exchange for fraudulently obtaining the driver’s licenses, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators typically charged approximately $1,400 per customer.
     
    In New York, before obtaining a driver’s license, applicants were required to pass a written permit test and complete driver’s education coursework from a New York driving school. Online permit test-takers were required by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) to take a picture of themselves with a web camera during the test. This was to ensure that the test-taker was indeed the applicant and that there was not a person sitting with and helping the applicant with the test.  

    To avoid the customers having to take the permit tests, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators obtained several pictures of the customers sitting down, making it look as if the customers were taking the tests. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis conspired with his alleged co-conspirators to complete the permit tests for the customers online and, when prompted by the NY DMV to take pictures during the tests, and to upload the pictures that the customers previously provided – purporting to show that it was the customers who were taking the tests, not the defendants. The defendants also allegedly created fraudulent driver’s education certificates of completion, purportedly from New York driving schools, forged the signatures of driving school staff on the fake certificates and gave these documents to the customers to provide to the NY DMV.

    The NY DMV also required that applicants appear at a NY DMV location and provide documents to prove their identity and residence in New York. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis conspired with his alleged co-conspirators to meet Massachusetts-based customers at locations in Massachusetts – typically several customers at a time – and drive them to NY DMV branch locations. When they arrived at the NY DMV locations, the defendants allegedly gave the customers fraudulent documents falsely purporting to demonstrate that the customers resided in New York. The customers provided these fake records to the NY DMV staff, and the NY DMV relied on the misrepresentations to issue New York driving permits to the customers. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis conspired with his alleged co-conspirators to arrange for the NY DMV to mail the permits to locations in New York that were controlled by the defendants and provided the permits to the customers in-person. Additionally, the defendants allegedly conspired to schedule road driving license tests for the customers with the NY DMV and, again, drive the customers to New York for them to take the road tests. If the customers passed the tests, the NY DMV sent the driver’s licenses to mailing addresses in New York that the defendants allegedly controlled, and the defendants then provided the licenses to the customers.  

    The defendants allegedly conspired to obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses for out-of-state residents, in generally the same manner as they allegedly obtained the New York licenses for Massachusetts residents. In Massachusetts, the defendants allegedly conspired to fraudulently obtain purported foreign passports to provide to the customers to use as proof of identity with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in support of customer driver’s license applications.

    Collectively, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators fraudulently applied for licenses for more than 1,000 customers, obtained licenses for more than 600 of the customers, and collected at least hundreds of thousands of dollars.    

    The charge of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess with intent to transfer identification documents carries up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000; and the charge of possession with intent to use or transfer unlawfully identification documents, carries up to 15 years in prison, supervised release of up to 3 years, and a fine of up to $250,000.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Kelly Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the NY DMV Division of Field Investigation; the Boston, Danbury (Conn.) and Waterbury (Conn.) Police Departments; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut; and the New York State Inspector General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: 2025 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Announcement

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BILLINGS — In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced yesterday that it has reinvigorated efforts to protect American seniors from transnational schemes that cost seniors billions of dollars, often stealing their life savings. In the past few weeks alone, DOJ prosecutors have arrested and filed cases against foreign fraudsters and domestic actors who have knowingly facilitated foreign-based crimes.

    “Our office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who would exploit our elderly friends, neighbors, and family members. We appreciate the efforts of our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to identify elder abuse in all its forms, physical, psychological, and financial.  But we also need everyone’s help by checking on older adults, especially those with few family members close by, and watching for signs and abuse or unusual financial transactions.  U.S. Attorney Alme said.

    See the U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Service Announcement on Elder Fraud: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/video/district-montana-elder-fraud-psa-60-seconds.

    The DOJ is highlighting a number of recent prosecutions, including one here in Montana, to protect American seniors. These include cases against those who engage in, and knowingly facilitate, romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. Romance fraud is a confidence scheme where a perpetrator feigns romantic interest with a victim only to later extract money or property under false pretenses. Lottery fraud schemes trick victims into believing they have won a non-existent lottery or sweepstakes prize in order to extract fake fees, taxes, or other fabricated charges from the victim. Tech support fraud scams involve perpetrators tricking victims into believing that their computer or phone has a problem, often through fake pop-up messages, and to later seek funds from the victims in order to “fix” the “problem.” Grandparent scams, another type of confidence scheme, involve scammers impersonating a grandchild or close family member who experiences a fictitious emergency and needs money from the victim as soon as possible.

    Recently in Montana, an FBI and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office investigation resulted in the arrested a man allegedly involved in an India-based scheme that claimed to be U.S. Marshals targeting the elderly and resulted in the theft of over $1 million from an elderly victim. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/india-based-amazon-scam-leads-almost-1-million-dollar-loss-elderly-victim-missoula

    Recovering Victim Loss

    Victims face many challenges in financially recovering from fraud schemes—and that is even more true for elderly victims. Many retired seniors are no longer earning income and cannot count on market appreciation to grow their retirement savings. Perpetrators may have already spent or forwarded victim funds beyond the reach of United States law enforcement. Victims may not have the resources to pursue legal action or hire legal representation. These, and other reasons, make it critically important that the DOJ work hard to achieve substantial victim restitution in cases we investigate and prosecute.

    National Elder Fraud Hotline 2025 WEAAD Campaign

    The National Elder Fraud Hotline is a free, national resource for older adults and their loved ones experiencing financial fraud. Supported by the DOJ Office for Victims of Crime, the National Elder Fraud Hotline is staffed by professionals who have experience working with older adults. Staff are continuously updated on the latest scams, are trained to make referrals and warm hand-offs for resources and services in the older adult’s local area and can assist older adults in placing a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a report which has the potential to freeze funds (although freezing funds cannot be guaranteed).

    The DOJ urges individuals to be on the lookout for fraudulent lottery, prize notification, sweepstakes, and psychic scams. If you receive a phone call, letter or email promising a large prize in exchange for a fee, do not respond. Fraudsters often will use official-sounding names or the names of real lotteries or sweepstakes or pretend to be a government agent purportedly helping to secure a prize.

    If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This DOJ hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

    More information about the DOJ’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/  or at 877-FTC-HELP. The DOJ provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

    The DOJ notes that for all cases discussed above, facts included in a Complaint, Information, or Indictment are only allegations, and all defendants are innocent until proven guilty by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arrest Warrants Issued for Father of Missing Union City Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, TN – Arrest warrants have been issued for Jose Inocencio Fraire Chavez, 39.  The warrants are related to incidents which occurred in Obion County, Tennessee.  Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the issuance of the arrest warrants today.  

    Chavez has been charged with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm; willful failure to comply with removal procedures in violation of Title 8 U.S.C. § 1253(b); and flight to avoid prosecution.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement are working together in coordination with the Union City Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to safely locate Chavez and his child, who have not been seen in the Union City area since May 2, 2025.

    “Since issuing a statewide Endangered Child Alert on May 5th, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has remained committed to working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to bring Tah Yah Yona Chavez home safely,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “At the heart of this investigation is an innocent child who deserves to be safely reunited with her family in West Tennessee. We are truly grateful for the invaluable teamwork of our law enforcement partners in these efforts.”

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham.

    The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.  If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of the factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

    ###

    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Hoboken Director of Health and Human Services Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Embezzlement, Filing False Tax Return

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – Pantaleo “Leo” Pellegrini, the former Hoboken Director of Health and Human Services and Director of the Department of Environmental Services, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for embezzling money from the City of Hoboken and filing a false tax return, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced

    Pellegrini previously pleaded guilty to embezzlement and filing a false tax return before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    While working for the City of Hoboken, Pellegrini embezzled money from the City of Hoboken by diverting approximately $223,500 in payments intended for the City of Hoboken to bank accounts he controlled. Pellegrini also embezzled money from the City of Hoboken by submitting approximately $234,432.60 in his personal expenses, which the City of Hoboken unknowingly paid. Additionally, Pellegrini did not report the embezzled money on his personal tax returns, and thereby made and subscribed a false personal tax return and avoided approximately $119,972.60 in taxes due.

    Pellegrini’s oversight responsibilities related to certain public recreational facilities, including soccer fields that could be reserved by both Hoboken and non-Hoboken residents for a fee paid to the City of Hoboken.  Through this arrangement, the City of Hoboken Department of Parks, Recreation & Public Works sponsored a non-profit recreation soccer league open to Hoboken youth (the “Youth Soccer League”), which was funded by the City of Hoboken and participant fees.  Also during the charged time period, an adult soccer league open to Hoboken and non-Hoboken residents (the “Adult Soccer League”) was in operation, which was funded from participant fees.

    Pellegrini developed a scheme to divert the Adult Soccer League’s participant fee payments intended for the City of Hoboken to a business account on which he was a signatory which was registered to a soccer-related entity linked to him.

    During the relevant time period, Pellegrini was also the Owner and President of a private travel soccer club.  Pellegrini also submitted or caused the submission to the City of Hoboken invoices associated with his private soccer club, which Pellegrini falsely or fraudulently represented to the City of Hoboken as invoices eligible for reimbursement by the City of Hoboken.  As a result, the City of Hoboken—at Pellegrini’s direction—unknowingly paid tens of thousands of dollars to the Pellegrini’s private soccer club vendors for its expenses, and also unknowingly paid tens of thousands of dollars directly to Pellegrini through his private soccer club.

    Pellegrini used the embezzled funds on personal expenses including meals, entertainment, and gambling, allowing him to live far beyond his means.  Moreover, Pellegrini intentionally did not disclose and report the income from the above-described embezzlement scheme, thereby causing his tax returns to understate a substantial amount of the income he received.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Farbiarz ordered restitution of $439,972.60 to the City of Hoboken, restitution of $119,464 to the Internal Revenue Service, and forfeiture of $439,972.60.  Judge Farbiarz also ordered a term of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. McCarren and Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.

                                                                           ###

    Defense Counsel:

    John D. Lynch, Esq., Union City, NJ 

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Led by IAEA, International Team Samples Treated Water under Additional Measures at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) led a team of international experts to collect samples today of ALPS treated water stored at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) prior to the water’s dilution with seawater and its discharge to the sea.

    The sampling mission is the fourth under the additional measures, which focus on expanding international participation and transparency. These measures permit third parties to independently verify that water discharge which Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) – operator of the FDNPS – began in August 2023 continues to be consistent with international safety standards.

    International experts from Belgium, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and Switzerland, along with IAEA staff, conducted hands-on sampling of the water stored in tanks designated for the 14th batch of ALPS-treated water to be discharged.

    The IAEA initiated the first practical steps of the additional measures in October last year. This fourth mission follows the mission in April which sampled diluted water just prior to its discharge into the sea, and a mission in February when IAEA Director General Grossi presided over the additional measures to  collect seawater samples in the vicinity of FDNPS.

    The samples collected in today’s mission will be analysed by the participating laboratories – the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, the China Institute of Atomic Energy, the Korean Institute for Nuclear Safety, the Institute for Problems of Environmental Monitoring of the Research and Production Association “Typhoon” in Russia and the Spiez Laboratory in Switzerland – as well as by the IAEA’s laboratory and TEPCO in Japan. All laboratories are members of the IAEA’s Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA) network, which are selected for their high level of expertise and analytical proficiency.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nuclear Techniques Make Waves at UN Ocean Conference

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi during the high-level event on combatting marine pollution at the United Nations Conference in Nice, France  (Photo: E. McDonald/IAEA)

    The IAEA highlighted the role of nuclear science in protecting our oceans at the 2025 United Nations Oceans Conference held last week in Nice, France.

    Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the conference convened over 10,000 participants, including scientists, diplomats and politicians, to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. It aimed to accelerate progress towards SDG14, Life Below Water, through innovative technologies and action. The IAEA took center stage at the event to share how nuclear technology is boosting ocean health and tackling critical threats such as marine plastic pollution.

    The IAEA organized and participated in more than a dozen events at the conference, and on research vessels in the Port of Nice. Experts from the IAEA’s Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco highlighted how isotopic tools can help monitor and reduce plastic pollution in the ocean.

    Plastic waste is not only infiltrating our oceans, but also the human body in the form of microplastics. Without urgent action, the amount of plastic entering the ocean each year could reach 37 million metric tons by 2040, according to UN estimates, becoming a threat to marine and human life.

    Plastic pollution featured prominently throughout the conference, with a focus on the ongoing negotiations for the development of an internationally legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The negotiations for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-led treaty are expected to conclude later this year in Geneva, following five previous sessions.

    At the conference, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi spoke about the IAEA’s work to combat plastic pollution and emphasized the need to share data data between scientists, policymakers and environmental agencies.

    “Four years ago, at the last UN Ocean Conference, I announced NUTEC Plastics, an initiative that gives countries the tools they need to address the issue of marine microplastic pollution. Today, I am delighted to report that we have made significant progress with 99 countries involved, and we have been equipping more than 100 Member State laboratories all over the world. We are building the capacity that countries need to translate data into policies and action.”

    NUTEC Plastics is an IAEA flagship initiative that supports countries in researching microplastics and using nuclear techniques to improve recycling techniques.

    Director of the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories Florence Descroix-Comanducci (left), highlighted the work of the IAEA’s Marine environment laboratories at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in France (Photo: E.McDonald/IAEA)

    “Nuclear and isotopic techniques add incredible value to boost ocean health,” said Florence Descroix-Comanducci, Director of the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories. “Our laboratories in Monaco support Member States in the implementation and use of these techniques, and to develop harmonized methods to generate globally comparable data, especially in light of the forthcoming plastics treaty.”

    At events organized by the IAEA, panelists highlighted the need to address the top of the plastic life cycle to prevent further pollution, employing a “source to sea approach” to reduce marine litter and, by extension, marine plastic pollution. “Our metrics on marine litter are moving in the right direction,” said Martin Adams, Head of the Environment Department at the European Environment Agency. “Timely and relevant data are increasingly important, but we don’t need to know everything. We just need to know enough to act.” Other events organized by the IAEA focused on ocean-based carbon dioxide removal, ocean acidification, IAEA support for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and nuclear energy and ocean health.

    The IAEA’s unique expertise in nuclear applications is contributing to both mitigations, by using radiation technology for waste recycling, and monitoring, by using isotopic techniques to monitor and assess impacts of microplastic pollution. Through the NUTEC Plastics initiative, 99 countries are participating in marine monitoring of microplastics, and 52 around the world are developing innovative recycling technology.

    The International High-Level Forum on NUTEC Plastics, organized by the IAEA on 25–26 November 2025, in Manila, Philippines, will highlight the progress achieved to date, address current challenges, and chart course to strengthen regional and international cooperation in the sustainable management of plastic waste through innovative nuclear technologies.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: China’s support for Mali’s military carries risks: researcher outlines what they are

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Paa Kwesi Wolseley Prah, Postdoctoral Fellow, Dublin City University

    Mali, a landlocked Sahelian nation of 25 million people, has faced significant instability since 2012, marked by terrorism, state neglect and armed conflicts.

    That year a Tuareg rebellion started in northern Mali and President Amadou Toumani Touré was ousted in a military coup. Constitutional rule was suspended. Rebels in northern Mali went on to seize cities like Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal, declaring an independent Islamic State of Azawad and imposing sharia law.

    They also destroyed cultural heritage sites, including 14 of Timbuktu’s 16 Unesco-listed mausoleums. The crisis prompted international intervention, including a UN authorised mission, which retook northern cities within weeks. Islamist rebels retreated into civilian populations and remote areas.

    Despite these efforts, violence against civilians by extremist groups and community militias has continued. By 2023, 8.8 million Malians needed humanitarian assistance. Over 375,500 were internally displaced, primarily women and children.

    Meanwhile, the former French colony had turned to China for military assistance. Between 2012 and 2013, China provided €5 million (about US$5.8 million) in logistical equipment to improve the Malian army’s mobility.

    Read more: China’s interests in Africa are being shaped by the race for renewable energy

    In August 2013, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army gave the Malian army military supplies totalling 1.6 billion CFA francs (about US$2.8 million). China made similar donations between 2014 and 2023.

    I am an international security and global governance researcher. My recent research explored the impact of China’s security sector assistance on Mali’s fragility.

    China’s assistance to Mali aims to equip the country to address terrorism and insurgency. But I argue that it may have unintended consequences and cause further damage to the country.

    The heavy reliance on Chinese supply exposes Mali to vulnerabilities, including supply disruptions, diminished bargaining power, and limited strategic flexibility. This could destabilise security even more should China face manufacturing issues or supply chain disruptions leading to delays or shortages in the production of weapons.

    It also raises concerns about the potential influence of China on Mali’s defence policies and decision-making processes. In turn this could entrench the Malian military government’s position. China takes a hands-off approach to the governance structures of the countries it engages with. Hopes of democratisation in the country could be affected.

    Read more: US trade wars with China – and how they play out in Africa

    Rich in resources

    Mali has significant natural resources, including 800 tons of gold reserves (it’s Africa’s fourth-largest producer), iron ore, manganese, lithium, and potential uranium and hydrocarbon deposits.

    In 2019, gold production generated US$734 million, or 9.7% of Mali’s GDP, supporting over 10% of the population.

    Chinese firms, such as Ganfeng Lithium and China National Nuclear Corporation, have invested heavily in Mali’s mining sector. They are involved in a US$130 million lithium project and uranium exploration in the Kidal and Falea regions.

    Despite security risks, including attacks on Chinese personnel in 2015 and 2021, China remains committed due to Mali’s resource potential.

    Beyond mining, China has invested in Mali’s infrastructure. A US$2.7 billion railway modernisation project connects Bamako to Dakar, facilitating resource exports like iron ore and bauxite.

    The total of Mali’s external debt to China is not explicitly stated. But the 2014 loan agreement of US$11 billion and the 2016 loan of US$2.7 billion alone suggest Mali’s debt to China could be at least US$13 billion. This is without including loans for projects like the Bamako-Ségou expressway, and bridges in Bamako.

    This has often been criticised as “debt trap diplomacy”, increasing recipient countries’ dependence on Beijing. In Mali, I believe this risks entrenching economic vulnerability and giving China geopolitical leverage.

    Read more: China reaps most of the benefits of its relationship with Africa: what’s behind the imbalance

    China’s security sector assistance to Mali

    Historically, Mali relied on France. More recently, it’s used Russia’s expeditionary corps, formerly known as Wagner Group, for security support.

    In 2011, China provided US$11.4 million in grants, US$8.1 million in zero-interest loans, and a US$100.8 million concessional loan to foster bilateral cooperation.

    China’s participation in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali, starting in 2013 with 395 personnel, marked a shift in its security engagement.

    Chinese peacekeepers, including engineers, medical personnel and security guards, repaired infrastructure, provided medical aid and supported Mali’s 2013 elections.

    Their professionalism earned praise from the UN special envoy Albert Gerard Koenders for helping to ensure a smooth election.

    China’s involvement in Mali challenged traditional European approaches to peacekeeping, particularly France’s military-heavy strategy.

    Read more: China-Africa relations: new priorities have driven major shifts over the last 24 years – 5 essential reads

    How China’s assistance contributes to Mali’s fragility

    In spite of the positives, China’s security sector assistance contributes to Mali’s fragility in several ways.

    First, its no-strings-attached nature allows Mali’s military junta to consolidate power without making democratic or governance reforms.

    This lack of accountability enables corrupt military factions to operate unchecked. Governance weaknesses and authoritarianism can continue.

    Second, the heavy reliance on Chinese supply raises concerns about the potential influence of China on Mali’s defence decisions.

    This over-reliance on military solutions risks escalating conflicts and could lead to human rights abuses by security forces, as seen in increased violence against civilians. It doesn’t address root causes of conflict like social cohesion or local governance.

    Third, Mali’s growing dependence on Chinese aid — both military and economic — makes it vulnerable to disruptions from geopolitical tensions, supply chain issues, or changes in China’s foreign policy. This limits Mali’s ability to diversify its military capabilities or respond to evolving threats.

    Finally, China’s infrastructure investments, such as the US$1.48 billion (750 billion CFA francs) Bamako-Dakar railway loan, creates “debt trap diplomacy”.

    This pattern deepens economic dependence and reduces policy autonomy, further weakening state resilience.

    Read more: Maps showing China’s growing influence in Africa distort reality – but some risks are real

    The way forward

    To mitigate the risks of Chinese security sector assistance and promote sustainable stability, Mali must adopt a multifaceted strategy.

    First, it should collaborate with China to align security sector assistance with civilian-led security approaches.

    Second, Mali should diversify security and economic partnerships with donors like the US, the UK, and the EU.

    Third, transparent guidelines, developed through consultation with stakeholders, should assess the impacts of assistance to avoid deepening dependence.

    Fourth, engaging civil society and publishing regular reports on security sector assistance use and outcomes will foster public trust.

    Finally, promoting regional economic integration and ties with global powers will bolster Mali’s economic resilience.

    – China’s support for Mali’s military carries risks: researcher outlines what they are
    – https://theconversation.com/chinas-support-for-malis-military-carries-risks-researcher-outlines-what-they-are-257738

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Democratic HELP Members Demand Hearings on Impacts of Republican Budget Bill on Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
    Lawmakers: “Failure to hold hearings and a markup on this reconciliation bill before it is considered on the Senate floor would be an abdication of our duty to the American people.”
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper joined every Democratic member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to demand Senate hearings to examine the disastrous impact of the Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill on the health and well-being of the American people and markup this legislation before it reaches the Senate floor.
    “We are deeply concerned that if these policies were signed into law they would create a national health care emergency,” the lawmakers wrote. “Not only would millions of Americans lose their health insurance and tens of thousands of our constituents die as a result of the House-passed reconciliation bill, the cost of prescription drugs would go up for seniors, hospitals and community health centers in rural and underserved areas would close or shut down access to services that patients rely on, and nursing homes would be made less safe.”
    The lawmakers continued: “Regardless of your views on the merits of these policies, we hope you agree with us that the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has a solemn responsibility to hold extensive hearings on the impact these policies would have on the health and well-being of the American people and our entire health care system.” 
    The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s estimate of the Republican budget stated the legislation would result in 16 million Americans losing health insurance and increase our national debt by $2.4 trillion.  
    Nearly 80 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) nationally. Medicaid covers the care for over 60% of all nursing home residents.
    The Republican budget proposal calls for extreme Medicaid cuts of more than $700 billion, which would take away people’s health benefits; make it harder for them to see their health care providers; and prevent seniors from getting nursing home care.
    The Senate now must consider the House-passed budget. Hickenlooper has already voted against the Republican budget resolution on the Senate floor twice and offered amendments to prevent cuts to Medicaid. He will vote against the proposal again when it comes to the Senate.
    Read the full letter HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Lays Out Six “Big Beautiful” Options to Save Tens of Billions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) rolled out six proposals for the One Big Beautiful Bill based on her decade of work to make Washington Squeal, reduce reckless spending, and save taxpayers’ money.
    Ernst’s proposals would save tens of billions of dollars by eliminating bogus payments, snapping back SNAP overpayments, ending unemployment for millionaires, defunding welfare for politicians, stopping subsidies for union bosses, and selling vacant buildings.
    Here is some of the coverage of the proposals:
    Fox News | Republican senators roll out DOGE budget proposals for Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
    “While a $9.4 billion rescissions package, a formal request from the executive branch to codify its DOGE cuts, is in the works, proponents of the Senate DOGE package say their total estimated savings would accentuate that and also surpass it in value.”
    National Review |Ernst Pushes Plan to End Food Stamp Overpayments to Cut Spending in ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill
    “Senator Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) is rolling out a series of measures to cut spending in the GOP’s ‘big, beautiful,’ bill including a proposal for ending mismanagement in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps.”
    New York Post | Sen. Joni Ernst pushes to ban taxpayer-funded union time in One Big Beautiful Bill Act
    “Sen. Joni Ernst wants to tweak the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act to eliminate the longstanding practice of taxpayer-funded union time. Approximately $160 million of your money went toward fed workers’ union time as of 2019, the last time such data was available, and Ernst (R-Iowa) has been on a quest for more recent information.”
    Breitbart | Sen. Joni Ernst Aims to Stop Fraudulent Payments as Pay-For in Big Beautiful Bill
    “The Hawkeye State senator, as the chair of the Small Business Committee, aims to have her bill, the Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Spending Act, as a pay-for in Trump’s marquee bill to stop fraudulent and improper federal payments. The legislation could have a significant effect, as more than $160 billion in improper payments occurred in fiscal year 2024.”
    The six proposals are:
    Saving billions in bogus payments
    Snapping back overpayments
    Ernst’s Snap Back Inaccurate SNAP Payments Act strengthens the integrity of the important Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by identifying all errors, clawing back overpayments, and holding states with high payment inaccuracies accountable.
    In 2023, there were approximately $10.73 billion in overpayments. However, the true cost is unknown because errors totaling $56 or less are excluded.
    Ending unemployment for millionaires
    Eliminating welfare for politicians
    The ELECT Act eliminates the Presidential Election Campaign Fund, which utilizes tax dollars to fund presidential campaigns.
    This fund has been dipped into previously to reduce spending. Last year, $320 million was allocated to Secret Service and $25 million was given to the Department of Justice.
    Ending the absurd practice of taxpayer-funded union time
    Ernst’s Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallet Act ends the absurd policy of taxpayer-funded union time which allows federal employees to engage in union activities when they are supposed to be serving the American people.
    It cost taxpayers at least $160 million per year according to the most recent report from 2019.
    Selling vacant buildings
    Ernst has exposed how it costs billions every year to maintain thousands of vacant government buildings and empty offices.
    Selling just a handful of these buildings would generate hundreds of millions of dollars.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scotland in 2050

    Source: Scottish Government

    Opportunities and challenges for the future.

    First Minister John Swinney has launched new analysis on the trends that could shape the future of Scotland in the next 10 to 20 years, saying that Scotland must “take charge of our own destiny” as an independent country to shape our own future.

    ‘Future Trends for Scotland’ sets out the plausible opportunities and challenges facing Scotland, and could inform Scottish Government policy and the work of our partners in Scotland.

    The reports show Scotland can make the most of opportunities including new energy potential, growing success in space and life sciences and widespread adoption of AI alongside the emergence of quantum technology.

    Challenges facing Scotland resonate with those seen across the world including growing risks to democracy because of mis- and disinformation, more frequent conflicts, increasing inequalities and climate change. 

    Addressing the Scotland 2050 conference in Edinburgh, First Minister John Swinney said:

    “The Scotland of 2050 will be shaped by a series of unpredictable forces, by new technologies we have only half-imagined in the pages of science fiction, by conflicts now only simmering, by people who are only just born but it will also be shaped by us. By the decisions we take, the policy choices we implement, the vision and path forward that we set out.

    “That is a great responsibility, but for me it is also exciting, inspiring, and a privilege to shape it as First Minister. 

    “With the Future Trends horizon scan, we have the best available Scotland specific analysis to inform our decisions, both now and for the future. 

    “It shows both hurdles and new horizons for our society and economy. Warnings where we need to change, or up the pace, but also doors opening, if we have the courage to walk through them with confidence, with boldness and self-belief.

    “And it is by shaping strategy and policy towards achieving long-term outcomes that we will be ready for this new world as it evolves.

    “It is only by taking charge of our own destiny, with our own hand on the tiller, that we are better able to ride the waves of change, that we are better able to shape our own future.

    “That does not mean a Scotland standing alone, but rather a nation that has worked out its place in the world, and the contribution it wants to make to the world.

    “An ongoing deep and rich partnership with the other nations of these isles, absolutely, but ultimately as a nation state in our own right, as a Member State of the world’s largest trading block, the world’s biggest social and economic community, the European Union.”

    Background

    Future Trends for Scotland – Findings from the 2024-25 Horizon Scanning Project – gov.scot

    Young People and the Future of Scotland – A Participatory Horizon Scanning Engagement – gov.scot

    Scotland 2050 Conference: First Minister’s Speech – gov.scot

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plymouth’s 2025 local climate legends revealed

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Residents across Plymouth have been nominating their local climate heroes, and the winners have now been unveiled. 

    Plymouth local climate legends winners

    Ranging from an eco-friendly school on a mission to change their school culture, a dedicated business finding innovative solutions, and youth, community and citizen legends who have been using their voice to empower others to make change.  

    Over 70 nominations were submitted uncovering amazing stories and triumphs showing the breadth of work going on. 

    The winners will be celebrated at The Big Green Trail on Saturday 21 June, a free event full of fun activities to take part in. 

    The winners are:  

    Business Legend 

    Stiltskin Children’s Theatre 

    Stiltskin Theatre have gone above and beyond ‘business as usual’ to reduce the carbon footprint of the theatre and has found endlessly creative insulation solutions to regulate heating and cool the building by 10 degrees! They have installed hot compost bins, created an award-winning community garden and implemented a zero to landfill waste solution, reusing materials at every opportunity. 

    Employee Legend 

    Sarah Lee 

    Sarah is a Senior Associate at Stride Treglown Architects where she advocates for carbon reduction in the built environment promoting opportunities for learning, upskilling and collaboration across the city. Sarah founded Future Plymouth 2030 and works tirelessly with schools; she actively empowers people with the knowledge and tools to make change and take positive climate action. 

    Citizen Legend 

    Ricky Lowes 

    Ricky, an active member of Climate Action Plymouth, has demonstrated her unwavering passion for looking after our world at a local level. From pursuing accessible active travel for all to challenging others to think differently, she is a leader inspiring those around her to take action for our city.  

    Rob Wick 

    Rob opened the social enterprise THINQTANQ over eight years ago and is a pioneer of several climate initiatives. Rob is always looking to find new community solutions and has since been supporting other social enterprises and collaborating with Fab City, all with a passion for making Plymouth a greener place. 

    Young Person Legend 

    Eva Wakeham 

    Eva, aged 10 years old, is a member of the Ocean City influencers group and has been using her voice to champion our ocean and the importance of climate change action in the home of Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. As part of the group, she has been involved in beach cleans, online blogging and filming. Eva is an inspiring role model and is always sharing her skillset with others to drive change. 

    School Legend 

    Heles Secondary School 

    Mike and Helen, two colleagues at Heles School have built an extraordinary sustainable school culture. Beyond teaching, they empower students to protect the planet, to think bigger, act bolder and care deeper. They have developed an outdoor classroom, been a part of rewilding projects, champion cycling to work and have joined the Green Schools Revolution. 

    Councillor Tom Briars-Delve, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Climate Change, said: “Huge congratulations to our winners, who have been recognised for all their contributions to helping Plymouth on its journey to net zero and the fact they go above and beyond for our planet. 

    “Thanks to the panel of judges for taking the time to select the winners and to all of those who nominated friends, neighbours and colleagues to highlight our worthy unsung heroes. 

    “This really is a huge achievement, and we will all come together to celebrate their awards at the Big Green Trail.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New community health centre opens in Kamloops

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    People living in and around Kamloops now have more access to team-based primary care through the new Supporting Team Excellence with Patients Society (STEPS) North Shore Community Health Centre (CHC) at 202B-780 Windsor Ave.

    “The STEPS North Shore Community Health Centre brings us closer to our goal of providing everyone in B.C. the high-quality health care they need, when and where they need it,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “This centre is expected to facilitate more than 30,000 patient visits each year in a culturally safe, trauma-informed environment.”

    Once fully operational, STEPS North Shore CHC will provide comprehensive person-centred primary care that will connect 4,300 people in the area without a family doctor or nurse practitioner with a primary-care provider.

    “STEPS is focused on strengthening long-term relationships between patients and health-care providers,” said Colin O’Leary, president, STEPS. “These relationships have been shown to improve health outcomes, help avoid preventable illness and reduce the cost of health care. The new North Shore Community Health Centre will expand on the network of care we have built in the Thompson region and enhance primary-care services for underserved populations in our community.”

    Since May 15, 2025, when the CHC opened, STEPS has hired 0.2 full-time equivalent (FTE) family physician, one FTE registered nurse, one FTE mental-health therapist, 0.8 FTE community-health worker and one FTE executive director. It is currently interviewing for additional clinical positions.

    Once fully operational, the CHC will have a clinical staffing complement of approximately 13.5 FTE health-care workers, including two FTE family physicians, three FTE nurse practitioners, 2.3 FTE registered nurses, 1.15 FTE licensed practical nurse, 2.8 FTE social workers and community-health workers, and one FTE physiotherapist, and an executive director and support staff. 

    “By working closely with community partners, such as STEPS, we are expanding access to primary care, which includes health promotion and wellness services,” said Susan Brown, president and CEO of Interior Health. “This means more people will be supported in staying healthy through early intervention, personalized care plans and a broad team of health professionals focused on long-term health and well-being.”

    The STEPS North Shore CHC plans to be open six days a week, including some morning and/or evening hours.

    “As we continue to implement a primary-care network across the region, this new centre represents a key step in aligning community-based services with our shared vision for integrated, team-based care,” said Dr. Meghan Macdonald, president of the Thompson Region Division of Family Practice.

    The Province has committed more than $2.6 million in annual operating funding with more than $2 million in additional, one-time start-up funds, which includes more than $1.3 million for tenant improvements for the North Shore CHC.

    The health centre will be operated by STEPS, a non-profit society that has been providing interdisciplinary, team-based primary health care in the Thompson Region since 2017. It is a community driven initiative made possible through the collaboration of STEPS, Interior Health, the Thompson Region Division of Family Practice and the Ministry of Health.

    The STEPS North Shore CHC will be part of the Thompson Region Primary Care Network (PCN), which brings together health-care providers in Kamloops and the Lower Thompson region to improve access and attachment to team-based, comprehensive and culturally safe primary care.

    The investment in the STEPS North Shore CHC aligns with the Province’s primary-care strategy to improve access to team-based, patient-focused care though PCNs, which are geographically based, locally planned and co-ordinated systems of primary care, as well as single-site models of care, such as First Nations Primary Care Initiatives and Urgent and Primary Care Centres.

    Quick Facts:

    • Including the new STEPS North Shore CHC in Kamloops, there are 13 publicly funded CHCs in B.C. that are delivering services, including one publicly funded CHC operating in the Interior Health region.
    • Publicly funded CHCs are required to be integrated into primary-care networks.

    Learn More:

    To learn more about the Province’s Primary Care Strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0034-001010

    To learn about the Province’s Health Human Resources Strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0059-001464

    To sign up to be matched with a family doctor or nurse practitioner on the Health Connect Registry, visit: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-connect-registry

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan Invest $3.4 Million to Support Usask’s Integrated Genomics for Sustainable Animal Agriculture and Environmental Stewardship Project

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 17, 2025

    Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison today announced $3.4 million over four years to support the development of two new facilities at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) which includes the Omics Resource Centre at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) and Beef Reprotech facilities at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE).

    The investment will be delivered through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) as part of the governments’ commitment to support partnerships with strategic agricultural research organizations.

    The new initiative, called IntegrOmes (Integrated Genomics for Sustainable Animal Agriculture and Environmental Stewardship), will advance beef genetics by matching genomic markers with desirable traits and evaluate reproductive efficiencies. This integrated approach will enable producers to make more precise and data-driven breeding decisions that improve livestock productivity in Saskatchewan.

    “Innovation – like what we are seeing through genomics research – is vital to the continued success of Canada’s agriculture sector,” MacDonald said. “This shared investment with Saskatchewan will support the expanded efforts of these facilities and ensure a vibrant future for Saskatchewan’s livestock sector.” 

    “Saskatchewan producers already bring generations of expertise and innovation to our livestock sector, and this investment builds on that legacy – helping ensure Saskatchewan’s ranchers remain global leaders at what they do best,” Harrison said. “The work of USask is recognized globally, and we are proud to support this initiative and the livestock sector it serves.”

    The IntegrOmes project will address issues of beef cattle production and reproductive efficiency, animal health and the environment through the adoption of genomic tools. Saskatchewan producers will benefit from having access to these tools to stay competitive in the domestic and international market.

    “Genomic research is advancing rapidly, and USask is leading the way in this evolving field,” University of Saskatchewan Research Vice-President Baljit Singh said. “Our researchers are applying cutting-edge methods to advance our understanding of beef genetics, which couldn’t be possible without the support of this joint funding from the provincial and federal governments. We thank them for their continued support as we aspire to be the university the world needs.”

    USask, the WCVM and the LFCE are world-class research, teaching and knowledge-transfer facilities that connect innovation across the livestock production chain. USask’s work in feedlot and cow-calf management, veterinary science and forage systems plays a vital role in driving improvements in productivity and sustainability in the sector.

    This investment builds on the long-standing support for agricultural research by the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan. Through shared priorities under Sustainable CAP, over the past five years nearly $170 million has been committed in Saskatchewan toward research to improve productivity, expand markets and ensure our agri-food products remain globally competitive.

    With today’s announcement, USask’s LFCE and the WCVM continue to strengthen Saskatchewan’s reputation as a global leader in high-quality, safe and sustainable food production.

    Sustainable CAP is a five-year, $3.5 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments.

    To strengthen competitiveness, innovation and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Short Line Rail Infrastructure Investment Increases by 88 Per Cent

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 17, 2025

    Today, Highways Minister David Marit announced the provincial government’s allocations of $1 million in short line rail infrastructure investments, an increase of $470,000 or 88 per cent from last year’s budget. This increase recognizes the key role rail transportation plays supporting Saskatchewan’s export-based economy.

    “Short line railways are an integral link that help move our commodities to markets around the world,” Marit said. “They support Saskatchewan’s export-based economy that sustains our quality of life. Short lines are a safe and efficient way to move bulk commodities, which reduces wear and tear on Saskatchewan highways.”

    Ministry of Highways’ Short Line Railway Improvement Program (SRIP) funding will go toward track upgrades and expansion, improved crossing surfaces and sightlines, bridge maintenance, track rehabilitations and other projects. As the SRIP is a 50-50 cost-sharing program between the provincial government ($1 million) and privately-owned short lines ($1 million) for eligible projects, the total short line rail infrastructure investment will be up to $2 million this year under this program.

    Provincial government funding allocations for 2025-26 are:

    • Big Sky Rail (Delisle, Eston, Elrose region) $167,541.
    • Carlton Trail Railway (Saskatoon to Prince Albert area) $71,391.
    • Great Sandhills Railway (Swift Current to Leader area) $82,945.
    • Great Western Railway (Assiniboia, Shaunavon, Coronach area) $250,073.
    • Last Mountain Railway (Regina to Davidson) $56,122.
    • Long Creek Railroad (west of Estevan) $45,000.
    • Northern Lights Rail (west of Melfort) $45,000.
    • Red Coat Road and Rail (Ogema area) $47,456.
    • Southern Rails Cooperative (south of Moose Jaw) $45,000.
    • Stewart Southern Railway (southwest of Regina to Stoughton) $54,471.
    • Thunder Rail (Arborfield area) $45,000.
    • Torch River Rail (Nipawin to Choiceland area) $45,000.
    • Wheatland Rail (Cudworth, Wakaw area) $45,000.

    “The Western Canadian Short Line Railway Association thanks the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways for their support of the short line railway industry,” Western Canadian Short Line Railway Association Director of Communications and Government Relations Rachel Mackenzie said. “Rising material costs over the last three years means that it is now more expensive per mile for railways to maintain their tracks to meet and exceed the safety and performance standards required.

    “The Saskatchewan railway improvement program now provides more funding per mile to support the maintenance and improvement of this valuable trade-enabling infrastructure. This increase of almost 90 per cent to the program will go a long way to further supporting the value that short line railways bring to the supply chain.”

    The provincial grants provide up to 50 per cent of eligible project costs and determined by how much track each short line owns. Short lines with less than 80 kilometres of track receive at least $45,000. Larger networks receive a proportional amount based on how much track they operate.

    Thirteen provincially regulated short line railways operate on 2,123 kilometres of track in Saskatchewan.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grothman and Cruz Introduce Bicameral CREATE JOBS Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah 6th District Wisconsin)

    Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI) joins Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) in introducing the CREATE JOBS Act, a bicameral bill which will restore key pro-manufacturing provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), incentivizing domestic production and creating over one million full-time jobs for hardworking Americans.
    The CREATE JOBS Act would reinstate and make permanent two expired TCJA provisions that were vital in driving manufacturing growth and attracting investment back to the U.S. In addition, the bill applies neutral cost recovery for structures, such as factories. Taken together, these provisions will bolster manufacturing, raise wages, and create good-paying jobs.
    “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) delivered major wins for American families and workers, but some of its most powerful tools for growth have already expired, hurting the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry,” said Grothman. “Wisconsin’s Sixth District is the most manufacturing intensive district in the country, so I’ve seen directly how this affects the hardworking men and women at home.
    “The bottom line is we must make these provisions permanent to support our manufacturers, restore what we know works, and expand policies that strengthen our economy and create jobs across the nation. After our workforce has suffered through inflation and economic turmoil over the past four years, I’m proud to join Senator Ted Cruz in introducing the CREATE JOBS Act to invest in American workers and grow our industrial base.”

    “As Congress considers extending immediate deductions for research and equipment, it’s long past time to give structures similar treatment. The 2017 tax cuts were a leap forward for investment, but they left buildings behind. By fixing that omission, the CREATE JOBS Act levels the playing field for all types of investment and unlocks capital for American manufacturing. Updating cost recovery for all investments is the single most pro-manufacturing, pro-growth reform Congress could include in reconciliation,” said Adam Michel, Director of Tax Policy Studies at the Cato Institute.

     

    “WMC thanks Rep. Grothman for his leadership making the Wisconsin and American economies pro-business.  One-hundred percent bonus deprecation and full-expensing of R&D costs were boons for economic growth across Wisconsin and the country following the passage of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.   Making these provisions permanent will provide predictability for business investments, make America more attractive for growth, and ultimately strengthen our economy.  The CREATE JOBS Act is common-sense policy that is positively pro-business and promotes job creation right here in Wisconsin and across America,” said Kurt Bauer, President & CEO at Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC).

     

    Background Information

     

    The CREATE JOBS Act would make permanent two key pro-manufacturing provisions of the TCJA and create further incentives to produce domestically.

    Specifically, the bill would make the bonus-depreciation and full-expensing for research and development (R&D) provisions of the TCJA permanent and apply neutral cost recovery to rental units and commercial structures, like factories.

    According to the Tax Foundation, these provisions would increase long-run GDP by 5.1 percent, increase wages by 4.3 percent, and create over one million full-time jobs for American workers.

    Senator Ted Cruz previously introduced this bill in 2020, 2021, and 2023.

    U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) is serving his fifth term representing Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Postal summit held

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The 6th Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao Postal Summit was held in Hong Kong today where representatives from the three places engaged in business exchanges and in-depth discussions on key topics.

     

    Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau delivered opening remarks at the summit.

    ​

    State Post Bureau Director General Zhao Chongjiu, China Post Group Co Chairman Liu Aili, Macao Post & Telecommunications Bureau Director Lau Wai Meng, and Postmaster General Leonia Tai gave speeches respectively, and joined Mr Yau in officiating at the summit’s opening ceremony.

     

    Seven important consensus were reached at the meeting, including collaboratively ensuring service support for the 15th National Games and jointly launching special products.

     

    In his opening remarks, Mr Yau said it is highly significant for the postal summit to be held in Hong Kong for the first time. Under the leadership of the State Post Bureau, the summit provides a sustainable and effective platform for the postal services of the three places to deepen communication and co-operation, enhance policy co-ordination and resource sharing, and promote integration and exchange in postal development.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HK gains 9 Martin Barnes Awards

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Development Bureau (DEVB) and works departments bagged nine Martin Barnes Awards, including two prestigious winner awards.

     

    An award ceremony was held yesterday in London, the UK, where Hong Kong won nine awards from the 27 awards in eight categories among 80 entries worldwide.

     

    Hong Kong earned two of the prestigious winner awards. While the Water Supplies Department received one for the Climate Change Initiative category for the implementation of Shek Wu Hui Water Reclamation Plant, the other award, for the Distinguished Contribution category, was given to Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) Tony Ho in recognition of his outstanding performance in promoting the application of the New Engineering Contract (NEC) in construction projects over the years.

     

    Apart from the two winner awards, the DEVB, the Civil Engineering & Development, the Drainage Services, the Electrical & Mechanical Services and the Highways departments also received accolades for several notable NEC entries.

     

    While sending her congratulations to the project teams on their impressive achievements, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn highlighted that the DEVB and works departments have been committed to promoting collaborative partnerships in the delivery of public works projects through the adoption of the NEC form, enhancing mutual trust and co-operation among different industry stakeholders.

     

    “Such collaborative partnerships help accomplish the primary goals of project management and enhance management efficiency and cost-effectiveness of projects. The awards fully demonstrate that their efforts and accomplishments have been recognised internationally.”

     

    Introduced by the DEVB for public works projects in the city in 2009, the NEC form embraces a collaborative partnership between clients and contractors, thereby enhancing project performance.

     

    As of today, more than 760 public works contracts, with a total value of over $510 billion, have adopted the NEC form.

     

    A prestigious honour in the industry, the Martin Barnes Awards are presented by the New Engineering Contract Users’ Group under the UK Institution of Civil Engineers. The awards recognise construction projects, organisations and individuals worldwide that have demonstrated excellence in project delivery through collaborative partnership.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Young Kim, Adam Gray Lead Bipartisan Push for National Wildfire Response Time

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)

    Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Young Kim (CA-40) and Adam Gray (CA-13) introduced the Wildfire Response and Preparedness (WRAP) Act to create a 30-minute national standard response time to the extent practical to any wildland fire on federal land administered by the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior. 

    Spectrum News 1 SoCal first reported on the bill HERE.  

    “Timely response to a wildfire can make the difference between life and death,” said Congresswoman Kim, who represents the Cleveland National Forest Trabuco Ranger District. “My community knows the devastation of wildfires firsthand as we still recover from last year’s Airport Fire that started in Trabuco Canyon and burned 23,000 acres in Orange and Riverside Counties. The WRAP Act will help equip our communities with the manpower and tools needed to contain wildfires and save lives.” 

    “Californians are far too familiar with wildfires tearing through our communities, threatening lives, public health and property. The only way to counter increasingly dangerous wildfires is by responding to them as quickly as possible. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan, commonsense legislation which would protect our firefighters, save federal lands and prevent catastrophic loss of life and property across the country,” said Congressman Gray. 

    “The Western Fire Chiefs Association is proud to support the core mission of the Wildfire Response and Preparedness Act – ensuring a robust wildland fire response capability to stem the threat of catastrophic wildfires. Through effective partnerships and strategically leveraging local air and ground resources for fire response, we can give our brave first responders the clarity and tools they need to save lives and keep our communities safe,” said Bob Roper, CEO, Western Fire Chiefs Association. 

     “The United Aerial Firefighters Association greatly supports this bill to develop aerial response standards. This will ensure there are aircraft available to respond to incidents and support the firefighters on the ground,” said Paul Petersen, Executive Director, United Aerial Firefighters Association. 

    Sens. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced companion legislation in the Senate. 

    Read the bill HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Jun 17, 2025 1300 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    SPC AC 171258

    Day 1 Convective Outlook
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    0758 AM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025

    Valid 171300Z – 181200Z

    …THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PARTS OF
    KANSAS AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA…

    …SUMMARY…
    Severe thunderstorms producing numerous to widespread damaging
    winds, scattered large hail (isolated 2+ inches), and a few
    tornadoes are expected today across parts of the central/southern
    Plains and lower/mid Missouri Valley. The greatest threat for
    destructive gusts up to 70-100 mph is forecast across portions of
    Kansas and northern Oklahoma.

    …Central/Southern Plains into the Lower/Mid Missouri Valley…
    A small but intense bow echo that moved south-southeastward across
    parts of KS overnight should continue to weaken this morning across
    northeast OK. But in the short term, an isolated threat for severe
    winds may continue until the cluster fully dissipates. Across
    eastern CO, occasional severe hail may occur with marginal
    supercells for another hour or two before additional weakening
    occurs. The net effect of this overnight/early morning convection on
    the severe potential across the southern/central Plains remains
    uncertain. But, a trailing outflow boundary from the decaying MCS
    now in northeast OK may prove instrumental in focusing significant
    severe potential this afternoon/evening.

    A subtle mid-level shortwave trough over the eastern Great Basin and
    central Rockies will continue to move eastward over the adjacent
    central/southern High Plains by this evening. At the surface,
    further deepening of a low over southeast CO is anticipated through
    the day, with this low forecast to develop into the TX Panhandle by
    early evening. A lee trough/dryline will extend southward from this
    low, while a convectively reinforced boundary should extend
    somewhere along/near the KS/OK border by mid to late afternoon, and
    potentially northeastward into eastern KS as well. The airmass
    across east-central CO into western KS was generally not
    convectively overturned yesterday into early this morning, with the
    12Z sounding from DDC still showing around 2800 J/kg of MUCAPE
    available.

    Convective development and evolution remain uncertain later today.
    Still, it appears likely that initially high-based thunderstorms
    will develop over the higher terrain of central CO this afternoon,
    and then spread east-southeastward over the adjacent High Plains
    through the evening. Much of eastern CO and vicinity will be in a
    post-frontal regime. But steep mid-level lapse rates and sufficient
    low-level moisture should support the development of moderate
    instability. Strong deep-layer shear should foster supercells
    initially, with associated threat for mainly large to isolated very
    large hail. Some upscale growth may eventually occur with this
    activity as it spreads into western KS this evening, along with an
    increased threat for severe/damaging winds.

    Farther east into central/eastern KS and MO, severe potential
    remains highly uncertain, with a myriad of possible solutions
    offered by various high-resolution guidance. In general, current
    expectations are for an increasing threat for numerous to
    potentially widespread severe/damaging winds across parts of KS into
    northern OK, with one or more intense clusters potentially
    developing in tandem with a strengthening low-level jet this evening
    across the southern/central Plains. Significant severe gusts of 75+
    mph remain possible, along with a few tornadoes with any sustained
    supercells along/near the boundary this evening as low-level shear
    strengthens. Overall, severe probabilities have been expanded
    southward some across the OK/TX Panhandles and northern/central OK,
    in an attempt to account for where the outflow boundary/front may be
    present this afternoon/evening. Additional adjustments to risk areas
    are likely with later outlook updates pending additional
    observational and model data.

    …Mid-Atlantic into the Tennessee Valley/Southeast…
    Diurnal heating of a seasonally moist low-level airmass will occur
    today across the central Appalachians/southern Mid-Atlantic within a
    modestly sheared environment. Thunderstorms are expected to develop
    over higher terrain by early afternoon, and subsequently spread
    eastward through the evening. Some of this activity may form into
    loosely organized clusters. Occasional strong/damaging winds should
    be the main severe threat with this activity, particularly across
    parts of VA/MD where stronger instability is forecast.

    Farther south into the TN Valley/Southeast, a weak mid/upper-level
    trough with multiple embedded perturbations should advance slowly
    eastward through the day. Similar to yesterday, daytime heating of a
    moist airmass should foster moderate to locally strong instability
    this afternoon. Around 25-30 kt of mid-level southwesterly flow and
    similar values of deep-layer shear should support some loose
    convective organization with multiple thunderstorm clusters that can
    develop. Have expanded the Marginal Risk for isolated damaging winds
    southwestward to account for this potential.

    ..Gleason/Kerr.. 06/17/2025

    CLICK TO GET WUUS01 PTSDY1 PRODUCT

    NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 1 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED BY 1630Z

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC – No MDs are in effect as of Tue Jun 17 15:02:02 UTC 2025

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Current Mesoscale DiscussionsUpdated:  Tue Jun 17 15:35:03 UTC 2025 No Mesoscale Discussions are currently in effect.

    Notice:  The responsibility for Heavy Rain Mesoscale Discussions has been transferred to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) on April 9, 2013. Click here for the Service Change Notice.
    Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 18, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC – No watches are valid as of Tue Jun 17 15:02:02 UTC 2025

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Current Convective Watches (View What is a Watch? clip)Updated:  Tue Jun 17 15:35:06 UTC 2025 No watches are currently valid

    Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 18, 2025
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