NewzIntel.com

Category: AM-NC

  • MIL-OSI Security: DHS Nabs at Least 11 Illegal Aliens Including Serial Criminal with 67 Arrests in Sacramento Operation

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    CBP nabs career criminal, drug dealer and ten other illegal aliens in targeted operation

    WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested numerous illegal aliens, including a dangerous serial drug abuser and dealer with 67 charges, during a July 17 operation in Sacramento, California.  

    CBP’s targeted operation resulted in the heroic arrest of Javier Dimas-Alcantara, a serial criminal with convictions and charges spanning decades, including the following: 

    • Multiple instances of transport and sale of a narcotic or controlled substance
    • Felony burglary
    • Illegal entry
    • Carrying a loaded firearm in public
    • Multiple instances of providing false identification to a law enforcement officer
    • Multiple instances of felony possession of marijuana for sale
    • Revocation of probation due to re-offense of possession of marijuana for sale
    • Being under the influence of a controlled substance
    • Multiple instances of possession of a narcotic or controlled substance
    • Possession of a controlled narcotic with intent to sell 

    “On July 17, CBP conducted an operation in Sacramento, California, resulting in the arrest of at least 11 criminal illegal aliens. Among the illegal aliens captured in this heroic effort was Javier Dimas-Alcantara, a serial criminal illegal alien who has been booked into jail 67 times,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Dimas has been CONVICTED of a myriad of offenses—you would not want this man to be your neighbor. And yet, politicians like Gavin Newsom defend criminals who terrorize American communities and demonize law enforcement who defend those same communities. He and every other sanctuary politician should be thanking CBP for getting this scum out of American communities instead of obstructing federal law enforcement at every possible turn.” 

    President Trump and Secretary Noem have been given a clear mandate from the American people: get violent illegal aliens OFF our streets and OUT of our country.  

    Illegal aliens can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right, legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return. 

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican Illegal Alien Charged for Orchestrating ‘Kidnapping’ Hoax

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Liars like Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon are fueling an 830% increase in assaults against ICE  

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after the Department of Justice, in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles, arrested and filed charges against Mexican illegal alien Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon for fabricating a false story to smear federal law enforcement. 

    Earlier this month, legacy media ran with a false story that ICE agents and bounty hunters “kidnapped” Calderon at gunpoint and held her hostage in a warehouse. After her family held a press conference orchestrated by their attorney, ICE spent days investigating the kidnapping claims and searching for her — at times, literally detention cell to detention cell.  

    “Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon was never arrested or kidnapped by ICE or bounty hunters—this criminal illegal alien scammed innocent Americans for money and diverted limited DHS resources from removing the worst of the worst from Los Angeles communities. Politicians and activist media peddled these smears that were designed to demonize law enforcement and evade accountability. Calderon will now face justice and the media and politicians who swallowed and pushed this garbage should be embarrassed.”

    Calderon is charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers and if convicted, faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Biden-Appointed Judge Ignores Biological Reality and the Rule of Law, Orders Illegal Alien Released

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    A biological male was placed in a men’s facility in alignment with the President’s Executive Order and for the safety of women in ICE custody  

    WASHINGTON – Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio recently ordered the release of Odalis Jhonatan Martinez-Velasquez, a male illegal alien from Mexico, after caving to pressure from immigration and transgender activists—ignoring the rule of law and promoting gender ideology fanaticism. 

    Velasquez illegally entered the country in 2023 and released under the Biden administration. He was lawfully detained on June 2, 2025, and processed for expedited removal. Velasquez was placed into ICE’s male detention center in accordance with the President’s Executive Order and for the safety of women in ICE custody.  

    “Velasquez—a biological male—was placed in a men’s facility in alignment with the President’s Executive Order and for the safety of women in ICE custody. The President made it clear on Day One: DHS will not buy into radical gender ideology when detaining illegal aliens,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.  “An immigration judge, not a district judge, has the authority to decide if Odalis Jhonatan Martinez-Velasquez should be released or detained. The activist judge is ignoring the biological reality of sex, undermining ICE’s commitment to promoting safe, secure, and humane environments for women in custody, and subverting the American people’s mandate to restore commonsense to our immigration system and reject extreme gender fanaticism.” 

    On January 20, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order of Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, prohibiting DHS from detaining males in women’s detention centers. Velasquez is no exception. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DHS Axes Wasteful, Misdirected Grants, Saves Taxpayers $18.5M

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    The Department of Homeland Security is gutting dozens of partisan and wasteful grants that failed to counter terrorism threats, saving taxpayers $18.5 Million.

    WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is slashing waste at the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3), cutting $18.5 million in misappropriated spending that do not meet the stated goal of CP3 to prevent terrorism or targeted violence. CP3, a minor DHS Policy sub-office, with no operational role in monitoring or preventing terrorist attacks, had become a cash cow for radical activists under the Biden Administration—funneling taxpayer dollars to push woke, partisan agendas and silencing dissent. After a strategic review, DHS is discontinuing the funding of grants that have no legitimate nexus to protecting the homeland from the threat of terrorism.

    Terminated Grants Include:

    • $209,406.70 to the “Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders” group, which promoted radical gender ideology in K–12 schools, targeting students as young as kindergartners and flagging parental concerns as risks.
    • $288,760.66 to CenterLink, a nonprofit focused on LGBTQ issues, not terrorism prevention.
    • $851,836.13 to the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, a DEI organization focused on silencing ideological opposition.
    • $206,260.00 to the United States Esports Association, which targeted gamers with “woke” content under the pretext of violence prevention.
    • $479,816.00 to the One World Strong program, which labeled traditional male behaviors as extremist and stigmatizing young males.
    • $651,311.81 to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and Strong Cities Network, which promoted biased anti-extremism initiatives, LGBTQ+ propaganda, and prioritized radical groups over broader community concerns.

    “These cancellations reflect DHS’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and national security,” said a Senior DHS official. “By eliminating wasteful and ideologically driven programs, we are redirecting resources to initiatives that uphold American values, respect the rule of law, and effectively combat terrorism and violence.”

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Joins Effort to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Representative Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28) introduced bicameral legislation to implement federal workplace heat stress protections. This introduction comes on the heels of an announcement that there have already been 29 heat-related deaths in Southern Nevada this year.
    The Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act would protect the safety and health of workers who are exposed to dangerous heat. The bill would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to establish enforceable federal standards to protect workers in high-heat environments with commonsense measures like paid breaks in cool spaces, access to water, limitations on time exposed to heat, and emergency response protocols for workers with heat-related illness. The bill also directs employers to provide training for their employees on the risk factors that can lead to heat illness and guidance on how to respond to symptoms.
    “From farmhands to construction workers, America’s essential workforce is doing important work while under extreme heat conditions,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Temperatures continue to reach record highs in Nevada and across the United States. We must act now to protect our communities’ vital workers.”
    From 2011-2020, heat exposure killed at least 400 American workers and caused nearly 34,000 injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work. Nevada is home to the two fastest-warming cities in the country: Reno and Las Vegas. While farm and construction workers suffer the highest incidence of heat illness, workers in factories, commercial kitchens, and other workplaces can face dangerously high heat conditions all year round. In 2021, Cortez Masto successfully pushed the Biden administration to begin developing federal heat standards to help protect workers and communities from the extreme heat, and this bill is an important step to strengthen and codify those protections into law.
    The bill is named in honor of Asunción Valdivia, who died in 2004 after picking grapes for 10 hours straight in 105-degree temperatures. Mr. Valdivia fell unconscious, but instead of calling an ambulance, his employer told Mr. Valdivia’s son to drive his father home. On his way home, he died of heat stroke at the age of 53.
    The proud daughter of a Teamster, Senator Cortez Masto grew up in organized labor and has always fought for Nevada’s working families. In March, she joined legislation to protect workers’ right to collectively bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. Last year, she joined the Culinary Union in their strike to secure a fair contract with Virgin Hotels. She has also been a strong supporter of increased funding for the National Labor Relations Board to help fight for workers’ rights to collectively bargain.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murkowski Speaks Out on Rescission Package

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

    07.17.25

    Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released the following statement following the passage of the rescissions package late Wednesday evening:

    “I voted against approving this rescissions package for three key reasons.

    “First, it is still unclear how specific accounts within the areas targeted for rescission will be impacted. Neither the administration nor others involved in this process have provided sufficient explanation and transparency about the programs and priorities that would be cut as a result of this measure.

    “Second, while some changes have been made to protect global health programs, we still lack necessary details, including which ones will be zeroed out. There is no way to determine the implications for lifesaving care and vital resources for women and children abroad. I also strongly oppose the rescission of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. My colleagues are targeting NPR but will wind up hurting – and, over time, closing down – local radio stations that provide essential news, alerts, and educational programming in Alaska and across the country. During the vote last night, I advanced an amendment to protect funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that disappointingly failed. This was just hours after we saw the value of public broadcasting in my state as Alaskans anxiously awaited updates following a 7.3 magnitude earthquake that triggered a tsunami warning. Fortunately, there was no damage reported from the earthquake, and the tsunami warning was quickly canceled. But as we see life threatening natural disasters occur more frequently around the country, that will not always be the case.

    “Finally, and most importantly, approving this package in this manner further shifts the balance of power over the federal budget to the executive branch. Congress, not OMB, holds the power of the purse under the Constitution. To the extent that certain appropriations are not necessary to comply with the laws passed by Congress, we can best address that through the annual budgeting process, where we routinely rescind funds every year.

    “Nothing in our floor debate or vote-a-rama alleviated my objections to this mystery box of a rescissions package, so I voted against it.”

    Ahead of a procedural vote Tuesday evening, Senator Murkowski spoke on the Senate Floor expressing her objections to this process. Her full remarks can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Advocate for Passage of Child Care Affordability Bill to Expand High-Quality Child Care Options

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Child care is essential to families, communities, and our economy.  But instead of making federal investments to help bring down the cost of child care, the Trump Administration is raising costs for working families in order to provide a bigger tax windfall for billionaires and special interests.  The Republican tax law also slashed Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provide critical support to children, families, child care centers and the child care workforce.  And the Trump Administration has made deep cuts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families.

    To help working families afford the rising cost of child care, expand the range of high-quality child care options, and strengthen America’s child care infrastructure and workforce, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act (S.2295).

    This comprehensive legislation seeks to alleviate the high cost of child care for working families; provide families with more flexible options for high-quality, affordable child care; and boost wages for early childhood workers.  The bill would cap child care expenses at 7 percent of working families’ incomes, making it affordable for all parents and providing historic investments in the child care workforce, including higher pay, better benefits and improved training opportunities. It would also help increase access to pre-K education while supporting full-day Head Start programs.

    “Right now, the cost of child care and other essentials is weighing millions of families down, but instead of tackling the affordability crisis, President Trump and Republicans have chosen to shower their billionaire donors with trillions of dollars in new tax breaks and kick 17 million Americans off their health care,” said Senator Murray.

    “Working parents need access to high-quality, affordable child care that meets their needs.  But too many parents simply can’t afford it.  This bill would help lower the cost of child care and allow working parents to keep more of their paychecks so they can afford to raise a family.  Making child care more accessible and affordable is critical to families, communities, businesses, and future economic growth.  Studies show that investing in quality child care and early childhood education saves money in the long run and is linked to better graduation rates and lower use of public benefits later in life,” said Senator Reed.  “This is a chance to help lift children out of poverty, save working parents real money, and strengthen our workforce.  We’ve got to prioritize investing in what’s important to us – for Democrats that is expanding access to affordable and high-quality child care.”

    “Making child care more affordable will lower one of the biggest costs in many families’ budgets, and give parents more flexibility to participate in the workforce,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “As President Trump fuels the affordability crisis with his chaotic tariffs and his Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Bill, our legislation will lower the cost of child care for working Rhode Island families, set kids up for success, and ensure early childhood educators are paid fairly for their hard work.”

    Last month, Ruth J. Friedman, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, testified before Congress on the state of America’s child care crisis, noting: “An approach like the Child Care for Working Families Act takes the necessary steps to adequately build child care supply and reduce parent costs. It would be transformative for American families, eliminating child care as a barrier to the workforce and child care bills as a barrier to economic security and wellbeing.  Ultimately, it would give parents much more freedom to raise their families and be productive members of society.”

    According to the Economic Policy Institute, Rhode Island is ranked as the 18th most expensive state for infant care, with the average annual cost exceeding $16,750 per year, or $1,397 per month.  And according to a WalletHub Child Care Costs by State report released this month, Rhode Island ranked 7th-highest in the nation for child care costs for married couples, with data showing 10.42 percent of married couples’ income was spent on family-based child care and 11.45 percent was spent on center-based child care.

    The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.

    The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages.

    The legislation would also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers.  Under the legislation, which Murray, Reed and Whitehouse have been pushing since 2017, the typical family in America will pay no more than $10 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family would pay more than 7 percent of their income on child care.

    The Child Care for Working Families Act will:

    • Make child care affordable for working families. 
      • The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
      • No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
      • Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
      •  If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    • Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
      • Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
      • Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
      • Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
      • Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
    • Support higher wages for child care workers.
      • Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
      • Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care. 
    • Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
      • States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
      • States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
      • If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    • Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.         

    The Child Care for Working Families Act is endorsed by: AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, All Our Kin, The Center for American Progress, The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Child Care Aware of America, Community Change Action, Council for Professional Recognition, Family Value @ Work, MomsRising, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Education Association (NEA), National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Oxfam, Save the Children, Save the Children Action Network, SEIU, YWCA, Zero to Three.

    In addition to Murray, Reed, and Whitehouse, the Senate bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-NM), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    In the House, the bill is being introduced by U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Advocate for Passage of Child Care Affordability Bill to Expand High-Quality Child Care Options

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Child care is essential to families, communities, and our economy.  But instead of making federal investments to help bring down the cost of child care, the Trump Administration is raising costs for working families in order to provide a bigger tax windfall for billionaires and special interests.  The Republican tax law also slashed Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provide critical support to children, families, child care centers and the child care workforce.  And the Trump Administration has made deep cuts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families.
    To help working families afford the rising cost of child care, expand the range of high-quality child care options, and strengthen America’s child care infrastructure and workforce, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act (S.2295).
    This comprehensive legislation seeks to alleviate the high cost of child care for working families; provide families with more flexible options for high-quality, affordable child care; and boost wages for early childhood workers.  The bill would cap child care expenses at 7 percent of working families’ incomes, making it affordable for all parents and providing historic investments in the child care workforce, including higher pay, better benefits and improved training opportunities. It would also help increase access to pre-K education while supporting full-day Head Start programs.
    “Right now, the cost of child care and other essentials is weighing millions of families down, but instead of tackling the affordability crisis, President Trump and Republicans have chosen to shower their billionaire donors with trillions of dollars in new tax breaks and kick 17 million Americans off their health care,” said Senator Murray.
    “Working parents need access to high-quality, affordable child care that meets their needs.  But too many parents simply can’t afford it.  This bill would help lower the cost of child care and allow working parents to keep more of their paychecks so they can afford to raise a family.  Making child care more accessible and affordable is critical to families, communities, businesses, and future economic growth.  Studies show that investing in quality child care and early childhood education saves money in the long run and is linked to better graduation rates and lower use of public benefits later in life,” said Senator Reed.  “This is a chance to help lift children out of poverty, save working parents real money, and strengthen our workforce.  We’ve got to prioritize investing in what’s important to us – for Democrats that is expanding access to affordable and high-quality child care.”
    “Making child care more affordable will lower one of the biggest costs in many families’ budgets, and give parents more flexibility to participate in the workforce,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “As President Trump fuels the affordability crisis with his chaotic tariffs and his Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Bill, our legislation will lower the cost of child care for working Rhode Island families, set kids up for success, and ensure early childhood educators are paid fairly for their hard work.”
    Last month, Ruth J. Friedman, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, testified before Congress on the state of America’s child care crisis, noting: “An approach like the Child Care for Working Families Act takes the necessary steps to adequately build child care supply and reduce parent costs. It would be transformative for American families, eliminating child care as a barrier to the workforce and child care bills as a barrier to economic security and wellbeing.  Ultimately, it would give parents much more freedom to raise their families and be productive members of society.”
    According to the Economic Policy Institute, Rhode Island is ranked as the 18th most expensive state for infant care, with the average annual cost exceeding $16,750 per year, or $1,397 per month.  And according to a WalletHub Child Care Costs by State report released this month, Rhode Island ranked 7th-highest in the nation for child care costs for married couples, with data showing 10.42 percent of married couples’ income was spent on family-based child care and 11.45 percent was spent on center-based child care.
    The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.
    The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages.
    The legislation would also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers.  Under the legislation, which Murray, Reed and Whitehouse have been pushing since 2017, the typical family in America will pay no more than $10 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family would pay more than 7 percent of their income on child care.
    The Child Care for Working Families Act will:
    Make child care affordable for working families. 
    The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
    No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
    Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
     If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.

    Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
    Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
    Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
    Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
    Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.

    Support higher wages for child care workers.
    Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
    Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care. 

    Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
    States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
    States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
    If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.

    Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.         
    The Child Care for Working Families Act is endorsed by: AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, All Our Kin, The Center for American Progress, The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Child Care Aware of America, Community Change Action, Council for Professional Recognition, Family Value @ Work, MomsRising, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Education Association (NEA), National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Oxfam, Save the Children, Save the Children Action Network, SEIU, YWCA, Zero to Three.
    In addition to Murray, Reed, and Whitehouse, the Senate bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-NM), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
    In the House, the bill is being introduced by U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Advocate for Passage of Child Care Affordability Bill to Expand High-Quality Child Care Options

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Child care is essential to families, communities, and our economy.  But instead of making federal investments to help bring down the cost of child care, the Trump Administration is raising costs for working families in order to provide a bigger tax windfall for billionaires and special interests.  The Republican tax law also slashed Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provide critical support to children, families, child care centers and the child care workforce.  And the Trump Administration has made deep cuts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families.

    To help working families afford the rising cost of child care, expand the range of high-quality child care options, and strengthen America’s child care infrastructure and workforce, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act (S.2295).

    This comprehensive legislation seeks to alleviate the high cost of child care for working families; provide families with more flexible options for high-quality, affordable child care; and boost wages for early childhood workers.  The bill would cap child care expenses at 7 percent of working families’ incomes, making it affordable for all parents and providing historic investments in the child care workforce, including higher pay, better benefits and improved training opportunities. It would also help increase access to pre-K education while supporting full-day Head Start programs.

    “Right now, the cost of child care and other essentials is weighing millions of families down, but instead of tackling the affordability crisis, President Trump and Republicans have chosen to shower their billionaire donors with trillions of dollars in new tax breaks and kick 17 million Americans off their health care,” said Senator Murray.

    “Working parents need access to high-quality, affordable child care that meets their needs.  But too many parents simply can’t afford it.  This bill would help lower the cost of child care and allow working parents to keep more of their paychecks so they can afford to raise a family.  Making child care more accessible and affordable is critical to families, communities, businesses, and future economic growth.  Studies show that investing in quality child care and early childhood education saves money in the long run and is linked to better graduation rates and lower use of public benefits later in life,” said Senator Reed.  “This is a chance to help lift children out of poverty, save working parents real money, and strengthen our workforce.  We’ve got to prioritize investing in what’s important to us – for Democrats that is expanding access to affordable and high-quality child care.”

    “Making child care more affordable will lower one of the biggest costs in many families’ budgets, and give parents more flexibility to participate in the workforce,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “As President Trump fuels the affordability crisis with his chaotic tariffs and his Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Bill, our legislation will lower the cost of child care for working Rhode Island families, set kids up for success, and ensure early childhood educators are paid fairly for their hard work.”

    Last month, Ruth J. Friedman, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, testified before Congress on the state of America’s child care crisis, noting: “An approach like the Child Care for Working Families Act takes the necessary steps to adequately build child care supply and reduce parent costs. It would be transformative for American families, eliminating child care as a barrier to the workforce and child care bills as a barrier to economic security and wellbeing.  Ultimately, it would give parents much more freedom to raise their families and be productive members of society.”

    According to the Economic Policy Institute, Rhode Island is ranked as the 18th most expensive state for infant care, with the average annual cost exceeding $16,750 per year, or $1,397 per month.  And according to a WalletHub Child Care Costs by State report released this month, Rhode Island ranked 7th-highest in the nation for child care costs for married couples, with data showing 10.42 percent of married couples’ income was spent on family-based child care and 11.45 percent was spent on center-based child care.

    The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.

    The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages.

    The legislation would also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers.  Under the legislation, which Murray, Reed and Whitehouse have been pushing since 2017, the typical family in America will pay no more than $10 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family would pay more than 7 percent of their income on child care.

    The Child Care for Working Families Act will:

    • Make child care affordable for working families. 
      • The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
      • No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
      • Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
      •  If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    • Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
      • Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
      • Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
      • Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
      • Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
    • Support higher wages for child care workers.
      • Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
      • Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care. 
    • Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
      • States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
      • States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
      • If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    • Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.         

    The Child Care for Working Families Act is endorsed by: AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, All Our Kin, The Center for American Progress, The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Child Care Aware of America, Community Change Action, Council for Professional Recognition, Family Value @ Work, MomsRising, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Education Association (NEA), National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Oxfam, Save the Children, Save the Children Action Network, SEIU, YWCA, Zero to Three.

    In addition to Murray, Reed, and Whitehouse, the Senate bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-NM), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    In the House, the bill is being introduced by U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: Association Health Plans are a Great Resource for Kansans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Senator Marshall Questions Experts About Benefits Access for Independent Workers
    Washington – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas),questioned Patrice Onwuka, Director at the Center for Economic Opportunity at the Independent Women’s Forum, Kev Coleman, Research Fellow at the Paragon Health Institute, and Karen Friedman, Executive Director at the Pension Rights Center, during a recent Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee focused on benefits for independent workers.
    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    Highlights from the hearing include: 
    On what protections would exist if a portable benefits provider went under:
    Senator Marshall: “Let’s start with Mrs. Onwuka. Welcome everybody. We appreciate you being here. Under a portable benefit model, what protections do workers have if a benefit provider were to go under or misuse funds?”
    Mrs. Onwuka: “Under a portable benefits plan, I think that there are protections in place to ensure that, you know, whatever investments have been made, whatever has been paid into it, that that would still be there and protected. There’s some great companies that have those accounts and set those up to ensure that, and they’re regulated to ensure that that happens.”Senator Marshall: “Have many of them failed? Or has that happened very often?”
    Mrs. Onwuka: “I have not seen anything any of them fail, sir.”
    On what’s preventing wider adoption of association health care plans:
    Senator Marshall: “Mr. Coleman, let’s go to you next. I’m a big fan of association health care plans. It’s something I fought for to help become a possibility. I’ve seen some acceptance of it, I’m surprised it’s not more, so to be honest. What’s keeping that from exploding in a good way, and what do we need to do to put wind beneath those sails?”
    Mr. Coleman: “Senator, thank you very much for that question. A primary obstacle to association health plans, underneath legacy regulation, deals with the obstacles to be able to form a coalition of our association of businesses whose aggregate employee body can be seen as a single health plan. There’s something known as ‘lookthrough doctrine,’ which says, if you don’t have the right affiliations among businesses, we’re going to treat each individual business within an association as its own entity with respect to health insurance. And hence, if they have three people, they’re in the small group health insurance.”
    Senator Marshall: “Got it – so, is this that we need to change the law, or is it a regulatory issue?”
    Mr. Coleman: “Ultimately, changing the law is best, because not only do you have the benefit of, you know, a very clear statutory precedent, but you also have a situation where technologists like myself, or my former self, are going to make investments in that market to build platforms facilitating technology, et cetera. If it’s a regulatory solution, there’s more hesitation, because there’s the fear that the next administration may change regulation.”
    Senator Marshall: “Okay, thanks. And I would just ask the committee staff, I’m sure you’re looking at that, but would love to kind of understand what we can do to improve that situation as well. We’ve seen some great success in Kansas with some of these plans, and again, I’m surprised there’s not more people utilizing it.”
    On how portable benefits could be on par with benefits offered to W2 employees:
    Senator Marshall: “I’ll go to Ms. Friedman next. And if you just briefly explain…how under portable benefits can we be sure that employers are still providing benefits on par with many of the W2 employees?”
    Ms. Friedman “…I mean, look, portability has been an intractable problem in the retirement space. There are lots of proposals that will address this. Senator Sanders, pensions for all would be portable. The state-facilitated auto-Iris has some portability. I think we have to ensure that we’re looking at solutions. I mean, what we’re trying to do is address a concern, which is portability. People changing jobs a lot, and benefits going with them. We need to be exploring those options and make sure that they’re options that both protect employees and also are being workable.”
    Senator Marshall: “So I understand the problem, now I’m looking for the solution. Mrs. Onwuka, can you take a shot at that? How, under portable benefits, can we be sure that employers are still providing benefits on par with W2 employees?”
    Mrs. Onwuka: “Well, that can be negotiated between the independent contractor and their client, really, who’s able to pay in you know, just as they in their contracts, they can define how much the employer is willing to pay this independent contractor on top of their negotiated rate, how much they’re going to pay into that benefits plan. And they can match with whatever they’re paying their W2 employees in terms of the benefits that they’re providing there. But let’s not forget, these plans can be paid into by multiple different clients and different entities, so an independent contractor can really do well in terms of being negotiating the kind of, you know, benefits package that works for them.”
    Senator Marshall: “Typically, if you were new to that negotiation and you have seven or ten clients or people you’re working for, are you asking them to match like 10% or 20%? Is there a kind of a range that you’re looking for?”
    Mrs. Onwuka: “It would be up to that independent contractor to decide, sir.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall & Hickenlooper Introduce Legislation Requiring Price Transparency in Healthcare

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), led the introduction of the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act along with Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado). This legislation will improve the transparency of healthcare costs so patients understand the true price of procedures, medications, and services before receiving them.
    Specifically, the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act will require public reporting of negotiated rates, costs, and cash prices for services provided at hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, and clinical labs. The bill also ensures group health plans have access to claims data and prevents third-party administrators from restricting data access. Providers or facilities will also be required to include a detailed itemized bill of each distinct item or service, or an all-in total price for bundled items if offered to the patient as an option.
    “Customers don’t walk into a restaurant only to find out how much the food costs when they get the bill. Patients should know the price of the service they need before they make any decisions,” said Senator Marshall. “Making America Healthy Again requires empowering Americans with the best information possible to inform their life and healthcare choices: the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act will ensure prices are available to patients to support a more competitive, innovative, affordable, and high-quality healthcare system.”
    “You wouldn’t book a flight if you couldn’t find out the ticket price until you land — or check into a hotel without knowing if you’re paying for the Ritz or a dump. But that’s the absurd guessing game Americans play every time they need medical care,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “We deserve to know exactly what we are paying for whether it’s a lab test, a colonoscopy, or an MRI. Our bill gives Americans that peace of mind.”
    “We applaud Senators Roger Marshall and John Hickenlooper for their strong, bipartisan leadership on the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act. With actual, upfront, and accountable prices, patients will be able to shop for the best care with protection from rampant overcharges hiding in the shadows. We urge all senators to support this bill and pass it without delay to protect America’s patients,” said Cynthia Fisher, Founder and Chairman of Patients Rights Advocate.
    “We applaud Senators Marshall and Hickenlooper for their ongoing commitment to enhancing health care price transparency requirements that will ensure employers have access to information necessary when making decisions on benefit design for the millions of Americans who receive coverage through their employer,” said ERIC President and CEO James Gelfand. “Moreover, strong transparency requirements of providers, including hospitals, and plans will empower workers and their families to select high quality, affordable health care, drugs, and services, helping ease the ever-growing pressures health care costs have on employers and workers alike.”   
    “Patients Deserve Price Tags Act is a critical step toward delivering high-quality care at lower costs for patients. Price transparency starts with clear, accessible information and this bill will empower patients to compare prices before they seek care. Real transparency and accountability are essential in helping unions make informed negotiations on behalf of workers and will ultimately help drive down costs. The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act moves us closer to that goal,” said Kevin Lyons, Member Benefits Director for the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association.
    “At a time when health care costs are ballooning out of control and Americans continue to make clear that affordability is a top priority, we applaud Senators Marshall and Hickenlooper for introducing the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act. This robust, pro-consumer, bipartisan legislation will ensure that every family in America knows exactly how much a big hospital will charge them before they receive medical care and services,” said Sophia Tripoli, senior director for health policy at Families USA. “As long as big hospital corporations and health care systems are able to keep their prices hidden, they will continue to jack up prices year over year with no transparency or accountability from the public or lawmakers. The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act would bring much needed transparency to hospital pricing and help us hold the health care sector accountable for the unfair price gouging practices that are hurting patients and families.”
    Click here to read the full bill text.
    Background:
    During the first Trump Administration, in June 2019, President Trump issued an executive order titled Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare to Put Patients First. Senator Marshall was a big supporter and partner of this work in 2019.
    In February 2025, President Trump signed a similar executive order requiring price transparency in healthcare. This legislation echoes the actions of the Trump Administration.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: National Defence signs technology partnership arrangement with Australia for Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    July 17, 2025 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

    On June 20, 2025, representatives of the governments of Canada and Australia signed a landmark technology partnership arrangement, a critical milestone in the rapid development and deployment of Canada’s A-OTHR system.

    Through this arrangement, Australian industry partners will work with Canadian companies to build expertise and capacity in Canada, grow our domestic sovereign defence industry, support high-paying Canadian jobs, and help Canada scale up its own radar system and technology.

    Canada’s Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) system is a key component of Canada’s North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization plan and will provide advanced early warning, enable faster detection and decision making by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for airborne threats, and provide long-range surveillance to meet Canada’s domestic and continental security needs.

    After careful consideration, Canada determined that a technology partnership with the Government of Australia, which currently operates one of the most advanced Over-the-Horizon Radar capabilities in the world, would provide the best solution for strengthening CAF domain awareness of Canada’s northern approaches. It will also quickly deliver a crucial capability to the CAF and NORAD commanders.

    The first stage of the A-OTHR program will deliver an initial capability by the end of 2029.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fenced sanctuary closer for skink on the brink

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    Date:  18 July 2025

    A recent survey of skink numbers shows the work is urgent and the fence, near Reefton, will be built earlier than planned to ensure the species’ survival.

    Protecting a five-hectare area, the fence will be constructed from a durable stainless-steel mesh specially designed to keep mice, rats and stoats out.

    Department of Conservation Ranger Supervisor Gemma Hunt says the fence will hopefully stop the population’s decline, turning the tide for the skinks.

    “Even though we reduced mouse numbers earlier this year through pest control, there has been a constant threat of mice reinvading from outside the treatment area and continuing to prey on the skinks,” says Gemma.

    “Long-term population monitoring by DOC and Auckland Zoo indicated there were between 40 and 100 skinks early last year, but more recent estimates suggest a worryingly low number of just 30.

    “We hope to find more skinks when we continue our surveys this spring but in the meantime a predator-proof fence is necessary to secure the population and prevent extinction. 

    “Following the pest control operation earlier this year, we decided to move some skinks to safe housing at Auckland Zoo as a precaution,” says Gemma.

    DOC and zoo staff managed to find three skinks in late autumn before cooler temperatures prevented further collection and these were transferred to the zoo.  

    “When it’s cold, the skinks burrow into the ground to protect themselves from extreme low temperatures and move very little. This not only makes it harder for us to find them but makes them easy prey for mice who can access these same burrows.

    “Most Kiwis don’t realise just how bad the situation is for many of our native species. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of threatened species in the world, with 4,000 species, including the Alborn skink, at risk of extinction. Once these species are gone from here, they are gone for good.

    “We know fenced enclosures work for protecting populations of skinks,” says Gemma.

    “Other populations such as Kapitia skinks are doing great in the fenced enclosures DOC has built. We believe that two or three baby skinks are born to females each year so, if we can protect these families from predators, their numbers will steadily grow.

    “We’re aiming to complete the $700,000 fence and remove predators by November and are optimistic that the remaining skinks should be able to breed quickly in relative safety.

    “We’re asking the public to support our work through donations to the New Zealand Nature Fund. Your donations will help the skink population to recover to a healthy level, funding pest control, monitoring, and research into whether there are more populations of the skinks living nearby.

    “Building this fence to keep predators away will help us stop an extinction in real-time. We might be playing all our cards now, but we need to go all in to make sure these skinks survive,” says Gemma.

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Our performance evolution

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Download Our performance evolution

    You can download a version of Our performance evolution (PDF, 674KB)This link will download a file.

    Commissioner’s foreword

    Since commencing as Commissioner of Taxation on 1 March 2024, I continue to be impressed by the expertise, professionalism and dedication of ATO staff.

    Our performance is strong, but as with any organisation, we need to take opportunities to improve. Accordingly, I am grateful that the ATO has had the opportunity to be reviewed as part of the Australian Public Service Commission’s (APSC) capability review program, particularly so early in my tenure. Independent reviews such as this provide us with honest and frank perspectives on what to improve to set us up for the future.

    I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the review team for their professionalism, rigour, and the depth of insight they brought to this process. Their extensive experience and thoughtful engagement have been invaluable.

    The review found that we are a high-performing organisation, which is a testament to the dedication and capability of our people. At the same time, it has identified areas where we can do better – opportunities to strengthen our systems, sharpen our focus, and deliver even greater value to the Australian community.

    We deliver well on our core purpose of collecting tax so government can deliver services for the Australian community. However, what delivers us success now will not be enough alone to achieve our vision for an Australia where every taxpayer meets their obligations because:

    • complying is easy
    • help is tailored
    • deliberate non-compliance has consequences.

    We need to examine what we do and how we do it, identify opportunities for improvement and make decisive shifts to unlock our full potential.

    Our performance evolution will help us get there. Drawing on key insights from our APSC capability review, it outlines how we – as one ATO – will align our efforts to not only deliver today’s priorities, but also prepare for and tackle tomorrow’s challenges.

    We are fortunate to be building on a strong foundation. The capability review identified many strengths we can be proud of. We’ll use these strengths to propel us forward on our performance evolution, taking practical actions to set a course for the future, where we will:

    • think bigger
    • act bolder
    • deliver together.

    While this plan does not outline every detail of the actions we will take, it establishes the key shifts that will empower us to strengthen what we do best, allowing us to adapt our actions as our environment changes.

    The Executive team and I will play a key role here. We must role model the behaviours needed for the ATO to achieve its vision, drive accountability and ensure we don’t lose momentum. We must also openly and genuinely support employees to act as one to deliver our performance evolution.

    Whilst the staff who support the Tax Practitioner Board (TPB) and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) are ATO staff, our performance evolution relates to those in the Tax Office itself.

    I will leave it to the Chair of the TPB and the ACNC Commissioner to draw on the Capability Review insights that best serve the delivery of their statutory functions.

    I’m grateful to have the opportunity to capitalise on our high performance and look forward to continuing to improve as we implement our performance evolution.

    Rob Heferen

    Commissioner of Taxation

    Registrar of the Australian Business Register

    Australian Business Registry Services

    Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets

    Unlocking the full potential of our high performance

    ‘The ATO is a high performing organisation with a strong reputation for managing Australia’s tax and superannuation systems in a modern and reliable way.

    Its capabilities are good and ATO staff are right to be proud of them.

    The findings [of the capability review] are not judgments on current capability, but rather ways the ATO might evolve to be a ‘great’ organisation.’ Capability Review, Australian Taxation Office, 2025 (PDF, 817KB)This link will download a file

    The Australian Public Service Commission’s capability review affirmed the ATO’s position as a high performing and globally respected tax administration.

    We have a proven track record and have excelled when circumstances have called for us to be at our best. Our role in the government’s response to the pandemic demonstrated what we’re capable of and underscored our potential to be truly exceptional. Learning from this and our many other successes, as well as our mistakes, we should not stand still. We need to continually improve.

    The capability review’s insights inform where to focus our ongoing improvement efforts. This future view highlights the capabilities we need to adapt and respond to the changing demands of government, the community and our own operations.

    Key insights from the review indicate that to continue to serve the Australian community with excellence and integrity, achieve our vision, and proactively address future challenges, we need to:

    • work as one ATO to deliver for the Australian community, including through improved internal collaboration
    • have a leadership group that works as a team and models the right behaviours
    • establish enterprise-wide priorities and shared plans for achieving them
    • make trade-offs for the sake of the organisation, work through impasses and take collective responsibility for decisions
    • accept and reward measured risk taking in the interests of innovation, collaboration and achieving better, faster outcomes.

    Our performance evolution sets us on a path to meet these needs and unlock the full potential of our high performance. It does so by bringing together current initiatives and building on the successes of the past to do some things differently and truly excel.

    This plan is just the beginning. It lays a foundation for the ongoing implementation of a range of connected actions which will unlock our full potential. A future where:

    • We will agree on our priorities, how much we are prepared to invest in achieving them, relevant trade‑offs and what risks those carry. We will align our resourcing and performance measures to them.
    • We will clearly communicate our strategic direction and priorities under it, ensuring they are understood throughout the organisation.
    • We will ensure accountabilities are clear, and advancing our strategic direction is a collective responsibility.
    • We will make decisions far enough in advance to ensure that at both the group and individual level, we can effectively plan our contribution to the delivery of our enterprise priorities and our functional accountabilities.
    • We will work as one ATO, so that improved internal collaboration becomes ‘business as usual’.
    • We will engage sensibly with risk. To do this, we will think carefully about risk appetite, tolerances and sensible mitigations in the context of our strategic direction.
    • At the individual level we will be supported in innovating and taking measured risks, aligning our efforts with our strategic direction and by having irritants taken out of how we work.

    We will do this by thinking beyond function, beyond our teams and comfort zones.

    From

    To

    Team first

    Purpose first

    Cautious action

    Bold action

    Siloed delivery

    Shared delivery

    Avoiding the hard calls trade‑offs

    Courageous trade‑offs

    Key shifts

    Together, we will unlock the full potential of our high performance by moving together as one ATO, and adapting our mindsets and behaviours to:

    Think bigger

    Thinking bigger means seeing the broader picture and understanding where we are headed.

    This requires each of us to:

    • expand our view of what we can do to drive the ATO to succeed
    • consider what is truly possible within our remit
    • challenge assumptions of what is needed for us to achieve our vision.

    If we are to challenge assumptions of what’s needed and expand our view of how we can help the ATO succeed, we first need a common understanding of what success looks like.

    This will come from having a clear understanding of our longer-term direction, and the strategies we will prioritise to deliver on it. Clearly communicating our strategic direction (including our priorities, risk tolerances and areas where we are choosing to reduce our focus) will help:

    • guide our actions
    • sharpen our focus
    • expand our perspective on the role we can each play in realising our vision.

    We also need the means to think bigger. We will commit the right leadership, accountabilities, resources and funding to the work needed to deliver our purpose and achieve our vision.

    Initial actions

    Develop and communicate our strategic direction – We will agree on strategies that will move us forward in delivering our purpose and achieving our vision over the next 5 years and communicate the roadmap for delivery.

    Align investment – We will invest our resources in line with our strategic direction.

    Make clear decisions – We will be clear about our decisions on our priorities, their scope and implications (including for accountabilities, resourcing, performance measures and risks).

    Act bolder

    Being bold takes both individual courage and confident leadership to support our action.

    This requires each of us to:

    • proactively address issues
    • work through impasses and make the call, including trade-offs needed to deliver on priorities
    • use good judgment to make decisions and support those who do the same – regardless of the outcome.

    With our strategic direction, priorities, functional accountabilities and shared responsibilities clear, we are trusted to use good judgment, sensibly engage with risk, and take decisive action within the parameters of our authority.

    Doing this boldly will come from knowing that informed and decisive action is supported at the highest levels of the ATO and encouraged at all levels across the ATO. Acting within our remit, this will help us to:

    • make decisive calls
    • adopt innovative approaches
    • act proactively to resolve impasses and agree trade-offs
    • slow, change or stop work when we need to make room for higher priorities
    • use good judgment to make sound, timely and innovative recommendations that inform decisions beyond our level of delegation.

    Being bolder is also stretching our comfort zone, supporting mobility to expand our perspective and empowering people to take appropriate measured risks.

    Initial actions

    Support and reward decision-making – We will encourage and recognise:

    • measured risk-taking
    • staff who innovate.

    We will support decision-makers with appropriate guidance and tools.

    Reinforce support for mobility – We will increase mobility, including amongst our SES.

    Clarify delegations – We will refresh and reinforce delegations and decision-making authorities.

    Deliver together

    We excel when we are aligned – around purpose, priorities and outcomes. Collaboration is just the starting point.

    This requires each of us to:

    • recognise that our impact goes beyond our function
    • take shared ownership of our strategic direction, respecting any trade-offs
    • move together to deliver our core purpose and advance our vision.

    To deliver our core purpose and achieve our vision, we need to unlock the full potential of our high performance together – as one ATO.

    Delivering as one ATO will come from:

    • understanding both the big picture and the detail of how work flows, how different areas interact, and how it all fits together
    • working collaboratively with those impacted by our work
    • understanding what our part to play is.

    Enhancing our forward planning and ensuring that effective internal collaboration is part of our ‘business as usual’ will help us:

    • understand how our plans deliver our strategic direction
    • take shared ownership of our plans
    • know what we must do
    • move together, to deliver what is needed.

    This does not mean everyone doing everything. Accountabilities and decision-making will still lie with individuals, but understanding who else is responsible for contributing to those outcomes, and interconnecting our many moving parts will help us deliver together, as one ATO.

    Delivering together also requires that we be proactive in reducing frictions that might otherwise divert our focus away from the work that contributes most to our purpose and vision. We’ll take action to reduce irritants in how we work, deliver incremental changes that improve our efficiency and lay a clear pathway to prioritise larger improvements.

    Initial actions

    Plan as one ATO – We will:

    • bring planning discussions forward
    • design and integrate our group and line plans to deliver on our strategic direction.

    Agree on our part – We will ensure everyone understands their contribution, not just to their direct responsibilities and functional accountabilities, but to broader outcomes. We will agree on collective responsibilities for the priorities and outcomes that deliver on our strategic direction and reinforce collaboration expectations.

    Address irritants – We will address some of the more pervasive technology irritants and smaller opportunities as informed by users through Pulse surveys and our Census action plan.

    User insights will also inform and drive longer-term planning for the IT tools and data we need to work efficiently.

    Be the key

    We’re building on the strong foundations of a high-performing organisation that:

    • is trusted by government and the community to get things done
    • has a proven track record.

    From this position of strength, we are making a call to action: Our performance evolution will only happen through positive steps and everyday actions taken by all of us.

    We all need to contribute to unlocking the potential of our high performance. To do this we can ask ourselves some questions to help us get there.

    • Think bigger:
      • Do I know where we are headed?
      • Am I putting myself in the Commissioner’s shoes?
      • What positive change am I creating beyond my team?
    • Act bolder:
      • Have I raised necessary issues and worked through impasses?
      • What’s standing in the way of me making decisions I’m empowered to make?
      • How can I support my team to make the decisions they are empowered to make?
      • Should I be getting outside my comfort zone?
    • Deliver together:
      • How am I contributing to organisational outcomes?
      • Who should I work with to get it done?
      • Do I have solutions for blockers or irritants impeding smooth delivery?

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Thinking of trekking to Everest Base Camp? Don’t leave home without this expert advice

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heike Schanzel, Professor of Social Sustainability in Tourism, Auckland University of Technology

    Purnima Shrestha /AFP via Getty Images

    Tourists in Kathmandu are tempted everywhere by advertisements for trekking expeditions to Everest Base Camp. If you didn’t know better, you might think it’s just a nice hike in the Nepalese countryside.

    Typically the lower staging post for attempts on the summit, the camp is still 5,364 metres above sea level and a destination in its own right. Travel agencies say no prior experience is required, and all equipment will be provided. Social media, too, is filled with posts enticing potential trekkers to make the iconic journey.

    But there is a real risk of creating a false sense of security. An exciting adventure can quickly turn into a struggle for survival, especially for novice mountaineers.

    Nevertheless, Sagarmatha National Park is deservedly popular for its natural beauty and the allure of the world’s highest peak, Chomolungma (Mount Everest). It is also home to the ethnically distinctive Sherpa community.

    Consequently, the routes to Everest Base Camp are among the busiest in the Himalayas, with nearly 60,000 tourists visiting the area each year. There are two distinct trekking seasons: spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October).

    High mountains require everyone to be properly prepared. Events which under normal conditions might be a minor inconvenience can be magnified in such an environment and pose a serious risk.

    Even at the start of the trek in Lukla (2,860m), one is exposed to factors that can directly or indirectly affect one’s health, especially altitude mountain sickness or unfamiliar bacteria.

    We interviewed 24 trekkers in May this year, as well as 60 residents and business owners in May 2023, to explore some of the safety issues anyone considering heading to base camp should be aware of.

    Life at high altitude

    First, it’s vital to choose goals within one’s technical and physical capabilities. While the human body can adapt to altitudes of up to 5,300m, the potential risk of altitude mountain sickness can occur at only 2,500m – lower than Lukla.

    Proper acclimatisation above 3,000m means ascending no more than 500m a day and resting every two to three days at the same altitude. The optimal (though rarely followed) approach is the “saw tooth system” of climbing during the day but descending to sleep at a lower level.

    Residents of the Khumbu region (on the Nepalese side of Everest) are familiar with the problem of tourists not acclimatising, or not paying attention to their surroundings. As one hotel owner said, pointing to a trekker setting out:

    He’s going uphill and it’s already late. It’s going to get dark and cold soon. He won’t make it to the next settlement. We have to report this to the authorities or go after him ourselves.

    Inexperienced trekkers should hire a local guide. Several we interviewed had needed medical evacuation, including a woman in her mid-20s who had to leave base camp after one night. She found her guides – not locals – online. But they never checked her vital signs during the trek:

    [The doctors] said that I had high-altitude pulmonary edema […] it was just really important to come down the elevation. And if I had tried to go higher, it probably would have been really bad.

    Health checks throughout the trek are imperative. This includes assessing the four main symptoms of altitude mountain sickness: headache, nausea, dizziness and fatigue. If they appear, the trekker shouldn’t go higher and might even need to descend.

    A Sherpa woman at the market in Namche Bazar, Nepal: respect the culture, eat local food.
    Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

    Take time to adapt

    Using a reputable local trekking agency might be more expensive, but it will help ensure safety and also familiarise the visitor with the local culture, helping avoid negative impacts on the host community.

    Too often, the primary goal of trekkers is a photo on the famous rock at base camp. Once obtained, many simply take a helicopter back to Kathmandu. As a helicopter tour agency owner said:

    They don’t want to get back on their feet. The goal, after all, has been achieved. In general, tourists used to be much better prepared. Now they know they can return by helicopter.

    Helicopter travel can be dangerous on its own, of course. But this tendency to view the trek as a one-way trip also affects host-guest relations and can irritate local communities.

    It’s also important to monitor your food and drink intake and watch for signs of food poisoning. Diarrhoea at high altitudes is particularly dangerous because it leads to rapid dehydration – hard to combat in mountain conditions.

    Low air pressure and reduced oxygen exacerbate the condition, weakening the body’s ability to recover. Also, the symptoms of dehydration can resemble altitude mountain sickness.

    When travelling in other climate zones or countries with different sanitary standards, there is inevitable contact with strains of bacteria not present in one’s natural microbiome.

    A good solution is to spend a few days naturally adapting to bacterial flora at a lower altitude in Nepal before heading to the mountains. Also, try to eat the local food, such as daal bhat, Nepal’s national dish. According to one hotel owner in Pangboche:

    Tourists demand strange food from us – pizza, spaghetti, Caesar salad – and then are angry that it doesn’t taste the way they want. This is not our food. You should probably eat local food.

    Most of the trekkers we interviewed during this spring season reported experiencing gastrointestinal issues, often for several days.

    Overall, diarrhoea-related infections are the leading cause of illness among travellers, including base camp trekkers. Studies conducted in the Himalayas show as many as 14% of mountain tourists contract gastroenteritis, accounting for about 10% of all helicopter evacuations.

    In the end, the commonest cause of failure or accident in the mountains is overestimating one’s abilities – what has been called “bad judgement syndrome” – when the route is too hard, the pace too fast, or there’s been too little time spent acclimatising.

    A simple solution: walk slowly and enjoy the views.

    Michal Apollo receives funding from the National Science Centre NCN Poland, the small-scale project awarded by the Institute of Earth Sciences, and the Research Excellence Initiative of the University of Silesia in Katowice. He is affiliated with the Global Justice Program, Yale University, and Academics Stand Against Poverty.

    Heike Schanzel 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. Thinking of trekking to Everest Base Camp? Don’t leave home without this expert advice – https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-trekking-to-everest-base-camp-dont-leave-home-without-this-expert-advice-260497

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Advances $54.3 Million for Offutt Air Force Base

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    Advances additional provisions to support veterans, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced she advanced $54.3 million in funding for Nebraska military construction projects at Offutt Air Force Base.

    The funding was included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Act, which now awaits consideration on the Senate Floor.

    “As the proud home of the Air Force’s ‘doomsday’ planes—used by the president and top military leaders to command our forces during extreme crisis—Offutt Air Force Base is essential to our nation’s survival. I was proud to advocate for this funding to ensure that Offutt and the brave men and women who serve there are equipped with the resources they need to continue to defend America against the threats we face,”     Fischer said.

    Fischer advanced funding to support next generation of ‘doomsday’ planes, critical investments at Offutt Air Force Base:

    • $19 million to plan and design a 1-Bay Hangar to support the new Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC)
    • $16 million to plan and design a 2-Bay Hangar to support the new SAOC
    • $7.3 million to plan and design a Supply Storage Facility to support the new SAOC
    • $6 million to plan and design a Consolidated Training Complex/Professional Development Center
    • $6 million to plan and design a new dormitory

    Fischer advanced key provisions to support our veterans:

    • Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to purchase essential medical devices, such as needles, syringes, and blood collection products from U.S. manufacturers or allied trading partners. Also, directs the VA to submit a report on ways to reduce dependency on Chinese medical devices while safeguarding against shortages.
    • Directs the VA to report on the success of the External Provider Scheduling (EPS) program while identifying barriers to increased implementation, and creating recommendations on how to increase community provider participation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to Perspective article on genome editing for conservation

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A Perspective article published in Nature Reviews Diversity looks at genome engineering for biodiversity conservation and restoration. 

    Prof Bruce Whitelaw, Professor of Animal Biotechnology and Director of The Roslin Institute, said:

    “Biodiversity across our planet is both facing unprecedented challenges and increasing recognised as critical for planetary health. Genome editing technology offers approaches that overcome aspects that current approaches addressing biodiversity cannot address – it can restore lost genetic diversity and increase the resilience of endangered species. Genome editing technology is advancing fast and for species where we know much about their genetic make-up could be used now to reduce genetic load and enable adaption to environmental change. This could include restoration of lost variation but we are still some way-off from restoring a species – although this is foreseeable for the future. No single technology can solve all biodiversity concerns. Genome editing should be adopted alongside traditional conservation methods and habitat restoration. The driver should be for social benefit, have societal involvement, and be guided by science-based regulation – and should be viewed as another useful method in the race to safeguard the world’s needed biodiversity.”

    Prof Dusko Ilic, Professor of Stem Cell Science at King’s College London, said:

    “The article is a thoughtful and forward-looking synthesis, offering a powerful vision for integrating genome engineering into conservation biology. However, its weaknesses lie in over-optimism, lack of robust comparative cost-effectiveness analysis, and occasional underplaying of ecological, regulatory, and ethical risks—especially in complex field scenarios.

    “The paper persuasively argues that genome engineering can address genomic erosion—an underappreciated long-term threat in conservation biology—by restoring adaptive genetic variation and reducing genetic load. The technology has potential, but the evidence base is currently stronger in theory and in model organisms than in demonstrated success with real-world.

    “The authors assume that the relationship between genome-wide variation and fitness is sufficiently understood to justify editing decisions. In reality, the genotype–phenotype–fitness map remains poorly resolved in most non-model organisms, which weakens confidence in editing targets. What improves fitness in captivity or small restored habitats may not translate under fluctuating wild conditions.

    “The paper clearly articulates how genome engineering can target fixed deleterious alleles, reintroduce lost immunogenetic diversity, and enhance climate adaptation capacity—things traditional conservation (e.g. protected areas, captive breeding) cannot accomplish once variation is lost.

    “The concept is compelling but lacks quantitative modelling or comparative data to support the claim that genome editing is more effective or feasible than scaled-up traditional approaches in most cases.

    “The argument presumes that ancestral or heterospecific alleles can be confidently identified and reintroduced without negative pleiotropic effects, but this is rarely tested rigorously outside lab settings.

    “The paper is also light on cost-benefit comparisons. For example, how does gene editing for climate resilience compare (in cost, efficacy, and ecological risk) to investing in habitat corridors that allow natural gene flow?

    “International approvals for edited wildlife release is a probable limiter of near-term feasibility. Regulatory inertia and public scepticism that have historically limited the rollout of genetically modified (GM) organisms—particularly in agriculture, where decades of commercial GM crop use remain contentious in many countries despite robust safety data. Scientific bodies (e.g., WHO, NAS, EFSA) consistently find no substantiated health risks from approved GM crops, yet public acceptance varies widely. The first GM crop was approved in the US in 1994. Thirty years later, only about 30 countries cultivate GM crops, and about 70 allows imports but not domestic cultivation.

    “The distinction between technical readiness (editing) and ecological readiness (release, integration, adaptation) is important. Timescales needed for breeding, backcrossing, release, and population establishment, are equally complex. In species with long generation times, edited lineages may not reach ecological relevance for decades.

    “While critical of de-extinction, the authors do not fully confront the blurring of boundaries in practice—e.g. Colossal Biosciences’ projects (which some authors are affiliated with) walk a fine line between de-extinction branding and conservation justification.

    “The critique of de-extinction would be more credible if potential conflicts of interest were explicitly addressed, and if more scrutiny were applied to projects that market proxy-species restorations as conservation.

    “The call for responsibility is ethically sound, but implementation guidance is vague. How, for example, will conservation scientists ensure openness when working with private-sector collaborators like biotech firms or proprietary genome platforms? How engineered lineages may tie future conservation efforts to specific technologies or patents, raising issues of access, control, and continuity?”

    Prof Tony Perry, Head of the Laboratory of Mammalian Molecular Embryology at the University of Bath, said:

    “This timely Perspective collates potential contributions from the revolution in ‘genome engineering’ (including genome editing) to biodiversity conservation.  The piece points out that to be effective, these advances need to include advanced assisted reproduction methodologies, such as embryonic and stem cell chimeras and nuclear transfer cloning.  In addition, the behaviour of individual or small numbers of gene variants moved into a foreign genome may be difficult or impossible to predict, making it desirable to replicate entire genomes from the oldest sources available.  

    “The challenges of achieving this are considerable even for well-studied species, but by raising the profiles of these challenges, the Perspective promises to accelerate our efforts to solving them for species conservation and its retroactive cousin, de-extinction.”

    ‘Genome engineering in biodiversity conservation and restoration’ by Cock van Oosterhout et al. was published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity at 00.01 UK time Friday 18 July.

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00065-6

    Declared interests

    Dusko Ilic: “I declare no conflict of interest.”

    Tony Perry: “None”

    Bruce Whitelaw: “I receive funding from BBSRC, Roslin Foundation, and Gates Foundation.  I am a member of FSA’s Advisory Committee for Novel Foods & Processes, and the Engineering Biology Responsible Innovation Advisory Panel.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study looking at scarring and heart arrhythmia in veteran male athlete’s hearts

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging looks at cardiac scarring and arrhythmia in veteran males. 

    Prof Steffen Petersen, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Queen Mary University of London; Consultant Cardiologist at Barts Health NHS Trust; BHF Data Science Centre Interim Director; and Immediate Past President, European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, said:

    “This study is an important contribution to improving our current understanding of the long-term heart health impact of endurance exercise in older asymptomatic male athletes.  First, scar formation in the heart is common in about half of those athletes enrolled.  Second, a type of scar which is not due to poor blood supply of the heart muscle predicts the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias, but a very common type (insertion point between the left and right heart) is not concerning, which is reassuring to know.

    “A strength of the study is the confidence we can have in the accuracy of the outcome regarding ventricular arrhythmias, as determined by implantable loop recorders.  A weakness is the limited generalisability of the findings due to the small sample size, exclusive inclusion of male endurance athletes over 50 years of age from a single centre.”

    Prof James Ware, Professor of Cardiovascular and Genomic Medicine, Imperial College London and the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, and NHS consultant cardiologist, said:

    “This is in my opinion a well designed and well executed study.  The authors themselves acknowledge the principal limitations of the study, and the conclusions are balanced and fair.  The press release is a fair reflection of the science described in the article.

    “I would note:

    “This is a highly selected group of competitive athletes who have trained intensively for many years.  I would not expect these findings to have direct relevance to most recreational athletes, and I would not want anyone to be scared of exercise as a result of this study.  Regular physical activity is hugely beneficial for the vast majority of people, and I would encourage participation and enjoyment.  Dr Swoboda emphasises this in his own comments.

    “Nonetheless, fibrosis (scarring) is evidently more common in these high intensity athletes, and associated with heart rhythm abnormalities.  This is something we need to understand better.

    “Most of the arrhythmias observed were non-sustained ventricular arrhythmia (NSVT) – that is short runs of abnormal rhythm lasting

    ‘VENTricular arrhythmia and cardiac fibrOsis in endUrance eXperienced athletes (VENTOUX)’ by Wasim Javed first author et al. was published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging at 00:01 UK time on Friday 18 July 2025. 

    Declared interests

    Prof Steffen Petersen: “Disclosures:

    1. Consultancy, Circle Cardiovascular Imaging, Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada (in my view no conflict related to this work).
    2. Named reviewer of two relevant European guidelines:
    1. Pelliccia A, Sharma S, Gati S, Bäck M, Börjesson M, Caselli S, Collet JP, Corrado D, Drezner JA, Halle M, Hansen D, Heidbuchel H, Myers J, Niebauer J, Papadakis M, Piepoli MF, Prescott E, Roos-Hesselink JW, Graham Stuart A, Taylor RS, Thompson PD, Tiberi M, Vanhees L, Wilhelm M; ESC Scientific Document Group. 2020 ESC Guidelines on sports cardiology and exercise in patients with cardiovascular disease. Eur Heart J. 2021 Jan 1;42(1):17-96. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa605. Erratum in: Eur Heart J. 2021 Feb 1;42(5):548-549. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa835. PMID: 32860412.
    2. Visseren FLJ, Mach F, Smulders YM, Carballo D, Koskinas KC, Bäck M, Benetos A, Biffi A, Boavida JM, Capodanno D, Cosyns B, Crawford C, Davos CH, Desormais I, Di Angelantonio E, Franco OH, Halvorsen S, Hobbs FDR, Hollander M, Jankowska EA, Michal M, Sacco S, Sattar N, Tokgozoglu L, Tonstad S, Tsioufis KP, van Dis I, van Gelder IC, Wanner C, Williams B; ESC Scientific Document Group. 2021 ESC Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2022 Feb 19;29(1):5-115. doi: 10.1093/eurjpc/zwab154. PMID: 34558602.
    1. Author of relevant European consensus paper:

    Galderisi M, Cardim N, D’Andrea A, Bruder O, Cosyns B, Davin L, Donal E, Edvardsen T, Freitas A, Habib G, Kitsiou A, Plein S, Petersen SE, Popescu BA, Schroeder S, Burgstahler C, Lancellotti P. The multi-modality cardiac imaging approach to the Athlete’s heart: an expert consensus of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2015 Apr;16(4):353. doi: 10.1093/ehjci/jeu323. PMID: 25681828.”

    Prof James Ware: “I was not involved in this study, though have collaborated with Dr Swoboda on other research projects.

    Industry relationsships (in the last 2 years):  I have received research support from Bristol Myers Squibb, and have acted as a paid advisor to Health Lumen, Tenaya Therapeutics, and Solid Biosciences.  I am a founder with equity in Saturnus Bio.

    I do not consider that these relationships are directly related to the subject of this paper.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Huffman Blasts Sec. Burgum, AG Bondi Alcatraz Visit Amid Trump Plan to Reopen Island Prison

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

    July 17, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) issued the following statement regarding Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s visit to Alcatraz Island as part of the Trump administration’s bizarre and troubling proposal to reopen the former federal penitentiary – now a treasured national park and historic site – as an active prison for detained immigrants:

    “Today I almost felt sorry for Secretary Doug Burgum. He’s a smart guy, a serious guy, and he knows reopening Alcatraz is batshit crazy. But he has to pretend otherwise to stay in Trump’s good graces, so everyone pretends to love the Emperor’s beautiful new clothes while giggling behind his back,” Huffman said.

    “As for the merits of this proposal, if you thought “Alligator Alcatraz” was dumb, cruel, and wasteful, you’ll run out of adjectives for this idiotic political stunt,” Huffman continued. “I told Secretary Burgum last month that not a single serious person at the National Park Service – from superintendents to janitors – thinks this is a good idea. It would also be a financial boondoggle – not just the massive amount it would cost to reopen Alcatraz as a prison, but all the money and goodwill the Park Service would lose from closing one of America’s most popular tourist destinations.”

    “The bottom line: this is deeply idiotic, transparently political, and ultimately unlikely to happen. The only possible rational explanation for why Pam Bondi was touring Alcatraz today is that she thinks it might be a good place to hide the Epstein files,” Huffman concluded.

    ###

    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump diagnosed with ‘chronic venous insufficiency’

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

    U.S. President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a common and benign vein condition after experiencing swelling in his lower legs, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Thursday.

    According to Leavitt, ultrasound exams performed on Trump’s legs revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a condition frequently found in individuals over the age of 70.

    Leavitt said additional exams identified Trump with “no signs of heart failure, renal impairment or systemic illness.”

    Trump, 79, was recently photographed at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where visible swelling around his ankles sparked public speculation about his health. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Europe urged to diversify trade markets over US tariff coercion, supply chains disruption

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

    As Washington presses ahead with additional tariffs on products from the European Union (EU) and beyond, European officials and experts are urging the diversification of trade markets to mitigate the damage that such coercive financial statecraft is inflicting on global supply chains.

    TARIFF GAME SETTING OFF CHAIN REACTION

    U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that his administration would impose 30 percent tariffs on EU and Mexican exports, arguing that bilateral trade had long been unbalanced and lacked reciprocity.

    Trucks wait to enter the Container Terminal Tollerort in Hamburg, Germany, May 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

    The Irish Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald described the tariff threat as “volatile” and “not helpful at all.” “That poses a challenge for Ireland, for Europe, for the world,” she told Xinhua at a press conference in London.

    Countries across Europe have been warning about the impact of the seemingly unrelenting tariff assaults on their economies.

    The Bank of Slovenia estimated that U.S. tariffs could indirectly disrupt the broader European value chain and impact about 15,000 jobs in Slovenia, a significant number in a country of just 2.1 million people.

    The Bank of England also said in its latest Financial Stability Report that the global economy faces rising downside risks, citing U.S. tariffs, and despite a new trade agreement between Britain and the United States in May, a further escalation in trade disputes globally could amplify financial stress and drag on economic growth in Britain.

    Companies of all sizes, from those exporting to the U.S. to manufacturers heavily reliant on global supply chains, are feeling the strain that the tariffs are placing on their operations.

    Neb Chupin, founder of Croatia’s Hermes International, a successful fig jam producer in the U.S. market, said, “With 10 percent tariffs, we are losing about 20,000 U.S. dollars a week. What would happen with 30 or even 50 percent tariffs? I cannot even sleep at night as the situation is very unstable.”

    With 40 percent of exports going to the U.S., Finland’s pharmaceutical industry could also be severely affected by potential U.S. tariffs. Johanna Sipola, deputy CEO of Keskuskauppakamari, or the Finnish Chamber of Commerce, called the tariffs “unrealistic” and warned that the greater risk is the uncertainty they create.

    “If the tariffs were implemented, the repercussions for international pharmaceutical production would be significant. The industry’s delivery chains are unusually global, and even minor disruptions can trigger substantial changes in medicine prices and demand,” Sipola said.

    Beyond the immediate effects, the high-stakes tariff game is setting off a chain reaction across global supply chains and geopolitical dynamics.

    Gavran Igor, an economic analyst from Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that the longer-term impact of the tariffs could prove even more damaging for Balkan manufacturers that are integrated into EU-based industries, particularly automotive supply chains.

    Czech Republic’s Finance Minister Zbynek Stanjura said that exports to the United States account for less than 3 percent of the country’s total exports. However, the country would also be indirectly affected through its European partners who purchase Czech goods and components.

    STRENGTHENING COOPERATION WITH MULTI-PARTNERS URGED

    Inevitably, even countries with modest trade ties to the world’s largest economy can still feel the ripple effects of Washington’s unpredictability. In response, experts recommend that European nations broaden their trade partnerships, especially with China, Southeast Asia and other regions.

    “Europe must, in the long term, become more independent from the American market. A joint free trade zone with the ASEAN countries and the rapid ratification of the agreement with Mercosur are urgently needed,” Dirk Jandura, president of the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services, said in a statement after Trump’s new tariff announcement.

    Mario Boselli, chairman of the Italy China Council Foundation, said that the shifting dynamics might prompt Europe to reconsider its external economic strategy. In his view, strengthening cooperation with China is a “highly strategic choice.”

    “If economies, like the EU, China, the United Kingdom, Brazil and India, keep global trade open, the U.S. tariffs’ impact on global supply chains will be lower. That’s the opportunity,” said Carlo Altomonte, associate professor of the Department of Social and Political Sciences of Bocconi University in Milan.

    Martin Geissler, Partner at the management consultancy Advyce & Company, echoed the suggestions by sharing Germany’s auto industry as an example. “German automakers have often not yet recognized the growth prospects that exist in Africa and many emerging countries,” Geissler said, contrasting this with China’s strategic engagement with multi-partners.

    Bernardo Mendia, Secretary General of the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is leading a Portuguese delegation to the ongoing China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing.

    A key factor driving Portugal’s participation this year, in his words, is the rise of protectionism, logistical disruptions and geopolitical shifts. In the face of these challenges, China offers a distinctive platform to develop innovative solutions, business models, and collaborative partnerships, he said.

    Looking ahead, experts believe that Washington’s trade policies could ultimately backfire on the U.S. economy itself.

    “The U.S. needs many of our industrial products, which cannot be easily replaced in the short term. This allows German manufacturers of these goods to largely pass on the tariffs in their prices to the detriment of the U.S. economy,” said Juergen Matthes, head of International Economic Policy, Financial and Real Estate Markets Research Unit at the German Economic Institute. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Are you meeting your lodgment obligations

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Lodging the SMSF annual return (SAR) is the most important compliance obligation you must meet. The SAR covers the income tax return, regulatory information and member contribution reporting, and also enables payment of the SMSF supervisory levy.

    Over 65,000 self-managed super funds (SMSFs) still have outstanding lodgment obligations for the 2023 year, and we are observing a similar trend in late lodgments for 2024.

    We are concerned about the growing number of SMSFs falling behind with their lodgment obligations and remind trustees of the importance of understanding and meeting their lodgment and compliance obligations.

    If you fail to lodge your SAR on time, there may be penalties applied and SMSF tax concessions can be lost. If your fund’s lodgment is overdue, its Super Fund Lookup may change to ‘regulation details removed.’ This can restrict your SMSF from receiving rollovers and employer contributions.

    During 2025–26 we will be undertaking targeted compliance action for SMSFs that are behind with their lodgment obligations. Unless prompt action is taken in relation to the outstanding obligations of these funds, their trustees can expect our compliance action to deliver sanctions which could include their disqualification from running an SMSF.

    To learn more and to help you understand your lodgment obligations visit our Running a self-managed super fund courseExternal Link.

    Looking for the latest news for SMSFs? You can stay up to date by visiting our SMSF newsroom and subscribingExternal Link to our monthly SMSF newsletter.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Favorites emerge as China’s giants dominate Women’s Asia Cup

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

    The traditional powerhouses asserted their dominance as the group stage of the 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup concluded on Wednesday, with China, Australia, Japan and South Korea all securing top-two finishes in their respective groups.

    China will await its semifinal opponent, while Japan prepares for a qualification showdown against New Zealand on Friday. Australia, still seeking its first Women’s Asia Cup title, will face the winner of the South Korea-Philippines qualifier.

    Zhang Ziyu (L) of China vies with Kim Pierre-Louis of Indonesia during the Group A match between China and Indonesia of FIBA Women’s Asia Cup Division A in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, July 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

    Defending champion China and world No. 2 Australia both advanced undefeated to the semifinals, but it was China’s tactical experimentation – led by the sensational debut of teenage center Zhang Ziyu – that captured headlines.

    Under returning head coach Gong Luming, China breezed through its group. The tournament marks Gong’s first major competition since resuming leadership in February. He used the preliminary games to test several lineups, including a towering frontcourt pairing of the 2.26-meter (7-foot-5) Zhang with 2.11-meter (6-foot-11) Han Xu, as well as a center-less configuration.

    “This team has only been together for a little over three months, and it takes time to build chemistry,” Gong said. “We have a prototype, but we are still lacking in many details.”

    Zhang, 18, has been the breakout star of the tournament.

    “Need we say more?” a FIBA website article noted. “China’s next great hope will finally grace FIBA’s flagship event for women’s national teams in Asia, as Zhang Ziyu is set to make easily one of the most anticipated senior debuts in recent years.”

    Zhang has lived up to the hype, averaging 14.3 points on 81% shooting through three games. She and Han have formed a dominant pairing that Han believes is far from fully realized.

    “Given our short time playing together, the ‘twin towers’ are probably only at 30 percent of our potential,” Han said.

    China’s depth has also impressed. National team rookie Zhai Ruoyun, 27, knocked down four 3-pointers in her debut, while Jia Saiqi has anchored the defense with a team-high 2.3 steals per game. Offensively, China is averaging 95.3 points per game-second only to Australia.

    For China’s rivals, Han’s confident words serve as a stark warning: “As long as we play our game, I believe no one can beat us.”

    Australia, a medalist in every Asia Cup since joining the FIBA Asia zone in 2017, has looked equally strong despite a transitional roster. With only Chloe Bibby returning from 2023, the Opals have shown impressive cohesion, beating the Philippines and Lebanon by margins of 76 and 79 points, respectively.

    Australia capped group play with a strong second-half comeback to defeat Japan, showcasing a remarkably balanced offense. Eleven of the team’s 12 players are averaging at least seven points per game, contributing to a tournament-high 102.3 points per game.

    Japan’s journey through the group stage was more turbulent. Head coach Corey Gaines opted to rest key players, resulting in narrow wins over Lebanon and the Philippines by a combined margin of just seven points.

    Veteran Maki Takada, 35, remains central to Japan’s offense, but their trademark 3-point shooting has been inconsistent. Japan leads the tournament in attempts (38.7 per game) but is shooting just 34.5%.

    Ramu Tokashiki, 34, in her fifth Asia Cup appearance, has yet to find top form, averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.0 three-pointer per game.

    South Korea has leaned on perimeter scoring but suffered a major blow when top shooter Kang Lee-seul was injured in the opening game. Park Ji-hyun (16.0 ppg) and Choi I-saem (15.3 ppg) have stepped up to lead the offense.

    Star center Park Ji-su is contributing across the board-averaging 7.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game-while providing a strong defensive presence and rebounding anchor for Korea’s gritty style of play.

    The top six teams will qualify for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifiers. With a win over Lebanon to finish third in its group, the Philippines not only kept its semifinal hopes alive but also made history-securing its first-ever spot in the global qualifiers.

    “This win represents everything we’ve been working hard on for the last 10 years or so,” said Philippines head coach Patrick Henry Aquino. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard, partner agencies respond to sunken vessel near Santa Cruz, Calif.

    Source: United States Coast Guard

    U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 07/17/2025 07:30 PM EDT

     

    07/17/2025 07:09 PM EDT

    PHOTOS AVAILABLE: The U.S. Coast Guard is responding to a sunken vessel following a boat fire approximately one mile offshore Santa Cruz, California, Wednesday morning. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Illegal Drug Activity on Social Media

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reintroduced the bipartisan Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act, which would require social media companies and other communication service providers to take on a more active role in working with federal agencies to combat the illegal sale and distribution of drugs on their platforms. This critical data will also empower state and local law enforcement to combat fake fentanyl-laced pills and prosecute those who prey on America’s youth. 
    “For too long social media companies have turned a blind eye to drug dealers who use their platforms to sell deadly drugs like fentanyl,” said Sen. Klobuchar.  “The Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act cracks down on the sale of fentanyl through social media platforms by requiring these companies to report to the DEA when they know drugs are being sold on their platforms.” 
    The Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act is named after two young men who both tragically lost their lives to fentanyl poisoning after purchasing a pill from social media. 
    Devin Norring was a 19-year-old from Hastings, MN, who tragically died from fentanyl poisoning in 2020 after purchasing a pill on Snapchat he believed was Percocet to help relieve his migraines. In his honor, his family started the Devin J. Norring Foundation to raise awareness about the dangers of dealers selling fake pills and other illicit substances online.
    Cooper Davis from Johnson County, KS, tragically lost his life to fentanyl poisoning in the summer of 2021. Cooper died after taking half a fake pill that contained a lethal dose of fentanyl, which was believed to be purchased from a Missouri drug dealer through the social media platform Snapchat. Following his passing, Cooper’s family launched the non-profit ‘Keepin’ Clean for Coop’ to keep his memory alive to save lives, raise awareness, and educate students and families.
    The bill is cosponsored by Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Todd Young (R-IN). The bill is led in the House by Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA).
    The legislation is supported by the families of Cooper Davis and Devin Norring, as well as National HIDTA Directors Association, Snapchat, Partnership for Safe Medicine, the U.S. Deputy Sheriff’s Association, The Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse, the Community Anti-Drug Coalition Association, the Alexander Neville Foundation, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the Kansas Sheriffs Association.
    “Our family & the Devin J. Norring Foundation wholeheartedly support the Cooper Davis & Devin Norring Act – legislation that serves as a critical step toward protecting families from the deadly threat of fentanyl sold through social media,” said The Family of Devin J. Norring & the Devin J. Norring Foundation. “This bill honors the lives of Cooper and Devin by holding tech companies accountable and giving law enforcement the tools they need to respond to this crisis. No parent should have to search for answers in a system that shields predators. It’s time for truth, transparency, and action.”
    “Our family continues to be extremely grateful for Senator Marshall and his colleagues’ dedication to this legislation. We are both honored and saddened to have another name, Devin Norring, added to this bill,” said Libby Davis, Mother of Cooper Davis. “However, the harsh reality is that there are thousands of other teenagers’ names that could be added to this bill because they too lost their lives in this same tragic way. Each with a story demonstrating that this can happen to ANY FAMILY. We, as parents and grandparents, do so many things to keep our kids safe, from baby gates, car seats, and seatbelts, to bike helmets, sunscreen, and vaccinations. This is no different. We need our legislators to come together and get this bipartisan bill across the finish line so that countless children can be saved, theirs being no exception.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Intel Chairs Cotton and Crawford to Gabbard: Review Intelligence Sharing with Spain

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353July 17, 2025
    Intel Chairs Cotton and Crawford to Gabbard: Review Intelligence Sharing with Spain
    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Congressman Rick Crawford (Arkansas-01), Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today sent a letter to Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence requesting a review on all intelligence sharing with Spain’s intelligence, defense, and law enforcement services. This letter comes after Spain’s Ministry of the Interior reportedly awarded €12.3 million in contracts for Huawei, which has deep ties to the CCP, to provide servers and consulting services for Spain’s wiretap systems.
    In part, Senator Cotton and Congressman Crawford wrote:
    “Since the first Trump administration, the United States has waged a whole of government effort to remove the threat Huawei equipment poses to American networks, infrastructure, and privacy. Until Spain follows suit, the U.S. Government should ensure that any information shared with the Spanish government is redacted of details that should not be shared with the CCP.”
    Full text of the letter may be found here and below.
    The Honorable Tulsi GabbardDirector of National IntelligenceOffice of the Director of National Intelligence1500 Tysons McLean DriveMcLean, VA 22102
    Dear Director Gabbard:
    We write to urge you to review intelligence sharing arrangements with the government of Spain to ensure that any information shared with Spanish intelligence, defense, and law enforcement services does not reveal U.S. national security secrets to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).  
    As you are likely aware, Spain’s Ministry of the Interior reportedly awarded €12.3 million in contracts for Huawei to provide servers and consulting services for Spain’s wiretap systems.   Huawei has deep ties to the CCP and is subject to China’s National Intelligence and Data Security laws, which compel Huawei to provide the CCP access to any Huawei information that the CCP deems necessary.  In essence, Huawei and the CCP could have backdoor access to the lawful intercept system of a NATO ally—enabling them to monitor Spanish investigations of CCP spies and innumerable other intelligence activities. 
    Since the first Trump administration, the United States has waged a whole of government effort to remove the threat Huawei equipment poses to American networks, infrastructure, and privacy. Until Spain follows suit, the U.S. Government should ensure that any information shared with the Spanish government is redacted of details that should not be shared with the CCP.  Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. 
    Sincerely,
    Tom Cotton Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
    Rick CrawfordChairman, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Slams Smithsonian for Playing Politics

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
     WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) called out the Smithsonian Institution Museums for playing political games and pandering to the Left rather than objectively displaying and celebrating great Americans’ contributions that make up the history of the United States. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.
    “The 21 museums that make up the Smithsonian Institution have been a treasure for a long time, but unfortunately in recent years, they have strayed from their true mission.”
    “The Smithsonian has lost its way.”
    “Instead of celebrating the contributions of remarkable Americans or educating our children about the animals that once roamed the planet, the Smithsonian Institution museums are telling children they should feel guilty for contributing to climate change and introducing them to topics which are clearly not age appropriate.”
    “But sometimes it’s not what the Smithsonian includes in their exhibits – which is troubling – it’s what they choose to exclude.”
    “Who can forget the snub to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture?”
    “I introduced a resolution at the time asking them to recognize the historical importance of Justice Thomas and his service to the court.”
    “After a groundswell of opposition in the months that followed, the museum finally did include him in an exhibit, but the previous exhibit featuring Anita Hill and not the Justice is a stain on the Smithsonian that I’ll never forget.”
    “Some have argued that the Smithsonian is subject to oversight by Congress and the Executive Branch. Others have said no, it’s purely a private, independent entity.”
    “It’s pretty hard to make the case that an institution that gets the majority of its funding from Congress and is governed by a board of government officials is anything but a government entity.”
    “The Smithsonian Institution itself has argued time and time again in court that they are in fact a government entity.”
     “In a case called Raven v. Sajet, a federal court agreed, ruling that the ‘Smithsonian is a government institution through and through.’’ 
    “As we prepare for the celebration of America’s 250th birthday, I would encourage, strongly encourage, the Smithsonian Institution to reconsider its purpose and to return to the principles and ideals laid out in the founding documents they so proudly display for the benefit of all Americans.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Jacobs, Dean, Castro, Keating Introduce Bill to Prevent U.S. Weapons From Harming Civilians and Committing War Crimes

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53)

    July 17, 2025

    Reps. Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), and Bill Keating (MA-09), members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Bipartisan Arms Sales Task Force, introduced legislation to improve end-use monitoring and prevent the use of U.S. weapons to commit war crimes or harm civilians. Existing end-use-monitoring programs like Blue Lantern and Golden Sentry only determine whether U.S. weapons or relevant technology have been diverted to third parties, but do not evaluate how U.S. weapons are used. The Silver Shield Operational End Use Monitoring Act of 2025 would address this critical gap by creating a new end-use monitoring program (“Silver Shield”) to monitor whether U.S.-origin defense materials are used to violate international humanitarian and human rights law or harm civilians. 

    Rep. Sara Jacobs said: “It’s our responsibility to guarantee that U.S. weapons get into the right hands and aren’t used to harm civilians, violate human rights, or commit war crimes; but unfortunately, we don’t currently have the mechanisms in place to do that. Any misuse of U.S. weapons erodes our moral standing in the world, impedes our ability to build and maintain coalitions, and furthers instability and anti-American resentment. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Silver Shield Operational End Use Monitoring Act of 2025 so we can know where U.S. weapons go and how they are used.”

    “It is critical that the United States can be assured that American-produced arms are not used in human rights abuses and atrocities —yet we do not have a mechanism for such monitoring,” Rep. Dean said. “The Silver Shield Act would fill this gap. As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I am committed to supporting our allies abroad while upholding global humanitarian rights. I thank Congresswoman Jacobs for her leadership on this bill.”

    The Silver Shield Operational End Use Monitoring Act of 2025 would:

    • Establish the “Silver Shield Operational End-Use Monitoring Program” within one year of enactment to monitor for the use of U.S. defense articles and determine whether articles were used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) or international human rights law (IHRL).
    • Amend the Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to clarify arms transfers compliance frameworks, including ensuring serious IHL/IHRL violations are considered a violation of written agreements.
    • Authorize funding to carry out the program, including by designating the Silver Shield program as a valid administrative and operational expense for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF), which enables the FMS Administrative Fund and the FMF Administrative Fund to be used to carry out the requirements of the program.
    • Require an initial report on any additional resources needed to implement the program and an annual report on the implementation of the program.

    The bill text can be found here.

    The Silver Shield Operational End Use Monitoring Act of 2025 is endorsed by Amnesty International USA, Arms Control Association, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for International Policy Advocacy, Demand Progress, Friends Committee on National Legislation, MADRE, MedGlobal, Middle East Democracy Center, Oxfam America, Peace Action, Transparency International U.S., Win Without War, and Women for Weapons Trade Transparency.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville OP-ED: It’s Time For Republicans To Put Up Or Shut Up When It Comes To Rescissions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed on X touting the Senate’s passage of President Trump’s $9 billion rescissions package early this morning. In the piece, Sen. Tuberville urges Republicans to adhere to the America First mandate 77 million Americans voted for in 2024 by continuing to cut wasteful government spending on programs that don’t benefit the lives of hardworking American families. With $37 trillion in debt, it’s far past time to return to fiscal sanity before it’s too late. 
    Read excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s op-ed below or the full piece here.
    “When you’re coaching football, one of the first things you teach your team is discipline. A team without discipline blows assignments, misses tackles, and lets games slip away. Well, Washington has been blowing assignments and missing tackles for decades, especially when it comes to spending your hard-earned tax dollars. This week, we’ve got a chance to start calling the right plays. The Senate voted on a $9 billion rescissions package—a straightforward, no-nonsense plan to cut wasteful government spending and get our fiscal house back in order. Now it is up to the House to follow through. This isn’t a trick play. It’s not a Hail Mary. This is blocking and tackling—the fundamentals of fiscal responsibility. Frankly, this should be low-hanging fruit for Republicans. We talk a big game on the campaign trail about cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. But now that it’s time to walk the walk, some of my Republican colleagues seem to have forgotten how they got here in the first place.
    Over the past 4 years, Joe Biden treated the American taxpayers like his own personal piggy bank for bad ideas. Now, we’re $37 trillion in debt and have very little to show for it. The American people sent us here to clean house. 77 million Americans voted for President Trump and the America First agenda—an agenda that includes cutting woke foreign aid, left-wing propaganda, and out of control bureaucracy. That’s exactly what this bill does. We are cementing DOGE cuts into law and finally delivering on the President’s mandate to cut waste, fraud, and abuse. First, we’re cutting $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).This woke organization funds NPR and PBS, two outlets that have gone out of their way to push the Democrat Communist Socialist Party’s radical agenda.
    It’s no secret that NPR is the PR arm of the left. Their CEO openly called President Trump a “fascist” and a “deranged racist.” But don’t taking my word for it—just ask Uri Berliner, who was a senior business editor at NPR for more than two decades. In April 2024, he wrote an op-ed called “I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.” In the piece, he wrote that NPR has an “absence of viewpoint diversity.” He acknowledged that NPR has “always had a liberal bent” but now an “open-minded spirit no longer exists at NPR.” To prove his point, he noted that registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 87 to 0 in the newsroom. Not surprisingly, NPR suspended Berliner for having the nerve to call it like it is. I guess NPR only protects freedom of speech as long as it aligns with their progressive ideology. Go figure.
    […]
    Americans are starving on the streets, and yet we’re sending money to educate kids in Uganda on LGBTQI+. It would almost be funny if it wasn’t so sad. This is global social engineering paid for by the American taxpayer. What the hell are we doing?
    It’s time for Republicans to put up or shut up. You can’t campaign on cutting spending and then flake out when someone hands you the scissors. If Republicans can’t make this play, we don’t deserve to be on the field. Let’s pass this rescissions package, tighten our belts, and start governing with some good old-fashioned common sense. President Trump campaigned on reining in spending, and it is incumbent on us to deliver. Let’s get it done.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville OP-ED: The Fed Has Gone Rogue—Fire Jerome Powell

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned a scathing op-ed in the Daily Caller calling for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to be fired. In the piece, Sen. Tuberville addresses his concern with Powell’s refusal to lower interest rates during a time of economic growth in the Golden Age of America. Chair Powell’s decision to play politics is hurting hardworking American families.

    Read excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s op-ed below or the full piece here.

    “President Donald J. Trump and his America First policies are back, and the American people can feel the momentum. After four years of disastrous open-border policies, skyrocketing inflation, and woke bureaucrats running wild, the tide is finally turning. Thanks to the President’s tariffs and tax cuts, the Trump economic engine is revving back up. Prices are low. The stock market is up. Employment numbers are on the rise. America is returning to energy dominance. Families are finally starting to feel like they’re keeping more of their paycheck. But there’s still one major obstacle standing in the way of unleashing America’s full economic potential — and that’s Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

    Let’s cut the bull, Jerome Powell has gone rogue. He’s acting like a coach whose team is down by 2 at the end of the 4th quarter – but instead of kicking a field goal to win the game, they punt the ball. Inflation is at the lowest point in four years under President Trump – but Jerome Powell is still using the old Biden Democrat Socialist playbook. As a result, interest rates are through the roof, borrowing costs are squeezing families, and small businesses are getting crushed. Americans are ready to build, buy, hire, and grow — but the Fed is playing games instead of cutting rates and letting the economy breathe. That’s not just bad policy. That’s sabotage.

    This isn’t his first offense either. Powell’s track record is a mess. Back in 2021, as Biden and the Radical Left were pumping the economy with trillions of dollars in reckless spending, Powell stood in front of the American people and told them inflation was “transitory.” He basically told American consumers to not believe their own lying eyes. But the American people aren’t stupid. They saw prices rising at the pump, at the grocery store, and on every utility bill. What Powell called “transitory” turned out to be full-blown, historic inflation that was here to stay as long as Biden and Powell were the ones calling the shots.

    […]

    Let’s not pretend this wasn’t political. Powell has aligned himself with the D.C. Swamp, the same corrupt system that’s tried everything to stop Donald Trump from putting America First. The Fed is supposed to be independent, but under Powell, it’s acting like the economic arm of the Democrat Socialist Communist Party. Powell isn’t just a bad economist. He’s a symbol of the woke elites that look down on farmers, truckers, teachers, and welders — the backbone of this nation — and thinks they should just sit down and be quiet while the “experts” in D.C. run things.

    In the United States of America, we believe in freedom, faith, hard work, and putting the American taxpayer first. We don’t take orders from the World Economic Forum. We don’t answer to Davos. And we sure don’t let Ivy League elites in glass towers decide whether families in Alabama can afford to buy a house or start a business.

    If your quarterback is fumbling the ball, missing reads, and throwing picks, you bench him. You don’t give him another season; you send him packing. President Trump knows how to win. We need a Federal Reserve that supports that mission, not one that tries to undermine it. This isn’t just about monetary policy, it’s about our future. 

    It’s time to fire Jerome Powell and bring in a Fed Chair who understands the America First vision — someone who will fight inflation by empowering American workers, not punishing them. Someone who understands that prosperity starts with cutting taxes, slashing regulation, and letting a free people create, build, and thrive. Jerome Powell had his shot. He blew it. It’s time for a new leader at the Fed.”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –