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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Huge boost for UK industry as Government powers ahead with cuts to electricity costs

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Huge boost for UK industry as Government powers ahead with cuts to electricity costs

    The Government has announced a huge boost to UK industry as it powers ahead with its plan to cut electricity costs.

    • Plans to slash electricity network costs for energy-intensive businesses by 90% are set in motion as Government launches new consultation.
    • Around 500 of UK’s most energy-intensive firms set to save up to £420m a year when current 60% discount on network charging costs increases to 90% from 2026.
    • Shows UK getting on with delivering announcements in Modern Industrial Strategy that will level the playing field for British businesses, backed by Plan for Change

    Around 500 of the UK’s most energy-intensive businesses such as British Steel and INEOS are set for a huge boost as the Government powers ahead with a 90% discount for businesses’ network charging costs.

    Delivering on its promise in the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy launched last month to slash energy costs for heavy industry, the Government today (18 July) launches a four-week consultation on its plans to increase the discount on businesses’ electricity network charges from 60% to 90%.

    The landmark new support is expected to save around 500 of Britain’s most energy-intensive firms in key sectors like steel, ceramics, glass and chemicals up to £420m per year from 2026 when in force and bring the UK’s industrial energy prices in line with European competitors, helping secure jobs and attract new investment as part of the Plan for Change.

    Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    This government is on the side of British industry. When we make promises we deliver on them. That’s why we’re wasting no time in powering ahead with our plans to tackle energy costs for great British businesses and level the playing field.

    The cornerstone of our modern Industrial Strategy, this landmark new support will meet a longstanding need from industry which other governments shirked – paving the way for new investment and job creation at the heart of our Plan for Change.

    The launch of the consultation on the Network Charging Compensation (NCC) scheme, part of the Government’s British Industry Supercharger package of measures to tackle industrial electricity costs, will seek industry’s views on the 30% uplift and double the window which businesses have to apply for support through the scheme from one month to two.

    Network charges are the costs paid by electricity network users for access to the service and are already discounted by 60% for some of the UK’s biggest industrial businesses through the NCC scheme since April 2024, saving businesses millions of pounds every month.

    The proposals in the consultation launched today would see their costs fall by around a further £7 per megawatt hour (/MWh) bringing electricity prices more into line with European countries such as France and Germany.

    The news follows Deloitte’s latest survey of finance officers which has found the UK is the joint top location for investment in the world, and new data from Make UK and BDO which finds that manufacturing in the UK has recovered to 2019, pre-pandemic, levels in every region, with 12,000 new jobs created in the year to March 2024.

    The uplift follows other new landmark support for British industry announced in last month’s modern Industrial Strategy, with the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme expected to slash energy costs by up to 25 percent for over 7,000 businesses.

    This scheme, which government will consult on shortly and is due to come into force in 2027, will cut costs for thousands of electricity-intensive businesses in key manufacturing sectors like aerospace, automotive and chemicals, supporting hundreds of thousands of skilled jobs by exempting firms from paying levies like the Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and the Capacity Market.

    A new Connections Accelerator Service will also come into force by the end of 2025, streamlining access to the UK electricity grid for major investment projects to speed up delivery and bring new high-quality jobs and economic growth.

    New powers in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, currently before Parliament, could also allow the Government to reserve grid capacity for strategically important projects, cutting waiting times and unlocking growth in key sectors.

    Gareth Stace, Director General of UK Steel, and Chair of Energy Intensive Users Group, said:

    Increasing network charge compensation under the Government’s Supercharger scheme is a very welcome and much-needed step towards achieving competitive electricity prices for the UK’s steel sector and other foundation industries.

    These reforms reflect solutions that UK Steel has long advocated to address the persistent challenge of uncompetitive industrial electricity costs. While more still needs to be done, this is meaningful progress.

    Truly competitive energy prices are essential to unlocking investment, creating jobs, accelerating decarbonisation, and securing the long-term future of steelmaking in the UK.

    Investment Minister Baroness Gustafsson visited Special Melted Products – an historic British advanced manufacturing firm which currently benefits from the 60% network charging discount – in Sheffield yesterday to welcome the news, as well as a major investment in the company from Taiwanese firm Walsin Lihwa, set to create over 200 skilled jobs by 2028.

    Notes to editors:

    • The Government’s modern Industrial Strategy can be found here.
    • The consultation will be published on Gov.UK later today here.
    • The total estimated value of the network charging compensation component of the Supercharger (at 90%) is £310-420m this year (in 2025 prices).
    • The NCC uplift will provide an estimated additional £7-10/MWh discount to eligible businesses.

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leading lights of UK research spearhead search for world’s best talent

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Leading lights of UK research spearhead search for world’s best talent

    12 leading universities and research institutions selected to deliver government’s £54 million fund to recruit world’s top researchers.

    • 12 leading universities and research institutions selected to deliver government’s £54 million fund to recruit world’s top researchers
    • From AI to medicine, cutting-edge research is delivering the new breakthroughs and products that are key to economic growth, the core mission of the Plan for Change   
    • Global Talent Fund is just one part of over £115 million in funding dedicated to attracting top talent to the UK

    12 of the UK’s leading universities and research institutions, across all 4 nations, will deliver the Global Talent Fund: a £54 million investment in Britain’s future prosperity and economic growth.

    The new £54 million Global Talent Fund is designed to attract a total of 60-80 top researchers (both lead researchers and their teams) to the UK, working in the 8 high priority sectors critical to our modern Industrial Strategy like life sciences and digital technologies.  By bringing the very best minds in fields that will be critical to the future of life and work to the UK, we can pave the way for the products, jobs and even industries that define tomorrow’s economy, to be made and grow in Britain.

    From Argentine César Milstein’s work on antibodies, to Hong Kong-born Sir Charles Kao who led the development of fibre optics, through to German Ernst Chain’s efforts to make penicillin usable in medicine, there is a long pedigree of overseas researchers making great breakthroughs whilst working in the UK. We want the UK to continue to be the natural home of the very best science and research, the world over. 

    Driving new tech innovations and scientific breakthroughs will fire up the UK economy and put rocket boosters on the government’s Plan for Change. The IMF estimates that breakthroughs in AI alone could boost productivity by as much as 1.5 percentage points a year, which could be worth up to an average £47 billion to the UK each year over a decade. Other technologies could be gamechangers too: quantum computing could add over £11 billion to the UK’s GDP by 2045, while engineering biology could drive anywhere between £1.6-£3.1 trillion in global impact by 2040. 

    Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

    Genius is not bound by geography. But the UK is one of the few places blessed with the infrastructure, skills base, world-class institutions and international ties needed to incubate brilliant ideas, and turn them into new medicines that save lives, new products that make our lives easier, and even entirely new jobs and industries. Bringing these innovations to life, here in Britain, will be critical to delivering this government’s Plan for Change.

    My message to the bold and the brave who are advancing new ideas, wherever they are, is: our doors are open to you. We want to work with you, support you, and give you a home where you can make your ideas a reality we all benefit from.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

    The UK is home to some of the world’s best universities which are vital for attracting international top talent. Supported by our new Global Talent Taskforce, the Global Talent Fund will cement our position as a leading choice for the world’s top researchers to make their home here, supercharging growth and delivering on our Plan for Change.

    The institutions selected to deliver the Global Talent Fund are:

    • University of Bath 
    • Queen’s University Belfast 
    • University of Birmingham 
    • University of Cambridge 
    • Cardiff University 
    • Imperial College London 
    • John Innes Centre 
    • MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology 
    • University of Oxford 
    • University of Southampton 
    • University of Strathclyde
    • University of Warwick 

    These organisations will each get an equal share of the £54 million Fund, to use bringing some of the world’s foremost researchers and their teams to the UK. Each of them has a track record of recruiting and supporting top international R&D talent, as well as securing international competitive research funding to the UK. They are empowered to develop their own approaches and plans to spend their share of the Global Talent Fund to attract research talent from the around the globe in their choice of Industrial Strategy areas, including covering visa and relocation costs for researchers and their family members.

    The Global Talent Fund, administered by UKRI, is just one part of over £115 million funding that is being dedicated to attracting the very best scientific and research talent to the UK. In addition to this fund, 2 fellowships have been launched, aimed at bringing groundbreaking AI research teams to UK organisations and labs: the £25 million Turing AI ‘Global’ Fellowships, as well as a UK-based expansion of the Encode: AI for Science Fellowship.

    Alongside this, 2 new fast-track research grant routes have been announced by the National Academies – including £30 million from the Royal Society for a Faraday Discovery Fellowship accelerated international route, part-funded by their £250 million DSIT endowment. The Royal Academy of Engineering has announced a similar fast track international route, as part of its £150 million Green Future Fellowships endowment from DSIT – this funding will ensure the UK competes for the best global talent in science and research. While researchers looking to relocate to the UK can also benefit from the Choose Europe scheme, thanks to the UK’s association to Horizon Europe.

    All of these efforts will be supported by the Global Talent Taskforce. Launched as part of the Industrial Strategy, the taskforce will report directly to the Prime Minister and Chancellor, and support researchers, scientists and engineers as well as top-tier investors, entrepreneurs and managerial talent to bring their skills to Britain.

    Work to cultivate top AI research talent in the UK is further bolstered through the Spärck AI scholarships, which will provide full funding for master’s degrees at 9 leading UK universities specialising in artificial intelligence and STEM subjects. These scholarships will open for applications in Spring 2026. We also support postgraduate research broadly, with £500 million UKRI funding supporting over 4.700 students at 45 higher education institutions to study projects in biological, engineering and physical, and natural and environmental sciences.

    Professor Phil Taylor, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bath, said: 

    Our university was founded with a mission to work closely with industry, and partnership working has been in our DNA ever since. We are truly delighted to play our part in attracting outstanding global academics to help power research in the UK’s industrial strategy priority areas. 

    This major investment recognises the vital role universities play in driving innovation and growth across the UK. We look forward to working with DSIT and UKRI to attract more bright minds to play their part in our innovation-fuelled and impact-focussed research.

    Professor Sir Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor at Queen’s University Belfast said:

    We are proud that Queen’s has been selected as one of the 12 institutions to deliver the Global Talent Fund. This funding will allow us to bring world-leading researchers to Northern Ireland in priority areas such as advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity, fields that are vital to our economy and to the UK’s global competitiveness.

    By attracting exceptional talent from outside the UK, we are strengthening our research base, and helping to drive innovation within the local economy. This is a clear endorsement of the excellence and impact of research at Queen’s, and of our role in helping to deliver the UK government’s Industrial Strategy.

    Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at the University of Birmingham said:

    I am delighted that the University of Birmingham has been selected to support the government’s vision to attract exceptional international researchers to the UK. In celebration of our 125 anniversary this year, our University is committed to investing in the recruitment of 125 leading researchers. The Global Talent Fund investment means that we will now go even further – drawing a diverse community of world-leading researchers to Birmingham. They will join a thriving and ambitious research environment, where the potential for discovery, collaboration, and impact has never been greater. We look forward to welcoming a new generation of global research leaders to our University and city and to seeing the positive impact their work will have on the UK economy and on the health and wellbeing of society.

    Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge, said:

    The University is grateful for this award of funding. The Fund will bolster emerging and accelerating research areas, in line with the goals of the government’s Industrial Strategy. This investment will be pivotal in securing and supporting international academic expertise and strengthening the strategic opportunities the University is seeking to catalyse for both the University and the UK more widely.  We look forward to the opportunities this will unlock.

    Cardiff University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wendy Larner said:

    We are delighted to have secured this funding to help us attract the world’s best minds to Cardiff and Wales.

    It is a clear endorsement of our standing and place in the UK research community and sends a clear message that we are well-positioned to attract global talent. It will enable us to support more of the world’s leading academics in Wales – helping to further boost our research capacity and global reputation in key research areas.

    Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London said:

    Imperial College London is a global university and international researchers are central to our success. They bring fresh perspectives, new ideas, and a spirit of discovery that enriches our community and drives breakthroughs that benefit all of society – from tackling malaria to breakthroughs in quantum computing.

    The Global Talent Fund will support our efforts to attract the brightest minds from around the world. We look forward to welcoming them and continuing to push the boundaries of knowledge together.

    Professor Cristobal Uauy, Director designate, John Innes Centre said:

    This funding is a major boost to our efforts at the John Innes Centre to attract ambitious world-leading researchers to join our Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet vision.

    By bringing outstanding talent to the Norwich Research Park, we are strengthening the UK’s global leadership in bio-based innovation, data-driven biology, and sustainable, high-value agri-tech, key pillars of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy.

    As a Chilean researcher who relocated to the UK, I’ve experienced first-hand the friendly, open and collaborative academic environment here. The world-class facilities, technology platforms and institutional support provided at the John Innes Centre are unrivalled. It’s the kind of environment where scientists can take bold ideas forward, build meaningful collaborations, and create lasting global impact.

    Jan Löwe, Laboratory of Molecular Biology Director, said:

    We welcome the government’s drive to attract global talent which addresses key barriers faced by researchers wishing to relocate to the UK.

    The LMB’s scientific breakthroughs and technological advances have been driven by talented scientists of all nationalities since our origins in the 1940s. Science is a creative pursuit, and creativity thrives on diverse input from people of different backgrounds.

    Research has no borders, and this funding will enable the LMB and fellow UK institutions to be competitive in the global scientific talent market and attract gifted scientists from around the world to drive UK innovations for the benefit of all.

    Professor Irene Tracey CBE, FRS, FMedSci, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, said:

    Oxford University has a long history of attracting exceptional global talent, enabling world-leading research, teaching, and innovation with wide-reaching social and economic impact. In 2021–2022, our science parks, knowledge exchange, and the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine contributed to a £6.6 billion boost to the UK economy, with our spinouts supporting over 31,600 UK jobs. Globally, the AZ vaccine is estimated to have saved over 6 million lives in its first year, resulting in a worldwide health economic impact of £2 trillion. The Global Talent Fund will draw internationally recognised experts to Oxford, building capability for future innovation and growth in the Industrial Strategy areas we have prioritised.

    Professor Mark E. Smith, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton, said:

    We are proud that the University of Southampton has been chosen as one of the small number of organisations for this exciting and important initiative.

    Attracting world-leading researchers to work in the United Kingdom will help to lead innovation in the technologies of the future, supporting industry and driving economic growth.

    Southampton is a global University with a wealth of research talent and this funding will help us to build further on our existing strengths and partnerships.

    Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, said:

    We welcome this important investment in global talent that UKRI has committed to and the alignment it creates between the new Industrial Strategy and the research and innovation leadership that is critical to its success. 

    Strathclyde is proud of its position as a leading international technological university. We deliver impact collaboratively by bringing together the excellent talented people we have at Strathclyde and through working closely with partners in other universities, industrial partners, innovation centres and National Laboratories through research that addresses market opportunities and national priorities – from climate resilience and sustainable energy to health innovation, and security and resilience.

    This new funding from UKRI and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology reflects confidence in our ability to translate cutting-edge discovery into real-world applications and solutions, working collaboratively with industry, government and global partners. It will enhance our research environment, widen our talent pipeline and further enable our mission as a place of useful learning.

    Professor Stuart Croft, Vice Chancellor and President of the University of Warwick said:

    The University of Warwick is known for our world-leading expertise in Advanced Manufacturing and the Arts and this £4.35 million investment will accelerate the development of innovative insights, solutions, products, and services in an inter-disciplinary way. It will also help drive inclusive regional and national growth in the Creative Industries.

    Through our strong partnerships with SMEs, industry, and local councils, this initiative will play a key role in advancing UK innovation and delivering meaningful benefits to communities across the West Midlands and the wider UK. 

    In our 60th anniversary year we are reaffirming our commitment to making a better world together and this funding will further strengthen our determination to deliver our vision.

    Professor Christopher Smith, International Champion at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), said:

    Global challenges from climate change to energy security, food systems to antimicrobial resistance do not respect borders, and neither should the research and innovation required to address them. Time and again, international collaboration has driven transformative breakthroughs: from the discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN, to the global effort to decode the complex wheat genome, enabling the development of high-yield, climate-resilient crops that support food security worldwide. The impact of global partnerships is clear.

    The Global Talent Fund is a vital part of UKRI’s mission to support an open, dynamic, and diverse research and innovation system. By supporting our brilliant research institutes to attract outstanding individuals from across the world and foster collaboration between nations, we are strengthening the UK’s position at the heart of the global knowledge economy. This fund aligns with our enduring commitment to international engagement, and to working together to shape a better future for all.

    Notes to editors

    The £54 million Global Talent Fund comes over 5 years, starting in 2025/2026. The fund, administered by UKRI and delivered by universities and research organisations, will cover 100% of eligible costs, including both relocation and research expenses, with no requirement for match funding from research organisations. The initiative also includes full visa costs for researchers and their dependants, removing significant financial and administrative barriers to relocation.

    Funding will be distributed evenly amongst the 12 research organisations.

    The small number of world-class researchers, and their teams, who go on to be supported by these funds, will come to live and work in the UK via existing routes such as the Skilled Worker, Global Talent, and the Innovator Founder visas.

    There are no plans to change existing visa routes – and the Immigration White Paper sets out the government’s broad approach to restoring order to the immigration system through the Plan for Change.  

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Creating Schedule G in the Excepted Service

    Source: US Whitehouse

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 3301, 3302, and 7511 of title 5, United States Code, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Purpose.  The Congress has recognized that effective Government administration requires excepting some positions from the competitive service based on their confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.  Existing excepted service schedules make partial use of this authority.  Schedule C of the excepted service authorizes appointments to noncareer excepted service positions of a confidential or policy-determining character.  Schedule Policy/Career of the excepted service authorizes appointments to career positions of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.  

    There is, however, no excepted service schedule for noncareer positions of a policy-making or policy-advocating character.  Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3302(1), conditions of good administration, including eliminating this gap in excepted service schedules and improving the operations of the Department of Veterans Affairs, make necessary creating a new Schedule G in the excepted service for noncareer positions of a policy-making or policy-advocating character.

    Sec. 2.  Definition.  The phrase “normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition” refers to positions whose occupants are, as a matter of practice, expected to resign upon a Presidential transition and includes all positions whose appointment requires the assent of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.

    Sec. 3.  Excepted Service.  Appointments of individuals to positions of a policy-making or policy-advocating character normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition shall be made under Schedule G of the excepted service, as established by section 4 of this order.

    Sec. 4.  Schedule G.  Civil Service Rule VI is amended as follows:

    (a)  5 CFR 6.2 is amended to read:

    “OPM shall list positions that it excepts from the competitive service in Schedules A, B, C, D, E, Policy/Career, and G, which schedules shall constitute parts of this rule, as follows:

    Schedule A.  Positions other than those of a confidential or policy-determining character for which it is not practicable to examine shall be listed in Schedule A.

    Schedule B.  Positions other than those of a confidential or policy-determining character for which it is not practicable to hold a competitive examination shall be listed in Schedule B.  Appointments to these positions shall be subject to such noncompetitive examination as may be prescribed by OPM.

    Schedule C.  Positions of a confidential or policy-determining character normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition shall be listed in Schedule C.

    Schedule D.  Positions other than those of a confidential or policy-determining character for which the competitive service requirements make impracticable the adequate recruitment of sufficient numbers of students attending qualifying educational institutions or individuals who have recently completed qualifying educational programs.  These positions, which are temporarily placed in the excepted service to enable more effective recruitment from all segments of society by using means of recruiting and assessing candidates that diverge from the rules generally applicable to the competitive service, shall be listed in Schedule D.

    Schedule E.  Positions of administrative law judge appointed under 5 U.S.C. 3105 shall be listed in Schedule E.  Conditions of good administration warrant that the position of administrative law judge be placed in the excepted service and that appointment to this position not be subject to the requirements of 5 CFR, part 302, including examination and rating requirements, though each agency shall follow the principle of veteran preference as far as administratively feasible.

    Schedule Policy/Career.  Career positions of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character not normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition shall be listed in Schedule Policy/Career.  In appointing an individual to a position in Schedule Policy/Career, each agency shall follow the principle of veteran preference as far as administratively feasible.

    Schedule G.  Positions of a policy-making or policy-advocating character normally subject to change as a result of a Presidential transition shall be listed in Schedule G.”

    (b)  5 CFR 6.4 is amended to read:

    “Except as required by statute, the Civil Service Rules and Regulations shall not apply to removals from positions listed in Schedules A, C, D, E, Policy/Career, or G, or from positions excepted from the competitive service by statute.  The Civil Service Rules and Regulations shall apply to removals from positions listed in Schedule B of persons who have competitive status.”

    Sec. 5.  Implementation.  (a)  The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall adopt such regulations as the Director determines may be necessary to implement this order, giving particular attention to appropriate amendments to 5 CFR, part 213.

    (b)  In making appointments to positions in Schedule G of the excepted service, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs:

    (i)   shall consider whether prospective appointees would be suitable exponents of the President’s policies; and

    (ii)  shall not take into account prospective appointees’ political affiliation or political activity.

    Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

         (d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Office of Personnel Management.

    DONALD J. TRUMP

    THE WHITE HOUSE,

        July 17, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Regulatory Relief for Certain Stationary Sources to Promote American Iron Ore Processing Security

    Source: US Whitehouse

    class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

    A PROCLAMATION

         1.  Taconite iron ore processing is fundamental to the United States’ steel production and manufacturing sectors.  The facilities involved in the process supply essential raw materials used to make steel, which is used in national defense systems, critical infrastructure, and a broad range of industrial applications.  Preserving and enhancing domestic taconite processing capabilities is vital to reducing reliance on foreign sources and ensuring resilience of American industrial supply chains.
         2.  On March 6, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency published a final rule, pursuant to section 112 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412, titled National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Taconite Iron Ore Processing, 89 FR 16408 (Taconite Rule).  The Taconite Rule imposes new emissions-control requirements on taconite iron ore processing facilities.
         3.  The Taconite Rule places significant burdens on a sector critical to the Nation’s industrial foundation.  The Taconite Rule mandates compliance with standards that rely on emissions-control technologies that have not been demonstrated to work in the taconite industry, are untested at commercial scale, or are not reasonably achievable under current operational conditions.  If enforced under the current timeline as set forth at 89 FR 16408, the Taconite Rule risks forcing shutdowns, reducing domestic production, and undermining the Nation’s ability to supply steel for defense, energy, and critical manufacturing.  The United States must not allow inflexible regulatory deadlines to jeopardize a material critical to our industrial base.  Maintaining this capacity is essential to our national security and economic resilience.
         NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 112(i)(4) of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412(i)(4), do hereby proclaim that certain stationary sources subject to the Taconite Rule, as identified in Annex I of this proclamation, are exempt from compliance with the Taconite Rule for a period of 2 years beyond the Taconite Rule’s relevant compliance dates (Exemption).The technology to implement the Taconite Rule is not currently available, and it is necessary to issue this Exemption now because long design, permitting, and construction lead times mean that regulated entities will not be able to meet the relevant compliance deadlines absent compliance relief.This Exemption applies to all compliance deadlines established under the Taconite Rule, with each such deadline extended by 2 years from the date originally required for such deadline.The effect of this Exemption is that, during each such 2-year period, these stationary sources are subject to the emissions and compliance obligations that they are currently subject to under the applicable standard as that standard existed prior to the Taconite Rule.In support of this Exemption, I hereby make the following determinations:
         a.  The technology to implement the Taconite Rule is not available.  Such technology does not exist in a commercially viable form sufficient to allow implementation of and compliance with the Taconite Rule by the compliance dates in the Taconite Rule.
         b.  It is in the national security interests of the United States to issue this Exemption for the reasons stated in paragraphs 1 and 3 of this proclamation.
        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
    seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.

                            DONALD J. TRUMP
     

    ANNEX I    

     1.    United States Steel Corporation 
             i.    Affected Facility/Source:
             i.    Keetac Plant, Keewatin, Minnesota
             ii.   Minntac Plant, Mountain Iron, Minnesota

         2.    Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
             i.    Affected Facility/Source:
             i.    United Taconite, Minnesota
             ii.   Northshore Mining, Minnesota
             iii.  Hibbing Taconite, Minnesota
             iv.   Minorca Mine, Minnesota
             v.    Tilden Mine, Michigan
             vi.   Empire Mine, Michigan

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Regulatory Relief for Certain Stationary Sources to Promote American Chemical Manufacturing Security

    Source: US Whitehouse

    class=”has-text-align-center”>By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    1. The United States relies on a strong chemical manufacturing sector to support industries like energy, national defense, agriculture, and health care. These facilities produce essential inputs for critical infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, medical sterilization, semiconductors, and national defense systems. Maintaining a robust domestic chemical industry is vital to safeguarding the supply chains that underpin our economy and to reducing the Nation’s dependence on foreign control over materials critical to national resilience. As adversaries expand influence over key inputs, continued domestic production is essential not only to economic resilience but also to military readiness, public health, and national preparedness.

    2. On May 16, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency published a final rule titled New Source Performance Standards for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry and Group I & II Polymers and Resins Industry, 89 FR 42932 (HON Rule). The HON Rule imposes new emissions-control requirements on certain chemical manufacturing facilities, some of which were promulgated pursuant to section 112 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412.

    3. The HON Rule imposes substantial burdens on chemical manufacturers already operating under stringent regulations. Many of the testing and monitoring requirements outlined in the HON Rule rely on technologies that are not practically available, not demonstrated at the necessary scale, or cannot be implemented safely or consistently under real-world conditions. For many facilities, the timeline for compliance as set forth at 89 FR 42953-42955 would require shutdowns or massive capital investments before any proven pathway to compliance exists. The HON Rule imposes requirements that assume uniform technological availability across facilities, despite significant variation in site conditions, permitting realities, and equipment configurations. A disruption of this capacity would weaken key supply chains, increase dependence on foreign producers, and impair our ability to respond effectively in a time of crisis. These consequences would ripple across sectors vital to America’s growing industrial strength and emergency readiness.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 112(i)(4) of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412(i)(4), do hereby proclaim that certain stationary sources subject to the HON Rule, as identified in Annex I of this proclamation, are exempt from compliance with those aspects of the HON Rule that were promulgated under section 112 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412 for a period of 2 years beyond the HON Rule’s relevant compliance dates (Exemption). This Exemption applies to all compliance deadlines established under the HON Rule applicable to the stationary sources listed in Annex I, with each such deadline extended by 2 years from the date originally required for such deadline. The effect of this Exemption is that, during each such 2-year period, these stationary sources will be subject to the emissions and compliance obligations that they are currently subject to under the applicable standard as that standard existed prior to the HON Rule. In support of this Exemption, I hereby make the following determinations:

    a. The technology to implement the HON Rule is not available. Such technology does not exist in a commercially viable form sufficient to allow implementation of and compliance with the HON Rule by the compliance dates in the HON Rule.

    b. It is in the national security interests of the United States to issue this Exemption for the reasons stated in paragraphs 1 and 3 of this proclamation.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.

    DONALD J. TRUMP  

    ANNEX I

    1. Shell Chemical LP
    i. Affected Facility/Source: Geismar Plant, Louisiana

    2. SABIC Innovative Plastics Mt. Vernon, LLC
    i. Affected Facility/Source: Manufacturing Plant, Indiana

    3. Bakelite Synthetics
    i. Affected Facility/Source:
    a. Riegelwood, North Carolina;
    b. Conway, North Carolina;
    c. Crossett, Arkansas;
    d. Louisville, Kentucky;
    e. Lufkin, Texas;
    f. Taylorsville, Mississippi

    4. The Dow Chemical Company
    i. Affected Facility/Source: Glycol II Plant, Louisiana

    5. Trinseo LLC
    i. Affected Facility/Source:
    a. Trinseo Facility, Georgia
    b. Trinseo Facility, Michigan

    6. Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A.
    i. Affected Facility/Source:
    a. Formosa Plastics Corporation, Louisiana
    b. Formosa Plastics Corporation, Texas

    7. Union Carbide Corporation/The Dow Chemical Company
    i. Affected Facility/Source:
    a. Seadrift Operations, Texas
    b. Hahnville, St. Charles Parish Facility, Louisiana

    8. Westlake Vinyl’s LLC/Westlake Corporation
    i. Affected Facility/Source:
    a. Petrochemical Complex, Louisiana
    b. Styrene Monomer Production Facility, Louisiana
    c. Styrene Marine Terminal, Louisiana
    d. Lake Charles South Facility, Louisiana
    e. Lake Charles North Facility, Louisiana

    9. BASF TotalEnergies Petrochemicals LLC
    i. Affected Facility/Source: Port Arthur Facility, Texas

    10. BASF Corporation
    i. Affected Facility/Source:
    a. Geismar Facility, Louisiana;
    b. North Geismar Facility, Louisiana;
    c. Freeport Facility, Texas

    11. Rubicon LLC
    i. Affected Facility/Source: Geismar Facility, Louisiana

    12. CITGO Petroleum Corporation
    i. Affected Facility/Source:
    a. Lake Charles Refinery, Louisiana
    b. Corpus Christi Refinery, Texas
    c. Lemont Refinery, Illinois

    13. INEOS Americas LLC
    i. Affected Facility/Source: Bayport EO Plant, Texas

    14. Celanese Corporation
    i. Affected Facility/Source:
    a. Narrows Facility, Virginia
    b. Clear Lake Facility, Texas
    c. Bishop Facility, Texas
    d. Bay City Facility, Texas

    15. Huntsman Petrochemical LLC
    i. Affected Facility/Source:
    a. Huntsman Pensacola, Florida
    b. Huntsman Conroe, Texas

    16. TotalEnergies Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc.
    i. Affected Facility/Source:
    a. TotalEnergies Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc., Alabama
    b. Cos-Mar StyreneMonomer Plant, Alabama
    c. TotalEnergies Polystrene Plant, Louisiana
    d. Port Arthur Refinery, Texas

    17. Indorama Ventures Xylenes and PTA
    i. Affected Facility/Source: Decatur Facility, Alabama

    18. Denka Performance Elastomer LLC
    i. Affected Facility/Source: LaPlace Neoprene Production Facility, Louisiana

    19. Sasol Chemicals (USA) LLC
    i. Affected Facility/Source: Lake Charles Chemical Complex, Louisiana

    20. Philips 66 Company
    i. Affected Facility/Source:
    a. Sweeny Refinery, Texas
    b. WRB Refining LP Calvert Refinery, Illinois
    c. WRB Refining LP Borger Refinery, Texas

    21. Indorama Ventures Oxides, LLC
    i. Affected Facility/Source: Port Neches Facility, Texas

    22. Eastman Chemical Company
    i. Affected Facility/Source: Longview Facility, Texas

    23. DuPont Specialty Products USA, LLC
    i. Affected Facility/Source: Pontchartrain Site, Louisiana

    24. Stepan Company
    i. Affected Facility/Source: Millsdale Facility, Illinois

    25. Ascend Performance Materials Operations LLC
    i. Affected Facility/Source:
    a. Ascend Decatur, Alabama;
    b. Ascend Alvin, Texas;
    c. Ascend Pensacola, Florida

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Regulatory Relief for Certain Stationary Sources to Further Promote American Energy

    Source: US Whitehouse

    class=”has-text-align-center”>By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    1.  Coal-fired electricity generation is essential to ensuring that our Nation’s grid is reliable and that electricity is affordable to the American people, and to promoting our Nation’s energy security.  The Federal Government plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the Nation’s power supply remains secure and reliable.  Forcing energy producers to comply with unattainable emissions controls jeopardizes this mission.
    2.  On May 7, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency published a final rule, pursuant to section 112 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412, titled National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants:  Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units Review of the Residual Risk and Technology Review, 89 FR 38508 (Rule), which amended the preexisting Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule to make it more stringent.  The Rule’s effective date was July 8, 2024.  Id.  Its compliance date is July 8, 2027, 3 years after its effective date.  See 89 FR 38519.
    3.  The Rule places severe burdens on coal-fired power plants and, through its indirect effects, on the viability of our Nation’s coal sector.  Specifically, the Rule requires compliance with standards premised on the application of emissions-control technologies that do not yet exist in a commercially viable form.  The current compliance timeline of the Rule therefore raises the unacceptable risk of the shutdown of many coal-fired power plants, eliminating thousands of jobs, placing our electrical grid at risk, and threatening broader, harmful economic and energy security effects.  This in turn would undermine our national security, as these effects would leave America vulnerable to electricity demand shortages, increased dependence on foreign energy sources, and potential disruptions of our electricity and energy supplies, particularly in times of crisis.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 112(i)(4) of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412(i)(4), do hereby proclaim that certain stationary sources subject to the Rule, as identified in Annex I of this proclamation, are exempt from compliance with the Rule for a period of 2 years beyond the Rule’s compliance date — i.e., for the period beginning July 8, 2027, and concluding July 8, 2029 (Exemption).  The effect of this Exemption is that, during this 2-year period, these stationary sources are subject to the compliance obligations that they are currently subject to under the MATS as the MATS existed prior to the Rule.  In support of this Exemption, I hereby make the following determinations:
    a.  The technology to implement the Rule is not available.  Such technology does not exist in a commercially viable form sufficient to allow implementation of and compliance with the Rule by its compliance date of July 8, 2027.
    b.  It is in the national security interests of the United States to issue this Exemption for the reasons stated in paragraphs 1 and 3 of this proclamation.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
    seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.

    DONALD J. TRUMP

    ANNEX I

    Affected Facility/Source: Cardinal Unit 1, Unit 2, and Unit 3, Ohio

    Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association

    Affected Facility/Source: Craig Generating Station Unit 2 and Unit 3, Colorado

    City Water, Light and Power

    Affected Facility/Source: Dallman Unit 4, Illinois

    Cardinal Operating Company

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Valadao’s Bill to Expand Telehealth Opportunities Passes Out of House Committee on Energy and Commerce

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G. Valadao (California)

    WASHINGTON – Today, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced H.R. 3419, the Telehealth Network and Telehealth Resource Centers Grant Program Reauthorization Act, out of full committee markup. This bipartisan bill was introduced by Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) and Congressman Adam Gray (CA-13) and would provide investment in rural healthcare by reauthorizing the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs through Fiscal Year 2030.

    “Central Valley families shouldn’t have to wait weeks just to see a doctor,” said Congressman Valadao. “Expanding access to telehealth gives patients more flexibility, helps address workforce shortages that are straining our healthcare system, and gives families the tools needed to better connect with providers. I’m grateful to Chairman Brett Guthrie and the Energy and Commerce Committee for prioritizing this issue and look forward to advancing this bill.”

    Background:

    Originally enacted in 1944, the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) provides the foundation for the nation’s public health programs and workforce. Over the years, it has been a critical tool in addressing America’s evolving health care needs—particularly in rural and underserved communities where access to quality care remains a challenge.

    Through key provisions supporting community health centers, workforce development programs, and telehealth expansion, the PHSA has helped bring vital services to millions of Americans living in rural areas. Reauthorizing the telehealth network and telehealth resource grant programs ensures continued investment in initiatives that recruit and retain health professionals in rural communities, strengthens rural hospitals and clinics, and closes the geographic gaps in receiving quality care.

    Read the full bill here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Valadao Stands Up for American Financial Privacy and Innovation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G. Valadao (California)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) released the following statement after voting for the CLARITY Act, the GENIUS Act, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act. These bills help regulate digital assets to provide consumers with long-overdue protections while prioritizing the essential right to financial privacy and safeguarding the ability for digital asset developers to innovate within the cryptocurrency space.

    “Americans deserve financial privacy, and it’s long past time we put real guardrails in place to protect that right,” said Congressman Valadao. “As more people invest in digital assets, we need a framework in place that encourages innovation, puts consumers first, and keeps the federal government from overreaching into Americans’ personal finances. These bipartisan bills reaffirm our commitment to free markets and individual freedom, and I was proud to support them.”

    The CLARITY Act helps create a safer, more predictable environment for companies and consumers who use digital assets like cryptocurrency by:

    • Making it easier for businesses that work with digital assets to grow and innovate.
    • Giving clear rules to companies that offer cryptocurrency services to everyday customers.
    • Protecting consumers by requiring more transparency and responsibility from cryptocurrency firms.
    • Defining the roles of crypto regulation for the two major financial regulators—the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)—so they don’t overlap or conflict.
    • Setting up a legal process for cryptocurrency companies to register and operate properly in the U.S. 

    The GENIUS Act prioritizes consumer protection, fosters innovation, and protects U.S. currency interests by:

    • Creating a nationwide system for regulating stablecoins.
    • Requiring stablecoins to be backed by safe, reliable assets—mainly U.S. Treasury bonds and U.S. bills—to protect consumers.
    • Strengthening the U.S. dollar’s role as the world’s leading currency by increasing demand for U.S. Treasury assets.

    The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act stops the federal government from creating a digital version of the dollar that could be used to track or control Americans’ personal finances by:

    • Blocking the Federal Reserve (Fed) from launching a government-controlled digital currency for everyday Americans.
    • Ensuring the Fed can’t act like a big government-run bank that collects your financial data.
    • Preventing the government from sneaking around this rule by using third parties.
    • Stopping the government from using digital currency to influence interest rates or spending behavior.
    • Making clear that Congress—not federal agencies—have the final say on whether a digital dollar is created.

    Read the full CLARITY Act bill here.

    Read the full GENIUS Act bill here.

    Read the full Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Introduces Pesticide Injury Accountability Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Pesticide Injury Accountability Act, legislation that would ensure that pesticide manufacturers can be held responsible for the harm caused by their toxic products. Specifically, this bill would amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act of 1972 (FIFRA) to create a federal right of action for anyone who is harmed by a toxic pesticide.

    Despite growing peer-reviewed scientific evidence linking widely used pesticides to a host of health harms including cancers, birth defects, endocrine disruption, Parkinson’s disease, and infertility, a coordinated effort is being led by pesticide manufacturers in state legislatures and in Congress seeking legal immunity – a liability shield – for these big corporations.

    If these largely foreign-owned companies are successful, this liability shield would leave farmers, farmworkers, and other injured individuals without meaningful recourse for the harms caused by these toxic substances. 

    Chemical companies are seeking liability shields because they know the harm their products have already caused. Syngenta, a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned company ChemChina, reached a $187.5 million settlement in 2021 for paraquat-related Parkinson’s disease claims. Monsanto, now owned by Germany’s Bayer, has paid billions of dollars to settle lawsuits linking Roundup (glyphosate) to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

    “Rather than providing a liability shield so that foreign corporations are allowed to poison the American people, Congress should instead pass the Pesticide Injury Accountability Act to ensure that these chemical companies can be held accountable in federal court for the harm caused by their toxic products,” said Senator Booker.

    “CHD opposes any liability shield for any industry that has a direct impact on the health of the American people,” said Mary Holland, CEO of Children’s Health Defense. “Granting blanket immunity to corporations who have a fiscal responsibility to their shareholders, and not a responsibility to consumer safety, is one of the most dangerous propositions imaginable. CHD sincerely thanks Senator Booker for his leadership in sponsoring this critical piece of legislation to protect the American people over corporations.”

    “No one can dispute that crop pesticides are poisons. They are designed to kill weeds, but they also kill non-target plants and there is sound evidence linking them to human health problems,” said Jim Goodman, president of the National Family Farm Coalition. “To date, Bayer alone has paid out over $11 billion in legal settlements for medical problems caused by their herbicide Roundup. To avoid paying for damages caused by their poisons, agri-chemical companies routinely lobby for federal and state laws that shield them from any liability for the damages they are responsible for. People sickened by their poisons go bankrupt paying for their medical care and sometimes ultimately die. The Pesticide Injury Accountability Act of 2025 will hold agri-chemical companies accountable for the irreparable harms they cause.”

    “Moms Across America strongly supports the Pesticide Injury Accountability Act, which reaffirms our 7th Amendment right to sue for harm or damage,” said Zen Honeycutt, Founding Executive Director, Moms Across America. “It is unconscionable that corporations are pushing our elected officials to manipulate laws so that they can avoid accountability for safety and protect their profits over the health and safety of Americans. We must protect the American people from harm – especially from products that are proven to cause infertility, cancer, liver disease and many other negative health effects.”

    “People exposed to and suffering from the health effects of toxic chemicals should not be denied their right to seek justice,” said Geoff Horsfield, Policy Director, Environmental Working Group. “We applaud Senator Booker for his efforts to protect the rights of farmers, rural communities, workers, children and families.”

    “Granting legal immunity to pesticide manufacturers would leave farmers and their families with no way to seek justice after suffering health or crop damage from these chemicals,” said Kelly Ryerson, Co-Founder, American Regeneration. “Farmers have a right to hold companies accountable and protect their livelihoods from devastating illness.” 

    Last month, Senator Booker led a group of 20 of his colleagues in calling on Senate leadership to oppose any efforts to limit existing state and local authority to regulate pesticides in the upcoming Farm Bill or any other legislation.  

    To see a full list of endorsing organizations, click here.

    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Statement on Senate Judiciary Republicans Attempt to Push Emil Bove Through Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement:

    “Today, in their desperate attempt to push through a scandal-ridden nominee, my Republican colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee tried to silence Democrats raising legitimate concerns about Emil Bove.

    “By doing so, the Republican party has surrendered the Senate’s constitutional duty to advise and consent on nominees, in order to blindly execute Donald Trump’s agenda and place an undeserving Trump loyalist on the federal bench.

    “As hard as they try, my Republican colleagues can’t ignore the truth: Emil Bove is alarmingly unfit to serve a lifetime appointment to one of the highest courts in our country. They are too afraid to thoroughly examine his record and debate the merits of his nomination. This is a profound disappointment.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warnock Renews Effort to Address Bias in Housing Appraisals, Help Families Build Generational Wealth through Homeownership

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Warnock Renews Effort to Address Bias in Housing Appraisals, Help Families Build Generational Wealth through Homeownership

    Senator Reverend Warnock’s legislation would empower Georgians with more data and tools to fight bias that would lower their homes’ values
     For most Americans, the largest driver of wealth is their home. This makes it important to have accurate, unbiased home valuations
    Research from Brookings has found homes in Black neighborhoods are valued roughly 21% to 23% below what their valuations would be in non-Black neighborhoods
    In March, Senator Warnock introduced a comprehensive legislative package of housing bills to address the ongoing housing affordability and availability crisis in the United States
    ICYMI from The Atlanta Voice: Warnock leads Senatorial effort to even the playing field in home appraisals
    Senator Warnock: “This bill is an important next step in helping Georgia families and all Americans realize the full value of their homes, and it empowers them with more data and tools to fight bias that would lower their homes’ values”
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and five of his Senate colleagues introduced new legislation to address appraisal bias in the home buying and selling processes. Housing appraisals are supposed to provide an objective estimate of a home’s market value to ensure homebuyers pay a fair price and homeowners receive the full value of their home. Unfortunately, systemic bias in the appraisal process has disadvantaged families of color for far too long. To combat appraisal biases faced by many current and aspiring homeowners, Senator Warnock’s Appraisal Modernization Act empowers Georgians with more data and tools to fight bias that would lower their homes’ values. The legislation would:
    Increase transparency to support oversight and enforcement against bias by requiring the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to publish an online database of property-level appraisal and other home valuation data that lenders collect in connection with a mortgage application.
    Protect and empower consumers by codifying a consumer’s right to appeal a home valuation (also known as a Reconsideration of Value (ROV)) or request a second appraisal and directing the development of standardized policies to ensure consistent treatment of consumers who request an ROV or second appraisal.
    Together, these provisions will empower consumers to realize the full value of their homes. The urgency of this legislation was only further heightened when, last week, the Trump administration announced it was ending the federal task force dedicated to removing racial bias from the appraisal process. 
    “Home valuations are a critical part of the mortgage lending process and ensuring families can build generational wealth through homeownership,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “This bill is an important next step in helping Georgia families and all Americans realize the full value of their homes, and it empowers them with more data and tools to fight bias that would lower their homes’ values.”
    “I am very proud to continue the work I started as County Executive to make homeownership more equitable and accessible. As County Executive I signed a law that outlawed appraisal bias in Prince George’s County – and now it’s time we outlaw it across the nation. Home ownership should not be just a dream for the rich but an opportunity for all. Many Marylanders see home ownership as the surest way to build wealth, and they’re right. This legislation will increase transparency, protect consumers, and give Marylanders a true chance to thrive,” said Senator Alsobrooks.
    “Too many families of color suffer from systemic biases in the home appraisal process,” said Senator Booker. “One of the largest drivers of wealth for Americans is their home, and the color of your skin should not be a determinant of your home’s value. This bill is a critical step in ensuring more reliable appraisal methods, and empowering consumers to appeal potentially discriminatory valuations.”
    “For far too long, the American Dream of buying a home has been kept out of reach for families of color by a system that is fundamentally broken,” said Senator Kim. “Every family should be able to achieve that dream, and this bill will take common sense steps to make the changes needed to make those dreams come true.”
    Inconsistency in the appraisal market can disrupt the entire housing ecosystem by improperly inflating or deflating home values, while bias can perpetuate historic disinvestment in communities of color and contribute to the widening racial and ethnic wealth and homeownership gaps. That is why industry stakeholders and fair housing advocates have long supported increasing transparency in appraisal data and why most responsible lenders believe ROV is an important part of maintaining the integrity of the appraisal process. Several studies have also identified a clear relationship between lower valuations and Black neighborhoods and revealed overt references to race in appraisals. On average, today White families hold $1.3 million in wealth, compared to $211,000 for Black and $227,000 for Latino families. For most Americans, the largest driver of wealth is their home. This makes it important to have accurate, unbiased home valuations.
    “An appraisal has the power to determine the value of a consumer’s most important financial asset and can hold the key to determining whether the consumer is able to purchase a permanent home rather than rent, access credit on reasonable terms, and build wealth for generations to come,” said Nikitra Bailey, Executive Vice President of the National Fair Housing Alliance® (NFHA ). “NFHA commends Senator Warnock and his colleagues for a sensible bill designed to help consumers, appraisers, and lenders obtain the data necessary to ensure home valuations are fair and consistent.”
    “The Housing Policy Council (HPC) has long advocated for extending access to GSE data to all market participants, to enhance risk management models and practices across the housing finance ecosystem. Shared access to all government appraisal data would be a good first step to accomplish this worthy goal. HPC looks forward to working with Senator Warnock on this important policy objective,” said Ed DeMarco, President of the Housing Policy Council.
    “As President of NAMB, I will always support any legislation that ensures the fairness, protection, and privacy of homebuyers, and I applaud Senator Warnock for leading this effort. The reality is that we must be thorough in the quest to protect consumers, and we hope that your colleagues will consider this important bill as it navigates the legislative process,” said James Nabors II, President of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers.
    “The Appraisal Modernization Actis a vital first step toward remedying the decades of discrimination that have been baked into the home valuation system. The public appraisal database will enable researchers to develop more reliable valuation methods that do not rely on old data tainted by unacceptable attitudes and practices. And strengthening the consumer’s right to appeal a defective valuation will help them to protect their home equity going forward,” said Andrew Pizor, Senior Attorney, National Consumer Law Center
    “For most homeowners, their home represents family, stability and their primary financial asset,” says Laura Arce, senior vice president, Economic Initiatives at UnidosUS. “The economic value of that home includes many factors, but the race or ethnicity of its owner should not be one of them. UnidosUS supports the Appraisal Modernization Actand applauds its sponsors, Senators Warnock, Alsobrooks, Blunt Rochester, Kim, Warren, and Booker. The home appraisal industry is overdue modernization, and this bill will bring needed transparency and a common sense right to appeal to the appraisal process. American families should not have to continue to leave equity behind.”
    As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, which oversees federal housing policies, Senator Warnock has worked to increase affordable housing and illuminate a path to homeownership, a cornerstone of the American Dream. As one of twelve brothers and sisters growing up in public housing in Savannah, Senator Warnock deeply understands the importance of having a place to call home and homeownership. In March 2025, Senator Warnock introduced a comprehensive legislative package of housing bills to address the ongoing housing affordability and availability crisis in the United States. In the past few years, Senator Warnock voted for government funding legislation that increased America’s housing supply, strengthened housing affordability, and addressed the homelessness crisis, including by: increasing the supply of affordable housing nationwide with funding to build 10,000 new rental and homebuyer units; extending funding for the Yes In My Backyard (“YIMBY”) grant program to support efforts to increase our nation’s housing supply and lower housing costs through state and local zoning changes; and delivering $275 million in new funding for Homeless Assistance Grants to help address homelessness in communities across the country and providing new resources to better connect people experiencing homelessness with health care services. Senator Warnock has also secured nearly $80 million in housing investments to provide affordable housing options for Georgians at all income levels and repair hazardous housing conditions in low-income housing units. 
    In addition to Senator Warnock, the Appraisal Modernization Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). 
    A fact sheet on the legislation can be found HERE.
    Bill text for the Appraisal Modernization Act can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warnock, Capito Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Boost Child Care Workforce, Increase Access to Early Head Start Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Warnock, Capito Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Boost Child Care Workforce, Increase Access to Early Head Start Programs

    The bipartisan HEADWAY Act would address staffing shortages in the child care workforce by allowing Early Head Start classroom teachers to teach and earn their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential simultaneously

    Senator Reverend Warnock is one of two Head Start alum currently serving in the Senate

    Senator Warnock is also a founding member of the Head Start to Congress Caucus

    As of February 2023, nearly 20% of Early Head Start and Early Head Start staff positions remained vacant nationwide

    Senator Warnock: “I’m where I am today because of programs like Head Start”

    Senator Capito: “Workforce shortages in childcare centers, including in Head Start and Early Head Start, can be particularly challenging for families and communities because so many parents rely on consistent childcare to be able to work”

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the bipartisan HEADWAY Act (Head Start Education and Development Workforce Advancement and Yield Act). The legislation would address early child care workforce shortages by allowing Early Head Start classroom teachers to teach and earn their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential simultaneously. As of February 2023, nearly 20% of Early Head Start and Early Head Start staff positions remained vacant nationwide.

    The HEADWAY Act would also help pave the way for greater hiring flexibility, attract more qualified candidates to the profession of early childhood education, and ensure that Early Head Start classrooms are fully staffed.

    “I’m where I am today because of programs like Head Start,” said Senator Warnock, who is one of two Head Start alums currently serving in the Senate.“Ensuring our nation’s children have access to quality childcare and excellent teachers is crucial, which is why I am so pleased to work across the aisle with Senator Capito on this effort. As the father of two young kids, I know how crucial education is during those formative years to their continued growth.”

    “Workforce shortages in childcare centers, including in Head Start and Early Head Start, can be particularly challenging for families and communities because so many parents rely on consistent childcare to be able to work. I am proud to help introduce the HEADWAY Act, which will add staff to Early Head Start classrooms, and give early-career childcare workers the skills, mentorship, and experience they need to thrive,” Senator Capito said.

    “The HEADWAY Act addresses two serious workforce challenges: it provides added flexibility for Early Head Start to hire and train those new to the early childhood workforce, and it enables the beginning of a career path in early childhood education for those who are interested in the field but still need training. The HEADWAY Act provides a career stepping stone, improves Early Head Start’s capacity to serve, and ensures we remain competitive and adaptable in an ever-changing workforce market,” said NHSA’s Executive Director Yasmina Vinci. “We applaud Senators Raphael Warnock – a proud Head Start alumnus – and Shelley Capito for their belief in the potential of our people to bring Head Start to new heights, and helping children and families in Early Head Start to flourish.”

    “We recognize Senators Warnock and Capito for their deep support of Early Head Start and the role the CDA plays in its success. The important thing to remember is that, ultimately, the bill will lead to more teachers with CDAs. We’re at a point where we recognize the need for flexibility to ensure classrooms are fully staffed, as the senators have advanced with their bill. We also believe those who earn a CDA should have that achievement recognized with salary increases.” – The Council for Professional Recognition.

    The HEADWAY Act will allow Head Start to fulfill its commitment to providing high-quality, early childhood education for children from vulnerable families, laying the foundation for their future success. The HEADWAY Act will support Early Head Start learning professionals and give program directors the flexibility they need to respond to employment trends, while still maintaining the high standards and professionalization of the field.

    As a Head Start alum, Senator Warnock has been a strong advocate for the program. Previously, in 2023, Senator Warnock returned to his hometown of Savannah, Georgia, to tour Early Head Start classrooms at the Economic Opportunity Authority (EOA) for Savannah-Chatham County and hear from local early learning leaders about the workforce shortages impacting this critical early education program serving low-income families and their children.

    The bill text for the HEADWAY Act is HERE.

    A one-pager for the HEADWAY Act is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Warnock Highlights Consequences of Medical Debt Rule Reversal for Millions of Americans to ABC News Live Prime

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    ICYMI: Warnock Highlights Consequences of Medical Debt Rule Reversal for Millions of Americans to ABC News Live Prime

    Senator Reverend Warnock spoke to ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis about the Trump administration’s decision to reverse policy to keep medical debt off credit reports

    In January 2025, Senator Warnock successfully pressed the CFPB to ban credit lenders from including medical bills in credit reports and prohibit lenders from using medical information in lending decisions

    On July 14, Senator Warnock led 29 colleagues in demanding answers from the CFPB on why the Trump Administration was actively working to add medical debt back onto credit reports

    Senator Reverend Warnock: “This is an issue that impacts millions of Americans”

    Senator Reverend Warnock joins ABC News Live Prime, watch HERE

    Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined ABC News Live Prime with host Linsey Davis to discuss the Trump administration’s decision to add medical debt back onto credit reports. The administration is working to vacate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) medical debt rule finalized in January 2025. The interview follows a Senator Warnock-led effort to demand the CFPB share relevant data and any communications it had with entities during the process that would profit from its decision.

    “This is an issue that impacts literally millions of Americans,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “Medical debt is not a good predictor of whether or not people will pay [their debts]. There are a lot of mistakes as it turns out around medical billing.”

    “[Medical debt] drives peoples’ scores down, making it very, very difficult if not impossible to get a mortgage, to get a car loan, to start a small business. As your credit score goes down, of course, everything becomes more expensive. That seems to be a theme of the Trump administration. They’re making everything more expensive,” added Senator Warnock.

    Senator Warnock, a member of the Senate Finance Committee which oversees the federal tax code, continues to stand up in defense of Georgia consumers by holding the CFPB under President Trump accountable. In February, Senator Warnock questioned Trump administration CFPB nominees at a Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Hearing. During the hearing, Senator Warnock asked the nominees if they agreed with President Trump on the CFPB being, ‘A very important thing to get rid of’ and if the agency would address the 266,560 outstanding complaints from Georgians in a timely manner.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN chief reports progress in Cyprus talks, urges swift implementation of trust measures

    Source: United Nations 4

    Mr. Guterres was speaking to reporters after hosting Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar at the UN Headquarters in New York.

    “Today’s discussions were constructive. Both leaders reviewed the progress on the six initiatives they agreed to in March to build trust,” he said.

    Out of these six initiatives, four have been achieved: the creation of a technical committee on youth, initiatives on the environment and climate change, restoration of cemeteries, and an agreement on demining that will be closed once the final technical details are established.

    “And discussions will continue on the remaining two,” the UN chief added, referring to the opening of four crossing points on the divided island and solar energy in the buffer zone.

    New initiatives

    In addition, the leaders reached a common understanding on new initiatives, including a consultative body for civil society engagement, exchanging cultural artifacts, improving air quality monitoring, and addressing microplastic pollution.

    “It is critical to implement these initiatives – all of them – as soon as possible for the benefit of all Cypriots,” Mr. Guterres said.

    The Secretary-General also confirmed that he will meet both leaders again during the UN General Assembly’s high‑level week in September. Another informal meeting in the same format is planned later this year.

    A long road ahead

    “There’s a long road ahead. And it is important to think about what the future can mean – for all Cypriots,” he said.

    “But these steps clearly demonstrate a commitment to continuing a dialogue on the way forward and working on initiatives that benefit all Cypriots,” he added.

    Secretary-General Guterres speaks to the media at the UN Headquarters, in New York.

    Supporting dialogue

    The United Nations has been playing a central role in efforts towards a comprehensive and mutually acceptable settlement to the Cyprus issue, supporting dialogue between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders.

    While sufficient common ground has not been found to allow for the resumption of formal negotiations, engagement towards that end continues – including informal meetings convened by the Secretary-General and other top UN officials.

    Meanwhile, the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), deployed since 1964, remains on the ground, helping to maintain stability across the island.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Brad Sherman Condemns Settler Violence, Urges Arrests in Killing of U.S. Citizen

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)

    Washington, DC — Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32) released the following statement: 

    I am the Co-Chair of the Israel Allies Caucus, the Ranking Member of the Congress-Knesset Friendship Group, and a lifelong advocate for an ironclad U.S.-Israel relationship. It is in the spirit of that support that I wholeheartedly condemn the heinous recent terrorist murder by extremist Israeli settlers of Sayfollah Musallet, a young Palestinian American visiting family in the West Bank. Just today I discussed this with Israel’s Consul General Israel Bachar and will be expressing these views to Ambassador Yechiel Leiter tomorrow.

    Mr. Musallet was attacked on his family’s property in Area B of the West Bank, where no settlements may be constructed and no settlers should be present. All settlement outposts in Area B, particularly those associated with this incident, should be dismantled. Further fueling the outrage are reports that the assailants prevented ambulances from reaching Mr. Musallet for hours while there still may have been an opportunity to save his life. 

    I join U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee in calling this crime what it is: a “criminal and terrorist act.”

    Terrorism, whether its targets be Israelis or Palestinians, is unacceptable and unjustifiable. Tolerance for terrorism anywhere and by any perpetrator is a grave threat to the safety of both Israelis and Palestinians alike. In addition, the U.S.-Israel relationship requires that the Government of Israel brings to justice anyone who commits such a heinous act against an American citizen. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Education – Campaign launched to boost school board participation

    Source: Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa (NZSTA)

    Te Whakarōpūtanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa – the New Zealand School Boards Association (NZSBA) has officially launched its national campaign, Get on Board 2025, to mobilise participation in the upcoming triennial school board elections.
    The campaign aims to increase nominations and voter turnout for school boards (formerly boards of trustees) across Aotearoa, encouraging Kiwis to step forward and help shape the future of their local schools.

    Created in-house,  Get on Board 2025 builds on previous campaigns and brings a fresh new look, modernised resources and a digital-first approach designed to reach more prospective board members than ever before.
    “School boards play a critical role in our education system. They make decisions that affect students, teachers and whānau across the country,” says NZSBA President Meredith Kennett.
    “This campaign is about making sure all New Zealanders understand the value of community participation in their children’s education – and feel empowered to take part.”
    With updated messaging, vibrant visuals and a strong focus on video storytelling and social media, the 2025 campaign is designed to highlight the value of school board service and the impact local governance has on student success.
    Key features of the Get on Board 2025 campaign include:

    • A new campaign identity and refreshed resources for schools and boards, including digital and print-ready assets.
    • In collaboration with Foxton-based animator Fraser Munro, a promotional video (also translated into te reo Māori).
    • A redeveloped website – schoolboardelections.org.nz – built by our digital partner Somar featuring improved accessibility, clearer content and easier navigation for prospective candidates and voters.
    • Advertising across print, radio and digital (as well as TV via Whakaata Māori).
    • It sits alongside Mātauranga Iwi Leaders Group’s Whakapapa Decisions campaign to increase Māori participation in the elections.
    The triennial elections are scheduled for September 2025. Nominations for most schools are now open, and NZSBA encourages everyone who is passionate about their school community to consider standing or nominating someone they know.
    Visit www.schoolboardelections.org.nz for more information and join one of our community webinars or in-person sessions to see what it’s all about.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Claiming FRCGW as a credit this tax time

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Our commitment to you

    We are committed to providing you with accurate, consistent and clear information to help you understand your rights and entitlements and meet your obligations.

    If you follow our information and it turns out to be incorrect, or it is misleading and you make a mistake as a result, we will take that into account when determining what action, if any, we should take.

    Some of the information on this website applies to a specific financial year. This is clearly marked. Make sure you have the information for the right year before making decisions based on that information.

    If you feel that our information does not fully cover your circumstances, or you are unsure how it applies to you, contact us or seek professional advice.

    Copyright notice

    © Australian Taxation Office for the Commonwealth of Australia

    You are free to copy, adapt, modify, transmit and distribute this material as you wish (but not in any way that suggests the ATO or the Commonwealth endorses you or any of your services or products).

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Coast Guard completes historic Quad Sail to strengthen Indo-Pacific maritime partnership

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    07/17/2025 06:36 PM EDT

    SANTA RITA, Guam — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) arrived in Guam, July 3, after a landmark multinational sail with representatives aboard from the maritime forces from Australia, India, and Japan—collectively known as the Quad. As four leading maritime nations in the Indo-Pacific, Quad nations are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region. We are committed to a region where all countries are free from coercion and strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.

    For breaking news follow us on twitter @USCGHawaiiPac

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pettersen Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Leverage Commercial Weather Data Tools to Mitigate Extreme Weather Risks

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brittany Pettersen (Colorado 7th District)

    Today, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) introduced bipartisan legislation with Congressman John Moolenaar (MI-04) so Colorado farmers, ranchers, and rural communities can better respond to extreme weather events. The legislation ensures that commercial weather data and tools – using satellites and other space-based technologies – are eligible for funding under the priority research areas for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), boosting investments to mitigate risks for farmers and foresters during extreme weather events. 

    As major weather events become more severe and more frequent, commercial tools like satellite technology can better detect weather to predict and monitor life-threatening conditions in real time, helping communities anticipate floods, monitor droughts, and detect wildfire risk earlier. However, these tools can be expensive and difficult to access, especially in rural areas.

    Pettersen’s legislation ensures that USDA research funding can support the adoption and development of these technologies so that farmers, ranchers, and rural communities can use these advanced forecasting tools.

    “Rural Colorado is on the frontlines of severe weather events like wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters,” said Pettersen. “As we continue to see more natural disasters each year, it’s critical that we leverage the best available technology to keep people and property safe. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure farmers, ranchers, and rural communities are better prepared for when the next disaster strikes.”

    “Michigan farmers work tirelessly to provide quality produce for our communities,” said Moolenaar. “Unfortunately, unforeseen severe weather can ruin an entire year of crops unless it is properly prepared for. The Space-Based Agricultural Data Act is a common-sense proposal which will give American farmers and ranchers the tools they need to mitigate the risks of unpredictable weather, so they can continue to grow and raise the food we rely on.”

    “The bill will help innovative small businesses like ours here in CO provide mission critical extreme weather forecasting to farmers and others across rural America,” Thomas Cavett, VP Government Affairs and Strategy, who works and resides in Colorado. “Tomorrow.io applauds Representatives Pettersen and Moolenaar for introducing it.”

    The legislation builds on the innovation already happening in Colorado. Tomorrow.io, a global weather intelligence company with a growing presence in Golden, CO, is deploying commercial weather satellites to improve forecasting capabilities and help communities make data-driven decisions before disaster strikes. These technologies can help local communities plan evacuations, protect crops and livestock, and ensure Coloradans are equipped for extreme weather.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pettersen Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Leverage Commercial Weather Data Tools to Mitigate Extreme Weather Risks

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brittany Pettersen (Colorado 7th District)

    Today, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) introduced bipartisan legislation with Congressman John Moolenaar (MI-04) so Colorado farmers, ranchers, and rural communities can better respond to extreme weather events. The legislation ensures that commercial weather data and tools – using satellites and other space-based technologies – are eligible for funding under the priority research areas for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), boosting investments to mitigate risks for farmers and foresters during extreme weather events. 

    As major weather events become more severe and more frequent, commercial tools like satellite technology can better detect weather to predict and monitor life-threatening conditions in real time, helping communities anticipate floods, monitor droughts, and detect wildfire risk earlier. However, these tools can be expensive and difficult to access, especially in rural areas.

    Pettersen’s legislation ensures that USDA research funding can support the adoption and development of these technologies so that farmers, ranchers, and rural communities can use these advanced forecasting tools.

    “Rural Colorado is on the frontlines of severe weather events like wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters,” said Pettersen. “As we continue to see more natural disasters each year, it’s critical that we leverage the best available technology to keep people and property safe. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure farmers, ranchers, and rural communities are better prepared for when the next disaster strikes.”

    “Michigan farmers work tirelessly to provide quality produce for our communities,” said Moolenaar. “Unfortunately, unforeseen severe weather can ruin an entire year of crops unless it is properly prepared for. The Space-Based Agricultural Data Act is a common-sense proposal which will give American farmers and ranchers the tools they need to mitigate the risks of unpredictable weather, so they can continue to grow and raise the food we rely on.”

    “The bill will help innovative small businesses like ours here in CO provide mission critical extreme weather forecasting to farmers and others across rural America,” Thomas Cavett, VP Government Affairs and Strategy, who works and resides in Colorado. “Tomorrow.io applauds Representatives Pettersen and Moolenaar for introducing it.”

    The legislation builds on the innovation already happening in Colorado. Tomorrow.io, a global weather intelligence company with a growing presence in Golden, CO, is deploying commercial weather satellites to improve forecasting capabilities and help communities make data-driven decisions before disaster strikes. These technologies can help local communities plan evacuations, protect crops and livestock, and ensure Coloradans are equipped for extreme weather.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Florida House Democrats Call for Closure and Demand More Access, Oversight in No Cages in the Everglades Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

    “Trump and Ron DeSantis have exploited legal ambiguity around this Everglades internment camp to avoid any scrutiny of abuses there,” said Wasserman Schultz. “Our bill would shut down this atrocity, strengthen oversight of detention facilities nationwide, and mandate public reporting on costs, conditions, and the treatment of detainees at this detention site, as well as report on any harms to the environment and nearby tribal lands. The public deserves the full truth about what’s happening in and around this facility and they deserve accountability for any laws broken.”

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Florida’s Congressional Democratic delegation introduced the No Cages in the Everglades Act to defund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) lawless, inhumane immigration detention site within South Florida’s ecologically sensitive tribal lands, and to ensure more robust access, public data, and Congressional oversight there and in all similar facilities. It was introduced by U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), along with her fellow Florida Reps. Kathy Castor (FL-14), Frederica Wilson, (FL-24) Lois Frankel (FL-22), Darren Soto (FL-9), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23).

    “Trump and Ron DeSantis have exploited legal ambiguity around this Everglades internment camp to avoid any scrutiny of abuses there,” said Wasserman Schultz. “Our bill would shut down this atrocity, strengthen oversight of detention facilities nationwide, and mandate public reporting on costs, conditions, and the treatment of detainees at this detention site, as well as report on any harms to the environment and nearby tribal lands. The public deserves the full truth about what’s happening in and around this facility and  they deserve accountability for any laws broken.”

    “The reports coming out of Trump’s so-called ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ are deeply disturbing,” said Frankel. “Detained immigrants—many of whom have no criminal record—are being denied water, medicine, legal counsel, and other basic human rights. Turning our beloved Everglades—an environmentally protected area that provides drinking water to millions and is home to a treasured national park—into a prison camp is outrageous and un-American. This bill puts a stop to the madness. It bars ICE from using this dangerous and inappropriate facility, ensures Members of Congress have access to detention sites for proper oversight, and demands accountability through an Inspector General review. We need serious immigration reform, not cruel political stunts that waste taxpayer dollars and violate our values.”

    “The Everglades Detention Center is a danger to federal agents, the Florida National Guard, ICE detainees, and others, as it is built on a flood plain and can only withstand a Category 2 hurricane,” said Soto. “ On top of that, ICE detaines are held in inhumane, crowded, hot, and unsanitary conditions—32 to a cage, 83-degree temperatures, non-functioning toilets, and mosquito-infested conditions. This facility should be shut down immediately.”

    “I’m proud to be an original co-sponsor of the No Cages in the Everglades Act and to stand with those courageously exposing the inhumane conditions at this detention facility,” said Cherfilus-McCormick. “No one should be subjected to unsafe, degrading treatment, and we cannot meet these injustices with silence or symbolic gestures. We have a moral responsibility to act decisively. Every person in our custody deserves dignity, safety, and basic human rights.”

    “What’s happening in the Everglades is nothing short of a modern-day immigrant internment camp,” said Frost. “We will not sit back while the State of Florida and the Department of Homeland Security spend hundreds of millions of dollars and partner up to turn protected wetlands into a place of imaginable horror – a hell-on-Earth where hundreds of men are held in cages in tents under the scorching sun under the guide of public safety. This is not security. This is cruelty. This is not immigration policy. This is dehumanization.”

    The No Cages in the Everglades Act bill would: 

    • Prohibit DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from contracting with, funding, or operating any immigration detention facility located in or adjacent to the Everglades.
    • Prevent harm to sacred tribal lands, endangered wildlife, and the Everglades’ ecological balance — which are already under immense pressure. 
    • Explicitly affirm Members of Congress’ right to inspect any facility holding federal immigration detainees, whether it’s owned or operated by the federal government, a state, or a private contractor. This ensures accountability and compliance with federal law.
    • Require the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General to investigate and report on the conditions, costs, and impacts of this facility including its effect on detainees, the environment, and nearby tribal lands, so Congress and the public get the full truth about what’s happening and whether any laws have been broken. 

    This bill is also supported by:

    • American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
    • Detention Watch Network
    • Church World Service (CWS)
    • National Immigration Law Center (NILC)

    Read the full text of the legislation here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Trade – Canada-NZ dairy dispute: A win for exporters

    Source: BusinessNZ

    ExportNZ is pleased to see a years-long dairy dispute between Canada and New Zealand resolved, unlocking higher export value for Kiwi business.
    Executive Director Josh Tan says the outcome is a win for New Zealand dairy exporters, and a win for the rules-based trading system.
    “It’s essential that our trade agreements function as they were agreed to – particularly in the current global trade context. Likewise, our trade partners should ensure they are playing by the rules.
    “Canada remains a valuable trade partner to New Zealand. In agreeing to meet its obligations under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Canada has guaranteed better market access for Kiwi exporters and we commend them for honouring this agreed outcome.
    “ExportNZ acknowledges the Minister for Trade and Investment and our New Zealand officials, for their persistent effort to reach the right outcome under the CPTPP agreement.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Energy Sector – New rules unlock network connection barriers to support electrification

    Source: Electricity Authority

    The Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko (the Authority) is making it easier and faster to connect to the electricity network so New Zealand can electrify faster.
    The changes are the first steps in the Authority’s work to make it easier and more efficient for businesses, developers and other consumers to get access to the electricity network so communities and the economy can benefit.
    The Authority consulted on a package of changes late last year, with a focus on reducing the time and cost to connect infrastructure such as public EV charging stations, manufacturing, and solar farms.
    Authority General Manager Networks and System Change Tim Sparks says standardised rules about how the 29 lines companies process connection applications and how they develop and structure pricing for new and upgraded connections are vital to getting more electricity into the network and reducing costs.
    “Inconsistencies and inefficiencies in the application processes and pricing methodologies across New Zealand’s 29 lines companies can add unnecessary time and cost to projects, particularly for those who want to operate in multiple regions,” Sparks said. “The changes we’ve announced today will help address these issues and unlock more of the barriers to electrification.
    “Under the new rules, lines companies must offer the least-cost, technically acceptable solution,” Sparks said. “Any extra costs to enhance the connection – for example running the connection underground – will be paid for by whoever requested it. This ensures people aren’t paying for other network costs they didn’t ask for.”
    The Authority’s changes include introducing processes for larger users wanting to connect – such as an EV charge point operator or a public transport operator electrifying its fleet – including setting timeframes for decisions. To date, large energy users haven’t had baseline protections because the rules have only applied to electricity generators directly connecting to the network. Providing a clear and consistent process will increase transparency and certainty for those needing to connect and make the process more efficient for everyone involved.
    “We have been working with the Commerce Commission and industry on these improvements, which we believe will increase transparency and consistency and address some known issues. Overall, we expect both lines companies and those needing to connect will benefit from more efficient connection processes. All New Zealanders will benefit over time through increased choice and value as more services and infrastructure come online sooner.”
    The Authority is introducing eight new requirements to improve the network connection application process and four new connection pricing requirements. The Authority is further considering two of the rule changes originally proposed in last year’s consultation papers to ensure they fully and effectively address the issues they are intended to resolve. They are:
    – the ‘reliance limit’, which aimed to prevent already high-upfront charges from increasing further
    – creating an obligation for distributors to connect all applications that meet certain criteria.
    The Authority expects to further consult on these two further potential changes before the end of the year.
    The Authority is now seeking feedback on the draft wording of the new connection pricing rules to ensure it accurately reflects the decisions made. The technical consultation on the draft wording of the new rules for connection application processes will open in August.
    Most of the requirements for new connection pricing methodologies come into effect on 1 April 2026 to align with any other distribution pricing changes, as well as with the Commerce Commission processes. The new requirements for the connection application processes come into effect in the second half of 2026, allowing 12 months after the changes have been gazetted. The exception is the application process for large consumers, which will come into effect 18 months after being gazetted, as this involves entirely new processes that need to be developed.
    For more information:
    Notes:The Electricity Authority is an independent Crown Entity with the main statutory objective to promote competition in, reliable supply by, and the efficient operation of, the electricity industry for the long-term benefit of consumers. The additional objective of the Authority is to protect the interests of domestic consumers and small business consumers in relation to the supply of electricity to those consumers.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Trade – Settlement of Canada dispute welcomed by DCANZ

    Source: Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ)

    Dairy exporters will benefit from the settlement of New Zealand’s CPTPP quota dispute with Canada, as announced by the Government today.
    The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) welcomes the news and congratulates the Government for settling the long-running issue that has been costing New Zealand because of quotas that couldn’t be fully used. DCANZ also acknowledges the work of the previous Government in initiating the dispute process.
    The heart of the issue has been Canada limiting the use of the 16 small quotas that facilitate CPTPP dairy access by allocating the majority of import licenses to its own processors, which mostly don’t use them. This practice, along with quota licence hand-back-and-reallocation happening late in the quota year and no penalties for under-use, has limited other importers with a stronger interest in New Zealand products from using the agreed access. Other administrative processes have also added cost and slowed trade when it does occur.
    In 2023, a panel of trade law experts ruled that Canada’s approach did not comply with the CPTPP agreement requirements to administer the quotas in a manner that provides importers the opportunity to utilise the volumes fully.New Zealand was forced to trigger the mandatory negotiations allowed for under the CPTPP’s rules when Canada didn’t comply with this ruling. While not achieving the preferred immediate move to a simpler on-demand system so that quota licences only go to importers who want to use them, DCANZ agrees that adequate improvements have been made to settle the dispute.
    DCANZ Executive Director Kimberly Crewther says she looks forward to New Zealand exporters enjoying an easier time trading into the 16 CPTPP dairy tariff rate quotas from 1 January 2026.
    “The improved administrative provision that will result from this agreement will make the quotas commercially more usable and valuable for our exporters.
    “Under the agreement, Canada will bring forward the dates for return and reallocation of quota licences that the initial recipients will not use and introduce penalties for recipients who either do not use their allocation or transfer it on to importers who want to use it.
    “This has been a long time coming and we believe it will make a positive difference.
    “We will be watching implementation closely. Significantly, if those changes don’t work, there is also provision that quota allocation could move to our first preference of an on-demand system.”
    In the meantime, Crewther says DCANZ remains concerned that Canadian subsidised exports are continuing to harm New Zealand exporters’ interests in global markets for dairy protein products.
    “Canada needs to be held equally to account for this, via the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
    “Earlier this year, DCANZ joined United States and Australian dairy industry representatives in calling for government action to stop Canada from dumping artificially low-priced dairy protein exports on world markets.
    “Its milk pricing mechanisms are enabling their dairy processors to access milk proteins at below the cost of production and so distort its export of a range of products.
    “This practice is at odds with Canada’s international trade obligations and must be addressed as a matter of urgency under the WTO’s rules.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returns home, offloads approximately $93.2 million worth of drugs in St. Petersburg

    Source: United States Coast Guard

    U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 07/17/2025 06:30 PM EDT

     

    07/17/2025 06:11 PM EDT

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Resolute offloaded nearly 12,600 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $93.2 million, in their homeport of St. Petersburg, Thursday, following a 59-day patrol in the Eastern Pacific.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Russia Ukraine War – “Brutal Milestone”: 2000 Attacks on Ukraine’s Hospitals, Clinicians, and Health Infrastructure Since Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion – Physicians for Human Rights

    Source: Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)

    July 17, 2025 – Ukraine has endured 2000 attacks on the country’s health care system, according to documentation and monitoring by human rights and humanitarian organizations. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 Ukraine has experienced:

    • 2000 total attacks on health care
    • 1059 attacks damaged or destroyed hospitals
    • 285 health workers killed
    • 245 health workers injured
    • 105 attacks affecting children’s hospitals
    • 81 attacks affecting maternal health facilities
    • 178 attacks on hospital utilities.

    “This brutal milestone and pattern of attacks clearly illustrates the Russian Federation’s aim to eliminate Ukrainians’ access to life-saving medical care and create conditions that jeopardize basic treatment and survival,” said Uliana Poltavets, PHR’s Ukraine emergency response coordinator. “As Ukrainian civilians across the country – including health workers and patients – come under sustained attack, the global community must prioritize and advance accountability for these crimes.”

    Russia’s escalating assault on Ukraine in recent months has included mounting attacks on the country’s civilian population and infrastructure, including hospitals and health workers.  

    The attacks on health care have picked up pace in 2025 with the intensification of drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. On Monday, Russian forces reportedly attacked a hospital in Sumy region, with 10 people injured. Last week, a Russian drone and missile assault reportedly damaged a maternity hospital in Kharkiv and destroyed a primary care clinic in Kyiv.  

    The new data is from a coalition of global and Ukrainian organizations, including eyeWitness to Atrocities, Insecurity Insight, the Media Initiative for Human Rights, Physicians for Human Rights, Truth Hounds, and the Ukrainian Healthcare Center. The 2000 attacks are depicted on an interactive map (attacksonhealthukraine.org).  

    The organizations have been monitoring and documenting attacks on Ukraine’s health care system since the onset of the full-scale invasion, including through a series of publications. The dataset uses the definitions of attacks on health care as defined by the World Health Organization and used by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition.  The interactive map is updated with attacks on health care as of April 2025.

    “The global community should safeguard the Ukrainian health workers who risk it all to save lives,” said Poltavets. “Russia’s continued assault on civilian infrastructure underscores the life-saving impact of humanitarian and health aid. At this critical moment, global leadership, particularly sustained support for accountability efforts, is more needed than ever.”

    Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Click here for the full document: Attacks on Healthcare in Ukraine. (ref. https://www.attacksonhealthukraine.org )

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Russia Ukraine War – “Brutal Milestone”: 2000 Attacks on Ukraine’s Hospitals, Clinicians, and Health Infrastructure Since Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion – Physicians for Human Rights

    Source: Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)

    July 17, 2025 – Ukraine has endured 2000 attacks on the country’s health care system, according to documentation and monitoring by human rights and humanitarian organizations. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 Ukraine has experienced:

    • 2000 total attacks on health care
    • 1059 attacks damaged or destroyed hospitals
    • 285 health workers killed
    • 245 health workers injured
    • 105 attacks affecting children’s hospitals
    • 81 attacks affecting maternal health facilities
    • 178 attacks on hospital utilities.

    “This brutal milestone and pattern of attacks clearly illustrates the Russian Federation’s aim to eliminate Ukrainians’ access to life-saving medical care and create conditions that jeopardize basic treatment and survival,” said Uliana Poltavets, PHR’s Ukraine emergency response coordinator. “As Ukrainian civilians across the country – including health workers and patients – come under sustained attack, the global community must prioritize and advance accountability for these crimes.”

    Russia’s escalating assault on Ukraine in recent months has included mounting attacks on the country’s civilian population and infrastructure, including hospitals and health workers.  

    The attacks on health care have picked up pace in 2025 with the intensification of drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. On Monday, Russian forces reportedly attacked a hospital in Sumy region, with 10 people injured. Last week, a Russian drone and missile assault reportedly damaged a maternity hospital in Kharkiv and destroyed a primary care clinic in Kyiv.  

    The new data is from a coalition of global and Ukrainian organizations, including eyeWitness to Atrocities, Insecurity Insight, the Media Initiative for Human Rights, Physicians for Human Rights, Truth Hounds, and the Ukrainian Healthcare Center. The 2000 attacks are depicted on an interactive map (attacksonhealthukraine.org).  

    The organizations have been monitoring and documenting attacks on Ukraine’s health care system since the onset of the full-scale invasion, including through a series of publications. The dataset uses the definitions of attacks on health care as defined by the World Health Organization and used by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition.  The interactive map is updated with attacks on health care as of April 2025.

    “The global community should safeguard the Ukrainian health workers who risk it all to save lives,” said Poltavets. “Russia’s continued assault on civilian infrastructure underscores the life-saving impact of humanitarian and health aid. At this critical moment, global leadership, particularly sustained support for accountability efforts, is more needed than ever.”

    Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Click here for the full document: Attacks on Healthcare in Ukraine. (ref. https://www.attacksonhealthukraine.org )

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Ogles Urges Investigation Into Belmont University DEI Deception

    Source:

    Washington, DC—Congressman Andy Ogles (TN-05) sent a formal letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon demanding an immediate compliance review of Belmont University for its alleged rebranding of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in defiance of federal law and Executive Order 14173, “Combating Radical Ideologies in Higher Education.”

    Despite public claims of compliance with President Trump’s directive to eliminate DEI programs, Belmont appears to have rebranded its DEI bureaucracy under a new label: “HUB”—Hope, Unity, and Belonging. Leaked video footage and whistleblower reports suggest this rebranding is an intentional effort to deceive federal authorities and continue promoting discriminatory programming under a new name.

    “Belmont University claims to be a Christian institution grounded in Biblical principles—but its administration is injecting anti-gospel DEI ideology into its curriculum,” said Congressman Ogles. “President Trump has rightly demanded that colleges and universities dismantle the DEI cartel or lose federal funding. Belmont officials, however, have been caught on camera bragging about their ‘clever’ scheme to rebrand DEI and continue pushing the same radical agenda under a new name.

    “I am demanding a full investigation into Belmont—and, if necessary, a cut to their federal funding. The preservation of faithful Christian education in Middle Tennessee is non-negotiable.”

    Read The Letter Here

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Feenstra Supports Three Bills to Bolster American Leadership in Digital Assets, Ban Central Bank Digital Currency in United States

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) voted for three pieces of legislation to bolster American leadership in the digital asset marketplace and to ban the creation of a central bank digital currency in the United States.

    “The increasing adoption of digital assets and the use of blockchain technologies can grow our economy and provide American families with a new opportunity to grow wealth. However, under President Biden, digital assets were attacked, which crushed innovation and created uncertainty for businesses. We want digital asset innovation to happen in America and crypto jobs to be created in America – without ceding ground to foreign countries,” said Rep. Feenstra. “That’s why I voted for three bills to cement American leadership in the digital asset marketplace and to ban the creation of a central bank digital currency in the United States. Under President Trump, we are protecting Americans’ financial security, investing in our economy, and making America the crypto capital of the world.”

    The Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act establishes clear roles for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), provides consumer protections through greater transparency and accountability in the marketplace, and helps digital asset firms operate legally and with confidence in the United States.

    The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act provides clear rules of the road for the issuance of payment stablecoins, which are pegged to a stable currency like the U.S. dollar.

    The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act would ban the creation of a central bank digital currency in the United States.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Barry Moore cosponsors bipartisan Bridge Investment and Modernization Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Barry Moore

    Washington D.C. – Congressman Barry Moore (AL-01) cosponsored the Bridge Investment and Modernization Act of 2025, introduced by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee members Representatives Shomari Figures (AL-02) and Mike Ezell (MS-04).

    This bipartisan legislation reauthorizes the Bridge Investment Program through 2031 and cuts government red tape that only allowed one large Bridge Investment Program grant per state. Reauthorizing this program will streamline federal funding, ensuring projects like the I-10 Bridge and Bayway Project get the necessary resources needed for completion.

    This legislation will deliver faster, more effective repairs and upgrades to bridges across the nation. The Bridge Investment and Modernization Act was also submitted into the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Portal by Reps. Figures and Ezell for consideration in the reauthorization package, which is expected to come to the floor later this year or early next year.

    “Alabama’s economy depends on strong roads and bridges to transport goods, support businesses, and connect our communities,” said Moore. “I’m proud to support this bill, which makes critical reauthorizations to move federal dollars where they’re needed most while cutting the bureaucratic red tape we see so often in Washington. This bill allows for continued investments in American infrastructure and specifically advances projects like the I-10 Bridge and Bayway Project in Mobile, making travel safer and easier for so many across the Gulf Coast. I will continue working with President Trump and Transportation Secretary Duffy to ensure we deliver on a new I-10 bridge.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –