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  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Chinese New Year”: what awaits guests of “Winter in Moscow” on Tverskoy Boulevard

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Chinese New Year festival, which is taking place in the capital from January 28 to February 9 as part of the Winter in Moscow project, awaits guests at the venues on Tverskoy Boulevard. There are two chalets there, where master classes, lectures and creative activities are held under the guidance of experts in Eastern culture, including representatives of China and masters studying centuries-old traditions. Admission to all events is free.

    The festival was a continuation of the events dedicated to the Cross Years of Culture of Russia and China, and is timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries.

    “Russia and China are the largest neighbors, they have been developing friendly and partnership relations for many decades. In order to strengthen mutual understanding between the peoples of our countries, it is necessary to talk about traditions and customs. The festival movement in Moscow unites and brings together the cultures of Russians and Chinese in holidays, games, master classes, theatrical performances,” said Olga Dolgikh, one of the organizers of the master classes within the framework of the festival, a teacher of the Chinese language, director of the Center for International Education and Professional Training.

    Spring Festival in a Chalet at the Monument to K.A. Timiryazev

    In the chalet, located near the monument to K.A. Timiryazev, guests will become acquainted with the world of Chinese art.

    On January 29 from 12:00 to 15:00 there will be a master class on traditional paper cutting – jianzhi. This activity as an element of the spring festival symbolizes happiness and prosperity, and the patterns created become a bright decoration of houses.

    On January 30, from 12:00 to 14:00, participants of the master class will create a composition called “Wild Orchid and Fry”, and from 19:00 to 19:45, they will create a snowflake, which is associated with spring in China.

    On January 31, from 12:00 to 14:00, guests will learn how to depict geranium, a flower that in Chinese art often symbolizes renewal and harmony.

    From 3 to 7 February, from 12:00 to 15:00, the chalet will host painting and calligraphy classes.

    On February 9 at 19:00 there will be a master class on drawing a meihua plum – a spring symbol of resilience, joy and the awakening of nature.

    Calligraphy, woodcut and tea ceremony in a chalet near the monument to S.A. Yesenin

    In the chalet near the monument to S.A. Yesenin, guests will discover Chinese calligraphy, woodcuts and tea drinking traditions.

    From January 29 to 31, from 12:00 to 15:00, calligraphy classes will be held here. Participants will learn how the elegant lines of hieroglyphs reflect the philosophy and aesthetics of China.

    On January 31 from 19:00 to 19:45, guests are invited to a lecture with a demonstration about the clothing of the main nationality of China, the Han. They will also demonstrate the traditional Chinese costume, Hanfu.

    On February 2, from 12:00 to 15:00, there will be a master class on Chinese xylography – printing from wooden boards, the ancient art of creating illustrations.

    On February 3 at 19:00, the chalet will host a master class on creating an image of a meihua plum. Participants will learn to work in the realistic Chinese painting technique of gongbi. It involves precise drawing of details and the use of delicate gradations of colors.

    On February 5 and 6, from 12:00 to 14:00, guests of the chalet will be immersed in the culture of Chinese tea drinking. Participants will learn how this drink became part of the culture of the Celestial Empire, and will also enjoy its taste and aroma.

    Project “Winter in Moscow”— the main event of the season, which until February 28 unites various events of the capital. Citizens and tourists are invited to remember traditions and history, warm up with tea and hot buns, go skating, skiing and tubing, watch ice shows, give gifts to people who find themselves in a difficult life situation, show care for those who need it.

    Muscovites and guests of the capital are offered a huge selection of events in the open air and in cultural and sports institutions. The atmosphere of winter traditions has engulfed the entire city – more than 1.9 thousand sites are open. The project organically intertwined with the largest festivals of the capital “Moscow Estates”, “Moscow Tea Party”, “City of Light”, “Snow and Ice in Moscow” and many others. All information about the project and winter season events can be found in a special section Mos.ru.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149437073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Burning Hearts: Stories of Those Who Received the Moscow Volunteer Badge

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    These people represent different generations: some have recently graduated from school, while others have already retired. But they are united by a common cause – volunteering. They help organize and hold the Victory Parade, are on duty at major events and collect humanitarian aid, and Resource center “Mosvolonter” — preparation and coordination of concerned Muscovites. The unofficial motto of such enthusiasts is “No other way!” On January 21, Sergei Sobyanin presented the “Volunteer of Moscow” badge of distinction 30 residents of the capital.

    About what merits can lead to receiving an honorary award, how kindness leads to the profession of dreams and helps to create a family – in the material mos.ru.

    A smile as a reward

    One of the youngest volunteers to earn the badge was 18-year-old Yuri Potolokov. He studies at the Moscow City Pedagogical University and plans to teach geography in the future. But even after graduating and getting a job, Yuri plans to participate in public events.

    The young man joined the volunteer movement in 2022, while still at school. “One day I went to a concert at VDNKh and saw guys handing out raincoats to the audience because it was raining. That’s when I noticed that people were smiling at the volunteers. And I realized that I wanted to receive such smiles too. After all, this is the best gratitude for your work! After the concert, I told my mother: “I’m going to volunteer!” She happily accepted my choice,” our interlocutor recalls.

    Yuri Potolokov is a graduate of a cadet school and has been interested in Russian history since childhood. That is why patriotic events are closest to him, for example, meeting veterans who came to Moscow from different cities for Victory Day at train stations. However, over the past two years, the young man has had the opportunity to volunteer at other events. For example, he helped participants National Championship “Abilympics”in 2022 and 2023, navigate the site and get to the competitions on time, coordinated guests at the World Youth Festival in 2024. And recently, I sorted out New Year’s decorations at the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology: I twisted the branches of artificial trees with insulating tape, packed the toys and sent them to the warehouse. Moreover, I was already performing the duties of a team leader, managing a team of five people.

    In total, he has over three thousand volunteer hours to his credit. Nevertheless, the mos.ru interviewee did not expect to be among those awarded.

    “I can imagine how many people applied for the badge! And they chose me. Now I want to try even harder than before. In the near future, I hope to hold a master class on creating eco-paintings from recycled materials in the “Good Place” space in the South-Eastern Administrative District,” says Yuri Potolokov, holder of the “Volunteer of Moscow” badge.

    From the veterans’ meeting to the registry office

    Kirill Kononaev is 21 years old. The volunteer is a final-year student at the Moscow Institute of Economics. He joined the “club of caring people” three years ago: first, he headed the student council, and soon he wanted to do good deeds outside the university. “The opportunity presented itself: the pandemic began, and I went to deliver food to the elderly,” recalls the mos.ru source.

    Then there were other events, for example the International Forum of Civic Participation “Moscow helps”The young man devoted more than 1,700 hours to volunteer work. He personally liked patriotic events.

    “Once I was distributing water in the center of the capital during the Immortal Regiment march. It was an amazing feeling: we were met by participants carrying portraits of their fathers and grandfathers who fought for their country in the Great Patriotic War. And it was in our power to make sure that they did not feel thirsty. Another time I was processing applications for the “Faces of Victory” campaign: relatives sent touching stories about their ancestors, battle heroes,” says Kirill Kononaev, holder of the “Moscow Volunteer” badge.

    At one of these events at the headquarters, organized to meet veterans, our interlocutor met his future wife: Taisiya Borisova, a student at the Moscow State Pedagogical University, also a volunteer. They got married in February 2024 and now come to help together.

    “It was very nice to receive a badge of distinction this year. And although I have less and less free time, I will continue to volunteer. So, soon it will be time to distribute St. George ribbons to Moscow residents. Even when I feel tired, helping people and the city allows me to switch off, charges me with positive energy,” smiles Kirill Kononaev.

    Dream job

    Margarita Buchina teaches English at school #2075In 2018, when the capital hosted the World Cup, her students enthusiastically and delightedly told how they rooted for the teams and interacted with foreign guests on the city streets.

    “I thought it was good language practice and a new experience. And soon I signed up through the website Mosvolonter.ruto her first large-scale event — the Moscow Urban Forum — 2019, where guests from different countries came. She successfully passed the interview and became part of the team of volunteers with knowledge of foreign languages, who help at the information desks,” recalls the mos.ru interlocutor.

    Already at the event, Margarita Buchina realized that applying her knowledge for the benefit of the city is her calling. In addition to her teaching profession, she is also a photographer and journalist. Therefore, she offered her help as a media volunteer.

    “Every year on June 22, I go to the Krymskaya Embankment to collect material for a report on the “Candle of Memory” campaign: I get amazing emotional portraits of volunteers in military uniform from the Great Patriotic War, who came to light the lights in honor of those who died in 1941-1945. I was the manager of the volunteer corps at the International Exhibition and Forum “Russia” at VDNKh and supervised media volunteers, photographed Christmas trees decorated with balls with children’s wishes, as part of the “Kind Christmas Tree” charity campaign at festival venues, photographed artists performing at the International Military Music Festival “Spasskaya Tower”. In addition, I am a volunteer editor of the “Good News” magazine, which tells about the lives of active and caring city residents,” says Margarita Buchina, holder of the “Volunteer of Moscow” badge.

    Now she is trying to find her dream job and realize herself as a journalist. But she does not plan to leave volunteering.

    “When I was awarded the “Moscow Volunteer” badge for my services, I once again realized how important and useful my good deeds are for the city. And you can do them in different ways, for example, by helping to collect humanitarian aid. If you were born with a kind heart, then it is not difficult for you to share kindness with others, volunteering is forever!” our interlocutor believes.

    Six thousand hours of good deeds

    Elena Akhtyrskaia is a “silver” volunteer, she is 56 years old. “In 2015, I began to actively attend excursions organized Department of Cultural Heritage of Moscow. Once I was asked to help a guide gather a group and make sure no one was left behind during a walk around the capital. It turned out to be much more interesting than just listening! So I joined the ranks of cultural volunteers. Now I also help organize events for Mosconcert,” she says.

    During the winter holidays, Elena Akhtyrskaya was on duty at the New Year’s game-journey through Russian fairy tales in the Petrovsky Travel Palace, and after the performance she gave gifts to the young spectators.

    However, our interlocutor participates not only in cultural programs. For example, she had the opportunity to accompany the Victory Parade in 2024. “This is the highest honor for a volunteer!” she admits. Elena Akhtyrskaya met visitors at the entrance to Red Square and explained where to go next, and then seated veterans in the stands and watched the procession from a place of honor.

    “I have dedicated almost six thousand hours to good deeds. But when I was awarded the “Volunteer of Moscow” badge, I was surprised. After all, there are many worthy candidates, including “silver” ones, and they are older than me. Of course, it is very nice to receive such an award. However, something else is more important to me: the emotional response of those whom I helped, eyes full of joy and gratitude!” – summarizes the holder of the “Volunteer of Moscow” badge Elena Akhtyrskaya.

    A Holiday for Everyone: How the Mosconcert Cultural Brigade Congratulated Soldiers and Children on the New Year“Moscow Helps”: Sobyanin Told How Muscovites Support SVO ParticipantsOver a thousand events were held in 2024 in the Dobroe Mesto centers in MoscowThe number of events in Moscow involving cultural heritage volunteers has almost doubledWhat dreams does the “Kind Tree” of the “Winter in Moscow” project fulfill?

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149440073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A training center for Russian national football teams will appear in Khoroshevo-Mnevniki

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    A training center for Russian national football teams will be built in the northwest of the capital. The City Committee for Architecture and Urban Development (Moskomarkhitektura) has already amended the land use and development rules for the construction of the sports facility. This was reported by Juliana Knyazhevskaya, chairman of the department.

    Land use and development regulations are a set of rules and requirements that govern how land should be used and what can be built on it. They determine what activities are allowed in certain places and what requirements must be met when designing and constructing buildings.

    “According to the document, a territorial zone has been formed in the northwest of Moscow, where a center with an area of over 32.6 thousand square meters will appear. The site will house a training base for national football teams. Its area will be over 19 thousand square meters. In addition, athletes will have the opportunity to live on the territory of the center during training. The total area of the premises for temporary accommodation will be almost three thousand square meters,” said Yuliana Knyazhevskaya.

    The land plot is located on the bank of the Moskva River on Nizhnie Mnevniki Street – a 10-minute walk from the Terekhovo metro station of the Big Circle Line. The area is currently free of development.

    “The training center for the Russian national football teams will be built in the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain as part of a large-scale investment project. For this purpose, the city will provide the Russian Football Union with a land plot of 6.05 hectares. The contract is planned to be concluded for five years, during which time the construction of the sports complex should be completed,” noted the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of City Property

    Maxim Gaman.

    Previously Sergei Sobyanin said on the development of the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149447073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s production of cattle, sheep, poultry remains stable

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China’s production of cattle, sheep and poultry remained generally stable in 2024, while pig production declined, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

    In 2024, the country’s production of pork, beef, mutton and poultry meat reached 96.63 million tonnes, representing a year-on-year increase of 0.2 percent.

    Specifically, beef output rose 3.5 percent year on year to 7.79 million tonnes last year, while mutton output reached 5.18 million tonnes, down 2.5 percent.

    Poultry meat production increased 3.8 percent year on year, and pork production dipped 1.5 percent. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: SH15 to remain closed overnight

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    |

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises State Highway 15 between Maungatapere and Otaika will remain closed overnight as NZ Police investigations into the unexplained death of a motorcyclist continue.

    Detours remain in place via State Highway 14 and State Highway 1 for those traveling between Maungatapere and Otaika. Those traveling from Otaika to Maungatapere should take the same route, in reverse.

    Motorists are asked to drive with care along the detour route, with increased traffic volumes and students having returned to schools in the area this week.

    Locals who need to access their properties along the stretch of State Highway 15 between Maungatapere and Otaika should approach uniformed staff at the cordon.

    The road is expected to remain closed into tomorrow afternoon and people are encouraged to visit the Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)) for up to date information on the closure and detour route before they travel.

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi thanks everyone for their patience.

    Tags

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrest – Historic Child Abuse

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force have arrested a 53-year-old man in relation to historic child abuse offending committed in Western Australia in 2014.

    The man failed to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court in 2018 before travelling to the Northern Territory.

    On 29 January 2025, the Northern Territory Police Sex Crimes Unit located the man in Casuarina and arrested him for the outstanding matter.

    Western Australia Police are currently in the process of extraditing him back to Perth.

    Northern Territory Police are committed to working with other law enforcement agencies to ensure offenders are held accountable for their actions, regardless of where they attempt to evade responsibility.

    Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or https://crimestoppers.com.au/.

    You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the ‘Report Abuse’ button at www.accce.gov.au/report.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Green light for community projects in regional South Australia

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    The Albanese Government is helping South Australia’s regions to thrive by investing almost $11.5 million in community infrastructure that promotes social cohesion and boosts local economies. 

    Five projects will be allocated funding through the Growing Regions Program to build or upgrade social infrastructure – such as sporting clubs, playgrounds and art centres – that improves the lives of locals. 

    The City of Whyalla will receive $3.14 million to deliver the Whyalla Beach Splash & Play Plaza – a destination adventure playground for families and visitors alike. 

    The project will include the construction of an adventure play facility for children and adults, designed for obstacle play with water, nature and accessibility features.  

    The project will also include shelter and seating to create a destination by the Whyalla foreshore for all ages, support 42 jobs during construction and 12 ongoing per annum jobs once open; and provide around $1.2 million visitor spend to the economy. 

    Other successful South Australian projects, which went through a competitive, merits-based assessment process, include: 

    • $3.5 million to the Kingston District Council to deliver a new childcare centre in Kingston including a nature-based outdoor play space, indoor education environment and consultation offices for child allied health services. 
    • $2.5 million to deliver men’s multidisciplinary art studios at four established Indigenous Art Centres across South Australia including Mimili Maku Arts, Kaltjiti Arts, Tjala Arts, and Umoona Community Arts. This will allow these successful studios to introduce better men’s cultural learning and knowledge with an emphasis on employment and training pathways.
    • $1.4 million to redevelop the Penola Football Club and Community Sports Hub to be more accessible, flexible, sustainable, and able to continue into the future. 
    • $900,000 to the District Council of Orroroo Carrieton to upgrade the Orroroo Main Street and revitalise the town’s CBD. This includes wider footpaths to support outdoor dining and pedestrian access, improved disability access, traffic upgrades to enhance safety, tree planting and more. 

    This funding follows $23 million already allocated to South Australia under the first round of the Growing Regions Program. 
     
    The Growing Regions Program is one of four federal funding programs established by the Albanese Government to ensure that all areas of Australia have access to a funding opportunity for programs to support wider community benefit. 

    For more information, including a full list of successful projects in the state, visit: www.infrastructure.gov.au/territories-regions-cities/regional-australia/regional-and-community-programs/growing-regions-program.

    Quote attributable to Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

    “Whether sports clubs or community hubs, parks or pools, social infrastructure is the backbone of connected societies.

    “From the Limestone Coast to the APY Lands, the Albanese Government is delivering the infrastructure our regions need, investing millions into South Australia to ensure it can thrive.”

    Quotes attributable to Senator for South Australia Karen Grogan:

    “Funding for these much-needed projects across South Australia will deliver infrastructure that increases community cohesion, liveability and accessibility.

    “The Growing Regions Program is making local priority projects a reality, and I look forward to seeing the significant benefits this funding will provide for South Australian communities.

    “Labor knows that regional South Australia is unique and community-driven, and requires unique and community-driven solutions – and that is exactly what we are delivering”

    Quotes attributable to City of Whyalla Mayor Phill Stone:

    “I’d like to sincerely thank Minister King and the Albanese Government for recognising the significant importance of this project to our community. This first-class project will make Whyalla a more attractive place to live, while expecting to increase visitor spend by more than $1 million per year.

    “It will not only benefit those who already call Whyalla home, but also be a major drawcard in helping attract new residents that are needed over the coming years to service the major industrial projects in the pipeline.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Rebukes Trump’s Disruptive Blanket Suspension of Federal Funds for RI

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, who, along with his colleagues in the Rhode Island Congressional delegation, was among the first lawmakers to sound the alarm about President Donald Trump unilaterally directing a halt to federal grant funding for Rhode Island and states nationwide, issued the following statement as the fallout from Trump’s freeze metastasizes:
    “President Trump’s disruptive blanket suspension of these federal funds threatens real harm to Americans everywhere.  Trump’s directive is already sewing confusion and chaos with respect to health care, education, housing, disaster aid, and more.  Legal action by organizations and several states, including Rhode Island, is being initiated.  But there is a much quicker, less costly solution here: President Trump should immediately rescind this reckless and unconstitutional directive.  He needs to do it fast because every day this drags on the impacts grow worse.  He should stop wasting taxpayers’ money and putting people, communities, and essential services at risk.
    “I will continue working to halt this irresponsible freeze and ensure federal resources are administered in accordance with the law.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Global wildlife trade is an enormous market – the US imports billions of animals from nearly 30,000 species

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michael Tlusty, Professor of Sustainability and Food Solutions, UMass Boston

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents inspect a shipment of reptiles at the Port of Miami. U.S. GAO

    When people think of wildlife trade, they often picture smugglers sneaking in rare and endangered species from far-off countries. Yet most wildlife trade is actually legal, and the United States is one of the world’s biggest wildlife importers.

    New research that we and a team of colleagues published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that, over the last 22 years, people in the U.S. legally imported nearly 2.85 billion individual animals representing almost 30,000 species.

    Some of these wild animals become pets, such as reptiles, spiders, clownfish, chimpanzees and even tigers. Thousands end up in zoos and aquariums, where many species on display come directly from the wild.

    Medical research uses macaque monkeys and imports up to 39,000 of them every year. The fashion trade imports around 1 million to 2 million crocodile skins every year. Hunting trophies are also included in wildlife.

    How many species are legally traded worldwide?
    Benjamin Marshall, et al., 2024, PNAS, CC BY-SA

    The largest number of imported species are birds – 4,985 different species are imported each year, led by Muscovy ducks, with over 6 million imported. Reptiles are next, with 3,048 species, led by iguanas and royal pythons. These largely become pets.

    Not all wildlife are wild

    We found that just over half of the animals imported into the U.S. come from the wild.

    Capturing wildlife to sell to exporters can be an important income source for rural communities around the world, especially in Africa. However, wild imported species can also spread diseases or parasites or become invasive. In fact, these risks are so worrying that many imported animals are classed as “injurious wildlife” due to their potential role in transmitting diseases to native species.

    Captive breeding has played an increasingly dominant role in recent years as a way to limit the impact on wild populations and to try to reduce disease spread.

    However over half the individual animals from most groups of species, such as amphibians or mammals, still come from the wild, and there is no data on the impact of the wildlife trade on most wild populations.

    Trade may pose a particular risk when species are already rare or have small ranges. Where studies have been done, the wild populations of traded species decreased by an average of 62% across the periods monitored.

    Sustainable wildlife trade is possible, but it relies on careful monitoring to balance wild harvest and captive breeding.

    Data is thin in many ways

    For most species in the wildlife trade, there is still a lot that remains unknown, including even the number of species traded.

    With so many species and shipments, wildlife inspectors are overwhelmed. Trade data may not include the full species name for groups like butterflies or fish. The values in many customs databases are reported by companies but never verified.

    Macaques, used in medical research, are the most-traded primates globally, according to an analysis of U.S. Fish and Wildlife data.
    Davidvraju, CC BY-SA

    In our study, we relied on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Law Enforcement Management Information System, a wildlife import-export data collection system. However, few countries collate and release data in such a standardized way; meaning that for the majority of species legally traded around the world there is no available data.

    For example, millions of Tokay geckos are imported as pets and for medicine, and are often reported to be bred in captivity. However, investigators cannot confirm that they weren’t actually caught in the wild.

    Why tracking the wildlife trade is important

    Biodiversity has a great number of economic and ecological benefits. There are also risks to importing wildlife. Understanding the many species and number of animals entering the country, and whether they were once wild or farmed, is important, because imported wildlife can cause health and ecological problems.

    Wildlife can spread diseases to humans and to other animals. Wild-caught monkeys imported for medical research may carry diseases, including ones of particular risk to humans. Those with diseases are more likely to be wild than captive-bred.

    The most-traded mammals worldwide are minks, which are valued for their fur but can spread viruses to humans and other species. About 48 million minks are legally traded annually, about 2.8% wild-caught and the majority raised, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife data.
    Colin Canterbury/USFWS

    Species that aren’t native to the U.S. may also escape or be released into the wild. Invasive species can cause billions of dollars in damage by consuming and outcompeting native wildlife and spreading diseases.

    We believe better data on the wildlife trade could be used to set management goals, such as harvest quotas or no-take policies for those species in their country of origin.

    What’s next

    The researchers involved in this study come from institutes around the world and are all interested in improving data systems for wildlife trade.

    Some of us focus on how e-commerce platforms such as Etsy and Instagram have become hotspots of wildlife trade and can be challenging to monitor without automation. Esty announced in 2024 that it would remove listings of endangered or threatened species. Others build tools to help wildlife inspectors process the large number of shipments in real time. Many of us examine the problems imported species cause when they become invasive.

    In the age of machine learning, artificial intelligence and big data, it’s possible to better understand the wildlife trade. Consumers can help by buying less, and making informed decisions.

    Michael Tlusty is a founding member of the Wildlife Detection Partnership and co-developed the Nature Intelligence System, which assists governments in collecting more accurate wildlife data..

    Andrew Rhyne is currently on sabbatical funded by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), focused on the wildlife trade data. He is a founding member of the Wildlife Detection Partnership and co-developed the Nature Intelligence System, which assists governments in collecting more accurate wildlife data.

    Alice Catherine Hughes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Global wildlife trade is an enormous market – the US imports billions of animals from nearly 30,000 species – https://theconversation.com/global-wildlife-trade-is-an-enormous-market-the-us-imports-billions-of-animals-from-nearly-30-000-species-247197

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Skoltech and NSU discussed cooperation in the development of new functional materials

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Representatives of the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology visited Novosibirsk State University to discuss cooperation on R&D carried out by Skoltech on behalf of the NTI Competence Center for New Functional Materials based at NSU. The delegation included Ivan Sergeichev, Director of the Center for Materials Technology at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Dmitry Krasovsky, Deputy Director of the Center for Relations with Industry, participants in joint projects with NSU, as well as specialists in building interactions between stakeholders.

    The purpose of the visit was to get acquainted with the structure of the Competence Center of the National Technology Initiative in the direction of “Technologies for modeling and developing new functional materials with specified properties”, which was created at NSU in 2021 with the financial support of the NTI Foundation, as well as with its capabilities and industrial partners.

    — At the end of last year, we signed agreements with Skoltech to implement three large-scale projects: “Design of Materials for Thermal Barrier Coatings”, “Development of Additive Manufacturing Technology for Complex-Geometry Ceramic Rods for Casting Gas Turbine Blades”, and “Metal Oxide Nanoparticles for Protecting Products and Materials from Counterfeiting”. Our task is to create samples of new materials and software products in a short period of time in order to begin introducing new materials and products made from them to the market as soon as possible through interaction with potential industrial partners. These could be manufacturers of engines, gas turbine units and their parts, polymer-composite materials and various products made from them, the authenticity of which, among other things, must be protected from counterfeiting, — explained Alexander Kvashnin, Director of the NTI Center for New Functional Materials at NSU.

    Following the meeting, the parties developed mutually beneficial forms of cooperation. One of them involves Skoltech’s participation in the work of three distributed centers created by the Center for New Functional Materials and its partners at the end of last year – the Distributed Center for Modeling, Calculations and Design, the Distributed Center for Research and Development of Materials and Technologies for Their Production, as well as the Distributed Production Site for Small Batch Products, where it is possible to produce small batches of new materials and products made from them using NSU technologies for further delivery for testing at industrial enterprises. The software developed by the partners will be used in the distributed center for modeling, calculations and design.

    Meanwhile, in Skolkovo, during the implementation of these three projects, the necessary innovative equipment will be created, including a new 3D printer for complex printing of ceramic rods for gas turbine units and a reactor for the production of metal oxide nanoparticles to protect materials and products from counterfeiting. This equipment will be used as part of distributed centers.

    “Our cooperation with Skoltech will allow the university to expand the circle of its Moscow partners and potential customers, which may include the state corporation for assistance in the development, production and export of high-tech industrial products Rostec, United Engine Corporation, Gazpromneft and other large Russian corporations interested in the development and implementation of advanced technologies,” commented Alexander Kvashnin.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 24-2025: Urgent Scheduled Service Disruption: Wednesday 29 January to Thursday 30 January 2025 – BICON

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    29 January 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    All clients required to use the Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) during this planned maintenance period.

    Information

    Due to scheduled infrastructure maintenance, BICON will experience brief intermittent outages between 23:00 Wednesday 29 January to 01:00 Thursday 30 January 2025 (AEDT).

    Action

    BICON users are advised to await the completion of this planned maintenance period before attempting…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Underlying inflation falls to three-year low

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    Underlying inflation is at its lowest in three years according to new figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics today.

    Headline inflation is now in the mid‑twos and underlying inflation is in the low threes.

    This means headline inflation has fallen to an almost four‑year low and now sits in the middle of the RBA’s target band.

    This result is better than expected and better than forecast.

    It’s not mission accomplished, but it means we’ve made much more progress.

    Inflation was higher and rising under the Liberals, but it’s lower and falling under Labor.

    On every measure we’ve made substantial and sustained progress in the fight against inflation.

    Inflation is now almost a third of the 6.1 per cent we inherited when we came to office.

    On a six‑month annualised basis, underlying inflation is around a third of its peak at 2.7 per cent and is within the RBA’s target band for the first time since 2021.

    Trimmed mean inflation was 3.2 per cent through the year to the December quarter, down from 3.6 per cent.

    Trimmed mean inflation almost halved in the quarter, at 0.5 per cent and is a third of what it was at the time of the election.

    Annual trimmed mean inflation in the monthly indicator is also within the RBA’s target band for the first time in three years, at 2.7 per cent in the year to December.

    Headline inflation was 0.2 per cent in the December quarter, to be 2.4 per cent higher through the year, around a quarter of its peak.

    Australia’s headline inflation is now lower than most major advanced economies including the United States, United Kingdom and Germany.

    Annual non‑tradable inflation was 3.1 per cent through the year to the December quarter 2024, down from 4.1 per cent through the year to the September quarter.

    While monthly headline inflation ticked up slightly, it remained in the band for the fifth consecutive month.

    The moderation in today’s figures of categories including building construction costs, rents and insurance is an encouraging sign that inflation is falling more quickly than anticipated in MYEFO.

    The moderation in inflation that we’ve seen so far would not have been possible without our responsible economic management including the $200 billion turnaround in the budget we’ve delivered.

    ABS data shows our cost‑of‑living policies took around three quarters of a percentage point off inflation.

    In the year to the December quarter 2024, electricity prices fell 25.2 per cent and would have fallen 1.6 per cent without the energy rebates we’re rolling out with the states.

    In the year to the December quarter 2024, rents rose 6.4 per cent – without the largest increase to Rent Assistance in 30 years, they would have risen 7.8 per cent.

    Inflation is down, wages are up, unemployment is low and we’ve seen 1.1 million jobs created for Australian workers under Anthony Albanese and Labor.

    The soft landing we have been planning and preparing for is looking more and more likely.

    Many countries around the world have paid for progress on inflation through higher unemployment or lower economic growth, but we’ve been able to preserve the gains we’ve made in our labour market at the same time as we’ve got inflation down.

    Cost of living pressures haven’t disappeared but they are easing.

    The worst of the inflation challenge is well and truly behind us.

    We are confident but not complacent about the year ahead.

    Australians would be thousands of dollars worse off if Peter Dutton had his way on tax cuts, wages and energy bill relief – and worse off still if he wins the election.

    The biggest risk to the progress we have made together would be a Coalition government that would come after Medicare again, push wages down again, and push electricity prices up.

    We’re fighting inflation, helping with the cost of living and building Australia’s future, and today’s figures show our policies are making a meaningful difference.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on January 28, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 5,60,557.39 6.55 5.10-6.90
         I. Call Money 14,705.14 6.55 5.10-6.65
         II. Triparty Repo 3,91,434.90 6.53 6.40-6.65
         III. Market Repo 1,52,590.05 6.58 5.75-6.80
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 1,827.30 6.73 6.65-6.90
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 156.10 6.28 6.00-6.60
         II. Term Money@@ 282.00 – 6.65-7.50
         III. Triparty Repo 844.00 6.65 6.60-6.70
         IV. Market Repo 873.72 5.94 5.75-6.65
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo Tue, 28/01/2025 1 Wed, 29/01/2025 1,39,281.00 6.51
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Tue, 28/01/2025 1 Wed, 29/01/2025 1,779.00 6.75
    4. SDFΔ# Tue, 28/01/2025 1 Wed, 29/01/2025 61,541.00 6.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       79,519.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo Fri, 24/01/2025 14 Fri, 07/02/2025 1,62,096.00 6.51
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       9,556.71  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     1,71,652.71  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     2,51,171.71  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on January 28, 2025 9,07,883.94  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending February 07, 2025 9,12,544.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ January 28, 2025 1,39,281.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on January 10, 2025 -40,102.00  
    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.
    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
    & As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
    Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
    ¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
    # As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    
    Press Release: 2024-2025/2026

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Introduces Congressional Award Program Reauthorization Act  

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    January 28, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced the Congressional Award Program Reauthorization Act, which would reauthorize the Congressional Award Program. The program is an incredibly high honor for citizens aged 14 to 23 and is authorized by Congress every five years. The program encourages young Americans to pursue goals focused on volunteerism, character development, and fitness.
    “For over four decades, the Congressional Award has inspired young Americans nationwide to dedicate their lives to bettering themselves and their communities,” said Lummis. “This tradition was first established in 1979 by Wyoming Senator Malcolm Wallop, and since then, it has empowered generations of leaders and world-shakers. It is my honor to continue this program that has had such a profound impact on our nation.” 
    To read the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Files Second Circuit Amicus Brief Pushing Back on SEC Overreach

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    January 28, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) filed an amicus curiae brief on Friday, January 24, 2025 in Coinbase v. Securities and Exchange Commission in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, pushing back on the failed legislation-by-enforcement strategy of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under former Chair Gary Gensler and the Biden Administration.
    “The SEC’s approach under the Biden administration was to aggressively reinterpret case law governing Howey and investment contracts, keep those interpretations secret, and then demand compliance from digital asset exchanges,” said Lummis. “Such an approach is un-American. It is the job of Congress to provide a legislative framework that clearly draws the line between a security and a commodity.”
    A copy of the brief can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Demand Hold on Vought Nomination to OMB Amid Order to Halt Federal Grants and Loans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), members of the Senate Budget Committee, joined Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR),  Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Democratic Budget Committee members in demanding that Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) postpone a vote on Russell Vought’s nomination to serve as Director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) until he answers questions regarding his role in the illegal freeze of many federal grants and loans that have already been appropriated by Congress. The freeze has sowed confusion among federal agencies. Since the Trump Administration announced this freeze, the senators have heard concerns from across Virginia—including community health centers, child care centers, community organizations, and more—about how they could be impacted. The Administration’s broad directive has left many Virginians wondering about whether federal support for health care, housing, substance use, transportation, and other critical programs will continue. 
    “While Mr. Vought stonewalled Committee members, he was already planning on halting programs that feed hungry children, heat the homes of low-income families, support farmers, and bring relief to those suffering from natural disasters. The laws Congress passes are not suggestions, and Mr. Vought willfully ignoring them harms the constituents of every Member of the Committee,” the senators wrote.
    The senators continued, “It is simply unconscionable that the Budget Committee could vote to confirm Mr. Vought to be Director of Office of Management and Budget without getting some real answers from him about his ongoing efforts to stymie the will of Congress. Mr. Vought is a clear and present danger to Congress’s Power of the Purse; his outright refusal to discuss his plans that were already in development is a slap in the face to every Member of the Committee, Democrat and Republican alike.”
    Last week, Warner and Kaine questioned Mr. Vought during his Budget Committee nomination hearing regarding Vought’s comments to “traumatize the federal workforce” and plans to slash critical federal funding for programs like SNAP.
    In addition to Warner, Kaine, Merkley, and Schumer, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Alex Padilla (D-CA).
    The full text of the letter is available here and below.
    Dear Senator Graham:
    During the Budget Committee’s hearing on Wednesday, January 22 to examine the nomination of Russell T. Vought to serve as the Director of Office of Management and Budget, Mr. Vought was repeatedly evasive about whether, if confirmed, he would advise the President to impound Congressionally-appropriated funds in clear violation of Article II of the Constitution and the unambiguous text of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974.
    In written responses to questions following the hearing, Mr. Vought continued his refusal to answer direct questions about how executive orders to pause foreign aid funding, as well as funding authorized and appropriated by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, complied with the law.
    Now, less than a week after the hearing, it is clear that Mr. Vought’s non-answers were an effort to thwart the Committee from getting the truth of the Trump administration’s plan, per OMB memorandum M-25-13, to freeze all funding for “Federal financial assistance programs.” While Mr. Vought stonewalled Committee members, he was already planning on halting programs that feed hungry children, heat the homes of low-income families, support farmers, and bring relief to those suffering from natural disasters. The laws Congress passes are not suggestions, and Mr. Vought willfully ignoring them harms the constituents of every Member of the Committee.
    It is simply unconscionable that the Budget Committee could vote to confirm Mr. Vought to be Director of Office of Management and Budget without getting some real answers from him about his ongoing efforts to stymie the will of Congress. Mr. Vought is a clear and present danger to Congress’s Power of the Purse; his outright refusal to discuss his plans that were already in development is a slap in the face to every Member of the Committee, Democrat and Republican alike.
    For those reasons, we request that the business meeting to consider Mr. Vought’s nomination, currently scheduled for Thursday, January 30, be postponed for two weeks so the Committee may get full responses to the questions Mr. Vought has thus far refused to answer. 
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video: Kaine Speaks on Senate Floor Regarding Trump’s Pardons of Individuals Found Guilty of Assaulting Police Officers on January 6, 2021

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO IS AVAILABLE HERE.
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) spoke on the Senate floor in opposition to President Trump’s pardons of individuals who were found guilty of assaulting police officers during the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. Kaine and his colleagues sought unanimous consent to pass their resolution condemning these pardons, but its passage was blocked by Senate Republicans. During Kaine’s floor speech, he also highlighted the five Virginia law enforcement officers who tragically lost their lives after defending the Capitol on that day, including Howie Liebengood.
    A full transcript of Kaine’s speech as delivered is available below:
    Mr. President.
    I rise together with my colleagues to speak in opposition to the President’s action pardoning those who attacked this Capitol on January 6, 2021. I was here that day. I shared that day with these colleagues, and we all have memories of it—memories that we never would have imagined and hope never to repeat.
    But I’m not going to talk about my experiences of the day.
    I’m going to talk about a friend, a Virginian, Howie Liebengood, a Capitol Police Officer who spent his career protecting this building and who died as a result of that day. And the fact that President Trump would pardon the people who attacked this Capitol leading to Howie Liebengood’s death is a deep, deep stain to President Trump and frankly a stain on this body if we casually tolerate it.
    Howie Liebengood is a Virginian who grew up in this building. His father was the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate and prior to assuming that role, worked in other roles in the Senate. And Howie and his two siblings grew up coming to the capitol and treating it like it was sort of their playground and their yard, running through the halls, meeting senators, hearing their dad tell stories about what it was like to serve this Article I branch as a patriotic American public servant.
    When Howie came of age, he started a career that he enjoyed and worked together with his father for a number of years as a NASCAR driver. And he worked on the NASCAR circuit—kind of working his way up from minor league races to more significant races.
    But after a number of years of doing that—look, he was a child of the United States Senate, he was a child of this Capitol—and he decided he would enter the training program to be a Capitol Police Officer. And he told his siblings—by this time, his father had passed—I think my dad would be very, very proud of me.
    Howie went through the Academy and became a Capitol Police Officer, and I came to know him—as I suspect many of my colleagues did—because he usually was staffing the Delaware door at the corner of Delaware and Constitution right here—the Delaware door to the Russell building. And this a door that I know Senator Murray’s office is right close to that door—maybe the closest office to that door and mine is close as well. We would come in in the morning, and Howie Liebengood would be there to greet us, to ask questions about the procedural vote from the night before or what was on today.
    As much as he was a friend to mine, he was even more of a friend to my staff. My staff loved interacting with Howie, and he eventually served as a Capitol Police Officer for 15 years.
    He was here on January 6 when his beloved Capitol was attacked. And as devastating as that attack was for many of us, for Howie—who had made this place his whole life, who had really been raised in these halls—that attack was very devastating.
    In the aftermath of the attack, those working on the Capitol Police were put on extended hours—little sleep. Would there be more attacks? Where was this going? What would happen? It was a time of fear and anxiety and confusion.
    And a few days later, within three days after that attack of January 6, Howie went to his home in Virginia. His wife Serena asked if he was doing okay. She could tell he was under enormous stress, and he said he just needed to sleep. And Howie went upstairs and using his own service revolver, ended his life.
    Howie Liebengood would be alive today if President Trump hadn’t urged people to gather to do something wild in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021 and then urged those gathering to go up and raise hell at the Capitol.
    My friend would be alive if President Trump had not done what he did.
    I’ve waited in vain, not naively, but with a hope that there might be some sign of remorse over what happened—for the pain suffered by Serena Liebengood and Howie’s siblings and family members.
    Four other law enforcement officers, all of whom lived in Virginia, lost their life as a result of that day. Dozens of others were injured.
    And I have waited for years to see if there might be some semblance of remorse shown by the president who inspired that attack, for the damage and pain and loss of life and injury that he’s caused, and I’ve seen not a shred of it.
    But these pardons are the ultimate injustice, are the ultimate injury. The family’s still suffering. For them, it’s salt in an unhealed wound and an injury that will never heal.
    And so I join with my colleagues in Howie’s memory, in support of Serena, in support of Howie’s family, to stand on this floor and deplore as strongly as I can—and words aren’t sufficient to really explain how I feel about this—but I stand here to deplore as strongly as I can the pardons of these law breakers who gathered for a particular time at a particular moment in a particular place to conduct violence in the cause of a particular result, the overturning of the peaceful transfer of power.
    And as I sit down, Mr. President, I’ll just say this.
    I lived in a military dictatorship in 1980 and 81 in Honduras when the military ran everything. I know what authoritarianism is. I didn’t live there for years like my Honduran friends, but I experienced it.
    I was very naive. I was 22 years old when I lived there, and I saw what it’s like to have a society run by somebody who believes they are all powerful, who can change any rule, who can foment violence, who can make sure that those who commit violence escape with impunity.
    I know what this is like, and we are in danger of moving into the same kind of authoritarian behavior when we casually pardon and excuse those who perpetrate violence to overturn our democracy.
    That’s a big concept, but it all comes down to the effect that it has on individual people like my friend Howie Liebengood.
    And with that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU scientists have found a way to make platelets react to light

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Scientists from the Laboratory of Optics and Dynamics of Biological Systems Physics Department of NSU and the Department of Organic Chemistry Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU created a new photosensitive molecule, the breakdown of which under the influence of ultraviolet radiation releases adrenaline without the formation of the oxidized form (adrenochrome), which has a neuro- and cardiotoxic effect. It was used to influence platelet receptors with light. It turned out that the release of adrenaline significantly increases the activation of platelets.

    The results of the study were published in January of this year on the website of the Journal of Xenobiotics (Reducing the Formation of Toxic Byproducts During the Photochemical Release of Epinephrine). The article is available at the link: HTTPS: //d.org/10.3390/eh15010008. The study was supported by the grant of the Russian Science Foundation No. 23-75-10049 and is being conducted within the framework of the project “Study of platelet activation under the influence of combined stimuli using optically-mediated release of ligands”.

    -The idea of ​​managing living cells with the help of light is very attractive for researchers, because it can be accurately focused on a particular area, turn on at a given moment and influence any photosensitive receptor. The only problem is that not all living cells have such receptors. They are just platelets. We needed to “force” them to feel light through any signal molecules. The fact is that almost all cells have receptors sensitive to some substances. Different cells feel different signal molecules, and one of the ways is to make artificial compounds that absorb light, and after that they can, decaying into the components or in any way by rebuilding their structure, join the receptors. Then, after the exposure of the light, the cell will begin to “feel” them. This is how it is possible to “force” the cell to show sensitivity to light. Scientists began to develop and apply various compounds of this action to various cells for a long time – from the second half of the last century. Within the framework of our laboratory, this activity has also been conducted over the past years. Our chemical colleagues from the laboratory of photo activated processes of the SB RAS are engaged in the synthesis of molecules, but we study their properties and use to study various cells, mainly platelets, ”explained Alexander Moskalensky, head of the optics and dynamics of the FF NSU Biological Systems.

    Classic photosensitive adrenaline analogues developed in the 90s of the last century, when exposed to light, release adrenaline, which in the process of oxidation is converted into adrenochrome, which is toxic to living cells. For this reason, it is undesirable to use it as an activator of sensitivity to light in living cells, since this substance can trigger other undesirable processes in them or even kill them. Therefore, scientists were faced with the task of finding a way to reduce the formation of adrenochrome, but without stopping the release of adrenaline. As a result, it turned out that this problem can be solved by a simple modification of the molecule, namely, the introduction of a carbamate bridge of 4 carbon and oxygen atoms. The release of adrenaline in this case continued as before, and the amount of its transition to the oxidized form was significantly reduced.

    — We compared two lines of molecules — classical and modified. Surprisingly, while the classical compound resulted in the formation of adrenochrome, its analog with a carbamate bridge did not cause this by-product, which resulted in a pure release of the active substance, i.e. adrenaline. The exposure of both compounds to light was carried out under identical conditions, then the products obtained by photolysis were analyzed using ultraviolet spectroscopy, chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance. Subsequently, we evaluated the new compound using an in vitro platelet activation assay. The results showed that the release of adrenaline significantly enhances platelet activation, which makes it a valuable tool for in-depth studies of cellular signaling, — said Alexander Moskalensky.

    Since UV radiation does not penetrate the body, it is not possible to use modified molecules of the photosensitive adrenaline analogue inside the body. Therefore, scientists plan to use them to study platelet activation in a test tube, namely, in blood samples. With their help, it will be possible to develop new analysis methods and obtain new information about the platelet activation process.

    This method will allow researchers to obtain more accurate data on the effect of adrenaline on platelet activation. This is important because platelets are very sensitive to mechanical impacts, fluid flows, and other types of impact that can affect the results of such studies.

    Currently, the laboratory’s scientists are developing the next molecule – a photosensitive analogue of adrenaline based on the dye BODIPY, which will be activated by light in the green region of the spectrum, and they also have an understanding of how to modify molecules that could be activated in the red region of the spectrum.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 2023-24 annual financial disclosure return information to be published on Monday 3 February 2025 [29 January 2025]

    Source: Australian Electoral Commission

    AECMedia

    Updated: 29 January 2025

    The 2023-24 annual financial disclosure return information will be available for public inspection after 9am (AEDT) on Monday 3 February 2025.

    This will include return information from:

    • political parties
    • significant third parties
    • associated entities
    • members of the House of Representatives
    • Senators
    • donors, and
    • third parties that incur electoral expenditure.

    The annual return information will be available on the AEC’s Transparency Register at https://transparency.aec.gov.au/.

    What is the register and how does it work?

    The Transparency Register is a database of financial disclosure information, allowing users to apply multiple filters to refine their search. It also includes a data-export function to enable users to undertake additional analysis of the data outside the Register.

    If you are not familiar with the Transparency Register you can view the site ahead of time. Prior to 3 February, the system will only have information available for previous financial years.

    Any questions on the navigation of the Transparency Register should be directed to the AEC’s funding and disclosure helpdesk on 02 6271 4552.

    Editor’s notes:

    • The disclosure scheme requires registered political parties, significant third parties, associated entities, members of the House of Representatives, Senators, donors and third parties that have incurred electoral expenditure to lodge annual financial disclosure returns with the AEC.
    • The disclosure threshold for the 2023–24 financial year returns was $16,300. The threshold is indexed on 1 July each year.
    • The disclosure period covers 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024. Any transactions made after 30 June 2024 should be disclosed in the 2024–25 annual disclosure return.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Saratoga County Man Indicted on Drug Distribution and Firearm Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jason Brundige, age 49, of Ballston Spa, New York, has been indicted for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, possessing a firearm as a felon, and using and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

    The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Saratoga County Sheriff Michael H. Zurlo.

    The indictment alleges that on June 28 and July 2, 2024, Brundige, a previously convicted felon, distributed cocaine from his Saratoga County residence and, during one of those drug sales, he possessed a firearm. The indictment further alleges that on July 3, 2024, Brundige possessed cocaine with intent to sell it and possessed a loaded firearm in furtherance of this crime. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    If convicted on all counts, Brundige would face a minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum prison term of life. Brundige also faces a supervised release term of between 5 years and life to be served after any term of imprisonment. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

    The ATF and SCSO are investigating this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda is prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: PSNA’s Minto hits back at Gaza ‘genocide hotline’ critics, insists NZ should deny Israeli soldier visas

    Asia Pacific Report

    A national Palestine advocacy group has hit back at critics of its “genocide hotline” campaign against soldiers involved in Israel’s war against Gaza, saying New Zealand should be actively following international law.

    The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) dismissed a “predictable lineup of apologists for Israel” for their criticisms of the PSNA campaign.

    “Why is concern for the sensitivities of soldiers from a genocidal Israeli campaign more important than condemning the genocide itself?,” asked PSNA national chair John Minto in a statement.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters, the Chief Human Rights Commissioner Stephen Rainbow and the New Zealand Jewish Council have made statements “protecting” Israeli soldiers who come to New Zealand on “rest and recreation” from the industrial-scale killing of 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza until a truce went into force on January 19.

    “We are not surprised to see such a predictable lineup of apologists for Israel and its genocide in Gaza from lining up to attack a PSNA campaign with false smears of anti-semitism,” Minto said.

    He said that over 16 months Peters had done “absolutely nothing” to put any pressure on Israel to end its genocidal behaviour.

    “But he is full of bluff and bluster and outright lies to denounce those who demand Israel be held to account.”

    Deny illegal settler visas
    Minto said that if Peters was doing his job as Foreign Minister, he would not only stop Israeli soldiers coming to Aotearoa New Zealand — as with Russian soldiers in the Ukraine war — he would also deny visas to any Israeli with an address in an illegal Israeli settlement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    The Human Rights Commission had issued a “disingenuous media release”, he said.

    “Our campaign has nothing to do with Israelis or Jews — it is a campaign to stop Israeli soldiers coming here for rest and recreation after a campaign of wholesale killing of Palestinians in Gaza,” Minto said.

    “To imply the campaign is targeting Jews is disgusting and despicable.

    “Some of the soldiers will be Druse, some Palestinian Arabs and others will be Jews.”

    The five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, shot 355 times by Israeli soldiers on 29 January 2024. Image: @Onlyloren/Instagram

    Israeli soldiers are facing a growing risk of being arrested abroad for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza, with around 50 criminal complaints filed so far in courts in several countries around the world.

    Earlier this month, a former Israeli soldier abruptly ended his holiday in Brazil and was “smuggled” out of the country after a Federal Court ordered police to open a war crimes investigation against him. The man fled to Argentina.

    A complaint lodged by the Belgium-based Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) included more than 500 pages of court records linking the suspect to the demolition of civilian homes in Gaza.

    ‘Historic’ court ruling against soldier
    The foundation called the Brazilian court’s decision “historic”, saying it marked a significant precedent for a member country of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to enforce Rome Statute provisions domestically in the 15-month Israeli war on Gaza.

    The foundation is named in honour of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab who was killed on 29 January 2024 by Israel soldiers while pleading for help in a car after her six family members were dead.

    According to The New Arab, the foundation has so far tracked and sent the names of 1000 Israeli soldiers to the ICC and Interpol, and has been pursuing legal cases in a number of countries, including Belgium, Brazil, Cyprus, France, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

    In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, together with a former Hamas commander, citing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

    Minto accused the New Zealand Jewish Council of being “deeply racist” and said it regularly “makes a meal of false smears of anti-semitism”.

    “It’s deeply problematic that this Jewish Council strategy takes attention away from the real anti-semitism which exists in New Zealand and around the world.

    “The priority of the Jewish Council is to protect Israel from criticism and protect it from accountability for its apartheid policies, ethnic cleansing and genocide.

    “We are demanding that accountability.”

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Releases Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. released the following statement in response to President Trump’s Executive Order to protect minors from chemical and surgical mutilation procedures and put biology over ideology. 
    Last Congress, Senator Marshall introduced the Safeguarding the Overall Protection of Minors Act to protect America’s children from irreversible physical and emotional harm caused by transgender procedures pushed by the radical Left. 
    “Under President Trump’s leadership, common sense and dignity have returned to the White House. This is another promise made, promise kept by the President and his unwavering commitment to protecting our children from transgender activists in what can only be described as child abuse. President Trump’s Executive Order rightfully prohibits the castration, mutilation, and use of dangerous irreversible therapy treatments on children,” Senator Marshall said.
    Specifically, the Executive Order will: 
    Order agencies to use every available means to cut off federal financial participation in institutions that provide chemical and surgical mutilation of children.
    Taxpayers will no longer fund the chemical and surgical mutilation of children through federal employees’ insurance plans.
    DOJ is ordered to prioritize investigations of those who would subject young women to these barbaric acts under the federal government’s existing statutes which prohibit female genital mutilation and to investigate consumer deception and fraud. 
    It sets in motion Congressional action to empower detransitioners to receive justice against those who so callously led them down this path.
    Background: 
    In December, Senator Marshall introduced landmark legislation, the Safeguarding the Overall Protection of Minors Act which would protect America’s children from the medical dangers of the radical Left’s transgender agenda. 
    The Safeguarding the Overall Protection of Minors Act is a major pillar in Senator Marshall’s fight against the transgender industrial complex that is preying on America’s children. Along with this legislation, Senator Marshall also recently led the Defining Male and Female Act to ensure the legal definition of sex is based on facts, not feelings, which would protect exclusive spaces for women like bathrooms and locker rooms. 
    In November 2024, Senator Marshall brought together a coalition to sound the alarm on the extreme gender ideology war being waged against America’s children and to talk about solutions, including the Safeguarding the Overall Protection of Minors Act. You may click HERE to watch the event hosted by Senator Marshall. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall, Kaine, Young and Reed Introduce Bipartisan Bill Increasing Access to Mental Health Resources for Health Care Providers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D., Tim Kaine (D-VA), Todd Young (R-IN) and Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, a comprehensive law Senators Marshall, Kaine, Young and Reed successfully passed in 2022 to help prevent suicide, burnout, and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals. The law has already provided $100 million in funding for mental health care for providers across the country, but provisions of the law that made this funding possible expired last year. The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act would reauthorize these grant programs for five years.
    “Our health care providers dedicate their lives to taking care of patients, sometimes, this comes at their own expense,” Senator Marshall said. “We must ensure we’re giving them the support they need when it comes to their mental health. I’m proud to join Senators Kaine and Young in leading the reauthorization of this very important program which helps provide access to mental and behavioral health resources to our health care professionals.”
    “Dr. Lorna Breen was a physician from Charlottesville who tragically died by suicide after working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Senator Kaine. “In 2022, I was honored to work with her family and Senators Young, Reed and Marshall to pass legislation in her honor to help ensure health care workers have access to the mental health support they need. I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join us in standing with our health care heroes by reauthorizing that law, so it can continue to support our healers.”
    “Health workers are at the heart of every life saved and ever patient cared for, yet the U.S. health care system is straining our workforce and perpetuating the alarming levels of burnout and poor mental health they are experiencing,” said Corey Feist, JD, MBA, co-founder and CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, which leads the ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare coalition. “We are immensely grateful to Senators Kaine, Young, Reed, and Marshall for their steadfast commitment to reauthorize and fund the landmark Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act and build upon it to address the primary driver of health workers’ burnout—administrative burden.”
    Specifically, Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act would:
    Reauthorize a grant program for health care organizations and professional associations for employee education on strategies to reduce burnout, peer-support programming, and mental and behavioral health treatment for five years. Communities with a shortage of health care workers, rural communities, and those experiencing burnout due to administrative burdens, such as lengthy paperwork, will be prioritized.
    Reauthorize a grant program for health profession schools or other institutions to train health care workers and students in strategies to prevent suicide, burnout, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders for five years.
    Reauthorize a national evidence-based education and awareness campaign. Currently, the campaign provides hospital and health system leaders with evidence-informed solutions to reduce health care worker burnout. Reauthorization will provide resources for the campaign to continue and expand beyond its current scope.
    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall on Newsmax: RFK Jr. Will Make America Healthy Again

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined Newsmax’s American Agenda to discuss President Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., ahead of his confirmation hearings this week. As a member of the Senate Finance and HELP Committees, Senator Marshall will participate in both of RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearings. 
    Senator Marshall is the founder and chairman of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Caucus and has been outspoken in his support for RFK, Jr., who will ensure medical transparency so that Americans can make the best decisions for their health.
    Additionally, Senator Marshall discussed Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), and reaffirmed his support for her.
    [embedded content]
    You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    Highlights from Senator Marshall’s interview include: 
    On Senator Marshall’s and Mr. Kennedy’s goal to make America healthy again:
    “What Bobby and I share is both a passion to make America healthy again. 60% of Americans have a chronic disease right now, and we want to address that.”
    On Mr. Kennedy’s stance on vaccine transparency and increasing access to medical information for America’s families: 
    “What we both agree upon is the sanctity of the patient and the physician relationship – that my daughter deserves to know everything there is about these vaccines, the pros and cons, the good and the bad with them.”
    “I’ll let Bobby speak for himself. He’ll get asked this 10 times tomorrow, but what he’s going to say is he wants that family, that mom and dad to be armed with all the information. It needs to be nonbiased information. They need to understand the pros and the cons, risk and benefits.”
    On President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard: 
    “I think the thing about Tulsi is she’s a disrupter, and that scares people up here. They’re used to these insiders, these people that are part of the swamp, and that’s not who Tulsi is. This is a career military officer.”
    “She certainly understands the importance of intelligence. I think what Tulsi is going to bring to the table is she errs on the side of transparency – she’s going to err on the side that she believes that Americans can take the truth, and I think you’re going to see that.”
    “We’re seeing John Ratcliffe already coming out, letting more information loose. I think Tulsi is going to err on that side as well, and that scares the swamp up here, so we’ll see. I’m optimistic. I do think that she’s going to have a little bit of a challenge, but I’m optimistic.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer Highlights Veteran Access to Care at SVAC Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    ***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) held a hearing today to examine and discuss the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care program. Veterans and advocates appeared before the committee to highlight their experiences and the ongoing challenges veterans face when accessing care from VA direct care system and community providers.
    [embedded content]
    In a rural state like North Dakota, with limited VA providers and facilities, the Community Care Program is a lifeline for many veterans looking to receive timely care at a location close to their home. However, the VA continues to put up road blocks for veterans trying to utilize this option.
    During the hearing, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) emphasized the workforce shortage the healthcare industry is facing, reiterating the staffing mandate issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that makes it even worse. The rule requires the implementation of new staffing requirements at long-term care facilities which are already understaffed due to a lack of workforce. Cramer said, “Access is not just about the quality of care. It’s about access, period, if the alternative is none.”
    “I think the best way to improve care is competition,” said Cramer. “Whether it’s a competition between the private sector and the public sector, or two private sectors, or two public sector agencies, a little bit of competition is fine. I don’t want to gut the VA’s direct care system […] that said, there are all kinds of barriers to Community Care, a lot of it is the bureaucracy itself.”
    Cramer said even in North Dakota, there are many examples of roadblocks being put up which prevent veterans accessing to Community Care.
    “If we put the choice in the hands of the veteran, the market will determine where they go,” stated Cramer. “The type of care they get will determine where they go, and how long the wait is will determine where they go.”
    “What I’d like to see us do […] is, for many of these critical access hospitals, their margins are very thin,” continued Cramer. “They’re barely hanging in there. Two or three more patients or five more patients in the community might be what keeps that hospital open. If it’s 50 miles to the next hospital, or 350 miles to the VA hospital, that access to critical access hospitals might be the only option that could save a veteran. I’d like to make this automatic.”
    Cramer asked Jim Lorraine, President and Chief Executive Officer of America’s Warrior Partnership, if this proposal was plausible to improve access to care in a very rural place.
    “One of the things that I spoke about was continuity of care and not only continuity of care,” said Lorraine. “As a healthcare provider, I want the family there, I want the physical therapist nearby, I want the staff that does this. And we talk a lot about mental health and substance abuse, but it’s really more than that. We’re talking about access to health care. […] We need to look at what’s the best long-term outcome for a veteran in terms of getting their care. It may be the VA that’s in their community, but it may be your local hospital that the family can be present, the physical therapist is there, the staff is invested and it’s all one.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: January 28th, 2025 VIDEO: Heinrich Delivers Remarks on the Senate Floor Slamming Trump’s Unlawful Federal Funding Blockade

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) took to the Senate floor this evening to condemn President Trump’s unlawful unilateral blockade of all federal grant funding. In his remarks, Heinrich underscored the magnitude of damage this unlawful decision has already wrought on the lives of thousands of New Mexicans, highlighting the harm and chaos it has created in communities across the state.
    Heinrich also pointed to the illegality of this action, citing the law that Congress passed — the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 — after President Richard Nixon tried to withhold Congressionally appropriated funds.

    U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivers remarks on the Senator floor slamming President Trump’s unlawful unilateral blockade of all federal grant funding, January 28, 2025.
    “In an overnight maneuver that would make a dictator envious, President Trump unlawfully and unilaterally froze all federal grant funding. He shut down the housing portal that non-profits and Tribes use to access mortgage financing. He literally shut down the Medicaid reimbursement portal. He threw every town, county, Tribe, nonprofit, health care provider, school, and preschool into total disarray. From our state’s Roundhouse to the classroom to the emergency room, today was chaos. And people want answers,” said Heinrich.
    “The president cannot override, delay, or rescind Congress’s funding laws. Full stop. This has been upheld time and again by the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, the Government Accountability Office, and by the law, specifically the Impoundment Control Act of 1974,” continued Heinrich. “As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I know how much work goes in to writing and passing our bipartisan funding laws. And I am not going to cede that to ANY administration to be abused.”
    Heinrich called on New Mexicans to share how Trump’s blockade is affecting themselves and their families, “I want to hear from you about Donald Trump’s blockade, and how it is affecting you and your family. If your town’s COPS grant gets frozen, I need to know. If your VA mortgage gets held up, I need to know. If you’re a nonprofit giving services in the areas of violence against women, refuges for people who are battered, and your funding gets held up, these are the stories that I think need to be held up to understand just what is happening in our country right now.”
    Heinrich concluded by calling on his colleagues, “Let’s make sure that whatever we agree to here in this amazing Capitol—that not only passes both chambers but gets signed into law by the President of the United States—that we abide by that. Because only if we all agree to color inside the lines, and act like a democracy, will this remain a democracy.”
    Earlier today, Heinrich also released a statement condemning President Trump’s unlawful direction to unilaterally block all federal grant funding.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Cortez Masto, Rosen, Booker, Gillibrand, Kelly, Blumenthal, Wyden, Schiff, Peters, and Gallego Issue Statement on ICC Sanctions Procedural Vote

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NEv.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on their opposition to a procedural vote on the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act.
    “As pro-Israel members committed to protecting and strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship, and ensuring Israel has every tool to defend itself, we are deeply troubled by the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) outrageous political targeting of Israel and its leaders. The Court’s false equivalence of Israel’s defense of its people with Hamas’s barbaric actions on October 7th is an affront to human conscience, deserving of both condemnation and severe consequences. We believe this judicial overreach must be countered forcefully, including through sanctions on those at the ICC directly responsible.
    “Instead of directly punishing those responsible for the ICC’s reckless and irresponsible behavior, the House-passed ICC sanctions bill has overly broad language that would put our allies and U.S. private companies in the crosshairs. While we are eager to support a bill that would swiftly sanction those at the ICC responsible for its anti-Israel actions, in taking up the House bill today, Senate Republicans took a flawed, partisan approach. Despite our efforts, the bill’s sponsors did not allow us to make this bill stronger and more targeted. This is why we made the difficult decision to vote against a procedural motion on their bill, after serious consideration of the far-reaching, unintended consequences it would have. We urge our Republican colleagues to return to the negotiating table and reach a bipartisan agreement so that we can stand together in support of Israel through more targeted and effective legislation.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz: Illegal Trump Shutdown Causing Pain Across the Country

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) took to the Senate floor today to speak about the Trump Administration’s recent decision to freeze all federal grants, ignoring Article I of the Constitution.
    “There is real pain starting today because of this funding freeze. Schools, child care facilities, fire departments, community health centers, domestic violence shelters all of them will instantly lose their funding at 5 p.m. today because somebody said, ‘we’re fiscal conservatives,’” said Senator Schatz. “You want to enact a fiscally conservative appropriations bill? Pass a law.”
    “If you’re a disaster survivor in North Carolina or Louisiana, or California or Texas or Florida or Maui, you don’t know what happens next,” he continued. “If you’re a low-income family that relies on the Women, Infants, and Children Program to get healthy meals for your kids, if you live in a remote area like Wai?anae or Lana?i in Hawai‘i, and you go to a community health center to fill your prescriptions or to get a checkup, this freeze on funding means you don’t get help.”
    Schatz concluded, “What is happening today is unconstitutional. It is also against statutory law. But most importantly, it is causing pain across the country.”
    The full text of Senator Schatz’s remarks, as delivered, is below. Video is available here.
    Mr. President, the government shutdown that Donald Trump just ordered is illegal and unconstitutional. He is not a king and we do not live in a monarchy. It is Congress’s authority to decide on federal funding. The power of the purse is the foundational funding of the Article I branch. Everybody talks like that. Everybody says those things. But now we are all put to the test – Democrats and Republicans. Are we going to forfeit all of our power?
    We’re the elected branch. We make the laws. And the President of the United States just ordered a funding freeze for stuff he doesn’t feel like funding. That is literally not how it works. And today, the White House Press Secretary was asked about specific, popular, essential programs. And you know what she said?
    She said, “Have those people talk to Russ Vought and make an appeal to him.” Now there’s a couple of problems with that. First of all, Russ Vought doesn’t get to decide in an appropriations law, which parts of the law to follow and which parts not to follow. Second of all, let’s be really clear about this. Russ Vought is not a government employee right now.
    He’s a nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget. And so we’re supposed to have, I don’t know, Medicaid recipients, VA home loan recipients, nursing homes, education organizations, health care organizations, transportation contractors appeal mercy to the king. “Will you please release these dollars?”
    That’s not how the American system works. This is illegal.
    There is real pain starting today because of this funding freeze. Schools, child care facilities, fire departments, community health centers, domestic violence shelters all of them will instantly lose their funding at 5 p.m. today because somebody said, “we’re fiscal conservatives.”
    You want to enact a fiscally conservative appropriations bill? Pass a law. Pass a law.
    I also would like to select the federal funding, which I agree with and fund that, and select the funding that I disagree with and defund that. But I’m not a monarch and neither is Donald Trump.
    We’re hearing from so many constituents across the country, and I had a bit of a time delay because it’s earlier in Hawai‘i, but all of my colleagues were getting incoming texts and calls and panicked people. This isn’t about some arcane government program. This is like basic stuff. People are like staged to do construction and told not to show up for work.
    Some of these construction projects are in places where you only have a narrow window during which you can even do construction, so a 90-day freeze means wait till next year. I don’t care what the law says, wait till next year.
    If you’re a disaster survivor in North Carolina or Louisiana, or California or Texas or Florida or Maui, you don’t know what happens next.
    If you’re a low-income family that relies on the women, infants, and Children program to get healthy meals for your kids, if you live in a remote area like Wai?anae or Lana?i in Hawai‘i, and you go to a community health center to fill your prescriptions or to get a checkup, this freeze on funding means you don’t get help.
    People are you know how long it takes to get a home loan, VA home loan, or any other kind of home loan. People are showing up to get their VA home loans and saying, “not today”. You might be like 45 days from closing. You’re a veteran. You’re entitled to this thing under the law. Russ Vought, not a member of the federal government yet, has decided you don’t get your home loan today.
    What an embarrassing abdication of the role of the Congress.
    All of this high-minded talk from my fellow appropriators about, you know, there’s two parties. There’s really three parties in the Congress. It’s the old joke. Democrats, Republicans, and appropriators. Right. And the idea is that the appropriators are the adults in the room, the appropriators are the adults in the room, and they’re not going to let nonsense, unconstitutional, illegal acts happen because we’re the ones that control the purse strings.
    And I want to make one final point in addition to all the pain that’s being caused: My goodness, the door swings both ways in Washington.
    Imagine a progressive president reaching into the federal budget after an appropriations bill is passed and saying, “You know what? I don’t like that thing. I don’t like that other thing. I don’t like this one. I don’t like that one. I’m in charge”.
    What are we even here for? And so this is not going to be business as usual. I will tell you one thing. I have never in my 13 years withheld my unanimous consent. I’ve used a little leverage. Everybody does.
    But we better get this straight on a bipartisan basis. Not because I want to score partisan points, not because I want to characterize Donald Trump in one way or the other, but because we all worked so hard and made real sacrifices to get to this place so we could have a position of responsibility to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
    What is happening today is unconstitutional. It is also against statutory law. But most importantly, it is causing pain across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Cruz, Murphy, Britt Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Keep Kids Safe, Healthy, off Social Media

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) introduced bipartisan legislation to keep kids off social media and help protect them from its harmful impacts. The Kids Off Social Media Act would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media platforms and prevent social media companies from feeding algorithmically-targeted content to users under the age of 17. In addition to Schatz, Cruz, Murphy, and Britt, the Kids Off Social Media Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and John Curtis (R-Utah).
    “There is no good reason for a nine-year-old to be on Instagram or Snapchat. The growing evidence is clear: social media is making kids more depressed, more anxious, and more suicidal. Yet tech companies refuse to anything about it because it would hurt their bottom line. This is an urgent health crisis, and Congress must act with the boldness and urgency it demands,” said Senator Schatz. “Protecting kids online is not a partisan issue, and our bipartisan coalition – which includes several parents of kids and teenagers – represents the millions of parents across the country who’ve long been asking for help.”
    “Every parent I know is concerned about the online threats to kids—from predators to videos promoting self-harm, risky behavior, or low self-esteem. Many families have suffered due to Big Tech’s failure to take responsibility for its products. The Kids Off Social Media Act addresses these issues by supporting families in crisis and empowering teachers to better manage their classrooms. I am proud to work with Senator Schatz on this bipartisan legislation to combat the harms social media poses to children, especially in schools. As Chairman of the Commerce Committee, I am confident we can swiftly move this legislation and similar measures through committee and urge Congress to heed the calls of parents everywhere by delivering this bill to President Trump’s desk to help protect America’s youth,” said Senator Cruz.
    “Everyone knows how harmful social media can be to kids. As a parent, I’ve seen firsthand how these platforms use intentionally addictive algorithms to spoon-feed young people horrifying content glorifying everything from suicide to eating disorders. Yet these companies have proven they will choose profits over the wellbeing of our kids unless we force them to do otherwise. This bipartisan legislation will finally hold social media companies accountable,” said Senator Murphy.
    “There’s no doubt our country is in the throes of a mental health crisis, and the rise of social media usage among children and teenagers is inextricably tied to this issue,” said Senator Britt. “As a mom, this is something my own kids and their friends have to contend with every day. And as a Senator, I know our nation has to contend with it to safeguard the next generation. Putting in place commonsense guardrails that protect our kids from the dangers of social media is critical for their future and America’s future. I’m committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put parents in the driver’s seat and enact commonsense, age-appropriate solutions to tackle this generational challenge.”
    No age demographic is more affected by the ongoing mental health crisis in the United States than kids, especially young girls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 57 percent of high school girls and 29 percent of high school boys felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, with 22 percent of all high school students—and nearly a third of high school girls—reporting they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the preceding year.
    Studies have shown a strong relationship between social media use and poor mental health, especially among children. From 2019 to 2021, overall screen use among teens and tweens (ages 8 to 12) increased by 17 percent, with tweens using screens for five hours and 33 minutes per day and teens using screens for eight hours and 39 minutes. Based on the clear and growing evidence, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory in 2023, calling for new policies to set and enforce age minimums and highlighting the importance of limiting the use of features, like algorithms, that attempt to maximize time, attention, and engagement.
    “Social media can take a serious toll on kids’ mental health and wellbeing, and it’s critical those problems don’t go unaddressed,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to partner with a bipartisan group of my colleagues to protect children’s safety, mental health, and wellbeing online.”
    “Parents across North Carolina are rightly concerned about the mental health crisis impacting the next generation. I’m proud to join this bipartisan bill to set commonsense limits and help protect children from harmful habits that rob them of their attention and undermine their development. I thank Senators Cruz and Schatz for leading this effort,” said Senator Budd.
    “Children in Maine and across the country deserve protection from the potential harm posed by social media – especially during their most vulnerable years,” said Senator King. “The bipartisan Kids Off Social Media Act would limit the harmful impacts of social media by establishing reasonable guardrails such as age minimums for new accounts and restrictions on targeting content to children under the age of 17. Our children deserve to grow up in a safe and supportive environment – and that doesn’t define the harsh tone proliferating on online platforms – so this bipartisan legislation will ensure this protection for generations to come.”
    “Parents across the country have seen the negative impact of unrestricted social media use on their children’s mental and physical health,” said Senator Warner. “I’m proud join this bipartisan effort to help better protect kids and teens online with simple, commonsense guardrails.”
    “As a father and grandfather, I’ve witnessed firsthand how deeply the pressures and challenges of the digital age impact our children’s mental health and well-being,” said Senator Curtis. The Kids Off Social Media Act isn’t about taking something away; it’s about giving our kids back their childhoods and protecting their development during these critical years. By limiting harmful algorithms and enforcing a reasonable age threshold, this legislation is a vital step in fostering an environment where young people can thrive with fewer distractions and healthier minds. Utah has always valued family and community above all, and I’m proud to support bipartisan efforts like this that put kids first,” said Senator Curtis.
    Specifically, the Kids Off Social Media Act would:
    Prohibit social media platforms from allowing children under the age of 13 to create or maintain social media accounts;
    Prohibit social media companies from pushing targeted content using algorithms to users under the age of 17;
    Provide the FTC and state attorneys general authority to enforce the provisions of the bill; and
    Follow existing CIPA framework, with changes, to require schools to work in good faith to limit social media on their federally-funded networks, which many schools already do.
    Parents overwhelmingly support the mission of the Kids Off Social Media Act. A survey conducted by Count on Mothers shows that over 90 percent of mothers agree that there should be a minimum age of 13 for social media. Additionally, 87 percent of mothers agree that social media companies should not be allowed to use personalized recommendation systems to deliver content to children. Pew finds similar levels of concern from parents, reporting that 70 percent or more of parents worry that their teens are being exposed to explicit content or wasting too much time on social media, with two-thirds of parents saying that parenting is harder today compared to 20 years ago—and many of them cited social media as a contributing factor.
    The Kids Off Social Media Act is supported by Public Citizen, National Organization for Women, National Association of Social Workers, National League for Nursing, National Association of School Nurses, KidsToo, Count on Mothers, American Federation of Teachers, American Counseling Association, National Federation of Families, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Parents Television and Media Council, Tyler Clementi Foundation, Parents Who Fight, Conservative Ladies of America, David’s Legacy Foundation, Digital Progress, HAS Coalition, Parents Defending Education Action, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
    The full text of the bill is available here. For more information on the Kids Off Social Media Act, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Urges Colleagues To Pass Resolution Condemning President Trump’s Pardons Of The January 6 Insurrectionists Who Assaulted Police Officers At The U.S. Capitol

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    January 28, 2025
    WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke in favor of U.S. Senator Patty Murray’s (D-WA) resolution condemning President Trump’s pardons of the January 6 insurrectionists who assaulted the brave police officers defending the U.S. Capitol that day. The resolution was rejected by Senate Republicans.
    “For many of us, it’s personal. We were here on the Senate Floor on January 6, 2021. Vice President Pence was presiding. I was sitting at this very desk. A few minutes after two o’clock, the Secret Service came in and literally removed him from his chair. We knew there were demonstrations outside, but we didn’t know how serious or how violent they’d become,” Durbin said.
    “The insurrectionist mob was taking over the Capitol. Thousands of people were storming into this building not for peaceful demonstration by any means, but sadly for violence and destruction. That day was the worst day I can recall in the history of the Senate in terms of our respect for this building that has become a symbol not only for the United States, but for the world—for peace and democracy. And I thought of those poor Capitol police who were asked to defend us with their lives. They were asked to risk their lives for us, and they did. Some of the things that were done to them were outrageous. You’ve seen the videotape. We saw [the footage] as they tore down building structures, as they beat up on these cops, as many of them faced death, and we knew at the time it was that serious. The grimmest reality of those riots was the subsequent death of five of the law enforcement officers and the injuries to approximately 140 others, many of whom still pay a price to this day.”
    Last week, President Trump, who incited the violence, commuted the sentences of 14 individuals and granted full, complete, and unconditional pardons to approximately 1,500 others convicted of offenses related to the January 6th attack. Many of the perpetrators have shown a stunning lack of remorse following their violent assaults on the brave members of the U.S. Capitol Police and D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department who protected the Capitol that day.
    “For example, last August, David Dempsey, just a few hours after receiving a 240-month prison sentence for attacking police on January 6 with a flagpole, crutches, pepper spray, and pieces of furniture, called into a gathering of supporters outside the D.C. jail. In reference to Trump’s opponents, Mr. Dempsey said, ‘Don’t celebrate too hard, man, because that sentence is only going to last like six months…’ Devlyn Thompson attempted to throw a speaker at police officers—which ended up hitting and injuring a fellow rioter—and hit a police officer with a metal baton, according to court documents. Daniel ‘D.J.’ Rodriguez, a California man who drove a stun gun into an officer’s neck during one of the most violent clashes of the Capitol riot, was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison before President Trump granted him clemency. Andrew Taake pepper-sprayed police officers and hit one with a metal whip. He was supposed to serve 74 months at a federal prison in Beaumont, Texas, but he was pardoned by President Trump,” said Durbin.
    “As Winston Churchill said once, ‘Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it,’” Durbin continued. “That is why we must continue sounding the alarm on the violence and chaos of that day to ensure that it never happens again. We must also be clear that violence for political purposes is never, never acceptable and has no place in a democracy.”
    Durbin concluded, “The men and women who bravely defended the members of this body deserve better—and we should honor them for their heroic efforts on that day, not excuse the thugs who attacked this body and the ideals it represents… I thank Senator Murray for introducing this important resolution condemning President Trump’s pardons of the January 6 insurrectionists who assaulted our brave law enforcement officers, and I am disgusted that our Republican colleagues won’t join us in honoring the men and women who risk their lives every single day for us.”
    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.
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    MIL OSI USA News –