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Category: AM-NC

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 30th, 2025 Heinrich, Rounds, Tillis, Kim Reintroduce Legislation Supporting AI Innovation in Financial Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to promote artificial intelligence (AI) innovation in the financial services industry. The Unleashing AI Innovation in Financial Services Act will establish regulatory guardrails at financial regulatory agencies for regulated entities to test AI projects, allowing them to experiment with cutting-edge technologies in a safe way.

    “To unlock AI’s full potential and ensure it is deployed responsibly, we need regulatory guardrails that are informed by real-life use cases,” said Heinrich. “Our Unleashing AI Innovation in Financial Services Act does exactly this by enabling the private sector and government agencies to work together and encourage innovation that protects consumers.”

    The Unleashing AI Innovation in Financial Services Act establishes regulatory innovation labs for AI test projects at the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Regulated entities would apply through their primary regulator and must be able to demonstrate the project will serve the public interest (including consumer projection), enhance efficiency or increase competitiveness and not present a systemic risk to the financial system.

    The legislation is led by U.S. Representatives French Hill (R-Ark.), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) in the House.

    The full text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Warnock Reintroduce John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    July 29, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Reverand Raphael Warnock (D-GA), along with U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and all other Senate Democrats, today reintroduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation that would update and restore critical safeguards of the original Voting Rights Act.

     

    This legislation is especially relevant in Texas where, following historic disapproval of Congressional Republicans’ tax bill, Texas state lawmakers are looking to add five additional Republicans. The move comes in direct response to President Trump’s fears that voters may flip the House in the 2026 midterms.

     

    “There is no freedom more fundamental than the right to vote. But between the Trump Administration’s executive order on voter registration and state legislatures gerrymandering districts, there has been a clear, concerted effort to chip away at the protections guaranteed to every American under the Voting Rights Act,” said Durbin. “In the face of these injustices that target communities of color and their right to vote, we must continue the work of civil rights leaders like John Lewis and strengthen the framework of the Voting Rights Act by passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.”

    “As I often say, a vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and our children,” said Warnock. “Our prayers are stronger when we pray together. Democracy is the political enactment of a spiritual idea that each of us has within ourselves the spark of the divine. We all have value, and if we all have value, we ought to have a voice in the direction of our country; we ought to have a vote.”

     

    In the wake of the Supreme Court’s damaging Shelby County decision in 2013—which crippled the federal government’s ability under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to prevent discriminatory changes to voting laws and procedures—states across the country have unleashed a torrent of voter suppression schemes that have systematically disenfranchised tens of thousands of American voters. The Supreme Court’s decision in Brnovich delivered yet another blow to the Voting Rights Act, by making it significantly harder forplaintiffs to win lawsuits under the landmark law against discriminatory voting laws or procedures.

     

    Durbin and Warnock marked the reintroduction of the legislation with a press conference, available to view here.

     

    In addition to Durbin, Warnock, Schumer, Booker, and Blumenthal, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jack Reed (D-RI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Coons (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tina Smith (D-MN), Angus King (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).

     

    The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is endorsed by hundreds of organizations.

     

    The full text of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act can be found here.

     

    A section-by-section analysis of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act can be found here.

     

    -30-

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Statement On Senate Confirmation Of Emil Bove To Serve As A Lifetime Circuit Court Judge

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    July 29, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Emil Bove’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit:

     

    “Mr. Bove’s primary qualification appears to be his blind loyalty to this President. As Acting Deputy Attorney General, Mr. Bove personally ordered the terminations of dozens of career federal prosecutors who worked to put violent January 6 offenders behind bars. Mr. Bove even made the outrageous claim that the prosecutions of January 6 rioters were ‘a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people.’ He doubled down on this sentiment during his confirmation process—and further insulted the law enforcement officers who kept us safe from those rioters. He even ordered prosecutors to dismiss charges against Eric Adams forblatantly corrupt reasons.

    “On top of this, three whistleblowers have come forward to shine further light on Mr. Bove’s alleged misconduct. One whistleblower, a career Justice Department lawyer, not only provided evidence of Mr. Bove’s failure to fulfill his ethical obligations as a lawyer, but also demonstrated that his activities are part of a broader pattern by President Trump and his allies to undermine the Justice Department’s commitment to the rule of law.

    “He is a terrible choice for the Third Circuit, and I think it’s a dire mistake by my Republican colleagues to confirm him for a lifetime position on the federal bench.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • Congress’ priority not national security, but vote bank and appeasement politics: Amit Shah

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday listed out several Congress-era errors, leading to the formation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and loss of vast swathes of land to enemy nations. He also tore into the grand old party’s appeasement politics for political gains.

    Speaking in Rajya Sabha on Operation Sindoor, the Home Minister held Congress’ policies responsible for multiple acts of terror in the country, while categorically stating that Hindus can never be terrorists.

    HM Shah said that the desperation of the Congress party for a certain vote bank, in all these years, emboldened the terrorists and their motives.

    Blasting the previous Congress regimes for coining ‘saffron terror’, he said that the grand old party demonised the majority community i.e. Hindus for its myopic political gains.

    Recalling the Batla House encounter, he said that the Congress party abandoned its own forces and stood with Pakistan-sponsored terrorists for appeasing a certain community.

    “When the country mourned the demise of brave cop Mohan Sharma in Batla House encounter, Sonia Gandhi wept for the Batla House shooters,” he said, questioning the absurd politicking of Congress party.

    The Home Minister also rebutted Congress’ China jab and spoke about instances when the latter’s conduct looked dubious and diabolical.

    “When our forces were engaging with enemy forces during Doklam face-off, the Congress leaders were clandestinely meeting Chinese officials. What kind of politics is this?” he questioned.

    Responding to Chidambaram’s charge that Operation Sindoor was not decisive, he asked the principal opposition party whether the 1965, 1971 battles were final and decisive and if Pakistan stopped spreading terror after being then taught a lesson.

    He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has instilled fear in the minds and hearts of terrorists across the border and whenever the terror elements will rear its head, “our Army will crush them again”.

    (IANS)

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: More classroom spaces on the way | Un plus grand nombre de places en salles de classe à venir

    To support schools in managing the growing number of students, Alberta’s government is investing $50 million to add 62 pre-made classrooms this fall. Through previous Budget 2025 commitments, a total $100 million will deliver 109 new modular classrooms, creating space for 2,725 students and relocating 575 more.

    “Alberta’s government is moving quickly to build new schools and create more classroom spaces, so our students continue to have room to grow and thrive. This additional funding for modular classrooms will help us get much-needed spaces to some of our busiest schools, while we work as quickly as possible to open the doors to more than 130 school projects underway in the province.”

    Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare

    “Rocky View Schools welcomes these additional modular classrooms to help ease current enrolment pressures while we await completion of the seven much-needed new schools approved in budgets 2024 and 2025. RVS has experienced years of unprecedented enrolment growth and appreciates the Government of Alberta’s recognition of the urgent need for more student spaces in our fast-growing communities. We remain committed to working with the government to ensure new school and modular approvals keep pace with student enrolment growth across RVS.”

    Fiona Gilbert, board chair, Rocky View Schools

    Alberta’s government is also providing $1 million in planning funding to advance four new charter school projects. The funds are being provided to New Horizons Charter Academy, New Humble Community School, Suzuki Charter School and Thrive Charter School to finalize planning details such as programming needs and the size and type of classrooms needed in each school. When completed, these new charter schools will contribute more than 2,400 new or updated student spaces.

    “The Thrive Charter School Society is excited about this opportunity to advance efforts in addressing opportunity gaps for students in Edmonton. This investment paves the way to serve more students and their families with the programming and supports necessary to truly thrive.”

    Michael Hladun, vice-chair, Thrive Charter School Society

    Alberta’s government is looking to the future by providing $610,000 in pre-planning funding for 13 potential future school projects. Pre-planning funding helps school boards begin planning for school projects they believe will become priorities within the next three to five years. Examples of pre-planning activities include project scoping and community engagement and outreach. Although it is an important first step, pre-planning funding does not guarantee a school project will be built.

    These investments in modulars and school planning are all part of the province’s Schools Now program, which includes a generational investment of $8.6 billion to build and update more than 100 schools across the province and create more classroom spaces now. Over seven years, Schools Now will create more than 200,000 student spaces, helping school boards manage class sizes and bringing learning closer to home for more Alberta students and families.

    Quick facts

    • Alberta’s student population rose from about 735,000 in 2020-21 to nearly 826,000 in 2024-25 – and counting.
    • The most recent $50-million investment supports the purchase of 62 modular classrooms, three washroom units and the relocation of four units.
      • The pre-made classrooms will start to be manufactured this summer and will be installed throughout the 2025-26 school year.
    • The $50 million invested in modular classrooms earlier in the year supported the purchase of 47 new modular classrooms, three washroom units and 19 relocations.
    • With the addition of four new charter school projects, there are now seven charter school projects underway in Alberta. When complete, these projects will contribute more than 4,400 student spaces.
    • The province also invested $140 million towards modular classrooms in 2024.? 

    2025-26 Modular Classroom Program in-year approvals ($50 million)

    School boards

    New modulars

    Relocations

    Demolitions

    Black Gold School Division

    4

    –

    4

    Calgary Board of Education

    13

    –

    –

    Calgary Catholic School District

    4

    4

    –

    Chinook’s Edge School Division

    2

    –

    –

    Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools

    1

    –

    –

    Connect Charter School

    1

    –

    –

    Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord

    2 + 1 washroom

    –

    –

    Edmonton Catholic Schools

    2 + 1 washroom

    –

    Edmonton Public Schools

    11

    –

    –

    Elk Island Public Schools

    2

    –

    –

    Fort McMurray Public School Division

    2

    –

    –

    Fort McMurray Catholic Schools

    3

    –

    –

    Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools

    –

    –

    14

    Lethbridge School Division

    1

    –

    –

    Parkland School Division

    3

    –

    –

    Rocky View Schools

    5

    –

    –

    St. Albert Public Schools

    4

    –

    4

    St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Schools

    2 + 1 washroom

    –

    –

    Total

    62 classrooms + 3 washroom units

    4

    22

    Planning funding (4 projects):   

    Community

    Charter school

    Edmonton (2)

    Suzuki Charter School

    Thrive Charter School

    Leduc County

    New Humble Community School

    Sherwood Park

    New Horizons School

    Pre-planning funding (13 projects):   

    Community

    School board

    Blackfoot/Kitscoty

    Buffalo Trail Public Schools

    Calgary

    Connect Charter School

    Edmonton (4)

    Edmonton Catholic Schools

    Edmonton Public Schools (2)

    STEM Collegiate Canada

    Fort Saskatchewan

    Elk Island Public Schools

    Lacombe

    Wolf Creek Public Schools

    Okotoks

    Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools

    Oyen

    Prairie Rose School Division

    Paddle Prairie

    Northland School Division

    Red Deer

    Red Deer Public Schools

    Stettler

    East Central Catholic Schools

    Related information

    • Planning and building schools
    • Schools Now
    • Student population statistics

    Related news

    • Fast-tracking more school projects (May 21, 2025)
    • Money for school project planning (April 4, 2025)

    À l’approche de l’année scolaire 2025-2026, le gouvernement de l’Alberta continue d’investir dans la création de nouvelles places en salles de classe.

    Afin d’appuyer les écoles à gérer le nombre croissant d’élèves, le gouvernement de l’Alberta investit 50 millions de dollars pour ajouter 62 nouvelles salles de classe modulaires cet automne. Avec les engagements précédents dans le cadre du budget 2025, cela représente un total de 100 millions de dollars qui permettront de construire 109 nouvelles salles de classe modulaires, créant ainsi 2 725 places pour les élèves, et d’en déplacer 575 autres.

    « Le gouvernement de l’Alberta agit rapidement pour construire de nouvelles écoles et augmenter le nombre de places en salles de classe afin que nos élèves continuent d’avoir l’espace nécessaire pour grandir et s’épanouir. Ce financement supplémentaire pour les salles de classe modulaires nous aidera à fournir les places dont ont tant besoin certaines de nos écoles les plus surutilisées, pendant que nous travaillons aussi vite que possible pour terminer plus de 130 projets d’écoles en cours dans la province. »

    Demetrios Nicolaides, ministre de l’Éducation et de la Garde d’enfants

    « Rocky View Schools se réjouit de l’arrivée de ces salles de classe modulaires supplémentaires qui permettront d’alléger la pression actuelle sur les inscriptions, en attendant l’achèvement des sept nouvelles écoles indispensables approuvées dans le cadre des budgets 2024 et 2025. RVS connait depuis des années une croissance sans précédent du nombre d’inscriptions et apprécie que le gouvernement de l’Alberta reconnaisse le besoin urgent de créer davantage de places pour les élèves dans nos communautés en pleine expansion. Nous restons déterminés à travailler avec le gouvernement pour veiller à ce que les autorisations de construction de nouvelles écoles et de salles de classe modulaires suivent le rythme de la croissance des inscriptions dans l’ensemble des écoles de Rocky View Schools. »

    Fiona Gilbert, présidente, Rocky View Schools

    Le gouvernement de l’Alberta fournit également un million de dollars de financement pour la planification qui fera avancer quatre projets de nouvelles écoles à charte dans la province. Ces fonds sont attribués aux écoles New Horizons Charter Academy, New Humble Community School, Suzuki Charter School et Thrive Charter School afin de finaliser les détails de planification, tels que les besoins en matière de programmation et la taille et le type de salles de classe nécessaires pour chaque école. Lorsqu’elles ouvriront leurs portes, ces nouvelles écoles à charte ajouteront plus de 2 400 places nouvelles ou modernisées.

    « La Thrive Charter School Society se réjouit de cette occasion qui lui est offerte de faire progresser les efforts visant à combler les écarts en matière d’occasions pour les élèves d’Edmonton. Cet investissement ouvre la voie à la prise en charge d’un plus grand nombre d’élèves et de leurs familles grâce à des programmes et à des soutiens nécessaires à leur épanouissement. »

    Michael Hladun, vice-président, Thrive Charter School Society

    Le gouvernement de l’Alberta pense à l’avenir en accordant un financement de 610 000 de dollars pour la planification préliminaire de 13 projets d’écoles potentiels. Le financement pour la planification préliminaire permet aux autorités scolaires de commencer à planifier des projets d’école qui, selon elles, deviendront des priorités dans les trois à cinq prochaines années. Les activités admissibles dans le cadre du financement pour la planification préliminaire comprennent, entre autres, la détermination de la portée du projet, ainsi que la consultation et la sensibilisation auprès de la communauté. Bien qu’il s’agisse d’une première étape importante, l’approbation du financement pour la planification préliminaire ne garantit pas la construction d’une école.

    Ces investissements dans les salles de classe modulaires et la planification d’écoles s’inscrivent dans le cadre du programme « Des écoles dès maintenant » (Schools Now) du gouvernement de l’Alberta, un investissement générationnel de 8,6 milliards de dollars pour bâtir et moderniser plus de 100 écoles dans la province et créer dès maintenant un plus grand nombre de places en salles de classe. Au cours des sept prochaines années, le programme « Des écoles dès maintenant » créera plus de 200 000 places pour les élèves, ce qui aidera les autorités scolaires à gérer la taille des classes et à faire en sorte qu’un plus grand nombre d’élèves et de familles albertaines aient accès à un lieu d’apprentissage plus près de chez eux.

    En bref

    • La population étudiante de l’Alberta est passée d’environ 735 000 en 2020-2021 à près de 826 000 en 2024-2025, et elle continue d’augmenter.
    • Le plus récent investissement, au montant de 50 millions de dollars, permettra d’acheter trois toilettes et 62 salles de classe modulaires, ainsi que d’en déménager quatre autres.
      • La fabrication des nouvelles salles de classe modulaires débutera cet été et les salles de classe seront installées tout au long de l’année scolaire 2025-2026.
    • Les 50 millions de dollars investis plus tôt cette année dans le programme de salles de classe modulaires ont permis d’acheter trois toilettes et 47 nouvelles salles de classe modulaires, ainsi que d’en déménager 19 autres.
    • Avec l’ajout de quatre nouveaux projets d’écoles à charte, on compte maintenant sept projets d’écoles à charte en cours de réalisation en Alberta. Une fois achevés, ces projets créeront plus de 4 400 places pour les élèves.
    • La province a également investi 140 millions de dollars dans le programme de salles de classe modulaires en 2024.

    Approbations en cours d’exercice pour le programme de salles de classe modulaires 2025-2026 (50 millions de dollars)

    Autorités scolaires

    Nouvelles salles de classe modulaire

    Déménagement

    Démolition

    Black Gold School Division

    4

    –

    4

    Calgary Board of Education

    13

    –

    –

    Calgary Catholic School District

    4

    4

    –

    Chinook’s Edge School Division

    2

    –

    –

    Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools

    1

    –

    –

    Connect Charter School

    1

    –

    –

    Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord

    2 + 1 toilette

    –

    –

    Edmonton Catholic Schools

    2 + 1 toilette

    –

    Edmonton Public Schools

    11

    –

    –

    Elk Island Public Schools

    2

    –

    –

    Fort McMurray Public School Division

    2

    –

    –

    Fort McMurray Catholic Schools

    3

    –

    –

    Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools

    –

    –

    14

    Lethbridge School Division

    1

    –

    –

    Parkland School Division

    3

    –

    –

    Rocky View Schools

    5

    –

    –

    St. Albert Public Schools

    4

    –

    4

    St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Schools

    2 + 1 toilette

    –

    –

    Total

    62 salles de classe + 3 toilettes

    4

    22

     

    Financement pour la planification (4 projets)   

    Collectivité

    École à charte

    Edmonton

    Suzuki Charter School

    Thrive Charter School

    Leduc County

    New Humble Community School

    Sherwood Park

    New Horizons School

     

    Financement pour la planification préliminaire (13 projets)  

    Collectivité

    Autorité scolaire

    Blackfoot/Kitscoty

    Buffalo Trail Public Schools

    Calgary

    Connect Charter School

    Edmonton (4)

    Edmonton Catholic Schools

    Edmonton Public Schools (2)

    STEM Collegiate Canada

    Fort Saskatchewan

    Elk Island Public Schools

    Lacombe

    Wolf Creek Public Schools

    Okotoks

    Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools

    Oyen

    Prairie Rose School Division

    Paddle Prairie

    Northland School Division

    Red Deer

    Red Deer Public Schools

    Stettler

    East Central Catholic Schools

    Renseignements connexes

    • Planification et construction d’écoles
    • Des écoles dès maintenant
    • Statistiques sur la population étudiante (en anglais seulement)

    Nouvelles connexes

    • Accélérer un plus grand nombre de projets d’écoles (21 mai 2025)
    • Des fonds pour la planification d’écoles (4 avril 2025)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bean Recognized as Champion of Limited Government

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Aaron Bean Florida (4th District)

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04) was recently presented with the Champion of Limited Government Award by the Institute for Legislative Analysis (ILA). Congressman Bean earned this legislative honor for his strong record of supporting policies that reduce federal overreach, safeguard individual liberty, and defend the U.S. Constitution.

    “Big government is never the answer,” said Congressman Bean. “I will continue to protect our cherished constitutional freedoms and fight to keep Crazy Town out of Northeast Floridians’ lives and wallets.”

    “Congressman Aaron Bean has earned the Institute for Legislative Analysis’ highest honor—the Champion of Limited Government—for the outstanding alignment of his voting record to the limited government principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Under our new district-based grading system, which maps each lawmaker’s record to the unique electorate they represent, Congressman Bean received an A+ rating, proving his unwavering commitment to the values of the Sunshine State’s 4th District,” said ILA CEO Ryan McGowen. “Across the more than 220 issues we evaluated this past year – whether related to fiscal responsibility, energy dominance, cutting burdensome regulations, or strengthening individual liberties – Congressman Bean consistently shined as one of the most principled defenders of limited government in Congress.”  

    BACKGROUND 

    With this award, Congressman Bean has been recognized as one of the top 100 members in Congress most committed to preserving Americans’ God-given rights and defending the U.S. Constitution.

    The Institute for Legislative Analysis presents the Champion of Limited Government Award to lawmakers whose voting records most closely align with the Constitution’s limited government principles. The rankings are based on a comprehensive review of over 100,000 votes—making it the most expansive congressional analysis to date. 

    To view the rankings, click HERE.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Gillibrand Announces EATS Act To Expand Snap Benefit Eligibility To More College Students

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    As Many As 290,000 New York College Students Would Become Newly Eligible For SNAP Benefits Under The EATS Act

    In 2023, 41% of college students experienced food insecurity

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand reintroduced the Enhance Access to SNAP (EATS) Act, which would expand Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility to all college students attending 2- and 4-year universities who meet traditional SNAP income and eligibility requirements. Current SNAP eligibility rules only include college students working 20 hours per week or participating in a federal or state work study, or those who meet very specific exemptions. The EATS Act would permanently ensure that low-income college students have equitable access to SNAP benefits by amending the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to include “attending an institution of higher education” as another form of qualification in addition to work. With this change, an estimated 470,000 New York college students would qualify for SNAP assistance, including as many as 290,000 newly eligible students.

    “No college student should have to scrounge for food or wonder where they’ll get their next meal,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Food insecurity is a crisis that plagues low-income college students in New York and beyond, and we must do more to combat it. The EATS Act would eliminate work-for-food barriers for low-income students and ensure that as many as 4 million college students nationwide can access the SNAP benefits they need to learn and thrive. This legislation is critical, and I’m committed to fighting for its passage.”

    According to The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs at Temple University, food insecurity is a serious problem on college campuses across the nation, especially for students of color, first generation students, low-income students, and students at community colleges. In 2023-2024, 41% of college students experienced food insecurity. Students of color were more likely to experience basic needs insecurity: 74% of Indigenous, 72% of Black, and 67% of Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian students experienced food insecurity, housing insecurity, and/or homelessness.

    Representatives Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Josh Harder (D-CA), and Alma Adams (D-NC) lead companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “Too many students are working toward a degree while quietly struggling with hunger,” said Rep. Gomez. “No student should have to choose between focusing on their finals or finding their next meal. It is essential that college students, especially first-generation students and students of color, don’t fall through the cracks. The EATS Act will expand access to SNAP benefits for students and ensure that hunger doesn’t stand in the way of a degree or a better life.”

    “There are many college students across the country that face food insecurity due to outdated and arbitrary restrictions that block access to SNAP benefits,” said Rep. Panetta. “The EATS Act would eliminate those barriers and expand eligibility so students, including those in California’s CalFresh program, can get the nutrition they need.  By removing these unnecessary hurdles, we can ensure that rather than worrying about where their next meal will come from, our students can focus on their education and future success.”

    “College students across the nation are going hungry, skipping meals, and can’t afford to make ends meet – it’s unacceptable. No student should have to choose between food and their textbooks,” said Rep. Costa. “Our legislation eliminates barriers and expands SNAP eligibility for college students, so they get the nutrition needed to be successful.” 

    “This is a commonsense bill – we know our students can’t learn if they’re hungry. One in three college students face food insecurity meaning millions of young people aren’t able to live up to their potential,” said Rep. Harder. “If we want to set future generations up for success, we have to make sure they are getting the nutrition they need. This bill does just that by extending access to SNAP to college students. It’s a no-brainer if we care about our future.”

    “As a former college professor of 40 years, I’ve seen students struggle with hunger firsthand and know how it impacts their health and academic achievement. They should be focusing on their education, not where their next meal is coming from, but harsh SNAP restrictions make that impossible for millions of college students, especially after the passage of Republicans’ One Big, Ugly Bill,” said Rep. Adams. “I’m proud to support the EATS Act so we can remove these outdated barriers to SNAP, make college more accessible to low-income families, and ensure no student goes to bed hungry.”

    “No student should have to choose between eating and learning. The EATS Act removes outdated and harmful barriers that have long prevented college students—including many student parents and students of color—from accessing SNAP. This bill is a step toward justice—toward a future where an empty stomach isn’t a prerequisite for learning, and where every student is healthy, housed, and fed,” said Shimica Gaskins, President & CEO, GRACE/End Child Poverty California.

    “All students should have the resources they need to meet their basic needs. But with one in five experiencing food insecurity and many lacking access to SNAP benefits, this is not their reality. It’s clear the system needs reformed,” said Jessica Thompson, Senior Vice President at The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS). “Removing the requirement to meet an additional exemption will improve students’ ability to access benefits and better support their academic success. That’s why TICAS is proud to endorse the EATS Act of 2025  – a critical step in addressing food insecurity for this overlooked population.”  

    “Far too many low-income college students are going hungry, all while juggling family, work, and a full course load in pursuit of economic mobility. Many are parents, caregivers, or older adults returning to school for a better future, but the current system, with its 20-hour per week work requirement, makes this nearly impossible. Balancing work, school, and other responsibilities leaves little time for these students to focus on their education, much less maintain their health or care for their loved ones. Hunger only compounds these challenges, preventing them from fully thriving,” said Crystal FitzSimons, President of the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). “No student should have to choose between buying food and pursuing an education. Congress must pass the EATS Act to remove outdated barriers to SNAP eligibility and ensure every student has the food they need to learn and thrive.”

    The full text of the bill can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study estimating the number of lung microplastics people inhale daily in homes and cars

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    July 30, 2025

    A study published in PLOS One estimates human exposure to microplastics in homes and cars. 

    Prof Oliver Jones, Professor of Chemistry, RMIT University, said:

    “The only thing this paper measured was the concentrations of microplastics in a limited set of environments. The authors tested the air in three apartments and two cars via a total of 12 samples (plus four blanks). This is simply not enough data to make generalisations about the cities in France where the work took place, let alone the rest of the world. The authors did not conduct any testing to determine whether the microplastics they found were associated with or caused any health effects. The results should thus be treated as preliminary at best.

    “But what if there were more samples? What would the results mean?

    “When we talk about air pollution, you often hear the terms PM10 and PM2.5. The PM stands for particulate matter, and the numbers stand for the diameter of the particle in micrometres (microns). PM10 means particulate matter 10 micrometres (0.01 mm) in diameter or smaller, while PM2.5 means particles of matter 2.5 micrometres (0.0025 mm) in diameter or smaller. They usually come from dust and smoke, and we know that very fine particulate matter, no matter the source, can be a health risk; that’s why air quality is regularly tested, and there are guidelines in place for total PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations in the air in many countries [1].

    “Particles at the top end of the PM10 range generally do not travel further into the lungs than the upper respiratory tract (nose and throat). Plastic particles in the PM2.5 range (or smaller) might travel further, but the keyword here is ‘might’; this is a relatively new area of research.

    “However, even if we assume plastic PM2.5 were an issue, their effects are already considered as part of the general impact of PM2.5 pollution, and any effect from plastics would likely be dwarfed by the contribution of PM2.5 particles from burning petrol oil and other fossil fuels, which are present in much greater abundance (while a figure like 2238 particles per cubic meter sounds like a large number, the particles themselves are very small, so the total physical amount of particles is also very small).

    “In short, while particulate pollution is an issue we should pay attention to, you don’t have to worry about breathing plastic air just yet.

    [1] Accredited official statistics, particulate matter (PM10/PM2.5), https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics/concentrations-of-particulate-matter-pm10-and-pm25 accessed 30/06/25″

    ‘Human exposure to PM10 microplastics in indoor air’ by Nadiia Yakovenko et al. will be published in PLOS One at 19:00 UK time Wednesday 30 July 2025, which is when the embargo will lift.

    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0328011

    Declared interests

    Prof Oliver Jones: I am a Professor of Chemistry at RMIT University in Melbourne. I have previously published research on microplastics in the environment. I have no conflicts of interest to declare but I have received funding from the Environment Protection Authority Victoria and various Australian Water utilities for research into environmental pollution.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New Trail, New Moves: Sheridan College Just Got More Connected

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Brampton, Ontario, July 30, 2025 — Sheridan College is enhancing safety and accessibility of active transportation infrastructure on campus with the support of the Government of Canada. The combined investment of $600,000 will make it easier and safer for people to walk, bike, and move around campus.

    The project will enhance Sheridan College Drive by widening 180 metres of sidewalk, building a bicycle path, and installing lighting and benches. Separated from the road and bus routes, the new path will provide a dedicated entrance to campus for cyclists and other active transportation users. The project will also have three enhanced outdoor bike shelters that will give commuters more peace of mind when storing their bikes on campus.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Premier celebrates first LNG Canada shipments to Asia

    Premier David Eby is celebrating hundreds of jobs and billions in economic growth that come with the first shipments of liquefied natural gas from LNG Canada to Asia, marking a historic milestone for British Columbia diversifying its trade relationships and securing its clean energy future.

    “The first shipments of made-in-B.C. energy across the Pacific come at a pivotal time for our province and the country we love,” Premier Eby said. “Projects like LNG Canada are the reason that B.C. will be the economic engine of a more independent Canada. It creates good jobs, opportunities that let young people build a life here in the North and generates the revenue we need to improve public services everyone relies on.”

    LNG Canada is the largest private-sector investment in Canadian history, with $40 billion committed to building the export facility in Kitimat and associated infrastructure. The project is expected to contribute 0.4% to Canada’s GDP once fully operational.

    The Kitimat facility is one of the cleanest of its kind in the world, with emissions 35% lower than the best-performing global facilities, and 60% lower than the global average. Approximately $6 billion in contracts have gone to B.C. and Indigenous businesses. The project was built in partnership with the Haisla Nation and other Indigenous communities.

    “British Columbia will produce some of the lowest-emission LNG in the world. It is imperative that we get our clean-energy resources to global markets so that we can deliver a stronger, more diversified economy for people and communities to benefit from,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “LNG Canada’s first shipment to Asia is a major milestone and one that positions B.C. and Canada to meet growing global demand, while highlighting our commitment to responsible energy development.”

    Premier Eby’s recent trade mission to Asia confirmed strong demand for responsibly produced energy from B.C., demand that the LNG Canada project is helping to meet.

    The LNG Canada project has created thousands of good-paying jobs and new opportunities for people in the North and across Canada.

    Quick Facts:

    • At peak construction, there were more than 9,000 highly skilled workers at the LNG Canada site in Kitimat.   
    • More than 300 full-time permanent jobs have been created at the Kitimat facility.
    • Since the final investment decision, the project and associated pipeline have employed 65,000 workers over roughly a six-year construction period, including more than 40,000 Canadians who have worked on the site since the start of construction.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Highlighting the Impacts of Paying Off New York’s UI Debt

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul and Heather Mulligan, President and CEO of the Business Council of New York State, visited local business owner, Eli Smith, to discuss the impacts of using nearly $7 billion to pay off the federal Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund loan and replenish the Fund — a move that will bring the Fund to solvency, increase benefits for unemployed New Yorkers and cut costs to businesses. The Governor reached agreement to take this action back in May as part of the FY26 Enacted Budget.

    “With the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund loan paid off, businesses and workers across the state will feel and see the financial relief that they deserve during a time when inflation is just so high,” Governor Hochul said. “New York State continues to work to put money back into the pockets of New Yorkers, cut costs for our businesses and uplift the state’s economy.”

    The Business Council of New York State President and CEO Heather Mulligan said, “On behalf of businesses across New York State, we are grateful that Governor Hochul found the UI debt to be a priority and agreed to fully pay off the remaining balance that had been a strain on all businesses, especially smaller employers across the state. This multi-billion-dollar burden served as an added tax on our employers for the past four years, restricting them from reinvesting in their businesses or local economies. We appreciate the willingness of the Assembly leadership to work with Governor Hochul and the business community to make the UI fund solvent.”

    Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the UI Trust Fund had a positive balance of nearly $2.5 billion. However, due to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, the balance was paid out to unemployed New Yorkers, requiring the State to borrow from the federal government to continue paying eligible claims. Paying off the debt and making the fund solvent allows the State to increase the maximum UI benefit rate for unemployed New Yorkers so that it better aligns with other states. The maximum weekly benefit to unemployed workers, which has been frozen because of the debt, will increase from $504 to $869 in October.

    By paying off the debt, the State is also putting money back in the pockets of business owners, whose contribution rates had continued to climb while the debt was paid down. Employers are projected to save an average of $100 per employee in 2026 and $250 per employee in 2027. Additionally, the taxable wage base will increase in 2026, strengthening the trust fund over time and helping to maintain affordable tax rates for New York’s employers in the long term.

    E. Smith Contractors President Eli Smith said, “By paying off the unemployment debt I will save more than $300 per employee, and with about 50 workers in New York, that savings adds up. I can take that savings and invest in new equipment, workforce development or other ways to improve my business. I appreciate the Governor and the Legislature taking this step and also the advocacy of the Business Council of New York State.”

    New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “I thank Governor Hochul and the Legislature for paying off New York’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund debt, which is a win for both businesses and workers statewide. This action will cut costs for our businesses and increase benefits for unemployed New Yorkers when they need it most. By stabilizing this critical safety net for our workforce, we’re ensuring New York State is more affordable for all.”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “The need for increased Unemployment Insurance contributions was a piece of New York’s greater post-COVID economic recovery challenge. By paying off the remaining federal Unemployment Insurance debt through the State Budget, Governor Hochul and the State Legislature are improving New York’s business climate and offering a direct, tangible benefit to businesses of all sizes across the state.”

    Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “Our small businesses have been clear – paying off the unemployment insurance debt has been a huge relief. Now they can shift that cost towards growing and thriving within our communities and we can provide better coverage for our unemployed families as they get back on their feet. The Assembly Majority fought hard for this inclusion in the budget as we understood the critical benefit this would have to small businesses and New York’s hardworking families as they continue to make our state a place we’re all proud to call home.”

    State Senator Jessica Ramos said, “Paying off the Unemployment Insurance debt was long overdue and it’s a win for both workers and small businesses across New York. During the pandemic, our UI system was a lifeline, but for too long the burden of repayment fell unfairly on businesses while workers were stuck with frozen benefits. With this year’s budget, we finally turned the page. We’re raising benefits to meet the realities of today’s economy and easing the load on employers who kept our communities going. I’m grateful to Governor Hochul for working with us to get this done. This is what responsible, pro-worker, pro-business policy looks like.”

    Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson said, “Paying off this debt was critical for all New Yorkers and our job creators. We secured relief for employers — especially small businesses, while ensuring unemployed New Yorkers receive substantially increased benefits that help them afford housing, groceries, and basic necessities during their job search. With today’s cost of living, these enhanced benefits make the difference between families staying afloat or falling behind. This action supports both workers facing hardship and creates an environment where businesses can grow and hire.”

    Empire State Development Board Chair Kevin Law said, “Governor Hochul’s leadership in paying off New York’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund debt is a major win for businesses and workers — on Long Island and across the state. This critical step delivers real financial relief to employers while strengthening benefits for those who need them most. By reducing costs and restoring stability to the fund, we’re creating the conditions for sustained growth, economic resilience, and job creation.”

    Long Island Association President and CEO Matt Cohen said, “The UI debt was one of the last lingering reminders of the economic toll of the Covid pandemic and so the LIA applauds Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature for delivering this significant relief to our business community.”

    HIA-LI President and CEO Terri Alessi-Miceli said, “We are grateful to Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for eliminating this burden on New York’s employers. Business owners on Long Island and the state can see meaningful relief that lowers the cost of doing business and strengthens our economy.”

    Business Council of Westchester President and CEO Marsha Gordon said, “Replenishing the State’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) Fund has been one of the Business Council of Westchester’s (BCW) top legislative priorities. For years, businesses have shouldered the burden of paying over $5 billion dollars towards this debt, which was an added tax that significantly impacted their operations. The BCW applauds the governor’s leadership and commitment to extinguishing the UI debt, which will remove the serious negative impact that businesses across the state were facing.”

    Capital Region Chamber, and the Center for Economic Growth (CEG) President and CEO Mark Eagan said, “Paying off the $7 billion outstanding federal unemployment insurance trust fund loan is a huge win for businesses, large and small. By paying off this loan, the UI program’s financial stability will be restored, and employers will no longer be saddled with higher UI taxes. We are grateful to Governor Hochul and the state legislature for addressing this outstanding debt in the final budget.”

    Acting President and CEO of CenterState Syracuse Ben Sio said, “Across New York, small and mid-sized businesses will benefit from the important decision by Governor Hochul and the legislature to pay off New York’s nearly $7 billion unemployment insurance debt. For a small business, the thousands of dollars saved by the elimination of the mandatory UI surcharge to pay off this debt will translate into new investment into those businesses, new equipment or an added employee. Simply put, this is a win for New York’s economy.”

    Greater Rochester Chamber President and CEO Bob Duffy said, “Governor Hochul’s decision to use $8 billion to restore solvency to the State’s unemployment insurance trust fund will have significant impacts on every business in New York State, from mom-and-pop shops to major legacy corporations. We have heard directly from our members that this decision will save them tens of thousands of dollars each year — savings that can be used to grow, create jobs, and invest in New York State. At a time of much uncertainty for businesses, these savings help stabilize the business community and ensure New York State remains competitive. We applaud the Governor’s leadership on this issue, and are proud to have worked alongside her and our other partners to secure this well-deserved funding for our business and labor community.”

    Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kari Puleo said, “Paying off the unemployment insurance debt is a game-changer for businesses across the Mohawk Valley. It eases the financial pressure our employers have been carrying since the pandemic and frees up resources to reinvest in their operations, their workforce, and their growth. It’s a meaningful step forward that strengthens our local economy and supports a brighter future for the region.”

    Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Stacey Duncan said, “Over the past four years, New York State employers have faced significant challenges due to an unpredictable business climate, coupled with significant Unemployment Insurance costs. After depleting its UI Trust Fund in 2020, the state borrowed $11 billion to cover pandemic-related claims, saddling employers with maximum UI rates and interest assessment surcharges, costing small businesses over $6 billion. We are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul and the Legislature for recognizing the urgency of this issue and taking meaningful steps to support and prioritize the needs of small businesses.”

    North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas said, “Relief from this massive UI debt to the federal government caused by the pandemic was a top priority for business and we join in thanking Governor Hochul and legislative leaders for the full payback of almost $7 billion. This huge UI debt would otherwise have fallen on employers, including small business, through higher UI costs until paid off, even though the pandemic shutdowns and impacts were not their fault. This important and needed relief is highly welcome for all employers.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Construction Starts on DRI Project in Johnson City

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the start of construction on a $20 million mixed-use development at 435 Main Street in Johnson City as part of the Village’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award. The transformational project, which received nearly $1.2 million through the DRI, will create 55 new energy-efficient apartments and renovate 12,000 square feet of commercial space to support workforce training and educational expansion.

    “In order to attract and retain a growing workforce in our state, we need more housing. Period,” Governor Hochul said. “Johnson City is leading by example, transforming an underutilized historic high school into energy-efficient apartments and new space for workforce training opportunities. This kind of forward-thinking investment will support Johnson City’s vibrant downtown and strengthen the local economy for generations to come.”

    New York State Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “This project is a shining example of how the Downtown Revitalization Initiative is transforming communities like Johnson City. With 55 new energy-efficient apartments underway, we’re addressing the growing demand for quality housing across New York State while breathing new life into a site with deep roots in the community. Combined with the expansion of workforce training opportunities, this investment will help attract and retain talent, strengthen the local economy, and support a vibrant downtown for generations to come.”

    This project is set to be one of the largest and most impactful DRI investments to date in Johnson City’s Innovation District and builds on previous state-funded revitalization efforts. Upon completion, this historically significant former high school will be transformed into a dense and vibrant campus of buildings in downtown Johnson City. This addition of 55 energy-efficient apartments will expand the region’s housing options, helping to attract and retain a talented workforce in Johnson City and Broome County. The 12,000-square-foot commercial space—formerly the Johnson City High School gymnasium—will be renovated to accommodate the expansion of Broome-Tioga BOCES’ program for practical nursing. The project will also feature enhanced landscaping and parking lot improvements to support the revitalized space.

    In addition to the $1.125 million provided by the DRI, the project also received $250,000 from Empire State Development through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative (Greater Binghamton Fund). Johnson City was named the Southern Tier winner of the sixth round of the DRI in 2023. Several additional DRI-funded projects are underway across the Village, including:

    • Construction of a new mixed-use project – Homesteads on Grand – at 333 Grand Avenue.
    • Renovating the mixed-use building at 214 Main Street.
    • New parks and streetscape improvements, building on previous Greater Binghamton Fund investments.

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “The 435 Main Street project is yet another innovative example of how the Governor’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative is fueling the economic engines that support local communities and foster growth. This transformational project will create a dynamic space focused on creating next-generation housing opportunities in Johnson City, and provide a focused, workforce training and educational space that will benefit both current and future generations of Southern Tier residents.”

    New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Converting a century-old high school into 55 modern apartments with space dedicated to preparing a growing workforce, not only preserves a piece of Johnson City’s rich history—it creates new opportunities and incentives for residents to live in the heart of a burgeoning downtown. Housing is the bedrock of a strong economy and an essential component of Governor Hochul’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, which is creating vibrant, walkable communities across New York. This cutting-edge $20 million project builds on more than 1,000 affordable homes we’ve created in Broome County in recent years, and provides a diverse mix of housing that is reshaping the Southern Tier.”

    State Senator Lea Webb said, “I’m proud to support the transformation of the former Johnson City High School through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and the Greater Binghamton Fund (GBF). This $250,000 investment will revitalize a long-vacant, historic property, bringing 55 energy-efficient, market-rate apartments and a cutting-edge facility for Broome-Tioga BOCES’ practical nursing program to the heart of Johnson City. This project reflects exactly the kind of smart, community-driven development we need: it strengthens our neighborhoods, expands access to education and career training, and helps build the skilled workforce essential to the future of Broome County.”

    Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo said, “I am thrilled to see the revitalization of the former Johnson City HS finally getting underway. We have watched this beautiful historic building for many years, hoping to see this type of adaptive reuse. With new housing and expanded space for BOCES, this project certainly reflects the goals of our Downtown Revitalization Initiative. I’d like to commend everyone involved for their commitment to the Village, and to bringing this wonderful structure back to life for residents and students alike.”

    Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said, “This project is a win on every level. Restoring these historic buildings will improve the neighborhood while addressing two major challenges, our health care workforce shortage, and the need for quality housing. We’re proud to support efforts that move Broome County forward on both fronts.”

    Johnson City Mayor Martin Meaney said, “The revitalization and transformation of 435 Main Street, “the old high school” into apartments and the BOCES School for Licensed Practical Nursing is a wonderful addition to our downtown. This project has been in the planning stages for a long time and we are very excited to see it come to fruition!”

    William H. Lane Incorporated President & Chief Executive Officer Mark Lane said, “As an adolescent working summers for my father, I frequently visited this property to have tools repaired at McKilligan Industrial Supply, which operated out of this very building. To return five decades later as its developer, and to have the opportunity to transform this historic structure into an educational facility for our essential nurses, as well as residential apartments, is profoundly meaningful. The privilege of preserving this piece of history and giving it renewed purpose has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”

    BOCES District Superintendent Rebecca Stone said, “Thanks to the incredible support of our community partners, including UHS, Guthrie and Broome County, Broome Tioga BOCES is proud to expand our Licensed Practical Nursing program into a larger facility. This opportunity not only allows us to better serve our adult students, but also helps the critical need for a skilled healthcare professionals in our region.”

    The Agency Executive Director Stacey Duncan said, “This transformative project embodies the intersection of historic preservation, forward-looking development, and the power of public-private partnership. It serves as a catalyst for economic vitality by supporting both new housing development and critical workforce training.”

    In the FY2025 Enacted Budget, Governor Hochul made the “Pro-Housing Community” designation a requirement for cities, towns and villages to access up to $650 million in State discretionary programs, including the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and New York Forward. To date, more than 300 municipalities across the State have become certified. To further support localities that are doing their part to address the housing crisis, Governor Hochul created a $100 million Pro-Housing Supply fund for certified Pro-Housing Communities to assist with critical infrastructure projects necessary to create new housing, such as sewer and water infrastructure upgrades.

    About the Downtown Revitalization Initiative
    The DRI was launched in 2016 to accelerate and bolster the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods in all 10 regions of the State to serve as centers of activity and catalysts for increased local investments. Led by the Department of State, DRI communities benefit from partnerships with and coordinated technical assistance provided by the Department of Housing and Community Renewal (HCR), Empire State Development (ESD) and the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA). The DRI represents an unprecedented and innovative “plan-then-act” strategy that couples strategic planning with immediate implementation. Through eight rounds, the DRI has awarded a total of $900 million to 91 communities across every region of the State.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Takes Action to Address the Threat to National Security from Imports of Copper

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S COPPER INDUSTRY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to address the effects of copper imports on America’s national security, including by imposing tariffs on several categories of copper imports.
    The Proclamation imposes universal 50% tariffs on imports of semi-finished copper products (such as copper pipes, wires, rods, sheets, and tubes) and copper-intensive derivative products (such as pipe fittings, cables, connectors, and electrical components), effective August 1.
    The copper 232 tariffs apply to the copper content of a product; non-copper content of a product remains subject to reciprocal tariffs or other applicable duties. These tariffs do not stack.
    The copper 232 tariffs do not stack with auto 232 tariffs. If a product is subject to auto 232 tariffs, then the auto 232 tariffs apply, not the copper 232 tariffs. 
    Copper input materials (such as copper ores, concentrates, mattes, cathodes, and anodes) and copper scrap are not subject to 232 or reciprocal tariffs.

    The Proclamation directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a product “inclusion” process to add copper derivative products to these tariffs.
    The President is also authorizing the Secretary of Commerce to take steps under the Defense Production Act to support the domestic copper industry, including:
    Requiring 25% of high-quality copper scrap produced in the United States to be sold in the United States. This will improve access to this important feedstock for domestic fabricators and secondary refiners.
    Commerce also recommended an export licensing requirement for high-quality copper scrap to ensure adequate domestic supply.

    Requiring 25% of copper input materials (such as copper ores, concentrates, mattes, cathodes, and anodes) produced in the United States to be sold in the United States – starting at 25% in 2027, increasing to 30% in 2028 and 40% in 2029. This will boost U.S. refining capacity by ensuring low-cost inputs while domestic refiners grow their operations.

    By taking these actions, President Trump is leveling the playing field for U.S. copper businesses to support a strong domestic copper industry.
    ADDRESSING THE EFFECTS OF COPPER IMPORTS: The Proclamation follows the Secretary of Commerce’s completion of a Section 232 investigation under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended.
    President Trump directed the initiation of the Section 232 investigation through Executive Order 14220 of February 25, 2025, “Addressing the Threat to National Security from Imports of Copper.” The investigation found that:
    Copper is essential to the manufacturing foundation on which U.S. national and economic security depend. Copper is a necessary input in a range of defense systems, including aircraft, ground vehicles, ships, submarines, missiles, and ammunition. It is the Department of Defense’s second-most used material, and it plays a central role in the broader U.S. industrial base.
    Foreign competitors’ predatory practices and excessive environmental regulations have undercut the American copper industry and domestic investment in smelting, refining, and fabrication facilities.
    The U.S. now has a massive trade deficit in, and an unsustainable dependence on, many foreign copper products.

    REVITALIZING DOMESTIC INDUSTRY AND REDUCING TRADE IMBALANCES: This Proclamation builds on previous actions taken by the Trump Administration to ensure U.S. trade and industrial policies serve the national interest.
    On Day One, President Trump established his America First Trade Policy to make America’s economy great again.
    President Trump signed Proclamations to close existing loopholes and exemptions and elevate tariffs on steel and aluminum to 50%.
    President Trump implemented a 10% additional tariff on imports from China in response to China’s role in the border crisis. 
    President Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs to take back America’s economic sovereignty and address nonreciprocal trade relationships that threaten our economic and national security.
    President Trump has issued several Executive Orders and Presidential Memoranda to boost mining, manufacturing, and investment in domestic industry, including by reducing regulations and eliminating bureaucracy.
    President Trump signed a Memorandum to safeguard American innovation, including the consideration of tariffs to combat digital service taxes, fines, practices, and policies that foreign governments levy on American companies.
    President Trump has initiated several other Section 232 investigations in addition to the one on which he is taking action today.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Addresses Threats to the United States from the Government of Brazil

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    ADDRESSING A NATIONAL EMERGENCY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order implementing an additional 40% tariff on Brazil, bringing the total tariff amount to 50%, to deal with recent policies, practices, and actions by the Government of Brazil that constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.
    The Order declares a new national emergency using the President’s authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) and establishes an additional 40% tariff to address the Government of Brazil’s unusual and extraordinary policies and actions harming U.S. companies, the free speech rights of U.S. persons, U.S. foreign policy, and the U.S. economy.
    The Order finds that the Government of Brazil’s politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and thousands of his supporters are serious human rights abuses that have undermined the rule of law in Brazil.
    USING LEVERAGE TO SAFEGUARD OUR INTERESTS: President Trump has consistently reaffirmed his commitment to defending the United States’ national security, foreign policy, and economy against foreign threats, including by safeguarding free speech, protecting U.S. companies from unlawful censorship coercion, and holding human rights abusers accountable for their lawless behavior.
    Recently, members of the Government of Brazil have taken unprecedented actions to tyrannically and arbitrarily coerce U.S. companies to censor political speech, deplatform users, turn over sensitive U.S. user data, or change their content moderation policies on pain of extraordinary fines, criminal prosecution, asset freezes, or complete exclusion from the Brazilian market. This undermines not only the viability of U.S. companies’ business operations in Brazil but also the policy of the United States in promoting free and fair elections and safeguarding fundamental human rights at home and abroad.
    For example, since 2019, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has abused his judicial authority to threaten, target, and intimidate thousands of his political opponents, shield corrupt allies, and suppress dissent, often in coordination with other Brazilian officials, including other justices on Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, to the detriment of U.S. companies operating in Brazil.
    Justice de Moraes has unilaterally issued hundreds of orders to secretly censor his political critics. When U.S. companies have refused to comply with these orders, he imposed substantial fines, ordered the companies’ exclusion from Brazil’s social media market, threatened their executives with criminal prosecution, and, in one case, froze the assets of a U.S. company in Brazil in an effort to coerce compliance.
    In fact, in addition to jailing individuals without trial for social media posts, Justice de Moraes is currently overseeing the Government of Brazil’s criminal prosecution of Paulo Figueiredo, a U.S. resident, for speech he made on U.S. soil, and has supported criminal investigations into other U.S. persons after they exposed his gross violations of human rights and corruption.

    President Trump is defending American companies from extortion, protecting American persons from political persecution, safeguarding American free speech from censorship, and saving the American economy from being subject to the arbitrary edicts of a tyrannical foreign judge.
    PUTTING AMERICA FIRST: By imposing these tariffs to address the Government of Brazil’s reckless actions, President Trump is protecting the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States from a foreign threat. In line with his election mandate, President Trump has also taken other actions to achieve peace through strength and ensure foreign policy reflects U.S. values, sovereignty, and security.
    On Day One, President Trump signed an “America First Policy Directive” to the Secretary of State that declared that the United States’ foreign policy must always put the interests of America and its citizens first.
    Consistent with this directive, on May 28, 2025, Secretary Rubio announced a visa restriction policy targeting foreign nationals responsible for the censorship of protected expression in the United States.
    Pursuant to that policy, on July 18, President Trump directed Secretary Rubio to revoke visas belonging to Justice de Moraes, his allies on the Court, and their immediate family members for their role in enabling Justice de Moraes’ human rights violations against Brazilians and free speech violations against Americans.
    Preserving and protecting the free speech rights of all Americans and defending American companies from coerced censorship will remain at the forefront of President Trump’s America First foreign policy strategy.
    President Trump has successfully used tariffs in the past to advance America’s interests and address other urgent national security threats and is doing so again today.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump is Protecting the United States’ National Security and Economy by Suspending the De Minimis Exemption for Commercial Shipments Globally

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    TAKING DECISIVE ACTION GLOBALLY TO PROTECT AMERICANS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order suspending duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value shipments, closing the catastrophic loophole used to, among other things, evade tariffs and funnel deadly synthetic opioids as well as other unsafe or below-market products that harm American workers and businesses into the United States.
    President Trump is taking action to deal with the national emergencies that he has recently declared with respect to unusual and extraordinary threats to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.
    Effective August 29, imported goods sent through means other than the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption will be subject to all applicable duties.
    For goods shipped through the international postal system, packages will instead be assessed duties according to one of the following methodologies:
    Ad valorem duty: A duty equal to the effective tariff rate imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) that is applicable to the country of origin of the product. This duty shall be assessed on the value of each package.
    Specific duty: A duty ranging from $80 per item to $200 per item, depending on the effective IEEPA tariff rate applicable to the country of origin of the product. The specific duty methodology will be available for six months, after which all applicable shipments must comply with the ad valorem duty methodology.  

    Longstanding exemptions under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(A) and (B) remain in place – meaning American travelers can still bring back up to $200 in personal items and individuals can continue to receive bona fide gifts valued at $100 or less duty-free.
    COMBATTING ESCALATING DECEPTIVE SHIPPING PRACTICES, ILLEGAL MATERIAL, AND DUTY CIRCUMVENTION: President Trump is putting an end to the proliferation of shippers worldwide that, among other things, deceptively exploit the de minimis privilege in an effort to evade duties, inspection, and U.S. law.
    Packages entering the United States using the duty-free de minimis exemption are typically subject to less scrutiny than traditional imports; however, the packages can pose health, safety, national and economic security risks. 
    Between 2015 and 2024, the volume of de minimis shipments entering the U.S. increased from 134 million shipments to over 1.36 billion shipments. On average, CBP processes over 4 million de minimis shipments into the U.S. each day.
    The de minimis exemption has been abused, with shippers sending illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, precursors, and paraphernalia into the United States in reliance on the lower security measures applied to de minimis shipments, killing Americans.
    Enforcement data consistently shows that de minimis shipments account for the majority of all cargo enforcement actions. In FY24, 90% of all cargo seizures originated as de minimis shipments, including:
    98% of narcotics seizures (by number of cases).97% of intellectual property rights seizures, totaling 31 million counterfeit items. 
    77% of health and safety/prohibited items seizures totaling more than 20 million dangerous or illicit items (e.g., weapons parts and Glock switches).

    The volume of de minimis shipments, even from countries that historically have not been the primary source of de minimis abuse, has skyrocketed this year, with 309 million so far for FY25 (through June 30), compared to 115 million for all of FY24 resulting in significant lost revenue for the United States.
    CBP is increasingly interdicting de minimis shipments where the certificate of origin is misrepresented in an attempt to circumvent duties.
    BUILDING ON A RECORD OF FIGHTING HARMFUL TRADE LOOPHOLES:   President Trump is delivering on his promise to “put an end” to the “big scam” of de minimis shipments killing Americans and hurting U.S. businesses.
    In February, President Trump declared national emergencies on the United States’ northern and southern borders, including the public health crisis caused by fentanyl and other illicit drugs.
    In April, President Trump declared a national emergency relating to the conditions underlying the United States’ exploding trade deficit and the implications of that deficit for the United States’ economy and national security.
    Effective May 2, President Trump suspended de minimis treatment for low-value packages from China and Hong Kong, which account for the majority of de minimis shipments to the United States.
    The President signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which permanently repeals the statutory basis for the de minimis exemption worldwide effective July 1, 2027.
    President Trump is acting more quickly to suspend the de minimis exemption than the OBBBA requires, to deal with national emergencies and save American lives and businesses NOW.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: The President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets Releases Recommendations to Strengthen American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    USHERING IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF CRYPTO: When President Trump took office in January, he promised to make America the “crypto capital of the world.” Today, the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets is releasing a report that provides a roadmap to make that promise a reality.
    Established by President Trump’s Executive Order 14178 Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology, the Working Group consists of officials throughout the Federal government and was tasked with submitting a report that recommends regulatory and legislative proposals to advance the policies established in the Order.
    By implementing these recommendations, policymakers can ensure that the United States leads the blockchain revolution and ushers in the Golden Age of Crypto.
    POSITIONING AMERICA AS THE LEADER IN DIGITAL ASSET MARKETS:The Working Group determined that a fit-for-purpose market structure framework is essential to support growth and innovation in the digital assets industry, protect consumers, and keep the United States at the forefront of digital asset development. The Working Group recommends that:
    Congress build on the massive bipartisan House of Representatives vote for CLARITY by enacting legislation that:
    Eliminates existing gaps in regulatory oversight by providing the CFTC authority to oversee spot markets for non-security digital assets.
    Embraces DeFi technology and recognizes the potential of integrating such technology into mainstream finance.

    The SEC and CFTC use their existing authorities to:
    Immediately enable the trading of digital assets at the Federal level by providing clarity to market participants on issues such as registration, custody, trading, and recordkeeping.
    Allow innovative financial products to reach consumers without bureaucratic delays through the use of tools like safe harbors and regulatory sandboxes.  

    MODERNIZING BANK REGULATION FOR DIGITAL ASSETS: The Trump Administration has already ended Operation Choke Point 2.0 once and for all by working to end regulatory efforts that deny banking services to the digital assets industry. A sound and predictable banking regulatory framework that embraces the promise of blockchain technology will allow depository institutions to meet customer demand for core banking services for digital assets, and make it easier for those customers to access digital asset markets. The Working Group recommends that regulators take additional actions to:
    Relaunch crypto innovation efforts to clarify permissible bank activities in custody, tokenization, stablecoin issuance, and the use of blockchains.
    Promote transparency regarding the process for institutions to obtain bank charters or Reserve Bank master accounts.
    Ensure that bank capital rules are aligned with the actual risks associated with digital assets, not simply the fact of their presence on a distributed ledger.
    STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF THE U.S. DOLLAR: The widespread adoption of dollar-backed stablecoins will modernize payments infrastructure and allow the United States to move away from costly and outdated legacy systems. On July 18, 2025, President Trump signed the historic GENIUS Act into law, which creates the first-ever Federal regulatory framework for stablecoins. The Working Group recommends that:
    Treasury and the banking agencies faithfully and expeditiously implement the GENIUS Act.
    Congress take additional action to protect privacy and civil liberties by passing the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act to codify the provisions of the President’s Executive Order banning Central Bank Digital Currencies in the United States.
    COMBATING ILLICIT FINANCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE: By modernizing our anti-money laundering rules, the United States can be a leader in financial innovation while protecting our national security interests. The Working Group recommends that:
    Treasury and the appropriate regulators provide clarity regarding BSA obligations and reporting.
    Congress reinforce the importance of self-custody and clarify the AML/CFT obligations of actors within the decentralized finance ecosystem.
    Regulators work to prevent the misuse of authorities to target lawful activities of law-abiding citizens and protect citizens’ privacy.
    ENSURING FAIRNESS AND PREDICTABILITY IN DIGITAL ASSET TAXATION: Our tax rules must align with new technologies and eliminate compliance hurdles for both individuals and businesses engaged in activities involving digital assets. The Working Group recommends that:
    Treasury and the IRS reduce burdens on taxpayers by publishing guidance on topics related to CAMT, wrapping transactions, and de minimis receipts of digital assets.
    Treasury and the IRS review previously issued guidance on the tax treatment of activities like mining and staking.
    Congress enact legislation that treats digital assets as a new class of assets subject to modified versions of tax rules applicable to securities or commodities for Federal income tax purposes and add digital assets to the list of assets subject to wash sale rules.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bergman, Budzinski, Pappas, Garbarino Launch Bipartisan Caucus to Improve Postal Service

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-1)

    Yesterday, Reps. Jack Bergman (MI-01), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Chris Pappas (NH-01), and Andrew Garbarino (NY-02) announced the launch of a new bipartisan caucus aimed at improving the postal service.

    The Congressional Postal Service Caucus will focus on improving on-time delivery rates, protecting postal employees, and stopping harmful facility consolidations that reduce access in rural and underserved areas. 

    “I’m proud to co-lead the new Congressional Postal Service Caucus to ensure that the voices of rural communities are front and center in any discussion about postal reform,” said Rep. Bergman. “In Iron Mountain, Michigan, we saw firsthand what happens when rural perspectives are ignored – vital services are put at risk. Through persistence and accountability, we were able to protect the facility and preserve essential postal operations for Veterans and all residents across the Upper Peninsula. The Postal Service is more than just mail delivery in rural America – it’s a critical lifeline for small businesses, seniors, and Veterans. While modernization and reform are necessary for the long-term health of the system, those changes must not come at the expense of rural and remote communities.”

    “For years, rural communities like the ones I represent in Central and Southern Illinois have faced lagging delivery rates, facility closures, and neglect from the top leadership from USPS,” said Rep. Budzinski. “I’m excited to launch this bipartisan group alongside Congressman Bergman, Congressman Pappas, and Congressman Garbarino to push back against postal privatization, improve speed and service, and protect good-paying union jobs at USPS. I look forward to working together to ensure USPS remains a public good that effectively serves all Americans.”

    “The U.S. Postal Service provides an essential public service that seniors, families, and businesses rely on for their medications, mail, and packages,” said Rep. Pappas. “I’m joining my colleagues in launching the Congressional Postal Service Caucus so that we can continue working to strengthen mail service for communities in New Hampshire and across the country. I remain committed to improving access to prompt and reliable mail and package deliveries, especially for our rural communities.”

    “I’m proud to serve as Co-Chair of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus. USPS provides an essential public service that the American people rely on. I look forward to working with my colleagues to support postal workers, ensure the system operates efficiently and effectively in every community, and advance commonsense reforms that strengthen the Postal Service long term,” said Rep. Garbarino. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Members of Congress Sue Trump-Vance Administration for Blocking Lawful Oversight of Federal Immigration Detention Facilities

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    July 30, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – A dozen individual members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sued the Trump-Vance administration, challenging its unlawful obstruction of congressional oversight that the members have sought to conduct at federal immigration detention facilities, in which both citizens and noncitizens have been detained without due process. 

    The administration has implemented a new, unlawful policy that blocks these Members of Congress from obtaining the information necessary to perform their constitutional duty to ensure the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is complying with federal law in operating these facilities and to oversee how billions in taxpayer dollars are being spent. The administration is mandating a seven-day waiting period and prohibiting access to field offices where people are being detained, despite a federal law that prevents these restrictions.

    The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia demands that the administration comply with a federal law that guarantees Members of Congress the right to conduct oversight visits to any DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sites where noncitizens are detained without prior notice. 

    The plaintiffs include Rep. Norma Torres, Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse; Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat; Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bennie G. Thompson; Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin; House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia; House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Ranking Member Rep. J. Luis Correa; Rep. Jason Crow; Rep. Veronica Escobar; Rep. Dan Goldman; Rep. Jimmy Gomez; Rep. and Raul Ruiz.

    The congressional leaders are represented by Democracy Forward Foundation and American Oversight.

    At a time when the administration is detaining more individuals than ever before—over 58,000 people—and reports of mistreatment, overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and the detention of U.S. citizens are growing, the need for real-time, on-the-ground oversight has never been more urgent. Eleven people have died in immigration custody in the first six months of this administration. DHS’s recent mass layoffs of internal oversight personnel only deepen the concerns about this conduct and possible abuse.

    “Donald Trump’s extreme immigration agenda—attacking birthright citizenship and pushing for cruel, chaotic mass deportations—is dragging this country down a dark and dangerous path. We’ve already seen the consequences: so many reports of overcrowded, unsanitary ICE detention facilities where human dignity is treated as optional,” said Rep. Norma Torres. “As a Member of Congress, I have a legal and moral obligation to conduct oversight—and I will not stand by while people in our community are locked away in facilities that may be violating their rights. I will continue to press for full access to these facilities and demand accountability from those responsible for their operation. No one is above the law—not even ICE.”

    “Blocking Members of Congress from oversight visits to ICE facilities that house or otherwise detain immigrants clearly violates Federal law—and the Trump administration knows it,” said Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse. “Such blatant disregard for both the law and the constitutional order by the Trump administration warrants a serious and decisive response, which is why I’m proud to lead the lawsuit we proceeded with earlier today.”

    “The obstruction of Congressional oversight is not just an affront to the Constitution—it’s a threat to our democracy,” said Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat. “Since day one, we have witnessed the Trump administration’s systematic efforts to dehumanize immigrants, detain tens of thousands—including U.S. citizens—and weaponize federal agencies to carry out a mass deportation agenda rooted in cruelty and chaos. The Trump administration has consistently hindered oversight powers while gutting internal watchdogs in executive branch agencies like CRCL, the OIDO, and the CIS Ombudsman’s Office, creating the perfect storm for abuse and impunity. We will not stand by as due process, human dignity, and transparency are trampled. We demand access and accountability, and will pursue every legal and legislative tool available to hold this administration accountable.”

    “By blocking Members of Congress from visiting ICE detention facilities, the Trump administration is not only preventing us from conducting meaningful oversight of its facilities, it is clearly violating the law. This unprecedented action is just their latest effort to stonewall Congress and the American people.  If DHS has nothing to hide, it must follow the law and make its facilities available,” said Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bennie G. Thompson.

    “The Trump administration is systematically violating our legal right as Members of Congress to conduct oversight of DHS facilities. This blockade of Congress, deliberately interfering with our constitutional duty to perform oversight of the immigration system, is designed to stop us from checking out reports of inhumane treatment and denial of fundamental rights to immigrants in detention,” said Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin. “President Trump and Secretary Noem believe they can block scrutiny of their lawless immigration enforcement sweep by closing out Members of Congress. But these brazen attempts to rebuff us—in stark violation of federal law—only deepen our resolve to get information to the American people. We’re going to continue to show up and demand the transparency and access that the law guarantees, and President Trump—we’ll see you in court.”

    “As the Ranking Member on the Oversight Committee I know how essential it is to access facilities like the LA Detention Facility. These visits are critical to holding DHS and ICE accountable for lawful and humane treatment. Without full access, Members of Congress cannot properly monitor taxpayer funds or address urgent constituent concerns. Strong oversight is vital for transparency, accountability, and serving the public,” said House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia.

    “As Members of Congress, our job is to conduct oversight. Congress’ job is to assure taxpayer funds are spent in accordance with the law. I’ve been a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security for years, and my job has always been to oversee ICE. Until this summer, I’ve done this job without any problems,” House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Ranking Member Rep. J. Luis Correa said. “Recently, in clear violation of the law, ICE began to deny me access to ICE facilities and impede my ability to do my job. Obeying the law is not an option for any of us. Nor should it be up to ICE to decide which laws to follow and which laws to ignore.”

    “Today, I filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after they illegally denied me access into a federal immigration detention facility,” said Rep. Jason Crow. “Oversight is a fundamental responsibility of Congress. Under law, Members of Congress have the right to do unannounced oversight visits of federal immigration detention facilities. Since President Trump was elected, this administration has denied Members of Congress access to immigration detention facilities and tried to intimidate us from doing our jobs. I will not be deterred from conducting lawful oversight, and I’ll continue fighting to hold the administration accountable, including in Congress and the courts.”

    “Oversight of government agencies and the use of taxpayer dollars is a critical part of Congressional work. For years, and throughout multiple administrations, I have conducted oversight of federal agencies and facilities, including immigration facilities in my district. And, for years, I have been able to tour these facilities, speak with immigrants, detainees and staff, ensure humane treatment of individuals in federal custody as well as to monitor workplace conditions for federal employees, and bring about change when needed. It is a Constitutional duty that I take incredibly seriously. Under the Trump administration, DHS has chosen to violate the law which allows for unannounced visits of DHS facilities, instructing local ICE staff to refuse me entry last month, despite my Congressional oversight authority. It is not acceptable for the Trump administration to ignore the law and limit Congressional oversight and authority; this cannot go unchallenged,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar.

    “For months, masked, unidentified ICE agents have detained law-abiding immigrants in inhumane conditions, while DHS has repeatedly and unlawfully blocked Members of Congress from inspecting these facilities. Today, we’re filing a lawsuit because when a federal agency defies the law and obstructs oversight, we have a duty to do everything possible to uphold the law. As Donald Trump escalates his mass deportation agenda, we will continue to use every option available to expose the truth for the American people,” said Rep. Dan Goldman.

    “No child should be sleeping on concrete, and no sick person should be denied care, yet that’s exactly what we keep hearing is happening inside Trump’s detention centers, including the one in my own district that set off national outrage and protests across the country,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez. “I’ve tried repeatedly to get inside and conduct oversight, only to be turned away. When ICE and DHS block Members of Congress, they’re not just slamming the door on U.S. Representatives, they’re slamming it on the American people’s right to know how their government is treating human beings with their tax dollars. This lawsuit is our message: We as Members of Congress will do our job, and we will not let these agencies operate in the shadows.”

    “As Members of Congress, we have a legal right to ensure residents in our districts are not subjected to inhumane conditions. The Department of Homeland Security’s policy change requiring advance notice is unacceptable, unlawful, and clearly designed to block transparency and accountability,” said Rep. Raul Ruiz. “Members of Congress have a constitutional duty to conduct oversight. This lawsuit will hold the Trump administration accountable and fully vindicate our right to conduct lawful, unannounced oversight at DHS detention facilities.”

    “This lawsuit goes to the heart of our democracy. These individual members of Congress have the constitutional duty, and the legal right, to conduct oversight and investigate how the government treats people in its custody,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “When the administration locks the doors on oversight, it locks out the American people. At Democracy Forward, we are honored to represent these members of Congress to sue the Trump-Vance administration, and we will not stop using the courts to demand accountability on behalf of the American people and uphold the rule of law.”

    “Members of Congress have a clear legal right to inspect ICE detention facilities without notice, and the American people have a right to know what’s happening in their name. When the Trump administration hides the truth about how people are being treated in government custody, they’re not just dodging oversight — they’re endangering lives,” said Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director of American Oversight. “ICE is holding men, women, and children in overcrowded rooms without beds, showers, or medical care — sometimes for days on end. ICE’s stonewalling is not only illegal — it’s a brazen attempt to shield abuse from scrutiny, and American Oversight is proud to be a part of the fight to stop it.”

    The case is Joe Neguse et al. v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement et al.

    The legal team at Democracy Forward in this case includes Christine Coogle, Lisa Newman, Paul Wolfson, Brian Netter, and Josephine Morse. The legal team at American Oversight in this case includes Daniel Martinez, Katherine Anthony, Ronald Fein, and Jessica Jensen.

    Read the complaint here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks on the President’s Working Group Recommendations

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The policy recommendations that the President’s Working Group (PWG) put forth today follow months of deep collaboration across agencies and perspectives. Together, we have developed a blueprint to achieve President Trump’s vision of making America the crypto capital of the world.

    At its core, the PWG report reflects a conviction that I have long held: a rational regulatory framework for digital assets is the best way to catalyze American innovation, protect investors from fraud, and keep our capital markets the envy of the world. Unfortunately, my predecessor and the previous Administration did not share that vision. Thank goodness President Trump does and is leading on it. As the report makes clear, the SEC will continue to play a key role in developing a federal framework by using its existing authorities to establish new rules and regulations, and to implement any new legislation crafted by Congress. I look forward to pursuing these priorities alongside Commissioner Hester Peirce, members of my staff, and the SEC’s Crypto Task Force. I also appreciate the report’s call for enhanced collaboration between the SEC and the CFTC, as well as with other relevant federal agencies, to ensure that our approach is unified, clear, and consistent.

    The goals that we have outlined are ambitious, and essential, to meeting the possibilities of this moment. We must unleash the transformative potential of digital asset technology, safeguard our financial stability, and protect investors. In line with this report, I will continue to prioritize the development of forward-thinking and future-proof regulations that foster innovation while mitigating risks.

    Today marks yet another important milestone in unlocking American innovation by providing the crypto marketplace with clear rules of the road. I support the PWG’s recommendations and applaud President Trump on his leadership as we ensure that the U.S. is the best and most secure place in the world to invest and to do business.

    The President said last week that he wants “the entire world running on the backbone of American technology.” Indeed, America must do more than keep pace with the crypto asset revolution—we must lead it. I stand ready to help get the job done.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. and Chile Sign New Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program Agreement

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    The Trump Administration will pursue all tools at its disposal to keep America safe

    SANTIAGO, CHILE – Today, the United States and Chile signed a new Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) letter of intent to continue this crucial information sharing system between the two nations.

    “Data sharing benefits everyone – except bad actors who wish to do us and our people harm,” U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement. “Today, we kick-started a Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) to help both nations better track criminals, terrorists, other dangerous individuals who try to cross our borders and do us harm. America, Chile, and the entire western hemisphere will be safer because of these efforts.”

    Biometric data is critical for vetting, tracking, and keeping the worst of the worst criminal aliens from around the globe from crossing our borders. To increase both countries’ capabilities in that effort, the U.S. trained Chilean law enforcement on a successful BITMAP pilot program this past spring.

    The letter of intent signed today will serve as a “bridge” for Chile and the U.S. as the two countries work towards a full partnership. Once BITMAP is fully operational, both countries will enjoy increased cooperation in identifying and tracking transnational criminals, terrorists, and other high-risk individuals who are attempting to enter American borders.

    Now, Chilean officials can identify potentially dangerous individuals among illegal third-country aliens to prevent their travel to the U.S., and they also have the capability to use BITMAP in Chilean prisons to fully vet prisoners and detainees.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Signs Van Orden Bill to Reduce Veterans Homelessness Into Law

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Derrick Van Orden (Wisconsin 3rd)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Trump signed Congressman Derrick Van Orden’s (WI-03) VA Home Loan Program Reform Act into law.

    This legislation establishes a permanent partial claims program within the VA Home Loan Program, bringing VA in line with other federal agencies that lend money for homes and replacing the fiscally irresponsible Biden administration-era VASP program. Veterans will be permitted to have the same programs non-veterans have available to them through FHA loans, allowing veterans who have fallen behind on their mortgages to receive federal assistance.

    “President Trump is the strongest support of veterans and servicemembers of any president in our nation’s history,” said Rep. Van Orden. “This law helps fulfill a promise to those who protected us with their service and continue to do so today by providing a path to maintain homeownership. I am very proud of our legislation and thankful to President Trump for signing it into law.”

    “Our veterans and their families should have every tool at their disposal to keep their homes and reduce the risk of foreclosure if they fall into financial hardship or endure a national disaster. Today, House Republicans and President Trump made that a reality for every veteran homeowner,” said Chairman Bost.“Rep. Van Orden’s VA Home Loan Program Reform Act will modernize the VA Home Loan to meet veterans’ needs and reduce the risk of veteran homelessness. I’m proud that we fought hard to get this good bill to President Trump’s desk to keep our promise to those who have served.”

    Read the full bill here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Introduces Kentuckian at Judicial Nomination Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today before members of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary in support of S. Chad Meredith, of Lexington, President Trump’s nominee to serve as a district judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky:

    “Mr. Chairman and distinguished Members of the Committee, today it is my distinct privilege to introduce my fellow Kentuckian, Chad Meredith.

    “President Trump made an outstanding choice for his nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Earlier this year, I proudly recommended Chad to the White House and as you will see from today’s hearing, he has the intellect, skill, and experience to excel as a federal district court judge.

    “One of the Senate’s most important constitutional responsibilities is to offer its advice and consent with respect to executive nominations, and I take very seriously the responsibility to carefully consider every nominee, especially for vacancies in my home state. 

    “Chad is a bright lawyer with a stellar resume and a distinguished record of public service, but I would like to share with you how I first met him.

    “Chad interned with my office in 2003. The internship program provides college students with the opportunity to enhance their education as well as increase their knowledge of issues important to both the Commonwealth and our country. Interns are selected on the basis of strong scholastic and extracurricular achievements as well as an interest in the governmental process, and I’ve been impressed to watch a former McIntern through the decades succeed in the legal field, public service, and now to be nominated to the federal bench.

    “Chad graduated summa cum laude from Washington and Lee University and summa cum laude from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Following his formal education, he sharpened his legal skills with two judicial clerkships with then-District Judge Amul Thapar on the Eastern District of Kentucky and Judge John Rogers on the Sixth Circuit.

    “He served as the first – that’s right, the first – Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As the Solicitor General from 2019 to 2021, Chad oversaw all civil and criminal appellate litigation involving the Commonwealth. He earned a reputation for being fair-minded and professional, and for having a strong work ethic.

    “From throughout the country, we have dozens of current and former state solicitors general expressing their strong support for Chad’s nomination, saying, ‘As Kentucky’s first Solicitor General, Chad distinguished himself in diverse areas of federal and state law. Chad also exhibits the temperament necessary to serve as a District Judge…As Chad’s professional peers who have witnessed his work, we are confident that he possesses the qualities to serve with distinction as a District Judge.’

    “Additionally, it’s quite notable to hear from hundreds of lawyers calling Chad ‘fair-minded’. These attorneys come from many diverse backgrounds and include civil litigators, prosecutors, and criminal defense attorneys. They hold various political views and judicial philosophies and are supporting this nomination saying, ‘we all agree that our legal system needs judges who carefully and honestly evaluate the arguments made by the parties and do what the law requires. We all believe that Chad will excel as a District Judge.’

    “Amid Chad’s great professional success in private practice, even his colleagues know his value as an excellent lawyer and a careful thinker will serve our nation well, saying, ‘As much as we don’t want to lose him, our loss would be the public’s gain.’

    “This is all very resounding support and where that support runs deepest is with Chad’s family. I’d like to recognize his father, Kentucky State Senator Steve Meredith and his mother, Karen. They are both here and I know are very proud of Chad… and so is his wonderful wife, Rebekah, and we can bet that each of their children, Ben, Grace, Emma, and Daniel are beaming with pride for their dad.

    “Also joining today to support Chad’s commitment to public service is Kentucky State Representative Samara Heavrin, as well as many more members of his family, his friends, and colleagues.

    “Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to come by and put in a good word. I am confident that Chad Meredith, who has demonstrated devotion to the rule of law and the Constitution, will serve the people of Kentucky and our country well on the federal bench. I appreciate this committee’s consideration of his nomination, and I look forward to his confirmation.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM meeting with the Sultan of Oman: 30 July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    PM meeting with the Sultan of Oman: 30 July 2025

    The Prime Minister welcomed the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al Said, to Downing Street today.

    The Prime Minister welcomed the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al Said, to Downing Street today.

    The leaders began by discussing the horrific scenes of hunger and devastation in Gaza and agreed this cannot continue. They reiterated the call for significant volumes of aid to urgently reach the people in Gaza and the Prime Minister confirmed UK support for Jordanian air drops to deliver aid swiftly to Gaza’s most vulnerable.

    The Prime Minister updated His Majesty on his conversations with other leaders in recent days, and both agreed on the need for a longer-term peace plan, which includes a pathway to recognition. They both reiterated the need for Hamas to release all hostages, disarm and sign up to a ceasefire, and accept that they will play no role in the future of Gaza.

    On Iran, the Prime Minister thanked His Majesty for Oman’s continued efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to avoid a return to conflict and ensure peace and security in the region.

    The leaders also discussed the ongoing UK-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) trade talks, and the Prime Minister outlined the huge potential for the UK economy and British businesses through this trade deal. They agreed to further collaboration between the UK on Oman in areas such as energy, technology, defence and security.

    They agreed to keep in touch.

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    Published 30 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castro Statement on Illegal Texas Congressional Map

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

    July 30, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement on the illegal Texas congressional map:

    “This proposed Texas Congressional map is illegal and a direct violation of the Voting Rights Act. Governor Abbott is subverting the political will of Texans so that national Republicans can interfere in our state, and ensure that Trump is not held accountable for his criminal actions in the Congress. Texas is being used by Donald Trump and it is incumbent on all my colleagues, Democrat and Republican, to speak out against this attack on the Voting Rights Act. This illegal map will suppress the vote and impact black and brown communities the most.

    “Alongside the Texas Democratic delegation, I will do everything I can to fight this attack on the voting rights of Texans. This is part of a wider plan by Trump to undermine our democracy. And I will continue to fight for my constituents regardless of boundaries.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Diaz-Balart Secures Funds for the Everglades, the Miccosukee Tribe, and other Southern Florida Priorities in FY 2026 Interior Funding Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Dean of the Florida Delegation, and Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Everglades Caucus, issued the following statement after the House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill:

    “I was proud to support the FY 2026 Interior funding bill, for which I obtained critical funding for Everglades preservation and restoration efforts, Big Cypress National Preserve, and the Miccosukee Tribe, among other Southern Florida priorities.

    “This bill also promotes American energy independence, enhances U.S. competitiveness, ensures access to public lands, and reduces burdensome Biden-era red tape, all while cutting wasteful spending by six percent.

    “My deepest gratitude to Chairman Simpson for working directly with me to address key priorities of Florida’s Miccosukee Tribe of Indians, the true stewards of our unique and treasured Everglades National Park.” 

    Díaz-Balart secured these priorities for Southern Florida:

    • $973,000 for the Town of MiamiLakes Big Cypress DrainageImprovements Project.
    • $11.6 million for the Everglades Restoration Project through the National Park Service.
    • $73.8 million for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program for the development and implementation of programs benefiting wildlife and their habitats.
    • $6 million to address water qualityby providing funding for critical harmful algal bloom research.
    • $1 million in direct funding for South Florida to expand water quality and ecosystem health monitoring and prediction network.
    • Report language supporting the Tribe’s ongoing efforts with the Department of the Interior to review subsurface mineral rights on their land.
    • Report language prohibiting drilling inBig Cypress National Preserve.
    • Report language recognizing the recent passage of the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act (H.R. 504), which expands the Miccosukee Reserved Area to include Osceola Camp in Everglades National Park and directs the Department of the Interior, in consultation with the Tribe, to take necessary actions to protect structures within the camp from flooding.
    • Bill language ensuring that no part of Big Cypress National Preserve may be designated as wilderness, a longstanding priority of Congressman Díaz-Balart to protect access for the Tribes and broader public.
    • Reduce our reliance on foreign countries for critical minerals by promoting access to resources here at home.
    • Ensures chemical and pesticide manufacturers are not overburdened with requirements that would drive businesses overseas and threaten American competitiveness.
    • Provides no funds for the American Climate Corps, eco-grief training, or environmental justice activities.
    • Blocks Biden-era regulations that were imposing costs on American families and industry, such as:
      • EPA’s car emission regulations on light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles;
      • EPA’s Clean Power Plan 2.0; and
      • Regulatory overreach regarding ozone emissions.

    A summary of the bill is available here.

    Bill Report is available here.

    Bill Text is available here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement on the President’s Working Group Recommendations

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The policy recommendations that the President’s Working Group (PWG) put forth today follow months of deep collaboration across agencies and perspectives. Together, we have developed a blueprint to achieve President Trump’s vision of making America the crypto capital of the world.

    At its core, the PWG report reflects a conviction that I have long held: a rational regulatory framework for digital assets is the best way to catalyze American innovation, protect investors from fraud, and keep our capital markets the envy of the world. Unfortunately, my predecessor and the previous Administration did not share that vision. Thank goodness President Trump does and is leading on it. As the report makes clear, the SEC will continue to play a key role in developing a federal framework by using its existing authorities to establish new rules and regulations, and to implement any new legislation crafted by Congress. I look forward to pursuing these priorities alongside Commissioner Hester Peirce, members of my staff, and the SEC’s Crypto Task Force. I also appreciate the report’s call for enhanced collaboration between the SEC and the CFTC, as well as with other relevant federal agencies, to ensure that our approach is unified, clear, and consistent.

    The goals that we have outlined are ambitious, and essential, to meeting the possibilities of this moment. We must unleash the transformative potential of digital asset technology, safeguard our financial stability, and protect investors. In line with this report, I will continue to prioritize the development of forward-thinking and future-proof regulations that foster innovation while mitigating risks.

    Today marks yet another important milestone in unlocking American innovation by providing the crypto marketplace with clear rules of the road. I support the PWG’s recommendations and applaud President Trump on his leadership as we ensure that the U.S. is the best and most secure place in the world to invest and to do business.

    The President said last week that he wants “the entire world running on the backbone of American technology.” Indeed, America must do more than keep pace with the crypto asset revolution—we must lead it. I stand ready to help get the job done.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    Vai al Contenuto Raggiungi il piè di pagina

    30 Luglio 2025

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, had a telephone conversation this evening with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.

    President Meloni insisted on the need to immediately cease hostilities given the situation in Gaza which, she underlined, is unsustainable and unjustifiable.

    The conversation also provided an opportunity to reiterate the urgent need to guarantee full and unhindered humanitarian access to the civilian population, reaffirming Italy’s efforts in this regard through the Food for Gaza initiative. Thanks to Italy’s commitment, another 50 Palestinian civilians will be welcomed, and aid drops will be organised for the population in Gaza.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Smith Introduce New Bill to Restore Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Bicameral legislation to reverse “defund” Planned Parenthood provision in Republicans’ reconciliation bill is endorsed by Planned Parenthood & more than 125 original cosponsors

    Senator Murray has led the fight in the Senate against Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, offered an amendment to strip “defund” provision out of the reconciliation bill—Republicans blocked it

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, joined Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representatives Laura Friedman (CA-30), Nikema Williams (GA-5), and Chris Pappas (NH-1) in introducing theRestoring Essential Healthcare Act this week, a bicameral bill that repeals the federal ban on Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood that Republicans recently enacted as part of their partisan reconciliation legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    The legislation strikes Section 71113 of Republicans’ reconciliation bill, which prohibits federal Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood clinics that offer reproductive health care and other essential health care services. The provision puts nearly 200 Planned Parenthood clinics at risk of closure, endangering access to health care for more than two million patients across the country.

    “Republicans have been pushing for years to defund Planned Parenthood, because they want to ban abortion nationwide—and they don’t care if they rip away access to cancer screenings, contraception, or other essential preventive care for millions of women in the process,” said Senator Murray. “Our bill is simple: it would reverse the provision Republicans enacted into law that cuts Planned Parenthood and other women’s health clinics off from federal Medicaid funding. In many communities, Planned Parenthood is the only place women can go to get basic preventive care, no matter their income. I’m proud to join my colleagues in this effort to save essential health care.”

    “I worked at Planned Parenthood. I saw how controlling your own health care allows you to make the best decisions about the course of your life – your education, your work and your family,” said Senator Smith. “Planned Parenthood offers so much more than abortion services. In many communities it is the only clinic to provide cancer screenings, birth control, and STI screening. This bill takes a critical step to restore Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, to ensure these clinics are equipped with the resources they need to provide essential health care, and to give patients back the right to choose their health care provider.” 

    “President Trump and his allies in Congress chose to devastate our nation’s already fractured health care system when they passed a backdoor abortion ban ‘defunding’ Planned Parenthood. With this provision, they have put nearly 200 health centers at risk of closing and threatened over a million people’s access to cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment,  birth control, and other essential services, all in order to push an unpopular, anti-abortion agenda. We are thankful to Sens. Smith (D-MN) and Murray (D-WA) and Reps. Friedman (D-CA-30), Pappas (D-NH-1), and Williams (D-GA-5) for introducing the Restoring Essential Healthcare Act, and for championing access to high-quality, affordable reproductive care. Everyone deserves health care, and we will continue to fight every day to make that possible,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

    The ban on Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood could leave thousands of patients in every state with no place to seek essential reproductive care and other vital health services. Every year, Planned Parenthood provides health care to more than two million people, including STI testing, breast exams, birth control, HPV vaccines, and other critical services. 

    The Restoring Essential Healthcare Act has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Center for Reproductive Rights, Reproductive Freedom Caucus, All* Above All, Guttmacher Institute, National Abortion Federation, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Council of Jewish Women, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, National Network of Abortion Funds, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Reproductive Freedom for All, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Power to Decide.

    There are 133 original cosponsors of the Restoring Essential Healthcare Act in the House, including Williams*, Pappas*, Amo, Auchincloss, Balint, Barragán, Bell, Beyer, Bonamici, Brownley, Budzinski, Carbajal, Carson, Carter, Case, Casten, Castor, Cherfilus-McCormick, Chu, Cisneros, Clarke, Cleaver, Cohen, Correa, Craig, Crockett, Davids, Davis, DeGette, DelBene, Deluzio, DeSaulnier, Dexter, Doggett, Elfreth, Escobar, Evans, Fletcher, Foushee, Frankel, Frost, Garamendi, Garcia (TX), Goldman, Goodlander, Gottheimer, Horsford, Houlahan, Hoyle, Huffman, Ivey, Jacobs, Jackson, Johnson (GA), Kamlager-Dove, Kaptur, Kelly, Kennedy, Khanna, Krishnamoorthi, Landsman, Larson, Lee (PA), Leger Fernandez, Levin, Liccardo, Lieu, Lofgren, Lynch, Mannion, Matsui, McBath, McBride, McClellan, McGovern, McIver, Meeks, Menendez, Meng, Min, Moore, Morelle, Morrison, Moulton, Mullin, Nadler, Norton, Olszewski, Panetta, Pelosi, Peters, Pettersen, Pingree, Pocan, Pou, Quigley, Ramirez, Randall, Raskin, Ross, Ryan, Salinas, Scanlon, Schakowsky, Schneider, Sewell, Sherman, Sherrill, Simon, Sorensen, Soto, Stansbury, Stanton, Stevens, Strickland, Sykes, Takano, Thanedar, Thompson (CA), Titus, Tlaib, Tokuda, Tonko, Torres (NY), Torres (CA), Trahan, Underwood, Veasey, Velázquez, Wasserman Schultz, Waters, Watson Coleman, Wilson.

    Senator Murray has been the leading voice in the Senate speaking out and raising the alarm against Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. After the Parliamentarian allowed Republicans to proceed with their long-sought goal of defunding Planned Parenthood in their reconciliation bill, Senator Murray put forward an amendment to strike the provision—Republicans blocked it.

    At her recent Senate forum on the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Senator Murray spoke about Republicans’ plan to institute a backdoor nationwide abortion ban and laid out how defunding Planned Parenthood is a key part of that strategy. Last month, Senator Murray delivered a lengthy speech on the Senate floor where she laid out in detail how Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will rip away health care from millions of Americans, shutter the doors of hospitals and health care clinics across the country, make the largest cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance in history, and blow up the national debt—all so Republicans can fund massive tax breaks for billionaires.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: ExxonMobil Partners with African Energy Week (AEW) 2025 as Diamond Sponsor – Showcasing Major Investments, Youth Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Africa Initiatives, and Highlighting Women in Energy

    Source: APO

    As a Diamond Sponsor at AEW, ExxonMobil reaffirms its long-standing commitment to Africa’s energy future through ambitious new investments, frontier exploration and impactful educational programs. The company will take a central role in shaping dialogue on the continent’s upstream outlook, LNG development and the transition to more inclusive energy systems.

    As the world’s largest publicly listed, private integrated energy company, ExxonMobil continues to be a leader in the frontier exploration space and deepen its footprint in Africa through a series of forward-looking, high-impact initiatives. In Nigeria, the company looks to make significant investment in the deepwater as part of a broader strategy to help increase national output. This comes on the heels of sustained production efforts at the Erha and Owowo fields, underlining the company’s strategic focus on optimizing existing deepwater assets.

    Further south, ExxonMobil is maintaining production from the prolific Kizomba deepwater development in Angola’s Block 15, where it recently signed a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) extension with the Angolan National Agency of Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG), extending operations until 2037. The company also renewed its PSC for Block 17, in partnership with TotalEnergies to ensure continued production from key offshore Block 17 fields.

    In East Africa, ExxonMobil is making headway with the long-anticipated Rovuma LNG project in Mozambique’s Area 4. The project – expected to reach a final investment decision in 2026 – aims to bring an additional 18 million tons per annum (MTPA) of LNG to market, building on Mozambique’s emergence as a key global gas supplier.

    Beyond upstream operations, ExxonMobil is also investing in long-term capacity-building through the ExxonMobil Foundation’s STEM Africa program. Launched in 2024, the program partners with Junior Achievement Africa to deliver immersive science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education to students in Nigeria, Namibia, Angola and Mozambique. In its first year alone, the program reached over 3,000 students – 96% of whom expressed interest in pursuing STEM careers. In recognition of its impact, STEM Africa was awarded the Local Impact Award at the Big Five Board Awards in London earlier this month.

    “ExxonMobil’s role as a Diamond Sponsor at AEW 2025 is a testament to their bold, future-focused investments – from revitalizing offshore oilfields in Nigeria and Angola to advancing LNG capacity in Mozambique and exploring new frontiers in Africa’s Atlantic Coast,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “Their STEM Africa initiative demonstrates an equally strong commitment to building local talent and empowering young Africans to lead tomorrow’s energy industry. This is the kind of strategic partnership Africa needs.”

    AEW 2025: Invest in African Energies will provide a premier platform for ExxonMobil to engage with African governments, investors, and stakeholders as the continent accelerates toward energy security and industrial growth. With a broad and growing portfolio, ExxonMobil continues to lead Africa into its next era of energy development.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

    About African Energy Week:
    AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa –

    July 31, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan First in Canada for Mining Investment Attractiveness: Fraser Institute

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on July 30, 2025

    Saskatchewan is again the top region in Canada for mining investment attractiveness, ranking first in the country according to the Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies. The 2024 report included responses from 350 companies rating 82 jurisdictions around the world. 

    In addition to its best-in-Canada ranking, Saskatchewan placed seventh globally, owing to its strong ranking in policy and regulatory perception. 

    “These results from the Fraser Institute speak to Saskatchewan’s strong and steady approach to attracting mining investment,” Energy and Resources Minister Colleen Young said. “We offer some of the best incentive programs in the country for mineral development and we continue to uphold our reputation of being responsive, stable and predictable as a jurisdiction where investors can move projects forward.”

    The 2024 survey measured all regions on two main areas – policy perception and mineral potential – to come up with an overall attractiveness ranking for investment. Saskatchewan placed first in Canada, and third globally, in policy perception, based on responses concerning policy certainty, environmental regulation, the legal system and skilled labour supply.

    Saskatchewan also ranked highly for its geological database – fourth in the world – which speaks to the Saskatchewan Geological Survey’s cutting-edge mapping technology and high-quality public geoscience data and its extensive library of core samples in its southern and northern Saskatchewan facilities.

    “Achieving the number one ranking in Canada is due to our ability to work constructively and collaboratively with government to enable policies that attract investment,” Saskatchewan Mining Association President Pam Schwann said.

    Last year Saskatchewan reached record highs in potash production, mining approximately 24.7 million tonnes of potassium chloride, while also reaching new records for uranium production and sales – 16,700 tonnes and $2.6 billion, respectively.

    The province is home to 27 of the 34 minerals on Canada’s critical minerals list. In addition to uranium and potash, there is strong potential in Saskatchewan for further growth in the critical minerals sector: helium production continues to increase, while key projects in lithium, copper and zinc are set to begin production over the next year. 

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    July 31, 2025
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