NewzIntel.com

Category: AM-NC

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update: Critical incident investigation continues in Manurewa

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Please attribute to Counties Manukau District Commander, Superintendent Shanan Gray:

    Police are continuing with a critical incident investigation surrounding the events leading up to a fatal crash in Manurewa overnight.

    We are now in a position to release further information as our enquiries continue.

    The driver of the Mitsubishi vehicle remains in a critical condition at Middlemore Hospital, and was due to undergo surgery today.

    Police have spoken with the man taken into custody at the scene this morning.

    At this stage, the 56-year-old man has been charged with driving dangerously causing death, dangerous driving causing injury and driving while forbidden.

    He will appear in Manukau District Court today.

    Police enquiries will continue, and further charges cannot be ruled out as we investigate further.

    While matters are before the Court, we can advise that parties in both vehicles were known to each other.

    Until the next of kin notifications have been carried out, further details regarding the deceased are unable to be released.

    We would like to acknowledge the impact this event will have had on the community and our thoughts are with everyone involved.

    There are now several investigations underway, including a critical incident investigation.

    Police are still seeking information from any witnesses who may have been in the area at the time, or prior to this incident occurring.

    If you have information, please update Police online now or call 105.

    Please use reference number 250627/8090 or cite ‘Operation Highbury’.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 1 in 5 community footy umpires have been assaulted, while others cop death threats: new research

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alyson Crozier, Senior Lecturer, Exercise and Sport Psychology, University of South Australia

    Scott Barbour/Getty Images

    Umpires’ decisions often upset sports fans, especially during a close contest.

    At most games, spectators boo loudly, coaches throw their hands up in frustration and players can yell or even physically intimidate officials.

    It seems abusing umpires is acceptable. But why? It’s certainly not something generally tolerated in other workplaces.

    Without umpires, games simply couldn’t go ahead.

    That’s why we sought to shed light on the situation by researching what it’s really like to be an Australian rules umpire.

    Not for the faint-hearted

    Umpires (also called referees or match officials) apply the rules of their respective sports to ensure fair and safe competitions for all players.

    They participate in training and accreditation programs to learn rules and apply them based on the demands of the game.

    They need to be physically fit and position themselves appropriately around the playing field.

    But many sport organisations are struggling to provide enough qualified officials at grassroots levels. Between 1993 and 2010, there was a 28% decline in active sport officials in Australia.

    Football Australia, soccer’s governing body here, boasts 11,000 officials but estimates around 4,200 leave their roles every year.

    In many sports, teenagers are increasingly stepping in to umpire junior and senior games to back-fill shortages.

    However, Australian rules football appears to be defying this trend – the number of community umpires surpassed 20,000 for the first time in 2024. This is an 18% increase in umpire registrations compared to 2023, largely driven by a 31% rise in registrations by women and girls.

    Despite these record numbers, the Australian Football League (AFL), and many sports organisations including Rugby Australia and the A-League, are worried about retaining officials.

    Abuse towards officials is one of the primary areas of concern.

    Our research focused particularly on what was happening in Australian rules football.

    Abuse and even death threats

    We surveyed 356 umpires across all levels of Australian rules football competition to examine their experiences of abuse.

    Almost half reported receiving regular verbal abuse (name-calling, insults, swearing and threats). Worryingly, 21% said they had experienced physical abuse (pushing, hitting, or assault).

    As one state-level umpire remarked:

    Over time, you end up developing a thick skin.

    Encouragingly, most umpires knew the process to officially report any abuse received, with more than half indicating they had formally reported at least one incident of abuse.

    While many felt supported through the reporting process, only 62% were satisfied with the outcome.

    As one state-league umpire recalled:

    I was assaulted two years ago by a spectator. Lucky I was bigger than him. I was disappointed he only got a one-year suspension from attending games.

    Further, a senior community football umpire commented:

    I was threatened with my life this year and the league did nothing about it.

    What can be done?

    Many respondents commented on the need to support young umpires to have positive experiences.

    One potential strategy is to make it clearer when officials are underage.

    As one example, Netball Victoria provides a green band or scrunchie to any umpire under the age of 18 to promote respect from players, coaches and spectators.

    Other codes could look to implement similar strategies.

    Most of our responding umpires called for the introduction of tougher penalties in games and through tribunal systems.

    Some called for clubs to be fined or spectators banned for repeated incidents of abuse.

    Others commended the AFL’s stricter interpretation of umpire abuse in 2022, which mandated a 50-metre penalty for any player showing dissent.

    Additionally, umpires felt clubs needed to take greater responsibility for the actions of players, coaches and spectators.

    One umpire told us:

    Cultural change needs to come from within clubs because top-down campaigns encouraging respect don’t change hearts and minds.

    This could be in the form of creating a positive club culture and zero-tolerance abuse policies.

    In our research, umpires said it was crucial that governing bodies communicated both the level of evidence required to report abuse, and how tribunals worked.

    As younger officials may not know the process, having this information embedded in umpire training may help umpires feel more supported in reporting abuse.

    Equally, appropriate penalties must be handed down to ensure umpires have faith in the reporting system.

    While the number of Australian rules football umpires has increased in recent years, these numbers can also decrease quickly.

    If we want to retain umpires for the medium and long-term, we need governing bodies such as the AFL to address the frequency and severity with which umpire abuse occurs.

    As one umpire commented:

    Cases of abuse need to have consequences, not just a slap on the wrist. Why would anyone want to go out and be abused for two hours?

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. 1 in 5 community footy umpires have been assaulted, while others cop death threats: new research – https://theconversation.com/1-in-5-community-footy-umpires-have-been-assaulted-while-others-cop-death-threats-new-research-257804

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The NDIA is changing how it pays for disability supports. What does that mean for rural communities?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Johnson, Lecturer in Social Entrepreneurship and Co-Founder of Umbo, University of Sydney

    Shutterstock

    Each year, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) reviews its pricing rules to ensure services funded under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) remain sustainable.

    This year’s annual pricing review outlines changes that will take effect from July 1 2025.

    Among the updates are changes to therapy pricing, travel reimbursement, and rural loadings. The NDIA says this will bring NDIS pricing in line with other government schemes and private health insurance.

    But what do these changes mean for people outside the big cities?

    What’s changing

    Key changes include:

    • adjusted therapy support rates, including a $10 per hour reduction for physiotherapists to $183.99 per hour.

    • travel reimbursement for therapists will be halved (from 100% to 50% of the hourly rate during any time spent travelling)

    • price loadings for some rural and remote areas will be removed.

    The NDIA justifies these decisions with a dataset that includes the average of hourly rates from Medicare, private health claims, and 13 other government programs.

    The agency says some NDIS therapy prices exceed mainstream equivalents by up to 68%.

    Why pricing comparisons don’t always translate to rural services

    While these comparisons might make sense for metropolitan clinics, they do not capture the realities of service delivery in rural and remote areas.

    For example, allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists in cities can see multiple clients in a row at one location (although this isn’t always realistic or best practice in cities either).

    In contrast, rural and remote providers may drive hundreds of kilometres between appointments. Much of their time, including travel, planning, and follow-up, is essential but often unbilled.

    So while $193.99 (soon $183.99) per hour for physiotherapy might look generous, it does not reflect what is left after factoring in travel and unpaid care coordination.

    Disabilities are complex and often lifelong, so clinical support is time-consuming. However, that is something clinicians are passionate about – therapists so often squirm at the thought of billing our clients for anything other than direct clinical services.

    The NDIA’s own data confirm most therapy providers are small operators. In fact, 90% are unregistered, and many serve fewer than five participants.

    The result is a fragile “market”, particularly in towns with limited infrastructure. If pricing makes it unviable for local clinicians to offer services, the only remaining options may involve families travelling long distances or forgoing support entirely. This has knock-on effects for local economies and contributes to professional burnout and workforce shortages.

    What this means for rural families

    For families living in towns with limited services, travel is not optional. It is a lifeline. If providers cannot afford to travel, many people with disability simply go without.

    Telepractice can be used in some clinical situations, but not all. The most effective kind of telepractice also includes support from local clinicians and coworkers, and ideally a mix of in-person and online consultations.

    One family I worked with during my PhD research lived four hours from the nearest regional centre. After an 18-month wait, their child’s therapy appointment was cancelled twice due to workforce shortages. They eventually paid privately for a service in another state.

    This story is not unusual. Many families said they did not necessarily want more funding; they just wanted support delivered in ways that worked for them. Being able to access help locally allowed their children to remain part of the school community and reduced pressure on carers already juggling other responsibilities. Clinicians, communities, and families are continuing to tell very similar stories.

    It is essential clinicians are able to travel to meet with NDIS clients in regional areas.
    Shutterstock

    Is there a better way?

    My research found rural families preferred flexible models that blended telepractice with local capacity-building. These hybrid approaches worked well when supported by policy that allowed for coordination, community involvement, and some in-person time. They were not luxury add-ons. They were what made services possible.

    There is also a long-term benefit in supporting local service ecosystems. When therapists can build relationships within a community, they are more likely to stay, collaborate with other professionals, and mentor early-career clinicians.

    This helps reduce churn and provides continuity of care. However, with travel reimbursement and rural loadings cut, sustaining these models becomes more difficult.

    What happens next?

    The NDIA’s strategy includes a shift toward “differentiated pricing”, which could eventually support more tailored approaches. The Department of Social Services has also promised to offer “foundational supports” outside the NDIS, but it is currently unclear what the nature of these supports will be. Right now, though, rural communities are being asked to absorb the reduced funding and limited flexibility. Without further adjustment, these changes risk widening the gap between metropolitan and non-metropolitan service access.

    A single national price does not guarantee equal access. Equity comes from recognising and responding to different contexts. For rural and remote Australians living with disability, that recognition is long overdue.

    Until then, it will be up to 7 million rural Australians to make it work for themselves in places where resources are already stretched thin.

    I am a co-founder of Umbo Pty Ltd (an NDIS therapy provider which provides telepractice services)

    – ref. The NDIA is changing how it pays for disability supports. What does that mean for rural communities? – https://theconversation.com/the-ndia-is-changing-how-it-pays-for-disability-supports-what-does-that-mean-for-rural-communities-259148

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Supreme Court rules that states may deny people covered by Medicaid the freedom to choose Planned Parenthood as their health care provider

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Naomi Cahn, Professor of Law, University of Virginia

    Abortion-rights demonstrators holds a sign in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington as the Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic case is heard on April 2, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

    Having the freedom to choose your own health care provider is something many Americans take for granted. But the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority ruled on June 25, 2025, in a 6-3 decision that people who rely on Medicaid for their health insurance don’t have that right.

    The case, Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, is focused on a technical legal issue: whether people covered by Medicaid have the right to sue state officials for preventing them from choosing their health care provider. In his majority opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that they don’t because the Medicaid statute did not “clearly and unambiguously” give individuals that right.

    As law professors who teach courses about health and poverty law as well as reproductive justice, we think this ruling could restrict access to health care for the more than 78 million Americans who get their health insurance coverage through the Medicaid program.

    Excluding Planned Parenthood

    The case started with a predicament for South Carolina resident Julie Edwards, who is enrolled in Medicaid. After Edwards struggled to get contraceptive services, she was able to receive care from a Planned Parenthood South Atlantic clinic in Columbia, South Carolina.

    Planned Parenthood, an array of nonprofits with roots that date back more than a century, is among the nation’s top providers of reproductive services. It operates two clinics in South Carolina, where patients can get physical exams, cancer screenings, contraception and other services. It also provides same-day appointments and keeps long hours.

    In July 2018, however, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order that barred Medicaid reimbursement for health care providers in the state that offer abortion care.

    That meant Planned Parenthood, a longtime target of conservatives’ ire, would no longer be reimbursed for any type of care for Medicaid patients, preventing Edwards from transferring all her gynecological care to that office as she had hoped to do.

    Planned Parenthood and Edwards sued South Carolina. They argued that the state was violating the federal Medicare and Medicaid Act, which Congress passed in 1965, by not letting Edwards obtain care from the provider of her choice.

    A ‘free-choice-of-provider’ requirement

    Medicaid, which mainly covers low-income people, their children and people with disabilities, operates as a partnership between the federal government and the states. Congress passed the law that led to its creation based on its power under the Constitution’s spending clause, which allows Congress to subject federal funds to certain requirements.

    Two years later, due to concerns that states were restricting which providers Medicaid recipients could choose, Congress added a “free-choice-of-provider” requirement to the program. It states that people enrolled in Medicaid “may obtain such assistance from any institution, agency, community pharmacy, or person, qualified to perform the service or services required.”

    While the Medicaid statute does not, by itself, allow people enrolled in that program to enforce this free-choice clause, the question at the core of this case was whether another federal statute, known as Section 1983, did give them a right to sue.

    The Supreme Court has long recognized that Section 1983 protects an individual’s ability to sue when their rights under a federal statute have been violated. In fact, in 2023, it found such a right under the Medicaid Nursing Home Reform Act. The court held that Section 1983 confers the right to sue when a statute’s provisions “unambiguously confer individual federal rights.”

    In Medina, however, the court found that there was no right to sue. Instead, the court emphasized that “the typical remedy” is for the federal government to cut off Medicaid funds to a state if a state is not complying with the Medicaid statute.

    The ruling overturned lower-court decisions in favor of Edwards. It also expressly rejected the Supreme Court’s earlier rulings, which the majority criticized as taking a more “expansive view of its power to imply private causes of action to enforce federal laws.”

    Planned Parenthood clinics, like this one in Los Angeles, are located across the United States.
    Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

    Restricting Medicaid funds

    This dispute is just one chapter in the long fight over access to abortion in the U.S. In addition to the question of whether it should be legal, proponents and opponents of abortion rights have battled over whether the government should pay for it – even if that funding happens indirectly.

    Through a federal law known as the Hyde Amendment, Medicaid cannot reimburse health care providers for the cost of abortions, with a few exceptions: when a patient’s life is at risk, or her pregnancy is due to rape or incest. Some states do cover abortion when their laws allow it, without using any federal funds.

    As a result, Planned Parenthood rarely gets any federal Medicaid funds for abortions.

    McMaster explained that he removed “abortion clinics,” including Planned Parenthood, from the South Carolina Medicaid program because he didn’t want state funds to indirectly subsidize abortions.

    After the Supreme Court ruled on this case, McMaster said he had taken “a stand to protect the sanctity of life and defend South Carolina’s authority and values – and today, we are finally victorious.”

    But only about 4% of Planned Parenthood’s services nationwide were related to abortion, as of 2022. Its most common service is testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Across the nation, Planned Parenthood provides health care to more than 2 million patients per year, most of whom have low incomes.

    South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster stands outside the Supreme Court building in Washington in April 2025 and speaks about this case.
    Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

    Consequences beyond South Carolina

    This ruling’s consequences are not limited to Medicaid access in South Carolina.

    It may make it harder for individuals to use Section 1983 to bring claims under any federal statute. As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, wrote in her dissent, the court “continues the project of stymying one of the country’s great civil rights laws.”

    Enacted in 1871, the civil rights law has been invoked to challenge violations of rights by state officials against individuals. Jackson wrote that the court now limits the ability to use Section 1983 to vindicate personal rights only if the statutes use the correct “magic words.”

    The dissent also criticized the majority decision as likely “to result in tangible harm to real people.” Not only will it potentially deprive “Medicaid recipients in South Carolina of their only meaningful way of enforcing a right that Congress has expressly granted to them,” Jackson wrote, but it could also “strip those South Carolinians – and countless other Medicaid recipients around the country – of a deeply personal freedom: the ‘ability to decide who treats us at our most vulnerable.’”

    The decision could also have far-reaching consequences. Arkansas, Missouri and Texas have already barred Planned Parenthood from getting reimbursed by Medicaid for any kind of health care. More states could follow suit.

    In addition, given Planned Parenthood’s role in providing contraceptive care, disqualifying it from Medicaid could restrict access to health care and increase the already-high unintended pregnancy rate in America.

    States could also try to exclude providers based on other characteristics, such as whether their employees belong to unions or if they provide their patients with gender-affirming care, further restricting patients’ choices.

    With this ruling, the court is allowing a patchwork of state exclusions of Planned Parenthood and other medical providers from the Medicaid program that could soon resemble the patchwork already seen with abortion access.

    Portions of this article first appeared in another article published on April 2, 2025.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Supreme Court rules that states may deny people covered by Medicaid the freedom to choose Planned Parenthood as their health care provider – https://theconversation.com/supreme-court-rules-that-states-may-deny-people-covered-by-medicaid-the-freedom-to-choose-planned-parenthood-as-their-health-care-provider-259953

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Senate GOP Colleagues Introduce Resolution Supporting Operation Midnight Hammer

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Roger Wicker (R-Missouri), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) and Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska) in introducing a Senate resolution in support of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, including Operation Midnight Hammer, and praising President Trump’s efforts to reestablish deterrence and achieve lasting peace in the region as deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.  Text is below, and you can view the full resolution here.
    “Whereas, in August 2002, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s secret nuclear program was revealed, including the existence of a fuel enrichment plant in Natanz, Iran, and the heavy-water plant in Arak, Iran;
    Whereas, on April 11, 2006, the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that it had enriched uranium for the first time to a level close to 3.5 percent at the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant in Natanz, Iran;
    Whereas, in 2018, during a raid on a warehouse in Tehran’s Turquzabad district, Israel’s Mossad seized a vast nuclear archive of approximately 100,000 documents (commonly known as ‘‘Iran’s Atomic Archive’’), which revealed Iran’s AMAD Plan, a structured nuclear weapons program aimed at producing 5 nuclear warheads, including detailed designs, high explosive tests, detonator development and integration of a warhead into the Shahab 3 ballistic missile;
    Whereas, on May 31, 2021, it was reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran failed to provide any explanation for the uranium remnants found at undeclared sites in Iran, and such an explanation had not been provided as of the date of the enactment of this resolution;
    Whereas, on May 30, 2022, the International Atomic Energy Agency (referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘IAEA’’) reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran had achieved a stockpile of 43.3 kilograms (95.5 pounds) of 60 percent highly enriched uranium, which is roughly enough material to construct a nuclear weapon;
    Whereas, on February 27, 2023, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran had enriched uranium to 83.7 percent, which is just short of the 90 percent threshold for weapons-grade fissile material;
    Whereas, on September 16, 2023, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran banned the activities of nearly one-third of the IAEA’s most experienced nuclear inspectors in Iran, a decision that, according to IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, harmed the IAEA’s ability to monitor Iran’s nuclear program;
    Whereas, on December 28, 2023, the Governments of the United States, of France, of Germany and of the United Kingdom jointly declared, ‘‘The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification;”
    Whereas, on July 23, 2024, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence published an assessment, in accordance with the Iran Nuclear Weapons Capability and Terrorism Monitoring Act of 2022 (22 U.S.C. 8701 note; section 5593 of Public Law 117–263), stating that the Islamic Republic of Iran has ‘‘undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so;”
    Whereas, on November 15, 2024, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran has continued to expand its enrichment facilities and install additional advanced centrifuges, including at the Natanz Nuclear Facility, where there are 15 cascades of advanced centrifuges, and the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, where there are advanced preparations for the expansion of the facility;
    Whereas, on February 26, 2025, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran has between 5 and 7 metric tons of enriched uranium and had increased its total stockpile of 60 percent highly enriched uranium to 274.8 kilograms (605.83 pounds), which, if further enriched, could be sufficient to produce 6 nuclear weapons;
    Whereas, on May 31, 2025, the IAEA released a comprehensive report detailing Iran’s noncompliance with its Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons safeguards obligations, noting that Iran—
    (1) increased its stockpile of 60 percent highly enriched uranium to 408.6 kilograms as of May 17, 2025, which constitutes a 50 percent increase compared to its February 2025 report, a stockpile sufficient for approximately 9 nuclear weapons (if further enriched);
    (2) conducted undeclared nuclear activities at four sites—Lavisan-Shian, Varamin, Marivan, and Turquzabad—involving nuclear material and equipment; and
    (3) provided inaccurate or contradictory explanations, which severely obstructed IAEA verification efforts and raises serious concerns about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program;
    Whereas, on April 7, 2025, President Donald Trump stated, “You know, it’s not a complicated formula.  Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.  That’s all there is;”
    Whereas, on April 8, 2025, a senior official of the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected the dismantlement of its nuclear program by stating, “Trump wants a new deal: end Iran’s regional influence, dismantle its nuclear program and halt its missile work.  These are unacceptable to Tehran.  Our nuclear program cannot be dismantled;”
    Whereas, on April 15, 2025, in an ultimatum issued to the Islamic Republic of Iran, President Trump—
    (1) demanded that a new nuclear deal be signed within 60 days to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program; and
    (2) warned that failure to comply with this demand would result in military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons;
    Whereas, on April 16, 2025, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected United States demands and asserted its right to maintain its nuclear program and missile capabilities, escalating tensions and setting the stage for subsequent military operations by Israel and the United States;
    Whereas, on June 13, 2025, Israel began Operation Rising Lion with strikes against the Iranian nuclear program, key Iranian military leaders and other strategic targets; and
    Whereas, on June 21, 2025, the United States launched Operation Midnight Hammer, conducting targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, which significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program;
    Whereas Iran has developed advanced ballistic missile systems, including the Shahab-3, Ghadr and Khorramshahr missiles, with ranges of up to 2,000 kilometers and payloads capable of carrying nuclear warheads, which poses a significant threat as delivery systems for nuclear weapons to targets in the Middle East and parts of Europe;
    Whereas Iran, currently the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of United States citizens, including more than 600 United States servicemembers in Iraq through Iranian-backed militias, and other terrorist activities: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate—
    supports the United States’ decisive military strikes under Operation Midnight Hammer to degrade Iran’s nuclear program;
    affirms that the Islamic Republic of Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapons capability, which would threaten the security of the United States and its allies and partners;
    commends the Trump administration for taking resolute military action and praises the bravery of United States servicemembers who participated in Operation Midnight Hammer;
    concurs that President Trump’s efforts to reestablish deterrence are aimed at achieving lasting peace in the Middle East and worthy of consideration for the Nobel Peace Prize;
    reaffirms the right of the United States Government to take any necessary measures to prevent the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons;
    commends Israel for its targeted strikes under Operation Rising Lion against Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile infrastructure and regime targets, including the Natanz enrichment facility and missile launchers, and recognizes these actions are critical to neutralizing existential threats to Israel and its allies; and
    condemns the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for launching missiles at United States forces in Qatar and Iraq, and for launching 21 missile attacks that indiscriminately target Israeli civilians.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Statement on SCOTUS Decision That Paves Way to Eliminate Health Care Access for Medicaid Patients

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    06.26.25

    Cantwell Statement on SCOTUS Decision That Paves Way to Eliminate Health Care Access for Medicaid Patients

    49% of Planned Parenthood patients access care via Medicaid and/or the Title X family planning program; FACT SHEET: In WA State – Planned Parenthood serves 100,000 patients annually, about half are Medicaid recipients

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to allow South Carolina to end Planned Parenthood’s participation in the state’s Medicaid program –  denying South Carolinians easy access to preventive health care like birth control. The ruling opens the door for any anti-abortion state in the country to take the same action. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement in response to the decision:

    “Today’s Supreme Court ruling means that any state can blacklist Planned Parenthood or other health care providers, taking away access for Medicaid recipients,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This decision is another troubling step toward the anti-abortion movement’s ultimate goal — deciding for themselves what reproductive care American women are allowed to get.”

    The 1977 Hyde Amendment already bans the use of federal funding for abortion, with an exception for pregnancies that endanger the life of the pregnant person or that result from rape or incest. This decision paves the way for states to eliminate access for Medicaid patients to receive affordable cancer screenings, gynecological care, STD and STI screenings, and birth control services from Planned Parenthood clinics.

    According to a Planned Parenthood report, from 2023-2024 the provider accounted for 364,600 Pap tests and breast exams, 2.2 million birth control services, and 5.1 million STI tests and treatments. Half of all Planned Parenthood patients (49%) access care through Medicaid and/or the Title X family planning program. Allowing states to withhold Medicaid funding also puts rural communities at risk — 76% of Planned Parenthood health centers are located in rural or medically underserved areas, meaning patients would have to travel farther to receive care.

    Sen. Cantwell has been a champion for preserving Medicaid and access to reproductive health care. Earlier this week, on the three-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, Sen. Cantwell released a fact sheet detailing the dire consequences for Washington state’s reproductive health care delivery system if the Republican reconciliation bill is passed that would cut billions from Medicaid.

    Yesterday, Sen. Cantwell spoke on the Senate floor to urge her colleagues to vote against cuts to Medicaid that would effectively reverse the expansion of the program under the Affordable Care Act. Video of Sen. Cantwell’s speech is available HERE, and a transcript HERE.

    On Tuesday’s Dobbs anniversary, Sen. Cantwell joined the entire Democratic Senate Caucus in introducing the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025, which would guarantee access to abortion everywhere across the country and restore the right to comprehensive reproductive health care for millions of Americans. Also this week, Sen. Cantwell joined nine of her Senate Democratic colleagues in a letter condemning the Trump Administration’s recent rescission of guidance that reaffirmed hospitals and providers’ obligations under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) to provide medically necessary emergency abortion care, regardless of where the patient lives.

    A full timeline of Sen. Cantwell’s actions to defend Medicaid from cuts is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Intelligence Committee Colleagues Introduce Bill to Streamline Intelligence Community Acquisition Processes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), and Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) today introduced the Intelligence Community Technology Bridge Act, which would enable the Intelligence Community (IC) to streamline acquisition processes and prioritize small business and nontraditional defense contractor solutions: 

    “There are important advancements in intelligence products being made in the private sector, but our intelligence agencies and private sector partners must fight bureaucratic delays throughout the acquisition process,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would give our Intelligence Community the flexibility and agility it needs to speed up the acquisition of cutting-edge technologies and leverage American innovation across the country to get the most capable tools into the hands of our intelligence collectors and analysts.”

    “Our nation is not lacking in innovation or entrepreneurship – it’s lacking in the ability to quickly put these cutting-edge technologies in the hands of the intelligence agencies that keep us safe,” said Sen. Warner. “As our adversaries ramp up their tech capabilities, I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to provide the funding needed to level up smart products and services beyond the research and development stage and streamline the process through which our Intelligence Community acquires them.” 

    “Our Intelligence Community works hard every day to protect our nation without any recognition or glory, but they are also fighting our own government with the amount of time it takes to process newer technology,” said Sen. Lankford.“The bad actors and foreign adversaries who are coming after us every day are not going to wait around while our Intelligence Community waits on bureaucratic delays. Our nation must have the ability to stop whatever new technology is being used against us without unnecessary delays.”

    “Bridging the gap between research and real-world use is critical to ensuring our intelligence community has timely access to the most advanced tools and technologies,” said Sen. Kelly. “By cutting unnecessary red tape and accelerating innovation, we can better support small businesses and innovators, get cutting-edge technologies into the hands of the intelligence community faster, and strengthen our national security advantage.”

    Background:

     In light of global threats to national security, acquisition leaders in the Intelligence Community (IC) must be able to secure technological advantages through the identification, development, and transfer of promising technologies to full-scale programs capable of meeting IC requirements.

    This legislation would create a fund to assist in transitioning useful IC products from the research and development phase to the contracting and production phase, with priority given to small business concerns and nontraditional defense contractors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Senate GOP Colleagues Introduce Resolution Supporting Operation Midnight Hammer

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) led Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Katie Britt (R-AL), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Rick Scott (R-FL), Jim Justice (R-WV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Budd (R-NC), and Deb Fischer (R-NE) in introducing a Senate resolution in support of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, including Operation Midnight Hammer, and praising President Trump’s efforts to reestablish deterrence and achieve lasting peace in the region as deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize. Text is below, and you can view the full resolution here.

    “Whereas, in August 2002, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s secret nuclear program was revealed, including the existence of a fuel enrichment plant in Natanz, Iran, and the heavy-water plant in Arak, Iran;

    Whereas, on April 11, 2006, the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that it had enriched uranium for the first time to a level close to 3.5 percent at the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant in Natanz, Iran;

    Whereas, in 2018, during a raid on a warehouse in Tehran’s Turquzabad district, Israel’s Mossad seized a vast nuclear archive of approximately 100,000 documents (commonly known as ‘‘Iran’s Atomic Archive’’), which revealed Iran’s AMAD Plan, a structured nuclear weapons program aimed at producing 5 nuclear warheads, including detailed designs, high explosive tests, detonator development, and integration of a warhead into the Shahab 3 ballistic missile;

    Whereas, on May 31, 2021, it was reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran failed to provide any explanation for the uranium remnants found at undeclared sites in Iran, and such an explanation had not been provided as of the date of the enactment of this resolution;

    Whereas, on May 30, 2022, the International Atomic Energy Agency (referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘IAEA’’) reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran had achieved a stockpile of 43.3 kilograms (95.5 pounds) of 60 percent highly enriched uranium, which is roughly enough material to construct a nuclear weapon;

    Whereas, on February 27, 2023, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran had enriched uranium to 83.7 percent, which is just short of the 90 percent threshold for weapons-grade fissile material;

    Whereas, on September 16, 2023, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran banned the activities of nearly one-third of the IAEA’s most experienced nuclear inspectors in Iran, a decision that, according to IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, harmed the IAEA’s ability to monitor Iran’s nuclear program;

    Whereas, on December 28, 2023, the Governments of the United States, of France, of Germany, and of the United Kingdom jointly declared, ‘‘The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification;”

    Whereas, on July 23, 2024, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence published an assessment, in accordance with the Iran Nuclear Weapons Capability and Terrorism Monitoring Act of 2022 (22 U.S.C. 8701 note; section 5593 of Public Law 117–263), stating that the Islamic Republic of Iran has ‘‘undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so;”

    Whereas, on November 15, 2024, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran has continued to expand its enrichment facilities and install additional advanced centrifuges, including at the Natanz Nuclear Facility, where there are 15 cascades of advanced centrifuges, and the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, where there are advanced preparations for the expansion of the facility;

    Whereas, on February 26, 2025, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran has between 5 and 7 metric tons of enriched uranium and had increased its total stockpile of 60 percent highly enriched uranium to 274.8 kilograms (605.83 pounds), which, if further enriched, could be sufficient to produce 6 nuclear weapons;

    Whereas, on May 31, 2025, the IAEA released a comprehensive report detailing Iran’s noncompliance with its Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons safeguards obligations, noting that Iran—

    (1) increased its stockpile of 60 percent highly enriched uranium to 408.6 kilograms as of May 17, 2025, which constitutes a 50 percent increase compared to its February 2025 report, a stockpile sufficient for approximately 9 nuclear weapons (if further enriched);

    (2) conducted undeclared nuclear activities at 4 sites—Lavisan-Shian, Varamin, Marivan, and Turquzabad—involving nuclear material and equipment; and

    (3) provided inaccurate or contradictory explanations, which severely obstructed IAEA verification efforts and raises serious concerns about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program;

    Whereas, on April 7, 2025, President Donald Trump stated, “You know, it’s not a complicated formula. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. That’s all there is;”

    Whereas, on April 8, 2025, a senior official of the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected the dismantlement of its nuclear program by stating, “Trump wants a new deal: end Iran’s regional influence, dismantle its nuclear program, and halt its missile work. These are unacceptable to Tehran. Our nuclear program cannot be dismantled;”

    Whereas, on April 15, 2025, in an ultimatum issued to the Islamic Republic of Iran, President Trump—

    (1) demanded that a new nuclear deal be signed within 60 days to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program; and

    (2) warned that failure to comply with this demand would result in military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons;

    Whereas, on April 16, 2025, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected United States demands and asserted its right to maintain its nuclear program and missile capabilities, escalating tensions and setting the stage for subsequent military operations by Israel and the United States;

    Whereas, on June 13, 2025, Israel began Operation Rising Lion with strikes against the Iranian nuclear program, key Iranian military leaders, and other strategic targets; and

    Whereas, on June 21, 2025, the United States launched Operation Midnight Hammer, conducting targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, which significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program;

    Whereas Iran has developed advanced ballistic missile systems, including the Shahab-3, Ghadr, and Khorramshahr missiles, with ranges of up to 2,000 kilometers and payloads capable of carrying nuclear warheads, which poses a significant threat as delivery systems for nuclear weapons to targets in the Middle East and parts of Europe;

    Whereas Iran, currently the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of United States citizens, including more than 600 United States servicemembers in Iraq through Iranian-backed militias, and other terrorist activities: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate—

    1. supports the United States’ decisive military strikes under Operation Midnight Hammer to degrade Iran’s nuclear program;
    2. affirms that the Islamic Republic of Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapons capability, which would threaten the security of the United States and its allies and partners;
    3. commends the Trump administration for taking resolute military action and praises the bravery of United States servicemembers who participated in Operation Midnight Hammer;
    4. concurs that President Trump’s efforts to reestablish deterrence are aimed at achieving lasting peace in the Middle East and worthy of consideration for the Nobel Peace Prize;
    5. reaffirms the right of the United States Government to take any necessary measures to prevent the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons;
    6. commends Israel for its targeted strikes under Operation Rising Lion against Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile infrastructure, and regime targets, including the Natanz enrichment facility and missile launchers, and recognizes these actions are critical to neutralizing existential threats to Israel and its allies; and
    7. condemns the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for launching missiles at United States forces in Qatar and Iraq, and for launching 21 missile attacks that indiscriminately target Israeli civilians.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pelosi on the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations: “One of the world’s greatest organizations for peace and the advancement of humanity.”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi commemorated the 80th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter, recognizing the founding of one of the world’s most enduring institutions for peace and global cooperation.

    Speaking on the House Floor, she reflected on the historic role San Francisco played in hosting the 1945 conference that gave birth to the U.N., underscoring the pride felt by the city and its people.

    Watch her full remarks here.

    Read the transcript of Speaker Emerita Pelosi’s Floor remarks below:

    Speaker Emerita Pelosi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter and the establishment of one of the world’s greatest organizations for peace and the advancement of humanity.

    As a representative of San Francisco, this anniversary has a particular pride for the people of my city and for me, for it was in San Francisco that we played host to the Grand Conference of Delegates that wrote the U.N. Charter.

    And it was in San Francisco’s War Memorial and Performing Arts Center on June 26, 1945, that the charter was signed. On that day, President Harry Truman came to the plenary session to offer his congratulations and his hopes for the future of a new United Nations.

    He said, ‘You have created a great instrument for peace and security and human progress in the world.’

    President Truman said that. ‘And the world must use it now.’ The world must use it now. It was true then. It is true now. Eight decades later, 193 member states have ratified the charter. That day was 50, and then Poland joined making it 51.

    Now 193 members have ratified the charter. The world’s greatest leaders and thinkers have been among the United Nations representatives.

    In 1946, United Nations General Assembly delegate and former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which builds on President Franklin Roosevelt’s commitment to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear and freedom from want—for all people.

    Throughout its history, the United Nations has worked to end disease, hunger and poverty. It has sought to advance human rights, human dignity and opportunities for women and girls.

    It has focused the world’s attention on the plight of refugees and the urgency of the climate crisis with its Sustainable Development Goals. It has been a bulwark for global peace and peacekeeping.

    And in striving to fulfill the ideals and promises of its charter, the United Nations, related agencies, programs and staff had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 11 times.

    In 1950, Ralph Bunche, an American, became the first person affiliated with the new organization to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In his acceptance speech, he remarked. ‘I am but one of many cogs in the United Nations. The greatest peace organization ever dedicated to the salvation of mankind’s future on Earth.’

    Under the leadership of Secretary-General António Guterres, the United Nations remains a strong, resolute, unwavering voice for peace in a world burdened by war.

    And today, the United Nations is convening a plenary meeting of the General Assembly in New York at the United Nations Headquarters to – in their quote, ‘to revive the spirit of San Francisco and once again embrace the ideals that united humanity during the darkest hour, reaffirming our commitment to those values into the future.’

    May we recapture the spirit of solidarity that existed in San Francisco 80 years ago as United Nations continues to stand as a beacon of peace for the next 80 years and beyond.

    Since I have a little more time, I want to just tell a personal story. When I was in high school – this is like a dozen years after the founding of the United Nations – President, then-Senator Kennedy came to Baltimore for a great event. It was the United Nations Association of Maryland dinner honoring someone named Jacob Blaustein, a civic leader in our community.

    My father was the mayor of Baltimore. My mother, knowing how much I admired the Kennedy family because we were taught by Irish Catholic nuns from Boston—even in Baltimore, she said ‘I don’t think I feel well going to the dinner tonight. Why don’t you take my place?’

    Taking her place meant sitting next to Senator Kennedy for this dinner where he was giving the keynote address. There’s a picture of that occasion. Why I tell the story is, I was a member of United Nations Youth in high school, was like a junior in high school at the time.

    And there was a table of United Nations Youth. And they came over to me and said, ‘Since you’re a member of United Nations Youth, we invite you to sit with us at our table.’

    Oh, my gosh. John F. Kennedy, United Nations Youth. As conflicted as I was, how could I leave a vacant seat next to Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts, soon to become President of the United States?

    In any event, as I said at the beginning, this holds a special particular pride for me personally as well as officially.

    I yield back. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Footy umpires blow the whistle on abuse

    Source:

    27 June 2025

    Getty Images

    Almost half of all Australian Rules Football (AFL) umpires have experienced verbal abuse such as ridiculing, humiliation or aggressive remarks, threats or gestures, at least every couple of games, according to new research by the University of South Australia.

    The survey of more than 350 umpires from 2021 to 2022 has identified that one in five umpires (21%) reported having also experienced some form of physical abuse, whether it be invasion of personal space, pushing, or punching by players, coaches, parents or general spectators.

    Twelve per cent of those surveyed umpired in community junior football, 80% umpired in community senior football and 8% umpired in state league and talent pathway.

    The study was conducted by UniSA’s Dr Jamie Cleland, and Dr Alyson Crozier, experts in sports management and sports psychology respectively, in a bid to examine the extent of abuse towards match officials, particularly at the youth and grassroots levels, and the reasons for poor retention of umpires in the sport.

    Dr Crozier says poor behaviour by clubs, parents or spectators can filter down to the youth and grassroots levels where umpires aren’t protected by security like elite AFL umpires and can face verbal and physical hostility when their decisions are disputed.

    “Spectators, players and coaches tend to strongly identify with their team, whereas umpires are viewed as an external authority figure – and this creates an ‘us versus them’ mindset,” she says.

    “This then can lead to dehumanisation and justification of aggressive behaviour towards umpires as they’re seen as a threat to the team’s success. Professional AFL umpires are conditioned to expect abuse on the field and understand it as being part of the game.

    “But while uMpires may expect the abuse, it doesn’t make the experience ‘right’. Workplaces outside of umpiring wouldn’t tolerate the levels of abuse experienced by some umpires in Aussie Rules; in no other workplace would it be considered acceptable, and it shouldn’t be acceptable for footy umpires either.”

    Of the research participants, 91% identified as male and 80% of them umpired in community senior football. 21% said they received verbal abuse every game, 28% said every couple of games and 38% said a couple of times a season.

    One umpire in community senior football commented how it “had been the worst year for myself personally as far as coach and supporter abuse – I was threatened with my life this year and the league did nothing about it”.

    Another community senior football umpire shared their account of being physically attacked. “I was assaulted two years ago by a spectator. Lucky I was bigger than him. I was disappointed he only got a one-year suspension from attending games,” they said.

    More than half of participants (53%) had reported at least one incident of abuse to the relevant authority and of those who had reported abuse, 73% felt supported through the process, with 62% satisfied with the eventual disciplinary outcome.

    Dr Crozier says a number of the umpires in the study commented positively on the AFL’s 50m penalty for players who show dissent towards an umpire, such as challenging an umpire verbally or physically after a decision has been made on the field.

    “However, although some umpires recognised how their experiences had improved after the introduction of the dissent rule, for the majority, the top-down approach still wasn’t influencing bottom-up behaviour change at the youth and grass rooms levels. It’s at these levels where mass participation occurs that umpires are significantly outnumbered and not sufficiently protected from harm,” she says.

    “Umpires told us they need to be communicated with before and after cases of misconduct against clubs, players and spectators, not only for their own health and wellbeing, but because they’re more likely to keep umpiring if they feel supported and valued.”

    The researchers suggested technology could enhance the reporting process for bad behaviour, using real time mobile apps to log incidents immediately after a match. Various sporting leagues globally are trialling body cameras for game officials to reduce the level of abuse they face.

    An article on the topic is published on The Conversation. It can be republished online or in print for free, provided you follow these guidelines.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN engages in an interview with Maghreb Arabe Presse

    Source: ASEAN

    In wrapping up his Official Visit to Morocco, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today shared his views with Maghreb Arabe Presse on the potential of the ASEAN-Morocco Sectoral Dialogue Partnership, which includes the areas of trade and investment, energy and climate change, education and youth, tourism and culture, and connectivity, among others. SG Dr. Kao also expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about the trajectory of Morocco’s national development, especially through his meetings with high-level Moroccan government officials. He further shared his perspectives on ways to further strengthen ASEAN-Morocco ties, particularly by promoting people-to-people ties, cultural and academic exchanges, facilitating private sector engagement and building institutional linkages. Maghreb Arabe Presse—is the official Moroccan news agency based in Rabat, established in 1959. It serves as the primary source of news and information for the Kingdom of Morocco, both domestically and internationally.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN engages in an interview with Maghreb Arabe Presse appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN engages in an interview with Maghreb Arabe Presse

    Source: ASEAN

    In wrapping up his Official Visit to Morocco, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today shared his views with Maghreb Arabe Presse on the potential of the ASEAN-Morocco Sectoral Dialogue Partnership, which includes the areas of trade and investment, energy and climate change, education and youth, tourism and culture, and connectivity, among others. SG Dr. Kao also expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about the trajectory of Morocco’s national development, especially through his meetings with high-level Moroccan government officials. He further shared his perspectives on ways to further strengthen ASEAN-Morocco ties, particularly by promoting people-to-people ties, cultural and academic exchanges, facilitating private sector engagement and building institutional linkages. Maghreb Arabe Presse—is the official Moroccan news agency based in Rabat, established in 1959. It serves as the primary source of news and information for the Kingdom of Morocco, both domestically and internationally.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN engages in an interview with Maghreb Arabe Presse appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: “Adaptation of New Technology is What Wins Wars” King Stresses in Armed Services Hearings

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), spoke with Michael Dodd, the nominee to serve as the Assistance Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies, about the importance of developing and deploying new defense technologies. During his discussion with Dobb, Senator King highlighted that previously the United States has significantly underfunded the development of advanced weapon technologies like directed energy— the class of weapons systems that use electromagnetic energy, such as high-energy lasers. At the end of the exchange, he received commitment from Dodd, that if confirmed, he will aggressively work to advance directed energy platforms.
    Senator King began, “Mr. Dodd, you have, I think, one of the most important jobs in the Pentagon, which is technology. The adaptation of new technology is what wins wars. Genghis Khan was able to conquer the world because of his utilization of the stirrup, which enabled his archers to shoot from horseback. It was that technology that enabled him, the longbow. In the battle of Agincourt, enabled 6,000 British troops to defeat an army of 20,000 French. You mentioned several technologies in your testimony, but we have been basically slow on several technologies. We’ve been slow on drones, hypersonics, and particularly on directed energy, which you didn’t mention. In the age of drones, directed energy can be more important than ever. The prior administration woefully underfunded the development of directed energy. I hope that is something you will pursue in your new position. “
    “Thank you for raising that important issue. If confirmed, directed energy would be a technology area in the critical technologies portfolio. I am a staunch advocate and believer, as you referenced, in a one to many response, in utilizing many faster, cheaper platforms. Certainly, in the counter U.S. Domain, directed energy will play a role in that. High-performance microwaves are making some significant advances. Those platforms have been protyped and are being tested currently. We are excited, it confirmed, to see the growth and scaling of energy platforms,” responded Dodd.
    “Well in the red sea today, we are shooting down $20,000 Yemeni and Iranian drones with $4 million missiles. That is unsustainable. A shot from a directed energy is about $.75. This is urgent. I hope it is pursued not only systematically but also with some urgency,” said Senator King.
    Dodd replied, “Senator I’m fully committed to pursuing directed energy platforms if confirmed.”
    “Thank you,” finished Senator King.
    As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as an authoritative voice on national security and foreign policy issues. Senator King has previously spoken up about the emerging threats of Russia and China’s development of “nightmare weapon” hypersonic missiles. He previously urged the Department of Defense (DoD) to take advantage of private sector technologies or risk losing access to innovative defense technologies and encouraged the (DoD) to reevaluate its acquisition process of defense technologies. Additionally, Senator King has been a steady voice on the need to address the growing nuclear capacity of our adversaries. In a recent Armed Services hearing, he received commitment from Secretary of the Navy John Phelan to advocate for an increase in the directed energy budget.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Maine Delegation Presses Labor Secretary to Reopen Job Corps Centers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a letter to Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Maine’s Congressional delegation opposed the agency’s attempt to bypass Congress and close Job Corps centers nationwide. The move, which DOL calls a “phased pause in operations,” comes just months after officials froze enrollment at the Loring and Penobscot Job Corps Centers —  exacerbating rural workforce shortages in central and northern Maine.

    “By calling this plan a pause, the DOL is closing Job Corps centers without Congressional approval…” the lawmakers wrote. “The agency’s decision, which has been temporarily paused by the courts, to dismantle a widely popular, successful program has put hundreds of low-income Mainers at risk.” 

    The lawmakers also wrote that as Job Corps staff in Maine have tried to meet the DOL’s timeline to close the Penobscot and Loring facilities, “complications are impacting students and staff alike. Some students at both Job Corps Centers in Maine are not able to return home and are facing a risk of homelessness, and while organizations around these communities are helping, their resources are limited.”

    Maine’s Job Corps is among the agency’s most successful and productive programs, with the Penobscot Center ranking fourth in the most recent national Job Corps Report Card. This report measures how efficiently students at each center attain trade credentials and improve other skills like math and reading. 

    Loring’s Job Corps Center currently has 129 staff members and is one of the largest employers in rural northern Maine. It currently enrolls 228 students and opened in 1997 — just a few years after the closure of the Loring Air Force Base devastated the region.

    The Penobscot Job Corps has 223 students enrolled, and 65 students have graduated since July 2024. Of those graduates, 58 students have been verified as placements into employment, the military, or higher education, and five have transferred to other centers for advanced training opportunities. Penobscot is home to the only Advanced Marine Pipefitting training program in Job Corps, which is a feeder program for future BIW and PNSY employees.

    Yesterday, a federal judge temporarily extended a block on the administration’s Job Corps plan while a lawsuit over the move remains ongoing. 

    A copy of the delegation’s letter can be found here, and is included in full below:

    +++

    June 26, 2025

    The Honorable Lori Chavez-DeRemer

    Secretary

    Department of Labor

    200 Constitution Avenue, NW

    Washington, D.C. 20210

    Dear Secretary Chavez-DeRemer,

    We write to express our strong opposition to the sudden announcement by the Department of Labor (DOL) to begin a phased pause in operations at Job Corps Centers nationwide. This follows an earlier decision to halt enrollments at centers in Maine with which we also disagree. Given the immediate and significant impact these decisions will have on hundreds of young Mainers currently enrolled at or interested in the Loring Job Corps Center and the Penobscot Job Corps Center, as well as the economic repercussions to the surrounding communities that need a skilled workforce, we urge you to retract this announcement.

    Since its inception in 1964, Job Corps has been a vital program for countless young Americans across the country. In Maine, we have seen firsthand the benefits that the Job Corps has both on young students and their communities. The program has provided countless opportunities for low-income students to tap into their true potential and secure good-paying jobs. The job placement rate for the Maine centers is well above the national average, placing students in local healthcare settings, masonry, welding and beyond. Students from the Maine centers have gone on to work within Maine’s storied shipbuilding industry, join the Armed Forces, and work at Maine’s Community Colleges. Employers across the State that hire Job Corps graduates have developed long-standing relationships with the centers, finding that the students have been well-prepared to join the workforce.

    By calling this plan a pause, the DOL is closing Job Corps centers without Congressional approval. Since the DOL’s announcement, we have heard from students, parents, local employers, and community officials about the devastating consequences that closing the Maine centers will have on some of our most disadvantaged young people. It bears emphasizing that as small and rural communities in Maine and across the country struggle with labor shortages, Job Corps provides businesses with a reliable source of workers armed with the necessary skills to productively contribute to our local economy.

    The agency’s decision, which has been paused by the courts, to dismantle a widely popular, successful program has put hundreds of low-income Mainers at risk. Additionally, the Maine centers provide stable employment for residents of its closest communities. The Loring Job Corps Center is one of the largest employers in Aroostook County, employing nearly 130 Mainers. The DOL’s plan would prevent around 260 highly skilled employees from sharing their knowledge and expertise with Maine’s next generation of students living in small and rural communities.

    In Maine, while dedicated Job Corps staff at Loring Job Corps Center and the Penobscot Job Corps Center are working around the clock to comply with DOL’s decision and expedited timeline, complications are impacting students and staff alike. Some students at both Job Corps Centers in Maine are not able to return home and are facing a risk of homelessness, and while organizations around these communities are helping, their resources are limited. There are additional hurdles in securing transportation for students in these rural communities and ensuring that every student’s documents are in order.

    We urge the Department of Labor to reopen Job Corps centers in Maine and across the country, and work with Congress to seek a path that can build on the successes of the program. We appreciate your attention to this important matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Rosen Condemn Trump Administration for Rescinding Approval of High-Speed Internet Funding for Nevada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Senators Will Delay Department of Commerce Nominees Until States Receive Funding.

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and 12 Democratic Senators in a letter condemning the Trump Administration’s reckless decision to rescind approval for states to receive their share of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The BEAD program was created to connect families in the hardest-to-serve communities to high-speed internet and close the digital divide for students, families, and small businesses.

    “We write to express our deep concern with the recent guidance the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued regarding the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. This guidance will add needless delay to connecting millions of Americans to high-speed internet, while going against Congressional intent and betraying unconnected Americans in the process,” wrote the Senators. “Until states receive the entire amount of BEAD funds they are owed, including nondeployment funds, we will not consent to expedited consideration of any related Commerce Department nominees on the Senate floor.”

    The Trump Administration’s new guidance rescinded the final approval of three states, including Nevada and Delaware, and forces all states to redo burdensome steps in theirprocesses, hindering states’ ability to connect communities to high-speed internet. In their letter to the Secretary of Commerce, the Senators committed to blocking all related Department of Commerce nominees until states receive their full BEAD allocation.

    “With three states fully approved and ready to put shovels in the ground and 42 other states having completed or started the process of receiving project bids and selecting BEAD subgrantees, NTIA’s new guidance upends years of work and threatens to delay the program at a critical point… Simply claiming states will be able to comply with NTIA’s new requirements within 90 days does not make it true,” the Senators’ letter continued. “With this in mind, we implore you to provide states with the maximum flexibility possible and ensure states receive the full amount of funding they are owed. Should you fail to do so, we will continue to block the expeditious advancement of all Commerce Department nominees overseeing broadband policy, along with any related nominees.”

    Read the full letter here.

    As part of her Innovation State Initiative, Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts to improve broadband access and strengthen Nevada’s economy. She successfully called for increased accountability for federal broadband programs through efforts like the FCC broadband map which helped deliver the State of Nevada additional BEAD funding through more accurate broadband accessibility data. The Senator has also pushed for greater transparency and tracking of federal broadband dollars through her bipartisan mapping tool she created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and passed her bipartisan ACCESS Broadband Act to establish a broadband oversight office in the Commerce Department, which administers the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law BEAD funding, provides technical assistance to communities, and tracks taxpayer dollars.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Collins, Kelly Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Development of Sustainable Wood Products and Support Forest Products Industry

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) are reintroducing the Community Wood Facilities Assistance Act, bipartisan legislation that would make it easier to develop sustainable wood products and energy from biomass made from small-diameter timber left over from forest thinning projects, including projects that reduce the risk of wildfire. Repurposing wood waste is key to supporting innovation in the forest industry and creating new jobs while also helping businesses that repurpose the wood save money on energy costs and reduce emissions.  
    “The forest products industry is crucial to the stewardship of the Granite State’s forests and fuels economic opportunity in our state’s rural communities,” said Senator Shaheen. “By strengthening the vital Community Wood Energy Innovations Grant program, our bipartisan legislation would both promote innovation in the forest products industry and help spur energy efficiency upgrades that help businesses save money.” 
    “Throughout Maine’s history, the forest products industry has helped drive local economies and sustain rural communities. As our economy changes, this vital industry is evolving to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would make improvements to the Forest Service’s Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovations Grant Program, which helps to promote innovative uses for wood products.” 
    “Thinning Arizona’s overgrown forests is key to preventing wildfires but too often, leftover wood is just burned in piles, polluting our air, endangering our foresters, and risking new fires. By backing facilities that turn this waste into energy or sustainable products, we can cut emissions, create jobs, and build stronger rural economies—while making our forests healthier and safer,” said Senator Kelly. 
    The Community Wood Facilities Assistance Act would revise the U.S. Forest Service’s Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovations Grant Program by: 
    Allowing grants to be used for the construction of new facilities, in addition to making improvements to existing facilities; 
    Increasing the authorization from $25 million to $50 million; 
    Increasing the maximum grant per facilities from $1 million to $5 million; 
    Increasing the federal cost-share from 35 percent to 50 percent; 
    Increasing maximum size for community wood energy systems eligible for grant funding from 5 megawatts to 15 megawatts; 
    Change the program name to the Community Wood Facilities Grant Program to avoid confusion with the similarly named Wood Innovations Grant Program. 
    The bill would revise the U.S. Forest Service’s Wood Innovations Grant Program by: 
    Allowing grants to be used for the construction of new facilities, in addition to making improvements to existing facilities; 
    Reduce the minimum non-federal cost-share from 50 percent to 33 percent. 
    A companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives in March by Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Dan Newhouse (WA-04). 
    Senator Shaheen has long advocated for America’s forests and initiatives that would survey and repurpose biomass for clean energy initiatives. The Community Wood Facilities Assistance Act builds on Shaheen and Collins’ Community Wood Energy Innovation Act which was signed into law in the 2018 Farm Bill and expanded the Community Wood Energy Program to better incentivize investments in energy-efficient wood energy systems and facilities that repurpose low-grade, low-value wood that would otherwise be sent to landfills. 
    Shaheen recently visited DCI Furniture in Lisbon, a family-owned furniture manufacturing company that is using Community Wood Grant program funding to install a new combined heat and power system that uses wood waste for fuel.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Ernst Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Create First-of-its-Kind Program to Make Child Care More Accessible for Military Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Joni Ernst (R-IA), senior members of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, are introducing bipartisan legislation to respond to the shortage of child care availability across the country, particularly for military families. The Senators’ bill proposes a first-of-its-kind Department of Defense-led pilot program to support workforce development opportunities for child care providers and to add capacity to the child care sector by increasing recruitment, retention and training of child care staff.

    “Too many parents are put in difficult situations when they don’t have access to the quality, affordable care they need for their kids—a problem that is especially acute for military families who face even higher barriers to finding child care,” said Senator Shaheen. “That’s why I’m proud to join with my colleague, Senator Ernst, to introduce bipartisan legislation that would create a first-of-its-kind Department of Defense-led pilot program to strengthen workforce development opportunities for providers with the goal of increasing the amount of available child care slots in a local communities.”

    “As a mom and a grandma, I know how important our next generation is, and our military servicemembers deserve high-quality, affordable child care,” said Senator Ernst. “The Expanding Child Care for Military Families Act will bolster the Department of Defense’s partnership with local organizations to provide care and education for military kids while their parents train and prepare to protect our great nation.”

    Specifically, the Expanding Child Care for Military Families Act would:

    • Enable the Department of Defense (DoD) to enter into partnerships with both private and public child care providers on or near DoD installations.
    • Require the Department to provide certification and training opportunities and to participate in recruitment and retention programs for participating child care providers.
    • Give the DoD the authority to enter into a partnership agreement with AmeriCorps to allow AmeriCorps volunteers to be placed at child care providers participating in the DoD pilot program.
    • Assess current administrative resources available to families to identify areas of improvement for child care enrollment procedures.
    • Encourage DoD to recruit and offer training and certification to eligible military spouses.
    • Identify areas with high unmet need for child care and increase access to child care in these areas.

    Senator Shaheen has been a leader in advocating for more affordable and accessible child care, including by delivering more than $77 million to New Hampshire through the American Rescue Plan and other COVID relief laws to the Granite State. Since then, Shaheen had urged state and local officials to distribute those federal funds, especially in communities that lack access to child care. Shaheen recently helped introduced the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act which would permanently expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC). She also introduced the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act and the Child Care Workforce Act—bipartisan, bicameral legislation that together form a bold proposal to make child care more affordable and accessible by strengthening existing tax credits to lower child care costs and increase the supply of child care providers. The bill includes language from Shaheen’s Right Start Child Care and Education Act legislation. In April, Shaheen visited the YMCA of Greater Nashua’s Merrimack Branch to highlight the Granite State’s shortage of child care providers and to discuss her recent legislative efforts to address the child care affordability crisis.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Ernst Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Create First-of-its-Kind Program to Make Child Care More Accessible for Military Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Joni Ernst (R-IA), senior members of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, are introducing bipartisan legislation to respond to the shortage of child care availability across the country, particularly for military families. The Senators’ bill proposes a first-of-its-kind Department of Defense-led pilot program to support workforce development opportunities for child care providers and to add capacity to the child care sector by increasing recruitment, retention and training of child care staff.

    “Too many parents are put in difficult situations when they don’t have access to the quality, affordable care they need for their kids—a problem that is especially acute for military families who face even higher barriers to finding child care,” said Senator Shaheen. “That’s why I’m proud to join with my colleague, Senator Ernst, to introduce bipartisan legislation that would create a first-of-its-kind Department of Defense-led pilot program to strengthen workforce development opportunities for providers with the goal of increasing the amount of available child care slots in a local communities.”

    “As a mom and a grandma, I know how important our next generation is, and our military servicemembers deserve high-quality, affordable child care,” said Senator Ernst. “The Expanding Child Care for Military Families Act will bolster the Department of Defense’s partnership with local organizations to provide care and education for military kids while their parents train and prepare to protect our great nation.”

    Specifically, the Expanding Child Care for Military Families Act would:

    • Enable the Department of Defense (DoD) to enter into partnerships with both private and public child care providers on or near DoD installations.
    • Require the Department to provide certification and training opportunities and to participate in recruitment and retention programs for participating child care providers.
    • Give the DoD the authority to enter into a partnership agreement with AmeriCorps to allow AmeriCorps volunteers to be placed at child care providers participating in the DoD pilot program.
    • Assess current administrative resources available to families to identify areas of improvement for child care enrollment procedures.
    • Encourage DoD to recruit and offer training and certification to eligible military spouses.
    • Identify areas with high unmet need for child care and increase access to child care in these areas.

    Senator Shaheen has been a leader in advocating for more affordable and accessible child care, including by delivering more than $77 million to New Hampshire through the American Rescue Plan and other COVID relief laws to the Granite State. Since then, Shaheen had urged state and local officials to distribute those federal funds, especially in communities that lack access to child care. Shaheen recently helped introduced the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act which would permanently expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC). She also introduced the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act and the Child Care Workforce Act—bipartisan, bicameral legislation that together form a bold proposal to make child care more affordable and accessible by strengthening existing tax credits to lower child care costs and increase the supply of child care providers. The bill includes language from Shaheen’s Right Start Child Care and Education Act legislation. In April, Shaheen visited the YMCA of Greater Nashua’s Merrimack Branch to highlight the Granite State’s shortage of child care providers and to discuss her recent legislative efforts to address the child care affordability crisis.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hassan Recognizes Lynette Kaichen of Effingham as June’s Granite Stater of the Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan recognized Lynette Kaichen of Effingham as June’s Granite Stater of the Month. Lynette founded The Pass Along Project, which provides clothing to children in foster care.

    Ten years ago, Lynette and her husband became foster parents for children in emergency cases. The children, who often had little time to pack a bag with personal items or clothes, would show up to their new foster home with nothing of their own. She realized that if an organization could have every size of clothing ready ahead of time, every child in a foster home could have the clothes that they need.

    Lynette started assembling kits with over a full week’s worth of clothing and shoes in every size in her kitchen. Over the past eight years The Pass Along Project has grown and now serves more than 500 children across the state every year. Lynette’s goal is to be able to provide kits for all children in New Hampshire foster care and also those who have entered the care of their relatives under similar circumstances.

    Lynette’s dedication to supporting children that are going through a difficult time is an outstanding example of the Granite State spirit of stepping up to help those in need. Her compassion and attentiveness to children entering foster care is why Senator Hassan named her June’s Granite Stater of the Month.

    Senator Hassan launched the “Granite Stater of the Month” initiative in 2017 to recognize outstanding New Hampshire citizens who go above and beyond to help their neighbors and make their communities stronger. To nominate a New Hampshire citizen to be a “Granite Stater of the Month,” constituents can complete the nomination form here.

    To read Senator Hassan’s statement for the Congressional Record, see below.

    I am honored to recognize Lynette Kaichen of Effingham as June’s Granite Stater of the Month. Lynette founded an organization that provides clothing to children being placed in emergency foster care.

    Ten years ago, Lynette and her husband became foster parents for children in emergency cases. In an emergency removal, kids going into foster care have little time to pack a bag with personal items or clothes, which means that most kids show up to their foster home with nothing of their own. Lynette was frustrated by the lack of support for these children, who are already going through a traumatic experience and have often lost everything, and by the fact that they have to move into a new and unfamiliar situation without any possessions. She knew that emergency foster parents would likely have some toiletries and toys or books ready, but the main problem that she ran into was not being able to plan ahead and have the correct size of clothing on hand. Lynette realized that if an organization could have every size of clothing ready ahead of time, every child in a foster home could have the clothes that they need.

    Lynette decided to take action. She started The Pass Along Project from her kitchen table, putting together kits full of over a week’s worth of clothing and shoes in every possible size from newborn to adult, ready to be delivered on short notice to a foster parent giving a child a home. Over the past eight years the organization has grown to include a warehouse in Pembroke, and The Pass Along Project now serves more than 500 children across New Hampshire each year. Lynette’s goal is to be able to provide kits for all children in our state in foster care and also those who have entered the care of their relatives under similar circumstances.

    Lynette’s dedication to supporting children that are going through a difficult time is an outstanding example of the Granite State spirit of stepping up to help those in need. Her compassion and attentiveness to children entering foster care is why I am proud to name her June’s Granite Stater of the Month.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hassan Recognizes Lynette Kaichen of Effingham as June’s Granite Stater of the Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan recognized Lynette Kaichen of Effingham as June’s Granite Stater of the Month. Lynette founded The Pass Along Project, which provides clothing to children in foster care.

    Ten years ago, Lynette and her husband became foster parents for children in emergency cases. The children, who often had little time to pack a bag with personal items or clothes, would show up to their new foster home with nothing of their own. She realized that if an organization could have every size of clothing ready ahead of time, every child in a foster home could have the clothes that they need.

    Lynette started assembling kits with over a full week’s worth of clothing and shoes in every size in her kitchen. Over the past eight years The Pass Along Project has grown and now serves more than 500 children across the state every year. Lynette’s goal is to be able to provide kits for all children in New Hampshire foster care and also those who have entered the care of their relatives under similar circumstances.

    Lynette’s dedication to supporting children that are going through a difficult time is an outstanding example of the Granite State spirit of stepping up to help those in need. Her compassion and attentiveness to children entering foster care is why Senator Hassan named her June’s Granite Stater of the Month.

    Senator Hassan launched the “Granite Stater of the Month” initiative in 2017 to recognize outstanding New Hampshire citizens who go above and beyond to help their neighbors and make their communities stronger. To nominate a New Hampshire citizen to be a “Granite Stater of the Month,” constituents can complete the nomination form here.

    To read Senator Hassan’s statement for the Congressional Record, see below.

    I am honored to recognize Lynette Kaichen of Effingham as June’s Granite Stater of the Month. Lynette founded an organization that provides clothing to children being placed in emergency foster care.

    Ten years ago, Lynette and her husband became foster parents for children in emergency cases. In an emergency removal, kids going into foster care have little time to pack a bag with personal items or clothes, which means that most kids show up to their foster home with nothing of their own. Lynette was frustrated by the lack of support for these children, who are already going through a traumatic experience and have often lost everything, and by the fact that they have to move into a new and unfamiliar situation without any possessions. She knew that emergency foster parents would likely have some toiletries and toys or books ready, but the main problem that she ran into was not being able to plan ahead and have the correct size of clothing on hand. Lynette realized that if an organization could have every size of clothing ready ahead of time, every child in a foster home could have the clothes that they need.

    Lynette decided to take action. She started The Pass Along Project from her kitchen table, putting together kits full of over a week’s worth of clothing and shoes in every possible size from newborn to adult, ready to be delivered on short notice to a foster parent giving a child a home. Over the past eight years the organization has grown to include a warehouse in Pembroke, and The Pass Along Project now serves more than 500 children across New Hampshire each year. Lynette’s goal is to be able to provide kits for all children in our state in foster care and also those who have entered the care of their relatives under similar circumstances.

    Lynette’s dedication to supporting children that are going through a difficult time is an outstanding example of the Granite State spirit of stepping up to help those in need. Her compassion and attentiveness to children entering foster care is why I am proud to name her June’s Granite Stater of the Month.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Welcomes HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to Louisiana Ahead of MAHA Bill Signing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) released a welcome message to the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. ahead of his visit to Baton Rouge for a Make America Healthy Again bill-signing event. Cassidy and Kennedy worked together to eliminate harmful ingredients and artificial dyes, safeguard children from sex change operations, and, most recently, increase patients’ access to life-saving treatment through prior authorization reform.
    “I want to welcome the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy, to Louisiana. I thank you for coming, Bobby. And thank you particularly for going to the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, an LSU institution studying nutrition. And I know how passionate you are—and I am—about having good nutrition to Make America Healthy Again,” said Dr. Cassidy.
    Cassidy could not be in Louisiana to greet Secretary Kennedy due to the U.S. Senate’s consideration of President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart by-election result announced

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    Kevin Joseph McKay of the Scottish Liberal Democrats (left) and Returning Officer for Edinburgh Paul Lawrence (right).

    The Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart by-election result has been announced at Waverley Court.

    Kevin Joseph McKay of the Scottish Liberal Democrats has been duly elected to serve in the City of Edinburgh Council as a member for the Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart ward.

    The declaration was made in the early hours of Friday 27 June by Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence.

    Returning Officer for Edinburgh Paul Lawrence, said:

    Thanks to everyone who took part in this by-election. I would like to welcome Kevin as a new councillor, and I look forward to working with him. Kevin will now have a key role in representing his constituents on matters affecting the ward and the wider city.

    My thanks also go to our elections team and other council colleagues who have been working hard to deliver this by-election smoothly and securely.

    The current electorate is 18,945. The turnout for the by-election was 33.1% (6,264).

    For further details of the result and the Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart by-election, please see the Elections section of the Council website.

    Published: June 27th 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Paul Henry appointed to TVNZ Board

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Broadcaster Paul Henry has been appointed to the TVNZ Board, Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

    “Mr Henry has spent nearly his entire career involved in the broadcasting industry, producing news, current affairs, and entertainment programming both here in New Zealand and overseas.

    “He was integral in the establishment of the successful multi-platform Paul Henry breakfast show, established and sold a radio station in the Wairarapa, and was heavily involved in the launch of the former radio network Today FM.

    “He has a deep and passionate understanding of the sector and will enhance the board’s insight and strategic decision making.

    “I am aware Mr Henry is set to host The Chase New Zealand. However, I am advised any perceived conflict can be effectively managed.

    “I am also reappointing John Quirk, who has served on the TVNZ Board since 2023.

    “Mr Quirk brings over 20 years of governance, strategic leadership, investment, and corporate advisory experience, with a particular focus on technology, digital transformation, and high-growth companies.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Youth arrested in restaurant burglary, Waikato

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Attributable to Sergeant Mike Palmer:

    A youth has been arrested and charged in relation to a burglary in Pukete on Wednesday.

    The burglary happened at around 2:20am on Wednesday morning at a restaurant on Church Road.

    Two youths in a stolen vehicle smashed a glass door and took around 35 bottles of alcohol and 17 electronic tablets before fleeing the scene.

    Police were notified later that morning, and a scene examination was conducted. Upon receiving CCTV, fast working officers identified and arrested one of the offenders the following morning.

    The stolen vehicle was recovered, and all the tablets have been returned to the victim.

    A 16-year-old appeared in the Hamilton Youth Court Thursday afternoon charged with burglary and unlawfully using a motor vehicle.

    Police continue to make enquiries to identify the second offender involved.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre.
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: The NBL Blitz will be held in Canberra this year

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The NBL Blitz will be held at the recently refurbished AIS Arena.

    In brief:

    • The National Basketball League will hold its pre-season tournament, the NBL Blitz, in Canberra this year.
    • The NBL Blitz will be held at the recently refurbished AIS Arena.
    • This story includes ticket details and other important information.

    Canberra basketball fans rejoice.

    The National Basketball League (NBL) will hold its pre-season tournament, the NBL Blitz, in Canberra this year.

    The event will be held at the recently refurbished AIS Arena from 27 August to 31 August.

    Attendees can expect five days of non-stop action as all 10 NBL teams go head-to-head in preparation of the NBL season.

    See some of Australia’s best talent on the court, with double headers each evening of the event.

    The schedule

    Wednesday 27 August:

    Perth Wildcats vs Melbourne United

    Adelaide 36ers vs Illawarra Hawks

    Thursday 28 August:

    Brisbane Bullets vs Sydney Kings

    Cairns Taipans vs Tasmania JackJumpers

    Friday 29 August:

    South East Melbourne Phoenix vs New Zealand Breakers

    Illawarra Hawks vs Perth Wildcats

    Saturday 30 August:

    Melbourne United vs Brisbane Bullets

    Tasmania JackJumpers vs Adelaide 36ers

    Sunday 31 August:

    Sydney Kings vs South East Melbourne Phoenix

    New Zealand Breakers vs Cairns Taipans

    The ACT Government has worked with the NBL, Basketball ACT and the AIS Arena to make this exciting event possible.

    This event will be delivered through funding from the 2025–26 ACT Budget.

    Tickets

    Tickets are now available. Gather your friends and family and secure them on the NBL Blitz website.

    For updates, check the NBL website and social media channels.

    Read more like this:

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrest – Aggravated robbery – Pinelands

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 47-year-old male in relation to an aggravated robbery in Pinelands yesterday afternoon.

    Around 5:00pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports of a disturbance involving a male allegedly armed with a machete on the Stuart Highway in Pinelands.

    It is alleged a trailer containing construction equipment was stolen from a business premises along the Stuart Highway in Pinelands, before the victim observed it was missing a short time later. The victim drove around before stopping nearby after noticing the suspected stolen property attached to a vehicle broken down on the side of the road nearby.

    Initial investigations indicate the alleged offender threatened the victim with a machete after the victim approached him. The offender then allegedly entered the victims vehicle to jump start his own personal vehicle before fleeing the scene.

    Shortly after, the vehicle broke down nearby the Stuart Highway and Tiger Brennan Drive on-ramp, where the male fled into nearby bushland.

    The Dog Operations Unit and general duties members attended on scene swiftly.

    Patrol Dog (PD) Wedge was deployed and tracked the alleged offender 400 metres where they located and apprehended him while concealed within the bush.

    The male was arrested and is likely to be charged later today.

    A machete was seized and the stolen property was returned to the victim.

    The Crime Command has carriage of the investigation.

    Acting Superintendent Meacham King stated, “This is another good example of the essential work the dog operations unit undertakes in tracking violent offenders and apprehending them.

    PD Wedge and his handler are a highly effective team protecting the community.”

    Anyone who witnessed the incident, particularly anyone with dash cam footage from the area at the time, is urged to contact police on 131 444. Please quote reference number P25171430. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Have you paid your super guarantee entitlements?

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    If you hire staff, you need to pay your eligible workers’ super guarantee (SG) in full, on time and to the right fund by 28 July.

    You need to allow extra time for the payments to reach your employees’ super funds if you’re using a commercial clearing house. Payments are only considered ‘paid’ when the super fund receives them.

    The SG rate increased from 11.5% to 12% on 1 July 2025. For the quarter ending 30 June, apply the 11.5% SG rate for payments made before 1 July
    You’ll need to apply the 12% rate for all salary and wages paid to eligible workers on and after 1 July. This is even if some or all of the pay period it relates to is before 1 July.

    Read our simple checks for super success checklist for help meeting your super obligations.

    Keep up to date

    We’ve set up tailored communication channels for small businesses. They will keep you updated on important information and changes.

    Read more articles in our Small business newsroom.

    Subscribe to our free to our monthly Small business email newsletterExternal Link

    Get email notifications about new and updated information on our website. You can choose to receive updates that matter to you. Select the ‘Business and organisations’ category. This way, your subscription will get notifications for more Small business newsroom articles like this one.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Starmer u-turn creates two-tier welfare system that will “hurt disabled people”

    Source: Scottish Greens

    26 Jun 2025 Equality

    Greens welcome concesions on Welfare Bill but demand further action

    More in Equality

    The UK Labour Government’s u-turn on their assault of disabled people has been reportedly watered down following a rebellion of Labour MPs but will still “hurt disabled people” across the UK says Green MSP, Maggie Chapman.

    A number of Scottish Labour MPs including Michael Shanks have backed Keir Starmer’s plans to cut Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and health based Universal Credit for disabled claimants.

    The alleged deal between Keir Starmer and a number of MPs who rebelled will see people currently receiving PIP and UC, continue under the current rules, with all new claimants facing harsh eligibility assessments which will see people go without the crucial support they need.

    Reacting to the climbdown from Starmer, Scottish Greens MSP, Maggie Chapman said:

    “This decision is good news but only for some people. It is testament to the hard work and determination of disabled people and other activists who have been fighting to stop these brutal cuts.

    “Starmer might have done a partial u-turn but, he’s instead of creating a fair welfare system for all he’s created a two-tier benefits system. New claimants will still be subjected to the new, harsher assessment regime, and will not receive the benefits they need and deserve.

    “It’s astonishing that a Labour government would ever even contemplate such cruel and inhuman cuts at all. However we’ve seen over the past 11 months of Starmer in number 10 that he’s nothing more than a Tory in Labour clothing.

    “We must keep up the pressure to ensure that new claimants get what they need, because these reforms will still hurt thousands of disabled people around the country for generations to come.

    “These rebels might have saved Starmer’s skin this time, but Greens will keep fighting against these dangerous austerity measures from Labour and make the case for Scotland to build a fair social security system that treats everyone with dignity and respect.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dingell, Luján Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Home and Community-Based Services and Workforce

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

    Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) reintroduced the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Relief Act, a bill that would provide much-needed support to state programs that fund home and community-based care services. Currently, staffing shortages of direct care providers have led to a reduction in HCBS availability and growing waitlists for eligible individuals. The HCBS Relief Act would provide dedicated Medicaid funds to states for two years to stabilize their HCBS service delivery networks, recruit and retain HCBS direct care workers, and meet the long-term service and support needs of people eligible for Medicaid home and community-based services. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced a companion bill.
     
    “We know that the majority of individuals who require long-term care would prefer to receive it in their own homes and communities. No one should have to wait years to get the care they deserve, and no care worker should have to live below the poverty line to give this care,” said Representative Dingell. “Medicaid is the single largest payer of long-term care in our country. At a time when Medicaid is facing unprecedented, historic cuts, it’s more important than ever that we prioritize home and community-based services. This legislation will provide much-needed investment in our care workforce, making it easier for those who need care to get it, and supporting the caregivers doing this crucial work.”

    “Right now, millions rely on HCBS for basic everyday needs – help getting dressed, taking medications, preparing meals, and so much more,” said Senator Luján. “To support Americans who depend on home and community-based care, I’m proud to introduce my HCBS Relief Act. My bill would address chronic underfunding that has pushed families into crisis and forced many into institutions simply because they can’t access support at home.”
     
    The HCBS Relief Act would provide dedicated Medicaid funds to states for two years to stabilize their HCBS service delivery networks, recruit and retain HCBS direct care workers, and meet the long-term service and support needs of people eligible for Medicaid home and community-based services. States would receive a 10-point increase in the federal match (FMAP) for Medicaid for two fiscal years to enhance HCBS. These funds can be used to improve states’ HCBS infrastructure and workforce in several ways, including:

    • Increasing direct care worker pay,
    • Providing benefits such as paid family leave or sick leave to workers,
    • Covering transportation expenses to and from the homes of care recipients,
    • Facilitating the recruitment and training of additional direct care workers,
    • Implementing assistive technologies to support person-centered care,
    • Providing care to eligible individuals who are currently on waiting lists,

    Dingell has long been a leader in Congress on expanding access to HCBS. She leads the Better Care Better Jobs Act and HCBS Access Act to enhance Medicaid funding for home care, strengthen the caregiving workforce, improve quality of life for families, and boost the economy by creating good-paying jobs to make it possible for families and workers alike to thrive.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dingell, Wittman Introduce Bipartisan Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund Reauthorization

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

    Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) introduced the bipartisan Sport Fish Restoration, Recreational Boating Safety, and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2025, which would reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund through 2030. Since its enactment in 1950, the Trust Fund, which is set to expire at the end of the fiscal year, has provided more than $40 billion in funding for state-based conservation programs, recreational boating access and safety, aquatic resources education, and fisheries management and restoration.

     “For 75 years, the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund has provided essential resources to conserve critical fish populations, protect marine ecosystems, strengthen local boating safety programs, and more,” said Dingell. “The Trust Fund enables states and territories to make important investments in safeguarding our environmental heritage and improving access to the outdoors for all Americans. We look forward to renewing the Trust Fund as a bipartisan effort, and supporting necessary resources for recreational fishing and ecosystem conservation for years to come.”

    “Growing up in the Chesapeake Bay watershed gave me a deep appreciation for our waterways and a passion for conservation and fishing that still drives my work today,” said Wittman. “That’s why I’m proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill, which supports vital investments in sport fish species and habitat restoration, recreational fishing access, and boating infrastructure. This legislation helps ensure the long-term health of our coastal sport fisheries so that future generations can enjoy our public waters and the great American outdoors.”
     
    This bill would: 

    • Reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund for another 5 years.
    • Update apportionment for Interstate Fisheries Commissions from a flat amount to a percentage to increase funding
    • Expand domestic fuel options for boaters by incentivizing the provision of alternative marine fuels
    • Reduce tax on aerated bait buckets from 10% to 3%, enabling more competitive pricing and reducing the competitive disadvantage faced by manufacturers of aerated bait buckets

    The legislation is endorsed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the American Sportfishing Association, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMAA), and Boat U.S.

    “For 75 years, the Sportfish Restoration Act has been providing funding for fishery conservation, boating access, and aquatic education,” said Judy Camuso, President of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. “This funding provides critical support to state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies, ensuring that sport fish populations and aquatic habitats are healthy, sustainable, and available for future generations.”

    “With 11,000 inland lakes and tens of thousands of miles of rivers and streams, Michigan is home to great boating and fantastic fishing opportunities,” said Shannon Lott, Michigan DNR Natural Resources Deputy Director. “I thank Congresswoman Dingell and Congressman Wittman for introducing the Sport Fish Restoration, Recreational Boating Safety, and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2025, which will ensure that Michigan continues to receive critical funding generated from excise taxes paid on fishing equipment, motorboat fuel, and electric motors to support its efforts to restore and managing sportfish and provide public access for recreational boating.”

    “In Virginia, the apportionment we receive from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund provides critical funding for programs that conserve aquatic resources and support safe, accessible recreational boating,” said Ryan Brown, Director of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and Chair of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Executive Committee. “These investments ensure that anglers and boaters can continue to enjoy our waterways for generations to come and sustain outdoor recreation and local economies across the Commonwealth.”

    “The Sport Fish Restoration Program is a model of collaborative conservation that is envied the world over,” said Glenn Hughes, President of the American Sportfishing Association. “The sportfishing equipment manufacturers we represent are proud to pay the federal excise tax on fishing equipment because they know it is being put to good use in support of aquatic resource conservation, access and fishing participation projects that benefit the future of the sport. As we celebrate the program’s 75thanniversary, we thank Reps. Dingell and Wittman for leading the Sport Fish Restoration, Recreational Boating Safety, and Wildlife Restoration Act so this program can continue well into the future.”
     
    “Thanks to the leadership of Representatives Dingell and Wittman, we are one step closer to reauthorizing the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and ensuring that the program begins addressing modern issues impacting the recreational boating community,“ said Frank Hugelmeyer, NMMA Chief Executive Officer and President. “Paid for by recreational boaters, anglers, and manufacturers, the Trust Fund is the backbone of fisheries habitat restoration and boating infrastructure, providing critical funding for these efforts at the national and state levels, and we call on all members of Congress to swiftly approve this overwhelmingly bipartisan bill.”

    “With over 11 million registered boats in the United States, the reauthorization of the Sportfish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund is critical to ensuring access to our shared waterways,” said David Kennedy, Manager of Boat U.S. Government Affairs. “This fund supports vital conservation efforts and infrastructure improvements that preserve aquatic ecosystems and enhance boating for everyone. On behalf of BoatUS members nationwide, we thank Representatives Dingell and Wittman for introducing this widely supported bill that will benefit all who enjoy the water.”

    MIL OSI USA News –