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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to Oklahoma Businesses, Nonprofits and Residents Affected by November Storms

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to Oklahoma businesses, nonprofits and residents affected by the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding occurring Nov. 2‑3, 2024. The SBA issued an administrative disaster declaration on March 27, 2025.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma and Pottawatomie.

    Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.

    SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    Beginning Tuesday, April 1, customer service representatives will be on hand at a Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) to answer questions about the SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their application. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov.

    “When disasters strike, SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Centers play a vital role in helping small businesses and their communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “At these centers, SBA specialists assist business owners and residents with disaster loan applications and provide information on the full range of recovery programs available.”

    The DLOC hours of operations are listed below.

    OKLAHOMA COUNTY
    Disaster Loan Outreach Center
    Harrah Church
    101 Dobbs Rd.
    Harrah, OK  73045

    Opens 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 1

    Mondays – Fridays, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits and 2.563% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to apply for property damage is May 27. The deadline to apply for economic injury is Dec. 29.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Business Recovery Center in Santa Monica to Relocate

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the relocation of its Santa Monica Business Recovery Center (BRC) from the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce to the Santa Monica Public Library, beginning Tuesday, April 1, at 10 a.m.

    SBA opened the BRC to provide personalized assistance to Santa Monica businesses affected by the wildfires beginning Jan. 7.

    “SBA’s Business Recovery Centers have consistently proven their value to business owners following a disaster,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “Business owners can visit these centers to meet face-to-face with specialists who will guide them through the disaster loan application process and connect them with resources to support their recovery.”

    Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov. The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce BRC will close Monday, March 31. The Santa Monica Public Library BRC will open Tuesday, April 1, with locations and hours of operation as indicated below.

    LOS ANGELES COUNTY
    Business Recovery Center
    Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce
    2525 Main St., Ste. 103
    Santa Monica, CA  90405

    Closes 5 p.m. Monday, March 31
    Monday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

    LOS ANGELES COUNTY
    Business Recovery Center
    Santa Monica Public Library
    Courtyard Café
    601 Santa Monica Blvd.
    Santa Monica, CA  90401

    Opens 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 1
    Mondays – Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

    Businesses and PNPs are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.

    SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit (PNP)organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits, and 2.563% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    Applicants may call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover. FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition. Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant; apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster.

    The deadline to return physical damage applications is Mar. 31. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Oct. 8.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey, Advocates Slam Trump and DOGE Attempts to Gut Social Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Watch: Senator Markey, Advocates Demand: No Cuts to Social Security
    Boston (March 28, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, held a press conference today to discuss how the Trump administration’s ongoing attempts to gut Social Security impact Massachusetts residents. The press conference comes as the Trump administration, including the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), wages an all-out assault on the Social Security Administration (SSA), firing staff, closing SSA field offices, cutting customer experience systems and SSA phone service, and requiring in-person identity checks, among other drastic changes. Senator Markey was joined by Reverend Lorraine Anderson, Betsy Connell of the Massachusetts Councils on Aging, Rosa Bentley of the Massachusetts Senior Action Council, and Camillie Piñeiro and Rich Couture of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).
    “For the millions of seniors that rely almost entirely upon Social Security for their income, a missed check means missed meals, medications, or rent payments,” said Senator Markey. “By cutting staff, closing offices, and requiring people to wait in long lines for an in-person identity check, the Trump administration is forcing Social Security recipients to travel long distances and making it more difficult to receive the funds they are entitled to. We will not let Trump and DOGE pillage Americans’ rightfully earned benefits to pay for a tax break for billionaires without a fight.”
    “My husband and I chose to live among the people we serve and during that time we were trusting the government to hold onto our money,” said Reverend Lorraine Andersen, Massachusetts resident and retired American Baptist Minister from International Community Church in Allston, Massachusetts. “We cannot afford to have our social security checks to be canceled, reduced or even delayed. If we lose those checks, we will have to go back to work in our eighties. I want to thank Senator Markey and others who are fighting to preserve and protect social security.”
    “Today, tomorrow, and every day this year 11,400 people will turn 65, which means that the social security administration needs to be able to have the capacity to serve an additional 4.1 million older adults this year,” said Betsy Connell, Executive Director of Massachusetts Councils on Aging (MCOA). “We are talking about the people that built our homes, our communities, our local businesses, they are our neighbors, our parents, and our grandparents. With so many older adults facing these daily challenges with these hard economic times, rising costs for everything, making it more difficult for them to access their social security benefits is indefensible. Our older adults deserve better.”
    “More than one million people in Massachusetts rely on social security with an average monthly income of $3,000 a month. Payment delays of social security quickly become a crisis of missed rent or no groceries,” said Rosa Bentley, Statewide President for Massachusetts Senior Action Council. “There is no widespread fraud in the social security system. The only fraud I see is from Donald Trump and his friends. We will not accept any cuts to our benefits. We will not accept cuts to social security. Together we demand hands off our social security.”
    “Social Security is under attack by half hazard pointless new policies that produce only chaos and uncertainty. This new policy exposes seniors to greater threats from scammers that take advantage of their confusion. Social security is the line in the sand. Please help us hold the line and protect the benefits we all have paid for, from the first day of our first job,” said Camillie Piñeiro, President of AFGE Local 1164.
    “Social security is a promise our country made to itself to support us at the end of our work lives or when we are unable to work, and that promise is under attack. Folks are waiting a long time to get through and waiting a long time to get any answers because offices are being closed and staff fired,” said Rich Couture, President of AFGE Council 215 and Spokesperson for the AFGE Social Security General Committee. “Every American has paid into this system and are entitled to the benefits promised. These are your benefits. You are entitled to these benefits, and they must be saved.”
    In February, Senator Markey led his colleagues in a letter to Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) urging them to provide no less than $15.402 billion for the Social Security Administration in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, allowing for full and timely implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act, while improving customer service. Senator Markey is an original cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law by President Biden in January 2025. The Social Security Fairness Act repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, which had reduced benefits for 3.2 million public servants. As a member of the House of Representatives in 1983, Markey was one of a handful of Democrats to vote against the Social Security Reform Act, which created WEP/GPO. Senator Markey is an original cosponsor of the Social Security Expansion Act to protect and expand Social Security benefits.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Calls on FIFA to Take Steps to Prevent Human Trafficking at the World Cup

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and 16 of his Senate colleagues sent a letter to officials at the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) urging the organization to ensure they are working to prevent human trafficking before, during, and after the 2026 World Cup and requesting that FIFA share information about the steps it is taking to keep people safe in host cities, including Dallas and Houston, and what resources they are providing to help support communities across the continent.

    “The FIFA World Cup is considered the world’s largest sporting event and is expected to bring millions of fans to the United States,” wrote the senators.

    “We respectfully request information about the comprehensive efforts FIFA is taking to support the Host City Committees in combatting human trafficking in host cities, states and across the continent, in addition to any financial commitments you are providing to Host Cities, local or national organizations and any education and training you are providing to your teams, players, and staff on the issue,” they continued.

    “We also request information about any efforts you are making with local and federal law enforcement and non-profits in advance of, during, and after the World Cup to support anti-trafficking and survivor assistance initiatives,” the lawmakers continued.

    You can read the full letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to New Mexico Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by November Drought

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in New Mexico who sustained economic losses caused by the drought beginning Nov. 1, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Catron, Cibola, Chaves, De Baca, Doña Ana, Eddy, Grant, Guadalupe, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Roosevelt, Sierra, Socorro and Torrance in New Mexico, as well as Apache, Cochise and Greenlee counties in Arizona, and Andrews, Cochran, Culberson, El Paso, Gaines, Hudspeth, Loving, Reeves, Winkler and Yoakum counties in Texas.

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months after the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than Nov. 25.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to Arkansas Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Fall Drought

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Arkansas who sustained economic losses due to the drought beginning Nov. 1, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Ashley, Benton, Boone, Bradley, Calhoun, Carroll, Clark, Cleveland, Columbia, Crawford, Dallas, Franklin, Garland, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Johnson, Lafayette, Little River, Logan, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton, Ouachita, Pike, Polk, Pope, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Sevier, Union, Washington and Yell in Arkansas, as well as the parishes of Claiborne, Morehouse, Union and Webster in Louisiana; Barry, McDonald, Stone and Taney counties in Missouri, and Adair, Delaware, Le Flore and McCurtain counties in Oklahoma.

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months after the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than Nov. 25.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to Wyoming Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by January Drought

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Wyoming who sustained economic losses caused by the drought beginning Jan. 1.

    The declaration covers the counties of Albany, Big Horn, Carbon, Converse, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Laramie, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Platte, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Uinta and Washakie in Wyoming, as well as Jackson, Larimer, Moffat and Routt counties in Colorado, Bear Lake, Bonneville and Caribou counties in Idaho, Big Horn, Carbon, Gallatin and Park counties in Montana, and Rich County in Utah.

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months after the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than Nov. 25.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to Oklahoma Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by November Drought

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Oklahoma who sustained economic losses caused by the drought beginning Nov. 15, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Garfield, Grant, Kay, Noble and Osage in Oklahoma, as well as Cowley and Sumner counties in Kansas.

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months after the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than Nov. 25.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to Missouri Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by November Drought

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Missouri who sustained economic losses caused by the drought beginning Nov. 1, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Barry, Bates, Benton, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cass, Cedar, Christian, Cole, Cooper, Dade, Dallas, Douglas, Gasconade, Greene, Henry, Hickory, Jasper, Johnson, Laclede, Lawrence, Maries, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Newton, Osage, Pettis, Phelps, Polk, Pulaski, St. Clair, Stone, Vernon, Webster and Wright in Missouri, as well as Linn and Miami counties in Kansas.

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months after the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than Nov. 25.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Transcript: Governor Hochul is a Guest on ‘Politics Unusual’

    Source: US State of New York

    arlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on WNYW-TV’s “Politics Unusual.”

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

    Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: We are just days away from when the New York State Budget is due, but negotiations hit their first major roadblock on Thursday. Most lawmakers went home for the weekend and won’t be back in Albany until Tuesday. But not everyone went home and negotiations are continuing up in Albany, which is why my first guest, Governor Kathy Hochul, is joining us remotely today from Albany.

    Governor, thank you so much for being here. I knew you’d wanted to be here in person but thank you for finding the time for this interview.

    Governor Hochul: Thanks, Morgan, and congratulations on your new show. I think it’s going to provide an important public service so you can help them dissect the issues of the day, so thank you.

    Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Thank you so much, Governor. So, for our viewers, how Budget negotiations work: The Governor, Senate Majority Leader and Assembly Speaker, you’re all locked in a room for the most part, negotiating, hashing out that Budget. And it used to be called three men in a room, but now it’s two women and one man in a room. So the big question, will there be a Budget by April 1, or are you guys going to need to pass a Budget extender?

    Governor Hochul: Morgan, at this point, we’re still in deep conversations. There is a rhythm. You’re a real veteran of Albany, you know that it starts out with a flurry. We have a lot of intense meetings with leaders. We have a chance to share our top priorities, as I have done.

    We know public safety is number one. Getting these discovery law changes so cases aren’t thrown out is an important part of my agenda. Also, making sure that we deal with people who have severe mental illness, who can’t take care of themselves, who are on the streets of New York or in the subway. And also my affordability agenda and cell phones.

    So I have a chance early on to present my vision, and then the legislators have to take it back to their conferences. So when there’s a lull, which is very much part of the rhythm, it’s usually because they have to go back and maybe fine-tune some language or they have to talk to their conferences. So this is not unusual. This is my fourth Budget and we may or may not make April 1.

    But the truth is, I’ve been successful in achieving the goals I set out to do, and that’s what I’m focusing on right now, delivering for the people of this great state.

    Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Exactly. And one of these sayings up in Albany is, a deal has to come together and fall apart at least three times before you guys make a final Budget deal.

    But I’m hearing that one of the sticking points in this Budget is that involuntary removal language. Now, where do you guys stand exactly on this issue and getting those struggling with mental illness off the streets and into long-term care? I’m hearing some of the concerns are that they’re going to be back out onto the streets. How do you stop that revolving door?

    Governor Hochul: Well, that’s what’s happening right now, Morgan. They are being — sometimes off the streets because they’re in the throes of a severe mental health crisis. They could do harm to other people or themselves. But we’re also saying, in a case where someone clearly cannot take care of themselves, they’re not being fed properly, their clothes are not clean and they’re just unfortunately sliding into this place which is really inhumane.

    And when we see that, it is heartbreaking. These are God’s children as well. They deserve better than that. And if they don’t have the mental capacity to make decisions, then we have a moral responsibility to get them help.

    What that means is go to a hospital, be seen by two psychiatric experts and make a decision, should they be confined to the hospital. Not a jail. Not a jail. We’re talking about confined to a hospital in a nurturing, supportive environment and getting them on a path to recovery. And why that is so complicated, I’m not sure, because it’s common sense. It recognizes the dignity of every human life, but also takes away the anxiety that people have when they see these individuals because there have been cases where there have been violent acts and it’s unsettling for people on the subway in the streets.

    So we’re trying to get to language that is in place in 43 other states. So I don’t know why this is so challenging, but I’m very committed to getting this done.

    Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Now, Governor, earlier this year, you proposed guardrails on Mayor Eric Adams after there were allegations that he was cooperating with the federal government to get his criminal charges dropped. Do you think those guardrails will be in the budget?

    Governor Hochul: No. They have to go to the City Council first. We knew there was a process that said they have to make the changes and ask for a home rule change from the Legislature.

    So again, I was creating options for people in the city who were very concerned about that dynamic that was unfolding; is there undue pressure on the Mayor or not? I thought that we put in some guardrails related to legal decisions and investigations and the budget. Just some ways that we can keep an eye on the situation and give people that sense of confidence, which I thought would be helpful to the Mayor and the city getting stabilized. And if the City Council doesn’t want to do it, then they must be fine with the status quo. I was just reaching out a hand to help out and it’s up to the people in the City Council to decide whether to send it to the Legislature.

    Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Yeah, and Adams just recently appointed as First Deputy Mayor, Randy Mastro. He was leading a lawsuit against New York with New Jersey against congestion pricing, and he did back away from representing New Jersey in his lawsuits after he became First Deputy Mayor, but he is still representing Madison Square Garden and James Dolan, what’s your take on this?

    Governor Hochul: Well, I’ll tell you, we won rather handily against him in the congestion pricing lawsuit because they had nothing to stand on. And they actually ended up in a worse place than we were willing to do for them. So I’ll just put that as the aside.

    We are going to continue fighting for congestion pricing because it is working and many naysayers and people who said, “Never, never, never,” are saying, “Eh, it’s actually working.”

    It’s up to the Mayor who he selects to have around him. I hope he’ll pick people that inspire confidence. But again, my job is to work with the Mayor because I also represent 8.3 million New York City residents.

    Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy this week has been threatening to cut off federal funding to the MTA if there’s not some sort of subway safety plan.

    In fact he said, and we’re going to play this sound by, I know you can’t see it Governor, but we’re going to play it here. And then we’re going to give you a chance to respond. Go ahead.

    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy: If you want people to take the train, take transit, then make it safe. Make it clean, make it beautiful, make it wonderful.

    Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Now they’re saying that if the State doesn’t give them a subway safety plan that they’re going to cut this funding. What’s your response?

    Governor Hochul: We have given them a subway safety plan. Something I unveiled three years ago. Which as you can see with the crime rates being 50 percent lower than they were back when Rudy Giuliani was the Mayor, “Mr. Tough on Crime,” 50 percent lower than that time, 25 percent lower than last year.

    I’m never going to be satisfied with the rate of subway crimes on the subway in our city. No one is ever satisfied as long as there’s even one. But you cannot argue with the fact that my cops plan, I’m funding — State is paying for overtime for police officers, two on every train starting at nine o’clock at night. That has calmed the situation down dramatically. I wanted to make that investment. That’s important. We now have cameras on every single train. I focused on this intently and got it done. We’re also putting up barriers in the subways so people are nervous about being pushed into the tracks. We’ve had some horrific cases.

    They will feel safer behind these barriers as well as continue to collect fares. Fair evasion is down 25 percent, but I’m not done. So I’m happy to work with the Secretary and show him what we’re doing and if he has other ideas on how to do that, we’ll be happy to take assistance from the federal government because they have a vested interest in the success of our subway system as well, because as goes New York City’s economy, so goes the nation.

    And I’ll work with him. He can call it anything he wants, but I know that people in the city rely on the subway and it is safer. It’s not where we want it to go yet, but it is safer than it was. But also he says people won’t take the subway. It’s up 10 percent since January, so people are taking the subway.

    Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Thank you so much, Governor, and we have one last question for you here. We reached out to our TikTok viewers and asked them if they wanted to ask you a question, which we’re going to put up here. And this is from Joey Lorenza – with opening day being yesterday, who is the Governor rooting for this baseball season?

    Governor Hochul: All right, here’s how I have to do this. I was raised as a Yankee fan, okay? In Western New York, the closest team of the Toronto Blue Jays, clearly we’re not going for a Canadian team. So there’s a lot of love for the Yankees. I watched them closely when I was in college. I knew all the players, watched them intensely, but I’m also from Buffalo and I have this affinity for the underdog, which the Mets historically had been.

    So I love when an underdog that’s trying to — really scrappy and trying hard. So I say, I want to see the Mets do it because the Yankees got really far last year and I’d like to see the Mets go that far this year. So there you have it. It’ll get me in trouble with half the population, but I will always be willing to take a position on something that’s as important as baseball.

    Morgan McKay, WNYW-TV: Thank you again so much, Governor, for taking the time. I also have my split allegiance between the two teams. Thank you for being here, even if it is virtually. I really appreciate it.

    Governor Hochul: Alright, thanks Morgan. Good luck with the show.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Nadler, Scott, Stansbury, and Leger Fernandez Condemn Unlawful Dismissal of EEOC Commissioners, Demand Immediate Reinstatement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Committee on Education & Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), and Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) in leading 236 Senate and House colleagues in a letter to President Donald Trump in response to his unprecedented and unlawful dismissal of Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) Commissioners Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels.
    “We write to express our outrage at your unprecedented dismissal of Commissioners Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels of the bipartisan U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,” the Members wrote. “This unlawful abuse of presidential power undermines the EEOC’s historic independence, harms U.S. workers, and unduly politicizes the Commission’s work. It also impedes the Commission’s ability to fully carry out its critical mission on behalf of the American people. We urge you to swiftly reinstate Commissioners Burrows and Samuels.”
    The EEOC was established in 1964 with strong bipartisan support to serve as an independent, multi-member body tasked with preventing and addressing employment discrimination. It is the primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for ensuring that workers are protected against discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, and genetic information. Workers rely on the EEOC to be a fair and independent body—not one subject to the shifting political whims of the executive branch.
    Both Commissioner Burrows and Commissioner Samuels had been confirmed by bipartisan votes of the Senate prior to the start of their terms, with Commissioner Burrows’ term not set to expire until July 2028 and Commissioner Samuels term not set to expire until July 2026.
    The Members highlighted the massive return on investment the EEOC delivers for the American people, writing: “From 2014-2024, the EEOC recovered $5.6 billion for workers who were discriminated against under these laws, significantly more than the agency’s appropriations during that time period. For FY 2024, the EEOC secured a record $700 million for workers who experienced discrimination. The EEOC’s role in enforcing these protections is essential to ensuring that all workers have a fair chance to obtain employment, provide for their families, and contribute to our economy.”
    The Members made clear the illegal firing by President Trump is an intrusion into Congress’ constitutional authority, stating, “The Administration’s firing of Commissioner Burrows and Commissioner Samuels is unprecedented and an intrusion into Congress’ Article I constitutional authority. The appointment of EEOC Commissioners is governed by statute and is designed to ensure the agency’s independence from the executive.  The President appoints Commissioners and the Senate confirms them. That is the beginning and end of the executive’s role in determining who can sit on the Commission and for how long. The law not only expressly requires the Commission to be bipartisan, but it also sets out five-year terms, a design that ensures that Commissioners’ terms run between presidential terms, another purposeful action by Congress to ensure the Commission’s independence.”
    “Longstanding Supreme Court precedent also confirms that multi-member independent commissions such as the EEOC enjoy protection from ‘coercive influence’ of the executive. In Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, 295 U.S. 602 (1935), the Supreme Court made clear that members of independent commissions like the EEOC cannot be removed at will by the President. Prior Presidents have agreed; no Commissioner of the EEOC has ever been removed prior to the expiration of their term in the Commission’s 60-year history.”
    “Workers deserve to earn a living free from discrimination and feel confident that when they are harmed, they can count on an independent EEOC, not a politicized body, to protect their rights,” the Members concluded. “We urge you to reinstate Commissioner Burrows and Commissioner Samuels, and we look forward to your urgent response.”
    The full letter can be read HERE and the list of signatories is HERE.
    The letter is endorsed by: A Better Balance, American Civil Liberties Union, the Human Rights Campaign, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Employment Law Project, National Partnership for Women & Families, and the National Women’s Law Center.
    WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:  
    “Since its establishment 60 years ago as part of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, the EEOC has protected the rights of workers to earn a living free from discrimination. President Trump’s illegal and unprecedented dismissal of Commissioners Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels critically impairs the EEOC’s ability to ensure that individuals aren’t denied jobs and opportunities because of who they are.  We condemn the administration’s flagrant politicization of an independent, nonpartisan civil rights agency and join members of Congress calling for the reinstatement of the commissioners without delay,” said Mike Zamore, National Director of Policy and Government Affairs of the American Civil Liberties Union.
    “People rely on the EEOC to be an independent, fair body that will protect their right to be free from discrimination in their workplace,” said Gaylynn Burroughs, Vice President for Education and Workplace Justice at the National Women’s Law Center. “President Trump’s removal of EEOC Commissioners Burrows and Samuels is just another extension of his authoritarian power grab that will ultimately harm workers. His actions are a clear abuse of power intended to bend the Commission to his will, but the Commission works for all working people, not for President Trump. The EEOC was born out of the civil rights movement to help ensure equal employment opportunity for all workers. We will continue to fight to preserve the integrity of the Commission, for equal opportunity, and for the right of all workers to be free from discrimination.”
    “We condemn the administration’s unlawful attempt to fire sitting EEOC commissioners. This reckless decision is already having devastating consequences for workers waiting for the agency to take legal action against employers engaged in discrimination and severe ramifications for the agency’s ability to function effectively and enforce labor and civil rights protections,” said Jocelyn C. Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “Workers who are depending on the EEOC to do its job should not have to endure discrimination because of political stunts intended to undermine civil rights enforcement. By making it virtually impossible for the Commission to take important actions, because it lacks a quorum, the administration is effectively circumventing robust enforcement of statutory anti-discrimination protections that workers depend on every day. President Trump must reinstate the commissioners he fired to rectify this situation. We commend Congressman Jerry Nadler and Senator Patty Murray, and all the members of Congress who join us in this fight, for standing up to safeguard the rights and the freedoms of all workers so that they are treated fairly in workplaces that are free of discrimination.”
    “The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s role in ensuring equitable workplaces and enforcing our nation’s laws against discrimination is vital. It is an outrage that the Trump Administration has gutted the agency by illegally firing key EEOC Commissioners who have tirelessly championed robust enforcement of important workplace laws like the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Title VII of the Civil Right Act. This is an overstep of the President’s authority that will hamstring the agency’s ability to carry out its mission. We thank Congressman Nadler, Senator Murray, Ranking Member Scott, Congresswoman Stansbury, and Congresswoman Leger Fernández for their leadership in defending the EEOC,” said Inimai Chettiar, President of A Better Balance. 
    “President Trump’s removal of Commissioners Burrows and Samuels was an outrageous attack on civil rights and the rule of law – one of many actions taken by the president in pursuit of his goal to further entrench inequality and occupational segregation. The EEOC’s independence and bipartisan structure was established by Congress in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and is essential to its mission to promote equal opportunity in the workplace. This lawlessness and disregard for our Constitution cannot stand,” said Josh Boxerman, Government Affairs Manager, National Employment Law Project.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray Sounds Alarm on Chronic Staffing Shortages at Naval Hospital Bremerton, Presses for Answers from Defense Health Agency

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Short-staffed Navy hospital in Washington moves more than 700 patients off base for medical care

    Senator Murray has repeatedly voiced serious concerns over staffing shortages and decline in services at Naval Hospital Bremerton, spoke with Naval leadership about the issue last May on a visit to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard — PHOTOS HERE

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, sent a letter to the Acting Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), Dr. David Smith, expressing serious concerns over chronic staffing shortages at Naval Hospital Bremerton (NHB), which have forced the hospital to send hundreds of patients off base for medical care. In the letter, Murray outlined her alarm over the pattern of declining care and personnel mismanagement at one of the nation’s largest Naval bases and pressed Acting Director Smith for answers to questions including how the Military Health System and Defense Health Network plan to fill the vacancies in NHB’s Internal Medicine department.

    “Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton is the third-largest Naval base in the country with 15,000 service personnel and 18,000 family members and retirees. Ensuring access to medical care for its servicemembers, retirees, and their families is crucial to maintaining military readiness. Yet NHB continues to experience staffing shortages, and no plan has been outlined to address them,” Murray wrote in the letter sent March 26th.

    “In February, NHB spokesperson Doug Stutz confirmed that, since late November, the hospital’s internal medicine clinic has been staffed by only one physician for 2,200 patients. As a result, 700 retired military personnel and veterans have been transferred to facilities across Kitsap County. The reassignment of patients to new providers presents significant challenges, including disruptions in continuity of care which has led to gaps in treatment and potential declines in patient outcomes. It is also causing logistical and transportation barriers, particularly for older veterans or those with mobility limitations and difficulties in specialized care coordination, especially in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). These concerns must be addressed immediately,” Murray continued.

    “The fact that DHA has struggled to resolve this issue with NHB within established military staffing systems raises serious concerns about whether DHA can address it in a timely manner. Furthermore, physician shortages have been an ongoing issue for the Kitsap County community, exacerbating NHB’s difficulties in recruiting and retaining medical personnel. Unfortunately, this downsize is part of a continuous trend in the declining quality of care at NHB,” Senator Murray wrote. “This pattern of declining care and personnel mismanagement at one of the largest Naval bases in the nation suggests a lack of attention to the healthcare needs of servicemembers, veterans, and their families in Kitsap County.”

    Murray concluded by requesting a briefing from DHA detailing its plan to resolve long-term staffing shortages at NHB and prevent similar issues at other military medical facilities, and for answers to the following questions:

    1. When will the Military Health System and Defense Health Network fill the vacancies in NHB’s Internal Medicine department?
    2. What long-term policies and procedures are being implemented to improve NHB’s trajectory and ensure better quality of care for servicemembers, veterans, and their families?
    3. How does DHA prioritize staffing of medical professionals based on base size and installation locations in high-risk and health shortage areas?

    In a Senate Appropriations Defense subcommittee hearing last year, Senator Murray raised this issue with former Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, pressing him on the Navy’s efforts to ensure adequate health care services are available at NHB as the facility faces a provider shortage combined with an increase in service members seeking care. And in a visit to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard last May, Murray spoke with Naval leadership about the reduction of services at NHB. Murray also sent a letter with former U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer raising concerns about the closure of the Labor and Delivery Department at NHB, among other issues, in October 2023.

    A PDF of the full letter is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray on Trump Blocking Disaster Relief for Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair, issued the following statement on the Trump administration blocking billions of dollars in disaster relief owed to victims and communities struck by disasters for unacceptable, political reasons.
    “When hurricanes or floods or fires destroy Americans’ homes and bring life to a screeching halt for entire communities, the federal government has a serious responsibility to help ensure families have somewhere to stay and communities can not only recover, but rebuild. Every day that promised relief is held up takes a real toll on communities just looking to get back on their feet. No one on the frontlines helping survivors rebuild their lives should be forced to take on new debt, lay off staff, and even halt their urgent work altogether because Trump and Musk have decided to choke off disaster aid. But that is exactly what is happening right now.
    “Blocking relief for disaster victims in order to scrutinize whether potential recipients of that aid align with any administration’s political views is reprehensible—and it is hurting real people in red states and blue states and everywhere in between. There should be no politics involved in helping Americans devastated by disaster. This disaster relief funding isn’t a piggy bank for Elon Musk—President Trump needs to get these taxpayer dollars to the communities that need them immediately.”
    The Trump administration is blocking $10 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund Public Assistance for communities struck by disasters to respond and recover. This includes:
    $8.5 billion for disaster relief efforts provided to non-governmental organizations performing essential community services for emergency work to ensure public safety and for the repair, restoration, reconstruction, or replacement of an eligible facility damaged or destroyed by a major disaster.
    $1.3 billion for short-term, emergency shelter for disaster survivors. This funding goes to state, local, Tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments to cover costs associated with providing emergency shelter for survivors of disasters across the country.
    Nationwide, there are currently thousands of Public Assistance disaster awards being held up and under review by the Trump administration.
    As the Trump administration blocks disaster relief for Americans, it is also weighing plans to eliminate FEMA altogether.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump and Musk Moving to Permanently Abolish USAID

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair, issued the following statement on the Trump administration illegally moving to permanently shutter the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

    “Trump and Musk shuttering USAID leaves a dangerous void our adversaries will fill, punishes dedicated Americans who honorably chose to serve their country, and is quite literally causing preventable deaths all across the globe. Trump is carving out a foreign policy legacy of diminished U.S leadership, abandoned allies, starving children, spreading diseases, and millions dead. History will never forget if he succeeds. Trump is not just turning America away from the world—he is turning the world away from America. We cannot let him torpedo decades of hard-won goodwill and global progress.

    “USAID’s existence as an independent agency has long been enshrined in law and affirmed by bipartisan majorities in Congress year after year in annual appropriations, including in House Republicans’ full-year continuing resolution enacted into law just a few short weeks ago. Now, Trump and Musk want to make the destruction they have already wrought permanent by officially abolishing USAID. To achieve their detrimental goals lawfully, Trump and Musk would need to work with Congress and pass a law. Needless to say: they haven’t done that—they’ve merely sent us a heads-up.

    “It is impossible to fully measure—or undo—the harm Trump and Musk have already caused—both in terms of lives lost and America’s credibility on the world stage. While this administration claims that it will allow lifesaving aid to finally flow again—which we know it hasn’t yet—and claims it will carry out core USAID missions at the State Department instead, the simple fact is State lacks the capacity to immediately assume these responsibilities and it is incredibly difficult to rebuild what you just burnt to the ground. This lawlessness must end—people’s lives, our country’s security, and America’s word depend on it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Wyden Sound the Alarm on Officials Bypassing Organ Donation List, “Skipping the Line” for Less Critical Patients

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) are demanding answers from Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials regarding a reported increase in organs allocated out of sequence, a practice known as “line skipping.” Grassley, a former chairman and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Wyden, current ranking member, cite an alarming New York Times report revealing that “last year, officials bypassed patients on organ waiting lists in nearly 20 percent of transplants from deceased donors. Those organs often went to patients who were not as sick or had not been waiting as long.”
    The letters were addressed to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Stephanie Carlton and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Thomas J. Engels.
    “As the federal agency responsible for overseeing the [Organ Procurement Organizations] and the transplant centers, [CMS and HRSA have] a considerable responsibility for ensuring that these organizations do not engage in behaviors that undermine the system of equitable distribution of lifesaving organs. However, the Times found that at least some OPOs and transplant centers bypassed patients to reduce their work burden, increase their profits, and manipulate their performance measures without any apparent rebuke from CMS’s former leadership,” the senators wrote.
    The senators cite the astonishing example of LifeGift, a Texas-based OPO that skipped 15-year-old Marcus Edsall-Parr, who had been waiting for a transplant nearly his entire life, because Marcus’ case was difficult to match. LifeGift gave the kidney to an open offer at an Illinois hospital rather than transporting the life-saving organ from Illinois to Michigan for Marcus. Marcus’ doctors reportedly filed a complaint about the incident but have yet to receive a response.  
    “Marcus’s case is not an exception to the rule, but an example of an issue that has steadily increased in prevalence. Continued reports of unethical behavior within the organ donation system will undermine the willingness of Americans to give others the gift of life. Strengthening public trust in our nation’s organ donation system is a matter of life and death,” the senators continued.
    Grassley and Wyden’s letters to CMS Acting Administrator Stephanie Carlton and to HRSA Administrator Thomas J. Engels can be found here.
    Background:
    For nearly two decades, Grassley has engaged in bipartisan oversight of the organ transplant system and the government offices tasked with ensuring patient safety. Grassley first launched an investigation into the organ donation system as Finance Committee chair in 2005 and continued his inquiries, while gaining bipartisan support, during his chairmanship in 2020.
    Congress passed the Securing the U.S. OPTN Act as a result of Grassley and Wyden’s long-standing, bipartisan oversight. The bill, which was signed into law in 2023, resulted in the first competitive bidding process for Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) contracts in the program’s nearly half-a-century history and gave HRSA additional statutory authorities to improve management of this system.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, DeLauro, Larson Demand Reinstatement Of Terminated NOAA Employees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    March 28, 2025

    HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Friday joined U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-Conn.-01) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03) in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick demanding the reinstatement of over 800 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees who were terminated. The letter coincides with Coasts Week, observed the week of March 24th to highlight the critical importance of the nation’s shores and coastal waterways to community resilience and the economy.
    In Connecticut, employees at the Milford Laboratory, part of the National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) Northeast Fisheries Science Center, were among those who were fired by the mass terminations at NOAA.
    “Mass firings, office closures, and the threat of budget cuts severely undermine NOAA’s work to share weather and climate forecasts, facilitate restoration and resiliency projects, and sustainably manage our ocean’s resources – especially in Connecticut,” the lawmakers wrote. “These attacks on NOAA are dangerous to human health and safety and economically nonsensical. Simply put, NOAA saves lives and taxpayer money.”
    Between 2021 and 2024, NOAA supported 15 projects across Connecticut to help bolster our $6.5 billion marine economy that 3,189 businesses and 61,385 employees rely on.
    “As a coastal state, Connecticut communities benefit greatly from a strong and fully staffed NOAA. Our state is directly threatened by rapid sea level rise, and has seen firsthand the impacts of severe storms on our coasts.  In 2012, Superstorm Sandy killed four Connecticut residents and cost over $350 million to recover from,” the lawmakers continued.
    “These indiscriminate firings are devastating to NOAA – to the critical work the agency does to protect our communities and to the dedicated employees themselves who have devoted their careers to public service. We demand that you immediately reinstate these federal workers and stop any action that undermines NOAA’s critical mission for the benefit of Connecticut, the national economy, and the planet,” they concluded.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Dear Secretary Lutnick,
    We write to express our deep outrage over the potentially illegal termination of over 800 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees and to call for their immediate reinstatement. Mass firings, office closures, and the threat of budget cuts severely undermine NOAA’s work to share weather and climate forecasts, facilitate restoration and resiliency projects, and sustainably manage our ocean’s resources – especially in Connecticut.
    These attacks on NOAA are dangerous to human health and safety and economically nonsensical. Simply put, NOAA saves lives and taxpayer money. The agency’s work informs severe storm warnings so people can prepare for natural disasters like tornados, flash floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. In the longer term, NOAA’s weather and climate data helps communities take action to reduce damage from extreme weather events. These resiliency measures drastically cut the cost of disaster recovery projects, reducing the burden on agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and, ultimately, taxpayers.
    Between 2021 and 2024, NOAA supported 15 projects across Connecticut to help bolster our $6.5 billion marine economy that 3,189 businesses and 61,385 employees rely on. These projects advanced coastal resilience efforts to better prepare for severe storms, as well as habitat restoration and conservation initiatives to protect the bedrock of our seafood industry. Dismantling NOAA’s workforce puts this support in jeopardy.
    NOAA safeguards coastal resources and supports industries in coastal communities that inject $10 trillion annually into the U.S. economy. As a coastal state, Connecticut communities benefit greatly from a strong and fully staffed NOAA. Our state is directly threatened by rapid sea level rise, and has seen firsthand the impacts of severe storms on our coasts. In 2012, Superstorm Sandy killed four Connecticut residents and cost over $350 million to recover from. NOAA’s coastal resiliency projects work to mitigate that risk. In short, eliminating NOAA employees endangers the people of Connecticut, our businesses, and our critical infrastructure.
    We understand that mass terminations at NOAA have directly impacted employees in Connecticut, with staff at the Milford Laboratory, part of the National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) Northeast Fisheries Science Center, among those who were fired. This is bad news for our state and the country. Focusing on aquaculture projects, NOAA staff at the Milford Lab were working on cutting-edge research to maintain the sustainability and economic viability of the U.S. seafood industry. Unjustly firing experienced employees decimates the institutional knowledge necessary to best carry out that work. In 2022, NMFS helped support 2.3 million fisheries jobs that generated $321 billion in sales. These job cuts will hurt commercial and recreational fishers, shellfish growers, and everyone down the supply chain whose livelihoods are tied to a healthy ocean. Further, a less effective and efficient domestic seafood industry will result in American consumers relying more heavily on imported sources of seafood.
    These indiscriminate firings are devastating to NOAA – to the critical work the agency does to protect our communities and to the dedicated employees themselves who have devoted their careers to public service. We demand that you immediately reinstate these federal workers and stop any action that undermines NOAA’s critical mission for the benefit of Connecticut, the national economy, and the planet.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Brown opposes White House elimination of regulations implementing nation’s bedrock environmental law

    Source: Washington State News

    OLYMPIA — Attorney General Nick Brown led a coalition of 19 attorneys general opposing the Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ)’s interim final rule that repeals its regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA, written by former Washington Senator Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson, established the nation’s bedrock environmental law requiring the federal government to study environmental impacts before taking significant actions.

    Since 1978, CEQ’s regulations have set out specifics for federal agencies to comply with NEPA, including analysis and consideration of the environmental impacts of projects that are located on federal land to receive federal funding or need federal approvals. NEPA mandates detailed environmental review for all major federal actions — like power plants, roads, pipelines and large logging projects — that the federal government plans to undertake.

    The CEQ’s repeal revokes those rules and only allows the public 30 days to comment, even though the outcome is predetermined: the rules will be eliminated. It is an unprecedented attempt from the Trump Administration to undermine federal environmental review and community protections without a meaningful opportunity for public input.

    In a comment letter, the attorneys general argue that the interim final rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act, Endangered Species Act and NEPA. Eliminating CEQ’s NEPA regulations will create uncertainty and delay project approvals, reduce public participation and lead to less-informed environmental decisions.  

    Former Washington Senator Jackson introduced NEPA in the Senate in 1968 and it passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress. President Richard Nixon signed it into law on Jan. 1, 1970. NEPA has been called “the Magna Carta of the nation’s environmental laws.”

    CEQ’s regulations implementing NEPA were first adopted in 1978 and remained unchanged for decades. When the council abandons its NEPA regulations, federal agencies may weaken their environmental review of federal projects and refuse to consider and evaluate potential harmful impacts to expedite project approvals.

    Joining Attorney General Brown in sending the comment letter are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Wisconsin.

    A copy of the comment letter can be found here.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Partners Value Investments Inc. Announces 2024 Annual Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, March 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Partners Value Investments Inc. (the “Company”, TSX: PVF.WT, PVF.PR.V) announced today its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024. All amounts are stated in U.S. dollars.

    The Company recorded net loss of $3.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $333 million in the prior year. The decrease in income was primarily attributable to the current year remeasurement losses associated with the retractable shares and warrant liabilities, partially offset by higher investment income and valuation gains as well as foreign currency gains compared to the prior year. The Company’s retractable common shares are classified as liabilities due to their cash retraction feature. The remeasurement gains or losses in a given period are driven by the respective appreciation or depreciation of the Partners Value Investments L.P. (the “Partnership”) unit price as the exchangeable shares are recognized at fair value based on the quoted price of the Partnership’s Equity LP units. During the year, the Partnership unit price increased by $51.79 compared to $4.96 in the prior year.

    Excluding retractable share and warrant liability remeasurement gains and dividends paid on retractable shares, Adjusted Earnings for the Company was $122 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $27 million in the prior year. Adjusted Earnings were higher in the current year as a result of higher investment income and valuation gains as well as foreign currency gains.

    As at December 31, 2024, the market prices of a Brookfield Corporation (the “Corporation”, NYSE/TSX: BN) and Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (the “Manager”, NYSE/TSX: BAM) share were $57.45 and $54.19, respectively. As at March 28, 2025, the market prices of a BN and BAM share were $51.85 and $48.50, respectively.

    Consolidated Statements of Operations

    For the years ended December 31
    (Thousands, US dollars)    		      
                2024       2023    
    Investment income                      
    Dividends           $ 108,428     $ 96,269    
    Other investment income             18,607       11,802    
                  127,035       108,071    
    Expenses                      
    Operating expenses             (5,553 )     (5,843 )  
    Financing costs             (38,777 )     (35,210 )  
    Retractable preferred share dividends             (33,399 )     (35,456 )  
                  (77,729 )     (76,509 )  
    Other items                      
    Investment valuation gains (losses)             5,703       (6,237 )  
    Retractable share remeasurement losses             (3,575,080 )     (281,451 )  
    Warrant liability remeasurement losses             (306,473 )     (52,694 )  
    Amortization of deferred financing costs             (3,506 )     (3,380 )  
    Foreign currency gain (loss)             53,280       (15,983 )  
    Current tax expense             (3,514 )     (1,270 )  
    Deferred tax expense             (7,489 )     (3,280 )  
    Net loss           $ (3,787,773 )   $ (332,733 )  


    Financial Profile

    The Company’s principal investments are its interest in 121 million Class A Limited Voting Shares of the Corporation and approximately 31 million Class A Limited Voting Shares of the Manager. This represents approximately an 8% interest in the Corporation and a 7% interest in the Manager as at December 31, 2024. In addition, the Company owns a diversified investment portfolio of marketable securities and private fund interests.

    The information in the following table has been extracted from the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Position:

    Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

    As at
    (Thousands, US dollars)    		       December 31,
    2024    		       December 31,
    2023    		  
    Assets              
    Cash and cash equivalents     $ 156,952     $ 199,856  
    Accounts receivable and other assets       69,776       31,456  
    Deferred tax assets       —       4,309  
    Investment in Brookfield Corporation1       6,949,656       4,853,261  
    Investment in Brookfield Asset Management Ltd.2       1,669,488       1,237,554  
    Other investments carried at fair value       1,141,048       889,398  
          $ 9,986,920     $ 7,215,834  
    Liabilities and Equity              
    Accounts payable and other liabilities     $ 42,824     $ 34,916  
    Corporate borrowings       208,168       225,789  
    Preferred shares3       703,044       757,254  
    Retractable common shares       7,312,467       3,718,510  
    Warrant liability       494,710       218,051  
    Deferred tax liabilities       7,933       —  
            8,769,146       4,954,520  
    Equity              
    Accumulated deficit       (6,821,786 )     (3,034,013 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive income       8,027,580       5,283,347  
    Non-controlling interest       11,980       11,980  
          $ 9,986,920     $ 7,215,834  
    1. The investment in Brookfield Corporation consists of 121 million Corporation shares with a quoted market value of $57.45 per share as at December 31, 2024 (December 31, 2023 – $40.12).
    2. The investment in Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. consists of 31 million Manager shares with a quoted market value of $54.19 per share as at December 31, 2024 (December 31, 2023 – $40.17).
    3. Represents $712 million of retractable preferred shares less $9 million of unamortized issue costs as at December 31, 2024 (December 31, 2023 – $767 million less $10 million).

    For further information, contact Investor Relations at ir@pvii.ca or 416-643-7621.

    Note: This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities regulations. The words “potential” and “estimated” and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters, identify forward-looking information.

    Although the Company believes that its anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond its control, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information.

    Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward‐looking statements and information include, but are not limited to: the financial performance of Brookfield Corporation, the impact or unanticipated impact of general economic, political and market factors; the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest and foreign exchanges rates; limitations on the liquidity of our investments; global equity and capital markets and the availability of equity and debt financing and refinancing within these markets; strategic actions including dispositions; changes in accounting policies and methods used to report financial condition (including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates); the effect of applying future accounting changes; business competition; operational and reputational risks; technological change; changes in government regulation and legislation; changes in tax laws; risks associated with the use of financial leverage; catastrophic events, such as earthquakes and hurricanes; the possible impact of international conflicts and other developments including terrorist acts; and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in the Company’s documents filed with the securities regulators in Canada.

    The Company cautions that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on the Company’s forward-looking statements and information, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements and information, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Partners Value Investments L.P. Announces 2024 Annual Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, March 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Partners Value Investments L.P. (the “Partnership”, TSX: PVF.UN TSX:PVF.PR.U) announced today its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024. All amounts are stated in U.S. dollars.

    The Partnership recorded net income of $74 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $15 million in the prior year. The increase in income was primarily driven by higher investment income and valuation gains as well as foreign currency gains. Income of $65 million was attributable to the Equity Limited Partners, and $9 million was attributable to Preferred Limited Partners.

    As at December 31, 2024, the market prices of a Brookfield Corporation (the “Corporation”, NYSE/TSX: BN) and Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (the “Manager”, NYSE/TSX: BAM) share were $57.45 and $54.19, respectively. As at March 28, 2025, the market prices of a BN and BAM share were $51.85 and $48.50, respectively.

    Consolidated Statements of Operations

    For the years ended December 31      
    (Thousands, US dollars)       2024       2023  
    Investment income              
    Dividends     $ 95,071     $ 85,114  
    Other investment income       18,609       11,802  
            113,680       96,916  
    Expenses              
    Operating expenses       (6,552 )     (6,156 )
    Financing costs       (10,136 )     (9,484 )
    Retractable preferred share dividends       (39,879 )     (41,954 )
            (56,567 )     (57,594 )
                   
    Other items              
    Investment valuation gains (losses)       5,703       (6,237 )
    Amortization of deferred financing costs       (3,506 )     (3,380 )
    Foreign currency gains (losses)       25,519       (10,435 )
    Current taxes expense       (3,514 )     (1,270 )
    Deferred taxes expense       (7,489 )     (3,280 )
    Net income     $ 73,826     $ 14,720  
     

    The information in the following table shows the changes in net book value:

    For the years ended December 31 2024   2023
    (Thousands, except per unit amounts)   Total        Per Unit      Total       Per Unit
    Net book value, beginning of year1 $ 5,783,620     $ 70.74   $ 4,656,824     $ 57.60
    Net income2   65,054             5,368        
    Other comprehensive income2   2,690,274             1,443,806        
    Adjustment for impact of warrants1   (148,510 )           (89,755 )      
    Re-organization3   —             98,318        
    Distribution3   —             (327,850 )      
    Equity LP repurchases   (14,756 )           (3,091 )      
    Net book value, end of year4 $ 8,375,682     $ 102.80   $ 5,783,620     $ 70.74
    1. Calculated on a fully diluted basis. Net book value is a non‐IFRS measure used by management to measure the value of an Equity Limited Partnership (“Equity LP”) unit on a fully diluted basis. It is equal to total equity less General Partner equity, Preferred Limited Partners’ equity,
      non-controlling interests’ equity plus the value of consideration to be received on exercising of warrants, which as at December 31, 2024, was
      $114 million (December 31, 2023 – $263 million).
    2. Attributable to Equity Limited Partners.
    3. As a result of the 2023 re-organization, the Partnership issued net equity of $98 million and a distribution-in-kind of $328 million of net assets to Equity Limited Partners.
    4. At the end of the year, the diluted Equity LP units outstanding were 81,474,610 (December 31, 2023 – 81,760,920); this includes 5,640,600 (December 31, 2023 – nil) Equity LP units exchangeable on a one-for-one basis with shares held by a non-wholly owned subsidiary, and units issued through the exercise of all outstanding warrants; including 585,938 (December 31, 2023 – 26,085,938) warrants held by partially-owned subsidiaries of the Partnership.

    Financial Profile

    The Partnership’s principal investments are its interest in approximately 121 million Class A Limited Voting Shares of the Corporation and approximately 31 million Class A Limited Voting Shares of the Manager. This represents approximately an 8% interest in the Corporation and a 7% interest in the Manager as at December 31, 2024. In addition, the Partnership owns a diversified investment portfolio of marketable securities and private fund interests.

    The information in the following table has been extracted from the Partnership’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Position:

    Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

    As at
    (Thousands, US dollars)    		     December 31, 2024       December 31, 2023
    Assets              
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 156,977     $ 199,856
    Accounts receivable and other assets     48,924       31,416
    Deferred tax asset     —       4,309
    Investment in Brookfield Corporation1     6,949,656       4,853,261
    Investment in Brookfield Asset Management Ltd.2     1,669,488       1,237,554
    Other investments carried at fair value     814,877       612,009
        $ 9,639,922     $ 6,938,405
    Liabilities and equity              
    Accounts payable and other liabilities   $ 42,055     $ 34,150
    Corporate borrowings     208,168       225,789
    Preferred shares3     939,057       993,267
    Deferred tax liability     7,933       —
          1,197,213       1,253,206
    Equity              
    Equity Limited Partners     8,261,639       5,521,067
    General Partner4     —       —
    Preferred Limited Partners     152,040       152,152
    Non-controlling interests     29,030       11,980
          8,442,709       5,685,199
        $ 9,639,922     $ 6,938,405
    1. The investment in the Corporation consists of 121 million Corporation shares with a quoted market value of $57.45 per share as
      at December 31, 2024 (December 31, 2023 – $40.12).
    2. The investment in the Manager consists of 31 million Manager shares with a quoted market value of $54.19 per share as at December 31, 2024 (December 31, 2023 – $40.17).
    3. Represents $712 million of retractable preferred shares less $9 million of unamortized issue costs as at December 31, 2024
      (December 31, 2023 – $767 million less $10 million) and $236 million of three series of preferred shares (December 31, 2023 – $236 million).
    4. In connection with the 2023 re‐organization of Partners Value Investments LP on November 24, 2023, the General Partner’s interest was reduced to $1 from $1 thousand in the prior year.

    For further information, contact Investor Relations at ir@pvii.ca or 416-643-7621.

    Note: This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities regulations. The words “potential” and “estimated” and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters, identify forward-looking information.

    Although the Partnership believes that its anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond its control, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Partnership to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information.

    Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward‐looking statements and information include, but are not limited to: the financial performance of Brookfield Corporation, the impact or unanticipated impact of general economic, political and market factors; the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest and foreign exchanges rates; limitations on the liquidity of our investments; global equity and capital markets and the availability of equity and debt financing and refinancing within these markets; strategic actions including dispositions; changes in accounting policies and methods used to report financial condition (including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates); the effect of applying future accounting changes; business competition; operational and reputational risks; technological change; changes in government regulation and legislation; changes in tax laws; risks associated with the use of financial leverage; catastrophic events, such as earthquakes and hurricanes; the possible impact of international conflicts and other developments including terrorist acts; and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in the Partnership’s documents filed with the securities regulators in Canada.

    The Partnership cautions that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on the Partnership’s forward-looking statements and information, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Except as required by law, the Partnership undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements and information, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Partners Value Split Corp. Announces 2024 Annual Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, March 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Partners Value Split Corp. (the “Company”, TSX: PVS.PR.G, PVS.PR.H, PVS.PR.I, PVS.PR.J, PVS.PR.K, PVS.PR.L) announced today that the net asset value per unit was $171.41 at December 31, 2024 (December 31, 2023 – $124.10). All amounts are in U.S. dollars.

    Income available for distribution for the year ended December 31, 2024, was $85 million, compared to $73 million in the prior year. The increase in income was primarily attributable to the increase in dividend rate per share by Brookfield Corporation (the “Corporation”) and Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (the “Manager”). During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company declared and paid dividends in the amount of $79 million
    (December 31, 2023 – $50 million) to the holders of its capital shares.

    The net comprehensive income for the year ended December 31, 2024, of $2.6 billion was primarily driven by unrealized mark-to-market movement on the share prices of the Corporation and the Manager shares. The Corporation share price was $57.45 as at December 31, 2024 (December 31, 2023 – $40.12) and the Manager share price was $54.19 as at December 31, 2024 (December 31, 2023 – $40.17).

    The Company’s capital shares, and preferred shares are referred to collectively as units, with each unit consisting of one capital share and one preferred share (“unit”). The net asset value per unit is posted monthly on our website at www.partnersvaluesplit.com.

    STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

    For the years ended December 31
    (Thousands of US dollars, except per unit amounts)    		     2024       2023  
    Income            
    Dividend income   $ 83,728     $ 71,767  
    Other investment income     1,265       1,817  
          84,993       73,584  
    Expenses            
    Management fees     (18)       (19)  
    Audit fees     (25)       (21)  
    Administrative and other     (327)       (278)  
          (370)       (318)  
    Income available for distribution     84,623       73,266  
    Distributions paid on senior preferred shares and debentures     (31,011)       (31,859)  
    Income available for distribution to junior preferred and capital shares     53,612       41,407  
    Change in unrealized and realized value of investment     2,491,751       1,379,718  
    Amortization of share issuance costs     (3,211)       (3,233)  
    Unrealized foreign exchange gain (loss)     72,344       (19,872)  
    Net comprehensive income   $ 2,614,496     $ 1,398,020  
    Comprehensive income per unit   $ 53.64     $ 28.71  
    Quarterly distribution rate per senior preferred share (C$)              
      –         Class AA, Series 9     0.3063       0.3063
      –         Class AA, Series 10     0.2938       0.2938
      –         Class AA, Series 11     0.2969       0.2969
      –         Class AA, Series 12     0.2750       0.2750
      –         Class AA, Series 13     0.2781       0.2781
      –         Class AA, Series 14     0.3438       N/A

    As at December 31, 2024, the Company owned 120 million Class A Limited Voting shares of the Corporation, and 30 million Class A Limited Voting Shares of the Manager, which together generate cash flow through dividend payments that fund quarterly fixed cumulative preferential dividends for the holders of the Company’s preferred shares and provide the holders of the Company’s capital shares the opportunity to participate in any capital appreciation of the Brookfield shares.

    Brookfield Corporation is a leading global investment firm focused on building long‐term wealth for institutions and individuals around the world. This capital is allocated across three core businesses: asset management, wealth solutions and operating businesses. The Corporation is listed on the New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges under the symbol BN and BN.TO respectively. The Company’s investment in Corporation represents approximately an
    8% interest in the Corporation.

    Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. is a leading global alternative asset manager with over $1 trillion of assets under management across real estate, infrastructure, renewable power and transition, private equity and credit as of December 31, 2024. The Manager is listed on the New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges under the symbol BAM and BAM.TO respectively. The Company’s investment in Manager represents approximately a 7% interest in the Manager.

    For further information, contact Investor Relations at 416-643-7621.

    Note: This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and regulations. The words “generate” and “enable” and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements with regard to the generation of cumulative preferential dividends for the holders of the Company’s preferred shares and potential participation by the holders of the Company’s capital shares in the capital appreciation of Brookfield Shares.

    Although the Company believes that the anticipated future results or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information and statements are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information and statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking information and statements.

    Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward‐looking statements and information include, but are not limited to: the financial performance of Brookfield Corporation, the impact or unanticipated impact of general economic, political and market factors; the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest and foreign exchanges rates; limitations on the liquidity of our investments; global equity and capital markets and the availability of equity and debt financing and refinancing within these markets; strategic actions including dispositions; changes in accounting policies and methods used to report financial condition (including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates); the effect of applying future accounting changes; business competition; operational and reputational risks; technological change; changes in government regulation and legislation; changes in tax laws; risks associated with the use of financial leverage; catastrophic events, such as earthquakes and hurricanes; the possible impact of international conflicts and other developments including terrorist acts; and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in the Company’s documents filed with the securities regulators in Canada.

    We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking information to make decisions with respect to the Company, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Except as may be required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information or statements, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Reference should be made to the Company’s most recent Annual Information Form for a description of the major risk factors.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy announces $8.6 million in Hurricanes Laura, Ida aid for south Louisiana

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $8,588,163 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana disaster aid. 

    “Hurricanes Laura and Ida devastated communities in south Louisiana. This $8.6 million will help Louisianians in Terrebonne Parish, Sulphur and Lake Charles recover from the heavy costs these storms caused,” said Kennedy.

    The FEMA aid will fund the following:

    • $2,871,224 to the Terrebonne Parish School Board for repairs to the Bourg Elementary, Mulberry Elementary and West Park Buildings resulting from Hurricane Ida damage.
    • $2,466,920 to the Terrebonne General Medical Center for management costs resulting from Hurricane Ida. 
    • $1,734,597 to demolish and replace facilities at Center Circle Park in Sulphur, La. that Hurricane Laura damaged.
    • $1,515,422 to the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District to repair Hurricane Laura damage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Statement on Dismissal of Lawsuit Seeking o Shut Down Dakota Access Pipeline

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    03.28.25

    BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by Standing Rock Sioux Tribe seeking to shut down operation of the Dakota Access Pipeline while the court-ordered environmental impact statement (EIS) process is ongoing.

    “The Dakota Access Pipeline is vital infrastructure for our state and nation, supporting North Dakota’s role as an energy powerhouse and strengthening U.S. energy security,” said Senator Hoeven. “Considering DAPL has been operating for years without incident and the layers of environmental review that this pipeline has already gone through, this decision is clearly overdue but the right call. We will continue our efforts to advance the Army Corps’ final EIS to provide certainty both for this important project and our state’s energy industry.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Meets With General Bussiere to Accelerate Sentinel ICBM Program, Ensure Minot has Upgrades Needed to Operate New Cruise Missile

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    03.28.25

    ***Click for video and audio.***

    MINOT, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today met with Gen. Thomas Bussiere, Commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, at Minot Air Force Base as part of his efforts to keep the base’s nuclear modernizations on track. Hoeven stressed the need to ensure Minot has the facilities necessary to house and operate the new weapon systems, including the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and the Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) missile, as soon as they are fully developed. Accordingly, Hoeven urged Bussiere to work with him on:

    • Concurrently constructing facilities at all three missile bases to accelerate the Sentinel program and reduce costs.
      • This follows Hoeven’s efforts pressing the Department of Defense (DoD) to maintain the full ICBM fleet during the recent Nunn-McCurdy review.
    • Investing in upgrades to the base’s Weapons Storage Area and mission planning facilities, which are needed to support the new LRSO cruise missile.
      • The Air Force expects to operate the new missile in the early 2030s.

    “There are real, concrete steps we can take to accelerate our nuclear modernization programs, reduce the costs of the Sentinel program and ensure Minot is ready to field these missions as soon as the weapons systems are ready to deploy. Doing so is vital in ensuring our nation can continue to effectively deter the aggressions of our adversaries,” said Hoeven “Today’s meeting with General Bussiere is making sure key officials are on the same page and working with us on building the new missile facilities at the three ICBM bases and getting a plan in place to upgrade Minot’s facilities for the new cruise missile. We had a productive discussion, and I will continue working to move the ball forward on these important priorities.”

    As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, Hoeven has been working to:

    • Accelerate the schedule for deploying the Sentinel by:
      • Identifying additional cost savings to address increased construction costs.
      • Pushing for concurrent construction of facilities at all three missile bases with officials at the DoD and Northrop Grumman.
    • Secure the Air Force’s commitment to budget and begin work on facilities for the LRSO carried on the B-52.
      • Hoeven authored a provision in the Senate’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Military Construction bill to help ensure Minot has the facilities needed to operate and maintain the new LRSO missile, which will be carried on the B-52, as soon as the weapon is ready to enter service.
      • The senator will continue working as the appropriations process proceeds in the 119th Congress to ensure the upgrades for Minot’s facilities move forward.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Statement on the Appointment of Sigal Chattah as Interim U.S. Attorney for Nevada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement strongly opposing the appointment of Sigal Chattah as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada.

    “Sigal Chattah said our Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford should be hanged from a crane. She is an election denier who has advocated for political violence, suggested she would target her political enemies, and offered full support to many of President Trump’s blatantly illegal actions in office. U.S. Attorneys should be professionals who stand against corruption, serve as agents for justice, and understand that no one is above the law.

    “President Trump is abusing his power and bypassing Congress to insert a partisan political operative into this position because he knows Nevada’s Senators will not support her. U.S. Attorneys work for the American people, and it has been a tradition for every new administration – including during President Trump’s first term – to work with Nevada Senators to nominate and appoint a qualified candidate. By law, this appointment can only last 120 days. To all the dedicated public servants working in the District of Nevada, I will continue to support you and will fight to make sure we confirm a U.S. Attorney with integrity and a commitment to the rule of law.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Calls Out Trump’s Cuts To USDA While At Nourishing Hope Food Pantry

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    March 28, 2025

    CHICAGO — U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined leaders at Nourishing Hope’s Chicago headquarters to discuss the impact of the Trump Administration’s cuts to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on food pantries and their ability to serve their communities.

    USDA halted $1 billion from the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, which reimburses states for purchasing fresh produce from local farmers, which is then distributed to food pantries like Nourishing Hope. Without funding, the IL-EATS program, which is funded through USDA’s LFPA program, has been suspended, causing more than 175 small Illinois farmers and hundreds of food banks throughout the state to be left in the lurch.

    “The Trump Administration has already cut $1.5 billion from several crucial USDA programs that help food pantries like Nourishing Hope,” said Durbin. “Now, House Republicans want to cut SNAP and Medicaid by hundreds of billions of dollars in order to give billionaires a tax break. This is bad for Illinois and bad for America. I’ll continue fighting to protect families who are just trying to put food on their tables.”

    “Food pantries on their own cannot provide enough food for a family without the benefits of SNAP. Current SNAP benefits are already incredibly tight for families and seniors, with an average of $6.40/day in benefits. Cutting that already small allotment harms people who are already struggling to stretch that amount. Folks may need to make decisions about not paying for medication or utilities just to be able to buy groceries. When farmers, food banks, and food pantries who rely on USDA funding start struggling, it’s our food insecure neighbors who suffer. We need legislators to protect support networks like SNAP and to prevent cuts to USDA funding. 1 in 5 Chicago households are experiencing hunger today. The neighbors who come to Nourishing Hope for support can’t afford cuts to already vulnerable support systems like SNAP,” said Jennie Hull, Interim CEO of Nourishing Hope.

    Durbin joined U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and 29 Senators in a letter demanding a reversal of USDA’s cancellation of food purchase programs across the United States, warning of the harmful impacts this move will have on both families and American farmers. Durbin and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) also led a letter to press USDA for more information about the cancellation of previously-approved funding through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for food banks and other emergency food providers. 

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats Send Letter To Deputy Director Bongino Raising Concerns Over His Ability To Lead The FBI

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    March 28, 2025

    Senators to FBI Deputy Director Bongino: “As the newly appointed Deputy Director, your past public statements raise concerns about your ability to impartially lead the Bureau and credibly command the respect of its workforce”

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent a letter to the Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Dan Bongino, raising serious concerns over his ability to lead the Bureau with FBI Director Kash Patel. Deputy Director Bongino is a former conservative political commentator, podcast host, and conspiracy theorist peddler. The position of the FBI Deputy Director is not Senate-confirmed.

    The Senators wrote, “As the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) finalizes its new leadership structure, we are deeply concerned that Director Kash Patel’s senior leadership team is unprepared forthe challenges of managing our nation’s premier law enforcement agency and its approximately 38,000 public servants.”

    “As the newly appointed Deputy Director, your past public statements—which include inflammatory remarks and unsubstantiated accusations against the FBI, including calling for the Bureau’s disbandment—raise concerns about your ability to impartially lead the Bureau and credibly command the respect of its workforce. Your record, on the other hand, does not reflect the expertise required to manage the FBI’s complex and expansive operations,” the Senators continued.

    In the letter, the Senators ask for clarification regarding Deputy Director Bongino’s past controversial comments including when he said on his podcast, “The only thing that is going to stop the FBI from doing what they’re doing now, which is become full-time activists and bouncers, in many cases, thugs for the Democrat [sic] party, is imposing real material losses on them (emphasis added). Fire everyone involved in this stuff. Everyone—no excuses. Disband the entity.”

    On November 14, 2024, Deputy Director Bongino described the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and the placement of pipe bombs outside of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters as an “inside job” and said, “There is a massive cover-up, because the person who planted those pipe bombs—they don’t want you to know who it was, because it’s either a connected anti-Trump insider, or this was an inside job. Those bombs were planted there. This was a setup. I have zero doubt… And whoever goes into FBI… you better get an answer… about why.” He continued to say, “It is clear, this all adds up to they know who this person is. They just don’t want you to know who this it is. Later in the podcast, Bongino went on to say that “the FBI knew the entire time the identity of this person and then tried to unknow it, because it was an insider and an inside attack and a plot to, you know, stop Republicans from questioning the election results.”

    The Senators continued, “Your claim that the FBI is responsible for a cover-up is an extremely serious allegation that you have an obligation either to substantiate or repudiate. Now that you have access to the information you have long claimed that the FBI possesses, can you answer who was responsible for the pipe bombs on January 6, 2021 and provide evidence proving their identity to the public and Congress? If no, will you apologize to the men and women of the FBI for spreading this dangerous and irresponsible lie?”

    The Senators asked for clarification of these statements by April 11, 2025.

    The full text of the letter can be found here and below:

    Dear Deputy Director Bongino:

    As the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) finalizes its new leadership structure, we are deeply concerned that Director Kash Patel’s senior leadership team is unprepared for the challenges of managing our nation’s premier law enforcement agency and its approximately 38,000 public servants. As the newly appointed Deputy Director, your past public statements—which include inflammatory remarks and unsubstantiated accusations against the FBI, including calling for the Bureau’s disbandment—raise concerns about your ability to impartially lead the Bureau and credibly command the respect of its workforce. The Deputy Director oversees all FBI domestic and international investigative and intelligence activities and has historically been a career agent with extensive experience in the Bureau. Your record, on the other hand, does not reflect the expertise required to manage the FBI’s complex and expansive operations. To help address these concerns, we ask that you answer the following questions by April 11, 2025:

    1. You previously said, “We don’t just fire the people who did this. Everyone who stood by and did nothing while the Department of Justice and the FBI have been ravaged, ravaged by ‘corruptocrats’ [sic].Everyone gets fired. Everyone (emphasis added).” As Deputy Director, do you still believe that every one of the FBI’s employees who “stood by” should be fired? How do you intend to determine which of the FBI’s approximately 38,000 employees “stood by”?
    2. On September 26, 2022, you said on your podcast: “The only thing that is going to stop the FBI from doing what they’re doing now, which is become full-time activists and bouncers, in many cases, thugs for the Democrat [sic] party, is imposing real material losses on them (emphasis added). Fire everyone involved in this stuff. Everyone—no excuses. Disband the entity.” Now that you are a member of the Bureau’s senior leadership team, do you believe the thousands of personnel who report to you still need to suffer “real material losses”? Do you still believe the FBI should be disbanded? If yes, how do you plan on implementing such an agenda?
    3. On August 29, 2024, in response to the FBI releasing information about the Butler assassination attempt, you posted: “Folks, the FBI is at it again. I don’t trust these people at all.” How can the FBI’s career law enforcement personnel earn your trust in light of this statement? Conversely, how do you intend to earn their trust when you have spent years attacking their integrity?
    4. On November 14, 2024, you described the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and the placement of pipe bombs outside of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters as an “inside job” and said:

    There is a massive cover-up, because the person who planted those pipe bombs—they don’t want you to know who it was, because it’s either a connected anti-Trump insider, or this was an inside job. Those bombs were planted there. This was a setup. I have zero doubt…. And whoever goes into FBI… you better get an answer… about why.

    Now that you are inside the FBI, have you seen evidence to prove your implausible and outrageous allegation that the January 6 attack was an “inside job”? If yes, when do you plan to provide that evidence to the public and Congress? If no, will you apologize to the American people for perpetuating this baseless conspiracy theory?

    1. Earlier this year, you said on your podcast about the unsolved January 6, 2021 pipe bombs case:

    It is clear, this all adds up to they know who this person is. They just don’t want you to know who this it is. Later in the podcast, you went on to say that “the FBI knew the entire time the identity of this person and then tried to unknow it, because it was an insider and an inside attack and a plot to, you know, stop Republicans from questioning the election results.

    You then claimed that “they did conduct an investigation, a legitimate one, for probably a couple of weeks because a friend of mine, who’s a federal agent, was involved in it. And they told him, once they started to hone in on who it was, to stand down.” We are disappointed that the pipe bomb case remains unsolved, given the significant danger this threat presented to the public, staff, and elected officials at the RNC and DNC on January 6, 2021. Your claim that the FBI is responsible for a cover-up is an extremely serious allegation that you have an obligation either to substantiate or repudiate. Now that you have access to the information you have long claimed that the FBI possesses, can you answer who was responsible for the pipe bombs on January 6, 2021 and provide evidence proving their identity to the public and Congress? If no, will you apologize to the men and women of the FBI for spreading this dangerous and irresponsible lie?

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Fifth Committee Concludes Resumed Session amidst Concerns Over Working Methods, Meagre Results

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Note: Full coverage of today’s meeting of the Fifth Committee will be available Tuesday, 1 April.

    While the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) concluded the first part of its resumed seventy-ninth session today with the consensual approval of five texts, several delegates expressed concern that the results were disappointing and minimal.

    At the outset of the meeting, the Committee approved — without a vote — draft resolutions titled “Special subjects relating to the programme budget for 2025” (document A/C.5/79/L.31); “Human resources management” (document A/C.5/79/L.33); “Joint Inspection Unit” (document A/C.5/79/L.32); and “Review of the implementation of General Assembly resolutions 48/218 B, 54/244, 59/272, 64/263, 69/253 and 74/257” (document A/C.5/79/L.30).  It also approved, without a vote, the draft decision titled “Questions deferred for future consideration” (document A/C.5/79/L.34).

    Speaking afterwards, the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, pointed to the Committee’s role in addressing budgetary matters and providing a platform for Member States’ to discuss substantive administrative issues that keep the Organization operating smoothly.  “However”, she emphasized, “we must acknowledge that we have not been successful in providing the needed guidance, which should make us think about how we — as a Committee — can become more efficient and effective.”  

    While recognizing delegates’ efforts to reach consensus, she said that it was disappointing that no resolutions pertaining to the Organization’s efficiency were approved, particularly in the areas of accountability and supply-chain management.  This stark outcome raises serious questions about the Committee’s organization of work.  “Clearly, extending this session from four to five weeks — at considerable cost for the Organization and for ourselves — was wasteful”, she said, stating that the Committee does not need more time, but earlier, more active and constructive engagement.

    The representative of the United States echoed this disappointment, noting that delegates had invested five weeks of time with minimal results.  He expressed particular concern over the lack of action on supply-chain management, organizational resilience and the annual review of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS).  Stressing that the Committee must exercise proper oversight to ensure the Organization keeps pace with changes, he added:  “The UN80 Initiative is a clear message that the UN must do better to streamline processes and ensure our time together turns into action.”

    The representative of the United Kingdom, too, expressed regret over the lack of action, deferrals and “retractable attitudes”, noting that a single delegation blocked agreement on some issues.  While the Committee did agree on revised estimates to finance a General Assembly resolution to combat Islamophobia, it did not identify sustainable solutions to deal with the liquidity crisis.  Stating that the Committee has strayed from its technical responsibilities, she said:  “It can do better — and must do better — to deliver technically informed outcomes.” 

    Also dissatisfied with the Committee’s meagre results, Japan’s delegate said that the body missed the opportunity to present its collective views to the Secretariat.  “We tell the UN to be more efficient, and yet our working methods are probably the least efficient,” he observed, emphasizing:  “We tell the UN to cut costs and, yet, we fail to provide the guidance to do so.”  While recognizing efforts made to reach compromises and avoid votes in this resumed session, he underscored:  “We all have to do better.”

    The representative of Israel also noted delegates’ constructive engagement despite the difficulty of the issues under consideration.  On that, she pointed to consensus on the resolution to provide additional funding to support a General Assembly resolution that aims to combat Islamophobia.  “Intolerance has no place in the Organization,” she stressed, adding that concrete measures should be taken to combat all forms of religious discrimination — including a dangerous increase in anti-Semitism.

    Pakistan’s delegate also welcomed the consensual outcome on that resolution, spotlighting the “pleasant coincidence” that it was negotiated during the month of Ramadan. “The adoption of this resolution carries spiritual meaning for our delegation,” he noted.  “We look forward to working with all delegation members in the upcoming sessions in the same spirit,” he added.

    While pleased that consensus was reached on many issues, Iraq’s representative, speaking for the Group of 77 and China, expressed concern that a substantive resolution was not reached on comprehensive agreements for human-resources management and accountability.  On that, he expressed support for more opportunities for interns from developing countries.  Concluding, he pointed out that the Organization’s liquidity crisis can only be resolved if Member States pay their assessments in full and on time.

    Closing the meeting, Egriselda Aracely González López (El Salvador), Chair of the Fifth Committee at its seventy-ninth session, said: “I know it wasn’t easy — I know that many of you would have wanted more — but we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that results are the result of collective effort.”  Thanking those present — and acknowledging that “some hours of sleep were lost”, but that it is important to “see the glass half-full, rather than half-empty” — she said:  “We have agreements that are relevant for the Organization to continue implementation of its mandates.”

    …

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General Appoints James Swan of United States Special Representative, Head of United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of James Swan of the United States as his Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS).  The Secretary-General expresses his gratitude to Mr. Swan for acting as Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM)/UNTMIS since May 2024, and is pleased that Mr. Swan accepted to continue to lead the United Nations in Somalia during this critical period.

    Mr. Swan is an experienced diplomat with a long career in African countries facing complex political transitions.  Prior to serving as acting Special Representative for Somalia and Head of UNSOM/UNTMIS as well as Special Representative for Somalia and Head of UNSOM (2019-2022), he worked in the United States Government as Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2013-2016), Special Representative for Somalia (2011-2013) and Ambassador to Djibouti (2008-2011).

    In his earlier career, Mr. Swan was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (2006-2008) and Director of African Analysis in the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (2005-2006).  Before assuming these positions, Mr. Swan held various assignments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Cameroon, Nicaragua and Haiti.

    Mr. Swan holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, a Master of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and a master’s degree in security studies from the National War College, all in the United States. He is fluent in English and French.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Leads Colleagues Warning About Devastating Impact of Trump Cuts to Mental Health Agency

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla Leads Colleagues Warning About Devastating Impact of Trump Cuts to Mental Health Agency

    Senators to RFK, Jr.: “We strongly urge you to reconsider these devastating cuts and instead work to ensure that SAMHSA and the American people have the resources they need to fully address their mental and behavioral health concerns”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus, led 12 Democratic Senators in warning Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. that additional staffing cuts at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) would have disastrous ramifications for millions of Americans struggling with mental and behavioral health challenges. The Senators expressed deep concerns about the Trump Administration’s threat to cut up to 50 percent of remaining SAMHSA staff after already letting go of 10 percent of employees earlier this year, including essential employees operating the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

    Many of SAMHSA’s crucial operations will be impacted by the Trump Administration’s planned workforce cuts, including nearly $7 billion in grant distribution to states, localities, and tribes, efforts to increase access to early intervention for mental health care, and support services for timely crisis care. These services include the SAMHSA-administered 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which has served over 14.5 million Americans in crisis since it went live in July 2022.

    The letter comes after RFK, Jr. announced a major restructuring of the HHS Department yesterday, including an unlawful plan to close down SAMHSA and merge its programs into his new “Administration for a Healthy America.”

    “We are deeply troubled that in the midst of our nation’s mental health and substance use crisis, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) saw fit to downsize the agency responsible for fighting these twin epidemics,” wrote the Senators. “In 2024, SAMHSA distributed over $6.9 billion to states, localities, and tribes to fund lifesaving mental health and substance use disorder programs. Further cuts to SAMHSA’s staff will hamper its ability to conduct appropriate oversight of these grants.”

    “We are also gravely concerned about the impacts of previous dismissals and future staffing cuts to the SAMHSA-administrated 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline,” continued the Senators. “Additional SAMHSA layoffs risk decimating the Lifeline and doing fundamental harm to the President Trump’s legacy.”

    The Senators emphasized that the Trump Administration’s previous firings have already forced two SAMHSA regional offices in Regions 4 and 5 to close, impacting access to care in the South and Midwest. As a result of these cuts, Americans in 14 states now lack access to any regional officials to help administer local grants and oversee lifesaving substance use and mental health programs in these communities.

    According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 48.5 million Americans aged 12 and older battled a substance use disorder in 2023, and 58.7 million Americans aged 18 and older experienced a mental health condition. Over the past 22 years, suicide rates have increased 36 percent, and suicide is among the leading causes of death for people ages 10-64. The programs SAMHSA administers are crucial to addressing the growing mental health crisis.

    “We strongly urge you to reconsider these devastating cuts and instead work to ensure that SAMHSA and the American people have the resources they need to fully address their mental and behavioral health concerns,” concluded the Senators.

    In addition to Senator Padilla, the letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Senator Padilla is a leading advocate for expanding mental health care access, especially for underserved communities. In 2023, Padilla and Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) launched the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus to serve as a forum for Senators to collaborate on and promote bipartisan legislation and solutions, hold events to raise awareness of critical mental health issues, and destigmatize mental health. Padilla and Tillis applauded the Federal Communications Commission for making critical improvements to the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to help callers access localized, lifesaving behavioral health resources, mirroring the main provision of the Senators’ Local 9-8-8 Response Act of 2023. 

    Additionally, Padilla recently introduced bipartisan legislation to combat the growing youth mental health crisis in America through early intervention and prevention services. Last year, Padilla passed a Senate resolution to raise the alarm about the mental health care crisis American children face and highlight the urgent need to increase our investment in mental health care for children and adolescents. Padilla previously introduced a trio of bills to address the unique mental health needs of military children, Latinos, and farm workers.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Kennedy:

    We write to express our deep concerns regarding the recent terminations of probationary staff at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). On February 14, 2025, approximately 10 percent of SAMHSA’s workforce was dismissed, and we understand that significantly more dismissals, up to 50 percent, are imminent at SAMHSA.

    According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 48.5 million Americans aged 12 and older battled a substance use disorder in 2023, and 58.7 million Americans aged 18 and older experienced a mental health condition. Over the past 22 years, suicide rates have increased 36 percent. Suicide is among the leading causes of death for people ages 10-64 and is the second leading cause of death for people aged 10-14 and 25-24. We are deeply troubled that in the midst of our nation’s mental health and substance use crisis, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) saw fit to downsize the agency responsible for fighting these twin epidemics.

    While all Members of Congress agree with ending waste, fraud, and abuse in the government, these recent dismissals do not serve that goal. As you know, a significant portion of SAMHSA’s mission is to provide grants and resources for states, Tribes, nonprofits, and community-based organizations. In 2024, SAMHSA distributed over $6.9 billion to states, localities, and tribes to fund lifesaving mental health and substance use disorder programs. Further cuts to SAMHSA’s staff will hamper its ability to conduct appropriate oversight of these grants. In short, further staff reductions will increase the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse, not decrease it.

    We hope that you share our strong view that between the over 10% of staff that was previously dismissed and the staff that participated in the Deferred Resignation Program, SAMHSA has experienced a significant staff reduction that is already imperiling its services and endangering the lives of countless Americans. As has been reported, two SAMHSA regional offices (Regions 4 & 5) have been forced to effectively close as there is no longer staff to run these offices. This has left Americans in 14 states without any access to regional officials to help administer local grants and oversee life-saving substance use and mental health programs in these communities.  

    We are also gravely concerned about the impacts of previous dismissals and future staffing cuts to the SAMHSA-administrated 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. As you know, President Trump signed into law the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, which created the 9-8-8 Lifeline, that has served over 14.5 million Americans since it went live in July 2022. Additional SAMHSA layoffs risk decimating the Lifeline and doing fundamental harm to the President Trump’s legacy.

    Given the serious effects that previous layoffs have already had on SAMHSA’s workforce and the crippling effects further layoffs would have, we ask that you respond to the following questions in writing by April 4, 2025.

    1. Provide the total number of full-time equivalents SAMHSA had on January 17, 2025.

    2. Provide the total number of full-time equivalents SAMHSA had on February 13, 2025.

    3. Provide the total number of SAMHSA employees terminated on February 14, 2025, including the total number of Veterans.

    4. Provide the total number of SAMHSA employees who primarily work on the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline terminated on February 14, 2025.

    5. Provide the total number of SAMHSA employees who were terminated on February 14, 2025, and have since been reinstated.

    6. Will you abide by Judge Alsup’s March 13, 2025, order to reinstate probationary workers who were fired? If so, when will these reinstatements begin and how many employees will be reinstated? If not, why will you not abide by this court ruling?

    7. SAMHSA’s regional offices in regions 4 and 5 closed due to termination orders. Will you commit to reopening these offices public in these 14 states? If so, when will these offices be reopened and how many employees will return to each regional office?

    8. Will you commit to not conducting additional layoffs at SAMHSA? As President Trump noted in the March 6, 2025, cabinet meeting, staffing decisions will be led by Cabinet Secretaries, not DOGE.

    Therefore, we strongly urge you to reconsider these devastating cuts and instead work to ensure that SAMHSA and the American people have the resources they need to fully address their mental and behavioral health concerns.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement from Congressman Dan Goldman on Trump Administration’s Illegal Executive Order Eliminating Collective Bargaining Rights for Federal Employees

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    “Donald Trump’s illegal, pretextual, and destructive Executive Order attempting to eliminate collective bargaining for two-thirds of the federal workforce is an unacceptable attack on hardworking public servants and the fundamental rights of all workers around the country.  

    “As with labor unions, federal workforce unions have entered into binding collective bargaining agreements that provide safer workplace conditions, better pay, essential benefits, and fair working hours. 

    “The President’s Executive Order simply erases those hard-earned benefits for 75% of federal workers — a full 1.5 million federal employees.  

    “This attack on labor unions is made even worse by the pretextual rationale that national security concerns justify this action. In the same week that the President has fully supported his top officials after they committed a shocking security breach, it is preposterous to believe that labor agreements must be unilaterally cancelled in the name of national security.  

    “As federal workers challenge this unlawful order in the courts, I call on all Americans to rally against this attack on the hard-fought workplace rights earned over decades of effort.” 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –