Category: Americas

MIL-OSI USA: Fischer, Colleagues Request Removal of Burdensome Biden-Era Regulations on Broadband Program

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and Chair of the Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, joined Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick ahead of his review of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

In their letter, the Senators request that Secretary Lutnick improve implementation of the BEAD program, which is aimed at expanding Internet access to Americans in rural areas and other unserved communities, by removing burdensome Biden-era regulations.

“As you may be aware, Republican senators have previously raised concerns with the Biden administration’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and its implementation of the BEAD program,” the Senators wrote. “Specifically, NTIA ignored congressional direction and acted inconsistently with its statutory authority in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), filling the program with onerous regulations that prevented the quick, efficient deployment of broadband and resulted in not a single household being connected to the internet.”

“Under your leadership, the BEAD program can finally fulfill its long overdue mission and ensure taxpayer dollars are not spent funding extraneous, burdensome regulations,” the Senators continued. “Eliminating these obstacles will empower states to work closely with broadband providers and accelerate deployment, maximize resources, and reach truly unserved and underserved communities without any more delay caused by unnecessary government interference.”

The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).

Read the full letter

here or below:

Dear Secretary Lutnick:

We write to thank you for committing to a rigorous review of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. As you may be aware, Republican senators have previously raised concerns with the Biden administration’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and its implementation of the BEAD program. Specifically, NTIA ignored congressional direction and acted inconsistently with its statutory authority in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), filling the program with onerous regulations that prevented the quick, efficient deployment of broadband and resulted in not a single household being connected to the internet. Therefore, we urge you to remove the Biden-era extraneous regulations as you review the BEAD program to ensure the responsible and effective use of taxpayer dollars.

In particular, we encourage you to remove the BEAD program’s restrictive labor requirements that disadvantage rural communities, provisions favoring government-owned networks over private investment, and guidelines that prioritize certain technologies over others and clearly contradict congressional pursuit of tech-neutrality.

Furthermore, despite the IIJA’s explicit prohibition on broadband rate regulation, NTIA exceeded its statutory authority and attempted to enact rate regulations anyway. The inclusion of climate change mandates further diverted funds and focus away from the program’s primary objective of ensuring broadband access for unserved and underserved communities. These unnecessary bureaucratic barriers slow deployment, increase costs, and ultimately run contrary to the very purpose of the program and should also be removed. Even the former Director of the BEAD program recently admitted that many of these woke requirements were “inserted by the prior administration for messaging/political purposes” and “never central to the mission of the program.”

Under your leadership, the BEAD program can finally fulfill its long overdue mission and ensure taxpayer dollars are not spent funding extraneous, burdensome regulations. Eliminating these obstacles will empower states to work closely with broadband providers and accelerate deployment, maximize resources, and reach truly unserved and underserved communities without any more delay caused by unnecessary government interference.

Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter. We appreciate your leadership in reviewing and addressing these concerns, and we look forward to working with you.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Warren Pushes Back on Trump Attacks on Diversity at Military Academies, Warns of National Security Risks

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

March 27, 2025

Warren: “The Trump Administration’s ham-fisted attacks on the service academies undermine our ability to recruit and to train talented, young people who will become a critical part of our lethal fighting force.”

Superintendent of West Point: Clubs are part of what makes West Point “a living, breathing leadership laboratory.”

Video of Remarks (YouTube)

Washington, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, pushed back against the Trump administration’s recent attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at military academies, including the administration’s recent executive orders leading to the dismantling of clubs at military academies. Warren said this move “does not make it easier to recruit the best and the brightest.”

Recent criticisms from some Republicans have claimed that military academies have lowered admissions standards due to DEI. However, the superintendents of the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the U.S. Naval Academy made clear that students are admitted based on their academic and leadership potential, maintaining high admissions standards.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently questioned the need for civilian professors, but the military academy leaders agreed with Senator Warren that academy students learning from both military and civilian instructors helps “students develop the skills they need to become part of a lethal fighting force.”

“It is one team to be able to develop these midshipmen and [military and civilian instructors] are all in on doing that, so I’m really impressed,” said Vice Admiral Yvette M. Davids, Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.

All three superintendents also agreed that clubs in military academies are a significant part of students “grow[ing] as leaders by taking initiative and contributing to their communities” and Lieutenant General Gilland, Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, highlighted they are part of what makes West Point being “a living, breathing leadership laboratory.”

“The Trump Administration’s ham-fisted attacks on the service academies undermine our ability to recruit and to train talented, young people who will become a critical part of our lethal fighting force,” concluded Senator Warren.

Transcript: Hearing to Conduct Oversight and Receive Testimony on the Status of the Military Service Academies
Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel
March 26, 2025

Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m going to pick up on where you were. The military academies are charged with training the next generation of leaders. And together, the three of you train about one out of every five of our military officers. The military spends millions of dollars, many many years to train our helicopter pilots, our combat leaders, and for a few, the Chiefs of Staff that we end up with.

But the Trump administration is undermining those investments by tilting at windmills named DEI. In less than three months, the administration has cancelled student engineering clubs and purged curricula based on clumsy keyword searches. The administration sends a strong signal that not everyone is welcome in our military.

So today, I want to dig in on how you all think about your mission to develop the leaders who will keep our military strong.

Lieutenant General Bauernfeind, do you consider academic and leadership potential in the admissions process so that we can develop the next generation of military officers who will take on the toughest jobs?

Lieutenant General Tony D. Bauernfeind, Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy: Senator Warren, yes, we do absolutely, in our admissions process, consider leadership in our admissions process and through their 47-month leadership development program.

Senator Warren: Lieutenant General Gilland, same answer? Yes?

Lieutenant General Steven Gilland, Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point: Yes, Senator Warren.

Senator Warren: And Admiral Davids?

Vice Admiral Yvette M. Davids, Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy: Yes, ma’am, considered in the admissions process.

Senator Warren: Good, so you all admit cadets and midshipmen based on their academic and their leadership potential. Then it’s your job to turn that potential into reality.

So let’s talk about where students develop those skills. One place, obviously, is the classroom. That’s one of the reasons, as you have already described, that students learn from both academic experts and practitioners in the field. Military practitioners obviously have valuable experiences to share with students, but the academies also need the best teachers for physics, and cybersecurity, and electrical engineering, and much much more. The Department of Defense has recognized this, including in a 1993 report calling on the service academies to integrate more civilian faculty so that, “the faculties can act in unity but not identically–a blend of excellence.”

Vice Admiral Davids, does learning from both military and civilian instructors help your students develop the skills they need to become part of a lethal fighting force?

Vice Admiral Davids: Thank you, Senator. Absolutely, they learn from both our military and our civilian. It is one team to be able to develop these midshipmen and they are all in on doing that, so I’m really impressed.

Senator Warren: Good. General Bauernfeind?

Lieutenant General Bauernfeind: Yes, Senator Warren. Yes, we value our faculty as it comes forward, it brings forward – for the two aspects mentioned before – bringing forward that expertise and that operationally-relevant experience to both educate and develop future leaders.

Senator Warren: And General Gilland, are you in agreement with your colleagues here?

Lieutenant General Gilland: Yes, Senator.

Senator Warren: Good. Leadership is obviously about what you learn in the classroom, but it’s also what happens outside the classroom.

So I want to talk for just a second about engineering clubs. They certainly encourage students to learn hard skills and to support each other in that undertaking, it can be difficult, but an engineering club also gives a student an opportunity to take on leadership roles and responsibilities like being the treasurer or being the president. That’s true of other clubs too. One cadet who helped found the Vietnamese-American Cadet Association at West Point said that it helped to make him a better officer and that, “West Point was probably the first place where I had a supportive environment for my identity and who I am.”

So Lieutenant General Gilland, do cadets grow as leaders by taking initiative and contributing to their communities? And are clubs a significant part of that?

Lieutenant General Gilland: Yes, Senator. All of our clubs – and I would consider all of West Point as a living, breathing leadership laboratory.

Senator Warren: I like that. I like that. Vice Admiral Davids?

Vice Admiral Davids: I would agree completely, Senator.

Senator Warren: And General Bauernfeind?

Lieutenant General Bauernfeind: Senator Warren, I do agree as well that our clubs provide opportunities.

Senator Warren: So I’m concerned, because currently, the administration is rolling out executive orders that have led to dismantling clubs that have been around for decades and that have successfully supported students at the service academies. Those leadership opportunities remain available in more than 600 other colleges and universities. Banning those clubs just at our military academies does not make it easier to recruit the best and the brightest. The Trump Administration’s ham-fisted attacks on the service academies undermine our ability to recruit and to train talented, young people who will become a critical part of our lethal fighting force. I think that is bad for our cadets, and it is bad for our national security.

Thank you for being here and we apologize for moving in and out. We’ve got votes at the same time, so this is not a comment on what anyone has to say. Just have to play a little bit of tag here.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Schumer, Senators Demand Independent Watchdog Investigation into Trump Administration’s Unprecedented Attempts to Dismantle Department of Education

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

March 27, 2025

The Administration’s Actions Threaten to “Severely Restrict” Department’s Ability to Support Students, Parents, and Teachers Across the Country

“These actions likely contravene the law and will hurt students and families everywhere.”

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led a letter to Acting Department of Education Inspector General (IG) René Rocque requesting that the IG conduct an investigation of the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education (ED). Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) also joined the letter.

“Decimating the Department of Education’s abilities to administer financial aid, investigate civil rights violations, conduct research on educational outcomes, and oversee the use of federal education grants threatens to have disastrous consequences for American students, teachers, and families,” wrote the lawmakers.

Last week, the Trump Administration’s efforts to illegally dismantle the ED came to a head when President Trump signed an executive order instructing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take “all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education.”

A few weeks prior, ED initiated a reduction in force (RIF) impacting nearly 50 percent of the Department’s staff. McMahon boasted, “When President Trump was inaugurated, the Department’s workforce stood at 4,133 workers. After today’s actions, the Department’s workforce will total roughly 2,183.”

“These cuts threaten to hurt the very groups that the Department aims to serve: the roughly 1,300 layoffs disproportionately target employees who served on teams that facilitate financial aid for tens of millions of families, enforce our civil rights laws, and ensure that every student has a place to learn in our K-12 public schools,” continued the lawmakers.

The day after President Trump signed his executive order attempting to abolish the Department of Education, the President also announced that he was “immediately” moving the handling of federal student loans to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and shifting programs for students with disabilities to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Congress created the Department of Education to manage critical federal functions like distributing federal funding to public schools, administering federal financial aid, and defending the federal civil rights of students from marginalized backgrounds, including students with disabilities. Only Congress can choose to abolish the Department of Education—the President cannot shut down the Department by decree.

The senators requested that IG Rocque conduct an independent evaluation of the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education and examine how the efforts will undermine the federal government’s ability to support students, educators, and families across the country.

“Given the adverse impact that the Trump Administration’s actions may have on the Education Department’s ability to administer and improve education programs around the country, an evaluation by your office would be consistent with your goal to ‘drive continuous improvement in Federal education programs,’” concluded the lawmakers.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ernst, Smith Celebrate Women in Agriculture

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

RED OAK, Iowa – In celebration of Women’s History Month and Iowa Agriculture Week, U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, led a bipartisan group of their colleagues, including every female Republican senator, in highlighting the vital role women play in agriculture operations across the country by designating March 27, 2025, as National Women in Agriculture Day.
“When folks think of farmers, they often think of men, but anyone involved in the agriculture community will tell you that there are many incredible women who are stepping up, filling their parents’ boots, and carrying on our great rural traditions all across the state of Iowa,” said Senator Ernst. “I was proud to grow up as a woman in agriculture, and I’m honored to recognize the more than 1.2 million female farmers and producers in the United States that work so hard to feed and fuel our nation and our world.”
“Agriculture is the backbone of Minnesota’s economy,” said Senator Smith. “Women have always played an essential role in this sector. I’m proud we have introduced this bipartisan resolution to designate a day during Women’s History Month and National Agriculture Week to recognize the achievements of the women who have been the key to our agricultural success.”
The resolution is being led by Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) in the House
Background:
Thanks to Ernst’s efforts, Women in Agriculture Day has been unanimously adopted by the Senate since 2022. Ernst kicked off Women’s History Month by spotlighting central Iowan cattlewomen Lauren and Leah Mosher – a dynamic sister duo who have devoted their lives to agriculture.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Colleagues Demand Senate Hearings On Trump Administration’s Reckless Mishandling Of Classified Military Operations

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

March 27, 2025

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, joined 14 of their Senate colleagues in signing a letter calling on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee to hold hearings to investigate why members of President Trump’s national security team were recklessly and illegally discussing classified military operations on unsecured devices. The senators also criticized the incompetence and carelessness of how these Trump officials mishandled the situation and inadvertently added a journalist to the group chat. New reporting details the classified military plans that were discussed in the commercial, unclassified messaging app.

“We write to you with grave concern regarding the recent revelations reported in The Atlantic about the Trump Administration’s reckless handling of classified information about U.S. military operations,” the senators wrote. “This gross mishandling of highly classified information has weakened our national security and could have put at risk American lives, particularly the men and women involved in the military strikes in Yemen.”

“For this reason, we are calling on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to hold joint or separate hearings to investigate this matter fully and get to the bottom of why members of the National Security Council were using unclassified, internet-connected smartphones and channels to discuss highly sensitive military information, when there are known ways to tamper with unclassified devices and when it is possible that dozens of foreign intelligence agencies are targeting the unclassified smartphones used by these senior U.S. government officials,” they continued. “Our national security demands that we act with urgency to uncover the full details of this severe security breach and implement measures to prevent such recklessness in the future.”

U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) also signed the letter.

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.

Dear Chairman Wicker, Chairman Cotton, and Chairman Risch:

We write to you with grave concern regarding the recent revelations reported in The Atlantic about the Trump Administration’s reckless handling of classified information about U.S. military operations. According to the reporting and the screenshots provided in the original story and a second piece published the following day, the Vice President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the Director of National Intelligence, the National Security Advisor, and other key national security officials discussed classified information about imminent U.S. military operations using internet-connected smartphones that were not approved for discussing classified information, via a commercial, unclassified messaging app called “Signal.” Planning military strikes using consumer-grade, internet-connected smartphones is reckless and illegal because they can be hacked by foreign governments. Additionally, due to their inexcusable carelessness, a reporter was added to this Signal chat and was provided access to incredibly sensitive information about future military operations that included planned air strikes on terrorist targets. This gross mishandling of highly classified information has weakened our national security and could have put at risk American lives, particularly the men and women involved in the military strikes in Yemen.

It is even more outrageous that members of the Trump Administration – from the President to Cabinet officials who were part of the Signal group – have tried to downplay, mislead, and excuse this reckless and likely illegal behavior. During a recent Senate oversight hearing featuring Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Senators and the American people were left with more questions than answers following the officials’ testimony and repeated evasions.

Since that initial hearing, and as a direct result of Administration officials’ attempts to downplay the severity of the breach and the importance of the information disclosed, additional reporting from the Atlantic has been published containing further details of what was actually discussed, which included strike planning and explicit operational details like specific timing, types of aircraft used, and sequencing of events related to the pending attack on the Houthi terrorists, any of which could have jeopardized the operation and endangered servicemembers if it had fallen into the hands of our adversaries in advance. This raises pressing questions regarding the possible spillage of classified information to an uncleared reporter and onto unclassified devices which can be hacked by foreign intelligence agencies, the irresponsibility of high-ranking Administration officials, and the increased risk this created for U.S. troops who carried out the strikes.

For this reason, we are calling on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to hold joint or separate hearings to investigate this matter fully and get to the bottom of why members of the National Security Council were using unclassified, internet-connected smartphones and channels to discuss highly sensitive military information, when there are known ways to tamper with unclassified devices and when it is possible that dozens of foreign intelligence agencies are targeting the unclassified smartphones used by these senior U.S. government officials. The American people deserve answers, and we need to know if there are any other such chat conversations using Signal or any other messaging app or other actions being taken by Trump Administration officials that are putting our national security and military personnel at risk. We urge your committees to use the Senate’s full oversight powers to compel the following individuals, who were part of the messaging group, to speak to the Senate in both open and closed hearings: Vice President JD Vance; Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; National Security Advisor Michael Waltz; Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard; CIA Director John Ratcliffe; White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles: Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller; and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

Our national security demands that we act with urgency to uncover the full details of this severe security breach and implement measures to prevent such recklessness in the future. We look forward to your prompt attention to this matter and stand ready to support the committees in any capacity necessary. We trust that you will give this matter the serious attention it requires.

Sincerely,

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Roya Rismankar Appointed IAM Canadian Research Analyst

Source: US GOIAM Union

IAM International President Brian Bryant has appointed Roya Rismankar as a Research Analyst in the Canadian Territory, effective March 10, 2025.

Rismankar will play a crucial role in providing members with accurate and timely information to support their success.

“With her experience and dedication, we are confident that Roya will make meaningful contributions to our research efforts and help set strategies to advance our goals,” said IAM Canadian General Vice President David Chartrand.

Rismankar graduated in 2021 and has gained four years of research experience, specializing in public policy. She has worked with the Government of Canada on an ongoing qualitative research project for the Privy Council Office, advising the Prime Minister on key issues such as housing, government benefits, and cost of living.

“As a Research Analyst, it is a foundational component of my role to provide our fellow members with timely and accurate information to set them up for success,” said Rismankar. “The collective IAM Union will continue to set the standards for workers’ rights at all stages, from employment wages and benefits to retirement and pensions. I am elated to start my journey with the IAM and contribute toward a meaningful cause to amplify workers’ voices all across Canada.”

In addition to her professional work, Rismankar is actively involved in several humanitarian organizations, volunteering her time to support various causes.

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MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Brandon Beach Appointed Treasurer of the United States

Source: US State of Georgia

ATLANTA (March 27, 2025) — This week, President Donald J. Trump has appointed Georgia State Senator Brandon Beach (R–Alpharetta) Treasurer of the United States.

“I have loved serving in the Georgia State Senate for the past 13 years, and it has been one of the greatest honors of my life to be a part of this esteemed institution,” said Sen. Beach. “The Senate body holds a special place in my heart, and I will always cherish the time I spent serving the great people of Georgia. Being appointed by President Donald J. Trump to serve as Treasurer of the United States is a life-changing opportunity, and I am deeply humbled and grateful for the trust placed in me. I look forward to continuing my service to this great nation, upholding the values of fiscal responsibility, economic growth, and American prosperity. President Trump’s bold leadership and unwavering commitment to putting America first have paved the way for historic economic achievements that I am honored to help carry forward. While I embark on this new chapter, I will never forget where I came from, and I remain forever grateful for the people and principles that have shaped my journey.”

Sen. Beach serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Development and is the Executive Director and founder of the North Fulton Improvement District (NFCID). He has previously held key leadership roles, including serving on the boards of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) and the Georgia Department of Transportation and as Chair of the Public-Private Partnership Committee and the Land Development Committee. Additionally, he has served as Chairman of the Fulton County Development Authority.

Sen. Beach currently serves on the Georgia World Congress Center Oversight Board, the Georgia Lottery Corporation Oversight Board, and the Alpharetta Rotary. He earned his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University and a Master of Business Administration from Centenary College.

He will be the first Georgian to serve as the United States Treasurer. This position is responsible for the U.S. Mint and Fort Knox and serves as a liaison to the Federal Reserve. Further, the Treasurer serves as a senior advisor to the Treasury Secretary on issues relating to community development.

For more information on the U.S. Department of the Treasury, you can read here.

# # # #

Sen. Brandon Beach serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism. He represents the 21st Senate District, including portions of Cherokee and Fulton County. He can be reached at (404) 463-1378 or by email at brandon.beach@senate.ga.gov.

For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Rubio holds a joint press availability with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali

Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio and Guyanese Foreign Minister Hugh Todd sign a security cooperation memorandum of understanding, followed by Secretary Rubio’s press availability with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali in Georgetown, Guyana, on March 27, 2025.

———-
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The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtHuznPn7lo

MIL OSI Video –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Markey, Colleagues Press Energy Secretary on Firings and Suspensions in Nuclear Security Programs

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Letter Text (PDF)
Washington (March 27, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) led his colleagues Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Representative John Garamendi (CA-08) in writing today to Secretary of Energy Chris Wright about the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE’s) cancellation of two Department of Energy (DOE) lab programs that support efforts to stop nuclear proliferation, following firings from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and DOGE access to DOE information systems.
Today’s letter follows many of these lawmakers’ letter to Secretary Wright on February 20 regarding mass firings at the NNSA. The response from Teresa M. Robbins, Acting Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator at the NNSA on February 21, failed to address concerns about the broader impact on U.S. nuclear security and nonproliferation. Since then, DOGE has continued to act with little regard for the consequences of its decisions, canceling two DOE lab programs critical to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. Any one of these blunders would be alarming; taken together, they reflect a dangerous pattern of reckless behavior at the heart of America’s nuclear security enterprise.
Today’s letter to Secretary Wright urges DOE to restore the necessary staff and programs and ensure that nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation remain a top priority.
In the letter, the lawmakers write, “Regarding the cancelled lab programs, according to press, DOE suspended two programs (at national labs in Brookhaven, NY and Oak Ridge, TN) that provide U.S. financial aid to inspectors at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), undermining President Trump’s own goal of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during his confirmation hearing in January that a nuclear-armed Iran ‘cannot be allowed under any circumstances.’ As a former director of the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory in New Mexico put it: ‘These are disastrous policies. They go against science and partnerships that lift a nation.’ We share these concerns and fear that the disruptions will scare away talented professionals from the field of nuclear nonproliferation and hinder the global fight against the spread of nuclear arms.”
The lawmakers continue, “As in the case of the NNSA terminations, it is unclear whether DOE and DOGE officials understand key facts — here, the depth of the relationship between the United States and the IAEA. U.S. financial support helps the IAEA train its inspectors, who can go where U.S. government experts may not be welcome. IAEA inspectors have exposed Iran’s nuclear progress and helped prevent terrorists from acquiring nuclear material. Additionally, the assistance helps place U.S. citizens in staff positions at the IAEA. According to Laura Holgate, a former U.S. ambassador to the IAEA: ‘These programs enhance U.S. security. This is not charity. It’s in our self-interest.’ DOE and DOGE need to understand this.”
The lawmakers request answers by April 4, 2025, to questions including:
Why did you initially deny the NNSA’s request for a national security exemption from the mass firings at the agency?
Please explain the discrepancies in the number of fired NNSA employees, ranging from less than 50 to 177, to more than 300, and closer to 350. How many of the terminated NNSA employees declined to return? How has this impacted mission readiness?
Why did DOE immediately reverse 150 of its purported 177 firings?
We understand that approximately 30% of the NNSA employees initially terminated were from the Pantex Plant in Texas, the facility responsible for safely dismantling thousands of retired nuclear weapons. What measures were taken to assess the impact of these terminations on critical national security functions at this facility?
Why did DOE and DOGE suspend the two programs at Brookhaven and Oak Ridge national labs that provide U.S. financial assistance to inspectors at the IAEA? When these programs were suspended, did you realize that they supported nonproliferation efforts?
On February 20, Senators Markey, Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), wrote to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Wright about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) firing up to 350 staff members at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), jeopardizing the security of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, weakening our ability to detect and prevent threats to nuclear safety, and undermining U.S. nonproliferation commitments.
On February 12, 2025, Senator Markey and Representative Don Beyer (VA-08) wrote to Secretary Wright regarding their concerns that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been granted access to DOE, which oversees the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the nation’s most sensitive nuclear weapons secrets.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey: RFK Jr.’s Massive Cuts at HHS Only Fuel “Make America Sick Again” Agenda

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Washington (March 27, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Primary Health and Retirement Security Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today released the following statement in response to media reports that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is planning to cut 10,000 jobs at the department, bringing the total amount of job cuts at HHS to 20,000.
“Corporate greed, hospital and pharmacy closures, health provider burnout, unacceptable wait times and sky-high costs for care: America’s health care crisis is already here,” said Senator Markey. “Rather than work to tackle these problems head on, the Trump administration is cutting funding for lifesaving research into Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cancer, has hawked measles treatment that leaves some patients more sick, plans to gut Medicaid, and is committed to making it harder for patients to get care simply based on who they are, where they come from, and how much money they make.
“Rather than confront the health care crisis head on, Kennedy’s actions will only leave Americans to get sicker while the rich get richer. This evisceration of workers isn’t just a restructuring—it is a catastrophe in the making that will disrupt services, violate federal law, and deny the livelihoods of workers who dedicate themselves every day to protecting public health, all to pay for take breaks for billionaires while American families pay the price of illness and death. We will not let this stand.”

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Questions EPA General Counsel Nominee on Need to “Follow the Law” in the Renewable Fuel Standard

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, pushed for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to follow the law and issue timely Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs). Ricketts questioned Sean Donahue, who has been nominated to be the top attorney at EPA.
“As the general counsel, you’ll give the advice to the agency with regard to what they’re supposed to be doing to follow the law,” Ricketts said. “One of those laws, the Renewable Fuel Standard, very clearly mandates periodic rulemakings for the Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs). This is something where the last administration failed to comply with the law. In June of 2022, the Biden administration published retroactive rulemakings in 2020-2021 and 2022 that under-protected biofuel volumes by billions of gallons. The 2023 RVOs were published a year later, too late in the year for producers or the fuel markets to adjust. The 2026 RVOs were due November 2024, but won’t actually be published until December 2025. Again, the last administration failed to follow the law.”
“What the EPA is supposed to be doing with regards to their obligations on the RVOs, getting those published in a timely matter,” Ricketts said. “What I’m asking you is you will you give the administration, the EPA, the advice that they need to follow the statutory RVOs and do it in a timely manner as the law prescribes?”
“We will follow the law, Senator,” Donahue said.
Ricketts made the comments in a nominations hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The hearing considered the nominations of Brian Nesvik to be Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Jessica Kramer to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Sean Donahue to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Click here to watch the hearing.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Shaheen champion bipartisan bill to support Louisiana rural small businesses’ access to capital

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, joined Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) in reintroducing the Coordinated Support for Rural Small Businesses Act, which the Senate Small Business Committee today voted to advance to full Senate consideration.
The bill would direct the Small Business Administration (SBA) to designate an Assistant Administrator for its Office of Rural Affairs and codify cooperation efforts between the SBA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve support for rural small businesses.
“Louisiana’s small businesses provide good paying jobs to folks throughout our state and support local economic growth. I’m thankful to my colleagues for advancing this bill to improve support for job creators, and I look forward to full Senate consideration,” said Kennedy.
“Small businesses are the backbone of rural communities but often face higher barriers to accessing federal programs and resources that would help them thrive. I’m pleased that my colleagues on the Small Business Committee cleared the way for our bipartisan bill to increase coordination between federal agencies—bringing us one step closer to delivering more support for rural small businesses across the country,” said Shaheen.
The Coordinated Support for Rural Small Businesses Act would direct SBA and USDA to convene working groups to:
Identify areas of partnership between the two agencies’ loan programs, including both large programs like 7(a) and smaller microloan programs.
Assess where SBA and USDA can coordinate in delivering resources through lenders, resource partners like Small Business Development Centers and others.
Coordinate SBA’s Small Business Investment Company program and USDA’s Rural Business Investment Company program.
Share best practices among the two agencies, rural economic development groups and others and evaluate how cooperatives can access SBA programs.
Collaborate on technical assistance with procurement, exports and innovation.
The bill text is available here.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: On Equal Pay Day, Duckworth, Durbin Join Senate Democrats in Reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act to Help End Wage Discrimination, Close Gender Pay Gap

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
March 26, 2025
[WASHINGTON, DC] – On Equal Pay Day yesterday, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) along with the entire Senate Democratic caucus in reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation to combat pay discrimination and help close the gender pay gap by strengthening the Equal Pay Act of 1963, ending the practice of pay secrecy and strengthening available remedies to help ensure wronged employees can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable. U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) led the reintroduction of the Paycheck Fairness Act in the House.
“Every single day, women across our nation contribute so much to the success of their families, their communities and their country—and yet, women continue to make hundreds of thousands of dollars less over the course of their lifetimes due to pay disparities,” said Senator Duckworth. “When women are held back, our economy is held back. If Donald Trump and Republicans really wanted to make America great, they’d support the Paycheck Fairness Act to help our nation finally ensure equal pay for equal work.”
“More than fifteen years after the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was passed, women are still facing pay inequality. And for women of color, that pay gap is even wider,” said Senator Durbin. “I’m joining my colleagues in introducing the Paycheck Fairness Act to send a clear message – women should receive equal pay for equal work.”
More than five decades after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the gender wage gap still exists—and alarmingly, for the first time in 20 years, the gender pay gap widened in 2023. Across all workers in the United States, women were typically paid 75 cents for every dollar paid to a man in 2023, adding up to a $14,170 pay difference in a year. U.S. women overall lost $1.7 trillion in earnings overall in 2023, according to a recent analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families.
The Paycheck Fairness Act would help:
Require employers to prove that pay disparities exist for legitimate, job-related reasons. In doing so, it ensures that employers who try to justify paying a man more than a woman for the same job must show the disparity is not sex-based, but job-related and necessary.
Ban retaliation against workers who discuss their wages.
Remove obstacles in the Equal Pay Act to facilitate participation in class action lawsuits that challenge systemic pay discrimination, by allowing workers to opt-out, rather than requiring them to opt-in.
Improve the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) and Department of Labor’s (DOL) tools for enforcing the Equal Pay Act. To help these enforcement agencies better uncover and remedy wage discrimination, the bill will require the collection of compensation data from certain employers, including federal contractors.
Provide assistance to all businesses to help them with their equal pay practices, recognize excellence in pay practices by businesses, and empower women and girls by creating a negotiation skills training program.
Prohibit employers from relying on and seeking the salary history of prospective employees.
The full text of the Paycheck Fairness Act is available on the Senator’s website.
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MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Shaheen, Blackburn Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Place a WWII Women’s Memorial on National Mall

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
March 26, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of both the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)—alongside U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to place a memorial honoring women’s contributions to World War II on the National Mall. The legislation builds on Senator Duckworth’s 2023 law that authorized the establishment of a WWII women’s memorial in D.C.
“It’s long past time we memorialize the contributions hardworking women made during World War II beside all the other historic memorials on the National Mall,” said Senator Duckworth. “I’m proud our legislation was signed into law to establish a memorial in D.C. to honor the millions of women who rolled up their sleeves and took whatever job was necessary to help move our country forward during World War II. Now, Congress must pass this bipartisan legislation to ensure this memorial is rightfully placed on the National Mall where their legacy can be remembered and preserved prominently for generations to come.”
“The monuments and memorials displayed in Washington tell America’s story,” said Senator Shaheen. “The invaluable contributions of ‘Rosie the Riveters’ during World War II are measured not only by the countless American lives they helped save, but also by the generations of women they inspired to serve our nation. Our bipartisan legislation designates a permanent home to memorialize the brave women who worked on the home front during the second world war.”
“Over 18 million women served on the home front during World War II, playing a key role in American history. They helped support their country while inspiring future generations of women to join the workforce,” said Senator Blackburn. “A memorial honoring the sacrifice and service of these women should be placed on the National Mall as a powerful reminder of their legacy in fighting for freedom and building the equipment needed by America’s troops during World War II.”
Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) and Russ Fulcher (R-ID-01).
More than 18 million women answered the call to hold down the home front by working as pilots, engineers, electricians, mechanics, code breakers and more during World War II.
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MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Reiterates Urgent Need to Grow Aviation Workforce and Invest in Safety Technology to Safeguard Flying Public at Committee Hearing on Deadly DCA Midair Collision

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
March 27, 2025
In her opening remarks, the Senator warned, “This collision was horrendous, and it is heartbreaking. But it was NOT a surprise”
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – In her opening remarks at today’s committee hearing on the horrific DCA aircraft collision, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)— a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Ranking Member of the CST Aviation Subcommittee—reiterated the long-pressing, ever-growing need to expand our air traffic controller workforce and invest in more safety technology in order to safeguard passengers, crew and our entire aviation system. For years, Duckworth has been sounding the alarm that we must make these critical aviation safety investments immediately to prevent all-too-often near-misses from becoming catastrophic tragedies. Despite the Senator’s calls, the Trump Administration began making cuts and firing hundreds of FAA employees in the wake of multiple deadline airplane crashes, including the DCA crash that killed 67 passengers and crew on January 29, 2025. Video of Duckworth’s opening remarks can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.
Key quotes:
“We have an obligation to the victims to learn what went wrong and prevent a collision like this from ever happening again. As a former Blackhawk pilot, who has flown helicopters out of a very busy Chicago Midway Airport – I know how challenging this type of mixed-use airspace can be. But a challenging airspace is no excuse. This should never happen. This collision was horrendous, and it is heartbreaking. But it was NOT a surprise. Alarm bells about potential collisions have been ringing for years.”
“At such a dangerous time for aviation safety, when we need to bolster our workforce, and invest in technology – the last thing we should be doing is making cuts. Yet, two weeks after the DCA crash, the Trump administration began firing hundreds of FAA employees. I say all of this because it is important context to keep in mind during today’s hearing. We need to understand what happened at DCA – but we also need to understand how this fits into a much larger threat to aviation safety.”
“NTSB’s preliminary report raises several questions. Most notably: How did FAA allow a helicopter route to come within 75 feet of a runway approach? […] We also need to know more about what the helicopter pilots knew about their altitude. Was their equipment working properly? […] There are also questions about ADS-B. Why was the helicopter not transmitting ADS-B Out? Do commercial aircraft need to be equipped with ADS-B In?”
Duckworth’s opening remarks as prepared below:
I want to extend my condolences to the family members of the victims some of whom are here with us today—both on the commercial airliner, as well as the family members who lost the brave soldiers in the Blackhawk helicopter.
I also want to thank the first responders, and everyone at NTSB for their tireless work to get us the answers we need.
There’s a saying and many of you have heard it: Our aviation regulations are written in blood.
We have an obligation to the victims to learn what went wrong, and prevent a collision like this from ever happening again.
As a former Blackhawk pilot myself, who has flown helicopters out of a very busy Chicago Midway Airport – I know how challenging this type of mixed-use airspace can be.
But a challenging airspace is no excuse. This should never happen.
This collision was horrendous, and it is heartbreaking.
But it was NOT a surprise.
Alarm bells about potential collisions have been ringing for years.
Coming out of the pandemic, we saw a frightening rise in close calls and an erosion of our aviation system’s margin of safety.
We’ve known for years we need more air traffic controllers and more safety technology.
The warnings have been clear — and in some cases right here at this committee, in a bipartisan consensus.
In November 2023, we held a hearing on close calls. NTSB Chair Homendy testified. Citing staffing shortages, fatigue, distraction, deviations from FAA regulations and a lack of runway safety technology, she warned — quote — “The concerning uptick in such incidents is a clear warning sign that the U.S. aviation system is sharply strained . . . We cannot wait until a fatal accident forces action. We must act before there is a tragedy.”
At the same hearing, the National Air Traffic Controller Association’s president told us that staffing shortages were so bad, many air traffic controllers were working mandatory overtime, 6-day workweeks and 10-hour days. He warned — quote — “Over the long-term, this will continue to introduce unnecessary risk into the system.”
We passed—in a bipartisan way—an FAA Reauthorization bill last year to help rebuild our aviation workforce and make critical investments in safety.
FAA is still implementing that new law, but clearly Congress has more work to do to shore up aviation safety.
In December 2024, we held another hearing. GAO told us that more than 75% of our aging air traffic control systems are unsustainable or potentially unsustainable.
The deadly collision at DCA is not the only aviation safety incident, so far, this year. We’ve seen deadly crashes in Philadelphia and Alaska, and a crash landing in Toronto that miraculously everyone survived even after the aircraft flipped upside down. Earlier this month, we saw passengers standing on the wing of a 737 in Denver to escape a fire.
And near misses keep happening. In February a Southwest flight came within 200 ft of colliding with a Flexjet plane at Midway Airport.
At such a dangerous time for aviation safety, when we need to bolster our workforce, and invest in technology – the last thing we should be doing is making cuts to the FAA. Yet, two weeks after the DCA crash, the Trump administration began firing hundreds of FAA employees.
I say all of this because it is important context to keep in mind during today’s hearing. We need to understand what happened at DCA – but we also need to understand how this fits into a much larger threat to aviation safety.
According to NTSB, DCA had many close calls in recent years. Between October 2021 and December 2024 there were more than 15,000 instances of commercial aircraft coming close to helicopters.
85 of these had a vertical separation of less than 200 ft.
Last year there were also two high-profile runway close calls at DCA.NTSB’s preliminary report raises several questions.
Most notably: How did FAA allow a helicopter route to come within 75 feet of a runway approach?
FAA has deconflicted the airspace, but DCA is not the only airport in the country where airplanes and helicopters share congested airspace.
Several of us raised this at an earlier briefing and, thankfully, FAA is now evaluating 8 cities where this may also be an issue, including Chicago.
We also need to know more about what the helicopter pilots knew about their altitude. Was their equipment working properly? Voice recordings showed the pilot and the Instructor pilot indicated different altitudes as they approached the Key Bridge, and NTSB determined that some of the altitude information on the helicopter’s data recorder was invalid.
There are also questions about ADS-B. Why was the helicopter not transmitting ADS-B Out? Do commercial aircraft need to be equipped with ADS-B In? How come so many helicopters are allowed exemptions at DCA?
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses.
I yield back.
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MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Risch, Crapo, Cotton Introduce Bill to Keep Cellphones Out of Jails

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act to prevent inmates from using contraband cellphones in correctional facilities by allowing state and federal prisons to use cellphone jamming systems.
“Idaho has seen firsthand the grave danger contraband cellphones pose to the public, correctional officers, and inmates,” said Risch. “The Cellphone Jamming Reform Act keeps our communities safe by allowing correctional facilities to block illicit cell signals.”
“While in prison, criminals should not be able to communicate with the outside world and continue the criminal actions that landed them there in the first place,” said Crapo. “We must pass this commonsense fix to cut off their ability to further their crimes behind bars and protect the citizens of our communities.”
“For far too long, contraband cellphones have been a major security threat in our prisons, allowing criminals to coordinate crimes from behind bars. This legislation is a common-sense step to cut off their ability to threaten witnesses, organize drug trafficking, and endanger law-abiding citizens from within prison walls,” said Cotton.
Risch, Crapo, and Cotton are joined by U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) in introducing the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act.
The use of contraband cellphones is widespread in both federal and state prison facilities. Inmates have used contraband cellphones to conduct illegal activities, including ordering hits on individuals outside of the prison walls, running illegal drug operations, conducting illegal business deals, facilitating sex trafficking, and organizing escapes which endanger correctional employees, other inmates, and members of the public.
In March 2024, a contraband cell phone was used in Idaho to coordinate the escape of a reputed gang member. During the escape, three Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) officers were ambushed and two were shot. The IDOC confiscated multiple phones in the weeks prior to the incident. A later investigation confirmed the contraband cellphone was used to plan the escape.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why Serena Williams joining the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo as a part-owner is so important for women’s sports

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Treisha Hylton, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social Work, Wilfrid Laurier University

Tennis legend Serena Williams is now part of the ownership group of the Toronto Tempo, marking a significant moment for women’s professional sports. The Toronto Tempo is set to kick off their inaugural WNBA season in 2026 and her involvement will help secure the longevity, success and impact the team.

There has never been a better and more exciting time to be a fan, advocate and researcher of women’s professional sports. Momentum continues to build toward the ultimate goal of achieving equity in sports, and it’s clear that real progress is being made.

Back in 2023, I attended the first WNBA exhibition game in Canada at Scotiabank Arena. The overwhelming support and enthusiasm made it clear that Toronto was ready to embrace and support women’s professional sports. Fast forward three years, and that vision is fast becoming a reality.

Women’s professional sports are at an all-time high. Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league set to commence its inaugural season in April, the WNBA continues to expand and the Professional Women’s Hockey League keeps setting attendance records.

Across the board, media coverage is skyrocketing for women’s sports. Opportunities for women and girls in sport have never been greater. All this and Williams’ investment in the Toronto Tempo is a fitting milestone to celebrate during Women’s History Month.

A new era for women’s sports

Williams is a trailblazer and widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. She dominated tennis for years, made history and broke barriers, all while proudly being herself in the face of discrimination, blatant double standards and constant ridicule.

She stands as an example of excellence and perseverance in women’s sports and social justice.

Williams is a role model for many Black women and girls, athletes and non-athletes alike. Her new role as a part-owner of the Toronto Tempo holds just as much significance as her ground-breaking career in tennis. Now, she is once again paving the way by demonstrating how women, particularly Black women, can break into leadership positions in professional sports.

Williams highlighted the significance of her new role, stating:

“This moment is not just about basketball. It is about showcasing the true value and potential of female athletes. I have always said that women’s sports are an incredible investment opportunity.”

Her commitment to advancing women’s sports is nothing new. Williams is also a founding owner of the National Women’s Soccer League’s Angel City FC. The WNBA, and other sports leagues, need more women like Williams in ownership and executive positions to drive real change.

Despite the progress made toward equity in women’s professional sports, there is still a staggering difference in pay and representation in leadership roles.

A glaring example is tennis star Coco Gauff, the highest-paid woman athlete of 2024, who didn’t even make it into the top 100 highest-paid athletes. This highlights the persistent gap in earnings and need for continued advocacy for pay equity in professional sports.

Black women in sport leadership

Black women remain vastly underrepresented in sports leadership roles, including as owners, CEOs, coaches and presidents. In the WNBA, where 70 per cent of the players are Black, there is currently only one Black woman head coach.

There is a clear need for meaningful representation at all levels of the game. Leadership must reflect the diversity of the athletes on the court.

For the WNBA and other women’s professional sports leagues to achieve equity, Black women must be better represented in leadership positions. The focus needs to go beyond token representation toward true representation to inspire future generations of young Black girls.

Serena Williams’ investment in the Toronto Tempo is a step in the right direction. Equally significant is the appointment of Monica Wright Rogers, a former collegiate player and experienced executive, as the team’s new general manager.

Together, Williams and Rogers represent the progress being made toward better representation of Black women in leadership roles.

Elevating women’s sports

The fight for racial and gender equality in sports is far from finished. The Toronto Tempo is a business first, and centring community must be part of its investment strategy.

The Tempo must prioritize building connections with grassroots organizations and ensure racialized girls and women have access to opportunities in coaching, community spaces and building life-sports synergy skills.

I’ve always believed grassroots organizations are the beating heart of sports, laying the foundation for the next generation of athletes and role models. Without them, many young girls would never get the chance to see themselves in the game. Two organizations that are community development-focused are Lady Ballers Centre and Black Girl Hockey Club.

Read more:
Women’s sports are thriving in Canada — here’s how to ensure it stays that way

The Tempo must reject the notion that success and equity in sports can be represented by just one story. While Williams’ journey is undeniably inspiring, it cannot be the sole narrative that defines progress in women’s sports. Instead, a multitude of stories, particularly those of Black and racialized women across all levels of sport, must be uplifted.

Investing in women’s sports isn’t just the right thing to do, but is also beneficial for society as a whole. Women athletes have consistently proven they deserve professional sports leagues, pay equity, endorsement deals, equal media coverage and better sporting facilities. Supporting this movement is the right direction for the Tempo.

Williams’ experience and commitment to women’s sports make her an ideal fit for ownership. Toronto fans are ready, and there’s little doubt the first Tempo games will be sold out. I, for one, am excited to attend the inaugural game in 2026. Let’s go Tempo!

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

– ref. Why Serena Williams joining the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo as a part-owner is so important for women’s sports – https://theconversation.com/why-serena-williams-joining-the-wnbas-toronto-tempo-as-a-part-owner-is-so-important-for-womens-sports-252592

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 28, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: S. 612, a bill to amend the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act to authorize grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations, and for other purposes

Source: US Congressional Budget Office

S. 612 would authorize the appropriation of $35 million over the 2025-2029 period for a grant program to support Native American tourism. Under the bill, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations, and other federal agencies would award grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.

The bill does not specify how much would be authorized for any given year. For this estimate, CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted in fiscal year 2025 and that the authorized amount will be provided in 2025. Based on spending patterns for similar programs, CBO estimates that implementing S. 612 would cost $35 million over the 2025-2030 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amount.

The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 450 (community and regional development).

Table 1. Estimated Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation Under S. 612
	By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2025-2030
Authorization^a	35	0	0	0	0	0	35
Estimated Outlays	*	15	9	6	3	2	35
a. The bill would authorize the appropriation of $35 million over the 2025-2029 period but does not specify how much would be authorized for any given year. For this estimate, CBO has assumed the entire authorized amount would be provided in 2025.

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Julia Aman. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.

Phillip L. Swagel

Director, Congressional Budget Office

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: ICE arrests 72 criminal aliens during week-long multi-agency operation in the Rio Grande Valley
Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

HARLINGEN, Texas – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with assistance from federal, state and local law enforcement partners, arrested 72 illegal aliens – including 61 criminal aliens and two documented gang members – during a targeted enforcement operation conducted from March 16 to 22 in the Rio Grande Valley area to bolster public safety, national security and border security.

ICE and its partners arrested 72 illegal aliens during the operation charged or convicted of a criminal offense while illegally present in the U.S., including:
- Two criminal aliens charged or convicted of an aggravated felony or other violent offense such as homicide, aggravated assault, or domestic violence
- Three criminal aliens charged or convicted of a sex offense or child sex offense such as aggravated sexual assault of a minor, possession of child pornography, or rape
- One criminal alien convicted of illegal firearms offenses such as unlawful carrying of a firearm, alien in possession of a firearm and aggravated assault with a firearm
- Eight criminal aliens charged or convicted of illicit narcotics offenses such as drug trafficking, or possession of a controlled substance
- Four criminal aliens charged or convicted of burglary or theft
- Seven criminal aliens charged or convicted of driving while intoxicated
- Seven criminal aliens charged or convicted of alien smuggling 8 USC 1324
- Fourteen criminal aliens charged or convicted of felony 8 USC 1326
- Thirteen criminal aliens charged or convicted of 8 USC 1325
- One criminal alien charged or convicted of fraud
- One criminal alien charged or convicted of soliciting prostitution
“The results of this operation are a clear indication of ICE’s commitment regarding the role we play in keeping our communities safe by locating, arresting and ultimately removing at-large criminal aliens who pose a threat to public safety, and other immigration fugitives,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Harlingen acting Field Office Director Robert Cerna. “ICE’s leadership has made clear that ICE will no longer exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. All those in violation of our immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and – if found removable by final order – removal from the United States. By effecting these routine enforcement operations, the dedicated men and women of ICE help keep our communities safe.”

“ICE assisted in the arrest of criminal aliens with extensive criminal histories, including offenses such as child sex crimes, drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and other serious violations,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig S. Larrabee. “Through strong partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement, ICE remains committed to protecting South Texas communities by targeting criminal aliens who pose a threat to public safety. These coordinated efforts ensure dangerous individuals are removed from our neighborhoods, upholding the rule of law, and safeguarding our citizens.”

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

MIL OSI USA News –
March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Statement from Governor Phil Scott Highlighting the Need for Education Reform This Legislative Session

Source: US State of Vermont

Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today issued the below statement on the need to act on education reform this session:

“Vermonters sent a very clear message last November; they wanted us to do something about the rising cost of living in our state. Property taxes were one of their biggest concerns, so my team delivered and put forward a bold and detailed plan to transform and strengthen our public education system.

“I continue to believe, if we have the courage, we can provide every student, in every community, with access to the very best public education in America. We can pay teachers more, provide equal access to language arts, music, science and extracurriculars AND give taxpayers a funding system that makes sense and they can afford.

“I have appreciated the constructive conversations we’re having with members of the House and Senate, and it’s clear to me most of them understand that transformation is desperately needed and hugely beneficial. Still, we knew there would be questions to answer and alternate proposals to consider along the way and I have been clear, I’m open to ideas that lead us to our common goals.

“But I also want to be clear, we do not have time to waste and delayed action means more years where education costs and taxes will continue to go up.

“I also want to be upfront with legislators, I will not support adjourning this session without a bill to transition to a new funding system, establish a new governance structure that unlocks transformation, and includes a specific implementation timeline. All these steps are necessary to improve equity, maximize efficiency, achieve educational excellence and be cost effective for taxpayers.

“We were elected to make tough decisions. It’s our problem to solve and our time to solve it.

“My team and I will continue to work with leaders in both chambers, in both parties, to get this work done. And I’m prepared to use every tool at my disposal to ensure we accomplish this work during this session.”

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MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Wyden Blasts Republicans for Giving Big Banks the Green Light to Gouge American Families

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
March 27, 2025
Republicans Support for Raising Overdraft Fees Will Cost Americans $5 Billion a Year
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement today on Republicans voting to abolish a Biden-era rule that was set to reduce the cost of overdraft fees and improve transparency for consumers:
“It comes as no surprise that Republicans have once again broken their promise to lower costs and handed big banks a victory on the backs of American families who are already struggling to keep their heads above water due to Trump’s chaos. Throwing this rule in the trash gives the biggest banks the power to continue charging consumers 5 billion dollars in excessive overdraft fees every year, while Trump and his uber wealthy MAGA friends shamefully showboat their newly purchased Teslas from the richest man alive.”
Last year, Wyden joined Democratic senators in sending a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) supporting the rule, including a $5 cap on overdraft fees.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lunar microwave to purify water frozen in Moon’s soil wins UK Space Agency’s Aqualunar Challenge
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Lunar microwave to purify water frozen in Moon’s soil wins UK Space Agency’s Aqualunar Challenge

A transformational technology that uses microwaves to defrost and ultrasound to break down contaminants in melted lunar ice to provide clean, drinkable water for astronauts has won the UK Space Agency-funded Aqualunar Challenge.
SonoChem System by Naicker Scientific. Credit: Max Alexander

The Aqualunar Challenge is an international prize for technologies to purify ice frozen in the Moon’s soil to make human habitation on the lunar surface possible.

SonoChem System by Naicker Scientific named winner for its innovative use of microwaves and ultrasound to generate millions of microbubbles in melted lunar ice, producing clean, drinkable water for astronauts.

FRANK by father-and-sons team RedSpace and AqualunarPure from a team from Queen Mary University named runners up.

The Aqualunar Challenge is a £1.2 million international prize funded by the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund and delivered by Challenge Works – part of Nesta. It aims to drive the development of innovative technologies that make human habitation on the Moon viable by purifying water buried beneath the lunar surface.

The SonoChem System by Gloucestershire-based Naicker Scientific, led by Lolan Naicker, was named the winner by UK Space Agency’s Meganne Christian at a ceremony in Canada House in London’s Trafalgar Square, where the team was awarded the £150,000 first prize.

Meganne Christian, European Member of the Astronaut Reserve, Commercial Exploration at the UK Space Agency and chair of the Aqualunar Challenge judging panel, said:

NASA has set the goal of establishing a permanent crewed base on the Moon by the end of the decade. The Artemis programme, as it is known, is supported by the UK Space Agency through its membership of the European Space Agency.

Astronauts will need a reliable supply of water for drinking and growing food, as well as oxygen for air and hydrogen for fuel. 5.6% of the soil (known as ‘regolith’) around the Moon’s south pole is estimated to be water frozen as ice. If it can be successfully extracted, separated from the soil and purified, it makes a crewed base viable.

The SonoChem System by Naicker Scientific. Credit: Max Alexander

The SonoChem System employs Naicker Scientific’s groundbreaking core technology to purify water derived from lunar ice. Harnessing powerful sound waves, it spontaneously forms millions of tiny bubbles in contaminated water. The extreme temperature and pressure created within each micro bubble generates free radicals (unstable atoms which are highly chemically reactive) which effectively removes contaminants.

Lolan Naicker, Technical Director, Naicker Scientific explained:

Imagine digging up the soil in your back garden in the middle of winter and trying to extract frozen water to drink. Now imagine doing it in an environment that is -200°C, a nearly perfect vacuum, under low gravity, and with very little electrical power. That’s what we will have to overcome on the Moon.

If we can make the SonoChem System work there, we can make it work anywhere, whether that’s on Mars’ glaciers, or here on Earth in regions where accessing clean water is still a challenge.

UK Science Minister, Lord Vallance said:

The Aqualunar Challenge was set up to overcome one of the most significant obstacles to humans surviving on the Moon or other planets – the availability of clean drinking water. By teaming up with our Canadian partners and harnessing the wealth of talent and creativity found across the UK, the challenge has uncovered a range of new ideas, including Naicker Scientific’s SonoChem system.

Many of these ideas could not only fuel future space exploration, but also help improve lives and solve water shortages here on Earth – mitigating the impacts of climate change as we work towards a net zero future, a key ambition in our Plan for Change.

Naicker Scientific was awarded the £150,000 first prize, with two runners up winning £100,000 and £50,000 respectively:

First runner up: FRANK – Filtered Regolith Aqua Neutralisation Kit – developed by father and sons team RedSpace Ltd, Aldershot. A three-stage approach designed to deliver a continuous flow of drinking-grade water in a lunar environment first heats the regolith sample in a sealed chamber to separate off volatile gases and leave a liquid of water, methanol and regolith fragments. The liquid is passed through a membrane to remove solid particles. The remaining liquid is distilled to separate the methanol from the water.

FRANK – Filtered Regolith Aqua Neutralisation Kit – by RedSpace Ltd. Credit: Max Alexander

Second runner up: AquaLunarPure: Supercritical Water Purification on the Moon – developed by Queen Mary University of London. A reactor melts lunar ice to separate the dust and rock particles, then heats it to more than 373°C at 220 bars of pressure to turn it into “supercritical water” – not a solid, a liquid or a gas, but a fourth state that appears like a thick vapour – in which oxidation will remove all the contaminants in one step.

AquaLunarPure by Queen Mary University of London. Credit: Max Alexander

10 finalist teams were each awarded £30,000 seed funding in July 2024 to develop their technologies in pursuit of the prize and provided with a comprehensive package of non-financial support, including expert mentoring and access to testing facilities.

The Aqualunar Challenge is delivered by Challenge Works – part of the UK’s innovation agency for social good, Nesta – and the UK Space Agency, in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Impact Canada, with half the prize being awarded to UK-led teams, and half being awarded to Canadian-led teams.

Holly Jamieson, Executive Director, Challenge Works said:

Challenge prizes are open innovation competitions that level the playing field for innovators whether they are well-established in a sector or coming to it for the first time – rewarding ideas rather than reputations. The Aqualunar Challenge successfully attracted new entrants to work in the space sector – a sector that already generates £19 billion of income a year in the UK, but where there is great potential for growth.

Competing teams have reported back that participating in the prize has helped them secure investment and open up commercial conversations to grow their businesses. There may only be one first prize, but the Aqualunar Challenge has produced many winners.

To find out more about the Aqualunar Challenge in the UK and learn more about all ten competing teams, visit aqualunarchallenge.org.uk.

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Published 27 March 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Ministers consent to raise Mt. Polley tailings dam four metres

Source: Government of Canada regional news

The ministers of Environment and Parks, Tamara Davidson, and Mining and Critical Minerals, Jagrup Brar, have issued a consent order to Mount Polley Mining Corp. to raise the tailings pond dam of the Mt. Polley Copper-Gold Mine by four metres.

The ministers’ decision was informed by an Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) review, conducted in collaboration with the Mining and Critical Minerals Major Mines Office, which also must make a decision whether to approve the increased height under the Mines Act.

The ministers agreed with the EAO’s conclusions that increasing the total height to 64 metres from the current 60 metres at the already-developed mine site is not likely to result in new or significant impacts compared to current approved operations. The ministers are satisfied that safety issues have been assessed thoroughly through technical reviews carried out by an external third-party geotechnical engineer and geotechnical engineering experts in the Major Mines Office.

On Aug. 4, 2014, a tailings pond dam breach caused mine waste, water and construction materials to flow into Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek and Quesnel Lake causing widespread and long-lasting environmental damage and serious impacts.

The Province subsequently implemented all recommendations from two separate investigations in 2015 by an independent expert engineering panel and the chief inspector of mines. These led to significant changes in 2016 to how tailings ponds are regulated under the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in B.C., which was further updated in 2024. The proposed dam height increase at the Mt. Polley Mine meets or exceeds all regulatory requirements in the current code.

The Major Mines Office led the technical review of the potential impacts and associated mitigation measures of the proposed increase in dam height, as an amendment to the Mines Act permit for the mine also is required. The Major Mines Office and the Environmental Assessment Office reviews both included consultation with Williams Lake First Nation and Xatśūll First Nation.

A decision by the Major Mines Office’s statutory decision-maker to approve the proposed Mines Act permit amendment to raise the dam by four metres was also issued on Thursday, March 27, 2025.

Mount Polley Mining Corp. has applied to expand mining and make other changes at the site over the course of the next few years. Due to time constraints presented by impacts to mining operations and managing higher water volumes during the spring melt, the Environmental Assessment Office and Major Mines Office reviewed the interim four-metre height increase to continue existing approved operations separately from the expansion request. The proposed expansion to the mine is still being assessed by the EAO. No decisions have been made on whether or not to approve the expansion to allow the mine to continue operating past 2031.

The Mt. Polley mine was approved by the provincial government in 1992. Under its certificate, which remains in effect under the Environmental Assessment Act, the operator must obtain the written consent of the ministers prior to any material alterations to the Mt. Polley mine from what was previously approved.

The Mt. Polley Mine is located in the Cariboo region of central British Columbia, approximately 56 kilometres northeast of Williams Lake. It began operations in 1997. Operations were approved to resume under the Mines Act permit in 2016, after they had been paused due to the 2014 dam breach.

Learn More:

For ministers’ reasons for their decision, visit: https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/api/public/document/67e5787dc102740022549973/download/ReasonsForDecision_Consent_Material_Alteration_TSFRaise_FINAL.pdf

EAO’s recommendation regarding consent for material alteration: https://projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/api/public/document/67e578d7c10274002254997e/download/Report_Consent_Material_Alteration_TSFRaise_Final.pdf

MIL OSI Canada News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Ministers’ statement on Mt. Polley tailings facility

Jagrup Brar, Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals, and Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks, have released the following statement regarding the approval for the Mt. Polley Mine to raise its tailings storage facility by four metres in advance of the spring freshet:

“Today, as statutory decision-makers under the Environmental Assessment Act, we have made the decision to allow the Mount Polley Mining Corporation to raise the height of its tailings storage facility dam by four metres to ensure water can be managed safely in advance of spring freshet.

“The necessary permit for this work under the Mines Act has also been approved.

“We recognize that there are significant concerns around this mine. Since 2016, the mine has been operating under significantly stronger environmental standards.

“Approvals for this change come after comprehensive technical reviews by experts, including external engineers, as well as consultation with First Nations.

“The application to raise the height of the tailings storage facility meets all required regulatory standards. This action is needed for the mine to continue operating safely, providing jobs for hundreds of people in the area.

“Staff in both our ministries will continue to closely monitor the mine to ensure it is operating under the highest standards and is meeting our strong regulatory requirements.

“What happened in 2014 can never happen again. Our strong requirements to protecting the environment are non-negotiable.”

MIL OSI Canada News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: The Long-Term Budget Outlook: 2025 to 2055

Source: US Congressional Budget Office

This report presents the Congressional Budget Office’s projections of what the federal budget and the economy would look like over the next 30 years if current laws generally remained unchanged. Those long-term projections are based on the agency’s January 2025 demographic projections (which reflect information, laws, and policies as of November 15, 2024), economic projections (which reflect laws, policies, and economic developments as of December 4, 2024), and 10-year budget projections (which include the effects of legislation enacted as of January 6, 2025). The projections do not reflect the effects of administrative actions taken or judicial decisions made after those respective dates, including actions and decisions affecting immigration, tariffs, and other policy areas.

The Federal Budget

Debt held by the public, boosted by large deficits, reaches its highest level ever in 2029 (measured as a percentage of gross domestic product, or GDP) and then continues to grow, reaching 156 percent of GDP in 2055. It remains on track to increase thereafter. Mounting debt would slow economic growth, push up interest payments to foreign holders of U.S. debt, and pose significant risks to the fiscal and economic outlook; it could also cause lawmakers to feel constrained in their policy choices.

Interactive

The deficit remains large by historical standards over the next 30 years, reaching 7.3 percent of GDP in 2055. That amount results from rising interest costs and sustained primary deficits, which exclude net outlays for interest and average 0.3 percent of GDP more over the next 30 years than they did over the past 50 years.

Interactive

Outlays, which are already high by historical standards, rise over the 2025–2055 period, reaching 26.6 percent of GDP in 2055. Rising interest costs; spending for the major health care programs, particularly Medicare; and spending for Social Security, especially over the next decade, drive that growth.

Revenues increase over the next few years, largely because certain provisions of the 2017 tax act are scheduled to expire. Thereafter, they generally rise, reaching 19.3 percent of GDP in 2055, as growth in real income—that is, income adjusted to remove the effects of changes in prices—boosts receipts from the individual income tax.

Interactive

Changes in CBO’s Budget Projections Since March 2024

Federal debt held by the public in 2054 is now projected to be 12 percent of GDP less than it was projected to be in last year’s report, and the deficit is now projected to be 1.3 percent of GDP less. Lower spending, particularly for net interest costs and Medicare, and higher revenues in the current projections contribute to the lower projected debt and smaller projected deficits.

The U.S. Economy

Population growth, which has a significant effect on the economy, is slower over the next 30 years than it was over the past 30 years. Without immigration, the U.S. population would begin to shrink in 2033.

Economic growth is slower over the next three decades than it was over the past three decades. The slowdown in the growth of output results from slower growth in the size and productivity of the labor force; the latter stems partly from increased federal borrowing.

Inflation slows through 2027 to a rate that is consistent with the Federal Reserve’s long-term goal of 2 percent and then remains at rates that are consistent with that goal from 2027 to 2055.

The interest rate on 10-year Treasury notes stays close over the next three decades to what it was, on average, over the past 30 years, reflecting upward pressure from increases in federal borrowing and downward pressure from slowdowns in the growth of the labor force.

Changes in CBO’s Economic Projections Since March 2024

The economy is now expected to grow more slowly, on average, over the next 30 years than CBO projected last year. That decrease stems mainly from slower growth of private investment and consumer spending over the next decade and slower growth of the labor force over the last decade of the projection period. The interest rate on 10-year Treasury notes is also lower, on average, in the current projections.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: International President Bryant Addresses MNPL Delegates

Source: US GOIAM Union

IAM members from coast to coast gathered in New Orleans for the Machinists Non-Partisan Political League (MNPL) National Planning Conference. MNPL relies on voluntary donations from IAM members to support candidates who support core IAM issues, such as fair trade and workers’ rights.

WATCH: MNPL We Fight for You

IAM Union Southern Territory General Vice President Craig Martin brought greetings to the MNPL delegates. GVP Martin encouraged the delegates with a welcome message that focused on labor’s history and let members know that labor was built during hard times due to the strength and solidarity of workers.

This year’s MNPL conference involved planning for the next election cycle and increasing IAM members’ participation.

IAM Union International President Brian Bryant addressed the delegates with a strong message.

“The IAM and MNPL don’t advocate for a Republican or Democratic agenda – we fight for the IAM’s agenda,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “And in the face of everything we’re up against, we must double down. Right here and right now, we are committing to being more engaged than ever in the political process.”

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MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Informational Picket

Source: US GOIAM Union

IAM Healthcare PCAs and PCTs came together for an informational picket at OSU Wexner Medical Center on March 19th. The Hospital’s own records show that there is a nearly 50% turnover rate of these workers each year recently. Workers say staffing levels are cut and pay is low, and they want the public to know it does effect patient care.

#SafeStaffingNow is the slogan these workers chanted to bring attention to their fight.

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MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: IAM Union New Staff Members Attend Winpisinger Center’s Foundational Skills Class

Source: US GOIAM Union

Approximately 65 new IAM Union officers and staff across North America recently completed the IAM Foundational Skills class at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, Md.

The week-long course trained new officer and staff members on essential skills to best serve IAM Union members. Two full classrooms were utilized to accommodate the attendees.

Participants focused on time management and scheduling techniques to effectively serve our membership. The curriculum also included a math program to strengthen their ability to analyze and negotiate contracts.

Representatives from various IAM Union departments at IAM headquarters addressed the class during the week.

The IAM Union Communications Department discussed strategies for communicating with IAM Union members using the media. Attendees participated in a media training exercise, learning how to interact with journalists and understand the importance of media relations.

The five days of training consisted of more than a dozen training sessions.

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MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: English version: Roya Rismankar Appointed IAM Canadian Research Analyst

Source: US GOIAM Union

IAM International President Brian Bryant has appointed Roya Rismankar as a Research Analyst in the Canadian Territory, effective March 10, 2025.

Rismankar will play a crucial role in providing members with accurate and timely information to support their success.

“With her experience and dedication, we are confident that Roya will make meaningful contributions to our research efforts and help set strategies to advance our goals,” said IAM Canadian General Vice President David Chartrand.

Rismankar graduated in 2021 and has gained four years of research experience, specializing in public policy. She has worked with the Government of Canada on an ongoing qualitative research project for the Privy Council Office, advising the Prime Minister on key issues such as housing, government benefits, and cost of living.

“As a Research Analyst, it is a foundational component of my role to provide our fellow members with timely and accurate information to set them up for success,” said Rismankar. “The collective IAM Union will continue to set the standards for workers’ rights at all stages, from employment wages and benefits to retirement and pensions. I am elated to start my journey with the IAM and contribute toward a meaningful cause to amplify workers’ voices all across Canada.”

In addition to her professional work, Rismankar is actively involved in several humanitarian organizations, volunteering her time to support various causes.

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MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Natural Gas Weekly Update

Source: US Energy Information Administration

Temperature – heating & cooling degree days (week ending Mar 20)
	HDDs			CDDs
Region	Current total	Deviation from normal	Deviation from last year	Current total	Deviation from normal	Deviation from last year
New England	131	-67	-18	0	0	0
Middle Atlantic	117	-67	-6	0	0	0
E N Central	125	-68	-24	0	0	0
W N Central	145	-47	-13	0	-1	0
South Atlantic	66	-41	-3	11	0	-4
E S Central	66	-36	-16	3	-2	3
W S Central	41	-20	-2	15	3	-2
Mountain	177	22	12	0	-2	0
Pacific	122	34	40	0	-1	0
United States	112	-33	-2	4	0	-1
Data source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Note: HDDs=heating degree days; CDDs=cooling degree days

Average temperature (°F)

7-day mean ending Mar 20, 2025

Data source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Deviation between average and normal temperature (°F)

7-day mean ending Mar 20, 2025

Data source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

MIL OSI USA News –

March 28, 2025

Category: Americas

A new era for women’s sports

Black women in sport leadership

Elevating women’s sports

Lunar microwave to purify water frozen in Moon’s soil wins UK Space Agency’s Aqualunar Challenge

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Updates to this page

The Federal Budget

Changes in CBO’s Budget Projections Since March 2024

The U.S. Economy

Changes in CBO’s Economic Projections Since March 2024