NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bacon and Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect U.S. Farmland from Foreign Ownership

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

    Bipartisan Legislation Closes Critical Gaps in Foreign Agricultural Land Ownership Tracking

    Washington – Recently, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE-02) along with Reps. Mark Alford (R-MO-04), Michael Bost (R-IL-12), Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28), Brad Finstad (R-MN-01), Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) introduced bipartisan legislation, H.R. 4362, the AFIDA Improvements Act of 2025, to address concerns about foreign farmland ownership.

    The AFIDA Improvements Act codifies recommendations published by the GAO to amend the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) to ensure there is timely and detailed data sharing of foreign investments in agricultural land transactions, better oversight and validation of information, and a better way to help identify those foreign entities who do not file notification they have purchased land in the United States. This legislation will help the United States better track and combat the CCP trying to buy up farmland. 

    The full text of H.R. 4362 the AFIDA Improvements Act of 2025 can be found here.

    “The AFIDA Improvements Act is a bipartisan path to address the national security concerns stemming from the growing purchases of farmland by the Chinese Communist Party. This legislation, among other things, will ensure there is timely and detailed data sharing of foreign investments in agricultural land, better reviewing and validating of information, and identify those foreign entities who do not file notification they have purchased land in the United States,” said Rep. Bacon. “Having actual processes in place will strengthen the security of our nation in the event nefarious foreign agents, such as the CCP, try to purchase agricultural lands within our nation. These lands must be protected as they are essential to feeding our country and other parts of the world, feeding livestock, fueling vehicles, and other uses.”

    “Purchases of American farmland by foreign adversaries are a grave national security risk that has gone on for too long,” said Rep. Alford. “The Trump Administration and House Republicans have made confronting this threat a top priority. The AFIDA Improvements Act will provide the necessary data reporting and transparency for land transactions to help the government weed out unscrupulous land deals. This bill is a critical part of protecting U.S. farmland and should be included in any larger package to address this egregious problem.”

    “We cannot allow foreign adversaries to quietly buy up America’s farmland and threaten our food supply and national security,” said Rep. Bost. “I’m proud to help lead the reintroduction of the AFIDA Improvements Act to shine a light on these shady land grabs, strengthen reporting requirements, and close loopholes that allow foreign entities to fly under the radar. If we don’t act now, we risk selling out our future one acre at a time.”

    “By modernizing AFIDA, we’re taking meaningful steps to safeguard our national security and ensure American farmland stays in American hands,” said Rep. Cuellar. “With Texas leading the nation in foreign-held agricultural land, these reforms are especially urgent for my home state. Our farmers and rural communities deserve transparency and accountability to prevent foreign adversaries from quietly buying up the land that feeds our country.”

    “Food security is national security, and Americans deserve to know how and to what extent foreign investment in American farmland, especially by our adversaries like China, poses a risk to our family farms and food supply,” said Rep. Finstad. “As a fourth-generation farmer, I believe it is critical that American farmland be owned by American farmers and I’m proud to join Rep. Bacon in introducing the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, which will help us prevent foreign entity ownership.”

    “This legislation is a bipartisan, commonsense fix to a growing threat,” said Rep. Houlahan. “Adopting these recommendations from the non-partisan GAO is a step forward in protecting America’s military installations, farmers, and food security. I want to thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for advancing this important legislation.”

    “With the Secretary of Agriculture now a member of CFIUS, Congress should take the next steps towards policies that strengthen the reporting of foreign land purchases. Rep. Bacon’s legislation streamlines the reporting and data sharing of foreign investments into American farmland as another safeguard against the influence of the CCP,” said Rep. Newhouse. “We must remain vigilant in the effort to keep foreign adversaries out of our backyards and give authorities the information they need to be successful.”

    “Foreign entities, especially those tied to adversarial governments like the Chinese Communist Party, buying U.S. agricultural land poses a serious threat to our food and national security,” said Rep. Panetta. “The AFIDA Improvements Act implements commonsense, bipartisan reforms to provide transparency, accountability, and tools needed to monitor these transactions. By improving oversight of foreign land purchases, we can better protect America’s farmland, our agricultural economy, and the security of our nation.”

    Last Congress, AFIDA was successfully included in the Farm Bill passed by the House Agriculture Committee. Rep. Bacon looks forward to working with the Committee this Congress to advance this critical initiative.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson Joins Miranda Devine on New York Post’s Pod Force One

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — This week, Speaker Johnson sat down with the New York Post’s Miranda Devine for a wide-ranging discussion on her new podcast, Pod Force One. They discussed how Republicans are reestablishing fiscal sanity in Washington, the future of the MAGA movement, Speaker Johnson’s roots in Louisiana, and what he believes is the secret to success.

    Watch the full interview here

    On restoring fiscal sanity in Washington:

    We spend too much money. The debt is our number one national security threat and I came to Congress to solve it. The trajectory is not sustainable, but we can’t solve the problem overnight because it could took decades for us to get here. The big beautiful bill was a giant leap forward. We’re going to save over $1.5 trillion in spending. It’s the largest that any legislative body in the history of mankind has ever done. Is it enough? No. It’s a drop in the bucket, but it is a turn. I use the metaphor of an aircraft carrier for the US economy. You don’t turn an aircraft carrier on a dime; it takes a mile of open ocean when it’s at top speed. This was the first big crank on the wheel, the turn on the wheel that we’ve had in generations and now we have the next sequential steps to continue that.

    The president and his administration came in, they identified these areas like USAID for example, which was just fraught with abuse and wasteful uses of taxpayer dollars. We were funding transgender operas in Peru, you know? And Congress didn’t know that which is one of the credits to the DOGE effort as they were able to crack the code, get inside the belly at the agencies and crawl through the data with magic algorithms and find these things. And we didn’t know. So we found that out…And that we hope is the first of a series of rescissions packages that come forward where we, again, in our sequential steps to getting back fiscal, fiscal sanity, that’s going to be a piece of it. 

    On the future of the MAGA movement:

    I think the movement goes forward. It won’t be the same without him, but he’s done a recalibration of our party in many ways. We brought in new demographics, big groups of people that had not been with us probably since the early eighties under Reagan. We’re a working-class party, as we should be. We represent the core principles, and I’m one of the people who’s trying to keep us tied to the moorings. You know, the core principles of our party are the core principles of America. They’re the principles that made us the greatest nation in the history of the world, and we abandon them at our peril, you know? And so there’s a lot of competing ideas and different forces out there right now, but I think we got to hold on to the soul of the party because that’s what’s gotten us to this point. 

    On Speaker Johnson’s secret for success:

    This probably defies conventional wisdom, but it’s a matter of faith. You just be faithful and humble and you be faithful in the little thing that God puts before you today, and then you trust him with the rest. I quote often, John Quincy Adams, he famously said, “duty is ours, results are God’s.” It’s a very liberating way to live, you know, and you just try to do your best every day, do your responsibility, do your duty, and then I let the chips fall where they may. I’m not the sovereign and I’m so delighted that I’m not.

    I’m not sure anyone could navigate the modern speakership the way it’s evolved to today. Without that faith component, I’m not sure I would. Scripture says you love your enemy, of course, as yourself. We don’t have enemies in the building. They’re all colleagues. But it also says that you bless those who persecute you. You don’t keep a record of wrongs. The soft word turns away wrath. There’s so much wisdom in the scripture, and if you apply all that, it allows you to navigate very tricky waters and not take things personally.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castor Presses Trump Administration to Release Illegally Withheld Local Education Funds for Students and Educators

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) pressed U.S. Secretary of Education Lisa McMahon and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought to immediately release more than $6 billion in federal education funds, including $398 million for Florida public schools that serve public school students and train educators. Castor highlights that the Administration is arbitrarily and illegally withholding congressionally-appropriated dollars without warning, and the detrimental impact on Tampa Bay area schools, students and families as districts prepare for the new school year.

    “The critical funding streams that are being withheld were approved by a bipartisan Congress to aid schools in training teachers, providing a well-rounded education, and supporting safe and healthy school and after-school initiatives,” wrote Rep. Castor. “This troubling delay of funding is unnecessarily disrupting budgeting and planning for the fast-approaching 2025-2026 academic school year, jeopardizing education initiatives for students and families and resulting in program cancellations.”

    Castor closed, “I urge you to end the pause and immediately release these funds that are critical to our students, families, schools and the local economy in the Tampa Bay area.”

    Rep. Castor’s letters detailed the harmful effects of the freeze in both Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, which together serve more than 300,000 students. Hillsborough County Public Schools face a potential $24.2 million loss, threatening initiatives like teacher mentoring, literacy training, safety monitors and tutoring. In Pinellas County, nearly $9 million is at risk, including funding for STEM innovation, gifted and talented programming, mental health counseling and college readiness initiatives.

    Rep. Castor called on the Trump Administration officials to communicate clearly with local school districts and release the approved funds without delay to avoid canceled initiatives and uncertainty for students, educators and families.

    Read the HCPS letter here and the PCS letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casten, 16 House Democrats FOIA Request EPA for Info on Employee Firings, Rollbacks

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

    July 16, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) led 16 House Democrats in submitting a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for details of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin’s efforts to slow-walk the promulgation and enforcement of public health standards.

    “At your January 16 confirmation hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, you pledged to be ‘transparent and accountable to Congress and the public,’” the lawmakers wrote. “In keeping with that commitment, please provide us with copies of the records requested below. Your response will help address our concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) implementation of the President’s various executive orders and other actions.”

    In their FOIA request, the lawmakers have demanded information on, among other things:

    • The interest groups that Zeldin and other senior officials have met with and the lobbying documents they have provided;

    • EPA’s current pace of inspections and enforcement, key metrics in assessing how the agency is fulfilling its responsibility of enforcing environmental laws and regulations;

    • Any actual or proposed actions to expedite certain permits pursuant to the “emergency authority” of an executive order;

    • The number of EPA’s public servants who have left or are leaving;

    • The job classifications of the individuals installed in Zeldin’s front office; and

    • The specific statutory provisions that authorize EPA to waive or modify otherwise-applicable requirements under existing federal laws, in following the president’s executive orders. 

    In addition to Rep. Casten, the request was signed by Reps. Jamie Raskin, Summer Lee, Lloyd Doggett, Delia Ramirez, Cleo Fields, Rashida Tlaib, Jan Schakowsky, Pramila Jayapal, Jesús G. “Chuy” García, Mike Quigley, Mark Takano, Sarah Elfreth, Troy Carter, Steve Cohen, and Jim McGovern.

    A copy of the FOIA request can be found here. Text of the request is below.

    Dear Administrator Zeldin,

    At your January 16 confirmation hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, you pledged to be “transparent and accountable to Congress and the public.” In keeping with that commitment, please provide us with copies of the records requested below. Your response will help address our concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) implementation of the President’s various executive orders and other actions. Freedom of Information Act Request Our specific requests for EPA records listed below are submitted pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 USC 552. For purposes of this request, “records” include reports, memoranda, power points, correspondence, or other responsive documents. At this time, we are not seeking copies of (a) emails that transmit, discuss or acknowledge receipt of the records requested; (b) draft or marked up versions of any document; (c) press clippings or any record of media coverage; or (d) any information that is exempt from disclosure under 42 USC 552(b), provided that EPA identifies the specific exemptions in that paragraph that justify withholding records responsive to this request. 

    We expect EPA to waive any fees associated with your response to our request, as disclosure will contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of a government agency and does not serve any private commercial interest. 

    A. Calendar for EPA Administrator and Other Political Appointees

    Former EPA Administrator William Ruckelshaus released the so-called “fishbowl” memo in May 1983, which included a promise to make the meeting calendars for the Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Assistant, Associate and Regional Administrators, and Staff Office Directors publicly available by the end of each week.

    1. EPA provides online access to “simplified meeting calendars” for the Administrator, Regional Administrators, and other high-ranking officials at https://www.epa.gov/senior-leaders-calendars, but advises that a FOIA request is required to obtain the “official record” of such meetings. Please provide copies of the official record of all meetings between January 20 and July 15, 2025, for the Administrator, all Regional Administrators, and for Barry Breen, Kimberly Patrick, Maureen Gwinn, Chad McIntosh, Sarah Dunham, Gregg Tremi, Rick Keigwin, Jeffrey A. Hall, James Payne, Rafael DeLeon, and Peggy Browne.

    2. Please provide a copy of any analyses, power point presentations, charts, reports, letters, or other documents provided to the Office of the Administrator that were prepared by, or on behalf of, any individual or organization identified in the official record of your meeting calendar. You may exclude any confidential briefing materials prepared by any EPA employee.

    B. EPA Workforce

    The numerous announcements regarding the number of EPA employees terminated, rehired, retiring, accepting buyouts, or subject to actual or planned reductions in staffing have left Congress and the public confused about the actual size of EPA’s workforce and its capacity to carry out its mission.

    1. For each office, program or region that appears on EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-organization-chart, please provide records that identify the total number of full time-equivalents (FTE) on EPA’s payroll as of July 15, 2025.

    2. For each office, program or region, please provide records that identify the number of FTE’s who:

      1. are on administrative leave because they have accepted buyouts and are expected to leave EPA on or before September 30, 2025;

      2. have been placed on administrative for any other reason; 

      3. are still employed but have notified EPA of their intention to retire on or before September 30, 2025;

      4. are still employed, but will be terminated on or before September 30, 2025, due to planned reductions in enforce or the elimination of specific functions or programs; and

      5. have been hired since January 20, 2025, excluding any employees who were rehired after they were mistakenly terminated.

    Please provide records that identify the number, name, and job classifications of individuals hired by the Office of the Administrator since January 20, 2025.

    C. EPA Enforcement Actions

    Federal environmental law directs EPA to notify sources violating permit or pollution control standards, as well as the relevant state agencies, and authorizes (and in some cases requires) EPA enforcement actions if needed to bring violators into compliance. 

    Please provide copies of the following records:

    1. Notices of noncompliance issued by EPA from January 1, 2024, to the present, including notices of violation, findings of violation, or warning letters;

    2. Civil complaints filed in federal court since January 1, 2023, for any cases that have not yet been resolved through litigation or an appropriate consent decree;

    3. Inspection reports completed since January 1, 2024;

    4. Information requests issued since January 1, 2024; and

    5. Administrative penalty orders that are still pending, i.e., have not been resolved through consent orders.

    D. EPA Reports Required By Executive Order

    The EPA and other federal agencies are required to report regularly on the actions they have taken to implement President Trump’s various executive orders. We request copies of the reports or records itemized below, along with any records of the analyses that EPA relied upon to prepare them. 

    Executive Order 14156: The Clean Water Act authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the permitting of projects that may pollute wetlands or other waters during emergency situations that result in “…an unacceptable hazard to life, a significant loss of property, or an immediate, unforeseen, and significant economic hardship…” (33 C.F.R. 325.2(e)). Executive Order (EO) 14156, “Declaring a National Energy Emergency,” directs the EPA and other agencies to exercise this emergency permitting authority “…to the fullest extent possible…to facilitate the Nation’s energy supply”; to identify actual, planned or potential actions to implement this directive within 30 days (by February 19), and every thirty days thereafter to report on their status as well as any new opportunities to exercise this emergency authority.

    Please provide a copy of:

    1. all reports that EPA has prepared and submitted in response to EO 14156; and

    2.  any actual or potential actions to expedite permits pursuant to the emergency authority cited in EO 14156.

    Executive Order 14154: EO 14154, “Unleashing American Energy,” requires EPA and other Agencies to suspend, revise, or rescind “…all existing regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, settlements, consent orders and any other actions…” that impose an undue burden on the “development and use” of fossil fuels, critical minerals, and other energy sources that do not include wind, solar power, or electric vehicles. Agencies must notify the Attorney General of any actions taken to implement this directive and within 30 days report to OMB as to whether reducing or eliminating enforcement could help to implement the President’s policy goals.

    Please provide a copy of any record of:

    1. the EPA actions reported to the Attorney General under EO 14154;

    2. any report or other document provided to OMB regarding the actual or potential exercise of its enforcement authority under EO 14154; and

    3. for any federal law implemented in whole or in part by EPA, any records that interpret the specific statutory provisions that authorize the EPA to waive or modify otherwise applicable requirements.

    4. any guidance, memoranda, or policy issued by EPA that establish or explain the criteria for determing when a regulation, order, guidance, policy, settlement, consent order or “any other action” will pose an “undue burden” on the development or use of fossil fuels or critical minerals.

    Please feel free to contact me directly if you have questions about the scope of this request or wish to discuss a schedule for response. Alternatively, your staff may contact Nikki Roy in my office (Nikki.Roy@mail.house.gov). Thank you for your attention to our request. We look forward to your reply.

    Sincerely,

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RIDOH and DEM Lift Advisory at Wilson Reservoir and Recommend Avoiding Contact with All Roger Williams Park Ponds

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) have lifted the recommendation to avoid recreational activities at Wilson Reservoir in Burrillville. The harmful algae bloom (HAB) caused by blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) has cleared. Recent testing shows algae levels are low and no toxins were detected, meeting safety guidelines.

    RIDOH and RIDEM are extending the advisory and advising people to avoid contact with all Roger Williams Park Ponds in Providence due to a confirmed cyanobacteria bloom. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are naturally present in bodies of water, but under certain environmental conditions will form harmful algae blooms?(HABs). All recreation, including swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking, is high risk to health and recommended to be avoided at this location. HABs can produce toxins which can be harmful to humans and animals.

    Use caution in all areas of Roger William Park Ponds as cyanobacteria HABs can move locations in ponds and lakes. People should not drink untreated water or eat fish from affected waterbodies.?Pet owners should not allow pets to drink or swim in this water.?

    Skin contact with water containing toxin-producing cyanobacteria can cause irritation of the skin, nose, eyes, and throat. Symptoms from ingestion of water can include stomachache, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Less common symptoms can include dizziness, headache, fever, liver damage, and nervous system damage. Young children and pets are at higher risk for health effects associated with cyanobacteria HABs because they are more likely to swallow water when they are in or around bodies of water. People who have had contact with these ponds and experience those symptoms should contact their healthcare provider.?

    If you or your pet come into contact with a cyanobacteria HAB:

    – Rinse your skin with clean water right away.

    – Shower and wash your clothes when you get home.

    – If your pet was exposed, wash it with clean water immediately and don’t let it lick algae from its fur.

    – Call a vet if your pet shows signs of illness like tiredness, no eating, vomiting, diarrhea or other symptoms within a day.

    – If you feel sick after contact, call a healthcare provider.

    Affected waters might look bright to dark green, with thick algae floating on the surface. It may resemble green paint, pea soup, or green cottage cheese. If you see water like this, people and pets should avoid contact with the water.

    To report suspected cyanobacteria blooms, contact DEM’s Office of Water Resources at 401-222-4700 Press 6 or?DEM.OWRCyano@dem.ri.gov?and if possible, send a photograph of the reported algae bloom. For more information and the Freshwater Cyanobacteria Tracker Dashboard that lists current advisories and data, visit:?www.dem.ri.gov/bluegreen

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Why Russia is not taking Trump’s threats seriously

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Patrick E. Shea, Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Global Governance, University of Glasgow

    The US president, Donald Trump, recently announced that Russia had 50 days to end its war in Ukraine. Otherwise it would face comprehensive secondary sanctions targeting countries that continued trading with Moscow.

    On July 15, when describing new measures that would impose 100% tariffs on any country buying Russian exports, Trump warned: “They are very biting. They are very significant. And they are going to be very bad for the countries involved.”

    Secondary sanctions do not just target Russia directly, they threaten to cut off access to US markets for any country maintaining trade relationships with Moscow. The economic consequences would affect global supply chains, targeting major economies like China and India that have become Russia’s commercial lifelines.

    Despite the dire threats, Moscow’s stock exchange increased by 2.7% immediately following Trump’s announcement. The value of the Russian rouble also strengthened. On a global scale, oil markets appear to have relaxed, suggesting traders see no imminent risks.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    This market reaction coincided with a nonplussed Moscow. While official statements noted that time was needed for Russia to “analyse what was said in Washington”, other statements suggested that the threats would have no effect. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, for example, declared on social media that “Russia didn’t care” about Trump’s threats.

    The positive market reaction and lack of panic from Russian officials tell us more than simple scepticism about Trump’s willingness to follow through.

    If investors doubted Trump’s credibility, we would expect market indifference, not enthusiasm. Instead, the reaction suggests that financial markets expected a stronger response from the US. As Artyom Nikolayev, an analyst from Invest Era, quipped: “Trump performed below market expectations.”

    A reprieve, not a threat

    Trump’s threat isn’t just non-credible – the positive market reaction in Russia suggests it is a gift for Moscow. The 50-day ultimatum is seen not as a deadline but as a reprieve, meaning nearly two months of guaranteed inaction from the US.

    This will allow Russia more time to press its military advantages in Ukraine without facing new economic pressure. Fifty days is also a long time in American politics, where other crises will almost certainly arise to distract attention from the war.

    More importantly, Trump’s threat actively undermines more serious sanctions efforts that were gaining momentum in the US Congress. A bipartisan bill has been advancing a far more severe sanctions package, proposing secondary tariffs of up to 500% and, crucially, severely limiting the president’s ability to waive them.

    By launching his own initiative, Trump seized control of the policy agenda. Once the ultimatum was issued, US Senate majority leader John Thune announced that any vote on the tougher sanctions bill would be delayed until after the 50-day period. This effectively pauses a more credible threat facing the Kremlin.

    This episode highlights a problem for US attempts to use economic statecraft in international relations. Three factors have combined to undermine the credibility of Trump’s threats.

    First, there is Trump’s own track record. Financial markets have become so accustomed to the administration announcing severe tariffs only to delay, water down or abandon them that the jibe “Taco”, short for “Trump always chickens out”, has gained traction in financial circles.

    This reputation for failing to stick to threats means that adversaries and markets alike have learned to price in a high probability of backing down.



    Read more:
    Investors are calling Trump a chicken – here’s why that matters

    Second, the administration’s credibility is weakened by a lack of domestic political accountability. Research on democratic credibility in international relations emphasises how domestic constraints – what political scientists call “audience costs” – can paradoxically strengthen a country’s international commitments.

    When leaders know they will face political punishment from voters or a legislature for backing down from a threat, their threats gain weight. Yet the general reluctance of Congress to constrain Trump undermines this logic. This signals to adversaries that threats can be made without consequence, eroding their effectiveness.

    And third, effective economic coercion requires a robust diplomatic and bureaucratic apparatus to implement and enforce it. The systematic gutting of the State Department and the freezing of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programmes eliminate the diplomatic infrastructure necessary for sustained economic pressure.

    Effective sanctions require careful coordination with allies, which the Trump administration has undermined. In addition, effective economic coercion requires planning and credible commitment to enforcement, all of which are impossible without a professional diplomatic corps.

    Investors and foreign governments appear to be betting that this combination of presidential inconsistency, a lack of domestic accountability, and a weakened diplomatic apparatus makes any threat more political theatre than genuine economic coercion. The rally in Russian markets was a clear signal that American economic threats are becoming less feared.

    Patrick E. Shea 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 Russia is not taking Trump’s threats seriously – https://theconversation.com/why-russia-is-not-taking-trumps-threats-seriously-261296

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Lawler, Salazar, and Escobar Introduce Historic Bipartisan DIGNITY Act to Finally Fix America’s Broken Immigration System

    Source: US Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17)

    Washington, D.C., 7/15/25… Today, Reps. Mike Lawler (NY-17), María Elvira Salazar (FL-27), and Veronica Escobar (TX-16) introduced a new and improved version of the DIGNITY Act – the DIGNITY Act of 2025: a bold, historic, and commonsense immigration reform bill at a press conference at the Capitol. 

    Key provisions of the Dignity Act include:

    • Border Security: Fully funds modern border infrastructure and enforcement.
    • Mandatory E-Verify: Prevents illegal hiring and protects American jobs.
    • Asylum Reform: Ends catch-and-release, and ensures timely and credible outcomes.
    • Dreamer Protections: Grants legal status and a path to permanent residency.
    • The Dignity Program: A 7-year earned legal status program allowing undocumented immigrants to live and work legally, with renewable status based on good conduct and restitution.
    • Workforce Development: Expands training, apprenticeships, and education for American workers.
    • Legal Immigration Reform: Update visa categories to align with 21st-century economic needs.

    “In conversations across NY-17, I’ve heard a lot of frustration, both from employers struggling to fill jobs and families looking to reunite with their loved ones,” said Congressman Lawler. “We must do this by fixing our broken legal immigration system, securing our borders, and creating a fair, earned process for those who are already here and contributing. The Dignity Act honors America’s legacy of being a nation of immigrants, and that’s why I’m proud to support it.”

    “The Dignity Act of 2025 is a revolutionary bill that offers the solution to our immigration crisis: secure the border, stop illegal immigration, and provide an earned opportunity for long-term immigrants to stay here and work,” said Congresswoman Salazar. “No amnesty. No handouts. No citizenship. Just accountability and a path to stability for our economy and our future.” 

    “I have seen firsthand the devastating consequences of our broken immigration system, and as a member of Congress, I take seriously my obligation to propose a solution. Realistic, common-sense compromise is achievable, and is especially important given the urgency of this moment. I consider the Dignity Act of 2025 a critical first step to overhauling this broken system,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “Immigrants – especially those who have been in the United States for decades – make up a critical component of our communities and also of the American workforce and economy. The vast majority of immigrants are hard-working, law-abiding residents; and, most Americans recognize that it is in our country’s best interest to find bipartisan reforms. We can enact legislation that incorporates both humanity and security, and the Dignity Act of 2025 offers a balanced approach that restores dignity to people who have tried to navigate a broken system for far too long. The reintroduction of this legislation includes changes that reflect the challenges in today’s political environment. I’m proud of my bipartisan work with Representative Salazar, who has been a strong partner on this issue since December 2022. It is our hope that Congress seizes the opportunity to take an important step forward on this issue.”

    “It’s past time for Congress to move reasonable immigration reform that restores law and order, ends illegal immigration, and provides a solution to undocumented immigrants—who meet certain requirements—the chance to live and work here legally,” said Congressman Valadao. “Immigration reform has long been one of my top priorities, and I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan effort to secure our border, fix our immigration system, and strengthen our economy.”

    “As the grandson of Mexican immigrants and a former cop and soldier, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of a secure border and a fair immigration system,” said Congressman Evans. “I’m proud to help introduce Congresswoman Salazar’s bipartisan DIGNITY Act, which prioritizes border security while delivering a practical solution for immigrants who want to work hard, follow our laws, and be productive members of society. Our legislation accomplishes what Latino business owners and community members have been asking for: give immigrants positively contributing to our community an opportunity to pursue the American Dream.” 

    They were joined by a group of 20 members including David Valadao (CA-22), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Gabe Evans (CO-08), Marlin Stutzman (IN-03), Don Bacon (NE-02), Young Kim (CA-04), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Susie Lee (NV-03), Adam Gray (CA-13), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Mike Levin (CA-49), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Laura Gillen (NY-04), and Jake Auchincloss (MA-04).

    Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

    ###

    The full press conference can be found here.

    Full text of the bill can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Estes Honors the Life of Intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym on House Floor

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

    Estes Honors the Life of Intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym on House Floor

    U.S. Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) delivered remarks on the House floor honoring the life of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym. Eric was an intern in Rep. Estes’ office for the summer. He was killed in Washington, D.C., on June 30, 2025, as an innocent bystander. A moment of silence was held following Rep. Estes’ remarks. Read his remarks below and watch here.

    Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and celebrate the life of Eric Jachym of Granby, Massachusetts, who was an intern in my office.  

    Eric’s life was tragically cut short by a senseless act of violence in our nation’s capital. Eric was an innocent bystander who was gunned down as he walked down the street less than one mile from the White House.

    I want to offer my prayers and condolences to Eric’s family, friends and loved ones. 

    Eric was a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who came to Washington to participate in our government. 

    He was a kind and friendly presence in my office, greeting everyone who came through the door with a smile.

    The loss of Eric will be felt for a long time. We will never forget his presence and kindness in my office. Those he met in his short term in my office will never forget him either. 

    Eric Jachym was a dedicated, and thoughtful and kind person who loved our country, and he gave his life in the service of others. I thank him for his service and for the impact he made on our lives.

    May he rest in peace. 

    Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House observe a moment of silence to remember Eric Jachym. 

    Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield back.http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_rFD-BA-qc

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: TODAY: Governor Newsom to provide update after visiting Los Angeles communities affected by immigration raids

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jul 16, 2025

    LOS ANGELES COUNTY — Governor Gavin Newsom will hold a media availability to speak on the federal government’s demobilization of 2,000 National Guard members, as well as the effect of immigration raids on immigrant communities across California.

    WHEN: Wednesday, July 16 at approximately 2:15 p.m.

    LIVESTREAM:  Governor’s Twitter page, Governor’s Facebook page, and the Governor’s YouTube page. This event will also be available to TV stations on the LiveU Matrix under “California Governor.”

    NOTE: This in-person press event will be open to credentialed media only. Media interested in attending must RSVP by clicking here no later than 1 p.m., July 16. Location information will be provided upon confirmation.

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jul 15, 2025

    News What you need to know: Productions filmed in California are raking in the nominations in this year’s Emmy bids.  SACRAMENTO –  Today, the nominees for the 77th Emmy Awards were announced, with California-based television productions securing at least 104…

    Jul 15, 2025

    News What you need to know: The LA Rises public outreach campaign will connect and support Angelenos impacted by the Eaton and Palisades fires with resources for long-term recovery and rebuilding. LOS ANGELES – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of a…

    Jul 15, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Despite a concerted misinformation campaign driven by Republicans – from the President to state lawmakers – to create confusion around gas prices in California, prices actually remain lower now than they were one week ago, one month ago and one year…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA and DOL Sign MOU to Support Domestic Manufacturing

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to support American manufacturing. The agreement, which will enhance collaboration and data-sharing across key programs, is designed to cultivate a pipeline of skilled workers while also promoting capital and contracting opportunities for domestic producers – 98% of whom are small businesses. The agreement aligns directly with President Trump’s ongoing efforts to restore American industry and jobs.

    “Under President Trump’s leadership, this Administration is working tirelessly to restore America as the world’s manufacturing superpower – securing trillions in investments and bringing hundreds of thousands of jobs back home. I am thrilled to partner with Administrator Loeffler to usher in a new Golden Age of American manufacturing,” said Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “Through this agreement, the Department of Labor will collaborate with the Small Business Administration to help ensure America’s workforce is ready to seize these opportunities by expanding Registered Apprenticeships and other hands-on training programs that will benefit both small and large manufacturers.”

    “Thanks to President Trump’s commitment to restoring American industrial dominance, this Administration is already bringing back jobs, economic independence, and national security,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “The vast majority of U.S. manufacturers are small businesses, and I’ve heard firsthand walking factory floors with business leaders that they are spring-loaded for growth with the America First agenda. I’m excited to work alongside Secretary Chavez-DeRemer to cultivate a pipeline of skilled workers and capital to support their growth in a powerful new era of Made in America.”

    The MOU will connect SBA’s capital and contracting tools with DOL’s workforce development infrastructure. Under the agreement, the agencies will expand data-sharing and coordination on programs such as DOL’s Registered Apprenticeship Program and the Veteran Employment Training Service. SBA will likewise offer cross-agency training on loan programs to support manufacturing, including the 7a and 504 loan programs. This collaboration will streamline interagency cooperation and awareness – while maximizing resource delivery to domestic manufacturers and workers.

    Under the leadership of Administrator Loeffler, the SBA has taken numerous steps to support American industry. Earlier this year, the agency launched the Made in America Manufacturing Initiative, with a commitment to cut $100 billion in red tape, promote workforce development, and expand access to capital for small manufacturers. The agency also recently announced a new Onshoring Portal, which connects small businesses with a database of more than 1 million domestic suppliers – empowering job creators to support American jobs, shift supply chains back home, and end their reliance on foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

    # # #

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration
    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arrest of Javier Santos-Alejandro

    Source: US FBI

    SAN JUAN, PR—Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Devin J. Kowalski, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), San Juan Field Office, announced today the arrest of Javier Santos-Alejandro (Santos-Alejandro).

    Santos-Alejandro was charged under a Federal Criminal Complaint with violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections:

    • 2119(1) and (2): Carjacking—Aiding & Abetting
    • 924(c)(1)(A)(ii) and (2): Brandishing of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence—Aiding & Abetting
    • 2119(3) and (2): Attempted Carjacking Resulting in Death—Aiding & Abetting

    Charges included in the complaint are related to events which took place July 2nd and July 5th, which led to the death of Natalia Aileen Santiago-Rivera.

    “Today’s arrest is an important step in the journey to secure justice for Natalia’s family,” said SAC Kowalski. “I am proud of, and thankful for, the dedicated FBI Special Agents, Intelligence, and Professional Staff – as well as our incredible teammates at the Police of Puerto Rico and the United States Attorney’s Office – who have worked this case relentlessly. But we are not done, and you can expect us to persistently investigate this tragedy until everyone involved is held accountable. My advice to those who think they can get away with this: you won’t, so turn yourselves in.”

    This case is being investigated by the FBI San Juan Field Office in partnership with the Police of Puerto Rico and is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.

    Tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. The FBI reminds the public that anyone with information on this case should contact the FBI San Juan Field Office immediately by calling 787-987-6500 or submit tips through the FBI’s Internet complaint portal at tips.fbi.gov. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

    The public is reminded that a Federal Criminal Complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty by a court of law. The U.S. government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Goldman and Nadler Applaud NYC Council for Forcing City to Finally Release the Truth About 9/11 Air Toxins

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressmen Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) issued the following statement in response to the New York City Council voting to release 9/11 related documents: 

     

    “We commend the New York City Council for passing Resolution 560, finally forcing the City to release records about what officials knew about the toxic air New Yorkers were breathing after 9/11 while they were telling the public it was safe to return to the City. 

      

    “For years, we have demanded transparency from the Adams Administration about what the Giuliani and Bloomberg Administrations knew about toxins in the air following 9/11 and when they knew it. We sent multiple letters to the Adams Administration requesting the release of critical records, yet each time, they denied our requests. Their lack of a meaningful response denied justice to the thousands of New Yorkers and first responders who continue to deal with or have died from health complications due to the air quality following 9/11.  

      

    “With the passage of Resolution 560, New York City’s Department of Investigation has the power to discover exactly what Mayor Giuliani knew about the toxins in the air after 9/11 while claiming it was safe for New Yorkers to return. These records could provide long overdue accountability for potentially devastating decisions that cost thousands of lives. 

      

    “New Yorkers deserve the truth. We’re finally about to get some answers.” 

     

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Dan Goldman’s Statement on American Citizen Murdered in the West Bank

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    “I am outraged by the brutal murder of Saif Musallet, a Palestinian American, by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. There must be a full investigation, and those responsible must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. 

    “Since the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7, I have repeatedly warned of the dangers of escalating violence against Palestinian civilians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. This conduct erodes democracy in Israel and the possibility of peace in the region, and I urge the Israeli government to enforce the rule of law by ensuring accountability for those who perpetrated this act.  

    “My heart goes out to Saif’s family. I will continue to push for justice and democracy in the West Bank in pursuit of a lasting peace in the region.” 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney announces new measures to protect and strengthen Canada’s steel industry

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Canada is one of the countries most exposed to the fundamental restructuring of the global steel industry, with substantial steel exports, high per capita use, and a disproportionately open import market. To remain competitive and grow our economy, Canada must reinforce our strength at home. Our objective is to stabilize the domestic steel market and prevent harmful trade diversion amid current tensions in global steel trade.

    Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced a suite of targeted measures to stand behind Canada’s steel industry, protect Canadian careers, and invest in our homegrown industrial capacity to build Canada strong. Canada’s new government will:

    1. Restrict and reduce foreign steel imports entering the Canadian market
      • As stated on June 19, 2025, Canada’s new government promised to review our tariff rate quotas for non-free trade agreement (FTA) partners in 30 days. To that end, the following changes to tariff rate quotas will take effect in the coming days.
      • First, Canada will tighten the tariff rate quota levels for steel products from non-FTA countries from 100% to 50% of 2024 volumes. Above those levels, a 50% tariff will apply.
      • Second, for non-U.S. partners with which we have an FTA, Canada will introduce a tariff rate quota level for steel products at 100% of 2024 volumes and apply a 50% tariff on steel imports above those levels.
      • Existing arrangements with our CUSMA partners will remain the same, including no changes to our current trade measures with the U.S.
      • The government is reviewing its remission framework to favour the use of Canadian steel and aluminum in Canadian-made products. Canada will reassess its existing trade arrangements with respect to steel, consistent with progress made in the bilateral discussions with the U.S. and taking into account broader steel negotiations.
      • Canada will also implement additional tariffs of 25% on steel imports from all non-U.S. countries containing steel melted and poured in China before the end of July.
      • These measures will ensure Canadian steel producers are more competitive by protecting them against trade diversion resulting from a fast-changing global environment for steel, creating more resilient supply chains, and unlocking new private capital in Canadian production.
    2. Invest in Canadian steel workers and production
      • Building on the enhancements to Employment Insurance (EI) and the EI Work-sharing, the government is investing $70 million in Labour Market Development Agreements to provide training and income supports for up to 10,000 affected steel workers. Through reskilling investments and increased worker supports, we will ensure workers have the skills and support they need to meet the future needs of the industry.
      • To strengthen and ready the workforce to build a more resilient steel industry, Canada will provide $1 billion to the Strategic Innovation Fund to help steel companies advance projects that will increase their competitiveness within the domestic market, catalyze production of steel products not currently produced in Canada, and create jobs in sectors such as defence.
      • The Business Development Bank of Canada Pivot to Grow initiative is being enhanced to provide support to eligible steel small and medium-sized enterprises facing liquidity challenges.
      • The steel industry will be prioritized with $150 million as part of the government’s Regional Tariff Response Initiative through the Regional Development Agencies.
      • Finally, the Large Enterprise Tariff Loan will be updated to expand eligibility and provide lower cost financing to firms in the steel industry. These changes will include reducing the minimum annual revenue requirement from $300 million to $150 million, reducing the minimum loan size from $60 million to $30 million, extending the loan maturity from 5 to 7 years, reducing the initial interest rate, and requiring companies to prioritize worker retention.
    3. Prioritize Canadian steel to build big projects
      • As the federal government delivers on its mandate to build major, national projects and millions more homes faster, we will ensure Canadian steel and other Canadian materials are prioritized in construction. We will also change federal procurement processes to require companies contracting with the federal government to source steel from Canadian companies.

    At this transformative moment, we are shifting from reliance to resilience – using Canadian steel to protect our sovereignty, grow our industries, export our energy, and build one strong Canadian economy. It’s time to build big, build bold, and build the strongest economy in the G7 using Canadian steel.

    Quotes

    “Our steel industry will be central to Canada’s competitiveness, our security, and our prosperity. As Canada moves from reliance to resilience, Canada’s new government is taking a series of major measures to support, reinforce, and transform the industry to be more resilient in the face of profound shifts in global trade and supply chains.”

    “Our government continues to defend Canadian workers, businesses, and investments as we navigate the new trading environment. At the same time, we are actively strengthening our domestic producers through the significant additional supports announced today, enabling them to build essential infrastructure and ensure the prosperity of workers throughout this key Canadian industry.”

    “Protecting Canada’s steel industry means defending Canadian jobs, securing our economic sovereignty, and building the future right here at home. Canada’s steelworkers are critical to building a strong Canadian economy; protecting their jobs is protecting Canada’s economic future.”

    “Steel workers and their industry are vital to Canada’s economy. Canada will support workers as their jobs are threatened by tariffs. Today’s announcement will help workers access skills training and retraining tailored to the needs of the steel sector. As we build the strongest country in the G7, the message to Canadian steel workers is clear: we are with you.”

    “Canada is building faster and stronger. By prioritizing Canadian steel and other materials in our projects, we are taking important steps to prioritize Canadian suppliers, protect well-paying jobs, strengthen our supply chain, and support our industry in the face of unjustified U.S. tariffs.”

    Associated link

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luttrell Secures Key Wins as Committee Sends FY26 NDAA to House Floor

    Source:

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) released the following statement after the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 was successfully voted out of the House Armed Services Committee and sent to the House floor:

    “America’s warfighters rely on Congress to provide them with the tools necessary to maintain our nation’s standing as the most lethal force in history. The FY26 NDAA ensures our military continues to combat our foreign adversaries and modernize our cybersecurity infrastructure, while providing critical support to our service members. I am pleased to see my provisions countering cyber threats, advancing hypersonics innovation, and expanding Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) research included in this legislative package. I look forward to supporting the bill when it comes to a vote on the House floor.”

    The NDAA is annual legislation that authorizes the policies and funding levels for the Department of Defense (DoD) and other national security entities.

    Luttrell secured over 50 provisions within the NDAA, including:

    • Multiple provisions to enhance cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and emerging technology tools for the DoD.  
    • Authorizes funding for research and clinical trials for post-traumatic stress disorder and TBI treatments.
    • Several provisions to support the training, health, and well-being of our service members.
    • Greenlights funding for increased development of hypersonics. This builds on additional funding Luttrell secured in H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and supports research and development activities in Texas.   
    • A provision to prevent the deactivation of the 1-158th Army Reserve unit in Conroe without a continuity plan for soldiers and capabilities.
    • Language to support the domestic production of critical minerals to decrease U.S. reliance on China.

    View the full markup here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Mann Leads Subcommittee Hearing on Safeguarding U.S. Agriculture, Disease Prevention in Animal Health

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tracey Mann (Kansas, 1)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Tracey Mann (KS-01), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry, led a subcommittee hearing entitled “Safeguarding U.S. Agriculture: The Role of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN).” During the hearing, the Chairman underscored the vital role the National Animal Health Laboratory Network plays in mitigating foreign animal diseases like the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, African Swine Fever, and New World Screwworm. 

    Chairman Mann also emphasized the role institutions like the Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the National Bio and Argo-Defense Facility play in preventing animal diseases from spreading and highlighted the devastating impact the New World Screwworm would have on cattle producers in the Big First District and across the country if it reaches U.S. borders. The Chairman ended his questioning touting investments the One Big Beautiful Bill Act made into animal health research, strengthening the nation’s food supply chain and better positioning the United States to focus on disease prevention rather than outbreak control. 

    Excerpts:

    [Opening Statement as Prepared]: “Good morning and thank you all for joining us at today’s hearing. I am excited to chair this hearing of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, where we will focus on the important work of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, or NAHLN. As a fifth-generation Kansas farm kid I grew up riding pens and doctoring cattle at my family’s preconditioning feedlot and I intimately understand the vital role that animal health plays in all livestock and poultry operations. 

    The National Animal Health Laboratory Network is a critical piece of our ability to respond to and mitigate foreign animal diseases. Originally comprised of 12 laboratories when created in 2002, the NAHLN network has grown to include over 60 State and university laboratories, including the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Manhattan, Kansas.  

    These labs are strategically placed across the United States to support animal agriculture by developing and increasing the capabilities and capacities to support early detection, rapid response, and appropriate recovery from high-consequence animal diseases. Put simply, they are our first line of defense. 

    These labs do not operate in a vacuum. The NAHLN network is successful because of partnerships between Federal, State, and university-associated animal health laboratories and experts. This partnership is critical to response efforts when foreign animal diseases are detected, such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, New World Screwworm, African Swine Fever, and so many more.  

    Today, you will hear from a panel of experts who work at NAHLN laboratories. These experts will be able to share pertinent information about the critical work they do – whether it be tracking the New World Screwworm outbreak in Mexico, identifying the move of hi-path into dairy cattle in Texas, working with the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Kansas, or crucial swine testing in Iowa. 

    This hearing could not come at a better time to highlight the work of the NAHLN laboratories and talk about the need for additional resources. As of two weeks ago, funding for NAHLN – as well as funding for the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program and National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank – was substantially increased in the One Big Beautiful Bill. 

    The One Big Beautiful Bill included $233 million per year for the three-legged stool, with $10 million per year directed towards the NAHLN laboratories, which is on top of existing discretionary funding. This funding will increase diagnostic capabilities, improve research, assist in disease surveillance, and strengthen our overall capacity as a nation to prevent, detect, and mitigate foreign animal diseases. I am proud of the work this Committee did to shore up our animal health resources and protect the herds and flocks that bring so much value to our producers and national security. 

    I look forward to hearing from our witnesses about the work they do, day in and day out, in their roles with the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. I am excited to hear about how the increased funding will help their operation of these laboratories, which foreign animal diseases they see as the most consequential, and how we as Congress can be good partners to them. Again, thank you all for being here.” 

    [On NBAF and NAHLN combatting foreign animal disease]: “The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, is a state-of-the-art facility that will help protect the nation’s agriculture, farmers, and consumers against the threat and potential impacts of serious foreign animal diseases. NBAF has biosafety level 2, 3, and 4 laboratories, allowing them to study and diagnose the most consequential animal pathogens. NBAF plays a critical role in our animal disease preparedness and management and is an important partner to the NAHLN system. Dr. Retallick, how does the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory collaborate with NBAF, and how will each of your operations supplement one another?” 

    Retallick: “We are excited to have NBAF as our neighbor in Manhattan, KS. NBAF has multiple missions, one of those is research and one of those is service, which is the NAHLN lab that was discussed. And so the NAHLN being a network, our interaction with them through the NAHLN and confirmatory testing is going to be the same as all the NAHLN laboratories for that. The other thing you might see us assist in NBAF is training the future technicians for them. Often entry level will come in, we will train, and they may go to work in NBAF. Ultimately, the collaboration will be very similar among all of the state laboratories, with NBAF being our parent lab and our confirmatory testing place.”

    [On New World Screwworm]: “The detection of New World Screwworm in Mexico is a huge threat to our domestic cattle producers. USDA estimates that a contemporary outbreak in Texas alone could cost producers $732 million per year. If you expand those results to the states within the historic range of New World Screwworm pre-eradication, a contemporary outbreak would cost producers as much as $4.3 billion per year and cause a total economic loss of over $10 billion. These are not losses our producers, or our economy, can afford. Again for you Dr. Retallick, surveillance and testing capacity was critical to eradicating this pest back in the 1960s. How are the NAHLN laboratories involved in preventing the spread of screwworm, and what role would they play if the pest were to reach our shores?”

    Retallick: As I stated earlier the NAHLN labs, many of them are in universities and state departments of ag, which have specialists. Each specialist is highly trained to recognize diseases and new disease threats. At KVDL, like many of the other labs in the network, we have parasitologists and pathologists who have already gone through training to recognize this. So, we will recognize through there. The NAHLN is also discussing it in their weekly calls, updating us and providing training. And in addition, with the caseload that comes through these diagnostic laboratories in the states, we see all sorts of things and animals for disposal, allowing us a large caseload to surveil coming in through routine testing.”

    [On One Big Beautiful Bill Act]: “Two weeks ago the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law. We were able to secure historic investments to modernize the farm safety net, promote ag products overseas, increase research, and important to this hearing, shore up our animal health tools. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the NAHLN system will receive $10 million annually through fiscal year 2030 on top of existing discretionary funding. At a time when foreign animal diseases are threatening our producers on all fronts, how will this investment help your lab to prepare for and respond to an outbreak?”

    Main: “Thank you. It would be a tremendous help, I would say, from providing a base of capacity and capability which is principally driven by our people. And that additional funding will enable I think, across the laboratory to really help with, I would say, maintaining adequate preparedness, via the people in the laboratory.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Deputy Secretary General calls for stronger NATO-EU cooperation to build on historic Summit decisions

    Source: NATO

    On Wednesday (16 July), NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska addressed a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE). She explained the outcome of the NATO Summit in The Hague, called for stronger cooperation with the European Union (EU), and answered questions from Members of the European Parliament.

    Ms Shekerinska introduced the historic agreement reached by Allies at the NATO Summit in The Hague, to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. The new defence spending target is based on NATO’s ambitious capability targets and the latest defence plans.  “It is the price we must pay to preserve peace” she stated, adding that “not preparing to prevent war will cost us much, much more.”

    As a result of the Summit agreement, European Allies and Canada are stepping up, to take their fair share of defence spending.  The Deputy Secretary General welcomed the EU’s increased efforts on defence and stressed that NATO and the EU can do much more together, by boosting the defence industry, protecting critical infrastructure, and developing new capabilities. “But to keep Europe safe, we must ensure that our efforts are truly transatlantic,” she noted.

    As Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues, Ms Shekerinska highlighted U.S. President Donald Trump’s new plan to supply Ukraine with military equipment financed by European Allies and Canada. The Deputy Secretary General underscored the importance of achieving a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. “Going forward, there is even more we can do together, to boost the Ukrainian defence industry and to better integrate it with our own,” Ms Shekerinska affirmed. “This is our security as well … Now we need to roll up our sleeves and deliver,” she concluded. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Seclusion rooms don’t make schools safe, and Ontario needs a policy

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Hunter Knight, Assistant Professor of Childhood and Youth Studies, Western University

    A recent report entitled Crisis in the Classroom: Exclusion, Seclusion and Restraint of Students with Disabilities in Ontario Schools shares accounts of the frightening use of seclusion rooms in schools. It makes recommendations towards improving inclusion, belonging and educational achievement for disabled students.

    The report is from Community Living Ontario, a non-profit organization that advocates for people who have an intellectual disability. It analyzes the results from a survey of 541 caregivers of students with disabilities about their experiences in Ontario schools.

    Seclusion rooms are spaces where students can be kept in isolation and are not permitted to leave. Respondents to the Crisis in the Classroom report detailed incidents such as a student being secluded in a padded room, and a student being isolated in a small, closet-sized room.



    Read more:
    How school systems can honour the human rights of people with disabilities

    While some school boards have developed guidance independently, there is currently no provincial policy on the use of seclusion rooms in Ontario. The Crisis in the Classroom report calls for clear and enforceable provincial regulations and policy around seclusion and restraint.

    As an assistant professor of childhood and youth studies whose work examines constructions of the “problem child” and everyday injustices against disabled and racialized children, I believe it is critical for Ontario residents and policymakers to take stock of the negative effects of seclusion rooms and commit to alternatives.

    I am unaffiliated with this report, but earlier in my career, I worked as as a one-on-one educational aide for students who attended a special education school that used seclusion.

    Defining seclusion rooms

    As education researchers Nadine Alice Bartlett and Taylor Floyd Ellis show, there is inconsistent terminology used to describe seclusion in schools, meaning that “the conditions under which such practices may be used in some instances are subjective,” and this “may contribute to a broad interpretation of what is deemed acceptable … in schools.”

    As opposed to sensory rooms, which students can usually leave at will and are often designed with sensory tools available for self-regulation (like weighted toys), seclusion rooms serve to isolate or contain students.

    Across North America, there are reports of seclusion rooms being built into schools or constructed in classroom corners.

    In the Crisis in the Classroom report, 155 survey respondents said seclusion was used on their child in the 2022-23 school year, where seclusion means having a locked/blocked door (83 respondents) or being physically prevented from leaving (25 respondents).

    Regular, sustained seclusion

    Crisis in the Classroom notes that almost half of the students who had experienced seclusion were secluded on a regular basis, and more than 10 per cent were secluded for longer than three hours.

    Research shows that seclusion is often discriminatory along lines of race, class and ability. Reflecting these patterns identified in larger research, the report flags that students had a higher risk for being secluded if they came from households with lower parental education and income levels, and if they were labelled with a behavioural identification or a mild intellectual disability.

    More than half of the caregivers surveyed had never given permission for their children to be secluded, and the report includes quotes from caregivers who were never told it was happening.

    Response to perceived source of school violence

    Seclusion rooms are commonly justified as necessary tools to keep teachers and (other) students safe.

    This justification ignores the evidenced success of schools that have reduced seclusion or eliminated it entirely through adequate staff support and trauma-informed training that draws from research-proven de-escalation strategies.

    I argue that turning to these alternatives, as the report recommends, is of dire importance. Investigations elsewhere repeatedly find that seclusion rooms are most frequently used for discipline or punishment — not for safety.

    With adequate staffing and trauma-informed training, some schools have reduced or eliminated seclusion.
    (CDC/Unsplash)

    Outside Ontario, where policy requires tracking the reasons why children are sent into seclusion, seclusion has followed incidents like spilling milk or asking for more food at lunch.

    Seclusion rooms act primarily as a disciplinary tool that targets the most vulnerable students in our schools.

    Ineffective, dangerous tools

    Seclusion is an ineffective educational and therapeutic practice and highly dangerous: research shows that seclusion rooms increase injury and violence in schools.

    This appears in the physical harm (for students and staff) that can occur in the physical restraints often required to force a student into a seclusion room. It also appears in the trauma that can ensue from seclusion (for students and staff) that increases the likelihood of future physical confrontations.

    Placing students, often in high distress, into a locked space where they cannot be closely supervised can and has resulted in their deaths.

    Seclusion without regulation

    As the Crisis in the Classroom report and repeated exposés illustrate, a lack of policy does not mean seclusion isn’t happening in Ontario. It means seclusion is happening without provincial policy to regulate things like:

    • Which students can or cannot be secluded, for how long and how often;
    • What rooms for seclusion must look like and essential safety features;
    • What data staff must collect about why seclusion rooms are used;
    • When caregivers must be notified.

    Without these guidelines, sometimes no one knows that seclusion is happening — much less in what spaces, for which students and why — beyond the students and school staff who may be traumatized by this practice.

    Reports of violence in schools

    Crisis in the Classroom notes that teachers’ unions have reported there’s been an increase in violence by students against teachers, often presented in a way that suggests that disabled students are a primary source of this violence. The report acknowledges that the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario has said that students with special education needs have been “chronically under-served by the government.”

    News media coverage, the report suggests, “often takes the side of educational staff, and has an unfortunate habit of conflating disability with aggressive behaviour.”

    Unfortunately, the faulty perspective that disabled students are a source of school violence depends on an ableist logic that has worked historically to subject disabled people to over-incarceration. It effaces the fact that disabled children are actually more likely to be subjected to violence than their peers.



    Read more:
    Achieving full inclusion in schools: Lessons from New Brunswick

    The report points to the dire need to eliminate seclusion and turn towards possibilities that do not increase violence in schools and target disabled students.

    The report’s recommendations echo calls from teachers’ unions for appropriate, adequate staffing in schools and increased professional development, especially trauma-informed training, that would support teachers’ work delivering supportive and inclusive education that keeps everyone safe.

    And these recommendations make an urgent call for strong and clear policy on seclusion and restraint in Ontario that would severely limit it or eliminate it entirely — and at least track when it’s occurring.

    Safer and more humane schools

    This devastating report illustrates that we need policy on seclusion in Ontario now to protect everyone in our schools.

    I know first-hand that teaching, especially for educators working with students with disabilities, is underpaid and underappreciated work.

    More humane practices will keep schools safer for everyone, including teachers and all students, especially students who are still being subjected to seclusion today.

    Hunter Knight receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

    – ref. Seclusion rooms don’t make schools safe, and Ontario needs a policy – https://theconversation.com/seclusion-rooms-dont-make-schools-safe-and-ontario-needs-a-policy-259010

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Representatives Torres and Ruiz Condemn DHS for Blocking Congressional Oversight of Detention Centers

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

    July 16, 2025

    Congressional Lawmakers Demand End to Illegal Obstruction and Partisan Discrimination at DHS Facilities

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (CA-35) and Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem condemning DHS for unlawfully obstructing and delaying Members of Congress seeking to conduct oversight visits to immigration detention facilities operated by DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

    In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the lawmakers highlighted repeated violations of federal law, specifically Section 527(a) of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, which clearly prohibits DHS from denying Members of Congress unimpeded access to detention facilities or making changes that alter what is observed during visits.

    “For weeks, my office has been emailing DHS to schedule a visit, only to be met with shifting policies and ever-changing excuses for why Democratic Members of Congress can’t enter facilities,” said Congresswoman Norma Torres. “DHS is not above the law. Denying access to Democratic Members while granting Republican Members a free pass is not only illegal—it’s a dangerous abuse of power. Congressional oversight isn’t optional; it’s a constitutional duty. If DHS continues to obstruct and discriminate, then Congress must respond—through investigations, funding restrictions, or whatever tools are necessary to restore accountability and uphold the rule of law.”

    “As Members of Congress, we visited the Adelanto ICE facility to ensure residents in our districts are not being subjected to inhumane conditions. The Department of Homeland Security’s sudden policy change requiring advance notice is unacceptable, unlawful, and clearly designed to block transparency and accountability,” said Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25). “Congress has a constitutional duty to conduct oversight. We don’t need permission from DHS to lawfully do our jobs, and we won’t allow the Trump administration to keep moving the goalposts to avoid scrutiny.”

    The lawmakers are demanding written assurances by Friday, July 18, 2025 that DHS will:

    • Cease all unlawful restrictions and partisan discrimination;
    • Fully comply with federal law regarding congressional access to facilities; and
    • Provide equal and prompt access to all Members of Congress regardless of party affiliation.

    Full letter text

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Sidetrade: 2025 H1 revenue, up 19% at constant exchange rates

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Booking resilience amid economic headwinds

    • Annual Contract Value (ACV) of new deals: €5.88 million
    • Down 21% vs. record H1 2024
    • Stable vs. H1 2023 (€5.84 million)

    Commercial launch of the first autonomous AI Cash Collection Agent

    Partnership signed with a global Order-to-Cash services leader

    Strong revenue growth: +19% at constant exchange rates, with SaaS subscriptions up 25% (+18% and +24% respectively in reported data)

    • Robust half-year performance driven by SaaS subscriptions
    • Acceleration in the enterprise segment

    Sidetrade, the global leader in AI-powered Order-to-Cash applications, today announced strong first-half 2025 revenue growth of 19% at constant exchange rates, driven by a 25% increase in SaaS subscription revenue.

    Commenting on the results, Sidetrade CEO Olivier Novasque stated:

    “Given the current macroeconomic environment, we were unable to replicate our record-breaking booking from the first half of 2024, which had seen a 25% year-over-year increase. As anticipated, H1 2025 reflects a 21% decline from that record high, impacted by companies’ cautious stance toward launching new investment projects. Nonetheless, our well-balanced footprint across Europe and North America, where early signs of recovery are emerging, combined with a diversified mix of new deals and upsells to our existing client base, helped maintain bookings at levels comparable to H1 2023, before the 2024 peak.

    While full-year 2025 booking is expected to follow a similar trend, early market feedback on the launch of our autonomous AI Cash Collection Agent is highly encouraging and supports the prospect of a significant reacceleration starting in 2026. Furthermore, the global alliance signed in June with a leading Order-to-Cash services firm is a new growth catalyst, expected to deliver material impact from 2026 onward. Additional agreements of this nature are in advanced stages and will enhance commercial momentum over the coming years.

    On the revenue front, we posted strong growth of +19% at constant exchange rates, including +25% for our SaaS subscriptions. This performance was driven by 1/ the consolidation of SHS Viveon in H1, 2/ strong growth in our subscriptions in the US (+26%), and 3/ a sharp increase in subscriptions from enterprise clients generating over $2.5 billion in revenue (+42%). With nearly 90% recurring revenue and two new growth engines set to kick in from 2026, Sidetrade is well-positioned to sustain a robust and highly predictable business model. We are now entering a new phase in our growth journey, one that will once again redefine the scale and scope of our company over the next three years.”

    Resilient booking performance against a record 2024 and challenging macro backdrop

    In H1 2025, Sidetrade recorded €5.88 million in new Annual Contract Value (ACV), down 21% from the €7.42 million reported in H1 2024, which marked an all-time high (+25% vs. H1 2023). While the economic context and an exceptionally high comparison base weighed on performance, H1 2025 ACV remained in line with the pre-peak level of H1 2023 (€5.84 million), demonstrating the strength of Sidetrade’s commercial model.
    New Annual Recurring Revenue (New ARR) came in at €2.44 million, down 38% from the record €3.95 million in H1 2024. Q1 2025 was exceptionally soft in North America, which accounted for only 8% of New ARR. However, a strong Q2 2025 rebound lifted the US contribution to 34% of total new contract value for the first half of the year.

    Service booking, which are generally billed within twelve months of being signed, remained stable at €3.44 million in H1 2025 (vs. €3.47 million in H1 2024), with reduced large-scale investment activity, particularly in the US, offset by strong expansion projects within the existing client base, including €1.44 million from SHS Viveon customers in Germany.

    The average initial contract period for new clients (excluding renewals) remained high at 44.5 months (vs. 44.8 in H1 2024), significantly above the SaaS industry average (24–36 months), reflecting strong client confidence and contributing to revenue visibility and resilience.

    In a notable shift in trend, only 30% of H1 2025 bookings came from New Business, compared to the historical range of 50–60%. This was due to greater caution among enterprises, especially in North America. Conversely, Cross-sell deals (new entities within a group and/or additional modules, such as CashApp, Credit Risk Expert, or e-Invoicing) accounted for 45% of total bookings (up from 20% previously), while upsells to existing clients contributed 25%. Together, Cross-Sell and UpSell accounted for 70% of signatures, clear evidence of strong customer satisfaction and revenue retention. This also reflects Sidetrade’s ability to capture incremental growth from existing enterprise clients through a multi-product platform strategy, even in a challenging environment.

    AI Agent and strategic alliances open up new structural growth opportunities for order intake

    H1 2025 marked a strategic inflection point, with two new growth levers expected to reshape Sidetrade’s medium-term commercial trajectory: the industrialization of agent-based AI and the expansion of distribution channels through global partnerships.

    In May 2025, Sidetrade unveiled the first autonomous AI agent for cash collection. Designed to operate without human supervision, this next-generation intelligent agent, embodied by Aimie, is a game-changer in the Order-to-Cash space. With strong interest from enterprise clients seeking immediate cash generation improvements, large-scale commercialization is scheduled for early 2026, with some early-stage pre-orders possible in Q4 2025. Initial feedback indicates that AI agents could significantly boost commercial momentum starting next year.

    In parallel, Sidetrade signed a global partnership in June with a major international consulting firm specializing in finance transformation. The agreement provides privileged access to Global 2000 strategic accounts across services, manufacturing, and healthcare, and is expected to generate incremental pipeline growth across North America, EMEA, and APAC.

    Backed by a substantial installed base, breakthrough innovation, and expanded go-to-market capabilities, Sidetrade is well-equipped to accelerate its commercial growth in the coming years.

    Strong revenue growth: +18%, including +24% SaaS subscription growth

    Sidetrade
    (€m)    		 H1 2025 H1 2024 Change
    SaaS Subscription Revenue 25.4 20.5 +24%
    Total Revenue 29.3 24.8 +18%

    All the 2025 information of this financial release is from consolidated, unaudited data.

    Sidetrade posted consolidated revenue of €29.3 million in H1 2025, up 19% at constant exchange rates and 18% on a reported basis.

    SaaS subscription revenue rose to €25.4 million, representing a 25% increase at constant exchange rates (+24% reported). On a like-for-like basis (excluding SHS Viveon), growth stood at +12% constant. This solid performance confirms the strength of Sidetrade’s SaaS business model, with recurring revenue driving robust results amid economic uncertainty.
    Growth was robust among enterprise accounts. SaaS subscriptions from companies generating over €2.5 billion in annual revenue surged 42%, now representing 54% of total subscription revenue, underscoring Sidetrade’s growing penetration of large international enterprises. This high-end market segment is expected to remain a significant growth driver in the coming quarters.

    Service revenue totaled €3.9 million, down 8% compared to H1 2024 and 32% on a like-for-like basis. This was due to fewer large-scale projects and more limited service engagements tied to upsell deals.

    The consolidation of SHS Viveon (effective July 1, 2024) contributed €3.9 million, or 13% of total H1 2025 revenue.

    It is worth noting that all Sidetrade multi-year contracts are indexed to inflation (Syntec index for Southern Europe, UK CPI for Northern Europe, and US CPI for the United States), ensuring that annual pricing updates are automatically reflected in subscription revenue, without waiting for contract renewals.

    Next financial announcement
    First Half Year Results for 2025: September 17, 2025 (after the stock market closes)

    Investor & Media relations @Sidetrade
    Christelle Dhrif                +33 6 10 46 72 00          cdhrif@sidetrade.com

    About Sidetrade (www.sidetrade.com)
    Sidetrade (Euronext Growth: ALBFR.PA) provides a SaaS platform designed to revolutionize how cash flow is secured and accelerated. Leveraging its new-generation agentic AI, nicknamed Aimie, Sidetrade analyzes $7.2 trillion worth of B2B payment transactions daily in its Cloud, thereby anticipating customer payment behavior and the attrition risk of 40 million buyers worldwide. Sidetrade has a global reach, with 400+ talented employees based in Europe, the United States, and Canada, serving global businesses in more than 85 countries. Among them: AGFA, BMW Financial Services, Bunzl, DXC, Engie, Inmarsat, KPMG, Lafarge, Manpower, Morningstar, Page, Randstad, Safran, Saint-Gobain, Securitas, Siemens, UGI, Veolia.
    For further information, visit us at www.sidetrade.com and follow @Sidetrade on LinkedIn.
     In the event of any discrepancy between the French and English versions of this press release, only the English version is to be taken into account.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Online IQ Test 2025 | Quick, Real, & Accurate IQ Test Now Offered by QuickIQTest.org

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  QuickIQTest.org, one of the most widely recognized platforms for cognitive testing, has officially unveiled its new and enhanced IQ testing platform: the Official IQ Test 2025. This certified and reliable IQ test offers a seamless, science-backed online testing experience with instant scoring, accurate insights, and full mobile compatibility.

    ⇒ Legit, Fast, and Accurate – Try the IQ Test at QuickIQTest.org

    As interest in cognitive performance measurement continues to rise globally, the need for a legitimate IQ test that provides actionable feedback has become more critical. QuickIQTest.org now stands at the forefront of this movement, delivering a platform that combines speed, precision, and reliability—all without the need for registration or personal data.

    ⇒ Test Your IQ with Confidence at QuickIQTest.org

    “People want more than just entertainment—they want real insights,” said Sean C. Bailey, spokesperson for Quick IQ Test. “This year’s version delivers just that: a real IQ test online that adapts to your responses, evaluates how you think, and gives you instant results backed by psychometrics.”

    ⇒ Find Out If You’re a Genius – Take the Test Today

    What Is an IQ Test and Why It Matters in 2025

    An IQ test—short for Intelligence Quotient test—measures a person’s cognitive abilities compared to the general population. A real IQ test is designed to assess core mental skills such as logical reasoning, memory retention, abstract thinking, and pattern recognition.

    In today’s fast-paced digital world, people are increasingly searching for ways to test your IQ or take an IQ test that delivers legitimate results without gimmicks. Whether you’re a student preparing for university, a professional looking to improve performance, or simply curious about your intellectual profile, the ability to test my IQ in a quick, convenient, and credible way is essential.

    ⇒ Take the Official IQ Test Online Now at QuickIQTest.org

    Why the QuickIQTest.org Platform Stands Out

    Unlike traditional assessments that require long appointments or confusing paperwork, QuickIQTest.org has created a quick IQ test online designed for all users, regardless of age, background, or tech familiarity.

    Key Features of the Official IQ Test 2025:

    • Fast Testing Format: A complete short IQ test in under 15 minutes
    • Accurate Scoring: Based on validated psychometric research
    • Instant Results: Immediate scoring, no need to wait for reports
    • Mobile & Desktop Friendly: Built for all modern devices
    • No Registration Required: Full privacy protection

    This new format allows users to take IQ test sessions quickly, from anywhere, with minimal friction.

    ⇒ Try the Most Accurate IQ Test Trusted by Thousands

    What Makes This the Best IQ Test Online?

    The best IQ test online is one that not only gives you fast results but ensures those results are rooted in measurable data. Unlike generic “quiz” sites or novelty tests, the Official IQ Test 2025 includes:

    • Questions modeled after standardized IQ formats used by psychologists
    • Balanced testing across multiple dimensions of intelligence
    • A certified IQ test structure with age-adjusted scoring for fairness
    • Instant digital feedback that explains more than just a number

    It’s this approach that makes it one of the most accurate IQ test experiences available in 2025.

    ⇒ Start the Official 2025 IQ Test at QuickIQTest.org

    How to Take an IQ Test Online: The Easy Way

    Wondering how to take an IQ test that actually reflects your true potential? At QuickIQTest.org, users can simply click “Start Test,” proceed through a series of timed cognitive challenges, and receive their scores instantly.

    The process answers key questions like:

    • How to test your IQ without wasting time on gimmicks?
    • Where to take an IQ test that doesn’t require you to sign up?
    • What is an IQ test that can actually be trusted?

    It’s more than just testing memory or math—it’s about understanding how you think and reason under pressure.

    ⇒ Take the Best Online IQ Test with Instant Scoring

    Legitimate IQ Test, Legitimate Results

    Thousands of users have already identified QuickIQTest.org as the go-to platform for a legit IQ test. In 2025, the platform upgraded its scoring system to offer even more refined breakdowns of key cognitive strengths, including:

    • Analytical reasoning
    • Visual-spatial processing
    • Numerical logic
    • Short-term memory
    • Pattern recognition speed

    Whether you’re looking for a real IQ test online or curious about your IQ test score compared to others, this platform gives you reliable feedback that reflects actual ability.

    ⇒ Test Your Intelligence Now at QuickIQTest.org

    Trusted by Students, Job Seekers, and Self-Development Enthusiasts

    QuickIQTest.org is ideal for:

    • Students applying to gifted programs or academic institutions
    • Professionals exploring career potential or decision-making styles
    • Lifelong learners wanting to benchmark cognitive performance

    As a reliable IQ test tool with no fluff and no distractions, it’s quickly becoming the industry standard in the online cognitive testing space.

    Where Can I Take an IQ Test That’s Legit and Quick?

    If you’ve asked:

    • “Where can I take an IQ test that doesn’t waste my time?”
    • “Where to take a real IQ test without giving out my email?”
    • “Is there a legitimate IQ test that works on my phone?”

    The answer is QuickIQTest.org. With its quick IQ test, smart analytics, and legitimate structure, this platform solves the gap between novelty tests and overly formal assessments.

    ⇒ Discover Your IQ with This Certified Online Test

    The Rise of Certified and Accurate IQ Testing in 2025

    Certified IQ Test with Instant Results: Built for Accuracy

    One of the most frequent questions from users today is: “What is the most accurate IQ test I can take online?”

    The answer lies in structure and methodology. The Official IQ Test 2025 at QuickIQTest.org was developed using principles of fluid intelligence testing—the gold standard for measuring reasoning ability, adaptability, and problem-solving skills in real time.

    Unlike many free, unregulated assessments circulating online, QuickIQTest.org employs:

    • Time-calibrated questions to measure real cognitive speed
    • Balanced domains, from spatial awareness to logic puzzles
    • Statistical modeling to eliminate guess-based anomalies
    • Instant delivery of results backed by scientific rigor

    It’s not just fast—it’s also trustworthy. That’s what makes it the best online IQ test for those seeking genuine understanding.

    ⇒ Find Out Your IQ Fast – Trusted Online Platform

    From “Test My IQ” Curiosity to Personal Discovery

    Whether you’re typing “test my IQ” into a search engine or asking how to find a legit IQ test, your goal is likely clarity. The challenge in 2025 is sorting through the noise.

    QuickIQTest.org cuts through the clutter with a simple IQ test format that brings legitimate data directly to the user. You’ll finish the test with:

    • A complete IQ test score
    • Performance benchmarks across key domains
    • Scoring comparisons to age-based norms
    • Optional insights into personality traits and learning styles

    It’s more than a number. It’s the beginning of self-knowledge.

    ⇒ Get Your Real IQ Score in Minutes

    How to Test Your IQ in a Fast and Secure Way

    Thanks to the platform’s latest upgrade, users now enjoy a completely secure IQ test process—no accounts, no marketing traps, no unnecessary permissions.

    Here’s how the quick IQ test online experience works:

    1. Click “Start Test” from the homepage.
    2. Complete 25–30 timed questions covering abstract logic, patterns, math, and reasoning.
    3. Submit your answers to receive your official IQ test results instantly.

    The simplicity is intentional. It allows for consistency across devices and age groups and ensures a fair, standardized experience for everyone.

    If you’re asking how to test my IQ with confidence, QuickIQTest.org offers the most user-friendly and reliable solution available in 2025.

    ⇒ Start the Real IQ Test at QuickIQTest.org Today

    Where to Take an IQ Test That Delivers Real Results

    For users searching “where can I take an IQ test” or “where to take IQ test that’s real,” QuickIQTest.org is the answer. It doesn’t simply measure performance—it provides insight.

    Many users take the test in preparation for:

    • Academic placements
    • Career transitions
    • Personal benchmarking
    • Self-awareness exercises

    This flexible use case is why it has become a go-to platform across multiple industries.

    ⇒ See Where You Rank with This Official IQ Test

    A Legitimate IQ Test That Feels Like a Modern App

    QuickIQTest.org’s 2025 platform was fully redesigned to offer a modern feel with lightning-fast responsiveness. It works on:

    • iPhone and Android smartphones
    • Tablets and iPads
    • Windows and Mac desktops

    The layout minimizes distractions, encourages focus, and optimizes test flow. From simple IQ test to actual IQ test mode, every stage is optimized for smooth interaction.

    The platform’s simplicity is part of what sets it apart as a legitimate IQ test online option in a market flooded with outdated, clunky interfaces.

    ⇒ Take the Quick & Accurate IQ Test at QuickIQTest.org

    The Science Behind the Official IQ Test 2025

    QuickIQTest.org collaborated with cognitive researchers to build a refined real IQ test online rooted in modern psychological research. The test architecture uses:

    • Adaptive question sequencing to adjust difficulty based on performance
    • Fluid intelligence principles over crystallized knowledge
    • Real-time feedback scoring using standardized population data

    This approach ensures that each test taker receives a score that reflects their performance accurately—not based on rote memory or trivia, but actual thinking skill.

    ⇒ Test Your Brainpower Now – Fast, Real Results

    IQ Test Questions You Can Expect

    Curious about what kind of IQ test questions appear in the Official IQ Test 2025? Here’s what users face during the test:

    • Pattern recognition in visual sequences
    • Number series and logic puzzles
    • Abstract shape identification
    • Symmetry and mirroring challenges
    • Deductive reasoning tasks

    Each category helps measure different facets of intelligence. It’s a real IQ test, not a quiz, built to gauge brainpower across multiple dimensions.

    ⇒ Take a Trusted IQ Test at QuickIQTest.org Today

    Beyond a Score: Insights That Drive Growth

    Every score delivered from QuickIQTest.org includes more than a raw number. The report gives:

    • Insights on how your brain processes visual and numerical data
    • Speed metrics and time-use efficiency
    • Strengths in abstract, spatial, or sequential logic

    This feedback isn’t meant to label—it’s meant to guide. Whether you’re seeking personal growth or simply want to test your IQ in a meaningful way, the insights are actionable

    ⇒ Measure Your IQ with an Official Online Test

    The Real-World Applications of Online IQ Testing

    In an age of information overload and AI-assisted workflows, understanding human cognition is more important than ever. A real IQ test online gives individuals the chance to identify how they think—not just what they know.

    Thousands of users turn to QuickIQTest.org to:

    • Measure cognitive strengths before applying for graduate programs
    • Test their IQ as part of job readiness assessments
    • Validate gifted learning for children and teens
    • Track personal growth in mental speed and abstract reasoning
    • Compare scores across age groups using scientifically adjusted benchmarks

    As a legit IQ test provider, QuickIQTest.org serves both casual users and those with professional or academic goals. This growing trust has made it a preferred destination for anyone asking “where to take a real IQ test that actually works.”

    ⇒ Take the IQ Test Everyone Is Talking About

    Who Is the Quick IQ Test For?

    One of the reasons the Quick IQ Test has seen such popularity is its universal design. It’s tailored to all types of users, including:

    • Students preparing for academic advancement
    • Parents testing cognitive potential in children
    • Job seekers validating soft skills and analytical thinking
    • Educators evaluating aptitude and supporting learning paths
    • Curious minds exploring personal cognitive style

    From teenagers preparing for exams to retirees wanting to keep their minds sharp, the Official IQ Test 2025 is inclusive and accessible.

    ⇒ Fast & Certified IQ Testing – Try It Now

    Best Practices: How to Prepare for an Accurate IQ Test Online

    Although an IQ test measures innate reasoning rather than acquired knowledge, a little preparation goes a long way. For best results when you take an IQ test online, QuickIQTest.org recommends:

    1. Use a quiet, distraction-free environment – mental clarity helps.
    2. Eliminate digital interruptions – silence notifications and close other apps.
    3. Avoid rushing – while the test is timed, a steady pace yields better accuracy.
    4. Familiarize yourself with question types – pattern and shape recognition, logic problems, numerical sequences.

    To test your IQ accurately, focus is key. The platform is built to deliver your IQ test score without distractions, so your effort reflects your real potential.

    ⇒ Check Your Intelligence with QuickIQTest.org

    Reliability and Scientific Integrity Set QuickIQTest.org Apart in 2025

    In a rapidly expanding field of digital assessments, establishing reliability remains one of the most important benchmarks for any online IQ testing platform. 

    QuickIQTest.org has distinguished itself in this landscape by implementing a rigorous approach to test development and scoring. The platform’s question set has been curated and validated by specialists in psychometrics and cognitive science, ensuring that each item measures a distinct and relevant aspect of intelligence.

    The scoring methodology is grounded in a Gaussian distribution model—commonly used in academic and psychological evaluations—to align test results with standardized population metrics. This statistical foundation allows for meaningful interpretation of scores across a diverse range of users.

    ⇒ Take a Real IQ Test That Delivers Real Scores

    In addition to its scientific underpinnings, QuickIQTest.org has prioritized accessibility and efficiency. The platform features a real-time scoring engine, enabling participants to receive their IQ test results immediately upon completion. Cross-device compatibility ensures seamless functionality on desktop computers, tablets, and mobile devices alike.

    Furthermore, the inclusion of age-adjusted scoring algorithms provides users with benchmarks tailored to their demographic, enhancing both fairness and precision in score reporting.

    Together, these core features position QuickIQTest.org as a leader in online cognitive assessment. Its commitment to consistency, transparency, and methodological soundness reinforces its standing as one of the most accurate IQ test platforms currently available.

    ⇒ Test Your Mind with This Legit Online IQ Quiz

    Breaking Down the Full User Journey: From Curiosity to Confidence

    Step 1: “I want to test my IQ”

    Many users arrive at QuickIQTest.org after searching “how to test my IQ” or “how to take an IQ test that’s real.” They’re immediately greeted with a distraction-free interface that begins the process.

    Step 2: The Test Experience

    During the test, users encounter 25–30 questions that challenge their reasoning, pattern recognition, visual-spatial logic, and abstract thinking. It’s a fast IQ test but not oversimplified. The time limit keeps responses natural and spontaneous.

    Step 3: Instant Results and Insights

    Once complete, the platform calculates your IQ test score using an adaptive algorithm. You’ll see where you rank and receive a basic interpretation immediately—no email required.

    ⇒ Take a Certified IQ Quiz in Minutes at QuickIQTest.org

    Popular User Searches Answered by QuickIQTest.org

    Many arrive at the site after Googling:

    • “What is an IQ test that actually gives real scores?”
    • “Where can I take an IQ test for adults or kids?”
    • “Legit IQ test with instant results?”
    • “How to test your IQ online without signing up?”
    • “Best IQ test online in 2025?”

    QuickIQTest.org answers them all by being the simple IQ test platform with professional-grade intelligence scoring.

    ⇒ See How You Score with the QuickIQTest.org IQ Quiz

    Trusted Globally: Reputation Built on Performance

    QuickIQTest.org has now served millions of users worldwide and consistently ranks among the most visited online IQ test platforms.

    User feedback has highlighted:

    • Speed: Most users complete their test in 10–12 minutes.
    • Accuracy: High repeatability of results, even across separate sessions.
    • Trust: No account creation or data harvesting.
    • Clarity: Results are easy to understand and compare.

    This reputation ensures QuickIQTest.org remains the answer to “where can I take a real IQ test online without gimmicks?”

    ⇒ Fast, Real, and Legit – Start Your IQ Test Now

    Final Thoughts

    In a world that increasingly values clarity of thought, strategic reasoning, and analytical precision, understanding your mental framework is a powerful step toward personal and professional development.

    The Official IQ Test 2025 by QuickIQTest.org is not a gimmick or a game—it’s a streamlined, science-based evaluation tool for curious thinkers, professionals, students, and lifelong learners. It’s a place where you can test your IQ, receive meaningful feedback, and explore how your brain navigates challenges—all from the comfort of your device.

    FAQs

    1. Is QuickIQTest.org a real IQ test?

    Yes. QuickIQTest.org offers a certified and scientifically structured real IQ test online that measures cognitive performance in areas like logic, reasoning, pattern recognition, and memory. It uses validated question types found in formal intelligence assessments.

    2. Where can I take an IQ test that gives instant results?

    You can take the quick IQ test online directly at QuickIQTest.org. Your score is calculated and presented immediately after completion of the payment process. No waiting, no emails, and no hidden steps.

    3. How accurate is the IQ test on QuickIQTest.org?

    The test is based on psychometric models used in professional assessments. It includes adaptive difficulty, time benchmarks, and scoring that aligns with standard IQ distributions, making it one of the most accurate IQ test experiences available online.

    4. Can I take a short IQ test that’s still legit?

    Absolutely. The short IQ test at QuickIQTest.org is designed to give you measurable insights in 10–12 minutes, while maintaining structure and scoring accuracy.

    5. Is it safe and private?

    Yes. The test is conducted without requiring registration or collecting personal data. No cookies are used for advertising, and results are stored locally.

    6. Is this the best IQ test online?

    QuickIQTest.org consistently ranks among the top providers due to its simplicity, accuracy, and scientific foundation. It is widely recognized as one of the best online IQ test platforms for real results.

    7. What kind of IQ test questions will I get?

    Questions include number sequences, shape patterns, visual logic problems, and spatial reasoning tasks, representing a balanced, certified IQ test approach.

    8. Is there an age limit?

    No. While the test adjusts scores based on age group, it is suitable for adults, teenagers, and children above 10 years old, making it a legitimate IQ test option for nearly all users.

    9. What does my IQ test score mean?

    A score of 100 is the average for your age group. Above 115 is considered above average, while 130+ is considered gifted. Your results include percentile ranking and performance benchmarks.

    10. Where to take IQ test that’s simple, legit, and accurate?

    QuickIQTest.org, the platform has become a global leader in real IQ test online solutions, offering a fast and reliable experience with real-time scoring.

    Media Contact

    Company: Quick IQ Test

    Contact Person: Sean C. Bailey

    Email: support@quickiqtest.org

    Address: 3445 Canterbury Drive, New York, NY 10016, USA

    URL: https://quickiqtest.org/

    Phone: +1 646-598-0584

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ship Manager Pleads Guilty to Dumping Oily Waste into U.S. Waters Off Coast of New Orleans

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: Ship Manager Pleads Guilty to Dumping Oily Waste into U.S. Waters Off Coast of New Orleans

    Eagle Ship Management LLC (ESM), based in Stamford, Connecticut, pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) by deliberately polluting U.S. waters off the coast of New Orleans from the M/V Gannet Bulker, a foreign-flagged bulk carrier. If approved by the court, ESM would pay a criminal fine of $1,750,000 and serve a four-year term of probation that includes external audits by an independent technical expert.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Central 1 Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Central 1 Credit Union (Central 1) announced today that Emma Hider, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), will be leaving Central 1 in the fourth quarter of 2025.

    “After much consideration, Emma has made the decision to leave Central 1, and will remain in the role to support the transition,” said Sheila Vokey, Central 1 President & CEO. “In her time with Central 1, Emma has been a strong leader enhancing our financial and management reporting, and providing reliable financial counsel and support on several major initiatives. On behalf of Central 1, we are deeply grateful for Emma’s contributions.”

    Central 1 will immediately begin a search for a new Chief Financial Officer, while Ms. Hider continues to provide support in the role.

    About Central 1
    Central 1 cooperatively empowers credit unions and other financial institutions who deliver banking choice to Canadians. With assets of $10.8 billion as of March 31, 2025, Central 1 provides services at scale to enable a thriving credit union system. We do this by collaborating with our clients, developing strategies, products, and services to support the financial well-being of their more than 5 million diverse customers in communities across Canada. For more information, visit www.central1.com. 

    Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This press release and announcement contain historical and forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are or may be based on assumptions, uncertainties, and management’s best estimates of future events. Central 1 has based the forward-looking statements on current plans, information, data, estimates, expectations, and projections about, among other things, results of operations, financial condition, prospects, strategies and future events, and therefore undue reliance should not be placed on them. These include, without limitation, statements relating to our financial and non-financial performance objectives, vision and strategic goals and priorities, including focus on capital and cost management, the economic, market and regulatory review and outlook for the Canadian economy and the provincial economies in which our member credit unions operate , the impacts of external events such as international conflicts, protests, natural disasters or pandemics, as well as statements that contain the words “may,” “will,” “intends” and “anticipates” and other similar words and expressions.

    Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated. Securityholders are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Certain important assumptions by Central 1 in making forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, competitive conditions, economic conditions and regulatory considerations. Important risk factors that could cause actual results and the timing of such results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include economic risks, regulatory risks (including legislative and regulatory developments), risks and uncertainty from the impact of rising or falling interest rates, international conflicts, natural disasters or pandemics, geopolitical uncertainty, information technology and cyber risks, environmental and social risk (including climate change), digital disruption and innovation, reputation risk, competitive risk, privacy, data and third-party related risks, risks related to business and operations, risks relating to the transition of clients to alternative digital banking providers, and other risks detailed from time to time in Central 1’s periodic reports filed with securities regulators. Central 1 is subject to risks associated with evolving U.S. trade and tariff policies, inflationary pressures, interest rate volatility, and potential regulatory changes under the current U.S. administration. Shifts in tariff structures or global trade conditions may adversely affect our cost structure and overall operating environment. Given these risks, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Central 1 undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

    Contacts

    Media:
    Amanda LeNeve
    AVP, Communications & Marketing
    Central 1 Credit Union
    E communications@central1.com

    Investors:
    Brent Clode
    Chief Investment Officer
    Central 1 Credit Union
    T 905.282.8588 or 1.800.661.6813 ext. 8588
    E bclode@central1.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Staff Guidance Note on The Implementation of The IMF Strategy for Fragile and Conflict-Affected States (FCS)

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    Preview Citation

    Format: Chicago

    Staff Guidance Note on The Implementation of The IMF Strategy for Fragile and Conflict-Affected States (FCS), (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2023) accessed July 16, 2025

    Summary

    This note provides operational advice and information to help staff implement the IMF Strategy for Fragile and Conflict-Affected States (FCS) approved by the Executive Board on March 9, 2022. Topics covered include (i) the new IMF FCS classification methodology, which is aligned with that of the World Bank; (ii) the preparation of Country Engagement Strategies (CES) that will be rolled out across FCS to ensure that Fund engagement is appropriately tailored to country-specific manifestations of fragility and/or conflict; (iii) advice on tailoring the thematic focus of Article IV consultations and Fund analytics to FCS, as well as on the prioritization, design, and implementation of capacity development (CD) projects in fragile contexts; (iv) guidance on making full use of the flexibilities of the lending toolkit; (v) guidance on engaging in specific FCS situations, including building accountable institutions to exit fragility, cases of rising fragility risks, active conflict, post-conflict, and addressing the impact of external shocks and spillovers; and (v) strengthening partnerships with humanitarian, development, and peace actors, in accordance with the Fund’s mandate. Dedicated annexes provide additional information on the CES process, addressing good governance in FCS, program design, and country examples of Fund engagement in FCS.

    Subject: Monetary policy, Political economy

    Keywords: Absorptive capacity, Balance of payments, Capacity development, Conflict, Country engagement strategies, Fragile and conflict-affected states, Fragility, Governance, Inclusive growth, Macroeconomic policy, Partnerships, Political economy, Surveillance

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Sidhu speaks with Philippines’ Secretary of Trade and Industry

    Source: Government of Canada News

    July 16, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

    Today, the Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, spoke with Cristina A. Roque, Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines.

    Minister Sidhu and Secretary Roque discussed the continued growth of the Canada-Philippines trade relationship, building on enduring people-to-people ties, as highlighted by the launch of a Vancouver-Manila Air Canada route in April 2025. They noted the importance of increasing opportunities and support to businesses and workers in the 2 countries and promoting free trade.

    The Minister and Secretary reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to accelerating the pace of negotiations for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Canada free trade agreement to make as much progress as possible this year. They also committed to advancing the exploratory discussions on a potential Canada-Philippines free trade agreement, with the hopes to begin negotiations soon.

    Associated links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FDA to Revoke 52 Obsolete Standards of Identity for Food Products

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    For Immediate Release:
    July 16, 2025

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced it is revoking, or proposing to revoke, 52 food standards after concluding they are obsolete and unnecessary. The 52 standards are for canned fruits and vegetables, dairy products, baked goods, macaroni products and other foods.
    Today’s actions are the first results from the agency’s ongoing analysis of its portfolio of over 250 food Standards of Identity (SOI) to make sure they are useful, relevant and serve consumers in the best possible way. The removal of these standards is in alignment with broader efforts to ensure that HHS is directing resources to where they’re most needed – delivering better outcomes for the American people.
    “I’m eliminating outdated food regulations that no longer serve the interests of American families,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “Today marks a crucial step in my drive to cut through bureaucratic red tape, increase transparency and remove regulations that have outlived their purpose.”
    The FDA began establishing food standards in 1939 to promote “honesty and fair dealing” and to ensure that the characteristics, ingredients and production processes of specific foods were consistent with what consumers expect. However, advances in food science, agriculture and production practices, and additional consumer protections have made many of these older, rigid “recipe standards” unnecessary.
    “The FDA’s Standards of Identity efforts have helped ensure uniformity, boost consumer confidence and prevent food fraud. But many of these standards have outlived their usefulness and may even stifle innovation in making food easier to produce or providing consumers healthier choices,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “Antiquated food standards are no longer serving to protect consumers. It is common sense to revoke them and move to a more judicious use of food standards and agency resources.”
    Today’s actions include publication of the following:

    A direct final rule revoking standards for 11 types of canned fruits and vegetables that are no longer sold in U.S. grocery stores, including seven standards for fruits artificially sweetened with saccharin or sodium saccharin. The agency is issuing a companion proposed rule in the same issue of the Federal Register in case the direct final rule is withdrawn because significant adverse comments are received, and the agency needs to move forward with a proposed rule to put these changes in place.
    A proposed rule that would revoke standards for 18 types of dairy products – including certain milk and cream products, cheeses and related cheese products and frozen desserts.
    A proposed rule that would revoke standards for 23 types of food products –including bakery products, macaroni and noodle products, canned fruit juices, fish and shellfish, and food dressings and flavorings.

    Many of the standards listed in the two proposed rules predate more recent consumer protections such as requirements about ingredient safety, ingredient labeling, food packaging, safe food production and manufacturing practices and nutrition labeling information and claims.
    On May 13, HHS and FDA issued a Request for Information to identify and eliminate outdated or unnecessary regulations. This initiative supports a broader federal effort to reduce regulatory burdens and increase transparency, in alignment with President Trump’s Executive Order 14192 “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation.”
    Related Information

    Related Information

    ###

    Boilerplate

    The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.

    Content current as of:
    07/16/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Helps Secure Over $200 Million from Gilead Sciences for Paying Illegal Kickbacks

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    California will receive more than $4 million from multistate settlement in principle

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 48 other attorneys general in securing $202 million from Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Gilead), for running an illegal kickback scheme to promote its HIV medications. Gilead allegedly violated federal law by illegally providing incentives – including awards, meals, and travel expenses – to healthcare providers to prescribe Gilead’s medications, resulting in millions of dollars of false claims submitted to government health care programs, including Medi-Cal. The settlement in principle, reached in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice and approved by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, provides $49 million for Medicaid programs nationwide, including $4,118,184 for California, with the remainder going to Medicare, Tricare, and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).   

    “The best interests of patients must always come first,” said Attorney General Bonta. “At this time of unprecedented funding cuts to Medicaid, it is particularly important to protect the program from illegal kick-back schemes that harm the program and patients alike. Today’s settlement returns critical funding to our communities and programs like Medicaid that keep them healthy.” 

    From January 2011 to November 2017, Gilead allegedly violated federal anti-kickback laws by providing gifts to healthcare providers who attended and spoke at promotional speaker programs for Gilead’s HIV drugs: Stribild, Genvoya, Complera, Odefsey, Descovy, and Biktarvy. Gilead paid high-volume prescribers tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to present as “HIV Speakers.” The company also covered travel expenses for speakers, including those traveling long distances and to attractive destinations, such as Hawaii, Miami, and New Orleans, and hosted dinners at high-end restaurants.

    Gilead’s internal compliance mechanisms failed to halt these violations. The company’s internal policies and procedures failed to prevent its sales representatives from improperly offering incentives to induce prescriptions.

    Joining Attorney General Bonta in securing settlements with Gilead are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    The Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of California. FY 2025 is from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: When big sports events expand, like FIFA’s 2026 World Cup matches across North America, their climate footprint expands too

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Brian P. McCullough, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

    Lionel Messi celebrates with fans after Argentina won the FIFA World Cup championship in 2022 in Qatar. Michael Regan-FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

    When the FIFA World Cup hits North America in June 2026, 48 teams and millions of soccer fans will be traveling to and from venues spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

    It’s a dramatic expansion – 16 more teams will be playing than in recent years, with a jump from 64 to 104 matches. The tournament is projected to bring in over US$10 billion in revenue. But the expansion will also mean a lot more travel and other activities that contribute to climate change.

    The environmental impacts of giant sporting events like the World Cup create a complex paradox for an industry grappling with its future in a warming world.

    A sustainability conundrum

    Sports are undeniably experiencing the effects of climate change. Rising global temperatures are putting athletes’ health at risk during summer heat waves and shortening winter sports seasons. Many of the 2026 World Cup venues often see heat waves in June and early July, when the tournament is scheduled.

    There is a divide over how sports should respond.

    Some athletes are speaking out for more sustainable choices and have called on lawmakers to take steps to limit climate-warming emissions. At the same time, the sport industry is growing and facing a constant push to increase revenue. The NCAA is also considering expanding its March Madness basketball tournaments from 68 teams currently to as many as 76.

    Park Yong-woo of team Al Ain from Abu Dhabi tries to cool off during a Club World Cup match on June 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C., which was in the midst of a heat wave. Some players have raised concerns about likely high temperatures during the 2026 World Cup, with matches scheduled June 11 to July 19.
    AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

    Estimates for the 2026 World Cup show what large tournament expansions can mean for the climate. A report from Scientists for Global Responsibility estimates that the expanded World Cup could generate over 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, nearly double the average of the past four World Cups.

    This massive increase – and the increase that would come if the NCAA basketball tournaments also expand – would primarily be driven by air travel as fans and players fly among event cities that are thousands of miles apart.

    A lot of money is at stake, but so is the climate

    Sports are big business, and adding more matches to events like the World Cup and NCAA tournaments will likely lead to larger media rights contracts and greater gate receipts from more fans attending the events, boosting revenues. These are powerful financial incentives.

    In the NCAA’s case, there is another reason to consider a larger tournament: The House v. NCAA settlement opened the door for college athletic departments to share revenue with athletes, which will significantly increase costs for many college programs. More teams would mean more television revenue and, crucially, more revenue to be distributed to member NCAA institutions and their athletic conferences.

    When climate promises become greenwashing

    The inherent conflict between maximizing profit through growth and minimizing environmental footprint presents a dilemma for sports.

    Several sport organizations have promised to reduce their impact on the climate, including signing up for initiatives like the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework.

    However, as sports tournaments and exhibition games expand, it can become increasingly hard for sports organizations to meet their climate commitments. In some cases, groups making sustainability commitments have been accused of greenwashing, suggesting the goals are more about public relations than making genuine, measurable changes.

    For example, FIFA’s early claims that it would hold a “fully carbon-neutral” World Cup in Qatar in 2022 were challenged by a group of European countries that accused soccer’s world governing body of underestimating emissions. The Swiss Fairness Commission, which monitors fairness in advertising, considered the complaints and determined that FIFA’s claims could not be substantiated.

    Alessandro Bastoni, of Inter Milan and Italy’s national team, prepares to board a flight from Milan to Rome with his team.
    Mattia Ozbot-Inter/Inter via Getty Images

    Aviation is often the biggest driver of emissions. A study that colleagues and I conducted on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament found about 80% of its emissions were connected to travel. And that was after the NCAA began using the pod system, which is designed to keep teams closer to home for the first and second rounds.

    Finding practical solutions

    Some academics, observing the rising emissions trend, have called for radical solutions like the end of commercialized sports or drastically limiting who can attend sporting events, with a focus on fans from the region.

    These solutions are frankly not practical, in my view, nor do they align with other positive developments. The growing popularity of women’s sports shows the challenge in limiting sports events – more games expands participation but adds to the industry’s overall footprint.

    Further compounding the challenges of reducing environmental impact is the amount of fan travel, which is outside the direct control of the sports organization or event organizers.

    Many fans will follow their teams long distances, especially for mega-events like the World Cup or the NCAA tournament. During the men’s World Cup in Russia in 2018, more than 840,000 fans traveled from other countries. The top countries by number of fans, after Russia, were China, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.

    There is an argument that distributed sporting events like March Madness or the World Cup can be better in some ways for local environments because they don’t overwhelm a single city. However, merely spreading the impact does not necessarily reduce it, particularly when considering the effects on climate change.

    How fans can cut their environmental footprint

    Sport organizations and event planners can take steps to be more sustainable and also encourage more sustainable choices among fans. Fans can reduce their environmental impact in a variety of ways. For example:

    • Avoid taking airplanes for shorter distances, such as between FIFA venues in Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and carpool or take Amtrak instead. Planes can be more efficient for long distances, but air travel is still a major contributing factor to emissions.

    • While in a host city, use mass transit or rent electric vehicles or bicycles for local travel.

    • Consider sustainable accommodations, such as short-term rentals that might have a smaller environmental footprint than a hotel. Or stay at a certified green hotel that makes an effort to be more efficient in its use of water and energy.

    • Engage in sustainable pregame and postgame activities, such as choosing local, sustainable food options, and minimize waste.

    • You can also pay to offset carbon emissions for attending different sporting events, much like concertgoers do when they attend musical festivals. While critics question offsets’ true environmental benefit, they do represent people’s growing awareness of their environmental footprint.

    Through all these options, it’s clear that sports face a significant challenge in addressing their environmental impacts and encouraging fans to be more sustainable, while simultaneously trying to meet ambitious business and environmental targets.

    In my view, a sustainable path forward will require strategic, yet genuine, commitment by the sports industry and its fans, and a willingness to prioritize long-term planetary health alongside economic gains – balancing the sport and sustainability.

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

    – ref. When big sports events expand, like FIFA’s 2026 World Cup matches across North America, their climate footprint expands too – https://theconversation.com/when-big-sports-events-expand-like-fifas-2026-world-cup-matches-across-north-america-their-climate-footprint-expands-too-259437

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: The golden oyster mushroom craze unleashed an invasive species – and a worrying new study shows it’s harming native fungi

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Aishwarya Veerabahu, Ph.D. Candidate in Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison

    Golden oyster mushrooms can be cultivated, but they can also escape into the wild. DDukang/iStock/Getty Images Plus

    Golden oyster mushrooms, with their sunny yellow caps and nutty flavor, have become wildly popular for being healthy, delicious and easy to grow at home from mushroom kits.

    But this food craze has also unleashed an invasive species into the wild, and new research shows it’s pushing out native fungi.

    In a study we believe is the first of its kind, fellow mycologists and I demonstrate that an invasive fungus can cause environmental harm, just as invasive plants and animals can when they take over ecosystems.

    A scientist documents golden oyster mushrooms growing wild in a Wisconsin forest, where these invasive fungi don’t belong. DNA tests showed the species had pushed out other native fungi.
    Aishwarya Veerabahu

    Native mushrooms and other fungi are important for the health of many ecosystems. They break down dead wood and other plant material, helping it decay. They cycle nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen from the dead tissues of plants and animals, turning it into usable forms that enter the soil, atmosphere or their own bodies. Fungi also play a role in managing climate change by sequestering carbon in soil and mediating carbon emissions from soil and wood.

    Their symbiotic relationships with other organisms also help other organisms thrive. Mycorrhizal fungi on roots, for example, help plants absorb water and nutrients. And wood decay fungi help create wooded habitats for birds, mammals and plant seedlings.

    However, we found that invasive golden oyster mushrooms, a wood decay fungus, can threaten forests’ fungal biodiversity and harm the health of ecosystems that are already vulnerable to climate change and habitat destruction.

    The dark side of the mushroom trade

    Golden oyster mushrooms, native to Asia, were brought to North America around the early 2000s. They’re part of an international mushroom culinary craze that has been feeding into one of the world’s leading drivers of biodiversity loss: invasive species.

    As fungi are moved around the world in global trade, either intentionally as products, such as kits people buy for growing mushrooms at home, or unintentionally as microbial stowaways along with soil, plants, timber and even shipping pallets, they can establish themselves in new environments.

    Where golden oyster mushrooms, an invasive species in North America, have been reported in the wild, including in forests, parks and neighborhoods. Red dots indicate new reports each year. States in yellow have had a report at some point. Aishwarya Veerabahu

    Many mushroom species have been cultivated in North America for decades without becoming invasive species threats. However, golden oyster mushrooms have been different.

    No one knows exactly how golden oyster mushrooms escaped into the wild, whether from a grow kit, a commercial mushroom farm or outdoor logs inoculated with golden oysters – a home-cultivation technique where mushroom mycelium is placed into logs to colonize the wood and produce mushrooms.

    As grow kits increased in popularity, many people began buying golden oyster kits and watching them blossom into beautiful yellow mushrooms in their backyards. Their spores or composted kits could have spread into nearby forests.

    Evidence from a pioneering study by Andrea Reisdorf (née Bruce) suggests golden oyster mushrooms were introduced into the wild in multiple U.S. states around the early 2010s.

    Species the golden oysters pushed out

    In our study, designed by Michelle Jusino and Mark Banik, research scientists with the U.S. Forest Service, our team went into forests around Madison, Wisconsin, and drilled into dead trees to collect wood shavings containing the natural fungal community within each tree. Some of the trees had golden oyster mushrooms on them, and some did not.

    We then extracted DNA to identify and compare which fungi, and how many fungi, were in trees that had been invaded by golden oyster mushrooms compared with those that had not been.

    We were startled to find that trees with golden oyster mushrooms housed only half as many fungal species as trees without golden oyster mushrooms, sometimes even less. We also found that the composition of fungi in trees with golden oyster mushrooms was different from trees without golden oyster mushrooms.

    For example, the gentle green “mossy maze polypore” and the “elm oyster” mushroom were pushed out of trees invaded by golden oyster mushrooms.

    Mossy maze polypore growing on a stump. This is one of the native species that disappeared from trees when the golden oyster mushroom moved in.
    mauriziobiso/iStock/Getty Images Plus

    Another ousted fungus, Nemania serpens, is known for producing diverse arrays of chemicals that differ even between individuals of the same species. Fungi are sources of revolutionary medicines, including antibiotics like penicillin, cholesterol medication and organ transplant stabilizers. The value of undiscovered, potentially useful chemicals can be lost when invasive species push others out.

    The invasive species problem includes fungi

    Given what my colleagues and I discovered, we believe it is time to include invasive fungi in the global conversation about invasive species and examine their role as a cause of biodiversity loss.

    That conversation includes the idea of fungal “endemism” – that each place has a native fungal community that can be thrown out of balance. Native fungal communities tend to be diverse, having evolved together over thousands of years to coexist. Our research shows how invasive species can change the makeup of fungal communities by outcompeting native species, thus changing the fungal processes that have shaped native ecosystems.

    There are many other invasive fungi. For example, the deadly poisonous “death cap” Amanita phalloides and the “orange ping-pong bat” Favolaschia calocera are invasive in North America. The classic red and white “fly agaric” Amanita muscaria is native to North America but invasive elsewhere.

    The orange ping-pong bat mushroom is invasive in North America. These were photographed in New Zealand.
    Bernard Spragg. NZ/Flickr Creative Commons

    The golden oyster mushrooms’ invasion of North America should serve as a bright yellow warning that nonnative fungi are capable of rapid invasion and should be cultivated with caution, if at all.

    Golden oyster mushrooms are now recognized as invasive in Switzerland and can be found in forests in Italy, Hungary, Serbia and Germany. I have been hearing about people attempting to cultivate them around the world, including in Turkey, India, Ecuador, Kenya, Italy and Portugal. It’s possible that golden oyster mushrooms may not be able to establish invasive populations in some regions. Continued research will help us understand the full scope of impacts invasive fungi can have.

    What you can do to help

    Mushroom growers, businesses and foragers around the world may be asking themselves, “What can we do about it?”

    For the time being, I recommend that people consider refraining from using golden oyster mushroom grow kits to prevent any new introductions. For people who make a living selling these mushrooms, consider adding a note that this species is invasive and should be cultivated indoors and not composted.

    If you enjoy growing mushrooms at home, try cultivating safe, native species that you have collected in your region.

    Most mushrooms you see in the grocery store are grown indoors.

    There is no single right answer. In some places, golden oyster mushrooms are being cultivated as a food source for impoverished communities, for income, or to process agricultural waste and produce food at the same time. Positives like these will have to be considered alongside the mushrooms’ negative impacts when developing management plans or legislation.

    In the future, some ideas for solutions could involve sporeless strains of golden oysters for home kits that can’t spread, or a targeted mycovirus that could control the population. Increased awareness about responsible cultivation practices is important, because when invasive species move in and disrupt the native biodiversity, we all stand to lose the beautiful, colorful, weird fungi we see on walks in the forest.

    Aishwarya Veerabahu receives funding from UW-Madison Dept. of Botany, the UW Arboretum, the Society of Ecological Restoration, and the Garden Club of America. Aishwarya Veerabahu was an employee of the USDA Forest Service.

    – ref. The golden oyster mushroom craze unleashed an invasive species – and a worrying new study shows it’s harming native fungi – https://theconversation.com/the-golden-oyster-mushroom-craze-unleashed-an-invasive-species-and-a-worrying-new-study-shows-its-harming-native-fungi-259006

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Deluzio Fights Price Gouging, Secures Wins for Western PA in Annual Defense Bill

    Source: US Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) with colleagues on the powerful House Armed Services Committee, marked up the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—the large, annual defense bill that creates the policies related to our armed services and other national security-related efforts. Congressman Deluzio voted for the measure, which passed out of committee by a vote of 55-2.

    “The United States faces tremendous strategic challenges across the globe, including the war in Ukraine, intensifying competition with Communist China, and instability in the Middle East. All this activity is stressing the highly consolidated defense industrial base,” said Congressman Deluzio. “For too long, our government has neglected America’s manufacturing competitiveness and power. We need stronger accountability, transparency, and competition in government contracting to beef up our defense industrial base and to protect public money. While not a perfect bill, the 2026 NDAA takes on many of these important issues and more, and that’s why I voted yes last night.”  

    Specifically, the NDAA included Congressman Deluzio’s amendment to fight defense industry price gouging by requiring defense contractors to report when their products under sole source contracts increase by more than 25% of the price specified in the contract bid, over 25% more than the price of the product the preceding year, or by 50% more than the government paid for the product at any time over the last five years.   

    During the NDAA markup, Congressman Deluzio successfully secured several important wins, including some that will specifically benefit the people and economy of Western Pennsylvania. 

    This legislation: 

    • Implements an assessment and evaluation of the use of inland waterways for national defense purposes, and an assessment of vulnerabilities in our Marine Transportation Systems and associated infrastructure.
    • Authorizes an additional two and a half million dollars in funding to improve long range precision fires technology. This kind of research is ongoing at Western Pennsylvania institutions like the University of Pittsburgh.
    • Requires a new report about the technology and disposal methods of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). This is important because the Defense Department has previously considered incinerating PFAS “forever chemicals” in East Liverpool, Ohio—just across the border from Pennsylvania’s 17th District.
    • This year’s NDAA also includes the text of Congressman Deluzio’s bill, the Depot Investment Reform Act. This bill strengthens federal investment in military depots, including those in Pennsylvania, like the Letterkenny and Tobyhanna Army Depots.   

    Congressman Deluzio secured additional national priorities in this defense bill. This legislation:

    • Strengthens the “right to repair,” requiring contractors to give access to tools, parts, and information for major weapon systems so that our military and servicemembers can repair their own equipment.
    • Adjusts annual reporting on the U.S. Navy’s shipyard modernization efforts at the four public shipyards to include efforts related to the incorporation of digital hardware, software, and cloud storage.
    • Extends the number of days that national guardsmen can be activated by a governor of a state to respond to an emergency like a natural disaster from 3 to 14 days, with possible extensions of 7 and up to 46 days.
    • Requires a report on the Department of Defense’s efforts to incorporate artificial intelligence data centers on Department of Defense land. This report will analyze the risks, benefits, impacts, and footprint of those facilities.
    • Requires the Department of Defense to identify shortfalls and propose solutions for shortfalls of critical minerals and other materials in the National Defense Stockpile. This will better inform the United States’ current readiness and preparedness for any future conflict.
    • Fights consolidation in the defense industry by requiring the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate impacts of mergers and acquisitions on the defense industrial base and competition in the defense industry.
    • Requires that contractors who are negotiating sole-source contracts with the government provide timely and critical pricing data to the government. This will assist the military in getting the best deal for our servicemembers and will steward good use of American public dollars.
    • Requires the Department of Defense to assess the current competitive environment for contracts under $10 million. This will help the military and Congress assess whether recent policy changes have been effective in uplifting small businesses and growing the defense industrial base. 

    A full summary of the Fiscal Year 2026 NDAA as prepared by Democratic committee staff can be found here. 

    The NDAA now goes to the House Floor for a vote, and the final bill will be negotiated with the Senate. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –