NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Rogers Votes to Extend Federal Funding and Avoid a Government Shutdown

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Harold Hal Rogers (KY-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05), Dean of the House, voted for the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025 to avoid a government shutdown on September 30th and extend federal funding past the election, through December 20, 2024. Both the House and Senate passed the bipartisan bill on Wednesday, sending it on to the president’s desk for his signature. 

    The funding protects critical benefits programs and includes $231 million in additional resources for the Secret Service to ensure candidates and government leaders are protected, while also ensuring the full cooperation of the Secret Service with congressional investigations.

    “We have the responsibility to protect the federal programs and funding that Americans rely on everyday. This temporary extension will get us through the election, and will allow the president-elect to engage in our next steps,” said Congressman Rogers, a senior appropriator. “We cannot afford a government shutdown or any disruption in our national security, especially when our nation’s leadership hangs in the balance of an election that is only weeks away.” 

    The House Appropriations Committee passed all twelve federal funding bills earlier this summer, and the House has already passed five of those bills on to the Senate for consideration.  

    For more information about Congressman Rogers’ work in Washington and at home in Kentucky visit halrogers.house.gov and follow him on social media. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Joins Legislation to Ban Handgun Rosters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C..–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) to introduce the Modern Firearms Safety Act, which would prohibit states from enforcing handgun rosters.  These lists of pre-approved handguns require manufacturers to include costly features like microstamping, loaded chamber indicators and magazine disconnect mechanisms on firearms, preventing law-abiding citizens from purchasing the firearm of their choice.
    “Those on the Left continue to use every creative avenue possible to stifle Second Amendment rights and restrict gun ownership for law-abiding citizens,” said Crapo. “These practices must stop.”
    “Unconstitutional handgun rosters create unnecessary, burdensome requirements for firearm manufacturers while undermining the Second Amendment,” said Risch.  “The Modern Firearms Safety Act stops Democrats arbitrary handgun catalogs and protects law-abiding gun owners’ right to bear arms.”
    Several states, including California, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C., have recently enacted unconstitutional handgun rosters. A 2024 federal district court ruling found California’s handgun roster requirements unconstitutional.
    Crapo and Risch are joined by U.S. Senators Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Steve Daines (R-Montana), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) in introducing the legislation.
    “Blue states look for every avenue to ban guns for law-abiding citizens,” said Cassidy.  “Requiring unnecessary and imaginary modifications that don’t improve safety is just another tactic out of this playbook. The Second Amendment is a Constitutional right that shouldn’t be infringed upon just because of the state in which you reside.” 
    “Trying to impose unnecessary and overly stringent requirements on what features handguns must have is a blatant attempt to strip away core constitutional rights,” said Cornyn.  “This legislation ensures law-abiding gun owners in Texas can continue to exercise their Second Amendment right in a safe and responsible way without being subject to impractical restrictions.”
    “Our Founding Fathers were clear—the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,” said Daines.  “Forcing Americans to outfit their firearms with onerous and costly features is a clear attempt to undermine the Second Amendment and law-abiding citizens’ constitutional rights, and it must stop.”
    “I am proud to join Senator Risch in our fight against the Democrats’ never-ending attack on our Second Amendment rights and our constitutional freedoms,” Marshall said.  “The Modern Firearm Safety Act will end the unconstitutional gun grab currently underway in far-Left states like California, New York, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Our legislation rightfully blocks Democrats from enforcing illegal handgun roster requirements designed to target law-abiding Americans.”
    “This commonsense legislation safeguards the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens by eliminating unnecessary barriers to purchase firearms,” said Tillis.  “I am proud to support responsible gun owners by introducing this legislation, which aims to prevent government overreach and uphold our constitutional freedoms.”
    The Modern Firearms Safety Act has received support from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and National Rifle Association (NRA).
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Issues Statement on FAFSA Update: Urges Careful Implementation and Accessibility for All Students

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Department of Education’s update on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

    “I wrote the FAFSA Simplification Act to make it easier for students to get the financial aid they deserve—it should be uncomplicated for students and parents to navigate this form and figure out what kind of federal aid they’re eligible for. And I want to be clear: I wrote this law to make the FAFSA accessible for everyone, including students who are unhoused, low-income, or first-generation—it’s important to me that I continue to see serious progress on this front. I will be closely following the Department’s implementation of these newly announced improvements to make sure a truly simplified FAFSA is the end result.”

    In May and February, Murray led Congressional oversight efforts of the newly simplified FAFSA form’s implementation and she has continued to stay in close contact with the Department of Education since then. The Senate Fiscal Year 2025 spending bill, authored and negotiated by Murray, which funds the Department of Education includes an additional $100 million for the administration of student aid programs—the funding will support a wide range of activities including implementation of the FAFSA. The bill also directs the Department of Education to undertake various activities related to the FAFSA, including conducting outreach to students who have uncompleted FAFSA applications, providing weekly updates to Congress on FAFSA implementation, and correcting errors that have made it difficult for unaccompanied homeless youth to access the FAFSA application. Murray’s funding bill passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee 25-3.

    As the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), in 2020, Senator Murray successfully negotiated—and got signed into law—bipartisan legislation to reform the financial aid application process, simplify the FAFSA form for students and parents, and significantly expand eligibility for federal aid. Now, the changes are taking effect—making the financial aid application process easier to navigate for families and getting more federal support to more students.

    The bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act that Senator Murray negotiated was signed into law in December 2020. In particular, Senator Murray secured policies that, among other things:

    • Restore Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals, students who have been defrauded, and students with drug-related offenses;
    • Significantly expand who is eligible to receive Pell Grants and the maximum award; simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
    • Make the financial aid process easier to navigate for students experiencing homelessness and students formerly in foster care.

    More about the changes Senator Murray secured HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Competition Bureau seeks feedback on the new guidance for market studies

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Competition Bureau seeks feedback on the new guidance for market studies October 23, 2024 – GATINEAU (Québec), Competition Bureau

    October 23, 2024 – GATINEAU (Québec), Competition Bureau

    The Competition Bureau is seeking Canadians’ feedback on a new version of its Market Studies Information Bulletin, which has been updated following recent changes to the Competition Act. Market studies allow the Bureau to conduct in-depth examinations of a market or industry to identify competition issues and propose solutions. They aim to help understand and enhance competition in important sectors of the Canadian economy.

    The December 2023 amendments to the Competition Act established a new framework for undertaking market studies with information-gathering powers. This new information bulletin provides general guidance and information on how the Bureau conducts its market studies following these amendments. 

    It will answer five broad questions:

    • What steps do we take before launching a market study?
    • How do we launch market studies and decide how long they will take?
    • How do we obtain and use information, including confidential information?
    • What are the outcomes of a market study?
    • How do we follow up and monitor the impact of our market study?

    Interested parties are invited to submit their views by no later than December 23, 2024. Submissions can be made by e-mail at MS-consultation-EM-cb-bc@cb-bc.gc.ca or by completing the Guidance Consultation Form.

    Written comments that are not flagged as confidential may be published on the Bureau’s website. Feedback may also be incorporated into the final version.

    The Bureau expects to publish a final version of the Market Studies Information Bulletin in March 2025.

    The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that protects and promotes competition for the benefit of Canadian consumers and businesses. Competition drives lower prices and innovation while fueling economic growth.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Defense and U.S. Small Business Administration Announce First Licensed and Green Light Approved Funds for the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technology Initiative

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    The Department of Defense (DoD) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today announced the first group of Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Licensees and Green Light Approved investment funds approved under the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technology Initiative (SBICCT Initiative). This first group collectively plans to invest over $2.8 billion into over 1,000 portfolio companies.

    The SBICCT Initiative’s primary objective is to attract and scale private investment into technology areas critical to economic and national security. Funds licensed under the SBICCT Initiative are eligible for access to SBA guaranteed loans designed to enhance fund-level investment returns. Each fund can access up to $175 million in loans which can be accessed through the new Accrual Debenture, which aligns with the cash flows of longer duration and equity-oriented investment strategies and may also be accessed through the longstanding SBA Standard Debentures that aligns to credit strategies. DoD also provides Program Related Initiatives intended to drive value in the implementation of the Licensee’s respective investment strategies.

    The SBICCT Initiative was announced by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman in December 2022. Through this first-of-its-kind partnership, DoD’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) and SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) aim to increase private investment in critical technologies, including component-level technologies and production processes vital to U.S. economic and national security interests.

    “This first group of SBICCT Initiative funds represents a consequential milestone in demonstrating the power of public-private partnerships to build enduring advantage by growing and modernizing our supply chains, strengthening our economic and national security, and benefiting the development and commercialization of critical technologies that are key drivers of our U.S. industrial base,” said Heidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. “I am proud of the collaborative work between OSC and our SBA OII colleagues to stand up and advance this important program.”

    These investment funds, as well as representatives of the SBA and DoD and investment industry advisors, gathered today at the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon to celebrate this accomplishment.

    “SBA and DoD entered into this historic initiative to ensure America maintains its global competitive edge,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. “Today we are proud to recognize the early results of our Agencies’ collaboration and partnership with the U.S. investment community to fill capital access gaps vital to our national and economic security.”

    The SBICCT Initiative formally launched and began accepting SBIC applications in fall 2023. In early July 2024, the SBA granted the first SBICCT Initiative license. Just three months later, as of October 22, 2024, after taking the significant step to submit a formal application and undergo the rigorous underwriting and due diligence process, 4 funds are Licensed and 9 are Green Light Approved by SBA to raise private capital.

    These 13 funds, taken along with the other investment funds nearing the end of the diligence process, collectively project to invest over $4 billion in nearly 1700 portfolio companies focused on all 14 DoD Critical Technology Areas and component-level technologies and production processes. In addition, these funds plan to invest across asset classes including seed, venture, growth, buyout, direct lending, special situations, and fund-of-funds.

    Interest in the SBICCT Initiative continues to grow, as over 100 funds have expressed interest in the Initiative. Additional applications are expected in future quarterly filing windows. The next filing deadline is November 15, 2024. For more information on the SBICCT Initiative and the application process, please see the Investment Policy Statement here.

    About the Office of Strategic Capital

    Established by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III in December 2022, the Office of Strategic Capital has a mission to attract and scale private capital for national and economic security priorities. Follow the work of the Office of Strategic Capital at https://www.osc.mil.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: : Feds Feed Families USDA End of Summer Thank you and Celebration – 2024

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    Thank you to Feds Feed Families agency chairs, champions and leadership who supported Feds Feed Families activities this summer and helped to feed hungry people in our communities.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Si7eR3v58

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Grassley Presses USDA to Act Now to Protect U.S. Farmland

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a lifelong family farmer and a Senate Agriculture Committee member, is urging the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to share with key national security agencies its data on foreign-owned farmland.  

    “USDA is sitting on a treasure trove of data that federal partners could use to help protect American farmers.”

    Download video HERE.

    In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Grassley notes the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 – which he cosponsored as a member of the House of Representatives – requires USDA to “collect, track and report reliable data on foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land.” To enhance transparency and curtail malign foreign investments, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a January 2024 report recommending USDA share this data with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) in a more timely fashion. While USDA agreed with GAO’s recommendations, it has yet to take the necessary steps to address GAO’s guidance and improve its data sharing standards. 

    “It is crucial that USDA continue to improve its processes for collecting, tracking, and reporting data on foreign ownership and investment in U.S. agricultural land. Further, it is essential that USDA provide CFIUS and its member agencies with access to timely and detailed information on these transactions to ensure that all potential national security risks receive a thorough review,” Grassley wrote to Vilsack.   

    Read Grassley’s full letter HERE. 

    Learn more about Grassley’s work to protect American farmland through his:

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley Statement on Steward Hearing and Ralph De La Torre

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement on Steward Healthcare CEO Ralph De La Torre’s refusal to comply with a subpoena to appear before Congress today. Congresswoman Pressley represents many patients and workers served by Carney Hospital in Dorchester as well as St Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton.

    “We cannot allow companies like Steward Health Care and their CEO Ralph De La Torre to get away with ravaging our healthcare system and leaving our hospitals, patients, and workers behind. But De La Torre’s refusal to come before the Senate today is the latest in a series of cowardly attempts to avoid responsibility, and he must be held in contempt of Congress.

    “I’m grateful to the Senate HELP Committee, Chairman Sanders, and Senator Markey for holding this critical hearing, and for the Massachusetts nurses who came forward to expose the shameful impact of Steward’s greed. We won’t stop fighting to hold Steward and De La Torre fully accountable for the public health crisis they created.”

    In Congress, Rep. Pressley has repeatedly demanded accountability and transparency from Steward executives, and she has been worked with her colleagues at the federal and local levels to ensure care remains accessible and Steward’s other facilities remain open.

    • In July 2024, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Lynch rallied with colleagues, patients, and providers to speak out against Steward’s abrupt closure of Carney Hospital in Dorchester.
    • In July 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the announcement by Steward Health Care of the closure of hospitals in Massachusetts, including Carney Hospital in Dorchester.
    • In May 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning Steward’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and failure to protect patients and workers.
    • In February 2024, Rep. Pressley joined members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation in seeking answers from Cerebrus on the private equity firm’s role in creating the current financial challenges at Steward hospitals, which threaten access to medical care for thousands of people in eastern Massachusetts.
    • In January 2024, following a Boston Globe report indicating that Steward Health Care System is in dire financial condition, Rep. Pressley, Sen. Warren, and the Massachusetts congressional delegation pressed Steward to brief them on Steward’s financial position, the status of their Massachusetts facilities, and their plans to ensure the communities they serve are not abandoned. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: IOM Intensifies Emergency Response to Severe Flooding across West and Central Africa

    Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

    Geneva/ Dakar, 25 September – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is scaling up its emergency operations to assist millions impacted by the severe flooding across West and Central Africa.  IOM is working to deliver a comprehensive and integrated regional response, collaborating closely with sister UN agencies, including OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, and WFP.   

    Since the onset of the rainy season, heavy downpours have ravaged vast regions, claiming more than 1,500 lives, affecting 4 million people and displacing more than 1.2 million individuals across Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger.  

    “This year’s floods are unprecedented, a stark reminder of the growing impacts of climate change in our region,” said Sylvia Ekra, IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “Our teams are working tirelessly on the ground to support affected communities and local authorities. While we continue to strengthen emergency preparedness year-round, the scale of the situation at hand demands urgent additional funding to address immediate and longer-term needs” .

    In Chad, one of the hardest-hit countries, over 1.5 million people have been affected, and over 164,000 homes destroyed. Displacement is widespread, particularly in N’Djamena and southern regions along the Chari River. The floods have devastated more than 400,000 hectares of arable land, severely impacting food security and livelihoods. IOM is leveraging its experience in helping the government’s emergency response, drawing on lessons learnt from the 2022 flood.   

    Rapid response teams are helping local authorities assess immediate needs through IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). IOM has also reopened previously used displacement sites to provide temporary shelter and essential services to those affected, actively coordinating within the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) framework.   

    In the Lake region and N’Djamena, IOM Chad is preparing to provide immediate multisectoral assistant to 7,000 direct beneficiaries through the provision of 700 shelters, water trucking, and repairing of 21 water pumps and 350 latrines.   

    In Nigeria, the floods have displaced nearly 650,000 people. Torrential rains have destroyed homes, farmlands, and vital infrastructure across 31 states, with the most severe impact reported in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, and Benue. IOM has allocated $3 million through its Rapid Response Fund (RRF) to provide critical relief, while working with local partners to assess additional needs. 

    Meanwhile, between July and September, Mali has experienced the most significant rainfall since 1967, affecting nearly all regions and impacting over 180,000 people. IOM has been helping the government to assist those impacted in the hardest-hit regions of Gao, Ségou, and Mopti.  The Organization’s support includes emergency tents and shelter materials, as well as technical assistance for the construction of 635 shelters.  As of 19 September, 20,389 flood-affected individuals had been registered by the DTM team.   

    Across West and Central Africa, the floods have exacerbated health concerns. Stagnant water and poor sanitation has increased the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera while damaged infrastructure such as roads have limited access to affected areas further complicating humanitarian response efforts.   

    Despite the ongoing effort, the scale of the disaster has revealed critical gaps in the resources available to respond to the emergency. With the rainy season expected to continue until November, IOM urgently calls on the international community for increased support to meet the growing needs.    

    IOM’s ongoing efforts on the ground are made possible thanks to the generous support of the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) and the Japanese Supplementary Budget (JSB). 

      

    For more information, please contact:   

    Dakar : Joëlle Furrer, jfurrer@iom.int    

    Geneva: Kennedy Okoth, kokoth@iom.int   

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Closure of Canadian Coast Guard Seasonal Inshore Rescue Boat Stations in Quebec

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The Canadian Coast Guard’s seasonal Inshore Rescue Boat stations in Quebec will close on the following dates: • Longueuil, Trois-Rivières, Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, and Beaconsfield: Sunday, September 29 at 8:00 P.M. • Sorel: Wednesday, November 13 at 12:00 P.M. • The Bainsville station closed on September 3

    September 25, 2024                             

    Quebec City, Quebec – The Canadian Coast Guard’s seasonal Inshore Rescue Boat stations in Quebec will close on the following dates:

    • Longueuil, Trois-Rivières, Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, and Beaconsfield: Sunday, September 29 at 8:00 P.M.
    • Sorel: Wednesday, November 13 at 12:00 P.M.
    • The Bainsville station closed on September 3

    All Inshore Rescue Boat stations opened on May 29 – the start of peak boating and sailing season in Quebec.

    The Inshore Rescue Boat program trains and employs post-secondary students to provide additional maritime search and rescue services during the busy summer season. The Canadian Coast Guard’s seasonal search and rescue stations located in Cap-aux-Meules, Havre-Saint-Pierre, Kegaska, Quebec City, Rivière-au-Renard and Tadoussac will remain in service until November and December.

    Emergencies can be reported to the Canadian Coast Guard 24/7:

    • Phone: 1-800-463-4393 or 418-648-3599
    • VHF radio channel 16 (156.8 Mhz)
    • Digital Selective Calling (DSC/VHF) channel 70
    • Radio frequency MF 2182 Khz

    The Canadian Coast Guard recommends that you wear your life jacket at all times on the water. For more tips, including navigation laws and “rules of the road” on waterways, consult Transport Canada’s Safe Boating Guide.

    Before heading out on the water, we also recommend that you:

    • Ensure your boat is in good condition;
    • Share your trip plan with family or friends; and,
    • Have enough fuel, and some in reserve.

    For additional information on the Canadian Coast Guard’s search and rescue services, please visit: https://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/search-rescue-recherche-sauvetage/index-eng.html

    Communications Branch
    Fisheries and Oceans Canada
    Quebec Region
    media.qc@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
    418-648-5474

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Administration Releases New Reports Highlighting the Urgent Need to Continue Improving Health Care Affordability

    Source: US State of New Jersey

    Findings show that while New Jersey benefits from high-quality care, health care costs have risen rapidly over nearly a decade

    TRENTON – The Murphy Administration today released a trio of reports assessing the quality and affordability of health care in New Jersey. These reports serve as a critical first step to understanding and addressing the health care affordability challenge impacting individuals and families both in the state and across the nation. Together, the reports show that a lack of affordable health care continues to burden New Jerseyans, and they will be instrumental in supporting the development of innovative and collaborative approaches to address high costs.

    The reports come on the heels of recently enacted legislation that protects consumers from harmful medical debt and builds upon a significant foundation of health care affordability and accessibility initiatives championed by Governor Murphy. This includes record enrollment into quality, affordable health coverage through Get Covered New Jersey, enhanced Medicaid benefits, a landmark legislative package aimed at prescription drug affordability and transparency, and increased prescription drug assistance for low-income seniors, which have brought financial relief to New Jersey residents as well as provided a strong foundation for long-term solutions that expand access to affordable health care.

    “We’ve taken critical steps toward addressing the rising cost of health care in New Jersey, but these reports underscore the urgency to continue our progress in making high-quality health care more affordable for all,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “It’s time to ramp up our work to transform our health care system so that it delivers the best care possible at a price that every New Jerseyan can afford.”

    Commissioned by the New Jersey Health Care Affordability, Responsibility and Transparency (HART) Program, a joint initiative of the Governor’s Office of Health Care Affordability and Transparency (OHCAT) and the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI), the reports represent an important milestone in advancing the State’s long-term strategy to mitigate the unsustainable rate of health care cost growth. Most significantly, they bring greater transparency to health care spending, providing everyone in the state with a shared understanding of how rapidly health care costs are growing and the factors contributing to high costs and cost growth.

    “We’re all feeling the financial strain of inflation and the rising costs of daily life. These reports serve as a critical landmark in our efforts to make high-quality health care more affordable and accessible for everyone in our state, and set the stage for more work to come,” said OHCAT Director Shabnam Salih. “Using this information, advocates, policymakers, and leaders in the health care industry can make evidence-based decisions about how to bring better value and cost savings to New Jersey residents and businesses.”

    The three reports released today include:

    • First Annual Cost Growth Benchmark Report: 2018-2019, which is based on comprehensive aggregate spending data submitted by health insurance carriers operating in NJ. The report finds that statewide health care spending grew 4.5 percent between 2018 and 2019, increasing from $10,061 to $10,509 per person. Health care spending growth varied by market, with the highest growth in the commercial insurance market (8.7%), followed by Medicaid (4.4%) and Medicare (0.2%). This is the first of the HART Program’s annual Cost Growth Benchmark Reports, which offer insights into the year-over-year change in total health care spending in New Jersey in the last full year before the COVID-19 public health emergency. Following the first program year, future reports will compare annual health care spending to New Jersey’s health care cost growth benchmark, a target to slow spending growth.
    • Health Care Spending Trends for New Jersey Residents with Commercial Insurance, 2016–2021, which is based on detailed claims data for approximately 25% of New Jerseyans with employer-sponsored insurance, obtained through the Health Care Cost Institute. The findings show that rising health care prices — and not increased use of services — are driving spending growth in the commercial sector. According to the report, spending per person in New Jersey is growing faster than the national average rate, a gap that has widened from 12 percent in 2016 to 15 percent in 2021.
    • The Health Care Landscape in New Jersey: Select Indicators of Quality, Access, and Affordability, which summarizes New Jersey’s performance on a select set of measures of quality, access, and affordability that are obtained through secondary sources. The report finds that health care affordability has generally worsened because of increased spending for out-of-pocket medical costs and health care premiums, while quality and access have remained consistent or improved, compared with previous years. One exception is primary care, where use has fallen. The report highlights the health inequalities among New Jerseyans, with the medical cost burden highest among people with low incomes. White residents fared the worst on the affordability measure of medical cost burden. Residents of Hispanic and Latino heritage fared the worst in terms of access, and Black residents experienced the worst health outcomes. Counties that performed better than the state average on measures of quality were more likely to be in North or Central Jersey, while counties that performed worse on those measures were more likely to be in South Jersey.

    Additionally, pursuant to Executive Order No. 217, the Department of Banking and Insurance has prepared a report regarding health insurance affordability standards that has been posted on the Department’s website.

    “The reports released today allow for greater transparency around costs and improved understanding of New Jersey’s health care landscape, which will drive strategies to limit cost growth over time,” said Department of Banking and Insurance Acting Commissioner Justin Zimmerman. “New Jersey is committed to increasing access to quality, affordable health care. While strides have been made through the establishment of Get Covered New Jersey, the state’s Official Health Insurance Marketplace, state subsidies to make plans more affordable, caps on certain prescription drugs, and the implementation of out-of-network reforms, it is clear we have more work ahead to connect residents with care they can afford.”

    By facilitating the reporting of health care costs in the state and using data to understand the causes of rising health care costs, these reports can inform whole-of-government strategies to reduce health care cost growth while sustaining or improving quality of care, reflecting the Governor’s commitment to put in place long-term solutions that will benefit generations to come.

    Across New Jersey, hospitals and health care providers, carriers, employers, consumer groups, union groups, and policy organizations have signaled their commitment to working collaboratively to make health care more affordable, signing onto a compact to meet the State’s established benchmark for health care spending growth. This benchmark acts as a statewide goal for how much health care spending should grow each year to be affordable, bringing it in line with projected increases in wages and the state economy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Takes Action to Support Federal Regulations on Gun Trafficking

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell today co-led a multistate coalition of 22 attorneys general in support of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) rule that helps prevent illegal gun trafficking by requiring private gun sellers to obtain a license and perform background checks on potential buyers. Attorney General James and the coalition filed an amicus brief in Texas v. ATF arguing that the ATF’s rule is necessary to protect public safety and prevent domestic abusers and other dangerous individuals from illegally obtaining guns.

    “Gun violence causes so much pain and suffering throughout the country, and we know that gun safety laws are an important tool to help tackle this crisis,” said Attorney General James. “For too long, gun traffickers and criminals got away with buying weapons from private sellers to avoid restrictions that would prevent them from buying a gun. The commonsense rule advanced by ATF will address this problem and help prevent illegal gun trafficking to keep our communities safer by placing more regulations on private sellers. I am proud to co-lead this effort with my fellow attorneys general and we will continue fighting to stop gun violence.”

    After the mass shooting at the Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, NY and the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Congress enacted the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which closed certain loopholes that allowed gun traffickers and criminals to obtain guns without undergoing background checks. In particular, the law expanded the definition of gun sellers to include additional private sellers, making them subject to federal licensing and background check requirements.

    The coalition argues that unlicensed gun sales by private sellers make it easier for people who cannot legally purchase firearms to obtain them, endangering communities and fueling gun violence. From a mass shooting at a bar in St. Paul, Minnesota that left one dead and 14 people injured, to the murder of a Chicago Police officer, to a mass shooting at a block party in Brooklyn that left eight people injured, trafficked guns have been used to carry out catastrophic violence in American communities. The ATF’s rule is intended to make it more difficult for dangerous individuals to illegally obtain guns. Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the ATF’s rule will curb gun trafficking and protect public safety.

    Joining Attorney General James in filing this amicus brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

    Attorney General James has been a leader in the fight to protect New Yorkers and communities throughout the nation from gun violence. In September 2024, Attorney General James sent a letter urging Congress to take action to stop gun trafficking in Caribbean countries. In August 2024, Attorney General James led a coalition of 22 attorneys general in support of commonsense state and federal laws that regulate the sale of guns to keep communities safe. In April 2024, Attorney General James took down gun traffickers for selling ghost guns and other firearms in Central New York. In March 2024, Attorney General James secured a $7.8 million judgment against gun retailer Indie Guns for illegally selling ghost gun components in New York. In February 2024, Attorney General James announced the takedowns of a gun trafficking network that sold ghost guns and assault-style rifles and a narcotics trafficking network in Dutchess County. In December 2023, Attorney General James led a multistate coalition in support of the ATF’s rule at issue in this lawsuit.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on Death of Daniel Legler

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Daniel Legler, who died on August 6, 2023 after an encounter with a member of the New York State Police (NYSP) in Monroe County. Following a thorough investigation, which included review of body-worn camera footage, interviews with the involved trooper and a witness, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the trooper’s actions were justified under New York law.

    At approximately 9:24 p.m. on August 6, a NYSP trooper was pursuing a vehicle traveling westbound on Interstate 490 in Rochester after the driver of the vehicle, Mr. Legler, refused to comply with an attempted traffic stop. Mr. Legler was driving on the left shoulder of the highway to pass other cars, and at some points, his speed appeared to reach up to or over 100 MPH, almost 50 MPH over the speed limit.

    Later in the pursuit, Mr. Legler exited the highway at the exit for the Rochester Tech Park in Gates, which involves a sharp turn. Mr. Legler’s vehicle struck a guardrail and then hit a curb on the median near the intersection of Harek Road and Les Harrison Drive West, becoming airborne before landing in a nearby field. The trooper exited his vehicle and commanded Mr. Legler remain in his vehicle, but Mr. Legler did not comply. Once out of the car, Mr. Legler began reaching around his waistband and moved to the other side of the car, prompting the trooper to command him to show his hands. Mr. Legler again refused to comply. 

    The trooper asked Mr. Legler to turn around to be placed under arrest. Mr. Legler then stumbled backward to the ground and a physical struggle ensued as the trooper attempted to place Mr. Legler in handcuffs. During the struggle, the trooper heard a shot fired and backed away from Mr. Legler. The trooper then saw a gun in Mr. Legler’s hand and discharged his service weapon in response. The trooper commanded Mr. Legler to remain on the ground, but Mr. Legler attempted to stand up and the trooper discharged his service weapon, striking Mr. Legler. Mr. Legler was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers recovered a gun at the scene.

    Under New York’s justification law, a police officer may use deadly physical force when the officer reasonably believes it to be necessary to defend against the use of deadly physical force by another. In this case, the trooper heard a shot ring out and saw a gun in Mr. Legler’s hand. Under these circumstances, given the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the trooper’s use of deadly physical force against Mr. Legler was justified, and therefore OSI determined that criminal charges should not be pursued in this matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Closure of seasonal Canadian Coast Guard coastal rescue boat stations in Quebec

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French

    The seasonal stations of the Canadian Coast Guard Inshore Rescue Boat program will close on the following dates: • Longueuil, Trois-Rivières, Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, and Beaconsfield: Sunday, September 29 at 8 p.m. • Sorel: Wednesday, November 13 at 12 p.m. • The Bainsville station has been closed since September 3

    September 25, 2024

    Quebec City (Quebec) – The Canadian Coast Guard’s Inshore Rescue Boat Program seasonal stations will close on the following dates:

    Longueuil, Trois-Rivières, Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, and Beaconsfield: Sunday, September 29 at 8 p.m. Sorel: Wednesday, November 13 at 12 p.m. The Bainsville station has been closed since September 3

    All coastal rescue boat stations have been in service since May 29 for the start of the high recreational boating season in Quebec.

    The Inshore Rescue Boat program trains and employs post-secondary students to provide additional maritime search and rescue services during the summer season. The Canadian Coast Guard’s seasonal search and rescue stations located in Cap-aux-Meules, Havre-Saint-Pierre, Kegaska, Quebec, Rivière-au-Renard, and Tadoussac will continue operations through November and December.

    Any marine emergency can be reported to the Canadian Coast Guard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

    Phone: 1-800-463-4393 or 418-648-3599 VHF radio channel 16 (156.8 MHz) Digital selective calling (DSC/VHF) channel 70 FM radio frequency 2182 kHz

    The Canadian Coast Guard recommends wearing a lifejacket at all times when you are on the water. For more advice, including boating laws and “rules of the road” on waterways, please consult the Boating Safety Guide on the Transport Canada website.

    Before going on the water, we also recommend that you:

    ensure your boat is in good condition communicate your itinerary to your relatives or friends provide sufficient fuel and reserves

    To learn more about the Canadian Coast Guard’s search and rescue services, please visit: https://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/search-rescue-recherche-sauvetage/index-eng.html.

    Communications DirectorateFisheries and Oceans CanadaQuebec Regionmedia.qc@dfo-mpo.gc.ca418-648-5474

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Laws to Increase Transparency Into Utility Rate Changes

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation to increase transparency and accountability in the public utility rate-setting process.

    “Today, we are taking bold steps to ensure New Yorkers have greater transparency into the utility rate changes that impact their daily lives,” Governor Hochul said. “New Yorkers deserve to know why there is an increase in rates and how the revenue will be spent. These laws represent a new chapter of a fair, open and trustworthy utility system for New Yorkers.”

    Legislation S.9188/A.9827 requires the Public Service Commission to publish certain information prior to a major rate change by a public gas or electric utility, including an explanation of why the rate change is requested and a summary of how the proposed revenue will be spent. The legislation will provide public education about the rate process with minimal additional cost, allowing for expanded transparency and accessibility.

    State Senator Leroy Comrie said, “Consumers have for far too long been left in the dark when it comes to utility rate increases, with providers offering little explanation or accountability. With the cost of energy delivery and development constantly rising, these bills will bring greater transparency, protections from unjustified rate hikes, and add a financial deterrent to would-be bad actors. I thank Governor Hochul for her steadfast leadership and continuing to work to protect New Yorkers.”

    Assemblymember Didi Barrett said, “Across the state, New Yorkers are struggling with increased utility costs, so it is especially important that we do all we can to help them understand the implications of the often complex and confusing utility rate case process. This legislation increases transparency and helps keep ratepayers informed. I thank Senator Comrie and Governor Hochul for their partnership in getting this important bill passed and signed into law.”

    Legislation S.6710/A.3746 establishes civil penalties for making false material statements to the Public Service Commission in relation to a rate proceeding. The penalty will be up to $250,000 for any utility corporation and its officers, agents or employees that knowingly make a false material statement, representation or certification to the Public Service Commission in any rate proceeding.

    State Senator James Skoufis said, “Simplifying and improving the transparency surrounding the process of major rate increases – and holding bad actors accountable – is an essential step toward increasing public understanding and ensuring utility companies are responsible to ratepayers. I am gratified to see the Governor enact S.9188 into law.”

    Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein said, “In the past, there have been instances where customers of public utilities have been subject to rate hikes based on false or misleading information. This legislation institutes severe penalties on utility companies that knowingly and deliberately provide false testimony to the Public Service Commission to justify an unfair rate increase, at the expense of hardworking New Yorkers who are already struggling to pay their utility bills. Thank you, Governor Hochul, for recognizing the importance of this issue and helping to ensure that ratepayers will no longer suffer the consequences of false material statements.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: On the Heels of Inflation, Why Experts Expect Gold Prices Will Climb to Record Highs in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Gold prices are forecast to climb to record highs in the coming year. The price of gold has soared to new heights this year and is positioned to climb into early 2025, rising to new record highs, according to Goldman Sachs Research. The precious metal has increased more than 20% this year, peaking at a record of more than $2,500 per troy ounce. Goldman Sachs Research forecasts the price will reach $2,700 by early next year, buoyed by interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and gold purchases by emerging market central banks. The metal could get an additional boost if the US imposes new financial sanctions or if concerns mount about the US debt burden. They see that Gold prices are forecast to climb to record high. Goldman Sachs says that: “Gold is our strategists’ preferred near-term long (the commodity they most expect to go up in the short term), and it’s also their preferred hedge against geopolitical and financial risks. In this softer cyclical environment, gold stands out as the commodity where we have the highest confidence in near-term upside,” Goldman Sachs Research strategists Samantha Dart and Lina Thomas write. Active Mining Companies in the markets today include Asia Broadband Inc. (OTCPK: AABB), Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE American: EQX), Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE: KGC), Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: GOLD), IAMGOLD Corporation (NYSE: IAG).

    In an additional article, Goldman Sachs added: “The yellow metal typically only guards against very high inflation and large inflation surprises caused by losses in central bank credibility and geopolitical supply shocks. Gold usually didn’t perform well in response to positive demand shocks when the central bank responded swiftly by hiking rates. Gold emerged as the best commodity to serve as a potential hedge against inflation and geo-political risks. Goldman Sachs Research’s base case is that gold appreciates to $2,700/troy ounce by year-end, an increase of about 16%, on solid demand from central banks in emerging markets and from Asian households. Gold could help shield against potential stock market drops if a trade war erupts, and it has upside if concerns mount about the US debt load or if the Fed is subordinated by a new administration.”

    Asia Broadband Inc. (OTCPK: AABB) Gold Production Continues Upward Trend For Third Quarter, As Ore Stockpile Processing Plant Advances Towards Completion – Asia Broadband Inc. (“AABB” or the “Company) is pleased to announce that the Company’s operations for the 3rd quarter ending September 30, 2024, will be completed next week and production levels have already surpassed the second quarter. The Company has exceeded its production and gross profit levels achieved in both the 1st and 2nd consecutive record quarters this year. Gold production more than doubled in the 1st quarter of 2024, in comparison to the 4th quarter of 2023, due to higher grade selection, recovery efficiencies and increased daily throughput levels. Additionally, the economies of scale from higher productions levels reduced production costs and added to the bottom-line gross profit, which has continued in an upward trend over the last three quarters.

    The elevated operational strategies and efficiencies of the AABB mining team continued in the 3rd quarter and has firmly established the foundation for the high production levels to follow the completion of the Company’s processing plant. The new facility is currently under construction in Etzatlan, Mexico, and its capacity will be primarily dedicated to processing the estimated $1 billion dollar ore value of the Company’s exclusive rights surface stockpile. AABB continues to develop the processing plant and will release updates as progress milestones are reached. The Company will release a processing plant project update in October.

    “The elevation of our production processes by the mining operations team in all three quarters of this year will have a multiplier effect with increased production levels. We are eagerly awaiting to extend this expertise to our massive ore stockpile processing when the new plant is complete. This will take us to a much higher level than we have ever reached before,” expressed Chris Torres, the Company President and CEO.

    AABB continues to implement its mining property acquisition strategy to optimize development capital utilization by focusing operations in regions of Mexico where AABB has a comparative advantage of development resources and expertise readily available for rapid expansion and duplication of the Company’s previous gold production success. CONTINUED… Read this full release for Asia Broadband at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-aabb/

    Other recent developments in the mining industry include:

    Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: GOLD) recently said it is projecting a 30% growth in the production of gold-equivalent ounces from its existing assets by the end of this decade while it continues to unlock the value embedded in its portfolio, says president and chief executive Mark Bristow.

    Speaking at the Gold Forum Americas, Bristow said while Barrick was alert to potentially value-accretive opportunities generated by the consolidation of the industry, it had the rare luxury of doing so from an asset base that would support organic growth well into the future.

    “Five years ago, we set out to build a sustainably profitable gold and copper business focused on world-class assets. We did not have to buy them at a premium: they were embedded in the merged portfolio of Barrick and Randgold and we just had to unlock their value,” he said.

    Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE: KGC) recently provided an update on the Great Bear project (the “Project”), located in Red Lake, Ontario, Canada. Kinross has completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the Great Bear project which supports the Company’s acquisition thesis of a top tier high-margin operation in a stable jurisdiction with strong infrastructure. Based on mineral resources drilled to date, the PEA outlines a high-grade combined open pit and underground mine with an initial planned mine life of approximately 12 years and production cost of sales of $594 per ounce. The Project is expected to produce over 500,000 ounces per year at an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of approximately $800 per ounce during the first 8 years through a conventional, modest capital 10,000 tonne per day (tpd) mill.

    Kinross has also released an updated mineral resource estimate increasing the inferred resource estimate by 568koz. to 3.884 Moz. which is in addition to the existing M&I resource estimate of 2.738 Moz. The mineral resource estimate and PEA for the Great Bear project are available here.

    Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE American: EQX) recently announced an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”) for its 100% owned, exploration-stage Hasaga Property (“Hasaga” or the “Property”) in Red Lake, Ontario.

    “Hasaga is located in the Red Lake Gold District of northwestern Ontario, which is renowned for its high gold grades and prolific historical gold production. This updated Mineral Resource Estimate focuses on the high-grade nature of the gold mineralization and is a departure from the previous bulk-tonnage approach,” stated Scott Heffernan, EVP Exploration of Equinox Gold. “As expected, the updated Mineral Resource Estimate contains fewer gold ounces but at significantly higher average gold grades.

    “Further, the main zones of gold mineralization included in the updated Mineral Resource Estimate remain open, with numerous historical gold intersections defining drill-ready targets highlighting the potential for resource growth and new discoveries.”

    IAMGOLD Corporation (NYSE: IAG) recently announced that the Côté Gold Mine (“Côté Gold” or “Côté”) has reached commercial production. Côté Gold is located in Ontario, Canada and is operated as a joint venture between IAMGOLD, as the operator, and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (“Sumitomo”). Commercial production is defined as the achievement of reaching a minimum of 30 consecutive days of operations during which the mill operated at an average of 60% of nameplate throughput of 36,000 tpd.

    “I would like to commend our teams at Côté Gold who have come together to achieve another great milestone as we progress and ramp up what we believe will be one of Canada’s largest gold mines and a model for modern mining in Canada,” said Renaud Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer of IAMGOLD. “Since achieving the first pour of gold on March 31, 2024, our teams have spent the last four months methodically and iteratively testing and ramping up all facets of the mine. This process has required remarkable commitment, ingenuity and teamwork to bring all the systems online together to achieve this milestone.”

    About FN Media Group:

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    DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated forty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Asia Broadband Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

    Contact Information:

    Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com – +1(561)325-8757

    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to the General Assembly Plenary Meeting on Addressing the Existential Threats Posed by Sea Level Rise [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations – English

    resident of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires.  En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.
     
    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique.  C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future. We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-English]

    President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellencies,

    Low-lying coastal zones are home to around 900 million people.

    Rising seas mean a rising tide of misery:

    More intense storm surges, coastal erosion, and coastal flooding;

    Communities swamped, fresh water contaminated, crops ruined, infrastructure damaged, biodiversity destroyed, and economies decimated – with sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, and tourism pummelled.

    The poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.

    I saw this recently in the Pacific, where cyclones are tearing chunks out of island economies.  In 2015, Vanuatu suffered damage equivalent to well over half its GDP.

    Meanwhile, in Panama, hundreds of island families have been relocated to the mainland.

    In Bangladesh, saltwater is polluting drinking water, killing crops and creating a health threat that can be deadly, particularly for pregnant women. 

    In the city of Saint Louis in Senegal, homes, schools, small businesses, and mosques have reportedly been abandoned to the encroaching tide.

    Such events are reproduced across the globe.

    This is what climate injustice looks like. This is the face of inequity.

    But the rich are not immune. 

    Advanced economies are spending billions – in damages, and adaptation.

    And without rapid action we’re in for much worse. 

    As the title of today’s debate reminds us, for some, this could be existential:

    Whole islands lost;

    Coastal communities destroyed as lands become uninhabitable and uninsurable.
                   
    Mass displacement can pile pressure on scarce resources elsewhere, inflaming already dire situations.

    Global trade, food systems and supply chains will be battered as ports are damaged, and agricultural land and fisheries ruined.

    Rising seas will reshape not only coastlines, but economies, politics and security too. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future.  We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-French]

    Excellences,

    L’humanité navigue en eaux dangereuses.

    Les scientifiques nous disent que le niveau des mers monte aujourd’hui plus rapidement que jamais au cours des 3 000 dernières années, et que cette hausse s’accélère – avec un taux d’augmentation qui a plus que doublé depuis les années 1990.

    Ils nous disent que la cause est claire :

    Les gaz à effet de serre – issus en grande partie de la combustion des énergies fossiles – réchauffent notre planète, dilatent l’eau de mer et font fondre la glace. 

    Mais ils ne peuvent pas nous dire où cela s’arrêtera.

    Cela dépendra des dirigeants du monde actuels.

    Leurs choix détermineront l’ampleur, le rythme et l’impact des futures élévations du niveau des mers.

    Une augmentation des températures de plus de 1,5 degré Celsius au-dessus des niveaux préindustriels pourrait faire franchir au monde des points de bascule dangereux – ce qui pourrait sur le long terme entraîner l’effondrement irréversible des calottes glaciaires du Groenland et de l’Antarctique occidental.

    Dans le pire des scénarios, les personnes vivant aujourd’hui verraient le niveau des mers monter de plusieurs mètres.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires. En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.

    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique. C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellences,

    Seules des mesures radicales de réduction des émissions peuvent limiter l’élévation du niveau de la mer.

    Et seules des mesures drastiques d’adaptation peuvent mettre les populations à l’abri de la montée des eaux.

    Tout le monde doit être protégé par un système d’alerte d’ici 2027 – conformément à notre initiative « Alertes précoces pour tous ».

    Tous les pays doivent présenter de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux sur le climat – ou contributions déterminées au niveau national – bien avant la COP30 de l’année prochaine.

    Ces plans doivent s’aligner sur le seuil de 1,5 degré, couvrir tous les secteurs de l’économie et nous mettre sur la voie de l’élimination progressive, rapide et équitable, des combustibles fossiles.

    Le G20, responsable d’environ 80 % des émissions mondiales, doit montrer la voie. Il doit aligner ses plans de production et de consommation de combustibles fossiles sur le seuil de 1,5 degré.

    Le financement est indispensable.

    Nous avons besoin de résultats ambitieux en matière de finances à la COP29 de cette année – y compris en termes de sources de capital nouvelles et innovantes.

    Nous avons besoin de contributions significatives au nouveau Fonds pour les pertes et les dommages – une étape essentielle sur le chemin vers la justice climatique.

    Les pays développés doivent doubler le financement en faveur de l’adaptation pour atteindre au moins 40 milliards de dollars par an d’ici 2025 – et démontrer comment ils vont combler le déficit de financement de l’adaptation.

    Enfin, nous devons réformer les Banques multilatérales de développement pour qu’elles deviennent plus grandes, plus audacieuses et capables de fournir des financements beaucoup plus abordables aux pays en développement.

    Nous avons réalisé de réels progrès lors du Sommet de l’avenir. Nous devons continuer à porter ces avancées, notamment lors du Sommet mondial pour le développement social et de la Conférence sur le financement du développement qui se tiendront l’année prochaine.

    Nous devons également combler les lacunes de notre cadre juridique international concernant l’élévation du niveau de la mer : pour garantir un accès continu aux ressources, tout en protégeant les frontières maritimes existantes, ainsi que pour protéger les personnes touchées et, dans les scénarios extrêmes, pour traiter les implications liées à aux statuts d’un État.

    Excellences,

    Nous ne pouvons pas laisser les espoirs et les aspirations de milliards de personnes sans réponse. 

    Nous ne pouvons pas permettre la destruction massive de pays et de communautés.

    Il est temps d’inverser la tendance.

    Et de nous sauver de la montée des eaux.

    Je vous remercie.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations – English

    gradeço ao Presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva e ao governo do Brasil por co-organizar esta reunião entre os ministros das Relações Exteriores do G20, todos os Estados Membros das Nações Unidas, e as organizações financeiras internacionais.

    [I thank President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the government of Brazil for co-convening this meeting between G20 foreign ministers, all UN Member States, and the international financial organizations.]

    This is a historic first.

    The G20, the United Nations system and the Bretton Woods institutions and other international financial institutions deal with some of the most important challenges of our time: inequality, financing for development, the climate crisis, the impact of new technologies. 

    In all these areas, progress is slipping out of reach as our world becomes more unsustainable, unequal and unpredictable.

    Conflicts are raging, the climate crisis is accelerating, inequalities are growing, and new technologies have unprecedented potential for good – and bad.

    Global institutions must work together – not on parallel or conflicting tracks.

    They must cooperate and collaborate for the good of humanity and the Summit of the Future was an essential first step.

    It has created opportunities and possibilities for reform across the board.

    But without implementation, it will be meaningless.

    The work starts today.

    Excellencies,

    The Pact for the Future is about action in the here and now.

    And G20 countries can act in three specific areas.

    First, finance.

    We need ambitious reforms of the international financial architecture to make it fully representative of today’s global economy, so it can provide strong support to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

    I commend the leadership of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund for making important progress.

    But the resources available are still dwarfed by the size of the needs.

    Many developing countries are being hit by a double whammy of climate chaos and debt.

    To support low- and middle-income developing countries effectively, multilateral development banks must be bigger, bolder and better.

    We need a far more robust financial safety net to shield countries in a world of frequent shocks.

    Voting rights and decision-making rules should reflect the changing global landscape.

    And access to concessional finance should be based on needs and vulnerabilities, not just on income.

    All parts of the global financial system must work together to reduce the cost of finance and the inequalities that blight our world.  

    This demands action on debt – starting with an effective mechanism to deal with debt relief and restructuring.

    As a first step, I welcome the commitment by the International Monetary Fund to review the debt architecture – as set out in the Pact for the Future. 
    I look to all G20 countries to push for deep reforms so that global financial institutions reflect today’s world and respond to today’s challenges.

    One of those challenges is global hunger.  It is shameful that in our world of plenty, around one person in ten regularly goes without food for an entire day or more – known as severe food insecurity.

    I welcome President Lula and Brazil’s focus on global hunger during the G20 presidency and call on all G20 countries – and all UN Member States – to strengthen efforts to end this affront to our common humanity.  

    Excellencies,

    The second area for action is climate.

    We are at a critical moment: a battle to prevent temperatures from rising above the agreed limit of 1.5 degrees.  

    Today’s decisions and actions will determine the course of our world for decades to come.

    The climate crisis transcends borders and politics.  Climate action cannot be a victim of geopolitical competition.

    Under G20 leadership we will be able to have drastic reductions in fossil fuel production and consumption as an essential element for climate action.

    By 2030, global production and consumption of all fossil fuels must decline by at least thirty per cent – and global renewables capacity must triple.

    This requires OECD countries to phase out coal by 2030 and to fully decarbonize power generation systems by 2035.

    And it means non-OECD countries must phase out coal by 2040. 

    I have been strongly advocating for no new coal or upstream oil and gas projects for all G20 nations.

    New national climate plans due next year are an opportunity for countries to align energy strategies and development priorities with climate ambition, taking into account the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

    They must also show how each country intends to transition away from fossil fuels, in line with the outcome at COP 28.

    Excellencies,

    There has never been a greater global challenge than the climate crisis.

    There has never been more agreement on the solution: a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

    And renewable technologies have never been better – or cheaper.

    The obstacle to the renewables revolution is not economics, or a lack of solutions.

    It is mindsets, and lack of vision.

    Those that lead the renewables revolution are already reaping the rewards.

    But many developing countries are being left behind.

    Clean energy investments in emerging and developing economies outside China and India have barely increased since 2015.

    The energy transition must be based on justice and equity, so that all countries benefit.

    Excellencies,

    Third, we need strong, inclusive, legitimate global institutions and tools to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow. 

    Fair and representative governance is a first step to unlock broader reforms.

    The Pact for the Future includes commitments to make multilateral institutions more representative, effective, transparent and accountable.

    I urge the strong engagement of G20 countries, including in reforms of our United Nations bodies:

    Making the Security Council truly representative by addressing the under-representation of Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean;

    Strengthening the role of the General Assembly and the Peacebuilding Commission;

    And enhancing the Economic and Social Council.

    The same principle applies to the international financial architecture: it should correspond to today’s global economy, with much stronger representation of developing countries.   

    For our part, the United Nations is totally committed to strengthening our convening role as an inclusive platform for dialogue and action.

    As part of that role, from next year, we intend to host biennial summits to formalize a dialogue between the UN system, the G20, and international financial institutions.

    Excellencies,

    Only together will we achieve the reforms in the Pact for the Future and deliver the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, to meet the expectations of the people we serve.  

    I urge the G20 to seize every opportunity to raise ambition for global leadership and transformative action for a safer, more peaceful and sustainable world for all.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes Steel, Lee Legislation Boosting Geothermal Production

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Michelle Steel (CA-48)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives has passed Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Rep. Susie Lee’s (D-NV) legislation to speed up geothermal energy production, a move which would provide a more sustainable and reliable energy future in the United States.

    H.R. 6474 would expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or developed areas. California and Nevada lead the nation in geothermal energy production, with more growth opportunities possible under the provisions outlined in the legislation.

    “Geothermal energy is a vital tool to make America more energy independent and less reliant on our adversaries. This legislation will provide a cleaner energy future and allow my home state of California to seize the reins as a leading national energy provider,” said Rep. Michelle Steel. “I was honored to work with Representative Susie Lee to successfully pass this legislation through the House of Representatives and look forward to its passage in the Senate.”

    You can view Rep. Steel’s floor speech here.

    The legislation amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow for new categorical exclusions for geothermal projects, under permitting requirements set by the National Environmental Policy Act.

    “If we want to fully unleash our renewable energy potential, then we need to cut the red tape that has been a barrier to the growth of geothermal energy development,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I want to thank Congresswoman Steel for partnering on this commonsense, bipartisan bill to strengthen energy independence and help lower costs for the working families we represent.
     
    According to 2023 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, California provides 66.6% of the nation’s geothermal power while Nevada provides 26.1%.

    “America’s energy future requires an all-of-the-above strategy. Congresswoman Steel’s legislation that passed the House today will expedite geothermal energy projects and streamline development of our abundant geothermal energy sources right here in America. I applaud her for her thoughtful work on this issue and her forward-thinking legislative solution,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman.

    After passing the House, the legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate for approval.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Molinaro Hosts Two Broome Community Leaders In DC For Hearing On Workforce Development

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19)

    Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (NY-19) today will have Frank Stento of the International Union of Painter’s and Allied Trades (IUPAT), and Ashley Gamba of Community Options testify at a House Small Business Committee hearing. The hearing will examine workforce development strategies.

    Rep. Molinaro will chair the hearing, which begins at 10am and can be viewed here.

    Frank Stento is a skilled craftsman who completed a registered apprenticeship program in 2016, offering him a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience. He is now the Business Development Director for IUPAT District Council 4, which represents 2,000 workers in the Southern Tier and Central New York. He helps attract new members and connects current members with work opportunities. 

    Ashley Gamba is an Executive Director with Community Options in Binghamton, a nonprofit organization that provides housing and employment support for individuals with disabilities. Prior to this position, Ashley was the New York State Director of Employment Services, overseeing vocational services in Binghamton, Syracuse, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. She has been an advocate for individuals with disabilities for over 18 years.

    Rep. Molinaro said, “I’m excited to have Frank Stento and Ashley Gamba in Washington today to share their perspectives. Through our Think DIFFERENTLY and Broome County’s Next Chapter initiatives, we have been working to create an economy that offers good-paying job opportunities for every person of every ability. I look forward to hearing their testimony on how we can build on our work in Broome County and across Upstate New York.”

    Frank Stento, Business Development Director for District Council #4 of the IUPAT said, “The construction industry as a whole faces challenges with workforce demand but with that comes opportunities. An abundance of projects on the horizon thanks to the CHIPS Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act means contractors will be looking at improved methods to recruit & retain skilled labor for years to come. There is no better way to address that need than through an earn while you learn Registered Apprenticeship Program. I look forward to sharing my experience and connecting with our leadership in Congress to address ways to build a more robust workforce. Rep. Molinaro has been a steadfast supporter of the Building & Construction Trades Councils in his district and together we will find solutions towards these workforce challenges.”  

    Ashley Gamba, Executive Director for Community Options in Binghamton said, “The unemployment and underemployment rate for people with disabilities is significantly higher than people without disabilities. Community Options is proud to collaborate with the small business community to provide meaningful opportunities for people with disabilities to enter the workforce, helping to create inclusive environments where everyone can thrive.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the General Assembly Plenary Meeting on Addressing the Existential Threats Posed by Sea Level Rise [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations

    President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires.  En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.
     
    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique.  C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future. We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-English]

    President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellencies,

    Low-lying coastal zones are home to around 900 million people.

    Rising seas mean a rising tide of misery:

    More intense storm surges, coastal erosion, and coastal flooding;

    Communities swamped, fresh water contaminated, crops ruined, infrastructure damaged, biodiversity destroyed, and economies decimated – with sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, and tourism pummelled.

    The poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.

    I saw this recently in the Pacific, where cyclones are tearing chunks out of island economies.  In 2015, Vanuatu suffered damage equivalent to well over half its GDP.

    Meanwhile, in Panama, hundreds of island families have been relocated to the mainland.

    In Bangladesh, saltwater is polluting drinking water, killing crops and creating a health threat that can be deadly, particularly for pregnant women. 

    In the city of Saint Louis in Senegal, homes, schools, small businesses, and mosques have reportedly been abandoned to the encroaching tide.

    Such events are reproduced across the globe.

    This is what climate injustice looks like. This is the face of inequity.

    But the rich are not immune. 

    Advanced economies are spending billions – in damages, and adaptation.

    And without rapid action we’re in for much worse. 

    As the title of today’s debate reminds us, for some, this could be existential:

    Whole islands lost;

    Coastal communities destroyed as lands become uninhabitable and uninsurable.
                   
    Mass displacement can pile pressure on scarce resources elsewhere, inflaming already dire situations.

    Global trade, food systems and supply chains will be battered as ports are damaged, and agricultural land and fisheries ruined.

    Rising seas will reshape not only coastlines, but economies, politics and security too. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future.  We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-French]

    Excellences,

    L’humanité navigue en eaux dangereuses.

    Les scientifiques nous disent que le niveau des mers monte aujourd’hui plus rapidement que jamais au cours des 3 000 dernières années, et que cette hausse s’accélère – avec un taux d’augmentation qui a plus que doublé depuis les années 1990.

    Ils nous disent que la cause est claire :

    Les gaz à effet de serre – issus en grande partie de la combustion des énergies fossiles – réchauffent notre planète, dilatent l’eau de mer et font fondre la glace. 

    Mais ils ne peuvent pas nous dire où cela s’arrêtera.

    Cela dépendra des dirigeants du monde actuels.

    Leurs choix détermineront l’ampleur, le rythme et l’impact des futures élévations du niveau des mers.

    Une augmentation des températures de plus de 1,5 degré Celsius au-dessus des niveaux préindustriels pourrait faire franchir au monde des points de bascule dangereux – ce qui pourrait sur le long terme entraîner l’effondrement irréversible des calottes glaciaires du Groenland et de l’Antarctique occidental.

    Dans le pire des scénarios, les personnes vivant aujourd’hui verraient le niveau des mers monter de plusieurs mètres.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires. En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.

    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique. C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellences,

    Seules des mesures radicales de réduction des émissions peuvent limiter l’élévation du niveau de la mer.

    Et seules des mesures drastiques d’adaptation peuvent mettre les populations à l’abri de la montée des eaux.

    Tout le monde doit être protégé par un système d’alerte d’ici 2027 – conformément à notre initiative « Alertes précoces pour tous ».

    Tous les pays doivent présenter de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux sur le climat – ou contributions déterminées au niveau national – bien avant la COP30 de l’année prochaine.

    Ces plans doivent s’aligner sur le seuil de 1,5 degré, couvrir tous les secteurs de l’économie et nous mettre sur la voie de l’élimination progressive, rapide et équitable, des combustibles fossiles.

    Le G20, responsable d’environ 80 % des émissions mondiales, doit montrer la voie. Il doit aligner ses plans de production et de consommation de combustibles fossiles sur le seuil de 1,5 degré.

    Le financement est indispensable.

    Nous avons besoin de résultats ambitieux en matière de finances à la COP29 de cette année – y compris en termes de sources de capital nouvelles et innovantes.

    Nous avons besoin de contributions significatives au nouveau Fonds pour les pertes et les dommages – une étape essentielle sur le chemin vers la justice climatique.

    Les pays développés doivent doubler le financement en faveur de l’adaptation pour atteindre au moins 40 milliards de dollars par an d’ici 2025 – et démontrer comment ils vont combler le déficit de financement de l’adaptation.

    Enfin, nous devons réformer les Banques multilatérales de développement pour qu’elles deviennent plus grandes, plus audacieuses et capables de fournir des financements beaucoup plus abordables aux pays en développement.

    Nous avons réalisé de réels progrès lors du Sommet de l’avenir. Nous devons continuer à porter ces avancées, notamment lors du Sommet mondial pour le développement social et de la Conférence sur le financement du développement qui se tiendront l’année prochaine.

    Nous devons également combler les lacunes de notre cadre juridique international concernant l’élévation du niveau de la mer : pour garantir un accès continu aux ressources, tout en protégeant les frontières maritimes existantes, ainsi que pour protéger les personnes touchées et, dans les scénarios extrêmes, pour traiter les implications liées à aux statuts d’un État.

    Excellences,

    Nous ne pouvons pas laisser les espoirs et les aspirations de milliards de personnes sans réponse. 

    Nous ne pouvons pas permettre la destruction massive de pays et de communautés.

    Il est temps d’inverser la tendance.

    Et de nous sauver de la montée des eaux.

    Je vous remercie.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deputy Secretary-General’s remarks at event entitled “Revitalized Multilateralism: Recommitting to Ending AIDS Together” [as prepared for delivery]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    H.E Mr. William Ruto, President of Kenya, H.E Mr. Russell Dlamini, Prime Minister of Eswatini, H.E Mr. Terrance Micheal Drew, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,
     
    What once seemed impossible— to end AIDS as a public health threat —is now within our reach by 2030.

    In a time where divisions are widening, and conflicts are tearing at the social fabric of societies and when the spectre of the climate crisis looms, the progress we have made in ending AIDS is the success story we need to renew hope.

    Today, the numbers of AIDS-related deaths reached their lowest level since the peak in 2004.
    39% fewer people acquired HIV in 2023 compared with 2010.

    And in 2023, an estimated 30.7 million people were receiving HIV treatment as compared with 7.7 million in 2010.  

    The AIDS response is a powerful testament to what is achievable when leaders unite efforts in service of global solidarity.

    When communities are empowered.

    When inequality is tackled, and human rights protected.

    And when science-based policy making is matched with political will.

    As a modern moonshot, the ripple effects of investments in the fight against HIV have yielded extraordinary dividends beyond the AIDS pandemic. Accelerating progress across other Sustainable Development Goals, including economic growth, poverty and hunger reduction, education, and universal health coverage.

    However, we all know that progress is not immutable.

    Gains are fragile and backsliding is possible.

    As we speak, AIDS claims a life every minute. By the end of this session today, ninety families would have lost a loved one to AIDS.

    We stand at a crossroads and to retreat now would jeopardize all we have fought for and gained.

    To sustain the momentum, we need to take action on three fronts.

    First, we must tackle the fiscal crisis that is squeezing social investments.

    The current financial system is stacked against a sustainable AIDS response.

    Half of sub-Saharan countries spend three times more on debt servicing than on health.

    Meanwhile, for years these nations have been strangled by interest rates four to eight times those of high-income countries.

    If we do not address the injustices of the financial system so countries can invest in bringing an end to AIDS now, we will pay the price in many ways later. We know that the costs of tackling AIDS are less than the costs of an unending pandemic.

    Time is not on our side – now is the moment to boost domestic financing and to renew global solidarity and meeting the commitments to financing development and gavelled in the Pact for the Future.

    Second, we must ensure access to medicines and medical technologies for all.

    Innovative medical technologies need to be recognised as global public goods. Their effectiveness in ending AIDS as a public health threat depends on ensuring access to all.

    This includes enabling the production of generics everywhere, crucial for global health security.

    Third, we must continue the battle to stop stigma in its tracks.
     
    Fear and discrimination drive people away from life-saving services.

    Punitive laws, hate speech, violence against marginalized communities, exacerbate stigma and push people away from accessing vital health services.
      
    It is vital to uphold all human rights for all people – including by removing punitive discriminatory laws that hold us back for reaching the goals on gender equality.

    We must ensure that all girls complete secondary school, live free from violence, and have access to necessary support. Protect democracy and civil society space by enabling community-based organisations to operate, deliver services, and hold authorities to account.

    Excellencies, Colleagues and Friends,

    There is a clear path to ending AIDS by 2030.

    A path that ensures the health and rights of all people living with HIV for the rest of their lives.

    A path that we will ensure a safer, fairer, world for everyone.

    That path is a choice.

    We must choose solidarity over division.

    Choose action over complacency.

    Choose prosperity for all, not simply the few.

    Just as we did when our global efforts began nearly 30 years ago.

    Let’s act now to end AIDS by 2030 and deliver on the promise of the SDGs.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Court Orders Texas Man and Six Companies to Pay Over $9.5 Million in Fraudulent Scheme Involving Futures, Options, and Foreign Currency

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced Judge Samuel A. Lindsay of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas entered multiple orders and a judgment against Rudy Avila; L.I.F.T. Group LLC (LIFT), Trading Ventures Group (TVG), Capital Ventures Group, LLC, (CVG), and Ventures Group, LLC (  VGL), all U.S. companies; and CIG Internacional Sociedad Anónima (CIG) and Trading Technologies Group Sociedad Anónima (TTG), both Costa Rican companies, requiring monetary relief totaling over $10.5 million The orders and judgment resolve the CFTC’s enforcement action against these defendants filed Sept.14, 2021. [See CFTC Press Release 8424-21]

    Judge Lindsay entered a memorandum and order on Aug. 1, 2024, a clarification order on Aug. 7, 2024, and a judgment on Aug. 8, 2024, granting the CFTC’s motions for default and finding the defendants had engaged in commodity futures, options on commodities futures, and forex fraud.  Judge Lindsay also found CIG and TVG, while acting as unregistered commodity trading advisors (CTAs), engaged in CTA fraud. In granting permanent injunctive relief, the court found the defendants “repeatedly and deliberately” engaged “two separate but related multi-year Ponzi schemes,” thereby violating “core provisions of the act [Commodity Exchange Act].” Judge Lindsay noted Avila’s actions demonstrated a “high level of scienter and egregious fraud.”

    The orders and judgment require Avila, LIFT, CIG, and TTG to pay, jointly and severally, $3,626,751.90 in restitution to defrauded clients in the first fraudulent scheme. The order also requires Avila, TVG, CVG, and VGL to pay, jointly and severally, $1,814,720.41 in restitution to defrauded clients in the second scheme. Further, the orders and judgment require Avila to pay a $1,525,831.05 civil monetary penalty (CMP); LIFT, TTG, TVG, CVG, and VGL each to pay a $429,028 CMP; and CIG and TVG each to pay a $858,056 CMP. 

    Parallel Criminal Action

    On June 3, 2021, Avila pled guilty to one count of wire fraud based, in part, on the same conduct alleged in the CFTC’s complaint.  [United States v. Avila, Docket No. 3:21-cr-00168-M-1 (N.D. Tx 2021).]  Avila was sentenced to 210 months in prison and an additional three years of supervised release.

    The CFTC thanks the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas and the FBI Dallas/Fort Worth Office. The CFTC acknowledges the assistance of the Superintendencia General de Valores de Costa Rica (SUGEVAL), the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Services Regulation and Supervision Department of Nevis.

    The Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this case are Xavier Romeu-Matta, Michael Cazakoff, Judith M. Slowly, Mary Lutz, Gates S. Hurand, Lenel Hickson, Jr., and Manal M. Sultan, and former staff member Steven I. Ringer.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Homeland Security Marks National “If You See Something, Say Something” Awareness Day

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Department of Homeland Security Marks National “If You See Something, Say Something” Awareness Day

    lass=”text-align-center”>Annual #SeeSayDay is September 25 

    Encourages Public to “Spot the Signs. Report the Activity.” 

    Today the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is observing  #SeeSayDay, the “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign’s annual national awareness day. This year’s theme, “Spot the Signs. Report the Activity,” highlights the crucial role of public vigilance in national security and counter-terrorism efforts within the current threat environment. The #SeeSayDay call-to-action urges individuals to spot and report suspicious activity to help prevent terrorism-related crime – on September 25, and year-round.  

    “Ensuring our collective security takes all of us, working together and looking out for each other,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Saying something when you see something could be the difference between life and death for a family member, friend, neighbor, or someone you don’t even know. Encourage your friends and others in your community to do the same, and we can help prevent tragedies and make our whole country safer.” 

    A 2024 RAND study of 628 plots targeting soft targets and crowded places found 64% of foiled attack plots were stopped because of public tips. The DHS “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign, launched in July 2010 in conjunction with the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, reinforces that we must always be alert, and when we have information about a terrorism-related threat, speak up. The campaign aims to inspire Americans to participate in national security and foster positive relationships between citizens and law enforcement. On #SeeSayDay each year, DHS and its campaign partners across the country come together to remind the public that our American communities have a collective stake in homeland security.  

    Members of the public are encouraged to get involved on #SeeSayDay in several ways: 

    • Learn the 16 signs of suspicious activity. Remember: Factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity are not suspicious.  

    • Find and save your SAR number. Navigate to the campaign’s interactive map to look up the appropriate Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) number for wherever you live, work, vacation, or spend time – then save that number in your phone. As always, call 9-1-1 immediately for any emergencies. 

    • Use social media to spread the word. Access ready-to-use graphics, pre-drafted captions, and newsletter content that you can share on your personal or organization’s social media platforms and other communication channels to help raise awareness and promote this year’s theme on #SeeSayDay. Use the hashtag #SeeSayDay to note your involvement! 

    • Stay connected year-round. Learn more about the campaign, how to become a partner, and access other resources to share with your communities on September 25 or anytime of the year. 

    For more information on #SeeSayDay, visit DHS.gov/SeeSayDay.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement in Response to National Labor Relations Board Ruling on Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Unfair Labor Practices

    Source: Communications Workers of America

    Search News

    On September 20, a National Labor Relations Board panel affirmed an Administrative Law Judge’s January 2023 ruling that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had failed to bargain in good faith with the union representing its workers.

    In response, Communications Workers of America President Claude Cummings Jr. issued the following statement:

    Last week’s ruling from the National Labor Relations Board reinforces something that has been clear from the start of the strike: the Post-Gazette has been violating federal labor law. Meanwhile, CWA and NewsGuild-CWA members have been enduring unnecessary hardship for nearly two years. The Post-Gazette management could stop wasting money on fruitless attempts to avoid responsibility and end the strike today by following labor law. We are united and we will not back down.

    Strike supporters can donate by visiting unionprogress.com/donate or order a strike solidarity t-shirt at cwa.org/pup-shirt.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ­­Robotic Moving ‘Crew’ Preps for Work on Moon 

    Source: NASA

    As NASA moves forward with efforts to establish a long-term presence on the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign, safely moving cargo from landers to the lunar surface is a crucial capability.  
    Whether the cargo, also known as payloads, are small scientific experiments or large technology to build infrastructure, there won’t be a crew on the Moon to do all the work, which is where robots and new software come in. 
    A team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, spent the last couple of years infusing existing robotic hardware with a software system that makes the robot operate autonomously. Earlier this month, that team, led by researcher Dr. Julia Cline of NASA Langley’s Research Directorate, ran demonstrations of their system called LANDO (Lightweight Surface Manipulation System AutoNomy capabilities Development for surface Operations and construction). 

    The demos took place in an area set up to look like the Moon’s surface, complete with fake boulders and a model lunar lander. During the first demo, the team placed the payload, a small metal box, on a black pedestal. The robotic arm stretched over the scene, with its dangling hook poised to grasp the box.
    As the team huddled nearby around computers, sensors on the arm scanned the surrounding area, looking for the metal box, which was outfitted with encoded markers — similar to QR codes — that revealed critical information about its position and orientation relative to the arm. Using a graphic user interface, team member Amelia Scott also chose a location for LANDO to place the payload.

    After locating the metal box and computing a safe path to move it, the arm began a slow, deliberate movement toward its target, coming in at a precise angle that allowed the hook to select a capture point on the payload. Once engaged, the arm slowly lifted the payload from the pedestal, moved right, and gently lowered the payload to the simulated lunar surface. With the payload safely on the surface, the system carefully disengaged the hook from the capture point and returned to its home position. The entire process took a few minutes. Shortly after the first demo was complete, the team did it again, but with a small model rover.  
    “What we demonstrated was the repeatability of the system,moving multiple payloads to show that we’re consistently and safely able to get them from point A to point B,” said Cline. “We also demonstrated the Lightweight Surface Manipulation System hardware – the ability to control the system through space and plan a path around obstacles.” 
    The system’s successful performance during the September demonstration marks the end of this project, but the first step in developing a larger system to go to the Moon. 
    Now that the team has determined how the system should function, Cline believes the next natural step would be to develop and test an engineering design unit on one of the landers going to the Moon as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The team is actively looking for industry partners who want to commercialize the capability. 
    Through CLPS, NASA is working with commercial companies to deliver science and technology demonstrations to the Moon.  
    The work behind LANDO could be directly infused into much larger versions of a lightweight surface manipulation system.

    “The overall control system we’ve developed would apply to larger versions of the technology,” said Cline. “When you think about the payloads we’ll have to offload for on the Moon, like habitats and surface power systems, this is the kind of general-purpose tool that could be used for those tasks.” 
    The LANDO system was funded through the Early Career Initiative in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). Through STMD, NASA supports and develops transformative space technologies to enable future missions. As NASA embarks on its next era of exploration with the Artemis campaign, STMD is helping advance technologies, developing new systems, and testing capabilities at the Moon that will be critical for crewed missions to Mars. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes Chavez-DeRemer-Backed Bill to Restore Forest Health, Improve Wildfire Resiliency

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05)

    Bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act passes as Oregon faces most expensive wildfire season in state history

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 8790) with bipartisan support. The proposal, cosponsored by Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), seeks to restore forest health, improve wildfire resiliency, and protect communities by increasing the pace and scale of forest restoration projects. This bill passed as Oregon is experiencing its most devastating wildfire season in recorded history.

    “This wildfire season in Oregon has been tragic and devastating. So far this year, over 1.9 million acres have been scorched. That’s more than double the state’s 10-year average. Costing more than $250 million, the Oregon Department of Forestry has stated this is the most expensive wildfire season in our state’s history,” Chavez-DeRemer said. “It’s clear that more needs to be done to prevent another record-breaking wildfire season from occurring. That’s why I’m proud to support the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act. It’s a comprehensive proposal that would improve forest management in areas at the highest risk for wildfires by using advanced science and technology. Providing needed resources to those affected, and working to prevent wildfires from starting in the first place, will continue to be top priorities.”

    The Fix Our Forests Act would:

    • Simplify and expedite environmental reviews for forest management projects;
    • Promote federal, state, tribal, and local collaboration;
    • Deter frivolous litigation that delays essential projects;
    • Create a framework for prioritizing treatments in forests at the highest risk of wildfire;
    • Encourage the adoption of state-of-the-art science and techniques for federal land managers;
    • Encourage active management to improve the safety of powerlines and other infrastructure; and
    • Strengthen tools like Good Neighbor Authority and Stewardship Contracting.

    A section-by-section analysis by the Natural Resources Committee is available HERE. A one-page summary is available HERE. Full text of the bill is available HERE.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: HMCS Shawinigan, HMCS Charlottetown and NATO Allies monitor Russian Navy Vessels in Western Europe and Mediterranean Sea

    Source: Government of Canada News

    September 25 – Ottawa– National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

    From August 29th to September 18th, 2024, while conducting vigilance activities alongside NATO ships, His Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Shawinigan and Charlottetown monitored Russian submarines and surface ships.

    Beginning August 29th HMCS Shawinigan monitored a Russian submarine and surface vessel through the Baltic and North Seas before handing over responsibility to His Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Iron Duke, of the Royal Navy on September 1st. HMCS Charlottetown, flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) assumed monitoring duties on September 17th from ESPS Cristobal Colon of the Spanish Navy, also part of SNMG2, and monitored the vessels for the remainder of their journey through the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

    During this period HMCS Charlottetown also conducted monitoring activities of a separate Russian Federation Navy submarine and three surface vessels as they participated in Exercise OCEAN 24, a large-scale Russian exercise.

    HMCS Shawinigan is currently deployed to Europe alongside HMCS Glace Bay on Operation REASSURANCE with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1), working alongside allied NATO ships to safely dispose of historical ordnance in the region’s waters, in addition to participating in NATO enhanced Vigilance Activities.

    HMCS Charlottetown is currently deployed on Operation REASSURANCE as the flagship for SNMG2, working alongside allied NATO ships to support regional maritime security in the Mediterranean.

    The right of innocent passage provides standards and expectations for ships to follow while transiting the waters of another country. At all times the Russian vessels were observed to have complied with these standards and expectations.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Recognizes Global Biotech Week

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on September 25, 2024

    Agriculture Minister David Marit has proclaimed September 22 to 28, 2024, as Global Biotech Week in Saskatchewan. This week brings awareness to and celebrates the benefits of biotechnology, including the province’s achievements in the agriculture sector.

    “Biotech is transforming the future of farming, from enhancing crop and livestock production to improving sustainability,” Marit said. “We are proud of the role our province plays in advancing this important sector, boosting our provincial economy and global food supply.”

    Agricultural biotechnology equips Saskatchewan producers with improved upon productivity and management practices, resulting in higher yields and product quality. Saskatchewan’s biotech sector is recognized internationally, with one-third of Canada’s agricultural biotechnology sector in the province. Our institutes are leaders in the field of crop breeding, genetics and genomics. 

    “Ag-West Bio coordinates activities across the province to mark Global Biotech Week,” Biotech President and CEO Karen Churchill said. “The goal of Global Biotech Week is to bring attention to the ways that biotechnology benefits society. The world would look very different without biotechnology. Sustainable agriculture production, innovations in food and medicine are made possible thanks to science. We need to take time to celebrate!”

    Members of the public are encouraged to check out the activities planned this week to showcase the province’s bioeconomy, including how science benefits agriculture. A full list of this year’s events, including several in Saskatoon and online, is available at www.globalbiotechweeksask.ca/.

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Post Secondary Schools to Receive Menstrual Products for Students in Need

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on September 25, 2024

    A partnership between the Government of Saskatchewan and Shoppers Drug Mart is expanding a program that distributes free menstrual products in the province. 

    “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart and expand this important program,” Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Office Laura Ross said. “This fall, in addition to 670 elementary and high schools, nine post-secondary institutions and six private vocational schools will receive product so students in need have access to free period products. All partners are committed to increasing safety and affordability in our communities.”

    Since the initiative was launched in October 2023, more than five million period products have been delivered to 670 schools and 23 shelters across the province. Two million more products are scheduled for distribution starting in October. 

    “This partnership is another important way we are supporting post-secondary students,” Advanced Education Minister Colleen Young said. “Students should not have to face financial or physical barriers to access menstrual products. This fall, many students will benefit from free access to these essential items as 435,000 products will be delivered to post-secondary institutions across the province.”

    The announcement was made at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology in Regina, one of the many schools that will benefit from the program. Shipments to the post secondary institutions will start in October.

    “At Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, walking alongside our learners and supporting them throughout their educational journey is central to our student support model,” Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) Operations & Advancement Vice President Dr. Vickie Drover said. “With over 2,500 students, and 55 per cent identifying as female, ensuring access to essential items is crucial to reducing barriers and fostering a safe, supportive environment. Partnerships like this one are invaluable in our efforts to empower Indigenous learners, enabling them to focus on their education and personal growth.”

    Through the partnership with the Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health, the province will receive 12 million free products over three years. Shoppers donates the products, and Saskatchewan’s Status of Women Office manages the distribution. 

    “We are proud to see our work with the Government of Saskatchewan continue to expand, reaching more students with the menstrual products they need, where they need them the most,” Shoppers Drug Mart District Manager Kendra Comeau said. “Keeping women and girls in school is key to their overall success and programs like these are breaking down barriers, making it easier for students to reach their full potential.”

    Shoppers Drug Mart has a long history of supporting women’s health charities across Canada. With a commitment to regular giving through the charitable arm of the company, Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health, Shoppers Drug Mart is building on this legacy by focusing on reducing health inequities, particularly through initiatives that promote menstrual equity. 

    To learn more about the Foundation’s initiatives, visit: shoppersfoundation.ca

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –