NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney speaks with President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

    Prime Minister Carney and President el-Sisi underscored the economic and cultural ties between Canada and Egypt, and emphasized opportunities to deepen trade, commerce, and investment.

    The leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and stressed the imperative of a ceasefire in Gaza. The Prime Minister reiterated that Hamas must release all hostages and have no future role in the governance of Gaza. He called for urgent, life-saving humanitarian aid to reach civilians and affirmed Canada’s support for a two-state solution.

    The Prime Minister and the President agreed to remain in contact.

    Associated Link

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Into the Deep: Exploring the Hidden Slopes of Bogoslof Volcano

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Far out in Alaska’s Bering Sea, Bogoslof Volcano rises from the ocean floor—an underwater giant with just a sliver of land showing above the waves. Although it looks small from the surface, the volcano is massive beneath the sea, and it plays an important role in helping scientists understand how underwater volcanoes grow, erupt, and sometimes collapse. We’re currently aboard the research vessel Atlantis, using the deep-sea submersible, the human-occupied vehicle Alvin to explore and collect samples from the seafloor around Bogoslof.

    A group of Tufted Puffins taking flight near Bogoslof Island. Image courtesy of The Aleutian Arc: Integrated Exploration of Biodiversity at Priority Benthic Habitats (USGS/BOEM/NOAA/ONR). Photographer: Art Howard. 

    Bogoslof’s most recent eruption, from December 2016 to August 2017, was one of the most dramatic volcanic events in recent Alaskan history. Over nine months, it produced at least 70 explosions. Many of these happened underwater, where magma and seawater reacted violently. The blasts sent ash clouds as high as 10 kilometers into the sky, disrupted air travel across the North Pacific, and repeatedly reshaped the island’s surfaces.

    Bogoslof Island before the 2016-2017 eruption (left) and on March 11, 2017 (right).

    On this expedition, we have used Alvin to collect rock samples from two different spots on the underwater flanks of the volcano. The first location appears to be part of an old lava flow, based on its shape and the thick layer of marine life growing on it. The second site is more mysterious—it might be a small volcanic cone, a block from an underwater landslide, or something else entirely. We don’t yet know how old these rocks are or exactly how they formed, but they will help us piece together Bogoslof’s long and complex history.

    We also saw that both dive sites were covered in fine sediment, likely made up of volcanic ash and debris from past eruptions. These layers give clues about how material spreads across the seafloor and may also affect the stability of the volcano’s slopes.

    Worldview-2 satellite image of Bogoslof Volcano

    Bogoslof is unusual even among Alaskan volcanoes. It sits north of the main Aleutian volcanic arc and has a different chemical makeup than most of its neighbors. Nearly the entire volcano is underwater, which makes it hard to study and even harder to predict. Before this expedition, very few rock samples had ever been collected from its flanks.

    Our work is helping to change that. By collecting samples directly from the underwater parts of the volcano, we’re learning how Bogoslof formed, how it changes during eruptions, and what kinds of hazards it might pose in the future. Each dive adds new pieces to the puzzle of this fascinating volcano hidden beneath the waves.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Daniel Noboa Azín, President of the Republic of Ecuador [scroll down for Spanish version]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Daniel Noboa Azín, President of the Republic of Ecuador. The Secretary-General recognized with appreciation Ecuador’s commitment to multilateralism. The Secretary-General and the President agreed on the need for ambitious action on financing for development and to achieve the SDGs. They also discussed the significant threats posed by transnational organized crime. The Secretary General reiterated the United Nations readiness to continue supporting Ecuador’s efforts to find comprehensive and sustainable solutions for its ongoing challenges.
     

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    El Secretario General se reunió con el Excelentísimo señor Daniel Noboa Azín, Presidente de la República del Ecuador. El Secretario General reconoció con aprecio el compromiso del Ecuador con el multilateralismo. El Secretario General y el Presidente coincidieron en la necesidad de una acción ambiciosa en materia de financiamiento para el desarrollo y para alcanzar los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS). También abordaron las importantes amenazas que representa la delincuencia organizada transnacional. El Secretario General reiteró la disposición de las Naciones Unidas de seguir apoyando los esfuerzos del Ecuador para encontrar soluciones integrales y sostenibles a los desafíos que enfrenta.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Trump Is Delivering Historic Permitting Wins Across the Federal Government

    Source: US Whitehouse

    ACCOMPLISHING PERMITTING REFORM IN RECORD TIME:  Today, President Donald J. Trump delivered on his promise to fix a broken permitting system, ensuring that burdensome Federal environmental reviews cannot be weaponized to stall the growth of the American economy or halt energy infrastructure construction.

    • The White House, through the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), coordinated a historic effort to dramatically reduce the burdens of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance across the Federal government so that America can get back to building again.
    • In consultation with CEQ, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce (including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the Department of the Interior, the Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers updated their respective NEPA implementing procedures to  simplify this overly burdensome process and ensure efficient and timely environmental reviews.
    • These historic reforms:
      • Implement deadlines and page limits on environmental reviews required under recent amendments to NEPA, in order to expedite infrastructure development and reduce costs.
      • Provide clarification that NEPA does not apply to every action that a Federal agency takes, but only to Federal actions where the agency has sufficient control and discretion to take environmental effects into account.
      • Ensure simple and expeditious processes to create categorical exclusions (CEs), adopt other agencies’ CEs to minimize repetitive NEPA analyses, and focus their attention on actions with truly significant environmental effects.

    CUTTING UNNECESSARY RED TAPE: All three branches of the Federal government have recently directed reforms to the NEPA process: President Trump, in his Unleashing American Energy Executive Order; the United States Congress, in its BUILDER Act amendments as part of the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act; and the United States Supreme Court in its recent landmark decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County.

    • NEPA directs all agencies to maintain their own, agency-level NEPA implementing procedures.
    • Most of those procedures had not been modernized to reflect any of the recent reforms. Some agencies were still using outdated NEPA regulations from the 1980s.
    • Under President Trump’s leadership, the endless cycle of regulatory back-and-forth and excessive environmental reviews that produced little benefit for the American people has come to a halt.
    • Federal agencies are cutting unnecessary layers of bureaucracy in record time by implementing the unmistakable direction from all three branches of the Federal government. 

    BUILDING ON PAST SUCCESS: The Trump Administration has taken decisive action to reform, modernize, and expedite the Federal environmental review, eliminating unnecessary delays that are holding back the growth of secure and reliable infrastructure projects across the Nation.

    • On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed the Executive Order, Unleashing American Energy, which called for unleashing American energy dominance through efficient permitting.
      • The E.O. directed CEQ to provide guidance on implementing NEPA to expedite and simplify the permitting process – and propose rescinding CEQ’s regulations.
      • CEQ responded to President Trump’s direction by rescinding its NEPA regulations, creating a clear path for agencies to expeditiously reform their own NEPA procedures and allow America to build again.
      • President Trump’s action to restore CEQ to its core statutory mission of coordinating and consulting, providing guidance to Federal agencies as they revise their NEPA procedures, will ensure timely reviews and consistency across agencies and enable CEQ to coordinate this monumental deregulatory effort.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Have your say on B.C.’s climate plan

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    People in British Columbia are invited to provide feedback about CleanBC, the Province’s plan to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions and increase the use of clean energy.

    An independent review of CleanBC’s programs and policies is underway and public input will help inform its findings.

    The review is assessing how well CleanBC is working, where improvements could be made and how its programs affect people, communities and the economy.

    Feedback can be submitted through a short survey until Aug. 1, 2025.

    CleanBC includes supports for cleaner transportation, home and building upgrades, and reducing emissions from industry. It aims to help British Columbia transition to a low-carbon economy, while keeping energy affordable and reliable.

    The review is being led by independent climate-policy experts Merran Smith and Dan Woynillowicz. The panel will engage with Indigenous people, local governments, environmental non-government organizations, industry, climate experts, the Climate Solutions Council and other interest holders.

    In addition to public feedback, interested parties, including affected industry professionals, labour representatives, environmental NGOs and climate experts, are invited to make written submissions to CleanBCReview@gov.bc.ca until 4 p.m. on July 18, 2025.

    First Nations rights and title holders, Indigenous organizations and local governments are invited to make written submissions to CleanBCReview@gov.bc.ca until 4 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2025.

    Submission should be a maximum of 2,500 words. All submissions will be read and considered as part of the CleanBC review.

    Key dates for the review:

    • Sept. 1, 2025 – Draft recommendations submitted to government
    • Oct. 15, 2025 – Final recommendations submitted
    • Late fall 2025 – Final report released publicly

    Learn More:

    To take the feedback survey, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/engagement/cleanbcreview/#feedback

    To read the terms of reference for the review, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/CleanBCTermsofReference.pdf

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Making New York Safer During Gun Violence Awareness Month

    Source: US State of New York

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    New York State Office of Victim Services Director Bea Hanson said, “Communities across New York State are experiencing record-low incidents of gun violence, but some communities still experience more gun violence than others. And we know that even one victim is one too many. All survivors, their families and communities need continued support, increased access to services, and expanded programs that focus on both prevention and intervention. OVS is proud to support the work of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and remains committed to ensuring that all survivors have the resources they need to recover and thrive. We thank Governor Hochul for prioritizing public safety and for her unwavering support to continue reducing gun violence in all our communities.”

    State Senator Zellnor Myrie said, “At a time when the Trump Administration is rolling back efforts to stop gun violence nationwide, New York continues to lead the way. The Office of Gun Violence Prevention will coordinate efforts among localities and community groups, collect and share data on best practices, and help organizations on the front lines of this fight weather the storms coming from Washington. Our community deserves a whole-of-government approach to ending gun violence, and I am proud to have led the effort to establish OGVP alongside Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman and advocates who are fighting for public safety.”

    State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said, “Gun violence has cut too many lives short — and the current administration has turned their backs on us by closing the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. By codifying the Office of Gun Violence Prevention in New York, we’re saying that our right to safety, community, and to life itself is worth defending. I thank Governor Hochul for not only responding to gun violence, but also investing in the infrastructure to prevent it.”

    Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman said, “We are at a pivotal moment in time with these vital investments of securing in state stature the NYS Office of Gun Violence Prevention. This office will be rooted in data collection, public education, wrap-around services, community collaboration, providing funding to local anti-violence groups and effective coordination between agencies and stakeholders. We are taking a bold step toward ending gun violence and addressing the trauma that continues to devastate our communities. While also codifying a new term called mass gun violence that will activate this office to coordinate resources to impacted communities. Thank you to the Governor for prioritizing our survivors, community members and anti-violence community based organizations on the ground doing this important work. As the co-chair of the NYS Anti-Gun Violence Subcommittee of the NYS Black Puerto Rican Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus I am proud of the movement we’ve made here in New York that will serve as a model for states across the country—especially at a time when federal funding for comprehensive, preventative approaches to gun violence is being slashed. Deepened financial investments will ensure long-term support to address this public health crisis in a real and lasting way. This is a step in the right direction and I will continue to advocate for more investments until the day we can say not another loved one was murdered due to gun violence.”

    State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey said, “Codifying the State Office of Gun Violence Prevention is about building a lasting commitment to saving lives. As we see a decline in shootings, we cannot grow complacent. Now is the time to double down, to institutionalize the progress we’ve made and ensure our strategies are permanent, proactive, and rooted in community. This Office will serve as a centralized hub for prevention, coordination, and innovation to keep the voices of those most impacted at the center of the conversation. Thank you to Senator Zellnor Myrie and Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman for sponsoring the bill. I thank Governor Kathy Hochul, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for their continued leadership and their partnership in making public safety a priority for every neighborhood across the State of New York.”

    State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “As the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans cut funding for violence prevention and dismantle offices to address this crisis our state is showing leadership. Every New Yorker including my constituents deserves to be safe. The codification of a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention will ensure this important initiative can carry on in future administrations and that we can more intentionally track and address this public health emergency. I’m grateful to my colleagues who worked on this legislation and the issue and the Governor for including it in our state budget.”

    State Senator Leroy Comrie said, “Gun violence is a public health crisis that demands a united, data-driven response. I commend Governor Hochul for codifying the Office of Gun Violence Prevention into law and look forward to increased investment in the Crisis Management Services providers who do this work everyday, from Southeast Queens to East Buffalo. With CMS organizations involved at every level, this office will help ensure we’re not only addressing violence when it happens, but working to prevent it in the first place.”

    Assemblymember Michaelle Solages said, “While Washington turns its back, New York is stepping up. Governor Hochul, our State Legislature, and local advocates are proving what real action looks like. By making the Office of Gun Violence Prevention permanent, we are saving lives and supporting communities that have been marginalized for too long. The drop in shootings shows this approach works and we will keep going until every New Yorker feels safe.”

    Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz said, “Following alarming spikes of gun violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, New York State has seen a steady decrease in gun violence during the last few years. Many of the investments we’re making, including providing funding for the establishment of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and expanding the duties of the Division of Criminal Justice Services to include gun violence intervention and prevention strategies, will contribute towards our continued success in addressing gun violence. Legislation has also been a key factor contributing to the decline of gun violence, including my law requiring a person who seeks to obtain a gun license or purchase a firearm to be made aware of the dangers of ownership, including the increased risk of suicide, death during domestic disputes, and unintentional deaths of others while and making them aware of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. I look forward to continuing to work with my partners in government in reaching our ultimate goal of eradicating the scourge of gun violence in our state.”

    Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia said, “Gun violence has devastated too many families in the Bronx and across New York State. By making the Office of Gun Violence Prevention permanent, our state is making it clear that we will not turn our backs on the communities most impacted by this crisis. This office will strengthen violence interruption efforts, increase access to youth programs, and provide long-term support to grassroots organizations working on the frontlines.”

    “By codifying the State’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention, we’re increasing the impact of our efforts to mitigate gun crimes in New York and working directly with the communities most affected by gun violence to fundamentally change the way we address and combat this public health crisis across our state.”

    Governor Kathy Hochul

    Assemblymember Nikki Lucas said, “I am in support of the establishment of an Office of Gun Violence. Members of my district like New Yorkers across our state, hold accountable government to provide Public Safety services for all. The Office of Gun Violence is another crucial step that protects all New Yorkers including families, domestic violence survivors, police officers, incarcerated individuals along with providing critical psychological testing for candidates in need. I am happy to stand with Governor Hochul along with my colleagues in government who have worked to make this a reality.”

    Assemblymember Brian Cunningham said, “We’ve seen gun violence go down in my district because prevention works. The Office of Gun Violence Prevention, now formally established in the state budget, will expand that impact by coordinating funding, supporting local groups, and improving accountability. Communities most affected by gun violence deserve strategic, evidence-based solutions, and the Governor’s work here positions New York to deliver them.”

    Assemblymember Landon Dais said, “Here in the Bronx, we have unfortunately seen Gun violence devastate too many families for far too long. The formal establishment of New York’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention is a critical step in making sure our communities get the resources, coordination, and support they deserve. As a father of two young boys growing up in the Bronx, I recognized the need for a holistic approach to ending gun violence. One that does not only criminalize but finds our youth something to do and prevents them from picking up guns in the first place. I commend Governor Hochul for her commitment to real, lasting solutions because every New Yorker, from the South Bronx to upstate, deserves to feel safe where they live, work, and raise their families.”

    Assemblymember George Alvarez said, “I applaud Governor Hochul on her successful efforts to significantly reduce gun violence over the past year. It’s been my honor to work alongside the Governor and my colleagues in the State legislature to make our communities safer. In the face of declining support for gun safety at the Federal level, I congratulate the Governor on making permanent the Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP). The time is now for New York to take such measures to protect our residents against the ravages of guns on our streets.”

    Assemblymember John Zaccaro, Jr. said, “I was proud to support legislation in this year’s budget that would codify the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and applaud the Governor’s dedication and leadership combating gun violence in our cities. New York State continues to set the benchmark for success in the battle to address the gun epidemic and the numbers don’t lie. Shootings are down 21% in New York City and gun involved homicides are the lowest on record. As we forge ahead, New York will continue to lead with an emphasis on keeping our communities safe.”

    Assemblymember Chantel Jackson said, “As someone who has seen firsthand the pain gun violence inflicts on our communities, I commend Governor Hochul for formalizing New York’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention. This is not just policy, this is about protecting lives, uplifting neighborhoods, and ensuring families can feel safe in their own homes. The data speaks for itself, we’re shown that when we invest in prevention, support our communities, and take a comprehensive approach, we save lives. New York is showing the nation what it means to prioritize public safety, and I am proud to stand alongside this effort.”

    Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said, “Gun violence has claimed far too many lives and torn apart far too many families across our city. As someone whose career was kick-started by the loss of a close friend to gun violence, I’m proud to work alongside Governor Hochul and all our city and community partners to drive down shootings and save lives in our neighborhoods. From building a new 116th Precinct to addressing the root causes of crime to now codifying the state’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention, we are delivering on a data-driven, community-based approach to gun violence that keeps New York neighborhoods and families safe. The work is never over, however, and these tireless efforts will continue uninterrupted.”

    New York City Council Member Keith Powers said, “Gun violence is a heartbreaking public health crisis. I’m proud that New York has some of the strongest gun safety laws in the country, which are critical to keeping our communities safe. The state’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention leads the way on ensuring guns don’t get into the hands of those who could do harm, and I am glad that it is now a codified part of our state’s efforts to curb violence from firearms.”

    Embedded Flickr Album

    New York City Council Member Kevin C. Riley said, “As a Council Member representing communities deeply impacted by gun violence, I commend Governor Hochul for making the Office of Gun Violence Prevention permanent in New York State law. This office strengthens our ability to invest in life-saving, community-based solutions that address the root causes of violence. We know that public safety is about more than policing; it is about prevention, healing, and opportunity. I look forward to continuing this critical work alongside our state partners to protect our neighborhoods and uplift our youth.”

    New York City Council Member Carlina Rivera said, “New York and our nation continue to face the public health crisis of gun violence. Too many residents still live in fear, and we must double down on comprehensive policies, investments, and community partnerships to stop the violence. I commend Governor Hochul for codifying New York’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention into law, a vital step that will strengthen coordination and expand proven prevention strategies.”

    New York City Council Member Rita Joseph said, “As a mother, an educator, and a proud representative of a community that has felt the devastating impact of gun violence, I wholeheartedly support Governor Hochul’s announcement to formalize the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. This is the kind of bold, compassionate leadership we need—one that recognizes that public safety means investing in prevention, healing, and community. I look forward to working in partnership with the state to ensure that our young people can grow up in neighborhoods free from the threat of gun violence.”

    District Attorneys Association of the State of New York President and Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly said, “New York State’s prosecutors appreciate Governor Hochul’s commitment to curbing gun violence in our State. My own county, Rensselaer, is one of the 21 counties that are part of the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative that focuses on the reduction of firearm-related homicides and shootings in communities outside of New York City. The support from this program and others led by the Division of Criminal Justice Services has been successful in reducing gun violence and in enhancing gun-involved crime reduction strategies. Along with my fellow District Attorneys and our larger law enforcement community, I look forward to continued partnerships with our state related to tackling gun crimes and supporting victims of those crimes.”

    Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr., said, “While shootings are down 69% in Manhattan compared to this time in 2021, we will not take our eye off the ball. Permanently codifying the Office of Gun Violence Prevention is an important measure to ensure a coordinated response across all corners of the State, and the perfect way to close out gun violence awareness month. I thank Governor Hochul for her steadfast commitment to combatting gun violence.”

    Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “Gun violence reached a record low in Brooklyn last year, but we cannot take that progress for granted. A dedicated Office of Gun Violence Prevention will give New York the tools to better coordinate responses, support communities, and develop data-driven strategies to save lives. I commend the Legislature for passing this important and proactive public safety legislation, and I applaud Governor Hochul for signing it into law.”

    Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said, “One shooting victim is too many so anything we can do to prevent gun violence must be done. Governor Hochul’s strategies to reduce the harm and heartbreak in our community are concrete steps. But efforts must be made to improve opportunities for our youth and to stop the flow of firearms so they do not get into the hands of children.”

    Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said, “Although recorded shootings are at a historic low so far this year on Staten Island – one shooting is one shooting too many, and law enforcement needs all the help it can get to eradicate the scourge of gun violence from our communities. From taking nearly 800 firearms off our streets through our gun buyback partnership with the NYPD to implementing precision prosecution in the courtroom, the men and women of my office are committed to removing illegal firearms from our communities and holding those who dare use these dangerous weapons accountable under the law. However, more must be done to prevent acts of gun violence and protect New Yorkers from its deadly consequences. I commend Governor Hochul for codifying the New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention and for her continued commitment to keeping Staten Islanders and all New Yorkers safe from the threat of gun violence.”

    Newly released data comes from the 28 police departments outside of New York City participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative. Cities including Albany, Buffalo and Rochester all reported double-digit reductions in both shooting incidents involving injury and the number of individuals shot. In May 2025, four individuals were killed by gun violence across these jurisdictions, down from 13 in May 2024.

    To build on this progress, OGVP will launch a statewide safe storage public awareness campaign and make $5 million available for community-based organizations to provide safe spaces for youth mentorship, mental health services, and recreational programming in the coming months. The awareness campaign will promote responsible gun ownership and distribute free gun locks to help prevent firearm-related injuries and deaths, especially among children and teens.

    About the Office of Gun Violence Prevention
    The New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP), housed within the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), leads a coordinated statewide approach to preventing gun violence. Its mission is to build a comprehensive, equity-driven public health model that addresses the root causes of violence by strengthening communities and public systems. OGVP plays a central role in New York’s broader violence prevention ecosystem, partnering with the Department of Health (DOH), the Office of Children and Family Services (OFCS), the Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Office of Victim Services (OVS), and State and local stakeholders across New York, including the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). Visit the Office of Gun Violence Prevention webpage to learn more.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Blocks Apple’s Attempt to Avoid Answering for Anticompetitive Conduct

    Source: US State of California

    Monday, June 30, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    Apple builds its iPhone empire by making it harder for its users to leave, rather than by making it more attractive for them to stay

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of 20 attorneys general, successfully blocked an attempt by Apple to dismiss the coalition’s lawsuit against the company’s anticompetitive behavior related to iPhone smartphones. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, the lawsuit alleges Apple purposefully makes it difficult for non-Apple apps and products to operate with the iPhone, resulting in higher prices for consumers and harm to competition in the smartphone industry. Apple’s conduct has hampered innovation, limited consumer choice, and made switching to other smartphones unnecessarily difficult and expensive for consumers.

    “Apple is dominating the market because it has created a monopoly that insulates itself from competitors and makes it hard for consumers to leave — not because it is competing on the merits. These actions are anticompetitive and illegal,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I am proud of my office’s work with state and federal partners to hold Big Tech accountable for their harm to consumers and to promote vital innovation and competition.”

    ANTITRUST AND YOU:

    Antitrust enforcement is an essential component of a healthy economy. Competitive marketplaces established through antitrust vigilance help consumers by ensuring fair prices for goods and services, an array of products to choose from, quality goods and services, and the steady introduction of innovative new products. As part of the Attorney General’s commitment to enforce antitrust laws, the California Department of Justice has just launched its new Antitrust Complaint Form! Please click here to report anticompetitive conduct that potentially violates the antitrust laws.

    A copy of the opinion is available here. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Continuum Ag

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    Published: June 30, 2025
    Throughout this Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
    RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Continuum Ag of Washington County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
    “Since 2015, Continuum Ag has rooted themselves in helping farmers manage and improve their soil health,” said Chair Ernst. “Partnering with over 40 states and 20 countries, Continuum Ag continues to encourage regenerative agricultural practices that enable farmers to make data-driven decisions.”  
    An Iowa State University alum and seventh-generation farmer, Mitchell Hora, established Continuum Ag in 2015 to help farmers collect and interpret their soil health data. Today, Continuum Ag uses their proprietary tool called TopSoil to help fellow farmers improve their soil health, gather insights about their data, and work directly with supply chain partners.
    Stay tuned as Chair Ernst recognizes more Iowa small businesses across the state with her Small Business of the Week award.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Wasserman Schultz, Cherfilus-McCormick Lead Letter Urging USDA and HHS to Protect Free School Meals Amid Cuts

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

    “Republicans want to ram their ‘Big Ugly Bill’ through the House this week and hide its cruel impacts on our children,” said Wasserman Schultz (D-FL). “Deep Medicaid and SNAP cuts risk children losing both access to healthcare coverage and food at home – but it also chokes off access to free healthy school lunches. Republicans want to bury the real harm their cuts will inflict, and the ugly reality that it’s all being done to pay for wealthy tax breaks. But I’ll proudly fight for our children and schools and ensure the cuts they face are not covered up.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) led 29 of their colleagues in urging the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) to assess and address the harmful impacts potential cuts to Medicaid and SNAP would have on students’ access to free and reduced-price school meals.

    In a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Members expressed concern that proposed cuts in the current reconciliation bill could strip SNAP benefits from over 2 million children and jeopardize their Medicaid coverage—putting access to school meals at risk.

    “Republicans want to ram their ‘Big Ugly Bill’ through the House this week and hide its cruel impacts on our children,” said Wasserman Schultz (D-FL). “Deep Medicaid and SNAP cuts risk children losing both access to healthcare coverage and food at home – but it also chokes off access to free healthy school lunches. Republicans want to bury the real harm their cuts will inflict, and the ugly reality that it’s all being done to pay for wealthy tax breaks.  But I’ll proudly fight for our children and schools and ensure the cuts they face are not covered up.”

    “With food prices soaring and school meal debt at crisis levels, this is the moment to strengthen—not slash—the nutrition programs that keep our children fed, healthy, and ready to learn,” said Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). “No parent should fear their child will go hungry or be left unprotected in a place of learning. This is more than policy—it’s a moral obligation. Feeding children should never be up for debate. As a mother, I carry that responsibility every day. America must do the same. Congress must act with urgency to protect these essential programs because our children’s health, safety, and futures depend on it.”

    The letter highlights the importance of direct certification and the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows high-need schools to offer free meals to all students. Changes to Medicaid and SNAP could disqualify many schools—particularly in communities like Broward County, Florida—from meeting CEP thresholds, reversing hard-fought progress made under the previous Administration.

    Additional signatories of the letter include Reps. Amo (D-RI), Brownley (D-CA), Carson (D-IN), Carter (D-LA), Castor (D-FL), Clarke (D-NY), Cohen (D-TN), Crockett (D-TX), Davis (D-IL), DelBene (D-WA), Evans (D-PA), Figures (D-AL), García (D-IL), Gottheimer (D-NJ), Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), McIver (D-NJ), Olszewski (D-MD), Peters (D-CA), Pettersen (D-CO), Ramirez (D-IL), Salinas (D-OR), Smith (D-WA), Strickland (D-WA), Takano (D-CA), Thanedar (D-MI), Thompson (D-MI), Tlaib (D-MI), Velázquez (D- NY), and Wilson (D-FL). 

    Read the Full letter here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Update 9: Alberta wildfire update (June 30, 3 p.m.)

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Takes Action on FY26 State Operating Budget Bills

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JUNE 30, 2025

    Jefferson City — Delivering on his promise to present Missourians with a reasonable, conservative budget that continues to secure Missouri’s future, today Governor Mike Kehoe signed the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) state operating and capital improvement budget bills. Governor Kehoe’s action to deliver a $50.8 billion budget includes 208 vetoes, totaling nearly $300 million in general revenue, and 32 expenditure restrictions, totaling $211 million in general revenue.

    The budget sent to the Governor’s Office added 450 items and nearly $775 million in additional spending beyond the Governor’s original budget recommendation. This excessive spending requires decisive action, particularly when combined with reduced pandemic federal dollars, broad tax cuts that benefit Missourians, and the undeniable need for extraordinary emergency disaster relief.

    “We appreciate the work of the General Assembly in getting this budget to my desk,” said Governor Kehoe. “While we exercised veto authority to rein in unsustainable spending, we are proud to support funding for smart policies advancing our shared vision of a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Missouri. We believe this budget reflects our commitment to limited government, fiscal discipline, and a long-term vision to support public priorities.”

    Approved Budgetary Spending

    Prioritizing Public Safety

    In his inaugural State of the State Address, Governor Kehoe emphasized that securing Missouri’s future begins with public safety. The FY26 budget includes critical law enforcement and crime prevention tools, training, and resources:

    • $10 million in new funding to assist local communities who prioritize public safety with equipment and training needs through the Blue Shield Program.
    • $7 million investment for fentanyl testing in wastewater systems at schools.
    • $2 million in support for the Missouri sheriff’s retirement system.

    For more public safety budget highlights, click here.

    Emphasizing Economic Development

    Missouri’s economy is driven by investing in initiatives that create jobs, enhance infrastructure, and provide critical support to families and businesses. By addressing needs such as rural roads, childcare access, and career-technical training, we foster innovation, strengthen communities, and ensure that Missouri remains a competitive and thriving state for all:

    • $91 million for rural road improvements.
    • $10 million to offer grant funding opportunities to support partnerships between employers, community partners, and the childcare industry to make more childcare slots available for Missouri families.
    • $11 million in new funding to address equipment, space, and operational needs of career and technical centers across the state.

    For more economic development budget highlights, click here.        

    Bolstering Agriculture

    Missouri’s agriculture industry is the backbone of the state’s economy, feeding and clothing not just Missourians, but the world. To ensure the continued growth and resilience of this vital sector, Governor Kehoe is committed to investing in critical infrastructure, modernizing facilities, and supporting animal health initiatives. The FY26 budget includes:

    • $55 million in bonding for Missouri State Fair facilities.
    • $800,000 in ongoing funding for Missouri FFA.
    • $330,871 to increase Missouri’s inspection and production capacity in the meat and poultry industry.

    For more agriculture budget highlights, click here.

    Strengthening Education

    Governor Kehoe believes that funding our state’s education system ensures every student has the opportunity to achieve their full potential while preparing Missouri’s future workforce for success. The legislature approved the following education spending:

    • $376.6 million to support the state’s full reimbursement of transportation costs to school districts, including $15 million in new funding.
    • $50 million in general revenue funding to bolster the Empowerment Scholarship Account program.
    • $33.4 million to ensure all teachers are paid at least the statutory minimum.

    For more education budget highlights, click here.

    Budget Vetoes & Expenditure Restrictions

    The Missouri FY26 state operating budget is approximately $50.8 billion, including $15.4 billion in general revenue. In the FY26 budget approved by the General Assembly, nearly $775 million in new general revenue spending was added above the Governor’s budget recommendation, including 450 items that Governor Kehoe did not propose or went beyond his recommendation.

    Additionally, the Office of Administration’s Division of Budget and Planning estimates a nearly $1 billon shortfall in general revenue starting in FY27. Contributing to this shortfall, ongoing general revenue spending authorized in the FY26 budget is projected to outpace ongoing revenues by over $1 billion and grow larger in future years. While Missouri currently has a general revenue fund balance to absorb some of this imbalance in the short term, the current trajectory of state-level spending grows this imbalance, exhausts any remaining surplus, and leads to the aforementioned $1 billion shortfall starting in FY27, if correction is not made.

    There were also several budgetary and legislative decisions made during the 2025 Legislative Session and Extraordinary Session that were not considered in Governor Kehoe’s FY26 budget recommendation but compound the budgetary challenges the State is facing:

    • Additional funding for the K-12 Foundation Formula – In his budget recommendation, Governor Kehoe proposed a $200 million increase for public education funding, representing the largest increase ever seen, and nearly 4 times larger than the average annual increase. The General Assembly chose to spend an additional $297 million on top of Governor Kehoe’s historic recommendation.
    • Tax Cuts – The General Assembly approved, and Governor Kehoe has committed to signing, pro-growth legislation eliminating the income tax on capital gains, which is expected to reduce state revenues by approximately $400 million annually. Governor Kehoe supports tax cuts and is proud to return Missourians’ hard-earned dollars back to them, but the reduction in state revenues must be accounted for in current and future budget decisions.
    • Disaster Relief – Unforeseen severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding have caused unprecedented damage to communities across the state. Governor Kehoe supported, and the General Assembly approved, over $210 million in extraordinary emergency disaster relief for Missourians. While the need is undeniable, the cost must still be reconciled in the budgetary process.

    Governor Kehoe issued 208 vetoes, totaling nearly $300 million in general revenue. To view the complete list of budget vetoes, click here.

    “As Governor, I have a constitutional obligation to balance the budget, and our administration will always follow the Constitution and rule of law,” said Governor Kehoe. “We support funding for education, and have proudly championed tax cuts for hard-working Missouri families and the desperately needed resources for our fellow Missourians affected by natural disasters this spring. However, these initiatives do not come without budgetary consequences.”

    In addition to his vetoes in the FY26 budget, Governor Kehoe today also restricted spending on 32 budget items, totaling $211 million in general revenue, from the FY26 state operating budget. To view the complete list of expenditure restrictions, click here.

    “We do not take this action lightly, but state government cannot spend beyond our means,” said Governor Kehoe. “With current circumstances, the fiscally responsible and conservative thing to do is reduce spending and protect Missouri’s nationally recognized financial strength in preparation for difficult budget years ahead. These restrictions are not an indication of project worthiness – we understand their value, and that’s why we chose not to veto them. Rather, these withholds allow us to direct Missourians’ hard-earned tax dollars toward the most critical programs and projects that support Missouri families.”

    Governor Kehoe is taking these fiscally conservative steps now in an effort to help ease the burden of broader budget cuts required to balance the budget, a constitutional responsibility of the Missouri Governor, in FY27 and future years. Governor Kehoe and his Office of Administration’s Division of Budget and Planning budget team, working alongside the General Assembly, will continue to assess Missouri’s financial outlook and evaluate the likely need for additional budget restrictions moving forward.

    “We want to assure Missourians that this action is not indicative of a larger economic problem, as our economy remains strong and resilient,” said Governor Kehoe. “Just as President Trump and the federal government is reigning in spending, the State of Missouri must do the same. While we do not have an economic problem in Missouri, we do have a spending problem in state government. By working with the General Assembly, our administration commits to the people of Missouri to get spending under control and support Missouri’s economic growth so that our fiscal outlook improves and these restrictions may be released in future years.”

    To view the FY26 state operating budget bills, click here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Colleagues Demand Explanation from Big Oil Corporations Lobbying for Tax Breaks at the Expense of American Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    June 30, 2025
    Senate Republicans included a $1 trillion loophole for Big Oil in the big, bad reconciliation bill that would allow massive corporations to avoid paying federal taxes
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he is demanding an explanation from Big Oil companies on their efforts to win a $1.1 billion tax loophole in the Republican budget reconciliation bill that would leave middle-class families in Oregon and nationwide with higher energy costs. 
    Senate Republicans are paying for this handout by cutting clean energy tax credits and vital energy programs. The reconciliation bill would add a loophole to the corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT) for ConocoPhillips and Ovintiv Inc. (Ovintiv). This provision would reduce or eliminate tax liabilities for oil and gas companies under the corporate alternative minimum tax, allowing some to pay no federal income taxes whatsoever.
    “The rationale for CAMT was simple: for far too long, massive corporations had taken advantage of loopholes in the tax code to avoid paying their fair share, sometimes paying zero federal taxes despite earning billions in profits,” Wyden and three other senators wrote the oil companies. “CAMT imposed a minimum tax on annual income that billionaire companies reported to their shareholders and is expected to raise over $200 billion over ten years from some of the largest and most profitable companies in the world.”
    Experts say the Republican bill would contribute to “higher electricity costs for consumers,” adding to already skyrocketing utility bills. Households are at risk of losing more than $2,200 in savings per year on utility bills.
    “Adding this tax break for Big Oil to the reconciliation package is especially insulting since Senate Republicans are trying to pay for this handout with cuts to other programs that would end up raising energy prices for everyday Americans,” the senators continued. “Congress should not raise energy prices for working families to deliver handouts to Big Oil.”
    In addition to Wyden, the letter is led by Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
    The senators are pushing ConocoPhillips and Ovintiv Inc. for answers to the following questions by July 9, 2025.
    How much has ConocoPhillips spent, and how much does it expect to spend in total on lobbying expenses on Republicans’ tax legislation in 2025?
    In the past 12 months, how much money has ConocoPhillips donated, whether directly or through other vehicles for political donations, to federal elected officials who are advocating for tax cuts for your company?
    How much of a reduction in tax liability would ConocoPhillips receive if Section 70523 of the Senate reconciliation package became law?
    A full text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Introduces Amendments to Improve Republican Budget Reconciliation Bill, Keep Costs from Skyrocketing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    **Congressional Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill would slash Medicaid and food assistance benefits for tens of thousands of Granite Staters**
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a top member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, is offering multiple amendments to the Congressional Republican’s budget reconciliation bill that would keep health insurance and energy costs from skyrocketing, help more working families cover a greater share of the high cost of child care, make life-saving insulin more affordable for Granite Staters and more. In a Senate floor speech last night, Shaheen condemned the “Big Beautiful Bill” for ripping away health care and food assistance from millions of Americans, raising household energy costs, adding to the national debt and more in order to cut taxes for billionaires – labeling it the largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in a single bill in history. 
    “While my Republican colleagues jam through a disastrous budget bill that punishes working families in order to make life easier for billionaires, I’m offering multiple amendments that would help lower costs and address real challenges for Granite Staters,” said Senator Shaheen. “At a time when families are getting squeezed by the high cost of living, we should be doing all we can to help them get ahead – this bill would do the exact opposite.” 
    Below is an overview of the amendments Senator Shaheen is introducing to lessen the harmful impacts of the Republican-led budget reconciliation bill:  
    To improve access to affordable insulin, Shaheen is introducing an amendment to cap the cost of the life-saving medicine at $35 a month, among other provisions to permanently lower the cost of insulin. 
    To help more working families cover a greater share of the high cost of child care, Shaheen is co-leading an amendment to expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. 
    To make housing more affordable, lower household energy costs and protect good American jobs, Shaheen is introducing an amendment to reverse Republicans’ repeal of tax credits for energy saving home improvements and new home construction. 
    To address ongoing workforce challenges at New Hampshire’s FCI Berlin, Shaheen is introducing an amendment to require the Bureau of Prisons to allocate a portion of its funding to restore critical retention incentives that Shaheen previously helped secure and were cut by the Trump Administration. 
    To support workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Shaheen is introducing an amendment to require that Armed Services funding not be used to reduce the civilian shipyard workforce. 
    To fund repairs at the Newcastle Coast Guard Station damaged in January 2024, Shaheen is introducing an amendment to prioritize Coast Guard funding for facilities in need of repair. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: In Senate Floor Speech Ahead of Reconciliation Vote, Shaheen Decries Republican Megabill as “Largest Transfer of Wealth from the Poor to the Rich in a Single Bill in History”, Urges Colleagues to Vote No

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor tonight to highlight the devastating impacts the Republican reconciliation bill will have on families in New Hampshire and across America. In her speech, Shaheen condemned the “Big Beautiful Bill” for ripping away health care and food assistance from millions of Americans, raising household energy costs, adding to the national debt and more in order to cut taxes for billionaires – labeling it the largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in a single bill in history. Click here to view Senator Shaheen’s remarks in full. 
    Key Quotes from Senator Shaheen:
    “This bill is the largest cut to health care in American history. […] Because of these cuts, more than 300 rural hospitals could close; more than 500 nursing homes could close. These are core programs and services that benefit our seniors, children, veterans, people living with disabilities and working families. […]Over the past several weeks, past couple of months, I’ve toured New Hampshire. I’ve heard from countless constituents who are deeply anxious about what this bill means for them and their families. Again and again, they say plainly: without Medicaid or the ACA, they wouldn’t be here today.” 
    “During this time of high food prices of increasing food insecurity, it’s particularly critical for families to be able to rely on SNAP to help them keep food on the table. One of the ways this bill cuts the program is by requiring states to pay higher costs. Now, as the former governor of New Hampshire, I can tell you how much of a burden this is on our state’s budget.” 
    “For families concerned about energy costs, this bill only offers more pain. […] This bill cuts off long-standing tax credits for consumers—for average, everyday Americans—to make energy saving improvements to their homes or to add rooftop solar to take control of their own energy bills. After countless promises to lower peoples’ energy bills, this legislation would do just the opposite.” 
    “You know, I was first elected to the New Hampshire State Senate more than 30 years ago. This bill that we’re considering today would do more harm to more people than any other law I have seen in my entire time in public office. This bill makes having a family more expensive by raising the cost of energy, health care and education. This bill takes food and health care away from seniors and families, and it does all of that—it does all of that—to give trillions of dollars more to corporations and to the wealthiest. And it explodes our deficit in the process.” 
    Full Remarks as Delivered:
    Mr. President, I’m really here on the floor to oppose the reconciliation bill that we’re considering today.
    It would be the largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in a single bill in our history.
    This legislation would take away health care from millions of Americans. It would cut food aid for millions more. It would raise household energy and health care bills and it would add trillions to the debt, all to give the top, not just 1%, but the top .1% of people who make more than $2.5 million a year, an extra $250,000 a year. 
    At a moment when Americans are struggling with the high cost of living, this bill will take money out of the pockets of working people, the average household making less than $50,000. That’s 30% of Americans. So 30% of Americans will lose about $700 a year from this bill.
    Now, here are some of the ways that it hurts middle class Americans—the people who I’m very proud to represent in New Hampshire. Somehow the Senate took a bad bill, or what I thought was a bad bill from the House, and they made it much, much worse.
    This bill is the largest cut to health care in American history. In total, the bill proposes more than $1 trillion, $1 trillion, in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. $930 billion of that is Medicaid alone. And because of these cuts, more than 300 rural hospitals could close. More than 500 nursing homes could close.
    These are core programs and services that benefit seniors, children, veterans, people living with disabilities and working families.
    The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 17 million Americans, including 43,000 Granite Staters, will lose their health insurance.
    Now, over the past several weeks, past couple of months, I’ve toured New Hampshire. I’ve heard from countless constituents who are deeply anxious about what this bill means for them and for their families.
    Again and again, they have said plainly: without Medicaid, without the Affordable Care Act, they would not be here today.
    I heard from Danielle in Dalton, the northern part of New Hampshire. Danielle is a proud mother of three sons, two of whom have autism. Danielle’s sons rely on Medicaid for their health coverage and for their home care.
    Danielle is not only their full time caregiver, but she receives a stipend from Medicaid to provide for their care. And thanks to Medicaid, both of her sons are able to work part time. They’re able to live at home with their mom, and they’re able to remain active in the community.
    This bill would put all of that at risk. Danielle says her sons could have difficulty qualifying for Medicaid under these new rules, and losing Medicaid would be catastrophic for her family because it would likely force her sons out of work, out of her home and into a group home or institution.
    And so it’s going to cost a lot more if that happens. Her boys are now contributing members of society, and this bill threatens not only their livelihood and their independence and their future, it threatens their dignity.
    I heard from Sean in Claremont. Sean shared with me his story of addiction to alcohol, cocaine and heroin, and his long road to recovery. After several near-death experiences, he found stability in a sober living home and enrolled in Medicaid. With access to treatment, he was able to hold a job and get his life back on track.
    He eventually opened his own sober living home, Hope to Freedom, where he now helps others suffering from addiction so that they can enroll in Medicaid and begin their own journey to sobriety.
    I heard from Carla in Exeter. Carla has twin three year old boys, one of whom had serious medical complications at birth. Now, she was able to have health insurance with her job, but as her family’s medical bills piled up, she enrolled her son in Medicaid to ensure that he got the care that her family could not afford and her employee sponsored health insurance wouldn’t pay for. He still needs extensive care to this day, and losing her coverage would put her family into devastating medical debt.
    Probably the story that I heard that touched me as much as any was from a man in Berlin, in northern New Hampshire. He had had a number of substance misuse issues, mental health challenges, he said, without Medicaid, without the center—we were at a center where Medicaid helped pay to support people who needed help—he said, without this, I would just give up. I would commit suicide because there would be nothing for me.
    These are just a handful of the countless stories I’ve heard these past few months. They’re about real people. This bill isn’t just words on a page. It’s a direct attack on not only their health and their economic security, but their very dignity, their ability to have fulfilling lives and to contribute back to their communities and to society. We owe them better than this.
    This bill would also make catastrophic cuts to food assistance that’s provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.
    During this time of high food prices of increasing food insecurity, it’s particularly critical for families to be able to rely on SNAP to help them keep food on the table.
    One of the ways this bill cuts the program is by requiring states to pay higher costs.
    Now, as the former governor of New Hampshire, I can tell you how much of a burden this is on our state’s budget. And there are all kinds of provisions in this bill that are nothing but massive cost shifts to states, and this is one area.
    The bill puts food assistance at risk for families with teenage children, as well as older adults, veterans and individuals experiencing homelessness.
    In New Hampshire, an estimated 1,000 older adults could lose SNAP access.
    These cuts will mean increased hunger across the country.
    You know, we talk a lot about kitchen table issues here. Passing this bill is an explicit vote to take food off of families’ kitchen tables.
    I heard from Rachel. She’s a care coordinator at a behavioral health center in Claremont, which is in the western part of New Hampshire.
    She told me, and I’m quoting here, “SNAP is not just a program, it’s a lifeline. For the parents I work with, it means being able to send their children to school with full stomachs and functioning minds. For caregivers struggling to make ends meet, it provides some peace of mind knowing there will be something on the table each night. And for children, many of whom are navigating mental health challenges, SNAP supports stability, dignity and health during formative years. Without SNAP, the strain on these already vulnerable families would increase exponentially”.
    And she goes on to say, finally, “SNAP is not a handout. It’s a step forward for families working hard to survive and succeed against overwhelming odds”.
    And on the energy front, for families concerned about energy costs, this bill only offers more pain.
    In addition to cutting off tremendously successful incentives for electricity that are adding reliable, affordable and clean energy to the grid at a record pace, this bill cuts off longstanding tax credits for consumers, for average everyday Americans to make energy saving improvements to their homes, or to add rooftop solar to take control of their own energy bills.
    After countless promises to lower people’s energy bills, this legislation would do just the opposite.
    Last year, 2.3 million families took advantage of the Home Energy efficiency tax credit and cut an average $130 off of their yearly energy bills.
    Now, that may not sound like a lot to the Mar-A-Lago crowd, but it makes a big difference for families in New Hampshire who worry about how they’re going to heat their homes.
    American households are expected to pay an extra $170 billion in energy bills over the next ten years thanks to misplaced priorities in this bill.
    And add to that 1.5 million good jobs that are likely to go away. And it makes you wonder if supporters of this bill have actually read it, or if they actually care about American energy dominance.
    And on taxes. This bill spends more than $4 trillion on tax cuts, including nearly $1 trillion in new tax breaks for the biggest corporations.
    But for taxpayers earning less than $30,000 a year, they would see an average tax increase—let me say that again, because I didn’t say that quite right with the right emphasis—for taxpayers earning less than $30,000 a year, they would see an average tax increase in 2029.
    And these are the same families who are going to be harmed most by extreme cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.
    Families making under $50,000 are likely to be worse off, and some could lose more than $1,500 a year under this bill.
    So if you add to that the effects of Trump’s tariffs, which raise the cost of living for a typical family by $2,000 a year, this makes it even worse for families.
    So the bottom 80% of households, those making less than $175,000, will be worse off on average under this bill.
    Now, I’ve talked about how this bill makes families pay more for health care, for energy and food in order to give more money to billionaires, but there are few other things that people should know.
    First, because of the trillions of dollars this bill would add to the debt, interest rates are likely to go up. That adds more than $1,000 a year for a typical mortgage.
    This bill makes it harder for students to afford the cost of college, and it removes debt protections for students who have been defrauded by their schools.
    And this bill actually tries to prohibit states from regulating AI for the next ten years, making it that much harder to keep our kids safe online and to protect jobs from being lost to the use of this technology.
    You know, I was first elected to the New Hampshire State Senate more than 30 years ago. This bill that we’re considering today would do more harm to more people than any other law I have seen in my entire time in public office.
    This bill makes having a family more expensive by raising the cost of energy, health care and education.
    This bill takes food and health care away from seniors and families, and it does all of that—it does all of that to give trillions of dollars more to corporations and to the wealthiest. And it explodes our deficit in the process.
    That’s not what the people of New Hampshire are asking for, and it’s not what Americans deserve.
    And to my colleagues in the Senate, I say this: At a moment when Americans are feeling squeezed by the cost of living, we should be doing something about that.
    Instead of gutting health care to pay for tax cuts, we should be expanding access to affordable, quality care.
    Instead of turning our backs on working parents, we should be making housing more affordable, and we should ensure that every child has access to high quality, affordable early education.
    Instead of cutting nutrition programs, let’s make sure that no child in America goes hungry.
    Instead of driving up food and energy prices, let’s invest in the programs that help American families succeed.
    President Trump calls this the “Big Beautiful Bill”, but it is a big betrayal of the American people.
    There’s nothing beautiful about taking away health care and food from working families to give more money to billionaires.
    So I intend to vote against this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same.
    I yield the floor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hassan Speaks on the Senate Floor Against GOP Budget Bill That Raises Costs & Takes Away Health Care From Millions of Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan delivered remarks on the floor of the U.S. Senate late last night on the harms of the Republican budget bill, which will take health care away from tens of thousands of Granite Staters, raise costs for families, make massive cuts to health care, and explode the national debt by trillions of dollars in order to pay for tax giveaways for corporate special interests and billionaires.  
    Senator Hassan also took to the airwaves with interviews on WMUR and MSNBC to make sure Granite Staters are hearing about the devastating impacts of the Republican budget bill. 
    Click here to see Senator Hassan’s remarks.
    Full Remarks as Delivered:
    I’m here today because I’m joining the majority of Americans who are deeply alarmed by this plan from the President and his Congressional allies, a plan that will make life less affordable for more Americans.
    When we return home for this Fourth of July, it’d be nice to be able to tell our constituents that we came together and passed bipartisan legislation to help bring down costs for families.
    Instead, my colleagues who vote for this legislation will have to explain why, at a time when families’ pocketbooks are strained, they chose to support a partisan bill to make American life even less affordable.
    What will America look like once this bill takes effect? Millions of people will have lost their health coverage thanks to the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. More people won’t be able to afford preventive care and cancer screenings. And more people will get sick. 
    Health care premiums will surge for everyone because fewer people will have care and the number of uninsured Americans will increase. Rural hospitals will close their doors because they lost Medicaid reimbursements that helped keep them afloat.
    More people, especially in states like mine, will have to make long car rides just to get to a hospital 50 miles away…in those desperate moments when minutes feel like hours, and hours like eternities.
    Seniors will be thrown into grave peril because this bill threatens hundreds of billions in Medicare cuts. And once this plan eviscerates food assistance programs, it will be much harder for families to afford to put food on the table…at a time when groceries are already far too expensive…let there be no mistake, more families and children who today are being fed will go hungry. And all the while, our children will be burdened with trillions more in debt.
    In the name of what cause is all this done? Well, it’s all to pay for tax breaks for billionaires.  
    This bill will also make us an America where our people are less free. In New Hampshire, during my time as Governor we adopted Medicaid Expansion with support from both political parties – and we balanced the budget at the same time.
    We understood that with health comes freedom; the freedom to work and provide for one’s family, the freedom from disease and despair, the freedom that comes from – why do I even have to say this – being alive. Granite Staters also understood that a great country like ours treats its people with great dignity.
    In America, we don’t sacrifice the health of our neighbors…we don’t let families fall sick…and we do not imperil our economy, our debt, and our workforce…just to pay for a tax giveaway for a billionaire.
    So what kind of country will we be with this bill? We will not only be less healthy, but we will be less prosperous and less free…in short, this bill is at odds with what we aspire to be as Americans.
    It’s also worth noting how remarkably out of step this bill is with the American people’s plea to bring down costs. In a democracy like ours, theoretically the people’s representatives pass legislation that reflects the aspirations of the majority. I say theoretically because clearly that is not what is happening today.
    Indeed, according to the data from the Joint Economic Committee – Minority, if one combines this bill with the President’s tariffs – firefighters, truck drivers, and teachers, for instance, will lose $470 or more next year; while the top 0.1%, that’s people who earn about 4 million dollars or more, will be $348,000 richer.
    This bill would take away health care from tens of thousands of Granite Staters and would take a similar toll across the country. Indeed, in both Florida and Texas the number of people who will lose their health insurance is greater than the entire population of New Hampshire…millions of people losing care with a stroke of a pen.
    What have these people done to deserve that? All the American people are asking for is for us to help bring down costs – so the President and the Republicans in Congress take away their health care?  
    Sometimes in Washington we’re faced with bills that fail to fully meet the moment to be sure. But it is rare to find legislation like this – a bill that makes life less affordable during a time when Americans of every political stripe are crying out for lower costs – a bill that seems as if it was drafted just to make a mockery of the wills and wishes of the majority of people in this country.
    Lately, many of my colleagues and some political pundits have been talking about this bill as if it were inevitable; a runaway freight train so vast that it cannot be stopped, and in light of this inevitability, they suggest that some of the bill’s deficiencies can just be overlooked. But, of course, this bill was not inevitable – nor is it now.  
    So let’s be clear – each and every Senator in this body has free will. God given free will. Which means that the measures in this legislation that gut Medicaid weren’t written by mistake or by chance. We didn’t arrive at this day, with a vote on this terrible budget bill, by accident.
    Let’s not delude ourselves…we’re only here because a majority in this body decided to ignore the majority of the country and made a series of decisions;
    The Republican majority decided to gut Medicaid;
    They decided to take away health care from millions;
    They decided to raise insurance premiums for the rest of us;
    They decided that closed hospitals were a risk worth taking;
    They decided that taking food away from hungry kids was acceptable;
    They decided that trillions more in debt was not a problem;
    The Republican majority decided that depriving the American people of all these things and raising their costs were worth it, just as long as they paid for another tax break for billionaires. 
    Because that’s the bargain that this Administration along with my Republican colleagues is forcing the American people to accept. Our people will be less healthy, our kids will have more debt, but the President and billionaires like him will get a tax break.  
    Of course, part of what makes this bill so frustrating is that it includes some individual provisions that I’ve spent years trying to pass into law. This bill includes provisions I support, some even that I authored, like strengthening the R&D tax deduction to support our entrepreneurs and a tax cut for families to make child care more affordable.
    I also support this bill’s provisions which would tackle our housing crisis by expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to bring down the cost of housing, as well as a provision making mortgage insurance tax deductible so that it’s easier to buy a home. And I’d support a bill with real tax cuts for the middle class and small businesses, unlike the token measures included in this bill.
    If my Republican colleagues worked across the aisle to draft a bill that brought this bipartisan approach to other critical areas – like health care and food assistance – I’d vote for it.  
    Instead, my colleagues chose to take these commonsense solutions hostage by linking every good idea to three bad ones – turning this into a purely partisan endeavor.
    So yes, I’m glad that some of these bipartisan provisions will be signed into law, but I regret that they aren’t a part of a truly bipartisan effort because of the politics of division and destruction that President Trump brings to Washington.
    Now I know that there are many areas of common ground with my Republican colleagues in this body, but it has become far too difficult to move forward on finding solutions when at every turn the President seems far more interested in demonizing and dividing rather than bringing people together.
    Turning areas of agreement into weapons to force disagreement…now that’s exactly the kind of cynical politics of division that does lasting damage to our families, our economy, and our democracy.
    Now President Trump likely will get this bill passed – he may get enough of the Republican caucus to stand in line once again to pass it. Even though my Republican colleagues know that budget analysts have added up the financial cost of this bill and have told them that it adds trillions upon trillions to our national debt, burdening our children’s future.
    But you know as important as the debt is, it’s not the only cost of passing this awful bill. There’s another kind of cost, a cost not simply of dollars and cents. I shouldn’t have to remind this Administration and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle about the nature of this cost – they know it.
    But just to be clear, this tax break for corporate special interests and billionaires has a price, a price that can’t be summed up in a budget line or written off during tax season.
    Because when we debate health care in America, some dress up these discussions with words like “reconciliation” and “program” and “discretionary spending” but what they’re talking about is being sick and being healthy, what they’re talking about – whether they want to admit it or not – is living and dying.  
    So how much does this bill cost?
    The cost is millions of Americans losing their health care;
    The cost is countless families feeling the pain of higher insurance premiums;
    The cost is a mother being forced to choose between paying out of pocket for her own care or paying for groceries for her kids.
    It’s a price that’s exacted in cancers that go undetected; it’s exacted in chronic illnesses that go untreated; it’s exacted in the health care challenges in our country that continue to go unaddressed because we spend all our energies simply trying to keep our heads above water in floods of the President’s own making.
    The price tag is more than dollars and cents; it includes the cost of losing more people from our workforce because they’re too ill to work; it includes the gnawing pains of hunger and the slow toll of malnutrition that will come as food assistance programs are robbed; it includes the anguish of young parents no longer knowing how they will make ends meet;
    It includes the lost hopes and deferred dreams of people held back by illness; it includes the cost of having to say more early goodbyes.
    What is the price tag of this bill? The price, in the end, is the health and freedom of millions of Americans; a price that will be paid because somewhere on the road that brought us here…here in President Trump’s Washington…some people decided that the health of some child or her mother may be dear, but it doesn’t carry the same weight as a bigger tax return for a billionaire does.
    Thank you, Madam President, I yield the floor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Alford, Gonzales Introduce Bill to Create Military Campaign Service Medal for Service Members Who Supported Operation Midnight Hammer

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Alford (Missouri 4th District)

    Today, Congressmen Mark Alford (MO-04) and Tony Gonzales (TX-23) introduced the Iranian Campaign Medal Act. This legislation authorizes the Secretary of Defense to establish and award a United States military decoration to service members who served in direct support of Operation Midnight Hammer.

     “As the Congressman representing Whiteman Air Force Base, I’m proud to co-lead this bill recognizing our airmen’s contributions to Operation Midnight Hammer,” said Congressman Alford. “It was not just the pilots—it was also the maintenance, planning, operational, and support personnel whose unparalleled coordination made this mission a resounding success. The Iranian Campaign was the ultimate testament to President Trump’s peace through strength agenda.”

    “During my 20 years of military service, including multiple campaigns in the Middle East, I served side by side with the finest troops in the world. No matter what the mission is, American servicemembers always rise to the challenge, and Operation Midnight Hammer in Iran is no exception. There is no other military in the world that could have executed a precision strike on nuclear sites with such excellence, and the men and women who made it happen deserve full recognition for their efforts. I’m especially proud that the airmen involved received training at our military installations in San Antonio, which highlights yet again the importance of Military City, U.S.A.,” said Congressman Tony Gonzales. “The Iranian Campaign Medal Act will authorize the Department of Defense to establish a military service medal for our troops deployed to Iran under President Trump’s decisive leadership.”

    Read the text of the legislation here.

    U.S. Representatives Sam Graves (R-MO), Pat Fallon (R-TX), August Pfluger (R-TX), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Frank Lucas (R-OK), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), and Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) supported Congressmen Alford and Gonzales’ legislation as original co-sponsors.

    Background:

    On June 22, 2025, President Trump authorized a precision strike at three Iranian nuclear sites to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. Executed by 14 American pilots flying seven B-2 bombers out of Whiteman AFB, and supported by over 125 U.S. aircraft, including dozens of aerial refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine, and approximately 75 precision-guided munitions, the strike successfully targeted critical Iranian nuclear infrastructure at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. In keeping with longstanding tradition, Congress has the authority to establish a commemorative service medal to honor service members for their contributions to military operations.

    The Iranian Campaign Medal Act authorizes the creation and award of a United States military decoration to service members who served in Iran in direct support of Operation Midnight Hammer, as well as any additional operations or periods the Secretary of Defense may designate.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Nick Langworthy Announces Over $6.7 Million Grant for Head Start Projects in Chautauqua

    Source: US Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) announced that Chautauqua Opportunities Inc. has been awarded $6,767,042 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for Head Start Projects. 

     

    “I am proud to support the over $6.7 million from HHS for Head Start Projects in Chautauqua,” said Congressman Langworthy. “Head Start programming is essential to families in our community and this funding will ensure children have the best opportunity to learn and be nurtured. I am excited to see this program flourish with this federal assistance.”

     

    Head Start is based on the premise that all children share certain needs and that children of income eligible families can benefit from a comprehensive developmental program to meet those needs. The program maximizes the strengths and unique experiences of each child. The family, which is the principal influence on the child’s development, is a direct participant in the program.

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Malliotakis Celebrates Lucy the Pig’s Vindication

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)

    (STATEN ISLAND, NY) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis issued the following statement regarding Lucy the Pig’s vindication.

     

    “We are overjoyed to learn that Mayor Adams heard our pleas and is allowing Lucy to stay in her loving home with the Gannone Family. The idea that this properly registered emotional support animal who has been part of the family for years could be confiscated or cause her owners to be fined thousands of dollars was unsettling. Mayor Adams made the right call here, we were happy to have helped and we wish Lucy and her family well in her remaining days.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Federal government strengthens the Canadian Free Trade Agreement

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Ottawa, Ontario, (June 30, 2025) – Today, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, announced a historic step towards freer trade within Canada.

    As part of the Government’s efforts to build one Canadian economy, the federal government will be removing all remaining federal exceptions from the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), eliminating all 53 in the Agreement since its introduction in 2017.  

    Most of the exceptions removed focus on procurement, which will provide Canadian businesses with more opportunities to be competitive across the country. For example, as part of this last review, the federal government is removing procurement exceptions related to financial entities, commercial land development, transportation services and space projects.

    All provincial and territorial governments have committed to undertaking a review of their respective exceptions under the CFTA. Together, they have made great progress and the results will be announced at the upcoming meeting of the Committee on Internal Trade on July 8, 2025.

    Today’s announcement builds on the government’s efforts to strengthen the Canadian economy. Most recently, the government passed Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, which will remove federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility, and advance nation-building projects to drive Canadian productivity, economic growth, and competitiveness.  

    The federal government will continue to show leadership in this area, and work with provinces and territories to strengthen the CFTA, advance mutual recognition, and ensure seamless labour mobility within Canada.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Energy Secretary Announces Updated NEPA Procedures to End Permitting Paralysis and Unleash American Energy

    Source: US Department of Energy

    WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced new updates to the Department’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures, fixing the broken permitting process and delivering on President Trump’s pledge to unleash American energy dominance and accelerate critical energy infrastructure. As part of a government-wide effort to restore common sense to permitting, DOE published an interim final rule rescinding all NEPA regulations and published new NEPA guidance procedures for the Department of Energy.

    “President Trump promised to break the permitting logjam, and he is delivering,” said Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “America can and will build big things again, but we must cut the red tape that has brought American energy innovation to a standstill and end this era of permitting paralysis. These reforms replace outdated rules with clear deadlines, restore agency authority, and put us back on the path to energy dominance, job creation, and commonsense action. Build, baby, build!”

    “This overhaul restores NEPA to the role originally envisioned by Congress—informing agency decision makers, not needlessly obstructing the development of critical infrastructure,” said Deputy Energy Secretary James Danly. “We’re eliminating the accretion of decades of unnecessary procedure and reestablishing a legally sound permitting regime that is disciplined, predictable, and fast. Agencies finally have the authority to conduct reviews efficiently, avoid duplicative reviews, and deliver timely decisions consistent with the law.”

    With President Trump’s leadership, the Council on Environmental Quality coordinated a historic, interagency effort to simplify NEPA compliance, lower construction costs, eliminate years-long delays, and ensure environmental reviews can no longer be used to stall American energy production and infrastructure development. Today’s action fulfils President Trump’s Executive Order 14154, Unleashing American Energy, and implementing reforms enacted by Congress under the 2023 BUILDER Act.

    Background:

    This effort builds on President Trump’s January 2025 action to rescind CEQ’s outdated NEPA regulations and return the agency to its statutory role of coordinating reform across the federal government, empowering agencies to make timely, lawful permitting decisions. Altogether, these reforms will enable the deployment of more efficient technologies and the better environmental outcomes that they provide.

    Key reforms include:

    • Eliminating outdated agency procedures, many of which had not been revised since the 1980’s, while maintaining world class environmental standards and allowing America to build again!
    • Reducing the maximum Environmental Assessment through Environmental Impact Statement report completion time limitations from three years to two years.
    • Requiring the designation of a “lead agency” and empowers the lead agency to clarify responsibilities of all parties involved, requires coordination amongst the agencies, and requires the agencies collaborate on the development of a single environmental document.
    • Implementing strict deadlines and page limits. This will provide certainty necessary for investment in American infrastructure and end past practices of paralysis by analysis.
    • Providing clear direction that agencies should use common sense, relying only on verified scientific studies that already exist and not contemplating wildly unfathomable scenarios that they do not have legal authority to address.
    • Increasing transparency and allowing project sponsors to participate in the process.
    • Directing agencies to maximize the use of a streamlined process known as “categorical exclusions” for activities that are regularly conducted and widely understood to not impact the environment.

    Additionally, DOE’s NEPA Procedures include discussion of the recent Supreme Court decision in Seven County, which limits requirements for agencies to analyze upstream and downstream Greenhouse Gas (GHG) effects and curtails radical climate change analysis associated with activities outside agency jurisdiction. DOE NEPA analysis should not consider environmental effects of separate projects, especially those over which DOE does not exercise regulatory authority.

    DOE’s updated procedures identify specific actions excluded from NEPA review, including issuance of emergency Orders pursuant to section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act and Presidential Permits, and authorizations to import natural gas from any country and to export natural gas to free-trade agreement countries.

    DOE’s Interim Final Rule will publish in the Federal Register on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. A PDF of the IFR is available here.

    DOE’s updated NEPA guidance documents are available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New crossing opens over SR 500 in Vancouver

    Source: Washington State News 2

    Pedestrian bridge at Northeast Stapleton Road and Northeast 54th Avenue restores access across SR 500 for people walking, biking or rolling

    VANCOUVER – After nearly seven years, the wait is finally over—Vancouver’s new pedestrian and bike bridge over State Route 500 is now open.

    On Monday, June 30, the Washington State Department of Transportation’s contractor, Cascade Bridge LLC, finished constructing the bridge that spans SR 500 near Northeast Stapleton Road and Northeast 54th Avenue, to fulfill a promise made in 2018. That year, WSDOT removed the traffic signals and crosswalks at this location to reduce rear-end crashes and improve safety for drivers. The change improved traffic flow but forced people walking, biking and rolling to take longer, indirect routes. 

    “From the beginning, we made a clear commitment to come back and restore this connection once funding became available,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Susan Fell. “We’re proud to see this work finished and to provide an accessible crossing for everyone in the community.” 

    Over the last year, crews constructed sidewalks, mid-block crossings and a shared use path near the SR 500 and Northeast Stapleton Road/54th Street intersection. They also constructed the pathway, walls and the bridge structure itself. In the final weeks of the project, they: 

    • Removed the abandoned islands in the roadway at Northeast Falk Road/42nd Street and at Northeast Stapleton Road/54th Street.
    • Repaved SR 500’s eastbound lanes and installed roadway striping.
    • Paved the pathway to the bridge.
    • Painted the bridge and installed safety fencing along both sides of the overcrossing.
    • Completed permanent lighting and accessibility features. 

    During construction, WSDOT partnered with C-TRAN, Clark County’s transit provider, to provide a temporary, on-demand shuttle service to help people cross SR 500. With the bridge now open, travelers have a permanent, ADA-accessible route to walk, bike or roll across the highway.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Five years already! 

    Source: – Press Release/Statement:

    Headline: Five years already! 

    The Canadian Renewable Energy Association celebrates 5th anniversary.

    Ottawa, June 30, 2025—The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is proud to celebrate its fifth anniversary on July 1, 2025. CanREA launched on July 1, 2020, during the global pandemic, as the merger of Canada’s wind and solar industry associations (CanWEA and CanSIA), with the important addition of energy storage to the mandate. 

    Created to provide a unified voice for solar energy, wind energy, and energy storage in Canada, CanREA has since grown to a total of more than 330 members, with seven member Networks (federal, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan & Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada) and three national Programs (Operators, BTM Solar & Storage, and Utility GRID Integration), as well as four successful annual Summits, nearly 30 staff members, 10 annual networking events, an ongoing series of industry webinars, and the second-largest social media community of all the Canadian trade associations in any sector. 

    “I want to thank our members for their support over the past five years, which has enabled our advocacy work and helped secure many key successes for the industry so far. This five-year milestone is an occasion to look back and see how far we have come, but more importantly, to look ahead. CanREA is committed to advancing the Canadian wind, solar and energy storage industries for the next five years, and for many more years to come,” said Vittoria Bellissimo, CanREA’s President and CEO.   

    CanREA is marking the anniversary by launching a new Awards Program, and other activities throughout the year.  

    Top 5 priorities for 2025-26  

    As we enter our new fiscal year on July 1, 2025, CanREA has defined five ambitious new strategic objectives to guide our priorities. These include: 

    Executing a comprehensive advocacy plan to effectively respond to evolving government mandates; 

    Optimizing outcomes for ongoing procurement processes in Ontario, BC and Quebec;  

    Executing on our new BTM strategy;  

    Building strategic alliances to enhance key messaging, collect information on project economics, and advocate for infrastructure and other support initiatives, including energy corridors opportunities; 

    All the while providing excellent membership value for all our members. 

    Top 10 accomplishments: Annual report card 2024-25 

    Looking back on the past year, there is a lot for CanREA—and the industry—to celebrate. Here is a recap of Top Ten accomplishments of 2024-5, starting with the most recent items: 

    Advocacy in Ontario: CanREA successfully worked to reduce barriers and improve clarity for access to agricultural land and Crown land, shaping the LT2 contracts and RFPs that were launched in late June. This is the first time in a decade the industry can bid on new wind and solar projects in Ontario!

    Advocacy in Manitoba: CanREA expanded the Saskatchewan Network to include Manitoba this year and devoted a Policy Director to this mandate. CanREA’s recommendations to Manitoba’s Minister of Finance were reflected in Manitoba Hydro’s 600 MW Call for Power for Indigenous Majority-Owned Wind, for which the Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) was issued in June.  

    Indigenous engagement: This year, CanREA’s new Director of Indigenous Engagement led efforts to enhance Indigenous cultural awareness for the staff and Board of Directors, develop the outline for CanREA’s Indigenous Reconciliation Action Roadmap, expand the Indigenous Business Pavilion at ETC, and collaborate with Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE) to present CanREA’s Manitoba Wind Energy Indigenous Equity Summit in June.

    Advocacy in BC: CanREA expanded its presence to BC this year, with a new BC Director, a new BC Network, and a MOU with Clean Energy BC. CanREA is now working with BC Hydro to support the integration of renewables into the grid in its new Call for Power, announced in May, and its two new requests for expressions of interest relevant to energy storage, announced in June. 

    Advocacy in Quebec: CanREA successfully worked to optimize the ongoing procurement process in Quebec. One highlight: in May, Hydro-Québec launched a 300 MW solar energy tender. This milestone represents the first major solar procurement in Quebec, part of a broader objective to develop 3,000 MW of solar capacity by 2035.  

    Utilities: CanREA launched a new Utility GRID Integration program in May. Evolving from CanREA’s NRCan-funded Electricity Transition Hub, the program helps members integrate clean, affordable and reliable electricity into Canada’s power grids.    

    Go Solar Guide 2025: In March, CanREA’s new BTM Solar and Storage Program launched a new and improved edition of our annual Go Solar Guide, encouraging more Canadians to generate their own solar energy at home and work, and listing of all CanREA’s solar installer members. Now available as a web portal, the information is free and accessible to all.  

    Advocacy in Atlantic Canada: CanREA is building momentum in Atlantic Canada, enabled by a new, full-time Policy Manager based in New Brunswick. Our renewed advocacy efforts have led to policy wins across the region, including the Nova Scotia Green Choice Program RFP, which awarded 625 MW of wind in January, nearly double the original call for 350 MW. 

    ITCs: CanREA successfully advocated with the federal government to optimize and accelerate the Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) in Canada, as the Clean Tech ITC was implemented into law in the fall.

    Procurement calendar: In October, CanREA launched a new Clean Energy Procurement Calendar, which we continue to monitor and update as new procurements get announced or come online across the nation. 

    Quotes 

    “I want to thank our members for their support over the past five years, which has enabled our advocacy work and helped secure many key successes for the industry so far. This five-year milestone is an occasion to look back and see how far we have come, but more importantly, to look ahead. CanREA is committed to advancing the Canadian wind, solar and energy storage industries for the next five years, and for many more years to come.”  

    —Vittoria Bellissimo, President and CEO, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) 

    For media inquiries or interview opportunities, please contact:  

    CommunicationsCanadian Renewable Energy Associationcommunications@renewablesassociation.ca

    About CanREA  

    The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is the voice for wind energy, solar energy and energy storage solutions that will power Canada’s energy future. We work to create the conditions for a modern energy system through stakeholder advocacy and public engagement. Our diverse members are uniquely positioned to deliver clean, low-cost, reliable, flexible and scalable solutions for Canada’s energy needs. For more information on how Canada can use wind energy, solar energy and energy storage to help achieve its net-zero commitments, consult “Powering Canada’s Journey to Net-Zero: CanREA’s 2050 Vision.” Follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn here. Learn more at renewablesassociation.ca.   

    –30–   
    The post Five years already!  appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick Releases Statement on DRC-Rwanda Peace Agreement

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Florida 20th district))

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) released the following statement on the signing of a peace deal between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda: 
     
    “I welcome the announcement of a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda—an important step that offers hope to the millions who have suffered from years of conflict in eastern Congo. The commitments to end hostilities, allow humanitarian access, and facilitate the safe return of refugees are essential to achieving lasting peace. 
     
    “In May, I joined several of my colleagues in urging Senior Advisor Dr. Massad Boulos to ensure that the negotiations included provisions for U.S. humanitarian and global health assistance to reach conflict-affected regions in the DRC. 
     
    “While we commend the progress reflected in this agreement—including mutual recognition, disarmament, refugee repatriation, and economic integration—we urge the administration to appoint a U.S. Special Representative to oversee implementation with transparency and accountability. 
     
    “This agreement also opens the door to future cooperation, including the development of a U.S.-DRC critical minerals agreement. I encourage the administration to pursue this opportunity with a shared commitment to regional stability, economic development, and environmental responsibility. 
     
    “Earlier this year, I introduced a resolution to support U.S. investment in Africa’s critical mineral sector, recognizing the continent’s strategic importance in the global clean energy transition. This resolution underscores the importance of sustainable and inclusive partnerships with African nations.” 
     
    Read the full resolution here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Status of the Chagos Archipelago – Part I: History of the Disputes Surrounding its Status and the Creation of a UK-US Military Base

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    The following is a guest post by Clare Feikert-Ahalt, a senior foreign law specialist at the Law Library of Congress covering the United Kingdom and several other jurisdictions. Clare has written numerous posts for In Custodia Legis, including Revealing the Presence of Ghosts; Weird Laws, or Urban Legends?; FALQs: Brexit Referendum; 100 Years of “Poppy Day” in the United Kingdom; and most recently Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office Spurs Possible Law Change.

    A small, but important, island known as Diego Garcia has given rise to a number of legal challenges and international agreements that date back to Britain’s colonial era. The challenges surround whether the detachment from Mauritius, and subsequent colonization of the Chagos Archipelago, which consists of several islands and atolls remotely located in the center of the Indian Ocean, including the island of Diego Garcia, was lawful, and whether the removal and prohibition on the return of its inhabitants occurred within the bounds of the law. A recent agreement between the United Kingdom (UK) and Mauritius settles the disputes, by returning Chagos Archipelago to Mauritus and providing the UK with continued use of a military base, which I will describe in a post tomorrow. Today I will look at the history that preceded the agreement.

    UK Colonization of Chagos Archipelago

    One of the driving forces for the UK colonization of Chagos Archipelago was the establishment of a defense facility, to be operated jointly with the United States (US). Almost immediately upon detaching the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius and establishing the colony of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) the UK, after undertaking a survey to determine the most appropriate location for a defense facility, entered into an agreement with the US to allow Diego Garcia to be used for defense purposes. The US subsequently constructed, and jointly operated with the UK, a defense facility that according to the UK government provides “crucial strategic capabilities, which have played a key role in missions to disrupt high-value terrorists, including Islamic State threats to the UK.”

    History of the Chagos Archipelago and Diego Garcia

    The BIOT, which includes Diego Garcia, was the last colony established by the British as its colonial era entered into its waning days and Mauritius was on the verge of obtaining independence. In 1965, the government of the UK and a representative of Mauritius signed an agreement detaching the Chagos Archipelago from the territory of Mauritius.

    The agreement between the UK and Mauritius provided the legal foundation for the UK to establish the BIOT as new colony in the Chagos Archipelago, which initially included three other islands detached from Seychelles that were later ceded back to the Seychelles upon their independence in 1976. In return for the detachment of the Chagos Archipelago, the UK government provided Mauritius with a grant of £3 million (approximately US$4 million), along with a commitment to return the islands to Mauritius at a later date when it no longer needed the territory for defense purposes. Once under UK control, in 1966, the UK signed an agreement with the US to establish a military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia.

    Independence of Mauritius Leads to Legal Dispute over Territorial Definition

    Mauritius was granted independence from the UK in 1968, but the definition of Mauritius, contained in the Mauritius Independence Act 1968, which became its constitution and was promulgated by the government of the UK prior to Mauritius’ independence, does not include the Chagos Archipelago. Instead “Mauritius” is defined in section 5 of the 1968 Act as “the territories which immediately before the appointed day constitute the Colony of Mauritius.” The Mauritian government later claimed that its independence was made conditional upon the detachment of the Chagos Archipelago from its territory and disputed the sovereignty of the UK over the Chagos Archipelago.

    This bilateral dispute progressed through numerous meetings, international exchanges, courts and tribunals for a period of 60 years until the UK and Mauritius signed the recent agreement providing sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius..

    United Nations Resolution of 1966

    In 1966, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) adopted a resolution condemning the British for exercising sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago and calling for it to be returned to Mauritius.  In the same year, the UK and US reached an agreement providing for the use of an island in the Chagos Archipelago for defense purposes. The agreement provided that the UK government would take any administrative measures necessary to ensure the defense needs were met, which included the resettlement of the inhabitants of the islands.

    Challenges Regarding Status Continue

    The challenges faced by the Chagossians, along with their efforts to reclaim Diego Garcia are well detailed and documented in the decisions of the courts in which they lodged their claims.

    The UK entered into an agreement with Mauritius in 1972 whereby it agreed to pay Mauritius £650,000 (approximately US$875,000) for the cost of resettlement of people displaced from the Chagos Archipelago. The UK reached an additional agreement with Mauritius in 1982, under which it paid a further £4 million (approximately US$5.4 million) to be placed into a trust fund for the Chagossians removed from the islands as a final settlement of all claims, without admitting liability.

    Despite these agreements and settlement, Mauritius continued to challenge the legitimacy of British sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago and the Chagossians challenged the legality of their resettlement and exile from Diego Garcia. During these challenges, and in response to a judgment from England’s High Court, the UK government conducted a feasibility study in 2002 into the return of the Chagossians to Diego Garcia. The study concluded that if the Chagossians were permitted to return to live on Diego Garcia, the costs of long-term inhabitation would be prohibitive and that natural events, such as flooding and seismic activity “would make life difficult for a resettled population.”

    Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ)

    In 2019, the ICJ issued an advisory opinion that the decolonization of Mauritius was not completed lawfully and that an international agreement was not possible when one territory was under the authority of the other. The ICJ stated that the UK “has an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible.” The UK government acknowledged the opinion, but noted it was not legally binding. It stated that it did “not share the court’s approach” and asserted that it has exercised sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago since 1814. The UK affirmed that it stood by its commitment “to cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes.”

    While advisory opinions from the ICJ are not binding, the UK government in 2025 acknowledged that they do “carr[y] significant weight; in particular it is likely to be highly influential on any subsequent court/tribunal”. This advisory opinion had a “meaningful real-world impact on the sustainability of UK sovereignty and the operation of the Base.” In particular, the UK government determined that if Mauritius made another legal challenge, its “… longstanding legal view is that [the UK] would not have a realistic prospect of success.”

    The advisory opinion was followed in 2021, by a case heard by the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea relating to the delimitation of the boundary between Mauritius and the Maldives and the court ruled that the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago could be inferred from the advisory opinion made by the International Court of Justice.

    The Congress of the Universal Postal Union also recognized Mauritius as responsible for making decisions regarding international postal services in the Chagos Archipelago. The UK government determined these decisions “confirmed the risk that a future (binding) case could be brought successfully against the UK” and that this “would create serious real-world operational impacts for the Base.”

    Between the years 2021-2022, the UK used diplomacy and bilateral initiatives to attempt to steer Mauritius away from commencing further legal challenges, but these were unsuccessful and “… it became clear by mid-2022 that the only viable means to halt the process was to enter negotiations” and the start of these were announced in November 2022. They resulted in the May 2025 agreement, which I will describe in tomorrow’s post. Stay tuned!

    ——————————————————————————————————————————–

    Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: We have drugs to manage HIV. So why are we spending millions looking for cures?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bridget Haire, Associate Professor, Public Health Ethics, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney

    Alim Yakubov/Shutterstock

    Over the past three decades there have been amazing advances in treating and preventing HIV.

    It’s now a manageable infection. A person with HIV who takes HIV medicine consistently, before their immune system declines, can expect to live almost as long as someone without HIV.

    The same drugs prevent transmission of the virus to sexual partners.

    There is still no effective HIV vaccine. But there are highly effective drugs to prevent HIV infection for people without HIV who are at higher risk of acquiring it.

    These drugs are known as as “pre-exposure prophylaxis” or PrEP. These come as a pill, which needs to be taken either daily, or “on demand” before and after risky sex. An injection that protects against HIV for six months has recently been approved in the United States.

    So with such effective HIV treatment and PrEP, why are we still spending millions looking for HIV cures?

    Not everyone has access to these drugs

    Access to HIV drugs and PrEP depends on the availability of health clinics, health professionals, and the means to supply and distribute the drugs. In some countries, this infrastructure may not be secure.

    For instance, earlier this year, US President Donald Trump’s dissolution of the USAID foreign aid program has threatened the delivery of HIV drugs to many low-income countries.

    This demonstrates the fragility of current approaches to treatment and prevention. A secure, uninterrupted supply of HIV medicine is required, and without this, lives will be lost and the number of new cases of HIV will rise.

    Another example is the six-monthly PrEP injection just approved in the US. This drug has great potential for controlling HIV if it is made available and affordable in countries with the greatest HIV burden.

    But the prospect for lower-income countries accessing this expensive drug looks uncertain, even if it can be made at a fraction of its current cost, as some researchers say.

    So despite the success of HIV drugs and PrEP, precarious health-care systems and high drug costs mean we can’t rely on them to bring an end to the ongoing global HIV pandemic. That’s why we also still need to look at other options.

    Haven’t people already been ‘cured’?

    Worldwide, at least seven people have been “cured” of HIV – or at least have had long-term sustained remission. This means that after stopping HIV drugs, they did not have any replicating HIV in their blood for months or years.

    In each case, the person with HIV also had a life-threatening cancer needing a bone marrow transplant. They were each matched with a donor who had a specific genetic variation that resulted in not having HIV receptors in key bone marrow cells.

    After the bone marrow transplant, recipients stopped HIV drugs, without detectable levels of the virus returning. The new immune cells made in the transplanted bone marrow lacked the HIV receptors. This stopped the virus from infecting cells and replicating.

    But this genetic variation is very rare. Bone marrow transplantation is also risky and extremely resource-intensive. So while this strategy has worked for a few people, it is not a scalable prospect for curing HIV more widely.

    So we need to keep looking for other options for a cure, including basic laboratory research to get us there.

    How about the ‘breakthrough’ I’ve heard about?

    HIV treatment stops the HIV replication that causes immune damage. But there are places in the body where the virus “hides” and drugs cannot reach. If the drugs are stopped, the “latent” HIV comes out of hiding and replicates again. So it can damage the immune system, leading to HIV-related disease.

    One approach is to try to force the hidden or latent HIV out into the open, so drugs can target it. This is a strategy called “shock and kill”. And an example of such Australian research was recently reported in the media as a “breakthrough” in the search for an HIV cure.

    Researchers in Melbourne have developed a lipid nanoparticle – a tiny ball of fat – that encapsulates messenger RNA (or mRNA) and delivers a “message” to infected white blood cells. This prompts the cells to reveal the “hiding” HIV.

    In theory, this will allow the immune system or HIV drugs to target the virus.

    This discovery is an important step. However, it is still in the laboratory phase of testing, and is just one piece of the puzzle.

    We could say the same about many other results heralded as moving closer to a cure for HIV.

    Further research on safety and efficacy is needed before testing in human clinical trials. Such trials start with small numbers and the trialling process takes many years. This and other steps towards a cure are slow and expensive, but necessary.

    Importantly, any cure would ultimately need to be fairly low-tech to deliver for it to be feasible and affordable in low-income countries globally.

    So where does that leave us?

    A cure for HIV that is affordable and scalable would have a profound impact on human heath globally, particularly for people living with HIV. To get there is a long and arduous path that involves solving a range of scientific puzzles, followed by addressing implementation challenges.

    In the meantime, ensuring people at risk of HIV have access to testing and prevention interventions – such as PrEP and safe injecting equipment – remains crucial. People living with HIV also need sustained access to effective treatment – regardless of where they live.

    Bridget Haire has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She is a past president of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (now Health Equity Matters).

    Benjamin Bavinton receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian government, and state and territory governments. He also receives funding from ViiV Healthcare and Gilead Sciences, both of which make drugs or drug classes mentioned in this article. He is a Board Director of community organisation, ACON, and is on the National PrEP Guidelines Panel coordinated by ASHM Health.

    – ref. We have drugs to manage HIV. So why are we spending millions looking for cures? – https://theconversation.com/we-have-drugs-to-manage-hiv-so-why-are-we-spending-millions-looking-for-cures-258391

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: We have drugs to manage HIV. So why are we spending millions looking for cures?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bridget Haire, Associate Professor, Public Health Ethics, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney

    Alim Yakubov/Shutterstock

    Over the past three decades there have been amazing advances in treating and preventing HIV.

    It’s now a manageable infection. A person with HIV who takes HIV medicine consistently, before their immune system declines, can expect to live almost as long as someone without HIV.

    The same drugs prevent transmission of the virus to sexual partners.

    There is still no effective HIV vaccine. But there are highly effective drugs to prevent HIV infection for people without HIV who are at higher risk of acquiring it.

    These drugs are known as as “pre-exposure prophylaxis” or PrEP. These come as a pill, which needs to be taken either daily, or “on demand” before and after risky sex. An injection that protects against HIV for six months has recently been approved in the United States.

    So with such effective HIV treatment and PrEP, why are we still spending millions looking for HIV cures?

    Not everyone has access to these drugs

    Access to HIV drugs and PrEP depends on the availability of health clinics, health professionals, and the means to supply and distribute the drugs. In some countries, this infrastructure may not be secure.

    For instance, earlier this year, US President Donald Trump’s dissolution of the USAID foreign aid program has threatened the delivery of HIV drugs to many low-income countries.

    This demonstrates the fragility of current approaches to treatment and prevention. A secure, uninterrupted supply of HIV medicine is required, and without this, lives will be lost and the number of new cases of HIV will rise.

    Another example is the six-monthly PrEP injection just approved in the US. This drug has great potential for controlling HIV if it is made available and affordable in countries with the greatest HIV burden.

    But the prospect for lower-income countries accessing this expensive drug looks uncertain, even if it can be made at a fraction of its current cost, as some researchers say.

    So despite the success of HIV drugs and PrEP, precarious health-care systems and high drug costs mean we can’t rely on them to bring an end to the ongoing global HIV pandemic. That’s why we also still need to look at other options.

    Haven’t people already been ‘cured’?

    Worldwide, at least seven people have been “cured” of HIV – or at least have had long-term sustained remission. This means that after stopping HIV drugs, they did not have any replicating HIV in their blood for months or years.

    In each case, the person with HIV also had a life-threatening cancer needing a bone marrow transplant. They were each matched with a donor who had a specific genetic variation that resulted in not having HIV receptors in key bone marrow cells.

    After the bone marrow transplant, recipients stopped HIV drugs, without detectable levels of the virus returning. The new immune cells made in the transplanted bone marrow lacked the HIV receptors. This stopped the virus from infecting cells and replicating.

    But this genetic variation is very rare. Bone marrow transplantation is also risky and extremely resource-intensive. So while this strategy has worked for a few people, it is not a scalable prospect for curing HIV more widely.

    So we need to keep looking for other options for a cure, including basic laboratory research to get us there.

    How about the ‘breakthrough’ I’ve heard about?

    HIV treatment stops the HIV replication that causes immune damage. But there are places in the body where the virus “hides” and drugs cannot reach. If the drugs are stopped, the “latent” HIV comes out of hiding and replicates again. So it can damage the immune system, leading to HIV-related disease.

    One approach is to try to force the hidden or latent HIV out into the open, so drugs can target it. This is a strategy called “shock and kill”. And an example of such Australian research was recently reported in the media as a “breakthrough” in the search for an HIV cure.

    Researchers in Melbourne have developed a lipid nanoparticle – a tiny ball of fat – that encapsulates messenger RNA (or mRNA) and delivers a “message” to infected white blood cells. This prompts the cells to reveal the “hiding” HIV.

    In theory, this will allow the immune system or HIV drugs to target the virus.

    This discovery is an important step. However, it is still in the laboratory phase of testing, and is just one piece of the puzzle.

    We could say the same about many other results heralded as moving closer to a cure for HIV.

    Further research on safety and efficacy is needed before testing in human clinical trials. Such trials start with small numbers and the trialling process takes many years. This and other steps towards a cure are slow and expensive, but necessary.

    Importantly, any cure would ultimately need to be fairly low-tech to deliver for it to be feasible and affordable in low-income countries globally.

    So where does that leave us?

    A cure for HIV that is affordable and scalable would have a profound impact on human heath globally, particularly for people living with HIV. To get there is a long and arduous path that involves solving a range of scientific puzzles, followed by addressing implementation challenges.

    In the meantime, ensuring people at risk of HIV have access to testing and prevention interventions – such as PrEP and safe injecting equipment – remains crucial. People living with HIV also need sustained access to effective treatment – regardless of where they live.

    Bridget Haire has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She is a past president of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (now Health Equity Matters).

    Benjamin Bavinton receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian government, and state and territory governments. He also receives funding from ViiV Healthcare and Gilead Sciences, both of which make drugs or drug classes mentioned in this article. He is a Board Director of community organisation, ACON, and is on the National PrEP Guidelines Panel coordinated by ASHM Health.

    – ref. We have drugs to manage HIV. So why are we spending millions looking for cures? – https://theconversation.com/we-have-drugs-to-manage-hiv-so-why-are-we-spending-millions-looking-for-cures-258391

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s worldview is causing a global shift of alliances – what does this mean for nations in the middle?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dilnoza Ubaydullaeva, Lecturer in Government – National Security College, Australian National University

    Since US President Donald Trump took office this year, one theme has come up time and again: his rule is a threat to the US-led international order.

    As the US political scientist John Mearsheimer famously argued, the liberal international order

    was destined to fail from the start, as it contained the seeds of its own destruction.

    This perspective has gained traction in recent years. And now, Trump’s actions have caused many to question whether a new world order is emerging.

    Trump has expressed a desire for a new international order defined by multiple spheres of influence — one in which powers like the US, China and Russia each exert dominance over distinct regions.

    This vision aligns with the idea of a “multipolar” world, where no single state holds overarching global dominance. Instead, influence is distributed among several great powers, each maintaining its own regional sphere.

    This architecture contrasts sharply with earlier periods – the bipolar world of the Cold War, dominated by the US and the Soviet Union; and the unipolar period that followed, dominated by the US.

    What does this mean for the world order moving forward?

    Shifting US spheres of influence

    We’ve seen this shift taking place in recent months. For example, Trump has backed away from his pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine and now appears to be leaving it to the main protagonists, and Europe, to find a solution.

    Europe, which once largely spoke in a unified voice with the US, is also showing signs of policy-making which is more independent. Rather than framing its actions as protecting “Western democratic principles”, Europe is increasingly focused on defining its own security interests.

    In the Middle East, the US will likely maintain its sphere of influence. It will continue its unequivocal support for Israel under Trump.

    Amid shifting global alliances, the Trump administration will continue to support Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    noamgalai/Shutterstock

    The US will also involve itself in the region’s politics when its interests are at stake, as we witnessed in its recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

    This, along with increasing economic ties between the US and Gulf states, suggests US allies in the region will remain the dominant voices shaping regional dynamics, particularly now with Iran weakened.

    Yet it’s clear Trump is reshaping US dynamics in the region by signaling a desire for reduced military and political involvement, and criticising the nation building efforts of previous administrations.

    The Trump administration now appears to want to maintain its sphere of influence primarily through strong economic ties.

    Russia and China poles emerging elsewhere

    Meanwhile, other poles are emerging in the Global South. Russia and China have deepened their cooperation, positioning themselves as defenders against what they frame as Western hegemonic bullying.

    Trump’s trade policies and sanctions against many nations in the Global South have fuelled narratives (spread by China and Russia) that the US does not consistently adhere to the rules it imposes on others.

    Trump’s decision to slash funding to USAID has also opened the door to China, in particular, to become the main development partner for nations in Africa and other parts of the world.

    And on the security front, Russia has become more involved in many African and Middle Eastern countries, which have become less trustful and reliant on Western powers.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Xinping see opportunities to spread their influence in the Global South.
    plavi011/Shutterstock

    In the Indo-Pacific, much attention has been given to the rise of China and its increasingly assertive posture. Many of Washington’s traditional allies are nervous about its continued engagement in the region and ability to counter China’s rise.

    Chinese leader Xi Jinping has sought to take advantage of the current environment, embarking on a Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia push earlier this year. But many nations continue to be wary of China’s increasing influence, in particular the Philippines, which has clashed with China over the South China Sea.

    Strategic hedging

    Not all countries, however, are aligning themselves neatly with one pole or another.

    For small states caught between great powers, navigating this multipolar environment is both a risk and an opportunity.

    Ukraine is a case in point. As a sovereign state, Ukraine should have the freedom to decide its own alignments. Yet, it finds itself ensnared in great power politics, with devastating consequences.

    Other small states are playing a different game — pivoting from one power to another based on their immediate interests.

    Slovakia, for instance, is both a NATO and EU member, yet its leader, Robert Fico, attended Russia’s Victory Day Parade in May and told President Vladimir Putin he wanted to maintain “normal relations” with Russia.

    Then there is Central Asia, which is the centre of a renewed “great game,” with Russia, China and Europe vying for influence and economic partnerships.

    Yet if any Central Asian countries were to be invaded by Putin, would other powers intervene? It’s a difficult question to answer. Major powers are reluctant to engage in direct conflict unless their core interests or borders are directly threatened.

    As a result, Central Asian states are hedging their bets, seeking to maintain relations with multiple poles, despite their conflicting agendas.

    A future defined by regional power blocs?

    While it is still early to draw definitive conclusions, the events of the past few months underscore a growing trend. Smaller countries are expressing solidarity with one power, but pragmatic cooperation with another, when it suits their national interests.

    For this reason, regional power blocs seem to be of increasing interest to countries in the Global South.

    For instance, the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has become a stronger and larger grouping of nations across Eurasia in recent years.

    Trump’s focus on making “America Great Again,” has taken the load off the US carrying liberal order leadership. A multipolar world may not be the end of the liberal international order, but it may be a reshaped version of liberal governance.

    How “liberal” it can be will likely depend on what each regional power, or pole, will make of it.

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

    – ref. Trump’s worldview is causing a global shift of alliances – what does this mean for nations in the middle? – https://theconversation.com/trumps-worldview-is-causing-a-global-shift-of-alliances-what-does-this-mean-for-nations-in-the-middle-257113

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s worldview is causing a global shift of alliances – what does this mean for nations in the middle?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dilnoza Ubaydullaeva, Lecturer in Government – National Security College, Australian National University

    Since US President Donald Trump took office this year, one theme has come up time and again: his rule is a threat to the US-led international order.

    As the US political scientist John Mearsheimer famously argued, the liberal international order

    was destined to fail from the start, as it contained the seeds of its own destruction.

    This perspective has gained traction in recent years. And now, Trump’s actions have caused many to question whether a new world order is emerging.

    Trump has expressed a desire for a new international order defined by multiple spheres of influence — one in which powers like the US, China and Russia each exert dominance over distinct regions.

    This vision aligns with the idea of a “multipolar” world, where no single state holds overarching global dominance. Instead, influence is distributed among several great powers, each maintaining its own regional sphere.

    This architecture contrasts sharply with earlier periods – the bipolar world of the Cold War, dominated by the US and the Soviet Union; and the unipolar period that followed, dominated by the US.

    What does this mean for the world order moving forward?

    Shifting US spheres of influence

    We’ve seen this shift taking place in recent months. For example, Trump has backed away from his pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine and now appears to be leaving it to the main protagonists, and Europe, to find a solution.

    Europe, which once largely spoke in a unified voice with the US, is also showing signs of policy-making which is more independent. Rather than framing its actions as protecting “Western democratic principles”, Europe is increasingly focused on defining its own security interests.

    In the Middle East, the US will likely maintain its sphere of influence. It will continue its unequivocal support for Israel under Trump.

    Amid shifting global alliances, the Trump administration will continue to support Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    noamgalai/Shutterstock

    The US will also involve itself in the region’s politics when its interests are at stake, as we witnessed in its recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

    This, along with increasing economic ties between the US and Gulf states, suggests US allies in the region will remain the dominant voices shaping regional dynamics, particularly now with Iran weakened.

    Yet it’s clear Trump is reshaping US dynamics in the region by signaling a desire for reduced military and political involvement, and criticising the nation building efforts of previous administrations.

    The Trump administration now appears to want to maintain its sphere of influence primarily through strong economic ties.

    Russia and China poles emerging elsewhere

    Meanwhile, other poles are emerging in the Global South. Russia and China have deepened their cooperation, positioning themselves as defenders against what they frame as Western hegemonic bullying.

    Trump’s trade policies and sanctions against many nations in the Global South have fuelled narratives (spread by China and Russia) that the US does not consistently adhere to the rules it imposes on others.

    Trump’s decision to slash funding to USAID has also opened the door to China, in particular, to become the main development partner for nations in Africa and other parts of the world.

    And on the security front, Russia has become more involved in many African and Middle Eastern countries, which have become less trustful and reliant on Western powers.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Xinping see opportunities to spread their influence in the Global South.
    plavi011/Shutterstock

    In the Indo-Pacific, much attention has been given to the rise of China and its increasingly assertive posture. Many of Washington’s traditional allies are nervous about its continued engagement in the region and ability to counter China’s rise.

    Chinese leader Xi Jinping has sought to take advantage of the current environment, embarking on a Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia push earlier this year. But many nations continue to be wary of China’s increasing influence, in particular the Philippines, which has clashed with China over the South China Sea.

    Strategic hedging

    Not all countries, however, are aligning themselves neatly with one pole or another.

    For small states caught between great powers, navigating this multipolar environment is both a risk and an opportunity.

    Ukraine is a case in point. As a sovereign state, Ukraine should have the freedom to decide its own alignments. Yet, it finds itself ensnared in great power politics, with devastating consequences.

    Other small states are playing a different game — pivoting from one power to another based on their immediate interests.

    Slovakia, for instance, is both a NATO and EU member, yet its leader, Robert Fico, attended Russia’s Victory Day Parade in May and told President Vladimir Putin he wanted to maintain “normal relations” with Russia.

    Then there is Central Asia, which is the centre of a renewed “great game,” with Russia, China and Europe vying for influence and economic partnerships.

    Yet if any Central Asian countries were to be invaded by Putin, would other powers intervene? It’s a difficult question to answer. Major powers are reluctant to engage in direct conflict unless their core interests or borders are directly threatened.

    As a result, Central Asian states are hedging their bets, seeking to maintain relations with multiple poles, despite their conflicting agendas.

    A future defined by regional power blocs?

    While it is still early to draw definitive conclusions, the events of the past few months underscore a growing trend. Smaller countries are expressing solidarity with one power, but pragmatic cooperation with another, when it suits their national interests.

    For this reason, regional power blocs seem to be of increasing interest to countries in the Global South.

    For instance, the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has become a stronger and larger grouping of nations across Eurasia in recent years.

    Trump’s focus on making “America Great Again,” has taken the load off the US carrying liberal order leadership. A multipolar world may not be the end of the liberal international order, but it may be a reshaped version of liberal governance.

    How “liberal” it can be will likely depend on what each regional power, or pole, will make of it.

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

    – ref. Trump’s worldview is causing a global shift of alliances – what does this mean for nations in the middle? – https://theconversation.com/trumps-worldview-is-causing-a-global-shift-of-alliances-what-does-this-mean-for-nations-in-the-middle-257113

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Ensures Efficient Funding Processes and Decisions for Energy and Critical Mineral Projects

    Source: US Whitehouse

    STREAMLINING FUNDING APPLICATIONS AND ENSURING EFFICIENT USE OF TAXPAYER FUNDS FOR ENERGY AND CRITICAL MINERAL PROJECTS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum that fosters interagency coordination when funding energy and critical mineral projects to better prioritize the use of taxpayer funds and end wasteful duplicative processes.

    • The Memorandum encourages agencies to share information with the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) regarding both pending applications for funding and existing funding commitments for energy, critical mineral, or critical material-related projects.
      • This gives the NEDC insight as to whether funds across the Federal government are utilized appropriately and where they are most needed, without redundancies, and the ability to communicate suggestions on fund deployment to agencies.
      • This also enables the NEDC to serve a coordinating function between agencies that are evaluating potential funding recipients, eliminating the need for duplicative diligence workstreams across agencies.
    • The Memorandum further directs the development of a common application for Federal funding opportunities in the energy and critical mineral space to allow for applicants to apply simultaneously to multiple funding programs using one streamlined application.

    CUTTING BUREAUCRATIC RED TAPE: This Memorandum fulfills President Trump’s broader commitment to make government more efficient and support our domestic energy industries.

    • Agencies currently engage in duplicative diligence processes when reviewing funding applications for energy infrastructure and critical mineral and critical material projects.
    • Applicants are burdened with requirements to complete multiple, complex, and substantially similar applications. Agencies conduct substantially the same diligence redundantly in order to make funding decisions.
    • Streamlining this application process and increasing information-sharing across agencies will enable the Federal government to make faster, better funding decisions.

    UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY: President Trump is cutting red tape to unleash American energy.

    • On Day One, President Trump declared a National Energy Emergency to eliminate bureaucratic barriers, unleash innovation, and restore America’s position as the world’s leading energy producer.
    • He established the NEDC to advise on strategies for improving the processes for permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, and transportation across all forms of American energy.
    • His Administration has cut down significant regulatory barriers in the energy space already by reforming NEPA, deregulating under the Endangered Species Act, granting regulatory relief under the Clean Air Act, and more.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Presidential Permit Authorizing Steel Reef US Pipelines LLC To Operate and Maintain Pipeline Facilities at Burke County, North Dakota, at the International Boundary Between the United States and Canada

    Source: US Whitehouse

    class=”has-text-align-left”>By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States of America (the “President”), I hereby grant this Presidential permit, subject to the conditions herein set forth, to Steel Reef US Pipelines LLC (the “permittee”).  The permittee is a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware and owned by affiliates of Steel Reef Infrastructure Corp., a Canadian privately held corporation organized under the laws of Canada.  Permission is hereby granted to the permittee to operate and maintain existing pipeline Border facilities, as described herein, at the international border of the United States and Canada at Burke County, North Dakota, for the export from the United States into Canada of natural gas liquids, but not including natural gas subject to section 3 of the Natural Gas Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. 717b).

    This permit does not affect the applicability of any otherwise-relevant laws and regulations.  As confirmed in Article 2 of this permit, the Border facilities shall remain subject to all such laws and regulations.

    The term “Facilities” as used in this permit means the portion in the United States of the international pipeline project associated with the permittee’s February 23, 2022, application for an amendment to its existing permit, and any land, structures, installations, or equipment appurtenant thereto.

    The term “Border facilities” as used in this permit means those parts of the Facilities consisting of an 8.625-inch diameter pipeline in existence at the time of this permit’s issuance extending from the international border between the United States and Canada at Burke County, North Dakota, to and including the first mainline shut-off valve or pumping station in the United States, and any land, structures, installations, or equipment appurtenant thereto.

    This permit is subject to the following conditions:

    Article 1.  The Border facilities herein described, and all aspects of their operation, shall be subject to all the conditions, provisions, and requirements of this permit and any subsequent Presidential amendment to it.  The permittee shall make no substantial change in the Border facilities, in the location of the Border facilities, or in the operation authorized by this permit unless the President has approved the change in an amendment to this permit or in a new permit.  Such substantial changes do not include, and the permittee may make, changes to the average daily throughput capacity of the Border facilities to any volume of products that is achievable through the Border facilities, and to the directional flow of any such products.

    Article 2.  The standards for, and the manner of, operation and maintenance of the Border facilities shall be subject to inspection by the representatives of appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies.  Officers and employees of such agencies who are duly authorized and performing their official duties shall be granted free and unrestricted access to the Border facilities by the permittee.  The Border facilities, including the operation and maintenance of the Border facilities, shall be subject to all applicable laws and regulations, including pipeline safety laws and regulations issued or administered by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.  The permittee shall obtain requisite permits from relevant State and local governmental entities, and relevant Federal agencies.

    Article 3.  Upon the termination, revocation, or surrender of this permit, unless otherwise decided by the President, the permittee, at its own expense, shall remove the Border facilities within such time as the President may specify.  If the permittee fails to comply with an order to remove, or to take such other appropriate action with respect to, the Border facilities, the President may direct an appropriate official or agency to take possession of the Border facilities — or to remove the Border facilities or take other action — at the expense of the permittee.  The permittee shall have no claim for damages caused by any such possession, removal, or other action.

    Article 4.  When, in the judgment of the President, ensuring the national security of the United States requires entering upon and taking possession of any of the Border facilities or parts thereof, and retaining possession, management, or control thereof for such a length of time as the President may deem necessary, the United States shall have the right to do so, provided that the President or his designee has given due notice to the permittee.  The United States shall also have the right thereafter to restore possession and control to the permittee.  In the event that the United States exercises the rights described in this article, it shall pay to the permittee just and fair compensation for the use of such Border facilities, upon the basis of a reasonable profit in normal conditions, and shall bear the cost of restoring the Border facilities to their previous condition, less the reasonable value of any improvements that may have been made by the United States.

    Article 5.  Any transfer of ownership or control of the Border facilities, or any part thereof, or any changes to the name of the permittee, shall be immediately communicated in writing to the President or his designee, and shall include information identifying any transferee.  Notwithstanding any such transfers or changes, this permit shall remain in force subject to all of its conditions, permissions, and requirements, and any amendments thereto.

    Article 6.  (1)  The permittee is responsible for acquiring any right-of-way grants or easements, permits, and other authorizations as may become necessary or appropriate.

    (2)  The permittee shall hold harmless and indemnify the United States from any claimed or adjudged liability arising out of construction, connection, operation, or maintenance of the Border facilities, including environmental contamination from the release, threatened release, or discharge of hazardous substances or hazardous waste.

    (3)  To ensure the safe operation of the Border facilities, the permittee shall maintain them and every part of them in a condition of good repair and in compliance with applicable law.

    Article 7.  The permittee shall file with the President or his designee, and with appropriate agencies, such sworn statements or reports with respect to the Border facilities, or the permittee’s activities and operations in connection therewith, as are now, or may hereafter, be required under any law or regulation of the United States Government or its agencies.  These reporting obligations do not alter the intent that this permit be operative as a directive issued by the President alone.

    Article 8.  Upon request, the permittee shall provide appropriate information to the President or his designee with regard to the Border facilities.  Such requests could include information concerning current conditions or anticipated changes in ownership or control, construction, connection, operation, or maintenance of the Border facilities.

    Article 9.  This permit is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

    DONALD J. TRUMP

    MIL OSI USA News –