NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Face of Widespread Blowback, Trump Admin Finally Releases Education Funds It’s Blocked for Weeks—Forcing Layoffs, Program Closures, & Needless Chaos

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Senator Murray responds after raising alarms bells for weeks
    ICYMI: Senator Murray Demands All Remaining Education Funds Blocked By Trump Get Released Immediately
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after the Trump administration finally relented and gave notice it will release the remaining $5.5 billion in federal funding for K-12 schools and adult education programs that it has been blocking for weeks:

    “Instead of spending the last many weeks figuring out how to improve after-school options and get our kids’ reading and math scores up, because of President Trump, communities across the country have been forced to spend their time cutting back on tutoring options and sorting out how many teachers they will have to lay off.
    “There is no good reason for the chaos and stress this president has inflicted on students, teachers, and parents across America for the last month, and it shouldn’t take widespread blowback for this administration to do its job and simply get the funding out the door that Congress has delivered to help students.
    “This administration deserves no credit for just barely averting a crisis they themselves set in motion. You don’t thank a burglar for returning your cash after you’ve spent a month figuring out if you’d have to sell your house to make up the difference.
    “It’s time for President Trump, Secretary McMahon, and Russ Vought to stop playing games with students’ futures and families’ livelihoods—and end their illegal assault on our students and their schools.”

    The Trump administration’s decision to withhold nearly $7 billion dollars in funding has sent school districts nationwide scrambling to determine how they could fill the, in many cases, massive budget hole and whether they’ll have to lay off teachers or end after school programs in the coming weeks. Over the last few weeks, school districts have made clear they will have to end afterschool programs and lay teachers off, told parents to prepare backup options, and adult literacy programs have been forced to lay off staff.
    Today, the Trump administration finally relented and confirmed it will get this funding out, as the law requires, after weeks of creating panic and stress for schools and families alike.
    Here are the funding streams President Trump blocked for weeks—all of which are programs he requested to eliminate in his budget request:
    $2.19 billion: Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), which support professional development and other activities to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders, including reducing class size.
    $1.33 billion: 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B), which support high-quality before and after-school programs focused on providing academic enrichment opportunities for students.
    $1.38 billion: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A), which provide flexible funding for school districts for a wide range of activities including supporting STEM education, accelerated learning courses, college and career counseling, school-based mental health services, and improving school technology, among many others.
    $890 million: English Language Acquisition (Title III-A), which supports language instruction to help English language learners become proficient in English.
    $376 million: Migrant Education (Title I-C), which supports the educational needs of migratory children, including children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
    $715 million: Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants), which support adult education and literacy programs to provide the basic skills to help prepare adults and out-of-school youth for success in the workforce.
    These funds typically flow on July 1st of every year—but the Trump administration let states and stakeholders know on July 1st that it would not be moving the funding. It failed to provide any rationale, with the Department of Education directing questions to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and it has still failed to articulate an acceptable reason for withholding the funds.
    Senator Murray immediately called on Trump to release the funding, led her colleagues in demanding the funds flow, and last week, objected to fast-track consideration of President Trump’s nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the Department of Education while the funding blockage continues. When the Trump administration moved but one fraction of the blocked funds last Friday, she called on Trump to immediately move the rest.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Keating Cross Road flyover will improve safety, traffic flow

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The new northbound flyover on Patricia Bay Highway connecting to Keating Cross Road will be open for drivers on Monday, July 28, 2025, bringing significant safety and traffic-flow improvements to the region.

    “People driving through this region need to be able to count on safe and smooth travel when they’re heading to their homes, work, the airport or ferries,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit. “Opening the Keating Cross Road flyover means we’ve removed a dangerous left turn and have made travel safer for families, commuters, tourists and commercial transport drivers who rely on this corridor every day.”

    While moving traffic onto the new flyover is the most significant milestone, final work on the broader project will continue through summer 2025 and conclude in fall 2025. This will include paving the southbound on-ramp toward Victoria, drainage improvements and landscaping. Once complete, the project will include a new sidewalk on Keating Cross Road to improve safety and will support future bus rapid transit to reduce congestion further.

    “The opening of the Keating Cross Road flyover is a tremendous achievement for the Saanich peninsula,” said Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South. “This investment makes travel on this busy corridor safer and more reliable for families, commuters and commercial drivers. It also strengthens ties to our local business community and supports the region’s growth well into the future.”

    The total project budget is $76.8 million, with the Government of British Columbia contributing $57.6 million, the Government of Canada contributing $16.7 million and the District of Central Saanich providing $2.5 million.

    “With the Keating Cross Road flyover open, drivers and pedestrians in Central Saanich will benefit from improved safety and better access to the region,” said Will Greaves, member of Parliament for Victoria. “Our government is proud to invest in projects that support the expansion of local public transit and make life easier and safer for all Canadians.”

    More than 52,000 vehicles use this part of the Patricia Bay Highway every day, with more than 4,000 vehicles per hour at peak travel times. The flyover project was identified as a priority in the South Island Transportation Strategy and supports the Province’s commitment to improving safety, expanding transit infrastructure and building strong, connected communities.

    “The new flyover aims to make travel through the Saanich peninsula faster and our neighbourhoods safer. It’s an important connection to the Keating Business District, a key industrial and business centre for our region,” said Ryan Windsor, mayor, District of Central Saanich. “This has been a long-standing priority for our community. We’re grateful to the provincial and federal governments for recognizing its importance and we’re thrilled to see the flyover opening.”

    Learn More:

    To keep up to date with the latest progress on the Keating Cross Road flyover, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation-projects/other-transportation-projects/highway-17-keating-cross-overpass

    To learn more about the South Island Transportation Strategy, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-reports-and-reference/reports-studies/vancouver-island/south-island-transportation-strategy

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement on the NEA handbook

    Source: US National Education Union

    The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle: 

    “The National Education Association has opposed antisemitism throughout its history and is deeply committed to ensuring the safety and inclusion of Jewish educators and students. NEA regularly shares resources and supports educator workshops on Holocaust education, antisemitism, and ways to promote understanding of Jewish culture, heritage and history. This reflects NEA’s ongoing commitment to teach about Holocaust history and to counter the antisemitism that laid the groundwork for the systematic murder of six million Jews and the persecution and murder of millions of others by the Nazi regime. This document is not a handbook for use in the classroom, but a compilation of the more than 100 new business items adopted by NEA last year, which largely relate to the variety of materials NEA provides. These new business items also include calls to stand up against antisemitism, promote Holocaust Remembrance and education, and promote content to mark Jewish American Heritage Month.” 

    Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social  

    # # #

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Educators react to Trump administration unfreezing remaining federal funds

    Source: US National Education Union

    WASHINGTON — According to media reports, the Trump administration will release the remaining $5.5 billion in delayed federal K-12 funding. Students, educators and school leaders across the country have been in limbo for nearly a month and warned that the unlawful freeze threatened summer and afterschool programs, school staffing, and academic supports for the upcoming school year. On June 30, the Department of Education announced to state education associations in a three-sentence email that it would withhold almost $6.9 billion in funding. However, on July 18, after facing mounting bipartisan pressure, the administration said it would release $1.3 billion in grants for summer and after-school programs if states provided new assurances as to how the funds would be spent.

    The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle: 

    “Playing games with students’ futures has real-world consequences. School districts in every state have been scrambling to figure out how they will continue to meet student needs without this vital federal funding, and many students in parts of the country have already headed back to school. These reckless funding delays have undermined planning, staffing, and support services at a time when schools should be focused on preparing students for success. 

    “Sadly, this is part of a broader pattern by this administration of undermining public education—starving it of resources, sowing distrust, and pushing privatization at the expense of the nation’s most vulnerable students. And they are doing this at the same time Congress has passed a budget bill that will devastate our students, schools, and communities by slashing funds meant for public education, health care, and keeping students from their school meals—all to finance massive tax breaks for billionaires. The members of the National Education Association will continue to advocate for stable, transparent, and timely support for every public school and every child they serve. We will stand up, speak out, and take action to ensure every classroom is a place of dignity, opportunity, and respect.” 

    Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social  

    # # #

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brazilian National Indicted for Selling Firearms

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully living in the Clinton and Framingham areas has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for trafficking firearms.

    Patrick Rodrigues DeOliveira, 25, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on July 30, 2025. Rodrigues DeOliveira had previously been charged by criminal complaint Sept. 18, 2024.

    According to the charging documents, between August and September 2024, Rodrigues DeOliveira conspired to obtain firearms in South Carolina and sell them in Massachusetts. Specifically, in August 2024, Rodrigues DeOliveira allegedly traveled with others to South Carolina to obtain firearms. Additionally, it is alleged that Rodrigues DeOliveira sold a shotgun and a pistol outside of a motel in Framingham on Sept. 10, 2024 for $3,500.  

    The charges of conspiracy and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Framingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Neanderthals likely ate fermented meat with a side of maggots

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Melanie Beasley, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Purdue University

    Black soldier fly maggots can feed on decomposing animals. Melanie M. Beasley

    Scientists long thought that Neanderthals were avid meat eaters. Based on chemical analysis of Neanderthal remains, it seemed like they’d been feasting on as much meat as apex predators such as lions and hyenas. But as a group, hominins – that’s Neanderthals, our species and other extinct close relatives – aren’t specialized flesh eaters. Rather, they’re more omnivorous, eating plenty of plant foods, too.

    It is possible for humans to subsist on a very carnivorous diet. In fact, many traditional northern hunter–gatherers such as the Inuit subsisted mostly on animal foods. But hominins simply cannot tolerate consuming the high levels of protein that large predators can. If humans eat as much protein as hypercarnivores do over long periods without consuming enough other nutrients, it can lead to protein poisoning – a debilitating, even lethal condition historically known as “rabbit starvation.”

    So, what could explain the chemical signatures found in Neanderthal bones that seem to suggest they were healthily eating tons of meat?

    I am an anthropologist who uses elements such as nitrogen to study the diets of our very ancient ancestors. New research my colleagues and I conducted suggests a secret ingredient in the Neanderthal diet that might explain what was going on: maggots.

    A black soldier fly adult. The larvae of this fly are one of the species of maggots studied.
    GordZam/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Isotope ratios reveal what an animal ate

    The ratios of various elements in the bones of animals can provide insights into what they ate while alive. Isotopes are alternate forms of the same element that have slightly different masses. Nitrogen has two stable isotopes: nitrogen-14, the more abundant form, and nitrogen-15, the heavier, less common form. Scientists denote the ratio of nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14 as δ¹⁵N and measure it in a unit called permil.

    As you go higher up the food chain, organisms have relatively more of the isotope nitrogen-15. Grass, for example, has a very low δ¹⁵N value. An herbivore accumulates the nitrogen-15 that it consumes eating grass, so its own body has a slightly higher δ¹⁵N value. Meat-eating animals have the highest nitrogen ratio in a food web; the nitrogen-15 from their prey concentrates in their bodies.

    By analyzing stable nitrogen isotope ratios, we can reconstruct the diets of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens during the late Pleistocene, which ran from 11,700 to 129,000 years ago. Fossils from various sites tell the same story – these hominins have high δ¹⁵N values. High δ¹⁵N values would typically place them at the top of the food web, together with hypercarnivores such as cave lions and hyenas, whose diet is more than 70% meat.

    But maybe something else about their diet was inflating Neanderthals’ δ¹⁵N values.

    Uncovering the Neanderthal menu

    We suspected that maggots could have been a different potential source of enriched nitrogen-15 in the Neanderthal diet. Maggots, which are fly larvae, can be a fat-rich source of food. They are unavoidable after you kill another animal, easily collectible in large numbers and nutritionally beneficial.

    To investigate this possibility, we used a dataset that was originally created for a very different purpose: a forensic anthropology project focused on how nitrogen might help estimate time since death.

    I had originally collected modern muscle tissue samples and associated maggots at the Forensic Anthropology Center at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to understand how nitrogen values change during decomposition after death.

    Maggots feeding on and decomposing an animal carcass.
    Hari Sucahyo/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    While the data can assist modern forensic death investigations, in our current study we repurposed it to test a very different hypothesis. We found that stable nitrogen isotope values increase modestly as muscle tissue decomposes, ranging from -0.6 permil to 7.7 permil.

    This increase is more dramatic in maggots feeding on decomposing tissue: from 5.4 permil to 43.2 permil. To put the maggot values in perspective, scientists estimate δ¹⁵N values for Pleistocene herbivores to range between 0.9 permil to 11.2 permil. Maggots are measuring up to almost four times higher.

    Our research suggests that the high δ¹⁵N values observed in Late Pleistocene hominins may be inflated by year-round consumption of ¹⁵N-enriched maggots found in dried, frozen or cached animal foods.

    Cultural practices shape diet

    In 2017, my collaborator John Speth proposed that the high δ¹⁵N values in Neanderthals were due to the consumption of putrid or rotting meat, based on historical and cultural evidence of diets in northern Arctic foragers.

    Traditionally, Indigenous peoples almost universally viewed thoroughly putrefied, maggot-infested animal foods as highly desirable fare, not starvation rations. In fact, many such peoples routinely and often intentionally allowed animal foods to decompose to the point where they were crawling with maggots, in some cases even beginning to liquefy.

    This rotting food would inevitably emit a stench so overpowering that early European explorers, fur trappers and missionaries were sickened by it. Yet Indigenous peoples viewed such foods as good to eat, even a delicacy. When asked how they could tolerate the nauseating stench, they simply responded, “We don’t eat the smell.”

    Reconstruction of a Neanderthal man butchering a goat at the Neanderthal Museum in Mettman, Germany.
    Pressebilder Neanderthal Museum, Mettmann/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Neanderthals’ cultural practices, similar to those of Indigenous peoples, might be the answer to the mystery of their high δ¹⁵N values. Ancient hominins were butchering, storing, preserving, cooking and cultivating a variety of items. All these practices enriched their paleo menu with foods in forms that nonhominin carnivores do not consume. Research shows that δ¹⁵N values are higher for cooked foods, putrid muscle tissue from terrestrial and aquatic species, and, with our study, for fly larvae feeding on decaying tissue.

    The high δ¹⁵N values of maggots associated with putrid animal foods help explain how Neanderthals could have included plenty of other nutritious foods beyond only meat while still registering δ¹⁵N values we’re used to seeing in hypercarnivores.

    We suspect the high δ¹⁵N values seen in Neanderthals reflect routine consumption of fatty animal tissues and fermented stomach contents, much of it in a semi-putrid or putrid state, together with the inevitable bonus of both living and dead ¹⁵N-enriched maggots.

    What still isn’t known

    Fly larvae are a fat-rich, nutrient-dense, ubiquitous and easily procured insect resource, and both Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens, much like recent foragers, would have benefited from taking full advantage of them. But we cannot say that maggots alone explain why Neanderthals have such high δ¹⁵N values in their remains.

    Several questions about this ancient diet remain unanswered. How many maggots would someone need to consume to account for an increase in δ¹⁵N values above the expected values due to meat eating alone? How do the nutritional benefits of consuming maggots change the longer a food item is stored? More experimental studies on changes in δ¹⁵N values of foods processed, stored and cooked following Indigenous traditional practices can help us better understand the dietary practices of our ancient relatives.

    Melanie Beasley received funding from the Haslam Foundation for this research.

    – ref. Neanderthals likely ate fermented meat with a side of maggots – https://theconversation.com/neanderthals-likely-ate-fermented-meat-with-a-side-of-maggots-261628

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Joins Van Hollen, Colleague to Call on Administration to Conduct Independent, U.S.-Led Investigation Into Death of American Citizen in West Bank

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Senators also press for an update on any investigations into the killings of 6 other Americans in the West Bank
    Washington (July 24, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and 27 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi calling on the Administration to conduct an independent investigation into the death of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, an American citizen recently killed near the West Bank town of Sinjil. The Senators point to the repeated lack of accountability in the deaths of other American citizens killed in the West Bank since January 2022, including Shireen Abu Akleh, Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee. Given that, the Senators also ask for an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of these six other Americans.
    The Senators write, “We write with grave concern regarding the brutal killing of a Palestinian-American, Saifullah Kamel Musallet, near the West Bank town of Sinjil, on July 11, 2025. The U.S. government must conduct a credible and independent investigation into his death and hold all perpetrators accountable. Protecting and supporting U.S. citizens abroad is one of the foremost responsibilities of the U.S. government. The United States Government has failed to secure accountability for the killing of respected Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, or any of the other five American citizens – Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee – killed in the West Bank since January 2022. Following the Trump Administration’s sudden revocation of all U.S. sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank, the first five months of 2025 have seen the highest rate of settler attacks in years and the killing of another American. We urge you to pursue a different approach.”
    “Saifullah Kamal Musallet is the seventh American citizen killed in the West Bank since January 2022 — and the fifth in just the last nineteen months. The killings of these Americans in the West Bank have been met by a lack of accountability from the Netanyahu government and an inability to secure justice by the U.S. government. These failures have contributed to an unacceptable culture of impunity when it comes to incidents where civilians have been killed in the West Bank, including Americans,” they continue.
    The Senators note, “The Netanyahu government has failed to hold anyone accountable for any of these seven killings of Americans and the United States government has failed in its responsibility to protect American citizens overseas and demand justice for their deaths.”
    “It is long past time for the U.S. government to demand accountability in these killings of Americans. To that end, we urge you to immediately launch an independent investigation into the brutal killing of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, including the circumstances that blocked ambulances from reaching him. We also ask that you provide us with an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of the six other Americans who have been killed since January 2022, and provide us with a briefing on actions you are taking to ensure accountability for their deaths and to prevent future killings of Americans in the West Bank,” the Senators close.
    The letter was signed by Senators Murray, Kaine, Durbin, Reed, Shaheen, Schatz, Merkley, Sanders, Warner, Warren, Cantwell, Welch, Smith, Baldwin, Warnock, Lujan, Ossoff, Kim, Heinrich, Duckworth, Klobuchar, Whitehouse, Hirono, Booker, Alsobrooks, Blunt Rochester, and Murphy.
    The full text of the letter is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven, Cramer, Fedorchak Request Major Disaster Declaration Following Tornadoes in North Dakota

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
    07.25.25
    WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak today supported Governor Kelly Armstrong’s request for a major disaster declaration following the destructive derecho storm that impacted North Dakota on June 20–21, 2025. The delegation requested that the Trump administration quickly approve North Dakota’s request to provide federal assistance for recovery efforts in 19 counties across southern, central, and eastern North Dakota.
    “…the storm system caused unavoidable damages to infrastructure and property, and tragically took the lives of 4 North Dakotans…This disaster not only destroyed North Dakotans’ homes and businesses, but negatively impacted our farmers and ranchers, as well as rural electric cooperatives,” wrote the delegation. “Critical buildings, equipment, silos, grain bins and elevators were damaged or lost just months ahead of the fall harvest. The straight-line winds were extremely harmful to electrical infrastructure. At the peak of the derecho, nearly 37,000 homes and businesses were without power, and in rural areas, service was disrupted for as long as a week…We support the State’s request and urge you to approve it as soon as possible so the necessary Federal resources can be made available to North Dakotans.”
    Full text of the delegation’s letter can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Seek Answers on So-Called “One Big Beautiful Bill’s” Impact on Illinois Hospitals

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    July 25, 2025
    In a letter that was sent to every hospital in Illinois, Duckworth and Durbin request information about how each hospital anticipates to be impacted by Republicans’ so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill”
    [CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to every hospital in Illinois requesting information about the projected impact analysis of the Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cuts $1 trillion in Medicaid funding and $300 billion in Affordable Care Act funding over the next decade. As a result of the legislation, over 15 million Americans are projected to lose health insurance coverage, including approximately half a million people in Illinois, and hospitals that rely on Medicaid funding, especially those in rural areas, face risk of closure. Further, it’s estimated that 30,000 health care jobs will be lost over the next decade as a result of the bill.
    “Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans passed and President Trump signed into law the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act. We voted against the measure. We write to request information about how this Republican-passed law will affect your hospital, health care workforce, and the patients you serve across Illinois,” the Senators began their letter.
    “The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that federal Medicaid spending for Illinois will be reduced by 19 percent. These cuts include freezing and reducing provider taxes and state directed payments that hospitals across Illinois depend on to help finance the Medicaid system and make up for low reimbursement rates. The Republican-passed law also will raise uncompensated care costs for hospitals by restricting eligibility and raising out-of-pocket costs for Medicaid and Affordable Care Act beneficiaries,” the Senators continued. “Based upon the estimated 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding, and increased uncompensated care costs from deep insurance coverage losses, we worry that hospitals will face severe financial hardship, and patients will suffer.
    Duckworth and Durbin closed their letter by requesting detailed information about the impacts of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act on each hospital, including if patients can expect critical services like obstetrics to be eliminated, how many health care jobs may be lost, and how hospital uncompensated care costs will increase as Illinoisans lose access to their insurance.
    “To help inform legislative efforts to improve health care and strengthen hospitals across Illinois, we request the following information and analysis from your hospital about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by August 22, 2025,” the Senators requested.
    “If faced with a 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding as a result of this law, what changes would your hospital be forced to make to maintain viability?” the Senators asked as they concluded their letter.
    Full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below:
     
    Dear Hospital Administrator:
    Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans passed and President Trump signed into law the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21). We voted against the measure. We write to request information about how this Republican-passed law will affect your hospital, health care workforce, and the patients you serve across Illinois.
    Republicans in Congress voted for legislation that cuts $1 trillion in Medicaid funding and $300 billion in Affordable Care Act funding over the next decade. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that federal Medicaid spending for Illinois will be reduced by 19 percent. These cuts include freezing and reducing provider taxes and state directed payments that hospitals across Illinois depend on to help finance the Medicaid system and make up for low reimbursement rates. The Republican-passed law also will raise uncompensated care costs for hospitals by restricting eligibility and raising out-of-pocket costs for Medicaid and Affordable Care Act beneficiaries.
    Fifteen million Americans are projected to lose health insurance coverage, including approximately half a million people in Illinois—impacting children, pregnant women, seniors, and individuals with disabilities across rural and urban areas. In Illinois, it is estimated that 30,000 health care jobs will be lost over the next decade as a result of this legislation. For rural hospitals that are often the largest employers in a community, this could be devastating.
    Hospitals, like any business, must make forecasts and plan their budgets months and years in advance to ensure proper resource allocation and capacity. Based upon the estimated 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding, and increased uncompensated care costs from deep insurance coverage losses, we worry that hospitals will face severe financial hardship, and patients will suffer.
    In addition to opposing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we have worked on bipartisan legislation to strengthen the health care system, including bills to: bolster the pipeline and recruitment of physicians, nurses, behavioral health providers and dentists; increase funding for rural ambulance services; save rural hospitals facing financial hardship, address maternal mortality and chronic disease; and lower prescription drug costs.
    To help inform legislative efforts to improve health care and strengthen hospitals across Illinois, we request the following information and analysis from your hospital about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by August 22, 2025.
    What percent of your inpatient and outpatient services are paid for by Medicaid, and what percent of such patients are covered by the program?
    What is your hospital’s current operating margin, and, as a result of this law, what do you anticipate it to be in 2028, 2031, and 2034?
    What is the projected annual financial loss to your hospital as a result of this law?
    What is the projected increase in annual uncompensated care provided by your hospital as a result of this law?
    If faced with a 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding as a result of this law, what changes would your hospital be forced to make to maintain viability?
    Please identify which service lines would be the most likely or first to face reductions or termination.
    If your hospital currently offers obstetrics/labor and delivery services, do you anticipate continuing to do so in the same manner by 2030?
    How do you project emergency room wait times will be impacted by this law?
    How do you expect your projected financial losses to affect the economy of your local communities?
    If Congressional Republicans attempt to implement additional Medicaid or Affordable Care Act cuts this Congress, including by reducing or eliminating the 90 percent federal cost-share for Medicaid expansion states, how do you expect this would affect your finances?
    Thank you for your attention to this matter, we look forward to your response. Please contact our offices with any questions and to transmit your response.
    Sincerely,
     
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch Touts Significance of Nuclear Energy to Growing Energy Demand

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
    WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) emphasized nuclear energy’s central role in meeting the nation’s growing energy demands during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing.

    “In recent years, we have had people come in here and predict what was going to happen as far as demand for electricity for America because of AI and other things that are coming on board. I have to tell you, I was a doubter at the beginning, but the further we go, the more obvious it is becoming that we are going to be inundated with demand for electricity. But the good news is that this particular problem, we know how to deal with, and that is, we know how to generate electricity.
    We, in Idaho, in 1951, demonstrated for the first time that nuclear energy could be used to create electricity. And we’ve been at it ever since. [. . .] But now, I think the world knows there’s a real renaissance going on as far as nuclear energy is concerned. Not only in the United States, but also particularly in the globe.”
    Senator Risch has consistently advocated for greater domestic nuclear energy production and the commercialization of advanced nuclear technologies. In a Washington Times editorial, Senator Risch underscored that expanding U.S. civil nuclear energy is essential for powering America’s future.
    Idaho is home to the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the nation’s flagship facility for civil nuclear research and the first place in the world to generate electricity using a nuclear reactor. INL is driving significant progress in new nuclear research by collaborating with industry to demonstrate advanced technologies, such as small modular reactors, microreactors, and safer, more efficient nuclear fuels.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan, Senate Colleagues Advocate for Critical NIH Research Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

    07.25.25

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and 12 of their Republican colleagues, sent a letter to Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), advocating for the disbursement of appropriated funds for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in order to advance President Trump’s goals of curing diseases and making America healthy again.

    The letter requests that the administration implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, which President Trump signed into law earlier this year. This legislation contains critical funding to support NIH initiatives across a range of critical research areas, including, but not limited to, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and rare pediatric disorders.

    “We are concerned by the slow disbursement rate of FY25 NIH funds, as it risks undermining critical research and the thousands of American jobs it supports. Suspension of these appropriated funds – whether formally withheld or functionally delayed — could threaten Americans’ ability to access better treatments and limit our nation’s leadership in biomedical science. It also risks inadvertently severing ongoing NIH-funded research prior to actionable results,” wrote the Senators.

    The Senators continued, “We share your commitment to ensuring NIH funds are used responsibly and not diverted to ideological or unaccountable programs. We are confident Secretary Kennedy and Director Bhattacharya are well positioned to uphold gold standard research by ensuring that NIH awards are grounded in transparency, scientific merit, and a clear alignment with national interests. Our shared goal is to restore public trust in the NIH precisely because its work is focused on results, accountability, and real-world impact. Withholding or suspending these funds would jeopardize that trust and hinder progress on critical health challenges facing our nation. Ultimately, this is about finding cures and seeing them through to fruition.”

    Senators Sullivan and Britt were joined by Senators John Boozman (R-Ark.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

    Full text of the letter can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Secures Funding for Great Lakes, Michigan’s Water Infrastructure in Appropriations Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC?– U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped the Senate Appropriations Committee pass the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bipartisan legislation would provide funding for Michigan priorities and high-impact local projects to strengthen water infrastructure, protect our wildlife and environment, and improve access to clean drinking water for Michiganders. As Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, Peters also advocated and secured funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which plays a critical role in protecting and restoring Great Lakes waterways and habitats. The bill now advances to the full Senate.

    “Protecting our Great Lakes and Michiganders’ access to clean drinking water have been some of my top priorities,” said Senator Peters, Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force.“This bipartisan legislation helps us accomplish those things by investing in our state’s water infrastructure, removing dangerous lead pipes, and working to protect folks from exposure to toxic PFAS contamination. The bill also makes sure the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a historic program that keeps our Great Lakes healthy and vibrant, continues to receive funding to carry out essential cleanup projects in our state.”  

    The bill includes numerous measures led and supported by Peters, including:

    Protecting our Great Lakes, Fisheries, and Environment

    Funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: Peters fought and secured continued funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The GLRI is the largest investment in the Great Lakes’ health, ecosystem, and water quality. Since the program’s inception in 2010, $4 billion has been used to fund over 8,000 projects to combat the greatest threats to the Great Lakes, including invasive species, harmful algal blooms, and loss of fish and wildlife habitats. During his time in the Senate, Peters has championed the GLRI, and earlier this year led the effort to introduce the?Great Lakes Restoration Act of 2025,?which would reauthorize the program and increase its annual authorized funding levels.

    Keeping Invasive Carp Out of the Great Lakes: Invasive carp pose a grave risk to the lasting health of our Great Lakes. That’s why this bill provides funding for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Aquatic Invasive Species program, which supports Great Lakes Basin-wide efforts to combat aquatic invasive species, including invasive carp. This work helps assess the threats posed by invasive carp to the Great Lakes and supports efforts to detect and respond to new invasive species. The bill also provides funding for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program which produces essential research, detection methods, and tools to help keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. Finally, the bill also provides funding for efforts to monitor, detect, and respond to aquatic nuisance species within the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Systems.

    Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration: The bill protects funding for The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, which helps fund critical fish and wildlife projects in the Great Lakes Basin. Funding from this program has helped establish ecosystem management tools, restored wetlands and aquatic habitat, and advanced fish and wildlife monitoring and modeling.

    Great Lakes Science Center: Peters secured funding in the bill to support the Great Lakes Science Center, which works to enhance our understanding of the Great Lakes’ complex ecosystem through studies and collaboration with a wide range of partners.

    Forest Service: The bill provides robust funding for the Forest Service. These resources will help ensure adequate staffing levels and improve forest restoration and fire risk reduction efforts.

    Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): The bill allocates funding for federal land acquisition and financial assistance to states through the?Great American Outdoors Act. This program is critical for improving recreational access to our federal lands, protecting iconic landscapes, delivering grants to states and local governments to create and protect urban parks and open spaces. It also provides farmers and ranchers with easements to allow them to continue to steward their private lands in the face of development pressures.

    Addressing Wildfires: As catastrophic wildfires grow in size and frequency, it is essential that support for, and investments in, the federal firefighting workforce keep pace. As such, this bill fully funds essential wildfire preparedness and suppression efforts by providing $4.25 billion for wildfire suppression, of which $2.85 billion is for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund. The Reserve Fund provides the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior with an assured amount of funding to be used when major fire activity requires expenditures exceeding regular base suppression operations funding. This bill also provides much-needed funding to help prevent a devastating pay cut for the federal firefighting workforce. 

    Strengthening Michigan’s Water Infrastructure & Ensuring Clean Drinking Water

    Addressing PFAS: Michigan communities and residents continue to face severe challenges with toxic PFAS contamination. Michigan is home to a number of military installations where PFAS contamination has been detected, including Camp Grayling and the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda. The bill provides much needed funding for PFAS research and remediation efforts. Peters has led and championed numerous efforts in the Senate to address PFAS. Peters convened the first-ever hearing on PFAS contamination in the Senate, then convened a field summit in Grand Rapids in November 2018 to shine a light on how local, state and federal governments are coordinating responses to address PFAS contamination. Peters introduced and advanced bipartisan legislation to reduce the spread of PFAS chemicals at commercial airports. Peters’ Preventing PFAS Runoff at Airports Act, which was signed into law in 2022, is working to deploy more existing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding for commercial airports to purchase devices to test their firefighting equipment without discharging toxic PFAS chemicals. In 2022, Peters’ bill to help protect firefighters and emergency responders from PFAS exposure in the line of duty was also signed into law.

    Bolstering Lead Abatement Programs: Lead poisoning continues to be a public health challenge in areas with aging infrastructure, causing life-long health impacts particularly among children. Peters helped secure funding for critical programs that support communities seeking to clean up lead contaminated waste sites, replace toxic lead pipes, and minimize exposure in surrounding areas. The bill includes funding for the Lead Testing in Schools Program and Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Program.

    Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds: The bill restores funding for both the Drinking Water and the Clean Water State Revolving Funds, which the Trump Administration had proposed slashing by nearly 90 percent. The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds are vital to protecting Michigan’s water resources and rebuilding critical water infrastructure. These projects provide Michigan residents with significant benefits, ranging from reduced exposure to pollution to lead-free drinking water. While the primary focus of the state revolving funds is offering financing solutions for water infrastructure for wastewater, storm water, and drinking water systems, the funds also reduce energy waste and decrease water system rates, improving affordability. 

    Mitigate PFAS Contamination, Provide Safe Drinking Water for Residents of Grayling Township: The bill provides $3,000,000 to deliver clean, safe drinking through a new municipal water system to residents whose water wells have been contaminated from PFAS migrating off the Grayling Army Airfield and Camp Grayling.

    Improve Water Reliability in Grand Blanc: The bill provides $1,000,000 to modernize critical water infrastructure throughout Grand Blanc, reducing inefficiencies and water loss and improving water reliability for residents and businesses.

    Strengthen St. Ignace’s Water and Wastewater System: The bill provides $36,000 for St. Ignace to update its system that controls the alarms and communication between water wastewater plants as well as other facility operations.

    Upgrade the Aging Freud & Conners Creek Pump Stations: The bill provides $1,000,000 to make improvements to the aging Freud and Conner Creek pump stations.

    Improve Wastewater Management in Oakwood: The bill provides $1,000,000 to improve wastewater management in Oakwood, Michigan.

    Upgrade Marquette County K.I. Sawyer Wastewater Treatment Plant: The bill provides $1,370,000 to upgrade the disinfection system at the K.I. Sawyer Wastewater Treatment Plant.

    Pontiac Drinking Water System Improvements: The bill provides $1,000,000 to improve drinking water quality and reliability for Pontiac residents.

    Lead Service Lines Replacement in Redford Charter Township: The bill provides $1,000,000 to replace lead service lines in Redford Charter Township.

    Supporting New Drinking Water Well for Village of Bellevue: The bill provides $144,000 to help build a new drinking water well in the Village of Bellevue to ensure continued safe drinking water for the residents and surrounding community.

    Protecting and Preserving Public Lands and Cultural Resources

    Preservation of the Historic Freer House at Wayne State University: The bill provides $550,000 for Wayne State University to repair and replace damaged and deteriorating parts of the historic Charles Lang Freer House, which is an important part of Detroit’s cultural heritage.

    Funding for the National Park Service: The bill includes nearly $3 billion to support National Park Service (NPS) operations. This funding will allow NPS to more effectively manage its 433 national parks, monuments, historical sites and other recreational areas that encompass nearly 84 million acres of land across the United States. Michigan is proud to be home to five National Parks, which draw more than 2.5 million visitors to the state annually.

    Supporting the National Heritage Areas Program: Peters helped secure funding for the National Park Service’s Heritage Partnership Program. National Heritage Areas (NHAs) across the country commemorate, conserve, and promote important natural, scenic, historic, and cultural resources, delivering recreational and educational opportunities to visitors, residents, and entire regions. NHAs are key for economic development in their communities. Michigan’s MotorCities NHA alone creates an economic impact every year of nearly $490 million including?5,343 jobs and $40 million in tax revenues.

    Protecting Tribal Nations

    Tribal Programs: In total, the bill provides $12 billion for Tribal programs across the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service, rejecting President Trump’s proposed cuts of nearly $1 billion from Tribal programs. 

    Indian Health Service (IHS):The bill provides $8 billion in total resources for IHS to maintain critically important health care services and maintain current staffing for doctors, nurses, and health services staff.

    Supporting Tribal Self-Governance and Essential Services: The bill provides $1.91 billion, an increase in funding, for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ operations of Indian programs. This funds essential government services in critical areas like roads and infrastructure, housing improvement, natural resources protection, Tribal courts, economic development, and social services. This funding is essential for Tribal governments exercising self-determination and crucial to upholding the federal government’s trust responsibility.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator McConnell Joins Colleagues in Advocating for Critical NIH Research Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) signed on to Senator Katie Britt’s (R-AL) letter to Russell Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), advocating for the disbursement of appropriated funds for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The letter requests that the administration fully implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, which contains critical funding to support NIH initiatives across a range of research areas — cancer, cardiovascular disease, rare pediatric disorders, and more. 
    The Senators wrote: “We are concerned by the slow disbursement rate of FY25 NIH funds, as it risks undermining critical research and the thousands of American jobs it supports. Suspension of these appropriated funds – whether formally withheld or functionally delayed — could threaten Americans’ ability to access better treatments and limit our nation’s leadership in biomedical science. It also risks inadvertently severing ongoing NIH-funded research prior to actionable results. 
    “We share your commitment to ensuring NIH funds are used responsibly and not diverted to ideological or unaccountable programs. We are confident Secretary Kennedy and Director Bhattacharya are well positioned to uphold gold standard research by ensuring that NIH awards are grounded in transparency, scientific merit, and a clear alignment with national interests. Our shared goal is to restore public trust in the NIH precisely because its work is focused on results, accountability, and real-world impact. Withholding or suspending these funds would jeopardize that trust and hinder progress on critical health challenges facing our nation. Ultimately, this is about finding cures and seeing them through to fruition.” 
    Joining Senators Britt and McConnell on the letter were Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tim Scott (R-SC), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Todd Young (R-IN) 
    Full text of the letter can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders: America Must End the Atrocities and Starvation in Gaza 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    BURLINGTON, Vt., July 25 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement calling on the United States to act to end Israel’s illegal war in Gaza.

    After 21 months of brutal war, the Netanyahu government’s extermination of Gaza is entering a new and terrible phase. America and the world cannot continue to look away. We must reckon with what is being done with our taxpayer money, our weapons and the support of our government.

    More than that, we must act to stop it.

    After many months of Israel blocking humanitarian aid, children and other vulnerable people are starving to death in increasing numbers. The World Food Programme says that the food crisis has reached “new and astonishing levels of desperation, with a third of the population not eating for multiple days in a row.” Children’s bodies are eating themselves from within, their organs are shutting down. Starving mothers cannot breastfeed their infants, and no formula is available, with little clean water to make it in any case. Hospitals have run out of nutritional treatments, and doctors themselves are fainting from hunger.

    When mass death from starvation begins, it is difficult to reverse. Aid groups say Gaza faces a tidal wave of preventable death. This is the direct result of the Israeli government’s policies. From March 2 to May 19, Israel did not allow a single shipment of aid into Gaza — no food, water, fuel or medical supplies for a population of more than 2 million people. Israel has since allowed a trickle of aid to get in, but nowhere near enough to meet the enormous needs of a population starved for so long.

    Earlier this week, 28 of our closest allies, including Britain, Japan and numerous European nations, issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s “drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.” More than 1,000 Palestinians have been shot down while trying to get food aid over the past two months. Most of these deaths are the result of Israel’s replacement of the established United Nations distribution system with the untested Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, whose few distribution points have become death traps for Palestinian civilians, with near-daily massacres.

    This is the reality: Having already killed or wounded 200,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the extremist Israeli government is using mass starvation to engineer the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. Don’t take my word for it, listen to Israeli minister Amichay Eliyahu, who said this week: “All Gaza will be Jewish… the government is pushing for Gaza being wiped out. Thank God, we are wiping out this evil.”

    Despite these war crimes, carried out daily in plain view, the United States has provided more than $22 billion for Israel’s military operations since this war began. In other words, American taxpayer dollars are being used to starve children, bomb civilians and support the cruelty of Netanyahu and his criminal ministers.

    Enough is enough. The White House and Congress must immediately act to end this war using the full scope of American influence. No more military aid to the Netanyahu government. History will condemn those who fail to act in the face of this horror.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Leads Bipartisan Bill to Protect Musicians, Artists, and Creators from Unauthorized AI Training

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    TRAIN Act is Supported by the Recording Industry Association of America, the Human Artistry Campaign, SAG-AFTRA, Recording Academy, Nashville Songwriters Association International, SESAC, ASCAP, BMI, Authors Guild and more
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senate Judiciary Committee members Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Adam Schiff (D-Ca.), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) reintroduced the Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act, bipartisan legislation to help creators—musicians, artists, writers, and others—access the courts to protect their copyrighted works if and when they are used to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) models. The TRAIN Act allows copyright holders to access training records used for AI models to determine if their work was used—a process currently used for internet piracy. 
    Musical artists and other creative industry leaders have raised the alarm about the use of copyrighted works to train generative AI models, calling out AI companies for using artists’ work without consent or compensation. The TRAIN Act seeks to solve the “black box” problem by allowing creators to know when and how their works are being used. Few AI companies currently share how their models are trained and nothing in the law requires them to do so. 
    “This is simple: if your work is used to train AI, there should be a way for you, the copyright holder, to determine that it’s been used by a training model, and you should get compensated if it was. We need to give America’s musicians, artists, and creators a tool to find out when AI companies are using their work to train models without artists’ permission,” said Senator Welch. “As AI evolves and gets more embedded into our daily lives, we need to set a higher standard for transparency. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to safeguard creators and their incredible contributions to our country.”  
    “Tennessee is home to a thriving creative community filled with musicians, artists, and creators who must have protections in place against the misuse of their content,” said Senator Blackburn. “The TRAIN Act would protect creators by allowing them to access the courts to find out if their work is being used to train generative AI models and seek compensation for that misuse.” 
    “The TRAIN Act gives creators a direct pathway to determine if their works were used to train an AI model, promoting transparency and ensuring that the creative community is not left behind as AI’s capabilities advance. I’m proud to join Senators Welch, Blackburn, Hawley on this bipartisan effort to affirm creators’ rights of action. And as Ranking Member of the Intellectual Property Subcommittee, I will continue my long-standing work to establish appropriate guardrails that continue American leadership in AI and the creative industry,” said Senator Schiff. 
    “AI should be in service to the American people—not the other way around. But under current law, Big Tech’s AI companies are stealing the works of today’s creators as they box out the next generation of creators. Congress should ensure that copyright holders can assert their rights against AI companies that are pirating creative works, and this bill gives Americans the tools to do so,” said Senator Hawley. 
    The TRAIN Act has the support of the creative community and is endorsed by the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM)*, The American Society for Collective Rights Licensing (ASCRL), American Federation of Musicians (AFM), American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Association of American Publishers (AAP), Authors Guild, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), Human Artistry Campaign**, Global Music Rights, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA), National Music Council (NMC), National Music Publisher’s Association (NMPA), Nashville Songwriters Association International, Recording Academy, Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD), Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), SAG-AFTRA, Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC), The Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL), The Songwriters Guild of America (SGA)***, SoundExchange, Transparency Coalition, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group.  
    *The trade organization for independent record labels, which include 650 organizations in 35 states—including Vermont  
    **Representing nearly 200 members spanning the creative and technology communities  
    ***SGA’s organizational membership stands at approximately 4,500 members 
    Read what leading voices in the creative industries are saying about the TRAIN Act:   
    “Artists deserve to know when their works are used and determine the parameters – the Transparency & Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act empowers rightsholders with valuable insight into which specific inputs AI companies are copying to train their models. Just as importantly, it also ensures a clear path to the courts when authorization has not been given. RIAA commends Senator Welch and Senator Blackburn for their vision championing this vital and measured legislation, and strongly urge passage into law,” said Mitch Glazier, Chairman & CEO, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). 
    “The TRAIN Act is a vital step toward ensuring transparency and protecting creators from the unauthorized use of their copyrighted work. The Recording Academy® applauds Senator Welch and Senator Blackburn for their leadership and dedication to upholding creators’ rights.” – Harvey Mason jr., CEO, Recording Academy 
    “Human authors and their copyrights must be valued and protected. The TRAIN Act is an important step toward creating guardrails around Generative Artificial Intelligence that, unchecked, threatens the livelihoods of human creators. We are appreciative to Senators Blackburn and Welch for their leadership on this issue and look forward to providing America’s songwriters the tools they need to protect their work in an ever-changing digital environment,” said Nashville Songwriters Association International. 
    “The Transparency & Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act is a thoughtful step forward for creators’ rights in the AI landscape. By allowing artists and rightsholders to subpoena information about what inputs were used in an AI program, the bill will increase transparency and create an avenue for recourse when work is used without consent. Transparency is a key tenet of the Human Artistry Campaign’s principles for responsible and ethical AI, and we’re grateful to Senator Welch for his leadership on this issue,” said Dr. Moiya McTier, Senior Advisor, Human Artistry Campaign. 
    “SAG-AFTRA applauds Sen. Peter Welch for introducing the much-needed TRAIN Act. Intellectual property must be protected in the A.I. age and we’re encouraged that lawmakers like Sen. Welch are taking critical action to prioritize human creativity in this new era,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, Executive Director & Chief Negotiator, SAG-AFTRA National. 
    “SESAC applauds the TRAIN Act, which clears an efficient path to court for songwriters whose work is used by AI developers without authorization or consent. Senators Welch and Blackburn’s narrow approach will promote responsible innovation and AI while protecting the creative community from unlawful scraping and infringement of their work,” said John Josephson, Chairman and CEO, SESAC Music Group. 
    “The future of America’s vibrant creative economy depends upon laws that protect the rights of human creators. By requiring transparency about when and how copyrighted works are used to train generative AI models, the TRAIN Act paves the way for creators to be fairly compensated for the use of their work. On behalf of ASCAP’s more than one million songwriters, composer and music publisher members, we applaud Senators Welch and Blackburn for their leadership,” said Elizabeth Matthews, CEO, American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP). 
    “Some AI companies are using creators’ copyrighted works without their permission or compensation to ‘train’ their systems, but there is currently no way for creators to confirm that use or require companies to disclose it. The TRAIN Act will provide a legal avenue for music creators to compel these companies to disclose those actions, which will be a step in the right direction towards greater transparency and accountability. BMI thanks Senator Welch for introducing this important legislation,” said Mike O’Neill, President & CEO, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). 
    “We greatly appreciate Senators Welch and Blackburn’s leadership on addressing the complete lack of regulation and transparency surrounding songwriters’ works being used to train generative AI models. The TRAIN Act proposes an administrative subpoena process that enables rightsholders to hold AI companies accountable by instituting precise record-keeping standards and giving rightsholders the ability to see whether their copyrighted works have been used without authorization. We strongly support the bill which gives creators a pathway to justice from massive AI platforms exploiting their work,” said David Israelite, President & CEO, National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA). 
    “The Authors Guild applauds Senator Peter Welch for introducing the TRAIN Act. Authors have a right to know when their works have been copied into AI systems without their permission.  This bill helps to achieve that commonsense goal by creating an administrative subpoena process that allows copyright owners to obtain information from AI companies about the works used to train their models. As the Guild has long recognized, this kind of transparency is essential to giving authors the ability to enforce their rights. We look forward to working with Senator Welch and other members of Congress in moving the bill toward swift passage,” said the Authors Guild. 
    “The American Society for Collective Rights Licensing (ASCRL), the largest photography and illustration organization in the United States, whose constituents include over 40,000 photographers and over 17,000 illustrator members, thanks Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) for introducing the Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act. The bill seeks to promote transparency concerning unauthorized uses of copyrighted works by generative AI systems through the creation of a new administrative subpoena process.  ASCRL was established by and for authors and looks forward to working with Senator Welch to add another tool in the toolbelt for authors to protect their rights in this very challenging, new technological environment,” said James Silverberg, CEO, The American Society for Collective Rights Licensing (ASCRL). 
    “The Songwriters Guild of America (SGA) extends its sincerest thanks to Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt) for the initiatives his office is undertaking in seeking to protect the rights of songwriters and composers through introduction of the Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act. Among other positives, the bill seeks to promote transparency concerning unauthorized uses of copyrighted works by generative AI systems through the creation of a new administrative subpoena process. SGA remains a strong supporter of the pending No Fakes Act to protect performers’ rights of publicity in the new, generative AI world, but is additionally elated that Senator Welch and others recognize that far more needs to be done legislatively to protect music creators’ rights in this very challenging, new environment.  The TRAIN Act represents another indispensable step in that process. We applaud its introduction, and intend to work with the Senator’s office in helping it to consider the most effective methodologies possible to protect American creators and musical culture in the context of GenAI,” said Rick Carnes, President, Songwriters Guild of America (SGA).  
    “A2IM applauds Senators Peter Welch and Marsha Blackburn for introducing the TRAIN Act—an essential move to protect artists, musicians, and independent creators from having their copyrighted work exploited to train generative AI models without permission. In the age of AI, transparency isn’t optional—it’s fundamental. This legislation arms creators with the tools to uncover unauthorized use of their work, reinforcing the rights that fuel a thriving, independent music ecosystem,” said Dr. Richard James Burgess MBE, President and CEO American Association of Independent Music (A2IM). 
    “There can be no ethical AI development without transparency. Musicians deserve to know when their work is used in machine learning. The TRAIN Act provides all creators meaningful legal recourse without hindering innovation and creativity. We thank Senators Blackburn and Welch for standing with working musicians against intellectual property theft,” said Tino Gagliardi, President, American Federation of Musicians. 
    “The Society of Composers & Lyricists applauds Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt) for his introduction of the Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act, which is a crucial step in safeguarding the rights of composers and songwriters. The TRAIN Act offers vital protections against the unjust practices that have too often undermined our ability to earn a living from our creations. By standing up for the rights of creators, you are not only supporting those who write the music that enriches our culture, but also strengthening the entire music ecosystem. We are grateful for your continued advocacy on behalf of our community, and stand ready to help in whatever way we can,” said Ashley Irwin, President, Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL). 
    “The National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) applauds Sen. Welch’s common sense TRAIN Act and the transparency it will provide to all copyright holders. As artists whose biometric data is contained in copyrighted material, voice actors are particularly concerned about the misuse of their voices for misinformation and disinformation. A basic level of transparency will help protect the many voices that are the foundation of these generative AI systems,” said The National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA). 
    “RAMPD proudly supports the TRAIN Act because transparency is key to fairness, access, and protecting the rights of all music creators. The TRAIN Act is a vital step toward equitable innovation that respects human authorship and artistic integrity,” said Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities. 
    “The Transparency Coalition welcomes the introduction by Sen. Welch of the TRAIN Act which will provide creators and copyright owners additional protection from their copyrighted works being used in AI training without their consent.” said Jai Jaisimha, Co-Founder, Transparency Coalition. “The Act deftly addresses the need for transparency around AI training inputs and empowers creators to seek redress from the appropriate judicial forum.” 
    Senator Welch is focused on strengthening consumer protections and safety around emerging technologies, including AI. During a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing last week, Senator Welch emphasized the importance of passing the TRAIN Act to help creator access the courts to ensure their copyrights are respected and safeguard their content from AI. 
    Last Congress, Senator Welch introduced the Artificial Intelligence Consumer Opt-In, Notification Standards, and Ethical Norms for Training (AI CONSENT) Act, legislation that would require online platforms to obtain consumers’ express informed consent before using their personal data to train AI models. Senator Welch also introduced the Digital Platform Commission Act, legislation to create an expert federal agency to provide comprehensive regulation of digital platforms to protect consumers, promote competition, and safeguard the public interest. 
    Learn more about the TRAIN Act and read a section-by-section summary. 
    Read and download the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Reintroduces ‘O DAIRY Act’ to Support Organic Dairy Farmers 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, led Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) this week in reintroducing the Organic Dairy Assistance, Investment, and Reporting Yields Act (O DAIRY) Act, legislation to expand federal support for organic dairy farmers by extending emergency assistance to farmers facing losses due to factors like feed shortages and increased costs. The Senators’ legislation also increases investments in the organic dairy industry to ensure resiliency and longevity and works to improve data collection for organic milk production to enhance price accuracy and transparency.  
    “Organic dairy farms are a major part of our Vermont’s culture and local economies, producing world-class dairy for families here and across the country. But recent economic challenges have taken their toll on many of these generational family businesses. We need to do everything we can to help Vermont-sized farms thrive, including boosting infrastructure investment, data collection, and emergency support for when our farmers need help the most,” said Senator Welch. “Our bill tackles all of those priorities and will promote the long-term sustainability of the organic dairy industry so our farmers can continue doing what they love—feed our communities.” 
    “New York’s dairy farms are a bedrock of economic stability for many of our Upstate communities,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The O Dairy Act will make critical investments to support small organic dairies, which face increasing financial uncertainty. I am proud to support this important legislation and will continue fighting for our dairy farmers in New York and across the country.” 
    “In Vermont and across the country, dairy farms are a critical part of our economies, our communities, our culture, and our history,” said Senator Sanders. “Tragically, it has become harder and harder for many of these farms to get by, and too many of our organic dairies have been forced to close. We must ensure that the Department of Agriculture recognizes the higher costs and unique needs of organic dairy farmers. This bill is an important step forward in providing organic dairies with the emergency relief they need while building on existing programming to ensure these hardworking farmers can stay in business.”   
    “Small organic dairy farms are a vital part of our nation’s food system, and we must ensure they have the help they need when faced with economic challenges,” said Senator Booker. “We must expand support for organic dairies, and ensure that USDA meets the unique needs of this industry so that these farmers can stay in business.” 
    The O DAIRY Act would extend emergency assistance to organic dairy farmers facing losses, including any time a farm’s net income decreases by over 10% in any given year, and invest $25 million annually in dairy infrastructure investments, research and innovation. The legislation also calls for increased organic industry data collection that will be shared with farmers so they can plan better. Additionally, the bill would direct USDA to study the viability of an organic safety net program, which would get aid to farmers faster when disasters hit in the future. 
    The O DAIRY Act has the broad support of farms, dairy cooperatives, producers and associations across the country, including the Organic Farmers Association, Northeast Organic Farmers Association-Vermont, Northeast Organic Farmers Association-New York, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, Straus Family Creamery, the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers’ Association, the National Organic Coalition, and the Center for Food Safety. 
    “Family run organic dairy farms provide healthy food and environmental stewardship to rural communities across the country. The O DAIRY Act can provide much needed investments to alleviate the economic crisis these farmers are facing and provide valuable data collection to inform future support for the industry,” said Kate Mendenhall, Executive Director of Organic Farmers Association. “We applaud Senator Welch for championing this important work.” 
    Senator Welch has led bipartisan efforts to support Vermont’s dairy farmers and strengthen the state’s organic dairy industry. Last Congress, Senator Welch led the introduction of the Opportunities in Organic Act, legislation designed to help farmers and other agricultural producers transition to organic practices and build successful and sustainable businesses. Senator Welch also led his colleagues in calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to bolster investments in federal programs that support organic infrastructure, as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Appropriations Bill.  
    Learn more about the O DAIRY Act. 
    Read and download the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: The One Big Beautiful Bill is a Historic Investment in Rural Healthcare

    Source: US Whitehouse

    Today’s White House memo “The One Big Beautiful Bill is a Historic Investment in Rural Healthcare” outlines in detail how the President’s landmark legislation makes historic investments in vulnerable communities to ensure healthcare options are made sustainable for Americans who rely on these options for their care.

    TRANSFORMING RURAL CARE WITH HISTORIC INVESTMENTS AND RADICAL TRANSPARENCY

    The Rural Health Transformation Program will provide unprecedented new funding to states for a range of uses designed to make rural healthcare more effective and sustainable for the long term. Collaborating with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), states must submit detailed rural health transformation plans on how these resources will be put to work improving access to healthcare providers in their communities and ultimately improving health outcomes. CMS will monitor implementation and hold states accountable to this plan to ensure resources are appropriately distributed and going to the most deserving, not the most politically connected.

    ENSURING SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL CARE BY ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES

    Unlike smaller programs that have been traditionally the main mechanisms to support rural care, the Rural Health Transformation Program is uniquely designed to promote innovation and long-term sustainability of rural healthcare.

    Rural hospitals suffer from chronic challenges with extremely low patient volume. They have both smaller bed counts than urban hospitals and occupancy rates that are much lower (37%) than those of their urban counterparts (62%). Therefore, when programs link funding to reimbursements for services provided—as these legacy programs do—these programs do not promote long-term sustainability as the overall volume of services provided in these facilities remains low. In other words, these programs do not actually provide hospitals with investments that would help them sustain themselves.

    Distinct from these other programs, the Rural Health Transformation Program is designed to promote innovation in payment and flexibility. These funds can be used to help these facilities make investments necessary to better meet the needs of the communities they serve and become more sustainable over the long term.

    HEALTH INDUSTRY PROMOTES FLAWED ANALYSES TO HIDE THE REAL POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL

    Rural hospitals only receive 7% of Medicaid hospital spending. Yet, industry leaders and lobbyists continue to cry foul, and fearmonger that the law puts rural care facilities at risk when in actuality the OBBB delivers historic investments into the Rural Health Transformation Program to ensure underserved rural hospitals are strengthened, a monumental victory that should be celebrated after years of neglect and lack of financial support.

    The disparity between urban and rural hospitals clearly shows how the waste, fraud, and abuse that proliferated under the Biden Administration did not benefit the most vulnerable hospitals. The OBBB aggressively goes after that waste, fraud, and abuse by enforcing eligibility requirements, prioritizing work over welfare, and putting Americans first by removing non-citizens and ending financing gimmicks used to subsidize coverage for illegal immigrants. This momentous effort to combat waste, fraud, and abuse is what allowed Congress and the Trump Administration to make this historic investment in rationalizing our health care system by actually ensuring new healthcare dollars reach facilities in vulnerable communities to help make them sustainable for good.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Alford Announces August Town Hall Tour Schedule

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

    Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) announced the schedule for his August 2025 Town Hall Tour. All events listed below are open to the Fourth District residents and the media.

    “We made a commitment to be the most accessible Member of Congress,” said Congressman Alford. “With more than 100 public events and counting, we’re keeping our word. August 25-29, we will embark on one big, beautiful town hall tour—hitting 15 stops in 15 counties to hear directly from our constituents. I can’t promise we will always agree, but I will always show up to listen. We look forward to answering the questions Fourth District residents.”

    Find dates, times, and locations below:

    Monday, August 25th
     Counties: Cass, Bates, Vernon, Dade, Polk

    8:30 – 9:30 am:
     Sapp Bros – Apple Barrel Restaurant
    27603 SW Outer Rd, Harrisonville, MO

    10:30 – 11:30 AM
     Veterans Visit
     American Legion Post 67
    520 E Walnut St, Rich Hill, MO

    12:00 – 1:15 pm:
     Lunch
     54 Café
    540 N Subway Blvd, Nevada, MO

    2:30 – 3:15 pm:
     Ice Cream Social
     That Place
    315 W Water St, Greenfield, MO 65661

    7:00 pm:
     Evening Town Hall
     Southwest Baptist University – Meyer Center
    1600 University Avenue, Bolivar, MO

    Tuesday, August 26th
     Counties: Hickory, Camden, Laclede, Pulaski

    8:30 – 9:45 am:
     Hickamo Cafe
    18718 US-54, Wheatland, MO

    10:30 – 11:10 am:
     The Funky Buffalo
    498 W. US Highway 54, Camdenton, MO

    2:30 – 3:30 pm:
     Afternoon Town Hall
     Cowen Civic Center
    500 E Elm St, Lebanon, MO

    7:00 pm:
     Evening Town Hall
     St Roberts Community Center
    114 JH Williamson Jr Dr, Saint Robert, MO

    Wednesday, August 27th 
     Counties: Morgan, Benton, Boone

    8:30 – 9:30 am:                  
     Bean Depot
    520 N Main St, Laurie, MO

    12:00 – 1:30 pm:
     Afternoon Town Hall “Bring Your Lunch”
     Warsaw Community Building
    181 W Harrison St, Warsaw, MO

    7:00 pm:                   
     Evening Town Hall: Harrisburg Lions Club
     120 E Sexton St, Harrisburg, MO

    Thursday, August 28th
     Counties: Howard, Saline, Lafayette

    8:30 – 9:00 am:                  
     LaFayette on the Square
    104 N Church St, Fayette, MO

    10:00 – 11:00 am:              
    Cooper’s Coffee + Eatery
    11633 Saline J Hwy, Nelson, MO

    12:45 – 1:45 pm:    
     Bates City BBQ
    201 E Market St, Bates City, MO

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTOS: De La Cruz Joins Sykes for Visit to Akron, Ohio

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Monica De La Cruz (TX-15)

    PHOTOS: De La Cruz Joins Sykes for Visit to Akron, Ohio

    WASHINGTON, July 25, 2025

    WASHINGTON – This week, Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) joined Bipartisan Women’s Caucus (BWC) Co-chair Emilia Sykes (OH-13) in her district for a visit to Akron, Ohio. The lawmakers toured the Akron Children’s Hospital’s Food Farmacy and the First Ladies Museum and discussed the BWC priorities for the 119th Congress.

    Launched in 2023, the Food Farmacy at the Akron Children’s Hospital provides healthy food options for both patients and staff. The lawmakers toured the facility and discussed the Caucus’s work to find bipartisan solutions to fight food insecurity and expand nutrition access for American families.

    De La Cruz and Sykes concluded the day with a tour of the National First Ladies Library and Museum in Canton, Ohio. The museum exhibits American history through the eyes of America’s First Ladies. During the 119th Congress, the BWC is prioritizing efforts to create a lasting legacy to honor the inspiring women who have shaped history, including efforts to establish the American Women’s History Museum.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: De La Cruz Introduces Bill to Strengthen HUD Whistleblower Protections

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Monica De La Cruz (TX-15)

    Housing and Insurance Subcommittee Vice Chair, Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), introduced the bipartisan Whistleblower Protection Act alongside Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05). The legislation ensures that all Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) contracts, particularly those pre-dating 2013, include whistleblower protections.

    “Whistleblowers play a crucial role in safeguarding taxpayer dollars. This bipartisan legislation will ensure that all current HUD contracts – regardless of when they were created – include provisions to protect employees who come forward to disclose waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement of federal funds.” – Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz

    Background:
    Section 4712 strengthened whistleblower protections for federal contract employees. While the provisions were applied to new contracts, HUD contracts pre-dating 2013 were left without these key protections.

    The Whistleblower Protection Act will require all contracts, regardless of when they were created, to include these key whistleblower protections. This critical change will protect employees of a HUD contractor, subcontractor, or grantee from retaliation for reporting waste, fraud, and abuse.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pfluger, Lee Introduce Legislation to Reverse Biden-Era LNG Regulation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — As first reported in The Daily Caller, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) and Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15) introduced legislation to reverse a misguided Biden-era regulation on American LNG Exports. The Cutting LNG Bunkering Red Tape Act codifies a Trump-era Department of Energy (DOE) order clarifying that ship-to-ship transfers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) used as marine fuel—commonly known as LNG bunkering—are not considered exports under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act unless conducted in foreign waters.

    “LNG exports unequivocally benefit our economy, domestic prices, national security, and partners and allies around the world that want our product. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration spent four years imposing one regulation after another on these exports, stifling the energy industry,” said Rep. Pfluger. “This legislation permanently reverses one of these misguided policies to ensure American LNG can compete on the global stage by removing regulatory uncertainty and streamlining its use as a cleaner, more efficient fuel source for maritime transportation. I am proud to lead this legislation with my good friend from Florida, Representative Laurel Lee.”

    “The Biden Administration’s harmful energy policies have created unnecessary regulatory burdens that stall innovation and weaken American energy leadership,” said Rep. Lee. “Liquefied natural gas is a more efficient, cleaner, and cost-effective energy source. My bill ensures that LNG bunkering is not hindered by red tape, so that ports in Florida and across the nation can continue to expand, drive job creation, and compete globally.”

    Read the full text of this legislation here.

    Background:

    ·     In December 2024, the Biden Administration issued a DOE order that asserted new oversight for LNG bunkering—transfers between ships in U.S. ports—subjecting it to burdensome federal regulations and requiring a public interest determination under the Natural Gas Act.

    ·     This policy disrupted domestic LNG markets and created unnecessary red tape for companies investing in LNG infrastructure and fuel options.

    ·     The Trump Administration later reversed the Biden-era interpretation, clarifying that LNG bunkering is not an export unless it occurs in foreign waters.

    ·     This bill codifies this Trump-era decision, ensuring long-term regulatory certainty and allowing the U.S. LNG market to continue growing without additional federal barriers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada, B.C. strengthen support for farmers dealing with unexpected losses

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    July 25, 2025 – Victoria, British Columbia – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    The governments of Canada and B.C. are making changes to the AgriStability program to provide more financial support to B.C. farmers, following a virtual meeting of the federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture. 

    Effective Friday, July 25, 2025, there are several enhancements for the 2025 AgriStability program year, including:  

    • increasing the compensation rate from 80% to 90%, meaning producers will receive 90 cents for every dollar of eligible income decline
    • doubling the compensation cap from $3 million to $6 million to offer more equitable protection for larger farms and ranches
    • advancing interest-free payments to farmers for up to 75% of their anticipated final claim 

    B.C. farmers have until Thursday, July 31, 2025, to enrol in AgriStability for the 2025 program year. 

    These changes respond to international trade concerns and will help many B.C. farmers who are enrolled in the AgriStability program and have suffered income losses from occurrences such as extreme weather damage.  

    AgriStability is part of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and helps protect farmers from large drops in income due to things like poor yields, rising costs or market changes.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister’s statement on the rescue of three workers at Red Chris mine

    Jagrup Brar, Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals, has released the following statement on the successful rescue of three workers at Red Chris mine in northwestern B.C.:

    “Today, we breathe a collective sigh of relief and express our profound thanks in celebration of the rescue and safe return of the three workers at Red Chris mine. After a fall-of-ground incident on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, these men spent more than two days in an underground refuge station before being safely extracted late last night.

    “I want to commend the many agencies, organizations, companies and individuals who pulled together in the face of this challenge, the mine rescue teams, Newmont, the Tahltan Nation, industry and government. Your decisive action and collaborative work around the clock helped ensure the best possible outcome in the face of this emergency.

    “Earlier this year, I participated in the mine rescue competition, meeting the incredible men and women who are responsible for coming to the rescue in events like these. I was able to see first-hand their incredible skills and dedication in action. Our province is well served by such courageous professionals.

    “This is a proud day for our province, and I am so happy to know that Kevin, Darien and Jesse are healthy and well and are safely back with their families.

    “As we move forward, we reflect on the impact of this incident and the lessons we can glean from it. The ministry’s chief inspector has begun an investigation, the results of which will be made public, and I know that Newmont will also be conducting its own investigation.

    “Thanks once again to everyone involved, and I wish Kevin, Darien and Jesse all the best and a happy reunion with their families and loved ones.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement from the Department of Energy on Nomination of David Eisner

    Source: US Department of Energy

    The Department of Energy (DOE) today released the following statement from DOE Chief of Staff Carl Coe on the President’s nomination of David Eisner to serve as the Assistant Secretary of International Affairs

    Energy.gov

    July 25, 2025

    WASHINGTON— The Department of Energy (DOE) today released the following statement from DOE Chief of Staff Carl Coe on the President’s nomination of David Eisner to serve as the Assistant Secretary of International Affairs:

    “After careful consideration, David Eisner has made the decision to withdraw his nomination as the Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary of International Affairs. Eisner is a thoroughly qualified nominee with decades of experience working at the highest levels of the private and public sector. While we are disappointed that he will not be serving alongside the talented staff in DOE’s Office of International Affairs, we thank him for his service to the U.S. government and wish him the best in all future opportunities.”
     

                                                                                                            ###

    Demolition of former NNSA Albuquerque Complex Eliminates Over $11 Million in Deferred Maintenance

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Building stronger communities across rural Alberta

    [. That is why Alberta’s government is providing $114.6 million in grant funding to ensure rural communities have safe and efficient roads, bridges and community airports, as well as modern water and wastewater facilities to support their growing populations.

    The funding will be distributed through the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP), the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership (AMWWP) and Water for Life program. STIP provides grants to small and rural municipalities to maintain and improve local road bridges, community airports and local resource roads. AMWWP and the Water for Life program provide grants to municipalities to assist in the construction of high-priority municipal water supply and treatment facilities, as well as wastewater treatment and disposal facilities.

    “Rural Alberta is the backbone of our province, driving economic growth, feeding the world and strengthening our communities. Our government is investing in the infrastructure rural communities need to grow and thrive, whether it’s reliable roads, modern bridges, safe community airports or water facilities. These are the essentials that support families, attract investment and keep our rural economy moving. Through Budget 2025, we’re proud to partner with municipalities to deliver real, on-the-ground results that build stronger communities and a stronger Alberta.”

    Danielle Smith, Premier

    “Rural communities are vital to Alberta’s success. In Budget 2025, we are making targeted investments through the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program and our water grant funding programs to ensure rural communities across the province have effective transportation and water infrastructure to support their continued growth and prosperity.”

    Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors

    A total of 51 local road, bridge and community airport projects are receiving funding this year under STIP. They include a $2.6-million grant for reconstruction of Range Road 150 in Newell County, west of Brooks. This road is an important part of the county’s future truck route, providing connectivity for residents and commercial traffic between Highway 1 and Highway 542. STIP grants also include a $2.5-million grant for airfield pavement rehabilitation at the CYLB airport in Lac La Biche County and a $3.6-million grant to support the replacement of the Township Road 352 bridge over the Little Red Deer River, 23 kilometres west of Innisfail.

    Additionally, a $3.5-million grant will support an industrial rail extension project in Coaldale, which will allow local producers to transport southern Alberta-grown and manufactured goods to a global customer base in the agrifood processing sector.

    Funding is being provided for 35 water and wastewater projects this year in small and rural communities across Alberta. Approved projects under the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership include an $8.9 million grant to the City of Brooks to design and build a mechanical membrane bioreactor wastewater treatment plant to replace the lagoon-based system, a $2.4 million grant to the Wabasca Water Treatment Plant that will improve services at the existing facility while the community plans for a new water treatment facility, and a $923,000 grant to the town of Sylvan Lake to drill three new wells and upgrade an existing well to increase its water supply and ensure the community has reliable access to clean drinking water.

    “We’re very pleased to receive this substantial support from the Government of Alberta. The $8.9 million in funding for our new wastewater treatment facility is a critical investment in Brooks’ future. This project will help us meet the needs of a growing population, support economic development and ensure long-term sustainability for our community.”

    John Petrie, mayor, City of Brooks

    Projects funded under the Water for Life program include a $1-million grant to the Bonnyville Regional Services Water Commission to support engineering for Phase 2 of the regional waterline extension from Bonnyville to Glendon, providing clean drinking water to many communities along this route. As well, a $14.8-million grant is being provided to the Darwell Lagoon Commission for the Northeast Lagoon Extension project, which will help ensure long-term capacity, protect local watersheds and support future community growth. Additionally, a $1.6-million grant will allow Mountain View Regional Water Services Commission to connect its regional water supply lines to the new reservoirs in the Towns of Didsbury and Carstairs, supplying water to these communities, including water for use in firefighting.

    “Rural municipalities are the backbone of Alberta’s economy, fuelling industrial growth across our province. The RMA welcomes these targeted investments in roads, bridges and water infrastructure as a vital step to maintaining safe and reliable rural transportation networks, and we look forward to building on this progress to address remaining priorities. A sustained, collaborative partnership between the RMA and the Government of Alberta will ensure a prosperous future not just for rural municipalities, but for all Albertans.”

    Kara Westerlund, president, Rural Municipalities of Alberta

    This funding is included in Budget 2025 and is part of the Alberta government’s commitment to supporting rural and small municipalities in building and maintaining critical local transportation, and water and wastewater infrastructure.

    Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on the economy.

    Quick facts

    Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) grants:

    • 51 projects approved for 2025 will receive a total of $41 million in funding under the following STIP components:
      • Local Road Bridge Program – 38 projects receiving $23.8 million in provincial funding.
      • Community Airport Program – Five projects receiving $3.7 million in provincial funding.
      • Local Municipal Initiatives – Four projects receiving $8.6 million in provincial funding.
      • Resource Road Program – Four projects receiving $4.9 million in provincial funding.

    Water grants:

    • The 35 water and wastewater infrastructure projects approved for 2025 will receive $73.6 million:
      • Nine projects will receive about $33.4 million under Water for Life program.
      • 26 projects will receive about $40.2 million through AMWWP.

    Related information

    • Budget 2025
    • Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program
    • Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership
    • Water for Life

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norcross, Conaway Visit Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to Conduct Oversight of Trump Administration

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)

    CHERRY HILL, NJ — Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) and Congressman Herb Conaway (NJ-03) visited Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, one week after receiving a letter from Defense Secretary Hegseth informing the Representatives that the military base will be used as a detention site for undocumented immigrants.

    “Last week, Defense Secretary Hegseth informed us that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst will be used as a detention site for undocumented immigrants. Today, I joined Congressman Conaway for a meeting at the base to perform our congressional duty of oversight,” said Congressman Donald Norcross. “The fact that the base hasn’t received any information to prepare to house undocumented immigrants shows the chaos and confusion that surrounds the Trump Administration. This administration has shown time and time again that they will ignore due process, but we must ensure proper use of our military facilities and uphold human rights standards.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Brown files a lawsuit against the Trump administration for subverting Congress by canceling millions in funds to provide shelter for migrants

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE – Attorney General Nick Brown today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for unlawfully canceling more than $4 million in congressionally approved funds intended to help the state provide shelter and support to migrants as they await further action on their asylum or other immigration claims.

    Since 2019—in a law signed by President Trump in his first term—Congress has provided funds to help states, local jurisdictions, and nonprofit organizations offer emergency food and shelter to noncitizen migrants after their release from DHS custody. As tens of thousands of humanitarian migrants arrived in Washington between 2022 and 2024, local shelters and municipalities struggled to meet the needs of these newcomers, which prompted the state to take action, including by applying for federal funds through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Shelter and Services Program.

    FEMA, which is part of DHS, awarded Washington more than $4 million in SSP funds. But before Washington could request payment under the award, FEMA unlawfully froze and later terminated the funding in a continuation of the Trump administration’s efforts to deprive states, like Washington, of federal funding to support the health and safety of migrants.

    “Once again, the Trump administration is breaking the law and ignoring Congress,” Brown said. “Congress created a program to provide funding for shelter for migrants. But now the president has illegally yanked the funds, ignoring the separation of powers, simply because he doesn’t like the program.”

    As the complaint notes, by creating a program intended to relieve overcrowding in federal short-term detention facilities, Congress “made a conscious choice to provide funds in a manner that would benefit some individuals who may have entered into the United States unlawfully.”

    As a result of broader migration trends that resulted in millions of people crossing the southwest border into the U.S. between 2019 and 2024, the number of noncitizen migrants present in Washington climbed ten-fold to 45,603 in 2024 from 4,156 in 2022. The state’s housing and homeless crisis response system was strained, and most emergency shelters were already filled each night, leaving thousands of newly arrived migrants homeless.

    Washington responded by appropriating $25 million for the Washington Migrant and Asylum-Seeker Support Project (the WA MASS Project), which was launched in October 2024 to help newly arrived migrants meet their basic needs such as shelter, food, and access to medical care. But the state recognized that more was needed and sought federal funding through the Shelter and Services Program.

    Brown argues in the complaint that DHS violated the Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine because the Constitution grants “the power of the purse” to Congress and not the president. That means the administration can’t refuse to pay out funds already approved by Congress “simply because of policy objections,” the complaint states. He also alleges that DHS has violated the Administrative Procedure Act by taking actions that are arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law.

    Brown is asking the court to declare DHS’s decision to terminate the Shelter and Services Program unlawful and order the federal agency to restore the funding program.

    A copy of the complaint is available here.

    -30-

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

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta, Coalition Secure Temporary Agreement Pausing Restrictions on Head Start, Other Public Benefit Programs

    Source: US State of California

    Friday, July 25, 2025

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

    Agreement prevents Trump Administration from making any changes to eligibility requirements based on immigration status for these programs before September 3, 2025 

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 20 other attorneys general today announced securing an agreement temporarily preventing the Trump Administration from implementing various agency notices significantly expanding federal public benefit ineligibility based on immigration status before September 3, 2025. Earlier this week, the coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s abrupt reversal of nearly three decades of federal practice that allowed access, regardless of immigration status, to certain public benefits programs that have historically been determined to protect life or safety and contribute to the overall welfare of communities. These programs include Head Start, childcare services for low-income people, adult education, mental health and substance use disorder programs, and shelters for at-risk youth and domestic violence survivors, among others. The coalition continues to seek a court order enjoining the Trump Administration from implementing the order for the duration of the litigation. 

    “The Trump Administration threw Head Start and other social safety net programs into chaos when it abruptly reversed nearly three decades of federal law and policy that opened these programs up to all,” said Attorney General Bonta. “With today’s agreement, these critical programs — and the families who rely on them — can breathe a little easier. California will not back down in the fight to protect access to these programs that help ensure that our communities thrive.”

    A copy of the stipulation is available here. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Invites Media to SpaceX’s 33rd Resupply Launch to Space Station

    Source: NASA

    Media accreditation is open for the next launch to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. This launch is the 33rd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for NASA and will liftoff on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.
    NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Thursday, Aug. 21, to launch the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
    Credentialing to cover prelaunch and launch activities is open to U.S. media. The application deadline for U.S. citizens is 11:59 p.m. EDT, Sunday, Aug. 3. All accreditation requests must be submitted online at:
    https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
    Credentialed media will receive a confirmation email upon approval. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation, or to request special logistical support, email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For other questions, please contact NASA’s Kennedy Space Center newsroom at: 321-867-2468.
    Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitor entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo o Messod Bendayan a: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov.
    Each resupply mission to the station delivers scientific investigations in the areas of biology and biotechnology, Earth and space science, physical sciences, and technology development and demonstrations. Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to deliver scientific research to the space station, significantly increasing NASA’s ability to conduct new investigations aboard humanity’s laboratory in space.
    In addition to food, supplies, and equipment for the crew, Dragon will deliver several new experiments, including bone-forming stem cells for studying bone loss prevention and materials to 3D print medical implants that could advance treatments for nerve damage on Earth. Dragon also delivers bioprinted liver tissue to study blood vessel development in microgravity and supplies to 3D print metal cubes in space.
    For almost 25 years, humans have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies that enable us to prepare for human exploration of the Moon as we prepare for Mars.
    Learn more about NASA’s commercial resupply missions at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/station
    -end-
    Claire O’SheaHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov
    Stephanie Plucinsky / Steven Siceloff / Danielle SempsrottKennedy Space Center, Fla.321-876-2468stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov / steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / danielle.c.sempsrott@nasa.gov
    Sandra JonesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Rehearses How to Measure X-59’s Noise Levels

    Source: NASA

    In a stretch of California’s Mojave Desert, NASA conducted a full-scale “dress rehearsal” to prepare how it will measure the noise generated by the X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft.
    The team behind the successful test flight series operates under NASA’s Commercial Supersonic Technology project. Beginning June 3 and concluding this week, researchers conducted a dry run for Phase 2 of NASA’s Quesst mission, when it will capture audio of the sonic thumps the X-59 will produce, rather than loud sonic booms associated with supersonic flight.
    “The dress rehearsal was critical for us,” said Larry Cliatt, sub-project manager for the Quesst acoustic validation phase, who is based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. “It gave us the opportunity to run through every aspect of our operation, from flight planning to data collection. In between those activities, we practiced aircraft operations, setting up the Ground Recording Systems, meteorological data collecting, and refining control room procedures. We were able to fine-tune our timelines, improve communication across teams, and ensure that when we perform these test with the X-59 aircraft, everything will run smoothly.”

    During the tests, at NASA Armstrong, an F-15B aircraft served as a stand-in for the X-59, flying faster than the speed of sound and making multiple passes over the Mojave sands. While it flew, researchers captured acoustic data using a linear array of ground recording systems spaced across miles of open desert, recorded weather readings, and measured the shock waves it generated.
    For a supersonic aircraft like the F-15B, shock waves typically result in loud sonic booms, but the X-59 is designed to diffuse them in a way that will dramatically limit noise.
    NASA’s Quesst mission aims to enable quiet supersonic flight over land using data from the X-59. The experimental aircraft will begin making its first flights this year – the first phase of Quesst.

    But even before it takes to the air, the mission began its preparations for Phase 2 with the dry run, which focused on practicing under realistic test conditions and identifying issues before the official campaign begins, not collecting data from the F-15B.
    Through Quesst’s development of the X-59, NASA will deliver design tools and technology for quiet supersonic airliners that will achieve the high speeds desired by commercial operators without disturbing people on the ground. NASA will also validate design tools through ground and flight testing, providing aircraft manufacturers the ability to explore new quiet supersonic concepts and have confidence that their resulting designs will meet requirements for quiet flight.
    Most importantly, Quesst will gather data to understand community response to sounds generated during flight – key knowledge for a quiet supersonic future.

    MIL OSI USA News –