NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: RIDOH and DEM Lift Advisory at Worden Pond and Recommend Avoiding Contact with Wilson Reservoir

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

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

    RIDOH and DEM are also advising people to avoid contact with Wilson Reservoir in Burrillville due to harmful algae blooms (HABs). HABs are caused by blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, which are naturally present in bodies of water. HABs can produce toxins which can be harmful to humans and animals. Toxins and/or high cell counts have been detected by the RIDOH State Health Laboratory from water samples collected by DEM at this location.

    Use caution in all areas of Wilson Reservoir as HABs can move locations in ponds and lakes. All recreation, including swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking, is high risk to health and recommended to be avoided at this location. People should not drink untreated water or eat fish from affected waterbodies. Pet owners should not allow pets to drink or swim in this water. This advisory recommendation remains in effect until further notice.

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Valadao’s Bill to Provide Resources for Lifesaving Earthquake Emergency Response Passes Out of House Committee on Natural Resources

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G. Valadao (California)

    WASHINGTON – This week, the House Committee on Natural Resources advanced H.R. 3168, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act, out of full committee markup. This bipartisan bill was introduced by Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) and Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) and would reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program through Fiscal Year 2030—providing resources to the research, development, and implementation of lifesaving earthquake risk reduction and safety.

    “With millions of families living near active fault lines throughout California, we have a responsibility to make sure our communities are as prepared as possible for earthquakes,” said Congressman Valadao. “Reauthorizing this program means better coordination and more reliable early warning systems, and I’m grateful to Chairman Westerman and the House Committee on Natural Resources for recognizing how important this bill is to public safety in our state and across the country.”

    “H.R. 3168 renews the critical Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program through 2030,” said House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman. “The program reduces the risk to life and property from future earthquakes in the U.S. I applaud Rep. Valadao for his work and look forward to helping him usher this bill through the House.”

    Background:

    The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) is a program authorized in 1977. It supports activities like seismic monitoring, risk assessment, and the development of building codes and mitigation strategies. The program is managed through a partnership among four federal agencies: the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The most recent reauthorization of NEHRP occurred in 2018 under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2018.

    Read the full bill here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Expanding Indigenous employment supports

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Torres Introduces The Taxpayer Protection Act

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

    June 26, 2025

    Legislation to Ensure Donor States Receive Fair Federal Funding and Ends Politically Motivated Budget Punishment

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35) unveiled The Taxpayer Protection Act, legislation that addresses politically motivated funding cuts, as well as the persistent imbalance between donor states’ federal tax contributions and the federal funding they receive.

    For months now, California has been subject to threats of across the board federal funding cuts because of the political whims of the Trump Administration.  This is particularly offensive given California’s role as the biggest donor state in the nation- California taxpayers contribute approximately $83 billion more annually to the federal government than the state receives back in federal funding, according to the Rockefeller Institute of Government. The bill establishes  a transparent, accountable, and equitable framework ensuring that federal funds are allocated based on fairness — not political retribution.

    “California contributes more to our nation than any other state, yet Donald Trump wants to punish us for our values and political decisions. That stops now. This legislation ensures that federal funding decisions are based on need and equity—not political retribution from the Trump Administration. With the Taxpayer Protection Act, we will ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability from the federal government. This bill isn’t about special treatment—it’s about equal treatment. Our tax dollars should work for us, not be used against us,” said Congresswoman Norma Torres.

    The Act establishes the Donor State Protection Trust Fund, a special Treasury account designed to balance donor states federal tax contributions against the federal funding it receives. It requires independent verification and protects against politically motivated funding cuts. It also prohibits federal agencies from circumventing the law through reclassification or freezing funds.

    The bill would include:

    • A formula-based approach linking donor states federal tax contributions to federal funding received.

    • Protections against funding reductions motivated by political retaliation.

    • Oversight against waste, fraud, and abuse by the Government Accountability Office

    Full bill text

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Journal Feature: Flying High

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    This article was featured in the Summer 2025 IAM Journal and was written by IAM Communications Representative John Lett.

    For decades, the IAM Air Transport Territory has been the backbone of the IAM. It weathered the airline bankruptcies of the 2000s resulting from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. IAM Air Transport fought for its members and preserved contracts, pensions and a quality way of life for thousands of working-class families across the United States.

    But about a decade ago, labor in general was stagnant, with mini­ mal growth and an uncertain future.

    “There was a time when people thought unions would go extinct, but J think we are changing that,” said Richie Johnsen, who has ser­ ved as IAM Air Transport Terri­ tory General Vice President for the past three years.

    IAM Air Transport Territory and District leadership gather at a conference in March. From left: 1AM Air Transport Territory Airline Coordinator Tom Regan, District
    141 President and Directing General Chair Mike Klemm, Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen, Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser, District
    142 President and Directing General Chair John Coveny Jr., and Air Transport Territory Coordinator James Carlson.

    Under Johnsen’s leadership, IAM Air Trans­ port has experienced a resurgence. The territory has become the largest airline labor conglomerate in the AFL-CIO, representing more than 65,000 active members and 40,000 retirees at airlines across the country, including Puerto Rico and Guam. The territory, which represents mechanics, customer service agents, ramp workers and more, is divided into two large groups-District 141 with 42,000 members, from United, American, Spirit and other carriers and District 142, with 25,000 members, who pri­marily work for Southwest, Alaska, Hawaiian and American.

    “My exposure to the union came as far back as I can remem­ber. My father was a Machinist member. He was a shop steward. His father was an officer with the Longshoremen,” said Johnsen, who joined the IAM in I988 as an airline mechanic with United Air­ lines in San Francisco. “When J talk to my father, and he sees how the union has evolved, I think he’s fired up by seeing how we continue to grow.”

    Johnsen credits his territory’s ascension with an influx of new leadership from top to bottom, nego­tiating industry leading contracts, a fresh approach to labor activism, and a renewed hunger for organizing workers.

    “It’s very personal to me. What they’ve done is incredible. It has set the standard for what I believe union representation should look like,” said Johnsen. “In recent years, their wages have increased almost $8 an hour. For someone that was making $32 an hour, they’re making $40 now. Those are massive increases that we haven’t seen in decades.”

    Assisting General Vice Pre­sident Johnsen is Air Transport Chief of Staff Edison Fraser, a member since 2002, who originally hired on at Southwest Airli­nes in Baltimore. Fraser says he’s excited about the direction of the territory.

    “As a leader in the Air Transport Territory I am extremely proud of the work that Districts 141 and 142 have done,” said Fraser. ‘The leaders of those districts have embraced the growth of the districts and put the members first. With our help, from Headquarters, we’ve been able to support them 100%.”

    Qantas Airways aircraft maintenance engineers organized by the 1AM in 2024.

    Recent union victories include organizing wins at Qantas Airlines, PSA Airlines, multiple Swissport locations, Atlantic Aviation and Unifi Aviation, wins that have uplifted the lives of hundreds of workers. A large-scale victory of note took place in 2020 when the IAM negotiated a new contract for I0,000 union members at American Airlines, including Kenny Geis, a member and grievance committee chair at Local 1903M at Charlotte International Airport in North Carolina. Geis, who helped negotiate the contract, has been in the airline industry for 40 years, raised a family with three kids and says !AM Air Transport is enhancing lives across the country.

    “It was an industry-leading contract in pay, but more importantly in benefits. By far, the IAM gave us the best contract for work rules and scope of lan­ guage. Just recently, the company did a percentage rate increase to bring us back to the top of the industry as far as pay, and we keep all of our bene­ fits. That was huge,” said Geis, who works at American as a line aircraft inspector, testing for cra­ cks and corrosion in planes. “Not only are we the highest paid in the industry, we have the best benefits. That helps me and my family on a daily basis. As far as our medical, dental and eye coverage, I believe it’s the best in the industry and it’s all because of the IAM and the negotiating it did.”

    DISTRICT 141: A POWERHOUSE FOR AIRLINE WORKERS

    A decade ago, IAM District 141 had 23,000 members. Now, under the guidance of President and Directing Chairman Mike Klemm, it has increased in size to 41,000 members, 14 con­ tracts, and a budget that has tripled over IO years. Klemm, who became an IAM member in 1992, while working on the ramp for United Airlines at JFK Airport in New York, credits the district’s success to organizing, building relationships with members, rolling out an award-winning website, increasing safety standards on the shop floor, and updated training for members and shop stewards.

    “I feel very lucky. I couldn’t have done it without the support of the incredible members, especially at JFK Airport where 1 got my start, and the Executive Board,” said Klemm, who says his IAM membership has helped him provide a good life for his wife and two daughters. “If I didn’t have a strong team, I wouldn’t be able to be here. I never forget that, and I always make sure I keep in touch with my membership. I always work on improving their lives through the collective bar­ gaining agreements that I negotiate.”

    Growth at District 141 is also contributing to the communities it serves by supporting non-profit organizations at the local and national level.

    “We raised and donated at least $250,000 to the IAM Disaster Relief Fund. We felt like we were in a good monetary situation where we could contribute to the IAM and its members in need. We are certainly proud of that,” said Klemm. “We also give to Guide Dogs of America I Tender Loving Canines and even schools with kids that are less fortunate who have trouble finding school supplies. We also do Santa Clause gift runs during Christmas.”

    Members on a local level have high praises for the leadership and direction within IAM District 141. Marcello Serrao, IAM Local 1322 Commit­ tee Chair, who’s worked as a ramp serviceman at busy New York area airports for decades, says it’s refreshing to see top district representatives rou­tinely communicate with members and listen to their concerns.

    “It ‘s a great experience. It ‘s so necessary to have that relationship with the members,” said Serrao, a resident of Long Island. “There’s been such a change, more transparency, and what an improvement. It’s really good to see. In the past, you felt like you didn’t get a lot of information. It was very stagnant. But now there ‘s more updates on the website, more emails and people can keep track of what’s going on.”

    DISTRICT 142: RISING RAPIDLY TO SERVE IAM MEMBERS

    IAM District 142 has also experienced a rapid rise, increasing its membership in recent years from 16,000 to 20,000, with 36 contracts at 20 companies. District President and Directing Chairman John Coveny took over in 2022, after rising through the union ranks for years, with stops in Upstate New York, Pittsburgh and now Arizona.

    “The union is where I truly belong. Once I got involved with the union, that became my passion, and my desire,” said Coveny. “It’s a 24/7, 365 job. I love what I do. I live, eat and sleep this union because I believe in it that much.”

    After his installation, Coveny immediately moved district headquarters from Kansas City to Phoenix, where more IAM members resided. He and his staff also utilized social media with Facebook, X (For­mally known as Twitter), lnstagram and TikTok. Coveny and his staff reenergized organizing cam­paigns, streamlined technology and promoted diver­sity within the ranks.

    “We’ve established an organizing committee, a women’s committee, a young workers committee,” said Coveny. “We also put in place new dues processing software.”

    Coveny, who joined the union in 1988 as a mechanic at US Airways in Buffalo, N.Y., is passio­nate about the TAM because it has given him and his family a better quality of life. Strong union contracts and salaries over the years gave Coveny the ability to pay college tuition for his three children, and also hike, bike and enjoy time off with his wife of 37 years.

    “The purpose of the union is to provide a reaso­nable living for the members. I truly stand by every contract that we’ve negotiated,” said Coveny. “We lead the industry in almost every contract we’ve negotiated.”

    Coveny is also committed to mentoring a new generation of IAM leaders at the district. Nearing retirement, Coveny says he’s excited about a new generation of District 142 representatives who can build on the foundation, he and his staff, have laid.

    “It’s very important to me, that people who are younger and help push them forward, so when folks who are in office today leave, somebody is ready to fill that role,” said Coveny.

    Steve Oheme is a member of IAM Local 1976 in Pittsburgh who joined the union in 1986 as a mechanic at United Airlines. He says new district leadership has boosted communication with mem­bership, fought for lucrative collective bargaining agreements and pressured airlines to protect IAM mechanics by maintaining stricter safety standards in aircraft hangers.

    ‘They’re doing a fantastic job. They keep us up to date. We are better than we were. It’s amazing. And it’s a great deal,” said Oheme, who works as a crew chief and supervisor of 16 mechanics. ‘There is a big push for safety that wasn’t there before. They make sure we get all the tools, supplies and anything we need, like eyewear and hearing protection. The district pushes the company to supply that stuff. It’s good knowing that they fought for us. I feel secure. It’s awesome.”

    Industry-leading IAM contracts, negotiated by District 142, have helped members like Oheme to thrive. As his four-decade career winds down, he’s proud of raising two children with his wife of 40 years, and enjoys hobbies like pickleball, skiing, mountain biking and golfing, a way of life that embo­dies the success and mission of the district, and the IAM Air Transport Territory as a whole.

    “I want us to continue to grow and I want these Districts to be larger and stronger,” said IAM Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser.

    IAM Air Transport has set ambitious goals for 2025 and beyond. The union is gaining ground in two large organizing campaigns, 20,000 ramp and cargo workers at Delta Air Lines, and 3,000 ramp workers at JetBlue Airways, and is aggressively organizing the ground handling sector across the United Sta­tes. Leadership believes it will win those campaigns, grow the territory and continue to boost the quality of life for aviation workers, and their families, across the country.

    “I feel like we set the standard. No one does what we do. I feel like we lead the way and it’s our job to lead the way. Were big, we’re progressive and we’re diverse,” said General Vice President Johnsen. “We move people and cargo. Without air transportation, the economy stops. It shuts down. There is no eco­nomy without us taking care of the passengers and the cargo This 1s an exciting time “

    The post IAM Journal Feature: Flying High appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Labrador and Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott Announces 30-Year Sentence for Burley Man Who Produced Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom AG Labrador and Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott Announces 30-Year Sentence for Burley Man Who Produced Child Sexual Abuse Material

    POCATELLO – Michael Allen Montoya, 40, of Burley, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.
    According to court records, the investigation began when the FBI became aware that a person, later identified as Montoya, was distributing child sexual abuse material through an online social media platform. The FBI also learned that during online chat conversations, Montoya had discussed his sexual interest in children and had exchanged child sexual abuse material with other offenders. The FBI referred the investigation to the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). ICAC obtained a federal search warrant for Montoya’s Burley residence. During a forensic examination of Montoya’s electronic devices, ICAC located numerous files of child sexual abuse material. ICAC also discovered that Montoya had produced explicit images and videos of himself sexually abusing an infant and an 8-year-old child in his care.
    “Our commitment to protecting children from abuse is unwavering,” said Idaho Attorney General Labrador. “I am grateful for our ICAC Task Force and the partnership we have with Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott’s office. By working together, we can continue making Idaho safer by investigating, arresting, and prosecuting one bad guy at a time.”
    “Law enforcement in Idaho has zero tolerance for those that target children for abuse and exploitation,” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott said. “As this case illustrates, images of child sexual abuse material are not just images – they are evidence of sexual abuse committed by predators like this defendant. I am thankful that we have outstanding professionals in the ICAC, the FBI, and our office that are dedicated to protecting Idaho’s children and ensuring this type of abhorrent conduct results in significant prison sentences.”
    Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Montoya to lifetime supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution to his victims. Montoya will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
    Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the cooperative efforts of the Idaho ICAC Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rupert Police Department, the Idaho State Police, the Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office, which led to the charge. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kassandra McGrady and Erin Blackadar.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: End of lockdown and search at Dorchester Penitentiary – Medium security unit

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    June 26, 2025 – Dorchester, New Brunswick – Correctional Service Canada

    The lockdown put in place at the medium security unit at Dorchester Penitentiary on June 9, 2025, has ended and the exceptional search has been completed. The institution has resumed its normal operations and visits have resumed.

    During the exceptional search, contraband and unauthorized items were found.

    The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is strengthening measures to prevent the entry of contraband into its institutions in order to ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone. CSC also works in partnership with the police to take action against those who attempt to have contraband brought into correctional institutions.

    -30-

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tonko Demands Trump Withdraw Executive Order Attacking Public Science

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Paul D. Tonko led more than 20 members in the House in a letter today calling President Trump to withdraw his Executive Order, Restoring Gold Standard Science. The lawmakers call out the hypocrisy of Trump’s claim to boost scientific standards while slashing federal science programs, attacking scientists and experts, and eroding trust in public science.

    “Your administration has proposed slashing the National Institutes of Health budget by nearly 40%, removed and altered essential technical resources targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that strengthen the rigor and reach of American science, and cast entire disciplines including climate science, public health, and gender equity, as invalid,” the letter reads. “This order continues that pattern, masking efforts to assert political control over science under the guise of accountability.

     

    “If your administration were genuinely committed to trustworthy, reproducible science, you would begin by adequately funding it. This Executive Order is not a return to “gold standard” science. It is a hollow public relations stunt from an administration that has repeatedly weakened America’s scientific credibility and further eroded trust in evidence-based policymaking. We urge you to withdraw this order and instead support policies that meaningfully uphold the independence, integrity, and funding of American science — not just in rhetoric, but in practice.”

     

    Tonko has long been a champion and advocate for protecting scientific standards and protecting independent science. He is the author of the Scientific Integrity Act, bipartisan legislation that sets clear, enforceable standards for federal agencies and federally-funded research to prevent meddling in public science by political and special interests.
    A fact sheet of the Scientific Integrity Act can be found HERE.     
    The full letter can be read HERE and below:
    The Honorable Donald J. Trump 
    President
    The White House
    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
    Washington, DC 20500. 
    Dear President Trump:
    We write to express profound concern with your recent Executive Order, Restoring Gold Standard Science. While the principles of transparency, integrity, and reliability this order claims to champion are indeed crucial to good science, it is difficult to take a call for scientific integrity seriously from an administration that has consistently undermined the very foundations of the U.S. research enterprise. This Executive Order does not restore high scientific standards; it cloaks political interference in the language of pro-science reform.
    Your administration has proposed slashing the National Institutes of Health budget by nearly 40%, removed and altered essential technical resources, targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that strengthen the rigor and reach of American science, and cast entire disciplines including climate science, public health, and gender equity, as invalid. This order continues that pattern, masking efforts to assert political control over science under the guise of accountability.
    One of the most concerning elements of the order is the requirement that agencies publicly release all “data, analyses, and conclusions” underpinning major policies. While transparency is a fundamental scientific value, this language closely mirrors the flawed Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science rule from your first term, a rule that sought to exclude essential studies from Environmental Protection Agency policymaking unless raw data, including sensitive medical information, was made public. Such an approach does not enhance scientific integrity; it undermines it, while also weakening public health protections.
    Even more alarming is the provision granting political appointees sweeping power over the interpretation, use, and communication of federal scientific research. By authorizing senior political staff to investigate alleged violations, impose disciplinary action, and unilaterally “correct” scientific outputs, the order invites ideological enforcement and suppresses dissent. That is not scientific integrity — it is its undoing.
    True scientific integrity means protecting the independence of science from external manipulation. That’s why the Biden administration required federal agencies to update and strengthen their scientific integrity policies, creating a government-wide framework to safeguard objectivity and shield science from undue influence. Your Executive Order seeks to dismantle that progress. By rolling back policies to 2021 standards, it strips scientists of strong institutional protections and leaves agencies without real accountability.
    If your administration were genuinely committed to trustworthy, reproducible science, you would begin by adequately funding it. The so-called replication crisis is not rooted in malicious intent, it is the result of systemic underinvestment and perverse incentives. Researchers, especially those early in their careers, face precarious employment, low pay, and pressure to prioritize novelty over rigor. Yet your Executive Order ignores these structural issues entirely. Instead, it doubles down on austerity, depriving scientists of the time, resources, and institutional support they need to do robust and verifiable research.
    You claim scientists are afraid to ask, “inconvenient questions.” But it is your administration’s policies, proposed funding and personnel cuts, and dismissal of widely accepted peer-reviewed science that have created a chilling effect. You are cultivating an environment where researchers fear professional retaliation or public vilification for producing evidence that challenges political narratives. That is the very definition of politicizing science.

    Moreover, if you were truly concerned about protecting science from corporate influence, you would be increasing public investment in research to guard against private sector capture. Pulling federal support doesn’t reduce the sway of Big Pharma or Big Ag, it strengthens their influence, allowing profit-driven interests to dictate research priorities at the expense of the public good.

    Buzzwords like “transparency” and “interdisciplinary research” cannot substitute for real commitment to the scientific enterprise. Genuine scientific progress demands sustained investment in people, infrastructure, and the freedom to follow the evidence wherever it leads, without censorship, coercion, or fear. Yet your administration has steadily dismantled the conditions necessary for such progress to flourish.
    This Executive Order is not a return to “gold standard” science. It is a hollow public relations stunt from an administration that has repeatedly weakened America’s scientific credibility and further eroded trust in evidence-based policymaking.

    I urge you to withdraw this order and instead support policies that meaningfully uphold the independence, integrity, and funding of American science — not just in rhetoric, but in practice.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Second Owner of Fuel Truck Supply Company Incarcerated for Bid Rigging, Market Allocation, and Wire Fraud Conspiracies

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: Second Owner of Fuel Truck Supply Company Incarcerated for Bid Rigging, Market Allocation, and Wire Fraud Conspiracies

    The owner of a fuel truck supply company, Kris Bird, 62, was sentenced today in Boise, Idaho, to three months in prison and a $24,000 fine for his role in schemes to rig bids, allocate territories, and commit wire fraud over an eight-year period. Further, Bird was ordered to forfeit to the federal government $1,542,387 as proceeds of his wire fraud offenses. The conspiracies Bird participated in related to contracts to provide fuel trucks that assist the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to battle wildfires in Idaho and the mountain west.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Court Will Allow California to Obtain Evidence Regarding Deployment of Federalized National Guard and Marines in California

    Source: US State of California

    Thursday, June 26, 2025

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

    Case challenging Trump Administration’s unlawful deployment of federalized National Guard and Marines in California moves forward 

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today responded to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California’s order last night in California’s lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s unlawful federalization of the California National Guard and deployment of federalized National Guard troops and Marines for civilian law enforcement in Los Angeles. The court’s order (1) grants the state’s request for expedited discovery as to potential Posse Comitatus Act violations; and (2) denies the federal government’s request to transfer the case to the Central District of California. 

    “President Trump continues to needlessly – and unlawfully – pull California National Guard servicemembers off of counterdrug taskforces and wildfire crews for the singular purpose of furthering his political agenda,” said Attorney General Bonta. “As he has done time and again, President Trump is choosing the path that makes our communities less safe instead of more. We need to know more about what the troops’ orders are and how they are being deployed in Los Angeles communities. The court’s order allows us to gather those facts and continue to make our case in court. We will not let the President’s unprecedented overreach of executive authority go unchecked.”

    A copy of the court’s order is available here. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Airloom Energy Takes Critical Step for the Future of U.S. Energy Independence, Resilience and Security with New Pilot Site

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LARAMIE, Wyo., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Airloom Energy, the company pioneering low-cost and resilient U.S. energy generation and backed by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, today announced its pilot site groundbreaking near Rock River, Wyoming. At this research and development site, Airloom Energy will build out its first utility-scale turbine, designed to generate more energy at lower cost and increased efficiency amid the U.S.’s prevailing need for energy security and independence.

    According to a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), approximately half of the United States is at risk of energy shortfalls that could cause outages and reduced power supplies by 2035. Combined with surging demand from the increased use of AI and reliance on data centers, global research and advisory firm Gartner predicts 40% of existing facilities around the world will be constrained by access to sufficient power by as soon as 2027. Low-cost, high-efficiency energy is critical for the grid—requiring bold innovation and long-overdue improvements to power system design and deployment.

    “Current energy technologies can’t meet the growing complexity and demand of the next decade,” said Neal Rickner, CEO of Airloom Energy. “With growing electricity needs, we need more flexible systems that can be built quickly, and deployed anywhere at large scale. That’s the only way we’re going to achieve and maintain energy security and independence. Airloom’s proprietary, U.S.-manufactured turbines do just that—replacing bulky, costly models with low-cost compact designs that generate more energy in less space. This groundbreaking marks a key milestone in validating our power curve and achieving essential cost efficiencies for wind energy.”

    Traditional horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs), are increasingly less cost-competitive and difficult to construct. Made in low volumes and at massive scale, this approach has resulted in restricted innovation, limited sites for deployment, and a stagnation in levelized-cost of energy (LCOE).

    Comparatively, Airloom Energy designs a next-generation of turbines that add to the energy mix while yielding substantial cost savings and boosts in efficiency, even without subsidies.

    • High-density architecture at utility scale: Airloom Energy’s modular turbines feature rectangular swept areas instead of traditional circular ones, increasing wind capture and improving energy conversion efficiency—meeting the growing need to generate more power in less space as land use and regulations evolve.
    • Faster deployment at lower cost: Unlike traditional turbines that can take up to five years to deploy, Airloom Energy’s 30-year turbines—built with low-cost, mass-manufacturable components and minimal infrastructure needs—can be installed in under a year, supporting more reliable energy generation through simplified supply chains.
    • Universal deployability, close to home: By using smaller, mass manufacturable parts made in the U.S. to simplify transportation, installation and maintenance, Airloom Energy can deploy its wind turbines at low-wind sites, those with height or viewability restrictions such as airports or military stations, or even in difficult to access mountainous areas or islands that have minimal infrastructure.

    “Breaking ground on a first pilot site is a major inflection point for any wind technology product — Airloom has reached this point with remarkable speed and clarity of purpose,” said Paul Judge, former head of Product Management at GE Onshore Wind and advisory board member for Airloom Energy. “What sets Airloom apart is not only its innovative architecture, but the caliber of the team behind it who understand how to move from concept to scale with tenacity and rigor. This pilot is more than a test site; it’s the beginning of a fundamentally new approach to resilient renewable energy generation: wind energy that’s faster to deploy, land-efficient, and built for the energy challenges ahead.”

    The groundbreaking keeps Airloom on track to complete its pilot site build out ahead of commercial demos beginning in 2027. At this site, Airloom will be installing and testing its proprietary turbine designs to validate its power curve, ensure efficiency of production, refine cost of deployment, and expand maintenance documentation. Beyond standard onshore integration, Airloom Energy will also evaluate future use cases such as defense, disaster relief, and offshore wind energy generation.

    In October 2024, Airloom Energy raised $7.5 million in a seed financing round with participation from Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, WYVC, Crosscut Ventures, WovenEarth Ventures, and others. An additional $5 million in Energy Matching Funds was secured in September 2024 from the State of Wyoming, and a $1.25-million non-dilutive contract from the U.S. Department of Defense in August 2024.

    For more information about Airloom Energy’s wind turbine designs, technical roadmap, or investment opportunities, reach out to info@airloom.energy.

    About Airloom Energy
    Airloom Energy is on a mission to create low-cost, utility-scale, resilient energy generation technology that is simple to manufacture and transport, and can be installed anywhere. Founded and headquartered in Laramie, Wyoming, USA, and led by a world-class team of experts from Boeing, General Electric, Google X, and Deloitte, Airloom is backed by leading investors such as Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, WYVC, Crosscut Ventures, WovenEarth Ventures, and others. For more information, visit the Airloom Energy website at https://www.airloom.energy/, and follow us on LinkedIn.

    Press Contact:
    info@airloom.energy

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ae6b52a6-6fe8-464f-9b9f-d917961658a6

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why flattering Donald Trump could be dangerous

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    This article was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email newsletter. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox.

    Once again Donald Trump and his senior team are unhappy with their press coverage. Here’s the US president, fresh from his triumph in The Hague, having persuaded Nato’s leaders to open their wallets and agree to up their defence spending to 5% of GDP (apart from Spain, that is, which can expect to hear of triple-digit tariffs coming its way in the near future) – and do the media focus on Trump’s tour de force? Do they hell. Instead they focus on whether his strikes against Iran had been as successful as he claimed.

    As you can imagine, this would have been irksome in the extreme for the president, who might reasonably have expected that the story of the day would be his victory in getting pledges from virtually all Nato’s members to pull their weight in terms of their own defence. Certainly the Nato secretary-general, Mark Rutte, could appreciate the scale of his achievement. Even before the summit, Rutte was talking it up.

    “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world,” he wrote in a message to Trump as the US president prepared to fly to The Netherlands. “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.”

    The fact that Trump promptly posted this message to his TruthSocial website suggests how important praise is to the the US president. It’s something that many world leaders (including Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin who have become past-masters at pouring honey in the president’s ear) have recognised and are willing to use as a diplomatic tool when dealing with the man Rutte calls “Daddy”.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    But while flattery as a tactic seems to be effective with the US president, Andrew Gawthorpe, a political historian from Leiden University, cautions that flattery, appeasement and compliance are a flawed approach when dealing with a man like Trump. For a start, he writes it means that not much actually gets done and that problems are often merely avoided rather than solved.

    But more worryingly, simply capitulating in the face of Trumpian pressure or ire risks giving this US president the idea that he can do anything he wants. “When his targets roll over, it sends a message to others that Trump is unstoppable and resistance is futile,” writes Gawthorpe. It encourages not just the next presidential abuse of power, but also the next surrender from its victims.



    Read more:
    Why bending over backwards to agree with Donald Trump is a perilous strategy

    We got a taste of what the US president’s anger at being defied sounds like as he prepared to fly to The Netherlands for the Nato summit. Asked about the ceasefire he had negotiated between Israel and Iran, he lashed out at both countries who had breached the peace within hours of agreeing to stop firing missiles at each other. “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing,” he told reporters as he walked to the presidential helicopter.

    Psychologist Geoff Beattie, of Edge Hill University, believes this was no accidental verbal slip. Trump wanted to let the world know how angry he was and chose to use the “f-bomb” as a way of showing it. Beattie looks at what this can tell us about the character of the US president – and how it might reflect a tendency to make rapid decisions based on emotional reactions.



    Read more:
    Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements

    And so to Nato

    What was remarkable about the Nato summit was that it was condensed to one fairly short session which focused solely on the issue of Nato members’ defence budgets. Usually there’s a much broader agenda. Over the past couple of years the issue of Ukraine has been fairly high on the list, but this time – perhaps to avoid any potential divisions – it was relegated to a side issue.

    Perhaps the biggest success for Nato, writes Stefan Wolff, is that they managed to get Trump to the summit and keep him in the room. After all, less than a fortnight previously he walked out of the G7 leaders’ meeting in Canada a day early before authorising the bombing raids on Iran’s nuclear installations (of which more later).

    Wolff, an expert in international security from the University of Birmingham (and a regular contributor to this newsletter) believes that the non-US members realised they had little choice but to comply – or at least to be seen to be complying. There’s a significant capability deficit: “European states also lack most of the so-called critical enablers, the military hardware and technology required to prevail in a potential war with Russia.”

    So keeping the US president onside – and inside Nato with a remaining commitment to America’s article 5 mutual defence pledge – was top of the list this year and something they appear to have pulled off.



    Read more:
    At June’s Nato summit, just keeping Donald Trump in the room will be seen as a victory

    The fact is, writes Andrew Corbett, a defence expert at King’s College London, that Europe and the US have different enemies these days. Europe is still focused on the foe it faced across the Iron Curtain after 1945, against which Nato was designed as a defensive bulwark.

    The US is now far more focused on the threat from China. This means it will increasingly shift the bulk of its naval assets to the Pacific (although the Middle East seems to be delaying this shift at present). This inevitably means downgrading its presence in Europe, something of which European leaders are all-too aware.

    The importance of continuing US involvement in European defence via Nato was underlined, as Corbett highlights, by a frisson of unease when it appeared that the US president might be preparing to reinterpret article 5, which requires that members come to the aid of another member if they are attacked.

    So there was relief all round when the US president reaffirmed America’s commitment to the principle of collective defence. But one feels Rutte will need to use all his diplomatic wiles to keep things that way.



    Read more:
    How Nato summit shows Europe and US no longer have a common enemy

    The trouble with Iran

    Rutte, who has the nickname “Trump whisperer”, is clever enough to know that emollient words will have been just what the US president was looking for given the stress of the past couple of weeks. The decision to launch strikes against Iran was controversial even within his own base as we noted last week.

    But by directly engaging in hostility against Iran, Trump risked embroiling the US in the “forever war” that he always promised his supporters he would avoid. The move was freighted with risk. Nobody knew how Iran might retaliate or how the situation could escalate. There was (and remains) the chance that an angry Iran could try to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. This is one of the world’s most important waterways though which 20% of the world’s oil transits. This would have huge ramifications for the global economy, seriously damaging Iran’s Gulf neighbours and angering China, which gets much of its oil from the region.



    Read more:
    Iran is considering closing the strait of Hormuz – why this would be a major escalation

    For now it appears that Iran has contented itself with performative strikes against US bases in Iraq and Qatar, having given advance warning. This token retaliation was made shortly before the ceasefire was negotiated. Despite a defiant message from Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran is reported to be making noises about coming to the negotiating table. A deal to restore calm to the region would be an achievement indeed.

    But legal questions remain about the US decision to launch strikes. For a start, Article 2(4) of the UN charter strictly forbids the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, or “in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations”.

    But, as Caleb Wheeler, an expert in international law from the University of Cardiff writes, it’s a rule that has rarely been either observed or enforced. He points out that the Korean War, when following a resolution of the UN security council, a number of countries went to war with North Korea to defend its southern neighbour which had been attacked in violation of article 2(4), was the high watermark of compliance with the UN on conflict.

    In most other international conflicts since, the use of vetoes by one or another of the permanent members of the security council has effectively prevented the UN acting the way it was supposed to.

    Now, writes Wheeler, there can be little doubt the US has violated article 2(4) by bombing Iran, particularly as Trump expressed his opinion that a regime change might be appropriate. Given that the US is one of the leading lights of the UN, Wheeler thinks you could reasonably expect a degree of condemnation from other world leaders. He worries that the absence of criticism could seriously lower the bar for aggression in the future.



    Read more:
    Bombing Iran: has the UN charter failed?

    And if, as remains unclear at present, Iran’s nuclear programme was not set back by years, as the US claims, but merely by months, then you could expect Tehran to redouble its efforts to acquire a bomb. The Islamic Republic will be mindful of the fact that there has been little talk of bombing North Korea in recent years, for example. Possession of a nuclear deterrent means exactly what it says.

    So, conclude David Dunn and Nicholas Wheeler, these strikes which were conducted on what they feel was the false premise of defence against an “imminent” threat from a nuclear Iran, could actually have the opposite effect of encouraging Iran to rapidly develop its own bomb.



    Read more:
    US attack on Iran lacks legal justification and could lead to more nuclear proliferation

    Elon Musk’s geopolitical eye in the sky

    After Israel began its latest campaign of airstrikes against Iran earlier this month, the government moved to restrict internet access around the country to discourage criticism of the regime and make it difficult for protesters to organise. But in June 14 in response to a plea over social media, Elon Musk announced, appropriately on X, that he would open up access to his Starlink satellite system.

    Joscha Abels, a political scientist at the University of Tübingen, recalls that Starlink became very popular in Iran during the protests that followed the killing of Mahsa Amini in 2022, and which really rocked the regime to its core. He also points to the use of Starlink by Ukraine as a vital communications tool in its defence against Russia over the past three years.

    But Abels warns that what is given is also too easily switched off, as Musk did in Ukraine in 2023. At the time a senior Starlink executive warned that the tool was “never intended to be weaponized”. The concern is that such an important tool, which can make or break a regime or cripple a country’s defence, could be a risk in the hands of a private individual.



    Read more:
    In the sky over Iran, Elon Musk and Starlink step into geopolitics – not for the first time

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Why flattering Donald Trump could be dangerous – https://theconversation.com/why-flattering-donald-trump-could-be-dangerous-259940

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why flattering Donald Trump could be dangerous

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    This article was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email newsletter. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox.

    Once again Donald Trump and his senior team are unhappy with their press coverage. Here’s the US president, fresh from his triumph in The Hague, having persuaded Nato’s leaders to open their wallets and agree to up their defence spending to 5% of GDP (apart from Spain, that is, which can expect to hear of triple-digit tariffs coming its way in the near future) – and do the media focus on Trump’s tour de force? Do they hell. Instead they focus on whether his strikes against Iran had been as successful as he claimed.

    As you can imagine, this would have been irksome in the extreme for the president, who might reasonably have expected that the story of the day would be his victory in getting pledges from virtually all Nato’s members to pull their weight in terms of their own defence. Certainly the Nato secretary-general, Mark Rutte, could appreciate the scale of his achievement. Even before the summit, Rutte was talking it up.

    “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world,” he wrote in a message to Trump as the US president prepared to fly to The Netherlands. “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.”

    The fact that Trump promptly posted this message to his TruthSocial website suggests how important praise is to the the US president. It’s something that many world leaders (including Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin who have become past-masters at pouring honey in the president’s ear) have recognised and are willing to use as a diplomatic tool when dealing with the man Rutte calls “Daddy”.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    But while flattery as a tactic seems to be effective with the US president, Andrew Gawthorpe, a political historian from Leiden University, cautions that flattery, appeasement and compliance are a flawed approach when dealing with a man like Trump. For a start, he writes it means that not much actually gets done and that problems are often merely avoided rather than solved.

    But more worryingly, simply capitulating in the face of Trumpian pressure or ire risks giving this US president the idea that he can do anything he wants. “When his targets roll over, it sends a message to others that Trump is unstoppable and resistance is futile,” writes Gawthorpe. It encourages not just the next presidential abuse of power, but also the next surrender from its victims.



    Read more:
    Why bending over backwards to agree with Donald Trump is a perilous strategy

    We got a taste of what the US president’s anger at being defied sounds like as he prepared to fly to The Netherlands for the Nato summit. Asked about the ceasefire he had negotiated between Israel and Iran, he lashed out at both countries who had breached the peace within hours of agreeing to stop firing missiles at each other. “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing,” he told reporters as he walked to the presidential helicopter.

    Psychologist Geoff Beattie, of Edge Hill University, believes this was no accidental verbal slip. Trump wanted to let the world know how angry he was and chose to use the “f-bomb” as a way of showing it. Beattie looks at what this can tell us about the character of the US president – and how it might reflect a tendency to make rapid decisions based on emotional reactions.



    Read more:
    Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements

    And so to Nato

    What was remarkable about the Nato summit was that it was condensed to one fairly short session which focused solely on the issue of Nato members’ defence budgets. Usually there’s a much broader agenda. Over the past couple of years the issue of Ukraine has been fairly high on the list, but this time – perhaps to avoid any potential divisions – it was relegated to a side issue.

    Perhaps the biggest success for Nato, writes Stefan Wolff, is that they managed to get Trump to the summit and keep him in the room. After all, less than a fortnight previously he walked out of the G7 leaders’ meeting in Canada a day early before authorising the bombing raids on Iran’s nuclear installations (of which more later).

    Wolff, an expert in international security from the University of Birmingham (and a regular contributor to this newsletter) believes that the non-US members realised they had little choice but to comply – or at least to be seen to be complying. There’s a significant capability deficit: “European states also lack most of the so-called critical enablers, the military hardware and technology required to prevail in a potential war with Russia.”

    So keeping the US president onside – and inside Nato with a remaining commitment to America’s article 5 mutual defence pledge – was top of the list this year and something they appear to have pulled off.



    Read more:
    At June’s Nato summit, just keeping Donald Trump in the room will be seen as a victory

    The fact is, writes Andrew Corbett, a defence expert at King’s College London, that Europe and the US have different enemies these days. Europe is still focused on the foe it faced across the Iron Curtain after 1945, against which Nato was designed as a defensive bulwark.

    The US is now far more focused on the threat from China. This means it will increasingly shift the bulk of its naval assets to the Pacific (although the Middle East seems to be delaying this shift at present). This inevitably means downgrading its presence in Europe, something of which European leaders are all-too aware.

    The importance of continuing US involvement in European defence via Nato was underlined, as Corbett highlights, by a frisson of unease when it appeared that the US president might be preparing to reinterpret article 5, which requires that members come to the aid of another member if they are attacked.

    So there was relief all round when the US president reaffirmed America’s commitment to the principle of collective defence. But one feels Rutte will need to use all his diplomatic wiles to keep things that way.



    Read more:
    How Nato summit shows Europe and US no longer have a common enemy

    The trouble with Iran

    Rutte, who has the nickname “Trump whisperer”, is clever enough to know that emollient words will have been just what the US president was looking for given the stress of the past couple of weeks. The decision to launch strikes against Iran was controversial even within his own base as we noted last week.

    But by directly engaging in hostility against Iran, Trump risked embroiling the US in the “forever war” that he always promised his supporters he would avoid. The move was freighted with risk. Nobody knew how Iran might retaliate or how the situation could escalate. There was (and remains) the chance that an angry Iran could try to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. This is one of the world’s most important waterways though which 20% of the world’s oil transits. This would have huge ramifications for the global economy, seriously damaging Iran’s Gulf neighbours and angering China, which gets much of its oil from the region.



    Read more:
    Iran is considering closing the strait of Hormuz – why this would be a major escalation

    For now it appears that Iran has contented itself with performative strikes against US bases in Iraq and Qatar, having given advance warning. This token retaliation was made shortly before the ceasefire was negotiated. Despite a defiant message from Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran is reported to be making noises about coming to the negotiating table. A deal to restore calm to the region would be an achievement indeed.

    But legal questions remain about the US decision to launch strikes. For a start, Article 2(4) of the UN charter strictly forbids the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, or “in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations”.

    But, as Caleb Wheeler, an expert in international law from the University of Cardiff writes, it’s a rule that has rarely been either observed or enforced. He points out that the Korean War, when following a resolution of the UN security council, a number of countries went to war with North Korea to defend its southern neighbour which had been attacked in violation of article 2(4), was the high watermark of compliance with the UN on conflict.

    In most other international conflicts since, the use of vetoes by one or another of the permanent members of the security council has effectively prevented the UN acting the way it was supposed to.

    Now, writes Wheeler, there can be little doubt the US has violated article 2(4) by bombing Iran, particularly as Trump expressed his opinion that a regime change might be appropriate. Given that the US is one of the leading lights of the UN, Wheeler thinks you could reasonably expect a degree of condemnation from other world leaders. He worries that the absence of criticism could seriously lower the bar for aggression in the future.



    Read more:
    Bombing Iran: has the UN charter failed?

    And if, as remains unclear at present, Iran’s nuclear programme was not set back by years, as the US claims, but merely by months, then you could expect Tehran to redouble its efforts to acquire a bomb. The Islamic Republic will be mindful of the fact that there has been little talk of bombing North Korea in recent years, for example. Possession of a nuclear deterrent means exactly what it says.

    So, conclude David Dunn and Nicholas Wheeler, these strikes which were conducted on what they feel was the false premise of defence against an “imminent” threat from a nuclear Iran, could actually have the opposite effect of encouraging Iran to rapidly develop its own bomb.



    Read more:
    US attack on Iran lacks legal justification and could lead to more nuclear proliferation

    Elon Musk’s geopolitical eye in the sky

    After Israel began its latest campaign of airstrikes against Iran earlier this month, the government moved to restrict internet access around the country to discourage criticism of the regime and make it difficult for protesters to organise. But in June 14 in response to a plea over social media, Elon Musk announced, appropriately on X, that he would open up access to his Starlink satellite system.

    Joscha Abels, a political scientist at the University of Tübingen, recalls that Starlink became very popular in Iran during the protests that followed the killing of Mahsa Amini in 2022, and which really rocked the regime to its core. He also points to the use of Starlink by Ukraine as a vital communications tool in its defence against Russia over the past three years.

    But Abels warns that what is given is also too easily switched off, as Musk did in Ukraine in 2023. At the time a senior Starlink executive warned that the tool was “never intended to be weaponized”. The concern is that such an important tool, which can make or break a regime or cripple a country’s defence, could be a risk in the hands of a private individual.



    Read more:
    In the sky over Iran, Elon Musk and Starlink step into geopolitics – not for the first time

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Why flattering Donald Trump could be dangerous – https://theconversation.com/why-flattering-donald-trump-could-be-dangerous-259940

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Dingell & Nunn Reintroduce Bill to Prevent Abusers From Targeting Survivors with Technology

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    June 26, 2025
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and Representative Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, today reintroduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help prevent domestic abusers from using technology to stalk, harass or control survivors. 
    With today’s rapidly growing digital environment, technology-enabled abuse has taken many forms, including social media platforms, phone-based apps, and specialty spyware programs. Because of the diversity of platforms in today’s growing digital environment, it’s clear that abuse does not require huge financial resources or sophisticated understanding of technology, and survivors rarely have the tools they need to recognize and prevent abuse.   
    The Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Act would provide new grant funding to clinics and other partnerships focused on domestic violence and technology-enabled abuse prevention. It would also support new training that would give organizations the specialized services necessary to help survivors with a range of experiences.
    “As technology continues to evolve, so do the tactics of abusers who are grossly leveraging many different platforms to stalk, harass and control survivors of domestic violence – from tracking them on social media to hacking into their email,” Wyden said. “Survivors deserve support and the tools to protect against abuse in any shape or form. More education, training, and health care clinics are needed.”
    “It’s critical that we recognize domestic abuse and sexual harassment often extend beyond physical violence,” Dingell said. “To fully protect survivors, we must keep up with the many ways that abusers can use technology to stalk, harass, control, or otherwise endanger their victims. This legislation will support specialized education and resources for advocates and victim service providers to recognize, prevent, and combat tech-enabled abuse.”
    “In the Iowa statehouse, I led efforts to protect survivors from the growing threat of digital abuse. Now, we’re taking that work nationwide,” Nunn said. “This bill strengthens community-based networks that are on the frontlines, giving them the tools to recognize and address tech-enabled abuse and help victims secure their devices. Survivors deserve both safety and support, and this legislation delivers both.”
    The legislation would take two steps in combating technology-enabled domestic abuse:

    It would authorize a pilot project run by the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women to establish more tech-enabled abuse clinics. The program would provide $2 million grants for up to 15 clinics and other organizations that support survivors of sexual and domestic violence who are experiencing technology-enabled abuse.

    It would establish another grant program, which is also under the DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women, to ensure nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions develop and implement  training and technical assistance for groups working to prevent tech-enabled abuse. 

    The text of the bill is here.
    The Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Act is endorsed by National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Network to End Domestic Violence, Legal Momentum, Clinic to End Tech Abuse, EndTAB, New Beginnings, Natalie Dolci of the Technology-Enabled Coercive Control Initiative (endorsed in her personal capacity), Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Sexual Assault Support Services of Oregon, Center for Hope and Safety of Oregon, and the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force.
    “Technology facilitated abuse is one of the fastest growing threats victims and survivors face today. The reintroduction of the Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Act is a vital step toward ensuring survivors have the expert support they need to stay safe in an increasingly digital world. We’re deeply grateful to Rep. Dingell, Rep. Nunn, and Senator Wyden for their leadership in advancing meaningful, survivor-centered solutions to this urgent issue,” said Marium Durrani, Vice President of Policy for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. 
    “Legal Momentum is proud to endorse the Tech Safety for Victims Act to help ensure that survivors of technology facilitated abuse receive the support and services they need and deserve. As technology makes it easier than ever to upend people’s lives, it’s crucial that survivors are protected not just in their homes and communities, but also in the digital spaces where abuse occurs more and more frequently. This legislation would provide critical resources to help survivors reclaim and rebuild their lives after the trauma of cyber abuse,” said Azaleea Carlea, Legal Director at Legal Momentum.
    “People experiencing tech-enabled abuse often don’t know where to turn. Our clinic has helped hundreds of New Yorkers over the last few years, but survivors around the country urgently need assistance. This Act could expand access to similar support services and develop knowledge about evolving forms of tech-enabled abuse,” said Thomas E. Kadri, Legislative & Policy Director of the Clinic to End Tech Abuse.
    “Programs that serve survivors of gender-based violence need additional support and technical assistance to keep up with increasingly pervasive tech abuse. Failure to provide this enhancement to victim services infrastructure will compromise the safety of survivors of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault,” said Natalie Dolci, of the Technology-Enabled Coercive Control Initiative (endorsed in her personal capacity).
    “Technology can be weaponized to cause harm or by victims seeking safety. I have heard countless stories about various forms of tech being used to harass, stalk and control someone by abusive partners. This bill is needed to further address all forms of technology and the intersection with violence. It will provide anti-domestic violence organizations with needed funding to further develop Safety planning resources technology and be able to respond effectively to the ever changing tech landscape,” said Keri Moran-Kuhn, Executive Director of the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Alford Introduces STRONG Act to Support Small Businesses with Greater Access to SBA-Backed Lending

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

    Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04), the Chairman of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations, introduced the Supporting Trade and Rebuilding Opportunity for National Growth (STRONG) Act.

    The STRONG Act will give American small businesses greater access to financing to create jobs, support existing workers, and invest in their communities by increasing the maximum value threshold of SBA 7(a) and 504 loans.

    “We’re proud to introduce the STRONG Act to ensure American small businesses not only survive but thrive,” said Congressman Alford. “After four years of being crushed by inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, and overregulation under the Biden Administration, our small businesses are on the brink. Job creators and entrepreneurs desperately need support, including greater access to SBA lending, to help them make ends meet and stay in business. This critical legislation will work in concert with the One Big, Beautiful Bill and other initiatives from the Small Business Committee to finally put Main Street before Wall Street.”

    Read the text of the legislation here.

    Background:

    • The STRONG Act raises the maximum value threshold of 7(a) and 504 loans from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000.
    • The upper limit for 7(a) and 504 was last updated in 2010 and has not been adjusted for inflation since then.
    • The bill also provides an increase on the total limit of 504 loans SBA is able to issue, allowing more small businesses to access long-term, fixed-rate financing for major fixed assets.

    What are 7(a) and 504 loans?

    • SBA 7(a) loans offer flexible, government-backed financing up to $5 million for small businesses, which can be used for a wide range of purposes including working capital, equipment, or buying a business, with terms and rates negotiated between the borrower and lender.
    • 504 loans provide long-term, fixed-rate financing for small businesses to purchase major fixed assets like real estate or equipment, typically with a 50-40-10 structure (50% from a private lender, 40% from a Certified Development Company backed by the SBA, and 10% from the borrower).
    • The programs are subsidy free and are paid for by fees on SBA partnered lenders.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kean Announces Launch of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge

    Source: US Representative Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07)

    Contact: Riley Pingree

    (June 26, 2025) LEBANON BOROUGH, N.J. – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. announced the opening of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge, one of the most prestigious app competitions for middle and high school students across the country. 

    The Congressional App Challenge is designed to engage student creativity and encourage participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education fields. This nationwide event allows middle and high school students from across the country to compete against their peers by creating and exhibiting their software application, or “app.” Students can use any programming language (such as Python, JavaScript, C++, Ruby, or block code) and any platform (including PC, web, tablet, robot, mobile).

    The submission portal is now open, and students may register and submit their apps through October 30, 2025, at 12:00 PM ET. Students can compete individually or in teams of up to four. All eligible students are encouraged to participate, regardless of prior coding experience.

    “The Congressional App Challenge is an incredible opportunity for the next generation of innovators to showcase their creativity and technical talent,” said Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. “Every year, I am inspired by the students of our district, and I look forward to seeing the innovative and impactful apps they create this year. Their work has the potential to give back to our communities, solve real-world problems, and inspire even more young people across New Jersey to pursue careers in STEM.”

    The winning app from New Jersey’s 7th District will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol and featured on the official House of Representatives website. Winning students will also be invited to the #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Reception in Washington, D.C. Runners-up will also be selected for recognition.   

    Learn more and register for the Congressional App Challenge by visiting kean.house.gov/services/congressional-app-challenge-2025.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Department of the Interior Authorizes $31 Million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) for Oregon Counties

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, the Department of the Interior announced that more than 1,900 state and local governments across the country will receive a total of $644.8 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes program (PILT) of which $31 million dollars is designated to Oregon counties. Because local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT payments help defray the costs associated with maintaining community services including firefighting, policing, education, and road construction.

    PILT payments are made for tax-exempt federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Payments are based on the number of acres of federal land within each county or jurisdiction, and the population of that area.

    Said Congressman Cliff Bentz: “Since PILT payments began in 1977, the U.S. Government, through the Department of Interior, has distributed more than $12.6 billion dollars. PILT makes sense, since the Government collects more than $20.7 billion in revenue ANNUALLY from commercial activities on public lands. Millions of acres of federal land are located in Oregon counties, but this land cannot be taxed. Nonetheless, these counties and the people in them shoulder the multitude of costs that benefit this land such as maintaining roads, schools, first responders, law enforcement, and fire protection. This PILT program helps defray some of the cost associated with maintaining these crucial services.”

    Individual payments may vary from year to year as a result of changes in acreage data; prior-year federal revenue-sharing payments; and inflationary adjustments based on U.S. Census Bureau data.

    A full list of funding by State and county is available on the Department’s Payments in Lieu of Taxes page.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Celebrates 3 Years of Gun Violence Reduction Under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    June 25, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday celebrated the third anniversary of his landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the first comprehensive gun safety legislation passed in three decades. The bill made significant investments in our background check system, boosted prosecutors’ enforcement capabilities, supported domestic violence victims by preventing abusers from purchasing guns, and invested billions of dollars into schools, mental health, and community-based violence intervention programs. 

    “Three years ago, after the horrific tragedies in Uvalde and Buffalo, Democrats and Republicans came together to address a gun violence epidemic that has devastated families and communities across the country. The gun violence prevention movement beat the gun lobby, and we found compromise on common sense solutions supported by the American people. And it worked. In the last two years, this country has seen significant drops in violent crime, gun deaths and injuries, and mass shootings. Now, President Trump is trying to gut the very mental health and violence prevention programs that have helped save countless lives. But our movement is stronger than this President and the congressional Republicans who enable him, and we will keep fighting to make all of our communities safer,” said Murphy.  

    Since BSCA’s passage, there has been a historic decrease in gun violence, including a 24% drop in mass shootings and a 12% reduction in gun violence-related deaths.

    BSCA’s accomplishments include:

    • Expanding background checks and cracking down on loopholes that allowed domestic abusers to buy guns.
    • Creating stiff penalties for “straw purchase” gunrunners that buy weapons on behalf of criminals.
    • Investing over half a billion dollars towards increasing the number of mental health personnel in schools.
    • Providing millions in grants to community-based nonprofits that directly provided counseling and support to at-risk youth and families traumatized by gun violence.
    • Expanding mental health service for thousands of students in rural communities.
    • Supporting implementation of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

    On day one of his presidency, President Trump shut down the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention responsible for coordinating efforts across the federal government and working with states and local governments to identify available resources for impacted communities. On April 30th, the Department of Education (ED) notified grant recipients of the School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) and Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) Grant Programs, which BSCA funded, that their funding would not be continued after this fiscal year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Colleagues Introduce AUKUS Improvement Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    June 25, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined a group of seven of his Senate colleagues in introducing the AUKUS Improvement Act. Building upon the bipartisan, AUKUS-enabling legislation in the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act, the AUKUS Improvement Act will further streamline defense industrial base collaboration and co-production between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

    “AUKUS is a historic partnership that helps protect U.S. national security interests in the Indo-Pacific. This legislation will strengthen our alliance with Australia and the United Kingdom and keep the submarine production AUKUS depends upon on track. The bill will also further the work of Electric Boat, its unparalleled workforce, and the many innovative small businesses across Connecticut and the United States that power our submarine industrial base,” Murphy said.

    The AUKUS Improvement Act would:

    1. Exempt State Department-vetted entities that have been approved as AUKUS Authorized Users from the requirement to obtain Third Party Transfer approvals under Foreign Military Sales. 
    1. Exempt Australia and the United Kingdom from the need for Congressional Notification for overseas manufacturing.

    In the last five years, Australia has placed $23 billion in Foreign Military Sales (FMS) orders, making it one of the biggest users of the FMS process. FMS ensures Australia is procuring the exact same variant that the U.S. military uses, enabling greater interoperability. It also supports American deployed forces operating in Australia through access to spare parts. Australia is often required to transfer elements of equipment procured through FMS to industry for further development, operation, maintenance, and sustainment. In order to do this, it must obtain written consent from the State Department in the form of a Third Party Transfer (TPT) request. However, the TPT process can be slow, with applications often taking many months before being approved. By making TPTs made under FMS subject to similar export controls to those made under AUKUS for Direct Commercial Sales (DCS), the AUKUS Improvement Act will get capability in the hands of our allies faster.

    In March 2021, Australia established the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordinance (GWEO) Enterprise to expand its munitions and missile stockpiles, establish domestic manufacturing of guided weapons, and supplement international partners’ supply chains. As part of this announcement, Australia and the U.S. agreed to collaborate on a flexible guided weapons production capability in Australia, with an initial focus on the potential for co-production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) by 2025, and eventual co-production of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).

    However, the Arms Export Control Act requires Congressional Notification (CN) 15 days prior to approving a commercial technical assistance or manufacturing license agreement to manufacture significant military equipment abroad, regardless of the value. Currently, the State Department excludes any transfer of defense articles, technical data, or services that requires a CN from the license-free environment and expedited processing provisions under AUKUS. Therefore, Australia is required to obtain a Manufacturing License Agreement to receive the technical data and manufacturing know-how for each component of a precision-guided munition. This adds complexity, time, and cost, thereby limiting munitions co-production cooperation that benefits both the U.S. and Australia.

    U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) also cosponsored the bill.

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casten, Booker Reintroduce Legislation Banning Inequitable Calculations of Civil Damages

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

    June 26, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL-06) and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Fair Calculations in Civil Damages Act, legislation to prohibit the consideration of race, ethnicity, gender, or actual or perceived sexual orientation when calculating damages in civil lawsuits.

    “It is unacceptable that our courts often award less in damages to women and people of color than white men in comparable civil cases,” said Congressman Casten. “In doing so, our courts are declaring that some Americans’ lives are worth less based on lifetime earning potential statistics borne of racism and sexism. I’m proud to join Senator Booker in introducing the Fair Calculations Act to outlaw discriminatory damage calculations in federal courts. This bill takes a major step in ensuring justice and equity in our civil courts.”

    “Nobody should be granted lower civil damages because of their gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation,” said Senator Booker. “However, studies show that women and people of color often receive less in damages in comparison to their white, male counterparts. The Fair Calculations in Civil Damages Act will work to ensure equal justice under the law by banning discriminatory practices that prevent victims in civil cases from receiving fair compensation.”

    Concerning studies and news reports have shown that state and federal courtrooms across the country consider race, ethnicity, and gender when calculating damages. Courts often award women and people of color significantly less than white men, even in comparable civil cases. In these instances, a person of color may, for example, be presumed to have less lifetime earning potential than a similarly situated white counterpart, leading to the low and unfair appraisal of damages. 

    The Fair Calculations in Civil Damages Act makes our legal system more just and equal by outlawing discriminatory damage calculations in federal courts and preventing courts from determining that victims in civil cases should be awarded less in damages on the basis of their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, sex, gender, or sexual orientation. 

    This bill is endorsed by the American Association for Justice and Equal Justice Under Law.

    This bill is cosponsored by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.

    Full text of the bill can be found here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: $40 Million to Launch Empire AI Beta Supercomputer

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Empire State Development (ESD) Board approved $40 million to launch Empire AI Beta, the second phase of the supercomputer powering New York’s nation-leading Empire AI initiative. Empire AI Beta will be 11 times more powerful than current capacity, allowing hundreds of researchers from the now 10 member institutions to continue to advance AI research for public good. Empire AI is now backed by over $500 million in public and private funding, including up to $340 million in state capital funding secured by Governor Hochul.

    “With Empire AI, New York is leading in emerging technology and ensuring the power of AI is harnessed for public good and developed right here in this great state,” Governor Hochul said. “The launch of Beta will supercharge our efforts to advance responsible AI development by some of our brightest minds at research institutions focused on purpose, not profit.”

    The funding approved today by ESD will allow the Empire AI consortium to purchase the equipment needed to power the second-phase supercomputer, housed at the University of Buffalo. Empire AI Beta will use NVIDIA’s state-of-the-art Blackwell AI supercomputing platform. The new Beta system will dramatically accelerate Empire AI’s computing performance from the current Alpha system: 11-fold in AI training, 40-fold in AI inference, and an 8-fold increase in data storage. Empire AI Beta also is expected to be among the first academic deployments of NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD with DGX GB200 systems. While both the Alpha and Beta systems are running only fractions of Empire AI’s eventual computing power, the new Beta system will propel Empire AI to become one of the most advanced academic computers in the world.

    Empire AI is now backed by over $500 million in public and private funding, and made up of 10 member universities and research institutions. As part of Governor Hochul’s FY26 Budget, the Governor secured $90 million in new capital funding to substantially increase the computing power of Empire AI, expand access for SUNY researchers, and support the addition of new members including the University of Rochester, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. They join the seven founding members of Empire AI, SUNY, CUNY, Columbia University, Cornell University, NYU, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the Flatiron Institute.

    The new Beta system builds on the successful 2024 launch of Alpha, which was made possible by philanthropic support from the Simons Foundation. Planning and development of the full-scale Empire AI computing center is underway. Empire AI Alpha and Empire AI Beta allow member institutions to conduct critical AI research as soon as possible until the full-scale system is complete.

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “As AI research, development and usage grows, New York tech leaders are exploring new ways to utilize these advancements in ways that will generate solutions to complex issues and support positive growth. The $40 million in funding approved today by ESD’s Board of Directors represents a significant step forward that will increase the capacity of Empire AI and further enhance the AI research happening throughout our state.”

    Empire AI Interim Executive Director Robert Harrison said, “With the launch of Beta, Empire AI is unleashing a game-changing level of computational power to serve researchers across New York. From cancer diagnostics to climate modeling, this system will accelerate innovation across fields — while putting New York at the forefront of responsible AI development. Thanks to the vision of Governor Hochul and our expanding roster of top-tier academic partners, we are building something truly unprecedented: a public AI research powerhouse designed to benefit everyone.”

    NVIDIA Head of AI State Initiatives Michael Isadore said, “Democratizing access to accelerated computing for academic research creates economic growth and scientific discovery across industries. The team at Empire AI aims to empower researchers across New York State with leading-edge NVIDIA infrastructure, enabling groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.”

    Assemblymember Steve Otis said, “Governor Hochul’s nation leading Empire AI Consortium depends upon increased computing power to serve the academic institutions and researchers that are part of this initiative. Today’s announcement delivers on that promise with funding supported by the Governor and the Legislature in this year’s budget. Our Assembly Science and Technology committee has visited the AI team in Buffalo and was very impressed with the public purpose, focus of the AI initiatives already undertaken. There is no doubt that new advances are on the horizon thanks to the work of the Empire AI Consortium.”

    Expanding Artificial Intelligence Across New York State
    Access to the computing resources that power AI systems requires significant investment, making it difficult to obtain. As a result, researchers, public interest organizations, and small companies are being left behind, which has enormous implications for AI safety and society at large. Empire AI is bridging this gap and accelerating the development of AI centered in the public interest for New York State. Enabling this pioneering AI research and development is also helping educational institutions nurture the next generation of talent that will create AI-focused technology startups, driving job growth.

    By increasing collaboration between New York State’s world-class research institutions, Empire AI is creating efficiencies of scale not achievable by any single university, empowering and attracting top notch faculty, expanding educational opportunity, and enabling responsible innovation that will significantly strengthen our state’s economy and our national security.

    The initiative is currently funded by over $500 million in public and private investment, including up to $340 million in State capital grant investment and $25 million over ten years in SUNY operating funding. The project will also receive more than $200 million from the founding institutions as well as philanthropic backers such as Tom Secunda and the Simons Foundation. Empire AI has positioned New York as the national model in responsible AI innovation, with its leading research institutions pioneering safe, equitable, and accessible AI research and development that is benefiting every corner of New York. For more information about Empire AI, visit empireai.edu.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Opening Remarks During Full Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Legislative Branch Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), delivered opening remarks at the House Appropriations Full Committee Markup of the Fiscal Year 2026 Legislative Branch Bill. Below is a video and transcript of his remarks:

    Click here to watch a full video of his remarks.

    “Thank you very much. I had comments in our markup, but I’m going to repeat some of them. The Legislative Branch is supposed to deliver, at least, for the Legislative Branch. This bill, however, is designed to deliver, in my view, for the Administration and its mission to consolidate the power of the federal government within the executive. That is clearly their objective and the articulated policy of the Office of Management and Budget. It does so, of course, at the expense of our Congress’s status as an independent, co-equal branch of government under the Constitution.

    “The Administration and many of my colleagues across the aisle talk a big lot about government efficiency and about the power of Congress, then why in heaven’s name do we back this bill’s 50% cut in the GAO? That nonpartisan, independent agency’s entire purpose is to ensure the Executive Branch is using federal funds efficiently and effectively and absent waste, fraud, and abuse, as the Congress intended. The GAO is currently conducting, as the Chairman has said, over 40 investigations into the White House’s efforts to illegally and unconstitutionally impound funds. My Republican colleagues, surely, that is not of interest of us, only if it is the other Administration. If that’s the case, then it is a empty power that we have in the Congress.

    “The GAO is the only entity – I appreciate that one of you is paying attention, because these are not partisan issues. This is about whether the Congress can act as it should, as it was designed to do, as democracy demands that it does. It’s the only entity capable of taking legal action to compel the Administration to spend impounded funds. This bill, astonishingly and wrongly, takes that power away from them. In other words, nobody can sue unless they’re personally affected. Taking that power away from the GAO and thus from the Congress and the American people. My Republican colleagues, the Congress is not a suggestion box. We are the Congress, we are the deciders, we are the ones who set policy. We are the one who appropriate money. Nothing can be spent unless we act. Don’t give that up lightly. This action, however, allows the President to divert or stop congressionally directed funding without accountability or legal consequences. Is that what you want? [It’s] very frustrating, two of you are now paying any attention to what I have to say. The rest of you are reading.

    “This isn’t about Democrats or Republicans. This is about the Congress of the United States. Since 1949, we’ve had 76 years. 40 of those years, Republicans have been presidents. 36 years, Democrats have been president and if you look at the record, it sort of passes back and forth. And in passing, bouncing back and forth, the perspectives change. If our guy is a Democrat or your guy is Republican, your perspective seems to change — both sides. But it ought not to change, because the power of the Congress makes this country unique in the world. And that is why, I suggest you, our democracy has survived since 1789. The oldest democracy in the world not by chance, but by design. Article One of the Constitution makes it clear that Congress has the power of the purse. All of you know that, all of you articulate that, all of you say that but we need to protect that power because power unprotected will be lost.

    “Chairman, can I have a little bit of leniency here. I’m trying not to speak… Okay. Thank you very much. I think we will rue this day on both sides of the aisle, depending upon whose president is in charge. So I have other things to say, but my time is up. But I would hope that you would look at this not from a partisan standpoint, but as a patriot. A patriot that believes that the Congress’s unique status in our government is what makes us a great democracy. I yield back.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Ninepoint Publishes 2025 Midyear Outlook for Investing

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ninepoint Partners LP (“Ninepoint”), one of Canada’s leading independent investment management firms, today released its 2025 Midyear Market Outlook, offering insights across key asset classes including fixed income, private equity, energy, gold, crypto and infrastructure.

    The report reflects on a volatile first half of the year, marked by macroeconomic uncertainty and the impact of U.S. tariffs, and looks ahead to what investors can expect in the second half of 2025 and beyond.

    “With growing trade tensions and so much uncertainty, investors are trying to make sense of a quickly changing world,” said James Fox, co-CEO and Managing Partner at Ninepoint Partners. “In this kind of environment, active portfolio management is critical. It helps investors understand where stability will come from, which sectors will benefit and how to position portfolios for both protection and growth in the second half of the year.”

    Key highlights from the report include:

    • Fixed Income: High-quality, short-duration bonds offer investors an attractive combination of yields and lower risk amid continued macroeconomic uncertainty.
    • Energy: The increased global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) poses a big opportunity for Canadian producers as the country builds out its LNG capacity and export infrastructure.
    • Gold: A sustained gold bull market, driven by central bank purchases and safe-haven demand, is expected to create significant investment opportunities in both major producers and exploration companies.
    • Infrastructure: As GDP growth picks up and monetary policies ease, infrastructure assets should benefit from higher utilization, stronger cash flow and improved performance in rate-sensitive sub-sectors.
    • Digital Assets: Demand for cryptoassets is expected to grow through the back half of the year driven by regulatory tailwinds, large-scale adoption by institutional players and the ongoing convergence of crypto and AI.

    To learn more, download the complete report here: Ninepoint 2025 Midyear Outlook.

    About Ninepoint Partners LP

    Based in Toronto, Ninepoint Partners LP is one of Canada’s leading independent investment management firms overseeing approximately $7 billion in assets under management and institutional contracts. Committed to helping investors explore innovative investment solutions that have the potential to enhance returns and manage portfolio risk, Ninepoint offers a diverse set of alternative strategies spanning Equities, Fixed Income, Alternative Income, Real Assets, F/X and Digital Assets.

    For more information on Ninepoint Partners LP, please visit www.ninepoint.com or for inquiries regarding the offering, please contact us at (416) 943-6707 or (866) 299-9906 or invest@ninepoint.com.

    Media Inquiries:
    Longacre Square Partners
    Andy Radia/Liz Shoemaker
    Ninepoint@longacresquare.com
    646-386-0091

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Ninepoint Publishes 2025 Midyear Outlook for Investing

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ninepoint Partners LP (“Ninepoint”), one of Canada’s leading independent investment management firms, today released its 2025 Midyear Market Outlook, offering insights across key asset classes including fixed income, private equity, energy, gold, crypto and infrastructure.

    The report reflects on a volatile first half of the year, marked by macroeconomic uncertainty and the impact of U.S. tariffs, and looks ahead to what investors can expect in the second half of 2025 and beyond.

    “With growing trade tensions and so much uncertainty, investors are trying to make sense of a quickly changing world,” said James Fox, co-CEO and Managing Partner at Ninepoint Partners. “In this kind of environment, active portfolio management is critical. It helps investors understand where stability will come from, which sectors will benefit and how to position portfolios for both protection and growth in the second half of the year.”

    Key highlights from the report include:

    • Fixed Income: High-quality, short-duration bonds offer investors an attractive combination of yields and lower risk amid continued macroeconomic uncertainty.
    • Energy: The increased global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) poses a big opportunity for Canadian producers as the country builds out its LNG capacity and export infrastructure.
    • Gold: A sustained gold bull market, driven by central bank purchases and safe-haven demand, is expected to create significant investment opportunities in both major producers and exploration companies.
    • Infrastructure: As GDP growth picks up and monetary policies ease, infrastructure assets should benefit from higher utilization, stronger cash flow and improved performance in rate-sensitive sub-sectors.
    • Digital Assets: Demand for cryptoassets is expected to grow through the back half of the year driven by regulatory tailwinds, large-scale adoption by institutional players and the ongoing convergence of crypto and AI.

    To learn more, download the complete report here: Ninepoint 2025 Midyear Outlook.

    About Ninepoint Partners LP

    Based in Toronto, Ninepoint Partners LP is one of Canada’s leading independent investment management firms overseeing approximately $7 billion in assets under management and institutional contracts. Committed to helping investors explore innovative investment solutions that have the potential to enhance returns and manage portfolio risk, Ninepoint offers a diverse set of alternative strategies spanning Equities, Fixed Income, Alternative Income, Real Assets, F/X and Digital Assets.

    For more information on Ninepoint Partners LP, please visit www.ninepoint.com or for inquiries regarding the offering, please contact us at (416) 943-6707 or (866) 299-9906 or invest@ninepoint.com.

    Media Inquiries:
    Longacre Square Partners
    Andy Radia/Liz Shoemaker
    Ninepoint@longacresquare.com
    646-386-0091

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Hosts Immigration Shadow Hearing on Trump’s Efforts to Erode Due Process

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, today hosted a Shadow Hearing titled Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Weaponization of Immigration Courts. This hearing examined the disturbing trend of broad efforts to erode access to legal services and due process in immigration proceedings, especially as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been targeting immigrants showing up for legal proceedings – following the requirements set for them by courts. 

    “Republicans like to talk about how they support immigrants who quote ‘do things the right way,’” said Jayapal. “Now that they control Congress and the White House, they should be putting their money where their mouth is and ensuring that the legal immigration process remains open to those who pursue it—but that’s not what’s happening. They have arrested people at their citizenship interviews, their check-in appointments with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and increasingly, at immigration court. These actions are a direct attack on the legal immigration system and the people who are trying to follow all the legal steps. These actions only serve to make the immigration system even more chaotic and unjust than it already is. Just when you think this administration cannot sink any lower, they get out a shovel and keep digging.”

    The witnesses at this hearing included The Honorable A. Ashley Tabaddor, a retired Immigration Judge, Azadeh Erfani the Director of Policy at the National Immigrant Justice Center, Bettina Rodriguez Schlegel, Chief of Staff at the Acacia Center for Justice, and Gillian Rowland-Kain, Interim Director of Programs at Immigrant ARC. 

    The Honorable A. Ashley Tabaddor, Immigration Judge (ret.) said, “Due process in a courtroom means that every part of the system functions fairly and in concert. That requires an independent judge, a level playing field, and a safe, accessible forum for all participants. Yet noncitizens have no right to appointed counsel—even in life-or-death matters. Now, the Trump administration claims that immigration judges are effectively at-will employees, directly undermining their independence. At the same time, immigration courts are being transformed into enforcement zones, deterring participation and eroding public trust. As a former judge, I can tell you: when even one part of the machine breaks—when judges are undermined, when legal support disappears, or fear keeps people from appearing—the entire system collapses. And when that happens, it doesn’t just fail immigrants. It fails all of us.”

    Azadeh Erfani, Director of Policy, National Immigrant Justice Center, said, “Nothing is off the table for ICE to meet Trump’s arrest quotas and build the largest mass detention system in recorded history. First, they took away all legal services so no one could represent themselves. Next, they raided the courts and took away access to judges. And lately, they have set traps at ICE check-in appointments, where individuals with pending cases trying to comply with their proceedings are shackled and disappeared into remote jails. As ICE tramples all semblance of due process and the rule of law, they are terrorizing our communities.”

    Bettina Rodriguez Schlegel, Chief of Staff, Acacia Center for Justice, said, “The Trump administration’s attacks on due process have upended the lives and futures of our families, neighbors, and friends. In addition to the profound impact on our communities, ending legal access programs has further exacerbated the limited capacity of the immigrant legal services field. Alongside our inspiring network of legal service provider partners, we will continue to fight for these lifesaving programs to be restored so that families, children, and adults aren’t forced to navigate our country’s increasingly dehumanizing immigration system alone.”

    Gillian Rowland-Kain, Interim Director of Programs, Immigrant ARC, said, “This is more than a policy shift. It’s a coordinated effort to sideline due process and deport people without giving them the opportunity to present their case. What should have been a space for due process is instead a site of fear. Masked and armed federal agents are arresting and intimidating people who attend court. Volunteers and attorneys are being surveilled. Every day, our members are in those courtrooms—often the only ones there to stand beside immigrants facing an unjust system. We will continue to do our work and to push back.”

    The hearing was attended by Representatives Judy Chu (CA-28), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Mark Takano (CA-39), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12).

    Issues: Immigration

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressional Prior Authorization Reform Leads Applaud New Prior Authorization Announcement

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

    Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Mike Kelly (PA-16), John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), and Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS) and Mark Warner (VA), co-leads of the bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, released the below joint statement following a series of commitments from some of the largest private health insurance companies to ease the Medicare Advantage prior authorization process.

    “We applaud these commitments, which aim to improve health care access for millions of Americans by easing the Medicare Advantage prior authorization process,” the lawmakers said. “We encourage our House and Senate colleagues to carry this momentum forward and to pass our life-changing legislation, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, to ensure this progress becomes law.”

    Under the announcement, participating health plans commit to:

    1. Standardize electronic prior authorization submissions using Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®)-based application programming interfaces.
    2. Reduce the volume of medical services subject to prior authorization by January 1, 2026.
    3. Honor existing authorizations during insurance transitions to ensure continuity of care.
    4. Enhance transparency and communication around authorization decisions and appeals.
    5. Expand real-time responses to minimize delays in care with real-time approvals for most requests by 2027.
    6. Ensure medical professionals review all clinical denials.

    In May 2025, the lawmakers reintroduced the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DelBene, Baldwin Resolution Marks June 26 as “Equality Day”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

    Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI) introduced a resolution to designate June 26 as “Equality Day.” The resolution commemorates the anniversary of three historic Supreme Court victories that have played a pivotal role in advancing LGBTQ+ equality.

    “In the face of active attacks and restrictive Supreme Court judgements, we must commemorate the monumental rulings that advanced LGBTQ+ equality over the past twenty-two years,” said DelBene. “By honoring our past victories, we remember why we fight for freedom and justice in the first place. There is much more work to be done. The violence and discrimination that LGBTQ+ Americans still face are why I continue fighting for the rights everyone deserves.”

    “Today, we honor the giants who came before us in the fight for a more equal country and celebrate the progress we have made. But, we cannot mistake our progress for victory,” said Baldwin. “Still, too many LGBTQ+ Americans face violence, harassment, and discrimination simply because of who they are and who they love. I will never stop fighting for a future where everyone has the freedom to live their true, authentic self and has an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

    Over the past two decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued three landmark rulings on June 26 that helped eliminate LGBTQ+ discrimination, affirm the dignity of same-sex couples and move our country toward a more perfect union:

    • Lawrence v. Texas (June 26, 2003). Twenty-two years ago, the Court ruled on June 26, that states could no longer criminalize the private intimate conduct of same-sex couples, invalidating hateful and discriminatory laws in more than a dozen states.
    • United States v. Windsor (June 26, 2013). Twelve years ago, the Court overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on June 26 and ruled that legally married same-sex couples deserve all of the rights, benefits and protections provided by marriage under federal law.
    • Obergefell v. Hodges (June 26, 2015). Ten years ago, the Court ruled on June 26, that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, putting the United States on the right side of history and ending marriage discrimination once and for all.

    Congresswoman DelBene and Senator Baldwin’s resolution is supported by the Congressional Equality Caucus and the Human Rights Campaign.

    A copy of the resolution can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson Joins the Megyn Kelly Show

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

    WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Speaker Johnson sat for a wide-ranging interview on the Megyn Kelly Show – his first appearance on the show.

    Watch the full interview here

    On the One Big Beautiful Bill benefitting hardworking Americans:

    in that first Trump administration, we had the greatest economy in the history of the world. Job participation rate was an all-time high. Poverty hit an all-time low. Wages rising for every demographic in America. We’re going to do that again, but this time on steroids, because this is a larger bill with more of those pro-growth policies, and everyone will feel it. We’re excited. The proof will be in the pudding.

    This bill is written for and geared to lower-and middle-income families. It is the opposite of what the Democrats were saying. In fact, people who make more than a million dollars are going to benefit least from the tax policies here. It’s geared for hardworking Americans. We’re the party of hardworking Americans and we will demonstrate that in what we do in our legislation. 

    On President Trump’s strength on the world stage:

    I genuinely believe that this is going to solve the problem, at least for the foreseeable future. And as long as Donald J. Trump is in the White House. Why? Because he has sent a message. You see our allies at the NATO summit. I mean, it’s like the Lion King, right? Donald Trump walks in and they all sort of bow again, America’s back. And let me tell you something, a strong America is good for everyone around the world, and they all know it. And that is peace through strength. That is the policy that we have always believed in. And it’s a core principle of the Republican party. Donald J. Trump knows how to use it.

    They have to believe that you are capable. And we are. We are the most capable military in the world, the most capable military in the history of mankind. We don’t want to use it. President Trump wants to be a peacetime president. He believes that, he doesn’t want us to be involved and nation building and interventional and you know, having wars around the globe, he wants to stop them. And every now and then, you have to show that that force is real. We did that. Everybody’s on notice, and the terrorist and tyrants around the globe are terrified. That’s the position we need them to be in.

    On Congressional Democrats still lacking a message or leader:

    I would like Jasmine Crockett to have the platform everywhere to talk all the time. She’s the best gift to us possible. I want her to be the face of the Democratic Party. She and AOC can lead them into oblivion. That’s fantastic. More Jasmine, okay? Because it puts on display what these people actually believe, where their party is headed. They have no leader. They have no platform that they can run on. All of their policies have been repudiated. All they have, they’re a one trick pony. All they can do is criticize Trump and the Republicans. And that’s not going to sell. Right?

    The reason we’re going to make history and win the midterms and grow the majority in the House, so we can do more of this good work, is because we’re going to demonstrate for all these new demographics of voters that came into our camp in 2024, that they made the right decision. They didn’t come reluctantly, Megan. We had a record number of Hispanic and Latino voters, black and African American voters, Jewish voters, union workers. They did not come to us reluctantly. They came with hopeful anticipation. Why? Because the woke progressive, crazy left, left them behind. This is not your father’s Democratic party. And Jasmine Crockett is a perfect illustration of that. And I want to turn her microphone up, let her talk every day. I want to bring her to the floor and just share her heart, because that helps us.

    On New Yorkers electing a socialist as Mayor:

    The best commentary was I think Ron DeSantis and Florida leaders were trolling New Yorkers saying, this is the best thing for property buyers in Palm Beach, Florida in history. Because more New Yorkers are going to move to states that exercise common sense, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and I hope they come to my state of Louisiana because it’s madness in New York City. What’s the problem there? I think these guys and AOC and those types, they figured out how to trigger these young, uninformed people using social media and these other avenues. And I guess a lot of common-sense voters are not going to the polls. This is dangerous stuff. And so this guy’s now the nominee of the Democratic Party. He is an open antisemite socialist. They will destroy New York City. It is a nightmare. So, I mean, hey, go vote for Eric Adams. Like, he’s the best alternative now. He’s going to be saving New York from this madness. And I hope they don’t do it.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Peters Reintroduces Resolution to Raise Awareness of Veterans’ Post-Traumatic Stress

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Scott Peters (D-CA-50) and Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI-1) reintroduced a resolution to reduce the stigma that prevents veterans and servicemembers from seeking mental health care. The resolution also encourages leadership of the Armed Forces to support appropriate treatment for servicemembers suffering from post-traumatic stress. The legislation would designate June as National Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) Awareness Month and June 27th as National PTS Awareness Day.

    “Ask servicemembers about their injuries, and they will likely show you the visible scars sustained from their service. What they are more reluctant to share are mental scars – the less visible but equally harmful injuries,” said Rep. Peters. “When 18 of our nation’s heroes die from suicide each day, it’s evident we must break the stigma associated with accessing mental health treatment and embolden our veterans to seek help when they need it.”

    “Our Nation has a duty to recognize and respond to the lasting impact of trauma on our Veterans and Service Members,” said Rep. Bergman. “I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan resolution recognizing June as National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month. Raising awareness is a crucial step toward breaking the stigma and ensuring our heroes get the care and support they’ve earned.”

    Read the full text of the resolution here.

    Background:

    Rep. Peters first introduced the bill during the 115th Congress with the late Rep. Walter Jones (NC-03) and has introduced the legislation in every Congress since. Rep. Peters previously served on the House Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees.

    Representative Peters authored the Veteran Peer Specialist Act, which expanded the peer support specialist pilot program at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It passed Congress and became law as part of the FY 2022 Omnibus Appropriations bill.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Read More (Steube and Hill Introduce RISE Act)

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

    June 26, 2025 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON —  U.S. Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and French Hill (R-Ark.) this week introduced the Revitalizing Investment, Savings, and Entrepreneurship (RISE) Act to reduce risk on capital investments in American industries by establishing a 15% cap on federal capital gains.“American businesses rely on investment to grow and thrive. Yet, our current tax code burdens entrepreneurs and start-ups by taxing federal long-term capital gains at nearly 24%, creating a costly barrier to investment,” said Rep. Steube. “Investing in America should never be a high-risk, expensive gamble. True long-term prosperity and economic security start when Washington unlocks more capital for U.S. industries. Our bill will cap the federal long-term capital gains tax rate at 15%, empowering investors to fuel economic growth and create good-paying American jobs.”“To build a stronger, more prosperous future, we need policies that unlock capital, reward risk-taking, and drive real growth for all Americans. That is exactly what the RISE Act delivers,” said Rep. Hill. “My bill restores the proven, bipartisan capital gains tax rate that encourages long-term investment in Main Street businesses and drives innovation across our country. With greater access to capital, startups can turn ideas into reality, small businesses will expand and hire, and hardworking Americans will have more opportunity and higher wages.”The RISE Act has the support of the National Taxpayers Union, National Venture Capital Association, and Americans for Tax Reform. Background:

    The RISE Act will establish a 15% cap on the federal long-term capital gains tax rate. Under current law, American investors pay nearly 24% in federal capital gains taxes—almost 5% more than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average. This includes the 3.8% Medicare surtax on estates, individuals, and trusts.
    Both Republicans and Democrats have endorsed lower tax rates on capital gains. Three successive administrations, two Democrat and one Republican, approved reduced top capital gains tax rates in 1997, 2003, and 2010.
    In 2012, the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation recognized that reducing taxes on capital gains provides investors with the resources necessary for “starting, building, and selling new businesses.” 

    Read the full bill here.

    MIL OSI USA News –