NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Estes Reacts to Social Security Trustees’ Report

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

    Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas), chair of the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, released the following statement after the Social Security Board of Trustees released its 2025 report.

    “It’s time to be honest about the health of our Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and not use the program or the trustees’ report for political gamesmanship,” said Chairman Estes. “While the most recent report shows a slight acceleration for insolvency, it’s not new, and it’s something I’ve been concerned about for years. Republicans and Democrats agree that we need to protect and strengthen Social Security, but we can only do so in a responsible manner that safeguards it for current, near and future retirees when we don’t use Social Security as a political weapon.”

    Background
     The report, released on June 18, 2025, highlighted the strength of the Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund, which will remain solvent and pay 100% of benefits through at least 2099, one year longer than the last report projected. Meanwhile, the report noted that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund would only remain solvent to pay 100% of benefits through 2033, three-quarters of a year earlier than the previous report’s projection, which was also in 2033. Chairman Estes has committed to focusing on improving Social Security customer service and processes, as well as strengthening the program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement from Governor Phil Scott on Juneteenth

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement:

    “On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Lincoln proclaimed all enslaved people in the Confederacy, “henceforth and forever free,” Union soldiers finally made their way to Texas to deliver the news to nearly 250,000 American slaves that the war was over, the south had lost, that each of them were now free.

    “We celebrate Juneteenth as the end of slavery in America, but more importantly, we mark this day because we understand that equality is not created with the sweep of a pen and that we must never stop fighting for true equality and freedom for all, each and every day.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall, Warnock, & Gallego Introduce Legislation Promoting Fatherhood Engagement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined Senators Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia) and Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) introduced The Dads Matter Act of 2025, which would direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to raise awareness about father inclusion and engagement and to provide state-level guidance aimed at strengthening the role of fathers in supporting healthy mothers and babies.
    “As an OBGYN for more than 25 years, I know firsthand the challenges facing mothers, and how important a stable support system can be to both pediatric and maternal health outcomes,” said Senator Marshall. “Fathers play such a critical role in their households, and I am proud to support legislation that champions their role as providers, spouses, and caregivers.”
    “Georgia’s maternal mortality rate is a crisis that we must address with every tool at our disposal. That includes redoubling our efforts to uplift the role of fathers in keeping their family healthy during pregnancy and early childhood,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “Now is the time to spread awareness about the critical role of fathers in improving maternal health outcomes and creating thriving families and communities.” 
    “Too many women in Arizona die from pregnancy-related causes. This bill helps reverse this trend by recognizing that engaged fathers are part of the solution,” said Senator Gallego. When dads show up, maternal health outcomes are better, babies are healthier, and families are stronger.”
    The Dads Matter Act of 2025 would also direct HHS to issue guidance to states to incentivize maternity care providers to offer training and education to health care professionals about the benefits of including and engaging fathers in the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum process. Additionally, it would direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to submit a report to Congress that describes the results and effectiveness of this legislation. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall & Baldwin Introduce Bill to Strengthen Rail Supply & Improve Freight Rail Services for American Farmers & Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) in reintroducing the Reliable Rail Service Act, which addresses unreliable service and high rail shipping costs for farmers and manufacturers and aims to strengthen our rail supply chains. It ensures major freight railroads deliver reliable service at reasonable rates, enabling American businesses to get products to market more efficiently.
    “Kansas’s farmers and ranchers depend upon reliable transport of their world-class goods to the rest of the country, and Class 1 railroads are not meeting expectations – this is a disservice to hard-working Kansans,” said Senator Marshall. “This bill lays out reasonable requirements for rail carriers to meet these important obligations, and I look forward to working with Senator Baldwin on getting this to the finish line.”
    “Across the Badger State, our farmers, small businesses, and manufacturers rely on rail service to get their products to market and make ends meet,” said Senator Baldwin. “But when rail service is unreliable, it puts their livelihoods on the line, disrupts supply chains, and drives up costs for hardworking Wisconsin families. That’s why I am proud to work with my Republican colleague to once again introduce our Reliable Rail Service Act and help level the playing field for Wisconsin workers, grow our Made in Wisconsin economy, and keep costs down for consumers.”
    The Reliable Rail Service Act is supported by members of the agricultural industry, labor organizations, energy producers, and manufacturers who know firsthand how poor service, significant disruptions, and sky-high prices are impacting their businesses and prices for consumers.
    Click here to read the full text of the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall & Baldwin Introduce Bill to Strengthen Rail Supply & Improve Freight Rail Services for American Farmers & Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) in reintroducing the Reliable Rail Service Act, which addresses unreliable service and high rail shipping costs for farmers and manufacturers and aims to strengthen our rail supply chains. It ensures major freight railroads deliver reliable service at reasonable rates, enabling American businesses to get products to market more efficiently.
    “Kansas’s farmers and ranchers depend upon reliable transport of their world-class goods to the rest of the country, and Class 1 railroads are not meeting expectations – this is a disservice to hard-working Kansans,” said Senator Marshall. “This bill lays out reasonable requirements for rail carriers to meet these important obligations, and I look forward to working with Senator Baldwin on getting this to the finish line.”
    “Across the Badger State, our farmers, small businesses, and manufacturers rely on rail service to get their products to market and make ends meet,” said Senator Baldwin. “But when rail service is unreliable, it puts their livelihoods on the line, disrupts supply chains, and drives up costs for hardworking Wisconsin families. That’s why I am proud to work with my Republican colleague to once again introduce our Reliable Rail Service Act and help level the playing field for Wisconsin workers, grow our Made in Wisconsin economy, and keep costs down for consumers.”
    The Reliable Rail Service Act is supported by members of the agricultural industry, labor organizations, energy producers, and manufacturers who know firsthand how poor service, significant disruptions, and sky-high prices are impacting their businesses and prices for consumers.
    Click here to read the full text of the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall & Baldwin Introduce Bill to Strengthen Rail Supply & Improve Freight Rail Services for American Farmers & Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) in reintroducing the Reliable Rail Service Act, which addresses unreliable service and high rail shipping costs for farmers and manufacturers and aims to strengthen our rail supply chains. It ensures major freight railroads deliver reliable service at reasonable rates, enabling American businesses to get products to market more efficiently.
    “Kansas’s farmers and ranchers depend upon reliable transport of their world-class goods to the rest of the country, and Class 1 railroads are not meeting expectations – this is a disservice to hard-working Kansans,” said Senator Marshall. “This bill lays out reasonable requirements for rail carriers to meet these important obligations, and I look forward to working with Senator Baldwin on getting this to the finish line.”
    “Across the Badger State, our farmers, small businesses, and manufacturers rely on rail service to get their products to market and make ends meet,” said Senator Baldwin. “But when rail service is unreliable, it puts their livelihoods on the line, disrupts supply chains, and drives up costs for hardworking Wisconsin families. That’s why I am proud to work with my Republican colleague to once again introduce our Reliable Rail Service Act and help level the playing field for Wisconsin workers, grow our Made in Wisconsin economy, and keep costs down for consumers.”
    The Reliable Rail Service Act is supported by members of the agricultural industry, labor organizations, energy producers, and manufacturers who know firsthand how poor service, significant disruptions, and sky-high prices are impacting their businesses and prices for consumers.
    Click here to read the full text of the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall’s Office Offers Assistance to Kansans in Israel

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    SALINA, KS – On Thursday, Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) announced his office’s assistance in helping any Kansan in Israel safely evacuate to the U.S. The Senator’s office has previously helped Americans safely evacuate. 
    “My office has successfully helped Americans escape from other, dangerous situations in foreign nations, and we stand ready to do the same in Israel,” Senator Marshall said.
    Any Kansans with family or loved ones in Israel are asked to email EvacHelp@marshall.senate.gov or call (785)829-9000.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall’s Office Offers Assistance to Kansans in Israel

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    SALINA, KS – On Thursday, Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) announced his office’s assistance in helping any Kansan in Israel safely evacuate to the U.S. The Senator’s office has previously helped Americans safely evacuate. 
    “My office has successfully helped Americans escape from other, dangerous situations in foreign nations, and we stand ready to do the same in Israel,” Senator Marshall said.
    Any Kansans with family or loved ones in Israel are asked to email EvacHelp@marshall.senate.gov or call (785)829-9000.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Timor-Leste kicks off negotiations to join Government Procurement Agreement

    Source: World Trade Organization

    Ambassador Antonio Da Conceicao of Timor-Leste stated to the Committee: “Joining the Government Procurement Agreement is part of a broader national strategy to strengthen good governance, align with international standards and support our successful integration into the global economy. “

    Timor-Leste as part of its accession to the WTO committed to submitting an initial market access offer in its GPA accession negotiation in August of this year.

    The Committee also discussed the well-advanced accession negotiations of Albania and Costa Rica. Both members submitted their “final” market access offers earlier this year and will continue to engage with GPA parties, with a view to finalizing their accession processes as soon as possible. China’s accession negotiation was also discussed.

    The Committee also welcomed Guatemala as its 37th observer. 

     e-GPA Notification System launched

    The Committee noted that the e-GPA Notification System, launched on 16 June, marks a milestone in the digital transformation of Committee work. It will facilitate GPA parties’ compliance with their transparency obligations under the Agreement.

    The system enables the online submission of notifications required under the GPA 2012 (e.g. on government procurement statistics, procurement thresholds in national currencies, national implementing legislation, etc.) and related communications by GPA parties to the Committee.

    Background

    The GPA 2012 is a plurilateral agreement that aims to open government procurement markets among its parties on a reciprocal basis and to the extent agreed between GPA parties. It also aims to make government procurement more transparent and to promote good governance.

    The Agreement currently has 22 parties, covering 49 WTO members, including the European Union and its 27 member states (counted as one party). While open to all WTO members, it is binding only for those members that have acceded to it. The list of current GPA parties can be found here.

    Reciprocal market opening assists GPA parties in purchasing goods and services that offer the best value for money. The Agreement provides legal guarantees of non-discrimination for the goods, services and suppliers of GPA parties in covered procurement activities, which are worth an estimated USD 1.7 trillion annually. Government procurement typically accounts for about 15 per cent of developed and developing economies’ GDP. 

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    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Climbing high for the North American Cup Series

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Catholic school board’s regressive flag policy sets back reconciliation in a post-Papal visit Canada

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Erenna Morrison, PhD Candidate, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

    Following the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action in 2015, some Catholic school boards have made commitments to reconciliation in education. These boards include the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB).

    However, the DPCDSB — located in the Greater Toronto area — has also introduced a flag policy that raises serious questions about a commitment to the wider progress being made in welcoming all students and promoting reconciliation.

    On Jan. 28, 2025 — following advocacy in different parts of Ontario and the country against the presence of the Pride flag — the board’s trustees voted in nine to one to add more restrictions to its flag policies. These restrictions stipulated that only flags representing Canada, the provinces, territories and the school board can be be displayed inside schools or other DPCDSB facilities.

    Acts of erasure

    The developments in Peel Region follow earlier policy changes to restrict the presence of the Pride flag and other flags at schools.

    Advocates from the board defending flag restrictions have said that in Catholic schools, the icon of the cross is the only symbol that should be promoted and that this represents inclusion and acceptance of all.

    However, members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and opponents of restrictive flag policies argue that the Pride flag is needed to signal a welcoming environment. They say its removal is an act of erasure and that it calls into question how the board affirms the rights, dignity and visibility of 2SLGBTQI+ people and how it fosters their safety. The board says, and believes, its practices and policies comply with the Ontario human rights code, adding that supports are available for students who identify as 2SLGBTQI.

    The erasure of the Pride flag has the simultaneous effect of banning other important flags, such as Every Child Matters flags, Indigenous Nation flags and MMIWG2S flags (drawing attention to ending violence, disappearance and murder of First Nations women, girls and two-spirit people).

    In our analysis, this restrictive flag policy expresses colonial violence. We rely on the work of Sandra Styres, researcher of Iethi’nihsténha Ohwentsia’kékha (Land), Resurgence, Reconciliation and the Politics of Education, who examines how colonial violence is expressed in academic settings through “micro-aggressions, purposeful ignorance, structural racism, lateral violence, isolation” and also in “representations and spaces.”

    Crucial time for righting relationships

    Our concern is informed by our combined research and personal engagement focused around reconciliatory education in elementary Catholic schools (Erenna) and Anishinaabe Catholic expressions of self-determination in the Church (Noah). Erenna is a settler and Noah is a member of Michipicoten First Nation.

    We are married writing partners who travelled to Québec City in July 2022 to witness the long-awaited penitential pilgrimage of the late Pope Francis. We left with an awareness that this is a critical time for the righting of relationships that have been severely fractured by a Church complicit in genocide.

    The DPCDSB flag policy speaks to an unwillingness of many to sever emotional attachments to the white imperialism that preserves a western way of thinking, doing and being, in the name of faith.

    When a major Catholic entity like the DPCDSB introduces policies that may cause harm, concerned people, regardless of creed, must pay attention to such injustices.

    Revised flag policy

    Delegate Melanie Cormier, representing the DPCSB’s Indigenous Education Network, shared a statement relaying that the board’s restrictive flag policy fails to acknowledge the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation whose traditional and treaty territory where the board resides. She states: “Your flag policy is in violation of our jurisdiction. To say that any of our flags can not be flown in our own territories is unacceptable.”

    Brea Corbet, the only trustee with voting power who did not vote to restrict the Pride flag, told an earlier bylaw policies meeting: “When we remove rainbow flags and heritage flags, we are not protecting our Catholic identity; we are revealing institutional fragility. The Pride flag does not threaten Catholic education, policies of exclusion do.”

    Three student trustees also opposed the restrictive policy, but their votes unfortunately aren’t counted. We argue this too speaks to the suppression of student voice within the board.

    This fragility disproportionately threatens the safety of Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+ and marginalized students and staff as they are overlooked and dismissed by the flag policy.



    Read more:
    New Brunswick’s LGBTQ+ safe schools debate makes false opponents of parents and teachers

    Nurturing all students

    Kanienʼkehá:ka (Mohawk) education professor Frank Deer speaks of educational programming “that is congruent with the identity of the local community.” This programming, he writes, must go beyond curricula to address the school environment as well. Student safety, inclusion and identity affirmation must be prioritized in all aspects of school life.

    Jennifer Brant, a Kanienʼkehà:ka interdisciplinary scholar, speaks in depth about how silence during times like these equates to complicity in accepting injustices that are taking place within “the communities in which we live, the broader society and global communities.”

    Inaction in response to this policy is negligent.

    Detrimental ramifications may also extend to reconciliation efforts in religious spaces more generally. This regressive policy poses lingering questions about the longevity of Catholic schools if they fail to protect and nurture all students.

    Impacts on reconciliation

    The primary target of the DPCDSB’s sweeping flag policy is the 2SLGBTQI+ community. In addition, the flag ban attacks Indigenous sovereignty and Anishinaabek nationhood, perpetuating attitudes tied to the Doctrine of Discovery still present in the Catholic ethos.



    Read more:
    The Vatican just renounced a 500-year-old doctrine that justified colonial land theft … Now what? — Podcast

    Flying the flags of First Nations (at their request) is not only a matter of inclusion, it is a matter of respect — respect for the land, the people and the treaties that connect us.

    In denying this step towards relationality, this governing body of a Catholic school board sets back the Church’s reconciliation efforts riding on the momentum of the papal visit.



    Read more:
    Pope Francis showed in deeds and words he wanted to face the truth in Canada

    The board’s ignorance of how this policy risks damaging relationships with students, families and staff at the board, as well as the broader public, partly reflects an indifference that Pope Francis warned Catholics about during his visit:

    “I trust and pray that Christians and civil society in this land may grow in the ability to accept and respect the identity and the experience of the Indigenous Peoples. It is my hope that concrete ways can be found to make those peoples better known and esteemed, so that all may learn to walk together.”

    Walking together in solidarity

    As we write this piece, we can see through the window a local Toronto Catholic Distric School Board elementary school, where an Every Child Matters flag is flown alongside a Pride and Canadian flag.

    Catholic education, despite its sordid history and contested perspectives about interpreting and practising Church doctrine, can be a tool to drive reconciliation.

    Catholics cannot let a narrow vision overshadow Pope Francis’s pilgrimage and the global Church movement he, the Church’s bishops and Catholic lay people have participated in — via a global synod — to respond to the call to walk together in solidarity with Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+ and other marginalized people.

    Counter-narratives of hope and possibility

    We wish to continue to hear counter-narratives of hope and possibility for Catholic education. We wish to see active changes that move the DPCDSB, as scholar Sheila Cote-Meek of the Teme-Augama Anishinabai, writes, “to a drastically different way of being, doing and working.”

    As other Catholic boards in Ontario initiate flag debates of their own, we are left with the lingering question. What is the future of Catholic education if it’s not intended to support the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being of all those entrusted to its care?

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Catholic school board’s regressive flag policy sets back reconciliation in a post-Papal visit Canada – https://theconversation.com/catholic-school-boards-regressive-flag-policy-sets-back-reconciliation-in-a-post-papal-visit-canada-256765

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Catholic school board’s regressive flag policy sets back reconciliation in a post-Papal visit Canada

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Erenna Morrison, PhD Candidate, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

    Following the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action in 2015, some Catholic school boards have made commitments to reconciliation in education. These boards include the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB).

    However, the DPCDSB — located in the Greater Toronto area — has also introduced a flag policy that raises serious questions about a commitment to the wider progress being made in welcoming all students and promoting reconciliation.

    On Jan. 28, 2025 — following advocacy in different parts of Ontario and the country against the presence of the Pride flag — the board’s trustees voted in nine to one to add more restrictions to its flag policies. These restrictions stipulated that only flags representing Canada, the provinces, territories and the school board can be be displayed inside schools or other DPCDSB facilities.

    Acts of erasure

    The developments in Peel Region follow earlier policy changes to restrict the presence of the Pride flag and other flags at schools.

    Advocates from the board defending flag restrictions have said that in Catholic schools, the icon of the cross is the only symbol that should be promoted and that this represents inclusion and acceptance of all.

    However, members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and opponents of restrictive flag policies argue that the Pride flag is needed to signal a welcoming environment. They say its removal is an act of erasure and that it calls into question how the board affirms the rights, dignity and visibility of 2SLGBTQI+ people and how it fosters their safety. The board says, and believes, its practices and policies comply with the Ontario human rights code, adding that supports are available for students who identify as 2SLGBTQI.

    The erasure of the Pride flag has the simultaneous effect of banning other important flags, such as Every Child Matters flags, Indigenous Nation flags and MMIWG2S flags (drawing attention to ending violence, disappearance and murder of First Nations women, girls and two-spirit people).

    In our analysis, this restrictive flag policy expresses colonial violence. We rely on the work of Sandra Styres, researcher of Iethi’nihsténha Ohwentsia’kékha (Land), Resurgence, Reconciliation and the Politics of Education, who examines how colonial violence is expressed in academic settings through “micro-aggressions, purposeful ignorance, structural racism, lateral violence, isolation” and also in “representations and spaces.”

    Crucial time for righting relationships

    Our concern is informed by our combined research and personal engagement focused around reconciliatory education in elementary Catholic schools (Erenna) and Anishinaabe Catholic expressions of self-determination in the Church (Noah). Erenna is a settler and Noah is a member of Michipicoten First Nation.

    We are married writing partners who travelled to Québec City in July 2022 to witness the long-awaited penitential pilgrimage of the late Pope Francis. We left with an awareness that this is a critical time for the righting of relationships that have been severely fractured by a Church complicit in genocide.

    The DPCDSB flag policy speaks to an unwillingness of many to sever emotional attachments to the white imperialism that preserves a western way of thinking, doing and being, in the name of faith.

    When a major Catholic entity like the DPCDSB introduces policies that may cause harm, concerned people, regardless of creed, must pay attention to such injustices.

    Revised flag policy

    Delegate Melanie Cormier, representing the DPCSB’s Indigenous Education Network, shared a statement relaying that the board’s restrictive flag policy fails to acknowledge the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation whose traditional and treaty territory where the board resides. She states: “Your flag policy is in violation of our jurisdiction. To say that any of our flags can not be flown in our own territories is unacceptable.”

    Brea Corbet, the only trustee with voting power who did not vote to restrict the Pride flag, told an earlier bylaw policies meeting: “When we remove rainbow flags and heritage flags, we are not protecting our Catholic identity; we are revealing institutional fragility. The Pride flag does not threaten Catholic education, policies of exclusion do.”

    Three student trustees also opposed the restrictive policy, but their votes unfortunately aren’t counted. We argue this too speaks to the suppression of student voice within the board.

    This fragility disproportionately threatens the safety of Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+ and marginalized students and staff as they are overlooked and dismissed by the flag policy.



    Read more:
    New Brunswick’s LGBTQ+ safe schools debate makes false opponents of parents and teachers

    Nurturing all students

    Kanienʼkehá:ka (Mohawk) education professor Frank Deer speaks of educational programming “that is congruent with the identity of the local community.” This programming, he writes, must go beyond curricula to address the school environment as well. Student safety, inclusion and identity affirmation must be prioritized in all aspects of school life.

    Jennifer Brant, a Kanienʼkehà:ka interdisciplinary scholar, speaks in depth about how silence during times like these equates to complicity in accepting injustices that are taking place within “the communities in which we live, the broader society and global communities.”

    Inaction in response to this policy is negligent.

    Detrimental ramifications may also extend to reconciliation efforts in religious spaces more generally. This regressive policy poses lingering questions about the longevity of Catholic schools if they fail to protect and nurture all students.

    Impacts on reconciliation

    The primary target of the DPCDSB’s sweeping flag policy is the 2SLGBTQI+ community. In addition, the flag ban attacks Indigenous sovereignty and Anishinaabek nationhood, perpetuating attitudes tied to the Doctrine of Discovery still present in the Catholic ethos.



    Read more:
    The Vatican just renounced a 500-year-old doctrine that justified colonial land theft … Now what? — Podcast

    Flying the flags of First Nations (at their request) is not only a matter of inclusion, it is a matter of respect — respect for the land, the people and the treaties that connect us.

    In denying this step towards relationality, this governing body of a Catholic school board sets back the Church’s reconciliation efforts riding on the momentum of the papal visit.



    Read more:
    Pope Francis showed in deeds and words he wanted to face the truth in Canada

    The board’s ignorance of how this policy risks damaging relationships with students, families and staff at the board, as well as the broader public, partly reflects an indifference that Pope Francis warned Catholics about during his visit:

    “I trust and pray that Christians and civil society in this land may grow in the ability to accept and respect the identity and the experience of the Indigenous Peoples. It is my hope that concrete ways can be found to make those peoples better known and esteemed, so that all may learn to walk together.”

    Walking together in solidarity

    As we write this piece, we can see through the window a local Toronto Catholic Distric School Board elementary school, where an Every Child Matters flag is flown alongside a Pride and Canadian flag.

    Catholic education, despite its sordid history and contested perspectives about interpreting and practising Church doctrine, can be a tool to drive reconciliation.

    Catholics cannot let a narrow vision overshadow Pope Francis’s pilgrimage and the global Church movement he, the Church’s bishops and Catholic lay people have participated in — via a global synod — to respond to the call to walk together in solidarity with Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+ and other marginalized people.

    Counter-narratives of hope and possibility

    We wish to continue to hear counter-narratives of hope and possibility for Catholic education. We wish to see active changes that move the DPCDSB, as scholar Sheila Cote-Meek of the Teme-Augama Anishinabai, writes, “to a drastically different way of being, doing and working.”

    As other Catholic boards in Ontario initiate flag debates of their own, we are left with the lingering question. What is the future of Catholic education if it’s not intended to support the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being of all those entrusted to its care?

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Catholic school board’s regressive flag policy sets back reconciliation in a post-Papal visit Canada – https://theconversation.com/catholic-school-boards-regressive-flag-policy-sets-back-reconciliation-in-a-post-papal-visit-canada-256765

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Light-powered reactions could make the chemical manufacturing industry more energy-efficient

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Arindam Sau, Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder

    Plants use light to make energy – and a team of scientists is using the same principle to power chemical reactions. fhm/Moment via Getty Images

    Manufactured chemicals and materials are necessary for practically every aspect of daily life, from life-saving pharmaceuticals to plastics, fuels and fertilizers. Yet manufacturing these important chemicals comes at a steep energy cost.

    Many of these industrial chemicals are derived primarily from fossil fuel-based materials. These compounds are typically very stable, making it difficult to transform them into useful products without applying harsh and energy-demanding reaction conditions.

    As a result, transforming these stubborn materials contributes significantly to the world’s overall energy use. In 2022, the industrial sector consumed 37% of the world’s total energy, with the chemical industry responsible for approximately 12% of that demand.

    Conventional chemical manufacturing processes use heat to generate the energy needed for reactions that take place at high temperatures and pressures. An approach that uses light instead of heat could lower energy demands and allow reactions to be run under gentler conditions — like at room temperature instead of extreme heat.

    Sunlight represents one of the most abundant yet underutilized energy sources on Earth. In nature, this energy is captured through photosynthesis, where plants convert light into chemical energy. Inspired by this process, our team of chemists at the Center for Sustainable Photoredox Catalysis, a research center funded by the National Science Foundation, has been working on a system that uses light to power reactions commonly used in the chemical manufacturing industry. We published our results in the journal Science in June 2025.

    We hope that this method could provide a more economical route for creating industrial chemicals out of fossil fuels. At the same time, since it doesn’t rely on super-high temperatures or pressures, the process is safer, with fewer chances for accidents.

    Plants capture sunlight to convert carbon dioxide from the air into carbohydrates, or sugars.
    Wattcle, Nefronus/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    How does our system work?

    The photoredox catalyst system that our team has developed is powered by simple LEDs, and it operates efficiently at room temperature.

    At the core of our system is an organic photoredox catalyst: a specialized molecule that we know accelerates chemical reactions when exposed to light, without being consumed in the process.

    Much like how plants rely on pigments to harvest sunlight for photosynthesis, our photoredox catalyst absorbs multiple particles of light, called photons, in a sequence.

    These photons provide bursts of energy, which the catalyst stores and then uses to kick-start reactions. This “multi-photon” harvesting builds up enough energy to force very stubborn molecules into undergoing reactions that would otherwise need highly reactive metals. Once the reaction is complete, the photocatalyst resets itself, ready to harvest more light and keep the process going without creating extra waste.

    Designing molecules that can absorb multiple photons and react with stubborn molecules is tough. One big challenge is that after a molecule absorbs a photon, it only has a tiny window of time before that energy fades away or gets lost. Plus, making sure the molecule uses that energy the right way is not easy. The good news is we’ve found that our catalyst can do this efficiently at room temperature.

    Center for Sustainable Photoredox Catalysis researcher Amreen Bains performs a light-driven photoredox catalyzed reaction.
    John Cline, Colorado State University Photography

    Enabling greener chemical manufacturing

    Our work points toward a future where chemicals are made using light instead of heat. For example, our catalyst can turn benzene — a simple component of crude oil — into a form called cyclohexadienes. This is a key step in making the building blocks for nylon. Improving this part of the process could reduce the carbon footprint of nylon production.

    Imagine manufacturers using LED reactors or even sunlight to power the production of essential chemicals. LEDs still use electricity, but they need far less energy compared with the traditional heating methods used in chemical manufacturing. As we scale things up, we’re also figuring out ways to harness sunlight directly, making the entire process even more sustainable and energy-efficient.

    Right now, we’re using our photoredox catalysts successfully in small lab experiments — producing just milligrams at a time. But to move into commercial manufacturing, we’ll need to show that these catalysts can also work efficiently at a much larger scale, making kilograms or even tons of product. Testing them in these bigger reactions will ensure that they’re reliable and cost-effective enough for real-world chemical manufacturing.

    Similarly, scaling up this process would require large-scale reactors that use light efficiently. Building those will first require designing new types of reactors that let light reach deeper inside. They’ll need to be more transparent or built differently so the light can easily get to all parts of the reaction.

    Our team plans to keep developing new light-driven techniques inspired by nature’s efficiency. Sunlight is a plentiful resource, and by finding better ways to tap into it, we hope to make it easier and cleaner to produce the chemicals and materials that modern life depends on.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Light-powered reactions could make the chemical manufacturing industry more energy-efficient – https://theconversation.com/light-powered-reactions-could-make-the-chemical-manufacturing-industry-more-energy-efficient-257796

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Light-powered reactions could make the chemical manufacturing industry more energy-efficient

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Arindam Sau, Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder

    Plants use light to make energy – and a team of scientists is using the same principle to power chemical reactions. fhm/Moment via Getty Images

    Manufactured chemicals and materials are necessary for practically every aspect of daily life, from life-saving pharmaceuticals to plastics, fuels and fertilizers. Yet manufacturing these important chemicals comes at a steep energy cost.

    Many of these industrial chemicals are derived primarily from fossil fuel-based materials. These compounds are typically very stable, making it difficult to transform them into useful products without applying harsh and energy-demanding reaction conditions.

    As a result, transforming these stubborn materials contributes significantly to the world’s overall energy use. In 2022, the industrial sector consumed 37% of the world’s total energy, with the chemical industry responsible for approximately 12% of that demand.

    Conventional chemical manufacturing processes use heat to generate the energy needed for reactions that take place at high temperatures and pressures. An approach that uses light instead of heat could lower energy demands and allow reactions to be run under gentler conditions — like at room temperature instead of extreme heat.

    Sunlight represents one of the most abundant yet underutilized energy sources on Earth. In nature, this energy is captured through photosynthesis, where plants convert light into chemical energy. Inspired by this process, our team of chemists at the Center for Sustainable Photoredox Catalysis, a research center funded by the National Science Foundation, has been working on a system that uses light to power reactions commonly used in the chemical manufacturing industry. We published our results in the journal Science in June 2025.

    We hope that this method could provide a more economical route for creating industrial chemicals out of fossil fuels. At the same time, since it doesn’t rely on super-high temperatures or pressures, the process is safer, with fewer chances for accidents.

    Plants capture sunlight to convert carbon dioxide from the air into carbohydrates, or sugars.
    Wattcle, Nefronus/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    How does our system work?

    The photoredox catalyst system that our team has developed is powered by simple LEDs, and it operates efficiently at room temperature.

    At the core of our system is an organic photoredox catalyst: a specialized molecule that we know accelerates chemical reactions when exposed to light, without being consumed in the process.

    Much like how plants rely on pigments to harvest sunlight for photosynthesis, our photoredox catalyst absorbs multiple particles of light, called photons, in a sequence.

    These photons provide bursts of energy, which the catalyst stores and then uses to kick-start reactions. This “multi-photon” harvesting builds up enough energy to force very stubborn molecules into undergoing reactions that would otherwise need highly reactive metals. Once the reaction is complete, the photocatalyst resets itself, ready to harvest more light and keep the process going without creating extra waste.

    Designing molecules that can absorb multiple photons and react with stubborn molecules is tough. One big challenge is that after a molecule absorbs a photon, it only has a tiny window of time before that energy fades away or gets lost. Plus, making sure the molecule uses that energy the right way is not easy. The good news is we’ve found that our catalyst can do this efficiently at room temperature.

    Center for Sustainable Photoredox Catalysis researcher Amreen Bains performs a light-driven photoredox catalyzed reaction.
    John Cline, Colorado State University Photography

    Enabling greener chemical manufacturing

    Our work points toward a future where chemicals are made using light instead of heat. For example, our catalyst can turn benzene — a simple component of crude oil — into a form called cyclohexadienes. This is a key step in making the building blocks for nylon. Improving this part of the process could reduce the carbon footprint of nylon production.

    Imagine manufacturers using LED reactors or even sunlight to power the production of essential chemicals. LEDs still use electricity, but they need far less energy compared with the traditional heating methods used in chemical manufacturing. As we scale things up, we’re also figuring out ways to harness sunlight directly, making the entire process even more sustainable and energy-efficient.

    Right now, we’re using our photoredox catalysts successfully in small lab experiments — producing just milligrams at a time. But to move into commercial manufacturing, we’ll need to show that these catalysts can also work efficiently at a much larger scale, making kilograms or even tons of product. Testing them in these bigger reactions will ensure that they’re reliable and cost-effective enough for real-world chemical manufacturing.

    Similarly, scaling up this process would require large-scale reactors that use light efficiently. Building those will first require designing new types of reactors that let light reach deeper inside. They’ll need to be more transparent or built differently so the light can easily get to all parts of the reaction.

    Our team plans to keep developing new light-driven techniques inspired by nature’s efficiency. Sunlight is a plentiful resource, and by finding better ways to tap into it, we hope to make it easier and cleaner to produce the chemicals and materials that modern life depends on.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Light-powered reactions could make the chemical manufacturing industry more energy-efficient – https://theconversation.com/light-powered-reactions-could-make-the-chemical-manufacturing-industry-more-energy-efficient-257796

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Plenary round-up – June 2025 – 19-06-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    One focus of the June 2025 plenary session was the situation in the Middle East, with Members debating statements from Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, on the risk of further instability in the Middle East following the Israel-Iran military escalation, and the review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan addressed Parliament in a formal sitting, and spoke in particular on the implications of the crisis in the Middle East. Members held further debates on international questions, including debating with Kallas on the upcoming NATO summit, on 24-26 June 2025. They also debated the human cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the urgent need to end Russian aggression, the rise in violence and the deepening humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, and the assassination attempt on Senator Miguel Uribe and the threat to the democratic process and peace in Colombia. Inside the EU, Members debated the state of play on illegal use of spyware and the follow-up two years after the PEGA inquiry committee recommendations, freedom of assembly in Hungary and the need for the Commission to act, safeguarding the rule of law in Spain, the institutional and political implications of the EU enlargement process, and the latest developments on the revision of the air passenger rights and airline liability regulations. Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, opened the session with a statement marking the 40th anniversary of the Schengen Area agreement.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Qatar Calls for Real Measures to Support Peaceful Settlement of Palestinian Cause in Accordance with International Legitimacy Resolutions

    Source: Government of Qatar

    New York, June 19, 2025

    The State of Qatar called for taking real measures to support the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian cause in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the principle of the two-state solution, and ensuring the establishment of a Palestinian state, while affirming the right of the sisterly State of Palestine to full membership in the United Nations. 

    Qatar also expressed aspiration for the resumption of the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, chaired by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic, which represents an opportunity to take collective steps towards supporting this solution and achieving sustainable security and peace regionally and internationally.

    This came in a statement delivered by HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani before the resumed tenth emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Palestine, at the UN headquarters in New York.

    Her Excellency stressed that the need to resume the session stems from the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, which requires the General Assembly to assume its responsibilities in accordance with the United Nations Charter regarding the Palestinian cause. She pointed out that the Israeli occupation has resumed its aggression despite the ceasefire agreement reached through the efforts of the State of Qatar, the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt, and the United States of America in January.

    Her Excellency noted the State of Qatar’s commitment to intensifying mediation efforts to overcome obstacles facing the negotiations, with the aim of reaching a permanent ceasefire agreement that would allow for an end to the humanitarian crisis, the opening of crossings, and the entry of aid, ultimately ending the war and beginning reconstruction.

    HE Permanent Representative expressed Qatar’s categorical rejection of the ongoing Israeli attacks on civilian facilities, including hospitals, schools, and populated centers, as well as the use of food as a weapon of war and the starvation of civilians, reiterating the call on the international community to compel Israel to ensure the safe, sustainable, and unhindered entry of humanitarian aid.

    The State of Qatar stresses that the displacement of Palestinians, in any form, constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, Her Excellency stressed, adding that the expansion of settlements also constitutes a flagrant violation of international legitimacy resolutions, and the State of Qatar strongly condemns the occupation authorities’ approval of the construction of new settlements in the occupied West Bank. It also condemns the repeated attempts to undermine the religious and historical status of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

    Her Excellency also reiterated Qatar’s categorical rejection of Israeli moves aimed at ending the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and affirmed the State’s support for the Agency and its implementation of the mandate granted to it by the General Assembly.

    The State of Qatar has repeatedly warned of the consequences of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip for the region, and that the Israeli occupation’s escalatory policy will inevitably lead to an expansion of violence and chaos in the region, HE underlined.

    Her Excellency expressed the State of Qatar’s strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli attack targeting the territory of the sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran, considering it a flagrant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security, and a clear breach of the rules and principles of international law.

    HE Permanent Representative also expressed deep concern over the dangerous escalation, which threatens the security and stability of the region and hinders efforts to de-escalate and reach diplomatic solutions. In this regard, Her Excellency clarified the State of Qatar’s firm position, rejecting all forms of violence, and calling for restraint and avoiding escalation that would expand the scope of the conflict and undermine security and stability in the region.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Free coffee, tea helps bring health-care workers from Seattle to B.C.

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    A branded B.C. health-careers coffee truck is giving out free coffee to doctors, nurses and allied health professionals in Seattle on June 18 and 19, 2025, as part of targeted marketing in the U.S.

    “Engaging directly with health-care workers in Seattle over a cup of coffee is a way for us to connect with them and highlight the many benefits of working in our beautiful, welcoming province,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “These two days are one part of our much larger effort to recruit doctors, nurses and allied health professionals from the U.S. to strengthen our public health-care system that puts patients first and is rooted in evidence-based care.”

    The coffee truck will be located close to health-care facilities. Brand ambassadors will engage directly with health-care workers in Seattle, giving them more information about moving to British Columbia.

    Targeting Seattle for this initiative is essential because there has been a significant interest since the Province announced a marketing campaign in the U.S.

    Health-care workers will be directed to visit B.C.’s recruitment website to explore opportunities and access personalized support to help with their move.

    This is part of the U.S. marketing campaign that launched on June 2, 2025, in Washington, Oregon and select cities in California.

    It is part of the Province’s Team B.C. approach to recruit health-care workers from the U.S. in collaboration with health authorities, regulatory colleges and other partners, such as local government and communities. This includes tailored support and guidance in navigating the process provided free by Health Match BC. Recruiters are highlighting job opportunities in the areas they are most needed, such as cancer care and emergency departments, as well as rural communities facing health-care worker shortages.

    Since the announcement of the co-ordinated recruitment campaign in March 2025, more than 1,600 people have expressed interest in moving to the province, including 714 doctors and 554 nurses.

    Learn More:

    To see a picture of the coffee truck, visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bcgovphotos/shares/20P9X890k6

    To see some of the visuals used for advertising, visit:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QAmzTt1K_4
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETXiqTiUBe8
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDssmB0WwtI

    To learn more about health-career opportunities in B.C., visit: https://bchealthcareers.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Supporting Albertans with brain injuries

    [. The road to recovery is often long, unpredictable and challenging – not only for individuals with brain injuries, but also for the families and communities who support them every step of the way.

    Each year, about 5,000 Albertans suffer a brain injury, and through Budget 2025, Alberta’s government is investing more than $5.7 million into the Alberta Brain Injury Initiative to ensure they have the support they need, when and where they need it.

    “I’ve experienced firsthand the impact a brain injury can have on an individual and their family, and how critical the right supports are on the road to recovery. This investment isn’t just funding – it’s a commitment to Alberta families, and to the organizations doing vital work to help them heal. I’m proud to support this work and help ensure it will continue to be there for other families, just as it was for mine.”

    Jason Nixon, Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services

    The Alberta Brain Injury Initiative is a network of agencies that assist individuals with brain injuries and their families in accessing supports from programs and community resources across the province. These programs work with individuals with brain injuries, their families and community service providers to develop service plans, connect them with supports and benefits that are available, and help survivors live independently and with dignity.

    “Recovery from a brain injury is a lifelong journey, and ongoing community supports are a vital part of that process. The Alberta Brain Injury Initiative, funded by the Government of Alberta, provides brain injury survivors and their families with access to these crucial supports. This Initiative is integral in restoring hope and helping survivors build the skills necessary for greater independence.”

    Pam McGladdery, CEO, Universal Rehabilitation Service Agency

    “I am extremely thankful for the support that the government provides for organizations like the Universal Rehabilitation Service Agency, who has supported me as I relearn skills in a safe and comfortable environment. This funding will help these supports keep running, helping their clients recover successfully and find happiness.”

    Mimi Tang, individual living with an acquired brain injury

    June is Brain Injury Awareness Month in Canada – a time to raise awareness of the difficulties individuals with brain injuries and their families face, and to celebrate their strength. Alberta’s government works with families, communities, health care workers and service providers to ensure Albertans with brain injuries have the supports they need to heal and lead happy, fulfilling lives.

    Alberta Brain Injury Initiative service providers:

    • Association for the Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured
    • Brain Care Centre
    • Brain Injury Assist
    • Blue Heron Support Services
    • Canadian Mental Health Association
    • Networks Activity Centre of Alberta
    • REDI Enterprises Society
    • Southern Alberta Brain Injury Society (SABIS)
    • SKILLS Society
    • St. Paul Abilities Network S.P.A.N
    • Universal Rehabilitation Service Agency
    • Taproot

    Related information

    • Brain injury supports

    Related news

    • Brain Injury Awareness Month: Minister Nixon (June 3, 2025)

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Federal government and Petawawa invest in active transportation 

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Petawawa, ON, June 19, 2025 — A 1.4km asphalt multi-use pathway has been constructed along Laurentian Drive after a joint investment of $435,500 from the federal government and municipal governments.

    This project boosts Petawawa’s existing reputation as a bicycle-friendly community and makes active transportation available to individuals using mobility and accessibility devices. As a car-free way to get around, the pathway connects the community and visitors to recreational facilities, schools, neighbourhoods, and the commercial district. It also links to the Petawawa Terrace Provincial Park, and the four-season Algonquin Trail. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: LeddarTech Received Notice from Nasdaq Regarding Delisting and Announces Filing under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act in Canada

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    QUEBEC CITY, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LeddarTech® Holdings Inc. (“LeddarTech” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LDTC), an AI-powered software company recognized for its innovation in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving (AD), today announces that on June 17, 2025, the Company received a determination letter (the “Determination Letter”) from Nasdaq notifying the Company that Nasdaq has determined that, in accordance with its authority under Nasdaq Listing Rules 5101, 5110(b), and IM-5101-1, the Company’s securities will be suspended from trading at the opening of business on June 24, 2025 and delisted from Nasdaq.

    Nasdaq based its determination upon concerns related to (i) the Company’s announcement of its intention to file under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) (the “BIA”) and the associated public interest concerns raised by such filing, (ii) the residual equity interest of the existing listed securities holders, and (iii) the Company’s ability to sustain compliance with all requirements for continued listing on Nasdaq.

    The Determination Letter also advises the Company of its right to request an appeal of the determination. However, the Company currently does not intend to file an appeal of the determination. Accordingly, the Company expects that its securities will be suspended from trading at the opening of business on June 24, 2025 and delisted from Nasdaq after the completion of Nasdaq’s filing of Form 25-NSE with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Filing under the BIA

    Further to its press release dated June 16, 2025, the Company announces having filed under the BIA on June 18, 2025. As a result of such filing, the board of directors of the Company has resigned effective as of such date.

    Additional information with respect to the BIA proceedings will be available in due course on Raymond Chabot Inc.’s website.

    About LeddarTech

    A global software company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Quebec City with additional R&D centers in Montreal and Tel Aviv, Israel, LeddarTech develops and provides comprehensive AI-based low-level sensor fusion and perception software solutions that enable the deployment of ADAS, autonomous driving (AD) and parking applications. LeddarTech’s automotive-grade software applies advanced AI and computer vision algorithms to generate accurate 3D models of the environment to achieve better decision making and safer navigation. This high-performance, scalable, cost-effective technology is available to OEMs and Tier 1-2 suppliers to efficiently implement automotive and off- road vehicle ADAS solutions.

    LeddarTech is responsible for several remote-sensing innovations, with over 190 patent applications (112 granted) that enhance ADAS, AD and parking capabilities. Better awareness around the vehicle is critical in making global mobility safer, more efficient, sustainable and affordable: this is what drives LeddarTech to seek to become the most widely adopted sensor fusion and perception software solution.

    Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Facebook and YouTube.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements contained in this Press Release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (which forward-looking statements also include forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws). Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend” and other similar expressions among others. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the BIA proceedings. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the risk factors as detailed from time to time in LeddarTech’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the risk factors contained in LeddarTech’s Form 20-F filed with the SEC. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Except as required by applicable law, LeddarTech does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, VAYADrive, VayaVision and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.

    LeddarTech Holdings Inc. is a public company listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LDTC.”

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Israel’s conflict with Iran escalates as Trump considers US involvement

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sam Phelps, Commissioning Editor, International Affairs

    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.

    Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear facilities and military leadership last week has quickly escalated into the most severe conflict between the two foes in decades. They have been trading missile attacks, with Israel now hinting that it seeks to overthrow the government in Tehran.

    On June 19, after an Iranian missile struck a hospital in the Israeli city of Beersheba, Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, announced that he had instructed the military to increase the intensity of attacks against Iran. The goal, he said, was to “undermine the regime”.

    Israel has long made it clear that it would like to see a change of government in Tehran – though not necessarily through direct military action. Katz’s comments, which also involved saying that the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “will pay for his crimes”, are the first time Israel has claimed regime change as an official goal since the conflict with Iran began.

    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.

    We asked Farhang Morady, a lecturer in international development at the University of Westminster, how precarious the Iranian government’s grip on power really is. He explains that, despite being under immense pressure, the regime is not at imminent risk of collapse.

    Israeli strikes have inflicted significant damage, Morady says. But they have not caused the downfall of the regime’s core institutions. Khamenei has reshuffled Iran’s military leadership to maintain stability and control, swiftly appointing successors to replace assassinated commanders.

    At least publicly, Morady writes, the Iranian elite is eager to demonstrate its position that the country is capable of enduring the crisis without giving in to foreign pressure. At the same time, the regime has been employing back-channel diplomacy to ensure its survival. It has even reportedly indicated that it is willing to suspend uranium enrichment to maintain itself.



    Read more:
    Israel’s attacks have exposed weaknesses in Iran, but it’s in little danger of collapsing

    However, pressure on the regime could be set to intensify. US president Donald Trump has made it clear that he is considering joining Israel’s campaign against Iran.

    As part of a string of social media posts, which followed his early exit from the G7 summit in Canada, Trump described Khamenei as an “easy target” who is safe “for now”. Then, on June 18, when asked a question about the US striking Iran, Trump said: “I may do it, I may not do it.”

    Whether Trump’s antics are a bluff to force Iran to negotiate an end to the conflict – or, in his own words, an “unconditional surrender” – remains to be seen.

    But in the view of Natasha Lindstaedt, a professor in the department of government at the University of Essex, Trump’s statements suggest he is being won over by the Israeli government’s pressure campaign to convince Washington that the time is right for a joint military assault on Iran.

    The US possesses the 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bomb, and the B-2 stealth bomber to carry it, capable of destroying Iran’s deep-lying uranium enrichment sites. Lindstaedt sees a situation arising soon where Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, convinces Trump to use this weapon against Iran.



    Read more:
    Trump breaks from western allies at G7 summit as US weighs joining Iran strikes

    Any American military action in Iran has the potential to cause a split in Trump’s base of support, says Richard Hargy, an expert on US politics at Queen’s University Belfast. In this piece, Hargy details how Trump’s condemnation of former US presidents for leading the US into foreign wars won him plaudits with his “make America great again” (Maga) base.

    These people remain fiercely opposed to US involvement in another conflict in the Middle East. Steve Bannon, an America-first backer and staunch Trump ally, has warned that US action in Iran would “blow up” Trump’s coalition of support.

    At the same time, Hargy says Trump has several prominent Republican hawks urging him to take military action against Iran. Senator Lindsey Graham, for example, has this week called on Trump to go “all in” to help “Israel eliminate the [Iranian] nuclear threat”.

    Whatever Trump decides over Iran will be a pivotal moment for his presidency.



    Read more:
    Iran air strikes: Republicans split over support for Trump and another ‘foreign war’

    Confrontation was inevitable

    A direct conflict between Israel and Iran has been a long time coming. Tensions between the two countries have been simmering for years. But why did Israel chose to act now? Matthew Moran and Wyn Bowen, professors of international security at King’s College London, say two factors have converged that made this confrontation all but inevitable.

    First, Iran’s regime has been left exposed by events over the past 12 months or so. Israeli strikes in October 2024 seriously degraded Iran’s air defences, while Israel’s military response to the October 7 Hamas attacks has decimated Iran’s regional proxy network. These events have undermined Iran’s ability to deter adversaries and have emboldened Israel.

    And second, Iran’s nuclear programme has advanced since Trump withdrew the US from a deal negotiated during Barack Obama’s presidency that greatly rolled back Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

    Moran and Bowen point to a recent report by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security that suggests Iran could convert its current stock of 60% enriched uranium into enough weapons-grade uranium for seven nuclear weapons. This could be done in as little as three weeks.

    US national intelligence and the International Atomic Energy Agency say there is no evidence to suggest Iran is, in fact, looking to build a nuclear bomb. Nevertheless, even the possibility that Iran was close to developing one crossed an Israeli red line and triggered action.

    In the words of Moran and Bowen: “Iran’s brinkmanship around its effort to hedge its bets on a nuclear option meant it was always operating in a dangerous space.”



    Read more:
    Israeli aggression and Iranian nuclear brinkmanship made this confrontation all but inevitable

    According to Brian Brivati of Kingston University, there is one other factor may have encouraged Israel to take action against Iran: the collapsing credibility of the international legal order.

    In this piece, Brivati traces how the Israeli and US governments have systematically weakened the global institutions designed to uphold international law over the past few years. The Israeli government has ignored court rulings over its actions in Gaza, while the US has disabled the mechanisms of accountability.

    This has created a situation in which states can act with impunity, confident that international mechanisms can be ignored. Israel’s initial attack on Iran, which was conducted without authorisation from the UN security council, is a symptom of this. And other global powers like Russia and China may now look to follow its lead.

    We have arrived at a moment so stark, Brivati says, that it should be seen as a turning point for the international order.



    Read more:
    Israel, Iran and the US: why 2025 is a turning point for the international order

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

    – ref. Israel’s conflict with Iran escalates as Trump considers US involvement – https://theconversation.com/israels-conflict-with-iran-escalates-as-trump-considers-us-involvement-259201

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada bolsters its measures to protect Canadian steel and aluminum workers and industries

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    June 19, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Finance Canada

    Canada’s new government has a mandate to build the strongest economy in the G7. While the government negotiates a new economic and security partnership with the United States, we will ensure workers and industry are protected against the unjust and unprovoked American tariffs. Today, the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, announced a series of measures to protect Canadian steel and aluminum producers and workers.

    The government will take these measures to bolster its response:

    • First, Canada will adjust its existing counter-tariffs on steel and aluminium products on july 21, to levels consistent with progress that has been made in the broader trading arrangement with the United States.
    • Second, effective June 30, the government will begin implementation of reciprocal procurement policies to limit access to federal procurements to suppliers from Canada and from our reliable trading partners that provide reciprocal access to suppliers from Canada through trade agreements. As shared earlier this year, the government is also exploring additional ways to maximize the use of Canadian steel and aluminum in government-funded projects, including in coordination with Canadian provinces and territories.
    • Third, the government will protect Canada’s steel industry by establishing new tariff rate quotas of 100 per cent of 2024 levels on imports of steel products from non-free trade agreement partners to stabilize the domestic market and prevent harmful trade diversion as the result of the U.S. actions that are destabilizing markets. These quotas will be applied retroactively and will be reviewed in 30 days.
    • Fourth, the government will adopt additional tariff measures over the coming weeks to address risks associated with persistent global overcapacity and unfair trade in the steel and aluminum sectors, which are exacerbated by U.S. actions. Measures will be applied on the basis of “country of melt and pour” for steel and “country of smelt and cast” for aluminum.
    • Fifth, the government will immediately create two government-stakeholder task forces, one for steel and one for aluminum. These committees will meet regularly to closely monitor trade and market trends to support government decision making – to better support our industries and workers.
    • Finally, the new $10 billion Large Enterprise Tariff Loan facility remains open to applicants. This program supports eligible large businesses that are facing difficulties in accessing traditional sources of market financing by providing access to liquidity. This will help employers that were viable before the recent U.S. trade actions sustain their operations and return to financial resilience as the market stabilizes.

    The government remains prepared to take additional steps as needed and will continue to review the appropriateness of its response, pending developments with U.S. tariffs. The federal government will continue to work closely with provinces and territories to ensure their input and regional interests are reflected in its response to the U.S. tariffs.

    A remission process is in place to give businesses time to adjust their supply chains, with remissions currently granted under narrow, time-limited conditions to ensure a targeted and balanced approach. Additional individual requests are expected to be approved in the coming days. The Government of Canada will also review its remission framework to favour the use of Canadian steel and aluminum in Canadian-made products.

    As the government defines a new economic and security relationship with the United States, it will defend the interests of Canadians, safeguard Canada’s workers and businesses, and build one Canadian economy – the strongest economy in the G7.  

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Expanded Penticton Community Oncology Network clinic opens

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon Lumby – 

    “Facing cancer is one of life’s hardest challenges, and no one should face it alone or far from home. As a nurse and health-care advocate for over 25 years, I’ve seen both the power of timely, accessible care and the pain of this disease. This expansion is more than added space; it’s about compassionate, dignified care that brings hope and better outcomes. It’s a vital investment that brings essential treatment closer to home, supported by family and community.”

    Susan Brown, president and CEO, Interior Health – 

    “Every element of this new unit is focused on combining modern medical innovation, clinical expertise and compassionate care, all to support patients and their families through one of the most challenging times in their lives. The thoughtful design supports Interior Health staff and physicians to provide increased access to quality cancer care in the south Okanagan.”

    Dr. Paris-Ann Ingledew, interim executive vice-president and chief medical officer, BC Cancer – 

    “Bringing high-quality cancer care close to home is a key goal of B.C.’s 10-Year Cancer Action Plan. With this updated and expanded Community Oncology Network clinic at Penticton Regional Hospital, more people in the south Okanagan will be able to access the care they need with less travel and with the support of family, friends and neighbours nearby.” 

    Ian Lindsay, CEO, South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation – 

    “I am incredibly grateful to see our community come together to make the new oncology clinic a reality. This centre stands as a testament to what we can achieve when a community comes together to lead the way. Thank you to everyone who made this possible.” 

    Martin Johansen, chair, Okanagan-Similkameen Regional Hospital District – 

    “On behalf of the Okanagan Similkameen Regional Hospital District, we are proud to be a funding partner for the new oncology unit at Penticton Regional Hospital. These services will play a critical role in helping meet the health-care needs of our community and allow residents to access the care they need, closer to home.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Israel — and potentially the U.S. — are sure to encounter the limits of air power in Iran

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    As the war between Israel and Iran escalates, Israel is increasing its calls on the United States to become involved in the conflict.

    Former Israeli officials are appearing on U.S. news outlets, exhorting the American public to support Israel’s actions.

    President Donald Trump has signalled a willingness for the U.S. to become involved in the conflict. He’s gone so far, in fact, to suggest in social media posts that he could kill Iran’s supreme leader if he wanted to.

    Segment on Trump’s threats against Iran’s leader. (BBC News)

    The American military could certainly make an impact in any air campaign against Iran. The problem from a military standpoint, however, is that the U.S., based on its forces’ deployment, will almost certainly seek to keep its involvement limited to its air force to avoid another Iraq-like quagmire.

    While doing so could almost certainly disrupt Iran’s nuclear program, it will likely fall short of Israel’s goal of regime change.

    In fact, it could reinforce the Iranian government and draw the U.S. into a costly ground war.



    Read more:
    Why is there so much concern over Iran’s nuclear program? And where could it go from here?

    Israel’s need for American support

    The initial stated reason for Israel’s bombing campaign — Iran’s nuclear capabilities — appears specious at best.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has argued several times in the past, without evidence, that Iran is close to achieving a nuclear weapon. U.S. intelligence, however, have assessed that Iran is three years away from deploying a nuclear weapon.

    Regardless of the veracity of the claims, Israel initiated the offensive and now requires American support.

    Israel’s need for U.S. assistance rests on two circumstances:

    1. While Israel succeeded in eliminating key figures from the Iranian military in its initial strikes, Iran’s response appears to have exceeded Israel’s expectations with their Arrow missile interceptors nearing depletion.

    2. Israel’s air strikes can only achieve so much in disrupting Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Most analysts note that Israel’s bombings are only likely to delay the Iranian nuclear program by a few months. This is due to the fact that Israeli missiles are incapable of penetrating the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which estimates place close to 300 feet underground.

    The United States, however, possesses munitions that could damage, or even destroy, the Fordow facility. Most notably, the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (more commonly known as a bunker buster) has a penetration capability of 200 feet.

    Multiple strikes by said munition would render Fordow inoperable, if not outright destroyed.

    Romanticizing air power

    The efficacy of air power has been vastly overrated in the popular media and various air forces of the world. Air power is great at disrupting an opponent, but has significant limitations in influencing the outcome of a war.

    Specifically, air power is likely to prove an inadequate tool for one of the supposed Israeli and American objectives in the war: regime change. For air power to be effective at bringing about regime change, it needs to demoralize the Iranian people to the point that they’re willing to oppose their own government.

    Early air enthusiasts believed that a population’s demoralization would be an inevitable consequence of aerial bombardment. Italian general Giulio Douhet, a prominent air power theorist, argued that air power was so mighty that it could destroy cities and demoralize an opponent into surrendering.

    Douhet was correct on the first point. He was wrong on the second.

    Recent history provides evidence. While considerable ink has been spilled to demonstrate the efficacy of air power during the Second World War, close examination of the facts demonstrate that it had a minimal impact. In fact, Allied bombing of German cities in several instances created the opposite effect.

    More recent bombing campaigns replicated this failure. The U.S. bombing of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War did not significantly damage North Vietnamese morale or war effort. NATO’s bombing of Serbia in 1999, likewise, rallied support for the unpopular Slobodan Milosevic due to its perceived injustice — and continues to evoke strong emotions to this day.

    Iran’s political regime may be unpopular with many Iranians, but Israeli and potentially American bombing may shore up support for the Iranian government.

    Nationalism is a potent force, particularly when people are under attack. Israel’s bombing of Iran will rally segments of the population to the government that would otherwise oppose it.

    Few positive options

    The limitations of air power to fuel significant political change in Iran should give Trump pause about intervening in the conflict.

    Some American support, such as providing weapons, is a given due to the close relationship between the U.S. and Israel. But any realization of American and Israeli aspirations of a non-nuclear Iran and a new government will likely require ground forces.

    Recent American experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq show such a ground forces operation won’t lead to the swift victory that Trump desires, but could potentially stretch on for decades.

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

    – ref. Why Israel — and potentially the U.S. — are sure to encounter the limits of air power in Iran – https://theconversation.com/why-israel-and-potentially-the-u-s-are-sure-to-encounter-the-limits-of-air-power-in-iran-259348

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Indigenous engagement is essential for small modular nuclear reactor projects

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Rhea Desai, Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Biology, McMaster University

    Urban Indigenous gathering for community well-being, showing the importance of interconnectedness in Indigenous Communities in Hamilton, Ont. in August 2021. This way of being must be reflected in nuclear projects to better work alongside Indigenous Peoples. (Michelle Webb)

    With climate change-fuelled natural disasters becoming more frequent and devastating for communities around the world, the need for cleaner energy solutions is more urgent than ever.

    When it comes to transitioning away from fossil fuels, much of the focus tends to be on solar, wind or hydroelectricity. However, small modular reactors (SMRs) are an emerging technology showing promise globally.

    SMRs are a specific type of nuclear reactor that, as the name suggests, are small in energy output and modular in their manufacturing. Provinces like New Brunswick, Alberta and Saskatchewan have made progress on strategic plans to make SMRs part of their provincial climate action plans.

    Unlike traditional nuclear reactors that generally produce more than 1,000 megawatts of electricity, SMRs are designed to produce as low as five megawatts. The modularity of such reactors allows for manufacturing off-site and installation at the desired location. This can decrease construction time, manufacturing costs and certain environmental costs associated with building on site.

    This means SMRs are more feasible for many off-grid communities that lack reliable access to electricity, many of which are Indigenous. In 2023, the Canada Energy regulator said there were 178 remote Indigenous and northern communities not connected to the North American electricity grid and natural gas infrastructure.

    In an effort to shift reliability from carbon-emitting resources to nuclear power, SMRs provide an exciting alternative, but implementation needs effective engagement with Indigenous communities to flourish.

    Small modular reactors (SMRs) could be relatively feasible way to generate power for many off-grid communities.
    (A. Vargas/IAEA)

    Engaging Indigenous communities

    Much of Canada’s electricity is already generated from low-carbon emission sources. However, there are still areas in northern Canada that are reliant on diesel, and therefore SMR plans are often aimed at providing electricity to these communities.

    While on paper, this might sound like the perfect solution, there’s a lot to consider about SMR siting from an environmental perspective in these remote communities. These considerations include but are not limited to potential locations, source term, refuelling and waste management.

    As research continues into the engineering and science behind SMR technology, meaningful community engagement with Indigenous communities is also required.

    Thoughtfully considered and integrated consultations are necessary to ensure projects respect treaties, land rights and the surrounding environment. Consultation is needed to understand the needs and goals of the community for creating an energy transition plan.

    In addition, incorporating traditional ecological knowledge in environmental risk assessments is vital. Ultimately, projects designed alongside Indigenous communities should strive for Indigenous sovereignty over growing infrastructure.

    Why community engagement is important

    Indigenous communities continue to face challenges as a result of colonization. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) seventh Call to Action highlights the need to eliminate educational and employment disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.

    A direct way to address in terms of Canada’s nuclear landscape is to train members of those communities in technical roles related to the planning, deployment and sustained use of a nuclear facility. Specifically, training today’s Indigenous youth so they can fulfil these roles in their future careers.

    The TRC’s Call to Action 92 calls on Canada’s corporate sector to engage in meaningful consultation, respectful relationship-building and equitable access to training and education opportunities that will contribute to long-term benefits from any economic development projects.

    Through understanding the need for this relationship-building, there is a lot that western practices can learn from adopting Indigenous ways of knowing. Indigenous people have a long history of sustainable practices in their culture and traditions, and although western science now consider sustainable practices, it is not deeply woven into community and industrial initiatives.

    As nuclear projects advance in Canada, it’s vital to respect Indigenous knowledge through weaving with western science. Projects can adopt a Two-Eyed seeing approach. This refers to viewing a problem with one eye using an Indigenous knowledge perspective and the other with a western knowledge lens. There is much to learn from understanding the philosophy behind Indigenous ways of knowing that can be applied to protect the environment.

    Indigenous knowledge varies across Canada and comes with different insights, but a commonality is the teaching that all living things are interconnected and must be respected and cared for. This perspective is necessary for the future of nuclear projects to ensure the environment is sustained to support the biodiversity of regions throughout Canada.

    This informed approach of protecting the environment, together with an ecosystem approach that considers the uniqueness and interconectedness of each organism, will ultimately lead to improved nuclear policies and safety.

    The actions that institutions and private industry take today to build strong relationships with Indigenous communities and work towards an increasingly sustainable future will support already resilient communities so they can see growth well beyond the deployment of SMRs. A path to a cleaner future is in reach, but only if we walk beside Indigenous leaders, knowledge holders, community members and, especially, youth.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Indigenous engagement is essential for small modular nuclear reactor projects – https://theconversation.com/indigenous-engagement-is-essential-for-small-modular-nuclear-reactor-projects-252134

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairwoman Greene Leads Letter Urging Appropriations Committee to Codify DOGE Cuts and Slash Wasteful Federal Spending

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA, 14)

    Today, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE), led a letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole urging the committee to formally codify President Trump’s bold cost-cutting reforms into law through the FY26 appropriations process.

    The letter, co-signed by DOGE Committee members Reps. Tim Burchett (R-TN), Eric Burlison (R-MO), Brandon Gill (R-TX), Brian Jack (R-GA), and William Timmons (R-SC) calls on Congress to follow the Trump Administration’s lead in reducing wasteful federal spending and locking in historic savings identified through the work of DOGE & the DOGE Subcommittee.

    “President Trump is leading the greatest government efficiency overhaul in history, and it’s working. The DOGE Subcommittee has exposed massive waste, fraud, and abuse, and now Congress must act. We’re calling on appropriators to defund the left’s propaganda machines, slash aid to our enemies, and make these savings permanent,” said Chairwoman Greene.

    “The American people didn’t vote to fund abortion overseas, woke NGOs, or government-run media. They voted to end the waste and put America First.”

    The letter highlights nearly $9 billion in rescissions already proposed by the Administration and calls for deeper cuts across a range of programs, including foreign aid and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It also emphasizes the need to reduce bloated federal agency staffing levels, noting the success of the Administration in downsizing the bureaucracy through RIFs, early retirements, and contract terminations.

    The President’s budget would reduce non-defense discretionary spending by 23%, saving over $2 trillion over the next decade.

    “The DOGE Subcommittee has done its part to identify the waste, fraud, and abuse. Now it’s time for the Appropriations Committee to do theirs and write these cuts into law,” Greene added.

    Read the full letter to the House Appropriations Committee here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Investing in flood reduction capacity in Peterborough

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Peterborough, ON, June 19, 2025 — The new downtown flood reduction project in Peterborough, supported by an $11-million investment from the federal government, will replace an existing storm sewer and help improve water flow and drainage, significantly reducing the impact of extreme weather events for homes and businesses.

    A 2004 storm brought severe rainfall and caused significant flood damage to downtown Peterborough. It disrupted residential living conditions, caused lost income to local businesses, and created financial hardships for affected community members. As part of the City’s strategy to prevent future floods of this magnitude, a 100-year capacity sewer will replace the existing sewer along Charlotte Street from Park Street to Water Street. The project will also improve water flow and drainage from the street, significantly reducing the impact of extreme weather events.

    Investing in public infrastructure projects designed to mitigate current and future climate-related risks supports more resilient Canadian communities. Making adaptation investments now will have major economy-wide benefits later. Every dollar that is invested in adapting and preparing for climate-related disasters can return as much as $13 to $15 in benefits.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: B.C. jet skier fined $5,000 for intentionally approaching marine mammals too closely

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    June 19, 2025

    Port Hardy, BC – With the arrival of summer on Canada’s west coast, residents and tourists are planning to be out on the water. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) reminds everyone to follow the laws and guidelines about approaching marine mammals, which vary depending on the species.

    On May 22, 2025, in Campbell River Provincial Court, Stephen Michael White was fined $5,000 after being found guilty in November 2024 of violating Section 7(1) of the Marine Mammal Regulations. Mr. White was recorded speeding toward a pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins on his jet ski, coming within just a few feet while filming them on his cell phone – much closer than the 100 metre legal approach distance. The court determined his actions were negligent and reckless, leading to a six month ban from operating any motorized vessel on water. Additionally, Mr. White was prohibited from posting anything related with marine mammals on social media.

    Toothed whale species, including dolphins and killer whales, rely on echolocating – using sound to navigate their environment. Close encounters with a vessel can disrupt their natural behaviours and interfere with essential sound signals used for communication, foraging, and socialization. Such interactions also pose health and safety risks to both marine mammals and humans

    This case marks the first successful prosecution in Canada under the Marine Mammal Regulations’ approach distance provisions. The guilty verdict and court-ordered fine reinforce the importance of following marine mammal approach distance regulations to prevent disturbances.

    DFO protects and conserves marine resources and enforces the Fisheries Act. As part of DFO’s work to disrupt and prevent illegal activity, the Department asks the public for information on activities of this nature or any contravention of the Fisheries Act and regulations. Anyone with information can call the DFO Pacific Region’s toll-free violation reporting line at 1-800-465-4336, or email the details to DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Case Proposes Measure To Advance Energy Resiliency For Remote Island, Native Hawaiian and Tribal Communities

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) today announced an effort to codify into law a federal program to expand energy resilience and reliability for some of the nation’s most vulnerable regions – isolated island, Native Hawaiian and Tribal communities – which often face common and unique energy obstacles including limited energy infrastructure, high costs of imported energy and vulnerability to natural disasters.

    “In Hawai‘i, which ranks as the state with the most expensive power in the nation, residential electricity rates average 34 cents per kilowatt, far exceeding the national average by threefold,” said Case. “My bill will ensure continued federal support for Hawaii’s effort to transition to clean, affordable energy sources in ways that address our unique challenges.”

    These unique energy resilience challenges in Hawai‘i, along with remote and Tribal areas, are the focus of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Transitions Initiative Project program. Since its inception, this program has partnered with over 25 Tribal, coastal, remote and island communities across the nation to help them secure reliable and affordable energy. Congressman Case has long supported this program through his assignment on the House Appropriations Committee.

    “Although the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project program has helped Hawai‘i and many other communities many across our great nation, it has never been formally codified,” said Case. “My bill, the Energy Transitions Initiative Authorization Act, will ensure this program can continue the technical assistance offered to remote, island and Tribal communities that is unique and accommodating to their expertise and deep knowledge of local challenges and solutions.”

    The Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project program provides customized technical and financial assistance to community projects aimed at accessing reliable and affordable power and increasing energy resilience. Specific community projects include solar power interconnection, analyzing wind energy potential, conducting wildfire preparedness, advancing weatherization retrofits and implementing microgrids and battery storage projects.

    In Hawai‘i, the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project program has provided technical assistance to the City and County of Honolulu to conduct microgrid location analyses for regional hybrid microgrids and map designs.

    Because Hawai‘i is prone to severe weather conditions that have previously caused long-duration power outages, Hawai‘i has identified hybrid microgrids as one method to improve resilience. Microgrids are best suited to areas prone to prolonged outages during weather events, with clusters of customers and potential availability of renewable energy sources.

    The product of this partnership was a map identifying potential locations given a set of criteria that stakeholders prioritized in the areas of criticality, vulnerability and societal impact.

    ###

    Attachments:

    1. Copy of measure is here
    2. Copy of Case remarks on the measure is available here.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Construction Continues On Highways 2 and 13 Assiniboia Partnership Project

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 19, 2025

    Today, Highways Minister David Marit and the Town of Assiniboia celebrated the ongoing progress of a more than $10.6 million partnership project that will improve Highways 2 and 13, while strengthening the heart of the community.

    “Our provincial government is proud to play a role improving these key transportation arteries through Assiniboia, which is a service hub for the region,” Marit said. “These highways when completed will better support Saskatchewan’s export-based economy, local agriculture, tourism and businesses in the centre of town.”

    The 4.96 km project involves:

    • The rehabilitation and repaving of Highway 2 (also known as Empire Road and Centre Street) from Leeville Street to north of Highway 13, along with Highway 13 (also known as First Avenue West and First Avenue East) from Centre Street to Leeville Street.
    • Curb and sidewalk replacements along the route.

    “We are incredibly grateful for the investment in this vital infrastructure project,” Assiniboia Mayor Sharon Schauenberg said. “Improved roads mean safer travel, more efficient transportation, and long-term benefits for our residents and local economy.”

    The Ministry of Highways is investing more than $10.17 million toward the project. The Town of Assiniboia is investing up to $485,000.

    On-site project work began this spring and is expected to be completed this fall, pending weather.

    Motorists are reminded to obey all signage and flag persons in the area and to check the Highway Hotline at https://hotline.gov.sk.ca/ for construction updates before heading out.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –