NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Hochul Pays Tribute to Rep. Charles B. Rangel

    Source: US State of New York

    arlier today, Governor Hochul delivered remarks at a memorial service for Representative Charles B. Rangel. He passed away at the age of 94 on May 26th. Born in Harlem, Representative Rangel dedicated his life to public service beginning in 1970 — when he was first elected to Congress — and retiring in 2016. His 46 years in Congress led him to become the ninth-longest serving in the House, where he backed the Affordable Care Act, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and sponsored more than 40 pieces of legislation that became law.

    VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

     I want to acknowledge the presence of so many who traveled to be here — not to mourn Charlie — but to celebrate an extraordinary life. Thank you. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. President Bill Clinton has joined us as well, and countless members of the Rangel family and members of Congress. Past and present elected officials.

    Charlie was a giant in American life. He was a warrior from back in his days on the battlefield, hence the military designation here today. But he was a warrior for justice and such a proud, proud son of Harlem. I feel the presence of Harlem in this room today? Anyone from Harlem out there? Yeah, I thought so. I could feel it. I could feel the spirit of Harlem that lives through all of us.

    When I was a young Attorney on the staff of a congressman and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan — already Charlie Rangel had made a name for himself. He was that cool congressman from Harlem that everybody knew his name and revered him. And I watched him as he had a title with great power, but that wasn’t who Charlie was.

    He wanted to use the power of his position to do good for others, and he put a glaring spotlight on the needs of his beloved Harlem and other communities that needed help. So when I arrived as a member of Congress — his 40th year. He was the dean of our delegation. He said, “You’re now part of our family, sister. And I’m going to take care of you.” And he did.

    When I later ran for state office, he made sure I met everybody. He gave me that Charlie Rangel seal of approval — whether it’s biscuits as Sylvia’s, or walking the streets of Lenox Avenue. He was there for me and he stood up for me time and time again.

    And I thought of him yesterday, as I went through a grueling eight hours of testimony before the political theater that has now become our Congress. I thought of Charlie because I knew I’d be here today and I said, “What would Charlie do?” And I just harnessed his cool, right? “Just keep your cool. Don’t let them get to you. Don’t get under your skin.” And I thought of what he’d want me to do, and he’d want me to stand up and be a loud voice of the people he spoke for, and I’d do it despite the hatred that was spewed against people who came to our country looking for a better life. I stood up and showed them what New York values were, what Harlem values were, what Charlie Rangel values were.

    Charlie once said, “Leadership is not about the next election. It’s about the next generation.” And that’s why knowing his love of CUNY and every time I saw him, my pockets were a little lighter and the money went to CUNY. So I know how passionate he was.

    I said, “Let’s keep his name alive at his beloved institution and have 20 CUNY graduate students each year.” Named in scholarships, the Charlie Rangel Public Service Scholarship. Let’s get it going next fall. So the next generation knows his story, his influence, and how he used the power of his position. I think that’ll be a lasting tribute to Charlie and Alma Rangel’s shared commitment between quality and justice for all.

    I also think it’s important that we immortalize his name and that’s why I’m working with Mayor Adams and Speaker Adams and my team to ensure that there is a street — a prominent street — in Harlem that bears the name “Charlie Rangel Way,” reminding people of the Charlie Rangel way and how he conducted himself and how he was undeterred against the forces of evil and he stood up time and time again. That is the legacy that has been bestowed on all of us.

    We must leave here today deciding, are we going to pick up that mantle of leadership? Are we going to cower in the face of what is happening to our country as we speak. Not just in Washington, but in cities like New York and Los Angeles? Charlie wants us to fight back, and we will.

    Thank you everyone. Let’s do it in Charlie’s name. God bless all of you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Highways Minister Kicks Off Province-Wide Summer Road Tour

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 13, 2025

    Highways Minister David Marit is going on a province-wide tour to drive the Saskatchewan road network and meet with communities to hear their highways priorities.

    Marit has already visited the communities and surrounding areas of Norquay, Tisdale, Davidson, Cudworth, Elfros, Prince Albert and multiple rural municipalities.

    “Discussions with the communities so far have been great for hearing about what the people in the area are seeing and what their priorities are,” Marit said.

    “I look forward to continuing this tour throughout the summer months, driving on the highways I am hearing about and meeting with as many people as I can on how we can best deliver the road infrastructure they need and deserve.”

    The road tour will continue through the summer months with plans to head to all areas of the province including the northern and the western regions.

    The Ministry of Highways 2025-26 Budget of $777 million is a road map to enhance driver safety and invest in strategic infrastructure to sustain Saskatchewan’s export-based economy.

    With this year’s budget, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested more than $13.8 billion in transportation infrastructure since 2008, improving more than 21,800 km of highways across the province.

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    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Michel welcomes External Expert Review report on the modernization of preventive health care guideline development in Canada

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Statement

    June 13, 2025 | Ottawa, Ontario | Public Health Agency of Canada

    Today, the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, made the following statement:

    “Preventive health care helps improve long-term health outcomes by detecting, delaying and preventing disease before symptoms appear. To modernize the development of preventive health care guidelines, such as breast cancer screening guidelines, and ensure they meet the evolving needs of Canada’s health care system, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) commissioned an External Expert Review (EER) to examine the governance, mandate, and scientific processes of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (Task Force).

    The EER Panel’s report, Modernizing Preventive Health Care Guideline Development in Canada: A Way Forward, outlines key recommendations and system-wide actions to strengthen preventive health guidance in Canada. I’d like to thank the members of the EER Panel for their dedication and expertise in producing a thoughtful and comprehensive report. PHAC will immediately begin working with experts and stakeholders on the review and the implementation of the recommendations. I have asked PHAC that the modernized Task Force be fully operational by April 2026.

    We remain committed to promoting the overall health and well-being of Canadians and look forward to working with partners across the country to strengthen how we develop and maintain preventive health care guidelines in Canada, including as it relates to women’s health. ”

    Contacts

    Guillaume Bertrand
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Honourable Marjorie Michel
    Minister of Health
    guillaume.bertrand@hc-sc.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Public Health Agency of Canada
    613-957-2983
    media@hc-sc.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cholesterol crystal formation captured on video for first time, may lead to more effective treatments for high cholesterol

    Source: US Government research organizations

    From new medical treatments to electronics that control light, the research has wide-reaching potential applications

    With support from the U.S. National Science Foundation, researchers at the University of Houston have captured the dynamics of microscopic cholesterol crystal formation on video for the first time. Understanding these mechanisms could help scientists develop more effective treatments for managing high cholesterol, a condition that affects 25 million adults in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A better understanding of crystal formation could also enhance optoelectronics, which are electronic devices that work by controlling and sensing light.

    NSF-supported researchers Jeffrey Rimer and Peter Vekilov are known for their work in crystal engineering and therapeutics that help prevent crystallization in human diseases. Their latest achievement shows the fundamental layered process involved in crystal formation in environments that mimic the human body. This is the first time anyone has taken images of the surface growth of cholesterol crystals in real time at near-molecular resolution. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

    Cholesterol Crystal Formation

    Credit: D. Chakraborty, W. Ma, X. Wang, Z. Chu, T. Yang, M. Warzecha, P.G. Vekilov, & J.D. Rimer.

    Scientists have captured the first ever time-lapse video of the layered growth of a cholesterol monohydrate crystal.

    Cholesterol crystals can build up in blood vessels or the gallbladder, causing blockages, pain and disease, yet relatively few studies have explored the specific processes behind how cholesterol forms crystals. These findings can help scientists develop techniques to manage high cholesterol in the body and better understand the basic science of crystal formation, an outcome with wider applications in optoelectronics and organic electronic devices, which rely on crystals in converting light to electricity.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: USGS Measures Flooding Across Texas and Oklahoma

    Source: US Geological Survey

    U.S. Geological Survey field crews are measuring flooding across Texas and Oklahoma following significant rainfall over the past three days. 
     

    Much of Texas and parts of Oklahoma have experienced significant rainfall, with many regions receiving more than 5 inches. This heavy precipitation has resulted in flooding, particularly along the I-35 corridor and areas to the east. 
     

    Currently, 21 USGS streamgages show active flooding. USGS real-time maps of flood and high flow conditions for Texas and Oklahoma can be accessed from the USGS National Water Dashboard.  
     
    This information is critical for resource managers and emergency responders to help protect life and property. These data are used by the National Weather Service to develop flood forecasts, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to manage flood control, and by county flood control districts and other state and local agencies in their flood response activities.  
     

    In Texas, 11 USGS field crews are measuring floodwaters in Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, with some teams also collecting water quality samples. Oklahoma City also has one team collecting flood measurements. Crews are anticipated to work throughout the weekend as NWS is predicting heavy rainfall in the region. Over the next three days, heavier rainfall is anticipated to move towards the Texas coast, potentially exacerbating flood conditions. 
     
    There are more than 1,000 USGS-operated streamgages across Texas and Oklahoma that collect water data. When flooding occurs, USGS crews make numerous flood measurements to verify the data USGS provides to federal, state and local agencies, as well as to the public. 
     
    For more than 130 years, the USGS has monitored flow in selected streams and rivers across the U.S. The information is routinely used for water supply and management, monitoring floods and droughts, bridge and road design, determination of flood risk and for many recreational activities. 
     
    Access current flood and high flow conditions across the country by visiting the USGS National Water Dashboard. Receive instant, customized updates about water conditions in your area via text message or email by signing up for USGS WaterAlert. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Costa to travel to Kananaskis, Canada for the G7 summit on 15-17 June 2025

    Source: Council of the European Union

    The President of the European Council, António Costa, will travel to Kananaskis, Alberta (Canada) to take part in the G7 summit from 15 to 17 June 2025. Hosted by Canada as the rotating G7 presidency, the Summit will bring together the leaders of the seven G7 countries, as well as the European Union and other invited countries to discuss pressing global issues, including international peace and security, the global economic outlook and energy security.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Indicted for $24 Million Transnational Gold Smuggling and Money Laundering Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – A federal indictment unsealed today charges Beatriz Eugenia Hernandez (B. Hernandez), 57; her son Carlos Mathias Gonzalez, 26; and her brother Esteban Hernandez (E. Hernandez), 47, of an elaborate transnational gold smuggling and money laundering scheme that involved the wire transfer of over $24 million from the United States to Colombia.

    According to allegations in the indictment, B. Hernandez, Gonzalez, and E. Hernandez received shipments from a Colombian company that purported to contain various types of metal widgets when, in fact, half of the packages would contain undeclared gold cylinders that were inserted within the widgets and painted over to avoid detection. B. Hernandez, Gonzalez, and E. Hernandez would extract the gold cylinders, sell the gold through two U.S. corporate entities, and then wire the funds between the entities’ bank accounts before ultimately wiring the funds to the Colombian company’s accounts in Colombia. The scheme’s systematic cycle of gold importation, followed by international wire transfers, resulted in approximately $24,628,943 being wired to Colombia from the United States between December 2018 and May 2022.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

    HSI investigated the case with assistance from Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller is prosecuting this case.

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

    An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20236.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Alien Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal Officer and Setting an Apartment Building on Fire

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ATLANTA – Armando Carrillo-Diaz, 45, an illegal alien from Rioverde, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, has been sentenced for assaulting a federal officer, arson, and illegally reentering the United States.

    “When illegal aliens resort to extreme and dangerous measures to avoid removal, they not only violate our immigration laws but also put law enforcement officers and the public at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our Office is committed to taking decisive action to hold accountable those who attack law enforcement officers and endanger the community.”

    “This conviction sends a strong message to those who think they can evade justice by resorting to dangerous and reckless actions,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thanks to the dedicated collaboration between HSI and our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels, we were able to catch Armando Carrillo-Diaz, an illegal alien, and hold him accountable for his reckless and fiery attempts to evade justice.”

    “Carrillo-Diaz posed a serious threat to law enforcement and the community,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Gibbons. “Our top priority is working with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe.” 

    According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: On April 26, 2023, deportation officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) attempted to arrest Armando Carrillo-Diaz in the parking lot of his apartment complex. Carrillo-Diaz nearly struck one of the officers as he fled from the scene in a pickup truck. 

    When ERO officers later returned to his residence to locate him, Carrillo-Diaz attempted to evade capture by setting his apartment on fire. The fire spread, prompting the Gwinnett County, Georgia, Fire Department to evacuate residents from the building. Carrillo-Diaz then sliced his own throat with a box cutter when the officers tried to apprehend him. The officers immediately rendered medical aid and arranged for Carrillo-Diaz’s transport to a local hospital. 

    On June 26, 2024, a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia returned a superseding indictment charging Carrillo-Diaz with the offenses of Assaulting a Federal Officer, Arson, and Illegally Reentering the United States. 

    On June 11, 2025, U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen sentenced Carrillo-Diaz to five years in prison followed by one year of supervised release.  Carrillo-Diaz was convicted of these charges on January 29, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.

    This case was investigated by ERO, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Gwinnett County Fire Department.

    Assistant United States Attorney Dash A. Cooper prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Juries in Bowling Green and Paducah Indict 4 Illegal Aliens for Immigration Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Bowling Green and Paducah, KY – Federal grand juries in Bowling Green and Paducah, Kentucky, returned indictments on June 10 and 11, 2025, charging three individuals with illegal reentry after deportation or removal and one individual with use of a false passport.

    U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, and Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement made the announcement.

    According to the indictments:

    Santiago Tehandon-Paneda, age 45, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in Owensboro, Kentucky, with reentry after deportation or removal and false claim to United States citizenship. On or about May 12, 2025, Tehandon-Paneda was an alien found in United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about May 4, 2007, and August 13, 2012. On or about May 15, 2025, Tehandon-Paneda willfully represented himself to be a citizen of the United States. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 13 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE-ERO.

    Feliz Morales-Rangel, age 38, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in Bowling Green with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 26, 2025, Morales-Rangel was an alien found in United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about March 20, 2008, and May 1, 2010. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE-ERO.

    Francisco Campos-Guardian, age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in Paducah with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about May 8, 2025, Campos-Guardian was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 7, 2020. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE-ERO.

    Bogdan Drapac, age 41, a citizen of Romania, was charged in Paducah with use of a false passport. On or about May 14, 2025, Drapac willfully and knowingly used and attempted to use a false, forged, and counterfeited Spanish passport; that is, he presented the passport to law enforcement during a traffic stop to conceal his identity. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE-ERO.

    A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, and Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, are prosecuting the cases.

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Fitzgerald Statement on Israel’s Strike Against Iran

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement in response to Israel’s strike against Iran.

    “I strongly support Israel’s right to defend itself in the face of escalating threats from Iran, which is the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism. 

    “President Trump and Secretary Rubio have made clear that the United States was not involved in the planning or execution of these attacks. However, our commitment to Israel’s security remains firm.

    “I’ve consistently supported efforts to prevent a nuclear Iran, and I stand with President Trump in his efforts to restore stability in the region.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: After Tragic Mid-Air Collision Congressmen Amo, Estes Unveil Bipartisan Call for Audit of D.C. Airspace

    Source: US Congressman Gabe Amo (Rhode Island 1st District)

    The horrific passenger jet crash on January 29, 2025, involved a flight originating in Kansas and killed Rhode Island Mother and Son

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI) and Congressman Ron ESTES (R-KS) are calling on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Acting Inspector General Mitch Behm to audit the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) oversight of airspace operations at Washington National Airport (DCA) following the horrific mid-air crash of a passenger jet and U.S. Army helicopter on January 29, 2025.

    Congressmen Amo and Estes write:

    “The FAA plays a critical role in regulating and managing the U.S. National Airspace System. We have one of the busiest and most complex aviation networks with over 45,000 flights operating in our country daily. That is why this crash raises serious questions about the effectiveness of FAA airspace management, communication processes, and deconfliction procedures in one of our nation’s most sensitive and congested aviation corridors.”

    “We respectfully request your office audit the FAA’s oversight of airspace operations at and around DCA, and the FAA’s procedures for managing military aircraft operating within civilian-controlled airspace.”

    Read Bi-partisan Amo, Estes Letter Here.

    BACKGROUND

    On January 29, 2025, American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter as the passenger jet approached DCA.

    3 servicemembers operating the helicopter, and all 64 passengers and crew on the American Airlines flight were killed in the collision, including Rhode Island residents Christine and Spencer Lane. The mother and son were traveling with the Boston Skating Club group returning from the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships where Spencer had competed.

    On May 23, 2025, Congressmen Amo, Subramanyam, and Beyer led 16 of their colleagues in requesting that the Department of Transportation facilitate an independent review of Washington, DC airspace as part of the Appropriations Committee’s Fiscal Year 2026 transportation funding bill.

    On March 3, 2025, Congressman Amo supported the House passage of a resolution to commemorate the victims.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov of Azerbaijan – Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator, Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO)

    Source: United Nations MIL-OSI 2

    nited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Ramiz Alakbarov of Azerbaijan as his new Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator, Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO).  Dr. Alakbarov will also serve as Humanitarian Coordinator.  He succeeds Muhannad Hadi of Jordan, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedication and service.  The Secretary-General also thanks Sarah Poole of the United States, who has been providing steadfast support in an ad interim capacity. 

    Dr. Alakbarov brings more than 30 years of extensive international experience in executive leadership, strategic planning and policy-making, development programming and management, and humanitarian response.  He has been serving as the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia since 2023.  Prior to this, he held the position of Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), where he was also the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, from 2021 to 2023.  In Afghanistan, he also served as UN Resident Coordinator ad interim in 2020.

    Dr. Alakbarov has served in several positions within the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), including as Deputy Executive Director for Management and United Nations Reforms (ad interim) and Director of the Policy and Strategy Division in New York, Country Representative in Haiti, Deputy Regional Director of the Regional Office for Arab States in Cairo and Head of the Office in South Sudan.  Prior to these positions, he served in various roles at UNFPA supporting country programmes in Arab States, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.  His roles included Programme Officer covering Sudan, Somalia, and Iraq and Humanitarian Response Officer for Operations, in Afghanistan, Palestine and the Great Lakes Region.  From 1992 to 1995, he was an Assistant Professor at Azerbaijan Medical University and a practicing physician.

    Dr. Alakbarov holds M.D. and Ph.D. degrees in internal medicine from Azerbaijan Medical University and a Master of Arts in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.  He is fluent in Azerbaijani, English, French, Russian and Turkish.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Secures Decision Blocking Trump’s Unlawful Elections Order

    Source: US State of California

    Friday, June 13, 2025

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

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a statement on a decision by the District Court for the District of Massachusetts granting a preliminary injunction blocking unlawful provisions in President Donald Trump’s unprecedented elections executive order. Attorney General Bonta co-led a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging the order in April 2025.  

    “Today, the court blocked the President’s unconstitutional attempt to interfere with states’ fundamental responsibilities to manage and administer our elections,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than the right to vote. We will continue to fight to ensure the President’s anti-Democratic, anti-American attacks on voting are never implemented.”

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

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why people become drug mules – and why harsh sentences don’t deter them

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jennifer Fleetwood, Senior Lecturer, City St George’s, University of London

    Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Thousands of British nationals are charged with drug smuggling abroad every year. The UK charity Prisoners Abroad reports a rise in the number of British people imprisoned abroad for drug offences in 2024-25, compared to the previous year, especially women under 34.

    Two recent examples making headlines are Bella May Culley, an 18-year-old woman from County Durham, and Charlotte May Lee, a 21-year-old from south London. Culley was arrested in Georgia with 14 kilos of cannabis. Lee was arrested in Sri Lanka, with 46 kilos of synthetic cannabis (she has denied knowing it was in her bag and has yet to be charged).

    If they are convicted, Culley and May face very long sentences. Reports suggest that Culley could receive up to 20 years or life imprisonment in Georgia. In Sri Lanka, May faces a sentence of up to 25 years.

    And another three young Britons face the death penalty after being charged with smuggling nearly a kilo of cocaine into Indonesia. All of these cases are ongoing and the suspects have not been found guilty of any crime.

    Why would people take the risk of such harsh punishments?

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    For my book Drug Mules: Women in the International Cocaine Trade, I spent over a year visiting prisons in Ecuador to speak to people convicted of drug trafficking. I spoke to drug mules as well as people who recruited and managed them to understand how the business works. I spoke to people from the UK, Europe, the US, southeast Asia and Africa.

    My research sheds light on how drug mules end up carrying such massive quantities, and why harsh punishments are an ineffective deterrent.

    Who becomes a drug mule?

    The abiding stereotype of the drug mule is someone who is motivated by poverty, often a woman from a drug-producing country. In fact, like most areas of crime, the majority of people arrested for smuggling drugs worldwide are men.

    People’s motivations for trafficking drugs are extremely varied. In my research, I came across people motivated by grinding poverty, debts or a chance to make a change in their lives. The sums they were promised ranged from £5,000 to £10,000.

    Some people didn’t expect to get paid at all, however. They became involved through debt (theirs or a family member’s), and carrying drugs was offered as a way to repay the debt. In rare cases, people became involved through threats and coercion.

    There are, broadly, two kinds of people arrested at international borders with drugs. The first is carrying drugs that they have bought (and packed) themselves, and probably only a small quantity which they might use or sell for a modest profit. They probably also bought their own tickets to travel.

    One trafficker I interviewed recalled that he carried only a few hundred grams of cocaine in a talc bottle. If caught, they can face custody, depending on the type and amount of drugs.

    The second kind is carrying drugs that someone else has paid for – they are drug mules. The person paying for the drugs (we could call them the investor) decides what is smuggled, where to and how it will be concealed – not the mule.

    Investors are, of course, motivated by profit: five kilos will be more profitable than just the one. And so, mules tend to carry much larger amounts than those carrying their own drugs.

    Drug mules typically do not know what they are carrying, or how much. When people working as drug mules receive the drugs, they arrive ready to evade customs. In some cases, more professional groups might pay a specialist to conceal the drugs more effectively.

    Traffickers have been known to evade detection by concealing cocaine in clear plastic products.

    Many people working as drug mules are misled about where they are travelling to, or may not know they are carrying drugs.

    Long sentences

    Understanding more about the role of drug mules sheds light on the harsh sentences that people accused of drug importation – like Culley and May – are facing. Possible sentences are very long, not only because Sri Lanka and Georgia have extremely tough drug laws, but also because of the large quantities of drugs involved.

    When it comes to sentencing people for drug offences, the quantity of the drug (or, in some countries the monetary value) has long been taken as a proxy for harm. As I have argued in my research, this is a disproportionate and unfair punishment.

    The key UN treaty on narcotic drugs requires countries to criminalise and punish activities relating to illegal drugs. The convention labels drug addiction as “evil”, paving the way for very harsh punishments for those who sell or transport drugs.

    Drug trafficking can even be punished by death in some countries – over 600 people were executed globally in 2024. In many cases, people were executed even though they were in possession of relatively small quantities of an illegal drug – often less than 100g.

    Each nation makes its own laws, but broadly speaking, more drugs means more punishment. This seems logical and proportionate, unless the person being charged with drug trafficking hasn’t made those decisions. And, as my research found, drug mules tend to be carrying larger quantities, paid for by investors or even groups of investors.

    The job of the drug mule is characterised by exploitation rather than choice. If they don’t choose where they travel to, or what they are carrying, then deterrent sentences will simply fail to deter. They only serve to punish those who are most powerless and most exploited in the international drug trade.

    Jennifer Fleetwood has previously receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.

    – ref. Why people become drug mules – and why harsh sentences don’t deter them – https://theconversation.com/why-people-become-drug-mules-and-why-harsh-sentences-dont-deter-them-258514

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How pterosaurs can inspire aircraft design

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Hone, Senior Lecturer in Zoology, Queen Mary University of London

    Travelershigh / Shutterstock

    Pterosaurs were an amazing group of flying reptiles that occupied the skies around the same time that dinosaurs roamed on land. Appearing in the fossil record around 230 million years ago, pterosaurs survived until 66 million years ago, when an asteroid impact helped wipe them, and many other life forms, out.

    The pterosaurs are often the animals in the background, while the dinosaurs occupy the foreground. However, they are worthy of much more recognition than they are commonly given, not just as interesting ancient animals, but because they could also inspire aircraft designs.

    Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to evolve powered flight. They were in the air 80 million years before birds and around 180 million years before bats. However, their flight apparatus was rather different to either. The wings of bats are supported by multiple digits (like our fingers). Birds use feathers as structural units in the wings.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    But pterosaurs primarily had one finger to support their wings. Their main wing was composed of a single giant “spar” – a structural unit – made of up of the bones of the arm and the greatly elongated fourth finger, with a membrane that stretched from the tip of the finger down to the ankle. This membrane acted as a flight surface.

    As a group, pterosaurs were diverse – some were specialist fishers, filter feeders, terrestrial predators, insect hunters, seed crackers, and more. Some could climb well and many species were highly mobile on the ground.

    They also got very large. The biggest pterosaurs had wingspans of over 10m and could weigh over 250kg. Even the smallest pterosaurs could fly: juveniles with 10cm wingspans were probably capable of flight within days or even hours of hatching.

    The bones of pterosaurs, like those of birds and many dinosaurs, were filled by extensions of the lungs called air-sacs, and they were extremely thin walled. This made the skeletons of the animals very stiff for their weight (rather important when flying). It also made their skeletons very fragile after death, and so pterosaur fossils are rare.

    However, in a handful of sites around the world – most notably in Germany, Brazil and China – where the preservation of fossils is exceptionally good, we have huge numbers of pterosaur fossils with both complete skeletons and a lot of soft tissue. This gives us an incredible insight into the shape and structure of their wings and how they flew.

    In addition to the main wing surface, pterosaurs had two other smaller subsidiary surfaces that would have given them extra control. At the front of the main wing sitting in the crux of the elbow was a small membrane between the wrist and the base of the neck, supported by a unique long wrist bone called the pteroid.

    At the back of the body, earlier pterosaurs had a single large sheet of membrane between the legs, supported in the middle by a long tail and on each side by long fifth toes on the feet. Later pterosaurs split this rear membrane and had only a small piece of membrane running from the ankle on each leg to the base of a short tail.

    As well as the outer skin-like layers, the wings had at least three major layers, comprising blood vessels, a layer of muscles, and a layer of stiffening fibres. Some might well have had extensions of the airsacs in the main wing membranes too, which could presumably be inflated and deflated to a degree. The wing as a whole was therefore extremely elastic and flexible.

    Artist’s impression of pterosaurs in flight.
    Natalie Jagielska

    This would have given pterosaurs extraordinary control over their wings. All of this makes them an intriguing model for future aircraft design.

    Flight challenge

    Aircraft wings are not (and cannot) be perfectly stiff. Adding flexibility, or better still, actual shape changing potential, could give them substantial performance benefits. But stiffness and flexibility need to be balanced. Problems with aeroelasticity – the tendency of a soft wing to vibrate in ways that greatly reduce performance (or even cause flight to fail outright) – limit how pliable the wings can be.

    Pterosaurs had multiple mechanisms to address this challenge, from passive mechanisms, such as fibres within the wing, to active mechanisms, such as the muscles that ran throughout the wing and could tighten on demand. This wing tensioning anatomy is*is?* among the most sophisticated aeroelastic control systems known to science.

    Survey and rescue drones of the future could look very different to this one.
    Sobrevolando Patagonia / Shutterstock

    The key to applying our knowledge of pterosaurs to future aircraft design comes not in closely mimicking the exact shape and form of pterosaurs, but instead, in understanding and extracting core principles from their anatomy.

    The membranous wings of pterosaurs were great at changing shape. The leading
    edge could lie flat or depress to a sharp angle, thanks to the small anterior membrane. The main wing surface could change its curvature, or camber. There is even evidence that the wing could manage what is called reflex camber – a shape in which the trailing edge of the wing curves upwards.

    Even the stiff portion of the wing (the spar) made of bone and surrounding muscles, was mobile – through motions of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist and flexibility within the bone itself near the wingtip. This soft, shape changing structure gave pterosaurs exceptional control over their moment-to-moment wing performance, optimising for lower speed or higher speed within fractions of a wingbeat. This would have made them particularly adept at slow speed flight – good for tight turns and precise, soft landings.

    Greater manoeuvrability and pinpoint landings are a premium for autonomous vehicles working in busy environments – such as cities or natural disaster zones full of debris. So future survey and rescue drones could take lessons from pterosaur wing control systems.

    Lessons from pterosaur anatomy could also be applied to wingsuits.
    Rick Neves / Shutterstock

    The jointed, flexible wing anatomy of pterosaurs also meant that the wings could fold tightly, and unlike the wings of birds, the folded wings of pterosaurs doubled as powerful walking limbs. Because the hands contacted the ground while walking, the forelimbs were available to help push the animals into the air during take-off leaps. Mathematical models predict half-second launch times, from a standing start, in even the largest pterosaurs.

    The exceptional mechanical loads associated with these launches were handled
    by one of the highest stiffness-to-weight skeletons to ever evolve. This folded-wing, rapid-launch system has great potential for applications to future technologies.

    So much so, in fact, that a prototype folding wing system modelled on pterosaurs has already undergone some testing (through a Nasa-funded university project on which one of the authors, Michael Habib, consulted). A folding, flapping wing that doubles as a launch system could allow future drones to take off with limited space – perhaps while on ships at sea. It could also be used to allow small flying drones to land and launch again out of craters on Mars.

    The red planet has just enough atmosphere to make flapping wing and rotor wing systems work. But it’s energetically costly and hovering is tough – better to land, measure and launch again. Similarly, rapid take offs from uneven terrain, precise landings, tight turns, and on demand tweaks to improve performance are all features that could be applied to the drones of the future, in wingsuits, and more.

    As the control systems for drones become increasingly driven by intelligent software, we will need a new generation of hardware to match. Pterosaurs may hold the keys to unlocking a future of highly manoeuvrable autonomous aerial vehicles that are competent in harsh conditions and urban environments. These would be ideal for search and rescue or surveys in locations that are too dangerous for humans.

    So despite having been extinct for 66 million years, the pterosaurs have huge potential as the inspiration for aircraft design. Sometimes looking back can be the best way to look forward.

    Michael Habib has worked on a prototype folding wing system based on pterosaur flight through a Nasa-funded university project.

    David Hone and Liz Martin 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. How pterosaurs can inspire aircraft design – https://theconversation.com/how-pterosaurs-can-inspire-aircraft-design-256823

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Issues Statement Following Renewable Fuels Standard Rulemaking on Renewable Volume Obligations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    June 13, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Renewable Fuels Standard rulemaking noticing Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for 2026 and 2027:
    “President Trump and Administrator Zeldin have held true to their promises to unleash American energy and to implement the Renewable Fuels Standard consistent with the law. Today’s Renewable Volume Obligation rulemaking marks an important day for biofuels, American farmers, and Nebraska agriculture. Strong targets drive strong biofuel markets which benefits energy consumers, agricultural producers, and the environment.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick Releases Statement on the Detainment of Senator Alex Padilla

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) released the following statement regarding the detainment of Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA). 

    “The violent and forceful detainment of Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) by federal agents is a national disgrace and a dangerous escalation in the ongoing assault on our democratic norms.  

    “A sitting United States Senator was forcibly removed, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed—for doing what every public servant has a duty to do: ask questions and hold this administration accountable. 

    “What happened in Los Angeles is not just an affront to Senator Padilla (D-CA)—it is an affront to every American who believes in the right to speak, question authority, and seek truth. That he was treated as a threat for simply asserting his identity and demanding to be heard speaks volumes about the dangerous political climate under Trump’s renewed immigration crackdown. 

    “I stand in full solidarity with Senator Padilla (D-CA) and echo his call for peaceful protest and resistance. We must reject these authoritarian tactics and reaffirm our commitment to justice, due process, and the constitutional rights of all people—documented or not.”  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DOGE Subcommittee Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene Investigates Planned Parenthood’s Misuse of Federal Funds

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

    FOX NEWS: Marjorie Taylor Greene launches probe into Planned Parenthood’s use of taxpayer funds

    Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) today launched an investigation into Planned Parenthood’s misuse of federal funds for abortion and so-called “gender affirming care” procedures for minors. In a letter to Planned Parenthood President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, Subcommittee Chairwoman Greene requests information about Planned Parenthood’s financial statements, federal funding, and documents pertaining to its abortion and “gender affirming” medical and surgical interventions on children.

    “Planned Parenthood is an abortion giant that harvests organs from babies and uses nearly all of its resources to kill babies, not provide real healthcare. Despite receiving billions in taxpayer dollars, they offer almost no prenatal care, push late-term abortions, and even supply aborted babies for grotesque experiments. As a Christian, I believe every life is a gift from God, and I believe it’s time Congress holds them accountable and stops the flow of federal funds to this evil and barbaric organization,” said Subcommittee Chairwoman Greene.

    Despite receiving 39 percent of its annual revenue from federal funds intended for essential health services, such as cancer screenings and wellness exams, Planned Parenthood is increasingly using its resources to offer abortions to its patients. In FY 2023, Planned Parenthood provided fewer health care services and performed more abortions than years prior. The latest Planned Parenthood annual report shows that it performed more than 400,000 abortions, an increase of 23 percent over the last 10 years. Compared to a decade ago, Planned Parenthood provided 63 percent fewer prenatal services and 38 percent fewer contraceptive services.

    Additionally, Planned Parenthood provides “gender affirming care,” including cross-sex hormones, puberty blockers, and surgical referrals, with allegedly little to no medical or psychological evaluation. In FY 2022, Planned Parenthood reported 45 affiliate health centers provided “gender-affirming” hormones. The exact number of these services is not disclosed in public reports. Planned Parenthood’s official policy varies by state, but some Planned Parenthood health centers will provide cross-sex hormones to minors as young as 16 years old with parental consent.

    Below are excerpts from the letter. Read the full letter to Alexis McGill Johnson here.

    “The Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency is investigating Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. and its affiliates’ provision of abortion services and ‘gender affirming care’ for minors. Recently released audio recordings expose multiple Planned Parenthood facilities offering a minor same-day access to cross-sex hormones with little medical supervision and questionable adherence to parental consent laws.

    “As a recipient of nearly $800 million in federal funds in fiscal year (FY) 2023 and the second largest provider of gender hormone therapies in the United States, the Subcommittee is concerned that Planned Parenthood may be commingling federal funds and using them for unpermitted purposes. It is imperative that federal funds provided to Planned Parenthood via Title X of the Public Health Service Act (Title X), Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Therefore, the Subcommittee seeks documents and information from Planned Parenthood about its delivery of these services and stewardship of taxpayer funds.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, Shaheen Urge DHS to Release Emergency Funds for Coast Guard Facilities in Maine, New Hampshire

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) sent a bipartisan letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem urging the immediate release of emergency funds provided by Congress to repair Coast Guard facilities in Maine and New Hampshire that were damaged by recent storms.

    “We write to request that you urgently obligate the emergency supplemental funds Congress provided to recapitalize Coast Guard facilities in Portland, ME, Southwest Harbor, ME and New Castle, NH,” the Senators wrote. “A combination of severe storm damage and resource constraints have hampered the ability of the Coast Guard to perform its important missions in Maine and New Hampshire, such as escorting submarines as they arrive and depart from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.”

    “These facilities not only support our local communities and economies, but they also serve vital national security interests. The Coast Guard has a long and growing backlog of stations and facilities in need of repair or recapitalization. We see these issues firsthand in Maine and New Hampshire,” they continued. “In February 2025, the Government Accountability Office found that 49% of the Coast Guard’s shore infrastructure is beyond its expected service life and that the agency has a $7 billion backlog in shore infrastructure projects.”

    “We respectfully request your commitment that the Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard use the supplemental Procurement, Construction & Improvements funds as soon as possible to recapitalize Coast Guard stations in Rockland ME, Portland, ME, Southwest Harbor, ME and New Castle, NH,” they concluded.

    Earlier this year, Senator Collins announced that she had secured more than $40 million in funding that the U.S. Coast Guard requested for repairs to the Coast Guard facilities in Rockland, Southwest Harbor, and Portland damaged by recent storms. This funding was included in disaster relief legislation that has passed Congress and been signed into law. It included more than $210 million for construction projects, of which a portion was allocated for repairs to Coast Guard facilities in Maine.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Company sentenced for workplace injuries

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: LaSalle Causeway: Update on closures

    Source: Government of Canada News

    For immediate release

    Kingston, Ontario, June 13, 2025 – Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) would like to provide an update on the temporary closures for marine openings on the LaSalle Causeway, following the public notice issued on June 3.

    The LaSalle Causeway was originally scheduled to be fully closed to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians on Sunday, June 15, from 6 am to 10 pm. The timeframe for this closure has been extended by 2 hours and is now:

    • Sunday, June 15, at 6 am to Monday, June 16, at 12 am

    The extended closure of the causeway is required to carry out modifications to the bridge structure. The rest of the schedule for marine openings remains unchanged and is available on PSPC’s LaSalle Causeway page.

    Additionally, PSPC wishes to advise users that there will be off-peak alternating lane closures on the LaSalle Causeway to carry out modifications to the bridge structure during the following period:

    • Monday, June 16, from 9:30 am to 12 pm

    During this period, only 1 lane will be open to traffic in alternating directions, and access to the sidewalk may be temporarily interrupted. Road signage will be in place, with flag persons directing motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. Users may experience delays.

    The schedule may change depending on weather conditions.

    PSPC encourages all users to exercise caution when travelling and thanks them for their patience.

    Please consult our public notices and X (Twitter) account for updates, along with the LaSalle Causeway page for any schedule changes after business hours.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Applauds Successful Law Enforcement Interdiction Operations in Kansas

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) introduced a Resolution commending federal, state, and local law enforcement for their efforts in protecting Americans by combating drug trafficking and agroterrorism and for their recent actions in Kansas and across the country. 
    “At a time when our communities are under threat from both foreign and domestic criminals, I want to commend our hard-working law enforcement officials at all levels for the work they do each and every day to keep America safe,” said Senator Marshall.
    The Resolution highlights work done by the Emporia Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in stopping and preventing crime.  
    “I am very thankful for the combined efforts of the Emporia Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and the federal agencies that assisted in this matter,” said Trey Cocking, Emporia City Manager. “Their work demonstrates the power of true professional collaboration. Together, we can take meaningful steps to stem the tide of illegal substances impacting our communities.” 
    “Thank you to Senator Marshall for recognizing law enforcement’s continuing efforts to fight against the threat of illicit drugs that have infiltrated every corner of Kansas,” said KBI Director Tony Mattivi. “Our federal, state, and local partnerships are critical in standing up to drug trafficking organizations who threaten our communities.”
    “Kansas Wheat is grateful for the law enforcement agencies working to protect the national security of our food supply,” said Justin Gilpin, CEO of Kansas Wheat. “Threats from foreign adversaries using agriculture to disrupt our food safety and security systems must be taken seriously and acted upon.” 
    Click HERE to read the full resolution.  
    Background: 

    In May 2025, a joint team consisting of agents from Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and the Emporia Police Department arrested six individuals for transporting more than 85 gallons of liquid methamphetamine from Mexico to Emporia, Kansas. 
    On June 5, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration executed a record drug bust, seizing over 93 kilograms of fentanyl, 97 kilograms of methamphetamine, nearly 18 kilograms of heroin, and about 10 kilograms of cocaine. The value of this confiscation exceeds $9 million, and the quantity could have killed nearly 50 million individuals. 
    On June 10, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested two Chinese nationals, with alleged Chinese Communist Party ties, who were caught smuggling the fungus Fusarium Graminearum into the United States. This fungus can cause ‘head blight’, which devastates wheat, barley, maize, and rice crops, and has caused billions of dollars in economic losses globally. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: The Government of Barbados Announces an Offer to Purchase for Cash its 6.500% Notes due 2029

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL

    BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Government of Barbados (the “Offeror”) announces that it has today launched an offer (the “Offer”) to holders (the “Noteholders”) of any and all of its outstanding U.S.$407,642,670 6.500% Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”) to purchase any and all of such Notes for cash on the terms and subject to the satisfaction of the New Financing Condition (as defined below) and the other conditions set forth in the tender offer memorandum dated 13 June 2025 (the “Tender Offer Memorandum”).

    Capitalised terms used in this announcement but not defined have the meanings given to them in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

    All documentation relating to the Offer including the Tender Offer Memorandum and any amendments or supplements thereto will be available to Noteholders via the website for the Offer accessible at: www.dfking.com/barbados. The Offer is subject to offer and distribution restrictions in, among other countries, the United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium and France, as described below.

    Summary of the Offer

    Description of Notes Outstanding Principal
    Amount as of the Date
    Hereof and subject to the Offer    		 ISINs / CUSIP No. Purchase Price(1)
    6.500% Notes due 2029 U.S.$407,642,670 Rule 144A Notes:
    US067070AH54 / 067070 AH5

    Regulation S Notes:
    USP48864AQ80 / P48864 AQ8

    		 U.S.$1,000

     

    (1) Offered as Purchase Price per each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Deadline (as defined below) and accepted for purchase. The Purchase Price does not include Accrued Interest (as defined below). On 26 June 2025 (subject to the right of the Offeror, at its sole discretion, to extend, re-open, amend and/or terminate the Offer) (the “Settlement Date”), Noteholders will also receive Accrued Interest on all Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase.
       

    Rationale for the Offer

    The Offeror is making the Offer (subject to the New Financing Condition (as defined below)) in connection with the Offeror’s broader debt management strategy to refinance short-dated debt with longer-dated debt.

    All Notes purchased by the Offeror pursuant to the Offer will be cancelled and will not be re-issued or re-sold.

    Tender Offer Consideration

    The Offeror will, on the Settlement Date, pay for the Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or before the Expiration Deadline pursuant to the Offer and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer a cash amount (rounded to the nearest U.S.$0.01) equal to the sum of (i) the Purchase Price for such Notes, as set forth in the table above; and (ii) interest accrued and unpaid on the Notes from (and including) the interest payment date for such Notes immediately preceding the Settlement Date to (but excluding) the Settlement Date in respect of such Notes (the “Accrued Interest” and the payment thereof, the “Accrued Interest Payment”).

    The Offeror will calculate any Accrued Interest with respect to the Notes accepted for purchase in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Notes, and the calculation will be final and binding on all Noteholders whose Notes were accepted for purchase, absent manifest error.

    The Offeror reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to modify in any manner and at any time any of the terms and conditions of the Offer.

    New Financing Condition

    Whether the Offeror will accept for purchase any Notes validly tendered in the Offer is subject to (unless such condition is waived by the Offeror in its sole and absolute discretion), among other things, the prior closing of the issuance by the Offeror of one or more series of debt securities (the “New Notes”) in the international capital markets (the “New Notes Offering”) in an aggregate principal amount, and at a price and on terms and conditions acceptable to the Offeror in its sole and absolute discretion, a portion of the net proceeds of which will be used by the Offeror to purchase any Notes tendered and accepted pursuant to the Offer (the “New Financing Condition”).

    The New Notes Offering will be made solely by means of an offering memorandum relating to the New Notes Offering (the “New Notes Offering Memorandum”), and this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the New Notes. You may not participate in the New Notes Offering unless you have received and reviewed the New Notes Offering Memorandum, and not in reliance on, or on the basis of, this announcement or the Tender Offer Memorandum. The New Notes will be offered only to qualified institutional buyers in the United States in reliance on Rule 144A and outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act, and will not be registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction.

    Even if the New Financing Condition is satisfied, the Offeror is not under any obligation to accept for purchase any Notes tendered pursuant to the Offer.

    In order to be valid, Tender Instructions must be submitted in respect of a minimum nominal amount of U.S.$100 and in integral multiples of U.S.$100 in excess thereof (the “Minimum Denomination”). Noteholders who do not tender all of their Notes must ensure that they retain a principal amount of Notes amounting to at least the Minimum Denomination.

    Expected Timetable of Events

    The times and dates below are indicative only.

    Date Events
    13 June 2025 Commencement of the Offer

    Offer announced. Tender Offer Memorandum available from the Information and Tender Agent.
       
    20 June 2025, 5 p.m. (New York Time) Expiration Deadline

    Deadline for receipt by the Information and Tender Agent of all Tender Instructions in order for Noteholders to be able to participate in the Offer and to be eligible to receive the Purchase Price and Accrued Interest Payment on the Settlement Date.
       
    As soon as reasonably practicable on or after the Expiration Deadline and expected to be 23 June 2025 Announcement of Results

    Offeror’s announcement of the amount of Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Offer.
       
    Promptly after the New Financing Condition has been met or waived Announcement of Notes accepted for purchase

    The Offeror will announce, promptly after the New Financing Condition has been met or waived, (i) the aggregate principal amount of Notes validly tendered that will be accepted for purchase, and (ii) the aggregate principal amount of Notes remaining outstanding following the completion of the Offer. See “Terms and Conditions of the Offer –Announcements” in the Tender Offer Memorandum.
       
    26 June 2025 (but subject to change without notice) Settlement

    Expected Settlement Date for the Offer. Payment of Purchase Price and Accrued Interest Payment in respect of the Offer. All Notes purchased pursuant to the Offer will be cancelled on the Settlement Date and will no longer be outstanding.
       

    The above times and dates are subject to the right of the Offeror to extend, re-open, amend, waive any condition of and/or terminate the Offer at any time (subject to applicable law and as provided in the Tender Offer Memorandum). Noteholders are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Notes when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from a Noteholder in order for that Noteholder to be able to participate in, or (in the limited circumstances in which revocation is permitted) revoke their instruction to participate in, the Offer before the deadlines specified in the Tender Offer Memorandum. The deadlines set by any such intermediary and each Clearing System for the submission of Tender Instructions will be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified above. See “Procedures for Participating in the Offer” in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

    Announcements

    Unless stated otherwise, announcements in connection with the Offer will be by the issue of a press release through the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and by the delivery of notices to the relevant Clearing Systems for communication to Direct Participants. Such announcements may also be made by the issue of a press release to a Notifying News Service. Copies of all such announcements, press releases and notices and will be available on the Offer Website or alternatively they can also be obtained upon request from the Information and Tender Agent, the contact details for which are below. Significant delays may be experienced where notices are delivered to the Clearing Systems and Noteholders are urged to contact the Information and Tender Agent for the relevant announcements during the course of the Offer. In addition, Noteholders may contact the Dealer Managers for information using the contact details below.

    Tender Instructions

    In order to participate in and be eligible to receive the relevant Purchase Price and any Accrued Interest Payment pursuant to the Offer, Noteholders must validly tender their Notes by delivering, or arranging to have delivered on their behalf, a valid Tender Instruction in respect of the Offer that is received by the Information and Tender Agent by 5.00 p.m. New York City time on 20 June 2025 (the “Expiration Deadline”).

    Tender Instructions will be irrevocable except in the limited circumstances described in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

    Noteholders are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Notes when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from a Noteholder in order for that Noteholder to be able to participate in, or (in the limited circumstances in which revocation is permitted) revoke their instruction to participate in, the Offer by the deadlines specified in the Tender Offer Memorandum. The deadlines set by any such intermediary and each Clearing System for the submission of Tender Instructions will be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

    Tender Instructions must be submitted in respect of a nominal amount of Notes equal to or greater than the Minimum Denomination.

    A separate Tender Instruction must be completed on behalf of each beneficial owner.

    Disclaimer

    This announcement does not contain the full terms and conditions of the Offer. The terms and conditions of the Offer are contained in the Tender Offer Memorandum, and are subject to the Offer and distribution restrictions set out below and more fully described therein.

    Further information

    J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Standard Chartered Bank have been appointed by the Offeror to serve as dealer managers (the “Dealer Managers”) for the Offer. D.F. King (the “Information and Tender Agent”) has been appointed by the Offeror to act as the information and tender agent in connection with the Offer.

    For additional information regarding the terms of the Offer, please contact J.P. Morgan Securities LLC by telephone at (866) 846-2874; Collect: (212) 834-7279 and Standard Chartered Bank by telephone at (212) 667-0351 (U.S.) or +44 20 7885 5739 (U.K.) and by email at liability_management@sc.com.

    Requests for documents and questions regarding the tender of Notes may be directed to the Information and Tender Agent D.F. King & Co., Inc. via:

    Banks & Brokers Call: (212) 269-5550

    Toll free: (866) 342-4881

    Email: barbados@dfking.com

    The Tender Offer Memorandum is expected to be distributed to Noteholders beginning today. A copy of the Tender Offer Memorandum is available on the tender offer website accessible at www.dfking.com/barbados.

    No Recommendation

    The relevant Purchase Price, if paid by the Offeror with respect to the Notes of any series accepted for purchase, will not necessarily reflect the actual value of such Notes. Noteholders should independently analyse the value of the Notes and make an independent assessment of the terms of the Offer. None of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent has or will express any opinion as to whether the terms of the Offer are fair. None of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent makes any recommendation that Noteholders should submit an offer to sell or tender Notes or refrain from doing so pursuant to the Offer, and no one has been authorised by any of them to make any such recommendation.

    Offer and Distribution Restrictions

    Neither this announcement nor the Tender Offer Memorandum constitutes an offer to participate in the Offer in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or for there to be such participation under applicable securities laws. The distribution of the Tender Offer Memorandum in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession the Tender Offer Memorandum comes are required by the Offeror, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender Agent to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions

    Nothing in this announcement or the Tender Offer Memorandum or the electronic transmission thereof constitutes an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the New Notes in the United States or any other jurisdiction.

    In addition, each Noteholder participating in an Offer will also be deemed to give certain representations in respect of the other jurisdictions referred to above and generally as set out in “Procedures for Participating in the Offer” of the Tender Offer Memorandum. Any tender of Notes for purchase pursuant to an Offer from a Noteholder that is unable to make these representations will not be accepted. Each of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender Agent reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to investigate, in relation to any tender of Notes for purchase pursuant to an Offer, whether any such representation given by a Noteholder is correct and, if such investigation is undertaken and as a result the Offeror determines (for any reason) that such representation is not correct, such tender shall not be accepted. The acceptance of any tender shall not be deemed to be a representation or a warranty by any of the Offeror, the Dealer Manager or the Information and Tender Agent or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents or affiliates that it has undertaken any such investigation and/or that any such representation to any person underwriting any such Notes is correct.

    United Kingdom

    The communication of the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer are not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorised person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the “FSMA”). Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such documents and/or materials is exempt from the restriction on financial promotions under section 21 of the FSMA on the basis that it is only directed at and may be communicated to (1) those persons who are existing creditors of the Offeror within Article 43(2) of the FSMA (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended, and (2) to any other persons to whom these documents and/or materials may lawfully be communicated.

    Belgium

    Neither the Tender Offer Memorandum nor any other documents or materials relating to the Offer have been, or will be, submitted to or notified to, or approved by, the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autorité des services et marchés financiers/Autoriteit voor Financiële Diensten en Markten) and, accordingly, the Offer may not be made in Belgium by way of a public offering, as defined in Article 3 of the Belgian Law of 1 April 2007 on takeover bids (loi relative aux offres publiques d’acquisition/wet op de openbare overnamebiedingen), as amended or replaced from time to time.

    Accordingly, the Offer may not be, and are not being advertised, and the Tender Offer Memorandum, as well as any brochure, or any other material or document relating thereto (including any memorandum, information circular, brochure or any similar document) may not, have not and will not be distributed, directly or indirectly, to any person located and/or resident within Belgium, other than those who qualify as qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés/qekwalificeerde beleggers), within the meaning of Article 2, e), of the Prospectus Regulation acting on their own account. Accordingly, the information contained in the Tender Offer Memorandum or in any brochure or any other document or material relating thereto may not be used for any other purpose, including for any offering in Belgium, except as may otherwise be permitted by law, and shall not be disclosed or distributed to any other person in Belgium.

    France

    The Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer are only addressed to and are only directed at qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation in France. Each person in France who receives any communication in respect of the Offer contemplated in the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with the Dealer Managers and the Offeror that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation.

    European Economic Area

    In any European Economic Area (“EEA”) Member State, this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum are only addressed to, and are only directed at, “qualified investors” (as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017, as amended (the “Prospectus Regulation”)) in that Member State.

    Each person in a Member State of the EEA who receives any communication in respect of the Offer contemplated in this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with each Dealer Manager and the Offeror that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Repeal Syria Caesar Civilian Protection Act

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

    Washington, DC – Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), Lou Correa (D-CA), and Jack Bergman (R-MI) introduced bipartisan legislation repealing the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019. Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) joined as an Original Cosponsor, as well. 

    The Caesar Act which imposed sanctions on Syria in response to the Assad regime’s war crimes was waived by Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month for 180 days. However, unless Congress permanently repeals the law it will require waivers every 180 days until the law expires in December 2029, thereby creating economic uncertainty which will harm efforts to reduce the massive humanitarian and economic hardship in Syria which has been ravaged by years of war. 

    On May 21, Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In response to a question regarding Syria sanctions from Rep. Wilson, Sec. Rubio said, “The sanctions in Syria are largely based on a statute, the Caesar Act, and so that allows the President to do rolling waivers, I believe 6 months at a time. So the goal is ultimately to make enough progress, so that Congress will permanently repeal those.”

    Ambassador Thomas Barrack, who is U.S. ambassador to Türkiye, was named as Syria’s U.S. envoy on May 23; he noted Syria had been under U.S. sanctions since 1979. Some of the toughest were implemented in 2020 under the Caesar Act, which Barrack said must be repealed by Congress within a 180-day window. “I promise you the one person who has less patience with these sanctions than all of you is President Trump,” Amb. Barrack said.

    “For far too long, the Syrian people suffered under the brutal dictatorship of the Assad regime. With the ousting of this regime, it is critical that we give the new government the opportunity to deliver for the Syrian people,” said Rep. Jayapal. “The repeal of these broad sanctions will give foreign partners the certainty they need to invest in the Syrian economy and give their new government a chance to succeed.”

    “The Assad regime sanctioned by the Caesar Act no longer exists, and it is time to repeal the law to provide long-term certainty to those who would like to invest in the reconstruction and rebuilding of Syria,” said Rep. Wilson.     

    “With the fall of the Assad regime, the Syrian people have renewed hope for a better future,” said Rep. Panetta. “By repealing the Caesar Act, the United States can better support the Syrian people and their economy during this critical transitional period. Syria is at a turning point, and as geo-political adversaries try to take advantage of the turmoil, the United States must position itself as a partner for continued progress.”

    The full text of H.R. 3941 is available here. 

    Issues: Foreign Affairs & National Security

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 60 Affordable Homes Completed in Schenectady

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of Mosaic Apartments, a 60-unit affordable housing development in the Mont Pleasant neighborhood in the City of Schenectady. Half of the apartments in the $27 million development are reserved for individuals and families struggling with homelessness and in need of support services, including older New Yorkers. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has financed more than 4,700 affordable homes in the Capital Region, including more than 600 in Schenectady County. Mosaic Apartments continues this effort and complements Governor Hochul’s $25 billion five-year housing plan, which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.

    “New York is committed to creating affordable homes and supporting our most vulnerable communities,” Governor Hochul said. “Mosaic Apartments is creating new housing opportunities for 60 households and continues statewide efforts to build more housing and tackle the housing crisis. I am proud to have partners at the local level who support our housing agenda and are helping to make New York more affordable for individuals and families.”

    Units at Mosaic Apartments are available to households earning up to 50 percent of the Area Median Income. Tenants living in the supportive apartments will receive services including case management, healthcare coordination, transportation, community integration, and independent living skills education.

    The fully-electric development features rooftop solar panels, ENERGY STAR(r) appliances, electric heating and cooling, and energy-efficient lighting. There are also water‐conserving plumbing fixtures and electric hot water heaters.

    Mosaic Apartments complements the ongoing planning and revitalization efforts in the City of Schenectady’s 2020 Mont Pleasant Neighborhood Plan and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2018 Mont Pleasant Renewal Area Plan. The site was assembled by the City of Schenectady’s unified economic development team including the Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority and the Capital Region Land Bank. The development is walking distance from a County library branch, convenience store, and schools.

    DePaul Properties is the project’s developer and DePaul Community Services is providing the on-site support services. Applications for Mosaic Apartments are now being accepted and qualified individuals can apply online at https://www.depaul.org/locations/mosaic-apartments/.

    Mosaic Apartments is supported by New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, which generated $11 million in equity, $5.8 million from its Federal Housing Trust Fund, $4 million from its Supportive Housing Opportunity Program, and $330,000 from its Clean Energy Initiative program, created in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The project is also supported by $4.3 million from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program and a $226,200 program development grant from the New York State Office of Mental Health. Additional funding includes $525,000 from the Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority and $200,000 from the Capital Region Land Bank. Operating funding for the supportive apartments is provided by the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative administered by the New York State Office of Mental Health.

    New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Mosaic Apartments will give 60 households an affordable, modern, and energy-efficient place to call their own. This $27 million investment in the Schenectady community builds on the city’s continued efforts to enhance quality-of-life throughout the Mount Pleasant neighborhood and provides much-needed support to vulnerable residents. We thank the Governor for her ongoing efforts to increase housing opportunities across the state, Mayor McCarthy for his continued collaboration, and for our development partners for making this project a reality.”

    New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, “The 30 apartments with supportive services will help vulnerable New Yorkers who have experienced homelessness to access vital services while remaining safely housed. We are grateful to all of our partners for the successful completion of Mosaic Apartments and what it represents–that supportive housing can strengthen communities while stabilizing lives.”

    NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “New York continues to prioritize expanded access to clean, modern, affordable living opportunities across the state, especially for those who have been historically marginalized. Adopting all-electric and energy efficient building features such as electric heating and cooling and rooftop solar, like we see at Mosaic Apartments, demonstrates how we can create accessible living environments that prioritize the needs and well-being of our communities.”

    New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “All New Yorkers should have the ability to age with dignity within their community. The Mosaic Apartments will provide stable homes and supportive services for older adults living with mental illness. This project represents Governor Hochul’s strong commitment to developing new supportive housing throughout our state to help older adults live safely in independent settings.”

    Representative Paul Tonko said, “I’m so proud to celebrate the completion of Mosaic Apartments, an all-electric, energy-efficient affordable housing development that will address critical housing needs in the Schenectady area. Investments in sustainable, affordable housing are an essential part of our efforts to build stronger communities. Now, thanks to significant federal funding from the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, this development will help advance our efforts to provide quality living spaces for all residents of our Capital Region — particularly for seniors and individuals with disabilities — while also moving us toward a cleaner, greener future.”

    Schenectady County Legislature Chair Gary Hughes said, “We thank Governor Hochul for making this $27 million investment in Schenectady County possible. By working as a team, we have been able to build more than 3,000 new housing units in our community in recent years and this pro-housing effort has helped to make Schenectady County the fourth fastest growing county in New York State.”

    Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy said, “The new Mosaic development adds to the momentum in our neighborhoods replacing vacant properties with new quality apartments that we are proud to showcase at this grand opening today.”

    DePaul President Mark Fuller said, “DePaul is grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul and partners for assisting us in increasing our ability to provide permanent housing where residents can access the support services they require to live successfully. We look forward to changing even more lives for individuals in Schenectady and across New York State by offering housing stability for the most vulnerable populations.”

    Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda

    Governor Hochul is committed to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY 2025 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives, capital funding, and new protections for renters and homeowners. Building on this commitment, the FY 2026 Enacted Budget included more than $1.5 billion in new state funding for housing, a Housing Access Voucher pilot program, and new policies to improve affordability for tenants and homebuyers. In addition, as part of the FY 2023 Enacted Budget, the Governor announced a five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. Nearly 60,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.

    The FY 2025 Enacted Budget also strengthened the Pro-Housing Community Program which the Governor launched in 2023. Pro-Housing certification is now a requirement for localities to access up to $750 million in discretionary funding. Currently, more than 300 communities have been certified, including the City of Schenectady.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Warner on reports of additional FBI purge under Director Patel and Deputy Director Bongino

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement on press reporting that experienced FBI leaders – including the head of the FBI field office in Richmond, Va., and a top deputy at the field office in Norfolk, Va. – have been pushed out of their positions:

    “I’m deeply concerned by press reporting that more experienced FBI leaders have been pushed out of their roles by Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino. From day one, this administration has shown a willingness to undermine the integrity of our federal agencies in service of political loyalty. Virginians, and all Americans, deserve a Federal Bureau of Investigation that follows the facts and enforces the law without fear or favor, not one reshaped to serve the political whims of the president or his allies. These actions are unlikely to make us any safer.”

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement of Senate Intel Vice Chairman Warner on the Middle East

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – Tonight, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement:

    “This is a rapidly evolving situation, and it’s critical that the United States work with our allies and avoid steps that will cause further escalation across the region. For years, Iran has threatened the safety of Israel and the region and Israel has an undeniable right to defend itself and its citizens. At the moment, my foremost concern is the safety of American troops, diplomats, and personnel stationed throughout the Middle East. As Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I am carefully monitoring developments and staying in close contact with our intelligence and national security agencies.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Decision to Withdraw From Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the historic Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA) reached between the Federal Government and the Six Sovereigns—the states of Washington and Oregon, and the Nez Perce Tribe, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation:

    “Donald Trump doesn’t know the first thing about the Northwest and our way of life—so of course, he is abruptly and unilaterally upending a historic agreement that finally put us on a path to salmon recovery, while preserving stable dam operations for growers and producers, public utilities, river users, ports and others throughout the Northwest. This decision is grievously wrong and couldn’t be more shortsighted.

    “The Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement was the result of years of painstaking work—this was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernize infrastructure across the Columbia River Basin, support reliable clean energy, and save imperiled salmon and steelhead runs. The Trump administration’s senseless decision to tear it up is a betrayal of our Tribes and a tremendous setback for the entire Northwest.

    “After nearly 30 years of litigation, this agreement also led to a durable stay in court proceedings, which is now in jeopardy. I am going to continue doing everything I can to support the restoration of healthy and abundant salmon runs—including through the annual Appropriations process. We must save our salmon.”

    In August 2022, Senator Murray and Governor Inslee released joint findings and recommendations at the conclusion of an extensive, months-long joint federal-state process that evaluated the feasibility of breaching the Lower Snake River Dams as a way of protecting endangered salmon and steelhead species. Murray and Inslee concluded that breach was not feasible at that time as more needs to be done to replace the benefits of the dams–particularly investments in clean energy—but that it is imperative to prioritize major salmon recovery projects that can be undertaken in the near term. Senator Murray’s statement on the findings of the Murray-Inslee joint federal-state process is HERE.

    A final version of the independent report commissioned by Senator Murray and Governor Inslee can be found HERE. The independent report—along with months of public input, and discussion with stakeholders and Tribes—helped guide the Senator and Governor’s August 2022 recommendation.

    In December 2023, Senator Murray applauded the agreement reached between the federal government and the Six Sovereigns to allow for an extended stay in court proceedings on litigation involving the management of the Columbia-Snake River System.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Province helps build global connections for B.C.’s life-sciences sector

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    B.C. will lead a delegation of companies to the BIO International Convention in Boston, Mass., to attract more investment to the province’s life-sciences sector and build relationships with other countries to help strengthen the economy against ongoing U.S. tariffs.

    Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, will be at the conference June 15-19, 2025.

    BIO is the largest and most comprehensive international event for biotechnology, bringing 20,000 industry leaders together from across the globe. The ministry will showcase B.C.’s award-winning Life Sciences and Biomanufacturing Strategy to international delegates. The strategy builds on the momentum of the rapidly expanding sector and supports businesses to more easily commercialize their innovations.

    “We want attendees at BIO to know that B.C. is open for business and we are ready to welcome new investors and talent to join our growing life-sciences, health-care and technology sectors,” Gibson said. “With our competitive advantages, our talented people, world-class universities, and rich startup and scale-up ecosystem, B.C.’s life-sciences and biomanufacturing sector is growing faster than anywhere else in the country.”

    Gibson will highlight B.C.’s life-sciences sector as a global leader in innovative discoveries and world-leading products and services. Meetings are set with potential investors, venture-capital and other business partners to explore opportunities and foster critical relationships.

    “British Columbia’s life-sciences sector is an innovation powerhouse with world-class research, top-tier talent and a dynamic startup ecosystem,” said Wendy Hurlburt, president and CEO, Life Sciences BC. “As global investors and strategic partners seek impactful, breakthrough technologies, B.C. is at the forefront, offering exceptional opportunities to shape the future of health. At BIO 2025, Life Sciences BC and our delegation of almost 40 companies is inviting the world to discover why British Columbia is the place where the future of life sciences is being built.”

    Life Sciences B.C. will host its opening reception, which is one of the main go-to Canadian events at the conference with more than 200 attendees and approximately half being international audiences. B.C. delegates will promote common goals and their Team B.C. approach at the convention.

    “British Columbia is home to exceptional scientific talent and a life-sciences sector with real, growing momentum,” said Kenneth Galbraith, chair and chief executive officer of Zymeworks. “At Zymeworks, we’ve grown from our roots in Vancouver to a global company that is partnering with some of the world’s leading biopharmaceutical organizations to advance novel therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers. Our experience and expertise reflect the strength of British Columbia’s innovation ecosystem and its ability to support companies as they scale to make a real impact for patients in need.”

    Key discussions will include international talent mobility and workforce development, technology commercialization, strengthening collaboration between post-secondary institutions, expanding research and innovation partnerships in priority sectors, such as artificial intelligence and health tech, and highlighting B.C.’s strength as a clean-tech hub.

    B.C. continues to make record investments in its world-renowned research centres to support their discoveries and innovations. To date, government has invested more than $737 million and leveraged more than $1.2 billion in federal funding and private investment to expand the life-sciences sector.

    As Canada’s gateway to the Pacific, British Columbia is ideally located for easy and cost-effective international commerce, with a business day that conveniently overlaps with afternoon working hours in Europe, the morning in Asia and is synchronized for the full day with California and Washington state.

    Learn More:

    To learn more about the advantages of doing business in British Columbia, visit: https://www.britishcolumbia.ca

    For information about B.C.’s Life Sciences and Biomanufacturing Strategy, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/technology-innovation/life-sciences-biomanufacturing

    For more information about the BIO International Convention, visit: https://www.bio.org/events/bio-international-convention

    A backgrounder follows.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority Recognizes World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 13, 2025

    June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (FCAA) is encouraging all Saskatchewan residents to consider naming a Trusted Contact Person (TCP) and providing it to your registered financial advisor. This can help protect their financial assets in the future. 

    “A health crisis can happen at any time, leaving a person vulnerable to financial exploitation or issues that might affect their capacity to make financial decisions,” FCAA Executive Director of Securities Dean Murrison said. “Naming a Trusted Contact Person can provide you with peace of mind knowing your registered financial advisor has someone you trust that they can contact if required.”

    A TCP is someone you authorize your registered financial advisor to contact in certain circumstances. It lets your registered financial advisor know who you trust and who they have permission to contact if required.

    If you have a TCP, your registered financial advisor may need to contact them if: 

    • they are having difficulty contacting you; 
    • they are concerned you are vulnerable and being financially exploited;
    • you have a health issue and they need to confirm your wellbeing; or
    • they need confirmation of your legal representative(s).

    A TCP should be someone you trust and someone who is capable of handling difficult conversations about your personal situation. Consider choosing someone who:

    • will protect your interests;
    • will be comfortable talking to your registered financial advisor;
    • knows you well enough to notice changes in your personal situation;
    • is familiar with your support network;
    • agrees to take on the role; and
    • is typically not involved in your financial decisions, and preferably, is not your Financial Power of Attorney. 

    More information about naming a TCP can be found on the FCAA website at:
    https://fcaa.gov.sk.ca/consumers-investors-pension-plan-members/investors/financial-literacy/seniors/senior-financial-abuse/trusted-contact-person-tcp.

    If a senior has faced financial exploitation or if fraud has occurred, contact local police, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and the Securities Division of the FCAA at 306-787-5645 or fcaa@gov.sk.ca.

    For more information about senior financial abuse and tips for family members and caregivers visit:
    https://fcaa.gov.sk.ca/consumers-investors-pension-plan-members/investors/financial-literacy/seniors/senior-financial-abuse.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –