NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The CBSA launches investigations into the alleged dumping and subsidizing of thermal paper rolls from China

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    June 12, 2025
    Ottawa, Ontario

    The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced today that it is initiating investigations to determine whether thermal paper rolls originating in or exported from China are being sold at unfair prices (dumping) and/or subsidized. These practices can harm Canadian industries by undercutting Canadian prices, which undermines fair competition.

    The CBSA is investigating because of a complaint filed by McDermid Paper Converters Limited, Media Cash Register Inc., and Custom Paper Ltd. (together, the “complainants”). The complainants allege that as a result of an increase in the volume of the dumped and subsidized imports from China, they have suffered material injury in the form of lost sales and market share, price undercutting, reduced capacity utilization, price depression and suppression, losses of profitability, and negative impacts on employment, wages, and investments.

    The CBSA and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) both play a role in the investigations. The CITT will begin a preliminary inquiry to determine whether the imports are harming Canadian producers and will issue a decision by August 11, 2025. Concurrently, the CBSA will investigate whether the imports are being sold in Canada at unfair prices and/or are being subsidized, and will make preliminary decisions by September 10, 2025.

    Currently, there are 158 special import measures in force in Canada, covering a wide variety of industrial and consumer products. These measures have directly helped to protect approximately 31,000 Canadian jobs and $11.6 billion in Canadian production.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LEADER JEFFRIES: “HOUSE REPUBLICANS WILL CONTINUE TO BEHAVE LIKE NOTHING MORE THAN A RECKLESS RUBBER STAMP FOR DONALD TRUMP’S EXTREME AGENDA”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

    Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference where he emphasized that Democrats will continue to push back on the extremism being unleashed by House Republicans and the out-of-control Trump administration that is hurting American communities and our national security. 

    LEADER JEFFRIES: From the very beginning of this Congress, House Democrats have made clear that we will work with anyone in this town who is interested in making life better for the American people. House Democrats believe that America is too expensive. We’re committed to lowering housing costs, childcare costs, grocery costs, insurance costs and utility costs. There are far too many people in the United States of America who are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. That should not happen in the wealthiest country in the history of the world.

    Republicans and Donald Trump spent all of last year promising to lower the high cost of living. They haven’t done a damn thing to do it. Not a single thing. Trump promised that costs in America would go down on day one. Costs aren’t going down, they’re going up. Inflation is on the way up. Our credit rating as a country has been downgraded. The bond markets are having an adverse reaction to Trump’s presidency. The Trump tariffs are going to increase costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars a year. Donald Trump and House Republicans are crashing the American economy and are driving us toward a recession.

    Yet House Republicans, later on this afternoon, are going to put forward a reckless rescissions package. It’s going to undermine America’s national security, hurt our ability to protect the American people in terms of their health, their safety and their well-being, including by going after a George W. Bush bipartisan initiative that has saved thousands, actually, hundreds of thousands, actually, millions of lives across the world by combating the HIV and AIDS crisis. And yet Republicans want to rip billions of dollars away from America’s efforts to keep her people safe and secure to satisfy some extreme ideological crusade related to a deeply unpopular effort formerly led by Elon Musk to devastate the American way of life.

    And in all likelihood, every single House Republican, despite the claims that there’s some anxiety, will cave to Donald Trump and vote for the reckless Republican rescissions package. House Republicans aren’t interested in functioning like a separate and co-equal branch of government and holding the Trump administration accountable for its extremism. House Republicans will continue to behave like nothing more than a reckless Rubber Stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme agenda just like they did yesterday. And they’ll do the same thing today in voting to cut programs that are important when it comes to protecting the health, the safety, the national security and the economic well-being of the American people.

    Full press conference can be watched here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PLASKETT EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF AVELINO SAMUEL

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

    For Immediate Release                             Contact: Tionee Scotland
    June 10, 2025                                                   202-808-6129

    PRESS RELEASE

    PLASKETT EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF AVELINO SAMUEL

    Washington, DC – Congresswoman Plaskett released the following statement expressing condolences on the passing of Avelino Samuel of St. John:

    “I was very saddened to hear of Avelino’s passing. He was a master craftsman whose skilled hands and artistic vision left an indelible mark on the island of St. John and all who knew him. He was an artist who breathed life into timber, transforming raw materials into works of beauty and function that will endure for generations. His workshop was a place of creation where the rich woods of the Caribbean became furniture, carvings, and treasured pieces that graced homes throughout St. John and beyond. Those who witnessed Avelino at work knew they were observing something special.

    “Beyond his artistry, Avelino was a teacher and mentor who generously shared his knowledge with others, ensuring that the traditions of fine woodworking would continue. His legacy lives on not only in the beautiful pieces he created, but in the skills he passed down and the inspiration he provided to fellow craftsmen. The island of St. John has lost a true artisan, and our community mourns the passing of a man whose creativity and dedication enriched our lives. Avelino Samuel’s memory will be preserved in every piece he crafted and in the hearts of all who appreciated his extraordinary talent.

    “I send my prayers for comfort and peace to Avelino’s loved ones, family, former students and his many friends.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Carter Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Health Hearing on Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing and Our Health Care Supply Chain

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

    Headline: Chairman Carter Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Health Hearing on Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing and Our Health Care Supply Chain

     WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Made In America: Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing And The Health Care Supply Chain.

    Subcommittee Chairman Carter’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

    “Today’s hearing is critical in addressing our nation’s reliance on adversarial countries for essential medications and health care products. This dependence not only jeopardizes our national security and patient safety, but also highlights the urgent need to increase domestic and friend-shored manufacturing.

    “Let me be clear: The United States should never be dependent on the Chinese Communist Party for the antibiotics and essential medicines. But that’s exactly the dangerous position we are in today.

    “In 2002, the United States manufactured 72 percent of the pharmaceuticals it consumed. By 2023, that number had dropped to just 37.5 percent. We didn’t just outsource manufacturing—we outsourced the sovereignty and safety of our health care system.

    “We saw the impacts of this reliance firsthand during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a conversation I had with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, or ASPR, under the Trump Administration, the United States saw a downtick in the amount of PPE and pharmaceuticals coming to our country from China in the fall of 2019. We didn’t learn about COVID-19 until January 2020.

    “China knew there was an unidentified sickness in its own country, concealed it, and then withheld medical supplies so the United States was less prepared when COVID-19 hit our shores.

    “As both a pharmacist and a member of Congress, I know how critical these medicines and supplies are — especially for our national security. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, over 323 drugs were in shortage during the first quarter of 2024 – an all-time high – and cancer patients were often forced to switch treatments, adjust dosage regimens, or, in extreme cases, unable to receive their lifesaving medications. There was no comprehensive effort to support American manufacturers or reduce our reliance on foreign supply chains.

    “That is unacceptable.

    “Thankfully, President Trump is taking meaningful action by demanding real investment in our domestic production base and putting an end to decades of failed ‘America Last’ policies that left our supply chains hollowed out and put our patients, constituents, and families at risk.

    “Under the leadership of President Trump, we are bringing manufacturing back to America. Since the start of this year – the start of President Trump’s second term – Johnson & Johnson broke ground on a new $2 billion facility in North Carolina, Amgen announced a $900 million manufacturing expansion in Ohio, AbbVie committed $10 billion to invest in the United States, and Sanofi announced plans to invest at least $20 billion. 

    “And these are just a few examples. This is just the start. 

    “I look forward to hearing from my other colleagues about the recent investments in their districts and states during this hearing today, and I am thrilled to see what additional investments continue to flow and thrive under an Administration focused on unleashing innovation and bringing capacities back home. 

    “Along those lines, I commend recent efforts by this Administration to bolster domestic production, but we must do our part in Congress as well. This hearing will make it clear that more can be done to eliminate burdensome regulatory barriers, streamline processes that impede our competitiveness on the global stage, and establish the proper incentives to ensure we are creating the environment to allow innovation to flourish. 

    “It is no coincidence that Georgia – the No. 1 state in the nation to do business – is home to Manus Bio, who has invested nearly $60 million and created over 100 jobs with the acquisition of a new manufacturing facility in Augusta. We need more policies at the federal level that mirror the pro-growth examples we have in the state of Georgia. 

    “That is why House Republicans passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which incentivizes domestic medical supply production by rewarding companies that build their products in America, like USAntibiotics, who is the last remaining end-to-end domestic U.S. manufacturer of amoxicillin, the most prescribed antibiotic in the country. 

    “This is about protecting American lives, empowering American workers, restoring American sovereignty, and reinforcing U.S. leadership in medical innovation.

    “China is not our friend. Every product component that then turns into a vial of medicine or a piece of medical equipment that is made in China is a missed opportunity to strengthen our economy and protect our people.

    “It is time to act. We need to view pharmaceutical and health care supply chain independence just as we are viewing energy independence. I am proud to stand with President Trump and all those committed to putting America First in our health care system—starting with the medicines we rely on every day.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin’s Statement on Pres. Trump Overturning Clean Air Standards

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    June 12, 2025

    Washington, D.C.—Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) released the following statement after President Trump signed resolutions to overturn California’s clean air standards:

    “Southern California used to have nonstop smog alerts. I grew up in the 1980s, when air pollution would often make the mountains in the distance vanish behind a brown haze. That changed because leaders from both parties—Republicans like Reagan and Schwarzenegger, Democrats like Brown and Newsom—stepped up and said: clean air shouldn’t be negotiable.

    “Now Donald Trump wants to take away California’s right to set our own clean air standards and undo decades of bipartisan progress.

    “We’re not going back. Not to the smog. Not to the asthma. And not to a future where polluters get to call the shots.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Effects on Deficits and the Debt of Enacting H.R. 1 and of Making Certain Tax Policies in H.R. 1 Permanent

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    CBO responds to a request from Senator Merkley for information about how federal deficits, debt held by the public, and debt-service costs would be affected by enacting H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, as passed by the House of Representatives on May 22, 2025, and of permanently enacting 16 provisions in that bill.

    CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that enacting the bill would increase deficits over the 2025–2034 period by $2.4 trillion, excluding any macroeconomic or debt‑service effects.

    H.R. 1 would make numerous changes to tax provisions and spending programs. Although many of the changes would be permanent, expiration dates are indicated for some tax and spending provisions. Also under the bill, certain aspects of some other provisions would change over the next decade.

    JCT has estimated that permanently enacting 16 of the tax provisions that would sunset under H.R. 1 at the end of 2028 or 2029 would increase primary deficits over the 2025–2034 period by an additional $1.4 trillion.

    CBO estimates that if those provisions were made permanent, the additional debt-service costs would total $687 billion over the 10‑year period. That change would increase the cumulative deficit to $4.5 trillion. As a result, and net of any changes in borrowing for federal credit programs, CBO estimates that debt held by the public at the end of 2034 would increase from the January 2025 baseline projection of 117.1 percent to 127.7 percent of gross domestic product.

    CBO’s estimate of the additional amounts that the Treasury would borrow each year under H.R. 1 is determined primarily by the budget deficit. However, other factors, driven mostly by federal credit programs that are not directly included in budget totals, also affect the need to borrow from the public. As required by the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990, the deficit reflects the net subsidy costs (the expected lifetime costs to the government for loans or loan guarantees) rather than annual cash flows. The estimated increase in debt service and debt held by the public accounts for those changes in cash flows.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Retired Military Leaders File Brief in Support of California’s Lawsuit Challenging Unlawful Federalization of State’s National Guard

    Source: US State of California

    Thursday, June 12, 2025

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

    OAKLAND – Yesterday, former secretaries of the Army and Navy and retired four-star admirals and generals filed an amicus brief in support of California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s unlawful orders federalizing the California National Guard and deploying Marines to Los Angeles:

    “The United States military is not primarily a law enforcement organization and is prohibited by law from acting as a domestic police force unless doing so is ‘expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress’…

    “A bedrock principle of American democracy is that our military is apolitical. Accordingly, United States military personnel are not permitted to engage in political conduct while on duty or to use their military status to endorse political candidates or political causes. Critical to the military’s ability to carry out its core functions is retaining the public’s respect and maintaining cohesion and unity within its ranks—regardless of the political leanings of individual citizens or soldiers. Particular caution is therefore necessary if the U.S. military is to be deployed domestically in the context of a politically charged situation. It is essential that such deployments be a last resort, especially in the context of policing protests and other constitutionally protected speech and activities.

    “For that reason, and as noted above, federal deployments on U.S. soil have been rare, serious, and legally clear. The last major deployment of federal troops domestically occurred during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, at the request of California Governor Pete Wilson and pursuant to the Insurrection Act. That deployment followed widespread violence and looting of businesses, the burning of entire blocks of homes and businesses, and dozens of civilian fatalities. Public reporting from Los Angeles suggests that, notwithstanding troubling incidents of property damage and violence, the recent and ongoing situation appears to be different in kind…

    “The active-duty military and National Guard serve a critical role in U.S. national security. Domestic deployments that fail to adhere to exacting legal requirements and long-established guardrails threaten their core national security and disaster relief missions, put the military at risk of politicization, and pose serious risks to both servicemembers and civilians.

    “We appreciate the Court’s due consideration of these critical factors in adjudicating Plaintiffs’ Ex Parte Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order.”

    A copy of the brief is available here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Leads International Education Discussion in Vancouver

    Source: US State of Colorado

    Vancouver – National Governors Association (NGA) Chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis convened international education leaders in Canada for the latest in a series of bipartisan events in support of the NGA Chair’s Initiative, Let’s Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success. 

    The Vancouver event featured discussions with education leaders from Canada, Singapore and the United States to explore international perspectives on education solutions to address achievement gaps and prepare students for career success in the global economy. 

    “Governors are working together to update our education systems to make sure every student is ready for the careers of today and tomorrow,” said Governor Polis. “Small adjustments on the margins aren’t enough to keep pace with the technological changes upending the job market. To give our kids the best chance to succeed, we need to think beyond the status quo to transform schools. Through the Let’s Get Ready initiative, governors are working with parents and educators not just to find new answers but to ask new questions. Collaborating with international counterparts in Canada and Singapore this week is a valuable opportunity to get a fresh perspective and learn how other nations are finding success in tackling the same challenges.” 

    Participants included: 

    • Wendi Campbell, CEO, Junior Achievement British Columbia
    • Zoe Weintraub Barrett, Vice President of Workforce and Strategic Partnerships, Guild
    • Dr. Brad Baker, Superintendent of Indigenous Education, Ministry of Education and Child Care, British Columbia
    • Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams, General Councillor and Spokesperson for Squamish Nation Richard Reeves, President, American Institute for Boys and Men Professor
    • Tan Oon Seng, Dean of Special Projects and Centre Director, Singapore Centre for Character and Citizenship Education at the National Institute
    • Dr. Vicki Phillips, CEO, National Center on Education and the Economy
    • Dr. Timothy Knowles, President, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Launched in July, 

    Let’s Get Ready is a yearlong initiative designed to support the nation’s governors in driving innovative education policies that better evaluate outcomes for state investments in education and improve outcomes for learners at all stages of their education journey while also preparing students to meet the future needs of the workforce. 

    Previous convenings were held in Salt Lake City, Denver, Las Vegas, New York City and Washington, D.C. Governor Polis will release a roadmap of initiative findings this summer, during NGA’s Summer Meeting in Colorado Springs, July 24-25. Learn more about the Let’s Get Ready initiative on NGA’s website. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Energy Office Announces Launch of Funding Opportunity to Support Local Policy Adoption to Advance Climate Goals

    Source: US State of Colorado

    Statewide – Thursday, Jun. 12, 2025 – Today, Governor Polis and the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) announced the launch of its Local Implementation, Mitigation, and Policy Action (IMPACT) Accelerator grant program Thursday. This opportunity will provide funding to support local policy adoption that enhances resilience, reduces emissions, and advances other state priorities such as cleaner air, lower energy costs, and more affordable housing. The $50 million available through this program comes from a $129 million federal Climate Pollution Reduction Implementation Grant (CPRG) that Colorado received last summer. 

    “In Colorado we are continuing to invest in bold climate initiatives that boost local communities capacity to implement clean energy policy, like reducing emissions and lowering energy costs to overall save people money, and help Colorado achieve our climate goals,” said Governor Polis. 

    “Local actions will play a major role in helping us achieve net-zero emissions in Colorado by 2050,” said CEO Executive Director Will Toor. “Local and Tribal governments are uniquely situated to implement a number of policies that reduce emissions in key economic sectors, but often lack capacity to do this important work. The Accelerator provides the support these communities need to pursue policies that will have a longstanding IMPACT locally and across the State.” 

    The Accelerator represents a key step in meeting the vision outlined in the state’s second comprehensive Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Pollution Reduction Roadmap (“Roadmap 2.0”), which CEO released in February 2024. The Accelerator fulfills a Near Term Action, which called for the creation of a “local Climate Action Accelerator.” 

    This program is designed to maximize emissions reductions by promoting policies that extend beyond state requirements in four categories: buildings, land use, transportation, and waste. Examples of eligible policies in each sector include: 

    • Buildings: Adopting building energy codes that exceed Colorado’s Model codes, establishing energy performance standards, or creating energy efficiency incentives, which could include projects related to developing geothermal systems;
    • Land use: Adopting policies that promote housing, parking management, EV charging, or clean energy development;
    • Transportation: Adopting policies that encourage multimodal transportation infrastructure, prioritize transit options, or create registration incentives for clean vehicles;
    • Waste: Adopting policies to increase waste diversion, promote reuse, or transition refuse and recycling trucks to zero-emission vehicles. 

    Local governments — including cities, counties, and cohorts led by cities/counties — and Tribal governments are eligible to apply for IMPACT Accelerator funding. Applicants may apply for funding to support policy adoption-only or policy adoption and project implementation. Funding may not cover project implementation alone. 

    CEO expects to award approximately $2 million per award to develop new policies and implement related projects, though award amounts may vary depending on the project. A 5% local match is required; however, to ensure equitable access to this funding, low-income communities and Tribal Governments may qualify for a 0% match. CEO will also prioritize awards for projects that target benefits toward primarily low-income populations. 

    The first round of applications for the Local IMPACT Accelerator grant program will open June 16 and close August 1, 2025. Applicants will first submit a Letter of Intent to CEO and will receive feedback on the proposal as well as an “encouraged” or “discouraged” designation before submitting a full application in the fall. CEO will host an informational webinar about the grant and the application process on June 17 at 11:00 AM MT, followed by a Question & Answer webinar on July 1 at 10:00 AM MT. CEO plans to open a second funding round for this program later this year. More information about the program, including timelines for each funding round and the complete program guidance, is available on the Local IMPACT Accelerator webpage. 

    The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) also received a CPRG implementation grant. Jurisdictions in DRCOG territory may apply for both DRCOG and CEO funding. Details about how to apply to both programs are available in the program guidance on the Accelerator webpage. Learn more about DRCOG funding. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DHS Issues Notices of Termination for the CHNV Parole Program, Encourages Parolees to Self-Deport Immediately

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    This program was abused by the previous administration to admit hundreds of thousands of poorly vetted illegal aliens into the United States

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began sending termination notices to aliens paroled into the United States (U.S.) under a Biden-era parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV). 

    The messages informed the illegal aliens both their parole is terminated, and their parole-based employment authorization is revoked – effective immediately. These notices will be sent to the email addresses provided by the parolees.

    “The Biden Administration lied to America. They allowed more than half a million poorly vetted aliens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela and their immediate family members to enter the United States through these disastrous parole programs; granted them opportunities to compete for American jobs and undercut American workers; forced career civil servants to promote the programs even when fraud was identified; and then blamed Republicans in Congress for the chaos that ensued and the crime that followed,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Ending the CHNV parole programs, as well as the paroles of those who exploited it, will be a necessary return to common-sense policies, a return to public safety, and a return to America First.” 

    Starting in 2022, the Biden administration released over 500,000 poorly vetted aliens into the U.S. under the CHNV parole program. President Trump canceled this program, and the Supreme Court upheld this cancellation on May 30, 2025. DHS is now notifying parole recipients if they have not obtained lawful status to remain in the U.S., they must leave immediately.

    DHS encourages any illegal alien residing in the U.S. to self-deport with the CBP Home Mobile App. If they do so, they will receive travel assistance and a $1,000 exit bonus upon arrival in their home country.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 31st Beijing International Book Fair to Display 220,000 Books

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) — The upcoming 31st Beijing International Book Fair will feature more than 1,700 exhibitors from 80 countries and regions, displaying about 220,000 titles of books in Chinese and foreign languages, organizers of the event said at a press conference on Thursday.

    This year, Malaysia will be the guest of honor at the fair, which will be held from June 18 to 22.

    The exhibition area will be 60 thousand square meters. Nine countries, including Chile, Cyprus and Belarus, will take part in the event for the first time. The fair will also feature such renowned international publishers as Elsevier, Penguin Random House and Springer Nature.

    The event will feature two new thematic sections: “Books in Honor of the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and World War II” and “Books on World Cultural Heritage”.

    The Beijing International Book Fair will also host the Special Contribution to Chinese Literature Award Ceremony, the 2025 Beijing International Publishing Forum, the World Children’s Literature Forum, and copyright negotiations between Chinese and overseas representatives.

    First held in 1986, the Beijing International Book Fair has become one of the world’s premier platforms for book exhibitions and copyright trade. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer: If Russia Wins, America Loses.

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks during the House Appropriations Full Committee Markup of the FY26 Defense Bill. Below is a video and transcript of his remarks:
     

    Click here to watch a full video of his remarks.

    “Thank you, Mr. Chairman [the budget was due] on February 3rd. (checks microphone) Seems to be on, it’s not working? It is not down. But when Mr. Vought appeared before our subcommittee, he told us why. Not because he doesn’t have it, not because you can’t give us the information, but because they have chosen until the reconciliation [passes], they will not give it to us. That is why we don’t have that information on which to act.

    “Now, I’m going to be talking at greater length on Ukraine when Ms. Kaptur offers her amendment. But let me say this. Last night I met with a group of Ukrainians. One of them was Sergeant Andrei Smolenskyi. He’s receiving treatment at Walter Reed for wounds he sustained fighting Russian invaders. He lost his eyesight. He lost both arms, but he has not lost his determination to make Ukraine free and whole once more. Let us not lose our determination to do the same. That’s what strength looks like. He came to our Capitol, asked for us to stand with Ukraine. So sad that he had to ask, I thought we did stand with Ukraine. Frankly, Mr. Trump, Mr. Vance, Mr. Hegseth, Mr. Rubio, Ms. Gabbard have put that at risk almost every time they talk. If Russia wins, America loses. Mr. Rogers, the Chairman of our Armed Services Committee, says – the Mike Rogers – says, that if – [he] puts in a different way: He says Russia must lose this war or the message we send will be louder than all the dollars we put in this bill.

    “I hope every one of us will support the Castor amendment – Kaptur amendment, I’m going to talk more about it. Putin – I’ve said this before, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, Khomeini and the rest of their axis of aggression are watching us right now with this bill. Legislation like this, even when it fails to become law, makes America look weak, timid, lacking resolve, and uncommitted to defending freedom here and around the world from dictators, despots, and international war criminals. So do the reckless terminations of civilian national security employees and top-ranking military officers. We have to reject this bill and work on a bipartisan alternative to address these issues if we are to reaffirm our strength to the world.

    “I have voted for 90% of the defense bills that have gone through this House in the last 44 years. I believe that America needs to have a strong defense. A defense which surpasses all other in the world, a military that has the equipment and the training to be the best in the world when we put them at the point of the spear. Since Russia’s invasion in 2022 of Ukraine, this Congress has had at least 12 votes on the issue of supporting Ukraine. On average, 80% of the Congress of the House of Representatives has voted to support Ukraine. 80%, eight out of ten. Both sides, except on one vote, had a majority of their members voting to help Ukraine. And yet this bill withdraws money to do exactly what 80% of this Congress is committed to do.

    “I’m going to talk more about what Senator McConnell has to say about this and what Senator – what President Kennedy had to say about it. Suffice it now to say that we need to demonstrate our resolve, and we can do it today on our voting in this, in this House. Sergeant Smolenskyi and thousands of others in Ukraine, but millions and billions of others throughout the world count on America. Let’s not let them down. I yield.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Gomez and DelBene Continue Their Fight to Expand Affordable Housing for Extremely Low-Income Households

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

    WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Representatives Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) — Chair of the Congressional Renters Caucus — and Suzan DelBene (WA-01) reintroduced their Affordable Housing Equity Act of 2025, legislation that would strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) by providing a targeted basis boost for housing developments that serve extremely low-income (ELI) households.

    “We’re in a housing crisis, and the families hit hardest are the ones with the fewest options,” said Rep. Gomez. “This bill delivers targeted help to the lowest-income renters by supercharging the most effective affordable housing tool we have. It’s a smart, urgent step to tackle housing affordability and build equity from the ground up.”

    “Too many families are being priced out of their communities and left without stable housing,” said Rep. DelBene. “The Affordable Housing Equity Act strengthens one of our most effective affordable housing production tools, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, to better serve the families most in need. This legislation ensures that these households aren’t left behind in the fight for more affordable housing.” 

    The Affordable Housing Equity Act of 2025 amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the eligible basis by up to 50% for residential units designated for households earning no more than 30% of area median income (AMI) or 100% of the federal poverty line, whichever is greater. Housing initiatives must set aside at least 20% of units for ELI renters and be designated by the housing credit agency as needing the boost for financial feasibility.

    The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is the federal government’s primary tool to encourage the construction and rehabilitation of rental units that families can afford. While existing law allows for a 30% boost in certain areas, those provisions don’t consistently support developments serving extremely low-income renters. The Affordable Housing Equity Act of 2025 closes that gap by creating a national standard tailored to ELI households. The bill applies to new housing credit allocations made after the date of enactment and to tax-exempt bond-financed projects issued after December 31, 2025.

    You can read the full bill text HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Announces JetZero Selects North Carolina for $4 Billion Airplane Manufacturing Hub, Creating 14,500 Jobs in Guilford County in Largest Job Commitment in State History

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Announces JetZero Selects North Carolina for $4 Billion Airplane Manufacturing Hub, Creating 14,500 Jobs in Guilford County in Largest Job Commitment in State History

    Governor Stein Announces JetZero Selects North Carolina for $4 Billion Airplane Manufacturing Hub, Creating 14,500 Jobs in Guilford County in Largest Job Commitment in State History
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today Governor Josh Stein announced JetZero, Inc., a breakthrough aviation company, will invest more than $4.7 billion in Greensboro to build its first commercial airplane manufacturing facility at the Piedmont Triad International Airport. The project will create more than 14,560 jobs for Guilford County by 2063, the largest economic development project in North Carolina history based on job commitment.

     

    “I am thrilled to welcome JetZero and its 14,000 good-paying jobs and unprecedented innovation to Guilford County,” said Governor Josh Stein. “From first in flight to now the future of flight, North Carolina and our skilled workforce is soaring.”

     

    JetZero is a start-up airplane designer and manufacturer of the Z4, a blended-wing body jet, which blends the wings and fuselage, enabling the entire wingspan to produce lift. Founded in 2020, the California-based company has partnerships with NASA, Siemens, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and suppliers including RTX and BAE Systems. JetZero will build an advanced manufacturing facility for a first-of-its-kind commercial all-wing jet, as well as a state-of-the-art research and development center for composite structures. Its unique design uses technological advancements to help lower carbon emissions, burn less fuel, and enhance the experience of its travelers. 

      

    “North Carolina offers the ideal combination of talent, infrastructure, and forward-thinking leadership to support our mission to reshape aviation,” said Tom O’Leary, CEO and co-Founder of JetZero. “This facility is a critical milestone in bringing our all-wing Z4 to market. I applaud the leadership of Governor Josh Stein and his team as well as the leadership of the North Carolina General Assembly, and whole host of local leaders and organizations for working with us to bring JetZero to North Carolina, the birthplace of aviation.”

     

    “With an internationally recognized aerospace cluster of more than 400 companies and major aviation hubs across the state, North Carolina is a top choice for manufacturers and suppliers,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “JetZero will benefit from our Tier 1 research institutions and community colleges, ecosystem of industry partnerships, and strong infrastructure, helping them soar in North Carolina and beyond.”

     

    New jobs for the company include engineers, manufacturing specialists, and technicians. While salaries for the positions will vary, the average annual salary is expected to be $89,340, which exceeds the Guilford County average of $60,195. These new jobs could create a potential annual payroll impact of more than $1.3 billion for the region.

     

    JetZero’s operation in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Transformative-class Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) awarded to JetZero, Inc., which was approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 37-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $259.4 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the 14,564 new jobs and capital investment, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $1,017,775,800, spread over 37 years. 

     

    Should JetZero create and maintain at least 10,000 jobs, the threshold for the JDIG’s transformative qualities will be reached, which allows for grant payments to be made for up to 29 years as long as performance targets are maintained.

     

    Like all grants from the JDIG program, any state payments only occur following performance verification each year by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.

     

    The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 274 percent, meaning for every dollar of potential cost to the state, the state receives $3.74 in state revenue. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.

     

    Because JetZero chose a site in Guilford County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 2, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving as much as $113 million into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account.  The Utility Account helps rural communities anywhere in the state finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business.

     

    The state also anticipates providing additional support of publicly owned infrastructure to the project by means of a state appropriation of as much as $450 million, to cover site preparations; road, water, and wastewater improvements, as well as the construction of the manufacturing and research and development facility. The funding will be administered by the N.C. Department of Commerce and provided to Piedmont Triad International Airport, the N.C. Department of Transportation, and the City of Greensboro.

     

    “JetZero’s decision to come to the Triad solidifies North Carolina’s status as a leader in aerospace innovation,” said Senator Phil Berger, President Pro Tempore of the North Carolina Senate. “Our state’s high-tech manufacturing renaissance wouldn’t be possible without the General Assembly’s commitment to creating a business-friendly environment by lowering taxes, cutting red tape, and supporting world-class educational opportunities.”  

     

    “With 14,000 new jobs and nearly $5 billion dollars in investment, this project represents a transformational step forward for Guilford County and North Carolina,” said Senator Sydney Batch, Senate Democratic Leader. “Projects like this create a ripple effect that strengthens our entire state by supporting families, growing local economies, and creating more promising futures for everyone. I’m so grateful for the hard work Governor Stein, Secretary Lilley, and the Commerce Department put in to bring this across the finish line.”

     

    “Today’s announcement is a huge win for Greensboro, Guilford County, and our entire state,” said Speaker of the House Destin Hall. “JetZero’s decision to build its cutting-edge aerospace facility here proves what we’ve long known — North Carolina’s strong business environment makes our state ripe for innovation. This $4.7 billion investment and the creation of over 14,000 high-paying jobs will be a generational boost for our workforce and our future.”  

     

    “I am proud to see JetZero choose the Triad as the site of their new facility,” said Representative Robert Reives, House Democratic Leader. “Our state has some of the brightest talent in the world who are up to this challenge. We will continue to attract these investments and cement our state’s status as the place for aerospace manufacturing in the nation and world.”

     

    “This announcement is a transformative win for Guilford County and the entire state of North Carolina,” said Senator Michael Garrett. “The magnitude of this investment is a vote of confidence in our world-class workforce to fill these great-paying jobs, and proof that our community is an ideal place for new companies and ideas to launch into a bright future.”  

     

    “Today is a celebration of the intentional efforts that we’re making to transition the Triad to an innovation economy,” said Representative John Blust. “This is an historic day for all of us, and we applaud the collaboration of elected officials, economic developers, and workforce professionals throughout the state that helped JetZero make their decision to call Greensboro and PTI home.”

    In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the North Carolina Community College System, Guilford Tech Community College, Forsyth Tech Community College, the University of North Carolina System, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Golden LEAF Foundation, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, Piedmont Triad Airport Authority, Piedmont Triad Partnership, Guilford County Economic Development Alliance, Guilford County, GuilfordWorks, Forsyth County, the Greensboro Chamber, High Point Economic Development Corporation, Greater Winston-Salem, Inc., City of Greensboro, City of High Point, and City of Winston-Salem.

    When career opportunities at JetZero become available, they will be posted to NCworks.gov, the state’s leader in connecting employers with skilled talent

    Jun 12, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS Launches New Statewide Child Welfare Information System

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NCDHHS Launches New Statewide Child Welfare Information System

    NCDHHS Launches New Statewide Child Welfare Information System
    kcano1

    Winston-Salem

    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host an event in partnership with the Forsyth County Department of Social Services to announce the launch of PATH NC — Partnership and Technology Hub for North Carolina — the state’s new child welfare information system. Designed to better support child welfare professionals and improve outcomes for children and families, PATH NC will bring all 100 county departments of social services together into one statewide data system for the administration of child welfare services.

    The rollout of PATH NC is a major advancement in the tools, technology and partnerships needed to strengthen child welfare work in North Carolina. By streamlining documentation, aligning technology with policy, and integrating local agencies into a unified data system, PATH NC helps ensure state and local child welfare staff have the information and support they need to better protect children and assist families. The system is a key part of NCDHHS’ broader work to transform North Carolina’s county-administered, state-supervised child welfare system to improve the safety, permanency and well-being of children and families who receive these services.  

    PATH NC provides social workers and staff with modern, user-friendly, mobile-accessible tools and comprehensive, real-time information to support decisions on child welfare cases, improve efficiency, and enhance collaboration across agencies and counties. During the event, state and county staff will provide an overview of PATH NC and share how child welfare agencies are already benefiting from the new system.

    What: NCDHHS launches PATH NC statewide child welfare information system

    Who: Secretary Dev Sangvai, NCDHHS 
              Deputy Secretary Michael Leighs, NCDHHS 
              Director Christa Smith, Forsyth County DSS 
              Senior Social Work Supervisor Tiffany Graves, Forsyth County DSS 

    When: Wednesday, June 18 
                noon – 12:30 p.m. 
                Please arrive by 11:45 a.m. for setup.

    Where: Forsyth County Government Center 
                 Commissioners’ Meeting Room (5th floor) 
                 201 N Chestnut St. 
                      Winston-Salem, NC 27101

    Media: Credentialed media should RSVP to news@dhhs.nc.gov. Please arrive by 11:45 a.m. for setup. 

    Jun 12, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Residents Charged in Felony Indictments with Assaulting FBI Agents During Immigration Operation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX Ariz. – On June 10, 2025, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a three-count indictment against Jose Sarinana, 42, and Abran Villa, Jr., 40, both of Chandler, Arizona for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding Federal Officers. 

    The indictment alleges that on June 1, 2025, FBI agents were assisting ICE/ERO with immigration enforcement operations. As part of those operations, FBI and ICE/ERO pulled over Villa’s vehicle and arrested the passenger, who was illegally present in the United States. After the passenger was arrested, Villa returned to the passenger’s residence and told Sariana, at which point both men got into their vehicles and returned to the scene of the arrest.

    As one of the FBI agents involved in the immigration enforcement action was leaving the scene, Sarinana followed the agent and made several attempts to run the agent off the road with his vehicle. The agent called for backup and multiple FBI agents responded to the scene to stop Sarinana.

    While agents were pursuing Sarinana, Villa used his truck to block one of their cars, revving his engine as he obstructed the agent’s exit from a parking lot. Villa eventually left after the agent called for assistance.

    After agents successfully pulled Sarinana over and detained him, Villa appeared again, driving up to the group at a high rate of speed in his truck. Villa stopped shortly before reaching the agents, but pointed the truck directly at them and revved his engine. Villa eventually complied with commands from the FBI agents after several of them unholstered their firearms, and he was taken into custody without further incident.

    A conviction for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding Federal Officers carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

    This case is 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 simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    The FBI is conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Addison Owen, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-25-00865-PHX-DWL-JZB
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-092_Sarinana, et al.

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Little Water Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Navajo Nation Shooting and Homicide

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Little Water man pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from his involvement in a violent April 2024 shooting and subsequent homicide on the Navajo Nation.

    According to court records, on April 24, 2024, Dewayne George, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, accompanied Brittania Navaho to a pawn shop in Gallup where she purchased a .22 caliber revolver and ammunition for Rydell Happy, who is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. Later that day, the group, joined by John Doe, drove through the Gallup area and encountered a vehicle on U.S. Highway 491 within the Navajo Nation.

    Happy initially fired a shot into the air, then, after a pursuit, multiple shots were fired at the vehicle by Happy, George, and John Doe. George admitted to reloading and discharging the firearm several times at the fleeing vehicle, which was struck by multiple bullets. Fortunately, the occupants were not injured.

    After the shooting, the group drove near Shiprock, New Mexico, where a confrontation led to Happy fatally shooting John Doe. George helped Happy drag John Doe’s body over a cliff in an attempt to conceal the body and avoid arrest and prosecution.

    Brittania Navaho pled guilty to federal charges related to the straw purchase of the firearm and faces up to 15 years in prison.

    Rydell Happy is charged with first degree murder, two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence and discharging said firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He remains in custody pending trial, which is currently scheduled for July 14, 2025.

    George pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact, assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm, and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and discharging said firearm. At sentencing, George faces not less than 10 years and up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, George will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Navajo Nation Police Department, the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney R. Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.

    This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lee Introduces the Open America’s Waters Act to Repeal Jones Act, Boost Coastal Trade

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Open America’s Waters Act today to deregulate America’s coastal trade and alleviate the energy crisis by repealing the outdated Jones Act. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    “Outdated regulations from the Jones Act have deepened the energy crisis and heightened prices for Americans on goods from our own country,” said Senator Mike Lee. “American producers have been forced into dangerous workarounds like importing their energy resources from Russia. The Open America’s Waters Act will cut this 105-year-old red tape to alleviate the energy crisis, bring prices down for Americans, and protect our national security from adversarial nations.”
    “The Jones Act is outdated in a global economy. It enriches a very small special interest at the expense of every consumer in America,” said Rep. McClintock. “Repealing this restrictive and counterproductive law is vital for the new golden age that President Trump has envisioned.” 
    Background:
    The Open America’s Waters Act would repeal the Jones Act, an outdated and particularly demanding regulation on America’s coastal trade. The Jones Act requires all goods transported by water between U.S. ports to be carried on a vessel that was constructed and registered in the U.S., and is both owned and primarily crewed by U.S. citizens. 
    While these requirements were originally touted in 1920 as necessary for America’s national security, they have actually endangered it by severely limiting access to critical energy sources and incentivizing American companies to contract with adversarial nations in their efforts to comply with its stipulations. Additionally, the elevated costs associated with compliance result in higher prices for Americans on goods produced in their own country.
    Attempts to comply with the Jones Act have forced American producers to choose expensive and even politically risky transportation options. For example, cattle ranchers in Hawaii have opted for expensive planes rather than boats to transport cattle to the mainland. Puerto Rico imports jet fuel from Venezuela – benefitting the human rights-violating Maduro regime – rather than nearby Gulf Coast refineries. And because there are no compliant specialty carriers capable of transporting LNG or propane gas, Massachusetts and Puerto Rico have had to import LNG from adversarial Russia.
    The Open America’s Waters Act would repeal the outdated Jones Act regulations to cut red tape for American producers, improve national security by disincentivizing contracts with adversarial nations, and bring down prices for American consumers.
    The Open America’s Waters Act would:
    Repeal the 105-year-old Jones Act regulations requiring all goods transported by water between U.S. ports to be carried on a vessel: (1) Constructed in the U.S., (2) Registered in the U.S., (3) Owned by U.S. Citizens, and (4) Primarily crewed by U.S. citizens.
    Read the full text of the legislation here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Introduces AI Legislation to Foster Development & Strengthen Professional Responsibility

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    June 12, 2025

    Washington, D.C.— Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) today introduced the Responsible Innovation and Safe Expertise (RISE) Act of 2025, clarifying that when professionals—such as physicians, attorneys, engineers, and financial advisors—use AI systems in their practice, they retain the legal duty to exercise due diligence, verify the system’s outputs, and stand behind the advice they deliver.

    “Wyoming values both innovation and accountability; the RISE Act creates predictable standards that encourage safer AI development while preserving professional autonomy,” said Lummis. “This legislation doesn’t create blanket immunity for AI – in fact, it requires AI developers to publicly disclose model specifications so professionals can make informed decisions about the AI tools they choose to utilize. It also means that licensed professionals are ultimately responsible for the advice and decisions they make. This is smart policy for the digital age that protects innovation, demands transparency, and puts professionals and their clients first.”

    Background: 

    • This is the first targeted liability reform legislation for professional-grade AI.
    • AI is transforming professional industries including medicine, law, engineering, and finance, with these tools increasingly being utilized in critical decision-making processes that impact millions of Americans.
    • Current liability rules create barriers to innovation by exposing AI developers to legal risk, even when their tools are used responsibly by trained, licensed professionals in their areas of expertise.
    • Developers face a patchwork of state-by-state liability standards, creating legal uncertainty that discourages investment in professional-grade AI.
    • Developers may claim safe-harbor immunity only if they publicly release a model card and key design specifications so that physicians, attorneys, engineers, and other professionals can understand what the AI can and cannot do before relying on it for decisions that affect millions of Americans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Varney & Co. on Fox Business to Discuss Illegal Immigration, Sanctuary City Legislation, CCP Influence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    WASHINGTON—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations, Banking, and Foreign Relations Committees and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Varney & Co. on Fox Business to discuss Democrats supporting illegal immigration for political power, his legislation to withhold funding from sanctuary cities, and the Chinese Communist Party’s malign influence on the United States.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*

    Partial Transcript

    Hagerty on Democrats supporting illegal immigration: “What they’re not saying is what’s so obvious to all of us. They’re creating these sanctuaries as magnets. They want these magnets to attract illegal aliens. They want these illegal aliens, because why? They want to increase the count for the census. So, they can get more congressional districts and more electoral votes in their states. That’s precisely what’s happening. That’s why we should outlaw this. We should not allow the counting of illegal aliens in the census for allocating congressional seats and electoral votes. They know that. But that’s exactly why they’re using this as a magnet, and they’re not cooperating with federal law. You’ve seen the chaos in the streets. You’ve got illegal aliens running around with flags of other countries and burning the American flag. These are criminals that are disrespecting the United States of America. And I think we need to make it clear the United States is not a sanctuary nation, nor are any of these cities allowed to be sanctuary cities.”

    Hagerty on his legislation to withhold funding from sanctuary cities: “Well, here’s what you can do, and I’m doing it today: I’m bringing out legislation that will stop the flow of community development block grants to these sanctuary cities. If you’re a sanctuary city, we’re going to withhold the funding for community development block grants. They’ll start to see it when on the Appropriations Committee and the Banking Committee, we’re able to put pressure on the funding of these cities that seem to rely so much on the federal [dollar]. Yet, they want to act as if they’re independent at the same time.”

    Hagerty on the CCP’s malign influence within the U.S.: “It is strong, but what’s happening to us is very strong, and we need to wake up to it. The most recent case of agroterrorism, very deeply concerning, bringing in bio-terrorism material here that could destroy crops in America. You think about a spy balloon that was floated over our country. I think the worst defense of all is the fact that China continues to send fentanyl and fentanyl precursors into the United States through Mexico, through their partners there. And they launder the money from these Mexican partners, or these other cartels from Venezuela, you name it. The crime that’s being fueled here in America has fingerprints of the CCP all over it. And if you think about what’s happening on our campuses, Confucius institutes, the attempts, basically, to indoctrinate young people. You think about the content on TikTok here in America versus what kids see in China. They see educational programming in China. On TikTok here, something very, very different. So, it’s deeply concerning and something that we ought to acknowledge as a nation and address.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Graham: Russia Sanctions Bill Aims to Change Putin’s Calculus, Protect World Order

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    Russia sanctions bill aims to change Putin’s calculus, protect world order

    By Senator Lindsey Graham

    Fox News

    June 12, 2025

    https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/sen-lindsey-graham-russia-sanctions-bill-aims-change-putins-calculus-protect-world-order

    President Donald Trump is making an earnest and sincere effort to secure a ceasefire and an eventual just and honorable end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

    He and his team have engaged Russia’s Vladimir Putin in order to find that pathway forward, but it is clear the only pathway Putin is interested in is military operations in Ukraine and eventually, beyond.

    As a result, the coming days will be extremely consequential for the Kremlin and those who are propping up Putin’s war machine. Additional action from both Europe and the United States is inevitable.

    The Russia-Ukraine war has garnered global attention, not only because of its barbaric nature but also the consequences to world order.

    We have been working with the White House since day one in drafting this package. We now have over 84 Senate cosponsors and 70 House cosponsors of legislation to enact hard-hitting sanctions and tariffs on Russia and its financial backers.

    It is clear to me and virtually every sponsor of the Russia sanctions bill that the way we deal with Putin will either encourage or deter bad actors.

    The purpose of this legislation is to break the cycle of China — a communist dictatorship — buying oil below market price from Putin’s Russia, which empowers his war machine to kill innocent Ukrainian civilians.

    This bill would end that cycle.

    China is watching the United States’ resolve regarding Putin’s effort to dismember Ukraine and possibly other sovereign nations. It is not my goal to humiliate Russia, but it is my goal to make sure that China sees the outcome of this conflict and feels that its efforts to take Taiwan by force would not be in the People’s Republic’s best interest.

    It is also very important that we let Iran and other aggressive nation states know that the price for disrupting world order, seizing other nation’s land and trying to dominate their neighbors is not worth it.

    I have been incredibly impressed with Europe’s recent resolve, both in toughening sanctions and investing in their military. Europe is answering President Trump’s call to increase defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product.

    As a result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, NATO is bigger and tougher than ever. However, it is important that we continue to act decisively to end this war not only soon, but in the right way.

    Unfortunately, the more we engage Putin, the more aggressive he gets. It’s time to change the game.

    New European sanctions on Russia’s energy and banking sectors were released this week, and they are more hard-hitting than ever. This package also singles out Chinese business entities for their financial support of the war and recommends lowering the price that Europe pays for Russian oil from $60 to $45 per barrel, in order to drive down Russian revenues that allow Putin’s bloodbath to continue.

    As to the Russia sanctions bill in the U.S. Congress, overwhelming support continues to build. Our goal is to give President Trump more leverage to end this war quickly.

    This bicameral, bipartisan bill is simple – and we’ve made some important changes.

    1. If a country doesn’t do business with Russia, the sanctions and tariffs don’t apply.
    2. If a country does business with Russia, but they also help Ukraine militarily and economically, there’s a 270-day exception on sanctions and tariffs being imposed. There will be additional waivers as well, including a presidential waiver for sanctions and other measures that mirrors language used in the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) signed into law by President Trump in 2017.
    3. If a country buys cheap Russian oil and gas and other products and doesn’t help Ukraine, they are screwed. That is the price for propping up Putin’s war machine.

    The United States and our allies have paid a price in the past to maintain freedom and order, and we shall again.

    Republican Lindsey Graham represents South Carolina in the United States Senate.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer, Luján Announce Bipartisan, Bicameral Universal Service Fund Working Group

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    Today, U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chair of the Senate Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ranking Member, announced the reconstitution of the Universal Service Fund (USF) Working Group.

    In the House, Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chair Richard Hudson (R-NC9) and Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D-CA7) are spearheading the effort. Senators Moran (R-KS), Klobuchar (D-MN), Capito (R-WV), Peters (D-MI), Sullivan (R-AK), and Rosen (D-NV) have joined as members. 

    “All Nebraskans deserve to have access to critical communication and Internet services, regardless of their zip code. That’s why I’m proud to announce we are reorganizing and utilizing this bipartisan, bicameral working group. Our goal is to evaluate broadband programs and the USF to help support the mission of connecting unserved and underserved communities across the country. I look forward to this important work alongside my colleagues in the Senate and House,”     Fischer said.  

    “The Universal Service Fund has been a lifeline for rural, Tribal, and underserved communities in New Mexico and across the country – connecting schools, hospitals, and families to affordable, reliable internet. For nearly 30 years, the Universal Service Fund has been instrumental in expanding broadband access across the country. I’m glad to once again join bipartisan, bicameral leaders to modernize and strengthen the USF and ensure it remains well-equipped to connect Americans no matter where they live. I’ll keep fighting to protect this vital program for the communities that depend on it,”     Luján said. 

    “Expanding access to broadband is a top priority for me. By launching this bipartisan working group alongside Congresswoman Matsui and Senators Lujan and Fischer, we’ll gain the insights needed to ensure the Universal Service Fund is reaching the Americans who need it most – while also protecting it from waste, fraud, and abuse,” Hudson said.

    “Reliable, high-speed broadband isn’t a luxury—it’s a fundamental pillar of modern life. For decades, the Universal Service Fund has helped connect millions of families, schools, and libraries through critical programs like Lifeline, E-Rate, and rural broadband deployment. But the digital divide still persists, and the stakes for getting this right have never been higher. That’s why we’re relaunching this bipartisan, bicameral working group—to modernize and strengthen the Universal Service Fund, and ensure it continues to meet the evolving connectivity needs of all Americans,”     Matsui said.

    Background    :

    This bipartisan, bicameral working group—originally launched in 2023—was established to evaluate and propose potential reforms to the USF with the goal of developing a forum to guide education, awareness, and policymaking. Today’s reorganization of the USF Working Group highlights the continued commitment to close the digital divide with solutions that support sustained access to universal connectivity while improving interagency coordination and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.

    Note:     In the coming weeks, a USF Working Group request for comment portal will be open on Fischer’s website to allow for the submission of updated comments regarding the future outlook of the USF in the near and long terms.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Markey Lead Delegation in Pressing For Investigation Into ICE’s Excessive Use of Force, Aggressive Arrest Tactics

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    June 12, 2025

    Immigration agents have escalated arrest tactics, including hiding identities, targeting schools and churches, arresting bystanders

    “ICE’s escalating aggression is not making us safer.” 

    “In light of these reports of ICE’s potential violations of agency policy and constitutional rights, we ask that [Homeland Security watchdogs] review these matters.”

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) led Massachusetts’ Congressional delegation in pressing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) increasingly aggressive and intimidating tactics used during enforcement actions. The lawmakers requested an immediate investigation by DHS’s Office of Inspector General and Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) and necessary corrective action.

    “ICE’s conduct has gone beyond simply enforcing the law against people convicted of violent crimes and has subjected community members who pose no threat, including parents and children, to seemingly needless harm,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    Over the past month, ICE arrested nearly 1,500 Massachusetts residents during a series of large-scale immigration raids. During these raids, ICE agents have used increasingly aggressive tactics, including psychological and physical coercion, hiding agents’ identities and refusing to provide identification, targeting sensitive locations like schools and churches, and arresting people who are not the targets of raids, including U.S. citizens. 

    Officers recently used a sledgehammer to break the window of a parked car in New Bedford, Massachusetts, raining shards of glass on a couple waiting for their attorney. Similarly, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, ICE agents stopped a family leaving church, reportedly held a gun up to the car, then broke the car window and threw the father to the ground to handcuff him. In Worcester, Massachusetts, local law enforcement reportedly forced a teenager to the ground and held her face to the pavement during an ICE arrest. 

    The agency’s tactics have also caused psychological terror. Agents have covered their faces with masks, worn plain clothes, and driven unmarked vehicles — including in the case of the Tufts University student, Rumeysa Ozturk, whose arrest at first appeared to be a kidnapping. Agents have intentionally conveyed false identities, such as a recent case in which agents reportedly posed as utility workers. 

    “This obfuscation not only stokes fear but makes it more difficult for community members to distinguish real agents from impersonators, and kidnappings by civilians posing as ICE officers are on the rise,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    As ICE attempts to ramp up arrest numbers to an unprecedented 3,000 per day, agents have encountered the wrong person and nevertheless proceeded with the arrest. ICE agents recently arrested an 18-year-old high school student, Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, who has been a resident of Milford, Massachusetts since age six. Though ICE intended to arrest his father, agents proceeded to detain the teenager, who had no pending criminal charges — horrifying his town and communities around the country.  

    Almost half of the individuals recently arrested by ICE in Massachusetts have no criminal record whatsoever, according to ICE’s own data. 

    “These seemingly indiscriminate arrests sweep in long-time community members, including young people who have spent almost their entire lives in the United States,” wrote the lawmakers. “Some law enforcement agencies are sounding the alarm that ICE’s tactics actually make their jobs harder by eroding community trust in law enforcement.”

    As a result of these potential violations of agency policy and constitutional rights, the Massachusetts congressional delegation urged the Homeland Security Inspector General and head of CRCL to investigate ICE’s conduct, including its excessive force and rationale for using military gear; the agency’s plan to prevent the use of immigration enforcement as a tool for retaliation against critics, dissenters, or political opponents; and CRCL’s capacity to conduct this oversight given recent reductions to the watchdog office.

    “The human toll of these tactics is immense. Families are being separated, and citizen and noncitizen community members alike are left living in fear,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Stansbury Press Trump on Musk’s and DOGE’s Failures, Offer Recommendations to Cut Waste, Lower Costs Without Hurting Middle-Class Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    June 12, 2025

    Lawmakers’ recommendations would save U.S. government more than $2 trillion over next decade while making everyday Americans better off; provide stark contrast to Republican bill that would cut health coverage for millions

    “Mr. Musk’s efforts at DOGE were never truly about cutting waste….DOGE pushed reckless policies that gutted essential services and ousted experienced civil servants, all while reducing oversight and increasing profits for Mr. Musk’s companies.”

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee for Delivering on Government Efficiency, wrote to President Donald Trump, pressing him on Elon Musk’s and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)’s failures to cut government waste and lower costs. The lawmakers laid out a set of recommendations that would, in stark contrast to Republican proposals, eliminate $2 trillion in wasteful government spending without slashing critical government programs and causing economic chaos.

    The letter follows a public feud between Trump and Musk, which began shortly after Musk’s departure from the White House. It also comes as Republicans jam through Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which includes multi-trillion-dollar tax cuts for the rich, paid for by massive cuts to Americans’ health care coverage.

    “It is time to eliminate the real waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending, rather than ravaging programs that keep Americans safe, secure, and healthy just to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations,” wrote the lawmakers. “You should learn from Elon Musk and DOGE’s mistakes, end your attacks on critical federal programs, and instead act on these recommendations.”

    The lawmakers highlighted DOGE’s failure to identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse — instead, Musk’s approach increased costs and suffering for Americans. DOGE’s “wall of receipts” included significant errors and misinformation. Musk’s efforts to gut up to 10% of the federal workforce were found to have created “exponentially larger waste.” When DOGE did make cuts to the federal budget, they seemingly ran afoul of the law.

    “In a futile search for fraud in the wrong places, and an ill-informed effort to slash the federal workforce, DOGE has imposed more costs on American taxpayers than it has saved, all while helping Elon Musk’s business empire and DOGE employees’ pockets,” wrote the lawmakers.

    As an alternative to DOGE’s failures, the lawmakers offered recommendations to reduce wasteful government spending, eliminate unfair loopholes and giveaways to the wealthiest Americans, make the government more efficient and effective, and save taxpayers at least $2 trillion over the next decade.

    “Although Mr. Musk and DOGE have failed at achieving their purported savings goals, you could choose to end this government waste while avoiding dangerous cuts to important federal programs,” wrote the lawmakers.

    The lawmakers’ recommendations include: cracking down on healthcare profiteering, negotiating better contracts for the Department of Defense, saving on education programs, cutting waste and abuse in the federal tax code, keeping the federal government’s cloud and other IT markets competitive, and reducing waste in unnecessary federal arrests and detention programs.

    “Our recommendations would save the U.S. government more than $2 trillion over the next decade. Meanwhile, your tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy would cost U.S. taxpayers $4 trillion over the same period,” concluded the lawmakers. “It is time to eliminate the real waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending, rather than ravaging programs that keep Americans safe, secure, and healthy just to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations.”

    In April, Senator Warren and Representative Stansbury introduced the SGE Ethics Enforcement & Reform (SEER) Act, a bill to strengthen transparency and ethics requirements for Special Government Employees (SGEs). The bill would have reined in Elon Musk while he was in the SGE role by restricting certain SGEs from officially communicating with agencies and offices that regulate or contract with large companies owned by the SGE.

    To mark 130 days of Elon Musk’s government service as an SGE, Senator Warren recently published a report detailing 130 acts of Musk’s corruption. While serving as an SGE and leading DOGE, Musk maintained extensive financial conflicts of interest through his ownership of or stake in several private and publicly traded companies including Tesla, SpaceX, X and xAI, the Boring Company, and Neuralink.

    Senator Warren first wrote to Musk in January with 30 proposals that would cut at least $2 trillion of wasteful government spending over the next decade. She has identified numerous instances of waste, fraud, and abuse in government during her twelve years in Congress and repeatedly called out unsustainable spending, abusive practices and programs, and government contractors that line their pockets at taxpayers’ expense.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders, King Introduce Bill to Ban Prescription Drug Ads

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, June 12 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced the End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act, legislation that would ban prescription drug advertising on television, radio, print, digital platforms and social media. The bill would also answer Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s repeated calls to end prescription drug advertising, a position he promoted while campaigning for President Trump in 2024. 

    “The American people are sick and tired of greedy pharmaceutical companies spending billions of dollars on absurd TV commercials pushing their outrageously expensive prescription drugs,” Sanders said. “With the exception of New Zealand, the United States is the only country in the world where it is legal for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their drugs on television. It is time for us to end that international embarrassment. The American people don’t want to see misleading and deceptive prescription drug ads on television. They want us to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and ban these bogus ads.” 

    “The widespread use of direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies drives up costs and doesn’t necessarily make patients healthier,” King said. “The End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act would prohibit direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical drugs to protect people. This bill is a great step to ensure that patients are getting the best information possible and from the right source: their providers and not biased advertisements.” 

    Last year, the 10 largest drug companies made more than $100 billion in profits while the pharmaceutical industry spent over $5 billion on television ads. Prescription drug commercials now account for more than 30% of commercial time on major networks’ evening news programs. In the first three months of this year, Big Pharma spent more than $725 million advertising just 10 drugs. Meanwhile, the American people pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs and one in four Americans cannot afford the costs of the medicine their doctors prescribe. 

    Banning direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising is not a radical idea. In addition to Secretary Kennedy, the American Medical Association endorsed a ban a decade ago. Studies have shown that more than half of prescription drug ads are misleading or false, causing many Americans to underestimate the associated risks. Harvard researchers found that the majority of the most advertised drugs had little to no therapeutic benefit compared to existing prescription drugs. America’s seniors are particularly at risk of being misled as pharmaceutical companies strategically target them by pushing high-priced medications that may cause them harm. 

    For example, in 2010, Eli Lilly spent $205 million on direct-to-consumer ads and made $3.2 billion in sales for the antidepressant drug Cymbalta, despite Food and Drug Administration (FDA) findings that the company’s ads made unsupported and misleading claims of effectiveness and minimized its safety risks. Merck spent $300 million marketing the painkiller Vioxx and made $2.5 billion in sales, despite finding in 2000 that their product raised the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Dr. David Graham, a senior FDA official, testified in 2004 that Merck’s failure to stop selling Vioxx had resulted in as many as 55,000 unnecessary deaths from heart attacks and stroke. 

    Drug companies are also spending huge amounts of money on prescription drugs that cost, in some cases, more than ten times as much in the United States than other countries. In 2023, Novo Nordisk spent $263 million on direct-to-consumer ads for Wegovy and $208 million on ads for Ozempic. Today, Novo Nordisk charges nearly $1,000 a month for Ozempic in the United States, while this same exact drug can be purchased for just $59 in Germany, $71 in France, $122 in Denmark, and $155 in Canada. Novo Nordisk also charges Americans with obesity $1,349 a month for Wegovy while this same exact product can be purchased for just $92 in the United Kingdom, $137 in Germany, $186 in Denmark and $265 in Canada. 

    Joining Sanders and King as cosponsors of the legislation are Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill). 

    Read the bill text here. 

    Read a summary of the bill here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warnock Joins Faith Leaders at Vigil to Decry Cruel Cuts to Working Families in GOP Tax Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Warnock Joins Faith Leaders at Vigil to Decry Cruel Cuts to Working Families in GOP Tax Bill

    Senator Reverend Warnock joined national faith leaders on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to bear witness to the GOP tax bill that would reward the wealthiest Americans with tax cuts while targeting the most vulnerable with cuts to health care
    “Pentecost Witness for A Moral Budget” brought together faith leaders, policymakers, and activists to pray, speak up on behalf of marginalized Georgians and Americans, and advocate for a moral budget
    In his remarks, Senator Warnock recalled how he was arrested in 2017 protesting the last GOP reconciliation bill, only to be back again as a U.S. Senator fighting for working families in this latest legislative fight  

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) spoke out against cruel cuts to working families in the GOP tax bill during a gathering on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with clergy and faith leaders moved by a moral conscience. The gathering, dubbed “Pentecost Witness for A Moral Budget”, was aimed at speaking up for the country’s most vulnerable—the very people the Senator’s faith calls on him to protect. The Senator and faith leaders decried how vulnerable Georgians and Americans are under real and dire threat in a moment that serves as a test to both their faith and our democracy. As the legislation text stands currently, the GOP tax bill being rammed through Congress by Washington Republicans would cut $800 billion from Medicaid, leaving 16 million more Americans uninsured, including an estimated 750,000 Georgians. 

    “I came to the Capitol in 2017 when they were trying to pass a tax cut for the wealthiest of the wealthy. […] I got arrested that day. Here I am, eight years later, having transformed my agitation into legislation, my protest into public policy. But I’m here today because I still know how to agitate. I still know how to protest. I’m not a Senator who used to be a pastor. I’m a pastor in the Senate. And so, here’s what we have come to do today. If this budget were an EKG, it would suggest that many of my colleagues have a heart problem. And we have gathered today to perform moral surgery because our children deserve better. They are talking about waste, fraud, and abuse. There is not enough waste, fraud, and abuse to cut $800 billion from Medicaid. That means some people will not get covered. Seniors, and veterans, and children. $300 billion out of SNAP. That means they are taking food out of the hungry mouths of children in order to give people like Elon Musk a tax cut,” said Senator Warnock at the faith-based rally.

    Faith leaders and policymakers attending the gathering were praying, testifying, storytelling, reading Scripture verses about people experiencing poverty in the Bible and standing for justice, as well as advocating for a moral budget.

    The public witness event was led by Reverend Jim Wallis, the founding Director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice, as well as Reverend Adam Taylor of Sojourners and Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner with the National African American Clergy Network. Senator Warnock was also joined by Senate colleagues Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). 

    A transcript of Senator Warnock’s remarks can be found below:

    Hello everybody. Thank you all so very much for standing on the Capitol steps in this moral moment in America. And I have to tell you that as I stand here today with my friend Jim Wallace, and with the Reverend Barbara Williams Skinner, and so many others, this feels like deja vu. 

    Because they were trying to pass a reconciliation bill in 2017 during the first Trump administration. And when they were trying to pass that bill, I was not a United States Senator. I came to the Capitol in 2017 when they were trying to pass a tax cut for the wealthiest of the wealthy. I came with clergy, including the Reverend Barbara Williams Skinner. And as I stood there, I said then what I want to say today: that a budget is not just a fiscal document, it’s a moral document. Show me your budget, and I’ll show you who you think matters and who does not. Who you think is dispensable. 

    And we stood there in 2017 making the same point. I was with the Reverend Doctor William Barber, and I said, “Which one of us is getting arrested today? You or me?” I got the short straw. I got arrested that day. And the Capitol police, they were professional, they didn’t mishandle me, and they deserve credit for doing what we asked them to do. But what they didn’t understand that day as they said, “Pastor, if you don’t stop praying, if you don’t stop singing in the rotunda of the Capitol, we’re going to have to arrest you.” What they didn’t understand is that I had already been arrested. My mind and my imagination and my heart had been arrested by the heartbeat of children who should not lose their food and who should not lose their health care in order to give wealthy people a tax cut. 

    And so they arrested me that day in 2017. Here I am, eight years later, having transformed my agitation into legislation, my protest into public policy. But I’m here today because I still know how to agitate. I still know how to protest. I’m not a Senator who used to be a pastor. I’m a pastor in the Senate. And so, here’s what we have come to do today. If this budget were an EKG, it would suggest that many of my colleagues have a heart problem. And we have gathered today to perform moral surgery because our children deserve better. They are talking about waste, fraud, and abuse. There is not enough waste, fraud, and abuse to cut $800 billion from Medicaid. That means some people will not get covered. Seniors, and veterans, and children. $300 billion out of SNAP. That means they are taking food out of the hungry mouths of children in order to give people like Elon Musk a tax cut. And the folks who vote for this will be in someone’s church next Sunday. I have a scripture for them: Away with your noise. Away with your songs. I will not hear them. I hate your festivals. I hate your solemn gatherings. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

    God is not impressed by you quoting scripture. God is not impressed by you showing up to church on Sunday. The acid test of your faith is the depth of your commitment to the least and left out of God’s hungry children. In closing, and nobody believes a Baptist preacher when he says in closing, let me just say this to you: in this dark moment in our country, we know what they are trying to do to Medicaid. We know what they are trying to do to SNAP. We know what they are trying to do to federal workers. We know there are starving people abroad right now—children—through their cuts to USAID. But there is something else they are doing that is even more sinister. They are trying to weaponize despair. They are trying to convince you that they have already won and so you need not fight. This is what you must resist. You must resist the despair that is so deep that you stop fighting. Because when we fight, we win. Are you ready to stand up in this moral moment? Are you ready to stand up for our children? Are you ready to stand up for the elderly? Are you ready to stand up for the seniors and those who are struggling? Are you ready to stand up for the best in the American spirit? So let’s stick together, let’s pray together, let’s work together, let’s fight together. Truth crushed to Earth will rise again.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warnock Successfully Pushes Trump Administration to Rehire Hundreds of Unfairly Fired CDC Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Warnock Successfully Pushes Trump Administration to Rehire Hundreds of Unfairly Fired CDC Workers

    Following a months-long pressure campaign from Senator Reverend Warnock, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reportedly reinstating more than 400 people who were unfairly fired
    The news follows previous successful efforts by Senator Warnock to pressure the administration to reinstate CDC probationary staff and fellows who work on public health threats
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “I have been pressuring this administration for months to reinstate unfairly fired workers at the CDC so they can continue doing the critical work of keeping our families and communities safe from infectious diseases and other public health crises. I’m glad they have heard our calls to reverse course”

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released the following statement regarding his successful efforts to push the Trump Administration to rehire unfairly fired workers at the Georgia-based CDC:

    “The rehiring of hundreds of dedicated health workers, many of whom call Georgia home, is welcome news for those of us who believe that public health is vital to our wellbeing and safety—not a political game. I have been pressuring this administration for months to reinstate unfairly fired workers at the CDC so they can continue doing the critical work of keeping our families and communities safe from infectious diseases and other public health crises. I’m glad they have heard our calls to reverse course and have seen the results of their reckless mistakes and rehired some of these workers. But we must remain vigilant, because this administration is determined to dismantle our public health system, which ensures our food and water are safe, our brave servicemembers stay healthy when serving abroad, and top researchers have the resources they need to combat heart disease, maternal mortality, cancer, and diabetes. I will continue to call for all these unjustly fired workers to be rehired,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.

    Last month during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, Senator Warnock demanded answers from the nominee to be the Deputy Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about the wrongful firings of high-performing public health experts. In April 2025, Senator Warnock rallied in the streets of Atlanta with current and former employees of the CDC to show support for the Georgians who have been callously fired from their life-saving work at the public health institution. In March 2025, Senator Warnock successfully pressured the administration to reinstate CDC probationary staff and fellows who work on public health threats. Last year, the Senator visited the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia for the first time as Senator to learn about the agency’s efforts to protect public health, including work to combat the maternal mortality crisis and how federal funding plays a role in keeping Georgia and the country safe from infectious diseases. During Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s nomination hearing in committee, Senator Warnock spoke at length defending the importance of the CDC which employs over 10,000 hardworking Georgians. Shortly after, the Senator spoke for nearly an hour on the Senate floor, in large part in defense of the CDC’s critical work to defend public health and national security. The Senator continued to pressure HHS Secretary Kennedy to reverse the CDC firings.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Issues Statement Following Air India Plane Crash

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    June 12, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), issued the following statement after the Air India plane crash that occurred in Ahmedabad, India:

    “I want to extend my prayers and condolences to the families of the many victims who perished in the Air India plane crash that occurred last night. I hope that Nebraskans will join me in prayer for those who lost their lives and their loved ones. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I also stand ready to support efforts to assist our Indian partners in responding to this tragedy and to ensure the safety of international air travel.”

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  • MIL-OSI Canada: The Ville de Longueuil (the city of Longueuil) ordered to pay $30,000 for damaging or destroying at least one bobolink nest

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    June 12, 2025 – Longueuil, Quebec

    Enforcing Canadian environmental and wildlife laws is one important way that Environment and Climate Change Canada is taking action to protect wildlife and nature.

    On June 12, 2025, the Court of Quebec ordered the Ville de Longueuil to pay a fine of $30,000. The Ville de Longueuil pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Species at Risk Act. The charge stems from mowing that damaged or destroyed at least one bobolink nest. The fine will be directed to the Receiver General for Canada.

    On July 10, 2024, Environment and Climate Change Canada received a report from an individual indicating that a bobolink nesting site had been destroyed during mowing in the Parc des Sorbiers municipal park in Longueuil. The Department’s enforcement officers subsequently launched an investigation, which determined that the Ville de Longueuil was responsible for the mowing carried out on July 9, 2024, which damaged or destroyed at least one bobolink nest. In so doing, the Ville de Longueuil violated section 33 of the Species at Risk Act.

    Environment and Climate Change Canada has created a free subscription service to help Canadians stay current with what the Government of Canada is doing to protect the natural environment.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald to visit Saskatchewan

    Source: Government of Canada News

    June 12, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    The Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, will travel to Saskatchewan later this week on a multi-day visit to meet with key stakeholders from the agriculture industry in Saskatchewan, a province that accounts for more than 40% of Canada’s cultivated farmland.

    Members of the media are invited to join Minister MacDonald and Daryl Harrison, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Agriculture, on June 14.

    Quote

    “There’s no question – Saskatchewan is essential to agriculture and agriculture is essential to Saskatchewan. I want to get my boots on the ground, meet with folks face-to-face, on their land, and deliver on the things that matter to producers across the province.”

    – The Honourable Heath MacDonald, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister

    Date

    Saturday, June 14, 2025

    Registration

    Media are asked to contact aafc.mediarelations-relationsmedias.aac@agr.gc.ca by Friday at 12 pm CST to register and get directions to the media availability, which is at a farm located approximately 40 minutes south of Regina.

    MIL OSI Canada News –