Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI Global: Golden Dome: An aerospace engineer explains the proposed nationwide missile defense system

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Iain Boyd, Director of the Center for National Security Initiatives and Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder

    Posters that President Donald Trump used to announce Golden Dome depict missile defense as a shield. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

    President Donald Trump announced a plan to build a missile defense system, called the Golden Dome, on May 20, 2025. The system is intended to protect the United States from ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles, and missiles launched from space.

    Trump is calling for the current budget to allocate US$25 billion to launch the initiative, which the government projected will cost $175 billion. He said Golden Dome will be fully operational before the end of his term in three years and will provide close to 100% protection.

    The Conversation U.S. asked Iain Boyd, an aerospace engineer and director of the Center for National Security Initiatives at the University of Colorado Boulder, about the Golden Dome plan and the feasibility of Trump’s claims. Boyd receives funding for research unrelated to Golden Dome from defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

    Why does the United States need a missile shield?

    Several countries, including China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, have been developing missiles over the past few years that challenge the United States’ current missile defense systems.

    These weapons include updated ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, and new hypersonic missiles. They have been specifically developed to counter America’s highly advanced missile defense systems such as the Patriot and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System.

    For example, the new hypersonic missiles are very high speed, operate in a region of the atmosphere where nothing else flies and are maneuverable. All of these aspects combined create a new challenge that requires a new, updated defensive approach.

    Russia has fired hypersonic missiles against Ukraine in the ongoing conflict. China parades its new hypersonic missiles in Tiananmen Square.

    So it’s reasonable to think that, to ensure the protection of its homeland and to aid its allies, the U.S. may need a new missile defense capability.

    Ukrainian forces are using the U.S.-made Patriot missile defense system against Russian ballistic missiles.

    What are the components of a national missile defense system?

    Such a defense system requires a global array of geographically distributed sensors that cover all phases of all missile trajectories.

    First, it is essential for the system to detect the missile threats as early as possible after launch, so some of the sensors must be located close to regions where adversaries may fire them, such as by China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. Then, it has to track the missiles along their trajectories as they travel hundreds or thousands of miles.

    These requirements are met by deploying a variety of sensors on a number of different platforms on the ground, at sea, in the air and in space. Interceptors are placed in locations that protect vital U.S. assets and usually aim to engage threats during the middle portion of the trajectory between launch and the terminal dive.

    The U.S. already has a broad array of sensors and interceptors in place around the world and in space primarily to protect the U.S. and its allies from ballistic missiles. The sensors would need to be expanded, including with more space-based sensors, to detect new missiles such as hypersonic missiles. The interceptors would need to be enhanced to enable them to address hypersonic weapons and other missiles and warheads that can maneuver.

    Does this technology exist?

    Intercepting hypersonic missiles specifically involves several steps.

    First, as explained above, a hostile missile must be detected and identified as a threat. Second, the threat must be tracked along all of its trajectory due to the ability of hypersonic missiles to maneuver. Third, an interceptor missile must be able to follow the threat and get close enough to it to disable or destroy it.

    The main new challenge here is the ability to track the hypersonic missile continuously. This requires new types of sensors to detect hypersonic vehicles and new sensor platforms that are able to provide a complete picture of the hypersonic trajectory. As described, Golden Dome would use the sensors in a layered approach in which they are installed on a variety of platforms in multiple domains, including ground, sea, air and space.

    These various platforms would need to have different types of sensors that are specifically designed to track hypersonic threats in different phases of their flight paths. These defensive systems will also be designed to address weapons fired from space. Much of the infrastructure will be multipurpose and able to defend against a variety of missile types.

    In terms of time frame for deployment, it is important to note that Golden Dome will build from the long legacy of existing U.S. missile defense systems. Another important aspect of Golden Dome is that some of the new capabilities have been under active development for years. In some ways, Golden Dome represents the commitment to actually deploy systems for which considerable progress has already been made.

    Is near 100% protection a realistic claim?

    Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system has been described as the most effective system of its kind anywhere in the world.

    But even Iron Dome is not 100% effective, and it has also been overwhelmed on occasion by Hamas and others who fire very large numbers of inexpensive missiles and rockets at it. So it is unlikely that any missile defense system will ever provide 100% protection.

    The more important goal here is to achieve deterrence, similar to the stalemate in the Cold War with the Soviet Union that was based on nuclear weapons. All of the new weapons that Golden Dome will defend against are very expensive. The U.S. is trying to change the calculus in an opponent’s thinking to the point where they will consider it not worth shooting their precious high-value missiles at the U.S. when they know there is a high probability of them not reaching their targets.

    CBS News covered President Donald Trump’s announcement.

    Is three years a feasible time frame?

    That seems to me like a very aggressive timeline, but with multiple countries now operating hypersonic missiles, there is a real sense of urgency.

    Existing missile defense systems on the ground, at sea and in the air can be expanded to include new, more capable sensors. Satellite systems are beginning to be put in place for the space layer. Sensors have been developed to track the new missile threats.

    Putting all of this highly complex system together, however, is likely to take more than three years. At the same time, if the U.S. fully commits to Golden Dome, a significant amount of progress can be made in this time.

    What does the president’s funding request tell you?

    President Trump is requesting a total budget for all defense spending of about $1 trillion in 2026. So, $25 billion to launch Golden Dome would represent only 2.5% of the total requested defense budget.

    Of course, that is still a lot of money, and a lot of other programs will need to be terminated to make it possible. But it is certainly financially achievable.

    How will Golden Dome differ from Iron Dome?

    Similar to Iron Dome, Golden Dome will consist of sensors and interceptor missiles but will be deployed over a much wider geographical region and for defense against a broader variety of threats in comparison with Iron Dome.

    A second-generation Golden Dome system in the future would likely use directed energy weapons such as high-energy lasers and high-power microwaves to destroy missiles. This approach would significantly increase the number of shots that defenders can take against ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles.

    Iain Boyd receives funding from the U.S. Department of Defense and Lockheed-Martin Corporation, a defense contractor that sells missile defense systems and could potentially benefit from the implementation of Golden Dome.

    ref. Golden Dome: An aerospace engineer explains the proposed nationwide missile defense system – https://theconversation.com/golden-dome-an-aerospace-engineer-explains-the-proposed-nationwide-missile-defense-system-257408

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall, Moran, Baldwin, and Bennet Introduce Bill to Spur Innovation in the Livestock Feed Sector

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) today reintroduced the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development (FEED) Act – bipartisan legislation that would establish a pathway at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for novel feed additives and increase livestock efficiency and production.
    “The agricultural industry sets the gold standard when it comes to livestock production,” Senator Marshall said. “Back home, producers are committed to making more with less and leaving the world safer, cleaner, and healthier than they found it. However, outdated regulations are holding back our feed industry and forcing innovations to happen overseas instead of here in America. I’m proud to work with Senators Moran, Baldwin, and Bennet to develop a bipartisan solution that will increase our ranchers’ access to the products they need and support rural America.” 
    “This legislation will help bolster the animal feed industry and make certain producers in Kansas and across the country continue to have access to feed additives that support animal nutrition,” Senator Moran said. “By expanding research and reducing bureaucratic hurdles at the FDA, more of these products will be available to farmers, encouraging a stronger food supply chain.”
    “Wisconsin farmers and ranchers should have the tools they need to grow their businesses and compete on the world stage. Right now, we know there are additives farmers could be using to reduce their environmental impact and provide nutritive benefits to their livestock, but bureaucratic red tape is holding them back,” Senator Baldwin said. “I’m proud to work with Republicans and Democrats to break down barriers for our farmers, help them access these innovative products, and support our rural economies.”
    “While producers in Europe and South America are using innovative feed additives to stay competitive, bureaucratic red tape has left America’s cattlemen and dairy farmers without any options. We need to create a level playing field for Colorado’s livestock industry by giving them every available tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the sustainability of their farms and ranches, while ensuring health and safety,” Senator Bennet said.
    Joining Senators Marshall, Moran, Baldwin, and Bennet are Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Angus King (I-Maine), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota).
    “Iowa farmers and ranchers feed the world with the best products available. Now, it’s time for Congress to remove bureaucratic hurdles at the FDA so products can safely get to market faster and producers can access more tools. Our bill will bolster our food supply chain and ensure America remains globally competitive in animal feed products,” Senator Grassley said.
    “Everyone benefits when healthy livestock produce safe, high-quality meat and dairy products – and that begins with how they eat,” Senator King said. “Unfortunately, manufacturers of supplemental additives to livestock feed face needless, burdensome hurdles and bureaucratic red tape which prevents farmers and ranchers from getting their hands on new, innovative products. The bipartisan Innovative FEED Act will expedite the period between the early stages of development and regulatory approval – creating a level playing ground for the agricultural industry and ensuring healthier, sustainable options for consumers.”
    The legislation is endorsed by the American Feed Industry Association, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, the National Milk Producers Federation, the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), Environmental Defense Fund, North American Renderers Association, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).
    “The animal food industry envisions a healthier world for both people and animals through advanced animal food solutions, but the FDA’s outdated review system has not kept up with the pace of innovation,” said Constance Cullman, President and CEO of American Feed Industry Association. “Thanks to Senator Marshall’s continued leadership, Congress now has the ability to pursue a legislative fix that would give the FDA the tools it needs to more appropriately review new animal food ingredients with non-nutritive benefits. The AFIA thanks Senators Marshall, Baldwin, Moran, Bennett, King, and Grassley for introducing the Innovative FEED Act.”
    “Supporting the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development Act is a critical step toward empowering American farmers with the tools they need to drive innovation in agriculture,” said Chuck Conner, President and CEO of National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. “By modernizing the regulatory process, this legislation paves the way for the introduction of advanced feed technologies that can improve livestock production, reduce environmental impact, and enhance economic opportunities for farmers across the country.”
    “We commend Sens. Roger Marshall, Tammy Baldwin, Jerry Moran, and Michael Bennet for their bipartisan Innovative FEED Act to modernize the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory framework for approving animal feed ingredients. U.S. dairy farmers benefit from access to safe and effective feed additives as they continue to innovate on multiple fronts,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation. “The bipartisan initiative led by Sens. Marshall, Baldwin, Moran, and Bennet will help them do just that, and we look forward to working with them to enact this bill into law.” 
    “We commend Senator Marshall and his colleagues for recognizing the importance of modernizing the regulatory framework for animal feed ingredients,” said NGFA President and CEO Mike Seyfert. “This bipartisan legislation demonstrates continued momentum for commonsense reform that promotes innovation, supports U.S. agricultural competitiveness, and protects food safety. The Senate’s engagement brings us one step closer to aligning U.S. policy with other global competitors who have already modernized their systems. NGFA urges Congress to act swiftly and pass this critical legislation.”
    “The North American Renderers Association (NARA) strongly supports the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development (Innovative FEED) Act,” said Kent Swisher, President and CEO, North American Renderers Association. “This commonsense, bipartisan legislation is critical to advancing innovation and sustainability in animal agriculture and feed production. NARA thanks the Senators Marshall, Moran, Bennet, and Baldwin for leading legislation that will allow U.S. renderers and feed manufacturers to more rapidly adopt new technologies that enhance animal welfare, improve feed efficiency, and reduce the environmental footprint of animal agriculture.”
    “IDFA members and dairy farmers need innovative, science-backed tools that help lower methane emissions in the dairy supply chain,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). “We support the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development Act because it will create an appropriate regulatory pathway for some of these promising enteric methane technologies, which provide environmental benefits and new market opportunities for farmers, and we thank Senator Marshall, R-KS, Senator Baldwin, D-WI, Senator Moran, R-KS, and Senator Bennet, D-CO, for this bipartisan effort.”
    “NASDA supports the Innovative FEED Act’s goals to promote voluntary adoption of innovative new tools producers can use to increase the efficiency of their livestock operations,” said NASDA CEO Ted McKinney. “Most state departments of agriculture inspect and regulate animal feed ingredients, which will include the new products covered under this legislation. This bipartisan legislation is important and timely to ensure that producers, regulators, and the feed industry can collaborate to increase innovation amidst a competitive market in a way that is safe for animals, producers, and consumers.” 
    The full text of the legislation can be found here.
    Background:
    American livestock and dairy producers are essential to American communities and are among the top exporters in the global market. Part of what makes these industries the best in the world is their commitment to innovation and the utilization of the latest technologies to improve production while also reducing their environmental footprint.
    As the original conservationists, farmers, and ranchers steward the land and rely on feed additives to improve the quality and efficiency of meat and dairy. However, innovation to meet these growing demands has stalled due to outdated, one-size-fits-all federal policies.  
    Over the years, agricultural stakeholders have called for the development and marketing of safe and effective feed additives that can be used in animal food to improve livestock production. Global competitors have been working to meet this demand. Europe, Asia, and South America have updated their policies to have feed products on the market that demonstrate increased efficiency in meat production and byproduct and waste reduction. 
    The Innovative FEED Act would: 
    Amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, establishing a new category in the animal food additive petition process to cover ingredients that address animal health, food safety, or environmental benefits in an animal’s diet.
    Help American livestock producers cut regulatory red tape while adding value to their products and remaining competitive on a global scale.
    Ensures farmers are rewarded for participating in voluntary, producer-led sustainability efforts, and market their products to companies and nations that have set climate reduction goals.
    Modernize the approval process by establishing a new pathway for manufacturers to receive approval for feed additives that improve efficiency in meat and dairy production while also reducing byproducts.
    Establish strict guardrails to ensure only qualifying products are eligible for this pathway while also ensuring products are safe to use. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Joins President Trump, Secretary Kennedy, and Secretary Rollins at The White House for MAHA Commission Report 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) today joined President Donald Trump, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins, and other Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) leaders at the White House today for a roundtable event to discuss the MAHA Commission Report.
    You may click HERE or on the image above to watch the full event.
    See the full transcript below from the White House event.
    President Trump: “I have to say we have the greatest farmers in the world, and we love our farmers, and we want to pay respect to our farmers, and we always will. And we won the farmers by a lot in the election, in all, every election, all three elections, and we won by a lot. And I will never forget that, and they are foremost in our thought and representing, I think, the farmers better than just about anybody can do is Senator Roger Marshall, could you say a couple of words, Roger, please…”
    Senator Marshall: “Mr. President, we’re not tired of winning yet. Congratulations. What a week you’ve had overseas, one win after another, One Big, Beautiful Bill across the House floor this morning. You’re the best closer in the game, and this is one of the greatest days of my life, professionally speaking, as well.”
    “And I just want to acknowledge my MAHA mom out here as well, that my wife, Laina, was a MAHA nurse and a MAHA mom and a MAHA grandma. Now, Laina, will you please stand up as well?”
    “Mr. President, you know, I spent 25 years delivering babies. Most every day. We saw a huge epidemic of diabetes of pregnancy, and this has exploded in so many different directions. Now we have an epidemic of mental health, in our youth, obesity rates, 20, 30% of our children on prescription drugs. 60, 70% of adults on a prescription drug. We can do better than this, and it does start with the farmer. It starts with soil health. And I just want you to know that our farmers are so committed to this as well, and so many of them are already doing great things. They’re making the soil healthier. They’re using less pesticides. They’re doing all the right things. It’s going to take a little bit more effort and time to get everybody with those practices, but the American farmer and rancher were the original environmentalists, the original conservationists, and they’ll be right here working beside us, and we appreciate your support of them as well.”
    To watch the full remarks, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Joins Charlie Kirk to Discuss President Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ as it Heads to the Senate and the MAHA Commission Report

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined The Charlie Kirk Show today to discuss the status of President Donald Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’, why State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions need to be re-evaluated, and the contents of the newly released Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report. 
    Click HERE or above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview with Charlie Kirk
    Highlights from the interview include:
    On what the Senate can do for the ‘One, Big Beautiful Bill’:
    Senator Marshall: “President Trump is the best closer in the country. Mike Johnson gave us the best bill that he could get passed over there. Think of the Senate as like a saucer and think of the House as a hot cup of coffee, and it’s spilling over. The job of the Senate is to take that bill and make it better.
    “I think for us over here, what I’m looking at is, where can we save some more taxpayers dollars? Where are the opportunities to cut some spending? What do we do with those SALT taxes? So, I think that’s the big thrust over here. How can we make this bill better? How can we deliver on President Trump’s promises, no tax on tips, overtime, Social Security, and make the Trump tax cuts permanent?”
    On SALT:  
    Senator Marshall: “In these big blue states, they have high taxes, and they’re able to deduct that from their federal taxes… What the House has done will still cost American taxpayers $300 billion over the next 10 years. They’re going to let people from these blue states write off up to $30,000 of their taxes, which will decrease revenue to the state.
    “It is that simple to the tune of $300 billion over 10 years. So, what else could we do with that $300 billion? We could deliver the president’s Golden Dome, that would be one simple thing, and more. We would take that money and make Medicaid and Medicare even better. There’s just better ways to spend that money. We can use it to secure the border, to help our military out, to give our troops more wages…”
    On the president’s ‘One, Big Beautiful Bill’:
    Senator Marshall: “What we did with Social Security since, by the law, we cannot touch Social Security, but what we did is we’re giving seniors a $4,000 tax credit, in addition… We increased the Child Tax Credit. Republicans doubled the tax credit in 2017 with this bill, and now we increased it another $500. So we increased the tax deduction for having children to $2,500 as well, so that would be another answer. A little second amendment, we’ve slipped in there. There’s some rules and regulations around what I would call a silencer, a muffler on guns, that type of thing. So, there are a whole lot of low-hanging fruit in here.”
    “The Golden Dome is in here, President Trump’s Golden Dome, the first down payment on some type of satellite system to help intercept nuclear warheads, that type of thing. Huge pay raises for our troops, for the border patrol officers, and funding to help get those illegal aliens out of this country. We have 400,000 violent criminal aliens in this country… Charlie, it may cost $100,000 per person to escort them out of this country. Thank you. Joe Biden.”
    “And we’ll take care of that for four years. We don’t have to go back to the Democrats every year and say, hey, we want money for the border. We want money for the military. We have significant money in here to take care of the military for the most part, for four years, and the president’s border security and the removal of illegal aliens.”
    On the MAHA Commission report:
    Senator Marshall: “Look, I think number one when I think about Make America Healthy Again is 60% of Americans have a chronic disease of some sort, most of it is nutritionally related or related to toxins. So, I expect this MAHA report to talk about the importance of soil health and the nutrient quality that we’re feeding to, especially our children… I’m especially concerned about the children getting them off on the right foot as well. The toxins that they’re being exposed to are probably in these ultra-processed foods.”
    “70% of the calories Americans consume are an ultra-processed food. I think that they’ll address that… Gold standard science. I really, as a doctor, can’t sit there and say, what type of oil is best to cook supper in tonight? Is it soybean oil? Is it tallow? What is it? So, we need gold-standard research, not influenced by commercial operations. Look, 50-60% of Americans are on a prescription drug right now, and I think we want to look into what that’s all about.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Banks Call for End of Taxpayer-Funded Student Loans for Terrorists

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) in introducing the No Loan Forgiveness for Terrorists Act. This bill prohibits students from receiving credit for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) while working at organizations that engage in illegal activities. The legislation works to codify an Executive Order from President Trump that would end taxpayer-funded student loan forgiveness for students that participate in illegal, anti-American behavior.
    “Hard-working Americans should not be footing the bill for radical students who support and embolden blatant terrorism. No one should be rewarded for wreaking havoc on college campuses. The President has ended taxpayer-funded loan forgiveness, and it is Congress’ job to make his Executive Order permanent. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this legislation along and stop funding college for terrorists,” said Sen. Tuberville.
    “Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay student loans for radicals who aid terrorists, mutilate children, or promote illegal immigration. This bill codifies President Trump’s order to stop subsidizing anti-American extremism,” said Sen. Banks.
    Read full text of the bill here. 
    BACKGROUND:
    Sen. Tuberville currently serves as the Chairman of the HELP Subcommittee on Education and the American Family, where he has frequently spoken out against the antisemitism, riots, and lawlessness we are seeing on college campuses. He has expressed that people have the right to free speech in this country, but they do not have the right to riot or commit crimes. If these students – or paid activists in some cases – are breaking the law, they should go to jail.
    The No Loan Forgiveness for Terrorists Act would:
    Preventing students from receiving credit through the PSLF program while working at organizations that engage in the following activities:
    Aiding or abetting violations of federal immigration laws
    Materially supporting terrorism
    Materially supporting the castration or mutilation of children
    Aiding and abetting illegal discrimination
    Violating State tort laws, including against trespassing and disorderly conduct
    Last year, Sen. Tuberville also cosponsored the No Bailouts for Campus Criminals Act which would prevent pro-Hamas protestors convicted of a crime from having their student loans forgiven. 
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville Honors Two Fallen Alabamians Ahead of Memorial Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    “We may never have met Michael or Jason, yet they courageously were willing to give their lives for their fellow Americans. We will continue to share their stories to ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten.”
    WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) honored two of Alabama’s fallen soldiers and their families in advance of Memorial Day. On the Senate floor, Senator Tuberville shared the stories of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Michael Wesley Hosey of Clay and U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jason Barfield of Ashford.
    Earlier this month, Senator Tuberville also introduced a resolution that would designate May 2025 as “Fallen Heroes Memorial Month.”
    Excerpts from Senator Tuberville’s remarks can be found below and his full remarks can be found on Rumble or YouTube. 

    MICHAEL WESLEY HOSEY
    “For U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Michael Wesley Hosey, there was never a question in anyone’s mind as to what he wanted to do when he grew up. Every Career Day, he would always dress up as a soldier. Michael loved reading about history —and he loved our country. So much so, that his friends and family gave him the nickname, ‘’Merican…’”
    “Because Michael was only 17 when he graduated from Clay-Chalkville High School, his dad, also named Michael, had to sign his permission for him to enlist in the Army. As a Vietnam veteran, the elder Michael knew all too well what his son was signing up for. Yet, the Hosey family supported Michael’s decision to serve his country. There’s no question that this courageous young man also came from a courageous family.”
    “Michael had a giving heart and continued to earn the trust of the locals—especially all the kids. His sister Laurie recalls him always asking his family to send candy when they sent him a package. At first, she found this odd because Michael wasn’t a big candy eater, but they’d always send Skittles or gum. She later realized Michael wasn’t asking for candy [for] himself—but to share with all the kids in the country. Sadly, Michael lost his life on September 17, 2011, during Operation Enduring Freedom—one week before his 28th birthday. When sharing his story, Laurie wants us to remember that ‘Freedom is not free.’ It’s a reality that her and Michael’s parents—Condi and the older Michael—still carry with them every single day.”
    JASON BARFIELD
    “Jason lived his life with the goal of making a difference. His mom Kelli says that Jason believed that there was good in everyone—even if you couldn’t find it at first, that just meant just to dig a little bit deeper. Jason lived by the motto that ‘Every Day is A Good Day.’ He also had a gift for music and was in the band at Ashford, Alabama, High school. He enjoyed singing in church, playing the saxophone, and was teaching himself to play the piano. Jason’s hard work and talents earned him a four-year band scholarship to Huntington College—but he chose to forego the scholarship to enlist in the Marines, because he wanted to be part of the best.”
    “Jason surprised his family for Christmas in 2010 and spoke about his new goal to re-enlist in the military and become a chaplain. The Barfield’s didn’t know this would be their last holiday that they would spend together. Jason was killed in action on October 24, 2011, at the young age of 22. Sensing the danger that was ahead, Jason pushed eight of his fellow Marines, a native translator, and a K-9 out of the way from the booby trap explosion that would claim his own life. Jason’s platoon Sergeant Gunney Thrash, said, ‘His name and his actions for his fellow Marines will outlive all of us.’”
    ON IMPORTANCE OF MEMORIAL DAY
    “Michael Wesley Hosey and Jason Barfield are two young men who never got to start a family or fully pursue their dreams. We are forever grateful and indebted to them for their sacrifice that gives us the assurance to continue to sing the national anthem, not with a question mark—but with a declaration that we are the ‘land of the free and the home of the brave.’  I’m reminded of the words in John 15:13—’Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.’ We may never have met Michael or Jason, yet they courageously were willing to give their lives for their fellow Americans. We will continue to share their stories to ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten. As Memorial Day approaches, I hope we take the time to honor America’s fallen, along with the brave families who have been left behind. May we never forget that freedom is not free.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Introduces Legislation to Protect Public Sector Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Bill Text (PDF)
    Washington (May 22, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today introduced the Public Service Worker Protection Act, legislation that would extend federal health and safety protections to public sector workers nationwide. The legislation is cosponsored by Democratic Leader Chuck  Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). Representatives Chris Deluzio (PA-17) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) introduced companion legislation in the House earlier this month.
    Specifically, the Public Service Worker Protection Act would amend the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970 to extend worker health and safety protections to public sector workers who are currently excluded. Nearly half of states and territories do not extend comparable health and safety protections to public sector workers. 
    “For too long, public sector workers across the country have been left vulnerable to unsafe working conditions,” said Senator Markey. “The Public Service Worker Protection Act would give public sector workers who tirelessly serve our communities the protections they deserve and ensure they are not taken for granted while the Trump administration continues to attack them and their rights.”
    The legislation is endorsed by the American Federation of State County and Municipal workers (AFSCME), American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Communications Workers of America (CWA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and United Steelworkers (USW).
    “For far too long, public sector workers have endured serious, job-related health and safety threats every single day on the job, simply because they do not have the basic, common-sense protections their counterparts in the private sector have under OSHA,” saidAFSCME Council 93 Executive Director Mark Bernard. “Many workers have come to accept these dangers as part of the job. Thankfully, we have leaders in Washington like Senator Markey who refuse to stand idly by and let this injustice continue. We are very grateful for Senator Markey’s support and look forward to what should be strong bi-partisan support for his legislation.”    
    “At MassCOSH, we believe that no worker should have to choose between their safety and their livelihood,” said Tatiana Begault, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health (MassCOSH). “The Public Service Worker Protection Act represents a long-overdue recognition that all workers deserve equal protection under the law. We commend Senator Markey for his leadership and urge swift passage of this critical legislation.
    “Every worker deserves a safe workplace, whether they’re in public service or work in the private sector,” said American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) President Lee Saunders. “But nearly 8 million public service workers still aren’t guaranteed basic safety protections on the job. In 23 states, frontline workers like EMS responders, road crews, and corrections officers are excluded from OSHA coverage — even though public service workers report injuries at a rate 81% higher than those in the private sector. It’s time to fix that. On behalf of the 1.4 million public service workers of AFSCME, we thank Senator Markey for sponsoring the Public Service Worker Protection Act, which would finally extend OSHA protections to public service workers nationwide. And we urge Congress to pass this legislation without delay, because protecting our communities starts with protecting the workers who keep America running.”
    “Millions of public sector workers across 23 states are currently excluded from the Occupational Safety and Health Act, including thousands of USW members who serve as crossing guards, probationary officers, city workers and much more. Last month, we celebrated Workers Memorial Day where we recommitted ourselves to advancing workplace health and safety, we applaud Senator Markey for introducing the Public Sector Worker Protection Act to close this loophole and protect public sector workers,” said David McCall, President of United Steelworkers (USW) International.
    “More than 50 years after the introduction of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, too many of the workers who keep our cities and towns running are at risk of injury, illness, and even death on the job,” said Liz Shuler, President of the AFL-CIO. “The Public Service Worker Protection Act will ensure that these workers will finally have the full protections they are entitled to under federal law. This bill is an important step forward in our fight to make sure every worker comes home from work safe. We urge Congress to pass it without delay.”
    “The fight for workplace safety is foundational to why the labor movement exists and core to the AFT,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). “No worker should fear for their safety on the job. We are proud to stand with Senator Markey as he introduces the Public Service Worker Protection Act. Far too many public employees are not covered by a state OSHA plan. This legislation would change that and be a meaningful step towards safer workplaces. Congress should take it up without delay.”
    “Public service workers have dedicated their lives to improving our communities, often putting their communities’ needs ahead of their own. Relying on individual states to implement their own health and safety plans is simply not enough. These workers deserve federal protections now. CWA proudly supports the Public Service Worker Protection Act, which extends OSHA protections to the public sector workers who keep our cities and states running. We commend Senator Markey for his leadership on this vital issue and call for the swift passage of this important legislation,” said Dan Mauer, Director of Government Affairs, Communications Workers of America (CWA).

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Markey, Leader Schumer, Ranking Member Wyden Blast Republicans’ All-Out Assault on Clean Air and Climate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Senator Markey joined by Democratic Leader Schumer, Ranking Member Wyden, and climate advocates
    Washington (May 22, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-chair of the Senate Climate Change Task Force, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined by climate advocacy groups, today hosted a press conference to blast Republicans’ all-out assault on efforts to combat the climate crisis, including unprecedented actions to revoke the California Clean Air Act waivers and repeal clean energy tax credits included in the Inflation Reduction Act.  
    “The Trump administration has made one thing painfully clear: They are putting Oil Above All—above the law, above the economy, and above the health and wallets of working families. The repeal of the Clean Air Act waivers is yet another historic example of the lawlessness of today’s Republican party; no rule, no norm, no standard is safe if it stands between them and what their Big Oil donors want. They’re breaking precedent, breaking Senate process, and breaking public trust. As a result, we will see more asthma. More heart disease. More early deaths. More cancer. That will be the Trump and Republican legacy,” said Senator Markey. “By repealing clean energy and environmental protection funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, Republicans are attacking clean air and clean energy with their tax bill. Republicans are seeking to destroy the tools and programs which are creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, easing costs for working families, and addressing air pollution in our communities. These attacks are dangerous and have far-reaching consequences for all.”
    “When it comes to clean energy and the Republican agenda, I don’t believe we’ve seen this kind of economic self-sabotage in modern American times. Republicans are raising Americans’ electrical bills, destroying thousands of good-paying jobs, and sacrificing our energy security all to pay for handouts to big corporations and ultra-wealthy Trump donors. Back in the campaign, Trump told a room full of oil and gas executives that he’d let them control the agenda if they helped put him back in the White House, and clearly, he’s delivering on that horribly corrupt promise,” said Ranking Member Wyden.
    “Congressional Republicans led a Big Oil-backed effort to circumvent their own rules in order to block California, and other states, from having stronger clean air standards for cars and trucks. This should not be a political or partisan issue, it’s about states’ ability to set standards – like the original tailpipe pollution limits set by Ronald Reagan – that deliver cleaner air for their citizens, said League of Conservation Voters’ Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis. “At the same time, House Republicans have just passed their billionaire tax scam, the most anti-environmental bill in our nation’s history that will drive up families’ energy costs by hundreds of dollars per year. Right now, the Senate must stand up against the anti-environmental billionaire tax scam to protect our clean air and water, and cost-saving, jobs-creating clean energy.”
    “Today Congress has decided to fundamentally deny states their rights to reduce pollution and protect public health. In environmental justice communities, people of color and lower income face the greatest rates of asthma and cancer. This action enables a continued unjust assault on overburdened communities choking on diesel fumes. A clean transportation sector benefits us all and we will continue to fight for one that’s healthier, cheaper, and accessible to everyone,” said Yosef Robele, Federal Policy Manager, WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Stansbury Announce Bicameral Resolution to Join UN Convention on Biological Diversity

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Stansbury Announce Bicameral Resolution to Join UN Convention on Biological Diversity

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the world marks the International Day for Biological Diversity, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.-01) announced that they will introduce a resolution calling on the U.S. Senate to ratify the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity and bring the United States into the Convention as a formal party.

    The UN Convention on Biological Diversity is an international legal instrument that encourages actions by signatories to protect habitats and natural resources that sustain biodiversity. The United States is the only UN member state that has not ratified the treaty despite already legally complying with the obligations under the Convention.

    The climate crisis, habitat destruction, and other human-related causes have been linked to a 73 percent decline in the average size of monitored wildlife populations from 1970-2020, while 30 percent of mammals worldwide are at risk of extinction. A total of nearly 1 million species are threatened with extinction.

    “The United States is home to a rich array of plants, animals, and ecosystems — but climate change, habitat destruction, and relentless attacks by the Trump Administration are putting our biodiversity at risk,” said Senator Padilla. “America cannot afford to stand on the sidelines while a million species are in danger of extinction. That’s why this International Day for Biological Diversity, we’re pushing the Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity to give our country a voice and a vote to address this crisis.”

    “The Trump Administration has abandoned the United States’ world leadership on the international stage, especially in biodiversity conservation efforts, threatening to roll back decades of progress,” said Representative Stansbury. “It’s well past time we formalize our global commitment by ratifying the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and recognizing that we are all interconnected on this planet. I’m proud to co-lead this resolution to ensure the United States has a more active seat at the table—one that honors and integrates Indigenous knowledge, fosters global cooperation, and helps preserve the incredible ecosystems that sustain human life.”

    Despite being one of the top contributors in international conservation funding and biological diversity expertise, the United States is currently limited to being an observer during the deliberations and decision-making processes of the Convention on Biological Diversity. While the treaty was signed in 1993, the United States has never formally ratified it, which has limited the nation’s ability to fully participate in protecting global biodiversity. It has been ratified by 196 nations — everyone but Vatican City, Andorra, South Sudan, Somalia, and the United States.

    Full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Murray, Cantwell Call Out Trump’s Outrageous, Partisan Decision to Slash Flood Protection Funding for Blue States

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Schiff, Murray, Cantwell Call Out Trump’s Outrageous, Partisan Decision to Slash Flood Protection Funding for Blue States

    Army Corps work plan zeroes out hundreds of millions of dollars for key California and Washington waterway construction projects, among others — steering hundreds of millions to red states

    WATCH: Padilla, Schiff blast the gutting of critical California water infrastructure funding

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, joined the Washington state Senate delegation for a press conference calling out President Trump’s outrageous, overtly political decision to zero out critical funding for Army Corps of Engineers construction projects in blue states like California and Washington while steering hundreds of millions more to red states.

    Senators Padilla, Schiff, Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) criticized the Army Corps’ plan released late last week that announced their intention to zero out all Army Corps construction funding for California ($126 million), as well as cut $500 million for the Howard Hanson Dam in Washington state. This funding was included in the Corps’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget request, in the Senate’s bipartisan draft FY 2025 funding bill, and even in House Republicans’ draft FY 2025 funding bill. But the Trump Administration — using the new discretion afforded by the yearlong continuing resolution House Republicans drafted that was signed into law — ignored the draft bills and instead apportioned funding on a brazenly political basis.

    The four California flood control projects losing Army Corps funding include the American River Common Features Levee Improvement Project, the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, the Lower San Joaquin River Project, and the West Sacramento Project. These projects will protect some of the most at-risk areas in the nation, including Sacramento County, which the Corps considers the most at-risk region for catastrophic flooding in the United States.

    “When anyone takes the oath of office, even Donald Trump as President of the United States, you become the president for all Americans — not just for red states or for blue states, but for every state and every community equally,” said Senator Padilla. “Yet, since the minute Donald Trump returned to office, he’s set out to politicize the office he holds, now trying to take hundreds of millions of dollars in flood prevention funding away from the states that happened to not vote for him and redirect them to projects in states that supported his election. It’s absolutely wrong. In California, that means cutting every last dollar of funding that was allocated for certain flood control projects. For a president so obsessed with fighting waste, fraud, and abuse, I know where he can find it. He just has to look in the mirror. Communities up and down California — including farmers and farm workers in the Central Valley and Pajaro — will now be at a higher risk of flooding because Donald Trump’s playing politics with federal funding.”

    “Natural disasters don’t discriminate based on whether a state is red or blue, and the administration and Congress shouldn’t either when it comes to protecting communities from natural disasters. This puts us on a very dangerous path, a path where anything can be on the chopping block for a partisan reason. Today, it’s funding for these projects. Tomorrow, it could be another form of funding meant to save lives. There will be a domino effect of threats aimed at blue states. When you’re elected to be president of the United States. You’re not a half president. You’re not president for only half of the country, not if you do the job right. These baseless attacks threaten millions of people from both parties whose lives are endangered by floods,” said Senator Schiff.

    Overall, the Army Corps’ plans would steer roughly $258 million more in construction funding to red states while ripping away roughly $437 million in construction funding for blue states, relative to the Corps’ FY 2025 request, which was fully funded in the draft FY 2025 bills that were produced on a bipartisan basis in the Senate and by Republicans in the House. These requests have historically been fully funded. Trump’s work plan steers two thirds of all Army Corps construction funding to red states while the budget request and House and Senate bills would have split that funding evenly to red and blue states.

    Padilla and Schiff voted against the continuing resolution earlier this year, which cut the Army Corps’ construction account by 44 percent.

    Senator Padilla has fought tirelessly for California communities devastated by atmospheric river flooding. Last spring, he urged the Biden Administration to prioritize sustained federal investment in the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project to protect disadvantaged communities along the central coast of California. In 2023, he met with families, small business owners, and farmers in Watsonville and Pajaro impacted by extreme storms after he and Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18) successfully led the California Congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to approve a Major Disaster Declaration.

    Additionally, Padilla successfully pushed for the inclusion of a study on the impact of extreme weather on Army Corps dams and levees in the Water Resources Development Act of 2024.

    Video of Senator Padilla’s full remarks is available here, and Senator Schiff’s full remarks can be viewed here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Statement on House Republicans’ Passage of Billionaire-First Reconciliation Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla Statement on House Republicans’ Passage of Billionaire-First Reconciliation Bill

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement after House Republicans passed their billionaire-first budget reconciliation bill that will gut critical programs and devastate families in California and across the country:

    “After scheduling votes in the middle of the night all week, House Republicans voted to cut Medicaid, nutrition assistance, and other vital programs millions of Californians rely on. They will stop at nothing to jam through Trump’s billionaire-first agenda all so that they can fund their tax cuts for the wealthy while racking up our national debt. For them, it’s billionaires over hardworking families and fiscal responsibility — it’s that simple.” 

    Senator Padilla spoke on the Senate floor against the Republican budget resolution, and voted against advancing it in the Senate in both February and April.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Bill to Expand Health Care Freedom for the Self-Employed and Small Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    May 22nd, 2025

     Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced new legislation to expand affordable health coverage options for millions of self-employed Americans and employees of small businesses. The Association Health Plans Act of 2025 amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to give small business employees, sole proprietors, and gig workers the ability to aggregate together and access health insurance through large-group Association Health Plans (AHPs).

    The Association Health Plans Act gives small businesses and individuals the leverage to negotiate collectively for lower health insurance and lower drug prices. Additionally, the CBO previously estimated that 400,000 uninsured would gain coverage under AHPs and over 3 million people would switch coverage to AHPs,” Dr. Paul said.

    Current federal law makes it nearly impossible for self-employed individuals to access affordable group health insurance. The Association Health Plans Act fixes that by allowing them to fully participate in AHPs as part of a broader membership-based group or within a group of other self-employed individuals. These plans would operate across state lines and be treated as fully-insured large-group or self-insured ERISA plans, unlocking better rates and flexibility.

    “In Mississippi, 99 percent of businesses are considered small businesses. It is imperative that these employers can offer affordable and accessible health insurance coverage to their employees. The Association Health Plans Act would give small businesses owners and employees more options for health care plans that fit the needs of their employees,” said Senator Wicker.

    The bill requires participating associations to have existed for at least two years and to serve a broader purpose than providing health benefits, ensuring stability and accountability. It also prohibits discrimination based on health status and guarantees coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions.

    Member-based associations made up of small employers, self-employed individuals, as well as service providers in the industry, support Dr. Paul’s Association Health Plans Act, including but not limited to the following:

    • American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)
    • Credit Union Consortium, Inc.
    • Decent Health
    • Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA)
    • Medical Practice Consortium (MPC)
    • National Association of REALTORS (NAR)
    • National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
    • TailorWell Holdings, Inc.
    • Virginia Association of REALTORS 

    The Association Health Plans Act gives self-employed Americans and small businesses the same negotiating power and risk pooling advantages that large employers enjoy—without new mandates, subsidies, or bureaucratic interference. Read the bill HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Daines, Lummis Introduce Bill to Protect Health Care for Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) in introducing the Protecting Veteran Community Care Act. The legislation would strengthen the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) existing Community Care program and bolster veterans’ access to mental health services. It would also hold the VA accountable to Congress for the full implementation of the VA MISSION Act.

    “Thousands of veterans call Iowa home, and each one deserves high-quality, accessible health care, including mental health care. Our legislation would strengthen the VA MISSION Act to ensure veterans can access quality care, close to home, in a timely manner,” Grassley said.

    “Our nation’s veterans have put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, and the last thing they should have to worry about is mismanagement and delays at the VA. I’m proud to work with my colleagues on this bill to strengthen the availability of community based mental health programs and ensure that our veterans have access to the care and resources that they deserve,” Daines said.

    “Providing for those who’ve defended our nation is the VA’s core purpose. This means Wyoming’s courageous veterans deserve top-tier healthcare services regardless of their geographic location. I remain committed to ensuring veterans throughout our state can access the medical care they’ve earned in their local communities,” Lummis said.

    Specifically, the Protecting Veteran Community Care Act would: 

    • Amend the VA MISSION Act to specifically include inpatient mental health standards
    • Establish minimum standards for community residential programs 
    • Address the VA’s subversion of Community Care access standards 
    • Require the VA to track relevant community care data and provide those statistics to Congress

    Full text of the legislation can be found HERE.

    Background:

    The Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP) allows veterans to receive care in their local communities when they cannot receive it at a VA facility. When veterans use community care, the VA will pay for the veteran’s health care.

    Last Congress, Grassley and Daines, along with Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), sent a letter scrutinizing a VA report suggesting the agency was unethically limiting veterans’ access to community care networks. In a letter to then-VA Secretary Denis McDonough, the senators demanded to know how the VA is protecting health care options for veterans. These efforts echo concerns Grassley raised in 2022, when he requested information on the VA’s progress towards implementing community care standards.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Weather News – Weather set to turn on Sunday – MetService

    Source: MetService

    Covering period of Thursday 22nd – Monday 26th May – Weather set to turn on Sunday:

    •    Foggy and frosty in places this morning (Thursday)
    •    Settled weather for most to end the work week
    •    Potentially severe weather from Sunday
    •    Warmer nights early next week

    Most of New Zealand will enjoy settled and mostly sunny weather going into the weekend, thanks to a high-pressure system. After some cold nights and frosty mornings recently, temperatures are expected to go up a few notches over the next few days.

    MetService expects the chance of showers to persist in the west from today (Thursday), especially in the South Island, due to moist air coming in with southwesterly winds under the high-pressure system. However, the rest of the country should stay mostly clear with sunny skies through the weekend. MetService meteorologist Oscar Shiviti says, “People should enjoy the sunny weather through the weekend while they can, it’s great for outdoor activities, but things may change toward the end of the weekend”.

    On Sunday, clouds will increase over the South Island, mostly in the west, as a rain-bearing front approaches from the northwest. This could bring heavy rain and strong winds to southern parts of the country. Shiviti continues, “This system brings the potential for severe weather, so we encourage people to keep an eye on the MetService website for updates” (www.metservice.com).

    That said, Auckland should stay mostly dry with only some clouds during Saturday’s rugby match between New Zealand’s Black Ferns and the USA Women.

    “By early next week, the front will move north and may bring severe weather to those areas too. Warmer air with this system means nights will likely not be as cold as the new week begins” adds Shiviti. Next week’s weather will be quite different with cloudier, wetter and windier weather compared to the today’s conditions.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Energy Department Designates Coal Used in Steelmaking as a Critical Material, Strengthening U.S. Energy and Manufacturing Security

    Source: US Department of Energy

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today announced the designation of coal used in the production of steel as a critical material under the Energy Act of 2020, in accordance withPresident Trump’s Executive Order “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry.” This action affirms the Administration’s commitment to American energy dominance, manufacturing resurgence, and strengthening America’s energy and industrial security.  

    A Department of Energy analysis concluded that metallurgical coal, a key input for steel production, meets the statutory definition of a critical material. A robust steel industry is fundamental to U.S. manufacturing, infrastructure development, and economic resilience. Steel is essential to energy technologies, transportation, and defense systems, as the materials that enable steel production (including metallurgical coal and anthracite) are vital to American interests.  

    “Metallurgical coal is more than a fuel—it is a cornerstone of our industrial base,” said Secretary Wright. “By designating metallurgical coal as a critical material, we are ensuring that American steel, generated by American coal, remains the backbone of our manufacturing sector.”    

    Why Coal Qualifies as a Critical Material: 

    • Metallurgical coal possesses unique properties necessary for producing coke, the fuel and reactant required for steel production using the blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace method. 
    • Anthracite coal, concentrated in the Appalachian region, plays a key role in the electric arc furnace method, which accounts for approximately 70% of domestic steel production. 
    • The U.S. coal industry provides reliable, domestically sourced metallurgical and anthracite coal essential to supporting both steelmaking processes. 
    • There are over 150 metallurgical coal mines in the United States that employ tens of thousands of Americans.   
    • Shared infrastructure and workforce supporting both thermal and metallurgical coal production are under strain from declining investment and operational capacity. Without intervention, this erosion will jeopardize domestic steel dominance. 

    The designation underscores the multiple threats facing the U.S. steel sector, including foreign anti-competitive practices, unreliable supply chains, and underinvestment in critical upstream materials. In accordance with the President’s proclamation on adjusting steel imports, this determination supports strategic supply chain development and reindustrialization efforts. 

    The designation of coal for steelmaking as a critical material is inclusive of its supply chain vulnerability and its indispensable role in the energy sector. Steel is a foundational component of U.S. energy infrastructure, from our pipelines to transmission towers, linked to national energy security. 

    Learn more about critical materials and view the Federal Register Notice, here. 

                                                                                                    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons, colleagues statement on recent developments in the DRC and Rwanda

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) issued the following statement in response to recent developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda:
    “Safety, security, and prosperity in Central Africa are in the clear interest of the United States. For too long, armies from the region, their proxy militia – including the Rwanda-backed M23 – terrorist organizations, and malign actors have terrorized communities and plundered resources in Eastern Congo. The escalation of conflict since January 2025 has dramatically heightened regional instability, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and unleashed profound suffering. 
    “Now is the time for all parties to redouble their efforts at the negotiating table to achieve a lasting and sustainable resolution to the conflict. We are encouraged by the progress made by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda in negotiations facilitated by the United States. The April 25 Declaration of Principles, signed in Washington at a ceremony hosted by Secretary Rubio, is a clear step forward toward achieving this goal and the latest testament to the power of U.S. engagement and leadership in this region. As negotiations continue, we hope there will be a concerted effort to include civil society, and that any agreement will allow for the neutral and unimpeded access to and delivery of robust humanitarian aid. We urge all parties to continue negotiating in good faith and in adherence to the Declaration of Principles, building on African-led efforts.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Brompton Split Banc Corp. Renews At-the-Market Equity Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

    TORONTO, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (TSX: SBC, SBC.PR.A) Brompton Split Banc Corp. (the “Fund”) is pleased to announce it has renewed its at-the-market equity program (“ATM Program”) so that the Fund can issue class A and preferred shares (the “Class A Shares” and “Preferred Shares”, respectively) to the public from time to time, at the Fund’s discretion. This ATM Program replaces the prior program established in April 2023 that has terminated. Any Class A Shares or Preferred Shares sold under the ATM Program will be sold through the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”) or any other marketplace in Canada on which the Class A Shares and Preferred Shares are listed, quoted or otherwise traded at the prevailing market price at the time of sale. Sales of Class A Shares and Preferred Shares through the ATM Program will be made pursuant to the terms of an equity distribution agreement dated May 22, 2025 (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”) with RBC Capital Markets (the “Agent”).

    Sales of Class A Shares and Preferred Shares will be made by way of “at-the-market distributions” as defined in National Instrument 44-102 Shelf Distributions on the TSX or on any marketplace for the Class A Shares and Preferred Shares in Canada. Since the Class A Shares and Preferred Shares will be distributed at the prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, prices may vary among purchasers during the period of distribution. The ATM Program is being offered pursuant to a prospectus supplement dated May 22, 2025 to the Fund’s short form base shelf prospectus dated May 22, 2025. The maximum gross proceeds from the issuance of the shares will be $75 million for each of the Class A and Preferred Shares. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the short form base shelf prospectus may be obtained from your registered financial advisor or from representatives of the Agent and are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    The volume and timing of distributions under the ATM Program, if any, will be determined at the Fund’s sole discretion. The ATM Program will be effective until June 22, 2027, unless terminated prior to such date by the Fund. The Fund intends to use the proceeds from the ATM Program in accordance with the investment objectives and investment strategies of the Fund, subject to the investment restrictions of the Fund.

    The Fund invests in a portfolio (the “Portfolio”) consisting of common shares of the six largest Canadian banks: Royal Bank of Canada, The Bank of Nova Scotia, National Bank of Canada, The Toronto-Dominion Bank, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and Bank of Montreal. In addition, the Fund may hold up to 10% of the total assets of the Portfolio in investments in global financial companies for the purpose of enhanced diversification and return potential.

    The investment objectives for the Class A Shares are to provide holders with regular monthly cash distributions targeted to be at least $0.10 per Class A Share and to provide the opportunity for growth in the net asset value per Class A Share.

    The investment objectives for the Preferred Shares are to provide holders with fixed cumulative preferential quarterly cash distributions, in the amount of $0.15625 per Preferred Share (6.25% per annum on the original $10.00 issue price), and to return the original issue price to holders of Preferred Shares on November 29, 2027.

    Over the last 10 years, the Class A Shares have delivered a 12.0% per annum total return based on NAV, outperforming the S&P/TSX Composite Total Return Index by 3.7% per annum.(1) The Preferred Shares have returned 5.3% per annum over the last 10 years, outperforming the S&P/TSX Preferred Share Total Return Index by 1.7% per annum.(1)

    About Brompton Funds

    Founded in 2000, Brompton is an experienced investment fund manager with income and growth focused investment solutions including exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other TSX traded investment funds. For further information, please contact your investment advisor, call Brompton’s investor relations line at 416-642-6000 (toll-free at 1-866-642-6001), email info@bromptongroup.com or visit our website at www.bromptongroup.com.

    (1) See Performance table below.

      Brompton Split Banc Corp.
    Compound Annual Returns to April 30, 2025
    1-Yr 3-Yr 5-Yr 10-Yr Since Inception
      Class A Shares (TSX: SBC) 33.1% 7.8% 26.4% 12.0% 11.2%
      S&P/TSX Composite Total Return Index 17.9% 9.6% 14.4% 8.3% 7.6%
      Preferred Shares (TSX: SBC.PR.A) 6.4% 6.1% 5.7% 5.3% 5.2%
      S&P/TSX Preferred Share Total Return Index 11.7% 5.9% 9.4% 3.5% 2.9%
                 

    Returns are for the periods ended April 30, 2025, and are unaudited. Inception date November 16, 2005. The table shows the compound return on a Class A Share and Preferred Share for each period indicated compared to the S&P/TSX Composite Total Return Index (“Composite Index”), and the S&P/TSX Preferred Share Total Return Index (“Preferred Share Index”) (together the “Indices”). The Composite Index tracks the performance, on a market weight basis and total return basis, of a broad index of large-capitalization issuers listed on the TSX. The Preferred Share Index tracks the performance, on a market‑weight basis and total return basis, of a broad index of preferred shares trading on the TSX that meet the criteria relating to size, liquidity and issuer rating. The Fund is actively managed; therefore, its performance is not expected to mirror that of the Indices, which have more diversified portfolios and include a substantially larger number of companies. Furthermore, the Indices’ performance is calculated without the deduction of management fees, fund expenses and trading commissions, whereas the performance of the Fund is calculated after deducting such fees and expenses. Additionally, the performance of the Class A Shares is impacted by the leverage provided by the Preferred Shares. The performance information shown is based on the net asset value per Class A Share and the redemption price per Preferred Share and assumes that cash distributions made by the Fund during the periods shown were reinvested at net asset value per Class A Share and redemption price per Preferred Share in additional Class A Shares or Preferred Shares of the Fund. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

    You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the TSX or other alternative Canadian trading system (an “exchange”). If the shares are purchased or sold on an exchange, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying shares of the Fund and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them.

    There are ongoing fees and expenses associated with owning shares of an investment fund. An investment fund must prepare disclosure documents that contain key information about the fund. You can find more detailed information about the Fund in its public filings available at www.sedarplus.ca. The indicated rates of return are the historical annual compounded total returns including changes in share value and reinvestment of all distributions and does not take into account sales, redemption, distribution or optional charges or income tax payable by any securityholder that would have reduced returns. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

    Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to matters disclosed in this document and to other matters identified in public filings relating to the Fund, to the future outlook of the Fund and anticipated events or results and may include statements regarding the future financial performance of the Fund. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terms such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue” or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Actual results may vary from such forward-looking information. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

    The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities nor will there be any sale of such securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump’s conversation with European leaders triggers controversy

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

    What U.S. President Donald Trump told European leaders after his two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin has triggered controversy.

    Three days after the high-stake talks for Trump, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing senior European officials familiar with the conversation, that Trump told European leaders that Putin “isn’t ready to end the Ukraine war because he thinks he is winning.”

    The White House denied this account immediately. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said that Trump “did say he believes Putin is winning the war, but he never said ‘Putin isn’t ready to end the war’.”

    During the call, Trump said several times that “he believes Putin wants peace and wants the war to be over,” Leavitt noted.

    Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also dismissed the WSJ report, saying Russia was only aware of what was said during the phone call between the two leaders on Monday.

    “Look, we know what Trump told Putin. We don’t know what Trump told the Europeans after that phone call. We know the official statement by President Trump,” Peskov said.

    According to Trump, the afterward call’s participants included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

    The controversy came as European officials accused Trump of handing Putin a win after their phone call since he suggested abandoning being a mediator in ending the war and refused to impose fresh sanctions on Russia.

    “Several European officials said the message they took from the call was that they should not expect the United States to join them any time soon in piling additional financial pressure onto Mr. Putin,” The New York Times said in a analysis published Thursday.

    “The disagreement between the Americans and the Europeans over support for Ukraine will likely come to a head over two nearly back-to-back summits: the Group of 7 in Canada in mid-June and the NATO summit a week later in The Hague,” the report added. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Chinese mainland

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

    The Ultimate Fighting Championship is coming back to the Chinese mainland by staging a Fight Night event, its first live showpiece since the pandemic, in Shanghai on Aug 23, following a sold-out event in Macao in November.

    The Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts promotion announced the event on Thursday in Shanghai at a news conference, where all of its top-ranked Chinese fighters, including reigning women’s strawweight belt holder Zhang Weili and men’s bantamweight contender Song Yadong, celebrated the long-awaited return.

    The roster on the Fight Night card has not been confirmed yet, but Zhang, the first Chinese athlete to win a world title under the organization, said she cannot wait to get involved in any possible roles.

    Zhang Weili (R) of China in action against Brazilian Amanda Lemos at  UFC 292 in Boston, Massachusetts, August 19, 2023. (UFC/Handout via Xinhua)

    “You will probably see me cheering them on from the sideline, or commenting, or promoting the event as an ambassador. I will for sure be there,” said Zhang, who beat Brazilian wrestler Jessica Andrade to claim the strawweight belt in UFC’s third and last event in the mainland in Shenzhen, Guangdong province in August 2019.

    “To fight at home is always the most exciting experience, without having to get used to the jet lag, language barrier and different weather fighting overseas. The home fans’ vocal support has been nothing but a huge source of energy for every athlete,” Zhang recalled her experience of the home fight.

    Shanghai also hosted the organization’s mainland debut in 2017, followed by a second Fight Night in Beijing in 2018. The Macao Special Administrative Region, meanwhile, has also played host to UFC events four times since 2012.

    To further help grow the sport’s profile in the birthplace of ancient martial arts, the UFC opened its second, and largest, Performance Institute in Shanghai in 2019, and has helped an increasing list of not just MMA talents, but also national team athletes from across Olympic sports to improve their performances at the multi-functional elite-level training center as part of an agreement with the Chinese Olympic Committee.

    The organization also launched its fourth consecutive edition of the “Road to UFC” talent development program on Thursday with promising MMA fighters from across Asia to vie for coveted professional contracts awarded for winners at the selection tournament.

    A total number of six Chinese athletes have earned pro contracts with UFC by punching through the pathway since the first edition in 2022.

    “Every country has its own style of martial arts and China is widely recognized of having the oldest and most respected traditions,” Kevin Chang, UFC’s senior vice-president and head of Asia, said at the launch of the Shanghai Fight Night.

    “The UFC has quickly become a global phenomenon and China has quickly become the most important overseas market for the UFC. The goal, with the PI in Shanghai, was not only developing a new generation of mixed martial artists, but also raising the bar of the sport as a whole,” he said.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Raphinha extends Barcelona deal until 2028

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

    FC Barcelona announced Thursday that Brazilian forward Raphinha has signed a contract extension through June 2028.

    Raphinha (R) of FC Barcelona breaks through during a La Liga football match between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC in Barcelona, Spain, Sept. 29, 2023. (Photo by Joan Gosa/Xinhua)

    “The Brazilian forward signed his new contract on Thursday at the Club offices in the presence of FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta, first vice-president Rafa Yuste and Club sporting director Anderson Luis de Souza ‘Deco’, among others,” the club said on its website.

    The announcement marks a reversal in fortunes for the 28-year-old, who joined Barcelona from Leeds United in the summer of 2022.

    The club had considered selling him last summer, but ultimately decided to keep him due to difficulties in signing new players. Raphinha has since delivered an impressive return of 34 goals and 25 assists in 54 appearances under coach Hansi Flick. Only Robert Lewandowski, with 40 goals in all competitions, has scored more as Barcelona went on to win La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

    The confirmation of Raphinha’s contract extension comes just a day after Flick extended his own deal with the club through 2027. Barcelona is also working to secure the future of 17-year-old rising star Lamine Yamal. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Video: The Make America Healthy Again Report, May 22, 2025

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    Make America Healthy Again

    “This is a milestone. Never in American history has the federal government taken a position on public health like this. And because of President Trump’s leadership, it’s not just one cabinet secretary, it’s the entire government…” –Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw4A9gdNiM0

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Guide to functional currency rules

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    How to use the functional currency rules guide

    The electronic version of this document is the only authorised version. Printed copies may be out of date.

    Read this guide to find out more about the functional currency rules, including:

    • eligibility requirements
    • the implications for tax accounting and tax reporting.

    You can use this guide if you are:

    • an Australian resident or a non-resident with a permanent establishment in Australia and both of the following apply
      • you keep your accounts solely or predominantly in a particular foreign currency
      • you wish to work out your taxable income (or tax loss) using that foreign currency – that is, using your ‘applicable functional currency’
    • a non-resident disposing of indirect interests in real property in Australia and the sole or predominant currency in which you keep your accounts at the time of disposal is a foreign currency. The application of functional currency rules is mandatory in this situation.

    This guide does not cover income from overseas permanent establishments of resident taxpayers.

    Functional currency translation rules

    The functional currency translation rules are an exception to the core foreign currency translation rules.

    Under the core foreign currency translation rules, amounts in a foreign currency must be translated into Australian dollars (A$). There are also rules about when and at what exchange rate a translation is to take place for a given type of transaction.

    Under the functional currency rules, you can use a currency other than A$ as the unit of account to work out your taxable income or tax loss. The core foreign currency translation rules continue to apply to amounts and transactions not covered by the functional currency rules.

    If you are an eligible taxpayer who keeps your accounts solely or predominantly in a particular foreign currency, you can choose to use that foreign currency as the unit of account to work out your taxable income or tax loss.

    If you have made such a choice (that is, an effective functional currency choice), you do not translate transactions you undertake in either a foreign currency or in your applicable functional currency into A$. Rather, you translate only your net amount of taxable income or tax loss calculated in your applicable functional currency into A$.

    The core foreign currency translation rules are contained in section 960-50 of Subdivision 960-C of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997).

    The functional currency translation rules are contained in section 960-80 of Subdivision 960-D of the ITAA 1997.

    How the functional currency rules work

    Once you choose to use a non-Australian dollar applicable functional currency, you must use that currency as the unit of account in your day-to-day tax accounting. After working out your taxable income or tax loss in the applicable functional currency, you must translate that amount into A$ to report on your tax return.

    You must also carry out your instalment income calculations in your applicable functional currency and translate that amount into A$ for reporting purposes.

    Eligibility to account in a functional currency

    Only certain taxpayers can choose to work out their taxable income or tax loss using a non-Australian dollar applicable functional currency. This guide is relevant only if you are either of the following:

    • a resident who must prepare financial reports under section 292 of the Corporations Act 2001
    • a non-resident carrying on business through a permanent establishment in Australia.

    Your applicable functional currency is the sole or predominant currency in which you keep your ‘accounts’ at the time you choose to use functional currency.

    ‘Accounts’ means ledgers, journals, statements of financial performance, profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and statements of financial position and includes statements, reports and notes attached to, or intended to be read, with such items.

    Find out more in subsection 960-70(4) of the ITAA 1997.

    The following taxpayers using a non-A$ applicable functional currency are not covered in this guide:

    • Australian residents carrying on business through overseas permanent establishments, using a non-A$ applicable functional currency to work out their taxable income or loss
    • attributable taxpayers in respect of controlled foreign companies (CFC) and transferor trusts, using a non-A$ applicable functional currency to work out the ‘attributable income’ of the CFC or transferor trust.

    When to make a functional currency choice

    The functional currency rules started to apply on 1 July 2003.

    Ordinarily, if you choose to use a foreign currency as your applicable functional currency to work out your taxable income or tax loss, your choice will take effect after the end of the tax year during which you made it.

    You must make your functional currency choice in writing.

    In some circumstances, you can make your functional currency choice after the start of the tax year in which you intend it to take effect. This is referred to as a ‘backdated start up choice’. You must make a ‘backdated start up choice within 90 days of either of the following:

    • the start of the tax year, if your entity existed at that time
    • the day your entity came into existence, if it did not exist at the start of the tax year.

    See details on:

    Withdrawing an existing functional currency choice and substituting a new choice

    You can withdraw your existing functional currency choice if the functional currency you are using ceases to be the sole or predominant currency in which you keep your ‘accounts’. Your functional currency choice withdrawal will take effect from the end of the tax year in which you withdraw it.

    Your withdrawal:

    • cannot be backdated
    • must be made in writing
    • should be available as part of the business’s tax records.

    After your previous functional currency choice is withdrawn, you can make a choice to use the new sole or predominant currency in which you keep your accounts to work out your taxable income or tax loss. You must make this choice in writing. If you don’t make a new functional currency choice, the core foreign currency translation rules will apply, which means that all amounts must be translated into A$.

    See details on:

    Documenting your choice to use a non-Australian dollar applicable functional currency

    When making your written choice to use a non-Australian dollar currency as your applicable functional currency, include all the following:

    • the name and tax file number of the entity making the choice
    • the use to which the functional currency is being put – for example, to work out taxable income or tax loss
    • the date the choice takes effect
    • the unit of account that the entity intends to use as its functional currency
    • the signature of the entity’s public officer and the date the written functional currency choice was signed.

    You do not need to send your written functional currency choice to us. However, it should be available as part of your business’ tax records.

    Non-functional currency amounts you receive or pay

    All amounts included in working out your taxable income or tax loss must be in the applicable functional currency. This means you must translate all amounts you receive or pay in another currency, including A$ amounts, into the applicable functional currency.

    The functional currency translation rules, including applicable exchange rates, follow the principles in the core foreign currency translation rules for translating foreign currency amounts to A$. This is covered in subsection 960-50(6) of Subdivision 960-C and also subsection 960-80(6) of Subdivision 960-D of the ITAA 1997.

    However, the A$ is treated as a foreign currency while your applicable functional currency is not a foreign currency for the purposes of working out your taxable income or tax loss in the applicable functional currency. This is covered in subsection 960-80(1) of the ITAA 1997.

    A foreign exchange (forex) realisation gain or loss may arise for certain amounts if there is a difference in prevailing exchange rates at the relevant times. For example, the exchange rate applicable at the time you incur an amount may be different from the exchange rate applicable when you pay it. In this situation, changes in the value of the A$ against the applicable functional currency can bring about a forex gain or loss – an example follows.

    Example 1: trigger of foreign currency loss

    Stellar Rex Incorporated (Stellar Rex), a USA company with a branch (permanent establishment) in Australia, chooses to account for their Australian branch’s taxable income in a functional currency. For Stellar Rex’s purposes, US dollars (US$) is the applicable functional currency and A$ is a foreign currency.

    Stellar Rex contracts to purchase a depreciating asset from an Australian company in A$ as follows:

    Year 1

    Stellar Rex contracts to purchase the asset for A$10,000. Stellar Rex holds the asset from the date of contract.

    At the contract time, A$1.00 = US$0.50.

    Therefore, the cost of the asset in the applicable functional currency is US$5,000.

    Year 2

    Thirteen months after beginning to hold the asset, Stellar Rex pays A$10,000 for the asset.

    At this time A$1.00 = US$0.55, so the A$10,000 Stellar Rex pays is equivalent to US$5,500.

    A forex realisation loss of US$500 is made under Forex realisation event (FRE) 4 when Stellar Rex pays A$10,000 for the asset in year 2. As the payment was made more than 12 months after first holding the asset, the loss is not a short-term forex realisation loss – refer to section 775-75 of the ITAA 1997.

    Therefore, Stellar Rex will take this loss into account as an allowable deduction when calculating the taxable income or tax loss of its Australian branch for year 2. The taxable income of the Australian branch is calculated in US$ and translated into A$ at the end of the tax year for the purpose of working out the amount of A$ income tax it is liable to pay.

    End of example

    Find out more about foreign currency translation (conversion) rules.

    Pre-choice amounts

    Special translation rules apply to amounts that are attributable to transactions or events that happened before your current functional currency choice took effect (‘pre-choice’ amounts). Pre-choice amounts that are relevant for working out your taxable income or tax loss for a year after your functional currency choice takes effect must be translated into your applicable functional currency in accordance with these special rules. This includes pre-choice amounts that are denominated in the same non-A$ currency as your applicable functional currency.

    See details on:

    If you haven’t previously made a functional currency choice, you should translate a relevant pre-choice amount as follows:

    • firstly, into A$ at the exchange rate applicable at the time of the transaction or event
    • secondly, into the applicable functional currency at the exchange rate at the time your functional currency choice took effect.

    If you have previously made a choice to use a non-A$ currency as your applicable functional currency, you should translate a relevant pre-choice amount:

    • firstly, into the previous applicable functional currency at the exchange rate applicable at the time of the transaction or event
    • secondly, into the new applicable functional currency at the exchange rate at the time your new functional currency choice took effect.

    Example 2: sale of assets acquired before making a functional currency choice

    Fion Incorporated (FION), a non-resident corporation, operates through a permanent establishment in Australia. FION conducts most of its business in Yen (¥).

    In the year ended 30 June (year 1) FION chooses to use ¥ as its applicable functional currency. The choice applies for the year commencing 1 July (year 2).

    In the year ended 30 June (year 3) FION sells a tourist resort for ¥600 million, which it had purchased before year 1 for ¥500 million.

    As FION’s applicable functional currency is ¥, the capital gain or capital loss on the disposal of the tourist resort will be calculated in ¥. However, FION had not made a choice to use ¥ as its applicable functional currency at the time it purchased the tourist resort – that is, it was still using A$ for tax purposes. Therefore, the ¥ cost of the resort is translated to A$ at the exchange rate prevailing at the time of the purchase. This A$ amount is then translated to ¥ at the exchange rate prevailing at the time FION’s choice to use ¥ as its applicable functional currency took effect.

    For the purposes of this example, the exchange rates were:

    • A$1.00 = ¥68.50 at the time FION purchased the resort
    • A$1.00 = ¥62.00 at the time FION’s functional currency choice took effect.

    This means the cost base for the purpose of calculating the capital gain or loss on the disposal of the tourist resort is:

    • (¥500,000,000 ÷ 68.50) × 62.00
    • = A$7,299,270 × 62.00
    • = ¥452,554,745.

    The capital gain calculated in FION’s applicable functional currency is:

    • sale proceeds = ¥600,000,000
    • less ¥452,554,745
    • capital gain = ¥147,445,255.

    End of example

    Tax reporting and functional currency

    The functional currency rules allow you to work out your taxable income or tax loss in your applicable functional currency. However, all tax reporting must still be expressed in A$. When reporting on your tax return or activity statement, work out the reported amounts in your applicable functional currency and then translate these amounts into A$.

    For tax reporting purposes, when a translation is needed for label amounts (other than the taxable income amount), use the same translation rate as the taxable income translation rate. If you don’t have a taxable income amount in a given income year (that is, you have a tax loss), you should use the same rate you would have used to translate a taxable income amount into A$.

    How to treat different amounts

    Amount type

    Treatment

    Amounts used in working out taxable income or tax loss in the applicable functional currency (FC).

    Note sections 6AB and 6AC of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA 1936) with regard to foreign income and foreign tax and the ‘grossing-up’ of foreign income to include foreign tax paid.

    Include the amount in the taxable income calculation in the FC before translating taxable income from the FC into A$.

    Amounts used to work out taxable income or a tax loss that are in a foreign currency. For example:

    • A$ amounts, including the ‘gross-up’ amount for a franked dividend
    • amounts of foreign income, including the ‘gross-up’ amount for foreign tax paid in respect of that income.

    Section 6AC of the ITAA 1936 requires the amount of foreign income included in your assessable income to be ‘grossed-up’ to include any foreign tax you paid in relation to the foreign income. If you receive a franked dividend, section 207-20 of the ITAA 1997 requires you to ‘gross-up’ your assessable income by the amount of the franking credit – and also entitles you to a tax offset equal to the amount of the franking credit.

    Translate into the FC using the applicable exchange rate for that amount.

    As ‘gross-up’ amounts contribute to the calculation of your taxable income or tax loss, you must translate them into the FC. Include the FC value in the taxable income calculation before translating taxable income from FC into A$ – see Example 3 and Example 4.

    Carry-forward losses

    Carry-forward losses are allowable deductions that reduce taxable income.

    Identify the carry forward loss amount in the FC from the previous income year.

    Include these amounts in the taxable income calculation in the FC before translating taxable income from FC into A$.

    When reporting the value of a tax loss, translate it from FC into A$.

    Tax exempt amounts that reduce carry-forward losses

    Tax exempt amounts that reduce carry-forward losses are translated into the FC generally upon being derived. They are then used to absorb the loss to the extent of their value.

    When reporting the value of a tax exempt amount, translate it into A$.

    Foreign income tax offsets (FITO)

    Subsection 770-10(1) of the ITAA 1997 provides that you are entitled to a foreign income tax offset for foreign income tax you paid in respect of an amount of foreign income that is included in your assessable income in a year of income. (FITO in relation to the ‘attributable income’ of a CFC is not dealt with in this guide.)

    The value of foreign income tax offset amounts is not used in working out taxable income, except for when calculating the ‘attributable income’ of a controlled foreign company (CFC) or transferor trust.

    The core foreign currency translation rules apply, and the value of foreign tax paid used to calculate foreign income tax offsets is translated into A$ when the foreign tax is paid – see Example 3.

    Franking credits

    A credit that arises in the franking account of an entity (a franking credit) is a tax offset.

    The amount of the tax offset you are entitled to as a result of receiving a franked dividend is not translated into your FC. Your tax offset amount will equal the A$ amount of the franking credit attached to the dividend you received before it was translated into functional currency.

    Add the A$ value of franking credits to your franking account without translation into FC – see Example 4.

    You must keep your franking account in A$.

    Tax offsets and rebates

    Tax offsets and rebates are not used to work out taxable income or a tax loss.

    The core foreign currency translation rules apply.

    If the amount is already in A$, then no translation takes place.

    If the amount is in a non-A$ currency, translate the amount into A$.

    Do not translate into FC first.

    Values expressed in law

    Paragraph 960-80(2)(i) of the ITAA 1997 covers this.

    Translate these amounts to FC at the applicable rate – see Example 5.

    Example 4: franking credits

    US$1.00 = A$2.00

    XYZ Corporation (XYZ) is an Australian resident company, which chooses to use US$ as its applicable functional currency.

    XYZ derives a fully franked dividend as follows:

    • A$70 cash.
    • A$30 gross-up amount (franking credit value).

    To find out more, refer to subsection 207-20(1) of the ITAA 1997.

    Assessable income calculation

    XYZ translates A$100 ($70 + $30) into US$ as follows:

    • A$100 × 0.5 = US$50.

    At the end of the tax year, US$50 (and other taxable income values) are translated into A$ at regulation rate.

    Franking account balance

    Add A$30 to franking account balance. No translation takes place.

    End of example

    Mandatory application of functional currency for indirect Australian real property interests

    If:

    • you are a foreign resident
    • a CGT event happens in relation to a CGT asset that is an indirect Australian real property interest for you, and
    • at the time of the CGT event, the sole or predominant currency in which you keep your accounts is a currency other than Australian currency

    you must use the applicable functional currency to work out the amount of any capital gain or capital loss. Subsection 960-61(2) of the ITAA 1997 covers this.

    This requirement applies to CGT events that happen on or after 12 December 2006.

    Capital gains and losses

    There are 2 steps to work out a capital gain or capital loss.

    Step 1 translate an amount that is not in the applicable functional currency into the applicable functional currency.

    Step 2 translate the amount of any capital gain or capital loss into Australian currency.

    See more details at table item 6 of subsection 960-80(1) of the ITAA 1997.

    Exchange rates to apply

    Different exchange rates apply to the translation of amounts that are elements in the calculation of capital gain or loss.

    See more details at subsection 960-80(4) of the ITAA 1997.

    The exchange rate to be used when translating amounts will be either the:

    • rate at the time the costs are incurred
    • rate at the time of the CGT event.

    Exchange rate applicable at the time the costs are incurred

    Amounts relating to the payments made and costs incurred that form part of the cost base of a CGT asset, are translated into your functional currency at the exchange rate applicable at the time the costs are incurred.

    See details in:

    • table item 5 of subsection 960-50(6) of the ITAA 1997
    • TR 2007/5 Income tax: functional currency – when is an amount not in the ‘applicable functional currency’? paragraphs 110 and 153.

    Exchange rate applicable at the time of the CGT event

    Amounts which are relevant for working out the capital gain or capital loss (capital proceeds or market value of other property) on the happening of a CGT event, are translated into the applicable functional currency at the exchange rate applicable at the time of the CGT event.

    See details in:

    Amount of capital gain or capital loss calculated in the applicable functional currency

    This amount is translated into the Australian currency at the exchange rate applicable at the time of CGT event.

    See details in:

    • table item 5 in subsection 960-50(6) of the ITAA 1997
    • TR 2007/5 Income tax: functional currency – when is an amount not in the ‘applicable functional currency’?

    Reporting during the year

    Business activity statements

    When completing a business activity statement (BAS):

    1. calculate your instalment income in the applicable functional currency
    2. translate your instalment income into Australian dollars at the appropriate rate
    3. complete label T1 of the BAS accordingly.

    Company tax return

    The functional currency rules allow some taxpayers to choose to work out their taxable income or tax loss by using a non-A$ currency as their applicable functional currency (FC).

    All amounts disclosed on the company tax return must be disclosed in A$.

    When a label amount is accounted for in a non-A$ FC, that sum should be translated into A$ using the same functional currency translation rate (shown at label 8N Functional currency translation rate of the company tax return) used to translate the taxable income or tax loss figure.

    The following amounts are always accounted for in A$, and not in the FC:

    • Label 7 J Franking credits
    • Label 7 C Australian franking credits from a New Zealand Company.

    The following amounts do not need to be translated into A$ before completion of the return:

    • Label 7 R Tax losses deducted
    • Label 7 S Tax losses transferred in.

    Tax losses are allowable deductions from taxable income. If you carry forward losses, you should account for and claim them in your FC. Report any losses used during the income year at label 7R by translating the value of the loss used into A$ at the FC translation rate.

    As mentioned above, label 8N is where you show the exchange rate used to translate the FC taxable income figure (and many other figures on the company tax return) into A$.

    At label 8N, show the translation rate the company used to translate the taxable income figure from the FC into A$. The translation rate is the amount the FC amount is divided by to get an equivalent amount of A$. That is, the number of non-A$ currency units that equal one A$ rounded to 4 significant figures – see Examples for labels 8N and 8O.

    Label 😯 – functional currency chosen

    Label 😯 is where you show your chosen FC using the 3-letter code from the international standard ISO 4217 – ‘Currency codes’. See the list of Currency codes for label 😯.

    Labels 8N and 😯 must be completed by:

    • Australian resident taxpayers who use FC to work out their taxable income or tax loss
    • foreign residents carrying on an activity or business at, or through, an Australian permanent establishment, who use FC to work out their taxable income or tax loss.

    You should not complete labels 8N and 😯 if you are an Australian resident taxpayer using FC only to work out the attributable income of a controlled foreign company (CFC) or transferor trust.

    The following are examples of correctly completed labels 8N and 8O. The exchange rates used are from 26 September 2003.

    Examples for labels 8N and 😯

    Applicable FC

    Label N

    Label O

    US Dollar

    .6695

    USD

    Yen

    77.18

    JPY

    New Zealand Dollar

    1.1385

    NZD

    Won

    785.8

    KRW

    Rupiah

    5679

    IDR

    As mentioned previously, if you choose to use FC, you should account for the value of any carry-forward losses using that FC.

    The value of those tax losses and net capital losses carried forward to later income years should be reported in A$ at ‘Losses information’ – labels 13U and 13V – on the company tax return.

    Calculation statement

    The calculation statement on the company tax return shows you how to work out the amount of tax payable or refundable. It starts with the ‘Taxable income’ figure at label A. This figure should have been worked out earlier, using the applicable FC and then translated into A$.

    Other figures in the calculation statement are either of the following:

    • A$ amounts, such as pay as you go (PAYG) instalments raised
    • amounts translated into A$ previously, such as any foreign income tax offset.

    Currency codes for label 😯

    These currency codes are from international standard ISO 4217 – Currency codes.

    A–F, G–K, L–P, Q–U, V–Z

    A

    • Afghan Afghani – AFN
    • Albanian Lek – ALL
    • Algerian Dinar – DZD
    • Angolan Kwanza – AOA
    • Argentine Peso – ARS
    • Armenian Dram – AMD
    • Aruban Guilder – AWG
    • Azerbaijani Manat – AZN

    B

    • Bahamian Dollar – BSD
    • Bahraini Dinar – BHD
    • Bangladeshi Taka – BDT
    • Barbados Dollar – BBD
    • Belarusian Ruble – BYN
    • Belize Dollar – BZD
    • Bermudian Dollar – BMD
    • Bhutanese Ngultrum – BTN
    • Bolivian Boliviano – BOB
    • Bosnia & Herzegovina Convertible Marks – BAM
    • Botswanan Pula – BWP
    • Brazilian Real – BRL
    • British Pound – GBP
    • Brunei Dollar – BND
    • Bulgarian Lev – BGN
    • Burundi Franc – BIF

    C

    • Cambodian Riel – KHR
    • Canadian Dollar – CAD
    • Cabo Verde Escudo – CVE
    • Cayman Islands Dollar – KYD
    • CFA Franc BCEAO – XOF
    • CFA Franc BEAC – XAF
    • CFP Franc – XPF
    • Chilean Peso – CLP
    • Chinese Yuan Renminbi – CNY
    • Colombian Peso – COP
    • Comorian Franc – KMF
    • Congolese Franc – CDF
    • Costa Rican Colon – CRC
    • Cuban Peso – CUP
    • Czech Koruna – CZK

    D

    • Danish Krone – DKK
    • Djibouti Franc – DJF
    • Dominican Peso – DOP

    E

    • East Caribbean Dollar – XCD
    • Egyptian Pound – EGP
    • El Salvador Colon – SVC
    • Eritrean Nakfa – ERN
    • Ethiopian Birr – ETB
    • Euro – EUR

    F

    • Falkland Islands Pound – FKP
    • Fijian Dollar – FJD

    G

    • Gambian Dalasi – GMD
    • Georgian Lari – GEL
    • Ghanaian Cedi – GHS
    • Gibraltar Pound – GIP
    • Guatemalan Quetzal – GTQ
    • Guernsey Pound Sterling – GBP
    • Guinean Franc – GNF
    • Guyanese Dollar – GYD

    H

    • Haitian Gourde – HTG
    • Honduran Lempira – HNL
    • Hong Kong Dollar – HKD
    • Hungarian Forint – HUF

    I

    • Icelandic Krona – ISK
    • Indian Rupee – INR
    • Indonesian Rupiah – IDR
    • Iranian Rial – IRR
    • Iraqi Dinar – IQD
    • Isle of Man Pound Sterling – GBP
    • Israeli New Sheqel – ILS

    J

    • Jamaican Dollar – JMD
    • Japanese Yen – JPY
    • Jersey Pound Sterling – GBP
    • Jordanian Dinar – JOD

    K

    • Kazakhstani Tenge – KZT
    • Kenyan Shilling – KES
    • Kuwaiti Dinar – KWD
    • Kyrgystani Som – KGS

    L

    • Laotian Kip – LAK
    • Latvia Euro – EUR
    • Lebanese Pound – LBP
    • Lesotho Loti – LSL
    • Liberian Dollar – LRD
    • Libyan Dinar – LYD
    • Lithuania Euro – EUR

    M

    • Macanese Pataca – MOP
    • Macedonia Denar – MKD
    • Malagasy Ariary – MGA
    • Malawian Kwacha – MWK
    • Malaysian Ringgit – MYR
    • Maldivian Rufiyaa – MVR
    • Mauritanian Ouguiya – MRU
    • Mauritius Rupee – MUR
    • Mexican Peso – MXN
    • Moldovan Leu – MDL
    • Mongolian Tugrik – MNT
    • Moroccan Dirham – MAD
    • Mozambique Metical – MZN
    • Myanmar Kyat – MMK

    N

    • Namibia Dollar – NAD
    • Nepalese Rupee – NPR
    • Netherlands Antillean Guilder – ANG
    • New Zealand Dollar – NZD
    • Nicaraguan Cordoba Oro – NIO
    • Nigerian Naira – NGN
    • North Korean Won – KPW
    • Norwegian Krone – NOK

    O

    • Omani Rial – OMR
    • Other – OTH

    P

    • Pakistani Rupee – PKR
    • Panamanian Balboa – PAB
    • Papuan Kina – PGK
    • Paraguayan Guarani – PYG
    • Peruvian Nuevo Sol – PEN
    • Philippine Peso – PHP
    • Polish Zloty – PLN
    • Pound Sterling – GBP

    Q

    • Qatari Rial – QAR

    R

    • Romanian New Leu – RON
    • Russian Ruble – RUB
    • Rwandan Franc – RWF

    S

    • Saint Helena Pound – SHP
    • Samoan Tala – WST
    • Sao Tome and Principe Dobra – STN
    • Saudi Riyal – SAR
    • Serbian Dinar – RSD
    • Seychelles Rupee – SCR
    • Sierra Leonean Leone – SLE
    • Singapore Dollar – SGD
    • Solomon Islands Dollar – SBD
    • Somali Shilling – SOS
    • South African Rand – ZAR
    • South Korean Won – KRW
    • South Sudanese Pound – SSP
    • Sri Lankan Rupee – LKR
    • Sudanese Pound – SDG
    • Surinam Dollar – SRD
    • Eswatini Lilangeni – SZL
    • Swedish Krona – SEK
    • Swiss Franc – CHF
    • Syrian Pound – SYP

    T

    • Taiwanese New Dollar – TWD
    • Tajikistani Somoni – TJS
    • Tanzanian Shilling – TZS
    • Thai Baht – THB
    • Tongan Pa’anga – TOP
    • Trinidad and Tobago Dollar – TTD
    • Tunisian Dinar – TND
    • Turkish Lira – TRY
    • Turkmenistan New Manat – TMT
    • Tuvalu Australian Dollar – AUD

    U

    • UAE Dirham – AED
    • Ugandan Shilling – UGX
    • Ukrainian Hryvnia – UAH
    • Uruguayan Peso – UYU
    • US Dollar – USD
    • Uzbekistan Sum – UZS

    V

    • Vanuatuan Vatu – VUV
    • Venezuelan Bolivar Soberano – VES
    • Vietnamese Dong – VND

    Y

    • Yemeni Rial – YER

    Z

    • Zambian Kwacha – ZMW
    • Zimbabwe Gold – ZWG

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Volcano Watch — Inter-Episode Rumblings at Kīlauea

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. Today’s article is by RCUH geophysicist Maddie Hawk.

    This spectrogram shows four hours of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory data streams across six seismic stations at Kīlauea’s summit on May 6, 2025. Each panel is 10 minutes of data. Over the four-hour period, an earthquake, pulsing, and eruptive tremor are visible. 

    For Island of Hawaiʻi residents, the recent eruptive episodes at Kaluapele (Kīlauea’s summit caldera) generously offer many chances to view the mesmerizing lava fountains. Opposed to other recent eruption locations like Kīlauea’s East or Southwest Rift Zone, the summit caldera eruptions are accessible to the public. A ride down Crater Rim Drive and a one-mile walk offers one of the best viewing areas near Keanakākoʻi Crater, though other areas along the caldera rim also offer stunning views from farther away. 

    Prior to the onset of this eruption in December 2024, Island of Hawaiʻi earthquake counts had reached some of the highest levels in recorded history here. Just last summer, some weekly tallies exceeded 2,000 earthquakes across the island. Some of these earthquakes are magma creating new pathways in the volcano, breaking rocks along the way. When magma erupts, this process of rock breaking stops, and earthquake counts dwindle as a result. In the last five months, Island of Hawaiʻi weekly earthquake counts have rarely exceeded 500. 

    Though there aren’t as many earthquakes around Kīlauea summit during the ongoing eruption, the ground below Kaluapele is not exactly quiet. During an eruptive episode, the roar of lava fountains shows up on seismic data channels as eruptive tremor. It is a constant, loud, unmistakable signal shared across eruptions and it is associated with large volume fluid movement. Though tremor increases with the onset of each fountaining episode, it has not completely disappeared with each pause. The signal is persistent between episodes. 

    Between fountaining episodes, the persistent tremor can vary in intensity due to the vent geometry, gas emissions, magma depth, and other factors. Recent pauses have exhibited periods of cyclical low frequency pulsing within the tremor often correlated with the rise and fall of lava in the vent. This process of lava filling the vents and then draining, repeatedly, prior to a new eruptive episode has been visible USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory livestream cameras. 

    Pulsing tremor can indicate magma movement and/or gas transfer within the volcanic system, and it has varied in rhythm, duration, and intensity. One example is the cycle leading up to eruptive episode 20. Pulsing began in earnest about nine hours before lava fountaining appeared on May 6, just before 5:30 p.m. HST. Each pulse lasted around 3 minutes, at a rate of about 8 pulses per hour. 

    However, the pause between episodes 17 and 18 displayed pulses that were closer to 10 minutes long, with only 2-3 occurring every hour. Though pulsing is common immediately before or after an eruptive episode, it is not consistent. Unlike the onset of episode 20, episode 19 began without being immediately preceded by tremor pulsing. Also, we cannot assume that the pulsing ceases during eruptive episodes, as the loud tremor would cover up any weaker signals. 

    Recognizing seismic patterns, or lack thereof, can contribute to our understanding of what is happening below the surface. Studying these patterns alongside geodetic data (how the Earth contracts and expands with volcanic activity), changes in gas emissions, and changes in magma compositions gives us the best chance to understand the complex volcanic system beneath our feet. 

    Volcano Activity Updates

    Kīlauea has been erupting episodically within the summit caldera since December 23, 2024. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is WATCH.

    Episode 22 of the Kīlauea summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater occurred on May 16, with approximately 8 hours of fountaining primarily from the north vent. Strong glow visible in both the north and south vents and summit region inflation since the end of episode 22 suggests that another episode is possible. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are elevated in the summit region during active eruption episodes. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. 

    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.

    Two earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.2 earthquake 22 km (13 mi) WSW of Hāwī at 21 km (13 mi) depth on May 21 at 2:18 a.m. HST and a M4.2 earthquake 18 km (11 mi) SE of Pāhala at 32 km (20 mi) depth on May 20 at 9:37 a.m. HST.

    HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

    Please visit HVO’s website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Colleagues Introduce Bill To Direct Restoration And Protection Efforts Of The 5-state Connecticut River Watershed Region

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    May 22, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined six of their Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership Act (CRWPA), which would formalize a partnership between federal, state, local and private entities to promote conservation, restoration, education and recreation efforts in the Watershed and establish a voluntary grant program to facilitate these activities. This collaborative effort will benefit fish and wildlife habitats, protect drinking water sources, enhance flood resilience and help promote access to the Watershed’s public spaces, particularly for excluded and marginalized communities. U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (Mass.-02) leads a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

    “The Connecticut River is one of our state’s greatest natural resources and a major economic driver for the communities it runs through. It’s also a really important part of a healthy Long Island Sound ecosystem,” said Murphy. “This legislation would help make sure organizations working on the ground have the support they need from federal, state, and local government to keep the watershed healthy and thriving for years to come.”

    “The Connecticut River is a cherished treasure in our state. This legislation bolsters conservation efforts, protects fish and wildlife, supplies clean drinking water, and enhances recreation so that many generations of Connecticut residents can enjoy this natural resource. I’m proud to join my New England colleagues in supporting this initiative,” said Blumenthal.

    The Connecticut River, New England’s longest river, drains a 7.2-million-acre watershed across five New England states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. The Watershed is home to 396 communities and provides multiple environmental and economic benefits to diverse stakeholders and industries, including fisheries, farming, hunting, recreation, boating and tourism. The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge encompasses the entire Watershed and is the only refuge of its kind in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

    Specifically, the CRWPA would:

    1. Require the Secretary of Interior to establish a non-regulatory Watershed Partnership Program intended to identify, prioritize and implement restoration and protection activities within the Watershed in consultation with federal, state, local and non-profit stakeholders;
    2. Create a grant and technical assistance program for state and local governments; tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations; institutions of higher education; and other eligible entities for activities in the Watershed;
    3. Implement a 75% Federal cost share for the grant program, except where the Secretary determines a larger cost share is appropriate; and
    4. Ensure other activities conducted by the Secretary in the Watershed would supplement, not supplant activities carried out by the partnership program.

    The legislation is supported by a broad coalition of more than 50 public and private organizations throughout New England, including the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership. U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) also cosponsored the legislation.

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Warren, Merkley, Blumenthal, Liccardo, Advocates Call Out Trump’s Corrupt Meme Coin Dinner, Demand The Release Of Attendees’ Names And What Favors They’re Getting

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    May 22, 2025

    [embedded content]

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Thursday led a press conference with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representative Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.), Public Citizen, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and End Citizens United to call out the blatant corruption behind President Trump’s meme coin dinner — a secretive, high-dollar event where anonymous crypto investors are buying direct access to Trump. The Members demanded full transparency: who’s attending, how much they paid, and what kind of influence they’re expecting in return for the millions of dollars they put in Trump’s meme coin. With no press, no disclosure, and crypto wallets tied to foreign actors, this dinner isn’t just unethical — it’s a national security risk. It’s pay-to-play politics on steroids, and Trump is cashing in. The dinner is scheduled for tonight at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.

    “We’re here today to call on the President and the people who serve him to do something really simple: release the names of the people who are going to be there,” said Murphy. “Even if you release the names, it’s still corrupt. But at least let us see who’s going to be there. At least let the American people know who has bought access to the President. Release the names. If there’s nothing wrong, if you think that this is all above board, then what are you hiding?”

    “Americans sent us to Congress to unrig the economy — not to help the President turn the White House into a crypto cash machine with private dinners for his top meme coin buyers or legislation that supercharges his stablecoin profits,” said Banking Committee Ranking Member Warren. “The GENIUS Act should be written to prohibit the president and his family from profiting—period.”

    “President Trump has put a ‘for sale’ sign on the White House lawn with his cryptocurrency schemes,” said Merkley. “Congress needs to act fast to stop the massive corruption and national security threat that is Trump selling access and influence to the highest bidders. My End Crypto Corruption Act not only cracks down on this corruption but also prevents other federal officials, like Members of Congress, from betraying our ‘We The People’ government.”

    “Donald Trump is selling access. He is selling out America, he is selling it to a foreign power, and he is putting our national security at risk. Trump is becoming beholden to foreign powers—the Emirates that provided $2 billion to World Liberty Financial, the Qataris that have provided him with a plane, and the unknown foreign actors that have invested in his meme coin operation. It’s not just about corruption—it is about corruption that endangers our national security by putting the president in a compromised position in relation to foreign powers,” said Blumenthal. “My hope is that the Trump Administration will give us the list of individuals attending tonight’s dinner as the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation has asked them to provide.”

    “I was not invited to dine with Donald Trump today. I’m not disappointed.  But you know who should be disappointed? The 746,000 people (probably many of them Americans) who bought small amounts of that Trump coin – maybe some of them bought a little bit more – who didn’t get invited. When I introduced the MEME Act in the House it was because, to borrow from Richard Nixon, those 764,000 Americans needed to know that their president was a crook. And hopefully, we’re going to find some Republicans who have the courage and the spine to say this is corruption regardless of which party is committing it,” said Liccardo.

    “America should not be for sale. With tonight’s prize dinner, our President is using his private golf course to cater to some of the world’s richest people, instead of working on behalf of working families and our country. He claims to be ‘America first,’ but really, he’s ‘Donald Trump first.’ Between his outrageous meme coin grift, his Tesla car show on the White House lawn, the jumbo jet gift from Qatar and his numerous candlelit dinners for tech bros and foreign billionaires, this President is the definition of corruption and personal profit over regular people,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen.

    “The President’s corrupt dinner is yet another alarming example of foreign interests opening their wallets to him. By turning the American presidency into a money-making venture, Trump is inviting an unprecedented level of corruption—and putting our national security at risk. End Citizens United proudly stands with Senator Murphy and the other lawmakers who spoke out today to demand transparency and accountability,” said Justin Unga, Vice President of Public Affairs, End Citizens United.

    Earlier this month, Murphy introduced the Modern Emoluments and Malfeasance Enforcement (MEME) Act, legislation to prevent corrupt federal officials from using their position to profit off digital assets such as meme coins. Rep. Liccardo introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNESCO brings together World Heritage marine site managers to review groundbreaking environmental DNA Expeditions and citizen science efforts

    Source: United Nations

    On 30 April 2025, managers from the 51 UNESCO World Heritage marine sites convened online with experts from UNESCO to review the results of UNESCO’s pioneering environmental DNA (eDNA) expeditions initiative and to exchange first-hand experiences involving citizen scientists in this world-first effort.

    UNESCO eDNA expeditions is the first global use case for detecting ocean biodiversity with citizen-science using shared eDNA collection approaches. Over three years, more than 250 volunteers, some as young as 6 years old, collected eDNA samples at 21 UNESCO World Heritage marine sites spread across 19 countries. This effort empowered local schoolchildren and communities to contribute to marine biodiversity research and understand the impacts of climate change on their local World Heritage marine site.

    The goal of the online meeting was to share lessons learned and firsthand insights with UNESCO World Heritage marine site managers – both from sites that participated in the initiative and those that did not – on how eDNA, combined with citizen science, can enhance marine biodiversity monitoring in protected areas, especially in the face of climate change threats to the ocean.

    The scientific coordinator of the initiative, based in the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) office in charge of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)’s Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), presented an overview of the eDNA expeditions initiative. The presentation highlighted global results from the 19 participating countries and outlined future plans to support continued eDNA sampling and citizen science engagement at UNESCO World Heritage marine sites. Published in December 2024, the global results revealed the identification of more than 4,400 marine species, including several species of sharks and rays, marine mammal species, and turtle species. Among these, 120 are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Remarkably, the eDNA campaign detected 10–20% of the expected local marine fauna at each sampling site—an outcome that, using traditional survey methods, would have required prolonged effort and substantial financial resources.

    Another major outcome of the programme was a parallel climate impact analysis, which assessed the thermal limits of the detected species using projected future ocean temperature scenarios. The findings indicated that in some tropical regions, up to 100% of species may be affected, highlighting the urgent need for adaptive management in response to increasing thermal stress on marine life.

    Managers from UNESCO World Heritage marine sites shared their experiences leading the local eDNA sampling campaigns. A representative from the Everglades National Park World Heritage site (United States of America) highlighted the value of eDNA as a complementary tool to traditional methods for monitoring species presence within the site. The UNESCO-supported eDNA sampling campaign engaged local high school students in hands-on sampling activities, bridging classroom learning with real-world conservation efforts. Parents joined in as well, further strengthening community involvement. Currently, eDNA is used in the park to monitor overall biodiversity, including detecting invasive species like Burmese pythons.

    Meanwhile, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage site (South Africa) shared how the eDNA campaign marked a first for both the site and local schools. High school students and teachers were trained in the techniques of eDNA sampling, with a strong emphasis on safety and following precise protocols. The campaign introduced learners to marine science and emphasized the importance of accuracy in data collection. As some key species were not detected, the campaign uncovered important data gaps and reinforced the importance of ongoing research and enhanced collaboration between marine protected area managers and the scientific community.

    The UNESCO World Heritage List comprises 51 marine sites across 37 countries. Due to their status as the world’s flagship marine protected areas, UNESCO World Heritage marine sites are uniquely positioned to drive change and innovation, help set global standards in conservation excellence, and serve as beacons of hope in a changing ocean.

    This online meeting was made possible with the support of the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB).

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Overturns Harmful California EV Mandates

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the final days of the Biden administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved Clean Air Act waivers for a number of California electric vehicle (EV) mandates. These waivers would allow California to force a shift to EVs by 2035, imposing unrealistic standards on automakers and restricting consumer choice for millions of Americans.
    California set the strictest levels in the nation, requiring all new passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and heavy-duty vehicles sold to be electric or hydrogen-powered by 2035. As of 2023, 17 states chose to mimic California’s standards including Minnesota. California is also the most populous state. Automakers and dealers cannot have a patchwork of standards that switches back and forth across state lines, so they are forced to default to the unrealistic bar California imposes. EVs are more expensive than gas or hybrid-powered cars, cater to wealthier customers, and have less range in cold climates.
    U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, cosponsored three Congressional Review Act joint resolutions of disapproval to overturn these waivers. On Thursday, he voted to overturn the waivers.
    “Consumers should have a choice in the vehicles they purchase, without government mandates,” said Cramer. “Granting California and 17 other states these waivers skews the entire market, inhibiting manufacturing and market choice for consumers. The cars they choose should meet the needs of their families, not check a political box for coastal activist Democrats trying to force EVs on the American public. The EPA’s eleventh-hour waiver for California’s heavy-handed adoption of EVs is extreme regulatory overreach. It needed to go, and I’m grateful my Senate colleagues voted to eliminate it.
    “North Dakota auto dealers commend Sen. Cramer for his leadership to stop California’s ban on new gas cars,” said Matthew Larsgaard, President/CEO of the Automobile Dealers Association of North Dakota. “In North Dakota, only about 1 percent of vehicles are EVs.  Besides being unworkable, California’s rule would have raised car and truck prices and reduced consumer choice for all North Dakotans.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan Highlights Need for “Golden Dome” Amid Evolving Threats from China and Russia

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan
    05.22.25
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), highlighted the need for President Trump’s planned “Golden Dome” missile defense system, and the critical role Alaska will play, in an interview with Greta Van Susteren last night on Newsmax. Sen. Sullivan, the leader on missile defense in Congress since coming to the Senate in 2015, attended an announcement this week at the White House on the Trump administration’s vision of a layered, integrated missile defense system to protect the United States from the intensifying threats and growing arsenals of China and Russia. Sullivan and Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) will soon be introducing the GOLDEN DOME Act, which will complement the administration’s effort, including the President’s executive order on missile defense, signed on January 27, 2025. Additionally, the House-passed budget reconciliation bill includes a $25 billion down-payment for the Golden Dome system.
    “The threats in terms of what the Golden Dome is going to focus on, they’ve increased,” said Sen. Sullivan. “It used to be just intercontinental ballistic missiles that we were worried about. Now it’s hypersonics that China has done a pretty darn good job at. Now it’s cruise missiles. To be honest, right now, Greta, without this Golden Dome, we don’t have any defenses on hypersonics. We don’t have any defenses on cruise missiles. I think it’s the responsible thing to do when you see new threats developing—we have those new threats—to take action against them. That’s what the President is doing. That’s what we’re doing here in the Congress.”
    [embedded content]
    Below is a full transcript of Sen. Sullivan’s interview on Newsmax.
    VAN SUSTEREN: Okay. Talk about a really dumb business decision. No, not ours, but Russia’s. Russia sold Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million. That won’t even buy you a house in Hollywood. The sale was a while ago. It was back in 1867. But, still, it was so smart of the United States and so dumb of Russia to sell it. It’s not just an acre too they sold us. Alaska is the size of 19 other United States combined, twice the size of Texas. And get this: Alaska has only 740,000 residents. That is what Seattle, Washington has—just one city has here in the United States. Why am I mentioning this? Because President Trump has his eyes on Alaska. Alaska is going to play a big role in Trump’s Golden Dome for America plan.
    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Alaska is involved and Alaska is a big part of it because the location is sort of perfect. I think it’s your first line of defense in certain instances.
    VAN SUSTEREN: Speaking of Alaska’s geographic location, I should note, though, that at its closest point to Russia, Alaska from Russia is less than three miles. The United States’ Adak naval base is about 800 miles. Alaska’s U.S. Senator, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Dan Sullivan, joins me. Good evening, sir, and why do we need the Golden Dome?
    SULLIVAN: Well, good evening, Greta. I was in the Oval Office yesterday with the President when he was talking about the Golden Dome and talking about Alaska’s key role in that. It’s a great vision of President Trump. By the way, it’s continued leadership by President Trump. He was working on big missile defense during his first term. Of course, Joe Biden didn’t do anything in this area. Now, during his second term, President Trump has laid out this vision of a Golden Dome that can protect all of America through layered defenses, starting, of course, with Alaska—our ground-based missile interceptors that are based there already, our radar systems based throughout our state, including in the Aleutian Islands. This vision, which the Congress fully supports, is going to move forward into space. It’s going to have space-based sensors, space-based interceptors, and an open architecture that brings in data and new software to bring it all together. It’s a great vision. We had a big day in the Oval Office. Alaska is going to play a big role. But I will tell you, President Trump’s leadership is driving this, and it’s something that no other country can do, and we’re going to do it.
    VAN SUSTEREN: All right. Well it’s got a huge price tag. The President said $150 billion. I read it’s $850 billion over ten years. But this is Washington, where we play with a lot of numbers. But China sees this as an offensive military action by us, not defensive. Is it offensive or defensive?
    SULLIVAN: It’s defensive, right? If you listen to President Trump yesterday, he said exactly what this is. It builds on the vision that Ronald Reagan put forward during his term. It’s just that, during the Reagan administration, we didn’t have the technology to do this. Now we do have the technology to do this, and that’s why it’s so important that we should. But it’s also very defensive. The reason China and Russia are so upset about this is, it’s the reason the Soviet Union was upset about what Ronald Reagan was trying to do in the 1980s—because they can’t do this. This is going to make Americans safer. When you have the ability to do that, and the President’s focused on it, I think that’s what a smart commander in chief does.
    VAN SUSTEREN: Is the technology profoundly different than the Iron Dome in Israel, which detects by radar a missile coming in and then shoots up and gets the missile. Is this technology different?
    SULLIVAN: It’s different in that it’s obviously much bigger. It covers a much greater area. That’s one area that I’ve worked on in the Senate is the cooperation between the United States and Israel with regard to the Iron Dome. The U.S. played an important role in the technology and the research that went into Israel’s Iron Dome. The Israelis came actually, Greta, to Alaska and tested elements of the Iron Dome on Kodiak Island a couple of years ago. But this is much bigger. I will tell you, the big difference is, it’s not just the ground-based missile interceptors that we have in places like Alaska that can take out intercontinental ballistic missiles. It’s the space layer. That’s really different. That’s important. The space layer in the Golden Dome is going to be not only detecting missiles and detecting threats, but intercepting them, shooting them down from space. That’s something different. That’s a much more significant technology, but we have the capacity to do it. That’s what is exciting. We need to do it.
    VAN SUSTEREN: All right. Obviously, I want to protect the United States. I want to be safe myself. But the other thing, too, is, I don’t want to rattle the cage of China. Then we get in basically into an arms race, for lack of better terms, with Russia and China over this. The thing that bothers me more than that—I’m less worried about missiles coming in than I am of gain of function viruses, because that is—you can sneak it in on the next United Airlines or American Airlines flight in from overseas and you can take out an entire population. So while we’re spending all these billions of dollars that—I worry about China and their labs or anybody else.
    SULLIVAN: The bio threats that we have are very real. So I would agree with you on that. But we’re a great nation, and we can focus on different threats at different times. But there’s no doubt that the threat of bioterrorism is something we’ve got to focus on. But the threats in terms of what the Golden Dome is going to focus on, they’ve increased. What do I mean by that? It used to be just intercontinental ballistic missiles that we were worried about. Now it’s hypersonics that China has done a pretty darn good job at. Now it’s cruise missiles. To be honest, right now, Greta, without this Golden Dome, we don’t have any defenses on hypersonics. We don’t have any defenses on cruise missiles. I think it’s the responsible thing to do when you see new threats developing—we have those new threats—to take action against them. That’s what the president is doing. That’s what we’re doing here in the Congress. We already have in the budget reconciliation a down payment on the Golden Dome for about $25 billion in the bill we’re working on right now. I am working on legislation that we’re introducing soon with Senator Cramer that we briefed the President on—the Golden Dome legislation—to make sure this is embedded in the law. We’re going to be introducing that soon. So you have the Congress backing this initiative, and leadership by the President to address new threats. They’re out there. I think that’s what responsible leaders do, and that’s what the President is doing.
    VAN SUSTEREN: Senator, thank you very much. I hope you come back next time. Let’s talk about how people come up with these numbers of how the cost is—who’s putting the price tags on this. We’ll talk about that next time. Senator Dan Sullivan from the great state of Alaska. Thank you, sir.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Lee Introduce OFF Act to Protect Farmers, Cut Government Waste

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mike Lee (R-UT) ) reintroduced the bipartisan Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act today to protect agricultural producers and cut government waste by making needed reforms to federal checkoff programs. Senators and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rand Paul (R-KY) cosponsored the legislation.

    “America’s farmers and ranchers deserve accountability and transparency when it comes to how their checkoff dollars are being spent,” said Senator Booker. “Checkoff dollars too often get channeled to lobbying groups who advocate against the best interests of many of the farmers who are required to pay into the program. This bipartisan bill will prohibit conflicts of interest and anti-competitive practices in these checkoff programs and will ensure that these programs work better for our farmers and ranchers.”

    “America’s farmers are being ripped off by federal checkoff programs that take farmers’ money and play favorites with who they serve,” said Senator Lee. “These programs have a reputation for hurting farmers through financial fraud and deceptive practices. The OFF Act will implement accountability measures to cut waste, enforce transparency, and ensure that our farmers get the services they pay for.”

    “We must change the agricultural checkoff programs that put money in the hands of corporate lobbyists at the expense of farmers and ranchers,” said Senator Warren. “The OFF Act will put commonsense safeguards in place to ensure accountability and transparency for our farmers.”

    The OFF Act is endorsed by organizations representing over 200,000 American farmers and ranchers.

    “We commend Senators Booker and Lee for their important work on fighting for fairness in the Beef Checkoff,” said United States Cattlemen’s Association President Justin Tupper. “USCA looks forward to this bill preserving the original intent of the Checkoff and implementing more transparency and accountability. The Checkoff must work for cattle producers who both support and benefit from it.”

    “America’s farmers and ranchers are fed up with their hard-earned money landing in the hands of corporate lobbyists,” said Farm Action Fund President and Missouri farmer Joe Maxwell. “We face enough hurdles as it is; the last thing we need is our own dollars extracted against our will and then used to illegally lobby on behalf of the largest corporations that are already squeezing us out of the market. It’s the USDA’s job to prevent this abuse, and they continue to fail us. The OFF Act’s common-sense reforms would ensure USDA performs stringent oversight so that farmers know exactly where their money is going.”

    “We are grateful to Senator Lee and Senator Booker for their work to bring accountability and transparency to the beef checkoff program and to recognize that the cattle and beef production systems in the USA are not one size fits all,” said Carrie Balkcom, Executive Director, American Grassfed Association. “The OFF act will allow cattle and beef producers of all production methods to be served by the dollars that they pay into the system.”

    “We applaud this bipartisan bill introduced by Senator Booker and Senator Lee to bring needed transparency and accountability to the antiquated beef checkoff program that has long been used to undermine the interests of America’s independent cattle producers,” said Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA.

    “We applaud the Members of Congress for their longterm leadership and for introducing the bipartisan, bicameral OFF Act and call on both the House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders to stand up for American family farmers by moving this legislation swiftly through their committees,” said Taylor Haynes, President of the Organization for Competitive Markets. “If we’re going to be forced to pay into USDA’s checkoff programs then the very least we should expect is transparency, accountability, and oversight of our hard-earned dollars, and the OFF Act accomplishes just that.”

    “Scandal after scandal has proven the longterm corruption in the beef, dairy, and pork checkoff programs that continue to utilize our own tax dollars against us and the day of reckoning is here,” said Mike Schultz, Founder of the Kansas Cattlemen’s Association and Vice-President at the Organization for Competitive Markets. “American family farmers are up in arms and are determined to see justice in the 119th Congress with the enactment of the OFF Act. Clean up decades of corruption.” 

    Background:

    Under checkoff programs, farmers are required to make payments into the programs which are meant to increase demand for their products through marketing and research. Slogans like “Got Milk?” and “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner,” are the result of checkoff program marketing campaigns that allowed agricultural producers to access large-scale advertising by promoting their product categories as a whole without individual branding. These campaigns are directed by multiple boards and are funded with the checkoff dollars collected from farmers.

    Unfortunately, some checkoff programs have exhibited fraudulent and unethical behavior. One investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that a subcontractor organization had used checkoff program funding to award its employees unauthorized bonuses totaling approximately $302,000 – then requested further funds to remedy its poor financial situation. More recent audits reveal the USDA’s oversight of checkoff programs still needs improvement.

    The Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act would:

    • Prohibit checkoff boards with an annual assessment revenue of over $20 million from entering into contracts to carry out checkoff activities with parties that lobby to influence government agriculture policy.
      • Exempt institutions of higher education.
    • Prohibit board members and employees of checkoff programs from engaging in any act that may involve a conflict of interest.
    • Prohibit engagement in anticompetitive activity, deceptive practices, or the disparaging of other commodities.
    • Require that contracts entered into by the board be recorded to describe goods and services provided/costs incurred.
    • Require checkoff boards to publicize a transparent budget.
    • Require periodic audits of checkoff boards by the Inspector General of USDA.
    • Require periodic audits of checkoff boards by the Comptroller General.

    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Cantwell, Padilla, Schiff Slam Trump’s Outrageous, Partisan Decision to Slash Flood Prevention Funding for Blue States

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Work plan released by Army Corps zeroes out hundreds of millions of dollars for key WA, CA waterway construction projects, among others—steering hundreds of millions to red states
    ***WATCH: WA, CA Senators hold press conference calling out Trump’s decision*** 
    Washington, D.C. — Today, the Senate delegations from Washington state and California joined together to call out President Trump’s outrageous, nakedly-political decision to zero out critical funding for Army Corps of Engineers construction projects in blue states like Washington and California while steering hundreds of millions more to red states.
    U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) blasted the Trump administration’s plans, released late last week, detailing how the Army Corps intends to zero out all Army Corps construction funding for the state of California, as well as $500 million for the Howard Hanson Dam in Washington state. California was set to receive well over $100 million in funding for projects, and the Howard Hanson Dam in Washington state was set to receive $500 million—in the Corps’ fiscal year 2025 budget request, in the Senate’s bipartisan draft fiscal year 2025 funding bill, and even in House Republicans’ draft fiscal year 2025 funding bill. But the Trump administration—using the new discretion afforded by the yearlong CR House Republicans drafted that was signed into law—ignored the draft bills and instead apportioned funding on a nakedly political basis.
    On Tuesday, a top Army Corps official testifying before the House failed to provide any justification for the decision and noted that the ultimate decision rested with Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), headed by Russ Vought.
    “We are here for a simple reason: Trump is robbing our states in broad daylight, and we are not going to be quiet about this,” said Senator Murray. “Last year, we worked across the aisle to hammer out a bipartisan understanding about what projects needed Army Corps construction funding. But President Trump is ripping up the roadmap we all agreed on—even House Republicans— and turning the Army Corps construction fund into his personal political slush fund. I don’t know how you get more obviously partisan than cutting California, the most populous state in the country, out of Army Corps construction funding entirely, and I just don’t know how you get more blatantly corrupt than zeroing out half a billion dollars for Washington state and completely shafting major work at the Howard Hanson Dam—work to address dam safety, water supply issues, and more.”
    “The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma received $45.4 million less in this budget,” said Senator Cantwell. “This is a huge problem for the next five years. We want to stabilize our ports. We want the Army Corps to do their investment on important waterway issues. We want to grow economic opportunity at an age when the Pacific economy is continuing to grow. We want to be on the doorstep of that access and to be efficient about delivering it, not giving those jobs away to Canada and Mexico.”
    “When anyone takes the oath of office, even Donald Trump as President of the United States, you become the president for all Americans — not just for red states or for blue states, but for every state and every community equally,” said Senator Padilla. “Yet, since the minute Donald Trump returned to office, he’s set out to politicize the office he holds, now trying to take hundreds of millions of dollars in flood prevention funding away from the states that happened to not vote for him and redirect them to projects in states that supported his election. It’s absolutely wrong. In California, that means cutting every last dollar of funding that was allocated for certain flood control projects. For a president so obsessed with fighting waste, fraud, and abuse, I know where he can find it. He just has to look in the mirror. Communities up and down California — including farmers and farm workers in the Central Valley and Pajaro — will now be at a higher risk of flooding because Donald Trump’s playing politics with federal funding.”
    “Natural disasters don’t discriminate based on whether a state is red or blue, and the administration and Congress shouldn’t either when it comes to protecting communities from natural disasters. This puts us on a very dangerous path, a path where anything can be on the chopping block for a partisan reason,” said Senator Schiff. “Today, it’s funding for these projects. Tomorrow, it could be another form of funding meant to save lives. There will be a domino effect of threats aimed at blue states. When you’re elected to be president of the United States, you’re not a half president. You’re not president for only half of the country, not if you do the job right. These baseless attacks threaten millions of people from both parties whose lives are endangered by floods.”
    Overall, the Army Corps’ plan would steer roughly $258 million dollars more in construction funding to red states while ripping away roughly $437 million dollars in construction funding for blue states, relative to the fiscal year 2025 request—which, historically, has been fully funded and was fully funded in the draft fiscal year 2025 bills produced on a bipartisan basis in the Senate and by House Republicans in the House. Trump’s work plan steers two-thirds of all Army Corps construction funding to red states while the budget request and House and Senate bills would have split that funding roughly evenly to red and blue states.
    Supporting the Howard Hanson Dam has been a longtime priority for Senator Murray, and she has pressed the Army Corps to prioritize funding for the Dam for years. Under the last administration, Senator Murray was able to secure critical funding boosts for Howard Hanson Dam, including $220 million in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $50 million to begin construction of a new facility in the funding bills for fiscal year 2024 that Murray wrote as then-Chair of the Appropriations Committee. Back in 2010, Murray secured $44 million in badly needed emergency funds for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair the Howard Hanson Dam. In the draft fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill she cleared unanimously out of Committee last year, Senator Murray secured $500 million for the dam, which would support fish passage and address dam safety and water supply issues for cities like Tacoma and Covington. $500 million was also included in the House’s draft fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill. The funding is needed to execute a construction option on the contract for the project, which would have allowed construction to begin in 2026 as scheduled.
    Congress typically provides specific, detailed instructions in its annual appropriations bills on how the Army Corps (and so many other agencies) must spend funding provided by Congress. Annual appropriations bills note exactly what Army Corps projects must be funded and at what levels. But instead of working with Democrats to pass full-year appropriations bills that deliver for communities across America, Republicans in Congress put forth a yearlong continuing resolution (CR) that failed to include hundreds of specific directives on how funding must be spent. For months, Senator Murray warned of the dangers of passing Republicans’ slush fund CR, noting, for example, that it would allow the administration to zero out funding for Army Corps projects. 
    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:
    “We are here for a simple reason: Trump is robbing our states in broad daylight, and we are not going to be quiet about this.
    “We are not going to stop fighting for our communities, and we are going to make every single person understand what is happening—and what it means for our states, for our communities, and for this democracy.
    “Last year, we worked across the aisle to hammer out a bipartisan understanding about what projects needed Army Corps construction funding. And ‘we’—isn’t just the four of us here. It includes our Republican counterparts and even our House colleagues.
    “But President Trump is ripping up the roadmap we all agreed on—even the House Republicans—and turning the Army Corps construction funds into his personal political slush fund.
    “To give you a sense of how blatantly political this is, consider the fact that the Corps’ budget request last year, the bipartisan Senate bill my committee passed unanimously, and the House bill—yes the Republican House bill—all split this funding just about evenly—every one of them split it just about 50-50 between red and blue states.
    “Now compare that to Trump’s partisan takeover. This thing is totally lopsided—roughly two-thirds goes to red states and one-third for blue states.
    “This is not how it should work—an out-of-control Republican president punishing blue states and rewarding his friends instead.
    “I don’t know how you get more obviously partisan than cutting California, the most populous state in the country, out of Army Corps construction funding entirely. Trump slashed over $100 million for projects that reduce flooding for crying out loud! I mean who is pro-flooding?
    “And I just don’t know how you get more blatantly corrupt than zeroing out half a billion dollars for Washington state and completely shifting major work at the Howard Hanson Dam—work to address dam safety, water supply issues, and more. 
    “This is a project years in the making, and it is being slashed at the stroke of one careless pen, at the will of one corrupt President alone.
    “So why does President Trump think our constituents don’t need a safe water supply?
    “Why does President Trump think our constituents don’t need to be protected from floods?
    “It’s clear he simply doesn’t care.
    “But it’s actually worse than what I just laid out—because Trump is not just taking hundreds of millions of dollars from blue states for projects that we all agreed on. He is actually shoveling this money to projects that were not funded by either bill in either chambers—and that is nakedly political.
    “Suddenly, projects in or near his allies’ districts are funded.
    “So we need answers. And more than that, we need accountability.
    “Yesterday, a top Army Corps official testified before the House, and let me tell you: she had absolutely no acceptable—or even half-convincing—justification for these decisions.
    “In fact, she very explicitly stated that OMB—not the experts at the Corps—called the final shots.
    “That should raise everyone’s eyebrows—Russ Vought calling the shots for your constituents.
    “So we’re here to call this out—and we are going to fight tooth and nail to make this right, and make these critical projects whole.
    “I will tell you right now: I will not let defunding Howard Hanson Dam stand in any future bipartisan spending bill.
    “And, I will continue warning my colleagues about passing another partisan CR, which gave this administration that power to pick winners and losers like this in the first place.
    “I warned about exactly this before I voted against the CR—I warned that Trump could, and would, abuse the discretion in a slush fund
    CR to rob our communities. And now, here we are.
    “So every single member needs to pay close attention to what is happening here—and needs to speak out.
    “Because it may not be your state today but what happens when your governor disagrees with the President? What happens when you vote against him and your state loses out on funding?
    “Take my word—you don’t want to find out. We have to put a stop to this, and push back now.”

    MIL OSI USA News