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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Dashboard Shows Importance of Peers in Mental Health Wellness and Substance Use Recovery

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: New Dashboard Shows Importance of Peers in Mental Health Wellness and Substance Use Recovery

    New Dashboard Shows Importance of Peers in Mental Health Wellness and Substance Use Recovery
    hejones1

    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the release of a new dashboard highlighting the success of North Carolina’s Peer Warmline. The Warmline is a free resource for people experiencing emotional difficulty, mental health issues, substance use challenges, or for those who just need to talk with someone who understands what they are going through. Since launch, warmline counselors have received more than 67,000 calls, and 99% of callers who responded to a recent survey expressed satisfaction with the support they received. The dashboard launch coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month in May.

    “Mental Health matters to all of us, and we are committed to ensuring everyone who needs care can access that care when they need it and in the setting that is most appropriate for them,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “For many, having the opportunity to speak with a Peer Support Specialist is critical in their wellness journey, and these numbers show how effective this resource is in North Carolina.”

    The dashboard provides a snapshot of how many people call the line, the general reason they called, how long they spent on the line and how satisfied they were with the support they received. Support from others with lived experience has been shown to reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits. The North Carolina Warmline is available 24/7 by calling 855-PEERS-NC (855-733-7762) or calling the North Carolina 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and asking to be transferred. 988 is available to anyone who needs crisis support for themselves or a loved one. North Carolina’s 988 dashboard shows more than 134,000 calls in the past year with calls answered within 14 seconds on average. These are two of many resources available in North Carolina if you or someone you know needs mental health care. 

    “When someone we love is struggling, we want them to have support that is accessible, compassionate, and effective,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services. “The Peer Warmline offers people a chance to connect with someone who truly understands – someone who’s been there. This new dashboard shows us just how valued that support is, with a 99% satisfaction rate among tens of thousands of callers. It’s one more way we’re working to build a behavioral health system that meets people where they are, whenever they need it.”

    Community crisis centers are another key feature of the state’s behavioral health system, offering safe places where individuals can get help without going to the emergency room. These centers are one of several options if you are experiencing a mental health crisis. They offer immediate help with mental health needs and treatment for alcohol or drugs. Most are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and don’t require appointments or insurance. Visit the NCDHHS website for crisis services to find a location near you.

    If you are struggling and need someone to listen and understand your situation, a mobile crisis team can also come to you. The team is made up of one or two helpful and caring counselors who can meet you at your home, school or somewhere you feel safe. NCDHHS has a list of mobile crisis teams you can call 24/7 across North Carolina. 

    To support youth across North Carolina, NCDHHS partnered with Somethings.com to offer a free mental health peer mentorship program for all teens struggling with depression, anxiety, eating disorders or other emotional trauma. The digital service connects teens with mentors and clinical providers who are trained to offer social and emotional support. Users can talk or text with their mentors through the Somethings app whenever it works for them. Somethings says 77% of users have reported that their services have been more effective than traditional therapy.

    The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available any time, 24/7. You can call or text 988 or use the chat function at 988Lifeline.org. Individuals who speak Spanish can connect directly to Spanish-speaking crisis counselors by calling 988 and pressing option 2, by texting “AYUDA” to 988, or by chatting online at 988lineadevida.org or 988Lifeline.org. Trained counselors are also available for veterans and members of the LBGTQI+ community.

    The NC Recovery Helpline is dedicated to advocating for, connecting with and educating North Carolina citizens seeking help for themselves or a loved one struggling with substance use and/or mental health. Individuals can reach the Recovery Helpline via phone (1.800.688.4232), text (919.703.1872), email (help4recovery.org), or chat.

    Additionally, NCDHHS has a wealth of suicide prevention resources for people struggling with their mental health, providers treating people in need of mental health care and communities impacted by suicide.  

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte anunció hoy el lanzamiento de un nuevo tablero que destaca el éxito de la línea Peer Warmline de Carolina del Norte. La linea Warmline es un recurso gratuito para personas que experimentan dificultades emocionales, enfermedades de salud mental, desafíos de uso de substanacias o para las personas que solo necesitan hablar con alguien que entienda por lo que están pasando. Desde su lanzamiento, los consejeros de la línea Warmline han recibido más de 67,000 llamadas, y el 99% de las personas que llamaron también respondieron a una encuesta reciente expresaron su satisfacción con el apoyo que recibieron.  El lanzamiento del tablero coincide con el Mes de Concientización sobre la Salud Mental en mayo.

    “La salud mental es importante para todos nosotros, y estamos comprometidos a garantizar que todas las personas que necesitan atención puedan acceder a esa atención cuando la necesiten y en el entorno que sea más apropiado para ellas”, dijo Dev Sangvai, Secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte. “Para muchos, tener la oportunidad de hablar con un especialista en apoyo entre pares es fundamental en su viaje de bienestar, y estas cifras muestran cuán efectivo es este recurso en Carolina del Norte”.

    El tablero proporciona una vista instantánea de cuántas personas llaman a la línea, la razón general por la que llamaron, cuánto tiempo pasaron en la línea y qué tan satisfechos estaban con el apoyo que recibieron. Se ha demostrado que el apoyo de otras personas con experiencia vivida reduce las hospitalizaciones y las visitas a la sala de emergencias. La linea North Carolina Warmline está disponible 24/7 llamando al 855-PEERS-NC (855-733-7762) o llamando a la Línea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis de Carolina del Norte (North Carolina 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) y pidiendo ser transferido. La linea 988 está disponible para cualquier persona que necesite apoyo de crisis para sí misma o para un ser querido. El tablero 988 de Carolina del Norte muestra más de 134,000 llamadas en el último año, con un promedio de llamadas respondidas en 14 segundos. Estos son dos de los muchos recursos disponibles en Carolina del Norte si usted o alguien que conoce necesita atención de salud mental.

    “Cuando alguien que amamos tiene dificultades, queremos que tenga un apoyo accesible, compasivo y efectivo”, dijo Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Directora de la División de Salud Mental, Discapacidades del Desarrollo y Servicios de Uso de Sustancias de NCDHHS. “Peer Warmline ofrece a las personas la oportunidad de conectarse con alguien que realmente entiende, alguien que ha estado allí. Este nuevo tablero nos muestra lo valioso que es ese apoyo, con una tasa de satisfacción del 99% entre decenas de miles de personas que llaman. Es una forma más de trabajar para crear un sistema de salud conductual que va al encuentro de las personas donde estén, cuando lo necesiten”.

    Los centros comunitarios de crisis son otra característica clave del sistema de salud conductual del estado, que ofrece lugares seguros donde las personas pueden obtener ayuda sin tener que ir a la sala de emergencias. Estos centros son una de las varias opciones si está experimentando una crisis de salud mental. Ofrecen ayuda inmediata con las necesidades de salud mental y tratamiento para el alcohol o las drogas. La mayoría están abiertos 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana y no requiere citas ni seguro. Visite el sitio web de NCDHHS para obtener servicios para situaciones de crisis y encontrar una ubicación cerca de usted.

    Si tiene dificultades y necesita que alguien escuche y comprenda su situación, un equipo móvil de crisis también puede acudir a usted. El equipo está formado por uno o dos consejeros serviciales y comprensivos que pueden reunirse con usted en su hogar, escuela o en algún lugar donde se sienta seguro. El NCDHHS tiene una lista de equipos móviles para situaciones de crisis a los que puede llamar las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana en Carolina del Norte.

    Para apoyar a los jóvenes de Carolina del Norte, NCDHHS se asoció con Somethings.com para ofrecer un programa gratuito de tutoría entre pares de salud mental para todos los adolescentes que luchan contra la depresión, la ansiedad, los trastornos alimentarios u otros traumas emocionales. El servicio digital conecta a los adolescentes con mentores y proveedores clínicos que están capacitados para ofrecer apoyo social y emocional. Los usuarios pueden hablar o enviar mensajes de texto a sus mentores a través de la aplicación Somethings siempre que les funcione. Somethings dice que el 77% de los usuarios han informado que sus servicios han sido más efectivos que la terapia tradicional.

    La Línea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis es gratuita, confidencial y está disponible en cualquier momento, las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana. Puede llamar o enviar un mensaje de texto al 988 o usar la función de chat en 988Lifeline.org. Las personas que hablan español pueden comunicarse directamente con los consejeros de crisis de habla hispana llamando al 988 y oprimiendo la opción 2, enviando un mensaje de texto con “AYUDA” al 988 o chateando en línea en 988lineadevida.org o 988Lifeline.org. También hay consejeros capacitados disponibles para veteranos y miembros de la comunidad LBGTQI+.

    La Línea de ayuda de NC Recovery está dedicada a abogar por, conectarse con y educar a los ciudadanos de Carolina del Norte que buscan ayuda para sí mismos o para un ser querido que lucha contra el uso de sustancias y/o la salud mental. Las personas pueden comunicarse con la Línea de Ayuda de Recuperación por teléfono (1.800.688.4232), mensaje de texto (919.703.1872), correo electrónico (help4recovery.org) o chateo.

    Además, NCDHHS tiene una gran cantidad de recursos de prevención del suicidio para personas que luchan con su salud mental, proveedores que tratan a personas que necesitan atención de salud mental y comunidades afectadas por el suicidio.

    May 8, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Commercial Aviation Work Group meeting May 22 at Paine Field

    Source: Washington State News 2

    OLYMPIA – The state Commercial Aviation Work Group will host its second public hybrid meeting of 2025 at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 22, at the Paine Field Airport Administration Office in Everett.

    This will be the group’s fifth meeting overall since it was created by the state Legislature in 2023. The work group was formed to evaluate the long-range commercial aviation and transportation needs of the state. Members are asked to research alternatives for more aviation capacity and expanding the use of existing airports and multimodal opportunities. The work group is not tasked with searching for or building a new airport.

    There will be a public comment portion during the meeting for those in person and online via Zoom. Additionally, the public can submit public comments at any time by filling out the work group’s online contact form.

    The public is encouraged to subscribe to the work group’s email updates.

    Commercial Aviation Work Group hybrid meeting details

    When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 22. 

    Where: Paine Field Airport Administration Office at 9901 24th Pl W, Suite A, Everett, WA. Parking is free and does not require a permit. 

    Participants also may attend the meeting online via Zoom (pre-registration is required), or people can watch a live stream on TVW.

    Details: People who wish to provide public comment should note that:

    • Comments are accepted anytime submitted through the online contact form.
    • For the May 22 meeting, there will be 30 minutes on the agenda for public comment. Meeting facilitators will accept requests to speak from participants online and in person. People who wish to comment will be allowed no more than two minutes to provide input. 

    Free, temporary internet access is available for those who do not have broadband service at locations throughout the state. To find the nearest access, visit the drive-in WiFi hotspot list.

    Previous Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission

    The work group is separate from the previous Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission that researched locations to meet the state’s forecast demand for commercial passenger service, air cargo and general aviation. At its final meeting in 2023, the commission focused on providing information to be used by the Commercial Aviation Work Group. The commission released its final report (PDF 613KB) June 15, 2023. The work group has different members and a different mission.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Applied Releases Commercial Lines Premium Rate Index Findings for Q1 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Toronto, ON, May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Applied Systems® today announced the first quarter 2025 results of the Applied Commercial Index™, the Canadian insurance industry’s premium rate index. Overall, the magnitude of rate increases was down across all lines relative to average premium renewals in the same quarter last year with 3.85% in Q1 2025 down from 6.14% in Q1 2024. All lines of business saw decreases compared to the same quarter last year.

    Quarter over quarter, Q1 2025 results showed average renewal rate change decreased across all lines of the most commonly placed Commercial Lines categories, including Real Estate Property, Business and Professional Services, Construction, Hospitality Services, and Retail Services.

    Significant findings include: 

    • Business and Professional Services: Q1 2025 premium renewal rate change average was 3.99%, down from the Q4 2024 average of 5.48%.     
    • Construction, Erection, and Installation Services: Premium renewal rate change average was 3.85% for the quarter, down from the Q4 2024 average of 4.78%.
    • Hospitality Services: Q1 2025 premium renewal rate change average was 3.08%, down from the Q4 2024 average of 3.79%.
    • Real Estate Property: Premium renewal rate change average was 3.58% for the quarter, down from the Q4 2024 average of 4.59%.
    • Retail Services: Premium renewal rate change averaged 4.57%, down relative to the Q4 2024 average of 6.84%.

    “This quarter’s average premium renewal rate change across all industries have somewhat dissipated, limiting the tailwind they provided over the recent period and therefore putting a greater focus on margins,” said Steve Whitelaw, SVP and general manager, Canada, Applied Systems. “As brokers begin their renewal conversations, the Applied Commercial Index will help them focus on specific lines that will foster more profitable growth opportunities.”

    Access the complete quarterly report here.                                                       

    # # #

    Applied Commercial Index is a trademark of Applied Systems, Inc. All data is fully anonymized when aggregating and analyzing the Applied Commercial Index.

    About Applied Systems
    Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied’s people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A new pope is chosen: A look back on the jostling for the papacy and the conclave’s history

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Colin Rose, Associate Professor of European and Digital History, Brock University

    Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States is the new pope, succeeding Pope Francis, and taking the name Pope Leo XIV. He’s been elected following a millennium-old ceremony known as the papal conclave. During the conclave, the 135 eligible Cardinal Electors of the Catholic Church sequestered themselves and elected the new pope in isolation.

    During that time, they had no contact with the outside world and they voted repeatedly, in written ballots and verbal declaration, until one of them achieved a two-thirds majority.

    Every failure brings sighs from the crowds in St. Peter’s Square as the votes, burned with a chemical admixture, send up a plume of inky black smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. White smoke, signalling a new pope has been elected, provokes cheers and celebrations and the beginning of a new papal era, as was the case after the election of Leo on May 8, 2025.



    Read more:
    How the next pope will be elected – what goes on at the conclave

    The history of the conclave, especially during the Italian Renaissance that I teach and research, tells us a lot about how the papacy is both a religious and a political office.

    The pope is at once the supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church as well as the absolute monarch of Vatican City. He is both bishop of Rome and head of state of the smallest sovereign state in the world.

    Politics of the papacy

    In the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, the Vatican was the capital of a much-larger Papal State. This territorial buffer around Rome at its height bordered the territories of Florence, Naples, Milan and Venice, and covered much of northern Italy.

    Popes wielded great influence in the dramatic politics of famous Italian families like the Medici: it was a Medici pope, Clement VII, who helped negotiate the installation of the first Medici duke in Florence.

    Apocryphal accounts persist of Julius II, the so-called “Warrior Pope,” leading a charge over the walls of Bologna in 1506.

    At the same time popes, and Catholic policy, had profound consequences for European and global politics: Clement’s successor Paul III excommunicated England’s King Henry VIII, cementing the English break with Rome in 1538.

    A portrait of Pope Alexander VI Borgia circa 1495.
    (Vatican Museums)

    Alexander VI was more audaciously imperial: he sponsored the treaty that arbitrarily divided the entire world outside of Europe between Spain (his home country) and Portugal in 1494.

    Alexander VI’s historical infamy is perhaps outdone only by his son, Cesare Borgia, made famous by his mention is Niccolo Machiavelli’s book The Prince.

    Becoming pope was a big deal for a cardinal and his family. Leading candidates known as papabili (pope-ables) began strategizing and negotiating even before popes died.

    When a pontiff died, those cardinals abroad began their travels to Rome, construction began on the temporary cells that would house them all during the sequestration and the real work of electing a pope began.

    Enea Silvio Piccolomini left a detailed memoir of his election as Pius II in 1458. In it he describes a process of negotiating, threatening, cajoling and strategizing that make the scheming in the recent movie Conclave look unsophisticated.

    Renaissance Italy wrestled with and ultimately reconciled itself to the political nature of the papacy.

    Many, including popes such as Pius II, expressed discomfort with the political power of the papacy. While it was a clear factor in the schism of European Christendom that led to the emergence of the Protestant churches in the 16th century, in early modern Italy the political power of the papacy was a reality of the diplomatic milieu.

    The empty throne

    The conclave marks a special place in early modern history as a time when ordinary political order was overturned for a brief period known as the sede vacante (the Vacant See).

    The Vacant See was a time when identities were swappable and when, as one Paolo di Grassi told a judge in 1559, “in Vacant See [Romans] are the masters. The People are the Masters.” Di Grassi had, during the Vacant See of November 1559, pursued his own longstanding grudges against his enemies and been involved in at least one armed brawl.

    While they waited for a new pope, Romans and everyone else might have passed the time with another favourite vice: gambling on the conclave’s outcome.



    Read more:
    Who will the next pope be? Here are some top contenders

    European princes and other potentates of the church paid close attention to conclaves, tried to smuggle information in and out and steer the conclave in favour of their preferred candidate.

    In 1730, for instance, Cardinal Lambertini smuggled a letter out of his conclave thanking a benefactor for their donations to his future ordination as Pope Benedict XIV.

    The election held everyone’s attention as a rare and unusually impactful event in the Roman calendar.

    While Rome’s streets thrummed with tension during the chaotic days of a Vacant See, the conclave proceeded serenely and secretly within the Vatican’s walls.

    The use of white smoke to mark the election of a pope only began in the 20th century. During the Renaissance, the sound of bells would be a more effective way to spread the news through Rome, before the new pope was announced to the city and the world.

    Much turns on that announcement now, as much did in previous centuries. The conclave elects both a pope and a head of state. While Vatican City is magnitudes smaller than the Papal State of the past, it remains a sovereign state.

    Papal pronouncements shape not just religious thought but political action, through voting, advocacy and more. The crowds who awaited the announcement of the new pope might be less raucous than Renaissance Romans, but they were nonetheless invested in the results.

    Colin Rose receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    – ref. A new pope is chosen: A look back on the jostling for the papacy and the conclave’s history – https://theconversation.com/a-new-pope-is-chosen-a-look-back-on-the-jostling-for-the-papacy-and-the-conclaves-history-255492

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Even with Pope Leo XIV in place, US Catholics stand ‘at a crossroads’

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Maureen K. Day, Research Fellow, Center for Religion and Civic Culture and Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

    Parishioners attend a memorial Mass in honor of Pope Francis at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on April 21, 2025. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

    Shortly after 6 P.M. in Rome, the longed-for sight appeared above the Sistine Chapel: white smoke.

    Over the course of a day and a half, the more than 130 members of the College of Cardinals had come to a decision on who should lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. On May 8, 2025, they elected Cardinal Robert Prevost, who chose the name Leo XIV – becoming the first pope from the United States.

    The Conversation U.S. asked Maureen Day, a researcher at the University of Southern California who has written several books about the contemporary church, to explain what Catholicism looks like in the U.S. at this high-stakes moment.

    How is Catholic identity and practice in the U.S. changing, compared with a generation ago?

    In 1987, the year of the first American Catholic Laity survey, nearly half of American Catholics said that faith was “the most” or “among the most” important parts of their life. Now, only 37% say the same.

    Others are leaving the Catholic Church completely. The General Social Survey, a national survey conducted every year or two since the 1970s, asks people about the faith they grew up with, as well as their present religious identity. According to our analysis of its data, in 1973 only 10% of Americans who grew up Catholic had changed religions, and another 7% had left religion altogether. By 2018, each of those percentages had increased to 18%.

    A Pew Research Center study conducted in 2024 found that for every American who converts to Catholicism, another 8.4 leave. The only reason that Catholicism is able to maintain a relatively steady share of the U.S. population – about 20% – is due to the high percentage of immigrants and migrants who are Catholic.

    So my co-authors and I chose the title of our 2025 book, “Catholicism at a Crossroads,” quite intentionally. The church has been facing a variety of challenges for decades, both nationally and across the globe. It’s not just about disaffiliation, but also issues such as the sexual abuse crises and bishops’ decreasing influence on lay Catholics’ personal decisions.

    The Rev. Athanasius Abanulo celebrates Mass in Lanett, Ala., in 2021. Many international clergy, like Abanulo, are helping to ease a shortage of priests in the U.S.
    AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

    In response, church leaders have mostly offered minor adjustments, such as encouraging parishes to become more family- or young adult-friendly. They have not yet made larger shifts that could substantially alter some of those trend lines.

    Some of your work focuses on what you call ‘cultural Catholics’ − defined as Catholics who attend Mass less than once per month. How would you describe cultural Catholicism in the U.S. today?

    A big concern of Catholic leaders right now is decreasing Mass attendance, as weekly Mass is an important precept of the Catholic Church. Sunday Mass is a place for Catholics to participate in the sacraments, strengthen their faith and build relationships with other Catholics.

    One of the things Catholic leaders tend to attribute this drop in attendance to is a broader trend of secularism. There might be some merit to this, but it can’t be the whole story. In our analysis of General Social Survey data, for example, the percentage of Protestant Christians who say they attend worship services weekly was 35% in 1950 and 40% in 2023. Among Catholics, however, weekly Mass attendance has declined from 63% to 30% in these same years.

    “Cultural Catholics” who say they attend Mass “a few times a year” or “seldom or never” account for 53% of U.S. Catholics. Many of them demonstrate strong ties to Catholic teachings in other ways. For example, around 70% to 80% of cultural Catholics say that it is “essential” or “somewhat essential” to Catholicism to help the poor, have a devotion to Mary and practice daily prayer.

    There are findings that can lend themselves to either a “glass half empty” or “glass half full” interpretation. For instance, it might be heartening to Catholic leaders to know that 62% of cultural Catholics say it is important that future generations of their family are Catholic – although this is much lower than the 89% among those who attend Mass frequently.

    Sister Maris Stella Vaughan teaches a religion class at St. John Paul II Catholic School in Phoenix, Ariz., in 2020.
    AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills

    And when these cultural Catholics imagine future generations of their family being Catholic, what does that mean? Perhaps it entails simply a few milestones, like receiving baptism, First Communion and possibly Confirmation – the three sacraments that initiate a person into the Catholic faith. The way many cultural Catholics are loosely tethered to the church, without much involvement in parish life, is a great concern for many Catholic leaders.

    What main challenges do you see for the American church under the next pope?

    I would argue that the American church’s biggest challenge is how to heal the factionalism within itself.

    On the one hand, there is a great deal of common ground among the most active Catholics, even with the diversity still found here. According to our analysis, 20% of Catholics are “high commitment”: those who say they attend Mass weekly, are unlikely to leave the faith, and that the church is very important to them. These Catholics are more likely to depart from their political party’s position on an issue if it does not align with Catholic teachings. For example, high-commitment Catholic Republicans are much more likely to support the bishops’ position on making the immigration process easier for families. High-commitment Catholic Democrats, meanwhile, are more likely to be against abortion than are their moderate- or low-commitment counterparts.

    In other words, these high-commitment Catholics tend to be less polarized and could find common cause with one another.

    Catholics pray during Mass at Benedictine College on Dec. 3, 2023, in Atchison, Kan.
    AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

    However, there are more extreme pockets – such as those who called into question the legitimacy of Francis’ papacy – that are more militant about their vision of Catholicism. While these Catholics are few in number, they are very vocal. There are fringe groups that mobilized to try to change the direction of the Catholic Church after Francis’ papacy, which they saw as a series of liberal reforms.

    Within more mainstream Catholicism, there are divides over styles of worship, with media attention on some young Americans flocking to more conservative or traditional parishes. However, sociologist Tim Clydesdale and religion scholar Kathleen Garces-Foley found that young adult Catholics are split: While some are attracted to churches with pastors who demonstrate “orthodoxy,” a similar number prefer “openness.”

    What do you wish more people understood about Catholicism in the U.S.?

    I think the “missing piece” for many is the incredible diversity of U.S. Catholicism, from race and ethnicity to politics and practice. Many Americans tend to associate the religion with one or two issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage, and assume that Catholics are fairly monolithic, both in their demographics and their politics.

    Catholics themselves can also forget – or never learn – that their small slice of Catholicism is not the whole of Catholicism.

    Recognizing and elevating what unites this vast family of Catholics, both personally and collectively, is going to be critical as the church moves forward.

    This article was updated on May 8, 2025 to include Pope Leo XIV’s election.

    The work mentioned in this article was funded largely by the Louisville Institute. Her previous research has received funding from many sources, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

    – ref. Even with Pope Leo XIV in place, US Catholics stand ‘at a crossroads’ – https://theconversation.com/even-with-pope-leo-xiv-in-place-us-catholics-stand-at-a-crossroads-255177

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Two in the District of Hawaii

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    HONOLULU – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “Our pledge to protect Hawaii’s keiki is among the most solemn and critical commitments we make to our local community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Working with our outstanding law enforcement partners we have consistently and aggressively pursued child predators and those who seek to exploit children either for profit or their own twisted gratification. Our efforts in Operation Restore Justice, including last week’s arrests, demonstrate the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to investigate, charge, and convict those who violate federal child protection laws.”

    “The FBI is unwavering and united with its partners in the fight to protect children,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Our collaboration with state and local law enforcement allows us to extend our reach into communities, respond faster to threats, and ensure survivors get the support they need. FBI Honolulu will continue to conduct proactive arrest operations targeting those seeking to harm our children—we’ll work to get these predators off the streets and keep our kids safe.”

    In the District of Hawaii, two individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes, including Dominick Kalikokaeoeo Howard, who was charged by criminal complaint with distributing child pornography, and David Martin Garcia Perez, who was charged by criminal complaint with receiving and possessing or accessing child pornography.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Even with Pope Leo XIV in place, US Catholics stand ‘at a crossroads’ − a sociologist explains

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Maureen K. Day, Research Fellow, Center for Religion and Civic Culture and Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

    Parishioners attend a memorial Mass in honor of Pope Francis at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on April 21, 2025. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

    Shortly after 6 P.M. in Rome, the longed-for sight appeared above the Sistine Chapel: white smoke.

    Over the course of a day and a half, the more than 130 members of the College of Cardinals had come to a decision on who should lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. On May 8, 2025, they elected Cardinal Robert Prevost, who chose the name Leo XIV – becoming the first pope from the United States.

    The Conversation U.S. asked Maureen Day, a researcher at the University of Southern California who has written several books about the contemporary church, to explain what Catholicism looks like in the U.S. at this high-stakes moment.

    How is Catholic identity and practice in the U.S. changing, compared with a generation ago?

    In 1987, the year of the first American Catholic Laity survey, nearly half of American Catholics said that faith was “the most” or “among the most” important parts of their life. Now, only 37% say the same.

    Others are leaving the Catholic Church completely. The General Social Survey, a national survey conducted every year or two since the 1970s, asks people about the faith they grew up with, as well as their present religious identity. According to our analysis of its data, in 1973 only 10% of Americans who grew up Catholic had changed religions, and another 7% had left religion altogether. By 2018, each of those percentages had increased to 18%.

    A Pew Research Center study conducted in 2024 found that for every American who converts to Catholicism, another 8.4 leave. The only reason that Catholicism is able to maintain a relatively steady share of the U.S. population – about 20% – is due to the high percentage of immigrants and migrants who are Catholic.

    So my co-authors and I chose the title of our 2025 book, “Catholicism at a Crossroads,” quite intentionally. The church has been facing a variety of challenges for decades, both nationally and across the globe. It’s not just about disaffiliation, but also issues such as the sexual abuse crises and bishops’ decreasing influence on lay Catholics’ personal decisions.

    The Rev. Athanasius Abanulo celebrates Mass in Lanett, Ala., in 2021. Many international clergy, like Abanulo, are helping to ease a shortage of priests in the U.S.
    AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

    In response, church leaders have mostly offered minor adjustments, such as encouraging parishes to become more family- or young adult-friendly. They have not yet made larger shifts that could substantially alter some of those trend lines.

    Some of your work focuses on what you call ‘cultural Catholics’ − defined as Catholics who attend Mass less than once per month. How would you describe cultural Catholicism in the U.S. today?

    A big concern of Catholic leaders right now is decreasing Mass attendance, as weekly Mass is an important precept of the Catholic Church. Sunday Mass is a place for Catholics to participate in the sacraments, strengthen their faith and build relationships with other Catholics.

    One of the things Catholic leaders tend to attribute this drop in attendance to is a broader trend of secularism. There might be some merit to this, but it can’t be the whole story. In our analysis of General Social Survey data, for example, the percentage of Protestant Christians who say they attend worship services weekly was 35% in 1950 and 40% in 2023. Among Catholics, however, weekly Mass attendance has declined from 63% to 30% in these same years.

    “Cultural Catholics” who say they attend Mass “a few times a year” or “seldom or never” account for 53% of U.S. Catholics. Many of them demonstrate strong ties to Catholic teachings in other ways. For example, around 70% to 80% of cultural Catholics say that it is “essential” or “somewhat essential” to Catholicism to help the poor, have a devotion to Mary and practice daily prayer.

    There are findings that can lend themselves to either a “glass half empty” or “glass half full” interpretation. For instance, it might be heartening to Catholic leaders to know that 62% of cultural Catholics say it is important that future generations of their family are Catholic – although this is much lower than the 89% among those who attend Mass frequently.

    Sister Maris Stella Vaughan teaches a religion class at St. John Paul II Catholic School in Phoenix, Ariz., in 2020.
    AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills

    And when these cultural Catholics imagine future generations of their family being Catholic, what does that mean? Perhaps it entails simply a few milestones, like receiving baptism, First Communion and possibly Confirmation – the three sacraments that initiate a person into the Catholic faith. The way many cultural Catholics are loosely tethered to the church, without much involvement in parish life, is a great concern for many Catholic leaders.

    What main challenges do you see for the American church under the next pope?

    I would argue that the American church’s biggest challenge is how to heal the factionalism within itself.

    On the one hand, there is a great deal of common ground among the most active Catholics, even with the diversity still found here. According to our analysis, 20% of Catholics are “high commitment”: those who say they attend Mass weekly, are unlikely to leave the faith, and that the church is very important to them. These Catholics are more likely to depart from their political party’s position on an issue if it does not align with Catholic teachings. For example, high-commitment Catholic Republicans are much more likely to support the bishops’ position on making the immigration process easier for families. High-commitment Catholic Democrats, meanwhile, are more likely to be against abortion than are their moderate- or low-commitment counterparts.

    In other words, these high-commitment Catholics tend to be less polarized and could find common cause with one another.

    Catholics pray during Mass at Benedictine College on Dec. 3, 2023, in Atchison, Kan.
    AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

    However, there are more extreme pockets – such as those who called into question the legitimacy of Francis’ papacy – that are more militant about their vision of Catholicism. While these Catholics are few in number, they are very vocal. There are fringe groups that mobilized to try to change the direction of the Catholic Church after Francis’ papacy, which they saw as a series of liberal reforms.

    Within more mainstream Catholicism, there are divides over styles of worship, with media attention on some young Americans flocking to more conservative or traditional parishes. However, sociologist Tim Clydesdale and religion scholar Kathleen Garces-Foley found that young adult Catholics are split: While some are attracted to churches with pastors who demonstrate “orthodoxy,” a similar number prefer “openness.”

    What do you wish more people understood about Catholicism in the U.S.?

    I think the “missing piece” for many is the incredible diversity of U.S. Catholicism, from race and ethnicity to politics and practice. Many Americans tend to associate the religion with one or two issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage, and assume that Catholics are fairly monolithic, both in their demographics and their politics.

    Catholics themselves can also forget – or never learn – that their small slice of Catholicism is not the whole of Catholicism.

    Recognizing and elevating what unites this vast family of Catholics, both personally and collectively, is going to be critical as the church moves forward.

    This article was updated on May 8, 2025 to include Pope Leo XIV’s election.

    The work mentioned in this article was funded largely by the Louisville Institute. Her previous research has received funding from many sources, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

    – ref. Even with Pope Leo XIV in place, US Catholics stand ‘at a crossroads’ − a sociologist explains – https://theconversation.com/even-with-pope-leo-xiv-in-place-us-catholics-stand-at-a-crossroads-a-sociologist-explains-255177

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Donald Trump has reduced tariffs on British metals and cars, but how important is this trade deal? Experts react

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Maha Rafi Atal, Adam Smith Senior Lecturer in Political Economy, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow

    The US president called it a “very big deal”. The UK prime minister said it was “fantastic, historic” day. For sure, Keir Starmer and his team will have been delighted that the UK was first in line to negotiate adjustments to Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs announced on “liberation day” just a few weeks ago. But what might the trade deal between the UK and US actually mean? We asked four economic experts to respond to the Oval Office announcement.

    Wins for the UK are real, but limited

    Maha Rafi Atal, Adam Smith Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Political Economy, University of Glasgow

    The new UK-US trade announcement is less a breakthrough than a careful balancing act – partial, tactical and politically calculated.

    Key UK wins are real but limited. Tariffs on British metals and autos are eased, thanks in part to the UK government acquisition of the Chinese-owned Scunthorpe steelmaking facility, removing a longstanding US objection. But even auto tariffs are only scaled back to the general baseline of 10% and not eliminated.

    Agriculture and tech remain the real stress points. The UK has granted market access to US agricultural products, including beef, but crucially without changing its food safety standards. This sidesteps a domestic political fight and avoids undermining the UK’s Northern Ireland arrangements or its EU alignment. Still, if US beef doesn’t meet those standards, the market access may prove meaningless in practice – setting up future pressure points.

    Perhaps the most notable UK win: it retains its digital services tax on US tech giants. That tax hits Silicon Valley hard, and the US wanted it gone. Instead, the announcement punts this to future talks – holding the line for now, but not securing it permanently.

    This isn’t the long-anticipated UK-US free trade agreement. It’s not a treaty, not comprehensive, and not ratified. It’s a limited, executive-level arrangement with more questions than answers – and more negotiations to come.

    Stronger ties and badly needed growth to come

    David Collins, Professor of International Economic Law, City St George’s, University of London

    This deal is an excellent development that should help restore the UK-US trade relationship to what it was before President Trump took office for the second time. At the time of writing, few details about the arrangement are known. But the 25% tariff on UK steel and aluminium has been removed, as has the tariff rate on most car exports – from 27.5% to 10%

    The lower car rate applies to the first 100,000 vehicles exported from the UK to the US each year. Around 101,000 were exported last year.

    More details are promised in the coming days and weeks. Perhaps they will include an agreement which separates the UK from any restrictions that the US intends to impose on the film industry. In return, the UK might eliminate its digital services tax on the US (which I argue it should never have imposed because it will only raise prices for consumers and generate little revenue).

    But overall, it seems clear that the Labour government has prioritised the UK’s relationship with the EU, evidently seeking as close as possible a connection without formally rejoining. So, while this agreement with Trump is well short of a comprehensive free trade agreement, it is a welcome development that should strengthen Anglo-American ties and bring some badly needed economic growth to both countries.

    Political theatre for both sides

    Conor O’Kane, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Bournemouth

    This announcement is a framework for a trade deal rather than an actual formal completed agreement. Trade deals are detailed, complex and take many months to negotiate.

    The US and the UK are both countries with massive persistent structural trade deficits. It is very unlikely that what has been announced will significantly shift the dial on either country’s structural deficit or growth forecast.

    Jerome Powell, chair of the US Federal Reserve, recently warned that Donald Trump’s tariff policy risked higher inflation and higher unemployment at the same time, what economists call “stagflation”. The president’s announcement will prove a welcome distraction from Powell’s comments.

    The deal should perhaps be viewed as symbolic. Trump’s US tariff policy has been chaotic to date and his administration finally has something they can point to as a win in the aftermath of “liberation day”.

    Of course, a trade deal is also a good news story for the Labour government after disappointing local elections. Prime Minister Keir Starmer can claim economic credibility by being first in line for a trade deal, perhaps cementing the “special relationship”.

    Mini-tariffs on UK cars.
    balipadma/Shutterstock

    However, is the US a reliable partner to sign a trade deal with? During his first term, Trump signed a free trade deal with Mexico and Canada (the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA – the successor to Nafta). At the time, he said the deal “will be fantastic for all”. But he subsequently reneged on it.

    There is also a wider strategic element to this. First, the US wanted to get a trade deal in place with the UK ahead of what looks like a comprehensive EU-UK trade deal coming down the line. Second, Trump sees the EU as an economic rival. By signing a deal with the UK, he is signalling to other European countries the possibility of a potentially better trading relationship with the US outside of the EU.

    Deal leaves the door open for EU relationship

    Sangeeta Khorana, Professor of International Trade Policy, Aston University

    The agreement is a tactical win for both countries. It eases trade frictions, supports key industries and sets the framework for a broader UK-US free trade agreement without impacting on the UK’s economic reset with the European Union.

    The UK–US agreement, which suspends some of Trump’s recent tariffs, is sector-specific and far from comprehensive. It preserves UK food safety and animal-welfare standards. And it safeguards post-Brexit EU links while allowing the UK to cement its strategic partnership with Washington. Talks will be launched on aerospace, advanced batteries, data flows and services liberalisation within 12 months.

    This is a timely coup, coming so soon after the India deal. The pact represents a strategic diplomatic gain that brings tariff relief (and potentially the associated uncertainty) for key British industries, while also preserving UK’s regulatory alignment with the EU.

    Maha Rafi Atal is sometimes a volunteer organiser for the US Democratic party/candidates and has no party affiliation or involvement in the UK.

    Sangeeta Khorana is Professor and endowed Chair of International Trade Policy at Aston University.

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

    – ref. Donald Trump has reduced tariffs on British metals and cars, but how important is this trade deal? Experts react – https://theconversation.com/donald-trump-has-reduced-tariffs-on-british-metals-and-cars-but-how-important-is-this-trade-deal-experts-react-256240

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dingell Joins Bipartisan Public Lands Caucus as Vice-Chair

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

    Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) joined a bipartisan group of her House colleagues in launching the Public Lands Caucus, a Congressional coalition focused on conserving America’s public lands and expanding access for all Americans. Rep. Dingell will serve as Vice-Chair of the Caucus, along with Co-Chairs Reps. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02), Ryan Zinke (R-MT-01), and Vice-Chair Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID-02). 

    The Public Lands Caucus is founded on the belief that public lands are “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” It will bring lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to advance practical, consensus-driven public lands policy that conserves natural resources while supporting recreation, local economies, and public access. Caucus members are committed to bridging ideological divides and advancing pragmatic solutions to protect and manage public lands.

    “We should be focusing on expanding public access to federal lands, not auctioning them off. And we should be investing in our National Parks System and National Wildlife Refuges, not making it harder for Americans to visit these special places,” said Vice-Chair Rep. Debbie Dingell. “I’m proud to be Vice-Chair of the Public Lands Caucus because conservation has historically been, and should continue to be, a bipartisan priority. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to protect our precious natural resources, federal lands, and beloved species.” 

    “Public lands are where I learned to fish, hunt, and connect with my family and culture—and those experiences shaped who I am,” said Co-Chair Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02). “These lands don’t belong to one party or one group of people; they belong to all of us. The Public Lands Caucus is about protecting that birthright—bringing Democrats and Republicans together to preserve access, defend conservation, and invest in the outdoor economy that powers rural communities like mine in southern New Mexico. This is personal for me, and I’m proud to lead this bipartisan effort to keep our public lands in public hands.”

    “I follow the Theodore Roosevelt motto that public lands are ‘for the benefit and enjoyment of the people,’ and that means making sure we both conserve and manage those lands to ensure public access for the next generation,” said Co-Chair Ryan Zinke (R-MT-02). “Public lands aren’t red or blue issues, it’s red, white and blue. The bipartisan Public Lands Caucus brings together lawmakers who don’t agree on much, but we agree on and are ready to work together to promote policies that advance conservation and public access. I look forward to working with Co-Chair Vasquez, the vice chairs, and all the members of this caucus so future generations can enjoy the same opportunities to hunt, hike, fish, make a living and enjoy our uniquely American heritage.”

    “Idahoans live in Idaho because we love our public lands,” said Vice-Chair Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID-02). “This trend is common across the West, where public lands are a part of our daily lives. As a lifelong Idahoan and Chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, I remain committed to preserving access to our public lands and defending our way of life. Being named Vice Chair of the Public Lands Caucus is an honor, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure future generations can enjoy the same benefits that we do today. I’m thankful to Rep. Zinke for his leadership here.”

    “As someone born and raised in the Coachella Valley, I know how sacred our public lands are. Places like Joshua Tree and the new Chuckwalla National Monument are more than landscapes—they’re part of our identity, history, and culture,” said Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25) “Conserving public lands means protecting cultural heritage, preserving critical ecosystems, and expanding access to nature’s healing power, especially for underserved communities. I’ll continue fighting to ensure every family—no matter where they live—can experience the beauty, health, and enjoyment that public lands offer.”

    “Public land access is integral to Montana,” said Rep. Troy Downing (R-MT-02). “Montanans rely on the Treasure State’s more than 30 million acres of public lands to hunt, fish, recreate, graze their livestock, and so much more. I applaud Co-Chairs Zinke and Vasquez for their efforts and look forward to working with my colleagues to find common sense solutions that preserve my constituents’ access to this fundamentally American resource.”

    “As a representative of Coastal Virginia, I know how vital our public lands and waters are to our economy, our culture, and our quality of life – from supporting tourism and outdoor recreation to sustaining jobs and protecting natural habitats,” said Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02). “I’m proud to join the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus to bring a balanced, commonsense approach to protecting these resources. From our shorelines to our forests, we must ensure that future generations can enjoy and benefit from healthy and accessible public lands across the country for years to come.”

    View photos from the press conference here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McClellan, Bacon, Merkley, Hyde-Smith Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Address Mental Health Treatment Shortages

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (Virginia 4th District)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) and Don Bacon (NE-02) and Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) introduced legislation to address mental health and substance use disorder facility shortages during a growing mental health crisis.

    About one in five American adults live with mental illness, and over 75 percent of adults who needed substance use treatment in the past year did not receive that care. From shortages in inpatient beds to intensive outpatient programs to behavioral health providers, treatment availability has not kept up with growing demand. As a consequence, many patients go without care or are boarded in emergency departments for days to weeks until psychiatric beds become available, which can have deeply harmful impacts on patient well-being. 

    H.R. 3266, the Mental Health Infrastructure Improvement Act would:

    • Establish a new loan and loan guarantee program within the Department of Health and Human Services to build or renovate mental health or substance use disorder treatment facilities.
    • Reserve at least a quarter of the funding for pediatric- and adolescent-serving facilities.
    • Prioritize facilities located in high need, underserved or rural areas and able to provide integrated care for patients with complex needs.

    “We face a mental health crisis in this country, but have yet to meet that crisis with the necessary avenues of support that our neighbors, friends, and family members need to battle a mental health or substance use disorder,” said Congresswoman McClellan. “Those bravely seeking support shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get it, and addressing these facility shortages now will help ensure that care is there when patients need it. I urge my colleagues to support the Mental Health Infrastructure Improvement Act to invest in our nation’s well-being and ensure every American, especially our nation’s youth and underserved communities, get the care they need.”

    “At a time when one in every five U.S. adults report experiencing mental illness, we need to be investing in mental health care,” said Rep. Bacon. “The Mental Health Infrastructure Improvement Act will expand mental health infrastructure and ensure we have the capability to treat those experiencing a mental health crisis. There is a significant shortage of available treatment, and it is crucial that we address this gap.”

    “Mental health care is essential health care,” said Senator Merkley. “This legislation is about ensuring that communities in Oregon and across the nation have the infrastructure they need to provide critical mental health and substance use disorder services. By investing in mental health care facilities, we can make meaningful progress in addressing the mental health crisis affecting so many of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones.”

    “This legislation recognizes that our nation faces a growing crisis in not having enough infrastructure and workforce to treat people with mental health and substance abuse disorders.  We struggle with this in Mississippi,” Senator Hyde-Smith said.  “Our goal is to use loans and loan guarantees to increase the number of facilities to provide quality mental health and substance abuse care, while lessening the burdens now placed on law enforcement and local hospitals.”

    This legislation is endorsed by the American College of Emergency Physicians, American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Hospital Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association Services, Children’s Hospital Association, Clinical Social Work Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association for Behavioral Healthcare, National Association of Social Workers, National Rural Health Association, The Trevor Project, and Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.
     
    Read the full bill text here. Read the one-pager here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman De La Cruz Announces Winners of 2025 Congressional Art Competition

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Monica De La Cruz (TX-15)

    Congresswoman De La Cruz (TX-15) announced the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for Texas’s 15th District, Alina Ozuna from Edinburg North High School. Alina’s piece, “In America, We Believe,” was selected from among 55 entries submitted by talented young high school artists across her district.

    As the district winner, Alina’s piece will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol alongside winning artwork from other districts across the country.

    “I am thrilled to congratulate Alina on this incredible achievement. Her work beautifully captures the ideas of the American Dream, and it will be an inspiring addition to the halls of the nation’s Capitol for all to enjoy. I am proud of all the students who participated, and I hope you all continue to share your passion for creativity.” – Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz

    Congresswoman De La Cruz honored Briana Olvera from Edinburg High School with second place for her piece, “I Thank the Women in My Life for Giving Me a Choice,” and Cassandra Pedraza from Edinburg North High School with third place for her piece, “Hard Work, Tender Care”. 

    “In America, We Believe” by Alina Ozuna

     
    Background:
    Every spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and each Congressional District. Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.
     
    This year’s competition was judged by a panel of local educators from UTRGV’s School of Art and Design, including Director Ed Pogue and Art Instructors Rosie Kane and Ashley Gonzalez.
     
    For more information about the annual art competition, please visit our website here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: May 08, 2025 Mullin, Schakowsky & Blumenthal Call on Trump Administration to Reserve Plans to Eliminate Consumer Product Safety Commission [1] H.R. Rep. No. 92-1153, at 25 (1972) (“The Commission’s decisions under this legislation will necessarily involve a careful meld of safety and economic considerations. This delicate balance, the committee believes, should be struck in a setting as far removed as… Read More

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Kevin Mullin California (15th District)

    “Without the dedicated oversight of the CPSC, American families, especially children, will be left vulnerable in their own homes.”

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Kevin Mullin (D-CA) today led 21 members of the Senate and 27 members of the House in calling on Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to reverse plans to eliminate the bipartisan, independent Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC is the only government entity tasked with developing and enforcing product safety standards, facilitating recalls of unsafe products, and educating consumers and businesses about product hazards and best practices. The proposal to absorb some of CPSC’s core functions into a nonexistent division within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as HHS’ budget is being cut, is unrealistic and threatens public safety.

    “Since its inception, the CPSC has played a vital role safeguarding American families, and in particular infants, children, and older Americans. Thanks to the CPSC’s critical work, residential fires and fire-related deaths have decreased by over 40 percent. Crib deaths and child poisonings have dropped by 80 percent. The Commission’s work continues today, identifying emerging threats and protecting Americans from dangerous and banned imported products,” the Members wrote.

    The Members continued, “With the rapid growth of e-commerce and imported consumer products, especially from countries with less stringent safety regulations, CPSC plays a critical role to prevent unsafe and counterfeit goods from entering the U.S. market unchecked.”

    “We strongly oppose any attempt to eliminate, defund, or weaken the CPSC and demand that you immediately roll back any efforts to dissolve the agency. Americans rightfully expect that the products they bring into their home are safe, and only the CPSC has the authority and expertise to ensure that expectation is met,” the Members concluded.

    Blumenthal, Schakowsky, and Mullin’s letter comes as more than 150 consumer protection and trade groups warned that eliminating the CPSC would undermine product safety, weaken enforcement actions, consumer education campaigns, and data collection initiatives that protect Americans.

    U.S. Senators Amby Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Angus King (I-ME), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ron Wyden (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Martin Heinrich (D-MN) signed onto the letter.

    U.S. Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Al Green (D-TX), Danny Davis (D-IL), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL), Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Paul D. Tonko (D-NY), Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL), Rick Larson (D-CT), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Lori Trahan (D-MA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rashida Talib (D-MI), Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Robin L. Kelly (D-IL), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), André Carson (D-IN), Becca Balint (D-WA), and J. Luis Correa (D-CA) also joined the letter.

    The full text of Blumenthal, Schakowsky, and Mullin’s letter is available here and below.

    Dear Director Vought:

                We write today on behalf of American consumers to express outrage that the Administration’s draft budget includes plans to eliminate the bipartisan, independent Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) and absorb some of its functions and staff into a currently nonexistent staff division within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The CPSC develops and enforces commonsense product safety standards, facilitates recalls of unsafe products, and educates consumers and businesses on product hazards and best practices.  Eliminating the agency will put the physical safety of all Americans at risk. 

    Congress created the CPSC almost 50 years ago to protect Americans from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with consumer products.  The Administration does not have the authority to eliminate a Commission established by Congress, as doing so would exceed its constitutional powers and undermine the principles of the legislative process.

                The establishment of the CPSC as an independent five-member commission reflected the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee’s understanding that product safety should be “as far removed as possible from partisan influence.”[1] Since its inception, the CPSC has played a vital role safeguarding American families, and in particular infants, children, and older Americans. Thanks to the CPSC’s critical work, residential fires and fire-related deaths have decreased by over 40 percent.[2] Crib deaths and child poisonings have dropped by 80 percent.[3] The Commission’s work continues today, identifying emerging threats and protecting Americans from dangerous and banned imported products. With the rapid growth of e-commerce and imported consumer products, especially from countries with less stringent safety regulations, CPSC plays a critical role to prevent unsafe and counterfeit goods from entering the U.S. market unchecked. These protections for American families have led to a comprehensive set of product safety standards, recall processes, data collection, and public education, which cannot be transferred to a new agency by executive action.

                HHS lacks the statutory authority to carry out the CPSC’s critical functions. Moreover, HHS already carries a broad mandate, overseeing food and drug regulation, communicable disease prevention, public health emergency preparation and responses, medical research, and the administration of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Yet, your Administration’s proposed budget plans would reduce HHS’s discretionary budget by one-third and eliminate 20,000 staff positions. Adding product safety to HHS’s already vast and demanding mandate, all while slashing the department’s budget and staff, would jeopardize the lives and physical safety of American families.

                We strongly oppose any attempt to eliminate, defund, or weaken the CPSC and demand that you immediately roll back any efforts to dissolve the agency.  Americans rightfully expect that the products they bring into their home are safe, and only the CPSC has the authority and expertise to ensure that expectation is met. The CPSC’s continued existence is essential to protecting Americans from preventable injury and death. Without the dedicated oversight of the CPSC, American families, especially children, will be left vulnerable in their own homes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Crapo Introduce Legislation to Modernize Short Line and Regional Railroad Tax Credit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    May 08, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has reintroduced legislation with U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, to expand the Short Line Railroad Tax Credit that provides operators with essential resources to ensure communities and small businesses can rely on safe infrastructure. 

    The bipartisan Short Line Railroad Tax Credit Modernization Act would increase the tax credit available for track rehabilitation and maintenance from $3,500 per mile to $6,100 per mile. The bill would also make more tracks eligible for the credit. Under current law, eligibility is based on maps of track owned or leased by short line railroad operators as of 2015. The bill would expand eligibility to all tracks owned or leased as of 2025 and in accordance with modern maps. 

    “Short line and regional railroads are not just a mode of transportation, they are also a vital economic tool that connects local businesses with Oregonians and other people all across the nation,” said Wyden. “For years, Senator Crapo and I worked together to make railroad tax credits permanent, and the next step is to make these tax credits better for our operators.  Our bipartisan bill will provide railroads with much needed resources to make vital upgrades that will bring our rural, suburban and urban communities and their local economies together.”

    “Short line railroads are critical infrastructure that connect Idaho’s farmers, ranchers and manufacturers to national and global markets, supporting local jobs and driving economic growth in rural Idaho,” said Crapo. “Modernizing the Short Line Railroad Tax Credit will provide railroads with necessary certainty and resources to invest in safety, efficiency and long-term infrastructure improvements in our regional areas.” 

    Text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Stevens Congratulates Zox HOA on Village Designation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

    Washington, D.C. – Last week, the Zox HOA won a designation from the state of Michigan to become a village, the first new village incorporated in the state of Michigan in 27 years. HOA leaders worked closely with Congresswoman Stevens to achieve this innovative solution and navigate the designation process, so the Michigan families in the village would be better able to manage their community. The new village’s placeholder name is the Village of Lakeside Park.

    For years, residents of the Zox HOA in West Bloomfield, MI struggled to receive essential services, including waste and water management, because of their unique position on Cass Lake. Congresswoman Stevens worked with leadership from the HOA and from West Bloomfield to come up with this unique and creative solution of creating a new village. By achieving the designation of village, the residents of the Village of Lakeside Park, will have their own tax pool to create and pay for their own essential services, a system that is much more fair for taxpayers in the new village and in West Bloomfield.

    “Congratulations to the Zox HOA on achieving the designation from the state to become your own incorporated government! Michiganders deserve to have a government that’s innovative and works best for them, and it’s even better when members of a community come together as the drivers of that change. I applaud every community member for your hard work in officially getting Lakeside Park designated as a village, and look forward to working alongside all of you and your new colleagues as you make this transition,” said Congresswoman Haley Stevens.

    “We are a wonderful and unique community with so many Michiganders who have lived here their entire lives and so many families who have lived here for generations. We have always felt like a village and everyone here is excited for the next chapter of our community. When Congresswoman Stevens suggested we look into incorporating as a village to give us more tools to manage our infrastructure, it wasn’t something a lot of people thought was possible.   After three years of work and with the support of our elected representatives, it’s official, we’re a village!” said Chris LaDuke, current HOA board member and Chair of the Village Committee.  

    “Becoming a village will allow residents to seek grants and loans they would otherwise not be entitled to, repair their infrastructure, and create a more enjoyable and liveable community. I congratulate our neighbors in the newly designated village of Lakeside Park on their achievement and wish them the best of luck,” said West Bloomfield Township Supervisor Jonathan Warshay.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Stefanik Joined Fox News’ Faulkner Focus on Pro-Terrorist Rioters at Columbia and Antisemitism in Higher Education

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (21st District of New York)

    ICYMI: Stefanik Joined Fox News’ Faulkner Focus on Pro-Terrorist Rioters at Columbia and Antisemitism in Higher Education | Press Releases | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Stefanik Commends FBI and U.S. Attorney Investigation into Letitia James for Alleged Mortgage Fraud

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (21st District of New York)

    Stefanik Commends FBI and U.S. Attorney Investigation into Letitia James for Alleged Mortgage Fraud | Press Releases | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

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  • MIL-OSI USA: LEADER JEFFRIES ON HOUSE FLOOR: “AMERICA IS NOT DOWN WITH MTG”

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

    Washington, DC – Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke on the House Floor in opposition to the sycophantic bill put forward by Rubber Stamp Republicans to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

    JEFFRIES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also thank the distinguished gentleman, my good friend from the great state of California, for his tremendous leadership and for pushing back against this bill. I urge a strong no against this silly, small-minded and sycophantic piece of legislation.

    When the American people woke up this morning, they could reasonably ask the question, what are their elected representatives on the Floor of the House of Representatives going to be debating? In an environment where the Trump tariffs are costing them thousands of dollars more per year, Republicans are crashing the economy in real time, costs are being raised on hardworking American taxpayers and Republicans are driving us toward a painful recession. What might Members of Congress under this temporary Republican majority be debating on the floor today? Would it be legislation about the economy? Something about healthcare? Anything about Social Security? Perhaps something on public safety? Maybe national security matters? Anything to bring to life the American dream for hardworking American taxpayers? No? What Republicans have decided to spend this entire legislative day doing is to debate a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

    Now, in some ways, I guess the American people can be thankful because this week, what Republicans were going to try and do was visit upon the American people the largest Medicaid cut in American history. And because Republicans are on the run, they were forced to take that hearing down. That battle’s not over. So in the absence of their ability to actually jam up hardworking American taxpayers, instead of focusing on things that would make a difference in the lives of the American people, we are here on the House floor more than 400 years after the fact, debating legislation to rename the Gulf of Mexico. 

    And it turns out there’s a lot more foolishness than this particular bill. Apparently, it’s not enough simply to try to rename the Gulf of Mexico. Republicans have introduced an act of Congress to express support for the designation of the first-ever Gulf of America Day. That ingenious piece of legislation was introduced by Representative Mark Alford of Missouri. At a time when Americans are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck, when we are grappling with the high cost of living, don’t worry, Republicans have a solution. Congressman Brandon Gill of Texas has your back with a bill to require the $100 note to include a portrait of Donald J. Trump. No thank you. Not to be outdone, Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina has the Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act. Really? Hard pass. 

    Flight travel has become more dangerous. We have an air traffic control crisis ongoing this week at a major airport in the northeast, central to a lot of the commerce and the functioning of the economy, an economy that Republicans are breaking in real time. What would be the Republican response to the situation in our skies? Representative Addison McDowell of the great state of North Carolina has a bill to designate Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia as the Donald J. Trump International Airport. Did Virginia even vote for Donald Trump? Families are confronting thousands of dollars more per year in higher costs thanks to Donald Trump’s reckless tariffs. And instead of pushing back the President and Congress asserting our constitutional authority as it relates to tariffs and trade in the best interests of the American people—no—Republicans have a different approach. Here’s this gem from Representative Anna Paulina Luna of the great state of Florida. She’s got legislation to arrange for the carving of the figure of President Donald J. Trump on Mount Rushmore. Are we living in the times of King Nebuchadnezzar? What are we doing, folks?

    There are serious issues that the American people want us to confront. From the very beginning of this Congress, Democrats have said we will work with anyone to lower the high cost of living, to secure the border, to fix our broken immigration system, to protect communities, to stand up for the healthcare, the safety, the well-being, the national security of the American people. Republicans have no agenda other than the toxic agenda connected to their big ugly bill that they are trying to jam down the throats of the American people. And so when they have to run away from that and push it back, this is what we’re left with. Renaming the Gulf of Mexico, which 70% of the American people reject. That’s according to Fox News, that bastion of progressive politics. And so I’m here strongly urging a no vote against this small-minded, silly and sycophantic bill. And I can say without hesitation, reservation or need for clarification that America is not down with MTG. I yield back.

    Full remarks can be watched here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Titus, Schweikert, Cohen, and Ciscomani Launch Congressional Wild Horse Caucus

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

    Congresswoman Dina Titus, a longtime advocate for wild horses, announced the formation of the Congressional Wild Horse Caucus to encourage federal policies for more humane treatment of wild horses and burros.

    “Nevada is home to more than 30,000 wild horses and burros – more than half of all the wild horses and burros in the United States,” said Congresswoman Titus. “These icons of the American West deserve to be treated humanely, and the bipartisan Wild Horse Caucus can lay the groundwork for better management of these herds by the Bureau of Land Management.”

    Congresswoman Titus has introduced legislation to eliminate the often harmful and fatal use of helicopters in BLM wild horse gathers. She also has proposed using fertility control as a more humane and less expensive means to control wild horse populations.

    “I am hopeful that the Wild Horse Caucus will raise awareness in Congress that there are better ways to manage wild horses and burros,” said Congresswoman Titus. “Protecting these animals from harm should be an issue we can all agree upon.”

    Joining Congresswoman Titus as co-chairs of the bipartisan caucus are Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-1), Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-9), and Rep. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6).

    “Growing up, I had the blessing of spending much time on several ranches and farms in Arizona. These experiences have led me to serve as an advocate for humane treatment and protection of these majestic species. I’m looking forward to the conservation initiatives that will come out of the formation of this caucus,” said Congressman Schweikert.

    “I’m proud to be a co-chairman of the bipartisan Wild Horse Caucus and to work to protect these iconic symbols of our country.  Wild horses and burros are part of our national heritage. How we treat animals is a direct reflection of who we are, and I hold firm in the belief that all beings should be treated humanely,” said Congressman Cohen.

    “Wild horses and burros embody the spirit and heritage of the West and deserve to be protected and treated humanely,” said Congressman Ciscomani. “For too long, these animals have been subject to cruel and costly roundups that, at best, remove them from their natural habitat to be housed in warehouses, and at worse, result in the death of the animal. Caring for wild horses and burros is not a partisan issue, which is why I am proud to be named as Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Wild Horse Caucus to promote humane policies, such as fertility control and habitat preservation, to manage and care for these iconic animals.”

    “This is an important step toward reforming a broken system,” said Suzanne Roy, Executive Director of American Wild Horse Conservation. “For too long, federal wild horse policy has relied on costly and inhumane roundups that remove animals from the range only to warehouse them in holding facilities. We commend the leaders of the Wild Horse Caucus for recognizing that there’s a better way to manage our wild herds that is rooted in humane treatment, science, and fiscal responsibility.”

    “Protecting America’s wild horses and burros has always been a bipartisan issue, in large part because these iconic animals hold an important place in our country’s history and because, for countless Americans, they continue to embody the spirit of freedom and resilience,” said Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., Animal Welfare Institute’s Equine Program Director and Senior Policy Advisor. “We are grateful to Representatives Titus, Ciscomani, Schweikert, and Cohen for their outstanding leadership on this issue. The Congressional Wild Horse Caucus will help ensure these beloved animals will be protected for generations to come.”

    Background

    In efforts to control equine populations, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is currently directed to “humanely capture” wild free-roaming horses and burros and set them up for adoption. To assist in the roundup, or “gathering”, of wild horses and burros, the BLM contracts directly with private enterprises, including helicopter companies, to pursue equines over long distances, creating situations that can be frightening and even deadly to the animals.

    These roundup practices also come at a steep cost to taxpayers. Since 2006, the BLM’s roundup contracts have paid some $57.4 million in taxpayer dollars to helicopter companies. Scientific research has shown that more humane and cost-effective alternatives, like fertility control, are equally effective in controlling equine populations. The BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program, however, currently spends less than four percent of its budget on these methods. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin Delivers House Floor Speech Against Senseless Deportation of Constituents

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

    May 08, 2025

    Rep. Mike Levin speaks about Gonzalez family deportation

    Washington, D.C.- Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) delivered a speech on the House Floor against the deportation of Laguna Niguel constituents, Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, who were deported to Colombia in February despite living in the U.S. for 35 years, raising a family, paying taxes, and having no criminal record.

    Watch the full House Floor speech here. Full remarks below.  

    “M. Speaker, I rise today to speak for my constituents Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez.

    “Thirty-five years ago, they came to the United States from Colombia in search of a better life.

    “They tried to file for asylum but received bad legal advice from a now-disbarred attorney. 

    “They raised three daughters in Laguna Niguel, California, worked hard, paid taxes, and never got so much as a traffic ticket.

    “For decades, they checked in with ICE voluntarily and were allowed to stay in the country.

    “But this past February, while at their ICE appointment, they were detained, separated, and deported.

    “Why was a family with no criminal history, no gang affiliation, three children, a new grandchild, why were they a priority for deportation? 

    “We should be using our resources to remove dangerous individuals — not those contributing positively to our society and to our economy.

    “Not people like Nelson and Gladys Gonzalez.

    “I’m all for a secure border, but what we’re seeing today is not the America that I know.  

    “Thank you. And I yield back.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Energy Department Aligns Award Criteria for For-profit, Non-profit Organizations, and State and Local Governments, Saving $935 Million Annually

    Source: US Department of Energy

    WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced three new policy actions that are projected to save more than $935 million annually for the American taxpayer, while expanding American innovation and scientific research. In three new policy memorandums, the DOE announced that it will follow best practices used by fellow grant providers and limit “indirect costs” of DOE funding to 10% for state and local governments, 15% for non-profit organizations, and 15% for for-profit companies.

    The Energy Department expects to generate over $935 million in annual cost savings for the American people, delivering on President Trump’s commitment to bring greater transparency and efficiency to federal government spending. Estimated savings are based on applying the new policies to 2024 fiscal year spending.

    “This action ensures that Department of Energy funds are supporting state, local, for-profit and non-profit initiatives that make energy more affordable and secure for Americans, not funding administrative costs,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said. “By aligning our policy on indirect costs with industry standards, we are increasing accountability of taxpayer dollars and ensuring the American people are getting the greatest value possible from these DOE programs.”

    These policy actions follow an announcement made in April to limit financial support of “indirect costs” of DOE research funding at colleges and universities to 15%, saving an estimated additional $405 million annually.

    By enacting indirect cost limits, the Department aligns its practices with those common for other grant providers.

    The full three memorandums are available below:

    POLICY FLASH

    SUBJECT: Adjusting Department of Energy Financial Assistance Policy for State and Local Governments’ Financial Assistance Awards

    BACKGROUND: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2), the Department of Energy (“Department”) is updating its policy with respect to Department financial assistance funding awarded to state and local governments.

    Through its financial assistance programs (which include grants and cooperative agreements), the Department funds research, development, and deployment projects and activities in furtherance of its mission consistent with its policies and priorities.  A portion of the funding provided pursuant to a DOE financial assistance agreement (“Award”) goes to “indirect costs,” sometimes referred to as facilities and administration (F&A) costs.  Facilities costs can sometimes be comprised of such things as depreciation of buildings, rent, equipment, capital improvements, and other operations and maintenance expenses, while administration costs can include such things as general expenses for administrative salaries and fringe benefits such as insurance and paid time off, accounting, office supplies, payroll, and other general administration costs.   

    While the Department is aware that many Award recipients use indirect cost payments to effectuate activities funded by the Department’s financial assistance awards, these indirect cost payments are not for funding the Department’s direct project activities.  As these funds are entrusted to the Department by the American people, the Department must ensure it is putting funds to appropriate use on financial assistance programs.  To improve efficiency and curtail costs where appropriate, the Department seeks to better balance the financial needs of financial assistance award recipients with the Department’s obligation to responsibly manage federal funds. 

    Accordingly, this policy flash announces the Department’s updated policies, procedures, and general decision-making criteria for establishing standards (and limits) for payment of indirect costs related to financial assistance awarded to state and local governments.  When awarding financial assistance to state and local governments these policies, procedures, and criteria are intended to better balance the Department’s dual responsibilities to financial assistance award recipients and the American people.

    Effective immediately, this guidance only applies to new or conditional Awards with state and local governments.  New Awards are considered to be Awards issued under Notices of Funding Opportunity yet to be released. Conditional Awards are awards for prior Notices of Funding Opportunity or Funding Opportunity Announcements where negotiations are not yet complete and/or the Award has not been executed. This guidance does not apply to tribal entities.

    ESTABLISHING APPROPRIATE INDIRECT COST REIMBURSEMENT LIMITS:

    At present, the indirect cost rate for state and local government financial assistance Awards is typically negotiated by one of nine other Federal agencies, depending on the state and local governmental entity involved, see 2 C.F.R. 200, app. V(F)(1). The Department plans to establish a new policy on the payment of indirect costs under Awards to state and local governments.  The Department plans to establish a maximum allowable dollar amount (stated in terms of a percentage of the total project award amount) that it will reimburse for allowable, allocable, and reasonable indirect costs under Awards.  The percentage that will be reimbursable is inclusive of total indirect costs and fringe benefit costs.  

    For the reasons set forth in this memorandum, for New Awards, recipients should continue to utilize their negotiated and approved indirect cost rate(s) in applications for Awards, but the Department will establish a maximum dollar amount that it will reimburse under Awards to state and local governments.  The maximum limit of funds to be paid or reimbursed to a new Award recipient as indirect costs will be calculated as a percentage of the total project award amount and will be included in the Award terms as a cap.  For state and local government financial assistance awards, this maximum percentage is 10 percent (10%). 

    All New Awards to state and local governments will mandate that the Department will limit the payment or reimbursement of all allowable, allocable, and reasonable indirect costs to a maximum of ten percent (10%) of the total project award amount.  This policy will better balance the Department’s twin aims of funding meaningful financial assistance programs to stimulate a public purpose, such as improved infrastructure or technology deployment, and upholding its fiduciary Federal Stewardship obligations to the American people.

    In circumstances where the Secretary has determined it is necessary and appropriate, the dollar threshold for reimbursement of indirect costs may be modified for Award(s) to state and local governments that are subject to this policy.

    Additional information is forthcoming.

    POLICY FLASH

    SUBJECT: Adjusting Department of Energy Financial Assistance Policy for Non-profit Organizations’ Financial Assistance Awards

    BACKGROUND: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2), the Department of Energy (“Department”) is updating its policy with respect to Department financial assistance funding awarded to nonprofit organizations.

    Through its financial assistance programs (which include grants and cooperative agreements), the Department funds research, development, and deployment projects and activities in furtherance of its mission consistent with its policies and priorities. A portion of the funding provided pursuant to a Department financial assistance agreement (“Award”) goes to “indirect costs,” sometimes referred to as facilities and administration (“F&A”) costs. Facilities costs can sometimes be comprised of such things as depreciation of buildings, rent, equipment, capital improvements, and other operations and maintenance expenses, while administration costs can include such things as general expenses for administrative salaries and fringe benefits such as insurance and paid time off, accounting, office supplies, payroll, and other general administration costs.  

    While the Department is aware that many Award recipients use indirect cost payments to effectuate activities funded by the Department’s financial assistance awards, these indirect cost payments are not for funding the Department’s direct project activities. As these funds are entrusted to the Department by the American people, the Department must ensure it is putting funds to appropriate use on financial assistance programs. To improve efficiency and curtail costs where appropriate, the Department seeks to better balance the financial needs of financial assistance award recipients with the Department’s obligation to responsibly manage federal funds.

    Accordingly, this policy flash announces the Department’s updated policies, procedures, and general decision-making criteria for establishing standards (and limits) for payment of indirect costs related to financial assistance awarded to nonprofit organizations. When awarding financial assistance to nonprofit organizations these policies, procedures, and criteria are intended to better balance the Department’s dual responsibilities to Award recipients and the American people.

    Effective immediately, this guidance only applies to new or conditional Awards with nonprofit organizations. New Awards are considered to be Awards issued under Notices of Funding Opportunity yet to be released. Conditional Awards are awards for prior Notices of Funding Opportunity or Funding Opportunity Announcements where negotiations are not yet complete and/or the Award has not been executed.

    ESTABLISHING APPROPRIATE INDIRECT COST REIMBURSEMENT LIMITS:

    At present, the indirect cost rate for nonprofit organization Awards is typically negotiated by the Federal agency with the largest dollar value of Federal awards directly funded to the nonprofit organization, see 2 C.F.R. 200, app. IV(C)(2)(a). The Department plans to establish a new policy on the payment of indirect costs under Awards to nonprofit organizations. The Department plans to establish a maximum allowable dollar amount (stated in terms of a percentage of the total project award amount) that it will reimburse for allowable, allocable, and reasonable indirect costs under Awards. The percentage that will be reimbursable is inclusive of total indirect costs and fringe benefit costs.

    For the reasons set forth in this memorandum, for New Awards, recipients should continue to utilize their negotiated and approved indirect cost rate(s) in applications for Awards, but the Department will establish a maximum dollar amount that it will reimburse under Awards to nonprofit organizations. The maximum limit of funds to be paid or reimbursed to a new Award recipient as indirect costs will be calculated as a percentage of the total project award amount and will be included in the Award terms as a cap. For nonprofit organization Awards, this maximum percentage is 15 percent (15%).

    All New Awards to nonprofit organizations will mandate that the Department will limit the payment or reimbursement of all allowable, allocable, and reasonable indirect costs to a maximum of fifteen percent (15%) of the total project award amount. This policy will better balance the Department’s twin aims of funding meaningful financial assistance programs to stimulate a public purpose, such as improved infrastructure or technology deployment, and upholding its fiduciary Federal Stewardship obligations to the American people.

    In circumstances where the Secretary has determined it is necessary and appropriate, the dollar threshold for payment of indirect costs may be modified for Award(s) to nonprofit organizations that are subject to this policy.

    Additional information is forthcoming.

    POLICY FLASH

    SUBJECT: Adjusting Department of Energy Financial Assistance Policy for For-profit Organizations’ Financial Assistance Awards 

    BACKGROUND: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2), the Department of Energy (“Department”) is updating its policy with respect to Department financial assistance funding awarded to for-profit organizations.

    Through its financial assistance programs (which include grants and cooperative agreements), the Department funds research, development, and deployment projects and activities in furtherance of its mission consistent with its policies and priorities. A portion of the funding provided pursuant to a Department financial assistance agreement (“Award”) goes to “indirect costs.”. Indirect costs can be comprised of one or more indirect pools to include fringe pools associated with employee benefits, overhead pools that support business operations, and general and administrative (G&A) pools associated with the overall administration of a business.  These indirect pools typically may include costs for health insurance, paid leave, payroll taxes, rent, utilities, professional services, IT, supplies, executive salaries, rent, training, licenses and permits, depreciation, and other general expenses not directly tied to a specific project.  

    While the Department is aware that many Award recipients use indirect cost payments to effectuate activities funded by the Department’s financial assistance awards, these indirect cost payments are not for funding the Department’s direct project activities. As these funds are entrusted to the Department by the American people, the Department must ensure it is putting funds to appropriate use on financial assistance programs. To improve efficiency and curtail costs where appropriate, the Department seeks to better balance the financial needs of financial assistance award recipients with the Department’s obligation to responsibly manage federal funds.

    Accordingly, this policy flash announces the Department’s updated policies, procedures, and general decision-making criteria for establishing standards (and limits) for payment of indirect costs related to financial assistance awarded to for-profit organizations, as defined by 2 C.F.R. Part 910.122. When awarding financial assistance to for-profit organizations these policies, procedures, and criteria are intended to better balance the Department’s dual responsibilities to Award recipients and the American people.

    Effective immediately, this guidance only applies to new or conditional Awards with for-profit organizations. New Awards are considered to be Awards issued under Notices of Funding Opportunity yet to be released. Conditional Awards are awards for prior Notices of Funding Opportunity or Funding Opportunity Announcements where negotiations are not yet complete and/or the Award has not been executed.

    ESTABLISHING APPROPRIATE INDIRECT COST REIMBURSEMENT LIMITS:

    At present, the indirect cost rate for for-profit organization Awards is typically negotiated by the Federal agency with the largest dollar value of Federal awards directly funded to the for-profit organization, see 48 C.F.R. Part 42.003(a). The Department plans to establish a new policy on the payment of indirect costs under awards to for-profit organizations. The Department plans to establish a maximum allowable dollar amount (stated in terms of a percentage of the total project award amount) that it will reimburse for allowable, allocable, and reasonable indirect costs under Awards. The percentage that will be reimbursable is inclusive of total indirect costs and fringe benefit costs.

    For the reasons set forth in this memorandum, for New Awards, recipients should continue to utilize their negotiated and approved indirect cost rate(s) in applications for Awards, but the Department will establish a maximum dollar amount that it will reimburse under Awards to for-profit organizations. The maximum limit of funds to be paid or reimbursed to a new Award recipient as indirect costs will be calculated as a percentage of the total project award amount and will be included in the Award terms as a cap. For for-profit organization Awards, this maximum percentage is fifteen percent (15%).

    All New Awards to for-profit organizations will mandate that the Department will limit the payment or reimbursement of all allowable, allocable, and reasonable indirect costs to a maximum of fifteen percent (15%) of the total project award amount. This policy will better balance the Department’s twin aims of funding meaningful financial assistance programs to stimulate a public purpose, such as improved infrastructure or technology deployment, and upholding its fiduciary Federal Stewardship obligations to the American people.

    In circumstances where the Secretary has determined it is necessary and appropriate, the dollar threshold for payment of indirect costs may be modified for Award(s) to for-profit organizations that are subject to this policy.

    Additional information is forthcoming.

    These flashes will be available online at the Department of Energy Policy Flashes website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Making Homeownership More Affordable Statewide

    Source: US State of New York

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    Create $100 Million New York State Pro-Housing Supply Fund

    Governor Hochul signed Executive Order 30 in July 2023 creating the Pro-Housing Community Program, which recognizes and rewards municipalities actively working to unlock their housing potential and encourages others to follow suit. In the State Fiscal Year 2025 Enacted Budget, Governor Hochul made the “Pro-Housing Community” designation a requirement for accessing up to $650 million in State discretionary programs. To date, nearly 470 localities have submitted letters of intent, and 300 municipalities from all corners of New York State have received Pro Housing certification. To further support localities that are doing their part to address the housing crisis, Governor Hochul is creating a $100 million Pro-Housing Supply fund for certified Pro-Housing Communities to assist with critical infrastructure projects necessary to create new housing, such as sewer and water infrastructure upgrades.

    Provide Communities Technical Assistance to Become Pro-Housing

    Without resources, some communities may not have the ability to design and adopt pro-housing policies such as master plans, zoning text updates, and streamlined permitting procedures. To help ensure more localities that want to promote housing growth have the ability to do so, Governor Hochul will provide $5.25 million in new grant funding to offer technical assistance to communities seeking to foster housing growth and associated municipal development.

    Launch New York State’s First Mixed-Income Revolving Loan Fund

    With major forthcoming economic investments in Upstate New York, such as Micron’s $100 billion investment in Clay, the state continues to need an all-of-the-above approach to the housing supply to address acute housing needs and accommodate job growth. Too often, however, Upstate communities do not have the tools to create mixed income rental housing, leaving many developments permit-ready but unable to secure financing. To bridge this gap and unlock more housing, Governor Hochul is launching the State’s first revolving loan fund to spur mixed-income rental development outside New York City. With a $50 million State investment, the fund will fill construction financing gaps by providing a lower-cost and more flexible form of capital than is generally available in market financing. The funding will revolve and self-sustain over time through repayments once projects have converted to permanent financing after construction.

    Housing Access Voucher Program Pilot

    As part of the FY26 Enacted Budget, Governor Hochul is investing $50 million for the first year of a four-year pilot program for state-funded vouchers for homeless families or families at imminent risk of losing their housing. Vouchers would be available to households making 50 percent of area median income. HCR will administer the program through local partners outside of New York City, with the NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and/or the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) administering the program within New York City. The vouchers will be a critical new tool to help New Yorkers escape or evade homelessness and housing insecurity.

    Provide Starter Home Innovation Funding

    Oftentimes, homes being built by the market today are larger and therefore less affordable than a traditional starter home. An undersupply of smaller, affordable homes limits mobility within the market, preventing young families from becoming homeowners and older New Yorkers from downsizing. Governor Hochul secured $50 million in capital funding to incentivize the building of more starter homes, including innovative approaches to homebuilding such as the use of factory-built and modular development.

    $40 Million to Support the Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP)

    The Homeowner Protection Program is a state-wide network of housing counseling and legal services organizations serving every county in New York. The network provides critical services to at-risk homeowners struggling to maintain their housing and avoid foreclosure. HOPP is also a front line defense in gentrifying neighborhoods helping to prevent fraud and deed theft for vulnerable homeowners. This funding will ensure that this network can continue to serve thousands of homeowners, preserving millions of dollars in equity and stabilizing communities.

    Expand and Strengthen the Resilient and Ready Programs

    Severe weather events are leaving New York homeowners in need of urgent repairs and long-term resilience measures. Governor Hochul secured $50 million in new funding for the Rapid Response Home Repair Program and Resilient Retrofits Program, which have provided vital assistance, helping over 1,300 homeowners to date recover and prepare for future disasters.

    Disincentivizing Institutional Investors from Buying Up One- and Two-Family Homes

    Nationally, private equity firms own more than 500,000 homes. According to some estimates, private equity firms are expected to own up to 40 percent of the single-family rental market by 2030. When large investors hold a disproportionate share of a local housing market it removes opportunities for homeownership, exacerbating the existing scarcity and driving up prices for remaining homes on the market. These consequences are felt most intensely by first-time and low- or moderate-income homebuyers.

    To help level the playing field and increase the opportunities for everyday individuals and families to purchase a home, Governor Hochul signed legislation to disincentivize large investment entities who own 10+ single- and two-family homes and act as a fiduciary for at least $30 million in assets under management from buying single- and two-family homes en masse, and will require a 90-day waiting period for institutional investors to make an offer on one- or two-family homes.

    The prohibition would also apply to an entity that receives funding from a covered institutional investor, other than in the form of a standard mortgage. Nonprofits, land banks, community land trusts, and foreclosure sales would be exempted. With the New York State Attorney General’s enforcement, covered entities that violate the waiting period would be subject to $250,000 penalties, and to $10,000 penalties for failing to provide required notices.

    Additionally, Governor Hochul signed legislation to prohibit institutional investors from claiming depreciation tax deductions for single- and two-family homes, or claiming interest deductions with respect to such homes, to disincentivize their accumulation of single- and two-family homes. The legislation also requires the New York Department of State (DOS) to provide notice when establishing a “cease and desist zone” in which homeowners who opt into coverage are prohibited from being solicited to sell their homes. The notice requirements will require information about the zone to be posted on DOS’ website when a zone is established and annually included in a local newspaper within the area of the zone.

    A safe and affordable home is a basic human right, and the only way to help New Yorkers achieve the American dream of homeownership is to build more housing and support our local communities.”

    Governor Hochul

    Strengthen Laws and Policies To Combat Home Appraisal Discrimination

    For many New Yorkers, their largest investment and most valuable asset is their home. Homes provide families with a safe place to live and an opportunity to build generational wealth. For too long, pervasive appraisal bias throughout the housing industry has unjustly stripped families of color of this opportunity, widening racial homeownership and wealth gaps. Governor Hochul secured agreement on legislation that will make it a violation of the State’s Human Rights Law to discriminate when providing real estate appraisals or in making such services available. The law will further enable DOS to fine appraisers for violations, in addition to other existing remedies, with half of those fines going to a fund to support fair housing enforcement. Governor Hochul also will be taking other administrative actions to diversify the appraiser workforce.

    Create an Affordable Homebuyer Tax Incentive

    Even when homes are developed for the express purpose of being sold to low- and moderate-income homebuyers, local property tax assessments value the homes at fair market value, presenting challenges to creating homes these homebuyers can afford to purchase. The Governor secured an affordable homebuyer property tax incentive at local opt-in for homes built with assistance from governmental entities, nonprofits, land banks, or community land trusts, and sold to low- and moderate-income homebuyers. This will aid such homebuyers by making their dream of homeownership more attainable by bringing down costs and increasing the supply of these homes.

    Double New York State Low Income Housing Credits Annually

    Modeled after the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, the New York State Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (SLIHC) was signed into law in 2000 and has been critical to supporting the development of housing for low-and middle-income households. Governor Hochul is building on this success by including legislation in the Enacted Budget to double the amount of the tax credits available each year through the SLIHC program, making it the largest state low-income housing tax credit program in America. This action alone will generate upwards of $210 million in private investment in affordable housing per year.

    Unlock Historic Tax Credits by Decoupling and Expanding Eligibility

    Currently, New York State law requires Federal and State Historic Tax credits to be coupled together to the same investor and be available only in certain census tracts. These factors depress the economic value of both tax credits and needlessly turn investment away from housing projects, a problem felt especially acutely in upstate New York communities. Governor Hochul signed legislation that can unlock the maximum value of the tax credits by allowing for transferring the State credit to a different entity than the federal credit, and by eliminating the census tract eligibility requirement for affordable housing.

    Empower Communities to Redevelop Vacant Properties into Housing

    Many municipalities struggle with vacant and abandoned buildings that are in a significant state of disrepair in neighborhoods that lack the local economic conditions necessary to incentivize redevelopment by the private sector. Consequently, the investment required to redevelop these properties can exceed their value and the resulting funding gap prevents the property from being rehabilitated. To help communities fight back against vacant properties and revitalize neighborhoods, Governor Hochul secured agreement to authorize localities across the state to adopt a tax exemption to incentivize redevelopment of these properties into affordable homes.

    Embedded Flickr Album

    Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda

    Governor Hochul is committed to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. As part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, the Governor secured a landmark agreement to increase New York’s housing supply through new tax incentives for Upstate communities, new incentives and relief from certain state-imposed restrictions to create more housing in New York City, a $500 million capital fund to build up to 15,000 new homes on state-owned property, an additional $600 million in funding to support a variety of housing developments statewide and new protections for renters and homeowners. In addition, as part of the FY23 Enacted Budget, the Governor announced a five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. Nearly 60,000 homes have been created or preserved to date.

    The FY25 Enacted Budget also strengthened the Pro-Housing Community Program which the Governor launched in 2023. Pro-Housing certification is now a requirement for localities to access up to $650 million in discretionary funding. Currently, more than 300 communities have been certified, including the city of Syracuse.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: STATEMENT: CanREA members sign agreements to build new wind power projects in New Brunswick

    Source: – Press Release/Statement:

    Headline: STATEMENT: CanREA members sign agreements to build new wind power projects in New Brunswick

    NB Power has selected CanREA member companies to develop four new wind energy projects

    Fredericton, May 7, 2025— The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) congratulates three member companies for signing Power Purchase Agreements representing just over 450 MW of wind energy, as announced by NB Power today.

    Each of these four new wind energy projects is being developed by First Nations communities, in partnership with CanREA members Eolectric, ABO Energy and Natural Forces. The projects, totalling 452 megawatts (MW) of new generation in New Brunswick, are expected to be in service in 2027/28. 

    “The partnership between First Nations communities and developers is a critical component of all these projects, which will help contribute to New Brunswick’s low-carbon future,” said Jean Habel, CanREA’s Senior Director for Quebec and Atlantic Canada.  

    Specifically:  

    CanREA Gigawatt member Eolectric was selected for a project providing 92 MW of capacity, the Astuwicuwon Wind Project, developed in partnership with the Sitansisk First Nation. 
    CanREA Gigawatt Member, ABO Energy, was selected for a project with 60 MW of capacity, the Papoqji’jg Wind Project, developed in partnership with the Pabineau First Nation. 
    CanREA Megawatt Member, Natural Forces, was selected for two projects with 300 MW of total capacity: the Salmon River Wind Project (200 MW, to be developed in partnership with Wolastoqey Resource Developments Inc., representing all six Wolastoqey communities), and the Paqt’smawei Sipu Wind Project (100 MW, which will be developed in partnership with the L’nui Menikuk First Nation (Indian Island) and Mi’gmaq United Investment Network). 
    “Wind power is an affordable, reliable, clean and quickly deployable electricity generation technology,” said Eddie Oldfield, CanREA’s Manager for Atlantic Canada. “CanREA will continue to work hard in Atlantic Canada to maximize the value of this tremendous energy resource.” 

    Quotes

    “The partnership between First Nations communities and developers is a critical component of all these projects, which will help contribute to New Brunswick’s low-carbon future.”  
    —Jean Habel, Senior Director, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)

    “Wind power is an affordable, reliable, clean and quickly deployable electricity generation technology. CanREA will continue to work hard in Atlantic Canada to maximize the value of this tremendous energy resource.”
    —Eddie Oldfield, Manager, Atlantic Canada, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) 

    For media inquiries or interview opportunities, please contact: 

    Communications Canadian Renewable Energy Association 613-227-5378 communications@renewablesassociation.ca 

    About CanREA 

    The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is the voice for wind energy, solar energy and energy storage solutions that will power Canada’s energy future. We work to create the conditions for a modern energy system through stakeholder advocacy and public engagement. Our diverse members are uniquely positioned to deliver clean, low-cost, reliable, flexible and scalable solutions for Canada’s energy needs. For more information on how Canada can use wind energy, solar energy and energy storage to help achieve its net-zero commitments, consult “Powering Canada’s Journey to Net-Zero: CanREA’s 2050 Vision.” Follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Learn more at renewablesassociation.ca. 

    The post STATEMENT: CanREA members sign agreements to build new wind power projects in New Brunswick appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Video: First Lady Melania Trump delivered remarks honoring military mothers at the White House ❤️

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

    #FLOTUS #MelaniaTrump #FirstLady #FirstLadyMelaniaTrump #POTUS #PresidentTrump #DonaldTrump #America #USA #WhiteHouse #Military #MothersDay #MilitaryMothers #Mother #motherhood

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvc8f-qiPqo

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Cortez Masto Push for Necessary Updates to Veteran Home Improvement Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced the bipartisan Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act, which would help disabled veterans and their families make accessibility and safety improvements to their homes. 
    “Arkansas veterans have sacrificed tremendously in service to our nation,” said Boozman. “One of the most important ways we can support our former servicemembers is to ensure those living with a disability feel safer in an accessible home with a greater sense of independence and quality of life. I am pleased to champion commonsense improvements that will better serve those who have worn our nation’s uniform.”
    “After making countless sacrifices in service to our country, disabled veterans deserve to live in their own home with more freedom and dignity,” said Cortez Masto. “That’s why I’m proud to work alongside Senator Boozman to provide them the resources they need to make improvements to their homes for accessibility and safety. I will continue working across the aisle to stand up for Nevada veterans and their families.”
    While the Department of Veteran Affairs’ Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) program offers funds to help eligible disabled veterans with service-related medical issues make home alterations that accommodate their medical needs, HISA grants have not been updated to meet the current costs of materials and labor. 
    Specifically, the Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act would help disabled veterans build accessible bathrooms, widen doors and install wheelchair ramps, grab bars and handrails in their homes by:
    Increasing the HISA grant from $6,800 to $10,000 for veterans with disabilities;
    Raising the grant from $2,000 to $6,800 for veterans with non-service-connected disabilities; and
    Requiring the VA to adjust the grant amounts annually based on the cost of residential construction, so the funding stays relevant as prices change.
    The Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act has been endorsed by the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
    “VA’s Home Improvements and Structural Alterations grant program provides modifications to a veteran or service member’s primary residence. However, years of inattention have diminished the effectiveness of this program, and it is long past time to update grant rates to realistic levels. We appreciate the efforts of Senator Cortez Masto and Senator Boozman to correct that by increasing grant rates and tying them to a formula, so they remain current for years to come,” said Chief Policy Officer of Paralyzed Veterans of America Heather Ansley.
    The bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Deluzio, Democratic Veterans Tear Apart Trump VA for Stalling Cancer Trials, Hurting Veterans Healthcare

    Source: US Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA)

    Following reporting from ProPublica, Democratic veterans in Congress highlight how much the Trump Administration is hurting veterans’ care across the country

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Navy and Iraq War veteran Congressman Deluzio and a group of congressional Democratic veterans came together to highlight how the Trump Administration is putting veteran lives at risk and hiding it from the American people, as reported most recently by ProPublica. Especially concerning is the fact that VA clinical trials for multiple types of cancer treatment have been stalled due to staffing cuts and an ongoing hiring freeze at the Department. 

    “This Administration is putting veteran lives at risk in Western Pennsylvania and all across the country—and they are hiding it from the American people,” said Congressman Deluzio. “What else do you call staffing disruptions so intense that they are stalling cancer treatment clinical trials and disrupting suicide prevention work? These are real life, dangerous impacts on America’s veterans—all of whom signed a blank check to serve or even die for this country. My fellow veterans in Congress are here to crank up the heat on Secretary Collins: veterans see this betrayal for what it is.”

    At the press conference in Washington, Congressman Deluzio was joined by fellow veteran Members of Congress Ted Lieu (CA-36), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Salud Carbajal (CA-24,) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02). 

    Photos of the event are here, and a video recording of the press conference is here.  

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Gulf of America Act PASSES House of Representatives

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

    Today, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Gulf of America Act passed the House of Representatives.

    Following the passage of Congresswoman Greene’s bill, she issued the following statement:

    “I’m proud to have passed my Gulf of America Act through the House.

    This bill codifies President Trump’s executive order permanently renaming the rightful Gulf of America.

    The American people are footing the bill to protect and secure the Gulf’s maritime waterways for commerce to be conducted.

    Our U.S. armed forces protect the area from any military threats, from foreign countries and from the Mexican cartels, who use the Gulf to traffic humans, drugs, and weapons into our communities.

    It’s our gulf.

    The rightful name is the Gulf of America and it’s what the entire world should refer to it as.”

    Since January 20, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard has seized over 100,000 pounds of cocaine and over 10,000 pounds of marijuana, much of it trafficked through these waters.

    Democrat policies have fueled this crisis. They opened our borders, defunded border enforcement, and prioritized illegal aliens and MS-13 gang members over American families. These same Democrats are now outraged over the idea of renaming a body of water that we protect, we patrol, and we pay for.

    Certainly, it is not controversial to rename landmarks within the United States. During the Obama administration, the EPA headquarters was renamed after President Clinton in 2013. President Obama renamed Mount McKinley to Denali in 2015.

    They’re not upset about geography. They’re upset because their America Last agenda is being exposed.

    The gulf is rightfully ours, we must make this change permanent.

    Congresswoman Greene urges all of her colleagues in the Senate to quickly pass this bill so it can be sent to President Trump’s desk.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Harshbarger Reintroduces Legislation to Support Women and Encourage Life

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger reintroduced the Pregnancy.Gov Act, legislation to create a national web application — Pregnancy.gov — that would provide comprehensive, zip code-specific information on public and private resources available to expectant mothers. This initiative can be implemented at no net cost to the federal government, using existing infrastructure and the credibility of a “.gov” domain.

    Congresswoman Harshbarger issued the following statement:

    “When you’re blessed with a pregnancy — whether expected or unexpected — you shouldn’t have to scramble for help. This bill ensures women have easy access to life-affirming resources, including prenatal care, alternatives to abortion, transportation assistance, support for victims of domestic or sexual violence, and much more.

    “This legislation has the potential to save countless unborn lives while helping families welcome God’s greatest gift into the world. I’m proud to lead this effort and continue standing as a strong voice for life.”

    Kristin Hawkins, President of Students for Life of America & Students for Life Action said the following.

    “Many people who advocate for abortion claim the pro-life movement does not care about the woman in the unexpected pregnancy nor the child after they are born. Well, this is clearly far from the truth. The Pregnancy.Gov bill would give all women who find themselves in unexpected pregnancies that there are life-affirming resources for them. According to the Guttmacher Institute, (the think tank arm for Planned Parenthood) shows that 67% of women who seek abortion were pressured or forced into an abortion. This Pregnancy.Gov site is one way to greatly reduce the number of abortions and traumatized mothers who thought they had no other option than to end the life of their own child.”

    Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America LAC, the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization, added the following.

    “Women facing an unexpected pregnancy need information and they need resources to know they are not alone and have the ability to choose life. 

    “Pregnancy.Gov will be a one-stop-shop listing everything from the local pregnancy resource centers to food and nutrition assistance, education opportunities, and adoption and legal services. We are delighted Rep. Harshbarger has championed this legislation and will work to help gain widespread support for women.”

    Vice President of Government Affairs for SBA Pro-Life America, Hon. Marilyn Musgrave, stated the following.

    “No mother should ever feel alone when she faces an unplanned pregnancy. There are thousands of pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and other organizations nationwide that stand ready to support her before, during, and after pregnancy. These centers provide hope and encouragement as well as practical material, medical, and educational support to millions of families every single year. We thank pro-life champion Representative Harshbarger and her colleagues for supporting moms in need by working to get them access to these critical life-affirming resources.”

    Original cosponsors include: Representatives Brian Babin (R-TX), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Rich McCormick (R-GA), Sheri Biggs (R-SC), Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), and John Rose (R-TN).

    Learn more about the legislation by clicking HERE.

    View the bill text HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Peacekeeping Ministerial: Investing in Prisons to Secure Long-lasting Peace

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    This story was written by the Justice and Corrections Service at the UN Department of Peace Operations, which supports the work of peacekeeping operations and special political missions, as well as other UN entities, to strengthen the rule of law and criminal justice systems, including courts and prisons. 

    In some peacekeeping settings, armed groups attack prisons as a deliberate strategy. Their aim may be to release dangerous inmates and destabilize communities or to free their own members and bolster their ranks by coercing newly released inmates to join them. In others, prisoners are breaking free to escape appalling conditions. Regardless of the reasons, a single mass escape can significantly set back what peacekeeping has taken years to accomplish.  

    “Peacekeepers risk their lives to oppose armed groups and protect civilians, but without a functioning prison system, high-risk prisoners can sometimes simply walk away,” warns Robert Pulver, Chief of the Justice and Corrections Service at the UN Department of Peace Operations. 

    Effective, well-managed prisons are essential to public safety and long-term peace. When prisons are not secured, they can become targets for armed groups. When they are overcrowded, under-resourced or inhumane, they can become flashpoints for violence, mass escapes and radicalization, undermining already fragile peace efforts.  “Without safe, secure and humane prisons, there can be no law and order and no rule of law, the lives of civilians are put in danger and peace remains at risk,” says Pulver.  

    The cost of inaction 

    In January, armed group offensives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) resulted in prison breaks, including in the cities of Goma, Bukavu and Kabare. Over 7,000 prisoners escaped, of which more than 4,500 were high-risk inmates. Some were members of armed groups, some had been convicted of crimes against humanity, war crimes and conflict-related sexual violence. Some remain at large, making threats against victims and those who were involved in the legal proceedings against them. Some have rejoined armed groups, including in command positions.  

    In Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), Ngaragba Prison was housing more than five times its intended capacity, causing food shortages, deaths from malnutrition and heightened security and health risks.  Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa, DRC, was designed to hold 1,500 inmates but was holding close to 10 times that when an escape occurred last September.  Prisons like these “are time bombs waiting to explode,” says Pulver, facing much higher risks of mass escapes.   

    In conflict-affected settings, prison breaks undo the hard work missions have undertaken to remove dangerous individuals from communities and hold them accountable. They erode confidence in state capacity to maintain order and exacerbate cycles of violence – especially when armed actors exploit prison breaks to advance their agendas.  

    Building safe prisons 

    With support from Member States, UN peacekeeping missions are helping national authorities in conflict-affected countries improve prison management and security. In the DRC, UN peacekeeping has supported the installation of surveillance systems, like CCTV and drones, the improvement of infrastructure and the development of emergency response protocols. In the CAR, we have supported health screenings for over 2,000 detainees, helping them get treatment for illness and malnutrition through the International Committee of the Red Cross. In Kosovo, we have supported rehabilitation programmes for inmates.  

    Currently, 28 Member States provide corrections personnel to peacekeeping and special political missions to help in these efforts. These officers help train national prison staff in key areas including the prevention of violent extremism and prison escapes. However, many challenges remain due to insufficient resources, jeopardizing the very security goals peacekeepers strive to achieve.  

    Stepping up support 

    Canada, Rwanda and Sweden co-chair the Group of Friends of Corrections in New York to draw more political support, expertise and resources for this often-neglected aspect of peace operations.  

    The upcoming Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin offers a key opportunity for Member States to strengthen this work. Participants are expected to pledge vital resources, including trained corrections personnel and equipment such as protective gear and metal detectors.  

    This support will help transform at-risk prisons from security liabilities into pillars of peace and public safety. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Helping heroes heal

    Every day, Alberta’s first responders face danger, trauma and heartbreak to safeguard the lives, futures and well-being of Alberta’s families, communities and loved ones. That’s why it is important to honour their sacrifice by ensuring Alberta’s heroes don’t face their battles alone.

    Budget 2025 provides the Supporting Psychological Health in First Responders (SPHIFR) grant program with an ongoing investment of $1.5 million per year. This grant supports non-profit organizations in delivering critical mental health services to first responders living with or at risk for post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSIs), as well as those conducting applied research to advance prevention and treatment. This funding ensures Alberta’s police and peace officers, correctional workers, paramedics and firefighters (including wildland firefighters) get the help they need, when they need it.

    “First responders and emergency workers face Alberta’s hardest moments – trauma, danger, and crisis – so others don’t have to. This grant program makes sure they get the support they need when it matters most. Alberta’s government will continue to stand with our local heroes by funding the services and research that safeguard their mental health and well-being.”

    Matt Jones, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade

    “We owe so much to the men and women on the frontlines working as first responders – police and peace officers, firefighters, paramedics and correctional workers. These jobs come with a cost, with workers often facing post-traumatic stress injuries or other mental health challenges. I am pleased to see funding go toward helping first responders heal from these challenges.”

    Dan Williams, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction

    “Supporting the mental health and well-being of our first responders is crucial. They bravely confront Alberta’s most challenging situations, and this grant program provides essential resources to help them heal and continue their vital work, ensuring they receive the care they deserve.”

    Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

    The grant program helps organizations across Alberta offer accessible, high-impact programming that addresses the psychological risks of first response work. It also funds applied research to develop and evaluate new approaches to treatment and prevention, ensuring support systems evolve to meet the growing needs of those on the front lines.

    Applications are currently open for the 2025-26 intake of the Supporting Psychological Health in First Responders grant program. The application period opened March 31, 2025, and will close on May 26.

    Some grant recipients from 2024-25 included:

    • The Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association (received $185,435):
      • For their “First Responder and Family PTSI Train the Trainer” project. Building on a previous grant for “Working Mind First Responder,” this funding will train 48 new facilitators to deliver mental health training.
         
    • Legacy Place Society (received $161,000):
      • For their 12-month “Families as Allies” project to support families of first responders recovering from PTSI. The project will offer resources and strategies to help family members care for their own well-being while supporting their loved ones.
    • The University of Alberta (received $331,000):
      • For their “Moving Forward: 3MDR Study with First Responders in Alberta.” The project will train providers in 3MDR, an emerging virtual reality therapy for PTSD.

    “The receipt of SPHIFR grant funding has been pivotal to our ongoing efforts to provide evidence-based mental health services to Alberta first responders, emergency workers and families living with or at risk for PTSI.”

    Craig Hrynchuk, CEO and executive director, Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association

    Alberta’s government is putting the well-being of first responders at the forefront because when first responders are supported, communities are safer and stronger. By investing in the mental health of first responders, Alberta’s government is helping ensure the province’s emergency workforce remains strong, supported and ready to serve.

    Quick Facts:

    • Since the program launched in 2020, 62 grants have been provided to 32 service providers and 30 for researchers, for a total of almost $7.5 million in funding.
    • In the 2024-25 intake, six service providers and six researchers received a total of $1.5 million in grants.

    Related information: 

    • First responders’ mental health grants

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Austin Scott Announces 2025 Congressional App Challenge

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08)

    WARNER ROBINS, Ga.– U.S. Representative Austin Scott (GA-08) today announced the start of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge. This annual, nationwide competition engages students’ creativity and encourages their participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

    “Over the years, many talented students in our district have showcased their advanced skills during the Congressional App Challenge, and I look forward to seeing what participants come up with this year,” Rep. Scott said. 

    The Congressional App Challenge allows students to compete with peers throughout their congressional district by creating and exhibiting an original software application, or “app,” for web, PC, tablet, mobile, or other platforms of their choice.

    The Congressional App Challenge is open to all middle and high school students in Georgia’s Eighth District. Students can form teams, and those entering the competition must submit their app to CongressionalAppChallenge.us by October 30, 2025.

    The winner will be chosen by a panel of expert judges, featured on the Congressional App Challenge website, and displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building.

    More information can be found here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –