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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Highlights Wrongly Terminated CDC Employees, Demands Accountability from Senior HHS Nominee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Highlights Wrongly Terminated CDC Employees, Demands Accountability from Senior HHS Nominee

    During a Tuesday Senate Finance Committee hearing, Senator Reverend Warnock questioned Jim O’Neill, the nominee to be Secretary Kennedy’s second in command at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
    Senator Warnock also used the hearing to highlight the unjust firings of thousands of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees
    The Senator also instructed Gary Andres, the nominee to be an Assistant Secretary of Legislation at HHS, that if confirmed, he would ensure timely answers to Congressional letters – several of Senator Warnock’s letters to HHS have gone unanswered
    The Senator has continued his work to champion to CDC while the agency’s work to protect public health and national security has been under attack from the Trump Administration. The Senator has rallied with fired CDC workers and held then HHS Secretary Nominee Kennedy accountable for his dangerous rhetoric about the centers
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “Yes or no, do you think it is appropriate to fire HHS or CDC, public health experts for ‘performance issues’ who had just gotten positive performance evaluations?”

    Watch Senator Warnock at Tuesday’s Finance Committee hearing HERE
    Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) demanded answers from Jim O’Neill about the wrongful firings of high-performing public health experts. O’Neill is the nominee to be the Deputy Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During the Senate Finance Committee hearing, the Senator pressed O’Neil about the unjust firing of Georgia-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees.
    “Mr. O’Neill, these folks are my constituents, I know them, they are my neighbors, I bump into them at the grocery store. Many of them had just gotten performance evaluations saying they are doing an outstanding job. Only to be fired weeks later for ‘Performance issues, ’” askedSenator Reverend Warnock. “If confirmed, you’d oversee personnel, yes or no, do you think it is appropriate to fire HHS or CDC, public health experts, for ‘performance issues’ who had just gotten positive performance evaluations?”
    Senator Warnock also took time to address the lackluster transparency at HHS, despite being a part of an administration that claims to prioritize transparency. Senator Warnock has sent several letters to Secretary Kennedy and other leadership at HHS, but none of the letters have been answered.
    “If confirmed to be the primary liaison between HHS and Congress, will you ensure that I finally get a complete and thorough response to this and all of my letters? Will you commit to ensuring that HHS communicates timely and transparently with me and my staff on CDC reorganization plans? The Secretary still hasn’t answered my letter,” Senator Warnock asked Gary Andres who would be the chief liaison between HHS and Congress.
    “Tell the Secretary to answer my letters,” Senator Warnock demanded to conclude his line of questioning.
    During Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s nomination hearing in committee, Senator Warnock spoke at length defending the importance of the CDC, which employs over 10,000 hardworking Georgians. Shortly after, the Senator spoke for nearly an hour on the Senate floor, in large part in defense of the CDC’s critical work to defend public health and national security. The Senator has continued to pressure HHS Secretary Kennedy to reverse the CDC firings.
    Since CDC employees became a target of this administration, Senator Warnock has led several efforts defending their employment and the crucial role they play in keeping the nation safe. Earlier this year, Senator Warnock sent a letter to the Acting Director of the CDC about the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), asking for updates on operations. He also sent two additional letters to President Trump and Secretary Kennedy, respectively, urging the administration to reconsider any plans to eliminate the Division of HIV Prevention at the CDC and requesting additional information about the termination of 20,000 full-time staff and organizational restructuring at HHS. Senator Warnock also spoke at a rally organized by current and former CDC employees to support Georgians who have been callously fired from the public health institution. And his staff hosted a round table with fired CDC employees to brainstorm ways to push back on the administration. 
    Watch the Senator’s full remarks and line of questioning HERE.
    See below a full transcript of the exchanges between Senator Warnock and the HHS nominees:
    Senator Reverend Warnock (SRW): “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. I am proud to continue the legacy of our great Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson, who made it his mission to champion the important work of CDC when he served on this very committee.”
    “Mr. O’Neill, welcome and congratulations on your nomination. If confirmed as Deputy Secretary of HHS, you would be the number two person to Secretary Kennedy, responsible for the inward-facing operations and day-to-day management of personnel and HHS, including the CDC. But you’d be stepping into an agency that’s mired right now in chaos, following the exodus of 20,000 staff through resignations, unjust firings, including over 3,000 dedicated CDC experts during a historic measles outbreak.”
    “Mr. O’Neill, these folks are my constituents, I know them, they are my neighbors, I bump into them at the grocery store. Many of them had just gotten performance evaluations saying that they were doing an outstanding job. Only to be fired weeks later for “performance issues.” If confirmed, you’d oversee personnel, yes or no, do you think it is appropriate to fire HHS or CDC, public health experts for “performance issues” who had just gotten positive performance evaluations?” 
    Jim O’Neill (JO):“Thank you for the question, Senator. As I said earlier, I had the pleasure of working at HHS for six years in the Bush Administration, and I always enjoyed working with CDC officials…”
    (SRW): “Sir I read your bio and I’m going to run out of time. Do you think it is appropriate to fire these officials who had just got a great evaluation?”
    (JO): “Senator, my understanding of both the proposed organization and RIF (Reeducation in Force) was that the decisions about which personnel should be retained going forward is made by the heads of the operating divisions. I don’t have any inside information on the agency – I believe that the leadership of CDC decided which people should be RIF’d.” 
    (SRW): “Do you think it is appropriate just from an issue of fairness, I’ve talked to these folks one-on-one. CDC workers share with me that they have gotten positive performance evaluations weeks earlier, only to be given notice that they were fired, not only were they given notice that they were fired, but weeks later they get a poor performance evaluation. You’re in charge of personnel. Do you think that’s fair?”
    “Do you think that would be fair, just as someone who has managed personnel, on its face, does that strike you as dealing with people in an honorable way, who are serving our country? Even if you had to fire them, even if you felt like you had to streamline them for whatever reason. Do you think it is fair for someone to get a great performance evaluation and weeks later hear they are doing poorly, even as DOGE says we are dealing with waste?”
    (JO): “Senator, it is always unpleasant to fire people, even if their function is no longer needed or they are not performing…”
    (SRW): “Do you think it is an honorable way of handling people, sir? Yes or no?”
    (JO): “I don’t know the particulars of the situation, perhaps they had a different supervisor the second time.”
    (SRW): “If confirmed, will you commit to restoring the full functionality of each congressionally mandated CDC office that provides life-saving services and programs to the American people? Will you and your staff report directly to this committee on the status of restoring the programs?”
    (JO): “It’s vitally important that every function and responsibility of HHS that’s set out in law be conducted and aimed toward success. If there are two functions that are appropriate that make more sense to be done within the same agency rather than separate agencies, it makes sense to put them together. If they duplicate functions being performed by more than one part of HHS, it makes sense to combine them. That seems to be the philosophy that was stated behind the proposed reorganization. It seems like a reasonable philosophy to me. That does absolutely preserve the essential functions of HHS that you cited.”
    (SRW): “So even as this process – and I think it is charitable to call it a process, it’s been awfully chaotic – even as this ensues, this administration claims its goal is radical transparency. But there has been no transparency around CDC cuts.”
    “In fact, I wrote to the Secretary in March, who I met with in my office, demanding specific information on CDC firings, and I still haven’t gotten a response from the Secretary.”
    “Mr. Andres, if confirmed to be the primary liaison between HHS and Congress, will you ensure that I finally get a complete and thorough response to this and all of my letters? Will you commit to ensuring that HHS communicates timely and transparently with me and my staff on CDC reorganization plans? The Secretary still hasn’t answered my letter.”
    Gary Andres (GA): “Thank you for the question, Senator Warnock. I know that as a top priority for you…”
    (SRW): “It’s a top priority for my constituents.”
    (GA): “…And your constituents, and your staff communicated to me how important CDC and the employees are to you. I will say this, I understand the importance of developing a relationship with trust, of accountability, and getting back to you, and I will commit to work with you on those things.”
    “I think that when we talk about congressional letters, they will vary in terms of their level of complexity, and so it is hard to come up with some specific timeframe. But I understand the importance, I will commit to working with you on those things.” 
    (SRW): “Tell the Secretary to answer my letter!”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: MAGA’s ‘war on empathy’ might not be original, but it is dangerous

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Michael Cameron, PhD Candidate of English, Dalhousie University

    During his most recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Elon Musk levelled a critique at empathy, calling it “the fundamental weakness of western civilization.”

    If your first instinct is to brush this off as another example of Musk’s awkwardness, we suggest you think again. As journalist Julia Carrie Wong noted in The Guardian in April, Musk’s comments have appeared “amid a growing wave of opposition to empathy from across the American right.”

    A diverse coalition of figures have taken up this “war on empathy,” including pastor Joe Rigney, conservative podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey and marketing professor Gad Saad.

    Each has coined their own meme-able phrase: “The Sin of Empathy,” “Toxic Empathy” and “Suicidal Empathy,” respectively.

    You may find a war on empathy perplexing — even downright dangerous — given that our contemporary global historical moment is one marked by climate-induced migration, rising political authoritarianism and a “relentless opposition” against LGBTQIA+ rights.

    Doesn’t this moment call out for more empathy rather than less?

    What is empathy anyway?

    But first, we need to know what we are talking about.

    Some recent criticisms of empathy have been premised on bad definitions. For instance, Albert Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently claimed that empathy is “destructive” for immigration policy because “empathy means never having to say no.” This definition is not accurate.

    Though a precise definition of empathy still eludes us, empathy is simply the ability to feel what someone else might be feeling. “Imagining yourself in another’s place,” writes neurologist Richard E. Cytowic, “is the basis of empathy.” Coming from a different angle, literary scholar Suzanne Keen defines empathy as “a vicarious, spontaneous sharing of affect” that “can be provoked… even by reading.”

    The word “empathy” was coined in 1909. Previously, what we today call “empathy” fell under the name “sympathy.” For instance, writing in the 18th century, Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith described sympathy as the imaginative capacity to “enter as it were into [another’s] body, and become in some measure the same person.”

    With the discovery of “mirror neurons,” modern neuroscience has in a sense validated Smith’s theories. As neuroscientist Christian Keysers explains: “The mirror system builds a bridge between the minds of two people,” showing that our brains are not only “deeply social” but also “magically connected to each other.”

    Put simply, we are hardwired for empathy.

    Sympathy and social contagion

    In our research, we have explored literary depictions of self-destructive, suicidal and monstrous sympathies. We recognize some parallels between MAGA’s war on empathy and conceptual debates of the past, parallels at times interesting and worrisome.

    During his appearance on Rogan’s podcast, Saad criticized Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s appeal to Trump for mercy on behalf of undocumented immigrants and those in the LGBTQIA+ community, suggesting it was indicative of the “parasitic idea” of open borders and an example of “suicidal empathy.”

    A few months later, Canadian pop-psychologist Jordan Peterson echoed Saad and told Rogan that today’s political left is vulnerable to those who “parasitize empathy.”

    This association between empathy and parasitic contagion is not at all new.

    As literary scholar Mary Fairclough explains, in the 18th and 19th centuries, sympathy was “understood as a disruptive social phenomenon which functioned to spread disorder and unrest between individuals and even across nations like a ‘contagion.’”

    As an example, Fairclough quotes the author Thomas De Quincey, who opined that “many a man has been drawn, by the contagion of sympathy with his own class acting as a mob, into outrages of destruction.”

    The writer Mary Shelley literalized this notion of contagious sympathy in her 1826 novel The Last Man, which depicts a (perhaps uncomfortably familiar) plague pandemic. The novel paints sympathy as a method of mass control and societal dissolution just as contagious as the plague.

    But unlike De Quincey, Shelley also celebrates sympathy as our most valuable and effective collective resource in times of crisis. This celebration is most notable in the character of Adrian, who devotes his life to “bring[ing] patience, and sympathy, and such aid as art affords, to the bed of disease.’”

    The uses and abuses of empathy

    Much as Shelley suggests for sympathy, research shows that empathy must be properly channelled so it isn’t used to divide and manipulate.

    For example, research shows that empathy is not impartial. People tend to empathize more easily with those who share their racial or social background, and less with those who are perceived as different. In other words, racial prejudices may bias our instinctive empathetic responses.

    At the same time, empathy has been linked to problematic practices like racial impersonation and colonial appropriation, where members of dominant groups claim to identify with marginalized people in ways that often reinforce power imbalances rather than dismantle them.

    But MAGA’s approach to empathy is less a well-meaning critique than an all-out war and comes at the issues with a far less benevolent set of assumptions and goals. As Wong noted: “We are witnessing the construction of the ideological architecture to excuse violence and suffering on a mass scale.”

    Consider what Musk said to Rogan regarding immigration:

    “I believe in empathy, like I think you should care about other people, but you need to have empathy for civilization as a whole and not commit to a civilizational suicide.”

    This comment is strikingly similar to the idea of “racial suicide” endorsed by eugenicist thinkers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Racial suicide was a concept rooted in the xenophobic fear that one’s own ethnic population would be replaced by another racialized population that happened to have a higher birth rate.

    As the historian Rob Boddice notes, “eugenic morality” was “to be guided by sympathy construed as sympathy for the whole of society” rather than towards individuals. For the eugenicists, this ideology justified extreme measures, such as forced sterilizations and racial segregation. The horrors of eugenics and its influence on the Nazi Holocaust are well documented.

    Despite these history lessons, Musk and his ilk, however, seem unperturbed and even enthusiastic about repeating history.

    Much can be said about empathy’s potential limitations alongside its many virtues. But while MAGA supporters may have balked at her speech and her call for empathy, we would do well to remember the words of Bishop Budde:

    “We should be merciful to the stranger, for we were once strangers in this land.”

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

    – ref. MAGA’s ‘war on empathy’ might not be original, but it is dangerous – https://theconversation.com/magas-war-on-empathy-might-not-be-original-but-it-is-dangerous-255300

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Tips for starting a business in Canada, according to entrepreneurs who have done it

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Nazha Gali, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, University of Windsor

    Each year, about 100,000 small businesses are created in Canada. But what does it actually take to start a business in Canada — not just on paper, but in practice?

    To better understand what launching a startup in Canada truly involves, we interviewed entrepreneurs across various sectors. As experts in strategy and entrepreneurship, we combined their first-hand experiences with research findings to determine key factors that contribute to business success.

    What emerged is a clearer picture of the realities of Canadian entrepreneurship that shows building a business is as much about managing relationships, risks and resilience as it is about having a novel idea.

    Solving real consumer problems

    Before launching a business, it’s essential to identify your target customers. Successful ventures begin by solving a real problem for a clearly defined group. Conducting market research to ensure a strong product-market fit is a critical first step in this process.

    One of the most common blind spots for new entrepreneurs, according to Ariz Bhimani, founder of apparel brand BRFZY, is assuming the problem they face is universal. “Without genuine data from potential customers, you’re just guessing,” he said in an email interview.

    This is where customer discovery comes in. It involves understanding customers’ situations, needs and pain points. Techniques such as user interviews and creating detailed customer personas can help founders better understand who their product is for.

    This approach is crucial for both startups and established organizations looking to enter new markets.

    Another vital part of the early-stage process is building a minimum viable product (MVP): a basic version of a product that includes only the core features needed to test the idea with users.

    MVPs allow entrepreneurs to gather feedback and refine the product before investing significant time or money in full development.

    Manage your money wisely

    Once a market need is identified, securing funding is often the next major challenge. This process typically begins with creating a compelling pitch — a presentation that outlines the product or service and financial projections to attract potential investors.

    This pitch is crucial to a startup’s success, Mohammad Faiyaz, founder and CEO of Wavermark, told us.

    There are tools and resources available to help, such as the pitch deck developed by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel and AI feedback tool AI Fornax.

    Having a solid pitch prepared is a necessary step to attract potential investors for your business.
    (Shutterstock)

    But while funding is essential, managing those funds wisely is equally important. Chris Colasanti, vice president at Rocket Mortgage Canada, explained via email that one of the most common mistakes new entrepreneurs make is failing to control costs.

    Many first-time founders become preoccupied with revenue growth while overlooking expenses. Colasanti argued that unless you have endless investor backing, your survival depends on lean operations. “Obsess about your costs,” he advised.

    Bhimani echoed this caution. “I would budget two to three times more time and money to get a task done, especially in the ideation stage,” he wrote to us. Entrepreneurs should be prepared for unexpected costs.

    Building a business plan

    Many startup founders are eager to scale their businesses quickly, but doing this prematurely can increase the risk of failure by 20 to 40 per cent.

    “Growth is one of the most taxing activities a company can experience,” Colasanti told us. “Fight the urge to grow. Hire when it hurts and let sales drive your growth.”

    To scale successfully, companies need a strong foundation. This means having a comprehensive business plan in place. A well-structured plan outlines a company’s mission, market strategy, operations, finances and key milestones.

    Beyond serving as a roadmap for internal decision-making, business plans also help communicate a company’s vision and strategy to investors and other stakeholders.

    The Business Development Bank of Canada offers guides to help entrepreneurs build effective business plans.

    Hire the right people for the job

    Hiring the right employees for the job is crucial for startup success. “You cannot overpay for talent,” Colasanti told us. “The first 10 people you hire will make or break your business.”

    Hiring decisions should go hand-in-hand with intentionally building a workplace culture. Research shows that a positive workplace culture leads to higher employee satisfaction, retention and overall productivity.

    “Your business will develop a culture whether you create it or not,” he said. Many first-time founders let poor behaviours slide to avoid conflict, but this is risky.

    Hiring the right employees for the job is crucial for startup success.
    (Shutterstock)

    Bhimani also emphasized the importance of hiring those who genuinely understand your company’s mission. “Then I know they’re invested and will put forth their best effort,” he told us.

    There are important legal considerations to keep in mind. Employers must comply with federal and provincial labour laws, and entrepreneurs should seek legal advice or consult government resources when building their teams.

    Seek out a knowledgeable mentor

    While entrepreneurship is often seen as a solo pursuit, research and experience suggest otherwise. In reality, founders who are mentored by successful entrepreneurs are over three times more likely to be successful themselves.

    Both Bhimani and Dhwani Shah, founder and CEO of Aadhya Navik Inc., highlighted the importance of mentors.

    “Even if you just have an idea,” Bhimani told us via email, “you should strive to talk about it as much as possible with people in the industry who have relevant experience.”

    Shah similarly attributed her growth to constant learning and expert guidance: “I have a long-term vision and actively seek advice while working on the product.”

    Resources like the Business Benefits Finder and programs like Futurpreneur Canada and Startup Canada can connect early-stage founders with financing and mentorship.

    Passion and persistence are key

    Mindset is also a differentiating factor that sets successful entrepreneurs apart. The entrepreneurial mindset is a way of thinking that involves seeing opportunities where others see obstacles, and maintaining a strong sense of initiative and resilience.

    All the entrepreneurs we interviewed said intrinsic motivation was the key to longevity. “Starting a business makes you wear multiple hats, which can be intimidating but also gives you immense satisfaction,” Shah told us. Research has also confirmed this to be true.



    Read more:
    Entrepreneurs know that failure is sometimes necessary – here’s what we can learn from them

    Colasanti told us fear often leads founders to switch from experimentation to protection mode too early. “They stop taking big swings and start firing bullets instead of cannonballs,” he said. That mindset shift can lead to complacency and stagnation.

    Successful entrepreneurs are often those who can stay agile, embrace discomfort and persist even when the stakes are high.

    Make use of resources

    There are a number of supports for entrepreneurs in Canada. National initiatives like Futurpreneur Canada and Startup Canada, and financial supports from Business Development Bank of Canada, are also available.

    Most provinces and territories have web pages dedicated to resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs, including British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.

    In southern Ontario, WETech Alliance offers a model example of how regional innovation hubs can support founders. Their programs help connect entrepreneurs to expertise, capital and community.

    Starting a business in Canada has never been more possible or more competitive. As the experts we spoke to remind us, success lies in execution. The journey is hard, but for those who are ready, it can also be deeply rewarding.

    Bharat Maheshwari has received funding from Mitacs, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and several other organizations that regularly fund academic research in Canada.

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

    – ref. Tips for starting a business in Canada, according to entrepreneurs who have done it – https://theconversation.com/tips-for-starting-a-business-in-canada-according-to-entrepreneurs-who-have-done-it-247985

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Read More (Steube, Titus Introduce Bill to Counter Drone Threats at Stadiums and Public Events)

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

    May 07, 2025 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON — U.S. Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Dina Titus (D-Nev.) this week led a bipartisan coalition to introduce the Disabling Enemy Flight Entry and Neutralizing Suspect Equipment (DEFENSE) Act, legislation that permits trained state and local law enforcement officers to intercept and disable hostile drones at stadiums and other large-scale events protected by temporary flight restrictions.“Whether it’s a packed stadium or a large outdoor gathering, our communities deserve to enjoy these moments without fear of surveillance or disruption from above,” said Rep. Steube. “The DEFENSE Act gives law enforcement the tools they need to protect Americans attending high-profile events from dangerous and unauthorized drones.”“People travel to Las Vegas from all over the world to experience our world class entertainment and live sporting events,” said Rep. Dina Titus. “I am proud to co-lead this bill to give our state and local law enforcement the tools they need to keep fans, athletes, performers, and stadium workers safe from aerial threats.”Current law authorizes only federal authorities to counter rogue drone incursions. While state and local authorities often have a larger presence at sporting events, the gap created in real-time event security denies state and local officials the ability to address unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that threaten the safety of the stadium attendees. The DEFENSE Act would change that by authorizing the Department of Homeland (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to extend temporary authority to state and local officers—provided they receive proper training and oversight—to use approved counter-UAS technology to detect, monitor, and respond to airborne threats. Authorized equipment would be limited to systems approved by DHS in coordination with DOJ, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The bill also requires full federal oversight and compliance with airspace and privacy laws.Representatives Steube and Titus partnered with four of their House colleagues, Representatives Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.), Cory Mills (R-Fla.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), and Lou Correa (D-Calif.) as well as Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) who have proposed companion legislation in the Senate.“Stadiums and spectators at large events are vulnerable to unauthorized drone activity, which puts both public safety and national security at risk,” said Senator Cotton. “Our bill empowers local authorities to safeguard large public gatherings from aerial threats.”
    “Major events — including sports and live entertainment — play a significant role in supporting our economy in Las Vegas and across the country, and we need to ensure they are safe,” said Senator Rosen. “Our bipartisan bill would enable state and local law enforcement to better mitigate threats posed by drones to the security of these high attendance events.” 
    “The DEFENSE Act allows local law enforcement to step in when drones threaten large public events,” said Rep. Yakym. “Whether it’s a sold-out game or a concert, this act ensures people can enjoy these moments without worrying about what’s flying overhead.”“With the growing number of drones in use it is paramount that our state and local law enforcement agencies are able to be granted the proper authority to protect citizens at large events and gatherings,” said Rep. Mills. “Events like NASCAR races, rallies, or other large public events should be safe and this bill provides the ability for local law enforcement agencies to protect their citizens.”“As we continue to see the rise of drones and unmanned aircraft systems as a potential threat to public safety, it’s critical that state and local law enforcement have the tools and resources they need to protect our communities, especially at large-scale events that are at increased risk,” said Rep. Tokuda. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to ensure that our local partners in law enforcement can respond quickly and effectively to unauthorized drone activity and keep our people safe from harm.”“The economic engine of Orange County is tourism. From sports to live concerts, Orange County is proud to host hundreds of outdoor events each year. We must ensure that these major events which draw thousands of attendees are safe,” said Rep. Correa. “I’m proud to join my colleagues—Democrat and Republican—in introducing this commonsense, bipartisan legislation to give state and local law enforcement the tools they need to counter threats posed by drones and other unauthorized aircraft.”This legislation has the backing of numerous national sports organizations, including the NFL, MLB, NCAA, and NASCAR, which have all expressed support for expanding drone countermeasure authority to protect fans, players, and event staff. For additional background, see this report from ESPN.“The NFL applauds the bipartisan group of sponsors for their leadership in introducing the DEFENSE Act in the House of Representatives. As the threat of illicit drone activity continues to rise, it is critical that our state and local law enforcement partners have the tools and resources they need to keep fans safe at major sporting events across the country.   This legislation will help to do just that, and we urge Congress to adopt it as soon as possible.  Doing so is vital to the security of our homeland.”  —Cathy Lanier, Chief Security Officer, National Football League“Major League Baseball (MLB) applauds the leadership of Representatives Greg Steube, Dina Titus, Lou Correa, Cory Mills, and Rudy Yakym in introducing H.B. 3207, the DEFENSE Act. This bill is crucial for enabling trained state and local law enforcement to use counter-drone technology to safeguard sporting venues from unauthorized unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones). MLB has long recognized the threat that unauthorized drones pose to its 30 stadiums nationwide, and has urged Congress to take the requisite steps to provide law enforcement with the tools and authority necessary to protect our fans, players, and employees. If enacted, this bipartisan bill will enhance the safety of America’s pastime for the 70 million fans attending our games each year. We look forward to collaborating with the bill’s sponsors and others to advance this important piece of legislation.” —David Thomas, Major League Baseball Senior Vice President of Security and Ballpark Operations“Drone related threats continue to pose real risks for events and communities across the country. The DEFENSE Act, introduced by Representatives Steube, Titus, Correa, Mills, and Yakym, provides important authority to trusted law enforcement agencies around the country who are integral partners at each of our races.” —Allen Taylor, Managing Director, Security, NASCAR“The NCAA remains concerned about the threat of unauthorized drones at NCAA championships and college sporting events. The safety of the competitors, fans, and staff that work at NCAA events is our top priority and we applaud Rep. Steube and Rep. Titus for their leadership on this issue.” —Tim Buckley, Senior Vice President of External Affairs, NCAA“The safety of our teams and fans is a key priority at athletics events.   The SEC commends Representatives Greg Steube and Dina Titus for introducing this important legislation that is intended to provide public safety officials on campuses and in the communities they serve with enhanced measures to address unauthorized drone usage, and for joining the bipartisan leadership of Senator Tom Cotton and Senator Jacky Rosen on this issue.” —SEC Commissioner Greg SankeyRead the full bill here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Kaptur Remarks at Fiscal Year 2026 US Department of Energy Budget Hearing

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

     

    *** WATCH A FULL RECORDING OF THE HEARING HERE ​***

    Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee, delivered the following opening remarks at the subcommittee’s fiscal year 2026 budget hearing for the US Department of Energy with Energy Secretary Chris Chris Wright:

    Good morning, and thank you all for joining us.

    As the Ranking Member of this subcommittee and a lifelong advocate for America’s energy independence in perpetuity, I welcome this opportunity to examine the Department of Energy’s recent actions and to discuss your proposed budget.

    Let me begin with a plain truth: The essentials of life are freshwater, food, and energy. The United States cannot afford to shortchange our energy future. US energy independence is essential for our liberty. I served President Jimmy Carter during the turbulent era not so long ago when the US slid into unconscious dependence on global energy supplies. My motto from then until now “never again.”

    The Department of Energy is the engine room of our nation’s energy security. It drives innovation. It serves as a critical steward of our nuclear security enterprise, and environmental obligations. We have not always done well there. It powers our economy. It protects our grid. It supports cutting-edge research, and ensures that our people — working families, industrious small and large businesses, farmers, our retirees — all have access to affordable, reliable energy and continuing energy innovation.

    And yet, we are confronted with proposals to slash $20 Billion in Department of Energy programs, despite clear and present threats to our energy stability. The Administration’s devastating 74 percent cut to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is not just shortsighted, it is dangerous. Since January, the Department of Energy has suspended critical energy programs, cancelled executed awards and contracts authorized by Congress, severely reduced staffing, including removal of the Inspector General who tries to go after the crooks, and changed contracting policies. The resulting confusion has disrupted communities, businesses, and project developers across our country. This chaotic approach to this critical sector of a strong America and our national security impacts every family, business and community. Already, our people are feeling directly how the pinch feels when rising energy costs impact every American family and business.

    Let me be crystal clear. Weakening US energy progress at DOE is a direct threat to America’s energy security and gives our enemies relief. Weakness in advancing America’s energy intelligence leaves us open and exposed to foreign influence. Radical cutbacks weaken our domestic supply chains and delay the very innovations that would shield our economy from global price shocks and hasten enemy targeting. I am shocked by the damage the Administration’s proposals are causing and will continue to cause.

    Energy is essential to our way of life and economic growth of all of our communities. The United States is producing more oil than ever before — record-high production levels — something that, in theory, should be bringing gasoline prices down, not bobbing back and forth. But the reality is, American families have not been seeing sustained record-low gas prices. Why? Because we are still tethered to a volatile global energy market dominated by cartels and petroleum dictators. Oil prices declined recently after the OPEC cartel and its allies agreed to a further boost to output. US crude fell 2 percent to $53.13 a barrel, its lowest value since February 2021. Let me be the first Member of Congress to warn you that dependence on foreign crude is not in the national security interests of our nation.

    Forty-eight years ago, as our nation’s economy tanked and sank into deep depression due to the first Arab oil embargo, President Carter and our predecessors in Congress created the US Department of Energy. With their vision and steadfast bipartisan commitment over decades, our nation has steadily made progress in attaining domestic energy independence. We cannot take our foot off the accelerator.

    Over the last 40 years, America has made remarkable progress through expanding domestic oil and gas production. Ohio knows this well. We have developed cheaper, cleaner energy sources. Competition brings lower prices in energy. Innovations, including biofuels, solar, energy storage, and thermal recovery, are pushing into new energy frontiers of fusion, advanced nuclear, and hydrogen.

    Let’s not forget — when Russia invaded Ukraine, it wasn’t just a European crisis. That illegal invasion sent energy prices soaring around the world. The Department of Energy’s swift action to deploy strategic reserves and accelerate clean energy deployment helped soften the blow. But without a fully resourced Department, our ability to respond next time will be severely limited. This posture is dangerous.

    American energy independence is about more than geopolitics. Hardworking families in Northwest Ohio and across our country feel these pressures at the pump, see it in their utility bills, and at the checkout counter at the grocery store.

    Our nation is approaching 350 million people. We cannot behave as though this is 1950. Undermining the US Department of Energy by severely underfunding advanced energy research risks higher energy costs, increased geopolitical volatility, and weaker national security. That is not a future America should accept.

    Mr. Secretary, I would also like to close by raising for your awareness a district-centric issue that holds national implications: two of the five worst commercial nuclear power incidents in our nation’s history occurred in Ohio’s Nuclear North that I represent. That’s 40 percent! These dangerous and ultimately criminally negligent operations represent the worst management of commercial nuclear power in our nation’s history.

    Ratepayers in Ohio have for 40 years been the victim of these corrupt commercial nuclear operations — all through the willful federal and state abdication of quality management by the Atomic Energy Commission, the Department of Energy, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Our ratepayers deserve and are due justice — they have been paying for the crimes and slipshod decision. So I ask that you help me from your position to achieve justice for Ohio’s billed ratepayers; the price gouging continues as we meet here today.

    As we work on FY 26 appropriations, I will fight to ensure this Energy and Water bill invests in America’s every future, our energy independence, in world-class innovation, and diversifying energy supplies as fundamental to our continuing economic strength. I have a notebook I have prepared for you and your staff outlining what has been going on in Ohio. It is absolutely un-American what has gone on there, and it has gone on for a long time. America’s energy future is in your hands. Everything must be “Made in America,” for America to assure a remarkable history for the generations to come.

    Thank you, and I look forward to the discussion ahead.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Titus and Kiggans Advocate for Additional School Nurses

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – On National School Nurse Day, Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) and Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere (NURSE) Act. This bipartisan legislation would establish a grant program within the U.S. Department of Education to give high-need schools the ability to hire and retain additional school nurses.

    “All too often, when school districts like Clark County are forced to stretch limited funding, school nurse positions are overlooked,” Congresswoman Titus said. “In fact, Clark County needs over a 100 more school nurses to meet the demands of its students. School nurses play a critical role in our children’s learning and success. Students who have the appropriate healthcare resources are better equipped for studies, sports, and everyday activities.”

    “As a nurse practitioner, I know firsthand how vital nurses are to the health and wellbeing of our communities,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “I’m proud to support the NURSE Act, which builds on efforts I championed in the Virginia State Senate to increase access to care in our schools. By investing in school nurses, we’re ensuring that our children have the support they need to stay healthy and succeed in the classroom. Introducing this bill during National Nurses Week underscores our commitment to recognizing the incredible contributions our nurses make in communities across the country.”

    “We ar thrilled that Representative Titus has re-introduced the Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere Act (NURSE Act) on School Nurse Day, a day that celebrates the contributions of school nurses to children and their academic success,” said Kate King, President of the National Association of School Nurses. “It is important that children have their physical and behavioral healthcare needs met at school, particularly in case of an emergency. Every school should have a school nurse on staff every day. Passage of the NURSE Act is the first step to achieving student health equity.”

    As educator and educator support personnel shortages ravage schools across the nation, the National Education Association is pleased that Rep. Titus is re-introducing the Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere (NURSE) Act. It is vital that public schools and the students they serve have a school nurse to support the health and wellness of their students, and the school overall. In particular, this measure focuses on those schools serving communities and the families that face economic challenges, where students might not have access to healthcare supports, and where school nurses are vital. Every student, regardless of zip code, deserves a healthy and caring environment to learn and thrive,” said Marc Egan, Director, Government Relations for the National Education Association.

    According to the National Association of School Nurses, only 39.3 percent of schools employ full-time school nurses, even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that more than 40 percent of school-aged children and adolescents have at least one chronic health condition.

    Under the NURSE Act, schools with 20 percent of their student body qualifying for low-cost or free lunches would be eligible for grants to hire more school nurses. The legislation targets schools with the highest healthcare needs.

    The National Association of School Nurses, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers have endorsed the NURSE Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bergman, Budzinski, Frankel, Kiggans, Bilirakis Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Older Veterans from Avoidable, Costly Falls

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-1)

    Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), Lois Frankel (D-FL-22), Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12)introducedbipartisan legislation to help older Veterans avoid injuries from costly, dangerous falls. 

    The SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act would establish an Office of Falls Prevention within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and create a falls prevention coordinator role. The legislation would also create a pilot program for incorporating falls prevention programs into VA home modification programs and establish an assessment for Veterans to identify those most at risk of falling. Since Veterans, on average, have more chronic conditions than their non-Veteran counterparts, additional programs could help to prevent unnecessary injuries or hospitalizations — and the massive expenses associated with falls.

    The SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act is endorsed by Disabled American Veterans, the American Physical Therapy Association, and AARP. 

    “As our population continues to age, the VA must be proactive in its efforts to identify and address necessary improvements in care for older Veterans. The SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act will help drastically enhance the health and quality of life for those at risk of falls while reducing the need for costly recovery programs resulting from these preventable injuries. I’m proud to help reintroduce this bipartisan, commonsense bill,” said Congressman Bergman.

    “Preventative health care measures give our nation’s Veterans a healthier, more resilient future,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “The SAFE STEPS Act reflects our commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by older Veterans, who are at a higher risk of serious falls and their consequences. By establishing an Office of Falls Prevention and integrating effective programs into VA home modification efforts, we aim to reduce the incidence of falls and the associated high costs. Our Veterans deserve the best care and support, and this legislation will help ensure their long-term safety and wellbeing.” 

    “Falls are the leading cause of injury among people over age 65. A new VA effort to keep our Veterans on their feet is important for the thousands of senior Veterans who live in South Florida and across the country,” said Congresswoman Frankel. “We owe the men and women who served in our military full support in maintaining their health and well-being. I am proud to co-lead this bill.”

    “As a geriatric nurse practitioner, I have seen firsthand how falls can impact our older adults’ health and overall quality of life,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “Our elder Veterans are especially vulnerable, and we owe it to them to ensure they’re safe and well cared for after their service to our nation. The VA must place a greater focus on elder care and this legislation is a step in the right direction. I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing the SAFE STEPS Act to advocate for better resources, education, and fall-prevention programs for our older Veterans.”

    “As someone who has experienced a fall that resulted in broken ribs, I am very familiar with the pain that often comes from a fall,” said Congressman Bilirakis. “The risks associated with falling are especially high for seniors over the age of 65.  According to the CDC, 36 million seniors fall each year. Tragically, these falls result in 34,000 deaths and three million serious injuries that require an emergency room visit. The good news is that falls are preventable and do not need to be an inevitable part of aging. I encourage all seniors and their loved ones to learn more about how to stay safe and active by taking advantage of the fall prevention programs offered in their community.  This bill will ensure that at-risk Veterans also have direct access to the tools they need to prevent falls and stay safe.”

    An estimated $80 billion a year is spent on direct medical costs for falls among older adults, up from $50 billion a decade ago. Falls are caused by a variety of risk factors, such as lower body weakness, balance issues, vitamin D deficiency, hearing issues, vision issues, use of certain medications and/or home hazards. Twenty percent of these falls result in serious injuries, with approximately 1 million fall-related hospitalizations among older adults each year.

    Falls prevention is an interdisciplinary approach that requires screening and coordination among health care providers, referral to community-based falls prevention programs and addressing home-based risks. However, neither the VA nor VHA currently have a single authority that leads falls prevention efforts for the Department. Additionally, while VA provides funding for home modification programs for certain veteran populations, these programs do not incorporate evidence-based falls prevention programs into their work. The VHA also does not include a requirement that Veterans at risk be screened, leaving too many Veterans susceptible to otherwise preventable falls.

    “Falls are a leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries for older Americans, and Veterans face an elevated risk primarily due to their service-connected conditions,” said DAV (Disabled American Veterans) National Legislative Director Joy Ilem.“These injuries are not inevitable and can be significantly reduced through dedicated, evidence-based falls prevention programs and clinical-community partnerships. DAV thanks Rep. Budzinski, Bergman, Frankel, and Kiggans for re-introducing and championing SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act of 2025, which establishes the Office of Falls Prevention at the Veterans Health Administration and supports research for evidence-based fall prevention programs that will benefit and protect our Veterans.”

    “The American Physical Therapy Association is grateful to Rep. Budzinski, along with Reps. Frankel, Kiggans, Bergman, and Bilirakis for their introduction of the bipartisan SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act of 2025 in the U.S. House,” said APTA President Kyle Covington PT, DPT, PhD. “The creation of an Office of Falls Prevention within the Department of Veterans Affairs will improve coordination, services, and research aimed at preventing our Veterans from encountering dangerous falls. While proactively preventing falls in our Veteran population, this Office will also minimize health care utilization. The legislation also ensures that our Veterans receive access to much needed physical therapy services, avoiding costlier and more intensive interventions.”

    The SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act would:

    •  Establish an Office of Falls Prevention and creates a falls prevention coordinator within the Veterans Health Administration.
    • Require the falls prevention coordinator to work with NIH to develop Veterans-specific research for evidence-based falls prevention programs.
    • Require a report on Falls Prevention Initiatives in the Department.
    • Make improvements to Safe Patient Handling Transfer Techniques, which ensure that injured or paralyzed Veterans are safely transferred between seated positions.
    • Create a pilot program for current home modification grant programs to incorporate evidence-based falls prevention programs as a component of receipt of grant funding.

    Establish a Falls Assessment and Fall Prevention Service requirement for Veterans to screen for those at risk of falling and to better ensure care plans are developed.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Bergman Announces Winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-1)

    Today, Rep. Jack Bergman announced that EmmaRay, a talented student from Johannesburg-Lewiston High School, has been named the First District winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition. Her captivating artwork, titled “The Darkness Needs Its Light,” features a luminous jellyfish and impressed judges with its originality, message of resilience, and creative composition.

    Held each spring, the Congressional Art Competition highlights the artistic talents of high school students nationwide. As the First District winner, EmmaRay’s artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year, alongside winning pieces from across the country.

    “I’m proud to congratulate EmmaRay on her remarkable piece, ‘The Darkness Needs Its Light.’ Her work is not only visually stunning, but also a powerful reminder that light can shine even in the darkest places,” said Rep. Bergman. “Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are home to so many gifted young artists, and this competition is a great way to showcase their talent on a national stage.”

    Later this year, EmmaRay will be honored at a national reception in Washington, D.C., where she and fellow winners will celebrate their achievements alongside Members of Congress and young artists from across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Federal Environment for Surface Transportation Infrastructure

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    Historically, most federal spending for highways, bridges, and mass transit has been paid for by revenues—largely from excise taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel—that are credited to the Highway Trust Fund. For more than two decades, those revenues have fallen short of federal spending on highways, prompting transfers from the Treasury’s general fund to the trust fund to make up the difference. The Congressional Budget Office projects that balances in both the highway and transit accounts of the Highway Trust Fund will be exhausted in 2028.

    This presentation provides an overview of the following:

    • Projected cash inflows, outlays, and balances of the Highway Trust Fund
    • Possible options that would affect Highway Trust Fund spending and revenues
    • Public spending for transportation infrastructure
    • Types of tax-exempt bonds for transportation infrastructure

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard Cutter Eagle makes port call in Costa Rica

    Source: United States Coast Guard

    U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 05/07/2025 02:45 PM EDT

     

    05/07/2025 02:13 PM EDT

    For the first time since 2008, the U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle (WIX 327) sailed to the West Coast, making its first-ever port visit to Puntarenas, Costa Rica, on April 27. The crew engaged with international partners and performed community service.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FDA Advises Consumers, Tattoo Artists, and Retailers to Avoid Using or Selling Certain Sacred Tattoo Ink Products Contaminated with Microorganisms

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    May 07, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    May 07, 2025
    Product Type:
    Cosmetics
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Tattoo inks that are contaminated with bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    Company Name:
    U.S. Food and Drug Administration
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    Sacred Tattoo Ink

    Product Description:

    Product Description

    Sacred Tattoo Ink, Raven Black; CI# 77266; Lot#: RB0624; Best Before: June 28 2027
    Sacred Tattoo Ink, Sunny Daze; CI# 21095; Lot#: SD1124; Best Before: Nov 1 2027

    FDA Announcement
    Audience

    Consumers who are considering a new tattoo
    Tattoo artists
    Retailers of tattoo inks

    Product
    FDA laboratory analysis has found that the following tattoo inks are contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms:

    Sacred Tattoo Ink, Raven Black; CI# 77266; Lot#: RB0624; Best Before: June 28 2027
    Sacred Tattoo Ink, Sunny Daze; CI# 21095; Lot#: SD1124; Best Before: Nov 1 2027

    Purpose
    The FDA is alerting consumers, tattoo artists, and retailers of the potential for serious injury from use of tattoo inks that are contaminated with bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Tattoo inks contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms can cause infections and lead to serious health injuries when injected into the skin during a tattooing procedure, since there is an increased risk of infection any time the skin barrier is broken.
    Commonly reported symptoms of tattoo-ink-associated infections include the appearance of rashes or lesions consisting of red papules in areas where the contaminated ink has been applied. Some tattoo infections can result in permanent scarring. Indications of an infection can be difficult to recognize as other conditions (e.g., allergic reactions) may initially have similar signs and symptoms, leading to misdiagnosis and ineffective treatments.
    Summary of Problem and Scope
    The FDA has become aware of contaminated tattoo inks through its routine surveys of marketed tattoo inks, and subsequent microbiological analysis of sampled tattoo inks. The FDA has identified 2 tattoo inks contaminated with bacteria harmful to human health through samples collected as part of routine surveillance activities. Tattoo inks were analyzed using methods described in the Bacteriological Analytical Manual Chapter 23: Microbiological Methods for Cosmetics, which are the general methods used to determine bacterial contamination of cosmetics.
    Recommendations for Consumers
    Ask the tattoo artist or studio about the tattoo inks they use and avoid the tattoo inks listed above, due to risk of infection and injury.
    Recommendations for Tattoo Artists, and Retailers
    Avoid using or selling the tattoo inks mentioned above, due to risk of infection and injury.
    FDA Monitoring
    The FDA will continue to work with manufacturers and retailers to help ensure contaminated products are removed from the market.
    Who to Contact
    Health care professionals and consumers are encouraged to report any adverse health experiences at FDA’s SmartHub.
    Sacred Tattoo Ink Raven Black (Manufactured by Sacred Tattoo Ink)

    Sacred Tattoo Ink Sunny Daze (Manufactured by Sacret Tattoo Ink)

    Content current as of:
    05/07/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Establishing 10 Youth Assertive Community Treatment Teams

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that $4.5 million in state funding was awarded to establish 10 new Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams, including five in New York City, two on Long Island and three in areas north of the metropolitan area. Administered by the state Office of Mental Health, the new multidisciplinary teams will support 360 additional youth with serious emotional disturbances who are either at risk of entering, or are returning home from high intensity services, such as inpatient settings or residential services.

    “Children and youth living with mental illness sometimes require additional care to remain at home or return back into the community,” Governor Hochul said. “This expansion of our Youth ACT program will help provide more families with this critical support and the services they can rely on to bring their child home after inpatient care or from a residential facility.”

    OMH provided $450,000 in one-time start-up funding to 10 service providers to establish the new teams, with each serving up to 36 children between the ages of 10 and 21. Award recipients include:

    • Access Supports for Living Inc., serving Westchester County
    • The Charles Evans Center, serving Nassau County
    • Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling, serving Suffolk County
    • Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference, serving Chenango County
    • Interborough Developmental & Consultation Center, serving Brooklyn
    • The Child Center of NY, two teams serving Manhattan and Queens
    • Jewish Child Care Association of NY, serving the Bronx
    • Child and Family Services of Erie County, serving Erie County
    • Richmond University Medical Center, serving Staten Island

    In addition to announcing the awards, Governor Hochul also issued a proclamation designating Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in New York State. The proclamation was presented this week during the annual ‘What’s Great in Our State’ Celebration of Children’s Mental Health event in Albany, which recognizes individuals and programs successfully advancing the cause of children’s mental health.

    With the first teams established in 2022, New York was the first state nationally to adapt the successful Assertive Community Treatment model to serve youth and young adults. The state now hosts 20 Youth ACT teams in 27 counties, providing services including youth and family therapy, medication management, family and peer supports, and skill-building.

    Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “New York’s Youth ACT program is a fantastic first-in-the-nation adaptation to a model that has proven extremely successful with adults living with mental illness. By adding teams statewide, we can help more young people and their families to access the care and support they can use to live and thrive within their community. The expansion of this successful program demonstrates Governor Hochul’s ongoing commitment to expand access to mental healthcare throughout our state.”

    Youth ACT teams include mental health clinicians and psychiatric prescribers, peer advocates, and clinical support staff, offering 24-hour support, seven days per week. These teams are focused on improving or ameliorating the significant functional impairments and severe symptomatology experienced by the youth due to mental illness or serious emotional disturbance.

    Clinical and rehabilitative interventions are also focused on enhancing family functioning to foster wellbeing, stability, and re-integration. Services are delivered using a family-driven, youth-guided, and developmentally appropriate approach that comprehensively addresses the needs of the youth.

    Governor Hochul’s support for youth mental health has resulted in major investments into youth services and supports and nation-leading legislation to address online safety. Her $1 billion mental health initiative and the FY 2025 Budget has significantly expanded access to mental health care and is providing resources for young people and their families.

    Last year, Governor Hochul established the Youth Mental Health Advisory Board, a 30-member advisory board which includes youth between the ages of 11 and 17. The advisory board convenes quarterly and is designed to ensure that youth-informed best practices continue to be incorporated in developing behavioral health programs and policies.

    New York also now supports more than 1,200 school-based mental health clinic satellites to provide mental health services at districts statewide. These clinics bring a licensed mental health care provider to school campuses, allowing students to access these services in a familiar stigma-free setting.

    Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, the state has also significantly expanded HealthySteps, an innovative program that supports young families with high-quality care for mental and physical health development for children 3 years old or younger. New York now supports 125 sites in 35 counties statewide.

    Additionally, the state continues to expand Home-Based Crisis Intervention teams, which provide critical mental health services so that at-risk children and youth can avoid psychiatric hospitalization. The state now funds 55 teams, which have the capacity to assist 3,500 families annually.

    New York State Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health President and CEO Kayleigh Zaloga said, “New York’s Youth ACT program fills a critical role in the behavioral health service continuum for adolescents and families, enabling hundreds of young people with significant mental health needs to remain or reintegrate into their families, schools, and communities. The multidisciplinary team approach offers families the support they need when they need it, delivering intensive in-home therapy, peer support, medication management, and crisis intervention centered on each young person’s goals. This work not only stabilizes youth and families in the short term, but also helps them build the skills, resilience, and community connections necessary to thrive into adulthood.”

    Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon said, “Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams are meeting young people where they are at, in their homes, in their communities, and often at their most critical moments. This investment means more families won’t have to choose between getting help and staying together. By surrounding youth with compassionate and expert care, we’re not just addressing symptoms, we’re giving them the support they need,” said

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: BRAVO’S “the Real Housewives of Rhode Island” Is Reality!

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    Providence, RI — “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” Set against the shores of the Ocean State, “The Real Housewives” franchise expands into the world of a tight-knit circle of Rhode Islanders who have deep community roots and families that go back generations. With aspirational lives, thriving businesses and tangled family dynamics, these decade-long friendships prove that in a state this small, there’s no escaping your past � or each other.

    “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” is produced by Evolution Media. Lucilla D’Agostino, Joseph Ferraro and Jen McClure-Metz executive produce. Andy Cohen is also an executive producer.

    Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & TV Office, stated, “One of the most popular reality-shows ever to grace television, “The Real Housewives” franchise sparked an avalanche of enthusiasm when word spread that this entertaining series just might land in the Ocean State. Well, good news, folks. “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” is ready to roll and take the world by storm! Action!”

    “We’re excited to welcome ‘The Real Housewives’ and their millions of viewers to Rhode Island,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Our state is home to vibrant communities, amazing food, rich history, and stunning coastal beauty�perfect for the spotlight. This is a great opportunity to support our local economy and bring national attention to all Rhode Island has to offer.”

    “From the recent filming of ‘Ella McCay’ to HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age,’ Rhode Island is an incredible backdrop for a wide range of productions. The filming of ‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’ is a great way to showcase some of the Ocean State’s world-class dining and hospitality,” said House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi. “I am very proud to be a strong supporter of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office, because the arts are a vital part of Rhode Island’s culture and economy. From catering and site usage for filming to increasing tourism, the film and TV industry generates revenue for our local businesses and brings in millions of dollars to our state.”

    President of the Senate Valarie J. Lawson said “I am pleased to welcome Bravo’s ‘Real Housewives’ franchise to Rhode Island, and I am excited for the show’s millions of fans to get a glimpse into our state’s rich history, culture, and natural beauty. Thank you to Steve Feinberg and the Rhode Island Film & Television Office for your outstanding work to secure so many productions that generate excitement in our communities while showcasing the Ocean State to audiences around the globe.”

    The Rhode Island Film & TV Office is a government agency under the umbrella of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Professor Bird Awarded Fulbright Scholarship to Conduct Legal Research in Finland

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Business Law professor Robert Bird has been selected as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar and will spend three months studying human-centered legal strategy and design in Finland next semester.

    “I’m excited about this opportunity to collaborate with my peers in Finland, who are doing some interesting work on strategic legal design,’’ he said. “I believe this research will add value to organizations, make complex contracts easier to understand, and benefit my students as well.’’

    The Fulbright is a prestigious award granted to faculty based on their previous leadership and contributions to society. The program was created to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries, and is the world’s largest international educational exchange program. UConn typically has four or five Fulbright professors each year.

    Bird will be based at the University of Vaasa, a seaside campus, approximately a four-hour train ride north of Helsinki. The university is ranked as the top college in Finland for business administration, and recently underwent extensive renovations to enhance sustainability. The Fulbright award is co-sponsored by the Fulbright Finland Foundation and the University of Vaasa.

    The goal of the project is to develop innovative contracts and other legal tools to make the documents easier for people to understand, minimize disputes, and add more valuable for organizations.

    For example, sustainable supply chain contracts and codes of conduct are typically filled with complex language and legal jargon, Bird said. By using design methods to transform them into visually appealing and accessible documents, the professor and his colleagues believe they can foster greater participation, enhance trust-building, and maximize collaboration.

    In addition to his work in Finland, Bird plans to complete some guest lectures at other universities in Europe, as part of his sabbatical.

    When he returns to UConn for the spring 2026 semester, Bird will host a Legal Strategy Summit at UConn which will include a discussion of new legal designs based on his Fulbright experience.

    “I’m looking forward to being an ambassador for UConn, for Husky values, and for the United States,’’ he said. “I’m looking forward to working with outstanding Finish colleagues. European scholars often think about things differently than we do and I hope to bring that back to UConn and to the United States.’’

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Seek Information on Unfair and Anticompetitive Practices in Live Ticketing

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Today, the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) jointly launched a public inquiry to identify unfair and anticompetitive practices and conduct in the live concert and entertainment industry. The agencies invite members of the public to submit comments and information on harmful practices and on potential regulation or legislation to protect consumers in the industry. The Agencies will use the information in their preparation of the report and recommendations directed by President Trump’s Executive Order 14254, Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market.   

    “Competitive live entertainment markets should deliver value to artists and fans alike,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We will continue to closely examine this market and look for opportunities where vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws can lead to increased competition that makes tickets more affordable for fans while offering fairer compensation for artists.”

    “Many Americans feel like they are being priced out of live entertainment by scalpers, bots, and other unfair and deceptive practices,” said FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson. “Now their voices are being heard. President Trump has sent a clear message that bad actors who exploit fans and distort the marketplace will not be tolerated. The FTC is proud to help deliver on that promise and restore fair and competitive markets that benefit ordinary Americans.”

    On March 31, President Trump issued Executive Order 14254, Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market. The Executive Order directs the Attorney General and the FTC to “ensure that competition laws are appropriately enforced in the concert and entertainment industry.” The Executive Order also directs the FTC to “rigorously enforce the Better Online Tickets Sales Act, 15 U.S.C. 45c.”

    The Executive Order also directs the Attorney General, with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the FTC, to submit a report that identifies “recommendations for regulations or legislation necessary to protect consumers” in the industry. In furtherance of this direction, the agencies will work together, along with the Secretary of the Treasury, on a joint report, with the FTC taking the lead on issues relating to the Better Online Ticket Sales Act.

    The agencies therefore seek information from the public about unfair and anticompetitive conduct and practices in the live concert and entertainment industry. The agencies also encourage comments providing information on the competitive effects of current state and federal regulations and laws in the live concert and entertainment industry, including the secondary ticketing market.

    The public will have 60 days to submit comments at Regulations.gov, no later than July 6, 2025. Once submitted, comments will be posted to Regulations.gov (Docket No. ATR-2025-0002). All market participants are invited to provide comments, including consumers, artists, small businesses, trade groups, industry analysts, and other entities that are impacted by anticompetitive practices in the live concert and entertainment industry.

    The Justice Department, along with 40 state and district attorneys general, is also currently litigating a civil antitrust lawsuit brought last year against Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ticketmaster LLC for monopolization and other unlawful conduct that thwarts competition in markets across the live entertainment industry. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI New Orleans Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    Four individuals from across the state of Louisiana were charged between April 29 and May 2, 2025, during Operation Restore Justice, a nationwide initiative to identify, track, and arrest child predators. The operation coincided with the annual nationwide observance of Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. FBI agents were joined by our partners across the country in arresting 205 subjects and rescuing 115 children during the surge of resources deployed for Operation Restore Justice.

    “The FBI is unwavering in its fight to protect children,” said Jonathan Tapp, special agent in charge of FBI New Orleans. “Each arrest is a powerful testament to the tireless efforts of the FBI and our dedicated law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable among us. It reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to pursuing justice for victims and hold predators accountable.”

    “This joint operation signals our unrelenting effort to identify and prosecute those individuals responsible for the sexual exploitation of our nation’s youth,” stated Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson. “Together with our law enforcement partners, our office stands ready and committed to utilizing our collective resources to bring justice to both the victims and the perpetrators of these crimes.”

    “This nationwide effort has made its way to the Western District of Louisiana and the U.S. Attorney’s Office stands ready to join with the FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners to continue this investigation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “These types of crimes against minor children are reprehensible and we are committed to doing what we can to get these child predators off of our streets.”

    Three of the subjects arrested in Louisiana were charged following a joint undercover operation by the FBI, Alexandria Police Department, and Louisiana State Police. One of those individuals faces federal charges that will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. The other two face state charges that will be prosecuted by the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office. The fourth subject was indicted in the Eastern District of Louisiana on five separate counts, including sexual exploitation of children, distributing child sexual material (CSAM), receiving CSAM, and transmitting extortionate interstate communications (see press release from the USAO EDLA).

    The FBI proactively identifies individuals involved in child sexual exploitation and the production of child sexual abuse material through our far-reaching, nationwide network of personnel and law enforcement partners. The Crimes Against Children (CAC) program provides a rapid, proactive, and comprehensive capacity to counter all threats of abuse against children. This capacity leverages partnerships within the FBI’s 89 Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Forces (CEHTTFs) across the country. Additionally, the FBI has Intelligence Analysts assigned to address the VCAC threat, both at Headquarters and the field. The FBI also leads a Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force which includes nearly 100 International Task Force Officers representing over 60 countries to expand our ability to address the threat worldwide. 

    The FBI also partners with 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. In further partnership and collaboration with NCMEC, the FBI launched the Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) in 2004 to identify individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. To date, ECAP has identified 36 individuals.

    For more information about the crimes investigated by the FBI as well as the variety of resources we provide to protect and keep children safe, please visit:

    Violent Crimes Against Children — FBI

    Parents, Caregivers, Teachers — FBI

    Welcome to sos.fbi.gov — FBI Safe Online Surfing (SOS)

    As always, the FBI urges the public to remain vigilant and report any suspect crime against a child to 911 and local law enforcement immediately, as well as the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), online at tips.fbi.gov, or by contacting your local FBI field office.

    Additional Resources

    An electronic press kit that includes an interview with the Darren Cox, the FBI’s Deputy Assistant Director for the Criminal Investigative Division can be found here: FBI DVIDS Page (suggested: “Courtesy: FBI”). The raw interview is designed to be edited by each media outlet for the needs of their media market.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: USGS releases assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Hosston and Travis Peak formations along the Gulf Coast

    Source: US Geological Survey

    USGS releases assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Hosston and Travis Peak formations along the Gulf Coast

    35.8 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered gas, 14 months’ supply for the nation

    RESTON, VA. — The U.S. Geological Survey released its assessment of potential for undiscovered oil and gas in two formations under much of the Gulf of America Coast from Texas to Florida, assessing that there are technically recoverable resources of 35.8 trillion cubic feet of gas and 28 million barrels of oil. 

    The estimate for today’s assessment is as much gas as the United States consumes in 14 months at the current rate of consumption. Since exploration began in the area, the Hosston and Travis Peak Formations have produced 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, as well as 126 million barrels of oil. 

    “USGS energy assessments typically focus on undiscovered resources – areas where science tells us there may be a resource that industry hasn’t discovered yet. In this case, our assessment found substantial resources of gas,” said Sarah Ryker, acting director of the USGS.

    The onshore Gulf Coast is a major energy production area thanks to a world-class petroleum system and extensive energy exploration and production infrastructure. This assessment is limited to the Hosston and Travis Peak formations, which comprise a small portion of the onshore Gulf Coast’s Cretaceous aged rocks.  While the study area stretches from the Mexican border along the Gulf of America to most of Florida, resources are concentrated in one sliver extending from southeastern Texas across central Louisiana through the Mississippi Delta and into state waters of Louisiana, in the Hosston-Travis Peak Shelf Continuous Gas Assessment Unit (see map). 

    Much of the undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas estimated to be present in the Hosston – Travis Peak formations is what the industry calls “tight gas”: natural gas trapped in low permeability rock, far below the surface. “Producing tight gas here would involve drilling and fracking, down more than 8,000–10,000 feet from the surface,” said Christopher Schenk, USGS geologist. 

    USGS oil and gas assessments began 50 years ago following an oil embargo against the U.S. that signaled a need to understand the occurrence, distribution and potential volumes of undiscovered resources.  The embargo led to a mandate for the USGS to use geologic science and data to assess undiscovered oil and gas resources to help meet the nation’s needs.  The work continues today – identifying new resources for domestic production as well as international resources that affect market conditions — an important part of the USGS mission to provide actionable insight to U.S. leaders, other Federal agencies, industry and the public.

    USGS energy resource assessments provide information to policymakers on resource potential in areas of the U.S. and the world. For land-management agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, the results of an energy resources assessment feed into land-use and resource management plans.  For the private sector, USGS assessments of undiscovered energy resources provide context for planning detailed exploration.

    The range of assessments produced has changed with the technology available to produce oil. In 1995, the USGS began conducting assessments of unconventional, technically recoverable resources.  “The shift to horizontal drilling with fracking has revolutionized oil production, and we’ve changed with it,” Schenk said. 

    The USGS Energy Resources Program assesses the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources in priority geologic provinces in the United States and around the world. Two methodologies are used by the USGS: one for assessing conventional oil and gas resources and one for assessing unconventional (continuous) oil and gas resources (such as shale gas and coalbed gas).  

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Rand Paul Honored Retiring Murray State University President Dr. Bob Jackson in Bowling Green

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul
     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
    May 6th, 2025 
     Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-578-8903 
    Senator Rand Paul Honored Retiring Murray State University President Dr. Bob Jackson in Bowling Green 
    BOWLING GREEN, KY – U.S. Senator Rand Paul honored Dr. Bob Jackson, retiring President of Murray State University, during a recognition ceremony this week at the Senator’s State office 
    During his remarks, Senator Paul stated, “If you’re looking for people who are the next generation of farmers and agriculture, they’re most likely to be kids of people who are farming in agriculture. So, it’s great to have a university that has expertise in the agricultural sciences and the kids who want to remain in and have an opportunity. I see it as serving a great purpose. We’ve worked well with Doctor Jackson over the years, and we wish him success.” 
    “It has been an honor to work with Sen. Paul during these past many years as we worked to advance our Commonwealth and Murray State University,” said Dr. Bob Jackson. “Importantly, we greatly appreciate the Senator’s support of a School of Veterinary Medicine at Murray State University which will have a major and lasting impact on agriculture in Kentucky.” 
    Under Dr. Jackson’s leadership, Murray State established an accredited school of veterinary medicine—a transformative achievement aimed squarely at addressing the severe shortage of large-animal veterinarians in rural Kentucky. This initiative has positioned Murray State as a leader in supporting Kentucky’s animal agriculture economy, equipping local students to serve farm communities and helping ensure the long-term viability of the state’s livestock industry. 
    Dr. Jackson will retire on June 30, 2025, and begin serving as President Emeritus on July 1. During the ceremony, he presented Senator Paul with a commemorative gift from Murray State to be displayed in the State office. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Jackie Pavon’s Story

    Source: International Association of Drilling Contractors – IADC

    Headline: Jackie Pavon’s Story

    The following is part of IADC’s 85th anniversary campaign, “Many Stories, One Voice,” which aims to showcase the real human stories behind the drilling industry. 

    Jackie Pavon – IADC H2S Safe Accreditation Coordinator 

    I first heard of IADC from my kind friend and now colleague Bill Krull. It always amazed me how positively he spoke about this organization. Every time I saw him, he was refreshed, optimistic and genuinely energized about his work. In today’s world, where many see work as just a job, finding someone who truly loves what they do is rare. I remember thinking, “What kind of company could inspire such passion?” and hoping that, one day, I would also find a place where I felt the same.

    My prayer was answered when IADC opened a position for an H2S Safe Accreditation Coordinator. With my experience, a deep desire to be part of something meaningful, and the stability that IADC offers, I eagerly embraced the opportunity. Now that I’m here, I can truly say this is where I belong. The training, support and encouragement from my colleagues have been invaluable. IADC isn’t just a company; it’s a community of people who genuinely care about their work, each other and the greater mission we serve. The work I do with IADC brings me so much fulfillment that, by the time I pick up my 1-year-old daughter from school, I’m already feeling grateful. We sing our hearts out to ‘90s country as we drive home, and when I walk through the door to my loving husband, I feel a deep sense of joy. That’s the kind of happiness I cherish every single day, and it’s made possible by the meaningful work I’m lucky to be doing.

    The H2S Safe Program and this organization have become like a second home to me. I feel not only at ease but also challenged and inspired every day. I’m eager to contribute, grow and help make the program the best it can be. I have the privilege of working alongside dedicated training providers, supporting them as they reach their goals and uphold the highest safety standards. Knowing that our work directly impacts lives and promotes safety in the industry is what drives me. Because at the end of the day, safety isn’t just a priority – it’s a responsibility we all share.

    Looking ahead, I see a future filled with possibility. I am excited to continue learning, growing and evolving with IADC. I look forward to building new relationships, taking on new challenges, and contributing in ways that leave a lasting impact. More than anything, I am grateful to be here, to be part of this family, and to be trusted with work that truly matters.

    I’d love to raise a glass and say, “Cheers to 85 more years!” but let’s be real, by then, I’d much rather be in the Bahamas, enjoying a cold beer with my feet in the sand. So instead, I’ll say, “Cheers to many more amazing years with IADC… until I retire!” 

    Jackie (front row, fourth from far right) is pictured with members of the IADC HSE&T Committee following a meeting at IADC’s Houston office this year.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Quadrupling youth beds with CASA Mental Health

    Alberta’s government continues to build the Alberta Recovery Model, a continuum of mental health and addiction care that includes prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery. With record-high investment, the model is supporting Albertans of all ages, ensuring children and youth get the mental health care they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives.

    Alberta’s government has an established partnership with CASA Mental Health, the province’s second-largest provider of community-based youth mental health services. The organization focuses on youth who are experiencing mental health challenges that are complex but do not require treatment in an acute care setting or psychiatric hospital.  

    To continue this partnership, Budget 2025 provides $47 million in capital grants to CASA Mental Health to build live-in and day program youth facilities in three new locations: Medicine Hat, Fort McMurray and Calgary. This is part of a capital commitment of $75 million over three years (2023-26), which will also support the relocation of the existing CASA House from Sherwood Park to Edmonton. This capital grant funding will quadruple the number of CASA House beds in Alberta to about 80. Once fully operational, CASA House facilities will treat more than 300 young Albertans every year.  

    “Investing in youth mental health sets young people up for brighter futures and helps strengthen families and communities across Alberta. The new CASA Houses and our strong partnership with CASA Mental Health will provide the care they need, closer to home.”

    Premier Danielle Smith, MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat

    “Through the Alberta Recovery Model, we are continuing to invest in the infrastructure, programs and services that will give Albertans access to the supports they need to live meaningful, fulfilling lives. Our partnership with CASA Mental Health is increasing access to services and bringing supports closer to home.”

    Dan Williams, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction

    CASA House facilities will provide treatment for youth aged 12-18 who are experiencing complex mental health challenges with both live-in and day programming. This programming supports youth with the development of skills to build stronger relationships, manage conflict, solve problems, maintain positive health and wellness, and transition to a community school setting. Alberta’s government ensures no family needs to pay for these services by fully funding their operation.

    “CASA Mental Health is expanding to provide services to children and youth, and hope to the families supporting them, by bridging the gap between home and hospital. We’re pleased to partner with the Alberta government to bring timely mental health care to more children and youth throughout the province.”

    Bonnie Blakley, chief executive officer, CASA Mental Health

    “We felt welcomed. We were treated with respect. We loved that there was a program for our child and for us. We learned a lot for the first time since our struggles, we felt like we were not alone and that there is hope. We are so thankful for the amazing staff who made our child’s journey easier.”

    Parent of CASA House patient

    CASA Mental Health is in the final stages of securing land for the Fort McMurray CASA House, with that location and the Calgary CASA House expected to open in 2027.

    Targeted completion of the Medicine Hat and Edmonton CASA House facilities is 2029. The existing CASA House in Sherwood Park will continue operating until the new location opens. As a non-profit charity, CASA Mental Health will engage with the community and embark on a fundraising campaign to supplement government’s capital funding commitment. 

    “CASA House will have a profound impact on the Fort McMurray region. This facility will help children receive quality mental health care close to home. This is another example of Alberta’s government investing in local infrastructure to support families in northern Alberta.”

    Brian Jean, MLA for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche

    “As an advocate of mental health care, I’m grateful for this new investment for children and youth facing complex mental health challenges. Too often, parents are left questioning how they can get their children the help they need. This new facility will be an important addition to our community.”

    Tany Yao, MLA for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo

    “Since being elected two years ago, I have worked with community organizations and service providers to connect with each other and make a mental health and addiction system that works for Medicine Hat. A new CASA House in the city will fill a gap I often hear about, which is the need for more access to mental health services tailored specifically to youth.”

    Justin Wright, MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat

    Treatment includes individual, group and family therapy, social and life skills training and on-site schooling. Family and caregivers play a vital role in recovery and are actively engaged throughout the treatment process. This includes participation in bi-weekly parent and multi-family group therapy sessions, education and support opportunities and involvement in personalized care and discharge planning.

    Youth who stay at a CASA House receive proactive discharge planning, including eight to 12 weeks of follow-up support. The transition team works with families to develop a coordinated plan that may include referrals to community services, school supports and primary care providers.

    Alberta’s government is making record investments in mental health services to support Albertans of all ages in their pursuit of wellness and recovery. This includes investing in digital supports like 211 Alberta and Kids Help Phone, supporting school-based initiatives, increasing access to eating disorder treatment for young Albertans and investing in affordable virtual and in-person counselling.

    Quick facts

    • May 7 is National Child and Youth Mental Health Day.
    • CASA House patients consistently see improvements in symptoms, including:
      • Reduction in attention-related symptoms. 
      • Reduction in substance use.
      • Reduction in emotionally related symptoms (anxiety, depression, etc.).
      • Improvement in peer relationships.
      • Improvement in school attendance and participation. 
    • In 2024-25, CASA Mental Health provided support for almost 11,000 patients and family members.
    • Albertans experiencing mental health or addiction challenges can call or text 211 Alberta for information on services and supports in their community.

    Related information

    • CASA Mental Health
    • Alberta Recovery Model

    Related news

    • New school year, new mental health classrooms (Sept. 2024)
    • Record-breaking expansion of mental health services (May 2024)
    • Building a future of mental wellness (Jan. 2024)
    • Expanding mental health treatment for youth (March 2023)

    Multimedia

    • Virtual tour – Sherwood Park CASA House

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons statement on violence between India and Pakistan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement in response to increasing military action between India and Pakistan in the disputed region of Kashmir:

    “Since the devastating terrorist attack that killed 25 civilians in Kashmir last month, I have been following the escalating tensions and military exchanges between India and Pakistan with increasing concern. As we work collectively to bring the perpetrators to justice, I call on New Delhi and Islamabad to exercise restraint and continue their efforts to resolve this crisis through diplomacy. That is the only way to forge a path toward justice for the families of those killed without an escalation of destruction and death.”

    Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Coons joins Andy Beshear podcast to talk chickens, faith, and getting started in local government

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WILMINGTON, Del. – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear for an interview on the Andy Beshear Podcast. They discussed Senator Coons’ background and how his faith informs his Democratic values and public service, as well as his work with the bipartisan Senate Chicken Caucus. Senator Coons appeared on the fourth episode of Governor Beshear’s podcast. He is only the second elected official to be interviewed on the show.

    You can watch and listen here. 

    Key excerpts:

    On serving in local government 

    Beshear: So, when you got into politics, you got in at the local level, and local politics is hard. I mean, everybody knows where you live!

    CAC: It’s mean, it’s tough. The smaller the yard, the meaner the dog.

    Beshear: And so, I’m wondering, how did your experiences there either prepare you for the U.S. Senate, or how different are they?

    CAC: Well, so, in between the non-profit work I did and going into local government, I spent eight years for a global manufacturing company that’s headquartered here in Delaware, and I gradually got more involved – more engaged – with the Democratic party here in Delaware and was recruited to run for County Council President, partly because there was a real ethics meltdown going on in county government, and my master’s in divinity school really focused on ethics, and I had worked as an ethics officer – an ethics trainer at the company I worked for. When I was County Council President, I wrote a new ethics code and was involved in a number of public integrity and ethics issues. I represented half a million people, and our county here, New Castle County, is mostly unincorporated, so the county government provides police, fire, paramedics, land use, sewer, zoning, housing, and libraries for about 400,000 people, and it was a very challenging environment, a great learning opportunity. My wife and I had infant twins who were born in ’99, I was elected in 2000, and our youngest child was born in 2001, so as a brand-new County Council President with one staff person representing roughly half a million people…

    Beshear: With three kids!

    CAC: I had three kids under two years old, and I had two full-time jobs because I was still the in-house lawyer for that manufacturing company. It was crazy. I barely remember the first four years I was elected. But to your point, representing local government in the community where I grew up was both wonderful, because I had a chance to really have an impact on the people I’d grown up with and to have an impact on housing and libraries, paramedic and police response time, and disaster preparedness and all of that stuff—but you know people, and they know you and they know how to get you, and they know your mom, and they know your brother-in-law, you know? They know you. That’s what’s great about local government, and that’s what’s hard about local government.

    On faith 

    Beshear: I know that it hurts you as a Senator who has sworn to uphold the Constitution, but also as a person of faith. So many of the teachings in our Bible seem to be impacted, and impacted negatively, by these actions. You think about the fishes and the loaves and cutting SNAP benefits. You think about the parable, the Good Samaritan, picking up that person who’s different from you and not kicking them while they’re down. So, how do you bring your faith to this job? How does it help you make decisions? And maybe how does it keep you going when things are tough?

    CAC: Well, thank you for the question. Because it’s harder—it’s been harder this year than it’s ever been for me. Actually, looking out my window right now, I can see my church, First and Central Presbyterian, here in Wilmington. And I try, I’ve got something on the wall behind me, it’s Micah 6:8, which is one of my favorites, the most concise passages from the Old Testament, and it is a reminder that we are called to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. I try to start with humility, to say that everyone I’m interacting with is a child of God, and they may have different understandings or interpretations than I do of what we’re called to do, but if you do justice and love kindness, you’re on the right track. Look, the Bible, the Gospel in particular, is not a political pamphlet. It doesn’t say exactly what we ought to do. It doesn’t say we need more tax cuts, or we need more healthcare, but there are 2,000 specific references to the poor and I think if you look at when Jesus speaks for the very first time, he stands up in his home synagogue and he recites a scripture passage from Isaiah 61—this happens in Luke 4—and where he says, “the spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to teach good news to the poor.” If you read that passage, at the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, I think it’s hard to reach the conclusion that He doesn’t want us to principally focus on the outcasts, the widowed, the orphans, those in prison, those who are poor, that that is something we are called to do. Look, I represent a million people, not all of them are people of faith, and not all of them are Christians. Folks from many different backgrounds are part of my state and I try to be mindful of the gap between what I believe, and the scripture that I read, and what may be the common interests of the million people I represent. But, Andy, every faith has the Golden Rule, “Do unto others you’d have them do unto you,” and the things we’ve been talking about—addressing the opioid crisis, helping people with affordable housing, responding to natural disasters, and doing it in a way that puts volunteerism and community service first, that strikes me as being right in line with what the Gospels call us to do.

    On the Senate Chicken Caucus 

    Beshear: Amen. We like to typically end with something a little more fun. I read that you founded the Senate Chicken Caucus. Is that accurate?

    CAC: Indeed, I did.

    Beshear: You’ve got to tell me, what is the Senate Chicken Caucus? Are we talking about hot chicken?

    CAC: So, one of my best friends in the Senate was Johnny Isakson of Georgia, just a great man, a great and generous and fun man. We did a lot of traveling and working together and his home state of Georgia is one of the biggest chicken producers in the country, and Sussex County, Delaware, is one of the biggest counties in chicken production in the country, and one of Johnny’s favorite sayings was “life is about friends and future friends, and you don’t have to agree with each other on everything, you just have to agree with each other on one thing.” And so, as we were getting to know each other, we realized that we had chickens in common, that both Delaware and Georgia really cared about growing our chicken exports and so we went to a number of foreign countries together—South Africa, I remember, in particular—where we were trying to promote American chicken exports, and we were trying to grow markets for the fabulous, healthy, tasty protein that we were growing in Georgia and in Delaware in our chicken farms. Southern Delaware is dominated by chicken agriculture. It really is the center of agriculture in Delaware. We have events every year where we always serve chicken, and it’s a great opportunity for me to work across the aisle with Senators from other states—from Arkansas, and Mississippi, and North Carolina, and Georgia, as Johnny was [from]—and focus on what we have in common in the interests of our rural areas and our agricultural sectors. So, that’s the history of the Chicken Caucus and, yes, it is a little funny, but we had a great time doing chicken wing contests and talking about how we could help promote chicken agriculture in the United States and around the world.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: India-Pakistan strikes: 5 essential reads on decades of rivalry and tensions over Kashmir

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Matt Williams, Senior International Editor

    Indian paramilitary soldiers patrol a street in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir on May 4, 2025. Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Indian airstrikes deep into Pakistan and retaliatory shelling across the border have put the subcontinent on edge once again, with many fearing a further escalation between the two nuclear neighbors.

    At least 26 people were killed on May 6, 2025, by missiles launched by India, according to Pakistani authorities. India says it targeted “terrorist infrastructure” sites in the operation in response to an attack on April 22 that saw dozens of tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir killed by gunmen.

    Pakistan warned it would respond “at a time, place and manner of its choosing.” Meanwhile, shelling by Pakistan across the “line of control” separating the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir killed 15 people, India says.

    It represents the most serious fighting between the two countries in decades. But Kashmir has long been a source of tension between India and Pakistan, as articles from The Conversation’s archive explain.

    1. The roots of the conflict

    The dispute over Kashmir, which sits on the northern tip of the Indian subcontinent and borders Pakistan to the west, can be traced back to the partition of India in 1947 and the policies of colonial British rule that preceded it.

    As Sumit Ganguly, an expert of Indian politics and foreign policy, explains, the British gave the rulers of nominally autonomous princely states the choice of which country they wanted to join post-partition: Muslim-majority Pakistan or Hindu-majority India. This put Maharaja Hari Singh, the monarch of Jammu and Kashmir, in a tricky position – he was a Hindu ruling over a predominantly Muslim population.

    “India, which was created as a secular state, wanted to incorporate Kashmir to demonstrate that a predominantly Muslim region could thrive in a Hindu-majority country committed to secularism. Pakistan, on the other hand, sought Kashmir because of its physical proximity and Muslim majority,” writes Ganguly.

    While Singh was still deliberating, a rebellion broke out in Kashmir, with newly independent Pakistan giving the insurgents support. India sent troops in on condition that Singh formally accede to India, and the first of four Indian-Pakistan wars began in 1947. It ended with Pakistan gaining control of a third of the disputed region.

    “Neither country has wholly reconciled itself to Kashmir’s status. India claims the state in its entirety, as it became a part of its territory legally. Pakistan, however, has historically held the view that Kashmir was ceded to India by a ruler who did not represent its majority Muslim population. Indeed, this dispute between two nuclear-armed powers remains a potential global flashpoint,” Ganguly adds.



    Read more:
    75 years ago, Britain’s plan for Pakistani and Indian independence left unresolved conflicts on both sides – especially when it comes to Kashmir

    2. More than a border dispute

    But to see Kashmir solely through the lens of Indian-Pakistani rivalry would do the complicated conflict a disservice. Often neglected in this reading is the views of many Kashmiris themselves, many of whom would prefer independence.

    Chitralekha Zutshi, a professor of history at William & Mary, notes that the desire for autonomy by groups in the region has resulted in numerous independence movements and repeated uprisings.

    Fighters from the pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front parade in 1991.
    Mushtaq Ali/AFP via Getty Images

    Pakistan has supported some of these movements, a fact that India has seized upon to “write off unrest in the Kashmir Valley as a byproduct of its territorial dispute with Pakistan,” Zutshi writes. But in so doing, the grievances of “an entire generation of young Kashmiris” who view India as “an occupying power” have been ignored, the scholar continues.

    She concludes: “The Kashmir dispute cannot be resolved bilaterally by India and Pakistan alone – even if the two countries were willing to work together to resolve their differences. This is because the conflict has many sides.”



    Read more:
    Kashmir conflict is not just a border dispute between India and Pakistan

    3. A water war?

    Backing up the claim that the views of Kashmiris are often neglected is the fact that the Indus Waters Treaty – a crucial decades-old agreement that allows Pakistan and India to share water use from the region’s rivers – was drawn up largely without the input of Kashmiri people, writes Fazlul Haq, a research scientist at Ohio State University.

    Haq, who helps run the university’s Indus Basin Water Project, explains that even before the latest flare-up of violence, a dispute over the treaty was causing tension between India and Pakistan. The problem was that the original treaty, hailed as a success for many years, didn’t take into account the impact of climate change. Melting glaciers have put the long-term sustainability of the treaty at risk, jeopardizing the water supply for more than 300 million people.


    Fazlul Haq/Bryan Mark/Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center/Ohio State University, CC BY

    “Despite being the primary source of water for the basin, Kashmiris have had no role in negotiations or decision-making under the treaty,” Haq writes. Nor did it provide a mechanism for any regional disputes. “Tensions over hydropower projects in Kashmir were bringing India and Pakistan toward diplomatic deadlock long before the recent attack,” Haq notes.

    “The treaty now exists in a state of limbo. While it technically remains in force, India’s formal notice for review has introduced uncertainty, halting key cooperative mechanisms and casting doubt on the treaty’s long-term durability,” Haq writes. Pakistan has said any attempt to disrupt its water supply under the treaty would be considered “an act of war.”



    Read more:
    Tensions over Kashmir and a warming planet have placed the Indus Waters Treaty on life support

    4. On the precipice of a new war?

    There have been four full-scale conflicts between India and Pakistan: in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999.

    But since the turn of the millennium, cross-border skirmishes in Kashmir have largely been contained, in part due to external pressure from the United States and others who fear the economic and regional consequences of a conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

    International relations expert Ian Hall, of Griffith University in Australia, writes that the calculus has changed a little. He notes that there is little economic cost to escalation, with “practically no trade between India and Pakistan.”

    The main concern for both sides now is “the political cost they would suffer from not taking military action,” Hall adds.



    Read more:
    India and Pakistan have fought many wars in the past. Are we on the precipice of a new one?

    5. The need for a Pakistan-India hotline

    During past crises between Pakistan and India, Washington has played an important role in deescalating tensions.

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments that he believes Pakistan and India will “figure it out one way or the other” suggests this is one occasion in which the U.S. may take a back seat.

    But as Syed Ali Zia Jaffery at the University of Lahore and Nicholas John Wheeler at the University of Birmingham in the U.K. note, that creates a problem.

    “The absence of a trusted confidential line of communication between the leaders of India and Pakistan is a major barrier to empathetic communication. It prevents the two reaching a proper appreciation of shared vulnerabilities that is so critical to crisis de-escalation,” they write.

    Their article uses the example of the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 to tout the importance of what the two scholars describe as “empathetic channels of communication.” U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his Soviet counterpart, Nikita Khrushchev, “exchanged a series of letters in which they acknowledged and expressed their shared vulnerability to nuclear war,” Jaffery and Wheeler write. Establishing mutual empathy and a bond of trust were critical to the peaceful resolution of the crisis.

    “Such a hotline between the highest levels of Indian and Pakistani diplomacy would be an important step towards preventing these crises from spinning out of control. More crucially, it could play a pivotal role in managing crises when they do occur, offering a vital channel for reassurance and de-escalation,” Jaffery and Wheeler add.



    Read more:
    Why a hotline is needed to help bring India and Pakistan back from the brink of a disastrous war

    – ref. India-Pakistan strikes: 5 essential reads on decades of rivalry and tensions over Kashmir – https://theconversation.com/india-pakistan-strikes-5-essential-reads-on-decades-of-rivalry-and-tensions-over-kashmir-256157

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Trump Swears In the Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, May 7, 2025

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

    The White House

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MydfT0rCkZ8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Salinas, Colleagues Launch Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus for the 119th Congress

    Source: US Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

    Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (D-OR) joined her fellow Co-Chairs of the Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus – including Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Donald Beyer (D-VA) – at a press conference to officially launch the Caucus for the 119th Congress. The Members, standing side-by-side with representatives from leading mental health advocacy organizations, delivered remarks about the state of mental health and addiction in America and the potential for bipartisan progress on this issue. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) also serves as Caucus Co-Chair along with Reps. Salinas, Bacon, and Beyer.

    Click here to watch a recording and here for usable photos from today’s press conference

    “Mental health is an issue where bipartisan consensus is still possible. I remain very hopeful. We’ve seen how these problems have affected our own families, neighborhoods, and communities – and we all share a similar goal: Putting an end to the mental health and addiction crisis once and for all,” said Rep. Salinas. “I am optimistic and excited about the road ahead. Because we have partners, parents, providers and yes – even politicians – who want to see change and are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work on commonsense solutions. 

    “We do have a mental health crisis in our country, and I think it’s pretty clear to all of us that we have underfunded mental health care,” said. Rep. Bacon. “I look forward to working with our Co-Chairs and all of you to improve our mental health capabilities in this country. We know the problem. That means we can find the solution.” 

    “We want this to be the largest Caucus on the Hill. We should have every Democrat and every Republican in it because every family, if you look just hard enough, you’ll find that they’re dealing with some kind of mental health concern… and I think we all agree that the health system is failing,” said Rep. Beyer. “We do a very poor job at dealing with serious mental illness in this country. That’s why I’m so grateful that my colleagues [Reps. Salinas, Bacon, and Gonzales], and the many, many other Democrats and Republicans who have signed up to be part of this [Caucus], have come together with our mental health professionals and our industry leaders to really try to make a difference.”

    Several mental health professionals and advocates also spoke at the press conference, including Theresa Miskimen Rivera, M.D., President-Elect of the American Psychiatry Association (APA), Michael Linskey, Director of Congressional Affairs at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Laurel Stine, Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and Tim Clement, Vice President of Federal Government Affairs at Mental Health America (MHA).

    Chaired by Reps. Salinas, Bacon, Beyer, and Gonzales, the Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus serves as a bipartisan forum where Members of Congress and their staff can work together to raise awareness and find solutions to the mental and behavioral health crisis in America. A full list of Caucus Members can be found here.

    To receive updates and learn more about the Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus, you can visit the Caucus’ website or follow the Caucus on Bluesky, X, Facebook, and Instagram.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Salinas, Lofgren, Padilla, Bennet Reintroduce Legislation to Provide Disaster Relief for Farmworkers

    Source: US Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

    Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06), the daughter of a former farmworker and a leader in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), along with U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), reintroduced the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. This legislation would provide compensation for farmworkers who lose out on wages due to extreme weather, public health emergencies, and other disasters beyond their control. The bill was first introduced in the 118th Congress.

    “Extreme weather and natural disasters are only getting worse with climate change. Unfortunately, many of the hardworking individuals who grow and harvest our food do not receive direct financial support when they are forced to miss work and lose wages as a result of these disasters,” said Rep. Salinas. “My legislation would finally correct this injustice by providing federal disaster relief for farmworkers. This change is well-deserved and long-overdue, and I will continue to advocate for the brave men and women who help feed America.”

    “When extreme weather occurs, farmworkers across our country continue to feed the nation. And yet, these essential workers and their families face great uncertainty when unexpected disasters harm their communities and livelihood. For example, hundreds of farmworkers in my congressional district faced displacement and lost wages after severe flooding devastated the Pajaro community in early 2023. We owe them – and all farmworkers – more. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act ensures America’s indispensable farmworkers can receive disaster relief funding they need and have earned,” said Rep. Lofgren.

    “California’s farm workers often work under extreme conditions to help put food on the table for hundreds of millions of Americans,” said Sen. Padilla. “But increasingly frequent natural disasters, including historic flooding in Pajaro, have devastated California’s agricultural communities. We must protect the heart of our nation’s food supply by providing critical emergency assistance to these essential workers.”

    “Agriculture is the backbone of Colorado’s economy and central to our Western way of life, but as climate-fueled disasters become increasingly common, our state’s farm workers are paying the price,” said Sen. Bennet. “Our bill will help ensure the people that grow America’s fruits, vegetables, and other crops get the assistance they need in the wake of emergencies like drought, wildfires, and other natural disasters.”

    Oregon is home to over 100,000 farmworkers, many of whom live and work in the Willamette Valley and power the state’s $42 billion agriculture economy. Yet despite their importance to our food systems, the average farmworker family in Oregon earns less than $25,000 per year. Ninety-six percent reported living in overcrowded housing and about thirty percent are living below the poverty line. When farmworkers cannot work due to extreme weather or other unexpected disasters, they can lose wages and even their jobs—pushing them deeper into housing and food insecurity.

    The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act would address this problem by providing direct relief funding for farmworkers. Specifically, this bill would:

    • Make grants available to eligible farmworker organizations to provide emergency relief to farm workers affected by a disaster.
    • Ensure USDA develops and executes a promotional plan prior to and throughout the distribution of the relief grants to increase awareness of the assistance available.
    • Require USDA to work with eligible farmworker organizations.
    • Provide definitions for a covered disaster, eligible farmworker organization, and migrant or seasonal farmworker.
    • Amend Section 2281 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to allow for emergency assistance for farmworkers.

    In addition to Reps. Salinas and Lofgren, the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act is cosponsored by Reps. Nanette Barragán (CA-44), André Carson (IN-07), Judy Chu (CA-28), Jim Costa (CA-21), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), and Juan Vargas (CA-52).

    The legislation is endorsed by the following organizations, in alphabetical order: A Better Balance, Alianza Americas, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), Borderlands Resource Initiative, California Human Development, Campesinos Sin Fronteras, Care in Action, CASA of Oregon, Center for Employment Training, Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), Central Valley Opportunity Center, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc (CDM), Child Labor Coalition, CHILDREN AT RISK, CIERTO, Civic Empowerment Coalition, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Columbia Legal Services, CRLA Foundation, Davidson County Local Food Network, El Futuro es Nuestro, Farm Worker Ministry Northwest, Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project-FLAP, Farmworker Housing Development Corporation (FHDC), Farmworker Justice, Food Empowerment Project, GALEO Impact Fund, Hand in Hand/Mano en Mano, Hispanic Affairs Project, Hispanic Federation, Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), Latino Outdoors, League of Conservation Voters, Make the Road CT, Make the Road NJ, Make the Road NV, Make the Road NY, Make the Road PA, Make the Road States, Michiganders for a Just Farming System, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of Social Workers – Florida and Virgin Islands Chapter, National Consumers League, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Employment Law Project, National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association, NC FIELD, Inc., NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, North Carolina Council of Churches, North Carolina Farmworker Advocacy Network, North Carolina Justice Center, Nourish Up, Opportunity Arizona, Oregon Human Development Corporation, Organización en California de Lideres Campesinas, Inc, PCUN, Oregon’s Farmworker Union, Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network (PAN), Popular Democracy, Presente.org, Progress Michigan, Proteus Inc., Puente de la Costa Sur, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Slow Food USA, Student Action with Farmworkers, Sur Legal Collaborative, TODEC Legal Center, Toxic Free North Carolina, UFW Foundation, Unidos Yamhill County, United Farm Workers, Voces Unidas de las Montañas.

    “Farm workers are always on the front lines of fires, floods, and storms — yet are too often excluded from federal disaster relief programs,” said Teresa Romero, President of United Farm Workers (UFW). “If the federal government can provide emergency support to farm owners who lose crops in natural disaster, then the federal government can emergency provide support to farm workers who lose work in that same disaster. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act will ensure that farm workers who put food on all our tables can continue to put food on their family’s table when disaster strikes.”

    “Every year we see an alarming number of natural disasters that drastically and disproportionately impact the farm worker community. As climate change gets worse, these types of disasters will only worsen and farm workers are the ones who are affected the most by these calamities. Just last year, we saw heavy California rains flooding Ventura County farm areas and Hurricane Helen devastating Georgia’s farm worker communities, leading to organizations like ours stepping up to do what we can. But that is not enough. We must have a federal response to these kinds of disasters. From wildfires to tornadoes to hurricanes, farm workers have little to no safety net to help them recover from unexpected disasters,” said Erica Lomeli Corcoran, Chief Executive Officer at UFW Foundation. “This is exactly why the UFW Foundation is supporting the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. It would provide resources and aid to those who truly need it and would ensure that those responsible for our nation’s food supplies are not overlooked, as they have been in the past. Farm workers have been largely ignored and neglected by the law, shut out from basic protections provided to all workers. It is time that Congress acts and ensures that our nation’s farm workers are given the support they need to overcome times of emergencies and to provide equity to all workers.” 

    “Farmworkers are frontline workers, which means they are the hardest hit by the impacts of extreme weather conditions across the country. Many farmworkers feel that they are risking their health with extreme heat and colder days, but losing even one day of work is not an option for their families’ economic situation. Outdoor protections are important, yet there are days that are becoming too extreme to even be outside. Our vision is to be a resilient workforce for the agricultural industry. Disaster relief means we can start investing in addressing the issues that workers are facing today by building resilience for climate change in the future, without sacrificing the economic well-being of farmworkers,” said Reyna Lopez, Executive Director of Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noreste (PCUN).

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

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: B.C. invests in planning for northern youth support centre

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Children and youth in northern B.C. will benefit from a provincial investment of $500,000 to Lheidli T’enneh First Nation for a feasibility study to help design a new service hub in the region.

    “The first phase of work required extensive consultation with municipalities, First Nations, and partners throughout the North. This process informed the clear need to meet children and youth where they are at,” said Chief Dolleen Logan, Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. “Phase 2, focused on feasibility, will inform how this project may come to life, the services, care, and programs needed, as well as location and infrastructure needs. This is critical work we are pleased to lead with support from government, First Nations Health Authority, Northern Health, and others with a direct interest in seeing youth at the centre of future care options.”

    This builds on previous consultation and engagement led by the Nation with support from the Province to seek input from communities on a new Centre of Excellence for Children and Youth in the North. That consultation and engagement concluded there is a demand for more holistic, equitable and culturally safe wellness supports for children and youth that are connected and build on existing programs and services in communities.  

    “Investing in youth is investing in our future,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “Ensuring they get the culturally appropriate supports and programs they need now will lead to healthier lives for children and youth, laying a foundation for healthier future generations. Lheidli T’enneh has been leading the project to better support youth in the North, and through this feasibility study, their collaboration with partners will help determine the best services that children and youth need.”

    Lheidli T’enneh First Nation conducted a three-month engagement program and consulted with municipalities, First Nations and individuals from communities of interest with knowledge, experience, information and expertise in child and youth development. Consultations were held in person in communities across the North and in a variety of online formats.

    The goal of the study is to provide a clear description of the scope of services for the Centre of Excellence for Children and Youth and how they fit within existing services in the region.

    The feasibility study will be led by Lheidli T’enneh First Nation in close collaboration with government, Northern Health Authority, First Nations Health Authority and other partners. The study is expected to be complete in 2025.

    “The First Nations Health Authority is driven by the needs of First Nations communities, and right now we hear the need for more child and youth supports in the North,” said Monica McAlduff, CEO, First Nations Health Authority. “We are excited to work with Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and the Province to bring more accessible and more appropriate care to our young ones – to our future.”

    This work is part of the Province’s efforts to provide culturally safe and trauma-informed programs and services to people in B.C., including First Nations people.

    Learn More:

    Learn about mental-health and substance-use supports in B.C.: https://helpstartshere.gov.bc.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada to host national ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands and Victory in Europe (V-E) Day

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Toronto, ON – Veterans Affairs Canada will host a public commemorative event in Toronto to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands and Victory in Europe (V-E) Day that will include the official Government of Canada delegation and feature the lighting of the CN Tower as a beacon of peace, a lantern-lighting ceremony, and a symbolic presentation of the commemorative combat boots underscoring the themes of remembrance, peace, and the homecoming of soldiers.

    The delegation will be joined by Her Honour, The Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Harman Idema, Consul-General of the Netherlands, Her Worship Olivia Chow, Mayor, City of Toronto, Brigadier-General Joe Robinson, Deputy Commander 4th Canadian Division and Joint Task Forces Central, Canadian Armed Forces, and other dignitaries.

    The event will include remarks from dignitaries, participation of a delegation of Second World War Veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members, and Cadets, as well as performances by the HMCS York band, the Hamilton Children’s Choir, the Borden Military Wives Choir, the East Side 6 Swing Dancers, and the youth of Toronto All-Star Big Band.

    Location:  Canada Lands Square (CN Tower)
                      290 Bremner Boulevard
                      Toronto, ON
                      M5V 2T6

    Date:        Thursday, 8 May 2025

    Time:        20:00 EDT

    Notes for media:

    Media who wish to participate must register by 15:00 EDT on Thursday, 8 May by contacting media@veterans.gc.ca with their name and media outlet. Media members are asked to arrive by 19:30 EDT.

    There will be photo opportunities during the event and interview opportunities with the official delegation members after the ceremony if time permits.

    Please let us know if you have any accessibility needs and we will work with you to enable your participation.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: School of Pharmacy 2025 Commencement Speakers

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The School of Pharmacy is excited to announce JoAnn Trejo as the commencement speaker for the 2025 Pharm.D. ceremony. As the Honorary Degree Recipient and Keynote Speaker for the School of Pharmacy, Trejo is a professor of pharmacology and senior assistant vice chancellor for health sciences faculty affairs at the University of California San Diego. She completed her undergraduate at UC Davis, her PhD and MBA at UC San Diego and her postdoctoral training at UCSF. 

    Headshot of JoAnn Trejo

    Committed to research with passion and dedication, Trejo has expertise in cell signaling in the context of vascular inflammation and cancer. With her research published in more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and continuously being funded by the NIH, Trejo is an excellent educator, mentor, and leader. Through her work advancing the fields of science and pharmacology, Trejo is the recipient of an NIH R35 Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) and the American Heart Association Established Investigator Award.  

    Beyond her research, Trejo is the director of five NIH-supported training programs and served as an elected member of the leadership Council for the ASCB and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. As a current member of the scientific advisory boards for Septerna and Versiti and the NIGMS Advisory Council, Trejo has received numerous awards for leadership and service. Trejo is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) among other organizations. 

    Joe Honcz, the B.S. ceremony commencement speaker, is a distinguished expert in managed care and market access as a Registered Pharmacist and currently serves as the Senior Vice President at Petauri Advisors. With a 25-year career that spans various sectors of the healthcare industry, Joe played a critical role in the launch of Medicare Part D and had instrumental involvement in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Joe holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and an MBA from UConn and continues to serve the UConn community as an AMCP diplomat to the School.  

    Headshot of Joe Honcz

    Recently leveraging his understanding of managed care to deliver strategic market access insights, Joe has empowered over 20 biotech and pharmaceutical clients to effectively navigate complex dynamics. Joe’s contributions have been important in the launch of innovative products in traditional and rare disease categories and he continues to drive innovation while supporting the emerging pharmaceutical and health tech industries as a “pharmacy futurist.”  

    Outside of his role as Senior Vice President, Joe is involved at Yale Ventures and UConn Technology Commercialization Services as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor and is on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) and Avery’s Little Army. 

    Joe’s background includes diverse roles at Pfizer, Walgreens, CVS, and more.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lansdowne Station — Update: Multi-agency search for missing children in Pictou County scales back

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    As of today, a multi-agency search for two missing children, six-year-old Lily Sullivan and four-year-old Jack Sullivan, will be scaled back.

    Lily and Jack were reported missing on May 2, at approximately 10 a.m. It’s believed they wandered away from their home on Gairloch Rd. in Lansdown Station, Pictou County.

    This search has included many agencies, including volunteer ground search and rescue teams from all surrounding areas and New Brunswick, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, the Nova Scotia Guard, the Salvation Army, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, Department of Natural Resources Air Services, Nova Scotia Public Safety and Field Communications, Canada Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 5, and several RCMP units, including Police Dog Services, drone operators, and our Major Crime Unit.

    “It has been an all-hands-on-deck effort, using every available resource and tool,” says Staff Sergeant Curtis MacKinnon, District Commander for Pictou County District RCMP. “We’re transitioning from a full-scale search to searches in smaller, more specific areas; we’ll be retracing our steps to ensure all clues have been found.”

    Since the search began on May 2, it has been concentrated in the Gairloch Rd. area and has covered four square kilometres of heavily wooded, rural terrain. Up to 160 trained volunteer searchers, along with many others, have been involved in the search each day. Tens of thousands of search hours have been dedicated to scouring the area, and GSAR has confirmed that over 100 tracks have been laid using GPS and grid searches.

    Efforts to locate Lily and Jack have also included two vulnerable missing persons alerts. One was issued in Pictou County on May 2. And on May 3, a broadcast intrusive alert was issued to Antigonish, Colchester, and Pictou counties.

    “I want to assure Nova Scotians that our missing persons investigation continues,” says Staff Sergeant MacKinnon. “Our focus remains on finding Lily and Jack. Our best investigators are working every aspect of this file, and our work won’t stop until we know where Lily and Jack are and can bring them home.”

    Anyone with information is asked to contact Pictou County District RCMP at 902-485-4333. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    Our thoughts are with the children’s loved ones and the community at this difficult time.

    File #: 2025-583775

    MIL Security OSI –