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Category: Australia

  • MIL-Evening Report: Is your child anxious about going on school camp? Here are 4 ways to prepare

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Micah Boerma, Researcher, School of Psychology and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland

    Nitinai Thabthong/Shutterstock

    One of the highlights of the school year is an overnight excursion or school camp. These can happen as early as Year 3.

    While many students are very excited about the chance to go away with their classmates, some may experience anxiety and even fear about being away from home and their usual routines.

    Anxiety disorders are the second most common mental disorder among children and adolescents in Australia. One in 14 young people are affected.

    Separation anxiety (fear or dread about being separated from caregivers) is the most common anxiety disorder amongst young people in Australia. This affects about 4% of young people aged four to 17. Students with anxiety may refuse to attend the camp. Or they may go and not participate in activities or have periods of intense anxiety.

    While these trips are a small part of a young person’s school year, positive and negative experiences can form important beliefs about their self-confidence and independence.

    Here are four ways to prepare your anxious child to attend and enjoy camp.

    1. Understand the anxieties

    Anxiety isn’t a one-size-fits-all condition. For one child, it may be the fear of not fitting in or the dread of being homesick. For another, it may be the fear of being away from parents, believing something bad will happen.

    So the first step is to really listen to a child about their anxietty.
    Asking open-ended questions, such as “what is the one thing about going to camp that worries you most?” can help to determine their core fear.

    When they tell you, avoid jumping in quickly to reassure them they “will be fine”. This can feel dismissive and invalidate their concerns.

    Instead, reflect what you hear so they feel understood. For example, “I hear you a really worried about what it will be like to spend the night away from us. You’ve never done this before.”

    Ask your child what they are worried about. Maybe it’s a certain activity on camp.
    Andrew Angelov/Shutterstock

    2. Understand the ‘cycle of avoidance’

    Anxious people tend to overestimate the likelihood of something terrible happening and underestimate their ability to cope if it occurred.

    When a young person sidesteps something scary, they feel initial relief. But this avoidance prevents them from learning the feared situation may not be as dangerous as think. Importantly, they do not get the opportunity to test their coping skills and build confidence. This inadvertently increases their anxiety.

    It can help to talk to your child about how avoiding camp might feel better in the short term but it makes fun activities – such as sleepovers or trips – harder in the future.

    4. Build the ‘bravery muscle’

    You also might want to talk about how you can build the “bravery muscle”.

    This involves gradually exposing a child to their fears and building confidence in their ability to cope. This way fears lose their power.

    Start with easier tasks. For example, if the main worry is “something bad will happen to mum and dad if I am not with them at night”, start with your child staying with a grandparent while you go out for dinner. Then you could try staying overnight at a grandparent or a trusted friend’s house.

    You can also pair these tasks with coping tools. Your child could do a breathing exercise or a grounding excercise, where they focus on things around them, rather than the thoughts and feelings distressing them.

    When organising these tasks, it is crucial parents acknowledge the distress their child might experience, while communicating their confidence the child can do it.

    Celebrate every effort and task completed, no matter how small.

    You could prepare for camp with a sleepover somewhere else.
    NataliyaBack/Shutterstock

    4. Make a plan with school

    Parents and caregivers are not in this alone. So make sure you talk to your class teacher or year group leader if you haven’t already. Some helpful tips are:

    • organise a “camp buddy” for the bus ride or to share a tent/room with

    • organise a “go-to” teacher for your child to gain support from during camp

    • access information about the accommodation and activities as soon as possible so you can practice. This could include your child camping in a tent with a friend, bike riding, or bush walking.

    It’s not expected the steps above will erase your child’s anxiety entirely – that is not realistic. But they can give them coping tools to face their anxiety and come out the other side stronger. School camps can be an exciting experience where a young person may discover they are braver than they thought.

    Micah Boerma 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. Is your child anxious about going on school camp? Here are 4 ways to prepare – https://theconversation.com/is-your-child-anxious-about-going-on-school-camp-here-are-4-ways-to-prepare-252290

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police detect 68 speeding drivers during long weekend operation

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Police detect 68 speeding drivers during long weekend operation

    Wednesday, 30 April 2025 – 12:37 pm.

    Police detected 68 speeding drivers during a targeted road safety operation in the North across the Anzac Day long weekend.
    During the three-day operation, officers from Northern Road Policing Services utilised Highway Patrol vehicles across the Northern District, with a focus on dangerous driving behaviour.
    Of the 68 drivers detected speeding, 50 were caught travelling between 15 to 29km/h above the speed limit.
    Inspector Nick Clark said police would continue to conduct both high-visibility and covert road safety operations.
    “We remain committed to road safety and want everyone to get home safely,” he said.
    “These operations will continue throughout the year, so we are urging all road users to do the right thing and obey the speed limits and avoid being stopped by one of our Highway Patrol vehicles.”
    If you witness dangerous driving, report to police on 131 444 or Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 30, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 30, 2025.

    Locked up for life? Unpacking South Australia’s new child sex crime laws
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Xanthe Mallett, Criminologist, CQUniversity Australia Melnikov Dmitriy/Shutterstock It’s election time, which means the age old “tough on crime” rhetoric is being heralded by many politicians aiming to score votes. Opposition leader Peter Dutton is pushing for a national public sex offender register. Currently only Western Australia has

    Why do dogs eat poo? A canine scientist explains
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mia Cobb, Research Fellow, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne nygi/Unsplash When miniature dachshund Valerie was captured after 529 days alone in the wilds of Australia’s Kangaroo Island, experts speculated she survived partly by eating other animals’ poo. While this survival tactic may have saved

    On ‘moral panic’ and the courage to speak – the West’s silence on Gaza
    Palestinians do not have the luxury to allow Western moral panic to have its say or impact. Not caving in to this panic is one small, but important, step in building a global Palestine network that is urgently needed, writes Dr Ilan Pappé ANALYSIS: By Ilan Pappé Responses in the Western world to the genocide

    Sick of eating the same things? 5 ways to boost your nutrition and keep meals interesting and healthy
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle Loquellano/Pexels Did you start 2025 with a promise to eat better but didn’t quite get there? Or maybe you want to branch out from making the same meal every week or the same lunch for work

    Peace in our time? Why NZ should resist Trump’s one-sided plan for Ukraine
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago GettyImages Getty Images Is it possible to reconcile increased international support for Ukraine with Donald Trump’s plan to end the war? At their recent meeting in London, Christopher Luxon and his British counterpart Keir Starmer seemed to

    ‘A living collective’: study shows trees synchronise electrical signals during a solar eclipse
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Monica Gagliano, Research Associate Professor in Evolutionary Biology, Southern Cross University Zenit Arti Audiovisive Earth’s cycles of light and dark profoundly affect billions of organisms. Events such as solar eclipses are known to bring about marked shifts in animals, but do they have the same effect on

    Greenpeace slams deep sea mining bid as ‘rogue’ disregard for global law
    By Reza Azam Greenpeace has condemned an announcement by The Metals Company to submit the first application to commercially mine the seabed. “The first application to commercially mine the seabed will be remembered as an act of total disregard for international law and scientific consensus,” said Greenpeace International senior campaigner Louisa Casson. “This unilateral US

    State of the states: the campaign is almost over, so how has it played out across Australia?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Clune, Honorary Associate, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney While many Australians have already voted at pre-poll stations and by post, the politicking continues right up until May 3. So what’s happened across the country over the past five weeks? Here, six experts analyse how

    ‘No compassion… just blame’: how weight stigma in maternity care harms larger-bodied women and their babies
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Briony Hill, Deputy Head, Health and Social Care Unit and Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Kate Cashin Photography According to a study from the United States, women experience weight stigma in maternity care at almost every visit. We expect this experience to be similar in Australia, where

    Renewables, coal or nuclear? This election, your generation’s energy preference may play a surprising role
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magnus Söderberg, Professor & Director, Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, Griffith University Christie Cooper/Shutterstock In an otherwise unremarkable election campaign, the major parties are promising sharply different energy blueprints for Australia. Labor is pitching a high-renewables future powered largely by wind, solar, hydroelectricity and

    Trump says diversity initiatives undermine merit. Decades of research show this is flawed
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula McDonald, Professor of Work and Organisation, Queensland University of Technology Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock US President Donald Trump declared earlier this year he would forge a “colour blind and merit-based society”. His executive order was part of a broader policy directing the US military, federal agencies and other public

    Housing affordability is at the centre of this election, yet two major reforms seem all but off-limits
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matt Garrow, Editorial Web Developer This federal election, both major parties have offered a “grab bag” of policy fixes for Australia’s stubborn housing affordability crisis. But there are still two big policy elephants in the room, which neither side wants to touch. The first is negative gearing.

    The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago today, yet films about the conflict still struggle to capture its complexities
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlette Nhi Do, Sessional Academic, The University of Melbourne Scene from Apocalypse Now (1979) Prime Video The Vietnam War (1955–1975) was more than just a chapter in the Cold War. For some, it was supposed to achieve Vietnam’s right to self-determination. For others, it was an attempt

    Willis warns of a ‘tight’ budget to come, but NZ should be going for productivity, not austerity
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis Wesselbaum, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Otago Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images Finance Minister Nicola Willis has warned her 2025 “Growth Budget” will be “one of the tightest budgets in a decade”, with plans to reduce spending by billions. It’s clear New Zealand is following a

    50 years after the ‘fall’ of Saigon – from triumph to Trump
    30 April 1975. Saigon Fell, Vietnam Rose. The story of Vietnam after the US fled the country is not a fairy tale, it is not a one-dimensional parable of resurrection, of liberation from oppression, of joy for all — but there is a great deal to celebrate. After over a century of brutal colonial oppression

    Labor maintains clear lead in all polls and is likely to win election
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Labor leads by between 52–48 and 53–47 in four new national polls from Resolve, Essential, Morgan and DemosAU. While Labor’s vote slumped from a high 55.5–44.5 in

    Election Diary: Albanese will be encouraged by ‘Trump’ effect in helping Canadian Liberals to victory
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Labor will be encouraged by the Liberals’ victory in Canada’s election, undoubtedly much helped by US President Donald Trump. Trump’s extraordinary attack on the United States’ northern ally, with his repeated suggestion Canada should be the 51st American state, galvanised

    French Minister Valls warns New Caledonia is ‘on a tightrope’, pleads for ‘innovative’ solutions
    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls, who is visiting New Caledonia this week for the third time in two months, has once again called on all parties to live up to their responsibilities in order to make a new political agreement possible. Failing that, he said

    Did ‘induced atmospheric vibration’ cause blackouts in Europe? An electrical engineer explains the phenomenon
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, Professor of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology The lights are mostly back on in Spain, Portugal and southern France after a widespread blackout on Monday. The blackout caused chaos for tens of millions of people. It shut down traffic lights and

    Tarakinikini appointed as Fiji’s ambassador-designate to Israel
    By Anish Chand in Suva Filipo Tarakinikini has been appointed as Fiji’s Ambassador-designate to Israel. This has been stated on two official X, formerly Twitter, handle posts overnight. “#Fiji is determined to deepen its relations with #Israel as Fiji’s Ambassador-designate to Israel, HE Ambassador @AFTarakinikini prepares to present his credentials on 28 April, 2025,” stated

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Festival celebrates Greater Bendigo’s heritage

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said the festival program enabled community members and visitors to experience and explore many heritage places.
    “Greater Bendigo has a rich and diverse range of heritage places and open spaces that collectively illustrate the region’s history.” Cr Metcalf said.

    “The festival program brings heritage to life including exclusive access to all kinds of special historical places from miners cottages to the former Gas Works site.”

    National Trust Bendigo & District Branch President Peter Cox OAM said the annual Heritage Festival was an opportunity for people of all ages to celebrate the region’s heritage in many different ways.

    “At the Heritage Festival, you can hear stories of the unusual and unknown from amazing experts and guides. With tours, talks, workshops and special events, there’s something for curious minds of all ages,” Mr Cox said.

    “It is not often that people get the chance to gain access to incredible places and it’s a sneak peek not to be missed so I encourage you to browse the program and register for events.”

    Other highlights from the festival program for Greater Bendigo include:

    • A free Open Day on May 17 at Bendigo Heritage Attractions’ sites including Central Deborah Gold Mine, Bendigo Tramways and the Bendigo Joss House Temple
    • A tour of the former Bendigo Post Office with a guide on May 10. Prebooking and entry fee applies
    • Join Djaara Elder Uncle Rick Nelson on Country (Castlemaine and surrounds) from 10am to 4pm on May 3. Booking and fees apply
    • A rare glimpse of the former Gas Works on May 11 with a special tour of the site. It is one of around three remaining intact 19th century gas works in the world, and the only one in Australia. Prebooking and entry fee applies
    • An exclusive behind the scenes at the Bendigo Military Museum including the breathtaking band rotunda with panoramic views of Bendigo’s stunning streetscape on May 10. Prebooking and entry fee apply
    • Visit three miners cottages and hear two talks on heritage by noted historians on May 3. Prebooking and entry fee applies
    • Exclusive tours of the former Bendigo Law Courts on May 1, May 4 and May 10. Prebooking and entry fee applies

    For the full program, visit:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey, Huffman, Fitzpatrick Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect the Arctic Refuge

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Washington (April 29, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), today reintroduced the Arctic Refuge Protection Act, legislation that will restore critical protections to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—the nation’s largest national wildlife refuge—by designating the Coastal Plain ecosystem as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System. This legislation would permanently halt any new oil and gas leasing, exploration, development, and drilling on the Coastal Plain, and would safeguard the subsistence rights of the Arctic Indigenous Peoples who depend upon the Arctic Refuge.
    “Trump’s reopening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas is another attempt to revive his old and failed promise of a fictional financial windfall from leasing the Refuge—all to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. The urgency to protect the wilderness of the Coastal Plain and the Refuge more broadly and reaffirm the sovereignty of Arctic Indigenous peoples is paramount—my Arctic Refuge Protection Act would do just that,” said Senator Markey. “We must put a law on the books to affirm these lands are not for sale and defend the Arctic landscape—a sacred home for Indigenous peoples, including the Gwich’in and Inupait—from Trump’s disastrous business plan.”
    “What we choose to protect says everything about who we are. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is too special to destroy, and we have a responsibility to keep it that way,” said Ranking Member Huffman. “The Refuge is one of the last truly wild places left on the planet — home to caribou herds, polar bears, migratory birds, and breathtaking landscapes. But it’s more than that. It’s about standing with the Gwich’in people, who’ve spent generations protecting this land, living with the caribou herds, and preserving a way of life that predates the fossil fuel industry by thousands of years and continues to this day. Now, President Trump wants to turn the Arctic Refuge into a corporate cash grab, a place where oil companies could frack up the tundra while trampling tribal sovereignty and leaving Americans with nothing but spills and broken promises. This land belongs to the American people and to the Gwich’in, not to Big Oil.”
    “Protecting the Arctic Refuge is not only an environmental imperative—it’s a strategic one. This land holds immense ecological value, cultural significance, and climate importance. Reckless development would endanger wildlife, violate Indigenous rights, and yield little economic return. As Co-Chair of the World Wildlife, Oceanic, Environmental and Biodiversity Caucus, I’m proud to support this legislation to protect one of America’s last wild frontiers—because conservation is not a cost, it’s a long-term investment in our security, economy, and planet,” said Representative Fitzpatrick.
    “The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a pristine, million-year-old ecosystem unlike anything else we have in the United States, which is why it should be permanently protected,” said Senator Cantwell. “The future of the Arctic is in tourism, and with new sea routes opening up the real value of this land is conservation, not exploitation.”
    “The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of our country’s most unique and beautiful areas of land. We must work with our indigenous communities to protect our wildlife, and the environment put at risk by oil and gas development in this spectacular refuge. Rather than catering to the interests of the oil companies, we must focus our efforts on diversifying our energy sources with renewable energy and prevent further harm to the environment,” said Senator Schiff.
    “We commend our congressional champions for taking a stand to protect one of America’s last great wild places. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s Coastal Plain is not only a sanctuary for wildlife—it is sacred land for the Gwich’in and a symbol of our nation’s commitment to conservation. Selling off this land for oil and gas is not only destructive, it’s bad economics. The last Arctic Refuge lease sale was a failure, proving there is no real demand—only a handout to billion-dollar corporations at the expense of taxpayers. This legislation is a crucial step in permanently protecting this irreplaceable landscape from exploitation. Now, more than ever, Congress must prioritize our public lands and Indigenous rights by restoring protections to the Arctic Refuge and ensuring this land remains unexploited for generations to come,” said Kristen Miller, Executive Director, Alaska Wilderness League.
    “We applaud the leadership of Sen. Markey and Reps. Huffman and Fitzpatrick for reintroducing the Arctic Refuge Protection Act,” said Mary Glaves, Alaska Coordinator for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “For hunters and anglers, the 1.5-million-acre coastal plain is the birth place of wild pursuits of caribou, waterfowl, and iconic fish species including Dolly Varden and Arctic Char. The abysmal interest in both the 2020 and 2025 lease sales demonstrates the bad economics of drilling in the Arctic Refuge. The wetlands and rivers weave together one of the last truly wild landscapes that are essential for the North American heritage of hunting and fishing and subsistence for local Alaskan communities. The Arctic Refuge is a national treasure that should be protected as such through a wilderness designation.”
    “The Arctic Refuge is no place for drilling. It is a sanctuary for caribou, musk oxen, polar bears, wolves, and other wildlife. The Arctic Refuge Protection Act is a clear acknowledgment of that fact. Even the biggest players in the oil industry recognized that drilling in the Refuge was an absurd proposition when they failed to show up for recent lease sales,” said Alexandra Adams, Chief Policy Advocacy Officer at NRDC. “This bill would end an ongoing threat to this treasured place by forever barring industrialization of the Refuge.”
    Background
    The Arctic Refuge is one of the last truly wild places left in America. The Coastal Plain is the calving ground of the Porcupine caribou herd, the source of the Indigenous Gwich’in people’s way of life and subsistence for generations. It also provides a critical denning habitat for threatened Southern Beaufort Sea populations of polar bears. Oil and gas exploration, seismic testing, and all of the infrastructure that comes with oil drilling – from roads to pipelines to pumpjacks – would threaten polar bears in their dens, disrupt caribou and bird migration patterns, and result in significant and irreversible harm to the unique Arctic Refuge habitat and the Indigenous communities who depend on it.
    For the Gwich’in people, who refer to the Coastal Plain as “Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit” or the Sacred Place Where Life Begins, this land is more than wildlife habitat. It is cultural identity, food security, and a foundation for traditions that span millennia into the current day. The caribou herd is central to their traditions and survival, and industrial development in the region threatens not just an ecosystem, but an entire way of life. The Gwich’in, which span across Alaska and Canada, have been united in their opposition to drilling in the Refuge for decades and have called on the federal government to uphold its trust responsibilities and protect these lands permanently.
    Developing the Refuge’s unproven oil and gas reserves would also pose a serious danger to the climate, locking in decades of emissions in a region already warming four times faster than the global average.
    For decades, the Refuge’s coastal plain has been targeted for highly speculative oil and gas drilling. In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act established an oil and gas leasing program along with a requirement that the Department of the Interior conduct two lease sales in the coastal plain before the end of 2024. According to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate at the time, these lease sales would result in $1.82 billion in revenue over 10 years. Seven years later, those projections have proven wildly inaccurate.
    The first lease sale brought in only $14.4 million in bids on 11 tracts, a far cry from the nearly $2 billion in estimated revenue. Major oil companies didn’t participate in the sale, and most major financial institutions have pledged not to finance drilling there. The most recent lease sale in January of this year generated no interest. Despite the lack of interest or activity, the risk of development and drilling in the Arctic Refuge remains.
    On his first day in office, President Trump restarted the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program and reinstated seven leases from the state development corporation, which were previously canceled by the Biden administration. Congressional Republicans may once again use oil and gas leasing to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, despite its catastrophic failure to raise revenue in 2017.
    The Senate bill is cosponsored by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
    The House bill is cosponsored by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Madeline Dean (D-Pa.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.), George Latimer (D-N.Y.), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Emily Randall (D-Wash.), Dave Min (D-Calif.), Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ed Case (D-Hawaii), James McGovern (D-Mass.), Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).
    The bill was endorsed by National Audubon Society, Gwich’in Steering Committee, Alaska Wilderness League, Trustees for Alaska, The Wilderness Society, League of Conservation Voters, Defenders of Wildlife, National Wildlife Refuge Association, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, World Wildlife Fund, Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Environment America.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Mud pies for some, barriers for others

    Source:

    30 April 2025

    When we think of nature play, we envision children swinging from trees, decorating mud pies with gum nuts, and delving through creek beds. But nature play must be more than this and needs to cater to children of all ages and capabilities, say researchers at the University of South Australia.

    Now, as Australians head to the polls – and with equity and education on the national agenda – new research has revealed a gap in how nature playspaces are designed and delivered across the country.

    Despite the growing popularity of nature play areas that help children climb, dig, and connect with nature, a new study has found no clear, evidence-based guidelines to ensure all children – regardless of age, ability, or location – can access and benefit from these spaces.

    The review of more than 7000 documents identified only one regulatory guideline, with most offering inconsistent, vague or incomplete advice for those planning nature play in schools, early learning centres, and communities.

    UniSA researcher, Dr Kylie Dankiw, says that without a national approach to the design and development of nature playspaces, some children will be left on the sidelines.

    “Nature playspaces are known to support children’s health, development, and well-being. But without national practice guidelines, families, educators, councils and planners may struggle to know the best way to create them,” Dr Dankiw says.

    “These spaces offer hands-on experiences with nature, plants, sand, stones, and even sounds – which foster creativity, curiosity, and a deeper connection to the environment.

    “Being in and around nature sparks children’s imagination and, with the right design, can inspire creativity, problem-solving, and meaningful discoveries.

    “As more playspaces are created in early learning centres, schools and communities, it’s vital they’re made safe, inclusive and enriching for all.

    “While many guidelines highlight key features that can support the design of nature playspaces, the advice is often unclear, inconsistent, or lacking in detail, making it hard to apply in different settings, age groups, and developmental needs.

    “Without national guidelines, different advocacy and regulatory groups are using different approaches, which can lead to confusion around safety, accessibility, and the best way to support children’s development.”

    Co-researcher, UniSA’s Dr Margarita Tsiros, says that national, research-backed recommendations are needed to ensure consistency and quality across the country.

    “All children can benefit from nature play. While many existing spaces include engaging and inclusive elements, there is a real need for evidence-based guidance to help designers, educators, and councils create high-quality nature experiences,” Dr Tsiros says.

    “We need to champion nature play with a shared understanding that it’s about giving children joy, freedom and opportunities to connect with the natural world.

    “With practical safe and inclusive national guidelines, Australia’s nature playspaces can truly support the needs of all children.”

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contacts for interview:  Dr Kylie Dankiw E: Kylie.Dankiw@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Applications Open for the Creators Program

    Source: NSW Government puts trust in NAB to transform banking and payments

    22 04 2025 – Media release

    The Creators program
    Screen Australia and the Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG) have announced applications are open for The Creators program. Now in its third year, The Creators is a career acceleration program for high-calibre, mid-career screenwriters to build toward the creation of their own shows. 
    Expanding upon the success of Years 1 and 2, Year 3 sees The Creators evolve to provide selected screenwriters with international high-level showrunner training, project development, and pitching training in Australia, equipping them to sell their stories in domestic and international markets. 
    Up to six writers will be selected to participate in the program run in Sydney in October 2025. 
    Emmy Award-winner Jeff Melvoin (Northern Exposure, Killing Eve, Designated Survivor), founder and Chair of the Writers Guild of America’s Showrunner Training Program, will travel to Sydney to lead the selected writers in bespoke WGA-style showrunner and pitching training.
    The program will take place in a retreat-style environment to maximise the opportunity, providing participants access to Jeff Melvoin and their fellow Creators.
    The Creators is supported by industry partners Scripted Ink.  
    Screen Australia Head of Development Bobby Romia said, ‘The Creators supports Australian screenwriters to step into leadership roles. With access to world-class mentorship and industry training, this program equips mid-career writers with the skills, confidence and connections to develop bold new projects and pitch at the highest level. We’re proud to continue our partnership with the Australian Writers’ Guild and can’t wait to see the exciting new projects that will take shape through this year’s cohort.’
    AWG President Peter Mattessi said, ‘We are thrilled to welcome Jeff Melvoin to Australia this year to deliver The Creators at home. Building on the success of the first two years, this program is an invaluable opportunity to strengthen the Australian industry and empower writers as creators and leaders in the domestic and international markets.’  
    Susie Hamilton, The Creators Program Director said, ‘The Australian Writers’ Guild is delighted to be moving into Year 3 of The Creators with the support of Screen Australia and Scripted Ink. The calibre of writers who’ve completed the program has been incredibly high and we’re pleased to see a number of Creators’ projects already in development. We look forward to welcoming the next group of talented writer-creators to partake in this program.’ 
    To apply, writers must have recent credits across television, feature film and/or theatre, and existing interest from the global community. They must also have a slate of 3-5 scripted episodic projects currently in development including one lead project with a draft pilot script that will be developed as part of the program. Applicants must be available from 19-27 October 2025 to attend. 
    For the full eligibility requirements, FAQs and how to apply, see the Guidelines here. 
    Applications are open and close at 5pm AEST Thursday 29 May 2025. 
    Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 18 July 2025.
    AWG Media Enquiries:
    Shannen Usher [email protected] 
    Media enquiries
    Maddie Walsh | Publicist
    + 61 2 8113 5915  | [email protected]
    Jessica Parry | Senior Publicist (Mon, Tue, Thu)
    + 61 428 767 836  | [email protected]
    All other general/non-media enquiries
    Sydney + 61 2 8113 5800  |  Melbourne + 61 3 8682 1900 | [email protected]

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Locked up for life? Unpacking South Australia’s new child sex crime laws

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Xanthe Mallett, Criminologist, CQUniversity Australia

    Melnikov Dmitriy/Shutterstock

    It’s election time, which means the age old “tough on crime” rhetoric is being heralded by many politicians aiming to score votes.

    Opposition leader Peter Dutton is pushing for a national public sex offender register. Currently only Western Australia has a registry that is open to the public.

    In South Australia, Premier Peter Malinauskas brought in tougher child sex offender laws earlier this week.

    What are these new laws in SA?

    Under these new laws, serious child sex offenders are to be permanently locked up or electronically monitored, if they reoffend.

    Automatic indefinite detention is a significant change.

    Previously, the South Australian attorney-general could apply to the Supreme Court to request an offender be indefinitely detained, if the offender was considered to remain a danger to children and could not be rehabilitated.

    The courts would then decide if they would grant the request, basing their decision on medical and other expert evidence.

    The changes in SA mean those found guilty of a second serious sexual offence against anyone younger than 17 now receive automatic indefinite detention.

    To be considered for release under the new law, an offender needs to show they can control their sexual instincts – so the onus is on them to prove they are not at risk of reoffending.

    To achieve this, two court-selected psychologists would have to provide reports demonstrating the offender was both willing and able to resist committing further sex offences.

    And if they are ever released, they will be electronically monitored for the rest of their lives.

    In addition, registered child sex offenders would be banned from working with anyone under 18.

    The new law also strengthens “Carly’s Law”, which focuses on reducing the sexual grooming of children online by adult predators.

    Inconsistencies across Australia

    The age of legal consent is 16 across Australia, except SA and Tasmania, where it is 17.

    In 2024, an Australian Institute of Criminology report highlighted many of the inconsistencies across the country, including terminology and definitions of sexual offences, despite efforts to achieve national regularity.

    Each state and territory approaches the problem of child sexual abuse differently.

    In NSW, for example, sentencing for child sexual offences has increased over time. This reflects societal expectations given what we know now about the long-term, traumatic consequences of victimisation.

    However, one consideration in sentencing in NSW is whether the sentence could have a “crushing” effect on the offender, and whether they may be entitled to an “element of mercy”.

    Certainly, a full life sentence is a significant departure from this position.

    Why now?

    There is little doubt this is a political move, as these changes were first promised by Labor in the build-up to the 2022 SA election.

    Then in January 2025, Labor announced it planned to introduce them in March – right before the federal election.

    On the face of it, toughening laws aimed at reducing sexual violence against children is a good thing. No one would argue.

    However, the legislation has been fast-tracked in the wake of a number of cases where those previously convicted of a sexual offence against a child reoffended.

    One such case is Dylan Lloyd, who is alleged to have assaulted a 12-year-old girl while she travelled alone on a train. Lloyd had previously been convicted of assaulting a 10-year-old girl in 2021, and since then more alleged victims have come forward to police.

    Cases such as Lloyd’s are preventable, as in this case Lloyd should still be imprisoned. This is one step forward. But consistency across states is needed and the long-term consequences need considering more fully.

    Whether these laws will have the desired deterrent effect has not been answered.

    We need to ensure personal and societal factors affecting crime rates, and which influence peoples’ attitudes and behaviours, are not overlooked.

    Will the laws be good for the community?

    These changes do have the potential to have a meaningful impact, but changing the behaviour of potential offenders is far more complex.

    Potential offenders usually don’t consider the law. At a micro level, their behaviour is most affected by biological and psychological factors, including alcohol, drug addiction and mental health issues, as well as social and environmental factors.

    In addition, there are numerous human rights and constitutional issues with permanent detention or lifelong monitoring, and the SA government may be walking into a legal minefield now they have removed the possibility of parole.

    It would be better to allow judges options for discretion, as the context in which the offending happened is crucial in determining the likelihood of someone being successfully rehabilitated.

    Mandatory full life sentences ignore the fact many sex offenders can be successfully rehabilitated.

    One study in Queensland, which considered local and global evidence, indicated sexual recidivism can be significant reduced when offenders complete sex offender treatment programs.

    Although it costs money to run these programs, the savings outweigh the costs of ongoing incarceration – particularly if we consider indefinite detention.

    Black-and-white laws with little room for movement produce unintended and harmful outcomes.

    It will be interesting to see how the new laws in SA play out in court and if any other states and territories follow suit.

    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. Locked up for life? Unpacking South Australia’s new child sex crime laws – https://theconversation.com/locked-up-for-life-unpacking-south-australias-new-child-sex-crime-laws-255429

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: On ‘moral panic’ and the courage to speak – the West’s silence on Gaza

    Palestinians do not have the luxury to allow Western moral panic to have its say or impact. Not caving in to this panic is one small, but important, step in building a global Palestine network that is urgently needed, writes Dr Ilan Pappé

    ANALYSIS: By Ilan Pappé

    Responses in the Western world to the genocide in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank raise a troubling question: why is the official West, and official Western Europe in particular, so indifferent to Palestinian suffering?

    Why is the Democratic Party in the US complicit, directly and indirectly, in sustaining the daily inhumanity in Palestine — a complicity so visible that it probably was one reason they lost the election, as the Arab American and progressive vote in key states could, and justifiably so, not forgive the Biden administration for its part in the genocide in the Gaza Strip?

    This is a pertinent question, given that we are dealing with a televised genocide that has now been renewed on the ground. It is different from previous periods in which Western indifference and complicity were displayed, either during the Nakba or the long years of occupation since 1967.

    During the Nakba and up to 1967, it was not easy to get hold of information, and the oppression after 1967 was mostly incremental, and, as such, was ignored by the Western media and politics, which refused to acknowledge its cumulative effect on the Palestinians.

    But these last 18 months are very different. Ignoring the genocide in the Gaza Strip and the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank can only be described as intentional and not due to ignorance.

    Both the Israelis’ actions and the discourse that accompanies them are too visible to be ignored, unless politicians, academics, and journalists choose to do so.

    This kind of ignorance is, first and foremost, the result of successful Israeli lobbying that thrived on the fertile ground of an European guilt complex, racism and Islamophobia. In the case of the US, it is also the outcome of many years of an effective and ruthless lobbying machine that very few in academia, media, and, in particular, politics, dare to disobey.

    The moral panic phenomenon
    This phenomenon is known in recent scholarship as moral panic, very characteristic of the more conscientious sections of Western societies: intellectuals, journalists, and artists.

    Moral panic is a situation in which a person is afraid of adhering to his or her own moral convictions because this would demand some courage that might have consequences. We are not always tested in situations that require courage, or at least integrity. When it does happen, it is in situations where morality is not an abstract idea, but a call for action.

    This is why so many Germans were silent when Jews were sent to extermination camps, and this is why white Americans stood by when African Americans were lynched or, earlier on, enslaved and abused.

    What is the price that leading Western journalists, veteran politicians, tenured professors, or chief executives of well-known companies would have to pay if they were to blame Israel for committing a genocide in the Gaza Strip?

    It seems they are worried about two possible outcomes. The first is being condemned as antisemites or Holocaust deniers. Secondly, they fear an honest response would trigger a discussion that would include the complicity of their country, or Europe, or the West in general, in enabling the genocide and all the criminal policies against the Palestinians that preceded it.

    This moral panic leads to some astonishing phenomena. In general, it transforms educated, highly articulate and knowledgeable people into total imbeciles when they talk about Palestine.

    It disallows the more perceptive and thoughtful members of the security services from examining Israeli demands to include all Palestinian resistance on a terrorist list, and it dehumanises Palestinian victims in the mainstream media.

    Lack of compassion
    The lack of compassion and basic solidarity with the victims of genocide was exposed by the double standards shown by mainstream media in the West, and, in particular, by the more established newspapers in the US, such as The New York Times and The Washington Post.

    When the editor of The Palestine Chronicle, Dr Ramzy Baroud, lost 56 members of his family — killed by the Israeli genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip — not one of his colleagues in American journalism bothered to talk to him or show any interest in hearing about this atrocity.

    On the other hand, a fabricated Israeli allegation of a connection between the Chronicle and a family, in whose block of flats hostages were held, triggered huge interest by these outlets.

    This imbalance in humanity and solidarity is just one example of the distortions that accompanies moral panic. I have little doubt that the actions against Palestinian or pro-Palestinian students in the US, or against known activists in Britain and France, as well as the arrest of the editor of the Electronic Intifada, Ali Abunimah, in Switzerland, are all manifestations of this distorted moral behaviour.

    A similar case unfolded just recently in Australia. Mary Kostakidis, a famous Australian journalist and former prime-time weeknight SBS World News Australia presenter, has been taken to the federal court over her — one should say quite tame — reporting on the situation in the Gaza Strip.

    The very fact that the court has not dismissed this allegation upon its arrival shows you how deeply rooted moral panic is in the Global North.

    But there is another side to it. Thankfully, there is a much larger group of people who are not afraid of taking the risks involved in clearly stating their support for the Palestinians, and who do show this solidarity while knowing it may lead to suspension, deportation, or even jail time. They are not easily found among the mainstream academia, media, or politics, but they are the authentic voice of their societies in many parts of the Western world.

    The Palestinians do not have the luxury of allowing Western moral panic to have its say or impact. Not caving in to this panic is one small but important step in building a global Palestine network that is urgently needed — firstly, to stop the destruction of Palestine and its people, and second, to create the conditions for a decolonised and liberated Palestine in the future.

    Dr Ilan Pappé is an Israeli historian, political scientist, and former politician. He is a professor with the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, director of the university’s European Centre for Palestine Studies, and co-director of the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies. This article is republished from The Palestine Chronicle, 19 April 2025.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why do dogs eat poo? A canine scientist explains

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mia Cobb, Research Fellow, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne

    nygi/Unsplash

    When miniature dachshund Valerie was captured after 529 days alone in the wilds of Australia’s Kangaroo Island, experts speculated she survived partly by eating other animals’ poo.

    While this survival tactic may have saved the resilient sausage dog, it highlights a behaviour that makes many dog owners cringe.

    This type of “recycling” is surprisingly common in our canine companions. But why would dogs, even those with full food bowls, choose to indulge in such a revolting habit?

    Here’s why some dogs can’t resist a faecal feast, known more technically as coprophagia.

    What is coprophagia?

    Coprophagia or coprophagy is the scientific term for eating faecal matter (poo). It’s a behaviour displayed across a number of animal species.

    Around half of all dogs try eating poo at some stage – either their own, another dog’s, or other animals’. Research suggests about one in four dogs have made it a regular habit.

    In wild canids like foxes and wolves, mothers will eat their puppies’ stools to keep dens clean and reduce scents that might attract predators.

    It’s also thought that eating fresh faeces could reduce the likelihood of intestinal parasites being spread, offering an evolutionary benefit to our dogs’ wild counterparts.

    Modern dogs still actively clean their puppies’ poo away in the first few weeks of life, a behaviour that puppies observe and can learn.

    Licking away ‘waste’ from their puppies is a normal maternal behaviour in dogs.
    Anurak Pongpatimet/Shutterstock

    Nutritional factors

    As unpalatable as it might seem to us, poo still contains considerable nutrients that offer valuable compounds as a food source when times are tough.

    Dogs do have different preferences to us in terms of texture, taste and odour of their food, so we should not be hasty to dismiss what might appeal to them.

    Medical reasons

    The links between diet, gut flora and diseases that might influence behaviours like coprophagia are still emerging. At this stage, there seems to be no apparent link with age or diet.

    There could be underlying health reasons for your dog seeking out a sneaky snack, so do mention it to your vet and get a health check if your dog is known to frequent the kitty litter box, for example.

    Punishment in toilet training, living conditions that don’t provide enough to do or room to explore (like kennel facilities), and psychological distress have all been linked to dogs eating their own poo.

    Shelters and kennel facilities are often built for hygiene and safety, not to keep dogs’ minds and bodies active.
    Evgenii Bakhchev/Shutterstock

    A strain on relationships

    Our typical response to seeing dogs eat any kind of poo ranges from disgust to concern. At best it makes us less likely to want a lick to the face, at worst it can really strain our human-animal bonds.

    One study from the United Kingdom showed that dogs eating their own poo after rehoming was in the top ten reasons for the adoption failing in the first four weeks when dogs were returned to the shelter.

    Dogs can potentially transmit parasites and bacteria to humans through licking, regardless of whether they eat poo. This serves as a good reminder to ensure your dog receives appropriate parasite control and encourage all household members to follow good hygiene practices, like washing hands before eating.



    Read more:
    Is it okay to kiss your pet? The risk of animal-borne diseases is small, but real

    Help, my dog keeps eating poo

    While Valerie’s tale of survival shows us coprophagia may be life-saving in extreme situations, most of our doggo companions aren’t facing wilderness survival challenges.

    Thankfully, coprophagia is often manageable.

    Understanding why our dogs might eat poo – whether based on evolutionary instinct, medical issues or psychological triggers – can help us address this canine behaviour with compassion rather than just disgust.

    If your dog indulges often, providing appropriate stimulation through regular exercise, social connection with people and other dogs, offering toys and safe chews can help. Sometimes, a trip to the vet might be needed to rule out any underlying health issues.

    Offering fun activities is one way to reduce the chance of your dog eating poo.
    Kojirou Sasaki/Unsplash

    Dogs reprimanded for toileting accidents might eat the evidence to avoid future punishment, creating a new problem behaviour. Instead, rewarding your puppy or dog for toileting in the right location (and giving them frequent opportunities to do so) is likely to establish toileting routines you will approve of, making coprophagia less likely.

    By the same token, dogs can’t eat what isn’t left lying around. Regular poo-pickups in your yard, dog park, kitty litter box and other likely locations will remove temptation and help set your dog up for success.

    If Valerie has taught us anything, it’s that what might be considered our dogs’ most revolting habits are actually remarkable adaptations that deserve our understanding and empathy, even if we can’t rally enthusiastic support.

    Mia Cobb 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. Why do dogs eat poo? A canine scientist explains – https://theconversation.com/why-do-dogs-eat-poo-a-canine-scientist-explains-234361

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Human Rights – “People in Gaza do not have the luxury of waiting for the ICJ process” – MSF

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

    30th April, 2026. “The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has begun advisory proceedings on the obligations of Israel as an occupying power to facilitate the entry of aid to Palestinians in Gaza, this decision however will take time. People in Gaza do not have that luxury.

    Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has recently raised the alarm that the Gaza Strip is becoming a mass grave for Palestinians and those trying to provide aid to them.

    Waiting for any kind of legal recourse to end Israel’s intentional choking of aid, food and medicine into Gaza will condemn yet more Palestinians to avoidable death, while the world watches on impassively, doing nothing to avoid this indiscriminate and abhorrent cruelty.

    The situation in the Gaza Strip is dire on every level. The Israeli authorities’ full ban on all humanitarian aid and supplies since 2 March is having deadly consequences for civilians in Gaza and is severely limiting our capacity as humanitarians and medical workers to respond in any meaningful or effective way.

    Israeli authorities are not only using aid as a bargaining chip but as a weapon of war and a means of collective punishment for over 2 million people living in the Strip. MSF teams are witnessing shortages of medical supplies and food. States need to do more to pressure Israeli authorities into lifting the siege and letting aid enter the war-torn enclave at scale to prevent more suffering and death.”

    Claire Nicolet, MSF Head of Emergencies.

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Lives lost 2025 update

    Source: New South Wales – News

    The number of lives lost on South Australia roads for 2025 has been revised.

    The death of a 57-year-old male cyclist involved in a crash on Lobethal Road, Basket Range on 20 January will not be counted in the number of lives lost.

    The current number of lives lost in 2025 is 25.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Wanted man Trevor Headon

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police are asking for the public’s assistance to locate wanted man Trevor Headon.

    Trevor Headon, 46, is wanted in South Australia in relation to recent serious offending.  He is believed to have travelled to South Australia from Victoria in the past fortnight and has ties to the southern suburbs of Adelaide.

    Trevor Headon is Aboriginal, 185cm tall, medium build, with short black hair and brown eyes.

    He should not be approached.

    If you see him or know of his whereabouts, please call the Police Assistance line on 131 444 immediately or Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 04/29/2025 Blackburn, Budd, Ricketts Introduce Bill to Make President Trump’s United States Investment Accelerator Permanent

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), andPete Ricketts (R-Neb.) introduced the Investment Accelerator Act to codify President Trump’s Executive Order establishing the United States Investment Accelerator, which will help facilitate and accelerate investments above $1 billion. During the first 100 days of his second administration, President Trump has already spurred trillions of dollars of investment in U.S. manufacturing, production, and innovation.  
    “President Trump’s Investment Accelerator is supercharging capital investment in the United States, and he has already secured trillions of dollars in private investments during his second term,” said Senator Blackburn. “Our bill would make President Trump’s United States Investment Accelerator permanent by codifying his Executive Order into law, helping to secure our economic future, slash bureaucratic red tape, and make certain America remains the top destination for foreign and domestic investment.”
    “For far too long bureaucratic hurdles have limited our economic potential. Instead, we need to reduce regulatory barriers to facilitate and accelerate investment here at home,” said Senator Budd. “That’s why I am proud to stand with Senator Blackburn in introducing the Investment Accelerator Act. This bill will unleash economic prosperity by streamlining processes for foreign and domestic investment in the United States.”
    “President Trump wants to make America prosperous again. The Investment Accelerator Act will help him accomplish that goal,” said Senator Ricketts. “This legislation will cut bureaucratic red tape. It will support American workers and businesses that want to invest in our country.”
    INVESTMENT ACCELERATOR ACT
    The Investment Accelerator Act would permanently establish the United States Investment Accelerator to attract large investments in America by:
    Reducing regulatory burdens;
    Speeding up permitting;
    Coordinating responses to investor issues across federal agencies;
    Increasing access to national resources of the United States;
    Facilitating research collaborations with national labs;
    Working with state governments in all 50 states to reduce regulatory barriers;
    Overseeing the activity of the CHIPS Program Office; and
    Identifying any opportunity to assist foreign and domestic investors.
    Click here for bill text.
    RELATED

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Sick of eating the same things? 5 ways to boost your nutrition and keep meals interesting and healthy

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle

    Loquellano/Pexels

    Did you start 2025 with a promise to eat better but didn’t quite get there? Or maybe you want to branch out from making the same meal every week or the same lunch for work almost every day?

    Small dietary changes can make a big difference to how you feel, how your body functions and health indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

    You can meet your nutrient needs by eating a range of foods from the key food groups:

    • vegetables and fruit
    • protein (legumes, beans, tofu, meats, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds)
    • grains (mostly wholegrain and high-fibre)
    • calcium-rich foods (milk, yoghurt, cheese, non-dairy alternatives).

    But you also need a variety of foods to get enough vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients from plant foods. Phytonutrients have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and other functions that help keep you healthy.

    Use these five dietary tweaks to boost your nutrient intake and add variety to what you eat.

    1. Include different types of bran to boost your fibre intake

    Different types of dietary fibre help improve bowel function through fermentation by gut microbes in the colon, or large bowel. This creates larger, softer bowel motions that then stimulate the colon to contract, leading to more regular bowel movements.

    Add different types of dietary fibre – such as oat bran, wheat bran or psyllium husk – to breakfast cereal or add some into recipes that use white flour:

    • psyllium husk is high in soluble fibre. It dissolves in water forming viscous gel that binds to bile salts, which get excreted and your body is then not able to convert them into cholesterol. This helps lower blood cholesterol levels as well as with retaining water in your colon, making bowel motions softer. Soluble fibre also helps slow the digestive process, making you feel full and slows the normal rise in blood sugar levels after you eat

    • wheat bran is an insoluble fibre, also called roughage. It adds bulk to bowel motions, which helps keep your bowel function regular

    • oat bran contains beta-glucan, a soluble fibre, as well as some insoluble fibre.

    Try keeping small containers topped up with the different fibres so you don’t forget to add them regularly to your breakfast.

    Psyllium husk is high in soluble fibre, which dissolves in water and slows digestion.
    Shawn Hempel/Shutterstock

    2. Add a different canned bean to your shopping list

    Dried beans are a type of legume. From baked beans to red kidney beans and chickpeas, the canned varieties are easy to use and inexpensive. Different colours and varieties have slightly different nutrient and phytonutrient profiles.

    Canned beans are very high in total dietary fibre, including soluble fibre and resistant starch, a complex carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine and then passes into the colon where it gets fermented.

    The body digests and absorbs the nutrients in legumes slowly, contributing to their low glycemic index. So eating them makes you feel full.

    Regularly eating more legumes lowers blood sugar levels, and total and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

    Add legumes to dishes such as bolognese, curry, soups and salads (our No Money No Time website has some great recipes).

    3. Try a different wholegrain, like buckwheat or 5-grain porridge

    Wholegrain products contain all three layers of the grain. Both the inner germ layer and outer bran layer are rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals, while the inner endosperm contains mostly starch (think white flour).

    Wholegrains include oats, corn (yes, popcorn too), rye, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, brown rice and foods made with wholegrains, like some breads and breakfast cereals such as rolled oats, muesli and five-grain porridge.

    Wholegrains aren’t just breakfast and lunch foods. Dinner recipe ideas include tuna and veggie pasta bake,
    chicken quesadillas and buckwheat mushroom risotto.

    4. Try a different vegetable or salad mix every week

    A review of the relationship between plant-based diets and dying of any cause followed more than half a million people across 12 long-term studies.

    It found people who ate the most plants had a lower risk of dying during the study and follow-up period than those who ate hardly any.

    Add a rainbow coleslaw to your meal.
    Kiian Oksana/Shutterstock

    Try adding a new or different vegetable or salad item to your weekly meals, such as rainbow coleslaw, canned beetroot, raw carrot, red onion, avocado or tomatoes.

    Or try a stir-fry with bok choy, celery, capsicum, carrot, zucchini and herbs.

    The more variety, the more colour, flavour and textures – not to mention phytonutrients.

    5. Go nuts

    Cashews, walnuts, almonds, macadamias, pecans and mixed nuts make a great snack.

    (Peanuts are technically a legume because they grow in the ground but we count them as nuts because their nutrient profile is very similar to the tree nuts.)

    You have to chew nuts well, which means your brain receives messages that you are eating and should expect to soon feel full.

    Nuts are energy-dense, due to their high fat content. A matchbox portion size (30 grams) contains about 15 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein and 740 kilojoules.

    While some people think you need to avoid nuts to lose weight, a review of energy restricted diets found people who ate nuts lost as much weight as those who didn’t.

    My colleagues and I at the University of Newcastle have created a free Healthy Eating Quiz where you can check your diet quality score, see how healthy your usual eating patterns are and how your score compares to others. You can also get some great ideas to make your meals more interesting .

    Clare Collins AO is a Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle, NSW and a Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) affiliated researcher. She is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Leadership Fellow and has received research grants from NHMRC, ARC, MRFF, HMRI, Diabetes Australia, Heart Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, nib foundation, Rijk Zwaan Australia, WA Dept. Health, Meat and Livestock Australia, and Greater Charitable Foundation. She has consulted to SHINE Australia, Novo Nordisk, Quality Bakers, the Sax Institute, Dietitians Australia and the ABC. She was a team member conducting systematic reviews to inform the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines update, the Heart Foundation evidence reviews on meat and dietary patterns and current Co-Chair of the Guidelines Development Advisory Committee for Clinical Practice Guidelines for Treatment of Obesity.

    – ref. Sick of eating the same things? 5 ways to boost your nutrition and keep meals interesting and healthy – https://theconversation.com/sick-of-eating-the-same-things-5-ways-to-boost-your-nutrition-and-keep-meals-interesting-and-healthy-245672

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Solomon Islands

    Source:

    We continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution in Honiara. Political unrest can occur in Honiara during Parliament sittings, elections and times of political uncertainty. A motion of no confidence may be moved in Parliament from 6 May. Demonstrations can turn violent quickly. Avoid protests and political gatherings.

    Petty crime, break-ins, robbery and more serious offences including sexual assault can occur (see ‘Safety’).

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Financial education will help disadvantaged kids succeed

    Source: ACT Party

    ACT’s Education spokesperson Laura McClure has welcomed the Government’s move to embed financial education into the school curriculum for Years 1 to 10, saying it will make a real difference – especially for disadvantaged students.

    “Every young Kiwi should leave school equipped to navigate a market economy. Knowing how to earn, save, budget, and invest is an essential part of being successful in a civilised society,” says McClure.

    “For students who don’t learn these lessons at home, financial education can be life-changing. It gives every student, no matter their background, a better footing to succeed later in life.

    “These curriculum changes are part of a broader shift to refocus education on real-world skills instead of ideology. I’m proud to be part of a Government that is taking politics out of the classroom and putting practical skills back in.

    “Financial literacy is a great equaliser. The left should welcome a reform that lifts disadvantaged students up, rather than dragging everyone else down.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘A living collective’: study shows trees synchronise electrical signals during a solar eclipse

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Monica Gagliano, Research Associate Professor in Evolutionary Biology, Southern Cross University

    Zenit Arti Audiovisive

    Earth’s cycles of light and dark profoundly affect billions of organisms. Events such as solar eclipses are known to bring about marked shifts in animals, but do they have the same effect on plants?

    During a solar eclipse in a forest in Italy’s Dolomites region, scientists seized the chance to explore that fascinating question.

    The researchers were monitoring the bioelectrical impulses of spruce trees, when a solar eclipse passed over. They left their sensors running to record the trees’ response to the eclipse – and what they observed was astonishing.

    The spruce trees not only responded to the solar eclipse – they actively anticipated it, by synchronising their bioelectrical signals hours in advance.

    This forest-wide phenomenon, detailed today in the journal Royal Society Open Science, reveals a new layer of complexity in plant behaviour. It adds to emerging evidence that plants actively participate in their ecosystems.

    Lead author Monica Gagliano discusses the research findings.

    Do trees respond collectively?

    The research was led by Professor Alessandro Chiolerio of the Italian Institute of Technology, and Professor Monica Gagliano from Australia’s Southern Cross University, who is the lead author on this article. It also involved a team of international scientists.

    A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, fully or partially blocking the Sun’s light.

    An eclipse can inspire awe and even social cohesion in humans. Other animals have been shown to gather and synchronise their movements during such an event.

    But scientists know very little about how plants respond to solar eclipses. Some research suggests the rapid transitions from darkness to light during an eclipse can change plant behaviour. But this research focuses on the responses of individual plants.

    The latest study set out to discover if trees respond to a solar eclipse together, as a living collective.

    Alessandro Chiolerio and Monica Gagliano at the site of the study.
    Simone Cargnoni

    What the research involved

    Charged molecules travel through the cells of all living organisms, transmitting electrical signals as they go. Collectively, this electrical activity is known as the organism’s “electrome”.

    The electrical activity is primarily driven by the movement of ions across cell membranes. It creates tiny currents that allow organisms, including humans, to coordinate their body and communicate.

    The researchers wanted to investigated the electrical signals of spruce trees (Picea abies) during a partial solar eclipse on October 25, 2022. It took place in the Costa Bocche forest near Paneveggio in the Dolomites area, Italy.

    The study took place in the Dolomites in northeast Italy.
    Monica Gagliano

    The scientists set out to understand the trees’ electrical activity during the hour-long eclipse. They used custom-built sensors and wired them to three trees. Two were healthy trees about 70 years old, one in full sun and one in full shade. The third was a healthy tree about 20 years old, in full shade.

    They also attached the sensors to five tree stumps – the remnants old trees, originally part of a pristine forest, but which were devastated by a storm several years earlier.

    For each tree and stump, the researchers used five pairs of electrodes, placed in both the inner and outer layers of the tree, including on exposed roots, branches and trunks. The electrodes were connected to the sensors.

    This set-up allowed the scientists to monitor the bioelectrical activity from multiple trees and stumps across four sites during the solar eclipse. They examined both individual tree responses, and bioelectrical signals between trees.

    In particular, the scientists measured changes in the trees’ “bioelectrical potentials”. This term refers to the differences in voltage across cell membranes.

    The scientists attached electrodes and sensors to the trees to monitor their electrical activity.
    Zenit Arti Audiovisive

    What did they find?

    The electrical activity of all three trees became significantly more synchronised around the eclipse – both before and during the one-hour event. These changes occur at a microscopic level, such as inside water and lymph molecules in the tree.

    The two older trees in the study had a much more pronounced early response to the impending eclipse than the young tree. This suggests older trees may have developed mechanisms to anticipate and respond to such events, similar to their responses to seasonal changes.

    Solar eclipses may seem rare from a human perspective, but they follow cycles which can occur well within the lifespan of long-lived trees. The scientists also detected bioelectrical waves travelling between the trees. This suggests older trees may transmit their ecological knowledge to younger trees.

    Such a dynamic is consistent with studies showing long-distance signalling between plants can help them coordinate various physiological functions in response to environmental changes.

    The two older spruce trees in the study had a much more pronounced early response to the impending eclipse than the young tree.
    Zenith Audiovisual Arts

    The researchers also detected changes in the bioelectrical responses of the stumps during the eclipse, albeit less pronounced than in the standing trees. This suggests the stumps were still alive.

    The research team then used computer modelling, and advanced analytical methods including quantum field theory, to test the findings of the physical experiment.

    The results reinforced the experimental results. That is, not only did the eclipse influence the bioelectrical responses of individual trees, the activity was correlated. This suggests a cohesive, organism-like reaction at the forest scale.

    The researchers also detected changes in the bioelectrical responses of the stumps during the eclipse.
    Zenit Arti Audiovisive

    Understanding forest connections

    These findings align with extensive prior research by others, highlighting the extent to which trees in forest ecosystems are connected.

    These behaviours may ultimately influence the forest ecosystem’s resilience, biodiversity and overall function, by helping it cope with rapid and unpredictable changes.

    The findings also underscore the importance of protecting older forests, which serve as pillars of ecosystem resilience – potentially preserving and transmitting invaluable ecological knowledge.

    This research is featured in a documentary, Il Codice del Bosco (The Forest Code), premiering in Italy on May 1, 2025.

    The findings underscore the importance of protecting older forests. Pictured: the Dolomites region.
    Zenith Audiovisual Arts

    Monica Gagliano received funding for this research from the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

    Prudence Gibson 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. ‘A living collective’: study shows trees synchronise electrical signals during a solar eclipse – https://theconversation.com/a-living-collective-study-shows-trees-synchronise-electrical-signals-during-a-solar-eclipse-255499

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Fire restrictions extended for first time this decade

    Source:

    Restrictions are being extended in the Southwest and Northeast

    For the first time since 2019, the Fire Danger Period (FDP) will be extended in parts of Victoria as unseasonably dry conditions continue to elevate fire risk.

    A lack of rainfall has left vegetation in the state’s South West and parts of the North East susceptible to fire ignition, with some areas as dry as they were during the devastating 1982/83 fire season. 

    Fire restrictions will be extended in the following municipalities:  

    • Moyne Shire Council (until 12 May)
    • Warrnambool City Council (until 12 May)
    • Southern Grampians Shire Council (until 12 May)
    • Glenelg Shire Council (until 19 May)
    • Towong Shire Council (until 26 May) 

    All other Victorian municipalities will exit the Fire Danger Period on 1 May, with restrictions already lifted in some areas. 

    CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said the decision to extend restrictions was necessary to protect communities while dry conditions persisted. 

    “We know people look forward to the end of the fire season, but in some areas it’s still too risky to lift restrictions,” Jason said. 

    “While cooler days are arriving, the landscape remains dry enough to allow fires to start and spread quickly if a burn-off gets out of control.” 

    Residents in affected areas are reminded that burning off remains prohibited unless a valid permit is obtained. 

    Since 1 April, CFA has responded to 127 preventable vegetation fires across Victoria, with more than half (53 per cent) caused by escaped burn-offs. Other significant causes included bonfires, campfires, fire pits and fireworks. 

    “Escaped burn-offs continued to cause significant concern,” Jason said. 

    “What we want to avoid is preventable fires caused by complacency or misunderstanding.” 

    “Escaped burns tie up our resources and present a real danger to both the community and our volunteers.” 

    Jason also urged landowners to help reduce unnecessary callouts, by registering their burn-offs. 

    “We’re asking all landowners to register their burn-offs online, even if their municipality has exited restrictions,” he said. 

    “Registering helps prevent false alarms that divert resources from genuine emergencies.” 

    Under the CFA Act, penalties for lighting an open-air fire without a permit during the Fire Danger Period can include fines of up to $23,710, 12 months’ imprisonment, or both. 

    Landowners can apply for a permit to burn off at firepermits.vic.gov.au. 

    Burn off safety checklist: 

    •  Obtain a permit if required.  
    • Check and monitor weather conditions – particularly wind.
    • Postpone your activity if high fire risk conditions develop. 
    • Notify your neighbours if the burn will generate fire and smoke. 
    • Leave a three-metre fire break, free from flammable materials around the burn.
    • Ensure you have enough water on hand (10 litres for small fires). 
    • Never leave a burn-off unattended – stay for its entire duration.
    • Ensure there are enough people to monitor, contain and extinguish the burn effectively. 
    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Address Housing Affordability Crisis

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON —Today U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner joined Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) in introducing legislation to help build nearly 1.6 million new affordable homes over the next decade. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would lead to more affordable housing options for families and workers by expanding and strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, our country’s most successful affordable housing program.
    Currently, nearly one-in-four renters, over 11 million families, spend more than half of their household income on rent, cutting into other essential expenses like child care, medication, groceries, and transportation. At the same time, over 600,000 Americans are experiencing homelessness on any given day, an increase over pre-COVID levels.
    Since its creation, the Housing Credit has built or restored more than 4 million affordable housing units, nearly 90 percent of all federally funded affordable housing during that time. Roughly nine million American households have benefitted from the credit, and the economic activity that it generated has supported 6.6 million jobs and spurred more than $746 billion in wages.
    “The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit is one of the most successful tools our country has to address the affordable housing crisis our communities are facing,” Sen. Warner said. “I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation to update and modernize this credit in order to build more homes, bring down costs, and tackle the growing demand for housing across the Commonwealth and the country.”
    More specifically, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would:
    Increase the number of credits available to states by 50 percent for the next two years and make the temporary 12.5 percent increase secured in 2018 permanent—which has already helped build more than 59,000 additional affordable housing units nationwide;
    Stabilize financing for workforce housing projects built using private activity bonds by decreasing the amount of private activity bonds needed to secure Housing Credit funding. As a result, projects would have to carry less debt, and more projects would be eligible to receive funding; and
    Improve the Housing Credit program to better serve veterans, victims of domestic violence, formerly homeless students, Native American communities, and rural Americans.
    Joining Sens. Warner, Young, and Cantwell in introducing this legislation are Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act was also recently introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood (R-IL-16), Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01), Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19).
    The ACTION Campaign and the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition endorsed the bill.
    “The reintroduction of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act is a vital step toward addressing our nation’s housing crisis. Expanding the Housing Credit is the most effective way to increase the supply of affordable housing, leveraging public-private partnerships to build and preserve homes for working families, seniors, and vulnerable communities. At a time when rents are rising and supply is lagging, strengthening the Housing Credit will ensure that more Americans have access to safe, stable, and affordable housing,” said co-chairs of the ACTION Campaign Ayrianne Parks and Jennifer Schwartz. “The ACTION Campaign thanks Senators Todd Young, Maria Cantwell, Marsha Blackburn, and Ron Wyden for their leadership.”
    “The overwhelming bipartisan support for the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 underscores the critical need to increase the supply of affordable rental homes,” said Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition Chief Executive Officer Emily Cadik. “We thank Senator Todd Young, Senator Maria Cantwell, Senator Marsha Blackburn, and Senator Ron Wyden for their leadership and the 30 bipartisan cosponsors for supporting this commonsense solution to expand and strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, a proven, pro-growth tool with a nearly 40-year record of leveraging private investment to fill a critical need.”
    This is the latest action in Sen. Warner’s longstanding efforts to make housing more affordable for Virginians. So far this year, he has already introduced the New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act, the Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act, and the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act – all bipartisan bills to encourage redevelopment and new construction in communities across the country. He is also the lead sponsor of the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act – which would create a new tax incentive to build and preserve more than 500,000 affordable, single-family homes over ten years – and the lead author of the Low-Income First Time Homebuyers (LIFT) Act to help qualified, first-generation homebuyers build equity in their homes by offering a 20-year mortgage for roughly the same monthly payment as a traditional 30-year loan. Warner has also joined his colleagues in sponsoring the Downpayment Toward Equity Act, which would provide federal grants to assist first-generation homebuyers with qualifying expenses toward purchasing their first home, including down payment costs, closing costs, and costs to reduce the rates of interest.
    Full text of the bill is available here.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Houston furniture flipper sentenced for smuggling three dozen illegal aliens

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 29-year-old Houston man has been ordered to prison after unlawfully transporting illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Louis Dante Anthony pleaded guilty Jan. 30.

    U.S. District Judge David Morales has now ordered Anthony to serve 30 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described the dangerous way the 36 aliens were locked into a false compartment with no air and no means of escape. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the seriousness of the way the aliens were transported.

    On Dec. 8, 2024, Anthony drove to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint where he claimed he was hauling furniture from Edington and was heading to Victoria. He denied having any passengers in his vehicle and said he was simply a furniture flipper.

    An x-ray scan revealed 36 individuals trapped in an 8 by 4.25-foot false compartment at the front of the box truck. The illegal aliens had no access to air, could not be heard from the outside and were unable to get themselves out of the compartment. The illegal aliens were from Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.

    Anthony will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Pruitt prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Victoria’s fire risk extended

    Source:

    The FDP will be extended in parts of Victoria

    For the first time since 2019, Victoria’s Fire Danger Period (FDP) has been extended beyond May 1 in some parts of the state due to elevated fire risk, largely driven by ongoing near-record rainfall deficits and warmer than average autumn conditions.

    The risk is most prominent in bushland and grasslands in the South West, West and parts of the North East. 

    Victoria does not usually encounter significant fire behaviour at this time due to the shorter day lengths, sun angle and morning dew, however, under warm, dry and windy conditions, bushfires are likely to spread and would require greater resources than normal to contain.  

    To best safeguard communities and their properties, residents within the Southern Grampians, Moyne and Warrnambool local government areas will remain in fire restrictions until 12 May, with Glenelg enforced until 19 May and Towong, 26 May.  

    We ask landowners in these areas that all burning activities are put on hold until restrictions ease, unless permission has been received.  

    While rainfall is projected, it is still likely to be below average between May and July and although temperatures are dropping, the situation can change quickly, and communities must be prepared.  

    We understand autumn is an opportune time for residents to clean up their properties, but it is important Victorians check their local fire restrictions before lighting any fire in the open air.  

    The consequences for individuals can be severe, and the impact and damage of an escaped fire on local communities and emergency services can be devastating.  

    Whether that involves unnecessary callouts to a private burn-off, a campfire or outdoor cooking, we urge you to remain vigilant, reconsider your plans and ensure your set up is safe and adheres to the conditions of your area.  

    A written permit is required to burn off for farming practices during the FDP, but due to the fire risk in these regions, permits will be withdrawn, revoked or suspended if deemed unsuitable. Burning off piles of trees and branches does not fall in this category.  

    Now is not the time for Victorians to be complacent. Conditions are similar to 2013 and 2019, however, the extremity of the current level of dryness in the south west and west of the state is comparable to the extreme 1982/83 bushfire season. 

    Jason Heffernan 

    CFA Chief Officer 

    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Social workers urged to embed Aboriginal cultural practices in First Nations communities

    Source:

    30 April 2025

    Social workers in First Nations communities need to incorporate Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing at the heart of their supervision practices on Country.

    That’s the recommendation from University of South Australia (UniSA) researchers in a new study published in Australian Social Work.

    First author Jamie Sorby – a Kamilaroi woman, qualified social worker and UniSA lecturer – says that current supervision practices in social work are centred on Western practices that overlook a community-grounded approach that is valued in First Nations culture.

    “Western models of supervision often focus on managerial oversight, risk aversion and clinical outcomes, and are disconnected from the lived realities of both workers and clients in Aboriginal communities,” Sorby says.

    “They tend to favour formal, hierarchical structures and overlook cultural values, emotional safety and relational trust.

    “For Aboriginal workers, this can feel alienating and unsafe. Supervision should be a space of support, growth and cultural reflection, but often it’s not. This is why culturally responsive models are urgently needed,” she says.

    The authors argue that traditional Western approaches to supervision often fail to acknowledge the lived experience of Aboriginal workers or the intergenerational trauma stemming from colonisation. As a result, these approaches contribute to staff burnout, mistrust, and poor retention of First Nations workers in social services.

    The study introduces a suite of conceptual maps and visual artefacts that guide supervisors and practitioners to embed cultural safety into their practice.

    The work was born out of conversations on Country between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal practitioners who wanted to challenge the status quo and embed Indigenous knowledges into professional development.

    “For decades, Aboriginal communities have expressed concerns about social work practices often operating from individualistic models that don’t reflect our collectivist values or ways of being,” Sorby says.

    “The issue is not new, it’s just that it hasn’t been listened to or acted on at a systemic level and we want that to change.”

    Sorby says the impact on First Nations communities would be “transformative” if social workers were guided by Aboriginal perspectives, working with communities, not on them.

    Notes for editors

    “Supervision on Country: Enhancing Culturally Safe Social Work Supervision Through First Nations Knowledges” is published in Australian Social Work. DOI: 10.1080/0312407X.2025.2462304

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview: Jamie Sorby E: Jamie.Sorby@unisa.edu.au

    Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 193

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL3

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 193
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    525 PM CDT Tue Apr 29 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    South-central and Eastern Kentucky

    * Effective this Tuesday afternoon from 525 PM until Midnight
    CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
    Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Clusters of storms will progress eastward across the
    region this evening with isolated wind damage as the main severe
    risk.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 50
    statute miles north and south of a line from 25 miles northwest of
    Bowling Green KY to 40 miles south of Huntington WV. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 189…WW 190…WW
    191…WW 192…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    26025.

    …Guyer

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW3
    WW 193 SEVERE TSTM KY 292225Z – 300500Z
    AXIS..50 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE..
    25NW BWG/BOWLING GREEN KY/ – 40S HTS/HUNTINGTON WV/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 45NM N/S /23NW BWG – 63SSW HNN/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26025.

    LAT…LON 37958674 38508255 37068255 36508674

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU3.

    Watch 193 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low ( 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Right-Wing Government Strips Māori Health Safeguards and Pretends Colonisation Never Happened

    Source: Te Pati Maori

    Right‑wing ministers are waging a campaign to erase Māori health equity by tearing out its very foundations. ACT’s Todd Stephenson dismisses Treaty‑based nursing standards as “off‑track distractions” and insists nurses only need “skill and a kind heart,” despite clear evidence that cultural competence saves lives. 

    Health Minister Simeon Brown’s funding cuts, hiring freeze and “rightsizing” of hospitals have gutted kaiāwhina and other vital support roles that communities rely on. It’s indefensible to scrap proven Whānau Ora initiatives, like the Winter Preparedness vaccination programme while underperforming mainstream services such as Plunket continue.

    Rather than bolster Whānau Ora’s decade‑proven model, that serviced at least 4 million whānau, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka defended re-tendering that puts hundreds of community jobs, and hard work they did on the chopping block.

    “By pretending colonisation never happened and framing equity as separatism, this government is abandoning its Treaty obligations and sacrificing our whānau and the future of Māori,” said Te Pāti Māori Co‑leader and Health spokesperson Debbie Ngarewa‑Packer, “we will not stand by as essential safeguards are stripped away.”

    The Government must stop weaponising culture-war rhetoric against Māori and stop hiding behind the fact, they have no solutions to offer to the ongoing causes of inequity in Aotearoa.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kamlager-Dove, Adams Convene Roundtable to Address Black Higher Education and Strengthening HBCUs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager California (37th District)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, Congressional Black Caucus Whip Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caucus Chair Alma Adams (NC-12) held a roundtable discussion with Reps. Sewell (AL-07),Hayes (CT-05), Sykes (OH-13), Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Brown (OH-11), and Figures (AL-02), HBCU leadership, students, and advocacy organizations to highlight the impacts of Trump Administration policies on the HBCUs that have played a vital role in empowering Black students across the country. Photos are available here.

    The roundtable included presidents from Howard University, Bowie State University, Morgan State University, and Virginia Union University and representatives from Texas Southern University, the United Negro College Fund, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the 1890 Foundation to discuss student life concerns, academic access and funding, infrastructure and facilities, and the role of the federal government. 

    “Our HBCUs continue to face systemic challenges that impact student success, campus quality-of-life, and institutional growth. Shamefully, the Trump Administration’s attacks on DEI initiatives and higher education funding have only made these challenges worse,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “Now is the time for policymakers, education leaders, and students to engage in direct dialogue about solutions to protect and uplift Black students.”

    “HBCUs have always punched above their weight, producing the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who move this country forward,” said Congresswoman Adams. “Despite their success though, they face historic underfunding that force them to do more with less. It’s time we meaningfully invest in HBCUs so they can continue serving their students for generations to come.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: CLIMATEROCK ANNOUNCES REVISED MONTHLY SPONSOR CONTRIBUTION OF $0.04 PER SHARE TO TRUST ACCOUNT FOR PROPOSED EXTENSION

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ClimateRock (“ClimateRock” or the “Company”) (OTC: “CLRCF”, “CLRCUF”, “CLRWF”) announced today that, in connection with the Company’s upcoming extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) to consider and approve an extension of time for the Company to consummate an initial business combination from May 2, 2025 to November 2, 2025 (the “Extension”), U.N. SDG Support LLC (the “Sponsor”) or its designees have agreed to revise their intended contribution to support the Extension, such that they will contribute to the Company as a loan an aggregate of $0.04 for each Class A ordinary share that was sold in the Company’s initial public offering (the “Public Share”) that is not redeemed, for each calendar month (commencing on May 2, 2025 and on the 1st day of each subsequent month) until November 2, 2025 (each, an “Extension Period”), or portion thereof, that is needed to complete an initial business combination (the “Contribution”). For example, if the Company takes until November 2, 2025 to complete its initial business combination, which would represent six calendar months, the Sponsor or its designees would make aggregate Contributions resulting in a redemption amount of approximately $12.34 per unredeemed share, in comparison to the current redemption amount of approximately $12.10 per share.

    Each Contribution will be deposited in the trust account within seven calendar days from the beginning of each Extension Period (or portion thereof), and any Contribution is conditioned upon the implementation of the Extension. No Contribution will occur if the Extension is not approved or is not completed. The amount of each Contribution will not bear interest and will be repayable by the Company to the Sponsor or its designees upon consummation of its initial business combination. The Company will have the sole discretion whether to continue extending for additional calendar months until November 2, 2025. If the Company opts not to utilize any remaining portion of the Extension Period, then the Company will liquidate and dissolve promptly in accordance with its charter, and its Sponsor’s obligation to make additional contributions will terminate.

    In connection with the above announcement of the Contribution to be made by the Sponsor or its designees if the Extension is approved, the deadline for holders of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares issued in the Company’s initial public offering to submit their shares for redemption in connection with the Extension, is being extended to 10:00 a.m., Eastern time, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

    In addition, the Company agreed to waive its right to withdraw up to $50,000 of interest accrued on the Company’s trust account to pay dissolution expenses, should the Company ultimately liquidate prior to an initial business combination. As a result, the Company will not withdraw up to $50,000 of interest, as permitted by its charter, for such dissolution expenses upon liquidation. If the Extension is approved by shareholders and implemented by the Company, all interest then-accrued will be held in the trust account and will be released to public shareholders upon the earliest to occur of (i) the redemption of the Public Shares in connection with a vote seeking to amend the provisions of the Company’s charter, (ii) the completion of the Company’s initial business combination and (iii) the redemption of 100% of the Public Shares if the Company is unable to complete its initial business combination by November 2, 2025 or such earlier date as determined by the Company’s board of directors.

    About ClimateRock

    ClimateRock is a special purpose acquisition company led by Chairman, Charles Ratelband, and CEO, Per Regnarsson, and is incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses in any industry or geographic location, but it is focused on acquiring a target within the sustainable energy industry in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, including climate change, environment, renewable energy and emerging, clean technologies. For more information, please visit Driving The Energy Transition – ClimateRock (climate-rock.com).

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements and factors that may cause such differences include, without limitation, uncertainties relating to the Company’s shareholder approval of the Extension, its inability to complete an initial business combination within the required time period or, and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 under the heading “Risk Factors” and in other reports the Company has filed, or to be filed, with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    ClimateRock and its directors, executive officers, other members of management and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the securityholders of the Company in favor of the approval of the Extension Proposal. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of the Company’s directors and officers in the Company’s definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 17, 2025 (as may be amended, the “Proxy Statement”), which may be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This press release s shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the Extension. This communication shall also not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    ClimateRock urges investors, shareholders and other interested persons to read the Proxy Statement as well as other documents filed by the Company with the SEC, because these documents will contain important information about the Company and the Extension. Shareholders may obtain copies of the Proxy Statement, without charge, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to: Advantage Proxy, Inc., P.O. Box 10904, Yakima, WA 98909, Attn: Karen Smith.

    INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT

    ClimateRock
    Phone number: +44 208 050 7820
    Email: info@climate-rock.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 192

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL2

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 192
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    450 PM EDT Tue Apr 29 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Southeast Indiana
    Northern Kentucky
    Southwest Ohio

    * Effective this Tuesday afternoon from 450 PM until Midnight
    EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Widespread damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
    Scattered large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…Clusters of thunderstorms are expected to develop across
    southern Indiana and shift east into southwest Ohio through this
    evening. Damaging gusts and isolated large hail will accompany this
    activity.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 65
    statute miles east and west of a line from 60 miles north northeast
    of Cincinnati OH to 50 miles southeast of Cincinnati OH. For a
    complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
    update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 188…WW 189…WW
    190…WW 191…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    24035.

    …Leitman

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW2
    WW 192 SEVERE TSTM IN KY OH 292050Z – 300400Z
    AXIS..65 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    60NNE LUK/CINCINNATI OH/ – 50SE LUK/CINCINNATI OH/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 55NM E/W /23S ROD – 51ESE CVG/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.

    LAT…LON 39908276 38588256 38588497 39908521

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU2.

    Watch 192 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (5%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    High (80%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (10%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (20%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (>95%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CLARKE INTRODUCES BILL TO BAN FACIAL RECOGNITION & BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY IN PUBLIC HOUSING

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke (9th District of New York)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    April 29, 2025

    MEDIA CONTACT: 

    e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov

    c: 202.913.0126

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), along with Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), reintroduced the No Biometric Barriers to Housing Act. This legislation would prohibit the usage of facial and biometric recognition technology in most federally funded public housing and require the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to submit a comprehensive report to Congress about how this emerging technology impacts the public housing sector and its tenants. 

    “Despite the usage of facial recognition technology growing more common year after year, it remains too inaccurate and too defective for Americans to trust it will function properly whenever and wherever it confronts them in their daily lives. Far too many people of color, women, and other vulnerable groups have been victimized by this flawed technology for Congress to stand by and allow this unacceptable status quo to continue. We have a responsibility to implement meaningful regulations that address the biases inherent to facial recognition and protect the people who are at risk of being harmed by it, and I am proud to lead this legislative solution that will fulfill that duty,” said Congresswoman Clarke.

    “Facial recognition technology is flawed, biased and exacerbates the surveillance and criminalization people of color already face,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “I am proud to reintroduce the No Biometric Barriers to Housing Act with Representatives Clarke and Tlaib to ban the use of facial recognition and other biometric technologies in HUD-funded properties. Tenants in public housing deserve to have their civil rights and liberties protected, and this bill would help to do just that.”

    “Biometric technologies like facial recognition have been found to be inaccurate, disproportionately target women and people of color, and violate basic privacy protections,” said Congresswoman Tlaib. “HUD properties should be focused on providing permanent, safe, and affordable housing to every resident who needs it – not fueling the overcriminalization of marginalized communities. This technology has no place in public housing.”

    Read the full bill text here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal, Sanders, Dingell, Hundreds of Health Care Workers Introduce Medicare for All

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

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), and U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today introduced the Medicare for All Act with hundreds of nurses, health care providers and workers from around the country at a press conference in front of the Capitol.

    In America today, despite spending twice as much per person on health care as other wealthy nations, more than 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, one out of every four Americans cannot afford their prescription drugs, over half a million people go bankrupt due to medically-related debt, and more than 60,000 die because they cannot afford to go to a doctor.

    “It is a travesty when 85 million people are uninsured or underinsured and millions more are drowning in medical debt in the richest nation on Earth,” said Jayapal. “We don’t suffer from scarcity in America, we suffer from greed. That’s most clear in our broken health care system, which is why we need Medicare for All. People deserve and want comprehensive health care that covers mental health, long-term care, reproductive care, dental, vision and hearing, all without copays, private insurance premiums, sky-high deductibles or other hidden fees. Health care is a human right, that is exactly why it’s time to pass Medicare for All.”

    “The American people understand, as I do, that health care is a human right, not a privilege and that we must end the international embarrassment of the United States being the only major country on earth that does not guarantee health care to all of its citizens,” said Sanders. “It is not acceptable to me, nor to the American people, that over 85 million people today are either uninsured or underinsured. Today, there are millions of people who would like to go to a doctor but cannot afford to do so. This is an outrage. In America, your health and your longevity should not be dependent on your wealth. Health care is a human right that all Americans, regardless of income, are entitled to and they deserve the best health care that our country can provide.”

    “Every American has the right to health care, period. If you’re sick, you should be able to go to the doctor without being worried about the cost of treatment or prescription medicine. Too many families must decide between putting food on the table and getting medical care that they desperately need,” said Dingell. “A health care system that ties coverage to employment will always leave patients vulnerable. It’s flat-out wrong and Medicare for All would put a stop to it. We’ve been fighting this fight since the 1940s, when my father-in-law helped author the first universal health care bill. It’s time to get this done.”

    Under this legislation, Medicare would provide comprehensive health care to every American with no premiums, no co-payments and no deductibles. It would also expand Medicare to include dental, hearing, and vision care, and it would give every American the freedom to choose their doctors without endless paperwork or fighting their insurance company. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that Medicare for All would save our health care system $650 billion a year. Further, researchers at Yale University have estimated that Medicare for All would save 68,000 lives a year.

    This legislation would also create a health care system that finally puts people over profits. In fact, since 2001, the top health care companies in America spent 95 percent of their profits, $2.6 trillion, not to make Americans healthy but to make their CEOs and stockholders obscenely rich. While nearly one out of four Americans cannot afford the life-saving medicine their doctors prescribe, ten top pharma companies made $102 billion in profits in 2024. Meanwhile, the CEOs of just 4 prescription drug companies – Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, and Merck – together made over $100 million last year.

    “Nurses see the failure of our country’s profit-driven health care system every time we clock in to work,” said Nancy Hagans, President of National Nurses United. “In the richest country on earth, nobody should be forced to choose between taking their medications and putting food on the table. Yet countless families are pushed to the breaking point while greedy corporations charge astronomical, ludicrous fees for care that our patients have every right to receive. Nurses are fighting for a future in which our patients’ health is put first always and that’s why we are proud to continue our support for Medicare for All. When we guarantee health care for all, corporations and billionaires will no longer be able to deny anyone the care that they need.”

    “We are long overdue for a universal health care system that guarantees care for all — free of copays, deductibles, and job-based coverage restrictions,” said Dr. Diljeet K. Singh, M.D., Dr.P.H., and President of Physicians for a National Health Program. “With the passage of the Medicare for All Act, physicians can focus on healing patients, not battling insurers over denials and delays. Patients will finally be able to seek care without the constant fear of crushing medical bills. Physicians for a National Health Program proudly stands with our legislators in the fight to make excellent health care a reality for everyone in America.”

    “As Donald Trump, Robert Kennedy and Congressional Republicans rush to strip health care from millions of Americans, we know this: We must not only block their cruel cuts but move America to a system that provides health care to everyone as a matter of right,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen. “America spends much more than other wealthy countries on health care only to have the worst health outcomes. The system works for health insurers, Big Pharma, hospital chains and private equity firms – but no one else. Medicare for All would ensure everyone in America can get the care they need throughout their lives. It is the realistic, humane, just and efficient reform we need.”

    “Postal workers know the value of affordable, universal services, grounded in a commitment to putting people over profits. That’s the type of service we are committed to provide communities across the country, day in and day out,” said Mark Dimondstein, President of American Postal Workers Union. “For too long, greedy corporations and their Wall Street investors have been able to deny the people of the country the quality, affordable, universal health care working people deserve. Medicare for All, health care as a human right, will make us all healthier and financially better off. A health care system that works for working people, not the profits of the insurance companies, is long overdue. It’s time for Medicare for All.”

    “Health care should be a human right. But every time we negotiate with a boss for the right to see a doctor, they nickel and dime us until people have to choose between their health and putting food on the table,” said Shawn Fain, President of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). “We’re sick of having to go on strike just to have decent health care. We’re sick of corporate America asking us to give up raises, retirement security, or work-life balance at the bargaining table so working-class people can avoid medical bankruptcy. Our current health care system is a con job that only works for the billionaire class. Medicare for All is common sense, and it’s what the working class needs. The UAW is proud to support this bill.”

    “If you want to renew the public’s faith in our political system, pass the Medicare for All Act of 2025,” said Alan Minsky, Executive Director, Progressive Democrats of America. “This one piece of legislation will instantly end the era, which has lasted far too long, when profits and wealth accumulation are more important than human life, including yours. MFA will return the general welfare, and the well-being of every individual, to the heart of our social contract. That will renew faith in America.”

    “Health care is a right, not a privilege. The reintroduction of the Medicare for All Act is a crucial step toward ending a system that profits from people’s pain,” said Analilia Mejia and DaMareo Cooper, Co-Executive Directors of Popular Democracy. “Too many Americans are forced to choose between paying their rent and paying for life-saving medication, while corporations rake in billions. Medicare for All isn’t just a policy—it’s the lifeline working families desperately need. Our communities deserve a health care system that prioritizes people over profits. We will fight until we win the health care we deserve.”

    “Health care is a human right and a basic need. Yet instead of getting health care, Americans get delays, denials, and bills they cannot afford. Today, predatory insurance CEOs are poised to reap the windfall from the tax scam giveaways earmarked for billionaires and corporations. The oligarchs that put Donald Trump and Dr. Oz in power want everything we have. We get sicker, make impossible choices, and go broke. They boost the stock prices of corporations – like UnitedHealth – that profit off our pain, and buy more mansions and yachts. We can put an end to those warped priorities through Medicare for All,” said Sulma Arias, executive director of People’s Action Institute. “Working people have made this the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, and there is more than enough if we don’t let the corporate crooks and billionaires steal it. So it’s time to choose: Our health care or their greed?”

    The legislation has an additional 102 cosponsors in the House: Alma Adams (NC-12), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-7), Troy Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Al Green (TX-09), Josh Harder (CA-09), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), William Keating (MA-09), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Tim Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

    The legislation also has an additional 15 cosponsors in the Senate: Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

    It is also endorsed by dozens of organizations, which can be found here. 

    Issues: Health Care

    MIL OSI USA News –