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  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes Four Amo Amendments to Strengthen Rhode Island’s Defense Workforce and Blue Economy

    Source: US Congressman Gabe Amo (Rhode Island 1st District)

    Amo amendments bolstering Rhode Island’s cutting-edge defense innovation and our nation’s readiness included in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act passed through the House.

    WASHINGTON, DC – TODAY, House Foreign Affairs Committee Vice Ranking Member Gabe Amo (D-RI) authored four amendments that passed the House as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. The amendments support and encourage Rhode Island’s premier defense manufacturers like VATN Systems in Portsmouth, Composite Energy Technologies in Bristol, Textron Inc. in Providence, and G-Form in North Smithfield — national leaders in developing underwater drones for the United States Navy.

    “Rhode Island is leading our nation in developing cutting-edge technology that should be utilized to strengthen and modernize the U.S. military,” said Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI). “The amendments I pushed for that were included in this year’s Defense Department appropriations bill will support good paying jobs at home in Rhode Island while advancing our national security.”

     

    Background

    Ranking Member Amo’s first amendment provides $10 million in funding for testing and adoption across the U.S. Navy fleet of underwater drone battery technology developed in RI.

    Amo’s second amendment provides $8 million in funding to develop underwater drones utilizing cutting edge composite materials technology developed by companies like Composite Energy Technologies in Bristol, RI.   

    The third amendment authored by Amo provides $10 million to upgrade the fuel tanks of military helicopters to increase servicemember safety and maintenance affordability while providing good-paying jobs in Rhode Island. 

    Amo’s fourth amendment provides $5 million in improvements to the safety and functionality of servicemembers helmets in extremely cold conditions using state of the art materials like those developed by G-Form in North Smithfield, RI.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Doctors shouldn’t be allowed to object to medical care if it harms their patients

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Julian Savulescu, Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, The University of Melbourne

    HRAUN/Getty

    A young woman needs an abortion and the reasons, while urgent, are not medical. A United States Navy nurse at Guantánamo Bay is ordered to force-feed a defiant detainee on hunger strike.

    These very different real-life cases have one connecting thread: the question of whether a health professional can conscientiously object to carrying out a patient’s request.

    Freedom of conscience is often held up as a purely noble principle. But when it’s used to deny health care, it means a single person’s beliefs are dictating what is best for another person’s physical and mental health – which can have devastating, even fatal, results.

    In our recent book, Rethinking Conscientious Objection in Healthcare, colleagues and I conclude doctors should not be free to make medical decisions based on their personal beliefs.

    It’s not noble to refuse care

    Freedom of conscience is strongly – but not absolutely – protected under international human rights law. It is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    This principle has often been used for moral purposes: for example, to resist orders to torture or kill.

    But after researching use of conscientious objection by health professionals, I have concluded it is seriously flawed when used to deny patients health services. This is especially so when particular doctors have a monopoly on service provision, as is the case with abortion and assisted dying in many rural and regional areas of Australia.

    In Australia, doctors are allowed to conscientiously object to abortion, although nearly all states require referral to other service providers or information about how to access the relevant service.

    In practice, these laws are not enforced and sometimes disregarded.

    A doctor’s refusal can mean patients can be denied the standard of care they need, or indeed, any care at all.

    Health-care professionals are not like pacifists refusing conscription into the military, opposing something forced upon them. They freely choose health-care careers that come with obligations and with ethical stances already established by professional codes of conduct.

    People are free to hold whatever beliefs they choose, but those beliefs will inevitably close off some options for them. For example, a vegetarian will not be able to work in an abattoir. That is true for every one of us. But what shouldn’t happen is a doctor’s personal beliefs closing off legitimate options for their patient.

    4 guiding questions

    Instead of personal values, there are four key secular principles we propose that doctors should rely on when deciding how to advise patients about sensitive procedures:

    • is it legal?

    • is it a just and fair use of any resources that might be limited?

    • is it in the interests of the patient’s wellbeing?

    • is it what the patient has themselves decided they want?

    Of course, there will be times when some of these principles are in conflict – that is when it is important to apply the most crucial ones, the wellbeing of the patient and the patient’s own wishes.

    In Ireland in 2012, a young woman named Savita Halappanavar went to an Irish hospital for treatment for her miscarriage. Doctors knew there was no hope of the pregnancy surviving but refused to evacuate her uterus while there was still a fetal heartbeat, for fear of breaching Ireland’s anti-abortion laws. The result: Savita died of septicaemia at 31.

    If doctors had put the patient’s wellbeing first, they would have given her that termination, despite the law, and it would have saved her life.

    These are the principles that should have been applied to the examples above: the woman seeking an abortion for career reasons or the nurse refusing to force-feed prisoners.

    The doctor (or nurse) should ask: Is it what the patient has autonomously decided they want? Will it lead to the best outcome for both their physical and their mental health?

    If abortion will promote a woman’s wellbeing, it is in her interests. Hunger strikers should not be force-fed because it violates their autonomy.

    An unfair burden

    While doctors’ personal values are important, they should not dictate care at the bedside. Not only can this disadvantage the patient, but it places an unfair burden on colleagues who do accept such work, and must carry a disproportionate load of procedures they might find unpleasant and financially unrewarding.

    It also creates injustice. Patients who are educated, wealthy and well-connected already find it easier to access health care. Conscientious objection intensifies that unfairness in large swathes of the country because it further limits options.

    Two countries with excellent health-care systems, Sweden and Finland, do not permit conscientious objection by medical professionals.

    In Australia, it is time we do the same and strongly limit conscientious objection as a legal right for health professionals. We should also ensure those entering the discipline are prepared to take on all procedures relevant to their specialty.

    And lastly, but most importantly, we should educate them that the patient’s interests and values must always come first. An individual doctor’s sense of moral authority should not be permitted to morph into medical and moral authoritarianism.

    Julian Savulescu 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. Doctors shouldn’t be allowed to object to medical care if it harms their patients – https://theconversation.com/doctors-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-object-to-medical-care-if-it-harms-their-patients-260003

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Doctors shouldn’t be allowed to object to medical care if it harms their patients

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Julian Savulescu, Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, The University of Melbourne

    HRAUN/Getty

    A young woman needs an abortion and the reasons, while urgent, are not medical. A United States Navy nurse at Guantánamo Bay is ordered to force-feed a defiant detainee on hunger strike.

    These very different real-life cases have one connecting thread: the question of whether a health professional can conscientiously object to carrying out a patient’s request.

    Freedom of conscience is often held up as a purely noble principle. But when it’s used to deny health care, it means a single person’s beliefs are dictating what is best for another person’s physical and mental health – which can have devastating, even fatal, results.

    In our recent book, Rethinking Conscientious Objection in Healthcare, colleagues and I conclude doctors should not be free to make medical decisions based on their personal beliefs.

    It’s not noble to refuse care

    Freedom of conscience is strongly – but not absolutely – protected under international human rights law. It is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    This principle has often been used for moral purposes: for example, to resist orders to torture or kill.

    But after researching use of conscientious objection by health professionals, I have concluded it is seriously flawed when used to deny patients health services. This is especially so when particular doctors have a monopoly on service provision, as is the case with abortion and assisted dying in many rural and regional areas of Australia.

    In Australia, doctors are allowed to conscientiously object to abortion, although nearly all states require referral to other service providers or information about how to access the relevant service.

    In practice, these laws are not enforced and sometimes disregarded.

    A doctor’s refusal can mean patients can be denied the standard of care they need, or indeed, any care at all.

    Health-care professionals are not like pacifists refusing conscription into the military, opposing something forced upon them. They freely choose health-care careers that come with obligations and with ethical stances already established by professional codes of conduct.

    People are free to hold whatever beliefs they choose, but those beliefs will inevitably close off some options for them. For example, a vegetarian will not be able to work in an abattoir. That is true for every one of us. But what shouldn’t happen is a doctor’s personal beliefs closing off legitimate options for their patient.

    4 guiding questions

    Instead of personal values, there are four key secular principles we propose that doctors should rely on when deciding how to advise patients about sensitive procedures:

    • is it legal?

    • is it a just and fair use of any resources that might be limited?

    • is it in the interests of the patient’s wellbeing?

    • is it what the patient has themselves decided they want?

    Of course, there will be times when some of these principles are in conflict – that is when it is important to apply the most crucial ones, the wellbeing of the patient and the patient’s own wishes.

    In Ireland in 2012, a young woman named Savita Halappanavar went to an Irish hospital for treatment for her miscarriage. Doctors knew there was no hope of the pregnancy surviving but refused to evacuate her uterus while there was still a fetal heartbeat, for fear of breaching Ireland’s anti-abortion laws. The result: Savita died of septicaemia at 31.

    If doctors had put the patient’s wellbeing first, they would have given her that termination, despite the law, and it would have saved her life.

    These are the principles that should have been applied to the examples above: the woman seeking an abortion for career reasons or the nurse refusing to force-feed prisoners.

    The doctor (or nurse) should ask: Is it what the patient has autonomously decided they want? Will it lead to the best outcome for both their physical and their mental health?

    If abortion will promote a woman’s wellbeing, it is in her interests. Hunger strikers should not be force-fed because it violates their autonomy.

    An unfair burden

    While doctors’ personal values are important, they should not dictate care at the bedside. Not only can this disadvantage the patient, but it places an unfair burden on colleagues who do accept such work, and must carry a disproportionate load of procedures they might find unpleasant and financially unrewarding.

    It also creates injustice. Patients who are educated, wealthy and well-connected already find it easier to access health care. Conscientious objection intensifies that unfairness in large swathes of the country because it further limits options.

    Two countries with excellent health-care systems, Sweden and Finland, do not permit conscientious objection by medical professionals.

    In Australia, it is time we do the same and strongly limit conscientious objection as a legal right for health professionals. We should also ensure those entering the discipline are prepared to take on all procedures relevant to their specialty.

    And lastly, but most importantly, we should educate them that the patient’s interests and values must always come first. An individual doctor’s sense of moral authority should not be permitted to morph into medical and moral authoritarianism.

    Julian Savulescu 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. Doctors shouldn’t be allowed to object to medical care if it harms their patients – https://theconversation.com/doctors-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-object-to-medical-care-if-it-harms-their-patients-260003

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Could the latest ‘interstellar comet’ be an alien probe? Why spotting cosmic visitors is harder than you think

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology

    Comet 3I/ATLAS International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/K. Meech/Jen Miller/Mahdi Zamani, CC BY

    On July 1, astronomers spotted an unusual high-speed object zooming towards the Sun. Dubbed 3I/ATLAS, the surprising space traveller had one very special quality: its orbit showed it had come from outside our Solar System.

    For only the third time ever, we had discovered a true interstellar visitor. And it was weird.

    3I/ATLAS breaking records

    3I/ATLAS appeared to be travelling at 245,000 kilometres per hour, making it the fastest object ever detected in our Solar System.

    It was also huge. Early estimates suggest the object could be up to 20km in size. Finally, scientists believe it may even be older than our Sun.

    Davide Farnocchia, navigation engineer at NASA’s JPL, explains the discovery of 3I/ATLAS.

    Could it be alien?

    Our first assumption when we see something in space is that it’s a lump of rock or ice. But the strange properties of 3I/ATLAS have suggested to some that it may be something else entirely.

    Harvard astrophysics professor Avi Loeb and colleagues last week uploaded a paper titled Is the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Alien Technology? to the arXiv preprint server. (The paper has not yet been peer reviewed.)

    Loeb is a controversial figure among astronomers and astrophysicists. He has previously suggested that the first known interstellar object, 1I/ʻOumuamua, discovered in 2017, may also have been an alien craft.

    Among other oddities Loeb suggests may be signs of deliberate alien origin, he notes the orbit of 3I/ATLAS takes it improbably close to Venus, Mars and Jupiter.

    The trajectory of comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes through the Solar System, with its closest approach to the Sun in October.
    NASA/JPL-Caltech

    We’ve sent out our own alien probes

    The idea of alien probes wandering the cosmos may sound strange, but humans sent out a few ourselves in the 1970s. Both Voyager 1 and 2 have officially left our Solar System, and Pioneer 10 and 11 are not far behind.

    So it’s not a stretch to think that alien civilisations – if they exist – would have launched their own galactic explorers.

    However, this brings us to a crucial question: short of little green men popping out to say hello, how would we actually know if 3I/ATLAS, or any other interstellar object, was an alien probe?

    Detecting alien probes 101

    The first step to determining whether something is a natural object or an alien probe is of course to spot it.

    Most things we see in our Solar System don’t emit light of their own. Instead, we only see them by the light they reflect from the Sun.

    Larger objects generally reflect more sunlight, so they are easier for us to see. So what we see tends to be larger comets and asteroid, especially farther from Earth.

    It can be very difficult to spot smaller objects. At present, we can track objects down to a size of ten or 20 metres out as far from the Sun as Jupiter.

    Our own Voyager probes are about ten metres in size (if we include their radio antennas). If an alien probe was similar, we probably wouldn’t spot it until it was somewhere in the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars.

    If we did spot something suspicious, to figure out if it really were a probe or not we would look for a few telltales.

    Viewing 3I/ATLAS through coloured filters reveals the colours that make up its tail.
    International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/K. Meech (IfA/U. Hawaii) / Jen Miller & Mahdi Zamani (NSF NOIRLab), CC BY

    First off, because a natural origin is most likely, we would look for evidence that no aliens were involved. One clue in this direction might be if the object were emitting a “tail” of gas in the way that comets do.

    However, we might also want to look for hints of alien origin. One very strong piece of evidence would be any kind of radio waves coming from the probe as a form of communication. This is assuming the probe was still in working order, and not completely defunct.

    We might also look for signs of electrostatic discharge caused by sunlight hitting the probe.

    Another dead giveaway would be signs of manoeuvring or propulsion. An active probe might try to correct its course or reposition its antennas to send and receive signals to and from its origin.

    And a genuine smoking gun would be an approach to Earth in a stable orbit. Not to brag, but Earth is genuinely the most interesting place in the Solar System – we have water, a healthy atmosphere, a strong magnetic field and life. A probe with any decision-making capacity would likely want to investigate and collect data about our interesting little planet.

    We may never know

    Without clear signs one way or the other, however, it may be impossible to know if some interstellar objects are natural or alien-made.

    Objects like 3I/ATLAS remind us that space is vast, strange, and full of surprises. Most of them have natural explanations. But the strangest objects are worth a second look.

    For now, 3I/ATLAS is likely just an unusually fast, old and icy visitor from a distant system. But it also serves as a test case: a chance to refine the way we search, observe and ask questions about the universe.

    Sara Webb 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. Could the latest ‘interstellar comet’ be an alien probe? Why spotting cosmic visitors is harder than you think – https://theconversation.com/could-the-latest-interstellar-comet-be-an-alien-probe-why-spotting-cosmic-visitors-is-harder-than-you-think-261656

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Do countries have a duty to prevent climate harm? The world’s highest court is about to answer this crucial question

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Nathan Cooper, Associate Professor of Law, University of Waikato

    Getty Images

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will issue a highly anticipated advisory opinion overnight to clarify state obligations related to climate change.

    It will answer two urgent questions: what are the obligations of states under international law to protect the climate and environment from greenhouse gas emissions, and what are the legal consequences for states that have caused significant harm to Earth’s atmosphere and environment?

    ICJ advisory opinions are not legally binding. But coming from the world’s highest court, they provide an authoritative opinion on serious issues that can be highly persuasive.

    This advisory opinion marks the culmination of a campaign that began in 2019 when students and youth organisations in Vanuatu – one of the most vulnerable nations to climate-related impacts – persuaded their government to seek clarification on what states should be doing to protect them.

    Led by Vanuatu and co-sponsored by 132 member states, including New Zealand and Australia, the United Nations General Assembly formally requested the advisory opinion in March 2023.

    More than two years of public consultation and deliberation ensued, leading to this week’s announcement.

    What to expect

    Looking at the specific questions to be addressed, at least three aspects stand out.

    First, the sources and areas of international law under scrutiny are not confined to the UN’s climate change framework. This invites the ICJ to consider a broad range of law – including trans-boundary environmental law, human rights law, international investment law, humanitarian law, trade law and beyond – and to draw on both treaty-related obligations and customary international law.

    Such an encyclopaedic examination could produce a complex and integrated opinion on states’ obligations to protect the environment and climate system.

    Second, the opinion will address what obligations exist, not just to those present today, but to future generations. This follows acknowledgement of the so-called “intertemporal characteristics” of climate change in recent climate-related court decisions and the need to respond effectively to both the current climate crisis and its likely ongoing consequences.

    Third, the opinion won’t just address what obligations states have, but also what the consequences should be for nations:

    where they, by their acts and omissions have caused significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment.

    Addressing consequences as well as obligations should cause states to pay closer attention and make the ICJ’s advisory more relevant to domestic climate litigation and policy discussions.

    Representatives from Pacific island nations gathered outside the International Court of Justice during the hearings.
    Michel Porro/Getty Images

    Global judicial direction

    Two recent court findings may offer clues as to the potential scope of the ICJ’s findings.

    Earlier this month, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights published its own advisory opinion on state obligations in response to climate change.

    Explicitly connecting fundamental human rights with a healthy ecosystem, this opinion affirmed states have an imperative duty to prevent irreversible harm to the climate system. Moreover, the duty to safeguard the common ecosystem must be understood as a fundamental principle of international law to which states must adhere.

    Meanwhile last week, an Australian federal court dismissed a landmark climate case, determining that the Australian government does not owe a duty of care to Torres Strait Islanders to protect them from the consequences of climate change.

    The court accepted the claimants face significant loss and damage from climate impacts and that previous Australian government policies on greenhouse gas emissions were not aligned with the best science to limit climate change. But it nevertheless determined that “matters of high or core government policy” are not subject to common law duties of care.

    Whether the ICJ will complement the Inter-American court’s bold approach or opt for a more constrained and conservative response is not certain. But now is the time for clear and ambitious judicial direction with global scope.

    Implications for New Zealand

    Aotearoa New Zealand aspires to climate leadership through its Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019. This set 2050 targets of reducing emissions of long-lived greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide) to net zero, and biogenic methane by 25-47%.

    However, actions to date are likely insufficient to meet this target. Transport emissions continue to rise and agriculture – responsible for nearly half of the country’s emissions – is lightly regulated.

    Although the government plans to double renewable energy by 2050, it is also in the process of lifting a 2018 ban on offshore gas exploration and has pledged $200 million to co-invest in the development of new fields.

    Critics also point out the government has made little progress towards its promise to install 10,000 EV charging stations by 2030 while axing a clean-investment fund.

    Although a final decision is yet to be made, the government is also considering to lower the target for cuts to methane emissions from livestock, against advice from the Climate Change Commission.

    With the next global climate summit coming up in November, the ICJ opinion may offer timely encouragement for states to reconsider their emissions targets and the ambition of climate policies.

    Most countries have yet to submit their latest emissions reduction pledges (known as nationally determined contributions) under the Paris Agreement. New Zealand has made its pledge, but it has been described as “underwhelming”. This may present a chance to adjust ambition upwards.

    If the ICJ affirms that states have binding obligations to prevent climate harm, including trans-boundary impacts, New Zealand’s climate change policies and progress to date could face increased legal scrutiny.

    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. Do countries have a duty to prevent climate harm? The world’s highest court is about to answer this crucial question – https://theconversation.com/do-countries-have-a-duty-to-prevent-climate-harm-the-worlds-highest-court-is-about-to-answer-this-crucial-question-261396

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scott Votes Against GOP Bill to Defund Public Broadcasting and National Security Investments

    Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

    Headline: Scott Votes Against GOP Bill to Defund Public Broadcasting and National Security Investments

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after voting against the Senate Amendment to H.R. 4,the Rescissions Act of 2025:

    “Congressional Republicans just voted to cancel federal funding for public broadcasting and important national security initiatives. These were funds that were just appropriated by legislation that passed by a bipartisan majority a few short months ago. And this comes just weeks after Republicans enacted the Big, Ugly Bill that adds $3.4 trillion to our national debt. It is absurd to characterize rescinding less than one-third of one percent of the $3.4 trillion as doing something fiscally worthy. 

    “This package cuts funds to public broadcasting which provides Americans with educational programming and fact-based news reporting. Cutting public broadcasting also makes it harder for communities to get emergency alerts during disasters. The bill slashes critical aid from displaced, hungry and sick people in developing countries and conflict zones across the globe and rescinds funds to prevent disease and future pandemics. These are the same cuts from DOGE that just this week caused the Trump Administration to incinerate 500 metric tons of emergency food aid.

    “These cruel cuts undermine our safety and national security and undermine our standing in the world.”

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHNEIDER STATEMENT ON PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN KILLED IN WEST BANK

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL)

    WASHINGTON – Rep. Brad Schneider, co-chair and co-founder of the Abraham Accords Caucus and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement in response to the death of Palestinian-American Sayfollah Musallet, who was killed in a confrontation with Israeli settlers on July 11:

    “I am appalled and heartbroken by news of the killing of Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old American citizen from Florida, by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The attack took place in Area B as defined by the Oslo Accords, a space where Israel exercises security responsibility and no settlements may be constructed.

    “Palestinian militant attacks on Israelis and Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians are acts of terrorism. Terrorism is never justified.

    “As a lifelong and unyielding defender of Israel’s security, and a committed advocate for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, I’ve repeatedly called on the Israeli government to address the growing number of violent attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. This violence is a threat to Israel’s security and a barrier to a better, peaceful future for Israelis, Palestinians and the region as a whole. 

    “Israel’s democracy, like all democracies, depends on the rule of law and its equal application to all citizens. Israeli authorities must fully investigate this incident and hold the perpetrators to account.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Chu Honors Local Leaders at 2025 Congressional Leadership of the Year Awards Ceremony

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

    PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – On Saturday, Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-28) hosted her annual Congressional Leadership of the Year Awards Ceremony, honoring nine remarkable individuals and organizations from across California’s 28th Congressional District for their outstanding service and contributions to their communities. The event was emceed by acclaimed actress and community advocate Tamlyn Tomita, best known for her roles in The Karate Kid Part II, The Joy Luck Club, and Star Trek: Picard. 

     “After everything our communities have been through, especially in the wake of the Eaton Fire, these leaders stepped up,” said Rep. Chu. “Many of our honorees have helped families rebuild, uplifted young people, supported our seniors, empowered immigrant communities, and brought hope during some of the hardest times. They’re educators, volunteers, activists, and small business owners. I’m so proud to recognize them for all they’ve done and all they continue to do. They really do represent the very best of the San Gabriel Valley.”

    This year’s honorees include:

    • Wendy Sinnette – Educator of the Year (La Cañada Flintridge): Wendy Sinnette was recognized for her compassionate and resilient leadership as Superintendent of the La Cañada Unified School District, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the Eaton Fire.
       
    • San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity – Nonprofit of the Year: SGV Habitat for Humanity was celebrated for its decades-long commitment to affordable housing and rapid response to the Eaton Fire, including innovative rebuilding efforts and community-driven volunteer mobilization.
       
    • Pastor Jonathan “Jon” DeCuir – Community Activist of the Year (Altadena): Pastor DeCuir was honored for transforming Victory Bible Church into a relief hub after the Eaton Fire and launching the Legacy Land Project to support long-term recovery and housing.
       
    • Jason Kim & Johanna Quach – Businesspeople of the Year (San Gabriel): The leadership of Paris Baguette San Gabriel, Jason Kim & Johanna Quach, were recognized for their philanthropic support of local schools, emergency responders, and inclusive hiring practices. 
       
    • Rev. Gene Boutilier – Volunteer of the Year (Claremont): A lifelong advocate for social justice, Rev. Gene Boutilier has dedicated decades to volunteer service across Southern California and was instrumental in launching Claremont’s first low-income housing project – Larkin Place. 
       
    • National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) – Nonprofit of the Year (Pasadena): NDLON was commended for their leadership in defending day laborers and immigrants, including its response to ICE raids and coordination of fire recovery work through the Pasadena Community Job Center.
       
    • Tzi Ma – Community Activist of the Year (Pasadena): Tzi Ma is a renowned actor and activist, honored for decades of advocacy for AAPI representation in entertainment and media, civil rights activism, and his leadership in #WashTheHate social media campaign during the rise in anti-Asian hate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
       
    • Nic Arnzen – Building Bridges Award (Altadena): Nic Arnzen is the Vice Chair of the Altadena Town Council, recognized for his leadership during the Eaton Fire and for founding Altadena Pride, fostering visibility, inclusivity, and healing.
       
    • Edgar McGregor – Courageous Service of the Year (Altadena/Pasadena): Edgar McGregor is a local meteorologist awarded for issuing life-saving warnings ahead of the Eaton Fire, helping thousands of residents evacuate safely and avoid disaster.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ICJ climate crisis ruling: Will world’s top court back Pacific-led call to hold governments accountable?

    By Jamie Tahana in The Hague for RNZ Pacific

    In 2019, a group of law students at the University of the South Pacific, frustrated at the slow pace with which the world’s governments were moving to address the climate crisis, had an idea — they would take the world’s governments to court.

    They arranged a meeting with government ministers in Vanuatu and convinced them to take a case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations’ top court, where they would seek an opinion to clarify countries’ legal obligations under international law.

    Six years after that idea was hatched in a classroom in Port Vila, the court will today (early Thursday morning NZT) deliver its verdict in the Dutch city of The Hague.

    More than 100 countries – including New Zealand, Australia and all the countries of the Pacific – have testified before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alongside civil society and intergovernmental organisations. Image: UN Web TV/screengrab

    If successful — and those involved are quietly confident they will be — it could have major ramifications for international law, how climate change disputes are litigated, and it could give small Pacific countries greater leverage in arguments around loss and damage.

    Most significantly, the claimants argue, it could establish legal consequences for countries that have driven climate change and what they owe to people harmed.

    “Six long years of campaigning have led us to this moment,” said Vishal Prasad, the president of Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change, the organisation formed out of those original students.

    “For too long, international responses have fallen short. We expect a clear and authoritative declaration,” he said.

    “[That] climate inaction is not just a failure of policy, but a breach of international law.”

    More than 100 countries — including New Zealand, Australia and all the countries of the Pacific — have testified before the court, alongside civil society and intergovernmental organisations.

    And now today they will gather in the brick palace that sits in ornate gardens in this canal-ringed city to hear if the judges of the world’s top court agree.

    What is the case?
     The ICJ adjudicates disputes between nations and issues advisory opinions on big international legal issues.

    In this case, Vanuatu asked the UN General Assembly to request the judges to weigh what exactly international law requires states to do about climate change, and what the consequences should be for states that harm the climate through actions or omissions.

    Over its deliberations, the court has heard from more than 100 countries and international organisations hoping to influence its opinion, the highest level of participation in the court’s history.

    That has included the governments of low-lying islands and atolls in the Pacific, which say they are paying the steepest price for a crisis they had little role in creating.

    These nations have long been frustrated with the current mechanisms for addressing climate change, like the UN COP conferences, and are hoping that, ultimately, the court will provide a yardstick by which to measure other countries’ actions.

    Vanuatu’s Minister of Climate Change Ralph Regenvanu . . . “This may well be the most consequential case in the history of humanity.” Image: IISD-ENB

    “I choose my words carefully when I say that this may well be the most consequential case in the history of humanity,” Vanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change Ralph Regenvanu said in his statement to the court last year.

    “Let us not allow future generations to look back and wonder why the cause of their doom was condoned.”

    But major powers and emitters, like the United States and China, have argued in their testimonies that existing UN agreements, such as the Paris climate accord, are sufficient to address climate change.

    “We expect this landmark climate ruling, grounded in binding international law, to reflect the critical legal flashpoints raised during the proceedings,” said Joie Chowdhury, a senior attorney at the US-based Centre for International Environmental Law (which has been involved with the case).

    “Among them: whether States’ climate obligations are anchored in multiple legal sources, extending far beyond the Paris Agreement; whether there is a right to remedy for climate harm; and how human rights and the precautionary principle define States’ climate obligations.”

    Pacific youth climate activist at a demonstration at COP27 in November 2022 . . . “We are not drowning. We are fighting.” Image: Facebook/Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change

    What could this mean?
     Rulings from the ICJ are non-binding, and there are myriad cases of international law being flouted by countries the world over.

    Still, the court’s opinion — if it falls in Vanuatu’s favour — could still have major ramifications, bolstering the case for linking human rights and climate change in legal proceedings — both international and domestic — and potentially opening the floodgates for climate litigation, where individuals, groups, Indigenous Peoples, and even countries, sue governments or private companies for climate harm.

    An advisory opinion would also be a powerful precedent for legislators and judges to call on as they tackle questions related to the climate crisis, and give small countries a powerful cudgel in negotiations over future COP agreements and other climate mechanisms.

    “This would empower vulnerable nations and communities to demand accountability, strengthen legal arguments and negotiations and litigation and push for policies that prioritise prevention and redress over delay and denial,” Prasad said.

    In essence, those who have taken the case have asked the court to issue an opinion on whether governments have “legal obligations” to protect people from climate hazards, but also whether a failure to meet those obligations could bring “legal consequences”.

    At the Peace Palace today, they will find out from the court’s 15 judges.

    “[The advisory opinion] is not just a legal milestone, it is a defining moment in the global climate justice movement and a beacon of hope for present and future generations,” said Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat in a statement ahead of the decision.

    “I am hopeful for a powerful opinion from the ICJ. It could set the world on a meaningful path to accountability and action.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Maybe this is the last minutes you are living’: how the war is impacting young Ukrainians

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ashley Humphrey, Lecturer in Social Sciences, Monash University

    Now into its fourth year, the war that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has taken a devastating toll.

    An estimated 60,000 to 100,0000 Ukrainian lives have been lost and more than 10 million citizens displaced, and entire cities have been devastated.

    Daily life in Ukraine is disrupted by frequent power outages, significant interruptions to school and work routines and the recurrent warnings of air raid sirens.

    We sought to understand the war’s impact on young Ukrainians by interviewing those still in, and outside of Ukraine.

    Stolen youth

    Young adults (aged 18-35) tend to be in a transitional phase of life, working towards establishing a career, starting a family and making future plans.

    For many young Ukrainians, these developmental processes have been severely impeded during the war.

    Our work provides insights into how young Ukrainians have navigated the severe intrusion to their development, as well as how they have coped psychologically during this time.

    Our research drew on in-depth interviews with young Ukrainians who had lived in Ukraine for either the entirety or part of the war.

    Conducted both in person in Ukraine as well as online, these interviews looked specifically at how the ongoing war has affected young people’s employment or study situation, their aspirations for the future and mental health, while also seeking to understand what support they need.

    Responses from the participants varied.

    Those who were working were now exclusively engaged in work centred on assisting the war effort, including in some cases having joined the armed forces.

    Those who were studying had shifted to online mediums. The COVID pandemic ensured online learning platforms were largely already in place, allowing some to continue their studies from locations outside of Ukraine.

    While perhaps an alluring prospect to some, this flexibility while studying was also accompanied by chaos and disorientation, with short-term visas forcing young Ukrainians to move from one country to another.

    As one student explained:

    We went to Ukraine for two weeks and then we moved to Georgia for three months. Now we’re in Thailand for one month, and now we’re going to be in Australia for two or three months. Then we’re probably going to go to Japan for a year maybe.

    Local residents walk past buildings damaged as a result of a missile strike in Odesa.
    OLEKSANDR GIMANOV/AFP via Getty Images

    Depression, stress and surprising optimisim

    Despite enduring the horrors of the war, the participants generally spoke of their futures with admirable optimism.

    Remarkably, many commented on the way the war had redefined their goals toward helping their country in some way. One respondent told us:

    When you are starting a new project, when you are applying for a job, you are having a constant filter: how does this affect Ukraine? Am I helping Ukraine? Am I helping Ukraine enough? What else can I do?’

    Another shared:

    I know we are fighting for our future. And I want to be a part of Ukraine and be a part of its reconstruction. Because I am like this bright future – I am the youth that will be reconstructing Ukraine because of their knowledge and money and everything else.

    Unsurprisingly, some were also apathetic or dismissive of their futures, commenting on broken dreams and stating it was not a time for making future plans. They felt let down by the United Nations and the “international global order”.

    Participants commented on the ways the war has affected their mental health.

    Symptoms of PTSD, elevated stress, depression, constant anxiety as well as existential dread were raised, with one young Ukrainian telling us:

    Every time when I hear alerts […] you’re thinking, maybe this is the last minutes you are living because the bomb can strike your flat.

    The fear of loud noises, the harrowing plight of their country and the associated stress were emergent themes.

    Yet, some indicated they had become resilient to this stress:

    I think I became quite resistant to the stress as well, because I think I faced the scariest moments of my life, where I can die, and I understand that when you cannot control the situation and what’s going on, I cannot control whether a missile is going to be in my house.

    This notion of resilience was both surprising and inspiring and this finding corroborated with past studies on war-affected Ukrainians.

    As one participant explained:

    If there was no war, I wouldn’t be who I am right now. It has really changed me. It has given me strength, this optimistic outlook.

    A need for greater support

    There is much to learn from these inspiring young people. But more pressingly, they need help.

    As the relentless shelling of Ukrainian cities continues, the participants call for greater access to mental health and counselling services, ongoing investment in online learning tools and job opportunities and basic resources to support their wellbeing.

    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. ‘Maybe this is the last minutes you are living’: how the war is impacting young Ukrainians – https://theconversation.com/maybe-this-is-the-last-minutes-you-are-living-how-the-war-is-impacting-young-ukrainians-260800

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mann Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Agricultural Supply Chain

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tracey Mann (Kansas, 1)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01) led 16 of his colleagues in introducing legislation to remove regulatory roadblocks for heavy vehicle operators when renewing their commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). The Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act enables seasonal drivers to renew their CDL online while providing greater flexibility in the types of commercial vehicles they can operate. As the American Trucking Association estimates a national truck driver shortage of 115,000 by the end of 2025, Rep. Mann’s legislation reforms the Farm-Related Restricted Commercial Driver’s License program by allowing states to develop an online registration and renewal system for farm-related service providers, enabling drivers to more easily renew their seasonal license.

    “Successfully feeding, clothing, and fueling the world doesn’t stop when crops are harvested,” said Rep. Mann. “The entire agriculture supply chain relies on timely and reliable delivery every step of the way from production to consumption. If our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers can’t access the machinery they need to operate their farms or transport their products to storage, it would be impossible for them to fulfill their calling or deliver products to consumers. Our bill strengthens the entire agricultural supply chain by enacting commonsense reforms that make it easier for farm-service drivers to simply do their jobs and serve customers and consumers. Food security is national security that we can and should protect by removing regulatory burdens.”

    Joining Rep. Mann in introducing the Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act are Reps. Jeff Hurd (CO-03), Ron Estes (KS-04), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Mark Messmer (IN-08), Derek Schmidt (KS-02), Buddy Carter (GA-01), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Jack Berman (MI-01), John Rose (TN-06), Adrian Smith (NE-03), Mike Flood (NE-01), David Kustoff (TN-08), Craig Goldman (TX-12), Tim Burchett (TN-02), and Bruce Westerman (AR-04).

    “This bill delivers commonsense wins that will make it easier for the ag sector to keep essential goods moving,” said Rep. Flood. “By streamlining the CDL process and clarifying federal definitions, we’re reducing red tape without compromising safety. This is a smart step toward strengthening our nation’s ag supply chain.”

    “The work of Hoosier farmers never stops as they feed Americans and the world,” said Rep. Messmer. “I am proud to support Congressman Mann’s bill to get government red tape out of the way and let farmers do what they do best!”

    The Seasonal Ag CDL Modernization Act is supported by the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Corn Growers Association, Kansas Grain and Feed Association, Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Sorghum Producers, Kansas Soybean Association, Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Agribusiness Association of Kentucky, Agribusiness Council of Indiana, Agricultural Council of Arkansas, Agricultural Retailers Association, Agriculture Transportation Coalition, American Cotton Shippers Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Feed Industry Association, American Honey Producers Association, American Malting Barley Association, Council of Producers & Distributors of Agrotechnology, Far West Agribusiness Association, Farm Credit Council, Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association, Georgia Agribusiness Council, Idaho Grain Producers Association, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, Michigan Agri-Business Association, Minnesota Crop Production Retailers, Mississippi Agricultural Industry Council, Missouri Agribusiness Association, Montana Agricultural Business Association, National Aquaculture Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Grain and Feed Association, National Grange, National Farmers Union, National Milk Producers Federation, National Pork Producers Council, National Sunflower Association, National Sorghum Producers, Nebraska Agri-Business Association, Nebraska Cooperative Council, North American Millers’ Association, North American Renderers Association, North Carolina AgriBusiness Council, North Dakota Agricultural Association, North Dakota Grain Dealers Association, Louisiana Ag Industries Association, Ohio AgriBusiness Association, Pet Food Institute, Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association, South Dakota Agri-Business Association, Southern Crop Production Association, Texas Ag Industries Association, Texas Grain & Feed Association, The Fertilizer Institute, USA Rice, U.S. Canola Association, US Rice Producers Association, Virginia Agribusiness Council, Washington Association of Wheat Growers, Wisconsin Agri-Business Association, Wyoming Ag Business Association and the Wyoming Wheat Growers Association.

    “This important legislation, championed by Representative Tracey Mann and the original co-sponsors, provides critical support for agricultural retailers who deliver essential products and services to our farms and livestock operations,” said Richard Gupton, the Senior Vice President of Public Policy for the Agricultural Retailers Association. “By modernizing outdated regulations, this bill empowers retailers to operate more efficiently and reliably, strengthening the entire agricultural supply chain and helping our rural communities thrive. Additionally, by allowing for increased load capacities, the proposal helps alleviate the industry’s chronic driver shortage, enabling businesses to make fewer trips with the same workforce and ensuring that essential goods reach their destinations in a timely manner.”

    “The Agriculture Transportation Coalition has long recognized that there is nothing we produce in agriculture in the United States that cannot be sourced somewhere else in the world,” said Peter Friedmann, Executive Director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition. “If we are unable to transport and deliver affordably and dependably, our international customers will buy from those other countries, and US farmers, ranchers, processors will lose those sales. The international agriculture supply chain begins at the farms here in the United States. The need to enhance transport efficiency at the very beginning of the supply chain, namely the harvest at the field, has never been greater. The Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act, will advance this essential component of the domestic and international export supply chain, to keep our agriculture competitive in the global and domestic marketplace. The AgTC strongly supports this bill.”

    “As America’s oldest grassroots agriculture and rural life advocacy organization, the National Grange appreciates Representative Mann taking the lead on the Seasonal Ag CDL Modernization Act,” said Burton Eller, Executive Director of National Grange. “The seasonal ag CDL is a critical link in the success of our harvest chain in rural America.”

    “The Seasonal Ag CDL Modernization Act is a major win for the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association and its members,” said Grace Howe, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association. “By extending the restricted seasonal CDL period and aligning licensing with the calendar year, it provides agribusinesses with more flexibility during peak planting and harvest seasons. This change reduces administrative burdens, streamlines compliance with federal and state rules, and ensures a more reliable seasonal workforce, and ultimately saving time, cutting costs, and supporting smoother operations across Wisconsin’s ag supply chain.”

    “The Pet Food Institute (PFI), whose members make the vast majority of dog and cat food and treats in the U.S., supports Rep. Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) in proposing updates to the Farm-Related Service Industries Restricted CDL program that will set a new federal definition for implements of husbandry,” said PFI’s president and CEO, Dana Brooks. “U.S. pet food is predominantly made with ingredients produced on American farms, and pet food manufacturing is a major contributor to agricultural and rural economies. We recognize that modern agriculture depends on a broad array of vehicles and equipment to operate efficiently, to innovate and to continue producing safe, quality food for people and pets.”

    “Montana agricultural businesses and producers already face major challenges, from weather and drought to delays getting product across our borders,” said Tanner Hoversland, Montana Agricultural Business Association Board Chair. “Legislation like the Seasonal Ag CDL Modernization Act is good government policy that makes improvements to this essential licensing process, and removes burdens instead of throwing up more roadblocks, especially for our rural operators. The Montana Agricultural Business Association and its members are grateful to Rep. Mann for introducing this commonsense proposal.”

    ###

    For more information about Representative Mann, visit: www.mann.house.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Getting the CFC provisions right

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Do you have clients with a substantial interest in a foreign company controlled by Australian residents?

    If so, make sure you’re correctly applying the CFC provisions. This involves disclosing all CFCs, and their income, in tax returns and the international dealings schedule.

    Our reviews have shown that some tax agents don’t fully understand the provisions, putting their clients at risk of lengthy reviews and costly amendments.

    Resources to use

    You can check your understanding of the CFC provisions by reviewing:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Diversified Royalty Corp. Announces Filing of Final Short Form Base Shelf Prospectus

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diversified Royalty Corp. (TSX: DIV and DIV.DB.A) (the “Corporation” or “DIV”) announced today that it has filed, and received receipt for, a final short form base shelf prospectus (the “Prospectus”). The Prospectus was filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. DIV’s prior short form base shelf prospectus dated June 19, 2023, expired on July 19, 2025. Accordingly, DIV filed the Prospectus to maintain financial flexibility and efficient access to Canadian capital markets to pursue strategic initiatives. A copy of the Prospectus is available under DIV’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    The Prospectus is valid for a 25-month period during which time DIV may, from time to time, issue common shares, warrants, subscription receipts, debt securities, convertible securities or rights or any combination thereof, including in the form of units (collectively, the “Securities”). The specific terms of any offering of Securities will be described in one or more shelf prospectus supplements which will be filed at the time of the offering of such Securities. There is no certainty any Securities will be offered or sold under the Prospectus within the 25-month effective period.  

    About Diversified Royalty Corp.

    DIV is a multi-royalty corporation, engaged in the business of acquiring top-line royalties from well-managed multi-location businesses and franchisors in North America. DIV’s objective is to acquire predictable, growing royalty streams from a diverse group of multi-location businesses and franchisors.

    DIV currently owns the Mr. Lube + Tires, AIR MILES®, Sutton, Mr. Mikes, Nurse Next Door, Oxford Learning Centres, Stratus Building Solutions, BarBurrito and Cheba Hut trademarks. Mr. Lube + Tires is the leading quick lube service business in Canada, with locations across Canada. AIR MILES® is Canada’s largest coalition loyalty program. Sutton is among the leading residential real estate brokerage franchisor businesses in Canada. Mr. Mikes operates casual steakhouse restaurants primarily in western Canadian communities. Nurse Next Door is a home care provider with locations across Canada and the United States as well as in Australia. Oxford Learning Centres is one of Canada’s leading franchisee supplemental education services. Stratus Building Solutions is a leading commercial cleaning service franchise company providing comprehensive janitorial, building cleaning, and office cleaning services primarily in the United States. BarBurrito is the largest quick service Mexican restaurant food chain in Canada. Cheba Hut is a fast casual toasted sub sandwich franchise with locations in the United States.

    DIV’s objective is to increase cash flow per share by making accretive royalty purchases and through the growth of purchased royalties. DIV intends to continue to pay a predictable and stable monthly dividend to shareholders and increase the dividend over time, in each case as cash flow per share allows.

    Forward-Looking Information

    Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. The use of any of the words “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “will”, ”project”, “should”, “believe”, “confident”, “plan” and “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information, although not all forward-looking information contains these identifying words. Specifically, forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements made in relation to: the Prospectus being filed to provide DIV with financial flexibility

    and efficient access to Canadian capital markets to pursue strategic initiatives; the specific terms of any offering of Securities will be described in one or more shelf prospectus supplements which will be filed at the time of the offering of such Securities; DIV’s objective to continue to pay predictable and stable monthly dividends to shareholders; and DIV’s corporate objectives. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events, performance, or achievements of DIV to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking information.

    DIV believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information included in this news release are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In particular there can be no assurance that: DIV will complete any offerings of Securities under the Prospectus; DIV will be able to make monthly dividend payments to the holders of its common shares; or DIV will achieve any of its corporate objectives. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned that forward-looking information included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance, and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. More information about the risks and uncertainties affecting DIV’s business and the businesses of its royalty partners can be found in the “Risk Factors” section of its Annual Information Form dated March 24, 2025 and in its most recent Management’s Discussion and Analysis, copies of each of which are available under DIV’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    In formulating the forward-looking information contained herein, management has assumed that, among other things: DIV will complete one or more offerings of Securities under the Prospectus and one or more shelf prospectus supplements and DIV will successfully deploy the proceeds therefrom; DIV will generate sufficient cash flows from its royalties to service its debt and pay dividends to shareholders; the business and economic conditions affecting DIV and its royalty partners will continue substantially in the ordinary course, including without limitation with respect to general industry conditions, general levels of economic activity and regulations. These assumptions, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect.

    All of the forward-looking information in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, DIV. The forward-looking information included in this news release is presented as of the date of this news release and DIV assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law.

    THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR THE ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

    Additional Information

    Additional information relating to the Corporation and other public filings, is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Contact:
    Sean Morrison, Chief Executive Officer and Director
    Diversified Royalty Corp.
    (236) 521-8470

    Greg Gutmanis, President and Chief Financial Officer
    Diversified Royalty Corp.
    (236) 521-8471

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Justice Introduce Bipartisan Strengthening Local Food Security Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to strengthen the nation’s food supply chain network, bolster economic opportunities for local farmers and food producers, and increase access to fresh, local nutritious food in underserved communities and schools, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Jim Justice (R-WV) teamed up to introduce the Strengthening Local Food Security Act (S. 2338).
    This new bill would create a permanent grant program for state and tribal governments to procure local foods for distribution to nearby hunger relief programs and schools.
    The bipartisan proposal would leverage government procurement and purchasing power to increase access to locally-sourced, fresh, healthy, and nutritious food in underserved communities and schools and in turn, help family farmers, fishermen, and local food producers grow their markets. This grant program would:
    Support local economic development by creating new access to the hunger relief market for local farmers and fishermen, creating a new, reliable stream of orders for small, beginning, and underserved farmers, ranchers, and fishers, giving these businesses the financial security to invest and further expand.
    Strengthen our domestic agriculture supply chain by investing in local food distribution. The bill would help build local businesses that support durable and resilient local food systems.
    Combat food insecurity by providing fresh, nutritious, local food to underserved communities and schools, feeding more families and helping ease the strain on the hunger relief system.
    “Food prices are up and food banks are experiencing rising demand. We’ve got to feed those in need. The Strengthening Local Food Security Act makes family farmers and fishermen part of the solution, putting fresh, healthy food on the table in a cost-effective manner that strengthens the local economy too,” said Senator Jack Reed. “This bill will feed students and families and plant seeds of economic development for farmers, fishermen, and others throughout the nation’s food supply chain.”
    “In West Virginia, we know the value of hard work and locally grown food. The Strengthening Local Food Security Act helps our farmers, ranchers, and fishermen get more of their local food onto more tables. It puts money back into our communities and keeps people fed. That’s a win-win all around. I look forward to working to get this done for our local producers, food banks, and schools,” Senator Jim Justice said.
    The Strengthening Local Food Security Act is supported by a wide range of farmers, food hubs, coalitions, and business networks from across the country, including the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, National Farmers Union, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, and the Farm Credit Council.
    In Rhode Island, the bill is supported by several leading organizations, including: the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Farm Fresh Rhode Island, and the Rhode Island Food Policy Council.
    “At a time when we’re serving more people than ever before, this type of legislation is critical, both for Rhode Island families and for our state’s economy,” said Melissa Cherney, incoming CEO of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. “We’re honored to support Senator Reed’s bill.”
    “It’s always a good time to invest in Rhode Island’s farmers. This bill will increase fairness by opening valuable wholesale markets to our smaller-scale producers. Even better, it does so while supporting the state’s economy and feeding our communities,” said Nessa Richman, Network Director of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council.
    “Over 40 percent of people in Rhode Island do not have enough to eat. This bill helps to address that issue by partnering with local farmers as part of the solution. Farm Fresh RI is excited by the opportunity to strengthen the agricultural supply chain, support local economic development and provide nutritious food to children and food insecure families,” said Jesse Rye, Executive Director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island.
    “Farm Credit applauds Senators Reed and Justice for their leadership in introducing the Strengthening Local Food Security Act of 2025. This bill is a strategic investment in American agriculture—supporting farmers, strengthening supply chains, and helping schools and communities access locally produced food. This bill will help boost regional economies and improve food security across the country,” said Christy Seyfert, President and CEO, Farm Credit Council.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Announces Another Trump Cabinet Member as Featured Speaker at Entrepreneur Expo

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, announced that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin will be a featured speaker at her upcoming Entrepreneur Expo.
    The third annual event, taking place at Iowa State University on Tuesday, August 12, will provide Iowa small businesses an unparalleled chance to learn about opportunities across the federal marketplace with networking and hands-on instruction.
    “Administrator Zeldin has been a champion for small businesses in Washington, and I have proudly worked with him to reform the harmful WOTUS rule and slash costly red tape,” said Ernst. “His work has empowered entrepreneurs to be able to spend less time sorting through a mountain of paperwork and more time on the shop floor, out in the fields, or serving their customers. His expertise will be invaluable to expo attendees, and I am excited to welcome him back to the great state of Iowa!”
    “Senator Ernst is a fierce advocate for Iowa small business owners and farmers. I am very excited to join her Entrepreneur Expo next month,” said Zeldin. “In the first six-months of the Trump Administration, we have been full steam ahead working hard to provide relief for Americans by protecting our precious environment while rolling back onerous regulations that have held back our economy. EPA’s goal is to get out of the way and make it easier, not harder, for American businesses to prosper. I look forward to meeting many hard working Iowans and am eager to solicit their feedback and input as we Power the Great American Comeback.”
    Click here to learn more and RSVP for the event.
    Background:
    Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler will also be a featured speaker at the expo.
    Last year, 40 federal and state entities came to Ernst’s Expo to connect with small businesses on opportunities in federal contracting and innovation programs.
    Hundreds of Iowans attended Ernst’s 2023 Expo, which featured 31 federal and state entities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Kim Introduce Bill to Combat AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) today introduced the Preventing Recurring Online Abuse of Children Through Intentional Vetting of Artificial Intelligence (PROACTIV AI) Data Act, which would encourage artificial intelligence (AI) developers to identify, remove, and report known child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from the datasets they compile or obtain for use in training AI models to help proactively stop AI image generators from creating child pornography:
    “Modern predators are exploiting advances in AI to develop new AI-generated child sexual abuse material, and technology companies are often unwittingly giving them the tools to do so,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By encouraging tech companies to proactively screen their datasets to remove and report explicit images of children, this legislation would mitigate the risk of AI platforms unintentionally enabling the creation of new content depicting child sexual abuse and better safeguard children online.”
    “As we develop AI models, it is important that we establish critical protections to look out for the most vulnerable in digital spaces,” said Sen. Kim. “This bill is an opportunity for Congress and AI developers to take an important step forward together and implement the necessary safeguards to keep our children safe from future misuse or exploitation.”
    Background:
    Foundational AI models require large amounts of data for training purposes. Given the size of these datasets and the amount of compute needed to work through them during training, many companies do not screen content for harmful materials. Recognizing the potential for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to unintentionally work its way into these datasets given the methods of collection, researchers at Stanford University screened multiple data sets, including the LAION-5B data set used to train many of the leading image-generating models. Their work identified more than 3,000 data entries of likely CSAM in the dataset. This is troubling, not just because of the accessibility of known CSAM, but because many products and tools now have content from which to draw if asked to generate new CSAM by users. Left unaddressed, foundation models can be corrupted by CSAM data and make it possible for them to be coopted by predators.
    According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, AI-generated material has proliferated at an alarming rate in the past year with nearly half a million incidents of AI-related CSAM reported in the first half of the year, compared to fewer than 70,000 reported for all of 2024.
    The PROACTIV AI Data Act would:
    Direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to issue voluntary best practices for AI developers to screen their datasets used for training AI models for known CSAM;
    Direct the National Science Foundation to support research into innovative methods and technologies for identifying, removing, and reporting CSAM from datasets;
    And provide limited liability protection to AI companies that follow the new best practices so those acting in good faith aren’t legally punished for accidentally handling CSAM via automated data crawlers on the internet.
    This legislation builds on First Lady Melania Trump’s efforts to combat the rise of AI deepfake pornography and keep children safe online.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: reAlpha Tech Corp. Announces Closing of $5 Million Registered Direct Offering Priced At-The-Market Under Nasdaq Rules

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBLIN, Ohio, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — reAlpha Tech Corp. (Nasdaq: AIRE) (the “Company” or “reAlpha”), an AI-powered real estate technology company, today announced the closing of its previously announced registered direct offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules for the purchase and sale of 14,285,718 shares of its common stock at a purchase price of $0.35 per share. In a concurrent private placement, the Company issued unregistered warrants to purchase up to 14,285,718 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.35 per share that are exercisable upon issuance and will expire five years from the effective date of the registration statement covering the resale of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the unregistered warrants.

    H.C. Wainwright & Co. acted as the exclusive placement agent for the offering.

    The gross proceeds from the offering, before deducting the placement agent’s fees and other offering expenses payable by the Company, were approximately $5 million. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes, which could include repayment of debt, future acquisitions, capital expenditures and the purchase of cryptocurrencies in accordance with the Company’s cryptocurrency investment policy.

    The common stock (but not the unregistered warrants and the shares of common stock underlying the unregistered warrants) described above were offered by the Company pursuant to a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-283284) that was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on November 26, 2024. The offering of the shares of common stock was made only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the registered direct offering was filed with the SEC. Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus may be obtained on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov or by contacting H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC at 430 Park Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, New York 10022, by phone at (212) 856-5711 or e-mail at placements@hcwco.com.

    The unregistered warrants described above were offered in a private placement under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder and, along with the shares of common stock underlying such unregistered warrants, have not been registered under the Securities Act, or applicable state securities laws. Accordingly, the unregistered warrants and underlying shares of common stock may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and such applicable state securities laws.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

    About reAlpha Tech Corp.

    reAlpha Tech Corp. (Nasdaq: AIRE) is an AI-powered real estate technology company transforming the multi-trillion-dollar U.S. real estate services market. reAlpha is developing an end-to-end platform that streamlines real estate transactions through integrated brokerage, mortgage, and title services. With a strategic, acquisition-driven growth model and proprietary AI infrastructure, reAlpha is building a vertically integrated ecosystem designed to deliver a simpler, smarter, and more affordable path to homeownership. For more information, visit www.realpha.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    The information in this press release includes “forward-looking statements.” Any statements other than statements of historical fact contained herein, including statements as to the intended use of net proceeds from the offering, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “should”, “could”, “might”, “plan”, “possible”, “project”, “strive”, “budget”, “forecast”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “predict”, “potential” or “continue”, or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: reAlpha’s ability to regain and sustain compliance with the Nasdaq Capital Market’s continued listing standards and remain listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market; reAlpha’s ability to pay contractual obligations; reAlpha’s liquidity, operating performance, cash flow and ability to secure adequate financing; reAlpha’s limited operating history and that reAlpha has not yet fully developed its AI-based technologies; whether reAlpha’s technology and products will be accepted and adopted by its customers and intended users; reAlpha’s ability to commercialize its developing AI-based technologies; reAlpha’s ability to successfully enter new geographic markets; reAlpha’s ability to integrate the business of its acquired companies into its existing business and the anticipated demand for such acquired companies’ services; reAlpha’s ability to scale its operational capabilities to expand into additional geographic markets and nationally; the potential loss of key employees of reAlpha and of its subsidiaries; the outcome of certain outstanding legal proceedings against reAlpha; reAlpha’s ability to obtain, and maintain, the required licenses to operate in the U.S. states in which it, or its subsidiaries, operate in, or intend to operate in; reAlpha’s ability to successfully identify and acquire companies that are complementary to its business model; the inability to maintain and strengthen reAlpha’s brand and reputation; any accidents or incidents involving cybersecurity breaches and incidents; the inability to accurately forecast demand for AI-based real estate-focused products; the inability to execute business objectives and growth strategies successfully or sustain reAlpha’s growth; the inability of reAlpha’s customers to pay for reAlpha’s services; the inability of reAlpha to obtain additional financing or access the capital markets to fund its ongoing operations on acceptable terms and conditions; the outcome of any legal proceedings that might be instituted against reAlpha; changes in applicable laws or regulations, and the impact of the regulatory environment and complexities with compliance related to such environment; and other risks and uncertainties indicated in reAlpha’s SEC filings. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Although reAlpha believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. reAlpha’s future results, level of activity, performance or achievements may differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, and there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking statements. For more information about the factors that could cause such differences, please refer to reAlpha’s filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and reAlpha does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Media Contact:
    Cristol Rippe, Chief Marketing Officer
    cristol@realpha.com

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Adele Carey, VP of Investor Relations
    investorrelations@realpha.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ADB Lowers Economic Growth Forecast for Asia and the Pacific

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    ADB has lowered its growth forecasts for economies in developing Asia and the Pacific this year and next year. The downgrades are driven by expectations of reduced exports amid higher United States (U.S.) tariffs and global trade uncertainty, as well as weaker domestic demand.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Asian Development Outlook (ADO) July 2025: Slower Growth Amid Tariffs and Uncertainty

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Tariffs and trade uncertainty are dampening the outlook for developing Asia and the Pacific, with growth forecasts downgraded to 4.7% for 2025 and 4.6% for 2026. Risks include renewed tariff hikes, geopolitical tensions, and further property market weakness in the People’s Republic of China.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Auckland is NZ’s ‘primate city’ but its potential remains caged in by poor planning and vision

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Getty Images

    The recent report comparing Auckland to nine international peer cities delivered an uncomfortable truth: our largest city is falling behind, hampered by car dependency, low-density housing and “weak economic performance”.

    The Deloitte State of the City analysis was no surprise to anyone who has watched successive governments treat the city as a problem to manage, rather than an engine to fuel.

    The report’s findings were stark: Auckland rates 82nd out of 84 cities globally for pedestrian friendliness, and its car-dependent transport system is more carbon-intensive and slower to decarbonise than peer cities.

    This is the direct result of decades of planning failures, including what urban researchers call the 1970s “great down-zoning” which halved central Auckland’s housing capacity.

    This isn’t just Auckland’s problem. When we mismanage what geographers call a “primate city,” it reveals our fundamental misunderstanding of how modern economies work.

    The concept of the primate city was formalised by geographer Mark Jefferson in 1939. Such cities are defined as being “at least twice as large as the next largest city and more than twice as significant”.

    Auckland fits this definition perfectly. With more than 1.7 million people, it is over four times larger than Christchurch or the greater Wellington region. The city accounts for 34% of New Zealand’s population and is projected to hit 40% of the working-age population by 2048.

    Auckland contributes 38% of New Zealand’s gross domestic product and its per-capita GDP is 15% higher than the rest of the country’s. Its most productive area, the central business district, enjoys a 40% productivity premium over the national average.

    To economists, these numbers represent the “agglomeration benefits” research shows primate cities generate. It is the economic effect of combining businesses, talent and infrastructure.

    Yet New Zealand systematically underinvests in the very place generating this outsized economic contribution.

    A pattern of infrastructure failure

    Auckland’s infrastructure deficit follows a predictable pattern. The City Rail Link, while progressing, has grown from an initial budget of NZ$2-3 billion to $5.5 billion, with opening delayed until 2026.

    Light rail was cancelled entirely after years of planning. A second harbour crossing has been studied for decades without a shovel hitting dirt. Each represents billions in opportunity costs while congestion worsens.

    This goes well beyond project mismanagement. It is a deep structural problem.

    The Infrastructure Commission-Te Waihanga identifies a $210 billion national infrastructure shortfall, with Auckland bearing a disproportionate burden despite generating a disproportionately high level of revenue.

    International research by the OECD shows successful countries treat metropolitan regions as engines of national growth, not a burden.

    The ‘Wellington problem’

    Public policy expert Ian Shirley called it the “Wellington Problem”: the way Auckland’s governance became an obsession for politicians and bureaucrats based in Wellington.

    The tension dates to 1865 when the capital was moved from Auckland to Wellington, establishing a pattern where political power was deliberately separated from economic power.

    Auckland loses an estimated $415.35 million annually in GST collected on rates. This goes to Wellington and into government revenue rather than being reinvested locally. Central government properties in Auckland, worth $36.3 million in rates, are exempt from payment while still using Auckland’s infrastructure.

    When Auckland speaks with “one voice” through its unified council, Wellington responds with legislative overrides.

    The recent National Land Transport Programme, for example, cut Auckland’s transport funding by $564 million. Mayor Wayne Brown said the government’s transport policy “makes zero sense for Auckland”.

    Learning from others

    The contrast with international approaches reveals just how counterproductive New Zealand’s approach has been.

    London has an integrated Transport for London authority with congestion charging powers, generating £136 million annually for reinvestment. Paris is investing more than €35 billion in the Grand Paris Express transit project.

    Japan’s “Quality Infrastructure Investment” principles include ¥13.2 trillion in regional infrastructure investment. Australia’s A$120 billion infrastructure programme explicitly recognises its largest cities contribute over 50% of GDP and require proportional investment.

    Research has shown excessive urban concentration in one country can create problems. But denying the primate city resources only leads to a “deterioration in the quality of life” that drags down the entire national economy.

    The solution lies in making strategic investments that maximise the benefits of agglomeration while managing any negative costs to the national economy.

    Growing pains

    Auckland isn’t a problem to be managed, it is an asset to be leveraged. Every successful developed economy has learned this lesson. Paris generates 31% of France’s GDP and gets treated accordingly.

    Seoul produces 23% of South Korea’s output and receives massive infrastructure investment. Tokyo drives Japan’s economy.

    The international evidence is unambiguous: countries that strategically invest in their primate cities achieve higher productivity growth and maintain competitive advantages.

    Auckland doesn’t need sympathy or special treatment. It needs what every primate city in every successful economy gets: infrastructure investment proportional to its economic contribution, governance structures that reflect its scale, and political leadership that understands agglomeration economics.

    The question isn’t whether Auckland is too big. The question is whether New Zealand is big enough to nurture its primate city.

    Timothy Welch 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. Auckland is NZ’s ‘primate city’ but its potential remains caged in by poor planning and vision – https://theconversation.com/auckland-is-nzs-primate-city-but-its-potential-remains-caged-in-by-poor-planning-and-vision-261176

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Transcript – ABC RN Breakfast with Sally Sara

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    SALLY SARA, HOST: Legislation aimed at stripping funding from child care centres that fail to meet minimum standards will be introduced to the Federal Parliament today here in Canberra. Child care safety has been pushed to the top of the agenda following a string of shocking allegations of child abuse. In the latest development, lawyers for former child care worker Joshua Dale Brown have told a Melbourne court yesterday they expect the alleged child abuser will be hit with further charges on top of the more than 70 he already faces. Jess Walsh is the Federal Minister for Early Childhood Education and Senator for Victoria. She joined me a short time ago.

    SENATOR DR JESS WALSH, MINISTER FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND MINISTER FOR YOUTH: Thanks for having me, Sally.

    SARA: Tell me about this legislation that’s going to be introduced today. What’s in it exactly?

    WALSH: We’re introducing tough new legislation today, Sally. I think people have been hearing a lot about the safety issues facing children and their families in early childhood education, and this legislation will give us a tough new lever to make sure that children are kept safe in our early learning settings. What it will allow us to do for the first time is withdraw Commonwealth funding from those providers who fail to put child safety ahead of profits.

    SARA: And so, what is the threshold there, what sort of incident or systemic incidents would need to happen in a child care centre for the Government to withhold funding?

    WALSH: Yes, we are looking at serious repeat offenders here when it comes to breaching our National Quality Standard when it comes to serious incidents and when it comes to complaints. So, services and providers who are failing to meet the standards that children need and the families, that families expect, they’re the services and providers that we’re looking at with this legislation.

    SARA: To be clear, are we talking about centres failing to meet expectations or will funding only be withheld if there’s been an actual incident there?

    WALSH: So the legislation gives us the ability to put all of that information and for the secretary of my department to make a decision to identify those repeat offenders, those providers, those services that persistently and consistently fail to meet standards and fail to keep our children safe. From there, there are a number of steps that the legislation gives us. We can start by issuing a show-cause notice as to why that provider, that service, should maintain their Commonwealth funding through the Child Care Subsidy. And we can make that show-cause notice public. We think that is a really strong step that will drive change. At that point, we think that those providers who are doing the wrong thing regularly will make the investments that they need to keep our children safe.

    SARA: Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that transparency for families who are trying to make decisions about the safety of their infants, of their kids, in the middle of all of this. What kind of information will be available so that parents can make an informed decision?

    WALSH: Yeah, that’s right, Sally, and I do want to reassure families that the vast majority of early childhood and education providers are meeting and exceeding our National Quality Standard, over 90 per cent. We are talking here about a minority of repeat offenders, a real minority of providers here. If families are in the services of those repeat offenders, they will be notified when we issue show-cause notices.

    SARA: What about the public generally? If I’ve got a child and I’m looking at that centre, will I know that something’s happened there?

    WALSH: Yes, those notices will be public. But you’re also raising a bigger issue there, Sally, about the next tranche of work that is underway as well, which is the child safety package that we’re putting together with education ministers who are meeting in just a couple of weeks’ time. So there are measures beyond this legislation as well. When education ministers come together, we want to announce the first-ever nationwide register of early childhood educators. We want to do work on mandatory child safe training, and we also want to provide much more transparent information to parents, so they know what the quality is and whether there are any issues in the services that they’re thinking about or currently sending their children to.

    SARA: So, at the moment, can parents see the quality assessments of child care centres?

    WALSH: Yes. What they can see is the national quality rating. They can see that.

    SARA: Can you see the reports of inspections?

    WALSH: You can’t see at the moment, Sally, compliance issues that may have been taken against your provider. And we think that families have the right to know if there are issues in their services. That’s one of the big pieces of work that we’re doing with the states and territories. And I do want to say, Sally, we’re working shoulder to shoulder with the states and territories on what we see as being a really strong and significant package to bring forward on quality and safety in early learning.

    SARA: So, we’re talking, I guess, with an assumption here that with information, parents can make an informed choice or decision, but in plenty of parts of the country, particularly in regional areas, there is no other centre. Is this part of the problem – the demand exceeds the supply of child care? What do parents do if there are concerns about their only centre?

    WALSH: So, if we get this right, Sally, this is going to drive more investment in quality, safe early learning. We are giving ourselves a big stick to wield here in being able to stop providers from opening more services, and indeed to be able to shut down existing services. We don’t expect that it will get to that because we expect, as soon as those providers get those show cause notices, that they will make the investment that children and families need to provide that quality and safe early learning.

    SARA: Is there a concern, though, that investors and companies might not want to come into this sector, given there’s going to be more regulation and compliance costs money for child care operators?

    WALSH: Well, there needs to be more regulation, Sally. I think we’ve been really open that the current sector settings are not strong enough to keep children safe. We’ve seen that in the really distressing reports that we’ve had. That’s why strong action is needed. And there are really two sets of actions we’re taking. One is the legislation that we’re introducing this week into the Parliament today, and that will allow us to withdraw Commonwealth funding from those providers who don’t do the right thing. And the second part of the action is the big package of reforms we’re working on with the states and territories.

    SARA: Labor’s already had control in the previous term of government, three years – why weren’t these measures put in place during the previous term?

    WALSH: I think we’ve been really open, Sally, that more needed to be done over a period of time.

    SARA: Did the Government fall short in your view?

    WALSH: I think we’ve been open that more needed to be done, and we’ve had recommendations for many years, almost a decade, that have sat there, and we are expediting those recommendations. One of the recommendations that’s been there for a while is that we do need to know where our early childhood educators are actually working. That’s why we want to develop the first-ever nationwide register of early childhood educators.

    SARA: When will that come into effect?

    WALSH: So, we’re having our next meeting, a stand-alone meeting, an urgent meeting of education ministers from around the country. We’ll have more to say about that then. What we’re working towards is getting agreement that all states and territories will participate in that nationwide register. We do need information about where our educators are working. We do need to know whether there are red flags that are being raised.

    SARA: But just to bring you back to the question, when will that be in place?

    WALSH: So, Sally, we have a meeting in just a couple of weeks’ time. We are working really hard on that register. We’ll have –

    SARA: By the end of the year, do you think?

    WALSH: We’ll have more to say on that, Sally, in a couple of weeks.  It is an absolutely urgent item that we are all working on.

    SARA: Jess Walsh, Federal Minister for Early Childhood Education and Senator for Victoria, thank you very much for your time this morning.

    WALSH: Thanks, Sally.
     

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: UK bans Gaza protest group – could the same thing happen in Australia?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Bosch, Associate Professor (Law), Edith Cowan University

    More than 100 people were arrested in the United Kingdom on the weekend for supporting Palestine Action, a protest group that opposes Britain’s support of Israel.

    Palestine Action was recently proscribed as a terrorist organisation, placing it in the same category as Hamas, al-Qaeda and Islamic State.

    Many of those arrested were simply holding signs that read: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”. They were predominantly aged over 60.

    In recent weeks, an 83-year-old vicar, a former government lawyer and various pensioners have been taken into custody and could be jailed for up to 14 years if found guilty of belonging to the protest group.

    Simply holding a sign or wearing a T-shirt with the words “Palestine Action” could be punishable with a six-month jail term.

    The protesters say they refuse to be silenced:

    If we cannot speak freely about the genocide that is occurring […], if we cannot condemn those who are complicit in it […] then the right to freedom of expression has no meaning, and democracy and human rights in this country are dead.

    Police arresting protestors calling for the terrorism ban to be overturned.

    So what is Palestine Acton and why is “middle England” up in arms over its designation as a terrorist group?

    Activist network

    Palestine Action is a UK-based activist network founded in 2020 with the stated aim of “ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime”.

    The group views the British government as complicit in Israeli war crimes in Gaza. It also aspires to halt UK arms exports through disruptive protests and vandalism.

    Members have generally targeted Israeli-linked businesses, such as defence company Elbit Systems, by damaging equipment or blocking entrances.

    Supporters include grassroots activists, civil liberties advocates, health professionals, clergy and prominent figures such as Pink Floyd musician Roger Waters.

    Serious concerns

    Palestine Action was officially proscribed in the UK on July 5, after campaigners sprayed paint into the engines of two Voyager aircraft at an air force base.

    The final vote was overwhelming: 385 MPs supported the ban, while just 26 opposed it.

    Under the Terrorism Act 2000, membership, support, or public endorsement of a proscribed group is a criminal offence punishable by sentences up to 14 years.

    The UK government argues the group’s actions exceeded legal protest and raised serious security concerns.

    Since then, scores of people have been searched and arrested at rallies in support of Palestine Acton.

    Blurring the lines

    Critics, including Amnesty International, civil liberties groups and The Guardian editorial board warn the ban blurs the line between non-violent civil disobedience and terrorism. They argue it also threatens democratic dissent through a statutory abuse of power.

    Counter-terrorism laws permit extraordinary interference in due process and other fundamental human rights protections. Consequently, they must always be used with the highest degree of restraint.

    The UK already had legislation in place to deal with criminal damage and violent disorder.

    United Nations legal and human rights experts have spoken out against treating the actions of protesters who damage property without the intent to injure people as terrorism:

    According to international standards, acts of protest that damage property, but are not intended to kill or injure people, should not be treated as terrorism.

    Abuse of power

    Designating Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation appears to be aimed at curtailing free expression, the assembly and association of those who support the protest action against Israel’s war on Gaza.

    Placing it in the same legal category as Hamas seems designed to reduce public sympathy for the group.

    Palestine Action is challenging its proscription in the UK High Court. Lawyers for the group argue the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre has assessed the vast majority of its activities to be lawful:

    On nature and scale, the home secretary [Yvette Cooper] accepts that only three of Palestine Action’s at least 385 actions would meet the statutory definition of terrorism […] itself a dubious assessment.

    The lawyers further argue proscription was “repugnant” and an “authoritarian abuse of power”.

    Australian version?

    There are no indications from the intelligence community that any direct affiliate of Palestine Action (UK) operates in Australia.

    However, there are pro-Palestinian activist organisations, including a Palestine Action Group Sydney, which is part of the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN).

    Broader solidarity movements such as Students for Palestine, are active in protests on university campuses and against arms shipments to Israel.

    Domestic terrorism powers

    Traditional boundaries between “activism”, “extremism”, “hate-crime” and “terrorism” are rapidly blurring in Australia.

    The attorney general may list (“proscription” is a UK term) any organisation as a “terrorist organisation” if they are satisfied it is “advocating terrorism”. This would mean criminalising the expression of support, instruction, or praise of terrorist acts or offences.

    The latest addition to the 31-member list is Terrorgram, an online terrorism advocacy chatroom.

    Australia’s extensive definition of “terrorist act”, currently under review, expressly excludes

    advocacy, protest, dissent or industrial action and which is not intended to cause serious or life-endangering harm or death or to create a serious risk to the safety or health of the public.

    This suggests an Australian version of a Palestine Action undertaking similar conduct to its UK cousin would not meet the legal threshold for listing.

    However, the recent Terrorgram listing makes reference to advocacy for “attacks on minority groups, critical infrastructure and specific individuals”.

    This suggests the UK and Australian governments are becoming more aligned in interpreting “violent” protest to include violence against property, rather than just against people.

    Short of listing, a significant suite of investigative, coercive and preventative executive exists that could be deployed if a similar organisation appears in Australia.

    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. UK bans Gaza protest group – could the same thing happen in Australia? – https://theconversation.com/uk-bans-gaza-protest-group-could-the-same-thing-happen-in-australia-261562

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Calls on Senate Republicans to Reject Trump Administration’s Devastating Housing Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) called on the members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing housing funding to reject the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts to affordable housing programs. The proposed 44 percent cut to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) budget in the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request would eliminate or severely reduce funding for critical programs that Nevadans and Americans nationwide depend on.
    “The Trump Administration’s proposed cuts threaten many of the key housing programs Nevadans depend on to be able to afford a home,” wrote Senator Rosen. “HUD programs have helped build thousands of homes in Nevada, with CDBG assisting nearly 4,800 low-income households and the HOME program building or preserving nearly 9,000 homes in the state. With Nevada facing the largest shortfall of affordable housing nationwide, eliminating these successful programs will undoubtedly worsen the current housing shortage.”
    “If enacted, it is clear the Trump Administration’s proposed housing cuts would have catastrophic impacts in Nevada – hindering affordable housing development, threatening the housing security of thousands of Nevadans, and crippling the ability of Public Housing Agencies and nonprofits to provide housing resources,” she continued. “To avoid these consequences, I call on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development to reject President Trump’s harmful proposed cuts and fully fund the proven federal affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs communities in Nevada and across the country rely on.”
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has long championed efforts to make housing more affordable for hardworking Nevadans. She helped introduce the Housing Choice Vouchers Fairness Act, which updates HUD’s outdated voucher allocation formula to ensure rapid-growth cities like Las Vegas receive more funding. Senator Rosen is also a co-sponsor of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to raise low‑income housing tax credits by 50 percent to spur new affordable developments across the state. Last year, Senator Rosen celebrated securing over $43 million in HUD housing grants for Nevada, which helped fund Community Development Block Grants and HOME Investment Partnership Program investments.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Colleagues Push to Prevent Corporations From Using Trump’s Chaotic Tariffs as Cover to Price Gouge Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined Senate colleagues in a letter calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and stop corporations that may be using Donald Trump’s tariffs as a cover to raise prices on all goods, regardless of whether they are actually subject to new tariffs, and increase prices above and beyond what is necessary to cover any additional costs. In June 2025, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released new survey results showing that “a significant share” of companies raised prices of goods and services that are not subject to tariffs.
    “This Administration’s reckless approach to trade is spiking costs for small businesses and creating opportunities for billion-dollar companies to grow their profits and take advantage of consumers,” wrote the lawmakers. “The FTC should be utilizing its full authority to prevent these unfair practices.”
    Senator Rosen has helped lead the fight opposing Trump’s reckless tariffs and defending consumers. She helped introduce the Tariff Transparency Act, which would require the U.S. International Trade Commission to study and publicly report on the economic effects of tariffs on Canada and Mexico– key trading partners for Nevada industries. She’s also repeatedly pushed back against price gouging, calling on the DOJ to curb price gouging at the gas pump and in the housing market.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Transportation Leaders to Fischer: EVs Must Pay Their Fair Share

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, pressed key transportation leaders on whether electric vehicles (EVs) should contribute to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which supports the construction and maintenance of U.S. roads and bridges.

    While drivers of gasoline-powered cars pay into the HTF through the federal gas tax, EVs currently do not contribute at all – despite weighing significantly more due to their large batteries. The added weight contributes to greater wear and tear on roads and bridges, increasing maintenance costs.

    Fischer’s Fair SHARE Act would require EVs to contribute to the HTF, helping offset the damage they cause to America’s infrastructure.

    Click the image above to watch Fischer’s line of questioning.

    Click here to download audio.
    Click here to download video.

    On EVs Paying Their Fair Share:

    Fischer: I want to be able to discuss with you both the Highway Trust Fund. Though the fund is outside this committee’s jurisdiction, I remain concerned about its solvency and the impact that insolvency would have on our entire system, infrastructure around this entire country. Though not a silver bullet, we need to get electric vehicles paying into the fund. Currently, electric vehicles don’t pay a dime. They are heavier. They cause more damage to roadways without paying for the repair, for the maintenance. They impact new construction as well. I have legislation that requires electric vehicles to contribute to the Federal Highway Trust Fund, and I know [Transportation & Infrastructure Committee] Chair Graves in the House has a proposal as well, and I appreciate his work to address this important issue. From your perspective, gentlemen, why is it important for EVs to contribute to the trust fund and for Congress to step up and address the fund solvency in our upcoming surface reauthorization?

    Spear:     So, I would just say that all users have to pay. They do. If you’re on the roads, you’re on the bridges, you should pay. EV’s don’t, and they’re heavier. It’s a developing technology that we need to capture and ensure that our roads and bridges remain a priority, and that those using them are contributing to that.

    …

    Fischer: Mr. Pugh, I’d like to hear your thoughts as well. 

    Pugh: Yeah, we definitely support some sort of registration fee or something going to the Highway Trust Fund with electric vehicles. I mean, by all means, why shouldn’t they pay? They use the highways, and they should. We should also make sure we’re not giving them special carve outs for hauling them or transporting them because they’re heavier loads to haul and transport. We should make sure we’re not doing that as well.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s tech SMEs receive stronger credit support: central bank

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

    BEIJING, July 22 — China has stepped up credit support for technology companies this year, with half of the sector’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) receiving loans by the end of the second quarter, official data showed Tuesday.

    The proportion of tech SMEs receiving loan support increased 3.2 percentage points compared to the same period last year, according to the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the country’s central bank.

    Outstanding loans to tech SMEs in both local and foreign currencies stood at 3.46 trillion yuan (about 484 billion U.S. dollars) by Q2, surging 22.9 percent year on year. This growth rate outpaced overall loan growth by 16.1 percentage points, the PBOC said in a report.

    Outstanding loans to high-tech firms in both local and foreign currencies rose 8.2 percent year on year, 1.4 percentage points higher than the overall loan growth rate, the report showed.

    The report also indicated stronger credit support for the country’s green transition, with outstanding green loans in both local and foreign currencies reaching 42.39 trillion yuan by the end of the second quarter, an increase of 14.4 percent from the beginning of this year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China strengthens disability support systems in 14th Five-Year Plan period

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

    A sign language interpreter works at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) in Beijing, capital of China, July 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Millions of people living with disabilities have seen their lives improve as China made major strides in accessibility, inclusion and support during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

    At a press conference held in Beijing on Tuesday, senior officials from the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF) outlined the major achievements in disability support during the period and shared new goals for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).

    “The enrollment rate of children and adolescents with disabilities in compulsory education in China has reached 97 percent, with over 30,000 disabled students entering universities each year,” said Cheng Kai, chairman of the CDPF, at the press conference.

    The next five-year plan is set to prioritize high-quality development in the disability sector, according to the press conference.

    Learning and earning

    According to Cheng, China’s education system for individuals with disabilities has undergone further improvement. Currently, 75,800 students with disabilities study in secondary vocational schools nationwide, while 59,800 attend regular high schools.

    Li Dongmei, vice chair of the federation, noted that a special campaign was launched to equip school campuses with assistive devices, benefiting nearly 100,000 students with disabilities. Standardized textbooks have been developed for special schools, as well as sign-language textbooks for nine subjects.

    Financially, in 2025, the per capita subsidy for students with disabilities receiving compulsory education was increased to more than 7,000 yuan (about 980 U.S. dollars) per year. Those whose families have financial difficulties are eligible to receive 12 years of free education from primary school to senior high school.

    With stronger educational and financial support, individuals with disabilities are better equipped to enter the workforce. The annual net income of families with disabled members in China grew at an average rate of 6.9 percent per year from 2020 to 2023, roughly matching the pace of the country’s GDP growth, according to Cheng.

    During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, more than 400,000 persons with disabilities were newly employed every year, Li said. The employment rate of the disabled population grew by nearly 5 percentage points.

    Better access, better care

    The participation rate of persons with disabilities in China’s basic medical insurance has remained above 95 percent. Meanwhile, over 90 percent of persons with disabilities in China are covered by basic pension insurance for both urban and rural residents, said Cheng.

    By June 2025, living allowances for the disabled in financial difficulty and nursing subsidies for the severely disabled had benefited 11.88 million and 16.4 million, respectively.

    A total of 10.5 million persons with disabilities are covered by the country’s subsistence allowance system, Cheng added.

    Public services have also been enhanced to improve the lives of persons with disabilities. A nationwide campaign for barrier-free home renovations benefited 1.28 million households with severely disabled members during the period, surpassing the original target of 1.1 million, Cheng said.

    China is also exploring the use of advanced technologies such as smart bionic hands and guide robots to improve the well-being of persons with disabilities, ensuring that scientific and technological progress benefits this community.

    Zhou Changkui, chairperson of the Board of Executive Directors of the CDPF, said that the federation and some other governmental departments have jointly issued a guiding document to promote the use of technology in supporting persons with disabilities. It is also collaborating with universities, research institutes and high-tech companies to boost the development of relevant technologies and industries.

    Toward a fairer, smarter future

    As China charts a path for the 15th Five-Year Plan, the emphasis on high-quality development in the disability sector remains central, with a focus on stronger support systems and innovation-driven solutions.

    A key focus will be improving livelihood security for persons with disabilities. Efforts will include refining basic, inclusive, and guaranteed social protection systems, as well as better support for persons with disabilities in rural areas, said Zhou.

    Public services will also see significant upgrades. Zhou noted that long-term care for the severely disabled and rehabilitation programs for children with autism will be expanded in the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

    Zhou said that to safeguard equal rights, China will revise and step up enforcement of key disability-related laws. Enhanced legal services and stronger judicial protections will help ensure that persons with disabilities can fully enjoy fairness and justice.

    Moreover, during the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will continue to promote the application of artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies to serve persons with disabilities, and ensure that advanced technologies better meet their needs, according to Zhou.

    The plan will also highlight cultural and spiritual wellbeing. Community-based sports and cultural programs will be expanded, while greater support will be extended to persons with disabilities in artistic creation and cultural industries. As Zhou emphasized, achieving a better life for people living with disabilities means enriching both body and spirit. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to Arkansas Small Businesses, Private Nonprofits and Residents Affected by April Storms and Flooding

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to Arkansas small businesses, private nonprofits and residents affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding occurring April 2‑22. The SBA issued a disaster declaration in response to a request received from Gov. Sarah Sanders on July 18.

    The disaster declaration includes the Arkansas counties of Cross, Hempstead, Lawrence and Little River.

    Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.

    SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades reducing the risk of future storm damage,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “I encourage businesses and homeowners to work with contractors and mitigation professionals to improve their storm readiness while taking advantage of SBA’s physical damage loans.”

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits and 2.75% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return physical damage applications is Sept. 22, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications April 22, 2026.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Cre8 Enterprise Limited Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering and Listing on Nasdaq

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Hong Kong, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cre8 Enterprise Limited (Nasdaq: CRE) (the “Company”), a Hong Kong-based integrated financial printing service provider, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering (the “Offering”) of 1,450,000 Class A ordinary shares (the “Class A Ordinary Shares”) on July 22, 2025, at a price of $4.00 per Class A Ordinary Share (the “Offering Price”).

    The Class A Ordinary Shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on July 23, 2025 under the symbol “CRE”. The Offering is expected to close on July 24, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

    The Company expects to receive gross proceeds of approximately US$5.8 million from the Offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 217,500 Class A Ordinary Shares of the Company, at the Offering Price, representing 15% of the Class A Ordinary Shares sold in the Offering (the “Over-allotment”). 

    The Company intends to use the net proceeds for upgrading the Company’s office in the Central District in Hong Kong and expanding its business, expanding its workforce and staff training, upgrading and/or acquiring equipment and information technology systems, and for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

    The Offering is being conducted on a firm commitment basis. American Trust Investment Services, Inc. is acting as the representative of the underwriters, with Prime Number Capital, LLC acted as the co-underwriter (collectively, the “Underwriters”) for the Offering. Ortoli Rosenstadt LLP acted as U.S. securities counsel to the Company. Winston & Strawn LLP acted as the legal counsel to the Underwriters in connection with the Offering. 

    The Offering is being conducted pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-281629) previously filed with, and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on July 22, 2025. The Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, electronic copies of the prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained from American Trust Investment Services, Inc. by standard mail to 1244 119th Street, Whiting, IN 46394, by telephone at +1 (219) 473-5542 or via email at IB@amtruinvest.com; or from Prime Number Capital, LLC by standard mail to Prime Number Capital, LLC, 12 E 49 St, Floor 27, New York, NY 10017, by email at info@pncps.com, or by telephone at +1 (516) 717-5671.

    Before you invest, you should read the prospectus and other documents the Company has filed or will file with the SEC for more information about the Company and the Offering. This press release has been prepared for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities described herein, and no sale of these securities may be made in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

    About Cre8 Enterprise Limited

    Cre8 Enterprise Limited provides 24/7 integrated financial printing services for listed companies, IPO applicants and private companies in the finance and capital market in Hong Kong under its brand, “Cre8”. The services cover concept creation and artwork design, typesetting, proofreading, translation, printing, binding, logistics arrangement, uploading or making e-submissions of customers’ financial reports and compliance documents and media placements. In addition to these core services, it has expanded its offerings to include complementary design services such as website design, branding, and content creation for marketing materials. Moreover, it is now providing technological support to its customers by disseminating and publishing announcements, circulars, financial reports, and industry news feeds through a website of its “Cre8IR” brand. 

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as “may, “will, “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s statements regarding the expected trading of its Class A Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market, its intended use of proceeds and the closing of the Offering. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the initial public offering on the anticipated terms or at all, and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the registration statement filed with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

    For more information, please contacts:

    Cre8 Enterprise Limited

    Email: ir@cre8corp.com
    Phone: +852 3693 2688

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: At Nomination Hearing, Warren Secures Agreement from Trump Treasury Nominee to Work on Raising Deposit Insurance Limits for Business Transaction Accounts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    July 22, 2025
    “Raising FDIC insurance limits is a common-sense policy that levels the playing field for the small and mid-sized banks that actually lend to small businesses.”
    Watch here (YouTube)
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Finance Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, secured an agreement from Jonathan McKernan, nominee to be Undersecretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, on working together towards increasing the limit for deposit insurance for business transaction accounts to help level the playing field in our banking system. Republican Senator James Lankford had a similar exchange with Mr. McKernan at the hearing, underscoring the bipartisan interest in deposit insurance reform.
    Below is the full transcript of Ranking Member Warren’s questioning with McKernan:
    Ranking Member Warren: FDIC insurance is limited to $250,000. Above that, customers with bigger deposits are supposed to wait in line and hope they can recover a portion of their funds when a bank fails.
    In March 2023, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank blew up, creating the third- and fourth-largest bank failures in U.S. history. In order to prevent additional bank runs and a full-blown financial crisis, the Fed, FDIC, and Treasury took the extraordinary step of guaranteeing all—ALL—uninsured deposits at those banks. That meant that huge companies, like the venture capital firm Sequoia, crypto company Circle, and electronics company Roku, had billions of dollars in deposits and they didn’t lose a penny. FDIC made good on all of it.
    Now I want to contrast that with what Senator Lankford said about the treatment of two small bank failures in Oklahoma and Texas in the years after SVB crashed. Local small businesses, like pharmacies, grocery stores, and construction companies that kept payroll and other money at these community banks, got $250,000 in FDIC coverage and lost millions of dollars of the uninsured balance.
    People understand which banks will—and won’t—get bailed out if there’s trouble. In the week following SVB’s crash, $100 billion in deposits left smaller banks, while the largest 25 banks saw $120 billion in new deposits.
    Mr. McKernan, you were a Board Member at the FDIC in 2023 when SVB and Signature collapsed and you saw some of these dynamics up close. Has it become clear to the market that, in the event of failure, depositors at giant banks will get fully reimbursed while depositors at small banks may not?
    Jonathan McKernan: Senator I was at the FDIC during those events. What I would say is, by law, uninsured depositors are at risk of loss. There has been a developing market expectation to the contrary at least with respect to large banks. The events around SVPB and signature may have reinforced that market expectation
    Warren: Mr. McKernan, can you explain the implications of this two-tier system on both the banking system and broader economy?
    McKernan: As the Secretary said, he is focused on the mainstream. What that means as a practical matter for me is it will focus on community banks and on every main street there is a community bank all too often that is a community bank under pressure whether from a mounting compliance burden or this market perception that may advantage the largest banks. So I think a central issue for financial regulation is how we ensure community banks continue to play a role in the financial system of the future
    Warren: One way to help level the playing field is to increase deposit insurance limits for business transaction accounts – bank accounts that businesses use to make payroll and rent. Banks that benefit from the increase would pay for this expanded coverage ahead of time through their regular deposit insurance premiums.
    This would help smaller banks compete. It also would require big banks to start paying for some of the insurance coverage they’ve been implicitly receiving for free. If small and mid-sized businesses are protected, this could also limit the government’s impulse to bail out giant banks whenever trouble hits.
    Mr. McKernan, this idea has received broad bipartisan support. Do you believe that Congress should increase deposit insurance limits for business transaction accounts?
    McKernan: Senator, as I was discussing with Senator Lankford, the Secretary has spoken on this and expressed a real interest in exploring an increase in the cap on deposit insurance for business, payment accounts, that would obviously require legislation, that would require congressional action. But I did recently discuss this issue with him. He’s heard this issue over and over again from many, many community banks that he’s met with inside the Treasury and outside the Treasury. The bottom line here is the Secretary would be very eager to see legislation to that effect to move the cap up on deposit insurance for business and community banks.
    Warren: Will you work with me and Chairman Scott on the Banking Committee to get this done?
    McKernan: Yes, Senator.
    Warren: Great. The giant banks don’t need another subsidy. Raising FDIC insurance limits is a common-sense policy that levels the playing field for the small and mid-sized banks that actually lend to small businesses.

    MIL OSI USA News –