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Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Could Rupert Murdoch bring down Donald Trump? A court case threatens more than just their relationship

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Andrew Dodd, Professor of Journalism, Director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne

    If Rupert Murdoch becomes a white knight standing up to a rampantly bullying US president, the world has moved into the upside-down.

    This is, after all, the media mogul whose US television network, Fox News, actively supported Donald Trump’s Big Lie about the 2020 presidential election result and paid out a US$787 million (about A$1.2 billion) lawsuit for doing so.

    It is also the network that supplied several members of Trump’s inner circle, including former Fox host, now controversial Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth.

    But that is where we are after Trump filed a writ on July 18 after Murdoch’s financial newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, published an article about a hand-drawn card Trump is alleged to have sent to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The newspaper reported:

    A pair of small arcs denotes the woman’s breasts, and the future president’s signature is a squiggly “Donald” below her waist, mimicking pubic hair.

    The Journal said it has seen the letter but did not republish it. The letter allegedly concluded:

    Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.

    The card was apparently Trump’s contribution to a birthday album compiled for Epstein by the latter’s partner Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence after being found guilty of sex trafficking in 2021.

    Trump was furious. He told his Truth Social audience he had warned Murdoch the letter was fake. He wrote, “Mr Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but obviously did not have the power to do so,” referring to Murdoch handing leadership of News Corporation to his eldest son Lachlan in 2023.



    Read more:
    How Rupert Murdoch helped create a monster – the era of Trumpism – and then lost control of it

    Trump is being pincered. On one side, The Wall Street Journal is a respected newspaper that speaks to literate, wealthy Americans who remain deeply sceptical about Trump’s radical initiative on tariffs, which it described in an editorial as “the dumbest trade war in history”.

    On the other side is the conspiracy theory-thirsty MAGA base who have been told for years that there was a massive conspiracy around Epstein’s apparent suicide in 2019 that included the so-called deep state, Democrat elites and, no doubt, the Clintons.

    Trump, who loves pro wrestling as well as adopting its garish theatrics, might characterise his lawsuit against Murdoch as a smackdown to rival Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant in the 1980s.

    To adopt wrestling argot, though, it is a rare battle between two heels.

    A friendship of powerful convenience

    Murdoch and Trump’s relationship is longstanding but convoluted. The key to understanding it is that both men are ruthlessly transactional.

    Exposure in Murdoch’s New York Post in the 1980s and ‘90s was crucial to building Trump’s reputation.

    Not that Murdoch particularly likes Trump. Yes, Murdoch attended his second inauguration, albeit in a back row behind the newly favoured big tech media moguls. He was also seen sitting in the Oval Office a few days later looking quite at home.

    But this was pure power-display politics, not the behaviour of a friend.

    Murdoch joined Trump in the Oval Office in February 2025.
    Anna Moneymaker/Getty

    Remember Murdoch’s derision on hearing Trump was considering standing for office before the 2016 election, and his promotion of Ron De Santis in the primaries before Trump’s second term. Murdoch’s political hero has always been Ronald Reagan. Trump has laid waste to the Republican Party of Reagan.

    Murdoch knows what the rest of sane America knows: Trump is downright weird, if not dangerous. This, of course, only makes Murdoch’s complicity in Trump’s rise to power, and Fox News’ continued boosterism of Trump, all the more appalling.

    But, in keeping with Murdoch’s relationship to power throughout his career, what he helps make, he also helps destroy. Perhaps now it’s Trump’s turn to be unmade. As a former Murdoch lieutenant told The Financial Times over the weekend:

    he’s testing out: Is Trump losing his base? And where do I need to be to stay in the heart of the base?

    And here is Murdoch’s great advantage, and his looming threat.

    A double-edged sword

    The advantage comes with the scope of Murdoch’s media empire, which operates like a federation of different mastheads, each with their own market and aspirations. While Fox News panders to the MAGA base, and The New York Post juices its New York audience, The Wall Street Journal speaks, and listens, to business. Each audience has different needs, meaning they’re often presented with the same news in very different ways, or sometimes different news entirely.

    Like a federation, though, News Corp uses its various operations to drive the type of change that affects all its markets.

    It might work like this. The Wall Street Journal breaks a story that’s so shocking it begins to chip away at MAGA’s unquestioning loyalty of Trump. This process is, of course, willingly aided by the rest of the media. The resulting groundswell eventually allows Fox News and the Post to tentatively follow their audiences into questioning, and then perhaps criticising, Trump.

    Fox News audiences could slowly begin to question Trump, or abandon the network entirely.
    NurPhoto/Getty

    The threat is that before that groundswell builds, Murdoch is seriously vulnerable to criticism from a still dominant Trump, who can turn conspiracy-prone audiences away from Fox News with just a social media post. Trump has already been busy doing just that, saying he is looking forward to getting Murdoch onto the witness stand for his lawsuit.

    If the Fox audience decides it’s the proprietor who’s behind this denigration of Trump, they may decide to boycott their own favoured media channel, even though Fox’s programming hasn’t yet started questioning Trump.

    The Murdochs’ fear of audience backlash was a major factor in Fox’s promulgation of the Big Lie after Trump’s defeat in 2020. The fear their audience might defect to Newsmax or some other right-wing media outfit is just as real today.

    History littered with fakery

    We also need to consider that Trump might be right. What if the letter is a fake?

    Murdoch has form when it comes to high-profile exposés that turn out to be fiction. Who can forget the Hitler Diaries in 1983, which we now know Murdoch knew were fake before he published.

    Think also of the Pauline Hanson photos, allegedly of her posing in lingerie, all of which were quickly proved to be fake after they were published by Murdoch’s Australian tabloids in 2009.

    There was also The Sun’s despicable and wilfully wrong campaign against Elton John in 1987 and the same paper’s continued denigration of the people of Liverpool following the Hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989.

    But while Murdoch’s News Corp has a history of confection and fakery, the Wall Street Journal has a reputation for straight reportage, albeit through a conservative lens. Since Murdoch bought it in 2007, it has been engaged in its own internal battle for editorial standards.

    Media rolling over

    What Trump won’t get from Murdoch is the same acquiescence he’s enjoyed from America’s ABC and CBS networks, which have both handed over tens of millions of dollars in defamation settlements following dubious claims by Trump about the nature of their coverage.



    Read more:
    ABC’s and CBS’s settlements with Trump are a dangerous step toward the commander in chief becoming the editor-in-chief

    In December 2024, ABC’s owner Disney settled and agreed to pay US$15 million (A$23 million) to Trump’s presidential library. The president sued after a presenter said Trump was found guilty of raping E. Jean Carroll.

    Trump had actually been found guilty by a jury in a civil trial of sexually abusing and defaming Carroll and was ordered to pay her US$5 million (A$7.6 million).

    CBS’ parent company, Paramount, did similarly after being sued by the president, agreeing in early July to settle and pay US$16 million (A$24.5 million) to Trump’s library. This was despite earlier saying the case was “completely without merit”.

    Beware the legal microscope

    From Trump’s viewpoint, two prominent media companies have been cowed. But his campaign against critical media doesn’t stop there.

    Last week, congress passed a bill cancelling federal funding for the country’s two public-service media outlets, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR).

    Also last week, CBS announced the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s stridently critical comedy show, although CBS claims this is just a cost-cutting exercise and not about appeasing a bully in the White House.

    Presuming the reported birthday letter is real, Murdoch will not bend so easily. And that’s when it will be important to pay attention, because at some point Trump’s lawyers will advise him about the dangers of depositions and discovery: the legal processes that force parties to a dispute to reveal what they have and what they know.

    If the Epstein files do implicate Trump, the legal fight won’t last long and the media campaign against him will only intensify.

    Right now we have the spectre of Murdoch joining that other disaffected mogul, Elon Musk, in a moral crusade against Trump, the man they both helped make. The implications are head-spinning.

    As global bullies, the three of them probably deserve each other. But we, the public, surely deserve better than any of them.

    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. Could Rupert Murdoch bring down Donald Trump? A court case threatens more than just their relationship – https://theconversation.com/could-rupert-murdoch-bring-down-donald-trump-a-court-case-threatens-more-than-just-their-relationship-261532

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Suffering in Gaza reaches ‘new depths’ – Australia condemns ‘inhumane killing’ of Palestinians

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Amra Lee, PhD candidate in Protection of Civilians, Australian National University

    Australia has joined 28 international partners in calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and a lifting of all restrictions on food and medical supplies.

    Foreign Minister Penny Wong, along with counterparts from countries including the United Kingdom, France and Canada, has signed a joint statement demanding Israel complies with its obligations under international humanitarian law.

    The statement condemns Israel for what it calls “the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians” seeking “their most basic need” of water and food, saying:

    The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity […] It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.

    Weapon of war

    Gazans, including malnourished mothers denied baby formula, face impossible choices as Israel intensifies its use of starvation as a weapon of war.

    In Gaza, survival requires negotiating what the United Nations calls aid “death traps”.

    According to the UN, 875 Gazans have been killed – many of them shot – while seeking food since the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operating in late May. Another 4,000 have been injured.

    More than 170 humanitarian groups have called for the food hubs to be shut down.

    Gaza has been described as the “hungriest place on Earth”, with aid trucks being held at the border and the United States destroying around 500 tonnes of emergency food because it was just out of date.

    More than two million people are at critical risk of famine. The World Food Programme estimates 90,000 women and children require urgent treatment for malnutrition.

    Nineteen Palestinians have starved to death in recent days, according to local health authorities.

    We can’t say we didn’t know

    After the breakdown of the January ceasefire, Israel implemented a humanitarian blockade on the Gaza Strip. Following mounting international pressure, limited aid was permitted and the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operations.

    As anticipated, only a fraction of the aid has been distributed.

    About 1,600 trucks entered Gaza between May 19 and July 14, well below the 630 trucks needed every day to feed the population.

    Israeli ministers have publicly called for food and fuel reserves to be bombed to starve the Palestinian people – a clear war crime – to pressure Hamas to release Israeli hostages.

    Famine expert Alex De Waal says Israel’s starvation strategy constitutes a dangerous weakening of international law. It also disrupts norms aimed at preventing hunger being used as a weapon of war:

    operations like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are a big crack in these principles [that is] not going to save Gaza from mass starvation.

    Palestinian organisations were the first to raise the alarm over Israel’s plans to impose controls over aid distribution.

    UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher briefed the UN Security Council in May, warning of the world’s collective failure to call out the scale of violations of international law as they were being committed:

    Israel is deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory.

    Tom Fletcher briefing the United Nations on the ‘atrocity’ being committed in Gaza.

    Since then, clear and unequivocal warnings of the compounding risks of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing have intensified from the UN, member states and international law experts.

    Weaponising aid

    The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation claims it has handed out millions of meals since it began operating in the strip in May. But the UN has called the distribution model “inherently unsafe”.

    Near-daily shootings have occurred since the militarised aid hubs began operating. Malnourished Palestinians risking death to feed their families are trekking long distances to reach the small number of distribution sites.

    While the foundation denies people are being shot, the UN has called the aid delivery mechanism a “deliberate attempt to weaponise aid” that fails to comply with humanitarian principles and risks further war crimes.

    Jewish Physicians for Human Rights has rejected the aid’s “humanitarian” characterisation, stating it “is what systematic harm to human beings looks like”.

    Human rights and legal organisations are calling for all involved to be held accountable for complicity in war crimes that “exposes all those who enable or profit from it to real risk of prosecution”.

    Mounting world action

    Today’s joint statement follows growing anger and frustration in Western countries over the lack of political pressure on Israel to end the suffering in Gaza.

    Polling in May showed more than 80% of Australians opposed Israel’s denial of aid as unjustifiable and wanted to see Australia doing more to support civilians in Gaza.

    Last week’s meeting of the Hague Group of nations shows more collective concrete action is being taken to exert pressure and uphold international law.

    Th 12 member states agreed to a range of diplomatic, legal and economic measures, including a ban on ships transporting arms to Israel.

    The time for humanity is now

    States will continue to face increased international and domestic pressure to take stronger action to influence Israel’s conduct as more Gazans are killed, injured and stripped of their dignity in an engineered famine.

    This moment in Gaza is unprecedented in terms of our knowledge of the scale and gravity of violations being perpetrated and what failing to act means for Palestinians and our shared humanity.

    Now is the time to exert diplomatic, legal and economic pressure on Israel to change course.

    History tells us we need to act now – international law and our collective moral conscience requires it.

    Amra Lee 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. Suffering in Gaza reaches ‘new depths’ – Australia condemns ‘inhumane killing’ of Palestinians – https://theconversation.com/suffering-in-gaza-reaches-new-depths-australia-condemns-inhumane-killing-of-palestinians-261547

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Suffering in Gaza reaches ‘new depths’ – Australia condemns ‘inhumane killing’ of Palestinians

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amra Lee, PhD candidate in Protection of Civilians, Australian National University

    Australia has joined 28 international partners in calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and a lifting of all restrictions on food and medical supplies.

    Foreign Minister Penny Wong, along with counterparts from countries including the United Kingdom, France and Canada, has signed a joint statement demanding Israel complies with its obligations under international humanitarian law.

    The statement condemns Israel for what it calls “the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians” seeking “their most basic need” of water and food, saying:

    The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity […] It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.

    Weapon of war

    Gazans, including malnourished mothers denied baby formula, face impossible choices as Israel intensifies its use of starvation as a weapon of war.

    In Gaza, survival requires negotiating what the United Nations calls aid “death traps”.

    According to the UN, 875 Gazans have been killed – many of them shot – while seeking food since the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operating in late May. Another 4,000 have been injured.

    More than 170 humanitarian groups have called for the food hubs to be shut down.

    Gaza has been described as the “hungriest place on Earth”, with aid trucks being held at the border and the United States destroying around 500 tonnes of emergency food because it was just out of date.

    More than two million people are at critical risk of famine. The World Food Programme estimates 90,000 women and children require urgent treatment for malnutrition.

    Nineteen Palestinians have starved to death in recent days, according to local health authorities.

    We can’t say we didn’t know

    After the breakdown of the January ceasefire, Israel implemented a humanitarian blockade on the Gaza Strip. Following mounting international pressure, limited aid was permitted and the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operations.

    As anticipated, only a fraction of the aid has been distributed.

    About 1,600 trucks entered Gaza between May 19 and July 14, well below the 630 trucks needed every day to feed the population.

    Israeli ministers have publicly called for food and fuel reserves to be bombed to starve the Palestinian people – a clear war crime – to pressure Hamas to release Israeli hostages.

    Famine expert Alex De Waal says Israel’s starvation strategy constitutes a dangerous weakening of international law. It also disrupts norms aimed at preventing hunger being used as a weapon of war:

    operations like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are a big crack in these principles [that is] not going to save Gaza from mass starvation.

    Palestinian organisations were the first to raise the alarm over Israel’s plans to impose controls over aid distribution.

    UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher briefed the UN Security Council in May, warning of the world’s collective failure to call out the scale of violations of international law as they were being committed:

    Israel is deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory.

    Tom Fletcher briefing the United Nations on the ‘atrocity’ being committed in Gaza.

    Since then, clear and unequivocal warnings of the compounding risks of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing have intensified from the UN, member states and international law experts.

    Weaponising aid

    The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation claims it has handed out millions of meals since it began operating in the strip in May. But the UN has called the distribution model “inherently unsafe”.

    Near-daily shootings have occurred since the militarised aid hubs began operating. Malnourished Palestinians risking death to feed their families are trekking long distances to reach the small number of distribution sites.

    While the foundation denies people are being shot, the UN has called the aid delivery mechanism a “deliberate attempt to weaponise aid” that fails to comply with humanitarian principles and risks further war crimes.

    Jewish Physicians for Human Rights has rejected the aid’s “humanitarian” characterisation, stating it “is what systematic harm to human beings looks like”.

    Human rights and legal organisations are calling for all involved to be held accountable for complicity in war crimes that “exposes all those who enable or profit from it to real risk of prosecution”.

    Mounting world action

    Today’s joint statement follows growing anger and frustration in Western countries over the lack of political pressure on Israel to end the suffering in Gaza.

    Polling in May showed more than 80% of Australians opposed Israel’s denial of aid as unjustifiable and wanted to see Australia doing more to support civilians in Gaza.

    Last week’s meeting of the Hague Group of nations shows more collective concrete action is being taken to exert pressure and uphold international law.

    Th 12 member states agreed to a range of diplomatic, legal and economic measures, including a ban on ships transporting arms to Israel.

    The time for humanity is now

    States will continue to face increased international and domestic pressure to take stronger action to influence Israel’s conduct as more Gazans are killed, injured and stripped of their dignity in an engineered famine.

    This moment in Gaza is unprecedented in terms of our knowledge of the scale and gravity of violations being perpetrated and what failing to act means for Palestinians and our shared humanity.

    Now is the time to exert diplomatic, legal and economic pressure on Israel to change course.

    History tells us we need to act now – international law and our collective moral conscience requires it.

    Amra Lee 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. Suffering in Gaza reaches ‘new depths’ – Australia condemns ‘inhumane killing’ of Palestinians – https://theconversation.com/suffering-in-gaza-reaches-new-depths-australia-condemns-inhumane-killing-of-palestinians-261547

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: China strongly opposes EU’s inclusion of Chinese entities in Russia sanctions

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

    A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce on Monday expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the European Union’s (EU) decision to include Chinese companies and financial institutions in its 18th round of sanctions against Russia.

    Responding to a media inquiry, the spokesperson said the EU had disregarded China’s multiple representations and objections by unilaterally including Chinese companies in its sanctions list and imposing penalties on two Chinese financial institutions based on groundless accusations.

    The spokesperson emphasized that China consistently opposes unilateral sanctions that lack basis in international law and authorization from the United Nations Security Council.

    The EU’s actions contradict the consensus reached between Chinese and EU leaders, and will seriously undermine China-EU economic and trade ties as well as financial cooperation, the spokesperson added.

    China urges the EU to immediately cease its erroneous practice of including Chinese enterprises and financial institutions in its sanctions list, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that China will take necessary measures to firmly protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and financial institutions.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Humanoid robot industry chain matchmaking event held at 3rd CISCE

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

    The Hubei Humanoid Robotics Industry Chain Matchmaking Conference was held on July 16 during the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, with the theme “Synergizing Cutting-Edge Innovations, Empowering New Quality Productive Forces.”

    Yu Jianlong, vice chairman of the CCPIT, speaks at the Hubei Humanoid Robotics Industry Chain Matchmaking Conference during the 3rd CISCE in Beijing, July 16, 2025. [Photo courtesy of CISCE Organizing Committee]

    The event gathered over 400 participants, including ambassadors to China, academic experts, industry leaders and senior financial executives. Through keynote speeches, presentations, project promotions, product launches and strategic cooperation signings, the conference comprehensively showcased Hubei province’s advantages and potential in humanoid robot development. It facilitated precise connections across the industrial chain while injecting momentum into global humanoid robotics collaboration.

    Yu Jianlong, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), stated at the event that as a pivotal hub where the Belt and Road Initiative intersects with the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Hubei boasts distinct geographical advantages, abundant sci-tech and educational resources, a robust innovation ecosystem and strong openness. In recent years, the province has demonstrated vigorous development momentum in humanoid robotics — from smart manufacturing to core component R&D, and from application scenarios to industrial ecosystem development.

    “At this year’s CISCE, Hubei established the exclusive humanoid robotics exhibition zone, featuring 22 provincial enterprises showcasing over 80 exhibits — including 20 fully-integrated humanoid robots — collectively demonstrating Hubei’s complete industrial chain ecosystem for humanoid robotics,” Yu noted.

    He emphasized that the CCPIT will continue expanding its enterprise service network and international partnerships, working with Hubei to establish high-quality cooperation platforms for Chinese and foreign enterprises. This will help position Hubei’s humanoid robotics industry as a standout brand in developing new quality productive forces.

    Hu Zhonghai, director of the Hubei Sub-Council of the CCPIT, stated in his address that the humanoid robotics industry represents strategic high ground for developing new quality productive forces — serving as both a “barometer” for technological revolution and an “accelerator” for industrial upgrading. He emphasized Hubei’s ideal environment for robotics innovation, with its unique geographic advantages, strong industrial ecosystem support and superior open policies.

    The joint exhibition booth of Hubei humanoid robotics enterprises during the 3rd CISCE in Beijing, July 19, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

    He noted the province has prioritized eight major projects, including breakthroughs in humanoid robotics, with 325 Global Fortune 500 companies having now established operations in Hubei. The province is firmly implementing its humanoid robotics industry roadmap targeting initial progress within one year, visible results in three years, and substantial momentum in five years.

    Li Zhengxiang, chairman of the Hubei Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center, stated that the center is currently one of China’s largest and most scenario-rich innovation hubs for humanoid robotics. “Through a five-dimensional approach featuring platform leadership, industrial cluster development, financial support, talent empowerment and application scenario implementation, we will build a nationally influential ecosystem for the humanoid robotics industry,” he said.

    Zhao Xingwei, legal representative of JCBot and professor at the School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), explained that JCBot has achieved industrialization with technical support from the team of academicians at HUST. The company’s products currently serve over 10 application fields, including industrial production, cultural tourism, emergency firefighting, inspection and warehousing. He emphasized JCBot will continue advancing R&D to expand into higher-value applications and support industrial upgrading.

    During the new product launch session, Lou Kaiqi, deputy general manager of Hubei Optics Valley Dongzhi Embodied Intelligence Technology Co. Ltd., unveiled the company’s new humanoid robot model. Lou explained that the robot has already been deployed in various applications including exhibition hall docent services, retail guidance, reception duties and commercial performances, with plans for future expansion into government services, industrial operations, elderly care and other sectors.

    A humanoid robot waves to the audience at the Hubei Humanoid Robotics Industry Chain Matchmaking Conference during the 3rd CISCE in Beijing, July 16, 2025. [Photo courtesy of CISCE Organizing Committee]

    Shao Renjie, deputy director of integration at Hubei Kofon Intelligent Transmission Co. Ltd., unveiled a new drive joint module for humanoid robots at the event. The module integrates core components including high-torque motors, reducers and controllers, featuring high power density, precision control and lightweight design to meet dexterous movement requirements for humanoid robots. Shao noted that the launch of this module helps fill critical gaps in Hubei’s supply chain for humanoid robotics core components, strengthening local industrial self-sufficiency and control capabilities.

    At the matchmaking conference, the Hubei Humanoid Robotics Industry Alliance signed strategic cooperation framework agreements with three partners: the Zhejiang Robot Industry Association, the National and Local Co-Built Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center, and the Zhongguancun Rongzhi Specialized Robotics Alliance. Under the agreements, the four parties will collaborate deeply on technology R&D, market expansion and talent exchange to build a stronger robotics ecosystem, enabling resource sharing and complementary advantages to collectively enhance competitiveness in humanoid robotics.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Sino-US cooperation shines at 3rd China Intl Supply Chain Expo

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

    The 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) concluded July 20. Li Xingqian, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), outlined highlights of this year’s expo, and noted the presence of U.S. companies.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Coons cites his faith as a reason to reject Trump’s budget bill and urges his party to talk openly about faith on SiriusXM’s “Mornings with Zerlina”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined “Mornings with Zerlina” on SiriusXM Progress on Friday as part of her week-long series on faith and politics, where he talked about how his faith motivates his public service, especially in fighting for vulnerable communities impacted by President Trump’s sweeping budget bill and rescissions package which both passed the Senate this month.

    Senator Coons and Zerlina Maxwell discussed the need for Democrats to speak more openly about faith as a source of compassion and how faith plays into issues like climate change, health care, and global affairs. Senator Coons also talks about the rise of Christian nationalism in America right now and how evangelical conservatives have placed themselves at the center of the intersection of faith and politics in the popular imagination.

    A link to the interview and key excerpts are available below.

    LISTEN HERE.

    Republicans push through Trump’s budget reconciliation bill

    Maxwell: As a person of faith, what do you want our listeners at home to know about the damage of this particular law and how it flies in the face of so many faith teachings about how we should take care of people who are vulnerable and hurting?

    Senator Coons: There are lots of us in the Democratic caucus in the Senate who first felt called to public service to help others, to try and strengthen our country, to address the issues of health equity, of hunger, of lack of access to clean air and water, to safe housing through a concern for each other that’s rooted in seeing other Americans of different backgrounds and different states and different needs as children of God – as people fully deserving of the respect and the investment and the support that that entails. This bill – this law now, as you pointed out – is going to do massive damage.

    I recently did an event at the Delaware Food Bank with my colleagues, Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester and Congresswoman Sarah McBride, where we went through in detail the tens of thousands of children, seniors and families who will be hungry as a result of the cuts to the hunger programs of the federal government and the millions of people across the country who will lose access to health care and crowd into emergency rooms sicker with less support, more likely to go bankrupt in ways that will increase their suffering and reduce the health of our country as a whole. The bottom line is that this act, which really was centrally driven by trying to deliver bigger tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, is also going to make us hungrier, sicker, and more divided.

    …

    For a long time in American history, the faith community, broadly understood, was really at the center of social justice movements, whether it was the civil rights movement, or the labor movement, or the environmental movement, and that was motivated by a broadly shared compassion and concern for each other. If you think about the images of who was marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, it included priests and nuns, rabbis and protestant clergy, folks of a wide range of backgrounds. And just two weeks before the final vote on the “Big, Beautiful Bill” – which was anything but beautiful, it was a big, ugly bill – Reverend Jim Wallis and I helped convene literally hundreds of clergy, religious, civic leaders from around the country in a protest on the steps of the Capitol which began by their reading dozens of Scripture passages from Torah, from the Gospels, from other faith traditions that all put a privilege, a focus, a centrality, on caring for the poor, on caring for the needy, for the widow, for the orphan, for the outcast, and then put in sharp contrast how this law does the opposite.

    Democrats needing to open up about their faith

    Maxwell: You mention that more Democrats need to talk about their faith. Why is it that so many Democrats seem uncomfortable or unwilling to lean into their beliefs and to talk about it more openly?

    Senator Coons: I don’t really know what’s the origin of it, other than, you know, look, we have to recognize that organized religion has harmed many people in the United States, there are certainly folks who have become distanced from their faith traditions because of their own experiences. Someone I was quite close to, and remain close to today, in law school confided in me that his initial very negative reaction was frankly because of something horrible that had happened in his parish when he was a child that had driven him away from the Catholic Church. He wasn’t judging me. He was just reflecting on an unpleasant experience. And the more that folks associate public religiosity with aggressive campaigns by Christian nationalists or exclusive focusing on reproductive freedom issues or death penalty issues, the more they think it’s a narrow concern, not something that speaks to broader concerns, but whether it’s about healthcare, the environment, our communities, or economic justice.

    Rise of Christian nationalism

    Maxwell: Does your faith inform the way you talk about the rise in authoritarianism or white Christian nationalism in the country right now? Because I feel like there is a space where we can talk about aligning ourselves with values that have a moral grounding that are not what the folks on the other end of the political spectrum are talking about in a moment like this one.

    Senator Coons: There are passages in the Gospels and the Torah that I think speak clearly to a sense of who is my neighbor. Who are we connected to? In Christ, there is no East or West, nor Greek, nor Jew, for example, and I have always felt that the calling of the United States to be engaged with the rest of the world, to be supportive of development and addressing disasters and crises in the rest of the world, is rooted in that teaching that we are all children of God, regardless of race, religion, background, ethnicity, faith, language. And here at home, similarly, Christian nationalism presumes that we are a country that is uniquely endowed with an historic mission, and at times that has, in my experience, on the Foreign Relations Committee here, that hurts our partnerships around the world, our alliances around the world, but it also fails to reflect a real embrace of the full creation of the world and the full range of humanity, both here in the United States and around the world.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Are screenwriters paid for a product or a service? The definition matters for their workplace rights

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Goodwin, Lecturer in Arts Management and Human Resources, The University of Melbourne

    Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash

    The film and television sector in Australia employs over 26,000 workers and generated more than A$4.5 billion in income in 2021–22. TV dramas generate a large part of this revenue.

    Australian screen workers, including screenwriters, have traditionally been classified by productions as freelancers or contractors. In many cases, this means they have not been paid entitlements most other workers in Australia have access to.

    A December ruling by the Australian Taxation Office defined many Australian screenwriters as employees, and therefore they should be paid superannuation. Now, the Australian Writers Guild and Screen Producers Australia are each “seeking legal advice” on what this ruling could mean for scriptwriters and Australia’s screen sector.

    Mandated superannuation

    The superannuation guarantee mandates employers make superannuation contributions for eligible employees in line with the minimum contribution rate (now 12%).

    Historically, scriptwriters, like other arts workers, have been mainly engaged as freelancers, not employees. This means they are not always paid superannuation and other legal entitlements that come from being an employee.

    But a December 2024 tax office ruling specifically defined many screen workers as employees.

    This ruling advises that someone who sells an existing script (such as someone who wrote a film at their own initiative, and then sold the script to a producer) is not an employee, but “selling property”. These writers are not eligible for super payments.

    But the ruling found people who are regularly working scriptwriters (such as those working in a writers’ room for a TV series) may be legally considered employees, and are eligible for payments and protections offered to employees.

    Screen Producers Australia sees things differently. Information provided to their members argues scriptwriters are paid for the intellectual property rights associated with their product – meaning they are selling property.

    Opposing this, the Australian Writers Guild argue scriptwriters on long-running TV programs or in writers’ rooms are performing services and are employees of the production companies.

    If the screen production companies do not fall in line with the tax office ruling, the Australian Writers Guild have not ruled out undertaking legal action through a class action suit, or a strike.

    As the guild is not a union, they cannot undertake protected industrial action. But the guild could encourage a “wildcat strike”: a spontaneous work stoppage without union leadership. They recognise, however, this would have the impact on member livelihoods.

    What does this mean for scriptwriters?

    The ruling from the tax office outlines how it would apply the legislation, but it has not yet been tested legally. If the ruling is tested legally – by, say, legal action from scriptwriters seeking superannuation payments – and scriptwriters are found to be employees, it could greatly affect their work and pay.

    Not only could this lead to mandated superannuation contributions, but access to other entitlements such as parental leave, holiday pay and redundancy provisions.

    Australian artists earn on average 26% below the workforce norm, with incomes decreasing in real terms.

    Working conditions for Australians in the screen industries are difficult. Those working in the sector suffer from high levels of burnout and face systemic barriers when not white, male and able-bodied.

    Scriptwriters in Australia often struggle to achieve sustainable careers.
    Aman Upadhyay/Unsplash

    Scriptwriters in Australia often struggle to achieve sustainable careers. Scriptwriting fees often don’t fully cover the research and writing involved in script development, and the rise of streaming services has seen residuals – money made from licence fees of past work – all but disappear.

    Secure work in writers’ rooms for television series is also diminishing as these shrink in both team size and duration, limiting opportunities for emerging writers.

    Freelance scriptwriters may lack basic worker rights like minimum wage, job security, union bargaining and workers’ compensation insurance.

    For those lucky enough to secure work, superannuation and other entitlements can be negotiated into individual contracts. Until now, this has relied on individuals having the power and ability to engage in contract negotiation.

    Creative Workplaces – the division of Creative Australia formed in 2023 to address issues of pay, safety and welfare across the arts – recently launched a website. It offers industrial resources for arts organisations and workers to understand their rights and obligations.

    This is an important tool for all in the creative industries to ensure they receive the minimums under the law. But it is not a regulatory body. The onus is on organisations and workers to put into practice the relevant contracts and employment relationships.

    As the writers guild argues, it should not be up to individual workers to negotiate for basic worker entitlements. The recent tax office ruling, they say, means entitlements should include superannuation for many scriptwriters.

    A sustainable screen career

    As with other workplace issues impacting artists in recent years, scriptwriters deserve basic legal protections. They also deserve the safety and security that comes from being recognised as employees.

    TV drama provides a valuable training ground for Australian creatives. Fostering talent includes the creation of liveable working conditions.

    Initiatives such as Creative Workplaces can provide information, but leaders within creative organisations, production companies and other decision makers must act.

    Producers may choose now to pay super, in line with the tax office ruling, or they may wait for legal precedent to be set. And while they must adhere to legal minimums, production companies must also consider whether those working with them can earn a sustainable living on these minimums, or if they should offer better employment terms.

    If we want a future for screen stories in Australia, support for those working in the sector to build an enduring career is essential.

    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. Are screenwriters paid for a product or a service? The definition matters for their workplace rights – https://theconversation.com/are-screenwriters-paid-for-a-product-or-a-service-the-definition-matters-for-their-workplace-rights-261463

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Sponheim Sales and Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    Published: July 21, 2025
    Throughout this Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
    RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Sponheim Sales and Services of Mitchell County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
    “Fourth-generation farmer Dean Sponheim founded Sponheim Sales and Services in 2015 based on decades of agricultural innovation,” said Chair Ernst. “Today, this family-owned business continues to cultivate success as a one-stop shop for farmers looking to learn about conservation farming practices.”
    Founded in 2015 by Dean Sponheim, a fourth-generation farmer, Sponheim Sales and Services has grown from a local conservation effort into a full-service agricultural operation supporting farmers across Iowa. The small business offers custom seed cleaning, drilling, aerial application, interseeding, and contracts with local oat and rye growers. Dean, alongside his son Josh and longtime colleague Rachel Amundson, has expanded the business to help farmers adopt sustainable practices to reduce their environmental footprint.
    Stay tuned as Chair Ernst recognizes more Iowa small businesses across the state with her Small Business of the Week award.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: ERAG Energie & Rohstoff AG Announces Acquisition of Shares of Belmont Resources Inc.

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ERAG Energie & Rohstoff AG PCC (the “Acquiror), a private investment a private investment holding company incorporated in Liechtenstein, announces that on July 17, 2025, the Acquiror, along with two joint actors HMS Bergbau AG (“HMS”) and LaVo Verwaltungsgesellschaft MBH (“LaVo”), acquired Common Shares of Belmont Resources Inc. (TSX-V: BEA) (the “Issuer”). The Issuer completed a private placement of Common Shares, issuing a total of 26,300,00 shares at a price of $0.045 per share for proceeds of $1,183,500 (the “Private Placement”). Under the Private Placement, the Acquiror purchased 4,000,000 Common Shares, HMS purchased 15,000,000 Common Shares and LaVo purchased 7,300,000 Common Shares.

    The Private Placement was the second tranche of a larger private placement in which the Issuer issued a total of 30,300,000 Common Shares.

    Immediately prior to the closing of the Private Placement, the Acquiror held 14,000,000 Common Shares of the Issuer and HMS held 9,200,000 Common Shares of the Issuer, for a total combined holding of 23,200,000 Common Shares, representing approximately 21.8% of the Issuer’s issued and outstanding Shares        .

    As a result of the completion of the Private Placement, the Acquiror now holds 18,000,000 Common Shares, HMS holds 24,200,000 Common Shares and LaVo holds 7,300,000 Common Shares, for combined holdings of 49,500,000 Common Shares, representing approximately 37.4% of the Issuer’s issued and outstanding Common Shares.

    The Acquiror, HMS and LaVo purchased Common Shares under the Private Placement for business and investment purposes. The Acquiror, HMS and LaVo may, depending on market and other conditions, increase or decrease their beneficial ownership of or control or direction over the Issuer’s securities, whether in the open market, by privately negotiated agreements or otherwise, subject to a number of factors, including general market conditions and other available investment and business opportunities.

    The Acquiror has filed an Early Warning Report pursuant to National Instrument 62-103F1 The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues describing the above transaction with the applicable securities regulatory authorities. To obtain a copy of the early warning report filed by the Acquiror, please contact the Acquiror c/o Gritt Bürger at +41 79 214 1614 or refer to the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    ERAG Energie & Rohstoff AG PCC
    Concordanz Anstalt
    Austrasse 42
    9490 Vaduz
    Liechtenstein
    Gritt Bürger, Director
    finance@erag.biz

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Disability Action Plans

    Source: Tertiary Education Commission

    The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) expects TEOs to take a proactive approach to improving outcomes for disabled learners. TEOs are required to develop and submit a Disability Action Plan (DAP) or DAP progress update as part of their Investment Plans. As most TEOs have now submitted a DAP, the focus has largely shifted to the progress updates.  
    DAPs help ensure TEOs meet their responsibilities under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
    What is a Disability Action Plan?
    We want to ensure TEOs avoid discrimination against disabled people, and disabled learners experience better outcomes throughout their education journey. 
    A DAP helps a TEO to identify good practices and offers a blueprint for change. The DAP sits alongside other Investment Plan requirements, including Learner Success Plans, designed to improve outcomes for all learners, in particular, learners most in need. 
    The DAP Guidance, which TEC provides, supports you to develop your DAP, or DAP progress update, and gives suggestions on how to use the Kia Ōrite Toolkit as part of this development. 

    Disability Action Plan progress update template
    Template for Disability Action Plan progress update for Investment from 2026 (DOCX 277 KB)  
    TEOs are encouraged to use the template, which was introduced in 2025, or use the template’s headings to guide their own document.  
    The Kia Ōrite Toolkit describes best practice
    The Kia Ōrite Toolkit is a New Zealand code of practice to achieve a tertiary education environment that supports disabled learners.
    A TEO’s DAP must show clear evidence that they are using various processes and measuring their progress against the Kia Ōrite Toolkit and its best practice standards.
    Access the Kia Ōrite Toolkit
    Find out more about the Kia Ōrite Toolkit for achieving equity
    Giving effect to the Tertiary Education Strategy (TES)
    Creating and implementing a DAP and improving outcomes for disabled learners also helps TEOs give effect to the TES – specifically, Objective Two: Barrier-free access.
    Supporting your learner success approach
    Fundamental to our work is understanding all learners and their needs and aspirations. Developing and implementing a DAP helps ensure an organisation fully understands the needs of disabled learners. Alongside Kia Ōrite, DAPs are a vital resource to support TEOs to redesign their businesses with learners at the centre.
    Ōritetanga – tertiary success for everyone
    Disability Action Plan report back for 2023
    2023 was the second year TEOs were required to submit a DAP as part of the investment round. DAPs were assessed, and feedback provided to TEOs. A sector-level report on the development of DAPs in 2023 is available below.

    The 2022 sector report is also available:

    FAQs

    The DAP Guidance is advice from the TEC on how to develop a DAP and what it should cover.
    Kia Ōrite is a toolkit for best practice, developed by a group of sector experts. It advises TEOs on how to best support disabled learners at all stages of their learning journey.
    They are two separate resources but support each other and should be read and used together.

    TEOs must submit a Disability Action Plan if they: 

    We strongly encourage all TEC-funded TEOs to engage with the Kia Ōrite Toolkit and develop a DAP at the earliest opportunity. Doing so will mean taking all possible steps to reduce discrimination against disabled people, including staff, learners and those in the wider community, and improve educational outcomes for disabled learners.

    TEOs must submit a Disability Action Plan progress update if they: 

    More information
    TEC staff are available to answer any questions about the DAP Guidance, the Kia Ōrite Toolkit and the investment process. Please contact your Relationship Manager or the Customer Contact Group on 0800 601 301 or at customerservice@tec.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Texas Parents and Fossil Free Media’s Make Polluters Pay Campaign Hold Memorial Outside White House After Deadly Flooding

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WASHINGTON, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Texas parents gathered outside the White House for a solemn memorial and press conference following the catastrophic flooding in Kerr County that claimed more than 120 lives, including 27 children attending summer camp.

    Organized by impacted families and the Make Polluters Pay, a campaign by Fossil Free Media, the memorial featured a powerful visual display of 27 children’s camp trunks on the Ellipse Lawn—each representing a young life lost. Parents placed yellow roses atop the trunks in silence before delivering impassioned remarks demanding federal accountability and urgent action to protect children from worsening climate-driven disasters.

    The ceremony concluded with a stirring performance by a local choir, who sang “Lean on Me” and “Rise Like the Water” as families stood arm in arm, calling for justice and change.

    Parents directly blamed the Trump administration’s cuts to disaster preparedness and early warning systems, including FEMA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service, which they say left communities vulnerable. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, recently inserted language into H.R. 1 that slashed millions from NOAA programs essential for flood forecasting and public alerts.

    “We know that this administration, by destroying renewable energy and using our tax dollars to prop up the fossil fuel industry, an industry that earned $102 billion dollars last year, is doing everything it can to supercharge this climate crisis,” said Texan and mom Samantha Gore. “To also be defunding our NWS and NOAA, the agencies we use to keep our children safe, at the same time is unthinkable. How dare they. Parents won’t sit back while our children die from floods that shouldn’t have been supercharged, from DOGE cuts that put their lives on the line, and from weather services not being funded. What are they thinking? We won’t back down. They are destroying everything we love.”

    In addition to demanding the restoration of life-saving public programs, demonstrators called on President Trump and Congress to hold fossil fuel companies financially accountable for the damage their pollution has caused.

    “Texans are grieving because public safety systems were dismantled to serve fossil fuel interests,” said Cassidy DiPaola, spokesperson for the Make Polluters Pay campaign. “Senator Cruz helped cut flood forecasting programs days before the storm. Now families are paying the price while polluters and their allies deflect blame. Texans deserve accountability, not excuses.”

    Speakers stressed that the Kerr County tragedy reflects a growing pattern of climate disasters that will only intensify without bold action and restoration of critical safeguards.

    “It feels like we’ve lost our way as a country in a very short time. In the six months since this administration has been in charge they have encouraged, enabled, allowed a temporary government agency, one with no oversight, to wantonly cut budgets and offer early retirements for roles that are crucial to the safety of our communities. There were other serious failures at lower levels of government, all of which directly contributed to the loss of dozens of children’s lives. These weren’t accidents or acts of God. These were intentional choices. Let that sink in,” said Texan and mom Helen Waters. “ This event affected me deeply as I grew up going to summer camp in the area and I have close friends who were caught in the flooding and nearly died. However it’s clear to me that this has, and will, happen in other places. We must fight for a social contract with reliable and accountable.”

    “As an Austin mom, I’ve been feeling the losses of the children from my community in a very visceral, immediate way,” said Texan and mom Eileen McGinnis. “As the founder of The Parents’ Climate Community, a climate nonprofit in Central Texas, I was moved to join because it’s also vital to connect these losses, this collective grief, to a larger story: kids around the world are bearing the brunt of climate change’s impacts, and we are failing to protect them.”

    To speak with parents or campaign representatives, please contact:
    Cassidy DiPaola | Fossil Free Media | cassidy@fossilfree.media | 401-441-7196

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dec3545d-41ef-480b-a8bf-bb3665e09832

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Texas Parents and Fossil Free Media’s Make Polluters Pay Campaign Hold Memorial Outside White House After Deadly Flooding

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WASHINGTON, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Texas parents gathered outside the White House for a solemn memorial and press conference following the catastrophic flooding in Kerr County that claimed more than 120 lives, including 27 children attending summer camp.

    Organized by impacted families and the Make Polluters Pay, a campaign by Fossil Free Media, the memorial featured a powerful visual display of 27 children’s camp trunks on the Ellipse Lawn—each representing a young life lost. Parents placed yellow roses atop the trunks in silence before delivering impassioned remarks demanding federal accountability and urgent action to protect children from worsening climate-driven disasters.

    The ceremony concluded with a stirring performance by a local choir, who sang “Lean on Me” and “Rise Like the Water” as families stood arm in arm, calling for justice and change.

    Parents directly blamed the Trump administration’s cuts to disaster preparedness and early warning systems, including FEMA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service, which they say left communities vulnerable. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, recently inserted language into H.R. 1 that slashed millions from NOAA programs essential for flood forecasting and public alerts.

    “We know that this administration, by destroying renewable energy and using our tax dollars to prop up the fossil fuel industry, an industry that earned $102 billion dollars last year, is doing everything it can to supercharge this climate crisis,” said Texan and mom Samantha Gore. “To also be defunding our NWS and NOAA, the agencies we use to keep our children safe, at the same time is unthinkable. How dare they. Parents won’t sit back while our children die from floods that shouldn’t have been supercharged, from DOGE cuts that put their lives on the line, and from weather services not being funded. What are they thinking? We won’t back down. They are destroying everything we love.”

    In addition to demanding the restoration of life-saving public programs, demonstrators called on President Trump and Congress to hold fossil fuel companies financially accountable for the damage their pollution has caused.

    “Texans are grieving because public safety systems were dismantled to serve fossil fuel interests,” said Cassidy DiPaola, spokesperson for the Make Polluters Pay campaign. “Senator Cruz helped cut flood forecasting programs days before the storm. Now families are paying the price while polluters and their allies deflect blame. Texans deserve accountability, not excuses.”

    Speakers stressed that the Kerr County tragedy reflects a growing pattern of climate disasters that will only intensify without bold action and restoration of critical safeguards.

    “It feels like we’ve lost our way as a country in a very short time. In the six months since this administration has been in charge they have encouraged, enabled, allowed a temporary government agency, one with no oversight, to wantonly cut budgets and offer early retirements for roles that are crucial to the safety of our communities. There were other serious failures at lower levels of government, all of which directly contributed to the loss of dozens of children’s lives. These weren’t accidents or acts of God. These were intentional choices. Let that sink in,” said Texan and mom Helen Waters. “ This event affected me deeply as I grew up going to summer camp in the area and I have close friends who were caught in the flooding and nearly died. However it’s clear to me that this has, and will, happen in other places. We must fight for a social contract with reliable and accountable.”

    “As an Austin mom, I’ve been feeling the losses of the children from my community in a very visceral, immediate way,” said Texan and mom Eileen McGinnis. “As the founder of The Parents’ Climate Community, a climate nonprofit in Central Texas, I was moved to join because it’s also vital to connect these losses, this collective grief, to a larger story: kids around the world are bearing the brunt of climate change’s impacts, and we are failing to protect them.”

    To speak with parents or campaign representatives, please contact:
    Cassidy DiPaola | Fossil Free Media | cassidy@fossilfree.media | 401-441-7196

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dec3545d-41ef-480b-a8bf-bb3665e09832

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Su Chao’ transforms Wuxi into festival of football and flavor

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

    Beneath neon lights and the glow of a towering outdoor screen, a voice rang out – “Goal for Huai’an!” The shout cut through the air, momentarily halting Wuxi local Yuan Yijun mid-bite, her hands suspending a plump crayfish midair.

    “Suddenly,” Yuan laughed, “even my beloved crayfish didn’t taste as good.”

    On July 20, the 1.38-kilometer-long Hubin Commercial Street in Wuxi’s Binhu District, east China’s Jiangsu Province, turned into a stadium of its own. It was lined not with bleachers, but with steaming night market stalls, rows of folding chairs and hungry, hyped-up fans.

    Lu Zhiyong (1st L) of Changzhou goes for a header against Nanjing during the 2025 Jiangsu Football City League in Changzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province on June 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

    The Sunday night saw Wuxi host Huai’an in a much-anticipated match of the wildly popular Chinese grassroots league known as the Su Super League, or “Su Chao.” Online, fans dubbed the derby the “Honey peach vs. Crayfish,” a playful reference to the two cities’ culinary claims to fame.

    “For us, eating crayfish is our own way of cheering for the Wuxi team,” Yuan said, gesturing to the pool of chili oil and glistening carapaces before her.

    “Honestly, I’m not even a hardcore fan. My friends and I came here to hang out, snack and soak up the vibe. It’s all about the ambience,” she added.

    Inside the stadium, chants rattled the rafters. Outside, every goal lit up the squares and parks. On social media, memes and banter about the quirky faceoff spread like wildfire. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup remaining a distant glimmer on the horizon, “Su Chao” has already ignited a football fever in China.

    Since its kickoff in May, the city-based amateur league has drawn staggering attention, with peak single-game attendance surpassing 60,000, over a million fans scrambling for tickets each round and short video platform impressions soaring past 10 billion.

    The July 20 match coincided with the opening of Hubin Commercial Street’s summer shopping festival, infusing the street with an almost orchestral tempo. Over 370 renowned eateries lined the street, but none drew more eager crowds than the competing crayfish stands.

    “This street is famous for its crayfish-fueled night market,” said Ji Chenjie, deputy general manager of a company running the commercial street. “Tonight, we counted nearly 40,000 visitors. Many merchants took it upon themselves to ride the ‘Su Chao’ wave. Some even set up pop-up stalls in whatever open space was left.”

    Even for the vendors, team loyalty was a delicious dilemma. “As someone from Huai’an now doing business in Wuxi, I had mixed feelings,” admitted Sun Wei, a crayfish shop owner originally from Huai’an’s Xuyi County, which is renowned for its crayfish industry.

    Wuxi narrowly lost 2-1 in the Sunday clash, but Sun was far from disappointed. “The city may have lost on the pitch, but it has won in business. I’m all smiles.”

    Residents and tourists enjoy food while watching a game at Hubin Commercial Street in Binhu District, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. (Photo by He Leijing)

    According to Ji, the commercial complex has been transformed into a vast, pulsing network of viewing points, with three enormous LED screens beamed matches live and over 40 shops streaming the game indoors. “Even if you’re dining inside, just glance up, and you’re still part of the action,” she said. “It’s full immersion.”

    The “Su Chao” boom has also inspired a flood of creative merchandising. “We’re blending football with food, local crafts and street cultures. Everything from themed menus to local handicrafts and folk art is popping up,” Ji added. “It’s about sport, but also about storytelling and culture.”

    Elsewhere in Jiangsu, similar scenes repeat nightly, as the grassroots league is sparking new life into summer nightlife economies. In Wuxi alone, city authorities have designated 43 public viewing sites for fans to gather, ranging from bustling plazas and parks to neighborhood squares.

    For visiting Huai’an fan Chen Hongzhi, watching the match in Wuxi was only part of a longer holiday. “We watched the game, then took the kids to explore the Ling Shan scenic area,” he said. “They even gave out free peaches to our Huai’an fans! We’re staying a few more days to visit some other attractions.”

    Statistics show that the Ling Shan scenic area drew 40,000 tourists over the weekend, over 60 percent of whom came from Huai’an.

    “Winning or losing in the league doesn’t matter that much,” Chen said. “What matters is that people are part of something – part of a city, part of a story, part of the joy.”

    “I’ve been a football fan for years, but I never thought I’d see football become so woven into our everyday life,” he reflected. “It’s something new. It’s almost moving.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed, Whitehouse & Magaziner Announce $275K for RI Shipyard Modernization

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI – U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Seth Magaziner today announced a new $274,596 federal grant for the J. Goodison Co. shipyard at the Quonset Business Park. The federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration Small Shipyards Grant program.

    The federal funds will be used by J. Goodison to modernize equipment and purchase 21 new welder units and a 200-ton press brake to enhance fabrication and welding capabilities. Reliable welding equipment will ensure that projects can be completed in the most efficient manner and reduce the need for outsourcing. This project will help increase the company’s capabilities, improve efficiency and productivity, and create opportunities to provide competitive service.

    “This is good news for J. Goodison and Rhode Island’s maritime industry. Ensuring Rhode Island shipyard’s have the best machinery available to meet their needs increases productivity and efficiency and expands capacity at Quonset. Small shipyards like J. Goodison make big contributions to our economy by building and maintaining the vessels that drive our economy. We’ve got to keep them competitive. I will continue working to bring investment to Rhode Island’s ports, shipbuilders, and shipyards,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee. Senator Reed led efforts to restore funding for the Small Shipyard program after it lapsed for several years.

    “I’m glad to join Senator Reed in helping ensure that Ocean State shipyards have everything they need to grow and create jobs,” said Senator Whitehouse. “Congratulations to J. Goodison on winning this competitive grant, which will support even more economic activity at Quonset.”

    “This federal funding will help J. Goodison modernize its operations, boost productivity, and create good-paying jobs right here in Rhode Island,” said Congressman Magaziner. “I will keep fighting to bring home funds that strengthen the state’s shipyards and grow the local maritime economy.”

    “We thank Senators Reed and Whitehouse and the entire Rhode Island Congressional delegation for their leadership in supporting this project,” said Jack Goodison, President and CEO of J. Goodison Co. “Our State and region succeed when we work together to modernize our shipyards with newer equipment that this grant will help fund.”

    Founded in 1999, J. Goodison is a veteran-owned small business specializing in full-service marine maintenance. In 2016, the company opened a waterfront shipyard facility in the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown. Due to its location and capabilities, the shipyard has become an important asset for marine operators along the Eastern Seaboard. The commercial fishing industry, passenger ferry operators, marine towing operators, and the United States Coast Guard all rely on J. Goodison’s vessel repair services.

    MARAD’s Small Shipyard Grant Program is a competitive grant program designed to support small shipyard projects that make capital and related improvements or provide training for workers in shipbuilding, ship repair, and associated industries.

    In fiscal year 2024, the Small Shipyard Grant Program received 78 grant applications from shipbuilding or repair companies nationwide requesting just under $50 million. The program allocated $8.75 million in available federal funds.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The International Philanthropist Award for outstanding achievements of people with disabilities in the field of culture and art accepts applications until 31.08.2025

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Solid Bank – Solid Bank –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The partner of the financial house “Solid” the Foundation for the support of the disabled “Philanthropist” announces the start of collecting applications for participation in the XIII International Award “Philanthropist” for outstanding achievements of the disabled in the field of culture and art. The prize fund of each Laureate will be 200,000 rubles. Applications for the competition are accepted until August 31, 2025.

    Organizers

    Government of the Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Government of Moscow Russian Academy of Arts All-Russian Society of Disabled People Philanthropist Foundation

    Nominations

    Performing Arts Fine Arts Literary Arts

    Awarded once every two years

    The bonus fund is formed from extra-budgetary sources.

    Each nomination has several sub-nominations.

    Special prizes

    “For the preservation of folk art traditions” “For novelty and originality in creativity” “Overcoming. Beyond the Possible” “To Growing Hopes” “To a statesman and public figure for providing effective assistance to disabled people and their public organizations” “Defender of the Fatherland” (The prize is awarded solely on the recommendation of the jury members from the nominations presented above to a disabled person who is a participant in local military conflicts or combat operations. Has a monetary equivalent). “For providing effective assistance to disabled people and their public organizations” – awarded to a statesman and/or public figure (has no monetary value); “To a philanthropist and patron of the arts” – awarded to business representatives for providing charitable and sponsorship assistance to disabled people and their public organizations (has no monetary value).

    The XIII Ceremony of the “International Philanthropist Award for Outstanding Achievements of Disabled People in Culture and Art” will be held on December 2, 2025 in Moscow. Executive Directorate of the Award – Philanthropist Foundation for the Support of Disabled People 101000, Moscow, Moroseyka St., Building 3/13, Building 1.

    Detailed information is available on the Foundation’s websiteGDV.filanthrop.ruTel.: 7 917 557-69-90

    Share the news on social networks

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Consumer NZ – Price it right: Consumer NZ launches campaign to stop misleading supermarket pricing

    Source: Consumer NZ

    A new petition calls for a mandatory supermarket pricing accuracy code, automatic compensation and tougher penalties.

    Consumer NZ has launched a new campaign – Price it right – calling on the government to crack down on misleading supermarket pricing practices that are costing shoppers tens of millions of dollars a year across Aotearoa.

    The consumer watchdog is urging the introduction of a mandatory supermarket pricing accuracy code, with clear rules, meaningful penalties and automatic compensation for consumers when supermarkets get it wrong.

    “We’re asking the government to step in and deal with misleading supermarket pricing,” said Jon Duffy, Consumer NZ chief executive.  

    “Too often, shoppers are charged more at the check-out than what’s shown on the shelf, or they’re misled in some other way. While pricing errors may seem minor on an individual basis, they add up when multiplied across the population. This isn’t OK, particularly at a time when people are struggling to pay their bills.”

    Recent Consumer research found that 62% of New Zealanders noticed pricing errors at the supermarket over the past year.

    “This isn’t just the occasional mistake – it’s an ongoing systemic problem that’s adding to the pain people are feeling at the check-out with food prices that are already too high,” said Duffy.

    Thanks to hundreds of complaints shared by consumers, Consumer filed a formal complaint with the Commerce Commission in 2023. That led to criminal charges being laid against Woolworths NZ and two Pak’nSave stores for misleading pricing. But the problem persists.

    “It’s already illegal for businesses to mislead consumers about prices, but the current law is not forcing supermarkets to up their game. They have had plenty of chances to fix this. The time for talk is over. It’s time for stronger rules with real consequences,” said Duffy.  

    Consumer’s Price it right campaign is calling for:

    • a mandatory supermarket pricing accuracy code with clear pricing rules 
    • automatic compensation when shoppers are overcharged – such as receiving the item free if the scanned price is higher than the shelf price, there is a special that doesn’t offer a genuine saving or the unit pricing is incorrect  
    • clear disclosure of consumer rights in store and online 
    • tougher penalties and infringement notice powers, like those used in Australia, to deter misleading pricing and promotions. 

    “We’re not asking for much – just fair and accurate pricing that consumers can trust,” said Duffy. “It’s a simple step that would make a real difference.”

    What you can do
    Consumer is asking New Zealanders to sign its petition and demand that the government take urgent action. Minister for economic growth Nicola Willis says she’s considering introducing tougher penalties for supermarkets that breach the Fair Trading Act and other changes to ensure shoppers are not misled by pricing. Signing the petition will show your support for these moves.  

    Sign the petition: Tell the government to ‘price it right’
    “It’s time supermarkets were held to account. By signing and sharing the petition, you’re helping stop misleading supermarket pricing and pushing for real change.” (ref. https://consumernz.cmail20.com/t/i-l-fkkjkyk-ijjdkdttjk-j/ )

     

    Note:

    Visit consumer.org.nz to view the campaign

     

    About Consumer

    Consumer NZ is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to championing and empowering consumers in Aotearoa. Consumer NZ has a reputation for being fair, impartial and providing comprehensive consumer information and advice.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: DOGE daily income is in hand! RICH Miner launches the revolutionary Dogecoin cloud mining application

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Chicago, Illinois, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RICH Miner officially launched its new DOGE (Dogecoin) cloud mining application, announcing that cloud mining has entered a new era of “low carbon, zero threshold, and daily arrival”.

    RICH Miner relies on a global user base of more than 5 million and 120+ green mining farms, supports renewable energy such as wind power and solar energy, and provides users with a smart experience to easily start Dogecoin mining and daily income.

    Why use Dogecoin for mining?

    Dogecoin (DOGE) uses the Scrypt algorithm, has advantages such as fast block generation and low difficulty, and with active community support, it has become a popular mining option with low thresholds for profit. Compared with Bitcoin and other currencies, DOGE mining has low cost and simple operation, which is especially suitable for novices and small and medium-sized investors. DOGE has both short-term realization and long-term holding value, and is an ideal way to achieve passive income and participate in the crypto ecosystem.

    Core highlights of the platform:

    ✅ 1. Zero threshold for entry, free computing power upon registration
    New users can get $15 worth of cloud computing power upon registration, and experience real mining benefits without any upfront investment.

    ✅ 2. Multi-currency support, flexible mining
    Supports mainstream currencies such as BTC, ETH, DOGE, XRP, SOL, USDT, etc., and freely choose mining assets and income currencies.

    ✅ 3. Global green mines, energy saving and environmental protection
    RICH Miner relies on green energy mines (wind power, solar energy, etc.) to reduce carbon emissions and practice the concept of sustainable development.

    ✅ 4. Real-time data and transparent benefits
    Users can check the computing power status, contract progress and daily benefits at any time. The system is open and transparent, and the operation is simple and clear.

    How to use DOGE for daily profit?

    1. Register an account:
    Visit the RICH Miner official website, create an account for free and get a $15 reward.

    2. Top up DOGE:
    Select DOGE in the “Top up center” and the system will provide a dedicated wallet address. Copy the address and transfer DOGE from your wallet or exchange.

    3. Select a mining contract:
    Select your personal preference, the appropriate cloud mining contract and confirm the purchase.

    ●(New User Experience Contract) Investment amount: $100; Term: 2 days; Daily income: $3; Total income: $100.00 + $6.

    ●(Canaan Avalon A15XP) Investment amount: $600; Term: 8 days; Daily income: $7.20; Total income: $500.00 + $57.60.

    ●(Bitdeer SealMiner A2) Investment amount: $1,300; Term: 13 days; Daily income: $17.30; Total income: $1300.00 + $221.39.

    ●(Bitmain Antminer L7) Investment amount: $3,000; Term: 17 days; Daily income: $42.30; Total income: $3000.00 + $719.10.

    ●(Bitmain Antminer S21 Immersion) Investment amount: $5600; Term: 24 days; Daily income: $84.00; Total income: $5600.00 + $2016.00.

    ●(Bitmain Antminer L9) Investment amount: $12,000; Term: 32 days; Daily income: $204.00; Total income: $12,000.00 + $6,528.00.

    Click here to view the completed contract

    4. Sit back and enjoy the benefits:
    After the contract is purchased, the system will automatically distribute the mining income to your account balance every day, and support withdrawal or reinvestment at any time.

    Summary:

    RICH Miner’s DOGE cloud mining application not only realizes the automatic arrival of daily income, but also actively practices environmental protection, reduces carbon emissions and reduces traditional mining costs. For those who pursue stable passive income and crypto investors, this is undoubtedly an ideal choice that takes into account both efficiency and sustainability.

    If you are looking forward to easily “lying down” DOGE, you may wish to register and experience it immediately, and start a new era of green income with RICH Miner!

    Customer service email: info@richminer.com

    Official website link: https://richminer.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Kudlow on Fox Business to Discuss GENIUS Act Signing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    WASHINGTON—Last week, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Kudlow on Fox Business live from the White House after President Donald Trump signed his GENIUS Act into law.
    *Click the photo above or here to watch*Partial Transcript
    Hagerty on the impact of the GENIUS Act: “What this [the GENIUS Act] does is it takes a payment system that was designed in the 1970s out of business. We go into the blockchain—much more efficient, much more effective. Trades that took five or 10 days to clear now can be done almost instantaneously. If you think about the working capital that comes out of the system, the counterparty risk that goes away, the currency risk if you’re doing a cross-border transaction—all of that is minimized because of the speed of these transactions.”
    Hagerty on increased demand for U.S. Treasuries: “In terms of the impact on the dollar and on Treasuries, I think that’s going to be very significant. The demand for U.S. treasuries is going to go up significantly. In fact, every projection shows that stablecoin issuers will become the largest holders of U.S. Treasuries, because every stablecoin in America has to be backed dollar-for-dollar by a U.S. Treasury or cash. That’s going to stimulate Treasury demand. That’s going to have a great impact on rates, bringing them down. It’ll help the Treasury secretary manage much better. And as we look at the environment we’re in right now, with rates too high and the cost of our debt too high, this is going to be a definite help.”
    Hagerty on global dollar dominance: “This [the GENIUS Act] will cement the U.S. dollar as the reserve currency of the world. People around the world would much rather own a decentralized, U.S. dollar-denominated currency that they know is backed up by U.S. Treasuries than a Chinese yuan or a euro, currencies that are centralized and controlled by their governments. This is going to be a far better product. And I think what this does is it takes us from being on our heels, which is where we were for the last four years, when the Biden administration waged war on the industry, and moves us into the 21st century.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow Metro – Russia conducted its first digital ruble payment as part of a smart contract for insuring the capital’s autonomous tram

    Source: Moscow Metro

    Russia conducted its first digital ruble payment as part of a smart contract for insuring the capital’s autonomous tram.

    Russia conducted its first digital ruble payment as part of a smart contract for insuring the capital’s autonomous tram. – Московский метрополитен – В России провели 1-й платеж цифровыми рублями в рамках смарт-контракта на страхование столичного беспилотного трамвая.

    As Maksim Liksutov reported, the transaction was successfully carried out in pilot mode between the insurance group SOGAZ and the metro, with the support of VTB Bank. The payment was not related to an actual insurance event.

    Key advantages of digital rubles:

    Reliability. This is a digital form of the national currency, alongside cash and non-cash funds.

    Speed. Payments are processed automatically within one day under a smart contract.

    Security. Full transparency of transfers, as well as payments for goods and services.

    At the beginning of 2025, on the instructions of Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, the Moscow Government signed a smart contract to insure Russia’s first autonomous tram. This test payment proved the safety, transparency, and high speed of fulfilling obligations using digital rubles. The online calculation of simulated damages and the payout of compensation were completed within one day. In the future, digital rubles will become one of the payment methods for fares and other transportation services in the capital, — said Maksim Liksutov.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Peters Reintroduces Bill to Help Tackle America’s Housing Crisis, Boost Public Transit Use

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

    Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA-50) and Blake Moore (R-UT-01) and Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Jim Banks (R-IN) reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Build More Housing Near Transit Act to encourage the construction of low- and middle-income housing in transit-served, walkable locations. Rep. Peters previously introduced a standalone House version of the legislation in 2019 and a bicameral version in 2021 and 2023.  

    The bill incentivizes the development of more housing near transit stops by tying the competition for federal transit funding to state and local housing plans along transit corridors. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the United States has a shortage of 7.1 million affordable rental homes. In San Diego County alone, there is a shortage of nearly 100,000 homes for extremely low-income renters and that gap is nearly one million homes statewide. It is clear California is not doing enough to keep pace with growing demand – in 2024, the state only permitted 114,069 homes, according to California’s Housing and Community Development Department. Since 2021, San Diego County has permitted only 48,765 homes, just 28.4 percent of the total needed to meet demand according to the Regional Housing Needs Allocation formula.  

    “The cost of housing remains the greatest barrier to prosperity in California, forcing people to move farther and farther from where they work, which means longer commutes and more air pollution,” said Rep. Peters. “Our bill will get more cars off the road by maximizing federal investments in public transportation and will increase affordable housing options for families across the country.  As a Co-Chair of the YIMBY Caucus and founding member of the growth–oriented Build America Caucus in Congress, I look forward to getting this commonsense legislation across the finish line to help relieve the pressure on cost-burdened Americans.” 

    “Housing has consistently been one of the most pressing issues for Utahns since I joined Congress. In some ways, Utah is a victim of its own success. Our incredible quality of life, economic opportunity, and low unemployment rates have put significant strains on our housing market, which has priced out young families from starter homes and presented major challenges to servicemembers at Hill Air Force Base,” said Rep. Moore. “I’m proud to introduce legislation that will condition federal transit grants on whether states are reducing zoning barriers for housing near new bus or rapid transit lines, something that Utah has already been doing for years through the leadership of partners such as UTA along the Wasatch Front and Connect in Cache Valley. The end result will bring more of Utah’s common-sense policies to Washington and help more families find affordable and accessible homes.” 

    “The clearest way out of our national housing shortage is by building more housing,” said Senator Schatz. “Our bipartisan bill incentivizes cities and towns to build housing when they expand or redevelop their public transit systems. This will help put more families in homes, grow local economies, and cut carbon pollution. It’s a win for everyone.” 

    “This bill makes it easier for communities to build homes for working families by cutting red tape and giving them the freedom to create strong, family-friendly neighborhoods near public transit,” said Senator Banks. 

    The Build More Housing Near Transit Act would direct the Department of Transportation to incentivize local governments to promote housing development and regional growth in and around the transit corridors of future New Starts projects. Specifically, this bill will amend U.S. Code Section 5309, which governs the application process for capital investment grants to: 

    • Direct the Secretary of Transportation to boost a transit project’s rating if the project includes pro-housing policies for areas along the project route; 
    • Define pro-housing policies as a state or local action to remove regulatory barriers to constructing or preserving housing, reduce or eliminate parking minimums or minimum lot sizes, establish by-right approval processes for multi-family housing, commit substantial public property to affordable housing development or preservation, and eliminate or raise residential property height limits; and 
    • Engage the Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop a methodology to evaluate the merits of the pro-housing policies documented in a CIG application. 

    A letter of support from more than 100 national, state, and local groups, including Circulate San Diego, is available here. A full list of supporting organizations is available here. 

    “In San Diego we have made a conscious effort to spur housing development along our growing public transit system,” said City of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “The Build More Housing Near Transit Act will provide additional incentives to create affordable housing near transit, helping our region address both our housing affordability and climate crises.” 

    “America is experiencing a severe housing shortage that affects every aspect of American lives and the economy,” said Mike Kingsella, CEO of Up for Growth Action. “The Build More Housing Near Transit Act addresses the critical link between transportation and housing and would create greater access to affordable commutes and abundant housing. We applaud the lead sponsors for introducing this bill, serving as an example of how the federal government can use its leverage to ensure the right types of housing are available in the places people want to live. 

    “The United States needs to build millions of new homes and rental units for low- and middle-income Americans,” said David Dworkin, President and CEO, National Housing Conference (NHC). “The Build More Housing Near Transit Act would help unlock supply and smarter, more efficient development by linking housing and transit planning and development. Transit-oriented development can help reduce costs, grow local economies, increase affordable housing supply, and increase access to opportunities for families. The National Housing Conference is proud to endorse this legislation, and we are grateful to the leadership of Representatives Scott Peters and Blake Moore, and Senators Brian Schatz and Jim Banks.” 

    “For decades, the federal government has funded mass transit projects in cities whose growth control laws do not allow people to live near and ride on transit,” said Alex Armlovich, Senior Housing Policy Analyst, Niskanen Center. “The Build More Housing Near Transit Act finally corrects this. It protects transit riders and the federal taxpayer from spending scarce transit capital on projects doomed by rigid zoning regulations to low housing growth and low future ridership, while uplifting projects in localities that welcome housing & transit ridership growth. This bill is the essential first step in restoring bipartisan confidence in America’s mass transit investments for taxpayers and transit riders alike.” 

    Full text of the legislation here. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Economy – Current Economic Decline driven by Constrained Liquidity – Trend Analysis Network

    Source: Trend Analysis Network

    New Zealand’s economy is showing signs of strain, and a growing body of evidence points to liquidity shortages and over manipulated interest rates as key culprits.
    While global macroeconomic policies and domestic shifts play some part, the Reserve Bank’s aggressive interest rate strategy may have overcorrected, leaving the economy with limited liquidity.
    The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) raised the Official Cash Rate (OCR) from a pandemic low of 0.25% to a peak of 5.5%.
    This high rate was intended to tame inflation. Trend Analysis research demonstrated in 2023 that the inflationary measures were based on an over reliance of CPI (consumer price index) as a core indicator.
    Research showed that prior to the GFC, CPI and other inflationary measures were effectively identifying real inflation. However, post COVID the macro-economy environment changed and most markets proactively began to hide inflationary indicators.
    Prices had increased while goods delivered, the type and level of services, and manufactured products supplied to consumers saw substantive reductions in volume, scope, size, and quality. This hid core components of inflationary pressures.
    Moreover, we noted in our earlier release “RBNZ Potential Catalyst Of New Inflationary Cycle” that although indexed inflation had cooled in some areas, debt based inflation was rapidly growing and the over tightening had unintended consequences.
    Liquidity in financial markets has significantly declined, with investors and banks showing reduced appetite for risk and tightly managed credit extension.New research indicates that there is a lack of liquidity in the New Zealand economy. This liquidity crunch is not theoretical as it is playing out in the housing market.
    Despite a significant drop in home prices since the pandemic peak, affordability remains elusive. In lower-cost regions, new homes (priced below national averages) require mortgage repayments that exceed reasonable thresholds for most households.
    Even with large deposits, the 30-year mortgage repayments remain burdensome, especially as interest rates hover well above pre-pandemic norms. Such mortgage repayments based on current interest rates do not make financial sense to most potential buyers.
    Additionally, we find that housing inventory is now rising at an unsustainable rate. There are over 36,000 properties for sale nationwide. Yet buyers remain hesitant because borrowing costs are remain so prohibitive.
    This disconnect between price correction and repayment feasibility underscores the deeper issue: monetary policy has potentially throttled liquidity to the point of economic stagnation.
    New Zealand’s economic decline appears to be a result of not merely a cyclical but a structural decline.
    The over-manipulation of interest rates has drained liquidity, stifled investment, and distorted housing affordability. Moreover, it has induced a debt based inflation. One substantive example are regional councils that adjusted rates increases to compensate for increased borrowing costs reflected in the high interest rates.
    Until monetary policy recalibrates to support sustainable growth, the economy will remain in a downward loop of suppressed demand due to constrained liquidity.
    Trend Analysis Network is a think tank based in New Zealand created to identify and publish analytical results of future tr

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advocacy – Nicola Willis urged to step in now to get Kiwi food aid to Gaza – PSNZ

    Source: Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

     

    PSNA is urging the government to step in and require Paypal to refund money it refuses to pass on starving families in Occupied Gaza.

     

    Paypal has been freezing accounts which send money to Occupied Gaza – the latest being the account of Wellington-based writer “Emily Writes” who has posted about her sickening experiences here.

     

    “Paypal is happy to provide backup to Israel’s genocide by ensuring food is only available through the Israeli military which is using it to ethnically cleanse starving Palestinians from the north to the south of the Occupied Gaza strip” says PSNA Co-Chair John Minto.

     

    “Using food aid like this is a war crime and we are asking Minister of Finance Nicola Willis to step in and demand Paypal allow kiwis to donate to starving families in Gaza”

     

    “Low and middle-income New Zealanders kiwis are naturally generous but Paypal is not only freezing these accounts but are refusing to refund the money.”

     

    “The New Zealand government has refused to condemn Israel’s mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians but they can insist money from New Zealanders wanting to help is not frozen for six months while Israel’s war on humanity continues”

     

    We are waiting to hear back from the minister.

     

    John Minto 

    Co-Chair PSNA

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advocacy – Peters fails again – time for real action on Occupied Gaza – PSNA

    Source:  Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

     

    The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa says New Zealand’s signature on a joint statement of 25 countries on Gaza is meaningless without concrete action.

     

    PSNA Co-Chair John Minto says Peters’ statements in the media this morning, fall well short of the condemnation in the joint statement, and are what Minto calls the usual ducking the issue of Israeli culpability.

     

    “Peters still can’t bring himself to criticise Israel in Gaza – even after 21 months of mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians.  He condemns a suffering situation, but carefully avoids stating who it causing it.”

     

    Minto says there is an extensive list of actions the government must take if it’s serious.

     

    “I’m sure the Israeli ambassador in Wellington is happily reporting to his ministry in Tel Aviv that the New Zealand government is still tolerating mass starvation, bombing civilians and ethnic cleansing.” Minto says.

     

    “If the New Zealand government was serious, it would implement this list”:

     

    1.       Back the call from UN Special Rapporteur for the OPT, Francesca Albanese, for military protection for aid convoys to enter Gaza.

    2.       Close the Israeli embassy in Wellington

    3.       End trade and investment ties with Israel

    1. Deny entry visas for all Israeli Defence Forces personnel

    5.       Introduce legislation to sanction Israel the same as the Russia Sanctions Act

    6.       Cease approval for Rakon to export crystal oscillators which may be used by the Israeli military for targeting Gaza and other Israeli assault zones

    7.       Ban all Rocket Lab launches of satellites used for Israeli reconnaissance over Gaza

    8.       Suspend all bilateral agreements with Israel; movie co-production, overflight agreement and technological cooperation

    9.       Stop remittances going to Israel, such as funds for the racist Jewish National Fund

    10.   Cut scientific, academic, sport and cultural ties with the State of Israel

    11.   Sell all New Zealand’s Superfund investments in Israeli companies

    12.   Vote to suspend Israeli membership of the United Nations for not withdrawing from all the Occupied Palestinian Territory

    13.   Cease approving Israeli munitions transporter ZIM Shipping using our ports

    14.   Join the case against Israeli genocide in the International Court of Justice

    15.   Sign onto the Hague Group of countries working to ensure Israel complies with International Law  https://thehaguegroup.org/home/

     

     

    John Minto

    Co-Chair

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Everyone’s talking about the Perseid meteor shower – but don’t bother trying to see it in Australia or NZ

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland

    View of the 2023 Perseid meteor shower from the southernmost part of Sequoia National Forest, US. NASA/Preston Dyches

    In recent days, you may have seen articles claiming the “best meteor shower of the year” is about to start. Unfortunately, the hype is overblown – particularly for observers in Australia and New Zealand.

    The shower in question is the Perseids, one of the “big three” – the strongest annual meteor showers. Peaking in the middle of the northern summer, the Perseids are an annual highlight for observers in the northern hemisphere.

    As a result, every year social media around the world runs rife with stories about how we can enjoy the show. For an astronomer in Australia, this is endlessly frustrating – the Perseids are impossible to see for the great majority of Australians and Kiwis.

    Fortunately, there are a few other meteor showers to fill the void, including a pair that will reach their peak in the next seven days.

    What are the Perseids?

    Every year, Earth runs into a stream of debris laid down over thousands of years by comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle. The comet swings around the Sun every 133 years or so, shedding dust and debris each time. Over the millenia, that material has spread to create a vast stream.

    Animation of comet Swift–Tuttle’s orbit from 1850 to 2150. The blue orbit is Earth, magenta is the comet, with Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus’s orbits in green, red and yellow respectively.
    Phoenix7777/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Earth starts to run into debris from Swift–Tuttle in mid-July, and takes six weeks to pass through the stream. When the dust and debris hit Earth’s atmosphere, the resulting meteors create bright streaks in the sky – a meteor shower.

    For most of that time, the dust we encounter is very widely spread, and so few meteors are seen. Around August 12, Earth reaches the densest part of the Perseid stream and the shower reaches its peak.

    The Perseids aren’t even the ‘best’ meteor shower

    Comet Swift–Tuttle last passed through the inner Solar System in 1992. With the comet nearby, Earth encountered more dust and debris, making the Perseids the best meteor shower of the year.

    In the decades since, the comet has receded to the icy depths of the Solar System, and the peak rates for the Perseids have fallen off.

    The “best” (most abundant) meteor shower of the year is now the Geminids. However, for people in the northern hemisphere, the Perseids are still well worth looking out for.

    The curse of the spherical Earth

    All meteor showers have a “radiant“– the point at which meteors seem to originate in the sky. This is because, for a given shower, all the debris hitting Earth comes from the same direction in space.

    The debris from comet Swift–Tuttle crashes towards Earth from above the north pole, and at an angle. As a result, for people at a latitude of 58 degrees north, the Perseid radiant would be directly overhead in the early hours of the morning.

    If a meteor shower’s radiant is below the horizon, you won’t see any meteors – Earth is in the way, and all the dust and debris is hitting the other side of the planet. It’s exactly the same reason you can’t see the Sun at nighttime.

    Given the location of the Perseid radiant, it will never rise for observers south of 32 degrees. This means anyone below that line will never see any Perseids.

    In theory, anyone north of 32 degrees south latitude can see the Perseids – but there are other complications.

    The higher a shower’s radiant is in the sky, the more meteors you will see. This is why the Perseids can’t put on a great show for people in Australia. Even in the far north of Australia, the Perseid radiant remains low in the sky at its highest. For most Australians, the Perseids will be a spectacular disappointment.

    Look for these meteor showers instead

    If you’re keen to see a meteor shower from Australia or New Zealand, it’s best to cross the Perseids off your list. Fortunately, there are other options.

    Every May, Earth passes through debris left behind by comet 1P/Halley, creating the Eta Aquariid meteor shower – only visible in the hours before dawn. For Australian observers, that’s the second best shower of the year.

    At the end of July each year, two minor meteor showers reach their peaks: the Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids. This year, they peak on 29 and 30 July, with the best views coming in the hours around midnight. It’s a perfect time to head out to a dark sky site and relax under the stars – the centre of the Milky Way is high overhead in the evening sky, and these two showers provide some added fireworks to make the sky extra special.

    Then, in December, comes the true “best shower of the year” – the Geminids. Reaching a peak on 14 and 15 December, the Geminids always put on a spectacular show. Unlike the Perseids, it can be seen from all across our island continent and in Aotearoa.

    If you really want to see a great meteor shower, skip the Perseids and plan to head somewhere dark this summer, to spend a couple of nights relaxing under the stars.

    Jonti Horner 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. Everyone’s talking about the Perseid meteor shower – but don’t bother trying to see it in Australia or NZ – https://theconversation.com/everyones-talking-about-the-perseid-meteor-shower-but-dont-bother-trying-to-see-it-in-australia-or-nz-261365

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes Rep. Young Kim’s Bipartisan Bill to Support Small Businesses 

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)

    Washington, DC – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Improving Access to Small Business Information Act (H.R. 3351), a bipartisan bill led by U.S. Representatives Young Kim (CA-40) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), to streamline federal regulations and better support small businesses. 

    This bill specifies that certain actions of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Office Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation (Advocate) —such as conducting field surveys—are not a collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). This allows the Advocate to prioritize facilitating access to capital without bureaucratic delays. 

    Watch Rep. Kim speak on the floor in support of the bill HERE. 

    “California is home to over 4.2 million small businesses. Burdensome regulations are getting in the way of the federal government collecting basic data on small business challenges, hurting our government’s ability to support entrepreneurs,” said Rep. Young Kim. “The Improving Access to Small Business Information Act cuts through unnecessary red tape so the Office of the Advocate can ask the right questions, collect timely feedback, and do its job — help small businesses access capital and grow.” 

    The Improving Access to Small Business Information Act passed the House with strong bipartisan support and now heads to the Senate for consideration.  

    Read more about the bill HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The One Big Beautiful Bill Cuts Taxes for Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–The One Big Beautiful Bill Act invests in workers, delivering on President Trump’s promises to end tax on tips and overtime for millions of hardworking Americans. It also lessens the administrative burden on gig workers and small businesses.
    “This legislation enables the tipped and hourly workers who keep our economy running to keep more of each hard-earned paycheck,” said Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).
    Key wins:
    No tax on tips for millions of tipped workers.
    No tax on overtime for millions of America’s hourly workers.
    Repeals the Democrats’ onerous IRS reporting requirements on gig workers.
    Increases the 1099-MISC threshold, reducing the paperwork burden for small businesses and workers.
    What they are saying:
    “We greatly appreciate the Senate’s inclusion of other AICPA priorities in its bill, particularly: repealing the American Rescue Plan Act’s lowered threshold for Form 1099-K to $600 for an unlimited number of transactions; and increasing the filing threshold for Forms 1099-NEC and Forms 1099-MISC from $600 to $2,000, adjusted for inflation.” – AICPA
    “The Coalition for 1099-K Fairness strongly supports the Senate Finance package’s inclusion of language to raise the 1099-K reporting threshold. This commonsense provision would increase the threshold to over $20,000 in total payments and more than 200 transactions per calendar year—effectively stopping the implementation of a burdensome $600 threshold, regardless of transaction count, scheduled to take effect in 2026 under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP).” – Coalition for 1099K Fairness
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Applauds CMS Efforts to Root Out Fraud, Saving Taxpayers Billions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.– Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) praised the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) efforts to protect taxpayer dollars after the Agency announced it has found 2.8 million Americans enrolled in multiple Medicaid or Affordable Care Act Exchange plans, the removal of which is projected to save taxpayers $14 billion annually.

    “This effort builds on our work in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, guarding the integrity of our health care programs and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent on the populations they were designed to serve. These are the commonsense steps all agencies should be taking, and I applaud Administrator Oz for his commitment to cracking down on waste, fraud and abuse,” Crapo said.

    Background:

    • CMS announced that an analysis of 2024 enrollment data identified 2.8 million Americans either enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in multiple states or simultaneously enrolled in both Medicaid/CHIP and a subsidized Affordable Care Act (ACA) Exchange plan.
    • As a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, CMS now has new tools it needs to prevent the federal government from paying twice for the same person’s care.
    • CMS will continue to partner with states by providing the necessary resources and guidance to reduce duplicate enrollment.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: [Unboxing] Galaxy Z Fold7: Powerful Versatility in the Thinnest, Lightest Z Fold Yet

    Source: Samsung

    It’s finally here — the thinnest and lightest Galaxy Z Fold yet.
     
    Equipped with multimodal AI and a foldable-optimized UI, the Galaxy Z Fold7 delivers a truly Ultra experience that raises the bar for smartphones.
     
    Samsung Newsroom unboxed the Galaxy Z Fold7 for Galaxy fans eager to see all the exciting improvements and advanced capabilities that the new device brings.
     
     
    First Impressions
    
    ▲ The Galaxy Z Fold7
     
    Upon opening the sleek, black packaging, Galaxy’s signature modern design, slim silhouette, and remarkably light build are all immediately apparent.
     
    
    ▲ The rear of the Galaxy Z Fold7 from different angles
     
    The signature color Blue Shadow shifts with an iridescent glow from deep navy to bright blue as the device’s metallic finish reflects light from different angles, perfectly capturing Galaxy’s futuristic, premium aesthetic.
     
    The Galaxy Z Fold7 is available in three colors: the signature Blue Shadow, the modern Silver Shadow, and the ever-popular Jetblack — with Mint also available as a Samsung.com exclusive.1
     
    ▲ The Galaxy Z Fold7’s rear triple camera
     
    The camera island surrounding the rear triple camera matches the body color of the device for a seamless, cohesive design.
     

     
    For the first time in the series, the Galaxy Z Fold7 features a 200MP wide-angle camera, allowing users to capture every moment in stunning detail. It also comes equipped with enhanced night photography and videography capabilities, along with a 100-degree main display front camera, to bring an Ultra camera experience to the foldable form factor.
     
    ▲ The Galaxy Z Fold7’s packaging and its contents
     
     
    Thinner Than Ever
    The Galaxy Z Fold7 is the thinnest device in the series to date, representing the culmination of years of hardware innovation. From design to material selection, every effort was made to shave off even a single millimeter — and this can be appreciated the moment the device is picked up for the first time.
     
    ▲ The Galaxy Z Fold7 is easier than ever to grasp in the hand.
     
    As the latest evolution in the Z Fold series, the Galaxy Z Fold7 now fits even more comfortably in one hand, making it easier to carry.
     
    ▲The Galaxy Z Fold7 is only 8.9mm thick when folded, which is comparable to a chocolate wafer bar.
     
    When folded,2 it measures just 8.9mm — comparable to a chocolate wafer bar.
     
    When unfolded, it’s only 4.2mm, which is slimmer than two slices of cheese stacked together
     
    ▲ The Galaxy Z Fold7 is only 4.2mm thick when unfolded, which is thinner than two slices of cheese stacked together.
     
     
    Familiar Comfort When Folded, Expansive View When Unfolded
    The cover display now features a wider 21:9 aspect ratio, bringing the familiar proportions of a bar-type smartphone to a foldable device. Thanks to this, the Galaxy Z Fold7 offers a user experience similar to that of a Galaxy S25 Ultra device when folded.
     

     
    At 6.5 inches, the cover display also allows for more accurate typing and a wider view of content when sending quick messages or searching for information — a subtle yet impactful improvement over the slightly narrower screen of the Galaxy Z Fold6.
     
    ▲ The Galaxy Z Fold7’s larger cover display makes it easier to type when the device is folded.
     
    The Galaxy Z Fold7 is actually lighter than many bar-type smartphones. At just 215g, it is even lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 218g, which takes foldable usability to a whole new level.3
     
    ▲ (From left) A weight comparison between the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold7
     
    So, when folded, the device offers the intuitive feel of a bar-type smartphone — and when unfolded, it delivers the largest, most immersive display of any Galaxy smartphone out there. The result is an experience unique to the Galaxy Z Fold7.
     
    
    ▲ The Galaxy Z Fold7’s expansive main display is ideal for immersive gaming and content viewing. (* To listen to the audio, click the speaker button at the bottom of the video.)
     
     
    Multimodal AI Meets Foldable Innovation
    The Galaxy Z Fold7 is one of the first Samsung devices to bring One UI 8 on Android 16 offering a more accessible way to experience multimodal AI in everyday life. For example, with a long press of the side button, users can instantly activate Gemini Live, the on-device AI agent, and effortlessly share what’s on their screen or in front of their camera in real time.
     
    The large main display expands the AI agent’s understanding of complex situations. It can interpret multiple apps on the Multi Window layout simultaneously to make conversations more intuitive and helpful.
     
    
    ▲ Screen sharing with Gemini Live (* To listen to the audio, click the speaker button at the bottom of the video)
     
    For example, if someone is trying to pick the perfect Galaxy Z Fold7 color to match their favorite purse, they can open the Gallery app on the left window to display a photo of the purse, and open the browser on the right window to display the Z Fold7’s color options. After that, all they need to do is press and hold the side button to activate Gemini Live, tap “Share screen with Live” and ask whether their purse would go well with the color they have in mind.
     
    The AI agent will then analyze both screens at once and let them know whether that color and the purse pair nicely. Even when the device is folded, users can still ask the AI agent questions and receive real-time answers.
     
    
    ▲ Camera sharing with Gemini Live (* To listen to the audio, click the speaker button at the bottom of the video)
     
    Let’s say a user wants to know which batteries their TV remote requires — they can just share their camera with Gemini Live by directing the camera at the remote and ask away. Galaxy AI will recognize the model and instantly tell you which battery type it needs.
     
    With a simple voice command, they can also save information on the nearest stores that sell them to Samsung Notes and even set a reminder to buy the batteries after work — all without typing anything.
     
    
    ▲ The Galaxy Z Fold7 can display AI-generated answers in pop-up or split screen view, keeping multitasking fluid and uninterrupted.
     
    The Galaxy Z Fold7’s AI-powered features go beyond live assistance. When browsing the web, users can request information from Galaxy AI without breaking rhythm and losing focus of the content in front of them. Responses will appear in pop-ups or split view, keeping multitasking smooth and uninterrupted.
     
    Thinner, smarter and more powerful than ever, Galaxy Z Fold7 makes a bold first impression — a next-generation device ushering in the era of the Ultra foldable, poised to redefine the future of mobile innovation.
     
     
    1 Color availability may vary depending on country or carrier.
    2 Folded thickness measured from the cover display to the rear glass.
    3 Weight may vary by country or carrier.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Emil Bove’s appeals court nomination echoes earlier controversies, but with a key difference

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Paul M. Collins Jr., Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass Amherst

    Emil Bove, Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as a federal appeals judge for the 3rd Circuit, is sworn in during a confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on June 25, 2025. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images

    President Donald Trump’s nomination of his former criminal defense attorney, Emil Bove, to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, has been mired in controversy.

    On June 24, 2025, Erez Reuveni, a former Department of Justice attorney who worked with Bove, released an extensive, 27-page whistleblower report. Reuveni claimed that Bove, as the Trump administration’s acting deputy attorney general, said “that it might become necessary to tell a court ‘fuck you’” and ignore court orders related to the administration’s immigration policies. Bove’s acting role ended on March 6 when he resumed his current position of principal associate deputy attorney general.

    When asked about this statement at his June 25 Senate confirmation hearing, Bove said, “I don’t recall.”

    And on July 15, 80 former federal and state judges signed a letter opposing Bove’s nomination. The letter argued that “Mr. Bove’s egregious record of mistreating law enforcement officers, abusing power, and disregarding the law itself disqualifies him for this position.”

    A day later, more than 900 former Department of Justice attorneys submitted their own letter opposing Bove’s confirmation. The attorneys argued that “Few actions could undermine the rule of law more than a senior executive branch official flouting another branch’s authority. But that is exactly what Mr. Bove allegedly did through his involvement in DOJ’s defiance of court orders.”

    On July 17, Democrats walked out of the Senate Judiciary Committee vote, in protest of the refusal by Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, to allow further investigation and debate on the nomination. Republicans on the committee then unanimously voted to move the nomination forward for a full Senate vote.

    As a scholar of the courts, I know that most federal court appointments are not as controversial as Bove’s nomination. But highly contentious nominations do arise from time to time.

    Here’s how three controversial nominations turned out – and how Bove’s nomination is different in a crucial way.

    Robert Bork testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation as associate justice of the Supreme Court in September 1987.
    Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images

    Robert Bork

    Bork is the only federal court nominee whose name became a verb.

    “Borking” is “to attack or defeat (a nominee or candidate for public office) unfairly through an organized campaign of harsh public criticism or vilification,” according to Merriam-Webster.

    This refers to Republican President Ronald Reagan’s 1987 appointment of Bork to the Supreme Court.

    Reagan called Bork “one of the finest judges in America’s history.” Democrats viewed Bork, a federal appeals court judge, as an ideologically extreme conservative, with their opposition based largely on his extensive scholarly work and opinions on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

    In opposing the Bork nomination, Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts took the Senate floor and gave a fiery speech: “Robert Bork’s America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens’ doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists could be censored at the whim of government, and the doors of the federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens for whom the judiciary is often the only protector of the individual rights that are the heart of our democracy.”

    Ultimately, Bork’s nomination failed by a 58-42 vote in the Senate, with 52 Democrats and six Republicans rejecting the nomination.

    Ronnie White

    In 1997, Democratic President Bill Clinton nominated White to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. White was the first Black judge on the Missouri Supreme Court.

    Republican Sen. John Ashcroft, from White’s home state of Missouri, led the fight against the nomination. Ashcroft alleged that White’s confirmation would “push the law in a pro-criminal direction.” Ashcroft based this claim on White’s comparatively liberal record in death penalty cases as a judge on the Missouri Supreme Court.

    However, there was limited evidence to support this assertion. This led some to believe that Ashcroft’s attack on the nomination was motivated by stereotypes that African Americans, like White, are soft on crime.

    Even Clinton implied that race may be a factor in the attacks on White: “By voting down the first African-American judge to serve on the Missouri Supreme Court, the Republicans have deprived both the judiciary and the people of Missouri of an excellent, fair, and impartial Federal judge.”

    White’s nomination was defeated in the Senate by a 54-45 party-line vote. In 2014, White was renominated to the same judgeship by President Barack Obama and confirmed by largely party-line 53-44 vote, garnering the support of a single Republican, Susan Collins of Maine.

    Ronnie White, a former justice for the Missouri Supreme Court, testifies during an attorney general confirmation hearing in Washington in January 2001.
    Alex Wong/Newsmakers

    Miguel Estrada

    Republican President George W. Bush nominated Estrada to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2001.

    Estrada, who had earned a unanimous “well-qualified” rating from the American Bar Association, faced deep opposition from Senate Democrats, who believed he was a conservative ideologue. They also worried that, if confirmed, he would later be appointed to the Supreme Court.

    Miguel Estrada, President George Bush’s nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, is sworn in during his hearing before Senate Judiciary on Sept. 26, 2002.
    Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images

    However, unlike Bork – who had an extensive paper trail as an academic and judge – Estrada’s written record was very thin.

    Democrats sought to use his confirmation hearing to probe his beliefs. But they didn’t get very far, as Estrada dodged many of the senators’ questions, including ones about Supreme Court cases he disagreed with and judges he admired.

    Democrats were particularly troubled by allegations that Estrada, when he was screening candidates for Justice Anthony Kennedy, disqualified applicants for Supreme Court clerkships based on their ideology.

    According to one attorney: “Miguel told me his job was to prevent liberal clerks from being hired. He told me he was screening out liberals because a liberal clerk had influenced Justice Kennedy to side with the majority and write a pro-gay-rights decision in a case known as Romer v. Evans, which struck down a Colorado statute that discriminated against gays and lesbians.”

    When asked about this at his confirmation hearing, Estrada initially denied it but later backpedaled. Estrada said, “There is a set of circumstances in which I would consider ideology if I think that the person has some extreme view that he would not be willing to set aside in service to Justice Kennedy.”

    Unlike the Bork nomination, Democrats didn’t have the numbers to vote Estrada’s nomination down. Instead, they successfully filibustered the nomination, knowing that Republicans couldn’t muster the required 60 votes to end the filibuster. This marked the first time in Senate history that a court of appeals nomination was filibustered. Estrada would never serve as a judge.

    Bove stands out

    As the examples of Bork, Estrada and White make clear, contentious nominations to the federal courts often involve ideological concerns.

    This is also true for Bove, who is opposed in part because of the perception that he is a conservative ideologue.

    But the main concerns about Bove are related to a belief that he is a Trump loyalist who shows little respect for the rule of law or the judicial branch.

    This makes Bove stand out among contentious federal court nominations.

    Paul M. Collins Jr. does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Emil Bove’s appeals court nomination echoes earlier controversies, but with a key difference – https://theconversation.com/emil-boves-appeals-court-nomination-echoes-earlier-controversies-but-with-a-key-difference-261347

    MIL OSI –