NewzIntel.com

Category: Commerce

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amid Trump’s Threats to Critical Agriculture Support Programs, Duckworth Discusses Agricultural Priorities with Illinois Farm Bureau

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    June 11, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—founding co-chair of the Senate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Caucus—met with Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) President Brian Duncan and IFB members to discuss shared priorities to grow Illinois’s agriculture industry and support our farmers. Duckworth and the members discussed the importance of supporting our family farmers by expanding the biofuels market, increasing agricultural exports and improving farm safety net programs as Donald Trump continues to threaten critical federal agricultural programs. Photos from today’s meeting can be found on the Senator’s website.

    “America has always depended on our nation’s farmers to grow the food and fuel we need, and I’m proud to advocate for them on both the national and international stage,” Duckworth said. “The work of Illinois’s farmers is so important to the strength of our state and our nation, and I will continue to do everything I can to support the Illinois Farm Bureau and farmers across the state at the federal level.”

    In the Senate, Duckworth has been a leader in supporting biofuels, including expansion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and permanent authority to use E15 fuel year-round. To help increase the availability of E15 biofuels, Duckworth helped introduce the bipartisan Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act and the bipartisan Next Generations Fuel Act to allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. Duckworth additionally helped introduce the bipartisan Home Front Energy Independence Act to ban Russian oil and expand use and production of biofuel that’s grown in the American heartland, while providing American families with a less expensive option to fuel their vehicles. Earlier this year she helped introduced the Farm to Fly Act to help accelerate the production and development of SAF.

    As a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Duckworth has been an advocate for Illinois agriculture across the globe and helped secure significant wins for Illinois and American agriculture. After Duckworth’s visit in 2023, Japan announced a regulatory change that will lead to an increase in imports from U.S. biofuel producers, supporting our farmers and growing Illinois’s economy, and following a prior trip to Taiwan in 2022, she helped secure a commitment from Taiwan to purchase an estimated $2.6 billion of our Illinois’s corn and soybeans.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Backgrounder: Competition Bureau monitors Loblaw’s commitment to end property controls

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Backgrounder

    June 12, 2025 – GATINEAU (Québec), Competition Bureau

    The Competition Bureau is monitoring Loblaw’s recent commitment towards eliminating property controls in Canada.

    Loblaw’s commitment

    Loblaw’s public commitment to end its use of property controls marks a key milestone f or competition in the Canadian grocery industry.

    For restrictive covenants, Loblaw has committed to:

    • eliminating existing restrictive covenants. Loblaw plans to either remove the restrictive covenant from land titles or inform landowners that it will not enforce the restrictive covenant; and
    • not entering into new restrictive covenants.

    For exclusivity clauses, Loblaw has committed to:

    • waiving all exclusivity clauses in the Halifax Regional Municipality and in communities across the country where they operate the only grocery store;
    • granting waivers for, and not entering into, exclusivity clauses that prohibit other tenants from operating a retail store that sells only a subset of the products typically sold by a grocery store. For example, a butcher, bakery, or store that sells produce;
    • not enforcing, or entering into, exclusivity clauses that extend beyond the land where the Loblaw store is or will be located;
    • not including restrictions on the sale of food products in new leases for Shoppers Drug Mart (Pharmaprix in Quebec), effective November 2024.

    Property controls are restrictions that limit how a property can be used by others.

    Restrictive covenants are restrictions on land that prevent a purchaser or owner of a commercial property from using the location to operate or lease to operators of certain types of business that compete with a previous owner.

    Exclusivity clauses are generally found in commercial leases. They prevent landlords from leasing space to another tenant that competes with an existing tenant or limit what or how products can be sold

    Information for businesses

    Property controls can raise serious competition concerns. The Competition Bureau encourages Canadian businesses to review their property control practices to ensure that they comply with the law.

    Businesses who use or who are considering using property controls should ask themselves:

    • Is the property control necessary to allow a new business to enter the market or to encourage a new investment? Are there other ways to allow for this entry or investment that do not make it more difficult for rivals to compete?
    • Could this property control last for a shorter period of time?
    • Could this property control cover less geographic area?
    • Could this property control cover fewer products or services?

    More information on the Bureau’s enforcement approach to competitor property controls is available in the guidance.

    The Bureau’s work on property controls

    • In June 2023, the Bureau published its grocery market study, where it recommended that all levels of Canadian government act to increase competition in the grocery industry. The study also concluded that property controls can limit competition from new grocers and can deny consumers the benefits of competition including lower prices, greater choice and increased innovation.
    • In June 2024, the Bureau announced that it obtained two court orders to advance its investigations into the use of property controls by Sobeys’ and Loblaw’s parent companies.
    • In October 2024, the Bureau invited market participants to provide input about the use of property controls in the Canadians grocery industry.
    • In January 2025, the Bureau announced that Sobeys’ parent company, Empire, agreed to remove a property control that restricted retail grocery store competition in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta.
    • Earlier this month, following a public consultation, the Bureau published updated guidance on competitor property controls.

    Next steps

    The Competition Bureau’s investigation into property controls in the Canadian grocery industry is ongoing, and the Bureau continues to monitor the industry closely. This includes monitoring to ensure Loblaw upholds its commitments. The Bureau urges Canadians to report any property controls that may be anti-competitive using the online complaint form.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Third Strategic Dialogue between the State of Qatar and the French Republic

    Source: Government of Qatar

    Paris,  June 12, 2025

    The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, Mr Jean-Noël Barrot, co-chaired the third annual Qatar-France Strategic Dialogue in Paris on June 12 2025. 

    Qatar and France welcomed the holding of their third Annual Strategic Dialogue and reviewed the important progress made since the State Visit of His Highness the Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to France in February 2024 which resulted in new cooperation initiatives within the fields of security, defence, economy, trade, investment and education. Both countries affirmed the strength of their bilateral relationship and pledged to further develop it by expanding strategic partnership on key files.

    POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC COOPERATION

    Both Ministers reaffirmed the commitment of Qatar and France to upholding a rules-based international order and international law, the promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East, and to close cooperation in relation to regional and global crises.

    Palestine-Israel: Both Ministers called for a ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages and a long-term political solution that will offer the best hope for the victims of this conflict on all sides and achieving a pathway to a two-state solution. The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs expressed France’s deep appreciation for all Qatar’s mediation efforts, including those to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

    Both Ministers called for full, unhindered humanitarian access allowing aid for the Palestinian population to enter Gaza. The Ministers further stated that politicising of humanitarian assistance, threats of forced displacement, or Israel’s plans to remain in Gaza after the war are unacceptable. The two Ministers stated that the Israeli government’s restrictions of essential humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population of Gaza are totally deplorable and breach International Humanitarian Law.  They further highlighted that Israel is duty-bound to meet all its obligations to ensure immediately a massive and unhindered flow of aid to Gaza – this includes engaging with the UN to ensure aid delivery is in line with humanitarian principles. 

    Both ministers reiterated their opposition to any forced displacement of Gaza’s Palestinian population, which would be a serious violation of international law and a major destabilizing factor for the entire region.

    Qatar welcomes the endorsement by France of the Gaza Reconstruction plan formulated by the League of Arab States in March as a serious, credible basis for immediately meeting reconstruction, governance and security needs in the aftermath of the war in Gaza. It guarantees the respect of international law and maintains Gaza’s future within the framework of a future Palestinian State.

    HE Prime Minister Al Thani welcomed the French-Saudi jointly chaired international meeting on June 18 for the implementation of a two-state solution. Both Ministers declared such efforts as the only way to bring durable peace and security to Israelis and Palestinians while ensuring the stability of the wider region.   

    They stressed that the High-Level International Conference on the peaceful resolution of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-State solution, decided by UNGA resolution A/RES/79/81, would contribute to this goal by designing a credible roadmap for the implementation of this solution in which the two countries would be able to live side-by-side in peace within their internationally recognized borders. Both ministers stressed that the future Palestinian state would have sole responsibility for rule of law, including policing primacy. 

    Syria: Both Ministers acknowledged the historic transition process underway in Syria. They emphasised the importance of an inclusive political dispensation that protects the rights of all irrespective of ethnicity, sect, religion or gender. They reiterated their support for the reconstruction of a new Syria – free, stable, sovereign, that respects all components of society. They agreed that stability and security in Syria is paramount for all its citizens as well as the surrounding region. To that end both Ministers committed to work together wherever possible to provide humanitarian assistance, as well as support economic development, and long-term reconstruction. They welcomed the lifting of international sanctions on Syria’s economy and encouraged foreign investments in the country. Qatar welcomed French support for the recent EU decision to lift economic sanctions on Syria and the recent meeting between President Macron and Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Such support and initiatives enable Syria and the Syrian people to undertake a transition to stability, peace and prosperity. The Ministers condemned violations of Syria’s territorial integrity and warned of escalation tactics designed to de-stabilize the region.  

    Lebanon: Qatar welcomed the hosting by France of the International Conference in Support of Lebanon’s People and Sovereignty in October 2024. Progress to political and economic reform in Lebanon is welcomed by both countries. 

    Qatar and France support the territorial integrity and sovereign rights of the Lebanese people, both Ministers called on all parties to honour the commitments made under the ceasefire reached in November 2024. To this end they called for a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, the complete deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces and their ongoing support to ensure security and achieve State monopoly on arms, assisted by UNIFIL and the supervision mechanism of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, of which France alongside the U.S. participates in. 

    They emphasized their support to the process of change that has begun under the new Lebanese government, aimed at putting Lebanon back on the path of reconstruction, recovery and stability. They expressed their continuing support to the Lebanese Armed Forces and to the UN interim force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) whose action is essential to guarantee the stability of South Lebanon.

    Iran: Both Ministers reaffirmed Qatar and France’s support for a diplomatic solution leading to an agreement that addresses and resolves all international concerns related to Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, in order to preserve the non-proliferation global architecture as well as stability and de-escalation in the Gulf region. They reiterated their support to the ongoing talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America.  They also called on Iran to fully and effectively cooperate with the legitimate requests and work of the International Atomic Energy Agency.   

    Rwanda and eastern DRC: Both ministers emphasised their shared commitment to peace, stability and security in the Great Lakes region. France commended Qatar’s mediation efforts between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and between Congolese authorities and AFC/M23. They stressed the need for parties to continue working towards the conclusion of a ceasefire, as called upon by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2773 (2025). Following its participation, along with the U.S., DRC, Rwanda and Togo, to the Doha meeting on April 30, France recalled its continued support to Qatar’s peace efforts.

    Sudan: Both Ministers resolved to further work together to address the devastating conflict in Sudan. Qatar and France recalled the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2736 (2024) demanding that the Rapid Support Forces halt the siege of El Fasher and calling for an immediate de-escalation. They reaffirmed their support to the unity of the country and called on the warring parties to immediately cease hostilities, abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law, protect civilians, and guarantee full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access. 

    UNOC: Both ministers welcomed the organization of the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June 2025, inter alia to support a blue carbon economy and the fight against illicit fishing. They praised the treaty on marine biodiversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction on the high seas (BBNJ) as a milestone in the collective protection of the high seas.

    ECONOMY, TRADE AND INVESTMENTS

    Qatar and France emphasized the importance of their growing economic, trade and investment partnership, with a total trade of more than €1.3 billion in 2024. The Ministers highlighted that bilateral trade makes a significant contribution to supporting jobs, innovation, and economic development in both countries.

    The two Ministers reviewed progress on Qatar’s 2024 landmark engagement to invest 10 billion euros into key sectors of the French economy. Qatar’s investment will cover mutually beneficial sectors ranging from food security, digital economy, AI and IT, semiconductors, energy transition, space, Intellectual Property, health, tourism and hospitality and culture. They also welcomed the forthcoming Qatar-France Business Forum as an opportunity for mutual trade growth and investment. They discussed ways to further strengthen their investment partnership and underlined their willingness to facilitate cooperation between the Qatari and French private sectors. They also explored areas of common interest, such as fiscal policy, sustainable finance and public-private partnerships (PPPs).

    Qatar’s innovative investment in France’s semiconductor industry highlights its role in key technology subsectors, including supply chain developments that are also propelling digital and green transformations across vital industries such as AI, mobility, and consumer technology. 

    Both sides discussed ways to further develop their trade and investment partnership, through a Roadmap focused on strategic areas in alignment with the framework of the economic diversification goals stated by Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and in accordance with the economic plan “France 2030.” 

    The French Minister praised Qatar’s ongoing commitment to ensure continued and reliable supplies of energy to Europe, including France and thus contributing to the country’s energy security. 

    DEFENSE, SECURITY AND COUNTERTERRORISM 

    Qatar and France reaffirmed the importance of the defence and security as a foundation stone of their partnership.  This was illustrated by the increase in official-level visits in the last 12 months, and the deepening coordination on an operational level.  

    The Ministers welcomed the implementation of joint defence operational partnership including joint planning, training and military exercises, most recently the Pegase, Al Salam, Al Koot exercises, as well as joint projects in defence industries and innovation and ongoing defence acquisitions including cooperation through both nations’ air forces, facilitated by the common possession of Rafale combat aircrafts. 

    They praised the strategic convergences between Qatar and France, which contribute to enhancing bilateral interactions between the two military institutions. Qatar and France are keen to explore ways to develop new synergies between their armed forces for future defence capabilities. 

    They also explored ways to build on existing links and expand activities on common strategic interests particularly as they contribute to de-escalation and security in the Gulf and the Red Sea.  

    Both Ministers welcomed the robust and long-lasting partnership between their respective security forces, including cooperation and important knowledge-sharing on Mega Sports Events, Crisis Management and Major Event Management, Air and Aviation Security, Cybersecurity and Digital Investigations, and mutual professionalization and capacity-building. 

    They commended the friendship and trust between the French Gendarmerie and the Qatari Lekhwiya celebrating in 2025 the 20th anniversary of their cooperation. They also welcomed the development of a strategic partnership between the French and Qatari national police forces and the establishment of a High Police Committee. They also emphasised building on this cooperation. 

    Both Ministers emphasised that the fight against terrorism remains a key bilateral realm for cooperation. They said that such cooperation is crucial in prevention and countering terrorism and ensuring the safety of their citizens. These efforts reflect the need for a coordinated approach to deal with an ever-evolving set of terrorist threats that transcend national borders. They also agreed to continue their strong partnership in cybersecurity and in combating terrorism, countering violent extremism and illicit financial flows. 

    HUMANITARIAN AND DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

    On humanitarian and international development cooperation, both Ministers affirmed the continuing success of programmatic bilateral cooperation and coordination between their respective implementing agencies including QFFD, EAA, Silatech and AFD.

    Regarding development, both Ministers welcomed the renewal of their bilateral cooperation in this field, building on the signing of two major agreements between the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Qatar Fund for Development, the Education Above All (EAA) foundation and Silatech in February 2024. They expressed their appreciation concerning the first cooperation between AFD and QFFD for an ambitious project to renovate and expand Saint Joseph’s Hospital in East Jerusalem. They welcomed that QFFD and the AFD Group (AFD, Proparco and Expertise France) renewed their commitment to cofinance development projects and agreed to raise the cofinancing target from $50 million to $100 million for the duration of the MoU. In the short term, QFFD and the AFD Group commit to operationalizing the partnership in the following countries where there are pressing needs and discussions have already started on joint priorities: Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. They welcomed that QFFD and AFD Group will also, in the medium term, work on joint global advocacy activities and expand the partnership to innovative finance.

    Both Ministers praised the ongoing discussions between the Crisis and Support Centre of the French ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Qatar Fund for Development to explore possible new areas of dialogue and joint funding, including in the Middle East, Africa and Asia as well as in the field of humanitarian logistics. 

    Following the joint commitment by the Emir of Qatar and the President of the French Republic to dedicate 200 million dollars in 2024 to humanitarian relief in Gaza both Ministers expressed the necessity of answering without delay the urgent needs for aid there. The Ministers also commended the humanitarian impact of joint health relief efforts in Gaza, including medical evacuations, delivery and flow of humanitarian aid, medicines and ambulances. Additionally, they highlighted joint relief efforts in Lebanon to support conflict-affected populations. Recalling these recent successful joint humanitarian operations, both Ministers support a new joint emergency operation to supply medical equipment and medicine to Afghanistan.

    Such cooperation is the embodiment of the longstanding strategic partnership as well as the commitment of Qatar and France to stand by conflict-affected populations.  

    EDUCATION, HEALTH AND SPORTS 

    Both Ministers lauded the strong cooperation in the fields of education, health and sports. On education the Ministers addressed the growing partnership in the field of education, in particular knowledge sharing and research agreements between Qatari and French Institutions of Higher Education (HEI), including Sciences Po and Doha Institute. 

    Cooperation on research and innovation has been boosted by the strong collaboration between Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council (QRDI) and French HEI’s including Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux energies alternatives (CEA), Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM) and HEC Paris. Under the Qatar Open Innovation Scheme French companies have also received QRDI awards and are working in collaboration with Qatar-based SME’s and institutions to make strides in Agricultural Sciences and Medical Healthcare.  

    Qatar and France are looking forward to the signing of the 8th executive program enhancing bilateral cooperation particularly in French language learning, technical, professional and higher education, and mobility of students and teachers. This agreement aims at establishing a steering committee dedicated to learning French from the 9th (third French) class in Qatari public institutions, as well as a steering committee related to the development of university cooperation. Both sides expressed their mutual intention to strengthen their cooperation in higher education and research, promoting exchanges of students and researchers, as well as further exploring joint training and programmes that enable students to achieve their personal and professional goals.

    Qatar and France also expressed their wish to strengthen the sharing of expertise between the medical communities of the two countries, through the rapprochement or exchange of researchers. The minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs expressed his appreciation for the help of Qatar for the recent opening of the World Health Organization Academy in Lyon.The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Al Thani congratulated the Republic of France on its hugely successful hosting of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.  Both sides expressed their willingness to share expertise and knowledge and to continue their cooperation on the positive impact and the legacy of hosting mega sporting events.  In particular, they addressed the ways in which strong commitments in terms of social and environmental issues, including on emissions reduction and carbon absorption, opportunities to promote inclusion and diversity, and combat hate speech, racism and other forms of prejudice and discrimination, is offered by sport. 

    CULTURE, ART, HERITAGE COOPERATION

    Both Ministers welcomed the deep institutional and people-to-people connections forged through shared ties on culture, art and heritage. They recalled the visit in April, at the invitation of the Qatari authorities and HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, of HE Rachida Dati, Minister of Culture of the French Republic. 

    The visit came as part of framework commitments made in the MoU signed in June 2024 between HE Rachida Dati, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, and HE Sheikha Al Mayassa, Chairperson of Qatar Museums. Both Ministers welcomed the signing of 6 partnership agreements in April 2025 between the French Ministry of Culture, Qatar Museums and the cultural institutions of both countries, and pertaining to a broad range of areas of cooperation, in particular training, exhibitions, loans, research, artist residencies, development of image education workshops for young audiences, development of co-productions, support in the creation of a cinematheque. Qatari and French cultural institutions are currently working on the implementation of these agreements.

    The accords include a framework agreement between the French Ministry of Culture and Qatar Museums for professional training in the cultural sector; an agreement between Qatar Museums and the Etablissement public du musée d’Orsay et du musée de l’Orangerie – Valérie Giscard d’Estaing, including research projects, joint exhibition projects, and academic and educational projects. Qatar Museums and the Musée Guimet will proceed on collaboration that includes research, conservation and educational projects dedicated to Asian arts. Qatar Museums also proceeded with a partnership agreement with Manufactures nationales – Sèvres and Mobilier national dedicated to the design and crafts sectors, aiming to strengthen links between French and Qatari designers and craftspeople. Under the framework further Qatar-France agreements include a Memorandum of Understanding between the Doha Film Institute and the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée as well as a Memorandum of understanding between the National Library of Qatar and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. 

    They also welcomed the increased cooperation between the Qatari and French Ministries of Culture, in particular through the forthcoming renewal of the cooperation agreement between the two ministries of Culture.

    Both Ministers reiterated the commitment of their nations to heritage protection, especially in conflict areas, and respect for all relevant international agreements of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

    A SHARED AND RESPONSIBLE FUTURE 

    The State of Qatar and France emphasize the importance of their continued partnership which benefits the interests of both countries and consolidates coordination towards a shared and responsible future.

    Qatar and France look forward to reviewing progress in these areas at the fourth Strategic Dialogue to be held in Doha in 2026.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pallone Blasts Trump Budget for Gutting Emergency Response Funds Ahead of World Cup, Nation’s 250th Anniversary

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

    Elimination of Hospital Preparedness Program Would Cripple NJ’s Emergency Medical Response

    Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today slammed the Trump Administration’s new budget proposal for eliminating the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) – a federal initiative that directly supports New Jersey’s Emergency Medical Services Task Force and ensures the state can respond to mass casualty events.

    “Eliminating this program is reckless,” Pallone said. “The Hospital Preparedness Program is the backbone of New Jersey’s ability to respond to disasters. Without it, we’re flying blind as we prepare for millions of visitors to descend on our region for the World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary. Republicans in Congress should be fighting to protect their communities, not helping Trump gut the systems that keep people alive.”

    Next year, MetLife Stadium will host multiple FIFA World Cup matches and communities across New Jersey are expected to host large public events to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. Pallone said pulling the plug on the HPP now puts first responders and residents at serious risk.

    The Hospital Preparedness Program, currently administered through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), provides approximately $240 million annually to help states prepare hospitals and EMS systems for large-scale emergencies. In New Jersey, those funds support the NJ EMS Task Force, a nationally recognized team that has coordinated public safety for major events, natural disasters, and mutual aid deployments.

    Pallone, top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is leading efforts in Congress to block the cut and fully restore HPP funding.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Will Not Waver in Defending Itself from Federal Overreach: Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration for Attack on California’s Clean Vehicles Program

    Source: US State of California

    LOS ANGELES – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and the California Air Resources Board today led a coalition of 10 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the federal government challenging the unprecedented and unlawful use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to upend California’s clean vehicles program, specifically the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII), Omnibus, and Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) standards. Predicated on illegal actions by the Trump Administration, Congress purported to disapprove the Clean Air Act waivers, granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that allow California to enforce these more stringent, state-level emission standards. In the 50 years since the Clean Air Act was enacted, waivers have never been subject to the CRA.  Nor have any other agency orders that adjudicate requests for permission—such as oil and gas leases or mining permits. Congress’s unprecedented action attempting to invalidate California’s waivers contradicts the non-partisan Government Accountability Office and Senate Parliamentarian, both of whom determined that the CRA process to disapprove federal regulations does not apply to waivers.

    If California is prevented from enforcing these vehicle emission standards, it will result in the loss of significant economic and public health benefits, costing California taxpayers an estimated $45 billion in preventable health care costs. Despite decades of progress, tens of millions of Californians still breathe some of the worst air in the nation—these regulations were specifically designed to change that. Losing these standards would also undermine market certainty for vehicle manufacturers, stifling innovation and job creation, including in the electric vehicle sector, which has been a growing source of high-paying green jobs and investment. 

    “The President’s reckless, politically motivated, and illegal attacks on California continue, this time with his attempt to trample on our longstanding authority to maintain more stringent clean vehicle standards,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The President is busy playing partisan games with lives on the line and yanking away good jobs that would bolster the economy – ignoring that these actions have life or death consequences for California communities breathing dirty, toxic air. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: California will not back down. We will continue to fiercely defend ourselves from this lawless federal overreach.”

    “Trump’s all-out assault on California continues – and this time he’s destroying our clean air and America’s global competitiveness in the process,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “We are suing to stop this latest illegal action by a President who is a wholly-owned subsidiary of big polluters.”

    Motor vehicle emissions contribute to the formation of smog, as well as fine particle pollution and unhealthy levels of air toxics, all of which are linked to premature death, respiratory illness, cardiovascular problems, and cancer, among other serious health impacts. Transportation is also the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country, and cars and trucks account for more than 80% of those transportation emissions. 

    The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set federal emission standards for air pollutants from new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines that cause or contribute to air pollution that endangers public health or welfare. The Clean Air Act allows California to adopt more stringent emission requirements independent from EPA’s regulations, and the Act requires EPA to approve preemption waivers for those requirements absent certain, limited circumstances not present here. Historically, EPA – under both Republican and Democratic administration – has granted California more than 75 preemption waivers for updates to the State’s new motor vehicle emissions control program. As Congress intended, these waivers have allowed California to improve on its vehicle emissions program, which pre-existed the federal government’s efforts to regulate vehicle emissions via the Clean Air Act.

    Consumers are rapidly embracing clean vehicle options. In California alone, over 2 million zero-emission passenger cars have been sold, with clean vehicles now making up 26% of all new car sales. This momentum extends to the medium-and heavy-duty vehicle market as well, where sales have exceeded targets for two consecutive years – well ahead of timelines set by state regulations.

    Since 2023, the EPA granted California three waivers, allowing it to enforce the ACC II, Omnibus and ACT regulations in California. Under ACC II, automakers must continue to sell an increasing number of zero-emission vehicles in California—as they have been for decades. By model year 2035, 80% of the passenger vehicles sold in California must be zero-emission, while the remaining 20% may be plug-in hybrids. Advanced Clean Truck regulations, which aim to accelerate the widespread adoption of zero emission vehicles in the medium and heavy-duty truck sector, are similarly critical for California’s efforts to meet air quality standards and protect public health. By 2040, the Advanced Clean Truck regulations will reduce emissions of NOx by 16.9 tons per day and fine particulate matter emissions by 0.46 tons per day. The Omnibus regulation requires internal combustion heavy-duty trucks sold in California to meet strict standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOx), which are major contributors to smog formation.

    Under the direction of President Trump, the EPA transmitted these waivers to Congress as “rules” in an attempt to invoke CRA procedures, even though all three waivers state EPA’s consistent and longstanding position, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, that waiver decisions are not “rules.” Both the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate illegally used the CRA to “disapprove” of California’s Clean Air Act waivers.

    The complaint filed today alleges that the attempt to invalidate California’s waivers violated constitutional principles of federalism and separation of powers, the Take Care Clause, and multiple federal statutes including the Congressional Review Act and Administrative Procedure Act.  The complaint asks the court to declare the resolutions to be unlawful and to require the Administration to implement the Clean Air Act consistent with the granted waivers. 

    Attorney General Bonta led the lawsuit with the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

    A copy of the complaint is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Introduces Legislative Package to Protect American Way of Life from Communist China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced a legislative package of four bills that would counter malicious efforts to disrupt American prosperity by Communist China and other adversaries. The package includes the No Capital Gains Allowance for Americans Adversaries Act, the PRC Military and Human Rights Capital Markets Sanctions Act, the No China in Index Funds Act, and the Protecting Endowments from our Adversaries Act (PEOAA). This legislative package limits the ability of adversaries like Communist China from taking advantage of America’s economic strength and tax benefits intended for Americans.
    “Communist China is the greatest threat to the American way of life,” said Ricketts. ”Communist China is actively threatening a rules-based system that has maintained peace and prosperity for over 80 years. America’s markets are supposed to benefit Americans. We can’t allow our markets to fund our adversaries like Communist China.”
    The No Capital Gains Allowance for Americans Adversaries Act would:
    Treat capital gains on all Chinese, Russian, Belarusian, Iranian, and North Korean stocks as ordinary income. Such investments would then not be eligible for the lower capital gains tax rates.
    Eliminate the “step-up in basis” for Chinese, Russian, Belarusian, Iranian, and North Korean assets inherited at death – which reduces an heir’s tax liability by ignoring gains that occurred before inheritance.
    Direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to maintain a public list of securities covered by this Act and require that sellers of covered securities disclosure to customers that sales of those securities will be treated as ordinary income.
    The PRC Military and Human Rights Capital Markets Sanctions Act would:
    Direct the President to compile and maintain a single public list of sanctioned companies and their affiliates.
    These lists include those that target human rights violators, including companies that utilize coerced labor in production, companies that proliferate dangerous technologies, and those that have connections to the Chinese military and intelligence services.

    Prevent U.S. persons from purchasing, selling, or holding:
    A publicly-traded security issued by a sanctioned company or affiliate of the sanctioned company;
    A publicly-traded security that is a derivative of a publicly issued security issued by a sanctioned company or affiliate of the sanctioned company;
    A security that provides investment exposure to a publicly-traded security issued by a sanctioned company or affiliate of the sanctioned company.

    Give a U.S. person 180 days after enactment to divest from the prohibited securities.
    The No China in Index Funds Act would:
    Prohibit index funds from investing in Chinese companies and require them to divest from such investments within 180 days after date of enactment.
    The Protecting Endowments from Our Adversaries Act (PEOAA) would:
    Apply to private college and university endowments over $1,000,000,000
    Disincentivize endowments from investing (directly or indirectly) in adversarial entities that are on any of the following US Government Lists (USG):
    Entity List
    Military End User (MEU) List
    Unverified List
    FCC Covered List

    Impose a 50% excise tax on the principal investment at the time of acquisition if an endowment invests in a company that is listed.
    Impose a 100% excise tax on the realized gains derived from listed investments one year after an entity is listed.
    BACKGROUND:
    Other countries have investment incentives not applicable to some foreign investments. For instance, China provides investment incentives through its tax code, but foreign investments are eligible only with the pre-approval of the Chinese government.
    Companies that have their business relations with the United States cut off or strictly restricted should not be allowed to sell securities in the U.S., or to U.S. persons, whether directly or indirectly through a mutual fund or ETF.
    Index mutual funds minimize their expenses by simply investing in all the companies in a certain market sector, without looking closely at the individual companies. There are unique difficulties in evaluating the risks of investing in Chinese companies. Americans should not invest in these companies without carefully evaluating the risk. This bill will keep these hard-to-evaluate Chinese stocks out of index mutual funds.
    University and college endowments are funds or assets donated to support various activities of the institution. These institutions often invest billions from their endowments into organizations and companies listed on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List. While maintaining a tax advantage, endowments can fund these entities even if they pose national security concerns.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville Joins “Kudlow” to Discuss President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business Network to discuss President Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” and how the Senate needs to pass it quickly to enact historic tax cuts for Americans. Senator Tuberville also discussed the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers and shared how President Trump’s tariffs are delivering positive results in Alabama.  

    Excerpts from Senator Tuberville’s interview can be found below and the full interview can be found on Rumble or YouTube. 

    KUDLOW: “Joining us now is Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, [the] great Senator Tommy Tuberville. Senator, welcome back as always. I just wanna try this thesis out in you. Mr. Trump acted so decisively to stop the riots in Los Angeles, to protect the work of ICE, to keep the deportations going, to make it very clear that criminals would be thrown into jail, if you spit on somebody, you’re going to jail, etc., etc. That was a big win, I mean, I think it was a big win and a big loss for Democrats. But here’s my questions there. I think that kind of action, which is so popular—it’s like an 80/20 issue—plays into passage of the one big, beautiful bill because people want promises made, promises kept. They want the Trump agenda, and they see that he is unhesitatingly defending the Trump agenda on which he was elected last November. What you think? I’m going from LA to one big, beautiful bill.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, if you just think about this summer coming up, it’s probably gonna be the ‘summer of hate’ instead of the ‘summer of love,’ Larry. We got huge problems. 1,400 protests just this weekend, but at the end of the day, President Trump never hesitated with this. He goes in—this is a third world country run by a communist governor. And the guy should be in jail, and also the mayor. This is an absolute disgrace. The American people—actually the citizens of California—should be treated a lot better than this. But at the end of the day, it is really gonna help, I think, also, as you said, coming back to the big, beautiful bill, President Trump means business. If you look at this bill, about ¾ of it is tax cuts for all Americans. Tax cuts.”

    KUDLOW: “Mhmm.”

    TUBERVILLE: “And that’s what we need. We gotta get that done. The other—there’s some things in there, that I don’t agree with all of it—a little bit too much spending, but the one thing we have to get done is the tax cuts and all those other things will work itself out as we go through this bill and another reconciliation down the road. But, yeah, President Trump means business. He knows what he’s doing. He’s got huge backing from really smart people like [Secretary Scott] Bessent and [Secretary Howard] Lutnick, and all the people that are working, all the trade and tariff deals. I’m fired up about the big, beautiful bill being passed here in the very near future.”

    KUDLOW: “I mean, you—look, you’ve probably seen some of these numbers from the White House Legislative Affairs, but a 15% tax cut to working families, [has] 82% [support], [support for the] child tax credit [is even] higher, [at] 81% percent. Ending taxes on tips, [has] 77% [support] to 18% [non-support]. Cutting taxes on overtime, [has] 74% [support] to 18% [non-support]. I mean, these are like 75% to 80% [support] to 20% [non-support] issues. You know what they’re like, Senator. They’re like law and order, punishing criminals, or deporting murderers and sex traffickers[which are all popular issues]. They’re 80/20 issues too. And I’m just saying, to me it all kind of comes together—I know LA seems a long way from one big, beautiful bill, but in the public’s mind, the guy they hired to be president is doing what folks want, and I think there’s been momentum. That’s why I wanna get the one big, beautiful bill done as soon as possible, sir.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Exactly. Take our country back like he’s doing in California. Take our economy back like he’s gonna do with this bill. This bill is gonna help a lot of people, Larry, and it’s gonna build growth. You know, just last week, I talked to a group in Alabama that President Trump saved 300 jobs at this manufacturing textile mill because of what he did with tariffs.” 

    KUDLOW: “Mhmm.”

    TUBERVILLE: “That’s gonna happen. Biden, Obama, Clinton, they all sold our manufacturing out. Anywhere you drive in this country, you’re gonna see manufacturing plants that are just old, dilapidated. Nobody’s working there—small towns gone to heck in a hand basket. But at the end of the day, President Trump means business. He’s gonna get people to come back. He’s gonna tariff everybody that’s against this country, especially China. And we’re gonna get manufacturing back and take care of ourself instead of other people.”

    KUDLOW: “Well, you know, full cost expense is gonna help that. But the bigger story is the tariff inflation is missing in action. And I think these exporting countries with their unfair trading practices—you know, Senator, I think they’re eating the tariff. That’s what I think is happening because there’s no inflation. It’s only 1.4% for the past four months. That’s remarkable. Every economist practically in the liberal media was completely wrong.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, the Democrats have been hollering, ‘Chicken little, the sky is falling. The sky is falling,’ and all we have to do is look at really what’s going on and everything is getting better. You know, we might not have improved a lot, but we haven’t tanked like the Democrats were expecting because look at all the things we’re having to go through, the tariffs, the wars, all these protests. They’re doing everything they can to slow President Trump down. It’s not working. He’s not listening to the nonsense anymore. The media can do what they want to, but he’s gonna do exactly what he told American people he’s gonna do. He’s gonna stick with it. He’s got a game plan. And I’m looking forward to this game plan continuing on. When we get these tax cuts done, the country is gonna take off in the right direction, and you don’t have to worry about inflation. We’re gonna be on the way up.”

    KUDLOW: “Senator Tuberville, President Trump is hinting at putting in a new Fed chairman. I mean, this guy, Jay Powell, should have been cutting rates with the absence of inflation. How about you running the Federal Reserve System? A commonsense guy like you—businessman, you know the farm community. We need somebody. I know your eye—you got your eye on the Alabama governorship. I got the Federal Reserve checked off for you.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, the one thing I will tell you and [you] hit it on one of those ideas there, Larry. The interest rates are killing our farmers. We’re gonna lose our farmers if we don’t get this interest rate down. It’s costing them a fortune. They can’t make a profit. And what happens when we lose our farmers like we did manufacturing, we’re gone go south. And we cannot allow that to happen. We gotta protect our farmers. Yeah, let’s drop the interest rates. Drop them now. They were way too high for way too long.”

    KUDLOW: “Senator Tommy Tuberville, that’s the best. Thank you for your wisdom, sir.”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Experts Agree: Trump’s Trade War Is Short-Term Pain With No Long-Term Gain

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    06.12.25

    Cantwell, Experts Agree: Trump’s Trade War Is Short-Term Pain With No Long-Term Gain

    “We’re really going to hurt our long-term competitiveness as a nation from doing this,” says Cantwell

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, participated in a spotlight forum on tariffs hosted by Democratic senators.

    At the forum, Sen. Cantwell questioned witnesses about the long-term damage that President Trump’s trade war is inflicting on America’s long-term competitiveness.

    “We should be doubling down now on workforce training. Instead, we’re throwing it into cost and chaos, and so we’re really going to hurt our long-term competitiveness as a nation from doing this,” said Sen. Cantwell. “So, we’re not getting any short-term gain. Nobody’s going to make any money here.”

    “Senator, you’re absolutely right,” responded Adam Posen, President of the nonpartisan Peterson Institute for International Economics. “Even if our goal is to create more manufacturing or good jobs […], you can’t compete in manufacturing if you’re further up the value chain, where the better jobs are, if you can’t substitute for these imports at any reasonable price.”

    “This is short-term pain and long-term pain,” added Thea Lee, Economist and Former Deputy Undersecretary for International Labor Affairs. “There is no short-term pain for the long-term gain, because we are destroying the rules-based system.”

    This week, Sen. Cantwell joined 30 Senators in filing an amicus brief in a key case, Oregon v. Department of Homeland Security, challenging the Trump Administration’s abuse of emergency powers to impose global tariffs.

    In April, Sen. Cantwell introduced the bipartisan Trade Review Act of 2025 to reaffirm Congress’ key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy, and reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs. Her bill has since picked up 12 additional cosponsors – an equal mix of Republicans and Democrats – and been endorsed by multiple major U.S. business organizations, including the National Retail Federation, which is the largest retail trade association in the world. House members also introduced a bipartisan companion bill.

    On April 16, Sen. Cantwell joined nine local business owners and leaders at the Port of Seattle to push back against the Trump administration’s chaotic tariffs-first trade policy. On May 29, she gathered stakeholders at the Port of Seattle again to respond to the chaos caused by President Donald Trump scrambling to keep his draconian tariffs in place amid court challenges.

    “American businesses need a rules-based trade system. That means American families would have the certainty, not chaos and not higher prices. We know this: That when you start trade wars, usually that means you end up closing markets,” Sen. Cantwell said in at the May 29 press conference.

    In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries. More information about how those tariffs will affect consumers and businesses in the State of Washington can be found HERE.  

    For the past four months, President Trump has been sowing economic chaos across the country with unpredictable and ever-changing tariff announcements. His back-and-forth announcements and actions have whipsawed American businesses and consumers, as well as close neighbors and allies.

    Federal Reserve Chairman Powell recently warned, “What looks likely, given the scope and scale of the tariffs, is that … the risks to higher inflation, higher unemployment have increased.”  This week, the Federal Reserve issued its “beige book” report, which found that all 12 Federal Reserve Districts “indicated that higher tariff rates were putting upward pressure on costs and prices.”  Today, the World Bank also said that because of a “substantial rise in trade barriers,” it is cutting its forecast for U.S. economic growth in 2025 in half, while also cutting its estimate for global economic growth, and warned that the world economy “is once more running into turbulence” and “Without a swift course correction, the harm to living standards could be deep.’’

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS AND SENATOR DURBIN INTRODUCE CLASS ACT TO GIVE STUDENTS CHEATED BY FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES THEIR DAY IN COURT

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (43rd District of California)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) today reintroduced bicameral legislation designed to strengthen students’ ability to hold for-profit colleges accountable in court for their misconduct.  The Court Legal Access and Student Support (CLASS) Act would enhance accountability for for-profit colleges and safeguard taxpayer dollars by prohibiting an institution of higher education from receiving Title IV federal student aid if the school’s enrollment agreement requires mandatory arbitration or otherwise restricts students’ ability to pursue claims against the school in court.

    “For decades, for-profit colleges have used the fine print in student enrollment agreements to force students to give up their rights to go to court over the predatory behavior of these institutions,” said Durbin.  “Students should have the right to hold for-profit colleges responsible for defrauding them in court.  I’m reintroducing the CLASS Act with Congresswoman Waters to end the for-profit college industry’s ability to use this shady practice to evade accountability.”

    “I am proud to reintroduce the CLASS Act with Senator Durbin to hold predatory for-profit colleges accountable when they defraud students,”said Waters, the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee.  “The for-profit college industry is rife with bad actors that lure potential students into expensive academic programs, while knowingly and fraudulently misrepresenting the quality of the programs.  These unscrupulous schools then use mandatory arbitration clauses to prevent students from taking them to court, thereby shielding themselves from being held responsible for wrongdoing.  Our legislation will ensure that defrauded students retain the right to sue predatory schools and have their day in court.”

    Specifically, the CLASS Act would enhance the accountability of for-profit colleges and safeguard taxpayer dollars by:

    1. Prohibiting an institution of higher education from receiving federal student aid if the school’s enrollment agreement requires mandatory arbitration or restricts students’ ability to pursue claims against the school in court; 
       
    2. Ensuring that the Federal Arbitration Act, which governs the enforcement of arbitration proceedings, would not apply to student enrollment agreements;
       
    3. Taking effect one year after enactment to allow schools to make any necessary changes; and
       
    4. Exempting legitimate non-profit colleges and universities because these institutions do not include mandatory arbitration clauses in their enrollment agreements.  The CLASS Act thus squarely focuses on schools that might seek to profit off of students while hiding from accountability in a court of law.

    Along with Durbin, the CLASS Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).  

    The bill has earned the endorsement of Consumer Action; The Institute for College Access and Success; National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients); National Association for College Admission Counseling; Veterans Education Success; National Association of Consumer Advocates; American Association for Justice; Center for Justice and Democracy; Woodstock Institute; Public Justice; Earthjustice; Public Citizen; The National Employment Lawyers Association; Americans for Financial Reform; National Consumers League; Consumer Federation of America; Young Invincibles; and Center for Responsible Lending.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Announces State Grants for Assessment and Remediation of 23 Blighted Properties

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont announced today that he is releasing $18.8 million in state grants that will be used for the assessment and remediation of 227 acres of contaminated land across Connecticut. The funding will support 23 properties in 19 towns and cities, helping cover the costs of cleaning up these parcels so they can be redeveloped and returned to productive use.

    The grants are being released through the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development’s (DECD) Brownfield Remediation and Development Program. This round of funding is projected to attract $218 million in private investment and facilitate the creation of 450 housing units. Approximately 52% of the total funding will be allocated to distressed municipalities.

    “Old, polluted, blighted properties that have sat vacant for decades do nothing to stimulate our economy, grow jobs, and support housing growth,” Governor Lamont said. “With these grants, we are partnering with towns and developers to take unused, lifeless properties and bring them back from the dead, rejuvenating land that can be used for so much more and can bring value back to these neighborhoods.”

    “Our brownfield redevelopment efforts continue to produce great results, not only for the communities that can now capitalize on new opportunities for growth and vibrancy but also for the residents who directly benefit from the new end uses for these reclaimed properties, whether it be housing, parks, commercial space, or community centers,” DECD Commissioner Daniel O’Keefe said.

    The grants announced today under this funding round include:

    • Ansonia: $200,000 grant to the city for the assessment of the 4.21-acre site located at 35 and 65 Main Street, the former Farrel Ansonia Facility that has been vacant since 2018. These assessment activities will enable the city to determine the best use for the site.
    • Bridgeport: $200,000 planning grant to the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG) for planning activities on the western bank of the Yellow Mill Channel along Waterview Avenue. These planning activities will enable MetroCOG and the city to advance a comprehensive plan for development of a Waterfront Pathway.
    • Danbury: $200,000 grant to the city for the environmental assessment of the former Fairfield County Courthouse. This assessment will enable future reuse of the building as municipal office space in the historic district.
    • Danbury: $200,000 grant to the city for assessment activities at 13 Barnum Court, which was formerly used for hat manufacturing. The assessment work will help identify potential end uses and developers to cleanup and reuse the site.
    • Derby: $200,000 grant to the city to further evaluate site conditions and planning activities for the O’Sullivan’s Island (OSI) property at Caroline Street, a 17.25-acre peninsula of land located south of the downtown commercial district at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers. The former regional fire training center is now part of the Naugatuck River Greenway and accessible to the public as a park. The assessment and planning activities will enable the city to further investigate the site to address previously identified contamination and open up the property for additional recreational activities.
    • East Lyme: $200,000 grant to the town to conduct assessment activities at 278 Main Street. These assessment activities will help to identify contamination and evaluate the cost of remedial action.
    • Hartford: $4,000,000 grant to the city for the demolition and abatement of the existing structure at the 2.95-acre site at 150 Windsor Street. Remediation of this strategic downtown property will open the site to future development opportunities.
    • Monroe: $100,000 grant to the town to complete assessment activities at the 7.74-acre site of the former Saint Jude School located at 709 Monroe Turnpike. The town is proposing to adaptively reuse the building for use as a community center and town offices.
    • Naugatuck: $200,000 grant to the borough for assessment work on the 36.2-acre site that was formerly a Hershey & Peter Paul Cadbury manufacturing site. This assessment will enable the site to be returned to productive use after 18 years of vacancy.
    • New Britain: $2,000,000 grant to the city for abatement and clean-up activities at the New Britain Business Park located at 221 South Street. The 54.91-acre site has historically been a commercial and industrial park and was home to the New Britain Machine Company. These cleanup activities will facilitate the adaptive reuse of 123,000 square feet of existing building space, providing new manufacturing, R&D, warehousing/distribution, and office spaces to meet local and regional market demands.
    • New Haven: $880,000 grant to the city for the remediation of the 1.13-acre vacant lot located at 275 South Orange Street. The site was formerly a portion of the New Haven Coliseum and is currently used for parking. The remediation will enable the construction of phase 1B of a multi-use development that will include 7,159 square feet of amenity and retail space and 120 residential units.
    • New Haven: $947,500 grant to the city for the demolition and abatement of blighted buildings and excavation of petroleum-impacted soil at 185, 212, and 213 Front Street. The 1.34-acre site, located along the Quinnipiac River, has a history of industrial use, including a coal yard, fuel tank farm, and metalworking shop. The remediation will pave the way for the construction of 70 residential units, retail spaces, and a 29,000 square foot green space and boardwalk to improve pedestrian access.
    • New Milford: $150,000 grant to the New Milford Economic Development Corporation for assessment activities at the Former East Street School, a 4.63-acre site located at 50 East Street. These assessment activities will enable the repurposing of the historical former school into a Cultural Center for the Arts and Community Hub, which could include affordable living spaces for creative professionals.
    • Norwich: $100,000 grant to the Norwich Community Development Corporation (NCDC) for the assessment of the former Norwich State Hospital, located at 628 and 705 Laurel Hill Road. The funding will enable the NCDC to complete a Phase III ESA, along with a conceptual remedial action plan, structural assessment, hazardous building materials assessment, and estimates of remediation, abatement, and cleanup costs. The NCDC is looking to renovate the property in concert with the neighboring Preston Riverwalk Development.
    • Redding: $200,000 grant to the town to conduct assessment activities at 19 North Main Street, which will help identify contamination at the former wastewater treatment facility of the Gilbert and Bennett Wire Mill and inform redevelopment efforts.
    • Shelton: $2,975,500 remediation grant to the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments for groundwater and soil cleanup, excavation, and disposal at 113 and 125 Canal Street, sites that were previously used for electroplating and other industrial operations. These remediation efforts will enable the development of two mixed-use complexes with a total of more than 120 residential units, retail space, and a parking garage. In addition, the walkway along the Housatonic River to Veterans Memorial Park will be extended.
    • Stonington: $177,000 grant to the town to conduct assessment activities at the Former Campbell Grain Facility, a 1.86-acre project site located at 27 West Broad Street and 15 Cogswell Street in Stonington. These assessment activities will help identify the level of contamination and the cost of a remedial action plan.
    • Torrington: $600,000 grant to the city for the abatement and demolition of the remaining buildings (buildings 21 and 24) at the 9.39-acre site located at 70 North Main Street. The proposed grant funds will be used for the remaining abatement and demolition. Upon completion, conceptual plans include construction of new commercial/industrial/light manufacturing buildings with a possible installation of a fuel-cell to generate necessary site power.
    • Torrington: $200,000 grant to the New Colony Development Corporation for the completion of assessment and planning activities at 100 Franklin Drive. The funding will enable the city to identify and partner with a potential developer to repurpose the former manufacturing site for potentially residential development.
    • West Hartford: $200,000 grant to the town for assessment activities of the Former AC Petersen Ice Cream Production Facility, a 1.02-acre site located at 240 Park Road. The assessment and subsequential cleanup will allow the building’s existing businesses, including the Playhouse on Park, a performing arts theater, to expand into the environmentally affected areas which have been unused or underused for several decades.
    • West Hartford: $688,000 grant to the town for demolition and remediation of the 1.21-acre site located at 579 New Park Avenue. The remediation activities will enable the construction of a mixed-use/TOD project consisting of 70 residential units.
    • Winchester: $200,000 planning grant to the Northwest Hills Council of Governments to examine a stretch/corridor of vacant and blighted industrial properties along the Mad River. Funds will be used to address potentially contaminated structures and create a comprehensive plan.
    • Windsor Locks: $4,000,000 grant to the town for abatement, demolition, and remediation activities at 255 Main Street, which is adjacent to the proposed location of the new train station. The cleanup activities will enable the construction of the first phase of a 120-unit mixed-use/TOD development.

    For more information on Connecticut’s Brownfield Remediation and Development Program, visit www.ctbrownfields.gov.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: TRA proposes keeping measure on Chinese ceramic kitchenware

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    TRA proposes keeping measure on Chinese ceramic kitchenware

    The TRA has proposed that an anti-dumping measure on ceramic tableware and kitchenware from China be maintained until 16 July 2029.  

    The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has today (12 June 2025) published initial findings proposing that an anti-dumping measure on certain ceramic tableware and kitchenware products imported from China be maintained for an additional five years, until 16 July 2029.  

    Extending this measure will ensure that the UK’s industry, which produces and sells around £100m worth of ceramic tableware and kitchenware each year, continues to be protected from unfair competition.  

    The reviewed products include a variety of commonly used ceramic kitchen and tableware consumer items, such as plates, bowls, mugs, and cups. Detailed information about these products can be found in the investigation’s public file. 

    In its Statement of Essential Facts (SEF), the TRA found that dumping would be likely to continue in increased volumes if the measures were removed, and that injury to UK industry would be likely as a result. The investigation revealed that Chinese exports were entering the UK market at significantly lower prices, approximately 75% cheaper than similar products sold by UK manufacturers. 

    The estimated size of the ceramic tableware and kitchenware market in the UK is around £350 million, with Chinese imports accounting for 67% of all imports to the UK in 2024.  

    Current anti-dumping duties on Chinese ceramic tableware and kitchenware imports range from 13.1% to 36.1%, depending on the exporter. 

    Businesses that may be affected by these findings can submit comments to the TRA by 03 July 2025 and can do so through the TRA’s public file. 

    Background information:  

    • The initial findings published today follow a transition review that was initiated on 15 May 2024. 

    • The Trade Remedies Authority is the independent UK body that investigates whether new trade remedy measures are needed to counter unfair import practices and unforeseen surges of imports.   

    • The TRA is an arm’s length body of the Department for Business and Trade.   

    • Anti-dumping duties allow a country or union to act against goods which are being sold at less than their normal value – this is defined as the price for ‘like goods’ sold in the exporter’s home market.  

    • The period of investigation (POI) was 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. To assess injury, the TRA chose the period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2024 as the injury period (IP).

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Work underway to resolve challenges hampering economic growth 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Work underway to resolve challenges hampering economic growth 

    Government is maintaining a “razor sharp” focus on the resolution of challenges that are hampering the growth of the South African economy.

    This is according to Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni who delivered the post-Cabinet media statement on Thursday.

    Earlier this month, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) revealed that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had increased marginally by some 0.1% during the first quarter of 2025, following an increase of 0.4% in the previous quarter – showing sluggish performance.

    “Cabinet remains concerned about the decline in the manufacturing industry more so when government has prioritised boosting local manufacturing and thus Cabinet awaits the finalisation of the revised industrial policy.

    “Government understands the impact of the challenges within the freight and logistics [sector] that continues to impact the growth of the mining industry which also experienced a decline. We are maintaining razor sharp focus on the work of Operation Vulindlela Phase Two and [the] Government-Business Partnership in urgently resolving the logistics challenges that are hampering the economic growth of this country,” she said at the briefing held in Cape Town.

    The Minister added that Cabinet welcomes the National Assembly’s approval of the 2025 Fiscal Framework – known as the budget – that is geared at stepping up spending on infrastructure investment to R1 trillion over the medium term.

    In the same vein, Cabinet noted reports which have raised concern about Statistics South Africa’s (Stats SA) Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) related to the informal sector.

    “The [QLFS] collects data on the labour market activities of individuals aged 15 years and older on a quarterly basis. Furthermore, Stats SA produces a comprehensive report every four years which includes a dedicated module for the survey of employers and self-employed. 

    “This survey aims to provide in-depth insights into the characteristics and operations of the informal sector businesses in South Africa. Cabinet has been discussing the option of either a quarterly or annual [survey]…however, Stats SA would require access to a business register of informal businesses which is currently absent.

    “We previously announced that Cabinet approved the National Business Licensing Policy which will enable a standardisation of licensing of informal businesses…over a period of time of its implementation, the Department of Small Business Development should be able to create a reliable register of informal businesses that will improve the ability of Stats SA to draw reliable data for the QLFS,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za

    NeoB

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: Biz2Credit Small Business Earnings Climb for Fifth Consecutive Month

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Biz2Credit’s monthly Small Business Earnings Report found that average monthly earnings were up to $49,300 in May 2025, up slightly from April’s number. This continues a positive run for earnings, rising 53% since January.

    Key Findings for May 2025:

    • Average Monthly Earnings: $49,300. (Apr. 2025: $47,700 – an increase of $1,600)
    • Average Monthly Revenue: $592,600. (Apr. 2025: $554,900 – an increase of $37,700)
    • Average Monthly Expenses: $544,200. (Apr. 2025: $501,900 – an increase of $42,300)

    Takeaways:

    As summer months approach and inflation remains tempered, small businesses are seeing growth in top line revenue, expenses, and earnings. The positive marks for enterprise operators echo the sentiment in the U.S. Small Business Confidence Index, which rose for the first time since December.

    “Small and medium businesses continue to remain resilient as tariff negotiations remain in limbo,” said Rohit Arora, CEO and co-founder of Biz2Credit. It was expected that tariffs would send prices upward as businesses were estimated to raise prices, and bring rising inflation. Those results have yet to materialize. A plausible explanation is that businesses frontloaded their inventory to skirt tariffs.

    “Additionally, tax policy has become a rising question mark for many business owners, as Congress and the White House remain at odds over the Big, Beautiful Bill,” added Arora, one of the nation’s leading experts in small business finance. A report from the NFIB says that taxes are a top concern as the provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017 remain unconfirmed at this time.

    Summary

    The Biz2Credit Small Business Earnings Report summarizes primary data of companies that applied for funding each month. It assesses the financial health of small businesses by analyzing primary data provided directly by small to midsized firms in the U.S. as part of the application process on Biz2Credit’s award-winning digital funding platform. The report provides one of the most up-to-date readings on the financial health of small businesses currently available. Click here to review the Small Business Earnings Report.

    Methodology

    Biz2Credit examines a number of small business financial metrics in the Small Business Earnings Report, including annual revenue, operating expenses, age of business, credit score, approval rate, and funding rate. Data is drawn from over 100,000 completed financing applications submitted to Biz2Credit’s online small business funding platform between Jan. 2022 and May 2025.

    About Biz2Credit

    Founded in 2007, Biz2Credit has helped thousands of companies access more than in small business financing. Biz2Credit is headquartered in New York City, employs over 800 people with over half in product, data science, and engineering roles. Using data analytics and predictive modeling, Biz2Credit seeks to enhance the accuracy and transparency of business credit decisions, fueling long-term economic development. Visit www.biz2credit.com, or follow the company on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).

    Media Contact: Brett Holzhauer, (818) 326-1109, brett.holzhauer@biz2credit.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Funding secured for Britain’s industrial future

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Funding secured for Britain’s industrial future

    Government backs 2 major Carbon Capture projects in Aberdeenshire and the Humber.

    • Path to securing tens of thousands of jobs in the North Sea and industrial heartlands for decades to come
    • Further investment in Scotland as government’s Plan for Change delivers record settlement for Scottish Government with an extra £9.1 billion over the Spending Review period to deliver public services
    • Government meets in full request for initial development expenditure from projects, including funding for the SCO₂T Connect onshore pipeline connecting St Fergus with Grangemouth

    Workers in the North Sea and Britain’s manufacturing heartlands will drive forward the country’s industrial renewal, as 2 major carbon capture projects in Aberdeenshire and the Humber receive funding to progress.  

    It comes as part of the government’s Spending Review, which will see working people across Scotland benefit from significant investment in clean energy and innovation, creating thousands of high-skilled jobs and strengthening Scotland’s position as the home of the United Kingdom’s clean energy revolution. 

    After years of delay under previous governments, the government has backed UK carbon capture industries with £9.4 billion following the Spending Review, investing in Britain’s reindustrialisation with good, well-paid, skilled jobs for Britain’s engineers, technicians and electricians.  

    Funding will be invested this parliament to get spades in the ground and accelerate Britain’s global leadership in the technology of the future. 

    It will also progress the Acorn project in Aberdeenshire and the Viking project in the Humber with development funding, helping provide long-term industrial certainty for working people at the heart of these communities.  

    Today the government is meeting in full the request for development funding of around £200 million, subject to business case,  to prepare the Acorn project for delivery – the first time a government has provided funding of this scale for the projects to proceed. 

    As the project develops, funding will also provide financial cover for the National Gas SCO₂T Connect project, to repurpose an existing 175 mile gas pipeline, alongside 35 miles of new build pipeline, to allow CO2 captured at Grangemouth to be transported to storage facilities under the North Sea. Industry expects at their peak construction Acorn to support approximately 15,000 jobs and Viking to support 20,000 jobs, including 1,000 apprenticeships – bolstering the proud energy history of 2 industrial heartlands as engines for growth through the Plan for Change. 

    Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 

    This government is putting its money where its mouth is and backing the trailblazing Acorn and Viking CCS projects.  

    This will support industrial renewal in Scotland and the Humber with thousands of highly-skilled jobs at good wages to build Britain’s clean energy future. 

    Carbon capture will make working people in Britain’s hard-working communities better off, breathing new life into their towns and cities and reindustrialising the country through our Plan for Change.

    Tim Stedman, CEO Storegga, lead developer of Acorn, said: 

    We warmly welcome the UK government’s support for the Acorn project and the commitment to development funding that will enable the critical work needed to reach Final Investment Decision (FID).  

    Building on the momentum from the Track 1 projects and significant private sector investment, this milestone is key not only for Acorn but for establishing Scotland’s essential CCS infrastructure needed to grow and scale the UK’s wider carbon capture and storage industry. 

    We look forward to working with government in the months ahead to understand the details of today’s commitment, and to ensure the policy, regulatory and funding frameworks are in place to build and grow a world-leading UK CCS sector.

    Graeme Davies, Executive Vice President, CCS, Harbour Energy said: 

    The Spending Review today sends a strong signal that Track-2 and Viking CCS are an infrastructure-led economic growth priority in this Parliament. 

    We will work with government on the critical steps needed to progress Viking CCS towards a final investment decision, following our completion of Front-End Engineering Design and approval of the onshore pipeline Development Consent Order earlier this year.

    Acorn has said its project will safeguard around 18,000 jobs in the North Sea that would otherwise have been lost, including jobs at Grangemouth.  

    These jobs will be needed to build pipelines to transport CO2 safely and generate low-carbon power to homes and businesses so the British people can have energy security, lower bills and protection from the climate crisis. 

    The funding accelerates the mission to become a clean energy superpower, with projects set to remove CO2 emissions before they reach the atmosphere and store them away safely, which is crucial to securing Britain’s industrial manufacturing future and tackling the climate crisis. Funding builds on and provides more construction support for 2 more advanced projects in Liverpool Bay and Teesside, which both reached financial close earlier this year. 

    Today’s funding sets a path to unlocking billions of private sector investment, putting more money into the pockets of hard-working communities in Aberdeen and the Humber – securing their place as a world-leader of net zero and low-carbon industries. 

    Once Acorn and Viking are operational, combined, they could remove up to 18 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere per year. As well as capturing emissions, carbon capture can also be used to generate low-carbon power, as well as enabling hydrogen power –  with the industry expected to support up to 50,000 jobs in the 2030s.  

    Both projects will now move forward with their proposals with the aim of reaching financial closure later this Parliament, subject to project readiness and affordability.  

    Notes to editors

    Today’s funding delivers on our commitments, having already reached financial investment decisions on 2 projects in Hynet, North Wales and the East Coast Cluster, Teesside which industry expects to deliver 20,000 jobs each at peak construction and assuming full deployment.

    Jobs figures were provided to government by industry.

    Stakeholders: 

    Jon Butterworth, CEO, National Gas, said  

    We warmly welcome the government’s decision to fund a further programme of significant carbon capture projects across the country. As Britain’s national gas network, we share the government’s view on the importance of energy security in bolstering our national security.  

    National Gas’s SCO₂T Connect Project, an essential component of the Acorn Project and wider Scottish Cluster, will be the key enabler for carbon capture across Scotland by providing the network infrastructure to facilitate industrial decarbonisation at scale and Clean Power.  

    This milestone investment commitment will set the UK on a path to be a genuine world-leader in carbon capture and storage which will play a pivotal role in securing Britain’s energy, decarbonising our economy and creating the jobs of the future.

    Finlay McCutcheon, Managing Director, SSE Thermal, said:  

    The UK government’s support for the Scottish Cluster reflects a strong commitment to advancing a low carbon future for Scotland and the wider UK. 

    Peterhead Carbon Capture Power Station is an essential anchor project within the cluster, and this welcome announcement moves us a step closer to delivering this vital project.  

    Carbon capture technology is essential to achieving the UK’s Clean Power targets, and today’s news highlights the need to deliver clean, low carbon dispatchable power that strengthens energy security in a renewables-led system.   

    SSE’s Peterhead site is strategically located near North Sea oil and gas infrastructure, which we aim to repurpose for CCS in collaboration with partners Equinor and Acorn. This would create a pathway for job creation and retention in North East Scotland, while accelerating the wider decarbonisation of our industrial clusters.     

    This marks an important step forward for the future of UK energy infrastructure, and SSE remains committed to working closely with government and industry partners to support the transition to a clean energy future.

    Olivia Powis, CEO, Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA), said: 

    The CCSA welcomes support for CCUS in the Comprehensive Spending Review, with allocation of funding for the build-out of HyNet and the East Coast Cluster and development funding to progress the Acorn Project and Viking CCS.

    The commitment to taking Final Investment Decision this Parliament, subject to readiness and affordability, for these clusters is welcome and helps towards giving industry the confidence it needs to move forward with major investments in low-carbon infrastructure.

    This is a clear step forward to progressing the next clusters in Scotland and Humber. CCUS is critical to decarbonising our industrial heartlands, supporting clean power and enabling low-carbon hydrogen.

    It also plays a key role in protecting and creating thousands of high-quality jobs across the country in critical industries like cement, chemicals and refining, and the power system — all of which are essential for meeting the government’s commitments on new infrastructure and housebuilding.

    David Whitehouse, CEO, Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), said: 

    The support for the next phase of carbon storage projects in Scotland and Humberside is welcome, and an important step towards final investment decisions later in this Parliament. Together Viking and Acorn have the potential to unlock over £25 billion of investment by 2035, creating over 30,000 jobs at peak construction, 

    These projects will provide the pathway to support the decarbonisation of UK industries and are critical to the governments clean power objectives. We will continue to work with government to detail long-term support required to deliver these projects and unlock the wider UK’s CCS ambition.

    Sue Ferns, Senior Deputy General Secretary of Prospect union, said:  

    Prospect has been calling for further investment in infrastructure and CCUS, particularly in the Acorn and Viking clusters, so this is welcome.  

    New investment is vital to support jobs and the development of new technology in Scotland, the Humber and other industrial heartlands.  

    If these projects are successful they can not only help us to hit our emissions targets but will also play an important role in a just transition in the North Sea.

    Dr Liz Cameron CBE, CEO, Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: 

    The government’s backing for the Acorn Project is a significant endorsement which will help to make the North East a world leader in the low-carbon industry. 

    This major carbon capture and storage facility puts us on an ecologically more sustainable trajectory and will bolster the region’s economy by creating up to 15,000 jobs in construction and attracting billions in private investment. 

    Whilst this intervention is undoubtedly welcome, we urge both the UK and Scottish governments to work in collaboration to realise Acorn’s potential in full.

    Andy Prendergast, GMB National Secretary, said:  

    We strongly welcome this announcement that secures thousands of jobs whilst putting Britain’s firmly on the path to net zero. After years of dithering, it’s great to see a government willing to come forward with the investments necessary to protect and decarbonise crucial industries in Aberdeen and Humberside.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Nuclear safeguards: AUKUS statement to the IAEA Board of Governors, June 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Nuclear safeguards: AUKUS statement to the IAEA Board of Governors, June 2025

    Statement by Australia, the UK and the US to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors on IAEA safeguards and AUKUS

    Thank you, Chair.

    I take the floor on behalf of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to respond to continued false claims that purposefully mischaracterize AUKUS partners’ intentions and attempt to undermine the independence, integrity, and authority of the IAEA.  

    We reiterate that this item has not been adopted as a standing agenda item by the Board and does not have consensus support among Board members. It is a distraction from the Board’s important work on other pressing issues. We support discussion of naval nuclear propulsion at the appropriate time, such as when the Director General releases reports on the topic. As we have always said, Australia’s arrangement will be referred to the Board for appropriate action guided by the DG’s technical assessment of the arrangement’s nonproliferation provisions when the time is right.

    AUKUS partners remain committed to transparency as we work to set the highest nonproliferation standard, and Director General Grossi has repeatedly expressed satisfaction with AUKUS partners’ engagement and transparency. As a demonstration of our commitment to transparency, I would like to highlight the side event held at the NPT Preparatory Committee in New York on 1 May.  AUKUS partners value sessions such as these to openly offer clarity on how we are developing the non-proliferation approach for Australia’s program, consistent with our respective international obligations.

    As we have said, when we discuss setting the highest nonproliferation standard, we are not seeking to establish a model arrangement for others.  Australia’s arrangement, once finalized, will demonstrate that it is possible to apply the highest non-proliferation standard to naval nuclear propulsion under an Article 14 arrangement in a way that will allow the IAEA to fulfill its technical objectives: verifying there has been no diversion of nuclear material, no misuse of nuclear facilities, and no undeclared nuclear material or activities in Australia. For other Member States seeking naval nuclear propulsion programs, it will be up to them to negotiate directly with the IAEA on appropriate verification arrangements based on the unique nature of the program. Although, we trust that other such Member States likewise will support a high standard and respect the integrity and independence of the IAEA.

    The commitment to a robust Article 14 arrangement was included in our countries’ legal obligations in the AUKUS Naval Nuclear Propulsion Agreement (ANNPA), including through the requirement that the United States and UK not transfer any nuclear material to Australia for naval nuclear propulsion until Australia and the IAEA have such an arrangement in place. As we have prioritized since the start of the AUKUS partnership in 2021, ANNPA, which entered into force in January, is yet another way that we are demonstrating our commitment to setting the highest standard of nonproliferation in an open and transparent manner.

    Chair,

    Some countries continue to make the same false claims about the AUKUS partnership. We have spent considerable time addressing these in the past, both here at the Board and in other venues. To be clear, AUKUS in no way involves cooperation on nuclear weapons. The AUKUS partnership is fully consistent with partners’ respective international obligations under the NPT and safeguards agreements. Again, the transfer of nuclear material under the AUKUS partnership will only proceed once we can ensure it is done in a manner consistent with the highest nonproliferation standard.

    We will continue our open and transparent approach, including by providing an update under Any Other Business, and will engage in good faith with Member States on genuine questions as we continue to develop our partnership.

    Thank you, Chair.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A school prom isn’t just a party – it can equip teens with life skills

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Julie Tinson, Professor of Marketing, University of Stirling

    Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

    The high school prom, an American institution, has now been a mainstay in UK culture for over 25 years. A prom heralds the end of exams and the end of school altogether – and the beginning of a new chapter of life. It’s an opportunity for teens to dress up in glamorous dresses and smart tuxedos, and maybe arrive in style in the back of a limo.

    It’s an adolescent ritual that might be seen as a one-off, frivolous event. But a prom is much more important than that.

    The research for our forthcoming book chapter has shown that organising and attending proms build teenagers’ leadership skills, creativity, practical and life skills, as well as social and emotional skills. It also boosts positive emotions, such as enthusiasm and pride: something teenagers emerging from a gruelling summer of exams need.

    For teens involved in organising the event, there is scope to develop leadership skills. Making group decisions about where to hold the event and how to fund it requires bargaining with other organising committee members, as well as reasoning with fellow students and navigating school rules.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Trying to please everyone, including teachers, parents and host venues can be a steep learning curve. And dealing with disappointment when compromise is required is an important life skill.

    For teenagers with limited involvement in organising the event, attending prom can still help boost their learning. Having a party to look forward to can increase teens’ diligence and commitment to their schoolwork as they revise for their exams. Some schools capitalise on this by offering “passports” to prom. This scheme could involve students earning a free ticket to prom by attending a set number of revision classes.

    Emerging adult selves

    Prom is more than an opportunity for dressing up. Teenagers can also use this event to present a new or altered self, using a coming-of-age celebration as a platform to convey who they are or who they want to be. In some cases, this can involve young people making their own clothing and accessories. Such types of activity afford practical and life skills.

    And any prom look requires organisation: budgeting, researching what’s available. Finances, limited or otherwise, may constrain or restrict choice and result in problem solving or trade-offs. As the high school prom occurs within a particular time frame, time management and the (online) ordering of products can contribute – or not – to the success of a desired prom outfit.

    Friends are keen to share their prom experience with others, but attending the high school prom can be prohibitively expensive. Our research has shown that in these situations, teens can develop their social and emotional skills as well as effectively communicating and negotiating with school staff in more equal, adult ways than they may have before.

    Some teenagers create their own prom looks.
    MJTH/Shutterstock

    For example, some teens in our research secured their friend’s attendance at prom by buying her a dress for her birthday and asking their teacher if she could have her prom ticket for free.

    There remains opportunity to use the high school prom as means to develop a wider range of diverse skills. Equality, diversity and inclusion could be better embedded in prom activities to make them accessible to all, and teenagers can be part of this. To ensure widening participation, creating high school proms that reflect a range of cultures and identities could further enhance learning opportunities for those taking part.

    High school proms involve not only teenagers but also their families, friends and the wider community. Schools especially have an important role to play in this coming-of-age celebration, often going further than simply supporting its organisation. Teachers, for example, can help facilitate the supply of dresses and other resources to guarantee inclusion at this end of school celebration, ensuring that those who want to attend this event can do so.

    Our research shows that teenagers actively participate in a learning journey while preparing for this ritual and develop life skills that they can build on in work, further education and volunteering. A high school prom is more than just one night to remember.

    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. A school prom isn’t just a party – it can equip teens with life skills – https://theconversation.com/a-school-prom-isnt-just-a-party-it-can-equip-teens-with-life-skills-254532

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: North Prospect regeneration earns honours at regional awards

    Source: City of Plymouth

    (l-r) Nick Nackson, Executive Director of Business Services and Development at PCH; Neil Mawson, Housing Delivery Mananger; Carly Francis, Area Planning Manager and Paul Barnard, Service Director for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure collect the awards

    A bold regeneration project in Plymouth has been crowned Best Project at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) South West Awards for Planning Excellence — and has also taken home the coveted Overall Best in Region title.

    Delivered in partnership between Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) and the Council, the transformational regeneration of North Prospect, the largest scheme of its kind in the South West, began in 2012 and has completely reshaped the area.

    Over the course of the project, nearly 800 homes in poor condition were demolished and replaced with more than 1,100 high-quality, energy-efficient homes.

    The new neighbourhood offers a better variety of house types, sizes, and tenures, creating a more inclusive and sustainable community.

    Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Communities at Plymouth City Council, said: “This award is a testament to the vision, dedication, and hard work of everyone involved in the North Prospect regeneration.

    “It’s not just about bricks and mortar — it’s about creating a thriving, inclusive community where people are proud to live.
    “We’re thrilled to see this project recognised at a regional level and excited to see it go forward to the national stage.”

    In total, the project has delivered 491 new homes for affordable and social rent, and 195 homes for shared ownership, creating a total of 686 affordable homes—exceeding the 605 socially rented homes previously in the area.

    In addition, PCH refurbished a further 300 social rented homes, ensuring that existing residents also benefited from the improvements.

    The project’s success is a testament to the power of collaboration and long-term vision in urban planning. It now advances to the national RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence, with finalists to be announced in October.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • Government e-Marketplace surges past ₹4 lakh crore GMV in just 10 months of FY 2024-25

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Under the transformative leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who completes 11 years in office, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of ₹4.09 lakh crore within the first 10 months of Fiscal Year 2024-25. This feat, announced by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, reflects a nearly 50% growth compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year, cementing GeM’s role as a cornerstone of India’s digital procurement revolution.

    Launched in August 2016, GeM has emerged as a trusted platform for transparent and efficient public procurement, serving over 1.6 lakh government entities and 22.5 lakh sellers and service providers. The platform’s GMV for FY 2024-25, achieved by January 23, 2025, outpaces last year’s historic high of ₹4 lakh crore, driven significantly by the services segment, which accounted for ₹2.54 lakh crore (62% of total GMV). The product segment contributed ₹1.55 lakh crore (38%). The services segment’s near-100% growth, fueled by the addition of 19 new service categories, has enabled government entities to procure specialized services like debit card printing, bulk email services, dark fiber leasing, and data center operations management with enhanced efficiency.

    Central government entities, particularly the ministries of Coal, Defence, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Power, and Steel, have been pivotal in this surge. The Ministry of Coal led as the top procurer, with a transacted order value of nearly ₹1.63 lakh crore, including over 320 high-value bids worth approximately ₹42,000 crore for handling and transport services by Coal PSUs. GeM’s versatility is evident in its facilitation of both everyday essentials, such as rations and stationery, and high-end, complex items like advanced technology systems and missile components.

    The platform’s operational excellence was further highlighted by processing 49,960 orders in a single day during FY 2024-25, showcasing its robustness and widespread adoption. Since its inception, GeM has facilitated over 2.59 crore orders, amassing a cumulative GMV of more than ₹11.64 lakh crore. Continuous reforms, including simplified processes and reduced transaction charges, have made GeM more accessible, particularly for Micro and Small Enterprises, startups, and women-led businesses.

  • MIL-OSI Economics: [Editorial: Youth Month Testimonials] Samsung Education-Focused CSR Programmes Making A Positive Difference in the Lives of South African Youth

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung’s education-focused, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes strive to promote innovation and empower youth through technology; with the ultimate aim of addressing societal issues.
     
    These programmes offer support to underprivileged youth and aim to cultivate creative thinking while also providing critical skills training needed by the local economy. By doing so, Samsung is creating opportunities for young people to make a positive impact on their communities and society. Samsung spoke to some of the beneficiaries from its education-focused initiatives that are driven through technology and this is what they had to say:
     
    Siyabonga ‘Siya” Mojalefa Tshabalala originally from Qwaqwa in the Free State was part of the 2022 Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) programme in partnership with Central University of Technology (CUT). SIC is a global initiative that upskills youth aged 18-25 in future technologies to enhance their employability while focusing on AI, IoT, Big Data and Coding. Siya explained: “ Through this SIC programme – I gained hands-on experience through paper coding, peer programming and projects and these skills have helped me to solve real-world problems. The programme also taught me some important soft skills that are required in work environments, these included communication, critical thinking, problem solving skills and ability to collaborate with others.”
     

     
    Another beneficiary, 26 year old Mulalo Ndou, did her undergrad in Mathematical Science and majored in Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). She also completed her honours in Risk Analysis (Cum-laude) at the University of the Free State (UFS).
     
    According to Mulalo, Samsung’s bursary fund was her light at the end of the tunnel. Mulalo received funding from Samsung when she needed it to complete her last year of studies. “I lost the funding I had for my studies in my final year and had to go back home, but Samsung came through for me, she said. “This bursary fund paid for my annual fees and accommodation in my final year and postgraduate studies. It also provided me with a monthly meal and living stipend as well as an allowance for a laptop.”
     

     
    After Mulalo finished her postgrad, Samsung provided her with an internship opportunity. “When the internship period was over, Samsung gave me a full-time position as a Process Improvement Data Analyst/Reporting Specialist am very grateful to the individuals at Samsung who helped me to be successful in my role,” she added. In an effort to pay it forward, Mulalo also works as a volunteer at Rising Females in STEM, as she is also a Rising Female in Technology and Mathematics.
     
    Mulalo said that she has always wanted to be one of the mentors in the Samsung Solve For Tomorrow (SFT) programme. “This SFT opportunity came at the right time and has been an amazing experience. I am learning something new each day from the participating learners and most importantly, how to become a great mentor.”
     
    Nzumbululo Todani, an 18 year old learner from Mbilwi Secondary in Thohoyandou, Limpopo. Nzumbululo is one of the beneficiaries from the SFT contest that challenges students to use STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills to solve real-world problems in their respective, local communities. His participation in the SFT competition has proved to be invaluable – he attributes his academic achievements in 2024 to his experience in the programme. Nzumbululo was awarded the top learner in the province for the 2024 NSC examinations with an average aggregate of 97%. Also, he was awarded for obtaining 300/300 in two gateway subjects: Physical Science and Geography.
     

     
    “When I participated in the contest, I assumed the role of team co-ordinator, managing and planning the daily landscape of the project and doing quality control on the prototype as well as all papers written and the final presentation. The competition left me with invaluable communication, leadership, planning, evaluation and time management skills.”
     
    Thoriso Rangata is a 32 year male entrepreneur and the owner of KTO Digital – a Business Process Automation, Software Development Services and Background Screening Software as a Service (SaaS) solution provider. He currently stays in Johannesburg but is originally from Limpopo and is one of the beneficiaries of the Samsung EEIP Entrepreneurship Development Programme. Thoriso became part of the programme when he responded to a public call for applications. At the time, his business needed support so that they could meet the company’s growth objectives.”

    Since being part of the EEIP programme, Thoriso won the Nedbank Business of the Year Award in 2022. His company also launched their own product and received accreditation for the business as a credit bureau in 2022.
     
    “The other direct benefits that we received from being part of the programme included: Grant Funding, Asset Financing and Continuous Business Mentorship that our business needed in order for us to move forward, Thoriso added. “We strongly believe that the skills we acquired from this EEIP programme, which included Business regulatory governance structures and strategic business growth approaches/methods – have contributed to the success of our business to date.”
     
    Through these education-focused CSR programmes that are driven by technology, Samsung is actively promoting the transfer of critical skills as well as both employment and entrepreneurship opportunities that are needed by the country’s youth and the local economy.
     
    The testimonials from the youth that participated in Samsung’s programmes mentioned above, are a clear indication of the impact the company is making in South Africa. By continuing to fund such programmes, Samsung is working towards winning the fight against youth unemployment, inequality and poverty in the country;  through job creation and the development of a skilled workforce.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China urges US to abide by WTO rules, advance China-US trade relations – China’s Ministry of Commerce

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) — China calls on the United States to strictly abide by the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and work together with China to promote stable and sustainable development of the two countries’ economic and trade relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, He Yadong, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Commerce, said on Thursday.

    He made this statement at a regular departmental press conference in response to a journalist’s question on the matter, emphasizing that China’s position against a unilateral increase in customs duties remains unchanged.

    According to him, from June 9 to 10, the negotiating teams on trade and economic issues between China and the United States held the first meeting in London within the framework of the mechanism of trade and economic consultations between the two countries.

    At the meeting, the two sides reached fundamental agreement on implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their telephone conversation on June 5 and on the framework of measures to consolidate the results of the trade and economic talks in Geneva, He Yadong said, adding that new progress was also made in resolving mutual concerns in the trade and economic field between the two sides.

    In the future, both sides are willing to make better use of the role of the China-US trade and economic consultation mechanism, continue to maintain consultations and dialogue, constantly strengthen consensus and reduce misunderstandings, and increase interaction to jointly promote the stable and long-term development of trade and economic relations between the two countries. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: SINTX Technologies Announces Strategic Vision Focused on Expansion Across Key Sectors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New leadership and recapitalization to accelerate commercialization of proprietary silicon nitride technologies in medical and high-growth markets

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SINTX Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SINT) (“SINTX” or the “Company”), the only FDA-registered producer of implantable silicon nitride and a global leader in advanced ceramics, today announced a renewed corporate vision and strategic plan to accelerate commercialization and unlock the full value of its intellectual property portfolio. This follows the company’s successful recapitalization in February 2025 and the restructure of its leadership team and Board of Directors.

    A Legacy of Innovation in Silicon Nitride

    In 2008 SINTX Technologies made history with the first FDA-cleared implant material that is neither metal nor plastic—but medical-grade silicon nitride. The initial clearance covered a family of interbody devices and marked a pivotal moment in spinal surgery. These implants offered a unique trifecta of benefits: antimicrobial activity, osteogenic potential, and radiographic translucency. With over 50,000 spinal implants successfully placed worldwide, SINTX has demonstrated the clinical viability and long-term advantages of this revolutionary biomaterial.

    Today, SINTX remains the industry leader in silicon nitride technology, with 18 issued U.S. patents and 84 pending applications. Known for its strength, biocompatibility, and infection-resistant properties, the company’s proprietary ceramic platform has applications across multiple markets—including the $62 billion global orthopedic implant sector, as well as emerging fields like agribiotech and performance textiles.

    Renewed Vision and Mission

    SINTX is now taking this one step further by developing next-generation hybrid biomaterials that combine the biological performance of silicon nitride and merging the flexibility, and manufacturability of polymers like PEEK and PEKK. These new composites are being optimized for applications in spine, oral/maxillofacial (OMF), cranio-maxillofacial (CMF), and oncologic reconstruction.

    “Our mission is clear: to drive sustainable growth and value creation by collaborating with market leaders who recognize the transformative potential of silicon nitride,” said Mr. Eric Olson, CEO of SINTX Technologies. “With a strengthened balance sheet and a robust intellectual property portfolio, we are uniquely positioned to accelerate commercialization and deliver superior outcomes for patients, customers, and shareholders alike.”

    Strategic Initiatives and Market Expansion

    SINTX is actively pursuing strategic partnerships and licensing opportunities to expand the reach of its technology. The company’s near-term focus includes:

    • Joint Ventures: Collaborating with established manufacturers in orthopedics, wound care, agribiotech, and other potential sectors to integrate silicon nitride into next-generation products.
    • IP Monetization: Unlocking value from its extensive patent portfolio through licensing agreements and technology transfer initiatives.
    • Operational Excellence: Enhancing AI supported 3D manufacturing capabilities at its FDA cleared and ISO certified headquarters to support anticipated growth and ensure the highest quality standards.

    Commitment to Stakeholders

    As SINTX enters this new era, the Company reaffirms its commitment to transparency, disciplined execution, and long-term value creation for all stakeholders.

    “We are grateful for the continued support of our shareholders and partners,” said Mr. Olson. “Together, we will realize the full potential of silicon nitride and secure SINTX’s position as a leader in advanced ceramics.

    For more information, please visit www.sintx.com.

    About SINTX Technologies, Inc.

    Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, SINTX Technologies is an advanced ceramics company that develops and commercializes materials, components, and technologies for medical and agribiotech applications. SINTX is a global leader in the research, development, and manufacturing of silicon nitride, and its products have been implanted in humans since 2008. Over the past several years, SINTX has utilized strategic acquisitions and alliances to enter new markets. For more information on SINTX Technologies or its materials platform, visit www.sintx.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (“PSLRA”) that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will” and similar references to future periods.

    Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made and reflect management’s current estimates, projections, expectations and beliefs. Forward looking statements include our efforts to develop next-generation hybrid biomaterials, our expectation that will drive sustainable growth and value creation, and that we will expand the reach of our technology pursuing strategic partnerships and licensing opportunities. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, difficulty in developing and commercializing medical device technologies. A discussion of other risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements can be found in SINTX’s Risk Factors disclosure in its Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 19, 2025, and in SINTX’s other filings with the SEC. SINTX undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update the forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this report, except as required by law.

    Business and Media Inquiries for SINTX:
    SINTX Technologies, Inc.
    801.839.3502
    IR@sintx.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Zoom unveils Virtual Agent 2.0 to power smarter, autonomous customer support via next-gen agentic AI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN JOSE, Calif., June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) today introduced Zoom Virtual Agent 2.0, the next evolution of the company’s self-service virtual agent. Now powered by agentic AI, Zoom Virtual Agent delivers smarter, autonomous self-service experiences across chat and voice channels.

    “With the next generation of Zoom Virtual Agent, we’re ushering in a new era of intelligent, proactive customer support, taking customers from frustration to building true connections with brands,” said Chris Morrissey, General Manager of Zoom CX. “Through the agentic AI skills built into its core, Zoom Virtual Agent doesn’t just respond — it takes action on behalf of customers, managing complex inquiries with HD-quality neural voices, significantly minimizing the need for agent escalation. These advanced capabilities transform routine support interactions into exceptional customer experiences.”

    Unlike traditional chatbots, the upgraded Zoom Virtual Agent can now autonomously complete complex tasks like processing returns, updating accounts, or booking appointments. With advanced reasoning, memory, and context-aware conversations, it delivers seamless, brand-aligned interactions without requiring human intervention.

    The upgraded Zoom Virtual Agent is built to meet the rising demand for fast, accurate, and seamless self-service across channels. In 2025, 85% of customer service leaders plan to explore or pilot customer-facing conversational generative AI solutions, driving the acceleration of intelligent automation adoption.

    Self-service benefits both customers and businesses

    The new Zoom Virtual Agent can help deliver premium customer service experiences while driving efficiency in CX organizations by combining natural, fluid, and highly scalable automation with proactive reasoning to autonomously solve complex, end-to-end customer scenarios.

    • Reduce costs and drive revenue: Increase self-service containment with autonomous resolution of complex end-to-end tasks; reduce abandonment with a virtual agent that can understand context across interactions to deliver accurate, personalized support; and repurpose agent staffing to focus on growth.
    • Improve CX efficiencies: Drive self-service efficiency with customers by delivering accurate resolutions, even for complex requests, and increase the customer lifetime value.
    • Deliver exceptional customer experiences: Improve ESAT and CSAT scores with reduced resolution times and reduced escalations; boost brand voice with customized tone and language capabilities; and free human agents to focus on deeper engagement and higher-value customer interactions.

    Built to meet rising customer expectations and the demand for scalable, intelligent automation, Zoom Virtual Agent integrates natively with Zoom Contact Center and leading platforms like Salesforce, ServiceNow, Zendesk, Microsoft Dynamics, and Genesys Cloud.

    The next gen Zoom Virtual Agent with agentic AI is now available. For more details on how Zoom Virtual Agent can unlock more meaningful customer engagement with agentic AI self-service, read the Zoom blog and visit the Zoom website to learn more.

    About Zoom

    Zoom’s mission is to provide an AI-first work platform for human connection. Reimagine teamwork with Zoom Workplace — Zoom’s open collaboration platform with AI Companion that empowers teams to be more productive. Together with Zoom Workplace, Zoom’s Business Services for sales, marketing, and customer experience teams, including Zoom Contact Center, strengthen customer relationships throughout the customer lifecycle. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more information at zoom.com.

    Contact:
    Lacretia Nichols
    press@zoom.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: LPL Financial Welcomes Runyan Capital

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial LLC announced today that financial advisor Jeff Runyan has joined LPL Financial’s broker-dealer, Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and custodial platforms. He reported serving approximately $330 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets* and joins LPL from Wedbush Securities.

    Based in Beverly Hills, Calif., Runyan grew up in Missouri, where his passion for financial discipline took root early and deepened over time. After beginning his career in wealth management in 2001, he set out to fulfill a lifelong dream of building his own firm. In 2010, he founded Runyan Capital, an independent firm dedicated to delivering an elevated wealth management experience. With over two decades of experience in investment management, Runyan remains grounded in the midwestern values that shaped him, earning a reputation as a trusted advisor known for thoughtful guidance and a deep commitment to helping clients make confident, informed financial decisions.

    “Our guiding principle is: ‘Discipline Makes the Difference,’” Runyan said. “The Runyan Capital process of building portfolios for each client incorporates behavioral economics research, taking a disciplined and proactive approach that helps prevent reactionary changes, aligns with each client’s individual goals, and contributes to their long-term success.”

    Looking for improved technology offerings, more autonomy and the opportunity to amplify the elevated client experience, the Runyan Capital team, which includes Connor Brumfield, Sam Aamot and Jenni Runyan, Jeff’s wife, turned to LPL.

    “We chose to partner with LPL because of its size, scale and reputation, as well as their impressive integrated and streamlined technology,” Runyan said. “Making the move to LPL will allow us to take our business to the next level and provide our clients with an enhanced level of service.”

    Outside of work, Runyan enjoys spending time with his wife and two children and is an avid endurance athlete, having run marathons around the world. He has served on several boards, including the Rotary Club of Beverly Hills, PIMCO’s Investment Management Member Advisory Board for Financial Advisors and The Friends of Greystone in Beverly Hills. A proud alumnus of the University of Missouri, he remains an active supporter of its faculty and programs and is a lifetime member of the university’s Chancellor’s Fund for Excellence.

    Scott Posner, LPL Managing Director, Business Development, said, “We welcome Jeff, Connor, Sam and Jenni to the LPL community and congratulate them on this milestone in the evolution of their practice. Just as the Runyan Capital team offers their unwavering dedication to their client’s financial success, we are committed to helping our advisors differentiate themselves and enhance the client experience. We look forward to supporting Runyan Capital in this next chapter of their business.”

    Related
    Advisors, learn how LPL Financial can help take your business to the next level.

    About LPL Financial

    LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace, LPL supports over 29,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,200 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $1.8 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 7 million Americans. The firm provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools and practice management services, ensuring that advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to run thriving businesses. For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.

    Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial LLC (“LPL Financial”), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Runyan Capital and LPL Financial are separate entities.

    Throughout this communication, the terms “financial advisors” and “advisors” are used to refer to registered representatives and/or investment advisor representatives affiliated with LPL Financial.

    We routinely disclose information that may be important to shareholders in the “Investor Relations” or “Press Releases” section of our website.

    *Value approximated based on asset and holding details provided to LPL from end of year, 2024.

    Media Contact: 
    Media.relations@LPLFinancial.com 

    Tracking #752320

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ICC arbitration tops global survey

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: ICC arbitration tops global survey

    Conducted by Queen Mary University in partnership with White & Case, the 2025 International Arbitration Survey results state: 

    “The ICC Arbitration Rules are highly regarded, with many interviewees highlighting their established reputation and ease of use for arbitrators and counsel, as well as the support of the Secretariat.” 

    The survey revealed a strong preference among arbitration communities on every continent for the ICC Arbitration Rules, from a choice of more than 60 sets of rules. The ICC Rules took top position in Africa (53%), the Caribbean and Latin America (74%), Europe (60%), the Middle East (59%) and North America (55%), underlining the global character and adaptability of the regulations.  

    In 2024, 831 new cases were filed under the ICC Arbitration Rules, with a total of 2,392 parties from 136 jurisdictions.  

    Claudia Salomon, President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, said: 

    “We’re delighted that the ICC Court again tops the list of the Queen Mary Study as the most-preferred arbitral institution globally. Our services are built on over 100 years of experience, combined with our continued focus on meeting the evolving needs of the parties. We take this opportunity to thank those who entrust the resolution of their disputes to ICC. Our ranking would not be possible without the exemplary leadership and dedication of the ICC Court members and the Secretariat”. 

    The 2025 International Arbitration Survey investigates current trends in user preferences and perceptions, as well as opportunities to shape the future of international arbitration practice. The 2025 edition is the result of 2,402 questionnaire responses and 117 interviews with a diverse pool of participants. 

    Full survey findings are available on the Queen Mary University London website

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Magali A. Delmas, Professor of Management, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles

    The blue Energy Star label is widely recognized across the U.S. Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Since the early 1990s, the small blue Energy Star label has appeared on millions of household appliances, electronics and even buildings across the United States. But as the Trump administration considers terminating some or all of the program, it is worth a look at what exactly this government-backed label means, and why it has become one of the most recognizable environmental certifications in the country.

    Energy Star was launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and later expanded in partnership with the Department of Energy with a simple goal: making it easier for consumers and businesses to choose energy-efficient products, helping them reduce energy use and save money, without sacrificing quality or performance.

    As a scholar of energy conservation, I have studied the Energy Star program’s development and public impact, including how it has shaped consumer behavior and environmental outcomes.

    According to the EPA, it has saved consumers an average of US$15 billion a year on energy costs since its inception, a massive return on a program that costs taxpayers an estimated $32 million a year.

    How Energy Star works

    When you see an Energy Star label on a product, it means that product has met strict energy efficiency standards set by the EPA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, which tests how much energy appliances use. The federal agencies also consult with product manufacturers, utilities and others to figure out how best to improve products and determine how cost-effective changes might be.

    Products that earn the Energy Star certification typically use significantly less energy than standard models, often between 10% and 50% less. The energy – and financial – savings can add up quickly, especially when homes or buildings have multiple Energy Star appliances and systems.

    Energy Star itself does not manufacture or sell products. Instead, it acts as a trusted third-party certifier, providing consumers and businesses with reliable information and clear labeling. It also offers information to help people estimate energy savings and compare long-term costs, making it easier to identify high-performing, cost-effective options. Manufacturers participating in Energy Star seek to improve their environmental reputation and increase their market share, giving them a strong incentive to meet the program’s efficiency criteria.

    Today, the label appears on refrigerators, dishwashers, laptops, commercial buildings and even newly built homes. The government says people in more than 90% of American households recognize the label.

    Energy Star-certified appliances include upright freezers, clothes washers and many other types of home equipment, which use between 10% and 50% less energy than uncertified items.
    AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

    People don’t always choose efficient products

    Energy Star seeks to tackle a wide range of problems that can result in people deciding not to buy energy-efficient products.

    One problem is that efficient models often come with higher up-front costs. While efficient models save money over time, that higher purchase price can discourage buyers. Energy Star helps counter this problem by clearly showing how much money can be saved on energy costs over the lifetime of the product – as compared with noncertified products – and by offering rebates that reduce the initial expense.

    Another problem involves what economists call “split incentives.” A landlord might not want to pay a higher price up front for energy-efficient appliances if the tenants are the ones who will save money on the utility bills. And renters may not want to spend a lot of money on appliances or equipment in a place they do not own. Energy Star tries to bridge this divide by promoting whole-building certifications, which encourage landlords to invest in their buildings’ energy efficiency with the goal of making their properties more attractive to tenants.

    The countless varieties of refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners and other items on the market can also create confusion. Consumers who just look at manufacturers’ promotional material may find it very hard to determine which appliances truly deliver better energy efficiency. The Energy Star label makes this comparison easier: If the label is there, it is among the most efficient choices available.

    And consumers are often skeptical of manufacturers’ claims – especially when it comes to new technologies or environmental promises. Energy Star’s status as a program backed by the government, rather than a private company, gives it a level of independence and credibility that many other labels lack. People know the certification is based on science, not sales tactics.

    Lastly, Energy Star helps overcome the problem that many people are not aware of how much energy their appliances consume, or how those choices contribute to climate change. By connecting everyday products to larger environmental outcomes, Energy Star helps consumers understand the effects of their decisions, without needing to become energy experts.

    The program delivers real results

    Since its inception, more than 800,000 appliance models have earned Energy Star certification based on the criteria for their type of product.

    The same principles that make the label valuable for consumer appliances – independent certification, clear metrics and a focus on results – have proved equally effective in real estate. Nearly 45,000 commercial buildings and industrial plants have earned certification. And there have been more than 2.5 million Energy Star-certified homes and apartments built in the U.S.

    In 2023 alone, over 190,000 new homes and apartments were certified, representing more than 12% of all new residential construction nationwide.

    Energy Star-certified homes are designed to be at least 10% more energy efficient than those built to standard building codes, with more insulation and windows and lights that are energy-efficient, as well as appliances. These enhancements can translate to better quality, comfort and long-term cost savings for homeowners.

    Commercial buildings, which account for about 18% of total U.S. energy use, have also benefited substantially. Research I was involved in found that certified commercial buildings use an average of 19% less energy than their noncertified counterparts.

    Computers can sleep, too – not just cats. Both types conserve energy.
    Markus Scholz/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Why government leadership matters

    Energy Star’s status as a government-led label contributes to its credibility as a more neutral and science-based source of information than commercial labels.

    Energy Star’s government connections also bring scale: By requiring federal purchases to have Energy Star certifications, the federal government can influence manufacturers. For example, a federal executive order in 1993 required government agencies to purchase only computers that had been Energy Star-certified, which required them to have energy-saving sleep functions.

    In response, manufacturers began including the feature so they could sell their products to the government. Consumers soon came to expect the sleep feature on all computers.

    A quiet success story in energy and climate

    Energy Star does not grab headlines. It does not rely on regulation or mandates. Yet it has quietly become one of the most effective tools the U.S. has for improving energy efficiency across homes, offices and public buildings.

    That said, the program is not without its limitations. Some critics have pointed out that not all certified products consistently perform at the highest efficiency levels. Other critics note that the benefits of Energy Star are more accessible to wealthier consumers who can afford up-front investments, even with available rebates. And the EPA itself has, at times, struggled to manage the certification process and update standards in line with the latest technological advances.

    At a time when energy costs and climate concerns are rising, Energy Star stands out as a rare example of a practical, nonpartisan program that delivers real benefits. It helps individuals, businesses and communities save money, lower emissions and take part in a more sustainable future – one smart decision at a time.

    Magali Delmas received funding from the US EPA in 2002 for research on Environmental Management Strategies and Corporate Performance.

    – ref. Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet – https://theconversation.com/energy-star-on-the-trump-administrations-target-list-has-a-long-history-of-helping-consumers-wallets-and-the-planet-258152

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI: Micron and Trump Administration Announce Expanded U.S. Investments in Leading-Edge DRAM Manufacturing and R&D

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Micron Plans to Invest Approximately $200 Billion in Semiconductor Manufacturing and R&D in Idaho, New York and Virginia, Enhancing Domestic Memory Supply and Technology Leadership

    Micron to Build Second Leading-Edge Memory Manufacturing Fab in Idaho, Modernize and Expand Virginia Fab and Bring End-to-End High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) Manufacturing Capabilities to U.S. to Meet Anticipated AI-Driven Demand

    BOISE, Idaho, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) and the Trump Administration today announced Micron’s plans to expand its U.S. investments to approximately $150 billion in domestic memory manufacturing and $50 billion in R&D, creating an estimated 90,000 direct and indirect jobs. As part of today’s announcement, Micron plans to invest an additional $30 billion beyond prior plans which includes building a second leading-edge memory fab in Boise, Idaho; expanding and modernizing its existing manufacturing facility in Manassas, Virginia; and bringing advanced packaging capabilities to the U.S. to enable long-term growth in High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), which is essential to the AI market. Additionally, Micron is announcing a planned $50 billion domestic R&D investment, reaffirming its long-term position as the global memory technology leader. As previously announced, Micron’s investment includes its ongoing plans for a megafab in New York.

    Micron’s approximately $200 billion broader U.S. expansion vision includes two leading-edge high-volume fabs in Idaho, up to four leading-edge high-volume fabs in New York, the expansion and modernization of its existing manufacturing fab in Virginia, advanced HBM packaging capabilities and R&D to drive American innovation and technology leadership. These investments are designed to allow Micron to meet expected market demand, maintain share and support Micron’s goal of producing 40% of its DRAM in the U.S. The co-location of these two Idaho fabs with Micron’s Idaho R&D operations will drive economies of scale and faster time to market for leading-edge products, including HBM.

    Micron has already achieved key construction milestones on its first Idaho fab with DRAM output scheduled to begin in 2027. The second Idaho fab will increase Micron’s production of DRAM in the U.S., serving growing market demand fueled by AI, while the company expects to begin ground preparation in New York later this year following completion of state and federal environmental review processes. Micron expects its second Idaho fab to come online before the first New York fab. Micron will continue to manage its supply growth consistent with market conditions.

    Following the completion of the second Idaho fab, Micron plans to bring advanced HBM packaging capabilities to the U.S. Additionally, Micron has finalized a $275 million CHIPS Act direct funding award supporting its investment to expand and modernize its Manassas, Virginia facility, which will begin this year. This investment will onshore Micron’s 1-alpha DRAM node, reinforcing the company’s ongoing commitment to key sectors including industrial, automotive, defense and aerospace, and medical devices.

    “Micron’s U.S. memory manufacturing and R&D plans underscore our commitment to driving innovation and strengthening the domestic semiconductor industry,” said Micron Chairman, President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra. “This approximately $200 billion investment will reinforce America’s technological leadership, create tens of thousands of American jobs across the semiconductor ecosystem and secure a domestic supply of semiconductors—critical to economic and national security. We are grateful for the support from President Trump, Secretary Lutnick and our federal, state and local partners who have been instrumental in advancing domestic semiconductor manufacturing.”

    “President Trump has made it clear that the time to build in America is now,” said Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. “In partnership with the Department of Commerce, Micron is announcing a $200 billion semiconductor manufacturing and R&D investment to bring the full spectrum of memory chip production back to the United States. Micron’s planned investment will ensure the U.S. advances its lead across critical industries like AI, automotive, and aerospace & defense.”

    Micron anticipates that all of its U.S. investments will be eligible for the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (AMIC), and the company has already secured support at the local, state and federal level. This includes up to $6.4 billion in CHIPS Act direct funding to support the construction of two Idaho fabs and two New York fabs, as well as the expansion and modernization of its Virginia fab. Micron applauds Rep. Tenney (R-NY) for introducing the Building Advanced Semiconductors Investment Credit Act, which would increase AMIC to 35% and extend it by four years. Strengthening AMIC will help ensure investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing over the next four years and support long-term growth, reestablishing America’s leadership in this critical industry.

    Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft
    “Strengthening semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. will drive new innovation, create high-skilled jobs, and further American competitiveness. We applaud Micron Technology and the Trump Administration on this critical initiative to advance the country’s leadership in this vital industry.”

    Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO, NVIDIA
    “Micron’s investment in advanced memory manufacturing and HBM capabilities in the U.S., with support from Trump Administration, is an important step forward for the AI ecosystem. Micron’s leadership in high-performance memory is invaluable to enabling the next generation of AI breakthroughs that NVIDIA is driving. We’re excited to collaborate with Micron as we push the boundaries of what’s possible in AI and high-performance computing.”

    Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
    “At Apple, we’re proud to work with suppliers in all 50 states — including Micron, whose technology helps power the products our users rely on every day. This new commitment is another great example of American manufacturing leadership, and we look forward to building on our work together.”

    Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO, Dell Technologies
    “Micron’s commitment to expanding U.S. memory production marks a pivotal moment for the technology industry. As a long-time strategic partner, we collaborate with Micron to develop infrastructure solutions that power AI and general-purpose computing. This investment strengthens the availability of secure, scalable and sustainable memory solutions critical to driving innovation and progress across industries.”

    Matt Garman, CEO, AWS
    “Micron’s investment in expanding memory manufacturing and advanced packaging in the U.S. is a significant milestone for the semiconductor industry. At AWS, we are building the infrastructure that is powering the next generation of generative AI and high-performance computing, and memory is a critical enabler of that mission. Micron’s expansion further strengthens the domestic supply chain for key semiconductor technologies as we continue to deliver products with the performance, scale, security, sustainability, and quality that our customers demand.”

    Dr. Lisa Su, Chair and CEO, AMD
    “Micron’s investment to expand its U.S. presence is both timely and strategically important. Strengthening the domestic semiconductor supply chain is critical as we accelerate innovation in AI and high-performance computing. At AMD, we value our long-standing partnership with Micron and their continued leadership in memory technology, which plays a vital role in enabling our high-performance, energy-efficient computing solutions.”

    Cristiano Amon, President and CEO, Qualcomm Incorporated
    “Micron’s investment in U.S.-based memory manufacturing is a significant milestone for the semiconductor industry. As a key technology player and longstanding partner, we value Micron’s commitment to strengthening the domestic semiconductor supply chain, which is crucial for our supply chain resilience and diversification. This vital investment not only supports American innovation across a wide range of industries including automotive, and beyond, but also, ensures that critical technologies are securely and reliably available. We are proud to support this initiative, which enables the growth and sustainability of U.S. manufacturing.”

    To support the growth of the U.S. semiconductor industry, Micron has committed over $325 million to develop the next-generation workforce and strengthen communities across Idaho, New York and Virginia. This investment includes semiconductor curriculum development, community college partnerships for apprenticeships, university partnerships and other programs aimed at expanding access to semiconductor careers. These ongoing efforts will be critical to building a robust talent pipeline that will support Micron’s long-term and U.S. technology leadership.

    About Micron Technology, Inc. 
    Micron Technology, Inc. is an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions, transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all. With a relentless focus on our customers, technology leadership, and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron delivers a rich portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND, and NOR memory and storage products through our Micron® and Crucial® brands. Every day, the innovations that our people create fuel the data economy, enabling advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and compute-intensive applications that unleash opportunities — from the data center to the intelligent edge and across the client and mobile user experience. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), visit micron.com.

    © 2025 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Information, products, and/or specifications are subject to change without notice. Micron, the Micron logo, and all other Micron trademarks are the property of Micron Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the investments in and development of manufacturing facilities, expected tax credits and incentives, fab opening and output timing expectations, expected market share and bit demand growth, and job creation and community impact. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Please refer to the documents Micron files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically its most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. These documents contain and identify important factors that could cause Micron’s actual results to differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements. These certain factors can be found at https://investors.micron.com/risk-factor. Although Micron believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, Micron cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. Micron is under no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform these statements to actual results.

    Micron Media Relations Contact
    Mark Plungy 
    Micron Technology, Inc.
    +1 (408) 203-2910
    corpcomms@micron.com

    Micron Investor Relations Contact
    Satya Kumar
    Micron Technology, Inc.
    +1 (408) 450-6199
    satyakumar@micron.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: AI tools collect and store data about you from all your devices – here’s how to be aware of what you’re revealing

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christopher Ramezan, Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity, West Virginia University

    AI tools gather information about you from many types of devices, including smartphones. Prostock-Studio/Getty Images

    Like it or not, artificial intelligence has become part of daily life. Many devices – including electric razors and toothbrushes – have become “AI-powered,” using machine learning algorithms to track how a person uses the device, how the device is working in real time, and provide feedback. From asking questions to an AI assistant like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to monitoring a daily fitness routine with a smartwatch, many people use an AI system or tool every day.

    While AI tools and technologies can make life easier, they also raise important questions about data privacy. These systems often collect large amounts of data, sometimes without people even realizing their data is being collected. The information can then be used to identify personal habits and preferences, and even predict future behaviors by drawing inferences from the aggregated data.

    As an assistant professor of cybersecurity at West Virginia University, I study how emerging technologies and various types of AI systems manage personal data and how we can build more secure, privacy-preserving systems for the future.

    Generative AI software uses large amounts of training data to create new content such as text or images. Predictive AI uses data to forecast outcomes based on past behavior, such as how likely you are to hit your daily step goal, or what movies you may want to watch. Both types can be used to gather information about you.

    How AI tools collect data

    Generative AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini collect all the information users type into a chat box. Every question, response and prompt that users enter is recorded, stored and analyzed to improve the AI model.

    OpenAI’s privacy policy informs users that “we may use content you provide us to improve our Services, for example to train the models that power ChatGPT.” Even though OpenAI allows you to opt out of content use for model training, it still collects and retains your personal data. Although some companies promise that they anonymize this data, meaning they store it without naming the person who provided it, there is always a risk of data being reidentified.

    ChatGPT stores and analyzes everything you type into a prompt screen.
    Screenshot by Christopher Ramezan, CC BY-ND

    Predictive AI

    Beyond generative AI assistants, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok continuously gather data on their users to train predictive AI models. Every post, photo, video, like, share and comment, including the amount of time people spend looking at each of these, is collected as data points that are used to build digital data profiles for each person who uses the service.

    The profiles can be used to refine the social media platform’s AI recommender systems. They can also be sold to data brokers, who sell a person’s data to other companies to, for instance, help develop targeted advertisements that align with that person’s interests.

    Many social media companies also track users across websites and applications by putting cookies and embedded tracking pixels on their computers. Cookies are small files that store information about who you are and what you clicked on while browsing a website.

    One of the most common uses of cookies is in digital shopping carts: When you place an item in your cart, leave the website and return later, the item will still be in your cart because the cookie stored that information. Tracking pixels are invisible images or snippets of code embedded in websites that notify companies of your activity when you visit their page. This helps them track your behavior across the internet.

    This is why users often see or hear advertisements that are related to their browsing and shopping habits on many of the unrelated websites they browse, and even when they are using different devices, including computers, phones and smart speakers. One study found that some websites can store over 300 tracking cookies on your computer or mobile phone.

    Here’s how websites you browse can track you using cookies or tracking pixels.

    Data privacy controls – and limitations

    Like generative AI platforms, social media platforms offer privacy settings and opt-outs, but these give people limited control over how their personal data is aggregated and monetized. As media theorist Douglas Rushkoff argued in 2011, if the service is free, you are the product.

    Many tools that include AI don’t require a person to take any direct action for the tool to collect data about that person. Smart devices such as home speakers, fitness trackers and watches continually gather information through biometric sensors, voice recognition and location tracking. Smart home speakers continually listen for the command to activate or “wake up” the device. As the device is listening for this word, it picks up all the conversations happening around it, even though it does not seem to be active.

    Some companies claim that voice data is only stored when the wake word – what you say to wake up the device – is detected. However, people have raised concerns about accidental recordings, especially because these devices are often connected to cloud services, which allow voice data to be stored, synced and shared across multiple devices such as your phone, smart speaker and tablet.

    If the company allows, it’s also possible for this data to be accessed by third parties, such as advertisers, data analytics firms or a law enforcement agency with a warrant.

    Privacy rollbacks

    This potential for third-party access also applies to smartwatches and fitness trackers, which monitor health metrics and user activity patterns. Companies that produce wearable fitness devices are not considered “covered entities” and so are not bound by the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act. This means that they are legally allowed to sell health- and location-related data collected from their users.

    Concerns about HIPAA data arose in 2018, when Strava, a fitness company released a global heat map of user’s exercise routes. In doing so, it accidentally revealed sensitive military locations across the globe through highlighting the exercise routes of military personnel.

    Smart speakers can collect information even when they’re sleeping.
    recep-bg/Getty Images

    The Trump administration has tapped Palantir, a company that specializes in using AI for data analytics, to collate and analyze data about Americans. Meanwhile, Palantir has announced a partnership with a company that runs self-checkout systems.

    Such partnerships can expand corporate and government reach into everyday consumer behavior. This one could be used to create detailed personal profiles on Americans by linking their consumer habits with other personal data. This raises concerns about increased surveillance and loss of anonymity. It could allow citizens to be tracked and analyzed across multiple aspects of their lives without their knowledge or consent.

    Some smart device companies are also rolling back privacy protections instead of strengthening them. Amazon recently announced that starting on March 28, 2025, all voice recordings from Amazon Echo devices would be sent to Amazon’s cloud by default, and users will no longer have the option to turn this function off. This is different from previous settings, which allowed users to limit private data collection.

    Changes like these raise concerns about how much control consumers have over their own data when using smart devices. Many privacy experts consider cloud storage of voice recordings a form of data collection, especially when used to improve algorithms or build user profiles, which has implications for data privacy laws designed to protect online privacy.

    Implications for data privacy

    All of this brings up serious privacy concerns for people and governments on how AI tools collect, store, use and transmit data. The biggest concern is transparency. People don’t know what data is being collected, how the data is being used, and who has access to that data.

    Companies tend to use complicated privacy policies filled with technical jargon to make it difficult for people to understand the terms of a service that they agree to. People also tend not to read terms of service documents. One study found that people averaged 73 seconds reading a terms of service document that had an average read time of 29-32 minutes.

    Data collected by AI tools may initially reside with a company that you trust, but can easily be sold and given to a company that you don’t trust.

    AI tools, the companies in charge of them and the companies that have access to the data they collect can also be subject to cyberattacks and data breaches that can reveal sensitive personal information. These attacks can by carried out by cybercriminals who are in it for the money, or by so-called advanced persistent threats, which are typically nation/state- sponsored attackers who gain access to networks and systems and remain there undetected, collecting information and personal data to eventually cause disruption or harm.

    While laws and regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act aim to safeguard user data, AI development and use have often outpaced the legislative process. The laws are still catching up on AI and data privacy. For now, you should assume any AI-powered device or platform is collecting data on your inputs, behaviors and patterns.

    Using AI tools

    Although AI tools collect people’s data, and the way this accumulation of data affects people’s data privacy is concerning, the tools can also be useful. AI-powered applications can streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks and provide valuable insights.

    But it’s crucial to approach these tools with awareness and caution.

    When using a generative AI platform that gives you answers to questions you type in a prompt, don’t include any personally identifiable information, including names, birth dates, Social Security numbers or home addresses. At the workplace, don’t include trade secrets or classified information. In general, don’t put anything into a prompt that you wouldn’t feel comfortable revealing to the public or seeing on a billboard. Remember, once you hit enter on the prompt, you’ve lost control of that information.

    Remember that devices which are turned on are always listening – even if they’re asleep. If you use smart home or embedded devices, turn them off when you need to have a private conversation. A device that’s asleep looks inactive, but it is still powered on and listening for a wake word or signal. Unplugging a device or removing its batteries is a good way of making sure the device is truly off.

    Finally, be aware of the terms of service and data collection policies of the devices and platforms that you are using. You might be surprised by what you’ve already agreed to.

    This article is part of a series on data privacy that explores who collects your data, what and how they collect, who sells and buys your data, what they all do with it, and what you can do about it.

    Previous articles in the series:

    How illicit markets fueled by data breaches sell your personal information to criminals

    Christopher Ramezan receives funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

    – ref. AI tools collect and store data about you from all your devices – here’s how to be aware of what you’re revealing – https://theconversation.com/ai-tools-collect-and-store-data-about-you-from-all-your-devices-heres-how-to-be-aware-of-what-youre-revealing-251693

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China ready to strengthen licensing of rare earth metal exports – Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) — China is willing to continue efforts to review and approve eligible applications for rare earth metal-related export licenses, Ministry of Commerce spokesman He Yadong said Thursday.

    According to him, based on relevant laws and regulations, China has already completed the examination and approval of a certain number of applications in the above-mentioned field, taking into full account the needs and concerns of various countries in the civil use of rare earth products.

    “We have repeatedly emphasized that rare earth metals and related products have dual-use properties that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, so introducing controls on their export is a recognized international practice,” He Yadong said.

    China is ready to step up work on reviewing applications in this area that comply with the country’s legal norms, and to intensify contacts and dialogue with interested countries on export control issues in order to simplify trade activities within the framework of regulatory requirements, a representative of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China assured. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Implementation of capital reduction at Jyske Bank A/S

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    At Jyske Bank A/S’ extraordinary general meeting on 24 April 2025, it was finally decided to reduce Jyske Bank’s share capital by a nominal value of DKK 27,651,180, corresponding to 2,765,118 shares of a nominal value of DKK 10. The capital reduction takes place through cancellation of own shares and will be spent on payment to shareholders.

    After expiry of the deadline of the company’s creditors to lodge their claims in the company, cf. S.192(1) of the Danish Companies Act, the company’s Supervisory Board has decided to implement the capital reduction, and this has now been registered with the Danish Business Authority.

    After the capital reduction, Jyske Bank A/S’ share capital amounts to a nominal amount of DKK 615,069,770 distributed on 61,506,977 shares of a nominal value of DKK 10.

    After the capital reduction, Jyske Bank’s direct and indirect holding of own shares is 998,572, corresponding to 1.62% of the company’s share capital.

    Yours faithfully,

    Jyske Bank

    Contact person: Birger Krøgh Nielsen, CFO, tel. +45 89 89 64 44.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Zinemx Obtains U.S. MSB License, Ushering in a New Era of Compliance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DENVER, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recently, Zinemx Exchange announced that it has been granted the Money Services Business (MSB) license by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, marking a significant milestone in the platform global compliance strategy. Zinemx has demonstrated trustworthy capabilities in anti-money laundering (AML) and user identification compliance, enabling it to legally conduct crypto asset trading activities in the United States and multiple other jurisdictions, while providing investors with a compliant and secure trading environment over the long term.

    Possession of the U.S. MSB license allows Zinemx Exchange to legally offer crypto asset trading services across multiple states in the U.S., and further strengthens its ability to operate lawfully in other global jurisdictions. The platform has always placed a high priority on compliance, dedicating itself to delivering high-quality crypto trading services to its users.

    Alongside obtaining the MSB license, Zinemx Exchange has further optimized its AML and Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance systems to meet global financial regulatory standards. The platform employs advanced identity verification technologies, ensuring that users can smoothly pass rigorous compliance checks during registration and trading processes. Its risk control system continuously monitors trading activities in real time, accurately identifying abnormal behaviors and effectively preventing illegal activities such as money laundering and market manipulation.

    The Zinemx compliance team works closely with international regulatory authorities and legal advisors to ensure that the platform operations adhere to legal and policy requirements in the global financial sector. All trading activities on the platform are strictly monitored and reviewed in accordance with international anti-money laundering regulations.

    As cryptocurrencies increasingly become mainstream assets, regulatory requirements for crypto assets are tightening worldwide. Zinemx Exchange, having secured the U.S. MSB license, also plans to expand localized operations in major markets such as Europe and Asia, thereby advancing its global compliance efforts.

    Looking ahead, Zinemx Exchange will continue to broaden its global compliance footprint by applying for additional financial licenses in more countries and regions, while further enhancing security and risk management measures. The platform is committed to building a more compliant and efficient crypto asset trading environment for investors. In the context of growing regulatory oversight of crypto trading, Zinemx is steadily advancing toward a new stage of international development.

    Media Contact: support@zinemx.org

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by Zinemx Exchange. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a69b22b7-7f1e-41b0-b6de-3ff0b830fccb

    The MIL Network –