NewzIntel.com

Category: Commerce

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s foreign trade capable of dealing with risks, challenges: commerce ministry official

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

    China’s foreign trade capable of dealing with risks, challenges: commerce ministry official

    BEIJING, April 9 — China’s foreign trade has the confidence and capability to address various risks and challenges, Xiao Lu, an official with the Ministry of Commerce, said on Wednesday.

    China’s vast market potential continues to be unleashed, and measures aimed at stabilizing the economy and foreign trade are being progressively implemented. The fundamental trend of long-term sound economic development remains unchanged, Xiao told a press conference.

    However, the global economy is currently facing significant uncertainty, particularly in the trade sector, where supply chain stability is under threat, Xiao said.

    The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has warned that a broader “trade war” could lead to an increase in trade barriers. As a result, the OECD has revised its projection for global economic growth in 2025 downward by 0.2 percentage points to 3.1 percent. In contrast, it has raised its growth forecast for China by 0.1 percentage points.

    “This adjustment reflects the international community’s confidence in China’s economy and its growing optimism about China’s development prospects,” Xiao said.

    In 2024, China’s goods imports and exports reached 43 trillion yuan (about 5.97 trillion U.S. dollars). It has become a major trading partner for over 150 countries and regions and has signed 23 free trade agreements with 30 countries and regions.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance

    Source: The White House

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Purpose.  The commercial shipbuilding capacity and maritime workforce of the United States has been weakened by decades of Government neglect, leading to the decline of a once strong industrial base while simultaneously empowering our adversaries and eroding United States national security.  Both our allies and our strategic competitors produce ships for a fraction of the cost needed in the United States.  Recent data shows that the United States constructs less than one percent of commercial ships globally, while the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is responsible for producing approximately half.
    Rectifying these issues requires a comprehensive approach that includes securing consistent, predictable, and durable Federal funding, making United States-flagged and built vessels commercially competitive in international commerce, rebuilding America’s maritime manufacturing capabilities (the Maritime Industrial Base), and expanding and strengthening the recruitment, training, and retention of the relevant workforce.

    Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to revitalize and rebuild domestic maritime industries and workforce to promote national security and economic prosperity.

    Sec. 3.  Maritime Action Plan.  (a)  Within 210 days of the date of this order, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), and the heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) the APNSA deems appropriate, shall submit a Maritime Action Plan (MAP) to the President, through the APNSA and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Director) to achieve the policy set forth in this order.
    (b)  The OMB Director, in coordination with the APNSA, shall be responsible for all legislative, regulatory, and fiscal assessments related to the MAP.  
    (c)  The MAP shall, to the extent permissible and consistent with applicable law, including the Buy American Act (41 U.S.C. 8301–8305), reflect actions taken pursuant to sections 4 through 21 of this order.

    Sec. 4.  Ensure the Security and Resilience of the Maritime Industrial Base.  Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall provide to the APNSA and the OMB Director for inclusion in the MAP an assessment of options both for the use of available authorities and resources, such as Defense Production Act Title III authorities, and for the use of private capital to the maximum extent possible to invest in and expand the Maritime Industrial Base including, but not limited to, investment and expansion of commercial and defense shipbuilding capabilities, component supply chains, ship repair and marine transportation capabilities, port infrastructure, and the adjacent workforce.  The Secretary of Defense shall pursue using the Office of Strategic Capital loan program to improve the shipbuilding industrial base.  As part of their assessment, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall:
    (a)  identify key maritime components in the supply chain that are essential for rebuilding and expanding the Maritime Industrial Base and that should be prioritized for investment;
    (b)  ensure that their recommendations of public and private investments are made according to a clear metric, derived in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, of return on invested capital for the United States taxpayer and to the economic and national security of the United States; and
    (c)  ensure that their recommendations take into consideration the projected increases to commercial and defense capabilities, the projected growth in economic activity, and the projected benefits for taxpayers and the workforce.

    Sec. 5. Actions in the Investigation of the PRC’s Unfair Targeting of Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sectors. (a)  With respect to the actions, if any, that the USTR determines to take consistent with the USTR’s notice of public hearing entitled Proposed Action in Section 301 Investigation of the PRC’s Targeting of the Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sectors for Dominance, 90 Fed. Reg. 10843 (February 27, 2025), the USTR shall:
    (i)   coordinate with appropriate agencies to collect additional information, as appropriate and to the extent permitted by law, in support of administering such actions; and 
    (ii)  coordinate with the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to take appropriate steps to enforce any restriction, fee, penalty, or duty imposed pursuant to such actions.
    (b)  Based on the USTR’s determinations arising out of its Section 301 investigation into the PRC’s targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors, the USTR shall also consider taking all necessary steps permitted by law to propose the following actions:
    (i)   tariffs on ship-to-shore cranes manufactured, assembled, or made using components of PRC origin, or manufactured anywhere in the world by a company owned, controlled, or substantially influenced by a PRC national; and
    (ii)  tariffs on other cargo handling equipment.

    Sec. 6.  Enforce Collection of Harbor Maintenance Fee and Other Charges.  In order to prevent cargo carriers from circumventing the Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) on imported goods through the practice of making port in Canada or Mexico and sending their cargo into the United States through land borders, and to ensure the collection of other charges as applicable, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all necessary steps, including proposing new legislation, as permitted by law to:
    (a)  require all foreign-origin cargo arriving by vessel to clear the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) entry process at a United States port of entry for security and collection of all applicable duties, customs, taxes, fees, interest, and other charges; and
    (b)  ensure any foreign-origin cargo first arriving by vessel to North America clearing the CBP process at an inland location from the country of land transit (Canada or Mexico) is assessed applicable customs, duties, taxes, fees (including the HMF), interest, and other charges plus a 10 percent service fee for additional costs to the CBP, so long as the cargo being shipped into the United States is not substantially transformed from its condition at the time of arrival into the country of land transit (with the discretion for such decisions to be determined by CBP).

    Sec. 7.  Engage Allies and Partners to Align Trade Policies.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the USTR, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce, shall engage treaty allies, partners, and other like-minded countries around the world with respect to their potential imposition of any actions taken pursuant to sections 5 and 6 of this order.  The USTR shall deliver an engagement plan and progress report on these engagements to the President.

    Sec. 8.  Reduce Dependence on Adversaries through Allies and Partners.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, shall recommend to the APNSA and the OMB Director for inclusion in the MAP all available incentives to help shipbuilders domiciled in allied nations partner to undertake capital investment in the United States to help strengthen the shipbuilding capacity of the United States.

    Sec. 9.  Launch a Maritime Security Trust Fund.  In conjunction with the formulation of the President’s Budget, the OMB Director shall, in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation, develop a legislative proposal, which shall be described in detail in the MAP, to establish a Maritime Security Trust Fund that can serve as a reliable funding source to deliver consistent support for MAP programs.  This proposal shall consider how new or existing tariff revenue, fines, fees, or tax revenue could further the goal of establishing a more reliable, dedicated funding source for programs support by the MAP.

    Sec. 10.  Shipbuilding Financial Incentives Program.  In conjunction with the formulation of the President’s Budget and consistent with the findings of the report required under section 12 of this order, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit a legislative proposal to the APNSA and the OMB Director, which shall be described in detail in the MAP, that establishes a financial incentives program with broad flexibility to incentivize private investment in the construction of commercial components, parts, and vessels; capital improvements to commercial vessel shipyards; capital improvements to commercial vessel repair facilities and drydocks through grants; and Federal Credit Reform Act-compliant loans and loan guarantees.  Such proposal may augment or replace existing programs with similar purpose including the Small Shipyard Grant Program and the Federal Ship Financing (Title XI) Program.

    Sec. 11.  Establish Maritime Prosperity Zones.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall deliver a plan to the President through the APNSA for inclusion in the MAP that identifies opportunities to incentivize and facilitate domestic and allied investment in United States maritime industries and waterfront communities through establishment of maritime prosperity zones.  The proposal shall: (a) model these maritime prosperity zones on the opportunity zones established pursuant to section 13823 of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-97, 131 Stat. 2054), which I signed into law during my first Administration;
    (b) include stipulations for appropriate regulatory relief in the establishment of such zones; and
    (c) provide for zones that are outside of traditional coastal shipbuilding and ship repair centers and are geographically diverse, including river regions as well as the Great Lakes.

    Sec. 12.  Report on Maritime Industry Needs.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of other agencies as appropriate, shall deliver a report to the OMB Director and APNSA for inclusion in the MAP that inventories Federal programs that could be used to sustain and grow the supply of and demand for the United States maritime industry.  The report and inventory shall include:
    (a)  any Federal programs that provide financial and regulatory incentives for United States shipping, shipbuilding, and shipbuilding supply chains, including the training of shipbuilders and United States-credentialed mariners; 
    (b)  Maritime Administration programs such as the Tanker Security Program, Cable Security Fleet, Maritime Security Programs, Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance Program, Title XI, Assistance to Small Shipyards, Port Infrastructure Development Program, the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), and programs that support the State Maritime Academies;
    (c)  existing domestic cargo preference laws, including the Military Cargo Preference Act of 1904, as amended, (10 U.S.C. 2631) and the Cargo Preference Act of 1954, as amended, (46 U.S.C. 55304), and whether and how they can be used to ensure that United States cargo is transported on United States-built and flagged vessels, including a review of the existing waiver process and all current waivers to ensure they are consistent with the promotion of American domestic shipping;
    (d)  other available means that could further support the industry, including modifications of existing programs, establishment of new programs, and tax and regulatory relief; and
    (e)  in coordination with the National Security Council and the Office of Management and Budget, the costs and benefits of increased cargo preference rates, including on liquid cargo carriers, tankers, and military useful vessels, and options for increasing cargo preference compliance and directing open market procurement of shipping to meet urgent military needs for maritime vessels.

    Sec. 13.  Expand Mariner Training and Education.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall deliver a report to the President through the APNSA for inclusion in the MAP with recommendations to address workforce challenges in the maritime sector through maritime educational institutions and workforce transitions.  
    (a)  In preparing their report, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall consult, as needed, with industry stakeholders including private industry and labor organizations. 
    (b)  The report shall:
    (i)    include the current number of credentialed mariners and estimate the additional credentialed mariners required to support the policies described in this order;
    (ii)   analyze the impact of establishing new and expanding existing merchant marine academies as a means of educating, training, and certifying the additional credentialed merchant mariners estimated under subsection (b)(i) of this section;
    (iii)  identify any requirements for credentialing mariners that are unnecessary, insufficient, or unduly burdensome and provide recommendations for reform;
    (iv)   inventory existing educational and technical training grants and scholarships to colleges and vocational-technical training institutions for critical shipbuilding specialties and other maritime studies, and provide recommendations for enhancement; and
    (v)    assess the United States Coast Guard credentialing program applicability to United States Navy Active Duty and Reserve sailors to increase opportunities for sailors to transfer into the Merchant Marine with validated skills.
    (c)  Consistent with the findings of the report and in conjunction with the formulation of the President’s Budget, the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall deliver a legislative proposal to the APNSA and the OMB Director that:
    (i)    reflects the recommendations of the report required under this section;
    (ii)   establishes national maritime scholarships to send promising maritime experts abroad to learn cutting edge techniques and subjects, such as innovative maritime logistics, clean fuels and advanced nuclear energy, human-machine teaming, and additive manufacturing and other advanced technologies; and
    (iii)  offers scholarships to maritime experts from allied countries to teach at United States institutions. 

    Sec. 14.  Modernize the United States Merchant Marine Academy.  
    (a) The Secretary of Transportation shall: 
    (i) within 30 days of this order consistent with applicable law and available appropriations, take action to hire the necessary facilities staff and reprogram budgetary resources needed to execute urgent deferred maintenance projects and any other mission critical repair works at the USMMA;
    (ii) take immediate action to finalize a long-term master facilities plan (LMFP) for the modernization of the USMMA campus and submit such plan to the APNSA and OMB Director for concurrence; and
    (iii) within 90 days of the concurrence described in subsection (a)(ii) of this section, in consultation with the Department of Government Efficiency, submit a 5-year capital improvement plan (CIP) consistent with the LMFP to the APNSA and OMB Director that includes capital project budgets, schedules, and sequencing, as well as an inventory of deferred maintenance items necessary to sustain campus operations through completion of the CIP.
    (b) All actions taken pursuant to this section shall be detailed in the MAP.

    Sec. 15.  Improve Procurement Efficiency.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of the National Science Foundation shall develop a proposal for improved acquisition strategies processes for United States Government vessels and submit such proposal to APNSA and the OMB Director for inclusion in the MAP.  The proposal shall:      (a) have as its objective providing American shipbuilders with market forecasting needed to justify investments in infrastructure, workforce, and intellectual property to meet United States demand;
    (b) include reforms recommended by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security related to:
    (i) staff structure and innovations in acquisition strategies that will improve Federal vessel procurement; and
    (ii) reductions of the layers of approval needed to execute, build, and improve the vessel acquisition process, including by utilizing commercial acquisition and modular design practices that reduce complexity and prevent frequent changes to ship designs;
    (c) identify for elimination excessive requirements, including the number of Government reviews and onerous regulations that add to ship design and acquisition delays; and
    (d)  consider use of broad industry standards and American-made readily available parts and components to drive up production volume while shrinking the iterative design process, which historically has led to delays and cost increases.  

    Sec. 16.  Improve Government Efficiency.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Department of Government Efficiency shall begin a separate review of the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security vessel procurement processes and deliver a proposal to the President, through the APNSA for inclusion in the MAP, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of these processes.   

    Sec. 17.  Increase the Fleet of Commercial Vessels Trading Internationally under the flag of the United States.  Within 180 days of the date of this order, in conjunction with the formulation of the President’s Budget and consistent with the findings of the report required under section 12 of this section, the Secretary of Transportation shall in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, deliver a legislative proposal to the APNSA and OMB Director for inclusion in the MAP that:
    (a)  is designed to ensure that adequate cubed footage and gross tonnage of United States-flagged commercial vessels can be called upon in times of crisis, while limiting the likelihood of Government waste;
    (b)  provides incentives that will:
    (i)   grow the fleet of United States built, crewed, and flagged vessels that serve as readily deployable assets for national security purposes; and
    (ii)  increase the participation of United States commercial vessels in international trade; and
    (c)  enhances existing subsidies to include coverage of certain construction or modification costs in a manner designed to enhance incentives for the commercial shipping industry to operate militarily useful ships that trade internationally under the flag of the United States.

    Sec. 18.  Ensure the Security and Leadership of Arctic Waterways.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall develop a strategy that identifies the vision, goals, and objectives necessary to secure arctic waterways and enable American prosperity in the face of evolving arctic security challenges and associated risks, and deliver it to the APNSA for inclusion in the MAP.

    Sec. 19.  Shipbuilding Review.  Within 45 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall conduct a review of shipbuilding for United States Government use and submit a report to the President with recommendations to increase the number of participants and competitors within United States shipbuilding, and to reduce cost overruns and production delays for surface, subsurface, and unmanned programs.  This report must include separate itemized and prioritized lists of recommendations for the United States Army, Navy, and Coast Guard and shall be included in the MAP.

    Sec. 20.  Deregulatory Initiatives.  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall conduct a review of their regulations, and implementation thereof, across all components pertaining to the domestic commercial maritime fleet and maritime port access to determine where each agency may be able to deregulate within the framework of Executive Order 14192 of January 31, 2025 (Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation), to reduce unnecessary costs and clear barriers to emerging technology and related efficiencies.  Each agency will submit a report of its findings to the OMB Director and to the APNSA for inclusion in the MAP.

    Sec. 21.  Inactive Reserve Fleet.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense shall conduct a review and issue guidance on the funding, retention, support, and mobilization of a robust inactive reserve fleet.  This review and guidance shall be delivered to the APNSA for inclusion in the MAP. 

    Sec. 22.  Coordination.  Unless otherwise specified in this order, the plans, reports, reviews, and recommendations that are required to be submitted to the President by this order shall be developed through interagency coordination in accordance with National Security Presidential Memorandum 1 of January 20, 2025 (Organization of the National Security Council and Subcommittees), or its successors.

    Sec. 23.  Severability.  If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

    Sec. 24.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        April 9, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Brookfield Business Partners Completes 2024 Annual Filings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BROOKFIELD, NEWS, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (NYSE: BBU, TSX: BBU.UN) today announced that it has filed its 2024 annual report on Form 20-F, including its audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, with the SEC on EDGAR as well as with the Canadian securities authorities on SEDAR+. These documents are also available on our website at https://bbu.brookfield.com/bbuc in the Reports & Filings section and a hard copy will be provided to shareholders free of charge upon request.

    Brookfield Business Partners is a global business services and industrials company focused on owning and operating high-quality businesses that provide essential products and services and benefit from a strong competitive position. Investors have flexibility to invest in our company either through Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (NYSE: BBU; TSX: BBU.UN), a limited partnership or Brookfield Business Corporation (NYSE, TSX: BBUC), a corporation. For more information, please visit https://bbu.brookfield.com.

    Brookfield Business Partners is the flagship listed vehicle of Brookfield Asset Management’s Private Equity Group. Brookfield Asset Management is a leading global alternative asset manager with over $1 trillion of assets under management.

    Please note that Brookfield Business Corporation’s previous audited annual and unaudited quarterly reports have been filed on SEDAR+ and EDGAR, and are available at https://bbu.brookfield.com/bbuc under Reports & Filings. Hard copies of the annual and quarterly reports can be obtained free of charge upon request.

    For more information, please contact:

    Media:
    Marie Fuller
    Tel: +44 207 408 8375
    Email: marie.fuller@brookfield.com

    Investors:
    Alan Fleming
    Tel: + 1 (416) 645-2736
    Email: alan.fleming@brookfield.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Launches Bespoke AI Jet Lite, Light Yet Powerful Cordless Stick Vacuum

    Source: Samsung

     
    Samsung Electronics today announced that it will launch the Bespoke AI Jet Lite, a lighter, more advanced model that builds on the success of its predecessor in its lineup of cordless stick vacuum cleaners.
     
    “At Samsung, we continuously search for solutions that excel at everyday cleaning,” said Jeong Seung Moon, EVP and Head of the R&D Team for Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “To meet the increasingly varied cleaning requirements of modern homes, this stick vacuum has been designed to offer powerful suction and advanced AI features in a lightweight form factor.”
     
     
    Lighter Weight, Powerful Suction

     
    The new Bespoke AI Jet Lite has been designed to be lighter, weighing just 1.45kg in handheld mode — a 23% reduction compared to the previous model.1 Thanks to its lightweight design, users can easily clean hard-to-reach areas such as the tops of cabinets, window blinds, ceilings and walls. Even with the brush attachment, the unit remains under 3kg, ensuring easy maneuverability for comprehensive cleaning throughout the home.
     
    Despite its reduced weight,2 the product is equipped with a HexaJet Motor that rotates at up to 140,000rpm, creating powerful suction of up to 280W.3 The impressive suction power allows the stick vacuum to excel when used independently for cleaning, but it can also be used in conjunction with a robot vacuum for a truly comprehensive cleaning experience.
     
    Furthermore, upgraded AI functionality enhances convenience during the cleaning experiences. Based on Samsung’s AI Optimum Tech, AI Cleaning Mode 2.04 is able to classify more cleaning environments,5 such as long-pile or short-pile carpet types — as well as corners6 — by sensing the brush load and vacuuming air pressure. It then automatically adjusts settings, like suction power, to deliver the same performance as Mid mode, while reducing battery power use by 14% and increasing maneuverability by 8%.7
     
     
    Advanced Hygiene Features

     
    The Bespoke AI Jet Lite ensures a clean, fresh home environment with its advanced hygiene features. These include the HEPA Filtration System, which is enhanced with a four-layer fine dust filter and optimized machine sealing to effectively capture even fine dust particles.8 This allows users to breathe cleaner air while vacuuming, reducing their exposure to airborne dust.9 Moreover, its dustbin and multi-cyclone system parts are fully washable, so it is easy for users to maintain cleanliness, ensuring a sanitary and fresh10 experience.
     
    For added convenience, the All-in-one Clean Station provides a seamless and hygienic way to empty the dustbin while automatically charging the vacuum. Thanks to its multi-layered filtration, — which traps 99.999%11 of dust particles — the station efficiently12 empties the bin without releasing fine dust.
     
     
    A New Addition to Samsung’s Extensive Vacuum Cleaner Lineup
    The Bespoke AI Jet Lite is part of Samsung’s diverse vacuum lineup for this year, which includes the Bespoke AI Jet Ultra, the world’s most powerful cordless stick vacuum,13 and its latest vacuum and mop robot cleaner, the Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra.
     
    These new products reflect Samsung’s commitment to delivering personalized cleaning experiences that cater to a wide range of customer preferences. Consumers looking for a strong cordless stick vacuum cleaner with an AI-enhanced functionality can choose the maximum power model, the Bespoke AI Jet Ultra which delivers up to 400W14 of suction power. Those who prefer a lighter model can opt for the Bespoke AI Jet Lite, offering up to 280W of suction power.
     
    In addition to the Bespoke AI Jet series, Samsung offers a comprehensive lineup that includes models like the Jet 95, 85 and others. Each series features a variety of specialized cleaning solutions, such as Spray Spinning Sweepers, Clean Stations and different brush configurations, allowing consumers to choose the ideal vacuum for their home’s unique needs.
     
     
    Availability
    The Bespoke AI Jet Lite will be available for purchase starting April 2025, with exact launch dates varying by region and country.
     
     
    1 Compared with the Samsung VS9700. Handheld body weight: Bespoke AI Jet Lite 1.45kg vs. VS9700 1.89kg. Bespoke AI Jet Lite with Slim LED Brush+ = 2.49kg and Bespoke AI Jet Lite with Jet Dual Brush+ = 2.7kg, VS9700 = 3.17kg when it adapted the Active Dual Brush for floor cleaning.2 Bespoke AI Jet Lite motor = 115g, VS9000 motor = 205g, VS9700 motor =150g.3 Based on testing by SLG Prüf- und Zertifizierungs GmbH, in accordance with the IEC 62885-4 Cl.5.8 standard. Measured at the inlet of the non-motorized tool when the dustbin is empty, using Jet Mode and a sufficient capacity battery that is fully charged. Results may vary depending on actual usage.4 The updated functions of AI Cleaning Mode 2.0 can be activated after registering the stick vacuum cleaner on the SmartThings App available on Android and iOS and Wi-Fi is on. The operation of AI Cleaning mode 2.0 may be limited in certain environments, such as when the All-in-one Clean Station is unplugged or Wi-Fi is off or unstable or the Bluetooth connection status between the stick vacuum cleaner and the All-in-one Clean Station is unstable. In such cases, AI Mode operates limitedly. If AI Cleaning mode 2.0 does not work frequently, please move the All-in-one Clean Station to a space without obstacles nearby. To enable continuous function updates, keep the Wi-Fi in the house on at all times. A Samsung account is required.5 The ability to identify different cleaning environments and the time it takes to change the settings can be affected by environmental conditions.6 AI Cleaning Mode 1.0 recognizes 4 usage conditions, including hard floor, carpet, mat and lifting (moving). AI Cleaning Mode 2.0 with Slim LED Brush+ recognizes corners as well as the 4 usage conditions, while AI Cleaning Mode 2.0 with new Jet Dual Brush+ recognizes 4 types of flooring: hard floors, lifted surfaces, and long- and short-pile carpets. The ability to identify different cleaning environments and the time it takes to change the settings can be affected by environmental conditions. Corner detection only operates in hard floor environments. “Corner” refers to the area where two flat and closed walls meet. The suction power increases about 2-3.5 seconds after the brush is pressed against the wall. If the brush contacts only one side of the corner or if there is a gap in the corner, it may not be recognized as a corner, and the recognition accuracy and reaction speed may vary depending on the wall shape and actual usage environment.7 Based on internal testing when using the Jet Dual Brush+, in accordance with the global average ratio of the floor composition – wooden floor 76% and carpet 24%. It achieves the same cleaning performance as Mid mode with 2% or less difference in cleaning efficiency, in accordance with the IEC 62885-2 Cl. 5.1 and 5.4 standard. The battery consumption was measured based on the actual amount of power consumed while using the vacuum cleaner for 35 minutes from a fully charged state. The maneuverability is based on the actual measured value in accordance with the IEC 62885-2 Cl. 7.3.9 standard. In average, the maneuverability increases by 8% compared to Mid mode. Results may vary depending on the actual usage conditions. The effect may differ when using the Slim LED Brush+.8 Refers to dust particles with the size of 0.3µm or above.9 Based on testing by SGS-IBR Laboratories, in accordance with the ASTM F3150 standard, using Jet Mode. Results may vary depending on actual usage.10 After cleaning, dry the fine dust filter completely for more than 24 hours in the shade before use.11 Based on testing by SLG Prüf- und Zertifizierungs GmbH, in accordance with the IEC 62885-2 Cl. 5.14 standard. Results may vary depending on the actual usage conditions.12 Based on internal testing using various types of dusts. Results may vary depending on the actual usage conditions.13 Based on testing by SLG Prüf- und Zertifizierungs GmbH, in accordance with the IEC 62885-4 Cl.5.8 standard, using a handheld type vacuum cleaner (with no brush) in Jet mode. The results were compared to cordless stick vacuum models available on the market with a stated suction power within 30% of the actual suction power of the Samsung model tested by SLG. Based on sales data between January 2024 and December 2024 as compiled by an independent market research institute.14 Based on testing by SLG Prüf- und Zertifizierungs GmbH, in accordance with the IEC 62885-4 Cl.5.8 standard. Measured at the inlet of the non-motorized tool when the dustbin is empty, using Jet Mode and a large capacity battery that is fully charged. Lasts up to 1 min. Results may vary depending on actual usage.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Qube’s proposed acquisition of MIRRAT not opposed, subject to undertaking

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The ACCC will not oppose Qube Holdings Limited’s (ASX:QUB) proposed acquisition of Melbourne International RoRo & Auto Terminal Pty Ltd (MIRRAT), after accepting a court-enforceable undertaking to remedy competition concerns.

    The court-enforceable undertaking accepted by the ACCC prevents Qube, its subsidiary Australian Amalgamated Terminals Pty Ltd (AAT) and MIRRAT from discriminating against downstream rivals at Webb Dock West at the Port of Melbourne.

    The undertaking also imposes additional obligations on AAT in relation to its operations at Port Kembla in NSW, Fisherman Islands in Queensland and Appleton Dock in Melbourne. The undertaking will replace both the existing AAT undertaking, and MIRRAT’s existing undertaking in relation to its operations at the automotive terminal at Webb Dock West.

    MIRRAT operates the automotive/roll-on roll-off terminal at Webb Dock West in Melbourne. The proposed acquisition would permit Qube to control the operation of automotive roll-on roll-off trade through the Port of Melbourne.

    Qube, through its wholly owned subsidiary, AAT, operates automotive cargo terminals at the Port of Brisbane and Port Kembla, as well as a general cargo terminal at Appleton Dock at the Port of Melbourne.

    Qube is Australia’s largest provider of import and export logistics services including port-related activities of terminal management, stevedoring, processing, pre-delivery inspection (PDI) and delivery.

    The ACCC’s investigations focused on the acquisition’s impact on competition in downstream services, such as automotive stevedoring and PDI services at the Port of Melbourne.

    The ACCC also examined potential competition concerns arising from Qube’s operation of the three major automotive terminals on the east coast of Australia.

    “The ACCC concluded that, in the absence of adequate safeguards, Qube, through its ownership of MIRRAT, would likely have the ability and incentive to discriminate against rival stevedores and PDI providers at Webb Dock West,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

    “MIRRAT could do this, for example, by restricting its downstream rivals’ access to the terminal or related services, raising prices or lowering the quality of terminal services provided to them.”

    “The ACCC also closely considered whether, by operating all three of the major east coast automotive terminals, Qube, through AAT and MIRRAT, could have an increased ability and incentive to discriminate against rivals at each of the terminals in a way that would harm downstream competition,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    Concerns were also raised with the ACCC that Qube would have access to rival stevedore or PDI operators’ commercially sensitive information through AAT and MIRRAT as the terminal operators.

    “With these significant concerns in mind, the ACCC only decided not to oppose the acquisition with a strong court-enforceable undertaking from Qube, AAT and MIRRAT,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    The undertaking requires AAT and MIRRAT to meet the following obligations to:

    • not discriminate between terminal users in favour of its own interests in the automotive supply chain,
    • provide for certain price and non-price dispute resolution processes,
    • comply with access and berthing allocation rules, as well as ring fencing of certain confidential information,
    • report periodically on its compliance with the undertaking and facilitate independent oversight (including by an independent auditor),
    • comply with restrictions on AAT’s and MIRRAT’s ability to introduce or change certain tariffs.

    “Long-term behavioural remedies come with particular risks and uncertainty. The ACCC is not generally supportive of such undertakings. This is why we have carefully assessed these risks when deciding whether to accept the undertaking in this matter. In the unique circumstances of this transaction, where there is already a similar undertaking in other ports, and where MIRRAT itself is already subject to an undertaking due to its existing vertical integration with shipping, after careful consideration we decided to accept the undertaking,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    “Most users of the terminal and participants in the vehicle import supply chain were supportive of Qube acquiring MIRRAT.”

    The new undertaking will cover all of AAT and MIRRAT’s east coast automotive terminals and is expected to be in place perpetually.

    More information, including the undertaking can be found on the ACCC’s public register here: Qube Holdings Limited (Qube) – Melbourne International RoRo & Auto Terminal Pty Ltd (MIRRAT)

    Note to editors

    In considering the proposed merger, the ACCC applies the legal test set out in section 50 of the Competition and Consumer Act.

    In general terms, section 50 prohibits acquisitions that would have the effect, or be likely to have the effect, of substantially lessening competition in any market.

    Background

    Qube, through AAT, proposed to enter into a share sale agreement to acquire all shares in MIRRAT.

    Webb Dock West is the key facility for the processing of automotive and roll-on roll-off cargo through the Port of Melbourne.

    “Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo)” refers to ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle.

    MIRRAT

    MIRRAT’s ultimate parent company is Wallenius Wilhelmsen ASA (WW). WW is a Norway-based global provider of roll-on roll-off shipping and vehicle logistics and operates automotive terminals in Europe, the UK, the US and the Asia-Pacific. MIRRAT’s only operation in Australia is the automotive/roll-on roll-off terminal at Webb Dock West.

    MIRRAT operates Webb Dock West subject to a section 87B undertaking accepted by the ACCC on 27 March 2014 (MIRRAT Undertaking). The MIRRAT Undertaking was accepted by the ACCC in relation to MIRRAT’s acquisition of a long-term lease to operate the Webb Dock West roll-on roll-off terminal at Port Melbourne. The MIRRAT Undertaking commenced on 1 January 2018. It expires when MIRRAT ceases to operate the Terminal, which may occur on or before 30 June 2040, and when the ACCC confirms this in writing.

    The full text of the existing MIRRAT Undertaking can be found on the ACCC’s s87B undertakings register. Once in effect, the new undertaking offered by Qube, AAT and MIRRAT will replace the MIRRAT Undertaking.

    Qube

    Qube is Australia’s largest integrated provider of import and export logistics services. Its port-related activities include facilities management, stevedoring, processing, PDI and delivery. It manages and develops strategic properties such as inland rail terminals and related logistics facilities. It provides road and rail transport of freight to and from ports, operation of container parks, customs and quarantine services, warehousing, intermodal terminals, and international freight forwarding.

    In addition to being a terminal operator, Qube provides general stevedoring, automotive stevedoring and PDI services at each of its eastern seaboard ports. It provides general and automotive stevedoring through its affiliated entity ‘Qube Ports’. Qube provides PDI services through its 50% interest in K Line Auto Logistics which owns and operates PrixCar.

    AAT (Qube) operates automotive cargo terminals in Port of Brisbane and Port Kembla, as well as a general cargo terminal at Appleton Dock in Port of Melbourne. The facilities are operated under a s87B undertaking accepted by the ACCC in 2016 (AAT Undertaking). Once in effect, the new undertaking offered by Qube, AAT and MIRRAT will replace the AAT Undertaking.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joins 12 Colleagues in Demanding Trump Administration Reverse Course on Tariffs, Provide Relief for Small Businesses 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Senators called on Trump to reverse course hours before he paused certain tariffs 
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today joined Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and 11 of their Senate colleagues in demanding that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and President Trump immediately reverse course on the sweeping tariffs that are devastating small businesses in Vermont and across the nation. In Vermont, over 99% of businesses that operate in the state are small businesses and employ over 60% of the state’s workforce. 
    In their letter, the Senators emphasized how these new taxes on imported goods are raising prices for hardworking Americans and creating additional challenges for small businesses at a time when high costs are already making it difficult for them to operate.  
    “At a time when our nation is experiencing an unprecedented affordability crisis, President Trump’s decision to impose sweeping tariffs on goods from virtually every country in the world will send a chill through small businesses across the country,” wrote the Senators. “Given this, we urge you to work with the President to immediately reverse course on these broad-based tariffs to end the needless suffering this administration has imposed on small businesses across the country.” 
    “With small businesses already being crushed under the weight of high costs and interest rates, we must do all we can to cut red tape and help them thrive – not create additional affordability challenges and uncertainty,” the Senators continued. “To that end, we respectfully ask that you work with the President to reverse course on the 10% tariffs on all countries, as well as the exorbitantly high reciprocal tariffs placed on others. Failure to do so will raise costs, rob our small businesses of the certainty they rely on and undermine the economic security of small businesses across the country.” 
    In addition to Senators Welch and Rosen, the letter was signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). 
    Senator Welch has been outspoken in opposing President Trump’s destructive trade war. Last month, Senator Welch convened Vermont and Canadian business leaders for a roundtable near the U.S.-Canada border to discuss President Trump’s Trade War and how the Trump Administration’s reckless tariffs are hurting workers, families, and farmers. In January and February, Senator Welch convened Vermont businesses for roundtables to hear from Vermont businesses and state and local leaders about how the President’s actions reigniting a trade war have impacted their lives and livelihoods. 
    On Tuesday, Senator Welch joined bipartisan colleagues in releasing a resolution to repeal Donald Trump’s chaotic global tariffs. The Senators’ resolution would terminate the emergency that Trump declared in order to slap tariffs of up to 49% on products Americans buy from other countries. Senator Welch has also supported legislation pushing back against Trump’s tariffs, including: 
    The Trade Review Act, bipartisan legislation 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 without the approval of Congress. 
    The Tariff Transparency Act of 2025, legislation to require the United States International Trade Commission to conduct an investigation and submit a report on the impact on businesses in the United States of duties, and the threat of duties, on imports from Mexico and Canada. 
    A Joint Resolution of Disapproval terminating national emergency related to Canadian energy tariffs, passed by the Senate last week on a bipartisan basis. 
    Read the full text of the letter. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Leads Senators Demanding Answers from Trump Admin on Cuts to Partnership that Boosts American Manufacturing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) are demanding answers from the Trump Administration on its decision to take away funding that has long helped boost domestic manufacturing and created thousands of jobs. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program is a public-private partnership that helps small and medium-sized manufacturers grow, make operational improvements, and create jobs. The administration announced that it would be cutting off future funding for 10 MEP Centers across the country, with others, including Wisconsin, waiting in the lurch. In Wisconsin, the MEP has helped create more than $2.5 billion in economic impact and created or retained nearly 4,000 jobs in just the past two years.

    “Small manufacturers rely on MEP Centers for essential support in adopting the latest advanced technologies, updating their cybersecurity, navigating supply chain challenges, and accessing workforce training—resources that are often out of reach for small businesses without this dedicated assistance,” wrote Baldwin and the Senators in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “These centers drive innovation, boost productivity, and create high-quality jobs, strengthening both local economies and America’s global competitiveness.”

    The Senators continued, “Eliminating federal support for MEP Centers would hamper American small and medium-sized manufacturers. We urge you to take immediate action to protect the MEP program and the manufacturers that rely on it.”

    A report by Summit Consulting and the Upjohn Institute found that the MEP program generated a substantial economic and financial return ratio of more than 17:1 for the $175 million funding invested by the federal government in FY2023. The study also determined that MEP Center projects contributed to an overall increase of nearly 309,000 jobs nationwide.

    Centers in Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming will be immediately affected. The national network of 51 MEPs, including the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, has helped boost the productivity and competitiveness of thousands of small American manufacturers across the country for decades.

    Since 1988, the MEP has worked to strengthen and empower U.S. manufacturing through a nationwide network of MEP Centers. The MEP National Network is comprised of 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico and over 1,450 trusted advisors and experts at more than 430 MEP service locations that provide any U.S. manufacturer with access to resources they need to succeed.

    Senator Baldwin has long championed investing in the manufacturing sector. In addition to helping pass the CHIPS and Science Act, Senator Baldwin worked to secure significant investments to support the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Baldwin is Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee charged with oversight of MEP at the Department of Commerce.

    This letter was co-signed by 13 other Senate colleagues.

    A full version of this letter is available here and below.

    Dear Secretary Lutnick,

    We write to express our deep concern regarding the Department of Commerce’s recent decision to cancel future funding for ten National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers in Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming. This decision has raised widespread concern across the entire national network of MEP Centers, prompting fears about whether these initial cancellations are the first step in a broader effort to dismantle the program and eliminate federal funding for all 51 centers, with centers in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin expected to be notified about their status shortly. Given the MEP program’s long-standing, bipartisan support in strengthening small and medium-sized American manufacturers, we share these concerns and urge you to provide clarity and certainty on your plans for the future of the MEP program.

    According to the National Association of Manufacturers, 93% of manufacturers have fewer than 100 employees, while 75% have fewer than 20 employees. Small manufacturers rely on MEP Centers for essential support in adopting the latest advanced technologies, updating their cybersecurity, navigating supply chain challenges, and accessing workforce training—resources that are often out of reach for small businesses without this dedicated assistance. These centers drive innovation, boost productivity, and create high-quality jobs, strengthening both local economies and America’s global competitiveness. Without this critical federal support, MEP Centers—especially those with the fewest resources, and those serving rural and underserved communities—will be at the greatest risk of closure.

    Dismantling this program would not only disrupt benefits for small businesses but also undermine decades of federal investment in domestic manufacturing resilience, which Congress prioritized in the MEP program in the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. Congress also reauthorized the MEP program in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. NIST was provided $175 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 to fund the MEP Centers. In FY2024 alone, the MEP National Network resulted in $2.6 billion in cost savings, $15 billion in new and retained sales, $5 billion in new client investments, and over 108,000 jobs created or retained. Additionally, a report by Summit Consulting and the Upjohn Institute found that the MEP program generated a substantial economic and financial return ratio of more than 17:1 for the $175 million funding invested by the federal government in FY2023. The study also determined that MEP Center projects contributed to an overall increase of nearly 309,000 jobs across the United States.

    Given these benefits and the funding in the FY 2025 Continuing Resolution, we request a full explanation of the rationale behind this funding decision and ask that you promptly reconsider. Additionally, we urge the Department of Commerce to provide Congress with an impact assessment detailing how this decision will affect manufacturers in the affected states and regions. This action has caused tremendous uncertainty for all MEP Centers and the thousands of American manufacturing companies and their workers.  Therefore, to better understand your plans for renewals across other states in the future, we request a briefing on the way ahead for the overall MEP program prior to making any final non-renewal decisions by April 30, 2025. 

    Eliminating federal support for MEP Centers would hamper American small and medium-sized manufacturers. We urge you to take immediate action to protect the MEP program and the manufacturers that rely on it. We look forward to your response no later than April 30, 2025, and are ready to work with you to find solutions that maintain and enhance the MEP program’s ability to serve America’s manufacturing sector.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 26 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm in Connection With Drug Trafficking Fentanyl, Wire Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant convicted after trial on drug and firearms offenses and thereafter pled guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft

    Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Chief U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III, sentenced Ryan E. Dales, 36, of Baltimore, to 26 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Dales, a previously convicted felon, was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Baltimore Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).

    “Mr. Dales’s criminal activity was callous, dangerous, and with complete disregard for his victims,” Hayes said. “Thanks to our federal, local, and state law-enforcement partners, we’re showing Mr. Dales and others that engaging in criminal activity comes with a price. We’re serious about holding those accountable who commit illegal acts and terrorize our community with fentanyl, firearms, and fraud.  Fortunately, Mr. Dales will have plenty of time to think about his actions while in prison.” 

    “This sentence of 26 years reflects the seriousness of Dales’ actions which include drug and weapon offenses as well as identity theft and fraud schemes. As a repeat offender, Dales knew the consequences of his wrongdoing yet chose to continue dealing drugs and committing crimes,” DelBagno said. “The FBI has no tolerance for repeat offenders who threaten the safety and security of our communities.”

    “Ryan Dales engaged in a multi-faceted pandemic-relief fraud scheme by filing fraudulent UI claims in the names of identity theft victims. Dales stole benefits intended for unemployed American workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Springer said. “The significant prison sentence imposed today is the direct result of outstanding collaboration with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the FBI in ensuring the integrity of these critical benefit programs. This is particularly true when it involves firearms and drug trafficking as well as other violent crimes in our communities.”

    On December 9, 2024, a federal jury found Dales guilty of unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Additionally, Dales faced a second trial on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, but on January 10, 2025, Dales pled guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    According to the evidence presented at trial, on January 20, 2023, authorities arrested Dales pursuant to a federal arrest warrant, and law enforcement executed a federal search warrant the same day at Dales’s residence. Dales resided in a luxury apartment building in Locust Point.  During the search, law enforcement located and seized, among other things, various items used in connection Dales’s illegal business selling drugs, including two loaded firearms, specifically, a stolen Smith & Wesson firearm, and one which was a privately made “ghost gun” Polymer80 9mm firearm with no serial number, and a box containing 28 rounds of 9mm ammunition, including hollow point ammunition. In addition, law enforcement seized numerous packages of controlled dangerous substances, including hundreds of grams of fentanyl packaged for street level distribution, multiple digital scales, sifters, a heat sealer, a bag containing 10,000 empty capsules meant to package drugs, other drug packing materials, various cutting agents, a respirator, and six cell phones.

    Later, Dales voluntarily waived his Miranda rights and admitted to living in his apartment alone and that the firearms seized in his apartment were his.  He also told law enforcement that he was a “very resourceful person,” referring to his livelihood as a drug dealer.  Dales’ DNA was later determined to be present on both firearms and their magazines.

    Law enforcement’s later review of Dales’s cell phones revealed the existence of numerous Telegram chats where he negotiated purchasing drugs and cutting agents from multiple people, including mass producers of fentanyl in China.  Investigators further found evidence that about a month before the execution of the search warrant, Dales traveled to Boston with a firearm (identical in appearance to the ghost gun found in his apartment) and a bag full of cash to purchase drugs. Dales’s device search history included searches for where fentanyl is produced in China, how to dye powders, and how many bullets a Smith and Wesson M&P 9c firearm — the same type seized from his apartment — can hold.  

    After his conviction at trial on the drug and firearms offenses, Dales pled guilty to a fraud scheme in which he used victims’ identities to obtain various high-end lawnmowers on credit and received fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.  From December 2020 through September 2022 — while serving a federal sentence for bank-fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft — and living in a halfway house while on federal supervised release in the District of Maryland, Dales engaged in various fraudulent schemes. Dales attempted to defraud the State of Maryland, Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL), the Small Business Administration, and various businesses and financial institutions to obtain more than $25,000 in unlawful COVID-19 benefits funds though the submission of fraudulent claims for UI benefits; more than $95,000 worth of high-end riding lawn mowers on credit using the stolen personal identifiable information (PII) of seven victims information —such as names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and addresses of real persons — and attempting to fraudulently obtain an $8,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).

    During the execution of the residential search warrant, law enforcement seized various items used in connection with Dales’s fraud and identity theft schemes, including multiple computers, an embosser and ID card printer, laminate sheets with security holograms, gift cards in various denominations, a card printer and card reader, bulk packages of shrink-wrapped white PVC cards; and multiple fraudulent and fabricated South Carolina driver’s licenses made by Dales containing PII of various victims, but which displayed Dales’s photograph.

    Dales used the fabricated driver’s licenses in connection with the fraudulent purchases of riding mowers and other impermissible uses.  He also obtained the identity theft victims’ PII on the dark web. The total amount obtained by Dales from the UI fraud scheme, as well as the fraudulent purchase of the lawnmowers on credit was $121,242.51.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

    For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and DOL-OIG for their work in connection with the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Reema Sood, who prosecuted the federal case.  She also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Blasts Trump’s Tariff Tax Hike, Which Will Raise Inflation, Slow Economic Growth, And Increase Cost Of Living For New York Families; Pushes Legislation To Reassert Congress’ Power Over Tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Trump’s Tariffs Could Cost New York Households Almost $4,000 Extra Per Year For Gas, Groceries, And Other Everyday Goods
    Tax Hike Will Also Devastate Small Businesses, Lower Life Savings, And Kill Good-Paying Jobs Across New York
    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference slamming President Trump’s tariff tax hike, which is already wreaking havoc on the U.S. economy and raising prices for consumers. In response to the tariffs, Gillibrand signed on to the bipartisan Trade Review Act, which would require congressional oversight over the president’s implementation of tariffs. She also signed on to a letter demanding that the Trump administration immediately repeal the tariffs.
    Last week, President Trump announced far-reaching tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners, sending the stock market tumbling and drawing criticism from allies across the globe. These destructive policies include a 10 percent baseline tariff on all countries, a 20 percent tariff on the European Union, and a 54 percent tariff on imports from China, on top of a previously announced 25 percent tariff on a broad range of imports from Mexico and Canada. Experts say that these tariffs represent the largest tax hike since 1951.
    Trump’s tariffs will drastically increase the cost of living for American consumers, as prices will rise for a range of products including food, clothing, gas, cars, electronics, and construction materials. If the tariffs remain unchanged, they will cost the average New York household roughly $3,800 extra per year. They will also devastate small businesses, lower life savings, and kill good-paying jobs across New York.
    “By instigating a global trade war, President Trump is playing games with the American economy, driving up costs for hardworking families, and fueling inflation,” said Senator Gillibrand.“I refuse to stand idly by as President Trump destroys our economy. That’s why I joined a bipartisan bill to reestablish limits on the president’s ability to unilaterally impose tariffs, and it’s why I’m demanding that the Trump administration repeal these ill-conceived tariffs immediately. I am committed to doing everything in my power to shield New Yorkers from these horrific tax hikes and hold the president accountable for the harm he’s causing.”
    If passed, the Trade Review Act would impose congressional oversight over the president’s implementation of tariffs. Specifically, it would do the following:
    Require the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of imposing or increasing a tariff on imported goods. The congressional notification would be required to include the reasoning behind the tariff and an analysis of the potential economic impact on American businesses and consumers.
    Mandate that any new tariff will expire after 60 days unless Congress passes a joint resolution of approval.
    Give Congress the power to terminate any imposed tariffs through a joint resolution of disapproval.
    The text of the letter calling on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to immediately repeal Trump’s tariffs can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, Blunt Rochester join in introducing bill to fully fund special education

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – Senators Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester (both D-Del.) joined in introducing the IDEA Full Funding Act, legislation to ensure Congress finally fulfills its commitment to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Fifty years ago, Congress passed IDEA to ensure that every child with a disability has access to educational opportunity. This law was an historic step forward, but since its passage Congress has failed to provide the funding it promised. The legislation is cosponsored by over 30 members in the Senate and more than 60 members in the House of Representatives and is endorsed by 60 organizations.
    Under IDEA, the federal government committed to pay 40 percent of the average per student expenditure for special education; however, that pledge has never been met. According to the Congressional Research Service, current funding is at less than 12 percent, and the IDEA shortfall in the 2024-2025 school year nationwide was $38.66 billion. Under full funding, Maryland alone would have received $671.6 million. The IDEA Full Funding Act would require regular, mandatory increases in IDEA spending to finally meet our obligation to America’s children and schools.
    “The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act made a promise to children with disabilities and their families that they would be provided a free, public, and individualized education––but our government has never fulfilled this promise,” said Senator Coons. “While Trump and DOGE are taking illegal steps to dismantle the Department of Education and slashing billions of dollars in education-related research and programs, we must not retreat and forget our promise to Delaware’s kids.”
    “Every student deserves to have access to a high-quality education, regardless of their disability status,” said Senator Blunt Rochester, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. “At a time when the Trump administration is doing all they can to make it harder for people to get the resources and services they need, I am proud to support this legislation on behalf of students with disabilities and their families in Delaware and across the nation. I look forward to working with Senator Van Hollen and our colleagues to finally honor our commitment and fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.”
    “Fifty years ago, Congress passed the IDEA Act, and with it, made a promise to children with disabilities and their families – but we have fallen short of that promise every year since. While Donald Trump and Elon Musk are illegally gutting public education in America, we are fighting to strengthen it. Our bill will ensure that Congress finally meets its commitment to fully fund IDEA, putting us closer to delivering equal access to high-quality education for every student in this country,” said Senator Van Hollen.
    “Our government works best when it serves its people – especially our most vulnerable communities. 50 years ago, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to support our children with disabilities and ensure they had access to an appropriate education – we built up our children, gave them protections and supports. Yet for years, IDEA has been underfunded, creating burdens for districts and threatening access to services for students and families. This President and his callous Administration is intent on tearing things down instead of building them up. Now, more than ever, we need to fully fund IDEA,” said Senator Alsobrooks.
    “Our legislation makes necessary investments in programs that students with disabilities across the country depend on to access high-quality education that meets their individual needs. President Trump’s destruction of the Department of Education has made it all the more clear: we must fully and permanently fund special education services so that every student—no matter where they live—has the opportunity to succeed,” said Senator Blumenthal.
    “Decades after the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act became law, the federal government has still not fully funded the law to help ensure children with disabilities have equal opportunities to succeed in the classroom,” said Senator Duckworth. “Our legislation would help make long overdue investments in special education that would help support children with disabilities, their families and the educators who serve them.”
    “Our nation’s children are our future, and we must ensure that every child has access to high-quality education that meets their individual needs. It is critical that we honor our commitment to properly fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,” said Senator Durbin. “That is why I am joining my colleagues in introducing the IDEA Full Funding Act to ensure students with disabilities are receiving access to high-quality services and education, which they are entitled to under law.”
    “I am proud to cosponsor the IDEA Full Funding Act, which will ensure that our government upholds its responsibility to give every child with disabilities access to educational opportunities,” said Senator Gillibrand. “All students deserve a high-quality education and school systems with the resources to support them. This bill will help Congress fulfill its promise to fund special education programs, making sure that we meet our obligation to give every child the best chance at success.”
    “We promised families we’d have their backs, and for decades, we’ve fallen short on that promise. Because IDEA hasn’t been fully funded, parents and teachers have been working overtime to make up for the missing resources their students desperately need,” said Senator Fetterman. “Making IDEA whole is how we guarantee students with disabilities get the support they need to thrive in school. I’m proud to join my colleagues in championing this legislation amid continued threats to public school students and educators.”
    “As Donald Trump continues working to illegally dismantle the Department of Education, securing funding for crucial resources like IDEA is more important than ever,” said Senator Hirono. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation so Congress can finally fulfill its commitment to fully fund the IDEA for the first time since its passage in 1975. This investment in IDEA will help ensure that every student with disabilities in this country can receive the quality education they deserve.”
    “Students with disabilities, like any student, deserve access to a high-quality public education,” said Senator Kaine. “The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a crucial component of making that ideal a reality, but the IDEA is underfunded, leaving Congress’ promise of equal opportunity to students with disabilities unfulfilled—and as a former Mayor and Governor, I’m acutely aware of how federal underfunding of the IDEA puts tremendous pressure on local and state budgets. It’s imperative that we fully fund the IDEA to help schools offer the education, services, and supports that help students thrive.”
    “As Trump and Musk continue their assault on public education, Congress must act to ensure every student has equal access to learning across our country,” said Senator Kim. “Educators and parents across my state of New Jersey are terrified about what comes next for essential programs like IDEA while Trump dismantles the Department of Education. This legislation is critical to help secure schools the resources they need to support students with disabilities’ education and futures.”
    “A half a century ago, Congress enshrined into law the right of students with disabilities to access free and quality public education. Yet, every year, Congress fails to appropriate the funding necessary to fulfill that promise and guarantee that all students are not only integrated into our education system, but thrive in it. And now, President Trump and Secretary McMahon are attacking federal education funding and our entire public school system,” said Senator Markey. “Congress must fully fund the IDEA so that disabled students can thrive, families can be assured their children will receive world class education, educators have the resources they need to provide that education, and communities aren’t left scrambling to fill federal funding gaps.”
    “Across Nevada, I have heard from the parents of children with disabilities, and all they want is for their children to have the same opportunities as any other child,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “The government has already committed to fund the IDEA program, yet it has consistently failed to do so. This legislation fulfills the government’s promise and provides essential funding for schools across the Silver State.”
    “All students, regardless of ability, deserve access to a quality education. Yet, President Trump’s cruel dismantling of the Department of Education is putting millions of students with disabilities at risk of losing essential IDEA funding. The IDEA Full Funding Act upholds our commitment to offer every student a chance at the American dream by working to close longstanding opportunity gaps in our education system. This investment serves our students, supports our educators, and strengthens our economic future,” said Senator Padilla.
    “Every student in Nevada deserves equal access to high quality public education, but the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the Department of Education is taking away resources and protections for children with disabilities,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m helping to introduce this bill to make sure Congress fully funds the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and provides equal opportunity for every child to have a shot at accessing quality education. I’ll keep fighting back against all attempts to cut funding from our children’s education.”
    “Every child across America deserves access to quality education and a chance to succeed,” said Senator Shaheen. “For too long, Congress has fallen short of its promise to students with disabilities by failing to provide adequate funding through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Our legislation will right that wrong and help ensure schools have adequate resources to give students in New Hampshire and across the nation the education they deserve.”
    “A good education has the power to transform lives, and Congress needs to fully fund the educational resources that support children with disabilities and their families. Every child deserves a quality education and the chance to meet their full potential in life. At a time when support for special education is threatened, I join my colleagues in insisting that Congress deliver on its promise to fund these vital services so that every student has access to a quality education,” said Senator Schiff.
    “It’s time for Congress to finally fulfill our promise to deliver quality public education to every student across the country. As Donald Trump and Elon Musk continue their senseless attacks on public education, it’s more important than ever to stand up for all students no matter their disability or zip code,” said Senator Warner.
    “As a former special education teacher, I’ve seen first-hand how this funding is transformational for students with disabilities. It means our schools have elevators to help with mobility, provides aides that help students communicate, and tailored programs to best meet their learning needs,” said Senator Warren. “With public education under attack, I am deeply grateful for Senator Van Hollen’s leadership in the fight to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).”
    “While we’ve made substantial progress to fund special education services in recent years, we still have important work left to do to live up to the original commitment Congress made,” said Rep. Jared Huffman. “All children – no matter their zip code, race, disability, or any other factor – should be able to access a full, exceptional education, and this legislation will help school districts provide the necessary resources to make this vision a reality. The current chronic underfunding leaves an unfair burden on students, teachers, schools, and families. Our bill holds up the federal government’s end of the bargain to fully fund special education services on a permanent basis and set all students up for long-term success.”
    The legislation is cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Penn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). The legislation is co-led in the House by Representatives G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.-15), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.-02), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.-01), Angie Craig (D-Minn.-02), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.-08), Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.-05), Don Bacon (R-Neb.-02), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.-14), and Mike Bost (R-Ill.-12), and cosponsored by over 60 additional members of the House.
    This legislation is supported by a broad and diverse group of over 50 national organizations, including The School Superintendent Association (AASA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT),American Occupational Therapy Association, Assistive Technology Industry Association, Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO), Autism Society of America, Center for Learner Equity, Council for Exceptional Children, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Down Syndrome Congress, National Education Association, and The Arc of the United States.
    The bill is also supported by: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Psychological Association, Association of Educational Service Agencies, Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators, Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE), Autism Speaks, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, CAST, Coalition for Adequate Funding for Special Education, Coalition for Community Schools, Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA), Council for Learning Disabilities, Council of Administrators of Special Education, EDGE Consulting Partners, EdTrust, Education Reform Now, First Focus Campaign for Children, Higher Education Consortium for Special Education, Institute for Educational Leadership, Learning Disabilities Association of America, NAESPA (National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators), National Association for Music Education, National Association for Pupil Transportation, National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS), National Association of Private Special Education Centers, National Association of School Psychologists, National Consortium for Physical Education for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPEID), National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), National Down Syndrome Society, National PTA, National Rural Education Association, National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children, Teach For America, The Advocacy Institute, and The New Teacher Project (TNTP).
    You can read the full text of the bill here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Reforming Foreign Defense Sales to Improve Speed and Accountability

    Source: The White House

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Purpose.  To serve the interests of the American people, the United States must maintain the world’s strongest and most technologically advanced military through a dynamic defense industrial base, coupled with a robust network of capable partners and allies.  A rapid and transparent foreign defense sales system that enables effective defense cooperation between the United States and our chosen partners is foundational to these objectives.  Reforming this system would simultaneously strengthen the security capabilities of our allies and invigorate our own defense industrial base.  This mutually reinforcing approach would enhance United States warfighting capabilities by fostering healthy American supply chains, domestic production levels, and technological development.

    Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of my Administration to:
    (a) Improve accountability and transparency throughout the foreign defense sales system to ensure predictable and reliable delivery of American products to foreign partners in support of United States foreign policy objectives.
    (b) Consolidate parallel decision-making when determining which military capabilities the United States will choose to provide, and to which countries.
    (c) Reduce rules and regulations involved in the development, execution, and monitoring of foreign defense sales and of transfer cases to ensure alignment with United States foreign policy objectives. 
    (d) Increase government-industry collaboration to achieve cost and schedule efficiencies in the execution of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
    (e) Advance United States competitiveness abroad, revitalize the defense industrial base, and lower unit costs for the United States and our allies and partners by integrating exportability features in the design phase, improving financing options for partners, and increasing contract flexibility overall.

    Sec. 3.  Phased Implementation.  (a)  The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense shall promptly:
    (i)    Implement National Security Presidential Memorandum 10 of April 19, 2018 (United States Conventional Arms Transfer Policy), or any successor policy directive.
    (ii)   Reevaluate restrictions imposed by the Missile Technology Control Regime on Category I items and consider supplying certain partners with specific Category I items, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce.
    (iii)  Submit a joint letter to the Congress proposing an update to statutory congressional certification (also known as congressional notification) thresholds of proposed sales under the FMS and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) programs in the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.).  The Secretary of State shall also work with the Congress to review congressional notification processes to ensure the timely adjudication of notified FMS and DCS cases. 

    (b)  Within 60 days of the date of this order:
    (i)   The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall develop a list of priority partners for conventional arms transfers and issue updated guidance to Chiefs of the United States Diplomatic Missions regarding this list. 
    (ii)  The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall:
    (A)  develop a list of priority end-items for potential transfer to priority partners identified by the Secretary of State in the list required by this subsection;
    (B)  ensure the transfer of priority end-items to priority partners would not cause significant harm to United States force readiness; and
    (C)  ensure the transfer of priority end-items to priority partners would advance my Administration’s goal of strengthening allied burden-sharing, both by sharing the cost of end-item production and by increasing our allies’ capacity to meet capability targets independently, without sustained support from the United States.
    (c)(i)  The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense shall review, update, and reissue the lists of priority partners and military end-items on an annual basis.
    the United States Munitions List, 22 C.F.R. part 121, to focus protections solely on our most sensitive and sophisticated technologies, and shall establish clear criteria for including an item on the FMS-Only List.
    (ii) The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense shall review and update the list of defense items that can only be purchased through the FMS process (the FMS-Only List) and
    (d)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, shall submit a plan to the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), to:  improve the transparency of United States defense sales to foreign partners by developing metrics for accountability; secure exportability as a requirement in the early stages of the acquisition process; and consolidate technology security and foreign disclosure approvals.
    (e)  Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, with the assistance of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce, shall submit a plan to the APNSA to develop a single electronic system to track all DCS export license requests and ongoing FMS efforts throughout the case life-cycle.
     

    Sec. 4.  Definitions.  For purposes of this order:

    (a)  “Parallel decision-making” refers to the granting of simultaneous certifications and approvals during the FMS process, as opposed to sequential decision-making where agencies wait for other agencies to make decisions before taking action.
    (b)  “Exportability” means the process to identify, develop, and integrate technology protection features into United States defense systems early in the acquisition process to protect critical technologies, capabilities, and program information and thus enable export to partners.
    (c)  “FMS-only” means defense articles that are exclusively available through the FMS process as opposed to the DCS process, as authorized in the Arms Export Control Act and described in the Security Assistance Management Manual (SAMM), Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Chapter 4.
    (d)  “End-item” means the final product when assembled and ready for issue or deployment.
    (e)  “Foreign defense sales system” means the enterprise devoted to the transfer of defense articles, services, and training by the United States Government and United States companies to international partners and organizations.
    (f)  All other terms related to FMS cases shall have the meanings given to them by the SAMM, DSCA 5105.38M.

    Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        April 9, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley Joins Neal, Massachusetts Delegation Demanding Answers on Sudden Closure of HHS Regional Office in Boston

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) joined Congressman Richard E. Neal, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation – Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Representatives Jim McGovern (MA-02), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), and Bill Keating (MA-09) – in demanding answers from the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. after the abrupt shuttering of the entire HHS Regional Office (RO) in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 1, 2025.

    In the letter, the lawmakers write, “It is impossible to overstate the lasting consequences this reckless action will have on every single person in this region—whether the families who rely on Region 1 employees dutifully overseeing child care licensing systems to ensure they deliver quality care to our children, or the coordination these civil servants conduct with state survey agencies to make sure all our nursing homes meet federal safety standards. Through steadfast commitment to the programs they oversee, employees of ROs provide a service to all of us whether we know it or not.”

    The HHS Boston RO employs hundreds of workers who serve Americans from Maine to Connecticut. As the economic catastrophe caused by Trump’s Tariff Tax devastates communities and businesses across the country, the administration continues to make senseless layoffs, adding even more individuals to the ranks of the unemployed. These job losses will have trickle-down effects on other businesses in the area during an already challenging time.

    The Boston RO specializes in health care innovation, partnering with drug companies, biotech groups, and other innovators to ensure gaps in research are being filled and the cures of tomorrow come to fruition. Eliminating the Boston RO will both deny the people of New England access to public health officials with expertise in our local communities and halt innovation in its tracks, with ramifications felt by the whole country for generations to come.

    The ROs are also on the front lines of fighting fraud, waste, and abuse alongside local law enforcement, as well as the vanguard coordinating responses against disease and outbreaks. Its closure will leave our communities and our programs less safe.

    The lawmakers continue, “It could open our region to massive risks of fraud and abuse of our vital federal programs. And it could provide the pathway for another pernicious disease to sweep the nation, absent vital on-the-ground detection and coordination among public health experts. We do not take lightly this attack on the health of our constituents and the unceremonious termination of thousands of experts living in our communities who make us all safer.”

    The Boston Regional Office property is desirable real estate and appeared on an early list of properties Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) group wished to “auction off”, raising questions about whether this action has ulterior motives – enabling Trump acolytes to cash in on real estate deals while ordinary Americans suffer from loss of services. The Trump Administration has shown a complete disregard for Americans’ needs, closing Social Security offices and curtailing customer service. This RO closure is just another effort to make it more difficult for our constituents to access the health and safety protections they count on the federal government to provide.

    The lawmakers are demanding detailed answers as to the basis of this decision, its effect on constituent health, and how HHS will continue serving individuals in the region. They request answers to the following questions by April 18:

    • Please provide a list of each division within the Boston RO that was eliminated, a description of its core functions, a summary of staff expertise, program staff caseloads for each overseen program at the time of closing, and all documentation justifying the Department’s decision to close each division within the RO.
    • Please provide the Department’s analysis of the impact this regional closure will have on costs and health outcomes for the 15 million residents of New England, as well as the local economy.
    • Please provide a detailed analysis of how the remaining five ROs will take over the responsibilities of the Boston RO, including total caseloads, in beneficiaries served and dollars managed, for the staff taking over New England responsibilities, and any anticipated hirings or training to offset the caseload inundation and loss of regional expertise.
    • Please provide a detailed analysis of anyways responsibilities of the Boston RO which will be absorbed by HHS headquarters, including the current and new responsibilities of any headquarters staff assuming responsibilities and any anticipated hirings to offset the caseload inundation and loss of regional expertise.
    • Please provide a detailed analysis of the anticipated additional wait times for services previously provided by staff at the Region 1 RO, such as the approval of Medicaid State Plan Amendments, enrollments of new providers into Medicare, surveys of nursing homes, child care licensing inspections, state plan approvals, and cost allocation agreements.
    • Please explain the Administration’s plan for the now-vacant real estate that previously housed the Boston RO.

    Congresswoman Pressley has been a leading voice in Congress speaking out against Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s unprecedented assault on our democracy and federal agencies, and she has been a steadfast advocate for protecting the essential services that federal workers and agencies provide.

    • On April 9, 2025, Rep. Pressley led lawmakers in sending a letter to Trump’s trade official demanding he resign from holding multiple positions with clear conflicts of interest that would further harm federal workers.
    • On March 28, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming Trump’s executive order to end collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees.
    • On March 21, 2025, Rep. Pressley led Massachusetts lawmakers in a letter to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sharply criticizing and demanding answers about the impact of the Musk-Trump Administration’s mass firings of federal workers in Massachusetts.
    • On March 11, 2025, Rep. Pressley spoke out against the U.S. Department of Education’s mass layoffs of over 1,300 workers, which effectively guts the agency.
    • On March 11, 2025, Rep. Pressley voted against Republicans’ shameful government budget bill, which would harm vulnerable families and provide a blank check for Elon Musk and Donald Trump to continue their unprecedented assault on our democracy. She later issued a statement condemning its final passage in the Senate.
    • On March 11, 2025, Rep. Pressley joined 13 of her colleagues on a letter to the Department of Homeland Security demanding answers and the immediate release of Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, whose illegal abduction is an attack on his constitutional right to free speech and due process.
    • On March 4, 2025, Rep. Pressley walked out of the House chamber in protest during Donald Trump’s presidential joint address to Congress.
    • On March 4, 2025, Rep. Pressley welcomed Claire Bergstresser, an Everett constituent, dedicated public servant, AFGE union member, and former HUD worker who was unjustly terminated as part of Musk and Trump’s assault on federal agencies as her guest to the presidential joint address to Congress.
    • On February 28, 2025, Rep. Pressley led 85 lawmakers in a letter urging the Office of Special Counsel to immediate reinstate and expand protections for all unfairly fired federal workers.
    • On February 28, 2025, Rep. Pressley joined over 200 Democrats in filing an amicus brief defending the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau before a U.S. District Court.
    • On February 26, 2025, in a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley discussed what true government efficiency looks like and denounced Elon Musk and Donald Trump for utilizing DOGE to gut the essential services that keep people safe, fed, and housed.
    • On February 25, 2025, in a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley condemned Elon Musk’s abuse of government efficiency through the fraudulent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
    • On February 25, 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech in which she railed against Republicans’ cruel budget resolution that would slash Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion.
    • On February 20, 2025, Rep. Pressley and her Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs issued a statement condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
    • On February 13, 2025, in a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley emphasized the critical role of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in safeguarding consumers and sharply criticized Donald Trump and Elon Musk for halting the critical work of the agency.
    • On February 10, 2025, Rep. Pressley rallied with Senator Elizabeth Warren, Ranking Member Maxine Waters, and advocates to protest Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s unlawful takeover of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
    • On February 11, 2025, in a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley criticized the Trump-Musk administration for halting the critical work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) with crypto scams on the rise.
    • On February 10, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming the Trump Administration’s harmful cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to support hospitals, universities, and research institutions conducting lifesaving research.
    • On February 10, 2025, as Trump and Musk threaten to dismantle the essential work of the U.S. Department of Education, Rep.  Pressley delivered a powerful floor speech to affirm the role of public education in American democracy.
    • On February 6, 2025, in a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful rebuke of Republicans’ efforts to gut diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and eliminate essential services for vulnerable communities.
    • On February 5, 2025, Rep. Pressley rallied outside the U.S. Department of Treasury to protest Elon Musk’s unlawful assault on federal agencies and our democracy.
    • On January 30, 2025, Rep. Pressley slammed Donald Trump for blaming the tragic plane crash at Reagan National Airport, which killed over 60 people, including some families from Massachusetts, on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
    • In January 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming Trump’s illegal freeze on federal grants and loans and its harmful impact on vulnerable communities.
    • On January 23, 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered an impassioned floor speech condemning Republicans’ cruel anti-abortion bill that criminalizes providers and denies families care.
    • On January 23, 2025, Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues to reintroduce the Neighbors Not Enemies Act, a bill to repeal an outdated law that has been used to target innocent immigrants without due process rights.
    • On January 22, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Trump Administration’s harmful executive actions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHILADELPHIA COUNTY – Governor Shapiro to Tour Port of Philadelphia, Highlight Negative Impacts of the Trump Administration’s New Taxes on Businesses and Consumers

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 10, 2025 – Philadelphia, PA

    ADVISORY – PHILADELPHIA COUNTY – Governor Shapiro to Tour Port of Philadelphia, Highlight Negative Impacts of the Trump Administration’s New Taxes on Businesses and Consumers

    Governor Josh Shapiro will visit the Port of Philadelphia to learn more about how they’re adapting to the federal government’s new tariffs and highlight how Pennsylvania businesses and consumers will be impacted by rising costs as a result of President Trump’s new tax increase.

    Over the last week, Governor Shapiro has met with farmers, small business owners, and workers across Pennsylvania to hear firsthand about the challenges they are facing and share how his Administration is helping them innovate, grow, and stay competitive.

    WHO:
    Governor Josh Shapiro
    Michael Pearson, Port of Philadelphia Chairman
    Representative Ed Neilson

    WHEN:
    TOMORROW, Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 11:30 AM

    WHERE:
    Philadelphia Port
    **Press must RSVP for exact location and arrival logistics.

    LIVE STREAM:
    pacast.com/live/gov
    governor.pa.gov/live/

    RSVP:
    Press who are interested in attending must RSVP with the names and phone numbers for each member of their team to ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Presses NASA Nominee to Stand Up for Science, Support Artemis Moon Missions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    04.09.25
    Cantwell Presses NASA Nominee to Stand Up for Science, Support Artemis Moon Missions
    WA’s 1,500 aerospace companies deliver $4.6B in economic output
    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, pressed Jared Isaacman – President Trump’s nominee to serve as NASA Administrator — on his commitment to protect critical NASA programs from DOGE cuts and support the Artemis mission.
    “The more [the budget] gets slashed and burned by different approaches, by DOGE, the more harmful it can become to people undermining the support for the mission overall … So do you believe that we should have a reduction in workforce or the science budget?” asked Sen. Cantwell.
    Isaacman was non-committal in his response: “Senator, I read what’s on NASA Watch and in the news, like everybody else. If I’m confirmed, I am eager to understand all of the considerations, the discussions being made about a reorganization.”
    Last month, it was reported that the President’s FY2026 budget could slash NASA’s science funding by up to 50%. Cuts in funding could severely threaten critical science and research programs across the administration.
    Sen. Cantwell then asked Isaacman about his commitment to supporting the Artemis missions. Over 42 companies in Washington state and 2,000 jobs are directly tied to supporting the Artemis program: “Do you support the continued Artemis mission with the Space Launch System?”
    “Senator, I believe that is currently the plan… I think the real question is, again, why has it taken so long? Why does it cost so much money?” replied Isaacman.
    “But in the issue of, are we going to commit to this? I think [Artemis] and the [lunar] lander redundancy … people see that as a we’re going to the moon and we’re going to get this done. Not this discussion of, we’re going to skip these things, shortchange this, and then we’re going to focus on Mars in a different route. That’s what I’m trying to get from you,” responded Sen. Cantwell.
    Sen. Cantwell is a champion for American leadership in space exploration. In March, Sen. Cantwell joined her colleagues in introducing the bipartisan NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2025, which sets clear near-term priorities for NASA programs, advances American leadership in deep space exploration, prevents a gap in low Earth orbit leadership and capability, and upholds scientific ingenuity.
    In July 2023, Sen. Cantwell brought NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, regional aerospace industry leaders, STEM education leaders, and students together for a Washington State Space Summit, held at Blue Origin HQ in Kent. The summit included a trade show with 20 space companies, industry groups, and educators from across the State of Washington followed by a panel discussion.
    In 2022, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the successful launch of NASA’s Artemis I mission. Washington state contributes significantly to the Artemis program with 42 companies providing components either for Artemis I or for later Artemis missions, including General Dynamics in Bothell, Aerojet Rocketdyne in Redmond, Blue Origin in Kent, and Toray Composites Material in Tacoma. A full list of Washington companies supporting the Artemis program is available HERE.
    In November 2019, Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored the bipartisan NASA Authorization Act of 2020, which aimed to recognize the Artemis missions in U.S. law for the first time. To provide certainty and stability for the program, language authorizing the Artemis missions and requiring NASA to establish stringent oversight requirements was eventually incorporated into the CHIPS & Science Act, which Cantwell spearheaded through Congress. The CHIPS & Science Act was signed into law on August 9, 2022. 
    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s Q&A today are available HERE, audio HERE, and a full transcript is HERE.
    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s opening remarks are available HERE, audio HERE, and a full transcript is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Jersey Co-Conspirators Plead Guilty in Connection With Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain Loans from Small Business Administration

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – Mehul Ramesh Khatiwala, aka “Mike Khatiwala,” 43, of Voorhees, New Jersey, Rajendra G. Parikh, 64, of Monroe, New Jersey, and Jennifer H. Watkins, 48, of Marlton, New Jersey, pled guilty in federal court for their roles in a multi-million-dollar bank fraud conspiracy.  According to their plea agreements, Khatiwala, Parikh, Watkins, and their co-conspirators fraudulently obtained more than $35 million in Small Business Administration (SBA) loans from financial institutions that they used to purchase hotels.  

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty pleas with Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Pittano, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region.

    Khatiwala, Parikh, and Watkins each pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

    According to the factual stipulations in the guilty pleas, Khatiwala was the owner and managing member of Delaware Hotel Group LLC (DHG), and an operator of GMK Consulting LLC (GMK) and KPG Hotel Mgmt. LLC (KPG). These LLCs were hotel management and loan brokerage companies located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.  Watkins served as a project coordinator for DHG and managing member of Forza Consulting LLC (Forza), a hotel consulting and loan brokerage company located in Marlton, New Jersey.  Parkih was an owner of KPG.  Co-defendant Rebecca Marie Cohn a/k/a Rebecca Marie Stanton, 38, was a settlement and title processor for Residential Title & Escrow Company, a real estate title company located in Owings Mills, Maryland, that offered escrow and loan-settlement services. 

    The guilty pleas outline how from August 2018 through February 2020, Khatiwala, Parikh, and Watkins conspired to obtain loan proceeds to buy and sell hotels in connection with a hotel flipping scheme. “Flipping” is a real estate investment strategy that involves purchasing property to hold for a short period before selling it to make a quick profit.  During the SBA-loan application process, the co-conspirators made and caused others to make material misrepresentations and omissions to financial institutions regarding the sellers’ identity, familial relationships between parties, and the nature and amount of the equity injected by the borrowers.  The defendants sought loans through the SBA’s Section 7(a) Program, which guaranteed and insured approximately 75-85 percent of these loans, and required that the small business owner/borrower invest a certain amount of their own money into the business to qualify for the loan.

    In their guilty pleas, Khatiwala and Parikh admitted that they acted as managers or supervisors in connection with the scheme.  Additionally, Khatiwala, Parikh, and Watkins admitted that they created shell companies using co-conspirators as straw owners of the entities.  These straw owners had no actual ownership interest in the entities as Khatiwala and Parikh were the true owners.  The straw owners signed purchase contracts, operating agreements, and related documents to buy hotel properties in the name of the shell companies.

    Co-conspirators then created a second company to purchase the hotels from the shell companies at substantially higher prices.  After the co-conspirators formed the companies to control both sides of the flip transaction, they solicited banks for small-business loans to finance the buying company’s purchase of the hotel from the straw companies.  The co-conspirators helped the buying companies qualify for the loans by falsely representing investors’ equity injections to the banks, among other material false statements, misrepresentations, and omissions.  The financial institutions extending the loans relied on the false statements and misrepresentations.

    Khatiwala, Parikh, and Watkins are each facing a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud.   

    Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FHFA-OIG and FDIC-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber, Evelyn L. Cusson, and Ari D. Evans, who are prosecuting the federal case, and recognized Paralegal Specialists Joanna B.N. Huber and Zharde Todman.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Sheehy Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Use AI To Protect Communities Against Extreme Weather, Wildfires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) today introduced the TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act, bipartisan legislation to improve and leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to better predict and respond to extreme weather and protect people and communities from the increasing toll of wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and other disasters.

    “Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, more severe, and more deadly, and AI can be a powerful tool in saving lives and livelihoods,” said Senator Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. “Our bill will harness AI’s immense processing and prediction capabilities to improve weather forecasts and help communities better prepare for and respond more quickly to extreme weather events.”

    “Extreme weather and wildfires cost us hundreds of billions of dollars in economic impact and harm countless Americans each year, yet our government response – particularly to wildfire – hasn’t changed in decades. By incorporating leading-edge artificial intelligence into our forecasting and disaster threat prediction modeling, we will have the ability to know where, how big, and how bad weather is going to be, and can take preventative measures long before the impact is realized. Now is the time for transformational innovation and leadership to prevent future tragedies and protect American families, homes, and communities from disaster quickly and effectively,” said Senator Sheehy.

    The TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to:

    • Develop a U.S. global weather dataset to train AI forecasting models;
    • Partner with the private and academic sectors on AI weather and wildfire forecasting, and innovate new AI weather and wildfire products and applications; and
    • Support the integration of AI weather models into the forecasts that the American people use and rely on.

    In addition to Schatz and Sheehy, the TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.). A companion bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Scott Franklin (R-Fla.).

    “Extreme weather is only getting more severe and more frequent. We need to use every tool at our disposal—including artificial intelligence—to save lives and livelihoods. By requiring federal agencies to use AI in proactive ways, such as boosting grid resiliency and improving weather forecasts, this bill will allow us to better predict and respond to extreme weather events and mitigate their impacts,” said Senator Welch.

    “Far too many communities in New Mexico and across the country have experienced the devastation that extreme weather events bring,” said Senator Luján. “We must utilize every tool at our disposal, like AI, to protect our communities from the devastation caused by wildfires, floods, and other disasters. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill that will leverage the powers of AI to better predict extreme weather events and save lives.”

    “As devastating weather events continue to threaten lives, homes and communities across the country, the need for faster, more accurate forecasting is critical,” said Representative Franklin. “The TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act leverages emerging AI technologies to enhance forecasting systems and bolster disaster preparedness. By encouraging American innovation and uniting the efforts of the federal government, academia and the private sector, our bill ensures we can respond swiftly to natural disasters here at home without relying on foreign data. I’m pleased to join Senator Schatz in leading this bipartisan effort to protect Americans and modernize our national weather capabilities.”

    In 2023 alone, the United States experienced a record 28 disasters that caused nearly 500 deaths and cost at least $1 billion in damages each, including to property and crops. The TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act would help the United States better prepare for extreme weather and wildfires by providing forecasts that are improved by integrating traditional and AI weather models. Currently, AI weather models are dependent on a dataset created and maintained by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The bill bolsters the security of AI weather models by requiring the development of a U.S. weather dataset.

    The text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech on foreign affairs and trade

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Kia ora and good morning everyone.
    Before I start, can I acknowledge the Wellington Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity to speak to all of you this morning.
    It comes at a difficult time for the global economy, with rising rhetoric, escalating tariffs, and the prospect of further retaliation to come.
    I had originally planned to take this opportunity to speak about my Government’s plan for economic growth – to create jobs, lift incomes, and put more money back in the wallets of Kiwis.
    I will still touch on that.
    It’s my Government’s top priority and it frames just about every decision we take here in Wellington as we focus on improving the lives of all New Zealanders.
    But with markets rocked and exporters facing uncertainty, I know there’s one topic front of mind for many businesses and many households.
    So this morning I want to take some time to speak to those events and make the case for free trade and the rules-based international order.
    Trade is the lifeblood of the New Zealand economy.
    Whether it’s our incredible farmers and growers, our outstanding tourism industry, or our burgeoning tech sector, Kiwis businesses thrive when we compete on the world stage.
    Our success isn’t an accident – and it didn’t happen overnight.
    Successive generations of trade negotiators and political leaders have invested in relationships offshore, and worked hard to complete deals like CER, the China FTA, the CPTPP, and the more recent EU, UK, UAE and GCC FTAs.
    Business leaders have moved rapidly, too – finding fresh opportunities for growth in emerging markets, and developing outstanding products back home that put New Zealand on the map.
    Our rural economy in particular represents the very best of open and competitive trade – selling into difficult markets, with no direct financial support, and consistently coming out on top.
    I could – and often do – speak at length about the contribution exporters make to the domestic economy.
    But trade goes both ways.
    Yes, export growth will be critical to improving New Zealand’s economic prospects in the coming years.
    But the removal of New Zealand’s own trade barriers and embrace of goods and services imported from offshore has also led to a major improvement in our quality of life in recent years.
    Our clothing is more affordable, our cars are more reliable, our diets are more diverse, and our holidays in Bali and Europe are a nice contrast to summers at the lake or the beach.
    Free trade of goods purchased from offshore has also supported growth in productivity.
    Kiwi exporters rely on the trucks, tractors, jet engines, computers, and smart phones we buy from overseas that make their businesses tick.
    And it’s not realistic to expect that in a country of just five million people, we could make everything we need here at home.
    Political leaders have tried that before in New Zealand – and it didn’t end well.
    Older generations will remember the efforts we went to.
    Governments imposed strict import controls and encouraged cars and televisions to be assembled here at home.
    And like today, conflict offshore occasionally helped to send prices spiralling – but the response looked very different.
    In the late 1970s, politicians imposed “carless days”, with stickers on your vehicle dictating which days you could drive to work, and which days you caught a ride with a friend or just walked into town instead.
    There was no “work from home” in 1979.
    Agriculture, today the backbone of our economy, was heavily subsidised and much less productive, much less diverse than the efficient and entrepreneurial sector thriving in New Zealand today.
    Those failed policies weren’t just foolish economics.
    They reflected the best efforts of political leaders to insulate New Zealand from an era of major social and geopolitical change.
    History shows those best efforts were a mistake, that required years of difficult choices and careful recovery.
    New Zealanders paid the price then.
    I don’t intend for them to do so again.
    Which brings us to today.
    The events of recent days are the most significant challenge to the rules-based trading system since the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was formed in 1947.
    Action, reaction, and response have shocked financial markets.
    As the Minister of Finance highlighted earlier this week, the direct impact on the New Zealand economy from the US tariffs announced last week is likely to be around $900 million or roughly 0.2% of GDP.
    But the second order consequences of a region and a world retreating from trade and increasingly uncertain about its economic future will be more significant, despite the welcome news of de-escalation this morning.
    I know for many businesses keeping an eye offshore and for those New Zealanders watching their KiwiSaver accounts, that could be confronting.
    The exporters I’ve spoken to in recent days remain buoyant, rightly confident in the quality of their product, and their ability to navigate choppy waters.
    But for countries whose prosperity is underpinned by global trade, the months ahead will be challenging for their economic interests.
    Many commentators will see these events as just the next step in a longer-term trend towards economic security and national resilience, as countries insure themselves against emerging geopolitical threats.
    Others have gone further, declaring an end to the era of free markets, free trade, and free people, and the rules-based international order underpinning it.
    For my part, I’m not ready to throw in the towel quite yet. Kiwis have worked too hard and for too long, to give up on the values and institutions which have seen our country and the region we live in thrive.
    So, for as long as I am Prime Minister, New Zealand will keep making the case for trade as a cornerstone of our prosperity.
    Yes, we are a small country – but stature has never been a barrier to our success.
    Take the P3 – a proposed trade agreement which began life under negotiation at APEC between New Zealand, Singapore, and Chile in the early 2000s.
    Three small countries, practicing what we preach – and doing everything we could to create opportunity for our people through trade.
    Today, that agreement lives on as the CPTPP and covers a dozen countries, including New Zealand and Australia, Canada, much of Asia, and most recently the United Kingdom.
    In total, that’s roughly 15% of global economic activity, or $13 trillion USD – a long way from where we started just over twenty years ago.
    The United Kingdom might be the most recent accession, but I expect they won’t be the last.
    New Zealand will continue to work with like-minded countries to promote free trade as a path to prosperity and explore the role of the CPTPP in strengthening that vision.
    One possibility is that members of the CPTPP and the European Union work together to champion rules-based trade and make specific commitments on how that support plays out in practice.
    My vision is that includes action to prevent restrictions on exports and efforts to ensure any retaliation is consistent with existing rules.
    Collective action, and a collective commitment, by a large portion of the global economy would be a significant step towards preserving free trade flows and protecting supply chains.
    Clearly though, efforts at collective action won’t be enough to support New Zealand’s economic interests.
    As Prime Minister, I have a responsibility to do everything I can to both bolster the existing rules-based order and to further strengthen New Zealand’s position offshore.
    It’s why I have put so much emphasis on deepening our relationships with partners around the region, with visits throughout South-East Asia, Korea and Japan, the United States, and to India last month as we commenced negotiations for a free trade agreement.
    It’s why my Government has worked so hard to close out fresh agreements with the UAE and GCC that enable additional trade and investment.
    It’s why we hosted an Investment Summit in Auckland, making the case both for New Zealand as an outstanding place to do business and for the opportunity to enter long-term infrastructure partnerships.
    It’s why on Monday this week the Minister of Defence and I launched the Government’s Defence Capability Plan, that lifts defence expenditure to 2% of GDP and ensures New Zealand pulls its weight for many years to come.
    It’s why I will be on the phone later today to world leaders comparing notes on world trade, and testing what we can do together to buttress the rules-based trading system.
    And it’s why I will be heading to the United Kingdom later this month to meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, to talk trade, security, and the geopolitical backdrop in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
    We can’t make the case for New Zealand sitting at home.
    We have to position ourselves as advocates both for our own economic interests and the institutions that underpin them.
    I’m very lucky to lead a Government with so many Ministers dedicated to that task, whether that’s the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Trade, or the Minister of Defence, each of whom having already made a number of significant achievements supporting New Zealand’s interests offshore.
    Back home, the volatility offshore is a fresh reminder of just how important our focus on economic growth will be in the coming years.
    As I said recently at our Investment Summit in Auckland, New Zealand can be a shelter from the global storm.
    That brings a serious opportunity from ensuring our business environment is as welcoming as possible for investment and growth.
    We are making serious inroads into that task.
    Earlier this year, Minister for Economic Growth Nicola Willis published our Government’s Going for Growth Agenda, which outlines a range of actions we are taking to get the New Zealand economy moving and realising its vast potential.
    Each of those actions fits into one of five pillars we have identified as critical to lifting economic growth and improving New Zealanders’ standard of living:

    Developing talent,
    Encouraging innovation, science, and technology,
    Introducing competitive business settings,
    Promoting global trade and investment,
    And delivering infrastructure for growth.

    Across each of those pillars, we have Ministers working day and night to drive through reform – in transport, tourism, aquaculture, construction, advanced aviation, mining, energy, agriculture, and horticulture.
    In just the last few weeks, we have presented our plans to replace the Resource Management Act, fix our broken health and safety laws, and make nation-shaping investments like the Northland Expressway.
    We have introduced the Fast Track regime, streamlining the consenting process for projects of regional and national significance.
    We are re-writing the Overseas Investment Act, so major investments from offshore are consented faster and more reliably.
    We are tearing down the barriers to fresh investment in renewable and non-renewable energy, by repealing the oil and gas ban and ushering in new consenting rules for wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal.
    And we are doubling down on efforts to showcase New Zealand to the world, promoting our tourism and international education sectors offshore so we can attract even more people to spend their money here.
    I know there’s more we can do.
    Growth has now returned, and the economy has turned the corner, but our reform agenda will need to continue at pace for us to out-run the challenges to growth facing us from offshore.
    The challenges to the rules-based international order are intense and the strategic environment my government has inherited is more difficult than it has been for many years.
    For New Zealanders who grew up watching events unfold in Europe and the Middle East, it will be confronting to watch strategic competition and the deterioration of rules-based trade come to our neighbourhood, the Indo-Pacific.
    But the response for New Zealand cannot be retreat.
    New Zealanders are at our best when faced with adversity and we thrive when we compete on the world stage.
    To quote my friend the Foreign Minister, this isn’t our first rodeo.
    Our export sector is jam-packed with talented, sharp New Zealanders who make great products – and create jobs here at home while they do it.
    Farmers, growers, wine makers, and start-ups from all around the country investing in our nation’s future because they have confidence that better days lie ahead.
    I’m not ready to call time on the rules-based trading system.
    And I’m not ready for New Zealand to give up on our efforts to advocate for it on the world stage.
    We’re not in this alone.
    The same institutions that have served New Zealand so well for so long, also underpin the prosperity of so many of our friends and partners, many of whom are also continuing to make the case for free and open trade in recent days.
    My government will keep making the case – overseas, here at home, with a strong voice and a consistent message.
    Free trade works.
    It lifts incomes.
    It creates jobs.
    It builds partnerships.
    And it secures peace.
    I think that’s worth fighting for – and I’m up for that fight.
    Thank you.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Expanding Transportation Innovation: Gov. Polis Announces Swisspod Expansion in Colorado

    Source: US State of Colorado

    COLORADO SPRINGS – Today, Governor Polis and the Global Business Development Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced that Swisspod, a company pioneering high-speed, emission-free Hyperloop transportation, is expanding in Colorado Springs. As a designer and manufacturer of high-speed vehicles and subsystems for transportation assets, Swisspod aims to transform the way people and goods move.

    “I’m excited to see Swisspod expand its presence in Colorado, the best place to live and do business. Colorado’s future is one where people can have more transportation options and expanded transit services at a lower cost. Swisspod will bring new, good-paying jobs to Colorado Springs while supporting the future of transportation infrastructure,” said Governor Polis.

    In 2024, Governor Polis announced Colorado Transportation Vision: 2035, which includes new goals and strategies to reduce transportation-related air pollution and GHG emissions by increasing transportation options, expanding transit services, and building more housing near train and bus stops.

    Swisspod develops technology that can revolutionize the transportation sector, making it faster, more reliable, and more sustainable. The company has developed patents for propulsion and levitation technologies that have the potential to transform current track-based transportation systems and extend into industries like aerospace, automotive, and more.

    Now, the company is expanding its North American presence with a new manufacturing and assembly facility in Colorado Springs. There, access to talent, supply chain connectivity, and proximity to partners, as well as the development of a prototype of its hyperloop transportation system in Pueblo, Colorado, will support the company’s growth.

    “We’ve built deep ties to Colorado. This is the home to our full-scale hyperloop infrastructure in Pueblo. And now, our newest R&D hub in Colorado Springs, a city that’s on the rise, an innovation powerhouse packed with bold thinkers and exceptional engineers ready to build the future. Setting up an operational office and a manufacturing & assembly space here was a natural next step. We’re excited to shape the future of transportation in a city that’s evolving full speed ahead,” said Swisspod CEO and Co-Founder Denis Tudor.

    In Colorado Springs, the company expects to create 107 net new jobs at an average annual wage of $67,952.38, which is 108% of the average annual wage in El Paso County. The positions will include roles in engineering and design, production, marketing, operations, and administrative support.

    “Companies like Swisspod are creating the technologies of tomorrow while creating good-paying jobs for Coloradans. We are thrilled to see them expand in Colorado Springs, enhancing our state’s commitment to innovation and diversifying our thriving economy,” said OEDIT Executive Director Eve Lieberman.

    The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved up to $918,000 in a performance-based Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit for the company over an eight-year period. These incentives are contingent upon Swisspod, referred to as Project Chocolate throughout the OEDIT review process, meeting net new job creation and salary requirements.

    The Colorado Springs City Council approved $5,250 over a four-year period in performance-based incentives. The sales and use tax rebates apply to the purchases of construction materials, equipment, machinery, furniture, and fixtures.  The City’s Economic Development Department also offered to support the company through its Rapid Response Program, as well as talent and workforce development support. Additionally, El Paso County approved $1,041,609 in incentives.

    “Swisspod’s expansion will significantly enhance Colorado Springs’ advanced manufacturing sector, diversify our transit systems, and open our region to new business opportunities across North America,” said Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, President & CEO of Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC. “Our region’s diverse industries, robust economy, and highly skilled workforce create strong supply chains, allowing deep tech companies like Swisspod to thrive.”

    “We are proud to welcome Swisspod Technologies to Colorado Springs as they open their first North American headquarters. Their forward-thinking approach to technology and transportation aligns with our goals of creating vibrant economic growth, high-quality jobs, and positioning our community as a hub for cutting-edge industries. Hyperloop transportation has captured the attention and imagination of the world, and Colorado Springs is proud to be home to the people who are leading this innovative and ambitious work,” said Mayor Yemi Mobalade, City of Colorado Springs.

    “El Paso County remains committed to creating a business-friendly environment where private enterprise can thrive,” said Commissioner Carrie Geitner, Chair of the Board of County Commissioners. “By supporting initiatives like the Pikes Peak Enterprise Zone, we’re making it easier for job creators to invest, grow, and hire right here in our community. We’re proud to welcome Swisspod Technologies to El Paso County and look forward to the positive impact this investment will have on our region.”

    In addition to Colorado, Swisspod considered New Mexico for expansion. The company already has 10 employees in Colorado and is looking to expand its team here.

    About Swisspod

    Swisspod is a Swiss-American transportation technology company leading the development of the most sustainable, efficient, and comprehensive Hyperloop solution. The company was founded in 2019 by Denis Tudor, CEO, and Cyril Dénéréaz, CTO, two multiple-award winners of the SpaceX Hyperloop Competition. Swisspod aims to change the way people travel by connecting every major city using sustainable, carbon-neutral, energy-efficient, and high-speed transportation solutions. The company envisions a continental map of connections between major cities that will facilitate collaboration, accelerate human progress, and create a more prosperous future for the generations to come. For more information, visit www.swisspod.com and follow Swisspod on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X.com, and YouTube for ongoing updates.

    About Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

    The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: State of Colorado and New Zealand Sign Agreement to Foster Cooperation in Aerospace, Quantum and Geothermal Technologies

    Source: US State of Colorado

    COLORADO SPRINGS – Today, at the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Governor Jared Polis and Space Minister Judith Collins signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between Colorado and New Zealand to strengthen the partnership between the two regions and foster opportunities in aerospace, quantum and geothermal technologies. The MoC grew out of a meeting between Governor Polis and Minister Collins in April 2024, when the leaders agreed to take active steps to further cooperation in key advanced industries.

    “We are thrilled to strengthen our relationship with New Zealand, a country that shares our commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and advancing new technologies like aerospace, geothermal and quantum. This agreement will help create more opportunities for investments into Colorado businesses and the creation of good new jobs,” said Governor Polis.

    The MoC is intended to increase bilateral foreign direct investment between Colorado and New Zealand, develop bilateral research and development projects, strengthen company exchanges and expansion opportunities, and promote regional technology hubs and innovation ecosystems that advance strategic industries.

    “Today’s announcement demonstrates the importance of building long-term relationships with our partners abroad. This milestone builds on years of cooperation with New Zealand to increase opportunities for startups and growing businesses while advancing new technologies, strengthening our economies and creating new jobs,” said Eve Lieberman, OEDIT Executive Director.

    Two-way trade between New Zealand and Colorado is valued at $61 million annually. In 2024, Colorado exported $23 million in goods to New Zealand, including transportation equipment, machinery and computer and electronic projects. Colorado imported $38 million in goods from New Zealand, including machinery; computer and electronics; beverage and tobacco products; and processed foods. Over the past five years, New Zealand was the seventh largest provider of foreign direct investment into Colorado, with twenty-nine New Zealand companies, many of them startups, in the Denver area alone.  

    Additionally, ski resort areas, Queenstown and Aspen, have enjoyed sister-city relations since 1992. In 2019, Colorado’s Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera and OEDIT conducted an investment mission to New Zealand, and in September 2024, Auckland and Denver became City2City partners to encourage innovation and boost the startup ecosystems in both cities. The strength of these ties led New Zealand to appoint representatives from New Zealand Trade & Enterprise to further assist New Zealand companies land in Colorado, as well as an Honorary Consul based in Denver. Following the signing of the MoC, a steering committee will be formed to oversee implementation of the agreement.

    About OEDIT’s Global Business Development Division

    Global Business Development (GBD) is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. GBD supports Colorado businesses and communities by using a data-driven approach to recruit, support, and retain businesses that contribute to a robust and diversified economy. We align our portfolio of programs, services, and incentives with industries that benefit Colorado companies and elevate the state’s national and international competitiveness. GBD also hosts foreign delegations and participates in trade and investment missions around the world to strengthen global awareness of Colorado. With a highly educated and motivated workforce, a thriving innovation economy, and nation-leading entrepreneurial spirit, Colorado is a top market for business development.

    About the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

    The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Mornings With Maria on Fox Business to Discuss Tariffs, Budget Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations, Banking, and Foreign Relations Committees and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today joined Mornings With Maria on Fox Business to discuss the Senate-passed budget resolution being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives this week, along with President Donald Trump’s trade agenda.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*

    Partial Transcript

    Hagerty on the budget resolution: “I’m very optimistic. The House Rules Committee will actually be meeting this morning. President Trump, as you know, met with a number of people in the House last night. I think we’ll get this moved through. This budget resolution process will then unlock the reconciliation process, which is where we’ll actually get the tax cuts extended. We’ll bring the certainty that American business needs to make the capital investments that they want to make. The optimal deadline would be sometime before the 8th of May, but I think we can definitely get this done in the next four weeks.”

    Hagerty on the misunderstanding of spending cut levels in the budget resolution: “We’re going to get to work on the committee level to work through and try to bring about as many cuts as we can possibly deliver for the American people. Over time, we want to deliver at least $2 trillion worth of cuts here. There’s been some miscommunication, I think, about some of the targets that we set, but we want to make certain the hurdles are low enough that we don’t have a procedural issue, but we certainly are going to be shooting high, in terms of the cuts that we want to deliver.”

    Hagerty on potential trade negotiations: “As you know, Japan’s got a team here this week on the ground. I think there’s a wonderful opportunity to see real breakthroughs and real progress. When I served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan, we did two trade deals there. Our teams know the issues, and I’ve encouraged the parties to really think broadly beyond just trade, but also think about our defense relationship, to think about opportunities with energy, ways that we can make our economies much more integrated, much more harmonized, and at the same time, our national security and our energy security needs will be met as well. I’m very optimistic about what will be forthcoming here.”

    Hagerty on the budget resolution passing before recess: “As we look at the House Rules Committee today, I think we certainly will [get it passed]. I hope that they’ll be able to move on this before we leave for Easter recess. Our teams are certainly working hard here in the Senate on the reconciliation process itself. So, we’ll be ready to go as soon as we get back from recess [and] get [tax reform] passed.”

    Hagerty on Trump using tariffs to resolve trade imbalances: “I think we’ve got a great opportunity here, and Maria, there’s an historic reason for this. A lot of these imbalances that President Trump has been signaling, very clearly to the market, that he wants to address a lot of these imbalances dated all the way back to World War II and the reconstruction effort afterwards. Japan, European nations got very favorable terms of trade. Now is the time to rectify that, though these are fully developed economies, and what we’ve seen is a very deep imbalance. We’re in the process of getting that adjusted. We started working on that when I was Ambassador, but COVID hit. So, there’s more opportunity there on the terms of trade, but if we broaden this even further, there’s a lot more that we can do, in terms of defense production, technology development. If you think about energy, Maria, there’s a tremendous opportunity for us to cooperate with the Japanese there to send more American energy, not only to Japan, but to partner with Japan, to send it throughout Southeast Asia. I see great opportunity here, and I’ve been encouraging the parties to really focus broadly, make the problem larger, and then solve it.”

    Hagerty on China’s retaliatory tariffs: “China should have seen this coming. President Trump telegraphed this throughout the campaign. He wants to rectify the situation with China. There’s an opportunity here as well. I think China needs to step up to the plate. I’m very optimistic that David Perdue, former U.S. Senator, will be confirmed as our Ambassador to China very soon. My colleague, [Senator] Steve Daines, has been working closely trying to encourage the right type of cooperation there. And when David Perdue gets into the mix, I think we’ll see a lot more opportunity to bring the parties together. That’s where we need to head with China.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Statement on Trump Tariff Announcement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, April 9 – After Trump posted on social media yet another change to his sweeping global tariffs, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement: 

    As someone who strongly opposed disastrous unfettered free trade deals with China, Mexico and other low-wage countries, I understand that we need trade policies that benefit American workers, not just large corporations. Targeted tariffs can be a powerful tool to stop corporations from outsourcing American jobs. They can help level the playing field for American autoworkers or steelworkers to compete fairly against companies who have moved production to countries where they can pay starvation wages. 

    But Trump’s chaotic across-the-board tariffs are not the way to do it. 

    Imposing steep tariffs on countries like Germany or France will not bring jobs back to America. These are not low-wage countries. Corporations are not shutting down plants in America and moving them to Switzerland. Trump’s blanket tariffs will just raise prices for American consumers and hurt our relationships with allies, undermining our global position. 

    Trump’s trade chaos – changing policy from day to day – is rapidly undermining our economy and making it impossible for households and small businesses to function. How can you plan for next week, let alone next year, when the rules might change tomorrow? People in my home state of Vermont are hurting. 

    This is exactly why the Constitution gives Congress sole authority to raise taxes and “to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations,” not the President. What Trump is doing is unconstitutional. Trump has claimed supposed “emergency” powers to bypass Congress and impose unilateral tariffs on hundreds of countries. The last president to try something like this was Richard Nixon, and his overreach prompted Congress to pass the law Trump is now abusing. This is another step toward authoritarianism. 

    And let’s be clear about why Trump is doing all this: to give massive tax breaks to billionaires. These tariffs will cost working families thousands of dollars a year, and Trump plans to use that revenue to help pay for a huge tax break for the richest people in America. That is what Trump and Republicans in Congress are working on right now: If they have their way on the tariffs and their huge tax bill, most Americans will see their taxes go up, while those on top will get a huge tax break. 

    Enough is enough. We need a coherent trade policy that puts working people first. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts, Flood CRA Legislation to Overturn CFPB’s Regulatory Overreach of Consumer Payment Companies Passed by House, Heads to President Trump’s Desk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) celebrated House passage of his bicameral Congressional Review Act. The resolution overturns the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)’s latest overreach in the digital consumer payment market. U.S. Representative Mike Flood (R-NE-01) led the legislation in the House. The Senate passed the CRA on March 5. The resolution now heads to President Trump’s desk. 

    The legislation, introduced in February, would nullify the CFPB’s burdensome “Defining Larger Participants of a Market for General-Use Digital Consumer Payment Applications” rule. The rule took effect on January 9, 2025. 

    “This is an early victory for President Trump,” said Senator Ricketts. “Our legislation overturns Biden-Harris overreach and eliminates barriers to innovation. It supports our job-creators. By cutting red tape, we’re helping President Trump deliver on his campaign promises. Thank you, Congressman Flood, for leading this in the House. I look forward to President Trump signing this common-sense legislation.” 

    Bill text can be found here. 

    BACKGROUND 

    On November 21, 2024, the CFPB finalized a rule entitled “Defining Larger Participants of a Market for a General-Use Digital Consumer Payment Applications.” The rule was one of the Biden Administration’s many midnight rulemakings at the end of the year. Effective Jan. 9, 2025, the rule stretched CFPB’s powers to establish new supervision and examination authority. It claimed new authority over nonbank entities identified as “larger participants” in the general-use digital consumer payment applications market. These entities include payment apps, digital wallets, peer-to-peer payment apps, and other entities. “Larger participants” are entities that facilitate at least 50 million consumer payment transactions annually.  

    Many payment companies are already regulated at the federal and state level. Consumers are having positive experiences in engaging with these services. Despite minimal consumer complaints about payment services—accounting for only 1% of the CFPB’s 1.3 million complaints in 2023—the CFPB chose to layer additional oversight on an already well-regulated industry. 

    This one-size-fits-all solution in search of a problem expands CFPB’s authority without properly identifying a specific market it seeks to supervise. It fails to identify the risks within a specific market that pose harm to consumers that existing regulation doesn’t already mitigate. It also layers overreaching, duplicative regulation that could stifle innovation and lead to fewer services and increased costs. 

    Further, the cost-benefit analysis supporting the rule is insufficient, unrealistic, and notably underestimates a CFPB exam to cost just $25,001. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Ruiz Demands a Meeting with Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz joined Ranking Member Diana DeGette and fellow members of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee in demanding a meeting with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., amid growing concerns over his DOGE-directed staff cuts and the escalating bird flu and measles outbreaks.

    For more than two months, the Energy and Commerce Committee has requested a meeting or hearing with Secretary Kennedy’s office—requests that have gone entirely unanswered.

    This morning, the members arrived at the Department of Health and Human Services headquarters seeking a long-overdue conversation. They were met by two security officers who allowed them entry but offered no further communication. No Assistant Secretary, Under Secretary, or representative from Secretary Kennedy’s office came to the lobby to acknowledge or respond to the delegation.

    After waiting for over 30 minutes without any engagement from the Department, Congressman Ruiz and the Subcommittee members stepped outside to hold a press conference highlighting the continued lack of transparency and responsiveness from Secretary Kennedy’s team.

    A small portion of the Congressman’s remarks are quoted below, and the full video can be found at the bottom of this press release: 

    “We want to know why in the middle of a measles outbreak, with over 640 cases, 3 deaths. Why are they cutting the [HHS] staff who are keeping us safe, to do the research, to help us administer the vaccines in the communities?

    “One out of four people have been fired from Health and Human Services. In addition to that, they have cut nearly 12 billion dollars in funding that help promote the vaccine throughout our country and this is despicable, when we know that the most effective way of preventing measles is the MMR vaccine.”

    For pictures of the press conference click here.

    For video of the press conference click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Garbarino, LaLota Reintroduce Bill To Improve Boating Safety In Honor of Long Islander Brianna Lieneck

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Andrew Garbarino (R-NY)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02) and Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY-01) reintroduced the Brianna Lieneck Boating Safety Act. The legislation directs the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to study and submit to Congress a report on recreational vessel operator education and training in order to improve boating safety and reduce the number of boating accidents that occur due to untrained boat operators. 

    The legislation is named in honor of a young girl from Long Island who was killed in a tragic boating accident. In August 2005, a 25-foot boat driven by Steven Fleisher, an air traffic controller, collided with a boat carrying 11-year-old Brianna Lieneck and her family in the Great South Bay off the coast of Bay Shore. Brianna was killed, her parents suffered severe head and facial injuries, and her sister’s arm was nearly severed. Criminal charges of boating while intoxicated were dismissed. The driver did not have a boating license. Since then, her mother, Gina Lieneck, has advocated for mandatory licenses for all boaters.

    “Many Long Islanders spend their summers enjoying boating and other water activities, but if we don’t proactively prioritize safety that’s when tragedies, like the one that befell the Lieneck family, happen,” said Rep. Garbarino. “According to the Coast Guard, boat operators who did not receive boating safety instruction were involved in 75% of fatal recreational boating accidents in 2023. This legislation would help eliminate these incidents and keep boaters on Long Island and around the country safe through education and training programs.”

    Between 2018 and 2023, there have been 3,871 accidental boating deaths nationwide, according to data provided by the USCG. Boating deaths have remained consistent year over year, averaging between 560-760 deaths annually. USCG has determined alcohol to be a leading factor in boating deaths overall. 

    “As a Navy man, boater, and Long Islander, I understand that increasing boating education and safety training will go a long way to preventing injuries and fatalities like what happened to Brianna Lieneck,” said Rep. LaLota. “Our legislation will save lives and ensure that families can safely enjoy our waters. I am proud to join my Long Island colleague in introducing this bill to keep more Americans safe.”

    Specifically, the Brianna Lieneck Boating Safety Act would require the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to study and report to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation regarding recreational vessel operator training. The study and report shall include a review of Coast Guard Auxiliary and Power Squadron training programs, existing state boating education programs, and other hands-on training programs available to recreational vessel operators. Among other things, the legislation would also require the report to include:

    • A section laying out steps the USCG and National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) have taken to encourage States to adopt mandatory recreational vessel operator training;
    • A section outlining the minimum standards for education of recreational vessel operators;
    • A section analyzing how the Coast Guard would administer a Federal boating education, training, and testing program, and;
    • An analysis of the extent to which a Federal boating education, training, and testing program should be required for all waters of a State, including internal waters.

    The full text of the bill can be found here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Announces 2025 UConn Women’s Basketball Victory Parade and Rally Rescheduled to Sunday at 1PM Due to Weather

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that due to a high chance of rain in the forecast, the victory parade and rally in downtown Hartford celebrating the NCAA championship win by the UConn women’s basketball team is being rescheduled to Sunday, April 13, 2025, at 1:00 p.m.

    The celebration had previously been scheduled for Saturday morning. The parade route and rally location remain the same.

    The parade will begin at 1:00 p.m. and will step off at the State Capitol building at the intersection of Trinity Street and Elm Street. From there, it will proceed north on Trinity Street, go through the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, turn right (east) onto Jewell Street, turn left (north) onto Trumbull Street, and end at the intersection of Asylum Street and Trumbull Street.

    The rally will begin at approximately 1:30 p.m. and will be held outside of the main entrance of the XL Center on Trumbull Street, where the players, coaches, and other guests will be invited to give speeches.

    As with other victory celebrations that have been held in previous years, this parade and rally are being funded by private donations through sponsorship opportunities. No state or city funding is being used for this event. 

    To sponsor this event, businesses may choose from several sponsorship levels up to $10,000. Those interested in sponsorship opportunities should contact Chip McCabe at the Hartford Business Improvement District as soon as possible at 860-770-0788 or cmccabe@hartfordbid.com.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: House Democrats Kept in the Dark as RFK Jr. Fails to Engage

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)

    Led by Rep. DeGette, House Democrats marched to HHS seeking answers, but were met with silence from the Secretary & his staff

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) led members of Congress to the Department of Health and Human Services to demand a meeting with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The group left without being able to speak to Secretary Kennedy or a member of his team. This comes after repeated calls, including a letter sent in February, demanding the Secretary meet with the Health Subcommittee by March 10th. 

    “The start of Secretary Kennedy’s tenure has been a complete and utter disaster, and today, we were denied the ability to even speak to a member of his team, let alone with the Secretary himself. He is failing to meet the moment as our country is experiencing multiple public health crises. Instead, he is pushing unproven conspiracy theories over tried-and-true treatments and cures. He is slashing the HHS workforce, canceling vital grants, and setting back biomedical research a generation.

    “Our demands are simple: Secretary Kennedy must meet with us in person, and he must testify before the Energy & Commerce Committee to explain his reckless and illegal cuts and how he is going to ensure that we are prepared to tackle the health challenges our nation is facing.”

    Rep. DeGette is the top Democrat on the Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee. She was joined by Reps. Raul Ruiz, Marc Veasey, Robin Kelly, Lori Trahan, Lizzie Fletcher, Troy Carter, Nannette Barragán, Kathy Castor, and Maxine Dexter.

    The full event can be viewed by clicking here. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to Colorado Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Winter Drought

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Colorado who sustained economic losses due to the drought beginning Jan. 28.

    In Colorado, the declaration includes the counties of Archuleta, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Rio Grande, Saguache and San Juan, and in New Mexico, San Juan County.

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

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

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months after the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

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

    Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than Dec. 1.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to Utah Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Winter Drought

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Utah who sustained economic losses due to the drought occurring Jan. 28.

    In Utah, the declaration includes the counties of Beaver, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sevier and Wayne, in Arizona, Apache, Coconino and Navajo counties, in Colorado, the declaration includes Dolores, Mesa, Montezuma Montrose and San Miguel counties, in Nevada, Lincoln County and in New Mexico, San Juan County.

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

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

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months after the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

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

    Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than Dec. 1.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER SOUNDS ALARM ON ‘DOGE’ PLANS TO SLASH UPSTATE NY’S MANUFACTURERING FEDERAL SUPPORT PROGRAM, CUTTING MILLIONS FOR UPSTATE’S SMALL BIZ & WORKFORCE TRAINING, DEMANDS TRUMP ADMIN REVERSE CUTS AND…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    NY’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers – Including NextCorps in Rochester, Center For Economic Growth & FuzeHub In Capital Region, Insyte In Western NY, And More – Rely On Fed Investment To Support Small Businesses And Create New Jobs

    Senator Says These Centers Are One Of The Best Tools To Grow Upstate’s Economy – And Is Especially Needed As We Make Major Investments Thanks To His CHIPS & Science Law- And Cutting Support Now Would Be Double Whammy For Businesses Already Reeling From Trump’s Trade War

    Schumer: Cutting Off Support For Upstate NY Businesses Is Not How You Rebuild American Manufacturing

    After the Trump administration canceled funding for Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers across America and those in Upstate NY are fearing they are next, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today sounded the alarm to protect MEP centers that have helped hundreds of small manufacturers grow and create thousands of good-paying jobs in every region of New York. The senator said cutting off federal investment for Upstate NY manufacturing would hinder the growth the region is seeing thanks to his CHIPS & Science Law and threaten the next generation of American manufacturing and jobs across New York. Schumer called on the Trump administration to immediately reverse these cuts and keep MEP investments flowing for Upstate NY.

    “Trump and ‘DOGE’ are threatening to defund a main federal support program for growing Upstate NY manufacturing. We cannot cut off this mainstay program for helping small businesses, attracting new supply chains, and creating new jobs just as we are seeing tremendous manufacturing growth across Upstate NY thanks to my CHIPS & Science Law,” said Senator Schumer. “From Buffalo to Albany, MEP Centers have proven to be one of the best bangs for your buck investments the federal government can make helping create thousands of new good-paying jobs and billions in new investment throughout New York. These centers are how we attract new supply chains, get workers the hands-on training they need, and bring back jobs from overseas. Trump can’t be ushering in the Golden Age of American manufacturing while simultaneously decimating the program that helps American manufacturers thrive. Trump’s haphazard trade war against allies like Canada is already wreaking havoc on New York’s economy and small manufacturers. These Trump cuts to manufacturing centers will only add to that chaos. These cuts are wrong, illegal, and should be immediately reversed.”

    The Manufacturing Extension Program is authorized and appropriated by Congress, and Schumer said cutting these contracts without Congressional approval is most likely illegal. The MEP has a long track record of successfully boosting small American manufacturers in New York and across the country.

    The New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP) is a network of 11 independent nonprofit organizations that help smaller manufacturers grow and create jobs. As a result of the federally-funded NY MEP network, over 32,000 manufacturing jobs in New York have been created or saved between 2019 and 2023. More than 4,400 projects have been completed between NY MEP and manufacturers in every region of the state to help those companies succeed and grow, increasing their sales by $1 billion, helping reduce costs by nearly $40 million, and increasing new investments by nearly $190 million, all in FY2024 alone.

    Schumer explained the rising cost of foreign goods due to Trump’s tariffs is hurting small manufacturers that often already operate on razor-thin margins and ripping away this vital federal MEP assistance is just further insult to injury and threatens the jobs and growth of manufacturers across the state and country. According to WIRED, the U.S. Department of Commerce said they would not pay out nearly $13 million across ten MEP agreements because they were “no longer aligned with the priorities of the department,” and no clarity or certainty has been provided that the contract cuts won’t continue to happen across the country, including in New York, as the deadlines approach for contracts to be renewed.

    A breakdown of contracts in New York State can be found below:

    Recipient 

    Region

    MEP Federal Investment Per Year

    Alliance for Manufacturing and Technology

    Southern Tier

    $380,000

    Center for Economic Growth

    Capital Region

    $380,000

     CITEC

    North Country

    $380,000

    Central New York Technology Development Organization

    Central New York

    $380,000

    Insyte

    Western NY

    $560,000

    NextCorps

    Rochester-Finger Lakes

    $560,000

    Manufacturing & Technology Enterprise Center

    Hudson Valley

    $560,000

    Industrial & Technology Assistance Corporation

    New York City

    $635,000

    Stony Brook

    Long Island

    $635,000

    Mohawk Valley Community College

    Mohawk Valley

    $380,000

    FuzeHub

    Statewide

    $1,135,194

    Empire State Development

    Statewide

    $892,766
       

    $6,877,960

    Every year, the Department spends nearly $200 million annually on MEP nationally. Though states also contribute to MEP programs, it will be difficult for them to compensate for the loss of federal funding. Schumer said cutting these contracts will prevent the United States from establishing manufacturing leadership and could lead to nationwide job losses. In a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Schumer highlighted the importance of MEP in supporting the growth of small manufacturers and demanded certainty that funding for New York’s MEP centers would not be cut.

    “Saying that these critical investments are not aligned with the Department of Commerce’s priorities just doesn’t add up. Trump claims to care a lot about maintaining American manufacturing leadership, but his actions are doing the opposite. The MEP has delivered manufacturing growth in New York and America for years. We need to double down on investment in proven programs like this, not eliminate it,” Schumer added.

    Elena Garuc, Executive Director of FuzeHub, the statewide NY MEP center, said, “The New York MEP serves as an economic engine for communities across our state. Local manufacturers rely on us as a vital resource to become more competitive, adopt new technologies, and create jobs. Occasionally we even step in as a safety net to help manufacturers solve tough challenges and protect their operations. When manufacturing leaders don’t know where to turn, they turn to us. Looking out on the economic horizon, I believe the New York MEP is needed now more than ever.  We’re grateful to Senator Schumer for recognizing the economic impact we deliver and for his determined advocacy for this essential program that strengthens American manufacturing and creates good-paying local jobs.”

    “Small manufacturers are vital to the economy, driving innovation, creating high-quality jobs, and strengthening local and regional supply chains. In New York City, rising operational costs present added challenges. The success of the MEP program, both locally and nationally, lies in its ability to produce tangible results—whether by helping manufacturers adopt technologies tailored to their unique needs and resources, or by implementing strategies that enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and boost profitability,” said Kinda Younes, Executive Director of ITAC, New York City’s NY-MEP Center.

    “LIMEP, operating out of Stony Brook University,  works with the many small and medium-sized manufacturers on Long Island supplying key Department of Defense programs.  By leveraging the NIST MEP resources in cyber security, technical resources and hands-on manufacturing engineering support with Stony Brook University’s vast research capabilities, manufacturers on Long Island are able to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced technologies that support DoD programs.  Our Long Island region helps to sustain the DoD supply chain that is so vital to our nation.  LIMEP is actively working with our regional manufacturers and the Bell Flight & Textron team to make the LI Supply Chain an important spoke in the national defense industrial base and the V-280 Valor Tiltrotor Program,” said Amy Erickson, Executive Director of the Long Island Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program.

    “If you look at our mission statement “To grow and strengthen manufacturing in the Capital Region”, that is why we exist and have taken great pride in it for over 20 years. Many manufacturing CEO’s have to come to rely on the MEP network for assistance with finding domestic supply chain partners, workforce challenges, Industry 4.0 adoption, operational excellence… and the list goes on. Bipartisan support including that from Congressman Schumer has been a hallmark of the MEP program because by any measure we have delivered results,” said Don Weisenforth, President of Center for Economic Growth, the Capital Region’s NY-MEP center.

    “Small manufacturers have been in the forefront of Buffalo’s and Western New York’s renaissance, with NYMEP providing critical support ranging from advanced technology and cybersecurity to workforce and supply chain.  We couldn’t provide these vital services without the MEP Program funding and bipartisan support provided by our Congressional Delegation, led by Senator Schumer,” said Ben Rand, President of Insyte Consulting, Western New York’s NY-MEP center.

    “The NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program is a cornerstone of American manufacturing, empowering small and mid-sized manufacturers with the tools, expertise, and resources they need to compete, grow, and innovate. These companies are the backbone of our economy and the heart of our communities. We are grateful for Senator Schumer’s leadership in urging the administration to restore full funding to this critical program—because investing in MEP is investing in jobs, resilience, and the future of U.S. manufacturing,” said James Senall, President of NextCorps, the Rochester/Finger Lakes Region’s NY-MEP center.

    “The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program is a critical resource for small and medium-sized manufacturers, especially in Central New York. No other program has MEP’s track record, documented history of success, or independently verified impacts. CNYTDO wouldn’t be able to provide these vital services without the MEP Program funding and bipartisan support provided by our Congressional Delegation, led by Senator Schumer,” said James A. D’Agostino, Center Director of CNYTDO, Central New York’s NY-MEP center.

    “The MEP National Network is a critical driver of America’s manufacturing resurgence, directly supporting the administration’s efforts to rebuild our industrial base. The Alliance for Manufacturing & Technology, part of the NY MEP, delivers that impact in the Southern Tier of NY – helping small and mid-sized manufacturers increase productivity, adopt advanced technologies, and address workforce and supply chain challenges head-on. Cutting the MEP program would have immediate consequences, including job losses and hindered growth at a time when these businesses are critical to America’s future in manufacturing. We deeply appreciate Senator Schumer’s leadership in championing this vital program and his unwavering commitment to strengthening American manufacturing,” said Carol Miller, Executive Director of the Alliance for Manufacturing and Technology, the Southern Tier’s NY-MEP center.

    “We must continue supporting Hudson Valley manufacturers with the tools they need to compete globally—not just nationally. After more than 30 years working alongside global manufacturers, I’ve seen firsthand how aggressive and integrated their supply chains can be. If we’re serious about reshoring, we must invest in the smaller manufacturers that form the backbone of those supply chains—while also strengthening workforce, cybersecurity, and technology readiness. The MEP program is critical to this work and deserves continued bipartisan support,” said David Carter, Executive Director of MTEC, the Hudson Valley’s NY-MEP center.

    “The NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program is critical to the success of Mohawk Valley Regional manufacturers. This investment and parentship has allowed for MVCC’s Advanced Institute for Manufacturing to assist more than 200 manufacturers and create and retain more than 2,900 Mohawk Valley advanced manufacturing jobs. We extend our deepest gratitude to Senator Schumer for advocating for this essential investment. This initiative underscores our dedication to innovation and community collaboration, promising a transformative influence on our workforce and students in the entire six-county region,” said Cory Albrecht, Director of Advanced Institute for Manufacturing, the Mohawk Valleys NY-MEP Center.

    “On behalf of CITEC and North Country Manufacturing I would like to thank Senator Schumer in his efforts to save the MEP system. As part of the NY MEP, CITEC can leverage the strength and resources of the entire national network to bring world class expertise to small and medium manufacturers in our remote rural region. CITEC raises the level of our expertise, of our talent, of our skills,” said Jay Ward, President and CEO of Ward Lumber in Jay, NY. “I would highly recommend CITEC for gaining skills and expertise and improving the overall operation of most any company I can think of, certainly ours.”

    Schumer and colleagues wrote a letter urging Commerce Secretary Lutnick not to cancel funding for ten MEP Centers across the country, which is creating uncertainty for all MEP centers. The Trump administration’s action cutting MEP came on April 1, one day before Trump announced sweeping tariffs on imports, which tanked the stock market and raised warnings from experts of a recession.  

    Schumer led to passage of the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Law, which included $2.23 billion for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program over five years. The CHIPS & Science Law also established a pilot program of expansion awards for MEP Centers to provide services for workforce development, resiliency of domestic supply chains, and expanded support for adopting advanced technology upgrades at small and medium manufacturers. The Law also established a voluntary national supply chain database under MEP.

    Schumer’s letter to Commerce Secretary Lutnick can be found below:

    Dear Secretary Lutnick,

    We write to express our deep concern regarding the Department of Commerce’s recent decision to cancel future funding for ten National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers in Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming. This decision has raised widespread concern across the entire national network of MEP Centers, prompting fears about whether these initial cancellations are the first step in a broader effort to dismantle the program and eliminate federal funding for all 51 centers, with centers in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin expected to be notified about their status shortly. Given the MEP program’s long-standing, bipartisan support in strengthening small and medium-sized American manufacturers, we share these concerns and urge you to provide clarity and certainty on your plans for the future of the MEP program.

    According to the National Association of Manufacturers, 93% of manufacturers have fewer than 100 employees, while 75% have fewer than 20 employees. Small manufacturers rely on MEP Centers for essential support in adopting the latest advanced technologies, updating their cybersecurity, navigating supply chain challenges, and accessing workforce training—resources that are often out of reach for small businesses without this dedicated assistance. These centers drive innovation, boost productivity, and create high-quality jobs, strengthening both local economies and America’s global competitiveness. Without this critical federal support, MEP Centers—especially those with the fewest resources, and those serving rural and underserved communities—will be at the greatest risk of closure.

    Dismantling this program would not only disrupt benefits for small businesses but also undermine decades of federal investment in domestic manufacturing resilience, which Congress prioritized in the MEP program in the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. Congress also reauthorized the MEP program in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. NIST was provided $175 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 to fund the MEP Centers. In FY2024 alone, the MEP National Network resulted in $2.6 billion in cost savings, $15 billion in new and retained sales, $5 billion in new client investments, and over 108,000 jobs created or retained. Additionally, a report by Summit Consulting and the Upjohn Institute found that the MEP program generated a substantial economic and financial return ratio of more than 17:1 for the $175 million funding invested by the federal government in FY2023. The study also determined that MEP Center projects contributed to an overall increase of nearly 309,000 jobs across the United States.

    Given these benefits and the funding in the FY 2025 Continuing Resolution, we request a full explanation of the rationale behind this funding decision and ask that you promptly reconsider. Additionally, we urge the Department of Commerce to provide Congress with an impact assessment detailing how this decision will affect manufacturers in the affected states and regions. This action has caused tremendous uncertainty for all MEP Centers and the thousands of American manufacturing companies and their workers.  Therefore, to better understand your plans for renewals across other states in the future, we request a briefing on the way ahead for the overall MEP program prior to making any final non-renewal decisions by April 30, 2025. 

    Eliminating federal support for MEP Centers would hamper American small and medium-sized manufacturers. We urge you to take immediate action to protect the MEP program and the manufacturers that rely on it. We look forward to your response no later than April 30, 2025, and are ready to work with you to find solutions that maintain and enhance the MEP program’s ability to serve America’s manufacturing sector.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Main Street Matters: Governor Shapiro Visits Downtown Lancaster Businesses to Highlight His Administration’s Historic Investments in Main Streets and Small Businesses All Across Pennsylvania

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 09, 2025 – Lancaster, PA

    Main Street Matters: Governor Shapiro Visits Downtown Lancaster Businesses to Highlight His Administration’s Historic Investments in Main Streets and Small Businesses All Across Pennsylvania

    Governor Josh Shapiro visited small businesses in downtown Lancaster to highlight his Administration’s historic investments in 81 Main Street Matters projects across the Commonwealth – including more than $1.2 million for Lancaster County – to revitalize downtowns, grow local economies, and create jobs. The Governor created the Main Street Mattersprogram and secured $20 million for it in the 2024-25 bipartisan budget, fulfilling a key promise to support small businesses and strengthen communities in Pennsylvania.

    Governor Shapiro’s visit underscores his Administration’s commitment to building vibrant communities and supporting small businesses, especially as new federal tariffs threaten to raise costs for Pennsylvania families and employers.

    “Every community in our Commonwealth rural, urban, or suburban has a Main Street, and I’ve seen firsthand how critical they are to local economies. Our Main Streets are the beating hearts of towns and cities, and their success is directly tied to the small businesses that line them. That’s why my Administration has made investing in our Main Streets a priority, and we’re delivering a historic amount of support for projects across Pennsylvania,” said Governor Shapiro. “Every Main Street matters and I’ll continue bringing people together to invest in and improve our communities. While the federal government is raising taxes and costs through harmful tariffs, my Administration is cutting costs and investing in places like downtown Lancaster to ensure every business has the support it needs to thrive.”

    Speaker list:
    Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace
    Governor Josh Shapiro
    Marshall Snively,President, Lancaster City Alliance
    Laura Haiges, Owner, BellaBoo
    Representative Ismail Smith-Wade-El

    MIL OSI USA News –