Category: Commerce

MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, Young reintroduce legislation to strengthen critical minerals supply chains
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) reintroduced the Securing Trade and Resources for Advanced Technology, Economic Growth, and International Commerce in (STRATEGIC) Minerals Act to strengthen America’s supply chain of critical minerals and rare earth elements (REEs).

Critical minerals and REEs are essential for the production of many 21st century technologies, from cell phones to supercomputers to military weapons. Unfortunately, they are highly vulnerable to supply chain disruption, and China’s aggressive effort to control these resources presents a significant national and economic security risk. This bill would empower the president to negotiate and enforce sector-specific trade agreements exclusively focused on critical minerals and REEs with trusted partners and allies. Successful agreements would bolster cooperation, reduce trade barriers, and enhance the economic security of the U.S. and its partners.

“If America is to remain a superpower, we need resilient supply chains for critical minerals—and that means strong relationships with reliable trading partners around the world,” said Senator Coons. “The STRATEGIC Minerals Act will help us achieve that goal, and it’s one more way Congress is doing its part to position the U.S. to produce the technologies that will define the rest of the 21st century.”

“Our nation depends on critical minerals for everything from consumer goods to defense technologies, and relying on foreign adversaries for these materials is a national security vulnerability we cannot afford,” said Senator Young. “Negotiating more trade agreements specific to critical minerals with trusted partners will help shore up our supply of these resources, protect American interests, and strengthen our national security.”

“China dominates the critical minerals supply chain, which leaves America vulnerable to national security risks,” said Senator Cornyn. “By shoring up America’s critical minerals supply chain, this legislation would increase our competitiveness on the world stage, reduce our dependence on foreign adversaries, and foster greater trade with trusted allies.”

“Critical minerals are key to our clean energy future and American innovation,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “China currently controls the supply chain for many of these essential resources. Our international allies will help us diversify our critical mineral supply and strengthen our national security.”

Specifically, the STRATEGIC Minerals Act would:
- Authorize the president, through the U.S. Trade Representative, to negotiate, enter into, and enforce specialized trade agreements focused on critical minerals and REEs, subject to congressional approval.
- Set trade negotiation objectives to strengthen supply chains of critical minerals and REEs, aiming to reduce or eliminate trade barriers with trusted allies to ensure reliable access and reduce dependence on adversarial nations.
- Exclude nonmarket economies like China and prevent foreign entities of concern from benefiting, allowing only trusted partners to participate in order to safeguard our national security.
- Require the president to consult with Congress before initiating negotiations, providing details on objectives and potential impacts and ensuring legislative oversight.
- Amend the Defense Production Act of 1950 to include certain businesses from countries party to such agreements in the definition of domestic sources under strict conditions, strengthening U.S. access to critical minerals essential for national security while prioritizing American interests.
The STRATEGIC Minerals Act was originally introduced in the 118th Congress. This legislation builds on Senators Coons’ earlier efforts to reduce our reliance on China for critical minerals essential to national security. Last year, Senator Coons joined a group of his colleagues on the bipartisan Global Strategy for Securing Critical Minerals Act, which would ensure that the United States, its allies, and global partners can count on a diverse and secure end-to-end supply of critical minerals. In October, Senators Coons and Young introduced the Critical Minerals Future Act, which would establish a pilot program within the U.S. Department of Energy to financially support domestic critical mineral processing projects.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senate Commerce Committee Passes Sens. Moran, Klobuchar Legislation to Address Hidden Hotel Fees

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran

WASHINGTON – This week, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation unanimously passed the bipartisan Hotel Fees Transparency Act introduced by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) – co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus. This legislation will lower costs and improve transparency by requiring anyone advertising a hotel room or short-term rental to clearly show the final price a customer will pay to book lodging, including any fees.

“High prices are forcing Kansans to account for all their expenses, and many cannot afford to pay hidden fees at hotels or short-term lodging,” said Sen. Moran. “This commonsense legislation requires hotels to be straightforward about all their fees so consumers aren’t burdened with unexpected costs on their check.”

“Traveling is expensive, and hidden fees make it difficult to compare prices and understand the true cost of a reservation,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan bill will lower costs for hotel rooms and short-term rentals by increasing transparency and banning hidden fees.”

The Hotel Fees Transparency Act is co-sponsored by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.). It is endorsed by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, Consumer Reports, the National Consumers League and the Travel Technology Association

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Acting Chairman Travis Hill Expresses Support for Enhancing Flexibility with Respect to Customer Identification Program Requirements

Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

WASHINGTON – Today, Acting Chairman Travis Hill sent a letter to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) expressing support for allowing more flexibility with respect to certain Customer Identification Program (CIP) requirements for bank-fintech partnerships. Specifically, Acting Chairman Hill expressed support for generally allowing the collection of the last four digits of a Social Security number from a customer, rather than the full nine digits — the approach permitted for credit card customers.

The letter states, “Aligning regulatory requirements to modern onboarding processes is long overdue. Federal authorities have long allowed banks to onboard credit card customers in this way; I support extending this approach more broadly. . . I look forward to working with our regulatory partners to modernize our approach to reflect private sector innovation in providing customer access to financial services.”

A link to the full letter is available here.

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MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Agriculture Recovery Center to Open Friday in Ashe County

Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: Agriculture Recovery Center to Open Friday in Ashe County

Agriculture Recovery Center to Open Friday in Ashe County

HICKORY, N.C. – A one-day Agriculture Recovery Center will operate in Ashe County Friday at Wilkes Community College-Ashe Campus (Kent Poe Hall) to help farmers recover from Tropical Storm Helene.Two other centers will operate this week in Avery and Yancey counties. All centers are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.These walk-through events will provide information on addressing agricultural or rural needs that are not covered by standard programs offered by FEMA or the state and offer opportunities for farmers, ranchers, nursery owners, vineyards, honeybee growers and fish producers to meet with agricultural officials to learn about specific assistance available as they recover. The centers have representatives from FEMA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, North Carolina Department of Commerce and Natural Resources, U.S. Small Business Administration, local Farm Service Agency offices and other government agencies. Farmers are asked to bring documentation of ownership, photos of damaged or lost tools and equipment, along with estimated replacement costs to expedite an application. For more information: Help for Self-Employed.The schedule: Feb. 5Avery County:Avery Cooperative Extension Office661 Vale Rd.Newland, NC 28657 Feb. 6Yancey CountyYancey County Senior Center503 Medical Campus Dr.Burnsville, NC 28714 Feb. 7Ashe CountyWilkes Community College-Ashe Campus (Kent Poe Hall)363 Campus Dr.West Jefferson, NC 28694
joseph.arbid
Fri, 02/07/2025 – 13:38

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: In North Carolina, 153,000 Families Receiving FEMA Help

Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

strong>HICKORY, N.C. – In 39 counties, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, more than 153,000 households are being helped by FEMA assistance as they recover from Tropical Storm Helene.
Four months after the catastrophic storm, individuals and families have received rental assistance, money for basic repairs to their homes, sheltering in hotels, temporary housing in FEMA-provided mobile homes and travel trailers, funds for replacement of essential personal property, money for serious needs, and other assistance.
Here are some ways that FEMA is working with the state of North Carolina and local communities to provide support:

2,596 households are currently staying in FEMA-paid hotels; 10,648 have checked out.
3,284 households have received rental assistance.
150 households are currently living in FEMA-provided temporary housing units.
18,000 households have received money to make basic repairs to a damaged primary home.
5,000 households have received funds to repair private roads and bridges.
106,000 FEMA inspections have been issued to assess damage to primary residences.
138,000 homes have been visited by FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance crews.
66,000 people have visited a Disaster Recovery Center.
1,800 households have been provided three years of flood insurance, paid for by FEMA.

FEMA is only one part of federal disaster recovery support for North Carolina. The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $123 million in claims resulting from Helene. The U.S. Small Business Administration has made $108.6 million in low-interest disaster loans to North Carolinians. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working with the state and communities on debris removal. To date, 4 million cubic yards of debris has been removed from public rights of way, 2.8 million by state contractors and 1.2 million by federal contractors, and waterway debris removal is in full execution by the Corps of Engineers.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend Luxembourg for Eliminating the Gender Pay Gap, Ask about Pension Payments for Women and Penalties for Traffickers

Source: United Nations – Geneva

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the eighth periodic report of Luxembourg, with Committee Experts congratulating the State on eliminating the gender pay gap, and raising questions about pension payments for women and penalties for human traffickers.

Ana Peláez Narváez, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Luxembourg, congratulated Luxembourg on becoming the first country in the European Union to have eliminated the pay gap between men and women. One Expert said Luxembourg’s wage gap was the lowest in the world.

One Expert called for further efforts to achieve wage equality for women in part-time work and in the informal sector. Almost one-third of women worked part time; this affected the pension gap. How was the State party working to address this gap?

A Committee Expert said the State party’s sentences for trafficking were often lenient and judges rarely took away traffickers’ profits. How would the State party ensure that penalties for trafficking reflected the gravity of the crime? The Expert said the State party had not identified child trafficking victims for three years. Would the State party include civil society in efforts to identify child victims?

Introducing the report, Yuriko Backes, Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Defence, Mobility and Public Transport of Luxembourg, said the Luxembourg Government remained determined to stand up for women’s and girls’ rights, safety, freedom and access to equal opportunities. The Committee could count on Luxembourg’s determination and support.

On wage equality, Marc Bichler, Permanent Representative of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said Luxembourg was the only country in the European Union to have eliminated wage inequality, but there was still a pay gap in favour of men for annual wages. More efforts were needed to address this economic inequality, particularly regarding the high proportion of part-time work among women. The role of equality officers in private companies with more than 15 employees was particularly important.

The delegation added that the gender pension gap was large; to address this, a major reform of the pension system was underway.

On trafficking, the delegation said that training had been provided to State officials and non-governmental organizations to improve the identification of and support for trafficking victims. Victims were officially identified by a specialised unit of the police, but non-governmental organizations could help identify victims.

In concluding remarks, Mr. Bichler said the dialogue had been a valuable exercise that helped the State party to make progress in implementing the Convention and upholding the rights of women and girls. There were pushbacks against women and girls’ rights globally, but Luxembourg was resolute in defending these rights.

In her concluding remarks, Corinne Dettmeijer-Vermeulen, Committee Vice-Chair and acting Chair of the meeting, said that the dialogue with Luxembourg had provided further insight into the situation of women in the State party. The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and called on it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls of Luxembourg.

The delegation of Luxembourg consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity; Chamber of Deputies; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees; Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade; Ministry of Education, Children and Youth; Ministry of Internal Affairs; and the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Luxembourg at the end of its ninetieth session on 21 February. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. on Monday, 10 February to hold an informal meeting with representatives from non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions from Belize, Congo, Sri Lanka and Liechtenstein, whose reports will be considered by the Committee next week.

Report

The Committee has before it the eighth periodic report of Luxembourg (CEDAW/C/LUX/8).

Presentation of Report

YURIKO BACKES, Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Defence, Mobility and Public Transport of Luxembourg, said women’s rights, gender equality and diversity were essential to the wellbeing and healthy functioning of society. Ms. Backes said she tried very hard to make sure that both gender and diversity aspects were considered throughout her Government portfolios. She was the first woman to hold the positions of Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance in Luxembourg. This demonstrated that there was work ahead when it came to shaping a world where equality was a reality on all levels.

Women and girls were differently and disproportionally affected by climate disasters, armed conflicts and pandemics. The only way to sustainably change this was to opt for gender-responsive policymaking across all fields. The empowerment of women and girls and Sustainable Development Goal five needed to be front and centre across all areas of action. The Luxembourg Government remained determined to stand up for women’s and girls’ rights, safety, freedom and access to equal opportunities. The Committee could count on Luxembourg’s determination and support.

MARC BICHLER, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said Luxembourg had had a Ministry in charge of equality issues for 30 years. It had adapted over time, expanding its mandate to address lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons and diversity. The 2023-2028 coalition agreement maintained the promotion of equality between women and men as a cross-cutting priority of the Government’s political action. This work would be guided in the coming years by the national action plan for equality between women and men.

Luxembourg was currently placed seventh in the European Union in the Gender Equality Index. The proportion of women on the management boards of public institutions was 38.64 per cent, an increase of more than 10 points since 2015. The rate of women representing the State on these boards stood at 43.61 per cent in 2024, exceeding the initial target of 40 per cent. The private sector had only 23 per cent women on the boards of large companies, but the trend was upward and indicated improvements to come. The Government remained firmly committed to continuing its efforts to promote balanced representation. It was also working with civil society to include men as actors and beneficiaries of equality policies.

Luxembourg was the only country in the European Union to have eliminated wage inequality, but there was still a pay gap in favour of men for annual wages. More efforts were needed to address this economic inequality, particularly regarding the high proportion of part-time work among women. The role of equality officers in private companies with more than 15 employees was particularly important.

The fight against domestic violence and gender-based violence remained priorities of the Luxembourg Government. Despite political and legislative progress, this was a daily reality in Luxembourg, affecting women and girls, as well as men and boys in all their diversity. The total number of victims had increased significantly over the years, from 2,882 in 2015 to 4,793 in 2023. Women accounted for an average of 71 per cent of victims each year. In 2023, their number reached 3,218, which represented an increase of more than six per cent compared to 2022. Luxembourg adopted a strategy in November 2021 to improve the protection against domestic violence and to strengthen the national machinery. It had created an integrated national centre for victims of all forms of violence, which would facilitate their holistic care, bringing together legal aid, medical aid and psychological assistance. The centre would open in April and would provide assistance to victims 24/7.

Luxembourg was in the process of developing a national action plan on gender-based violence, which would support more comprehensive care to victims of different forms of gender-based violence. It was, in collaboration with civil society, convening several awareness raising campaigns on this topic, including the annual “Orange Week” event, which brought together many actors to stand in solidarity with women and girls who were victims of violence. A specific system had also been set up to provide consultations and therapeutic care to perpetrators to break the cycle of violence. Since ratifying the Istanbul Convention, Luxembourg had been firmly committed to monitoring its implementation in a cross-cutting manner.

A new Grand-Ducal regulation of 2023 strengthened the role of the “Prostitution Commission” to monitor prostitution and to combat pimping and trafficking in human beings. The inclusion of State experts as well as civil society would allow the commission to carry out timely and comprehensive follow-up. Luxembourg had approved a bill on the prohibition of virginity examinations and certificates, the ban on hymenoplasty, and the abolition of the reflection period for the voluntary termination of pregnancy. In addition, in 2023, an adaptation to the Penal Code introduced a new definition of rape based on the notion of consent. The State was currently finalising its second action plan on women, peace and security.

Luxembourg aimed to uphold a modern and egalitarian society in which every citizen could find their place, regardless of their gender.

MANDY MINELLA, Deputy Head of the Committee Department, Chamber of Deputies of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, said the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg was a crucial actor in combatting discrimination against women. The Chamber supported Orange Week, lighting its buildings in orange during the week. Meetings on gender equality were held regularly. A working group on gender equality had been set up to develop a strategy for promoting gender equality within the Chamber. The status of members of parliament had been reformed to recognise the status of pregnant members. The Chamber needed to represent and respect the rights and opinions of all and meet the expectations of its people.

LAURA CAROCHA, Human and Social Sciences Expert, Consultative Commission of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg on Human Rights, welcomed the efforts made by the Luxembourg State to combat discrimination against women since the last report, while noting persistent shortcomings, including a social system that kept women in a subordinate position to men. Luxembourg’s policy favoured a “neutral” approach that was not gender sensitive. Ms. Carocha urged politicians to openly acknowledge this systemic patriarchal domination and to make the deconstruction of this mechanism a priority.

It was imperative that the Government implemented the principle of gender mainstreaming in a cross-cutting manner in all its policies. Luxembourg’s equality efforts lacked an intersectional approach and the Government rarely addressed multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. To implement such an intersectional approach, it was essential to have detailed data, disaggregated by gender, age, ethnicity, disability and education level. This would allow the State to identify shortcomings in policies and better understand and target the needs of women.

Questions by a Committee Expert

ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Luxembourg, said that Luxembourg ranked twentieth in the Human Development Index and was the first country in the European Union to have eliminated the pay gap between men and women. The State party had ratified the Istanbul Convention and the International Labour Organization Convention on forced labour, and introduced legislation to combat multiple forms of discrimination over the reporting period. However, the revised Constitution of 2021 drew a distinction between Luxembourg nationals and non-nationals and lacked protections against forced labour and trafficking. How did the State party justify the amendments to the Constitution? Would the State party eliminate the distinction between Luxembourg nationals and non-nationals?

Luxembourg had adopted a law creating the position of a family judge, an act on the provision of legal aid, and an act amending the Criminal Code to strengthen the response to sexual abuse of minors. The Committee was concerned about the barriers inhibiting access to justice for women. What measures were in place to overcome these barriers? Why had the Centre for Legal Treatment not been given the power to initiate legal proceedings on behalf of victims?

The Committee commended the State party’s national action plan on business and human rights. However, funds deposited in certain banks in Luxembourg may have come from the exploitation of human beings overseas, particularly women. What rules were imposed on companies domiciled in the State party? How did the State party address extraterritorial violations?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said Luxembourg adopted a neutral approach in its legislation on discrimination. The State believed that women’s rights were human rights. The neutral approach was grounded on the principle of gender equality.

Each person in Luxembourg who was subject to criminal proceedings benefited from procedural guarantees, regardless of their residence status or nationality. These guarantees covered access to a lawyer, the presumption of innocence and, to an extent, legal aid.

Civil suits could be filed in Luxembourg by victims of discrimination by private enterprises. Luxembourg was transposing European Union guidelines on its supply chains, promoting due diligence for companies and organising public events related to business and human rights. Since 2017, Luxembourg had been working to implement and align with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, conducting consultations with private entities and civil society. Companies in the banking and insurance sector had provided positive feedback regarding the implementation of the Guiding Principles. The financial sector was aware of its obligations. The State was working to address its extraterritorial obligations to provide remedies to the victims of human rights violations occurring overseas.

The revised Constitution stated that people in Luxembourg were equal before the law. Non-Luxembourg nationals could not vote in legislative elections but could vote in municipal elections.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert commended Luxembourg’s commitment to gender equality, human rights, and to dismantling stereotypes. The State party had demonstrated its commitment to the women, peace and security agenda through its women, peace and security national action plan. What was the status of the second iteration of the plan? Was feminism still a part of foreign policy?

Various sources had criticised the Ministry of Gender and Equality’s neutral approach. The Committee hoped that its policies would address structural gender inequalities. There were concerns regarding the depth of the analysis of the Observatory for Gender Equality. What measures were in place to increase the depth of its analysis?

ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Luxembourg, said that the State party had established voluntary quotas in some areas, including minimum quotas of 40 per cent representation of one sex on political bodies and 30 per cent representation on the boards of State agencies. There were concerns that these measures were gender-neutral and not mandatory, and that they did not encourage the representation of vulnerable groups of women. What efforts were being taken by the State party to improve its temporary special measures and to make its quotas mandatory?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the State party was striving to eliminate gender equality with ad-hoc programmes targeted at underrepresented genders. There were programmes targeting violence against women and preparing women to defend themselves. The legal framework was neutral but the actions taken by the Government were not.

Luxembourg would work proactively on gender mainstreaming in the field of defence. The second iteration of the women, peace and security national action plan would be adopted this year in March. It would promote the role of women in peace and security initiatives.

If political parties did not meet the 40 per cent representation quota for each sex, their funding was reduced. The State party was raising the awareness of political parties and candidates on the importance of equality. A database with profiles of women who wished to become board members of associations would soon be launched to promote women’s representation.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert congratulated the State party on its plan to launch the second iteration of the women, peace and security initiative this March. No non-governmental organizations from Luxembourg had interacted with the Committee during this review process. How would the State party encourage civil society to provide alternative reports in future sessions?

Another Committee Expert said that gender stereotypes in the media had not been sufficiently addressed, and women accounted for only around one fourth of all media workers. How was the Government addressing these issues? How was the State party conducting gender impact assessments, as recommended by the Committee in 2018? How did legislation and policies address sterilisation and irreversible medical procedures against intersex children? Had the State party considered broadening the statute of limitations for rape, which was limited to 10 years? Did the State party plan to establish psychological violence as a stand-alone crime? Training on gender-based violence was not provided to judges. How would the State party improve data collection on court cases involving gender-based violence? Why had retrospective analysis of femicides not been conducted?

One Committee Expert said that the State party’s definition of trafficking in persons did not align with international standards. Would it amend this legislation? Sentences were often lenient and judges rarely took away traffickers’ profits or granted remedies to victims. How would the State party ensure that penalties for trafficking reflected the gravity of the crime and ensure that victims received adequate compensation? What was the timeline for implementation of the national action plan on trafficking in persons? How would the plan integrate gender-specific aspects of trafficking? The State party had not identified child trafficking victims for three years. Would the State party include civil society into efforts to identify child victims, and prevent the inappropriate penalisation of trafficking victims? The Committee welcomed the State party’s policies addressing prostitution. Were there plans to decriminalise prostitution?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said that the State party valued permanent collaboration with civil society. The Ministry of Equality paid 80 per cent of its budget to civil society to promote the rights of vulnerable groups, particularly women. Luxembourg hosted around 100 non-governmental organizations, despite its small population of 600,000, and these groups had contributed to various Government policies. Non-governmental organizations did not always have the resources needed to travel overseas to participate in dialogues with the Committee.

An internal assessment of the first women, peace and security national action plan had been conducted and lessons learned would be included in the second plan. The second plan would place greater emphasis on cooperation with civil society.

The Government was engaging in dialogue with the media sector to improve the representation of women. The Advertising Ethics Commission received complaints related to discrimination and sexism. Awareness raising campaigns were being carried out on sexism, discrimination and violence in the media. A working group on hate speech had been set up that cooperated with the police force and associations working with perpetrators. The digital service act strived to combat illicit content and encouraged platforms to delete such content swiftly.

The law on femicide was revised in 2023. There had yet to be any rulings handed down based on this legislation. There were plans to collect statistics on femicide. The national action plan on gender-based violence was based on the Istanbul Convention and had been developed to strengthen protections and services for victims, as well as training on gender-based violence. The State party would address psychological violence in the national action plan on all forms of gender-based violence and would consider establishing a law on this form of violence.

The Government was working to protect the gender identity of intersex persons and was following Council of Europe regulations on the prevention of irreversible medical procedures against intersex persons.

In Luxembourg, it was enough to prove that a person had the potential of exploiting an individual to hold them criminally liable for trafficking. Training had been provided to State officials and non-governmental organizations to improve the identification of and support for trafficking victims. Victims were officially identified by a specialised unit of the police, but non-governmental organizations and the labour inspectorate could help identify victims. Street walks were carried out to identify victims of trafficking and provide support to women in prostitution. Sex workers were not criminalised; clients were criminalised if they knew that the sex worker was a minor or a victim of trafficking.

Questions by Committee Experts

Another Committee Expert commended the efforts Luxembourg had made to promote gender equality, including its quota of 40 per cent representation in political bodies. Despite high representation at the national level, women’s representation in municipal governments was around 20 per cent. What measures were in place to bridge the gender gap in municipalities? The 2022 law aiming to enhance the participation of foreign nationals in elections was note-worthy. How did the State party ensure that foreigners were meaningfully included in public life? Were there targeted initiatives encouraging women to pursue careers in Luxembourg’s foreign service? Women only made up around 12 per cent of Luxembourg’s military. What measures were in place to increase their representation in security and military sectors? Women also accounted for just 23 per cent of board members of private companies. Were there plans to extend quotas to private sector boards?

One Committee Expert commended the State’s progress in advancing the rights of women and girls in education. Primary and secondary education was free for all children in Luxembourg, and compulsory education had recently been extended to 18 years. Could the State party provide disaggregated data on women working in science, technology, engineering and maths fields? How was the State party encouraging study in these subjects? The Committee welcomed that the State party had endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration. How was the State party supporting the international community in the effective implementation of the Declaration? What measures were in place to support vulnerable women in education? How was the State preventing online violence, ensuring the responsible use of digital technology, and working to close the digital gender gap?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said underrepresentation of women in decision making fora was a key challenge for the Government. Funding was reduced for political parties that did not uphold quotas. Individuals could nominate themselves to political positions in smaller municipalities; this led to greater gender imbalances. The State party aimed to achieve gender parity in Government, and better representation of women and wage equality in the private sector, and recruitment campaigns for the armed forces targeted at women. The diplomatic corps was made up of around 150 agents, 76 per cent of whom were men. In recent years, the number of female diplomats had increased and this trend was likely to continue.

The State had a service providing training for children on cyberbullying. When it identified sexual harassment material online, it referred the material to legal services. Raising awareness about online risks was a priority for the Government.

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert commended the State party for eliminating the pay gap between men and women. Luxembourg’s wage gap was the lowest in the world. The Committee called for further efforts to achieve wage equality for women in part-time work and in the informal sector. Almost one-third of women worked part time; this affected the pension gap. How was the State party working to address this gap? The Committee was concerned that the act on persons with disabilities excluded persons with disabilities who did not meet requirements for support to access the labour market. Had Luxembourg criminalised workplace sexual harassment and adopted measures to implement appropriate sanctions? Would it ratify International Labour Organization Convention 190?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said Luxembourg considered sexual harassment to be a serious form of violence. It would be addressed in the national action plan against gender-based violence. Victims of gender-based violence and discrimination in the workplace could seek support from a specialised service within the labour inspectorate. Measures were in place to support single parents, who were prioritised in the provision of affordable housing. The gender pension gap was large; to address this, a major reform of the pension system was underway.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert said Luxembourg had an admirable universal healthcare system. To access free services, individuals needed to prove their identity and that they had lived in Luxembourg for at least three months. How many applications were objected to and on what grounds? The Expert welcomed the national programme for the promotion of sexual and reproductive health. What progress had been made in strengthening this programme? The Committee welcomed the national action plan on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, but was concerned that involuntary surgeries continued to be imposed on intersex persons. When would the State party abolish this practice?

The high rate of tobacco use among women was a major issue in the State party, leading to various health complications. What public health measures had been taken to discourage smoking, especially for women?

One Committee Expert commended the State party’s financial support for women and support for women investors. What measures were in place to educate self-employed women on the pension regime? Were there digital tools that facilitated women’s integration in pension programmes? More than one in seven workers in Luxembourg was at risk of poverty. How was the State party addressing this? Were there measures to help unemployed women to access benefits and training? Did the State party have regulations on safeguarding women’s rights in investments? How did the State party ensure adequate reparation for human rights violations by companies? What steps had been taken to promote women-owned businesses? What strategies were planned to boost women’s access to financial services, bonds and loans? What percentage of businesses were owned by women? How was the State party helping women and girls to strengthen their digital competencies, collecting disaggregated data on access to loans and credit, and providing financial support services that reached women who lacked digital skills?

The State party was commended for promoting women’s participation in sports entrepreneurship. What measures were in place to prevent gender stereotypes in sport?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said all individuals in Luxembourg had access to the universal health coverage system. The Government worked to streamline gender in all healthcare policies. It was raising awareness amongst healthcare practitioners regarding differences in treatment between men and women.

The national action plan on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons would address the issue of involuntary sterilisations. The State party would assess legal provisions that addressed this issue in other countries. A national action plan to prevent smoking that considered the specific needs of women was being drafted.

Sport was an area in which there was inequality between men and women in terms of renumeration and presence in the media. The Government was drafting a national strategy on equality in sport. Violence against women in sport was being addressed by the National Centre for Victims of Violence.

A gender finance taskforce had been set up to support women to access the finance sector and loans. Schools were educating girls on the financial sector. The Ministry of the Family funded a project that supported women’s incorporation into business networks and entrepreneurship support programmes.

Luxembourg had around 20 observatories collecting disaggregated data on various topics. The Government was stressing the importance of collecting data disaggregated by sex. A digital gateway had been setup that promoted women’s and girls’ digital skills. An annual day of digital inclusion was also held to promote the inclusion of women and girls in the digital sphere.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert thanked the State party for its legal advocacy on behalf of Afghan women. Luxembourg was Europe’s first financial centre. Several businesses in Luxembourg continued to make investments in the fossil fuel industry. Would the State party adopt stricter environmental regulations for businesses? The State party had thus far contributed eight million euros to the Loss and Damage Fund. Investments needed to be made with a human rights approach, including investments in green bonds. The State party needed to contribute more to the Loss and Damage Fund in a way that addressed the needs of women.

Women in solitary confinement had meagre access to education and work, despite legislation enshrining the rights of such women to State services. How would the State party address this?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the financial sector was one of the biggest contributors to Luxembourg’s gross national income. It was one of the first sectors to implement the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The Government had called on the Union of Luxembourg Businesses, which included businesses from the financial sector, to implement the Guiding Principles. The European Union had adopted a directive on business and human rights that Luxembourg was transposing into law. Employers in the financial sector were aware of regulations related to women’s rights and sanctions that were implemented when those regulations were not respected.

The Government was committed to supporting climate action in developing countries; it had pledged 120 million euros toward this at a recent Conference of the Parties. Funds dedicated to climate action included a gender perspective. In 2016, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange decided to open a “green exchange”, which applied stringent criteria for green investment. This exchange today had over one trillion United States dollars’ worth of sustainable climate assets. Many sustainable assets addressed the protection of women’s rights. The Stock Exchange had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with United Nations Women in 2022 to advance projects and investments that promoted women’s empowerment.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert asked how many women had requested the grant provided to women divorcees. Had the State party conducted studies into the effectiveness of shared custody agreements? Same-sex couples experienced barriers to accessing adoption services. How was the State party addressing this? The practice of surrogacy was not sufficiently regulated. How did the State party protect surrogate mothers and children? How did the State party support such children to investigate their origins?

The legal distinction between “legitimate” and “natural” children created discrimination. Were there plans to remove this distinction?

ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Luxembourg, asked how many children of Luxembourg lived in institutions and foster families in the State and abroad.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said a draft bill on adoption was currently being assessed. It addressed adoptions by cohabiting couples and investigations into the lineage of children who were abandoned by their parents. There were around 1,000 children and adolescents of Luxembourg in institutions and foster families, including 76 children and adolescents who had been placed in institutions abroad. The distinction between legitimate and natural children still existed in legislation but in reality, there was little difference between these. The draft bill on the right to lineage removed the distinction. Assessments of this bill were still underway.

Concluding Remarks

MARC BICHLER, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the interactive dialogue. This had been a valuable exercise that helped the State party to make progress in implementing the Convention and upholding the rights of women and girls. There were pushbacks against women and girls’ rights globally, but Luxembourg was resolute in defending these rights. The State party would continue to work to implement the Convention.

MARYSE FISCH, First Government Counsellor, Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, thanked the Committee for its advice, which helped the State party to improve. Luxembourg highly valued the Convention, which was mentioned in the coalition agreement and the national action plan on equality.

MANDY MINELLA, Deputy Head of the Committee Department, Chamber of Deputies of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, said the Chamber of Deputies was committed to equality and would conduct a gender audit and develop a strategy to promote gender equality, inclusive language, and gender mainstreaming. The Chamber was discussing issues, including childcare and provisions for breastfeeding women. There were plans to overhaul the Chamber’s regulations with a gender perspective. The Committee’s recommendations would be carefully reviewed in the Chamber.

CORINNE DETTMEIJER-VERMEULEN, Committee Vice-Chair and acting Chair of the meeting, said that the dialogue with Luxembourg had provided further insight into the situation of women in the State party. The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and called on it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls of Luxembourg.

Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media;
not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

CEDAW25.005E

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: High Commissioner for Human Rights: Civilians in the East Democratic Republic of the Congo are Trapped in a Spiral of Violence in this Crushing Conflict

Source: United Nations – Geneva

Human Rights Council Opens Special Session on the Situation of Human Rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Human Rights Council this morning opened its thirty-seventh special session on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said since the beginning of the year, the M23 armed group, supported by the Rwanda Defence Forces, had intensified its offensive in the provinces of North and South Kivu. If nothing was done, the worst may be yet to come for the people of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, but also beyond the country’s borders. Once again, civilians were trapped in a spiral of violence in this crushing conflict. Since 26 January, nearly 3,000 people had lost their lives and 2,880 had been wounded. Sexual violence had been an appalling feature of this conflict for a long time and was likely to worsen in the current circumstances.  The fighting had exacerbated a chronic humanitarian crisis, which was the upshot of persistent human rights violations.

Mr. Türk called on all parties to lay down their weapons and resume dialogue within the framework of the Luanda and Nairobi processes. In the meantime, all parties to the conflict must respect international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The M23, Rwandan forces and all those supporting them must facilitate access to humanitarian aid.  Air, land and lake routes must be reopened to establish humanitarian corridors and guarantee the safety of humanitarian actors. In these circumstances, it was crucial to establish the facts and bring the perpetrators to justice. An independent and impartial investigation must be opened up into human rights violations and abuses, and violations of international humanitarian law, committed by all parties

Surya Deva, Chair of the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures, said the intensification of hostilities, particularly in North Kivu, following the renewed offensive by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group, had led to widespread violence, forced displacement and serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. The scale and severity of the violence had reached unprecedented levels. The humanitarian consequences were devastating. Mr. Deva called for all parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law; for the immediate cessation of attacks against civilians; for the protection of civilian infrastructure; and for unimpeded access for humanitarian actors to deliver assistance to those in need.

Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chief of the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), said this conflict had continued for 30 years, and the population continued to live in fear. The attacks and pillaging against the United Nations and the Blue Helmets were condemned. It was urgent to restore peace and allow for a lasting rebuilding of the region. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda must pursue diplomatic negotiations, particularly in the context of the Luanda process. Unless compelling measures were taken to cease the escalation of violence, there would be grave consequences. Ms. Keita hoped the session would pave the way to an end to the conflict and inclusive and sustainable development.

Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, Minister of Communication and Media of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, speaking as a country concerned, expressed deep gratitude to the Human Rights Council for holding the Special Session, a response to the urgent situation and massive human rights violations and attacks on civilians in North and South Kivu. Acts of unacceptable brutality compounded by unspeakable brutalities, like attacks against civilians, forced displacement, murders, rape, forced conscription of children and others were the responsibility of Rwanda as it supported its proxies. Peacekeeping forces, as well as humanitarian facilities, had been targeted, undermining their ability to protect civilians. The Democratic Republic of the Congo called for the establishment of an international commission of inquiry to investigate the human rights violations in the country, establish the truth as to who was responsible, and issue recommendations for holding them to account.

James Ngango, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations Office at Geneva, speaking as a country concerned, said the current session was called for at a time when the situation was evolving rapidly. A chance should be given to regional initiatives to bear fruit before taking up the situation in the United Nations. The Democratic Republic of the Congo had unilaterally decided to expel the East African Community Force, a peacekeeping force, replacing it with the Southern African Development Community Mission with an offensive mandate. The current situation was due to imposing a military solution to a political problem. Rwanda opposed the attempts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at portraying Rwanda as being responsible for the instability in that country, as this was a well-known deflection tactic used to escape being accountable for the atrocities Kinshasa and its allied armed forces were perpetrating against its own citizens. Rwanda would respond appropriately to the actions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Speaking in the discussion, some speakers said they were deeply concerned about the escalating violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and urged the M23 to stop its advance and withdraw immediately. Alarm was expressed about reports of widespread violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law by multiple actors, including sexual and gender-based violence, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and extrajudicial executions. Innocent civilians, including women and children, were enduring extreme suffering due to widespread violence, displacement, and deprivation of essential services such as food, water, and healthcare. Many speakers spoke in support of the establishment of an independent fact-finding mission to investigate serious human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law.

Speaking in the discussion were Sweden on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries, European Union, Morocco, Kenya, France, North Macedonia, Spain, Ghana, Germany, Switzerland, Albania, Cyprus, Belgium, Costa Rica, Burundi, Japan, Brazil, Republic of Korea, China, Ethiopia, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, Algeria, Gambia, Kyrgyzstan, Bulgaria, Malawi, Bolivia, Colombia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Ireland, Russian Federation, Republic of Moldova, United Kingdom, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Italy, Holy See, Austria, Ukraine, Cameroon, Uruguay, Uganda, Canada, Australia, Paraguay, Türkiye, Guatemala, Zambia, Pakistan, India, Mauritania, Angola, Malta, Peru, Zimbabwe, Timor-Leste, Slovenia, Tanzania, and South Sudan.

Also speaking were Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights Leagues, World Organization against Torture, Rencontre Africaine pour la defense des droits de l’homme, Interfaith International, Centre du Commerce International pour le Développement, Amnesty International, International Bar Association, International Federation of ACAT (Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture), International Catholic Child Bureau, International Human Rights Council, and TRIAL International.

The session was called for by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was supported by 27 Member States of the Council and 21 Observer States.

The next meeting of the special session of the Human Rights Council will be at 3 p.m. on Friday, 7 February, when it will conclude the session after adopting a resolution on the situation of human rights in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Keynote Statements

VOLKER TÜRK, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said his Office had long been sounding the alarm about this crisis, and he was deeply disturbed to see the violence escalate once again. Since the beginning of the year, the M23 armed group, supported by the Rwanda Defence Forces, had intensified its offensive in the provinces of North and South Kivu. If nothing was done, the worst may be yet to come, for the people of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, but also beyond the country’s borders. There had been attacks by the M23 and their allies, with heavy weapons used in populated areas, and intense fighting against the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and their allies. This raised serious concern in terms of respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.

Once again, civilians were trapped in a spiral of violence in this crushing conflict. Since 26 January, nearly 3,000 people had lost their lives and 2,880 had been wounded. Sexual violence had been an appalling feature of this conflict for a long time and was likely to worsen in the current circumstances. According to judicial authorities, during the prison break from Muzenze Prison in Goma on 27 January, at least 165 female prisoners were raped. Most of them were subsequently killed in a fire, the circumstances of which remain unclear. The High Commissioner said his team was also currently verifying multiple allegations of rape, gang rape and sexual slavery throughout the conflict zones. Hundreds of human rights defenders, journalists and members of civil society had reported that they had been threatened or were being pursued by the M23 and Rwandan forces.

Mr. Türk was also very concerned about the proliferation of weapons and the high risk of forced recruitment and conscription of children. The fighting had exacerbated a chronic humanitarian crisis, which was the upshot of persistent human rights violations. More than 500,000 people had been displaced since the beginning of January, in addition to the more than 6.4 million already displaced. The risk of violence escalating throughout the sub-region had never been higher. All those with influence over the parties involved, be they States or non-state actors, must step up their efforts to avert a conflagration and to support peace processes.

Mr. Türk called on all parties to lay down their weapons and resume dialogue within the framework of the Luanda and Nairobi processes. In the meantime, all parties to the conflict must respect international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The M23, Rwandan forces and all those supporting them must facilitate access to humanitarian aid. Air, land and lake routes must be reopened to establish humanitarian corridors and guarantee the safety of humanitarian actors.

In these circumstances, it was crucial to establish the facts and bring the perpetrators to justice. An independent and impartial investigation must be opened up into human rights violations and abuses, and violations of international humanitarian law, committed by all parties. The military path was not the answer to the roots of this conflict. States must ensure that any support, financial or otherwise, did not fuel serious human rights violations. All those with influence must act urgently to put an end to this tragic situation.

SURYA DEVA, Chair of the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures, said the intensification of hostilities, particularly in North Kivu, following the renewed offensive by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group, had led to widespread violence, forced displacement, and serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. The scale and severity of the violence had reached unprecedented levels. The humanitarian consequences were devastating, as those displaced often found themselves with no access to shelter, water, sanitation, food, medical care or education. Women and children were particularly at risk, facing heightened exposure to gender-based violence and trafficking for purposes of sexual slavery. There was also concern for the devastating impact on children, who were at serious risk of all six grave violations against children in armed conflict.

Mr. Deva called for all parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law; for the immediate cessation of attacks against civilians; for the protection of civilian infrastructure; and for unimpeded access for humanitarian actors to deliver assistance to those in need. All parties involved in the conflict should refrain from supporting or using mercenary-related actors, as they would prolong the conflict.

The international community had a moral and legal obligation to act decisively. Member States should increase humanitarian funding to ensure the continued provision of essential services and assistance to displaced populations. Coordinated diplomatic efforts must be intensified to support peace negotiations and to hold accountable those responsible for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

The international community should step up efforts to support humanitarian operations, ensuring that adequate resources were allocated to assist displaced populations and those affected by violence. Women should be fully included in conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts. There must be independent investigations into all reported human rights violations, including attacks on civilians, sexual and gender-based violence, and other abuses perpetrated during the conflict.

BINTOU KEITA, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chief of the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), said this conflict had continued for 30 years, and the population continued to live in fear. The attacks and pillaging against the United Nations and the Blue Helmets were condemned. Since the beginning of the year, an unprecedented advance of the M23 and the Rwandan forces had been seen, preceded by violent clashes between the two sides, injuring thousands, and with alarming mid- and long-term consequences. The risks of gender-based violence and violence against children were of great concern. Violations and abuse of human rights had increased, and the humanitarian situation declined. Agricultural and mining activities were paralysed.

Fighting impunity against the serious crimes committed could be impeded due to the damage done to the judicial forces in Goma. It was urgent to restore peace and allow for a lasting rebuilding of the region. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda must pursue diplomatic negotiations, particularly in the context of the Luanda process. Unless compelling measures were taken to cease the escalation of violence, there would be grave consequences.

The clashes in densely settled areas, including Goma, had had devastating consequences on the human population, with an increase in crime and violence. Civil society actors and human rights defenders were a major population at risk. The suspension of social networks was an infringement of the right to information. In a region with a sensitive history, ethnically motivated attacks remained a serious concern. The humanitarian situation in Goma was catastrophic. The international community must advocate for humanitarian access to Goma immediately. Ms. Keita hoped the session would pave the way to an end to the conflict and inclusive and sustainable development.

Statements by Countries Concerned

PATRICK MUYAYA KATEMBWE, Minister of Communication and Media of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, speaking as a country concerned, expressed deep gratitude to the Human Rights Council for holding the special session, a response to the urgent situation and massive human rights violations and attacks on civilians in North and South Kivu, the result of attacks and offenses by the Rwandan Defence Forces and their M23 and AFC proxies. Indiscriminate attacks had deliberately targeted the vulnerable, a flagrant violation of international obligations. Areas of shelter had been turned into military targets, imperilling the lives of thousands of innocent people.

Acts of unacceptable brutality compounded by unspeakable brutalities, like attacks against civilians, forced displacement, murders, rape, forced conscription of children and others were the responsibility of Rwanda as it supported its proxies. Peacekeeping forces, as well as humanitarian facilities, had been targeted, undermining their ability to protect civilians. The Democratic Republic of the Congo called for the establishment of an international commission of inquiry to investigate the human rights violations in the country, establish the truth as to who was responsible, and issue recommendations for holding them to account.

It was vital to strengthen early-warning mechanisms and prevent further escalations of violence. There must be immediate and unfettered humanitarian access to evacuate the injured and reduce the risk of the spread of epidemics. The Council must hold Rwanda accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity. It was vital that international pressure be applied to Rwanda so that it ceased to support the armed groups and withdrew from Congolese territory.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo remained ready to work with all regional and international actors to put a stop to this crisis and an end to the suffering in the east of the country, calling on Rwanda to act responsibly and take immediate measures to cease supporting armed groups.

JAMES NGANGO, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations Office at Geneva, speaking as a country concerned, said the current session was called for at a time when the situation was evolving rapidly. A chance should be given to regional initiatives to bear fruit before taking up the situation in the United Nations. The Democratic Republic of the Congo had unilaterally decided to expel the East African Community Force, a peacekeeping force, replacing it with the Southern African Development Community Mission with an offensive mandate. The current situation was due to imposing a military solution to a political problem. This was due to the preservation of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda that had perpetrated genocide in Rwanda and then fled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where they continued to spread their genocidal ideology, and also to the marginalisation of the Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese communities, particularly Tutsi, by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

There had been no condemnation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo leadership. There was no special session of the Human Rights Council when a Special Rapporteur had warned about war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo previously. Rwanda opposed the attempts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at portraying Rwanda as being responsible for the instability in that country, as this was a well-known deflection tactic used to escape being accountable for the atrocities Kinshasa and its allied armed forces were perpetrating against its own citizens. Rwanda would respond appropriately to the actions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Discussion

Some speakers said they were deeply concerned about the escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and urged the M23 to stop its advance and withdraw immediately. Rwanda must cease its support for the M23 and withdraw its armed forces. Rwanda’s military presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was strongly condemned as a clear violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Alarm was expressed about reports of wide-spread violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law by multiple actors, including sexual and gender-based violence, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and extrajudicial executions. Innocent civilians, including women and children, were enduring extreme suffering due to widespread violence, displacement, and deprivation of essential services such as food, water, and healthcare. Reports of explosive weapons used in populated areas and attacks on internally displaced person sites were particularly alarming.

Some speakers said all sides must prioritise the protection of civilians, ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and fully respect their obligations under international law, including human rights law and international humanitarian law. For decades, the area had witnessed instability and conflict, for a range of causes. Reports of grave human rights violations, including summary executions, demanded immediate attention. The attacks on peacekeepers constituted violations of international law. The Rwandan Government must respect the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which latter must cease cooperation with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda.

All parties must reopen negotiations, respect international law, and honour their commitments made under the Nairobi and Luanda process, committing fully to the peace process. All allegations of human rights violations and abuses must be investigated, and perpetrators held accountable for their crimes. An independent fact-finding mission must be established to investigate all accounts. Acts of violence targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure were condemned, and must come to an end.

The role of the Blue Helmets was essential, speakers said, and they must be protected, with several speakers expressing condolences to the families of those Blue Helmets who paid the ultimate price in defence of the fundamental rights of the Congolese people. The United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) must ensure the protection of civilians, and a speaker called for its mandate to be supported and renewed further. The international community must strengthen its support for peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance. A sustainable solution demanded coordinated efforts, including dialogue, reconciliation, and development initiatives that fostered stability and social cohesion.

A number of speakers said this was a critical juncture in the region, with a potential for over-spill in the region as a whole. Dialogue and cooperation must be encouraged and supported, including through the Luanda and Nairobi processes. The deliberations in the Council must not undermine these, and instead support a return to peace, with the discussions aimed at building consensus and agreement. Political fragmentation must be addressed in Rwanda, with an end put to public negative ethnic discourse, and the international community must work together to build a just and peaceful world. The Council must address the challenges under its mandate. Members of the Council must work to ensure that there was no further deterioration of the situation.

The M23 must immediately withdraw from the territories under its control, a speaker said, and there must be a return to the negotiating table: all efforts must be made to put an end to the humanitarian disaster. All those involved in the conflict must put an end to human rights violations and protect the rights and lives of civilians. The population was exhausted from the decades of suffering. Rwanda must withdraw its support for the M23, which must immediately cease its attacks and withdraw.

Some speakers said the sovereignty and territoriality of the Democratic Republic of the Congo must be protected and supported, and many speakers supported this, urging all sides to respect it and for the international community to support it. All armed groups must lay down their weapons and withdraw from the sovereign territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and respect the United Nations Charter, engage in dialogue, and work towards re-establishing peace and stability in the country. There was a risk of this igniting the Great Lakes region, a speaker said, supporting the peaceful coexistence of nations.

Many speakers spoke in support of the establishment of an independent fact-finding mission to investigate serious human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law committed in North and South Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, as stipulated in the proposed resolution. The humanitarian community must rally support to protect the most vulnerable segments of the population, in particular women and children. The fact-finding mission must be fully funded and staffed appropriately, a speaker urged. Given the sheer scale of human suffering, the Council could not afford to turn a blind eye to the earnest appeal of the country concerned to ensure that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes were held accountable.

Profound alarm was expressed with regard to the increasing risk of violence against women and girls and the recruitment of children into the conflict. It was imperative that those responsible for human rights violations and atrocities were brought to justice. There was no military solution to the crisis, and only a political, negotiated solution could bring an end to the situation. Those who put their economic interests above human dignity must cease to do so. Peace and security must be brought to the region.

At this critical juncture, all parties must exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and prioritise dialogue to prevent further loss of life, uphold international humanitarian law and human rights, ensure the protection of civilians, and safeguard fundamental freedoms. It was vital to ensure immediate and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid for the civilian population.

It was crucial that the Human Rights Council provided necessary support for thorough investigations into grave human rights violations and abuses, with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice and ensuring comprehensive accountability. A sustained and inclusive dialogue was crucial to achieving a long-term and peaceful resolution to the crisis. Diplomatic negotiations were, a speaker said, the only way to resolve the situation. All parties must respect international humanitarian law, and must support the mediation efforts made both internationally and regionally. A political solution must be found that respected the independence and territoriality of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The need for the Council to make efforts to alleviate the sufferings of victims of human rights violations and abuses was crucial, and all parties involved must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. There must be an immediate end to hostilities and a permanent solution found through peaceful means and inclusive dialogue among all parties concerned, and speakers pointed out the need for “African solutions to African problems”, supporting the Luanda and Nairobi processes. African regional solutions were fully supported by several speakers, who spoke of the efforts of the Southern African Development Community Mission.

Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media;
not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

HRC25.002E

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Surajkund International Crafts Mela realizing the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’ – Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Source: Government of India

Surajkund International Crafts Mela realizing the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’ – Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

India is presently hosting two major events that are drawing global attention Maha Kumbh Mela and the Surajkund International Crafts Mela, which showcases India’s unity, culture and artistic heritage – Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Inaugurates the 38th Surajkund International Crafts Mela

Posted On: 07 FEB 2025 6:33PM by PIB Delhi

The 38^th Surajkund International Crafts Mela was inaugurated today with great grandeur in Surajkund, district Faridabad. Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat graced the occasion as the chief guest and formally inaugurated the event.

Haryana Chief Minister, Shri Nayab Singh Saini, Heritage and Tourism Minister Dr. Arvind Sharma, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, Shri Vipul Goel, Social Justice, Empowerment, Scheduled Castes & Backward Classes Welfare and Antyodaya (SEWA) Minister, Shri Krishan Kumar Bedi, Minister of State for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Shri Rajesh Nagar and Minister of State for Sports attended the opening ceremony.

The Surajkund International Crafts Mela will be organized from February 7^th to February 23^rd showcasing extraordinary art, craftsmanship, and talent from artisans and artists across India and the world.

Speaking on this occasion, Union Culture and Tourism Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that India is presently hosting two major events that are drawing global attention that is the Maha Kumbh Mela and the Surajkund International Crafts Mela, which showcases India’s unity, culture and artistic heritage. He emphasized that Surajkund Mela is not just a marketplace for crafts but a significant platform for craftsmen and artisans to showcase their ancient skills. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the vision of Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat that we envision is being realized through this fair.

Shri Shekhawat said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has transformed in the past decade, transforming its old image of poverty and underdevelopment. With the successful implementation of various welfare schemes at the grassroot level, Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has brought 25 crore people out of below poverty line. Today, India is the world’s fastest-growing economy, he added.

He further said that the cultural and creative economy are now formally recognized worldwide as the “Orange Economy.” He believes that the Surajkund Mela will help Indian craftsmen find new opportunities in both domestic and international markets. The minister said that India’s tourism industry is reaching new heights, with a boost in both domestic and international travel.

Immense Potential of MICE tourism in Haryana

The Union Minister said that Haryana has advantage due to its proximity to Delhi and has its potential to become a hub for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourism. He said that the state should explore this opportunity to the fullest. He also suggested further expanding Surajkund Mela’s reach via digital marketing. Inviting YouTubers, photographers, and social media influencers to cover the Mela could significantly enhance its global appeal and provide artisans with new business opportunities.

The minister said that India will emerge as a developed nation in the next 25 years and urged the younger generation to take pride in contributing to the country’s progress. Surajkund Mela is a reflection of India’s Cultural Identity and Global Brotherhood

Speaking on the occasion, Haryana Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini said that Surajkund and the ongoing International Crafts Mela have become a unique symbol of not just Haryana but the entire nation. The mela exemplifies the ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and provides a platform to showcase Indian crafts and culture to the world.

He extended best wishes to the Haryana Tourism Department, the Union Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministries of Textiles, Culture, and External Affairs, and the Surajkund Mela Authority for successfully organizing this grand event.

Live : उद्घाटन समारोह 38वां सूरजकुण्ड अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय हस्तशिल्प मेला https://t.co/8GqahAkTSB

— Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) February 7, 2025

***

Sunil Kumar Tiwari

tourism4pib[at]gmail[dot]com

(Release ID: 2100768) Visitor Counter : 43

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cabinet Approves Continuation and Restructuring of Skill India Programme

Source: Government of India

Cabinet Approves Continuation and Restructuring of Skill India Programme

Programme to Strengthen Workforce Development & Make skilling the backbone of country’s economic growth

Posted On: 07 FEB 2025 8:40PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the continuation and restructuring of the Central Sector Scheme ‘Skill India Programme (SIP)’ till 2026 with an overlay outlay of Rs.8,800 crore from the period 2022-23 to 2025-26.

This approval underscores the government’s commitment to building a skilled, future-ready workforce by integrating demand-driven, technology-enabled, and industry-aligned training across the country.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0), the Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS), and the Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme – the three key components, are now combined under the composite Central Sector Scheme of “Skill India Programme”. These initiatives aim to provide structured skill development, on-the-job training, and community-based learning, ensuring that both urban and rural populations, including marginalized communities, have access to high-quality vocational education. Under the three flagships schemes of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, there are more than 2.27 Crore beneficiaries till date.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0:

PMKVY 4.0 scheme provides NSQF aligned skill development training through Short-Term Training (STT) including Special Projects (SP) and reskilling and upskilling through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) with its target beneficiary being 15-59 years of age. The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0) has undergone transformational changes to make skill development training industry oriented, aligned with national priorities with increased accessibility. A key shift under the scheme is the integration of On-the-Job Training (OJT) within short-term skilling programs, ensuring that trainees gain real-world exposure and industry experience. To keep pace with evolving industry demands and advent of new age technology, 400+ new courses on AI, 5G technology, Cybersecurity, Green Hydrogen, Drone Technology, have been introduced, focusing on emerging technologies and future skills.

The blended and flexible learning model now incorporates digital delivery, making training more flexible and scalable. To provide targeted, industry-relevant skills, enabling learners to upskill, reskill, and enhance employability in high-demand job roles, the program introduces micro-credential and National Occupational Standards (NoS)-based courses ranging from 7.5 to 30 hours.

To maximize cross utilization of existing infrastructure and to expand access to quality training, Skill Hubs have been established across premier academic institutions, including IITs, NITs, and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs), Kendriya Vidyalayas, Sainik Schools, Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), PM Shri Schools, Toolrooms, NILET, CIPET etc. PMKVY 4.0 ensures industry-aligned training with curriculum available in multiple regional languages, making skilling more inclusive and accessible. Over 600 trainee and trainer handbooks have been translated into eight regional languages to enhance learning outcomes.

To strengthen quality training and assessments, a national pool of one lakh assessors and trainers is being developed, ensuring standardization and expertise across training centers. Industry partnerships ensure access to employment opportunities through Recruit Train Deploy (RTD) training.

Additionally, the scheme places a strong emphasis on international mobility, ensuring Indian workers are equipped with globally recognized skills. Ministry has Mobility Partnership Agreements (MMPAs) and MoUs with various countries and has conducted necessary sectorial skill gap studies. Under the scheme, enablement of training in domain skills, joint certifications, language proficiency, and soft skills have been initiated to enhance the international mobility opportunities for our workforce.

Under PMKVY 4.0, a whole-of-government approach has been adopted to drive inter-ministerial convergence, ensuring the seamless execution of skilling initiatives across sectors. The scheme caters to the skilling components of various skill development and entrepreneurship schemes, maximizing impact and resource efficiency. Key collaborations include PM Vishwakarma under the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, and the National Green Hydrogen Mission of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, NAL JAL Mitra etc.

To enhance efficiency, procedural changes have been introduced, including the realignment of the demand assessment strategy to better identify sectoral skill gaps and industry needs. A key reform in PMKVY 4.0 is the “Ease of Doing Business” approach, which has significantly reduced the compliance burden, making participation in the scheme more streamlined and efficient.

PM National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS):

The National Policy on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 2015 focuses on apprenticeship as one of the key components for creating skilled manpower in India. Apprenticeship training can play a major role for on-the-job vocational training where youth can acquire skills by working at actual workplace and earn some stipend, at the same time, to financially support himself. Apprenticeship is considered, globally as well, as the best model for skill acquisition and earning while learning.

The Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS) supports seamless transition from education to work, ensuring apprentices gain industry-specific skills through real-world exposure. To support both apprentices and establishments in India, 25% of the stipend, up to Rs.1,500 per month per apprentice, will be provided through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) during the training period, provided by the Central Government. The scheme is designed for individuals aged 14 to 35 years, ensuring inclusive access to skill development opportunities across various demographics.

NAPS encourages apprenticeship opportunities in prevailing manufacturing including emerging fields such as AI, robotics, blockchain, green energy, and Industry 4.0 technologies. This aligns skilling initiatives with futuristic job markets and industry trend. The scheme also encourages enrolment of apprentices in small establishments especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and those located in the underserved areas such as aspirational districts and North-East Region.

Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme:

The Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme is a community-centric skilling initiative designed to make vocational training accessible, flexible, and inclusive, particularly for women, rural youth, and economically disadvantaged groups and caters to the age group of 15 -45 years of age. By delivering low-cost, doorstep training with flexible schedules, JSS ensures that skilling opportunities reach those who need them the most, fostering both self-employment and wage-based livelihoods. Beyond skill development, the program plays a vital role in social empowerment, creating awareness on health, hygiene, financial literacy, gender equality, and education within communities JSS is linked with key initiatives of the Government like: PM JANMAN, Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS), etc. to promote inclusive skilling.

Aligned with national frameworks, all certifications under the Skill India Program are mapped to the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and seamlessly integrated with DigiLocker and the National Credit Framework (NCrF), ensuring formal recognition of skills and enabling smooth transitions into employment and higher education.

With the continuation of the Skill India Programme, the government seeks to reinforce its commitment to lifelong learning, recognizing the importance of continuous upskilling and reskilling in today’s rapidly changing employment landscape. The initiative will directly contribute to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data, ensuring that workforce development policies remain aligned with economic and industrial trends.

The Skill India Programme plays a crucial role in equipping India’s workforce with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving global economy. By integrating industry-relevant training, emerging technologies, and international mobility initiatives, the program aims to create a highly skilled and competitive workforce. As a key driver of economic empowerment, Skill India contributes to employment generation, entrepreneurship, and productivity enhancement across sectors. The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) remains committed to strengthening vocational education, expanding apprenticeship opportunities, and fostering lifelong learning, ensuring that India’s workforce is future-ready and positioned as a global leader in skill-based employment.

(For more details, visit: https://www.skillindiadigital.gov.in/home)

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MJPS/BM

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 8, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurates National IP Moot Court Competition

Source: Government of India

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurates National IP Moot Court Competition

Students selected for international moot court competition to be sponsored by Centre: Shri Piyush Goyal

Posted On: 07 FEB 2025 5:49PM by PIB Delhi

Shri Goyal calls for strong AI regulatory framework to ensure ethical use and effective deployment
Competition to take place from 7th February 2025 to 9th February 2025, has prize money of Rs 3.25 lakh
Theme of the moot court competition is “Artificial Intelligence and Copyright”

Students selected for an international moot court competition on International Property Rights (IPR) will be sponsored by The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM). This was stated by Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal during his address at the inaugural ceremony of Vidhi Pragati: National IP Moot Court Competition, 2025 today in New Delhi.

DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, in collaboration with Centre for Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Competition (CIIPC) and IPR Chair, National Law University Delhi is organising the Vidhi Pragati: National IP Moot Court Competition, 2025. This competition is designed for participants to increase their advocacy skills, work on contemporary legal issues, and gain comprehensive knowledge of Intellectual Property Laws, its enforcement, and the latest case laws.

There is a need to create a robust regulatory framework with legal and policy assistance to withstand the unethical use of AI and also support effective deployment of modern technology, he said. Shri Goyal noted that Artificial Intelligence is as good as the person who utilises its potential. He stated that technology can become a tool but can never substitute the human mind.

Speaking of the Moot Court Competition, the Minister highlighted the format’s practicality in helping the students refine their legal acumen and open their minds. He also noted that participation in this format will enable the scholars to become thinkers, thinkers into innovators and innovators into leaders.

Shri Goyal highlighted that copyright and Artificial Intelligence is at the crossroads of an uncertain future. We can either ethically use AI to our advantage in regulating copyright or unethical means can be used to violate copyright protection. AI can either add to creativity or it can disrupt the authorship of genuine innovators and their rights, he said. Minister Goyal noted that the Government is planning to engage with experts and young minds for suggestions on changes in regulations to adapt with modern technology.

Elucidating on the innovation boost received in the Union Budget 2025, the Minister noted that 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) have been announced and Rs 20,000 crore announced as part of the Centre’s contribution in Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Fund. He also highlighted the Rs 10,000 crore announced in the Budget for the Fund of Funds for startups and entrepreneurs to boost innovation. Shri Goyal also mentioned the Government academic initiative, One Nation One Subscription, to provide country-wide access to scholarly research e-journals to students. He also spoke about the AI for Education fund of Rs 500 crore allotted in the Budget 2025 for the academia, government and the private sector to collaborate to promote innovation.

The Minister during his address suggested IPR to be made a mandatory subject in law colleges across the country. Law also needs to be understood by concepts of right and wrong in which AI can play an important role, he added.

Justice Shri Prathiba M. Singh, Judge, High Court of Delhi and Shri Himani Pande, Additional Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) graced the event as guests of honor.

The theme of the competition is “Artificial Intelligence and Copyright.” This theme is of paramount importance in today’s digital landscape, where the rapid advancement of AI technologies are fundamentally transforming the creative industries. As AI-generated content

becomes increasingly prevalent, crucial questions arise regarding authorship, originality, and the extent of copyright protection. This competition aims to nurture young legal minds, promote innovative thinking in intellectual property law, and underscore the importance of adapting copyright regulations in the context of artificial intelligence advancements. This competition presents an opportunity for the participants to critically engage with the challenges and opportunities that AI presents to the realm of copyright.

Scheduled to take place from 7th February 2025 to 9th February 2025, this premier event will witness participation from law schools across the nation, thus fostering a vibrant spirit of mooting and scholarly discourse. In anticipation of reassuring responses from across the law schools, a total of 26 teams are lined up to exhibit a battle of the best showcasing a sheer competitive spirit. With a prize pool of Rs. 3.25 lakh, this moot will sufficiently reward the investment of time and resources in the participation.

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Abhijith Narayanan/Asmitabha Manna

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 8, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Agriculture Committee Democrats Demand Answers for Funding Freeze

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and all Committee Democrats in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) demanding answers and clarity following the Trump Administration’s funding freeze.
The Senators wrote to USDA Acting Secretary Gary Washington: “Over the past week, farmers, ranchers, schools, and state governments have contacted our offices in search of clarity on programs, websites, offices, and activities impacted by these orders. Conflicting information from the administration has added to the uncertainty, costing those who depend on the Department time and money. The farmers, rural families, and businesses that depend on the Department need certainty to plan ahead for this growing season.”
The Senators requested “a description of the actions the Department has taken broken down by program, office, and activity, including listing any activities with paused or terminated disbursements or obligations, as well as the legal basis for pausing or terminating any funding that has been appropriated by Congress.”
Senators Luján and Klobuchar were joined by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
The full letter is available here and below:
Dear Acting Secretary Washington, 
We write to seek clarity and raise concerns regarding the impact of recent Executive Orders and Presidential Memoranda on the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  
Over the past week, farmers, ranchers, schools, and state governments have contacted our offices in search of clarity on programs, websites, offices, and activities impacted by these orders. Conflicting information from the administration has added to the uncertainty, costing those who depend on the Department time and money. The farmers, rural families, and businesses that depend on the Department need certainty to plan ahead for this growing season.
Has the Department paused or terminated any payments, or taken any other actions to carry out any Executive Orders or Presidential Memoranda issued on or after January 20, 2025? If so, please provide a description of the actions the Department has taken broken down by program, office, and activity, including listing any activities with paused or terminated disbursements or obligations, as well as the legal basis for pausing or terminating any funding that has been appropriated by Congress.
In addition, please provide a timeline of when recipients of paused or terminated disbursements can expect to hear from the Department about the status of their funding.
Please respond to this letter by Close of Business on Friday, February 7. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. 

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Colleagues Push to Expand Access to Job Training Programs

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

WASHINGTON––U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) to introduce the Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, bipartisan legislation to help more Americans get good-paying jobs by allowing students to use federal Pell Grants –– need-based education grants for lower-income individuals –– to pay for shorter-term job training programs for the first time.

Currently, Pell Grants can only be used at two- and four-year colleges and universities. By expanding Pell Grant eligibility, the JOBS Act would help close the skills gap by opening access to job training that students might otherwise be unable to afford but need for careers in high-demand fields.

“Increasing the supply of workers ready and able to fill in-demand jobs is exactly what our economy needs to thrive. As more students choose to pursue skills-based careers, we can ensure this pathway is open to everyone including those who need financial assistance to start that journey. I’m pleased to champion this bipartisan effort that can help more Americans receive job training,” Boozman said.

“No one should be priced out of an education—including a technical education—but I hear from many Virginians that access to high-quality job training programs that align with their goals is out of reach because of financial barriers,” said Kaine. “Simultaneously, I hear from employers throughout the Commonwealth about their struggles to fill skilled labor positions. With these Virginians in mind, I wrote the JOBS Act to help remedy these issues and provide more workers with the skills they need to get good-paying jobs and provide for their families. This bill is good for workers, good for employers, and good for our economy as a whole.”

“Job training programs are proven, successful tools that help people gain the skills they need to prepare for rewarding careers,” said Collins. “By helping students in Maine and across the country access this career pathway, this bipartisan legislation would assist young people with obtaining good-paying jobs and make it easier for businesses to find qualified workers.”

The JOBS Act would allow Pell Grants to be used for high-quality job training programs that are at least eight weeks in length and lead to industry-recognized credentials or certificates. Under current law, Pell Grants can only be applied toward programs that are over 600 clock hours or at least 15 weeks in length, rendering students in shorter-term, high-quality job training programs ineligible for crucial assistance.

Specifically, the JOBS Act would amend the Higher Education Act by:
• Expanding Pell Grant eligibility to students enrolled in rigorous and high-quality, short-term skills and job training programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials and certificates and ultimately employment in high-wage, high-skill industry sectors or careers.
• Ensuring students who receive Pell Grants are earning high-quality postsecondary credentials by requiring that the credentials:
o Meet the standards under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), such as meaningful career counseling and aligning programs to in-demand career pathways or registered apprenticeship programs;
o Are recognized by employers, industry or sector partnerships;
o Align with the skill needs of industries in the state or local economy; and
o Are approved by the state workforce board in addition to the U.S. Department of Education.
• Defining eligible job training programs as those providing career and technical education instruction at an institution of higher education, such as a community or technical college that provides:
o At least 150 clock hours of instruction time over a period of at least eight weeks;
o Training that meets the needs of the local or regional workforce and industry partnerships;
o Streamlined ability to transfer credits so students can continue to pursue further education in their careers; and
o Licenses, certifications, or credentials that meet the hiring requirements of multiple employers in the field for which the job training is offered.
The legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Dan Sullivan (D-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The JOBS Act is supported by Advance CTE, the American Association of Community Colleges, the Association for Career and Technical Education, the Association of Community College Trustees, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Business Roundtable, the Center for Law and Social Policy, the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance, Higher Learning Advocates, HP Inc., the Information Technology Industry Council, Jobs for the Future, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, NAF, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, the National Skills Coalition, the Progressive Policy Institute and Rebuilding America’s Middle Class.

Click here to view text of the bill.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE Homeland Security Investigations supports seizure of Venezuelan aircraft involved in violations of US export control and sanctions laws

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations played a key role, alongside the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security and other partners, in an announcement Feb. 6 by the Justice Department that Dominican Republic authorities, working in coordination with U.S. federal law enforcement and based on violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws, seized a Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft used by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company.

“This seizure demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. export control and sanctions laws around the globe,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Santo Domingo Country Attaché Edwin F. Lopez. “By working closely with our partners in the Dominican Republic and across the U.S. government, we successfully prevented the violation of U.S. laws designed to protect national security and foreign policy interests. HSI will continue to collaborate with domestic and international law enforcement partners to ensure accountability and uphold the rule of law.”

The Bureau of Industry and Security Miami Field Office is investigating the case with assistance from ICE HSI Santo Domingo.

The Justice Department previously announced in September 2024 the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft in the Dominican Republic that was owned and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros and persons affiliated with him in Venezuela.

“The seizure of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft provides yet another example of this office’s commitment to enforcing America’s export control laws against Venezuelan-owned PdVSA and other sanctioned entities,” said Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne. “Asset forfeiture is a powerful law enforcement tool, which we will continue to use aggressively to deter, disrupt, and otherwise combat criminal activity.”

“The use of American-made parts to service and maintain aircraft operated by sanctioned entities like PdVSA is intolerable,” said Devin DeBacker, head of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with its federal law enforcement partners, will continue to safeguard our national security by identifying, disrupting, and dismantling schemes aimed at procuring American goods in violation of our sanctions and export control laws.”

“Today’s announcement — the seizure of a sanctioned aircraft used by the Maduro regime — clearly shows that sanctions and export control laws have teeth,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Kevin J. Kurland of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security. “BIS will continue to aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who violate our regulations.”

According to the U.S. investigation, in July 2017, PdVSA purchased the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft from the United States and exported it to Venezuela, where it was registered under tail number YV-3360. Following the imposition of sanctions on PdVSA and identification of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft as blocked property of PdVSA, the aircraft was serviced and maintained on multiple occasions using parts from the United States. The servicing

included a brake assembly, electronic flight displays, and flight management computers — all in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

President Trump issued Executive Order 13884 in August 2019, which, among other things, prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of PdVSA. Pursuant to the EO, on Jan. 21, 2020, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control identified 15 aircraft as blocked property under U.S. law, which generally prohibits transactions by U.S. persons within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in blocked property.

According to a public statement issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, since at least January 2019, the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft has transported Venezuelan Oil Minister Manuel Salvador Quevedo Fernandez, who is also sanctioned by the U.S. government, to an Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries meeting in the United Arab Emirates and has been used to transport senior members of the Maduro regime in a continuation of the regime’s misappropriation of PdVSA assets.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and ICE HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami provided significant assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorge Delgado and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and Ajay J. Alexander for the Southern District of Florida also assisted.

The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Kelly Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Access to Non-Opioid Treatments
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) led the introduction of the Alternatives to Prevent Addiction in the Nation (Alternatives to PAIN) Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide greater access to non-opioid treatments for pain management for seniors.

“The opioid crisis continues to wreak havoc on families and communities across the country, including in North Carolina,” said Senator Tillis. “This bipartisan, pragmatic legislation will help prevent opioid addiction before it starts by leveling the playing field for non-opioid alternatives, ensuring seniors have uninterrupted access to non-opioid, non-addictive alternatives.”

“Arizona seniors managing pain deserve real choices—not a system that steers them toward addictive opioids just because they’re the cheaper option,” said Senator Kelly. “By expanding affordable access to safer, non-opioid treatments, we’re helping prevent addiction and giving seniors better options for attending their health.”

“One way to prevent opioid addiction is by avoiding unnecessary exposure to prescription opioids,” said Chris Fox, Executive Director, Voices for Non–Opioid Choices. “To do so, providers and patients must have easy and equal access to non-opioid pain management options. Unfortunately, non-opioid approaches are all-too-often out of reach for many Americans due institutional preferences and economic incentives that lead to our reliance on opioids to treat pain. This results in millions of Americans developing a new, long-term opioid use pattern every year. The Alternatives to Prevent Addiction in the Nation (“Alternatives to PAIN”) Act would ensure that non-opioid approaches are just as easily accessible as other medications. The legislation will go a long way towards ensuring that all Americans in all settings can access such approaches. It is a much needed step towards preventing opioid addiction in America and Voices for Non-Opioid Choices proudly supports and urges enactment of this critical legislation.”

Background:

The Alternatives to Prevent Addiction in the Nation (Alternatives to PAIN) Act is cosponsored by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ted Budd (R-NC), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Cornyn (R-TX), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jim Banks (R-IN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Mark Warner (D-VA).

The United States is facing a public health crisis caused by prescription drug addiction. Unfortunately, our country’s seniors are not immune to the worsening opioid epidemic. In 2021, 1.1 million seniors were diagnosed with an opioid use disorder, and 50,000 seniors experienced an opioid overdose-from prescription opioids, illicit opioids, or both. Tragically, the number of Americans aged 65 and older who died as the result of a natural or semisynthetic opioid overdose increased 63 percent between 2012 and 2020.

Now, more than ever, we must prevent unnecessary opioids from becoming prevalent in medicine cabinets, homes, and communities. We can do this by increasing the use of non-opioids for pain management. Non-opioid treatments and therapies can be successful in replacing, delaying, or reducing the use of opioids which is why we believe it is necessary for Congress to advance policies that give practitioners and patients more access to these non-addictive treatments.

The opioid epidemic is estimated to cost U.S. taxpayers $1.5 trillion every year. Too often, cost considerations incentivize Medicare Part D sponsors to employ utilization management practices intended to steer patients towards lowest cost options, which typically end up being generic opioids. This has resulted in opioid prescribing in Medicare Part D increasing over the past decade. In fact, Medicare Part D’s share of overall opioid prescriptions dispensed in the United States has increased 75 percent just since 2011. With several new opioid alternatives in the pipeline and others currently on the market, it is essential we encourage robust access to these therapies for Medicare Part D beneficiaries.

This bipartisan legislation would:
- Limit patient cost-sharing for patients receiving non-opioid based pain relief under Medicare Part D plans;
- Prohibit the utilization of step therapy and prior authorization for these drugs; and
- Encourage the continued dialogue between patients and their healthcare professionals about preferences in pain management choices.
This legislation builds on the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NO PAIN) Act, legislation supported by Senator Tillis that was signed into law in December 2022. The NO PAIN Act directed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide separate Medicare reimbursement for non-opioid treatments used to manage pain in both the hospital outpatient department (HOPD) and the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) settings. Prior to the NO PAIN Act being signed into law, hospitals received the same payment from Medicare regardless of whether a physician prescribed an opioid or a non-opioid. As a result, hospitals relied on opioids, which are typically dispensed by a pharmacy after discharge at little or no cost to the hospital.

The Alternatives to Prevent Addiction in the Nation (Alternatives to PAIN) Act is supported by the following organizations: Voices for Non-Opioid Choices, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, American Addiction Recovery Coalition, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Psychological Association Services, Asheville Equine Therapy, A Better Life-Brianna’s Hope, A Voice in the Wilderness Empowerment Center, Blue Water Recovery & Outreach Center, CA Black Health Network, Center of Addiction & Faith, Chatham Drug Free, Clean Living Exceptional Alternative Recovery Residences (CLEARR), Danny’s Ride, Dove Recovery Center for Women, Elderly Advocates, Families of Addicts, Freedom Through Recovery, Georgia for Recovery, Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, Healing On The Fly Inc, Hear Alex’s Story, Hep Free Hawaii, Hernando Community Coalition, Herren Project, Holistic Homes for Us, Hope Haven, Inclusive Recovery, InStep Indy, Iron Tribe Network, Jake’s Reach, Journey House Foundation, LITE Recovery Café, Lifeboat Addiction Services, Medicare Rights Center, Mental Health America, Mental Health America of Illinois, Metro Drug Coalition, Michigan Women Veterans Empowerment, National Association of Social Workers, National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Rural Health Association, National Safety Council, National Transitions of Care Coalition, Operation First Response, Inc, Operation PAR, Overdose Lifeline, Parrott Creek Child and Family Services, Partnership for A Healthy Iowa, Partnership to End Addiction, Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers Association, Pledge for Life Partnership, Positive Action Against Chemical Addiction, Inc. (PAACA), Prevention Action Alliance, Prevention Alliance of Tennessee, Psychophysiologic Disorders Association, PTSD Awareness Summit, REAL LIFE, Recovery Café- Ft. Wayne, Recovery Café- Muncie, Recovery Mobile Clinic, RetireSafe, Safe Haven Recovery Engagement Center, Salvage USA, Shatterproof, She Recovers Foundation, Sobar, Society for Opioid-Free Anesthesia, Society of Behavioral Medicine, South End – Roxbury Community Partnership, Stayin Alive 24 Coalition, Team Sharing, Inc., The Battle Within, U.S. VETS, VetPark’s A.T.V., Veterans National Recovery Center, Voices For Awareness, Warren Coalition, Warrior Path Home, West Warwick Prevention Coalition, Will Bright Foundation, Wyoming Valley Drug & Alcohol Services, and Young People in Recovery.

Full text of the legislation is available HERE.

Additional statements of support are available HERE.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Colleagues Introduce Antitrust Legislation To Take On Algorithmic Price Fixing, Bring Down Costs
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

February 07, 2025
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined their Senate colleagues in introducing the Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act to prevent companies from using algorithms to collude to set higher prices. As recent reporting, a Justice Department lawsuit, and multiple private lawsuits have shown, big corporations are using algorithms to raise prices and limit competition, including companies like RealPage that have facilitated collusion to increase rents by more than $3 billion in 2023 alone. This legislation would make such collusion illegal to lower costs for families and support small businesses.

“These pricing algorithms are just one more tactic corporations use to get around the law and screw regular people. It’s how the poultry industry colludes to keep the price of chicken high,” said Murphy. “If we really care about lowering costs and disrupting the corrupt status quo, this is the kind of bill that Congress should pass.”

“Predatory algorithms significantly suppress competition in today’s markets and allow companies to collude to raise prices to unaffordable levels. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act will eliminate coercive anticompetitive software and empower consumers,” said Blumenthal.

Price fixing and other forms of collusion are illegal under current antitrust laws. However, current antitrust laws may be insufficient when competing companies delegate their pricing decisions to an algorithm without agreeing to fix prices. Current law requires proof of an agreement to fix prices before condemning the conduct. When pricing decisions of multiple competitors are delegated to a single algorithm, that agreement may not exist even though the use of the algorithm may have the same effect as a traditional agreement to fix prices. This type of conduct has already occurred in rental housing, and we must ensure that it does not spread to other sectors of our economy with the proliferation of algorithmic pricing.

To strengthen current price fixing law, this legislation would:

Close a loophole in current law by presuming a price-fixing “agreement,” when direct competitors share non-public information through a pricing algorithm to raise prices;

Increase transparency by requiring companies that use algorithms to set prices to disclose that fact and give antitrust enforcers the ability to audit the pricing algorithm when there are concerns it may be harming consumers;

Ban companies from using non-public, competitively sensitive information from their direct competitors to inform or train a pricing algorithm; and

Direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study pricing algorithms’ impact on competition.

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) also cosponsored the legislation.

The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act is endorsed by Consumer Reports, the Open Markets Institute, and Accountable.US.

Full text of the legislation is available HERE.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement on the Japan – UK Women’s Economic Empowerment Seminar
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Japan hosted a virtual seminar for British women entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners seeking to increase trade and investment with Japan
On 6 February 2025, with the support of the Department for Business and Trade, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a virtual seminar for UK women entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners seeking to increase trade and investment with Japan.

This continues an ongoing series of collaborative activities between the UK and Japan to uphold the commitments set out in the Women’s Economic Empowerment chapter of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). It supports the delivery of the joint commitment to enhancing women’s ability to fully access and benefit from the opportunities created by this Agreement, and to reduce the systemic barriers faced by women seeking to trade internationally.

During the seminar, participants heard from Japanese government and non-government led organisations about programmes and initiatives that support women in trade. These included the Japanese Cabinet Office, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Japan External Trade Organization. They shared valuable information on the Japanese market and the support and tools available to British women entrepreneurs, business owners and investors interested in growing their businesses by expanding, exporting to and investing in the Japanese market.

The audience also heard from the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan on the support it can provide on navigating differences in business customs, as well as from two Japanese venture capital firms: ANRI, focused on seed stage investments, having a track record of supporting female-founded startups in IT and DeepTech, and NEXTBLUE, dedicated to empowering women founders in the field of women’s wellbeing. These venture capital firms offered their support for the expansion of UK female-led companies.

The audience also heard directly from two British women business owners and entrepreneurs. The CEOs of Celtic English Academy and Evolve Organic Beauty shared valuable insights on their experiences of entering and successfully trading in the education and retail markets in Japan.

Increasing women’s participation in the economy not only strengthens gender equality but also holds huge potential in boosting economic growth. Through the effective implementation of the women’s economic empowerment provisions in the UK’s trade agreement with Japan, we seek to uphold gender equality by ensuring that women business owners and entrepreneurs interested in expanding their business by entering new markets have sufficient knowledge of the opportunities and benefits on offer to them.

The UK has successfully included trade and gender equality provisions in newly negotiated Free Trade Agreements including with Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and will continue working with trading partners to explore and develop the best strategies and practices to break down barriers to trade for women, support the fair and open trade and benefit the wider UK economy.

In the lead up to the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, the UK will continue a programme of engagement with Japan. Further, the UK will be showcasing its work on diversity and inclusion at the UK Pavilion, including the work we are doing on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

For more information on the first UK-Japan Women’s Economic Empowerment seminar, please follow this link.

For more information on the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership, please follow this link.

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Published 7 February 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Shaheen Condemns Trump Actions as Deliberate Effort to Undermine Critical Functions of Government Over Lowering Costs for Granite Staters

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) condemned Trump for undermining critical government functions instead of working to lower costs for Granite Staters like he promised during his campaign. Shaheen pointed to the President’s misguided tariff plan, chaotic effort to halt federal funding for grants and loans, the dismantling of U.S. foreign assistance and his enabling of billionaire Elon Musk to access Americans’ sensitive information at the U.S. Department of Treasury. You can read more here.

The full article from the Union Leader is available here and below.

Shaheen takes aim at Trump’s actions on spending, tariffs

In some of her strongest language to date, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said President Donald Trump’s actions on spending, tariffs and shutting down foreign assistance programs appear to be a “deliberate effort to undermine the critical functions” of the federal government.

Shaheen, a three-term senator whose term is up in 2026, said her office is receiving complaint calls at a level only met during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many hold the view that Trump’s actions bear little resemblance to his focus as a presidential candidate, Shaheen said.

“It is creating frustration and concern across the board. This is not what they signed up for,” Shaheen said during an interview. “When Donald Trump was campaigning, he was talking about addressing inflation, lowering costs for people on food, rent and prescriptions. None of that is in his agenda since he got inaugurated.”

For his part, Trump said he told voters that Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, would be a trusted adviser on how to reduce federal spending by up to $2 trillion.

Musk leads the new Department of Government Efficiency, whose employees got access to payroll information of the Department of Treasury and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“He should not have access to this. They are going into classified spaces without appropriate clearances,” said Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is dealing with the Department of Agriculture, rural development and Food and Drug Administration.

Shaheen said Musk’s moves to close down USAID will collapse vital assistance to vulnerable people around the world and only invite U.S. adversaries to step in and try to control affairs in struggling countries.

“In fact, there’s evidence that is already beginning to happen,” Shaheen said.

Shaheen noted Musk seeks to reduce the size of a federal government that at one pivotal point rescued him with financial relief.

“The irony is this guy would have been out of business but for the U.S. government bailing him out in Space X,” Shaheen said. “The fact he is trying to deny that kind of access and help to individuals and business that need it is just unacceptable and shameful.”

Earlier Wednesday, Shaheen hosted a conference call with leaders of chambers of commerce and other regional officials who raised concerns about the proposed tariffs with Canada that are on a 30-day pause but have not been rescinded.

“Their number one issue is the uncertainty and the chaos that is happening under this president’s very hand,” Shaheen said.

U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., signed on to a letter to Trump Wednesday, along with 60 House Democrats, calling for him to cancel any Canadian tariff plans.

“These actions, this rhetoric has consequences that people are already seeing in their everyday lives,” Shaheen added.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Speaks Out Against Trump Nominee Russell Vought, Calling Him Unfit and Unqualified to Serve as OMB Director
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) delivered remarks on the Senate floor opposing the nomination of Russell Vought, the chief architect of Project 2025, a radical, right-wing agenda, to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. You can watch her full remarks here.

Key Quotes from Senator Shaheen:
- “Either the OMB, under Russell Vought’s direction, deliberately stopped funding for 2,600 programs, for water and sewer projects, for housing, for meals for seniors, or they were so incompetent that without meaning to they sent a memo to the whole federal government that had that effect.”
- “There’s no question that Russ Vought and President Trump intend to take away some of the funding that Congress has provided on a bipartisan basis to help families in New Hampshire and around the country save money.”
- “It’s beyond ridiculous that anyone could propose these cuts with a straight face, while also supporting trillions of dollars in tax breaks for the wealthiest individuals and corporations in this country.”
- “It’s important to all Americans to make sure that our government runs effectively and efficiently, but indiscriminately freezing hiring across the board, pushing out thousands of civil servants, makes that problem worse not better.”
- “We’re not talking about political appointees here. We’re talking about the people who write the checks at the Social Security Administration, about the caseworkers at the Department of Housing and Urban Development who make sure that people have roofs over their heads and food to eat. We’re talking about doctors and therapists at VA hospitals who work around the clock to provide lifesaving care and benefits to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country and program operators at the Small Business Administration.”
Remarks as delivered can be found below:

I’d like to go back to my concerns about the nomination of Russ Vought to be the head of the Office of Management and Budget, because that’s an office that determines the services that millions of families and small businesses rely on.

And yet, he supported unilaterally taking away those services and help for more than 2,600 federal programs that were ordered to cease activities with less than 24 hours notice.

And in every state in the country, we heard confusion and panic and chaos.

Since then, I’ve heard from thousands of Granite Staters who are worried about what those cuts mean for them and their families.

I’ve heard from health care providers, from our community health centers, from our nonprofits, from our police departments, from so many people who provide services to the state of New Hampshire.

And it’s now been more than a week, and despite not one but two federal judges ordering the Trump Administration to stop holding up funds, we are still hearing reports of frozen payment systems and missed reimbursements.

Now, I know my Republican colleagues are hearing those concerns too.

But despite this outpouring, we’re still here today contemplating confirming Russell Vought, the architect of this reckless, unprecedented and misguided policy.

He was directly involved in drafting the memo that OMB sent out that started all of this last Monday.

That memo was so extreme that it provoked concern and outrage from both sides of the aisle about the breadth of payments that were being halted.

Russ Vought then had to walk back parts of the memo that he’d worked on just the day before.

And all of this happened, and he wasn’t even a confirmed nominee.

So, I’m very worried about what he’s going to do if he actually gets confirmed for this job.

We know that what we saw last week was just a short preview of what he plans to do.

And the justification that we’ve heard since that memo is that that memo wasn’t meant to cut off funding to all of the programs that saw their funding halted.

It wasn’t meant to stop Medicaid in every state or to shut down HUD’s system of rental assistance or homelessness funding.

But I’ll tell you, if that’s your defense, that just means that OMB sent a memo that was so poorly drafted that agencies across the federal government thought it required them to cut off all these programs that people and towns depend on.

So, either the OMB under Russell Vought’s direction, deliberately stopped funding for 2,600 programs for water and sewer projects, for housing, for meals for seniors, or they were so incompetent, that without meaning to, they sent a memo to the whole federal government that had that effect.

Well, regardless of which answer it is, I think the person who’s behind that, Russ Vought, the man leading that effort, should not be running the Office of Management and Budget that determines how funding goes out in the federal government.

And I think this is especially true because there’s no question that Russ Vought and President Trump intend to take away some of the funding that Congress has provided on a bipartisan basis to help families in New Hampshire and around the country save money on things like their energy bills, to help address pollution like PFAS.

And I would just remind folks that we passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law on a strong bipartisan vote—19 Republican senators voted with the Democrats to invest in our communities.

We worked shoulder to shoulder, Republicans and Democrats, to prioritize things like energy efficiency, water infrastructure, funding that this administration says it’s looking at cutting off, even though communities are depending on it.

Well, I plan to continue to stand up and defend funding that Congress provides to make necessary investments in all of our communities, and I hope my Republican colleagues will do the same.

And then this past weekend, we learned that Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who’s never been elected, along with unelected, unconfirmed DOGE employees, the DOGE boys we call them, now have access to the payment system at the Treasury Department.

That is a system that processes more than $5 trillion worth of payments every year.

That’s everything from tax refunds and Social Security checks to reimbursing towns for work that they’re doing on sewers or roads.

They have access to Social Security numbers, to health information, and to so much more.

This is a system that the vast majority of people working at Treasury can’t access, and they shouldn’t be able to, because this is private information.

You may have heard that Treasury only gave “read only”, I say that in quotes, “read only” access.

But if that’s the case, why is Elon Musk talking about using this access to stop payments to a charity that helps seniors with housing?

What’s he doing in the Treasury records anyway?

Why does he need that information?

This week, we’re hearing confirmation that Musk’s team didn’t just have “read access”.

In fact, they had administrator level access, giving them the ability to make changes to this payment system.

One specific Treasury employee refuted Treasury leadership’s denial that they gave a DOGE staffer “write access”, that’s the ability to change the code and to change the checks that get sent out by Treasury.

The employee said, and I quote, “I am looking at his access right now, and it has the Deputy Assistant Commissioner instructing the team to disregard all previous instructions and assign him,” the DOGE person, “read/write privileges for the database,” so he can change what’s in that database.

That doesn’t sound like “read only” access to me.

I think it’s unacceptable for an unelected billionaire to be taking over the payments system that our government relies on, that millions of Americans rely on, and trying to stop those payments.

Now, fortunately, the original OMB memo was rescinded.

But this fight is not over.

Instead, this access to the Treasury’s payment system could be the next front in stopping funds going out to the American people.

We can, and we do, intend to continue to push back on these illegal actions to stop funding that’s required by law.

And despite knowing better, Russell Vought has never shied away from his belief that the executive branch can disregard the law and override spending decisions that are made by Congress.

He clearly believes that this administration should be above the law and should be able to take away funding that helps millions of Americans.

Russ Vought is the architect of Project 2025.

That proposed a budget that would cut Medicaid, just Medicaid, by $2.1 trillion over ten years.

It would slash SNAP, the food program, by $400 billion.

We have people in New Hampshire who count on the SNAP program in order to be able to feed their kids.

His proposal would cut funding that helps low-income Americans go to college by more than $250 billion.

It would eliminate the Affordable Care Act tax credits that help millions of Americans afford health care.

These are not cuts that lower costs.

These are not cuts that create jobs.

These are not cuts that enhance public safety and make it easier for people to afford their rent and their groceries.

It’s beyond ridiculous that anyone could propose these cuts with a straight face while also supporting trillions of dollars in tax breaks for the wealthiest individuals and corporations in this country.

You know, I’m not one to claim that the federal government can’t be run more efficiently.

I think we can always do everything better.

And it’s important to all Americans to make sure that our government runs effectively and efficiently, but indiscriminately freezing hiring across the board, pushing out thousands of civil servants, makes that problem worse, not better.

And last week, more than 2 million federal employees received emails offering to pay their salaries for the rest of the fiscal year in exchange for resigning now.

I mean, that in and of itself is questionable because this Congress hasn’t appropriated dollars to pay those employees.

And why would somebody who wants to improve effectiveness and efficiency in government, pay people to go home and not work? And that’s what this email said.

At the time, it included hundreds of thousands of individuals working in critical national security roles and included, for example, every single air traffic controller in the country, just days before we tragically saw the worst aviation incident in nearly 30 years.

Now, they’ve since walked that offer back, stating that it should not apply to employees who are critical to national security.

But, like the claim of the funding freeze, they say that that was always their intent, they must have made a mistake, but I’m not sure which option is worse.

That while we’re short more than 3,500 air traffic controllers, Russell Vought really wanted to pay the ones we do have not to work, or that he blasted out an irresponsible, reckless, non-targeted effort that could have had devastating consequences for critical positions without taking the time to think it through.

What’s more, they tried to convince us this offer will save money, making it clear that even if we lose thousands of key employees with no plans to replace them, we’ll be better off.

Well, tell that to the people in New Hampshire who are trying to get answers on their Social Security or their income tax checks.

Tell that to the students who need help with their FAFSA form so that they can apply and get help to go to college.

Vought has relentlessly attacked the millions of career civil servants who show up every day, no matter who’s in power, to keep the lights on and the wheels turning.

Some of these people have served our country for 30, 40, even 50 years through countless presidents and Congresses.

We’re not talking about political appointees here, we’re talking about the people who write the checks at the Social Security Administration, about the caseworkers at the Department of Housing and Urban Development who make sure that people have roofs over their heads and food to eat.

We’re talking about doctors and therapists at VA hospitals who work around the clock to provide lifesaving care and benefits to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country, program operators at the Small Business Administration who helps entrepreneurs get loans.

They’re the forest rangers who show up in all weather conditions in the White Mountain Forest in New Hampshire to ensure there is safe and enjoyable recreation opportunities for hundreds of millions of visitors to our national parks and forests.

And speaking of the weather, they’re the meteorologists at the National Weather Service, the people we rely on to prepare for hazardous storms.

These employees contribute to the maintenance of nuclear submarines, which is an essential tenet of our national security, a crucial part of our capability to deter major conflicts.

And any impact to our shipyards, we have the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard between New Hampshire and Maine that does maintenance on our nuclear submarines, any impact to that workforce will strain our shipbuilding industrial base that’s already saturated with demand to meet the requirements of our Navy.

So, why did they get an email giving those employees the option to resign?

This administration has said repeatedly that it wants to “restore the warrior ethos” at the Pentagon.

But if Russell Vought gets his way, there isn’t going to be anybody left at the Pentagon.

And now we’re hearing that Elon Musk’s team is plugging in to our air traffic control system.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has repeatedly asked for what they need: more funding, targeted investments and workforce development, shorter hours and upgraded technology.

We need to get to work in this Senate, in this Congress, on legislation that addresses these issues.

But handing the keys to the nation’s air traffic control system over to an unelected, inexperienced billionaire who cuts first and asks questions later, isn’t the solution.

Now, Russell Vought will tell you over and over again that government doesn’t work.

But he says this at the same time that he’s doing everything in his power to break it with zero regard for how that’s going to hurt you and your family.

And this week, we’ve seen and we’ve heard more horrifying parts of Russell Vought’s agenda.

He’s teaming up with Elon Musk.

And last year, for the first time, thanks to PEPFAR, more than half of new HIV infections were outside of Sub-Saharan Africa.

One of the most successful health programs ever in U.S. history, put in by George W. Bush.

And one of the only things that has stood between Americans and so many of the diseases that come from overseas is USAID.

Now, I was listening to the prayer breakfast this morning, and I heard President Trump talking about his admiration for Billy Graham, for Franklin Graham, for the good work that they do.

Then a few minutes later, I heard the morning news, and I heard them talking about what’s happening in Sudan, where we have a famine and millions of people desperate because of the conflict there and what’s happening.

And the news report said, if we don’t get our foreign assistance turned back on to help the Sudanese, eight million people are going to starve to death in the coming months.

I can’t imagine that Billy Graham or Franklin Graham support the idea of eight million Sudanese dying, because we’ve turned off the foreign assistance that we provided because Elon Musk doesn’t like the United States Agency for International Development.

I think Billy Graham and Franklin Graham, Billy Graham, when he was alive, and his son Franklin would say, these are also God’s children and it’s important for us to support people around the world who are dying.

And you know, it’s not just those kinds of situations like we have in Sudan.

We have significant diseases that are breaking out in parts of the world, and we don’t have people on the ground to make sure that the people who—the outbreak of Ebola that’s happening in Africa, some of us remember in 2014 when about what came to the United States—we don’t have any aid workers anymore because under Elon Musk’s order, they’ve shut down those programs.

They’re bringing those people home, so there’s nobody there to make sure that that Ebola outbreak doesn’t go across borders and doesn’t wind up in the United States.

There’s a Marburg outbreak, another hemorrhagic disease that’s happening in Africa.

It has a 90% mortality rate, and right now, we have no real treatment and no vaccination for the Marburg virus.

And yet again, we’ve taken our teams of people who help in-country to treat the Marburg virus and we’ve taken them home.

We’ve said, “go ahead cross whatever country lines you want. Come to the United States, because we’re not going to prevent that.”

And, you know, we’ve got a bird flu epidemic now.

You may have heard there’s a new strain that’s just been discovered in cows in Nevada.

We’ve had, about 70 people who have been infected with bird flu.

We’ve had somebody die from that.

We used to monitor bird flu outbreaks around the world, but under this shutdown of USAID and its programs, we’re not monitoring bird flu anymore.

So, that bird flu can come to the United States?

We don’t know.

Nobody seems to care in the Trump Administration if that happens.

These things don’t just happen overseas.

They affect us here in America.

It’s in our interest to ensure that these efforts that help with diseases, that help prevent Vladimir Putin and Russia from its nefarious activities in Europe, in Moldova, in Romania, in Ukraine—that’s also happened the aid to help Ukraine in this war against Russia.

That’s all been cut off.

That doesn’t make America safer.

That doesn’t make us stronger.

That doesn’t make us more prosperous.

I hope my colleagues will stand against Russell Vought, who has been the architect of so much of this carnage.

Sadly, I don’t think my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will do that.

And I hope that we can reverse some of this, harm that’s been done to so many people around the world that is going to come home to roost in America if we don’t address it.

So, Mr. President, I have taken all of my time.

I yield the floor.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Marshall Draw FDA Attention To Misleading Drug Commercial Set To Run During Super Bowl

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

February 07, 2025

Deceptive advertisement for weight-loss medication omits safety & risk information, Senators preview new legislation to close loopholes for drug ads

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) today sent a bipartisan letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to draw the agency’s attention to an upcoming pharmaceutical advertisement that is slated to air during the Super Bowl on Sunday to more than 120 million Americans, which misleads patients by omitting any safety or side effect information when promoting a specific type of weight loss medication.

FDA regulates direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements for pharmaceuticals to ensure they are not false or misleading, by disclosing side effects, contraindication, and effectiveness information to the public. Under federal law and regulations, FDA requires that prescription drug advertisements be truthful, not misleading, and balanced—failure to do so risks FDA enforcement action, including civil monetary penalties.

The Senators wrote, “An upcoming Super Bowl advertisement, which has been publicly posted online, appears to showcase a company’s ability to prescribe and dispense GLP-1 medications to patients, including with text and claims about weight loss drugs, and imagery of an injection pen with distinctive characteristics reflective of an existing brand-name medication. However, nowhere in this promotion is there any side effect disclosure, risk, or safety information as would be typically required in a pharmaceutical advertisement.”

“By comparison, the FDA-approved labels and advertisements for brand-name GLP-1 medications include significant risk disclosures to patients about side effects and contraindications, including warnings about potential gallbladder, pancreas, vomiting, diarrhea, and other implications. Further, for only three seconds during the minute-long commercial does the screen flash in small, barely legible font, that these products are not FDA-approved,” the Senators continued.

The advertisement appears to be exploiting a perceived loophole in federal law regarding promotions of compounded drugs by telehealth companies. However, the Senators’ letter argues this advertisement does fall under FDA’s jurisdiction, and previews legislation that will soon be introduced to close any gaps regarding prescription drug advertising.

Drug manufacturers in the United States spend approximately $6 billion annually in DTC prescription drug advertisements, with approximately one-third of all commercial time across evening news programs being consumed with these pharmaceutical promotions. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that more than two-thirds of drugs advertised on television were considered “low therapeutic value.”

The Senators continued, “We recognize the important roles that pharmaceutical compounding and telehealth play in the health care delivery system, helping to ensure access to FDA-approved products and filling a need for more customized treatments. However, we believe there should be no disparity in pharmaceutical advertising requirements between regulated entities.”

“To the extent this falls within a regulatory loophole for the FDA’s authorities, we plan to soon introduce bipartisan legislation to close this gap, so that patients are not deceived by advertisements that glaringly omit critical safety and side effect information. But, we believe FDA may already have the authority to take enforcement action against marketing that may mislead patients about this company’s products,” the Senators concluded.

Recently, a STAT News article highlighted the direct-to-consumer telehealth company Hims & Hers, which will air a Super Bowl ad promoting its GLP-1 weight loss medications.

Durbin recently reintroduced the Drug-price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act, a bipartisan bill that would require price disclosures on advertisements for prescription drugs in order to empower patients and reduce Americans’ colossal spending on medications.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

February 7, 2025

Dear Acting Commissioner Brenner:

As part of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) mission to protect public health, the agency conducts regulatory oversight of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements for pharmaceuticals. FDA enforces the law and regulations to ensure prescription drug advertisements are not false or misleading, including by communicating side effects, contraindication, and effectiveness information to the public. In the last six months of 2024, FDA issued four important untitled letters to manufacturers to seek corrections to their false or misleading pharmaceutical advertisements. We write to draw your attention to an upcoming advertisement that is slated to air during the Super Bowl on Sunday to more than 120 million Americans, which risks misleading patients by omitting any safety or side effect information when promoting a specific type of weight loss medication.

Under Section 502 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as well as its implementing regulations at 21 CFR 202.1, FDA requires that prescription drug advertisements be truthful, not misleading, and balanced.

An upcoming Super Bowl advertisement, which has been publicly posted online, appears to showcase a company’s ability to prescribe and dispense GLP-1 medications to patients, including with text and claims about weight loss drugs, and imagery of an injection pen with distinctive characteristics reflective of an existing brand-name medication.

However, nowhere in this promotion is there any side effect disclosure, risk, or safety information as would be typically required in a pharmaceutical advertisement. By comparison, the FDA-approved labels and advertisements for brand-name GLP-1 medications include significant risk disclosures to patients about side effects and contraindications, including warnings about potential gallbladder, pancreas, vomiting, diarrhea, and other implications. Further, for only three seconds during the minute-long commercial does the screen flash in small, barely legible font, that these products are not FDA-approved.

We recognize the important roles that pharmaceutical compounding and telehealth play in the health care delivery system, helping to ensure access to FDA-approved products and filling a need for more customized treatments. However, we believe there should be no disparity in pharmaceutical advertising requirements between regulated entities.

To the extent this falls within a regulatory loophole for the FDA’s authorities, we plan to soon introduce bipartisan legislation to close this gap, so that patients are not deceived by advertisements that glaringly omit critical safety and side effect information. But, we believe FDA may already have the authority to take enforcement action against marketing that may mislead patients about this company’s products. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Fights to Keep Higher Education Accessible for Farm Families

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) are standing up for families and fighting to reverse changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process that could reduce or even eliminate access to need-based student aid for farm families and small business owners.
Their bipartisan Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act would amend the FAFSA Simplification Act to restore the original exemption of all farmland, machinery, other operational materials, and small businesses with fewer than 100 employees from being declared on the FAFSA form.
“No one should have to sell off the farm – or their small business – to afford college. As a farm kid myself, I know the enormous impacts grants and financial aid have on rural students’ decision to go to college,” said Ernst. “I’m fighting for Iowa families, so unfair policies don’t hold them back from investing in their child’s education.”
“From Colorado to Iowa, federal financial aid helps ensure more students can afford college – including students from farm families, whose businesses are vital to our communities and economies,” said Bennet. “Our bipartisan bill will help ensure these students receive the financial aid they need.”
Congressman Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) is introducing this legislation in the House:
“Across Kansas’ Big First District and the country, net farm income has decreased by nearly 25% since 2022,” said Rep. Mann. “Between navigating record-levels of inflation and skyrocketing input costs, our family farmers, ranchers, agricultural producers, and small business owners are doing their best to make an honest living. When young people from these families are applying for higher education financial aid, the assets tied up in the family farm or the small business should not count against them. Congress should work to make life easier, not harder, for these dedicated families and students. My bill evens the playing field for these students and families, while protecting the American dream for every student regardless of their parents’ career ventures.”
Under the previous contribution formula, the expected family contribution – calculated from information taken from the FAFSA form – did not include farm or small business assets. However, under the new formula the student aid index will take those assets into account, drastically driving up the amount a family is expected to contribute.
“Senator Ernst has taken an important step to restore equity to farm families whose special circumstances were lost in the efforts to simplify the FAFSA. Leaving deserving farm families out of federal student aid programs is not simplification, it is bad policy. The nation’s private colleges are very appreciative for all she is doing to fix this mistake,” said Barbara Mistick, President of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
“Senator Ernst’s bill is a win for Iowa families, ensuring students from family farms and small businesses across the country don’t lose out on critical financial aid. This is a step forward for Iowans and removes an unnecessary barrier to higher education,” said Brenda Buzynski, Assistant Provost and Director of Student Financial Aid at University of Iowa.
“Our country’s farmers and ranchers are facing tremendous challenges, from a strained farm economy to legislative and regulatory uncertainty. Making it more difficult for their children to attain a college education shouldn’t be an added burden. We know that farmers’ assets are tied up in the value of their land, livestock and equipment, yet their kids may not qualify for federal financial student aid. AFBF commends Senator Ernst’s work to find a solution to the challenges created by the asset calculation changes in the FAFSA Simplification Act,” said Ryan Yates, Managing Director of Government Affairs at American Farm Bureau Federation.
“NASSGAP is pleased to support Senator Joni Ernst’s efforts to ensure continued access to the financial aid children of family farmers need to attend college. Family farmers are the backbone of America and NASSGAP is honored to help Sen. Ernst ensure their children have the same access to higher education,” said Frank Ballman, Director of Federal Relations at the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs.
Background:
Ernst has been a strong advocate for Iowa families to be able to responsibly finance their child’s education.
After Biden’s Department of Education botched their FAFSA rollout, Ernst supported the FAFSA Deadline Act that became law and gave families the certainty they deserve. To ensure more Iowa families are not left out, Ernst conducted critical oversight, demanded answers on behalf of agricultural communities, and worked to get input directly from impacted Iowans.
On her annual River to River Tour, Ernst hosted town halls and met with students and schools to discuss the effects of FAFSA to bring Iowans’ concerns to Washington.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Lankford Introduces Bill to Block Tax Breaks for Marijuana Businesses

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford
WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) this week introduced legislation to prevent marijuana businesses from deducting business expenses from their taxes. Lankford was joined on the bill by Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE).
“Marijuana doesn’t make our families stronger, our streets safer, or our workplaces more productive. Businesses who sell federally illegal drugs—including marijuana businesses—shouldn’t get federal tax breaks. This bill clarifies federal tax law to make sure a federally illegal product does not have a federally legal tax deduction,” said Lankford.
“We thank Senator Lankford for his strong leadership in both fiscal responsibility and drug policy. The federal government should not be in the business of giving tax relief to the federally illegal, addiction-for-profit marijuana industry. This legislation would prevent deficit increases while ensuring that taxpayers don’t foot the bill for the revenue gap made by tax write-offs for people who choose to violate federal law and poison our kids,” said Dr. Kevin Sabet, President and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM).
Since the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982, tax law has prevented businesses trafficking Schedule I or II drugs from deducting business expenses. However, if the Biden Administration’s push to reschedule marijuana is successful, marijuana businesses would be able to take business deductions. This bill preempts that loophole and ensures that marijuana businesses would not be able to deduct business expenses from their taxes.
Oklahoma has over 3,000 licensed marijuana growers. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) believes that thousands of those farms have had a Chinese connection since Oklahoma legalized marijuana in 2018. The marijuana market in Oklahoma has ushered in other serious crimes like human trafficking, forced labor, and money laundering, and in response, Lankford introduced the Soil Act to prevent purchases of Oklahoma agricultural land by foreign entities.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Peters Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen U.S. Manufacturing Policy and Global Competitiveness

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to establish a National Manufacturing Advisory Council within the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Advisory Council would bring together leaders in manufacturing, labor, and education to advise both Congress and the Secretary of Commerce on how best to ensure the United States remains the top destination globally for investment in manufacturing. It would serve as a bridge between the manufacturing sector and federal government to improve communication and collaboration, and better support the industry and its workforce. Peters introduced the National Manufacturing Advisory Council for the 21st Century Act with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). The bill passed the Senate with unanimous support last Congress.
“Our manufacturers, labor leaders, and experts bring an important real-world perspective that can help ensure the United States remains at the forefront of advanced manufacturing globally,” said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan legislation would give our industry leaders a seat at the table to help shape federal manufacturing policy and inform our response to emerging challenges and threats.”
“This initiative, the National Manufacturing Advisory Council Act, is designed to improve the resources and support for our nation’s small and medium-size manufacturers, which are a truly vital driver of our economy. I applaud Senator Peters for his steadfast, unwavering commitment to American manufacturing,” said Ingrid Tighe, President of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, the Michigan representative of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
“We applaud Senator Gary Peters for introducing this bill to improve the federal government’s planning and coordination of efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing,” said Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. “Recent supply chain disruptions have made clear that it is time for the United States to shore up its critical manufacturing capabilities, which will not only better prepare us for the next crisis but also create jobs and boost the economy. This increased coordination between the many programs designed to support our manufacturers and their workers is an important step towards rebuilding our industrial base. We are grateful to Senator Peters for his efforts to bolster American manufacturing.”
“The Association of Equipment Manufacturers applauds Senator Gary Peters and Senator Marsha Blackburn for their continued leadership on behalf of the manufacturing sector and for introducing legislation that will prioritize a national strategy focused on ensuring American manufacturing policy can rapidly respond to changes in the global marketplace,” said Kip Eideberg, AEM Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations. “Our economic prosperity and national security depend on a strong manufacturing sector, and establishing a National Manufacturing Advisory Council will help unleash innovation and mobilize a comprehensive, coordinated, and competent national effort in support of the manufacturing sector and its workforce.”
“We commend Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for today introducing legislation to establish a National Manufacturing Advisory Council,” said Ana Meuwissen, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association. “This council will be a forum for manufacturers and other key stakeholders to provide input to the Department of Commerce (DOC) on important long-range issues such as workforce, supply chain, technology, and defense industrial base. The NMAC legislation would also foster better coordination of federal manufacturing policy in the DOC and across the federal government. When this legislation is enacted, it will be an asset to assist in retaining U.S. competitiveness in critical manufacturing sectors like motor vehicle parts.”
The Advisory Council would meet at least twice a year and be tasked with providing lawmakers with a national strategic plan – including recommendations to address workforce issues, supply chain interruptions, and other logistical and emerging challenges. Specifically, the Advisory Council would be required to:
IDENTIFY AND ASSESS the impacts of technological developments, production capacity, skill availability, investment patterns, and emerging defense needs on the manufacturing competitiveness of the United States.
SOLICIT INPUT from the public and private sectors as well as academia on emerging trends in manufacturing.
PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS to the Secretary regarding global and domestic manufacturing trends threatening the U.S. manufacturing sector, including supply chain interruptions, regulatory and logistical challenges, and technological changes. The Advisory Council would also advise the Secretary on areas to increase federal attention with respect to manufacturing – as well as matters relating to the U.S. manufacturing workforce such as the impact of burgeoning technology and worker training and education priorities.
Peters has made strengthening domestic manufacturing a top priority of his work in the Senate. Peters helped craft and pass into law the CHIPS and Science Act, which includes a provision he authored to support the domestic production of mature semiconductor technologies and ensure that projects supporting critical manufacturing industries, such as the auto industry, are given priority status. This funding was in addition to $50 billion already in the bill to incentivize the production of semiconductors of all kinds in the U.S. – for a total of $52 billion.
The CHIPS and Science Act also authorized increased funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, which has been a priority for Peters. Peters also supported and helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which will strengthen domestic manufacturing, onshore our supply chains, combat the climate crisis and create millions of American jobs.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA News: Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China

Source: The White House

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby determine and order:

   Section 1. Amendment. Regarding the Executive Order of February 1, 2025 (Imposing Duties to Address the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China), the following shall replace subsection (g) of section 2:
     “(g) Duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321 is available for otherwise eligible covered articles described in subsection (a) of this section, but shall cease to be available for such articles upon notification by the Secretary of Commerce to the President that adequate systems are in place to fully and expediently process and collect tariff revenue applicable pursuant to subsection (a) of this section for covered articles otherwise eligible for de minimis treatment.”

Sec. 2. 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, 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,
    February 5, 2025.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kugler, Entrepreneurship and Aggregate Productivity

Source: US State of New York Federal Reserve

Thank you, Jon, and thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.1 It is such a pleasure to be back in Miami, a city I have seen grow and become ever more dynamic over the decades, as I have come many times to visit my large extended family here ever since the 1980s.
As I discussed in my final speech of 2024, two positive supply shocks have significantly benefited the U.S. economy over the past two years and have also affected the conduct of monetary policy.2
The first of these has been the surge in population over the past few years that has helped bring labor supply into balance with labor demand and, thus, also helped move inflation toward the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) 2 percent goal. The other positive supply shock, which I outlined in my remarks in December, has been a step-up in aggregate productivity growth since 2020, which is an increase in the amount of economic output, across the economy, per hour worked or some other unit of labor. Although productivity growth, measured quarterly, can be quite volatile, over the past five years this acceleration is quite evident. While productivity grew by about 1.5 percent a year from 2005 to 2019, starting in 2020 it has grown about 2 percent a year. This difference may not look dramatic, but because of compounding year-over-year, the consequences of an additional 1/2 percentage point in growth over the past five years are significant for workers and the U.S. economy. When workers are more productive, it effectively means that businesses can produce more without needing to add workers, and that they can pay workers more without needing to raise prices. When they are more productive, it can also serve as an incentive for businesses to expand. Across the economy, higher productivity growth means that real wages and living standards for workers can rise faster without putting upward pressure on inflation.
And that is exactly what has been happening recently, a period when inflation has been falling while the economy is expanding. While fast growth in wages was one of the factors driving inflation in 2021 and 2022, most likely some of that increase was due to productivity growth and, hence, was not inflationary. If productivity continues to grow at an accelerated pace, it would support the FOMC’s efforts to keep unemployment low and return inflation to a sustained level of 2 percent. For that reason, I would like to spend the balance of my remarks exploring some of the possible reasons why productivity has accelerated, and the prospects that this fortunate development will continue.
Numerous factors affect aggregate productivity, and several may have driven the increase in productivity growth in the U.S. since the pandemic, in contrast to the subdued productivity growth experienced by other advanced economies around the world.
One such factor may have been a result of the enormous movement of workers caused by the pandemic. It began with the dramatic loss of 22 million jobs in the spring of 2020, the reemployment of many of those workers and the continued mobility as people quit jobs, switched occupations and careers, and relocated in response to the enormous changes in work and home life brought about by the pandemic. In finding new jobs, in what became a very tight labor market, workers had the opportunity to find better matches for their skills and, to some extent, work that they were motivated to carry out and which made them more productive. One indication that this was probably a significant factor in the U.S. is that other advanced economies where there was less worker movement have experienced lower rates of productivity growth.3 Economic data and research suggest that periods of strong job re-allocation are accompanied or followed by higher productivity growth.4
The tightness of the labor market since 2021 has also likely led firms to invest to a greater extent in labor-saving as well as labor-enhancing technologies, which, of course, is traditionally one of the major sources of productivity gains. For example, many retail businesses seemed to have installed more self-checkout machines after the onset of the pandemic, allowing employers to substitute capital for workers when workers could not come to work in person and when there were severe shortages. More generally, digital technology allowed employees to continue working from home during the period of the pandemic and beyond, saving commuting time and making employees potentially more productive.5
To the extent that these factors are boosting productivity growth, they are by their nature one-off developments that eventually will fade. A notable exception may turn out to be productivity improvements from investments in artificial intelligence (AI). AI investment by businesses has stepped up in the past two years, and it appears to be accelerating.6 The advent of the internet and related innovations boosted productivity growth for about 10 years starting in the mid-1990s, and the benefits of AI could potentially be that revolutionary and persistent.
In addition to being temporary, the factors that I have outlined that could be boosting productivity, job re-allocation, and technological investments are themselves hard to measure across the economy. And so are their effects on productivity as well. But there is another important factor that is likely to be driving productivity higher whose effects may well persist, and that is the surge in new business formation experienced since 2019. As I will explain, new businesses are associated with higher rates of overall productivity growth, and that may be particularly true for some of the sectors in which these businesses were created.
Applications for new business tax identification numbers jumped shortly after the pandemic began and have remained elevated since then.7 In 2024, the pace of applications that are likely to result in employer business formation was about 30 percent above its 2019 pace. This surge is largely unique to the U.S. In the euro zone, for example, business registrations have been relatively flat. This may help explain why labor productivity growth in Europe has been well below that of the U.S. in recent years.8
The surge in applications in early 2020 was an early signal of an acceleration in the creation of job-creating new firms.9 The latest data available indicate that new firms created 1.9 million jobs in 2023, 14 percent higher than the total for 2019.10
A couple of aspects of this surge in business entry in the U.S. are noteworthy. First, the surge was particularly noticeable in high-tech industries that, historically, are important for overall innovation and productivity growth.11 Second, while the pace of business applications has cooled somewhat over the past year, it still remains elevated and well above pre-pandemic norms. It is, in fact, proving somewhat more persistent than some expected.
For these reasons, the surge in new business formation is highly relevant to our discussion about productivity. There is a large body of research that finds that new firms are key contributors to innovation and growth in aggregate productivity.12 This might seem surprising and counterintuitive, since it is well known that many new firms fail in their first year or two. But in the commotion of competition that these many new businesses face, there are always businesses that persist and keep their lights on, and those often do so because they are innovative and more productive. New businesses are the essence of the competition that drives market-based economies, and it is not surprising that they would be an important source of new products or processes for doing business—and a source of growth.13
Of course, not every new firm has to innovate and grow to make important economic contributions. Every entrepreneur contributes even if they just create a job for themselves and their family members. But those new firms that do innovate and grow are critical for improvements in overall productivity over time.
As I noted before, since the surge in entrepreneurship after the onset of the pandemic featured an increase in high-tech businesses as well, the productivity implications could be significant. Indeed, the last period of strong productivity growth in the U.S., which ran from the late 1990s into the early 2000s, was preceded by a surge of new business creation in high-tech industries, including those industries that more recently have been associated with AI-related developments.14 So this is one source of my optimism about continued robust productivity growth in the U.S.
But it is not only the innovations produced directly by new businesses that are important, since by any measure these new firms are a small share of total businesses. New businesses also help drive innovation by existing firms. As they scramble for funding, customers, and human capital, new businesses will increase competition with existing ones, forcing them to innovate as well so they can succeed. This is surely also driving the recent acceleration in productivity growth.
Many predicted that the surge in new business creation would disappear as effects of the pandemic have faded, but this has not really happened. It is possible that the surge in entry will recede and that its productivity effects will likewise be temporary. On the other hand, the productivity gains from a surge in entry could last for some time, since these highly productive young firms have been found to grow rapidly for several years, contributing to aggregate productivity growth along the way. Time will tell, but for now, it seems likely that this is a factor supporting productivity growth at a higher-than-historical rate.
I will confess to you all that it is not a coincidence that I have come to Miami to highlight the role of entrepreneurship in innovation and productivity growth. Miami and the Miami metropolitan area is an extraordinarily entrepreneurial area, a place with high rates of new business creation, and it is likely an important source of the recent productivity surge.
Out of more than 900 U.S. cities for which we have data, Miami’s post-pandemic new firm entry rate ranked 8th in the nation.15 And Miami is not alone in Florida; 5 of the top 20 cities for pandemic-era business formation are here in your state.16 Miami specifically, and Florida generally, has been a key part of the U.S. entrepreneurship story for some time. During the decade before the pandemic, Miami ranked 5th out of more than 900 U.S. cities for firm entry rates, and Florida featured 8 of the top 20 U.S. cities.17
Miami is special in this regard. I wonder what is in the water here to produce such a dynamic, entrepreneurial culture. Perhaps it is the extent of sunshine, which has long been associated with optimism. Perhaps it is the friendly economic climate—in my own academic research, I have found that policies that facilitate business entry and support worker or job re-allocation are indeed helpful for dynamism and productivity.18 But an interesting question for me as the first Hispanic at the Board of Governors since its creation is whether the large Hispanic population in Florida is also a factor behind the impressive pace of business dynamism that I have just described.
More than 25 percent of Florida’s population is Hispanic, compared with around 20 percent for the United States as a whole.19 Nationwide, recent data indicate that Latinos account for a dominant—and rapidly growing—share of new entrepreneurship in the U.S., with a particular increase since the pandemic.20 Of course, many of these Latino entrepreneurs are also immigrants, another group with a well-known proclivity for entrepreneurship.21 There are immigrants in Miami from the Caribbean and all over the world who contribute to the entrepreneurial culture of this city, and it is surely this culture, as much as the efforts of any nationality or group, that is the real engine of the dynamism here. I applaud you all for fostering that culture here in Florida, which is such an important contributor to the economic growth of our nation. More entrepreneurs means more productivity, which is crucial to U.S. prosperity.
Let me conclude with an outline of my views on the outlook for the U.S. economy and the FOMC’s efforts to return inflation to our 2 percent goal while maintaining a strong labor market.
The U.S. economy remains on a firm footing.
Real gross domestic product (GDP) continues to grow at a solid pace. The Bureau for Economic Analysis estimates that real GDP grew 2.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, and private domestic final purchases, which is the best indicator for GDP one quarter ahead, grew a solid 3.2 percent. Therefore, I anticipate solid GDP growth also in the first quarter of this year. In addition, earlier today the Labor Department reported that U.S. employers created 143,000 jobs in January and the unemployment rate edged down to 4 percent, consistent with a healthy labor market that is neither weakening nor showing signs of overheating.
Inflation has fallen significantly since its peak in the middle of 2022, and in September the FOMC judged that it was time to begin reducing our policy interest rate from levels intended to strongly restrict aggregate demand and put downward pressure on inflation. We reduced our policy rate 100 basis points through December, but the recent progress on inflation has been slow and uneven, and inflation remains elevated. There is also considerable uncertainty about the economic effects of proposals of new policies. Going forward, in considering the appropriate federal funds rate, we will watch these developments closely and continue to carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks.
Thank you again for the opportunity to speak to you today.

1. The views expressed here are my own and are not necessarily those of my colleagues on the Federal Reserve Board or the Federal Open Market Committee. Return to text
2. See Adriana D. Kugler (2024), “A Year in Review: A Tale of Two Supply Shocks,” speech delivered at the Detroit Economic Club, Detroit, Michigan, December 3. Return to text
3. See Joaquin García-Cabo, Anna Lipińska, and Gaston Navarro (2023), “Sectoral Shocks, Reallocation, and Labor Market Policies,” European Economic Review, vol. 156 (July), 104494. Return to text
4. See, for example, Lucia Foster, John Haltiwanger, and C.J. Krizan (2001), “Aggregate Productivity Growth: Lessons from Microeconomic Evidence,” in Charles R. Hulten, Edwin R. Dean, and Michael J. Harper, eds., New Developments in Productivity Analysis (Chicago: University of Chicago Press), pp. 303–63; and John Haltiwanger, Henry Hyatt, Erika McEntarfer, and Matthew Staiger (2025), “Cyclical Worker Flows: Cleansing vs. Sullying,” Review of Economic Dynamics, vol. 55 (January), 101252. Return to text
5. See Myrto Oikonomou, Nicola Pierri, and Yannick Timmer (2023), “IT Shields: Technology Adoption and Economic Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Labour Economics, vol. 81 (April), 102330. Return to text
6. Estimates of current AI usage by firms vary widely, but uptake appears to be significant and rising. See Leland Crane, Michael Green, and Paul Soto (2025), “Measuring AI Uptake in the Workplace,” FEDS Notes (Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, February 5). Return to text
7. These data, which track applications to the Internal Revenue Service for new Employer Identification Numbers, are available from the Census Bureau’s Business Formation Statistics. I focus specifically on “high-propensity applications,” which are those applications deemed by the Census Bureau to be particularly likely to result in the creation of new firms with formal employees. Return to text
8. See Francois de Soyres, Joaquin Garcia-Cabo Herrero, Nils Goernemann, Sharon Jeon, Grace Lofstrom, and Dylan Moore (2024), “Why Is the U.S. GDP Recovering Faster Than Other Advanced Economies?” FEDS Notes (Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, May 17). Return to text
9. For extensive documentation and analysis of the pandemic business entry patterns, see Ryan A. Decker and John Haltiwanger (2024), “Surging Business Formation in the Pandemic: Causes and Consequences?” Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Fall, pp. 249–302; and Ryan Decker and John Haltiwanger (2024), “Surging Business Formation in the Pandemic: A Brief Update,” working paper. Return to text
10. Data on employment among firms with age zero from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Business Employment Dynamics. These are annual data with a March reference period. Return to text
11. For documentation of the pandemic high-tech entry surge, see Ryan Decker and John Haltiwanger (2024), “High Tech Business Entry in the Pandemic Era,” FEDS Notes (Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, April 19). For the role of high-tech industries in aggregate productivity growth, see John G. Fernald (2015), “Productivity and Potential Output before, during, and after the Great Recession,” NBER Macroeconomics Annual, vol. 29, pp. 1–51. Return to text
12. The relevant literature is vast. For example, see Marcela Eslava, John Haltiwanger, Adriana Kugler, and Maurice Kugler (2004), “The Effects of Structural Reforms on Productivity and Profitability Enhancing Reallocation: Evidence from Colombia,” Journal of Development Economics, vol. 75 (December), pp. 333–71; Titan Alon, David Berger, Robert Dent, and Benjamin Pugsley (2018), “Older and Slower: The Startup Deficit’s Lasting Effects on Productivity Growth,” Journal of Monetary Economics, vol. 93 (January), pp. 68–85; and Ryan Decker, John Haltiwanger, Ron Jarmin, and Javier Miranda (2014), “The Role of Entrepreneurship in US Job Creation and Economic Dynamism,” Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol. 28 (Summer), pp. 3–24. Return to text
13. See Daron Acemoglu, Ufuk Akcigit, Harun Alp, Nicholas Bloom, and William Kerr (2018), “Innovation, Reallocation, and Growth,” American Economic Review, vol. 108 (November), pp. 3450–91; and Vincent Sterk, Petr Sedlacek, and Benjamin Pugsley (2021), “The Nature of Firm Growth,” American Economic Review, vol. 111 (February), pp. 547–79. Return to text
14. See Lucia Foster, Cheryl Grim, John C. Haltiwanger, and Zoltan Wolf (2021), “Innovation, Productivity Dispersion, and Productivity Growth,” in Carol Corrado, Jonathan Haskel, Javier Miranda, and Daniel Sichel, eds., Measuring and Accounting for Innovation in the Twenty-First Century (Chicago: University of Chicago Press). Return to text
15. Entry rates are measured as new firms as a share of all firms for 2021–22 (average) from the Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics; the Census Bureau data report entry rates for core-based statistical areas. Return to text
16. The 5 Florida cities in the top 20 are Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin. Return to text
17. I measure the pre-pandemic decade using average firm entry rates for 2010–19. The 8 Florida cities in the top 20 are Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Wildwood-The Villages, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Naples-Marco Island, North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, and Jacksonville. Return to text
18. See, for example, David Autor, William Kerr, and Adriana Kugler (2007), “Do Employment Protections Reduce Productivity? Evidence from U.S. States,” Economic Journal, vol. 117 (June), pp. F189–F217; and Marcela Eslava, John Haltiwanger, Adriana Kugler, and Maurice Kugler (2004), “The Effects of Structural Reforms on Productivity and Profitability Enhancing Reallocation: Evidence from Colombia,” Journal of Development Economics, vol. 75 (December), pp. 333–71. Return to text
19. Data from the 2023 American Community Survey. Return to text
20. Analysis by Robert Fairlie using Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey data reported in Ruth Simon (2024), “Latinos Are Starting U.S. Businesses at a Torrid Pace,” Wall Street Journal, March 26. Return to text
21. See Sari Pekkala Kerr and William Kerr (2020), “Immigrant Entrepreneurship in America: Evidence from the Survey of Business Owners 2007 & 2012,” Research Policy, vol. 49 (April), 103918. Return to text

MIL OSI USA News –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: Lectra: Monthly declaration of the total number of shares and voting rights composing the company’s capital (at January 31st, 2025)
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Monthly declaration of the total number of shares and voting rights composing the company’s capital (at January 31^st, 2025)

This declaration is established in accordance with Article L.233-8 II of the French Code de Commerce and of Article 223-11 of the Règlement Général of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF).

Date:

January 31^st, 2025

Total number of shares composing the capital:

37,977,634

Total number of voting rights, gross (1):

38,169,784

Total number of voting rights, net (2):

38,137,480

(1) In accordance with the second paragraph of article 223-11 of the Règlement Général of the AMF, the gross total of voting rights is based on the total number of shares composing the company’s capital which have voting rights, including shares deprived of their voting rights

(2) The net total of voting rights is equal to the gross total, minus the number of shares deprived of their voting rights (treasury shares)

Other than the legal notification requirements for crossing the thresholds established by French law, there is no special statutory obligation.

Attachment
- Monthly_declaration_shares_votingrights_january 2025
The MIL Network –
February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to Public Accounts Committee report on Carbon Capture, Usage, and Storage (CCUS) Technologies

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

February 7, 2025

Scientists comment on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) technologies.

Prof Hannah Chalmers, Personal Chair of Sustainable Energy Systems, Institute for Energy Systems, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, said:

“CCUS technologies can play a unique role in tackling carbon dioxide emissions. They can be used at large industrial sites to ensure that most of the carbon dioxide produced by activities like iron and steel production is not emitted to the atmosphere. Instead, the carbon dioxide is permanently stored in geological formations (rocks). In the UK, CCUS projects are developing plans to store carbon dioxide in layers of rock that are deep underneath the sea.

“There is also ongoing work to develop and deploy cost-effective approaches to remove carbon dioxide directly from the air. This provides an important option to respond to the widely reported increases in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere that are causing significant concern.

“There is significant evidence that including CCUS in a mix of technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions will be the most cost-effective way to address climate change. Several large-scale projects have been operating in other countries for many years. Experience from these projects is being used to ensure that the CCUS projects that are being developed in the UK are designed to be reliable and cost-effective.”

Dr Stuart Gilfillan, Reader in Geochemistry, University of Edinburgh, said:

What is CCUS technology, how does it work, does it have limitations?

“CCUS stands for Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage, which is a developing technology which reduces the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere. It works by capturing CO2 at the point source, transporting it and then burying it for safe storage in rocks over a kilometre below the ground surface. Like any technology, it has pros and cons, and costs more than simply releasing the CO2 directly to the atmosphere, which is currently free. CCUS is the only currently available technology that can directly reduce CO2 emissions from sources like power plants and industrial processes. Given that global temperature records are now being broken on an almost daily basis and yesterday’s announcement of the hottest January on record, it is essential tool in the urgent fight against runaway climate change.

What is the existing evidence around the efficacy of CCUS?

“CO2 capture technology has proven successful in capturing up to 90-95% of CO2 emissions from point of sources from power stations and industrial facilities. Successful examples include the Boundary Dam power station in Saskatchewan, Canada, where a large-scale CCUS unit has been operational since 2014, capturing about 1 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

“The long-term storage of CO2 is proven by natural CO2 reservoirs around the world and engineered projects like Sleipner in the North Sea, which have been injecting CO2 beneath the seabed since 1996 without significant issues. Research over the past two decades has developed monitoring technologies that can detect and mitigate potential leakage and to ensure that CO2 remains securely buried in rocks deep underground.

What more evidence may be needed to be confident in its applications?

“No more evidence is required, as exemplified by the UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC), which is an independent body established under the Climate Change Act who advise the government on emissions targets and report to Parliament on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The CCC is clear that CCUS is a critical technology for the decarbonisation of the UK economy, particularly in sectors that are hard to decarbonize directly, such as heavy industry (steel, cement, chemicals) and power generation.

“CCUS is not only as a standalone technology but is an essential part of a broader strategy to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. It compliments energy efficiency, renewable energy deployment, and electrification. CCUS is a clear driver for regional economic development, particularly in regions with suitable geological storage sites and industrial bases, such as the East Coast of Scotland, the Humber region, and North East England, areas that have been ‘left behind’ in recent times.”

Dr Tim Dixon, IEA Greenhouse Gas, Director and General Manager, said:

“Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a necessary technology for the UK and other countries to achieve net-zero, and we need all low-carbon energy technologies. The science case for the role of CCS is provided by the UK’s Climate Change Committee, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) and cannot be disputed if climate change is to be taken seriously. The key aspect of CCS is the secure long-term retention of CO2 in deep geological formations, and we have decades of experience in this from around the world. With over 40 large scale projects in operation injecting millions of tonnes every year and many pilot-scale projects, this has allowed us to test the science, the monitoring and the practicalities of geological storage of CO2. Hence CO2 geological storage is a proven technology and the regulations to enable and to ensure that it is safe and secure are based upon this sound science and experience. ”

Professor Paul Fennell FIchemE, Professor of Clean Energy, Imperial College London, said:

“The idea that Carbon Capture and Storage is an unproven technology is simply untrue. There are projects ongoing around the world, and millions of tonnes of CO2 have been safely stored over the last couple of decades. This has not happened in the U.K. because of our sclerotic inability to develop public infrastructure, not because the technology is unproven.”

Dr Greg Mutch, Researcher in Carbon Capture and Storage, Newcastle University, said:

“Carbon capture and storage is a technology that prevents carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, by capturing it and storing it underground in ‘empty’ oil & gas reservoirs or saline aquifers. According to the world’s foremost experts on the subject, gathered to contribute the International Panel on Climate Change, carbon capture and storage processes are necessary to achieve climate change mitigation goals at lowest cost. Without scalable CCS technologies by the end of the century, climate change mitigation will cost between 29 and 297% (mean value 138%) more.[1] Moreover, CCS is predicted to provide tens of thousands of jobs in the UK, add several billion pounds in terms of gross value added per year by 2050,[2] and enable other important technologies (hydrogen production etc) that will come with further jobs and economic value.”

[1] IPCC, 2018: Global Warming of 1.5 °C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty, ed. V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, H.-O. Portner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P. R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Pean, R. Pidcock, S. Connors, J. B. R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M. I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor and T. Waterfield, Cambridge University Press, 2018.

[2] Energy Innovation Needs Assessment Sub-theme report: Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage, Vivid Economics, Carbon Trust, E4tech, Imperial College London, Frazer-Nash Consultancy, Energy Systems Catapult. Commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, 2019.

Professor Peter Styring, Director of the UK Centre for Carbon Dioxide Utilization, Professor of Chemical Engineering & Chemistry, University of Sheffield, said:

What is CCUS technology, how does it work, does it have limitations?

“CCUS is carbon capture and storage. This has been primarily focused on CCS as the main driver. It aims to capture carbon dioxide from emitters such as power stations and industries. The current technology temperature swing absorption (TSA) using a chemical reaction with an aqueous amine solvent to capture the CO2 from the mixed waste gas and then to release it in a purified form by increased temperature chemical desorption and then further drying and purification to get a gas that can be in theory transported to a site where the gas can be stored underground. It works but at a high energy cost and the production of amine decomposition products that need to be removed and more amine added. It costs a lot!

“Limitations are the energy and financial costs, permitting regulations on solvent disclosure and the large physical footprint. Full system lifecycle analysis is required but this is not always reported.”

What is the existing evidence around the efficacy of CCUS?

“This is not proven using current technologies. The problem is that the current government funded projects use old technologies to achieve CCS and what is actually needed is a step change to new, lower cost more efficient processes such as solid based pressure swing adsorption (PSA). The whole system tends to be simpler and the energy costs and land use is significantly reduced.”

What more evidence may be needed to be confident in its applications?

“Full evaluation of new technologies and rapid acceleration from proof of concept to capture at scale. The Innovate UK funded Flue2Chem project is a good example of how this is being addressed using mid-TRL technologies. The UK also needs to move away from a single minded storage approach to adding value through the use of CO2 in the production of chemicals that would otherwise be sourced from virgin fossil carbon. SUSTAIN project is making synthetic fuels from captured CO2 and Flue2Chem is making FMCG components, including surfactants and precursors from the CO2.”

Dr Stuart Jenkins, Net Zero Fossil Fuel Fellow, University of Oxford, said:

“The Public Accounts Committee are wrong to have labelled CCUS as ‘unproven’, there are many commercial scale projects around the world, but they are right to question the current model for funding it. We need to make sure the CCUS industry becomes self-sustaining, without the need for major taxpayer funding. One option — asking fossil fuel suppliers to contribute to these costs via a carbon storage mandate — is a fair and responsible approach going forward.

In a recent report we published working with researchers at the University of Oxford and Carbon Balance Initiative [1] we looked at the use of Carbon Storage Mandates, which place an obligation on fossil fuel producers to capture and store a rising fraction of the CO2 they produce, to support the UK’s CCUS industry.

Carbon storage mandates, in tandem with carbon pricing and other mechanisms, could deliver subsidy-free CCUS to the UK and provide investment certainty for companies.”

[1]- https://www.carbon-balance.earth/briefs-reports/report-markets-and-mandates

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/205139/carbon-capture-high-degree-of-uncertainty-whether-risky-investment-by-govt-will-pay-off/#:~:text=In%20a%20report%20published%20today,and%20the%20cost%20of%20living

Declared interests

Dr Stuart Jenkins Our report was funded by the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, and consulted regulators, fossil fuel companies, capture and storage entities, UK Government, and academics on models for CCUS sector support packages.

Professor Paul Fennell: No conflicts other than being involved in CCs research.

Dr Tim Dixon: “Tim is a Director of IEA Environmental Projects Ltd (UK), a Non-Executive Director on the Board for The International CCS Knowledge Centre (Canada). He is also proud to be an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas in Austin, and an Honorary Lecturer at the School of Geosciences at University of Edinburgh. He was an original Board Member of the UK CCS Research Centre. Previously he worked in CCS, emissions trading, clean energy technologies and related areas for AEA Technology (ETSU), for the UK Government‘s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and for the Global CCS Institute. He was the EU’s Lead Negotiator for getting CCS in the CDM in UNFCCC in 2011, and a UK negotiator for getting CCS in the London Convention 2004-7, in OSPAR 2006-7, in the EU Emission Trading Scheme 2004-8, and inputting to the EU CCS Directive 2007-8. He gives talks on climate and CCS to schools and public organisations and supported the start of Oxford Climate Society at the University of Oxford. He is a Fellow of the UK Energy Institute, and member of the UK Institute of Physics and the UK Environmental Law Association.”

Dr Stuart Gilfillan “I have received funding from TotalEnergies in the past, for research related to CO2 origins in the subsurface and reservoir connectivity and Equinor on CO2 dissolution in natural CO2 reservoirs. I currently receive funding from the Natural Environment Research Council and Carbfix on CO2 mineralisation.”

Prof Hannah Chalmers “I work collaboratively with industrial partners who are developing CCUS projects in the UK (e.g. as a member of the Advisory Board for the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre). I currently receive no funding from industry, but have received funding from industrial partners who are actively developing CCUS projects in the UK in the past (e.g. SSE plc).”

Professor Peter Styring: Peter is Professor of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry at the University of Sheffield (an investigator on Flue2Chem and SUSTAIN) and a Co-founder and Director of CCU International.

For all other experts, no response to our request for DOIs was received.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Premier Moe Travels to Washington and Mexico to Support Canada U.S. Trade

Source: Government of Canada regional news

Released on February 7, 2025

Premier Scott Moe will travel to Washington D.C. this week for meetings with U.S. elected representatives, industry organizations and to participate in the premier’s Council of the Federation (COF) joint-mission to Washington.

Prior to the COF mission, Premier Moe will meet with U.S. elected representatives and businesses to emphasize the strong trade relationship between Canada and the U.S, and the role Saskatchewan plays in supplying the continent with energy and food security.

“It’s important in the current economic environment that we engage with our counterparts in the United States to emphasize the shared benefit of trade between our two countries and turn the conversation toward building on those strengths rather than jeopardizing them with tariffs,” said Moe.

The U.S. is Saskatchewan’s largest and most important trading partner. About $40 billion worth of imports and exports cross the border every year. The current tariff-free border allows businesses to add value to products and economies, whether flowing from north to south or vice versa.

Premier Moe’s meetings will focus on maintaining strong Canada-U.S. relations by addressing shared issues such as the economy, energy, supply chains and the impacts of the Trump Administration’s proposed tariffs.

Premier Moe will also express Saskatchewan’s support for strong measures to secure the Canada-U.S. border.

“Strengthening border security and preventing the flow of illicit drugs like Fentanyl is a concern that has been identified by the U.S. and one that I share,” Moe added. “We are already taking action as a province through our Border Security Plan to ensure we have more officers and law enforcement presence at the Saskatchewan-U.S. border.”

The Council of the Federation’s joint-mission to Washington will allow all thirteen premiers to present a united voice on the important benefits that free-trade brings to Canada and the U.S. and the concern over the negative impact of tariffs to consumers and businesses on both sides of the border.

The COF program will take place on Feb 12 and will include meetings with U.S. elected representatives, business leaders and the Canada American Business Council.

Following the COF mission Premier Moe will travel to Mexico to engage with business and elected officials to advance relationships with this key trading partner.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Premier Moe and multiple cabinet Ministers will be travelling within Canada and beyond to advocate for Saskatchewan’s interests. These engagement efforts will focus on promoting the province as a global supplier of food and energy security, while strengthening relationships with our key international trading partners.

-30-

For more information, contact:

MIL OSI Canada News –

February 8, 2025

MIL-OSI: Track Group Reports 1st Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NAPERVILLE, Ill., Feb. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Track Group, Inc. (OTCQB: TRCK), a global leader in offender tracking and monitoring services, today announced financial results for its fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2024 (“Q1 FY25”). In Q1 FY25, the Company posted (i) total revenue of $8.7 Million (“M”), a decrease of approximately 3.3% over total revenue of $9.0M for the quarter ended December 31, 2023 (“Q1 FY24”); (ii) Q1 FY25 operating income of $0.1M compared to Q1 FY24 operating loss of ($0.2M); and (iii) net loss attributable to common shareholders of ($2.0M) in Q1 FY25 compared to net income attributable to common shareholders of $0.1M in Q1 FY24.

“The quarter ending December 31, 2024 showed increases in gross profit, operating income and Adjusted EBITDA. This progress reflects the increased use of our products and services in legacy programs and continued expansion through newly awarded contracts domestically and abroad. With a strong pipeline and a commitment to delivering value, we are poised for continued success in fiscal year 2025,” said Derek Cassell, Track Group’s CEO.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Total Q1 FY25 revenue of $8.7M decreased approximately 3.3% compared to Q1 FY24 revenue of $9.0M. The decrease in revenue was driven principally by a decrease in people assigned to monitoring for clients in Michigan and Virginia, and our recently sold Chilean subsidiary. This decrease was partially offset by revenue increases for clients in Illinois, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas who experienced increases in the number of people assigned to monitoring.
Gross profit of $4.4M in Q1 FY25 increased approximately 5.2% compared to Q1 FY24 gross profit of $4.2M due to a decrease in monitoring center costs, partially offset by a decrease in revenue.
Operating income in Q1 FY25 of $0.1M increased compared to the operating loss of ($0.2M) in Q1 FY24. The increase in net income in Q1 FY25 is primarily due to a decrease in cost of revenue and a decrease in operating expense.
Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 FY25 of $1.2M, increased compared to $1.1M for Q1 FY24 due to an increase in operating income and gross profit. Adjusted EBITDA in Q1 FY25 as a percentage of revenue increased to 14.4%, compared to 11.8% for Q1 FY24 for the same reasons.
Unrestricted cash balance of $3.7M for Q1 FY25 increased compared to $3.6M for Q1 FY24. The change in cash position was principally due to the sale of our Chilean subsidiary.
Net loss attributable to shareholders in FY24 was ($2,010,849) compared to net income of $461 in FY23, a change principally attributable to lower revenue and a foreign currency exchange rate loss.

Business Outlook

Growth in gross profit and operating income in Q1 FY25 reinforces our confidence in the strategic reinvestment in technology and the implementation of new programs initiated in late FY23. These endeavors position us well for sustained growth throughout FY25. As a result, the Company’s preliminary outlook for FY25 is as follows:

	Actual				Outlook
	FY 2023		FY 2024		FY 2025
Revenue:	$34.5	M	$36.9	M	$35M – $36M

Adjusted EBITDA Margin:	11.1	%	14.6	%	14% – 15%

About Track Group, Inc.
Track Group designs, manufactures, and markets location tracking devices; as well as develops and sells a variety of related software, services, and accessories, networking solutions, and monitoring applications. The Company’s products and services are designed to empower professionals in security, law enforcement, corrections, and rehabilitation organizations worldwide with single-sourced offender management solutions that integrate reliable intervention technologies to support re-socialization and monitoring initiatives.

The Company currently trades under the ticker symbol “TRCK” on the OTCQB exchange. For more information, visit www.trackgrp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “if”, “should” and “will” and similar expressions as they relate to Track Group, Inc., and subsidiaries (“Track Group”) are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and reflect Track Group’s current beliefs and expectations with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties and subject to change at any time. Track Group may from time-to-time update these publicly announced projections, but it is not obligated to do so. Any projections of future results of operations should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur. These projections are subject to change and could differ materially from final reported results. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see “Risk Factors” in Track Group’s annual report on Form 10-K, its quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and its other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. New risks emerge from time to time. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they are made.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This release includes financial measures defined as “non-GAAP financial measures” by the Securities and Exchange Commission including non-GAAP EBITDA. These measures may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. The presentation of this financial information, which is not prepared under any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles, is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures are based on the financial figures for the respective period.

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA excludes items included but not limited to interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, impairment charges, gains and losses, currency effects, one-time charges or benefits that are not indicative of operations, charges to consolidate, integrate or consider recently acquired businesses, costs of closing facilities, stock based or other non-cash compensation or other stated cash and non-cash charges (the “Adjustments”).

The Company believes the non-GAAP measures provide useful information to both management and investors when factoring in the Adjustments. Specific disclosure regarding the Company’s financial results, including management’s analysis of results from operations and financial condition, are contained in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors are encouraged to carefully read and consider such disclosure and analysis contained in the Company’s Form 10-K and other reports, including the risk factors contained in such Form 10-K.

TRACK GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

	(Unaudited)
	December 31,			September 30,
	2024			2024
Assets
Current assets:
Cash	$	3,740,043		$	3,574,215
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $525,141 and $432,904 respectively		5,319,041			4,428,535
Prepaid expense and deposits		420,680			638,293
Inventory, net of reserves of $99,041 and $82,848, respectively		811,992			582,481
Assets held for sale		–			969,481
Total current assets		10,291,756			10,193,005
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $293,419 and $430,003, respectively		351,353			317,206
Monitoring equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $5,145,204 and $5,982,972, respectively		4,550,033			4,598,864
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $19,954,086 and $19,699,966, respectively		13,415,776			13,959,571
Goodwill		7,913,369			7,941,190
Other assets, net		1,238,608			660,170
Total assets	$	37,760,895		$	37,670,006

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	3,336,084		$	3,082,467
Accrued liabilities		2,542,932			2,639,318
Liabilities held for sale		–			732,028
Total current liabilities		5,879,016			6,453,813
Long-term debt, net of current portion		42,659,634			42,639,197
Long-term liabilities		679,823			186,407
Total liabilities		49,218,473			49,279,417

Stockholders’ equity (deficit):
Common stock, $0.0001 par value: 30,000,000 shares authorized; 11,863,758 and 11,863,758 shares outstanding, respectively		1,186			1,186
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value: 20,000,000 shares authorized; 0 shares outstanding		–			–
Series A Convertible Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value: 1,200,000 shares authorized; 0 shares outstanding		–			–
Paid in capital		302,600,546			302,600,546
Accumulated deficit		(315,274,178	)		(312,691,811	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		1,214,868			(1,519,332	)
Total equity (deficit)		(11,457,578	)		(11,609,411	)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficit)	$	37,760,895		$	37,670,006

TRACK GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/(LOSS) (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended December 31,
	2024			2023
Revenue:
Monitoring and other related services	$	8,441,307		$	8,674,485
Product sales and other		227,021			292,487
Total revenue		8,668,328			8,966,972

Cost of revenue:
Monitoring, products and other related services		3,508,762			3,973,989
Depreciation and amortization included in cost of revenue		735,224			789,463
Total cost of revenue		4,243,986			4,763,452

Gross profit		4,424,342			4,203,520

Operating expense:
General & administrative		2,431,118			2,757,887
Selling & marketing		901,189			706,531
Research & development		669,391			682,463
Depreciation & amortization		227,553			239,760
Loss on sale of subsidiary		66,483			–
Total operating expense		4,295,734			4,386,641

Operating income (loss)		128,608			(183,121	)

Other income (expense):
Interest income		2,839			48,162
Interest expense		(571,798	)		(486,084	)
Currency exchange rate gain (loss)		(1,499,262	)		538,945
Total other income (expense)		(2,068,221	)		101,023
Net income (loss) before income taxes		(1,939,613	)		(82,098	)
Income tax expense (benefit)		71,236			(82,559	)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders		(2,010,849	)		461
Release of cumulative translation adjustment for sale of subsidiary		1,390,913			–
Equity adjustment for sale of subsidiary		571,518			–
Foreign currency translation adjustments		771,769			(106,702	)
Comprehensive income (loss)	$	723,351		$	(106,241	)
Net income (loss) per share – basic:
Net income (loss) per common share	$	(0.17	)	$	0.00
Weighted average common shares outstanding		11,863,758			11,863,758

Net income (loss) per share – diluted:
Net income (loss) per common share	$	(0.17	)	$	0.00
Weighted average common shares outstanding		11,863,758			11,863,758

TRACK GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES NON-GAAP ADJUSTED EBITDA DECEMBER 31 (UNAUDITED) (amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

	Three Months Ended December 31,
	2024			2023

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	$	(2,011	)	$	–
Interest expense, net		569			438
Depreciation and amortization		963			1,029
Income taxes ⁽¹⁾		71			(83	)
Board compensation and stock-based compensation		75			53
Foreign exchange expense (gain)		1,499			(539	)
Loss on sale of subsidiary		66			–
Other charges ⁽²⁾		18			164
Total Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA	$	1,250		$	1,062
Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA, percent of revenue		14.4	%		11.8	%

Non-GAAP earnings per share – basic:
Weighted average common shares outstanding		11,863,758			11,863,758
Non-GAAP earnings per share	$	0.11		$	0.09

Non-GAAP earnings per share – diluted:
Weighted average common shares outstanding		11,863,758			11,863,758
Non-GAAP earnings per share	$	0.11		$	0.09

(1	)	Currently, the Company has significant U.S. tax loss carryforwards that may be used to offset future taxable income, subject to IRS limitations. However, the Company is still subject to certain state, commonwealth, and other foreign based taxes.

(2	)	Other charges are expenses related to the board of directors, severance, and other Chile monitoring center costs for our recently sold subsidiary.

James Berg
Chief Financial Officer
jim.berg@trackgrp.com

The MIL Network –

February 8, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: ICC and Palestine Emerging continue to promote economic opportunity in the Middle East
Source: International Chamber of Commerce

Headline: ICC and Palestine Emerging continue to promote economic opportunity in the Middle East
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A second meeting of the ICC-Palestine Emerging Steering Committee was held virtually on 7 February, marking a progress-tracking milestone since the collaboration was announced in October 2024. With a focus on the economic development and reconstruction of Gaza and the West Bank, the ICC-Palestine Emerging partnership works to promote strong private sectors across the Middle East.

Another key achievement has been the formal affiliation of the Federation of Palestinian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (FPCCIA) with the ICC World Chambers Federation. The affiliation will allow Palestinian companies to participate in ICC’s global business events and to gain international market access. It will also provide Palestinian companies with direct access to ICC OneClick, ICC’s gateway supporting SMEs in their export journey, now available in Arabic.

ICC Secretary General, John W.H. Denton AO said:

“By combining the breadth and credibility of ICC’s network and expertise with Palestine Emerging’s local insights, this collaboration will continue to foster Palestine’s engagement with the global economy with integrity”

The ICC-Palestine Emerging partnership has identified 15 workstreams aimed at growing the Palestinian economy, and the Middle East region at large. These include concrete initiatives to strengthen the Palestinian private sector’s involvement with ICC’s global network, including through the establishment of a new national committee.

ICC is working closely with Palestine Emerging to promote the Palestinian entrepreneurship ecosystem by facilitating engagement between local startups, education institutions and international investors. The initiative also aims to enhance investment attraction efforts and support economic reconstruction, including by developing local arbitration capabilities and bringing ICC’s alternative dispute resolution services to Palestine.

Senior ICC representatives have actively engaged in Palestine Emerging activities. These include joint events with the United States Institute of Peace in Washington D.C. in December 2024 and the Palestine Emerging International Advisory Group meeting in London in January 2025.

ICC and Palestine Emerging have secured support from key international players for these joint initiatives through engagement with key government and business leaders.

As momentum builds, ICC and Palestine Emerging’s collaboration will continue to drive economic opportunity and integration for Palestinian businesses with the global economy.
MIL OSI Economics –
February 8, 2025
MIL-OSI: BexBack Offers Exclusive $50 Bonus, 100x Leverage, and Double Deposit Promotion with No KYC

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SINGAPORE, Feb. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the price of bitcoin once again trading below $100,000, many analysts believe it will enter a long period of high volatility. Holding spot positions may not continue to generate profits in the short term. BexBack Exchange is stepping up its efforts to provide traders with irresistible preferential packages. The platform now offers a 100% deposit bonus, a $50 welcome bonus for new users, and a 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading, creating unparalleled opportunities for investors.

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BexBack offers a 100% deposit bonus. If the initial investment is 2 BTC, the profit will increase to 10 BTC, and the return on investment will double to 1000%.

Note: Although leveraged trading can magnify profits, you also need to be wary of liquidation risks.

How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?
The deposit bonus from BexBack cannot be directly withdrawn but can be used to open larger positions and increase potential profits. Additionally, during significant market fluctuations, the bonus can serve as extra margin, effectively reducing the risk of liquidation.

About BexBack?

BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform that offers 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP futures contracts. It is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. It holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by more than 200,000 traders worldwide. Accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe. There are no deposit fees, and traders can get the most thoughtful service, including 24/7 customer support.

Why recommend BexBack?

No KYC Required: Start trading immediately without complex identity verification.

100% Deposit Bonus: Double your funds, double your profits.

High-Leverage Trading: Offers up to 100x leverage, maximizing investors’ capital efficiency.

Demo Account: Comes with 10 BTC in virtual funds, ideal for beginners to practice risk-free trading.

Comprehensive Trading Options: Feature-rich trading available via Web and mobile applications.

Convenient Operation: No slippage, no spread, and fast, precise trade execution.

Global User Support: Enjoy 24/7 customer service, no matter where you are.

Lucrative Affiliate Rewards: Earn up to 50% commission, perfect for promoters.

Take Action Now—Don’t Miss Another Opportunity!

If you missed the previous crypto bull run, this could be your chance. With BexBack’s 100x leverage and 100% deposit bonus and $50 bonus for new users (complete one trade within one week of registration), you can be a winner in the new bull run.

Sign up on BexBack now, claim your exclusive bonus and start accumulating more BTC today!

Website: www.bexback.com

Contact: business@bexback.com

Contact:
Amanda
business@bexback.com

Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c747e269-01e1-41ef-a71e-41c83acbdbe2

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/65699f5d-4f24-4ae5-9b4f-d31f02f5734f

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3afc9e0-e5fc-4c6b-a60d-f53513d1be82

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/83db1001-5f99-4919-a694-e04b7cf56edd

The MIL Network –

February 8, 2025

Category: Commerce

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February 7, 2025

Cabinet Approves Continuation and Restructuring of Skill India Programme

Programme to Strengthen Workforce Development & Make skilling the backbone of country’s economic growth

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurates National IP Moot Court Competition

Students selected for international moot court competition to be sponsored by Centre: Shri Piyush Goyal