Category: coronavirus

MIL-OSI Analysis: A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Terri Levien, Professor of Pharmacy, Washington State University

A discredited study published in 1989 first alleged a link between thimerosal and autism. Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty Images

An expert committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines is meeting for the first time since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly replaced the committee’s 17 members with eight hand-picked ones on June 11, 2025.

The committee, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, generally discusses and votes on recommendations for specific vaccines. For this meeting, taking place June 25-26, 2025, vaccines for COVID-19, human papillomavirus, influenza and other infectious diseases were on the schedule. According to an updated agenda, however, the committee is now also scheduled to hear a presentation on a chemical called thimerosal and to vote on proposed recommendations regarding its use in influenza vaccines.

Public health experts have raised concerns about the presentation, noting that anti-vaccine advocates continue to promote confusion regarding the purported health risks of thimerosal despite extensive research demonstrating its safety.

I’m a pharmacist and expert on drug information with 35 years of experience critically evaluating the safety and effectiveness of medications in clinical trials. No evidence supports the idea that thimerosal, used as a preservative in vaccines, is unsafe or carries any health risks.

What is thimerosal?

Thimerosal, also known as thiomersal, is a preservative that has been used in some drug products since the 1930s because it prevents contamination by killing microbes and preventing their growth.

In the human body, thimerosal is metabolized, or changed, to ethylmercury, an organic derivative of mercury. Studies in infants have shown that ethylmercury is quickly eliminated from the blood.

Even though thimerosal is no longer used in childhood vaccines, many parents still worry about whether it can harm their kids.

Ethylmercury is sometimes confused with methylmercury. Methylmercury is known to be toxic and is associated with many negative effects on brain development even at low exposure. Environmental researchers identified the neurotoxic effects of mercury in children in the 1970s, primarily resulting from exposure to methylmercury in fish. In the 1990s, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration established limits for maximum recommended exposure to methylmercury, especially for children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age.

Why is thimerosal controversial?

Fears about the safety of thimerosal in vaccines spread for two reasons.

First, in 1998, a now discredited report was published in a major medical journal called The Lancet. In it, a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield described eight children who developed autism after receiving the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. However, the patients were not compared with a control group that was vaccinated, so it was impossible to draw conclusions about the vaccine’s effects. Also, the data report was later found to be falsified. And the MMR vaccine that children received in that report never contained thimerosal.

Second, the federal guidelines on exposure limits for the toxic substance methylmercury came out about the same time as the Wakefield study’s publication. During that period, autism was becoming more widely recognized as a developmental condition, and its rates of diagnosis were rising. People who believed Wakefield’s results conflated methylmercury and ethylmercury and promoted the unfounded idea that ethylmercury in vaccines from thimerosal were driving the rising rates of autism.

The Wakefield study was retracted in 2010, and Wakefield was found guilty of dishonesty and flouting ethics protocols by the U.K. General Medical Council, as well as stripped of his medical license. Subsequent studies have not shown a relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism, but despite the absence of evidence, the idea took hold and has proven difficult to dislodge.

The Wakefield study severely damaged many parents’ faith in the MMR vaccine, even though its results were eventually shown to be fraudulent.
Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank, Getty Images

Have scientists tested whether thimerosal is safe?

No unbiased research to date has identified toxicity caused by ethylmercury in vaccines or a link between the substance and autism or other developmental concerns – and not from lack of looking.

A 1999 review conducted by the Food and Drug Administration in response to federal guidelines on limiting mercury exposure found no evidence of harm from thimerosal as a vaccine preservative other than rare allergic reactions. Even so, as a precautionary measure in response to concerns about exposure to mercury in infants, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service issued a joint statement in 1999 recommending removal of thimerosal from vaccines.

At that time, just one childhood vaccine was available only in a version that contained thimerosal as an ingredient. This was a vaccine called DTP, for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Other childhood vaccines were either available only in formulations without thimerosal or could be obtained in versions that did not contain it.

By 2001, U.S. manufacturers had removed thimerosal from almost all vaccines – and from all vaccines in the childhood vaccination schedule.

In 2004, the U.S. Institute of Medicine Immunization Safety Review Committee reviewed over 200 scientific studies and concluded there is no causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. Additional well-conducted studies reviewed independently by the CDC and by the FDA did not find a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism or neuropsychological delays.

How is thimerosal used today?

In the U.S., most vaccines are now available in single-dose vials or syringes. Thimerosal is found only in multidose vials that are used to supply vaccines for large-scale immunization efforts – specifically, in a small number of influenza vaccines. It is not added to modern childhood vaccines, and people who get a flu vaccine can avoid it by requesting a vaccine supplied in a single-dose vial or syringe.

Thimerosal is still used in vaccines in some other countries to ensure continued availability of necessary vaccines. The World Health Organization continues to affirm that there is no evidence of toxicity in infants, children or adults exposed to thimerosal-containing vaccines.

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

– ref. A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains – https://theconversation.com/a-preservative-removed-from-childhood-vaccines-20-years-ago-is-still-causing-controversy-today-a-drug-safety-expert-explains-259442

MIL OSI Analysis –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Analysis: A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Terri Levien, Professor of Pharmacy, Washington State University

A discredited study published in 1989 first alleged a link between thimerosal and autism. Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty Images

An expert committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines is meeting for the first time since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly replaced the committee’s 17 members with eight hand-picked ones on June 11, 2025.

The committee, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, generally discusses and votes on recommendations for specific vaccines. For this meeting, taking place June 25-26, 2025, vaccines for COVID-19, human papillomavirus, influenza and other infectious diseases were on the schedule. According to an updated agenda, however, the committee is now also scheduled to hear a presentation on a chemical called thimerosal and to vote on proposed recommendations regarding its use in influenza vaccines.

Public health experts have raised concerns about the presentation, noting that anti-vaccine advocates continue to promote confusion regarding the purported health risks of thimerosal despite extensive research demonstrating its safety.

I’m a pharmacist and expert on drug information with 35 years of experience critically evaluating the safety and effectiveness of medications in clinical trials. No evidence supports the idea that thimerosal, used as a preservative in vaccines, is unsafe or carries any health risks.

What is thimerosal?

Thimerosal, also known as thiomersal, is a preservative that has been used in some drug products since the 1930s because it prevents contamination by killing microbes and preventing their growth.

In the human body, thimerosal is metabolized, or changed, to ethylmercury, an organic derivative of mercury. Studies in infants have shown that ethylmercury is quickly eliminated from the blood.

Even though thimerosal is no longer used in childhood vaccines, many parents still worry about whether it can harm their kids.

Ethylmercury is sometimes confused with methylmercury. Methylmercury is known to be toxic and is associated with many negative effects on brain development even at low exposure. Environmental researchers identified the neurotoxic effects of mercury in children in the 1970s, primarily resulting from exposure to methylmercury in fish. In the 1990s, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration established limits for maximum recommended exposure to methylmercury, especially for children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age.

Why is thimerosal controversial?

Fears about the safety of thimerosal in vaccines spread for two reasons.

First, in 1998, a now discredited report was published in a major medical journal called The Lancet. In it, a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield described eight children who developed autism after receiving the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. However, the patients were not compared with a control group that was vaccinated, so it was impossible to draw conclusions about the vaccine’s effects. Also, the data report was later found to be falsified. And the MMR vaccine that children received in that report never contained thimerosal.

Second, the federal guidelines on exposure limits for the toxic substance methylmercury came out about the same time as the Wakefield study’s publication. During that period, autism was becoming more widely recognized as a developmental condition, and its rates of diagnosis were rising. People who believed Wakefield’s results conflated methylmercury and ethylmercury and promoted the unfounded idea that ethylmercury in vaccines from thimerosal were driving the rising rates of autism.

The Wakefield study was retracted in 2010, and Wakefield was found guilty of dishonesty and flouting ethics protocols by the U.K. General Medical Council, as well as stripped of his medical license. Subsequent studies have not shown a relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism, but despite the absence of evidence, the idea took hold and has proven difficult to dislodge.

The Wakefield study severely damaged many parents’ faith in the MMR vaccine, even though its results were eventually shown to be fraudulent.
Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank, Getty Images

Have scientists tested whether thimerosal is safe?

No unbiased research to date has identified toxicity caused by ethylmercury in vaccines or a link between the substance and autism or other developmental concerns – and not from lack of looking.

A 1999 review conducted by the Food and Drug Administration in response to federal guidelines on limiting mercury exposure found no evidence of harm from thimerosal as a vaccine preservative other than rare allergic reactions. Even so, as a precautionary measure in response to concerns about exposure to mercury in infants, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service issued a joint statement in 1999 recommending removal of thimerosal from vaccines.

At that time, just one childhood vaccine was available only in a version that contained thimerosal as an ingredient. This was a vaccine called DTP, for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Other childhood vaccines were either available only in formulations without thimerosal or could be obtained in versions that did not contain it.

By 2001, U.S. manufacturers had removed thimerosal from almost all vaccines – and from all vaccines in the childhood vaccination schedule.

In 2004, the U.S. Institute of Medicine Immunization Safety Review Committee reviewed over 200 scientific studies and concluded there is no causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. Additional well-conducted studies reviewed independently by the CDC and by the FDA did not find a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism or neuropsychological delays.

How is thimerosal used today?

In the U.S., most vaccines are now available in single-dose vials or syringes. Thimerosal is found only in multidose vials that are used to supply vaccines for large-scale immunization efforts – specifically, in a small number of influenza vaccines. It is not added to modern childhood vaccines, and people who get a flu vaccine can avoid it by requesting a vaccine supplied in a single-dose vial or syringe.

Thimerosal is still used in vaccines in some other countries to ensure continued availability of necessary vaccines. The World Health Organization continues to affirm that there is no evidence of toxicity in infants, children or adults exposed to thimerosal-containing vaccines.

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

– ref. A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains – https://theconversation.com/a-preservative-removed-from-childhood-vaccines-20-years-ago-is-still-causing-controversy-today-a-drug-safety-expert-explains-259442

MIL OSI Analysis –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Djibouti: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission

Source: IMF – News in Russian

June 25, 2025

A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

Washington, DC: Djibouti has been navigating regional tensions well, with robust growth, moderate inflation, and recovering reserves. In response to global uncertainties and domestic debt challenges, the authorities plan significant fiscal consolidation, including leveraging state-owned enterprises (SOE) dividends meaningfully, and advancing creditor dialogue. The authorities remain dedicated to investing in human capital and creating favorable investment conditions for job creation.

Djibouti’s economic resilience and contribution to regional stability

Djibouti helps maintain regional stability by supporting maritime security and facilitating humanitarian responses during crises. Djibouti’s GDP per capita has effectively doubled over the past decade thanks to significant investments that have contributed to the modernization of the economy. However, declining government revenues and increasing debt service have placed considerable strain on public finances, leading to unsustainable levels of public debt and diminishing reserves. Growth has not created enough jobs in the formal sector, while fiscal space to finance development needs is limited.

The authorities are leveraging Djibouti’s growth resilience to advance fiscal consolidation and rebuild reserves. Growth is expected to have exceeded 6.5 percent in 2024 due to increased transshipments amid Red Sea tensions, while moderate international food and energy prices kept inflation in check. The government deficit was reduced from 3.5 percent of GDP in 2023 to 2.6 percent in 2024 following a brief period of fiscal overruns and deficit monetization, and reserves have begun to recover partially offsetting the decline observed since late 2023, though they remain below the monetary base.

The outlook is positive but subject to risks in an uncertain global context. Growth is projected to remain dynamic at around 6 percent this year and to continue over the medium term, albeit at a slower pace. Ethiopia’s robust economy is expected to boost Djibouti’s port activities; however, fiscal consolidation and the phasing out of large-scale investments may temper growth. Key risks include regional conflicts potentially increasing migration and affecting social stability amid a constrained fiscal space, and trade policy shifts that could depreciate the dollar and Djibouti franc, enhancing service exports but also raising inflation. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that Djibouti has successfully navigated several shocks over the past few years, including COVID-19, the 2022 Tigray crisis, the Ukraine war, and the 2024 Red Sea maritime disruptions.

Leveraging resilience for fiscal sustainability and rebuilding reserves

In the face of high global and regional uncertainty, Djibouti needs to quickly strengthen its economic resilience by restoring debt sustainability, safeguarding the currency board, and fostering inclusive growth. To this end, the authorities intend to strengthen fiscal consolidation and enhance financial transparency and governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to unlock sustainable and meaningful dividend contributions to the national budget, restore reserves, and encourage private sector growth while protecting vulnerable populations.

Durable fiscal consolidation is essential for restoring debt sustainability. The substantial fiscal adjustment frontloaded in the 2025 budget and the balanced budget target for 2026 onward are welcome steps. To sustain progress, it is essential that all governmental entities endorse annual fiscal targets that align with a medium-term fiscal consolidation strategy. Success depends on robust expenditure management via the diligent operationalization of the recently approved Public Financial Management Reform Strategy and Action Plan 2024–27. Furthermore, a comprehensive fiscal roadmap should continue to broaden the tax base by enhancing VAT and capital income taxation, rationalizing tax exemptions included in the investment code and the Free Zones regime, and finalizing the digitization of tax agencies. The effective establishment of the tax policy unit remains a priority for accurately assessing tax bases and enhancing tax reform efficiency. Operationalizing the recently created large taxpayer office will also bolster compliance and revenue collection.

As Djibouti negotiates new terms for debt liabilities with creditors, well-managed and profitable SOEs can significantly aid national fiscal consolidation and restore reserves at the Central Bank of Djibouti (CBD), particularly following the dissolution of the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF). Building on ongoing efforts to improve SOE transparency and governance, it will be critical for the Executive Secretariat in charge of the State Portfolio (SEPE) to collect all SOEs’ financial statements and monitor their performance. Swiftly implementing the Code of Good Governance is also essential for establishing a more transparent dividend policy tied to SOE performance, thereby mobilizing dividends more consistently and meaningfully for the budget, improving SOE efficiency and services, and appropriately right-size them. Additionally, fiscal transparency can be strengthened by discontinuing financial settlement practices for clearing government arrears with SOEs, and by improving coordination among the Ministry of Budget, line ministries, and SEPE for more effective budget risk management.

Alongside fiscal consolidation, completing ongoing debt negotiations and addressing outstanding arrears with external partners are critical for debt sustainability. Equally important is implementing binding limits on borrowing for the central government, SOEs, including their participation in public-private partnerships, and ensuring these are enforced by the Public Sector Debt Committee.

The mission is encouraged by the recent recovery in reserves and urges continued progress. To strengthen the currency board, the authorities plan to amend the CBD law to enhance its autonomy, which will help sustain reserves, exchange rate, and inflation stability. They also plan to introduce reserve requirements as a prudential tool, with implementation expected to follow a phased approach. Additionally, under MENAFATF’s enhanced monitoring, Djibouti is reforming its AML/CFT framework, improving the business climate, and enhancing oversight of the banking sector due to its significant offshore component and rising government exposure. To facilitate policy making, the authorities are leveraging technical assistance provided by the IMF to enhance their coverage and quality of statistics relevant to surveillance, with a focus on national accounts, the fiscal and external sectors.

Advancing inclusivity through private sector development and employment creation

The government aims to foster economic growth and social equity. They aim to improve the existing targeting of the current fuel subsidy scheme. In order to create a more effective and equitable social protection system and reduce budget exposure to international energy prices, the authorities should gradually replace the current subsidy system with the strengthening of targeted cash transfers to the most vulnerable households, relying on the national social register. To attract investments and create jobs, they are enhancing access to education and job training under the 2021–35 education master plan. They aim to diversify the economy in sectors such as logistics and connectivity, tourism, agribusiness, and fisheries. To enable economic diversification, it is essential to develop a comprehensive roadmap with specific actions aimed at enhancing access to finance, streamlining administrative procedures, and expanding reliable and affordable internet services and electricity, including through increased bill collection, technical efficiency, and the adoption of cost-efficient renewable energy. These initiatives will enhance Djibouti’s business environment, which is already supported by a stable macroeconomic climate, a currency board, ports infrastructure, and connectivity to Ethiopia’s large market, all aligning with the objectives of Djibouti Vision 2035.

“The mission team expresses deep appreciation to the Djiboutian authorities and other counterparts for their warm hospitality, excellent cooperation and candid discussions, and looks forward to continuing close engagement.”

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER: Wafa Amr

Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

@IMFSpokesperson

https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/25/djibouti-staff-concluding-statement-of-the-2025-article-iv-mission

MIL OSI

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Summer break brings uncertainty for children, and kindness at home matters

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Amina Yousaf, Associate Head, Early Childhood Studies, University of Guelph-Humber

Transitions, even positive ones, can be tough on children. (kahar erbol/Unsplash)

As the school year wraps up, many children are keen for summer break. Summer means sunshine, and hopefully popsicles and lots of playtime. But for many families, summer also brings a combination of excitement and uncertainty.

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, this transition may feel particularly challenging. In recent years, children across age groups have faced significant disruptions to their social and emotional development. Both parents and education experts say lockdowns and ongoing pandemic disruptions left lingering impacts, with some children still struggling with anxiety, emotional regulation, social skills and difficulties focusing in school.

As summer kicks off, an effective tool for parents and caregivers is kindness. In early childhood development, kindness serves as a foundation for empathy and strong relationships, both of which are essential for social-emotional learning (SEL).

Read more:
Kindness: What I’ve learned from 3,000 children and adolescents

Foundation for strong relationships

Kindness is more than just being polite. It’s an essential element of emotional well-being and a core part of building resilience in children.

Experiences between children and parents or their caregivers matter to how children navigate life. Learning at school also matters: Recent research shows that children aged nine to 12 who received structured SEL instruction showed notable improvements in emotional well-being, peer relationships and overall happiness.

These benefits were especially pronounced during transitional periods, like starting a new school year, which parallels the shift into summer. The study highlighted that reinforcing SEL at home through kindness and emotional support helps children feel more grounded, confident and connected.

Experiences between children and parents or their caregivers matter to how children navigate life.
(Shutterstock)

Lingering pandemic effects

This is particularly important now. A Canadian study that followed nearly 1,400 children between the ages of nine and 14 found that their mental health didn’t bounce back after COVID. After an initial period of adjustment, symptoms like anxiety, depression, trouble focusing and restlessness got worse again once life returned to “normal.”

By 2023, more children were struggling with their mental health than at any point during the pandemic.

Challenges also extend to younger learners. For example, a 2023 Toronto District School Board report found many kindergarten-aged children entered school with delays, including in emotional regulation, communication and social interaction.

Read more:
Pandemic effects linger, and art invites us to pause and behold distance, time and trauma

While much public discourse has centred on academic recovery, these findings suggest that emotional recovery must be just as urgent a priority.

Kindness, offered consistently and sincerely, can help lay the groundwork for this healing process.

Grounding force during period of change

Transitions, even positive ones, can be tough on children.

This is where kindness becomes a practical strategy. A soft voice, a patient ear and an empathetic response can be grounding forces during periods of change.

When your child expresses nervousness about summer activities or feels lost without school structure, simple but supportive responses like “It’s OK to feel unsure, is there something you’re curious or excited about?” can go a long way in helping them feel safe and understood.

Kindness isn’t about coddling or sheltering children. It’s about creating the emotional security they need to develop strong coping skills.

Emotionally supportive environments empower children to regulate their emotions and form meaningful relationships.

Kindness is about creating the emotional security children need to develop strong coping skills.
(Shutterstock)

5 ways to support children

Here are five evidence-informed ways you can combine kindness with everyday parenting to support your children during summer transitions:

• Maintain predictable routines: Even in a relaxed summer setting, consistencies like regular mealtimes, rest and play help children feel secure. Research shows routines buffer children from behavioural challenges during periods of change.

• Name and validate emotions: Help children identify what they’re feeling. For example: “You seem frustrated,” or “You seem sad,” and prompting “Would you like to talk?” supports brain development and emotional regulation.

• Offer age-appropriate choices: Providing children with simple choices fosters autonomy and reduces power struggles. A 2020 child development study linked this practice to improved emotional outcomes.

• Practice co-regulation: When you stay calm and use tools like deep breathing, soft tones and physical presence, children learn by example how to manage big feelings.

• Prioritize play and connection: Pediatric specialists emphasize that unstructured play promotes creativity, resilience and emotional healing, especially important after prolonged stress.

Small, kind gestures, like offering a hug when your child is upset or sitting quietly with them, signal emotional availability and build trust. These simple acts help children feel safe, valued and ready to face the changes that summer may bring.

A collective recovery, one act at a time

Of course, kindness alone cannot solve all the challenges children face, but it offers a vital anchor during uncertain times.

Parents and caregivers don’t need to craft perfect summer plans. What children truly need is to feel emotionally safe. As summer brings change, acts of kindness can guide children and families toward healing and growth, fostering emotional resilience.

Amina Yousaf does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Summer break brings uncertainty for children, and kindness at home matters – https://theconversation.com/summer-break-brings-uncertainty-for-children-and-kindness-at-home-matters-258332

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Djibouti: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission

Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

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Djibouti has been navigating regional tensions well, with robust growth, moderate inflation, and recovering reserves. In response to global uncertainties and domestic debt challenges, the authorities plan significant fiscal consolidation, including leveraging state-owned enterprises (SOE) dividends meaningfully, and advancing creditor dialogue. The authorities remain dedicated to investing in human capital and creating favorable investment conditions for job creation.

Djibouti’s economic resilience and contribution to regional stability

Djibouti helps maintain regional stability by supporting maritime security and facilitating humanitarian responses during crises. Djibouti’s GDP per capita has effectively doubled over the past decade thanks to significant investments that have contributed to the modernization of the economy. However, declining government revenues and increasing debt service have placed considerable strain on public finances, leading to unsustainable levels of public debt and diminishing reserves. Growth has not created enough jobs in the formal sector, while fiscal space to finance development needs is limited.

The authorities are leveraging Djibouti’s growth resilience to advance fiscal consolidation and rebuild reserves. Growth is expected to have exceeded 6.5 percent in 2024 due to increased transshipments amid Red Sea tensions, while moderate international food and energy prices kept inflation in check. The government deficit was reduced from 3.5 percent of GDP in 2023 to 2.6 percent in 2024 following a brief period of fiscal overruns and deficit monetization, and reserves have begun to recover partially offsetting the decline observed since late 2023, though they remain below the monetary base.

The outlook is positive but subject to risks in an uncertain global context. Growth is projected to remain dynamic at around 6 percent this year and to continue over the medium term, albeit at a slower pace. Ethiopia’s robust economy is expected to boost Djibouti’s port activities; however, fiscal consolidation and the phasing out of large-scale investments may temper growth. Key risks include regional conflicts potentially increasing migration and affecting social stability amid a constrained fiscal space, and trade policy shifts that could depreciate the dollar and Djibouti franc, enhancing service exports but also raising inflation. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that Djibouti has successfully navigated several shocks over the past few years, including COVID-19, the 2022 Tigray crisis, the Ukraine war, and the 2024 Red Sea maritime disruptions.

Leveraging resilience for fiscal sustainability and rebuilding reserves

In the face of high global and regional uncertainty, Djibouti needs to quickly strengthen its economic resilience by restoring debt sustainability, safeguarding the currency board, and fostering inclusive growth. To this end, the authorities intend to strengthen fiscal consolidation and enhance financial transparency and governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to unlock sustainable and meaningful dividend contributions to the national budget, restore reserves, and encourage private sector growth while protecting vulnerable populations.

Durable fiscal consolidation is essential for restoring debt sustainability. The substantial fiscal adjustment frontloaded in the 2025 budget and the balanced budget target for 2026 onward are welcome steps. To sustain progress, it is essential that all governmental entities endorse annual fiscal targets that align with a medium-term fiscal consolidation strategy. Success depends on robust expenditure management via the diligent operationalization of the recently approved Public Financial Management Reform Strategy and Action Plan 2024–27. Furthermore, a comprehensive fiscal roadmap should continue to broaden the tax base by enhancing VAT and capital income taxation, rationalizing tax exemptions included in the investment code and the Free Zones regime, and finalizing the digitization of tax agencies. The effective establishment of the tax policy unit remains a priority for accurately assessing tax bases and enhancing tax reform efficiency. Operationalizing the recently created large taxpayer office will also bolster compliance and revenue collection.

As Djibouti negotiates new terms for debt liabilities with creditors, well-managed and profitable SOEs can significantly aid national fiscal consolidation and restore reserves at the Central Bank of Djibouti (CBD), particularly following the dissolution of the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF). Building on ongoing efforts to improve SOE transparency and governance, it will be critical for the Executive Secretariat in charge of the State Portfolio (SEPE) to collect all SOEs’ financial statements and monitor their performance. Swiftly implementing the Code of Good Governance is also essential for establishing a more transparent dividend policy tied to SOE performance, thereby mobilizing dividends more consistently and meaningfully for the budget, improving SOE efficiency and services, and appropriately right-size them. Additionally, fiscal transparency can be strengthened by discontinuing financial settlement practices for clearing government arrears with SOEs, and by improving coordination among the Ministry of Budget, line ministries, and SEPE for more effective budget risk management.

Alongside fiscal consolidation, completing ongoing debt negotiations and addressing outstanding arrears with external partners are critical for debt sustainability. Equally important is implementing binding limits on borrowing for the central government, SOEs, including their participation in public-private partnerships, and ensuring these are enforced by the Public Sector Debt Committee.

The mission is encouraged by the recent recovery in reserves and urges continued progress. To strengthen the currency board, the authorities plan to amend the CBD law to enhance its autonomy, which will help sustain reserves, exchange rate, and inflation stability. They also plan to introduce reserve requirements as a prudential tool, with implementation expected to follow a phased approach. Additionally, under MENAFATF’s enhanced monitoring, Djibouti is reforming its AML/CFT framework, improving the business climate, and enhancing oversight of the banking sector due to its significant offshore component and rising government exposure. To facilitate policy making, the authorities are leveraging technical assistance provided by the IMF to enhance their coverage and quality of statistics relevant to surveillance, with a focus on national accounts, the fiscal and external sectors.

Advancing inclusivity through private sector development and employment creation

The government aims to foster economic growth and social equity. They aim to improve the existing targeting of the current fuel subsidy scheme. In order to create a more effective and equitable social protection system and reduce budget exposure to international energy prices, the authorities should gradually replace the current subsidy system with the strengthening of targeted cash transfers to the most vulnerable households, relying on the national social register. To attract investments and create jobs, they are enhancing access to education and job training under the 2021–35 education master plan. They aim to diversify the economy in sectors such as logistics and connectivity, tourism, agribusiness, and fisheries. To enable economic diversification, it is essential to develop a comprehensive roadmap with specific actions aimed at enhancing access to finance, streamlining administrative procedures, and expanding reliable and affordable internet services and electricity, including through increased bill collection, technical efficiency, and the adoption of cost-efficient renewable energy. These initiatives will enhance Djibouti’s business environment, which is already supported by a stable macroeconomic climate, a currency board, ports infrastructure, and connectivity to Ethiopia’s large market, all aligning with the objectives of Djibouti Vision 2035.

“The mission team expresses deep appreciation to the Djiboutian authorities and other counterparts for their warm hospitality, excellent cooperation and candid discussions, and looks forward to continuing close engagement.”

– on behalf of International Monetary Fund (IMF).

MIL OSI Africa –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: 25 June 2025 Joint News Release Energy Access Has Improved, Yet International Financial Support Still Needed to Boost Progress and Address Disparities
Source: World Health Organisation

Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025 finds that almost 92% of the world’s population now has basic access to electricity Although this is an improvement since 2022, which saw the number of people without basic access decrease for the first time in a decade, over 666 million people remain without access, indicating that the current rate is insufficient to reach universal access by 2030. Clean cooking access is progressing but below the rates of progress seen in the 2010s, as efforts remain hobbled by setbacks during the Covid-19 pandemic, following energy price shocks, and debt crises.

Released today, the latest edition of the annual report that tracks progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 highlights the role of distributed renewable energy (a combination of mini-grid and off-grid solar systems) to accelerate access, since the population remaining unconnected lives mostly in remote, lower-income, and fragile areas. Cost-effective and rapidly scalable, decentralised solutions are able to reach communities in such rural areas.

Decentralised solutions are also needed to increase access to clean cooking. With an estimated 1.5 billion people residing in rural areas still lacking access to clean cooking, the use of off-grid clean technologies, such as household biogas plants and mini-grids that facilitate electric cooking, can provide solutions that reduce health impacts caused by household air pollution. Over 670 million people remain without electricity access, and over 2 billion people remain dependent on polluting and hazardous fuels such as firewood and charcoal for their cooking needs.

Notable progress was made in different indicators. The international financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy grew for the third year in a row to reach USD 21.6 billion in 2023. Installed renewables capacity per capita continued to increase year-on-year to reach a new high of 341 watts per capita in developing countries, up from 155 watts in 2015.

Yet regional disparities persist, indicating that particular support is needed for developing regions. In sub-Saharan Africa – which lags behind across most indicators – renewables deployment has rapidly expanded but remains limited to 40 watts of installed capacity per capita on average which is only one-eighth of the average of other developing countries. Eighty-five percent of the global population without electricity access reside in the region, while four in five families are without access to clean cooking. And the number of people without clean cooking access in the region continues to grow at a rate of 14 million people yearly.

The report identified the lack of sufficient and affordable financing as a key reason for regional inequalities and slow progress. To build on the achievements to date and avoid any further regressions on access to electricity and clean cooking due to looming risks in global markets, the report calls for strengthened international cooperation of public and private sectors, to scale up financial support for developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Urgent actions include reforms in multilateral and bilateral lending to expand the availability of public capital; more concessional finance mobilisation, grants, and risk mitigation instruments; improvement in risk tolerance among donors; as well as appropriate national energy planning and regulations.

Key findings across primary indicators
- Almost 92% of the world’s population now has access to electricity, leaving over 666 million people without electricity in 2023, with around 310 million people gaining access since 2015. Eighteen of the 20 countries with the largest electricity access deficits in 2023 were in sub-Saharan Africa. The greatest growth in access between 2020 and 2023 occurred in Central and Southern Asia, with both regions making significant strides towards universal electricity access, reducing their basic access gap from 414 million in 2010 to just 27 million in 2023.
- Little to no change was observed in access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking between 2022 and 2023. Although the number of the world’s population with access to clean cooking fuels and technologies increased from 64% in 2015 to 74% in 2023, around 2.1 billion people remain dependent on polluting fuels and technologies. If current trends continue, only 78% of the global population will have access to clean cooking by 2030.
- In 2022, the global share of renewable energy sources in total final energy consumption (TFEC) was 17.9% as TFEC continued to increase gradually, while installed renewable energy capacity reached 478 watts per capita in 2023, indicating almost 13% growth from 2022. But progress is not sufficient to meet international climate and sustainable development goals. In addition, global efforts must address significant disparities. Despite progress in expanding renewable capacity, least developed countries and sub-Saharan Africa had only 40 watts per capita in installed renewables capacity, compared to developed countries which had over 1,100 watts installed.
- Global energy efficiency experienced sluggish progress in recent years. The global trend shows that primary energy intensity, defined as the ratio of total energy supply to gross domestic product, declined by 2.1% in 2022. Although it is an improvement of more than four times the weak 0.5% improvement rate of 2021, it is insufficient to meet the original SDG 7.3 target. Going forward, energy intensity needs to improve by 4% per year on average.
- International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy increased by 27% from 2022, reaching USD 21.6 billion in 2023. However, the report reveals that the developing world received fewer flows in 2023 than in 2016, when commitments peaked at USD 28.4 billion. Despite gradual diversification, funding remained concentrated, with only two sub-Saharan African countries in the top five recipients. Debt-based instruments drove most of the increase in international public flows in 2023, accounting for 83% in 2023, while grants made up only 9.8% of flows.
The report will be presented to decision-makers at a special launch event on 16 July 2025 at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York, which oversees progress on the SDGs.

Quotes

Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency

“Despite progress in some parts of the world, the expansion of electricity and clean cooking access remains disappointingly slow, especially in Africa. This is contributing to millions of premature deaths each year linked to smoke inhalation, and is holding back development and education opportunities. Greater investment in clean cooking and electricity supply is urgently required, including support to reduce the cost of capital for projects.”

Francesco La Camera, Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency

“Renewables have seen record growth in recent years, reminding the world of its affordability, scalability, and its role in further reducing energy poverty. But we must accelerate progress at this crunch time. This means overcoming challenges, which include infrastructure gaps. The lack of progress, especially on infrastructure, is a reflection of limited access to financing. Although international financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy grew to USD 21.6 billion in 2023, only two regions in the world have seen real progress in the financial flows. To close the access and infrastructure gaps, we need strengthened international cooperation to scale up affordable financing and impact–driven capital for the least developed and developing countries.”

Stefan Schweinfest, Director, United Nations Statistics Division

“This year’s report shows that now is the time to come together to build on existing achievements and scale up our efforts. Despite advancements in increasing renewables-based electricity, which now makes up almost 30 percent of global electricity consumption, the use of renewables for other energy-related purposes remains stagnant. While energy intensity improved in 2022, overall progress remains weak, threatening economic growth and the energy efficiency goals agreed upon at COP28. The clock is ticking. The findings of this year’s report should serve as a rallying point, to rapidly mobilize efforts and investments, so that together, we ensure sustainable energy for all by 2030.”

Guangzhe Chen, Vice President for Infrastructure, World Bank

“As we approach the five-year mark to achieve the SDG7 targets, it is imperative to accelerate the deployment of electricity connections, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where half of the 666 million people lacking access reside. As part of the Mission 300 movement, 12 African nations have launched national energy compacts, in which they commit to substantial reforms to lower costs of generation and transmission, and scale up distributed renewable energy solutions. Initiatives such as this unite governments, the private sector, and development partners in a collaborative effort.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, World Health Organization

“The same pollutants that are poisoning our planet are also poisoning people, contributing to millions of deaths each year from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, particularly among the most vulnerable, including women and children,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We urgently need scaled-up action and investment in clean cooking solutions to protect the health of both people and planet—now and in the future.”

About the report

This report is published by the SDG 7 custodian agencies, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO) and aims to provide the international community with a global dashboard to register progress on energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy and international cooperation to advance SDG 7.

This year’s edition was chaired by IRENA.

The report can be downloaded at https://trackingsdg7.esmap.org/

Funding for the report was provided by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP).

MIL OSI United Nations News –
June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Some people are turning to nicotine gum and patches to treat long COVID brain fog

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University

Andrey Popov/Shutterstock.com

Some people with long COVID are turning to an unlikely remedy: nicotine gum and patches. Though typically used to quit smoking, nicotine is now being explored as a possible way to ease symptoms such as brain fog and fatigue.

One such case, detailed in a recent article in Slate, describes a woman who found significant relief from debilitating brain fog after trying low-dose nicotine gum. Her experience, while anecdotal, aligns with findings from a small but interesting study from Germany.

The study involved four participants suffering from symptoms related to long COVID. The researcher administered low-dose nicotine patches once daily and noticed marked improvements in the participants’ symptoms. Tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath and trouble with exercise rapidly improved – by day six at the latest.

For those who had lost their sense of taste or smell, it took longer, but these senses came back fully within 16 days. Although it’s not possible to draw definitive conclusions on cause and effect from such a small study, the results could pave the way for larger studies.

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

While some people slowly recover from COVID, others remain unwell for years, especially those who became sick before vaccines were available. Between 3% and 5% of people continue to experience symptoms months, and sometimes even years, after the initial infection. In the UK, long COVID affects around 2.8% of the population.

Brain fog and other neurological symptoms of long COVID are thought to result from a combination of factors – including inflammation, reduced oxygen to the brain, vascular damage and disruption to the blood-brain barrier. Research continues as there is still a lot we don’t know about this condition.

The researcher in the German study thinks that long COVID symptoms, such as fatigue, brain fog and mood changes, might partly be due to problems with a brain chemical called acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. This chemical is important for many functions in the body, including memory, attention and regulating mood.

Normally, acetylcholine works by attaching to special “docking sites” on cells called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which help send signals in the brain and nervous system. But the COVID virus may interfere with these receptors, either by blocking them or disrupting how they work. When this happens, the brain may not be able to send signals properly, which could contribute to the mental and physical symptoms seen in long COVID.

So why would nicotine potentially be useful? Nicotine binds to the same receptors and might help restore normal signalling, but the idea that it displaces the virus directly is still speculative.

Nicotine is available in different forms, such as patches, gum, lozenges and sprays. Using nicotine through the skin, for example, with a patch, keeps the amount in the blood steady without big spikes. Because of this, people in the study didn’t seem to develop a dependence on it.

Chewing nicotine gum or using a lozenge can cause spikes in nicotine levels, since the nicotine is absorbed gradually through the lining of the mouth. But unlike a patch, which delivers a steady dose, the user has more control over how much nicotine they take in when using gum or lozenges.

There are mixed results on the effectiveness of nicotine on cognitive functions such as memory and concentration. But most studies agree that it can enhance attention. Larger studies are needed to gauge the effectiveness of nicotine specifically for long COVID symptoms.

An estimated 2.8% of people in the UK have long COVID.
Chaz Bharj/Shutterstock.com

Not without risks

Despite its benefits, nicotine is not without risks. Even in gum or patch form, it can cause side-effects like nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate and higher blood pressure.

Some of these stimulant effects on heart rate may be useful for people with long COVID symptoms such as exercise intolerance. But this needs to be closely monitored. Long-term use may also affect heart health. For non-smokers, the risk of developing a nicotine dependency is a serious concern.

So are there any options to treat long COVID symptoms?

There are some studies looking at guanfacine in combination with N-acetylcysteine, which have shown improvement in brain fog in small groups of people. There has been at least one clinical trial exploring nicotine for mild cognitive impairment in older adults, though not in the context of long COVID. Given that anecdotal reports and small studies continue to draw attention, it is likely that targeted trials are in development.

The main recommendations by experts are to implement lifestyle measures. Slowly increasing exercise, having a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, drugs and smoking, sleeping enough, practising mindfulness and doing things that stimulate the brain are all thought to help brain fog.

For those grappling with long COVID or persistent brain fog, the idea of using nicotine patches or gum might be tempting. But experts caution against self-medicating with nicotine. The lack of standardised dosing and the potential for addiction and unknown long-term effects make it a risky experiment.

While nicotine isn’t a cure and may carry real risks, its potential to ease long COVID symptoms warrants careful study. For now, those battling brain fog should approach it with caution – and always under medical supervision. What’s clear, though, is the urgent need for more research into safe, effective treatments for the lingering effects of COVID.

Dipa Kamdar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Some people are turning to nicotine gum and patches to treat long COVID brain fog – https://theconversation.com/some-people-are-turning-to-nicotine-gum-and-patches-to-treat-long-covid-brain-fog-259093

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 26, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study looking at global childhood vaccination coverage

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

June 24, 2025

A study published in the Lancet looks at global trends in routine childhood vaccination coverage.

Dr Simon Clarke, Associate Professor in Cellular Microbiology, and Head of Division of Biomedical Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, University of Reading, said:

“These figures indicate a worrying level of children in the UK who are completely unvaccinated against childhood diseases. While the comparative data do not show the specific causes of this rising trend over recent decades, the WHO and others are right to highlight it as a worrying trend.

“This is a very large assessment of multiple and large data sources, combined with models which are used to provide consistency between the data and provide forecasts into the future. Such methodology provides both a clear overview of the past trajectories of immunisation rates along with an effective range of possible scenarios for the future, which appears to be robust and based on sound data. The authors are clear about the limitations of their study but these do not detract from the overall message.

“The current move away from funding global health schemes through international aid in order to spend more on defence puts the whole world at greater risk of future epidemics and pandemics. Our security against this in the UK is improved by supporting efforts to not let dangerous diseases take hold in populations elsewhere in the world. Our experience of Covid reminds us that lethal human diseases can be very hard to contain on the other side of international borders.”

Dr David Elliman, Honorary Senior Associate Professor, UCL, said:

“Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective ways that the health service can improve the lives of children around the world. It is a great success story with more vaccines being introduced all the time. Not only does vaccination save lives, but it often saves money. However, in the last ten to twenty years, many countries, worldwide, have seen a reduction in the proportion of children receiving all the available vaccines. This article by a large group of researchers has documented the decline. It may be difficult to measure uptake of vaccination accurately, but the researchers have allowed for this. It is clear that the decline in uptake is happening around the world. This has resulted in outbreaks of disease, for examples measles and whooping cough in USA and Europe (including UK) as well as in resource poor countries. These diseases can and do kill children. While part of the fall in vaccination is related to COVID, the trend was clear before then.

“Declining vaccination rates are often blamed on misinformation, but there are many reasons, of which this is only one. Access to vaccines is often overlooked or underestimated as a factor, even in the UK. Around the world, the increasing number of countries torn apart by civil unrest and wars, combined with the drastic cuts in foreign aid from rich nations, such as USA and UK, makes it difficult to get vaccines to many populations. With the political changes in USA where it appears that policy is being made on the basis of ill-informed opinion, rather than science, we have a perfect storm. The researchers’ recommendations to strengthen primary health-care systems, address vaccine misinformation and hesitancy, and adapt to local contexts can, and should, be applied to all countries, including the UK. In addition we should ensure that vaccines are available to all.

“It is in everyone’s interest that this situation is rectified. Not only is it a moral imperative to improve the health of ALL children, wherever possible, but as was said during the COVID pandemic, no-one is safe, until everyone is safe. While vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, occur anywhere in the world, we are all at risk. Universal vaccination is a perfect example of ‘enlightened self interest’.”

Prof Sir Andrew Pollard FRCPCH FMedSci FRS, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, and Ashall Professor of Infection and Immunity, Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, said:

“The study uses an established approach to track the global burden of disease and immunisation coverage and the authors have tried hard to get the most accurate data by using multiple sources and account for regional variation and inequalities. These types of study will always be limited by the lack of high quality national data from most countries in the world which means there has to be extrapolation and assumption. Nevertheless these are important data providing a concerning picture of recent declines in vaccine coverage and an increase in the number of zero dose children which risks the future health and lives of millions of children.

“Incredible progress has been made in the past 50 years since the global expanded programme of immunisation was launched 50 years ago and over 150 million lives, mostly children, have been saved by the programme. The story is the same here in the UK with the launch of our own national programme by JCVI 62 years ago: deaths from infectious diseases of childhood have plummeted here too. The rarity of childhood severe disease and death from infection risks that we become complacent. But the danger remains out there: all of the diseases for which vaccines can protect children remain at large, only kept at bay by the shield which is provided by immunuisation. Unvaccinated children are vulnerable to a wide range of awful life-threatening bacteria and viruses, just as was the case for our population in the first half of the 20^th century. There is a worrying trend of falling vaccine coverage worldwide which has been manifest in the last year as the outbreaks in Europe and North America of measles and whooping cough, with measles deaths in Texas in 2025. Falling global vaccine coverage, an increase in the numbers of children receiving no vaccines, and delays in vaccination mean that more children will be hospitalised, permanently damaged and die from fully preventable diseases if the trend is not reversed. Alas, the cuts in global health funding mean that this situation is set to deteriorate. This is a big concern for the future of our health and global health security.”

Dr Ed Parker, Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Vaccine Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said:

“This is a timely study that attempts to quantify global trends in childhood vaccine coverage since 1980. The findings highlight the remarkable progress that has been made to deliver life-saving vaccines across the globe, while painting a clear picture of the challenges faced following disrupted vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic and the stagnation in vaccination rates that preceded it.

“Underpinning the work is an immense data curation effort, drawing together data from household surveys, national coverage reports, and various other sources from across the globe. The study team estimated coverage trends with careful consideration of the biases, gaps, and inconsistencies that are inherent in these data, providing strong foundations for the study’s conclusions.

“A key uncertainty – acknowledged by the authors – is that it is too early to know what effect proposed funding cuts might have on vaccination programmes globally. The recent resurgence of measles, polio, and diphtheria – all preventable by vaccination – serves as a reminder of what is at stake if high and equitable vaccine coverage is not sustained.”

Prof Helen Bedford, Professor of Children’s Health, UCL, said:

“It is often said that, after clean water, vaccination is the most effective intervention for protecting the health of our children. While it can be challenging in many settings to measure vaccine uptake accurately, the researchers publishing the latest data from the World Health Organization have made allowance for this and it provides powerful evidence. It is estimated that vaccination has prevented an estimated 154 million deaths, mostly in the under-fives, across the globe in the last 50 years. However, we cannot rest on our laurels; this progress is stalling in many countries including the UK. In UK, although vaccination is the norm, with the overwhelming majority of parents vaccinating their babies, infants and children without hesitation, there has been a small but gradual decline in the number of parents doing so each year over the past 12 years with increasing inequity in uptake between social groups. This has resulted in recent outbreaks of disease with the largest number of confirmed cases of measles since the 1990s and the tragic deaths of eleven babies from whooping cough in 2024.

“The reasons for declining vaccine uptake are numerous and complex but require commitment and resource to meet the challenges of increasing social inequity, readily available mis-information about vaccine safety and necessity and improving public confidence in vaccination programmes. Vaccination remains one of our most powerful tools for protecting child health, but its continued success depends on sustained investment, equity, and public trust.”

‘Global, regional, and national trends in routine childhood vaccination coverage from 1980 to 2023 with forecasts to 2030: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023’ by GBD 2023 Vaccine Coverage Collaborators was published in the Lancet at 23:30 UK time on Tuesday 24 June 2025.

DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01037-2

Declared interests

Dr Simon Clarke: “No conflicts of interest.”

Dr David Elliman: “No conflicts of interest.”

Prof Sir Andrew Pollard: “Professor Pollard is chair of JCVI which provides independent scientific advice on vaccines to DHSC. The comment above is given in a personal capacity.”

Dr Ed Parker: “No COIs to declare.”

Prof Helen Bedford: “No conflicts.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 25, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Global rankings fuel hype, but students have more to consider when choosing a uni

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Message, Professor of Public Humanities and Director of the ANU Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University

At this time of year, many year 12 students are seriously turning their minds to the future. Should they go to university next year? If so, which one?

June is also the start of the global ranking season. Last week saw the release of the QS Quacquarelli Symonds 2026 world university rankings, amid reports of a “wake-up call” for Australian universities. About 70% of Australian universities fell in the rankings albeit only by small margins.

Should students be worried about this? What should they – and the rest of us – understand about global rankings?

What are rankings?

Global university rankings aim to evaluate all universities in the world through a a single comparative framework.

Apart from QS, other high-profile global rankings include those by Shanghai Ranking and the Times Higher Education.

Each ranking system has a slightly different focus and methodology.

QS looks at student-to-staff ratios, student employability, the reputation of the university as an employer, sustainability, global engagement and academic citations. It also ranks specific subjects across universities, which can be helpful if you want to know about the quality of teaching in a particular discipline or field.

It is comprehensive. QS included 36 of Australia’s 43 universities in their latest assessment. These universities were also compared to more than 1,400 other institutions across 105 other countries.

What impact do rankings have?

These rankings are promoted as objective indicators and markers of prestige. They can be very influential in terms of attracting potential donors and students.

One analysis suggests academic rankings are more influential than are research results for attracting philanthropic investment in Australian universities.

The rankings can also directly affect the resources available for students.

We know rankings can influence where international students (and the resources that accompany them) go. Australian universities have long relied on fees from international students to support funding shortfalls.

Rankings are not everything

But global rankings have many critics. They may include a lot of information but this is not necessarily what students in diverse situations and locations need.

The rankings also do not reflect how much time and how many resources some universities put into the information that goes back to the ranking process.

In November 2023, an independent expert group, convened by the United Nations issued a statement criticising the rankings system.

It said “the very idea of global university rankings is fundamentally flawed”.

It is simply not possible to produce a fair and credible global league table of universities given their multiple missions and their diverse social, economic and political contexts around the world.

It also noted the rankings advantaged “historically privileged institutions”.

The statement also said there was a bias towards the English language, certain types of research, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. “This undermines the importance of teaching and of the humanities and social sciences,” it said.

A bias against regional unis?

The rankings also do not favour regional universities, which is particularly relevant for Australian students.

The QS 2026 survey shows four regional Australian universities slipped in rank and all are positioned outside the global top 400.

This shows how global rankings are a blunt instrument and don’t account for the broader place of universities in regional areas. Here they play a vital role in their communities, driving economic growth and providing essential services.

What should prospective students consider?

Although universities within countries are ranked as better or worse than each other in a global league table, it is important to recognise specific national factors are not considered in the rankings. And individual student experience is rarely taken into account.

Student experience includes the quality of teaching and the types of support individuals have access to, as well as the facilities and the culture on and around campus. We also know student experience continues to be affected by loneliness in the post-Covid era.

So prospective students should be careful when it comes to making a decision about where to go to university. Rankings are a useful tool but so is talking to friends and family and going to open days.

More than anything else, Year 12 students should know this is not the most important decision of their lives. They can take a gap year or change degrees. In fact many students do one or both of these things.

Kylie Message does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Global rankings fuel hype, but students have more to consider when choosing a uni – https://theconversation.com/global-rankings-fuel-hype-but-students-have-more-to-consider-when-choosing-a-uni-259443

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Warren Slams RFK Jr. For “Reckless” Decision to Fire Vaccine Experts, Presses on New Appointees’ Conflicts of Interest, Anti-Vaccine Views

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
June 24, 2025
New panel will meet for the first time tomorrow without ethics disclosures or conflict of interest guidelines in place
“You have promised that, as HHS Secretary, you would root out conflicts of interest and promote ‘radical transparency,’ but you are failing miserably to meet this promise as you rush to impose your anti-vaccine agenda on the American public.”
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), on the eve of a key committee meeting, slammed Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK Jr.) for his “reckless” and “shortsighted” decision to fire all 17 independent members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and replace them with eight members who appear to be hand-picked to advance RFK Jr.’s own anti-vaccine agenda. With the new panel set to meet for the first time tomorrow, Senator Warren pressed RFK Jr. on his own conflicts of interests, and those of his appointees, raising concerns about their ability to make public health decisions to benefit Americans rather than line their own pockets.
The letter follows Senator Bill Cassidy’s (R-La.) push to delay the ACIP meeting, citing the appointees’ lack of relevant experience and apparent anti-vaccine bias.
“As presently constituted, the committee lacks the qualifications and credibility to offer the nation credible advice on vaccines. You have promised that, as HHS Secretary, you would root out conflicts of interest and promote ‘radical transparency,’ but you are failing miserably to meet this promise as you rush to impose your anti-vaccine agenda on the American public,” wrote Senator Warren.
As an expert panel of the CDC, ACIP is responsible for developing recommendations for the use of vaccines by the American public. Decisions made by the committee have significant implications, affecting parents’ confidence in vaccines, physicians’ recommendations on who should receive them, and insurers’ coverage decisions.
RFK Jr. recently purged the entire nonpartisan panel, claiming — with no evidence — that all 17 members had conflicts of interest that prevented them from effectively serving on the committee. But RFK Jr.’s hand-picked replacements are known vaccine skeptics, appear to lack relevant training, and have their own financial conflicts that present serious conflicts.
During RFK Jr.’s confirmation process, he specifically pledged that he would end conflicts of interest on ACIP and “create an honest, unbiased, science-driven HHS.” It remains unclear how — if at all — his new appointees have been vetted for conflicts of interest, and the short timeframe from their nomination to tomorrow’s meeting means it would have been impossible for them to go through the typically rigorous vetting process for committee members.
“While you’ve declared that previous efforts to guard against conflicts of interest on the panel were insufficient, you appear to have made no effort to ensure that your hand-picked appointees even declare their conflicts of interest, let alone meet a heightened standard,” wrote Senator Warren.
With the panel set to meet for the first time tomorrow, a financial disclosure for only one of the eight new members is publicly available on the CDC website, and it remains unclear how conflict of interest rules will be applied. The meeting agenda will be truncated because the new appointees are reportedly “not yet in a position to deal with all the agenda items.” Even so, the panel is set to discuss recommendations for multiple key vaccines, including RSV, COVID-19, Influenza, and MMR.
RFK Jr. also has his own unresolved conflicts of interest. At his confirmation hearing, Senator Warren questioned him on his biggest conflict: a lucrative arrangement with the law firm Wisner Baum in vaccine-related cases. Senator Warren specifically raised concerns about RFK Jr. financially benefiting as HHS Secretary by strengthening anti-vaccine lawsuits — including by naming anti-vaccine members to ACIP.
“Your decision to reconstitute ACIP with members that share your anti-vaccine views therefore raises questions about your and your family’s ability to cash in from the dangerous decisions the panel appears prepared to make,” wrote Senator Warren.
To understand RFK Jr.’s “haphazard” decision to purge ACIP and replace its members with a hand-picked panel of “unqualified and unvetted vaccine skeptics with their own troubling conflicts,” Senator Warren pressed the Secretary for information on the termination of the previous 17 experts, the appointments of the new members, and processes for vetting and eliminating conflicts of interest.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: “It is important to rely on facts, not to contradict yourself, not to be false and to be honest.”

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

Ksenia Rozhkova works in the labor market, learns foreign languages to better understand the world, and loves going to the theater. In an interview with the Young Scientists of the Higher School of Economics project, she spoke about non-cognitive characteristics, her father’s influence on Hamlet, and myths surrounding the master’s degree.

How I got started in science

Neither science nor economics were in the original plan. I studied music as a child and was going to be a pianist until the fifth grade. Then I wanted to become a journalist, a screenwriter, and won Olympiads in philology and literature. My interests lay in the humanities, although I was also interested in mathematics.

In the tenth grade, it was time to decide on my future life, and I ended up in the evening economics and mathematics school at Moscow State University. Before that, I thought that economics was an uninteresting field where everything was exclusively about banks, money, accounting. It seemed terribly burdensome to me. But during my studies, my attitude towards economics began to change. I realized that it is a complex science that allows us to clearly structure the social reality around us.

In my second year at HSE, when I was almost ready to write term papers in the field of finance, my path was blocked by a faculty initiative. In my year, all the groups in our course were assigned to a separate topic. It was impossible to change it. Someone got macroeconomics, someone got economic history, and we got the labor market. I looked at the list of possible academic supervisors and chose Sergei Yuryevich Roshchin.

We wrote to each other, and I came to the Labor Market Research Laboratory. At first, everything was complicated and unclear. I remember when I first came to a scientific seminar in the laboratory, there was a very active discussion, methods and results were discussed. Apart from the name, I didn’t understand anything. But I was quite stubborn, and Sergey Yuryevich was patient and charming, so the work got going. And in my third year, I returned myself.

Of course, a researcher does not exist in a vacuum. His formation is greatly influenced by the people around him – other researchers, teachers. In this regard, I was very lucky with my colleagues both in the laboratory and in the Department of Applied Economics, where I now teach.

What am I studying?

I work in applied economics. This is primarily labor economics, but with forays into education economics and occasional forays into health economics. For example, my dissertation is on the influence of non-cognitive characteristics on various socioeconomic outcomes and human behavior.

Economists have been studying education and its returns for decades. By receiving an education, a person acquires or develops various skills. First of all, these are cognitive skills, that is, those related to intelligence. Basic ones are the ability to read, count, and write. More complex ones are, for example, knowledge of foreign languages and programming skills.

And there are non-cognitive skills that cannot be measured by IQ tests. These are various behavioral and psychological attitudes – how a person thinks and behaves in different circumstances and how this affects the decisions he makes. I studied how a person’s non-cognitive characteristics are related to his work results, that is, salary and employment, education and even life expectancy and bad habits.

To measure this, economists use methods from psychologists, in particular such a tool as the “Big Five.” Each person can be described in terms of five fairly broad characteristics. These are openness to new experiences, conscientiousness, extroversion, neuroticism and friendliness. These characteristics are formed at an early age: they are partly predetermined genetically, but to a very large extent they are shaped by the environment in which a person grows up, his family and other circumstances.

Accordingly, non-cognitive characteristics are closely linked to the issue of investment in education. It has been shown that targeted policies to develop productive characteristics early on can help children achieve better results in the future.

Parallel area of research

In our lab, for the past five years, I have been working on the graduate labor market—measuring which educational characteristics bring what returns in the labor market, and how they influence career trajectories and opportunities.

We work with unique data from the Graduate Employment Monitoring. This is a project of the Ministry of Labor and Rostrud — a huge array of data on all people who have received an education in Russia since 2016. Thanks to this data, we have the opportunity to focus on areas that were previously unknown.

For example, we have obtained the first assessment of the return on a master’s degree in Russia. We have found out what differences there are between the early career trajectories of full-time and part-time graduates and how the level of selectivity of a university affects salaries. This is a very interesting and practice-oriented area of research.

Is there a return on a master’s degree?

There are many myths surrounding the Master’s degree. For example, it is believed that employers do not delve into the differences between bachelors and masters and do not understand what these qualification levels are. That some believe that a bachelor’s degree is enough, while others think that it is necessary to go to a master’s degree. Or that a master’s degree is only needed in order to then go and defend a PhD thesis. These myths arise because there is little data on this topic.

We have shown that the return on a master’s degree is significant. It is present in the first year after graduation, and it increases as you advance in your career — more for women than for men. The highest return, of course, is for degrees from the most prestigious universities, but this is true for other educational institutions as well.

What I am proud of

Looking back, I am most proud of the fact that I got into HSE. It was not obvious. I did well on the Unified State Exam, but not brilliantly. Preparing for exams is a lot of stress. And the fact that it was HSE that ultimately became the main turning point, which predetermined many trajectories of my future life.

Now I try not to dwell on what has been done. If you have achieved something, it is great, but there is still a lot of work ahead. So if the research is written, submitted to a journal and published, I am happy and move on.

How we measure non-cognitive skills

We work with data from the Russian Monitoring of the Economic Situation and Health of the Population, which has been conducted in Russia by the Higher School of Economics since 1994. Various data on households and their members are collected annually. In 2016, the questionnaire included questions about the “big five”. There are 24 of them, and a person evaluates himself on a scale from 1 to 4. Questions, for example, are: how able are you to remain calm in a stressful situation? how much do you prefer to work rather than rest? Every five years, the same people are surveyed on these characteristics.

What I wrote about in my first article on non-cognitive skills

The material for this article in Voprosy Ekonomiki was my bachelor’s thesis. It was one of the first publications in Russia on this topic, so the formation of the research field took place simultaneously with the writing of my article.

Partly it was of a survey nature. Research, for example, shows that on average the characteristics of the “big five” are more pronounced in women. They are almost always, on average, more conscientious, open, extroverted, friendly and neurotic, that is, emotionally unstable.

Our main task was to see how this is related to the level of salaries in Russia. The basic assumption was that conscientious people should receive more. As well as emotionally stable people, because this quality is necessary for working in a managerial position. Accordingly, people who have less emotional stability are less likely to get into these positions and will earn less.

How Non-Cognitive Characteristics Explain the Gender Gap

These characteristics are most valuable at the top of the salary distribution, where management positions are concentrated.

Because of their lower risk-taking and less emotional stability, women are less likely to end up in higher-paying positions. This, in turn, contributes to the widening of the gender gap.

In general, the gender gap is influenced by many factors at the same time. This is vertical segregation: women are concentrated in the positions of senior specialists, not managers. This is horizontal segregation, when, even during their studies, women are distributed among specialties that lead to caring for other people (education, health care, and others), where salaries are lower than in finance or the IT sector. There are also a number of family and psychological characteristics. The topic is very complex, and the further a person moves up the career ladder, the less the gap can be justified by objective parameters.

What I dream about

I have a small, utilitarian and completely unrealistic dream. I would really like the process of publishing articles in journals to be fast. So that the article does not lie on the editorial desk for six months waiting for its fate to be decided and then does not have to wait another six months for publication. But I understand that this is impossible, due to the fact that there is more research, and the editorial forces are limited.

Science is the art of telling compelling stories. To do this, you need to be very knowledgeable about the material. You need to look around carefully and understand how certain processes work so that you can substantiate the data. It is important to rely on facts, not contradict yourself, not be false, and be honest.

If I hadn’t become a scientist

I wanted to write, and I could have become a journalist. But for a researcher it is also very important to be able to write a lot, convincingly and well.

I would like to run a Telegram channel, but I lack self-discipline and time. I would write about the theater. I love it as a spectator. My mother brought me to the theater, and she taught me that in the theater people do not relax, but think. Sometimes this is the process of unraveling the director’s ideas, sometimes an internal process of reflection. Theater is interesting because it is alive, and it often happens that performances die before they are removed from the repertoire. But if the performance is good, if there is live energy between the viewer and the actors, you can watch it endlessly.

What kind of theatre do I like?

I try not to miss premieres. I like it when directors approach the material in an unconventional way, trying to get something non-obvious.

I like the Theatre of Nations. The last thing I saw there was the play “Sato” by Philipp Gurevich. It’s interesting material, and I think that there is a lot that can be pulled out of this story on the verge of magical realism, but it wasn’t fully expressed in the play.

The theme running through Gurevich’s productions is the importance of family for a child and for the formation of personality. I was very impressed by Hamlet, which he staged for students at the Moscow Art Theatre School. In Hamlet, he emphasizes the importance of parental influence by having Hamlet speak in the words of his father. And it is likely that the sad outcome is predetermined by the family environment.

Who would I like to meet?

With Rachmaninov. He is my favorite composer. But I would not ask him questions, I would just watch the process of composing music.

How my typical day is structured

I don’t have a clear routine. Sometimes colleagues tell me that they have one day for research, one for teaching, one for something external. I like this concept, but it doesn’t work for me because something always gets in the way.

The best research is written either late at night or early in the morning, when no one is bothering you and you can concentrate. It’s great to be creative at night, to come up with ideas, to think up something new, and in the morning – to edit, to bring it into a digestible form.

Do I get burnout?

About four years ago, I participated in a talent pool program. I had to tell my respected colleagues what I did during the program and what I achieved.

I had a very productive year: I completed my master’s degree, entered graduate school, and published several articles and analytical materials. When I listed all of this, one of my colleagues said, “This is all great, of course, but I hope you don’t burn out.”

I was surprised by this wish. It would seem that I have a job, a lot of it, and it is different, I can switch between projects. It is very interesting, I like the process. How can I burn out with such input? In addition, I had before my eyes the example of my scientific supervisor, who manages to solve a hundred things at once, and it is simply awkward to burn out next to him.

Now I understand better what my colleague meant. It seems to me that burnout is not exactly about fatigue or about a person working a lot and not resting, but about an internal discrepancy between expectations and reality. You didn’t just work a lot and get tired, you worked a lot, and in the end, the research you wrote received one rejection, then a second rejection, then a third rejection. No one is immune from periods when something doesn’t work out, but it can be difficult to fight disappointment.

What else am I interested in?

I like foreign languages. I am quite fluent in English and Spanish. When Covid started, I suddenly started learning Turkish. And life took on new colors, because, as it turned out, there are a lot of Turkic roots in words and names. It was as if I had reached a new level of understanding the world.

And two years ago I started learning Chinese, just out of interest. It was a truly meditative activity, especially when I had to write out hieroglyphs line by line. Of course, I am an expert in hobbies that require a lot of time and effort. But Chinese surpassed everything I did in terms of the level of time investment required to maintain the level achieved. It’s like in sports: if you don’t practice for two days, you have to start over. Now Chinese doesn’t fit into my work schedule a little, but I believe that I will return to it someday.

What was the last thing I read?

“My Name is Red” by Orhan Pamuk.

Advice to young scientists

When an opportunity arises, don’t wait until you’re ready. You’re never fully ready for anything, so take advantage of opportunities and figure things out as you go.

This is consistent with one of my favorite quotes from Milorad Pavic’s book “Last Love in Constantinople.” I don’t remember it word for word, but the gist is this: if you move in the direction in which your fear grows, then you are moving in the right direction.

Favorite place in Moscow

I was born and raised in Moscow and I love it very much. It is an incredible city. I love walking around VDNKh, and also around the center of Moscow. My special tender love is Chistye Prudy and its surroundings. I went to high school in Milyutinsky Lane, we studied in the building of the former girls’ school of the Roman Catholic Church of Peter and Paul. Then I studied in Pokrovka for my master’s degree, and now I work there. An important part of my life has always been connected with this area.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Lab Owner Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison in Connection with $14 Million COVID-19 Testing Fraud Scheme

Source: US FBI

CHICAGO — The owner of a Chicago laboratory was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison for his role in a Covid-19 testing fraud scheme.

ZISHAN ALVI, 46, of Inverness, Ill., owned and operated a laboratory in Chicago that performed testing for Covid-19. In 2021 and 2022, Alvi caused tens of thousands of claims to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for Covid-19 tests that were not performed as billed. As part of the scheme, the laboratory released negative test results to patients, even though the laboratory either had not tested the specimens or the results were inconclusive because Alvi diluted the tests to save on costs while making them unreliable. Alvi knew that the laboratory was releasing negative results for Covid-19 tests that were not performed or were inconclusive, but still caused the laboratory to submit claims to HRSA for those tests. Alvi also lied to laboratory directors to conceal his fraud. HRSA paid the laboratory more than $14 million because of the fraudulent claims that Alvi caused to be submitted.

Alvi pleaded guilty last year to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. imposed the prison sentence during a hearing today in federal court in Chicago. Judge Tharp also ordered Alvi to pay more than $14.1 million in restitution and forfeit more than $8 million in cash, a 2021 Range Rover HSE, a 2022 Tesla X, and a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLB250W4, all of which were previously seized by law enforcement.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten of the Northern District of Illinois, and Claire T. Sobczak, Trial Attorney of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

“At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Zishan Alvi disregarded public health concerns in favor of greed and his own financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The government’s pandemic-relief programs were intended to keep people safe, not provide an avenue for fraud and illegal profits. Our Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to root out abuse of these important programs and hold accountable those who seek to fraudulently profit from them.”

“In the midst of economic uncertainty for many Americans, the defendant chose to cash in on a global pandemic by stealing millions of dollars and committing extensive fraud,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “Further, he placed patients and the public at risk by releasing false Covid-19 test results. The FBI and our dedicated partners are committed to investigating Covid con artists and ensuring they are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

MIL Security OSI –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Riverside County Woman Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Running $1.7 Million COVID-19 Benefits Fraud She Advertised on Instagram

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – An Inland Empire woman was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $1.7 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related jobless benefits, federally-guaranteed small business loans, California Small Business COVID-19 relief grants, and Los Angeles County economic opportunity grants.

Jasmine Unique Mallard-McCarter, 30, a.k.a. “JassyMC,” of Eastvale, was sentenced by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who also ordered her to pay $1,765,407 in restitution.

McCarter pleaded guilty on February 28 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

McCarter impersonated others to apply online for government benefits that she used for herself. McCarter also used the personal identifying information provided by her co-conspirators to apply for government benefits on their behalf, knowing those co-conspirators were not eligible for those benefits.

McCarter charged fees to instruct others how to apply for government benefits for which they were not eligible without getting caught. Also, for a fee, McCarter served as a broker for counterfeit documents, such as Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, IRS Forms 1040, W-2s, bank statements, education degrees and transcripts, pay stubs, and doctors’ notes for handicapped placards. In some instances, the McCarter and her co-conspirators used the counterfeit documents to trick the government into paying unjustified benefits.

McCarter advertised her fraud services on Instragram, using handles “JassyMc” and “EliteRealEstateandBusiness.” McCarter referred to herself as the “Jass of All Trades” in social media posts, because she could file fraudulent unemployment insurance applications, file grant applications, and broker counterfeit documents and identification in return for a fee.

According to McCarter’s Instagram posts, she charged a fee for introducing customers to her connection at the California Department of Motor Vehicles, who could help bypass requirements for smog checks, insurance, and registration.

The U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Employee Development Department Investigations Division, U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Secret Service investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolster efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of the three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.

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

MIL Security OSI –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Consultation Process Approved to Tackle Standards in the Private Rented Sector in Preston

Source: City of Preston

In a bid to tackle unscrupulous landlords in Preston and improve the quality of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) homes in the city, an external consultant will be employed to work on behalf of the council to carry out a consultation that will consider the introduction of Selective Licensing in three pilot wards in Preston.

The three wards where this consultation will take place are St Matthews, City Centre and Plungington.

Selective Licensing in the PRS is a scheme where local authorities designate areas that will benefit from tighter regulation, requiring landlords in those areas to obtain a licence for their privately rented properties.

Under Selective Licensing, Preston Council can ensure landlords or their property managers are subject to criminal record checks and their rental properties are checked to meet certain standards and conditions like having up-to-date fire and gas safety checks, damp proofing, tenant welfare, good management practices etc; this helps to address issues such as poor property conditions, anti-social behaviour and low demand.

If landlords fail to comply with the licensing conditions, local authorities can take enforcement action which could include fines and penalties.

Councillor Zafar Coupland, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing at Preston City Council said:

“Around a quarter of all housing in Preston is privately rented and due to many factors such as the cost of living crisis and the ongoing recovery from the Covid pandemic, a lack of investment in privately owned, rented housing stock has seen living standards decline, with many of our residents experiencing poor living conditions, which is unacceptable.

The introduction of Selective Licensing to help better regulate the Private Rented Sector and tackle the most deprived areas of the city, is a priority in our emerging Corporate Plan, and this consultation around the three pilot wards, where deprivation is prevalent, is the first crucial step in rolling out a more robust way to tackle poor quality housing and raise the housing standards for our residents.”

Main image credit – Tony Worrall

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Quarterly Housing Statistics in the year to end of March 2025

Source: Scottish Government

An Accredited Official Statistics Publication for Scotland.

There was an 11% decrease in all sector housebuilding starts and a 4% decrease in completions between 2023-24 and 2024-25 (financial year ending March)

In the 12 months ending March 2025, there were 19,288 all sector homes built and 15,053 all sector new builds started. All sector completions (-4%) and starts (-11%) were lower than the previous 12 months.

The private sector built 14,798 homes and the social sector built 4,490 homes. In terms of starts, building work on 11,902 was started by the private sector and 3,151 homes by the social sector.

Excluding 2020-21 (where Covid-19 impacted housebuilding) private sector led completions were similar to the previous financial year and starts the lowest since the 2012-13 financial year. In the social sector, completions were the lowest since 2016-17 and starts the lowest since 2012-13.

In terms of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, in 2024-25, there were 4,775 approvals, 5,424 starts, and 7,444 completions of affordable homes. The number of completions were down by 22% (-2,070 homes) compared to 2023-24. Approvals and starts also decreased by 31% (-2,167 homes) and 21% (-1,471 homes) between 2023-24 and 2024-25 (year ending March).

These statistics are used to inform progress against Scottish Government affordable housing delivery target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70% will be for social rent and 10% will be in rural and island communities. By 2024-25, 28,537 affordable homes have been completed towards the target. These completions consist of 21,937 (77%) homes for social rent, 4,087 (14%) for affordable rent, and 2,513 (9%) for affordable home ownership.

Background

Housing statistics quarterly update: new housebuilding and affordable housing supply – gov.scot

Background information including Excel tables and explanatory information on data sources and quality can be found in the Housing Statistics webpages.

Official statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 24, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Collapse of the ruined Armenian Monastery in the occupied part of Cyprus – E-001179/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
The Commission attributes great importance to the preservation of cultural heritage in Cyprus and regularly raises the importance of safeguarding sites of cultural and religious significance.

Under the Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community, the Commission supports the bi-communal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage (TCCH).

Since 2012, the Commission has provided EUR 32.5 million to support the work of the Committee, which has restored, conserved or protected more than 180 cultural sites across Cyprus. The United Nations Development Programme implements the EU funding.

EU funding for the TCCH is regularly mentioned in the annual reports on the implementation of the Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community[1].

Concerning the Sourp Magar monastery, a Rehabilitation Plan and Conservation Design was included in the TCCH works programme.in 2018, but not completed due to Covid-19.

The Commission understands that the TCCH still intends to proceed with the conservation works. The TCCH is currently undertaking efforts to secure the funding needed, which would come from the EU and from other sources, including from the local communities concerned.

The Commission welcomes the continuing efforts of the TCCH.

[1] https://commission.europa.eu/publications/annual-reports-implementation-aid-regulation-turkish-cypriot-community_en.
Last updated: 20 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 21, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Riverside County Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Running $1.7 Million COVID-19 Benefits Fraud She Advertised on Instagram

Source: United States Small Business Administration

Click Here to Sign Up for SBA OIG Email Updates on Recent Investigative Cases, Audit Oversight Reports, and General News

Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release

An Inland Empire woman was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $1.7 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related jobless benefits, federally-guaranteed small business loans, California Small Business COVID-19 relief grants, and Los Angeles County economic opportunity grants.

Jasmine Unique Mallard-McCarter, 30, a.k.a. “JassyMC,” of Eastvale, was sentenced by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who also ordered her to pay $1,765,407 in restitution.

McCarter pleaded guilty on February 28 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

McCarter impersonated others to apply online for government benefits that she used for herself. McCarter also used the personal identifying information provided by her co-conspirators to apply for government benefits on their behalf, knowing those co-conspirators were not eligible for those benefits.

McCarter charged fees to instruct others how to apply for government benefits for which they were not eligible without getting caught. Also, for a fee, McCarter served as a broker for counterfeit documents, such as Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, IRS Forms 1040, W-2s, bank statements, education degrees and transcripts, pay stubs, and doctors’ notes for handicapped placards. In some instances, the McCarter and her co-conspirators used the counterfeit documents to trick the government into paying unjustified benefits.

McCarter advertised her fraud services on Instragram, using handles “JassyMc” and “EliteRealEstateandBusiness.” McCarter referred to herself as the “Jass of All Trades” in social media posts, because she could file fraudulent unemployment insurance applications, file grant applications, and broker counterfeit documents and identification in return for a fee.

According to McCarter’s Instagram posts, she charged a fee for introducing customers to her connection at the California Department of Motor Vehicles, who could help bypass requirements for smog checks, insurance, and registration.

The U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Employee Development Department Investigations Division, U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Secret Service investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolster efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of the three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.

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

MIL OSI USA News –

June 21, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Disability Equality Plan published
Source: Scottish Government

£2.5 million investment to drive change across Scotland.

A Disability Equality Plan launched today, backed by £2.5 million investment, will improve the lives of disabled people across Scotland and put their experiences and concerns at the heart of policymaking.

The funding, an increase of £2 million, recognises the significant challenges and barriers disabled people continue to face.

The plan reflects a government-wide commitment to ensure that the voices and experiences of disabled people are considered from the beginning.

Key actions include:
- improved mental health support tailored to disabled people
- expanded access to advice and support services
- training for policymakers and leaders to build understanding of the issues facing disabled people
- an annual Cabinet Takeover, giving disabled people a direct platform to speak to Ministers
Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said:

“Disabled people are facing unprecedented hardship, deepening poverty and increasing social isolation. Years of austerity, the cost of living crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic have not helped and services need to be equipped to respond to these challenges.

“I am firmly opposed to the UK Government’s proposed reforms to social security and deeply concerned about the effects they will have on disabled people, people with long-term health conditions and unpaid carers. The UK Government’s own analysis estimates these will push a further 250,000 people across the UK, including 50,000 children, into poverty.

“We will not mirror these changes. We are committed to safeguarding our Adult Disability Payment and upholding the dignity and rights of disabled people. Our approach is rooted in dignity, fairness and respect – not austerity- and the UK Government should follow our lead and protect the social security safety system, rather than dismantling it.

“Scotland is showing that a better way is possible. The increased funding for the plan I am announcing today will build on our human rights-based approach to strengthen vital support and services for disabled people.

“I want to thank all the organisations that have worked tirelessly to help shape this plan. Their insight and leadership have laid the foundation for lasting change. We are committed to working with disabled people and their organisations, upholding the principle of ‘nothing about us, without us’. I am confident that Scotland can become a country where disabled people truly thrive.”

Chief Executive Officer of Glasgow Disability Alliance Tressa Burke said:

“This funding from the Scottish Government is a win for the collective action of disabled people and our allies. We are grateful to everyone who took part in our campaign Disabled People Demand Justice and commend the Scottish Government for responding positively. But it is a small step, when we need big leaps; poverty and inequality experienced by disabled people remain at unacceptable levels, and we need both the Scottish Government and the UK Government to urgently invest in disabled peoples’ lives to deliver dignity and justice.”

Chief Executive Officer of Inclusion Scotland Heather Fisken said:

“This plan and related actions are a welcome step forward, but these will only be successful if it is properly resourced and if it there is accountability of delivery. We want this accountability to be led by disabled peoples’ organisations and disabled people themselves – genuine partnership between our organisations and the Scottish Government requires honesty and scrutiny, and that will be our focus going forward.”

Chief Executive Officer of Disability Equality Scotland Lyn Pornaro said:

“This shows the power of disabled peoples’ campaigning, and is a step in the right direction, but our campaigning work to deliver justice for disabled people will continue. This includes making sure that both the Scottish Government and the UK Government deliver dignity, security, and human rights for disabled people – that requires investing in our communities and including services- not cutting the support we rely on.”

Background

Disability Equality Plan – gov.scot
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Clarification on the Commission’s position regarding the COVID-19 lab leak theory – E-001403/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
The Commission has not been informed by any national or European authority about intelligence indicating that COVID-19 originated in a laboratory.

The Commission closely monitors scientific studies on the origin of SARS-CoV-2 and supports the research of the World Health Organisation (WHO)[1].

The WHO’s Global Study on the origins of SARS-CoV-2 suggests three possible zoonotic pathways for the introduction of the virus and concludes that the introduction through a laboratory incident is extremely unlikely[2]. Furthermore, a 2023 scientific critical review concluded that the strongest evidence supports a zoonotic over a laboratory origin[3].

The Commission supported research on infectious diseases via its framework programmes for Research and Innovation[4]. Prior to the pandemic, the Commission provided financial support to institutions engaged in high-risk virological research including Wuhan Institute of Virology via two EU-funded projects[5].

The Commission ensures transparency, traceability and safety in EU-funded research[6], including gain-of-function and dual use research.

The Commission implements ethics assessments and promotes transparency through open-access publication of research results. Security checks are conducted as part of the ethics and security scrutiny process[7], with clearance required from the Security Scrutiny Group[8] before funding is granted.

In addition, project monitoring is ensured until the end of a project to check its proper implementation and compliance with the obligations laid down in the grant agreement.

[1] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-statement-who-led-covid-19-origins-study_en.

[2] https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/origins-of-the-virus, WHO-convened Global Study of Origins of SARS-CoV-2: China Part Joint WHO-China Study, page 9.

[3] Alwine JC, Casadevall A, Enquist LW, Goodrum FD, Imperiale MJ. A Critical Analysis of the Evidence for the SARS-CoV-2 Origin Hypotheses. mBio. 2023 Apr 25;14(2):e0058323. doi: 10.1128/mbio.00583-23. Epub 2023 Mar 28. PMID: 36897098; PMCID: PMC10127682.

[4] I ncluding https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/id/FP6, https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/id/FP7, https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-2020_en and https://commission.europa.eu/funding-tenders/find-funding/eu-funding-programmes/horizon-europe_en.

[5] Grant agreements: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/653316; https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/871029.

[6] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/projects-results.

[7] https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/funding-tenders-opportunities/display/OM/Special+procedures%3A+Ethics+review%2C+security+scrutiny%2C+Ownership+control+check.

[8] Composed of national security experts nominated in agreement with their national security authorities.
Last updated: 20 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 20, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Uneven HPV uptake in some areas increases cervical cancer risk
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Uneven HPV uptake in some areas increases cervical cancer risk

UKHSA data shows inequalities in HPV vaccination uptake in different areas and regions across the country
As Cervical Cancer Screening Awareness week begins, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warns that variations in geographical coverage of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in adolescents across England is leaving young women in some areas with less protection against cervical and some other cancers.

Despite the opportunities to eliminate cervical cancer, the latest UKHSA HPV coverage data in adolescents 2023 to 2024 shows inequalities in vaccination uptake in different areas and regions across the country:

HPV coverage for female year 10 students by NHS commissioning region was lowest in London (64.9%) and highest in the South East (82.7%)

HPV coverage for male year 10 students by NHS commissioning region was lowest in London (58.9%) and highest in the South East (77.3%)

HPV coverage for female year 10 students at local authority level ranged from 38.7% (Lambeth) to 97.6% (Northumberland)

HPV coverage for male year 10 students at local authority level ranged from 28.2% (Lambeth) to 92.2% (West Berkshire)

Data provided by Cancer Research UK on Cervical cancer incidence statistics report that rates in England are 65% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least.

Research has shown that receiving the HPV vaccine before age 16 provides significantly stronger immune responses and greater protection against HPV-related cancers. While early vaccination is optimal, getting a HPV vaccination later as part of the catch-up programme still provides strong protection against HPV-related cancers.

For those who missed their school HPV vaccinations in year 8 and 9, catch-up options remain available and are highly effective. Anyone who missed their HPV vaccination, now just a single jab, can still receive it for free until their 25th birthday through their GP surgery; this also applies to boys born after 1 September 2006.

HPV vaccinations are also offered to boys in school in year 8 and 9, and similarly help protect them against HPV infection and its complications, including genital warts, head and neck cancers (which includes mouth and throat) and genital cancers. But boys also have an important role to play in helping eliminate cervical cancer by being vaccinated and not passing on the HPV virus when they become sexually active.

Dr Sharif Ismail, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:

The HPV vaccine, now just a single dose offered in schools, is one of the most powerful tools we have for cancer prevention. Every vaccination represents a young person with better protection against the devastating impact of HPV-related cancers and we must do more to ensure that no teenage girl or boy, young woman or man is denied that protection no matter where they live.

Although we have seen some increase in the number of young people being vaccinated, uptake is still well below pre-Covid pandemic levels. Over a quarter of young people, many thousands, are missing out on this potentially life-saving vaccine, which protects not only against cervical cancer but all young adults, men and women, against genital warts and some genital cancers, as well as mouth and throat cancers.

We’re calling on all parents to return their children’s HPV vaccination consent forms promptly. This simple action could protect your child from developing cancer in the future. For young adults up to age 25, who missed their school vaccinations, please speak to your GP about catch-up options. It’s never too late to get protected.

And it’s important to stress that even if you’ve had the HPV vaccine, it’s vital you still attend your cervical screening appointments when invited. Both vaccination and screening together give you your best chance of protection against cervical cancer.

While the HPV vaccine provides excellent protection, attending cervical screening appointments remains crucial, regardless of vaccination status. Screening can detect abnormal cells before they develop into cancer, allowing for early treatment and prevention.

Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said:

Thanks to the power of research and the efforts of NHS staff, a future where almost nobody gets cervical cancer is in sight. This progress hinges on people’s access to 2 lifesaving offers: HPV vaccination and screening. Together, they give the best protection against the disease.

Latest data reveals an unequal uptake of the HPV vaccine across England, highlighting the need for local authorities and health services to work together and improve access to these lifesaving opportunities. Beating cervical cancer means beating it for everyone, so I encourage all parents and guardians to ensure young people don’t miss out on getting the HPV vaccine. And if you receive your cervical screening invite, don’t ignore it.

Dr Amanda Doyle OBE, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, said:

The NHS HPV vaccination programme has already helped save thousands of lives and we need to go further to boost uptake of HPV vaccines and cervical screening to help eliminate cervical cancer in England by 2040.

If we can ensure that almost every Year 10 girl in some areas is protected and extremely unlikely to ever develop cervical cancer, we need to match this in every part of the country. It’s vital for boys and young men to be vaccinated too. Rates in boys still lag behind girls and HPV causes thousands of cancers in men as well as things like genital warts.

I would urge all parents to give their consent for their child to be vaccinated and it’s important to remember that those that remain unvaccinated and have left school can still get vital protection by contacting their GP practice to catch up before their 25th birthday. With vaccination being just one dose, it is easier than ever to ensure young people get protection.

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Published 20 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 20, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: NY Times Opinion: “Senator Padilla: The Trump Administration Handcuffed Me, but I Refuse to Stay Silent”
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

ICYMI: NY Times Opinion: “Senator Padilla: The Trump Administration Handcuffed Me, but I Refuse to Stay Silent”
NY Times Op-Ed

Padilla: “If this administration is willing to handcuff a U.S. senator, imagine what it is willing to do to any American who dares to speak up.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, published an op-ed in the New York Times this morning following his forcible removal from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference, where he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed after attempting to ask a question.

Padilla blasted President Trump’s unprecedented militarization of Los Angeles and warned against the immense consequences of the Trump Administration’s increasingly callous anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions, not only for hardworking immigrants essential to our communities and economy, but for the fundamental democratic rights of Americans across the country. He called Trump’s manufactured crisis in Los Angeles a “warning shot” and a “wake-up call” for his Republican colleagues and the American people to speak up against Trump’s egregious continued abuse of power.

Key Excerpts:

If you watched what happened to me or Mr. Lander these past few days and thought this was about any one politician or altercation, you are missing the point. If this administration is willing to handcuff a U.S. senator, imagine what it is willing to do to any American who dares to speak up. If that’s what can happen when the cameras are on, imagine what is already happening in communities across the country when the cameras are off. Today, it’s immigrants on the receiving end of Donald Trump’s outrage machine. Tomorrow, it could be anyone.

As the proud son of immigrants from Mexico who came to California to pursue the American dream, I am living proof of the promise this country provides to all of us. Where else can the son of a housekeeper and a short-order cook become a senator? But I also know that America’s promise doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because throughout our history ordinary people have called out our country’s contradictions and called on the government to live up to the principles of equality established at our founding.

As we’ve seen in Los Angeles, public safety is not the point — the spectacle is. Americans are living through a historic moment of presidential overreach. With a cabinet of yes-men and underqualified attack dogs surrounding him — from the D.H.S. Secretary to the F.B.I. director to the secretary of defense — Mr. Trump is now testing the boundaries of his power. And he’s using the theatrics around his immigration policies to do it.

If you thought any of this administration’s theatrics in Los Angeles these past few weeks was truly about immigrants, it’s time to wake up. If federal troops can deploy to Los Angeles against the wishes of the governor, the mayor and even local law enforcement, they can do the same tomorrow in your hometown. This is a fundamental threat to the rule of law nationwide.

Democracy doesn’t fall from any one decision or any one attack. It falls from a thousand cuts that slowly erode our fundamental freedoms. It falls when good people see our democracy sliding backward but still choose to say nothing.

To any American wondering if democracy is lost or if they can ever make a difference, I’d say this: If the Trump administration was this scared of one senator with a question, imagine what the voices of tens of millions of Americans organizing will do. No one is coming to save us but us.

Senator Padilla has been outspoken in calling out the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles and Trump’s misguided deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps. This past weekend, Padilla led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty servicemembers to American cities. Last week, Padilla and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) demanded answers regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to deploy approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles. Padilla has spoken at a spotlight hearing and on the Senate floor multiple times to blast President Trump for manufacturing a crisis by launching indiscriminate ICE raids across Los Angeles and deploying the National Guard and active-duty servicemembers to the region. He also joined all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats earlier this week in calling on Chairman Grassley to schedule Department of Homeland Security Secretary Noem for a broad oversight hearing for testimony before the committee.

Full text of Senator Padilla’s NY Times op-ed is available here and below:

NY Times: Senator Padilla: The Trump Administration Handcuffed Me, but I Refuse to Stay Silent

By U.S. Senator Alex Padilla

Growing up in the northeast San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles in the 1980s and 90s, you know what can happen if you don’t completely cooperate with law enforcement.

Even so, it was jarring last week when, despite clearly identifying myself as a U.S. senator, I was forcibly removed from a news conference at which Kristi Noem, the secretary of homeland security, promised to “liberate” Los Angeles from our democratically elected mayor and governor. As I was thrown to the ground, handcuffed and walked down a hall while officers refused to tell me why I was being detained, my mind raced with questions.

Where are they taking me? Am I being arrested? What will a city already on edge from being militarized think when they see their senator has just been handcuffed?

What will my wife and our three boys think?

I imagined similar questions were running through the mind of Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate, this week when he, too, was handcuffed by federal agents for asking them whether they had a warrant to arrest a migrant he had locked arms with. Like me, Mr. Lander had the audacity to question the legitimacy of federal actions, only to find himself pushed against a wall and detained.

If you watched what happened to me or Mr. Lander these past few days and thought this was about any one politician or altercation, you are missing the point.

If this administration is willing to handcuff a U.S. senator, imagine what it is willing to do to any American who dares to speak up.

If that’s what can happen when the cameras are on, imagine what is already happening in communities across the country when the cameras are off.

Today, it’s immigrants on the receiving end of Donald Trump’s outrage machine. Tomorrow, it could be anyone.

We have seen this playbook before. In fact, it’s what drew me to politics in the first place, back in 1994. I had just earned my mechanical engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with my sights set on a lucrative career in engineering, but life had a different plan for me. I returned home from school to find hateful TV ads and a statewide ballot called Proposition 187, a proposal targeting immigrant families and communities like mine. It was the result of a Republican governor who was up for re-election and who had turned to scapegoating immigrants to try to improve his declining political standing.

As the proud son of immigrants from Mexico who came to California to pursue the American dream, I am living proof of the promise this country provides to all of us. Where else can the son of a housekeeper and a short-order cook become a senator? But I also know that America’s promise doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because throughout our history ordinary people have called out our country’s contradictions and called on the government to live up to the principles of equality established at our founding.

And so I got involved. Alongside friends and family, I marched against the vile anti-immigrant rhetoric that was growing in California. Because of the movement that started in the 1990s, a generation of diverse leaders have come of age in California. Today, we celebrate immigrants — knowing full well that California has become the fourth-largest economy in the world, not despite our immigrants but because of them.

So when Mr. Trump began to face a groundswell of criticism a few weeks ago for his unpopular Medicaid cuts, failed tariff wars and embarrassing public breakup with a billionaire adviser, I suspected that it wouldn’t be long before he broke out the same tired anti-immigrant tactics to distract the public. Raids intensified, detentions skyrocketed and Mr. Trump’s narrative of crisis escalated in the hopes of diverting attention from his political failures.

If the administration were primarily targeting dangerous criminals, as some White House officials have claimed, there would be no debate. But new reporting shows that less than 10 percent of immigrants taken into ICE custody since October have serious criminal convictions. They may be undocumented, but who are they? Oftentimes, they’re hardworking cooks, day laborers, carwash employees, farmworkers and construction workers. Many are the same people Mr. Trump declared essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

But as we’ve seen in Los Angeles, public safety is not the point — the spectacle is. Americans are living through a historic moment of presidential overreach. With a cabinet of yes-men and underqualified attack dogs surrounding him — from the D.H.S. Secretary to the F.B.I. director to the secretary of defense — Mr. Trump is now testing the boundaries of his power. And he’s using the theatrics around his immigration policies to do it.

That’s why when Angelenos gathered to protest these injustices, the administration labeled them “insurrectionists,” deliberately twisting dissent into something dangerous to use as a pretext for repression.

So if you thought any of this administration’s theatrics in Los Angeles these past few weeks was truly about immigrants, it’s time to wake up. If federal troops can deploy to Los Angeles against the wishes of the governor, the mayor and even local law enforcement, they can do the same tomorrow in your hometown. This is a fundamental threat to the rule of law nationwide.

What’s happening in Los Angeles is a warning shot. But I pray it can also be a wake-up call — for my Republican Senate colleagues who have stayed silent in the face of their colleague’s handcuffing, but also for Americans of every stripe who think they’re insulated from Mr. Trump’s power grabs because they’re not immigrants or because they’re not from a blue state.

Democracy doesn’t fall from any one decision or any one attack. It falls from a thousand cuts that slowly erode our fundamental freedoms. It falls when good people see our democracy sliding backward but still choose to say nothing.

Even as I’ve seen the authoritarian instincts of this administration up close, I know America is not past saving. True liberation doesn’t come through military occupation. It comes through democratic participation — participation like what we saw this past weekend, when millions of Americans came out to protest this administration’s abuse of power.

To any American wondering if democracy is lost or if they can ever make a difference, I’d say this: If the Trump administration was this scared of one senator with a question, imagine what the voices of tens of millions of Americans organizing will do. No one is coming to save us but us.
MIL OSI USA News –
June 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Disastrous shortage of healthcare workers in the EU – E-002331/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002331/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Gerald Hauser (PfE)

According to the ‘Health at a Glance: Europe 2024’ report, the OECD considers health professions in Europe to be in crisis. In the EU as a whole, there is a shortfall of 1.2 million doctors, nursing professionals and midwives. The WHO describes it as a ticking bomb: Without immediate action, healthcare staff shortages could have disastrous consequences. Moreover, the situation regarding healthcare staff in the EU is significantly worse than it was before the Covid-19 pandemic. With the Union’s crisis prevention strategy, the Commission seeks to take over key responsibilities from the Member States in the area of health, inter alia through the Critical Medicines Act and the Union of Skills, as well as with the help of various EU agencies and authorities. The Commission has explained that in order to safeguard citizens’ wellbeing, it is proposing additional measures in order to better cope with a series of threats, including pandemics and all manner of health emergencies.

1.What does the Commission intend to do to overcome the disastrous shortage of healthcare workers in the EU?

2.What sum does the Commission intend to invest to overcome the disastrous shortage of healthcare workers in the EU?

Submitted: 11.6.2025
Last updated: 18 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Disastrous shortage of healthcare workers in the EU – E-002331/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002331/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Gerald Hauser (PfE)

According to the ‘Health at a Glance: Europe 2024’ report, the OECD considers health professions in Europe to be in crisis. In the EU as a whole, there is a shortfall of 1.2 million doctors, nursing professionals and midwives. The WHO describes it as a ticking bomb: Without immediate action, healthcare staff shortages could have disastrous consequences. Moreover, the situation regarding healthcare staff in the EU is significantly worse than it was before the Covid-19 pandemic. With the Union’s crisis prevention strategy, the Commission seeks to take over key responsibilities from the Member States in the area of health, inter alia through the Critical Medicines Act and the Union of Skills, as well as with the help of various EU agencies and authorities. The Commission has explained that in order to safeguard citizens’ wellbeing, it is proposing additional measures in order to better cope with a series of threats, including pandemics and all manner of health emergencies.

1.What does the Commission intend to do to overcome the disastrous shortage of healthcare workers in the EU?

2.What sum does the Commission intend to invest to overcome the disastrous shortage of healthcare workers in the EU?

Submitted: 11.6.2025
Last updated: 18 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Olaf Seijpen: Financial stability – it’s not glamorous, but it matters

Source: Bank for International Settlements

Good morning and welcome to the 9th Annual Macroprudential Conference. It is a pleasure to see so many distinguished representatives from central banks, regulatory institutions, the financial sector, and academia gathered here today. And welcome to our newly renovated building-a space designed not only for policy but also for people. Our new building is now partly open to the general public. As a central bank, we want to be transparent and accessible, and we wanted our new building to reflect that. And you know, people really take an interest. And I can imagine people are really excited to see so many macroprudential policy stars in person today.

This conference has always been a collaborative effort. From the very beginning, it has been jointly organized by the Deutsche Bundesbank, the Sveriges Riksbank and De Nederlandsche Bank. A macroprudential rock band if you will. And this year, we’re thrilled to welcome a new band member: the Central Bank of Ireland. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to the Scientific Committee for their dedication in shaping this year’s programme. Your work behind the scenes makes all of this possible.

In these volatile times, transparency and accessibility are more important than ever. Macroprudential policy may seem like a niche field, reserved for specialists. But its impact is universal. Financial stability affects households, businesses, governments-and ultimately, the trust that underpins our economies. And all the topics that we cover in this conference the coming two days, in all their diversity and richness and technical complexity – they are somehow related to this simple fact. Be it income-based tools to mitigate housing market risks, or QE and the bond market, or bank governance, to name just a few topics in the program.

Safeguarding that stability requires three things: patience, commitment and cooperation.

Let me begin with patience. The road to financial stability is long and often winding. It is not paved with quick wins or instant results. After the global financial crisis, governments, regulators and banks worked hard on a comprehensive reform of banking regulation that would boost buffers and make the financial sector more resilient. That has served us well. During the Covid pandemic, for example. Thanks to stronger buffers, banks were able to absorb losses and continue extending credit when the economy took a hit as a result of the lockdowns.

And it continues to serve us well. Especially now in these times of fundamental uncertainty. A resilient financial sector can help the economy to withstand shocks from trade barriers and geopolitical events. But it takes patience and hard work.

That brings me to the second theme: commitment. Financial stability seems like a natural state. We take out our phone and we pay. And the bread that we buy costs the same as it did last week. And when we wake up in the morning our savings are still in our bank account. Financial stability is something that seems to be just there, unconditionally. But it really isn’t. It is something we must continuously work for. It demands vigilance, coordination, and above all, the political will to act before the crisis hits.

Lately, there have been calls for simplifying banking regulation. I have sympathy for that. Banking regulation has indeed become very complex. This is certainly something we should look into.

But we should be careful not to confuse simplification with deregulation. Deregulation means effectively lowering buffers by relaxing the rules. That would increase both vulnerability in the banking system and the likelihood of financial crises. It would be a big mistake.

We should be wary of undoing the hard work that has gone into strengthening the financial system over the past decade and a half. Especially now, in this time of unusually high uncertainty, both on the economic and political front.

This requires commitment from regulators and governments. Because the system of international rules we have built to support financial stability and to create a level playing field is only as strong as our commitment to it.

Finally, cooperation. Financial stability is an international public good. Almost every challenge we face in our highly interconnected financial system is global in nature. And so must be our response. No country can safeguard financial stability alone.

If we want to meet today’s challenges to financial stability, we have to continue to work together. And we need to stay committed to the institutions we have built to underpin that cooperation, such as the Basel Committee and the FSB. Global cooperation is harder in a fragmented world. But it is also more essential. During the global financial crisis, policymakers acted swiftly and in unison. We must preserve that capacity.

Patience, commitment, and cooperation. Let us use this conference to reaffirm these principles. Let us learn from each other, challenge each other, and inspire each other. But above all: let us enjoy the conference. And if you remember just one thing from this speech, let it be this: macroprudential policy may not be glamorous, it may not attract big crowds, you may not even make it to the support act. But it matters, and it is never boring.

MIL OSI Economics –

June 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Degrowth and fashion: how upcycling innovators show us how to rethink and reuse waste

Source: The Conversation – France – By Handan Vicdan, Associate professor of marketing, EM Lyon Business School

Every year, some 100 billion garments are produced worldwide, and 92 million tonnes of clothing waste end up in landfills. Given this enormous amount of waste, it is logical to think that the only way forward is to degrow fashion. But can fashion and degrowth co-exist?

Degrowth is defined as the planned reduction of production and consumption in a way that ensures equitable living. Degrowth principles, such as sufficiency, cooperation and care, clash with growth principles of maximization, commodification and efficiency. For the fashion industry, which is responsible for immense resource extraction and waste creation, reducing resource throughput and ensuring equitable value creation pose enduring challenges.

While some governments and corporations encourage consumers to shop responsibly and reduce waste, collective responsibility is needed to facilitate a degrowth transition, which urges a fundamental shift in the way designers, manufacturers and brands approach fashion waste. Will circular practices help create a just and equitable industry? Is it possible to produce clothing locally and differently than “fast fashion” retailers?

A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!

Upcycling as a radical rethinking of our relationship with waste

In a recent study, we explored how the circular fashion practice of upcycling – creative and caring transformation of discarded or waste clothes into something of higher value – pushes industry actors to rethink their relationship to fashion waste and give it value as a resource compatible with degrowth values. We examined how upcycling is practiced across institutions – brands, manufacturers, designers and NGOs – in Turkey, one of Europe’s largest textile producers.

It is important to note that while conversations about recycling – the practice of breaking down textile waste into raw material through mechanical or chemical processes – are prevalent in the fashion world, the painful fact is that only 1% of clothes are recycled into new garments, meaning the majority of fashion waste is doomed to remain as waste. Through upcycling, on the other hand, waste is treated as a resource. Rather than viewing clothes as disposable, upcycling enables us to understand and care about our clothes’ journey and the people and ecosystems behind them. Converting discarded food into natural dyes for colouring fabric, or using sailcloth to make handbags, creates value through the creativity, materials, skill sharing, and caring involved.

As part of green-growth efforts, some circular fashion actors treat waste as a commodity and try to maximize growth through efficient waste reduction. However, this is incompatible with degrowth. We need to reduce production of textiles and make use of existing textile waste, not just discard textile waste efficiently.

À lire aussi :
Green growth or degrowth: what is the right way to tackle climate change?

Relational ways of working with waste, technology, nature and people

Our research highlights the importance of the socio-ecological value of waste in industry upcycling practices. Such value is generated through social and solidarity networks of relations around waste, including between designers, manufacturers and upcycling brands, and involving nature and technology.

We emphasise the growing interest in the story of waste material, which is reinforcing strong connections to waste and its origins. Upcycling designers highlight local and material heritage in the production of upcycled clothes, which is necessary to foster the ecological and material consciousness required for a degrowth transition. Designers we interviewed evoked the idea that “nature doesn’t waste anything”, and mentioned being inspired by and mimicking nature’s cycles in the design process.

We also reflect on the kind of technology needed to support more relational, localised systems. The practices of upcycling designers and small brands highlight the value of the creation of waste-sharing platforms among industry actors. These platforms serve as waste libraries and provide opportunities to purchase different kinds of textile waste for upcycling.

Making waste valuable

Industry actors we interviewed said they are not simply trend chasers focused on profit, but seeking to build alternative ways of working with each other, nature, waste and technology. For example, designers partnered with local women in rural areas in Erzurum, Mugla and Kilis provinces to upcycle discarded fabrics into handwoven garments, preserving cultural heritage. A brand collected food waste to create natural textile dyes, collaborating with local cafés and friends in Istanbul. During the Covid-19 crisis, solidarity networks emerged between hospitals, textile manufacturers and designers to make upcycled uniforms for doctors and nurses. We have observed that manufacturers also repurpose waste to give gifts to employees, children and others. These practices aim to reduce waste and reconnect people to waste material, and enable the sharing of local knowledge and skills.

Our data also demonstrates a concern over lack of circular literacy among industry actors. Currently, access to upcycling knowledge and skills, as well as waste material, happens through knowledge hubs and waste-sharing platforms. For example, working with sectoral representatives and local governments, one knowledge hub created a circular economy guide to raise industry awareness about ways to revalue and reduce textile waste.

Upcycling is still a niche circular practice, and access to waste resources for initiatives, as well as lack of public funding and policy support for projects, remain important concerns. Nonetheless, when it is grounded in local communities, new narratives about materials, and care, upcycling can foster degrowth values in fashion.

Handan Vicdan ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

– ref. Degrowth and fashion: how upcycling innovators show us how to rethink and reuse waste – https://theconversation.com/degrowth-and-fashion-how-upcycling-innovators-show-us-how-to-rethink-and-reuse-waste-258869

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 19, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: DelBene Leads Bipartisan Bill to Make Rehabilitation Care More Affordable, Accessible for Seniors

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-15), and Ron Estes (KS-04) reintroduced the bipartisan Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act, legislation that would fix an arbitrary Medicare policy that excludes certain patients from skilled nursing care coverage, resulting in exorbitant and unexpected out-of-pocket costs.

Currently, a patient must have an “inpatient” hospital stay of at least three days for Medicare to cover skilled nursing care. Hospitals are increasingly holding patients under “observation status,” an outpatient designation. Under this outdated rule, patients who receive hospital care under this status do not qualify for skilled nursing care, even if their hospital stay lasts longer than three days and even if their care team prescribes it. These patients are either forced to return home without the treatment they have been prescribed or are unexpectedly billed astronomical amounts after their stays in a skilled nursing facility (SNF). These patients can easily accrue tens of thousands of dollars in unexpected medical bills, and recent research suggests that this policy most impacts those who can least afford it.

“With health care already a significant expense for seniors, the last thing they need is an expensive and unexpected medical bill. When a Medicare patient is in the hospital for three days, that should meet the three-day requirement. Plain and simple,” said DelBene. “Differentiating between ‘inpatient’ and ‘observation’ is what frustrates people about the health care system. This legislation would make clear that three days means three days, allowing seniors to access rehabilitation services they need to get better and not incur a massive unexpected medical bill.”

“People deserve better. Whether a patient is in the hospital for three days as an inpatient, or for three days under ‘observation status’—three days is three days. Quibbling over semantics shouldn’t keep people from accessing the care their doctors have prescribed or trap them beneath a mountain of unexpected medical debt. Our bill offers a simple, commonsense fix to Medicare’s arbitrary ‘observation status’ loophole that will help ensure seniors aren’t getting billed thousands of extra dollars in medical bills due to illogical federal policy,” said Courtney.

“When facing health challenges, seniors and their families shouldn’t be burdened by unexpected medical expenses,” said Thompson. “Medicare beneficiaries deserve the reassurance and confidence that their care will be fully covered and they won’t have any out-of-pocket costs.”

“Kansas seniors on Medicare deserve access to the full range of treatment and care they need, unimpeded by outdated policies that result in costly bills,” said Estes. “This common sense legislation updates Medicare’s policy on skilled nursing care to make it more efficient and lead to better outcomes for patients.”

During COVID-19, the three-day requirement was waived, allowing patients to receive SNF care regardless of their hospital status. Now, the policy is being reimposed on beneficiaries, causing confusion, unexpected bills, and delays in care.

The Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act would ensure Medicare covers doctor-recommended, post-acute care by counting the time spent under “observation status” towards the requisite three-day hospital stay for coverage of skilled nursing care.

“This bipartisan bill will help fix an outdated policy that continues to leave millions of Medicare beneficiaries surprised by thousands of dollars in medical bills and hanging with uncertainty regarding their access to the Medicare coverage they deserve,” said Clif Porter, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living. “The members of Congress that reintroduced this important legislation are advocates for our nation’s seniors and individuals who need skilled nursing care. We applaud their efforts and support.”

Endorsing Organizations: AARP; ADVION (formerly National Association for the Support of Long Term Care); Aging Life Care Association®; Alliance for Retired Americans; AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine; American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM); American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN); American Case Management Association (ACMA); American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP); American College of Physician Advisors (ACPA); American Geriatrics Society (AGS); American Health Care Association (AHCA); American Medical Association; American Physical Therapy Association (APTA); Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS); Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA); Center for Medicare Advocacy; The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing; The Jewish Federations of North America; Justice in Aging; LeadingAge; Lutheran Services in America; Medicare Rights Center; National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc.(NAELA); National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP); National Association for State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs (NASOP); National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL); National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare; The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care; National Council on Aging (NCOA); NJHSA – the Network of Jewish Human; Service Agencies; Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM); Special Needs Alliance; USAging.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 19, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: From the Paris Air Show, Shaheen Pens Wall Street Journal Op-Ed Warning Trump’s Trade Policy Threatens Our National Defense and Global Alliances

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

(Washington, DC) – After co-leading a bipartisan Congressional delegation to the Paris Air Show, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) wrote an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal warning that President Trump’s trade policy threatens American national defense and global alliances. In her piece, Shaheen argues that the president’s tariff policy threatens our relationships around the globe, exacerbates existing supply chain disruptions and threatens American defense readiness. You can read her op-ed here.

In part, Shaheen writes: “While Beijing closely watches the war in Ukraine, it has also escalated confrontations in the South China Sea and conducted aggressive military exercises over the Taiwan Strait. In the face of these rising threats, our ability to produce and deliver weapons at scale—coordinated with our allies—is more critical than ever.”

Shaheen concludes: “The Trump administration’s trade policies have weakened the alliances we rely on. Congress should reassert our leadership by re-examining its moves and exercising congressional oversight. If we’re going to be ready for the challenges ahead, we must treat American trade policy as a core pillar of American national security.”

The op-ed is available here and in full below:

Trump’s Tariffs Weaken America’s Military

Eighty years ago, the U.S. Army Air Forces staged an exhibition beneath the Eiffel Tower. Thousands of Parisians gathered to admire the B-17 Flying Fortress—an American-built aircraft that helped liberate Europe from Nazi occupation. Primitive by today’s standards, those bombers were the product of a national industrial base operating at full capacity. They were deployed by a trans-Atlantic alliance that shared logistics, intelligence and purpose. That model of coordination is what we need now—but it’s being tested by a trade agenda that favors confrontation over cooperation.

As I co-lead the congressional delegation to this week’s Paris Air Show, the world’s largest defense aerospace expo, I find myself asking: Is the greatest obstacle to America’s security not China or Russia but our own trade policy?

The U.S. defense industry’s capacity to meet the demand for arms was already stretched thin by the Covid pandemic and conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. The Trump administration further disrupted supply chains and increased production costs through more than 50 tariff announcements and a patchwork of shifting duties. The imposition of these tariffs has pressured allies to respond in kind. This cycle worsens supply-chain disruptions, driving up costs and causing delays in defense production.

President Trump imposed 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum earlier this month. Regardless of any exemptions the administration offers, building a modern America-class amphibious assault ship requires 45,000 tons of steel. The net effect of this trade policy will be higher costs across the board, from military aircraft and lightweight armor plating to submarine repairs and shipbuilding.

Tariffs will also affect small, specialized components like those used in jet engines, night vision systems, and landing gear. When I recently met with a New Hampshire company that makes ball bearings for the aerospace industry, executives told me tariffs have driven up their costs and extended their production time—concerns industry leaders echoed in Paris.

These delays and rising costs don’t only slow American readiness; they erode our allies’ trust in the U.S. as a dependable partner. The strain is already evident. Although the F-35 fighter jet is “the pinnacle of aerial combat technology,” in Vice President JD Vance’s words, several North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have signaled they may reconsider participation in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

Demand for American-made weapons remains strong, especially from front-line nations like Poland. It is racing to acquire Himars rocket launchers and Abrams tanks. But even as the Trump administration pressures allies to spend more on defense, its trade policies and combative rhetoric are sowing doubt about the reliability of parts, maintenance and pricing. That’s prompting U.S. partners to reassess their long-term defense commitments. President Emmanuel Macron underscored this shift when he said, “My goal is to persuade EU countries that rely on U.S. weapons to choose European alternatives.”

European leaders have legitimate cause for concern, and their increased defense spending reflects it. Vladimir Putin has reoriented Russia’s economy around the war in Ukraine, churning out more than 1,400 Iskander ballistic missiles a year and at one point signing up 1,000 new recruits a day. His effort is backed by North Korea, Iran and, most significantly, China.

While Beijing closely watches the war in Ukraine, it has also escalated confrontations in the South China Sea and conducted aggressive military exercises over the Taiwan Strait. In the face of these rising threats, our ability to produce and deliver weapons at scale—coordinated with allies—is more critical than ever.

The administration argues that reliance on foreign imports undermines American defense readiness and that tariffs will protect U.S. industries. But the defense industrial base has evolved over generations, and restructuring it would take decades—time we simply don’t have.

Russia, China and Iran may feel distant to many Americans. But for those of us with family who served in World War II—or who confront national-security challenges daily in government service—the risks are clear and they are growing.

As the B-17 displayed in Paris that summer of 1945 symbolized a robust industrial base united with steadfast allies, today’s defense readiness depends on a similarly coordinated approach—one that can’t thrive amid tariffs that alienate our closest partners.

We need a smarter, more unified strategy. Tariffs on our closest allies aren’t only damaging our economy, they’re undermining our shared defense readiness. At a minimum, the administration should provide answers on how these tariffs are affecting our defense supply chains. I’ve asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for this information but received no response.

The Trump administration’s trade policies have weakened the alliances we rely on. Congress should reassert our leadership by re-examining its moves and exercising congressional oversight. If we’re going to be ready for the challenges ahead, we must treat American trade policy as a core pillar of American national security.

Last week, Shaheen pressed U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the impacts of the administration’s tariffs on steel and aluminum on the defense industrial base, supply chain lead times and our overall military readiness. The exchange followed a letter sent to Hegseth in April where Shaheen raised concerns about how the President’s trade war harms defense supply chains and ultimately weakens America’s military readiness. The Senator expressed how tariffs on imports will increase prices for the Department of Defense’s defense acquisitions – harming its purchasing power and further raising costs on small businesses.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 19, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Former SBA Employee from South Florida Headed to Federal Prison After Defrauding COVID-19 Relief Programs

Source: United States Small Business Administration

Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release

A former Small Business Administration (SBA) employee who fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief money to spend on luxury items was sentenced on June 13.

United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced Malaina Chapman, 38, to 54 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Ruiz further ordered Chapman to pay $1,297,178 in restitution.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman was employed as a Disaster Relief Specialist with the SBA from September 28, 2020 through March 18, 2021. While employed by the SBA, Chapman became involved in multiple schemes to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as well as local credit unions and local and state programs designed to assist those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On February 10, 2021, Chapman submitted an online loan application in the name of Upscale Credit Lounge, LLC to a lender. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Schedule C (Form 1040) that reported gross revenues of $103,674 and a tentative profit of $81,860 for 2020. The lender relied upon the representations in Chapman’s application to approve a loan in the amount of $17,052.50.

On February 19, 2021, Chapman submitted an online PPP loan application with the lender on behalf of DA TRAP, LLC. In her application, Chapman claimed that she had four employees and an average monthly payroll of $14,191. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Employers Quarterly Tax Return (Form 941), which purportedly documented the wages paid by DA TRAP. Relying on the representations in the application, the lender approved a loan in the amount of $35,477.50.

In total, Chapman received $230,246 for the loan applications she submitted on her own behalf.

Chapman also conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Six defendants were charged under case number 24-cr-20079. For that conspiracy, Chapman was held accountable for losses of $837,716.

In addition to defrauding the PPP program, Chapman also took advantage of the State of Florida and the City of Miami’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.

Chapman spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, Goyard, Chanel, Fendi, as well as a designer teacup puppy. Chapman also spent over $7,500 on a stay at a Key Largo luxury resort.

U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, made the announcement.

This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, SBA-OIG, and DOL-OIG.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein prosecuted the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20321.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former SBA Employee from South Florida Headed to Federal Prison After Defrauding COVID-19 Relief Programs

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

MIAMI – A former Small Business Administration (SBA) employee who fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief money to spend on luxury items was sentenced on June 13.

United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced Malaina Chapman, 38, to 54 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Ruiz further ordered Chapman to pay $1,297,178 in restitution.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman was employed as a Disaster Relief Specialist with the SBA from September 28, 2020 through March 18, 2021. While employed by the SBA, Chapman became involved in multiple schemes to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as well as local credit unions and local and state programs designed to assist those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On February 10, 2021, Chapman submitted an online loan application in the name of Upscale Credit Lounge, LLC to a lender. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Schedule C (Form 1040) that reported gross revenues of $103,674 and a tentative profit of $81,860 for 2020. The lender relied upon the representations in Chapman’s application to approve a loan in the amount of $17,052.50.

On February 19, 2021, Chapman submitted an online PPP loan application with the lender on behalf of DA TRAP, LLC. In her application, Chapman claimed that she had four employees and an average monthly payroll of $14,191. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Employers Quarterly Tax Return (Form 941), which purportedly documented the wages paid by DA TRAP. Relying on the representations in the application, the lender approved a loan in the amount of $35,477.50.

In total, Chapman received $230,246 for the loan applications she submitted on her own behalf.

Chapman also conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Six defendants were charged under case number 24-cr-20079. For that conspiracy, Chapman was held accountable for losses of $837,716.

In addition to defrauding the PPP program, Chapman also took advantage of the State of Florida and the City of Miami’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.

Chapman spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, Goyard, Chanel, Fendi, as well as a designer teacup puppy. Chapman also spent over $7,500 on a stay at a Key Largo luxury resort.

U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, made the announcement.

This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, SBA-OIG, and DOL-OIG.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein prosecuted the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20321.

###

MIL Security OSI –

June 18, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former SBA Employee from South Florida Headed to Federal Prison After Defrauding COVID-19 Relief Programs

Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

MIAMI – A former Small Business Administration (SBA) employee who fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief money to spend on luxury items was sentenced on June 13.

United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced Malaina Chapman, 38, to 54 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Ruiz further ordered Chapman to pay $1,297,178 in restitution.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman was employed as a Disaster Relief Specialist with the SBA from September 28, 2020 through March 18, 2021. While employed by the SBA, Chapman became involved in multiple schemes to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, as well as local credit unions and local and state programs designed to assist those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On February 10, 2021, Chapman submitted an online loan application in the name of Upscale Credit Lounge, LLC to a lender. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Schedule C (Form 1040) that reported gross revenues of $103,674 and a tentative profit of $81,860 for 2020. The lender relied upon the representations in Chapman’s application to approve a loan in the amount of $17,052.50.

On February 19, 2021, Chapman submitted an online PPP loan application with the lender on behalf of DA TRAP, LLC. In her application, Chapman claimed that she had four employees and an average monthly payroll of $14,191. In support of her application, Chapman submitted a false and fraudulent Employers Quarterly Tax Return (Form 941), which purportedly documented the wages paid by DA TRAP. Relying on the representations in the application, the lender approved a loan in the amount of $35,477.50.

In total, Chapman received $230,246 for the loan applications she submitted on her own behalf.

Chapman also conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Six defendants were charged under case number 24-cr-20079. For that conspiracy, Chapman was held accountable for losses of $837,716.

In addition to defrauding the PPP program, Chapman also took advantage of the State of Florida and the City of Miami’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs.

Chapman spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, Goyard, Chanel, Fendi, as well as a designer teacup puppy. Chapman also spent over $7,500 on a stay at a Key Largo luxury resort.

U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG); Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, made the announcement.

This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, SBA-OIG, and DOL-OIG.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bernstein prosecuted the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20321.

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MIL Security OSI –

June 18, 2025