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Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Economy – RBNZ Bulletin: Reflections on 35 Years of Flexible Inflation Targeting – Lessons from the RBNZ Research Conference

    Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua

    19 June 2025 – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua hosted a research conference on 6-7 March 2025 commemorating “35 Years of Flexible Inflation Targeting – Challenges and Opportunities”.

    This Bulletin summarises the key themes and insights that emerged during the conference.

    The conference marked a significant historical milestone. Reflecting on the decades leading to inflation targeting, Governor Christian Hawkesby described how New Zealand experienced high and volatile inflation when monetary policy was set under the direction of the Government, not an independent central bank.

    Reforms undertaken from 1988 set out, in the words of the then Minister of Finance, Roger Douglas, to “ensure that future politicians don’t interfere with the primary objective of the Reserve Bank”.

    In March 1990, when the Minister of Finance and the Reserve Bank Governor signed the first Policy Targets Agreement (PTA), the Reserve Bank of New Zealand became the first central bank to have a numerical target for inflation specified in its monetary policy mandate. (ref. https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=f7a74960f1&e=f3c68946f8 )

    Against this backdrop, 35 years after the first PTA, the research conference aimed to understand the inflation targeting experience across central banks, the challenges, and the opportunities to refine monetary policy frameworks and strategies in the post-pandemic world.
     
    Read the Bulletin: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=78cd896bea&e=f3c68946f8

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: GDP increases 0.8 percent in the March 2025 quarter – Stats NZ media and information release: Gross domestic product: March 2025 quarter

    GDP increases 0.8 percent in the March 2025 quarter – media release

    19 June 2025

    New Zealand’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.8 percent in the March 2025 quarter, following a 0.5 percent increase in the December 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

    Activity increased in the March 2025 quarter across all three high-level industry groups: primary industries, goods-producing industries, and services industries.

    “At a more detailed industry level, nine of the 16 industries increased, with the largest rises in business services and manufacturing,” economic growth spokesperson Katrina Dewbery said.

    The rise in manufacturing was led by an increase in the production of machinery and equipment. This was reflected in increases for components of both investment and exports associated with this type of manufacturing output.

    Visit our website to read this news story and information release and to download CSV files:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Rwandan genocide perpetrator charged with immigration fraud following ICE investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    DAYTON, Ohio – A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation resulted in an indictment that was unsealed June 13, charging a Dayton man with lying on his applications for a green card and United States citizenship by concealing his past role as a leader and perpetrator of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.

    According to court documents, Vincent Nzigiyimfura, 65, was a prominent businessman and shop owner in Rwanda in 1994 when the genocide began. He allegedly used his wealth and leadership position in Rwandan society to organize violence against and killings of Tutsis, the minority population persecuted in the genocide.

    “ICE HSI is committed to pursuing justice for victims of genocide by ensuring that those who committed atrocities in foreign lands cannot hide in Ohio or any other community in the United States,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “No one wants a war criminal as their neighbor and these allegations paint a grim picture of the horror Nzigiyimfura inflicted on the Tutsi people. His indictment and arrest is a step toward justice for those victims.”

    “The indictment alleges this defendant facilitated the killings of Tutsis during the Rwandan genocide and then lied about it on immigration applications in the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio. “This egregious conduct will not be tolerated.”

    “As alleged, Vincent Nzigiyimfura directed and encouraged murders during the genocide in Rwanda and then lied to U.S. authorities to start a new life in this country,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The United States is not a safe haven for human rights violators. Those, like the defendant, who commit immigration fraud to hide their violent pasts will be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    As alleged in the indictment, Nzigiyimfura directed groups of armed Hutus – the majority population – to kill Tutsis. He allegedly set up roadblocks during the genocide to detain and kill Tutsis, including a roadblock directly in front of his home, where Tutsis were allegedly killed at his direction. Nzigiyimfura also allegedly participated in killings. According to court filings, the defendant was subsequently convicted in absentia by a Rwandan court for genocide.

    Court documents detail that Nzigiyimfura applied for a visa to enter the U.S. and was granted lawful permanent resident status in 2008. In 2014, he submitted an application for naturalization. Nzigiyimfura allegedly lied to U.S. immigration officials in his immigration applications, including by falsely denying any involvement as a perpetrator of the Rwandan genocide.

    Nzigiyimfura was arrested June 12 and charged with one count of visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalization fraud. If convicted as charged, he could face up to 30 years in prison.

    ICE HSI Detroit is investigating this case, with assistance from the interagency Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

    Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the U.S, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers. Currently, HSI has more than 180 active investigations into suspected human rights violators and is pursuing more than 1,945 leads and removals cases involving suspected human rights violators from 95 different countries. Since 2003, the HRVWCC has issued more than 79,000 lookouts for potential perpetrators of human rights abuses, and stopped over 390 human rights violators and war crimes suspects from entering the U.S.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney George Painter of the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Brian Morgan of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are representing the United States in this case.

    Members of the public who have information about potential former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the ICE tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or the online tip form. They can also email HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov

    An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Appoints Judge Coffey to Liquor Control Commission

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Pillen Appoints Judge Coffey to Liquor Control Commission

      

    LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen announced his appointment of J. Michael Coffey to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, representing the 2nd Congressional District. His appointment, while immediate, is subject to confirmation next year by the Nebraska Legislature.  

    Coffey is a former district court judge in the 4th Judicial District, which consists of Omaha. He retired in June 2023 after nearly 25 years on the bench. Prior to his appointment to the court, Coffey was a practicing attorney in Omaha.  He earned his juris doctor from the Creighton University School of Law.

    Members of the Liquor Control Commission serve six-year terms. Each person represents a different congressional district in Nebraska.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressional Delegation Introduces Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

    06.18.25

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and U.S. Congressman Nick Begich (all R-Alaska), introduced S.2098/H.R.3620, the Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025. Within two years of enactment, the bill would transfer ownership of the Quyana Clubhouse in downtown Anchorage from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to the Southcentral Foundation (SCF). The SCF is an Alaska Native tribal health organization designated by Cook Inlet Region, Inc. and eleven federally recognized Tribes to provide healthcare services to beneficiaries of the Indian Health Service under a self-governance compact. This transfer would provide stronger support for SCF’s mission in providing healthcare and related services to Alaska Native people by allowing SCF to secure financing, replace their current facility, expand services, and create jobs.

    “For more than 40 years, Southcentral Foundation has provided vital health care services in Alaska by supporting the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional wellness of Alaska Natives and American Indians,” said Senator Murkowski. “I’m glad to lead this bill alongside Senator Sullivan and Congressman Begich to help SCF improve and grow its behavioral health care services, which is a top priority in Alaska. By transferring ownership of this land to SCF, we are supporting self-determination, improving access to culturally relevant services, and prioritizing the health and well-being of Alaskans.”

    “Southcentral Foundation serves the behavioral health care needs of thousands of Alaska Native people, including through initiatives like Quyana Clubhouse, which incorporates cultural values and traditions into the treatment of individuals with severe mental health challenges,” said Senator Sullivan. “Transferring ownership of the Quyana Clubhouse will empower Southcentral to build on the success they’ve had in creating an innovative and welcoming place for individuals with persistent mental health concerns. I’m glad to introduce legislation with Senator Murkowski and Congressman Begich to facilitate this important land transfer.”

    “Southcentral Foundation has long been a trusted provider of healthcare for Alaska Native communities,” said Congressman Begich. “This legislation delivers land title status needed to secure investment for modernized healthcare facilities – facilities that will allow Southcentral Foundation to address treatment more comprehensively for those suffering from persistent and severe mental illness. This bill paves the way for improved local solutions, and I am proud to lead this effort in the House.”

    “I appreciate the work of the entire Alaska delegation on this important legislation,” said Southcentral Foundation President and CEO, April Kyle. “Transferring the parcel of federal land where SCF currently operates the Quyana Clubhouse will clear the way to build a new facility that expands capacity and adds Intensive Case Management programs for people with chronic mental health and substance use challenges. This land transfer will allow SCF to better assist this population and provide services needed for all to thrive in the community.”

    Additional Information:

    • The Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025 has received official letters of support from: 
    • On Wednesday, June 11, 2025 the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held a legislative hearing on four bills, including H.R. 3620.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Senator Mullin Blasts Democrat Hypocrisy in Hegseth Hearing, They ‘Should Be Ashamed’ for the Last Four Years

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

    RELEASE: Senator Mullin Blasts Democrat Hypocrisy in Hegseth Hearing, They ‘Should Be Ashamed’ for the Last Four Years

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, slammed Democrats for their hypocritical lines of questioning towards Secretary Pete Hegseth at today’s hearing to examine the Department of Defense’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2026.

    In his remarks, Senator Mullin addressed Senate Democrats’ refusal to hold the Biden administration accountable for anything the last four years, including the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and the cover-up of Joe Biden’s cognitive decline. Highlights below.

    Sen. Mullin’s full remarks can be found here.

    On the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan:

    “Talk about accountability, I wonder who was held accountable for the disastrous withdrawal out of Afghanistan, where 13 soldiers died and we left thousands of Americans behind underneath Secretary Austin’s lead. Did one person get held accountable during that time? I don’t know of anybody that got held accountable for Afghanistan withdrawal.”

    On the Democrat cover-up of President Biden’s cognitive decline:

    “History is history. Look back at it, if you want to or not. But keep in mind every time you’re pointing fingers here, you got three fingers pointing back at you.”

    “Because the previous administration you guys 100% turned a blind eye to and did nothing to hold them accountable, nothing. So don’t sit up here on the dais and pretend like you’re trying to hold the administration accountable now, because you didn’t for four years.”

    “You literally covered up for a commander in chief that was absent. Absent minded and absent leadership. And you guys did absolutely nothing, even your left-leaning media is saying it was the worst cover up possibly in political history. Yet nothing from you guys. You all should be ashamed of yourself. Literally, you should be ashamed of yourself.”

    On the difference between a failing Biden administration and a roaring Trump administration:

    “Let’s talk about the turmoil to which my colleagues on the other side of the dais wants to talk about. Let’s talk about that turmoil. Underneath Secretary Austin, who was a general by the way, you had the lowest morale measured in our military history, you had retention absolutely disastrous, you had recruitments that wasn’t even meeting lowered standards that you guys lowered.”

    “But let me see the contrast. We have the highest morale that’s been measured in decades in the military. We have recruiting numbers that are exceeding expectations that we’ve had. We have our enemies that fear us once again, and our allies that love us because they can trust us, but that’s not the narrative, Secretary Hegseth, that our Democrat colleagues want to draw.”

    On the Trump administration cleaning up the mess of the last four years:

    “You want to talk about, war powers, or the fact that during our reposturing in the Middle East against Iran, which would have never taken place if our colleagues on the other side would have held the administration accountable while they were giving billions of dollars back to Iran, and knowing good and well during the briefings that they were actually trying to develop a nuclear weapon, but we turned a blind eye to that.”

    “And now the mess that was created by the Biden administration, this administration, underneath the Trump administration and the leadership of Secretary Hegseth, is simply trying to clean up.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Consultation on ECE licensing criteria open

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that the Ministry of Education are now consulting on changing, merging, or removing approximately three-quarters of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) licensing criteria. 
    “Earlier this year the ECE Sector Review instigated 15 changes to modernise and simplify regulations,” Mr Seymour says. 
    “The changes to the ECE regulations show the power of a sector review. The Ministry for Regulation went in and listened to the people who actually run, work at, and use early childhood education. They found people encircled by multiple regulators enforcing out of date rules, and proposed solutions. 
    “The biggest complaint arises from the calcified, high stakes licencing criteria – 98 of them – that can each have a centre shut down with little to no notice. We are consulting on changing, merging, or removing approximately three-quarters of them. 
    “Some of the proposals being consulted on include more digital information distribution, more clarity, and Removing duplication of regulations that are covered by other authorities.
    New licensing criteria will be gazetted by the end of September. Consultation on changes to these is open until 24 July. You can have your say here: Have your say – Ministry of Education.
    “By the end of next year ECE providers will be governed by a regulatory system which ensures regulations are focused on what matters – providing safe, high-quality care and education as the changes are rolled out over the coming year,” Mr Seymour says.
    “ECE providers will no longer be burdened with 98 separate licensing criteria, many of which were arbitrary or outdated. 
    “By mid next year, graduated enforcement tools will be used to respond to breaches of the remaining licensing criteria. The only enforcement tools previously available were too blunt a tool for managing minor breaches and allowing early intervention. There will no longer be high-stakes open-or-shut rules that create anxiety and strained relationships for regulators and centre operators alike.”
    Graduated enforcement will give the regulator a range of enforcement measures. They will be able to respond proportionately to breaches, changing the sector’s culture from a punitive approach to promoting quality.
    “The changes to the licensing criteria represents a major shakeup of the sector’s outdated system. Consultation will make the new licensing criteria great for children, parents and ECE service providers,” Mr Seymour says.
    “There is huge demand for ECEs from families across New Zealand, however numbers show supply isn’t keeping up. That is why we are committed to making changes which will allow the industry to expand and provide more high-quality services for families and their children. 
    “In the meantime, recent amendments to the pay parity opt-in scheme aim to provide some relief to ECE services.
    “In a high-cost economy, regulation isn’t neutral. It’s a tax on growth. Every completed review makes it easier to do business, access services, and innovate in New Zealand. The ECE review is the first of many examples of what smarter regulation looks like in action.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Taking the handbrake off productivity through transport rule reform

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is progressing a bold work programme to increase productivity and efficiency through comprehensively reforming New Zealand’s land transport rules, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.

    “Land transport rules set out how different sectors of the transport industry must operate. They impact all road users – from the suburban mum or dad who has to get a Warrant of Fitness every year no matter how new or well-maintained their car, to the truckies who’ve been loaded up with compliance costs due to rules long since made redundant through advances in technology,” says Mr Bishop. 

    “Right now the rules system is overly cumbersome to update and creates a substantial administrative burden for New Zealand businesses trying their best to operate safely, legally and efficiently. 

    “The rules are full of nonsensical or outdated requirements. For example, the Road User Rule doesn’t currently permit e-scooters to use cycle lanes or young children to ride their bikes on the footpath. Several rules require hard copy letters to be posted instead of sending emails, which last year alone resulted in 14 million hard copy letters, reminders, and labels being posted at a cost to the taxpayer of $16.8 million. While some of these letters will still need to be printed and posted, the rules reform programme will make it possible for many of these services to be modernised.

    “Earlier this year, I started work to update one of the land transport rules by consulting on proposals to reduce how often private motorhomes and vintage cars and motorcycles need to renew their Warrant of Fitness (WOF) or Certificate of Fitness (COF). 

    “Now we’re taking that same common-sense approach to other transport rules through a comprehensive programme of work to reform and update them, with most decisions expected to be made over the next 18 months.”

    The Land Transport Rules Reform Programme includes seven streams of work:

    1. Reducing the frequency of vintage vehicle and motorhome WOF and COF inspections, as previously announced.
      1. Considering additional safety requirements for vehicle imports including a possible phased introduction.
      2. Reviewing WOF/COF frequency and inspection requirements for light vehicles.
      3. Simplifying heavy vehicle driver licencing, weight thresholds, and freight permitting to improve efficiency and productivity for the freight sector.
      4. Enabling digital driver licences and, digital alternatives to WOF/COF/rego stickers, allowing NZTA to electronically collect, store and send regulatory notices, enabling online theory tests, and simplifying identification requirements for NZTA customers.
      5. Improving lane use and use of traffic control devices, and minor system improvements, which will include enabling e-scooters in cycle lanes and children to ride bikes on footpaths, minimum overtaking gaps when passing cyclists, horses etc, and requiring vehicles to give way to buses exiting bus stops.
      6. Overhauling the vehicle regulatory system to make it more efficient, effective and adaptable, including simplifying and refocusing import requirements and streamlining recognition of overseas standards.

    “The work delivers on commitments in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport and the Road Safety Objectives document to review the vehicle regulatory system to improve safety, reduce regulatory burden, and ensure our domestic rules are fit for purpose, investigate our warrant of fitness system to more effectively and efficiently target risk, and investigate new safety requirements for vehicles entering the fleet”, says Mr Bishop.

    “The programme includes some longer-term pieces of work that will not be complete within the 18 months, such as overhauling the vehicle regulatory system to reduce complexity and better align with other jurisdictions’ requirements. Another longer-term piece of work will be reviewing the Vehicle Dimension and Mass rule because requirements have not kept up with changes in the international automotive industry.

    “Our Government wants to remove pointless inefficiencies – things that we do simply because we’ve always done it that way. It’s not good enough to force New Zealand businesses to comply with outdated rules simply because it’s too hard to update them. Removing or updating rules that are no longer relevant and that have little real benefit will mean we can focus on driving our economy forward.”

    Notes to Editor: 

    A fact sheet laying out the Land Transport Rules Reform Programme is attached. 

    Public Consultation:

    Public consultation will begin in October 2025 on:

    • Additional safety requirements for imports
    • Changes to WOF and COF inspection requirements and frequency for light vehicles, and
    • Changes to freight permitting requirements.

    This is expected to be followed by consultation in early 2026 on:

    • Possible changes to licence weight thresholds
    • Enabling a digital driver licence, digital documents, and e-servicing
    • Improving lane use and use of traffic control devices.

    Initial consultation on overhauling the vehicle regulatory system is planned for mid-2026.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 2025–26 ACT Budget: what’s in it for Belconnen

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    New public toilet facilities will be installed, funded by the Australian Government.

    There will also be a new all-abilities playground built in Florey.

    Local playground improvements

    The play facilities in the Umbagong District Park will be upgraded.

    There will also be a playground upgrade in McKellar.

    Improved sports and recreation facilities

    The Belconnen Netball Association facility in Charnwood will receive improvements, including:

    • expanded courts
    • upgraded parking
    • upgraded toilet facilities.

    Charnwood skatepark will also be upgraded.

    Female-friendly changeroom upgrades will be carried out at playing fields in:

    • Kaleen (both Turon Street and Ashburton Circuit).

    This work is part of ACT-wide investment in inclusive sports facilities.

    Revitalised local shops and community precincts

    There will be upgrades to Charnwood shops, one of Belconnen’s busiest neighbourhood shopping areas. This work will help improve access and refresh public spaces.

    The ACT Government will keep working with the owners of Kippax Fair to deliver Stage Two of the West Belconnen upgrade. This will help revitalise the area.

    School upgrades in Fraser and Melba

    The Budget will support upgrades to the Fraser Primary School oval. These will improve its condition and safety for school and community use.

    There is also support for the master planning, design and construction of priority upgrades at Melba Copland Secondary School.

    A new medical imaging service

    Belconnen residents will also benefit from a new medical imaging outpatient service. This will be established at the Belconnen Community Health Centre.

    The new service will ensure more people in Belconnen can access diagnostic imaging services closer to home. It will improve care and reduce pressure on hospital-based imaging.

    Belco projects already underway

    These investments build on major investments underway in Belconnen. They include:

    • a new early childhood and primary school in Strathnairn
    • upgrades at Belconnen public schools
    • planning for a new Northside Hospital
    • planning for upgrades at CIT Belconnen upgrade
    • planning for a new Canberra Stadium in the Bruce Health, Education and Sports Precinct.

    Ongoing public transport improvements

    Public transport in the region will also keep improving, with:

    • more frequent R2 services between Belconnen and Fyshwick
    • a new West Belconnen Rapid Service, with a supporting park and ride facility.

    A more liveable, inclusive and connected Belconnen

    These investments have been shaped by community feedback.

    They are designed to make a meaningful difference in the daily lives of Belconnen residents.

    Read more like this:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand, Colleagues Reintroduce Older Americans Act To Empower American Seniors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee, joined nine of her colleagues to reintroduce the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act. This legislation renews funding for the OAA and strengthens services for American seniors.

    The OAA has provided vital nutrition, social, and health services to millions of seniors since its passage in 1965. Last reauthorized in 2020, OAA expired in the 118th Congress. The previous OAA reauthorization passed the Senate unanimously last year.

    This legislation would reauthorize OAA programs through fiscal year 2030 and make improvements to promote innovation and flexibility, strengthen program integrity, and better support family caregivers and direct care workers. The bill also takes steps to better serve Tribal seniors and those with disabilities in their communities. 

    “The OAA has been a lifeline for American seniors since its passage over half a century ago,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This landmark legislation helps our nation’s seniors thrive by supporting programs that provide nutrition assistance, home-delivered and congregate meals, transportation services, caregiver support, disease prevention services, long-term care, and more. One in six older Americans are served by programs funded by the OAA. We owe it to seniors to strengthen and continue funding these programs so they have the support they need to age with dignity and respect. As ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee, I am firmly committed to getting this bill passed with bipartisan support.”

    Senator Gillibrand was joined on this legislation by Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee; Bernie Sanders (I-VT), ranking member of the HELP Committee; Rick Scott (R-FL), chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging; Lisa Murkowski (R-AK); Tim Kaine (D-VA); Ben Ray Luján (D-NM); Ed Markey (D-MA); Markwayne Mullin (R-OK); and Susan Collins (R-ME).  

    “The Older Americans Act is crucial in helping American seniors live healthy and independent lives in the settings they choose,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This legislation strengthens these programs, ensuring they meet the needs of older Americans now and in the future.” 

    “The Older Americans Act provides federal funding for many essential services for our nation’s seniors including activities to combat loneliness and isolation, job training, protections from abuse, rides to the doctor’s office and grocery store, preventing disease, helping older adults live at home, and supporting our nation’s caregivers,” said Senator Sanders. “Not only does the Older Americans Act save lives and ease human suffering, it saves money. We can choose to continue to waste billions of dollars on emergency room visits and unnecessary hospital stays, or we can provide older Americans with the resources and the services they need to live healthier, more secure, and more dignified lives. In my view, it is our responsibility not simply to reauthorize this legislation and maintain the status quo. It is our responsibility to expand the Older Americans Act so that every vulnerable senior in America can receive the services that they need.”

    “I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan legislation to strengthen support for America’s older adults and reaffirm our commitment to helping them enjoy their golden years with dignity and independence. As Chair of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, I understand how essential it is that the more than 59 million older Americans in communities across our nation have access to critical services made possible through the Older Americans Act like nutrition, in-home care, and caregiver support. I was proud to lead a bipartisan resolution recognizing May 2025 as Older Americans Month, and am determined to work alongside my colleagues to see the Older Americans Act quickly reauthorized. Our seniors have spent their lives building and serving this country, and this bill is one way we ensure they continue to be supported, respected, and valued,” said Senator Scott.

    The full text of the bill can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Improvements will close Kensington Highway 1 westbound exit for two months

    Pavement repairs are planned for the Highway 1-Kensington Avenue interchange, as the Ministry of Transportation and Transit completes crucial safety improvements along this busy route.

    Starting Wednesday, July 2, 2025, the westbound offramp from Highway 1 to Kensington Avenue and one northbound lane on Kensington Avenue will remain closed, 24 hours a day, seven days a week until the end of August while repair work is underway.

    The ministry is undertaking this work to address pavement settlement issues that have resulted in bumpy conditions for motorists along the Kensington Avenue interchange. Full closure is necessary to allow crews to safely complete the repairs.

    Drivers can use Gaglardi Way or Willingdon Avenue for north/south travel off Highway 1 westbound during the closure period. Travellers are encouraged to plan ahead and add additional travel time to reach their destinations and take alternative routes to avoid anticipated congestion.

    The ministry is working closely with the City of Burnaby, residents, businesses and organizations in the Kensington Avenue area to minimize disruptions while work is underway.

    People are asked to take extra care while travelling in the area. Drivers are reminded to obey all safety signage. For the most up-to-date traffic information, check: https://www.drivebc.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur, Corps Of Engineers, City Of Vermilion, And Erie Metroparks Celebrate Completion Of West Pier Repair And Start Of East Pier Repair

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    Port Clinton, Ohio — Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, City of Vermilion, and Erie Metroparks celebrated the completion of construction on a multi-year repair of Vermilion Harbor’s West Pier and start of the final phase of repairs of its East Pier. The combined $23 Million investment in these projects is critical to safe navigation on the Great Lakes, the local and regional economy, and protection for residents and visitors of Vermilion. Photo and video of the project site and the completion event are available by clicking here. 

    “The completion of repairs on the Vermilion Harbor West Pier represents a historic investment in our region’s infrastructure, and our people,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “This project enhances safety for inter-lake and international trade while also protecting our precious Lake Erie. A thriving Lake Erie is essential for the prosperity of northern Ohio and the entire Great Lakes Region. I am grateful to see the major federal funding I secured support the US Army Corps of Engineers in this critical endeavor. I am honored to join the Corps and local leaders today to see the final improvements for the West Pier, and I look forward to seeing the completion of the East Pier this fall.”

    “Congratulations to the City of Vermilion, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, and Erie Metroparks on completing the West Pier repairs and beginning vital construction of the East Pier. Strengthening this infrastructure will allow for continued economic growth in the region and create a safe community for residents and visitors to enjoy,” said US Senator Jon Husted (R-OH).

    “The Corps of Engineers brought significant dedication and expertise to this investment in Great Lakes infrastructure, ensuring it was delivered on time and within budget for the nation, the region, and the people of Vermilion,” said Lt. Col. Robert Burnham, USACE Buffalo District commander. “Once all repairs are complete, Vermilion’s piers are sure to protect boaters, people, and the local economy for decades to come, just as they’ve done for nearly 190 years.”

    “Through the piers pass Vermilion’s very active recreational boat traffic. The friends and families that visit us on those watercraft help fuel our economy. Many keep coming back year after year to dock in our town. My sincere thanks to Congresswoman Kaptur and the US Army Corps of Engineers for helping keep our waterways safe and attractive for everyone,” said City of Vermilion Mayor Jim Forthofer. 

    “The Board of Park Commissioners and I are grateful for the funding provided by Congresswoman Kaptur, and for the Army Corps of Engineers’ diligence in completing the project on time. The repair of the Vermilion Harbor West Pier is critical to the safety of mariners, beach goers, and the Vermilion community. After years of planning and partnering with Mayor Forthofer, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, and the Vermilion community, Erie MetroParks is excited to mobilize and complete construction at Wakefield MetroPark this year,” said Erie Metroparks Executive Director Melissa Price.

    West Pier Repair

    Repairs to 1,100 feet of the West Pier were completed with multiple projects started in 2021 and completed in June 2025. The most recent project focused on the south reach of the pier. The repair included installation of steel sheet pile with voids filled between the existing seawall and new sheet pile, as well as grading, hydroseeding, and tree planting in the adjacent Wakefield Metropark.

    Previous repairs to the West Pier from the beach to the north wrap included removing stone that had settled on the lake side of the pier, placing new granular material, and resetting the cap stones to their initial elevations.

    East Pier Repair

    Repairs to the 600 feet of the East Pier are scheduled to take place from July 7 through January 2026 under a $6.5 million awarded to Michigan-based Great Lakes Dock and Materials, L.L.C., located in September 2024. The repair will include removal of existing stone on both the beach side and channel sides of the pier; installation of sheet pile, tie rods, walers; backfilling with granular material; and reusing the removed stone to create a fresh cap on the top of the pier. The site will be restored to its original condition following construction.

    A repair to 200 feet of the northern end of the East Pier was completed in 2021 with more than 2,000 tons of stone and concrete installed.

    Repairs to Vermilion’s piers are 100% federally funded under operations and maintenance.

    About Vermilion Harbor

    Vermilion Harbor is in Erie County, Ohio, on the south shore of Lake Erie at the mouth of the Vermilion River, about 37 miles west of Cleveland and 21 miles east of Sandusky. Vermilion Harbor is a small-craft harbor originally authorized by the River & Harbor Act and constructed in 1836 by the federal government for commercial purposes. Vermilion Harbor is comprised of a channel approach from the lake and the lower 3,600 feet of the Vermilion River. Protective structures consist of east and west laid up stone over timber crib piers with a total length of 1,792 feet and a cellular steel sheet pile detached breakwater with a length of 864 feet. Boating trip and annual craft spending at Vermilion Harbor generates an estimated $6.9 Million in revenues to accommodations, restaurants, retail, boat repair, and other services and industries and supports more than 44 full-time equivalent jobs, $3.3 Million in labor income, $4.4 Million in the gross regional product, and $7.3 Million in economic output in the local impact area.

    About The US Army Corps Of Engineers And USACE Buffalo District

    The Buffalo District delivers world class engineering solutions to the Great Lakes Region, the Army and the Nation to ensure national security, environmental sustainability, water resource management, and emergency assistance during peace and war. For 250 years, the US Army Corps of Engineers has been at the forefront of the nation’s engineering excellence, responding when called. From constructing fortifications during the Revolutionary War, to building the infrastructure that saw America’s strength grow militarily and economically, USACE’s mission has always been to deliver engineering solutions for our nation’s toughest challenges. Learn more about the USACE 250th anniversary by clicking here or going to www.usace.army.mil/Home/250th.

    Photo and video of the project site and the completion event are available by clicking here. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Volcano Watch — School’s out for Summer: Introducing New Interns at HVO!

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Volcano Watch — School’s out for Summer: Introducing New Interns at HVO!

    As another school year ends, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) welcomes two new summer interns: Kamalani Poepoe and Ruth Gale. With an ongoing eruption at the summit Kīlauea, now is the perfect time for these interns to contribute to ongoing work to better understand eruptions in Hawaii. 

    Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates.

    USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory summer 2025 interns Kamalani Poepoe (left) and Ruth Gale (right). Kamalani is pictured earlier this year on the rim of Kaluapele, the summit caldera of Kīlauea volcano, in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park during one of the fountaining phases of the summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu. Ruth is pictured standing on the rim of one of two volcanic pit craters in Idaho, known as Crater Rings, which formed within the past two million years. USGS photo. 

    Kama is currently an undergraduate at the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo with a major in geology and minor in astronomy. She is participating in geoscience research at HVO through the Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Sciences (PIPES). This is Kama’s second year as a PIPES intern at HVO and her knowledge in the world of geoscience continues to grow. 

    In her first summer with the observatory, Kama explored the field of petrology, analyzing lava samples erupted during the June 2023 eruption at Kīlauea volcano to gain a better understanding of how and why Kīlauea continues to erupt. This summer, Kama is using her petrology analysis techniques to study eruptions at Kīlauea’s summit between 2020 and 2023. 

    Kama continues to grow her geoscience toolbox, working with a seismologist at HVO to integrate earthquake data recorded during these eruptions to more uniquely constrain how and where magma was sourced during these events. Kama is being mentored by scientists Kendra Lynn (petrology) and Ninfa Bennington (seismology) at HVO, and Lis Gallant (physical volcanology) at the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo Geology Department. Her summer experience will include work in the geochemistry lab, learning basic computer programming skills, and aiding in eruption response at Kīlauea’s summit. 

    Ruth Gale recently completed her undergraduate degree at Pomona College, California, with majors in math and geology, and a minor in physics. This fall, Ruth will head to the Stanford University to work on a PhD that integrates the fields of fluid mechanics, petrology, and geodesy to understand the mechanisms that lead to lava fountaining at active volcanoes. 

    Geodesy uses surveying tools such as Global Positioning System and/or satellite radar to measure subtle changes in the shape of the Earth’s surface. These data are used to model underground Earth processes such as magma migration and storage. During her summer at HVO, Ruth will be expanding her skills in the field of geodesy by studying the ongoing and dramatic lava fountaining episodes at Kīlauea’s summit. 

    Specifically, Ruth will analyze Global Positioning System (GPS) data from HVO’s permanent stations at Kīlauea summit to look for subtle changes in deformation associated with lava fountaining. Ruth is interested in understanding what portions of the magma storage reservoir at Kīlauea are providing the material being erupted during these lava fountaining events. She aims to answer the question: what can we learn about the structure of magma storage at Kīlauea from these fountaining episodes? Her summer will include computer programming and analysis focused on this topic as well as assisting the deformation team with field activities such as maintaining HVO’s permanent GPS network. 

    HVO staff look forward to working with Kama (again!) and Ruth as they pursue their research questions. Between their research and the ongoing eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea, these HVO interns will be busy.  We wish them an insightful summer of science as they enter this period learning and growth at HVO!

    Volcano Activity Updates

    Kīlauea has been erupting episodically within the summit caldera since December 23, 2024. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is WATCH.

    Episode 25 of the Kīlauea summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater occurred on June 11, with approximately 8 hours of fountaining from the north and south vents. Summit region inflation since the end of episode 25, along with persistent tremor, suggests that another episode is possible and could start between June 18-20. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are elevated in the summit region during active eruption episodes. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. 

    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.

    Two earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M2.9 earthquake 12 km (8 mi) SSE of Volcano at 7 km (4 mi) depth on June 13 at 2:56 p.m. HST and a M3.4 earthquake 11 km (7 mi) SSW of Volcano at 31 km (19 mi) depth on June 12 at 1:58 p.m. HST.

    HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

    Please visit HVO’s website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: De La Cruz Secures Sterile Fly Facility in Hidalgo County to Combat New World Screwworm

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Monica De La Cruz (TX-15)


    WASHINGTON –     Today, Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced $8.5 million to establish a New World Screwworm sterile fly facility at the Moore Air Base in Hidalgo County. As the threat posed by the New World Screwworm moves northward, the facility will be crucial in producing and distributing sterile flies to prevent potential outbreaks in the U.S.

    “If we do not take action now, the New World Screwworm will devastate Texas livestock and wildlife. Thank you, Secretary Rollins, for swiftly accepting my proposal to establish this critical facility in Hidalgo County. I am committed to working alongside the Administration to put Texas farmers and ranchers first and safeguard our agriculture industry.” – Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz

    “The United States has defeated NWS before and we will do it again. We do not take lightly the threat NWS poses to our livestock industry, our economy, and our food supply chain. The United States government will use all resources at its disposal to push back NWS, and today’s announcement of a domestic strategy to bolster our border defenses is just the beginning. We have the proven tools, strong domestic and international partnerships, and the grit needed to win this battle.” – U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins

    Background:

    The New World Screwworm is a highly destructive parasitic fly that infests the flesh of livestock and wildlife. The parasite has been detected in Veracruz, Mexico, approximately 700 miles from the U.S. border. As more cases arise, the threat and concerns of northward spread grow.
     
    Last week at the House Agriculture Committee hearing with Secretary Rollins, Rep. De La Cruz advocated for Moore Air Base in Hidalgo County to be considered as a site to help combat New World Screwworm. In May, De La Cruz sent a letter to the Secretary requesting that Moore Air Base be considered for a new sterile fly facility to help combat this parasite. The Congresswoman has also led legislative initiatives, including the New World Screwworm Preparedness Act, to ensure Texas agriculture is prepared to combat the threat.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: De La Cruz Secures Sterile Fly Facility in Hidalgo County to Combat New World Screwworm

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Monica De La Cruz (TX-15)


    WASHINGTON –     Today, Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced $8.5 million to establish a New World Screwworm sterile fly facility at the Moore Air Base in Hidalgo County. As the threat posed by the New World Screwworm moves northward, the facility will be crucial in producing and distributing sterile flies to prevent potential outbreaks in the U.S.

    “If we do not take action now, the New World Screwworm will devastate Texas livestock and wildlife. Thank you, Secretary Rollins, for swiftly accepting my proposal to establish this critical facility in Hidalgo County. I am committed to working alongside the Administration to put Texas farmers and ranchers first and safeguard our agriculture industry.” – Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz

    “The United States has defeated NWS before and we will do it again. We do not take lightly the threat NWS poses to our livestock industry, our economy, and our food supply chain. The United States government will use all resources at its disposal to push back NWS, and today’s announcement of a domestic strategy to bolster our border defenses is just the beginning. We have the proven tools, strong domestic and international partnerships, and the grit needed to win this battle.” – U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins

    Background:

    The New World Screwworm is a highly destructive parasitic fly that infests the flesh of livestock and wildlife. The parasite has been detected in Veracruz, Mexico, approximately 700 miles from the U.S. border. As more cases arise, the threat and concerns of northward spread grow.
     
    Last week at the House Agriculture Committee hearing with Secretary Rollins, Rep. De La Cruz advocated for Moore Air Base in Hidalgo County to be considered as a site to help combat New World Screwworm. In May, De La Cruz sent a letter to the Secretary requesting that Moore Air Base be considered for a new sterile fly facility to help combat this parasite. The Congresswoman has also led legislative initiatives, including the New World Screwworm Preparedness Act, to ensure Texas agriculture is prepared to combat the threat.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham, Kelly, Barrasso, Gallego Applaud Senate Passage of Glioblastoma Awareness Day Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) and Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) today applauded the passage of their Senate Resolution designating July 16, 2025 as Glioblastoma Awareness Day.

    “Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer, and I have seen three members of the Senate family, Ted Kennedy, Senator Barrasso’s wife, Bobbi, and my dearest friend John McCain, lose their battle to it,” said Senator Graham. “This resolution honors my friends, all of those who have lost their battle to glioblastoma and the strong individuals battling glioblastoma every day. It will create national awareness of this horrible disease and encourage medical professionals to work together to find a cure. I am glad to be working alongside Senators Kelly, Barrasso, Gallego, T. Scott, Markey, Warren, Van Hollen, Coons and Warnock. Together, we hope to prevent others from suffering from this disease in the future and honoring those who have lost their battle to glioblastoma.”

    “Glioblastoma is a devastating disease that continues to harm the lives of so many Americans and their families, including a great Arizonan and American hero, Senator John McCain,” said Senator Kelly. “In honor of him and all of those currently fighting this disease, I’m once again supporting this effort to encourage research that will improve people’s quality of life and bring us closer to beating it once and for all.” 

    “After losing my wife Bobbi to this deadly disease, I know firsthand how this tragic diagnosis affects patients and their families. Raising awareness and supporting efforts to find a cure is a personal priority for me,” said Senator Barrasso. “Our bipartisan resolution honors our commitment to supporting research that will find a cure for this deadly disease. I am proud to join this resolution to honor Bobbi Barrasso, our colleague John McCain, and all those who have lost their battles in the fight against glioblastoma.”

    “Glioblastoma is a terrible and complex brain cancer that’s taken far too many lives, including Arizona’s own Senator John McCain,” said Senator Gallego. “Senator McCain was a giant in Arizona and in the Senate, and I’m proud to support this resolution for him, the McCain family, and every family touched by glioblastoma. We owe it to them to keep fighting for a cure.”

    In addition to Graham, Kelly, Barrasso and Gallego, the resolution is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), Christopher Coons (D-Delaware) and Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia).

    The resolution:

    • Designates July 16, 2025, as “Glioblastoma Awareness Day”
    • Encourages increased public awareness of glioblastoma
    • Honors the individuals who have died from the devastating disease of glioblastoma or are currently living with the disease
    • Supports efforts to develop better treatments for glioblastoma that will improve the long-term prognosis for, and the quality of life of, individuals diagnosed with the disease
    • Recognizes the importance of molecular biomarker testing to the diagnosis and treatment of glioblastoma
    • Expresses support for the individuals who are battling brain tumors, as well as the families, friends, and caregivers of those individuals
    • Urges a collaborative approach to brain tumor research among governmental, private, and nonprofit organizations, which is a promising means of advancing the understanding and treatment of glioblastoma
    • Encourages continued investments in glioblastoma research and treatments, including through the Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network and other existing brain tumor research resources.

    To read the text of the resolution, click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Slams Senate Judiciary Republicans for Sham Hearing on Biden When Congress has Failed to Debate Urgent Policy Issues 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, slammed Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans for holding a sham hearing on former President Biden, rather than debating policy and working to improve the lives of everyday Americans.  
    “I’m going to tell you what I think is a cover-up. I think this ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ done by reconciliation whereby decision of the majority, not a single member of the minority—who represent half of the citizens of this country—can even be in the room when the terms and the policies are being debated,” said Senator Welch. “We are not there. That is what I call a cover-up because our responsibility—our responsibility—to the people we all represent is to debate health care, is to debate our budget, is to debate about the debt that we’re going to be leaving future generations. And there is no debate.” 
    “And I ask myself: why in the world are we doing it? But we know the answer to that. Because the politics that has been embraced in this Congress is the politics of accusation, of demeaning adversaries, of deflecting from engaging in the hard discussion about hard issues and trying to come to some common agreement that’s going to be to the mutual benefit of all of the people that we represent.” 
    Watch Senator Welch’s full remarks below: 

    Read a key excerpt from Senator Welch’s remarks: 
    “I believe there is a constitutional crisis—it’s the collapse of Congress asserting its Article I authority to make decisions about the well-being of the American people. What has this Senate debated in the months that we’ve been here other than nominations?  
    “Have we discussed the possible war with Iran? Have we had a serious discussion on the floor about the massive and mounting debt? Have we had any discussion about the abdication of congressional spending authority by the impoundment actions of an administration? Have we had a discussion about climate change that is causing havoc throughout the world? 
    “What we’ve done is gone to the floor and debate—we haven’t debated. We’ve gone to the floor and voted on nominations.” 
    ••• 
    Read Senator Welch’s full remarks as delivered. 
    Learn more about Senator Welch’s work by visiting his website or by following him on social media. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Shares Video Urging Congress to Oppose U.S. Involvement in Netanyahu’s War with Iran: “I do not want the United States to get involved in another Mideast war.” 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today shared a video voicing his concerns about potential involvement by the United States in the Israel-Iran conflict, urging Senators of both parties to strongly oppose allowing Netanyahu to pull the U.S. into yet another forever war in the Middle East: 
    Watch the full video here:

    Read a transcript of the video below: 
    “I do not want the United States to get involved in another Mideast war, this time with Iran, and I am increasingly concerned by recent remarks from President Trump that he is, in fact, considering joining Israel’s war against Iran.  
    “What’s becoming very clear is that Prime Minister Netanyahu is doing all he can to lull President Trump into abandoning the commitment he made as a candidate to keep us out of Mideast wars, to get him in yet another one. You know, since he came into office, President Trump has been focused on diplomatic negotiations with Iran. We do not want them to have a nuclear weapon, just as Obama did not want Iran to have a nuclear weapon.  
    “And just days ago, Trump’s peace negotiators were set to meet again with the Iranian negotiators. I supported those negotiations. But Prime Minister Netanyahu has been talking about bombing Iran for 30 years. He put those talks to an end with his targeting of Iran’s top negotiator on the first night of the airstrikes.  
    “And those strikes, by the way, have not included just nuclear facilities, but Iranian leadership and civilian centers in the heart of Tehran. These are tell-tale signs that the Netanyahu goal is not just about Iran’s nuclear program. It’s about regime change. Prime Minister Netanyahu is determined to get a new regime in Iran. You know what? That sounds easy. But what we’ve learned over and over again that forcing regime change from outside in, in the Middle East does not create lasting peace. Quite the opposite. We saw that with Iraq, and we saw that with Afghanistan.  
    “The Constitution explicitly gives Congress the responsibility to declare war. And of course, bombing a country, Iran is an act of war. That’s why I strongly support measures by my colleagues, Senator Kaine and Senator Sanders, that would require Congress to debate whether we should be dragged into Netanyahu’s next war.  
    “If we had that debate, I’d remind Americans about the track record of regime change wars in the Middle East. Netanyahu advocated strongly for President Bush’s ill-fated invasion of Iraq in 2003. And remember when Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said that the Iraq War would last only five days or five weeks or five months? But it certainly isn’t going to last any longer than that. That’s what he said. Eight years later and thousands of American soldiers were killed, we knew how wrong he was.  
    “If we had that debate in Congress, I would remind Americans that President Bush promised the war in Afghanistan—America’s longest war ever—had clear objectives. President Bush said, ‘To all the men and women in our military, I say this. Your mission is defined. Your objectives are clear.’ Yes. Of course. 20 years later and thousands of lives later, we’re back to the Taliban in charge.  
    “And if we had that debate in Congress about this proposed war, I would remind Americans that Netanyahu has already had a chance to try bombing his way to peace. 60,000 lives have been lost and we flattened the homes of over 2 million people, orchards, schools, and hospitals. And in fact, the population of Gaza is still under siege, not getting access to the food and the medicine that are absolutely essential if they’re not going to starve.  
    “Senators of both parties must come together to oppose allowing Netanyahu to pull the United States into yet another forever war in the Middle East.” 
    ••• 
    Learn more about Senator Welch’s work by visiting his website or by following him on social media. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jim Kilby Visits Black Sea Technologies in Baltimore, Observes Small Unmanned Surface Vehicle Operations and Advanced Manufacturing Facility

    Source: United States Navy

    Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jim Kilby visited the BlackSea Technologies (BlackSea) headquarters and production facilities in Baltimore, June 18, to see first-hand how BlackSea supports the U.S. Navy’s Small Unmanned Surface Vehicles (sUSV) program and how it plans to continue to expand its capabilities to support fleet operations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • 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 –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DelBene, Gomez Fight to Expand Affordable Housing for Families Most in Need

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

    Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) reintroduced the Affordable Housing Equity Act, legislation that would strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) by providing a targeted basis boost for housing developments that serve extremely low-income (ELI) households.

    “Too many families are being priced out of their communities and left without stable housing,” said DelBene. “The Affordable Housing Equity Act strengthens one of our most effective affordable housing production tools, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, to better serve the families most in need. This legislation ensures that these households aren’t left behind in the fight for more affordable housing.” 

    “We’re in a housing crisis, and the families hit hardest are the ones with the fewest options,” Gomez. “This bill delivers targeted help to the lowest-income renters by supercharging the most effective affordable housing tool we have. It’s a smart, urgent step to tackle housing affordability and build equity from the ground up.”

    The Affordable Housing Equity Act increases the eligible basis by up to 50% for residential units designated for households earning no more than 30% of area median income (AMI) or 100% of the federal poverty line, whichever is greater. Housing developments must set aside at least 20% of units for ELI renters and be designated by the housing credit agency as needing the boost for financial feasibility.

    LIHTC is the federal government’s primary tool to incentivize the construction and rehabilitation of rental units that families can afford. While existing law allows for a 30% boost in certain areas, those provisions don’t consistently support developments serving extremely low-income renters. The bill closes that gap by creating a national standard tailored to ELI households. The bill applies to new housing credit allocations made after the date of enactment and to tax-exempt bond-financed projects issued after December 31, 2025.

    A copy of the bill can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Prolific Guatemalan Drug Traffickers Extradited to the United States to Face Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Charge

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Steven Ovaldino Lorenzana Alvarenga, also known as “Chipi,” and Allan Mendoza, also known as “Carnes” and “Carnitas,” both of Guatemala, made their initial appearances today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia following their June 17 extraditions from Guatemala to the United States.

    Lorenzana Alvarenga, 30, and Mendoza, 40, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States from Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    According to court documents, from 2006 through 2023, Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza were key members of the Guatemala-based Lorenzana drug trafficking organization (“DTO”), which transports multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America into Mexico and the United States on behalf of various Mexican, Honduran, and Venezuelan cartels. The Lorenzana DTO allegedly controls multiple departments in Guatemala and regularly uses violence, including murder, assault, kidnapping, assassination, and torture in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities. As alleged, Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza were part of a loyal group of associates surrounding the leader of the Lorenzana DTO, Haroldo Waldemar Lorenzana Terraza.

    If convicted, Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza face a maximum penalty of life in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 30 years in prison on the firearm charge.

    The extraditions of Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza mark another significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to dismantle the Lorenzana DTO and bring its members to justice. Lorenzana Terraza assumed leadership of the Lorenzana DTO in the mid-2000s, after the indictment, extradition, and conviction of multiple family members who previously served as key leaders, including Lorenzana Terraza’s grandfather, Waldemar Lorenzana Lima, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 23 years in prison in February 2020;  Lorenzana Terraza’s uncles, Eliu and Waldemar Lorenzana Cordon, who received life sentences following a conviction at trial in 2016; and Lorenzana Terraza’s aunt, Marta Julia Lorenzana-Cordon, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 33 years in prison in March 2024. Lorenzana Terraza was charged alongside Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza with conspiring to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and he also faces two additional charges of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and conspiring to import heroin into the United States. Lorenzana Terraza is still a fugitive, and the U.S. Department of State is currently offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Administrator Robert J. Murphy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.

    The DEA Bilateral Investigation Unit and DEA Guatemala City Country Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs working with Guatemalan law enforcement authorities, INTERPOL, and the DEA provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza to the United States.

    Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Ligia Markman of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Prolific Guatemalan Drug Traffickers Extradited to the United States to Face Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Charge

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Steven Ovaldino Lorenzana Alvarenga, also known as “Chipi,” and Allan Mendoza, also known as “Carnes” and “Carnitas,” both of Guatemala, made their initial appearances today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia following their June 17 extraditions from Guatemala to the United States.

    Lorenzana Alvarenga, 30, and Mendoza, 40, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States from Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    According to court documents, from 2006 through 2023, Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza were key members of the Guatemala-based Lorenzana drug trafficking organization (“DTO”), which transports multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America into Mexico and the United States on behalf of various Mexican, Honduran, and Venezuelan cartels. The Lorenzana DTO allegedly controls multiple departments in Guatemala and regularly uses violence, including murder, assault, kidnapping, assassination, and torture in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities. As alleged, Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza were part of a loyal group of associates surrounding the leader of the Lorenzana DTO, Haroldo Waldemar Lorenzana Terraza.

    If convicted, Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza face a maximum penalty of life in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 30 years in prison on the firearm charge.

    The extraditions of Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza mark another significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to dismantle the Lorenzana DTO and bring its members to justice. Lorenzana Terraza assumed leadership of the Lorenzana DTO in the mid-2000s, after the indictment, extradition, and conviction of multiple family members who previously served as key leaders, including Lorenzana Terraza’s grandfather, Waldemar Lorenzana Lima, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 23 years in prison in February 2020;  Lorenzana Terraza’s uncles, Eliu and Waldemar Lorenzana Cordon, who received life sentences following a conviction at trial in 2016; and Lorenzana Terraza’s aunt, Marta Julia Lorenzana-Cordon, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 33 years in prison in March 2024. Lorenzana Terraza was charged alongside Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza with conspiring to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and he also faces two additional charges of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and conspiring to import heroin into the United States. Lorenzana Terraza is still a fugitive, and the U.S. Department of State is currently offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Administrator Robert J. Murphy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.

    The DEA Bilateral Investigation Unit and DEA Guatemala City Country Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs working with Guatemalan law enforcement authorities, INTERPOL, and the DEA provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza to the United States.

    Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Ligia Markman of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Virginia Man Sentenced for Attempted Church Shooting

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Virginia man was sentenced today in Alexandia for his attempt to carry out a mass shooting at a Haymarket, Virginia church, for carrying a gun during that attempt, and for transmitting threats over the internet. Rui Jiang, 36, of Fairfax, Virginia, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Jiang was previously convicted by a jury in March 2025.

    According to evidence presented at trial, Jiang began posting online threats against the Park Valley Church on the evening of Sept. 23, 2023, which made clear his intention to kill congregants. The next morning, police searched for Jiang in response to a concerned citizen’s call. Officers located Jiang at the church while Sunday services were underway. Jiang was armed with a semiautomatic handgun, two magazines of ammunition, and two knives. He had additional ammunition, knives, and a canister of bear spray in his nearby car. During a search of Jiang’s apartment, police discovered copies of a manifesto, signed by Jiang, which read in part, “I am here deny (sic) the love lives blessed by God to these lucky men, by taking out these men . . .To the families of those men about to be slain – I am sorry for what I have done and about to do (sic).”

    “This was the closest of calls. But for the determination of a concerned citizen; the exceptional police work by the Anne Arundel, Fairfax, and Prince William County Police Departments; and the steadfast vigilance of the church security team, this would have ended in unimaginable tragedy,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will relentlessly investigate and prosecute attacks on our nation’s houses of worship.”

    “The freedom to worship without fear is one of the bedrock principles of our Nation,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Rui Jiang set out to violate that principle by entering a church during a religious service armed with the intent to murder innocent parishioners. This unspeakable act, only thwarted by brave law enforcement officers and civilians, has no place in our Republic and will always be a priority of my office.”

    “The church shooting that was thwarted because of the vigilance of concerned citizens is a reminder that when communities and law enforcement agencies work together, we can prevent targeted acts of violence.” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Prince William County and Fairfax County Police Departments. The Anne Arundel County Police Department also assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas A. Durham and Troy A. Edwards Jr., for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Homeland Security Warns about the Spike in China-Based Technology Firms’ Smuggling of Signal Jammers

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    The Department of Homeland Security issued a warning on the rise in Chinese-manufactured signal jammers to the United States, which pose a threat to public safety and civilian aviation. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has seen a roughly 830% increase in seizures since 2021, despite Chinese companies’ attempts to subvert inspection.

    Signal jammers can be used to disrupt a range of radio frequency channels, and pose a threat to emergency response, law enforcement and critical infrastructure.

    • South American illegal aliens jam calls to local police during home invasions or bank robberies in Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia.
    • In February 2025, law enforcement in Texas recovered a signal jammer while arresting an illegal alien from Chile.
    • In December 2024, a criminal used a jammer as law enforcement responded to a burglary.

    “Signal jammers have been used by illegal aliens across the country to jam communications during police operations, bank robberies, burglaries, and other dangerous crimes. Under the vigilance of CBP, national security begins at America’s ports. As Chinese manufacturers attempt to smuggle signal jammers, we will continue to seize these tools of terrorism. President Trump and Secretary Noem will always protect America’s critical infrastructure and law enforcement.” – DHS Spokesperson.

    U.S. federal law already prohibits the private import, operation, marketing, or sale of any signal jamming equipment that interferes with law enforcement communications, GPS, or radar. Chinese counterparts could be amenable to cooperation because signal jammers are banned in Beijing for public use.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eastside Rollin’ 20s Crips Members and Associates Indicted, Including Murder, Robbery, Fentanyl Distribution and Firearms Offenses

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A twelve-count indictment was unsealed today in the Eastern District of Virginia charging nine members of the Eastside Rollin’ 20s Crips (RTC) violent street gang with crimes including a drug conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses, and  a racketeering conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, conspiring to distribute large quantities of pressed fentanyl pills, narcotics trafficking, identity fraud, and the illegal use and straw purchasing of firearms.

    According to the indictment, the RTC is a subunit or “set” of the Crips national street gang. The indictment alleges RTC members and associates committed numerous violent acts on behalf of the RTC, including a June 2022 murder in Alexandria, Virginia; a July 2021 attempted shooting of several individuals in the District of Columbia; an August 2021 armed robbery and pistol whipping of an individual in Hollywood, Florida; and a January 2021 attempted murder of two individuals in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. To finance and promote the RTC’s criminal activities, the indictment alleges that RTC members and associates obtained and distributed multi-kilogram quantities of pressed fentanyl pills. The indictment also alleges that, as part of the gang’s criminal activity, the RTC recruited children and encouraged them to commit crimes on behalf of the gang, including acts of violence and drug trafficking.

    “As alleged, RTC members unleashed a wave of violence across three states and the District of Columbia, extending down the East Coast to Florida,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their commission of brutal, indiscriminate acts over perceived slights on social media reflects a particularly dangerous form of gang activity. The Criminal Division remains firmly committed to prosecuting menacing gangs and ensuring the safety of our communities.”

    “The offenses alleged in this indictment represent the spectrum of danger presented by nationwide criminal enterprises,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Any of these elements alone – from violence to illegal drugs to identity theft – is enough to destroy communities and lives, and these organizations employ them without compunction. Through coordination with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we are determined to eradicate criminal gangs and protect our citizens from the detriment they bring.”

    “DEA is committed to protecting Americans by investigating and taking down major violators of drug laws who operate within the United States and around the world,” said Special Agent in Charge Ibrar Mian of the DEA Washington Field Division. “As demonstrated by today’s indictment, drug trafficking, firearms, and violence are undeniably connected, which is why we continue to address these threats with the full force of the federal government. The tenacious and hard-working men and women of DEA are combatting the illicit manufacture and distribution of drugs, removing illicit firearms from American streets, helping to put public threats in jail, and restoring safety in our communities.”

    “Today’s announcement indicates a significant step towards making it even more clear that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with our partner agencies are committed to protecting our communities from violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the ATF Washington Field Division. “There just isn’t a place for criminal behavior in our neighborhoods. Although this is very early on in the judicial process, we remain optimistic that all of those involved will be held accountable for their actions.”

    If convicted, the defendants face penalties including: up to life in prison or the death penalty for murder in aid of racketeering and use of a firearm during a crime of violence causing death; up to life in prison for racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and use of a firearm during or in relation to drug trafficking; up to 25 years in prison for straw purchasing of firearms; up to 20 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; and up to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Virginia State Police; and Arlington County Police Department are investigating the case with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; United States Postal Inspection Service; FBI; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI); U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Fairfax County Police Department; Prince William County Police Department; Prince William County’s Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney; Prince William County Parks and Recreation; United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina; Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office; Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office; Stafford County Sherriff’s Office; Manassas Park Police Department; George Mason University Police Department; Chesterfield County Police Department; Del City, OK, Police Department; Valley Brook, OK, Police Department; Tonto Apache Police Department; Sumter County, SC, Sheriff’s Office; Hollywood, FL, Police Department; Nash County, NC, Sheriff’s Office; Winston-Salem, NC, Police Department; and Nebraska State Patrol.

    Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edgardo J. Rodriguez and Ryan B. Bredemeier for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs), which identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    An indictment is merely an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary of Defense Hegseth Testifies Before Senate Committee on Base Defense, Importance of Air Superiority in Conflicts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    ***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) held a hearing today to review the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) budget request for Fiscal Year 2026. During the hearing, members received testimony from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine; and Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, who is performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer.
    U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer, Chairman of the SASC Airland Subcommittee, asked the witnesses about the importance of protecting U.S. military bases from attacks and the strategic role air superiority plays in modern conflicts.
    [embedded content]
    Cramer noted the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran licensed its nuclear aspirations, creating a serious problem still affecting our nation.
    Regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, Cramer asked Gen. Caine about the importance of air superiority over Iran and in future fights.
    “Well, sir, we could spend hours talking about the advocacy of air power,” said Gen. Caine. “I think the freedom of maneuver that it creates is a great example of that. If you look at the two theaters right now, with the Israeli Air Force striking at will at this point, over Iran, juxtaposed with the challenges that we’re having with a frozen forward line of troops in Europe, is a great case study of it. You know, the great thinkers, air power thinkers, are looking at the advancement in technologies from both theaters, the advancement of first person view drones and things like that. I think folks are going to have to think clearly about what does the future of air superiority look like, and how does it evolve to make sure that we’re protecting those essential teammates that are on the ground fighting in order to prevent frozen FLOTs, forward lines of troops, in the future.”
    Cramer said there have been two recent examples of covert operations where drones act deep within enemy territory to destroy critical capabilities which were previously considered safe from harm.  
    Ukraine recently conducted a surprise drone attack called “Operation Spider’s Web” against Russia, targeting airfields in multiple regions across the country. The Center for Strategic and International Studies reported this attack showcased Ukraine’s “tactical ingenuity” and “illuminated the broader technological and strategic shifts reshaping modern warfare.” 
    “We’ve seen some pretty spectacular displays of the ability to go […] covertly, deep within the enemy’s territory, and take out some pretty significant assets, both in Russia and in Iran,” said Cramer. “A lot of us fear we’re vulnerable, as well. You spoke very briefly, a reference, I think, in response to one of Senator Gillibrand’s questions about the importance of policy. So, when we talk about the United States itself and our bases here in the country, policy is a bigger challenge than weapons, to be honest. But what about responsibility?”
    Cramer questioned Hegseth about ways DOD is ensuring American military bases are protected from attacks. He also asked which services are responsible for a base’s air defense and for leading the effort on capabilities to counter this kind of attack.
    “Senator, you’re right to ask the question,” said Hegseth. “We met on this very topic two days ago, because you’re right, we’ve already made initial efforts, but I liken it to the effort that was made around IEDs [improvised explosive devices] in Iraq and Afghanistan, where it couldn’t be a service only response. It needed to be across the joint force. It needed to be immediate, and the capabilities had to be prepared to adapt in real time to adjustments the enemy was making, and you saw that in […] counter-IED technology. We need the same type of effort in counter-UAS, not just forward deployed, because right now you do it with what you have, but also at home, considering the authority. So, that is something the Department is doing in real time.” 
    Earlier today, Cramer introduced the Protect Our Bases Act with Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC), which would strengthen national security by ensuring the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) can effectively review foreign land purchases near sensitive military, intelligence, and national laboratory sites. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford Urges EPA to Investigate Environmental Risks of Abortion Drug Mifepristone

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford

    WASHINGTON, DC — US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Congressman Josh Brecheen (R-OK) are urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate the environmental and public health risks of the abortion drug mifepristone, warning that its chemical byproducts may be contaminating the nation’s water supply.

    “Federal regulators are rightfully eager to study the health effects of many chemicals in our water and septic systems, but they haven’t examinedthe environmental and public health risks of chemical abortion drugs like mifepristone in those same systems,” said Lankford.  “Scientific research on the health effects of water sources where there are trace amounts of a chemical that is designed to end the life of a child in the womb should not be controversial.”

    “Abortion is one of the defining evils of our time,” said Brecheen. “The Biden-Harris administration worked tirelessly to promote this evil, repeatedly lying about the ‘safety’ of the abortion pill and ignoring legitimate concerns about mifepristone’s widespread availability. We recognize that the greatest tragedy of every abortion is the murder of the innocent. But we are also concerned that activist bureaucrats overlooked real public health risks posed by mifepristone in their crusade to expand abortion access. With chemical abortion now the most common abortion method in America, the public deserves answers about how these potent hormone disruptors affect our water supply and contribute to our nation’s rising infertility rates.”

    Lankford was joined on the letter by Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Jim Banks (R-IN), and Bernie Moreno (R-OH), and Representatives Andy Harris (R-MD), Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Chip Roy (R-TX), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Brandon Gill (R-TX), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Michael Guest (R-MS), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Ben Cline (R-VA), Mary Miller (R-IL), Mark Harris (R-NC), Barry Moore (R-AL), Riley Moore (R-WV), Sheri Biggs (R-SC), and Eric Burlison (R-MO).

    View the full text of the letter here or below:

    Dear Administrator Zeldin,

    We commend this administration’s dedication to protecting life and safeguarding public health. In light of these commitments, we write to express our concerns regarding mifepristone and its potential contaminant effects on our nation’s waters. In 2023, medication abortions accounted for more than 60% of all clinician-provided abortions that took place within the US health care system—totaling roughly 648,500 medication abortions.  These numbers do not reflect the unrecorded number of at-home medication abortions that were performed without the oversight of a clinician. It is imperative that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers evaluating the potential contaminant effects of this drug as the agency develops the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 6 (UCMR 6). 

    Mifepristone is the first step in a two-step drug regimen designed to facilitate an abortion. The drug blocks progesterone, a hormone necessary to support pregnancy and development of the child in the womb. A second drug, misoprostol, is taken 24 to 48 hours later to induce uterine contractions and expel the child and other placental tissue. 

    In 1996, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) issued an environmental assessment for mifepristone stating, “Mifepristone may enter the environment from excretion by patients, from disposal of pharmaceutical waste, or from emissions from manufacturing sites,” but declared that the drug could be “used and disposed of without any expected adverse environmental effects.” However, this assessment was conducted nearly three decades ago, long before the exponential rise in at-home chemical abortions and widespread use of mifepristone. Despite the CDER’s acknowledgement that mifepristone enters the environment, the EPA has yet to review its potential contaminant effects. We request that the EPA study the impact of the “byproducts” of mifepristone, such as the active metabolites that are entering our nation’s water system and threatening access to safe drinking water. 

    Furthermore, mifepristone is a potent progesterone blocker that disrupts hormonal balance in pregnant women to induce abortion. This raises questions about the drug’s potential endocrine-disrupting effects when present in drinking water supplies. If residual amounts of the drug and its metabolites persist in wastewater, prolonged exposure could potentially interfere with a person’s fertility, regardless of sex. We believe it is reckless to allow a known progesterone blocker to be flushed into America’s drinking water without knowing definitively if it impacts fertility rates. 

    The American people deserve to know what contaminants might be present in their drinking water and their potential impacts on public health. We ask for your response to the following questions no later than August 17, 2025. Please provide a separate response to each question, rather than a narrative response.

    • Does the EPA believe mifepristone should be considered for regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act based on potential health and environmental risks? If not, why? 
    • Has the EPA considered adding mifepristone to UCMR 6? If the agency has not, why? 
      • How does the EPA select which pharmaceuticals are studied under UCMR? 
    • Has the EPA considered adding mifepristone to CCL 6?
    • Has the EPA conducted or reviewed any research on the presence of mifepristone or its metabolites in drinking water supplies? If not, what gaps currently exist that might prevent this kind of assessment? 
    • A recent study of insurance claims revealed that over 10% of women experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days of an abortion using mifepristone—at least 22 times higher than is reported on the drug label. Is the EPA aware of this study? If so, would this data have an impact on the agency’s consideration of adding mifepristone to CCL 6 or UCMR 6? 
    • Are there existing EPA-approved methods for detecting mifepristone and its active metabolites in water supplies? If not, what resources are needed to develop these testing methods? 
    • Has the EPA assessed whether exposure to mifepristone and its active metabolites could contribute to hormonal imbalances or infertility in both men and women? Why or why not? If so, has the EPA collaborated with other agencies to make these assessments? 
    • How are aquatic species affected by exposure to mifepristone and its active metabolites? 

    Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to working with you to ensure the health and safety of the American people.  

    Sincerely, 

    Background

    Lankford remains the leading pro-life voice in the Senate, standing firm in defense of life following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to return decisions about abortions to the people’s elected representatives. Every year, Lankford takes to the Senate floor to share his full and unwavering support for life in our nation and to ask his fellow Senators a simple question: when does life begin? 

    In 2024, Lankford led his colleagues in filing an amicus brief in a case before the US Supreme Court challenging the FDA’s deregulation of chemical abortion drugs, including allowing mail-order distribution without doctor oversight.

    You can read the exclusive published in the Daily Wire HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: B.C. secures mandate to negotiate consent-based decision-making process with Tŝilhqot’in Nation for any mining activity at Teẑtan Biny

    The Province has secured a mandate to enter discussions with the Tŝilhqot’in Nation, if and when needed, to set out how the requirement of Tŝilhqot’in consent would be integrated with provincial decision-making for mining projects in the Teẑtan Area in the Interior of British Columbia.

    The Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals and the Environmental Assessment Office now have the approvals they need to work with the Tŝilhqot’in National Government to negotiate an agreement under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act), if such negotiations are required. This is in addition to recent agreements between the Province and the Tŝilhqot’in Nation requiring Tŝilhqot’in consent for any reviewable mining project to proceed in the Teẑtan Area.

    The Declaration Act Agreement would be negotiated if the Tŝilhqot’in Nation decided in the future to consider any mine in the Teẑtan Area that is a reviewable project under the Environmental Assessment Act. At this time, no specific mining project has been proposed for this area.

    Section 7 of the Declaration Act sets out provisions for negotiating consent-based agreements for the purposes of reconciliation, and for ensuring local governments and others potentially affected by the agreement are engaged during negotiations, including potentially affected First Nations and mineral rights holders.

    The Province has identified the following organizations that will be consulted, including:

    • Cariboo Regional District
    • Mining Association of British Columbia
    • Association for Mineral Exploration
    • overlapping mineral tenure holders
    • Business Council of British Columbia

    The Province will identify any additional entities or interest holders that should be consulted during the negotiation of the Declaration Act Agreement, if and when the Tŝilhqot’in Nation considers a specific mine project.  

    Learn More:

    Tŝilhqot’in National Government: https://tsilhqotin.ca/

    For information on the Declaration Act and Section 7 agreements: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/indigenous-people/new-relationship/united-nations-declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples/making-decisions-together

    Read the Teẑtan Biny Gagaghut’i agreement: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/consulting-with-first-nations/agreements/teztan_biny_agreement.pdf

    Read the Teẑtan Biny Gagaghut’i agreement summary: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/consulting-with-first-nations/agreements/teztan_biny_agreement_summary.pdf

    Read the order in council: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/oic/oic_cur/0283_2025

    For more information on the Environmental Assessment Act: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/environmental-assessments

    Previous agreements between the Province of B.C. and Tŝilhqot’in National Government: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/consulting-with-first-nations/first-nations-negotiations/first-nations-a-z-listing/tsilhqot-in-national-government  

    A backgrounder follows.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: United in Call for Change: Joint Statement

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 18, 2025

    Premier Danielle Smith and Premier Scott Moe issued the following statement calling for change to federal policies: 

    “Today, Alberta’s and Saskatchewan’s governments came together in Lloydminster to make a unified call for national change.

    “Together, we call for an end to all federal interference in the development of provincial resources by: 

    • Repealing or overhauling the Impact Assessment Act to respect provincial jurisdiction and eliminate barriers to nation building resource development and transportation projects;
    • Eliminating the proposed oil and gas emissions cap;
    • Scrapping the Clean Electricity Regulations;
    • Lifting the oil tanker ban off the northern west coast;
    • Abandoning the net zero vehicle mandate; and
    • Repealing any federal law or regulation that purports to regulate industrial carbon emissions, plastics, or the commercial free speech of energy companies. 

    “The federal government must remove the barriers it created and fix the federal project approval processes so that private sector proponents have the confidence to invest.

    “Starting with additional oil and gas pipeline access to tidewater on the west coast, our provinces must also see guaranteed corridor and port-to-port access to tidewater off the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic coasts. This is critical for the international export of oil, gas, critical minerals, agricultural and forestry products, and other resources. Accessing world prices for our resources will benefit all Canadians, including our First Nations partners.

    “Canada is facing a trade war on two fronts. The People’s Republic of China’s “anti-discrimination” tariffs imposed on Canadian agri-food products have significant impacts on the West. We continue to call on the federal government to prioritize work toward the removal of Chinese tariffs. Recently announced tariff increases, on top of pre-existing tariffs, by the United States on Canadian steel and aluminum products are deeply concerning. We urge the Prime Minister to continue his work with the US administration to seek the removal of all tariffs currently being imposed by the US on Canada. 

    “Alberta and Saskatchewan agree that the federal government must change its policies if it is to reach its stated goal of becoming a global energy superpower and having the strongest economy in the G7. We need to have a federal government that works with, rather than against, the economic interests of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Making these changes will demonstrate the new Prime Minister’s commitment to doing so. Together, we will continue to fight to deliver on the immense potential of our provinces for the benefit of the people of Saskatchewan and Alberta.”

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    MIL OSI Canada News –