NewzIntel.com

Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI USA: Quiet Professionals

    Source: US State of Wyoming

    Story and photos by A1C Michael Swingen

    CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Every day, people flip on a light switch, run hot water, and turn up the A/C without giving it a second thought. Phones charge. Toilets flush. Stormwater drains away. Every day, people drive on smooth, paved roads and work in buildings that stay upright with silent beams and pillars.

    Although oftentimes invisible in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, even the smallest part of the built environment is a testament to the civil engineers who make the world a hospitable place. Although they work in plain sight, they are quiet professionals who do not seek recognition or praise.

    They just want the lights to come on.

    The Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron recently returned from a weeklong trip to the North Carolina Air National Guard Regional Training Site, where they all received hands-on training in their respective trades and crafts. The trip also included 15 Airmen from the 90th Civil Engineering Squadron at F.E. Warren Air Force Base.

    Specialists in Heavy Construction Operation, Structural, Water and Fuel Systems Maintenance, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration, or HVAC/R, Electrical Power Production, Electrical Systems, and Engineer’s Assistants all do their part in the world of civil engineering.

    And while working in the Wyoming Air National Guard, they do their part in a unique context, too.

    “We build bases,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Christian Lowe, who helps lead the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron. “You take a patch of dirt somewhere in the world and the Air Force says, ‘Dibs,’ and it’s flattened. Then there’s tents, air traffic control towers, and a runway. All these things are built up. It’s tangible, it’s palpable, it’s touchable. And for the right-minded person, it’s hugely gratifying.”

    In the Air National Guard, civil engineering is divided into two specialized units with distinct but overlapping missions. One unit is the Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer, also known as RED HORSE. They are a highly mobile, rapidly deployable response force that builds bases in combat zones. The other specialized unit is Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force, or Prime BEEF, which focuses on maintaining bases and their utility systems, whether at home or abroad.

    The Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron is a Prime BEEF squadron.

    During the weeklong training exercise, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Vinny Wagoner, who is an Engineer’s Assistant, peered through a surveying instrument while measuring the 3,500 feet long airstrip at the North Carolina Air National Guard Regional Training Site.

    Resting at a cross-section of theory and application, an Engineer’s Assistant uses a lot of math, maps, and rulers.

    “The thing I enjoy about the job is you get a lot of updated toys, like state-of-the-art surveying equipment,” Wagoner said. “You have to keep up with the times.”

    An Engineer’s Assistant resembles a superhero with a day job, like Clark Kent, with his two distinct wardrobes. Indoors, Wagoner sports business casual while plotting an airstrip from scratch on the geospatial software program GeoExPT. Outdoors, Wagoner dons a hard hat while making onsite inspections, muddying his steel-toe boots in a construction zone.

    They also help if an airstrip gets bombed.

    The system the U.S. Air Force uses to repair a cratered airstrip is called Rapid Airfield Damage Recovery, or RADR.

    After an attack, damage assessment teams glass the airstrip with binoculars, collecting information. Drones sweep overhead. Towers detect. Together, they identify the debris, unexploded ordinance, craters and camouflets, and spall damage from an attack. The information is fed into GeoExPT, which creates a real-time map of the pockmarked airstrip.

    Members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal, or EOD, are the first personnel on the airstrip, combing it for munitions that failed to detonate on impact. They neutralize them through a variety of means. For example, they carry out Blow & Go Operations, placing pre-made charges near the munitions and detonating them. They carry out Standoff Munitions Disruptions, employing small arms from a distance. Sometimes they unwire the unexploded munitions.

    Once bulldozers broom off all the shells and debris, the craters must be filled. Each step in the process has a dedicated crew that performs their tasks with assembly line execution.

    First, the Engineer’s Assistant measures the lip of the crater’s edge, homing in on the entire patch of airstrip that has bulged, even to the slightest degree. For safety and functionality purposes, it is imperative the runway remain level.

    Another crew attaches a wheel saw to a compact track loader, or CTL, to cut out the cratered patch of airstrip. The wheel saw looks like a giant steel pizza cutter that is 45-inches or 60-inches in diameter, respectively. The six-person crew divides into two sub-crews, each with two CTL operators and a spotter. Two CTLs face each other on parallel sides of a crater, cutting through concrete at approximately one foot per minute. The whirl of the wheel saw is shrill.

    The next step removes the crater and the surrounding upheaval. An excavator with an impactor pounds the cut-out block of concrete, pulverizing it. An excavator with a bucket scoops out the rubble, leaving behind a precise square hole in the ground. It is two feet deep.

    The Slash and Splash technique is a method used to backfill the excavated area. A 3,000-pound sack of flowable-fill material is suspended over the square hole on the fork of an excavator. A spotter slashes the bag, pouring out the material until it reaches ten inches to the top. The remaining inches are capped with rapid-setting concrete or asphalt poured from a volumetric mixer. Finally, the new patch of airstrip is rolled and raked smooth.

    After an attack, one team can repair up to 18 craters in less than seven hours.

    “Muscle memory gets built into all these pieces of equipment,” Lowe said. “That’s why we have our guys practice going out there, finding a crater, and getting it back to where we are launching planes off that runway again.”

    In addition to ensuring operational readiness after an attack, the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron put their skills to work in a variety of other contexts and scenarios during their weeklong training exercise.

    All week long, the Dirt Boys reared in their heavy machinery, kicking up dust all around them. Before the dust settled, the black silhouette of the bulldozer resembled an apex predator on the savannah. U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Nicholas Cardillo and U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Levi Phillips, who are both specialists in Heavy Construction Operation, wore mirrored sunglasses that reflected the glare of day as they worked late into the afternoon.

    Before enlisting, Phillips worked construction in the private sector before realizing he wanted to do it in a more challenging context. Navedo came from a military family and knew he wanted to serve but wasn’t sure how. They both landed in the 90th Civil Engineering Squadron at F.E. Warren Air Force Base and haven’t looked back.

    “Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to get behind a piece of equipment or drive a truck,” Phillips said. “For my job, we grade roads. Then we drive on it two weeks later, and you’re like, ‘Oh, I did that.’ I just think it’s cool.”

    Cardillo agreed. “It’s fun,’” he said. “You always have something different going on. And then you get to see the work you’ve put in. You get to see it pay off. There’s so many things we drive by right now that we had a hand in building. That part of it is really cool.” 

    Neither of them had operated a crane until North Carolina. They took turns in the cab with the joystick, feeling the flow of the boom as it swung across the sky. The test weight they used was a 900-pound drum. Cardillo dropped anchor and hooked the drum. 

    “It seemed easy at first when you were dropping the claw,” Cardillo said. “But when you put weight on it and you start moving back and forth, it really starts swinging. It took me some time to get used to that and figure out how to catch the load swing.”

    Once he began to operate the joystick with just the tips of his fingers, the movements became smoother.   

    Over the course of the training, Phillips discovered a passion for crane operation. “That crane really put something in me,” he said. “With the crane, you boom out, stick up, pick the boom up, and lower your winch all at the same time. There’s always something going on. It’s just very cool.” 

    Thanks to their training in the military, Cardillo and Phillips are certified in dozers, excavators, jackhammers, rollers, loaders, graders, sweepers, water truck, dump truck, asphalt, concrete, and more. Phillips wants to get certified in crane operation now. All this is training is provided by the U.S. Air Force.

    The training in Civil Engineering is always cutting-edge. Back home, the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron partners with the local Laramie County Community College, sending shops to get trained with staff and instructors at the school.

    “All our training is in line with the industry standard in the private sector,” Lowe said. “If you’re going through an electrician’s course, for example, you’re training to the National Electrical Code. You’re getting exposed to everything you would see on the civilian side and getting qualified for it.”

    U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Luis Navedo did his research before signing on to be a specialist in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration, or HVAC/R. “I have my universal license through my Air Force training, and that’s for life,” he said. “Once I get out after four years, I can buy and sell refrigerant anywhere.”

    Also, Navedo is proud to be a specialist in HVAC/R for the military. “Think of a base like Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada,” he said. “It’s like 115 degrees there every day. Let’s say there’s no HVAC, all the servers would melt. Then the mission is impacted, and everyone starts losing their head. Cooling and heating is essential.”

    During the weeklong training exercise, the instructors at the North Carolina Air National Guard Regional Training Site marveled at the work ethic that was on display by the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron. “They were phenomenal,” U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Tyler Nadeau, who is an Electrical Cadre, said. “They were proactive. They asked questions.”

    Other equipment the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron trained on during the week included the Mobile Aircraft Arresting System (MAAS), the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit (ROWPU), the BEAR Distribution System (BDS), and the Expeditionary Airfield Lighting System (EALS).

    “On Monday, they had no clue about a new piece of equipment,” Nadeau said. “On Friday, they could teach it.”

    Soon it was time to go back home. The 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron packed up and headed to the airstrip, waiting for a lift.

    After a while, a shimmering trace appeared in the sky, magnifying into a C-130 Hercules in its final descent. It thundered down at around 100 knots, roaring by the cheering 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron. The buzzing propellers still whirled ferociously as the aircraft turned around and taxied back to the passengers before coming to a full stop.

    The rear cargo door lowered, settling into the baked airstrip. A loadmaster in a flight suit approached the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron. An officer broke from the group and met him at the edge of the airstrip, shaking hands.

    With cargo bags hoisted over their shoulders, the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron filed onto the rear ramp of the C-130 Hercules, locating their seats. They buckled in and grabbed a fistful of red netting. The loadmasters worked in a whirl of straps, winches, and staticky headset communication. Soon the rear cargo door raised again, pinching off the North Carolina daylight.

    A few remaining Airmen watched as the aircraft peeled off the runway and shrank soundlessly into the sky, bringing everyone back home. The takeoff and landing of a C-130 Hercules would not be possible without the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron at the Wyoming Air National Guard and people like them. But they do not seek glory or praise. They are the quiet professionals.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Thailand, Cambodia reach deal on troop redeployment to ease border tensions

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BANGKOK/PHNOM PENH, June 8 (Xinhua) — Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to redeploy troops to ease tensions after a brief clash earlier in the border area, Thai Prime Minister Phetongthan Shinawatra said Sunday.

    As the Prime Minister reported on the social network X, her talks with the Cambodian government had produced a positive result. Both sides agreed to change the deployment of troops in the conflict areas to ease tensions.

    The Prime Minister assured that Thailand and Cambodia will hold discussions at all levels to return interstate relations to normal as soon as possible.

    In a separate statement, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Vechayachai confirmed that Thai and Cambodian military units had completed their redeployment to positions agreed upon in 2024.

    Phumtham Vechayachai noted that continuous coordination at all levels has helped ease tensions and both countries are seeking to reduce conflict and avoid confrontation.

    Meanwhile, Cambodian Senate (upper house of parliament) Chairman Hun Sen said on Sunday evening that adjusting the military’s deployment in areas of conflict with Thailand was necessary to prevent large-scale violent clashes.

    “Adjusting the deployment of military units in potential conflict zones based on mutual understanding between the command of the armed forces of Cambodia and Thailand is essential to prevent large-scale clashes involving violence,” the post on his official social media page reads.

    “The people of Cambodia and Thailand sincerely desire lasting peace and do not want to see war,” he said. “Efforts to find a solution through dialogue have been made at all levels, from the government to the frontline commanders, and are now bearing fruit.”

    Cambodian and Thai troops briefly exchanged fire in a disputed border area on May 28, leaving a Cambodian soldier dead. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US National Guard troops arrive in Los Angeles to quell protests against mass detentions of migrants

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    LOS ANGELES, June 8 (Xinhua) — The U.S. National Guard began arriving in Los Angeles on Sunday under orders from President Donald Trump to quell protests that erupted after federal immigration enforcement agencies launched a mass detention of illegal immigrants.

    Trump announced the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops after two days of clashes between protesters and federal law enforcement, sparked by the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) throughout Los Angeles. The operations resulted in more than 100 arrests, after which angry protesters clashed with law enforcement, using tear gas, flash bangs and throwing rocks.

    White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said the National Guard was deployed to “combat lawlessness” that emerged after ICE conducted a “routine deportation operation.”

    California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the federal measures as “deliberately provocative” and warned they could further escalate tensions. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wilson, Nadler Reintroduce Bill Providing a Tax Credit to Living Organ Donors

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Joe Wilson (2nd District of South Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. – Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY) reintroduced the Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act. The bill will provide a $5,000, one-time, refundable tax credit to living organ donors who were not reimbursed for the costs of organ donation by the National Living Organ Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC), or any other entity.

         Our nation’s transplant shortage is dire. Seventeen people die every day waiting for a viable organ, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. Currently, there are around 93,000 Americans on the kidney transplant waitlist, with some having to wait as long as six years to receive a transplant, according to UNOS. Patients waiting for a transplant on average cost the U.S. government at least $77,000 a year for dialysis, which adds up to more than $20 billion a year, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Removing the barriers to organ donation will not only increase the number of living donors, therefore saving lives, but also will save the taxpayers money. This tax credit would apply to living kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, intestine, and bone marrow donors, as well as any other viable living organ donation.

         “The gift of living donation is truly priceless. The donors who choose the selfless act of giving a lifesaving organ are making a major life decision, whether gifting to a stranger or a loved one. That lifechanging decision should not be burdened by the costs of donation, and this bill will remove that disincentive to ensure that everyone is able to donate an organ if they choose to, regardless of their financial situation,” said Rep. Wilson. “My predecessor, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Floyd Spence, miraculously received a double lung transplant as the thirtieth in the world to receive the experimental procedure, living an additional 13 years serving America. We are grateful for Dr. Sesshadri Raju at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi for performing the procedure in 1988. I previously worked in the South Carolina State Senate to add a red heart for organ donors to South Carolina Driver’s Licenses at the time of registration. Today, I am grateful to expand this piece of Floyd Spence’s legacy.”

         “When an organ donor decides to donate one of their organs to someone else, they aren’t just saving someone’s life—they’re making one of the most selfless, difficult decisions anyone could ever make. However, donors can face tremendous and often prohibitive costs associated with surgery, including the cost of travel, lodging, follow up care, and lost wages in connection to transplantation. That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bill with Rep. Wilson and continue my work to remove roadblocks to organ donation.” said Rep. Nadler.

         The bill has been endorsed by the American Association of Kidney Patients, American Kidney Fund (AKF), American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA), American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN), American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), American Society of Transplantation (AST), Coalition to Modify NOTA, National Kidney Donation Organization (NKDO), National Kidney Foundation (NKF), Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation, Renal Support Network (RSN), and Waitlist Zero.  

         “We need better public policy to increase living organ donation. The Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act of 2025 represents a positive step forward in helping people who selflessly decide to give the gift of life by donating a kidney by providing a refundable tax credit for associated costs of live organ donation such as lost wages, travel or childcare. People with limited resources should have every opportunity to help save a life.” LaVarne Burton, president and CEO of the American Kidney Fund.

         “The American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN) applauds the reintroduction of the Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act by Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY).  Rates of living kidney donation are declining in the US in both the pediatric and adult populations. This decline persists despite the fact that living donor kidney transplant is well established as the optimal treatment for children and adults with end stage kidney disease due to superior graft and patient survival. This important legislation will encourage living donors and we urge its swift passage,” said President Meredith Atkinson of the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN). 

         “On behalf of the American Society of Transplantation (AST), representing a majority of the nation’s transplant professionals, our Society strongly applauds and endorses the re-introduction of the Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act. AST is grateful for the steadfast leadership of Congressmen Wilson (R-SC) and Nadler (D-NY) to protect and support living donation. The Living Donor Tax Credit Act is a patient-focused bill seeking to address financial and policy barriers that might otherwise prevent an individual from providing a lifesaving donor organ.  AST greatly appreciates this bipartisan and patient centric legislation. We look forward to working with you to advance this key legislation in this 119th Congress,” said Dr. Jon Kobashigawa, President of the American Society of Transplantation (AST). 

         “The National Kidney Foundation strongly supports the Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act as an important step toward removing financial barriers to living donation. This legislation provides tax relief solely for documented, unreimbursed expenses actually incurred by the donor—costs like child/elder care, travel, and lost income. Living donors often face unexpected costs that can reach thousands of dollars, and these expenses should never prevent someone from saving a life. By allowing tax credits for legitimate expenses while maintaining strict documentation requirements, this bill supports donors without compromising the altruistic foundation of organ donation that the National Kidney Foundation has always championed. We applaud Reps. Wilson and Nadler for their leadership and urge Congress to pass this measure that will help save lives while preserving the integrity of our transplant system,” said Kevin Longino, CEO, National Kidney Foundation and a transplant recipient.

         “There’s currently no cure for PKD, and while we await scientific breakthroughs, organ donation remains the most effective long-term treatment,” said Susan Bushnell, President and CEO of the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation. “This common-sense, compassionate, and cost-effective policy to reimburse living donors for some of the costs of donation will help to remove needless financial barriers, save more lives, and reduce the burden on our federal health system by decreasing reliance on costly, time-consuming, and often unpleasant dialysis treatments. The PKD Foundation is deeply grateful for the longtime leadership of Representatives Wilson and Nadler in championing living donation,” said Susan Bushnell, PKDF’s President & CEO. 

         “Living donors are true heroes who should not incur financial losses for the life-saving gift they provide. A tax credit is a straightforward method to acknowledge their generosity while simplifying the reimbursement process,” said Lori Hartwell, President & Founder of RSN and kidney transplant recipient.

         “Why should donors go into debt to give the gift of life? Representative Wilson and Representative Nadler’s Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act will ease the financial strain and empower more people to say yes to donation. For the past 25 years, the number of living kidney donors has remained stagnant. Waitlist Zero proudly supports this crucial bill,” said Elaine Perlman, Executive Director of Waitlist Zero and President of the Coalition to Modify NOTA.

         A copy of the legislation can be found here. 

    # # # 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wilson Announces Commemorative Tree Dedication to Honor the late Congressman Floyd Spence

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Joe Wilson (2nd District of South Carolina)

    **MEDIA ADVISORY**

    Wilson Announces Commemorative Tree Dedication to Honor the late Congressman Floyd Spence

    Washington, D.C. – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) will host the Dedication Ceremony for the Commemorative Tree to honor the life and legacy of the late Congressman Floyd Spence. 

         Congressman Spence served as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee from 1995 until 2001 and served as Congressman for South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District from 1971 until his passing in 2001. 

    June 9th

    1:00-1:30 PM

    Southwest Lawn, U.S. Capitol 

    Washington, D.C. 20515

    Media interested in attending please RSVP to David Snider at david.snider@mail.house.gov.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement from the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Korea Caucus Congratulating President-Elect Lee Jae-myung

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Joe Wilson (2nd District of South Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC), Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), and Marilyn Strickland (D-WA)*** Co-Chairs of the Congressional Korea Caucus, released a statement on the election of Lee Jae-myung as President of the Republic of Korea:

    “We extend our sincere congratulations to President-Elect Lee Jae-myung and wish him and his administration well as they prepare to lead the Republic of Korea – a key and indispensable U.S. ally – through the many challenges facing the Korean Peninsula and beyond.

    “As Co-Chairs of the Korea Caucus, we remain steadfastly committed to defending, strengthening and enlarging the ironclad U.S.-Korea alliance. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War where our relationship was forged on the battlefield and now forms the linchpin of U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific region. Through our shared values, unshakable bond and common future together, we will continue to ensure peace and prosperity on the Peninsula and in the region.

    “We look forward to working together with President-Elect Lee Jae-myung and his administration during this critical time for the alliance. We also wish to recognize the estimated two million Korean Americans throughout the United States who play a vital role in maintaining our strong bilateral relationship.” 

    ***Note: U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) has assumed the role of Co-Chair following the passing of the Late Honorable Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pelosi Reflects on History of the AIDS Crisis: “That’s Why I Came Here. I Came to Fight.”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

    Washington, D.C. – During World Pride celebrations in the nation’s capital, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi paid a solemn visit to the AIDS Memorial Quilt display at St. Thomas’ Parish in Dupont Circle. The exhibit honors members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. who died of AIDS in the 1980s and ’90s.

    Pelosi, a lifelong champion in the fight against HIV/AIDS, viewed panels created in memory of more than 30 chorus members, many lovingly sewn by grieving friends and family during the height of the epidemic.

    “At first, I thought a quilt was a bad idea. But I was wrong,” Speaker Emerita Pelosi said. “The art became the most unifying thing. You see someone’s story laid out before you—their grief, their joy, their love—and suddenly, you understand. That is the power of this movement.”

    Pelosi reflected on her decades-long advocacy, recalling her first speech on the House Floor about HIV/AIDS and the initial resistance she faced. “People said, ‘Why would you lead with that?’ And I said, ‘Because that’s why I came here. I came to fight.’”

    Read coverage of the visit below:

    The Advocate: Nancy Pelosi visits AIDS Quilt exhibit during WorldPride

    [John Casey, 6/8/25]

    In the hushed sanctuary of St. Thomas’ Parish in Dupont Circle, there is a sacred memorial in fabric and thread. During WorldPride, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., in partnership with St. Thomas’ and the National AIDS Memorial, unveiled a deeply personal display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt that includes panels for chorus members who were lost to the epidemic in the 1980s and ’90s.

    The exhibit features full quilt blocks and a companion photo display, honoring dozens of chorus members who died of AIDS complications. Some panels are decades-old, sewn by grieving loved ones at the height of the crisis. One in particular, the first made by and for chorus members, holds special meaning.

    “For us, this is not just history. These are our people,” said Michael Hughes, the chorus’s outreach manager, who has sung with the group for more than 20 years. “We estimate that about 100 members of our chorus died of AIDS. A hundred voices silenced.”

    The idea for the exhibit was sparked earlier this year after chorus members visited a local high school class reading Angels in America. “The students had no context for what life was like in the ’80s and ’90s,” Hughes explained. “We told them about the fear, about watching friends die, and about the quilt.”

    After that visit, chorus member Larry Cohen emailed Hughes with an idea and a question: What if they searched for quilt panels made in honor of their fallen members?

    “So we spent two and a half months digging into the National AIDS Memorial database, the Names Project records, and the digitized archives in the Library of Congress,” Hughes said. “We were able to confirm 33 individual chorus members who had panels made. Some we remembered personally.”

    The setting of St. Thomas’ Parish is itself part of the story. “During the AIDS crisis, only two or three churches in the city would even hold funerals for someone who had died of AIDS,” Hughes said. “St. Thomas’ was one of them.”

    On Friday night, the exhibit drew a special guest, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, a longtime and fierce advocate in the fight against AIDS. Pelosi spent time with chorus members and viewed the panels while the group performed two songs in honor of her visit under the direction of Artistic Director Thea Kano.

    Addressing the chorus members, Pelosi recalled her own early skepticism about the quilt’s power. “At first, I thought a quilt was a bad idea,” she said. “But I was wrong. The beauty was in the art. And the art became the most unifying thing.”

    “People who may not think they have anything in common suddenly find that they do through these panels,” Pelosi continued. “You see someone’s story laid out before you, and the love they had in their lives. The grief, the anger, the joy, all of it. And it moves you.”

    Pelosi also reflected on the political and cultural battles of the time, and how vital the LGBTQ+ community’s activism was to making change.

    “When I made my first speech in Congress about HIV/AIDS, people said, ‘Why would you talk about that? Why would you lead with that?’” Pelosi recounted. “I said, because that’s why I came here. I came to fight.”

    “Yes, we worked to change policies, pass laws, allocate resources,” she said. “But the real miracle was the outside mobilization of the LGBTQ+ community who refused to be silent. That’s what made the difference. That’s what changed the world.”

    As Pride Month unfolds, the quilt serves as a memorial, a call to action, and a loving and prophetic testament to the quilt’s ability to humanize loss, to transform mourning into music.

    The AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibit is open to the public through Sunday at St. Thomas’ Parish. Daily visiting hours and more information are available at GMCW.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ICE Captures Worst of the Worst Illegal Alien Criminals in Los Angeles Including Murderers, Sex Offenders, and Other Violent Criminals

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    California politicians and rioters are defending heinous illegal alien criminals at the expense of Americans safety

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published additional information about some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens arrested during Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Los Angeles operation.

    “Why do Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass care more about violent murderers and sex offenders than they do about protecting their own citizens?” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets. Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer.”

    Below are just a few of the worst of the worst ICE arrested this week in Los Angeles:

    Cuong Chanh Phan

    ICE arrested Cuong Chanh Phan, a 49-year-old illegal alien from Vietnam. His criminal history includes a conviction for second degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life.

    Rolando Veneracion-Enriquez

    ICE arrested Rolando Veneracion-Enriquez, a 55-year-old illegal alien from the Philippines. His criminal history includes burglary in Ontario, CA with a sentence of four years in prison, sexual penetration with a foreign object with force and assault with intent to commit rape in Pomona, CA with a sentence of 37 years in prison. 

    Lionel Sanchez-Laguna

    ICE Los Angeles Lionel Sanchez-Laguna, a 55-year-old illegal alien from Mexico. Sanchez-Laguna’s criminal history includes discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling and vehicle in Orange, CA with a sentence of 365 days in jail, battery on spouse or cohabitant in Orange, CA with a sentence of four years of probation, willful cruelty to child in Orange, CA with a sentence of four years of probation, driving under the influence in Orange, CA with a sentence of ten days in jail, assault with semi-automatic firearm in Orange, CA with a sentence of three years in prison, and personal use of a firearm in Orange, CA with a sentence of three years in prison.

    Armando Ordaz

    ICE arrested Armando Ordaz, a 44-year-old illegal alien from Mexico. Ordaz’s criminal history includes sexual battery in Los Angeles, CA with a sentence of 135 days of jail and five years of probation, receiving known or stolen property in Norwalk, CA with a sentence of 90 days in jail and three years of probation, and petty theft in Los Angeles, CA with a sentence of 365 days in jail and four years of probation.

    Francisco Sanchez-Arguello

    ICE arrested Francisco Sanchez-Arguello, a 38-year-old illegal alien from Mexico. Sanchez-Arguello’s criminal history that includes arrests for grand theft larceny and possession of a prohibited weapon.

    Jose Gregorio Medranda Ortiz

    ICE arrested Jose Gregorio Medranda Ortiz, a 42-year-old illegal alien from Ecuador. Medranda Ortiz’s criminal history includes conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more cocaine while on board a vessel in Tampa, FL with a sentence of 135 months in prison.

    Victor Mendoza-Aguilar

    ICE arrested Victor Mendoza-Aguilar, a 32-year-old illegal alien from Mexico. His criminal history includes a conviction for possessing unlawful paraphernalia in Pasadena, CA with a sentence of 112 days jail, possessing controlled substances in Pasadena, CA with a sentence of 16 months in jail, assault with a deadly weapon: not firearm in Pasadena, CA with a sentence of four years in prison; obstructing a public officer in Pasadena, CA with a sentence of 364 days in jail.

    Delfino Aguilar-Martinez

    ICE arrested Delfino Aguilar-Martinez, a 51-year-old illegal alien from Mexico. Aguilar-Martinez’s criminal history includes assault with a deadly weapon with great bodily injury in Los Angeles, CA with a sentence of 365 days in jail. 

    Jose Cristobal Hernandez-Buitron

    ICE arrested Jose Cristobal Hernandez-Buitron, 43-year-old illegal alien from Peru. Hernandez-Buitron’s criminal history that includes a conviction for robbery that resulted in a 10-year sentence.

    Jordan Mauricio Meza-Esquibel

    ICE arrested Jordan Mauricio Meza-Esquibel, 32-year-old illegal alien from Honduras. Meza-Esquibel’s criminal history that includes arrests for distribution of heroin and cocaine and domestic violence.

    Jesus Alan Hernandez-Morales

    ICE arrested Jesus Alan Hernandez-Morales, a 26-year-old illegal alien from Mexico. His criminal history includes conspiracy to transport an illegal alien in Las Cruces, NM with a sentence of 239 days in jail. 

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal Crash, Station Road, Poroporo

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police can confirm one person has died following a serious crash in Poroporo overnight.

    At around 10pm, emergency services were called to a single-vehicle crash on Station Road near Buller Road.

    Sadly, one person was located deceased at the scene.

    Three other people were transported to hospital in a serious condition.

    The road was closed while the Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination.

    Station Road reopened at around 4.20am this morning.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 392

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL2

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 392
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    225 PM EDT Sun Jun 8 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    District Of Columbia
    Maryland
    Northern and Central Virginia
    Far Eastern West Virginia
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Sunday afternoon and evening from 225 PM until
    1000 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 65 mph possible
    Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to develop and
    further increase through late afternoon and evening, with damaging
    winds, hail, and tornadoes possible, especially near a warm front.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 75 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 20 miles north of Martinsburg WV to 20
    miles southeast of Richmond VA. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 390…WW 391…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 55 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 25025.

    …Guyer

    SEL2

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 392
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    225 PM EDT Sun Jun 8 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    District Of Columbia
    Maryland
    Northern and Central Virginia
    Far Eastern West Virginia
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Sunday afternoon and evening from 225 PM until
    1000 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 65 mph possible
    Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to develop and
    further increase through late afternoon and evening, with damaging
    winds, hail, and tornadoes possible, especially near a warm front.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 75 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 20 miles north of Martinsburg WV to 20
    miles southeast of Richmond VA. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 390…WW 391…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 55 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 25025.

    …Guyer

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW2
    WW 392 TORNADO DC MD VA WV CW 081825Z – 090200Z
    AXIS..75 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    20N MRB/MARTINSBURG WV/ – 20SE RIC/RICHMOND VA/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 65NM E/W /48WNW EMI – 18SE RIC/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..55 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25025.

    LAT…LON 39687657 37297569 37297842 39687939

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU2.

    Watch 392 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Mod (30%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (10%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (10%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (70%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Marine Economy Development Index Up 2.3% in 2024

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    HAIKOU, June 8 (Xinhua) — China’s marine economic development index, a key indicator of the country’s progress in the sector, increased 2.3 percent year on year to 125.2 in 2024, showing robust development of the maritime sector.

    The index was released by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources on Sunday to mark World Oceans Day.

    Data show that in 2024, China’s maritime sector structure was further optimized and technological innovation capability was improved. The sub-index of marine economy optimization and upgrading in 2024 was 131, up 1.8 percent year on year.

    The ministry’s statistics also show that the added value of emerging marine industries grew 7.2 percent year-on-year in 2024. Marine-related companies raised 11.4 billion yuan (US$1.58 billion) in IPOs, accounting for 17 percent of the total funding for all IPO companies in China, indicating strong capital market activity in the maritime sector. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US nuclear deal proposal ‘insincere’ without sanctions relief: Iranian parliament speaker

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    TEHRAN, June 8 (Xinhua) — The recent U.S. proposal to strike a deal with Tehran on Iran’s nuclear program is “contradictory and insincere” as it does not mention lifting sanctions on Iran, Iranian Majlis (parliament) Chairman Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Sunday.

    Speaking at an open session of the country’s main legislative body in Tehran, M.B. Ghalibaf criticized the American proposal conveyed to Iran via Oman in late May during ongoing indirect talks between Tehran and Washington.

    He said Iran remains willing to take steps to demonstrate the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, in line with a law passed in 2020 to counter U.S. sanctions. In return, he said, Iran expects restrictions to be lifted, guarantees of economic benefits and the right to enrich uranium domestically.

    “The fact that the US proposal does not even mention lifting sanctions clearly shows that Washington’s approach to negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program is contradictory and insincere,” M. B. Ghalibaf stated.

    Iran’s parliament speaker also called on US President Donald Trump to reconsider his position if he is truly committed to a deal, urging him to stop following what M.B. Ghalibaf called the “failed ideas” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    Since April, Iran and the United States, brokered by Oman, have held five rounds of proximity talks aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Washington recently demanded that Iran completely halt uranium enrichment, a condition Tehran has repeatedly rejected. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rwanda quits ECOCAS and accuses DRC of manipulation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Kigali, June 8 (Xinhua) — Rwanda on Saturday announced its withdrawal from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECOCAC), accusing its neighbor the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of “instrumentalizing” the bloc with the support of some of its member states.

    This statement was made following the 26th ECOCAS summit, which took place in the capital of Equatorial Guinea, Malabo, and was attended by Rwandan Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente.

    As Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated, the purpose of ECOCAS was clearly distorted at the summit, as “Rwanda’s right to assume the rotating chairmanship of the bloc… was deliberately ignored in order to impose a dictate on the DRC.”

    The statement also condemned the “illegal exclusion of Rwanda” from the 22nd ECOCAS summit, which was held in 2023 in the DRC capital Kinshasa under the DRC presidency. Rwanda criticized ECOCAS for “failing to enforce its own rules.”

    “Rwanda condemns the violation of its rights,” the statement said. “Therefore, Rwanda sees no reason to remain a member of an organization whose current functioning is contrary to its founding principles and the original purposes for which it was created.”

    Early Sunday morning, the DRC presidency issued a press release stating that due to the current security situation in the east of the country, ECOCAS leaders confirmed that “the DRC is under aggression from Rwanda” and called on it to withdraw its troops from DRC territory.

    Regarding the rotating presidency of ECOCAS, the summit participants recommended that Equatorial Guinea continue to chair the bloc, while the transfer of powers to Rwanda be postponed until the dispute between it and the DRC is resolved.

    ECOCAS has not yet commented on the decision to withdraw announced by the Rwandan authorities.

    Rwanda’s decision comes amid heightened tensions between it and the DRC over the conflict in eastern DRC.

    The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the rebel group Movement of March 23 (M23) fighting in eastern DRC. Rwanda has denied the charge. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Freedom Caucus Board: We Stand Firm – No Senate Rollbacks of Conservative Wins

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the House Freedom Caucus Board of Directors released the following statement: 

    “The House Freedom Caucus delivered real victories for the American people in the One Big Beautiful Bill. We want to be crystal clear: if the Senate attempts to water down, strip out, or walk back the hard-fought spending reductions and IRA Green New Scam rollbacks achieved in this legislation, we will not accept it. The House Freedom Caucus Board will stand united holding the line. The American people didn’t send us here to cave to the swamp — they sent us here to change it.”

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kustoff, Pfluger, Cassidy Introduce Bill to Expand Health Care Innovation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative David Kustoff (TN-08)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reps. David Kustoff (R-TN) and August Pfluger (R-TX), as well as U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), introduced the Small Biotech Innovation Act to exempt research and development-intensive small biotech manufacturers from the Medicare drug price negotiation program.

    “It is critical that the United States remains at the forefront of developing new medical technologies, treatments, and drugs,” said Congressman Kustoff. “The Small Biotech Innovation Act will help smaller companies invest in research and development by alleviating the excessive Biden-era regulations placed on them. This legislation is an important step in boosting innovation and helping find new cures for patients across the globe.”

    “The Inflation Reduction Act has proven to fall short in several areas, including its small biotech exemption that disincentivizes companies from investing in R&D and hinders the development of innovative therapies. By tying eligibility to R&D spending, we can better incentivize companies to develop new treatments that will benefit patients nationwide,” said Congressman Pfluger. “The bicameral Small Biotech Innovation Act is a forward-thinking approach that will strengthen America’s leadership in life-saving science by modernizing the small biotech exemption to reward real innovation and research investment, and ultimately protect these innovative small biotech companies.”

    “When the federal government stands in the way of developing better care, there’s a problem. The cures developed through small biotech innovation change the future for many patients. Instead of limiting it, we should encourage it,” said Dr. Cassidy.

    The Small Biotech Innovation Act would counter the negative impact that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will have on innovation and drug development by providing any small biotech that spends a certain amount of money on research and development with the ability to delay one of their drugs for IRA negotiation for a year. The bill also prohibits any company that is owned by a foreign adversary from being eligible for the delay.
     

    Click here for the full text of the bill.  

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MATSUI LEADS CA COLLEAGUES IN OPPOSING AI MORATORIUM IN RECONCILIATION BILL

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a group of her California colleagues in sending a letter to Senate leadership, strongly objecting to the section of H.R. 1 that would impose a ten-year moratorium on state and local enforcement of their own artificial intelligence laws and regulations. 

    “This moratorium’s assumption—that the United States will be unable to lead the world in AI if states identify and implement measures to protect their citizens from potential AI harms—is misguided,” wrote the lawmakers. “It wrongly accepts the premise that identifying and addressing AI-specific risks and harms and imposing guardrails is counterproductive to being the world’s AI leader. Nothing is further from the truth. Common sense AI guardrails can propel innovation by building trust with consumers and future users, while promoting a fair, open, and competitive playing field.” 

    In the absence of a federal AI regulatory framework, California and other states across the nation are embracing common-sense safeguards that ensure innovation and competition can continue to thrive. As AI tools grow more sophisticated and more widely deployed, these state measures are crucial to promote safety and trust with consumers. The House-passed moratorium, spearheaded by Republicans, would strip states of their authority to respond to new and evolving AI risks—freezing vital consumer protections for a full decade.

    “We should not place consumers in harm’s way by pausing for a decade the good work that states have done and will continue to do,” the lawmakers continued. “Instead, let us work together in a bicameral, bipartisan fashion to create smart, tailored, and consensus-driven legislative solutions that empower Americans’ use of AI and automated decision systems.”

    Full text of the letter can be found below or HERE. 

    Dear Majority Leader Thune, Minority Leader Schumer, Chairman Cruz, and Ranking Member Cantwell:

    We are writing to express our strong objections to the section of H.R. 1 that would impose a sweeping ten-year moratorium on state and local enforcement of their own artificial intelligence (AI) laws and regulations.  

    As part of being the global AI leader, the United States must take the lead on identifying and setting common sense guardrails for responsible and safe AI development and deployment. To prevent states, including our state of California, from enforcing state AI regulations that provide such guardrails—particularly without any meaningful federal alternative—is inconsistent with the goal of AI leadership. This moratorium’s assumption—that the United States will be unable to lead the world in AI if states identify and implement measures to protect their citizens from potential AI harms—is misguided.  It wrongly accepts the premise that identifying and addressing AI-specific risks and harms and imposing guardrails is counterproductive to being the world’s AI leader. Nothing is further from the truth. Common sense AI guardrails can propel innovation by building trust with consumers and future users, while promoting a fair, open, and competitive playing field. 

    California is the fourth largest economy in the world in part because innovative technology companies, including 32 of the world’s 50 leading AI companies, call the state home. As a hub of AI activity, our state has been a national leader in ensuring that innovation and competition thrive alongside common-sense safeguards, starting with transparency. In our increasingly digital world, AI and other emerging technologies are rapid disruptors. To place a ten-year hold on state and local enforcement of their own AI laws, especially without federal alternatives, exposes Americans to a growing list of harms as AI technologies are adopted across sectors from healthcare to education, housing, and transportation. The resulting regulatory gap created by the AI moratorium in H.R. 1 would decimate the good work that California and other states, led by both Democrats and Republicans, have done, such as:

    • requiring transparency regarding training data or the use of AI to communicate with patients in medical settings
    • giving performers and their families rights over digital replicas of their likenesses
    • protecting American artists’ voice and likeness from unauthorized AI impersonations,
    • requiring employers to ensure AI-enabled employment decisions comply with civil rights laws,  and
    • requiring mental health platforms to disclose to users that they are interacting with an AI mental health chatbot, not a human therapist. 

    These examples and other proposed state legislation exemplify the mounting desire among AI experts and the American public to provide guardrails to promote AI safety, trust, and transparency.  This is an extension of bipartisan concerns over online safety and manipulative algorithms—issues that, if left unchecked, leaves Americans vulnerable to harms impacting their health, their jobs, their education, and ultimately, their lives. Now is the time for Congress to work on bipartisan legislation to address these harms. The House Republican ten-year moratorium, by contrast, would gut protections for the very people we represent. 

    This bill provision isn’t limited to state laws and regulations of new and emerging AI. It imposes a ten-year moratorium on laws and regulations regulating “automated decision making systems” which arguably covers any computer processing.  

    Furthermore, the provision covers state and local regulations of their own use of AI and of automated decision making systems, which will mean states and localities cannot impose procurement requirements on AI and computer systems that are different than those imposed on other technologies. Under this provision, they would not be allowed, for example, to adopt regulations imposing safeguards on education technology to be used in public schools or on AI systems that they want to use to improve the provision of government services.  That makes no sense at all.

    Late in the process, House Republicans added an exception to the ten-year moratorium for state and local laws to the extent they impose criminal penalties.  But that exception only underscores the absurd breadth of the 10-year moratorium.  Why should the federal government incentivize states and localities to adopt criminal penalties to deal with harms from AI models and systems, and automated decision-making systems, in instances where a civil penalty, breach of contract claim, injunctive relief or some other non-criminal remedy is more appropriate to address the problem at hand?

    We have already seen an outpouring of opposition to this moratorium, including bipartisan opposition from state attorneys general, state legislators, voters, and over 140 consumer advocacy, online safety, and civil rights groups.  The House Bipartisan AI Taskforce last Congress acknowledged the “risks” of enacting an AI moratorium on state activity and, instead, recommended that Congress “commission a study to analyze the applicable federal and state regulations and laws that affect the development and use of AI systems across sectors.” We should not place consumers in harm’s way by pausing for a decade the good work that states have done and will continue to do. We must learn from them. After all, we have had the opportunity to learn from five years’ worth of several state efforts to criminalize the sharing of non-consensual intimate imagery, real and AI-generated, to produce the TAKE IT DOWN Act that President Trump recently signed into law. Now is not the time to deny Congress the critical insight our states provide as laboratories of democracy. 

    Additionally, this moratorium is procedurally deficient, as it bears no relationship to the federal budget. House Republicans stretch credulity beyond its breaking point when claiming this moratorium is necessary to effectuate their reconciliation bill’s $500 million for the Department of Commerce to update its IT and cybersecurity systems. Under the Supremacy Clause, states cannot pass laws that restrict or impose obligations on the federal government, including the Department of Commerce and federal procurement rules governing agency IT systems.  Consequently, the moratorium does not impact the federal budget and must fall out as an “extraneous matter” prohibited, under the Senate Byrd Rule, from inclusion in a reconciliation bill. 

     

    As you take up the House Republicans’ reconciliation bill for consideration, we urge you to remove the AI moratorium provision. Instead, let us work together in a bicameral, bipartisan fashion to create smart, tailored, and consensus-driven legislative solutions that empower Americans’ use of AI and automated decision systems. We can learn from what the states—like California, New York, Tennessee, Utah, and many others—are doing to leverage the benefits of AI technologies while protecting consumers from their harms.

                                                    

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MATSUI, COSTA, AND COLLEAGUES CALL FOR TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO HALT EFFORTS TO GUT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) and Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) led a group of 23 lawmakers in a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Secretary Howard Lutnick and Acting National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Laura Grimm, demanding that the Trump Administration restore 24/7 operations at the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Sacramento and Hanford Forecast Offices. 

    It was recently reported that the NWS Sacramento and Hanford Weather Forecast Offices are unable to maintain 24/7 operations due to severe staffing shortages, following layoffs, resignations, and a hiring freeze by the Trump Administration.

    “These service reductions represent the beginning of a public safety crisis with potentially catastrophic consequences if the NWS is unable to retain the staff necessary to maintain around-the-clock weather monitoring in California,” wrote the lawmakers. “Across the state’s airports, highways, farms, and reservoirs, accurate, reliable, and timely weather forecasting is critical for every Californian.” 

    From hurricanes and tornadoes to atmospheric rivers, NWS provides the forecasting necessary to keep Americans safe and prepared for natural disasters. In California, NWS experts are critical for wildfire prediction and water management. NWS also delivers critical services for our farmers, our military, and our critical infrastructure. However, since the Trump Administration took office, over 500 NWS employees have been laid off or pushed into early retirement. Those cuts mean that nearly half of NWS offices have staffing vacancy rates of 20 percent or higher.

    “The National Weather Service is a public safety lifeline and an essential public good. This is not waste or fraud. Americans depend on accurate and timely weather forecasts and alerts not just to plan their day, but to prepare for, and survive, deadly natural disasters,” the lawmakers concluded. “We demand that you immediately reinstate all terminated workers at these offices, lift the federal hiring freeze for NWS, and ensure that the Sacramento and Hanford weather forecast offices are adequately staffed to maintain 24/7 operations.”

    Full text of the letter can be found below or HERE.

    Dear Secretary Lutnick and Acting Administrator Grimm,

    Due to terminations, hiring freezes, and vacancies, the National Weather Service (NWS) recently announced that it would cease 24-hour 7-day-a-week operations at the Sacramento and Hanford Weather Forecast Offices. These service reductions represent the beginning of a public safety crisis with potentially catastrophic consequences if the NWS is unable to retain the staff necessary to maintain around-the-clock weather monitoring in California. Across the state’s airports, highways, farms, and reservoirs, accurate, reliable, and timely weather forecasting is critical for every Californian. We urge immediate action to halt any service interruptions at the Sacramento and Hanford Weather Forecast Offices by reinstating terminated workers and lifting the federal hiring freeze for NWS.

    Across NWS, reports have recently stated that as many as 500 employees have been terminated or taken an early retirement, representing a 12% reduction in staffing since President Trump took office. A recent internal assessment by NWS employees found that nearly half of NWS Weather Forecast Offices had vacancy rates of 20% or higher, a level that represents “critical understaffing.” The Sacramento office currently has seven vacancies for meteorologists, out of 16 positions, while the Hanford office has eight vacancies out of 13 positions—leaving both offices operating at half strength as we approach the peak of wildfire season. Slashing staffing in half at the offices responsible for predicting wildfires, atmospheric rivers, and natural disasters is unacceptable, puts thousands of lives at risk, and does nothing to increase government efficiency.

    Recent years have demonstrated that wildfire season in California is now year-round. In 2024, California saw 8,018 wildfires, burning a total of 1,049,963 acres.4 Since 2013, an average of 1,029,049 acres have burned annually.5 NWS fire weather forecasting plays a critical role in predicting wildfire and protecting the lives of millions of Californians who live in fire prone areas. Incident meteorologists at NWS are often at the frontline to provide information to wildfire managers and first responders to safely contain wildfires.

    The Office of Water Prediction and the National Water Prediction Service also play a critical role in hydrological predictions, in concert with NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations. Water managers in California rely on the forecasting expertise of these federal agencies to make reservoir operating decisions. Without the NWS’s expert hydrological forecasters, water managers in California are left blindly guessing and forced to make life-or-death decisions amid the state’s swings between crippling drought and catastrophic flooding.

    The National Weather Service is a public safety lifeline and an essential public good. This is not waste or fraud. Americans depend on accurate and timely weather forecasts and alerts not just to plan their day, but to prepare for, and survive, deadly natural disasters. If the NWS weather forecast offices in Sacramento and Hanford, together covering the entire Central Valley, cannot monitor overnight conditions, that puts our constituents in danger. This is a reckless and unnecessary risk that offers no benefit to the American public. We demand that you immediately reinstate all terminated workers at these offices, lift the federal hiring freeze for NWS, and ensure that the Sacramento and Hanford weather forecast offices are adequately staffed to maintain 24/7 operations. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

                                                    

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MATSUI SLAMS NEW BEAD GUIDANCE FROM DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

    WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, released the following statement after the Department of Commerce released new guidance regarding the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. 

    “The result of today’s announcement is simple: the Trump administration is delaying once-in-a-generation investments, blocking states from closing the digital divide and getting Americans online,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Congress was thoughtful and bipartisan when hammering out the details for BEAD, because we realize the stakes for getting connectivity right are sky high. We empowered our states and local communities to use their on-the-ground knowledge to ensure BEAD dollars go where they’re most needed. We have worked hard to ensure access, affordability, and adoption go hand in hand. This is a matter of necessity for our constituents. Reliable, high speed internet access dictates who succeeds and who is left behind in the modern economy.”

    “These new changes undo the states’ hard work, punt the broadband deployment timeline further down the line, and ultimately, drive up costs for consumers,” Matsui continued. “This delay is unacceptable. Americans, especially those in rural and underserved areas, are counting on this funding. The Trump Administration is clearly willing to leave everyday Americans behind – but I will continue to fight to ensure we deliver on our promises to close the digital divide.”

    Background:

    The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states. In California, the BEAD program is being implemented by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). California was allocated over $1.8 billion to deploy or upgrade high-speed internet networks and close the digital divide. California is currently selecting the service providers that would deploy last mile broadband infrastructure to unserved and underserved communities. 

    Today, the Department of Commerce released new guidelines that would substantially delay broadband projects and increase costs to states by forcing all states to conduct at least another round of applications, rescinding all their preliminary and provisional awards. The new guidelines also would impose burdensome scoring requirements that would hamstring states’ flexibility to choose the right mix of technologies to provide the most reliable, scalable, and future-proof internet service available to a location. Additionally, the Trump administration’s changes would weaken or eliminate protections for affordability, good-paying jobs, climate-resilient networks, and a free and open internet. These changes will drive up costs for consumers while driving down the quality of service.

    For a more detailed breakdown of the entire BEAD process in California, click HERE.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MATSUI, SOTO, CASTOR, TONKO, AND COLLEAGUES DEMAND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RELEASE ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09), Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-14), and Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20) led a group of 33 lawmakers in a letter to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Executive Director Gloria Shepherd, demanding that they immediately release National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding, following the Government Accountability Office’s finding that the funding freeze is illegal. 

    The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program provides funding to states to build a nationwide network of publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers along major highways across the country. Congress authorized $5 billion for the NEVI program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program has already had a transformative effect, creating jobs and catalyzing private investment throughout America. However, on February 6, the Trump Administration notified states that they were suspending the program and freezing states’ funding. This has left hundreds of projects and thousands of workers across the country in limbo.

    On May 22, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that these actions by the Trump Administration violated the Impoundment Control Act by illegally withholding funds that had been authorized by Congress. Despite this clear and unambiguous finding by Congress’s nonpartisan watchdog, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget instructed DOT on Wednesday to disregard the GAO ruling. 

    In response,the lawmakers wrote, “Congress did not give the Executive Branch the authority to withhold or rescind NEVI funding that has been made available to the states, and Congress clearly did not intend for the Administration to retroactively disapprove or suspend approval of state plans.” 

    “The Trump Administration’s continued attacks on the U.S. automobile industry are not only unamerican but also illegal,” the lawmakers concluded.  “As such, we request that FHWA immediately rescind the memo issued on February 6th and enable states to begin spending NEVI funds without delay.” 

    Full text of the letter can be found below or HERE. 

    Dear Secretary Duffy and Director Shepherd,

    We write to express our continued alarm and opposition to the Trump Administration’s illegal impoundment of formula funds under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI). The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) has confirmed in a recent legal opinion that the Trump Administration’s actions withholding NEVI funding from expenditure violate the Impoundment Control Act, reaffirming what 52 Members of Congress have previously stated: this funding pause is not only harmful but illegal. Contrary to views expressed by the Office of Management and Budget,  the Administration’s actions clearly do not align with Congressional intent. The Trump Administration must immediately rescind the February 06, 2025, memorandum issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which suspended state electric vehicle infrastructure deployment plans and rescinded related guidance. States must be allowed to spend the funds to which they are legally entitled.  

    Congress authorized $5 billion for FY22 through FY26 in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for states to deploy EV charging infrastructure. Every state, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico submitted plans in accordance with the statute, and many have awarded contracts and deployed active charging stations. According to the GAO opinion, the $3,270,000,000 made available to states from FY22-FY25 constitutes an obligation and states are entitled to proceed with their programs. Congress did not give the Executive Branch the authority to withhold or rescind NEVI funding that has been made available to the states, and Congress clearly did not intend for the Administration to retroactively disapprove or suspend approval of state plans. The Trump Administration’s actions are therefore plainly counter to Congressional intent and illegal under the Impoundment Control Act.     

    NEVI is a critical investment in American infrastructure and innovation and is key to the long-term competitiveness of the American automobile industry. It is designed to increase accessibility and address range anxiety for Americans who choose to drive EVs. The program has already catalyzed significant private investment, and over 13,000 potential jobs could be at risk if the Administration does not release the NEVI funding.  Continued delay could lead to stranded assets and wasted expenditures. Importantly, a 2024 study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory projected that the U.S. would need 182,000 publicly accessible direct current fast chargers (DCFC) to accommodate the growing EV market, nearly triple the current capacity of around 55,000 charging ports. 

    The Trump Administration’s continued attacks on the U.S. automobile industry are not only unamerican but also illegal. As such, we request that FHWA immediately rescind the memo issued on February 6th and enable states to begin spending NEVI funds without delay. Inaction on this request may very well be unconstitutional.  

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Massive fire breaks out at Kabul clothing market

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    KABUL, June 8 (Xinhua) — A massive fire broke out at a second-hand clothing market in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday morning, local TV channel Ariana News reported.

    As the TV channel noted, citing one of the market’s traders, the fire broke out at around 9:00 a.m. local time in the area of the 5th police district in the western part of the capital, and the fire engulfed around 200 stores.

    Law enforcement officials reported that despite strong winds, firefighters managed to contain the fire.

    Thick black smoke was visible from several kilometers away, causing concern among residents of Kabul. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

    The blaze is the second major fire in Afghanistan in three weeks. On May 16, a fire at a market in the northern Kunduz province damaged several shops. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Cleaver Joins 199 Lawmakers in Bipartisan Effort to Save Job Corps

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

    (Washington, D.C.) – This week, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) joined Congressmen Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and nearly 200 other congressional lawmakers in urging the Department of Labor to continue the Job Corps program. In a letter to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Cleaver and the bipartisan cohort of lawmakers highlighted the benefits of the program and reiterated its importance to young workers and small businesses across the nation. 

    “Nearly 20,000 young people utilize Job Corps to learn skills for in-demand vocational and technical job training,” the lawmakers wrote. “Job Corps is one of the few national programs that specifically targets the 16-24-year-old population that is neither working, nor in school, and provides them with a direct pathway into employment openings in industries such as manufacturing and shipbuilding. The program also connects these young Americans with apprenticeships, higher education opportunities, or the military.”

    “As companies continue to onshore and invest in the men and women of our country, a steady stream of skilled laborers will be required to meet the growing workforce demand,” the lawmakers continued. “The Job Corps program is uniquely positioned to fill that role and provide these hardworking young Americans with the vocational and technical job training that will set them and our country up for success.”

    “There is no one more capable than the American worker when given a chance at success. We urge you to support our request so that local Job Corps Centers can continue connecting young Americans with careers and opportunities available to them. We are confident that, in collaboration with the Administration and Job Corps Centers in our communities, we can strengthen this program, continuing to develop a highly skilled and competitive labor force,” the lawmakers concluded.

    On May 29, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a notice that it will begin a phased pause in operations at contractor-operated Job Corps centers across the country. Job Corps is a national program with over 120 centers nationwide. Job Corps offers at-risk youth varied academic opportunities and career pathways in business and industry.

    Congressman Cleaver has been a longtime supporter of Job Corps and the benefits it provides to young workers across Missouri, requesting Congress to provide adequate funding for the program and Job Corp Centers throughout the Show Me State.

    The official letter from lawmakers is available here.

     

    Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LaMalfa Reintroduces the Protecting Children from Experimentation Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Doug LaMalfa 1st District of California

    Washington, D.C.—This week, Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) reintroduced the Protecting Children from Experimentation Act, legislation that prohibits doctors from performing gender reassignment procedures on minors. The bill is designed to protect children from irreversible medical interventions that carry serious, lifelong consequences.

    “Vulnerable kids are being deceived into surgeries or life-altering drugs they shouldn’t even have to contemplate,” said Rep. LaMalfa. “Minors shouldn’t be making permanent decisions to alter their bodies, and adults, especially in the medical field, have no business coercing them into it. Let kids be kids. This isn’t compassionate care, it’s irreversible harm. When adults lead children down this path, that’s not medicine. It’s abuse, and they should be held accountable.”

    Under the bill, doctors who knowingly perform gender reassignment procedures on minors would face civil and criminal penalties, including fines and potential imprisonment. Additionally, the person who underwent the procedure as a minor would have the right to bring civil action against the provider. The legislation includes clear exceptions for children born with medically verifiable sex development disorders.

    The Protecting Children from Experimentation Act was previously introduced in both the 117th and 118th Congress and continues to build on growing concerns among parents, medical professionals, and lawmakers about the long-term harms of subjecting minors to unproven and irreversible procedures.

    Congressman Doug LaMalfa is Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and a lifelong farmer representing California’s First Congressional District, including Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba Counties.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • India’s transformative decade: Landmark reforms drive ease of doing business

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Over the past eleven years, India has undergone a remarkable transformation in its business and investment climate, driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance model that emphasizes Seva (service), Sushasan (good governance), and Garib Kalyan (welfare of the poor). As part of the vision for a Viksit Bharat (Developed India), a series of economic and administrative reforms have positioned India as one of the most attractive global destinations for business and entrepreneurship.

    One of the most striking signs of progress is the meteoric rise of India’s startup ecosystem. From a few hundred startups in 2014, the country now boasts over 1.6 lakh recognized startups, which have collectively created more than 17.6 lakh direct jobs. Today, India is the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem.

    This growth has been supported by bold structural reforms that have reshaped the Ease of Doing Business landscape. The government has repealed over 1,500 obsolete laws and scrapped thousands of unnecessary compliances that previously created bureaucratic hurdles and increased the cost of doing business. These moves have significantly reduced red tape and rent-seeking practices, replacing them with a red-carpet welcome for investors and entrepreneurs.

    To enhance transparency and simplify government-citizen and business interactions, measures such as the National Single Window System have been introduced, enabling businesses to secure approvals through a single digital platform. Randomized labour inspections and faceless tax assessments have eliminated the era of ‘Inspector Raj’ and boosted compliance by reinforcing trust in businesses.

    The government’s commitment to fair and efficient governance is also reflected in the success of platforms like the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), which now handles nearly 75% of public procurement transparently, and in record tax collections, indicating a broader and more willing tax base.

    India’s improvements have been recognized globally. The country’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index soared from 142 in 2014 to 63 in 2019. In the 2023 Logistics Performance Index (LPI), India climbed six places to reach the 38th position out of 139 countries—thanks to infrastructure development programs such as PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy.

    Furthermore, landmark decisions such as the removal of retrospective taxation, the scrapping of the Angel Tax, and a significant reduction in corporate tax rates have reinforced investor confidence.

    Prime Minister Modi’s economic philosophy sees entrepreneurs not merely as profit-makers but as key partners in national development. This shift in perception, supported by policy and institutional reforms, has expanded the pool of wealth creators, increased job opportunities, and generated higher incomes.

  • MIL-OSI USA: Quigley Reintroduces Bill to Stop Black Market Guns

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)

    Today, U.S. Representative and Vice-Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Mike Quigley (IL-05) reintroduced the Trafficking Reduction and Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act to help the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reduce the trafficking of illegal firearms and prevent criminals from obtaining these weapons.

    By repealing restrictions on gun trace data, the TRACE Act will enable the ATF to track the movement of illegal firearms across state lines and to share that data with state and local law enforcement. The bill will also hold gun dealers accountable by requiring them to monitor their inventory and report lost or stolen inventory to the ATF. The TRACE Act will help law enforcement crack down on the gun ‘black market,’ which often funnels firearms to states and cities with stricter gun laws in place, including Chicago.

    Quigley first introduced the TRACE Act in 2011 and has continued to revive the bill in each Congress since. 

    “The Chicago Police Department alone recovers roughly 7,000 illegal guns every year, but current law requires gun buyer background check records to be destroyed after 24 hours. My bill will stop the madness and require these background checks to be maintained for at least 180 days,” said Quigley. “I’m proud to reintroduce the TRACE Act this Gun Violence Awareness Month. Together, we can stop guns from ending up in the wrong hands.”

    In September 2022, Quigley led and passed the NICS Denial Notification Act as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022. The law now requires background check denials to be reported to state authorities to help enforce gun laws. Quigley also cosponsored the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Passed in June of 2022 with Quigley’s support, the law provided $250M for community violence intervention, $750M for crisis intervention, expanded background checks, closed the “boyfriend” loophole, and more. 

    The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a key advocate for gun violence prevention, has endorsed the legislation. 

    “Huge quantities of firearms are recovered in the illegal market and at crime scenes every year, providing law enforcement the opportunity to trace these weapons and better understand where they are coming from. Yet, Congress has shielded the gun industry from public scrutiny and has deprived law enforcement of key data needed to truly understand and address the flow of crime guns. The TRACE Act will remove these barriers, allowing law enforcement to stymie the flow of firearms into our communities and hold lawbreaking gun industry actors accountable,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy at Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “Brady applauds Rep. Quigley for reintroducing the TRACE Act and is proud to support this legislation.” 

    The TRACE Act would:

    • Require background check records to be maintained for a minimum of 180 days. The Tiahrt Amendments currently require 24-hour record destruction, making it nearly impossible to catch law-breaking gun dealers who falsify their records or to track straw purchasers who buy guns on behalf of criminals.
    • Require gun dealers to perform inventory checks to report lost and stolen guns, a measure currently prohibited under the Tiahrt Amendments. If law-abiding dealers reported inventories, the ATF would be much more effective at identifying lost and stolen weapons and proactively combating corrupt gun dealers.
    • Repeal restrictions on gun trace data disclosures. Currently, members of the public, including researchers and litigants, cannot get trace data from the ATF under Tiahrt restrictions. Trace data is also inadmissible as evidence in civil proceedings under the existing policy. The TRACE Act would repeal these restrictions.
    • Require that new firearms have a second, hidden serial number located inside the frame or receiver that is only visible under infrared light when the firearm is fully disassembled. This would make it harder for criminals to remove serial numbers from firearms in an attempt to evade law enforcement.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary Rubio’s Call with Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif

    Source: United States Department of State (4)

    Office of the Spokesperson

    HomeSecretary Rubio’s Call with Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif

    Secretary Rubio’s Call with Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif

    Readout

    May 8, 2025

    The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

    Secretary Marco Rubio spoke today with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. The Secretary emphasized the need for immediate de-escalation. He expressed U.S. support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications.

    The Secretary expressed sorrow for the reported loss of civilian lives in the current conflict. He reiterated his calls for Pakistan to take concrete steps to end any support for terrorist groups.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Announcing a U.S.-Brokered Ceasefire between India and Pakistan

    Source: United States Department of State (4)

    Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

    HomeAnnouncing a U.S.-Brokered Ceasefire between India and Pakistan

    Announcing a U.S.-Brokered Ceasefire between India and Pakistan

    Press Statement

    May 10, 2025

    Over the past 48 hours, Vice President Vance and I have engaged with senior Indian and Pakistani officials, including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, and National Security Advisors Ajit Doval and Asim Malik.

    I am pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site.

    We commend Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif on their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Deputy Secretary Landau’s Meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Misri

    Source: United States Department of State (4)

    Office of the Spokesperson

    HomeDeputy Secretary Landau’s Meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Misri

    Deputy Secretary Landau’s Meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Misri

    Readout

    May 28, 2025

    The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

    Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau met with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri today in Washington.  The Deputy Secretary reaffirmed the close partnership between the U.S. and India, a key component of U.S. foreign policy for the 21st century.  He underscored the importance of fair and reciprocal market access to fostering economic growth and prosperity in both countries.  The Deputy Secretary emphasized the importance of enhanced cooperation on migration and counternarcotics.  The Deputy Secretary and the Foreign Secretary also reaffirmed their shared desire to maintain regional stability and peace.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Deputy Secretary Landau’s Meeting with an Indian Parliamentary Delegation

    Source: United States Department of State (4)

    Office of the Spokesperson

    HomeDeputy Secretary Landau’s Meeting with an Indian Parliamentary Delegation

    Deputy Secretary Landau’s Meeting with an Indian Parliamentary Delegation

    Readout

    June 6, 2025

    The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

    Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met today with an Indian parliamentary delegation in Washington.  The Deputy Secretary reaffirmed the United States’ strong support of India in the fight against terrorism and the strategic partnership between the two countries.  The Deputy and delegation discussed the importance of advancing key areas of the bilateral relationship, including expanding trade and commercial ties to foster economic growth and prosperity in both countries.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary Rubio’s Call with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar

    Source: United States Department of State (4)

    Office of the Spokesperson

    The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

    Secretary Marco Rubio spoke today with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.  The Secretary emphasized the need for immediate de-escalation.  He expressed U.S. support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications.

    The Secretary reiterated his condolences for the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to work with India in the fight against terrorism.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Ocean-friendly changes on Chinese island bring double benefits – ecological and economic

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    HANGZHOU, June 8 (Xinhua) — On a beach in Taizhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, 68-year-old Wang Zhongfu bends down to pick up discarded plastic bottles and torn fishing nets.

    Wang Zhongfu is one of thousands of participants in the Blue Circle marine plastic recycling program, which launched in 2020 and uses blockchain and the Internet of Things to track the full life cycle of marine plastic waste, from collection to remanufacturing and resale.

    The Blue Circle program, developed by the Zhejiang Provincial Bureau of Ecology and Environment and Zhejiang Lanjing Technology Co., Ltd., is the largest of its kind in the country.

    In 2023, the program won the United Nations /UN/ Champions of the Earth 2023 Award for Entrepreneurial Vision for its efforts to combat marine plastic pollution. According to the UN Environment Programme, the award is the UN’s highest environmental honour.

    “We are reducing the amount of plastic waste in the ocean and helping people earn extra income from collecting trash,” said Kong Chen, who runs the Blue Circle plastic waste collection station, known as Little Blue Home, located on Dachen Island, about 29 nautical miles off the coast of Taizhou. He noted that the station has removed more than 20 tons of marine waste in 2024.

    Blue Circle pays 0.20 yuan (almost 3 US cents) for each plastic bottle collected, a price several times higher than the market average, in an effort to supplement the incomes of many local residents.

    “This initiative motivates people to participate in environmental protection and increase their income. People who fish can consciously collect plastic waste while working in the sea,” said Kong Chen, noting that participants like Wang Zhongfu can earn about 1,000 yuan a month this way.

    People can trace the path of recycled plastic by scanning QR codes on products such as car parts, suitcases and phone cases made from certified ocean-bound plastic. Plastic waste is cleaned and processed into pellets for industrial use at Veolia Huafei Polymer Technology /Zhejiang/ Co., Ltd.’s plant in Anji County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province.

    “Since 2022, we have recycled tens of millions of plastic bottles collected through the Blue Circle program,” said Fu Xianwei, the company’s chief operating officer. He added that certified marine plastic pellets can sell for more than 1.3 times the price of regular recycled plastic, and products made from these pellets have higher added value.

    “Once fishermen make a profit and businesses are motivated, marine plastic waste management enters a virtuous cycle,” said Ye Zongsen, an official with the Jiaojiang District branch of Taizhou City’s Ecology and Environment Bureau.

    The initiative has expanded to all coastal areas of Zhejiang, and to date, about 1,360 residents, 10,000 vessels and seven recycling companies have joined in. In Zhejiang alone, the program has collected 15,000 tons of marine waste, including more than 2,900 tons of plastic waste. It has also expanded to seven other provinces, including China’s southernmost island province of Hainan.

    Dachen Island in Jiaojiang District is a model of green development. Dozens of wind turbines on the island’s mountain ridge generate an average of 60 million kWh of electricity per year, five times the island’s consumption, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 45,000 tons.

    Excess electricity is sent to the mainland via undersea power cables, according to Jiang Weijian, director of the Dachen power station of State Grid Zhejiang Power Co.

    Green energy has led to many changes, including all-electric buses, electric oxygen and ice production in fisheries, and the gradual introduction of electric stoves in guest houses on the island.

    In addition, thanks to Dachen’s low-carbon solid waste treatment plant and sewage treatment plant, the proportion of high-quality water in coastal areas has reached 98%.

    As the island’s environment improves, tourism is booming. Last year, Dachen welcomed 200,000 tourists and earned 170 million yuan in revenue.

    “As the situation improves, our hotel business is booming,” said Dachen resident Kong Qinglei, who opened his business on the island in 2020. In 2024, his revenue exceeded 1 million yuan.

    The island also benefits from its marine resources. The island, famous for its pink salmon plantations, has 14 pink salmon farms, and its output reached 10,005 tons last year, worth more than 1.1 billion yuan. The fishing industry has created jobs for nearly 300 people.

    Local authorities are currently encouraging the development of the sea travel and souvenir industry. Some guest house owners are even combining their business with yellow croaker farming.

    The island is also a pioneer in trading “blue carbon” and forest carbon. “The funds were channeled into a common prosperity fund to protect the marine environment, as well as for the island’s marine farmers and residents,” said Yang Haifei, a spokesman for the island’s administration. -0-

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