Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Andrew S. Clyde (R-GA)
Rep. Clyde Announces Launch of 2025 Congressional App Challenge
Gainesville, July 8, 2025
|
Category: DJF
-
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Clyde Announces Launch of 2025 Congressional App Challenge
-
MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Edd the Florist
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Edd the Florist of Wapello County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
“Since the Wiltz family purchased it in 1956, Edd the Florist has blossomed into a scent-sational institution in Ottumwa,” said Chair Ernst. “Hans Wilz has stayed rooted to his parents’ dreams, while expanding to provide gifts and gourmet foods for the community. Serving the community for nearly 70 years, this small business is blooming with success.”
As the second-generation owner of Edd the Florist, Hans Wilz remains committed to providing Ottumwa and beyond with quality products curated with care. Family and entrepreneurial values are front and center as the business approaches its 70th anniversary. After emigrating from Germany, Margaret and Karl Wilz purchased the shop to pursue the American Dream, and Hans carries their legacy on today.
Stay tuned as Chair Ernst recognizes more Iowa small businesses across the state with her Small Business of the Week award. -
MIL-OSI China: Xi stresses transforming resource-based economy, advancing Chinese modernization during Shanxi inspection tour 2025-07-08 21:12:32 President Xi Jinping has called on north China’s Shanxi Province to further promote the transformation and development of the resource-based economy and strive to write its own chapter in advancing Chinese modernization.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, lays a floral basket to pay tribute to the martyrs at the monument square honoring the martyrs of the Hundred-Regiment Campaign during the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, when inspecting Yangquan City, north China’s Shanxi Province, July 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
TAIYUAN, July 8 (Xinhua) — President Xi Jinping has called on north China’s Shanxi Province to further promote the transformation and development of the resource-based economy and strive to write its own chapter in advancing Chinese modernization.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during his inspection tour in Shanxi from Monday to Tuesday.
On Monday afternoon, Xi visited a monument square in Yangquan City and paid tribute to heroes of the Eighth Route Army who died in the Hundred-Regiment Campaign. The campaign took place in northern China between August 1940 and January 1941 during the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
Xi described the campaign as a powerful testament to the CPC’s role as the pillar of the nation’s resistance war against Japanese aggression. He called for passing on the great spirit of resisting aggression from one generation to the next.
Speaking to young students visiting an exhibition on the campaign, Xi called on the younger generation to carry forward the revolutionary legacy and rise to the task of national rejuvenation.
When inspecting the Yangquan Valve Co., Ltd., Xi was briefed on the province’s progress in industrial transformation and upgrade in recent years. He also learned about the production and sales of some valve products at the company’s workshop.
He emphasized that traditional manufacturing is an important part of the real economy, and called for efforts to respond to market demand and enhance sci-tech innovation to breathe new life into traditional industries.
Noting that China’s industrial development today relies on advanced technologies and equipment for improvement, Xi encouraged the company’s staff members to contribute more to the country’s growing manufacturing strength.
On Tuesday morning, after listening to a work report from the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee and the provincial government, Xi made requirements for the province’s future work.
Xi noted that building a national pilot area of comprehensive reform for the transformation of resource-based economy is a strategic task entrusted to Shanxi by the CPC Central Committee.
While ensuring the coal supply for the country’s power generation, efforts should be made to promote the low-end to high-end transformation of the coal industry and the upgrading of coal products from primary fuels to high-value products, Xi said.
He also required efforts to push forward the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and develop emerging and future industries in light of local conditions to foster new quality productive forces.
It is imperative to make good use of various development conditions, optimize the business environment and stimulate the vitality of business entities, he said.
Xi also highlighted the bottom line of security and stability in this process, urging efforts to ensure people’s livelihoods, maintain social stability, safeguard ecological security and boost workplace safety.
Persistent work should be done to enforce the Party’s full and rigorous self-governance, Xi added, calling for cultivating a clean political environment and improving the long-term, regular mechanisms for Party conduct.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, lays a floral basket to pay tribute to the martyrs at the monument square honoring the martyrs of the Hundred-Regiment Campaign during the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, when inspecting Yangquan City, north China’s Shanxi Province, July 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the memorial hall commemorating the Hundred-Regiment Campaign during the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, when inspecting Yangquan City, north China’s Shanxi Province, July 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the memorial hall commemorating the Hundred-Regiment Campaign during the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, when inspecting Yangquan City, north China’s Shanxi Province, July 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with students and staff members at the memorial hall commemorating the Hundred-Regiment Campaign during the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, when inspecting Yangquan City, north China’s Shanxi Province, July 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with students and staff members at the memorial hall commemorating the Hundred-Regiment Campaign during the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, when inspecting Yangquan City, north China’s Shanxi Province, July 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the production workshop and products display at the Yangquan Valve Co., Ltd. in Yangquan City, north China’s Shanxi Province, July 7, 2025. Xi inspected the company here on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has a cordial conversation with workers at the Yangquan Valve Co., Ltd. in Yangquan City, north China’s Shanxi Province, July 7, 2025. Xi inspected the company here on Monday. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has a cordial conversation with workers at the Yangquan Valve Co., Ltd. in Yangquan City, north China’s Shanxi Province, July 7, 2025. Xi inspected the company here on Monday. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has a cordial conversation with workers at the Yangquan Valve Co., Ltd. in Yangquan City, north China’s Shanxi Province, July 7, 2025. Xi inspected the company here on Monday. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, is pictured with workers at the Yangquan Valve Co., Ltd. in Yangquan City, north China’s Shanxi Province, July 7, 2025. Xi inspected the company here on Monday. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)
-
MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Recognized for Support of Medical Education and Research
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) was recognized with the 2025 Champion of Academic Medicine Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) for demonstrating extraordinary leadership advancing priorities that benefit patients, medical educators, academic institutions and the broader health care system.
“I’m proud to champion the vital work of our nation’s academic medical centers, medical schools and the future physicians they train. Strengthening our health care workforce, especially in rural and underserved communities, is critical to improve access to care and support the next generation of providers in Arkansas and across the country for years to come. I look forward to further advocating key policies that protect and enhance medical education,” Boozman said.
AAMC President and CEO Dr. David Skorton, along with Founding Dean and CEO of Alice L. Walton Medical School Dr. Sharmila Makhija and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences outgoing Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson, presented Boozman with the award in his Washington office.
“We applaud Sen. Boozman for his tireless efforts to highlight and support the critical work of the nation’s academic health systems and teaching hospitals in driving innovation and improving patient care,” Skorton said. “His strong support and steadfast leadership has paved the way for lawmakers to better understand what’s at stake –– a growing nationwide physician shortage, a dire need for the United States to remain competitive in health care innovation and economic growth, and an urgent need to invest in the advancements that save patient lives.”
In March, Boozman introduced the Physicians for Underserved Areas Act and the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act to increase available medical residency spots, prioritize placement in rural and underserved areas and ease financial burdens on medical professionals completing their medical training.
Boozman has also been at the forefront of a bipartisan push to lift the 25-year freeze on Medicare-supported graduate medical education positions, including helping to secure more than 1,000 new residency slots.
-
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Mullin on Securing America’s Borders with the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ICYMI:
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)
ICYMI: Senator Mullin on Securing America’s Borders with the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ICYMI:
Washington, D.C. – On Sunday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” to discuss how the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ and President Trump are securing America’s borders and making the country safe again. Senator Mullin also touted the record retention and recruiting numbers seen by the military under President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth’s leadership. Highlights below.
Sen. Mullin’s full interview can be found here.
On the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ providing funding to complete the southern border wall:
“Look, first of all, what we’re going to do is actually complete the wall. The last time that President Trump started the wall, obviously you saw the Biden administration come in and just wreak havoc on it and sell the material at pennies on the dollar. So, the first thing we’re doing is we’re actually putting this into law by putting $46 billion to finally complete the wall all the way across our southern border.”
On the ‘all-out attacks’ faced by border officials:
“It’s not just land crossings, but it’s going across water, going around. It’s overwhelming our Coast Guard, the Marines, are able to augment that. We’re having to have a lot more sea power that you probably wouldn’t see when you’re thinking of just human smuggling and drug smuggling. It’s literally an all-out attack.”
On President Trump securing America’s borders and making the U.S. safe again:
“This is why President Trump has made it a high priority. He is the guy who’s going to save America from imploding from within.”
“This is what peace through strength looks like, Jason. When you’re not just sitting back playing whac-a-mole, or just simply inviting them in like the Biden administration, President Trump is pushing forward.”
“President Trump now has made it a focus to not just focus on the southern border, but our northern border too, and he is restoring law and order on our borders.”
On record breaking military recruiting and retention numbers:
“If you’re a young man and you’re a patriot, you want to serve underneath this president. He is being forward thinking. I mean, you have Secretary Hegseth, that is absolutely a warrior leader that is appointed by President Trump. You’re having a strong emphasis on actually restoring America back to where it is. And you know President Trump isn’t going to put you into an endless war. He’s not going to use you as some type of political pawn. He is going to use you in a way that our military was designed for.”
“He brings pride back to our military, and that’s where you’re seeing recruiting numbers go through the roof. And not even recruiting numbers, but retention, people that were on their way out have decided, ‘Wait a second, I want to serve underneath President Trump. I want this as my commander in chief. I want to do great things and have generational changes inside DOD.’ And President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are delivering that.”
-
MIL-OSI USA: McConnell on Continuing U.S. Lethal Assistance to Ukraine
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the delivery of weapons to Ukraine:
“Today, the strategic incoherence of underfunding our military and restricting lethal assistance to partners like Ukraine is measured in the avoidable erosion of American credibility with allies and the mounting deaths of innocents.
“I’m glad that President Trump wants to resume deliveries of lethal capabilities to Ukraine. America’s policy of providing lethal support to Ukraine began during his first term, and likely helped deter earlier Russian escalation.
“This time, the President will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his Administration to limit these deliveries to defensive weapons. And he should disregard those at DoD who invoke munitions shortages to block aid while refusing to invest seriously in expanding munitions production. The self-indulgent policymaking of restrainers – from Ukraine to AUKUS – has so often required the President to clean up his staff’s messes. And the budget OMB sent to Congress does not put America on a path to peace through strength.”
-
MIL-OSI USA: McConnell on Continuing U.S. Lethal Assistance to Ukraine
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the delivery of weapons to Ukraine:
“Today, the strategic incoherence of underfunding our military and restricting lethal assistance to partners like Ukraine is measured in the avoidable erosion of American credibility with allies and the mounting deaths of innocents.
“I’m glad that President Trump wants to resume deliveries of lethal capabilities to Ukraine. America’s policy of providing lethal support to Ukraine began during his first term, and likely helped deter earlier Russian escalation.
“This time, the President will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his Administration to limit these deliveries to defensive weapons. And he should disregard those at DoD who invoke munitions shortages to block aid while refusing to invest seriously in expanding munitions production. The self-indulgent policymaking of restrainers – from Ukraine to AUKUS – has so often required the President to clean up his staff’s messes. And the budget OMB sent to Congress does not put America on a path to peace through strength.”
-
MIL-OSI USA: McConnell on Continuing U.S. Lethal Assistance to Ukraine
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the delivery of weapons to Ukraine:
“Today, the strategic incoherence of underfunding our military and restricting lethal assistance to partners like Ukraine is measured in the avoidable erosion of American credibility with allies and the mounting deaths of innocents.
“I’m glad that President Trump wants to resume deliveries of lethal capabilities to Ukraine. America’s policy of providing lethal support to Ukraine began during his first term, and likely helped deter earlier Russian escalation.
“This time, the President will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his Administration to limit these deliveries to defensive weapons. And he should disregard those at DoD who invoke munitions shortages to block aid while refusing to invest seriously in expanding munitions production. The self-indulgent policymaking of restrainers – from Ukraine to AUKUS – has so often required the President to clean up his staff’s messes. And the budget OMB sent to Congress does not put America on a path to peace through strength.”
-
MIL-OSI USA: MEDIA ADVISORY: Welch to Hold ‘Pen and Pad’ on His New Bill to Reform FEMA
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
**THURSDAY**
Introduction of the Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization (AID) Act will mark the anniversaries of catastrophic flooding across Vermont on July 10-11, 2023, and July 10-11, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) will hold a Pen and Pad with reporters this Thursday to discuss his new bill to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He will file the bill Thursday morning.
Senator Welch’s new Disaster AID Act will cut red tape and empower state and local governments, make the delivery of disaster aid more efficient and effective, provide assistance to small towns and communities impacted by natural disasters, and block the White House from withholding funding for disaster recovery.
Last week, Senator Welch visited with Vermonters and community leaders impacted by the July 2023 and July 2024 floods across Vermont—including in Killington, Ludlow, Weston, Barre and Montpelier.
LOGISTICS:
WHAT: Senator Peter Welch’s Pen and Pad on the need to reform and strengthen FEMA.
***Please RSVP to Aaron_White@welch.senate.gov; 202-960-0677 ***
WHEN: Thursday, July 10, 2025; 10:15-10:45 a.m. ET
WHERE: Senator Welch’s hideaway—location provided upon RSVP
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:
Senator Welch has been outspoken in opposing threats by President Trump to dismantle FEMA. Earlier this year, Senator Welch published a guest essay in The New York Times entitled: “Don’t Kill FEMA. Fix It.” In his piece, Senator Welch outlined why President Trump’s actions to undermine and potentially dissolve FEMA are misguided—but also committed to working with the President on good faith efforts to reform the agency’s long-term recovery process.
In December 2024, Senator Welch helped shape and pass a comprehensive disaster aid package, which delivered more than $100.4 billion of relief for states like Vermont recovering from climate disasters. The disaster aid package contained many of Senator Welch’s top priorities for the State: dedicated help for Vermont’s flood-impacted farmers, flexible spending through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief fund, money for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, and support for businesses, among many other important provisions.
Learn more about the Disaster AID Act.
Read a section-by-section summary of the Disaster AID Act. -
MIL-OSI USA: MEDIA ADVISORY: Welch to Hold ‘Pen and Pad’ on His New Bill to Reform FEMA
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
**THURSDAY**
Introduction of the Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization (AID) Act will mark the anniversaries of catastrophic flooding across Vermont on July 10-11, 2023, and July 10-11, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) will hold a Pen and Pad with reporters this Thursday to discuss his new bill to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He will file the bill Thursday morning.
Senator Welch’s new Disaster AID Act will cut red tape and empower state and local governments, make the delivery of disaster aid more efficient and effective, provide assistance to small towns and communities impacted by natural disasters, and block the White House from withholding funding for disaster recovery.
Last week, Senator Welch visited with Vermonters and community leaders impacted by the July 2023 and July 2024 floods across Vermont—including in Killington, Ludlow, Weston, Barre and Montpelier.
LOGISTICS:
WHAT: Senator Peter Welch’s Pen and Pad on the need to reform and strengthen FEMA.
***Please RSVP to Aaron_White@welch.senate.gov; 202-960-0677 ***
WHEN: Thursday, July 10, 2025; 10:15-10:45 a.m. ET
WHERE: Senator Welch’s hideaway—location provided upon RSVP
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:
Senator Welch has been outspoken in opposing threats by President Trump to dismantle FEMA. Earlier this year, Senator Welch published a guest essay in The New York Times entitled: “Don’t Kill FEMA. Fix It.” In his piece, Senator Welch outlined why President Trump’s actions to undermine and potentially dissolve FEMA are misguided—but also committed to working with the President on good faith efforts to reform the agency’s long-term recovery process.
In December 2024, Senator Welch helped shape and pass a comprehensive disaster aid package, which delivered more than $100.4 billion of relief for states like Vermont recovering from climate disasters. The disaster aid package contained many of Senator Welch’s top priorities for the State: dedicated help for Vermont’s flood-impacted farmers, flexible spending through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief fund, money for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, and support for businesses, among many other important provisions.
Learn more about the Disaster AID Act.
Read a section-by-section summary of the Disaster AID Act. -
MIL-OSI USA: MEDIA ADVISORY: Welch to Hold ‘Pen and Pad’ on His New Bill to Reform FEMA
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
**THURSDAY**
Introduction of the Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization (AID) Act will mark the anniversaries of catastrophic flooding across Vermont on July 10-11, 2023, and July 10-11, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) will hold a Pen and Pad with reporters this Thursday to discuss his new bill to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He will file the bill Thursday morning.
Senator Welch’s new Disaster AID Act will cut red tape and empower state and local governments, make the delivery of disaster aid more efficient and effective, provide assistance to small towns and communities impacted by natural disasters, and block the White House from withholding funding for disaster recovery.
Last week, Senator Welch visited with Vermonters and community leaders impacted by the July 2023 and July 2024 floods across Vermont—including in Killington, Ludlow, Weston, Barre and Montpelier.
LOGISTICS:
WHAT: Senator Peter Welch’s Pen and Pad on the need to reform and strengthen FEMA.
***Please RSVP to Aaron_White@welch.senate.gov; 202-960-0677 ***
WHEN: Thursday, July 10, 2025; 10:15-10:45 a.m. ET
WHERE: Senator Welch’s hideaway—location provided upon RSVP
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:
Senator Welch has been outspoken in opposing threats by President Trump to dismantle FEMA. Earlier this year, Senator Welch published a guest essay in The New York Times entitled: “Don’t Kill FEMA. Fix It.” In his piece, Senator Welch outlined why President Trump’s actions to undermine and potentially dissolve FEMA are misguided—but also committed to working with the President on good faith efforts to reform the agency’s long-term recovery process.
In December 2024, Senator Welch helped shape and pass a comprehensive disaster aid package, which delivered more than $100.4 billion of relief for states like Vermont recovering from climate disasters. The disaster aid package contained many of Senator Welch’s top priorities for the State: dedicated help for Vermont’s flood-impacted farmers, flexible spending through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief fund, money for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, and support for businesses, among many other important provisions.
Learn more about the Disaster AID Act.
Read a section-by-section summary of the Disaster AID Act. -
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Games preparation in full swing
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
A press conference was held in Guangzhou today to introduce the details of preparation progress for the 15th National Games (NG), the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG).
It also outlined the upcoming operational work plan among Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macau, which are co-hosting the games.
The press conference was hosted by the Guangdong Provincial Executive Committees for the 15th NG, the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG; the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) (NGCO) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government; and the Preparatory Office for the 15th NG, 12th NGD and 9th NSOG in Macau (Preparatory Office in Macau).
Addressing the press conference, NGCO Head Yeung Tak-keung said that Hong Kong firmly adheres to the principles of “green, inclusive, open and clean” while implementing the requirement of organising a “simple, safe and wonderful” event.
“We maintain strict budget control, optimise resource allocation, and prudently scale events to ensure practical preparations.”
He highlighted that the cross-boundary athletics marathon and road cycling events, which will be co-organised by Hong Kong, are signature events of the 15th NG, requiring meticulous tripartite planning and co-ordination in route design and expedited clearance for athletes, spectators and vehicles.
This cross-boundary collaboration enhances the Greater Bay Area’s overall competitiveness and fosters people-to-people exchanges in the bay area, Mr Yeung added.
Also speaking at the press conference, Hong Kong cyclist Wong Kam-po said that with the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge as the race course, the cross-boundary road cycling race is an iconic event with beautiful scenery and a challenging course as well.
Director of the Office of the Organising Committee of the 15th NG, 12th NGD & 9th NSOG and Deputy Secretary-General of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province Huang Mingzhong also spoke at the press conference.
Mr Huang emphasised that the co-hosting of the 15th NG by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, under the steer of the central ministries including the General Administration of Sport of China, and the Hong Kong & Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, has built an innovative co-ordination mechanism.
Through close liaison and co-ordination, alignment has been reached in six key areas, namely cross-boundary events, port clearance, manpower and vehicle accreditation, food safety, green initiatives, and competition schedule.
The three places have pioneered a “three-place three-integration” co-hosting approach – integrated communication, direction, and operation, Mr Huang indicated.
Head of the Preparatory Office in Macau Pun Weng-kun told those gathered at the press conference that preparations for the 15th NG have entered the countdown phase. They will collaborate with different sectors of society to strengthen the organisational work for the events, enhancing the atmosphere of community-wide participation in the 15th NG.
This includes ongoing visits to communities and schools, connecting with promotional activities for culture, tourism, and sports, and launching franchised products in Macau, Mr Pun added.
Various franchised products were also showcased at the press conference, with designers explaining their creative concepts.
Hong Kong will soon set up sales points in various districts to sell a variety of franchised products related to the games, including products with unique Hong Kong features. -
MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni meets with Chairman and CEO of JPMorganChase at Palazzo Chigi
Source: Government of Italy (English)
Vai al Contenuto Raggiungi il piè di pagina
8 Luglio 2025
The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, received the Chairman and CEO of JPMorganChase, Jamie Dimon, at Palazzo Chigi today.
During the meeting, President Meloni had an in-depth discussion with CEO Dimon on potential additional investments by JPMorganChase in strategic sectors for the development of the ‘Sistema Italia’. She also shared investment opportunities in infrastructure and artificial intelligence.
During the discussion, President Meloni presented the priorities of the Mattei Plan and the new funding instruments that have been established for joint projects with African nations. She particularly highlighted the possibility of co-financing projects in Africa, with a special focus on the energy sector.
-
MIL-OSI Security: Texarkana Inmate Receives Additional Sentence for Injuring Corrections Officer
Source: US FBI
TEXARKANA, Texas – A federal inmate has received an additional prison sentence for assaulting a correctional officer in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Andrew Hunter, 23, of Mount Pleasant, pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer and was sentenced to an additional 18 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III, on July 2, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on November 29, 2022, Hunter, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Texarkana, had an altercation with a correctional officer in a hallway at the Federal Prison Camp. During the altercation, Hunter shoved the officer causing him to strike the back of his head against a wall. The officer sustained serious injuries that required medical attention.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Noble.
###
-
MIL-OSI Security: In Just Four Days, the Southern District of Texas Charges Nearly 100 Individuals in Border Security and Transnational Gang-Related Matters
Source: US FBI
HOUSTON – A total of 95 cases have been filed from June 27-July 2 on immigration matters and related efforts to secure the southern border in support of Operation Take Back America, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
A total of 62 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 26 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. Other relevant cases charged this week relate to human smuggling and other immigration crimes, drug trafficking and firearms.
Among the notable cases are charges against 16 foreign nationals illegally residing in Houston for drug trafficking and weapons allegations following an operation targeting Venezuelan nationals linked to the Anti-Tren criminal organization. Similar to the criminal activities members of Tren de Aragua have committed, Anti-Tren affiliates allegedly engaged in attempted murder, other acts of violence and threats of such. Some members have been charged with conspiring to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and various weapons crimes, with one allegedly being an alien in possession of ammunition.
“The Southern District’s twin priorities are securing our border and the eradication of violent crime. This case implicates both,” said Ganjei. “Operation Take Back America means going on the offensive against transnational criminal organizations to ensure that they cannot take root in our community and endanger public safety. SDTX is going to be unapologetic in carrying out that mission.”
New criminal complaints filed this week include the illegal reentry of several Mexican nationals after recent removals, including Cesar Alejandro Tovar-Guillen, a convicted felon for cocaine distribution. He had just been removed in March, but authorities discovered him unlawfully in the United States near Alton, according to the allegations. Charges allege Osvaldo Aguilar-Aguilar and Jose Alejandro Dominguez-Guzman had last been removed in October and November 2024, respectively. They both have previous convictions of illegal reentry and had served time in federal prison, according to their criminal complaints. While Juan Esquivel-Garcia allegedly has a previous conviction for trafficking methamphetamine and was previously sentenced to 75 months before his removal. They all face up to 20 years in federal prison, upon conviction.
In McAllen, Margarito Llanes was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for alien smuggling. He led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit ending when Llanes crashed into a tree seriously injuring all eight passengers. The pursuit lasted 1.5 miles with speeds reaching up to 70 mph. At the hearing, the court heard about his violent criminal conduct, which includes indecency with a child, robbery and alien smuggling.
Two Mexican nationals received multi-year sentences for illegally reentering the United States. Luis Ernesto Hernandez-Doria was ordered to serve 51 months, while Jose Angel Lopez-Herrera received a 46-month-term of imprisonment. At the Lopez-Herrera hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding his criminal history, which included not only having reentered the country in 2022 but a human smuggling case in which one had drowned. In handing down Hernandez-Doria’s sentence, the court noted he needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again. He had three prior felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as a felony conviction for taking a weapon from an officer. His most recent removal was in July 2024.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
-
MIL-OSI Security: Western District of Texas U.S Attorney’s Office Adds 208 Immigration Cases in Six Days Going Into July
Source: US FBI
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 208 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from June 27 through July 2.
Among the new cases, Mexican national Erik Garcia-Rodriguez aka Eduardo Soto-Garcia aka Gerardo Reyes, was encountered by Texas Department of Public Safety in San Antonio on June 26. According to a criminal complaint, TX DPS requested immigration determination assistance from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) officer, who determined Garcia-Rodriguez to be an alien illegally present within the United States who had previously been removed from the United States, and who was residing at an address in San Antonio. On May 26, 2011, Garcia-Rodriguez was convicted for trafficking cocaine and heroin in Dallas County. He was removed from the U.S. on Dec. 7, 2011.
Mexican national Ismael Nieto Balverde was charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin in Austin. A criminal complaint affidavit alleges that a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation led to two controlled purchases of heroin from Balverde, totaling approximately 2,034 grams of the narcotic.
In Ector County, Roberto Adan Gandara-Ramirez, a Mexican national, was arrested on a warrant for alleged sexual assault of a child, according to a criminal complaint, and was released to ICE/ERO custody by Ector County Sherriff’s Department deputies. Gandara-Ramirez was previously removed from the U.S. through Del Rio in 2015.
Daniel Hernandez, of Asherton, was arrested near Carrizo Springs on June 29 for conspiring to transport an illegal alien further into the United States. Hernandez was stopped by the Dimmit County Sheriff’s Office, who requested U.S. Border Patrol assistance. USBP agents conducted an immigration inspection and allegedly discovered that the vehicle contained two U.S. citizens and one Mexican national without proper documentation to enter or remain in the U.S. Hernandez allegedly stated that he was in contact with a facilitator who had instructed him to pick up the illegal alien and take the alien to Asherton. In 2014, Hernandez was convicted for bringing in and harboring aliens in Del Rio, for which he was sentenced to 27 months confinement.
A convicted felon on U.S. probation was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry after he was found approximately a mile east of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry. Mexican national Eduardo Lopez-Castillo has been removed from the U.S. to Mexico three times, the last one being May 28, 2024. In April 2024, he was convicted of illegal re-entry and in 2021, Lopez-Castillo was convicted of assault causing bodily injury to a family member.
Alfonso Lopez-Castro, a Mexican national, attempted to gain entry into the U.S. at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry by presenting a New Mexico driver’s license that allegedly contained the name, date of birth, and photograph of another individual. Lopez-Castro allegedly told the Customs and Border Protection officer that he was a U.S. citizen and that he was going home to New Mexico. He allegedly admitted later that the driver’s license was not his and was given to him by a coworker. Lopez-Castro has been previously removed from the U.S. six times, five of which were between August and November 2014. He is charged with one count of knowingly personating another and attempting to evade immigration laws by appearing under an assumed or fictitious name when applying for admission to the United States.
An alleged foot guide was arrested in El Paso and charged with bringing illegal aliens into the United States. Mexican national Isaac Nolasco-Ramirez allegedly crossed into the U.S. and attempted to conceal himself with three other illegal aliens inside a canal and under some brush approximately six miles east of the Tornillo Port of Entry. A criminal complaint alleges that Nolasco-Ramirez stated his friend used a rope ladder to get the group over the fence and that he was told to take the aliens to be picked up along the railroad tracks.
Two U.S. citizens were also arrested for bringing in illegal aliens after two aliens were observed scaling over the International Border Fence. The aliens were apprehended north of the Rio Grande River and consented that U.S. Border Patrol agents could view and search the contents of their phone. An agent, posing as one of the aliens, allegedly replied to a WhatsApp message with his location and was advised that two Jeeps would soon arrive to pick him up. When the Jeeps arrived, one driver, identified as Diego Mota, was arrested. The other vehicle departed at a high rate of speed before the driver stopped and led an Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Tribal Police Officer on a foot chase. That driver, Isaac Steven Hernandez, was soon apprehended and allegedly admitted that he had been involved in alien smuggling schemes approximately eight times.
A Salvadoran national, Hector Antonio Ostorga Hernandez, was arrested in Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. Ostorga Hernandez has been previously deported twice, the last time being to El Salvador on Dec. 20, 2024, through Alexandria, Louisiana. That removal occurred two months after he was convicted in Houston for assault causing bodily harm injuring a family member and was sentenced to 179 days confinement.
Jose Ignacio Lopez-Ortiz, a Mexican national, was also arrested in Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. Lopez-Ortiz was last removed to Mexico in January 2013 through Laredo and has since been twice-convicted for driving while intoxicated in April 2023 and April 2025.
Mexican national Juan Enrique Landeros-Gonzalez was arrested in Del Rio on June 30 for being illegally present in the U.S. after being removed for the sixth time on June 13. Landeros-Gonzalez is a felon with multiple convictions including criminal mischief and probation revocation, illegal re-entry, and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
U.S. Border Patrol in Eagle Pass also arrested Mexican national Joel Escobar-Chavez, who has six prior removals, the last being on March 7, and Donaldo Robles-Zarate, who also has been removed six times, the last one being July 12, 2019. Guatemalan national Byron Antonio Almazan has been removed from the U.S. five times, the last being on Jan. 27 through Alexandria, Louisiana. He was convicted for an illegal re-entry felony in December 2024 and sentenced to 189 days confinement.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
-
MIL-OSI Security: Captured after 26 years on the run
Source: Interpol (news and events)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Twenty-six years after Nancy Mestre Vargas never returned home from a New Year’s Eve outing in Barranquilla, Colombia, her killer was captured in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, where he had been living under a false identity.
Jaime Saade Cormane had been on the run ever since he raped and murdered Ms Mestre Vargas in 1994. He was one of several wanted persons targeted by INTERPOL’s Fugitive Investigative Support (FIS) unit as part of Project El PAcCTO (Europe-Latin America Assistance Programme against Transnational Organized Crime).
21 fugitives arrested
The latest El PAcCTO operation saw police representatives from eight countries set up camp in INTERPOL’s Regional Bureau in Buenos Aires from 21 to 25 October 2019 and focus on some of their most notorious fugitives.
In total, 21 people subject to Red Notices were arrested in the El PAcCTO operation, including individuals wanted for crimes against children, drug trafficking, homicide and sexual offences. A further nine fugitives wanted for serious crimes were successfully located by the El PAcCTO police network.
“Whenever police arrest a fugitive, a powerful message is delivered that no one is beyond the reach of law enforcement, no matter how far away or for how long they flee,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock. “Operations like El PAcCTO demonstrate what can be achieved when investigators pool their knowledge and resources.”
“Whenever police arrest a fugitive, a powerful message is delivered”
A command centre for tracking fugitives
Jaime Saade Cormane was one of more than 100 fugitive profiles initially submitted to INTERPOL by national police organizations to be targeted in the El PAcCTO operation. Following an analysis, a final list of targets was set and provided to the El PacCTO permanent fugitive network composed of investigators from each participating country.
The team set up a command centre in INTERPOL’s Buenos Aires Regional Bureau to track the fugitives during four days of intense collaboration. For the next three months, police leveraged this work, exchanging more than 500 messages of intelligence regarding the targeted fugitives. This cooperation enabled police to locate the now 57-year-old Saade Cormane and he was apprehended by the Brazilian Federal Police on 29 January.
All of the fugitives were arrested or located thanks to the El PAcCTO operation in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.
El PAcCTO is a European Union-funded cooperation programme that seeks to strengthen capacities and facilitate international cooperation. Its partnership with INTERPOL aims to create and develop a permanent mechanism for fugitive investigations across Latin America, involving Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Peru.
-
MIL-OSI Security: Rwanda genocide suspect arrested in France with INTERPOL support
Source: Interpol (news and events)
Félicien Kabuga, an alleged leading figure in the 1994 genocide, was arrested in Paris
LYON, France – A man wanted in connection with the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice, has been arrested by French police.
Félicien Kabuga, indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on seven counts including genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, persecution and extermination, was taken into custody in a village near Paris where he had been living under a false identity.
A Red Notice for the now 84-year-old was issued by INTERPOL in 2001 at the request of the ICTR. Kabuga was also one of the men targeted by INTERPOL’s Rwandan Genocide Fugitives Project, run by its Fugitive Investigative Support unit
Created in 2007 to support the search of fugitives wanted by the ICTR and Rwandan Authorities, to date the project has assisted in the arrest of 12 fugitives.
The two men wanted by the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals who are still at large, Protais Mpiranya and Augustin Bizimana both remain subjects of INTERPOL Red Notices, in addition to other individuals still wanted by Rwandan authorities.
INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock praised the arrest as an important step in bringing justice for the victims and survivors of the Rwandan genocide.
“Kabuga’s arrest demonstrates the power and effectiveness of international cooperation between police worldwide in identifying, locating and apprehending fugitives around the world.
“In 2014, on the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, the theme of the International Expert Meeting on Genocide organized in Kigali by our fugitives unit was ‘closing the impunity gap’. Today is an important step in achieving this,” said the INTERPOL Chief.
The 2014 meeting saw the launch of a joint campaign to locate those responsible for the tragedy involving the UN Mechanism for International Tribunals (MICT) fugitive tracking team, Rwanda National Public Prosecution Authority, INTERPOL and the War Crimes Rewards Program of the US Department of State Office of Global Criminal Justice, with the support of the Rwanda National Police and the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Kigali.
Under this framework, several operational meetings have been organized by INTERPOL’s Fugitives Unit bringing together investigators from different countries in order to share information and investigative leads on individuals wanted in connection with Rwandan genocide, including Kabuga. -
MIL-OSI Security: Hunting a fugitive in a pandemic
Source: Interpol (news and events)
In January 2020, Brazilian Federal Police officers arrived at the home of Gonzalo Sanchez in the coastal municipality of Angra dos Reis to find the former Argentine Navy officer had once again disappeared.
Under house arrest after he was first tracked down and arrested in 2013, Sanchez, aged 69, was wanted by his home country for crimes against humanity and the Brazilian Supreme Court had recently authorized his extradition.
Death flights
As part of the notorious Task Group 3.3 charged with combating ‘subversives’, Sanchez allegedly participated in dozens of ‘forced disappearances’ during Argentina’s 1976-1983 military regime, including the killing of journalist and writer Rodolfo Walsh.
Victims were routinely kidnapped and brought to the Escuela Superior de Mecánica de la Armada – a Navy school which doubled as a secret detention centre – where they were interrogated, tortured and, ultimately, murdered. Many were drugged and thrown from planes into the Atlantic Ocean in so-called ‘death flights’.
In 2009, an INTERPOL Red Notice was issued at Argentina’s request against Sanchez, who had by that point been on the run for several years. On his arrest in 2013, he was found living under a false name and providing nautical engineering services in Agra dos Reis – a reminder of his Navy past.
INTERPOL’s Fugitive Investigative Support unit had been following the case closely since 2016 as part of Project BASIC – a coordinated effort to crack down on outstanding war criminals.
Ideal place for a fugitive
As soon as Brazilian Federal police discovered Sanchez was once again a fugitive, it was clear that finding him would take considerable time and effort.
“At this moment, we realized that it would be a difficult and possibly time-consuming job, since the region of Angra dos Reis, in Rio de Janeiro state, is full of islands, hills, communities and farms. It’s an ideal place for a fugitive from justice,” said a representative from Brazil’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Brasilia.
A specialized team of Brazilian Federal Police officers from the INTERPOL satellite office in Rio de Janeiro was assigned exclusively to the case and sent to Angra dos Reis. A task force was established with local Federal Police officers and a 24/7 investigation began.
The task force started with what they knew about the fugitive: he had fathered a Brazilian child and belonged to a local religious community. Being on the run and out of work also likely meant that the same family and friends who facilitated Sanchez’s escape were continuing to support him financially. Officers began a three-month surveillance and monitoring mission of Sanchez’s inner circle in of Paraty – a historic colonial municipality on the Southern border of Rio de Janeiro state.
Family reunion
Complicating the surveillance effort, however, was the arrival of the global COVID-19 pandemic to Brazil’s shores. The pandemic meant street circulation was down, making the presence of police harder to disguise, and restrictions on public gatherings meant that Sanchez would not be attending religious gatherings any time soon.
On the day after Mother’s day in Brazil (10 May), the police task force received intelligence indicating that a core group of people close to Sanchez, including his seven-year-old son, were travelling up the coast to the “Taquari hinterland”. Bordering a vast mountainous nature reserve, the area was exposed with few houses, meaning a discreet police approach would be practically impossible. When the team arrived as close as they could without raising suspicion, they conferred with locals who indicated that Sanchez was hiding in a house on the outskirts of the village, closest to the nature reserve.
Police entered the house to find Gonzalo Sanchez with his family and close friends, confirming the thesis of a family reunion. None of those present offered any resistance and Sanchez was taken into custody.
Homecoming
As soon as Sanchez was captured, the police reports were forwarded to NCB Brasilia, which coordinated his extradition. The INTERPOL NCBs in Brasilia and Buenos Aires had worked together closely beforehand to ensure that nothing would impede the process, including the pandemic. Due to the lack of commercial flights between the two countries in the context of COVID-19, a Brazilian Federal Police aircraft transported Sanchez to the border in Foz do Iguaçu, where he was handed over to Argentine authorities.
“In our view, the most important part of this case was the good coordination between Brazil and Argentina that allowed the fugitive to be arrested in Rio de Janeiro on 11 May and surrendered to Argentina at the border of Foz do Iguaçu-Puerto Iguazu on 14 May – a distance of almost 1500 kilometers,” said Commissioner Bruno Samezima, Head of NCB Brasilia. “COVID-19 did not prevent police from effectively carrying out their duties.”
“In the face of such a serious pandemic situation, the arrest of Sanchez truly represents the professionalism and service of law enforcement officers,” said Commissioner Edgardo Martin Moses, Head of NCB Buenos Aires. “His extradition involved a great effort and coordination between both countries to ensure he could be successfully brought before justice, while ensuring the safety and health of Argentine and Brazilian officials.”
For Stephen Kavanagh, INTERPOL’s Executive Director of Police Services, the case is a prime example of how COVID-19 has both changed and reaffirmed the vital role of police work in a challenging context.
“The horrific crimes which Gonzalo Sanchez is accused of occurred more than 40 years ago. And yet, when the Brazilian police received the go-ahead to locate and extradite him – in the middle of a global pandemic – they wasted no time and succeeded in a matter of months,” the INTERPOL official said.
“It may not be ‘business as usual’ but the dedication of law enforcement to bring fugitives to justice remains the same.”
-
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Record breakers! Stoke-on-Trent hosts world’s biggest tea party
Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent
The people of Stoke-on-Trent are officially world record holders, after the city smashed a Guinness World Record.
Around 15,000 people came together across 194 venues today (Tuesday, 8 July), breaking the world record for the largest cream tea party held across multiple venues.
The event was held to mark 100 years of city status as people came together across the city to share jam and cream scones and a cup of tea in a bid to make history.
Guinness World Records adjudicators attended five venues – the Victoria Hall, Hanley; DoubleTree by Hilton, Festival Park; Jubilee Hall, Stoke Town Hall; Stoke Minster and NatWest Bank, Hanley – to formally verify the record.
Tea and scones were enjoyed by 777 people across the five officially-verified venues – successfully breaking the previous record and making Stoke-on-Trent’s Centenary year even more unforgettable.
Stoke-on-Trent’s twin city, Erlangen in Germany, also held a number of tea parties to celebrate the record attempt. The city’s mayor – and a number of schools – all took part to support Stoke-on-Trent.
Councillor Steve Watkins, the Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, said: “What an incredible way to mark our centenary year, by officially breaking the record for the world’s biggest tea party and bringing thousands of people together in a true show of unity and community spirit.
“This wasn’t just about the numbers – it was about celebrating who we are, a city built on pride, resilience and togetherness. Vis unita fortior – united strength is stronger – is our motto. And today we proved exactly that, by coming together and being record breakers.
“Congratulations to everyone who took part, wherever you took part – you’ve made history, and you’ve done Stoke-on-Trent proud.”
Councillor Lyn Sharpe, Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Centenary Champion, said: “Well done, Stoke-on-Trent. You’re record breakers, ducks!
“I’m so proud that the city I love came together to celebrate our centenary by smashing an official world record. What a way to mark 100 years of Stoke-on-Trent.
“Families, friends, neighbours and colleagues came together proving that the simple act of sharing a cuppa can be something extraordinary when done together.”
Nicky Twemlow from YMCA North Staffordshire, part of the event’s organising team, said: “This incredible achievement shows the world what we’ve always known here in Stoke-on-Trent, that when we come together, we can achieve great things.
“Every cup of tea shared today was a reminder of our city’s warmth, pride and community spirit.”
Hassan Rizvi, principal and chief executive at Stoke on Trent College, said: “Stoke on Trent College is truly honoured to play our part in a Guinness World Record, for the world’s largest cream tea party.
“This is a fantastic way to continue the celebrations for the Centenary of Stoke-on-Trent.”
Lisa Healings, Chief Executive of VAST, said: “Stoke-on-Trent’s Centenary year has been a fantastic chance for the city to come together, and to remember and celebrate the amazing community spirit that exists.
“The Big Centenary Tea Party was an opportunity for local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to bring together their staff, volunteers, members, and clients to say thank you, for the people of Stoke-on-Trent to be part of something memorable, and for local businesses to get involved in supporting events in their local area.
“To have also broken a Guinness World Record just makes the event even more special for everyone involved and proves that when we put our minds to it, the people of Stoke-on-Trent can achieve great things.”
Tom Nadin, head of project and business services at the Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The City of Stoke-on-Trent setting the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest tea party, during our Centenary year, is more than a feel-good moment – it’s proof of our community’s warmth and togetherness.
“For the Chamber, it shows what’s possible when local businesses and residents come together with pride and creativity. In Stoke-on-Trent, we don’t just make the tea – we make history with it.”
Steve Adams, chief executive of Community Foundation for Staffordshire & Shropshire, said: “That’s how you win a world record attempt!
“The true winner in this is our fantastic city, and this event demonstrated how much unity exists in Stoke-on-Trent.
“People, charities and businesses from all walks of life, all backgrounds and all environments have come together to celebrate our city and work together for one goal.
“It just goes to show how much we can achieve when we all pull together. That’s what makes Stoke-on-Trent great, and now we hold the record the world will know it too!”
-
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Update on plans to safeguard heritage assets on Lower Kirkgate
Source: City of Leeds
Senior councillors will next week be updated on efforts to safeguard the future of key heritage assets on an historic street in Leeds city centre.
A row of derelict privately-owned buildings on Lower Kirkgate has been cordoned off for safety reasons – and the road closed to traffic – since one of the properties suffered a partial collapse in April last year.
Leeds City Council is intending to carry out a 16-week programme of stabilisation work on the buildings after their current owners – two linked companies called City Fusion and Kirkgate Land Residential – failed to take the necessary steps to make them safe. It will then seek, as is its legal right, to recover the cost of this work from the companies.
The council is separately seeking to acquire the properties with a view to them being fully restored and brought back into meaningful long-term use, complementing the regeneration activity that has been successfully delivered elsewhere on Lower Kirkgate.
Now a new report – due to be considered at a meeting of the council’s executive board next Wednesday, July 16 – has set out how these parallel courses of action are proceeding.
The report confirms that the council is in continuing negotiations with City Fusion and Kirkgate Land Residential over its proposed purchase of the properties.
It also confirms that a market value offer – based on an independent valuation undertaken in line with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ Red Book Global Standards framework – for the buildings has been made by the council but to date this has not been accepted.
As a result, next week’s executive board meeting will be asked to approve the development by the council of a case for the potential compulsory purchase of the buildings.
A compulsory purchase would only be pursued as a tool of last resort if a negotiated sale cannot be agreed and no other options remain available that would enable the full restoration of the properties.
Any formal decision – or resolution – on the use of compulsory purchase powers would be reserved until a future and as-yet unspecified meeting of executive board.
The report also confirms that the council hopes to be in a position to complete its 16-week programme of stabilisation work on the buildings by the end of 2025.
With detailed designs for this work close to being finalised, it is anticipated that a start on site should be possible during August.
An update on plans for the reopening of the road after the work has been completed will be provided in due course.
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said:
“The situation on Lower Kirkgate is a complex one and clearly remains a major source of frustration and concern for local residents and businesses.
“We are determined to find a solution to the issues affecting this historic street, where important heritage assets have been allowed to fall into a serious state of disrepair.
“It should be stressed that, at the current moment in time, the at-risk buildings are not owned by the council.
“We are, however, acutely aware of the need to protect the 18th and 19th-century fabric of Lower Kirkgate.
“It is against this backdrop that we are continuing to pursue the separate but parallel courses of action outlined in the report to next week’s executive board meeting.”
The report also sets out how the council attempted – for more than a decade – to facilitate improvements to the buildings.
Key to these improvements would have been the award of grant support from a council-backed regeneration scheme called the Lower Kirkgate Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI).
Despite its best efforts, however, the council was unable to formally agree terms for this award of THI funding before the scheme came to an end last year.
THI grants helped drive the restoration of a number of other buildings on Lower Kirkgate, including the Grade II-listed First White Cloth Hall, as well as a fundamental redesign of the local street-scene.
The report that will be considered at next week’s executive board meeting can be found in full at item number 16 here.
Notes to editors:
City Fusion and Kirkgate Land Residential were served with an urgent works notice by Leeds City Council in February this year.
This legal document gave the companies 28 days to start a programme of stabilisation work on a number of at-risk buildings owned by them on Lower Kirkgate.
Their failure to meet the deadline for compliance means the council – using statutory powers granted to local authorities by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 – has the right to carry out the work itself. The drawing up of detailed designs for this work began in March.
Planning regulations required the council to secure permission from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport before the urgent works notice could be issued.
Approval was granted by the Secretary of State in December following an application made by the council in August 2024.
The buildings currently pose no threat to public safety, with protective hoardings being placed in front of them following last April’s partial collapse. The ‘buffer zone’ created by the hoardings means that Lower Kirkgate is currently closed to traffic.
ENDS
-
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Approval set to be a blur as Leeds council chiefs all go hand in hand to back £23.9m new Parklife sports hubs
Source: City of Leeds
New sports facilities set for Woodhall in Calverley and Green Park in Temple Newsam
Senior councillors in Leeds are set to give a final green light next week to a £23.9million investment in two new sports hubs in the city.
At the meeting of the council’s executive board at Civic Hall on Wednesday 16 July, councillors are expected to approve work starting on new sports pitches and supporting pavilion facilities at Woodhall in Calverley and Green Park in Temple Newsam.
The plans for the sites have been developed by Leeds City Council in partnership with the Football Foundation as part of their national Parklife (Sports Hubs) programme, which aims to increase the number of third generation artificial grass pitches in the country.
At each site, three new full-sized pitches with floodlighting will be created for football and rugby use along with other play areas, biodiversity habitats, landscaping and parking. The Green Park site will also include a large multi-use hard court space that can be used for accessible or wheelchair sports or those sports needing a hard surface such as hockey or basketball. It will also offer walking and running routes in a park setting to encourage active lifestyles.
Both sites will also feature a new sports pavilion building providing a café and meeting space together with ancillary features such as toilets and changing rooms, including Changing Places toilet facilities.
The plans have been refined and developed following consultation with the public, local sports clubs, disability groups and local councillors, with changes made to accommodate feedback received.
The new hubs are to be funded by Leeds City Council, the Football Foundation, Section 106 developer contributions and private sector funding. Proposals are also being developed for a possible third site at the former Matthew Murray High School in Holbeck, with further details on those plans to follow.
If approved, work would begin at Woodhall in August to be completed in a year with the new facilities open the end of August 2026. At Green Park initial ecological works would begin in August before construction starting in October, with the new pitches ready for play in August 2026 and the new sports pavilion opening the following month.
Once opened the hubs will be managed by the National Football Trust, a not-for-profit organisation, with all surplus income generated to be reinvested in outdoor sports facilities across Leeds.
Leeds City Council executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture Councillor Salma Arif said:
“These new facilities look fantastic and this project represents a significant investment in helping encourage people of all ages to live active and healthy lifestyles. Not only will they offer superb new sports facilities, these hubs will become focal points for entire communities to make use of and enjoy, so we look forward to seeing them created and open next year. We are delighted to be working with the Football Foundation, National Football Trust and all partners and stakeholders in making this wonderful project a reality.”
To see the report being considered by the executive board visit Council and democracy (agenda item 6).
ENDS
For media enquiries please contact:
Leeds City Council communications and marketing,
Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk
Tel: 0113 378 6007
-
MIL-OSI United Nations: UN rights office urges restraint in Kenya as fresh protests turn deadly
Source: United Nations 2
Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani cited Kenyan police reports of at least 11 deaths, 52 injured police officers, and 567 arrests. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reported slightly different figures: at least 10 fatalities, 29 injuries, 37 arrests, and two abductions.
Protests erupted in 16 counties, with police reportedly using live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons.
Ms. Shamdasani also noted reports of looting and destruction of public and private property in several locations.
Crisis escalation
This week’s violence follows the deaths of 15 protesters and hundreds of injuries during demonstrations on 25 June in Nairobi and elsewhere.
Those protests were initially triggered by the anniversary of last year’s anti-tax demonstrations, which left at least 60 deaths and dozens allegedly abducted by the police.
Call for accountability
Ms. Shamdasani said that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, “repeats his call for all reported killings and other alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law, including with respect to use of force, to be promptly, thoroughly, independently and transparently investigated.”
She noted that Kenyan police announcement of an investigation into the 25 June incidents and added that the UN human rights office stands ready to support national authorities in their efforts, including on the investigations.
She stressed that under international law, law enforcement may only use lethal force when strictly necessary to protect life from an imminent threat.
High Commissioner Türk also renewed his call for calm, restraint, and full respect for the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.
“It is essential that legitimate grievances at the root of these protests are addressed,” Ms. Shamdasani said.
-
MIL-OSI Canada: B.C. proposes ban on exotic cat ownership
The Province is proposing regulation changes that would ban the breeding, sale and future ownership of all non-native and non-domestic cat species.
While lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards and cheetahs are already regulated in B.C., other exotic cat species are not, allowing them to be kept as pets. Animal-welfare organizations and wildlife experts with long-standing concerns have called for regulatory measures to address the public-safety and environmental risks posed by exotic cats.
If approved, all exotic and non-domesticated cat species would be added to the list of approximately 1,200 species already designated as “controlled alien species” under the Controlled Alien Species Regulation in the Wildlife Act. This includes, but is not limited to, servals, caracals, ocelots, European and African wildcats, Asian golden cats, fishing cats, jungle cats and marbled cats.
This change would provide consistent and enforceable guidelines to strengthen protections for communities, native wildlife, ecosystems, pets and exotic cats themselves.
It would also allow current owners to keep their exotic cats for the remainder of the animal’s life, provided they apply for a free permit and meet basic care and safety requirements. However, breeding, selling or acquiring new animals from these species would no longer be permitted.
The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship will continue to engage with the public as the proposed amendments move forward. To ask a question or comment on these proposed changes, email: controlledalienspecies@gov.bc.ca.
Learn More:
For more information about controlled alien species in B.C., visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/cas
-
MIL-OSI Analysis: Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Michael J. Armstrong, Associate Professor, Operations Research, Brock University
In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization? (Unsplash+) Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, it was unclear how the change might affect beverage alcohol consumption. Would consumers drink less or more after cannabis became legal?
Drinking might decrease, for example, if people used cannabis in place of alcohol. That switch potentially could reduce alcohol-related harms. But economically, it would mean any gains in the cannabis industry would likely come at the expense of alcohol producers.
Conversely, drinking might increase if people used alcohol along with cannabis. That could boost alcohol industry profits and government tax revenues, but at the cost of increased health risks of both substances.
In response to this uncertainty, some businesses diversified. One alcohol producer bought a cannabis grower, while a cannabis firm took took over several beer brewers.
Research from the United States into the relationship between alcohol and cannabis use is inconclusive. Some studies report that alcohol use decreased in states that allowed cannabis, while others said usage increased or didn’t significantly change. Those conflicting conclusions might reflect the complex legal situation in the United States, where cannabis remains illegal under federal law, even in states that allow its use.
In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization?
To investigate this question, I first collaborated with health science researchers Daniel Myran, Robert Talarico, Jennifer Xiao and Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin to study Canada’s overall alcohol sales.
Total sales looked stable
We started our research by examining annual alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022. During that period, beer sales gradually fell, while the sale of coolers and other drinks steadily rose. That left total sales basically unchanged.
So consumers were apparently switching from beer to other beverages. But there were no obvious effects from 2018’s cannabis legalization.
Annual Canadian beverage alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022, in litres of ethanol content per capita. The vertical gray bar marks cannabis legalization.
(Statistics Canada), CC BY-NDWe also compared monthly sales during the 12 months before legalization versus the 12 after. This included national average sales by liquor retailers and beer producers. In both cases, sales trends showed no significant changes in October 2018.
However, this research on Canada-wide sales was mainly designed to detect large changes. To find subtler ones, I focused on the province of Nova Scotia.
Some liquor stores sold cannabis
When Canada legalized cannabis, most provinces banned liquor stores from selling it to avoid tempting alcohol drinkers into trying cannabis.
Nova Scotia did the opposite. Its government-owned liquor corporation became the main cannabis retailer. After legalization in October 2018, most provincial liquor stores kept selling only alcohol, but some began selling cannabis as well.
This unique situation prompted me to study the province’s sales. I focused on the 17 months before and 17 months after legalization.
The corporation’s total alcohol sales initially fell in October 2018, then slowly regrew. As a result, monthly sales after legalization averaged about $500,000 below their earlier levels.
More interestingly, the changes differed between the cannabis-selling stores and the alcohol-only ones. At the alcohol-only stores, sales immediately fell. They averaged $800,000 below previous levels.
But at cannabis-sellers, alcohol sales began growing. Total monthly sales from October 2018 to February 2020 averaged $300,000 above earlier levels.
Seasonally adjusted Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation retail sales of beverage alcohol in Canadian dollars, from May 2017 to February 2020. The vertical gray bar marks cannabis legalization.
(Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation), CC BY-NDThe divergence in sales was larger for beers than for spirits or wines.
Interestingly, alcohol-only stores located near cannabis-selling stores had changes similar to those located farther away, suggesting that cannabis-seller proximity didn’t matter.
Switching substances or stores?
My data can’t say why the sales split occurred, but I can speculate.
Consider the immediate sales drop at alcohol-only stores — this could suggest some consumers switched from alcohol to cannabis right after legalization.
Meanwhile, the lack of a drop at cannabis sellers might mean some consumers simply changed where they shopped. Instead of visiting their local alcohol-only retailer, they went to cannabis sellers to shop for alcohol and cannabis together.
The cannabis sellers’ ongoing growth might reflect people increasingly buying cannabis from licensed stores instead of illegal dealers. They went to those stores to buy weed, but picked up some extra booze while they were there.
Looking ahead
My research so far has focused on the initial post-legalization period, from October 2018 to February 2020.
I plan to study later periods next, when cannabis retailing was more widespread and perhaps more influential.
That will be more challenging, however, because COVID-19 arrived in March 2020. The pandemic disrupted sales of alcohol, though not of cannabis. It will be tricky to separate cannabis effects from pandemic ones, or from Canadian consumers’ evolving drinking habits in general.
My guess is that cannabis legalization had little short-term impact on existing drinkers overall. Most Canadians didn’t suddenly consume cannabis with their cabernet or replace vodka with vapes.
Instead, we might see gradual long-term shifts. Young Canadians now reach legal age in a context where cannabis and alcohol are both allowed. Some folks who previously would have started drinking alcohol might now choose cannabis instead, or in addition.
For now, alcohol drinking is still three times more common than cannabis use. Whether that continues, only time will tell.
Michael J. Armstrong does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis – https://theconversation.com/alcohol-sales-changed-subtly-after-canada-legalized-cannabis-260375
-
MIL-OSI Analysis: Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Michael J. Armstrong, Associate Professor, Operations Research, Brock University
In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization? (Unsplash+) Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, it was unclear how the change might affect beverage alcohol consumption. Would consumers drink less or more after cannabis became legal?
Drinking might decrease, for example, if people used cannabis in place of alcohol. That switch potentially could reduce alcohol-related harms. But economically, it would mean any gains in the cannabis industry would likely come at the expense of alcohol producers.
Conversely, drinking might increase if people used alcohol along with cannabis. That could boost alcohol industry profits and government tax revenues, but at the cost of increased health risks of both substances.
In response to this uncertainty, some businesses diversified. One alcohol producer bought a cannabis grower, while a cannabis firm took took over several beer brewers.
Research from the United States into the relationship between alcohol and cannabis use is inconclusive. Some studies report that alcohol use decreased in states that allowed cannabis, while others said usage increased or didn’t significantly change. Those conflicting conclusions might reflect the complex legal situation in the United States, where cannabis remains illegal under federal law, even in states that allow its use.
In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization?
To investigate this question, I first collaborated with health science researchers Daniel Myran, Robert Talarico, Jennifer Xiao and Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin to study Canada’s overall alcohol sales.
Total sales looked stable
We started our research by examining annual alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022. During that period, beer sales gradually fell, while the sale of coolers and other drinks steadily rose. That left total sales basically unchanged.
So consumers were apparently switching from beer to other beverages. But there were no obvious effects from 2018’s cannabis legalization.
Annual Canadian beverage alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022, in litres of ethanol content per capita. The vertical gray bar marks cannabis legalization.
(Statistics Canada), CC BY-NDWe also compared monthly sales during the 12 months before legalization versus the 12 after. This included national average sales by liquor retailers and beer producers. In both cases, sales trends showed no significant changes in October 2018.
However, this research on Canada-wide sales was mainly designed to detect large changes. To find subtler ones, I focused on the province of Nova Scotia.
Some liquor stores sold cannabis
When Canada legalized cannabis, most provinces banned liquor stores from selling it to avoid tempting alcohol drinkers into trying cannabis.
Nova Scotia did the opposite. Its government-owned liquor corporation became the main cannabis retailer. After legalization in October 2018, most provincial liquor stores kept selling only alcohol, but some began selling cannabis as well.
This unique situation prompted me to study the province’s sales. I focused on the 17 months before and 17 months after legalization.
The corporation’s total alcohol sales initially fell in October 2018, then slowly regrew. As a result, monthly sales after legalization averaged about $500,000 below their earlier levels.
More interestingly, the changes differed between the cannabis-selling stores and the alcohol-only ones. At the alcohol-only stores, sales immediately fell. They averaged $800,000 below previous levels.
But at cannabis-sellers, alcohol sales began growing. Total monthly sales from October 2018 to February 2020 averaged $300,000 above earlier levels.
Seasonally adjusted Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation retail sales of beverage alcohol in Canadian dollars, from May 2017 to February 2020. The vertical gray bar marks cannabis legalization.
(Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation), CC BY-NDThe divergence in sales was larger for beers than for spirits or wines.
Interestingly, alcohol-only stores located near cannabis-selling stores had changes similar to those located farther away, suggesting that cannabis-seller proximity didn’t matter.
Switching substances or stores?
My data can’t say why the sales split occurred, but I can speculate.
Consider the immediate sales drop at alcohol-only stores — this could suggest some consumers switched from alcohol to cannabis right after legalization.
Meanwhile, the lack of a drop at cannabis sellers might mean some consumers simply changed where they shopped. Instead of visiting their local alcohol-only retailer, they went to cannabis sellers to shop for alcohol and cannabis together.
The cannabis sellers’ ongoing growth might reflect people increasingly buying cannabis from licensed stores instead of illegal dealers. They went to those stores to buy weed, but picked up some extra booze while they were there.
Looking ahead
My research so far has focused on the initial post-legalization period, from October 2018 to February 2020.
I plan to study later periods next, when cannabis retailing was more widespread and perhaps more influential.
That will be more challenging, however, because COVID-19 arrived in March 2020. The pandemic disrupted sales of alcohol, though not of cannabis. It will be tricky to separate cannabis effects from pandemic ones, or from Canadian consumers’ evolving drinking habits in general.
My guess is that cannabis legalization had little short-term impact on existing drinkers overall. Most Canadians didn’t suddenly consume cannabis with their cabernet or replace vodka with vapes.
Instead, we might see gradual long-term shifts. Young Canadians now reach legal age in a context where cannabis and alcohol are both allowed. Some folks who previously would have started drinking alcohol might now choose cannabis instead, or in addition.
For now, alcohol drinking is still three times more common than cannabis use. Whether that continues, only time will tell.
Michael J. Armstrong does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis – https://theconversation.com/alcohol-sales-changed-subtly-after-canada-legalized-cannabis-260375
-
MIL-OSI Analysis: Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Michael J. Armstrong, Associate Professor, Operations Research, Brock University
In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization? (Unsplash+) Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, it was unclear how the change might affect beverage alcohol consumption. Would consumers drink less or more after cannabis became legal?
Drinking might decrease, for example, if people used cannabis in place of alcohol. That switch potentially could reduce alcohol-related harms. But economically, it would mean any gains in the cannabis industry would likely come at the expense of alcohol producers.
Conversely, drinking might increase if people used alcohol along with cannabis. That could boost alcohol industry profits and government tax revenues, but at the cost of increased health risks of both substances.
In response to this uncertainty, some businesses diversified. One alcohol producer bought a cannabis grower, while a cannabis firm took took over several beer brewers.
Research from the United States into the relationship between alcohol and cannabis use is inconclusive. Some studies report that alcohol use decreased in states that allowed cannabis, while others said usage increased or didn’t significantly change. Those conflicting conclusions might reflect the complex legal situation in the United States, where cannabis remains illegal under federal law, even in states that allow its use.
In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization?
To investigate this question, I first collaborated with health science researchers Daniel Myran, Robert Talarico, Jennifer Xiao and Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin to study Canada’s overall alcohol sales.
Total sales looked stable
We started our research by examining annual alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022. During that period, beer sales gradually fell, while the sale of coolers and other drinks steadily rose. That left total sales basically unchanged.
So consumers were apparently switching from beer to other beverages. But there were no obvious effects from 2018’s cannabis legalization.
Annual Canadian beverage alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022, in litres of ethanol content per capita. The vertical gray bar marks cannabis legalization.
(Statistics Canada), CC BY-NDWe also compared monthly sales during the 12 months before legalization versus the 12 after. This included national average sales by liquor retailers and beer producers. In both cases, sales trends showed no significant changes in October 2018.
However, this research on Canada-wide sales was mainly designed to detect large changes. To find subtler ones, I focused on the province of Nova Scotia.
Some liquor stores sold cannabis
When Canada legalized cannabis, most provinces banned liquor stores from selling it to avoid tempting alcohol drinkers into trying cannabis.
Nova Scotia did the opposite. Its government-owned liquor corporation became the main cannabis retailer. After legalization in October 2018, most provincial liquor stores kept selling only alcohol, but some began selling cannabis as well.
This unique situation prompted me to study the province’s sales. I focused on the 17 months before and 17 months after legalization.
The corporation’s total alcohol sales initially fell in October 2018, then slowly regrew. As a result, monthly sales after legalization averaged about $500,000 below their earlier levels.
More interestingly, the changes differed between the cannabis-selling stores and the alcohol-only ones. At the alcohol-only stores, sales immediately fell. They averaged $800,000 below previous levels.
But at cannabis-sellers, alcohol sales began growing. Total monthly sales from October 2018 to February 2020 averaged $300,000 above earlier levels.
Seasonally adjusted Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation retail sales of beverage alcohol in Canadian dollars, from May 2017 to February 2020. The vertical gray bar marks cannabis legalization.
(Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation), CC BY-NDThe divergence in sales was larger for beers than for spirits or wines.
Interestingly, alcohol-only stores located near cannabis-selling stores had changes similar to those located farther away, suggesting that cannabis-seller proximity didn’t matter.
Switching substances or stores?
My data can’t say why the sales split occurred, but I can speculate.
Consider the immediate sales drop at alcohol-only stores — this could suggest some consumers switched from alcohol to cannabis right after legalization.
Meanwhile, the lack of a drop at cannabis sellers might mean some consumers simply changed where they shopped. Instead of visiting their local alcohol-only retailer, they went to cannabis sellers to shop for alcohol and cannabis together.
The cannabis sellers’ ongoing growth might reflect people increasingly buying cannabis from licensed stores instead of illegal dealers. They went to those stores to buy weed, but picked up some extra booze while they were there.
Looking ahead
My research so far has focused on the initial post-legalization period, from October 2018 to February 2020.
I plan to study later periods next, when cannabis retailing was more widespread and perhaps more influential.
That will be more challenging, however, because COVID-19 arrived in March 2020. The pandemic disrupted sales of alcohol, though not of cannabis. It will be tricky to separate cannabis effects from pandemic ones, or from Canadian consumers’ evolving drinking habits in general.
My guess is that cannabis legalization had little short-term impact on existing drinkers overall. Most Canadians didn’t suddenly consume cannabis with their cabernet or replace vodka with vapes.
Instead, we might see gradual long-term shifts. Young Canadians now reach legal age in a context where cannabis and alcohol are both allowed. Some folks who previously would have started drinking alcohol might now choose cannabis instead, or in addition.
For now, alcohol drinking is still three times more common than cannabis use. Whether that continues, only time will tell.
Michael J. Armstrong does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis – https://theconversation.com/alcohol-sales-changed-subtly-after-canada-legalized-cannabis-260375
-
MIL-OSI Analysis: Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Michael J. Armstrong, Associate Professor, Operations Research, Brock University
In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization? (Unsplash+) Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, it was unclear how the change might affect beverage alcohol consumption. Would consumers drink less or more after cannabis became legal?
Drinking might decrease, for example, if people used cannabis in place of alcohol. That switch potentially could reduce alcohol-related harms. But economically, it would mean any gains in the cannabis industry would likely come at the expense of alcohol producers.
Conversely, drinking might increase if people used alcohol along with cannabis. That could boost alcohol industry profits and government tax revenues, but at the cost of increased health risks of both substances.
In response to this uncertainty, some businesses diversified. One alcohol producer bought a cannabis grower, while a cannabis firm took took over several beer brewers.
Research from the United States into the relationship between alcohol and cannabis use is inconclusive. Some studies report that alcohol use decreased in states that allowed cannabis, while others said usage increased or didn’t significantly change. Those conflicting conclusions might reflect the complex legal situation in the United States, where cannabis remains illegal under federal law, even in states that allow its use.
In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization?
To investigate this question, I first collaborated with health science researchers Daniel Myran, Robert Talarico, Jennifer Xiao and Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin to study Canada’s overall alcohol sales.
Total sales looked stable
We started our research by examining annual alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022. During that period, beer sales gradually fell, while the sale of coolers and other drinks steadily rose. That left total sales basically unchanged.
So consumers were apparently switching from beer to other beverages. But there were no obvious effects from 2018’s cannabis legalization.
Annual Canadian beverage alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022, in litres of ethanol content per capita. The vertical gray bar marks cannabis legalization.
(Statistics Canada), CC BY-NDWe also compared monthly sales during the 12 months before legalization versus the 12 after. This included national average sales by liquor retailers and beer producers. In both cases, sales trends showed no significant changes in October 2018.
However, this research on Canada-wide sales was mainly designed to detect large changes. To find subtler ones, I focused on the province of Nova Scotia.
Some liquor stores sold cannabis
When Canada legalized cannabis, most provinces banned liquor stores from selling it to avoid tempting alcohol drinkers into trying cannabis.
Nova Scotia did the opposite. Its government-owned liquor corporation became the main cannabis retailer. After legalization in October 2018, most provincial liquor stores kept selling only alcohol, but some began selling cannabis as well.
This unique situation prompted me to study the province’s sales. I focused on the 17 months before and 17 months after legalization.
The corporation’s total alcohol sales initially fell in October 2018, then slowly regrew. As a result, monthly sales after legalization averaged about $500,000 below their earlier levels.
More interestingly, the changes differed between the cannabis-selling stores and the alcohol-only ones. At the alcohol-only stores, sales immediately fell. They averaged $800,000 below previous levels.
But at cannabis-sellers, alcohol sales began growing. Total monthly sales from October 2018 to February 2020 averaged $300,000 above earlier levels.
Seasonally adjusted Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation retail sales of beverage alcohol in Canadian dollars, from May 2017 to February 2020. The vertical gray bar marks cannabis legalization.
(Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation), CC BY-NDThe divergence in sales was larger for beers than for spirits or wines.
Interestingly, alcohol-only stores located near cannabis-selling stores had changes similar to those located farther away, suggesting that cannabis-seller proximity didn’t matter.
Switching substances or stores?
My data can’t say why the sales split occurred, but I can speculate.
Consider the immediate sales drop at alcohol-only stores — this could suggest some consumers switched from alcohol to cannabis right after legalization.
Meanwhile, the lack of a drop at cannabis sellers might mean some consumers simply changed where they shopped. Instead of visiting their local alcohol-only retailer, they went to cannabis sellers to shop for alcohol and cannabis together.
The cannabis sellers’ ongoing growth might reflect people increasingly buying cannabis from licensed stores instead of illegal dealers. They went to those stores to buy weed, but picked up some extra booze while they were there.
Looking ahead
My research so far has focused on the initial post-legalization period, from October 2018 to February 2020.
I plan to study later periods next, when cannabis retailing was more widespread and perhaps more influential.
That will be more challenging, however, because COVID-19 arrived in March 2020. The pandemic disrupted sales of alcohol, though not of cannabis. It will be tricky to separate cannabis effects from pandemic ones, or from Canadian consumers’ evolving drinking habits in general.
My guess is that cannabis legalization had little short-term impact on existing drinkers overall. Most Canadians didn’t suddenly consume cannabis with their cabernet or replace vodka with vapes.
Instead, we might see gradual long-term shifts. Young Canadians now reach legal age in a context where cannabis and alcohol are both allowed. Some folks who previously would have started drinking alcohol might now choose cannabis instead, or in addition.
For now, alcohol drinking is still three times more common than cannabis use. Whether that continues, only time will tell.
Michael J. Armstrong does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis – https://theconversation.com/alcohol-sales-changed-subtly-after-canada-legalized-cannabis-260375
-
MIL-OSI Analysis: Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Michael J. Armstrong, Associate Professor, Operations Research, Brock University
In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization? (Unsplash+) Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, it was unclear how the change might affect beverage alcohol consumption. Would consumers drink less or more after cannabis became legal?
Drinking might decrease, for example, if people used cannabis in place of alcohol. That switch potentially could reduce alcohol-related harms. But economically, it would mean any gains in the cannabis industry would likely come at the expense of alcohol producers.
Conversely, drinking might increase if people used alcohol along with cannabis. That could boost alcohol industry profits and government tax revenues, but at the cost of increased health risks of both substances.
In response to this uncertainty, some businesses diversified. One alcohol producer bought a cannabis grower, while a cannabis firm took took over several beer brewers.
Research from the United States into the relationship between alcohol and cannabis use is inconclusive. Some studies report that alcohol use decreased in states that allowed cannabis, while others said usage increased or didn’t significantly change. Those conflicting conclusions might reflect the complex legal situation in the United States, where cannabis remains illegal under federal law, even in states that allow its use.
In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization?
To investigate this question, I first collaborated with health science researchers Daniel Myran, Robert Talarico, Jennifer Xiao and Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin to study Canada’s overall alcohol sales.
Total sales looked stable
We started our research by examining annual alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022. During that period, beer sales gradually fell, while the sale of coolers and other drinks steadily rose. That left total sales basically unchanged.
So consumers were apparently switching from beer to other beverages. But there were no obvious effects from 2018’s cannabis legalization.
Annual Canadian beverage alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022, in litres of ethanol content per capita. The vertical gray bar marks cannabis legalization.
(Statistics Canada), CC BY-NDWe also compared monthly sales during the 12 months before legalization versus the 12 after. This included national average sales by liquor retailers and beer producers. In both cases, sales trends showed no significant changes in October 2018.
However, this research on Canada-wide sales was mainly designed to detect large changes. To find subtler ones, I focused on the province of Nova Scotia.
Some liquor stores sold cannabis
When Canada legalized cannabis, most provinces banned liquor stores from selling it to avoid tempting alcohol drinkers into trying cannabis.
Nova Scotia did the opposite. Its government-owned liquor corporation became the main cannabis retailer. After legalization in October 2018, most provincial liquor stores kept selling only alcohol, but some began selling cannabis as well.
This unique situation prompted me to study the province’s sales. I focused on the 17 months before and 17 months after legalization.
The corporation’s total alcohol sales initially fell in October 2018, then slowly regrew. As a result, monthly sales after legalization averaged about $500,000 below their earlier levels.
More interestingly, the changes differed between the cannabis-selling stores and the alcohol-only ones. At the alcohol-only stores, sales immediately fell. They averaged $800,000 below previous levels.
But at cannabis-sellers, alcohol sales began growing. Total monthly sales from October 2018 to February 2020 averaged $300,000 above earlier levels.
Seasonally adjusted Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation retail sales of beverage alcohol in Canadian dollars, from May 2017 to February 2020. The vertical gray bar marks cannabis legalization.
(Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation), CC BY-NDThe divergence in sales was larger for beers than for spirits or wines.
Interestingly, alcohol-only stores located near cannabis-selling stores had changes similar to those located farther away, suggesting that cannabis-seller proximity didn’t matter.
Switching substances or stores?
My data can’t say why the sales split occurred, but I can speculate.
Consider the immediate sales drop at alcohol-only stores — this could suggest some consumers switched from alcohol to cannabis right after legalization.
Meanwhile, the lack of a drop at cannabis sellers might mean some consumers simply changed where they shopped. Instead of visiting their local alcohol-only retailer, they went to cannabis sellers to shop for alcohol and cannabis together.
The cannabis sellers’ ongoing growth might reflect people increasingly buying cannabis from licensed stores instead of illegal dealers. They went to those stores to buy weed, but picked up some extra booze while they were there.
Looking ahead
My research so far has focused on the initial post-legalization period, from October 2018 to February 2020.
I plan to study later periods next, when cannabis retailing was more widespread and perhaps more influential.
That will be more challenging, however, because COVID-19 arrived in March 2020. The pandemic disrupted sales of alcohol, though not of cannabis. It will be tricky to separate cannabis effects from pandemic ones, or from Canadian consumers’ evolving drinking habits in general.
My guess is that cannabis legalization had little short-term impact on existing drinkers overall. Most Canadians didn’t suddenly consume cannabis with their cabernet or replace vodka with vapes.
Instead, we might see gradual long-term shifts. Young Canadians now reach legal age in a context where cannabis and alcohol are both allowed. Some folks who previously would have started drinking alcohol might now choose cannabis instead, or in addition.
For now, alcohol drinking is still three times more common than cannabis use. Whether that continues, only time will tell.
Michael J. Armstrong does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis – https://theconversation.com/alcohol-sales-changed-subtly-after-canada-legalized-cannabis-260375
-
MIL-OSI Analysis: Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Michael J. Armstrong, Associate Professor, Operations Research, Brock University
In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization? (Unsplash+) Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, it was unclear how the change might affect beverage alcohol consumption. Would consumers drink less or more after cannabis became legal?
Drinking might decrease, for example, if people used cannabis in place of alcohol. That switch potentially could reduce alcohol-related harms. But economically, it would mean any gains in the cannabis industry would likely come at the expense of alcohol producers.
Conversely, drinking might increase if people used alcohol along with cannabis. That could boost alcohol industry profits and government tax revenues, but at the cost of increased health risks of both substances.
In response to this uncertainty, some businesses diversified. One alcohol producer bought a cannabis grower, while a cannabis firm took took over several beer brewers.
Research from the United States into the relationship between alcohol and cannabis use is inconclusive. Some studies report that alcohol use decreased in states that allowed cannabis, while others said usage increased or didn’t significantly change. Those conflicting conclusions might reflect the complex legal situation in the United States, where cannabis remains illegal under federal law, even in states that allow its use.
In Canada, some studies indicate alcohol consumption declined slightly as medical cannabis use became more common. Did similar decreases follow recreational legalization?
To investigate this question, I first collaborated with health science researchers Daniel Myran, Robert Talarico, Jennifer Xiao and Rachael MacDonald-Spracklin to study Canada’s overall alcohol sales.
Total sales looked stable
We started our research by examining annual alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022. During that period, beer sales gradually fell, while the sale of coolers and other drinks steadily rose. That left total sales basically unchanged.
So consumers were apparently switching from beer to other beverages. But there were no obvious effects from 2018’s cannabis legalization.
Annual Canadian beverage alcohol sales from 2004 to 2022, in litres of ethanol content per capita. The vertical gray bar marks cannabis legalization.
(Statistics Canada), CC BY-NDWe also compared monthly sales during the 12 months before legalization versus the 12 after. This included national average sales by liquor retailers and beer producers. In both cases, sales trends showed no significant changes in October 2018.
However, this research on Canada-wide sales was mainly designed to detect large changes. To find subtler ones, I focused on the province of Nova Scotia.
Some liquor stores sold cannabis
When Canada legalized cannabis, most provinces banned liquor stores from selling it to avoid tempting alcohol drinkers into trying cannabis.
Nova Scotia did the opposite. Its government-owned liquor corporation became the main cannabis retailer. After legalization in October 2018, most provincial liquor stores kept selling only alcohol, but some began selling cannabis as well.
This unique situation prompted me to study the province’s sales. I focused on the 17 months before and 17 months after legalization.
The corporation’s total alcohol sales initially fell in October 2018, then slowly regrew. As a result, monthly sales after legalization averaged about $500,000 below their earlier levels.
More interestingly, the changes differed between the cannabis-selling stores and the alcohol-only ones. At the alcohol-only stores, sales immediately fell. They averaged $800,000 below previous levels.
But at cannabis-sellers, alcohol sales began growing. Total monthly sales from October 2018 to February 2020 averaged $300,000 above earlier levels.
Seasonally adjusted Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation retail sales of beverage alcohol in Canadian dollars, from May 2017 to February 2020. The vertical gray bar marks cannabis legalization.
(Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation), CC BY-NDThe divergence in sales was larger for beers than for spirits or wines.
Interestingly, alcohol-only stores located near cannabis-selling stores had changes similar to those located farther away, suggesting that cannabis-seller proximity didn’t matter.
Switching substances or stores?
My data can’t say why the sales split occurred, but I can speculate.
Consider the immediate sales drop at alcohol-only stores — this could suggest some consumers switched from alcohol to cannabis right after legalization.
Meanwhile, the lack of a drop at cannabis sellers might mean some consumers simply changed where they shopped. Instead of visiting their local alcohol-only retailer, they went to cannabis sellers to shop for alcohol and cannabis together.
The cannabis sellers’ ongoing growth might reflect people increasingly buying cannabis from licensed stores instead of illegal dealers. They went to those stores to buy weed, but picked up some extra booze while they were there.
Looking ahead
My research so far has focused on the initial post-legalization period, from October 2018 to February 2020.
I plan to study later periods next, when cannabis retailing was more widespread and perhaps more influential.
That will be more challenging, however, because COVID-19 arrived in March 2020. The pandemic disrupted sales of alcohol, though not of cannabis. It will be tricky to separate cannabis effects from pandemic ones, or from Canadian consumers’ evolving drinking habits in general.
My guess is that cannabis legalization had little short-term impact on existing drinkers overall. Most Canadians didn’t suddenly consume cannabis with their cabernet or replace vodka with vapes.
Instead, we might see gradual long-term shifts. Young Canadians now reach legal age in a context where cannabis and alcohol are both allowed. Some folks who previously would have started drinking alcohol might now choose cannabis instead, or in addition.
For now, alcohol drinking is still three times more common than cannabis use. Whether that continues, only time will tell.
Michael J. Armstrong does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Alcohol sales changed subtly after Canada legalized cannabis – https://theconversation.com/alcohol-sales-changed-subtly-after-canada-legalized-cannabis-260375