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Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Galaxy and Dude Perfect Team Up for Nationwide Tour

    Source: Samsung

    Dude Perfect and Samsung Galaxy today announced that the 2025 Dude Perfect HERO Tour will be powered by Samsung Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The Dudes will also leverage Google Gemini to enhance each show with interactive technology, immersive digital moments, and real-time fan engagement.
    In 21 shows across 20 U.S. cities, the Dudes will leverage the capabilities of Samsung Galaxy and Google Gemini to help plan and navigate their trip across the U.S. and capture unique moments. On July 9 Dude Perfect will also be flexing a new addition to their tour — unfolding the next wave of innovation from Samsung.
    Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra — with its 200MP camera, vivid display, and long battery life — will be featured throughout the tour. Combined with support from Google Gemini, the partnership promotes new ways for creators and fans to connect through real-time interaction, personalized content, and shareable moments on and off the stage. Gemini will also be integrated directly into the live show, powering a new interactive trivia segment where it acts as the ultimate “phone-a-friend,” helping fans answer questions in real time.
    Founded in 2009 by five college friends making sports trickshot videos, Dude Perfect’s YouTube channel has become the biggest sports account on YouTube with more than 60 million subscribers. Dude Perfect has since expanded into a creator-led entertainment company focused on family-friendly sports and lifestyle content.

    At a time when audiences are seeking more authentic, interactive, and family-friendly entertainment, the HERO Tour is helping set the blueprint for live fan experiences in creator-led platforms. For the first time, Dude Perfect is introducing a pre-show outdoor Fan Activation Zone at every venue where fans can become the “sixth Dude” and try real trick shots for themselves, from a 12-foot water bottle flip to an impossible football throw challenge. The experience gives fans a rare chance to step into the world they’ve been watching for the past 16 years and try the very stunts that first drew them in. Samsung’s sponsorship will help bring this new interactive zone to life at no cost to attendees, ensuring local families can participate in the experience regardless of ticket level.
    “As the fandom for Dude Perfect continues to grow, we are excited to have partners that grow with us and support the essence of elevating the experience of our fans,” said Andrew Yaffe, CEO of Dude Perfect. “With Samsung, their phones will not only be a part of the HERO Tour but an active contributor of each and every show for both the Dudes on stage and the fans in the stands.”
    Samsung’s support comes as the HERO Tour evolves into a more immersive, fan-driven experience. Alongside fan-favorite segments like “Cool Not Cool,” live battles, and surprise athlete appearances, this year’s tour adds real-time voting, interactive digital elements, and expanded access points that connect fans to the action like never before, both inside the arena and out. The partnership also reflects the trust Dude Perfect has built with its community. Sponsors like Samsung help bring additional value to the tour — such as keeping the Fan Activation Zone free for families — while aligning with a brand that prioritizes meaningful, authentic fan engagement.

    “At Samsung, we champion those who dare to challenge convention and build communities that are accessible for technology users of all ages,” said Olga Suvorova, Vice President, Mobile eXperience Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “Dude Perfect has been changing the game for more than 16 years through community and entertainment, and as the technology landscape has evolved, they have grown with us. We’re proud to partner with them to bring the Galaxy innovation to life on stage in fun and creative ways and we can’t wait to see them unfold the new addition to their tour on July 9.”
    As the presenting partner of the tour, Samsung and Google Gemini will be featured prominently across all signage, digital assets, and at the Fan Activation Zone through a custom co-branded HERO Tour logo. Additionally, behind-the-scenes social content spotlighting Samsung and Gemini will be released throughout the tour, giving fans a deeper look into the experience as it unfolds. This collaboration builds on an existing relationship, as Samsung Displays are already a key part of DPHQ3, Dude Perfect’s headquarters in Frisco, Texas.
    Dude Perfect’s HERO Tour launches July 2 in Colorado Springs and concludes August 3 in Nashville. For more information on tour dates, locations, and ticket availability, visit https://dudeperfect.com/tour. And don’t forget to tune in July 9 for Galaxy Unpacked beginning 10 a.m. ET. Visit to Samsung.com to learn more about Reserve offers — including how you can earn a $50 Samsung Credit towards the latest Galaxy device.1

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Galaxy and Dude Perfect Team Up for Nationwide Tour

    Source: Samsung

    Dude Perfect and Samsung Galaxy today announced that the 2025 Dude Perfect HERO Tour will be powered by Samsung Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The Dudes will also leverage Google Gemini to enhance each show with interactive technology, immersive digital moments, and real-time fan engagement.
    In 21 shows across 20 U.S. cities, the Dudes will leverage the capabilities of Samsung Galaxy and Google Gemini to help plan and navigate their trip across the U.S. and capture unique moments. On July 9 Dude Perfect will also be flexing a new addition to their tour — unfolding the next wave of innovation from Samsung.
    Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra — with its 200MP camera, vivid display, and long battery life — will be featured throughout the tour. Combined with support from Google Gemini, the partnership promotes new ways for creators and fans to connect through real-time interaction, personalized content, and shareable moments on and off the stage. Gemini will also be integrated directly into the live show, powering a new interactive trivia segment where it acts as the ultimate “phone-a-friend,” helping fans answer questions in real time.
    Founded in 2009 by five college friends making sports trickshot videos, Dude Perfect’s YouTube channel has become the biggest sports account on YouTube with more than 60 million subscribers. Dude Perfect has since expanded into a creator-led entertainment company focused on family-friendly sports and lifestyle content.

    At a time when audiences are seeking more authentic, interactive, and family-friendly entertainment, the HERO Tour is helping set the blueprint for live fan experiences in creator-led platforms. For the first time, Dude Perfect is introducing a pre-show outdoor Fan Activation Zone at every venue where fans can become the “sixth Dude” and try real trick shots for themselves, from a 12-foot water bottle flip to an impossible football throw challenge. The experience gives fans a rare chance to step into the world they’ve been watching for the past 16 years and try the very stunts that first drew them in. Samsung’s sponsorship will help bring this new interactive zone to life at no cost to attendees, ensuring local families can participate in the experience regardless of ticket level.
    “As the fandom for Dude Perfect continues to grow, we are excited to have partners that grow with us and support the essence of elevating the experience of our fans,” said Andrew Yaffe, CEO of Dude Perfect. “With Samsung, their phones will not only be a part of the HERO Tour but an active contributor of each and every show for both the Dudes on stage and the fans in the stands.”
    Samsung’s support comes as the HERO Tour evolves into a more immersive, fan-driven experience. Alongside fan-favorite segments like “Cool Not Cool,” live battles, and surprise athlete appearances, this year’s tour adds real-time voting, interactive digital elements, and expanded access points that connect fans to the action like never before, both inside the arena and out. The partnership also reflects the trust Dude Perfect has built with its community. Sponsors like Samsung help bring additional value to the tour — such as keeping the Fan Activation Zone free for families — while aligning with a brand that prioritizes meaningful, authentic fan engagement.

    “At Samsung, we champion those who dare to challenge convention and build communities that are accessible for technology users of all ages,” said Olga Suvorova, Vice President, Mobile eXperience Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “Dude Perfect has been changing the game for more than 16 years through community and entertainment, and as the technology landscape has evolved, they have grown with us. We’re proud to partner with them to bring the Galaxy innovation to life on stage in fun and creative ways and we can’t wait to see them unfold the new addition to their tour on July 9.”
    As the presenting partner of the tour, Samsung and Google Gemini will be featured prominently across all signage, digital assets, and at the Fan Activation Zone through a custom co-branded HERO Tour logo. Additionally, behind-the-scenes social content spotlighting Samsung and Gemini will be released throughout the tour, giving fans a deeper look into the experience as it unfolds. This collaboration builds on an existing relationship, as Samsung Displays are already a key part of DPHQ3, Dude Perfect’s headquarters in Frisco, Texas.
    Dude Perfect’s HERO Tour launches July 2 in Colorado Springs and concludes August 3 in Nashville. For more information on tour dates, locations, and ticket availability, visit https://dudeperfect.com/tour. And don’t forget to tune in July 9 for Galaxy Unpacked beginning 10 a.m. ET. Visit to Samsung.com to learn more about Reserve offers — including how you can earn a $50 Samsung Credit towards the latest Galaxy device.1

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Visit of Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri to Mauritius


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    Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri paid an official visit to the Republic of Mauritius on 01 July 2025. This was his second visit to Mauritius as Foreign Secretary.

    2. The visit followed the telephone conversation between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Mauritius, H.E. Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, on 24 June 2025, during which the two leaders discussed the ongoing cooperation across a broad range of areas and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthen the Enhanced Strategic Partnership between India and Mauritius.

    3. During the visit, Foreign Secretary called on the President, H.E. Mr. Dharambeer Gokhool, the Prime Minister, H.E. Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, the Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Paul Berenger and the Foreign Minister of Mauritius, H.E. Mr. Dhananjay Ramful and met key Mauritian leaders and officials.

    4. In his meeting with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Foreign Secretary reiterated the invitation of Prime Minister Modi to PM Ramgoolam to visit India. Both sides held discussions on the entire range of bilateral cooperation. Foreign Secretary sought guidance to further strengthen the special and close ties and conveyed India’s continued commitment to the development, progress and prosperity of Mauritius. As part of the commitment to work together to address challenges faced by Mauritius on account of increase in drug-addiction and related social issues, Foreign Secretary handed over specialized anti-drug equipment to FM Ramful.

    5. The visit is part of continued high-level exchanges between two countries and reflects the importance India attaches to its relations with Mauritius. In line with our Neighbourhood First policy, Vision MAHASAGAR and our commitment to the Global South, the visit reaffirmed the continued commitment from both sides to deepen the multi-dimensional bilateral partnership for the prosperity and development of both countries and the larger Indian Ocean Region.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of External Affairs – Government of India.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Jobs boost as the United Kingdom (UK) and Kenya bolster economic and security partnership


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    • Trade and investment deals agreed during the visit will contribute over £1bn to the UK economy and create UK jobs in engineering, defence industries, technical and advisory services, and financial services 
    • The UK and Kenya will also increase collaboration to tackle organised crime, human trafficking and illicit finance through the UK-Kenya Security Compact 
    • The UK and Kenya will commit to a new Strategic Partnership as Kenyan President Ruto visits London

    The UK and Kenya will commit to working together to drive economic growth, protect climate and nature, foster collaboration in science and technology and strengthen regional security. 

    During a visit to the UK by the President of Kenya, a pipeline of trade and investment deals worth over £1bn to the UK economy were agreed which will deliver on this government’s commitment to boost jobs and prosperity back in the UK, as part of the government’s Plan for Change. 

    This includes the launch of a tender for a major urban redevelopment project in Nairobi which has been inspired by the regeneration of London’s Kings Cross.

    The Nairobi Railway City project has already provided opportunities to UK businesses with British architecture firm Atkins UK chosen to design the central rail station and public square.

    The Government of Kenya is exploring funding the project through finance mobilised by the UK’s Export Credit Agency, UK Export Finance, which will create UK jobs in engineering, technical and legal services. 

    Both countries also agreed stronger cooperation to disrupt the air, land and sea routes used by organised crime groups to prevent illegal migrants transiting through Kenya in attempts to reach Libya and other countries before travelling on to Europe. Four of the top ten countries for Small Boat arrivals in the UK are near neighbours of Kenya (Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia).

    Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:

    “Through our shared history and values the UK and Kenya have always had a close connection.”

    “Now we are building a shared future; a modern, innovative and respectful partnership which is delivering real benefits – boosting growth and creating jobs for both Kenyans and the British people. We’re going far, together.”

    The UK and Kenya have also committed to increased defence and counter terrorism collaboration, including joint training and the creation of a new counter insurgency, terrorism and stability operations centre.

    Defence sales worth over £70m were agreed during the visit supporting manufacturing jobs in County Durham, Northamptonshire and Surrey. Kenya hosts the UK’s most significant military footprint in Africa, including a facility that trains 3,000 UK troops a year. 

    The UK’s world leading financial services sector will also benefit; Lloyd’s of London will announce today that they will be joining the Nairobi International Finance Centre, which will deepen the partnership between two leading financial centres providing access to up to £500m of insurance market potential in Kenya and the East Africa region. 

    The two countries also committed to explore the potential of a bilateral digital trade agreement. Dubbed ‘Silicon Savannah’, the value of Kenya’s tech sector is projected to reach £11.5bn by 2032.

    A digital trade agreement will open up opportunities in the sector for UK Plc.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Sudan: United Nations (UN) warns of soaring displacement and looming floods


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    At Tuesday’s regular briefing at the UN Headquarters, in New York, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric relayed warnings from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs (OCHA), citing urgent concerns across the country.

    “Across Sudan, we continue to be deeply concerned about the humanitarian impact of the ongoing fighting, which is escalating displacement and driving needs even higher,” Mr. Dujarric said.

    Conflict driving displacement

    Clashes between rival militaries – Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – continue to uproot civilians, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan states. Fighting in El Fasher alone has displaced more than 400,000 people since April, according to OCHA.

    In June, nearly 8,000 displaced people from North Darfur arrived in Ad-Dabba, putting pressure on overstretched resources and limited access to healthcare, shelter, clean water and food.

    In North Kordofan, over 16,000 people were forced to flee their homes in Bara between 26 and 29 June alone, while another 16,000 to flee Babanusa in West Kordofan on 27 June, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).

    Flood warnings

    Separately, OCHA warned of increased flood risks as Sudan enters its rainy season, which runs through October. Forecasts point to above-average rainfall, heightening the threat of both riverine and flash floods – especially in areas already facing limited infrastructure and access.

    “Any flooding could disrupt road access, hamper aid delivery, and heighten the threat of disease outbreaks during the ongoing lean season,” Mr. Dujarric said, noting that an ongoing cholera outbreak could worsen with the floods.

    Nearly 500,000 people were affected by floods last year. With the likelihood of a repeat or worse this season, Mr. Dujarric said humanitarian agencies are ready to respond “where access and resources allow,” but warned that critical funding gaps are hampering preparedness.

    UN relief visits Sudan

    Mr. Dujarric also highlighted the importance of recent discussions between Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher and senior SAF and RSF officials.

    Mr. Fletcher appealed for a humanitarian pause to allow lifesaving aid to reach people in El Fasher, which has been besieged by the RSF and cut off from assistance since last April.

    “Our humanitarian colleagues underscore that we will continue our engagements with the aim of facilitating the swift and safe delivery of aid to all those who need it,” Mr. Dujarric said.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Prime Minister (PM) meeting with President Ruto of Kenya


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    The Prime Minister welcomed the President of Kenya, William Ruto, to Downing Street today. 

    The leaders began by celebrating the new UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership, which will see both countries work together to drive economic growth and strengthen regional security. 

    Turning to migration, the Prime Minister and President welcomed a new UK-Kenya security agreement to disrupt organised immigration crime and human trafficking in Kenya to prevent onward migration to Europe. 

    On trade and investment, the leaders discussed the Nairobi Railway City project, which has been inspired by London’s Kings Cross and will enable opportunities for UK businesses, driving growth and delivering on our Plan for Change. 

    The Prime Minister and President agreed on the need for peace and stability in the region.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: North Africa: Green Climate Fund approves a record $300 million for Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)-designed projects in Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia and the Sahel


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    The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved projects worth more than $300 million that will protect forests in Papua New Guinea, promote sustainable fisheries in Saint Lucia, and help grow Africa’s Great Green Wall.

    The initiatives, designed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), were greenlighted at the 42nd meeting of the GCF Board, held in the Papua New Guinea capital from June 30 to July 3. It represents the highest-value batch of such approvals to date.

    “Through sustainable forestry management, fisheries transformation and land restoration, these FAO-designed projects will make a significant difference to the lives and livelihood of these vulnerable communities, especially in the current global context of overlapping and complex crises due to climate extremes and other shocks,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “FAO appreciates the unwavering trust that the GCF and Member Countries place in FAO’s professional capacity to provide the required technical expertise to strengthen resilience and safeguard the livelihoods of the most vulnerable,” he added. “The FAO-GCF partnership continues to be critical for the climate investments in agrifood systems required to deliver science-based concrete solutions to countries and communities where they are needed most, leaving no one behind.” 

    All three approvals were outcomes of successful FAO-led GCF readiness projects, as well as other long-standing technical collaborations, which unlocked the resources countries needed to pursue more ambitious climate projects. 

    Papua New Guinea 

    FAO has supported the country to design a high-impact climate project, within the framework of GCF’s pilot programme for results-based payments, that will direct investments worth $63.4 million into Papua New Guinea’s sustainable forest management activities.  

    This substantial GCF investment recognizes the Government’s achievements in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) during the 2014-2016 period – comparable to taking over 3 million cars off the road for a year.  

    Funding for the project falls under the initiative known as REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation), and will support the Government’s efforts to conserve forests and implement the National REDD+ Strategy 2017–2027.  

    Papua New Guinea has been an advocate for the REDD+ global process since its very inception in 2008. The country has kept forest conservation and reducing emissions from the forest sector high on the national and global agenda including through support from FAO and the UN-REDD programme.  

    The investments seek to promote a virtuous cycle of emission reductions by promoting agroforestry, sustainable fuelwood and charcoal production, community pole and timber plantations, the restoration of natural forest, and more.  

    The project will place special emphasis on the social dimension, prompting benefit sharing, encouraging stakeholder engagement, and strengthening both local and national capacities.  

    Papua New Guinea’s tropical rainforests – of which three-quarters are primary forests – cover 78 percent of the country’s land, making it a global biodiversity hotspot. The forests are home to 191 species of mammals, and 750 species of bird. They also serve as vital carbon sinks, storing large amounts of carbon in above-ground biomass and soil.  

    Saint Lucia 

    The FISH-ADAPT project in Saint Lucia, with an investment of $16.7 million, has been designed to reduce the risks that climate change poses to the fishing and aquaculture sectors in this Small Island Developing State located in the eastern Caribbean Sea. 

    The project aims to transform Saint Lucia’s fisheries sector by making fishing safer and more productive despite a changing climate. It will foster a circular economy to help reduce waste, enhance resource efficiency, and promote livelihood diversification for more resilient communities. Fish value chains and markets will be strengthened; coastal fish grounds and aquaculture systems will become more climate resilient; and fishers will have more diversified incomes. 

    The initiative will put in place agrifood solutions that build sustainability and resilience to improve efficiency, safety and productivity in the fisheries sector. These include empowering fishers and aquaculture farmers by enhancing access to weather data, upgrading landing sites and promoting sustainable offshore fishing.   

    Saint Lucia’s geographic position and socio-economic dependence on the fisheries sector make it especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Fisherfolk who rely on the sea for their livelihoods are finding it increasingly difficult to adapt to a changing climate and declining fish stocks. Increased air temperature and changing rainfall patterns have also been affecting inland aquaculture.  

    Considering these challenges, FISH-ADAPT will target approximately 75,000 beneficiaries – about 41 percent of the population – including marine fishers, sea-moss farmers, fish vendors and processors, and inland aquaculture farmers. 

    The Sahel 

    The Scaling-Up Resilience in Africa’s Great Green Wall (SURAGGWA), with an investment of $222 million, will support livelihoods of agropastoral and pastoral communities living in the Sahel’s semi-arid regions, who are extremely vulnerable to climate change.  

    The initiative is FAO’s first multi-country proposal and the largest funding request ever submitted on behalf of its Member Countries. It builds on the extensive work done by FAO on the Great Green Wall initiative, in particular the Action Against Desertification Programme. 

    The initiative will seek to scale up successful land restoration practices using a diversity of native species to increase livelihood resilience while also sequestering carbon. It will develop value chains for climate-resilient and low-emission non-timber forest products, supporting the livelihoods and food security of vulnerable communities.  

    Another key aspect of the project will be to strengthen national and regional Great Green Wall institutions to ensure the sustainability and coordination of interventions and monitoring of restoration results as well as mobilizing additional resources including through climate change adaptation and mitigation financing mechanisms.   

    The SURAGGWA Programme will advance the African Union’s ambitions to transform Sahelian landscapes by restoring 100 million hectares of degraded land and creating 10 million jobs. Working with smallholder farmers and pastoralist communities, it will also build resilience and contribute to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration in restored lands across the eight participating countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal). 

    A quarter of the 100 million people who live in the Sahel rely on pastoralist livelihoods. Poverty, social tensions, and climate change put additional strain on herders and farmers who already compete for limited resources and land. Agriculture, livestock and forestry activities are the foundation of their economies and more than 70 per cent of rural communities depend directly on rainfed agriculture.   

    The FAO–GCF partnership 

    The new approvals raise FAO’s GCF portfolio to over $1.8 billion, with climate investments delivering sustainable agrifood system solutions to the countries and communities where they are needed most. 

    You can read more about FAO’s partnership with GCF here. 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • No Draper drama as British hope races past injured Baez in Wimbledon opener

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Britain’s Jack Draper was handed the prime-time early evening slot to get his Wimbledon campaign up and running and spared his fans any fingernail biting as he eased past Argentina’s injured Sebastian Baez in double quick time on Tuesday.

    A dominant Draper was leading 6-2 6-2 2-1 on a boiling Court One when Baez, who hurt his knee earlier in the contest when slipping on the baseline, decided enough was enough with only one hour and 14 minutes on the clock.

    Home fans without tickets had parked themselves on the sun-baked hill adjacent to Court One and those watching at home on TV on their sofas for the entrance of world number four Draper.

    But on a day when many top men’s seeds withered in the scorching temperatures, 23-year-old Draper dispensed with any drama and got the job done in ruthless fashion.

    Left-hander Draper, the highest British seed at Wimbledon since Andy Murray returned as defending champion in 2017, will need all his mental and physical reserves to navigate the pitfalls of Wimbledon under an intense spotlight.

    He has been saddled with trying to fill the void left by the retirement of twice champion Murray, and avoiding drawn-out early round matches, the like of which Murray sometimes inflicted on his legion of fans, is no bad thing.

    Although, speaking on court, Draper said he would have perhaps preferred a slightly tougher test.

    “I wanted to play a bit longer in all honesty. It is no way to win like that and I wish Sebastian the best in his recovery of course,” Draper, who has rocketed up the rankings after reaching the U.S. Open semi-final last year, said.

    Draper will have a much sterner test in the next round when he faces big-serving Croatian Marin Cilic, a player who won the U.S. Open and also reached a Wimbledon final.

    He is also seeded to meet seven-times champion Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

    HIGH EXPECTATIONS

    Asked how he is coping with the weight of expectation on his broad shoulders, Draper said: “I don’t think about it until people mention it every five minutes! I just think about what I can control and play the best tennis I can.

    “I have to face whoever is in front of me, I can’t be thinking about five matches ahead. I focus on whoever is up next. Everyone who is in this draw is in on their own merit, they can all play incredible tennis.”

    When the draw was made it seemed that Draper had been given a tough first hurdle with Baez ranked 38th in the world.

    In reality it was a mismatch.

    Draper’s serving power and venomous forehand were too much for a player more suited to clay and the writing was on the wall for Baez when he dropped his opening service game.

    The first set lasted only 25 minutes and towards the end of it the lightweight Baez slipped awkwardly when trying to change direction and early in the second set he required a lengthy check over from a doctor.

    Had it been a boxing match the towel might have been thrown in by then as Draper was handing out some serious punishment with a barrage of booming groundstrokes.

    Admirably Baez opted to carry on but the outcome was never in doubt and after he lost serve at the start of the third set he walked to the net and offered his hand.

    Draper has now matched his best Wimbledon run, having previously made the second round twice in three visits.

    This time, however, he will be expected to go much further.

    -Reuters

  • No Draper drama as British hope races past injured Baez in Wimbledon opener

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Britain’s Jack Draper was handed the prime-time early evening slot to get his Wimbledon campaign up and running and spared his fans any fingernail biting as he eased past Argentina’s injured Sebastian Baez in double quick time on Tuesday.

    A dominant Draper was leading 6-2 6-2 2-1 on a boiling Court One when Baez, who hurt his knee earlier in the contest when slipping on the baseline, decided enough was enough with only one hour and 14 minutes on the clock.

    Home fans without tickets had parked themselves on the sun-baked hill adjacent to Court One and those watching at home on TV on their sofas for the entrance of world number four Draper.

    But on a day when many top men’s seeds withered in the scorching temperatures, 23-year-old Draper dispensed with any drama and got the job done in ruthless fashion.

    Left-hander Draper, the highest British seed at Wimbledon since Andy Murray returned as defending champion in 2017, will need all his mental and physical reserves to navigate the pitfalls of Wimbledon under an intense spotlight.

    He has been saddled with trying to fill the void left by the retirement of twice champion Murray, and avoiding drawn-out early round matches, the like of which Murray sometimes inflicted on his legion of fans, is no bad thing.

    Although, speaking on court, Draper said he would have perhaps preferred a slightly tougher test.

    “I wanted to play a bit longer in all honesty. It is no way to win like that and I wish Sebastian the best in his recovery of course,” Draper, who has rocketed up the rankings after reaching the U.S. Open semi-final last year, said.

    Draper will have a much sterner test in the next round when he faces big-serving Croatian Marin Cilic, a player who won the U.S. Open and also reached a Wimbledon final.

    He is also seeded to meet seven-times champion Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

    HIGH EXPECTATIONS

    Asked how he is coping with the weight of expectation on his broad shoulders, Draper said: “I don’t think about it until people mention it every five minutes! I just think about what I can control and play the best tennis I can.

    “I have to face whoever is in front of me, I can’t be thinking about five matches ahead. I focus on whoever is up next. Everyone who is in this draw is in on their own merit, they can all play incredible tennis.”

    When the draw was made it seemed that Draper had been given a tough first hurdle with Baez ranked 38th in the world.

    In reality it was a mismatch.

    Draper’s serving power and venomous forehand were too much for a player more suited to clay and the writing was on the wall for Baez when he dropped his opening service game.

    The first set lasted only 25 minutes and towards the end of it the lightweight Baez slipped awkwardly when trying to change direction and early in the second set he required a lengthy check over from a doctor.

    Had it been a boxing match the towel might have been thrown in by then as Draper was handing out some serious punishment with a barrage of booming groundstrokes.

    Admirably Baez opted to carry on but the outcome was never in doubt and after he lost serve at the start of the third set he walked to the net and offered his hand.

    Draper has now matched his best Wimbledon run, having previously made the second round twice in three visits.

    This time, however, he will be expected to go much further.

    -Reuters

  • Wimbledon’s AI judges receive mixed reviews from players and fans

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The All England Club’s decision to replace line judges with artificial intelligence technology at Wimbledon has received mixed reviews from players and fans alike.

    This week has marked the first time the tournament has been played without meticulously dressed judges determining whether the ball is in or out.

    The 300 line judges have been cut to 80 who are instead assisting chair umpires and interceding should the latest Hawk-Eye Electronic Line Calling (ELC) system, fail.

    The system uses AI to analyse footage from up to 18 cameras to track the progress of the ball and decide if it is in or out.

    Sally Bolton, the Chief Executive of the All England Club, said the new system was brought in to ensure the calls were accurate and not to cut costs.

    “It’s not a money-saving exercise; it’s about evolving the tournament and making sure that we’re providing the most effective possible line calling,” she said.

    World number one Jannik Sinner told a press conference after his victory over fellow Italian and close friend Luca Nardi:

    “As tennis tries to get better for the umpire it’s very difficult to see, especially when first serves are over 200km per hour, so it’s very difficult to see in a small space if they’re in or out, so for sure the technology helps, especially here on grass.”

    However, other players found problems with the technology. On Monday, China’s Yuan Yue complained that the system was too quiet for her to hear its decision.

    There were small protests outside the grounds against the technology, while some fans expressed sadness about the absence of line judges – a tradition that goes back to the 1870s – and the drama that often accompanies a player’s challenge.

    “Tennis is a physical sport, but it’s also a mental game and at a professional level I think that idea of challenging a call is really part of the game,” Jess from Oxford told Reuters.

    “As a spectator when they review the footage and everybody is clapping, and it’s the whole thing that this decision comes out and there’s uproar or whatever.

    “It’s sad that part of the atmosphere is gone, because you can’t challenge the calls now. It’s AI, it’s resolute.”

    Ivan from Northern Ireland raised concerns that the technology may have some teething problems.

    “It was strange not having a line judge. We watched a game on Court Two and a couple of times a ball from where we were sitting, which was close to the line, was out.

    “The player pointed to it and stopped and looked to the umpire, and he just ignored it, and the player accepted it. But I expected to see the replay.

    “There were a couple of other times when it was obviously out and obviously in and the replay came up. So the replays were not consistent.”

    -Reuters

  • Wimbledon’s AI judges receive mixed reviews from players and fans

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The All England Club’s decision to replace line judges with artificial intelligence technology at Wimbledon has received mixed reviews from players and fans alike.

    This week has marked the first time the tournament has been played without meticulously dressed judges determining whether the ball is in or out.

    The 300 line judges have been cut to 80 who are instead assisting chair umpires and interceding should the latest Hawk-Eye Electronic Line Calling (ELC) system, fail.

    The system uses AI to analyse footage from up to 18 cameras to track the progress of the ball and decide if it is in or out.

    Sally Bolton, the Chief Executive of the All England Club, said the new system was brought in to ensure the calls were accurate and not to cut costs.

    “It’s not a money-saving exercise; it’s about evolving the tournament and making sure that we’re providing the most effective possible line calling,” she said.

    World number one Jannik Sinner told a press conference after his victory over fellow Italian and close friend Luca Nardi:

    “As tennis tries to get better for the umpire it’s very difficult to see, especially when first serves are over 200km per hour, so it’s very difficult to see in a small space if they’re in or out, so for sure the technology helps, especially here on grass.”

    However, other players found problems with the technology. On Monday, China’s Yuan Yue complained that the system was too quiet for her to hear its decision.

    There were small protests outside the grounds against the technology, while some fans expressed sadness about the absence of line judges – a tradition that goes back to the 1870s – and the drama that often accompanies a player’s challenge.

    “Tennis is a physical sport, but it’s also a mental game and at a professional level I think that idea of challenging a call is really part of the game,” Jess from Oxford told Reuters.

    “As a spectator when they review the footage and everybody is clapping, and it’s the whole thing that this decision comes out and there’s uproar or whatever.

    “It’s sad that part of the atmosphere is gone, because you can’t challenge the calls now. It’s AI, it’s resolute.”

    Ivan from Northern Ireland raised concerns that the technology may have some teething problems.

    “It was strange not having a line judge. We watched a game on Court Two and a couple of times a ball from where we were sitting, which was close to the line, was out.

    “The player pointed to it and stopped and looked to the umpire, and he just ignored it, and the player accepted it. But I expected to see the replay.

    “There were a couple of other times when it was obviously out and obviously in and the replay came up. So the replays were not consistent.”

    -Reuters

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley, DeGette File Amendment to Big, Ugly Bill to Protect and Expand Reproductive Healthcare

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Amendment Would Strip Republican Provisions Defunding Planned Parenthood and Essential Care, and Replace It with Bill to Repeal Hyde Amendment

    Amendment Text (PDF)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01), Co-Chairs of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, filed an amendment to Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill to protect and expand reproductive healthcare.

    The amendment would strip the bill’s language prohibiting Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood and other essential reproductive healthcare providers, and replace it with the text of the EACH Act, bold legislation to repeal the Hyde Amendment and lift unjust abortion coverage restrictions for those who depend on Medicaid and other government-sponsored plans.

    “Trump and Republicans are doing everything they can to attack Planned Parenthood and other essential healthcare providers as part of their extremist march toward a nationwide abortion ban—and their Big, Ugly Bill is just the latest example of that,” said Congresswomen Pressley and DeGette, Co-Chairs of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus. “While we fight to stop this bill in its tracks, our amendment would protect Planned Parenthood while helping ensure everyone in America can get the reproductive healthcare they need, regardless of income, insurance, or zip code.”

    Full text of the amendment is available here.

    Congresswoman Pressley has been an outspoken critic of this harmful legislation since its inception.

    • Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Senate’s passage of the Big, Ugly Bill and vowing to continue fighting it using every tool available.
    • Ahead of the third anniversary if the Dobbs decision, Rep. Pressley and her colleagues stood in solidarity with Planned Parenthood and condemned the proposed cuts to reproductive healthcare under Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill.
    • Rep. Pressley and author Darrick Hamilton authored a Washington Post op-ed in which they discussed the regressive, ineffective “Trump Accounts” provision of Republicans’ reconciliation bill and urged Congress to instead embrace Baby Bonds to advance economic justice.
    • Rep. Pressley rallied with advocates from Caring Across Generations, Care Can’t Wait, and partner organizations to protest Trump’s and Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill that proposes disastrous cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other essential programs and would leave communities sicker, poorer, and more vulnerable.
    • Ahead of the House’s vote on the bill, Rep. Pressley delivered an impassioned speech on the House floor in which she made a direct appeal to her Republican colleagues to oppose this cruel and harmful bill.
    • Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech in which she slammed the bill’s proposed Medicaid cuts, which would decimate reproductive healthcare in America and worsen maternal health outcomes.
    • Rep. Pressley co-hosted a press conference with Color of Change to oppose the Republicans’ cruel and harmful budget reconciliation package, which would gut critical programs like Medicaid and SNAP.
    • Rep. Pressley rallied with caregivers, advocates, and fellow lawmakers at a 24-hour vigil to protect Medicaid from Republicans’ cruel budget cuts that would devastate communities across this country.
    • In the House Oversight Committee’s markup of the Republican reconciliation bill, Rep. Pressley demanded Republicans answer to the families who would go hungry by way of this reconciliation bill – and she was met with silence.
    • In the House Financial Services Committee’s markup of the Republican reconciliation bill, Rep. Pressley condemned the bill’s proposed cuts to Medicaid and shared the story of Mary Marinelli, a 70-year-old hospice nurse from a Republican district in Michigan whose family depends on Medicaid to care for their autistic son.
    • In an impassioned speech on the House floor, Rep. Pressley slammed Republicans’ cruel and callous budget resolution that would slash Medicaid and other critical government services to pay for trillions of dollars in tax giveaways for Donald Trump’s billionaire donors.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Early Alert: Blood Pump Controller Issue from Abiomed

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    This communication is part of the Communications Pilot to Enhance the Medical Device Recall Program. The FDA has become aware of a potentially high-risk issue. The FDA will keep the public informed and update this web page as significant new information becomes available. 
    Affected Product
    The FDA is aware that Abiomed has issued a letter to affected customers recommending all Automated Impella Controllers (AIC) have updated instructions for use:

    What to Do
    Be aware that an Automated Impella Controller (AIC) may not detect an Impella pump when connected. Have a back-up AIC available in the unlikely event of a device failure.

    On June 23, Abiomed sent all affected customers a letter recommending the following actions: 

    Have a back-up Automated Impella Controller (AIC) available in the unlikely event of a device failure. 
    Console-to-Console Transfer: If the AIC screen in Image 1 remains for more than 20 seconds and does not advance after connecting the pump to the transferred console: 

     Immediately switch the pump to the previous console to restore support to the patient. 
    If the previous console displays an alarm message, switch to a different console if available. 
    Restart the console that does not advance from Image 1 before attempting to re-connect a pump.  

    Case Start: If the AIC screen in Image 2 remains for more than 20 seconds after connecting the pump and does not progress to indicate “Detecting Impella”, either re-start the case on the console or switch the pump to a different console 
    Review this notice carefully and forward to anyone in your facility that needs to be informed 
    If any affected products have been forwarded to another facility, contact that facility and provide them with this notice. 

    Check this web page for updates. The FDA is currently reviewing information about this potentially high-risk device issue and will keep the public informed as significant new information becomes available.

    Reason for Alert
    Abiomed stated that they have identified an Automated Impella Controller (AIC) issue that may impair the detection of an Impella pump when connected to an AIC. The pump detection issue may occur with any of the Abiomed Impella pumps and may occur during console-to-console transfer or case start. There is no visual alarm displayed on the AIC screen to indicate the detection issue in these situations.  
    This issue may result in inadequate hemodynamic support. Patients in cardiogenic shock are at increased risk, as prolonged episodes of inadequate support may not be well tolerated and may lead to life-threatening injuries. 
    As of June 13, Abiomed has reported no serious injuries and 3 deaths associated with this issue. 
    Device Use
    The Automated Impella Controller is the primary user control interface for the Impella Catheter. The Impella pump system is a blood pump that provides temporary full or partial heart support. The device pumps part or all of the patient’s blood circulation either during an adjunctive procedure where the patient requires hemodynamic stability, or a temporary use of the device to unload the heart to give it time to recover from an acute condition. 
    Contact Information
    Customers in the U.S. with adverse reactions, quality problems, or questions about this recall should contact Abiomed at 978-646-1400.
    Unique Device Identifier (UDI)
    The unique device identifier (UDI) helps identify individual medical devices sold in the United States from distribution to use. The UDI allows for more accurate reporting, reviewing, and analyzing of adverse event reports so that devices can be identified more quickly, and as a result, problems potentially resolved more quickly.

    How do I report a problem?
    Health care professionals and consumers may report adverse reactions or quality problems they experienced using these devices to MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

    Content current as of:
    07/01/2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Early Alert: Infusion Pump Software Issue from Baxter

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    This communication is part of the Communications Pilot to Enhance the Medical Device Recall Program. The FDA has become aware of a potentially high-risk issue. The FDA will keep the public informed and update this web page as significant new information becomes available. 
    Affected Product 

    Spectrum V6 infusion pump startup screen

    Spectrum V8 infusion pump startup screen

    The FDA is aware that Baxter has issued a letter to affected customers recommending certain Spectrum Infusion Pumps be removed from where they are used or sold: 

    Product Description

    Product Code

    UDI-DI

    Sigma Spectrum Infusion System (V6 Platform)

    35700BAX

    00085412091570

    Affected Serial Numbers:  

    765100
    772744
    789742
    841197
    867753
    920606
    1024015
    770164
    788724
    793079
    842498
    918342
    962810
    1027523 

    Product Description

    Product Code

    UDI-DI

    Sigma Spectrum Infusion System (V8 Platform)

    35700BAX2

    00085412498683

    Affected Serial Numbers:   

    2006307
    2052091
    2093765
    2095360
    2104302
    2119236
    2141815
    2025925
    2067699
    2094483
    2095541
    2105238
    2119436
    2143406
    2034297
    2074097
    2094580
    2096351
    2105769
    2135482
    2143684
    2051591
    2090658
    2095202
    2096856
    2118940
    2137976
    2156201

    What to Do 
    Identify affected Spectrum pumps and remove them from service. Check the software version installed on the pump and contact Baxter to schedule service if required. 

    On June 20, Baxter sent all affected customers a letter recommending the following actions: 

    Immediately locate Spectrum pumps with the affected serial numbers and remove them from service. The product code and serial number can be found on the bottom of the infusion pump.  
    Check and record the software version installed on the pump. The software on a V6 pump should begin with the number 6 and the software on a V8 pump should begin with the number 8. The software version is located on the startup screen upon powering up the pump as pictured above.  Additionally, the software version is indicated in the pump menu which can be accessed by following the steps below.  

    For V6: From the Pump Information screen, press the ‘sw info’ soft key to display the software version screen. 
    For V8: From the Select Care Area screen, press the ‘options menu’ soft key. Select ‘User Options’ and press OK. Select ‘View Information’ and press OK. Select ‘Pump Information’ and press OK to display the Pump Info screen. 

    Contact Baxter to confirm the software version on the affected pumps and to schedule service if required. Baxter Global Technical Services can be reached at 800-843-7867 Monday through Friday, between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm Eastern Time. 
    If you received this communication directly from Baxter, acknowledge receipt of this notification by following the instructions on the enclosed reply instruction sheet, even if you have no remaining inventory. Acknowledging receipt will prevent you from receiving repeat notices. If you do not complete the acknowledgement, you will receive a phone call from OnProcess Technology on behalf of Baxter to confirm your receipt of this notification. 
    If you purchased this product from a distributor or wholesaler, please note that responding on the Baxter customer portal is not applicable. If a response is requested by your distributor or wholesaler, please respond to them according to their instructions. 
    Please forward a copy of this communication to the Chief Medical Officer, Medical Director, Director of Nursing, Director of Pharmacy, Facility Risk Manager, Director of Purchasing/Central Supply, and any other departments within your institution who use the affected product. 
    If you are a dealer, wholesaler, distributor/reseller, or original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that distributed any affected product to other facilities, please notify your customers of this Urgent Medical Device Recall in accordance with your customary procedures and check the associated box on the customer portal. 

    Check this web page for updates. The FDA is currently reviewing information about this potentially high-risk device issue and will keep the public informed as significant new information becomes available. 

    Reason for Alert 
    Baxter stated that certain Spectrum infusion pumps may have an incorrect version of software. A software version intended for Spectrum V8 may have been installed on the affected Spectrum V6 pumps, and a software version intended for Spectrum V6 may have been installed on the affected Spectrum V8 pumps. Spectrum software is designed for the pumping mechanism setup specific to each pump platform. The V8 software installed in a Spectrum V6 pump, or vice versa, may cause an inaccurate flow rate of overinfusion or underinfusion, especially over a long run time. Additionally, the V6 and V8 designs include many differences in the clinical workflow and user interface. The appearance of the menus and the requested inputs from the pump are different between the two platforms. If a user who was trained and experienced on a V6 pump was presented with a V6 pump with V8 software, or vice versa, they may experience confusion and delay during use or may accidentally mis-program the infusion.  
    This could result in a delay or interruption of therapy, underinfusion, or overinfusion. The issues described above may lead to serious adverse health consequences such as drug toxicity, overdose, fluid overload, electrolyte imbalances, and delayed or subtherapeutic drug levels causing ineffective treatments. The severity and nature of these outcomes include serious injury and death, and are dependent on the type of medication, fluid, or infusate being delivered and the clinical condition of the patient, with high-risk populations being particularly vulnerable. 
    As of June 12, Baxter has reported no serious injuries or deaths associated with this issue. 
    Device Use 
    Spectrum infusion pumps are intended to provide intravenous infusion of parenteral fluids, blood, and blood products to a patient under the direction or supervision of a physician or other certified health care professional. 
    Contact Information 
    Customers in the U.S. with adverse reactions, quality problems, or questions about this recall should contact Baxter at corporate_product_complaints_round_lake@baxter.com or 800-843-7867. 
    Unique Device Identifier (UDI) 
    The unique device identifier (UDI) helps identify individual medical devices sold in the United States from distribution to use. The UDI allows for more accurate reporting, reviewing, and analyzing of adverse event reports so that devices can be identified more quickly, and as a result, problems potentially resolved more quickly. 

    How do I report a problem? 
    Health care professionals and consumers may report adverse reactions or quality problems they experienced using these devices to MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

    Content current as of:
    07/01/2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Secretary Chavez-DeRemer promotes One Big Beautiful Bill during ‘America at Work’ tour stops in Michigan, Indiana

    Source: US Department of Labor

    GOSHEN, IN – U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer continued her swing across the country as part of her “America at Work” listening tour to promote President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, which passed the U.S. Senate today in a huge win for the American people. 

    Secretary Chavez-DeRemer visited Shafer, a ready-mix concrete supplier in Lansing, Michigan, and Brinkley RV, a manufacturing start-up in Goshen, Indiana, to hear directly from American workers who stand to benefit most from this legislation. 

    “I continue to be inspired by the American entrepreneurial spirit shown by the hardworking men and women I’ve met on my listening tour,” said Secretary Chavez-DeRemer. “From the concrete crews at Shafer in Michigan to the RV manufacturers at Brinkley in Indiana, these workers are exactly who this Administration is fighting for as we work to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill. President Trump’s historic proposal will deliver the largest tax cut in history for working families, no tax on overtime, and a lower tax burden on small businesses – ensuring they keep more of their hard-earned money to drive America’s economic comeback.”

    “It’s an honor to be in America’s heartland, hearing directly from the workers who form the backbone of our economy,” said Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. “For the first time in decades, American workers have a President who is fighting to put them first. By passing the One Big Beautiful Bill, we’ll deliver on President Trump’s promise to grow our economy and give hardworking Americans a fair shot at the American Dream.”

    Michigan

    In Lansing, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer and Deputy Secretary Sonderling were joined by Reps. John James and Tom Barrett for a tour of Shafer’s facilities, where they learned more about the company’s on-the-job training program and saw how concrete crews use cutting-edge technology to ensure precise mixture, consistency, and top-tier quality across all plants. They also toured the quality control room, repair shop, and operations center, offering insight into Shafer’s role in keeping the region’s construction industry strong.

    “It was an honor to welcome my friend and U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to Michigan on her America at Work tour,” said Rep. James. “She confirmed what job creators deserve to hear: President Donald J. Trump is focused on growth, not red tape. In just six months, they’ve cut over 60 labor regulations – nearly twice what they did in Trump’s first term – and working to boost apprenticeships to one million strong! When government’s an ally, not an adversary, American workers lead.”

    “Years of overregulation and excessive red tape have crushed businesses in mid-Michigan, discouraged economic growth, and sent the costs of new construction through the roof,” said Rep. Barrett. “Secretary Chavez-DeRemer understands these challenges, which is why I was honored to host her in Lansing to meet with the hard-working team at Shafer and discuss the ways that she and President Trump are jumpstarting job creation across our state. I appreciate her making the trip and look forward to continuing our work together to slash the red tape slowing our economy, cut taxes for hard-working families, and bring high-paying jobs back to our community.”

    Indiana

    Secretary Chavez-DeRemer concluded her two-week, seven-state swing with a stop at Brinkley RV in Goshen alongside Rep. Rudy Yakym, where they met with workers building fifth wheels and travel trailers for families across America.

    “It’s an honor to welcome my friend, Secretary of Labor Chavez-DeRemer, to the Manufacturing Capital of America,” Rep. Yakym said. “Her dedication to strengthening our workforce, fueling job creation, and cutting red tape is exactly what we need to lead the next chapter of American manufacturing. I’m especially grateful to Brinkley RV for hosting us today and showcasing the kind of innovation and excellence that defines Indiana’s Second District.”

    Launched in early April, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer’s “America at Work” listening tour is bringing real-world feedback from American workers to policymakers in Washington. Recent stops have included visits to Montana and Louisiana, highlighting how the Trump Administration’s pro-growth agenda will unlock trillions in new investments, strengthen the workforce, and a spark a new era of American economic resurgence.

    Learn more about Secretary Chavez-DeRemer’s efforts to deliver real results for hardworking Americans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA reacts to Trump administration withholding critical education funding

    Source: US National Education Union

    By: Celeste Fernandez, NEA Communications

    Published: July 1, 2025

    WASHINGTON—Almost $6.9 billion in federal K–12 education funding, normally released to states on July 1, is being withheld from students and classrooms, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Despite Congress passing a continuing resolution in March—which President Trump signed extending previous funding levels through fiscal year 2025—the is taking a first step toward “impoundment the illegal withholding of money appropriated by Congress to fund federal programs and activities.

    These billions of dollars would be used for curriculum, technology, and other critical services. The loss of these funds affects thousands of school districts and every state in the nation. If the funds are not released soon, this move will force schools to cut educators’ salaries as well as reading and math supports, student services, including summer and after-school programs, and support for migrant students and English learners. Educators will face layoffs leading to significantly larger class sizes.

    The following can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle:

    “School hasn’t even started and this administration is robbing our students and classrooms. It’s shocking, but not surprising, considering the lack of concern for students that this administration has displayed since 1. 

    “—and states had planned to use to support children in their states—is a cruel betrayal of students, especially those who rely on critical support services. Schools are already grappling with severe teacher shortages, burnout, and under-resourced classrooms, and here comes the federal government ripping resources away from public schools. It is outrageous and unconscionable.

    “Sadly, this is part of a broader pattern by this administration of undermining public education—starving it of resources, sowing distrust, and pushing privatization at the expense of the nation’s most vulnerable students. And they are doing this at the same time as they push a budget bill that will devastate our schools and communities—all to finance massive tax breaks for billionaires.

    “Educators and parents will not be silent while students are undervalued, unheard, and unsupported. The Trump administration must release these critical funds as required by law. We will stand up, speak out, and take action to ensure every classroom is a place of dignity, opportunity, and respect.” 

    # # # 

    Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social & https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social 

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, health care workers, and public employees. Learn more at nea.org. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Coalition moves for injunction stopping Trump administration’s actions to dismantle the Department of Education

    Source: US National Education Union

    Washington, D.C. — Today, in the case of NAACP v. US, the coalition of plaintiffs and supporters are moving for a preliminary injunction preventing Linda McMahon and the Trump administration from continuing their unlawful actions to dismantle the Department of Education.   

    Those actions include the Department’s announcement yesterday that it planned to withhold nearly $6.8 billion in appropriated education formula funding from states, almost all of which supports students through their local school districts. That illegal decision, like the other steps this administration has taken to shut down the Department, is unlawful and will harm students and families across the country. 

    The case was brought in March by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), public school parents, the National Education Association (NEA), and AFSCME Maryland Council 3. They are supported by Student Defense and Education Law Center (ELC). Today’s filing asks the Court to block multiple unlawful actions the administration has taken that harm students, schools and communities across the country. Those actions include:   

    • Terminating grants that support the recruitment and retention of teachers and other education professionals in high needs schools and school districts by way of the elimination, without Congressional approval, of the Teacher Quality Partnership, Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED), and School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Programs, among many others. These programs supported students and educators and met critical needs in schools across the country. They have now been unlawfully shut down.   
       
    • Eliminating the Department’s capacity to award the correct amounts of federal formula grant aid to high needs schools and districts through the ESEA Title I programs, the rural school supports program under REAP, and other critical federal education programs in future school years. Defendants’ abolition of the Institute of Education Sciences and other critical Department offices leaves the Department unable to produce the data inputs and carry out other functions necessary to accurately calculate schools’ and districts’ federal funding awards after this year.
       
    • Gutting the vendor oversight and institutional accountability functions in the Office of Federal Student Aid, which had exercised the critical oversight necessary to make Congressionally mandated student loan forgiveness programs, like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, work and which certified schools’ eligibility to participate in federal student financial aid programs by ensuring that college and universities actually provide the services that they advertise.
       
    • Shuttering seven of the twelve regional enforcement offices of the Office for Civil Rights, terminating over half that Office’s investigative workforce, and doubling and even tripling the caseloads of the remaining investigators so as to effectively eliminate OCR’s ability to timely respond to, and remedy, civil rights complaints filed by students, parents, and educators.   

    Today’s filing is supported by record evidence in excess of 1,000 pages, including over 60 individual declarations in support of the plaintiffs’ claims and in opposition to the devastation wrought by the defendants. Declarants include Former Secretaries of Education Miguel Cardona and John King, Former Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon, former Institute for Education Sciences Director John Easton, and many more. In addition, school communities and districts are in support of the motion, including the Lemon Grove School District in CA.  

    The motion seeks a remedy for the serious harm that the Trump Administration has inflicted on students, educators, schools, and colleges and universities, and asks the Court to direct the Department to fulfill its statutory obligations to students nationwide. 

    # # 

    About the National Education Association 

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org  

    About the NAACP 

    The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities. NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF – was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity. 

    About AFSCME Maryland Council 3 
    AFSCME Maryland Council 3 represents more than 50,000 public service workers in local, city, county and state government as well as in higher education and the private sector who provide the valuable public services that our communities rely on. From Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, we make Maryland happen. 

    About Education Law Center 

    Education Law Center pursues justice and equity for public school students by enforcing their right to a high-quality education in safe, equitable, non-discriminatory, integrated, and well funded learning environments. We seek to support and improve public schools as the center of communities and the foundation of a multicultural and multiracial democratic society. To achieve these goals, we engage in litigation, research and data analysis, policy advocacy, communications, and strategic partnerships and collaborations. https://edlawcenter.org/ 

    About Student Defense 

    The National Student Legal Defense Network (“Student Defense”) is a non-profit organization that works, through litigation and advocacy, to advance students’ rights to educational opportunity and to ensure that higher education provides a launching point for economic mobility. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Calls on Trump Admin to Immediately Release Billions in Funds K-12 Schools Across America are Counting On

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Nearly $7 billion in funding approved by Congress in March is blocked just weeks away from the start of the school year
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement demanding the prompt release of billions of dollars in funding for K-12 schools across America that the Trump administration is blocking just weeks away from the start of the new school year. These funds largely go out the door to states on July 1 each year and support school districts in every state. This year, however, the Trump administration is blocking the funding and signaling it may simply seek to illegally impound them.
    “Today, billions of dollars that Congress has already provided to support students across America should be going out the door—but President Trump is blocking these investments and putting school districts in every zip code in a bind with the new school year just weeks away.
    “President Trump himself signed this funding into law—but that isn’t stopping him from choking off resources to support before and after school programs, help students learn, support teachers in the classroom, and a lot more. The uncertainty he has created has already forced districts to delay hiring and other initiatives to help students. The only question left now is how much more damage this administration wants to inflict on our public schools.
    “President Trump and Russ Vought need to stop sabotaging our students’ futures and get these resources out the door. Local school districts can’t afford to wait out lengthy court proceedings to get the federal funding they’re owed—nor can they make up the shortfall, especially not at the drop of a pin. Every day that this funding is held up is a day that school districts are forced to worry about whether they’ll have to cut back on afterschool programs or lay off teachers instead of worrying about how to make sure our kids can succeed.”
    The Trump administration has confirmed it is blocking funding for the following programs from being available to school district across America:
    Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), which support professional development and other activities to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders, including reducing class size.
    21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B), which support high-quality before and after-school programs focused on providing academic enrichment opportunities for students.
    Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A), which provide flexible funding for school districts for a wide range of activities including supporting STEM education, accelerated learning courses, college and career counseling, school-based mental health services, and improving school technology, among many others.
    English Language Acquisition (Title III-A), which supports language instruction to help English language learners become proficient in English.
    Migrant Education (Title I-C), which supports the educational needs of migratory children, including children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
    Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants), which support adult education and literacy programs to provide the basic skills to help prepare adults and out-of-school youth for success in the workforce.
    Notably, the Trump administration has proposed to eliminate each of these programs in its fiscal year 2026 budget request, and it has so far refused to commit to spending the funding already provided for this fiscal year. When pressed in early June by Senator Murray about whether the Department of Education would release the funds to school districts, Secretary Linda McMahon refused to make any commitment to get the funds out. At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last week, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought similarly refused to commit to getting the funding out—and even suggested to Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) the funds could be part of a future rescissions request, or illegally impounded.
    In total, the Trump administration is blocking nearly $7 billion in approved funding for these programs from going out the door to K-12 schools. A state-by-state breakdown of how much funding is at stake is below.
    FUNDING BLOCKED BY TRUMP ADMIN
    State
    Fiscal Year 2024 Funding
    Fiscal Year 2025 Funding
    Alabama
    $100,392,656
    ???
    Alaska
    $47,665,907
    ???
    Arizona
    $134,262,493
    ???
    Arkansas
    $64,255,707
    ???
    California
    $927,965,332
    ???
    Colorado
    $79,619,065
    ???
    Connecticut
    $53,561,846
    ???
    Delaware
    $28,585,105
    ???
    District of Columbia
    $26,683,109
    ???
    Florida
    $398,177,922
    ???
    Georgia
    $223,888,870
    ???
    Hawaii
    $33,290,327
    ???
    Idaho
    $36,493,633
    ???
    Illinois
    $243,191,750
    ???
    Indiana
    $107,174,260
    ???
    Iowa
    $44,494,874
    ???
    Kansas
    49,946,530
    ???
    Kentucky
    96,495,478
    ???
    Louisiana
    119,812,747
    ???
    Maine
    27,630,253
    ???
    Maryland
    110,193,772
    ???
    Massachusetts
    107,694,933
    ???
    Michigan
    173,716,752
    ???
    Minnesota
    74,106,362
    ???
    Mississippi
    71,654,231
    ???
    Missouri
    93,962,471
    ???
    Montana
    27,978,071
    ???
    Nebraska
    38,149,509
    ???
    Nevada
    61,212,651
    ???
    New Hampshire
    27,004,029
    ???
    New Jersey
    162,462,714
    ???
    New Mexico
    49,847,565
    ???
    New York
    463,833,139
    ???
    North Carolina
    185,874,769
    ???
    North Dakota
    26,573,545
    ???
    Ohio
    203,510,265
    ???
    Oklahoma
    77,827,922
    ???
    Oregon
    80,991,681
    ???
    Pennsylvania
    230,714,211
    ???
    Rhode Island
    29,371,806
    ???
    South Carolina
    94,118,605
    ???
    South Dakota
    27,200,921
    ???
    Tennessee
    118,985,396
    ???
    Texas
    738,537,697
    ???
    Utah
    40,402,965
    ???
    Vermont
    26,125,325
    ???
    Virginia
    123,536,510
    ???
    Washington
    150,695,542
    ???
    West Virginia
    32,494,457
    ???
    Wisconsin
    80,333,097
    ???
    Wyoming
    25,545,207
    ???
    Total
    6,880,834,000
    ???

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Senate Republicans’ Passage of Big, Ugly Bill to Rip Away Health Care, Nutrition, Abortion Access from WA State Families & Balloon National Debt to Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    In Washington state, at least 328,695 people will lose health care under Republican bill; 900,000 Washingtonians could see SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated; 14 rural hospitals will be at risk of closure
    ICYMI: In Senate Floor Speech, Murray Rails Against Republican Bill That Rips Away Health Care, Nutrition Assistance, Abortion Access & Balloons National Debt to Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires; VIDEO HERE
    ICYMI: On Senate Floor, Murray Again Slams Republicans for Using Deceptive Tactics to Hide True Cost of Deficit-Busting Tax Cuts for Billionaires
    ICYMI: Republicans Block Murray Amendment to Stop Republicans’ Big Ugly Betrayal Bill From Defunding Planned Parenthood
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on Senate Republicans passing their partisan reconciliation bill—the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—by a vote of 51-50 on Tuesday, with Vice President Vance voting with Republicans to break the tie, after an overnight “vote-a-rama” where Democrats forced Republicans to take dozens of tough votes on a wide array of issues, from protecting rural hospitals to preserving food assistance for families to extending expiring tax credits that help millions of families afford health care. The nearly 30-hour vote-a-rama came after Democrats forced more than 10 hours of debate and a full reading of every word of Republicans’ 940-page bill that will kick 17 million Americans off their health care and make the largest cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance in history to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.  
    Senator Murray put forward an amendment to strike a provision of the legislation that achieves anti-abortion extremists’ long-sought goal of “defunding” Planned Parenthood by cutting off Planned Parenthood health centers from receiving federal Medicaid funding for the care they provide for millions of low-income women across the country—including birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and wellness exams. Republicans blocked the amendment, 51-49.
    “This monstrosity of a bill is about one thing: Republicans’ insistence on passing more tax breaks for billionaires and giant corporations while they kick working people off their health care, rip away nutrition assistance, and make it harder for struggling families to get by. It’s about taking away programs that give American families a hand up in hard times, to pay for a handout for the people who need it the least.
    “This should be obvious: if a bill is so bad that you have to exempt entire states from its consequences to win the votes you need—just don’t pass the bill!
    “Republicans’ legislation will mean 17 million Americans will lose their health insurance, including more than 328,000 people in Washington state who rely on Apple Health and Affordable Care Act coverage. Families will lose the SNAP benefits they rely on to afford food because of new Republican red tape positively meant to keep people from getting the benefits they are eligible for. Rural hospitals in Central and Eastern Washington that are already operating on the tightest of margins will be forced to close their doors, ripping away health care access from entire communities. Planned Parenthood health centers will shutter and women will be left with nowhere they can go to get birth control, cancer screenings, and other preventive care they can actually afford.
    “When it comes to the all-out assault on clean energy in this bill, even Elon Musk understands the plain facts of the matter—Republicans’ cuts are ‘utterly insane and destructive’ and will ‘destroy millions of jobs in America.’ Republicans are also ripping away tens of millions of dollars for critical NOAA facilities in Washington state as part of this bill.
    “This fight is not over—this bill is not yet law and I am not going to stop raising my voice and making sure the American people know exactly what is in it. Communities in Eastern and Central Washington will be among the hardest hit by these gigantic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—now is the time to raise your voices and tell your Republican Members of Congress to vote NO. Republicans in the House need to listen to the American people and abandon this disaster of a bill.  
    “In the end, every Republican who votes for this bill will have to explain to their constituents why they voted to shutter local hospitals and punish struggling families to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.”
    Earlier on Sunday, Senator Murray delivered a lengthy speech on the Senate floor where she laid out in detail how Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will rip away health care from millions of Americans, shutter the doors of hospitals and health care clinics across the country, make the largest cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance in history, and blow up the national debt—all so Republicans can fund massive tax breaks for billionaires. Murray also spoke out repeatedly during debate on the Senate floor against Republicans’ use of a so-called “current policy baseline” to hide the true cost of their deficit-busting tax cuts for billionaires.
    Republicans’ 940-page bill, which they released in the dead of night, cuts more than $900 billion from Medicaid—$100 billion more than the House bill. That means about 17 million Americans will lose their health care, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and more than 300 rural hospitals and over 500 nursing homes could close because of the legislation. The legislation makes the largest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in history and will rip away nutrition assistance entirely from more than 5 million Americans and shift tens of billions of dollars in costs to states. The legislation also increases the debt by nearly $4 trillion dollars—nearly a trillion more than the House bill. About two in three Americans oppose the bill.
    In Washington state, 1.95 million people rely on Apple Health, Washington state’s Medicaid program, and over 300,000 Washingtonians access coverage through the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace (Washington Healthplanfinder). The Joint Economic Committee estimates that at least 328,695 people in Washington state would lose their health insurance under the Republican legislation—that includes 198,050 people who would be kicked off Medicaid and 108,262 people who would lose their coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Among other things, Republicans’ bill would institute work reporting requirements for Medicaid, which have been proven not to increase employment and just strip health care coverage from people who are already working or exempt—this would put more than 620,000 Washingtonians at risk of losing their health care coverage or having it delayed. Fourteen rural hospitals in Washington state would be at risk of closure under the Republican bill. The legislation also “defunds” Planned Parenthood for the next year, threatening the closure of up to 200 health centers across the country—90 percent of them in states where abortion is legal. 11 percent of Washington state residents rely on SNAP, and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services estimated that more than 900,000 people across the state could their see SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated under the House bill—the Senate bill is just as extreme.
    Senator Murray has held constant recent events—including multiple events in Washington state—to sound the alarm on Republicans’ devastating reconciliation bill and encourage constituents to raise their voices and call on their Members of Congress to oppose the legislation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Stands with President Trump, Passes One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today released the following statement after voting to pass President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill.
    “President Trump and I want to preserve the American Dream for working and middle America,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We keep taxes low, cut taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security, extend the Child Tax Credit, fix our broken education system, support our military, secure our border, and build a business environment that creates better paying jobs – especially in Louisiana.” 
    As chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Cassidy led the Committee’s portion of the One Big Beautiful Bill, which fixes America’s broken higher education system and addresses the root causes of the student debt crisis.
    Cassidy pushed to secure provisions in this historic legislation that:
    Make higher education more affordable by eliminating inflationary loan programs that have resulted in higher tuition costs.   
    Prevent taxpayer-subsidized loans for degrees that leave students worse off than if they never went to college.  
    Reform the current federal student loan program that transfers debt onto the 87 percent of Americans who chose to not go to college or already paid off their loans.
    Ensure low-income Americans can access higher education by strengthening Pell Grants and addressing the program’s budget shortfall. As it currently stands, the Pell Grant program faces a mounting budget shortfall that threatens its future.  
    Expand education freedom and opportunity for students by providing a charitable donation incentive for individuals and businesses to fund scholarship awards for students to cover expenses related to K-12 public and private education. 
    Increase access to career or technical-based education for low-income students by establishing Workforce Pell Grants. This is crucial to achieving President Trump’s goal of bringing skilled jobs back to America from China and Mexico. 
    Boost U.S. manufacturing and crack down on China and other countries abusing our trade loopholes (de minimis). In 2023, Cassidy introduced similar legislation. 
    Provide beauty industry small businesses with access to the tip credit, which would create jobs.
    Eliminate the $200 tax stamp for short-barreled firearms. 
    Raise the annual cap on offshore energy revenue sharing with Gulf states from $500 million to $650 million through 2034. 
    Require the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to hold no fewer than two lease sales every year for fifteen years in the Central and Western areas of the Gulf of America—something the Biden administration refused to do. 
    Invest $389 million in America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to bolster U.S. energy security. 
    Unleash American energy by allowing energy companies to deduct costs, including labor and safety, associated with oil and gas exploration. 
    Expand access to direct primary care arrangements, by allowing the use of Health Savings Account (HSA) dollars to pay for such services. 
    Click here for the HELP section-by-section.
    Click here for the HELP one-pager.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Senate Republicans’ Passage of Big, Ugly Bill to Rip Away Health Care, Nutrition, Abortion Access from WA State Families & Balloon National Debt to Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    In Washington state, at least 328,695 people will lose health care under Republican bill; 900,000 Washingtonians could see SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated; 14 rural hospitals will be at risk of closure

    ICYMI: In Senate Floor Speech, Murray Rails Against Republican Bill That Rips Away Health Care, Nutrition Assistance, Abortion Access & Balloons National Debt to Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires; VIDEO HERE

    ICYMI: On Senate Floor, Murray Again Slams Republicans for Using Deceptive Tactics to Hide True Cost of Deficit-Busting Tax Cuts for Billionaires

    ICYMI: Republicans Block Murray Amendment to Stop Republicans’ Big Ugly Betrayal Bill From Defunding Planned Parenthood

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on Senate Republicans passing their partisan reconciliation bill—the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—by a vote of 51-50 on Tuesday, with Vice President Vance voting with Republicans to break the tie, after an overnight “vote-a-rama” where Democrats forced Republicans to take dozens of tough votes on a wide array of issues, from protecting rural hospitals to preserving food assistance for families to extending expiring tax credits that help millions of families afford health care. The nearly 30-hour vote-a-rama came after Democrats forced more than 10 hours of debate and a full reading of every word of Republicans’ 940-page bill that will kick 17 million Americans off their health care and make the largest cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance in history to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.  

    Senator Murray put forward an amendment to strike a provision of the legislation that achieves anti-abortion extremists’ long-sought goal of “defunding” Planned Parenthood by cutting off Planned Parenthood health centers from receiving federal Medicaid funding for the care they provide for millions of low-income women across the country—including birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and wellness exams. Republicans blocked the amendment, 51-49.

    “This monstrosity of a bill is about one thing: Republicans’ insistence on passing more tax breaks for billionaires and giant corporations while they kick working people off their health care, rip away nutrition assistance, and make it harder for struggling families to get by. It’s about taking away programs that give American families a hand up in hard times, to pay for a handout for the people who need it the least.

    “This should be obvious: if a bill is so bad that you have to exempt entire states from its consequences to win the votes you need—just don’t pass the bill!

    “Republicans’ legislation will mean 17 million Americans will lose their health insurance, including more than 328,000 people in Washington state who rely on Apple Health and Affordable Care Act coverage. Families will lose the SNAP benefits they rely on to afford food because of new Republican red tape positively meant to keep people from getting the benefits they are eligible for. Rural hospitals in Central and Eastern Washington that are already operating on the tightest of margins will be forced to close their doors, ripping away health care access from entire communities. Planned Parenthood health centers will shutter and women will be left with nowhere they can go to get birth control, cancer screenings, and other preventive care they can actually afford.

    “When it comes to the all-out assault on clean energy in this bill, even Elon Musk understands the plain facts of the matter—Republicans’ cuts are ‘utterly insane and destructive’ and will ‘destroy millions of jobs in America.’ Republicans are also ripping away tens of millions of dollars for critical NOAA facilities in Washington state as part of this bill.

    “This fight is not over—this bill is not yet law and I am not going to stop raising my voice and making sure the American people know exactly what is in it. Communities in Eastern and Central Washington will be among the hardest hit by these gigantic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—now is the time to raise your voices and tell your Republican Members of Congress to vote NO. Republicans in the House need to listen to the American people and abandon this disaster of a bill.  

    “In the end, every Republican who votes for this bill will have to explain to their constituents why they voted to shutter local hospitals and punish struggling families to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.”

    Earlier on Sunday, Senator Murray delivered a lengthy speech on the Senate floor where she laid out in detail how Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will rip away health care from millions of Americans, shutter the doors of hospitals and health care clinics across the country, make the largest cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance in history, and blow up the national debt—all so Republicans can fund massive tax breaks for billionaires. Murray also spoke out repeatedly during debate on the Senate floor against Republicans’ use of a so-called “current policy baseline” to hide the true cost of their deficit-busting tax cuts for billionaires.

    Republicans’ 940-page bill, which they released in the dead of night, cuts more than $900 billion from Medicaid—$100 billion more than the House bill. That means about 17 million Americans will lose their health care, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and more than 300 rural hospitals and over 500 nursing homes could close because of the legislation. The legislation makes the largest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in history and will rip away nutrition assistance entirely from more than 5 million Americans and shift tens of billions of dollars in costs to states. The legislation also increases the debt by nearly $4 trillion dollars—nearly a trillion more than the House bill. About two in three Americans oppose the bill.

    In Washington state, 1.95 million people rely on Apple Health, Washington state’s Medicaid program, and over 300,000 Washingtonians access coverage through the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace (Washington Healthplanfinder). The Joint Economic Committee estimates that at least 328,695 people in Washington state would lose their health insurance under the Republican legislation—that includes 198,050 people who would be kicked off Medicaid and 108,262 people who would lose their coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Among other things, Republicans’ bill would institute work reporting requirements for Medicaid, which have been proven not to increase employment and just strip health care coverage from people who are already working or exempt—this would put more than 620,000 Washingtonians at risk of losing their health care coverage or having it delayed. Fourteen rural hospitals in Washington state would be at risk of closure under the Republican bill. The legislation also “defunds” Planned Parenthood for the next year, threatening the closure of up to 200 health centers across the country—90 percent of them in states where abortion is legal. 11 percent of Washington state residents rely on SNAP, and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services estimated that more than 900,000 people across the state could their see SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated under the House bill—the Senate bill is just as extreme.

    Senator Murray has held constant recent events—including multiple events in Washington state—to sound the alarm on Republicans’ devastating reconciliation bill and encourage constituents to raise their voices and call on their Members of Congress to oppose the legislation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Senate Republicans’ Passage of Big, Ugly Bill to Rip Away Health Care, Nutrition, Abortion Access from WA State Families & Balloon National Debt to Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    In Washington state, at least 328,695 people will lose health care under Republican bill; 900,000 Washingtonians could see SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated; 14 rural hospitals will be at risk of closure

    ICYMI: In Senate Floor Speech, Murray Rails Against Republican Bill That Rips Away Health Care, Nutrition Assistance, Abortion Access & Balloons National Debt to Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires; VIDEO HERE

    ICYMI: On Senate Floor, Murray Again Slams Republicans for Using Deceptive Tactics to Hide True Cost of Deficit-Busting Tax Cuts for Billionaires

    ICYMI: Republicans Block Murray Amendment to Stop Republicans’ Big Ugly Betrayal Bill From Defunding Planned Parenthood

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on Senate Republicans passing their partisan reconciliation bill—the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—by a vote of 51-50 on Tuesday, with Vice President Vance voting with Republicans to break the tie, after an overnight “vote-a-rama” where Democrats forced Republicans to take dozens of tough votes on a wide array of issues, from protecting rural hospitals to preserving food assistance for families to extending expiring tax credits that help millions of families afford health care. The nearly 30-hour vote-a-rama came after Democrats forced more than 10 hours of debate and a full reading of every word of Republicans’ 940-page bill that will kick 17 million Americans off their health care and make the largest cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance in history to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.  

    Senator Murray put forward an amendment to strike a provision of the legislation that achieves anti-abortion extremists’ long-sought goal of “defunding” Planned Parenthood by cutting off Planned Parenthood health centers from receiving federal Medicaid funding for the care they provide for millions of low-income women across the country—including birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and wellness exams. Republicans blocked the amendment, 51-49.

    “This monstrosity of a bill is about one thing: Republicans’ insistence on passing more tax breaks for billionaires and giant corporations while they kick working people off their health care, rip away nutrition assistance, and make it harder for struggling families to get by. It’s about taking away programs that give American families a hand up in hard times, to pay for a handout for the people who need it the least.

    “This should be obvious: if a bill is so bad that you have to exempt entire states from its consequences to win the votes you need—just don’t pass the bill!

    “Republicans’ legislation will mean 17 million Americans will lose their health insurance, including more than 328,000 people in Washington state who rely on Apple Health and Affordable Care Act coverage. Families will lose the SNAP benefits they rely on to afford food because of new Republican red tape positively meant to keep people from getting the benefits they are eligible for. Rural hospitals in Central and Eastern Washington that are already operating on the tightest of margins will be forced to close their doors, ripping away health care access from entire communities. Planned Parenthood health centers will shutter and women will be left with nowhere they can go to get birth control, cancer screenings, and other preventive care they can actually afford.

    “When it comes to the all-out assault on clean energy in this bill, even Elon Musk understands the plain facts of the matter—Republicans’ cuts are ‘utterly insane and destructive’ and will ‘destroy millions of jobs in America.’ Republicans are also ripping away tens of millions of dollars for critical NOAA facilities in Washington state as part of this bill.

    “This fight is not over—this bill is not yet law and I am not going to stop raising my voice and making sure the American people know exactly what is in it. Communities in Eastern and Central Washington will be among the hardest hit by these gigantic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—now is the time to raise your voices and tell your Republican Members of Congress to vote NO. Republicans in the House need to listen to the American people and abandon this disaster of a bill.  

    “In the end, every Republican who votes for this bill will have to explain to their constituents why they voted to shutter local hospitals and punish struggling families to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.”

    Earlier on Sunday, Senator Murray delivered a lengthy speech on the Senate floor where she laid out in detail how Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will rip away health care from millions of Americans, shutter the doors of hospitals and health care clinics across the country, make the largest cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance in history, and blow up the national debt—all so Republicans can fund massive tax breaks for billionaires. Murray also spoke out repeatedly during debate on the Senate floor against Republicans’ use of a so-called “current policy baseline” to hide the true cost of their deficit-busting tax cuts for billionaires.

    Republicans’ 940-page bill, which they released in the dead of night, cuts more than $900 billion from Medicaid—$100 billion more than the House bill. That means about 17 million Americans will lose their health care, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and more than 300 rural hospitals and over 500 nursing homes could close because of the legislation. The legislation makes the largest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in history and will rip away nutrition assistance entirely from more than 5 million Americans and shift tens of billions of dollars in costs to states. The legislation also increases the debt by nearly $4 trillion dollars—nearly a trillion more than the House bill. About two in three Americans oppose the bill.

    In Washington state, 1.95 million people rely on Apple Health, Washington state’s Medicaid program, and over 300,000 Washingtonians access coverage through the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace (Washington Healthplanfinder). The Joint Economic Committee estimates that at least 328,695 people in Washington state would lose their health insurance under the Republican legislation—that includes 198,050 people who would be kicked off Medicaid and 108,262 people who would lose their coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Among other things, Republicans’ bill would institute work reporting requirements for Medicaid, which have been proven not to increase employment and just strip health care coverage from people who are already working or exempt—this would put more than 620,000 Washingtonians at risk of losing their health care coverage or having it delayed. Fourteen rural hospitals in Washington state would be at risk of closure under the Republican bill. The legislation also “defunds” Planned Parenthood for the next year, threatening the closure of up to 200 health centers across the country—90 percent of them in states where abortion is legal. 11 percent of Washington state residents rely on SNAP, and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services estimated that more than 900,000 people across the state could their see SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated under the House bill—the Senate bill is just as extreme.

    Senator Murray has held constant recent events—including multiple events in Washington state—to sound the alarm on Republicans’ devastating reconciliation bill and encourage constituents to raise their voices and call on their Members of Congress to oppose the legislation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Feeling hot, hot, hot – Swiatek downs Wimbledon debutant to reach round two

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Iga Swiatek still has a long way to go to master the art of grasscourt tennis but on Tuesday the Pole took the first step towards what she hopes will be a triumphant run at Wimbledon as she beat Polina Kudermetova 7-5 6-1 in the first round.

    Facing a Wimbledon debutant, the five-times Grand Slam champion might have hoped for an easy ride as no doubt she would liked to have escaped the Court 2 furnace as quickly as possible with the temperature soaring above 33 degrees Celsius.

    Despite being a grasscourt novice, Russia’s Kudermetova refused to be overawed by the occasion, or her opponent, as she went toe-to-toe from the baseline with Swiatek for 45 minutes.

    It was not the kind of first-round trial Swiatek would have wanted as she bids to improve her rather mediocre record at the All England Club, which remains the only major where she has not contested at least a semi-final.

    It was not until the penultimate point of the opening set that Swiatek earned her first break point, which the eighth seed duly converted when Kudermetova netted a backhand to surrender the set.

    That blow effectively snuffed out the 22-year-old Russian’s hopes of winning a match at a Grand Slam for the first time as her tactics fell apart in the second.

    While Kudermetova had kept Swiatek second-guessing her game-plan for the duration of the 45-minute opening set, the former world number one raced through the second in 24 minutes, securing the victory with a sizzling backhand winner.

    “I’m glad my game clicked in the second set and am glad some fans came to see us today as it’s so hot,” Swiatek told the crowd after setting up a second–round meeting with American Caty McNally.

    EMPTY SEATS

    With many ticket holders deciding they could not tolerate the scorching heat inside the bowl-like arena, Swiatek and Kudermetova were greeted by a mass of empty green seats when they entered the sparsely-filled Court 2.

    Many of those who braved the sweltering conditions tried to keep cool by using paper or battery-operated fans. But even holding those for long with sweaty palms was a challenge.

    It was not just the spectators who were left hot and bothered as the mass of towels that started piling up next to Swiatek’s chair told its own story.

    But having reached her first grasscourt final last week at Bad Homburg, Swiatek was eager to make sure all the groundwork for Wimbledon would not be in vain.

    Two aces in the opening game suggested she might get off court in double quick time but when Kudermetova earned the first break point of the match in the fifth game, Swiatek realised her 64th-ranked opponent would be no pushover.

    A Kudermetova unforced error handed Swiatek a lucky escape and by the time the four-times Roland Garros champion bagged the first set, the stats showed she had been outplayed in a number of areas, including total winners and first serve points won.

    Yet with the momentum of claiming the first set behind her, it was not long before Swiatek was celebrating winning her 62nd consecutive opening match on the tour.

    “I needed some time to adjust to the grass because it’s different than Bad Homburg,” said Swiatek, who turned up for the match after enduring a sleepless night due to the hot weather.

    “The heat is going to be over tomorrow, so I survived it,” she added with a smile.

    (Reuters)

  • Perricard exits Wimbledon but makes mark with fastest serve

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard departed Wimbledon as a first-round loser but the Frenchman left his mark on the Grand Slam with the fastest serve recorded in the tournament’s history – a 153 mph (246 kph) missile against Taylor Fritz on Monday.

    Perricard, whose match was later suspended due to the local 11pm curfew and resumed on Tuesday, was beaten 6-7(6) 6-7(8) 6-4 7-6(6) 6-4 but much of the talk in his press conference was about his status as a “serve-bot” in the men’s game.

    That was largely due to the 21-year-old’s reputation for consistently hitting huge serves and his record-breaking effort in the opening game of the contest which eclipsed the previous tournament mark of 148 mph set by American Taylor Dent in 2010.

    “I didn’t check the speed, to be honest. I saw that last night. I lost the point. I’m not doing some special technique to have a big serve or a fast serve. I’m serving like I’m supposed to do,” Perricard told reporters.

    “We don’t train a lot to be honest on this part of my game. It comes naturally.”

    Australian Sam Groth hit the fastest recorded serve at a professional event with a 163.7 mph (263.4 kph) rocket at the Busan Challenger in 2012, a match he lost in straight sets to prove big serves can be blunt weapons in the modern game.

    Perricard, whose thundering deliveries are greatly aided by him being 6ft 8in, said he expected serves to only get faster in the future as players push the limits of their physicality.

    “Players are stronger,” he added. “They have bigger shoulders, so I don’t know, 260 (kph), 270 (kph) maybe the next one is going to be.”

    -Reuters

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The manipulations around the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation issue will be rejected by history as a political farce, and Xizang will achieve even greater prosperity – Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Moscow, July 1 (Xinhua) — The manipulations around the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation issue are a political farce that will be rejected by history. The Xijiang Autonomous Region, which has demonstrated tremendous success in all spheres of life, will achieve even greater prosperity and development. This opinion was expressed by Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui in an opinion piece published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta on Tuesday.

    As the Chinese diplomat pointed out, the 14th Dalai Lama’s clique has recently been trying to confuse the international community, actively speculating on the topic of reincarnation and spreading absurd and false ideas, including the “independent reincarnation of the Dalai Lama” and “reincarnation in a free country.” “The manipulation of the reincarnation issue is nothing more than a political farce, which will certainly meet with decisive opposition from the broad masses of believers of Chinese Tibetan Buddhism and will inevitably be rejected by history,” Zhang Hanhui writes.

    The ambassador recalled that as a unique religious tradition of inheriting the highest spiritual rank in Chinese Tibetan Buddhism, the system of reincarnation of living Buddhas has formed a holistic and strict complex of religious rituals and historical rules over more than 700 years of its development. It includes the search for a reincarnation within China, drawing lots using a special golden urn and submitting it for approval to the central government of China. “The process of reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is clearly defined by centuries-old historical and legal norms, is deeply rooted in the legal governance of the central government of China and is in no way subject to manipulation by individuals or certain groups,” the ambassador said.

    Zhang Hanhui assured that the Chinese government pursues a policy that guarantees citizens freedom of religion. He stressed that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama has been an exclusively internal matter of China since ancient times, in which no foreign state, external force or individual has the right to interfere. “All states have managed and manage their religious affairs on a legal basis, both in the past and present, in the East and in the West, this is an inalienable requirement of state sovereignty and government authority,” the publication says.

    This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Xizang Autonomous Region. The Chinese diplomat pointed to the great achievements in the development of all spheres of life. “Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, Xizang has put an end to the extremely backward feudal serfdom system once and for all, achieved a historic victory in eradicating absolute poverty, and together with all the Chinese people embarked on a new path of great revival of the Chinese nation through the comprehensive promotion of Chinese modernization. Today, Xizang is confidently walking along the bright, prosperous, stable, harmonious and beautiful path of socialism,” the ambassador noted.

    Zhang Hanhui stressed that the Xizang issue is a purely internal matter for China, affects the country’s fundamental interests and is not subject to interference by any external forces. “The Chinese side opposes any attempts at separatist actions aimed at undermining the security and stability of Xizang,” he warned.

    According to the diplomat, the Chinese side highly appreciates and sincerely thanks the Russian government and people for their constant firm support on the Xizang issue and is confident that Moscow will continue to support China’s efforts to protect state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to ensure security, stability and interethnic unity in Xizang. The Chinese diplomat invited the Russians to visit the amazing Xizang and see it with their own eyes.

    “Only by going there in person, seeing with your own eyes the vibrant modern cities of Xijiang, hearing the happy song in the new villages of Xijiang, experiencing the majestic beauty of the snow-capped mountains and sacred lakes, and feeling the unique charm of the thousand-year-old culture, can one truly appreciate the truly epochal historical transformation and achievements in Xijiang’s development, and understand why the people of all ethnic groups in Xijiang wholeheartedly support the CPC leadership,” Zhang Hanhui added, expressing confidence that Xijiang will write a new chapter of unity and progress and achieve greater prosperity and development. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The World Bank has allocated $173.5 million to Azerbaijan for the development of renewable energy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BAKU, July 1 (Xinhua) — The World Bank and the Government of Azerbaijan have signed a $173.5 million loan agreement to support a program to expand the use of renewable energy and strengthen energy infrastructure in Azerbaijan.

    As reported by the AZERTAC news agency, two documents were approved at the signing ceremony on Tuesday – a loan agreement between Azerenergy and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), part of the World Bank Group, and a guarantee agreement between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the IBRD.

    The four-year program envisages the modernization of the Azerenergy energy system and the safe integration of new wind and solar power plants into the general energy grid. It is planned to build four high-voltage power transmission lines with a voltage of 500 and 330 kV with a total length of 341 km, as well as the purchase of transformers and equipment for the Navahi substation.

    At the signing ceremony, Azerbaijani Finance Minister Sahil Babayev said the agreement reflects the country’s strategic course for the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly energy. According to him, Azerbaijan has significant technical potential in the field of wind, solar and hydropower and aims to become not only a producer but also an exporter of green energy. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Missile fired from Yemen intercepted over Israel – Israeli army

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    JERUSALEM, July 1 (Xinhua) — Yemen’s Houthi rebel forces fired a rocket toward Israel on Tuesday evening, triggering air raid sirens in central and southern parts of the country before the projectile was intercepted, the Israeli army said in a statement.

    “The missile, launched from Yemeni territory, was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force,” the military said, adding that alarm sirens were activated.

    There are no reports of casualties.

    The Houthis regularly attack Israel with missiles and drones, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The rebel group says it will stop its attacks if Israel ends its offensive in the Palestinian enclave and lifts its blockade. In response, the Jewish state has launched massive airstrikes in Yemen, hitting key ports, an airport and other infrastructure. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Russian President V. Putin held a telephone conversation with French President E. Macron

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    Moscow, July 1 (Xinhua) — The Kremlin press service said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron had a telephone conversation. They discussed the situation around Ukraine, the Iranian-Israeli confrontation and the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

    This is the first conversation between the presidents in nearly three years. The last time they spoke by phone was on September 11, 2022.

    The heads of the two states discussed in detail the situation in the Middle East in the context of the Iranian-Israeli confrontation and the American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. It is noted that V. Putin and E. Macron pointed out the special responsibility of Russia and France as permanent members of the UN Security Council in maintaining peace and security, including in the Middle East region, as well as in preserving the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. “In this regard, the importance of respecting Tehran’s legitimate right to develop peaceful nuclear energy and continuing to fulfill its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, including cooperation with the IAEA, was emphasized,” the statement said.

    “The leaders expressed their support for the resolution of the crisis around the Iranian nuclear program, as well as the resolution of other contradictions in the Middle East, to be achieved exclusively by political and diplomatic means. It was agreed to continue contacts for the purpose of possible coordination of positions,” the Kremlin press service added.

    Speaking about the prospects for a peaceful settlement, the Russian president confirmed the fundamental approaches to possible agreements, which should be comprehensive and long-term, provide for the elimination of the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and be based on “new territorial realities.” –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM Union International Officers Sworn in for New Term During Ceremony Honoring Union Democracy, Member-Led Leadership

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    The IAM Union marked a powerful moment of renewal as its newly elected International Officers were sworn in for a four-year term during an installation ceremony that celebrated the union’s democratic foundation and its future-facing vision.

    Held before an audience of IAM members, retirees, staff, and labor allies, the ceremony at the IAM’s Headquarters was a reminder that in the IAM Union, leadership is chosen by the membership. Each officer sworn in was elected directly by the IAM’s rank-and-file membership. 

    WATCH: 2025 IAM Union International Officer Installation Ceremony

    International President Brian Bryant, a longtime member of Local S6, was sworn in to continue to lead the IAM through a period of bold organizing, strategic growth, and deep commitment to equity and inclusion. In his remarks, Bryant offered heartfelt thanks to the membership, his fellow Executive Council members, the IAM’s staff, and his family. 

    PHOTOS: 2025 IAM Union International Officer Installation Ceremony

    “To our membership—thank you,” said Bryant. “Thank you for placing your trust in this leadership team. That trust is not something we take lightly. It’s something we earn—every day, in every fight, in every shop floor conversation, contract campaign, organizing drive, and legislative battle.”

    Bryant also reinforced the union’s evolving identity. 

    “We must be clear: This union stands for all workers. No matter where you were born. No matter who you love. No matter who you worship. No matter how you got here,” said Bryant. “If you work for a living—you deserve justice on the job. You deserve the power of a union contract. And you deserve to be treated with dignity.”

    AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler also delivered remarks during the ceremony, celebrating the IAM Union’s legacy and applauding the union’s future-facing leadership. 

    “What brings us together is this belief that all work has dignity and that we all deserve the freedom, fairness and security,” said Shuler. “Those are the values that unite every worker, and that’s what we’re going to fight for every single day. We’re going to organize everywhere — just like the IAM is by taking on the largest companies in the world.”

    The following officers were sworn in for a four-year term, beginning July 1, 2025: 

    International President
     Brian Bryant (Local S6) 

    General Secretary-Treasurer
    Dora Cervantes (Local 2198) 

    Canadian General Vice President
    David Chartrand (Local 712)* 

    U.S. General Vice Presidents
    David Sullivan (Local S6)
    Richie Johnsen (Local 1781)
    Craig Martin (Local 470)
    Jody Bennett (Local 2771)
    Sam Cicinelli (Local 701)
    Robert “Bobby” Martinez (Local 933) 

    Law Committee
     Eric Johnston (Local 235)
     Ryan Haehnlein (Local 701)
     Teressa Peart (Local 774)
     Olu Ajetomobi (Local 1781)
     Sal Vasquez (Local 311) 

    Delegates to the AFL-CIO
     E. Michael Vartabedian (Local 264)
     Sharon Sugiyama (Local 2339G)
     Richard Jackson (Local 751A) 

    Delegate to the Canadian Labour Congress
     Christy Slauenwhite (Local 764)*

    *Elected solely by IAM members in Canada

    Administering the oath of office was retired IAM International President R. Thomas Buffenbarger, who led the union from 1997 to 2016. Buffenbarger’s presence and role in the ceremony served as a bridge between generations of IAM leadership and reinforced the enduring principles that guide the union.

    The installation ceremony featured spiritual and inspirational reflection from Derrick Monk, a member of IAM Local 1776, a District 141 Trustee, and Senior Pastor of the Divine Covenant Outreach Center in Philadelphia. Monk set the tone for the ceremony with an invocation that called on unity, courage, and the shared responsibility of leadership.

    As the IAM Union looks ahead, this newly installed leadership team is charged with growing the union across traditional and emerging industries, empowering members through strong contracts, and continuing to lead with integrity, inclusion, and determination.

    “All of us, together, are the stewards of something powerful,” said Bryant. “We inherit this union not just to protect it, but to grow it. To make it bolder, more inclusive, and more powerful than ever.”

    The post IAM Union International Officers Sworn in for New Term During Ceremony Honoring Union Democracy, Member-Led Leadership appeared first on IAM Union.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Announces Largest CCPA Settlement to Date, Secures $1.55 Million from Healthline.com

    Source: US State of California

    Action represents fourth settlement, continued enforcement priority under the California Consumer Privacy Act

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a settlement pending court approval with website publisher Healthline Media LLC (Healthline), resolving allegations that its use of online tracking technology on its health information website, Healthline.com, violated the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). An investigation by the California Department of Justice (DOJ) found that Healthline failed to allow consumers to opt out of targeted advertising and shared data with third parties without CCPA-mandated privacy protections — including data suggesting that a person may have a serious health condition. The proposed settlement, pending final approval from the court, includes $1.55 million in civil penalties and strong injunctive terms, including a novel term that prohibits Healthline from sharing article titles that reveal that a consumer may have already been diagnosed with a medical condition — banning the company from engaging in these types of data transmissions.

    “Our settlement with Healthline underscores that Californians have critical privacy rights under the CCPA to fight online surveillance — including by website publishers. Healthline shared data with third parties that could have revealed consumers’ private medical diagnoses, and while doing so, disregarded consumer’s rights to opt-out of the sale and sharing of this data,” said Attorney General Bonta. “California continues to lead the nation in enforcing our robust privacy protection law, and businesses that collect consumer data must honor consumers’ privacy rights. My office is committed to the continued enforcement of the CCPA — every Californian has the right to their online privacy.” 

    Healthline.com is a health and wellness information website that is one of the top 40 most visited websites in the world. Healthline generates revenue by showing ads — some of which are personally targeted at the reader. To maximize ad revenue, Healthline allows online trackers, like cookies and pixels, to communicate data about readers to advertisers and other third parties. Healthline shared data that could uniquely identify the consumer, in addition to the title of the article they were reading. Some titles indicated that the reader may have already been diagnosed with a serious illness, such as “You’ve Been Newly Diagnosed with MS. What’s Next?” And because these online trackers run invisibly in the background in the first milliseconds when a webpage loads, consumers often have no idea how many online trackers might be running. In Healthline’s case, dozens of trackers were sharing consumer data with numerous third parties.

    The complaint filed today alleges Healthline violated the CCPA and the Unfair Competition Law by:

    • Failing to opt consumers out of the sharing of their personal information for targeted advertising. The CCPA gives consumers the right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of their personal information for certain targeted advertising. Businesses and website publishers must honor these requests, including requests submitted through the Global Privacy Control. Healthline continued to share data with some third parties involved in advertising, even for consumer who exercised their right to opt -out.  
    • Violating the Purpose Limitation Principle. Under the CCPA, a business’s use of personal information is limited to the purposes for which the personal information was collected or processed or another disclosed, compatible purpose. Healthline violated this principle by sharing article titles suggesting a consumer may have already been diagnosed with a specific medical condition to target advertising at the consumer.   
    • Failing to maintain CCPA-required contracts. Healthline had not ensured its advertising contracts contain privacy protections for readers’ data required by the CCPA. Instead, Healthline had assumed, but not verified, that the third parties had agreed to abide by an industry contractual framework. 
    • Deceiving consumers about privacy practices. The Unfair Competition Law prohibits deceptive business practices. Healthline.com featured a “consent banner” that did not disable tracking cookies, despite purporting to do so if a consumer unchecked a box.   

    Under the settlement today, Healthline is required to ensure that its opt-out mechanisms work correctly; must stop disclosing information that can link a specific consumer to a specific article title that suggests that consumers have been diagnosed with a disease; must maintain a CCPA compliance program that, among other things, mandates that Healthline audits its contracts for specific, required privacy terms or confirm that third parties have signed an industry contractual framework that includes those terms; and maintain accurate online disclosures and privacy policy. 

    Today’s settlement represents Attorney General Bonta’s fourth enforcement action under the CCPA, and his continued priority to enforce California’s robust privacy laws:  

    In June 2024, Attorney General Bonta and Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced a $500,000 settlement with Tilting Point Media LLC resolving allegations that the company violated the CCPA and federal law by collecting and sharing children’s data without parental consent in their popular mobile app game “SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off.”  In February 2024, Attorney General Bonta announced a settlement with DoorDash, resolving allegations that the company violated the CCPA and COPPA, by selling California customers’ personal information without providing notice or an opportunity to opt out of that sale.  In August 2022, the Attorney General announced a settlement with Sephora resolving allegations that it failed to disclose to consumers that it was selling their personal information and failed to process opt-out requests via user-enabled global privacy controls in violation of the CCPA. 

    This March, as part of ongoing efforts to enforce the CCPA, Attorney General Bonta announced an investigative sweep into the location data industry, sending letters to advertising networks, mobile app providers, and data brokers that appear to be in violation of the CCPA. The risk posed by the widespread collection and sale of location data has become immediately and particularly relevant given federal threats to California’s immigrant communities, and to reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare. Attorney General Bonta has previously conducted investigative sweeps related to streaming apps and devices and employee information.

    For more information about the CCPA, visit oag.ca.gov/ccpa. To report a violation of the CCPA to the Attorney General, consumers can submit a complaint online at oag.ca.gov/report.

    A copy of the complaint is available here, a copy of the proposed settlement is available here. The settlement is pending court approval.

    MIL OSI USA News –