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Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI USA: June 25th, 2025 Heinrich, Luján, Leger Fernández Urge Trump Administration to Reverse Course & Fully Implement Broadband

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, and U.S. Representative Terese Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) joined over 40 of their colleagues to send a letter calling on U.S.  Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to fully implement the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program as Congress intended to connect all Americans to high-quality, affordable internet. 

    The lawmakers’ letter to Secretary Lutnick comes as the Department of Commerce announced substantial changes to the implementation of the BEAD program. 

    “We write to express our opposition to the Department of Commerce’s recently announced BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice,” the lawmakers wrote. “The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program was established by Congress in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide high-quality, affordable, and sustainable broadband to connect the nearly 25 million Americans that continue to wait for high-speed internet access. We urge you to ensure that states receive the full funding and flexibility they retained prior to the issuance of the restructuring notice to fully meet these statutory objectives.” 

    “The broadband division of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law begins with this congressional finding: ‘Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband is essential to full participation in modern life in the United States,’” the lawmakers continued. “This fundamental reality is why the BEAD program was established to fulfill the subsequent finding that ‘the benefits of broadband should be broadly enjoyed by all.’”

    The letter is led by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.). Alongside Heinrich, Luján, and Leger Fernández, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and U.S. Representatives Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Bishop (D-Ga.), Bynum (D-Ore.), Carson (D-Ind.), Carter (D-La.), Cleaver (D-Mo.),  Davis (D-Ill.), DelBene (D-Wash.), Evans (D-Pa.),  Fields (D-La.), Figures (D-Ala.), Garcia (D-Texas), Goodlander (D-N.H.), Hoyle (D-Ore.), Huffman (D-Calif), Lofgren (D-Calif.), McGovern (D-Mass.), Menendez (D-N.J.), Mrvan (D-Ind.), Neguse (D-Colo.), Pappas (D-N.H.), Scholten (D-Mich), Sewell (D-Ala.), Soto (D-Fla.), Thompson (D-Miss.), Titus (D-Nev.), Tlaib (D-Mich.), Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Williams (D-Ga.), and Wilson (D-Fla.).  

    The full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Lutnick: 

    We write to express our opposition to the Department of Commerce’s recently announced BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program was established by Congress in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide high-quality, affordable, and sustainable broadband to connect the nearly 25 million Americans that continue to wait for high-speed internet access. We urge you to ensure that states receive the full funding and flexibility they retained prior to the issuance of the restructuring notice to fully meet these statutory objectives. 

    The broadband division of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law begins with this congressional finding: “Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband is essential to full participation in modern life in the United States.” This fundamental reality is why the BEAD program was established to fulfill the subsequent finding that “the benefits of broadband should be broadly enjoyed by all.” To achieve this goal, the statute states that funding recipients must “ensure coverage of broadband service to all unserved locations” before using any funds for other purposes. The restructuring notice appears to violate this requirement by allowing applicants to exclude certain unserved locations. Such an allowance would defy bipartisan congressional intent, which was predicated on the understanding that public investment was needed to achieve universal service precisely because building the infrastructure to cover many rural areas was too costly to be profitable. 

    In addition to excluding unserved, predominantly rural locations, the restructuring notice would likely result in others receiving worse service. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires that “priority broadband projects” funded by the program be “designed to provide broadband service that meets speed, latency, reliability, consistency in quality of service, and related criteria as the Assistant Secretary shall determine; and [to] ensure that the network[s] built by the project[s] can easily scale speeds over time to meet the evolving connectivity needs of households and businesses, and support the deployment of 5G, successor wireless technologies, and other advanced services.” Of currently available technologies, fiber-optic networks are faster and more reliable and can scale speeds much more easily. We made the decision to invest larger sums now in broadband infrastructure that would be resilient and capable of meeting Americans’ growing digital demands for decades. 

    The restructuring notice also undermines the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s provisions designed to ensure that broadband service is affordable and put to good use. The new rules remove specific requirements that ensured that participating providers would provide a low-cost internet option for low-income customers as required by the statute. Additionally, while the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law specifically allows funds to be spent on “broadband adoption, including programs to provide affordable internet-capable devices,” the notice rescinds approval of previously approved “non-deployment activities” and puts all funding for these activities on hold. For example, this provision of the notice puts on hold a South Carolina plan to use BEAD program funds for virtual primary health—equipping low-income households in rural health deserts with access to the full suite of virtual health services at no cost to the patients. If the broadband infrastructure being built by BEAD program funds isn’t put to good use, much of the investment will have been wasted. 

    As reflected in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s congressional findings, high-quality internet access is a requirement to fully participate in the world, and the BEAD program is our once-in-a century opportunity to finish closing the digital divide. We fear this opportunity would be squandered by the restructuring notice and its changes to coverage, quality, and affordability. We therefore urge you to implement the BEAD program in accordance with the best reading of the statute so we can make high-quality internet accessible and affordable for all Americans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Business Owner Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Texas woman was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison for her participation in a scheme to file fraudulent applications for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

    According to court documents, between around May 2020, and March 2021, Shantelle Hawkins, 43, of DeSoto, conspired to submit 17 fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of companies she or her relatives owned or controlled. The applications contained false statements about payroll and tax information, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. Hawkins used some of the money she obtained from the loans for personal expenses, including to pay off her 2015 Maserati Ghibli luxury car and to purchase property in the greater Dallas area.

    Hawkins pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, 2024, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  At sentencing, Hawkins was ordered to pay more than $1.8 million in restitution and to forfeit the residence purchased with proceeds from the fraud.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas; and Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Kashan Pathan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elyse Lyons for the Northern District of Texas is handling asset forfeiture.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Markey and Cassidy Celebrate Committee Passage of Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Legislation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Washington (June 25, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) today celebrated the unanimous passage of their Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) through the Commerce Committee. The legislation would update online data privacy rules for the 21st century and ensure children and teenagers are protected online.
    “We are proud of the momentum and broad support that our commonsense Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act is gaining from industry, advocates, and our own Senate colleagues,” said Senators Markey and Cassidy. “Today’s unanimous vote is further evidence of the broad, bipartisan commitment to protecting children and teens online. As our young people continue to face a devastating youth mental health crisis, Congress must pass COPPA 2.0 and implement these overdue safeguards for children and teens.”
    Specifically, the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act would:
    Ban targeted advertising to children and teens;
    Create an “Eraser Button” by requiring companies to permit users to delete personal information collected from a child or teen;
    Establish data minimization rules to prohibit the excessive collection of children and teens’ data;
    Revise COPPA’s “actual knowledge” standard to close the loophole that allows platforms to ignore kids and teens on their site; and
    Build on COPPA by prohibiting internet companies from collecting personal information from users who are 13 to 16 years old without their consent.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NPR and PBS Are More Than Just “Tiny Desk” and “Daniel Tiger” — They Are Critical to Public Safety

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    06.25.25
    NPR and PBS Are More Than Just “Tiny Desk” and “Daniel Tiger” — They Are Critical to Public Safety
    14 stations in WA at risk of losing funding if Senate passes administration’s rescissions package
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, released a Snapshot Report that highlights data on public broadcasters across the United States and broadcasters’ role in responding to emergencies and public safety events. In rural areas, public broadcasters may be the sole source of information during emergencies, leaving them disproportionately impacted by federal funding cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
    “Public television and radio aren’t just for quality children’s television and unique radio content,” said Sen. Cantwell. “For millions of Americans, these stations are often their only source of emergency information during weather disasters. Earlier this month, House Republicans approved President Trump’s rescission request clawing back $1.1 billion in Congressionally-approved funding for public broadcasting. This report shows that if Senate Republicans allow this devastating cut to pass the Senate, nearly 13 million Americans could be left without access to their public media stations and the life-saving emergency alerts or information they need. As people prepare for potential hurricanes, wildfires, and other extreme weather events, we should not be gutting our support for public media.”
    The report included several key findings:
    The operations of 79 public radio and 33 TV stations across 34 states and territories are considered vulnerable to federal funding cuts.
    Nearly 13 million Americans live in communities under threat of losing their local public broadcast stations. What’s worse, these stations serve large swaths of the Western, Midwestern, and Southeastern United States at risk of wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other public safety emergencies. This double threat casts uncertainty on the ability of these stations to disseminate emergency alerts and information to residents when they need it most.
    More than 70 percent of federal funding goes directly to local public broadcasters for content, interconnection, and support services. It would cost local public broadcasters more than double the CPB’s current contribution to replace these critical services through alternative public or private means.
    Support through the CPB is critical for many local stations, with the most vulnerable in rural and remote communities. Public radio and television stations serve as the primary—often sole—source of local news, educational content, and emergency alerts. These stations rely heavily on federal funding, with some depending on it for over 70 percent of their budgets. Some rural areas depend on their local public media station as their only source of information in emergencies. 
    KDNA-AM, which has a studio in Granger, WA, and serves the surrounding area, is reliant on federal CPB grants for a significant portion of its operating budget. KDNA serves an area that is at a high risk of wildfires, including the city of Yakima, with a population of over 90,000. KDNA plays a critical role in responding to emergencies by providing local news and information. Without continued federal funding, KDNA and other public broadcasters will have to find alternative funding sources or risk being unable to provide their essential public safety services.
    In severe storm and wildfire situations that knock out a community’s power supply, TVs broadcasting news on the path of an incoming tornado may go dark due to power outages, and cell phones may lose service, leaving families with only local public radio broadcasts delivered to battery-powered, hand-crank, or car radios. Without local broadcasting, families in rural areas may not receive critical alerts in time to get to safety.
    On June 3, President Trump submitted a rescission request to Congress for the CPB’s FY 2026 and 2027 funding, seeking to claw back nearly $1.1 billion in Congressionally-approved funding. On June 12, the House approved the President’s rescission request, and it is now before the Senate. If passed by the Senate, these cuts may leave millions of Americans without access to lifesaving alerts and emergency information.
    In Washington state, funding for 14 public broadcasting stations is at risk under the House-passed rescissions package now being considered by the Senate. 
    In May, Sen. Cantwell joined Rick Steves to blast the Trump Administration for its assault on the CPB. 
    See the impacted areas below and to access the full report, please click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Capito Opening Statement at Hearing to Consider Turner, Wright Nominations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    [embedded content]
    To watch Chairman Capito’s opening statement, click here or the image above.
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led a hearing on the nominations of Usha-Maria Turner to be Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Office of International and Tribal Affairs and David A. Wright to be a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
    Below is the opening statement of Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) as delivered.
    “Today we will receive testimony from David Wright, who is nominated to serve another five-year term as a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Usha-Maria Turner, the nominee to serve as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of International and Tribal Affairs.
    “Our consideration of Chairman Wright’s renomination comes at a crucial time. China is executing a rapid buildout of its nuclear industry and is projected to overtake the United States as the global leader of nuclear electricity generation.
    “The demand for clean, baseload power is skyrocketing as we position America to win the AI race, and global events continue to highlight the grave importance of energy security.
    “The importance of those policy concerns has led to the broad bipartisan agreement that we need more nuclear, and that we need to accomplish that goal safely and quickly. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is integral to achieving that goal.
    “A half century ago, Congress separated the dual and conflicting responsibilities to both promote and regulate the use of nuclear energy from the Atomic Energy Commission. In doing so, Congress established the Department of Energy’s predecessor agency and created the NRC to regulate the civilian use of nuclear technology.
    “The principle of separate organizations that promote and regulate nuclear power is as important today as it was fifty years ago, and Congress has continued to reinforce the value of an efficient and competent nuclear regulator. That’s why, last Congress I, alongside Senator Whitehouse and a strong bipartisan coalition, led the effort to get the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy, or better known as the ADVANCE Act, signed into law.
    “As the designated head of the NRC, the Chairman is instrumental in leading the agency’s ambitious implementation of the law. The Chairman is responsible for selecting key senior agency leadership with the approval of the Commission.
    “Through the Executive Director of Operations, the Chairman oversees the NRC’s day to day operations and can direct its staff to undertake important initiatives. The Chairman also participates in international forums, to represent the NRC’s premier role as the global leader in nuclear energy regulation. Now, the NRC has been thrust further into the center of the national energy conversation.
    “Recently, President Trump signed a series of Executive Orders intended to expedite the rapid deployment of more nuclear power. Those Executive Orders are aligned with the ADVANCE Act, but must be carefully implemented to create durable, predictable policies for nuclear licensing. A rapid and disruptive change to the nuclear regulatory framework would be counterproductive and potentially impact financial investment.
    “The Chairman and the Commission must prioritize NRC’s actions, being mindful of the need for regulatory stability, as expeditiously and efficiently as possible while keeping nuclear safety central to the agency’s mission.
    “That’s why experienced leadership at the Commission is crucial to achieve these objectives. Chairman Wright has served as a member of the Commission since 2018, and President Trump designated him Chairman in January.
    “His experiences provide the necessary background and understanding to navigate the extremely important and challenging task of simultaneously implementing the ADVANCE Act, and the Executive Orders, while ensuring fundamental licensing activities are not overlooked. I look forward to understanding how Chairman Wright will navigate these important priorities.
    “Today, we will also hear from Usha-Maria Turner, President Trump’s nominee to serve as the EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of International and Tribal Affairs. If confirmed, Mrs. Turner will lead EPA’s efforts to maintain our international environmental agreements and partnerships in coordination with the Department of State.
    “Mrs. Turner will also oversee EPA’s engagements with Tribal governments in implementing our nation’s environmental laws and helping our Tribal governments administer their own environmental programs. Effectively supporting the President’s foreign policy efforts and coordinating with Tribal governments are vital issues that will help the EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment.
    “I look forward to discussing the various aspects of this role with Mrs. Turner.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Capito Questions Attorney General Bondi at DOJ Budget Request Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    [embedded content]
    Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Capito’s questions. 
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, questioned Attorney General Pam Bondi at a hearing to review the president’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Justice. 
    HIGHLIGHTS:
    ON THE ATF’S NATIONAL TRACING CENTER IN MARTINSBURG:
    SENATOR CAPITO: “I wanted to point out the ATF’s National Tracing Center, which is in West Virginia, is the only one of its kind to trace U.S. and foreign manufactured firearms. The facility provides critical information that helps solve crimes, detect trafficking, and track the movement of crime-related firearms. In 2024, that National Tracing Center processed more than 600,000 requests. I just want to make certain that in the budget there is enough…to meet the demands, and that these critical services can be sustained with the budget request you’ve made.” 
    ATTORNEY GENERAL BONDI: “Senator, our budget continues to fully fund the National Tracing Center. I will personally make sure that that is funded. It will continue to be operated by ATF, as well, and it does such important work… They do amazing work. I’ve seen the work they do firsthand. And I would also—in all my spare time—I would also love to visit that center. I really want to visit that center and see what we can do also to enhance it and work with you on that. It’s so important. You know, these are issues that cross party lines. This is what every American in our country we should be working together on… You have been a true advocate for it for your state.” 
    ON THE HAZELTON PRISON: 
    SENATOR CAPITO: “Hazelton…is a very large prison with over 3,000 inmates. They’ve had some issues out there, big issues out there. Allegations, with staff shortages, gross mismanagement, abuse, coverups, falsifying documents. I’m sure you’re tracking these issues. I do want to compliment the president on his appointment of William Marshall, a West Virginian, former state trooper…he’s going to do a fantastic job. So, thank you for bringing in such a strong advocate, he’s already been very responsive to us on Hazelton, which has had chronic issues throughout the last several years, regardless of what administration it’s been. I wanted to put that on your radar.” 
    ON THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT: 
    SENATOR CAPTIO: “I will say, I’ve been a big supporter of the Violence Against Women Act. I am proud of the work that we’ve championed here on the Appropriations Committee for this. It’s really sad when you think of what happens in families sometimes and the proliferation of violence is extremely concerning to me. I’ve worked in this area for a long time, so I just wanted to let you know my passion in this area.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley, Hassan, Kelly Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Rural Hospital Cybersecurity

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Wednesday, June 25, 2025

    Today, U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) reintroduced the Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, which directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the growing need for skilled cybersecurity professionals in rural hospitals. The strategy aims to improve cybersecurity preparedness and create a robust workforce to protect vulnerable critical infrastructure—rural hospitals—from cyber threats. This legislation unanimously passed out of a Senate committee last Congress.
    “Nearly half of the hospitals in my state are rural. I grew up in a town of 4,000 people—I have lived this firsthand,” said Senator Hawley. “Congress must take action to shore up the ability of small-town hospitals to protect working Americans’ health records from debilitating cyberattacks.”
    “Cyberattacks on hospitals can put at risk people’s medical information, and also sometimes shut the hospital down as it recovers, putting lifesaving care at risk,” said Senator Hassan. “This bipartisan legislation is an important step toward ensuring that rural hospitals have the resources, tools, and training that they need to keep patients safe and protect hospitals from attacks from cybercriminals.”
    “Rural hospitals are on the frontlines of care for so many Arizonans, but too often they’re underfunded and overexposed to cyber threats that can jeopardize patient safety. We saw this firsthand in Yuma, where a ransomware attack disrupted operations and put hundreds of thousands of patients at risk,” said Senator Kelly. “We are giving rural hospitals the tools and workforce they need to strengthen their security and keep delivering care, especially as they navigate new digital reporting requirements.”
    Unlike larger urban hospitals, rural hospitals often have little to no full-time cybersecurity personnel and are particularly exposed to cyberattacks. Vulnerabilities in rural hospitals’ cybersecurity defenses can also be used as entry points to disrupt larger healthcare systems, potentially compromising the sensitive medical and personal data of hundreds of thousands of American patients at once. The Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Act would require HHS to:
    Develop a comprehensive rural hospital cybersecurity workforce development strategy that, at a minimum, considers public-private partnerships, development of curricula and training resources, and policy recommendations.
    Make available instructional materials for rural hospitals to train staff on fundamental cybersecurity measures.
    Report annually to congressional committees with updates regarding the strategy and any programs that have been implemented pursuant to the strategy.
    Read the bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni briefs the media on the recent Cabinet Meeting

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni briefs the media on the recent Cabinet Meeting

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoY2-EUign0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni briefs the media on the recent Cabinet Meeting

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni briefs the media on the recent Cabinet Meeting

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoY2-EUign0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Demands Energy Department Terminate Government Funding Grain Belt Express

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)
    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a follow-up letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright demanding he terminate the more than $4 billion in federal funding for the Grain Belt Express, an elitist land grab harming Missouri farmers and ranchers. 
    In the letter, Senator Hawley wrote, “I write to you once again to urge the termination of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) $4.9 billion conditional loan to the green-energy Grain Belt Express (GBE) transmission line. Your department recently terminated 24 awards issued by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), citing ‘that these projects failed to advance the energy needs of the American people, were not economically viable and would not generate a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars.’ Yet the GBE conditional loan has not been cancelled.”
    He continued, “I have repeatedly raised concerns to DOE about the viability of this transmission line. Most recently, on March 25, 2025, I wrote to you after officials from the Department of Energy confirmed that your department is moving forward with the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process, a key step in approving the loan. I have yet to receive a substantive response to that letter.”
    Senator Hawley concluded, “During a recent House hearing, you stated, ‘It is deeply concerning how billions of dollars were rushed out the door without proper due diligence in the final days of the Biden administration.’ I completely agree. The Biden administration’s Department of Energy approved the loan to the Grain Belt Express at the eleventh hour… Your department should be taking every possible action to stop this loan – not only to save taxpayer’s money, but also to save generational land from being ripped away from families and hard-working farmers and ranchers in Missouri. Now is the time to act. I urge you to immediately terminate all agency actions related to the Department of Energy’s $4.9 billion loan to the Grain Belt Express.” 
    Read the full letter here or below. 
    June 25, 2025
    The Honorable Chris WrightSecretary of EnergyU.S. Department of Energy1000 Independence Ave SEWashington, DC 20560
    Dear Secretary Wright,
    I write to you once again to urge the termination of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) $4.9 billion conditional loan to the green-energy Grain Belt Express (GBE) transmission line. Your department recently terminated 24 awards issued by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), citing “that these projects failed to advance the energy needs of the American people, were not economically viable and would not generate a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars.” Yet the GBE conditional loan has not been cancelled.
    I have repeatedly raised concerns to DOE about the viability of this transmission line. Most recently, on March 25, 2025, I wrote to you after officials from the Department of Energy confirmed that your department is moving forward with the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process, a key step in approving the loan. I have yet to receive a substantive response to that letter.
    During a recent House hearing, you stated, “It is deeply concerning how billions of dollars were rushed out the door without proper due diligence in the final days of the Biden administration.” I completely agree. The Biden administration’s Department of Energy approved the loan to the Grain Belt Express at the eleventh hour.
    While I applaud DOE’s current efforts to roll back last-minute Biden era green energy projects that were not vetted nor were reliable energy projects, I’ve become increasingly concerned that DOE apparently has not taken action to halt all federal funding to the Grain Belt Express. Your department should be taking every possible action to stop this loan – not only to save taxpayer’s money, but also to save generational land from being ripped away from families and hard-working farmers and ranchers in Missouri.
    Now is the time to act. I urge you to immediately terminate all agency actions related to the Department of Energy’s $4.9 billion loan to the Grain Belt Express. Additionally, please answer the following questions by no later than June 30, 2025:
    1. Why has your department not yet cancelled the Grain Belt Express $4.9 billion conditional loan?
    2. Does your department plan to terminate all agency actions related to advancing the loan to the Grain Belt Express?
    3. If not, can you provide clear and concise reasons as to why you and your department continue to advance this project over the objections of Missouri farmers and ranchers?
    Sincerely,
    Josh HawleyUnited States Senator

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration to Reverse Decision to End Policy on Emergency Reproductive Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    The Trump Administration’s Decision To End Guidance That Reaffirmed Access To Abortion Care In Emergency Situations Will Put Women’s Lives In Jeopardy
    WASHINGTON, DC – Following the three-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined a group of Senators in a letter demanding the Trump Administration to overturn its recent decision to end guidance that reaffirmed hospitals’ responsibility to provide medically-necessary emergency abortions. In 1986, Congress enacted the Emergency Medical Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) to require Medicare-participating hospitals to provide necessary life-saving treatment for any individual—including pregnant women—experiencing emergency medical conditions. However, since the conservative majority on the Supreme Court handed down the Dobbs decision, more than twenty states have passed laws to ban or severely restrict access to abortion, disrupting decades of certainty for hospitals regarding their legal obligation to provide necessary emergency abortion care under federal law.
    “While EMTALA remains binding federal law, the rescission will create further confusion for hospitals and providers, especially in states with abortion bans, and will result in medically-necessary care being withheld from pregnant patients in crisis,” wrote the lawmakers. “When doctors are forced to navigate the complex legal interplay of state abortion bans and federal EMTALA protections, pregnant people experience care delays and may receive substandard care.”
    “This abrupt decision will further the chaos and confusion that hospitals, physicians, and patients have experienced since the Dobbs decision and will result in negative and deadly consequences for women and families across the United States,” the lawmakers concluded.
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been a fighter for women’s reproductive rights, taking action to safeguard access to essential health care for women. This week, she helped introduce the Women’s Health Protection Act to enshrine Roe protections in federal law and restore women’s reproductive freedom. Earlier this year, Senator Rosen joined Senate colleagues in introducing the Right to Contraception Act, aimed at federally guaranteeing the right to obtain and use contraceptives and shielding providers who prescribe and offer them. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Calls on DOJ, FTC to Investigate ISS and Glass Lewis

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    WASHINGTON—This week, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee and head of the committee’s working group on proxy advisors, sent a letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, urging them to investigate ISS and Glass Lewis for antitrust violations.
    “The dominant proxy advisory firms, [ISS] and [Glass Lewis], control more than 90% of the U.S. market for proxy advisory services,” Hagerty wrote. “These foreign-owned firms exploit their market power to suppress competition, hijack corporate governance, impose ideological agendas, drive companies’ capital allocation decisions, influence U.S. public policy on important matters, and undermine the welfare of American investors and consumers. Accordingly, I urge the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to investigate these firms for violations of federal antitrust law.”
    Hagerty’s letter builds on his ongoing efforts to address abuses in the proxy advisory market. Previously, Hagerty demanded answers and documents from ISS after the firm publicly acknowledged that it may support proposals even though they are “not linked to long-term shareholder value.” He also sponsored the Putting Investors First Act, legislation to expand the SEC’s authority over proxy advisory firms.
    A copy of the letter can be found here and below.
    Dear Attorney General Bondi and Chairman Ferguson,
    The dominant proxy advisory firms, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) and Glass, Lewis & Co. (Glass Lewis), control more than 90% of the U.S. market for proxy advisory services. These foreign-owned firms exploit their market power to suppress competition, hijack corporate governance, impose ideological agendas, drive companies’ capital allocation decisions, influence U.S. public policy on important matters, and undermine the welfare of American investors and consumers. Accordingly, I urge the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to investigate these firms for violations of federal antitrust law.
    The market power of ISS and Glass Lewis grants them enormous sway over public companies. A study of 175 institutional investors—managing more than $5 trillion in assets— revealed that the institutions followed proxy advisor recommendations more than 95% of the time. The influence of the proxy advisors enables them to dictate public companies’ governance standards, executive compensation practices, and corporate policies. Through the power of vote recommendations adverse to determinations of independent boards of directors as well as negative recommendations against board members themselves, the firms effectively force compliance even when these standards or practices are ideologically motivated, irrelevant, and/or destructive to shareholder value. In so doing, the proxy advisors have also been successfully pressuring companies to engineer social change outside the democratic process and shaping U.S. public policy on a wide range of issues, from energy to sensitive social policies. It is evident that ISS and Glass Lewis exercise de facto regulatory power over public companies, but without any of the accountability or transparency ordinarily demanded of such a role.
    The firms leverage their market power by offering consulting services on the same or substantially similar items as those on which they provide proxy advisory services—a conflict of interest that raises significant anticompetitive concerns. ISS, for example, offers proxy advisory services to institutional investors with respect to companies’ say-on-pay proposals while also selling corporate consulting services to companies regarding the executive compensation programs subject to a say-on-pay vote. Similarly, ISS offers consulting services to companies with respect to equity compensation plans, while also providing recommendations to institutional investors as to how to vote on those same plans. This dynamic results in a coercive pay-to-play setup, where public companies are pressured to purchase consulting services to avoid or remedy negative proxy recommendations or assure the support of the proxy advisors, as the case may be. Indeed, many companies report being approached by the consulting arm of ISS during the same year in which they receive a negative vote recommendation from the firm. ISS also provides its institutional clients with corporate governance ratings on issuers, while also offering consulting services to corporate clients so that those issuers can improve their governance scores. This dual role—both rating companies and advising them—further enhances the proxy advisors’ power and drives important corporate practices and policies. While Glass Lewis has claimed that it does not offer consulting services, like ISS it offers equity plan advisory services to public companies. It also advises activists on influencing companies through shareholder proposals and other campaigns. The firm engages in these practices even though it has openly acknowledged that “the provision of consulting services to corporate issuers, directors, dissident shareholders and/or shareholder proposal proponents, creates a problematic conflict of interest.”
    The link between consulting services and favorable ratings benefit both ISS and Glass Lewis by foreclosing competition. Revenues generated from consulting may permit the firms to cross-subsidize their proxy advisory services, enabling them to further expand and cement their market share. Such self-dealing practices are inherently anticompetitive and demand scrutiny.
    ISS and Glass Lewis also appear to coordinate their voting guidelines and governance standards in ways that suppress competition and reduce the ideological and analytical diversity of services available in the market. The House Judiciary Committee has found evidence that the firms collaborated with organizations such as Climate Action 100+ to jointly issue nearly identical recommendations—effectively steering institutional investors toward predetermined outcomes guided by partisan ideology, not shareholder value. This parallelism is reinforced by the firms’ control of proprietary voting platforms—ISS’s ProxyExchange and Glass Lewis’s Viewpoint—which encourage institutional clients to automatically vote in alignment with the firms’ recommendations. Known as “robovoting,” this practice discourages independent fiduciary analysis and only deepens investors’ dependence on the firms, as some major investment managers do not even have personnel responsible for verifying that robovotes are correctly cast. While the firms often point critics to their “benchmark” reports, they continue to offer comparatively more extreme and politically contentious robovoting options through their insufficiently scrutinized “specialty” reports, often referred to as their “shadow” reports.
    The market power and anticompetitive business practices of ISS and Glass Lewis inflict harm across the U.S. economy: potential competitors are foreclosed from entering or expanding within the proxy advisory market; capital formation is diminished as companies are deterred from going public; the cost of capital for certain industries, such as coal and oil and gas, is higher; the competitiveness of the US capital markets is impacted; boards and management lose control over their own corporate policies and practices; investors suffer the financial consequences of ideologically driven and economically unsound corporate decisions; finally, consumers pay higher prices due to operational inefficiencies and increased costs.
    For these reasons, I urge the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to investigate ISS and Glass Lewis and take all necessary steps to promote competition in the proxy advisory market.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Statement Following Arraignment of Rep. LaMonica McIver

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    Newark, N.J. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement:
    “I am disappointed that the Department of Justice is wasting resources pursuing these unfounded charges against Representative LaMonica McIver, needlessly straining our already overburdened federal judiciary. Representative McIver was exercising her authority as a member of Congress to conduct constitutional oversight of a detention center that receives millions of taxpayer dollars. Representative McIver’s actions were so unremarkable and inoffensive that federal officials invited her into the facility later that same afternoon. This case undermines public safety and the public trust in federal law enforcement, and while its purpose is to intimidate public officials, it won’t. The Department of Justice must drop this case immediately.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SASC Chairman Roger Wicker Releases Updated Text of Defense Reconciliation Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON –?U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today unveiled updated legislative text of the defense reconciliation bill.
    The House and Senate Armed Services Committees developed this legislation in close coordination with the White House and Department of Defense to modernize America’s military, secure the border, and strengthen national security.
    Chairman Wicker released the following statement after the release of the updated bill text:
    “This bill is a crucial down payment to modernize our military and enhance defense capabilities amid rising global threats. It provides significant funding for key areas including Golden Dome, unmanned technology, and shipbuilding,” said Chairman Wicker. “Alongside important reforms in the NDAA process, this bill will help transform the Pentagon and strengthen our military.”
    Changes Made Since 6/3 Text Release:
    Increases the amount of funding available for critical minerals supply chains to $5 billion
    Increases the amount of funding available for defense industrial base efforts to $3.3 billion
    Decreases the amount of funding available for the National Defense Stockpile to $2 billion
    Decreases the amount of funding available for military border support operations to $1 billion
    Removes all references to classified material
    Makes a handful of non-substantive changes for execution purposes
    The full text is available here
     
    A redline from the last publicly released text is here
     
    A legislative overview is available here
     
    Legislation Highlights
    Sec. 20001: $9 billion for Servicemember Quality of Life. Funds increases in allowances and special pays, as well as improvements to housing, healthcare, childcare, and education.
    Sec. 20002: $29 billion for Shipbuilding and the Maritime Industrial Base. Expands the size and enhances the capability of our naval fleet. Invests in autonomous surface and subsurface technology.  Builds capacity and improves infrastructure in the maritime industrial base.
    Sec. 20003: $25 billion for Golden Dome for America. Supports President Trump’s vision for layered missile defense shield for America. Develops space-based assets support the system and rapidly accelerates missile defense against threats to the homeland and deployed troops.  
    Sec. 20004: $25 billion for Munitions. Accelerates purchases of most important munitions. America’s arsenal of munitions. Expands capacity in the industrial base to support higher levels of munitions production. Ramps up production of and critical minerals to execute President Trump’s EO. Expands production of missile defense interceptors and counter drone capabilities. 
    Sec. 20005: $16 billion to Expedite Innovation to the Warfighter. Expands DoD initiatives to scale production of game-changing new technology and expedite delivery of low-cost, attritable weapons systems and artificial intelligence needed to ensure success on future battlefields.
    Sec. 20006: $400 million for Fiscal Responsibility and a Clean Audit. Requires audits of funds provided to DoD by this Act. Invests in the IT infrastructure, business systems, and new AI/automation capabilities needed to ensure the DoD fully passes an audit.
    Sec. 20007: $9 billion for Air Superiority. Reverses declines in fighter force posture. Accelerates delivery of next generation aircraft and autonomous systems.
    Sec. 20008: $15 billion for Nuclear Deterrence. Accelerates modernization of the triad. Improves readiness of our current nuclear deterrent. Invests in infrastructure needed to restore America’s ability to manufacture nuclear weapons.
    Sec. 20009: $12 billion for Pacific Deterrence. Expands military exercises and improves readiness of Indo-Pacific forces. Acquires capability and builds infrastructure needed to defend forces and conduct military operations in the Western Pacific.
    Sec. 20010: $16 billion to Enhance Military Readiness. Expands stocks of spares. Improves infrastructure at military depots and shipyards. Enhances the capability of Special Forces.
    Sec. 20011: $1 billion for Border Security.  Funds DoD personnel and logistics support to help carry out President Trump’s border, immigration, and counterdrug enforcement agenda.
    Sec. 20012: $10M for DOD IG to conduct specific oversight on appropriations in this title.
    Sec. 20013: Authorization of military construction projects in this title.
    Sec. 20014: Reductions in appropriation contingent upon spend plan.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters Joins Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Restore and Protect Americans’ Right to Abortion Nationwide As We Mark 3rd Anniversary of Supreme Court Overturning Roe V. Wade

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) joined his colleagues in introducing the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025, legislation to guarantee access to abortion across the country and restore the right to reproductive health care for millions of Americans. The bill was introduced on the third anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court repealing Roe v. Wade, a decision that stripped Americans’ access to vital health care and denied many women the freedom to make their own, private health care decisions. 
    “Three years ago, the conservative majority of the Supreme Court took away the constitutional right to abortion, stripping access to reproductive health care from millions of Americans and putting countless women’s lives in danger,” said Senator Peters. “It’s unacceptable that women today have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers did. The Women’s Health Protection Act would restore the fundamental right to choose, and ensure that women in every state can make private, personal health care decisions, without interference from politicians and judges.” 
    As a result of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, millions of Americans are being denied or delayed access to necessary and potentially life-saving treatment, including for ectopic pregnancies and miscarriage management, because of new legal risks to patients and providers. The harms caused by these abortion restrictions fall heaviest on populations that already experience inequities, including people with low incomes, people of color, immigrants, young people, people with disabilities, and those living in rural and other medically underserved areas. Since the Dobbs decision, 19 [SB1] [FB2] states have banned abortion or severely restricted women from being able to access the procedure, leaving one in three[SB3] [FB4]  American women without access to safe, legal abortion care. [FB5] 
    While Michiganders voted in November 2022 to enshrine the right to an abortion in the state’s constitution, the Women’s Health Protection Act would establish federal rights for patients and providers to protect access to an abortion and create protections against medically unnecessary restrictions that undermine Americans’ access to health care.
    Specifically, the Women’s Health Protection Act would:
    Prohibit states from imposing restrictions that jeopardize access to abortion earlier in pregnancy, including many of the state-level restrictions in place prior to Dobbs, such as arbitrary waiting periods, medically unnecessary mandatory ultrasounds, or requirements to provide medically inaccurate information.
    Ensure that later in pregnancy, states cannot limit access to abortion if it would jeopardize the life or health of the mother.
    Protect the ability to travel out of state for an abortion, which has become increasingly common in recent years.
    Peters has been a strong advocate for protecting access to essential reproductive health care and the right of all Americans to make health care decisions privately with their doctors and family. Last year, Peters spoke on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to support the Access to Family Building Act, legislation Peters cosponsored that would protect IVF treatment. Peters also spoke on the Senate floor in support of the Right to Contraception Act, legislation Peters cosponsored that would guarantee the right to access contraceptives. Peters also joined his colleagues last Congress in introducing the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Commerce Committee Passes Peters’ Bipartisan Bill to Improve Commercial Space Policy, Strengthen Industry Competitiveness

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    Published: 06.25.2025
    Bill Now Advances to Full Senate

    WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee passed U.S. Senator Gary Peters’(MI) bipartisan bill to strengthen commercial space policy and promote industry competitiveness. Peters’ bipartisan legislation – which he reintroduced with U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) – would establish a Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee within the Office of Space Commerce. The bill would enable the advisory committee, made up of representatives with extensive experience in the commercial space industry from a variety of fields including space policy, engineering, and research, to share important insights into non-governmental space activity to help inform and shape federal policy and programs. The legislation now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
    “The importance of the commercial space sector will only continue to grow as it plays a larger role in shaping the future of space exploration,” said Senator Peters. “I’m proud to lead this bipartisan legislation to provide space industry leaders in Michigan and across the U.S. with a chance to shape federal space policy and provide insight into how to stay competitive on a global scale. I’m going to continue working with my colleagues to see it pass the Senate.” 
    The Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee would be comprised of 15 members who make recommendations on various priorities, including: 
    Identifying challenges relating to international obligations and export controls that affect the commercial space sector. 
    Addressing the need to access adequate, predictable, and reliable radio frequency spectrum. 
    Reviewing best practices for U.S. entities to avoid harmful environmental impacts to both earth and space. 
    Providing recommendations on matters related to space sector development and other activities the advisory committee considers necessary. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Russell Fry’s Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act Passes in the House

    Source:

    Rep. Russell Fry’s Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act Passes in the House

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Russell Fry’s (SC-07) Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act passed in the House of Representatives. This legislation will allow current and retired law enforcement officers to purchase their retired firearms.

    Under current law, federal agencies are required to destroy retired firearms. This process costs the federal government millions of dollars and trickles down to American taxpayers.

    Allowing current and retired federal law enforcement officers in good standing to purchase retired firearms is a common sense, cost-saving measure that benefits both law enforcement and American taxpayers.

    “I’m thrilled to see the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act pass in the House,” said Congressman Fry. “Not only will it save taxpayer dollars, it also creates a system in which law enforcement officers in good standing can exercise their Second Amendment rights by purchasing their retired service weapons. It is common sense legislation that recognizes the service of our federal officers while also encouraging responsible use of government resources.”

    Full text of the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act can be found here.

    Congressman Fry serves on both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. To stay up to date with Congressman Fry and his work for the Seventh District, follow his official Facebook, Instagram, and X pages and visit his website at fry.house.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scottish Greens vote to scrap and replace SQA, ending ‘era of hostility to teachers and students’

    Source: Scottish Greens

    25 Jun 2025 Education

    Green MSPs vote to pass the Education Bill in Holyrood

    More in Education

    The Scottish Parliament has voted to scrap and replace the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) by 69 votes to 47. The Scottish Greens voted in favour of creating a new organisation in its place, Qualifications Scotland. This new body will put the voices of teachers and students at its heart. 

    Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer has campaigned for a radical overhaul of the exams body for many years, with calls for a rethink predating the pandemic but significantly increasing after the 2020 ‘postcode lottery’ grading scandal. Following that scandal, Green MSPs negotiated with the Scottish Government to restore 124,565 young people’s grades, which had been unfairly moderated down by the SQA’s postcode-based temporary replacement for exams.

    The Scottish Greens, teachers’ unions and organisations including the Scottish Youth Parliament have long pointed to a culture at the top of the SQA which is hostile to feedback and uninterested in listening to those directly affected by its decisions.

    To avoid a repeat of the SQA’s failures, Scottish Greens education spokesperson has passed dozens of amendments to the bill, including splitting the role of Chief Executive into a Chief Executive, Chief Accreditation Officer and Chief Examiner, with a requirement that the Examiner must be an experienced educator e.g a teacher or college lecturer.

    Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer MSP said:

    “Having campaigned for an overhaul of the SQA for years, I’m pleased MSPs have voted for this fresh start in Scottish education. Senior leadership at the SQA was given the opportunity to change over many years, but refused to do so. Replacing the organisation with one legally required to listen to teachers and students will end this constant cycle of scandals. Now we can begin rebuilding the trust which was so completely destroyed over the last decade and put the focus back on supporting students.

    “The Scottish Greens made dozens of changes to the Government’s original proposals, including giving a bigger role to teachers and students themselves. Time and again the SQA could have avoided making catastrophic mistakes if they had simply listened to the experts in Scottish education, those in our schools and colleges. Having made those changes, Green MSPs were proud to vote for this bill and replace the SQA with an organisation ready to meet the needs of Scotland’s students and teachers.

    “This reform must be followed up with urgent work to reduce the workload of teachers and a dramatic shakeup of our outdated exams system. We need to move away from the Victorian-era end of term exam model and towards systems of ongoing assessment which judge a pupil’s knowledge and abilities with far more accuracy.”

    Greer added:

    “Labour’s vote to protect the scandal-plagued and unaccountable SQA is bizarre.

    “How can anyone look at the mistakes of recent years and think it can continue? We need real change for students and teachers, which this bill will deliver.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK seeks views on further trade protections for steel

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    UK seeks views on further trade protections for steel

    The UK has launched a six-week Call for Evidence, inviting views from across the steel supply chain to help shape new, future-ready trade measures.

    • Government invites businesses to shape future steel trade protections and strengthen the UK’s critical supply chains.
    • Key step in ensuring continued protection for the UK steel industry—building on the recent deal with the US to lift steel tariffs.
    • Follows a series of government actions under the Plan for Change to defend UK steel, protect jobs and secure major sites like Port Talbot and Scunthorpe.

    Steel producers, consumers, and unions will shape the UK’s future trade approach for steel, as Ministers seek robust long-term protections for the industry.

    Safeguard measures are put in place temporarily to address sudden import surges and help industry adapt to new trading environments, however the challenges now facing the steel industry demand longer-term solutions.

    The current UK steel safeguard measure ends in June 2026 and cannot be extended. The views from industry will help shape new future-ready trade measures that will protect UK businesses and jobs right across the country. 

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    We know this is a tough time for steel producers which is why this Government is using every tool available to ensure the long-term success of our vital steel industry, protect jobs and deliver on our Plan for Change.

    Thanks to our deal with the United States, all Section 232 tariffs on UK steel will be removed—while producers in other countries still face tariffs of up to 50%. But we’re not stopping there.

    We will not sit by idly while cheap imports threaten to undercut UK industry, so we are inviting industry to shape the next phase of our trade defences so we can provide robust support and ensure a fair and competitive market.

    The six-week Call for Evidence comes in addition to further government action to support industry amid global challenges. This includes securing a trade deal with the US to remove tariffs on steel products and protect jobs. It also includes announcing the upcoming steel strategy, which will establish a long-term vision for the sector and help build resilient supply chains. These efforts follow the launch of both the Trade and Industrial Strategy, which set out broader plans to support key industries, including steel.

    This Call for Evidence is a key step in the Government’s wider commitment to rebuilding the steel sector, alongside decisive interventions such as the £500 million grant securing the transformation of Port Talbot steelworks, the £2.5 billion investment pledged to rebuild the sector, the action taken to safeguard British Steel’s blast furnaces at Scunthorpe, and the forthcoming Steel Strategy.

    UK Steel Director General Gareth Stace said:

    It is welcome news that the Government is developing a new steel trade defence mechanism.

    With growing global steel overcapacity and rising trade diversion, Government must deliver a new trade defence system to provide industry certainty before steel safeguards expire in June 2026.

    UK Steel looks forward to working with Government to design an effective framework that will help to level the playing field on international trade and provide the market stability needed to draw investment in the UK steel sector.

    Community Assistant General Secretary Alasdair McDiarmid said:

    Trade protections are a vital bastion for our steel industry in the face of global overcapacity, rising protectionism and unfair trade. They provide essential security, and safeguard thousands of jobs across the UK steel industry and its extensive supply chains.

    We welcome the UK Government’s early engagement with the sector to shape our future steel protections and ensure that a cliff-edge scenario next year is prevented.

    This government has demonstrated its steadfast support for our steel industry, and we will continue to work with them to secure the long-term future of the sector.

    Notes to editors

    • The Call for Evidence opens today and will run for six weeks, inviting stakeholders across the UK steel supply chain to submit feedback that will shape future trade measures.
    • For more details and to submit evidence, visit GOV.UK.
    • The UK’s steel safeguard measure is set to expire in June 2026 because it’s a temporary measure providing domestic industries with time to adjust to changing market conditions. These measures are meant to be in place for a limited time to allow industries to adapt to the influx of imports. WTO rules don’t allow for indefinite extensions of safeguard measures.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Trade Strategy to protect and boost British business

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    New Trade Strategy to protect and boost British business

    The strategy will make the UK the most connected nation in the world while protecting vital industries from global threats and backing businesses to thrive.

    New Trade Strategy to protect and boost British business 

    • Trade Strategy sets out how UK will unlock £5 billion for businesses and expand UKEF capacity to £80 billion, delivering growth as part of the Plan for Change  

    • Trade defence toughened up with new and improved tools to better protect our vital industries from global threats  

    • UK sets its sights on quicker deals that firms can benefit from sooner, with a strong focus on services and high growth sectors 

    British Businesses will be given greater access to global markets more quickly as the UK tomorrow [Thursday 26 June] publishes its first Trade Strategy since leaving the EU. 

    The Strategy will make the UK the most connected nation in the world and secure billions worth of opportunities for businesses, helping deliver the economic growth needed to put money in people’s pockets, strengthen local economies, create jobs, and raise living standards.  

    It takes a more agile and targeted approach than the previous government’s, focusing on quicker, more practical deals that deliver faster benefits to UK businesses. It strengthens trade defences, expands export finance – especially for smaller firms – and aligns trade policy with national priorities like green growth and services. It’s a smarter, more responsive plan for a changing global economy. 

    The Trade Strategy:  

    • Unlocks £5 billion worth of opportunities for UK exporters through the new Ricardo Fund, which will tackle complex regulatory issues, shape global standards, and remove obstacles for UK businesses selling abroad.  

    • Expands UK Export Finance (UKEF)’s capacity by £20 billion to a total of £80 billion, announces a new Small Export Builder to give smaller firms better access to export protection insurance, and introduces improvements to help overseas buyers finance repeat orders from trusted UK suppliers in a more streamlined way.   

    • Vows to bolster our trade defence toolkit and make our trade remedies system more agile, assertive, and accountable to guard British businesses against global turbulence and the growing threat of unfair trading practices.   

    • Targets more mutual recognition of qualifications to boost the UK’s status as a services superpower – the 2nd biggest exporter of services in the world.  

    • Builds on existing clean energy and green sector agreements with partners including Norway, Japan and South Korea and explores new, deeper cooperation with markets such as Brazil, the Philippines and Mexico.    

    • Announces the UK will join the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA), a temporary arbitration arrangement for resolving appeals to WTO trade disputes, demonstrating our commitment to an effective rules-based international trading system 

    The Trade Strategy comes amid a backdrop of turbulent economic waters, resurgent protectionism and unfair trading practices creating significant challenges for businesses and industries across the whole of the UK. Together with our modern Industrial Strategy – a plan to grow the UK’s growth-driving sectors – we are strengthening businesses at home and setting clear direction to ensure success abroad and create high-paid, secure jobs in every part of this country.  

    It follows three significant trade deals agreed last month with huge benefits for UK businesses, jobs and consumers. Not only does our deal with India add £4.8 billion to the economy and £2.2 billion to wages each year, its reduced and liberalised tariffs means more whisky and gin is likely to be sold to Indian consumers and British shoppers could see cheaper prices on things like clothes, footwear and food products.  

    Our landmark deal with the US, the only one they have agreed with any country, protects hundreds of thousands of British jobs from automotive workers in the West Midlands, to aeroplane builders in Wales, to steelmakers in Scunthorpe. It shows the government delivering on its promise to champion British businesses and put jobs and livelihoods first. 

    The EU agreement, meanwhile, cuts red tape and improves access to our biggest trading partner. It means Scottish salmon farmers can sell their fish more easily to the EU, Welsh sausages and lamb mince exports will no longer be blocked, and British pets can join their owners on holiday with less headache.   

    Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said: 

    What works for business, works for Britain. It means more jobs, more opportunities, and more money in people’s pockets. 

    That’s why I’ve backed British industry through global headwinds – securing major trade deals with the US, India and the EU that protect jobs and drive growth right across the country. 

    Today’s Trade Strategy is a promise to British business: helping firms sell more, grow faster, and compete globally. It’s about delivering growth as part of our Plan for Change—and making sure working people feel the benefits.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:  

    The UK is an open trading nation but we must reconcile this with a new geopolitical reality and work in our own national interest  

    Our Trade Strategy will sharpen our trade defence so we can ensure British businesses are protected from harm, while also relentlessly pursuing every opportunity to sell to more markets under better terms than before.  

    Broad and complex trade deals like we secured with India will bring billions to our economy every year but to deliver the Plan for Change we will strike more agile, targeted deals that exploit the sectors which drive the most growth for our economy.

    It comes as the government works in partnership with industry to shape future steel trade measures which will prevent cheap imports from undercutting UK businesses, following the expiry of the current UK steel safeguard measure in June 2026. Collaboration with steel producers, consumers and unions will help ensure the new phase of our trade defences continue to protect UK businesses and jobs, while providing a fair and competitive market.  

    UKEF measures included in the Strategy accompanies news this week that up to £13 billion of direct lending will be used to help boost exports across key industrial sectors, marking a £3 billion uplift in UKEF’s facility.  

    Trade Minister Douglas Alexander said:  

    This new hard-headed, data driven, and agile approach to trade policy is guided by our pragmatic patriotism. In this changed and challenging world, we will promote what we can and protect what we must to advance the UK’s national interest.  

    Through our Trade Strategy, we are supporting our businesses to expand and export with a wider range of trade tools that harness our high-growth industries of the future to deliver this government’s Plan for Change.  

    As we target these agreements, we will take every step necessary to safeguard British businesses from the increasingly protectionist mood in much of the world by sharpening our defensive toolkit.

    To complement the Trade Strategy, we have also today published the Global Trade Outlook 2025 which explores the long-term trends that may shape the global economy and international trade in the coming decades.

    Shevaun Haviland, Director General at the BCC, said: 

    The Trade Strategy sets out a clear, evidence-based approach to raising the UK’s export game. It rightly targets our strength in services, and vital high-growth goods sectors while identifying key markets in the Indo-Pacific, Americas and European neighbourhood.

    A focus on sectoral and digital trade deals is also welcome, alongside a commitment to a functioning rules-based global trading system. 

    Place matters in trade. This strategy can generate economic growth in every nation and region of the UK, lowering tariffs and removing trade barriers. Our Chamber Network stands ready to build, invest and deliver on international trade as a partner of government and an engine for economic growth.

    Rain Newton-Smith, CEO, CBI said:

    Businesses are clear that positioning the UK as an outward looking nation is a show of strength in this increasingly fragmented world. Backing free trade is critical to facing the great global challenges and opportunities of our time.

    The UK must be bold and ambitious to be a key player in the global race for growth. Today’s Strategy offers a dynamic vision which will help the UK to position itself as one of the world’s leading locations for investment and trade. Leaning into that openness, our international commitments, and partnerships with like-minded allies will be integral to our success.

    We now need government and business to work together to turn this ambition into action and ensure that the UK seizes on the opportunities available within the global economy.

    Ian Stuart, CEO of HSBC UK:  

    I welcome today’s announcement of the Trade Strategy. It provides a vital blueprint to ensure the UK’s continued role as a great trading nation and leading services exporter, with a focus on the sectors that will drive growth in the decades to come.  

    It also rightly recognises the challenges many exporters face at a time of heightened global uncertainty. This is a necessary first step in giving businesses the tools they need to thrive on the world stage. HSBC looks forward to supporting businesses to take advantage of the strategy and unlock the full benefits of international trade.

    Jon Holt, Group Chief Executive and UK Senior Partner, KPMG, said:    

    Our professional and business services industry is an international success story with our expertise in demand around the world. As a high-growth sector, we have long called for a Trade Strategy that enables UK businesses to take advantage of new global opportunities and expand into emerging markets.  

    Today we have a clear plan. From removing barriers to overseas markets, to making it easier for our highly skilled people to travel and work across borders, this approach will strengthen our connectivity, boost inward investment and make sure our sector remains globally competitive.

    The strategy’s success will depend on a strong partnership between business and Government.

    Stephen Phipson CBE, CEO of Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation said:

    Industry will welcome the Trade Strategy which, for the first time, aligns hard on the heels of the Industrial Strategy and is a perfect example of joined up thinking across Government which has long been missing.

    In particular, as well as a focus on new markets, it will help optimise market access and signposting for companies, especially SMEs, to take advantage of current trade deals with a new focus on strategic economic partnerships with key trading partners.

    At the same time, as well as helping boost exports, it will strengthen trade defences against the threat of dumping and support UK firms in reporting possible trade discrepancies to the Trade Remedies Authority.

    Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said:  

    UK Automotive is a trade powerhouse, generating imports and exports worth £108 billion a year and typically Britain’s biggest exporter of manufactured goods. Free and fair trade is fundamental to our success and recent agreements with India, the US and, particularly, the EU signal that intention.

    Today’s trade strategy, aligned to the industrial strategy announced earlier this week, provides confidence to help our sector navigate the many headwinds we face and sets a foundation for future success.

    Balanced trading relationships that break down tariffs and regulatory barriers to trade will enable automotive companies to grow and get great British products into the hands of consumers all over the world, boosting jobs, business and prosperity at home.

    Heathrow’s Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, Nigel Milton, said:   

    We welcome this Trade Strategy, which is set to provide greater support for exporters and champion the importance of free trade.   

    As the UK’s hub airport and largest port by value, we know firsthand how trade can serve as a powerful engine for economic growth.   

    With our unrivalled access to global markets Heathrow is the UK’s gateway to growth and we stand ready to support the Government and exporters from across the country with the rollout of the new strategy.

    Paul Nowak, TUC General Secretary, said:

    This is an important step forward to a trade agenda with workers’ rights and good jobs at its heart.

    It’s right that the government is focusing on removing barriers to trade with our largest trading partner – the EU – on which thousands of quality jobs depend, and it’s vital that the government continues to show ambition in its trading reset with the bloc.

    Standing up for good jobs in sectors such as steel is essential and hugely welcome, especially with global trade wars leading to countries undercutting British products with cheaper foreign imports.

    The government has set out a path towards a values-based approach to trade, which supports international labour standards and human rights globally. We look forward to seeing the full detail and working with them to deliver this.

    John Pattinson, Founder and Managing Director of Air Covers Ltd, and a DBT Export Champion, said:   

    The UK Government plays a vital role in enabling and accelerating the journey to export – a critical driver of economic growth. At Air Covers, we have benefited greatly from our close partnership with DBT Wales.  

    The support we’ve received from DBT Wales, as well as from UK embassies and High Commissions around the world, has been instrumental to our expansion and success in international markets.  

    We believe that the UK Government’s Trade Strategy will open new opportunities for growth, both in established regions and emerging markets. For UK exporters, free trade agreements and the simplification of cross-border regulations are essential to unlocking global potential and maintaining a competitive edge.

    Julian David, CEO of techUK, said:

    TechUK welcomes the launch of this trade strategy as a landmark moment. For the first time, we have a coherent, long-term plan that reflects the realities of current geopolitics and the UK’s unique strengths – particularly in services and high-growth, innovation-driven sectors like ours.

    It’s especially encouraging to see government pulling together the full suite of tools at its disposal – from digital trade agreements to commercial diplomacy and meaningful trade defence instruments. We look forward to working closely with government to turn this vision into impact and ensure the UK remains a leader in the global digital economy.

    Marco Forgione, Director General of the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade, said:

    Today’s new Trade Strategy is a welcome step forward that reflects many of the priorities we’ve been championing on behalf of our members, especially SMEs, who need targeted, accessible support to grow internationally.

    From the Small Exports Builder to enhanced UK Export Finance, these are practical tools designed to reduce friction and unlock potential for thousands of firms across the UK.

    We’ve worked closely with government to feed in the real-world experiences of our members, and it’s encouraging to see those insights reflected in today’s announcement.

    Launched alongside the Industrial Strategy, this sets a more joined-up direction for trade and growth. Now the focus must be on delivery, and we stand ready to help make it happen.

    Tina McKenzie, Policy Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, said:

    Small firms know exporting is good for growth, so it’s good to see a clear strategy on trade. We welcome the government’s commitment to creating better digital tools, less red tape and putting stronger focus on practical support beyond just trade deals. 

    We also need to see more money and new funding programmes for SMEs wanting to trade internationally, as well as more bespoke support for the smallest firms, who do not qualify for one-to-one help.

    Small firms have been bogged down by unnecessary rules and costs for far too long, and today’s strategy is the first step to creating a better environment for exporters and importers.

    Notes to editor 

    • Department for Business and Trade (DBT) analysis of UNCTAD (2025) Global import data 2013-2023, mapped to industry sectors using sector definitions from DBT (2023) Global trade outlook.  

    • The GTO will be published at 0001 Thursday 26 June here 

    • The Trade Strategy will be published 0915 Thursday 26 June here 

    • More information on the UK Steel Trade Measures Call for Evidence will be issued separately, embargoed until 22.30 Thursday 25 June.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s video message at the Gavi High-Level Pledging Event – Global Summit: Health and Prosperity Through Immunization

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Download the video:
    https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+4+Jun+25/3404655_MSG+SG+GLOBAL+SUMMIT+HEALTH+IMMUNISATION+04+JUN+25.mp4

    Excellencies,

    Distinguished guests,

    I thank the European Union, the Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for convening this crucial summit.

    Over the past fifty years, vaccines have saved over 150 million lives. 

    Every dollar invested yields 54 dollar in benefits.

    Gavi and its partners are the backbone of this success.

    But the work is far from done.

    Protecting 500 million more children by 2030 requires an urgent investment of at least nine billion dollars.

    Strong immunization programmes are our frontline defence against infectious diseases – and a foundation of resilient societies and economies.

    At a time when vaccine hesitancy and misinformation are spreading like wildfire, this investment is more crucial than ever.  Especially as other support is being rolled back.

    Today, I urge leaders across all sectors to act with generosity and resolve.

    Let’s invest in immunization for the health and prosperity of all.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Cleaver’s Statement on President Trump’s Unconstitutional Bombing of Three Sites in Iran

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

    (Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement on the bombing of three sites in Iran.

    “President Trump’s bombing of 3 sites in Iran was unconstitutional; only Congress can declare war. 

    “I remain hopeful that Iran’s nuclear capabilities have been seriously weakened or destroyed. However, I’m concerned that Trump’s actions threaten to trap the U.S. in an escalating conflict. 

    “Recently both Democratic and Republican presidencies have felt comfortable in overstepping their article 2 constitutional authorities. This is a power grab.

    “Any further military action must first be voted on by Congress.”

    ###

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Cleaver Co-Sponsors War Powers Resolutions to Prohibit U.S. Involvement in Iran

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

    (Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) co-sponsored two War Powers Resolutions to prohibit American involvement in Iran, following President Trump’s unilateral, unconstitutional, and dangerous decision to use U.S. Armed Forces to strike Iran directly. 

    The first resolution, introduced by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), would prohibit the U.S. Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

    The second resolution, introduced by the Democratic Ranking Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, House Armed Services Committee, and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, would order the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran absent a Congressional authorization, while preserving the ability for U.S. Armed Forces to defend the U.S. and its partners and allies from imminent attack.

    “For far too long and on a bipartisan basis, the Congress has ceded its Article I power to declare war, eliminating an essential check on the Executive Branch and giving one individual far too much power to drag the nation into protracted military conflicts,” said Congressman Cleaver. “While we all agree that Iran can never be allowed to procure a nuclear weapon, it is also critical that Congress leave no doubt that the president is not allowed to unilaterally begin a war with Iran, or any other country, without the approval of the People’s representatives. Both of these resolutions make clear that the president does not have this authority and ensure that the U.S. will not enter yet another costly conflict in the Middle East unless granted explicit approval from Congress.”

     

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: BNZ offers flexible business loans up to $50,000, approved in minutes

    Source: BNZ Statements

    Small businesses can now access unsecured finance of up to $50,000 with BNZ’s new Merchant Flexi Loan, with approval in as little as three minutes. It offers eligible businesses a simple way to manage cash flow and fuel growth, with no interest and just a one-off fee.

    Karna Luke, BNZ Executive for Customer Products and Services, says it delivers the speed and flexibility small businesses need to grow.

    “Our Flexi Loans give small businesses fast access to capital, without the need to provide paperwork like financial statements or business plans. Instead, we use actual card sales data from the past 12 months to determine loan eligibility and calculate a personalised loan offer.

    “Businesses can see their personalised offer, choose their preferred repayment rate and get a decision in minutes. Once accepted, funds are available within two business days.”
    Repayments are set at a rate chosen by the business, between 10% and 30% of daily card sales, and are automatically deducted.

    “This means repayments are higher when sales are strong and lower when business is quieter, helping owners stay focused on operations with cash flow under control,” Luke says.

    Christchurch institution Waffle Haus takes advantage to expand business

    The benefits of this flexible approach are already being realised BNZ customers like Jamie Stewart. He already had a successful Waffle Haus café in Akaroa when he expanded to Christchurch, opening on New Regent Street in December 2020. Now, with both locations thriving, he’s using BNZ’s Merchant Flexi Loan to fund expansion into a third branch, set to open next month at The Colombo shopping centre.

    “A lot of prep goes into opening a new location – it takes about a year to get everything in place,” says Jamie. “When the Merchant Flexi Loan became available, the timing was perfect because I was looking at a significant equipment investment for the new café and wanted to preserve working capital for other business needs.”

    For Jamie, whose capital is invested in growing his business rather than property assets that could be used as security, the merchant sales-based approach offers a compelling alternative to traditional secured lending. Instead of needing collateral, the loan is based on his proven sales performance.

    The flat fee structure also appealed to Jamie: “The fee worked out at about 2.5% of the loan amount, which is really good value and substantially cheaper than a traditional business loan.”
    With trading patterns that vary over time – busy evenings year-round, peak weekends and school holidays, plus seasonal fluctuations – Jamie appreciates having repayments that adjust accordingly.

    “The winter period is slightly quieter for us than the summer and school holiday peaks,” he says. “Having repayments that flex with our natural business rhythms makes financial planning much easier.”

    Fast funding when opportunities arise

    Karna Luke says timing is critical when business opportunities emerge, which is why the BNZ team has worked hard to make the process of applying for a Merchant Flexi Loan as fast and simple as possible.

    “Our customers tell us they need to move fast to stay competitive and grow, whether that’s securing new equipment, expanding their premises, or taking advantage of seasonal demand. By streamlining the application process and using data we already have, we can help them seize those opportunities without delay.

    “It’s about bringing together speed, simplicity and flexibility to make it easier to move quickly when opportunity knocks. We’re proud to be the first New Zealand bank to offer a lending solution like this.”

    To find out how Merchant Flexi Loan can help your business manage cash flow and growth, visit bnz.co.nz/business-banking/loans-and-finance/merchant-flexi-loans

    The post BNZ offers flexible business loans up to $50,000, approved in minutes appeared first on BNZ Debrief.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police and Customs bag smuggling ring operating airside

    Source: New Zealand Police

    A joint investigation has unpacked a criminal syndicate’s operation, which allegedly facilitated the smuggling of class A drugs through Auckland Airport.

    Police and Customs terminated nearly two dozen search warrants on Wednesday across the Auckland region as part of Operation Matata.

    Eighteen arrests have been made, including nine baggage handlers and another staff member working at the country’s busiest airport.

    Those arrested are 17 men, aged between 20 and 42, and a 19-year-old woman. Those arrested were appearing in the Manukau District Court yesterday afternoon and today.

    It all began on 20 March 2025, when a man was arrested outside an East Tamaki address after 25 kilograms of methamphetamine was discovered in his vehicle.

    Now, detectives from the National Organised Crime Group and counterparts at Customs have uncovered a wider group organising and facilitating controlled drugs being smuggled through Auckland Airport.

    “Police will allege in court that this group imported controlled drugs through the airport on six occasions,” Detective Inspector Tom Gollan says.

    “As a result, approximately 64 kilograms of methamphetamine and 3.4 kilograms of cocaine has been seized by Customs and Police.”

    This would have gone on to cause significant harm and cost to New Zealand communities.

    “Insider threats pose a threat to this country, and we are pleased to continue to work with Auckland Airport authorities, Customs and overseas law enforcement agencies to stamp this out,” Detective Inspector Gollan says.

    Customs Investigations Manager Dominic Adams adds: “These individuals are alleged to have abused their trusted positions as airport workers to smuggle significant amounts of harmful drugs into New Zealand.

    “There is zero tolerance for this type of behaviour and this operation signals the action that law enforcement, with the support of industry partners, has taken against those who thought they could operate outside of the law and profit from their criminal activities.”

    During the 23 search warrants carried out, Police located a significant amount of cash along with quantities of cocaine and a sawn-off shotgun.

    Those arrested will face serious drugs charges, including importation, supply and possession for supply of the class A controlled drugs methamphetamine and cocaine.

    • Operation Matata – by the numbers:

    Around 64.5kg of methamphetamine equates to:
    – 3,225,000 doses
    – $22.5m – the approximate retail value of this methamphetamine
    – $71.5m – an approximate amount of social harm prevented

    Around 3.4kg of cocaine equates to:
    – 34,000 doses
    – $1.5m – the approximate retail value of this cocaine
    – $1m – the approximate amount of social harm prevented

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Review of Sediment Transport Across a Natural Tidal Salt Marsh in Northern San Francisco Bay

    Source: US Geological Survey

    A new monograph tackles these questions head-on, distilling years of scientific research at China Camp State Park in Marin County, California, into a clear, decision-relevant summary.  The synthesis is the product of a collaborative process involving resource managers, restoration practitioners, and scientists convened through a National Estuarine Research Reserve Science Collaborative project. The site, located on San Pablo Bay in the San Francisco Estuary, is one of the last remaining salt marshes in the region that has remained largely untouched by human development.

    The findings, drawn from a range of field studies, tell a complex and variable story of sediment movement. One major takeaway: shallow areas of the bay serve as an important—though inconsistent—source of sediment for the marsh. Sediment is delivered across the bay-marsh boundary primarily during flood tides and through wave action, in addition to transport through tidal creeks. In some cases, creeks may even export sediment instead of importing it. 

    The monograph also highlights the nuanced role of marsh vegetation. Plant species and seasonal growth cycles significantly affect how much sediment is trapped and retained. Denser vegetation in spring and summer, for instance, can slow water flow and promote sediment deposition—but this effect varies widely by plant type and inundation level.

    As sea-level rise and human alterations continue to reshape estuaries, these insights are particularly important for assessing tidal marsh resilience. Sediment management is a key factor in whether tidal marshes can survive future climate conditions. For land managers and restoration practitioners, the study offers actionable information for planning sediment interventions—such as enhancing natural sediment delivery or restoring marsh-edge processes.

    China Camp’s relatively unaltered condition makes it a valuable reference point, but researchers emphasize that broader studies across different marsh types are essential. Every estuary has its own sediment-flux dynamics; understanding that variability is crucial for protecting these ecosystems. 

    Read the study, Marsh Sediment in Translation: A Review of Sediment Transport Across a Natural Tidal Salt Marsh in Northern San Francisco Bay, in San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Sherrill and Harshbarger Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Modernize Prescription Information

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) reintroduced the bipartisan Prescription Information Modernization Act, legislation designed to update how prescribing information (PI) is distributed to pharmacists and physicians. This long-overdue reform would allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to finalize a proposed rule permitting drug manufacturers to send prescribing information electronically instead of on printed paper — a change that would improve patient safety and reduce waste.

    “I’m focused on improving our healthcare system to ensure healthcare providers are able to provide the best possible care to patients,” said Rep. Sherrill. “Under outdated rules, providers are prohibited from receiving prescribing information for medications digitally. This legislation would finally modernize our system, allowing pharmacists to access real-time updates on prescription medications that will ensure they can dispense medicines to patients safely while reducing waste at the same time.” 

    “Pharmacists and physicians deserve timely, accurate data when making decisions that impact patient health, not pages of printed material that often arrive late and are immediately discarded,” said Rep. Harshbarger. “This bipartisan bill is a practical update that empowers healthcare professionals with real-time digital access, cuts waste, and ensures patients are receiving the most up-to-date information. Thank you to my colleague, Representative Sherrill for working with me to bring prescribing information into the 21st century.”

    Currently, prescribing information — detailed technical documents intended for healthcare providers, not patients — must be printed and distributed on paper. These documents average 45 pages per prescription and are often bulky, outdated, and discarded soon after arrival. This outdated system, established in 1962, creates significant waste and environmental harm, with roughly 90 billion sheets of paper printed annually to comply with the mandate.

    In 2014, the FDA proposed a rule to allow electronic distribution of prescribing information, but Congress has blocked the rule’s finalization through appropriations riders, forcing providers to continue receiving paper copies that are often outdated as it takes up to 8 to 12 months from printing to shipment of the information. This legislation would give providers the choice of how they receive prescribing information and allow them to opt for digital delivery that offers real-time updates — improving patient care and reducing environmental waste.

    This legislation has drawn support from leading pharmacy and healthcare advocacy organizations, including the Alliance to Modernize Prescribing Information (AMPI) and the following groups: Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), Allergy & Asthma Network, American Pharmacists Association, AmGen, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Association for Accessible Medicines, Beyond Type 1, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, BioNJ, BioUtah, Boomer Esiason Foundation, Environmental Paper Network, Georgia Bio, Healthcare Distribution Alliance, HealthCare Institute of New Jersey, LUNGevity Foundation, Lupin, Maryland Tech Council, MassBio, McKesson, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, National Consumers League, National Grange, NewYorkBIO, North Carolina Biosciences Organization, Texas Healthcare and Biosciences Institute, and Zero Cancer.

    Additional sponsors of this legislation include Reps. David Valadao (R-CA), Don Davis (D-NC), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Scott Peters (D-CA), Julia Letlow (R-LA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Steve Womack (R-AR), and Paul Tonko (D-NY).

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CFTC Staff Issues No-Action Letter to MIAX Futures Exchange, LLC

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    CFTC Staff Issues No-Action Letter to MIAX Futures Exchange, LLC | CFTC

    /PressRoom/PressReleases/9090-25
    Skip to main content

    June 25, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Market Oversight today issued a no-action letter stating it will not recommend an enforcement action against MIAX Futures Exchange, LLC in connection with the temporary provision for the trading of Minneapolis Hard Red Spring Wheat options on futures (HRSW Options) exclusively through block trades, subject to the conditions in the letter. 
    The no-action position is intended to enable market participants, including those who are not Eligible Contract Participants as defined in section 1a(18) of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), to trade out of or offset open positions.
    MIAX sought the requested relief due to the upcoming unavailability of an electronic trading system for HRSW Options. The proposed relief was open to public comment from June 23-25, 2025. 
    The time-limited no-action position is effective from June 29 – August 29, 2025. 

    -CFTC-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Nick Langworthy Announces FAA Grants for Cattaraugus County Olean Airport

    Source: US Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) announced the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded $313,813 to the Olean Airport for phase 2 of their rehabilitation project which consists of rehabilitating a parking lot and construction of a new lighting system. The FAA also awarded a second grant of $87,400 for improving an existing terminal.

     

    “Investing in our local airports is essential to strengthening our regional infrastructure and economy,”said Congressman Langworthy.“I’m proud to support these FAA grants, which will help the Olean Airport make needed upgrades that improve safety, access, and future growth opportunities for our communities.”

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Nathaniel Moran Participates in Small Business Tax Roundtable with U.S. and Tyler Chambers

    Source: Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01)

    On Friday, Congressman Nathaniel Moran (TX-01) participated in a Small Business Tax Roundtable hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, where local business leaders and small-business owners from across East Texas gathered to discuss the real-world impact of federal tax policy.

    Tyler, TX – On Friday, Congressman Nathaniel Moran (TX-01) participated in a Small Business Tax Roundtable hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, where local business leaders and small-business owners from across East Texas gathered to discuss the real-world impact of federal tax policy. The conversation focused on the need to make permanent key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—such as 100% immediate expensing, the increased Qualified Business Income Deduction to 23%, and expanded Small Business and R&D incentives—all central components of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB).

    “I’m grateful to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, local leaders, and business owners who joined us for this important discussion,” said Congressman Moran. “These conversations and their insight are exactly what we need to shape tax policy that actually works. When it comes to businesses, the One Big Beautiful Bill is about incentivizing innovation and investment, rewarding hard work, protecting small businesses from burdensome taxation and regulations, and making sure businesses in East Texas can grow, hire, and thrive without Washington getting in the way. These conversations remind us of who we’re fighting for—and why passing the OBBB matters.”

    Community and chamber leaders emphasized the importance of smart tax policy and shared firsthand how it affects their region:

    James Sheridan, Board Chair of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, reflected on the roundtable: “It was an honor to host today’s roundtable and highlight the importance of the One Big Beautiful Bill. Extending the 23% deduction for pass-through income—set to expire at the end of this year—will provide meaningful relief to local business owners. By lowering tax rates and expanding this deduction, the law gives entrepreneurs more breathing room to invest in their operations, hire new employees, and support their communities. From family-owned shops in Tyler to service providers across the region, East Texas businesses have thrived under a tax code that rewards hard work and encourages growth.”

    Mark Robinson, Board Chair of the East Texas Coalition, added: “On behalf of the East Texas Coalition, representing Kilgore, Lindale, Longview, Tyler, and Whitehouse Chambers of Commerce, we’re encouraged to see national momentum around key provisions that matter most to our region, particularly the reauthorization of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the Senate’s recent adjustments to expand short-term Pell Grant eligibility. These provisions directly align with what our employers are asking for: more skilled workers, faster. We also support efforts to streamline federal permitting processes that will boost energy and infrastructure development. These are essential to driving investment, job creation, and long-term economic competitiveness in East Texas.”

    John Gonzales, Executive Director of the Southwest/South Central Region for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said: “The U.S. Chamber thanks Congressman Nathaniel Moran for his tireless work to ensure his East Texas small businesses and working families continue to benefit from the pro-growth policies enacted in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The economic impact of lower rates has helped businesses of all sizes in the district. As a member of the Ways and Means committee, Congressman Moran is working hard to promote jobs and economic growth in the 1st District of Texas.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –