NewzIntel.com

Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNESCO brings together World Heritage site managers from Costa Rica and Panama to promote sustainable tourism

    Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

    Site managers and park rangers from Costa Rica and Panama responsible for the transboundary World Heritage site of Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves/La Amistad National Park gathered from 8 to 11 July 2025 to discuss how to enhance sustainable tourism at the site.

    Organized in the framework of the UNESCO project ‘Communities for Heritage – Latin America and the Caribbean’, financed by Saudi Arabia, the workshop took place in the Las Cruces Biological Station, located in San Vito de Coto Brus, Costa Rica.

    Extending along the border between Panama and Costa Rica, the Talamanca Range–La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park encompasses a vast mountainous wilderness where exceptional biodiversity, wetland ecosystems, and cross-border conservation efforts come together. In addition to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is also recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance – making it one of the most comprehensively protected natural landscapes in Central America.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Tax Time 2025 update – 15 July

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Welcome and governance

    The ATO Co-chair welcomed members and ATO attendees to the Tax Practitioner Stewardship Group (TPSG) Tax Time 2025 meeting.

    ATO Updates

    Frontline Services

    We confirmed 1.6 million lodgments have been received. This is a 10% decrease from the same time last year, indicating that our messaging around ‘wait to lodge’ is working with taxpayers choosing to lodge later. Lodgment numbers for self-preparers have decreased 6% and agents down 11% compared to this time last year. We emphasised that it is too early to make any assumptions around these numbers and expect this to level out as tax time progresses.

    We have received 44,000 calls from agents, which is 10% down from last year. We highlighted this is as expected, noting call numbers typically follow lodgment trends.

    As of 14 July, there have been 467,000 refunds issued to taxpayers, totalling almost $1.2 billion with an average refund amount of around $2,500. With safety nets released, the first refunds landed into taxpayers’ accounts on Friday 11 July as planned.

    IT system updates and maintenance

    Tax Time Support systems are currently marked green and operating well.

    There was a system glitch with myGov login identified with Services Australia impacting Online Services for Individuals, however this has now been resolved. Individuals using the ATO app were not impacted during this time.

    ATO Digital services

    We noted that digital services are operating as intended and there is nothing to report.

    ATO Communications

    We have started to see social media attention from taxpayers expressing disappointment in their refund amounts or shock at a tax debt. We noted this reinforces the need for the ‘back to basics’ approach with education and communication.

    We have recently updated key tax time resources in 19 languages to help support tax professionals who have clients who prefer information in languages other than English.

    The ATO’s Tax and Super Basics media and social media campaign commenced on 13 July, targeting diverse language communities with information to support them with their tax and super obligations.

    We continue to support tax practitioners by promoting the ATO’s troubleshooting guide, which can help tax agents get up-to-date information about the availability of ATO online systems and known issues.

    As the quarterly BAS lodgment date nears, we are reminding businesses about the due date, and that they may get until 25 August to lodge and pay if they lodge through a registered tax or BAS agent.

    ATO communications is highlighting the importance of providing the correct information about family income to private health insurance providers to ensure taxpayers received the right private health insurance rebate.

    Member comments

    Members expressed the need for a cultural shift around taxpayers’ entitlement to a tax refund. They stated an increasing number of taxpayers are posting to social media their dissatisfaction when they receive an unexpected tax bill at tax time.

    We acknowledged that there are many reasons why a taxpayer may receive a tax bill, i.e. gig economy, multiple incomes, PAYGI etc. Members queried if ATO communications can share greater awareness around why some taxpayers may be receiving a tax bill.

    Small Business

    We have released the Small Business Tax Time toolkit, which has useful information, guides and tools to help small business taxpayers stay informed and organised this tax time.

    We have rectified an issue raised relating to ATO website links directing some users to old content. This issue was resolved within 48 hours of being identified and all links are linking to the right content.

    Superannuation

    As of Monday morning 14 July, 83% of Single Touch Payroll (STP) records have been finalised. There were additional reminders issued on Friday 11 July through ATO social media channels.

    We reminded tax agents to ensure employers who haven’t lodged their STP finalisation declarations as of COB Monday 14 July, to do so without delay as they are now overdue. Doing so will ensure employees have the right information to lodge their 2024–25 income tax returns.

    Tax agents should make sure their clients have finalised data for all employees paid during the financial year. This includes employees that their clients may have not paid in a while, like employees or casuals who stopped work for them during the year.

    Individuals

    We will issue a media release around how to help protect yourself against scams next week. We prompted tax agents to remind their clients to be cautious of scams during tax time.

    Member comments

    Members queried whether there are any plans to issue comms to inform taxpayers who they should contact if they suspect instances of fraud. We confirmed this media release is to educate taxpayers and share the Verify or report a scam | Australian Taxation Office link to help taxpayers recognise any warning signs of tax scams, verify a suspected scam or report a scam.

    Member Insights and Experience

    Member comments

    A member raised reports from tax agents that they are receiving correspondence for incorrect clients through Practice Mail in OSfA. We requested further details to investigate this matter.

    A member raised an issue in relation to a super lump sum amount not being visible in pre-fill. We acknowledged the previously identified CSC issue and requested further details to understand if this matter is related.

    A member raised a question around the frequency of PAYGI correspondence to tax agents. We asked for examples of these correspondences to investigate this further.

    Useful links

    MIL OSI News –

  • Sensex, Nifty open lower amid FII selling pressure

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Indian equity indices opened lower on Friday, with heavyweights such as Axis Bank and Bharti Airtel among the top losers on the BSE benchmark.

    At 9:25 am, the Sensex was down 171 points or 0.21% at 82,087, while the Nifty slipped 35 points or 0.14% to 25,075.

    In the Sensex pack, M&M, Tata Steel, Power Grid, L&T, UltraTech Cement, Infosys, Tata Motors, BEL, NTPC, TCS, Trent, and Maruti Suzuki emerged as top gainers. On the other hand, Axis Bank, Bharti Airtel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tech Mahindra, HDFC Bank, Eternal (Zomato), HUL, Sun Pharma, Bajaj Finance, ICICI Bank, Titan, and Bajaj Finserv were among the major losers.

    On the sectoral front, auto, IT, PSU banks, metal, realty, media, energy, infrastructure, PSE, and commodities witnessed gains, while financial services, FMCG, and private banks traded in the red.

    “In July so far, India has underperformed most global markets, with the Nifty slipping by 1.6%. A key contributor to the decline has been consistent selling by FIIs. There’s a clear pattern in FII activity this year,” said Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.

    “They were net sellers in the first three months, turned buyers for the next three, and now in the seventh month, the trend has again shifted toward selling — unless some positive triggers reverse the current downtrend,” he added.

    On the institutional front, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers for the second consecutive session on July 17, offloading equities worth ₹3,694 crore. Meanwhile, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continued their buying streak for the ninth straight session, purchasing equities worth ₹2,820 crore.

    Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research at Axis Securities, noted that the Nifty ended lower for the fifth time in seven sessions on Thursday, but still held above the rising trendline drawn from the May 9 lows.

    “Technically, Thursday’s daily candle formed a bearish engulfing pattern, which aligns with our earlier view — that a close above 25,245 and then 25,340 was necessary for bulls to regain control. Hence, 25,000 remains a crucial support level, while 25,340 acts as key resistance,” he said.

    In Asia, markets were mostly trading in the green, with Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Jakarta posting gains, while Tokyo and Seoul traded lower. US markets closed higher on Thursday, buoyed by positive investor sentiment.

    -IANS

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Pacific – Solomon Islands’ East Malaita Constituency retires 2024 CDF, submits 2025 annual work plan

    Source: Government of the Solomon Islands

    The East Malaita Constituency (EMC) has formally submitted its 2024 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Expenditure Report to the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), demonstrating a commitment to transparency, accountability, and compliance with the reporting obligations outlined in Section 29 of the CDF Act 2023.

    The submitted report details the disbursement of about $3.88 million in CDF funds allocated to each constituency for the 2024 financial year. The presentation was made by the Member of Parliament for EMC, Honourable Manasseh Maelanga.

    During the submission, Hon. Maelanga also presented the constituency’s 2025 Annual Work Plan (AWP), which outlines community development programs and initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods and fostering sustainable growth within the constituency.

    Representing the MRD, PS John Misite’e acknowledged the submission as a positive step forward.

    He emphasized that the Ministry remains committed to implementing the CDF legislation and providing guidance to ensure proper administration of constituency programs within this legal framework.

    PS Misite’e highlighted the importance of annual reports, including financial expenditure reports, as critical documents for organizational accountability and transparency, especially when public resources are involved.

    “These reports reinforce transparency and demonstrate accountability in the use of public funds,” he said.

    He also commended Hon. Maelanga and his constituency officers for their diligent efforts in fulfilling their reporting obligations.  He also thanked other constituencies that have already submitted their 2024 CDF reports.

    PS Misite’e called on remaining constituencies to submit their reports by July 31st, reiterating the urgency and importance of compliance. “I urge all constituencies to come forward with their reports soon,” he emphasized.

    Hon. Maelanga, on behalf of the people of East Malaita and his constituency officers, expressed his happiness in submitting the report and pledged ongoing support to the MRD to ensure annual compliance with legal reporting requirements.

    He noted that most of the EMC 2024 budget was allocated to road infrastructure, education support, medical assistance, administration, and other sectors vital to community development.

    Hon. Maelanga reaffirmed EMC’s commitment to its mandate and continued support and purpose to collaborate with MRD, other government agencies, and stakeholders to implement effective development initiatives that will improve the livelihoods of his constituents.

    He extended heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry, his constituency officers, stakeholders, communities, and all supporters of development initiatives undertaken under his leadership.

    The CDF Act 2023 was passed by Parliament on December 22, 2023, and came into effect on January 5, 2024. This legislation makes it clear that any offences committed by recipients of the CDF after this commencement date are subject to penalties.

    Penalties apply to constituents, Members of Parliament, and public officers who commit offences such as:

    Misappropriates any funds or assets from the fund; or
    Advances materials and cash from a supplier without prior approval from the responsible ministry; or
    Fraudulently converts project assets or materials to his own use or to the use of some other person; or
    Deliberately victimises non-voters by excluding them from receiving Constituency Development Funds projects and funds without justifiable grounds; or
    Assists or causes a person to misappropriate or apply the funds otherwise than in the manner provided in this Act and Regulations.

    With the new CDF legislation in place, it is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to adhere to the law, ensuring proper use of funds and avoiding legal penalties.

    We should view this legislation not as a threat but as a guide to conduct and accountability in managing development funds or public resources.

    The primary purposes of the CDF Act 2023 are:

    To strengthen good governance;
    To ensure improved and effective delivery mechanisms of the Constituency Development Funds and
    To promote equal and inclusive participation of all Solomon Islanders in development.

    Constituents and the public are encouraged to consult their respective constituency offices should they need to get more information about how their constituency offices implement their Constituency Development Program (CDP).

    Constituency Development Program is a national programme of the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) administered by the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD).

    It is implemented by the 50 constituencies in the country purposely to improve the socio-economic livelihoods of Solomon Islanders.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • Lula says he won’t take orders from foreigner Trump, calls tariffs blackmail

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday said he would not take orders over tariffs from a foreigner, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump, and later called the United States’ threatened duty “unacceptable blackmail.”

    The comments, made during two separate events, mark a continuation of a spat between the two leaders that escalated when the U.S. announced a 50% tariff on Brazil last week.

    Trump attributed the tariff, set to start in August, to Brazil’s treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro and to trade practices against U.S. companies that he said are unfair. The tariff announcement came days after Lula called Trump an “emperor” the world does not want.

    Lula and members of his cabinet have rejected the reasoning behind the tariffs and insisted on Brazil’s sovereignty, while calling for trade negotiations with the United States.

    “No foreigner is going to give orders to this president,” Lula said in a speech, using the slang word ‘gringo’, which in Brazil is a common term for foreigners without the pejorative sense it carries in other parts of Latin America.

    He added that Brazil would go ahead with regulation and taxation of U.S. tech firms, telling a gathering of leftist student activists in the state of Goias that tech firms are conduits of violence and fake news disguised as freedom of expression.

    Later on Thursday, during an evening TV and radio address to the nation, Lula said the defense of Brazil’s sovereignty extends to protecting itself against the actions of foreign digital platforms.

    During the near five-minute address, Lula said Brazil has been negotiating with the U.S. over tariffs, and repeated that the Latin America country had sent a proposal in May.

    “We expected a response, and what we received was unacceptable blackmail, in the form of threats to Brazilian institutions and false information about trade between Brazil and the United States,” Lula said.

    Brasilia has been holding discussions with industry groups and companies that will be affected by the U.S. tariff, while also readying potential retaliatory measures if talks fall through.

    Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told CNN Brasil separately on Thursday that Lula was open to talks with Trump, who had not yet met each other.

    “If the circumstances are given, they will speak,” he added.

    Lula, who is in his third non-consecutive term as president of Latin America’s largest economy, saw his approval ratings start to rebound after the trade spat with Trump last week.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI USA: Case Opposes Housing And Transportation, Energy And Water Funding Measures That Fail To Support Americans Facing Rising Housing, Energy And Transportation Costs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, today voted in full Committee against the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Appropriations and FY 2026 Energy and Water Appropriations measures.

    The FY 2026 housing and transportation bill proposes to spend $89.9 billion for HUD, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Department of Transportation, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This is a decrease of $4.5 billion from the FY 2025 enacted level.

    The $57.3 billion Energy and Water Appropriations bill funds the Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) civil works programs and various energy programs. This is a decrease of nearly $776 million from the FY 2025 enacted level.

    “While these measures fund many critical Hawai‘i priorities I requested, I regrettably had to vote against both bills because of massive cuts to federal program that help everyday Americans with rising housing, transportation and energy costs,” explained Case.

    The Transportation-HUD Appropriations bill included some important wins for Hawai‘i requested by Case including $5.5 million for Case’s Community Funding Projects (described below), as well as $18.3 million for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant and $28 million for the Native Hawaiian Housing Loan Guarantee Fund (for both of which programs the President’s budget has proposed $0). It also included Case’s request to continue funding for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which plays a crucial role in enhancing the safety of the helicopter and small aircraft industry through accident investigation, analysis and recommendations to prevent future incidents, including several fatal accidents throughout Hawai‘i.

    Despite these positives, Case said the bill poses significant risks to vulnerable communities by exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis and undercutting critical housing support systems. The bill eliminates the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the only federal program dedicated to developing new affordable rental and homeownership options. It also defunds the PRO Housing Program, which empowers local governments to address housing shortages. Together, these actions remove essential tools for expanding the affordable housing supply.

    The bill further harms Americans aspiring to homeownership by stripping funding from housing counseling assistance. The net effect of the bill threatens nearly 415,000 households that rely on HUD assistance, putting them at risk of eviction and housing instability.

    The Energy and Water Appropriations bill also included numerous wins for Hawai‘i requested by Case, including funding for USACE programs that aid in the preservation of Hawaii’s coastlines across all seven inhabited islands. Specifically, the bill includes $2 million to study avenues of protection for public infrastructure on small beaches from erosion and damage caused by storms and natural wave currents; $18 million for regional sediment management, construction, operations and regulatory functions in the coastal zone; and $38 million for programs which manage aquatic weeds in public waters.

    Notably, one of Case’s highest priorities, an instruction to the USACE to complete a major update study for Honolulu Harbor, was included in the bill. This provision directs the USACE to investigate modifications to Honolulu Harbor to better handle the impacts of military operations in the state and throughout the Indo-Pacific as a whole, which can open up additional federal resources for the planned improvements of Honolulu Harbor. Also included in the bill is $9.5 million for USACE program that aids in the planning, designing and construction of small projects for commercial navigation purposes such as channels, breakwaters and jetties. This funding will aid in the investigation of best practices for Honolulu Harbor modifications.

    Despite these positives, Case opposed the measure in light of the widespread elimination of funding to advance clean, affordable and secure energy for Americans. The bill slashes vital clean energy funding nationwide, with Hawai‘i set to experience a cut of 31% on federal funding for clean energy projects and investments.

    “While the Energy and Water Appropriations measures fund many critical Hawai‘i and priorities I requested, regrettably the bill will increase energy costs for American families by revoking more than $5 billion in clean energy investments.

    “Without these federally funded programs and incentives, we risk falling dangerously behind our clean energy goals,” said Case. 

    Through his assignment on the Committee, Case secured the following seven Member-designated Community Project Funding (CPF) projects across the two bills that specifically focused on local needs in Hawai‘i:

    ·      $2 million for the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation to repair Aloha Tower, including replacing its 40-foot mast, repairing the crown of the tower and replacing its windows to weatherproof the landmark. This funding is essential to maintain Aloha Tower’s structural integrity, enhance public access and ensure that it remains a celebrated symbol of Honolulu’s history for generations to come.

    ·      $1 million for the City and County of Honolulu for its Waikīkī Vista Project. This project converts former Tokai University and Hawai‘i Pacific University classrooms into a consolidated, family-friendly emergency shelter and additional affordable housing units for low-income families. This investment will directly enhance the City’s ability to reduce family homelessness and expand affordable housing inventory in one of Hawaii’s most housing-challenged areas.

    ·      $850,000 for the City and County of Honolulu to support its Safe Harbor Support for Housing Survivors of Domestic Violence project. This funding will expand the Domestic Violence Action Center’s successful housing program by supporting property acquisition and staffing to increase safe and stable housing options for survivors and their children.

    ·      $850,000 for Kalihi Waena Elementary School to construct a new single-span pedestrian bridge with American with Disabilities Act-compliant access between Kūhiō Park Terrace and the school. The new bridge will replace dangerously deteriorating infrastructure and ensure safe and equitable access for students and community members.

    ·      $300,000 for Highlands Intermediate School to modernize and expand its media center infrastructure. The renovation will create a collaborative, technology-driven learning environment that fosters student creativity, innovation and digital literacy.

    ·      $250,000 for the Hawai‘i State Parks System and Hawai‘i Nature Center to upgrade educational and operational facilities, including classroom expansion and replacement of a sustainable wetland wastewater system supporting environmental education for thousands of Title I students annually.

    ·      $250,000 for the Hawai‘i State Broadband Office for broadband infrastructure development in our local community centers. Funding will be used toward essential network enhancements, including rewiring, electrical system upgrades and the installation of Wi-Fi access points to ensure reliable, high-speed connectivity.

    The House’s CPF rules require that each project must have demonstrated community support, must be fully disclosed by the requesting Member and must be subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office. Case’s disclosures are here: https://case.house.gov/services/funding-disclosures.htm.  


    Transportation-HUD Funding Bill

    More specifically, the bill includes the following funding requested by Case for programs to improve access to affordable housing in Hawai‘i and nationwide:

    ·      $18.3 million for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant Program, which supports the building, acquisition and rehabilitation of affordable homes.

    ·      $5 million for core housing research partnerships with Native Hawaiian serving institutions among other minority serving institutions.

    ·      $56 million for the Self-Help and Assisted Homeownership Opportunity Program.

    ·      $17 billion for project-based rental assistance.

    ·      $5.6 billion for the Community Development Fund, which includes $3.3 billion for the Community Development Block Grant formula program.

    ·      $4 billion for the Homeless Assistance Grants.

    Transportation and infrastructure programs requested and secured by Case include:

    ·      $380 million for the Maritime Security Program, $123 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program and $30 million for assistance to small shipyards like Kalaeloa/Barbers Point.

    ·      $64 billion for the Federal Highway Administration to improve the safety and long-term viability of our highways.

    ·      $23 billion for the FAA, including $10 billion to fully fund air traffic control operations and allow the FAA to hire 2,500 air traffic controllers to replace the retiring workforce.

    ·      $15 billion for the Federal Transit Administration.

    A summary of the Transportation-HUD Appropriations bill is available here.

    Energy and Water Funding Bill

    More specifically, the bill includes the following energy and water-related programs and provisions requested and secured by Case and of specific benefit to Hawai‘i: 

    ·      Language directing the USACE to investigate modifications to Honolulu Harbor to better accommodate the impacts of military operations in the state and throughout the Indo-Pacific as a whole.

    ·      $2 million for the USACE’s beach erosion and hurricane and storm damage reduction activities.

    ·      $40 million for flood control and coastal emergencies efforts.

    ·      $18 million for the USACE’s National Coastal Mapping Program, which provides high-resolution elevation and imagery data along the U.S. shorelines on a recurring basis which can provide a better understanding of human uses, issues and constraints in coastal regions.

    ·      $12 million for the USACE’s Aquatic Plant Control Program, which conducts research and development of biological, chemical, cultural and ecological capabilities for controlling invasive aquatic plants.

    ·      Language modifying a clean energy program under DOE that has been widely beneficial for Hawai‘i. The newly named Energy Technology Innovation Office, previously known as the Energy Transitions Initiative, supports island and remote communities by providing personalized technical and financial assistance. Case recently introduced legislation make to make this program permanent. (See here for more details.)

    ·      Language directing the DOE to investigate potential benefits of having small-modular nuclear reactors as a source of clean, domestically sourced electricity for remote, noncontiguous U.S. areas such as Hawai‘i.

    A summary of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill is available here. 

    These two bills are the 6th and 7th of twelve separate bills developed and approved by the Appropriations Committee that would fund the federal government at some $1.6 trillion for FY 2026 commencing October 1st of this year. The bills now move on to the full House of Representatives for its consideration.   

    ###

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: FACT CHECK: Frequency Holdings YCRM Issues Clarification On Procedural Judgment; No Liability to Company, Litigation Exposure Remains for Luciano Aguayo

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Frequency Holdings Inc. (OTC: YCRM), a Nevada public company, issues this clarification following a press release distributed on July 17, 2025, by Luciano Aguayo, defendant in the original and now-defunct lawsuit brought by ReachOut Technology Corp., a former subsidiary of YCRM.

     The judgment referenced in the release has no financial or legal impact on YCRM. The company retains full ownership and operation of reacquired assets, including customer contracts and intellectual property.

    YCRM is Not Liable — But the Claims Against Aguayo Remain Alive

    The judgment does not affect YCRM. Claims originally brought against Mr. Aguayo, estimated during mediation at over $9 million, were dismissed without prejudice and remain enforceable. These may be reasserted at any time by the current rights holder. The new owner of ReachOut Technology Corp. may pursue these claims at any time.

    Court Judgment Was Procedural — Not a “Vindication”

    Contrary to the implication of Mr. Aguayo’s release, the default judgment was issued due solely to ReachOut Technology Corp.’s lack of legal representation following its sale. No discovery had begun, depositions given, or evidence presented at the time of judgement. The court’s judgment was procedural, as stated in official hearing minutes, it had nothing to do with the facts or truth of the case. It happened because the previous subsidiary had no lawyer at the time.

    Aguayo’s Allegations About Contradict Court Records

    Court documents confirm that Attorney Matt Nirider left his law firm (Nelson Mullins) for an in-house role. The motion to withdraw explicitly states: “Following Attorney Nirider’s departure, ReachOut and Jordan desire to retain new counsel.” The firm’s withdrawal was based solely on attorney movement and client choice, not adverse facts.

    Misleading Affidavit Falsely Cited As “Testimony” – Former Employee Was Fired for Cause

    The misleading statement referenced as “under oath in federal court” was not court testimony at all but an affidavit from a former employee terminated for job abandonment, underperformance, and later found to have a conflict of interest for undisclosed side business activity. She was not subject to cross-examination and faces credibility challenges in any proceedings.

    Customer Contracts Were Reacquired and Remain Active

    In April 2025, YCRM publicly disclosed its reacquisition of customer contracts, intellectual property, and operational assets of the original ReachOut Technology Co. These are now under a new, fully operational subsidiary. This deal is wholly unrelated to the dismissed lawsuit and affirms YCRM’s continuity and commercial strength.

    Rick Jordan, CEO of Frequency Holdings, stated: “We’re not going to let misinformation distract from the reality we’ve built. Our clients stayed. Our business is stronger than ever. And anyone trying to rewrite history for their own PR stunt should be careful what they invite.”

    YCRM reserves all rights. All legal remedies remain available and active. Any future litigation against Aguayo, whether civil or criminal in nature, remains entirely within the discretion of the asset holder.

    This statement is provided solely for the benefit of shareholders, regulators, and stakeholders, and does not constitute an admission, denial, or waiver of any legal right or position.

    PR Contact:
    Cheryl Conner
    SnappConner PR
    801-806-0150
    info@SnappConner.com
    PR@frequencyhold.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Money Market Operations as on July 17, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 6,09,521.02 5.30 4.75-6.35
         I. Call Money 18,360.64 5.35 4.75-5.40
         II. Triparty Repo 4,06,012.65 5.28 5.24-5.32
         III. Market Repo 1,82,713.18 5.34 5.00-6.00
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 2,434.55 5.48 5.42-6.35
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 205.10 5.33 4.95-5.50
         II. Term Money@@ 751.50 – 5.20-5.68
         III. Triparty Repo 1,079.00 5.30 5.30-5.30
         IV. Market Repo 189.34 5.50 5.50-5.50
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Thu, 17/07/2025 1 Fri, 18/07/2025 808.00 5.75
    4. SDFΔ# Thu, 17/07/2025 1 Fri, 18/07/2025 1,06,279.00 5.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -1,05,471.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo Tue, 15/07/2025 3 Fri, 18/07/2025 57,450.00 5.49
      Fri, 11/07/2025 7 Fri, 18/07/2025 1,51,633.00 5.49
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       5,857.45  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -2,03,225.55  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -3,08,696.55  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks          
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on July 17, 2025 9,69,527.82  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending July 25, 2025 9,63,288.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ July 17, 2025 0.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on June 27, 2025 5,79,904.00  

    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).

    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.

    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.

    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.

    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.

    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/735

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI China: Overseas Chinese join Belt and Road Initiative

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

    CHONGQING, July 18 — The first Belt and Road Conference for Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development opened in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality on Thursday, aiming to harness the strength of the overseas Chinese communities to advance the Belt and Road Initiative.

    Deals worth 43.79 billion yuan (about 6.13 billion U.S. dollars) covering 66 projects across green energy, cross-border trade, advanced manufacturing and digital economy sectors were signed at the conference.

    The conference also launched the Belt and Road Overseas Chinese Business Network, with founding members representing Chinese business organizations from 72 countries and regions. The network aims to integrate global Chinese business resources and promote cooperation in trade, science, technology and culture.

    Ten exemplary “Overseas Chinese for Belt and Road” cases, highlighting contributions in fields such as new energy, manufacturing and humanitarian aid, were released.

    Jointly organized by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the governments of Chongqing and Sichuan Province, the event brought together over 500 overseas Chinese representatives from more than 110 countries and regions.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • PM Modi to visit Bihar, West Bengal today, unveil development projects worth over Rs 12,000 crore

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Bihar and West Bengal today (Friday), where he will launch a range of developmental projects worth over Rs 12,000 crore. After giving a major thrust to infrastructure development in both states, PM Modi will also address public gatherings in Motihari in Bihar and Durgapur in West Bengal.

    The projects, amounting to over Rs 7,200 crore for Bihar and over Rs 5,000 crore for Bengal, aim to elevate the region’s connectivity and overall infrastructural growth, while boosting employment, rural livelihoods and digital innovation.

    In Motihari, PM Modi will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for projects across rail, road, IT, fisheries and rural development sectors. He will flag off four Amrit Bharat Express trains connecting Patna, Motihari, Darbhanga and Malda Town to major northern cities including Delhi and Lucknow.

    Key railway projects in Bihar include the inauguration of automatic signalling on the Samastipur-Bachhwara line and the doubling of Darbhanga-Thalwara and Samastipur-Rambhadrapur sections worth Rs 580 crore.

    The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for rail infrastructure projects including a Vande Bharat maintenance facility at Patliputra and doubling of the Darbhanga-Narkatiaganj line, amounting to Rs 4,080 crore.

    In road infrastructure, PM Modi will launch the four-laning of the Ara bypass and Parariya-Mohania section of NH-319 with a combined investment of Rs 820 crore, improving access to the Delhi-Kolkata Golden Quadrilateral.

    To foster Bihar’s digital economy, the Prime Minister will inaugurate a Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) facility in Darbhanga and an incubation centre in Patna, boosting start-ups and IT/ITES exports.

    Under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, he will launch new fisheries infrastructure including hatcheries, aquaculture units and fish feed mills.

    PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Bankura and Purulia districts of West Bengal, worth around Rs 1,950 crore to give a boost to Oil and Gas infrastructure in the region. It will provide PNG connections to households, commercial establishments and industrial customers and provide CNG at the retail outlets.

    PM Modi will also dedicate to the nation the Durgapur to Kolkata section (132 Km) of Durgapur-Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline and Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline, also known as Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) Project. (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI China: PwC chairman: CISCE is important for innovation and collaboration

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

    Mohamed Kande, global chairman of PwC, said China International Supply Chain Expo is a significant event as the firm makes its debut as an exhibitor this year. 

    According to Kande, the global professional services provider is showcasing its complete service ecosystem covering entire industrial and supply chains at this year’s expo.

    Ren Hongbin (right), chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, meets with Mohamed Kande (center), global chairman of PwC, and Hemione Hudson, chair and CEO of PwC China, at the PwC booth of the 3rd CISCE in Beijing on July 16, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

    “I am honored to be in Beijing for this significant event,” Kande said. “The expo is an important gathering for innovation and collaboration, helping to strengthen the sustainable development of global manufacturing and international supply chains. Many of the companies participating are our clients, and their presence reflects the strength and potential of the Chinese market.”

    He added, “At PwC, we are focused on working with our clients around the world on their reinvention journey while serving as a part of the professional services ecosystem that underpins the Chinese and international markets.”

    At this year’s expo, PwC took the low-altitude economy, an emerging industry within the advanced manufacturing sector with a potential market size close to $500 billion by 2035, as its core exhibition theme and designed a unique “cross-sectional” booth display. 

    The booth includes a showcase of how PwC is supporting the development of sustainable global supply chains, creating a rich value landscape in both the Chinese and global markets. This is coupled with a vertical, in-depth perspective to reveal how PwC provides full lifecycle support, helping Chinese companies build strength and transform their market competitiveness.

    According to PwC representatives at the booth, the firm has also collaborated with ecosystem partners in the low-altitude economy sector to jointly exhibit a “manned intelligent electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.” Through immersive installations, the exhibition vividly demonstrates how PwC’s global professional services drive the transformation of cutting-edge technologies into advanced manufacturing capabilities while accelerating the bi-directional integration of cross-border supply chains with the Chinese market.

    According to PwC’s recent report “Value in Motion,” manufacturing is transforming through “fourth industrial revolution” technologies like automation, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence. Emerging players, including IoT companies, AI firms, cybersecurity experts, and robotics manufacturers, are revitalizing the sector. The report predicts manufacturing companies that transcend traditional industry boundaries and respond to emerging sector demands will create substantial new economic growth. By 2035, the manufacturing sector is expected to contribute over $34 trillion to global GDP.

    The PwC booth at the third China International Supply Chain Expo features the low-altitude economy as its central theme with a distinctive cross-sectional display. [Photo/China.org.cn]

    “Manufacturing and supply chains are transforming across the world,” said Hemione Hudson, chair and CEO of PwC China. “The expo is a great opportunity for companies to showcase their achievements and learn from each other.”

    She continued, “China is a global leader in advanced manufacturing and seizing the opportunity it presents will be crucial for the continued success of the Chinese economy. Moving towards higher quality production requires transformation across the manufacturing sector – with greater emphasis on strengthening resource models and building robust risk management. At PwC, we aim to help our clients build momentum by providing the support and expertise needed to unlock new growth opportunities.”

    The third CISCE, hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, opened on Wednesday in Beijing and runs through Sunday. As the world’s first national-level expo focused on supply chains, it has become a key platform for international business cooperation and shared development.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government supports Anti-Corruption pilot

    Source: New Zealand Government

    A cross-agency Anti-Corruption Taskforce pilot highlights the Government’s commitment to protecting public funds and upholding integrity across the state sector, Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Public Service Minister Judith Collins say.

    The taskforce is led by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), supported by NZ Police and the Public Service Commission, and brings together counter fraud and enforcement expertise to identify and combat corruption and fraud risks faced by the public sector. 

    “The taskforce’s work will build a clearer intelligence picture of the threats that face our public sector. This is about taking proactive action to ensure our prevention and response system remains resilient and fit for purpose,” Mr Mitchell says.  

    “The public sector accounts for a third of the economy and the pilot is a critical step in protecting and enhancing New Zealand’s reputation as an attractive place to invest.

    “Every dollar of public funding counts, and preventing the unlawful taking of taxpayer money is something we take very seriously.”

    Ms Collins says the taskforce supports the Government’s broader public integrity agenda.

    “New Zealand is widely respected as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, and we intend to keep it that way,” Ms Collins says.

    “By increasing transparency, identifying risks and encouraging ethical conduct across the public sector, this taskforce will help maintain trust in our institutions.

    “Fighting corruption is not just about prosecution, it’s about leadership, accountability and promoting a culture of integrity.”

    The taskforce will begin with a pilot project requiring a group of public sector agencies to assess their fraud and corruption prevention and detection systems. This will include reporting on offending detected and prevented, and the controls agencies have in place to protect public funds.

    Participating agencies are the Department of Corrections, Land Information New Zealand, Inland Revenue, ACC, Ministry of Social Development and Sport New Zealand.

    The pilot will inform the Government’s future approach to counter-fraud and corruption capability across the state sector, with a public report to be released following its completion.

    The Anti-Corruption Taskforce follows the SFO’s launch of a national campaign to tackle Foreign Bribery and new online reporting platform for whistleblowers earlier this year, further strengthening New Zealand’s anti-corruption response.

    More information about the Taskforce is available on the SFO’s website: https://www.sfo.govt.nz/fraud-and-corruption/what-we-do/anti-corruption-taskforce-pilot 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Consulting on sustainable investment labels

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    Today the Albanese Labor Government is starting consultation on sustainable investment product labelling, to give investors more confidence to put more capital to work in sustainable products.

    The release of this paper is a key step in implementing the Government’s Sustainable Finance Roadmap.

    The Roadmap is all about helping to mobilise the capital required for Australia to become a renewable energy superpower, modernising our financial markets and maximising the economic opportunities from net zero.

    This consultation paper seeks views from investors, companies and the broader community on a framework for sustainable investment product labels.

    These labels will help investors and consumers identify, compare, and make informed decisions about sustainable investment products to understand what ‘sustainable’, ‘green’ or similar words mean when they’re applied to financial products.

    A more robust and clear product labelling framework will help investors and consumers invest in sustainable products with confidence and help tackle greenwashing.

    This is another practical step in the Roadmap to improve how we measure progress, manage risk, demonstrate results and mobilise the investment we need to reach net zero and other sustainability goals.

    This phase of consultation will run from 18 July to 29 August and help the Government refine its design principles for the framework.

    The consultation paper is available on the Treasury consultation hub.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Media Release – Euthanasia numbers soar despite tiny workforce

    Source: Family First

    MEDIA RELEASE – 18 July 2025

    The latest review of euthanasia has just been released by the Ministry of Health – and despite a tiny workforce, there has been a continued growth in the number of those receiving assisted suicide.

    Family First has analysed the Registrar (assisted dying) Annual Report – June 2025

    Key findings include:

    • 472 people had assisted suicide – up from 344 in the previous 12 months – a 37% increase in assisted deaths in the last 12 months, and a 57% increase since the first full year of operation (2022).
    • 20% increase in applications
    • 80% NZ European/Pākehā. Virtually no Pasifika (<0.5%) and disproportionately few Māori (5%)
    • 12% of applicants had a disability
    • 242 applicants died before ‘needing’ euthanasia
    • the application process continues to shorten, now averaging only 14 days – down from 16 days in the previous report
    • less than 10% of applicants are for neurological conditions (the conditions frequently touted by proponents as the reason for needing euthanasia)
    • 85% of applicants are deemed eligible by the attending medical practitioner
    • 95% of second assessments (of those 85%) by an independent medical practitioner are deemed eligible

    On the positive side, the report says:

    “There have been occasions on which a person’s request for assisted dying has led to them exploring alternative care or services, such as optimising palliative care or additional social or wrap-around supports. In some cases, this resulted in the person rescinding (withdrawing) their application for assisted dying.”

    The report says that 33 people subsequently decided to withdraw their application.

    The report also highlights the very low number of medical professionals willing to be involved in euthanasia / assisted suicide – approximately 126 – despite attempts by the SCENZ to bolster the workforce. This is not surprising given the Hippocratic Oath / Declaration of Geneva made by medical professionals. Assisting suicide clashes with this ethical base.

    What is most disturbing is that more than one in five applicants (21%) weren’t receiving palliative care. The End of Life Choice Act only provides a ‘right’ to one choice – premature death. There is no corresponding right to palliative care. Good palliative care and hospice services are resource intensive; euthanasia would be cheaper. There is a new element of ‘financial calculation’ into decisions about end-of-life care. This is harsh reality. At an individual level, the economically disadvantaged who don’t have access to better healthcare could feel pressured to end their lives because of the cost factor or because other better choices are not available to them. Some hospitals have no specialist palliative care services at all.

    Of those deemed ineligible for euthanasia, 85% was because they didn’t meet the 6-month criteria, and approximately 40% also didn’t meet either the ‘unbearable suffering’ or the ‘irreversible physical decline’ requirement.

    The other significant red flag in the report is that just 10 applicants had a psychiatric assessment to check for both competence to make the decision, and for any presence of coercion.

    This latest data simply confirms that nothing in the law guarantees the protection required for vulnerable people facing their death, including the disabled, elderly, depressed or anxious, and those who feel themselves to be a burden or who are under financial pressure.

    The NZ Herald recently reported: “A specialist paediatric palliative care (PPC) doctor says New Zealand is falling behind other nations in its care of terminally ill children and the Government must step up to help.” And the demand for this specialist medical care will only increase significantly in the near future. Our population is ageing, and therefore the number of people requiring palliative care is forecast to increase by approximately 25% over the next 15 years and will be more than double that by 2061.

    Previous Governments have made little effort to address this growing problem and to increase funding for this essential service. Euthanasia is instead given priority and full Government funding.

    It’s time we focused on and fully funded world-class palliative care – and not a lethal injection.

    We can live without euthanasia.

    DOWNLOAD OUR FACT SHEET ON THE LAW https://familyfirst.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Euthanasia-Fact-Sheet.pdf

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – Talented scientists already lost thanks to Government: New PRO will struggle – PSA

    Source: PSA

    The PSA is criticising the Government’s announcement today on the establishment of the fourth Public Research Organisation, the New Zealand Institute of Advanced Technology (NZIAT), saying that they could struggle to deliver the science and research needed without the necessary talent and funding.
    “Our biggest concern here is that all the talented people who undertook groundbreaking research at Callaghan Innovation have likely already taken up jobs – many of them overseas,” Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi national secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons says.
    The PSA is New Zealand’s largest union and represents scientists, laboratory and support staff from the former Crown Research Institutes and in the newly formed Public Research Organisations.
    As of June, dozens of public researchers from Callaghan Innovation were made redundant. Many of the team were experts in subjects like artificial intelligence, which are at the centre of the NZIAT.
    While some areas of Callaghan Innovation were expected to transfer across to NZIAT (namely the Health Tech Activator and Product Accelerator), the number of staff in these areas is very small.
    “We said earlier this year that without a plan to transition large numbers of scientists, the Government is wasting the expertise that has been built up here.
    “How can you go for growth in the economy when the people who create all this value have already boarded a flight to Australia?
    “How can the Government, so hell-bent on saving costs, justify paying out redundancy payments to people whose skills they ultimately concede they need only a month after the redundancies have taken effect?”
    The PSA also says that there’s a question mark over how much science and research will be delivered by the NZIAT.
    “The funding – $231M over four years – sounds pretty good, but for this kind of science is actually low.
    “Plus Minister Reti’s announcement says the institute will invest in science and technology, not produce any new research. So about $60M per year in investment is a tiny platform.
    “The Government has essentially sucked up all the funding from Callaghan Innovation – which received about $85M a year – and redeployed less of it here.
    “We’re not fooled. There’s less money than ever going into public science, to the detriment of not only the New Zealand science community but everyone in Aotearoa.”
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 17th, 2025 Heinrich Leads Legislation to Protect Dreamers’ Data, Prevent DHS from Referring Dreamers to ICE & CBP

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) led the introduction of the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act, legislation to provide a statutory guarantee to current and prospective Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program applicants, also known as Dreamers, that the private information they provide in their applications will not be weaponized against them as the Trump Administration increases information sharing to advance their draconian mass deportation agenda.

    Last month, the Trump Administration gave Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personal data, including immigration status, on millions of Medicaid enrollees and announced it would require some undocumented immigrants to register with DHS. The Administration also finalized an agreement giving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to taxpayer data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, the Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) recently gained access to key immigration databases, including the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) Courts and Appeals System (ECAS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Data Business Intelligence Services, which contains information on noncitizens who have applied for DACA, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Unaccompanied Alien Children portal.

    The Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act will prohibit the DHS Secretary from disclosing information included in an individual’s application for the DACA program to law enforcement agencies, including ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), for any purpose other than the implementation of the DACA program, with limited exceptions.

    “Dreamers in New Mexico and across the country are frontline health care workers, teachers, firefighters, police officers, and scientists. These inspiring young people are Americans in every sense of the word except on paper, and they want nothing more than to be productive members of their communities. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration doesn’t care about any of that and is indiscriminately sharing the private information of Dreamers. We need to ensure that Dreamers’ private information is not weaponized against them and is protected — full stop,” said Heinrich. “That’s why, for years, I’ve championed the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act to safeguard Dreamers’ DACA application information and provide DACA applicants with a sense of security as they continue on their paths to citizenship. I call on Congress to quickly take up and pass my legislation to make sure Dreamers are able to stay in school, keep working and contribute to our economy, and remain in their homes and neighborhoods.”

    Since 2012, more than 825,000 people have received deferred action pursuant to DACA, contributing an estimated $140 billion to the U.S. economy in spending power and paying $40 billion in combined federal, payroll, state, and local taxes.

    In 2021, a federal district court judge paused the DACA program and prevented USCIS from approving any new DACA applications. Since then, USCIS has continued to accept and hold initial applications and more than 100,000 initial DACA applications are currently pending. Earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a decision limiting that 2021 injunction to just Texas, allowing USCIS to begin processing those pending applications from the other 49 states. However, USCIS has not done so, nor have they provided the public with a timeline for when those applications will begin to be processed. And many individuals who could be eligible for DACA fear that applying for the protections afforded by DACA will allow the Trump Administration to weaponize the information they provide against them or their family members.

    The Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act sends a clear message of support to the hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients and prospective applicants. Increased protections for their personal information are essential to make sure that they are not unfairly targeted for immigration enforcement and ensure that they can utilize the DACA program and continue to contribute to our communities in New Mexico and across the country without the fear of retribution.

    Specifically, the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act will:

    • Direct the DHS Secretary to protect the information included in an individual’s application to the DACA program from disclosure to ICE, CBP, and any other law enforcement agency for any purpose other than the implementation of the DACA program;
    • Prohibit the DHS Secretary from referring anyone with deferred enforcement protections pursuant to the DACA program to ICE, CBP, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and any other law enforcement agency; and
    • Provide limited exceptions for when an individual’s application information may be shared with national security and law enforcement agencies, namely:
      • To identify or prevent fraudulent claims;
      • For particularized national security concerns; and
      • For the investigation or prosecution of a felony, provided that the felony in question is not related to the applicant’s immigration status.

    The legislation is led by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D- Hawaii), John Fetterman (D-Penn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Angus King (I-Maine), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

    A one-page summary of the bill is here.

    The text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Granting of Overseas Clearing and Settlement Facility Licence to Clearstream Banking S.A.

    Source: Airservices Australia

    Granting of Overseas Clearing and Settlement Facility Licence to Clearstream Banking S.A.

    The RBA welcomes ASIC’s decision to grant Clearstream Banking S.A. (Clearstream) a clearing and settlement facility licence.

    Clearstream plays an important part in the Australian debt securities market. It is important the RBA and ASIC, as co-regulators of clearing and settlement facilities operating in Australia, are able to have sufficient oversight of such facilities. The licence granted by ASIC will support this oversight.

    The RBA has completed an initial licensing assessment of Clearstream against the relevant obligations under Part 7.3 of the Corporations Act 2001. The RBA and ASIC have also entered into a memorandum of understanding with Clearstream’s home regulators, Banque centrale du Luxembourg and the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier. The RBA will rely on the supervision of Clearstream’s home regulators, where appropriate, consistent with the Reserve Bank’s Approach to Supervising and Assessing Clearing and Settlement Facility Licensees.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 07.17.2025 Sens. Cruz and Padilla Lead Coalition to Introduce Bill Promoting Space Research and Exploration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and colleagues introduced the Space Exploration Research Act to promote aeronautical and space research, educate a 21st century space workforce, and enhance U.S. commercial competitiveness in the space and aerospace industries.
    The legislation authorizes the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to lease and lease-back certain property to alleviate roadblocks for the development and use of property adjacent to NASA facilities. The bill also helps Johnson Space Center (JSC) remain as a lead center for training and exploration activities, which will make Texas a hub for job growth in the space and aerospace industry.
    Sen. Cruz said, “This is a pivotal moment and exciting time for space exploration. A strong, strategic partnership between NASA and our thriving commercial space sector has made the U.S. a leader in space. This legislation is a big win for Texas jobs, American innovation, and national security. As China races to dominate the final frontier, the U.S. must stay ahead, which means continuing to promote space research and exploration here at home.”
    Sen. Padilla said, “California’s three NASA centers promote vital scientific research and support groundbreaking space innovations critical to our nation’s competitiveness. Our commonsense, bipartisan legislation would allow NASA centers in California and across the country to take advantage of unused facilities to generate revenue and advance scientific research, education, and training.”
    Joining Sens. Cruz and Padilla were Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
    Sen. Britt said, “Our space program is vitally important to both U.S. national and economic security. I am proud that Alabama and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center are right at the heart of fulfilling President Trump’s mission for space exploration. This commonsense measure will allow us to put unused properties to good use — advancing workforce training, allowing the transfer of aeronautical and space technologies to companies and universities, and ensuring our state remains a leader in space research. I’m proud to stand with Chairman Cruz in introducing this legislation.”
    Sen. Luján said,“New Mexico plays a big role in leading the country in space exploration and innovation. By strengthening partnerships between NASA and our universities, we can give more students in New Mexico the chance to get hands-on experience with space research. That’s why I’m proud to introduce a bill that will make it easier for NASA to team up with public and nonprofit groups, helping grow our space economy and create new opportunities.”
    Sen. Wicker said,“Innovation is critical to expanding America’s space exploration capabilities. NASA centers should have the resources and expertise to grow in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This legislation would enable Mississippi’s Stennis Space Center to maximize underutilized areas at its facilities.”
    BACKGROUND
    In June of 2023, as a part of a strategy to build a nearby hub of human spaceflight expertise, JSC announced a solicitation of proposals from civil and commercial entities for use of 240 acres of land on the western end of the property. The proposals were for the lease of all or a portion of the available undeveloped property.
    Texas A&M submitted a proposal to JSC, and the Texas State Legislature passed House Bill 1, which appropriated funding to the Texas Space Commission and Texas A&M University for the construction of facilities adjacent to JSC for mission training, research, and the curation of astronautical materials. Representatives from JSC and Texas A&M broke ground on the Texas A&M Space Institute at Exploration Park in November 2024.
    JSC has expressed interest in utilizing the capabilities of the Space Institute to supplement its facilities. This proposed legislation codifies the ability of NASA facilities to lease the land to state governments, universities, and non-profits. After the land and facilities are developed by the above parties, this legislation also allows NASA to lease back the facilities for its use.
    The Space Exploration Research Act aims to benefit a multitude of educational institutions, commercial space, and surrounding employers. The legislation enables access to cutting-edge facilities, provides students with hands-on opportunities to solve real-world space problems, and builds up a workforce for the rapidly growing space economy.
    Click here for the full bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff Urge Trump Administration to Reverse Staffing Cuts at the National Weather Service, Warn of Devastating Impacts in California

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Schiff Urge Trump Administration to Reverse Staffing Cuts at the National Weather Service, Warn of Devastating Impacts in California

    Senators: “The safety and lives of millions of Americans as well as the economic success of California depend on weather forecasts from the state’s NWS offices.”
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) demanded the Trump Administration reverse the staffing cuts at California National Weather Service (NWS) offices, which jeopardize critical weather services that people rely on during disasters, especially during an active fire season — where more than 2.3 million acres in California face significant fire risk. 
    “The safety and lives of millions of Americans as well as the economic success of California depend on weather forecasts from the state’s National Weather Service offices. Protecting human lives from severe weather events is not a partisan issue, and it is important that the NWS has the workforce required to meet its core mandate to protect human life,” wrote the Senators. 
    Two of the six NWS offices in California — Sacramento and Hanford, which are responsible for providing more than 7 million Californians with extreme weather warnings and information that helps the state’s agriculture industry — were most impacted by these staffing cuts. In their letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Acting Administrator Laura Grimm, the Senators also highlighted that reliable and high-quality weather forecasts are crucial to protecting Californians who face a year-round fire season from deadly consequences. 
    The Senators also emphasized that with the agricultural industry relying on NWS’ services, these staffing shortages may result in direct harm to farmers and economic losses for the state and country. 
    To date, NOAA has failed to be responsive to congressional inquiries on these issues and failed to provide a briefing on NWS staffing cuts in California as requested by Senator Schiff’s office.   
    Full text of the letter here is available here and below: 
    Dear Secretary Howard Lutnick and Administrator Laura Grimm:  
    We write to express deep concern regarding staffing reductions at the National Weather Service (NWS) and plans for Temporary Duty assignments (TDYs) in California, especially considering the already active fire season. On June 2, 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a statement outlining steps the agency will take to attempt to sustain mission-critical operations at NWS offices. This plan includes the use of TDYs to help fill workforce vacancies caused by the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to push federal employees out of the workforce. This reduction in the NWS workforce has left regional offices across California critically understaffed, endangering lives and threatening California’s economy.   
    There are six NWS offices across California—Eureka, Sacramento, San Francisco, Hanford, Los Angeles, and San Diego —and four other offices located in neighboring states which cover portions of California. The Sacramento and Hanford offices were most impacted by DOGE staffing reductions; the Sacramento office currently has a 50 percent vacancy rate, and the Hanford office has a 61.5 percent vacancy rate, one of the worst in the country. These two offices are responsible for providing more than 7 million Californians with extreme weather warnings. Understaffing has forced these offices to cut their hours of operation and limit forecasting and weather warnings. 
    The NWS provides warnings and forecasts for wildfires and burned areas, including issuing fire weather warnings, red flag warnings, burned area debris flow warnings, and other public weather-related preparedness information. In addition to providing information regarding severe weather to the surrounding populace, NWS meteorologists can also be assigned to specific fire incidents.3 NWS meteorologists provide the Incident Management Team (IMT) with real-time weather information such as thunderstorm activity (a high hazard due to lightning strikes) and fire weather (wind direction, wind speed, humidity, temperature, and other information). They also provide specialized information to helicopter and plane crews fighting incipient and ongoing fires, which is critical to the safe and effective management of fires. The significant staffing cuts to these NWS offices will affect standard fire weather forecasting and warnings and the safe execution of firefighting efforts, which can have fatal consequences.   
    More than 2.3 million acres in California face significant fire risk. There have been multiple dangerous fires so far this summer in California, including, the Ranch Fire near Los Angeles which burned 4,293 acres and forced evacuations of Apple Valley; a second near Mono Lake, which closed Highway 395 and forced evacuations of Mono City and Lundy Canyon; and a third, the Bonanza Fire, which forced evacuations near Shingle Springs, CA. Wind speed is strongly and consistently associated with the number of acres burned. This was definitely the case for the Eaton, Palisade, and Ranch Fires in Southern California where the strong Santa Ana winds drove fire spread. In California, fire is a year-round risk, and this reality requires consistent, high-quality, and reliable weather forecasting data to protect Californians 
    Critically, the Sacramento and Hanford offices provide forecasts specifically tailored to the needs of California’s $50 billion agriculture industry. These forecasts provide information that helps farmers plan their planting and harvesting cycles, which is especially important in California, where the climate fluctuates between wet and dry years. Staffing shortages at these NWS offices may result in direct harm to farmers, economic losses for the state and country, and a less stable food supply.   
    Even with the agency’s TDY plan, which will take time to implement and train relocated employees, NWS will suffer from hundreds of personnel shortages. We have serious concerns regarding this plan, which appears to be a temporary and inadequate fix, and its impact on California NWS offices. Consequently, we request answers to the following questions by July 31, 2025:  
    Please provide a breakdown of vacancies at California NWS offices by specialized roles. Please include information on vacancies prior to January 20, 2025, as well.  
    What is the minimum staffing level at the Sacramento and Hanford offices required to maintain 24/7 weather forecasts and weather balloon launches?  
    How many TDYs and new permanent employees will be added to California NWS offices? How long will these positions take to fill?  
    What is the anticipated impact to fire weather-related work? Will there be sufficient staffing to provide for incident-specific meteorologists?  
    What is the expected impact of these staffing shortages on farmers and the food supply chain?  
    The safety and lives of millions of Americans as well as the economic success of California depend on weather forecasts from the state’s NWS offices. Protecting human lives from severe weather events is not a partisan issue, and it is important that the NWS has the workforce required to meet its core mandate to protect human life. Thank you, and we look forward to your response. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: More invitations issued to the Economic Reform Roundtable

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    Today we have issued another round of invitations to the government’s Economic Reform Roundtable.

    The Roundtable is all about building consensus on long term economic reform, with a focus on resilience, productivity and budget sustainability.

    The latest round of invitees includes expert voices on economic policy, leaders with broad industry and policy experience, and important perspectives from regulators, the public sector and the states.

    It’s an outstanding group of people who we believe will make a big contribution to the future direction of economic reform.

    They are thought leaders who have been chosen for their ability to make meaningful contributions across a broad range of areas and across each of the three days.

    More invitations will be issued for participants to attend specific sessions, as the agenda takes shape.

    While we can’t invite representatives from every industry or organisation, everyone has the chance to have their say in this process with online submissions still open.

    Roundtable invitations issued today include:

    Sue Lloyd‑Hurwitz AM, Chair, National Housing Supply and Affordability Council

    Kerry Schott, Chair, Competition Review Expert Advisory Panel

    Matt Comyn, Chief Executive Officer, Commonwealth Bank of Australia

    Scott Farquhar, Chair, Tech Council of Australia

    Cath Bowtell, Chair, IFM Investors

    Ben Wyatt, Board Member, Woodside, and former Treasurer of Western Australia

    Ken Henry AC, Chair, Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation

    Andrew Fraser, Chair, Australian Retirement Trust, Chancellor, Griffith University and former Treasurer of Queensland

    Allegra Spender MP, Federal Independent Member for Wentworth

    Daniel Mookhey MLC, Chair, Board of Treasurers and NSW Treasurer

    Gina Cass‑Gottlieb, Chair, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

    Steven Kennedy PSM, Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

    Jenny Wilkinson PSM, Secretary, Department of the Treasury

    Invitations issued last month:

    Danielle Wood, Chair, Productivity Commission

    Sally McManus, Secretary, Australian Council of Trade Unions

    Michele O’Neil, President, Australian Council of Trade Unions

    Liam O’Brien*, Assistant Secretary, Australian Council of Trade Unions

    Joseph Mitchell*, Assistant Secretary, Australian Council of Trade Unions

    Bran Black, Chief Executive Officer, Business Council of Australia

    Andrew McKellar, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

    Innes Willox, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Industry Group

    Matthew Addison, Chair, Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia

    Cassandra Goldie, Australian Council of Social Service

    Ted O’Brien, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Treasurer

    *These participants will attend as alternates for the Secretary and President of the ACTU.

    Biographies

    Sue Lloyd‑Hurwitz AM

    Sue is the Chair of National Housing Supply and Affordability Council; a non‑executive director of Rio Tinto, Macquarie Group and INSEAD; and a Fellow of the University of Sydney Senate. Previously, Sue was CEO and Managing Director of Mirvac and President of Chief Executive Women.

    Dr Kerry Schott AO

    Kerry is a Director of AGL, Chair of the Carbon Market Institute and Chair of the Competition Review Expert Advisory Panel. Recently, she was Chair of the New South Wales Net Zero Emissions and Clean Economy Board, Chair of the Advisory Board to EnergyCo NSW, and an Adviser to Aware Super. Kerry brings extensive experience in transport, infrastructure and energy, across both business and government sectors.

    Matt Comyn

    Matt is the CEO and Managing Director of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Matt has over 25 years of experience in the banking sector, including as Managing Director of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s biggest digital business, CommSec, and brings extensive experience in digital adoption.

    Scott Farquhar

    Scott is the Co‑Founder of Atlassian, one of the world’s leading software collaboration companies and Australia’s first tech unicorn. Scott is a Founding Member and Chair of the Tech Council of Australia and is also the Co‑Founder of Skip Capital, a private fund investing in exceptional tech and infrastructure entrepreneurs.

    Cath Bowtell

    Cath is the Chair of IFM Investors, Industry Super Holdings and is a Director of Industry Fund Services. Cath has worked for many years in senior roles in both the superannuation industry and union movement. Cath is also currently the Chair of the Jobs and Skills Australia Ministerial Advisory Board.

    The Hon Ben Wyatt

    Ben is a former Treasurer of Western Australia and holds a number of current board positions, including for Woodside. Ben held a number of ministerial positions in WA and became the first Indigenous treasurer of an Australian parliament. Ben brings extensive knowledge of public policy, finance, international trade and Indigenous affairs.

    Dr Ken Henry AC

    Ken is an Australian economist and former public servant, including as Secretary of the Department of the Treasury from 2001 to 2011. Ken has held numerous positions in both government and the private sector, and is currently Chair of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation, the Nature Finance Council, and Wildlife Recovery Australia.

    The Hon Andrew Fraser

    Andrew is the Chair of the Australian Retirement Trust, Chancellor of Griffith University and a Director of the Bank of Queensland. He also works in the charity sector, where he serves as the Chair of Orange Sky Australia. Andrew is a former Deputy Premier and Treasurer of Queensland, and brings broad experience across the private and public sectors, and the charitable and education sectors.

    Allegra Spender MP

    Allegra is the Federal Independent Member for Wentworth. Prior to entering Parliament, Allegra worked as a business analyst at McKinsey, a policy analyst with UK Treasury and was later the Managing Director at Carla Zampatti Pty Ltd. Allegra was also previously the Chair of the Sydney Renewable Power Company, and CEO of the Australian Business and Community Network.

    The Hon Daniel Moohkey MLC

    Daniel is NSW Treasurer and the current Chair of the Board of Treasurers. Daniel has been a member of the NSW Legislative Council for over ten years and has delivered three Budgets in his over two years as the Treasurer of NSW.

    Gina Cass‑Gottlieb

    Gina is Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Gina has over 30 years’ experience advising on merger, competition and regulatory matters in Australia and New Zealand. Gina brings broad and deep experience on consumer and competition issues across the economy.

    Dr Steven Kennedy PSM

    Steven is Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and was previously Secretary to the Treasury. Prior to this, Steven was Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development between September 2017 and August 2019. In a public service career spanning more than 30 years, Steven has held a series of other senior positions.

    Jenny Wilkinson PSM

    Jenny Wilkinson commenced as Secretary to the Australian Treasury in June 2025, becoming the first woman to hold this position in its 124‑year history. Jenny was previously Secretary of the Department of Finance. During her career, Jenny has held other senior positions in Commonwealth Treasury, the Parliamentary Budget Office, the Department of Industry, the Department of Climate Change, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Reserve Bank of Australia.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Granting of Overseas Clearing and Settlement Facility Licence to Clearstream Banking S.A.

    Source: Reserve Bank of Australia

    Granting of Overseas Clearing and Settlement Facility Licence to Clearstream Banking S.A.

    The RBA welcomes ASIC’s decision to grant Clearstream Banking S.A. (Clearstream) a clearing and settlement facility licence.

    Clearstream plays an important part in the Australian debt securities market. It is important the RBA and ASIC, as co-regulators of clearing and settlement facilities operating in Australia, are able to have sufficient oversight of such facilities. The licence granted by ASIC will support this oversight.

    The RBA has completed an initial licensing assessment of Clearstream against the relevant obligations under Part 7.3 of the Corporations Act 2001. The RBA and ASIC have also entered into a memorandum of understanding with Clearstream’s home regulators, Banque centrale du Luxembourg and the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier. The RBA will rely on the supervision of Clearstream’s home regulators, where appropriate, consistent with the Reserve Bank’s Approach to Supervising and Assessing Clearing and Settlement Facility Licensees.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Help Reintroduce Bill to Help Families Get the Affordable Child Care They Need

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    July 17, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03) and their colleagues in reintroducing the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need.
    “For most working parents, affordable child care isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity,” said Duckworth. “Donald Trump ran on a promise to lower costs for working families—and yet, he and Republicans are prioritizing tax breaks to their billionaire donors, leaving families to fend for themselves. If Republicans really cared about lowering costs and supporting middle-class families, they’d help us pass this legislation to help solve our child care shortage and make quality, affordable care more accessible to every family who needs it.”
    “Working families in Illinois deserve high-quality, affordable, and reliable child care, but this necessity has become an out-of-reach luxury. While the cost of care continues to rise, President Trump has held up critical government funding and dished out tax breaks for billionaires rather than address the child care crisis,” said Durbin. “It’s time working families had better options. Under the Child Care for Working Families Act, parents would have better access to affordable child care, including pre-kindergarten programs, and caregivers would earn the living wages they deserve.”
    As President Trump and Republicans in Congress choose to spend trillions on new tax cuts for billionaires and the biggest corporations, kick Americans off their health care, cut kids off from nutrition assistance and raise costs on everyday essentials for working families, Democrats in Congress are continuing their push to help working people make ends meet—including by tackling the childcare crisis.
    The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceed median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal childcare office, held up childcare funding to states, held up Head Start funding and now created massive holes in states’ budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.
    The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the childcare crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages. The legislation would also dramatically expand access to pre-K and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increase wages for Head Start workers. Under the legislation, typical family in America will pay no more than $15 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family will pay more than 7% of their income on child care.
    The Child Care for Working Families Act would help:
    Make child care affordable for working families.
    The typical family earning the state median income would pay less than $15 a day for child care.
    No working family would pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
    Families earning below 85% of state median income would pay nothing at all for child care.
    If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts or Head Start agencies.

    Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:

    Addressing childcare deserts by providing grants to help open new childcare providers in underserved communities.
    Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
    Increasing childcare options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
    Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness and children in foster care.

    Support higher wages for child care workers.

    Childcare workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
    Childcare subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care.

    Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.

    States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
    States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
    If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts or Head Start agencies.

    Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.
    Along with Duckworth, Durbin and Murray, the legislation is cosponsored by 41 additional U.S. Senators—the most in the bill’s history: U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
    The full text of the bill is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.
    – 30 –

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur Statement at the Full Committee Markup of the 2026 Energy and Water Development Funding Bill

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

    Washington, DC — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Ranking Member of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the full committee’s markup of its fiscal year 2026 bill:

    Thank you very much, Chairman Cole. Ranking Member DeLauro, my dear friend, Chair Fleischmann and all the members as we gather today to mark up this Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development Bill. I have to restate, Chairman Fleischmann, I have truly appreciated working with you. You are always open to suggestions and, to all of our colleagues on this subcommittee that is a very, bipartisan subcommittee to develop and pass these bills, and our committee has long had this practice. We affect every single Congressional District in this country.

    I’m truly saddened that this vital subcommittee is, being steered yet again to return to a partisan process not caused by our subcommittee, but as we move forward with this Fiscal Year 2026 House bill.

    I would like to begin by thanking our diligent staff for all their hard work on this bill from the minority staff Scott McKee, Anisha Singh, and Adam Wilson, and on our personal staff, Kaitlin Ulin, TJ Lowdermilk, and Margaret McInnis. Truly thank you to you all.

    Engineered energy and water systems undergird America’s way of life. They are not optional, but essential to sustaining life. Of late, we have been piercingly reminded about our subcommittee’s purpose, especially as related to water management by the extreme flash flooding and tragic loss of over 132 lives, and with over 101 missing, in the Guadalupe River catchment area in Texas.

    The deadly West Virginia flash flooding this past month significantly damaged over 100 homes. Unfortunately, taking the lives of at least nine people, including a three year old, in Valley Grove, West Virginia. And we’ve seen flooding events in central North Carolina and New Mexico. All our hearts go out to the families of the victims and their communities. These tragedies inform us of the power of water and wild energy in our atmosphere. Not because of cloud seeding, but because of nature’s awesome power generated inside the thin seven layer atmosphere surrounding our spinning and rotating earth. Let me be clear. No matter how much members on the other side of the aisle want to pretend that the climate isn’t changing, for the record, the last ten years are the ten hottest in recorded history.

    So many have been held up on their plane flights back here. It’s an unusual change in the weather across this country, and members are personally experiencing these delays, as are the American people. These recent floods are made worse by the heating atmosphere. We had four 1,000 year floods last week alone. That is a record.

    So far in July, our country has seen over 1,200 flooding events, more than double the normal for an average July, and we’re just halfway through the month. Constitutionally, it is our sworn duty to prepare and protect the people in our communities, and it is hard to accept that no warning sirens had been installed along the Guadalupe River, despite prior tragedies along that very treacherous corridor. Our nation needs to install warning systems and build resilient infrastructure, and we are behind.

    For example, in a district like mine, we had to bring funding for tornado sirens many years ago. I was shocked that they didn’t exist. And in Ohio, we do zone to prevent flooding from threatening human life. But many places in our country do not, and we cannot keep bailing out places that are irresponsible in their behavior. My home in the City of Toledo has gone into Billions of dollars of debt to build new sewers, along with gigantic underground catchment basins, some as large as two football fields in size, in order to handle increasing water loads.

    We are making investments all over our district to protect Lake Erie shoreline and its tributaries. But in places where infrastructure investments aren’t cost effective, how does our nation make sure that families will be protected with adequate local planning and disaster warning systems? America needs more rigor in land and water planning systems, and my friends, quite frankly, we as a nation don’t get a grade A on that.

    It is our awesome responsibility as public servants to address the structural shortcomings at the federal, state, and local level that contributed to the recent loss of life. Sadly, this Republican energy and water bill does not meet our nation’s imperative for the future. It’s over $700 Million below last year. We must invest faster in modern infrastructure, and become energy independent in perpetuity. That is our responsibility. In a nation of 350 million people headed to 500 million people, we must make energy cost less and invest in grid resilience, which is sadly behind what this country needs.

    I find it interesting that Russell Vought, the chief architect of the budget cuts that we are being asked to endure in this bill, claims that he’s so savvy. But how is it possible? He’s supposed to be known as a budget cutter, right? But how is it possible that he has added $3.4 Trillion, despite our cuts to the national debt over the next ten years? Over 20 years, he’s adding $9.5 Trillion, and $18.7 Trillion by 30 years out. So that’s a total of $32 Trillion, if temporary measures are extended permanently. Think about that one. So if they’re doing such a good job over there at the Executive Branch and OMB, how come the national debt is rising when we’re cutting every single bill that we are discussing today, and those that will follow?

    This bill fails to address the cost of living crisis. The price of electricity has risen 5.8% over the last year. Every family in this country knows that, and even higher energy bills lie ahead for families and businesses. China is investing record levels in energy, my friends. But this bill retreats from US global leadership in the future in the form of a diversified and clean energy economy. This energy and water bill cuts $1.6 Billion, or 47%, from the Department of Energy’s energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. The adage analysis prevention is worth a pound of cure applies to our nation’s imperative to deliver clean, affordable, and secure energy to the American people and to ensure our nation leads, not lags, in the global race toward energy independence in perpetuity, including an abundant clean energy future.

    Our mom and dad taught us how to be thrifty and not wasteful. Dad would say, “it’s not how much you make, it’s how much you save,” and that applies to energy and fresh water. Conservation are good goals for the future of our children and grandchildren, and we’ve made some strides toward those horizons. The United States on the oil front is producing more than ever before, record high levels of production, but we are still tethered to a volatile global energy market dominated by cartels and petroleum dictators like OPEC. We must advance an all of the above energy strategy to be successful long term. Europe learned the hard way about being too reliant on one source of energy, Russian gas. In their case when Russia invaded Ukraine. Let us heed that chilling warning.

    China aims to be the OPEC for the next century, and gain dominance in clean energy, and they are well on their way. Their investments dwarf the rest of the world’s. A Chinese company has developed an EV battery. Are you ready for this? That can travel 1,800 miles in a single charge and recharge in just five minutes. Think about that. What sense does it make for this Energy and Water Bill to slash the Department of Energy’s vital research and development programs?

    The Republican plan cripples America’s energy future by awarding giant tax breaks to Millionaires and Billionaires in the Big Billionaire Bonanza Bill that’s creating the big, huge additions to the debt. America must focus on building an economy that works for everyone, especially our working families and retirees, not just the wealthy few. The bill this bill eliminates funding for the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, and worse, it revokes $5.1 Billion of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law resources from the Department of Energy that will cede the US global lead in hydrogen, direct air capture, battery recycling, and energy savings in every public and private structure. Already, US businesses have canceled. This is shocking number. More than $15 Billion in investments in new factories and electricity production projects this year, as a result of the Republican Bonanza for Billionaires Bill. Those canceled projects were expected to create nearly 12,000 new jobs, all now gone.

    I can remember when we brought back the heavy Ford heavy truck line from Mexico to the region that I represent, and I stood next to the CEO of the company at that time, and I said, what can I do to keep these jobs anchored here in Northern Ohio? And he looked at me and he didn’t waste a moment. He said, cut my energy bills by a third. Well, think about that one.

    Thus I strongly oppose the Republican cuts to vital energy production and conservation and our future through the US Department of Energy. Shortchanging these advances pushes our nation backwards and raises already high energy prices for consumers. Why drive America backwards by slow walking energy innovation and failing to modernize our nation’s electric grids, which are old.

    In other areas, this bill dangerously short changes our national security, and this is really critical. The bill slashes $412 Million from the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation account. This effectively guts our efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, detect covert nuclear threats, and uphold arms control agreements that keep us safe. All a big gift for Iran, Russia, China, Belarus, and North Korea. Think about that Spiderweb of Tyranny.

    Additionally, this bill turns its back on communities still living with the toxic legacy of America’s atomic past. Zeroing out the Army Corps program to clean up radioactive waste at early nuclear sites. It slashes $779 Million from the Department of Energy’s nuclear cleanup efforts. Delaying the cleanup of these communities have been promised for decades. I’ll note for the committee that one of these sites is in the village of Luckey, Ohio, not so far from my district, and believe me, you don’t want to breathe in or ingest atomic waste anywhere in the world. Finally, this bill includes numerous controversial poison pill riders that sadly show some extremists among us are not interested in real bills that can gain bipartisan support and become law.

    In closing, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. America can, and must meet the new age frontiers of energy and water. We owe it to the future. Nature is signaling, times are changing. And it’s good to remind ourselves, 200 years after Daniel Webster stated this, that is up on the wall in the House of Representatives chamber. “Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great interests, and see whether also we in our time and generation may not perform something worthy to be remembered.” That is our mandate today.

    Thank you, and I yield back.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: WA had the highest rates of Indigenous child removal in the country. At last, the state is finally facing up to it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenna Woods, Dean, School of Indigenous Knowledges, Murdoch University

    Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

    First Nations people please be advised this article speaks of racially discriminating moments in history, including the distress and death of First Nations people.

    In 1997, Australia was confronted with the landmark Bringing Them Home report. It chronicled the country’s long, dark history of the forced removal of First Nations children.

    The report also made recommendations on what to do next. Compensation was key among them. Every state and territory heeded that call in the years that followed, except Western Australia.

    In the decades since, many have called for the recognition of, and compensation for, First Nations people in WA forcibly removed from their families, culture and Country. In May, Premier Roger Cook answered that call, announcing a redress scheme for living survivors of the Stolen Generations.

    But the Stolen Generations aren’t just historical; they’re ongoing. Many still feel the reverberations of decades of trauma. WA will finally seek to redress some of it.

    Generations forced apart

    WA had the highest rates of forcible removal of Aboriginal children in this country. Today, more than 50% of Aboriginal people in WA are either Stolen Generations survivors or their direct descendants.

    Historian Margaret Jacobs wrote that through the 1905 Aborigines Protection Act, “Indigeneity itself became inextricably associated with neglect”.

    Aboriginal families, due solely to their Aboriginality, were regarded as inferior and their children were removed en masse to missions where traditional cultural practices were prohibited. Stolen Generations child removals continued until the 1970s.

    In the missions where Aboriginal children were placed after removal, psychological, physical and sexual abuse was widespread. The children, often removed as infants, were institutionalised and raised by religious missionaries.

    Speaking in traditional languages or engaging in cultural practices were prohibited, with the goal being to strip them of their Aboriginality so they could be fully assimilated into Western society. To minimise barriers to this, parents and families were prohibited from communicating or visiting their children.

    The human consequences of these inhumane practices have been monumental.

    The financial impact

    Attachment theory attests to the importance of early childhood experiences of love, care and safety on an individual’s future life outcomes. The theory suggests infants develop one of four main attachment styles in response to the care they receive from their parents or other carers during infancy.

    The significance of this in the context of generations of children being forcibly removed from their caregivers cannot be understated.

    In addition, the majority of Stolen Generations children survived various forms of abuse within these institutions and live with the resulting trauma of that.

    Under the 1905 act, any property or personal items owned by Aboriginal people could be confiscated at any time and money owing to Aboriginal peoples, including wages, was to be paid to the Chief Protector of Aborigines.

    This prevented Aboriginal families from securing financial stability and establishing intergenerational wealth, despite their significant labour contributions to WA’s economic development.

    A good indicator of intergenerational wealth consolidation can be found in rates of home ownership.

    Currently, 45.8% of Aboriginal people in the greater Perth area own their home, compared with 70.4% of their non-Aboriginal counterparts.

    Of those, 10.8% of Aboriginal households own their home outright, compared with 28.5% for non-Aboriginal owners.

    This makes redress not just a symbolic move, but a deeply practical one too.

    Compounding disadvantage

    Overall, these circumstances have created a “gap within the Gap”.

    This refers to the first gap, being that Aboriginal people have poorer life outcomes than their non-Aboriginal counterparts.

    The gap within that gap is that Stolen Generations survivors and their descendants have poorer life outcomes than the general Aboriginal population.

    Stolen Generations peoples and their descendants are more likely to have mental health disorders, to experience family violence, homelessness or criminal justice involvement, and to have an addiction, including substances and gambling, while also being less likely to have a support network.

    This state scheme will make individual payments to living survivors of the Stolen Generations who were forcibly removed before July 1 1972.

    It will deliver a one-off payment of $85,000 to survivors in recognition of the trauma and pain they suffered through their removal.

    Registrations for Stolen Generations members who are eligible for this scheme will open in the latter half of 2025 and payments will commence by the end of the year.

    It won’t fix everything, but it’s a welcome sign of progress.

    13YARN is a free and confidential 24/7 national crisis support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping. Call 13 92 76.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. WA had the highest rates of Indigenous child removal in the country. At last, the state is finally facing up to it – https://theconversation.com/wa-had-the-highest-rates-of-indigenous-child-removal-in-the-country-at-last-the-state-is-finally-facing-up-to-it-258695

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Club World Cup ends with success, controversy and questions

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

    FIFA’s bold reimagining of the Club World Cup (CWC) culminated July 13, ushering in what the governing body hailed as “a golden era of club football.”

    The expanded 32-team format, along with sweeping technological and presentation changes, aimed to elevate the tournament’s global appeal, fairness and influence. While the 2025 edition delivered significant successes, it also revealed persistent challenges that demand attention.

    GLOBAL PARTICIPATION EXPANDS

    The most radical change was the expansion from seven to 32 teams. Players from 81 countries and regions took the pitch, many experiencing FIFA’s top-tier competition for the first time. This dismantled the previous barrier that limited participation mostly to continental champions, advancing FIFA’s mission to “truly globalize football.”

    Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (R) of Paris Saint-Germain vies with Malo Gusto of Chelsea FC during the final match between Chelsea FC (England) and Paris Saint-Germain (France) at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, the United States, July 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

    Smaller clubs responded with enthusiasm. Facing giants like Real Madrid and Manchester City enriched player resumes and sparked pride back home-fulfilling FIFA’s core goal of showcasing diverse football cultures.

    “It shows how big football is worldwide and how good some of these players are,” said Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane. “I’m loving this tournament so far, and hopefully we can be here for a while.”

    Zhou Tong, the sole Chinese player representing New Zealand’s semi-professional Auckland City, captured the spirit: “Football connects people, changes lives, opens eyes to the world. That’s magic-like universal language.”

    Unlike elite clubs, most Auckland City players hold full-time jobs and play part time. Zhou works as a community coach focused on grassroots development. Their participation powerfully embodied FIFA’s “Football Unites the World” campaign.

    CALENDAR AND COMPETITIVE CHALLENGES

    Criticism focused on increased player workload and injury risks. The CWC schedule fully overlapped with Europe’s summer league breaks. With next summer’s FIFA World Cup in North America, European players face back-to-back grueling seasons.

    UEFA and others have long criticized FIFA’s crowded calendar. Opponents argue players are overworked while domestic leagues face disruption. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reiterated: “Players are not machines.” The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) escalated the issue by filing a complaint with the European Commission.

    Another concern was the competitiveness gap. Heavy defeats, such as Auckland City’s 10-0 loss to Bayern Munich and Al Ain’s 6-0 defeat to Manchester City, highlighted the disparity. Teams from Asia, Africa and North America generally struggled, resulting in matches that lacked suspense and neutral appeal.

    FIFA President Gianni Infantino acknowledged criticism from European clubs and fans, as well as concerns about heat, noting future use of roofed stadiums and cooling breaks.

    Luka Modric (L) of Real Madrid vies with Senny Mayulu of Paris Saint-Germain during the semifinal match between Paris Saint-Germain (France) and Real Madrid (Spain) at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, the United States, July 9, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

    “So maybe some criticize it a little bit, but it’s something new. It’s something special,” Infantino said. “It’s a real World Cup with the best teams and the best players.”

    He added: “The heat is an issue. Cooling breaks are very important, and we will see what we can do. But we have stadiums with roofs, and we will definitely use these during the day next year.”

    Infantino emphasized the tournament’s value for underrepresented regions like Oceania: “Auckland City, to some extent, represents 99.9% of football players and fans – those of us who dream of being on that stage but may never get the chance. Suddenly, one of us gets to play against the best. It must be a place for everyone.”

    REFEREEING REVOLUTION

    The tournament also served as a testing ground for technological innovation. A key rule change from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) debuted: goalkeepers holding the ball for more than eight seconds would concede a corner kick.

    FIFA Referees Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collina reported widespread approval. “It was very successful. The tempo of the match improved, and we saw no time wasting by goalkeepers, as happened quite often before.” Only two violations occurred, fulfilling the rule’s preventative goal.

    Referees wore head-mounted cameras to broadcast a first-person view, enhancing viewer engagement. Collina said the “ref cam” exceeded expectations and spurred interest in broader adoption.

    Referees also announced VAR decisions on-field via microphone, while fans in stadiums viewed the same replays as officials, increasing transparency. Coaches used tablets for substitutions and real-time player data (e.g., distance covered, heart rate), reducing errors and supporting tactical decisions. Collectively, the innovations improved fairness and flow.

    “The outcome of using the ref cam at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 went beyond our expectations,” Collina said. “We’ve received great feedback – people ask, ‘Why not in all matches?’ and even more: ‘Why not in all sports?’”

    BILLION-DOLLAR GAMBLE

    FIFA dramatically increased the prize pool from 16 million US dollars for seven teams in the previous edition to 1 billion dollars for 32 teams, surpassing the 440 million dollars awarded at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It became the richest prize pool in football.

    Clubs earned money based on performance and commercial impact. Even bottom-ranked Auckland City received 4.6 million dollars – about seven times their 2024 total revenue.

    Infantino dismissed skepticism over the tournament’s financial viability: “We heard it wouldn’t work financially, but we generated over 2 billion dollars in revenue from this competition. We earned an average of 33 million dollars per match. No other cup competition comes close.”

    “It is already the most successful club competition in the world by all different measurements,” he added.

    To maximize accessibility, FIFA struck a 1-billion-dollar global broadcast deal with streaming service DAZN, including free streams of all 63 matches in 32 languages.

    New presentation features such as individual player walkouts and a mid-final halftime show added spectacle-but sparked backlash. The 24-minute halftime performance violated FIFA’s 15-minute maximum break rule.

    Attendance figures varied widely: four matches drew fewer than 10,000 fans, with the lowest being 3,412 for a Group F match between Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns. Sixteen matches exceeded 60,000 fans, with the highest attendance at 81,118 for the Chelsea vs. PSG final.

    “We respect everyone’s opinion,” Infantino said. “But it has been successful. We had over 2.5 million spectators in the stadiums – around 40,000 per match. No league in the world reaches that number, except the Premier League.”

    MEDIA ZONE REFORMS

    The revamped CWC mixed zone abandoned the traditional TV-first format. Instead, four interview pods were set up – two per team.

    Clubs designated players to give interviews in their native language and in English. Written press were allowed to film and photograph, but videos could only be posted online one hour after the mixed zone closed and had to be removed within 48 hours.

    Many journalists welcomed the guaranteed access. Marcio Dolzan of Brazil’s Lance contrasted it with the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, where reporters waited two hours for Argentine players, who avoided interviews entirely.

    Others were critical. “Having covered nine World Cups, this format is unfamiliar,” said Antonio Carrasco of Venezuela’s Meridiano TV. “It feels like mini press conferences. All journalists hear the same thing. There’s no opportunity for exclusives or choice of whom to interview.”

    West Lamy of The Huffington Post pointed out logistical issues: At English-language pods, non-English-speaking journalists often interviewed players in their own language, undermining the pod’s purpose.

    FIFA provided translators, but they were often ineffective – journalists spoke over them or asked new questions before translations finished. Star players drew crowds, while others were overlooked. On-screen player data helped with question prep but didn’t solve access inequities.

    “But if this is a change FIFA has already decided on, we will adapt,” Carrasco said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand And Espaillat Reintroduce Resilient Transit Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Legislation Would Authorize Additional Funding for Resilience Improvement Projects for Public Transportation Systems, Making Them More Reliable in the Event of Extreme Weather

    Today, United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, and Representative Adriano Espaillat announced the Resilient Transit Act of 2025. The legislation would provide a dedicated stream of federal funding to strengthen the resilience of the United States’ public transportation systems as extreme weather events become more common.

    This legislation would authorize an additional $300 million from the mass transit account of the Highway Trust Fund for Fiscal Year 2026 for resilience improvement grants and apportion those funds in accordance with the existing State of Good Repair Grants Program formula. Recipients of the grant would be able to use the funds to finance standalone resilience improvement projects or resilience improvement components of larger projects carried out under the State of Good Repair Grants Program. Resilience improvement projects include the use of structural and nonstructural techniques to better anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to extreme weather events precipitated by climate change, including earthquakes, sea level rise, heat waves, and floods.

    “Public transportation systems already lack sufficient resilience funding, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events precipitated by climate change will disrupt and damage future public transit function,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Public transit ridership continues to increase year over year, thereby increasing the necessity of functioning public transit systems. I am committed to improving the reliability of public transit for the millions of Americans who rely on it each and every year.”

    “The Resilient Transit Act of 2025 establishes the first-ever dedicated funding stream to proactively strengthen our transit systems, while working to make them more durable in the face of extreme weather and climate-driven threats,” said Representative Espaillat. “I’m proud to join Senator Gillibrand to introduce this critical piece of legislation once again, ensuring our infrastructure not only withstands storms today but continues to serve communities tomorrow. Together, we are committed to investing in public transit and safeguarding the lifeblood of cities around the nation.”

    Senator Gillibrand and Representative Espaillat first introduced the Resilient Transit Act in 2022 and reintroduced the bill in 2023. Additionally, Senator Gillibrand passed portions of her Resilient Highways Act as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, including provisions to relocate and raise roads out of zones at risk of floods or slides and construct protective infrastructure to mitigate flood risk.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As DOGE Slashes Federal Agencies That Protect Seniors From Fraud, Gillibrand Calls For Action To Fight Scams

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    In 2024 Alone, Seniors Lost $4.8 Billion to Scammers

    Despite Uptick In Fraud, Trump Administration Is Firing The Federal Workers Who Go After Fraudsters 

    Gillibrand Asks For Watchdog Report On Ability of Agencies To Make Protecting Older Adults a Top Priority

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, held a virtual press conference to discuss the Trump administration’s cuts to federal agencies that protect seniors from frauds and scams. Last year, seniors lost almost $5 billion to scammers; these financial losses can be devastating for older adults with limited income.

    Federal agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau track and investigate fraud complaints. But the Trump administration’s attempts to cut critical staff is undermining their ability to go after fraudsters and protect seniors. 

    Gillibrand has called on the Government Accountability Office to examine how cuts affect federal efforts to protect seniors from scams. 

    “Every day, seniors fall victim to devastating scams that strip them of their life savings and steal their private information,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The federal government must do more to stop scammers and protect older adults. As the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, I am calling on the Trump administration to develop and implement a strategy to fight scams and to stop making cuts to federal agencies doing this critical work. I look forward to working across the aisle to fight for our seniors.” 

    The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter to head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office Gene Dodaro is available here. 

    The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter to Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Russell Vought is available here. 

    The Senate Aging Committee’s 2025 report on scams facing our nation’s seniors is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Statement On House Passage Of The Genius Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand applauded House passage of the GENIUS Act, landmark legislation that will establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins. As the lead Democratic senator on the bill, Senator Gillibrand shepherded the legislation to passage in the Senate in June.

    “House passage of the GENIUS Act is a historic milestone in our bipartisan effort to regulate stablecoins. This bill will empower American businesses and consumers and enable them to take advantage of the next iteration of financial innovation,” said Senator Gillibrand. “A result of serious bipartisan negotiations, the GENIUS Act will protect consumers, enable responsible innovation, and safeguard the dominance of the U.S. dollar. This bill targets illicit finance, places limitations on Big Tech, puts in place ethical guardrails, and strengthens national security. The GENIUS Act is landmark legislation that will help maintain American global competitiveness, now and into the future.” 

    Senator Gillibrand, alongside Senators Hagerty (R-TN), Scott (R-SC), Lummis (R-WY), and Alsobrooks (D-MD), introduced the GENIUS Act earlier this year. The bill passed out of the Senate Banking Committee with bipartisan support in March 2025, and the Senate passed the full bill with strong bipartisan support in June 2025.

    Senator Gillibrand has been working on cryptocurrency legislation since 2022, when she and Senator Lummis introduced the Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act, a comprehensive bipartisan framework for cryptocurrency regulation. The framework was re-introduced in 2023. In 2024, Gillibrand and Lummis also introduced a stablecoin bill that included many of the provisions that passed in the GENIUS Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Advocate for Passage of Child Care Affordability Bill to Expand High-Quality Child Care Options

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Child care is essential to families, communities, and our economy.  But instead of making federal investments to help bring down the cost of child care, the Trump Administration is raising costs for working families in order to provide a bigger tax windfall for billionaires and special interests.  The Republican tax law also slashed Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provide critical support to children, families, child care centers and the child care workforce.  And the Trump Administration has made deep cuts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families.

    To help working families afford the rising cost of child care, expand the range of high-quality child care options, and strengthen America’s child care infrastructure and workforce, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act (S.2295).

    This comprehensive legislation seeks to alleviate the high cost of child care for working families; provide families with more flexible options for high-quality, affordable child care; and boost wages for early childhood workers.  The bill would cap child care expenses at 7 percent of working families’ incomes, making it affordable for all parents and providing historic investments in the child care workforce, including higher pay, better benefits and improved training opportunities. It would also help increase access to pre-K education while supporting full-day Head Start programs.

    “Right now, the cost of child care and other essentials is weighing millions of families down, but instead of tackling the affordability crisis, President Trump and Republicans have chosen to shower their billionaire donors with trillions of dollars in new tax breaks and kick 17 million Americans off their health care,” said Senator Murray.

    “Working parents need access to high-quality, affordable child care that meets their needs.  But too many parents simply can’t afford it.  This bill would help lower the cost of child care and allow working parents to keep more of their paychecks so they can afford to raise a family.  Making child care more accessible and affordable is critical to families, communities, businesses, and future economic growth.  Studies show that investing in quality child care and early childhood education saves money in the long run and is linked to better graduation rates and lower use of public benefits later in life,” said Senator Reed.  “This is a chance to help lift children out of poverty, save working parents real money, and strengthen our workforce.  We’ve got to prioritize investing in what’s important to us – for Democrats that is expanding access to affordable and high-quality child care.”

    “Making child care more affordable will lower one of the biggest costs in many families’ budgets, and give parents more flexibility to participate in the workforce,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “As President Trump fuels the affordability crisis with his chaotic tariffs and his Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Bill, our legislation will lower the cost of child care for working Rhode Island families, set kids up for success, and ensure early childhood educators are paid fairly for their hard work.”

    Last month, Ruth J. Friedman, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, testified before Congress on the state of America’s child care crisis, noting: “An approach like the Child Care for Working Families Act takes the necessary steps to adequately build child care supply and reduce parent costs. It would be transformative for American families, eliminating child care as a barrier to the workforce and child care bills as a barrier to economic security and wellbeing.  Ultimately, it would give parents much more freedom to raise their families and be productive members of society.”

    According to the Economic Policy Institute, Rhode Island is ranked as the 18th most expensive state for infant care, with the average annual cost exceeding $16,750 per year, or $1,397 per month.  And according to a WalletHub Child Care Costs by State report released this month, Rhode Island ranked 7th-highest in the nation for child care costs for married couples, with data showing 10.42 percent of married couples’ income was spent on family-based child care and 11.45 percent was spent on center-based child care.

    The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.

    The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages.

    The legislation would also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers.  Under the legislation, which Murray, Reed and Whitehouse have been pushing since 2017, the typical family in America will pay no more than $10 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family would pay more than 7 percent of their income on child care.

    The Child Care for Working Families Act will:

    • Make child care affordable for working families. 
      • The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
      • No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
      • Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
      •  If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    • Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
      • Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
      • Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
      • Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
      • Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
    • Support higher wages for child care workers.
      • Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
      • Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care. 
    • Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
      • States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
      • States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
      • If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    • Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.         

    The Child Care for Working Families Act is endorsed by: AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, All Our Kin, The Center for American Progress, The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Child Care Aware of America, Community Change Action, Council for Professional Recognition, Family Value @ Work, MomsRising, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Education Association (NEA), National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Oxfam, Save the Children, Save the Children Action Network, SEIU, YWCA, Zero to Three.

    In addition to Murray, Reed, and Whitehouse, the Senate bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-NM), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    In the House, the bill is being introduced by U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Advocate for Passage of Child Care Affordability Bill to Expand High-Quality Child Care Options

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Child care is essential to families, communities, and our economy.  But instead of making federal investments to help bring down the cost of child care, the Trump Administration is raising costs for working families in order to provide a bigger tax windfall for billionaires and special interests.  The Republican tax law also slashed Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provide critical support to children, families, child care centers and the child care workforce.  And the Trump Administration has made deep cuts within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families.
    To help working families afford the rising cost of child care, expand the range of high-quality child care options, and strengthen America’s child care infrastructure and workforce, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act (S.2295).
    This comprehensive legislation seeks to alleviate the high cost of child care for working families; provide families with more flexible options for high-quality, affordable child care; and boost wages for early childhood workers.  The bill would cap child care expenses at 7 percent of working families’ incomes, making it affordable for all parents and providing historic investments in the child care workforce, including higher pay, better benefits and improved training opportunities. It would also help increase access to pre-K education while supporting full-day Head Start programs.
    “Right now, the cost of child care and other essentials is weighing millions of families down, but instead of tackling the affordability crisis, President Trump and Republicans have chosen to shower their billionaire donors with trillions of dollars in new tax breaks and kick 17 million Americans off their health care,” said Senator Murray.
    “Working parents need access to high-quality, affordable child care that meets their needs.  But too many parents simply can’t afford it.  This bill would help lower the cost of child care and allow working parents to keep more of their paychecks so they can afford to raise a family.  Making child care more accessible and affordable is critical to families, communities, businesses, and future economic growth.  Studies show that investing in quality child care and early childhood education saves money in the long run and is linked to better graduation rates and lower use of public benefits later in life,” said Senator Reed.  “This is a chance to help lift children out of poverty, save working parents real money, and strengthen our workforce.  We’ve got to prioritize investing in what’s important to us – for Democrats that is expanding access to affordable and high-quality child care.”
    “Making child care more affordable will lower one of the biggest costs in many families’ budgets, and give parents more flexibility to participate in the workforce,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “As President Trump fuels the affordability crisis with his chaotic tariffs and his Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Bill, our legislation will lower the cost of child care for working Rhode Island families, set kids up for success, and ensure early childhood educators are paid fairly for their hard work.”
    Last month, Ruth J. Friedman, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, testified before Congress on the state of America’s child care crisis, noting: “An approach like the Child Care for Working Families Act takes the necessary steps to adequately build child care supply and reduce parent costs. It would be transformative for American families, eliminating child care as a barrier to the workforce and child care bills as a barrier to economic security and wellbeing.  Ultimately, it would give parents much more freedom to raise their families and be productive members of society.”
    According to the Economic Policy Institute, Rhode Island is ranked as the 18th most expensive state for infant care, with the average annual cost exceeding $16,750 per year, or $1,397 per month.  And according to a WalletHub Child Care Costs by State report released this month, Rhode Island ranked 7th-highest in the nation for child care costs for married couples, with data showing 10.42 percent of married couples’ income was spent on family-based child care and 11.45 percent was spent on center-based child care.
    The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.
    The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages.
    The legislation would also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers.  Under the legislation, which Murray, Reed and Whitehouse have been pushing since 2017, the typical family in America will pay no more than $10 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family would pay more than 7 percent of their income on child care.
    The Child Care for Working Families Act will:
    Make child care affordable for working families. 
    The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
    No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
    Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
     If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.

    Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
    Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
    Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
    Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
    Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.

    Support higher wages for child care workers.
    Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
    Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care. 

    Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
    States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
    States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
    If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.

    Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.         
    The Child Care for Working Families Act is endorsed by: AFL-CIO, AFSCME, AFT, All Our Kin, The Center for American Progress, The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Child Care Aware of America, Community Change Action, Council for Professional Recognition, Family Value @ Work, MomsRising, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Education Association (NEA), National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Oxfam, Save the Children, Save the Children Action Network, SEIU, YWCA, Zero to Three.
    In addition to Murray, Reed, and Whitehouse, the Senate bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-NM), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
    In the House, the bill is being introduced by U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

    MIL OSI USA News –