NewzIntel.com

Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI USA: ARMSTRONG COUNTY – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Second Lady Blayre Holmes Davis to Highlight 2025-26 Proposed Budget Investments in Child Care Workforce

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    June 13, 2025 – Apollo, PA

    ADVISORY – ARMSTRONG COUNTY – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Second Lady Blayre Holmes Davis to Highlight 2025-26 Proposed Budget Investments in Child Care Workforce

    Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Second Lady Blayre Holmes Davis will host a roundtable conversation to discuss the Shapiro-Davis Administration’s proposed 2025-26 budget and its plan to invest in and expand Pennsylvania’s child care workforce Friday, June 13, at 10 a.m. at Grandma’s House, 616 First St. Ext., Apollo.

    The 2025-26 proposal builds on the Administration’s first two budgets with a $55 million investment in retention and recruitment bonuses to increase child care availability, ensuring parents are able to work and children have quality care. These grants to licensed child care centers in Pennsylvania’s Child Care Works (CCW) Program would provide up to $1,000 per employee.

    During their first two years in office, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Davis have expanded the state’s Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit and created a new tax credit for businesses that want to contribute to their employees’ child care costs.

    WHO:
    Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Second Lady Blayre Holmes Davis, Alle Kiski Strong Chamber Executive Director Lynda Pozzuto, Trying Together Director of Public Policy Emily Neff, representatives from the Early Learning Investment Commission, Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs and Advisory Commission on Women, child care providers, teachers and parents

    WHAT:
    Roundtable conversation about child care in Pennsylvania and investments in the Shapiro-Davis 2025-26 proposed budget

    WHEN:
    Friday, June 13, at 10 a.m.

    WHERE:
    Grandma’s House
    616 First St. Ext., Apollo

    RSVP:
    Members of the news media who are interested in attending must RSVP to Kirstin Alvanitakis at kirstinalv@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray, Former ACIP Member from WA State Raise Alarm Over Purge of Entire CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    NEW: Kennedy’s new CDC panel includes members who have criticized vaccines and spread misinformation

    ***WATCH FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE; DOWNLOAD HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a virtual press conference on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s unprecedented decision on Monday to fire every single member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Dr. Helen Chu joined Senator Murray for the press conference, a professor of Medicine and Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington School of Medicine, who was a member of ACIP until Monday—when she was fired by Secretary Kennedy alongside the entire panel of experts. Senator Murray and Dr. Chu laid out just how unprecedented and unthinkably dangerous this move is, and what it means for the future of vaccine policy and public health.

    On Wednesday, RFK Jr. announced eight new appointees to ACIP, including Dr. Robert Malone, a close adviser to RFK Jr. who downplayed the deaths related to one of the largest measles outbreaks in the U.S. in years, and Vicky Pebsworth, who is listed as a board member and volunteer director for the National Vaccine Information Center, a group that is notorious for spreading vaccine misinformation.  

    “RFK Jr. took a dangerous, practically unthinkable step to undermine public health and vaccine confidence—he fired every single member of CDC’s vaccine advisory panel,” said Senator Murray on today’s press call. “And he is already packing the panel with people who advocated letting COVID rip through communities, who serve as board members of vaccine disinformation groups, who promoted conspiracies and quack treatments for COVID and measles—and he is just getting started! It is really just about impossible to underscore how reckless and unprecedented this is. I mean, even some Republicans who voted for him—only did so after he convinced them he wouldn’t go this far. Of course they should have known better—I even warned them! You can’t trust this guy, he has a long history of attacking science and vaccines at every turn, he’s not going to give up that crusade when you give him tremendous power to wage it. But they ignored the obvious warnings—and now here we are. Let’s be clear, RFK Jr. is not just crossing a red line for public health, he is sprinting into dangerous, uncharted territory in support of totally deranged conspiracies, and he is dragging us all along with him. He is putting our communities—and our families—in harm’s way.”

    “The means by which vaccines are recommended for use in the United States is a careful, deliberate and rigorous process that has been in place for over 60 years. ACIP is widely regarded as the international gold standard for vaccine decision-making. Other countries have, in the past, considered the United States as a model to guide their own vaccine policies because they could be sure decisions were unbiased and based on evidence. But that may no longer be the case,” said Dr. Helen Chu, a professor of Medicine and Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Until Monday, Dr. Chu was also a member of ACIP until Secretary Kennedy abruptly dismissed the entire Committee this Monday. “We cannot dismantle a system that has allowed for open, evidence-based dialogue among experts, that has supported transparent, clear decision-making.  We cannot replace it with a process driven by one person’s beliefs. In the absence of an independent unbiased ACIP, we can no longer trust that safe and effective vaccines will be available to us and the people around us. I worry about the health and safety of people in our country—and the future of our public health infrastructure.”

    Senator Murray forcefully opposed the nomination of notorious anti-vaccine activist RFK Jr. to be Secretary of HHS, and she has long worked to combat vaccine skepticism and highlight the importance of scientific research and vaccines. Murray was also a leading voice against the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon to lead CDC, repeatedly speaking up about her serious concerns with the nominee immediately after their meeting. In 2019, Senator Murray co-led a bipartisan hearing in the HELP Committee on vaccine hesitancy and spoke about the importance of addressing vaccine skepticism and getting people the facts they need to keep their families and communities safe and healthy. Ahead of the 2019 hearing, as multiple states were facing measles outbreaks in under-vaccinated areas, Murray sent a bipartisan letter with former HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander pressing Trump’s CDC Director and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health on their efforts to promote vaccination and vaccine confidence.

    Senator Murray has been a leading voice in Congress against RFK Jr.’s dismantling of HHS and attacks on America’s public health infrastructure, raising the alarm over HHS’ unilateral reorganization plan and slamming the closure of the HHS Region 10 office in Seattle and the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Spokane Research Laboratory. Senator Murray has sent oversight letters and hosted numerous press conferences and events to lay out how the administration’s reckless gutting of HHS is risking Americans’ health and safety and will set our country back decades, and lifting up the voices of HHS employees who were fired for no reason and through no fault of their own.

    In particular, Senator Murray has been leading the charge against the Trump administration’s efforts to gut lifesaving research at NIH and pushed out nearly 5,000 NIH skilled scientists, grants administrators, and other employees at the agency. When the Trump administration attempted to illegally cap indirect cost rates at 15 percent, Senator Murray immediately and forcefully condemned the move, led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in a letter decrying the proposed change, and introduced amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget resolution to reverse it, which Republicans blocked. Murray has led Congressional efforts to boost biomedical research. Previously, over her years as Chair of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murray secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at NIH, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments. 

    Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below and video is HERE:

    “I am here today to sound the alarm for public health, and to sound it as loud as I possibly can. Because this week, RFK Jr. took a dangerous, practically unthinkable step to undermine public health and vaccine confidence. He fired every single member of CDC’s vaccine advisory panel. Every. Single. One.

    “And he is already packing the panel with people who advocated letting COVID rip through communities, who serve as board members of vaccine disinformation groups, who promoted conspiracies and quack treatments for COVID and measles—and he is just getting started! It is really just about impossible to underscore how reckless and unprecedented this is.

    “I mean—even some Republicans who voted for him—only did so after he convinced them he wouldn’t go this far. Of course, they should have known better—I even warned them! You can’t trust this guy. He has a long history of attacking science and vaccines at every turn—he’s not going to give up that crusade when you give him tremendous power to wage it. But they ignored the obvious warnings. And now here we are.

    “Let’s be clear, RFK Jr. is not just crossing a red line for public health, he is sprinting into dangerous, uncharted territory in support of totally deranged conspiracies, and he is dragging us all along with him! He is putting our communities and our families in harm’s way.

    “Here’s what everyone needs to know. The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel has a simple, important job. Look at the data. Look at the science. And make recommendations on the vaccines FDA has approved as safe and effective.

    “That work has serious repercussions. These recommendations impact public confidence and trust in our vaccines. These recommendations are trusted by health care providers as they talk to patients and discuss their personal health decisions.

    “And these recommendations affect whether health plans—including Medicare and Medicaid—are required to cover vaccines at zero cost to patients or insurance companies can force Americans to foot the bill for vaccines that keep them safe or parents get guidance about which vaccines their children should receive and when.

    “Guess what happens when vaccines become more expensive for patients? Guess what happens when Trump’s highest-ranking health official ignores the facts and tells people our vaccine experts can’t be trusted? Guess what happens when RFK Jr. packs the CDC advisory committee wall-to-wall with his favorite anti-science grifters and conspiracy pushers?

    “Fewer people are going to get vaccinated. This is not rocket science.

    “Maybe they think—because of RFK’s Jr.’s disinformation—that measles isn’t a big deal. Maybe they think—incorrectly—that it’s safer to get whooping cough than the vaccine. Maybe they just can’t afford it anymore—because the vaccine they wanted to protect their family is no longer covered by insurance.

    “Whatever the reason, the result is going to be the same. Diseases we can fight—diseases we can prevent—spreading like wildfire through our communities, through our schools, through our nursing homes. Kids are going to be hospitalized, even killed, all because one conspiracy theorist thinks he knows better than qualified medical experts, and centuries of research.

    “We’ve already seen an historic measles outbreak on RFK Jr.’s watch. His response to it has been a complete disaster, promoting quack cures and spreading lies about vaccines, as cases skyrocket.

    “And, if RFK Jr.’s flood of disinformation is allowed to drown out real science, it’s not just going to be measles—we are going to see a full parade of horrors come raging back.

    “We have to speak up. And we have to make sure we are countering nonsense with reality with facts. We have to make sure parents get the message: that vaccines are safe, effective, and lifesaving.

    “And so, I am using my megaphone today, to not just raise the alarm, but to raise up the voice of an expert who knows the science of vaccines and who knows the stakes of this moment.

    “I’m pleased to be joined by one of the CDC advisory members RFK Jr. is trying to silence through firing: UW’s own Dr. Helen Chu. Thank you all for joining this call today.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Workers need better tools and tech to boost productivity. Why aren’t companies stepping up to invest?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Head, Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra

    As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers turn their attention to improving productivity growth across the economy, it will be interesting to see what the business community brings to a planned summit in August.

    Labour productivity (output per hour worked) has barely grown this decade.

    Much of the focus in the current debate has been on the role of workers (labour) and industrial relations. Less discussed has been low business investment (capital).

    Labour will be more productive if each worker can use more capital: machinery, equipment and technology. Over the medium term, providing workers with more capital – “capital deepening”, in the jargon – tends to be the main contributor to labour productivity growth.

    But business investment as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) is currently at its lowest level since the mid-1990s.

    Investment is low in both the mining and non-mining sectors. In the latest national accounts report for the March quarter, business investment in machinery and equipment fell 1.7%.

    The average worker now uses less capital equipment – machines and computers – than a decade ago. Investment just hasn’t kept pace with growth in employment.



    Read more:
    ‘Hard to measure and difficult to shift’: the government’s big productivity challenge

    Why is investment so weak?

    One possible reason was put forward by then Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe in 2023. He suggested that, during the COVID pandemic, firms concentrated on surviving. Seeking out more efficient ways to produce was a lower priority. But post-pandemic, firms seem to have been slow to pivot back to an efficiency focus.

    Another reason may be that, until recently, wage growth has been slower than the growth in prices of goods and services produced. This may have reduced the incentives for firms to invest in the equipment needed to boost labour productivity.

    A key driver of investment is profitability. Firms are more likely to fund investment from retained earnings than by borrowing or raising capital. But the share of corporate profits in the economy has been quite high in recent years. So this does not explain low investment.

    The ‘animal spirits’ are lacking

    Business confidence – what economist John Maynard Keynes famously called “animal spirits” – is another important driver.

    Share prices, both in Australia and the rest of the world, have grown strongly in recent years. The S&P/ASX 200 index of Australian share prices is close to its all-time high. This would suggest financial markets are very optimistic about the prospects of Australian companies.

    Direct surveys of Australian businesses from National Australia Bank suggest conditions (the current situation) and confidence (about the future) are around their long-term average level. So this also does not explain the low investment.

    One contributor to low investment may be that firms are applying inappropriately high “hurdle rates”. These refer to the minimum return firms expect from an investment before they will undertake it.

    Hurdle rates tend to be “sticky” over time, meaning they do not move much. Many companies still apply hurdle rates of over 12%. These were appropriate back when interest rates and inflation were much higher, but seem too high now as borrowing costs have fallen with interest rate cuts.

    The Productivity Commission has suggested one contributor to low investment could be a higher risk premium. Since the global financial crisis in 2007-08, companies and investors may have become more cautious about taking on risk.

    Another factor could be growing market power of Australian companies that dominate a sector, making them complacent rather than striving to improve their performance.

    The high degree of uncertainty

    The Reserve Bank recently compiled two measures of uncertainty. One is derived from stock markets. The other is based on the number of news articles about policy uncertainty.

    Both show the current environment is as uncertain now as it was during the early stages of the global financial crisis in 2007–08 and the COVID pandemic.

    Investment in machineray and equipment went backwards in the March quarter.
    Parilov/Shutterstock

    A common response to uncertainty is to defer decisions on both investment and hiring new workers until the outlook is clearer. A study by the Reserve Bank found that greater uncertainty did indeed reduce investment. But the size of the impact was – you guessed it – uncertain.

    What can be done?

    Business lobbies often attribute low rates of investment (and anything else they think people may not like) to “excessively high” corporate tax rates. But at 30% for large companies and 25% for small, the company tax rate is low by historical standards.

    Some multinational firms may be deterred from entering the Australian market as our company tax rate is above that in some other jurisdictions. It is hard to tell how important this effect is. Company tax is only one of many factors that affect the comparative risk and return of Australia as an investment destination.

    The Productivity Commission is investigating whether the corporate taxation system could be made more efficient rather than just lowering rates.

    In the meantime, however, firms may be encouraged to invest more by a more stable domestic economic outlook. Inflation is back within the central bank’s 2-3% target range. Employment is around an all-time high proportion of the working age population. The election has removed some political uncertainty with a government holding a clear majority.

    Businesses should stop whingeing and start providing workers with the tools they need to become more productive.

    This article is part of The Conversation’s series, The Productivity Puzzle. Read the previous article here.

    John Hawkins was formerly a senior economist in the Reserve Bank and the Australian Treasury.

    – ref. Workers need better tools and tech to boost productivity. Why aren’t companies stepping up to invest? – https://theconversation.com/workers-need-better-tools-and-tech-to-boost-productivity-why-arent-companies-stepping-up-to-invest-257806

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: With Trump undoing years of progress, can the US salvage its Pacific Islands strategy?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Tidwell, Director, Center for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies, Georgetown University

    Donald Trump signs a proclamation expanding fishing rights in the Pacific Islands, April 17. Getty Images

    Since 2018, the United States has worked, albeit often haltingly, to regain its footing with Pacific Island countries. It’s done this largely by reflecting a sentiment familiar in Pacific capitals: the region is not a geopolitical backwater, but a crucial strategic zone in the 21st century.

    Spurred by China’s strategic expansion – security deals, port access, political influence – the first Trump presidency and then the Biden administration renewed the US focus on the Pacific.

    Washington was also prodded by regional allies, including New Zealand. In 2018, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said: “We unashamedly ask for the United States to engage more and we think it is in your vital interests to do so. And time is of the essence.”

    Building on the tentative steps of its predecessor, the Biden administration acted. It opened new embassies, invited Pacific leaders to the White House, unveiled a dedicated strategy for the Pacific Islands, and committed to recognising the Cook Islands and Niue.

    It also negotiated more funding for the Compacts of Free Association with the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Palau. Along with the 2022 Pacific Islands Summit, it all signalled Washington’s desire to be a better partner.

    Crucially, the Biden administration recognised climate change and the economy, not great-power rivalry, as the region’s defining security concerns. Now, much of that progress is being eroded.

    The second Trump administration has gutted key international development agencies, with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation shuttered.

    More than mere symbols, these agencies were tools of statecraft, facilitating Washington’s capacity to compete with China’s “no questions asked” development model. Their removal leaves a vacuum, which Beijing will happily fill.

    China pressing the advantage

    Other signs of retreat are equally troubling. Congressional funding for the South Pacific Tuna Treaty – which pays for access for US fishing fleets and is the primary multiparty agreement the US has with the Pacific Islands – was tripled by Biden, but remains incomplete.

    Trump recently signed an executive order opening the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, a 1,282,534 square kilometre protected marine zone, to commercial fishing. This might be welcomed by the US tuna fleet, but it raises questions about Washington’s commitment to the tuna treaty.

    Hoped-for expansion of US consular access, especially vital for Pacific Islanders who must travel long distances for basic services such as visa applications, is in limbo. The US embassy in Vanuatu, damaged by the earthquake in 2024, remains closed, leaving diplomats to work out of their hotel rooms.

    China, by contrast, has not slowed down. Its security pact with Solomon Islands, its police training efforts in Samoa and Kiribati, and its growing intelligence presence across the region show a clear pattern of assertiveness.

    Beijing has proven adept at offering timely, visible assistance. Its diplomats show up. Its companies build. Its promises, however opaque, are matched with resources.

    The result has not necessarily meant Pacific nations have “chosen” China. Rather, most revert to the longstanding posture of “friend to all, enemy to none”.

    In a region where non-alignment is both a survival strategy and a principle of sovereignty, the perception of US unreliability makes China’s attentions all the more welcome, or at least tolerable.

    Not a binary contest

    The US now appears to be abandoning efforts to break this cycle, and the Trump administration risks a genuine strategic error rather than a mere diplomatic misstep.

    More than distant dots on a map, the Pacific Islands control vast stretches of ocean, including key shipping lanes and undersea cables. Their diplomatic weight matters in the United Nations.

    And the region matters to Taiwan, which is recognised by 12 countries globally, three of which are in the Pacific.

    Some argue the US should press Pacific nations to “choose” between Washington and Beijing. But that approach is shortsighted and counterproductive.

    Most have no interest in being drawn into a binary contest. They seek concrete benefits – resilience funding, fair trade, visa access – not ideological alignment. Framing relationships as zero-sum contests misunderstands the region’s diplomatic logic.

    Listening to Pacific leaders

    To revive the relationship, the US will need to show up, follow through and demonstrate its partnership offers more than rhetoric.

    This would involve restoring some elements of foreign assistance, fully funding the South Pacific Tuna Treaty obligations, opening and staffing embassies, and supporting Pacific regional organisations such as the Pacific Islands Forum with meaningful recognition and resources.

    But the US review of Pacific foreign assistance (a small portion of US development aid formerly administered by USAID) has been delayed once again, and likely won’t emerge until mid-July.

    More importantly, the US will have to listen to Pacific leaders, who have articulated their priorities clearly. They do not want to be sites of contest; they want to be agents of their own futures.

    In short, the US will have to treat the Pacific Islands as sovereign equals.
    When Trump returned to the White House, he found a workable policy architecture for the Pacific. Its core elements could still be rescued.

    But continued neglect, mixed signals and cost-cutting risk hastening the outcome China seeks – a region that finds Washington unreliable. Winston Peters, now foreign minister in a new government, might want to update his 2018 call for US engagement in the Pacific – with the emphasis on reliability.

    Alan Tidwell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. With Trump undoing years of progress, can the US salvage its Pacific Islands strategy? – https://theconversation.com/with-trump-undoing-years-of-progress-can-the-us-salvage-its-pacific-islands-strategy-258679

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: It took more than a century, but women are taking charge of Australia’s economy – here’s why it matters

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Duygu Yengin, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Adelaide

    For the first time in its 124-year history, Treasury will be led by a woman.

    Jenny Wilkinson’s appointment is historic in its own right. Even more remarkable is the fact she joins Michele Bullock at the Reserve Bank and Danielle Wood at the Productivity Commission.

    Australia’s three most powerful economic institutions are now led by women economists. In economics, this is not normal. But it certainly does matter.

    Stubbornly male

    Imagine if only 17% of economics professors were men. It would feel unusual; people would ask why the field was so heavily skewed. But the reality is the opposite: 83% of economics professors in Australia are male.

    And yet, this imbalance is almost invisible. Women make up just about one-third of secondary pupils studying economics and 40% of students enrolled in economics courses at university.

    In the private sector, women economists are roughly one in three.

    So while the appointments of Wilkinson, Bullock and Wood feels groundbreaking, the profession as a whole remains stubbornly male. Still, the leadership story is worth celebrating. When young women see leaders who look like them, they’re more likely to imagine themselves in those roles too.

    As women increasingly take the helm, the old stereotype of a suit-clad man with a briefcase gives way to a broader, more inclusive image of what an economist can be.

    The public service is leading the charge. As of 2023, women held 53% of senior executive service positions in the Australian Public Service, up from 46% in 2019.

    Merit and diversity

    Thankfully, unlike other parts of the world, we live in a country where these appointments haven’t triggered claims of so-called “diversity hires”. To be clear: these female pioneers weren’t appointed because they are women.

    Each has decades of experience, technical firepower, and deep policy credentials. Wilkinson has led the Department of Finance and the Parliamentary Budget Office. Bullock has held almost every senior role at the Reserve Bank. Wood has shaped public debates on intergenerational equity and tax reform with clarity and rigour.

    The idea that diversity is somehow in tension with merit is a false binary. Diverse groups make better decisions and are more creative, especially in high-stakes settings.

    Decades of economics and business research has shown that incorporating diverse perspectives into decision-making only strengthens the outcomes. Decisions made and executed by diverse teams delivered 60% better results than those by non-diverse teams.

    Merit isn’t just what’s on paper, it’s shaped by how we judge it.

    When men and women perform equally well, success is more often credited to skill for men and to luck for women. Swap a male name for a female one on a CV, teaching evaluation or reference letter, and perceptions of competence, leadership and hireability start to shift.

    These unconscious biases don’t just affect who gets ahead; they shape how we define merit in the first place.

    Will it make a difference?

    Economics often prides itself on being objective and neutral. While the economic models may be technically gender-blind, the questions we ask and investigate rarely are.

    This is where gender diversity matters – not just in who holds the top jobs, but in what gets researched and how decisions are made. There’s growing evidence male and female economists don’t just ask different questions, they also approach problems differently.

    One study found female central bankers tend to act with greater independence and deliver lower inflation. A United States study and another in Europe showed striking gender differences in how economists think about a range of areas, including labour markets, taxation, health and the environment, and more broadly on public spending – everything from welfare to the military.

    Having more diverse perspectives doesn’t dilute economics – it deepens it. It makes the discipline more responsive to the diversity of the real-world challenges it’s meant to address.

    Economic policies impact the whole society. So does the composition of economists.

    So, what’s next?

    Of course, three women in top economic roles won’t create miracles overnight – they all operate within existing systems and structures.

    So, what can we expect from Wilkinson’s leadership? Her time at the Department of Finance suggests a steady, pragmatic hand: consultative, strategic and deeply experienced.

    Wilkinson brings bipartisan credibility, a sharp grasp of fiscal discipline, and the capacity to act decisively in a crisis, as we saw during COVID. She won’t remake Treasury overnight, but she’s well placed to lead it with rigour, integrity and a long-term view.

    This moment matters for women in economics. It shows change is possible in the profession, and it could mark the start of economic policy that truly reflects the diversity of the people it serves.

    Duygu Yengin is affiliated with the University of Adelaide, Women in Economics Network, and the Economic Society of Australia.

    – ref. It took more than a century, but women are taking charge of Australia’s economy – here’s why it matters – https://theconversation.com/it-took-more-than-a-century-but-women-are-taking-charge-of-australias-economy-heres-why-it-matters-258680

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Introduces Resolution Recognizing Black Contributions to Music

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced a resolution celebrating the contributions of Black Americans to the musical heritage of the United States and designating June as Black Music Appreciation Month. In addition, the resolution recognizes the lack of access to arts education and training for Black students and calls for greater access to music education. U.S. Representatives Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05), and André Carson (D-IN-07) introduced a resolution in the House recognizing June as Black Music Month.

    “America’s music history has long been defined by Black music, but Black singers, songwriters, and musicians rarely get the recognition they deserve for their contributions and art,” said Senator Booker. “This resolution honors Black musicians from Aretha Franklin to Kendrick Lamar, along with so many others who have made an invaluable impact on our cultural history. I’m pleased to stand alongside my colleagues to recognize these artists and also recommit ourselves to expanding access to music education for children across the nation.” 

    “Black music is the soul of American music, shaping our culture in indelible and immeasurable ways. Black Music sets the rhythm of Black life and has shared our story, our joys, and our struggle with the world. Black Music Month is an important opportunity to support music and arts education, including for diverse communities, and connect Black music to the wider story of Black history, including as we celebrate Juneteenth this month. I am proud to introduce our resolution in the House with Congressman Meeks and Congressman Carson and to join with Senator Booker in announcing our resolutions,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.

    “To African American communities, music is more than just entertainment, it is a force of identity, healing, and resistance,” said Congressman Meeks. “I am honored to represent a district that has been home to musical legends such as Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald. African American music is woven into the DNA of this nation—it tells our stories, preserves our struggles, and celebrates our triumphs. We must continue celebrating Black music and its cultural impact worldwide.”

    “Black music has always been more than entertainment. It’s a pathway for truth, resistance, and cultural pride,” said Congressman André Carson. “From the rhythms carried by our ancestors to the beats of hip hop transcending through today’s movements, Black music has always told our story when words alone did not suffice. This Black Music Month, we honor the genres we birthed and the voices that continue to inspire justice, joy, and speak truth to power across the world.”

    The resolution is endorsed by the following organizations: A Cuthbertson Consulting, Cold Narly Generation LLC, Conn Selmer, JazzSLAM, League of American Orchestras, Music Education Consultants, Inc., Music Travel Consultants, National Association for Music Education, National Association for the Study and Performance of African American Music, NAMM, National Concerts, Ohio Music Education Association, New Jersey Music Educators Association, Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society, and TeachRock.

    “Regardless of our socio-economic backgrounds or geographic location within the US, the impact and contributions of Black music is woven into the fabric of our nation. Our music is not just important because of the uniqueness of the art form, but the nurturing provided by those who first introduced the melodies, rhythms, and phrases to us as young music learners in elementary schools, and with our local communities far and wide. The economic impact to small towns and big cities which embrace the expression of this music in houses of worship and entertainment venues contributes and builds local legacies enabling us to preserve, embrace, and expand these gifts for the next generation of music makers, consumers, and admirers.  By supporting and exploring the contribution of Black Music making, we can provide a richer experience which recognizes and celebrates the vital contributions of all those who create and offer this art to our communities, enhancing everyone’s understanding and appreciation for cultural history through the arts,” said NAfME President-Elect Cecil Adderley, Chair of Berklee’s Music Education Department.

    “The New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA) proudly supports Senator Cory Booker’s resolution recognizing June 2025 as Black Music Month. Black musicians and composers have shaped every facet of America’s musical heritage. We recognize the urgent need for greater access to high-quality, culturally relevant music education for Black students, an issue highlighted in this important resolution. NJMEA remains committed to fostering inclusive music programs and expanding access to high-quality music education so that all students can see their identities, cultures, and experiences reflected in the music they study and perform,” said NJMEA President, David Westawski.

    “June is Black Music Month, created by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 to honor the dynamic artistic narrative that chronicles the aspirations, achievements, innovations, and resilience of generations of Americans past and present, from the deep south field hollers that resonate from six score years ago to the electrifying blues, jazz, funk, soul, and hip-hop born in the crucible of today’s largest urban centers, with the voices and rhythms that will carry us into the future. It was in April of 1979 that WBGO signed on the air as Newark Public Radio, a fact that inextricably binds our story to the profound legacy of music created out of the richness of the African American experience. Black Music represents extraordinary value and significance in New Jersey’s artistic and cultural heritage, and it provides the foundation for our representation as the world’s foremost jazz media organization. It is, in fact, the impact that Black artists have had on the world of music that makes WBGO possible. Black music is not just a genre; it is a gift to the world. WBGO is proud to support Senator Cory Booker’s efforts to celebrate this monumental inheritance, not just for one month, but for every day of our existence,” said WBGO President and CEO, Steven A. Williams.

    “The Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society is in full support of the Black Music Month Resolution by Senator Cory Booker. Preserving the culture of Black Music is very important because every genre of music has been influenced by Black Music. It’s more important today than ever before to educate the history of Black Music. The impact of Black Music Culture is not only in America, but all over the world,” said the Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society President and CEO, Perry Thompson.

    The resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Dick Durbin (D-IL).

    To read the full text of the resolution, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trahan Delivers Opening Statement at Legislative Hearing on GOP College Sports Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a former Division I volleyball player, delivered the following opening statement at the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s hearing on partisan legislation that would roll back the rights of college athletes and hand massive giveaways to the NCAA and powerful conferences.
    “The SCORE Act uses the approval of the House settlement as justification to slam the door on future progress for college athletes. Proponents claim the system is broken, but the fact that three separate antitrust cases are being settled proves otherwise. We have a system where the NCAA, conferences, and their member institutions set rules. Athletes can challenge them. And if the rules are unfair, courts can intervene, or a deal can be struck. This bill rewrites that process to guarantee the people in power always win, and the athletes who fuel this multibillion-dollar industry always lose,” Congresswoman Trahan said.
    CLICK HERE or the image below to watch Trahan’s opening statement. A transcript is embedded below.

    —————————————-
    Congresswoman Lori Trahan
    Remarks as Delivered
    House Energy and Commerce Hearing on “Winning Off the Field: Legislative Proposal to Stabilize NIL and College Athletics”
    June 12, 2025
    I’m deeply disappointed for the second year in a row, Republicans on this Committee are advancing a partisan college sports bill that protects the power brokers of college athletics at the expense of the athletes themselves. This legislation was crafted behind closed doors, with no input from Democratic members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the Judiciary Committee, or the Education and Workforce Committee.
    In fact, we didn’t see a draft of the bill until late last week – not because our Republican colleagues shared it with us, but because lobbyists and members of the media got it first. I’m a former D1 athlete, and I’m deeply, I care deeply about the future of college sports. So that when I asked the Chairman about the rumored hearing today, he said he’d be happy to discuss the proposal with me beforehand. Sadly, that meeting never happened.
    What makes this all the more frustrating is that there is bipartisan agreement on serious problems in college sports that deserve congressional action. International athletes are being denied the same NIL rights as their teammates. Women are being left out of roster spots due to Title IX loopholes.
    We could be working together on solutions. Instead, the SCORE Act uses the approval of the House settlement as justification to slam the door on future progress for college athletes.
    Proponents claim the system is broken, but the fact that three separate antitrust cases are being settled proves otherwise. We have a system where the NCAA, conferences, and their member institutions set rules. Athletes can challenge them. And if the rules are unfair, courts can intervene, or a deal can be struck.
    This bill rewrites that process to guarantee the people in power always win, and the athletes who fuel this multibillion-dollar industry always lose.
    I oppose the legislation as written, and I look forward to hearing from our witnesses, and I yield to Congresswoman Clark.
    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Washington Post Op-Ed, Pressley & Hamilton Reject “Trump Accounts,” Urge Congress to Embrace Baby Bonds to Close Wealth Gap

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

    “Trump accounts fall drastically short of addressing the real hurdles Americans face.”

    “In a just nation, everyone should have the economic power and financial opportunity to build wealth and live the productive life they choose. That’s what baby bonds offer: real solutions to wealth inequality and real investments that can transform the future for millions of children.”

    WASHINGTON – In an op-ed published in the Washington Post, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and economist Darrick Hamilton discussed the regressive, ineffective “Trump Accounts” provision of Republicans’ reconciliation bill, outlined how Trump Accounts fall short of what is needed to close the wealth gap in America, and urged Congress to embrace Baby Bonds to advance economic justice.

    For over six years, Rep. Pressley and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), in partnership with Mr. Hamilton, have championed Baby Bonds, bicameral legislation to close the racial wealth gap, disrupt cycles of intergenerational poverty, and make economic opportunity a birthright for every child.

    The full text of the op-ed is available below and can be read on the Washington Post website here.

    Washington Post Op-Ed: ‘Trump accounts’ will save kids? Republicans can’t be serious.
    By Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Darrick Hamilton
    June 11, 2025

    In the United States, the wealthiest nation in the world, a child born into poverty is unlikely to ever climb out of it. Wealth inequality in this country has reached historic highs, with the top 10 percent of households holding 67 percent of the nation’s wealth, while the bottom 50 percent holds just 2.5 percent. This means that millions of children grow up lacking basic economic security.

    Now as much as ever, we need real investment in our children.

    The Republican reconciliation bill that recently passed the House does nothing to address our glaring wealth inequality. Not only does it slash Medicaid, food assistance and other essential programs for the more than 30 percent of Americans who can’t put together $400 for an emergency expense, but also tucked into this harmful bill are provisions that claim Americans can build wealth through “Trump accounts.” Under the GOP proposal, every child born in the next four years would receive a one-time $1,000 government contribution into a tax-free investment account, to which families may contribute up to $5,000 annually.

    But this is not a serious solution.

    Trump accounts fall drastically short of addressing the real hurdles Americans face. These accounts are built on the presumption that individuals lack the incentive to save. In fact, what they lack is disposable income. Anyone can lawfully open a savings account for their child, such as a 529 account for college, but most are not positioned to take advantage of such accounts. A 2016 Federal Reserve Bank study found that just 2.5 percent of all families had a 529 savings account — and among households in the bottom half of the income distribution, that number dropped to only 0.3 percent. Most are not positioned to take advantage of new savings accounts. And by restricting eligibility to children born in the next four years, the proposal makes clear it was never intended to truly confront generational poverty and the wealth gap.

    Trump accounts are structured to benefit primarily more affluent families — those who already have money to invest. For those struggling to put food on the table or afford a doctor’s visit, the choice isn’t between consumption and investment — it’s between groceries and medicine. Though many Americans could use real support — such as extra cash when a new baby arrives — the Republican bill moving through the Senate threatens to slash essential programs, leaving families worse off. And ironically, it contains no provision to protect low-income recipients from the “benefit cliff” — the asset limits that could disqualify them from essential services such as housing or income support once they reach adulthood.

    Contrast this with the legislative vision we’ve championed for more than six years: baby bonds.

    Known in Congress as the American Opportunity Accounts Act, the legislation to create baby bonds is rooted in the principle that every child, no matter their race, family income or birth circumstances, deserves a fair shot at building wealth and securing their future.

    Here’s how it works: Every child receives $1,000 at birth. But unlike Trump accounts, baby bonds don’t stop there. Children would continueto receive additional deposits from the government every year, progressivelyscaled to family income. These funds would grow over time in safe, federally managed investment accounts. At age 18, young adults could access their accounts to pay for allowable expenses, including homeownership, higher education or starting a business — the kind of human and financial capital investments that change life trajectories. Building wealth from birth this way is cost-effective — supercharging dollars through years of interest — and also disrupts the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

    Baby bonds also tackle the root problem of asset inequality — something the regressive tax structure of the Trump accounts does not fix. Rather than simply encouraging investment by those who already have the money, baby bonds seek to ensure that everyone has a meaningful stake in the economy and an opportunity to build financial stability and wealth.

    Baby bonds wouldn’t replace private investment — they would complement it by providing every young person with a baseline of security. They would create a public foundation of capital while still allowing private investment and individual agency. In doing so, they don’t displace the market but expand the pool of those who can benefit from it.

    There is also a deeper issue at play. Trump accounts amount to a government subsidy for asset managers — another tax-advantaged inflow into the financial services industry. In effect, they are a backdoor giveaway to Wall Street, wrapped in the rhetoric of economic populism.

    Our country has a long history of wealth-building programs that expanded opportunity — from the Homestead Act to the GI Bill, which led to the greatest expansion of the middle class in U.S. history. But too often, those benefits were not accessible to all Americans, especially Black Americans and Native Americans, from whom much of the land seeded in the Homestead Act was taken, often violently. We now have the chance to design a 21st-century wealth-building initiative that is inclusive, equitable and grounded in sound economic theory and evidence.

    We vehemently oppose the Republican budget reconciliation bill and urge the Senate to halt this attack on Medicaid, food assistance and more. In a just nation, everyone should have the economic power and financial opportunity to build wealth and live the productive life they choose. That’s what baby bonds offer: real solutions to wealth inequality and real investments that can transform the future for millions of children.

    Darrick Hamilton is chief economist at the AFL-CIO and director of the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at the New School. Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat, represents Massachusetts’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey, Leader Schumer, Wyden, Merkley Release Data Detailing Hundreds of Rural Hospitals Across U.S. at Risk Due to Republican Health Care Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Over 300 Rural Hospitals at Disproportionate Risk of Closure, Conversion, or Service Reductions
    Lawmakers Also Provided Data to President Trump, Leader Thune, and Speaker Johnson in Letter
    Letter and Data | Sheps Response
    Washington (June 12, 2025) – Following House Republicans’ passage of a bill that would impose the largest cuts to health care in U.S. history, slashing funding for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by more than $1 trillion and triggering more than $500 billion in Medicare cuts, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y), Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, released detailed data from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill concluding that Republican health care cuts could place over 300 rural hospitals across the U.S. at disproportionate risk of closure, conversion, or service reductions. The data is based on financial indicators including: share of Medicaid patients served, previous years of negative total margins, and data modeling on future financial distress.
    The lawmakers also sent the data in a letter to President Trump, Leader John Thune, and Speaker Mike Johnson, writing, “Addressing the crisis in rural health care access is a national, bipartisan priority, and it should be bipartisan to not worsen that crisis. However, if your party passes these health care cuts into law, Americans in rural communities across the country risk losing health care services and jobs supported by their local hospitals. We urge you to read the attached report and reconsider your position. It is not too late to stop these cuts. Billionaire tax breaks are not worth the cost to American lives and livelihoods.”
    The response from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill states, “Substantial cuts to Medicaid or Medicare payments could increase the number of unprofitable rural hospitals and elevate their risk of financial distress. In response, hospitals may be forced to reduce service lines, convert to a different type of health care facility, or close altogether.” The data shows the following regarding at-risk rural hospitals:
    Over 338 rural hospitals are at particular risk of closure, conversion, or service reduction from substantial health care cuts because the hospitals either take a high relative share of Medicaid patients, or have experienced 3 years of negative total margins, or both. This includes 33 hospitals in Louisiana, 35 hospitals in Kentucky, and 21 hospitals in Oklahoma.
    In Alaska, 4 rural hospitals – more than 40 percent of rural hospitals with available data – serve high concentrations of Medicaid patients.
    In West Virginia, nearly a quarter of rural hospitals are serving high concentrations of Medicaid patients, and 15 percent of rural hospitals are at the highest relative risk of financial distress.
    In Alabama, 8 rural hospitals – nearly 20 percent of rural hospitals with available data – are in the highest relative risk category of financial distress.
    In Tennessee, 9 rural hospitals – or 18 percent of rural hospitals in the state with available data – have experienced 3 years of negative total margins, and 9 rural hospitals are at highest relative risk of financial distress.
    In the face of these Republican cuts, a majority of adults living in rural areas are concerned that health care cuts will “negatively impact hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care providers in [their] community.” Rural hospitals are struggling; in 2023, there were 50 fewer rural hospitals than in 2017, and a lack of health care access in rural America is contributing to worse health outcomes. Faced with additional cuts to their revenue, many rural hospitals may be forced to stop providing certain services, including obstetric, mental health, and emergency room care, convert to clinics or standalone emergency centers, or close altogether. Rural hospitals are often the largest employers in rural communities, and when a rural hospital closes or scales back their services, communities are not only forced to grapple with losing access to health care, but also with job loss and the resulting financial insecurity.
    “If Republicans plan to pass drastic cuts to Medicaid and Medicare and effectively repeal the Affordable Care Act, communities should know exactly what they stand to lose,” said Senator Markey. “These health care cuts won’t just kick millions off their insurance. These cuts will plunge hospitals across the country into financial chaos, and as this data demonstrates, hundreds of rural hospitals across the country may be forced to stop providing care, limit their services, or close altogether. If hospitals close, many rural communities will lose the biggest employer they have. Seniors, the disabled, and pregnant people will have to travel farther to access care. Families will lose access to care. People will die. The more information we have about this bill, the worse it seems. No life or job is worth a yes vote on this big billionaire bill. We must make sure every American can see how Republicans are willing to pay for billionaire tax breaks with people’s lives, and we must defeat this ugly bill.”
    “As this report proves, the Republicans’ ‘Big, Ugly Betrayal’ is a matter of life and death for millions of Americans. The cruel and far-reaching cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act are putting hundreds of rural hospitals at risk of closure, limiting services, or mass layoffs,” said Leader Schumer. “Rural Americans already face more obstacles to getting healthcare and many are the lifeblood and major employers of their communities, all of which Republicans are risking to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.”
    “As I hold town hall meetings in each of Oregon’s 36 counties, I frequently hear about struggles folks have in accessing health care in their communities. This isn’t a red state or blue state issue. Medicaid helps every state – especially rural communities,” said Senator Merkley. “More than 300 rural hospitals will be at risk of shutting down – in Oregon and across the country – if Republicans betray middle class families and make these drastic cuts to Medicaid, all so that billionaires can pay less in taxes. This is the Republican plan: families lose, and billionaires win.”
    The lawmakers sent a letter to the Sheps Center director on June 4, 2025, requesting the Center’s expert analysis of how this bill will impact rural hospitals and the communities they serve, particularly inquiring about which rural hospitals in the country treat the highest share of Medicaid recipients; how many rural hospitals are currently in financial distress or at risk of closure; and if the health care cuts in the House-passed budget reconciliation bill were to become law, would the rural hospitals with the highest share of Medicaid recipients or that are currently in financial distress face risk of closure or have to reduce services.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Sunday Too Far Away at 50: how a story about Aussie shearers launched a local film industry

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Walsh, Associate Professor, Screen and Media, Flinders University

    Released 50 years ago, Sunday Too Far Away deals episodically with a group of shearers led by Foley (Jack Thompson), and the events leading up to the national shearers’ strike of 1956.

    The shearers are a ragtag group held together by rum, unionism and competitiveness – as Foley must deal with the camp cook from hell, as well as a threat to his “gun” status.

    As we celebrate the anniversary, it is hard to overstate its importance for the Australian film industry and for its producer, the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC).

    The beginnings of a funding body

    After the Liberal and Country League had held control over the state government for 32 years under a “Playmander”, named for premier Thomas Playford, the Labor party, lead by Don Dunstan, was elected in 1970 on a progressive platform.

    As part of Dunstan’s project of moving the state’s economy away from its Playford-era reliance on manufacturing to more knowledge-based service industries, the SAFC was founded in 1972.

    Central to Dunstan’s plan was the imperative that the SAFC should produce feature films – despite an initial consultant’s report that advised against this.

    Dunstan’s plan was visionary, making South Australia the first state government to directly produce features. But it was also flawed.

    The Dunstan government authorised the SAFC to borrow A$400,000 (approximately $5 million in 2025 money) for the production of up to five features per year, with the remainder of the budgets coming from Commonwealth funds and private investors.

    Don Dunstan, then premier of South Australia, around 1972 when the South Australian Film Corporation was established.
    State Library of South Australia B 64310/106

    The plan was that the SAFC’s productions would be self-supporting within five years, with the initial pump-priming loans repaid.

    By 1973 a slate of features was in the works, though none would reach production.

    One of these was Gallipoli, to be made in conjunction with Melbourne-based Crawford Productions, with screenwriter John Dingwell attached.

    The film was shelved, but Dingwell maintained his relationship with Matt Carroll, the SAFC’s head of feature production. They developed a script titled Shearers, based on anecdotes from one of Dingwell’s relatives.

    Sunday Too Far Away (as the film was retitled) was budgeted at $231,000, with the Commonwealth Government’s Australian Film Development Corporation, established in 1970 to invest in local films, providing half this figure.

    An ‘emotional experience’

    Gil Brealey, the SAFC’s first CEO, was desperate to get a feature started and was prepared to find the whole of the budget if necessary. (The SAFC would put up an additional $14,000 in budget overruns caused by wet weather in the semi-arid locations around Port Augusta and Quorn.)

    It was a remarkable demonstration of maximum involvement by a government body intent on intervening dramatically to generate a production industry in a state that would otherwise lose out to the larger states on the eastern seaboard.

    At the recent 50th anniversary screening hosted by the SAFC, producer Matt Carroll referred to the film shoot as “an extraordinary emotional experience” for all involved, stressing the strong camaraderie among the actors, which mirrored that of the shearers in the film.

    It is useful to compare Sunday to 1971’s Wake in Fright.

    Both centre on rural male mateship, but while Wake in Fright is revolted by it, Sunday strives for an elegiac celebration that might have drawn from Henry Lawson, of union-based mateship as the only defence again the harshness of life.

    Fraught politics

    Brealey and the SAFC were functioning under enormous political pressure for this film to be not only a critical, but also a popular success.

    From the outset, the SAFC had been identified with Dunstan, and it was under almost daily attack in Parliament, led by Liberal frontbencher Stan Evans.

    Quoted in the Adelaide Advertiser in May 1975, Evans denounced the SAFC “for actively producing and manufacturing films when its role under the Act precluded it from this field”.

    He was joined in these attacks by elements of the local press, as well as a handful of filmmakers who felt slighted by talent imported by Brealey.

    The board was forced to issue a statement, complaining of

    a very small vocal minority who, apparently, find the success of the corporation personally offensive and make every effort to ‘knock’ its work.

    The acceptance of the film into the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, the first Australian film bestowed the honour, was a godsend. It went on to win eight of the 12 awards on offer at the Australian Film Institute Awards.

    Brealey wryly told me that “we had this appalling reputation in Adelaide and everyone else thought we were marvellous”.

    The film renaissance

    In order to shore up its local standing, the SAFC ran a film day at the Adelaide Festival Centre, culminating in a “world premiere” of Sunday attended by Gough Whitlam.

    The next day, the SAFC released the film itself in Adelaide, hiring the Warner cinema where it ran for 26 weeks under an arrangement that gave the producer the entire gross, less the exhibitor’s expenses.

    Brealey was extremely suspicious of Australian distributors. Roadshow distributed the film throughout the rest of Australia. By October, they were reporting box office grosses of over $182,000 – though the SAFC had only received $11,000 in returns.

    The bitter lesson was that SAFC had clearly been founded on overly optimistic expectations of returns to producers. Feature production in Australia would need on-going government support.

    The success of Sunday Too Far Away, followed closely by Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and Storm Boy (1976) succeeded in establishing the SAFC as a prime mover in Australian film.

    Locally, it won bipartisan local support for the SAFC and nationally it established a model for emulation by other states.

    It demonstrated that Australian films could combine local and international appeal, and that government agencies had a vital role at the heart of the film renaissance.

    Michael Walsh is a consultant for the SAFC on its digitisation project. He has previously written a commissioned history for the organisation.

    – ref. Sunday Too Far Away at 50: how a story about Aussie shearers launched a local film industry – https://theconversation.com/sunday-too-far-away-at-50-how-a-story-about-aussie-shearers-launched-a-local-film-industry-258576

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Like an underwater bushfire’: SA’s marine algal bloom is still killing almost everything in its path

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Barrera, PhD Candidate, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide

    Paul Macdonald of Edithburgh Diving

    South Australian beaches have been awash with foamy, discoloured water and dead marine life for months. The problem hasn’t gone away; it has spread.

    Devastating scenes of death and destruction mobilised locals along the Fleurieu Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. The state government has hosted emergency meetings, most recently with marine and environment experts from around Australia, and issued weekly updates.

    Unfortunately, there are few ways to stop the bloom. Scientists had hoped strong westerly winds would break it up and push it out to sea. But so far, the wild weather has just pushed it through the Murray Mouth into the Coorong. And even if the bloom is washed away this winter, it could return in spring.

    This bloom represents a stark warning to coastal communities, as well as tourism, seafood and aquaculture industries. It’s a sign of what’s to come, in Australia and around the world, as the oceans warm.

    South Australia’s marine emblem, the leafy sea dragon, washed up on Stokes Bay in Kangaroo Island during the harmful algal bloom.
    RAD KI

    An unprecedented algal bloom

    The first sign of trouble came in March this year, when dozens of surfers and beachgoers fell ill. Many reported sore eyes, coughing or trouble breathing.

    Water testing soon revealed the cause: a harmful algal bloom of Karenia mikimotoi.

    Most people felt better within hours or days of leaving the beach. But marine life of all kinds was washing up dead or dying.

    Fish habitat charity OzFish set up a new citizen science project to capture the data, using iNaturalist.

    OzFish SA project manager Brad Martin told a public forum the bloom was like an “underwater bushfire”, adding:

    It’s suffocating fish, it’s taking the oxygen out of the water and it’s producing toxins.

    Photos of dead fish, seahorses, octopuses and rays were already circulating on social media. So OzFish encouraged people to start using iNaturalist, to identify the species and capture the data.

    The data shows more than 200 species of marine creatures died, including 100 types of fish and sharks. This includes popular recreational fishing species such as flathead, squid, crabs and rock lobsters.

    Almost half the deaths were ray-finned fish species. A quarter were sharks and ray species. Then came soft-bodied “cephalopods” such as cuttlefish and octopus, and crustaceans such as crabs, lobsters and prawns.

    Most of these species live on or near the sea floor with small home ranges. As in a bushfire, they have little chance of escape. Other fish that live in the open ocean, such as whiting, snapper and tuna, can swim away.

    Ray-finned fish, sharks and rays dominate the death toll from the marine algal bloom, as recorded on iNaturalist.
    Brad Martin, OzFish

    The culprit

    K. mikimotoi is a type of microalgae. It uses sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow and divide, releasing oxygen.

    In calm conditions, with plenty of light and warmth, the algal cells divide rapidly. Ideal conditions for algal growth are becoming more common as the climate changes and seas warm.

    Algal toxins are known to cause illness and sometimes death in humans, pets and livestock.

    K. mikimotoi is lethal to marine life, not humans. But the toxic effects in marine life are complicated and poorly understood.

    The algae irritates fish gills, causing cell death and bleeding. It also causes hypoxia, or lack of oxygen in the blood. And when the algae die off, decomposition consumes huge amounts of oxygen – leaving marine life to suffocate.

    Scientists now suspect other Karenia species may be involved too, due to the detection of brevetoxins in shellfish. This is the first detection of brevetoxins in Australia.

    Grim scenes greeted divers in murky water at Edithburgh on the Yorke Peninsula. (Paul Macdonald of Edithburgh Diving)

    What can be done?

    A marine heatwave is largely to blame. Sea surface temperatures have been 2.5°C warmer than usual since September. Relatively calm conditions, with little wind and small swells, also enabled the bloom to grow. Now it’s a matter of waiting for strong westerly winds to blow it all away.

    The latest update shows sea surface temperatures have stabilised. But deeper gulf and shelf waters remain 1–2°C above average for this time of the year.

    Climate change is making future blooms more likely. So tackling climate change is one way to help.

    Another is minimising the runoff of nutrients into waterways. Microalgae can be found anywhere with enough water, light and nutrients. So reducing pollution can help reduce the risk of algal blooms.

    This includes better management of fertiliser on farms and in home gardens. Lower levels of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous will reduce the risk of future blooms in marine and inland waterways.

    When it comes to blue-green algae, flushing with freshwater and stirring it up can disperse the colonies and prevent a bloom.

    Monitoring is also important. OzFish encourages South Australians to continue providing photo reports via iNaturalist. Any new fish kills should also be reported to the state government.

    The harmful algal bloom has transformed the reef at Edithburgh Jetty on the Yorke Peninsula. (Great Southern Reef)

    Microalgae are not all bad

    It’s worth remembering life on Earth wouldn’t exist without microalgae. These tiny organisms produced 60% of the oxygen in the atmosphere today, and play an important role in balanced ecosystems.

    The algae spirulina is a common dietary supplement. Microalgae are also potentially useful for water recycling, as a renewable biofuel and for capturing and storing greenhouse gases.

    Heeding the lessons

    Once a harmful algal bloom begins, it will persist for as long as conditions remain suitable.

    This bloom already has lasted three months, and there’s no guarantee the end is near.

    Recovery will be slow, as shown in the historical record and other parts of the world. And the risk of a repeat event is high.

    Further research is needed to keep these ancient organisms in check.

    With thanks to OzFish SA project manager Brad Martin, who contributed to this article.

    Erin Barrera receives funding from The Hospital Research Foundation, through SA Health.

    – ref. ‘Like an underwater bushfire’: SA’s marine algal bloom is still killing almost everything in its path – https://theconversation.com/like-an-underwater-bushfire-sas-marine-algal-bloom-is-still-killing-almost-everything-in-its-path-257885

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: AI overviews have transformed Google search. Here’s how they work – and how to opt out

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University

    cosma/Shutterstock

    People turn to the internet to run billions of search queries each year. These range from keeping tabs on world events and celebrities to learning new words and getting DIY help.

    One of the most popular questions Australians recently asked was: “How to inspect a used car?”.

    If you asked Google this at the beginning of 2024, you would have been served a list of individual search results and the order would have depended on several factors. If you asked the same question at the end of the year, the experience would be completely different.

    That’s because Google, which controls about 94% of the Australian search engine market, introduced “AI Overviews” to Australia in October 2024. These AI-generated search result summaries have revolutionised how people search for and find information. They also have significant impacts on the quality of the results.

    How do these AI search summaries work, though? Are they reliable? And is there a way to opt out?

    Synthesising the internet

    Legacy search engines work by evaluating dozens of different criteria and trying to show you the results that they think best match your search terms.

    They take into account the content itself, including how unique, current and comprehensive it is, as well as how it’s structured and organised.

    They also consider relationships between the content and other parts of the web. If trusted sources link to content, that can positively affect its placement in search results.

    They try to infer the searcher’s intent – whether they’re trying to buy something, learn something new, or solve a practical problem. They also consider technical aspects such as how fast the content loads and whether the page is secure.

    All of this adds up to an invisible score each webpage gets that affects its visibility in search results. But AI is changing all this.

    Google is the only search engine that prominently displays AI summaries on its main results page. Bing and DuckDuckGo still use traditional search result layouts, offering AI summaries only through companion apps such as Copilot and Duck.ai.

    Instead of directing users to one specific webpage, generative AI-powered search looks across webpages and sources to try to synthesise what they say. It then tries to summarise the results in a short, conversational and easy-to-understand way.

    In theory, this can result in richer, more comprehensive, and potentially more unique answers. But AI doesn’t always get it right.

    Google is the only search engine that prominently displays AI summaries on its main results page.
    DIA TV/Shutterstock

    How reliable are AI searches?

    Early examples of Google’s AI-powered search from 2024 suggested users eat “at least one small rock per day” – and that they could use non-toxic glue to help cheese stick to pizza.

    One issue is that machines are poorly equipped to detect satire or parody and can use these materials to respond in place of fact-based evidence.

    Research suggests the rate of so-called “hallucinations” – instances of machines making up answers – is getting worse even as the models driving them are getting more sophisticated.

    Machines can’t actually determine what’s true and false. They cannot grasp the nuances of idioms and colloquial language and can only make predictions based on fancy maths. But these predictions don’t always end up being correct, which is an issue – especially for sensitive medical or health questions or when seeking financial advice.

    Rather than just present a summary, Google’s more recent AI overviews have also started including links to sources for key aspects of the answer. This can help users gauge the quality of the overall answer and see where AI might be getting its information from. But evidence suggests sometimes AI search engines cite sources that don’t include the information they claim they do.

    What are the other impacts of AI search?

    AI search summaries are transforming the way information is produced and discovered, reshaping the search engine ecosystem we’ve grown accustomed to over two decades.

    They are changing how information-seekers formulate search queries – moving from keywords or phrases to simple questions, such as those we use in everyday conversation.

    For content providers, AI summaries introduce significant shifts – undermining traditional search engine optimisation techniques, reducing direct traffic to websites, and impacting brand visibility.

    Notably, 43% of AI Overviews link back to Google itself. This reinforces Google’s dominance as a search engine and as a website.

    The forthcoming integration of ads into AI summaries raises concerns about the trustworthiness and independence of the information presented.

    Some internet users are switching search engines entirely and turning to providers that don’t provide AI summaries, such as Bing and DuckDuckGo.
    Casimiro PT/Shutterstock

    Where to from here?

    People should always be mindful of the key limitations of AI summaries.

    Asking for simple facts such as, “What is the height of Uluru?” may yield accurate answers.

    But posing more complex or divisive questions, such as, “Will the 2032 Olympics bankrupt Queensland?”, may require users to open links and delve deeper for a more comprehensive understanding.

    Google doesn’t offer a clear option to turn this feature off entirely. Perhaps the simplest way is to click on the “Web” tab under the search bar on the search results, or to add “-ai” to the search query. But this can get repetitive.

    Some more technical solutions are manually creating a site search filter through Chrome settings. But these require an active act by the user.

    As a result, some developers are offering browser extensions that claim to remove this aspect. Other users are switching search engines entirely and turning to providers that don’t provide AI summaries, such as Bing and DuckDuckGo.

    T.J. Thomson receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is an affiliate with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making & Society.

    Ashwin Nagappa receives funding fromthe Australian Research Council. He is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the QUT node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making & Society.

    Shir Weinbrand receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a PhD candidate in the QUT node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making & Society.

    – ref. AI overviews have transformed Google search. Here’s how they work – and how to opt out – https://theconversation.com/ai-overviews-have-transformed-google-search-heres-how-they-work-and-how-to-opt-out-258282

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lee Declares June ‘Fidelity Month’ to Celebrate Family Values

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced a resolution designating June as ‘Fidelity Month’ to celebrate faith, family values, and patriotism. The resolution recognizes the national strife resulting from declining traditional values and serves as a rededication to these principles for the wellbeing of the American people.
    “America’s success hinges on the values of faith, family, and patriotism,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Celebrating Fidelity Month this June, we stand against a tide of moral relativism, a culture which increasingly revolves around serving one’s self, rather than our duty to others. Loving families and faithful marriages must be a guiding star for our society and a cornerstone of our communities.”
    “Fidelity Month is an invitation to our fellow Americans to rededicate themselves to core principles that were once, and can again be, sources of our nation’s unity and strength: fidelity to God; fidelity to spouses and children; fidelity to our country and communities.” – Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University and founder of Fidelity Month.
    “At a time when America’s moral fabric is fraying and too many voices denigrate the very values that once bound us together, Fidelity Month is a timely and essential initiative. Faith, family, and patriotism are not relics of the past — they are the pillars of any flourishing civilization. I wholeheartedly support this effort to call Americans of every background to renew their dedication to these enduring truths. Without such fidelity, freedom itself becomes fragile.” – Andrew T. Walker, Ph.D., Fellow, The Ethics and Public Policy Center
    Resolution
    Supporting the designation of June as Fidelity Month for the purpose of rededicating the United States to the values of faith, family, and patriotism. 
    Whereas a recent opinion poll of Americans showed support for traditional values has significantly declined; 
    Whereas a majority of Americans no longer view values like faith, family, patriotism, or being involved in the community as very important; 
    Whereas these values used to unite Americans; 
    Whereas the decline in these values has corresponded with a rise in crime, drug abuse, alienation, and family disintegration; 
    Whereas fidelity means dedication to faith, spouses and families, and country and communities; 
    Whereas citizens of all faiths can join in recommitting the United States to fidelity; 
    Whereas John Adams, a founding father of the United States, said, ‘‘Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.’’; 
    Whereas survival of the United States depends on the shared bonds of faith, family, and patriotism; and 
    Whereas it is fitting to observe one month each year to rededicate the United States to its core values: Now, therefore, be it 
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that June should be designated as Fidelity Month for the purpose of rededicating the United States to the values of faith, family, and patriotism.
    See the official resolution text here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Introduces Legislation to Protect Domestic Workers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) is today leading 104 Members of Congress in reintroducing the National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. The groundbreaking legislation will finally extend common workplace rights and protections to the 2.2 million domestic workers in the United States, who are currently excluded from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and other key labor and safety laws that the majority of the workforce relies on. The legislation would also improve job quality by ensuring paid sick days, written agreements, and other benefits.

    “Domestic workers are too often called essential, but treated as expendable,” said Jayapal. “These workers, who are predominantly women of color and immigrants, make all other work possible. This landmark legislation ensures that domestic workers are finally included in our existing labor laws, giving them access to the basic protections they deserve in the workplace, including overtime pay, guaranteed rest and meal breaks, time off, and legal protections from unsafe working conditions and harassment. It will finally give our domestic workers the dignity and respect they deserve. This legislation is more important now than ever as the Trump Administration works to strip many of the programs domestic workers rely on to survive, like Medicaid and food assistance.”

    Since they are unprotected from labor laws, domestic workers are more likely to live in poverty than workers in other, protected sectors. In 2023, the typical domestic worker earned $20,926 per year, which is not enough to afford a one-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United States. Four in five domestic workers also do not receive sick days, and one in three do not receive breaks during work. 

    “Domestic workers have always been essential,” said Jenn Stowe, Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. “For generations, women of color and immigrant women have provided the care that powers our economy and strengthens our communities. Yet today, that essential work is under threat—from looming Medicaid cuts that would devastate workers and care recipients alike, to harmful immigration enforcement that destabilizes families and instills fear in communities where there should be safety. The reintroduction of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights is a declaration that no one should have to live or work in fear, and that every worker deserves dignity, safety, and respect.”

    The legislation amends the Civil Rights Act and the FLSA to ensure domestic workers are able to earn overtime, sick days, and are able to request time off for personal reasons, that their employment is subject to a written agreement, that they are provided meal and rest breaks, that their privacy is protected, and that they are protected from workplace discrimination and harassment. It would also create additional resources to better implement these protections and rights and establish a National Domestic Worker Hotline where workers can call to seek assistance on employment issues. 

    The legislation is cosponsored by Alma S. Adams, PhD (NC-12), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-00), Rep. Nanette Barragan (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Don Beyer (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Shontel Brown  (OH-11), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Andre Carson (IN-07), Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sean Casten (IL-06), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Suzan DelBebe (WA-01), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesus G. “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Al Green (TX-09), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr.  (GA-04), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernández  (NM-03), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Doris Matsui  (CA -07), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Rob Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), David Scott (GA-13), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie G. Thompson  (MS-02), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Bonnie Watson Coleman  (NJ -12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24). 

    It is also endorsed by A Better Balance, A.Y.U.D.A Inc., Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Black Labor Week Project Inc., Border Workers United, Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy , Caring Across Generations, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, Centro Cultural de Mexico, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Coalition on Human Needs, Community Change Action, Detroit Disability Power, Family Values @ Work, Freedom Network USA, Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network, Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Just Solutions, Justice for Migrant Women, Justice in Aging, Michigan Disability Rights Coalition , MomsRising, National Council of Jewish Women, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Employment Law Project, National Organization for Women, National Partnership for Women & Families, New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, New Orleans Workers’ for Racial Justice, Oxfam America, Paid Leave for All, People’s Action Institute , PHI, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Seventh Generation Interfaith Coalition for Responsible Investment, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, The Restaurant Opportunity Center of Pennsylvania (ROC PA), Women Employed, Women’s March.

    Issues: Jobs, Labor, & the Economy

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Ivey Appoints Laurie Hoyt to Baldwin County Circuit Judgeship

    Source: US State of Alabama

    MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday announced the appointment of Laurie Hoyt to serve on the Baldwin County Circuit Court.

    “A longtime resident of Baldwin County, Judge Hoyt is well versed in the law, both criminal and civil,” said Governor Ivey.  “She brings to the bench a broad range of legal experience spanning from private practice to representing the public’s interests in a major state agency.  I am confident she will honorably serve the people of Baldwin County as the newest circuit judge on the 28th Judicial Circuit.”

    “I am honored and grateful that Governor Ivey appointed me to serve as the next Circuit Court Judge in Baldwin County,” said Judge Hoyt.  “I look forward to serving the citizens of Baldwin County and working hard on their behalf.”

    Hoyt assumes the judgeship position vacated by Baldwin County Circuit Court Judge Carmen Bosch who announced her retirement on June 4, 2025.

    Hoyt began her legal career at the firm of James Dorgan, PC, in Fairhope, while also serving as an adjunct substitute Business Law professor at Spring Hill College.  Afterwards, she devoted 18 years as an attorney with the Alabama Department of Human Resources.  As an Assistant Attorney General, she represented the Department in all legal matters, including juvenile and domestic relations cases and complex litigation, and administrative personnel hearings and administrative child abuse/neglect hearings in Baldwin and Escambia counties.

    Hoyt received her Bachelor of Science degree from Spring Hill College in Mobile in 2002 and her Juris Doctor from Loyola University College of Law in 2006.

    Laurie Hoyt and her husband, Baldwin County District Judge Michael Hoyt, have three children and live in Daphne, Alabama.

    Hoyt’s appointment is effective immediately.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Support Grows for AI Whistleblower Protection Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed growing support for his AI Whistleblower Protection Act from leading whistleblower and AI groups. This week, 22 groups, including the National Whistleblower Center, sent a letter backing Grassley’s legislation to Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.), whose committee has jurisdiction over the legislation. 
    Grassley’s bill provides explicit whistleblower protections to those developing and deploying AI. Currently, AI companies’ alleged use of restrictive severance and nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) create a chilling effect on current and former employees looking to make whistleblower disclosures to the federal government, including Congress.   
    “Transparency brings accountability. Today, too many people working in AI feel they’re unable to speak up when they see something wrong. Whistleblowers are one of the best ways to ensure Congress keeps pace as the AI industry rapidly develops. We need to act to make these protections crystal clear, and I’m proud to see so many groups supporting my legislation to increase accountability and protect AI whistleblowers,” Grassley said. 
    The groups highlight the importance of whistleblowers as increased use of AI brings potential misuse, ethical lapses and unintended consequences.  
    “Employees and industry insiders—rather than regulators—have consistently been among the first to warn about risks of the technologies they’re building. In Silicon Valley, engineers have exposed powerful AI models released without proper safeguards, former staff have surfaced data on youth digital harms, and researchers have stepped forward when serious risks were ignored. Their disclosures—often about conduct that was dangerous but not yet illegal—gave the public and policymakers the evidence needed to act,” the groups wrote. 
    In their letter, the groups state some employees may be deterred from reporting issues due to fear of retaliation or professional repercussions. In June 2024, over a dozen current and former employees from leading AI companies publicly stated that confidentiality agreements and fear of retaliation prevented them from raising legitimate safety concerns. 
    “Congress has the opportunity to protect individuals who come forward in good faith and to reinforce the principle that safety, ethics, and accountability must accompany innovation … [t]he AI Whistleblower Protection Act helps ensure that those working to develop and deploy AI systems are not punished for acting in the best interest of the public. Strong whistleblower protections are a cornerstone of responsible governance and essential to guiding AI development in a way that upholds our shared democratic values,” the groups continued. 
    In addition to the National Whistleblower Center, the letter was signed by the Americans for Responsible Innovation, Center for Democracy & Technology, Center for Humane Technology, Center for Youth and AI, CoFund, Demand Progress, Design It For Us Coalition, Encode AI, Government Accountability Project, National Consumers League, National Decency Coalition, National Employment Law Project, NoSo November, Psst.org, Public Knowledge, Secure AI Project, The Anti-Fraud Coalition, The Tech Oversight Project, The Signals Network, Working Partnerships USA and Young People’s Alliance. 
    Download the groups’ letter HERE. Download text of the bill HERE. 
    Background:
    Last year, Grassley sent a letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman raising concerns about the alleged use of illegally restrictive NDAs, as well as the company’s employment, severance and non-disparagement agreements. 
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Bloomberg Engineers Help Brooklyn Robotics Reach FIRST Worlds

    Source: Bloomberg Press Statements

    Headline: Bloomberg Engineers Help Brooklyn Robotics Reach FIRST Worlds

    Giving back and supporting others is a cornerstone of Bloomberg’s culture — deeply embedded in how the firm works, collaborates, and shows up for communities. Whether through mentoring students, volunteering time, or rallying around causes that matter, Bloomberg employees are encouraged to use their skills and resources to uplift others.

    Read on to learn how a group of engineers came together to reinforce that spirit of generosity and turn individual contributions into collective impact.

    Engineering the Future: Bloomberg Powers the 2025 NYC FIRST Robotics Regional

    Bloomberg recently served as the lead sponsor of the 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition’s New York City Regional, hosted by NYC FIRST, where more than 50 high school teams from across the tri-state area showcased their engineering skills to help protect one of the ocean’s most diverse habitats.

    Among the competitors were 21 Bloomberg-sponsored teams, including Team 333 – The Megalodons from John Dewey High School in Brooklyn.

    The Megalodons earned a prestigious Regional Engineering Inspiration Award, securing them a coveted spot at the FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas, where they competed on the global stage. But for this school team, winning was just the beginning — the real challenge was securing the funds to make the journey to Houston a reality.

    When Competition Ends, Community Begins

    In a powerful show of solidarity, a group of Bloomberg software engineers — who spent the season mentoring teams that didn’t make it to the finals — came together to help. Engineers, including Josh Greenman, Brian Maher, Joe Pokorny, Bharath Sreenivas, and ZQ Yeo, donated their Dollars For Your Hours (DFYH) contributions to support the Megalodons’ journey to Houston. It’s a testament to the deep sense of community and compassion that defines Bloomberg’s Engineering culture.

    “Brian and I have mentored the Megalodons for six and 10 years respectively, and we’re always eager to support our team’s journey,” said Josh Greenman, FIRST Engineering Mentor. “At Bloomberg, FIRST mentors are a family — we rally behind the teams that make it to Champs, whether our own or not, to ensure every student gets to experience that inspiration. The growth we see in these students, sparked by curiosity and nurtured through mentorship, is what truly inspires us in return.”

    These efforts reflect a core value at Bloomberg: using technical skills and professional support to empower the next generation. More than 1,800 Bloomberg employees have volunteered nearly 30,000 hours with FIRST programs in New York City, New Jersey, San Francisco, and London since 2004, mentoring students, designing workshops, and supporting competitions across the U.S. and beyond.

    “Supporting programs like FIRST Robotics is how we bring Bloomberg’s values to life — combining skills, mentorship, and community to empower future leaders,” said Vanessa Luna of Bloomberg’s Corporate Philanthropy team. “Watching our engineers rally around the Megalodons is a powerful reminder of the impact we can make when we collectively invest in people and purpose.”

    At this year’s NYC Regional event, 13 Bloomberg engineers served as mentors, and 50 employees volunteered on site. Adam Wolf, Bloomberg’s Global Head of Engineering, attended with his family, witnessing firsthand the power of STEM mentorship and the community that forms around it.

    “Giving students the confidence to solve real-world problems, work as a team, and see themselves as future engineers and leaders is incredibly rewarding,” said Wolf. “I am always inspired watching our engineers mentor and support these teams, using our skills to give back and help shape what’s next.”

    From Brooklyn to Houston: A Team Effort

    For the Megalodons, reaching Houston meant more than just competing — it was a moment to represent their school, their city, and their journey. They were joined at the FIRST Championship by six other Bloomberg-sponsored teams, including:

    • Team 1796 – RoboTigers, Queens Technical High School (Long Island City, NY)
    • Team 694 – StuyPulse, Stuyvesant High School (New York City, NY)
    • Team 1880 – Warriors of East Harlem, East Harlem Tutorial Program (East Harlem, NY)
    • Team 2601 – Steel Hawks, Townsend Harris High School (Flushing, NY)
    • Team 5298 – E-Tech Chargers, Energy Tech High School (Long Island City, NY)
    • Team 8739 – Redhawk Robotics, High School for Construction Trades, Engineering & Architecture (Queens, NY)

    These students joined thousands of peers from around the world in Houston from April 17–20, 2025, where they competed in high-stakes matches, learned from others, and inspired one another through their shared passion for science, technology, engineering, and math.

    Engineering Culture in Action

    FIRST Robotics is more than a competition — it’s a launching pad for future engineers, technologists, and leaders. Bloomberg’s support spans sponsorship, mentorship, and education initiatives that open doors for students who may not otherwise have access to advanced STEM experiences.

    “Those who support FIRST Robotics do so because we share a passion to excite and grow future engineers,” said Engineering Manager Joe Pokorny. “When we have a chance to support others, like this year’s Megalodons – whether it be through time, services, or donations – we band together as one tight-knit team. Seeing these kids realize what they can achieve is such a great experience.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Head of the Presidential Administration of Mongolia G. Zandanshatar appointed as the country’s new Prime Minister

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    ULAN BATOR, June 13 (Xinhua) — Mongolian Presidential Administration Chief of Staff Gombojavyn Zandanshatar was appointed as the new prime minister of Mongolia on Friday following a plenary session of the State Great Khural (parliament) of the country.

    His candidacy was submitted to the deputies for consideration by the President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, and 92.3 percent of legislators voted for it.

    G. Zandanshatar, 55, graduated from the Irkutsk Institute of National Economy (now Baikal State University) in 1992 with a degree in financier and economist. That same year, he also received a master’s degree in economics and finance from the same university.

    Since 2004, he has been elected as a deputy of the State Great Khural four times. In 2009-2012, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia. From 2017 to 2019, he served as the head of government affairs, and in 2019-2024, he worked as the Chairman of the Parliament.

    On June 9 this year, the ruling Mongolian People’s Party endorsed the candidacy of 55-year-old G. Zandanshatar as the country’s next prime minister. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Hearings – Public Hearing on the Impact of EU Support to Decent Jobs in Partner Countries – 25-06-2025 – Committee on Development

    Source: European Parliament

    Supporting decent and sustainable jobs, as a driver for eradicating poverty and inequality, is a key objective for the EU’s international partnerships. But what impact do aid and investments, including through Global Gateway projects, really have? Experts and stakeholders will present new measurement tools and best practices in creating decent employment in partner countries, to develop practical recommendations for enhancing the EU’s future engagement and Parliament’s oversight.

    Supporting decent and sustainable jobs, as a driver for eradicating poverty and inequality, is a key objective for the EU’s international partnerships. But what impact do aid and investments, including through Global Gateway projects, really have? On 25 June, 10.30-12.30, experts and Members will discuss new measurement tools, as well as best practices in creating decent employment in partner countries. The Hearing will be chaired by Barry Andrews, Chair of the DEVE Committee, and moderated by Udo Bullmann and Hildegard Bentele, Standing Rapporteurs on Global Gateway. Panellists include experts from the University of London, the ILO, the African Development Bank, the International Trade Union Confederation – Africa and the International Organisation of Employers. Takeaways from the Hearing will feed into the DEVE committee’s monitoring of the NDICI-Global Europe instrument, as well as the AFET-DEVE own-initiative report on “Global Gateway: past impact and future orientations”.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressional Delegation Introduce Chugach Alaska Land Exchange and Oil Spill Recovery Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
    06.12.25
    Washington, DC — U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and U.S. Representative Nick Begich (all R-Alaska), introduced the Chugach Alaska Land Exchange and Oil Spill Recovery Act to direct a land exchange between the federal government and Chugach Alaska Corporation (Chugach). This exchange would resolve conflicts that exist between the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill (EVOS) Trustee Council’s Habitat Protection Program (the “Program”) goals for federal habitat conservation of surface lands impacted by EVOS and Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) promises to Chugach for economic development of subsurface rights under these same lands. 
    The land exchange directed by this legislation would require Chugach to trade 231,000 acres of subsurface estate (under surface fee and conservation easements on surface land owned by the federal government) for 65,403 acres of fee simple land owned by the federal government. Most of the lands that would be exchanged were identified in the Chugach Region Land Study and Report to Congress from December 2022.  Congress directed the study in Section 1113 of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act (Public Law 116-9; 133 Stat. 614) which Murkowski authored.
    “The effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on Native people in the Chugach region are still felt –environmentally, socially and economically. We must continue to take steps to move forward with recovery and that includes fulfilling the promises of ANCSA to Chugach, the Alaska Native Regional Corporation,” Senator Murkowski said. “I am proud to reintroduce this legislation, which is a “win-win” for Chugach and the federal government’s EVOS program goals.”
    “In the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez spill, Chugach Alaska Corporation not only had to deal with the devastating environmental consequences for the region, but also misguided federal restrictions on their ability to develop resources on their lands,” said Senator Sullivan. “Senator Murkowski, Congressman Begich and I are reintroducing legislation to amend ANCSA—as has been done many times throughout history—and facilitate a commonsense land exchange already studied extensively by BLM and the Forest Service. Our legislation will help address the evolving needs of Prince William Sound communities and create economic opportunities and cultural benefits for thousands of Alaska Native shareholders in the Chugach region, as intended under ANCSA.”
    “This land exchange corrects a decades-old misstep that has kept Chugach shareholders from fully benefiting from their own land and resources. With this legislation, we’re protecting our resources while restoring the rights of Alaska Native landowners,” said Congressman Begich. “I am proud to lead this legislation in the House and look forward to working with the delegation to continue restoring Alaska’s right to self-determination and ensuring responsible stewardship of our state’s resources.”
    “We are deeply grateful to Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator Dan Sullivan, and Representative Nick Begich for their unwavering leadership and advocacy on behalf of Chugach and our people and communities,” said Sheri Buretta, Chairman of the Chugach Board. “Their decision to reintroduce this legislation underscores the significance of this exchange resolving long-standing split-estate conflicts in the region — not only for our corporation, but for the broader public interest, the State of Alaska, and the federal government. Chugach stands ready to work in close partnership with Congress, federal agencies, and all stakeholders to help advance this process. Our commitment to cooperation is rooted in a shared vision of responsible stewardship, economic opportunity, and enduring respect for our connection to these lands that have sustained our people for millennia.”?
    BACKGROUND:
    On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil spill discharged approximately 11 million gallons of crude oil (enough to fill 17 Olympic-sized swimming pools) into Prince William Sound and adjoining waters in Alaska. It was one of the most environmentally damaging disasters in world history.
    The Chugach Region experienced great social and economic harm from the oil spill. Government recovery efforts, though well-intentioned, also had negative impacts and did not always include the voices of the Alaska Native people who have stewarded these lands for millennia. Thirty-five years later, the people and the environment are still recovering.
    Through Section 1113 of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act of 2019 (sponsored by Murkowski; Public Law 116-9), Congress directed the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture and in consultation with Chugach Alaska Corporation, to conduct a study and provide a report to Congress assessing the social and economic impacts of the EVOS Trustee Council’s Program on Chugach, Chugach lands, and on the Chugach Region. The study was also required to identify sufficient acres of accessible and economically viable federal land that could be exchanged with Chugach.
    Under the Program, the Trustee Council used funds acquired from the companies responsible for EVOS to purchase fee title to 134,121 acres of surface estate lands, and purchased conservation easements on an additional 66,073 acres of surface estate lands, from four of the five Village Corporations in the Chugach Region that had been conveyed to them under ANCSA. Chugach was not a party to any of these acquisitions but owns the subsurface, or mineral estate, for all of the lands in which interests were acquired by the federal government from the Village Corporations under the Program.
    Some surface lands and conservation easements on surface lands acquired by the federal government under the Program went into the state and federal park systems, but most went into the Chugach National Forest, managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
    The EVOS Program lands (fee surface estate lands and conservation easement lands) are subject to restrictions on any surface development that is inconsistent with maintaining their wilderness characteristics. Therefore, Chugach is effectively prohibited from taking any steps to develop its subsurface interests and needs alternative lands to realize the meaningful economic benefits promised in ANCSA.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Demands Trump Restore Full $1 Billion In Federal Funding For Youth Mental Health Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Funding Allowed Schools To Hire Mental Health Professionals, Including Counselors And Social Workers 

    The Grant Programs Received Major Funding In 2022 Legislation Passed After Deadly Mass Shootings in Buffalo, NY and Uvalde, TX

    New York State Faces Loss Of Almost $50 Million In Funding 

    ***A Full Recording Of The Press Conference is Available HERE***

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference calling on the Trump administration to restore federal funding for two grant programs that support mental health services in schools. The grant programs received $1 billion in funding as part of the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), legislation passed in the wake of deadly mass shootings at the Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo and at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. 

    In addition to gun safety measures, BSCA included major funding for mental health programs, including the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program and the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program. These two grants aim to address concerns of a growing student mental health crisis, and they were slated to provide $1 billion in funding over five years to help schools and school districts hire and expand the workforce of school-based mental health professionals. 

    In late April, the Trump administration announced that it was cutting off the funding for these two programs. This decision impacts almost $50 million in funding for schools and school districts in New York State.

    “Congress dedicated $1 billion in funding for school-based mental heath programs with bipartisan support as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Now, President Trump is unilaterally stopping these grants and threatening nearly $50 million that New York schools are owed and plan to use to hire counselors, social workers, and other critical staff. This decision will hurt our students, and I am calling on the Trump administration to immediately reverse it. I encourage my colleagues to do the same.” 

    Specifically, the Trump administration’s decision will endanger: 

    • $8 million in Central New York
    • $7.1 million in the Finger Lakes
    • $12.1 million in the Southern Tier
    • $9.6 million in Western New York
    • $3.1 million on Long Island
    • $4.6 million in NYC
    • $4.7 million in the Hudson Valley
    • $600,000 in the Mohawk Valley

    The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter to the Secretary of Education is available here or below: 

    Dear Secretary McMahon,

    I write to you with grave concern over the administration’s reports of terminations of youth mental health grant funding to school districts in New York. The Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant (MHSP) and School-Based Mental Health Services Grant (SBMH) programs have benefitted not only New York but countless states across the country in urban and rural settings alike. I wrote to you about these terminations on May 9, 2025, and received an unsatisfactory response from your office on May 30, 2025. Both MHSP and SBMH programs play a vital role in addressing the shortage of school-based mental health professionals. Furthermore, they do not undermine standards for fairness, merit, and excellence in education as asserted in your response sent on May 30, 2025. 

    Your response to my earlier letter indicated that both the MHSP and SBMH programs would end at the end of the grants’ current budget periods. This outcome would harm both the students and mental health professionals who benefit from these programs. The demand for behavioral health, mental health, and substance abuse disorder services is projected to increase in the coming years. By 2037, it is estimated that there will be a shortage of 113,830 psychologists, 50,440 psychiatrists, and 39,710 school counselors. The MHSP and SBMH programs directly address this shortage, and discontinuing these programs will negatively impact current and future students.  

    These funding streams were intended to create a workforce development pipeline for school counselors, psychologists, and social workers. Thousands of students have benefited from the mental health care they received because of these programs. There are also hundreds of future mental health professionals in New York alone who benefit from these programs. However, with current grants set to expire soon, successful programs, like those in Lyons Central School District and the Seneca Falls Central School District, that have built mental health professional pipelines for students in high-need school districts could see their momentum stopped in its tracks. Hundreds of future mental health professionals, who are sorely needed across New York, stand to lose the support of innovative programs that serve my constituents and their families.

    I am concerned that the Department is disrupting grant funding that truly represents how the government can address the direct needs of our taxpayers and their families. These programs work, and New York students deserve their continued benefits.

    I request your response to the following questions by no later than June 4, 2025:

    1.         Will the Department commit to answering the nine questions from my original letter sent May 9, 2025, most of which were unaddressed in your response dated on May 30, 2025? 

    2.         How did each MHSP and SBMH grant that received a non-continuation notice violate Federal civil rights law?

    3.         What are the Department’s plans to recompete its mental health program funds in the next grant cycle, including the grant application and selection criteria for the upcoming cycle?

    4.         How will the Department address service disruptions for New York students after the expiration of this funding?

    5.         Explain how the Department plans to address mental health workforce shortages stemming from the disruption of this funding.

    6.         Have New York mental health and education stakeholders been engaged? Please provide a detailed explanation of your engagement processes with stakeholders.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PLASKETT EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF AVELINO SAMUEL

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

    For Immediate Release                             Contact: Tionee Scotland
    June 10, 2025                                                   202-808-6129

    PRESS RELEASE

    PLASKETT EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF AVELINO SAMUEL

    Washington, DC – Congresswoman Plaskett released the following statement expressing condolences on the passing of Avelino Samuel of St. John:

    “I was very saddened to hear of Avelino’s passing. He was a master craftsman whose skilled hands and artistic vision left an indelible mark on the island of St. John and all who knew him. He was an artist who breathed life into timber, transforming raw materials into works of beauty and function that will endure for generations. His workshop was a place of creation where the rich woods of the Caribbean became furniture, carvings, and treasured pieces that graced homes throughout St. John and beyond. Those who witnessed Avelino at work knew they were observing something special.

    “Beyond his artistry, Avelino was a teacher and mentor who generously shared his knowledge with others, ensuring that the traditions of fine woodworking would continue. His legacy lives on not only in the beautiful pieces he created, but in the skills he passed down and the inspiration he provided to fellow craftsmen. The island of St. John has lost a true artisan, and our community mourns the passing of a man whose creativity and dedication enriched our lives. Avelino Samuel’s memory will be preserved in every piece he crafted and in the hearts of all who appreciated his extraordinary talent.

    “I send my prayers for comfort and peace to Avelino’s loved ones, family, former students and his many friends.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Leads International Education Discussion in Vancouver

    Source: US State of Colorado

    Vancouver – National Governors Association (NGA) Chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis convened international education leaders in Canada for the latest in a series of bipartisan events in support of the NGA Chair’s Initiative, Let’s Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success. 

    The Vancouver event featured discussions with education leaders from Canada, Singapore and the United States to explore international perspectives on education solutions to address achievement gaps and prepare students for career success in the global economy. 

    “Governors are working together to update our education systems to make sure every student is ready for the careers of today and tomorrow,” said Governor Polis. “Small adjustments on the margins aren’t enough to keep pace with the technological changes upending the job market. To give our kids the best chance to succeed, we need to think beyond the status quo to transform schools. Through the Let’s Get Ready initiative, governors are working with parents and educators not just to find new answers but to ask new questions. Collaborating with international counterparts in Canada and Singapore this week is a valuable opportunity to get a fresh perspective and learn how other nations are finding success in tackling the same challenges.” 

    Participants included: 

    • Wendi Campbell, CEO, Junior Achievement British Columbia
    • Zoe Weintraub Barrett, Vice President of Workforce and Strategic Partnerships, Guild
    • Dr. Brad Baker, Superintendent of Indigenous Education, Ministry of Education and Child Care, British Columbia
    • Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams, General Councillor and Spokesperson for Squamish Nation Richard Reeves, President, American Institute for Boys and Men Professor
    • Tan Oon Seng, Dean of Special Projects and Centre Director, Singapore Centre for Character and Citizenship Education at the National Institute
    • Dr. Vicki Phillips, CEO, National Center on Education and the Economy
    • Dr. Timothy Knowles, President, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Launched in July, 

    Let’s Get Ready is a yearlong initiative designed to support the nation’s governors in driving innovative education policies that better evaluate outcomes for state investments in education and improve outcomes for learners at all stages of their education journey while also preparing students to meet the future needs of the workforce. 

    Previous convenings were held in Salt Lake City, Denver, Las Vegas, New York City and Washington, D.C. Governor Polis will release a roadmap of initiative findings this summer, during NGA’s Summer Meeting in Colorado Springs, July 24-25. Learn more about the Let’s Get Ready initiative on NGA’s website. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scottish Association of Geography Teachers (SAGT) National Geography Challenge Quiz 2025

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Issued by the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers (SAGT)

    On the 10 June three pupils from Millburn Academy participated in the national final of the 2025 SAGT Geography Challenge Quiz hosted by Dollar Academy. The Millburn team were up against eleven other teams, each of whom had won their own regional heats to qualify for the National final.

    The final stage consisted of two rounds of geographical topics and skills; all twelve teams participated in the first round with only the top four teams progressing to the final round.  The Millburn team successfully secured a spot in the final round by answering questions about countries with tiny coastlines, limestone landscapes and contemporary geographical news stories as well as demonstrating their mapping skills.  

    The final round saw Hutchesons Grammar School, James Gillespie’s High School, Stewart’s Melville College and Millburn Academy all competing to become the national championship team.  The final four rounds included questions about the geography of Norway and various Commonwealth countries as well as some tough questions about countries which have changed their name in the past 50 years.  Once all the answers were in and the scores calculated the top three teams were separated by only two points, the tightest margin that anyone can remember in the long history of the quiz.  The Millburn team secured a very strong third place position just being pipped by James Gillespie’s High School and Stewart’s Melville College, respectively. 

    A very big well done to our Millburn pupils, Oihane Heffer S2, Lexie Kirby S3 and Jamie Main S4, who came away as the third best team in Scotland.

    12 Jun 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Announces JetZero Selects North Carolina for $4 Billion Airplane Manufacturing Hub, Creating 14,500 Jobs in Guilford County in Largest Job Commitment in State History

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Announces JetZero Selects North Carolina for $4 Billion Airplane Manufacturing Hub, Creating 14,500 Jobs in Guilford County in Largest Job Commitment in State History

    Governor Stein Announces JetZero Selects North Carolina for $4 Billion Airplane Manufacturing Hub, Creating 14,500 Jobs in Guilford County in Largest Job Commitment in State History
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today Governor Josh Stein announced JetZero, Inc., a breakthrough aviation company, will invest more than $4.7 billion in Greensboro to build its first commercial airplane manufacturing facility at the Piedmont Triad International Airport. The project will create more than 14,560 jobs for Guilford County by 2063, the largest economic development project in North Carolina history based on job commitment.

     

    “I am thrilled to welcome JetZero and its 14,000 good-paying jobs and unprecedented innovation to Guilford County,” said Governor Josh Stein. “From first in flight to now the future of flight, North Carolina and our skilled workforce is soaring.”

     

    JetZero is a start-up airplane designer and manufacturer of the Z4, a blended-wing body jet, which blends the wings and fuselage, enabling the entire wingspan to produce lift. Founded in 2020, the California-based company has partnerships with NASA, Siemens, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and suppliers including RTX and BAE Systems. JetZero will build an advanced manufacturing facility for a first-of-its-kind commercial all-wing jet, as well as a state-of-the-art research and development center for composite structures. Its unique design uses technological advancements to help lower carbon emissions, burn less fuel, and enhance the experience of its travelers. 

      

    “North Carolina offers the ideal combination of talent, infrastructure, and forward-thinking leadership to support our mission to reshape aviation,” said Tom O’Leary, CEO and co-Founder of JetZero. “This facility is a critical milestone in bringing our all-wing Z4 to market. I applaud the leadership of Governor Josh Stein and his team as well as the leadership of the North Carolina General Assembly, and whole host of local leaders and organizations for working with us to bring JetZero to North Carolina, the birthplace of aviation.”

     

    “With an internationally recognized aerospace cluster of more than 400 companies and major aviation hubs across the state, North Carolina is a top choice for manufacturers and suppliers,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “JetZero will benefit from our Tier 1 research institutions and community colleges, ecosystem of industry partnerships, and strong infrastructure, helping them soar in North Carolina and beyond.”

     

    New jobs for the company include engineers, manufacturing specialists, and technicians. While salaries for the positions will vary, the average annual salary is expected to be $89,340, which exceeds the Guilford County average of $60,195. These new jobs could create a potential annual payroll impact of more than $1.3 billion for the region.

     

    JetZero’s operation in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Transformative-class Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) awarded to JetZero, Inc., which was approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 37-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $259.4 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the 14,564 new jobs and capital investment, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $1,017,775,800, spread over 37 years. 

     

    Should JetZero create and maintain at least 10,000 jobs, the threshold for the JDIG’s transformative qualities will be reached, which allows for grant payments to be made for up to 29 years as long as performance targets are maintained.

     

    Like all grants from the JDIG program, any state payments only occur following performance verification each year by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.

     

    The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 274 percent, meaning for every dollar of potential cost to the state, the state receives $3.74 in state revenue. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.

     

    Because JetZero chose a site in Guilford County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 2, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving as much as $113 million into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account.  The Utility Account helps rural communities anywhere in the state finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business.

     

    The state also anticipates providing additional support of publicly owned infrastructure to the project by means of a state appropriation of as much as $450 million, to cover site preparations; road, water, and wastewater improvements, as well as the construction of the manufacturing and research and development facility. The funding will be administered by the N.C. Department of Commerce and provided to Piedmont Triad International Airport, the N.C. Department of Transportation, and the City of Greensboro.

     

    “JetZero’s decision to come to the Triad solidifies North Carolina’s status as a leader in aerospace innovation,” said Senator Phil Berger, President Pro Tempore of the North Carolina Senate. “Our state’s high-tech manufacturing renaissance wouldn’t be possible without the General Assembly’s commitment to creating a business-friendly environment by lowering taxes, cutting red tape, and supporting world-class educational opportunities.”  

     

    “With 14,000 new jobs and nearly $5 billion dollars in investment, this project represents a transformational step forward for Guilford County and North Carolina,” said Senator Sydney Batch, Senate Democratic Leader. “Projects like this create a ripple effect that strengthens our entire state by supporting families, growing local economies, and creating more promising futures for everyone. I’m so grateful for the hard work Governor Stein, Secretary Lilley, and the Commerce Department put in to bring this across the finish line.”

     

    “Today’s announcement is a huge win for Greensboro, Guilford County, and our entire state,” said Speaker of the House Destin Hall. “JetZero’s decision to build its cutting-edge aerospace facility here proves what we’ve long known — North Carolina’s strong business environment makes our state ripe for innovation. This $4.7 billion investment and the creation of over 14,000 high-paying jobs will be a generational boost for our workforce and our future.”  

     

    “I am proud to see JetZero choose the Triad as the site of their new facility,” said Representative Robert Reives, House Democratic Leader. “Our state has some of the brightest talent in the world who are up to this challenge. We will continue to attract these investments and cement our state’s status as the place for aerospace manufacturing in the nation and world.”

     

    “This announcement is a transformative win for Guilford County and the entire state of North Carolina,” said Senator Michael Garrett. “The magnitude of this investment is a vote of confidence in our world-class workforce to fill these great-paying jobs, and proof that our community is an ideal place for new companies and ideas to launch into a bright future.”  

     

    “Today is a celebration of the intentional efforts that we’re making to transition the Triad to an innovation economy,” said Representative John Blust. “This is an historic day for all of us, and we applaud the collaboration of elected officials, economic developers, and workforce professionals throughout the state that helped JetZero make their decision to call Greensboro and PTI home.”

    In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the North Carolina Community College System, Guilford Tech Community College, Forsyth Tech Community College, the University of North Carolina System, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Golden LEAF Foundation, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, Piedmont Triad Airport Authority, Piedmont Triad Partnership, Guilford County Economic Development Alliance, Guilford County, GuilfordWorks, Forsyth County, the Greensboro Chamber, High Point Economic Development Corporation, Greater Winston-Salem, Inc., City of Greensboro, City of High Point, and City of Winston-Salem.

    When career opportunities at JetZero become available, they will be posted to NCworks.gov, the state’s leader in connecting employers with skilled talent

    Jun 12, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Markey Lead Delegation in Pressing For Investigation Into ICE’s Excessive Use of Force, Aggressive Arrest Tactics

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    June 12, 2025

    Immigration agents have escalated arrest tactics, including hiding identities, targeting schools and churches, arresting bystanders

    “ICE’s escalating aggression is not making us safer.” 

    “In light of these reports of ICE’s potential violations of agency policy and constitutional rights, we ask that [Homeland Security watchdogs] review these matters.”

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) led Massachusetts’ Congressional delegation in pressing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) increasingly aggressive and intimidating tactics used during enforcement actions. The lawmakers requested an immediate investigation by DHS’s Office of Inspector General and Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) and necessary corrective action.

    “ICE’s conduct has gone beyond simply enforcing the law against people convicted of violent crimes and has subjected community members who pose no threat, including parents and children, to seemingly needless harm,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    Over the past month, ICE arrested nearly 1,500 Massachusetts residents during a series of large-scale immigration raids. During these raids, ICE agents have used increasingly aggressive tactics, including psychological and physical coercion, hiding agents’ identities and refusing to provide identification, targeting sensitive locations like schools and churches, and arresting people who are not the targets of raids, including U.S. citizens. 

    Officers recently used a sledgehammer to break the window of a parked car in New Bedford, Massachusetts, raining shards of glass on a couple waiting for their attorney. Similarly, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, ICE agents stopped a family leaving church, reportedly held a gun up to the car, then broke the car window and threw the father to the ground to handcuff him. In Worcester, Massachusetts, local law enforcement reportedly forced a teenager to the ground and held her face to the pavement during an ICE arrest. 

    The agency’s tactics have also caused psychological terror. Agents have covered their faces with masks, worn plain clothes, and driven unmarked vehicles — including in the case of the Tufts University student, Rumeysa Ozturk, whose arrest at first appeared to be a kidnapping. Agents have intentionally conveyed false identities, such as a recent case in which agents reportedly posed as utility workers. 

    “This obfuscation not only stokes fear but makes it more difficult for community members to distinguish real agents from impersonators, and kidnappings by civilians posing as ICE officers are on the rise,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    As ICE attempts to ramp up arrest numbers to an unprecedented 3,000 per day, agents have encountered the wrong person and nevertheless proceeded with the arrest. ICE agents recently arrested an 18-year-old high school student, Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, who has been a resident of Milford, Massachusetts since age six. Though ICE intended to arrest his father, agents proceeded to detain the teenager, who had no pending criminal charges — horrifying his town and communities around the country.  

    Almost half of the individuals recently arrested by ICE in Massachusetts have no criminal record whatsoever, according to ICE’s own data. 

    “These seemingly indiscriminate arrests sweep in long-time community members, including young people who have spent almost their entire lives in the United States,” wrote the lawmakers. “Some law enforcement agencies are sounding the alarm that ICE’s tactics actually make their jobs harder by eroding community trust in law enforcement.”

    As a result of these potential violations of agency policy and constitutional rights, the Massachusetts congressional delegation urged the Homeland Security Inspector General and head of CRCL to investigate ICE’s conduct, including its excessive force and rationale for using military gear; the agency’s plan to prevent the use of immigration enforcement as a tool for retaliation against critics, dissenters, or political opponents; and CRCL’s capacity to conduct this oversight given recent reductions to the watchdog office.

    “The human toll of these tactics is immense. Families are being separated, and citizen and noncitizen community members alike are left living in fear,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders, King Introduce Bill to Ban Prescription Drug Ads

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, June 12 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced the End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act, legislation that would ban prescription drug advertising on television, radio, print, digital platforms and social media. The bill would also answer Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s repeated calls to end prescription drug advertising, a position he promoted while campaigning for President Trump in 2024. 

    “The American people are sick and tired of greedy pharmaceutical companies spending billions of dollars on absurd TV commercials pushing their outrageously expensive prescription drugs,” Sanders said. “With the exception of New Zealand, the United States is the only country in the world where it is legal for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their drugs on television. It is time for us to end that international embarrassment. The American people don’t want to see misleading and deceptive prescription drug ads on television. They want us to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and ban these bogus ads.” 

    “The widespread use of direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies drives up costs and doesn’t necessarily make patients healthier,” King said. “The End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act would prohibit direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical drugs to protect people. This bill is a great step to ensure that patients are getting the best information possible and from the right source: their providers and not biased advertisements.” 

    Last year, the 10 largest drug companies made more than $100 billion in profits while the pharmaceutical industry spent over $5 billion on television ads. Prescription drug commercials now account for more than 30% of commercial time on major networks’ evening news programs. In the first three months of this year, Big Pharma spent more than $725 million advertising just 10 drugs. Meanwhile, the American people pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs and one in four Americans cannot afford the costs of the medicine their doctors prescribe. 

    Banning direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising is not a radical idea. In addition to Secretary Kennedy, the American Medical Association endorsed a ban a decade ago. Studies have shown that more than half of prescription drug ads are misleading or false, causing many Americans to underestimate the associated risks. Harvard researchers found that the majority of the most advertised drugs had little to no therapeutic benefit compared to existing prescription drugs. America’s seniors are particularly at risk of being misled as pharmaceutical companies strategically target them by pushing high-priced medications that may cause them harm. 

    For example, in 2010, Eli Lilly spent $205 million on direct-to-consumer ads and made $3.2 billion in sales for the antidepressant drug Cymbalta, despite Food and Drug Administration (FDA) findings that the company’s ads made unsupported and misleading claims of effectiveness and minimized its safety risks. Merck spent $300 million marketing the painkiller Vioxx and made $2.5 billion in sales, despite finding in 2000 that their product raised the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Dr. David Graham, a senior FDA official, testified in 2004 that Merck’s failure to stop selling Vioxx had resulted in as many as 55,000 unnecessary deaths from heart attacks and stroke. 

    Drug companies are also spending huge amounts of money on prescription drugs that cost, in some cases, more than ten times as much in the United States than other countries. In 2023, Novo Nordisk spent $263 million on direct-to-consumer ads for Wegovy and $208 million on ads for Ozempic. Today, Novo Nordisk charges nearly $1,000 a month for Ozempic in the United States, while this same exact drug can be purchased for just $59 in Germany, $71 in France, $122 in Denmark, and $155 in Canada. Novo Nordisk also charges Americans with obesity $1,349 a month for Wegovy while this same exact product can be purchased for just $92 in the United Kingdom, $137 in Germany, $186 in Denmark and $265 in Canada. 

    Joining Sanders and King as cosponsors of the legislation are Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill). 

    Read the bill text here. 

    Read a summary of the bill here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warnock Joins Faith Leaders at Vigil to Decry Cruel Cuts to Working Families in GOP Tax Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Warnock Joins Faith Leaders at Vigil to Decry Cruel Cuts to Working Families in GOP Tax Bill

    Senator Reverend Warnock joined national faith leaders on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to bear witness to the GOP tax bill that would reward the wealthiest Americans with tax cuts while targeting the most vulnerable with cuts to health care
    “Pentecost Witness for A Moral Budget” brought together faith leaders, policymakers, and activists to pray, speak up on behalf of marginalized Georgians and Americans, and advocate for a moral budget
    In his remarks, Senator Warnock recalled how he was arrested in 2017 protesting the last GOP reconciliation bill, only to be back again as a U.S. Senator fighting for working families in this latest legislative fight  

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) spoke out against cruel cuts to working families in the GOP tax bill during a gathering on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with clergy and faith leaders moved by a moral conscience. The gathering, dubbed “Pentecost Witness for A Moral Budget”, was aimed at speaking up for the country’s most vulnerable—the very people the Senator’s faith calls on him to protect. The Senator and faith leaders decried how vulnerable Georgians and Americans are under real and dire threat in a moment that serves as a test to both their faith and our democracy. As the legislation text stands currently, the GOP tax bill being rammed through Congress by Washington Republicans would cut $800 billion from Medicaid, leaving 16 million more Americans uninsured, including an estimated 750,000 Georgians. 

    “I came to the Capitol in 2017 when they were trying to pass a tax cut for the wealthiest of the wealthy. […] I got arrested that day. Here I am, eight years later, having transformed my agitation into legislation, my protest into public policy. But I’m here today because I still know how to agitate. I still know how to protest. I’m not a Senator who used to be a pastor. I’m a pastor in the Senate. And so, here’s what we have come to do today. If this budget were an EKG, it would suggest that many of my colleagues have a heart problem. And we have gathered today to perform moral surgery because our children deserve better. They are talking about waste, fraud, and abuse. There is not enough waste, fraud, and abuse to cut $800 billion from Medicaid. That means some people will not get covered. Seniors, and veterans, and children. $300 billion out of SNAP. That means they are taking food out of the hungry mouths of children in order to give people like Elon Musk a tax cut,” said Senator Warnock at the faith-based rally.

    Faith leaders and policymakers attending the gathering were praying, testifying, storytelling, reading Scripture verses about people experiencing poverty in the Bible and standing for justice, as well as advocating for a moral budget.

    The public witness event was led by Reverend Jim Wallis, the founding Director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice, as well as Reverend Adam Taylor of Sojourners and Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner with the National African American Clergy Network. Senator Warnock was also joined by Senate colleagues Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). 

    A transcript of Senator Warnock’s remarks can be found below:

    Hello everybody. Thank you all so very much for standing on the Capitol steps in this moral moment in America. And I have to tell you that as I stand here today with my friend Jim Wallace, and with the Reverend Barbara Williams Skinner, and so many others, this feels like deja vu. 

    Because they were trying to pass a reconciliation bill in 2017 during the first Trump administration. And when they were trying to pass that bill, I was not a United States Senator. I came to the Capitol in 2017 when they were trying to pass a tax cut for the wealthiest of the wealthy. I came with clergy, including the Reverend Barbara Williams Skinner. And as I stood there, I said then what I want to say today: that a budget is not just a fiscal document, it’s a moral document. Show me your budget, and I’ll show you who you think matters and who does not. Who you think is dispensable. 

    And we stood there in 2017 making the same point. I was with the Reverend Doctor William Barber, and I said, “Which one of us is getting arrested today? You or me?” I got the short straw. I got arrested that day. And the Capitol police, they were professional, they didn’t mishandle me, and they deserve credit for doing what we asked them to do. But what they didn’t understand that day as they said, “Pastor, if you don’t stop praying, if you don’t stop singing in the rotunda of the Capitol, we’re going to have to arrest you.” What they didn’t understand is that I had already been arrested. My mind and my imagination and my heart had been arrested by the heartbeat of children who should not lose their food and who should not lose their health care in order to give wealthy people a tax cut. 

    And so they arrested me that day in 2017. Here I am, eight years later, having transformed my agitation into legislation, my protest into public policy. But I’m here today because I still know how to agitate. I still know how to protest. I’m not a Senator who used to be a pastor. I’m a pastor in the Senate. And so, here’s what we have come to do today. If this budget were an EKG, it would suggest that many of my colleagues have a heart problem. And we have gathered today to perform moral surgery because our children deserve better. They are talking about waste, fraud, and abuse. There is not enough waste, fraud, and abuse to cut $800 billion from Medicaid. That means some people will not get covered. Seniors, and veterans, and children. $300 billion out of SNAP. That means they are taking food out of the hungry mouths of children in order to give people like Elon Musk a tax cut. And the folks who vote for this will be in someone’s church next Sunday. I have a scripture for them: Away with your noise. Away with your songs. I will not hear them. I hate your festivals. I hate your solemn gatherings. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

    God is not impressed by you quoting scripture. God is not impressed by you showing up to church on Sunday. The acid test of your faith is the depth of your commitment to the least and left out of God’s hungry children. In closing, and nobody believes a Baptist preacher when he says in closing, let me just say this to you: in this dark moment in our country, we know what they are trying to do to Medicaid. We know what they are trying to do to SNAP. We know what they are trying to do to federal workers. We know there are starving people abroad right now—children—through their cuts to USAID. But there is something else they are doing that is even more sinister. They are trying to weaponize despair. They are trying to convince you that they have already won and so you need not fight. This is what you must resist. You must resist the despair that is so deep that you stop fighting. Because when we fight, we win. Are you ready to stand up in this moral moment? Are you ready to stand up for our children? Are you ready to stand up for the elderly? Are you ready to stand up for the seniors and those who are struggling? Are you ready to stand up for the best in the American spirit? So let’s stick together, let’s pray together, let’s work together, let’s fight together. Truth crushed to Earth will rise again.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Podcast: Measles and Vexing Vaccines (Including COVID)

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The UConn Health Pulse Podcast brings a variety of expertise on health topics to the general public.

    Given the resurgence of measles in some parts of the U.S. in recent years and mixed messages from Washington in recent months, it’s easy to be confused over what to think about vaccination. We’re seeing more of a divide over what historically has been accepted by many in the medical community as one of the great developments in modern medicine. And we seem to be in a new place when it comes to widespread acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination after four years.

    I do think there is a lot of misleading information out there right now that I want to caution people to be very wary of.
    &#8212 Dr. Melissa Held

    Dr. Melissa Held, professor of pediatric infectious diseases and senior associate dean of medical student education at the UConn School of Medicine, and Dr. David Banach, associate professor of medicine, infectious diseases physician and UConn Health’s hospital epidemiologist, join the UConn Health Pulse podcast to help distinguish between fact and myth.

    Listen now:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mrvan Announces Winner of 2025 Congressional Art Competition

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank J. Mrvan (IN)

    Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Frank J. Mrvan announced that Adam Tenbarge II of Chesterton High School is the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition.  Adam used paint and colored pencils to create his winning artwork, “Journey Through Indiana,” which captures the varied landscapes of Northwest Indiana. 

    Congressman Mrvan stated, “Thank you to all of the creative students across Indiana’s First Congressional District who participated in the Congressional Art Competition and showcased their artistic ability.  Congratulations to Adam from Chesterton High School on creating such a moving piece of artwork representing our region.” 

    Adam Tenbarge II stated, “I wanted viewers of this piece to get a feel for Northwest Indiana. I hope people are inspired to visit our region after seeing my artwork.”

    Colin May, Art Department Chair at Chesterton High School, stated, “Adam’s powerful creativity is on full display in this piece!  Adam is known for his outstanding technical skill and I had absolute confidence he could pull off such an ambitious piece.  It has stunning color, strong composition and a knowing homage to our beloved northwestern region.  He captured the beauty, serenity and charm of our great state.  I’m so proud of the perseverance he showed to make this happen.  Well done, Adam!”

    Brent Martinson, Principal of Chesterton High School, stated, “We are incredibly proud of Adam Tenbarge II for being named the winner of the Congressional Art Competition.  His talent and dedication to his craft are inspiring, and it’s an honor to see his work recognized at the national level.”

    Dr. Chip Pettit, Superintendent of Duneland School Corporation, stated, “Adam Tenbarge II’s recognition as the winner of the Congressional Art Competition is a tremendous honor for him, his family, and the entire Duneland community.  His artistic talent reflects the excellence we strive for in our schools, and we’re thrilled to see his work showcased in our nation’s capital.”

    Janet Bloch, Executive Director of the Lubeznik Center for the Arts and Judge of the Congressional Art Competition, stated, “It was a privilege to jury the competition this year. The dunes, Lake Michigan and the steel mills define our surroundings.  This landscape impacts the way people in our region think, what we value, what we do recreationally, and how we define beauty.  The winning submission depicts these various settings under one unified sky.” 

    To learn more about the Congressional Art Competition, click here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –