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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, DeLauro, Scott, Baldwin, Sanders Decry Trump Administration’s Illegal Firings, Cuts at AmeriCorps 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Top appropriators and authorizers call on Interim Head of AmeriCorps to reverse layoffs and grant terminations that have debilitated the agency’s core functions
    Washington, D.C. — Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, alongside Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today sent a letter to the Interim Agency Head of AmeriCorps calling for the immediate reversal of layoffs and grant terminations that have debilitated the agency’s core functions and run counter to its longstanding, bipartisan support in Congress.
    “While a recent court order instituted a 14-day temporary restraining order on staff reductions at AmeriCorps, the damage of firing staff and eliminating $400 million in grants has already been felt across the country,” wrote Murray, DeLauro, Scott, Baldwin, and Sanders. “The grant terminations and potential issues awarding fiscal year 2025 grant funding will have a catastrophic impact on the ability of AmeriCorps members to carry out work in communities all over the country — responding to natural disasters, serving as classroom teachers, providing tutoring services, and helping build housing in rural communities.” 
    Late last month, President Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE illegally terminated over a thousand AmeriCorps grants to states, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations across the country – totaling nearly $400 million, or roughly 41% of the agency’s grant funding. Grantees were not given statutorily required notices before these grants were terminated. The cuts are already seriously impacting communities where AmeriCorps projects were ongoing as well as their selfless members and volunteers.
    Last year, nearly 200,000 AmeriCorps volunteers prepared today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs, connected veterans to services, fought the opioid epidemic, helped seniors live independently, rebuilt communities after disasters and led conservation efforts nationwide.
    “We urge the swift reversal of the termination of NCCC members’ service terms so that they can get back to helping communities,” concluded the lawmakers. “These illegal grant terminations attempt to supersede congressional intent at the expense of communities in need of crucial services. More than 1,000 programs will be forced to close and over 32,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers will be released from their service terms early… Further, by laying off nearly the entire agency staff, AmeriCorps is violating the law.”
    Read the full letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA’s G20 Presidency to aid recovery of global economy

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli says the primary focus of the G20 platform is to increase multilateral cooperation for the recovery of the global economy.

    “Since President Ramaphosa took over the Presidency of the G20 in December 2024, a lot of public discourse has already gone into what this could potentially mean for South Africa, particularly in a post-COVID-19 era where developing economies are still on a path to recovery,” Mhlauli said.

    Mhlauli explained that the G20 initially focused largely on broad macro-economic issues but has since expanded its agenda to inter-alia include trade, climate change, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change and anti-corruption.

    “The G20 was upgraded to the level of Heads of State/Government in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis of 2007, and in 2009, when it became apparent that the necessary crisis coordination would only be possible at the highest political level,” Mhlauli said.

    In her address at a G20 public lecture held at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) south campus in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, Mhlauli said that since then, the G20 leaders have met regularly, and the G20 has become the premier forum for international economic cooperation.

    “The primary focus of the forum is to increase multilateral cooperation for the recovery of the global economy, bring stability to the global financial system, promote long-term sustainable growth and strengthen global economic governance,” she said on Friday.

    Mhlauli said South Africa will use the G20 Presidency to focus on inclusive and sustainable economic growth that benefits its citizens.

    “Through the G20 Presidency, we will foster inclusive economic growth, industrialisation and employment. 

    “This Presidency is about demonstrating that our country is open for business. South Africa is an attractive destination for business services, and has sophisticated digital infrastructure, including mobile networks and high-speed broadband.”

    On the economic front, the G20 will provide a massive boost, especially in areas such as tourism and hospitality.   

    “The over 200 expected G20 related meetings have already commenced in our country presenting opportunities for the country’s tourism, manufacturing, trade and other investment growth.

    “We are also intently focusing on youth employment, closing the gender gap, reducing inequality and protecting the environment. 

    “The G20 will unlock new possibilities in artificial intelligence (AI), which has the potential to provide unprecedented economic and social opportunities,” Mhlauli said.

    Meanwhile, Government Communications and Information System (GCIS) Acting Deputy Director-General, Sandile Nene, said South Africa’s hosting of the G20 will improve the economy.

    “We are hoping that the G20 will make people invest in the country,” he said.

    Kutlwano Mahosi, a first year Journalism student at TUT, told SAnews that G20 meetings will play a role in increasing the country’s economy as many people will be coming into the country.

    “As people come to our country, they will be spending their money which will play a role in job creation,” she said.

    Echoing same sentiments was fellow Journalism student, Andiswa Mchunu, who said hosting the G20 gives the country an opportunity to attract investors, thereby improving the economy.

    “A better economy means more jobs and better life for South Africans,” Mchunu said.

    South Africa assumed the role of Presidency of the G20 on 1 December 2024, taking over from Brazil. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: H-bomb creator Richard Garwin was a giant in science, technology and policy

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Matthew Bunn, Professor of the Practice of Energy, National Security, and Foreign Policy, Harvard Kennedy School

    President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Richard Garwin at the White House on Nov. 22, 2016. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

    Richard Garwin, who died on May 13, 2025, at the age of 97, was sometimes called “the most influential scientist you’ve never heard of.” He got his Ph.D. in physics at 21 under Enrico Fermi – a Nobel Prize winner and friend of Einstein’s – who called Garwin “the only true genius” he’d ever met.

    A polymath curious about almost everything, he was one of the few people elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine for pathbreaking contributions in all of those fields. He held 47 patents and published over 500 scientific papers. A giant trove of his papers and talks can be found in the Garwin Archive at the Federation of American Scientists.

    Garwin was best known for having done the engineering design for the first-ever thermonuclear explosion, turning the Teller-Ulam idea of triggering a fusion reaction with radiation pressure into a working hydrogen bomb – one with roughly 700 times the power of the Hiroshima bomb. He did that over the summer when he was 23. Over the decades that followed, he contributed to countless other military advances, including inventing key technology that enabled reconnaissance satellites.

    Arms control advocate

    Yet Garwin was also a longtime advocate of nuclear arms control and ultimately of nuclear disarmament. Working on nuclear deterrence and arms control, now at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, I got to know Garwin as a tireless and effective participant in dialogues with scientists and current or former officials in Russia, China, India and elsewhere, making the case for steps to limit nuclear weapons and reduce their dangers.

    Garwin was an early participant in the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995 for its disarmament work. He was also a founding member, in 1980, of the National Academies’ Committee on International Security and Arms Control, where he continued discussing ideas for reducing nuclear dangers with foreign colleagues throughout his life.

    An excerpt of a documentary about Richard Garwin.

    The deep respect that top Russian and Chinese nuclear weapons scientists had for him was palpable – even though he was often blunt in telling them where he thought their arguments were wrong. Once, at a workshop in Beijing, after listening to the leader of China’s program to develop nuclear “breeder” reactors lay out his program, Garwin started his remarks by saying, “This is a poorly designed breeder program that will fail” – and then laying out why he thought that was the case.

    Because nongovernment experts have a freedom to explore ideas that government negotiators lack, these kinds of dialogues played a key role in developing the concepts that led to nuclear arms control agreements and, I would argue, contributed to ending the Cold War. As an example, one committee team that included Garwin helped convince Chinese weapons scientists that their country had no more need for nuclear tests and should sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty – which it did soon after the discussion.

    Only weeks before his death, he and I and others participated in a Zoom meeting with Russian nuclear weapons experts discussing what initial steps should be taken if U.S.-Russian political relations improved enough for them to resume discussions of nuclear restraint and risk reduction.

    Garwin’s mind seemed to be interested in everything at once – and he had a wry sense of humor that could enliven a dry meeting. When I was directing a National Academies study about dealing with the plutonium from dismantled nuclear weapons after the Cold War, he would send an email with a penetrating insight on some issue in the study, followed by an equally long query about the parking arrangements for the meeting.

    We put him in charge of assessing all the especially strange options for dealing with the plutonium. Once, while diagramming on a chalkboard the option of diluting the plutonium in the ocean, he drew the ship that would be doing the work and then began drawing many smaller vessels. Someone asked him what those were, and he said: “Oh, those are the Greenpeace boats.”

    Science, technology and policy

    Garwin’s unbelievable energies focused on three broad areas: fundamental science, new technologies and advising the government.

    In fundamental science, he made major contributions to the detection and study of gravitational waves, and he helped to discover what physicists call parity violation in the weak nuclear force – a discovery that was one of the building blocks for what is now the standard model of the fundamental forces of the universe.

    In new technologies, beyond weapons and satellites, he played a key role in the invention of touch screens, magnetic resonance imaging, laser printers and the GPS technology that enables us all to get directions on our cellphones. He was a researcher at IBM from 1952 to 1993.

    Garwin advised the government on panels ranging from the President’s Science Advisory Committee, to the JASON panel of high-level defense advisers, to leading the State Department’s Arms Control and Nonproliferation Advisory Board (now called the International Security Advisory Board). He made major contributions to thinking about problems ranging from antisubmarine warfare to missile defense. He was a pungent critic of the “Star Wars” missile defense program launched in the Reagan administration, pointing out the wide range of ways enemies could defeat it more cheaply. His range was remarkable: He was called on to offer ideas for capping the blowout of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and on managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

    His curiosity was not limited to important matters. Once, as I was sitting next to him waiting for a meeting to start, he told me that if you took a Superball – a small, extremely elastic rubber ball – and bounced it diagonally on the floor so that it bounced up onto the bottom of the table, it would bounce back onto the same spot on the floor and back into your hand. I said I didn’t believe it for a minute – surely it would keep bouncing forward until it got to the other side of the table. He gave me an explanation I didn’t fully understand, involving energy of forward motion being converted to torque, and then converted into energy of backward motion.

    When I got home, I received an express package from him containing an article he’d written in the American Journal of Physics, titled “Kinematics of an Ultraelastic Rough Ball,” with pages of equations explaining how this worked. The first figure in the paper is a stick-figure drawing of bouncing such a ball, with a footnote: “This was first demonstrated to me by L. W. Alverez using a Wham-O Super Ball.” Luis Alverez was a Nobel Prize winner in physics.

    An oral history interview with Richard ‘Dick’ Garwin.

    An honored life

    Garwin’s brilliance was obvious to all who encountered him and won him wide recognition. In addition to election to all three national academies, he was awarded the National Medal of Science in 2002 by President George W. Bush. In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

    Amid all this activity, Garwin was a family man. His marriage to his beloved wife, Lois, lasted over 70 years, until her death in 2018. They have three children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

    The advances Garwin contributed to have enhanced our understanding of the universe and benefited millions of people around the world. And as dark as nuclear dangers may seem today, the world is further from the nuclear brink than it would have been if Richard Garwin had never been born.

    Matthew Bunn is a member of the National Academies Committee on International Security and Arms Control and a board member of the Arms Control Association. He is a member of the Academic Alliance of the United States Strategic Command and a consultant to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

    – ref. H-bomb creator Richard Garwin was a giant in science, technology and policy – https://theconversation.com/h-bomb-creator-richard-garwin-was-a-giant-in-science-technology-and-policy-256866

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Alberta’s high school courses are now searchable

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Horses and Bourses: Remarks at the 12th Annual Conference on Financial Market Regulation

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    Thank you for having me here today as part of the 12th Annual Conference on Financial Market Regulation. Before I begin, I must remind you that my views are my own as a Commissioner and not necessarily those of the SEC or my fellow Commissioners. I appreciate the collaboration of the SEC’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis, Lehigh University’s Center for Financial Services, and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business in hosting this conference. The Commission benefits from economic research on financial regulation.

    Given that the SEC is a market regulator, I am disappointed when deprecation of economic fundamentals slips into the Commission’s work. An incident recounted by Ulysses S. Grant in his memoirs reminded me of a quibble I had with the justification for a recent Commission rulemaking. When Grant was about eight years-old, his father dispatched him to buy a horse: impressive, even if his negotiating skills proved not to be. Grant’s father thought the horse worth only twenty dollars, but told the young Grant—who desperately wanted the animal—that he should start by offering twenty dollars and could work his way up to twenty-five. The future Union general and U.S. president implemented his father’s instructions as follows: “Papa says I may offer you twenty dollars for the colt, but if you won’t take that, I am to offer twenty-two and a half, and if you won’t take that, to give you twenty-five.”[1] He paid twenty-five.

    The incident in which he informed his counterparty to his own detriment was long a source of embarrassment for Grant, but how much more embarrassing it is for a market regulator to suggest that fully informed traders are a prerequisite for fair markets. The Commission took that position in its recent rulemaking to shorten beneficial ownership reporting timelines; it justified faster mandatory reporting of position build-ups on the theory that buyers who voluntarily sell at a price that has not incorporated all available information suffer harm by not having information that other investors have.[2] As I said at the time, the SEC was “invent[ing] investor harm . . . We want to encourage investors to ferret out information and find undervalued companies. Indeed, information asymmetries in this sense—where investors have equal access to disclosure from the issuer and insiders, but come to different conclusions about the long term prospects of a company based on their respective due diligence—are a feature, not a bug, of our capital markets.”[3] The eight-year-old Grant’s horse trade was his tutor on market principles.[4] So too the ninety-year-old SEC needs tutorials—provided by economists like you—to refresh our acquaintance with market principles.

    Economists are essential partners in the difficult task of writing rules to protect investors and market integrity. You can help us analyze whether market behaviors are the natural outcome of supply and demand, innovation, and competition, or whether they are a consequence of the rules that govern that market. In the latter case, you can assist us in assessing whether regulation has changed the markets for better or worse. Economists understand that markets effectively solve problems that look intractable to many a regulatory lawyer, and that regulation often exacerbates problems or creates new ones. Economists, of course, are not perfect. They, right along with lawyers, can get entranced with the power and promise of regulatory lever-pulling. A commitment to basic economic principles, however, helps combat tendencies toward regulatory micromanagement. Accordingly, today, I want to enlist your help in thinking about exchanges.

    Market structure issues are notoriously complicated to diagnose and to resolve, but economic research can help us do both. We have spent a lot of time in recent years tinkering with equity market structure. I have supported some of those changes, including improvements to market data infrastructure, enhanced execution quality reporting requirements, and tick size changes. I have objected to others out of a concern that they would lead to inferior execution and decreased investor choice. As I considered each equity markets initiative, even those I supported, I could not help but wonder: What would the market landscape look like if the SEC were not micromanaging it? Would we have so many exchanges? Would they be more heterogeneous? Would a single exchange offer different trading models? Would they be self-regulating, or would they have outsourced that responsibility? How would they charge for market data? Would off-exchange trading platforms, like ATSs, have developed differently or not at all? Would the internalization of trades be as prevalent? And, most important, would the market be better or worse for issuers, investors, and traders without all the micromanagement?

    My starting point is that people do not need a government regulator to make markets. If one person has something that someone else wants, a market transaction can make both better off. Humans grasp this principle without external prodding; buyers and sellers organically find each other all the time and in all sorts of places. Third parties, from your local farmer’s market to a giant online marketplace, routinely step in to intermediate these sales. Again, their involvement occurs naturally: people, of their own volition, identify and fill a need to establish a market. Markets for bringing together suppliers and consumers of capital also emerge organically. Brokers to help people buy and sell and exchanges where such transactions could occur arose without government orchestration.[5] Innkeepers in Belgium and proprietors of coffee houses in London cultivated exchanges.[6] Eventually, some of these venues transformed into self-regulating exchanges.[7] The storied Buttonwood Agreement of 1792 established the first set of rules for commissions and how stocks could be traded on what would become the New York Stock Exchange, and rival exchanges grew and proliferated. Throughout the 1800s, exchanges—which their members owned—developed an increasingly sophisticated set of rules that governed trading, adjudicated disputes among members, and disciplined members for violations. More recently, we have seen the introduction of autonomous trading protocols to facilitate crypto transactions. Users of these protocols submit to regulation also, albeit by software code. The ability of markets to emerge, expand, and self-regulate without government involvement should keep us all humble.

    Because markets arise and thrive on their own, government should involve itself only where it can improve their functioning. When it first wrote the securities laws, established the SEC, and gave it authority over exchanges, Congress decided that securities markets would benefit from government intervention. Congress recognized, however, the role exchanges played in regulating the markets and feared that too much direct regulation of the securities industry would prove ineffective.[8] Therefore, while the Exchange Act required exchanges to register with the Commission, their self-regulatory nature was retained. Congress charged exchanges with enforcing Exchange Act provisions against their members and disciplining any member that acted “inconsistent with just and equitable principles of trade.”[9] The Exchange Act preserved for them, however, what a later Congress described as “seemingly open-ended authority”[10]to promulgate rules so long as they were not inconsistent with the Exchange Act or state law.[11]

    Four decades later, in the Securities Acts Amendments of 1975, Congress amended the Exchange Act to tighten Commission oversight of exchanges. New section 19(b) of the Exchange Act bolstered requirements for self-regulatory organizations (“SROs”), including the exchanges, to file and seek Commission pre-approval for all rule changes.[12] The “open-ended authority” that previously applied to exchange rulemaking was gone—replaced by an amended section 6(b)(5), which required that any rule promulgated by the exchange be designed to achieve a set of specific purposes and standards and prohibited exchanges from regulating “matters not related to the purposes” of the Exchange Act.[13]

    The 1975 amendments also gave the Commission a new cross-exchange mandate to “facilitate the establishment of a national market system for securities.”[14] Given that a national market already existed, the Commission needed, in the words of the Commission’s then Chairman, to commit itself “to a search for, and the development of, the national market system that the Congress has ordered.”[15] Two years later, the SEC’s new Chairman lamented the “current rate of progress” and warned industry that if it did not take the lead in creating such a system that satisfied his vision for a national market system,[16] the SEC would.[17] The Commission took steps over the years to link markets in response to the 1975 directive,[18] but a fresh push came three decades later in Regulation NMS. Central to the 2005 effort was the controversial Order Protection Rule (“OPR”),[19] which was intended to ensure competition among orders across markets and reward market participants for publicly displaying quotes.[20]

    At first glance, the exchange landscape looks vibrant. Right now, there are 16 operating exchanges that trade equities, and more exchanges are waiting in the wings. In the past half-year, the Commission has approved three new equity exchanges that have yet to commence operations.[21] The Commission currently is considering applications for two new equity exchanges. If all these exchanges are approved and begin operating, the market will have 21 equity exchanges, compared to 11 in 2014 and 8 (plus Nasdaq, which was not yet an exchange) in 2005. If twenty-one seems high, consider that in 1934, when exchanges were first required to register with the newly formed Commission, 36 exchanges operated throughout the country.[22] At that time, regional exchanges had sprung up to raise capital for local industries shunned by New York money. For example, in my hometown of Cleveland an exchange founded in 1900 helped raise capital for local firms in the newly emerging rubber industry and the always-present brewery industry.[23] Since then, however, the number of exchanges had been declining steadily until recently. In the 72 years between 1934, when exchanges were first required to register, and 2006, when Nasdaq registered as an exchange, few new exchanges formed, and fewer survived.[24] My cherished Cleveland exchange lasted only until 1949, when it merged with stock exchanges in Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and St. Louis to become the Midwest Exchange.[25]

    While different types of exchange trading models exist and issuers have several listing options, the exchange landscape feels a bit like a modern subdivision with acres of undifferentiated houses. Some of these new exchanges have been innovative: they have offered new ways to trade, such as speed bumps and extended hours. But many exchanges offer few differences in terms of how stocks trade beyond their pricing and rebate models. Some entrants file applications that display no intent to innovate. Exchanges generally do not serve particular regions or industries as they once did.

    This largely homogenous, proliferating exchange landscape may be a product of government regulation. One cause may be the Order Protection Rule, which generally prohibits transactions on an exchange from executing at a price that is inferior to the best price on any other exchange. In practice, to comply with this rule and with best execution obligations, market participants connect to all exchanges, even those with limited liquidity, on the chance that the best price could be located there. Consequently, an exchange can earn significant revenue through connectivity and market data fees regardless of how much trading volume it attracts or how many issuers choose to list there. Among the sixteen exchanges, half of them capture less than 1% of total market volume each.[26] Many exchanges sit within families operated by a single exchange operator. Each additional exchange brings new connectivity fees, new market data fees, and additional clout on the committee that sets those fees.

    Even with all these exchanges, approximately half of volume takes place off-exchange. Here we see more variety. Alternative trading systems, or ATSs, have proliferated since the turn of this century and are trading venues with functionalities similar to those offered by exchanges. ATSs differ from exchanges largely as a result of regulatory policy, rather than market function.[27] Thirty-three ATSs currently trade equities, [28] and several of them have greater trading volume than some exchanges.[29] These ATSs offer different trading models to cater to different investors. In addition to off-exchange trading on ATSs, wholesalers, which internalize trades, execute a sizable proportion of total retail trades. ATSs and internalizers can do things, such as segmenting retail and institutional order flow, that exchanges cannot do. Statutory and regulatory prohibitions prevent exchanges from treating one set of market participants differently than another or inhibiting access to their quotations, while most ATSs are permitted to choose who can use their venue.[30] Moreover, ATSs and internalizers, which are not subject to Section 19(b) rule filing requirements, can be more flexible than exchanges so they can adopt new technologies more quickly.

    The primary regulatory difference between exchanges and ATSs is that the former are SROs and the latter are not. Exchanges enjoy certain benefits as SROs, chief among which is that they are entitled to absolute immunity with respect to the regulatory functions delegated to them under the Exchange Act. Moreover, exchanges are able to substantially cap their liabilities through rule-based liability limits contained in their rulebooks. But they also face constraints that ATSs and internalizers do not. They have to regulate and surveil their own markets, monitor and supervise the conduct of their members, and enforce their own rules. If an exchange fails to enforce its own rules, the Commission may bring an enforcement action against it.[31] An ATS, even one with a higher market share than an exchange, has fewer and lighter obligations, although an ATS laboring under the burden of Regulation SCI might not feel lightly regulated.

    Section 19(b) rule filing requirements can be particularly constraining on exchanges. Exchanges have to file with the SEC any new rule or amendment to an existing rule, which can lead to a lengthy public notice and comment process. This process makes initiating and changing operations, products and services, technologies, and fees cumbersome and slow, and can make it hard for an exchange to maintain an innovation as a trade secret.[32] Incidentally, this process also is burdensome for Commission staff. Moreover, after the exchange has gone through the costly and time-consuming process of seeking and gaining SEC approval for its innovation, other exchanges can copy it,[33] as has happened several times in the recent past. Exchange operators that have sought to supplement their exchange business with other profit-making activities also have run into the Commission’s broad reading of “facility” of an exchange.[34] If something is deemed to be a facility of the exchange, it is subject to the same regulation and rule filing requirement as the exchange itself, with all its added costs and burdens. Congress, in section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act, also prohibited exchanges from “regulat[ing] by virtue of any authority conferred by this chapter matters not related to the purposes of this chapter or the administration of the exchange.”[35] This prohibition is appropriate—allowing exchanges to capitalize on their authority as government-sanctioned SROs to force conduct unrelated to that authority can be very problematic.[36] But this statutory limitation does make it difficult for exchanges to differentiate themselves by catering to a specific segment of the market.

    What, if anything, should be done about this state of affairs? We could consider more targeted changes to the rules governing the equity markets to enhance true competition among trading and listing venues. We could eliminate the OPR, limit its application to exchanges that meet certain thresholds, or modify it in other ways. We could narrow our interpretation of facility or provide exemptions with commercially reasonable conditions. We could offer more flexibility for trading venues to concentrate liquidity for less liquid stocks or more choice by issuers around how their stocks trade. We could consider whether the current liability limitations in exchange rulebooks are appropriate. And we should not be afraid to allow exchanges to try targeted experimentation along the lines of our 2019 effort to facilitate innovative proposals for changes in equity market structure to improve trading in thinly traded securities.[37]

    We could also consider whether changes to exchange SRO status would be appropriate. Throwing out the exchange SRO model in its entirety would be premature, although questions about the model are not novel. The Commission has previously solicited comments about self-regulation.[38] And nearly thirteen years ago, my predecessor Commissioner Gallagher raised many questions about the SRO model, including whether exchanges should still be SROs.[39] Given the increased proliferation of exchanges and the further fragmentation of the equity markets since then, his questions remain worthy of consideration. Changes to the SRO status of exchanges would require Congressional action and demand careful thought and scrutiny before going forward. Exchanges without SRO status would likely no longer enjoy absolute immunity, but would also likely be freed, at least somewhat, of the burdens of the 19(b) rule filing process or the 6(b)(5) limitations on its rules being related to the purposes of the Exchange Act. Any such change would have to be undertaken with consideration of potential effects on market quality.

    Even though our markets are regulated more intensely and with greater complexity than I would prefer, they work remarkably well. Retail investors have easier and cheaper access to these markets than ever. In the face of recent high volumes and volatility, the markets have performed well. Investors and issuers from all over the world look to U.S. markets to invest, raise capital, and trade. Altering the regulatory framework could diminish the quality of our markets, so we must undertake any change with care, proper deliberation, and concern for unintended consequences.

    An audience of economists who appreciate opportunity costs recognizes that time spent on equity market structure is not available for other things. And many other issues clamor for the SEC’s attention. We ought, for example, to spend some time looking at the options markets, where the market and regulatory dynamics are considerably different than the equity markets. But here too we see exchange proliferation: Eighteen exchanges and counting trade options. The Commission has spent relatively little time on options issues, and I would like the agency to hold a roundtable to discuss, among other issues, the opaque and seemingly arbitrarily applied Options Regulatory Fee, strike proliferation, and new types of options. More economic research on these issues, and the options market in general, will help inform any future actions the Commission may take. Other issues that compete for Commission attention include small business capital formation, the decline in public listings, modernization of rules governing transfer agents, regrounding disclosure requirements in materiality, facilitating use of modern technology in communications with investors, increasing fixed income market transparency, and providing regulatory clarity for crypto assets, to name a few. Conferences like this one are so valuable precisely because your research can help us think about how best to spend our limited regulatory resources. Your work can identify problems to solve and weigh different solutions to those problems. Thank you and enjoy the rest of the conference.

    Section 19(b) rule filing requirements can be particularly constraining on exchanges. Exchanges have to file with the SEC any new rule or amendment to an existing rule, which can lead to a lengthy public notice and comment process. This process makes initiating and changing operations, products and services, technologies, and fees cumbersome and slow, and can make it hard for an exchange to maintain an innovation as a trade secret.[40] Incidentally, this process also is burdensome for Commission staff. Moreover, after the exchange has gone through the costly and time-consuming process of seeking and gaining SEC approval for its innovation, other exchanges can copy it,[41] as has happened several times in the recent past. Exchange operators that have sought to supplement their exchange business with other profit-making activities also have run into the Commission’s broad reading of “facility” of an exchange.[42] If something is deemed to be a facility of the exchange, it is subject to the same rule filing process as the exchange itself, with all its added costs and burdens. Congress, in section 6(b)(5) of the Exchange Act, also prohibited exchanges from “regulat[ing] by virtue of any authority conferred by this chapter matters not related to the purposes of this chapter or the administration of the exchange.”[43] This prohibition is appropriate—allowing exchanges to capitalize on their authority as government-sanctioned SROs to force conduct unrelated to that authority can be very problematic.[44] But this statutory limitation does make it difficult for exchanges to differentiate themselves by catering to a specific segment of the market.

    What, if anything, should be done about this state of affairs? We could consider more targeted changes to the rules governing the equity markets to enhance true competition among trading and listing venues. We could eliminate the OPR, limit its application to exchanges that meet certain thresholds, or modify it in other ways. We could narrow our interpretation of facility or provide exemptions with commercially reasonable conditions. We could offer more flexibility for trading venues to concentrate liquidity for less liquid stocks or more choice by issuers around how their stocks trade. We could consider whether the current liability limitations in exchange rulebooks are appropriate. And we should not be afraid to allow exchanges to try targeted experimentation along the lines of our 2019 effort to facilitate innovative proposals for changes in equity market structure to improve trading in thinly traded securities.[45]

    We also could consider whether changes to exchange SRO status would be appropriate. Throwing out the exchange SRO model in its entirety would be premature, although questions about the model are not novel. The Commission has previously solicited comments about self-regulation.[46] And nearly thirteen years ago, my predecessor Commissioner Gallagher raised many questions about the SRO model, including whether exchanges should still be SROs.[47] Given the increased proliferation of exchanges and the further fragmentation of the equity markets since then, his questions remain worthy of consideration. Changes to the SRO status of exchanges would require Congressional action and demand careful thought and scrutiny before going forward. Exchanges without SRO status would likely no longer enjoy absolute immunity, but would also likely be freed, at least somewhat, of the burdens of the 19(b) process rule filing or the 6(b)(5) limitations on its rules being related to the purposes of the Exchange Act. Any such change would have to be undertaken with consideration of potential effects on market quality.

    Even though our markets are regulated more intensely and with greater complexity than I would prefer, they work remarkably well. Retail investors have easier and cheaper access to these markets than ever. In the face of recent high volumes and volatility, the markets have performed well. Investors and issuers from all over the world look to U.S. markets to invest, raise capital, and trade. Altering the regulatory framework could diminish the quality of our markets, so we must undertake any change with care, proper deliberation, and concern for unintended consequences.

    An audience of economists who appreciate opportunity costs recognizes that time spent on equity market structure is not available for other things. And many other issues clamor for the SEC’s attention. We ought, for example, to spend some time looking at the options markets, where the market and regulatory dynamics are considerably different than the equity markets. But here too we see exchange proliferation: Eighteen exchanges and counting trade options. The Commission has spent relatively little time on options issues, and I would like the agency to hold a roundtable to discuss, among other issues, the opaque and seemingly arbitrarily applied Options Regulatory Fee, strike proliferation, and new types of options. More economic research on these issues, and the options market in general, will help inform any future actions the Commission may take. Other issues that compete for Commission attention include small business capital formation, the decline in public listings, modernization of rules governing transfer agents, regrounding disclosure requirements in materiality, facilitating use of modern technology in communications with investors, increasing fixed income market transparency, and providing regulatory clarity for crypto assets, to name a few. Conferences like this one are so valuable precisely because your research can help us think about how best to spend our limited regulatory resources. Your work can identify problems to solve and weigh different solutions to those problems. Thank you and enjoy the rest of the conference.

    [2] See Modernization of Beneficial Ownership Reporting, Release Nos. 33-11253; 34-98704 (Oct. 10, 2023), 88 FR 76896, 76910-11 (Nov. 7, 2023), available at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-11-07/pdf/2023-22678.pdf (“The informational advantage those ‘informed bystanders’ have over the selling shareholders in these transactions and the associated wealth transfers may be perceived by some market participants to be unfair. Thus, to the extent that a shortened initial Schedule 13D filing deadline would reduce these wealth transfers, thereby addressing this perceived unfairness, this change could enhance trust in the securities markets and promote capital formation.”) (footnote omitted).

    [4] U.S. Grant learned another hard market lesson at the end of his life. One of his business partners turned out to be a Ponzi schemer, whose schemes impoverished Grant and dimmed his view of humanity. Grant spent his last years working to repay his creditors and rebuild his family’s fortunes. See The Failure of Grant & Ward: A Cautionary Tale, available at https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-failure-of-grant-ward-a-cautionary-tale.htm.

    [5] See, e.g., C.F. Smith, The Early History of the London Stock Exchange, The American Economic Review, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Jun., 1929), pp. 206-216, at 206, available at https://www.jstor.org/stable/1807309?seq=1 (“Though the Stock Exchange, as a definitely organized body, was not founded until 1773, it had been in existence in the sense of a continuous and organized market for dealing in securities for about a century before that date. Like so many British economic institutions it owed nothing to deliberate creative action by the government, but it developed autonomously to meet the needs which the progress of industry and finance were creating.”).

    [6] See, e.g., Marianna Hunt, How Belgium Created and Almost Lost the World’s First Stock Exchange, The Brussels Times Magazine (June 28, 2019), available at https://www.brusselstimes.com/59675/how-belgium-created-and-almost-lost-the-worlds-first-stock-exchange (describing the role of the Van der Beurse family, proprietors of the Ter Beurse Inn, in facilitating trades that ultimately led to the creation of an exchange); Edward Stringham, The Past and Future of Exchanges as Regulators, Chapter 9 in Reframing Financial Regulation: Enhancing Stability and Protecting Customers (Hester M. Peirce and Benjamin Klutsey ed. 2016), 232 (describing the role of Jonathan’s and Garraway’s Coffee Houses as places for stockbrokers to congregate). A contemporary play, set, in part, in Jonathan’s Coffee House, brings these informal markets to life: traders in stocks and bonds mingled and lured one another into trades with market-moving, breaking news of questionable veracity. See Susanna Centlivre, A Bold Strike for a Wife (1724), Act IV, Scene 1.

    [7] See, e.g., Stringham at 234 (“Stockbrokers initially relied on the discipline of repeat dealings and reputation mechanisms similar to brokers in Amsterdam. . . . Over time brokers began to create more formal private rules and regulations to deal with unintentional default or intentional fraud. To do this brokers decided to transform coffeehouses into private clubs.”).

    [8] Onnig H. Dombalagian, Demythologizing the Stock Exchange: Reconciling Self-Regulation and the National Market System, 39 U. Rich. L. Rev. 1069, 1074-75 (2005) (internal citations omitted).

    [9] 15 U.S.C. 78f(b) (1934).

    [10] Senate Report No. 94-75, S. Rep. 94-75 at 206 (1975) (describing Exchange Act section 6(c) as it was adopted in 1934).

    [11] 15 U.S.C. 78f(c) (1934) (“Nothing in this title shall be construed to prevent any exchange from adopting and enforcing any rule not inconsistent with this title and the rules and regulations thereunder and the applicable laws of the State in which it is located.”).

    [12] Senate Report No. 94-75, S. Rep. 94-75 at 207-08 (noting new requirements for public notice and comment and to provide justification for the rule change).

    [13] 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5) (“The rules of the exchange are designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination with persons engaged in regulating, clearing, settling, processing information with respect to, and facilitating transactions in securities, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest; and are not designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers, or to regulate by virtue of any authority conferred by this chapter matters not related to the purposes of this chapter or the administration of theexchange.”).

    [14] 15 U.S.C 78k-1(a)(2).

    [16] See Harold M. Williams, The National Market System in Perspective (Dec. 1, 1977), at 30, available at https://www.sec.gov/news/speech/1977/120177williams.pdf (“systems which have been proposed as solutions to the problems of a national market system — if they are to survive as permanent elements of a mature system — must be tested for consistency or compatibility with the following criteria: Do they provide for interaction of all orders? Do they contemplate the linkage of all markets and market makers in the same security? And do they provide for and create, or tend to lead to the creation of, a truly national auction based on price and time priorities?”).

    [17] Id. at 22. See also id. at 23-24 (“let me assure you that this Commission will discharge vigorously its full responsibility and authority under the Exchange Act and provide the necessary leadership to assure to progress which is both real and prompt.”).

    [19] The two dissenting Commissioners at the time, one of whom was now Chairman Atkins, pointed out that “[i]n adopting the trade-through rule, the majority has opted for government-controlled competition over competitive market forces to determine the appropriate market structure.” Dissenting Statement of Commissioners Cynthia A. Glassman and Paul S. Atkins to Regulation NMS (June 9, 2005), available at https://www.sec.gov/files/rules/final/34-51808-dissent.pdf.

    [21] See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 102853 (Apr. 11, 2025), 90 FR 16207 (Apr. 17, 2025) (File No. 10-244) (order granting exchange registration of Green Impact Exchange, LLC); 102650 (Mar. 13, 2025), 90 FR 12590 (Mar. 18, 2025) (File No. 10-247) (order granting exchange registration of MX2 LLC); 101777 (Nov. 27, 2024), 89 FR 97092 (Dec. 6, 2024) (File No. 10-242) (order granting exchange registration of 24X National Exchange LLC).

    [22] Report of Special Study of Securities Markets of the Securities and Exchange Commission Part 2, H.R. Doc. No. 88-95, at 917 (1963) (explaining that 24 exchanges were registered, 12 were exempt).

    [24] National Stock Exchange (one of three exchanges with this name), which was affiliated with New York Mercantile Exchange, registered in 1960 and ceased operations in 1975. See S.E.C. Acts on Exchange, N.Y. Times, Oct. 18, 1975, available at https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/18/archives/sec-acts-on-exchange.html; see also Robert Metb, Market Place – A Small Stock Exchange’s Plight, N.Y. Times, Dec. 10, 1974, available at https://www.nytimes.com/1974/12/10/archives/market-place-a-small-stock-exchanges-plight.html. Two options exchanges, Chicago Board Options Exchange in 1973 and International Securities Exchange in 2000, also registered during this time.

    [25] Tom Arnold, Philip Hersch, et al., Merging Markets, 54 J. of Fin 1083, 1090 (Jun. 1999). The Midwest Exchange would go on to merge with the New Orleans Exchange in 1959. It changed its name to the Chicago Exchange in 1993, was acquired by Intercontinental Exchange in 2018, and very recently continued its grand tour around the country when it moved to Texas and became NYSE Texas.

    [27] Gabriel V. Rauterberg, Alternative Trading Venues in the United States: Incentives for Innovation in the U.S. Stock Market, in Financial Market Infrastructures: Law and Regulation (Jens-Henrich Binder and Paolo Saguato, eds., 2021), at 200-01.

    [30] 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5) (requiring that the rules of a national securities exchange are “not designed to permit unfair discrimination between customers, issuers, brokers, or dealers”); see also 17 CFR 242.610(a) (prohibiting exchanges from “imposing unfairly discriminatory terms that prevent or inhibit any person from obtaining efficient access through a member of the national securities exchange . . . to the quotations in an NMS stock displayed through its SRO trading facility”) and 17 CFR 242.301(b) (requiring only ATSs that meet certain volume thresholds to “to not unreasonably prohibit or limit any person in respect to access to services offered by such [ATS]”).

    [31] 15 U.S.C. 78s(h).

    [32] Rauterberg at 198.

    [35] 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).

    [36] An example of SRO status being leveraged inappropriately was the Nasdaq diversity rule, which sought to nudge issuers to recompose their boards of directors. All. for Fair Bd. Recruitment v. Sec. & Exch. Comm’n, 125 F.4th 159, 174-75 (5th Cir. 2024); see also Commissioner Hester M. Peirce, Statement on the Commission’s Order Approving Proposed Rule Changes, as Modified by Amendments No. 1, to Adopt Listing Rules Related to Board Diversity submitted by the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, available at https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-nasdaq-diversity-statement-080621.

    [40] Rauterberg at 198.

    [43] 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).

    [44] An example of SRO status being leveraged inappropriately was the Nasdaq diversity rule, which sought to nudge issuers to recompose their boards of directors. All. for Fair Bd. Recruitment v. Sec. & Exch. Comm’n, 125 F.4th 159, 174-75 (5th Cir. 2024); see also Commissioner Hester M. Peirce, Statement on the Commission’s Order Approving Proposed Rule Changes, as Modified by Amendments No. 1, to Adopt Listing Rules Related to Board Diversity submitted by the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, available at https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-nasdaq-diversity-statement-080621.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Celebration of Colorado Public Lands Day, Hickenlooper, Bennet, Hurd Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Gunnison Basin and Surrounding Regions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet reintroduced the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act to permanently protect key portions of the Gunnison Basin and the surrounding regions through a variety of public land management tools, including special designations focused on recreation, wildlife, scientific research, and conservation. U.S. Colorado Representative Jeff Hurd introduced companion legislation in the House. 

    “Adventurers across Colorado and the country come to the Gunnison Basin for its rugged canyons and untamed wilderness,” said Hickenlooper. “Protecting these additional 730,000 acres will help keep it that way for generations.”

    “Coloradans have spent over a decade at trailheads and kitchen tables to find common ground and protect Gunnison County’s spectacular landscapes, economy, and natural resources,” said Bennet. “This bill proves that people with wide-ranging interests can develop a common vision to preserve our public lands for future generations.”

    “Honored to lead the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act alongside Senator Bennet,” said Hurd. “This legislation reflects strong local support for the responsible stewardship of our land.”

    Colorado Public Lands Day is Saturday, May 17th. Colorado was the first state to create a holiday for public land, demonstrating the deep connection Coloradans have to their public lands that define life in Colorado and drive our economy.

    The bill is based on over a decade of collaboration with local governments, Tribes, and public lands user groups. It has the bipartisan support of six counties in Western Colorado, as well as the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and local municipalities. A wide variety of local businesses and public lands user groups, including summer and winter motorized recreation, conservation, mountain biking, whitewater recreation, rock climbers, ranchers, water users, and hunters and anglers, also support the bill.

    The bill is supported by: Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Gunnison County, Delta County, Hinsdale County, Saguache County*, Pitkin County, Ouray County, Town of Crested Butte, City of Gunnison, Town of Mt. Crested Butte, Town of Paonia, Town of Ridgway, Gunnison County Stockgrowers Association, Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association, Gunnison Trails, High Country Conservation Advocates, Gunnison Valley OHV Alliance of Trail Riders (GOATs), The Wilderness Society, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, Trout Unlimited, Gunnison Sno-Trackers, Gunnison Sustainable Tourism Outdoor Recreation Committee, American Whitewater, Wilderness Workshop, Western Slope Conservation Center, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, The Conservation Alliance, The Access Fund, Colorado Wildlands Project, Western State Ranches, Conservation Lands Foundation, and others.
    * Support applies only to the portion of the bill in their county

    “Land is very important to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and throughout history we have lost a lot of land that has been taken from the tribe unjustly,” said Manuel Heart, Chairman Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. “To get land back for the tribe by putting it into Trust status as this legislation does, is important to the tribe’s children and grandchildren. The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe appreciates Senator Bennet’s work on the GORP Act, supports the legislation and hopes it will move forward quickly in the US Senate. We deeply appreciate the support of Congressman Hurd for introducing this important legislation in the US House.”

    “Colorado’s great outdoors are known around the world and this bill marks a valuable step in the protection and management of the incredible Gunnison Basin for future generations of Coloradans and visitors,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis. “I appreciate Senator Bennet’s and Congressman Hurd’s leadership on this issue and look forward to continuing to engage on this bill with them as it moves forward.”

    “As a former resident of the Gunnison Valley and Western Colorado University graduate, I am intimately aware of the importance public lands, wildlife and outdoor recreation are to local communities’ economy and environment,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources. “Our forests, water, wildlife and open spaces are some of our most precious natural resources and outdoor recreation drives visitors and residents to our state to enjoy our diverse opportunities. I commend Senator Bennet, Representative Hurd and the many diverse stakeholders on developing the locally driven Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act. I look forward to working alongside all interested parties as this legislation makes its way through the U.S. Congress.”

    “The GORP Act is the product of the way we do business in Gunnison County: We sit down with our friends and neighbors and do the hard work of finding common ground and durable solutions that best serve our communities. Public Lands touch every aspect of our lives and are the backbone of our economy, our values and our way of life. I am proud of the work we have done to bring so many stakeholders- snowmobilers, ranchers, mountain bikers, hunters/anglers and conservationists to name a few- together,” said Jonathan Houck, Gunnison County Commissioner. “While GORP started in Gunnison County, I couldn’t be happier to stand with five neighboring Western Slope counties in support of this legislation, and I thank Senator Bennet for listening to our communities and to Congressman Hurd for supporting the hard work of his constituents in this part of his district.”

    “Delta County is glad to have worked with Senator Bennet and Representative Hurd on the GORP Act,” said the Delta County Commissioners. “Its provisions for Delta County will provide public access to a boat ramp, ensure that the BLM can continue to permit existing motorized boat use, and bring forward a thoughtful balance of uses on public lands in the North Fork Valley. This legislation shows what’s possible when we roll up our sleeves and work together.”

    “The Saguache County Board of Commissioners are pleased to support the introduction of Senator Bennet’s Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act (GORP), and eagerly anticipate the passing of this legislation,” said the Saguache County Commissioners. “We appreciate the multiple years the many stakeholders have committed to this project. We also want to thank Representative Hurd for joining the effort to lead this bill in the US House.”

    “Pitkin County remains a strong supporter of public lands, and we believe in thoughtfully designating new Wilderness areas in sensitive landscapes, where it is appropriate,” said Greg Poschman, Pitkin County Commissioner. “I am deeply grateful for the dedication to their constituents and for the bold work of both Senator Bennet and Representative Hurd, as demonstrated by their advocacy for the GORP Act. We look forward to celebrating the ultimate success of two important new Wilderness designations in Colorado’s wild and pristine high country.”

    “Hinsdale County was proud to have collaborated with Senator Bennet, Gunnison County and Ouray County on the GORP Act,” said Kristie Borchers, Chair, Hinsdale County Board of County Commissioners. “We are excited that a key portion of the scenic Cimarron area where Hinsdale, Ouray and Gunnison County come together will be protected by this legislation. This bill will help protect our watersheds and the landscapes that attract the visitors who help drive our mountain town economies in the San Juan Mountains. We look forward to seeing the GORP Act move forward in Congress and we are excited to see Congressman Hurd introduce a companion version of this bill in the US House. The support on the ground for GORP is bipartisan and it’s great to see the bill have bipartisan support in Washington DC as well.”

    “The GORP Act sets the bar for collaborative and beneficial legislation,” said Lynn Padgett, Ouray County Board of County Commissioners. “I am forever grateful to Senator Bennet and his team and stakeholders like Gunnison, Hinsdale, and Ouray Counties for enthusiastically working together to include the proposed Uncompahgre Wilderness expansion and especially for protecting Turret Ridge. The peaks of the Cimarron range are unique in their scenery and geology. The GORP Act not only protects important migration areas for elk and key habitats for lynx and moose. The GORP Act protects our precious wildlands, vital to our local economy and quality of life. We deeply appreciate that Representative Hurd has now joined the effort to pass this bill in the US House.”

    “As Mayor of Crested Butte I am beyond excited to see GORP being introduced as bipartisan legislation,” said Ian Billick, Mayor Crested Butte. “This is a testament to the community conversation shepherded by Senator Bennet, as well as his foresight and hard work. Serious kudos to Representative Jeff Hurd for stepping up to support this bill, making it clear that when local communities invest their blood, sweat, and tears in working through hard conversations, in this instance for more than 10 years, bipartisan progress is possible! Working together we can make good things happen.”

    “Our groups have worked for nearly a decade to craft a vision for public lands in and around Gunnison County that will benefit our economy, environment, and quality of life into the future,” said members of the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative in a joint statement. “The GORP Act reflects the countless hours we spent working together and with communities around the Gunnison Basin. We are eager to see this thoughtful and well-vetted legislation signed into law.”

    BACKGROUND

    The GORP Act will protect over 730,000 acres of public lands in Western Colorado, safeguarding the region’s local economy, world-class recreation, ranching heritage, wildlife habitat, and clean air and water. The bill also includes provisions for recreational boating in Delta County and, at the request of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, transfers the Pinecrest Ranch from fee ownership to trust ownership. 

    Hickenlooper and Bennet first introduced the GORP Act in 2024. 

    The text of the bill is available HERE. Maps of the areas designated by the bill are HERE. A summary of the bill is HERE. You can find additional information, including support letters and answers to frequently asked questions on the GORP Act website HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA, International Astronauts Address Students from New York, Ohio

    Source: NASA

    NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi will answer prerecorded questions submitted by middle and high school students from New York and Ohio. Both groups will hear from the astronauts aboard the International Space Station in two separate events.
    The first event at 10:20 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 20, includes students from Long Beach Middle School in Lido Beach, New York. Media interested in covering the event at Long Beach Middle School must RSVP no later than 5 p.m. Monday, May 19, to Christi Tursi at: ctursi@lbeach.org or 516-771-3960.
    The second event at 11 a.m. EDT on Friday, May 23, is with students from Vermilion High School in Vermilion, Ohio. Media interested in covering the event at Vermilion High School must RSVP no later than 5 p.m. Thursday, May 22, to Jennifer Bengele at: jbengele@vermilionschools.org or 440-479-7783.
    Watch both 20-minute Earth-to-space calls live on NASA STEM YouTube Channel.
    Long Beach Middle School will host the event for students in grades 6 through 8. The school aims to provide both the students and community with an experience that bridge gaps in space sciences with teaching and learning in classrooms.
    Vermilion High School will host the event for students in grades 9 through 12, to help increase student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics career pathways.
    For more than 24 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.
    Research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lay the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars, inspiring Artemis Generation explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery.
    See videos of astronauts aboard the space station at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
    -end-
    Gerelle DodsonHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600gerelle.q.dodson@nasa.gov
    Sandra JonesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DAGS hires Yovo Stefanov as Business Transformation Project Director

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DAGS hires Yovo Stefanov as Business Transformation Project Director

    Posted on May 16, 2025 in Main

    Yovo Stefanov

    DAGS is pleased to announce it has hired Yovo Stefanov as Director of the Business Transformation Office (BTO), a newly created office to support Statewide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system efforts to modernize business processes, beginning with the current Enterprise Financial System (EFS) project to revolutionize Hawai‘i’s financial and budget systems.

    “Yovo’s job is to leverage the latest technology and best practices to improve the financial management capabilities of state departments, agencies, and elected officials by giving them accurate financial information in a timely manner so they can make informed decisions for the state,” said DAGS Director and Comptroller Keith Regan. “He will guide the changes related to EFS, from preparation to deployment, with a strong emphasis on change management.”

    Stefanov’s expertise is in IT and change management. He was most recently at Hawaiʻi Gas as a senior project manager, but it was his work at First Hawaiian Bank (FHB) from 2019 to 2023 that most closely mirrors the work he will be doing now.

    “I was a compliance systems manager at FHB for four years managing anti-money laundering efforts that included fraud, risk management and compliance, and related strategic initiatives. Our biggest project was to convert a 40-year-old mainframe system into modern banking software,” said Stefanov. “That’s much like what DAGS has with its 55-year-old legacy mainframe system.”

    He draws comparisons to the complexity, magnitude and duration of the FHB project. “A bank is one of the few private sector businesses that can come close to the size of state government. I’m excited to bring my experience to the government sector and contribute to a large-scale modernization effort that puts Hawai‘i’s people first,” stated Stefanov.

    Stefanov has also worked in the real estate, technology and utility industries, in a career that extends over 15 years. He holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance and IT from Hawaiʻi Pacific University.

    In his spare time, you can still find the former professional soccer player on the pitch, when he’s not sailing, kitesurfing, training for triathlons, coaching youth soccer or performing volunteer work.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How existential philosophy can help you to cope with anguish

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Luca Costa, PhD Candidate in Italian and continental philosophy, University of Oxford

    Automat by Edward Hopper (1927). Des Moines Art Center

    “Am I with the right person?” Most of us have probably asked ourselves this question at least once in our life. I certainly have.

    To help you out, your friends might ask: “Well, do you love them?” Then you go home and the conversation goes around in your head. “Yes, I love them!” you tell yourself. But how can you be sure? Are you ready to spend your whole life with just one partner?

    The stomach flip you may have just had when reading the words “your whole life” is the emotion known as anguish – the overwhelming fear you feel when confronted with a big choice. I have felt anguish myself in this situation – and the philosophy of existentialism really helped me to make sense of it.

    But let’s start from the beginning: why do we feel anguish? It arises from uncertainty – in our example, from the choice between staying with the person you’re with for a lifetime, or breaking up.

    Anguish is the result of a conflict between two values that we equally cherish: in this case, love and freedom. It is painful because we want both options but can only have one, as they pull us in opposite directions.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) argued that anguish arises because we are free. And, contrary to what most of us think, we don’t like freedom. Or at least, we like a decent degree of it, but certainly not as much of it as we actually have.

    What we like more than freedom is certainty. Suppose I happen to possess a formula that will tell you with absolute certainty what is the best course of action for every decision you have to make in your life. You would feel no more anguish, and would have no doubt that the decision you made is the best one.

    Would you want this formula? If the answer is yes, you have just admitted that certainty matters more to you than freedom.

    People who conceive of themselves as being independent might think they want freedom more, and refuse my formula. They may even claim that they don’t mind feeling anguish. But chances are they’re yet to be faced with the biggest decisions a human being can encounter.

    These people haven’t experienced freedom to the extent that it induces real anguish. After all, anguish is a clear sign of discomfort (which can even be felt physically) – and if we didn’t want certainty, we wouldn’t feel it in the first place.

    Can anguish be overcome?

    The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) said that anguish can’t be overcome. But there’s reason to disagree.

    First, you need to understand that anguish is an intrinsic feature of life. Accept this, and you will be a little less scared by it.

    What you also have to accept is that no one has the formula I described earlier. This may seem trivial, but when a big decision looms over us, sure enough we long for certainty and this formula. There is usually no objective “ideal” course of action, though.

    The Monk by the Sea by Caspar David Friedrich (1808-10).
    Old National Gallery, Berlin

    Of course, we may have the illusion that we made the “right” or “wrong” choice in a certain situation. But that is narrative fallacy – meaning that in reality, we simply don’t know what would have happened had we made another decision.

    Then comes the hard part. It takes courage to choose what you think is right for you. You should take comfort, though, in the fact that no one usually knows what’s most right for you better than yourself.

    Insightful suggestions from good friends or families just uncover information that was already within you. No one sincerely accepts other people’s values if they weren’t theirs in some way already.

    Study yourself, establish what beliefs you cherish over others, and start from there. If your choices are the consequences of your deepest beliefs, they are less likely to feel wrong or uncertain. Release the demand for certainty, and you’ll have neutralised anguish.

    Luca Costa receives funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

    – ref. How existential philosophy can help you to cope with anguish – https://theconversation.com/how-existential-philosophy-can-help-you-to-cope-with-anguish-252836

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What is a downburst? These winds can be destructive like tornadoes − we recreate them to test building designs

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Amal Elawady, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida International University

    A downburst blasts Bangkok, Thailand, in 2017. Natapat Ariyamongkol/iStock/Getty Images Plus

    From a distance, a downburst can look like a torrent of heavy rain. But at ground level, its behavior can be far more destructive.

    When a downburst’s winds hit the ground, they shoot out horizontally in all directions, sometimes with enough force to shatter windows and overturn vehicles.

    These winds behave in complicated ways, particularly in cities, as our latest research shows. Downburst winds can deflect off tall buildings, increasing the pressure on neighboring buildings’ windows and walls. The result can blow out glass and chip off facade. Even buildings designed to survive hurricanes can suffer major damage in a downburst.

    As engineers, we study downbursts with the goal of designing buildings, components such as solar panels and windows, and infrastructure such as power lines that can stand up to that powerful force. To do this, informed by field measurements, we create our own powerful downbursts using a hurricane simulator known as the Wall of Wind at Florida International University.

    An illustration of how the winds of a downburst fan out in open space. In a city with tall buildings, the wind can deflect off buildings, causing damage in unexpected ways.
    NASA/Wikimedia Commons

    What is a downburst?

    Downbursts can be as destructive as tornadoes, but their winds develop in a very different way.

    A downburst forms when a thunderstorm pulls cooler, heavier air down from high in the atmosphere. As this rain-cooled air rushes downward, it gains speed. Once it slams into the ground, it has nowhere to go but outward, sending strong winds in all horizontal directions.

    Dust in the air shows the curling rotation of a downburst’s winds.
    NOAA

    The wind speed in a downburst can reach over 150 miles per hour. That’s the strength of a Category 4 hurricane and strong enough to knock down trees and power lines, damage buildings and flip vehicles.

    These winds also rotate, but not in the same way tornadoes do. Downburst winds are typically considered straight-line winds, but they rotate around a horizontal axis as the wind curls upward after hitting the ground. Tornadoes, in contrast, spin around a vertical axis.

    Powerful storm systems known as derechos are often made up of multiple downburst clusters, each containing many smaller downbursts, sometimes called microbursts.

    Recreating Houston’s downburst in a warehouse

    On May 16, 2024, a derecho hit Houston with a downburst that was so strong, it blew out windows in several high-rise buildings that had been built to survive Category 4 hurricanes. The winds also pried off chunks of buildings’ facades.

    Two months later, Hurricane Beryl hit Houston with similar wind speeds, yet it left minimal damage to the downtown buildings.

    When a downburst hit downtown Houston on May 16, 2024, it shattered windows on some sides of buildings but not others, and not always in the line of the storm. The damage offered clues to how downbursts interact with tall buildings.
    Cécile Clocheret/AFP via Getty Images

    To understand how a downburst like this can be so much more destructive – and what cities and building designers can do about it – we simulated both the Houston downburst winds and Hurricane Beryl’s winds in the Wall of Wind.

    The test facility is equipped with a dozen jet fans, each almost as tall as the workers who run them and powerful enough to simulate a Category 5 hurricane. Our team used these fans to recreate powerful downburst winds that hit horizontally with the maximum wind speeds near ground level. Then, we put several models of buildings to the test to see how roofs, windows, facades and the structures of power lines reacted under that force.

    How the Wall of Wind’s fans mimic a downburst’s horizontal force.

    In the Houston derecho, a downburst hit downtown with 100 mph winds. It cracked some lower windows, likely with blowing debris, but it also caused widespread unexpected damage midway up some of the buildings.

    The Chevron Building Auditorium actually suffered the most damage on a side that wasn’t directly in the line of the storm but was facing another tall building. That left some intriguing questions. It suggested that the way the buildings channel the wind may have created a strong suction that blew out windows midway up the tower. Another burning question is whether building design codes are outdated when it comes to how well their cladding can stand up to these localized winds.

    Using the Wall of Wind, we were able to test those pressures on models of the Houston buildings and see how downburst winds increased the pressured on a tall building model with excessive forces near the ground level.

    The ability to simulate these winds is important for improving engineers’ understanding of the differences in how downbursts and other wind events exert force on buildings. The results ultimately inform building standards to help create more resilient and better-protected communities.

    Building better power lines

    Big storms, like downbursts, can also take down power lines.

    Power lines extend hundreds of miles between cities and states, making them more susceptible to a hit from a localized severe storm, such as a downburst. If one of the towers falls, it can cause a chain reaction, like dominoes falling one after another. That can knock out power for large numbers of people.

    The derecho that hit Houston with a downburst also crumpled transmission towers in Texas.
    AP Photo/David J. Phillip

    With colleagues, we have been testing transmission towers and multispan power-line systems under downburst and hurricane winds to understand how these structures respond, with the goal of developing better construction techniques. That work has helped to update the American manual for the design of power lines, which engineers use for designing safer, more storm-resilient transmission towers.

    What’s next

    Low-rise and mid-rise buildings are also vulnerable to downbursts, but the effects are less well understood. Downburst winds are most intense between 10 and 300 feet above the ground, meaning the roofs and walls of some low-rises can be hit with intense horizontal wind.

    Recent building codes have offered design guidelines to help ensure these buildings can withstand tornadoes. However, the way downbursts rotate in a short time around a building or a community of buildings puts pressure on the walls and the roof in different ways. Similar to straight-line winds, we expect high suction on the roof. Due to their short duration, varying wind direction and intense wind speed, downbursts may also cause excessive vibrations and varying pressure distribution on the roof components.

    How microbursts form.

    We’re now testing downburst damage to low- and mid-rise buildings to better understand the risks and help highlight changes that can make buildings more resilient.

    As populations grow, cities are adding more buildings. At the same time, powerful storms are becoming more frequent and more intense. Understanding the effects of different types of storms will help engineers construct high-rises, low-rises and power lines that are better able to withstand extreme weather.

    Amal Elawady receives funding from the National Science Foundation.

    Fahim Ahmed, Mohamed Eissa, and Omar Metwally do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What is a downburst? These winds can be destructive like tornadoes − we recreate them to test building designs – https://theconversation.com/what-is-a-downburst-these-winds-can-be-destructive-like-tornadoes-we-recreate-them-to-test-building-designs-254931

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Praise Iraq’s Child Rights Strategy, Raise Issues Concerning Child Marriage and Corporal Punishment

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Rights of the Child today concluded its consideration of the fifth and sixth combined periodic reports of Iraq under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with Committee Experts praising the State’s national child rights strategy and raising questions about child marriage and corporal punishment.

    Benoit Van Keirsbilck, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Iraq, said that Iraq had devoted efforts to improving its situation after periods of violence.  The Committee had seen several improvements in terms of the rights of the child, including the State’s commendable strategy on children’s rights.

    Several Experts expressed concern regarding the amendment in 2025 to the civil status law, which reportedly allowed for children to marry from the age of nine.  They asked whether appeals had been made to nullify the amendment.  Mr. Van Keirsbilck said 28 per cent of Iraqi girls were married before the age of 18 and seven per cent before the age of 15. What measures were in place to prevent child marriage?

    Mr. Van Keirsbilck also said the Penal Code allowed parents and educators to use corporal punishment in family and educational settings.  Some 81 per cent of children had reportedly been subjected to some form of corporal punishment.  How was the State party addressing this?

    In an opening statement, Abdulkarim Hashem Mustafa, Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said the Government placed the rights of the child at the heart of its national priorities, and had adopted the national strategy for child protection, which aimed to create a safe and inclusive environment that ensured the well-being and development of children.

    Khalid Salam Saeed, Minster of Justice of Iraq and head of the delegation, in his opening statement, said Iraq had exerted efforts to comply with the Convention and the Committee’s recommendations, despite the major challenges it had faced due to aggression from the terrorist group Daesh.  As a result of its efforts for children, Iraq had been removed from the United Nations Secretary-General’s list of countries that violated children’s rights.

    On child marriage, the delegation said Iraq considered cultural circumstances when setting the minimum age of marriage.  The amendment to the civil status law had been assessed by Parliament and workshops with civil society.  Marriage from nine years of age was not permitted by the law, which permitted marriages from 18 years, or from 15 years when the children involved petitioned courts directly.  Persons who facilitated marriages outside the legal framework were liable for punishment.

    Regarding corporal punishment, the delegation said the Higher Supreme Court had ruled that the Criminal Code did not allow the use of violence against children or students in any context.  There were many cases in which parents and teachers who treated children violently had been punished.

    In closing remarks, Mr. Van Keirsbilck said the dialogue had revealed areas in which Iraq had made important progress since 2015, as well as issues that needed to be addressed.  The future law on child protection seemed extremely promising; the Committee hoped that it would be adopted soon and fully implemented, he said.

    In his concluding remarks, Mr. Saeed said Iraq had presented its progress in implementing the Convention and the recommendations of the Committee. The State party looked forward to receiving the Committee’s recommendations, which would help to consolidate children’s rights in the country.  Iraq was determined to promote human rights based on the principles of equality and social justice.

    Sopio Kiladze, Committee Chair, said in concluding remarks that the Committee and the State party shared a common goal of improving the situation of children in Iraq.  The Committee congratulated the State party on the progress it had made and looked forward to hearing about the future progress that the State would make for children in the next dialogue.

    The delegation of Iraq consisted of representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office; General Secretariat of the Iraqi Cabinet; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; Ministry of Justice; Scientific Supervision and Evaluation Agency; Directorate-General for Curricula; Directorate-General of Planning and Follow-Up; Human Rights Directorate; Kurdistan Regional Government; and the Permanent Mission of Iraq to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Committee will issue concluding observations on the report of Iraq at the end of its ninety-ninth session on 30 May. Those, and other documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, will be available on the session’s webpage.  Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here.

    The Committee will next meet in public on Tuesday, 20 May at 3 p.m. to consider the combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of Romania (CRC/C/ROU/6-7).

    Report

    The Committee has before it the fifth and sixth combined periodic reports of Iraq (CRC/C/IRQ/5-6).

    Presentation of Report

    ABDULKARIM HASHEM MUSTAFA, Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said Iraq reaffirmed its commitment to respect and implement its international obligations under the Convention and to include its provisions in national policies, despite the complex challenges that the country had faced during the past decades. The Government placed the rights of the child at the heart of its national priorities, and had adopted the national strategy for child protection, which aimed to create a safe and inclusive environment that ensured the well-being and development of children. The State party had strengthened the national legislative framework by amending several relevant laws to ensure their compatibility with international standards, including the draft child protection law currently before the Parliament.  Iraq affirmed that the protection of children’s rights was both a national responsibility and a humanitarian and moral obligation.

    KHALID SALAM SAEED, Minster of Justice of Iraq and head of the delegation, said Iraq had exerted efforts to comply with the Convention and the Committee’s recommendations. Iraq faced major challenges due to aggression from the terrorist group Daesh, which had led to violations of the rights of the child.  Iraq had undertaken efforts to prevent the spread of terrorism and violence in the country, provide reparation to victims, support the transfer of displaced persons, and prosecute terrorist crimes.  The State party had transferred or rehabilitated more than 17,000 victims of the violence.

    Seeking to bring its legislation in line with international standards, the State party had implemented several laws, including the legal aid act, the amendment to the act on people with disabilities, the health coverage act, the social services act, the act on the integration of minors, and a draft law against domestic violence.

    Several policies and strategies had also been developed, including the technical development strategy.  The State party had developed policies on the protection of families, and had continued work to investigate human trafficking.  It had set up a hotline for reporting gender-based violence and had also established women’s and girls’ welfare units to combat violence against women and girls. The State party had developed strategies to improve the security environment, reduce poverty and support families, which included measures to increase the number of persons receiving social protection assistance, establish family protection units, and expand the provision of vaccinations.

    The Iraqi Government was promoting access to education for all by implementing the act on compulsory education and providing school supplies and scholarships to children in need.  The Government had completed the construction and renovation of 6,500 schools, and construction was continuing.  Iraq aimed to increase the resources and capacities of educational institutions to improve the quality of education they provided.

    The State party had also developed a strategy for the rehabilitation of minors, establishing juvenile rehabilitation units.  The Constitution had been amended and laws established to criminalise prostitution, trafficking in illegal substances, and the sale of children.  Iraqi laws prohibited the conscription of young people under the age of 18, and many policies had been implemented to prevent the involvement of children in terrorist activities.  The State party had also set up a body to monitor the recommendations of international bodies.  As a result of these efforts, Iraq had been removed from the United Nations Secretary-General’s list of countries that violated children’s rights.

    DINDAR ZEBARI, Coordinator of International Recommendations, Kurdistan Regional Government, said Kurdistan had developed a regional development plan for 2021–2025, which included 11 recommendations on children’s rights, of which nine had been implemented.  In 2023, the Kurdistan Council of Ministers approved a policy aimed at protecting children. Kurdistan had raised the age of criminal responsibility to 11 years, banned the death penalty for children, converted detention sentences to rehabilitation programmes, and reactivated juvenile courts. 

    In the fight against human trafficking, a national campaign was launched that had led to the arrest of 79 people and the sentencing of 12 traffickers.  Kurdistan hosted 865,000 internally displaced persons and refugees, and the Government provided this population with shelter, education, and health care. 

    Measures implemented by the Government had led to a 42 per cent reduction in under-five mortality; the rate was now far lower than the global average.  The Government provided social welfare services to approximately 130 children annually, and new care homes for girls had been opened.  Some 550 children from government nurseries and 53 from the surrogacy system had been placed in foster families.  Procedures for issuing parental certificates to children of unknown origin were carried out in accordance with the civil status law, in a manner that respected their privacy and preserved their dignity.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Iraq, said that Iraq had devoted a range of efforts to improving its situation after periods of violence.  The Committee had seen several improvements in terms of the rights of the child, including the State’s commendable strategy on children’s rights.  However, challenges remained, and the Committee would address these.

    Iraq maintained its reservation to article 14 of the Convention.  Why did it oppose children having the right to protest?  Was the Convention used by courts and the Parliament?  When would the planned child protection law be adopted? Would this law address all forms of violence against children?  How did legislation on refugees that would soon be adopted address refugee children’s rights?

    Who was responsible for coordinating and implementing the State’s strategy for children?  What budget was set aside for the strategy and how would its implementation be assessed?  How would the State party implement the proposed child protection information management system?  Did it calculate the percentage of the budget dedicated to children’s policies, and was it working on addressing issues with tax collection to increase funds for children’s policies?  How did the State party ensure that the data it collected on children was accurate?

    Did the State party plan to ratify the Optional Protocol on the individual complaints procedure?  Did children whose rights were violated have access to reparations?  How could they lodge complaints?  There were reports that police had refused to register some children’s complaints.

    The Committee welcomed that Iraq’s National Human Rights Commission had “A” status under the Paris Principles. There had been a legal complaint against the former Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission.  What progress had been made in investigating this case?  Were there plans to set up an ombudsperson for children?  How had cuts in international funding affected programmes promoting children’s rights in Iraq?

    Sexual exploitation of children remained a major concern.  What measures were in place to support child victims?  The Penal Code allowed parents and educators to use corporal punishment in family and educational settings.  Some 81 per cent of children had reportedly been subjected to some form of corporal punishment.  How was the State party addressing this?

    Iraqi law still allowed children to marry from age 15, and there had been a draft law that sought to lower the age of marriage for girls to nine.  What was the status of this law?  What measures were in place to prevent child marriage?  Sexual slavery was still practiced in some parts of the country.  How did the State party support child victims of sexual slavery?  How many children who were affected by the activities of Daesh had the State party rehabilitated?

    MARIANA IANACHEVICI, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, welcomed the State party’s efforts to incorporate the principles of the Convention in its legal and policy frameworks, and to prevent discrimination.  The State party taught minority languages in schools and had implemented measures to prevent discrimination against children with disabilities in schools.  Were there plans to develop exclusive anti-discrimination legislation that addressed discrimination against children?  How would the State promote access to social services for girls in remote communities? How was the principle of the best interests of the child reflected in national legislation?  What mechanisms were in place to ensure that children’s views were considered when assessing what was in their best interests?

    What measures were in place to ensure that no children were sentenced to the death penalty?  How was the civil registration system being strengthened to ensure that all children, including children born in areas formerly controlled by Daesh, were registered?  What measures were in place to prevent infanticide?

    How was the State party ensuring that the views of children were considered in laws, policies and practices?  How was the State party promoting the meaningful participation of children from disadvantaged groups in the development of policies and laws?

    The Expert welcomed efforts to support children returning from northern Syria.  What was the rationale behind 2025 amendments to the personal status law?  There were concerns that these amendments could undermine existing safeguards for women and children.  How did the State party ensure that this legislation was in line with the Convention, and that women-led households would continue to receive adequate social support?  What efforts were being made to harmonise religious court rulings with international standards? 

    What efforts were being made to expand family-based care for children whose parents could no longer care for them, and to make foster care a viable alternative for families? Did the State party pursue systematic family reunification when appropriate?

    RINCHEN CHOPHEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, welcomed legislation from 2006 that allowed women to pass on their nationality to their children.  Did children born to unmarried parents receive birth certificates?  What measures were in place to regulate the registration of children born in armed conflict situations?  The Expert expressed concern about reports that the children of parents who were not of Muslim faith, particularly persons of the Baha’i faith, were not registered.  What measures were in place to prevent this?  What measures had been adopted to protect children from online risks? What was the status of the draft cybercrime law?

    BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said that there had been significant progress for children in Iraq over the last 10 years.  What awareness raising campaigns were being carried out to address negative societal attitudes related to children with disabilities?  What had been the impact of legislative revisions related to persons with disabilities?  How had the State party mainstreamed disability rights?  What progress had been made in developing a central database on children with disabilities?  The Committee welcomed the “disability stipend” for children with disabilities who attended schools.  Were there plans to extend this to children with disabilities who did not attend school? Assessments of children with disabilities tended to focus on medical impairments; were there plans to change this approach?  The Kurdistan Government had introduced a universal stipend for children, but its reach appeared to be limited.  What efforts had been made to extend it?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said most of the Iraqi population was Muslim, but the Government respected religious plurality and had implemented mechanisms to protect religious diversity.  Iraq had expressed reservations related to article 14 of the Convention as its law was based on the Islamic Sharia, but the State party’s laws promoted the freedom of religion.  There was one case related to the rights of a 15-year-old girl in which the court had referenced the Convention.

    The State party paid salaries to carers of children with disabilities; recently, this salary had been increased. Assistive devices were provided to children with disabilities, who were integrated into public schools.  Mobile teams aided children with disabilities in their homes and smart identification cards facilitated access to social services for children with disabilities.  The State party also provided primary care to children with disabilities in conflict settings.

    The Government had adopted several measures promoting the participation of children in decision-making processes, establishing children’s parliaments in more than 420 schools. Non-governmental organizations promoted the participation of children in decision-making, providing them with training on advocacy.

    Around 30 shelters had been established that provided services to vulnerable children, including orphans and victims of domestic violence.  The shelters provided food and access to education and technical training.  Health examinations were provided for children in these shelters every three months.

    The Constitution included articles that prohibited discrimination and guaranteed protection for women and children. Several laws had been adopted to protect minorities, including a law on reparations for Yezidi refugees who had suffered human rights violations during armed conflict.

    The State party sought to adopt a draft law on anti-discrimination that was currently before Parliament.  The law would prevent discrimination based on religion and other factors.  There were several schools that taught Christian values.  A centre had been established that taught the minority Assyrian language, and several public schools also taught the language.

    The Ministry of Interior accepted complaints from children through a dedicated hotline, which complied with international standards; the children’s support unit; and through hospitals and schools.  A range of legal measures had been adopted to combat sexual exploitation.  State legislation stipulated punishments for violations of children’s rights online.

    Children were guaranteed the right to an identity by the law on identity and other legislative measures.  The State party had sought to identify children with unknown parents born in the Daesh era and provide them with identity documents; 120,000 persons in this situation had been registered to date.

    The State party considered cultural circumstances when setting the minimum age of marriage.  It was re-evaluating the law on child marriage. Marriage could be approved from age 15 if it was in the child’s interests.  There was currently no draft law defining the best interests of the child, but some texts recognised the principle, such as the personal status law, which called for an assessment of the best interests of the child in foster arrangements.

    The State party was proud of its achievements in rehabilitating child refugees.  A centre had been established in 2021 that hosted 17,000 individuals. Currently, 7,000 children resided in the centre, who benefited from cultural activities, education and social rehabilitation services.  More than 6,000 children had been supported to return to their homes.  Most refugees who came from Syrian camps were women and children.  They were provided with various support services, and more than 6,000 of these persons had been supported to return to their homes.

    More than nine trillion dinars had been allocated to the health sector, more than 70 per cent of which benefitted women and children.  Hospital workers had been trained on dealing with victims of violence against women and children, and medical units providing care to victims had been established. In refugee camps, more than 30,000 vaccinations had been provided to children.  There were governorate programmes on sexual and reproductive health and nutrition that benefitted youth.  A draft law on mental health had been developed and programmes were in place to provide psychosocial care for students in schools and universities.

    Training sessions had been organised on the Convention, international humanitarian law, and the rights of children in armed conflict, for members of the armed forces.  The Government had contributed to demining more than 18 million cluster munitions in former conflict zones.

    The Constitutional Court had ruled that article 41 of the Criminal Code did not allow the use of violence against children or students in any context; it aimed only at imposing discipline and rehabilitation.  There were many cases in which parents and teachers who treated children violently had been punished.

    Child benefits were allocated to more than 3.5 million children, while around 3,000 orphaned children also received benefits, and more than two million children received scholarships. Around 154,000 children received disability benefits.  Some 12 trillion dinars were invested in children’s education in 2024.  Children with disabilities were integrated into mainstream education.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said that Iraq relied on external support for health sector financing.  What measures were in place to reduce reliance on external support?  The Committee commended the State party’s efforts in immunisation, but there were low immunisation rates in conflict areas and rural areas.  How was the Government addressing this?

    Obesity rates were rising among Iraqi children, anaemia was an issue for women, and Iraq had low breastfeeding rates. How were these issues being addressed? How was the State party working to reduce the exposure of children to tobacco and unhealthy food marketing, strengthening children’s mental health and reducing health costs for families? The adolescent birth rate was concerningly high.  How was the State party addressing teenage pregnancy?

    Iraqi schools were fully closed for 51 weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic.  What catch-up measures had been implemented?  Access to online services was limited in schools in Kurdistan; how was this being addressed?  Mr. Mezmur congratulated the State party on implementing legislation on pre-primary education.  Enrolment in this education was still at around 10 per cent; how was the Government promoting increased access?  What was being done to identify children who were out of school and encourage their return? How could children without documentation access education and health care?

    MARIANA IANACHEVICI, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked about care being provided for children returning from northeast Syria.  What training was provided to professionals who worked with children coming from abusive family environments?  How were the rights of incarcerated children protected?  Did they have access to education and mental health care?  The Expert welcomed efforts to improve the standards of living for children through social safety net programmes.  Were there plans to strengthen the programmes to support vulnerable children?  How was the Government promoting access to safe drinking water for vulnerable children and families, particularly in conflict-affected areas?

    RINCHEN CHOPHEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said children in Iraq were exposed to extremely high temperatures.  Were there national initiatives to monitor children’s environmental health, and reduce and monitor air and water pollutants?  What measures were in place to increase children’s preparedness for disasters?

    BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, asked whether the State party was considering ratifying the 1951 Refugee Convention or the Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons?  What protections were provided to asylum seekers and migrants in Iraq?  Had the State party conducted analysis into the causes of child labour and developed measures to address the issue?  Were labour inspectors trained to deal with child labour?  Why had the number of inspections decreased recently?  What was being done to reintegrate victims of child labour into society and support their access to rehabilitation?  How were children in street situations identified and supported to return to their families?  Were there referral services for child victims of trafficking?  Were the perpetrators of child trafficking brought to justice?  How did the State party ensure that child victims of trafficking were not treated as perpetrators?

    Had the State party assessed legislation on child justice and considered establishing juvenile courts?  The minimum age of criminal responsibility was 11; were there plans to raise this to 14?  What happened to children below 11 years of age who committed crimes? The treatment of children in detention was very worrying.  How many children were detained?  What non-custodial measures were in place?  How did the State party assess the age of children in conflict with the law? Were there still children detained with adults?

    There had been improvements regarding children involved in armed conflict.  How was this issue monitored and how was the recruitment of children criminalised in practice?  Were there military schools in Iraq?  Was the State party considering incorporating the Safe Schools Declaration in national policy?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Iraq had taken numerous measures to address child labour, which was prohibited for children under 15 years old, and there were strict measures regulating work for children aged 15 to 18.  Iraq had ratified the International Labour Organization Conventions 138 and 182 on child labour.  The State party was working to raise awareness of the risks of employing children and the punishments imposed.  Social support programmes had been bolstered to reduce the need for children to engage in labour; around 1.5 million households benefitted from these programmes. 

    There was a workplace oversight and monitoring programme that sought to protect children from economic exploitation. Employers could be fined or punished for using child labour.  Children who were authorised to work could only work reduced hours and could not work at night.  These children had the right to equal pay and a safe and healthy workplace.  An exceptional surprise inspection campaign had been carried out since 2019, which had identified more than 600 cases of child labour in total, with several employers of children transferred to judicial authorities.

    The budget for the Ministry of Health had increased to over nine trillion dinars in 2024.  This budget was devoted to health care programmes for women and children, constructing and rehabilitating medical centres, and other areas.  The Government was implementing the national vaccination programme to provide vaccinations to vulnerable populations, including asylum seekers and refugees. The Government provided equal access to health services regardless of religion, ethnicity or other characteristics. In 2023 and 2024, more than 43,000 children in refugee camps received vaccinations against polio.  Iraq had become one of the first countries in the Middle East to become free from polio.  More than 88 per cent of children in kindergarten and 91 per cent of primary school students had been vaccinated.

    Awareness raising campaigns on the importance of healthy diets were carried out in schools.  The nutritional quality of school meals was examined and the safety of schools’ drinking water was tested.  Schools were supported to organise sports activities.  The State party also supported non-governmental organizations working to improve children’s nutrition.  The Government had adopted a law prohibiting the sale of cigarettes to children under the age of 15 and a law prohibited the sale and production of e-cigarettes.  A smoking ban had been imposed in schools.

    The State party promoted exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life, and there had been a 10 per cent rise in breastfeeding recently.  Iron supplements were provided to pregnant women and vitamin A supplements were provided to children, blood test campaigns were carried out to detect anaemia, and awareness raising campaigns on the dangers of anaemia were carried out. Since 2021, there had been a 46 per cent decrease in maternal mortality, influenced by a 96 per cent rise in the number of specialised doctors covering deliveries.

    Iraq’s nationally determined contribution, approved in 2021, spelled out the State party’s goal of developing renewable energy sources and transitioning to a low-carbon economy.  The State party was pursuing climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in its policies and programmes, including the national development strategy.  Projects and programmes to cut pollution and minimise the effects of greenhouse gases were being developed.  A technological action plan on the energy transition had also been drafted.

    All persons from minority groups enjoyed the rights and privileges guaranteed to all Iraqi citizens. Electoral laws ensured quotas for minority representatives, and there were also quotas for minorities in the civil service.  There were nine seats in Parliament reserved for minority representatives, and there were also minority representatives in the Council of Ministers.  The State party had encouraged Yezidi and Christian minorities to return to their places of residence.  There were 79 non-governmental organizations working tirelessly to protect minority children’s rights.  A programme to restore minority religious buildings had been implemented following the destructive campaign of Daesh, which had led to the reconstruction of four Christian churches and more than 20 mosques.

    The Kurdistan Government had provided support to 185,000 children abducted by Daesh.  Around 1,000 survivors were sent to Germany to receive additional healthcare.  Many cases had been submitted related to the crimes of Daesh.

    Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

    BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, asked when the child protection law would be adopted.  Some 28 per cent of girls were married before the age of 18 and seven per cent before the age of 15.  What were the rights of former wives after divorce?  Was the State working to prevent the practice of forcing girls to marry their cousins?  Corporal punishment by parents and teachers appeared to be permitted by the Criminal Code. Was there an awareness raising campaign on the prohibition of corporal punishment?  There were reports of female genital mutilation still being practiced in some regions; how was this being addressed?  How was the State party pursuing demining activities to make land safe for children?

    BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked about the implementation of legislation on illegal drugs, which had increased in prevalence in Iraq in recent years. How was Iraq addressing the impact of drugs on children?

    MARIANA IANACHEVICI, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked about amendments in 2025 to the civil status law and the expanded role of religious courts in family matters.  How did the decisions of these courts affect children?

    Other Committee Experts asked about why Iraq was not present at the Bogota interministerial conference on violence against children; how it was expanding coverage of the hotline for reporting violence; whether marriages between people of different religions were permitted; plans to revise legislation allowing husbands to beat their wives; whether there was an authority monitoring standards in residential homes; whether children incarcerated with their parents benefitted from support programmes; whether there was a disease surveillance system in place; how the State party was combatting tuberculosis in children, obstetric fistula and child obesity; measures to prevent child road deaths; and screening programmes to assess disability in children.

    Several Experts expressed concern regarding the amendment in 2025 to the civil status law allowing for children to marry from age nine.  They asked how the State party determined the best interests of the child in decisions authorising marriages under age 18?  What measures were implemented to protect vulnerable girls from forced marriages? Had appeals been made to immediately nullify the amendment?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the amendment to the law on personal status had been assessed by Parliament and workshops with civil society.  Marriage from nine years was not permitted by the civil status law, which permitted marriages from 18 years of age, or from 15 years when the children involved petitioned courts directly, with their parents’ permission.  Such children were required to undergo medical examinations to ensure that they were mentally and physically capable of marriage.  The new civil status law ensured that only judges had the ability to sign minors’ marriage contracts.  There were no religious courts or judges in Iraq. Persons who facilitated marriages outside the legal framework were liable for punishment.

    The Supreme Court had issued a clear verdict on article 41 of the Criminal Code, finding that it did not allow violence against children in any form.  Courts were bound to follow this interpretation of the law.  When parents exercised corporal punishment, they faced legal punishment.  Civil police monitored cases of corporal punishment and had responded to around 100 cases.

    State legislation regulated disciplinary measures imposed against school principals and teachers who harmed children’s health.  Perpetrators of such acts could be brought before the courts.  The Ministry of Education combatted all forms of violence in schools.  School management boards included experts on preventing violence.

    The Ministry of Interior had departments fighting trafficking in persons and supporting victims, and departments supporting poor families and children to keep them out of street situations. The law on trafficking in persons specified that minors involved in trafficking were victims.  The national strategy for 2023 to 2026 on child protection included measures to combat trafficking.  In 2024, the State party had arrested more than 1,000 persons involved in trafficking in persons.  The department combatting trafficking had been linked with the secret services department to strengthen transnational activities to combat the crime.

    The Ministry of Interior had implemented measures to prevent the spread of illegal drugs under the national strategy to combat drugs for 2025 to 2030.  Educational programmes were carried out to strengthen public servants’ capacity to treat drug addicts.  Some 16 rehabilitation centres had been established for drug addicts, who were treated as victims rather than criminals and supported to reintegrate into society. The State party had cooperated with other States to dismantle international drug trafficking networks. The volume of confiscated drugs had increased recently.

    Parliamentary committees were examining the draft law on children’s protection, which promoted children’s rights and prohibited all forms of abuse against children.  The law would ensure that children enjoyed protection from discrimination regardless of their ethnicity, religion or other characteristics, and the right to live in a safe family environment.

    Concluding Remarks 

    BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, said that the size and high level of the delegation showed that Iraq highly valued children’s rights.  The dialogue had revealed areas in which Iraq had made important progress since 2015, as well as issues that needed to be addressed. Based on it, the Committee would develop recommendations to help the State party better implement the Convention. The future law on child protection seemed extremely promising; the Committee hoped that it would be adopted soon and fully implemented.  It was important that children knew their rights and were able to implement them. Iraq still faced many challenges. The Committee looked forward to the future progress that it hoped the State would make.

    KHALID SALAM SAEED, Minster of Justice of Iraq and head of the delegation, said Iraq had presented its progress in implementing the Convention and the recommendations of the Committee.  The State party looked forward to receiving the Committee’s recommendations, which would help to consolidate children’s rights in the country.  The concluding observations would be carefully studied by authorities drafting policies and plans on the rights of the child.  Iraq was determined to promote human rights based on the principles of equality and social justice.  The Government cooperated with various stakeholders to implement the Committee’s recommendations and its international obligations.  Iraq thanked all persons who had facilitated the dialogue.

    ABDULKARIM HASHEM MUSTAFA, Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said the dialogue reflected the Iraqi Government’s resolve to protect the rights of the child pursuant to the provisions of the Convention.  Iraq thanked the Committee for its moral support, which encouraged it to further improve the situation of its children.

    SOPIO KILADZE, Committee Chair, said that the Committee and the State party shared a common goal of improving the situation of children in Iraq.  The Committee congratulated the State party on the progress it had made and looked forward to hearing about the future progress that the State would make for children in the next dialogue.

    ___________

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

     

     

    CRC25.012E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Army Corps Nominee Commits to Sullivan to Prioritize Alaska’s Nome Port Project

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan
    05.16.25
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee, secured a commitment this week from Adam Telle, nominated to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works in charge of the Army Corps of Engineers, to prioritize the Port of Nome project, the nation’s first deep-draft Arctic port, in light of Alaska’s strategic importance constituting the entirety of America’s Arctic.
    “The Port of Nome has bipartisan support,” said Sen. Sullivan. “We don’t have an Arctic port anywhere to push back on the Russian and Chinese aggression in my part of the [country]. That project, it’s really important. We’ve got to get it over the finish line. Can I get your commitment to work with me and the others in this committee on that project?”
    “Senator Sullivan, one of the most strategic issues that confronts the United States of America today is our status as an Arctic…nation,” said Mr. Telle. “This is an area of the world that the Chinese Communist Party is very interested in. The Russians are very active. Your state is front and center to the United States of America’s being an Arctic nation. We must be. It seems to me that, if we’re going to be an Arctic nation, that Alaska ought to be one of the key launching points of that force projection and power projection and economic projection. I look forward to working with you to help make the case for the strategic nature of Alaska and the Port of Nome as it relates to the United States asserting itself as an Arctic nation.”
    [embedded content]
    In his questioning during the EPW hearing, Sen. Sullivan also highlighted President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential,” which directs the Corps to “review, revise or rescind any agency action that may in any way hinder, slow, or otherwise delay any critical project in the State of Alaska.” Mr. Telle reiterated his understanding of and support for carrying out the President’s Alaska order in relation to critical projects, including the Port of Nome.
    Below is a transcript of Sen. Sullivan’s exchange with Mr. Telle on the Port of Nome and the Alaska EO.
    SEN. SULLIVAN: I appreciated our meetings, Mr. Telle and Mr. McMaster. It’s hard to build anything in Alaska. Right? You want to build a road, a sidewalk, you usually get 12 radical far-left environmental groups that sue to stop it. We have the King Cove Road. We’ve only been trying to get that done for 40 years. A nine-mile, single-lane gravel road that every Democrat in the country—including, God rest his soul, Jimmy Carter, writes op-eds [saying] you can’t build a road in Alaska. Then it went so bad, we had the Biden administration’s Last Frontier Lock Up. My great state suffered through 70 executive orders and executive actions from the Biden administration singularly focused on Alaska. I like ripping this up because that’s not the issue anymore. We now have President Trump who issued his day-one executive order called, “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.” Mr. Telle, as you and I discussed, there’s a lot of great provisions in here. This is all about getting things done in Alaska, not crushing us as the radical left wants to do. There’s a really good provision about the Corps of Engineers. I’m going to read it to you: “The assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works”—that’s you—”shall immediately review, revise or rescind any agency action that may in any way hinder, slow, or otherwise delay any critical project in the state of Alaska.” That’s from the President. Will you commit to abide by that very expansive provision to get things done in my great state after four years of being crushed by the previous administration?
    MR. TELLE: Senator Sullivan, absolutely. When I visited your office, I tattooed the executive order that the President issued on Alaska on my heart.
    SULLIVAN: By the way, that’s a great answer.
    TELLE: I will go ahead and read the second paragraph to you from memory, which essentially says that I shall, if confirmed, coordinate as closely with the Governor of Alaska as a human could possibly coordinate.
    SULLIVAN: Good. And the Senator from Alaska.
    TELLE: Of course.
    …..
    SULLIVAN: The Port of Nome has bipartisan support. We don’t have an Arctic port anywhere to push back on the Russian and Chinese aggression in my part of the [country]. That project, it’s really important. We’ve got to get it over the finish line. Can I get your commitment to work with me and the others in this committee on that project? That’s an interesting project. I mentioned, you had your SASC hearing yesterday. That’s EPW, and that’s very much DoD, to be able to have Navy ships, icebreakers, be able to pull up to the port of Nome. We don’t have a port in the Arctic right now that can handle Navy ships and icebreakers.
    TELLE: Senator Sullivan, one of the most strategic issues that confronts the United States of America today is our status as an Arctic and Antarctic nation. This is an area of the world that the Chinese Communist Party is very interested in. The Russians are very active. Your state is front and center to the United States of America’s being an Arctic nation. We must be. It seems to me that, if we’re going to be an Arctic nation, that Alaska ought to be one of the key launching points of that force projection and power projection and economic projection. I look forward to working with you to help make the case for the strategic nature of Alaska and the Port of Nome as it relates to the United States asserting itself as an Arctic nation.
    Below is a timeline on the Port of Nome expansion project: 
    Water resource projects developed by the Corps undergo a multi-stage process. Standard Corps project delivery consists of the Corps leading the study, design, and construction of authorized projects. However, each stage of that process must qualify for an existing authorization or receive a separate authorization from Congress, as well as receive congressional appropriation at each stage to proceed. Congress authorizes the Corps’ actions through periodic Water Resource Development Acts in the Senate EPW Committee and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  
    In 2012, the Corps launched the Alaska Deep Draft Arctic Port System Study to evaluate potential locations on the northern and western coasts of Alaska, and to determine the feasibility of constructing navigation improvements as part of a larger system of port facilities in the Arctic and sub-Arctic region. Following the selection of Nome as the location for an Arctic port, the Corps began a feasibility study, assessing the costs of the port versus the benefits. The Corps paused the feasibility study following the departure of Shell Oil Company from the Arctic, which significantly tipped the cost-benefit ratio against the port project. 
    In the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, Sen. Sullivan and the late Representative Don Young (R-Alaska) included two provisions to justify a potential Arctic port based on its value to surrounding communities and its importance to national security.
    In 2017, following enactment of the WIIN Act, senior Corps leaders committed to Sullivan and Young to utilize the new authority to restart the feasibility study for the port.
    On February 2, 2018, the City of Nome and the Corps initiated a cost-sharing agreement.
    On October 23, 2018, President Trump signed America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA), which included Sullivan-Young language to expedite completion of a Corps feasibility study for the Nome port.
    On May 29, 2020, the Corps announced the completion of the chief’s report for the Port of Nome Modification Feasibility Study, making the project eligible for congressional authorization and funding.
    In December 2020, President Trump signed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020, which included language, championed by Sullivan and Young, authorizing $379 million for the federal share of the Nome Deep Draft Port Project.
    On November 15, 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law. The bill provided $250 million over five years for the construction of remote and subsistence harbor projects. These projects are in locations that are not connected to a road system, and for ports are vital to the long-term viability of the community.
    On January 19, 2022, the Corps announced that the entire $250 million from the IIJA for remote and subsistence harbor projects will be directed to the Port of Nome.
    On July 28, 2022, the Senate passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022. The legislation included key victories for Alaska infrastructure, including increasing the federal cost-share for the Nome Deep Draft Port Project. 
    On December 15, 2022, the Senate passed WRDA 2022 as part of the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.
    On October 31, 2023, Senators Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) announced an$11.2 million grant for the construction of water and wastewater, fuel, power, and communications infrastructure to expand and deepen the Port of Nome. The grant was made possible by the IIJA.
    On January 25, 2024, the Corps announced a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) for the Port of Nome expansion project, which includes the construction of a new deep-water basin. The PPA, which legally binds the government and the State of Alaska to execute the project, was marked by a signing ceremony held in Nome.
    On February 12, 2025, several Arctic policy experts testified at a Senate Commerce Science & Transportation Committee hearing in support of increasing infrastructure investments in Alaska, including the Port of Nome expansion.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Secures $8 Million USDOT Partnership for UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
    Published: May 16, 2025

    U.S. Department of Transportation will collaborate with UMaine to support the Center’s development of low-cost, composite bridge materials.

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Advanced Research Projects Agency–Infrastructure (ARPA-I) is moving forward with an $8 million partnership with the University of Maine’s (UMaine) Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) to further develop technologies that will deliver bridges at half the cost, in half the time, and with twice the lifespan of many current bridges. USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy called Senator Collins to inform her that the Department was moving forward with the partnership.
    “The Advanced Structures and Composites Center has long been a leader in this innovative space, and I cannot think of a better partner for the federal government for this bridge building initiative,” said Senator Collins. “This investment will support cutting-edge research that has the potential to revolutionize how we construct our nation’s bridges—saving taxpayers money while creating good-paying jobs here in Maine.”
    “We are delighted that ARPA-I has selected the University of Maine for this inaugural grant competition. It is a big day for UMaine and for providing more durable bridges to the public,” said Dr. Habib Dagher, Executive Director of the UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center. “We thank Senator Collins who has secured the funding which enabled the ARPA-I program competition to be carried out.  Building on our years of work on composites materials, this funding will allow us to develop the X-BRIDGE, which will increase the speed of construction, increase the lifespan of bridges, and reduce lifecycle costs including installation and maintenance costs.”
    The funding for this project comes from the USDOT’s ARPA-I Exceptional Bridges through Innovative Design and Groundbreaking Engineering (X-BRIDGE) program.  ARPA-I’s cooperative agreement with the University of Maine will develop and integrate new advanced composite materials into bridge construction and to explore AI-assisted design tools. In partnership with UMaine, the X-BRIDGE program aims to demonstrate these technologies at scale through the construction of a prototype bridge.
    UMaine’s X-BRIDGE project has a total of five major tasks, with a base year budget of $8 million plus two potential option years of $6 million each (totaling $20 million for the overall project). It covers the design of the University’s Composite Bridge System (CBS) and its utilization, developing and prototyping CBS technologies, and planning and ramp up to constructing a full-scale demonstration bridge using the CBS in partnership with Maine DOT. Full-scale construction of the demonstration bridge is expected to be primarily funded through an infrastructure owner and operator, and appropriate partnerships for construction will be finalized during the execution of the R&D project.
    In addition to this partnership, Senator Collins has secured more than $18 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center through her role on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Calls Out Trump Administration’s Illegal Firings and Cuts at AmeriCorps, Demands Reversal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called for the immediate reversal of layoffs and illegal funding cuts that have debilitated the AmeriCorps’ core functions and run counter to its longstanding, bipartisan support in Congress. In Wisconsin, 8,400 AmeriCorps members support local communities through teaching in schools, tutoring students, providing health care, helping the homeless, and more.  
     “While a recent court order instituted a 14 day temporary restraining order on staff reductions at AmeriCorps, the damage of firing staff and eliminating $400 million in grants has already been felt across the country,” wrote Baldwin and the lawmakers in a letter to the Interim Agency Head of AmeriCorps. “The grant terminations and potential issues awarding fiscal year 2025 grant funding will have a catastrophic impact on the ability of AmeriCorps members to carry out work in communities all over the country — responding to natural disasters, serving as classroom teachers, providing tutoring services, and helping build housing in rural communities.”
    Late last month, President Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE illegally terminated over a thousand AmeriCorps grants to states, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations across the country – totaling nearly $400 million, or roughly 41% of the agency’s grant funding. Grantees were not given statutorily required notices before these grants were terminated. The cuts are already seriously impacting communities where AmeriCorps projects were ongoing as well as their selfless members and volunteers.
    Last year, nearly 200,000 AmeriCorps volunteers prepared today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs, connected veterans to services, fought the opioid epidemic, helped seniors live independently, rebuilt communities after disasters and led conservation efforts nationwide.
    “We urge the swift reversal of the termination of NCCC members’ service terms so that they can get back to helping communities,” concluded Baldwin and the lawmakers. “These illegal grant terminations attempt to supersede congressional intent at the expense of communities in need of crucial services. More than 1,000 programs will be forced to close and over 32,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers will be released from their service terms early… Further, by laying off nearly the entire agency staff, AmeriCorps is violating the law.”
    Last month, Senator Baldwin urged President Donald Trump to reverse cuts to AmeriCorps and NCCC AmeriCorps made by Elon Musk’s DOGE, which had already begun impacting service programs across Wisconsin.
    Programs such as AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors deploy over 200,000 Americans annually to carry out results-driven projects at over 35,000 locations across the U.S. These programs serve communities nationwide, including in Wisconsin, where 8,400 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors serve at more than 900 local service sites to respond to disasters, improve housing, help veterans, and support educational services.
    In addition to Senator Baldwin, the letter is co-signed by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Patty Murray (D-WA).
    The full letter is available here and below.
    Dear Interim Agency Head Bastress Tahmasebi:
    We write to express our grave concern with recent AmeriCorps grant terminations, reports that DOGE is interfering with operations at AmeriCorps, the demobilization of National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members, and reports that the Trump Administration has placed nearly all of the agency’s staff on administrative leave. While a recent court order instituted a 14-day temporary restraining order on staff reductions at AmeriCorps, the damage of firing staff and eliminating $400 million in grants has already been felt across the country. These actions make it nearly impossible for AmeriCorps to effectively administer its programs and carry out its statutory responsibilities, including supporting the approximately 200,000 AmeriCorps members and volunteers, awarding all fiscal year 2025 grants and funding appropriated by Congress in a timely manner if at all, and conducting meaningful oversight. The grant terminations and potential issues awarding fiscal year 2025 grant funding will have a catastrophic impact on the ability of AmeriCorps members to carry out work in communities all over the country — responding to natural disasters, serving as classroom teachers, providing tutoring services, and helping build housing in rural communities.
    On Friday, April 25th, 1,031 grantees—including states, local non-profits, and faith-based organizations— received grant termination notices, which stated that the programs, “no longer effectuate agency priorities.” Grant termination notices amounted to nearly $400 million, roughly 41 percent of the agency’s grant funding, although actual savings may be far less than that. These terminations appear to contradict both statutory and regulatory provisions governing changes to agency priorities. For example, 42 USC 12572(c)(2) requires AmeriCorps to provide advance notice to potential applicants of any national service priorities to be in effect for a fiscal year. Further, Section 401 of Title IV of Division D of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, a term and condition carried forward in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, requires that “CNCS shall make any significant changes to program requirements, service delivery or policy only through public notice and comment rulemaking.”
    In addition, these programs were not notified that they were out of compliance and the agency failed to provide 7 days’ notice of proposed cuts, which is required under applicable regulations. These illegal grant terminations attempt to supersede congressional intent at the expense of communities in need of crucial services. More than 1,000 programs will be forced to close and over 32,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers will be released from their service terms early. These demobilized members and volunteers will lose access to their living stipends and may be left without other benefits, including healthcare and housing. Additionally, staff who administer AmeriCorps programs at a state and local level will likely be laid-off due to budget constraints as a result of these grant terminations. In response, on April 29th, 24 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit alleging that the Trump administration has exceeded its authority under the law and is in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act and the separation of powers under the Constitution.
    The recent demobilization of AmeriCorps NCCC members is already having rippling effects in communities across this country. AmeriCorps NCCC was authorized by Congress to strengthen communities, develop the next generation of leaders, and help communities respond to natural disasters and other environmental issues. In 2024, NCCC members performed over 717,000 hours of service to the nation and their service benefited communities in 48 states. NCCC members helped over 388,000 people in disaster areas and over 8,700 students in K-12 tutoring programs. In the fall of 2024, AmeriCorps NCCC led efforts to respond to the communities devastated by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. It is devastating to hear that NCCC members were pulled out as they were continuing to help victims of those hurricanes rebuild their homes. We urge the swift reversal of the termination of NCCC members’ service terms so that they can get back to helping communities.
    Further, by laying off nearly the entire agency staff, AmeriCorps is violating the law. The Administration’s actions make it impossible for AmeriCorps to carry out statutorily required functions and congressional intent, and raise serious questions about AmeriCorps being able to spend all appropriated fiscal year 2025 appropriated funding. For example, the administration has not decided how it will spend nearly $200 million in fiscal year 2025 funding that was provided for AmeriCorps grant programs in fiscal year 2024. The most straightforward interpretation of a full-year CR is to continue funding for all programs and activities at the prior year’s level. After all, Congress enacted the fiscal year 2024 appropriation with overwhelmingly bipartisan majorities a little more than a year ago. If Congress wanted to make changes to AmeriCorps funding in the fiscal year 2025 appropriation bill, it would have done so, but it did not. The Administration’s effort to eliminate AmeriCorps is contrary to the bipartisan record of Congress.
    Lastly, AmeriCorps members cannot earn their service hours or be placed in schools until the grant awards supporting them are in place. In particular, the delay in awarding of grant funds could impact the ability of the AmeriCorps members to earn the Segal Education Award by not providing them sufficient service hours to earn such education awards. Also, many Teach for America/AmeriCorps members use the Segal awards to cover the costs of teacher certification, without which they would not be able to serve as classroom teachers. Teach for America members often teach in the most understaffed rural and urban schools around the nation. At a time of teacher shortages in key subject areas across the country, the slow release of fiscal year 2025 AmeriCorps grant funds could exacerbate such teacher shortages. 
    We request that you provide written answers to the following questions as soon as possible, but not later than May 30, 2025.
    Please provide a list of every grant that has been terminated since January 20th, including the total amount of awards to each grantee, the amount of funds that each grantee has spent up to the date of the grant’s termination, and the amount of remaining unspent funds for each award.
    Please detail how the grant terminations noticed on April 25th comply with statutory requirements including 42 USC 12572 and Section 401 of Title IV of Division D of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024.
    What calculation is being used to determine the amount of a Segal Award a member will receive for a terminated grant?
    Please provide AmeriCorps’ own estimates of the number of volunteers and members expected to be demobilized and terminated due to the cancellation of grants since January 20th.
    For each office, please provide the number of staff on board as of January 19th and as of today’s date.
    For each office, please provide the number of staff placed on paid administrative leave since January 20th as of the pay period including January 23, 2025 and the most recent pay period.
    For each office, please provide the total salaries and benefits costs of staff placed on paid administrative leave since January 20th as of the pay period including January 23, 2025 and the most recent pay period. For the agency in total, please provide the estimated total salaries and benefits costs incurred for employees placed on administrative leave since January 20th.
    On January 28, 2025, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent a so-called “Fork in the Road” email to more than two million federal employees offering the opportunity to take “deferred resignation” by February 6, 2025. For each office, please provide:
    The number of employees that offered to resign as part of the deferred resignation program.
    The number of employees whose resignations were accepted as part of the deferred resignation program.
    The number and types of duties re-assigned from employees whose resignations were accepted as part of the deferred resignation program.
    The number and types of duties eliminated from employees whose resignations were accepted as part of the deferred resignation program.
    The roles and number of personnel who tried to accept but were excluded from the deferred resignation program.
    For AmeriCorps in total, the estimated total salaries and benefits costs in fiscal year 2025 for employees whose resignations were accepted as part of the deferred resignation program

    The President and his team have directed all agencies to develop Agency Reorganization Plans in phases through mid-April.25 Please provide us with a briefing of such plans no later than seven days after receipt of this letter.
    The email that was sent to NCCC members on April 15, 2025 stated that the “AmeriCorps NCCC is working within new operational parameters that impact the program’s ability to sustain program operations.” Given that Congress has not cut funding for this program, please detail the specific operational parameters that have changed and why NCCC can no longer carry out it statutorily required activities?
    What actions has DOGE made the agency take to date?
    Who at DOGE made the decision to demobilize the NCCC members and agency staff cuts? And under what authority did such staff have to make such a decision?
    What information did DOGE collect from the agency?
    Was any personally identifiable information of AmeriCorps members shared with DOGE? If so, what types of information?
    With NCCC members being sent home, how does the agency plan to fulfill its obligations to the disaster-impacted communities where NCCC members were working?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Trillions in Great Deals Secured for America Thanks to President Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    President Donald J. Trump’s first official trip was a huge success, locking in over $2 trillion in great deals—including a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia, a $1.2 trillion economic exchange agreement with Qatar, $243.5 billion in U.S.-Qatar commercial and defense deals, and $200 billion in U.S.-United Arab Emirates commercial deals.
    President Trump’s historic collaboration with these Middle Eastern nations not only strengthens America’s economy but also fosters greater safety and stability in the region, paving the way for a more prosperous and secure future.
    The companies securing these landmark deals are grateful for the Trump Administration’s leadership and the economic climate President Trump has fostered to make these agreements possible:
    U.S.-Saudi Arabia Deals
    Alphabet and Google President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat: “We acknowledge and are grateful for the engagement and policies of the Trump Administration and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who are enabling strong execution to accelerate AI innovation in both countries. We are proud of the partnership with PIF for a global AI hub that will deliver innovation, economic growth and societal benefits not only to Saudi Arabia, but also to American and global companies doing business in the region. Together, we will create highly-skilled jobs and deliver AI training programs to open new, rewarding career pathways.”
    Amazon CEO Andy Jassy: “We appreciate President Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman convening business leaders in Saudi Arabia to strengthen economic ties and drive innovation between our two countries. Amazon is excited to partner with HUMAIN, Saudi Arabia’s newly created AI innovation company, to collectively invest more than $5 billion to build a groundbreaking ‘AI Zone’ there, which will bring multiple innovative AWS AI capabilities to Saudi Arabia along with skills training for 100,000 citizens from the Kingdom.”
    DataVolt CEO Rajit Nanda: “This partnership was made possible in large part due to the enabling technology and trade frameworks advanced during the Trump Administration—policies that championed high-tech exports, strengthened U.S.-Saudi strategic ties, which have empowered entrepreneurial collaboration in the digital era.”
    Oracle CEO Safra Catz: “Thanks to the decisive actions and strong leadership of President Trump and his administration, Oracle is providing the world’s most advanced cloud and AI technology to Saudi Arabia. Our expanded partnership with the Kingdom will create new opportunities for its economy, deliver better health outcomes for its people, and fortify its alliance with the United States, which will create a ripple effect of peace and prosperity across the Middle East and around the world.”
    GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik: “As the world’s energy equipment manufacturer, GE Vernova is proud to deploy world class technology to help deepen the longstanding relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, advance energy security, and strengthen the economic prosperity and competitiveness of both nations. We are thankful for the leadership of both governments for putting energy manufacturing, innovation, and technology front and center, setting the strongest possible precedent for the role of equipment to unlock more solutions globally. We are committed to continuing our work to grow capacity and jobs in the U.S. and beyond to meet these critical needs.”
    Shamekh IV Solutions, LLC Chairman and Founder Stephen Shaya, M.D.: “We extend our profound gratitude to President Trump, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Administrations of the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and our future partner Alturki Holding for their unwavering support and shared vision in making this endeavor possible. The Trump Administration’s policies and engagements have shown leadership and laid the groundwork for international partnerships and investment opportunities. As we embark on this transformative journey, we are committed to generating employment, stimulating industrial growth, and contributing to the development of a robust pharmaceutical industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. Together with our esteemed partners, we are fortifying global competitiveness and positioning ourselves as leaders in the healthcare sector. This venture represents a monumental leap forward in our mission to deliver innovative healthcare solutions. By leveraging advanced technologies and fostering international collaborations, we aim to set new standards in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and research, ultimately improving patient outcomes worldwide.”
    Saudi Excellence Co. Chairman Sheikh Abdullah Zaid Al-Meleihi on the Energy Investment Fund: “This vehicle represents more than capital—it is a bridge of trust and ambition between two great nations. We are proud to recognize the legacy of President Trump, which positioned the United States as a magnet for innovation and opportunity and elevated the conditions necessary for meaningful bilateral engagement.”
    New Era Fund and New Vista Capital General Partners Adam Kaplan and Kirsten Bartok Touw, along with Saudi Excellence Co. Chairman Sheikh Abdullah Zaid Al-Meleihi: “We extend our gratitude to President Donald J. Trump and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud for their exceptional leadership and support in making this initiative possible. The launch of the New Era Fund reflects a shared vision of investing in industrial capability and innovation to build a stronger and more resilient future together.”
    Palantir Co-Founder and CEO Alex Karp: “This historic visit builds on decades of strategic cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Palantir is proud to play a role in forging the next generation of that alliance by enhancing U.S.-Saudi cooperation on AI and defense.”
    Lockheed Martin Chairman, President, and CEO Jim Taiclet: “At Lockheed Martin, we build the world’s best air defense systems, powerful radars, and most lethal fighter aircraft and we thank President Trump for including us in this groundbreaking defense partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We look forward to working with his administration to support a pathway to fifth generation air dominance capabilities while further strengthening the Kingdom’s defenses against air and missile threats.”
    L3Harris Chair and CEO Christopher E. Kubasik: “L3Harris was proud to enter a defense-focused joint venture with Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) in 2019 under the first Trump administration, and today’s agreement represents another significant step forward in our collaboration in the Kingdom. We look forward to expanding our partnership in communications; datalinks; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to protect the joint security interests of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.”
    Jacobs Chair and CEO Bob Pragada: “Jacobs is honored to have participated in the Saudi–U.S. Investment Forum, held this week, which reinforces the strength of the commercial partnership between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The signing of our Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) reflects Jacobs’ continued commitment to delivering sustainable infrastructure that supports Vision 2030 and contributes to long term prosperity and job creation in the Kingdom.” 
    Bechtel Chairman and CEO Brendan Bechtel: “Bechtel’s announcement to deliver three new terminals at King Salman International Airport marks a significant new chapter in our more than 80-year partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This project reflects our shared commitment to advancing world-class infrastructure that fuels long-term economic growth and underscores the enduring strength of U.S.-Saudi economic and development ties. We appreciate the leadership of President Trump and the vision of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made together—including more than 300 projects across Saudi Arabia, such as the recently opened Riyadh Metro—and we’re energized by the opportunities ahead.” 
    Franklin Templeton CEO and President Jenny Johnson: “President Trump is visiting the Middle East to build on historic progress made in his first term to bring peace and stability to the region by brokering the Abraham accords. His focus on enhanced economic and military cooperation advances the interests of the US, our partners in the region, and all who rely on the benefits of a more stable region and safe passage of critical resources and services. The United States is home to the leading global asset managers. For over 75 years, Franklin Templeton has been one of the largest, most innovative, and truly global firms; having maintained a physical presence in the Gulf region more than 25 years, we are renowned for our pioneering approach to emerging market investments, as we were one of the first global asset managers to invest in the Saudi capital market and now we offer a suite of investment and research services from our Riyadh location, in addition to our leadership in global Sukuk and Sharia-compliant investing. Our USA-based teams manage many of our global portfolios in close collaboration with our local teams on the ground in Saudi Arabia and around the world. The Trump Administration’s policies, including those designed to open foreign markets to US-based global leaders like us – have already helped Franklin Templeton to export more of our world-class services. And the Administration’s bilateral approach to trade in both goods and services is a welcome, direct approach that allows for quick and meaningful successes like those we have announced this week with our Saudi partners.”
    Edrevel Founder and CEO Anita Selwyn: “President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia and the announcement of more than $600 billion in U.S.–Saudi investment agreements mark a major step forward in global economic partnership. Edrevel thanks the U.S. Department of Commerce for bringing together innovative startups and enterprises to power the dialogue at the forum, and set the stage for long term investments in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. The investments in both countries generate a surging demand for talent, requiring fast, scalable upskilling. AI-powered learning delivers speed, precision, and measurable ROI. Edrevel is proud to advance workforce development through strategic partnerships with the Saudi Entertainment Academy, Alfaisal Center for Research and Consultancy Studies, and Aosha Training and Consulting in Saudi Arabia. We look forward to expanding Edrevel’s role in building capacity, driving innovation, and unlocking opportunity across both nations.” 
    Mitchell Rubber Arabia Founder, Chairman, and CEO Stephen J. Lautenschlager:  “President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia represents a historic affirmation of the enduring strength and strategic importance of the U.S.–Saudi relationship. Mitchell Rubber exemplifies the kind of industrial collaboration that advances Vision 2030 while delivering real economic value back to the United States—through expanded trade, advanced technology integration, and the growth of U.S.-based engineering and services exports. This partnership is made possible by forward-looking policies from both governments and the coordinated support of the Ministry of Investment, the Royal Commission for Yanbu, the U.S. Embassy, and the U.S.–Saudi Business Council—all of whom have played a vital role in enabling this cross-border investment and industrial localization initiative.” 
    I Squared Capital Chairman and Managing Partner Sadek Wahba: “Today’s forum represents the best of U.S.-Saudi cooperation—built on a long-standing partnership and poised for future growth. The MoU I Squared Capital signed with the Public Investment Fund highlights the vital role of private capital, particularly in infrastructure, and reflects what’s possible when two nations share a commitment to innovation, investment, and economic progress. We are especially grateful to the U.S. and Saudi leadership for their vision and collaboration in setting the stage for high-impact partnerships like ours. As part of our commitment to the Kingdom, I Squared Capital hopes to invest roughly $1 billion in Saudi Arabia over the coming years, supporting the ambitions of Vision 2030 and contributing to a more connected, sustainable, and prosperous future.”
    Armada CEO Dan Wright: “We’re grateful for President Trump’s focus on American leadership in enhancing global economic prosperity and look forward to continuing to strengthen key international partnerships through collaboration, technology, and innovation. This visit marks a significant moment in the historic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Aligned with this milestone, we are proud to announce that Armada is partnering with Alturki Holding to bring real-world AI and edge infrastructure to the region and help advance Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. This $30 million investment will accelerate American and Saudi innovators, create highly-skilled jobs, and expand opportunities for collaboration between our nations.” 
    Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon: “This marks a pivotal time for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as it makes significant strides in becoming a global hub for digital and AI innovation. As a long-standing American innovator and semiconductor company, we are proud to work with HUMAIN, Aramco and ALAT to deploy our leading technologies in 5G, AI and next generation edge and cloud computing. The Saudi-US Investment Forum showcased the importance of collaboration between leading enterprises of two great nations, and we applaud President Trump and Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman for their leadership.” 
    Doroni Aerospace CEO and Founder Doron Merdinger: “It was an honor to represent Doroni Aerospace at the U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh — a historic moment where American innovation met global collaboration. This partnership, to develop and manufacture the H1-X, next generation personal eVTOL, will directly support U.S. job creation, help alleviate traffic through advanced personal air mobility, and unlock new economic opportunities by reimagining how we move. This milestone would not have been possible without President Trump’s leadership, fostering a business environment that welcomes international investment and accelerates next-generation technologies.”
    Parsons Corporation Chair, President, and Chief Executive Officer Carey Smith: “Parsons is proud to be a part of President Trump’s initiatives to strengthen strategic relations in Saudi Arabia. As a global infrastructure leader with a presence in the Kingdom spanning more than six decades, Parsons has leveraged our global experience to build trusted partnerships and deliver critical infrastructure, supported by over 3,000 employees across the country with 50 active projects in the Kingdom, including mega and giga projects. We are working on some of the Kingdom’s premiere projects including the world’s largest urban park; King Salman Park, NEOM’s THE LINE and Oxagon projects, Soudah Peaks and Riyadh Metro, the largest driverless metro system in the world. Our unwavering focus on the country’s future is underlined by a combination of a dedicated team of experts and our understanding of the local environment and vision, reinforcing our commitment to building this nation and supporting its transformation.”
    Hill International Global CEO Raouf Ghali: “We extend our profound gratitude to President Trump, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Administrations of the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and our future partner National Water Company and Lucid Motor for their unwavering support and shared vision in making this endeavor possible. The Trump Administration’s policies and engagements have shown leadership and laid the groundwork for international partnerships and investment opportunities. As we embark on this transformative journey, we are committed to generating employment, stimulating industrial growth, and contributing to the development of a robust infrastructure industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. Together with our esteemed partners, we are fortifying global competitiveness and positioning ourselves as leaders in the infrastructure sector. This represents a monumental leap forward in our mission to deliver infrastructure top notch services.”
    Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill: “Woodside was pleased to sign a collaboration agreement with Aramco today as part of the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, which is focused on building economic ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia as part of the President’s goal to build a long-term economic partnership between the two countries. Under the collaboration agreement, Woodside and Aramco will explore global opportunities, including Aramco’s potential acquisition of an equity interest in and LNG offtake from the Louisiana LNG project as well as exploring opportunities for a potential collaboration in lower-carbon ammonia.”
    Global AI Director and CEO Sami Issa: “The Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum has exceeded our expectations. We are deeply grateful to President Trump for his remarkable efforts to strengthen cooperation with our close ally, Saudi Arabia, and to promote mutual investment in AI between our two nations. We would be honored to invite President Trump and Secretary Lutnick to tour our state-of-the-art, water-cooled data center located in his home state of New York.”
    Intelligent Security Systems Chairman Richard Burns: “We were delighted to close our deal at the Summit. No question at all that President Trump’s visit was the major accelerant. Our deal is proof that you don’t need to be Fortune 500 to do well in Saudi if you have the right products and services.”
    Phosphorus Cybersecurity CEO and Founder Chris Rouland: “President Trump’s historic visit to Saudi Arabia marks a significant milestone in the enduring partnership between our countries. We are proud to support this shared commitment to economic growth and innovation by providing advanced cybersecurity technologies that empower the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 while also driving technological leadership here in the United States. We thank the Trump administration for its policies that promote global collaboration and open new opportunities for American technology companies to contribute to critical digital infrastructure projects around the world.”
    Hydrotech CEO Tarek Khouri: “President Donald Trump’s historic visit to Saudi Arabia marks a significant milestone in the enduring partnership between the United States and the Kingdom. At HydroTech Environmental Engineering and Geology DPC, we take immense pride in contributing to this collaboration by delivering innovative environmental and infrastructure solutions that drive economic growth and sustainability. We sincerely appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his administration’s commitment to fostering international cooperation, foreign investment, and technological advancement. These policies have paved the way for strengthened economic ties and new opportunities that benefit industries across both nations. We remain dedicated to leveraging our US and international expertise to support this evolving partnership and to create lasting positive impacts for a sustainable future. Thank you, President Trump, for upholding your commitment to Make America Great Again and for implementing policies that have reinforced America’s global leadership toward a new golden age.”
    Science Technology Co CEO Eng. Idris Al-Zakari: “The unprecedented opportunity provided by President Trump’s historic visit to the Kingdom underscores and surpasses the evolutionary relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States of America.  The spectacular investment package negotiated between the two allies is the most significant step forward for the two nations since the meeting between Franklin Roosevelt and King Abdualaziz aboard the USS Quincy during WW-II.”
    Cimcor, Inc. President and CEO Robert E. Johnson, III: “This moment marks more than a business milestone—it’s a symbol of what’s possible when American innovation aligns with visionary leadership in the Gulf. Through this partnership, we are helping to build a digital future that’s more secure, more resilient, and deeply connected across borders. We’re proud to contribute to Vision 2030 and thank the Administration for fostering global cooperation that drives real progress.”
    Enfield Investment Partners Chairman and Co-Founder Jake Silverstein: “It is an extraordinary honor to be part of President Trump’s historic visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to witness the collaboration between President Trump and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Enfield Investment Partners is built on the belief that sports is a universal language. Enfield invests in sports teams, leagues, and sports-focused real estate that drive economic value, uplift communities, and bring people together around the shared experience of sports. The sports ecosystem in the United States is the strongest and best in the world because core to our national identity are the traits that make sports so compelling: competition, meritocracy, and constantly seeking the leading edge of excellence. A portion of our Fund is directed to developing the Saudi Arabian sports ecosystem. I would like to thank President Trump for leading a transformation and ushering in a new Golden Age and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a once-in-history visionary leader whose bravery and determination has rapidly propelled the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our two countries have been friends for eighty years, but this visit marks the start of a new chapter, built on mutual trust, shared vision, and an exciting new path.”
    Tricion Defense Group President and CEO Eng. Nasr al-Ghrairi: “We extend our sincere congratulations to President Trump on his historic visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a moment that marks a renewed and elevated chapter in U.S.–Saudi relations. We deeply appreciate the Administration’s vision and policies that continue to foster bilateral engagement, unlock economic opportunity, and reinforce America’s global industrial leadership. Tricion Defense Group is proud to stand at the forefront of this strategic transformation. As one of the largest private U.S. direct investment in Saudi Arabia’s defense sector, we are not only enabling the Kingdom to localize critical capabilities in electronic warfare, air defense, and C4I—but we are also contributing to U.S. economic growth by injecting capital into innovation, technology development, and advanced manufacturing across both nations. This SR4 billion ($1.06 billion) commitment—announced in partnership with NESMA Information and Technologies (NIT)—represents more than an MOU; it is a declaration of our belief that Saudi Arabia must lead from the front—not follow. It is also a bold affirmation of our support for the American innovation engine, which remains the most valuable strategic asset of the United States. President Trump’s visit has reignited a new era of industrial alignment between our two nations. Through this investment, we are laying the foundation for a next-generation model of defense collaboration: faster, bolder, and unapologetically strategic. We thank the leadership of both nations, especially Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, for enabling a partnership of this scale and consequence.”
    U.S.-Qatar Deals
    Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg: “We are grateful for the trust Qatar Airways has placed in us with this historic order, the largest-ever for Boeing’s widebody planes, including the largest-ever purchase of 787 Dreamliners and more 777X jets. Thank you to President Trump for supporting the agreement, which grows our longstanding partnership with the airline. As one of America’s top exporters, Boeing is proud that our aircraft sales to global customers strengthen U.S. manufacturing and sustain jobs in our factories and at suppliers across the United States.”
    GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr.: “We are extremely honored to deepen our relationship with Qatar Airways and grateful to them for placing their trust in us with our largest ever widebody engine deal. Our widebody engines – the GE9X and GEnx – are marvels of modern engineering, with the durability and reliability to power flight across the longest distances. We appreciate President Trump’s support for this historic agreement.”
    Northrop Grumman Spokesperson: “Northrop Grumman has a long history of delivering advanced defense technologies to Qatar. Thanks to the President’s leadership, we have a historic opportunity to accelerate security cooperation and defense technology sales that will greatly expand U.S. jobs and economic strength.”
    Quantinuum President and CEO Dr. Rajeeb Hazra: “Quantinuum is deeply committed to advancing quantum capabilities with partners like Qatar to further solidify U.S. innovation and global leadership in a technology critical to our collective future. We are honored to be highlighted as part of this historic visit by the President of the United States to Qatar and look forward to helping create the future of our industry.”
    Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and CEO Jim Taiclet: “At Lockheed Martin, supporting American armed forces and our international defense partners drives everything we do. We build the most advanced integrated air and missile defense systems with cutting-edge radars. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we will help accelerate Qatar’s next-generation air and missile defense capabilities, enabling a more secure and stable region, sustaining American manufacturing jobs, and reinforcing our defense industrial base.”
    Parsons Corporation Chair, President, and CEO Carey Smith: “I’m proud to be here on behalf of Parsons, and to be a part of President Trump’s initiatives to strengthen strategic relations in Qatar. As a global infrastructure leader with over six decades of experience in the region, including two-plus decades in Qatar, Parsons has partnered with organizations across the country to deliver on many of its premier infrastructure projects in Doha, Lusail, and beyond.”
    McDermott International President and CEO Michael McKelvy: “The partnership between McDermott, Qatar Energy and The State of Qatar has been developed over decades. We remain committed to bringing McDermott’s +100 years of experience to support Qatar’s energy development plans for decades to come and were honored to be part of this historic visit by the President.”
    U.S.-United Arab Emirates Deals
    Saildrone CEO Richard Jenkins: “This groundbreaking deal unites the best of American innovation with a partner committed to regional security and stability. We are proud to play our part in President Trump’s vision, for regional maritime superiority, to enable the safe passage of trade and the interception of illegal or destabilizing activity, throughout the Middle East region.”
    Occidental President and CEO Vicki Hollub: “We are proud to participate in President Trump’s visit to the UAE, where we signed a strategic energy enhancing agreement with our longstanding partner ADNOC, whose investment company XRG will consider making a $500 million investment in the United States, alongside a grant award from the U.S. DOE, to advance Occidental’s South Texas Direct Air Capture Hub, Development of DAC is essential for ensuring our country’s long-term energy security. We also signed an agreement with ADNOC to examine the expansion of production at our successful joint venture energy development project in the UAE’s Shah Gas field, using U.S. technologies.”
    Oracle CEO Safra Catz: “In support of President Trump’s vision and commitment to peace through prosperity and the Abraham Accords, the greatest diplomatic accomplishment in modern history, we are pleased to continue to invest in and deliver cloud and AI technology to power the UAE’s most important systems. Our Oracle Cloud Infrastructure footprint, Oracle Alloy sovereign cloud partnerships, and groundbreaking work in healthcare will help accelerate the UAE’s technology modernization efforts and advance patient health outcomes. Together, the UAE and U.S. will redefine what is possible in technology, business, and healthcare.”
    Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg: “As one of the launch customers for the 777X, Etihad is a valued customer, and we are grateful for the airline’s continued confidence in Boeing. We appreciate the support of the President and his administration as we partner with Etihad to enable their growth while sustaining highly skilled U.S. manufacturing jobs.”
    Northrop Grumman Spokesperson: “Just as we have invested in the UAE, such as Northrop Grumman’s grant to the American Community School in Abu Dhabi, we welcome increased partnership and investment by the UAE in our world-class defense sector. This historic trip will increase U.S. jobs and economic strength.”
    Lockheed Martin Chairman, President, and CEO Jim Taiclet: “Through President Trump’s leadership, Lockheed Martin and the United Arab Emirates are building on 50 years of partnership to strengthen regional defense with advanced airpower, integrated air and missile defense, precision radars, and next-generation command and control. Our high-tech innovation benefits both nations by sustaining American manufacturing jobs and driving industrial growth.”
    Parsons Chair, President, and CEO Carey Smith: “Parsons is proud to be a part of President Trump’s initiatives to strengthen strategic relations in the UAE. As a global infrastructure leader with a presence in the Emirates spanning nearly five decades, Parsons has leveraged our global experience to build trusted partnerships and deliver critical infrastructure, supported by 2,700 employees across the country and have successfully completed more than 3,000 projects. We have worked on some of the UAE’s premiere projects including the region’s first metro line in Dubai, the iconic Infinity Bridge, Dubai Municipality’s Strategic Sewerage Tunnel project, the Sharjah and Abu Dhabi International Airports and Etihad Rail, the region’s first high speed rail network. Our unwavering focus on the country’s future is underlined by a combination of a dedicated team of experts and our understanding of the local environment and vision, reinforcing our commitment to building this nation and supporting its transformation.”
    Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli: “We congratulate President Trump on his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates — A key moment that underscores the enduring partnership between two nations committed to innovation, progress, and shared prosperity. As we look to the future, energy will remain central to economic growth and broader cooperation that supports stability and opportunity for both countries, and Baker Hughes remains steadfast in our dedication to help both nations meet their goals.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MEDIA ADVISORY: Sanders to Sound the Alarm on Vermont’s Health Care Crisis

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, May 16 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today announced he will hold a press conference Monday with health care, business and community leaders to discuss the crisis in Vermont’s health care system and call for immediate action. 
    As independent health care providers, nonprofit insurers, federally qualified health centers and rural hospitals in Vermont struggle to stay afloat, Congressional Republicans and the President are seeking massive cuts to Medicaid and tax credits that lower premiums that could devastate Vermont and the nation. 
    “It is no secret that Vermont’s health care system is in crisis. While Vermont is not alone in these struggles, the sad reality is that our state is struggling more than most,” said Sanders. “Unfortunately, the federal government is not coming to fix this crisis. Instead, President Trump and my Republican colleagues in Washington want to make things far worse by slashing Medicaid and tax credits that lower premiums for Vermonters.” 
    In addition to the threat posed by the president’s “big, beautiful” budget reconciliation bill that cuts Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by $715 billion, Vermonters’ access to health care is in jeopardy because hospital and drug prices are so high. The state’s population is the second oldest in the country, with fewer and fewer people on commercial insurance. Vermont also ranks 43rd in the nation when it comes to being a nurse, largely because of poor pay and a severe health care worker shortage. 
    “I commend both the Vermont House and Senate for standing up to small but powerful parts of our health care industry and taking up legislation to address the challenges we face,” continued Sanders. “We must listen to the working families who can no longer afford their health care premium, the small business owners who can no longer afford to provide health care coverage for their workers, and the nurses who are working in understaffed facilities for low wages. We simply cannot delay acting to address this crisis.” 
    Details: 
    What: Press conference on Vermont’s health care crisis
    When: Monday, May 19, 11:00 a.m. ET
    Where: Location provided upon RSVP.
    Who: 
    Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
    State Sen. Virginia “Ginny” Lyons, Chair of the Vermont Senate Health and Welfare Committee
    State Rep. Alyssa Black, Chair of the Vermont House Health Care Committee
    Owen Foster, Chair of the Green Mountain Care Board
    Lisa Ventriss, Co-Chair of Vermont Health Care 911 and former president of the Vermont Business Roundtable
    Mike Fisher, Chief Health Care Advocate at Vermont Legal Aid

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Experienced new cabinet to deliver for Albertans

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Illuminated Landmarks to Recognize National Police Week

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced 15 State landmarks will be illuminated blue on the evening of May 16 in recognition of National Police Week, which runs from May 11, 2025 through May 17, 2025.

    “Our police officers are heroes, putting their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers safe from harm,” Governor Hochul said. “On National Police Week, we recognize their immense courage and their commitment to serving their communities — stepping up when disaster strikes, protecting our loved ones and walking bravely into the unknown in service of our safety. To all of our officers: Thank you.”

    Recognized every May, National Police Week honors the law enforcement community, with a special recognition of fallen officers and their surviving families from law enforcement agencies from across the nation.

    The following landmarks will be illuminated blue tonight:

    • 1 World Trade Center
    • Albany International Airport Gateway
    • Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
    • Empire State Plaza
    • Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
    • Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
    • Grand Central Terminal – Pershing Square Viaduct
    • Kosciuszko Bridge
    • Moynihan Train Hall
    • Niagara Falls
    • State Education Building
    • State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
    • The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
    • The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
    • Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park

    New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “During National Police Week, we gather to honor the memory of our brothers and sisters who gave their lives to protect ours. These individuals had that extra something in their character that made them willingly put others before themselves and are the true definition of heroes. The lighting of landmarks pays homage to the courage, bravery, and selflessness that they displayed and what we honor this week.”

    New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “During National Police Week, we honor the bravery, service, and sacrifice of the law enforcement professionals who work tirelessly to protect our communities. We are grateful for their unwavering dedication and proud of the strong partnerships we’ve built to make New York safer for all.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: YORK COUNTY – Shapiro Administration Reinforces Rider Safety Through Life-Saving Training and Education as Part of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    May 19, 2025 – Manchester, PA

    ADVISORY – YORK COUNTY – Shapiro Administration Reinforces Rider Safety Through Life-Saving Training and Education as Part of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

    As part of Governor Josh Shapiro’s commitment to saving lives and keeping Pennsylvania’s roads safe, the Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation, Education, and Insurance, the Pennsylvania State Police and safety advocates will join forces at Northeastern High School in Manchester to highlight efforts to improve motorcycle safety and promote rider training for all ages.

    WHO:
    Mike Carroll, Secretary, PennDOT
    Kara Templeton, Deputy Secretary, PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services
    Major Robert Krol, Director of the Bureau of Patrol, Pennsylvania State Police
    Amy Lena, Deputy Secretary of Secondary and Elementary Education, PA Department of Education
    Shannen Logue, Commissioner for Product Regulation, Pennsylvania Insurance Commission
    Dr. Jason R. Bottiglieri, Superintendent, Northeastern School District

    WHEN:
    Monday, May 19 at 11:00 AM

    WHERE:
    300 High Street, Manchester, PA 17345

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Joins Health Care Leaders To Discuss Cost Of Prescription Drugs And Republican Cuts To Medicaid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    May 16, 2025
    SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined health leaders at Springfield Memorial Hospital to highlight efforts to address high prescription drug prices, and how health insurance coverage for nearly 14 million Americans is at risk because of Republican plans to provide tax breaks for billionaires.
    Americans are paying the highest prices for prescriptions in the world. In addition to unjustifiable pricing and anticompetitive tactics by pharmaceutical manufacturers, this is partly due to Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), who control the flow of prescriptions for 200 million Americans. PBMs abuse rebates and fees to manipulate their formularies, ensuring they, not doctors, often decide which drugs patients receive.
    President Trump’s recent executive order on Big Pharma does little to address the issue of high drug costs, unlike the Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed during the Biden Administration and capped costs for covered insulin at $35 per month under Medicare, made recommended vaccines available at no costs for 1.4 million seniors in Illinois, established a limit on annual out-of-pocket cost at $2,000, and required drug companies to pay a rebate to Medicare if they raise prices faster than the rate of inflation. It also provided the Biden-Harris Administration with the authority to negotiate drug prices with Big Pharma, resulting in price reductions of up to 79 percent for some medications last year.
    Durbin has also been outspoken on Republicans’ dangerous proposal to fund tax breaks for billionaires by slashing Medicaid funding. Medicaid covers nearly half of all births, two-thirds of nursing homes residents, and the majority of patients with behavioral health needs, while being a lifeline for children’s and rural hospitals. Last week, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report on Republicans’ proposed budget plan concluded that, if Republicans push the plan forward, 13.7 million Americans would lose health care coverage.
    “People in the United States are paying four times more than people in similar countries pay for life-saving medications,” said Durbin. “I was proud to pass the Inflation Reduction Act during the Biden Administration to cap out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs and empower Medicare to bargain with Big Pharma for lower prices, but there’s still work to be done to address PBMs and their high fees. Instead of focusing on lowering prices for Americans, Republicans in Congress are focused on cutting Medicaid to give tax breaks to billionaires—which would rip away health coverage for nearly 14 million Americans. Hospitals in the Memorial system that rely on Medicaid, whether here in Springfield, or in Decatur or Jacksonville, are the backbone of their community. I’ll continue fighting to protect Medicaid and lower the cost of prescription drugs for Illinoisans.”
    “The 340B program helps stretch scarce federal resources, but even that safety net is being undermined by opaque pricing practices and the growing power of pharmacy benefit managers. It’s clear that without action, these problems will only worsen,” said Dr. Chris McDowell, Executive Associate Dean, SIU School of Medicine. “That’s why we are deeply grateful to Senator Durbin for his leadership in calling out these systemic failures—and for championing policies that prioritize patients over profit.”
    “PBM reform is urgently needed to protect patient access and lower drug costs. Independent pharmacies are often the only source of care in underserved areas, and pharmacists play a vital role in guiding safe, effective treatment. Without action now, communities risk losing access to essential medications and trusted healthcare professionals,” said David Bagot, President, Illinois Pharmacists Association.
    “As physicians, we focus on providing the very best care we can for our patients. We prescribe medications based on an individual patient’s unique needs and conditions. However, drug pricing and availability too often influence the options available to our patients,” said Dr. Ted Clark, Chief Medical Officer, Decatur Memorial Hospital.
    Earlier this week, Durbin, as the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned witnesses during a hearing that investigated the role PBMs play in the drug supply chain and their impact on competition, patients, providers, and pharmacies.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Moran Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Farmer Coordination & Education

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, announced the reintroduction of bipartisan legislation to expand the reach of peer-to-peer networks that are already helping farmers manage the many challenges they face. As farmers and ranchers are met daily with unique challenges, including unexpected weather, droughts, and floods, they often turn to colleagues to find the right answer. This bill fills a critical gap in federal programs to support and provide guidance to those networks.
    The Farmer to Farmer Education Act would leverage existing technical assistance resources by supporting farmer-led education networks and build capacity for new ones—particularly for communities that are historically marginalized from existing systems—as a key strategy to increase adoption of conservation practices. Specifically, the bill would authorize the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to enter into cooperative agreements with community-based organizations in each state that are able to identify and build on established and burgeoning peer-to-peer networks, and/or create new ones.
    “Farming is deeply ingrained in New Mexico’s history and culture, with communities that have cultivated the land for generations. Local farmers are skilled at managing challenges like unpredictable weather, drought, and flooding. However, existing programs often fall short in providing the support and guidance needed during these times,” said Senator Luján. “The bipartisan Farmer to Farmer Education Act will help improve coordination between local farmer-to-farmer networks and the USDA and NRCS. Strengthening this connection will ensure farmers receive timely, specialized information to better protect their crops and livestock.”
    “Farmers and ranchers across the country face many conservation challenges, including staffing shortages at NRCS, which limits their access to conservation technical assistance,” said Senator Moran. “This legislation would allow farmer-to-farmer groups to develop cooperative agreements with USDA to share conservation concepts and new practices.”
    “When it comes to adopting conservation practices, farmers trust information and guidance from other farmers.” said Samantha Levy, AFT’s Senior Policy Manager for Conservation and Energy. “We applaud Senators Lujan and Moran for introducing a bipartisan bill that would enable more farmers to provide practical, experience-based assistance to their peers. This would supplement the essential support producers receive from NRCS, nonprofit conservation organizations and districts, and others to successfully implement practices critical to the resilience and viability of their operations.”
    “We learn from best from people who are like us. The Farmer to Farmer Education Act would help connect producers to support each other’s on-farm conservation efforts,” said Ben Knuth, Agriculture Policy Manager at National Wildlife Federation.  “As complements to USDA’s existing conservation technical assistance, these learning networks offer informal opportunities to learn about improving soil, water, and wildlife outcomes.”
    “Farmers and ranchers across the country serve as a valuable resource to their peers when it comes to knowledge-sharing about farming best practices and resources. As farmers adapt to a changing climate, it will become even more important that farmers continue learning from their most trusted sources: each other,” said Lotanna Obodozie, Climate Policy Director, National Young Farmers Coalition. “The Farmer-to-Farmer Education Act will invest in collaboration between farmers and their networks for long-term conservation practice adoption, and we’re grateful to Sen. Luján and Sen. Moran for cosponsoring this important bipartisan legislation.”
    “For farming and ranching families, helping one another is just part of their way of life,”said Jenny Conner Nelms, Associate Director of Legislative Affairs at The Nature Conservancy. “Supporting local, producer-led networks is a natural, common-sense way to help farmers and ranchers share information with their neighbors and manage challenges together, like droughts and floods. We are grateful for Senators Lujan and Moran’s proposal, which would help producers, communities, and nature thrive.”
    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SED promotes “Study in Hong Kong” brand in Seoul (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, today (May 16) continued her trip to Korea and visited Seoul National University (SNU). She exchanged views with the President of the University, Dr Ryu Hong Lim, on deepening higher education collaboration between Korea and Hong Kong, and promoted the “Study in Hong Kong” brand.
     
         Dr Choi said that Hong Kong boasts a highly internationalised and diverse post-secondary education sector. A number of measures have been put in place by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government to enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international education hub. Apart from striving to host international education conferences and exhibitions, the HKSAR Government also encourages local post-secondary institutions to enhance collaboration and exchanges with their counterparts around the world in promoting the “Study in Hong Kong” brand on a global scale, as well as attracting more overseas students to study in Hong Kong through the provision of scholarships.
     
         In addition, the HKSAR Government is developing the Northern Metropolis University Town to encourage local post-secondary institutions to introduce more branded programmes, research collaborations and exchange projects with renowned Mainland and overseas institutions in a flexible and innovative manner.
     
         At the meeting, Dr Choi introduced to the SNU the various large-scale education mega events to be held in Hong Kong, for example the Learning and Teaching Expo to be held during Digital Education Week in July this year, and the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education Conference and Exhibition to be held in February next year. She welcomed representatives from universities in Korea to come to Hong Kong to take part in the events and forge collaborations and exchanges with institutions worldwide. She also welcomed students from Korea and other places to study in Hong Kong or participate in short-term student exchange programmes, and said that she looked forward to further strengthening education ties between Korea and Hong Kong.
     
         Dr Choi also met Hong Kong students studying at SNU to learn about their school life. She encouraged them to return to Hong Kong to develop their careers after completing their studies.
     
         Today and yesterday (May 15), Dr Choi paid courtesy calls on the Chinese Ambassador to Korea, Mr Dai Bing, and the Consul General of China in Jeju, Mr Chen Jianjun, respectively to introduce Hong Kong’s latest education policy.
     
         Yesterday, she also participated in a side event of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Education Ministerial Meeting to visit an elementary school in Jeju to learn about the school’s experiences in promoting AI and digital innovation education.
     
         Dr Choi concluded her visit to Korea today and will depart for a visit to the United Kingdom tomorrow (May 17).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: REPORT on the nomination of Ivana Maletić as a Member of the Court of Auditors – A10-0088/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    ANNEX 1: CURRICULUM VITÆ OF IVANA MALETIĆ

    Ivana MALETIĆ

    Education:

    PhD candidate, Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka (Croatia)

    2012

    Master of Science in Accounting, Auditing and Finance, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Zagreb (Croatia)

    2004 – 2006

    Certified Public Sector Accountant and Auditor (two-year course), CIPFA – Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (United Kingdom)

    1992 – 1997

    Master of Economics and Business, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Zagreb (Croatia)

     

    Professional experience:

    July 2019 – present

    Member, European Court of Auditors (Chamber IV), Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

    July 2013 – June 2019

    Member, European Parliament (ECON, REGI and BUDG Committee), Brussels (Belgium)

    March 2012 – July 2013

    President, TIM4PIN – Center for Public and Non-Profit Sector Development, Zagreb (Croatia)

    February 2008 – December 2011

    State Secretary, National Authorising Officer, Negotiator for Chapter 22 and Deputy Chief Negotiator, Ministry of Finance (Croatia)

    May 2005 – February 2008

    Assistant Minister for Budget Execution and Deputy National Authorising Officer, Ministry of Finance (Croatia)

    September 2004 – May 2005

    Head of National Fund Department, Ministry of Finance (Croatia)

    December 1998 – September 2004

    Advisor, Department for Government Accounting and Financial Reporting, Ministry of Finance (Croatia)

    December 1997 – December 1998

    Trainee, Department for Government Accounting and Financial Reporting, Ministry of Finance (Croatia)

    Work at the European Court of Auditors:

    June 2024 – present

    Member to the Audit Quality Control Committee (AQCC)

    October 2019 – February 2022

    President and Member of the Internal Audit Committee (IAC)

    December 2019 – October 2021

    Member of the Digital Steering Committee (DSC)

    July 2019 – March 2020

    Member of the Strategic Foresight and Advisory Committee

    Published reports:

    Review 05/2020: How the EU took account of lessons learned from the 2008-2012 financial and sovereign debt crises

    Opinion No 6/20 concerning the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Recovery and Resilience Facility (COM(2020) 408)

    Special report 07/2022: SME internationalisation instruments: A large number of support actions but not fully coherent or coordinated

    Special report 15/2022: Measures to widen participation in Horizon 2020 were well designed but sustainable change will mostly depend on efforts by national authorities

    Special report 21/2022: The Commission’s assessment of national recovery and resilience plans: overall appropriate but implementation risks remain

    Special report 23/2022: Synergies between Horizon 2020 and European Structural and Investment Funds: Not yet used to full potential

    Special report 24/2022: e-Government actions targeting businesses Commission’s actions implemented, but availability of e-services still varies across the EU

    Opinion 04/2022 concerning the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2021/241as regards REPowerEU chapters in recovery and resilience plans and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, Directive 2003/87/EC and Decision (EU) 2015/1814 [2022/0164 (COD)]

    Special report 26/2023: The Recovery and Resilience Facility’s performance monitoring framework: Measuring implementation progress but not sufficient to capture performance

    Special report 13/2024: Absorption of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility: Progressing with delays and risks remain regarding the completion of measures and therefore the achievement of RRF objectives

    Ongoing audits:

    Labour market reforms in the national recovery and resilience plans. Some results, but not sufficient to address structural challenges.

    Do the design and implementation of the business environment reforms in the national recovery and resilience plans address the main businesses’ needs?

    RRF Review: Opportunities, challenges and risks

    Have the Commission and member states put in place adequate arrangements to ensure an appropriate level of traceability and transparency of RRF funding?

    Publications:

     Books:

    1) Maletić, I., Galinec, D., Japunčić, T., Župan, S., Five years of the Republic of Croatia in the European semester, Office of MEP Ivana Maletić, Zagreb, 2019

    2) Maletić, I., Jakir Bajo, I., Stepić, D., A Guide to Good Governance in the Public and Non-Profit Sector, TIM4PIN, Zagreb, 2018

    3) Maletić, I., Kosor, K., Ivanković Knežević, K., et. al., My EU Project: A Manual for the Preparation and Implementation of EU Projects, TIM4PIN, Zagreb, 2018

    4) Maletić, I., Kosor, K., Copić, M., et al., EU Projects – from Idea to Realization, TIM4PIN, Zagreb, 2016

    5) Maletić, I., Bešlić, B., Copić, M., Kosor, K,., Kulakowski, N., Zrinušić, N., EU Project Management, TIM4PIN, Zagreb, 2014

    6) Maletić, I., et. al., Fiscal Responsibility – Completing Questionnaires, Compiling Plans and Reports, TIM4PIN, Zagreb, 2013

    7) Maletić, I., Stepić, D., Jakir Bajo, I., Knežević, M., Kozina, D., Fiscal Responsibility and Financial Management, TIM4PIN, Zagreb, 2012

    8) Maletić, I., Jakir-Bajo, I., Zorić, A., Fiscal Responsibility, Croatian Association of Accountants and Financial Experts, Zagreb, 2011

    9) Maletić, I., Vašiček, D., Jakir-Bajo, I., et al., The Accounting of Budget and Budget Users, Croatian Association of Accountants and Financial Experts, Zagreb, 2008

    10) Maletić, I., Jakir-Bajo, I., Budgetary Planning and Accounting, Centre for Accounting and Finance, Zagreb, 2003

    11) Maletić, I., Lončar-Galek, D., Mencer, J., et. al., Application of the Budget Accounting Plan 2003/2004, Croatian Association of Accountants and Financial Experts, Zagreb, 2003

    12) Maletić, I., Vašiček, V., Vašiček, D., Introduction to Budgetary Accounting 2002, Croatian Association of Accountants and Financial Experts, Zagreb, 2002

    13) Maletić, I., Jakir-Bajo, I., Budgetary Accounting, Informator, Zagreb, 2001

    14) Maletić, I., Vašiček, D., Jakir-Bajo, I., et al., Budgetary system: Accounting, Finance, Audit, Taxes, Croatian Association of Accountants and Financial Experts, Zagreb, 2000

     The author of over 250 articles published in domestic journals.

     A lecturer at numerous conferences, round tables and seminars in the Member States.

     

    ANNEX 2: ANSWERS BY IVANA MALETIĆ TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE

    Questionnaire for the renewal of Members of the Court of Auditors

    Performance of duties: lessons learnt and future commitments

    1. What are your main achievements as a member of the ECA? What were the biggest setbacks?

    I consider all the audits and opinions I have worked on to be an important contribution to the work of the EU and the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of EU actions. In particular, I would like to highlight my work on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), where I was reporting Member of both opinions on the draft regulations as well as for several special reports, such as the reports on the Commission’s assessment of the national recovery and resilience plans, the performance monitoring framework, the absorption of RRF funds and the RRF labour market reforms. In all these opinions and reports, I emphasized the importance of good management of public funds, regardless of whether the financing is based on the reimbursement of costs or the fulfilment of set conditions. The rules of sound financial management, which imply legality and regularity of the underlying transactions as well as effectiveness and efficiency, must be at the core of every programme. In addition, transparency of public spending and accountability are the basis for building citizens’ trust in institutions not only at the EU level, but also in each member state. I am proud to have emphasized these values in the audits of the RRF and, together with my colleagues, I have never given up on insisting that the fundamental principles set out in the Financial Regulation should be respected.

    One of the biggest obstacles regarding our work on the RRF was to ensure not only a coherent audit approach across audit teams and audit chambers within ECA but also consistency of our messages. In addition, the novelty of the RRF as such was a challenge, as it required everyone to get acquainted with a new and in parts still changing legal framework in a relatively short period of time. For some of our audits this resulted in the audit reports being published later than we initially planned. In addition, the limited access to information, specifically the limited access to FENIX, was an obstacle for our early RRF audits but we managed to overcome these limitations, at least to a certain degree.

    In addition to my audit work I was also involved in different committees like the Internal Audit Committee or the Audit Quality Control Committee. One of my main contributions as chair of the Internal Audit Committee was for example the revision of the rules of procedure of the committee and the revision of the charter of the internal audit service. My role as Member of the Audit Quality Control Committee allows me to actively contribute to the quality of our audit reports as well as the methodology applied in our work.

    2. What are the main lessons learnt in your field of competences / results achieved in your duties and audit tasks?

    As stated above, the main focus of my audit work in ECA was related to the RRF. The RRF considerably differs in design and legal basis from other EU programmes and thus required us to reflect not only on our audit approach but also the way we work.

    Auditing a “performance-based instrument” to some extent blurs the line between performance audits and audits on the legality and regularity of EU funding. One of my achievements was to significantly contribute to and thereby shape our work on this new instrument and ensure coherence across different tasks. In addition, from the very beginning, I had a very strategic view on the RRF audit work as it was and still is essential, that our audits, taken together, allow us to draw lessons not only for the RRF but also for future similar instruments. The performance audits that I proposed for the RRF after working on the opinion on the regulation enabled us to have a comprehensive overview of the design and functioning of this new instrument a year before the end of the program.

    3. What added value could you bring to the ECA on your second term and/or particularly in the area you would be responsible for? Would you like to change your area of responsibility? What motivates you?

    In my second term I would firstly like to finish my work on the RRF, in particular finalizing the ongoing and planned RRF audits, such as transparency and traceability of RRF funding, public administration, education as well as an audit related to the overall results and impact of the RRF. These audits would build on my experience in this field and would further contribute to improving the design of future similar programmes, and the link with the European Semester including the country specific recommendations.

    In addition, I would like to enlarge my portfolio and get more involved in other policy areas and programs within Chamber IV, such as research and innovation, competitiveness or economic governance, strategic autonomy and economic security. This would allow me to build on the experience gained through my audits on “Synergies between Horizon 2020 and European Structural and Investment Funds” and “Measures to widen participation in Horizon 2020”.

    In more general terms, I believe that, in line with ECA’s rotation policy for auditors and managers, rotation should also be considered for Members, in particular in the case of two terms of office. Consequently, I would not exclude moving to another Chamber.

    4. How do you make sure to reach the planned audit objectives of an audit task? Have you ever been in the situation where you could not realize the audit task and for which reasons? How do you operate in such controversial situations?

    Due to the good cooperation between the audit teams and my office, I was able to carry out all audits successfully and in line with the defined scope. Therefore, I have never been in a situation where we could not finalize an audit or not achieve the audit objectives. The only issue I did encounter was the delay of publication for some audits, due to factors outside our control like temporarily limited access to audit evidence, the complexity of the evidence provided or unavailability of key staff in member states or the Commission.

    In case I ever encountered significant obstacles that would put the finalization of an audit at risk, I would try to overcome these obstacles through open and constructive communication that would allow us to find a solution together. I strongly believe that all of us, as auditors and auditees, have the same goal, which is to deliver work of high quality, and ultimately to ensure legality, effectiveness and efficiency of publicly funded programmes, including those funded by the EU. Therefore constructive communication, trying to understand different perspectives and patience are key elements for successfully resolving any controversial situation.

    5. If you were reconfirmed for a second mandate and hypothetically, if you were elected Dean of a Chamber in the ECA, how would you steer the work to define its priorities? Could you give us two or three examples of areas to focus on in the future?

    The Chamber is managed by all of us together – the Members of the Chamber and the director. To that extent, the role of the Dean is, with the help of the other Members of the Chamber, to take an active role in defining the priorities of our work and therefore the selection of audits.

    In case I was elected as Dean of a Chamber, I would pay particular attention to an effective communication within the Chamber and Court as well as with our main stakeholders, like you, when defining audit priorities. In my view this would allow us to have a comprehensive view of the most relevant areas we should focus on in our work and to ensure that the timing or our audits maximises their added value. Furthermore, a comprehensive audit planning needs to be strategic, going beyond a short-term planning, but should also allow for flexibility, where needed.

    Regarding areas to focus on (in Chamber IV) in future I would consider competitiveness, economic governance and, as a transversal topic, simplification as extremely relevant in the light of the challenges the EU is currently facing.

    For competitiveness, our audits could focus on the areas of research and development and the functioning of the single market, with the aim of strengthening capacity, removing barriers and achieving synergies. This includes reflecting on possibilities for faster and simpler methods of financing research and scientific projects.

    In the field of economic governance, it would be important to include audits specifically related to times of crisis, such as: transfer prices or whether the economic governance model is fit for purpose in this regard.

    Furthermore, ECA’s work could potentially add considerable value in the simplification process, for example by assessing the different simplification procedures and how they could be improved.

    6. If you had to manage the selection of audit tasks in view of the preparation of the ECA annual working programme, on which basis would you make your choice among the list of priorities received from the Parliament and/or the CONT committee?

    What would you do if a political priority does not correspond to the ECA risk assessment of the Union’s activities?

    The planning process within the ECA is very detailed and involves all auditors and managers, as well as all Members and their offices. When planning, we consider several different factors, e.g. policy risks, materiality, timing, audit coverage, the likely impact of an audit and stakeholder interest. These are also the main elements we consider when making our choice among the list of priorities received form the Parliament or CONT committee.

    The selection of audit topics is primarily based on their potential added value, and therefore topics of important political and strategic interest are always taken into account, even though they may not be highest priority in terms of risk. Furthermore, I would like to note that “risk” has many dimensions and should not be reduced to materiality.

    As you are well aware, the number of audit proposals is significantly higher than the number of audits we can carry out each year. Some proposals, while politically very relevant, may not come at an ideal time, e.g. as the implementation of the instrument is at an early stage. Others may not be entirely feasible due to the political or security situation in the audit area or even our audit mandate.

    Maintaining our independence in defining our work programme is essential, and the limited resources inevitably mean that not all audit proposal can be considered or not be considered at that moment in time. However, input from our main stakeholders is extremely valuable to us and will always be considered. It is also important that we communicate very clearly to the stakeholders, especially the European Parliament, why some of the proposals were not included in the programme and whether or not they may be considered in the future.

    Management of portfolio, working methods and deliverables

    7. Producing high quality, robust and timely reports is key:

    – How would you ensure that the data used in an audit are reliable and that the findings are not outdated?

    – How would you improve the quality and pertinence of the recommendations?

    To ensure that data used in audit are reliable it is important to know the sources and understand exactly how the data is collected, compiled and verified. While performing our audits, we always assess the accuracy and completeness of data and cross-reference it where needed, considering the source and nature of the data and the control systems in place.

    I believe that the recommendations in our audit reports are in general of a high quality and pertinence. Any good recommendation is rooted in solid audit work while considering aspects of feasibility as well “value for money”. These aspects have and always will be the guiding principles for the recommendations included in my audit reports.

    In general, a thorough planning, as well as timely and well targeted audits are the best way to ensure that our observations and recommendations come at the right time and have the maximum potential impact. In my view, more focussed and thereby quicker audits should therefore be considered wherever feasible.

    8. The aim of the ECA’s reform is to establish a stronger accountability relationship between the audit team and the rapporteur member:

    – Given your experience, do you think that the role of a member is to be more involved in the audit work?

    – Would you change the way you work with an audit team? If yes, how?

    I believe that the Member is ultimately responsible for the audit, its quality, relevance and objectivity. It is not possible to present the results of the audit work and advocate for the recommendations without a thorough understanding of the audited area and the observations. It is therefore essential that the Member works closely with the audit team and follows the audit work. Personally, I enjoy working with the teams, we always have constructive discussions from the selection and planning of the task to defining the audit scope and approach and finally the drafting of key messages and recommendations. I strongly believe that working together brings the best results and allows us to learn from each other.

    As I have always worked closely with the audit teams, I do not intend to change this approach in the future.

    9. What would be your suggestions to further improve, modernise the ECA functioning, programming and work (audit cycle)? After your first mandate, could you give us a positive aspect of the ECA working and a negative one?

    In an ever faster changing environment, the duration of our audits is something we may have to reflect on. As mentioned above, shorter, more focussed audits should therefore be considered, if the audit topic allows for it.

    Moreover, we should continue to encourage cooperation between audit chambers in particular on cross cutting issues such as the RRF, energy independence and security, or the now increasingly important priority defence. This cooperation across Chambers should include a flexible allocation of resources.

    For me the most positive aspect of the ECA is its staff – they are highly qualified and motivated and work hard to deliver quality audit work and meaningful reports. In addition, the ECA is a very supportive environment that encourages continuous learning, improvement and progress. The fact that audits are carried out in teams, facilitates learning from each other and a culture of togetherness and collegiality.

    10. Under the Treaty, the Court is required to assist Parliament in exercising its powers of control over the implementation of the budget in order to enhance both the public oversight of the general spending and its value for money:

    – With the experience of your first term, how could the cooperation between the Court of Auditors and the European Parliament (Committee on Budgetary Control) on auditing the EU budget be further improved?

    In my experience, the cooperation between the ECA and the European Parliament is already very good. We have established a continuous dialogue with the Parliament, including the Parliament contributing to the selection of audit tasks and ECA Members regularly being invited to present audit reports. This cooperation is key in ensuring that we maximize the added value of our audits, in particular in the context of the discharge procedure.

    While the cooperation is already very positive, we could of course always intensify or explore new ways of cooperation like joint workshops or regular briefings for the MEPs in key areas of interest. In a way, communication is essential and should always go two-way: ECA should know of the challenges the Parliament is facing and the best way ECA can support it in its work whereas the Parliament should be aware of the possibilities as well as boundaries ECA has in its work.

    – Similarly, how to strengthen relations between ECA and national audit institutions?

    Cooperation with the EU SAIs takes place within the framework of the Contact Committee, with day-to-day contacts are maintained through liaison officers appointed by each institution.

    National SAIs are informed about our audit visits and regularly participate in these visits as observer. In addition, the ECA organises five-month internships for auditors from the SAIs of Candidate Countries.

    While the cooperation with SAIs is already very positive, coordinated audit work in key areas of common interest could be encouraged to further strengthen the cooperation and increase the potential impact of our work. Exchange of staff in form of temporary secondment should also be continued to facilitate a continuous exchange of views, and future cooperation.

    11. How will you support the Parliament in the achievement of the shortening of the discharge procedure? What actions can be undertaken from your side?

     Cooperation and commitment of all involved institutions are needed to accelerate the processes and avoid delays. On the ECA’s side we make an effort to give priority to the Statement of Assurance and ensure timely adoption of the documents through flexibility in terms of scheduling additional Court meetings when needed. As a result, we managed to publish our last two annual report more than one month before the legal deadline.

    This is complemented by a similar effort for our performance audits. I always planned my performance audits in a way that we can, in terms of content as well as time, support the discharge procedure. It is however important to note that the timing of our reports depends on several factors, some of which are outside our control.

    Independence and integrity

    12. What guarantees of independence are you able to give the European Parliament, and how would you make sure that any past, current or future activities you carry out could not cast doubt on the performance of your duties at the ECA?

    I think that the best guarantee I can give you is my work at the ECA in which I always advocated for the respect of the basic principles of legality, regularity and sound financial management, no matter the circumstances. I believe that as independent auditors, we must always fight for the transparent use of public funds and warn of any shortcomings that are an obstacle to respecting the basic principles of sound financial management.

    In addition, I will continue to fully adhere to the Code of Conduct for ECA Members. I have no business interests or external activities that could raise any doubt concerning my independence and I would never even consider an activity that may compromise the performance of my duties as ECA Member.

    13. How would you deal with a major irregularity or even fraud in EU funds and/or corruption case involving persons in your Member State of origin? Were you in this situation during your current mandate?

    I can repeat my reply on the same question for nomination for the first ECA mandate, since I was and will remain committed to that: I advocate a zero-tolerance towards fraud and corruption because they are extremely dangerous for any society – they destroy competition and opportunities for growth and development. It is precisely by efficient identification and elimination of corruption that we can provide the best possible assistance to our member states. Rules must be abided by and legality and regularity in using public funds is the foundation from which we should never allow any deviation.

    I did not encounter any cases of fraud, irregularity of corruption during my current mandate.

    14. The existence of conflict of interests can trigger a reputation risk for the ECA. How would you manage any conflict of interest?

    I absolutely agree that a conflict of interest poses reputational risks for the ECA. Avoiding these conflicts is at the core of my work and in line with our Code of Conduct, I avoid any situation that is liable to give rise to a conflict of interest, or that could objectively be perceived as such.

    Should such a situation arise, I would communicate the potential conflict of interest in line with the ECA’s procedures and would not accept any tasks for which a personal interest could influence the independent performance of my duties. I have so far not been in any such situation.

    15. Are you involved in any legal proceedings? if so, what kind?

    No, I am not involved in any legal proceedings.

    16. What specific commitments are you prepared to make in terms of enhanced transparency, increased cooperation and effective follow-up to Parliament’s positions and requests for audits?

      For me, transparency in the performance of public affairs and the use of public money is a fundamental principle and one of my core values, and I fully support efforts that contribute to greater transparency. Your requirements are crucial in this regard, and I have been and always will be ready to listen to you and respond to any requests you may have regarding our audit work. We have a common goal, which is to deliver results and value for money in the implementation of EU policies and programmes, and it is important that we share our knowledge and experience. I look forward to every invitation from the Parliament to present our reports, or to participate in thematic discussions and any other form of cooperation.

    Other questions

    17. Will you withdraw your candidacy to a renewal of mandate if Parliament’s opinion on your appointment as Member of the ECA is unfavourable?

    I consider that the authority of the European Parliament which results from the democratic legitimacy of elected MEPs must be observed in full and their decisions must be applied. In accordance with that, in the event of the Parliament’s negative opinion on my appointment I will withdraw my candidacy.

    18. Being appointed Member of the ECA requires full attention and dedication to the institution itself and to ensure trust for the Union among its citizens:

    – What are your views on the best way to assume these professional duties?

    I completely agree with you that being a Member of ECA requires full attention and dedication. For me, being an ECA Member means to be devoted and work hard. We lead by example and if we are not motivated and committed, we cannot expect that from others. In addition, we owe it to the EU citizens to perform to the best of our abilities and add value not only for the EU institutions but to them. And this is what I tried to do from the very first day and will continue to do so in future.

    – What are your current personal arrangements in terms of number of days of presence in Luxembourg? Do you plan to change these arrangements?

    I moved to Luxembourg, together with my family, when I joined ECA. I work and live in Luxembourg and have no intention to change this in my second mandate.

    ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

    The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

    INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

    Date adopted

    14.5.2025

     

     

     

    Result of final vote

    +:

    –:

    0:

    22

    2

    4

    Members present for the final vote

    Georgios Aftias, Arno Bausemer, Gilles Boyer, José Cepeda, Olivier Chastel, Caterina Chinnici, Tamás Deutsch, Dick Erixon, Daniel Freund, Niclas Herbst, Virginie Joron, Ondřej Knotek, Kinga Kollár, Giuseppe Lupo, Marit Maij, Jacek Protas, Julien Sanchez, Jonas Sjöstedt, Cristian Terheş

    Substitutes present for the final vote

    Maria Grapini, Erik Marquardt, Karlo Ressler, Bert-Jan Ruissen

    Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote

    Pablo Arias Echeverría, Francisco Assis, Sunčana Glavak, Csaba Molnár, Michal Wiezik

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Oral question – The United Kingdom’s accession to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters – O-000016/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for oral answer  O-000016/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 142
    Ilhan Kyuchyuk
    on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs

    On 27 June 2024, the United Kingdom signed and ratified the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (the Judgments Convention), which has also been signed by Uruguay, Israel, Costa Rica, Russia, the United States and Ukraine. The Judgments Convention entered into force on 1 September 2023, one year after the first two parties deposited their instruments of ratification/accession. In accordance with Article 29(2) of the Judgments Convention, the EU can notify the depositary, before 27 June 2025, that ratification by the UK does not have the effect of establishing treaty relations between the UK and the EU. If no such notification is issued – that is, if the EU tacitly accepts the UK’s accession – the Judgments Convention will begin to apply between the two parties on 1 July 2025.

    Parliament understands that the Commission’s assessment of the UK’s accession is positive and that the Commission would be in favour of tacitly accepting it. However, the significance of private international law rules[1] for EU citizens in this particular area also has a political and legal impact, not only on the area of judicial cooperation but also beyond, bearing in mind the relevance of relations between the EU and the UK in a volatile international context.

    With respect for each EU institution’s prerogatives and Parliament’s consistent position[2], a statement would allow the Commission to tacitly accept the UK’s accession to the Judgments Convention on the EU’s behalf, under the relevant provisions of that Convention.

    • 1.Given the deadline set down in the Judgments Convention, the need for the EU institutions to act without delay to ascertain the EU’s acceptance of the UK’s accession to the Convention, and Parliament’s intention to make an appropriate statement in this regard, could the Commission confirm its assessment of the UK’s accession to the Convention?
    • 2.Having regard to the commitments made in November 2024[3] by Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič with regard to third countries’ accession to conventions and respect for Article 218(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, what concrete steps does the Commission intend to take in future to ensure that Parliament’s prerogatives relating to third countries’ accession to the Judgments Convention are always fully and formally respected under the Treaties, and what timetable does it envisage for taking these steps?

    Submitted: 13.5.2025

    Lapses: 14.8.2025

    • [1] Study requested by Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs – ‘Ensuring Efficient Cooperation with the UK in civil law matters – Situation after Brexit and Options for Future Cooperation’, European Parliament, Directorate-General for Internal Policies, Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs, March 2023: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2023/743340/IPOL_STU(2023)743340_EN.pdf.
    • [2] European Parliament resolution of 15 June 2023 on supporting the accession of Ukraine to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (OJ C, C/2024/489, 23.1.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/489/oj).
    • [3] https://hearings.elections.europa.eu/documents/sefcovic/sefcovic_writtenquestionsandanswers_en.pdf.
    Last updated: 16 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Exchange of views on the European Schools – Committee on Culture and Education

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Schools system: state of play, challenges and perspectives © Image used under license of Adobe Stock

    On 20 May, the CULT Committee will welcome stakeholders to provide an update on the implementation of the EP Report. The document aims to address current and future challenges and make a tangible contribution to the European Education Area.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: President Donald Trump Names Advisory Board Members to the Religious Liberty Commission

    Source: The White House

    Today, President Donald Trump has designated the following individuals to serve on the advisory boards of the Religious Liberty Commission. On May 1st, the President signed an Executive Order establishing the Religious Liberty Commission. He designated Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as chair and Dr. Ben Carson as vice chair, as well as 11 other commission members. Today, he has designated individuals to serve on the three advisory boards comprised of religious leaders, legal experts, and lay advisors, respectively.

    Advisory Board of Religious Leaders

    1. Bishop Salvatore Cordileone. Salvatore Cordileone is the Archbishop of San Francisco and a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth and also of its Committee for Canonical Affairs and Church Governance. 
    2. Pastor Jentezen Franklin. Jentezen Franklin is the Senior Pastor of Free Chapel, a multi-campus church based in Gainesville, Georgia. He has written multiple books including the bestseller, Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God.
    1. Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. Archbishop Elpidophoros is the eighth Archbishop of America elected since the establishment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in 1922. He has been an active member of the World Council of Churches and has advanced religious freedom for decades.
    1. Father Thomas Ferguson. Father Thomas Fergusonis the pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Alexandria, Virginia. He is the author of Catholic and American: The Political Theology of John Courtney Murray.
    1. Rabbi Mark Gottlieb. Rabbi Mark Gottlieb is Chief Education Officer of Tikvah and founding dean of the Tikvah Scholars Program. Prior to joining Tikvah, Rabbi Gottlieb served as head of school at Yeshiva University High School for Boys and principal of the Maimonides School in Brookline, Massachusetts. Rabbi Gottlieb is a trustee of the Hildebrand Project and serves on the Editorial Committee of Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought.
    2. Pastor Jack Graham. Jack Graham is Senior Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, and author of multiple books, including The Jesus Book: Reading and Understanding the Bible for Yourself. Dr. Graham has served as Honorary Chairman of the National Day of Prayer and has helped lead various national prayer initiatives. From 2002-2004, he served as President of the Southern Baptist Convention.
    3. Rabbi Yaakov Menken. Rabbi Yaakov Menken is the Executive Vice President of the Coalition for Jewish Values. He previously co-founded and edited Cross-Currents.com, an online journal of Orthodox Jewish thought and opinion. Rabbi Menken is a fellow of the Amud Aish Memorial Museum, focusing upon the study of modern anti-Semitism, and author of The Everything Torah Book.
    4. Bishop Thomas Paprocki.  Thomas Paprocki is the Bishop of Springfield, Illinois. He coined the “Fortnight for Freedom,” a campaign of American Bishops to defend religious liberty. The episcopal board chair for the Catholic Athletes for Christ, Bishop Paprocki has completed 24 marathons and authored Running for a Higher Purpose and Holy Goals for Body and Soul.
    5. Bishop Kevin Rhoades.  Kevin Rhoades is the Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana. He currently chairs the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Religious Liberty. In addition to his religious liberty work, Bishop Rhoades sits on the USCCB Committee on Doctrine, ad hoc Committee against Racism, and served on the board of directors for the National Eucharistic Congress.
    6. Rabbi Eitan Webb. Rabbi Eitan Webb co-founded the Chabad House of Princeton in 2002, with his wife Gitty and has served as a Jewish Chaplain at Princeton University since 2007. In addition to his service to university students, Rabbi Webb serves on the board of directors of the Chabad on Campus International Foundation and of the Sinai Scholars Society. 
    7. Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel. Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel is the Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel of America, an American organization that represents Orthodox Jews. In 2020, he helped organize one of the largest gatherings of Orthodox Jews in U.S. history.

    Advisory Board of Legal Experts

    1. Francis Beckwith. A Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies, Affiliate Professor of Political Science, and Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Philosophy at Baylor University, Dr. Beckwith teaches and publishes in the areas of religion, jurisprudence, politics, and ethics. A graduate of Fordham University (Ph.D. and M.A. in philosophy) and the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis (Master of Juridical Studies), he has published over 100 academic articles, book chapters, reviews, and reference entries.
    2. Jason Bedrick. Jason Bedrick is a Research Fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, where he focuses on policies that promote education freedom, religious liberty, classical education, and restoring the primary role of families in education. Bedrick is the co-editor and co-author of two books, including Educational Freedom: Remembering Andrew Coulson, Debating His Ideas and Religious Liberty and Education: A Case Study of Yeshivas vs. New York.
    3. Josh Blackman. A national thought leader on constitutional law and the United States Supreme Court, Blackman serves as a professor at the South Texas College of Law Houston where he holds the Centennial Chair of Constitutional Law. Blackman was selected by Forbes Magazine for the “30 Under 30” in Law and Policy and is the President of the Harlan Institute.
    4. Gerald Bradley. Gerard Bradley is professor of law at the University of Notre Dame, where he teaches Legal Ethics and Constitutional Law. He directs the Natural Law Institute and co-edits The American Journal of Jurisprudence, an international forum for legal philosophy. Bradley has been a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, and a senior fellow of the Witherspoon Institute, in Princeton, New Jersey. His most recent books are an edited collection of essays titled, Challenges to Religious Liberty in the Twenty-First Century.
    5. Alyza Lewin. Alyza Lewin is the President of The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. Lewin is also a co-founder and partner in Lewin & Lewin, LLP where she specializes in litigation, mediation and government relations. Her experience includes criminal defense, civil litigation and anti-discrimination matters. Lewin served as President of the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists from 2012 – 2017.
    6. Kristen Waggoner. Kristen Waggoner is the CEO, president, and general counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom: the world’s largest legal organization advancing every person’s God-given right to live and speak the truth.

    Advisory Board of Lay Leaders

    1. Abigail Robertson Allen. An on-air reporter for over ten years, Abigail Robertson is the co-host of Heaven Meets Earth, a podcast of the Christian Broadcasting Network that highlights modern-day miracles and divine encounters. 
    2. Gene Bailey. Gene is a host on The Victory Channel, a faith-based Christian television network. He is known for hosting programs like FlashPoint, which discusses current events and prophecy, and Revival Radio TV, which explores historical and modern-day spiritual awakenings.
    3. Mark David Hall.  A professor at Regent University in the Robertson School of Government, Dr. Hall is a scholar of early America. Prior to Regent, he was the Herbert Hoover Distinguished Professor of Politics at George Fox University. Hall has written or edited a dozen books including, Did America Have a Christian Founding?: Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth, Great Christian Jurists in American History, and Faith and the Founders of the American Republic.
    4. Alveda King.  Building upon the efforts of her father, Rev. A.D. King, and her uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Alveda King has dedicated her life to the civil rights issues of our time. King is Chair of the Center for the American Dream at the America First Policy Institute and Board Member to Priests for Life. She previously served on the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission.
    5. Christopher Levenick.  Director of the Program for Civic Renewal with the Connelly Foundation, and the editor-in-chief of Philanthropy Magazine, Levenick has explored religion in the United States throughout his career. Writing for Claremont, AEI, and other publications, Levenick has long traced strands of the Founding manifesting themselves in the character of American Christianity, compared the principles of constitutional interpretation with those of scriptural exegesis, and explored the implications of pluralism on the exercise of religion in the public square.
    6. Sameerah Munshi. Sameerah has courageously spoken out against forcing children to learn radical gender ideology in schools. She testified before the Montgomery County School Board, in a case that is currently before the Supreme Court, and has worked with the Coalition of Virtue and the Religious Freedom Institute.
    7. Ismail Royer. Ismail Royer serves as Director of the Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team for the Religious Freedom Institute. Since converting to Islam in 1992, he has studied religious sciences with traditional Islamic scholars and spent over a decade working at non-profit Islamic organizations. Royer has worked with nonprofits to promote peace between faiths. His writing has appeared in multiple publications and he co-authored an article on Islam on Religious Violence Today: Faith and Conflict in the Modern World.
    8. Ryan Tucker. Ryan Tucker serves as senior counsel and director of the Center for Christian Ministries with Alliance Defending Freedom. He oversees all litigation efforts to maintain and defend the constitutionally protected freedom of churches, Christian ministries, and religious schools to exercise their rights under the First Amendment.
    9. Shaykh Hamza Yusuf.  Sheikh Hamza is one of the leading proponents of classical learning in Islam and is a co-founder of Zaytuna College, the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the United States. He is an advisor to the Center for Islamic Studies at Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union. For almost a decade, Hamza was consecutively ranked as “The Western world’s most influential Islamic scholar” in The 500 Most Influential Muslims. During the first Trump administration, he served on the State Department’s Commission on Unalienable Rights.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Introducing the New North America Initiative

    [. However, that relationship has shifted significantly in recent times and continues to evolve, demonstrating the need for more research and a greater understanding of the changing North American dynamic.

    Currently, North America faces a significant gap in dedicated research activity specific to the study of Canada-U.S. relations and policy – and there is a particular shortage of this research from a western Canadian perspective.

    Understanding and navigating the changing geopolitical landscape is crucial, and partnering with researchers abroad is becoming increasingly vital. That is why Alberta’s government is investing $6.5 million over three years in the New North America Initiative, led by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, to help Alberta navigate this new reality.

    “A strong and collaborative relationship with the United States is essential to Alberta’s long-term success. This initiative will deepen academic and policy partnerships, and expand Alberta’s research capacity, to support and develop effective responses to shifts in Canada-U.S. relations.”

    Danielle Smith, Premier

    The New North America Initiative will help fill the significant gap in Canada-U.S. policy research and collaboration in North America and foster increased collaboration with the United States. By working with universities across North America, post-secondary institutions in Alberta can expand their research capacity and build key partnerships between institutions in both countries. Over the next three years, the initiative will bring key research and industry partners together to help Alberta better anticipate, manage and mitigate U.S. policy shifts.

    “The New North America Initiative will help Alberta take strategic and thoughtful action as we navigate relations between Canada and the U.S. This initiative will open new research pathways and help establish strong new connections and partnerships, while also empowering and developing capacity for the next generation of students. There is very little dedicated research directed to the study of Canada-U.S. relations at Canadian universities, and increasing our knowledge on this topic right now is crucial.”

    Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Advanced Education

    This initiative will also build upon the expertise of researchers at the University of Calgary and other post-secondary institutions, relevant think tanks and business associations in Alberta. The New North America Initiative will connect thought leaders, government officials, the private sector and think tanks in Alberta and across the continent to increase understanding and share new ideas on relations with the U.S. In addition to coursework and hands-on involvement in research, the initiative will help train students in specific skills and knowledge to work for government, private sector and civil society in a new era of relations with the U.S.

    “The University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy is taking the lead at a critical moment in Canada-U.S. relations by gathering the expertise of our researchers and partners to provide evidence-based public policy guidance to government.”

    Ed McCauley, president and vice-chancellor, University of Calgary

    The University of Calgary School of Public Policy

    Founded in 2008, the School of Public Policy advances public policy in Canada and works to improve policy capacity in government and enhance policy discourse outside of government. By conducting evidence-based research and fostering dialogue among policymakers, academics and the public, the School of Public Policy aims to inform and shape effective policy solutions for complex societal challenges while focusing on four key areas: social policy and health, energy and environmental policy, fiscal and economic policy, and international policy and trade.

    “With the crisis in Canada-U.S. relations, it’s clear our traditional policies and the ways we engage the Americans, and their federal and state governments, have not been enough. We need new thinking and new ways of engaging, and we need the work behind this to come from new places and new voices on both sides of the border. That’s what the New North America Initiative will deliver.”

    Martha Hall Findlay, director and James S. and Barbara A. Palmer chair, School of Public Policy

    As part of the launch of the New North America Initiative, a roundtable discussion will be held with researchers from post-secondary institutions across Canada and the U.S. The discussion will explore opportunities for Alberta-based researchers to serve as a ready resource of information, intelligence and capacity to help inform policy. It will also allow these researchers to hear diverse perspectives from experts across the United States and Alberta and help build collaborative relationships.

    Quick facts

    • The New North America Initiative’s initial primary focus is on issues affecting Alberta/Canada-U.S. relations.
    • The initiative will include researchers from Alberta and the United States, including from the:
      • University of Alberta
      • University of Lethbridge
      • Mount Royal University
      • University of Nebraska
      • University of Colorado
      • Arizona State University
      • Rice University

    Related information

    • Overview | The School of Public Policy

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Nation’s largest public service unions launch national campaign to stop federal budget cuts to public services

    Source: US National Education Union

    WASHINGTON—The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Education Association (NEA), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) are launching “Put Families First”—a new campaign aimed at fighting billionaires’ plans to gut public services and give massive tax breaks to the ultra-rich. With over 8.3 million members, including nurses, care providers, educators, school bus drivers, and sanitation workers, the unions’ campaign will center the stories of the workers who keep our communities running and know firsthand the devastating impact reckless cuts will have on working families.

    Anti-union extremists are pushing a federal budget that would make devastating cuts to public services and vital programs like Medicaid—all to pay for billionaire tax cuts. On average, one-third of all states’ budgets rely on federal dollars. Without this funding, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and vital community centers could shutter, leaving millions of working families behind.

    Public service workers across the country have spent the past four months sounding the alarm, talking to their co-workers, organizing town halls, and calling members of Congress to demand they put working families before billionaires. Now, they are turning up the heat, targeting 17 key congressional districts around the country with a $2 million media campaign and mobilization effort detailing the human impacts these cuts would have on our communities.

    “Congress’ proposed budget plan will spell disaster for working families and hurt our economy,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “These budget cuts don’t just threaten Medicaid or food assistance; they put all of us at risk. From overcrowded hospitals to underfunded schools to short-staffed prisons, our communities will pay the price—all so billionaires can get richer. We’re fighting back to protect public services and the essential work we do. Congress must stop the cuts.”

    “Our unions represent the people who make a difference in the lives of others—and the public services they provide are in grave danger because of the reckless and chaotic cuts of Elon Musk and the Trump administration,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “Their goal is the gutting of the schools and hospitals that help working Americans have a shot at a better life. And for what? To pay for tax cuts for billionaires. These ads send a message to Congress about the human toll of the administration’s attacks and make the convincing case that it’s time to put families, not ultra-wealthy donors, first.”

    “Across the country, educators do everything in their power to support every student, ensuring each student feels safe, seen, and is prepared for the future. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their MAGA allies are working to cut Head Start for over 800,000 kids, closing local hospitals so rural families will have to travel long distances to get care, and ballooning class sizes in public schools across America—all so they can enrich themselves,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “We refuse to be silent. Over 8.3 million workers who have dedicated their lives to educating our students and building stronger communities are standing together to sound the alarm on these reckless cuts Trump is pushing so he can pay for tax giveaways to billionaires. Educators will continue organizing, mobilizing, and growing the movement to put families first.”

    “Medicaid is a lifeline for working people,” said April Verrett, president of SEIU. “Congress is trying to rip that lifeline away to fund billions in tax breaks to the ultra-rich. Slashing Medicaid means seniors losing home care and kids missing out on the care they need. Let’s call this what it is: stealing from everyday people and giving handouts to billionaires. That’s why SEIU members and our allies are calling a Code Blue on Medicaid, because lives are on the line.”

    Ads will feature front-line members of AFSCME, AFT, SEIU and NEA—educators, nurses, care providers and more—whose jobs will be directly impacted by federal funding cuts. The four unions will share their stories within targeted congressional districts via television, streaming, social media and more.

    # # #

    AFSCME’s 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations—from nurses to corrections officers, childcare providers to sanitation workers—AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families.

    The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.

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

    The Service Workers International Union (SEIU) unites 2 million diverse members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. SEIU members working in the healthcare industry, public sector and property services believe in the power of joining together on the job to win higher wages and benefits and to create better communities while fighting for a more just society and an economy that works for all of us, not just corporations and the wealthy. Learn more at www.seiu.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp Announces 39 Appointments to Boards, Authorities and Commissions

    Source: US State of Georgia

    Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced 39 appointments and reappointments to various state boards, authorities and commissions.

    Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission

    Donald Dowless currently serves as President of Shorter University in Rome, Georgia, a role he has held for over a decade. He holds a Ph.D. in religion from Baylor University, a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to his presidency, Dowless teaches Christian studies and has instructed more than 10 different courses. His academic experience includes teaching at North Carolina State University, Campbell University, Southeastern Seminary, and Emmanuel University of Oradea. He has also completed missionary work in Romania and West Virginia. Dowless and his wife are active members of Pleasant Valley South Baptist Church in Silver Creek, Georgia.

    Georgia Board of Athletic Trainers

    Yusuf Jamal Ali was reappointed.

    Jeffrey Hopp serves as Director of Sports Medicine at Marietta City Schools and has led the Blue Devils’ athletic training program for over 20 years. He oversees student athletic trainers and has organized international trips for them to countries including Costa Rica, Ireland, and France. Prior to this, Hopp provided athletic training to Cobb and Cherokee County schools through Resurgens Orthopedics and was head athletic trainer for the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe. He has worked with the Minnesota Vikings, the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, and the 2007 U.S. National Paralympic Track and Field Championships. He was a founding member and chairman of the Georgia Concussion Coalition, contributing to the passage of the GA Return to Play Act. Hopp holds a B.S. in athletic training from Minnesota State University and resides in Dallas, Georgia, with his wife, Julie.

    Georgia Board of Landscape Architects

    Chad Baker, Jon Calabria, and Rebecca Kirk were reappointed.

    Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council

    Stan Stalnaker is a member of the Tift County Board of Commissioners, currently serving his third term.  He is a certified county commissioner through the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government and holds a specialty track certification in public safety. Stalnaker is a 29-year veteran of the Georgia State Patrol, holds the rank of Captain, and currently serves as the Director of GSP’s Aviation Division.  He holds a master’s in public administration from Columbus State University, is a graduate of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College, and a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Session #261, in Quantico, Virginia. Stalnaker and his wife Keisha reside in Tifton, where they attend Liberty Baptist Church. They have one son who attends Georgia Southern University.

    Georgia State Board of Architects and Interior Designers

    Melissa Cantrell and Anne K. Smith were reappointed.

    Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council

    Mary McCartin Wearn is the President of Georgia Humanities. She formerly served as founding dean of the School of Arts and Letters at Middle Georgia State University, where she led regional partnerships and public-facing arts and culture programs. She holds a Ph.D. in english from UGA, a B.A. in english from the University of Maryland Global Campus, and a B.S. in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University.

    Georgia Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

    Ibrahim Dabo, Paula Harmon, Anne McQuade, and Allison Morrison were reappointed.

    State Board of Workers Compensation

    Benjamin Vinson was reappointed as Chairman.

    Frank McKay was reappointed.

    State Charter School Commission

    Scott Sweeney is a Senior Business Advisor at InPrime Legal, a business law firm recognized as a 2019 Small Business ROCK STAR by the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Economic Developers Association. He has served on numerous national, state, and local boards, including as past president of the Georgia Education Committee, a legislative affairs committee member for the Georgia School Boards Association, and a member of both the CTAE Business & Advisory Committee and the Cobb Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee. Sweeney spent eight years on the Cobb County Board of Education, holding leadership roles including chair, vice-chair, budget liaison, and Facilities and Technology Committee liaison. He later served on the Georgia State Board of Education from 2019 to 2025, representing the 6th and later the 11th Congressional Districts. During his tenure, he served as chairman and chaired the District Flexibility and Charter Schools Committee. Sweeney holds a B.A. in economics from UCLA and resides in East Cobb with his wife, Sandy, and their two sons.

    State Board of Certification of Librarians

    Kathryn R. Epps was reappointed.

    Catherine M. Lewis serves as Associate Vice Provost of Museums, Archives, and Rare Books at the University Libraries and as Professor of History at Kennesaw State University. She manages a multimillion-dollar budget and leads a staff of nearly 100 professionals. Lewis holds a Bachelor of Arts in english and history from Emory University, as well as a Master of Arts and Ph.D. in american studies from the University of Iowa. She has curated more than 40 exhibits for institutions across the country, including the Atlanta History Center, the Brennan Museum, Delta Airlines, Augusta National Golf Club, and United Way. She has co-authored and co-edited over 15 books, regularly presents at national and international conferences, and has helped secure major grants for Kennesaw State from organizations such as the U.S. State Department, the American Association of Museums, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

    Bona Fide Coin Operated Amusement Machine Operator Advisory Board

    Shawn Fellows, Mills Flemming, Natalie Jones and Chandra B. Yadav were reappointed.

    Georgia Child Support Commission

    Chuck Efstration, Houston Gaines, Emanuel Jones and Brian Strickland were reappointed.

    Georgia Real Estate Appraisers Board

    Marlon L. Day is a Senior Director at Quest Valuation & Advisors, where he performs appraisals across a wide range of property types and markets. He is an accomplished research and financial analyst and a certified general appraiser with more than 22 years of experience in preparing and presenting valuation analyses. His project experience includes multi-family residential, office, retail, warehouse, industrial, mixed-use, infrastructure, special-use properties, expert witness testimony, and diminution in value. His practical business expertise is supported by a Master of Business Administration in finance. Day and his wife have three children.

    Board of Natural Resources

    Steven Hufstetler and Brent Layton were reappointed.

    State Board of Registration for Foresters

    James Harley Langdale was reappointed.

    Georgia Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Advisory Board

    Robert Balkcom serves as the South Adjutant of the Georgia State Patrol, overseeing the operations of Troops F, G, H, I, J, and K, as well as the South Nighthawks DUI Task Force, the Recruiting Unit, the Implied Consent Unit (ICU), the Criminal Interdiction Unit (CIU), the Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT), the State of Georgia SWAT Team, and four Communication Centers. Prior to assuming this role in 2020, Balkcom served as Troop F Commander. He began his law enforcement career as a police officer with the Savannah Police Department in 1992 and joined the Georgia State Patrol as a Trooper Cadet at Post 42 – Savannah in 1994. After graduating from the 71st Georgia State Patrol Trooper School in 1995, he was assigned to Post 42 – Savannah. Balkcom was promoted to Corporal at Post 45 – Statesboro in 2006. In 2009, he was selected as Commander of the newly formed Nighthawks South DUI Task Force and promoted to Sergeant in 2011. He advanced to Sergeant First Class at Post 11 – Hinesville in 2013, Lieutenant in Troop I in 2018, and Captain in Troop F in March 2020. Balkcom graduated from Reidsville High School in 1987 and earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from Georgia Southern University in 1991. He is also a graduate of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College and holds a master’s degree in public safety administration from Columbus State University. He and his wife, Nicole, have lived in Reidsville for the past 40 years.

    North Georgia Mountains Authority

    Jeff Andrews currently serves as the Fourth Congressional District Representative on the Board of Natural Resources. He began his career in the long-term care industry in 1981 as marketing director for a continuing care retirement community in Birmingham, Alabama. He was later promoted to executive director and then southeast regional vice president. In 1988, Andrews became senior vice president of corporate development, where he led the addition of 17 properties to the management portfolio, helping establish the company as the largest for-profit, third-party manager of retirement housing in the United States. By 1990, Andrews co-founded Retirement Management Corporation and served as its president until its acquisition by Sun Healthcare in 1998. In 1999, he founded Wellington HealthCare Services, LLC, which grew to 11 owned facilities before being sold in 2007. He retained a significant ownership stake and helped the company meet key operational goals. He continues to lead Wellington, which currently manages 17 facilities.

    North Georgia Mountains Authority- Chair

    Patrick Denney is a graduate of West Georgia College with a BBA in marketing and a lifelong resident of Carroll County. He owns and operates SLM Recycling, SLM Steel and Fabrication, and Heavy Equipment Repair. An avid outdoorsman, Denney manages farm, timber, and hunting land in both Carroll and Heard Counties. He was appointed to the Board of Natural Resources in 2020 and has served on the North Georgia Mountains Authority since 2021. He and his wife, Lynne, have four children and reside in Bowdon.

    State Properties Commission

    Yi Jeng “Jay” Lin was reappointed.

    Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists

    Gregory Keith Moffatt was reappointed.

    State Board of Registration for Professional Geologists

    Jack L. Kittle, Jr. is a retired water and environmental resource manager with Aqua Terra Consultants. With over 40 years of experience, Kittle worked with major clients such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Geological Survey. He earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1975. An active member of the Decatur community, Kittle helped charter and establish the Decatur Parks and Recreation Pedestrian Committee in 2013 and served on the committee for over 10 years.

    Veterans Service Board

    Darius “Pete” Peterson was reappointed.

    Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies  

    Timothy Williams was reappointed.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Communities Prepared for Disasters: Older Adults Webinar Part 2

    Source: US State of Oregon

    em>Salem, OR — Please join the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM), in partnership with the Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office, AARP, Oregon Association of Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities, and the Oregon State University Extension Service for a two-part virtual educational series on how to help older adults prepare for the disasters we face every year in Oregon such as ice storms, wildfires, and extreme heat. This series is intended for organizations, community groups, faith-based organizations serving older adults, emergency management professionals, and anyone else interested in this topic.

    Older adults often face unique challenges when it comes to disaster preparedness—such as living on fixed incomes, relying on mobility devices, or experiencing social isolation. This educational series will offer practical guidance for individuals and organizations working with older adults to strengthen emergency readiness across the state.

    Part 2: May 21, 2025 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. PST
    Topics include:

    • Managing medications during disasters
    • Avoiding scams and misinformation post-disaster
    • Supporting mental health and reducing social isolation

      Who Should Attend:
      Organizations, faith groups, and individuals who support older adults, along with emergency management professionals and community preparedness advocates.

    Missed Part 1 of our Older Adult Preparedness Series?
    Watch the recording from April 23, 2025, click the link below to watch the recording on YouTube:

    Video Recording (English) (Spanish) (Russian) (Vietnamese) (Chinese)

    Presentation Slides (English) (Spanish) (Russian) (Vietnamese) (Chinese)

    Topics covered include:
    • Building partnerships between emergency managers and aging service providers
    • Planning for evacuation, sheltering, and medical equipment needs
    • Signing up for emergency alert systems

    The series is free and open to the public. Sessions will be offered in English with interpretation in Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese, and American Sign Language (ASL). Recordings will be available on OEM’s YouTube channel.

    Register here: Virtual Event Registration

    For questions or accommodation requests, contact:
    community.preparedness@oem.oregon.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –