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Category: Education

  • MIL-Evening Report: Gold rush Melbourne and post-war boom: how Australia overcame housing shortages in the past

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Stevens, Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University

    As part of their federal election campaign, the Coalition announced plans to limit the number of international students able to commence study each year to 240,000, “focused on driving […] housing availability and affordability”.

    This announcement was criticised as a “fact free zone” by the Property Council.

    The Coalition proposal falsely equates high immigration with housing shortages. Studies indicate limiting international students will have minimal impact on housing supply. Most international students stay in student housing or share house accommodation, not suitable or desirable for many Australians to live in.

    History shows us Australia has previously gone through periods of high migration and economic uncertainty. But history also shows us, if we are willing to adapt and innovate, high immigration and housing affordability can co-exist.

    Lessons from Australia’s gold rush

    The discovery of gold in Victoria caused Melbourne’s population to explode.

    In 1851, Melbourne’s population was 77,000. Within a decade, that figure had more than quadrupled to 540,000.

    As a young colony, the Victorian government actively recruited British and Irish migrants, subsidising fully or partially the cost of the sea voyage to Australia.

    It wasn’t all smooth sailing: competition across migrant groups developed, and new Chinese immigrants in particular were singled out. Europeans staged violent anti-Chinese riots, which included the murder of three Chinese migrants.

    To accommodate new migrants, the Victorian colonial government expanded housing supply in two ways.

    ‘Canvas Town’ was built on the banks of the Yarra in South Melbourne, captured in this illustration from the 1850s.
    State Library Victoria

    First, in 1852 Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe permitted the establishment of Canvas Town, essentially a tent city on the southern bank of the Yarra River.

    There were problems in Canvas Town: disease was common, sanitation nonexistent, and crime rife. But Canvas Town provided newcomers protection from the elements. Canvas Town was officially disbanded in 1854, although people continued to live in tents across Melbourne as they awaited the construction of more permanent housing.

    Second, prefabricated iron houses were imported to Melbourne from Britain to overcome supply shortages. These British-built “kit homes” were dismantled, every component labelled and then shipped to Australia for assembly.

    Rapidly-built homes appeared in Port Melbourne, North Melbourne, Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond. Three such examples still exist today in South Melbourne.

    A portable town for Australia erected at Hemming’s Patent Portable House Manufactory, Bristol.
    National Library of Australia

    Gold Rush Victoria reminds us of the importance of nimble government intervention in the housing market to offset housing pressures and mitigate anti-foreigner sentiments.

    Responding to migrants after World War II

    One hundred years later, Australia was again facing an immigration and population boom. Australia faced housing shortages in the post-World War II years, as the population grew from 7.6 million to 10.5 million people between 1947 and 1961.

    In the era of post-war shortages and rationing, Australians worried about the impacts of the new arrivals on employment and social issues such as crime.

    The arrival of displaced persons and assisted migrants from Europe strained existing housing stock. Some new and existing Australians resorted to squatting and other forms of temporary housing.

    Commonwealth and state governments took leading roles in housing construction.

    Houses were pre-fabricated in the United Kingdom, like in this photograph from 1947, before being shipped to Australia.
    State Library Victoria

    Between 1947 and 1961, Australia’s housing stock increased by 50% compared with a 41% increase in population. Australian governments directly contributed to 24% of this increase in stock, or 221,700 homes.

    As the minister for immigration, Harold Holt said in 1950, “migrant labour was helping to solve Australia’s housing problems, not aggravating it” by working in essential industries that produce housing materials.

    Once again, prefabricated homes were part of the solution.

    British migrant bricklayers work on building new State Housing Trust houses in Elizabeth, South Australia, in 1958.
    National Archives of Australia

    But on-site construction also had a role to play and could capitalise on the skills of new migrants, particularly in the new migrant town of Elizabeth, South Australia.

    Migrants also pooled their resources and constructed homes for their community.

    In Wexcombe, Western Australia, 12 British families formed a building group. Within three years, they had built new homes for each family.

    Eras of innovation

    In the 1850s and 1950s, increased immigration triggered bigotry and xenophobia. However, governments at this time were focused on nation building.

    Bill Wilson from Belfast making a footpath around his new home in Wexcombe, Western Australia, in 1960.
    National Archives of Australia

    Even if this was largely focused on supporting new white migrants, many politicians resisted the temptation to fan social divisions for political gain.

    Instead, during the Gold Rush and post-World War II eras, Australian governments assisted individuals to adapt and innovate to new circumstances and create novel forms of housing.

    Australian history gives us episodes where we see our society under strain and yet capable of addressing social issues with innovation and adaptability, while welcoming migrants.

    Rachel Stevens works for the Australian Catholic University, which will be impacted by the proposed reforms on international students discussed in this article.

    – ref. Gold rush Melbourne and post-war boom: how Australia overcame housing shortages in the past – https://theconversation.com/gold-rush-melbourne-and-post-war-boom-how-australia-overcame-housing-shortages-in-the-past-253952

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Ex-US treasury secretary warns of likely recession, 2M layoffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday that the United States is likely heading into a recession, with the possibility of 2 million Americans losing their jobs, as a result of the ongoing tariff increases.

    “It’s more likely than not that we’re going to have a recession – and in the context of a recession, we’ll see an extra 2 million people be unemployed,” Summers said on Bloomberg Television’s Wall Street Week.

    “We’ll see losses in household income” of 5,000 dollars per family or more, said Summers, who is Harvard University professor and paid contributor to Bloomberg TV.

    Summers argued that the tariff plans by the Trump administration exceed even those of 1930 that “made the depression great,” noting that it would be wise to be “backing off the policies that have been announced.”

    Despite warnings from Summers and other economists, the White House indicated on Tuesday that the policies will go into effect as previously planned.

    “The president was asked and answered this yesterday. He said he’s not considering an extension or delay. I spoke to him before this briefing. That was not his mindset. He expects that these tariffs are going to go into effect,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a press briefing.

    On April 2, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order regarding the so-called “reciprocal tariffs,” announcing that the United States will impose a 10 percent “baseline tariff” on trade partners and higher tariffs on certain partners, with some facing tariffs exceeding 30 percent, and even 40 percent.

    The 10 percent “baseline tariff” went into effect on April 5, and the higher tariffs on certain trading partners are set to go into effect on Wednesday, April 9.

    Although Trump has repeatedly claimed that the tariff increases will help generate revenue for the U.S. government, reduce the trade deficit, and revitalize American manufacturing, economists and business leaders warn that these tariff measures will drive up prices, harm American consumers and businesses, disrupt global trade, and be detrimental to global economic growth.

    Several U.S. trade partners have already announced countermeasures. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 9, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 9, 2025.

    Chinese-Australian voters were key to Labor’s win in 2022. Are some now swinging back to the Liberals?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wanning Sun, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, University of Technology Sydney Chinese-Australian voters were pivotal to Labor’s win in the 2022 election, with the swing against the Liberals in several key marginal seats almost twice that of other seats. Many traditionally pro-business Liberal supporters switched sides

    The ‘monogamy superiority myth’: new research suggests unconventional relationships are just as satisfying
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Anderson, Associate Professor in LGBTIQA+ Psychology, La Trobe University Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock From The Bachelor to Married at First Sight, reality TV sells us the idea that one perfect partner will complete us. The formula is familiar: find “the one,” lock it down and live happily ever after.

    ‘Germany is back’: 3 ways NZ can benefit from Europe’s renewed centre of power
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mathew Doidge, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Research on Europe, University of Canterbury Getty Images It’s unlikely many New Zealanders paid close attention to Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ statement late last year that “New Zealand and Germany are committed to enhancing their partnership”. Peters had been

    Bringing manufacturing back from overseas isn’t an easy solution to Trump’s trade war
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Stone, Credit Union SA Chair of Economics, University of South Australia Shutterstock The past week has seen the United States single-handedly rewrite the underlying paradigm for global trade. And while it is fair to say that the methods are extreme, the underlying goal of the policy

    How to build a cinematic universe: the secret to Marvel’s enormous success among a history of failures
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Tran, Academic Tutor at Swinburne University of Technology, Swinburne University of Technology Since Iron Man hit the big screen in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has made more than US$30 billion, from films to series, to merchandise and comics. As scholars and the press have

    ChatGPT just passed the Turing test. But that doesn’t mean AI is now as smart as humans
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zena Assaad, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering, Australian National University Hanna Barakat & Cambridge Diversity Fund/Better Images of AI, CC BY-SA There have been several headlines over the past week about an AI chatbot officially passing the Turing test. These news reports are based on a recent

    A grab bag of campaign housing policies. But will they fix the affordability crisis beyond the election?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Cull, Associate professor, Western Sydney University Secure and affordable housing is a fundamental human right for all Australians. Therefore, it is unsurprising the election campaign is being played out against a backdrop of heightened voter anxiety about rental stress and housing affordability. A growing number of

    These complementary therapies may soon be eligible for private health insurance rebates
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Wardle, Professor of Public Health, Southern Cross University Rui Dias/Pexels Private health insurers may soon be able to offer rebates for seven complementary therapies previously prohibited. This includes some movement therapies – Pilates, yoga, tai chi and Alexander technique, which teaches body awareness and posture –

    Winston Peters at 80: the populist’s populist clocks up 50 years of political comebacks
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Duncan, Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Relations, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Winston Peters turns a venerable 80 on April 11, but he showed no sign of retiring as New Zealand’s archetypal populist during his recent state of the nation speech. He

    Cities that want to attract business might want to focus less on financial incentives and more on making people feel safe
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kaitlyn DeGhetto, Associate Professor of Management, University of Dayton To attract business investment, American cities and states offer companies billions of dollars in incentives, such as tax credits. As the theory goes, when governments create a business-friendly environment, it encourages investment, leading to job creation and economic

    Election Diary: The election’s first debate was disaster-free but passion-free too
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The election’s first debate, on Sky News on Tuesday night, was disappointingly dull. Viewers who’d been following the campaign would have learned little. There was minimal spontaneity. Among the 100 undecided voters in the room, 44 said Anthony Albanese won,

    Reality check: coral restoration won’t save the world’s reefs
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Node Leader in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures, Flinders University A coral ‘rope’ nursery in the Maldives Luca Saponari/University of Milan, CC BY-ND Coral reefs are much more than

    No major gaffes and no knockout punch: the first leaders’ debate was a pedestrian affair
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Marks, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Partnerships, Western Sydney University Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have faced off in the first leaders’ debate of the 2025 federal election. The debate, hosted by Sky News and The Daily Telegraph, was held at the Wenty

    Politics aside, new research shows there are good financial reasons to back working from home
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dorina Pojani, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Queensland Fizkes/Shutterstock In the pre-industrial era, people often lived and worked in the same building. This removed the need to travel to work. The separation of home and work occurred much later, during the Industrial Revolution. Factories

    Labor’s $1 billion for mental health is good news for young people in particular – but leaves some gaps
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, and Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney mooremedia/Shutterstock The Labor government has announced it would invest A$1 billion in mental health if re-elected to provide more Australians – particularly young people – with “free, public mental

    We’re hardwired to laugh – this is why watching comedians try to be the ‘Last One Laughing’ is so funny
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fergus Edwards, Lecturer in English, University of Tasmania Amazon MGM Studios Last One Laughing is a battle royale for stand-ups. Ten comedians, one room, surrounded by cameras. Laugh once and they’re warned. Laugh again, and they’re out. Last comic left wins. It is an international TV phenomenon,

    Here’s a simple, science-backed way to sharpen your thinking and improve your memory
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Singh, Research Fellow, Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia Centre for Ageing Better/Unsplash Many of us turn to Sudoku, Wordle or brain-training apps to sharpen our minds. But research is increasingly showing one of the best ways to boost memory, focus and brain

    If Australia switched to EVs, we’d be more reliant on China’s car factories – but wean ourselves off foreign oil
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility, Swinburne University of Technology Prapat Aowsakorn/Shutterstock Australia has huge reserves of coal and gas – but very little oil. Before the 20th century, this didn’t matter – trains ran on local coal. But as cars and trucks have come to

    ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 8, 2025
    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 8, 2025.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump administration revokes visas for foreign students

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The Trump administration has revoked visas for more than 300 international students across the United States, a move confirmed by universities and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as part of a nationwide effort targeting foreign students.

    “Maybe more than 300 at this point. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” Rubio said during a press conference in Guyana on March 27.

    Over the weekend, the visa revocations were reported by dozens of universities nationwide, including prestigious ones like Columbia, Cornell, Harvard and Stanford.

    Many affected students had participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests. But university officials said that others with no connection to protests had also suffered visa revocations without explanation.

    At Tufts University, Turkish doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested by masked immigration agents on March 25 while walking near her home. Video of the arrest showed plainclothes officers taking the 30-year-old into custody as she was heading to break her Ramadan fast with friends, according to her attorney.

    The Department of Homeland Security claimed Ozturk “engaged in activities in support of Hamas,” though they provided no evidence for this allegation. Ozturk co-authored an opinion piece in the student newspaper criticizing Tufts’ response to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

    The Turkish embassy said it was working with U.S. authorities regarding Ozturk’s detention. “Every effort is being made to provide the necessary consular services and legal support to protect the rights of our citizen,” the embassy stated.

    At Columbia University, graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, who has legal permanent residency, was detained by immigration authorities last month.

    Khalil said in his Columbia Daily Spectator opinion piece that the school “laid the groundwork for my abduction” and urged the students not to “abdicate their responsibility to resist repression.”

    “Since my abduction on March 8, the intimidation and kidnapping of international students who stand for Palestine has only accelerated,” Khalil wrote in Friday’s piece.

    The actions extend beyond East Coast schools. The University of Colorado and Colorado State University reported a combined total of 10 students with revoked visas this weekend. Meanwhile, Minnesota State University identified five students whose visas were canceled for unclear reasons.

    In California, the situation is equally concerning so far.

    University of California, Los Angeles reported nine affected international students, while UC Berkeley confirmed six visa revocations — four for current students and two for recent graduates.

    UC Davis officials stated seven students and five recent graduates had their visas terminated, and Stanford University confirmed six visa revocations.

    “The federal government has not explained the reasons behind these terminations,” UC Davis said in a statement as reported by NBC News.

    Universities are scrambling to support affected students.

    “We are focused on supporting the success of all of our students, including international students. Each one of our students is seeking to advance their careers and the lives of their families, and we understand the anxieties that visa revocations cause to impacted students,” reported NBC News, citing University of Colorado.

    The Council of University of California Faculty Associations issued a statement Sunday, urgently calling upon the University of California to address the revocation of visas and deportation of international students.

    “It has been reported that in the past week alone, at least 44 students across the UC system have had their I-20 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System record terminated by the Department of Homeland Security, with at least one deportation occurring,” the statement noted.

    Civil rights organizations have condemned the administration’s actions. The American Civil Liberties Union issued an open letter to universities warning: “The federal government cannot mandate student expulsions or threaten funding cuts to suppress constitutionally protected speech.”

    College officials worry this crackdown will deter international students from studying in the United States in the future.

    The situation is “a far different, unprecedented intrusion by the executive branch” involving “revoking student visas for different reasons than we have seen previously and at higher rates than we have ever seen,” said Violeta Chapin, a University of Colorado Boulder law professor and immigration expert. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China unveils guidelines to boost employment for graduates

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Job-seekers pose queries at a job fair in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province. [Photo/China Daily]

    China has released new guidelines on building a high-quality system of employment services for university graduates.

    The policy document, issued by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, outlines a comprehensive strategy to promote sufficient high-quality employment among college graduates.

    It highlights six key areas of focus: optimizing the higher education training system, strengthening career guidance services, improving job-market and recruitment systems, enhancing support mechanisms for jobseekers in difficulty, innovating employment monitoring and evaluation tools, and reinforcing supports and safeguards for graduate employment.

    The document sets the goal of establishing a nationwide employment services network that is inclusive, well-functioning and reliable within three to five years, laying a solid foundation for graduates to find jobs.

    China’s higher education graduate population has grown steadily, exceeding 10 million annually for three consecutive years since 2022, with the number projected to continue rising over the next decade, said a senior official from the Ministry of Education.

    Stressing the urgent need to bridge the gap between higher education programs and societal needs, the official said that the guidelines propose creating a centralized talent demand database and conducting forward-looking analysis of talent supply and demand.

    The government will also optimize disciplinary configurations and enhance coordination linking enrollment plans, talent cultivation, and employment outcomes, the official said.

    In order to promote employment, the guideline demands supporting student entrepreneurship to encourage job creation through startups and facilitating the hiring of urgently needed talent in key sectors through supply-demand alignment programs, according to the official.

    The guideline also recommends reserving time during academic schedules for students to pursue pre-graduation job opportunities, added the official.

    Official data shows that the number of college graduates in China is likely to reach 12.22 million in 2025, an increase of 430,000 from last year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Global EV adoption fails to cut CO₂ – study – UoA

    Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

    There’s little point in buying an electric vehicle if you’re charging it with electricity generated by fossil fuels. In fact, when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions, your EV may be doing more harm than good.

    This is according to a study by researchers from the University of Auckland and Xiamen University in China, published in the journal Energy. (ref. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S036054422500115X?via%3Dihub )

    The researchers analysed the environmental impacts of human activity and used a robust statistical approach to investigate what drives a nation’s carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

    Using data from 26 countries over 15 years, they found a surprising trend: higher EV uptake was linked to increased CO₂ emissions. The reason? In a number of countries, EVs are still being powered by electricity generated through burning fossil fuels like coal or oil.

    Associate Professor Stephen Poletti and Simon Tao, a doctoral candidate at the Business School’s Energy Centre, didn’t observe a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions globally due to EV adoption.

    “On the contrary, EV adoption is positively associated with CO₂ emissions,” says Tao. “This finding appears counterintuitive; it challenges the conventional belief that EVs contribute to decarbonisation.

    “Our analysis highlights that the environmental benefits of EVs are contingent on the composition of a country’s electricity generation mix.”

    Take EVs charged using electricity from coal-fired power plants, says Poletti.

    “In that case, they may indirectly contribute to higher emissions than modern gasoline or diesel vehicles, especially considering the entire lifecycle from production to disposal.”

    The study results suggest only when the global share of renewable electricity generation reaches approximately 48 percent will electric vehicle adoption contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions.

    Renewable energy, mainly wind, solar and hydro, accounted for only a little more than 30 percent of the world’s electricity in 2023, so there’s a way to go, says Poletti.

    “Electric vehicles are often seen as a silver bullet for climate change, but our results show that’s not the case if the electricity powering them isn’t clean.”

    New Zealand, where over 80 percent of electricity generation is renewable, is well-placed to reap the benefits of EVs. Across the ditch, a Clean Energy Council report found that renewables overall accounted for nearly 40 percent of Australia’s total electricity supply in 2023.

    “This research is a reminder that decarbonising transport can’t happen in isolation,” says Poletti.

    “EVs are only as green as the grid they plug into, and government policies should aim to increase the adoption and integration of renewable energy like solar and hydro. This can be achieved by setting ambitious renewable energy targets and providing adequate subsidies such as tax credits to producers and consumers of renewable energy.”

    Poletti says investments in smart grids and transmission networks can boost the efficiency and reliability of renewable energy supply.

    “Policies should support community-based renewable energy projects, which can increase public acceptance of renewable energy installations.”

    Further, the researchers say eliminating subsidies for fossil fuels and implementing carbon pricing mechanisms could also incentivise renewable energy development.

    “Electric vehicle uptake can help countries meet climate-related targets, as long as the energy used to power them is clean,” says Tao.

    In addition to EV uptake, the researchers examined the impacts of economic growth, green technology innovation, renewable energy consumption and population density on emissions.

    They found that economic growth increases emissions, while innovation in environmentally friendly technology and population density, in the form of more compact cities, can help lower them. Renewable energy use had the most significant emissions-reducing effect.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Philip Barbour High School named 2024 School of Excellence by ACT’s American College Application Campaign – West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission

    Source: US State of West Virginia

    Philippi high school is one of 26 U.S. schools recognized for outstanding effort in helping students apply for college

    PHILIPPI, WEST VIRGINIA — ACT’s American College Application Campaign (ACAC) named Philip Barbour High School as a 2024 School of Excellence as part of the College for West Virginia (CFWV) effort to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from under-resourced communities pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential. Philip Barbour High School is one of 26 outstanding schools being recognized nationwide.

    “This recognition is a testament to our commitment to helping students pursue a postsecondary degree or other higher education credential,” said Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, West Virginia’s Chancellor of Higher Education. “We are incredibly pleased to see Philip Barbour bring home this award. The faculty and staff have worked incredibly hard to increase their college-going rate and have shown fierce dedication to their students’ success.” 

    CFWV coordinates three annual college-planning milestones to help students in West Virginia plan their pathway to education or training beyond high school. Philip Barbour High School fosters a college-going culture within their school through participation in these milestone events as well as creating an overarching culture of student success within their school. Because of this, Philip Barbour has seen an increase in their college going rate by 11 percentage points over the last few years.

    This year’s winning schools were key contributors to the national campaign’s success, as reported by the participating state campaigns:

    • Philip Barbour High School is among 5,854 participating schools that hosted a college application event last fall.
    • More than 477,000 seniors submitted at least one college application during events, an increase of more than 10,000 more seniors compared to 2023.
    • Students submitted a total of 1,316,688 applications. 

    Applying for college can be one of the most intimidating parts of a student’s high school education. This year’s recognized schools worked with students to help them better understand the process, ultimately empowering them to complete an application.

    Every year, ACAC works with coordinators in nearly every state and the District of Columbia to host college application events and reach students in their schools and communities, encouraging them to apply to college. Activities in 2024 included career days and fairs, collegiate tailgates, financial aid workshops, and field trips to colleges, where students could take campus tours.                                                              

    “There’s something that’s so rewarding about seeing our state coordinators take part in helping students navigate the admission process,” ACAC Director Lisa King said. “Students feel more confident and empowered to apply to college, and thanks to initiatives like the American College Application Campaign, it all serves as a reminder of the impact we can have.”

    Nationally, the campaign has served nearly 5.17 million students who have submitted more than 10 million applications since 2005. This is the sixth year that ACAC has recognized outstanding schools.

    For more information, visit https://impactandlearning.act.org.

    To learn more about College for West Virginia, visit CFWV.com.

    About College for West Virginia (CFWV)
    College for West Virginia (CFWV) provides free resource that educators and students can use to expand college and career advising. CFWV’s tools, articles, and college-ready initiatives help guide students to career and college pathways. CFWV.com is West Virginia’s free one-stop resource for college and career information in the Mountain State.

    About the American College Application Campaign
    The American College Application Campaign (ACAC), a national initiative of ACT’s Center for Impact and Learning, is designed to increase the number of first-generation college students and students from under-resourced communities who pursue a postsecondary degree. The purpose is to assist high school seniors as they navigate the college application and admissions process and ensure each participating student submits at least one admissions application. https://impactandlearning.act.org

    About ACT
    ACT is transforming college and career readiness pathways so that everyone can discover and fulfill their potential. Grounded in more than 65 years of research, ACT’s learning resources, assessments, research, and work-ready credentials are trusted by students, job seekers, educators, schools, government agencies, and employers in the U.S. and around the world to help people achieve their education and career goals at every stage of life. Visit us at https://www.act.org. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The ‘monogamy superiority myth’: new research suggests unconventional relationships are just as satisfying

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Anderson, Associate Professor in LGBTIQA+ Psychology, La Trobe University

    Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

    From The Bachelor to Married at First Sight, reality TV sells us the idea that one perfect partner will complete us.

    The formula is familiar: find “the one,” lock it down and live happily ever after.

    But behind the rose ceremonies and fairytale weddings lies a very different reality.



    Read more:
    Is reality TV ‘harmful’? We asked 5 experts – including an ex-reality TV participant

    Monogamy as a gold standard?

    A new meta-analysis challenges the long-held belief that monogamous relationships are more satisfying than non-monogamous ones.

    The study used data from more than 24,000 people from around the world, including Australia. It reported no significant difference in relationship or sexual satisfaction between people in monogamous and consensually non-monogamous relationships.

    This changes the way we can think about relationships.

    For years, people have assumed monogamy (the exclusive romantic and sexual commitment to one person) is the gold standard.

    But it turns out the secret to fulfilling relationships might not be about exclusivity at all. It seems to be more about honesty, communication and mutual agreement – regardless of how many people are involved.

    A long-held assumption

    The belief that monogamy leads to more satisfying relationships feels like common sense for most people.

    It’s consistently reinforced by our experiences of the world, ranging from childhood fairytales to government policies – there’s no “polyamorous” box on your tax return, for example. Most movies end with one couple walking off into the sunset together to live happily ever after.

    Popular culture hasn’t done much to challenge this assumption.

    Non-monogamous relationships are rarely depicted on screen and when they are – like in Wanderlust or You Me & Her – they’re often shown as chaotic, emotionally fraught and destined to collapse.

    These ideas create what we have called the “monogamy-superiority myth”: the assumption monogamous relationships are more satisfying, more loving and more stable than alternative forms of relationships.

    So what is consensual non-monogamy?

    Consensual non-monogamy comes in many forms but the key aspect is everyone involved agrees that having multiple romantic or sexual partners is okay.

    The explicit awareness of all involved means these relationships are grounded in consent, communication and mutual respect.

    They come in many forms, such as:

    • open relationships: where couples may have sex with others but maintain a strong emotional bond to each other
    • polyamory: where people may have multiple romantic or emotional partnerships at the same time
    • monogamish: where mostly monogamous couple allow some degree of sexual activity with others, usually with clear, consensual boundaries (such as when travelling)
    • swinging: where committed couples engage in sexual activities with other people, often in a social or party setting.

    These relationships typically involve detailed conversations about values, needs and boundaries.

    As a result, people in these relationships often report higher levels of trust, communication and intentionality in their relationship.

    New research suggests non-traditional relationships can be just as satisfying as monogamous ones.
    NDAB Creativity/Shutterstock

    What our study found

    Our recent meta-analysis explored how people in monogamous and non-monogamous relationships compare on a range of relationship and sexual satisfaction dimensions. These included intimacy, passion, trust, sexual fulfilment and overall relationship happiness.

    We concluded people in non-monogamous relationships are just as satisfied as those in monogamous ones.

    The study also found this to be true for both heterosexual and LGBTQIA+ participants, challenging another stereotype: that non-monogamy is a “lifestyle choice” for queer people, rather than a legitimate relationship preference.

    So if non-monogamous relationships aren’t less satisfying, why do people think they are?

    Openness and stigmas

    In many monogamous relationships, the most common cause of dissatisfaction or breakup is cheating: when exclusivity is assumed but not upheld, trust can be shattered.

    Consensual non-monogamy relationships, by contrast, build openness into their structure. By agreeing on boundaries from the start, partners may avoid some of the betrayals that hurt monogamous relationships most.

    People in these relationships often face stigma, discrimination and systemic barriers. They may be less likely to disclose their relationship status to doctors, therapists, or employers, fearing judgement or misunderstanding.

    Their relationships are rarely recognised legally and social assumptions often paint them as unstable, overly sexual, or emotionally detached.

    Yet many people in non-monogamous relationships are thriving despite the stigma – most likely because of the trust and communication these relationships require.

    The secret to satisfaction

    These findings are not suggesting everyone should be non-monogamous; monogamy works well for lots of people.

    But this research shows us that relationship satisfaction doesn’t depend on exclusivity – it depends on whether partners feel seen, supported and aligned in their values.

    Health-care providers, educators and policymakers should be aware that not all families or partnerships follow a traditional relationship structure – and that’s OK.

    Recognising consensual non-manogamy relationships can help reduce stigma, improve access to support, and promote wellbeing for people in all types of partnerships.

    Love and relationships simply aren’t a one-size-fits-all situation.

    While reality TV may keep trying to churn out monogamous fairytales, real life is a lot more diverse and, as it turns out, just as fulfilling.

    Joel Anderson receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. The ‘monogamy superiority myth’: new research suggests unconventional relationships are just as satisfying – https://theconversation.com/the-monogamy-superiority-myth-new-research-suggests-unconventional-relationships-are-just-as-satisfying-253443

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Chinese-Australian voters were key to Labor’s win in 2022. Are some now swinging back to the Liberals?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wanning Sun, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, University of Technology Sydney

    Chinese-Australian voters were pivotal to Labor’s win in the 2022 election, with the swing against the Liberals in several key marginal seats almost twice that of other seats.

    Many traditionally pro-business Liberal supporters switched sides in protest against the Coalition’s anti-China rhetoric under then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison. This exacerbated the widespread anti-Chinese racism many people felt in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

    A new survey by Sydney Today, a digital Chinese-language media outlet, suggests Labor will most likely retain the support of many of these Chinese-Australian voters.

    Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the 3,000 respondents in the ongoing survey have said they would vote for Labor in the upcoming federal election, while just 27% were backing the Liberals, 2% the Greens and 5% independents.

    If these results mirror the views of the wider Chinese-Australian community, it bodes well for Labor’s prospects, at least in seats with a high concentration of Chinese-Australian voters.

    However, Labor may not succeed in improving on its performance in the last election. One in five voters said they would vote differently this time compared to 2022, with 55% of this group indicating they would switch from Labor to the Coalition and just 18% going the other way.

    When asked why they were changing their vote, 51% said economic management, while 26% said Australia–China relations.

    Survey respondents were predominantly first-generation migrants from China. Nearly four in five were born outside Australia, but have lived here for more than ten years. Most (73%) were Australian citizens and eligible to vote.

    What issues are most important

    The 2021 census counted approximately 1.39 million Australian residents with Chinese heritage, around 536,000 of whom were born in mainland China. As this group continues to grow rapidly, first-generation Chinese-Australians are becoming a significant political force.

    The survey results reveal a complex and shifting picture of party loyalties and preferences among these voters.

    Participants were asked to identify one issue out of a list of 17 that concerns them most in this election. This list included things such as housing, income, taxes, welfare, health, education, immigration and the environment. The economy ranked first with 14% of respondents, followed closely by Australia–China relations (12%).

    The fact that many Chinese-Australians see the Liberals as better economic managers may account for the shift back to the party among some swing voters.

    Yet, most Chinese-Australians seem to agree Labor has handled Australia–China relations much better than the Liberals. This may be why the majority of respondents overall have preferred to stick with Labor.

    About 70% of respondents said they would consider voting for a party that is friendly to Chinese-Australian communities, while 72% said they would consider voting for a party that adopts a moderate approach to China.

    Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, long a hardline critic of the Chinese Communist Party, has attempted to soften his stance in the lead-up to this election. He said last year, for instance, he was “pro-China” and wanted to see the trade between the two countries double.

    In recent days, however, he has attacked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his “weak” response to the presence of a Chinese research vessel off the coast of Australia.

    Some Chinese-Australian voters would prefer Australia to adopt a more independent foreign policy that is less reliant on the US for its national security. Research suggests Chinese-Australians tend to be more critical of the bipartisan AUKUS agreement with the United States and United Kingdom than the general public.

    And I’ve observed anecdotal evidence in conversations with Chinese-Australian voters suggesting some are unhappy with both major parties’ positions on China and the US. This is convincing a small number of rusted-on Labor supporters to consider voting for the Greens, minor parties or independents.

    Support for Chinese candidates not a guarantee

    There is a widespread assumption that ethnic voters tend to vote for a candidate who shares their cultural or ethnic background. This seems to be the thinking behind both major parties’ choice of candidates to run in electorates with high concentrations of Chinese voters.

    The Liberals’ preselection of Grange Chung (Reid), Scott Yung (Bennelong), and Howard Ong (Tangney) are cases in point.

    But the survey indicates this may not be a foolproof strategy. When asked whether they would support a candidate on the basis of their Chinese or Asian appearance, respondents were split down the middle. Only slightly more than half (52%) said they would.

    Much can change between now and election day on May 3. Whether the Liberals can retain the small swing they seem to have gained among Chinese-Australians may depend on Dutton’s stance on China. They will no doubt be watching closely to see what he says.

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

    – ref. Chinese-Australian voters were key to Labor’s win in 2022. Are some now swinging back to the Liberals? – https://theconversation.com/chinese-australian-voters-were-key-to-labors-win-in-2022-are-some-now-swinging-back-to-the-liberals-254052

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine, & Colleagues Question HHS Secretary RFK Jr. on Decision to Fire Workers Tasked with Protecting Coal Miner Health and Safety

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushing back on his decision to gut the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), firing nearly 900 employees. Recent reporting has indicated that these firings include all employees tasked with protecting the health and safety of coal miners.

    “According to reports, HHS is laying off approximately 873 employees, or two-thirds, of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” the senators wrote. “According to a notification provided to AFGE Local 1969, whose federal employee members are being impacted, all employees working on mining safety and health in NIOSH’s Spokane, WA and Pittsburgh, PA, offices are being let go. ,  The NIOSH Pittsburgh Mining Research Division focuses on coal miner safety, and the Spokane Mining Research Division specializes in hard rock mining, and are the two main research hubs for NIOSH’s Mining Research Program. Additionally, reports indicate more than 185 NIOSH employees are being laid off from its Morgantown, WV, office, who also work to protect miner health, among other occupational safety and health activities.”

    The senators also highlighted the immediate impacts of this move, explaining that mining communities are already being left without key health services.

    They continued, “We also have heard from those who work directly with our miner constituents in these communities that the Enhanced Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program is also being decimated. This program provides direct screening services via a mobile medical unit to miners at no cost. NIOSH also supports clinic sites where screening is done, so miners can understand if they are developing black lung or another condition and be as healthy as possible for themselves and their families.”

    In their letter, the senators demanded answers from Secretary Kennedy, questioning how these crucial services will continue with a significantly reduced workforce. The senators requested a written response to the following:

    1. How many HHS employees who work in offices that work on mining health and safety have been fired, put on administrative leave, accepted the deferred resignation program offer, or accepted the VERA/VSIP offer since January 20, 2025? Provide a complete breakdown by agency and position. For each category of employee at each agency, provide information on GS level and veteran status, and clearly state the justification for termination. Include employees who have since been reinstated or placed on administrative leave, noting that change in status. Please provide the latest data available.
    2. How many HHS employees remain who work on mining health and safety? Please provide a complete breakdown by agency and position.
    3. How many additional employees who work in offices that work on mining health and safety do you intend to fire following the announcement made on March 27, 2025?
    4. Provide all analyses conducted prior to the reorganization and firings of HHS employees who work in offices that focus on mining safety and health to determine the immediate and long-term impact these firings will have on programs and activities that those employees are tasked with administering. In particular, provide all analyses relating to 1) ensuring statutory obligations will be met, and 2) the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

    A copy of letter is available here and text is below.

    Dear Secretary Kennedy:

    We write today with alarming concern about reports that nearly the entire workforce that works to improve the health of miners was laid off and the office that oversees this work was eliminated. We urge you to reverse course immediately and ensure the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continues its important work in our states to protect and serve our constituents.

    According to reports, HHS is laying off approximately 873 employees, or two-thirds, of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  According to a notification provided to AFGE Local 1969, whose federal employee members are being impacted, all employees working on mining safety and health in NIOSH’s Spokane, WA and Pittsburgh, PA, offices are being let go. ,  The NIOSH Pittsburgh Mining Research Division focuses on coal miner safety, and the Spokane Mining Research Division specializes in hard rock mining, and are the two main research hubs for NIOSH’s Mining Research Program. Additionally, reports indicate more than 185 NIOSH employees are being laid off from its Morgantown, WV, office, who also work to protect miner health, among other occupational safety and health activities. 

    We also have heard from those who work directly with our miner constituents in these communities that the Enhanced Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program is also being decimated. This program provides direct screening services via a mobile medical unit to miners at no cost. NIOSH also supports clinic sites where screening is done, so miners can understand if they are developing black lung or another condition and be as healthy as possible for themselves and their families.

    Never has there been a more critical time to do this work. A 2023 study conducted jointly by researchers at NIOSH and at the University of Illinois Chicago found that coal miners in central Appalachia—Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky—were eight times more likely to die from respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and black lung than American men who are not miners.  Our constituents are getting more severe disease at younger ages in recent decades, and we might never had known that without the expertise of NIOSH’s work on coal miner health.

    We require more than a fact sheet indicating these duties will be reorganized into an Administration for a Healthy America given the extensive cuts to personnel. In order for us to better understand how the same amount of work can be done with hundreds fewer individuals, please provide responses to the following questions by April 9, 2025:

    1. How many HHS employees who work in offices that work on mining health and safety have been fired, put on administrative leave, accepted the deferred resignation program offer, or accepted the VERA/VSIP offer since January 20, 2025? Provide a complete breakdown by agency and position. For each category of employee at each agency, provide information on GS level and veteran status, and clearly state the justification for termination. Include employees who have since been reinstated or placed on administrative leave, noting that change in status. Please provide the latest data available.
    2. How many HHS employees remain who work on mining health and safety? Please provide a complete breakdown by agency and position.
    3. How many additional employees who work in offices that work on mining health and safety do you intend to fire following the announcement made on March 27, 2025?
    4. Provide all analyses conducted prior to the reorganization and firings of HHS employees who work in offices that focus on mining safety and health to determine the immediate and long-term impact these firings will have on programs and activities that those employees are tasked with administering. In particular, provide all analyses relating to 1) ensuring statutory obligations will be met, and 2) the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

    Art Miller, an expert in mine air quality who has been working for NIOSH since 1996 and for its predecessor before this, was part of the Spokane-area firings. He noted that no one else does this kind of research and that “every worker in this country deserves to go home safe.”  We agree, and urge you to reverse these cuts before it’s too late.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Former US treasury secretary warns of likely recession, 2M layoffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday that the United States is likely heading into a recession, with the possibility of 2 million Americans losing their jobs, as a result of the ongoing tariff increases.

    “It’s more likely than not that we’re going to have a recession – and in the context of a recession, we’ll see an extra 2 million people be unemployed,” Summers said on Bloomberg Television’s Wall Street Week.

    “We’ll see losses in household income” of 5,000 dollars per family or more, said Summers, who is Harvard University professor and paid contributor to Bloomberg TV.

    Summers argued that the tariff plans by the Trump administration exceed even those of 1930 that “made the depression great,” noting that it would be wise to be “backing off the policies that have been announced.”

    Despite warnings from Summers and other economists, the White House indicated on Tuesday that the policies will go into effect as previously planned.

    “The president was asked and answered this yesterday. He said he’s not considering an extension or delay. I spoke to him before this briefing. That was not his mindset. He expects that these tariffs are going to go into effect,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a press briefing.

    On April 2, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order regarding the so-called “reciprocal tariffs,” announcing that the United States will impose a 10 percent “baseline tariff” on trade partners and higher tariffs on certain partners, with some facing tariffs exceeding 30 percent, and even 40 percent.

    The 10 percent “baseline tariff” went into effect on April 5, and the higher tariffs on certain trading partners are set to go into effect on Wednesday, April 9.

    Although Trump has repeatedly claimed that the tariff increases will help generate revenue for the U.S. government, reduce the trade deficit, and revitalize American manufacturing, economists and business leaders warn that these tariff measures will drive up prices, harm American consumers and businesses, disrupt global trade, and be detrimental to global economic growth.

    Several U.S. trade partners have already announced countermeasures. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: BSMI Reminds Parents to Put Toy Safety First This Children’s Day

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Children’s Day is a special occasion dedicated to children-a day filled with joy, laughter, and thoughtful gifts from parents and loved ones. To help make this day truly happy and safe, the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI), Ministry of Economic Affairs, would like to extend its warmest wishes to all children in Taiwan and remind parents that when it comes to toys, safety should always come first. The Commodity Inspection Mark on toys is a clear sign that the product meets national safety standards.

    To protect children’s health and safety, all toys intended for children under 14 years old are required by law to undergo inspection and must bear the official Commodity Inspection Mark. Both imported and locally-made toys are subject to this requirement before they can be sold on the market.

    The BSMI encourages parents to keep the following safety tips in mind when buying and using toys:
    1.Choose toys with the Commodity Inspection Mark. (Refer to the attached diagram. Information on certified toys is available on the BSMI website: https://civil.bsmi.gov.tw/bsmi_pqn/)
    2.Check product labels. Ensure that information on age suitability, usage instructions, materials, and safety warnings is clearly marked in Chinese-and take the time to read them carefully.
    3.Buy age-appropriate toys. Toys that are not suitable for a child’s age may lead to accidental injuries.
    4.Check toys thoroughly. Make sure parts are securely attached and that there are no small, loose components that could be swallowed.
    5.Check for sharp edges. Broken or poorly made toys may cause cuts or injuries.
    6.Watch out for long strings or cords. These may pose a risk of strangulation for young children.

    Additionally, the BSMI would like to highlight several recent incidents, both in Taiwan and abroad, related to certain popular toys. Parents are advised to pay special attention to the followings:
    1.Slime toys: Some may contain excessive levels of boron, which can cause skin irritation or other health risks. Limit your child’s playtime with slime and ensure they wash their hands after use.
    2.Expandable toys (water-absorbing toys): These can grow in size after absorbing water and may cause choking if swallowed. They are not suitable for children under three years old.
    3.Floating balloons: Always ask the seller about the type of gas used. If the gas is flammable (such as hydrogen) or if the seller cannot confirm the gas type, do not purchase them.
    4.Magnetic Buckyballs: These small, strong magnets can cause severe internal injuries if swallowed. Keep them out of reach of young children.
    5.Pimple Popping Injection Squishy Toys: If these toys come with a syringe or needle, they do not meet safety standards and should not be purchased for children.
    6.Automatic inflatable grenade toys: These toys can produce loud noises and potentially cause hearing damage. Heat and flying fragments from these toys may also harm children’s skin or eyes.
    7.Plastic toy gravity knives: While they may seem harmless, these toy knives can still cause injury. Teach children to use them responsibly and never point them at others.

    To help parents and children better understand toy safety risks, the BSMI has also produced an educational animation video on the dangers of magnetic Buckyballs, available on our website: https://www.bsmi.gov.tw/wSite/public/Data/6.mp4. We encourage parents and teachers to watch this video with children to raise awareness.

    Let’s work together to make this Children’s Day happy and safe for every child.

    Responsible Division: Inspection Administration Division
    Contact Person: Cheng, Ching-Hong, Deputy Director
    Tel. (O):+886-2343-1763
    Email:ch.cheng@bsmi.gov.tw

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA urges Supreme Court to reject attempts to force states to fund religious charter schools

    Source: US National Education Union

    WASHINGTON—The National Education Association joined a broad-based coalition of education groups in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Oklahoma Charter School Board v. Drummond and St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond. The two cases, which were added late in the court’s current term, concern whether the Oklahoma Supreme Court correctly found that a charter authorizing board’s decision to create the nation’s first religious public charter school violated the Oklahoma state constitution, the state charter school statute, and the U.S. Constitution. 

    If the U.S. Supreme Court sides with the petitioners and holds that the Free Exercise Clause bars the state from refusing to authorize religious charter schools, the decision is likely to have broad repercussions. Forty-six states and the District of Columbia currently have charter school programs, all of which define and treat charter schools as public schools by, among other things, requiring them to offer a nonsectarian education. Over 7% of K-12 students attend such schools.

    “Every student—no matter where they live, what they look like, or their religion—deserves access to a fully-funded neighborhood public school that gives them a sense of belonging and prepares them with the lessons and life skills they need to follow their dreams and reach their full potential,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “Allowing taxpayer dollars to fund religious charter schools would put both public education and religious freedom at risk, opening the door to more privatization that undermines our public education system.”

    The lower court ruling was in response to a petition filed with the Oklahoma Supreme Court by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, who sought to rescind the Charter School Board’s contract with St. Isidore. Oklahoma teachers have agreed with the attorney general’s petition.

    “Our public schools and educators work tirelessly to meet the needs of each student despite the challenges placed on them by elected officials,” said Cari Elledge, a fifth-grade teacher who serves as the president of the Oklahoma Education Association. “Requiring Oklahoma to fund religious doctrine in charter school programs diminishes funding for classroom resources, educator salaries, and other supports our students need. Ultimately, it can harm our students and our public schools by funneling funding meant for all to only a select few.”

    The ramifications of allowing taxpayer money to fund religious charter schools will extend far beyond Oklahoma’s borders.

    “More than 90% of American students—and 95% of students with disabilities—learn in our public schools. And these students need more opportunities, more resources, and greater protections, not less,” added Pringle. “The Supreme Court must not radically depart from the universal legal consensus that public schools, including charter schools, must welcome all students, be accountable to the public, and remain nonsectarian. Forcing taxpayers to fund charter schools that provide a religious curriculum and demand public funds without following public rules is a direct attack on public education, threatening the very foundation of our democracy.”

    The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the cases on April 30.

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

    # # #

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: New York Post Ed Board Highlights Ernst’s Squeal Work

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, the New York Post Editorial Board highlighted Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) work that revealedunionized workers at the Defense Health Agency spent 87,000 hours in a two-year timespan doing union work instead of their jobs supporting the military health system.
    “This info comes in a bombshell new report unearthed by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a veteran and a fierce advocate for the troops as well as a staunch fighter against fraud and waste as head of the Senate DOGE caucus. Good: The more sunlight into government spending, the better,” the Editorial Board wrote.
    Following her years-long investigation into the absent government workforce and the impact of federal telework abuse, Ernst has cracked down on taxpayer-funded union time with her Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallet Act that would end taxpayers having to foot the bill for federal employees engaging in union activity while on the clock. She is also leading the Taxpayer-Funded Union Time Transparency Act to track the total amount taxpayers are subsidizing federal employee unions.
    Read the full editorial below:
    Public-sector workers spent 87,000 hours screwing you — just at one agency, just in two years
    By: The New York Post Editorial Board
    Unionized workers at the Defense Health Agency, tasked with overseeing benefits for US troops, spent 87,000 hours (and $3.3 million) during fiscal 2023 and 2024 doing union work instead of their actual jobs. 
    You read that right: 87,000 hours. 
    That’s equivalent to 3,625 days, almost a full man-hour decade. 
    Burned up by staffers tending to their own interests, to the detriment of the troops they’re nominally charged with helping and the taxpayers they’re answerable to: They spent those hours doing things like contract renegotiation and fringe-benefit squeeze-outs. 
    This info comes in a bombshell new report unearthed by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a veteran and a fierce advocate for the troops as well as a staunch fighter against fraud and waste as head of the Senate DOGE caucus. 
    Good: The more sunlight into government spending, the better. 
    Otherwise, there’s no way to ever know which handouts serve to advance America’s national interest and which line the pockets of powerful fiefdoms and their lords. 
    But it points to a bigger problem, i.e., that public-sector unions are bad news for everyone. 
    In the private sector, unionized workers use their collective power to win concessions from business owners. If that gums up the works too much, the company suffers and its customers and investors go elsewhere.
    Government doesn’t work that way: The dissatisfied can’t escape so easily, and it’s politicians and other officials with no personal skin in the game who make the concessions.
    And unionized government workers put the squeeze directly on you. 
    Every benefit, every pay hike, every extra comes out of the taxpayer’s pocket. 
    And by shielding the incompetent and criminal, stifling innovation and generally gumming up the works, public-sector unions screw over the people most dependent on government services. 
    That is, the poor, the disabled and the otherwise marginalized. 
    Even, in this case, the armed forces. 
    So the next time National Education Association head Becky Pringle starts in on one of her semi-comprehensible tirades about justice and equity, or any other municipal, state or federal public-union muckamuck throws a weepy, righteous temper tantrum — remember. 
    The only thing they want is to shove their hand deeper into your pocket.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Connecticut Delegation Demand McMahon Reverse Abrupt Policy Change Halting Funding For Schools Nationwide

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-Conn.-01), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-02), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03) and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05) joined 71 members of Congress in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon demanding a reversal of a recently announced policy that abruptly changed department practice and imposed new red tape on states. The policy would block states from accessing pandemic relief funds they rely on to support students’ learning.
    “We write to request the immediate reversal of the Department of Education’s recent March 28, 2025, action to revise the liquidation extension policy for COVID-19 relief funds,” the members wrote. “Just over a month ago, the Department announced a policy change to the longstanding extension policy that imposed an additional step for processing of extension reimbursements. … However, on March 28, 2025, with many state extension requests having been approved more than six months ago,  the Department suddenly announced on March 28 that ‘the Department is modifying the liquidation period to end on March 28, 2025,’ the very same day as the announcement.”
    “In short,” they continued, “the Department changed the spending rules it affirmed just one month ago, without providing any notice, and imposing more federal red tape.”
    The members noted that the abrupt change—coupled with the mass firings at ED—seriously threaten the ability of schools to support students’ learning: “When combined with the massive reduction in force announced earlier this month, the Department jeopardizes an estimated $4 billion from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 in nearly all of our states and outlying areas and roughly 1,000 school districts nationwide. This action is particularly harmful to rural school districts that faced the greatest disruptions during the authorized program period. This will also have a disproportionate impact on $800 million reserved for identification and support for students experiencing homelessness, which was implemented slowly in many states. The March 28th decision of the Department improperly imposes its will on state and local budget decisions in a manner not contemplated by Congress.”
    The members criticized McMahon for undermining Congress’s intent to give states the flexibility they need to meet local needs: “Congress intended the Secretary to support states and districts in their use of the flexibility under the law to ensure the unique needs of their communities were met and to implement evidence-based learning loss interventions. The Department is now trying to change the spending rules and impose an administrative hurdle by stating ‘the Department will consider an extension to your liquidation period on an individual project-specific basis.’…We are astonished by the amount of hypocrisy here from an administration that has repeatedly said it wants to return education to the states, including your recent statement that ‘Education is fundamentally a state responsibility. Instead of filtering resources through layers of federal red tape, we will empower states…’ Now, it appears the Department is turning its back on states by arbitrarily imposing more federal red tape.”
    They concluded: “Let’s be very clear: The abrupt change in the liquidation extension policy is yet another way this administration is seeking to strip educational opportunities for students in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations. President Trump and Congressional Republicans are intent in claiming any savings they can in the federal budget that they intend to use to pay for their tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations. It is appalling to us that those billionaire and corporate giveaways are valued over the students in rural school districts that faced supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the districts’ need for these liquidation extensions, valued over students experiencing homelessness who have seen the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds dedicated to them spent down slowly, and valued over so many other students that will be attending schools that are already facing difficult budget choices for the next school year without the additional burden of this changed policy. That is, unless states undertake the newest burden put in place by your Department and are able to navigate the Department’s bureaucratic maze and receive funds for projects that may have been committed to years ago. We believe there is a better way.”
    U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.
    U.S. Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.-03), Alma Adams (D-N.C.-12), Donald Beyer (D-Va.-08), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26), Shontel Brown (D-Ohio-11), André Carson (D-Ind.-07), Greg Casar (D-Texas-35), Sean Casten (D-Ill.-06), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas-20), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.-09), Danny Davis (D-Ill.-07), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.-01), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.-17), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.-03), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas-16), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.-13), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.-03), Shomari Figures (D-Ala.-02), Jesús García (D-Ill.-04), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas-29), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas-34), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.-06), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.-01), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-04), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02), Timothy Kennedy (D-N.Y.-26), Summer Lee (D-Pa.-12), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.-06), Sarah McBride (D-Del.-01), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.-04), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Mich.-08), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.-02), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.-10), Donald Norcross (D-N.J.-01), Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.-02), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine-01), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.-02), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.-38), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.-07), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.-11), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), Darren Soto (D-Fla.-09), Haley Stevens (D-Mich.-11), Mark Takano (D-Calif.-39), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.-12), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.-24), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-01) signed the letter as well.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:
    Dear Secretary McMahon:
    We write to request the immediate reversal of the Department of Education’s (“the Department”) recent March 28, 2025, action to revise the liquidation extension policy for COVID-19 relief funds. Just over a month ago, the Department announced a policy change to the longstanding extension policy that imposed an additional step for processing of extension reimbursements. That policy stated “Beginning today, all future payments under the CARES Act, CRRSA Act, and ARP Act spent on allowable expenditures must be paid by the states in advance and then submitted to the U.S. Department of Education for reimbursement.” While the Department’s action added an unnecessary burden on states, it continued the longstanding extension policy established years ago in stating “All [COVID-19 Pandemic relief funding] expenditures must fall under the approved expenditures as outlined in guidance for ESSER, ARPA, and HEERF.”
    However, on March 28, 2025, with many state extension requests having been approved more than six months ago, the Department suddenly announced that “the Department is modifying the liquidation period to end on March 28, 2025”, the very same day as the announcement. Specifically, the Department stated that “The extension approval was issued recently, so any reliance interests developed are minimal…So you could not rely on the Department adhering to its original decision.” In short, the Department changed the spending rules it affirmed just one month ago, without providing any notice, and imposing more federal red tape.
    This abrupt and chaotic revision of policy is not helpful to students whose states, school districts, or institutions of higher education are uncertain about the Department’s commitments to implementing federal funding designed to support students. The March 28th decision is an imposition of an unauthorized layer of bureaucratic red tape on the expenditure of resources passed by Congress to support learning recovery for our nation’s students. When combined with the massive reduction in force announced earlier this month, the Department jeopardizes an estimated $4 billion from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021(“ARP Act”) in nearly all of our states and outlying areas and roughly 1,000 school districts nationwide. This action is particularly harmful to rural school districts that faced the greatest disruptions during the authorized program period. This will also have a disproportionate impact on $800 million reserved for identification and support for students experiencing homelessness, which was implemented slowly in many states. The March 28th decision of the Department improperly imposes its will on state and local budget decisions in a manner not contemplated by Congress.
    Second, we are alarmed by your lack of a recognition of the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our nation’s students. The Department’s March 28 policy change asserts “Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion.” We are surprised to learn the Department is unaware of recent results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (“NAEP”) which show “National scores are below pre-pandemic levels (2019) in ALL tested grades and subjects.” NAEP results also reveal “Gaps are growing between higher-performing and lower-performing students.” Further, chronic absenteeism still is too high with the latest data indicating “a majority of students still attended schools with 20% or higher levels of chronic absence. This serious absenteeism is in stark contrast to 2019, when slightly over a quarter of schools experienced such high levels of chronic absence.” Years after the COVID-19 pandemic, our schools and communities still have much work to do to help students recover and the Department’s termination of the remaining resources Congress passed for that purpose will only serve to delay and undermine our students’ recovery.
    Third, Congress intended the Secretary to support states and districts in their use of the flexibility under the law to ensure the unique needs of their communities were met and to implement evidence-based learning loss interventions. The Department is now trying to change the spending rules and impose an administrative hurdle by stating “the Department will consider an extension to your liquidation period on an individual project-specific basis.” This is despite the fact that such extensions to liquidation periods were noticed more than one year ago, with some granted more than six months ago, and that states assured to the Department that “The SEA will ensure that LEAs [school districts] use ARP ESSER funds for activities allowable under section 2001(e) of the ARP.” We are astonished by the amount of hypocrisy here from an administration that has repeatedly said it wants to return education to the states, including your recent statement that “Education is fundamentally a state responsibility. Instead of filtering resources through layers of federal red tape, we will empower states…”. Now, it appears the Department is turning its back on states by arbitrarily imposing more federal red tape.
    We would be heartened if the Department’s new policy was really intended to better support students. However, actions of the past two months tell a starkly different story. The Department has cancelled hundreds of millions in teacher training grants that were at work in addressing educator shortages and improving the quality of instruction in our schools. The Department has cancelled hundreds of millions of research and evaluation contracts on critical issues like an evaluation of transition supports for students with disabilities, which was intended to provide states and school districts with high quality evidence on approaches to support students with disabilities with their transition to post-school outcomes. The Department also cancelled an evaluation of the programs that receive the largest amount of funding appropriated for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, depriving Congress and the Department of critical information about the implementation of those programs. The Department cancelled contracts for the Comprehensive Centers program, which—in addition to being statutorily required—were poised to provide effective capacity building support and technical assistance to states, school systems, and schools in addressing chronic absenteeism, and math and literacy learning, among other locally and regionally identified challenges. The Department also canceled the Long Term Trend NAEP for 17 year olds, which has been providing data on student achievement for decades. The Department has implemented a massive dismantling and reduction in staff, which has reduced the number of staff available at the Office for Civil Rights to protect the rights of all students. Finally, the massive reduction also appears to have delayed the processing of COVID-19 relief reimbursement requests prior to the announcement of the changed policy that is the subject of this letter.
    Let’s be very clear: The abrupt change in the liquidation extension policy is yet another way this administration is seeking to strip educational opportunities for students in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations. President Trump and Congressional Republicans are intent in claiming any savings they can in the federal budget that they intend to use to pay for their tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations. It is appalling to us that those billionaire and corporate giveaways are valued over the students in rural school districts that faced supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the districts’ need for these liquidation extensions, valued over students experiencing homelessness who have seen the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds dedicated to them spent down slowly, and valued over so many other students that will be attending schools that are already facing difficult budget choices for the next school year without the additional burden of this changed policy. That is, unless states undertake the newest burden put in place by your Department and are able to navigate the Department’s bureaucratic maze and receive funds for projects that may have been committed to years ago.
    We believe there is a better way. We urge you to immediately rescind your March 28 revision to the longstanding liquidation extension policy. Further, we believe you should work with us to start properly executing our federal education laws as Congress intended.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: University Research – Global infant mortality will rise – in contrast to United Nations projections – Flinders

    Source: Flinders University

    A new report presented in New York on 8 April reveals that current United Nations projections on infant mortality rates are inaccurate.

    The Fragile Futures report says crucial factors missing from current United Nations projections – the impacts of climate change and population on infant mortality – will cause infant mortality to rise and children’s overall health to decline this decade.

    While current United Nations projections predict a continuing decline in infant mortality, new evidence in the Fragile Futures report shows that climate change and population dynamics in the most climate-vulnerable regions will increase infant mortality rates.

    UK-based NGO Population Matters funded the independent Fragile Futures evidence review, conducted by the Future Child Health research team at The Kids Research Institute Australia, with help from The University of Western Australia and Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology Corey Bradshaw from Flinders University in South Australia.

    Representatives from Population Matters and the Future Child Health research team attended the United Nations Commission on Population Development in New York, and presented the Fragile Futures research at a side event (“A Discussion on Child Health and Climate”) on 8 April.

    Report co-author Professor Corey Bradshaw from Flinders University says that evidence revealed in the Fragile Futures report shows that infant mortality is rising.

    “Although United Nations’ projections on infant mortality show a continuing decline to 2100, recent evidence suggests that infant mortality is increasing in several countries, including the United States, France, India, Madagascar, Cambodia, Nepal, and the Philippines.”

    The report also presents evidence that climate change will increase pre-term births. “Rising temperatures are linked to a 60% increase in preterm births, a major contributor to higher rates of infant mortality and health complications later in life even in those children who survive,” says co-author Dr Melinda Judge from The Kids Research Institute Australia and The University of Western Australia.

    “The risk of pre-term birth is already higher in low- and middle-income countries. Sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia accounted for 65% of all preterm births globally in 2020, and this will increase due to more frequent and persisting heatwaves.”

    Children’s respiratory health is identified as being at increased risk. “Climate change and higher population density also causes more exposure to air pollution, increasing cases of asthma, eczema, and allergies in young children,” says co-author Professor Peter Le Souëf from The University of Western Australia and The Kids Research Institute Australia. “In Africa, air pollution was linked to 449,000 additional infant deaths in 2015.”

    The report shows that preventable deaths of women and newborns are increasing. In 2020, 287,000 women died from preventable pregnancy-related complications, and 80% of newborn deaths were due to preventable and treatable conditions. Investment in sexual and reproductive healthcare saves lives.

    Cuts to international aid budgets are also having an effect on these figures. “The withdrawal of USAID support between 2025 and 2028 is projected to result in 1,200 additional preventable maternal deaths in Afghanistan alone,” says Professor Bradshaw.

    “The total impacts of lost aid on women and children’s health remains unknown – but will be catastrophic without intervention.”

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Republicans Attack Public Education, Pressley Reintroduces Bills to Invest in Safe, Nurturing Learning Environments for All Students

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

    Pair of Bills Would Address Pushout of Black Girls, Invest in Counselors and End Over-Policing of Public K-12 Schools

    Ending PUSHOUT Act | Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act

    WASHINGTON – Today, as Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Republicans attack public education, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) is leading her colleagues in reintroducing a pair of bills, the Ending PUSHOUT Act and Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act, which would collectively end the discriminatory treatment of Black and brown students, LGBTQIA+ students, and students with disabilities in schools, and invest in safe, nurturing learning environments for all students.

    “Classrooms should be a place for students to learn, grow, and thrive – not be overpoliced and criminalized. With Republicans gutting public education and attacking vulnerable students, our bills would help protect our students by promoting trauma-informed policies and investing in counselors, nurses, social workers, and other trained professionals who actually make our schools safer,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “I’m grateful to my House and Senate colleagues for their ongoing partnership and for the coalition of individuals and organizations from across the country who joined us in support of these bills. We must affirm the right for every student to learn in a setting free from fear.”

    Rep. Pressley is joined by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) in reintroducing the Ending PUSHOUT Act, which would end the punitive pushout of girls of color from schools. 

    “Over the last 25 years, more than $1 billion in federal funds have been used to put police officers in our nation’s schools without any evidence that this funding has improved school safety or student outcomes,” said Senator Booker. “Additionally, research shows that students of color, particularly girls, are often subjected to harsher and more frequent disciplinary action compared to their white counterparts. The Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act and Ending PUSHOUT Act are critical bills that invest federal dollars in counselors, social workers, and other trauma-informed personnel to support students so we can keep create safer academic environments for all students to thrive.”

    “I want my granddaughter to learn, grow, and receive an education in an environment where she is loved and valued,” said Rep. Watson Coleman. “But we know, both from the data and our own experience, that this is not always the case for Black girls. They are disproportionately likely to face severe punishment for similar behaviors compared to their white peers and we must take action to dismantle this systemic discrimination. The school-to-prison pipeline is real, and it has specifically harmed and targeted Black girls. I’m proud to support Rep. Pressley’s End PUSHOUT Act to put an end to this injustice, and foster a learning environment where every student, regardless of race, gender, or ZIP code, has the opportunity to thrive.”

    “It’s heartbreaking but not surprising that across the country, Black girls and Indigenous girls are still being pushed out of classrooms at staggering rates. Black students in Minnesota are eight times more likely to be suspended than white students. For Indigenous students, it’s ten times,” said Rep. Omar. “The Ending PUSHOUT Act is about creating school environments where girls of color feel safe, supported, and free to learn. I’m proud to stand with Congresswoman Pressley and Congresswoman Watson Coleman to say our girls deserve better and we’re going to fight for them.”

    Rep. Pressley is joined by Congresswoman Omar (MN-05), Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12), and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) in introducing the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act, which would invest in safe and nurturing school climates that support all students and end over-policing in our nation’s public K-12 schools.

    “Every kid deserves to feel secure and supported in their classroom. But too often students, especially kids of color and students with disabilities, are arrested at school instead of getting the help that would actually address the root causes of their behavioral issues. While a number of school districts across the country have made progress by taking police out of classrooms and giving our kids the kind of support that we know leads to better results, other schools have gone back to old rules that just punish kids but don’t help them get back on track. This legislation would put more counselors and social workers in schools and make sure school districts have the resources they need to make classrooms safe for all students,” said Senator Murphy.

    “Our children deserve to feel safe, supported, and seen in their schools, not criminalized for simply being kids. Schools have increasingly relied on policing to manage behavior in our classrooms, a practice that has disproportionately harmed Black, brown, LGBTQ+, and disabled students,” said Rep. Omar. “This bill moves us toward justice by directing resources toward counselors, social workers, and the support systems our students actually need to thrive. I’m proud to join my colleagues in fighting for a future where every child has the freedom to learn in an environment that uplifts their potential instead of policing their existence.”

    “Schools should be a place our students feel safe and supported without fear of surveillance or punishment,” said Rep. Summer Lee. “Rather than increasing police presence in schools, the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act would invest in trauma-informed counselors and social workers to create more positive learning environments. We should be bringing students in, not pushing them out—especially marginalized students disproportionately criminalized for normal childhood and adolescent behavior.”

    Across the country, the education of Black and brown students is often disrupted as a result of discriminatory and punitive discipline policies that criminalize and push them out of school. In particular, Black girls are suspended, expelled, referred to law enforcement, and arrested on school campuses at disproportionately higher rates than white girls due to unfair dress code and hair policies and a lack of understanding of the historical, social, and economic inequities such as poverty, trauma, hunger, and violence that often impact student behavior. Overall, Black girls, girls of color, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities are disproportionately subjected to exclusionary school discipline policies such as suspension and expulsion, which can have long-term effects on the safety, wellbeing, and academic success of all students.

    Additionally, research shows that the presence of mental and behavioral health personnel in schools, like counselors, social workers, and psychologists, improves educational outcomes for kids, specifically by improving attendance and graduation rates while lowering the rates of suspension, expulsion and other disciplinary incidents. Meanwhile, the presence of police in schools leads to an increase in arrests of students — disproportionately students of color, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities — often for common misbehavior that a school could address without the involvement of law enforcement. 

    The Ending PUSHOUT Act will work to disrupt the school-to-confinement pathway by investing in safe and nurturing school environments for all students, especially girls of color.  Specifically, the bill would:

    • Establish new federal grants to support states and schools that commit to ban unfair and discriminatory school discipline practices and improve school climate.
    • Protect Civil Rights Data Collection and strengthen the Department of Education’s (ED) Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
    • Establish a federal interagency taskforce to end school pushout and examine its disproportionate impact on girls of color.

    The Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act would:

    • Prohibit the use of federal funds for maintaining police in schools: Since 1999, the federal government has spent more than $1 billion to increase the number of police in schools. However, evidence does not show this funding has improved student outcomes and school safety. This legislation would prohibit federal funds from being used to hire or maintain police in K-12 schools, diverting that funding toward other uses related to school safety within applicable grant programs.
    • Invest billions to help schools hire counselors, social workers, and other trauma-informed support personnel necessary to create safe, supportive learning environments for all students: This legislation helps schools build safe and positive learning cultures by establishing a new $5 billion grant program to support the hiring of counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and other personnel. The grant would also help schools implement programs to improve school climate, such as school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports, as well as invest in trauma-informed services and professional development. As more schools move away from policies that criminalize students and push them out of school, this historic investment will ensure districts have the resources to provide students with the support they need to feel safe in school and thrive.

    Last year, Congresswoman Pressley, along with Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro released a groundbreaking report they requested from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which found that across the United States, Black girls face disproportionately severe discipline compared to other girls and receive harsher punishments than their white peers for similar behaviors. These disparities are further exacerbated for Black girls with disabilities and Black girls that are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

    Both bills are informed by Rep. Pressley’s People’s Justice Guarantee and is a continuation of her longstanding history of working to address issues of disparate school discipline and education inequities during her tenure on the Boston City Council.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Appointments – Kevin Jenkins appointed to BRANZ Board

    Source: BRANZ

    BRANZ Chair Nigel Smith announced today the appointment of Kevin Jenkins to the BRANZ Group Board of Directors.

    “As a founding member of business advisory firm MartinJenkins, Kevin has more than 30 years’ experience of helping organisations across a wide range of industries to drive performance and tackle complex challenges.

    “He joins BRANZ at a critical time. Earlier this year, we launched a new long-term strategy focusing on four main priorities: affordability, quality, resilience, and sustainability. Addressing skyrocketing building costs; combating inappropriate building practices; meeting carbon reduction targets and adapting to climate change are among the most pressing issues we face.

    “Kevin, with his strategic and analytical background across various industries is well-equipped to help us address these complex and longstanding issues.  

    “He brings a real strength with his ability to understand the convergence of business, regulation and innovation and how to work across the system to solve problems and capitalise on opportunities,” says Nigel.

    Commenting on his appointment, Kevin said, “I’m delighted to join BRANZ at such a pivotal moment. The challenges we face in the building sector are significant, but with a clear vision for the future and a commitment to innovation and collaboration, I believe we can make substantial progress towards our goals. I look forward to working with the team at BRANZ to drive meaningful change and create a positive impact for the future of New Zealand’s built environment.”

    As a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors, Kevin has held numerous governance roles over his career and brings insights from across the wider economy.

    His current directorships include positions at: Accessible Properties – New Zealand’s largest community housing provider of affordable homes and property management services for those with disabilities, older people, and those on low incomes; urban development firm Harrison Grierson; Real Estate Institute New Zealand – as Independent Chair; chair of the NZ Qualifications Authority; and WorkSafe New Zealand. He also chairs two risk and assurance committees.

    Outside of his governance roles, Kevin is a prominent public commentator, producing content for: New Zealand Policy Quarterly (Victoria University of Wellington); Institute of Directors’ Boardroom magazine; the NZ Herald; and a range of other news and information publications.

    “Kevin’s governance and executive management experience is extensive. We’re excited to have him on board at BRANZ as we work towards our aspiration of creating affordable, resilient, sustainable, and quality buildings for Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Nigel.

    Kevin’s Board position replaces Dr Lisbeth Jacobs who will be stepping down from her BRANZ directorship in May 2025, to focus on other governance roles.

    “We’re grateful to Lisbeth for the expertise and insights she’s delivered during her time on the BRANZ Board. Her contributions have been instrumental during a period of strategic change, and her experience in the scientific and building sectors has helped to shape our direction. Lisbeth’s contributions will continue to influence our work for years to come,” says Nigel.

    About the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ):

    BRANZ is a trusted, independent expert in building construction. We provide practical research, testing, quality assurance and expertise to support better buildings.

    Our aspiration: Affordable, resilient, sustainable and quality buildings for Aotearoa New Zealand. Find out more: branz.co.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: What They’re Saying: Local Film Festivals Applaud New Law Signed by Governor Polis Supporting Film in Colorado

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Earlier today, Governor Polis signed HB25-1005 – Tax Incentive for Film Festivals – sponsored by Representatives Monica Duran and Brianna Titone, and Senators Judy Amabile and Mark Baisley. This legislation supports Colorado’s thriving film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival which recently announced it would be moving to Boulder beginning in 2027. 

    “We are incredibly grateful to the State of Colorado for this support, not only for the Sundance Film Festival, but also for the many film festivals that have spent decades building and nurturing a rich cultural landscape in Colorado. This investment highlights the invaluable role the state plays in cultivating creative industries that both enrich our culture and drive the economy,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board Chair, and Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute Acting CEO. “We are also deeply honored as a nonprofit to be welcomed into Colorado’s thriving film festival and arts ecosystem. We look forward to the future, inviting our audiences and artists to join us in Boulder in 2027, and are excited to contribute to the vibrant arts community here in Colorado.” 

    “ACT is celebrating ten years of elevating human rights stories and inspiring audiences,” said Act Human Rights Film Festival Managing Director Beth Seymour. “At ACT we celebrate how far we have come in advancing human rights in all corners of the globe, and we also share stories that help guide us to learn more about the work that remains.” 

    “We believe film festivals are a place for audiences to be entertained, to learn and to be inspired. Through our popular youth programs, senior programs, and our signature Call2Action program, BIFF has united the community and ignited positive change. This is part of the magnificent richness of film festivals, and what has made them into an unforgettable experience,” said Robin Beeck, Boulder International Film Festival Executive Director and Kathy Beeck, BIFF Director. “BIFF has attracted audiences and filmmakers from around the state and around the world, and brings in much needed dollars to local businesses at an otherwise down time of year. We’re excited about the tax incentive bill, and Sundance Film Festival’s potential cultural and economic impact for Boulder and the State of Colorado. The bill’s support for Colorado film festivals will strengthen our ability to be epicenters of community involvement, creativity, innovation and change.” 

    “Film festivals are an integral part of Colorado’s film industry and art scene. They offer vital community forums, uplift differing perspectives, and provide entertainment you can’t beat anywhere else! The Breckenridge Film Festival is thrilled to be a part of a state that uplifts these vital cultural celebrations and we look forward to watching the Colorado film industry flourish under these new tax incentives!” said Cait McCluskie, Head of Programming and Director of Operations, Breckendridge Film Festival. 

    “As one of the first 10 film festivals in the country, Denver Film Festival has been embraced and celebrated by film lovers across our state for nearly a half century,” said Denver Film CEO Kevin Smith. “As champions of independent film and the people that bring these films to life, film festivals serve as the culmination of that discovery delivering a chance for our audiences to break out and see, experience, learn and talk through something new, something challenging, bold, entertaining or thought provoking. We proudly provide that place of discovery, and we’re excited to see that spotlight shine a little brighter on our industry and the state of Colorado with the addition of the Sundance Film Festival and the thoughtful and strategic investment and support of the arts by our business and elected leaders. Working collaboratively, we will elevate our collective body of work and strengthen Colorado’s position on the global film stage.” 

    “So happy that the new Colorado Film Festival Tax Incentive is in place. Small festivals like Durango Independent Film Festival will benefit greatly from this bill, alongside larger entities like the Sundance Film Festival. There is a pool of $5 million (paid out over 10 years) that will help rural festivals like ours support both the economics of our community and the creativity of independent filmmakers. It’s exciting,” said Carol Fleisher, Executive Director, Durango Independent Film Festival. 

    “Film festivals are a wonderful opportunity to showcase local culture as well as bring in films and ideas from across the country and around the world. Being able to come together in a theater and experience movies together as a community is more important than ever. The Junktown Film Festival makes an impact on the community of Grand Junction. Students at Colorado Mesa University and CMU Tech are able to not only have their work show (and win awards) but also help as jury for the submitted films and in promoting the festival,” said Jeff Gustafson, The Junktown Film Festival Director. 

    “At Pueblo Film Fest, our mission is to ignite an international passion for storytelling through the art of cinema as we build the next generation of filmmakers. We celebrate the diverse voices of filmmakers from around the world, from budding talents to seasoned auteurs. Our festival serves as a vibrant platform, connecting artists with audiences and fostering a sense of community. Through thought-provoking narratives, captivating documentaries, and innovative experimental works, we aim to inspire, entertain, and provoke meaningful conversations. Pueblo Film Fest is committed to nurturing the cinematic arts, promoting cultural exchange, and shining a spotlight on how to have conversations across lines of difference. The festival makes a powerful economic impact and serves to provide both representation and inspiration to Southern Colorado and beyond!” said Andee Naglich, Executive Producer of the Pueblo Film Fest. 

    “Our 11-year old festival began to really flourish when we partnered with COFTM, and we have grown by leaps and bounds in the years since. We have been impressed by the ease of accessibility to opportunities and funding. Colorado is a great place to make a home for our festival, where people are truly engaged with our programming, and the beautiful land itself plays a featured role in our festival. RIFF is looking forward to new opportunities and growth in Colorado in the coming years,” said Arielle Bielak, Ridgway Independent Film Festival Director. 

    “The Tax Incentive for Film Festivals Bill will strengthen Colorado’s creative economy by supporting statewide nonprofit arts organizations, generating jobs, and attracting tourism. By investing in film festivals, this legislation will drive economic growth and establish Colorado as a leading destination for independent film and television. SeriesFest is proud to exist in a state that recognizes the power of community building through storytelling,” said SeriesFest Co-Founder & CEO, Randi Kleiner 

    “Colorado stands at a unique crossroads of culture and commerce, with two of the most influential film festivals in the world—Telluride and Sundance Film Festival—showcasing the brilliance of cinema. Together, we amplify Colorado’s role as a cultural leader, offering a comprehensive survey of the film industry today. For 52 years, Telluride has brought world-class cinema to the far western corner of the state, and now, with the opening of our new year-round home and state-of-the-art theater, we’re investing in the future of cinema—nurturing artistic innovation with filmmaker residencies, and the creation of a collaborative hub for the theatrical experience of film. This is an exciting moment for Colorado, as the magic of cinema set against Colorado’s exquisite natural beauty—seemingly crafted by cinematic masters—creates an experience that can’t be matched,” said Julie Huntsinger, Director of the Telluride Film Festival. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Prior felon going to prison for 10 years on multiple drug and gun charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Nader Ngoopos a/k/a Nike, 26, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison pleaded guilty by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who handled the case, stated that between 2016, and late 2018, Ngoopos agreed with others to obtain cocaine and heroin in the Buffalo area and travel to Olean, NY, to distribute the cocaine and heroin. Ngoopos personally traveled to Olean on at least a weekly basis, selling cocaine and heroin out of various locations in Olean, including North 8th Street and South 11th Street. Co-conspirators also sold cocaine and heroin as part of the conspiracy on a weekly basis.

    On October 15, 2018, Ngoopos participated in an armed robbery at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, with two others. The three gained entry to a dormitory at St. Bonaventure, and broke into a dorm room where Ngoopos, who possessed a firearm, believed he and his co-conspirators would find marijuana and money. Once they gained entry, Ngoopos and his co-conspirators pointed their firearms at the heads of the two occupants of the dorm room, threatened them, and then stole about an ounce of marijuana and approximately $300 – $400.

    On September 2, 2021, law enforcement officers observed Ngoopos get into a vehicle in Buffalo. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but it sped away leading officers on a high-speed chase. Eventually, the car came to a stop on East Amherst Street. As the car came to a stop, Ngoopos got out of the car and ran away, dropping a pistol. In June 2020, Ngoopos was convicted in Cattaraugus County Court of a felony and legally prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonse Wright, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Stepping up for First Nations health

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The classes encourage positive partnerships, body acceptance and social and community connection.

    Stellar Step UP! Step Together is a new program of dance and movement classes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

    The program is the result of a partnership between:

    • local community group, The Stellar Company
    • Canberra First Nations dance group, Project Dust.

    The program received funding from the ACT Government’s Healthy Canberra Grants program. It aims to improve health education, intergenerational support, and connection to Country and culture.

    The classes encourage positive partnerships, body acceptance and social and community connection. There will be 280 classes over the next year, divided into seven series. Each class is led by an experienced teacher.

    “Stellar Step UP! is proving to be a deeply powerful and empowering program,” Liz Lea, Artistic Director of The Stellar Company said.

    This program helps address some of the barriers First Nations people face to live a healthy life. It is led by First Nations people to maintain connection to Country, culture and community.

    “As a proud Darug woman, I have a strong interest in Aboriginal contemporary dance, language, and history,” Emma Laverty, founder of Project Dust, said.

    “This ACT Health grant is helping to remove barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to spaces they don’t normally have access to and is getting them active and involved in the community.”

    The Stellar Company also offers classes for multicultural and LGBTIQ+ young people and those with physical or intellectual disability.

    “The Stellar Company is thrilled to be offering classes across five ACT suburbs for people of all abilities, backgrounds and identities,” Liz said.

    “Alongside Project Dust, we are proud to be partnering with a range of local dance and fitness businesses for the Stellar Step UP! Program, including Dance4Fitness, Mudra and Moves, and Subsdance.”

    The Yerrabi Yurwang Child and Family Aboriginal Corporation also received funding from the Healthy Canberra Grants program for its Yawarj Mara, Strong Pathways program. The program brings together Aboriginal young people from across the ACT. It engages people in culture and increases empowerment and wellbeing through:

    • song
    • dance
    • sports
    • mentoring
    • skills
    • health education.

    Find out more about the Stellar Step UP! program.

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Increased diesel reserves to improve resilience

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The minimum stockholding obligation for diesel importers will increase from 21 to 28 days’ cover, bolstering New Zealand’s diesel reserves and resilience to supply disruptions, Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says.
    The Coalition Government consulted on the proposal late last year and has agreed that from 1 July 2028, fuel importers that have more than a 10 per cent market share must hold an additional seven days’ supply onshore.
    “We use around 11 million litres of diesel every day in New Zealand, and it is vital for the economy – from food production and distribution to emergency electricity generation and the movement of essential goods and services,” Mr Jones says.
    “While the chances of a severe and sustained fuel disruption are low, the consequences for Kiwis and our economy would be catastrophic.
    “Our diesel reserves are lower than reserves for other fuel types, meaning we are particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions. The Fuel Security Study I released in February found our diesel cover of 21 days in reserve could be tight to manage, even for a minor disruption.
    “Building our resilience must carefully balance the risks with the cost of mitigation to the sector and ultimately consumers. A reserve of 28 days is a good compromise and means we will be able to better ride out smaller disruptions and, in the event of a major supply event, it will give us time to get solutions in place.”
    Fuel security continues to be a priority for the Government as work progresses on a Fuel Security Plan for New Zealand, a commitment in the New Zealand First-National Coalition Agreement. The plan is expected to be delivered later this year.
    “Establishing the requirement to hold more diesel reserves from July 2028 allows operators enough time to determine how to incorporate additional diesel into their networks and if necessary, to build or refurbish existing tanks,” Mr Jones says.
    The minimum stockholding obligation for diesel importers with a market share of less than 10 per cent will be reviewed next year.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Germany is back’: 3 ways NZ can benefit from Europe’s renewed centre of power

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mathew Doidge, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Research on Europe, University of Canterbury

    Getty Images

    It’s unlikely many New Zealanders paid close attention to Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ statement late last year that “New Zealand and Germany are committed to enhancing their partnership”.

    Peters had been visiting Berlin two weeks after Donald Trump’s US election victory, but well before the real contours of the second Trump administration came into focus.

    The foreign minister’s diplomatic tone may have suited the less heated atmosphere of the time, but 2025 is a very different place. With the pillars of the international system New Zealand depends on crumbling, strong ties with an active Germany at the heart of Europe begin to look more important.

    Germans, too, are grappling with the same uncertainties – not least Friedrich Merz, the Christian Democratic Union party leader who is all but certain to be the new chancellor when coalition negotiations conclude.

    Among the most pro-American of Europe’s leaders, Merz will enter the Chancellery at a time when US relations are fraught. Even before the February election results were finalised, he acknowledged this new reality, calling to “strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that […] we can really achieve independence from the USA”.

    With Trump’s reversal of US support for Ukraine, his “might is right” foreign policy and hostile trade tariffs, Germany and the European Union have begun to reassess their place in the new world order. New Zealand will be watching closely.

    Easing the ‘debt brake’

    Former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine a Zeitenwende – a watershed moment from which “the world afterwards will no longer be the same as the world before”. Trump 2.0 has only reinforced this rupture.

    Responding to events even before assuming office, Merz (supported by the Social Democratic Party and the Greens) reformed Germany’s “debt brake”, or Schuldenbremse.

    Restricting government borrowing to 0.35% of GDP, the brake was introduced by former chancellor Angela Merkel in 2009 to limit indebtedness following the global financial crisis. It achieved its aim, but contributed significantly to the current parlous state of German infrastructure and defence.

    The reform allows greater borrowing for defence and establishes a €500 billion infrastructure fund (with €100 billion for climate and economic transformation as the price for Green support).

    This is the first step in Merz’s goal to transform Germany from “a sleeping middle power to a leading middle power again”, and exercise greater leadership in the European Union alongside France and Poland.

    With Emmanuel Macron’s French presidency ending in 2027, and France’s far-right gaining strength (Marine Le Pen’s recent embezzlement conviction notwithstanding), a strong Germany at the heart of Europe is essential to the maintenance of the EU and its approach to world affairs.

    As an important – perhaps vital – partner for New Zealand and the Pacific, three key considerations stand out.

    A leading middle power: Friedrich Merz addressing Christian Democratic Union supporters in Berlin on election night, February 23.
    Getty Images

    Pacific re-engagement

    Germany’s ties with Samoa and the Pacific may be a century old, but it has recently begun looking south again, including opening an embassy in Suva in August 2023.

    Now, the Trump administration’s axing of USAID has put foreign aid in the region under a cloud. Pacific states are not eligible for German bilateral development support, but are covered by more general climate change and disaster preparedness programmes.

    Since stepping up Pacific engagement in 2022, Germany has also joined the Partners in the Blue Pacific and been an advocate for Pacific projects within the EU’s Global Gateway Initiative (a framework for global infrastructure investment).

    Importantly, Germany does not intend to establish significant independent Pacific aid projects. Rather, it sees itself as a “force multiplier”, partnering with other donors to support their efforts. New Zealand therefore has an opportunity to both strengthen relations with Germany and add impact to its own Pacific projects.

    Climate resilience

    Climate change is the single greatest security threat to Pacific island states, and yet another area the US is pulling back from. But while Germany has been a strong player on climate policy, Merz has been a critic of the Greens and environmental policy in general.

    The balance of power in the new Bundestag may now force a change of mindset. Merz’s coalition will hold just 328 seats in the 630-seat chamber, meaning Green support cannot be discounted. A more serious commitment to climate policy will be the price.

    There is a base to work from, too. Germany co-founded the UN Group of Friends on Climate and Security with Nauru in 2018, and has identified climate issues as a driving force behind its Pacific engagement. Again, this is an area where New Zealand’s interests can be served by closer engagement with Germany.

    The rules-based order

    Ultimately, the international trade system and multilateral frameworks for cooperation and conflict resolution are crucial pillars of the Germany-New Zealand relationship.

    With the US no longer a reliable backstop, Germany and the EU are also the bulwark for a rules-based order grounded in international law. Merz’s debt brake reform, seen as strengthening Europe, was framed in these terms:

    Our friends in the EU are looking to us just as much as our adversaries and the enemies of our democratic and rules-based order.

    “Germany is back,” Merz said in March. We may well see New Zealand’s foreign minister back in Germany before long, too.

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

    – ref. ‘Germany is back’: 3 ways NZ can benefit from Europe’s renewed centre of power – https://theconversation.com/germany-is-back-3ways-nz-can-benefit-from-europes-renewed-centre-of-power-253926

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Seek to Raise Federal Minimum Wage to $17 by 2030

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – The last time the federal minimum wage was raised it was July of 2009 – Barack Obama had just been elected president, iPads hadn’t come out yet, and the world was experiencing a global recession.  Since then, corporate profits have risen as has the costs of goods, but the federal minimum wage — which is supposed to ensure workers can afford the basic necessities — remains stuck at $7.25 an hour.
    U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are looking to ensure American workers can earn a living wage, drive economic growth, and reduce income inequality by raising the minimum wage to $17 by 2030 for all workers and gradually raise the minimum wage for tipped workers, workers with disabilities, and youth workers.
    Today, Reed and Whitehouse teamed up with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), to introduce the Raise the Wage Act.  This bill would incrementally raise the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour by 2030, benefiting an estimated 64,000 Rhode Islanders.  
    Rhode Island is among 30 states and the District of Columbia that have enacted higher wage floors.  Currently, the minimum wage in Rhode Island is $15 an hour.  Servers in the restaurant industry and other hospitality workers who derive a large portion of income from tips have had their hourly wages capped at $3.89 since 2017.
    Last year, nearly one in four workers in the U.S. made less than $17 per hour. The Raise the Wage will raise the federal minimum wage to $17 over five years, eliminate the tipped subminimum wage over seven years, eliminate the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities over five years, and eliminate the subminimum wage for youth workers over seven years. According to analysis by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), passing the Raise the Wage Act of 2025 would provide raises to over 22.2 million workers across the country by 2030.
    If the federal minimum wage had increased with worker productivity over the last 57 years, it would be over $23 an hour today, not $7.25 an hour, which translates to a full-time salary of about $15,000 per year.
    “The $7.25 an hour minimum wage is a starvation wage. It must be raised to a living wage – at least $17 an hour,” Senator Sanders said. “In the year 2025, a job should lift you out of poverty, not keep you in it. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, we can no longer tolerate millions of workers trying to survive on just $10 or $12 an hour. Congress can no longer ignore the needs of the working class of this country. The time to act is now.”
    “The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 for too long.  No one in today’s economy can make ends meet working for such meager pay.  Rhode Islanders deserve a raise and workers deserve to be fairly compensated.  Right now, those making minimum wage can’t afford housing, food, and transportation so taxpayers end up subsidizing employers that pay so little.  When all businesses have to operate on a level playing field with fair pay it helps prevent costly turnover and re-training of workers.  The Raise the Wage Act would help strengthen families, businesses, and our economy,” said Senator Reed.
    “As rising costs squeeze families across Rhode Island, it’s well past time to increase the federal minimum wage,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “Our legislation will help more Americans get a foothold in the middle class by paying them a livable wage.”
    Today, the value of the current federal minimum wage – $7.25 per hour – is the lowest it has been since 1956 and has declined by over 32 percent since it was last increased in 2009. While approximately four million tipped workers in the U.S. depend on tips for as much as half of their income or more, the tipped sub-minimum wage has remained stagnant at just $2.13 per hour since 1991. The current median wage for at least 37,000 workers with disabilities is just $3.50 per hour.
    Meanwhile, across every state in the country, a living wage for a worker in a family with two working adults and one child is greater than $17 per hour, according to the Economic Policy Institute’s (EPI) Family Budget Calculator. Many of these low-wage workers face persistent economic insecurity, struggling to put food on the table and afford basic necessities, including housing, health care, and childcare. Black and Hispanic workers disproportionately feel the burden of these low wages as compared to their white counterparts, and that disparity is even worse for women of color. Nearly 40 percent of Hispanic women and 35 percent of Black women make less than $17 per hour.
    Joining Sanders, Reed, and Whitehouse on this legislation are U.S. Senators: Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-A), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
    More than 85 organizations endorsed the Raise the Wage Act of 2025, including: Service Employees International Union (SEIU), AFL-CIO, American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, Communications Workers of America (CWA), Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Equal Pay Today, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), National Education Association (NEA), National Employment Law Project (NELP), The National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), One Fair Wage, Oxfam America, Patriotic Millionaires, UNITE HERE, United Autoworkers (UAW), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), United for Respect, and United Steelworkers (USW).
    Companion legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Gallego Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Veterans’ Access to Skilled Trade Educational Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) recently introduced the Veterans Education and Technical Skills (VETS) Opportunity Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would extend educational benefits in the Post-9/11 GI Bill to include partially online (or hybrid) versions of skilled trade training programs. Joining Senators Tillis and Gallego were Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Gary Peters (D-MI), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI). 

    “This commonsense legislation modernizes the Post-9/11 GI Bill to expand veterans’ access to high-quality skilled trade and vocational programs for in-demand career pathways like welding and HVAC, ensuring they have the tools and resources they need to succeed in today’s workforce,” said Senator Tillis. “By supporting hybrid learning opportunities, we’re providing veterans with the flexibility to gain critical skills, find gainful employment, and contribute to our economy after their service.”

    “Our veterans deserve access to training programs that prepare them for the modern economy, and increasingly those programs are happening in a hybrid format,” said Senator Gallego. “I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan, commonsense bill that will expand educational opportunities for veterans so they can succeed after their service.” 

    Full text of the legislation is available HERE.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Childcare places increased in Liverpool thanks to grant funding

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Over 2,500 new childcare places are being created in Liverpool that will support working parents – and there are more to come.

    The increase has been made possible by grant funding received from the government to support the national expansion of funded childcare places as well as places which are part of the “wraparound” programme for primary school-aged children.

    So far, Liverpool City Council has awarded over £1.5m to providers which will create 366 early years places, 303 before-school places and 1,858 after-school places – 2,527 in total – for youngsters from families with eligible working parents. And a fourth round of applications is due to open shortly.

    The grant funding streams, which can support either capital work such as buildings or equipment for early years places, or increasing staff numbers and other running costs for wraparound places, has been distributed to childcare settings, such as nurseries or child minders, or breakfast and after-school clubs for primary school children.

    Ofsted-registered providers were invited to apply for funding as part of a stringent process. Applicants had to provide financial accounts, cashflow forecasts and a business plan. If providers were applying for building work they also needed to supply a quote, with further quotes requested if their application was successful. Providers were also visited by the grants team to talk through their project.

    For each funding stream, a grant panel team assessed all applications against numerous criteria to ensure fairness, with 78 being successful. Successful providers will continue to have their projects monitored to ensure value for money.

    Applications received by the council ranged from converting unused rooms to complete new builds.

    From last April, the national expansion of funded childcare places has seen eligible working parents of two- year-olds able to access 15 hours a week of childcare with the offer further expanded to nine-month olds up to three-years-olds last September. The offer is set to expand further from this September with children aged from nine months to three years able to access 30 hours of childcare a week.

    Since changes to the entitlements, uptake in Liverpool has been impressive. With 94 per cent of eligible families of two-year-olds who applied for a Childcare Choices code now taking up a funded place when the first change was implemented, equating to 1,756 children.

    With the further expansion to nine-month-olds to three-year-olds 97 per cent of families who applied for a code took up a funded place, equating to 2,085 children now benefitting from an early years education.

    Parents eligible for funded childcare should visit the Childcare Choices website.

    Cllr Liz Parsons, cabinet members for Children’s Social Services, said: “It’s great news that early years providers in Liverpool have grasped this opportunity to apply for funding to ensure that as many as possible of our working families can take up the expanded childcare offer.

    “Our early years providers are vital for Liverpool, not only ensuing that parents are able to work but that youngsters get the benefits of an early years education which is so important for their development as they get ready to set off on their school journey.

    “It is also exciting to see that the wraparound offer in the city is set to become stronger which will again give more support to working parents.

    “The available funding has been carefully allocated by the council’s panel to ensure that real value is generated for Liverpool’s families and we’re already looking forward to seeing the applications we receive in the fourth round.”

    Neil Verdin, headteacher at Pleasant Street Primary School, one of the providers which has secured funding for its wraparound service, said: “The successful grant application has allowed Pleasant Street to increase our capacity for extended provision.

    “Previously, we were unable to meet the demand due to restricted space but now the grant contributed to a modern new ‘Cedar Room’ being built. This has allowed us to increase our intake, with available spaces currently matching parental requests for places.”

    Brian Quinn, owner of The Childcare Academy in the Baltic Quarter, said: “The government expansion grant has been a great opportunity. What we’ve been able to do is open a new space for nine additional babies, 15 spaces for pre- and after-school clubs and a holiday club in the summer holidays.

    “We’ve had an exponential growth and success with the expansion grant, and we couldn’t be happier with the result.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to systematic review and network meta-analysis of relaxation techniques to manage high blood pressure

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMJ Medicine looks at stress management and relaxation techniques to manage high blood pressure.

    Mr Les Rose, Former Clinical Science Consultant and Trustee of HealthSense, said:

    “Firstly, I’m not an expert in the methods used, but it seems that the authors have been quite rigorous, their main constraint being the poor quality of so many of the source studies. I think the press release makes this clear. It’s much less a recommendation to use relaxation techniques, much more a call for better quality research.

    Does the press release accurately reflect the science?

    “Yes the science is accurately reflected.

     

    Is this good quality research?  Are the conclusions backed up by solid data?

    “The methodology of the meta-analysis looks sound, but it isn’t my specialism.

    How does this work fit with the existing evidence?

    “I can’t comment on the existing literature on the subject, as again it isn’t my specialism.

    Have the authors accounted for confounders?  Are there important limitations to be aware of?

    “The authors do seem to have addressed possible confounders, and they have discussed limitations.

    What are the implications in the real world?  Is there any overspeculation?  

    “Because of the lack of long-term studies, the generalisation of these findings to clinical practice doesn’t seem feasible. While it’s well known that adherence to drug treatment for hypertension is generally poor, there is no reason to believe that adherence to relaxation techniques is going to be any better. My guess is that, without the prompt of having a pack of pills at hand, compliance is going to be even worse.

    “The paper obviously involved a huge amount of work, but sadly the outcome is not particularly groundbreaking.”

    Prof Edzard Ernst, Emeritus Professor of Complementary Medicine, University of Exeter, said:

    “This is a rigorous and important review. Its findings are eminently plausible: just like stress would increase blood pressure, so does relaxation decrease it. The problem, as I see it, might be compliance. Stressed people tend to be chronically pressed for time, and relaxation techniques take considerably more time than simply swallowing an antihypertensive pill.”

     

     

    ‘Effectiveness of stress management and relaxation interventions for management of hypertension and prehypertension: systematic review and network meta-analysis’ by Webster et al. was published in BMJ Medicine at 23:30 UK Time Tuesday 8 April 2025.

    DOI: 10.1136/ bmjmed-2024-001098

    Declared interests

    Mr Les Rose “I have no conflicts of interest to declare. I am a retired clinical research scientist, a trustee of HealthSense, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology. and an honorary Fellow of the Institute of Clinical Research.”

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Smith Introduce Legislative Package to Support Union Workers, Protect Workers’ Right to Organize

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced the introduction of the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act and the Tax Fairness for Workers Act, two pieces of legislation that will level the playing field for labor organization and restore fairness in the tax code for workers.
    The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act:
    U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) led 25 Senate colleagues in introducing the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act, legislation that levels the playing field for labor organization and ensures workers truly have a fair shot at forming a union. As workers across the country fight for better pay and safer working conditions by unionizing, they often face million-dollar corporate intimidation campaigns to prevent unionization, which corporations are then allowed to write off as run-of-the-mill business expenses. The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act would classify business’ interference in worker organization campaigns like political speech under the tax code and therefore make it ineligible for a tax deduction.
    The legislation is supported by the Communications Workers of America Union (CWA), the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), United Steelworkers (USW), Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the Center for American Progress. Full bill text is available here.
    The Tax Fairness for Workers Act:
    Led by U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), the Tax Fairness for Workers Act would reverse a provision in the 2017 tax reform package that stripped workers of their ability to deduct common expenses incurred as a result of their work. Workers bare the full cost of union dues, which can average $800 per year, but in addition, must pay for work-related expenses like travel, tools, and uniforms – expenses that they can no longer write off after the 2017 tax reform. The Tax Fairness for Workers Act would furthermore create an “above the line” deduction for union dues, so workers can use it even if they don’t itemize. Full bill text is available here.
    “Organized labor built our country and American workers deserve to have a fair shot at forming a union and deserve fairness in the tax code,” said Senator Luján. “The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act and Tax Fairness for Workers Act are critical pieces of legislation that will protect workers’ right to organize and support our union workers. I’m proud to partner with Senators Smith and Booker on these critical efforts to strengthen American labor.”
    “Rich and powerful corporations should not be getting tax breaks for making workers’ lives harder.” said Senator Smith. “Workers have a fundamental right to organize for better working conditions. These bills will put working people first and ensure that unionized workers can exercise their right to organize. Corporations don’t deserve tax subsidies for depriving workers of that right, and this legislation would put a stop to it.”
    “American taxpayer dollars should not be used to subsidize union busting,” said Senator Booker. “The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act is critical legislation to put an end to corporations receiving tax breaks for interfering with workers’ rights to unionize for better pay and safer working conditions.”
    “It is unacceptable for Congress to support anti-worker tax provisions, especially when they’re considering more tax cuts for the wealthy while ignoring the urgent needs of working families. It’s time to give workers their fair share. Our tax code should prioritize workers organizing to have a voice on the job. That is why we wholeheartedly support the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act and the Tax Fairness for Workers Act. We commend Senators Lujan, Smith, and Booker and all those championing a fairer tax system for working families,” said CWA Director of Government Affairs, Dan Mauer.
    “Workers who exercise their fundamental freedom to form and join unions should never face intimidation and retaliation from corporate bosses. As we’ve seen a wave of union organizing across the country over the last several years, we’ve also witnessed a wave of companies using often illegal union-busting tactics to stop their workers from standing together in a union. Companies that bully and intimidate workers who want a union on the job should never reap financial benefits. This legislation would put an end to it. We fully support this important effort to hold union-busting CEOs accountable so they pay meaningful penalties for their blatantly anti-democratic behavior,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Stansbury Joins All House Democrats Defending Federal Workers’ Collective Bargaining Rights

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) joined Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Mark Pocan (WI-02), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Steven Horsford (NV-04) and Debbie Dingell (MI-06), alongside Vice-Chairs Reps. Glenn Ivey (MD-04) and Stephen Lynch (MA-08) to call on President Trump to rescind his executive order stripping collective bargaining rights from over 1 million federal employees.  

    The lawmakers highlighted the illegality of the order and called on the President to restore the collective bargaining rights that federal employees are statutorily entitled to. 

    A full copy of the letter can be found here. The letter was signed by every single House Democrat. 

    “Collective bargaining is the strongest tool that workers have available to create a fair workplace,” wrote the lawmakers. “This action strips away those hard-earned rights – which have been upheld by presidents from both parties for decades – from federal workers who keep our country running, including nurses who care for veterans, inspectors who keep our food safe to eat, teachers who educate our children, and so many more.” 

    “Furthermore, this EO not only undermines the principles of fair labor practices but also threatens the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal government, jeopardizing the delivery of critical services to the American people,” continued the lawmakers. “The freedom to join a union and collectively bargain is central to achieving the American dream for millions of American workers. This action is the single most anti-worker and anti-union presidential action since Ronald Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers in 1981, and it must be reversed immediately.”  

    “We urge you to immediately rescind this harmful, unlawful EO and to reaffirm the rights of federal workers to unionize and collectively bargain. The American people deserve a federal workforce that is protected, respected, and empowered to carry out its duties effectively,” concluded the lawmakers. 

    While Congress granted the President narrow authorities to exclude some agencies from collective bargaining, those exclusions can only be made if that agency has a primary function in intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work, and only if the statute cannot be applied “in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations.” However, this Administration has made clear that the EO’s exclusions are not based on national security concerns, but instead as retaliation for labor unions defending their members’ rights and making it easier to fire federal employees. 

    The Congressional Labor Caucus is composed of more than 120 Members of Congress working to protect and advance workers’ rights. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: New Tour Guide Uniforms for United Nations Headquarters in New York: Young Talent from Sweden Paving Way for Sustainable Fashion

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    The United Nations and the Swedish School of Textiles are pioneering a groundbreaking collaboration to redefine the future of sustainable fashion.  The School, part of the University of Borås, has become the first higher education institution to design and develop a new collection of Tour Guide uniforms for the UN Headquarters in New York.

    Approximately 20 design students are working together to create a collection that embodies sustainability, high fashion standards, and innovation.  The new uniforms, set to debut on 22 April, will be showcased at a fashion show at UN Headquarters before being officially adopted by UN Tour Guides.

    “As a key partner to the UN, Sweden is proud to contribute to the SDG agenda in this unique and tangible way.  The uniforms are a fantastic showcase of Swedish innovation, sustainability, and our tradition of cutting-edge design.  The Swedish School of Textiles and the students have excelled, and I am proud of their outstanding work,” said Benjamin Dousa, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, sharing his thoughts on the collaboration.

    United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed highlighted the significance of the project:  “The UN Tour Guides are the first faces millions of visitors see when they come to the United Nations, bringing to life our work for a better future for all.  Their new sustainably made uniforms designed by young people are more than just fabric — they embody our commitment to sustainability and the power of youth to drive change.”

    Beyond aesthetics, the new uniforms are designed to serve as a storytelling medium for sustainability.  Each year, over 200,000 visitors will have the opportunity to learn from Tour Guides about the sustainable practices embedded in the collection, reinforcing how individual lifestyle choices can contribute to global sustainability goals.

    In Sweden, the goal of responsible development is well established.  A strong set of fashion brands and initiatives with a clear sustainability agenda positions Sweden at the forefront of this movement.

    Mats Tinnsten, Vice Chancellor of the University of Borås, emphasized the role of the Swedish School of Textiles in the global fashion landscape:  “This collection confirms that the Swedish School of Textiles is one of the best fashion schools in the world.  I am incredibly proud of the students and the project team who have worked so hard.  Through this project and our expertise, we can show the world that it is possible to create sustainable fashion.  This collection is fully in line with the university’s values:  togetherness, sustainability, and innovation.”

    About the Project

    This initiative was enabled by the UN Department of Global Communications and the UN Office for Partnerships, in collaboration with Sofia Hedström de Leo, an advisory board member of the UN’s Fashion and Lifestyle Network and former Head of Sustainability at the Swedish Consulate in New York.  The project is supported by the Swedish Government and funded by the University of Borås and the Paul Frankenius Foundation for the Swedish University of Fashion & Textiles.

    About the Swedish School of Textiles

    The Swedish School of Textiles is one of the world’s top-ranked fashion schools and plays an important role in making Sweden a leader in sustainable fashion and a key player in shaping future textiles.

    Media contacts

    United Nations:  Vincenzo Pugliese, Chief, Visitors Services, Outreach Division, Department of Global Communications, email pugliesev@un.org

    United States Press:  Sofia Hedstrom de Leo, Project Manager Marketing United States, tel. 917 392 7906, email info@sofiaheadstrong.com

    Swedish School of Textiles:  Anna Kjellson, tel. +46 734612001 email: anna.kjellsson@hb.se

    MIL OSI United Nations News –