NewzIntel.com

Category: Environment

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Iwi Rights Under Attack in Government Treaty Clause Purge

    Source: Te Pati Maori

    Te Pāti Māori warns that the Government’s Treaty Clause Review represents the most severe erosion of iwi rights in modern legal history.

    “Luxon’s Government is doing what the Treaty Principles Bill failed to do. They are removing every legal reference to Te Tiriti across health, housing, conservation, and child wellbeing laws, clause by clause” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

    The Treaty clause review impacts 28 laws, including the Conservation Act, RMA, Oranga Tamariki Act, Climate Change Response Act, and the Pae Ora Act. Key protections for Māori health equity, kaitiakitanga, and tino rangatiratanga are being systematically erased.

    “This is constitutional vandalism” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi. “The Government is deleting our rights from legislation, with no consultation, no mandate, no Treaty partner process.”

    Te Pāti Māori is calling on all iwi, hapori Māori, legal advocates, community defenders, whānau, and Tangata Tiriti to prepare a unified response.

    “They may be erasing words from legislation, but we will not let them erase our rights,” concluded Ngarewa-Packer.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025-60 DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONDUCTING UNATTENDED DEATH INVESTIGATION

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2025-60 DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONDUCTING UNATTENDED DEATH INVESTIGATION

    Posted on May 2, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    ANNE LOPEZ

    ATTORNEY GENERAL

    LOIO KUHINA

     

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONDUCTING UNATTENDED DEATH INVESTIGATION

    News Release 2025-60

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    May 2, 2025

    HONOLULU – The Department of the Attorney General Investigations Division is investigating the discovery of a body in a restroom in the Sand Island State Recreation Area. Investigators responded at approximately 1:07 p.m., at the request of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement.

    The body was that of a deceased female, who appeared to be in her mid 40’s.

    AG Investigators have opened an unattended death investigation and as such, no further information will be released at this time.

    AG Investigations Division is asking anyone with information to call 808-586-1240.

     

    * * *

    Media Contacts:

    Dave Day

    Special Assistant to the Attorney General

    Office: 808-586-1284

    Email: [email protected]

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
    Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office: 808-586-1252
    Cell: 808-379-9249
     Email: [email protected] 

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Politics – Australian election a warning shot for Luxon’s Trump-style agenda, says Greenpeace

    Source: Greenpeace

    The Australian election result has sent a clear message across the Tasman: voters will not tolerate Trump-style politics that fuel environmental destruction and ignore the climate crisis.
    “Australians chose to protect climate and nature over a coalition pushing fossil fuels, destruction, and division. That should be a wake-up call for political leaders here in Aotearoa,” says Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Gen Toop.
    In Australia, Peter Dutton’s Coalition promised more offshore gas drilling. In Aotearoa, Luxon’s Government is repealing the oil and gas ban. In the U.S., Trump is gutting environmental protections to make way for fossil fuel expansion.
    “Luxon has been increasingly aligning himself with Trump-style environmental vandalism. From backing seabed mining and deep sea oil and gas exploration, to allowing fishing in marine reserves and attacking Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” says Toop.
    “But, people are rejecting the Trumpian ‘drill-baby-drill’ mentality, and politicians on both sides of the aisle here in New Zealand should sit up and take notice.”
    Last week, Greenpeace lampooned Luxon with a viral spray tan video on social media, likening him to Trump over his support for seabed mining.
    After Greenpeace launched a petition calling on Labour leader Chris Hipkins to take a stand, Hipkins reaffirmed Labour’s opposition to seabed mining. However, Greenpeace is urging him to go further.
    “It’s good to see Labour opposing seabed mining – but it’s not enough,” says Toop. “If Hipkins wants to show voters that Labour stands for nature and people, he needs to commit to revoke any seabed mining consents granted through the Fast Track Act.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Northland News – Have your say on Navigation Safety Bylaw

    Source: Northland Regional Council

    The public is being encouraged to have its say on a review of the Northland Regional Council’s Navigation Safety Bylaw for Northland, which sets the rules for keeping people safe on the water.
    Council Chair Geoff Crawford says the bylaw was originally scheduled for its five-yearly review in 2022, but the process was delayed while the Minister of Transport considered amendments to Maritime Rules Part 91 which the bylaw must align to.
    Council’s review established that while much of the bylaw was fit for purpose, there were some amendments needed to:
    Better align navigation safety bylaws between regions
    Take on board feedback received by various users and user groups
    Incorporate safety improvements following analysis of maritime incidents that have occurred during previous years; and
    Make the bylaw easier to use and read.
    Chair Crawford says some of the key proposed changes to the bylaw include:
    Communications – A new requirement to carry two forms of communication on a vessel.
    Amend the requirements for wearing a lifejacket (PFD), including requiring lifejackets to be worn in a vessel under six metres when tendering to and from shore.
    Ruakākā, Waipū estuaries – Removing a clause relating to areas where wind powered board sports are prohibited as this is not considered a navigation safety issue.
    Te Matau ā Pohe bridge (Whangārei) – New reporting requirements prior to transit of the bridge or use of the pontoons.
    Wharves – Removing a clause preventing swimming or diving around wharves.
    Mooring design specifications – amendments must be approved by the council
    Re-structuring the bylaw to make it easier to use.
    More detail on all the changes being proposed can be found at: www.nrc.govt.nz/bylawreview
    Chair Crawford says during the last bylaw review in 2017, one of the issues that attracted the most feedback was around restricting wind powered board sports in Ruakākā and Waipū Estuaries.
    “There was a strong campaign from locals concerned about birds affected by these sports.”
    “At the time it was advised these weren’t navigational safety issues and would be better addressed by Department of Conservation rules; however, council decided to include them.”
    He says in the updated proposed bylaw, this clause has been removed as it’s not the right legal mechanism for managing wildlife concerns.
    “Irrespective of legal mechanism, we urge kiteboarders to keep staying out of these estuaries to ensure safe breeding grounds for the birds that nest there.”
    The Department of Conservation is looking into legal options for continued protection in the areas used by these nesting birds.
    “The other main feedback in 2017 was concerned with new at the time rules for Kai Iwi Lakes, in particular around enacting a 200 metre from shore 5 knot speed restriction.”
    However, he says the current review doesn’t include the Kai Iwi Lakes Navigation Safety Bylaw which will be reviewed at a later date.
    “The Kai Iwi Lakes bylaw is not being reviewed at this time as other changes are being discussed at a local level with the Taharoa Domain Governance group and the Kaipara District Council looking at issues around power driven vessels and the risks with gold clam (a serious aquatic pest).”
    Chair Crawford says before the council makes any final decisions on the Navigation Safety Bylaw for Northland, it wants to hear what people think.
    “For more information, and to have your say, go to www.nrc.govt.nz/bylawreview“
    Feedback is open until 30 May 2025. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Australians choose climate and nature protection over Trumpist agenda of destruction

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    SYDNEY, Saturday 3 May 2025 — In response to the Labor party’s victory in the 2025 Federal Election, David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: 

    “Today’s election result shows that Australians have comprehensively rejected the Coalition’s Trumpist agenda of climate and nature destruction, and its plan to force dangerous nuclear on communities. 

    “The Albanese government now has a big responsibility, as well as a major opportunity to listen to Australians, and show true leadership for people and planet. It must work constructively with the crossbench to strengthen nature protection, stop climate pollution, and build a strong, green economy that supports jobs and growth.

    “Labor’s first order of business must be to end the track record that saw it deliver 30 fossil fuel approvals in its previous term of government, and fix its unrealised promise to strengthen our nature laws. 

    “An immediate opportunity for Labor to distance itself from the Coalition’s Trumpist ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda is to reject Woodside’s proposal to extend the life of its North West Shelf gas processing facility, and carry out gas drilling and carbon dumping near the irreplaceable Scott Reef.

    “Greenpeace is also calling on Labor to ratify the Global Oceans Treaty within its first 100 days of government. Our oceans are under threat from destructive industrial fishing, the climate crisis, and the emerging threat of deep sea mining, fuelled by profit-hungry corporations. 

    “Taking urgent action to quickly transition away from fossil fuels and to protect nature is essential for Australia’s future health and prosperity. Winning this election presents Labor with an opportunity to build our renewable energy future, while placing Australian communities and nature over the profits of polluting corporations.

    “Greenpeace and our hundreds of thousands of supporters across Australia will be holding Labor accountable to deliver for climate and nature.”

    Greenpeace’s policy asks of Labor, in its first 100 days of government, are: 

    • To heed the evidence and reject Woodside’s proposal to extend the North West Shelf extension, and develop the new Browse gas field on top of Scott Reef. 
    • To ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and champion large marine protected area (MPA) sites in our region, prioritising the Tasman Sea. 
    • To support a moratorium on Deep Sea Mining
    • To lay out a plan and timeline for delivering strong nature law reforms, including a national Environment Protection Agency. 
    • To fulfill Australia’s international commitments by delivering a timeline and plan to transition away from fossil fuels, and demonstrate clear commitment to a genuine Pacific partnership in a co-hosted COP31.

    —ENDS—

    For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Vai Shah on 0452 290 082 / [email protected] or Kate O’Callaghan on 0406 231 892 / [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Proposals to strengthen biodiversity released

    Source: Department of Conservation

    Date:  05 May 2025 Source:  Office of the Minister of Conservation

    “Today, the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai is releasing two discussion documents for public consultation, and I encourage all New Zealanders to read them and share their views.

    “Our beloved biodiversity provides a world-class wealth of environmental and economic benefits for Aotearoa New Zealand. However, more than 4,000 of our precious species are threatened or at risk of extinction so we must work harder and smarter to protect biodiversity.”

    Proposed actions to progress the Te Mana o te Taiao – Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy 2020 cover four themes:

    • Prioritising species and habitats for action;
    • Increasing revenue and non-government funding for biodiversity;
    • Improving evidence and knowledge for effective decision making; and
    • Growing capability by developing the right skills.

    “Feedback will help central, regional and local government create and deliver an implementation plan to 2030 that reflects New Zealanders’ aspirations for conservation action,” Mr Potaka says.

    “We’re also consulting on next steps toward our ambitious goal of a predator free New Zealand by 2050, which was first launched by National nine years ago.

    “Predator Free 2050 is one of the Department of Conservation’s key biodiversity programmes addressing the threat of introduced predators to our unique nature.”

    Key areas for public feedback on the Predator Free 2050 strategy are:

    • New goals to achieve by 2030; and
    • The list of target predators.

    “The rapid development of new eradication tools and methods and impressive community trapping efforts across the motu are delivering significant results.

    “It’s time to take stock and ensure we are focussed on achieving the right things together for the next five years,” Mr Potaka says.

    The discussion documents are available on the Department of Conservation website. Consultation closes on 30 June 2025.

    Give your feedback on two important plans for nature

    Kua tukuna ngā kaupapa kōrero mō te whakapakari i te rerenga rauropi

    Toitū te taiao

    E whiriwhiri ana te Kāwanatanga i ngā marohitanga e whai nei ki te whakapakari i te whakahaumarutanga o te rerenga rauropi me ōna painga mō ngā uri whakaheke te take, hei tā te Minita Whāomoomo, hei tā Tama Potaka.

    “Nō te rangi nei, ka tukuna atu e Te Papa Atawhai ētahi puka kōrero e rua hei whiriwhiri mā te marea, ā, e akiaki ana ahau i ngā tāngata katoa o Aotearoa ki te pānui i ēnei puka, ki te tuku mai hoki i ō rātou whakaaro.

    “Ko tā te rerenga rauropi he whāngai i te nui taioreore o ngā painga ā-taiao, ā-ohaoha hoki ki Aotearoa nei. Engari, ka nui ake i te 4,000 o ā tātou momo kararehe me ngā momo tipu e noho whakaraerae ana, ko ētahi kua tata korehāhā, nā reira me whakapakari tātou i ā tātou mahi me ā tātou rautaki kia pai ake ai te whakahaumaru i te rerenga rauropi.”

    E whā ngā kaupapa matua e kitea ana i ngā mahi e whakaarotia ana hei whakatinana i Te Mana o te Taiao – Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy 2020, arā:

    • Ko te whakaarotau i ngā momo me ngā nōhanga hei whakamahinga;
    • Ko te whakanui ake i te moniwhiwhi me te pūtea kāore e whakahaerehia ana e te kāwanatanga mō te rerenga rauropi;
    • Ko te whakapakari i te taunaki me te mōhiotanga kia pai ake ai te mahi whakatau; ka mutu
    • Ko te whakatupu i te āheitanga mā te whakawhanake i ngā pūkenga e tika ana.

    “Mā te whakahoki kōrero ka āwhinatia te kāwanatanga ā-motu, ā-rohe, ā-hapori ki te waihanga, ki te whakatū hoki i tētahi mahere whakatinana mō te tau 2030 e whakaatu atu ana i ngā wawata o ngā tāngata o Aotearoa mō te mahi whāomoomo,” hei tā Potaka.

    “Kei te whiriwhiri hoki mātou i ngā mahi e whai ake nei kia tata atu rā tātou ki tō tātou whāinga matua ki tētahi Aotearoa e noho kaikonihi-kore ana i mua i te tau 2050, nā Nāhinara i whakarewa i te tuatahi i te iwa tau ki muri.

    “Ko Kaikonihi-Kore 2050 tētahi o ngā kaupapa matua mō te rerenga rauropi a Te Papa Atawhai e aro atu ana ki te whakamōreareatanga a ngā kaikonihi kua kawea mai rā ki tō tātou taiao motuhake nei.”

    Ko ngā aronga matua hei whakahoki kōrero mā te marea i roto i te rautaki o Kaikonihi-Kore 2050 ko:

    • Ngā whāinga hou hei whakatutuki i mua i te 2030; ka mutu
    • Ko tētahi rārangi o ngā kaikonihi matua.

    “Nā runga i te tere o te whakarite i ngā taputapu me ngā tukanga whakamōtī e hou ana me te whakamīharo o ngā mahi whakarite rore ā-hapori huri noa i te motu, e kitea ana te nui o ngā putanga pai.

    “Kua tae ki te wā e aro atu ai tātou ki te mahi, ki te whakatutuki ngātahi i ngā mahi e tika ana kia kawea i ngā tau e rima e tū mai nei,” hei tā Potaka.

    Kei runga ngā puka kōrero i te pae tukutuku a Te Papa Atawhai. Ka kati te whiriwhiri hei te Mane, te 30 o Hune, 2025.

    Give your feedback on two important plans for nature

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Rare reef heron numbers decline in Auckland

    Source: Auckland Council

    Auckland’s critically threatened reef heron (matuku moana) is in the spotlight after an initial summer survey, revealing concerning findings with numbers in the inner Hauraki Gulf worryingly low.

    As part of their work to protect the biodiversity of bird species in the Auckland region, Auckland Council’s Environmental Services team, alongside a dedicated network of bird experts, boaties and volunteer conservationists, surveyed some of the likely key locations for a reef heron across the region between December 2024 and February 2025. While Auckland is likely a national stronghold for these birds, they have not been monitored previously.

    The team’s mission: to uncover the secretive nesting habits of this elusive species and assess its population health.

    The results?

    A total of only 10 nests were identified, with sightings of two juveniles and three lone birds, where nationally there are estimated to be between 300-500 birds.

    Critically threatened reef heron on sea shore.

    Auckland’s coastlines are arguably under the greatest pressures in the country from coastal development, our growing population and the increasing uses of coastal spaces. As a consequence, Auckland’s local reef heron population could well be facing greater pressures than elsewhere in New Zealand.

    Chair of Auckland Council’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committee Councillor Richard Hills, says the survey findings reinforce the need to ramp up protection efforts.

    “The reef heron is a fascinating and rare bird that has quietly existed on our shores for centuries. With numbers this low, every nest and every bird count. Protecting them from human disturbance and predators is crucial if we want to ensure their survival for future generations,” says Councillor Hills.

    Reef herons, often mistaken for their more common white-faced relatives, prefer rocky shorelines where they stealthily hunt small crustaceans and fish. They are rarely seen, avoiding humans and nesting in secluded caves, rock crevices, and under coastal pōhutukawa trees. Disturbance from boats, people, and pest species like cats and stoats have likely contributed to their decline, forcing them to retreat to small offshore islands.

    Auckland Council’s Regional Biodiversity Advisor Jacinda Woolly notes that while the discovery of nine birds in the Manukau Harbour is encouraging, the low numbers in the inner Hauraki Gulf is concerning.

    “These birds were once more commonly seen along our coastlines, but habitat loss, increasing human activity, and introduced predators have pushed them into hiding,” Woolly says.

    “The fact that we found four nests in the Manukau suggests there are still some areas where they can thrive, but we need to do more to protect their habitats.

    The findings from this initial survey will be used by Auckland Council to inform targeted protection measures, such as pest control, signage to reduce human disturbance, and advocacy for safeguarding critical nesting sites.

    Despite their rarity, reef herons can still be spotted in the areas they regularly use. They are sometimes seen stalking the shallows, using their wings to create shaded areas that lure unsuspecting prey within striking distance.

    With their population so precariously low, Auckland Council asks people to respect the birds’ habitats. Simple actions – such as keeping a safe distance if you see one, controlling pets near coastal areas and always following the relevant dog rules (especially on our pest-free islands), and supporting conservation initiatives can make a significant difference.

    “The reef heron is a taonga of our coastal environment,” says Councillor Hills. “If we act now, we can give them the best chance of survival.”

    More information is available on New Zealand Bird Online. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Text of the Vice-President’s address at the inauguration ceremony of BRONCOCON 2025 in New Delhi (Exceprts)

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 04 MAY 2025 5:16PM by PIB Delhi

    Good evening, all of you.

    Distinguished audience, this conference, BRONCOCON 2025, has come not a day too soon because it addresses issues that are writing on the wall. Issues of huge contemporaneous relevance. It gives me immense pleasure. I take it as an absolute honour to inaugurate the 27th Annual Conference of the Indian Association for Bronchology. The Institute is known for its hallmark excellence in respiratory medicine and innovation.

    I’m sure the deliberations will be extremely fruitful. There will be ideation, exchange of ideas and interaction amongst people who are dealing with this menace to humanity that is ballooning by the day. BRONCOCON, according to me, is bound to be a crucible of ideas, redefining the future of pulmonary care in India and beyond, and this is gaining urgency, this is gaining paramountcy, this is gaining absolute attention. 

    With over hundreds of brilliant minds dedicated to respiratory care, I’m reminded that each breath, that fundamental act of living that defines that we are living, is what your profession protects. You are protecting our lives. Your theme, very well thought out. Beyond the scope, evolving frontiers in pulmonary procedures. This demonstrates remarkable foresight because the issues are known to one and all.

    Everyone is concerned and we live in a city where this dominates our mindset for months together. We know the evil consequences of this issue not being addressed. It is cancerous for society. Much beyond COVID, if we analyse the loss for our children, for our elderly citizens and for our youth, apart from those far before me.

    The future of pulmonary care lies at the intersections of medicine, technology, environmental science, public policy and community engagement. All are vital to address this problem. Gone are the days when either education or solutions could be by stand-alone institutions. There has to be concerted effort. There has to be convergence of all stakeholders. They have to be on the same page to find resolution of a problem which is diagnosed by everyone in a city like Delhi and beyond.  Pulmonologists and bronchologists have been silent sentinels of public health, moving to the frontline during, and who knows better than me, as Governor of the State of West Bengal. COVID-19, what a challenge it was.

    I salute your tireless efforts across clinics, ICUs, labs, classrooms and policy-making arenas. When the challenge was so huge, humanity in a non-discriminatory fashion came to face this menace, home to one-sixth of humanity in the land of Atharva Ved, showed the way. We could easily find light at the end of a tunnel and also show light to about hundred other countries that are ever beholden to us. Indian pulmonology has transformed through growing clinical expertise, public awareness and technological adoption.

    India, distinguished audience is a land which is witnessing at the moment accessibility to technology, adaptability to technology and technology delivering for the people at large, but in this field also much has to be negotiated. As I just indicated a while ago, our ancient texts, particularly Atharva Ved and envisions, health as a perfect balance of body, mind and spirit. It recognises breath as ‘pran’. If it goes, ‘pran’ doesn’t exist in us.

    The vital life force connecting individual wellness with environmental harmony. The importance of health can be visualised. A talented person, a person with passion, mission, ability for execution, for public causes, can be severely handicapped on account of health not being in order.

    So such a well-meaning person whose commitment is not in doubt, passion is on the right path, mission is for people at large, execution ability is recognised, he himself becomes a person in need and therefore health is all-important. Our traditional wisdom teaches that respiratory health is inseparable from nature’s equilibrium, reckless exploitation of nature. We are its trustees and we have become its owners and we are exploiting not for optimal need but for our greed.

    A time for all of us to think. Our physical prowess, our financial power cannot determine how we use these resources which are meant not only for individual serving having means but have to be utilised equitably for one and all. It is time for us to go back to our wisdom and knowledge that is our treasure recognised by the globe. We have to see indigenous practices of seasonal living. Our elderly people always say to use vegetables which are being grown around the same time. Use fruits which are there around the same time.

    Forest conservation and dietary wisdom align remarkably with modern preventive medicine. We therefore have to go back to our roots. No time is better than this because the might of Bharat is being realised, reckoned and recognised by the global powers, by the global fraternity. And it is in this context I remind the distinguished audience the time-tested science of ‘Yoga and Pranayama’. These offer profound solutions but imagine the Indian Prime Minister takes this vision to the global community, makes an appeal to the United Nations. The shortest time the largest number of nations converge to support it and we are now celebrating International Yoga Day.

    The population on the planet is uniformly benefiting thereby. Then we have techniques like Anulom Vilom, Bhastrika, Kapalbhati and when I see these being demonstrated on television. I find many people instantly want to take to these, but I will appeal particularly to our youth, impressionable minds to learn it once for all. If you learn the technique once your approach will be stable, sustained, not tentative. These afford not solutions but are recipes for longevity. They enhance immunity, they generate us stress-free, our vitality goes up, the quotient of happiness is enhanced. This will obviously lead to higher productivity.

    Modern research has validated that our ancient practices are scientific. Our ancient practices are extremely potent. They afford precautionary, preventive solutions. The integration of traditional wisdom into modern scientific research is the need of the time and I am sure those dealing with contemporary medicine research will address this issue. The surge in interventional pulmonology enables targeted life enhancing interventions. Deploying these at district level health care centres could accelerate our national tuberculosis elimination programme. If metros are fully equipped that is not a solution. We have to reach out up to district level, both in terms of availability and affordability. While lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer mortality, early detection technologies not only offer hope but confidence that the problem can be addressed.

    We must expand from the practice of medicine to the reach of medicine ensuring, as I said earlier, affordability and accessibility. Fortunately the government by affirmative policies has done much in this direction but it is the health and mindset of people of a nation that define the nation and health defines the mindset. If we believe and want everyone to believe that our mindset must be nationalistic, we must always keep nation first. No interest whatsoever personal, partisan or fiscal can have overriding impact or national interest but then that requires the first aspect.

    Consider the lived realities and now I seek your attention. Look at the plight of children who are close to industrial areas. Look at those tender souls. The elderly exposed to biomass smoke. The farmer faces parali or crop burning issues. The factory worker inhales chemicals, dust. Invisible citizens whose lives are shaped by the air we breathe.

    I still recall a person in another country handling the health department in another country saying a sick child is an assurance to the doctors for their work and pharmaceutical companies for survival. We don’t want that scenario. It will be too much for us to go for air purifiers. Selective solutions in democracy do not reflect well on democracy. Solutions have to be for one and all because equality is the hallmark of democracy and we have equality when iniquitous situations are contained in a systemic manner.

    As indicated in one report just a year ago in February 2024, respiratory diseases continue India’s largest disease category and account for one-sixth of our population. Just imagine what a staggering figure it is. Asthma arises among children. COPD robs adults of productivity. Tuberculosis persists and tuberculosis is a situation that affects the entire family. Fortunately now the treatment is there. There was a time when there was no treatment. So what is more fundamental is diagnosis. Early diagnosis your treatments emanate easily. The psychological toll, just imagine someone suffering from TB, someone suffering from cancer, the psychological toll not on the only patient but on the family’s huge.

    Fortunately now there is hand-holding for the physical part of it but then also much needs to be done. Then there is stigmatisation. Rather than hand-holding we keep to distance ourselves out of ignorance. Environmental factors include and who doesn’t know it, air pollution.

    Just reflect today. Air pollution index in this city, you’ll be amazed.  When you look at the desirable index and we’re getting away from it. But what is concerning is we are not serious about it. Like climate change, existential challenges, we don’t have another planet to live, but everyone thinks it is anybody else’s job. The job is of one and all. We are cliff hanging. We need to be awake. Then apart from air pollution, vehicular emissions. We don’t pool our resources. We would like to show our wealth by having as many cars as we can have. We have to find a systemic solution. Thankfully our public transport system is being strengthened. We are falling back on alternative automobile culture, but let’s do it while there is time.

    Human behaviour, what we use, our level of nutrition and suddenly a new term has emerged in last few decades. Lifestyle disease is something which is correctionable at the level of an individual, at the level of the family, at the level of the society. The problems are compounded because they get in a stream making life of individuals difficult. But I am not in despair. I am full of hope, optimism and confidence. That when there is convergence of mind like yours, the mind that will ideate, the mind that will engage in research.

    Let me caution you, research has to be authentic, research must be connected with ground results. Research is not meant for oneself or self, research is not to be for the self. Research is not assimilation. Research has to be real research that not only the nation but countries beyond us can take benefit of it.

    Fortunately in our country there is a revolution of green energy, redotting our rural landscape massively but we need to do more on this. We need accelerated phasing out of old vehicles. People have to understand that an old vehicle has to be discarded for reasons that concern our health. Merely because an old vehicle is functional on the road, does not reflect on its road worthiness, that has to be done.

    I said public transportation. We must take pride in using public transportation. Our ego should not come in between. In many countries this is done and here also the safest, fastest, surest way to reach an airport is through a metro. But that is something we need to make a habit of.

    Look at our urban lungs – water bodies, forests and tree cover. In our Vedic culture we reward them, we worship them. Now we are using it for our own gain. We are destroying our respiratory system that nature has given to us. People go for indoor plants, air purifiers out of necessity. Not recognising that this is indicative of a deep malice that is permeating in the society. Your miniscule solution is temporary for you. You have to find a systemic solution. Systemic solution is one that improves the world.

    I deeply appreciate the medical community in our country. Your role transcends healing, encompassing innovation, advocacy, education and inspiration. When we faced pandemic, this was demonstrated. People came with their own ideas and they were safe from Covid.

    I therefore appeal to all of you that we must bridge medicine with data science, environmental studies, engineering and artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence or let us put it in a broad term, disruptive technologies, these have entered our home, our way of life, our workplace, our research centres.

    Disruptive technologies are much beyond the impact of industrial revolutions but the challenges have to be converted into opportunities. According to me, distinguished audience, it is a myth that this technology, when employed, will cut into human resource employability – No. You have to tame the technology, you have to use it for our advantage, and I’m sure you’ll work it out. You are working for a robust environment for us all. Your deliberations are bound to be absolutely wholesome for all of us.

    Let us resolve on this day to build a future where every citizen breathes easily, breathes clean air, lives longer, and dreams bigger. Health is the first factor that deprives happiness. May your deliberations be fruitful and transformative.

    ‘सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः’ is something we have got from our scriptures to be practised.

    I am grateful for the Vice-President here, who is also chairman of BRONCOCON 2025, Dr. Vivek Nangia, also Dr. R.P. Meena, the president, and the secretary, Dr. Amita Nene, for affording me this opportunity to interact with brilliant minds, minds that have passion without personal interest, a mission that is not selective, and execution that is uniform, that is helping one and all — ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.’

    Thank you.

    ****

    JK/RC/SM

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Albanese Labor Government invests $114 million to improve road connections to the New Richmond Bridge

    Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

    The Albanese Labor Government is announcing a further $114 million investment to improve safety and efficiency for users of key roads around the New Richmond Bridge.

    The new investment will upgrade key connecting road infrastructure around Richmond and North Richmond and construct a bypass to Londonderry via a new road parallel to Southee Road.

    The project will help reduce congestion, improve traffic flow, connectivity and safety for road users and communities in and transiting through North Richmond, Richmond, Hobartville and Londonderry.

    The days of Richmond and North Richmond being connected by a century old bridge with one lane in and out are numbered. Today’s announcement builds on the existing $515 million New Richmond Bridge and Traffic Improvements project, which has a commitment of $400 million from the Australian Government.

    The New Richmond Bridge will be built about 10 metres higher than the existing bridge, with elevated approach roads. This will allow the bridge to remain open during one-in-20-year flood events, improving safety and assisting in times of flood evacuation.

    The historic 120-year-old Richmond Bridge will be retained and will enter its next era. Once carrying a train line, then an ever-increasing number of cars, it will be transformed into a walking and cycling path.

    Today’s announcement follows $580 million already invested through the 2025-2026 Federal Budget to support flood resilience and housing growth in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley and surrounds.

    Quotes attributable to Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

    “This project will make a big difference for the Richmond community, as well as the broader Hawkesbury.

    “With fast-moving flooding occurring frequently in this region, we are building not just a new bridge but the connections to ensure people have that extra time to get in and out of the watch zones.
     
    “This work isn’t all about flood resilience, and I know the community will welcome the new walking and cycling route repurposed from the old Richmond Bridge.
     
    “This is a really good outcome for this community, and it wouldn’t have happened without the strong advocacy of their local member Susan Templeman, who’s been across every detail of this plan and has brought, State Government, Federal Government and the community together to deliver good outcomes.”
     
    Quotes attributable to Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman:

    “This funding provides the certainty the community has been seeking since the Review of Environmental Factors was released in December. It means there is funding for the approach roads, the new taller bridge and the bypass of Richmond to be built all together.

    “I’ve been fighting to reduce congestion and travel times for people across the river since 2010 and am proud to work with both the Federal and State Ministers to deliver this funding.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 15 local groups benefit from City’s Community Grants Program

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Fifteen local groups have shared a total of $116,656 in funding from the City of Greater Bendigo’s Community Grants Program Medium Grants category to undertake a diverse range of projects.

    City of Greater Bendigo Healthy Communities and Environment Acting Director Andie West said the City’s Community Grants Program is very important for many local groups to undertake important activities that benefit many people in the community.

    “The City’s Medium Grants category provides up to $10,000 to support activities that align with the aims of the Greater Bendigo’s Council Plan 2021-2025 Mir wimbul or a local community plan,” Ms West said.

    “The Community Grants Program is an important program that has benefited many diverse groups over a long period of time.”  

    In the latest round the following grants were provided:

    • $10,000 to Eaglehawk Bendigo Badminton and Table Tennis Stadium for construction of a bus drop-off zone to cater for para-athletes and facility users
    • $10,000 to Bendigo Basketball Association for the purchase of a trailer to transport sports wheelchairs
    • $10,000 to Junortoun Community Action Group to develop and prepare a landscape plan for Honeyeater Bushland Reserve
    • $10,000 to Bendigo Winter Night Shelter towards operation of the 2025 Night Shelter
    • $9,774 to Bendigo Foodshare Inc towards the purchase of a ride on mower to maintain the grounds of Foodshare’s new premises
    • $9,000 to Bendigo Region Women’s Shed Inc. towards developing the operation of the shed
    • $8,730 to Discovery Science and Technology Museum Inc to provide the Beyond Curious – innovation STEM and literacy program
    • $8,341 to Huntly Men’s Shed Inc. towards the purchase of occupational healthy safety requirements
    • $7,838 to Eaglehawk North Primary School towards the implementation of a Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden
    • $7,100 to Ex-Fortuna Survey Association Inc.to digitise and preserve historical film negatives and slides from the Royal Australian Survey Corps and Women’s Australian Army Corps
    • $6,500 to Lifeline Loddon Mallee Ltd to support recruitment and training of volunteers
    • $6,247 Wellsford Forest Friends and Landcare Group to fund an ecological study of vegetation in Wellsford Forest
    • $6,156 to Bendigo Agricultural Show Society to develop a free of charge Kids Zone for children to explore and learn at the 2025 Bendigo Show
    • $5,320 to Star Cinema Community Association Pty Ltd to support he Eaglehawk Film Festival
    • $1,650 to Ostomates – Bendigo Stoma Support Group to support participant education and operation of the group

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MATSUI CONDEMNS REPUBLICAN EFFORT TO REPEAL CALIFORNIA’S CLEAN AIR ACT WAIVERS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

    WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), Co-Chair of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, released the following statement rebuking House Republicans’ effort to eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act waivers for California’s Advanced Clean Trucks, Advanced Clean Cars II, and Heavy-Duty Low NOx Omnibus rules. 

    “The evidence is overwhelming: clean air saves lives. That’s why I have spent my career in Congress fighting for stronger emissions standards and cracking down on toxic air pollution,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “For over 50 years, California has used its Clean Air Act authority to lead the way on strong, forward-thinking air pollution standards. Our policies serve as a national blueprint – showing how to cut emissions, drive innovation, create good jobs, lower costs at the pump, and protect families from harmful pollutants. This is a blatant, unlawful attempt to undermine decades of progress and double down on dirty fossil fuels. We must stop wasting everyone’s time and start working for the American people.”

    Last month, the Government Accountability Office reiterated a 2023 decision that California’s Clean Air Act waivers were not subject to the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The Senate Parliamentarian has affirmed this determination, ruling that the CRA cannot be used to overturn California’s waivers. 

    Congresswoman Matsui has spearheaded efforts in Congress calling for stronger emissions standards for cars and trucks. Under the first Trump Administration, the Congresswoman led opposition to President Trump’s attempts to revoke California’s pollution standards, and the Congresswoman successfully fought for the reinstatement of California’s authority under the Biden Administration.

    In March of 2021, she led a letter with 70 of her colleagues urging the Biden Administration to take action to reinstate California’s Clean Air Act waiver and restore the Obama-Biden tailpipe emission and fuel economy standards. In July of 2021, she led a follow up letter with then Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone and 139 of her colleagues to reiterate the importance of reinstating the California Clean Air Act waiver.

                                                   

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Newly discovered tropical oyster reefs are thriving across northern Australia – they deserve protection

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Richardson, Research Fellow in Marine Science, Griffith University

    Marina Richardson

    Oysters are so much more than a seafood delicacy. They’re ecosystem engineers, capable of building remarkably complex reefs. These structures act as the kidneys of the sea, cleaning the water and keeping the coast healthy, while providing homes for millions of other animals.

    Oyster reefs were once thought to be restricted to southern, cooler coastal waters where they’re the temperate equivalent of tropical coral reefs. But now, oyster reefs are being found right across Australia’s tropical north as well.

    These tropical oyster reefs are bigger and more widespread than anyone expected. In fact, they are some of the largest known intertidal oyster reefs (exposed at low tide) left in Australia. And they’re everywhere – from the southern limit of the Queensland tropics across to the northern coast of Western Australia – yet we know almost nothing about them.

    In our recent research, my colleagues and I completed the first detailed study of Australian tropical oyster reefs. These reefs are so new to science that until now, the species responsible for building them remained a mystery.

    Using DNA, we identified the main reef-building oyster species in tropical Australia as “Saccostrea Lineage B”, making it a new addition to our national list of known reef-builders.

    Lineage B is a close relative of the commercially important Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata), but so little is known about this tropical reef-building species that it is yet to be assigned a scientific name.

    The Saccostrea Lineage B oysters we found in Australia’s tropical north are related to Sydney rock oysters.
    Marina Richardson

    Hiding in plain sight

    So why are we only learning about tropical oyster reefs now?

    Across the globe, oyster reefs have been decimated by human activity. These reefs declined in most tropical regions long ago, even as far back as 1,000 years ago. Most oyster reefs disappeared without a trace before scientists even knew they were there.

    However, Australia’s tropical oyster reefs haven’t just survived, in some cases they have thrived.

    Despite being delicious to many, the species we now know as Lineage B was not very attractive to the aquaculture industry, due to its small size. And while oyster reefs near Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne were dredged and burned to produce lime for mortar, used in the early construction of roads and buildings, this practice was not widespread in tropical regions. This lack of commercial interest is probably the reason why tropical oyster reefs have persisted unnoticed for so long in northern Australia.

    Here the tropical oyster reefs were found growing on a combination of both rock and muddy sediment.
    Marina Richardson

    What we did and what we found

    We assessed three tropical oyster reefs in Queensland, Australia. At Wilson Beach, near Proserpine and Turkey Beach, near Gladstone, reefs were surveyed in late winter 2022. The reef at Mapoon in the Gulf of Carpentaria was surveyed in early spring 2023.

    Using drone footage, we measured reef area and structure. We then collected oysters for genetic analysis.

    Oysters are notoriously difficult to identify, because their shape, size and colour varies so much. Oysters from the same species can look completely different, while oysters from different species can look identical. That’s why it’s necessary to extract DNA.

    We found almost all reef-building oysters across the three locations were Saccostrea Lineage B.

    At Gladstone reefs, several other reef-building species were also present, including leaf oysters, pearl oysters and hairy mussels.

    We compared three tropical oyster reefs in Queensland.
    Richardson, M., et al (2025) Marine Environmental Research

    An ecosystem worthy of protection

    In southern Australia, oyster reefs are critically endangered. But we don’t really know how threatened their tropical counterparts are, although there is some evidence of decline. Further research is underway.

    A new project has begun to map oyster reefs across tropical Australia. Since the project launched in June 2024, more than 60 new reefs have been found across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia – including some as large as 5 hectares.

    These unexpected discoveries provide a beacon of hope in a world currently overwhelmed by habitat decline and ecological collapse. But tropical oyster reefs are not yet protected. It’s crucial we include them in assessments of threatened ecosystems, to understand how much trouble they’re in and what we can do to protect them into the future.

    By locating and understanding these overlooked ecosystems, we can ensure they’re not left behind in the global oyster reef restoration movement.

    Scientists and others involved in reef restoration are now inviting everyday people across Australia to get involved as citizen scientists in The Great Shellfish Hunt. Anyone can upload tropical oyster reef sightings to this mapping project. It’s more important than ever to work together and ensure tropical oyster reefs receive the protection they deserve, so they continue to thrive for generations to come.

    Marina Richardson currently receives funding from the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) and the Queensland Government Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

    – ref. Newly discovered tropical oyster reefs are thriving across northern Australia – they deserve protection – https://theconversation.com/newly-discovered-tropical-oyster-reefs-are-thriving-across-northern-australia-they-deserve-protection-254612

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: We talk a lot about being ‘resilient’. But what does it actually mean?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McEvoy, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Curtin University

    Kinga Howard/Unsplash

    In a world with political polarisation, war, extreme weather events and increasing costs of living, we need to be able to cope as individuals and communities.

    Our capacity to cope with very real stressors in our lives – our resilience – can determine whether we thrive, just survive, or are deprived of a reasonable quality of life.

    Stress vs resilience

    Resilience means having the ability to cope with, and rebound from, life’s challenges and still achieve our goals.

    Stress isn’s something to be avoided. We need to feel some stress to achieve our best. Exposure to manageable levels of stress and adversity develops our coping skills and resilience.

    But if we feel too much stress, we can flounder or become overwhelmed.

    The ability to re-activate ourselves when we feel down, fatigued or disengaged helps to optimise our focus and motivation. Sportspeople, for example, might listen to high intensity music just before a competition to increase their energy levels.

    Conversely, the ability to dampen down emotional intensity can make use feel less stressed or anxious. Exercising, listening to relaxing music, or patting a much-loved pet can prevent high arousal from interfering with completing a task.

    Effective emotion regulation is crucial for adapting to life’s ups and downs, and keeping us on a relatively even keel.

    How does resilience develop?

    Resilience emerges from interactions between personal and environmental factors.

    In addition to emotion regulation skills, personal factors that can bolster resilience include academic achievement, developing a range of skills and abilities (such as sport and music) and problem-solving skills. Many of these skills can be fostered in childhood. And if one area of life isn’t going well, we can still experience confidence, joy and meaning in others.

    Sometimes we need to increase our energy levels, other times we need to lower anxiety.
    Ilias Chebbi/Unsplash

    People who reflect on traumatic experience and develop new positive meanings about themselves (getting through it means I’m strong!) and life (a greater appreciation) can also have higher levels of resilience.

    Genetic factors and temperament also play an important role. Some of us are born with nervous systems that respond with more anxiety than others in novel, uncertain, or potentially threatening situations. And some of us are more likely to avoid rather than approach these situations. These traits tend to be associated with lower levels of resilience. But we can all learn skills to build our resilience.

    Environmental factors that promote resilience include:

    • a nurturing home environment
    • supportive family and peer relationships
    • cultural identity, belonging and rituals
    • modelling from others overcoming hardship
    • community cohesion
    • government policies that provide social safety nets, strong education, anti-discrimination and inclusion
    • investment in facilities, spaces, services and networks that support the quality of life and wellbeing of communities.

    Can resilience be taught?

    Many factors associated with resilience are modifiable, so it stands to reason that interventions that aim to bolster them should be helpful.

    There is evidence that interventions that promote optimism, flexibility, active coping and social support-seeking can have small yet meaningful positive effects on resilience and emotional wellbeing in children and adults.

    However, school-based programs give us reason to be cautious.

    A trial across 84 schools in the United Kingdom evaluated the effectiveness of school-based mindfulness programs. More than 3,500 students aged between 11 and 13 years received ten lessons of mindfulness and a similar number did not.

    There was no evidence that mindfulness had any benefit on risk for depression, social, emotional and behavioural functioning, or wellbeing after one year. Teaching school children mindfulness at scale did not appear to bolster resilience.

    In fact, there was some evidence it did harm – and it was most harmful for students at the highest risk of depression. The intervention was not deemed to be effective or cost-effective and was not recommended by the authors.

    In another recent trial, researchers found an emotion regulation intervention with Year 8 and 9 school children was unhelpful and even harmful, although children who engaged in more home practice tended to do better.

    The evidence doesn’t support school-based resilience programs.
    Mitchell Luo/Unsplash

    These interventions may have failed for a number of reasons. The content may not have been delivered in a way that was sufficiently engaging, comprehensive, age-appropriate, frequent, individually tailored, or relevant to the school context. Teachers may also not be sufficiently trained in delivering these interventions for them to be effective. And students didn’t co-design the interventions.

    Regardless of the reasons, these findings suggest we need to be cautious when delivering universal interventions to all children. It may be more helpful to wait until there are early signs of excessive stress and intervening in an individualised way.

    What does this mean for resilience-building?

    Parents and schools have a role in providing children with the sense of security that gives them confidence to explore their environments and make mistakes in age-appropriate ways, and providing support when needed.

    Parents and teachers can encourage children to try to solve problems themselves before getting involved. Problem-solving attempts should be celebrated even more than success.

    Schools need to allocate their scarce resources to children most in need of practical and emotional support in non-stigmatising ways, rather than universal approaches. Most children will develop resilience without intervention programs.

    To promote resilience, schools can foster positive peer relationships, cultural identity and involvement in creative, sporting and academic pursuits. They can also highlight others’ recovery and resilience stories to demonstrate how growth can occur from adversity.

    More broadly in the community, people can work on developing their own emotion regulation skills to bolster their confidence in their ability to manage adversity.

    Think about how you can:

    • approach challenges in constructive ways
    • actively problem-solve rather than avoid challenges
    • genuinely accept failure as part of being human
    • establish healthy boundaries
    • align your behaviour with your values
    • receive social and professional support when needed.

    This will help you navigate the ebbs and flows of life in ways that support recovery and growth.



    Read more:
    People’s mental health goes downhill after repeated climate disasters – it’s an issue of social equity

    Peter McEvoy is a Professor of clinical psychology at the Curtin enAble Institute and School of Population Health. He is also a Senior Clinical Psychologist at The Centre for Clinical Interventions, Perth, and a Board Member of the Australian Association of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. He does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article. The opinions and perspectives in this article are his own.

    – ref. We talk a lot about being ‘resilient’. But what does it actually mean? – https://theconversation.com/we-talk-a-lot-about-being-resilient-but-what-does-it-actually-mean-245256

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graves Leads Transportation Committee in Advancing Legislation to Cut Waste, Secure the Border, and Modernize the Air Traffic Control System

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Sam Graves (6th District of Missouri)

    WASHINGTON, DC – The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, led by Chairman Sam Graves (MO-06), approved its budget reconciliation proposal to secure the border, support President Trump’s national security agenda, and modernize America’s air traffic control system. These investments will be more than offset by slashing funding for Green New Deal style programs, requiring electric vehicles (EVs) begin paying for their use of the highway system just like other highway users, and other deficit reduction measures. The T&I Committee will now send its proposal, which reduces the deficit by more than $10 billion, to the House Budget Committee. 

    “The Committee took decisive action in support of the President’s America First agenda,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (MO-06). “My proposal cuts wasteful Green New Deal spending and ensures that electric vehicles finally start paying for the maintenance of our roads and bridges. We also approved historic investments in the United States Coast Guard to strengthen our national and border security, and we took equally important strides towards finally modernizing the nation’s outdated air traffic control system. ”

    Chairman Graves’ proposal would reduce federal spending and deficits by rescinding unobligated funds and eliminating seven unnecessary Green New Deal style programs created in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Those programs include the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants, Environmental Review Implementation Funds, and Low-Carbon Transportation Materials Grants under the Federal Highway Administration, among others. 

    The proposal ensures that electric vehicles pay to fix our roads and bridges like other vehicles. The Highway Trust Fund (HTF) is funded by user-fees. However, since EVs do not use gas, they do not pay the user fee, and this inequity contributes to a growing shortfall in the funds to repair roads and bridges across the country.

    Chairman Graves proposal provides additional investments in the U.S. Coast Guard to protect national security and secure our maritime borders. It gives the Coast Guard the tools it needs to better protect our borders, stopping illegal immigrants and drugs from entering the country, and protectour national and economic security in the Arctic, where competitors such as China and Russia are aggressively expanding their activities.

    It also invests in the improved safety and reliability of America’s air traffic control (ATC) system, replacing outdated ATC technology, modernizing the ATC system, and enhancing the hiring of air traffic controllers following several aviation tragedies in recent months, which are priorities of the President and DOT Secretary Duffy.

    More information from yesterday’s Committee markup of the proposal is available here.

     

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Wildfire smoke and extreme heat can occur together: Preparing for the combined health effects of a hot, smoky future

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Stephanie Cleland, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University

    In recent years, Canadians have been subjected to both severe wildfire smoke and extreme heat events, as evidenced by the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season and the 2021 heat dome. Western Canada in particular has a long history of wildfires and heat waves, and with climate change, communities have experienced an increasing number of days per year affected by wildfire smoke or extreme temperatures.

    It’s well understood that exposure to either wildfire smoke or extreme heat poses a significant threat to health. For example, there is substantial evidence linking wildfire smoke to an increased risk of hospitalizations for lung or heart complications, with emerging evidence that exposure may also affect birth outcomes and cognitive function. Similarly, we know that extreme heat can increase the risk of illness or death from conditions related to our lungs, hearts and brains.

    However, most available research has focused on the effects of these climate hazards in isolation, without considering what the health risks might be when wildfire smoke and extreme heat happen at the same time. We live in a complex world where we’re rarely exposed to one hazard at a time, and wildfire season overlaps with the warmest months of the year, making it essential to consider the potential risks of concurrent exposure to heat and smoke.

    While only a handful of studies have explored the effects of co-occurring wildfire smoke and extreme heat events, early evidence indicates that simultaneous exposure may actually amplify the adverse health effects, leading to worse respiratory, cardiovascular and birth outcomes than either exposure on their own.

    This emerging evidence of amplified effects, paired with expected increases in Canadians’ exposure to both wildfire smoke and extreme heat, prompted me and my colleagues at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control to explore how often, and where, these climate hazards are co-occurring in Canada. In doing so, we aimed to identify priority communities to guide public health communication and adaptation planning in the face of hotter and smokier summers.

    When wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-occur

    To understand how often communities are simultaneously exposed to wildfire smoke and extreme heat, we analyzed 13 years of temperature and air pollution data across British Columbia. We calculated the number of days affected by both wildfire smoke and extreme heat in each dissemination area (small, government-defined geographic regions that have an average population of 400-700 people). We also assessed if the frequency and intensity of these simultaneous climate hazards has changed over time.

    The number of days with simultaneous exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat between 2010-2022. The number of days are calculated for each community (dissemination area) in British Columbia.
    (Cleland et al., 2025), CC BY-NC-ND

    We found that wildfire smoke and extreme heat frequently co-occur in British Columbia, with all communities experiencing at least seven, and upwards of 65, days with simultaneous exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat between 2010 to 2022.

    We also identified that the frequency and intensity of these events has escalated over time, with 42.5 per cent of communities (approximately 1.9 million people) experiencing significant increases in their exposure. For example, between 2018 to 2022, communities on average experienced 4.5 days per year with simultaneous exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat, compared with only one day per year between 2010 to 2014.

    Trends in the number of days with simultaneous exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat between 2010-2022. The left figure illustrates which communities (dissemination areas) experienced significant increases in their exposure, and the right figure illustrates the number of days with simultaneous exposure during each year of the study period.
    (Cleland et al., 2025), CC BY-NC-ND

    We also found that communities across the province were not equally affected by these co-occurring wildfire smoke and extreme heat events. Those in the northeastern and south-central regions of British Columbia tended to experience more frequent and intense exposure.

    When we dug a bit more into the characteristics of these highly exposed communities, we found that they were primarily located in rural and remote regions of the province, often with lower socioeconomic status and a higher proportion of susceptible populations, such as older adults.

    These types of communities tend to have lower resilience and adaptability to climate hazards, with reduced access to the resources necessary to follow public health guidance and reduce their exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat.

    Preparing for hotter and smokier summers

    Our findings, together with evidence of amplified health risks, make it clear that Canada needs to prepare for hotter and smokier summers. There is also a clear need to increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of rural and remote communities in certain regions of British Columbia.

    To do so, we need to invest in strategies that account for the unique ways in which a community experiences wildfire smoke and extreme heat as well as their specific needs and susceptibilities.

    While Health Canada and the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control provide guidance on actions to take when exposed to wildfire smoke and extreme heat together, a recent review of public health guidance on simultaneous exposure to smoke and heat found that the current messaging is often incomplete and inconsistent. This unclear messaging can make it difficult for communities to adequately plan and prepare for these recurrent and intense climate hazards.

    Additionally, a lot of the strategies that cities currently rely on to reduce exposure to smoke or heat do not account for the complex world of multiple hazards. For example, cities often open cooling centres during periods of extreme heat to provide access to air conditioning, but these centres don’t always have air filtration.

    Similarly, cities often designate cleaner air spaces during periods of wildfire smoke to provide access to clean indoor air, but these spaces don’t always have air conditioning.

    Moving forward, Canada needs to invest in co-ordinated public health guidance and adaptation strategies that serve multiple purposes and account for the numerous climate hazards that communities face each year. In doing so, we can better protect the health and well-being of the communities that are experiencing increasingly frequent and intense wildfire smoke and extreme heat events.

    Stephanie Cleland receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

    – ref. Wildfire smoke and extreme heat can occur together: Preparing for the combined health effects of a hot, smoky future – https://theconversation.com/wildfire-smoke-and-extreme-heat-can-occur-together-preparing-for-the-combined-health-effects-of-a-hot-smoky-future-252245

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Call for Nominations for Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Call for Nominations for Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025

    Last date for submission of nominations is 31st July 2025

    Nominations to be submitted online through the official Rashtriya Puraskar Portal

    Posted On: 03 MAY 2025 10:44AM by PIB Delhi

    The Government of India has invited nominations for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) 2025, a prestigious national-level award conferred annually by the President of India to recognize exceptional achievements of children across the country. The last date for submission of nominations is 31st July 2025. All nominations must be submitted online through the official Rashtriya Puraskar Portal at https://awards.gov.in.

    Nominations are open to children aged between 5 and 18 years (as on 31st July 2025). Any individual or institution may nominate children with exceptional achievements for PMRBP. Children may also apply through self-nomination.

    To apply, applicants must first register or log in on the portal by providing details such as First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, Applicant Type (Individual/Organisation), Mobile Number, Email ID, Aadhaar Number, etc. and CAPTCHA verification. Once registered, they should select the “Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025” under the Ongoing Nominations section and click on “Nominate/Apply Now.” Applicants must then choose the relevant award category and indicate whether the nomination is for themselves or for someone else.

    The application form requires nominee details, a concise narrative (maximum 500 words) describing the achievement and its impact, and the upload of supporting documents (PDF format, up to 10 attachments) and a recent photograph (in jpg/jpeg/png format). Applications can be saved as drafts and edited before final submission. Once reviewed and submitted, a downloadable copy of the application will be available for reference.

    The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar honours young individuals below the age of 18 (as on 31st July 2025) who have demonstrated excellence in the following six categories: Bravery, Social Service, Environment, Sports, Art & Culture, and Science & Technology.

    The objectives of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awards are to celebrate and amplify the achievements of India’s youth in diverse spheres, to inspire peers nationwide by showcasing real-life role models and to foster an enabling environment for children’s holistic development.

    For more information and to nominate, please visit https://awards.gov.in.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: $22 Million Renovation to Dietz Stadium

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of renovations to Robert H. Dietz Memorial Stadium in the City of Kingston as part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The $22 million project, which was kick-started with $2.5 million from the City of Kingston’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative award, included interior and exterior Grandstand renovations with upgraded locker rooms and athletics facilities, new track and turf field, greener and more accessible parking areas, new concession areas and restroom facilities, a new scoreboard and LED stadium lighting.

    “The revitalization of Dietz Stadium marks a new era for the City of Kingston – where state-of-the-art athletic facilities meet community pride and regional opportunity,” Governor Hochul said. “Through our Downtown Revitalization Initiative, we’ve transformed this historic venue into a modern hub for sports, recreation and public gatherings, all while preserving its legacy and strengthening accessibility, sustainability and economic vitality for generations to come.”

    Dietz Stadium is a 2,000-seat facility with an outdoor field and track that is a major venue for organized sports both locally and regionally. The stadium is used daily for Kingston City School athletics for practices and competitions. The stadium is home to Kingston Stockade Football Club, a semi-professional soccer team, and hosts several regional and statewide competitions each year, including the New York State Field Band Conference’s Fall Fanfare. The stadium grounds, pool, basketball court and track are popular for recreational use by the public.

    The Dietz Stadium renovation project was part of a multi-phased, comprehensive restoration of the larger complex, which included the Andretta Pool Improvements Project that began in spring 2020 and was completed in 2023. Improvements included a new roof and masonry repairs at the pool house, pool lining repairs, a new pump and filter, and a splash pad.

    The Dietz Stadium improvements included:

    • Exterior renovations of the grandstand, including improved accessibility, a 50-yard line access tunnel to the locker rooms, new benches, and press box upgrades
    • Interior renovations of the grandstand, including upgrades to the restrooms, new locker rooms, new mechanical/electrical services, coaches offices, training room, and improved storage facilities
    • New track surfacing, new turf field, and new LED stadium lighting
    • New scoreboard with large screen broadcasting
    • All new underground utilities: water, sewer, storm, electric & communications
    • Removal of the old concession building and admin building and construction of a new 100’ x 36’ open-air pavilion with food truck hook-ups, concession booth, and referee locker room
    • Visitor side concession area with two restrooms
    • Expanded grassed practice area with a track & field equipment storage building
    • New gated ticket booth grandstand entrance
    • Bus parking at stadium entrance, new parking lots with green infrastructure
    • Improved access loop road and sidewalks around the stadium
    • Two-way access/egress to Hurley Avenue as well as Joys Lane
    • Relocated basketball court with benches and lighting
    • Pedestrian access/egress walk to Joys Lane near Forsyth Nature Center
    • New stadium perimeter fencing
    • Improved Wi-Fi and security cameras
    • Landscaping, including 120+ new trees

    Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “Dietz Stadium is a tremendous asset to the City of Kingston, and we are proud to celebrate its official reopening after extensive renovations and improvements. This is more than just a stadium, it is a neighborhood hub where families gather, students grow and residents show community pride. Congratulations to the City of Kingston on their continued efforts toward creating a more vibrant and thriving city!”

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Projects like this are at the heart of our community redevelopment efforts and encourage new investments that support regional economic growth. Dietz Stadium is a Kingston landmark, and the upgrades made possible through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative will ensure that it continues to welcome fans and athletes for generations to come.”

    New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “When ‘climate smart’ cities like Kingston prioritize green infrastructure improvements and sustainable solutions, like these at Dietz Stadium, the entire community benefits. DEC is proud to partner with the Department of State and our fellow state agencies to support this exciting renovation project and contribute to the city of Kingston’s ongoing efforts to enhance resiliency and improve quality of life for everyone who calls this community home.”

    Environmental Facilities Corporation President and CEO Maureen A. Coleman said, “The transformation of Dietz Stadium is a powerful example of how strategic investments in green infrastructure can revitalize community spaces while protecting our environment. EFC is proud to support projects like this that not only enhance public amenities but also advance New York State’s resilience and sustainability goals through cleaner water management and improved accessibility.”

    Representative Pat Ryan said, “I pushed hard for this project, both as County Executive and as a member of Congress – I’m incredibly proud to announce renovations are complete! This is a win for our entire Kingston community – from the student athletes that will utilize the new top-tier facilities, to the families and community members who will enjoy the space. I can’t wait to visit with Theo and Cam soon!”

    State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Dietz Stadium is a Kingston landmark and a cornerstone of life in our community, where generations have come together to compete, celebrate, and get a front row seat to watch our semi-pro Stockade FC make us proud. We’ve driven major state investment toward Dietz’s revitalization, and I’m proud to have been part of that effort. These renovations will help carry Dietz into its next 100 years, and it’s been incredible to see the positive impact on local families, athletes, and our business district since its opening.”

    Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger said, “Dietz Stadium is a beloved community asset that has been used by generations of residents for community recreation, school athletic practices and competitions, graduations, and special events, and more recently, as the home field for Kingston’s very own semi-pro soccer team, the Kingston Stockade FC. The improvements to the stadium are spectacular and will benefit the community for generations to come. I want to thank the Department of State for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative award, which provided funding to kick-start this project, and I want to express my appreciation to Mayor Noble, the Common Council, and the Kingston City School District for their vision, leadership, and commitment to making this project happen. I look forward to seeing the Kingston Stockade play on the new field!”

    City of Kingston Mayor Steven T. Noble said, “I want to thank the Governor and the Department of State for seeing our vision for Uptown Kingston, believing in our community, and providing the funding through the DRI program that kick-started this massive renovation project of our beloved Dietz Stadium. With the state-of-the-art upgrades, this complex will now be able to host regional sporting competitions and large-scale events, which we know will be a boon to our Stockade Business District and beyond. We are thrilled to have robust support from the State and are proud to welcome the public to the new and improved Robert H. Dietz Memorial Stadium today.”

    Kingston City School District Superintendent Dr. Paul J. Padalino said, “We are incredibly thankful to New York State for providing the financial support to complete the renovations of the new and improved Dietz Stadium. This stadium is a tremendous asset to both KCSD and the City of Kingston. KCSD students have already been making great use of the stadium and we look forward to making more memorable moments here. This project is an example of effective cooperation between the State, City and School District. We are grateful to have worked collaboratively with our state and local governments to make this dream a reality.”

    The City of Kingston was named the Mid-Hudson Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) winner in Round Two. Dietz Stadium and the larger complex, including Andretta Pool received $2.5 million from the DRI, as well as grants for green infrastructure improvements from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Environmental Facilities Corporation. In addition to Dietz Stadium, other projects awarded DRI funding include $2.38 million for transportation upgrades in the Stockade District; $473,000 to create open space in Frog Alley; $3.8 million to incorporate public improvements into the Kingstonian Mixed-Use Development Project; and $600,000 for a Small Grants Program to support smaller projects in the City’s Stockade Business District.

    Downtown Revitalization Initiative
    The Downtown Revitalization Initiative was created in 2016 to accelerate and expand the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods in all ten regions of the state to serve as centers of activity and catalysts for investment. Led by the Department of State with assistance from Empire State Development, Homes and Community Renewal and NYSERDA, the DRI represents an unprecedented and innovative “plan-then-act” strategy that couples strategic planning with immediate implementation and results in compact, walkable downtowns that are a key ingredient to helping New York State rebuild its economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to achieving the State’s bold climate goals by promoting the use of public transit and reducing dependence on private vehicles. Through eight rounds, the DRI has awarded a total of $900 million to 89 communities across every region of the State.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 218 Status Reports

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Discusses Strengthening Nebraska’s Water Infrastructure at Environment and Public Works Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, discussed improvements to Nebraska’s water infrastructure, including irrigation, during a committee hearing. Witnesses included Tom Goulette, City Administrator and Utility Superintendent for the City of West Point, NE. Ricketts said the following to Goulette:

    “[Nebraska is one of] the largest irrigation states in the country. I was just in Scottsbluff last week, where the Gering-Fort Laramie Canal collapsed while I was Governor. We worked to get some temporary repairs in place there. It’s owned by the Bureau of Reclamation, but through a program, they built the canal there 100 years ago, and when it collapsed, it cut off about 55,000 acres of Nebraska farmland from getting irrigation water.

    “That obviously, is just huge for a state like Nebraska, where agriculture is our biggest industry in the state,” Ricketts continued. “We’re going to be looking for opportunities to have the federal government partner with us to get the permanent repairs on that done, because right now it’s operating at about 80% capacity.”

    Click here to watch the hearing.

    TRANSCRIPT:

    Senator Ricketts: “Great. Thank you very much, appreciate it.

    “Well, welcome to all of our witnesses today.

    “I appreciate taking the time and Tom, great to have you here to be able to represent Nebraska.

    “Tom brings just a wealth of information to this committee.

    “If there is a job involving water in the state of Nebraska, over the last 40 years, Tom has done that job.

    “He has been, obviously, currently in West Point and great community there in Cuming County.

    “But just your depth of expertise is amazing.

    “I’m actually going to read all some of the stuff because it’s pretty impressive.

    “Served as Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council for Drinking Water, Chairman of the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, Chairman of the League of Nebraska Utilities of Nebraska Utility Section, and President of Nebraska Rural Water. 

    “Just to name a few.

    “You’re currently the Chairman of the Nebraska League of Municipalities, Small Cities Legislative Committee say hi to Lynn for me.”

    Tom Goulette: “I will do that.”

    Senator Ricketts: “And if you’re not busy enough, you’re very you’re engaged very civic engagements, where you’ve served as a Utility Superintendent for the City West Point since 1993 and added City Administrator to your business card in 2001 and you still got both those titles today, right?”

    Tom Goulette: “Yes, yeah.”

    Senator Ricketts: “So it just shows again, small towns people wear a lot of hats.

    “And before the committee today, your post is the Nebraska Rural Water Association.

    “You’ve been on the board there since 2005 and currently serving on the executive committee.

    “So, thank you again, Tom for being here.

    “Really, really appreciate your experience that you bring to this committee.”

    Tom Goulette: “Thank you, sir.”

    Senator Ricketts: “So, welcome.

    “And what I’d like to talk a little bit about is many small and rural communities face significant challenges in accessing and managing the federal infrastructure dollars due to limited staffing and technical expertise.

    “We saw this in other areas as well, like the Department of Transportation, and so forth.

    “When we met in February, the Nebraska Rural Water Association Chair shared some of these barriers, what type of resources or policy changes could Congress consider making to federal programs to make them more efficient for small and rural communities?”

    Tom Goulette: “You know, a lot of it comes down to the simplifying the application requirements for those small communities. 

    “Typically, they know best of what their needs are going to be when it comes to upgrading your systems or changing the equipment and that type of thing, along with the assistance from, you know, the Nebraska Rural Water Association or Circuit Riders are there lending assistance in quantifying that.

    “And then once they get to that point, once they can get to some type of formulation of what that community needs, that’s when an application needs to go in, and then that should allow for some additional engineering. 

    “Then at that stage, once that project is identified, and the community can have some buy in, for lack of a better term.

    “The other thing is that reducing those match requirements, a lot of small rural communities, they stretch every dollar they have.

    “So, when, when they’re looking at this, and they’re looking at the match requirements to comply with that, it becomes difficult.

    “Then they’ve got to balance out where the priorities lie within the financial capabilities of that community. So consequently, some of those projects get on, put on the shelf, then at that point.”

    Senator Ricketts: “Yeah, and it’s not so true for West Point, because West Point is really doing well.

    “But what we see is it fair to say, in a lot of our rural communities, we see that as the younger people move away and you’re left with declining population of older folks at bases, that just adds to the complication of being able to get these water projects done?”

    Tom Goulette: “It does.

    “And along with that, is our aging workforce.

    “You know, we see a lot of operators aging out those, those are one and two main operations.

    “So, you know, once that that legacy leaves that community that they’re difficult to replace.

    “So that makes the challenge even more difficult to make to help sustain that community.”

    Senator Ricketts: “Is there, again, is there something we could do in Congress to be able to help with some of those workforce challenges?”

    Tom Goulette: “One of the things is the apprenticeship program that Senator Capito put in place a few years ago, and we need to get that moving in Nebraska.

    “We need to get that funding moving in Nebraska.

    “We need to get an apprenticeship program and start that process to engage those communities and show them options and bring trained operators to the facilities.

    Senator Ricketts: “Can you just give us a briefly, just how some of these federal funding programs have made otherwise cost prohibitive projects in small towns and rural communities possible?”

    Tom Goulette: “Yeah, I mean, basically, when you’re looking at the projects themselves, and you’re looking at the market based on interest rates and that type of thing, and the longevity, it makes it more economically feasible for those small communities, there’s the grant basis that they also can qualify for, which also helps them.”

    Senator Ricketts: “Can you give me an example of specific project off the top of your head?”

    Tom Goulette: “You know that the easiest example right now is the city of West Point.

    “You know, we did the water project here a few years ago where we had a $2.7 million water treatment plant.

    “Of that $2.7 million, 553,000 of that was loan forgiveness, and then in addition to that, was the one and a half percent interest rate, plus the administrative fee for the state.”

    “So it makes it very economically feasible to get those programs in place rather than going out to the open market.”

    Senator Ricketts: “All right, great.

    “Well, oh, we lost our chair, so I guess I’m in charge of the Republican side now.

    “I’m going to take a moment just to talk a little bit as well about an important project not specifically related to the drinking water, but access to water in general, in our state is obviously important. 

    “We’re the largest irrigation state in the country, and I was just in Scottsbluff last week, and theGering-Fort Laramie Canalcollapsed while I was Governor, and we worked to get some temporary repairs in place there. 

    “It’s owned by the Bureau of Reclamation, but through a program, they built the canal there 100 years ago, and when it collapsed, it cut off about 55,000 acres of Nebraska farmland from getting irrigation water. 

    “And that obviously, is just huge for a state like Nebraska, where irrigation, or irrigation is big, but also agriculture is our biggest industry in the state.

    “And so, we’re going to be looking for opportunities to be able to have the federal government partner, to be able to get the permanent repairs on that done, because right now it’s operating, like, about 80% capacity.

    “And I was just talking to folks about, again, just getting to this idea of, like, how expensive it is for these projects, and how with the drinking water and making it possible in West Point, but the cost that would be for those farmers to be able to pay the extra fees to be able to get those total repairs done would be really, really challenging.

    “So that’s another project in our example how the federal government can help partner with states and local communities to be able to get these water projects done.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Neguse, Bennet, Hickenlooper Demand Commerce Department Reverse Planned Cuts to NOAA and Colorado-Based Research Centers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

    In a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik the lawmakers underscored the importance of Cooperative Institutes at Colorado State University and the University of Colorado Boulder. 

    Lafayette, CO — Following public reports of President Trump’s expected effort to implement disastrous funding cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in his upcoming budget proposal, Colorado lawmakers—Congressman Joe Neguse and Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper—moved quickly to defend the agency and its Cooperative Institutes (CIs).  

    Colorado is the only state in the nation to house two such Cooperative Institutes, which are academic and non-profit research centers that provide invaluable support to NOAA’s mission. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), located at the University of Colorado Boulder, is the oldest and largest CI. It employs nearly 800 researchers, support staff, and students focused on research related to drought, wildfire, and space weather. The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), located at Colorado State University, employs nearly 200 individuals who are working to improve weather and fire forecasting.

    In an effort to push back on the proposed cuts, Neguse, Bennet, and Hickenlooper penned a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick condemning any plan to terminate funding for these institutions, calling the alleged proposal short-sighted and costly, and underscoring the important work that is ongoing at both CIRES and CIRA.  

    “Many of NOAA’s CIs have been around for decades and the work they do has been helping our communities for just as long. Cuts to funding, furloughs or layoffs will have devastating impacts on the important work the CIs do. CIs are home to experienced researchers and long-standing data collection programs with major impacts on human societies, moreover they are instrumental in training future generations of workers who continue to contribute to societal needs. It is our fear that if sweeping cuts are made, the damage will be irreversible. Even short-term interruptions in their research could threaten the safety and economies of the communities that CIs serve across the nation,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    They continued: “Cooperative Institutes are integral to solving some of our biggest problems and making all of us safer and better prepared for short-term and long-term hazards. Any plan to terminate funding for NOAA CIs would be detrimental not just to the people of Colorado, but to people across the entire country. As such, we implore you to reconsider any plans to substantially diminish these powerful and important capabilities.”

    Read their full letter HERE and below: 

    April 23, 2025

    The Honorable Howard Lutnick

    Secretary 

    U.S. Department of Commerce 

    1401 Constitution Ave. NW

    Washington, DC 20230

    Dear Secretary Lutnick,

    We write regarding a new proposal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to terminate funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Cooperative Institutes (CIs). We strongly condemn any such plan and believe terminating this funding would be extremely short-sighted and costly to the American people and economy in the long run.

    Colorado is fortunate to be the only state to house two Cooperative Institutes and the largest of the CIs. The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), housed at Colorado State University, employs 193 staff working on developing algorithms for weather forecasting and fire weather forecasting. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) housed at the University of Colorado Boulder is the oldest and largest CI, established in 1967. CIRES is focused on research into drought, wildfire, and space weather, among other important issues. It employs nearly 800 researchers, support staff and students who are working each day to improve our understanding of Earth systems for the benefit of people across Colorado and the nation.  

    Our CIs have real world impacts and benefits that span beyond the borders of our state. CIRA was involved in the development of the Hurricane Intensity Prediction System (HIPS), a tool that helps predict how strong hurricanes will become, as well as TORUS (Targeted Observations by Radars and Unmanned Aircraft to Study Tornadoes and Supercells) project, which focuses on collecting data to improve tornado and storm prediction. CIRES is, among its many important contributions, helping to enhance drought monitoring and prediction on the Colorado River, aiding water managers in the region. Indeed, some of the greatest beneficiaries of CIRES water and drought analyses reside in Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Texas. CIRES also received the 2022 Colorado Governor’s Award for High-Impact Research for their rapid response to the Marshall Fire, the most damaging wildfire in our state. The results from the CIRES work on the fire have informed responses to other large fire events elsewhere in the nation, benefiting many thousands of citizens.

    Many of NOAA’s CIs have been around for decades and the work they do has been helping our communities for just as long. Cuts to funding, furloughs or layoffs will have devastating impacts on the important work the CIs do. CIs are home to experienced researchers and long-standing data collection programs with major impacts on human societies, moreover they are instrumental in training future generations of workers who continue to contribute to societal needs. It is our fear that if sweeping cuts are made, the damage will be irreversible. Even short-term interruptions in their research could threaten the safety and economies of the communities that CIs serve across the nation. 

    Cooperative Institutes are integral to solving some of our biggest problems and making all of us safer and better prepared for short-term and long-term hazards. Any plan to terminate funding for NOAA CIs would be detrimental not just to the people of Colorado, but to people across the entire country. As such, we implore you to reconsider any plans to substantially diminish these powerful and important capabilities.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Gillibrand Statement On President Trump’s Preliminary Budget Request

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 preliminary budget request, which proposes slashing critical investments in programs related to education, health, affordable housing, scientific research, environmental protection, and much more. The Trump administration says this proposal will cut domestic funding by $163 billion (-23%); however, the real cut may exceed $200 billion.
    “President Trump’s budget is playing games with American lives. By attempting to defund the programs that help communities stay safe, families pay their bills and keep a roof over their heads, and doctors treat their patients, this administration is abandoning the people who have built our country. Make no mistake — this budget proposal will not ‘make America great again’ — it will set us back decades and make life harder for working families.
    By slashing funding for basic needs like health programs, medical research, and nutrition aid, this proposal will make America sicker. By cutting billions of dollars for the Department of Education, removing investments to prevent violent crime, and divesting from agencies that protect our environment, it will make our country a worse place to live. And by eliminating affordable housing and energy assistance programs, divesting from small businesses, and gutting the funds that help economically distressed communities, it will make it harder for American families to survive.
    This administration has made it clear: they’re willing to cut at least $163 billion in vital investments that benefit everyday Americans just to deliver trillions in tax breaks to billionaires and corporations. That’s not just misguided policy; it’s an insult to every hardworking, tax-paying American.
    I am committed to working with my colleagues in Congress to firmly reject this dangerous proposal. We cannot stand idly by while the Trump administration eviscerates the programs that keep our country safe, healthy, and prosperous.”
    Among other things, President Trump’s preliminary FY2026 budget request:
    EDUCATION: Guts funding for the Department of Education by $12 billion (-15%). Eliminates and cuts dozens of elementary and secondary education programs (the vast majority of which are not specified), underscoring that President Trump’s vision for returning education to the states means state and local taxpayers will pay more to support students and educators at their local schools as a result of major cuts in federal funding. Eliminates several higher education programs, including TRIO, GEAR UP, Federal Work Study, Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS), and more, which help Americans pursue a postsecondary education and further their careers.
    HOUSING: Eviscerates the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with a 43.6% cut.
    Slashes HUD rental assistance programs by 42.8% while foisting responsibility over those programs onto state and local governments. Over 10 million Americans rely on HUD rental assistance, the vast majority of whom are seniors, people with disabilities, and children. This will rip the roofs off Americans’ heads and put even more families at risk of homelessness.
    Eliminates or cuts federal programs most targeted to build more affordable housing and address this country’s housing supply shortage, including in Tribal country.
    Eliminates the Community Development Block Grant that cities and towns across the country use to improve the quality of life for their citizens every day.
    HEALTH: Slashes funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by $33 billion (-26%).
    Cuts funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $18 billion or more than 40%—decimating funding for lifesaving medical treatments and cures.
    Decimates funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by cutting $3.6 billion—hollowing out the agency’s ability to save lives and protect Americans from health threats.
    Guts funding for substance use prevention and treatment and mental health services by $1 billion (roughly –15%) and eliminates the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration—the agency with expertise in tackling the substance use and mental health crises.
    Slashes funding for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by $674 million. CMS helps ensure over 100 million Americans have access to affordable, high-quality health insurance by overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Affordable Care Act marketplaces.
    The limited budget materials do not detail President Trump’s proposed funding level for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is essential for protecting the safety of our food and drugs.
    TITLE X: Eliminates the Title X program, which helps nearly 3 million patients get preventative care, birth control, cancer screenings, and more in every state.
    LIHEAP: Eliminates the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps 6 million American households heat and cool their homes.
    PRE-K: Eliminates all funding for Preschool Development Grants, which help states strengthen their early childhood education system and get parents the child care and pre-K they need. The limited budget materials released today don’t mention Head Start or the Child Care and Development Block Grant, but leaked budget documents show Trump wants to eliminate Head Start.
    DEPARTMENT OF LABOR: Slashes funding for DOL by $4.6 billion (-35%). Proposes to “Make America Skilled Again” by cutting workforce training programs that help Americans develop skills and secure good-paying jobs, by roughly a third. Eliminates Job Corps and the Senior Community Service Employment Program.
    DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: Slashes the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) budget by at least $3.7 billion (-10%).
    Guts funding for grants to help keep communities safe by over $1 billion (-26%).
    Cuts funding for FBI salaries and expenses by $545 million (-5%), endangering our Americans’ safety.
    Cuts funding for Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) salaries and expenses by $212 million (-7%), weakening the agency’s capacity to crack down on drug trafficking. Also proposes shuttering major DEA offices in countries around the world, noting that those countries “are equipped to counter drug trafficking on their own.”
    Cuts funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) salaries and expenses by $468 million (-29%) as part of the administration’s ongoing attempt to dismantle the agency in charge of enforcing our country’s gun laws.
    TRIBES: Slashes $911 million (-24%) for core Tribal programs that uphold the federal government’s legally-obligated and court-ordered trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal nations. This cut would decimate core Tribal programs including road maintenance, housing, and programs for children and families. The proposal would nearly eliminate funding for construction of Tribal schools, which are already too often dilapidated, and it cuts Tribal law enforcement funding by 20%.
    SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: More than halves funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) with a $5.2 billion (-57%) cut. Cuts funding for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science by $1.148 billion (-14%). These proposed cuts would decimate America’s edge in essential scientific research that will drive future economic growth.
    EPA: Cuts funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by more than half by abandoning state and Tribal programs that build and maintain drinking water and sewer systems, starving states of longstanding federal funding provided to pay for states’ work enforcing federal laws, and decimating funding for cleaning up toxic Superfund sites.  The request would also effectively eliminate research funding used to better understand the impacts on human health from polluted air and water and from toxic chemicals.  
    NATIONAL PARKS: Cuts $900 million (- 30%) from National Park Service operations, abandoning national parks that the administration says should suddenly be transferred to the states, while providing no funding for states to manage massive new obligations that such a dramatic move would entail. This would incentivize states to sell off public lands to the highest bidder, threatening valued open space and areas of natural and historical value to local communities.
    AGRICULTURE: Guts funding for agricultural research, which is critical to ensuring American agriculture is competitive with the rest of the world and provides key resources to help farmers and ranchers prepare and adapt in an uncertain environment. Zeroes out foreign food aid that supports American farmers and is a lifeline for people living in extreme poverty across the world.
    RURAL AMERICA: Slashes investments in core Rural Development programs by $721 million, including investments in safe drinking water, affordable housing, and resources to bolster the rural economy.
    NUTRITION: Eliminates the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides food assistance to low-income individuals 60 years of age and older to supplement diets and addressing potential nutrient deficiencies. The preliminary budget request does not mention any of the other 16 Nutrition Programs, including WIC, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and the National School Lunch Program.
    VETERANS: Without more details, it is unclear whether the President is proposing to shift tens of billions of dollars in funding for veterans’ care to mandatory funding (which Republicans have long vociferously opposed) or to decimate funding for non-medical care.
    FOREST SERVICE: Cuts $1.386 billion (-22%) from the Forest Service, gutting grant funding for state and tribal wildfire risk reduction, volunteer fire departments, and much more. The proposal would cut at least 2,000 National Forest System staff positions, which will severely harm the Administration’s stated goals of improving forest management and increasing domestic timber production.
    ARMY CORPS: Cuts funding for the Army Corps of Engineers by $2 billion (-23%), slashing funding used to maintain our nation’s ports and harbors.
    DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE: Cuts funding for the Department of Commerce by $1.9 billion (-18%). Outright eliminates the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which helps economically distressed communities across America get ahead.
    NOAA: Guts funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by $1.5 billion, which would eliminate all manner of programs that create good jobs, help local economies, and support ocean research, health, and coastal resilience. Proposes a reckless $209 million cut for NOAA’s weather satellites, which play a critical role in ensuring Americans have accurate weather forecasting and will result in a gap in observations when the current satellites retire early in the next decade.
    ENERGY: Slashes funding for the Department of Energy overall by $4.7 billion (-9.4%). Guts funding for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs by $2.572 billion (-74%) and proposes to rescind $15.25 billion from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law energy programs, which will raise energy costs for American consumers by halting vital innovation and energy projects.
    SMALL BUSINESSES: Slashes funding for SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development Programs by $167 million, proposing the elimination of nearly all programs, including programs that support veterans as they work to start and grow a small business.
    FEMA GRANTS: Cuts funding for FEMA non-disaster grants that help communities prepare for disasters, support efforts to prevent violence and terrorism, prepare emergency responders, and more.
    STATE DEPARTMENT & FOREIGN ASSISTANCE: Guts funding for the State Department and America’s international security, economic, and humanitarian assistance programs by $31.2 billion (-48%).
    The United States already spends less than 0.2% of our GDP on diplomacy and foreign assistance, which is less than a third of the percent we spent under President Reagan’s peace through strength approach, and Trump is proposing to halve these critical investments.
    Cuts funding for lifesaving and other humanitarian assistance by $4.7 billion (-54%), which will lead to preventable deaths and suffering across the globe, and threaten Americans’ safety and well-being by undercutting our efforts to stop disease outbreaks and prevent conflict. A cut of this magnitude will also lead to more migration of people fleeing poverty, conflict, and natural disasters.
    Cuts funding for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement account by $1.3 billion (-91%) which helps prevent human trafficking, stop drug trafficking, and much more, with direct implications for American communities.
    Slashes economic growth and development funding across multiple agencies and accounts by $6 billion (67%) and proposes the final dissolution of USAID.
    Guts funding for global health initiatives by $6.2 billion (-62%).
    Reneges on our treaty dues for the United Nations (UN), U.N. Peacekeeping operations, and a majority of other international organizations.
    COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT: Eliminates all funding ($770 million) for community-based anti-poverty programs that help low income individuals and families access services to alleviate the causes of poverty.
    COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS: Eliminates $291 million in funding for all current CDFI financial assistance awards, which help leverage private capital to support the development of child care centers, housing, health care facilities, and small businesses. Since 2010, CDFIs have financed over 1.3 million businesses and 557,000 affordable homes. 
    AMERICORPS: Eliminates AmeriCorps, which enables over 200,000 Americans to help serve communities across the country, including by responding to natural disasters, supporting veterans, fighting the opioid epidemic, helping older Americans age with dignity, and working in our schools, educating and supporting students.
    CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING: Eliminates funding for CPB, ending support for more than 1,500 local public television and radio stations. 
    INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES: Eliminates funding for IMLS and the support provided to libraries and museums throughout the United States.
    BUREAU OF RECLAMATION: Cuts funding for the Bureau by $600 million (-34%), gutting investments in key restoration projects.
    CULTURAL GRANTS FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES: Completely eliminates the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, which provide funding for every state and every congressional district for cultural economic development and the creative economy.
    NASA: Cuts NASA funding by $6 billion (-24%), the largest single-year cut to NASA in U.S. history, which would mark an incredible retreat for American leadership and ambition in space. Terminates the Artemis Campaign to establish a human presence on the Moon after the Artemis III mission. Slashes funding for the Science Mission Directorate by $3.43 billion (-47%), which would cancel numerous current and planned missions to better understand our universe, solar system, and Earth.
    ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Eliminates funding to 27 states by zeroing out funding for 6 of 7 regional commissions, which provide grants in economically distressed communities for disaster mitigation, opioid crisis support programming, workforce training, and much more. 
    INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE: Likely cuts IRS enforcement by nearly $2.5 billion (-89%). This significant reduction will help billionaire tax cheats game the system while working families continue to pay their fair share.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Condemns EPA Plan to Terminate All Environmental Justice Grants

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Boston (May 2, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today condemned the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to cancel nearly 800 grants awarded under President Biden, which includes all environmental justice grants awarded and obligated by the agency. This news comes amidst ongoing battles in courts over whether the EPA had violated its legal obligations when clawing back funds through freezes and shutouts.
    “The Trump administration’s plan to terminate hundreds of environmental justice grants is a shameful abandonment of communities nationwide that are working to address generations of historical pollution and underinvestment – efforts made possible by the very grants Trump and Zeldin are set on axing. The administration’s funding freezes have wreaked havoc on communities that are counting on federal investments to weather storms more safely, breathe cleaner air, drink cleaner water, live closer to green space, and save on utility bills,” said Senator Markey. “These callous cuts only force more chaos and uncertainty on small community groups and local environmental justice organizations working tirelessly to improve their communities and lead the fight for a livable future for all.”
    Most of the grants set for termination are those issued by the Office of Environmental Justice and Civil Rights, EPA’s chief environmental justice arm currently being dismantled by the Trump administration. Funds set for termination include environmental justice funding that provides long-overdue resources like technical assistance and staff capacity for underinvested frontline and fenceline communities, including the Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC) and Community Change Grant programs.
    Since January, EPA environmental justice grantees have been blindsided by sudden grant termination notices, grant freezes, or have been shut out of funding access portals without any warning. Since environmental justice grants are reimbursement-based and contracts require grantees to continue implementing their projects, many grantees have been forced to pay for costs out of pocket without assurance that they will be paid back. Additionally, significant, and sudden EPA staff cuts have left many grantees without proper lines of communication with the EPA about the status of their funds.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 3, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 3, 2025.

    ‘Super antibodies’ for snake toxins: how a dangerous DIY experiment helped scientists make a new antivenom
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina N. Zdenek, Associate Researcher, The University of Queensland Scientists in the United States have created a new snake antivenom using the blood of a man who deliberately built up immunity to snakebites by injecting himself with many different kinds of venom more than 800 times over

    Human rights group calls for probe into attack on Freedom Flotilla ship
    Asia Pacific Report A human rights agency has called for an investigation into the drone attacks on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla aid ship Conscience with Israel suspected of being responsible. The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said in a statement that the deliberate targeting of a civilian aid ship in international waters was a “flagrant violation”

    RSF condemns Israeli targeting of Gaza journalists – then slandering them in death
    Pacific Media Watch After a year and a half of war, nearly 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed by the Israeli army — including at least 43 slain on the job. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has brought multiple complaints before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and continues to tirelessly support Gazan journalists, working to halt

    Final polls give Labor a clear lead before the election
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne With those who haven’t already cast a pre-poll vote ready to hit the polling places tomorrow, a final batch of polls give Labor a firm lead. The

    Culture wars and costings: election special podcast with Michelle Grattan and Amanda Dunn
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As we roll into the dying hours of the election campaign, the polls are suggesting a Labor win, although it is not yet clear if it will be in minority or majority. Chief Political Correspondent Michelle Grattan and Politics Editor

    Keith Rankin Analysis – The Great World War 1914-1945: Germany, Russia, Ukraine
    Analysis by Keith Rankin. On Anzac Day we remembered World War One and World War Two, or at least the peripheral little bits of those imperial wars that New Zealand was involved in. There was and is little context given to how New Zealand got involved with such far-away wars which need never have become

    What is iNaturalist? The citizen science app playing an unlikely role in Erin Patterson’s mushroom murder trial
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlyn Forster, Associate Lecturer, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney Death cap mushrooms (_Amanita phalloides_) Jolanda Aalbers/Shutterstock The world has been gripped by the case of Australian woman Erin Patterson, who was charged with the murder of three people after allegedly serving them a

    Fake news and the election campaign – how worried should voters be?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, 2024 Oxford University visiting research fellow RIJS; Professor of Political Communication., La Trobe University shutterstock JRdes/Shutterstock The spread of electoral misinformation and disinformation is undermining democracies around the world. The World Economic Forum has identified the proliferation of false content as the leading short-term global

    The MMR vaccine doesn’t contain ‘aborted fetus debris’, as RFK Jr has claimed. Here’s the science
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the United States’ top public health official, recently claimed some religious groups avoid the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine because it contains “aborted fetus debris” and “DNA particles”. The US is facing its worst measles

    Scientists surprised to discover mayflies and shrimp making their bodies out of ancient gas
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul McInerney, Senior Research Scientist in Ecosystem Ecology, CSIRO The native shrimp _Paratya australiensis_ was among the species found to incorporate carbon from natural gas into their bodies in the Condamine River. Chris Van Wyk/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND What’s the currency for all life on Earth? Carbon. Every

    Archibald Packing Room Prize goes to Abdul Abdullah for Jason Phu portrait, among broader set of bold and deeply personal works
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Mendelssohn, Honorary Senior Fellow, School of Culture and Communication. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, The University of Melbourne Winner Packing Room Prize 2025, Abdul Abdullah ‘No mountain high enough’, oil on linen, 162.4 x 136.7cm © the artist, image © Art Gallery

    New Zealand condemned for failing to make ICJ humanitarian case over Gaza genocide
    Asia Pacific Report The advocacy group Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa has condemned the New Zealand government fpr failing to make a humanitarian submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearings at The Hague this week into Israel blocking vital supplies entering Gaza. The ICJ’s ongoing investigation into Israeli genocide in the besieged enclave is

    The Liberals’ women problem may seem intractable, but here’s what they could learn from the Teals
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Hayman, PhD Candidate and Casual Academic in Politics, La Trobe University The impression of the Liberal Party as out of touch with women persists in this year’s election. The party’s “women problem” was brought into sharp focus by the backlash to its now-abandoned policy to stop

    This NZ law aims to give people with criminal convictions a ‘clean slate’. It’s not working
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Plum, Senior Research Fellow, Auckland University of Technology Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock If you own a business, would you be willing to hire a person who has been convicted for a crime? Give them a chance when a background check shows they have a criminal record? The answers matter

    ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 2, 2025
    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 2, 2025.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: WEEK 15 WINS: President Trump’s 100th Day Marked by More Success

    Source: The White House

    This week, President Donald J. Trump celebrated his 100th day in office — and set the course for the next 100 days of growth, prosperity, and success for the American people.

    Here is a non-comprehensive list of wins in week 15:

    • The economy added 177,000 new jobs in April, according to the latest jobs report — smashing expectations for another month as the workforce grows and businesses onshore jobs.
    • President Donald J. Trump’s relentless pursuit of manufacturing dominance spurred onshoring and additional U.S. investment.
      • Mercedes-Benz announced it will move production of another vehicle to its Tuscaloosa, Alabama, manufacturing facility.
      • AstraZeneca announced it will shift production of some medicines from Europe to the U.S.
      • Walmart expanded its support for American-made products.
      • IBM announced a $150 billion investment over the next five years in its U.S.-based growth and manufacturing operations.
      • Pratt Industries announced a $5 billion investment that will result in 5,000 new manufacturing jobs across several key industrial states.
      • Kimberly-Clark announced a $2 billion investment in its U.S. manufacturing sites, which will create 900 new jobs.
      • Corning announced it is expanding its Michigan manufacturing facility investment to $1.5 billion.
      • Merck & Co. announced a $1 billion investment to build a new state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing plant in Delaware, which will create at least 500 new jobs — part of the company’s commitment to invest more than $9 billion over the next four years.
        • “Since the advent of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Merck has allocated more than $12 billion to enhance our domestic manufacturing and research capabilities, with additional planned investments of more than $9 billion over the next four years.”
      • Amgen announced a $900 million investment in its Ohio-based manufacturing operation.
        • “Pro-growth policies like the @POTUS @WhiteHouse 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act helped make investments like this possible. Since enactment, Amgen has invested ~$5B in capital expenditures. This amounts to an additional downstream output to the U.S. economy of approximately $12B.”
      • The Bel Group announced a $350 million investment to expand its U.S.-based production, including at its South Dakota, Idaho and Wisconsin facilities — which will create 250 new jobs.
    • President Trump continued to secure our border and rid our communities of illegal immigrant criminals.
      • New York Post: Illegal border crossings remained near historic lows in April after President Trump’s crackdown
      • The Trump Administration directed an operation at an underground nightclub in Colorado “frequented by TdA and MS-13 terrorists” that resulted in 100 illegal immigrant arrests.
      • ICE arrested more than 1,000 illegal immigrants in Florida in just six days as part of Operation Tidal Wave.
      • Uzbekistan agreed to pay for and accept 131 illegal immigrants from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
    • President Trump continued to pursue peace through strength around the world.
      • President Trump secured a historic agreement with Ukraine that gives the U.S. an economic stake in securing a free, peaceful, and sovereign future for Ukraine and allows for the long-term reconstruction and modernization of the country after Russia’s invasion.
      • President Trump announced secondary sanctions on any country or person who purchases Iranian oil.
      • President Trump secured the release of a wrongfully detained U.S. citizen in Belarus and a U.S. citizen imprisoned in Kuwait — for a total of 47 detained citizens abroad freed since President Trump took office.
      • The Trump Administration brokered a joint pledge for peace between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
      • The Department of the Treasury cracked down on vessels delivering oil derivatives to Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
      • The Department of the Treasury sanctioned six Iranian and Chinese firms linked to procuring missile propellant ingredients for the Iranian regime.
    • The Trump Administration forged ahead on its unprecedented effort to secure American energy dominance.
      • Woodside Energy Group financially approved a $17.5 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.
      • The Environmental Protection Agency granted an emergency waiver that allows Americans to buy cheaper, higher-ethanol gasoline through the summer, which will save Americans money.
    • President Trump took a series of executive actions to improve Americans’ lives.
      • President Trump strengthened the ability of state and local law enforcement to pursue criminals and protect innocent Americans.
      • President Trump signed an executive order to protect Americans in so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions from dangerous criminal illegal immigrants.
      • President Trump established the Religious Liberty Commission to safeguard and promote America’s founding principle of religious freedom.
      • President Trump incentivized American automobile production.
      • President Trump ordered that commercial truck drivers must be properly qualified and proficient in English.
      • President Trump ended the taxpayer subsidization of NPR and PBS.
    • President Trump unveiled his proposed budget, which would save taxpayers $163 billion in wasteful spending, gut the weaponized deep state, and provide historic increases for defense and border security.
    • President Trump launched the FEMA Review Council to help fix the broken disaster response system and return power to the states.
    • President Trump announced Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan will soon be home to the new F-15EW Eagle II fighter jets.
    • President Trump renamed May 8 as “Victory Day for World War II” and November 11 as “Victory Day for World War I” in recognition of America’s role in winning the two wars.
    • The Department of Health and Human services released a comprehensive review of so-called “gender-affirming care,” finding no strong medical or scientific evidence exists to support the treatment’s irreversible effects.
    • The Trump Administration ended the Biden-era lawfare against South Dakota cattle ranchers who were wrongfully persecuted over a minor land dispute.
    • The Department of State designated Haitian gangs Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
    • The Department of Education launched a civil rights investigation into the New York Department of Education over its threat to withhold funding from the Massapequa School District if it does not eliminate its Native American mascot.
    • The Department of Education announced its finding that the University of Pennsylvania violated Title IX, notifying the institution that they have ten days to resolve the violations or risk a referral to the Department of Justice for enforcement proceedings.
    • The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services announced investigations into Harvard University and the Harvard Law Review based on reports of race-based discrimination permeating the operations of the journal.
    • The Department of the Interior announced 42 new proposed hunting opportunities across 87,000 acres within the National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatchery System, which would more than triple the number of opportunities and quintuple the number of stations opened or expanded compared to the previous administration.
    • The Department of Energy announced it will lift a range of unnecessary regulations on certain indoor and outdoor gas products — expanding choice and lowering costs for consumers.
    • The Department of Transportation unveiled a new package of actions to further supercharge the air traffic controller workforce.
    • Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard added counter narcotics to the National Counter Terrorism Center in order to “focus intelligence and vetting resources against these terrorists who traffic deadly narcotics into the country.”
    • The Department of Justice arrested two individuals on charges of operating an international child exploitation enterprise.
    • The Department of Agriculture secured an agreement with Mexico for an immediate transfer of water from international reservoirs to Texas farmers and ranchers.
    • The White House Council on Environmental Quality established the Permitting Innovation Center to cut red tape and accelerate the environmental review process.
    • The National Institutes of Health announced it will publish studies it funds online for free to empower Americans’ own research and promote maximum transparency.
    • PepsiCo announced it will remove artificial ingredients from some popular food offerings by the end of the year following the Trump Administration’s push to end artificial food dyes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The White House Office of Management and Budget Releases the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Skinny Budget

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Washington, D.C.–Today, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent President Trump’s topline discretionary Budget request for fiscal year 2026 to the U.S. Congress.
    The Budget, which reduces non-defense discretionary by $163 billion or 23 percent from the 2025 enacted level, guts a weaponized deep state while providing historic increases for defense and border security.  The Budget also provides support for air and rail safety as well as key infrastructure and our Nation’s veterans and law enforcement.
    This is the lowest non-defense spending level since 2017.  Savings come from eliminating radical diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and critical race theory programs, Green New Scam funding, large swaths of the Federal Government weaponized against the American people, and moving programs that are better suited for States and localities to provide. 
    Defense spending would increase by 13 percent, and appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security would increase by nearly 65 percent, to ensure that our military and other agencies repelling the invasion of our border have the resources they need to complete the mission.  These increases will be made possible through the passage of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, which will be enacted with a simple majority in the Congress, and not be held hostage by Democrats for wasteful spending increases that have been the status quo in Washington.
    “For decades, the biggest complaint about the Federal Budget was wasteful spending and bloated bureaucracy.  But over the last four years, Government spending aggressively turned against the American people and trillions of our dollars were used to fund cultural Marxism, radical Green New Scams, and even our own invasion.  No agency was spared in the Left’s taxpayer-funded cultural revolution.  At this critical moment, we need a historic Budget—one that ends the funding of our decline, puts Americans first, and delivers unprecedented support to our military and homeland security.  The President’s Budget does all of that,” said Russ Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
    Highlights of the President’s key priorities include the following:
    End Weaponization and Reduce Violent Crime.  The Budget ends the previous Administration’s weaponization of the Government by eliminating programs like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s disinformation offices that targeted and censored Americans, eliminating so-called Fair Housing programs that waged war on America’s suburbs, ending the Environmental Protection Agency’s unfair harassment of citizens over “environmental justice” directives, and halting the ATF’s criminalizing of gun-owning Americans and instead, focusing on stopping illegal firearms traffickers and violent gang members.
    The Budget prioritizes Department of Justice (DOJ) key functions—restoring law and order to America’s communities, fighting crime, and supporting America’s men and women in Blue.  To that end, the Budget proposes to eliminate more than 40 DOJ grant programs that fund things like a “feminist, culturally specific nonprofit” to address “structural racism and toxic masculinities” and training Fa’afafine advocates—an organization of biological men that describes themselves as a “third-gender” in Samoa.  The Budget also reflects the President’s priority of reducing violent crime in American cities and protecting national security by getting Federal Bureau of Investigation agents into the field. 
    Defund the Harmful Woke, Marxist Agenda.  Every single agency across the Federal Government was engaged in funding and advancing DEI and other radical, harmful ideologies such as:  $315 million for grant programs to push “intersectionality,” “racial equity,” and LGBTQIA+ programming for preschoolers; housing grants that funded activities such as an “Equity Audit” to reverse “land use patterns that have roots in systemically racist policies in L.A. County; and “addressing White Supremacy in the STEM profession.”  The Budget ends all of that.
    Secure the Border.  The Budget request empowers the Department of Homeland Security to implement the President’s mass removal campaign and secure the border.  This funding is in addition to historic investments in border security the Administration proposes to provide through mandatory funding, as part of the congressional Budget reconciliation process.  The discretionary request includes an additional $500 million for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to expedite the removal of illegal aliens through the support of 50,000 detention beds, $766 million to procure cutting-edge border security technology funding, and funding to maintain 22,000 Border Patrol Agents and hire additional Customs and Border Protection officers for a total of 26,383 officers.  The Budget also cuts off the flow of taxpayer funds that have been abused to facilitate migrant caravan invasions.  Departments whose task it was to prevent those invasions allocated billions in funding to non-governmental organizations running “border aid stations” and legal services to criminal aliens—all of which will be eliminated under this new budget.
    Realign Foreign Aid.  The Budget ensures that foreign aid spending is efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda.  The Budget reorganizes the U.S. Agency for International Development into the Department of State to meet current needs and eliminates non-essential staff that were hired based on DEI and preferencing practices.  The Budget also expands the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to support U.S. national security and American interests—generating returns to the taxpayer and reducing reliance on foreign aid.  This includes $3 billion for a new revolving fund to allow DFC to recycle any realized returns from its initial investments.
    Rebuild our Nation’s Military.  The Budget request for the Department of Defense builds on the President’s promise to achieve peace through strength by providing the resources to rebuild our military, re-establish deterrence, and revive the warrior ethos of our Armed Forces.  In combination with $119 billion in mandatory funding, the Budget increases Defense spending by 13 percent, and prioritizes investments to strengthen the safety, security, and sovereignty of the homeland, deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, and revitalize our defense industrial base. 
    Achieve American Energy Dominance.  The Budget supports the President’s commitment to unleash America’s affordable and reliable energy and natural resources.  The Budget cancels over $15 billion in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Green New Scam funds provided to the Department of Energy for unreliable renewable energy, removing carbon dioxide from the air, and other costly technologies that burden ratepayers and consumers.  The Budget reorients Department of Energy funding toward research and development of technologies that could produce an abundance of domestic fossil energy and critical minerals, innovative concepts for nuclear reactors and advanced nuclear fuels, and technologies that promote firm baseload power.  The Budget also cancels an additional $5.7 billion in IIJA funding provided to the Department of Transportation for failed electric vehicle charger grant programs.
    Make America Healthy Again (MAHA).  The Budget request builds on the President’s MAHA Commission.  The Budget provides resources to the Department of Health and Human Services that would allow the Secretary to tackle issues related to nutrition, physical activity, healthy lifestyles, over-reliance on medication and treatments, the effects of new technological habits, environmental impacts, and food and drug quality and safety.  The Budget also supports the creation of MAHA food boxes, that would be filled with commodities sourced from domestic farmers and given directly to American households.  The Budget includes resources to ensure food safety nationwide, including support for increased production and demand for services.
    Support Our Veterans.  The Budget provides increased funding for healthcare services tailored to U.S. veterans’ needs, both at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and in the community.  Combined with $50 billion in mandatory funding from the Toxic Exposures Fund, the Budget ensures that the Nation’s veterans are provided with the world-class healthcare that they deserve.  In addition, veterans who qualify for access to care with local community providers would be empowered to make the choice to see them, rather than having to drive in some cases hours to access the nearest VA facility.  The Budget includes $1.1 billion in new VA funding to make a down payment on President Trump’s commitment to eradicate veterans’ homelessness, the largest funding increase in the last decade.
    Preserve Social Security.  The Budget supports the President’s promise to not touch Social Security benefits.  It also includes sufficient resources for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to improve customer service by expanding and improving online services, and reducing customer wait times in field offices and on the phone.  The Budget also includes investments in program integrity, to reduce fraud and abuse in Social Security programs, and in investments in artificial intelligence to increase employee productivity and automate routine workloads.  These efforts would help ensure that SSA delivers timely and accurate Social Security services to the public.
    Streamline K-12 Education Funding and Promote Parental Choice.  The Budget continues the process of shutting down the Department of Education.  The Budget maintains full funding for Title I, that provides Federal financial assistance to school districts for children from low-income families, and special education funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  To limit the Federal role in education, and provide States with more flexibility, the Budget creates a new K-12 Simplified Funding Program that consolidates 18 competitive and formula grant programs into a new formula grant, and a Special Education Simplified Funding Program that consolidates seven IDEA programs into a single grant.  The Budget also invests $500 million, a $60 million increase, to expand the number of high-quality charter schools, that have a proven track record of improving students’ academic achievement and giving parents more choice in the education of their children.
    Make America Skilled Again (MASA).  The Budget proposes to give States and localities the flexibility to spend Federal workforce dollars to best support their workers and economies, instead of funneling taxpayer dollars to progressive non-profits finding work for illegal immigrants or focusing on DEI.  Under this proposal, States would now have more control and flexibility to coordinate with employers and would have to spend at least 10 percent of their MASA grant on apprenticeship, a proven model that trains workers while they earn a paycheck and offers a valuable alternative to college. 
    Support Space Flight.  The Budget refocuses the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) funding on beating China back to the Moon and on putting the first human on Mars.  By allocating over $7 billion for lunar exploration and introducing $1 billion in new investments for Mars-focused programs, it ensures that America’s human space exploration efforts remain unparalleled, innovative, and efficient.  To achieve these objectives, the Budget would streamline the NASA workforce, IT services, NASA Center operations, facility maintenance, and construction and environmental compliance activities.  The Budget also eliminates “green aviation” and other climate scam programs as well as failing space propulsion projects.
    Maintain Support for Tribal Nations.  The Budget preserves Federal funding for the Indian Health Service and supports core programs at the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education, sustaining the Federal Government’s support for core programs that benefit tribal communities.  The Budget also weeds out radical woke grants and programs and streamlines other programs for tribal communities that were ineffective.
    Address Drug Abuse.  The Administration is committed to combatting the scourge of deadly drugs that have ravaged American communities.  The Budget prioritizes Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) resources on traffickers of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs that are driving America’s overdose crisis.  This includes redirecting DEA’s foreign spending to regions with criminal organizations that traffic significant quantities of deadly drugs into the United States—Mexico, Central America, South America, and China. 
    Support Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Research.  The Budget amply funds research in artificial intelligence and quantum information science at key agencies to ensure the United States remains on the cutting edge of these critical technologies’ development and responsible use.
    Improve Wildland Firefighting.  Federal wildfire responsibilities currently are split across five agencies in two departments.  The Budget would consolidate firefighting responsibilities into a new Federal Wildland Fire Service at the Department of the Interior that would coordinate with non-Federal partners to combat the wildfire crisis.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Statement On President Trump’s Budget Proposal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    May 02, 2025
    The proposal continues President Trump’s petulant, destructive efforts to slash critical public health funding and foreign aid assistance
    CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on President Trump’s abysmal budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2026 that cuts funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by nearly half:
    “It’s no surprise that President Trump proposed a federal budget that reflects his true priority – funding tax breaks for billionaires by betraying hard-working Americans and gutting the basic programs that keep us healthy and safe.  He is eviscerating funding for school districts that serve low-income students, rental and utility bill assistance, and child care programs, while decimating medical research that cancer and Alzheimer’s patients rely on.  What about this ‘makes America great again?’
    “But Congress ultimately holds the power of the purse.  I will fight tooth and nail to restore lifesaving funding for our federal research agencies like NIH and advocate for the foreign aid our allies need.  I hope that my Republican colleagues will find the courage to stand up for their constituents and fund these critical programs, rather than bow to President Trump and his band of billionaires.”
    President Trump’s proposed budget:
    Entirely eliminates the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which helps low-income households pay critical energy bills.
    Delivers an $18 billion cut to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — including by eliminating some institutes altogether – severely hampering research and development that lead to breakthroughs in cancer, Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, and countless other conditions.
    Slashes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) budget by over $3.5 billion, while entirely eliminating critical programs preventing youth smoking, suicide, childhood lead poisoning, and cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
    Guts the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) by $1.7 billion, worsening access to medical, dental, and behavioral health care for rural communities, pregnant women, and children.
    Cuts the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s (SAMHSA) budget by over $1 billion, imperiling patient access to critical treatments in the midst of an opioid epidemic, and slashing funding for youth mental health services.
    Cuts the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by $674 million, undermining the key Agency charged with ensuring access to health insurance coverage, including Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
    Delivers the first-ever $1 trillion Pentagon topline—funneling billions into wasteful nuclear weapons modernization and a so-called “Golden Dome” missile shield that represents a dangerous escalation in nuclear brinkmanship.
    Reduces the Internal Revenue Service budget by $2.5 billion below FY2025 levels. This would be a 20 percent cut to the IRS budget, which has been frozen at $12.3 billion since FY2023.
    Cuts $4.5 billion from Title 1 and K-12 funding by reducing Department of Education staff that handle Title 1 funds and consolidates 18 competitive and formula grant programs into a $2 billion formula grant, giving States more discretion with Title 1 funds.
    $27 billion in cuts to the State Rental Assistance Block Grant, which provides for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, Public Housing, Project-Based Rental Assistance, Housing for the Elderly, and Housing for Persons with Disabilities.
    Cuts $3.3 billion from the Community Development Block Grant, which provides funds for local governments to pursue affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization services.
    $770 million cut to the Community Services Block Grant, which provide for basic needs support and poverty alleviation in local communities facing economic need.
    Guts U.S. diplomacy and global engagement with an 83 percent cut to the State Department and International Affairs budget. This includes a drastic reduction in foreign aid, slashing over $20 billion from programs that support global health, humanitarian relief, and democracy promotion.
    Cuts $15 billion in IIJA clean energy grants.
    Cuts $1.5 billion from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is tasked with monitoring, predicting, and forecasting the weather and climate.
    Nearly $1 billion in cuts to Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) programs that support tribal operations.
    Cuts $3.5 billion in basic assistance to refugees like housing, food, clothing, access to basic services; cuts another $2.6 billion in humane services to migrants that provide shelter, access to community services, and education—including to migrant farmworkers’ children.
    Eliminates the EPA’s Environmental Justice Program.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: States and UTs Conclude Day-2 of NAM Conclave with Renewed Push for Public Health Delivery

    Source: Government of India

    States and UTs Conclude Day-2 of NAM Conclave with Renewed Push for Public Health Delivery

    Experiential knowledge exchange and constructive deliberations inspire fresh momentum in Ayush quality standards, regulation, and investment

    Posted On: 02 MAY 2025 6:26PM by PIB Mumbai

    Pune/Mumbai, 2 May 2025

     

    LONAVALA, MAHARASHTRA – Day-2 of the second edition of National Ayush Mission (NAM) Conclave 2025, being held at Kaivalyadhama, Lonavala, featured comprehensive discussions on enhancing quality services under Ayush facilities, strengthening regulatory mechanisms, and exploring investment opportunities in the Ayush sector.

    The day began with Session IV on “Quality Services Under Ayush Facilities Including Medicinal Plants,” coordinated by Dr. A. Raghu, DDG (Ayush), Ayush Vertical DGHS. The session highlighted the implementation of Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) for Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) and Ayush hospitals, with states expected to achieve 30% compliance by June 2026, 40% by 2028, and 50% by 2029.

    Dr. Mahesh Kumar Dadhich, CEO of the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), outlined the vital role of medicinal plants in conservation, biodiversity, and climate change mitigation under the “Central Sector Scheme for Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants.”

    Dr. Saketh Ram Thrigulla presented on the Ayush Grid initiative, a dedicated Digital Health Platform that aims to transform operational efficiency and service delivery in the Ayush sector. Representatives from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Manipur, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands shared their respective best practices and innovations in Ayush healthcare delivery.

    Session V focused on “Regulatory Mechanism with Respect to Quality Assurance of Ayush Medicines and Monitoring of Misleading Advertisements,” coordinated by Dr. Raman Kaushik. The session addressed the challenges in uniformly implementing regulatory provisions across states and the need for strengthened coordination between central and state authorities. Dr. Galib from AIIA, Delhi, discussed strategies for monitoring misleading advertisements through the Pharmacovigilance program. Representatives from Gujarat, Assam, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu presented their best practices in regulatory compliance and quality assurance.

    The final session of the day explored “Investment Opportunities in Ayush Sector,” coordinated by Shri Indroneel Das from Invest India. Dr. Suruchi Mittar, Sr. Vice-President & CIO, Invest India, highlighted the sector’s remarkable growth from USD 2.85 billion in 2014 to USD 23 billion by 2023 in manufacturing, with an ambitious target of USD 200 billion by 2030.

    Highlights of the Day-1

    The NAM Conclave 2025 commenced on May 1 with the participation of several State and UT Ministers, including Dr. Prem Chand Bairwa, Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan; Dr. Dayashankar Mishra ‘Dayalu’ from Uttar Pradesh; Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal from Chhattisgarh; Shri Yadvinder Goma from Himachal Pradesh; Smt. Pi Lalrinpuii from Mizoram; and Shri G.T. Dhungel from Sikkim.

    In his inaugural address, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush and Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, highlighted that the number of beneficiaries of Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Ayush) has risen dramatically from 1.5 crore in 2021 to more than 11.5 crore in 2025. Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, noted that the NAM budget has increased from ₹78 crore in 2014 to ₹1275 crore in 2025-26.

    Dr. Dayashankar Mishra from Uttar Pradesh reported that the state currently has 3,959 operational Ayush hospitals with varying bed capacities. Shri Prem Chand Bairwa mentioned that Rajasthan is preparing a comprehensive Ayush policy for integrated growth of all Ayush systems, while Shri Yadvinder Goma highlighted Himachal Pradesh’s integrated model combining traditional knowledge with modern technology.

    Dr. Atul Mohan Kocchar, CEO of NABH, emphasized the importance of accreditation in enhancing trust and regulatory compliance in Ayush facilities. The session also featured insights from specialized institutions like the National Homoeopathy Research Institute in Mental Health (NHRIMH) and the Institute of Applied Dermatology (IAD). Representatives from Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Tripura, and Maharashtra shared their initiatives to attract investments in the Ayush sector.

    Ms. Kavita Garg, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, shared additional key achievements: “5.6 crore beneficiaries have availed services at Ayush tertiary care institutions. NABH entry-level certification for 1,372 Ayush Health and Wellness Centres, and the establishment of 189 Integrated Ayush Hospitals reflect our commitment to quality and accessibility.”

    A key highlight of Day-1 was the release of Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) on Metabolic Disorders in Ayush Systems of Medicine, covering five major metabolic disorders—Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity, Gout, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), and Dyslipidemia.

    The conclave continues to serve as a vital platform for knowledge exchange, policy discussions, and collaborative planning to further strengthen the Ayush healthcare system across India.

    About National Ayush Mission

    The National Ayush Mission (NAM), launched in 2014, plays a crucial role in preserving and promoting India’s traditional systems of medicine and their integration into the mainstream healthcare system. It aims to enhance the availability, accessibility, and quality of Ayush healthcare services across the country through Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Ayush) as part of the Government of India’s Ayushman Bharat scheme.

     

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    PIB Mumbai | A.Chavan/D.Rane

    (Release ID: 2126244) Visitor Counter : 65

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CHP investigates two food poisoning clusters

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CHP investigates two food poisoning clusters 
    A preliminary investigation by the CHP revealed that the affected persons had consumed common food, including marinated goose and smoked goose. Staff of the CHP and the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) and Environmental Hygiene Branch of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department have conducted an investigation at the restaurant, examined the cooking process and food hygiene, and taken food and environmental samples for testing.  
    The investigation of the CHP and CFS is ongoing. Issued at HKT 20:50

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Man arrested for illegal import of critically endangered Vallarta mud turtles (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), in collaboration with the Customs and Excise Department, detected an endangered species case at Hong Kong International Airport on April 30 and seized six critically endangered Vallarta mud turtles with an estimated market value of over $1.2 million. A male passenger was arrested. The man was charged with the illegal import of endangered species, and the case was mentioned in court today (May 2).

    The arrested person is a 38 year-old Chinese male passenger, who arrived in Hong Kong from Mexico via the Netherlands on April 30. Customs officers intercepted the man for customs clearance, during which six live turtles were found in his check-in baggage. Officers of the AFCD arrived at the scene to inspect the turtles. The turtles were suspected to be Vallarta mud turtles (Kinosternon vogti), a species listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and regulated under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) in Hong Kong. The AFCD officers immediately arrested the man, seized the turtles, and charged him with the illegal import of endangered species.

    An AFCD spokesman said, “The Vallarta mud turtle is a critically endangered species endemic to Mexico. It was first discovered in 2018, with only hundreds remaining in the wild. International trade in wild Vallarta mud turtles is prohibited. Illegal poaching and trade pose the greatest threat to their survival.”

         Any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction, with the turtles forfeited.

    The public may call 1823 to report any suspected irregularities to the AFCD and visit the AFCD website (www.cites.hk) regarding the control of endangered species in Hong Kong.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Energy Department Lifts Regulations on Miscellaneous Gas Products

    Source: US Department of Energy

    WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the withdrawal of the determination of miscellaneous gas products as a covered consumer product under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). This action is yet another step toward President Trump’s pledge to lower costs for the American people by expanding choice and cutting red tape. By withdrawing this rule, DOE will exempt miscellaneous gas products—a category that includes decorative hearths and outdoor heaters—from a range of unnecessary regulations on their manufacture and sale. 

    “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Energy is returning to common sense – and that means giving the American people the ability to choose which heaters they use in their own backyards,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said. “To date, rescinding or delaying unnecessary consumer regulations such as this have saved the taxpayers nearly $24 billion – and we’re just getting started.”  

    “Previous DOE rulemaking on this subject lumped together several products that are dissimilar in form and function, subjecting manufacturers to an awkward and unnecessary regulatory framework,” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Lou Hrkman said. “By withdrawing the previous determination and repealing these unclear definitions, the Trump Administration is sending a clear signal that these markets will be allowed to thrive without fear of undue government interference.”

    Prior to today’s action, miscellaneous gas products were classified as covered products under Part A of Title III of the EPCA, and therefore potentially subject to burdensome standards for energy conservation. The withdrawal of this classification, along with the repeal of the definitions for “miscellaneous gas products,” “decorative hearth product,” and “outdoor heater” from the Code of Federal Regulations, will allow the market for these products to freely develop without needing to account for new conservation standards from DOE.

    In addition to today’s action, DOE has officially withdrawn four proposed conservation standards, simplified its water-conservation standards by repealing a convoluted definition of “showerhead,” requested public comment on measures that would deregulate the market for portable electric spas, and further delayed the implementation of efficiency standards for manufactured housing, walk-in coolers and freezers, efficiency standards for gas instantaneous water heaters and commercial refrigeration equipment, and test procedures for central air conditioning and heat pumps. DOE is also soliciting public feedback on changes to the rulemaking process for conservation standards that would reduce costs and restore freedom for consumers and manufacturers alike.

    The effective date of this final rule is 30 days after publishing in the Federal Register. For further details, read the full text of the final rule.

                                                                                                      ###

    MIL OSI USA News –