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  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Williams Introduces the Equal Shot Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Roger Williams (25th District of Texas)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Small Business Chairman Roger Williams (R-Texas) introduced the Equal Shot Act of 2025, a key piece of legislation aimed at ensuring fairness in federal small business policy. This bill prohibits the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its Administrator from discriminating against firearm-related businesses in the distribution of financial assistance.

    The Equal Shot Act of 2025 protects small business owners from politically motivated bias, defends Constitutional rights, and guarantees that businesses supporting the Second Amendment have the same access to federal resources as any other eligible enterprise.

    “Unelected officials should not have the power to discriminate against an entire industry based on political bias,”  said Chairman Williams. “Firearm-related businesses are owned and operated by hardworking Americans who follow the law, create jobs, and contribute to their communities. They shouldn’t be punished for their values. This bill stands up for their right to compete on a level playing field.”

    Click here to view the bill.

    Background:

    This bill comes as a response to concerns that, under the Biden Administration, federal agencies or financial institutions may have denied support or imposed restrictions on gun-related businesses for political or ideological reasons. This legislation aims to ensure that all eligible small businesses, regardless of industry, are treated fairly and without bias.

    This bill is supported by major advocacy organizations, including the National Rifle Association (NRA), Gun Owners of America (GOA), and the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR).

    Original cosponsors include Reps. Jack Bergman (R-Michigan), Nick Langworthy (R-New York), Troy Downing (R-Montana), Jake Ellzey (R-Texas), Stephanie Bice (R-Oklahoma), Brandon Gill (R-Texas), Mike Collins (R-Georgia), Mark Alford (R-Missouri), Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas), Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tennessee), Tony Wied (R-Wisconsin), Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wisconsin), Sheri Biggs (R-South Carolina), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Randy Weber (R-Texas), Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida), Tim Walberg (R-Michigan), Mike Ezell (R-Mississippi), Tom Tiffany (R-Wisconsin), Claudia Tenney (R-New York), Steve Womack (R-Arkansas), and Michael A. Rulli (R-Ohio).

    Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) will lead the companion legislation in the Senate. 

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    Congressman Roger Williams is the Chairman of the House Small Business Committee and member of the House Financial Services Committee. He proudly represents the 25th Congressional District of Texas.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 23, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 23, 2025.

    Hard labour conditions of online moderators directly affect how well the internet is policed – new study
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tania Chatterjee, Joint PhD Candidate at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, The University of Queensland Getty Images/GCShutter Big tech platforms often present content moderation as a seamless, tech‑driven system. But human labour, often outsourced to countries such as India and the Philippines, plays a pivotal role in

    Ghosted by a friend? 4 expert tips on how to handle the hurt
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan Willis, Associate Professor, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University martin-dm/Getty When we talk about “ghosting”, we usually think it relates to dating. But what happens when you’ve been ghosted by someone you’ve known for years – your childhood best friend, a parent, a

    Labor’s new bill would cut HELP loans by 20%. But it also risks locking some graduates into a ‘debt treadmill’
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor of Higher Education Policy, Monash University The Albanese government’s 20% cut to student debt is the first bill introduced to the new federal parliament. It is clever politics. In the government’s first term, the 3 million Australians with a student debt turned high indexation

    ICJ climate crisis ruling: Will world’s top court back Pacific-led call to hold governments accountable?
    By Jamie Tahana in The Hague for RNZ Pacific In 2019, a group of law students at the University of the South Pacific, frustrated at the slow pace with which the world’s governments were moving to address the climate crisis, had an idea — they would take the world’s governments to court. They arranged a

    ‘Maybe this is the last minutes you are living’: how the war is impacting young Ukrainians
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ashley Humphrey, Lecturer in Social Sciences, Monash University Now into its fourth year, the war that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has taken a devastating toll. An estimated 60,000 to 100,0000 Ukrainian lives have been lost and more than 10 million citizens displaced, and entire cities have

    Auckland is NZ’s ‘primate city’ but its potential remains caged in by poor planning and vision
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images The recent report comparing Auckland to nine international peer cities delivered an uncomfortable truth: our largest city is falling behind, hampered by car dependency, low-density housing and “weak economic performance”. The Deloitte

    Climate disasters are pushing people into homelessness – but there’s a lot we can do about it
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Heffernan, Lecturer in Anthropology, Australian National University Almost half of all Australian properties are at risk of bushfire, while 17,500 face risk of coastal erosion. By 2030, more than 3 million will face riverine flood risk. Meanwhile, housing demand continues to outpace supply. With climate-related disasters

    UK bans Gaza protest group – could the same thing happen in Australia?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Bosch, Associate Professor (Law), Edith Cowan University More than 100 people were arrested in the United Kingdom on the weekend for supporting Palestine Action, a protest group that opposes Britain’s support of Israel. Palestine Action was recently proscribed as a terrorist organisation, placing it in the

    The incredible impact of Ozzy Osbourne, from Black Sabbath to Ozzfest to 30 years of retirement tours
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lachlan Goold, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Music, University of the Sunshine Coast Ozzy Osbourne photographed in London in 1991. Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images Ozzy Osbourne, the “prince of darkness” and godfather of heavy metal, has died aged 76, just weeks after he reunited with Black Sabbath bandmates for

    Could the latest ‘interstellar comet’ be an alien probe? Why spotting cosmic visitors is harder than you think
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology Comet 3I/ATLAS International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/K. Meech/Jen Miller/Mahdi Zamani, CC BY On July 1, astronomers spotted an unusual high-speed object zooming towards the Sun. Dubbed 3I/ATLAS, the surprising space traveller had one very special quality: its

    Should Australia lower the voting age to 16 like the UK? We asked 5 experts
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pandanus Petter, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University The government in the UK is introducing legislation into parliament to lower the voting age to 16. If passed, the new age rules will be in place for the next general election, expected

    Doctors shouldn’t be allowed to object to medical care if it harms their patients
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julian Savulescu, Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, The University of Melbourne HRAUN/Getty A young woman needs an abortion and the reasons, while urgent, are not medical. A United States Navy

    Ultra fast fashion could be taxed to oblivion in France. Could Australia follow suit?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rowena Maguire, Professor of Law and Director of the Centre of Justice, Queensland University of Technology Ryan McVay/Getty For centuries, clothes were hard to produce and expensive. People wore them as long as possible. But manufacturing advances have steadily driven down the cost of production. These days,

    Central bank independence and credibility matters. Here’s why
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Simon, Adjunct Fellow in Economics, Macquarie University Olga Kashubin/Shutterstock In the United States, President Donald Trump has been pressuring the chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, to slash interest rates. This is partly to ease the interest payments on the ballooning US government debt.

    Kneecap’s stance on Gaza extends a long history of the Irish supporting other oppressed peoples
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ciara Smart, PhD Graduand in Australasian Irish History, University of Tasmania Love them or hate them, there’s no doubt Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap are having a moment. Their music – delivered in a powerful fusion of English and Irish – is known for its gritty lyrics about

    Do countries have a duty to prevent climate harm? The world’s highest court is about to answer this crucial question
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Cooper, Associate Professor of Law, University of Waikato Getty Images The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will issue a highly anticipated advisory opinion overnight to clarify state obligations related to climate change. It will answer two urgent questions: what are the obligations of states under international

    Gaza not a religious issue – it’s a massive violation of international law, say accord critics
    Asia Pacific Report Groups that have declined to join the government-sponsored “harmony accord” signed yesterday by some Muslim and Jewish groups, say that the proposed new council is “misaligned” with its aims. The signed accord was presented at Government House in Auckland. About 70 people attended, including representatives of the New Zealand Jewish Council, His

    Flying the flags for Palestine – NZ protesters take message to Devonport
    The Devonport Flagstaff About 200 people marched in Devonport last Saturday in support of Palestine. Pro-Palestine flags and placards were draped on the band rotunda at Windsor Reserve as speakers, including Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick and the people power manager of Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand Margaret Taylor, a Devonport local, encouraged the crowd

    View from The Hill: How much can Jim Chalmers get out of the economic reform roundtable?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra We’re now less than a month away from the start of the Albanese government’s “economic reform” (aka “productivity”) roundtable, but it has become quite hard to get a fix on exactly what this gathering will amount to. The guest list

    Israeli settlers beat to death 2 Palestinians in latest lynchings
    BEARING WITNESS: By Cole Martin in occupied West Bank Two young Palestinians were beaten to death on their land by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank on Friday. A funeral was held on Sunday for Sayfollah “Saif” Mussalet, 20, and Muhammad Shalabi, 23, who were brutally killed by a large group of settlers in

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • PM Modi to begin two-nation tour of UK, Maldives today

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives beginning Wednesday, with a focus on deepening strategic partnerships and regional cooperation.

    PM Modi’s visit to the UK from July 23–24 comes at the invitation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, marking his fourth trip to the country. Both sides are expected to review the progress of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), with discussions centred around trade, innovation, defence, climate action, health, and education.

    According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the talks will also include regional and global developments of mutual concern. PM Modi is also likely to meet King Charles III during the visit. The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), under negotiation for some time, is expected to feature prominently in the discussions.

    In the second leg, the Prime Minister will travel to the Maldives from July 25–26 at the invitation of President Mohamed Muizzu. This will be the PM’s third visit to the island nation, and the first by any head of government during President Muizzu’s tenure.

    The visit coincides with the Maldives’ 60th Independence Day celebrations on July 26, where Modi will be the Guest of Honour. The two leaders are expected to review the implementation of the India-Maldives Joint Vision for a Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership.

    The visit underscores India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Vision MAHASAGAR, aimed at enhancing maritime cooperation. Key areas on the agenda include infrastructure development, defence collaboration, and regional economic connectivity.

    IANS

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Leads SASC Hearing on SOCOM and AFRICOM Nominees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing to consider the nominations of two senior military officers to lead U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
    In his opening remarks, Chairman Wicker emphasized the importance of each combatant command in confronting the increasingly dangerous and complex national security environment and underscored the importance of ensuring both have sufficient funding and manpower to address growing threats.
    Read Senator Wicker’s hearing opening statement as delivered.
    Good morning.  The committee meets today to consider the nominations of Vice Admiral Mitch Bradley, to be Commander, United States Special Operations Command, and Lieutenant General Dagvin Anderson, to be Commander, United States Africa Command.
    I welcome our witnesses and their families, and I thank them for their continued willingness to serve our nation.
    If confirmed, Admiral Bradley will assume command at a time when Special Operations Command (SOCOM) faces a formidable challenge: SOCOM is being asked to build a force capable of combatting the advanced militaries of China and Russia while simultaneously remaining fully engaged in the fight against violent Islamic terrorism. At the same time, special operators must be ready to respond at a moment’s notice as our nation’s premier crisis response force.
    It is clear to me that the role and importance of SOCOM is greater today than at any time since its establishment four decades ago.  However, SOCOM’s budget does not reflect this reality. Its budget has remained flat since 2019.  Adjusted for inflation, that amounts to roughly a 14 percent cut in purchasing power.  To amplify that point, SOCOM identified $757 million in unfunded requirements for Fiscal Year 2026.
    We want to ensure that SOCOM is fully resourced to meet the demands placed on it.  Admiral Bradley should tell us how he plans to meet those demands and how we can help.
    If confirmed, General Anderson will confront a growing array of threats on the African continent.  The Chinese Communist Party views Africa as a critical link in Xi Jinping’s unprecedented global military expansion and continues to pursue new bases for the People’s Liberation Army.  Vladimir Putin remains fully engaged in his destabilizing campaign to trade security assistance for access to Africa’s abundant natural resources.  This is one of Putin’s ways to fund his malign activities around the world.  All the while, Islamic violent extremist groups aligned with ISIS and al-Qaeda remain an enduring threat in Africa.
    Despite the growing complexity and scale of threats on the continent, AFRICOM remains under-resourced in both manpower and in critical capabilities like intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
    I look forward to General Anderson’s assessment of Africa’s importance to our national security, as well as his description of what AFRICOM’s strategy should be to counter the growing threat posed by China, Russia, and our other adversaries across the continent. I am particularly interested in how General Anderson plans to use America’s economic tools, including the Office of Strategic Capital, to combat Chinese influence.
    If confirmed, our nominees will confront a global security environment that is defined by emboldened, aggressive dictators in Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang.  They view this fight as a global fight, unconstrained by geographic boundaries and the traditional norms of warfare.  This axis of aggressors blends conventional military power with asymmetric tactics, including economic warfare, disinformation, and the use of proxy networks to undermine American security interests. The witnesses before us today will play a key role in the Department of Defense’s efforts to combat these challenges, and I look forward to hearing them address these and many other concerns during today’s hearing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Beijing in Summer: Lotuses Blossom in City Parks

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) — Lotus flowers have started blooming in Beijing’s parks in the height of summer, adding beauty to the summer capital.

    BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) — Lotus flowers have started blooming in Beijing’s parks in the height of summer, adding beauty to the summer capital.

    BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) — Lotus flowers have started blooming in Beijing’s parks in the height of summer, adding beauty to the summer capital.

    BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) — Lotus flowers have started blooming in Beijing’s parks in the height of summer, adding beauty to the summer capital.

    BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) — Lotus flowers have started blooming in Beijing’s parks in the height of summer, adding beauty to the summer capital.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China-Central Asia Poverty Alleviation Cooperation Center and China-Central Asia Education Exchange and Cooperation Center Open in Urumqi

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhua) — The China-Central Asia Poverty Alleviation Cooperation Center and the China-Central Asia Education Exchange and Cooperation Center were opened Monday in Urumqi, capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

    The decision to establish these two centers was announced on June 17 this year at the 2nd China-Central Asia Summit in Astana.

    The China-Central Asia Poverty Alleviation Cooperation Center is located in the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and the China-Central Asia Education Exchange and Cooperation Center is located in the Department of Education of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

    The opening ceremony of these institutions was attended by Secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Committee Chen Xiaojiang, Secretary General of the China-Central Asia Format Sun Weidong and others, the Xinjiang Daily newspaper reported.

    The opening of the above-mentioned centers marks a new stage of exchanges and cooperation between China and Central Asian countries in the field of poverty alleviation and education. In addition, it will expand a new space for practical exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation between Xinjiang and the regions of Central Asian countries, the newspaper writes.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Wellness Boom in China: How Chinese Youth Are Investing in Their Health

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhua) — Young girls have become the main consumers of health products on Chinese e-commerce platforms. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospitals, “national health products” such as candied sweet rice (also known as babaofan) are widely popular among young people, and various immune-boosting drugs are gradually becoming the “fourth meal” for young people…

    Such phenomena are not uncommon in China. More and more young Chinese are paying attention to a healthy lifestyle and forming a new health trend.

    In contrast to traditional concepts of maintaining the health of the older generation, young people do not simply “drink more hot water” or “use immunomodulators,” but strive to implement a healthy lifestyle into all aspects of their lives.

    Zhang Yongjian, head of the Research Center for the Development and Supervision of Food and Pharmaceutical Industry at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted that the rise in education, more convenient access to scientific information in the field of health, as well as the trend towards “rejuvenation” of chronic diseases are forcing more and more young people to monitor their health more closely.

    According to the China Institute of Industry Research, the 15-25 year old group of young people is gradually becoming the main consumers in the health care market, and the related methods in this field are also becoming more and more diverse.

    Recently, the hashtag “TCM salon beats milk tea outlet in popularity” has been trending on Chinese social media Weibo. In response to the preferences of young people, some TCM pharmacies make special milk tea and sour plum soup, and some also serve them along with medicinal dishes.

    The First People’s Hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, southwest China, sells special TCM medicinal dishes according to the health maintenance methods of different seasons. “One of the milk teas with turmeric and cinnamon is very popular with young people,” said Liu Yan, deputy head of the hospital’s clinical dietetics department.

    As young people increasingly pay attention to healthy lifestyles, the health care product industry is booming. According to a report by marketing agency iiMedia Research, the health care product market has been growing steadily over the past five years and is expected to reach 423.7 billion yuan (about $59.1 billion) in 2027.

    “When consumers buy milk tea, they prefer low-sugar, low-fat products that have ingredients listed on the label,” said a worker at a confectionery shop in Changchun, northeast China’s Jilin Province, noting that big brands are starting to pay attention to adding healthy ingredients and their products are popular with young people who eat healthily.

    In addition, scientific and technological means also help Chinese youth improve their health. For example, with the popularization of intelligent health testing equipment such as smart bracelets, personal health management is simplified and more efficient.

    “You’ve been sitting for over 90 minutes!” – the smartwatch of 32-year-old programmer Zhang Yang vibrates, reminding him to get up and move around. After Zhang Yang took a break from work and performed a set of traditional Chinese breathing exercises called “Baduanjin”, the mobile health management app updated his activity in real time.

    According to the data, in the first quarter of 2024, shipments of wearable devices in the Chinese market grew by 36.2 percent year on year to 33.67 million units. Some smartwatches have increasingly advanced health monitoring features, including heart rate and blood saturation monitoring.

    “Maintaining health is no longer just advice from elders, but a quantitatively measurable aesthetic of daily life,” said Liu Junkang, CEO of Jinaitang Health Management Company.

    According to him, there are three key trends in healthy living among young consumers: using data to customize their daily routine, rethinking traditional treatments in a modern way, and prioritizing enjoyable and practical experiences in maintaining good health, which are changing the structure of the industry in the country.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The first meeting of the Belarusian-Tajik intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation was held in Minsk

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    MINSK, July 23 (Xinhua) — The first meeting of the Belarusian-Tajik intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation was held in Minsk on Tuesday, the press service of the State Military-Industrial Committee (Goskomvoenprom) of Belarus reported.

    The event was held under the leadership of the Chairman of the State Military Industrial Committee Dmitry Pantus and the Minister of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan Sherali Kabir. During the meeting, the parties reviewed the progress of the implementation of existing contracts, as well as promising areas for further cooperation and algorithms for their implementation.

    “This dialogue opens up new opportunities for strengthening the partnership between the two countries in the field of military technologies,” the State Military Industrial Committee said. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China Willing to Work with All Parties to Advance High-Quality Joint Construction of Belt and Road Initiative — Chinese Foreign Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) — China is willing to continue working with all parties to push for tangible progress in the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road for common development and a win-win future, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Tuesday.

    The diplomat made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on a recent report on the Belt and Road Initiative. According to the document, the value of projects under the Belt and Road Initiative in the first six months of this year exceeded the total amount of projects for the whole of 2024, reaching a record high. As some media outlets and experts have noted, China’s growing engagement with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative stands in stark contrast to the approach of the United States, which imposes high tariffs on trading partners around the world. Many countries see cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity to deepen ties with China.

    Guo Jiakun pointed out that the joint construction of the Belt and Road has entered a new phase of high-quality development: from Eurasia to Africa and Latin America, from infrastructure and institutional connectivity to people-to-people connectivity. The fruits of this cooperation have benefited the people of more than 150 countries.

    To support this, the official cited some of the results of the Belt and Road demonstration projects. For example, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway has served more than 10 million passengers; the total number of trains dispatched within the China-Europe freight rail service has exceeded 110,000 trips; the new land-sea corridor between China and Latin American countries, linking the port of Chancai in Peru with the port of Shanghai in China, has opened for traffic in both directions; the installed capacity of solar power plants jointly built by China and African countries has exceeded 1.5 GW; “small and beautiful” projects such as the “Lu Ban Workshop” and the “juncao” grass cultivation technology have led many households onto the path to a prosperous life.

    Guo Jiakun noted that after more than a decade of development, the joint construction of the Belt and Road, which is based on promoting connectivity, has expanded to a platform for industrial and trade cooperation, helping more countries integrate into international industrial chains and jointly safeguarding the stability and resilience of global supply chains.

    According to the diplomat, in carrying out cooperation within the framework of the “Belt and Road”, China firmly adheres to the principle of “joint consultation, joint construction and joint use”, the concept of openness, greenness and integrity, as well as the pursuit of high-standard, sustainable and human-centered development. At the same time, China strives to promote the modernization of all countries, Guo Jiakun added.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Sweden provides SEK 10 million in humanitarian assistance to Save the Children in Gaza

    Source: Government of Sweden

    The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. Children are particularly vulnerable and severely affected under the current circumstances. In light of this, the Swedish Government has decided to allocate SEK 10 million to Save the Children’s efforts in Gaza.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Sweden provides SEK 10 million in humanitarian assistance to Save the Children in Gaza

    Source: Government of Sweden

    The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. Children are particularly vulnerable and severely affected under the current circumstances. In light of this, the Swedish Government has decided to allocate SEK 10 million to Save the Children’s efforts in Gaza.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: NATO Defence Ministers agree on new capability targets

    Source: Government of Sweden

    At the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels on 5 June, member countries’ defence ministers agreed on new capability targets for the Alliance. In conjunction with the meeting, Swedish Minister for Defence Pål Jonson also signed a number of agreements on behalf of Sweden.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Appropriations Committee Approves Chairman Fleischmann’s FY26 Energy and Water Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN)

    Washington, DC – The House Appropriations Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, led by Energy and Water Appropriations Chairman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03). The bill was approved by the Committee with a vote of 35 to 27. Approval of Rep. Fleischmann’s FY26 Energy and Water Appropriations bill by the Appropriations Committee is a key step before the bill can be brought to the House Floor for a vote.

    Energy and Water Chairman Chuck Fleischmann said, “To achieve America’s new Golden Age, we must safeguard our national security, unleash American energy dominance, and increase economic prosperity for all our citizens. I am proud that, in tight fiscal times where every dollar spent must be scrutinized, the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill makes historic investments in our national security and nuclear deterrent, advances American leadership in deploying new nuclear technologies, provides robust funding for waterways infrastructure projects nationwide, reduces our reliance on foreign sources of critical minerals, unleashes American energy production, and stops wasteful, inflationary spending. This bill is the product of close collaboration with the Trump Administration and my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee, and I thank them for their strong support.”

    House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (OK-04) said, “This FY26 Energy and Water bill is focused on lowering energy costs and advancing affordable, reliable, and secure power for the nation. It recognizes that American energy dominance is essential to our economic strength, national security, and global leadership—fueling jobs, innovation, and resilience across every community. Further, we make clear to our adversaries that America will lead with strength built on domestic energy and critical mineral production. We also prioritize essential waterway, flood control, and ports and harbors projects. Chairman Fleischmann’s approach ensures a stronger future reinforced through cutting-edge technology, strategic use of abundant resources, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and I commend its full committee approval.”

    Energy and Water Subcommittee Chairman Fleischmann’s opening remarks are available here.
    Chairman Cole’s opening remarks are available here.

    Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
    The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill provides a total discretionary allocation of $57.300 billion, which is $766.4 million below the Fiscal Year 2025 enacted level. The defense portion of the allocation is $33.223 billion, and the non-defense portion of the allocation is $24.077 billion.

    The bill prioritizes funding for agencies and programs that safeguard U.S. national security, unleash American energy dominance, and advance economic competitiveness.

    Key Takeaways

    Champions America’s nuclear deterrent and strengthens national security by: 

    • Providing $20.662 billion for the continued modernization of the nuclear weapons stockpile and infrastructure.
    • Providing $2.171 billion to support the U.S. Navy’s nuclear fleet by investing in infrastructure and new technologies to maintain America’s advantage over our adversaries.
    • Providing $1.984 billion to reduce the danger of hostile nations or terrorist groups acquiring nuclear weapons.
    • Prohibiting the sale of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the Chinese Communist Party.
    • Prohibiting access to U.S. nuclear weapons production facilities by citizens of China and Russia.
    • Prohibiting the Department of Energy from providing financial assistance to any foreign entity of concern.
    • Prohibiting the purchase of technology and telecommunications equipment from China and other adversaries.

    Supports the Trump Administration and mandate of the American people by: 

    • Codifying President Trump’s executive actions by prohibiting funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Critical Race Theory programs and ending federal censorship of free speech.
    • Continuing the prohibition on funding for any discriminatory action against individuals advocating for traditional marriage.
    • Allowing for the lawful carry of firearms on Corps of Engineers land.

    Restores American energy dominance and bolsters the national economy by: 

    • Supporting one of the largest investments focused on mining production technologies for critical minerals extraction in decades, reducing reliance on foreign sources.
    • Robustly funding small modular reactor and advanced reactor demonstration projects, as well as increasing funding for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to expand capacity for the review, licensing, and oversight of new nuclear reactors.
      • These investments are key to regaining international dominance in the nuclear market and achieving the Trump Administration’s goal to expand nuclear energy capacity to 400 gigawatts by 2050.
    • Facilitating the efficient transport of goods and commodities through improvements and maintenance of America’s ports and waterways.
    • Increasing investments to develop new baseload geothermal energy sources to capitalize on our vast domestic resources.
    • Maintaining funding for cybersecurity efforts that enable a resilient, reliable, and secure electric grid.

    Safeguards American taxpayer dollars and preserves core functions by: 

    • Eliminating the Biden-era Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.
    • Including no funds for the Department of Energy Office of Energy Justice and Equity.
    • Refocusing applied energy technology program funding to ensure taxpayer resources are directed to the highest priority research and development efforts.
    • Reducing global dependency on the U.S. for foreign nuclear reactor conversions.

    During the markup, Committee Republicans also stood with the America First agenda and rejected Democrat amendments that would have: 

    • Restricted the implementation of the America First agenda.
    • Repealed reconciliation efforts that reformed green new scam climate initiatives.
    • Sought to hamper enforcement efforts at Alligator Alcatraz.
    • Promoted and advanced critical race theory.
    • Allowed unapproved flags to be flown over federal facilities.
    • Funded polarizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
    • Exposed Americans to religious discrimination.
    • Prohibited the implementation of certain President Trump executive orders.
    • Increased taxpayer spending to unnecessary levels for certain programs.

    Adopted Amendments 

    • Fleischmann #1 (Manager’s Amendment) – Makes technical, bipartisan changes to the bill and report.
      • The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
    • Clyde #1 – Addresses the collection and utilization of recreation fees.
      • The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
    • Moore #2 – Increases funding for Regional Commissions.
      • The amendment was adopted by voice vote. 

    Bill text, before adoption of amendments, is available here.
    Bill report, before adoption of amendments, is available here.
    A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Innovation, solid supply chain attracting FDI

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

    This aerial photo taken on July 5, 2023 shows the Tianjin factory of Danfoss, a global refrigeration industry giant, in north China’s Tianjin. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China will remain a vital innovation hub and manufacturing base for foreign corporations despite global economic uncertainty, said government officials and business leaders.

    They noted that foreign firms are maintaining deep engagement with the Chinese market, capitalizing on their technological expertise alongside China’s well-developed industrial and supply chains — a synergy that enhances operational efficiency, fosters innovation and strengthens supply chain resilience.

    Foreign-invested companies in China saw their export and import value grow by 2.4 percent year-on-year to 6.32 trillion yuan ($881.2 billion) in the first half, marking growth for the fifth consecutive quarter, statistics from the General Administration of Customs showed.

    The number of foreign-invested businesses in the country with actual import and export activities amounted to 75,000 in the first six months, the highest level for the same period since 2021, said the administration.

    China’s evolving industrial ecosystem — combining cost, quality and speed with advanced infrastructure — is transforming into a collaborative innovation hub where multinationals co-develop and expand alongside local partners, said Mohamed Kande, global chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd, a London-based global accounting company.

    Reflecting on this shift, Lyu Daliang, director of the GAC’s department of statistics and analysis, said that among the major manufacturing categories involved in foreign company exports, industries such as specialized equipment, electrical machinery and electronic devices all posted robust growth between January and June.

    One such company — Global Electric Appliance (Nantong) Co Ltd, a manufacturer of household appliances in Nantong, Jiangsu province and a subsidiary of a Singapore-based industrial group — reported a 31.9 percent year-on-year increase in exports, reaching 343 million yuan in the first half, said Nanjing Customs.

    Chen Jinxin, head of the company’s foreign trade unit, said the company has shipped its products, including vacuum and steam cleaners, to over 90 overseas markets, backed by China’s innovative solutions and a highly integrated supply chain that enables rapid product development and efficient global distribution.

    Apart from investing 3 billion yuan in its Hangzhou plant in Zhejiang province over the past decade, Italian chocolate and confectionery maker Ferrero Group said that the factory now supplies 53 percent of its products to the Chinese market, with the remaining 47 percent exported to more than 20 countries and regions across the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and North America.

    Yang Lianjun, general manager of Ferrero’s Hangzhou plant, said the Chinese market offers significant opportunities, and the company may introduce additional premium product categories in the future, such as ice cream.

    To bolster its local research and development capabilities, Ferrero established a food innovation center within its Hangzhou facility last year. The center focuses on developing chocolate, confectionery and bakery products tailored to regional preferences and shortening time-to-market cycles.

    The Ministry of Commerce said foreign direct investment in China’s manufacturing sector reached 109.06 billion yuan in the first half, while high-tech industries attracted 127.87 billion yuan. FDI inflows from Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany rose by 68.6 percent, 59.1 percent, 37.6 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively.

    Amid a turbulent and uncertain global trade landscape, the stability of China’s policy environment and the long-term orientation of its planning have grown increasingly valuable, said Li Xingqian, vice-chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

    Neutrik Technology (Ningbo) Co Ltd, a Ningbo, Zhejiang province-based manufacturer of electronic connectors and a subsidiary of the European company Neutrik AG, reported a 19 percent year-on-year rise in first-half sales to 68.45 million yuan, covering both domestic sales and exports, said Ningbo Customs.

    Dong Lanju, the company’s president, said that China’s well-integrated industrial ecosystem and pro-business environment will continue to empower foreign manufacturers to expand production, boost operational efficiency and better capture opportunities in global markets.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China claim team gold in artistic swimming at World Aquatics Championships

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

    Wearing golden headbands symbolizing the legendary Monkey King, China’s artistic swimmers brought the myth to life in a powerful Wukong-inspired routine to win gold in the team technical event at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships on Tuesday.

    Their performance, based on the popular Chinese video game Black Myth: Wukong, earned China 307.8001 points – edging out longtime rivals Russia, competing under the name Neutral Athletes B (NAB), who finished second with 300.6183 points. Spain took third with 294.8575.

    Team China perform during the team technical final of artistic swimming at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, July 22, 2025. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)

    “This is a very special day,” said head coach Zhang Xiaohuan. “It’s the first time the Chinese artistic swimming team has been able to directly compete against our biggest rivals on a stage like this. It’s a moment we’ve waited a long time for.”

    “This gold medal doesn’t feel any less important than the one we won at the Olympic Games in Paris,” she added. “Our swimmers performed very well today. They improved on the areas that needed work after the preliminary round, and with that, they earned this title.”

    China won both the duet and team titles at the 2024 Paris Games, where Russian athletes did not participate.

    “I think they are still a very admirable opponent,” Zhang said. “They give us strong motivation to keep improving. We only narrowly won this time. We still have a long way to go.”

    Defeating NAB also gave the Chinese team a significant confidence boost.

    “We’ve waited a long time to compete against a team we’ve always wanted to measure ourselves against,” said team captain Feng Yu. “That makes this result even more special. It’s only when you face tough competition that you learn and improve.”

    The Wukong routine has been successful since its debut at the Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final in Xi’an this June, where China also delivered a dominant performance. The coaching staff increased the difficulty level for the World Championships.

    “We raised the difficulty by almost two points,” Zhang said. “Most of that came from the leg movements. However, we didn’t extend the athletes’ breath-holding time. Instead, we incorporated more challenging movements at a faster tempo.”

    The runners-up were pleased with their silver medal.

    “We are very happy to be here at such a high-level competition,” said Anastasiia Bakhtyreva of NAB. “This is our first time competing at this level, and we feel a tremendous amount of emotion. We are very excited.”

    Earlier in the day, China’s Xu Huiyan won silver in the women’s solo free event, finishing behind Spain’s Iris Tio Casas. Just hours later, she returned to the pool for the team technical final.

    Xu made history in Singapore by winning China’s first-ever women’s solo technical gold medal at the World Championships. The 19-year-old now holds 19 gold medals across the World Cup, World Championships and World Junior Championships.

    “As a young athlete, Huiyan has progressed remarkably in just one year – from winning bronze in Doha to achieving what she has here in Singapore,” said Zhang. “Our rival in the solo free delivered an outstanding routine today.”

    The team technical gold marks China’s third gold in artistic swimming at the 2025 World Championships. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Tears of triumph and disappointment: Casas wins solo free gold, Xu falls short

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

    Tears flowed for both Spain’s Iris Tio Casas and China’s Xu Huiyan after the women’s solo free final at the World Aquatics Championships on Tuesday – but for very different reasons.

    Casas stood atop the podium with tears of joy after clinching her first individual world title in artistic swimming with a score of 245.1913 points. Xu, who had led the preliminary round, settled for silver, 4.1888 points behind Casas, and she couldn’t hold back tears of disappointment.

    Xu Huiyan of China reacts during awarding ceremony for the women’s solo free of artistic swimming at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, July 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)

    “I’m super happy,” Casas said. “I can’t believe it right now. I feel very emotional because my parents are here in the stands. When I was little, the dream of becoming a world champion was deep in my soul. I’m still in shock.”

    The 22-year-old Spaniard improved her degree of difficulty in the final, responding to Xu’s similar strategy. Entering the final ranked third, Casas executed with precision and passion to rise to the top – an achievement that left her surrounded by jubilant teammates after the result was announced.

    “I think it worked out,” she said, smiling through tears.

    Xu, just 19, had hoped to complete a golden solo double after winning the technical event three days earlier, where Casas took bronze. But after her final routine, Xu buried her face in hands, tears streaming down – not from regret, she said, but from emotion.

    “I’m not sad about the result,” she said. “Actually, I’ve improved a lot in the past few weeks. I just feel like I still have so much more to work on.”

    Despite the silver, Xu has already made history for China. She now holds 18 gold medals across the World Cup, World Championships and World Junior Championships. Her solo technical win in Singapore earned China its first-ever world gold in that discipline.

    “I anticipated today’s result,” she admitted. “Ever since I started competing in the solo free routine, I’ve known there are still areas I need to improve – especially in the free elements. We didn’t have much time to make big changes, and training time for solo routines was quite limited.”

    Xu isn’t dwelling on the disappointment for long. Just hours after the solo free final, she will be back for the team technical final. She has already led China to the team free title.

    “That’s not a problem,” she said. “I’ll do my best and won’t let my teammates down.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Leeds sign midfielder Anton Stach from Hoffenheim

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

    German international midfielder Anton Stach has joined newly promoted Leeds United from Hoffenheim in a deal worth around 17.5 million pounds (23.5 million U.S. dollars).

    Jeong Wooyeong (R) of VfB Stuttgart vies with Anton Stach of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim during the first division of Bundesliga 9th round match between VfB Stuttgart and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, in Stuttgart, Germany, Oct. 28, 2023. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)

    Stach has signed a four-year contract and becomes Leeds’ sixth signing of the summer as the club aims to re-establish itself in the Premier League.

    The 26-year-old has played twice for the German national side and was a regular for Hoffenheim last season.

    “I am excited to join such a good team, such a good Premier League team, and I am looking forward to the next season,” said Stach in an interview on the club’s website, in which he was honest about Leeds’ aims for the coming season.

    “The biggest target is to stay in the league and personally just develop, adapt to the league, to the speed of course and then get many good experiences hopefully,” he added.

    “My style of play, I would say I am an aggressive player. I am good in duels. I am good at anticipating passes from the opponents and it would be good for the Premier League. Now we will see, I will try my best,” continued the midfielder. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Spain to host Ryder Cup for second time in 2031

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

    The Ryder Cup golf tournament which pits Europe against the United States every two years, will return to Spain in 2031, the organizers announced on Tuesday.

    A post from the Ryder Cup on social media said the competition will be held at Camiral Golf and Wellness, which is close to the city of Girona.

    Spain hosted the Ryder Cup at Valderrama in Andalusia in 1997, with Europe emerging victorious under Seve Ballesteros as captain.

    “As well as being one of the most prestigious competitions in the sporting calendar, the Ryder is an exceptional platform to show the capacity Spain has to host important events,” said Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes, president of Spain’s sports council.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: THOMPSON RELEASES STATEMENT ON CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS’ BILL TO RIP FUNDING FROM PUBLIC MEDIA, FOREIGN AID: “AN ATTACK ON PUBLIC SAFETY”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) released the following statement after the passage of Congressional Republicans’ bill to take back federal funding from public media stations and foreign aid programs that was already approved by Congress and signed into law:

    “Make no mistake: These clawbacks are an attack on public safety. Our public radio and TV stations, especially those in rural communities, are often the only trusted local news source. Publicly funded media stations are the ones covering our kids’ high school sports games, providing high-quality educational programming to our kids, and distributing essential public safety information during natural disasters. To slash this funding is to attack these important services.  

    “At the same time, Congressional Republicans are pulling funding from Ukraine and other allies. When our allies are unsafe, we are all unsafe. Cuts to foreign aid undermine our national security.

    “Congressional Republicans’ claims that this is about saving money are laughable considering they just passed a bill that will add nearly $5 trillion to our national debt in order to give tax breaks to their billionaire donors who don’t need the help. They are pulling the rug out from under our allies and our local news stations. The American people will pay the price.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Robert Aderholt Introduces Accelerate Revenue for Manufacturing and Sales (ARMS) Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Reps. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Ryan Zinke (R-MT) introduced the Accelerate Revenue for Manufacturing and Sales (ARMS) Act, a bipartisan proposal to expedite the delivery of U.S.-made critical defense capabilities to allies and partners, by expanding the Special Defense Acquisition Fund (SDAF).

    “This bipartisan bill will help ensure that America’s allies and partners can receive critical defense equipment in a timely manner,” said Congressman Aderholt. “By strengthening the SDAF, this legislation not only supports national security interests abroad, but invests in our industrial defense base at home.”

    This bill addresses the inefficiencies and delays in the current Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. The urgency to address these has increased in recent years, as the combined value of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) has significantly exceeded domestic defense procurement budgets, with international demand for U.S. defense products approaching two-to-one over domestic acquisition.
    “The ARMS Act is a win-win for our economic and national security, investing in both our critical manufacturing here at home and our allies’ defense abroad. As we continue to combat the threatening influence of foreign adversaries like Russia and China, this bill will help our allies stay safe while maintaining our leadership around the globe,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz.

    “It’s unfortunate, but unnecessary and burdensome bureaucratic delays slow down the ability of the United States to fully support our democratic allies when they need it the most,” Rep. Jimmy Panetta added. “The expansion of the bipartisan Special Defense Acquisition Fund would provide a more efficient way to meet urgent demand and counter global threats, while strengthening our domestic manufacturing base.  As we push back against isolationism, this legislation is a smart, strategic, commonsense step to bolster American leadership and enhance global stability.”

    “I’ve made it my mission to eliminate the bureaucratic delays that prevent America’s life-saving defense capabilities from reaching our allies and partners. This bill delivers on that mission,” said Rep. Ryan Zinke. “The Special Defense Acquisition Fund is a vital but historically under-resourced tool that strengthens our defense industrial base and accelerates the delivery of critical arms and equipment to our allies. This legislation restores the SDAF to its original purpose supporting our partners and advancing American interests around the globe, without costing taxpayers a dime. I applaud Congressman Aderholt for his leadership in drafting this commonsense, strategic legislation.”

    The SDAF continues to have strong bipartisan support in Congress and from current and past Administrations.

    The Accelerate Revenue for Manufacturing and Sales Act is supported by leading defense organizations, including the Professional Services Counsel, National Defense Industrial Association, and Aerospace Industries Association.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Crow Secures Key Wins in Annual Defense Bill for Colorado

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06), a former Army Ranger who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, announced today that more than 15 provisions he championed have been successfully included in the annual National Defense Authorization Act. Congressman Crow’s provisions focused on improving the lives of servicemembers and their families, modernizing our military to make America more safe, and investing in Colorado’s space industry to make us more competitive.

    “I served in combat and know the critical role Congress plays in improving the quality of life for servicemembers, strengthening our military readiness, and keeping Americans safe,” said Congressman Crow. “As a Member of the Armed Services Committee, I’ve worked in a bipartisan fashion to secure key wins for Colorado and support our men and women in uniform.”

    Congressman Crow’s provisions included in this year’s Pentagon budget include:

    Improving the Lives of our Servicemembers:

    • Upgrading Digital Health Technologies for Traumatic Brain Injury: Improves care for active-duty servicemembers suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) by identifying ways that digital technology can be used to better deliver care.
    • Preventing Traumatic Brain Injuries in Fighter Pilots: Directs the Department of Defense to create a strategy to better identify, document, and treat TBIs in active duty pilots.
    • Providing Dental for Our Troops: Ensures no-cost dental care for all reservists, which will help recruiting, retention, and readiness.
    • Securing affordable health care for servicemembers: Ensures children’s hospitals that serve a large population of active duty families can continue providing high quality, affordable healthcare for servicemembers and their children.

    Investing in Colorado’s Space Industry & Making America More Competitive:

    • Bolstering Crucial Space Programs: Provides U.S. Space Systems Command with the resources needed to compete tactically and technologically with our adversaries in outer space.
    • Modernizing Rocket Launches: Requires the Space Force to report to Congress on how it will modernize standards and processes around rocket launches so they are safer and more efficient.
    • Supporting Space Domain Awareness: Improves our ability to track objects, like satellites, and activities happening outside of our atmosphere.
    • Increasing competition when the government buys space technology: Ensures that all companies have a fair shot when the U.S. government is looking to purchase technology that we use in space.

    Modernizing our Military:

    • Updating Air Force’s Flying Communications System: Authorizes support for mobile communications platforms to ensure continuity of government and national military command and control during a crisis
    • Protecting Assets Against Climate Change: Ensures climate shocks don’t negatively impact military installations, training, operations, and readiness.
    • Ensuring the Military Protects Civilians in Combat: Compels the Department of Defense to produce a report on how civilian harm could impact the success of military operations.
    • Improving the Defense Supply Chain: Encourages changes to the way DoD buys equipment so the supply chain that supports our defense is stronger and more efficient.
    • Strengthening the Afghanistan War Commission: Gives them more tools to complete their bipartisan assessment of key decisions made over twenty years of war in Afghanistan and to produce their final report.
    • Maintaining a global security footprint: Prevents the elimination or consolidation of US Southern Command.
    • Bolstering our strategy in Eastern Europe: Requires DoD to provide Congress an updated strategy related to NATO, and provide a detailed update on Russia’s actions. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Doctors shouldn’t be allowed to object to medical care if it harms their patients

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Julian Savulescu, Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, The University of Melbourne

    HRAUN/Getty

    A young woman needs an abortion and the reasons, while urgent, are not medical. A United States Navy nurse at Guantánamo Bay is ordered to force-feed a defiant detainee on hunger strike.

    These very different real-life cases have one connecting thread: the question of whether a health professional can conscientiously object to carrying out a patient’s request.

    Freedom of conscience is often held up as a purely noble principle. But when it’s used to deny health care, it means a single person’s beliefs are dictating what is best for another person’s physical and mental health – which can have devastating, even fatal, results.

    In our recent book, Rethinking Conscientious Objection in Healthcare, colleagues and I conclude doctors should not be free to make medical decisions based on their personal beliefs.

    It’s not noble to refuse care

    Freedom of conscience is strongly – but not absolutely – protected under international human rights law. It is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    This principle has often been used for moral purposes: for example, to resist orders to torture or kill.

    But after researching use of conscientious objection by health professionals, I have concluded it is seriously flawed when used to deny patients health services. This is especially so when particular doctors have a monopoly on service provision, as is the case with abortion and assisted dying in many rural and regional areas of Australia.

    In Australia, doctors are allowed to conscientiously object to abortion, although nearly all states require referral to other service providers or information about how to access the relevant service.

    In practice, these laws are not enforced and sometimes disregarded.

    A doctor’s refusal can mean patients can be denied the standard of care they need, or indeed, any care at all.

    Health-care professionals are not like pacifists refusing conscription into the military, opposing something forced upon them. They freely choose health-care careers that come with obligations and with ethical stances already established by professional codes of conduct.

    People are free to hold whatever beliefs they choose, but those beliefs will inevitably close off some options for them. For example, a vegetarian will not be able to work in an abattoir. That is true for every one of us. But what shouldn’t happen is a doctor’s personal beliefs closing off legitimate options for their patient.

    4 guiding questions

    Instead of personal values, there are four key secular principles we propose that doctors should rely on when deciding how to advise patients about sensitive procedures:

    • is it legal?

    • is it a just and fair use of any resources that might be limited?

    • is it in the interests of the patient’s wellbeing?

    • is it what the patient has themselves decided they want?

    Of course, there will be times when some of these principles are in conflict – that is when it is important to apply the most crucial ones, the wellbeing of the patient and the patient’s own wishes.

    In Ireland in 2012, a young woman named Savita Halappanavar went to an Irish hospital for treatment for her miscarriage. Doctors knew there was no hope of the pregnancy surviving but refused to evacuate her uterus while there was still a fetal heartbeat, for fear of breaching Ireland’s anti-abortion laws. The result: Savita died of septicaemia at 31.

    If doctors had put the patient’s wellbeing first, they would have given her that termination, despite the law, and it would have saved her life.

    These are the principles that should have been applied to the examples above: the woman seeking an abortion for career reasons or the nurse refusing to force-feed prisoners.

    The doctor (or nurse) should ask: Is it what the patient has autonomously decided they want? Will it lead to the best outcome for both their physical and their mental health?

    If abortion will promote a woman’s wellbeing, it is in her interests. Hunger strikers should not be force-fed because it violates their autonomy.

    An unfair burden

    While doctors’ personal values are important, they should not dictate care at the bedside. Not only can this disadvantage the patient, but it places an unfair burden on colleagues who do accept such work, and must carry a disproportionate load of procedures they might find unpleasant and financially unrewarding.

    It also creates injustice. Patients who are educated, wealthy and well-connected already find it easier to access health care. Conscientious objection intensifies that unfairness in large swathes of the country because it further limits options.

    Two countries with excellent health-care systems, Sweden and Finland, do not permit conscientious objection by medical professionals.

    In Australia, it is time we do the same and strongly limit conscientious objection as a legal right for health professionals. We should also ensure those entering the discipline are prepared to take on all procedures relevant to their specialty.

    And lastly, but most importantly, we should educate them that the patient’s interests and values must always come first. An individual doctor’s sense of moral authority should not be permitted to morph into medical and moral authoritarianism.

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

    – ref. Doctors shouldn’t be allowed to object to medical care if it harms their patients – https://theconversation.com/doctors-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-object-to-medical-care-if-it-harms-their-patients-260003

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Doctors shouldn’t be allowed to object to medical care if it harms their patients

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Julian Savulescu, Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, The University of Melbourne

    HRAUN/Getty

    A young woman needs an abortion and the reasons, while urgent, are not medical. A United States Navy nurse at Guantánamo Bay is ordered to force-feed a defiant detainee on hunger strike.

    These very different real-life cases have one connecting thread: the question of whether a health professional can conscientiously object to carrying out a patient’s request.

    Freedom of conscience is often held up as a purely noble principle. But when it’s used to deny health care, it means a single person’s beliefs are dictating what is best for another person’s physical and mental health – which can have devastating, even fatal, results.

    In our recent book, Rethinking Conscientious Objection in Healthcare, colleagues and I conclude doctors should not be free to make medical decisions based on their personal beliefs.

    It’s not noble to refuse care

    Freedom of conscience is strongly – but not absolutely – protected under international human rights law. It is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    This principle has often been used for moral purposes: for example, to resist orders to torture or kill.

    But after researching use of conscientious objection by health professionals, I have concluded it is seriously flawed when used to deny patients health services. This is especially so when particular doctors have a monopoly on service provision, as is the case with abortion and assisted dying in many rural and regional areas of Australia.

    In Australia, doctors are allowed to conscientiously object to abortion, although nearly all states require referral to other service providers or information about how to access the relevant service.

    In practice, these laws are not enforced and sometimes disregarded.

    A doctor’s refusal can mean patients can be denied the standard of care they need, or indeed, any care at all.

    Health-care professionals are not like pacifists refusing conscription into the military, opposing something forced upon them. They freely choose health-care careers that come with obligations and with ethical stances already established by professional codes of conduct.

    People are free to hold whatever beliefs they choose, but those beliefs will inevitably close off some options for them. For example, a vegetarian will not be able to work in an abattoir. That is true for every one of us. But what shouldn’t happen is a doctor’s personal beliefs closing off legitimate options for their patient.

    4 guiding questions

    Instead of personal values, there are four key secular principles we propose that doctors should rely on when deciding how to advise patients about sensitive procedures:

    • is it legal?

    • is it a just and fair use of any resources that might be limited?

    • is it in the interests of the patient’s wellbeing?

    • is it what the patient has themselves decided they want?

    Of course, there will be times when some of these principles are in conflict – that is when it is important to apply the most crucial ones, the wellbeing of the patient and the patient’s own wishes.

    In Ireland in 2012, a young woman named Savita Halappanavar went to an Irish hospital for treatment for her miscarriage. Doctors knew there was no hope of the pregnancy surviving but refused to evacuate her uterus while there was still a fetal heartbeat, for fear of breaching Ireland’s anti-abortion laws. The result: Savita died of septicaemia at 31.

    If doctors had put the patient’s wellbeing first, they would have given her that termination, despite the law, and it would have saved her life.

    These are the principles that should have been applied to the examples above: the woman seeking an abortion for career reasons or the nurse refusing to force-feed prisoners.

    The doctor (or nurse) should ask: Is it what the patient has autonomously decided they want? Will it lead to the best outcome for both their physical and their mental health?

    If abortion will promote a woman’s wellbeing, it is in her interests. Hunger strikers should not be force-fed because it violates their autonomy.

    An unfair burden

    While doctors’ personal values are important, they should not dictate care at the bedside. Not only can this disadvantage the patient, but it places an unfair burden on colleagues who do accept such work, and must carry a disproportionate load of procedures they might find unpleasant and financially unrewarding.

    It also creates injustice. Patients who are educated, wealthy and well-connected already find it easier to access health care. Conscientious objection intensifies that unfairness in large swathes of the country because it further limits options.

    Two countries with excellent health-care systems, Sweden and Finland, do not permit conscientious objection by medical professionals.

    In Australia, it is time we do the same and strongly limit conscientious objection as a legal right for health professionals. We should also ensure those entering the discipline are prepared to take on all procedures relevant to their specialty.

    And lastly, but most importantly, we should educate them that the patient’s interests and values must always come first. An individual doctor’s sense of moral authority should not be permitted to morph into medical and moral authoritarianism.

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

    – ref. Doctors shouldn’t be allowed to object to medical care if it harms their patients – https://theconversation.com/doctors-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-object-to-medical-care-if-it-harms-their-patients-260003

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Here’s why 3-person embryos are a breakthrough for science – but not LGBTQ+ families

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Jennifer Power, Principal Research Fellow, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University

    Last week, scientists announced the birth of eight healthy babies in the United Kingdom conceived with DNA from three people. Some headlines have called it “three-person IVF”.

    The embryo uses the DNA from the egg and sperm of the intended father and mother, as well as cells from the egg of a second woman (the donor).

    This process – known as mitochondrial replacement therapy – allows women with certain genetic disorders to conceive a child without passing on their condition.

    While it’s raised broader questions about “three-parent” babies, it’s not so simple. Here’s why it’s unlikely this development will transform the diverse ways LGBTQ+ people are already making families.

    What this technology is – and isn’t

    The UK became the first country in the world to allow mitochondrial donation for three-person embryos ten years ago, in 2015.

    In other countries, such donations are banned or strictly controlled. In Australia, a staged approach to allow mitochondrial donation was introduced in 2022. Stage one will involve clinical trials to determine safety and effectiveness, and establish clear ethical guidelines for donations.

    These restrictions are based on political and ethical concerns about the use of human embryos for research, the unknown health impact on children, and the broader implications of allowing genetic modification of human embryos.

    There are also concerns about the ethical or legal implications of creating babies with “three parents”.

    Carefully and slowly considering these ethical issues is clearly important. But it’s inaccurate to suggest this process creates three parents.

    First, the amount of DNA the donor provides is tiny, only 0.1% of the baby’s DNA. The baby will not share any physical characteristics with the donor.

    While it is significant that two women’s DNA has been used in creating an embryo, it doesn’t mean lesbian couples will be rushing to access this particular in vitro fertilisation (IVF) technology.

    This technique is only used for people affected by mitochondrial disease and is closely regulated. It is not available more widely and in Australia, is not yet available even for this use.

    Second, while biological lineage is an important part of many people’s identity and sense of self, DNA alone does not make a parent.

    As many adoptive, foster and LGBTQ+ parents will attest, parenting is about love, connection and everyday acts of care for a child.

    How do rainbow families use IVF?

    Existing IVF is already expensive and medically invasive. Many fertility services offer a range of additional treatments purported to aid fertility, but extra interventions add more costs and are not universally recommended by doctors.

    While many lesbian couples and single women use fertility services to access donor sperm, not everyone will need to use IVF.

    Less invasive fertilisation techniques, such as intrauterine insemination, may be available for women without fertility problems. This means inserting sperm directly into the uterus, rather than fertilising an egg in a clinic and then implanting that embryo.

    Same-sex couples who have the option to create a baby with a sperm donor they know – rather than from a register – may also choose home-based insemination, the proverbial turkey baster. This is a cheaper and more intimate way to conceive and many women prefer a donor who will have some involvement in their child’s life.

    In recent years, “reciprocal” IVF has also grown in popularity among lesbian couples. This means an embryo is created using one partner’s egg, and the other partner carries it.

    Reciprocal IVF’s popularity suggests biology does play a role for LGBTQ+ women in conceiving a baby. When both mothers share a biological connection to the child, it may help overcome stigmatisation of “non-birth” mothers as less legitimate.

    But biology is by no means the defining feature of rainbow families.

    LGBTQ+ people are already parents

    The 2021 census showed 17% of same-sex couples had children living with them; among female same-sex couples it was 28%. This is likely an underestimate, as the census only collects data on couples that live together.

    Same-sex couples often conceive children using donor sperm or eggs, and this may involve surrogacy. But across the LGBTQ+ community, there are diverse ways people become parents.

    Same-sex couples are one part of the LGBTQ+ community. Growing numbers of trans and non-binary people are choosing to carry a baby (as gestational parents), as well as single parents who use donors or fertility services. Many others conceive children through sex, including bi+ people or others who conceive within a relationship.

    While LGBTQ+ people can legally adopt children in Australia, adoption is not common. However, many foster parents are LGBTQ+.

    When they donate eggs or sperm to others, some LGBTQ+ people may stay involved in the child’s life as a close family friend or co-parent.

    Connection and care, not DNA

    While mitochondrial replacement therapy is a remarkable advance in gene technology, it is unlikely to open new pathways to parenthood for LGBTQ+ people in Australia.

    Asserting the importance of families based on choice – not biology or what technology is available – has been crucial to the LGBTQ+ community’s story and to rainbow families’ fight to be recognised.

    Decades of research now shows children raised by same-sex couples do just as well as any other child. What matters is parents’ consistency, love and quality of care.

    Jennifer Power receives funding from the Australian Department of Health, Disability and Aged Care and the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Here’s why 3-person embryos are a breakthrough for science – but not LGBTQ+ families – https://theconversation.com/heres-why-3-person-embryos-are-a-breakthrough-for-science-but-not-lgbtq-families-261462

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scott Votes Against GOP’S FY26 Defense Appropriations Bill

    Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

    Headline: Scott Votes Against GOP’S FY26 Defense Appropriations Bill

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after voting against H.R. 4016, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for FY 2026.

    “The annual defense appropriations bill must be a strong investment in our servicemembers and our national security. There are some provisions I support in this defense appropriations bill such as investments in shipbuilding, including funding the Columbia-class and Virginia-class submarines and the Gerald R. Ford Class Nuclear Aircraft Carrier program. The bill also includes an important amendment to prevent the closure of the United States Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis.

    “However, I ultimately cannot support the bill in its current form because the Republicans included language directing the Department of Defense to make harmful cuts in service of Elon Musk’s DOGE agenda. This bill will cut over $2 billion for troop readiness and $409 million for health programs. The bill includes provisions that attack the civil rights and liberties of service members and military families, including eliminating any office of diversity, equity, or inclusion. The bill also restricts access to abortion for servicemembers and fails to include $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s invasion. 

    “I am hopeful that as the bill moves to the Senate, the final enacted version of this legislation will ensure our servicemembers and their families are protected and will also include necessary investments to our national security.”

    CLICK HERE for a fact sheet on the legislation.  

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Maybe this is the last minutes you are living’: how the war is impacting young Ukrainians

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ashley Humphrey, Lecturer in Social Sciences, Monash University

    Now into its fourth year, the war that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has taken a devastating toll.

    An estimated 60,000 to 100,0000 Ukrainian lives have been lost and more than 10 million citizens displaced, and entire cities have been devastated.

    Daily life in Ukraine is disrupted by frequent power outages, significant interruptions to school and work routines and the recurrent warnings of air raid sirens.

    We sought to understand the war’s impact on young Ukrainians by interviewing those still in, and outside of Ukraine.

    Stolen youth

    Young adults (aged 18-35) tend to be in a transitional phase of life, working towards establishing a career, starting a family and making future plans.

    For many young Ukrainians, these developmental processes have been severely impeded during the war.

    Our work provides insights into how young Ukrainians have navigated the severe intrusion to their development, as well as how they have coped psychologically during this time.

    Our research drew on in-depth interviews with young Ukrainians who had lived in Ukraine for either the entirety or part of the war.

    Conducted both in person in Ukraine as well as online, these interviews looked specifically at how the ongoing war has affected young people’s employment or study situation, their aspirations for the future and mental health, while also seeking to understand what support they need.

    Responses from the participants varied.

    Those who were working were now exclusively engaged in work centred on assisting the war effort, including in some cases having joined the armed forces.

    Those who were studying had shifted to online mediums. The COVID pandemic ensured online learning platforms were largely already in place, allowing some to continue their studies from locations outside of Ukraine.

    While perhaps an alluring prospect to some, this flexibility while studying was also accompanied by chaos and disorientation, with short-term visas forcing young Ukrainians to move from one country to another.

    As one student explained:

    We went to Ukraine for two weeks and then we moved to Georgia for three months. Now we’re in Thailand for one month, and now we’re going to be in Australia for two or three months. Then we’re probably going to go to Japan for a year maybe.

    Local residents walk past buildings damaged as a result of a missile strike in Odesa.
    OLEKSANDR GIMANOV/AFP via Getty Images

    Depression, stress and surprising optimisim

    Despite enduring the horrors of the war, the participants generally spoke of their futures with admirable optimism.

    Remarkably, many commented on the way the war had redefined their goals toward helping their country in some way. One respondent told us:

    When you are starting a new project, when you are applying for a job, you are having a constant filter: how does this affect Ukraine? Am I helping Ukraine? Am I helping Ukraine enough? What else can I do?’

    Another shared:

    I know we are fighting for our future. And I want to be a part of Ukraine and be a part of its reconstruction. Because I am like this bright future – I am the youth that will be reconstructing Ukraine because of their knowledge and money and everything else.

    Unsurprisingly, some were also apathetic or dismissive of their futures, commenting on broken dreams and stating it was not a time for making future plans. They felt let down by the United Nations and the “international global order”.

    Participants commented on the ways the war has affected their mental health.

    Symptoms of PTSD, elevated stress, depression, constant anxiety as well as existential dread were raised, with one young Ukrainian telling us:

    Every time when I hear alerts […] you’re thinking, maybe this is the last minutes you are living because the bomb can strike your flat.

    The fear of loud noises, the harrowing plight of their country and the associated stress were emergent themes.

    Yet, some indicated they had become resilient to this stress:

    I think I became quite resistant to the stress as well, because I think I faced the scariest moments of my life, where I can die, and I understand that when you cannot control the situation and what’s going on, I cannot control whether a missile is going to be in my house.

    This notion of resilience was both surprising and inspiring and this finding corroborated with past studies on war-affected Ukrainians.

    As one participant explained:

    If there was no war, I wouldn’t be who I am right now. It has really changed me. It has given me strength, this optimistic outlook.

    A need for greater support

    There is much to learn from these inspiring young people. But more pressingly, they need help.

    As the relentless shelling of Ukrainian cities continues, the participants call for greater access to mental health and counselling services, ongoing investment in online learning tools and job opportunities and basic resources to support their wellbeing.

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

    – ref. ‘Maybe this is the last minutes you are living’: how the war is impacting young Ukrainians – https://theconversation.com/maybe-this-is-the-last-minutes-you-are-living-how-the-war-is-impacting-young-ukrainians-260800

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mann Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Agricultural Supply Chain

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tracey Mann (Kansas, 1)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01) led 16 of his colleagues in introducing legislation to remove regulatory roadblocks for heavy vehicle operators when renewing their commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). The Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act enables seasonal drivers to renew their CDL online while providing greater flexibility in the types of commercial vehicles they can operate. As the American Trucking Association estimates a national truck driver shortage of 115,000 by the end of 2025, Rep. Mann’s legislation reforms the Farm-Related Restricted Commercial Driver’s License program by allowing states to develop an online registration and renewal system for farm-related service providers, enabling drivers to more easily renew their seasonal license.

    “Successfully feeding, clothing, and fueling the world doesn’t stop when crops are harvested,” said Rep. Mann. “The entire agriculture supply chain relies on timely and reliable delivery every step of the way from production to consumption. If our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers can’t access the machinery they need to operate their farms or transport their products to storage, it would be impossible for them to fulfill their calling or deliver products to consumers. Our bill strengthens the entire agricultural supply chain by enacting commonsense reforms that make it easier for farm-service drivers to simply do their jobs and serve customers and consumers. Food security is national security that we can and should protect by removing regulatory burdens.”

    Joining Rep. Mann in introducing the Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act are Reps. Jeff Hurd (CO-03), Ron Estes (KS-04), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Mark Messmer (IN-08), Derek Schmidt (KS-02), Buddy Carter (GA-01), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Jack Berman (MI-01), John Rose (TN-06), Adrian Smith (NE-03), Mike Flood (NE-01), David Kustoff (TN-08), Craig Goldman (TX-12), Tim Burchett (TN-02), and Bruce Westerman (AR-04).

    “This bill delivers commonsense wins that will make it easier for the ag sector to keep essential goods moving,” said Rep. Flood. “By streamlining the CDL process and clarifying federal definitions, we’re reducing red tape without compromising safety. This is a smart step toward strengthening our nation’s ag supply chain.”

    “The work of Hoosier farmers never stops as they feed Americans and the world,” said Rep. Messmer. “I am proud to support Congressman Mann’s bill to get government red tape out of the way and let farmers do what they do best!”

    The Seasonal Ag CDL Modernization Act is supported by the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Corn Growers Association, Kansas Grain and Feed Association, Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Sorghum Producers, Kansas Soybean Association, Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Agribusiness Association of Kentucky, Agribusiness Council of Indiana, Agricultural Council of Arkansas, Agricultural Retailers Association, Agriculture Transportation Coalition, American Cotton Shippers Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Feed Industry Association, American Honey Producers Association, American Malting Barley Association, Council of Producers & Distributors of Agrotechnology, Far West Agribusiness Association, Farm Credit Council, Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association, Georgia Agribusiness Council, Idaho Grain Producers Association, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, Michigan Agri-Business Association, Minnesota Crop Production Retailers, Mississippi Agricultural Industry Council, Missouri Agribusiness Association, Montana Agricultural Business Association, National Aquaculture Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Grain and Feed Association, National Grange, National Farmers Union, National Milk Producers Federation, National Pork Producers Council, National Sunflower Association, National Sorghum Producers, Nebraska Agri-Business Association, Nebraska Cooperative Council, North American Millers’ Association, North American Renderers Association, North Carolina AgriBusiness Council, North Dakota Agricultural Association, North Dakota Grain Dealers Association, Louisiana Ag Industries Association, Ohio AgriBusiness Association, Pet Food Institute, Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association, South Dakota Agri-Business Association, Southern Crop Production Association, Texas Ag Industries Association, Texas Grain & Feed Association, The Fertilizer Institute, USA Rice, U.S. Canola Association, US Rice Producers Association, Virginia Agribusiness Council, Washington Association of Wheat Growers, Wisconsin Agri-Business Association, Wyoming Ag Business Association and the Wyoming Wheat Growers Association.

    “This important legislation, championed by Representative Tracey Mann and the original co-sponsors, provides critical support for agricultural retailers who deliver essential products and services to our farms and livestock operations,” said Richard Gupton, the Senior Vice President of Public Policy for the Agricultural Retailers Association. “By modernizing outdated regulations, this bill empowers retailers to operate more efficiently and reliably, strengthening the entire agricultural supply chain and helping our rural communities thrive. Additionally, by allowing for increased load capacities, the proposal helps alleviate the industry’s chronic driver shortage, enabling businesses to make fewer trips with the same workforce and ensuring that essential goods reach their destinations in a timely manner.”

    “The Agriculture Transportation Coalition has long recognized that there is nothing we produce in agriculture in the United States that cannot be sourced somewhere else in the world,” said Peter Friedmann, Executive Director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition. “If we are unable to transport and deliver affordably and dependably, our international customers will buy from those other countries, and US farmers, ranchers, processors will lose those sales. The international agriculture supply chain begins at the farms here in the United States. The need to enhance transport efficiency at the very beginning of the supply chain, namely the harvest at the field, has never been greater. The Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act, will advance this essential component of the domestic and international export supply chain, to keep our agriculture competitive in the global and domestic marketplace. The AgTC strongly supports this bill.”

    “As America’s oldest grassroots agriculture and rural life advocacy organization, the National Grange appreciates Representative Mann taking the lead on the Seasonal Ag CDL Modernization Act,” said Burton Eller, Executive Director of National Grange. “The seasonal ag CDL is a critical link in the success of our harvest chain in rural America.”

    “The Seasonal Ag CDL Modernization Act is a major win for the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association and its members,” said Grace Howe, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association. “By extending the restricted seasonal CDL period and aligning licensing with the calendar year, it provides agribusinesses with more flexibility during peak planting and harvest seasons. This change reduces administrative burdens, streamlines compliance with federal and state rules, and ensures a more reliable seasonal workforce, and ultimately saving time, cutting costs, and supporting smoother operations across Wisconsin’s ag supply chain.”

    “The Pet Food Institute (PFI), whose members make the vast majority of dog and cat food and treats in the U.S., supports Rep. Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) in proposing updates to the Farm-Related Service Industries Restricted CDL program that will set a new federal definition for implements of husbandry,” said PFI’s president and CEO, Dana Brooks. “U.S. pet food is predominantly made with ingredients produced on American farms, and pet food manufacturing is a major contributor to agricultural and rural economies. We recognize that modern agriculture depends on a broad array of vehicles and equipment to operate efficiently, to innovate and to continue producing safe, quality food for people and pets.”

    “Montana agricultural businesses and producers already face major challenges, from weather and drought to delays getting product across our borders,” said Tanner Hoversland, Montana Agricultural Business Association Board Chair. “Legislation like the Seasonal Ag CDL Modernization Act is good government policy that makes improvements to this essential licensing process, and removes burdens instead of throwing up more roadblocks, especially for our rural operators. The Montana Agricultural Business Association and its members are grateful to Rep. Mann for introducing this commonsense proposal.”

    ###

    For more information about Representative Mann, visit: www.mann.house.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s large scientific facility attracts global scientists for cutting-edge research

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

    China’s large scientific facility attracts global scientists for cutting-edge research

    BEIJING, July 22 — The Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF), a major scientific infrastructure in Beijing’s suburban district Huairou, has attracted scientists from multiple countries to conduct cutting-edge research with its exceptional experimental conditions.

    A recent conference based on SECUF was held in Huairou, bringing together over 50 foreign scientists from 13 countries and more than 100 Chinese scientists.

    SECUF, led and operated by the Institute of Physics (IOP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is a comprehensive research infrastructure that integrates extreme experimental conditions such as ultralow temperatures, ultrahigh magnetic fields, ultrahigh pressures, and ultrafast optics.

    The facility has provided over 350,000 hours of experimental services to domestic and international research teams since its full trial operation began in early 2023, according to IOP.

    Chen Xianhui, an academician of CAS and a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, said: “SECUF is like an ‘all-rounder’ in scientific research. Its integrated capabilities across multiple extreme conditions are rare globally. This ‘one-stop’ research platform offers unique support for fundamental studies.”

    Cheng Jinguang, deputy director of IOP, said that the essence of SECUF lies in its “openness and sharing,” which is completely consistent with the concept of international large-scale scientific facilities. Operating under international standards, SECUF opens global user applications twice a year. Proposals are reviewed and selected by a user committee, and all approved experiments are offered free of charge to global researchers.

    “SECUF allows us to conduct experiments that cannot be done in Europe,” said Igor Vinograd, a young scientist from the Grenoble High Magnetic Field Laboratory in France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), adding that SECUF enables far more complex and time-intensive precision experiments.

    Yoshiya Uwatoko, a professor from University of Tokyo, affirmed SECUF’s global standing. He said that SECUF is a world-class research facility vital to the international condensed matter physics community.

    Its stable high magnetic fields, combined with low-temperature capabilities and high-precision measurement systems, allow scientists to probe subtle quantum states under pressure. Its ability to maintain experimental conditions over extended periods is invaluable for pressure studies which have extremely high requirements for precise control and stability, Uwatoko said.

    “China has become a global leader in materials research and experimental infrastructure. Collaborating with Chinese institutions grants access to cutting-edge facilities like SECUF. Such partnerships accelerate discovery and foster long-term scientific exchange,” he added.

    In 2024, IOP and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Germany established the Joint Research Center for Quantum Materials and Physics under Extreme Conditions, leveraging SECUF’s capabilities. Collaborative results have since been published in academic journals.

    “SECUF’s hardware is outstanding and fully capable of supporting frontier research. What impressed me most was the team’s execution efficiency — from agreement signing to project implementation. This reflects exceptional scientific management professionalism,” said Sergey Medvedev, a senior researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids.

    Ariando Ariando, a professor from the National University of Singapore, highlighted that China’s advancements in physics over the past two decades — both in research caliber and experimental facilities — have been astounding.

    “SECUF’s high-pressure and high-magnetic-field capabilities are precisely what our quantum research requires. We look forward to fruitful collaboration,” he said.

    In February this year, SECUF passed national acceptance inspection and is now fully operational. To create a seamless “barrier-free” soft environment, it is making efforts to enhance its global accessibility include optimizing its English website, preparing comprehensive English manuals, and ensuring all facility signage includes English descriptions, according to IOP.

    As a new facility, the experimental hours of international users at SECUF currently account for 3 percent to 4 percent of the total hours. This proportion is planned to increase to 20 percent by 2030, transforming the facility into a broader global “scientific stage,” said IOP.

    “We warmly welcome experts and scholars worldwide to conduct research here and share their valuable insights,” said Fang Zhong, a CAS academician and director of IOP.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 22nd, 2025 Heinrich Votes Against Republicans’ Legislation to Defund Public Broadcasting, Harm New Mexicans’ Safety

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) stood firm for New Mexico families by voting against Senate Republicans’ rescissions package that cuts funding to local public radio and TV stations, which rural communities and Tribes rely on as their primary source of information during life-or-death emergencies like wildfires, flash floods, and other catastrophic natural disasters.
    “First, Republicans pushed through the largest Medicaid cut in American history. Now, they’ve slashed the only lifeline rural communities and Tribes rely on during life-or-death emergencies like wildfires and flash floods. Republicans’ cuts to local public radio and TV stations are reckless, dangerous, and put New Mexicans directly in harm’s way. All of this to bankroll massive tax giveaways for Trump’s billionaire donors,” said Heinrich, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
    Below are the New Mexico radio and TV stations whose federal funding is now at risk thanks to Republicans’ rescissions bill:
    Radio
    KSHI-FM, Zuni
    KGLP-FM, Gallup
    KABR-FM, Alamo
    KSJE-FM, Farmington
    KENW-FM, Portales
    KCIE-FM, Dulce
    KTDB, Pine Hill
    KSFR-FM, Santa Fe
    KANW-FM, Albuquerque
    KHFM-FM (Albuquerque)
    KUNM-FM (Albuquerque)
    KRWG-FM, Las Cruces
    TV
    KENW-TV, Portales
    New Mexico PBS KNME-TV (Albuquerque)
    KRWG-TV (Las Cruces)
    During the Reconciliation votes, Senate Republicans blocked Heinrich’s efforts to:
    Protect Public Radio and TV
    Prohibit defunding public radio and television stations that primarily serve rural and Tribal communities.
    Prohibit defunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
    Protect public radio and television stations that are partners in the Emergency Alert System.
    Protect access to children’s education programming through public television.
    Promote American Values and Counter the People’s Republica of China (PRC) and Russia Influence Globally
    Prevent cuts to funding that counters malign-PRC and Russian influence globally, including to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine.
    Ensure the United States can maintain our long tradition of providing life-saving aid, including food and medicine.
    Maintain the United States’s position as a global leader in humanitarian assistance.
    Combat child marriages and feed children around the world.
    Protect funding for child health, global health security, and to treat and prevent tuberculosis, malaria, and other diseases
    Protect funding for international organizations and life-saving programs, including UNICEF other large-scale humanitarian and hunger prevention programs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Auckland is NZ’s ‘primate city’ but its potential remains caged in by poor planning and vision

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Getty Images

    The recent report comparing Auckland to nine international peer cities delivered an uncomfortable truth: our largest city is falling behind, hampered by car dependency, low-density housing and “weak economic performance”.

    The Deloitte State of the City analysis was no surprise to anyone who has watched successive governments treat the city as a problem to manage, rather than an engine to fuel.

    The report’s findings were stark: Auckland rates 82nd out of 84 cities globally for pedestrian friendliness, and its car-dependent transport system is more carbon-intensive and slower to decarbonise than peer cities.

    This is the direct result of decades of planning failures, including what urban researchers call the 1970s “great down-zoning” which halved central Auckland’s housing capacity.

    This isn’t just Auckland’s problem. When we mismanage what geographers call a “primate city,” it reveals our fundamental misunderstanding of how modern economies work.

    The concept of the primate city was formalised by geographer Mark Jefferson in 1939. Such cities are defined as being “at least twice as large as the next largest city and more than twice as significant”.

    Auckland fits this definition perfectly. With more than 1.7 million people, it is over four times larger than Christchurch or the greater Wellington region. The city accounts for 34% of New Zealand’s population and is projected to hit 40% of the working-age population by 2048.

    Auckland contributes 38% of New Zealand’s gross domestic product and its per-capita GDP is 15% higher than the rest of the country’s. Its most productive area, the central business district, enjoys a 40% productivity premium over the national average.

    To economists, these numbers represent the “agglomeration benefits” research shows primate cities generate. It is the economic effect of combining businesses, talent and infrastructure.

    Yet New Zealand systematically underinvests in the very place generating this outsized economic contribution.

    A pattern of infrastructure failure

    Auckland’s infrastructure deficit follows a predictable pattern. The City Rail Link, while progressing, has grown from an initial budget of NZ$2-3 billion to $5.5 billion, with opening delayed until 2026.

    Light rail was cancelled entirely after years of planning. A second harbour crossing has been studied for decades without a shovel hitting dirt. Each represents billions in opportunity costs while congestion worsens.

    This goes well beyond project mismanagement. It is a deep structural problem.

    The Infrastructure Commission-Te Waihanga identifies a $210 billion national infrastructure shortfall, with Auckland bearing a disproportionate burden despite generating a disproportionately high level of revenue.

    International research by the OECD shows successful countries treat metropolitan regions as engines of national growth, not a burden.

    The ‘Wellington problem’

    Public policy expert Ian Shirley called it the “Wellington Problem”: the way Auckland’s governance became an obsession for politicians and bureaucrats based in Wellington.

    The tension dates to 1865 when the capital was moved from Auckland to Wellington, establishing a pattern where political power was deliberately separated from economic power.

    Auckland loses an estimated $415.35 million annually in GST collected on rates. This goes to Wellington and into government revenue rather than being reinvested locally. Central government properties in Auckland, worth $36.3 million in rates, are exempt from payment while still using Auckland’s infrastructure.

    When Auckland speaks with “one voice” through its unified council, Wellington responds with legislative overrides.

    The recent National Land Transport Programme, for example, cut Auckland’s transport funding by $564 million. Mayor Wayne Brown said the government’s transport policy “makes zero sense for Auckland”.

    Learning from others

    The contrast with international approaches reveals just how counterproductive New Zealand’s approach has been.

    London has an integrated Transport for London authority with congestion charging powers, generating £136 million annually for reinvestment. Paris is investing more than €35 billion in the Grand Paris Express transit project.

    Japan’s “Quality Infrastructure Investment” principles include ¥13.2 trillion in regional infrastructure investment. Australia’s A$120 billion infrastructure programme explicitly recognises its largest cities contribute over 50% of GDP and require proportional investment.

    Research has shown excessive urban concentration in one country can create problems. But denying the primate city resources only leads to a “deterioration in the quality of life” that drags down the entire national economy.

    The solution lies in making strategic investments that maximise the benefits of agglomeration while managing any negative costs to the national economy.

    Growing pains

    Auckland isn’t a problem to be managed, it is an asset to be leveraged. Every successful developed economy has learned this lesson. Paris generates 31% of France’s GDP and gets treated accordingly.

    Seoul produces 23% of South Korea’s output and receives massive infrastructure investment. Tokyo drives Japan’s economy.

    The international evidence is unambiguous: countries that strategically invest in their primate cities achieve higher productivity growth and maintain competitive advantages.

    Auckland doesn’t need sympathy or special treatment. It needs what every primate city in every successful economy gets: infrastructure investment proportional to its economic contribution, governance structures that reflect its scale, and political leadership that understands agglomeration economics.

    The question isn’t whether Auckland is too big. The question is whether New Zealand is big enough to nurture its primate city.

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

    – ref. Auckland is NZ’s ‘primate city’ but its potential remains caged in by poor planning and vision – https://theconversation.com/auckland-is-nzs-primate-city-but-its-potential-remains-caged-in-by-poor-planning-and-vision-261176

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –