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Category: Farming

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Ernst, Bennet Fight to Make Higher Education Accessible for Farm Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON––U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the bipartisan Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act to reverse changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process that threaten to reduce or even eliminate access to need-based student aid for farm families and small business owners. 

    Specifically, the legislation would amend the FAFSA Simplification Act to restore the original exemption of all farmland, machinery, other operational materials and small businesses with fewer than 100 employees from being declared as assets on the FAFSA form.

    “We rely on our farm families to feed, clothe and fuel the world,” said Boozman. “Supporting agriculturalists by ensuring their children have the opportunity to access an affordable education is commonsense. As Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I am proud to champion a bipartisan solution that helps rural America’s future generations pursue higher learning.”

    “No one should have to sell off the farm – or their small business – to afford college. As a farm kid myself, I know the enormous impacts grants and financial aid have on rural students’ decision to go to college,” said Ernst. “I’m fighting for Iowa families, so unfair policies don’t hold them back from investing in their child’s education.” 

    “From Colorado to Iowa, federal financial aid helps ensure more students can afford college – including students from farm families, whose businesses are vital to our communities and economies,” said Bennet. “Our bipartisan bill will help ensure these students receive the financial aid they need.”

    This legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Jim Justice (R-WV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), John Hoeven (R-ND), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Thom Tillis (R-NC). 

    Congressman Tracey Mann (R-KS-01) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    The Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act is endorsed by several stakeholders including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, SchoolHouse Connection, National Milk Producers Federation, United Egg Producers, Land O’Lakes and Farm Credit Council.

    Find the full bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Health Recognized Among America’s Best Large Employers for 2025 by Forbes

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    UConn Health has been recognized as one of America’s Best Large Employers for 2025 by Forbes in the 10th anniversary edition of its rankings.

    Among the 701 best companies in America, UConn Health ranked 150th and placed second among seven Connecticut organizations, outperforming the only other healthcare institution on the list, Yale Health, which ranked 214th.

    Forbes and Statista selected America’s Best Employers 2025 through an independent survey from a vast sample of over 217,000 U.S. employees working for companies employing at least 1,000 people within the U.S. Over 6.5 million employer evaluations were considered.

    “At UConn Health, we are committed to supporting our exceptional workforce which is the foundation of our excellence in patient care, education, and research,” says Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, UConn Health CEO and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs. “That’s why it is especially meaningful and rewarding to have an objective external organization recognize UConn Health for its achievements.”

    “Our people are the heart of what makes UConn Health a great place to work, and this recognition reflects the dedication and collaboration of our entire team—staff, leadership, and union partners alike,” says Lakeesha Brown, Chief Human Resources Officer for both UConn and UConn Health. “Thank you to everyone for fostering an exceptional workplace. Together, we will keep pushing forward with excellence and innovation.”

    In 2024, UConn Health earned a spot on Forbes’ “America’s Best Employers by State” list, highlighting its commitment to providing a top-tier workplace in Connecticut. Now, with its inclusion in Forbes’ prestigious America’s Best Large Employers list for 2025, UConn Health has further solidified its reputation on a national scale. This latest recognition reflects the organization’s ongoing dedication to fostering an exceptional work environment, prioritizing employee well-being, and maintaining a strong workplace culture that stands out among the country’s top employers.

    Forbes notes that companies pay no fee to participate or be selected in the rankings.

    UConn Health has a workforce of more than 5,800 employees working at 11 sites throughout Connecticut. Based in Farmington, its off-campus locations include West Hartford, East Hartford, Canton, Simsbury, Avon, Southington, Storrs, Willimantic, Putnam, and Torrington. Prospective employees can learn more on UConn Health’s job seekers page.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Farmers pick tea leaves at tea plantation in China’s Hainan

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

    Farmers pick tea leaves at tea plantation in China’s Hainan

    Updated: February 21, 2025 21:33 Xinhua
    Farmers pick tea leaves at an organic tea plantation in Baisha Li Autonomous County of south China’s Hainan Province, Feb. 21, 2025. As one of the main tea-producing areas in Hainan, Baisha County boasts a combined tea-planting area of more than 12,000 mu (about 800 hectares), or one third of the province’s total, along with an annual output of tea products worth 130 million yuan (about 17.9 million U.S. dollars). [Photo/Xinhua]
    Farmers pick tea leaves at an organic tea plantation in Baisha Li Autonomous County of south China’s Hainan Province, Feb. 21, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Farmers pick tea leaves at an organic tea plantation in Baisha Li Autonomous County of south China’s Hainan Province, Feb. 21, 2025.[Photo/Xinhua]
    A farmer delivering a basket of tea leaves is pictured at an organic tea plantation in Baisha Li Autonomous County of south China’s Hainan Province, Feb. 21, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Freshly picked tea leaves are pictured at an organic tea plantation in Baisha Li Autonomous County of south China’s Hainan Province, Feb. 21, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: An explosion of colour and the downfall of an Instagram darling: what to see and watch this week

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jane Wright, Commissioning Editor, Arts & Culture, The Conversation UK

    Anyone familiar with Scotland will know the weather is at best mercurial, and at worst wet, grey and what we call “dreich” – a good Scottish word meaning drab. For an artist in the early 20th century suffering not just miserable weather but a cultural landscape of joyless, soul-sucking Presbyterianism, escaping to the sunlit uplands of the Parisian avant garde, where artists were experimenting wildly with new ideas and techniques, would have been deeply attractive.

    Into this vivid world of colour and possibility stepped four Scottish artists who embraced everything this exciting new art scene had to offer, and in doing so, changed Scotland’s art forever. Inspired by the post-impressionist works of Van Gogh, Matisse, Cezanne and Derain, they often painted outdoors, revelling in nature, creating exceptional artworks that explored light, shape and colour.

    Samuel John Peploe experimented with Cezanne-like geometric forms, while John Duncan Fergusson took on fauvist influences. George Leslie Hunter focused on blocks of colour, and Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell explored bold shapes and impressionistic compositions.

    Together they became known as the “Scottish colourists”, and their work is being celebrated at a new exhibition at the Dovecot in Edinburgh. As our reviewer Blane Savage points out, each brought back to Scotland new approaches to art that were reflected in their subsequent work. Take Peploe’s Green Sea, Iona from 1925, which perfectly captures the mesmerising colours of a Hebridean shoreline. Radiant and vibrant, here was art to lift even the dreichest Presbyterian Scot’s heart.

    The Scottish Colourists: Radical Perspectives is on at the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh until June 28.



    Read more:
    Scottish colourists exhibition: the painters who stood shoulder to shoulder with Matisse and Cezanne

    Flowers, grief and reconciliation

    Just as the Scottish colourists loved a nice vase of voluptuous blooms, the new Saatchi Gallery exhibition on the subject, named simply Flowers, explores the place of flora in contemporary art, as well as its wider cultural influence.

    Reviewer Judith Brocklehurst describes the show as resembling a “supersized florist”, filled with bunches of blooms and hanging arrangements of dried flowers. The exhibition offers a wide perspective: from sculpture finding inspiration in Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, to William Morris’s much-loved floral designs, to the digital recreation of 17th-century Dutch paintings, and contemporary photography and video installations too.

    This richly imaginative and engaging exhibition celebrating the importance of flora in our lives is well worth an hour of your time if you’re in London.

    Flowers – Flora in Contemporary Art and Culture is on display at London’s Saatchi Gallery until May 5 2025.



    Read more:
    Flowers at London’s Saatchi Gallery: this exploration of flora in history and contemporary culture smells as good as it looks

    Highly recommended cinema this week is the Japanese film Cottontail, a gentle and touching story about a middle-aged man grieving the loss of his wife after a long illness. Honouring her dying wish, he takes her ashes to be scattered in the Lake District in the north of England – a place that had special significance for her.

    Woven through the tale is the man’s complicated relationship with his son, whom he has neglected for his career. Struggling to connect, they embark on the journey together, each dealing with their own grief and sense of loss. Chao Fang, an expert in ageing, death and dying, found this delicate film’s portrayal of grief realistic and relatable, and the journey to find peace by reconciling the past and present both absorbing and affecting.

    Cottontail is in select cinemas now.



    Read more:
    Cottontail review: how a man’s journey through grief mirrors our search for peace – by an expert in death and grieving

    The Oscar-nominated I’m Still Here, released today, sees director Walter Salles adapt Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s autobiographical novel of the same name. The film follows the grief of a family whose husband and father is disappeared by the regime of Brazilian dictator Emílio Garrastazu Médici in the early 1970s. The film is carried by a memorable performance from actress Fernanda Torres who plays Eunice, the wife of missing left-wing politician Rubens.

    Relating the story from Eunice’s perspective as she desperately searches for her husband, the film details the breakdown of her relationship with her eldest daughters as they all seek to deal with their devastating loss and uncertain future. Professor of film Belén Vidal describes the film as a “clear-cut tribute to the ‘feminine’ politics of resistance”. Sad, moving and bittersweet in its conclusion, I’m Still Here, appropriately, lingers long after the credits have rolled.

    I’m Still Here is in cinemas now.



    Read more:
    I’m Still Here: a vibrant testament to female resilience that mourns Brazil’s dark past

    Downfall of an Instagram darling

    Often real life is stranger than anything created for our screens. Based on the true story of Australian wellness influencer Belle Gibson, Apple Cider Vinegar follows the story of a social media darling documenting her “journey” as she rejects conventional medicine for alternative therapies to treat a rare form of brain cancer. But in 2015, Gibson was exposed as a financial fraud – and worse, was revealed as never having had cancer. The internet, understandably, went wild. But how was she able to perpetrate such an audacious and complex deception?

    Apple Cider Vinegar dramatises Gibson’s story, documenting her meteoric rise to fame and her dramatic downfall, detailing some of the psychological issues that influenced her deceit. But, as sociology professor Stephanie Baker indicates, this shocking story also illustrates a wider point about the conditions that enable frauds like Gibson to gain credibility and influence online. Truly fascinating stuff, it once again reveals how the virtual nature of the internet deludes people when it comes to online behaviour, accountability and getting away with it.

    Apple Cider Vinegar is now streaming on Netflix.



    Read more:
    Apple Cider Vinegar: how social media gave rise to fraudulent wellness influencers like Belle Gibson

    – ref. An explosion of colour and the downfall of an Instagram darling: what to see and watch this week – https://theconversation.com/an-explosion-of-colour-and-the-downfall-of-an-instagram-darling-what-to-see-and-watch-this-week-250437

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Bill Sullivan, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University

    In the toxic male technique, genetically engineered male insects would implant semen containing toxic venom into the female insects during mating. Madugrero/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Insects do a lot more harm than ruining picnics. Some insects spread devastating diseases, while others cause staggering economic losses in agriculture. To control some of these pests, scientists are developing males that make sex a deadly event.

    The stakes are high. Mosquitoes carry viruses such as dengue, West Nile and Zika, as well as parasites that cause malaria. Researchers estimate that mosquitoes have caused the deaths of 52 billion people overall – nearly half of all the humans that have ever lived.

    Other insects cause major crop damage, jeopardizing the food supply and driving up prices. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 20% to 40% of global crop production is lost to pests annually at a cost of US$70 billion.

    Pesticides have been the front-line defense against insects, but many bugs have evolved resistance to these chemicals. Some pesticides can indiscriminately kill beneficial insects, harm the environment and endanger human and animal health. Some researchers worry that certain pesticides can cause cancer or have damaging effects on human nervous and endocrine systems.

    I’m a microbiology researcher studying infectious disease. New solutions that do not harm humans and the environment to control disease-carrying insects and agricultural pests could lead to fewer people contracting dangerous diseases. In the past few years, a variety of genetic engineering approaches have emerged as promising tactics to combat problematic insects.

    Genetically modified insects

    To avoid the problems associated with pesticides, scientists have devised new approaches that genetically alter the insects themselves in ways that cause their population to crash or render them incapable of transmitting disease – a strategy called genetic biocontrol.

    Genetic biocontrol entails genetically modifying insects to curb their populations.

    The idea to suppress an insect population by flooding it with sterile males has been around for decades. Since the 1950s, scientists have been using radiation to create infertile male mosquitoes. These sterile males mate with females but produce no offspring. Since females are engaged in a lot of unproductive mating, the overall population tends to decline.

    In the past two decades, genetic engineering has been used to introduce dominant lethal genes into insect populations. In this approach, the offspring of genetically modified males inherit a gene that kills them before they reach reproductive age. A field trial in Brazil found that this strategy reduced the target mosquito population up to 95%. Another approach on the horizon involves releasing insects genetically modified to be poor carriers of pathogens that cause disease.

    Despite these advances, a key shortcoming to current genetic biocontrol methods is that they take time. At least one generation needs to be born before the population suppression begins. This means the female insects continue to be a disease vector or agricultural pest until they die a natural death. An ideal technique would neutralize the females immediately, especially during outbreaks.

    A faster approach

    Biologists Samuel Beach and Maciej Maselko at Macquarie University in Australia sought to solve this dilemma by genetically engineering male insects to make poisonous semen. The poisonous semen would kill the female quickly, reducing the population faster than previous biocontrol methods.

    To test this idea, the team used fruit flies called Drosophila melanogaster, which are easy to genetically modify and study in the lab.

    The Brazilian wandering spider, Phoneutria nigriventer.
    Rodrigo Tetsuo Argenton/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    The researchers transferred venom genes from the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer) and the Mediterranean snakelocks sea anemone (Anemonia sulcata) into the genomes of fruit flies.

    The genetically modified fly produces and stores venom proteins in its male accessory gland – a fly’s prostate – along with other seminal fluid proteins. Upon mating, the fly deposits the venomous semen into the female’s reproductive tract. The researchers named this approach the toxic male technique.

    The Mediterranean snakelocks anenome, Anemonia viridis.
    Diego Delso

    After mating, the seminal toxins seep into the female’s body and attack her central nervous system. The toxins bind to proteins called ion channels on cellular membranes, which nerve cells use to communicate with one another. This quickly leads to paralysis and respiratory arrest. You could say these genetically engineered Romeos literally take her breath away.

    The lifespan of female flies that mated with toxic males decreased – up to 64%. A computer simulation of the toxic male technique for Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that transmits several viruses, predicted that this approach could work better than current methods.

    Safety and effectiveness

    While promising and innovative, there are some important challenges that researchers developing the toxic male technique will need to overcome. For example, the technique has been shown to work only in fruit flies. Whether it will work in mosquitoes or other insect pests remains an open question.

    In addition, the technique reduced the female lifespan by only 37% to 64%. To improve the rate of killing, the researchers suggested that other venom formulations might work better. Researchers could try thousands of venom genes from spiders, snakes, scorpions and centipedes. Each new venom they try will require tests to ensure the modified males tolerate them – if they become weak, unmodified males may outcompete them for mating opportunities.

    As with all genetic biocontrol methods, this technique may be too expensive to implement for low-income countries. Nations would need to finance the costs of breeding and deploying the mosquitoes safely.

    Insects also pollinate plants and serve as food sources for other animals, such as bats. If these insects vanish, the ecosystem could face unforeseen adverse effects. Monitoring these potential effects on the environment will also be expensive.

    Other researchers are experimenting with using venom toxins to control parasites that female insects spread through biting. Called paratransgenesis, this technique alters an insect’s gut bacteria to produce a toxin that kills the parasite, leaving the insect unharmed. Since the insect population remains unaltered, paratransgenesis may pose less risk to ecosystems.

    Insects tend to adapt quickly to the methods humans use to control them, so it is advantageous to have multiple strategies at our disposal. The toxic male technique may one day become a valuable new weapon in the arsenal to combat insect pests.

    Bill Sullivan receives funding from the National Institutes of Health.

    – ref. Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops – https://theconversation.com/making-sex-deadly-for-insects-could-control-pests-that-carry-disease-and-harm-crops-248723

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Côte d’Ivoire: One year on: Evicted Gesco Rivière farmers must be compensated for devastating loss of livelihoods

    Source: Amnesty International –

    The Ivorian authorities must urgently compensate the 133 farmers, their employees and families whose livelihoods were destroyed following the forced evictions on the Gesco Rivière site in Abidjan, Amnesty International said on the first anniversary of the demolitions.

    On 21 February 2024, as part of a series of forced evictions in Abidjan neighbourhoods, farms and fishponds belonging to members of the Agro-Past Eburny association were demolished without prior consultation or notice. The farmers had settled on the Gesco Rivière site, a 4.6 hectares area which had been granted to them in 2011 by a state-owned company for the creation of an agro-pastoral zone, according to Guillaume Ballé Zilé, the association’s president.

    One year after the demolitions, despite the suspension of forced evictions in November 2024 and the authorities’ repeated commitments to compensate and rehouse those affected, none of the farmers has received compensation for their losses, estimated to be at around 650 million FCFA, or 1 million euros, according to president of the Agro-Past Eburny association.

    Where evictions are unavoidable, the authorities must fully adhere to national and international human rights standards.

    Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s interim regional director for West and Central Africa

    “While we have welcomed the authorities’ commitment to suspend evictions and demolitions in Abidjan and to implement compensation measures, the Gesco Rivière farmers have so far not benefited from any of these plans. It is essential that all those affected by forced evictions who have not received compensation are able to benefit from it without delay,” said Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s interim regional director for West and Central Africa.

    Guillaume Ballé Zilé said: “Since February 2024, no government body, in particular the Ministry of Animal Production and Fisheries Resources, to which we were reporting, has reacted, nor has the Yopougon town hall or the Autonomous District of Abidjan.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minster Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan to visit the inaugural function of Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2025 at ICAR-IARI in New Delhi tomorrow

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Minster Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan to visit the inaugural function of Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2025 at ICAR-IARI in New Delhi tomorrow

    The theme of the mela is Unnat Krishi – Viksit Bharat

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 3:53PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minster of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will visit the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2025 in New Delhi tomorrow. Shri Chouhan will be the Chief Guest of the inaugural function. Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela (PKVM) 2025 of Indian Council of Agricultural Research -Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI) is going to be held during February 22-24, 2025. The theme of the mela is Unnat Krishi – Viksit Bharat. Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur and Shri Bhagirath Choudhary will be the Chief Guest of the Valedictory Session on 24th February 2025. Secretary DARE and Director General, ICAR, Dr. Himanshu Pathak will preside over the inaugural and valedictory sessions.

    The main attractions of the PKVM this year will be:

    • Live demonstrations of the new varieties and technologies developed by IARI
    • Exhibitions on promising technologies, products and services of IARI as well as ICAR Institutes, Agricultural Universities, KVKs, FPOs, entrepreneurs, start-ups, public and private companies
    • Technical Sessions and Farmers-Scientists interactions on important issues like Climate Resilient Agriculture, Crop Diversification, Digital Agriculture; Entrepreneurship Development of Youth and Women; Agricultural Marketing, Farmers Organizations and Start-ups; and Farmers’ Innovation
    • Sale of Pusa Seeds of important varieties
    • On-Spot agro-advisories

    Realizing the growing significance of climatic risk and nutrition, the research program at IARI laid emphasis upon on developing climate-resilient crop varieties and bio-fortified cultivars with enhanced nutrient profile along with higher productivity. During 2024, a total of 27 crop cultivars in 10 different crops namely, 7 in bread wheat, 3 in rice, 8 maize hybrids, 1 pearl millet hybrid, 2 chickpea cultivars, 1 pigeon pea hybrid, 3 mung bean varieties, 1 lentil variety, 2 double zero mustard varieties and 1 soybean variety have been released. These include 16 varieties and 11 hybrids. IARI has been making stupendous contributions in Basmati rice production and trade through development of superior varieties. Basmati rice varieties including Pusa Basmati 1718, Pusa Basmati 1692, Pusa Basmati 1509 and the ones with resistance to both bacterial blight and blast diseases namely, PB 1847, PB 1885, and PB 1886 contribute to about 90% of the 5.2 million tons of Basmati rice exports earning of Rs. 48389 crores from India in 2023-2024. During April to November 2024, the export earnings from our Basmati rice stands at Rs 31,488 crores. Two short duration non-Basmati rice varieties namely, Pusa 1824 and Pusa 2090 have been released, which can help provide sufficient time for after-harvest operations. Pusa RH 60 is a high-yielding, short-duration, aromatic rice hybrid with long slender grains, best suited for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Pusa Narendra KN1 and Pusa CRD KN2 are improved Kalanamak varieties with better resistance and higher yield, recommended for Uttar Pradesh.

    Institute’s research program also laid focus upon nutritional security and developed eight biofortified cultivars. One bread wheat variety (HI 1665) and one durum wheat, HI 8840 was developed with high iron and zinc content, suitable for central zone. A multi-nutrient hybrid Pusa Biofortified maize Hybrid 5 has been developed, which is enriched with α-tocopherol (21.60 ppm) provitamin A (6.22 ppm), high lysine (4.93%) and tryptophan (1.01%). Pusa Biofortified Maize Hybrid-4 is biofortified with high provitamin A, lysine, and tryptophan. Pusa Popcorn Hybrid-1 and Hybrid-2 offer high popping percentage and butterfly-type popped flakes, ideal for NWPZ and PZ zones. Pusa HM4 Male Sterile Baby Corn-2 is a male sterile-based hybrid developed for NEPZ, PZ, and CWZ zones.

    Two double zero mustard varieties (Pusa Mustard 35 and Pusa Mustard 36) were released with low erucic acid and glucosinolates content; which  provide high yield under timely sown irrigated conditions in Zone-III (Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan). Pearl Millet Pusa 1801 (MH 2417) is a dual-purpose variety (grain and fodder) biofortified with high iron (70 ppm) and zinc (57 ppm) content. It is resistant to multiple diseases and is best suited for the NCT of Delhi. Chickpea var Pusa Chickpea Vijay 10217 is a high-yielding variety resistant to Fusarium wilt, recommended for irrigated conditions in Uttar Pradesh. Chickpea var Pusa 3057 has high seed protein content (24.3%) and is resistant to multiple diseases, including Fusarium wilt, collar rot, and dry root rot. It is also moderately resistant to pod borer and has large seeds with excellent grain color and shape. Pigeon pea var Pusa Arhar Hybrid-5 is a high-yielding variety (23.35 q/ha on average, with a potential of 25.46 q/ha) resistant to SMD, Phytophthora stem blight, Macrophomina blight, and Alternaria leaf spot, making it suitable for Delhi and NCT.

     

    Striving towards attainment of goals of crop diversification for economic as well as ecological benefits, Institute has standardized Integrated Farming System Models (IFS).  Integrated farming system model of 1.0 ha area for small farmers involving crops, dairy, fishery, duckery, biogas plant, fruit trees and agro-forestry developed by ICAR-IARI has potential to generate the net returns up to Rs. 3,79,000/ha/year with an employment generation of 628 man-days. Similarly, Integrated Farming System Model of 0.4 ha area for marginal farm holders integrating polyhouse culture, mushroom cultivation along with crop and horticulture enterprises has the potential to generate the net income of Rs. 1,75,650/acre/year. 

    Horticulture-based crop diversification has been popular among farmers. Cultivation of vegetables, fruits and flowers has been profitable, while fruits and vegetable cultivation is also useful in promotion of nutritional security.  To promote vegetable cultivation, IARI has developed 268 improved vegetable varieties in 48 vegetable crops comprising of 41 hybrids and 227 varieties. IARI has developed nutritionally superior varieties in carrot (Pusa Prateek, Pusa Rudhira, Pusa Asita), okra (Pusa Lal Bhindi-1), Indian bean (Pusa Lal Sem), broccoli (Pusa Purple Broccoli-1) & Vitamin C rich spinach variety (Pusa Vilayati Palak) to address the issue of malnutrition. Yellow vein mosaic virus (YVMV) resistant andEnation leaf curl virus ELCV tolerant okra varieties (Pusa Bhindi-5 and DOH-1) were released to minimize the application of pesticides use and reduction in cost of cultivation. Six varieties and one hybrid in brinjal, three varieties in onion, two varieties and one hybrid in cucumber, three varieties in Indian bean, three hybrids in bitter gourd, two varieties and one hybrid in musk melon were released for cultivation. Two soft-seeded guava varieties, Pusa Aarushi (red pulp) and Pusa Pratiksha (white pulp), have been developed along with a gynodioecious, semi-dwarf papaya variety, Pusa Peet. One marigold variety i.e. Pusa Bahar has been recommended for release. A mid-season gladiolus var. Pusa Sinduri has been released for West Bengal, Punjab, New Delhi and Rajasthan. The production of quality seeds has increased more than four times since 2018-19 (239.861 tons) to 975.478 tons in 2023-24. The nutritious food products developed by the Division of Biochemistry are Divine Dough which is pearl millet flour with richness of quality protein, resistant starch, fibre and micronutrients like Fe and Zn. Pearly Loaf is a gluten-free bread pre-mix made entirely from whole pearl millet, offering a nutritious alternative to wheat-based bread. With a low glycemic index (pGI 68-69%), it supports blood sugar management while being rich in fiber, essential minerals, and bioactive compounds.

    A rapid colorimetric test kit named ‘Speedy Seed viability kit’ has been developed by our institute to distinguish between viable and non-viable seeds within 1–4 hours, depending on the seed type. Pusa STFR Meter developed by ICAR-IARI is a low cost, user-friendly, digital instrument to analyses fourteen important soil parameters including secondary and micronutrients viz., soil pH, EC, organic carbon, available N (derived from organic carbon), P, K, S, B, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn as well as lime and gypsum requirement. Pusa Decomposer developed by ICAR-IARI is an eco-friendly and economically viable effective microbial solution for in-situ and ex-situ residue management. It has also been developed into ready to use powder formulation, which is completely dissolvable in water and can be used easily with mechanical sprayers. 500g per acre is recommended for decomposition of paddy straw in the field. The farm Sun Fridge developed by ICAR-IARI is an off-grid, battery-less solar refrigerated and evaporative cooled (SREC) structure. The objective of the technology is to have a solar cold store on farm fields. The cold store is used for storage of perishables. “PUSA MeFly KIT” and “PUSA CueFly KIT” are ready-to-use kits to manage fruit fly menace in a wide range of fruit and cucurbit vegetables, respectively. Point of care diagnostic kit and Easy PCR detection kit have been developed for rapid detection of chilli leaf curl virus and mung bean yellow mosaic virus, respectively. Pusa Dhan Bakanae parikshan kit has been developed for identifying pathogens causing bakanae disease in seed as well as in soil.

    *****

    MG/RN

    (Release ID: 2105262) Visitor Counter : 62

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Biodiversity to Bioeconomy

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Biodiversity to Bioeconomy

    How Biotechnology is Transforming North East India

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 2:53PM by PIB Delhi

    Nestled in the lap of the Himalayas and blessed with lush biodiversity, India’s North East Region (NER) is a land of hidden treasures. Its vibrant landscapes, rich culture, and vast  pool of resources offer immense potential for innovation. Now, with the transformative power of biotechnology, the NER is not just preserving its natural heritage but also scripting a new chapter of growth and sustainability.

    Imagine a region where farmers cultivate medicinal plants that fuel both health industries and local incomes, where young researchers develop resilient crop varieties that withstand changing climates, and where bio-entrepreneurs thrive by transforming indigenous knowledge into global products. This vision is steadily turning into reality, thanks to the Department of Biotechnology’s North Eastern Programme. The main objectives of the programme are:

    Since 2010, DBT has consistently allocated 10% of its annual budget to specialized programmes in the NER, aiming to bridge the gap between potential and prosperity. These initiatives focus on harnessing endemic bioresources, promoting biotech education, and creating employment opportunities through bio-based entrepreneurship.

    North Eastern Programme timeline

     

    Biotechnology thrives on knowledge and innovation. Recognizing this, the DBT has launched multiple educational and training programmes focused on NER:

    Twinning R&D Programme for NER

    The programme was initiated in 2010-2011 towards developing core competence and capacity in various areas of biotechnology through collaboration of Institutes from North East India with other leading Institutes across the country. The programme has catalyzed vibrant collaborations between 65+ institutions from NER and those from the rest of India in various spheres of biotechnology, where close to 650 R&D projects has been supported benefitting around 450 researchers and 2000 young researchers / students.

    Collaborations under the DBT- Twinning R&D Programme

     

    Establishment of Biotech Hubs across NER

    Since 2011, a network of 126 Biotech Hubs were established across NER, providing necessary infrastructure in universities/ colleges/ institutions and the required training in sophisticated technologies to support and promote biological sciences / biotechnology education and research. In the Phase-II, 54 Biotech have been supported for focused Research & training on local issues.

     

    Biotechnology Labs in Senior Secondary schools (BLiSS) of NER 

    To create awareness among school students about biological sciences at the school level and also to provide an environment of access to a well-equipped laboratory, DBT initiated a programme for establishing “Biotechnology Labs in Senior Secondary Schools (BLiSS)” in NER in 2014.

    Visiting Research Professorship (VRP) programme

    The Programme was initiated in 2015, to utilize the expertise of outstanding scientists for bringing advancements in the Biotechnology and Life Science related activities in various institutions of research and higher learning in the NE States of India.

    Specialized training programmes for NE researchers by National Institutions

    Chemical Ecology Programme between NER and Bangalore Institutes  (NCBS, UAS and IISc.) initiated in 2015, trained and equipped young scientists from  the NER to produce quality research outcomes by providing tailormade interdisciplinary training to Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows recruited under collaborative projects in the field of chemical ecology.

     

    Enhancing Capacity in Genomics-Driven Research in Human Health & Disease in the North-East Region by DBT-NIBMG, Kaylani.

    The programme, initiated in 2016 provided comprehensive training to scientists, research students and clinicians belonging to the NER, engaged in “Biomedical Research”. Short-term training programme included workshops on various aspects of molecular and genetics-based analyses, handling clinical materials such as blood and tissue samples and/or cell lines.

    The following Human Resource Development focused programmes are being implemented in the North Eastern Region:

    Programmes to support locals

    To emphasise services to farmers, and academics, the “DBT-North East Centre for Agricultural Biotechnology (DBT-NECAB): Phase III” project has been supported. Similarly, to strengthen Citrus research in NER, facilities were established at Institute of Horticulture Technology (IHT), Mandira, Assam, for the generation of certified scion material from Khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata) and sweet orange. Rootstocks free from Citrus greening bacteria (CGB) and Citrus tristeza virus have been developed.

    In view of promoting sustainable bioresources, a total area of 64.1 acres was covered for captive cultivation of selected medicinal crops like Curcuma caesia and compound-rich lemongrass (elemicinrich and methyl-eugenol-rich). About 649 farmers and entrepreneurs from NER benefited from the training and awareness program. Additionally, an essential oil distillation unit has been installed at Mudoi village, Arunachal Pradesh, to support farmers in revenue generation. Furthermore, the Docynia indica, commonly known as Assam apple or wild apple, has been successfully explored towards making value-added products such as pickles, jam, candy, juice, etc., and the knowledge is being popularized among the tribal communities of Assam and Meghalaya through awareness campaigns and meetings

    The major outcomes of the North Eastern programmes are:

     

    • Bacterial Blight resistant introgressed rice variety “Patkai”: A rice variety has been developed by AAU- Assam using introgressing blight resistant from improved samba mahsuri (ISM) into Ranjeet Sub1 background. This variety was notified by Central Variety Release Committee (CVRC)
    • Lateral flow assay for the rapid detection of brucellosis: A chimeric protein conjugate based Lateral Flow Assay (LFA) for the detection of anti-brucella antibodies in multiple livestock was standardized. The analytical sensitivity considering iELISA test as gold standard with sera sample revealed significant positivity in lateral flow tests.
    • Mobile app – Pig Disease Diagnosis Expert System (PDDES), a Computer-based application to assist in the diagnosis of pig diseases or medical conditions was developed. Using PDDES, veterinarians, farmers, and other swine industry professionals can quickly identify and treat diseases to minimize their impact on pig production and profitability. The application is available in Google playstore.

    By harnessing the region’s rich biodiversity and empowering local communities through education, research, and entrepreneurship, the Department of Biotechnology’s initiatives are not only preserving cultural and ecological heritage but also driving sustainable economic growth. As North East India continues to evolve into a hub of bio-innovation, it sets a remarkable example of how science and tradition can coexist to shape a prosperous and sustainable future.

    References

    https://dbtindia.gov.in/scientific-directorates/advanced-biofuels-sustainability-ner/ner#

    Annual Report 2023-24 https://dbtindia.gov.in/about-us/annual-report/dbt

    Biotechnology Support in the North Eastern Region (2010-2021) pdf

    https://dbtindia.gov.in/publications

    Click here to see PDF:

    Santosh Kumar/Sarla Meena/ Madiha Iqbal

    (Release ID: 2105241) Visitor Counter : 63

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India Assumes Chairmanship of Bay of Bengal Inter-Governmental Organisation at the 13th Governing Council Meeting in Malé, Maldives

    Source: Government of India

    India Assumes Chairmanship of Bay of Bengal Inter-Governmental Organisation at the 13th Governing Council Meeting in Malé, Maldives

    Pledges Stronger Regional Cooperation for Strengthening Blue Economy and Protection of Marine Ecosystems

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 5:21PM by PIB Delhi

    In a historic move, India assumed Chairmanship of Bay of Bengal (BOB) Inter-Governmental Organisation from Bangladesh at the 13th Governing Council Meeting at Malé, Maldives today, in the presence of senior government representatives from Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bangladesh. The event was part of the high-level conference ‘Policy Guidance for Mainstreaming Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) in Small-Scale Fisheries’, hosted by the Ministry of Fisheries & Ocean Resources of the Maldives government, in collaboration with the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), that has been successfully convened from February 20 to 22, 2025, in Lankanfinolhu, Maldives.  

       

    The Indian delegation, led by Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Government of India (GoI) assumed the Chair during the event. Secretary, Department of Fisheries highlighted that India is committed to upholding and building upon the achievements of the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) as the leadership transitions from Bangladesh to India. He assured that the Department of Fisheries (GoI) would diligently work towards elevating the success of BOBP- IGO to newer heights and will be forthcoming in providing definitive guidance for all future endeavours for the development of fisheries sector across all member countries.

     

    Further, Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi underscored the importance of regional collaboration, and the crucial role India and other countries are playing in advancing the interests of the developing nations. Key areas of focus for increased regional co-operation include marine resource management, training & capacity building programs, research & policy advocacy, addressing Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, resolving regional issues etc.  As India remains optimistic about receiving continued support and collaboration from Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and other relevant organizations, Secretary, Department of Fisheries (GoI) urged all member nations to enhance and foster mutual support through exchange of knowledge, technology, experiences, data and best practices. The collaborations are expected to strengthen region’s blue economy, harmonize economic development along with protection of marine ecosystem and help in poverty alleviation. During the meeting, Secretary, Department of Fisheries (GoI) highlighted India’s developmental policies aimed at improving the well-being of small-scale fisheries and the sustainability measures being implemented under its various schemes and programs.

    With the successful culmination of this important event and India assuming Chair of the BoBP-IGO, it will be the endeavour of the Department of Fisheries, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying to not only lead the member nations in the most effective and efficient manner through collaborative efforts but also ensure that significant progress is made in the development of Small-scale fisheries (SSF) in the region. This achievement not only bestows international leadership and responsibilities on India, it is also expected to bring in multifaceted advancements for achieving the national goal of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.

    India’s Thrust on Small Scale Fisheries & The Way Forward

    ****

    Aditi Agrawal

    (Release ID: 2105308) Visitor Counter : 59

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 2.20.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 20, 2025

    Sacramento, California –Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Mayumi Kimura, of Temecula, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Woman Veterans at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Kimura has been the Founder and Director of Warriors Insight Therapy since 2022. She was a Readjustment Counselor at Lowell Vet Center from 2019 to 2022. Kimura was a Program Director at Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, Housing Unit for Military Veterans from 2018 to 2019.  She was an Emergency Services Clinician at Riverside Community Care from 2017 to 2018. Kimura was a Social Services Clinician at Butler Psychiatric Hospital from 2016 to 2017. She was a Psychosocial Manager/Hospice Social Worker at Bayada Hospice from 2013 to 2017. Kimura served in multiple roles for the United States Navy from 2001 to 2010, including Active-Duty Operations Specialist, Petty Officer First Class, and Active Reserves. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $154,860. Kimura is a Democrat.

    Justin Turner, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Counsel at the California Department of Conservation. He has been Assistant Chief Counsel at the Department of Conservation since 2015 and Attorney III from 2008 to 2015. Turner was a Contract Attorney at the California Department of Public Health from 2005 to 2008. He was a Contract Attorney at Update Legal in 2004. Turner earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Spanish from the University of Oregon. This position does not require Senate confirmation and compensation is $208,440. Turner is a Democrat.

    Anthony “Tony” Marino, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Energy at the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety. Marino has been the Deputy Director of the Underground Infrastructure Directorate at the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety since 2022. Marino was the Executive Officer of the Underground Safety Board at the Department of Foresty and Fire Protection from 2017 to 2021. He served as Consultant on the Subcommittee on Gas, Electric, and Transportation Safety in the Office of Senator Jerry Hill from 2012 to 2017. Marino held multiple positions in the Office of Assemblymember Jerry Hill from 2010 to 2012, including Legislative Aide and Science Fellow. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemistry from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in English and Chemistry from Davidson College. This position does not require Senate confirmation and compensation is $175,512. Marino is registered without party preference.  

    Travis Nichols, of Sacramento, has been appointed Cyber Incident Response Manager at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Nichols has been an Operations Officer/Defensive Cyberspace Weapons Officer with the United States Marine Corps Reserve since 2010. He was a Consultant at Level9 Group in 2023. Nichols was a Cyber Security Operations Architect at Smith & Nephew from 2022 to 2023. He was an Information System Security Officer/Engineer at Defense Microelectronics Activity from 2021 to 2022. Nichols was a Systems Administrator – Server/Network Team Lead at Blackwatch International from 2019 to 2021. He was a Systems Administrator – Tier III – Team Lead at Cincinnati Bell Technical Solutions from 2018 to 2019. Nichols was a Service Support Engineer at Pathforward IT from 2016 to 2018. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $137,616. Nichols is a Democrat.

    Lynda Hopkins, of Sebastopol, has been appointed to the California Air Resources Board. Hopkins has been the Fifth District Supervisor on the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors since 2016. She was a Co-Owner at Foggy River Farm from 2008 to 2020. Hopkins was a Reporter at the Sonoma West Times & News from 2009 to 2013. She was the Executive Director at Sonoma County Farm Trails from 2008 to 2010. Hopkins was a Head Teaching Assistant at the Stanford University Earth Systems Program from 2005 to 2007. She is a member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Hopkins earned a Master of Science degree in Earth Systems, a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth Systems, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Creative Writing and Poetry from Stanford University. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hopkins is a Democrat.

    Dawn Ortiz-Legg, of San Luis Obispo, has been appointed to the California Air Resources Board. Ortiz-Legg has been the Third District Supervisor on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors since 2020. She was a Right of Way Agent at Pacific Gas and Electric Company from 2018 to 2020. Ortiz-Legg was a Project Manager & Public Affairs Liaison at First Solar from 2010 to 2018. She was North American Sales and Marketing Manager at PTEC Corporation from 1999 to 2010. Ortiz-Legg is a member of the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District. She earned her Master of Public Policy degree in Climate Change and Technology Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Organizational Communication from Pepperdine University. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Ortiz-Legg is a Democrat.

    Tina Thomas, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Wildlife Conservation Board. Thomas has been Of Counsel at Downey Brand LLP since 2023. She was Founding Partner at Thomas Law Group Sacramento from 2012 to 2023. Thomas has held multiple positions at Remy, Thomas, Moose, and Manley, LLP from 1982 to 2011, including Counsel and Managing Partner. She was an Associate Attorney at Remy and Associates from 1979 to 1982. Thomas is a Board Member at the Steinberg Institute, Sacramento Federal Judiciary Library, and Meristem, and Member Emeritus at the Sacramento Food Bank. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Sociology and Political Science from Stephens College. This position does not require Senate Confirmation, and there is no compensation. Thomas is a Democrat.

    Frances “Fran” Pavley, of Agoura Hills, has been reappointed to the Wildlife Conservation Board, where she has served since 2018. Pavley has been the Environmental Policy Director at the University of Southern California Schwarzenegger Institute since 2018. She served as a Senator in the California State Senate from 2008 to 2016. Pavley served as an Assemblymember in the California State Assembly from 2000 to 2006. She served as Mayor/City Councilmember for the City of Agoura Hills from 1982 to 1998. Pavley earned her Master of the Arts degree in Environmental Planning from California State University, Northridge, and her Bachelor of the Arts degree in Social Science from California State University, Fresno. This position does not require Senate Confirmation, and there is no compensation.  Pavley is a Democrat.

    Travis Clausen, of Garden Grove, has been appointed to the Underground Safe Excavation Board. Clausen has been Regional Construction Manager – Aviation and Defense at Sully-Miller Contracting Company since 2025, where he was Senior Operations Manager from 2015 to 2025. Clausen was a Project Manager at OHL USA from 2014 to 2015 and at Sully Miller Contracting Company from 2006 to 2014. Clausen served in the United States Army from 1995 to 1998. He earned a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Business Administration – Finance from California State University, Fullerton. This position does not require Senate Confirmation and there is no compensation. Clausen is a Republican.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Feb 19, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Andrew “Andy” Nakahata, of San Francisco, has been appointed Chief Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank….

    Feb 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: A court has denied the city of Norwalk’s request to dismiss the state’s lawsuit against the city for its unlawful ban on homeless shelters.  NORWALK — Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement in response to a court decision…

    Feb 19, 2025

    News What you need to know: Steve Jobs, a visionary of global scale, has been nominated to represent California on the American Innovation Coin. The coin, which will be minted by the U.S. Mint, highlights U.S. innovations and innovators, including California’s legacy…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray on Senate Republicans’ Pro-Billionaire Budget Resolution, Trump and Musk’s Devastating Funding Freeze and Mass Firings

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Murray: “Republicans are going down this partisan path because they know Democrats are not going to join them in throwing Medicaid, nutrition assistance, and veterans’ benefits into the wood chipper so they can throw more tax cuts at billionaires and the biggest corporations.”

    Murray: “We should not be taking kids out of child care to give billionaires a tax break. We should not be taking food off the family table to put more fuel in private jets.”

    ICYMI: Senator Murray speaks at Budget Committee markup of resolution, offers common sense amendments rejected by Republicans

    ***VIDEO HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Budget Committee, took to the Senate floor to forcefully speak out against Senate Republicans’ budget resolution that will help billionaires at working families’ expense—as well as the Trump administration’s lawless mass firings and ongoing funding freeze that is hurting people and jeopardizing critical services they need in every part of the country. She also underscored how a clean full-year CR is not an acceptable solution to government funding.

    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

    “Thank you M. President. We need to be focused on solving problems—and I think most of us here get that.

    “No matter who the President is, our constituents expect us to work for them. They expect us to fight for them. And they expect us to do the hard work of passing laws to make their lives better.

    [TRUMP LEAVING FARMILIES IN THE DUST]

    “People don’t send us here to make their lives worse. But that’s exactly what Trump and Musk are doing. They are looking at our most pressing problems—and making them so much worse. And this budget proposal will only add fuel to the fire.

    “Right now—even as egg prices hit an all time high—Trump and Musk have done nothing to lower prices.

    “They’ve done nothing to address the housing crisis, or help families get quality, affordable child care—or address other issues I hear about from folks all the time.

    “Instead, they are slashing programs that help our families make ends meet, they are gutting an agency that saves working people money and protects them from scams, and starting trade wars that will impose what is effectively a Trump sales tax entirely on the backs of American workers.

    “As China works to strengthen its global leadership, Trump and Musk have ceded the ground almost entirely—illegally cutting off investments we make to continue our country’s leadership and help allies.

    “At the most precarious moment for the Middle East in decades—Trump is casually proposing to ethnically cleanse Gaza so that Trump and his family can build waterfront property there.

    “When it comes to helping our allies in Ukraine secure a just peace—Trump is giving away countless concessions to Putin out of the gate, calling our ally a dictator and meeting with Russia without inviting Ukraine.

    “When it comes to the Bird Flu—Trump and Musk are firing the very workers who are responsible for tracking the disease and keeping it from spreading further. And now, suddenly, they are desperately trying to hire them back.

    “And as Texas deals with a serious measles outbreak, Trump’s Health Secretary can’t even confirm the obvious, and tell parents the vaccine doesn’t cause autism—which, to be clear, it does not!


    “And, almost unbelievably, just weeks after the deadliest commercial plane crash in the U.S. in over two decades—Trump and Musk are firing FAA workers who make sure flying is safe. Who does that help?

    “And now Trump is letting Musk run wild by inappropriately accessing and rifling through sensitive SSA and Treasury files, with IRS being next—your data! How does that make sense?

    “But while President Trump is busy making problems worse, and trampling our laws, and quoting dictators—what are we doing here in the Senate?

    “Are we holding President Trump accountable? Are we holding his co-President, Elon Musk—the richest man in the world, who has billions of dollars in conflicts of interest—accountable? 

    “Are we putting a stop to the catastrophic cuts and reckless firings that are hurting people and our communities, and setting our country back decades?

    “Seems to me that would be a good use of our time—after all, I’ve even heard some Republicans admit that cutting things like medical research, and firing people like VA workers are bad ideas. So you would think—maybe—we could work together from that common ground.

    “But instead—Republicans are throwing all their effort behind a partisan plan to slash and burn programs that help our families, and raise costs for everyday Americans, and shovel billions of dollars to help people who already have billions of dollars.

    “Meanwhile, I would like to remind my colleagues we are less than a month away from a deadline to pass bills to fund our government. And as we approach that deadline, the entire world is watching as President Trump and Elon Musk shut the government down bit-by-bit—whatever parts Elon doesn’t like.

    [TRUMP AND MUSK’S RECKLESS, HEARTLESS MASS FIRINGS]

    “Trump and Musk are already showing thousands of essential workers the door—despite the fact that they have no clue what these workers do, or why their jobs matter. They’re just turning off the lights and hoping for the best! 

    “I am hearing so much alarm about this back home—from fired workers and from the people who depend on them.

    “Trump and his co-president are shuttering entire agencies, they are locking workers out of their devices and out of their buildings, and demanding the work of the American people come to a screeching halt—again, for no good reason.

    “And let me really drive home just how damaging and extreme these firings are—because we are not talking about some routine changing of the guard or some thoughtful or strategic plan to make government more efficient.

    “Trump and Musk are just taking a wrecking ball through the U.S. government. They don’t care what they smash up. They don’t care who they hurt. And they don’t seem to have any idea just how painful this is for American families.

    “We are talking about tens of thousands of people—and counting—being pushed out the door without any plan, and without any justification beyond Trump and Elon want to slash and cut with reckless abandon.

    “This has nothing to do with making government more efficient—it is about breaking it beyond repair.

    “Fundamentally, this is not about cutting waste or curbing fraud. Instead, this is about putting the federal workforce into ‘trauma’—that’s how OMB Director Russ Vought callously put it. 

    “So, they are mass firing hardworking women and men—many of them veterans—whose only mistake was serving our country, serving our communities, and believing they wouldn’t get stabbed in the back by a wannabe dictator and the richest man in the world.

    “And, setting aside the fact that many were illegally fired and without real cause, it’s not just the workers who are suffering because of this.

    “These cuts undermine essential services for the American people—right down to some of the most basic functions of government.

    “Trump and Musk are firing people who help Americans find quality, affordable health insurance, people who help small businesses get a loan, people who help communities and families get back on their feet after a disaster, and people who help Americans get their tax refunds.

    “They are firing people who help our economy stay competitive—from firings that undermine energy projects and thousands of good, new jobs, to firings that undermine innovation and technology, to firings that are hurting our farmers and undermining agricultural research.

    “They are laying off National Park Rangers—which will mean longer wait times, dirtier bathrooms, delayed emergency responses, and closed parks.

    “They fired Forest Service workers who are crucial to preventing wildfires.

    “Again, I have to emphasize, they are firing FAA workers for crying out loud—including personnel who work on radar, landing, and other critical infrastructure that help our aircraft navigate safely.

    “They are firing these people, and pretending it is no big deal, all just weeks after the deadliest crash our nation has seen in decades.

    “Trump and Elon might not fly commercial—but the rest of us do.

    “In the Pacific Northwest, the Bonneville Power Administration is losing hundreds of highly skilled workers. This includes everyone from electricians and engineers, to dispatchers, to lineworkers, to cybersecurity experts, and so many others.

    “These are literally the people who help keep the lights on—and now they’re being fired on a whim because Trump and Elon Musk don’t have a clue about what they do and why it’s important, and you know what? They don’t care to learn.

    “They don’t even seem to understand that these are positions funded by ratepayers—by all of us who live in the Northwest—they are not from federal funding.

    “Trump and Musk have even fired over a thousand VA workers, including people who are doing lifesaving research for our veterans—research to prevent veteran suicide, build life changing prosthetics, address opioid addiction, and more.

    “These layoffs could mean longer wait times for veterans to see their health care providers. It could mean ongoing clinical trials coming to a sudden stop. It could mean delays getting your disability claims approved.

    “Because Trump and Musk went ahead and fired clinicians and claims raters—even while the current back log of disability claims is over 250,000!

    “That is not just a betrayal of these public workers—it is a betrayal of our women and men who have served us in uniform.

    “And it is also worth noting—many of the workers being fired are veterans themselves. Trump is firing veterans.

    “And let’s not forget the thousands of NIH researchers who are having their research thrown into jeopardy, and the patients who are watching President Trump carelessly toss their best hope for a cure into the shredder.

    “Or CMS experts, who were working on improving maternal health outcomes so fewer pregnant women die in this country.

    “And medical research layoffs aren’t the only ones putting American lives at risk because Trump and Musk are firing public health workers who respond to disease outbreaks, cybersecurity experts who protect our critical infrastructure, sensitive systems, and our data, scientists who make sure our water and air are clean, and that we are ready for extreme weather, workers that help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters—not to mention, members of law enforcement who help stop violent criminals—and of course, our nuclear engineers!

    “Seriously—people who manage our nuclear weapons stockpile were being fired by the hundreds, with no real strategy. 

    “And we know there isn’t a strategy—because then Trump and Musk frantically turned around and rehired many of them.

    “And we also know they haven’t learned their lesson—because they just did the exact same thing to workers responding to bird flu.

    “Reckless layoffs—followed by ‘Wait, no! Come back!’ That is not a plan.

    “To callously fire people who help us stay ahead of deadly diseases, or who maintain a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear weapons stockpile—that is the height of dangerous incompetence.

    “And nuclear clean-up work has been hit as well. I’ve been fighting to get more resources for the Hanford clean-up in Washington state for years—it is already understaffed, and now Trump is actively making things worse.

    “I have heard directly from workers at Hanford who have been laid off—even after some were recognized just this past year for their outstanding work. And by the way: that underscores another reality of these firings—they have absolutely nothing to do with merit.

    “In fact, the way they are targeting new employees includes people who were recently promoted—so now these workers are getting fired from their newly earned jobs. Literally pushing out some of our best performers and our most committed workers.

    “Oh, and one more thing—they are even illegally firing the government watchdogs who provide accountability and prevent fraud.

    “If Trump and Musk were really committed to tackling waste, fraud, and abuse, would they fire the very people serving in nonpartisan roles whose very job is to uncover and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse?

    “If they were really interested in transparency, would they have torn down websites where the public can find information about agencies’ spending and policy?

    “The list of pointless, actively dangerous firings goes on, and on, and on. It grows by the day—as does the fallout and alarm being caused by it. My phones have been ringing off the hook—and I know I am not the only one.

    “Again, these sweeping layoffs do not address fraud or waste. These firings are totally arbitrary—pushing out high performers and the promising next generation of our federal workforce who won’t be easily replaced. Not to mention—the hiring freeze prevents them from even trying!

    “And here’s the thing that is so important to remember: these are people who have families, who work hard, who love their country. They are not being sent packing because they’ve done anything wrong or because their work is not important.

    “They are being pushed out simply because Trump and Musk are trying to break the government—trying to make it not work for the people who need it. It is wrong, and if this doesn’t stop now, it will be catastrophic.

    “The scale and scope of Trump and Elon’s purge will set our country back decades. It is not like you can fire everyone, say ‘oh wait, my bad,’ and rehire everyone with the snap of a finger.

    “If you are a VA medical researcher working for less than you could make in the private sector, and you’re fired by a billionaire who decides your research on cancer and burn pit exposure isn’t worth the investment, would you want to come back? Especially with the chaos and sheer incompetence of this administration?

    “The federal government is not Twitter. You can’t just fire everyone and break things and hope for the best—people’s lives are at stake.

    “Elon Musk has no clue what nuclear safety engineers do at Hanford. He doesn’t care that the Social Security Administration is already understaffed, and that pushing more of those federal workers out the door will make life harder for seniors.

    “This effort to push out and arbitrarily fire federal workers is going to break something, worse than it already has—and it’s going to break it irreparably.

    “When that happens, the blame will fall squarely on Trump, Musk, and Republicans.

    [TRUMP AND MUSK’S ILLEGAL FUNDING FREEZE]

    “And it is not just people being fired that is a serious problem—there are also funds still being frozen without rhyme, or reason, or any legal authority for Trump to do that.

    “So I’m not only worried about the fast-approaching funding deadline in March—I’m worried about the de facto government shutdown happening right now.

    “As we speak, Trump and Musk are still illegally blocking hundreds of billions of dollars in funding we all secured for the people we represent back home, putting good-paying jobs on the chopping block, creating incredible uncertainty for businesses, stalling funds for infrastructure and energy projects, and so much else.

    “As another week of Trump’s illegal funding blockade has come and gone, still, reports are coming in from across my state, and across the country—of the chaos and cuts this is causing.

    “And yet, little to nothing has been done by this administration to restore investments people in red and blue states are counting on. And Republicans here in Congress continue to sit by idly while our communities are robbed of hundreds of billions of dollars in bipartisan spending.

    “Meanwhile, it’s our workers, it’s our families, it’s our businesses that are feeling this consequence.

    “With each day that passes, the uncertain fate of these investments takes a toll of its own: ever-growing anxiety for workers whose jobs are in jeopardy, for farmers who are eyeing the calendar and waiting on resources that they are owed, and for business owners worried a ripped-up contract might put them under.

    “I’ve heard USDA grants have been cut off to rural businesses and farmers in my home state of Washington—and it is putting those hard-working Americans in dire straits.

    “A small laundromat ordered new machines—but Trump is now stiffing them on funds they need to make the payment.

    “A wheat farmer installed solar panels under a federal program—but Trump is going to leave them holding the bag.

    “A greenhouse has completed its end of the bargain to install upgrades—but Trump has stopped the federal government from doing the part it promises.

    “And there are so many other federal investments on hold as well: Forest Service funding to reduce wildfire risks and restore ecosystems. EPA funding for clean water infrastructure and clean-up work at superfund sites. HUD and Department of Energy investments to bring down folks’ energy costs and create new, good-paying jobs. Funding for our roads, bridges, transit, flood mapping, fisheries—and so many other things.

    “Medical research has also been completely upended at research institutions across the country—throwing lifesaving research, clinical trials, and patients into uncertainty.

    “Meanwhile they have not only illegally blocked our foreign assistance and shuttered USAID programs that bolster our global leadership and make the world safer for Americans—they are now illegally dismantling the Department of Education.

    “They have already bulldozed the independent research arm of the Department of Education—taking a wrecking ball to ongoing evidence-based research and basic collection data we need for accountability to improve student outcomes at our K-12 schools and colleges.

    “And, among the many contracts Trump cancelled with his executive orders was funding for a program that helps students with disabilities transition from high school to work and work to improve adoption of evidence-based literacy practices in Washington state. These billionaires have no idea what programs they are cutting.

    “Given the chaos of all these efforts—from Trump’s sweeping, radical, and illegal Executive Orders, to Elon Musk jumping from agency to agency and doing seemingly whatever he pleases and whatever is good for his businesses—it’s getting hard to even keep track of all the funding that is being illegally blocked.

    “Even stuff they say is not blocked, or say has been unblocked—is still frequently frozen.

    “But one thing that is clear? This is hurting our families. It is hurting our communities. And it needs to stop.

    “Remember, Musk is the richest man on earth—with deep business ties to China and a direct line to Putin.

    “Republicans have chosen to stand by and twiddle their thumbs, as he unilaterally, clandestinely, and illegally cuts our constituents off from the federal investments they are owed and badly need.

    “We have zero insight or oversight of what conflicts of interest Musk has as he chokes off government funding left and right, and as he hands over our sensitive financial data and systems to patently unqualified individuals with no accountability.

    “This multi-billionaire is operating completely in the dark, hoping his lies are loud enough to drown out any calls for truth or for transparency.


    “You can agree or disagree about federal spending—goodness knows we have debates on it here—but it is a complete lie to try and say this is all fraud, or waste, or a conspiracy.

    “As a long-time Appropriator—I can tell you—we debate these bills publicly, we post the details out in the open. We pass them in a bipartisan way.

    “Republicans overwhelmingly supported the individual bills we put together in Committee last year—many unanimously.


    “Spending is not a ‘conspiracy’ just because Elon Musk doesn’t know how to read USA-Spending.gov.

    “A program is not waste just because it doesn’t help the richest man in the world. It is not fraud just because he doesn’t like it.

    “A law is not illegal just because he disagrees with it. This guy just does not know what he is talking about—and it is frankly embarrassing, he doesn’t know how to count!

    [MUSK, DOGE LIES AND CORRUPTION]

    “The ‘DOGE’ website says it is slashing $55 billion—but it only lists $16.6 billion, and half of that is a typo.

    “They took $8 million with an M—as in ‘Musk can’t count’—and counted it as $8 billion with a B—as in ‘BS.’ That is not saving money—it is poor reading comprehension.

    “Speaking of reading comprehension—I don’t think Elon fully grasps what the concepts of ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’ mean.

    “When he tweeted out the names of government employees months ago—and again this month even—that was ‘accountability,’ but when reporters name people gaining illegal access to Treasury’s payment system, that is a crime?

    “Elon Musk gets to look at all of our most sensitive data but no one gets to look at what he is actually doing? That cannot be the standard.

    “It’s not ‘maximally transparent’ for Elon Musk to decide for himself what he shares publicly about his actions.

    “It is maximally concerning—especially given there are many obvious conflicts of interest—but Elon has not recused himself from a single decision.

    “How is it not a conflict—when the owner of Space X is gutting NASA while taxpayer funds to his company keep flowing?

    “How is it not blatant corruption—when the owner of Tesla is freezing grants and loans that benefit his competitors?

    “How are we supposed to just trust him, when he is probing agencies that have done—or are doing right now—investigations into his businesses?

    “Trump fired the Ag Inspector General who was investigating Elon’s company, Neuralink—and then fired the FDA officials who were reviewing it.


    “He fired the EPA Inspector General and Transportation Inspector General as they were looking at Tesla.


    “He fired the Labor Inspector General—as the Department has several investigations into Musk’s companies.

    “And Trump fired the Defense Inspector General who was looking at Space X—and notably, Musk’s connections to Putin.

    “And it’s not just Musk who is concerning—he’s brought on an army of walking red flags to pry into our government’s most sensitive data.

    “How are Americans supposed to feel, knowing someone who was previously fired for leaking sensitive information from their employer is digging through your most private financial data?

    “How are Americans supposed to feel, knowing someone who engaged with prominent white supremacists and misogynists online is helping to shutdown USAID?

    “How are they supposed to feel, knowing someone who tweeted explicitly racist statements, someone who said they were, quote, ‘racist before it was cool,’ was given control over incredibly important Treasury payment systems?

    “What sort of vetting—if any—is going on here? Are they trying to pick the least qualified, most concerning people? Hey Elon—you are supposed to filter out red flags—not select for them!

    “The American people deserve transparency—if Elon Musk really has nothing to hide, then he should leave his safe place on X and at Trump rallies and come before us at a Congressional hearing to be held accountable to the public.

    [TRUMP HURTING PEOPLE IN RED AND BLUE STATES]

    “What they are doing here is not just illegal—it is devastating for working people in every single zip code in America, red and blue states alike.

    “Right now, we need to be speaking out with a unified voice to ensure that when Congress passes a bill, the law is followed.

    [DANGERS OF A FULL-YEAR CR]

    “And we need to focus on negotiating serious funding bills on a bipartisan basis ahead of the fast-approaching March 14th deadline. That is exactly what I am trying to do right now. And, a long term CR should not be acceptable for anyone here.

    “As I have reminded my colleagues many times now: there is a world of difference between a short term CR that gives us additional time for good faith negotiations on our full-year funding bills, and a long term CR that would not only create major shortfalls for critical programs, but would also hand vast power over spending decisions to an administration that absolutely cannot and should not be trusted.

    “Passing a clean full year CR would, first of all, create major shortfalls and fail to adjust for new realities on the ground.

    “It could mean that instead of babies getting fed through WIC, moms are getting put on a waitlist for the first time in that program’s history. And instead of families getting rental assistance, they get cut off.

    “A clean full year CR means veterans are not able to get the care they need and benefits they have earned in a timely way.

    “And it means our military falling behind—from forcing cuts across DoD, to pausing promotions, station changes, and other really essential functions.

    “It also means losing opportunities to provide new resources for new challenges, and to provide a check on Trump policies—including ones it is clear members on both sides have issues with.

    “And on that note, I want to emphasize this—because this is really critical—unlike a short-term CR, a clean, full-year CR means hundreds of specific funding directives from Congress fall away, effectively creating slush funds for this administration to adjust spending priorities and potentially eliminate longstanding programs as they see fit. That is a nonstarter.


    “With a full-year CR, Congress would be turning over our power of the purse to a President who has already shown he couldn’t care less about the separation of powers.

    “A yearlong CR could be a green light for President Trump, Elon Musk, and Russell Vought to redirect funding to their own pet projects—and slash, burn, and zero out programs we have supported from Congress, that our families count on.

    “Maybe they siphon money away from public schools. Maybe they slash federal work study grants and other financial aid. Maybe they zero out money for national parks or monuments they think are too ‘Woke…’ or what would that even mean!

    “Maybe they scrap all our oversight of immigration courts, or end family reunification efforts, or dismantle the guardrails for detaining immigrants—something we are already seeing, by the way, with the use of Guantanamo Bay.

    “They could cut funding to eliminate HIV, address maternal mortality, or increase vaccination rates.

    “They could turn our constituents’ priorities into slush funds. Clean energy investments could become a payday for fossil fuels. Money meant to stop fentanyl and opioids could fuel private prison operations and mass deportations.

    [THE COMMON SENSE, BIPARTISAN PATH FORWARD]

    “Congress must detail its spending priorities—and direct President Trump to implement these programs faithfully by passing appropriations bills just as it does every year.

    “There is truly no telling just how far they will go in bending our federal budget from what our constituents need into whatever Trump and Musk want.

    “If you don’t think things could get worse—you’re wrong. A clean, yearlong CR is frankly an unacceptable outcome.


    “We cannot tell our constituents, that instead of using our authority to check a President, we give him the keys to the kingdom.

    “We cannot say, instead of fighting to get you the resources you need, we’ll let a billionaire have more say in where your tax dollars go instead.

    “So we need Republicans to get serious about bipartisan funding bills. And we have got to know that once those bills become law, Trump will actually follow them.

    “We cannot just reach an agreement, pass a bill, and then stand by while President Trump rips our laws in half.

    “There is a serious, bipartisan path forward for our country—but it is one where Congress works together to avoid a shutdown, stops the de facto shutdown that is already happening, and reasserts its authority to protect the funding our communities need.

    [REPUBLICANS’ PRO-BILLIONAIRE BUDGET RESOLUTION]

    “But unfortunately, that’s a far cry from the path Republicans are going down with this pro-billionaire, anti-middle-class budget resolution.

    “Let’s be very clear: Republicans’ budget resolution doesn’t just accept, it actually doubles down on what Trump and Musk are doing.

    “And it is not about balancing the budget—we all know that, because they don’t plan to reverse one of the biggest drivers of the debt: Republican tax cuts.

    “Despite all of the boogeymen that Republicans like to point to as driving the national debt—the reality is that the single biggest driver of our national debt since 2001 has been Republican tax cuts.

    “The Trump and Bush tax cuts have cost our nation over $10 trillion dollars and counting. And you’ll never guess what our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are focused on right now—nothing to lower the cost of eggs—it’s actually more Republican tax cuts!

    “And, no, they will not be paid-for. And, yes, they will blow up the national debt.

    “While Elon Musk hacks and chops his way through the government in the name of meager ‘savings’ and Republicans are cheering him on, they are all hoping we will ignore the elephant they brought into the room.

    “Even as this budget is a roadmap for painful cuts to programs families count on each and every day—all so they can give billionaires more tax cuts.

    “Republicans are going down this partisan path because they know Democrats are not going to join them in throwing Medicaid, nutrition assistance, and veterans’ benefits into the wood chipper, so they can throw more tax cuts at billionaires and the biggest corporations.

    “Make no mistake—this budget resolution is the DOGE resolution, as it assumes the staggering amount of $1 trillion in unspecified cuts in 2025 alone and $9 trillion over 10 years.

    “Where do we think those sort of dramatic cuts are going to come from? It’s going to come out of SNAP benefits that keep our kids from going hungry. It is going to come out of public schools and community health centers. It is going to come out of life-saving medical research.

    “It will mean costs going up for everyday Americans. 

    “It means child care costs going up when families lose access to Head Start and other quality, affordable options.

    “It means heating and cooling costs going up when families get cut off from LIHEAP.

    “It means rent going up as assistance programs get slashed.

    “It means your health care costs go up as community health centers and family planning providers are forced to close their doors.

    “It means grocery costs going up as programs like SNAP and WIC are gutted—not to mention what happens when you cut support for farmers, and for ag-research.

    “And make no mistake, if you are cutting that deeply, that painfully, you are going to start cutting things like veterans’ disability and education benefits, you are going to start cutting Medicare and Medicaid—which, for the information of all Senators, 30 million children rely on.

    “There is just no other way to make their numbers work. Especially when we know that this is just step one in their plan—and step two: tax breaks for billionaires and massive corporations.

    “So, first they are handing Elon Musk a chainsaw to cut programs families rely on with no accountability—then they are rewarding him with enormous tax breaks. And that is completely unacceptable.

    “We should not be taking kids out of child care to give billionaires a tax break.


    “We should not be taking food off the family table to put more fuel into private jets.

    “I grew up in a family that knew what it was like to fall on hard times. My dad— who was a veteran—got too sick to work. He had multiple sclerosis.

    “My mom, kept us afloat with Dad’s VA benefits, food stamps, and the new job she got thanks to a federal workforce program.

    “It wasn’t easy. Mom always said they crawled—crawled—to Social Security and Medicare. But she worked hard, and our government was there for them when those hard times came.

    “I know there are families struggling now, just like my family struggled then. I hear from them every day—in the letters we get here in Washington D.C., and in the conversations I have back home in Washington state.

    “They work hard. They play by the rules. They deserve—at the very least—the same opportunity my parents had when I was growing up.

    “And I am not going to stand by silently while Republicans try to sell that opportunity away, to pay for even more tax breaks for billionaires.

    “I get why that sounds like a good idea to billionaires like Donald Trump. I get why it’s a sweet deal for Elon Musk—the richest man in the world. It’s great for them—because they are not the ones footing the bill!

    “The bill for these tax breaks, the cost of these cuts, is going to be paid by folks like my mom and dad.

    “Everyday Americans will pay for billionaire tax breaks with their health care. They will pay for billionaire tax breaks with abandoned medical research. They will pay for billionaire tax breaks with shuttered family farms and small businesses

    “Republicans can try and spin a fairy tale about how this will pay for itself, how this will work out for everyone and nobody cares about what will be affected—but the reality is going to show through pretty darn quick, and pretty darn painfully.

    “Because spin is not going to put food on the table. It will not pay the rent. It won’t fix the roads. It won’t lower prices. It won’t lower interest rates. And it won’t put money in families’ dwindling bank accounts.

    “When it comes to the job we were all sent here to do helping people, and solving problems—families need real solutions, not tax breaks for billionaires and talking points for everyone who loses out.

    “So, M. President, I would urge all of my colleagues: hit the breaks, and not just on this devastating, partisan budget resolution. Hit the brakes on what President Trump and Elon Musk are doing right now.

    “Let’s instead come together, and work on serious, bipartisan bills to fund the government. Let’s get investments that are sorely needed out to the folks we represent. Let’s pass legislation to give folks a hand—instead of this Republican plan that gives billionaires a handout.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 47-2025: Services Restored: Friday 21 February 2025 – DAFF messaging, COLS

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    21 February 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    All clients submitting the below declarations:

    • Full Import Declaration (FID)
    • Long Form Self Assessed Clearance (LFSAC)
    • Short Form Self Assessed Clearance (SFSAC)
    • Cargo Report Self Assessed Clearance (CRSAC)
    • Cargo Report Personal Effects (PE)

    All importers and customs brokers who will be required to lodge imported cargo documentation to the department for biosecurity assessment…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s probes into EU pork, dairy products imports underway: commerce ministry

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The anti-dumping investigation into pork imports from the European Union (EU) and the anti-subsidy investigation into EU dairy products imports are currently ongoing, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

    China will approach these cases in an open and transparent manner based on Chinese laws and regulations and by following the World Trade Organization rules, said He Yadong, spokesperson for the ministry, during a regular press conference.

    The ministry will ensure that the rights of all parties are fully protected, the spokesperson added.

    In August last year, China launched the anti-subsidy investigation into certain dairy products imported from the EU. It examines any damage brought to related Chinese industries from Jan. 1, 2020, to March 31, 2024.

    Additionally, a year-long investigation into pork imports from the EU began on June 17, 2024, following a request from the China Animal Agriculture Association. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Amendments to GOP’s Budget Would Lower Costs for Families, Protect Health Care, Combat DOGE, Safeguard Federal Resources 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Welch filed more than 70 amendments to the budget resolution 
    WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee and Ranking Member of the Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, filed amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget resolution which, as proposed, will cut millions in federal funds for working families to give tax cuts to the richest Americans. 
    Senator Welch’s amendments to the Republican budget resolution focus on lowering costs for Vermonters, protecting access to health care, supporting rural care providers, combatting President Trump’s lawlessness and Elon Musk’s DOGE, and defending federal programs and disaster recovery resources Vermont communities rely on. 
    “President Trump and Congressional Republicans are busy trying to pass a massive tax cut for their billionaire friends at the expense of hardworking families, while Democrats are working to lower costs and protect the programs and services Americans depend on. The contrast couldn’t be more clear,” said Sen. Peter Welch. “It’s an absolute disgrace that Republicans are proposing to cut Medicaid funding, kick people off their health care, and are targeting the nutrition programs families need—all to pay for their tax cut.” 
    Senator Welch added: “This will be my first ‘vote-a-rama’ in the Senate, and I can already say this is the image of dysfunctional legislating. We need to return to regular order, respect the regular process, and recommit to finding common ground.”  
    Senate Republicans’ proposed budget blueprint will slash Medicaid and increase health care costs for millions of seniors, children, veterans, people with disabilities, and people with chronic diseases in order to give tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy. Their budget will cut funding for education, scientific research, nutrition programs, and more. 
    Senator Welch filed more than 70 amendments to the budget resolution, including amendments to:  
    Lower Costs for Working Families:   
    Senator Welch filed an amendment to block legislation that reduces or eliminates essential programs like Head Start, child care funding, and Meals on Wheels, which support families, children, and communities. 
    Senator Welch filed amendments to prohibit tax increases for households making less than $200,000 in taxable income and stop any legislation that will increase childhood poverty. 
    Senator Welch filed amendments to prohibit cuts to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Weatherization Assistance Program, and to improve rural access to nutrition programs. 
    Senator Welch filed amendments to protect rural broadband deployment and promote internet affordability.  
    Senator Welch filed an amendment to block tariffs on energy imports, which would raise costs for consumers.   
    Senator Welch filed amendments to ban the budget from increasing costs for American consumers by repealing investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.  
    Protect Access to Affordable Health Care and Prescription Drugs:  
    Senator Welch filed amendments to prohibit the reduction or elimination of funding for rural care providers, health centers, and critical access hospitals.   
    Senator Welch filed an amendment to prohibit raising the cost of prescription drugs for seniors.  
    Senator Welch filed amendments to prohibit funding for criminal investigations, prosecutions, and surveillance of women’s reproductive health decisions, including abortion and IVF, and health care providers who provide emergency medical abortions.  
    Senator Welch filed an amendment to prohibit cuts to programs that support substance use disorder treatment and prevention.  
    Defend Federal Programs and Disaster Recovery Resources for Rural America:  
    Senator Welch filed amendments to block the budget resolution from making cuts to critical agriculture programs and ensure communities have the necessary resources for disaster response, recovery and resilience. 
    Senator Welch filed an amendment to ensure USDA’s Rural Development, Farm Service Agency, and Natural Resources Conversation Service State offices operate at full capacity.  
    Senator Welch filed an amendment to support federal dairy programs and improve the resilience of U.S. food systems.  
    Senator Welch filed an amendment that protects Congress’ constitutionally-granted power of the purse and end the Trump Administration’s illegal federal funding freeze. 
    Combat the Influence of President Trump’s Lawlessness and Elon Musk’s DOGE:  
    Senator Welch filed an amendment to prohibit the government from entering into contracts with DOGE-associated officials.  
    Senator Welch filed an amendment to require the staff and activities of the so-called “Department on Government Efficiency” (DOGE) are vetted, have proper oversight, and access to government information is restricted to those with the appropriate security clearances.    
    Senator Welch filed an amendment to require federal agencies to fully comply with all lawfully issued court orders.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Meets with Social Security Administration Nominee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    February 20, 2025

    Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis released the following statement after meeting with Frank Bisignano, President Trump’s nominee for commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA).

    “Understaffing across Wyoming’s six Social Security offices continue to be a major issue impacting service delivery to people across the Cowboy State,” said Lummis. “The SSA needs serious reforms to not only ensure rural communities have the support they need but to reduce waste and fraud at the agency, and I believe Frank Bisignano is well prepared to succeed in this role.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Senior leadership appointment in the Government of Yukon public service

    Senior leadership appointment in the Government of Yukon public service
    zaburke

    Premier Ranj Pillai has made a senior leadership appointment. 

    Paul Moore’s appointment as interim Deputy Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources has been extended at pleasure for up to three months. The Energy, Mines and Resources portfolio will continue to be divided between the acting Deputy and interim Deputy Ministers.

    Moore will be responsible for Land Planning, Land Management, Agriculture, Energy, Geothermal and Petroleum Resources, Forest Management, Strategic Alliances, Policy, Human Resources, Communications, Finance and Information Management.

    Van der Meer will continue to be responsible for Mineral Resources, Yukon Geological Survey, Assessment and Abandoned Mines and Compliance, Monitoring and Inspection.  
     

    Backgrounder

    Paul Moore has many years of public service experience with municipal, First Nations and territorial governments including director of the Human Resource and Education for the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation, and the chief administrative officer for the City of Dawson. He joined the Government of Yukon in 2008 as director of Community Affairs and then became assistant deputy minister of Community Development. He has served as the Deputy Minister for Community Services, Deputy Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources and most recently as the Public Service Commissioner. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria and a Master of Arts in Conflict Analysis and Management from Royal Roads University.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Introduces Amendments to Budget Resolution that Would Protect Families and Businesses from Rising Prices, Keep Americans Safe and Lower Health Care Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a top member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will offer dozens of amendments to the budget resolution tonight that would help make health care more affordable, lower the costs of energy bills, protect American consumers and businesses from rising prices imposed by President Trump’s tariffs and keep Americans safe by enhancing military preparedness, strengthening our air traffic controller workforce and investing in the northern border. 

    “While some of my Republican colleagues seem set on using tonight’s process to carve out a path to give tax cuts to the wealthiest in the country on the backs of working Americans, I’m urging bipartisan cooperation on commonsense opportunities that would allow working families to keep more of their hard-earned money and enhance public safety,” said Shaheen. “We have a real opportunity to deliver lasting results for our constituents who are grappling with high costs—unfortunately, President Trump and Congressional Republicans are instead focusing on delivering a tax cut for the wealthiest while slashing programs millions rely on.” 

    Below is an overview of the dozens of amendments Senator Shaheen will offer for consideration tonight. 

    To help lower everyday costs, Shaheen will offer amendments that would: 

    • Support housing affordability by preventing construction cost increases due to tariffs and delays and expanding investment in housing development. 
    • Help households afford groceries, including preventing broad tariffs which would raise the price of food or cuts to food aid for families. 
    • Prevent funding cuts to child care or early childhood education programs helping New Hampshire families. 
    • Support affordable housing in disaster recovery by rebuilding with resilient and cost-effective methods, especially those that lower home insurance rates. 
    • Lower sugar prices for American businesses and consumers harmed by the U.S. sugar program. 

    To help make health care more affordable and accessible, Shaheen will offer amendments that would: 

    • Prioritize Affordable Care Act tax credits that give 22 million Americans access to affordable, quality health insurance. 
    • Ensure that Medicaid expansion programs aren’t eliminated by drastic cuts to federal funding, including New Hampshire’s Granite Advantage covering more than 60,000 Granite Staters. 
    • Ensure that patients suffering from diabetes do not face unnecessary barriers to care, including access to $35 insulin. 
    • Ensure hospitals and doctors working in rural areas can keep their doors open and continue providing lifesaving care for their patients. 
    • Ensure that our community health centers can continue to provide vital care to their patients. 

    To help enhance public safety and keep families secure, Shaheen will offer amendments that would: 

    • Make investments in the Air Traffic Controller workforce and overturn the reckless firing of hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration personnel critical to aviation safety. 
    • Improve cell service and communications for emergency services along the northern border. 
    • Ensure that DHS has the technology needed to monitor and defend the U.S.-Canada border against the flow of drugs and illegal migration. 
    • Raise pay for U.S. Bureau of Prisons correctional officers in New Hampshire and across the country. 
    • Preserve funding for programs that support survivors of sexual and domestic violence. 
    • Ensure local law enforcement agencies and communities are not left with the bill for unfunded federal mandates. 
    • Prioritize the deportation of undocumented individuals who pose threats to our national security or public safety. 
    • Ensure that increased funding for the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security is focused on stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. 

    To help lower American households’ energy costs, Shaheen will offer amendments that would: 

    • Protect Americans from higher energy costs for gas, heating oil and propane due to broad tariffs. 
    • Protect bipartisan investments that lower energy costs, promote electric grid reliability and improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, including addressing PFAS contamination. 
    • Protect families, farmers and businesses from higher energy costs by ensuring energy saving and renewable energy projects funded by Congress continue. 
    • Prevent Congress from blocking state or local governments from updating their building codes to protect life and property, reduce losses from disasters or lower energy costs for families. 
    • Support energy efficient building construction and retrofits to lower energy costs and enhance electric grid reliability. 
    • Support resources that help make home heating more affordable, including energy assistance from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and weatherization. 

    To help bolster America’s national security and support American service members and their families, Shaheen will offer amendments that would: 

    • Support military service members, veterans and families, including by protecting family members who were recently fired from federal employment solely because they were new to a job. 
    • Replenish the defense industrial base ramping up to support Ukraine. 
    • Replenish the defense industrial base ramping up to support the defense of Taiwan. 
    • Ensure that the United States continues its commitments to NATO, which supports the collective defense of the United States. 
    • Resume U.S. foreign assistance that counters Chinese influence. 
    • Ensure that federal employees essential to national security are not impacted by the OMB buyout and federal hiring freeze memos. 
    • Require oversight over wasteful spending. 
    • Protect DoD’s policy that ensures service women receive the same coverage for contraception as civilian women. 
    • Ensure that service women, who are stationed in areas without access to reproductive care, through no fault of their own, can be reimbursed for the cost of travel. 
    • Ensure that U.S. farmers do not suffer economic harm due to the freeze on U.S. assistance. 
    • Protect U.S. small businesses and contractors from a pause on U.S. foreign assistance. 

    Additional amendments would: 

    • Prevent a reduction in postal service for rural America, including by preventing the closure of processing centers. 
    • Ensure that Americans are protected against fraud, price gouging and higher rental and housing prices caused by illegal price information sharing. 
    • Support funding to assist Afghan SIVs and refugee resettlement. 
    • Cut more than $40 billion in wasteful agriculture spending going to large corporate farm operations while preserving benefits to small family farms. 
    • Ensure strong funding for the Northern Border Regional Commission. 
    • Prevent adding $5 trillion of tax cuts to the national debt and raising interest rates when the Federal Government is already paying $1 trillion per year in interest. 
    • Support screening for Avian Flu both domestically and overseas. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Schrier Lead Letter to Energy Secretary on Trump and Musk’s Indiscriminate Firings at Bonneville Power Administration, Threatening PNW Energy Reliability and Increased Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Senator Murray on Trump Indiscriminately Firing Workers at Hanford and Bonneville Power Administration, Threatening Energy Security in Washington State

    ***FACT SHEET: Impact in Washington State of Trump and Musk’s Reckless Mass Layoffs***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (D, WA-08) led their colleagues in Washington’s Congressional delegation—U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Representatives Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Adam Smith (D, WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland D, WA-10),—in sending a letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright laying out their grave concerns with Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s recent mass firings at the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and how these reckless layoffs threaten grid reliability for the people in Washington state.

    “Pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14210, last week DOE implemented large scale, department-wide reductions in the workforce. At the Bonneville Power Administration, these have been nothing short of devastating, totaling nearly 20 percent of BPA’s total headcount. These public servants literally helped keep the lights on for tens of millions of Americans. Beyond harming BPA’s ability to address existing and future needs, these cuts immediately jeopardize the reliability of the Pacific Northwest’s electrical grid and severely hamper economic development in the region. Such significant reductions in BPA’s workforce will result in increased costs to consumers and delays to further economic investments in the Northwest,” the Members wrote.

    BPA provides 28 percent of the Pacific Northwest’s electric power, ensuring affordable electricity for more than 13 million people across Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Western Montana. BPA owns and operates 75 percent of the Northwest’s high voltage electrical transmission system, amounting to over 15,000 miles of transmission lines—the services BPA provides support the entire Northwest. Importantly, BPA does not receive federal funding—Northwest ratepayers ensure that BPA is able to remain self-funded.

    Last week, Senator Murray raised the alarm immediately after hearing about mass firings at BPA—between employees who were fired, those whose job offers were rescinded, and those who took the “Fork in the Road offer,” we estimate that BPA is losing between 450 and 600 skilled workers as a result of Trump and Elon Musk’s attempts to gut the federal workforce. This includes everyone from electricians and engineers to dispatchers, lineworkers, cybersecurity experts, and so many other people who help keep the lights on in the Northwest. Again, these are positions funded by ratepayers.

    “Beyond those fired, hundreds of BPA employees opted in to OPM’s so-called ‘deferred resignation’ program, which will leave critical positions open without the ability to backfill easily. Both workers and ratepayers are now left without certainty on what funding will be used or when payments under this legally dubious program will begin. Encouraging resignation of these highly specialized workers alone risks grid reliability and stable rates in the region, draining BPA’s institutional knowledge with no solution to account for these additional vacancies,” the Members continued.

    “The EO also calls for further large-scale Reductions in Force (RIFs). There may also be further firings of probational employees. Additionally, the EO requires the hiring of ‘no more than one employee for every four employees that depart.’ BPA cannot afford to follow through on such directives. The EO states that workforce reductions ‘shall not apply to functions related to public safety’—ensuring the reliable provision of electricity is clearly a matter of public safety. As such, we call on you to continue to swiftly rescind the terminations of staff and reverse rescinded job offers at BPA, in acknowledgement of the critical role that these employees play ensuring grid reliability in the Northwest. It cannot be stated more plainly: this is a matter of life-and-death for millions of Americans,” the Members wrote.

    The Members concluded by asking Secretary Wright to rescind the terminations of BPA employees, reverse rescinded job offers, and “explain why BPA employees were not deemed necessary to meet public safety responsibilities and exempted from last weeks’ workforce reductions in the first place.”

    A PDF of the full letter is available HERE.

    Yesterday, Senator Murray released this fact sheet detailing Washington state impacts of Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless assault on the federal workforce, and late last week she immediately released a national fact sheet detailing how Trump and Musk’s mass firings at all manner of federal agencies will hurt families, veterans, small businesses, farmers, and so many others across the country who need a government that works for them. Senator Murray has spoken out repeatedly on the Senate floor against this administration’s attacks on federal workers, and recently sent an open letter to federal workers and a newsletter to her constituents in Washington state outlining her concerns with the administration’s so-called “Fork in the Road” offer. Senator Murray has also sent recent oversight letters demanding answers about indiscriminate staffing reductions across federal agencies including to HUD Secretary Scott Turner on reports of massive staff cuts at HUD, Interior Secretary Doug Burham on National Parks Service staffing cuts, and Acting USDA Secretary Gary Washington on the universal hiring pause for USDA firefighters, among others.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Ernst, Fetterman Urge Rollins to Take Quick Action on Bird Flu Outbreak

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    Download video here

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a lifelong family farmer, joined fellow Agriculture Committee members Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and John Fetterman (D-Penn.) in a letter urging Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to quickly address the ongoing spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the largest animal health outbreak in U.S. history. During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee, Rollins listed enhanced HPAI response as one of her “very top priorities.”

    “The United States is now entering the fourth year of an outbreak of HPAI that has devastated farms, required the depopulation of more than 136 million birds on commercial poultry operations and infected a small but growing number of farm workers. A new urgency is required from the USDA to address the evolving situation,” wrote the senators.

    In their letter, the senators suggest Rollins adopt measures backed by egg and turkey farmers who have suffered HPAI outbreaks, including a strategy for vaccination, while ensuring trade is not significantly impacted. They additionally propose the formation of an HPAI Strategic Initiative to develop prevention methods and movement controls that apply to all animals at risk of contracting or spreading HPAI. Additionally, the senators ask USDA to ensure proper outreach to all farmers regarding HPAI indemnities:

    “HPAI indemnities are similar to disaster assistance for crops and livestock—the funds respond to a catastrophic situation that producers could not have averted and never fully make up for the entire loss. The indemnities also recognize that producers are legally compelled to depopulate their flocks in an HPAI infection—they do not have a choice. Even with revisions to indemnity formulas proposed by egg farmers, these payments will not come close to making producers whole for their losses,” the senators continued. 

    Additional cosigners are Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Tedd Budd (R-N.C.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), David McCormick (R-Pa.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).

    Click HERE to download broadcast-quality video of Grassley discussing the letter.  

    Text of the letter to Secretary Rollins follows: 

    VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMITION

    February 18, 2025

    The Honorable Brooke Rollins

    Secretary of Agriculture

    U.S. Department of Agriculture

    1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.

    Washington, D.C. 20250

    Dear Madam Secretary:

    Congratulations on your confirmation as Secretary of Agriculture. We know many pressing concerns await you as you begin your new role. We write to ask that you enhance the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) response to the ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in our nation’s animal agriculture sector, which we greatly appreciate you announcing as a top priority in your testimony before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

    The United States is now entering the fourth year of an outbreak of HPAI that has devastated farms, required the depopulation of more than 136 million birds on commercial poultry operations, and infected a small but growing number of farm workers. A new urgency is required from the USDA to address the evolving situation.

    We support measures that have been proposed to you by egg and turkey farmers, many of whose operations have suffered HPAI outbreaks. These measures include the following:

    1. An aggressive, forward-looking strategy for vaccination in affected laying hens and turkeys, including the acquisition of vaccine stockpiles, field trials of vaccines, the development of more practical methods of vaccine administration, and outreach to trading partners to ensure trade is not significantly impacted and that they understand the need for vaccines and abide by international standards for maintaining trade;
    2. An HPAI Strategic Initiative to engage experts within industry, universities, and government to expand knowledge and develop novel methods of prevention, detection, and response; and
    3. Movement controls that apply to all animals that present risks and support for states moving quickly through the first four stages of USDA’s National Milk Testing Strategy.

    Two related matters also require USDA’s attention. First, an interim rule issued in December 2024 requires biosecurity audits on previously infected farms, or farms placed within a buffer zone of a control area, to be eligible for indemnities. In principle, this change would appear to enhance biosecurity measures and accountability for indemnity, but the rule was rushed. As a result, nearly no auditors have been trained to complete these audits, and the audit itself was posted in draft form. USDA should provide adequate numbers of qualified auditors prior to enforcement of the rule.

    Second, current indemnity rates for laying hens and pullets are based on inaccurate data and are

    artificially low. We support a proposal by the egg industry to revise these calculations, relying entirely on data from USDA and land-grant institutions, in order to make indemnities fairer. HPAI indemnities are similar to disaster assistance for crops and livestock—the funds respond to a catastrophic situation that producers could not have averted and never fully make up for the entire loss. The indemnities also recognize that producers are legally compelled to depopulate their flocks in an HPAI infection—they do not have a choice. Even with revisions to indemnity formulas proposed by egg farmers, these payments will not come close to making producers whole for their losses. In reviewing indemnity activities, we also urge you to ensure proper outreach to all farmers. For example, Amish farmers and certain other populations in rural communities are less likely to depopulate or seek indemnity payments, which exacerbates HPAI outbreaks.

    We stand ready to work with you as you provide leadership on this vitally important issue, the largest animal health outbreak that the department has ever dealt with. Thank you for making the HPAI response a priority.

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China releases first standards for mangrove restoration

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    China’s first technical group standards for the precise ecological restoration of mangroves have been released and implemented, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ South China Sea Institute of Oceanology.
    The standards, led by the institute, are the country’s first technical guidelines in the field, addressing the lack of standardized procedures for precise mangrove restoration and evaluation. They are expected to promote the protection and sustainable development of mangroves further in China.
    Mangrove ecosystems, located at the dynamic interface between land and sea in intertidal zones periodically submerged by seawater, are unique coastal ecosystems with high ecological, social and economic value. They play a critical role in supporting offshore fisheries, purifying the environment, and enhancing carbon sequestration.
    However, challenges resulting from global climate change and human activities, such as rising sea levels, abnormal temperatures and increasing pollution, have led to significant environmental changes that threaten these vital ecosystems.
    According to the State of the World’s Mangroves 2024 report released by the Global Mangrove Alliance, the world’s total mangrove area currently stands at approximately 14.7 million hectares, a decrease of 2.3 million hectares compared to the 17 million reported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 2005. Alarmingly, 50 percent of the world’s mangroves are at risk of collapse.
    As a result, accelerating the restoration of damaged mangrove ecosystems has become an urgent priority for international marine science, making mangrove ecological restoration and protection a key focus in global marine research.
    China has 27,100 hectares of mangroves. To better protect these ecosystems, the Chinese government launched the Mangrove Protection and Restoration Action Plan (2020-2025) in 2020, aiming to expand the country’s mangrove area to 36,000 hectares by 2025, thereby supporting the national “dual carbon” strategy.
    At that time, there was no standardized technical protocol for the precise ecological restoration of mangroves, either domestically or internationally.
    The development of such guidelines is crucial to standardizing restoration and evaluation techniques across different habitats, to guiding practical applications, and to promoting the sustainable development of mangrove ecosystems and biological resources in China, South Asia and Southeast Asia.
    The new standards establish principles and technical processes for the precise ecological restoration of mangroves in various habitats, including species selection, screening and configuration, and microbial community configuration. They also provide methods for evaluating the efficacy of mangrove restoration.
    The technical specifications proposed in the standards are designed to be practical, easy to implement, and compliant with relevant national laws and regulations.
    By filling the gap in this field, the standards ensure that mangrove restoration and assessment efforts are guided by clear criteria, enhancing the ecological health and functions of mangroves, and promoting the development of precise restoration and evaluation practices. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Auckland overnight motorway closures 21 to 28 February 2025

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi advises of the following closures for motorway improvements. Work delayed by bad weather will be completed at the next available date, prior to Friday, 28 February 2025.

    Please note this traffic bulletin is updated every Friday.

    Daily updated closure information(external link)

    Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am. Traffic management may be in place before the advertised closure times for the mainline.

    NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)

    • Southbound lanes between Tristram Avenue off-ramp and Northcote Road on-ramp, 23-27 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
      • Tristram Avenue southbound on-ramp, 23-27 February
    • Northbound lanes between Northcote Road off-ramp and Tristram Avenue on-ramp, 25-26 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
      • Northcote Road northbound on-ramp, 25-26 February (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)
    • Stafford Road northbound off-ramp, 23-27 February
    • Curran Street northbound on-ramp, 23-27 February
    • Shelly Beach Road southbound off-ramp, (approx. 9:00pm 22 February to 12:00pm 23 February)

    CENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)

    • SH1 northbound to SH16 (Port) eastbound link, 24-27 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
    • SH1 northbound to SH16 westbound link, 24-27 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
    • Westbound lanes between Quay Street/Tamaki Drive and Parnell Rise, (approx. 9:00pm 21 February to 5:00am 24 February (24/7)

    SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)

    • Northbound lanes between Ellerslie-Panmure Highway off-ramp and Wellesley Street East on-ramp, 24 & 26-27 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
      • Gillies Avenue northbound on-ramp, 24 & 26-27 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
      • Greenlane northbound on-ramp, 24 & 26-27 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
      • Ellerslie-Panmure Highway northbound on-ramp, 24 & 26-27 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
    • Northbound lanes between Ellerslie-Panmure Highway off-ramp and Gillies Avenue on-ramp, 25 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
      • Greenlane northbound on-ramp, 25 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
      • Ellerslie-Panmure Highway northbound on-ramp, 25 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
    • Southbound lanes between Greenlane off-ramp and Greenlane on-ramp, 24 February (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am)
    • Northbound lanes between Manukau off-ramp and East Tamaki Road on-ramp, 25 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
      • Te Irirangi Drive northbound on-ramp, 25 February
      • Redoubt Road northbound on-ramp, 25 February
    • Northbound lanes between Papakura off-ramp and Redoubt Road on-ramp, 26-27 February (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)
      • SH1 northbound to SH20 northbound link, 26-27 February (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)
      • Hill Road northbound on-ramp, 26-27 February
        • Takanini northbound on-ramp, 26-27 February
      • Papakura (Diamond) northbound on-ramp, 26-27 February Papakura (Loop) northbound on-ramp, 26-27 February
    • Papakura southbound off-ramp, 23-25 February
    • Papakura (Loop) southbound on-ramp, 23-25 February
    • Papakura (Diamond) southbound on-ramp, 25 February
    • Papakura northbound off-ramp, 23-24 February
    • Northbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 23-24 February
      • Drury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 23-24 February
    • Drury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 26-27 February
    • Bombay southbound off-ramp, 23-27 February
    • Bombay northbound on-ramp, 23-27 February
    • Bombay northbound off-ramp, 23-27 February

    NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)

    • Southbound lanes between Waimauku roundabout and Trigg Rd, 25-26 February (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)
    • Northbound lanes between Trigg Rd and Waimauku roundabout, 25-26 February (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)
    • Southbound lanes between Access Road and Taupaki Road roundabout, 24 February
    • Northbound lanes between Taupaki Road roundabout and Access Road, 24 February

    UPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)

    • Eastbound lanes between Tauhinu Road off-ramp and Albany Highway on-ramp, 23 & 27 February
      • Greenhithe Road eastbound on-ramp, 23 & 27 February

    SOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)

    • Southbound lanes between Lambie Drive off-ramp and SH1 links, 25 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
      • Lambie Drive southbound on-ramp, 25 February
      • SH20 southbound to SH1 northbound link, 25 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
      • SH20 southbound to SH1 southbound link, 25 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)

    GEORGE BOLT MEMORIAL DRIVE (SH20A)

    • None planned

    PUHINUI ROAD (SH20B)

    • None planned

    STATE HIGHWAY 22 (SH22)

    • None planned

    STATE HIGHWAY 2 (SH2)

    • None planned

    Please follow the signposted detours. NZ Transport Agency thanks you for your co-operation during these essential improvements and maintenance.

    Current overnight closure information(external link)  

    Auckland roads and public transport(external link)

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech to Committee for Auckland

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Good afternoon. Can I acknowledge Ngāti Whātua for their warm welcome, Simpson Grierson for hosting us here today, and of course the Committee for Auckland for putting on today’s event.
    I suspect some of you are sitting there wondering what a boy from the Hutt would know about Auckland, our largest city.
    Well, let me reassure you that I know and love this city. I lived here for two years, many of my friends live here, and I am here almost every week.
    Auckland is critical to New Zealand’s future and today I want to talk about how we create that future, with central government working alongside the Auckland Council and Auckland communities.
    Growth 
    Let me start with the economic picture.
    We are in challenging economic times. The government came to office with New Zealand in the midst of a prolonged cost of living crisis, with high inflation, high interest rates, and after years of profligate debt-fuelled government spending.
    Turning that around is not going to be easy and it is not going to happen immediately.
    We have made good progress. Budget 2024 started the repair job. Business and consumer confidence is returning. The OCR was cut by another 50 basis points on Wednesday, meaning mortgage rate relief for households. The latest Federated Farmers Farm Confidence Survey shows confidence surging by 68 points since July 2024 – the largest one-off improvement in sentiment since the question was introduced.
    But there is a lot to do, and we need to be honest with ourselves. We have been slipping for years. 
    Our challenge as a country isn’t just about the last few years, or even the last decade.
    We have low productivity growth, low capital intensity in our firms, low levels of competition in many sectors, challenges in attracting and retaining skills and talent, low uptake of innovation, unaffordable housing and a growing tail of New Zealanders leaving school without basic skills. 
    But stagnation and mediocrity is not our destiny.
    Not if we make the right choices and not if we have courage.
    Going for economic growth means saying “yes” to things when we’ve said “no” in the past.
    It means taking on some tough political debates that we’ve previously shied away from. I’m going to talk about one today.
    It means bold decisions which may look difficult at the time but which in hindsight will be regarded incontrovertibly as the right thing to do.
    Managed decline is only inevitable if we let it be.
    Auckland Growth 
    So today I want to talk to you about Auckland and how important it is to our plans.
    Auckland is New Zealand’s capital city of growth. It is home to one third of New Zealand’s population and contributes nearly 40% to our national GDP. It has higher labour productivity than the rest of New Zealand, and is home to some of New Zealand’s most exciting growth-industries, with 116 of our country’s top 200 tech firms calling Auckland home. 
    We are not going to be successful in growing our economy if we don’t think carefully about how we enable Auckland, as our largest and most important city, to thrive. 
    I have the enormous privilege of being the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, RMA Reform and now Transport.
    I am determined to help build an Auckland that is a world-class, international city.
    I make no apologies for being an urbanist. Well-functioning urban environments with abundant housing, transport that gets people where they need to go quickly and efficiently, and functional infrastructure, will do more to create a brighter future for Kiwis than just about anything else government can do. 
    Next year is shaping up as an exciting one. The first trains will run on the City Rail Link and the NZ International Convention Centre will finally open its doors.
    The government is investing heavily into transport in Auckland, through new Roads of National Significance, new busways, and commuter rail.
    These investments build on the significant progress made in recent years, particularly by National-led governments – think of Waterview, the Victoria Park Tunnel, and the starting of the City Rail Link.
    A couple of weeks ago it was my pleasure to mark the start of the extension of the Auckland commuter network to Pukekohe, with the completion of the electrification of the line from Papakura to Pukekohe.
    Later this year the Third Main line rail project will conclude, helping ease congestion and enabling faster train journeys. 
    The growth of the Auckland commuter rail network since the early 2000s has been remarkable and the government is keen to encourage that growth.
    Because the reality is that congestion is choking Auckland.
    The average Auckland commuter spends over 5 days in traffic each year. In fact, in 2024 the Auckland metro area had the highest congestion levels in Oceania. This means Auckland is less productive, less accessible, and less liveable that it should be. 
    Congestion stifles economic growth in Auckland, with studies showing that it costs between $900 million to $1.3 billion per year.
    Congestion is essentially a tax on time, productivity, and growth. And like most taxes, I’m keen to reduce it.
    The government will be progressing legislation this year to allow the introduction of Time of Use pricing on our roads.
    We will send that Bill off to a select committee before the end of March and the public will be able to have their say on it.
    There has been study after study into time of use pricing in New Zealand. It’s time to get on with it.
    The framework we have agreed to will enable local councils to propose time of use schemes on their networks.
    All schemes will be focused on increasing productivity and improving the efficiency of traffic flow in cities. Local councils will propose schemes in their region, with NZTA leading the design of the schemes in partnership with councils to provide strong oversight and to ensure motorists benefit from these schemes. 
    All schemes will require approval from the Government.
    Any money collected through time of use charging will be required to be invested back into transport infrastructure that benefits Kiwis and businesses living and working in the region where the money was raised. Councils will not be able to spend this money on other priorities.
    The Government will prioritise working with Auckland Council on designing a Time of Use pricing scheme that increases productivity and reduces congestion.
    Modelling has shown that successful congestion charging could reduce congestion by up to 8 to 12 percent at peak times, improving travel times and efficiency significantly.
    Auckland Housing 
    That brings me to housing. 
    One of the things I’ve been trying to emphasise since I became a Minister is that housing has a critical role to play in addressing our economic woes.
    There is now a mountain of economic evidence that cities are unparalleled engines of productivity, and the evidence shows bigger is better.
    New Zealand can raise our productivity simply by allowing our towns and cities to grow up and out. We need bigger cities and, to facilitate that, we need more houses. As our biggest city, Auckland has to be a leader in this mission.
    As Housing Minister I am focused on getting the fundamentals of the housing market sorted. 
    The Government’s Going for Housing Growth agenda involves freeing up land for development and removing unnecessary planning barriers, improving infrastructure funding and financing, and providing incentives for communities and councils to support growth.
    Report after report and inquiry after inquiry has found that our planning system, particularly restrictions on the supply of urban land, are at the heart of our housing affordability challenge.
    We are not a small country by land mass, but our planning system has made it difficult for our cities to grow. As a result, we have excessively high land prices driven by market expectations of an ongoing shortage of developable urban land to meet demand. 
    Last year Cabinet agreed to a number of specific actions it would take to free up land for development, which we’ve called Pillar One of our Going for Housing Growth Plan.
    These include new housing growth targets for the country’s largest councils, new rules to make it easier for cities to expand outwards at the urban fringe, such as the abolishment of the rural-urban boundary in Auckland, a strengthening of the intensification provisions in the National Policy Statement on Urban Development including requiring more mixed-use zoning, the abolishment of minimum floor areas and balcony requirements, and making the MDRS optional for councils. 
    These changes build on the existing Auckland Unitary Plan, which evidence shows has made a real difference in Auckland. 
    It also builds on the National Policy Statement on Urban Development brought in by the last government, which we support.
    I am focusing on the fundamentals because ultimately that is what drives price.
    Very soon I will announce Cabinet decisions around better infrastructure funding and financing tools, so growth can be properly funded.
    And I’ll also soon announce decisions on how we will replace the Resource Management Act, the giant millstone on the neck of the New Zealand economy. 
    City Rail Link 
    Speaking of infrastructure, let’s talk about the City Rail Link.
    Without a doubt, the most transformative and ambitious project in recent memory in Auckland is the City Rail Link. 
    Under the feet of Auckland for the better part of a decade has been the most ambitious, and one of the most expensive, projects in the city’s history. Thousands of workers building 3.5 kms of tunnel to bring Auckland’s transportation system into the 21st century.
    When I was made Transport Minister by the Prime Minister earlier this year, I said to my team that I wanted my first visit to be to see City Rail Link. To me, this project epitomises the opportunities in New Zealand’s transport future.    
    Once open next year, CRL will double Auckland’s rail capacity and reduce congestion across the city, enabling Aucklanders to get to where they want to go faster.
    This will be huge for the city. The privilege of not having to worry about missing a train because another one is only minutes away is something, up until now, Aucklanders have only been able to experience in cities like London or Tokyo. But now it’s almost Auckland’s turn.
    I’ve been down to the new stations. Aucklanders are going to be blown away. My prediction is that people will say what they always do once a big new project eventually finishes: why didn’t we do this decades ago?
    It is critical for the city’s future that we take advantage of CRL and ensure that the maximum benefits are felt by Aucklanders. That’s why today I am pleased to announce a number of steps the Government is taking to fully harness the true benefits of City Rail Link.
    Level Crossings
    The first step is removing level crossings. 
    CRL will only achieve its true potential capacity by the removal of level crossings – locations where roads and rail tracks intersect.
    Frankly, every motorist under the sun hates them, me included. They require the direct trading-off between road-user efficiency and rail-user efficiency. 
    Separating our train and roading systems by grade-separating level crossings greatly reduces traffic delays for motorists, while at the same time enables more frequent and reliable trains. It means that, in future, we can run many more trains on the Auckland network, without having to worry about disrupting the road network.
    Crucially, it will also make our railways safer. In the decade between 2013 and 2023, Auckland saw almost 70 crashes – some of these serious, as well as more than 250 pedestrian near-misses and 100 vehicle near misses at level crossings across the city. That’s almost one incident a week. 
    Investment in Auckland’s level crossings delivers a faster, safer, and more reliable transport system. It’s a win, win, win.
    Sorting level crossings in Auckland will take many years and cost a lot – but it is imperative we crack on with the job of doing the most important ones first.
    I am announcing today that, subject to final approval by the NZTA board, the Government will be allocating funding for its share of the cost of accelerating the grade-separation of 7 level crossings in Takāanini and Glen Innes. 
    The work will involve building three new grade-separated road bridges at Manuia Road, Taka Street, and Walters Road; constructing new station access bridges at Glen Innes, Te Mahia and Takāanini Stations, and closing two unsafe crossings at Spartan Road and Manuroa Road.
    Auckland Council has previously indicated that it is willing to fund its share of the cost, so this announcement will provide Aucklanders with confidence that the work will go ahead.
    Removing these level crossings now also enables us to take advantage of already planned network closures and will hopefully avoid the need for disruptions to the rail network in the future to make these much-needed changes.
    We are committed to the most efficient transport system in Auckland for everyone – no matter how you get around. For us, it’s never only about trains, or only about cars, or only about buses, or only about bikes. It must be all of the above – which is exactly why we are prioritising the removal of these level crossings 
    Transit oriented development
    As I’ve said, there are a number of actions being taken across the Auckland Rail network with a focus on transforming connectivity throughout the city. City Rail Link is just one part of it.
    This ambitious programme of work will open up job opportunities, new investment opportunities, and new places to live and work.
    It should also, in theory, result in a significant increase in development density in and around Auckland’s railway stations, especially those benefiting from City Rail Link.
    We have to ask ourselves: are we doing all we can to fully take advantage of this multi-billion-dollar transport investment? 
    I believe that in order to properly unlock economic growth in Auckland, we must embrace the concept of transit-oriented development adopted by the world’s best and most liveable cities.
    This approach promotes compact, mixed-use, pedestrian friendly cities, with development clustered around, and integrated with, mass transit. The idea is to have as many jobs, houses, services and amenities as possible around public transport stations. 
    This is not an untested theory: transit-oriented development has been adopted across the world in cities like Stockholm, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Singapore.
    Cities that embrace this approach consistently outperform those that don’t across multiple metrics: they experience increases in productivity, lower unemployment, higher population growth, increased availability of homes, and more stable rents.
    A floor filled with smart people working next to each other, in a building filled with floors of smart people working next to each other, unsurprisingly, enables greater economic opportunities for productive growth. Proximity encourages collaboration and innovation.
    Transit-oriented development creates exactly these kinds of possible agglomeration effects – for example, it has been shown that doubling job density increases productivity by 5 – 10%. 
    The evidence speaks for itself. 
    Let’s look at Stockholm, where development has generally followed the city’s main public transport corridors. There, the gross value added per capita grew 41% between 1993 and 2010. In fact, both Stockholm and Copenhagen rank as among the world’s top cities in terms of per capita GDP.  
    Across the ditch in Sydney, they have just opened their brand-new Sydney Metro development, which has been widely recognised for its successful integration of high-density housing and mixed-use developments. This project is expected to contribute around AUD $5 billion annually to the New South Wales economy.
    To answer the question: are we doing all we can to fully take advantage of City Rail Link? The answer is clearly no.
    So, today I am announcing that the Government will be kicking off a work programme to properly take advantage of the opportunities that transit-oriented development could have on Auckland, and what actions we can take in the short-term to better enable development clusters around City Rail Link stations.
    Right now, Auckland Council is only required to zone 6 stories around rapid transit stops. We are going to need to go much, much higher than that around the CRL stations if we truly want to feel the benefits of transit-oriented development.  
    My aspiration is that in 10-20 years’ time, we have 10-20 storey apartment blocks dotting the rail line as far west as Swanson and Ranui. But for right now, we need to look at how to increase development opportunities around the inner core of stations.
    Take Kingsland, for example.
    Once CRL open Kingslanders will have a 20 minute travel time saving to Aotea station from the project. But Kingsland’s population actually declined by 4.7% between 2019 and 2023; and while Auckland averaged 15,375 annual new builds over the last 5 years, Kingsland built just 22.
    Compare that to Paramatta in Sydney. It too benefits by circa 20 minute time savings from the Sydney Metro project and has upzoned from a few stories to more than 60 in some cases.
    Kingsland is still predominantly made up of single story dwelling zones.
    How about if our aim is to make the special character of suburbs be that they are thriving, liveable, affordable communities with access to regular and reliable public transport?
    For many families, the dream of home ownership looks a little different today. Many young families are now choosing to swap the station wagon for the train station, and the corner dairy for the cafe.
    There will always be a place in New Zealand for the quarter-acre section and the large family home. But we have to be honest with ourselves: that place isn’t within a stones-throw of a transformational piece of transport infrastructure with the ability to shuttle tens of thousands of passengers each day. 
    We must allow Kiwis to make the choice that’s best for them. Permitting more development close to train stations and rapid bus routes supports those who want to live nearer to their work and their friends, just like the significant investment the Government is making in new highways and roads support those who want to live in our world-class towns and suburbs. 
    Change is inevitable. My job as a Minister it to make sure that change is shaped by the lives Kiwis want to live and the homes they want to live in.
    Viewshafts 
    One barrier to proper high-density in Auckland, including around City Rail Link stations, is undoubtedly the current settings of the 73 viewshafts that have restricted the height of the city since the early 1970s. 
    In 2016, the Independent Hearing Panel for the Auckland Unitary Plan recommended further work on the viewshafts, including refining them to improve their efficiency and reduce opportunity costs. In the almost-decade since, this work has not been progressed.
    Some of these viewshafts don’t make a lot of sense. The Unitary Plan protects the view from the tolling booths on the North Shore, so that those people sitting in their cars getting ready to pay their toll for the Harbour Bridge have a nice view of Mt Eden. Of course there hasn’t been tolling booths on the North Shore since the mid-1980s. 
    Forty years later, we are still protecting a view that would be considered dangerous-driving to admire. A study done in 2018, looking at this one view shaft – the E10 – showed that its cost was roughly $1.4 billion in lost development opportunities. This is just the impact of one of the 73 viewshafts. 
    It is worth stressing that the cost is almost certainly much greater than $1.4 billion. It only includes costs to the city centre, and about half the land under E10 falls outside the city centre. So add that on.
    It doesn’t look at the positive externalities of intensification, such as agglomeration and other wider economic benefits. So add that on too.
    It doesn’t look at public land, just private. Add that on. 
    And it’s based on 2014 land values.
    And this is just one viewshaft.
    I hope you’ll agree with me that the cost is immense.
    Aucklanders and local mana whenua have always had a special relationship with the Māunga and Volcanic cones that their city is nestled between. It is right that we acknowledge and protect this special relationship. 
    But even just minor tweaks to existing viewshafts could materially lift development opportunities. The 2018 study showed that rotating the E10 viewshaft just 4.5 degrees to the left maintains the view of Mt Eden for a similar amount of time, whilst saving the city 43% of the lost development opportunity cost.
    Today I can tell you that Mayor Brown and I have had discussions on this issue, and he said he is open to a fresh look at Auckland’s viewshaft settings in its Unitary Plan. We agree that the time is right to start the conversation. This is particularly relevant where the viewshafts impact the CBD and major transit corridors.
    We are committed to trying to find a way though – alongside mana whenua – to get the balance right between economic growth, and the special role these Māunga play in the unique identity of Auckland. 
    We are not proposing to remove these viewshafts. Rather, we are recognising that as the city changes, and there will be areas where the viewshafts should change with it.
    The tollgate viewshaft example above proves that it is possible to eat our cake and have it too. We can both preserve views and enable more development. That is the kind of change that a dynamic city requires to be the best for all its people.
    Conclusion
    Auckland has a bright future. 
    You have the country’s premier convention centre opening early next year. 
    You have City Rail Link opening later next year. 
    You have what are essentially new cities being built to your west, and to your south.
    New roads are opening.
    Congestion pricing is on the way.
    And more housing is being built. 
    Whenever I come here, I get a palpable sense of opportunity knocking.
    This city isn’t waiting: it’s getting on with the mission of growth. 
    It is bursting at the seams with opportunities – now, it is the responsibility of all of us to help make it happen. 
    Thank you.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville, Katie Britt Congratulate Director Patel, Urge FBI to Immediately Fill Open Slots at Redstone Arsenal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Katie Britt (R-AL) today sent a letter to Kash Patel following his Senate confirmation as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In the letter, they urge Director Patel to immediately fill 1,000 of the open slots at FBI’s campus in Huntsville on Redstone Arsenal.
    The Senators wrote,“We are proud to represent the great state of Alabama, home to Redstone Arsenal which is the epicenter of the FBI’s technological capabilities and advanced training.  As threats to our nation become more sophisticated, FBI-Redstone Arsenal’s operations will need to continue growing.”
    “The North Campus is well prepared to support this mission by delivering state-of-the-art training to address cyber threats, emerging technologies, and the Field Offices’ investigative efforts.  The South Campus is currently under construction and will host even more capacity to address current and future threats,” they continued.
    “Given the strategic investments at Redstone Arsenal and how its synergies align with your mission of restoring the FBI’s focus to the safety and security of the American people, we urge you to assign an additional 1,000 employees to FBI-Redstone as a first step to ultimately filling the approximately 4,000 open slots the campus can accommodate.  This will send a message to our adversaries that the FBI’s leadership is back to prioritizing the pressing threats to our homeland. We look forward to working closely with you to Make America Safe Again,” the Senators added.
    The full text of the letter is available here.
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Schmitt Reintroduce the ENABLE Act, Empower Americans with Disabilities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) in reintroducing the bipartisan, bicameral Ensuring Nationwide Access to Better Life Experience (ENABLE) Act. The ENABLE Act preserves the ability of people with disabilities and their families to save and invest through tax-free savings accounts while protecting eligibility to federal programs by making permanent key provisions related to Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts. 
    Sen. Tuberville also cosponsored the legislation last Congress.
    “Every human being is created by God and has inherent dignity, including those with disabilities. After 40 years in the education sector, I have seen firsthand how important it is for teachers, parents, community members, and Congress to work together to ENABLE these people for success. This legislation provides crucial safeguards for people with disabilities to help them invest, save, and achieve independence. I appreciate Senator Schmitt’s leadership on this issue that I know is close to his heart and look forward to working with him to get this legislation across the finish line,” said Sen. Tuberville.
    “I was proud to lead the introduction of the ENABLE Act in the 118th Congress, where this critical legislation passed the Senate. I entered public service to fight for people like my son Stephen. Stephen was born with a rare genetic disease, is on the autism spectrum, has epilepsy, and is non-verbal. I know firsthand how critical ABLE accounts are to individuals with disabilities and their families. ABLE accounts allow individuals with disabilities to save for their future and ease burdens on their families. It’s a common-sense solution that provides an easy fix for those who depend on ABLE Accounts, and I’m proud to have bipartisan, bicameral support for this important piece of legislation,” said Sen. Schmitt.
    U.S. Senators Tuberville and Schmitt are joined by U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Katie Britt (R-AL), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in cosponsoring the legislation.
    U.S. Representative Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11) led the effort in the House of Representatives.
    Read full text of the legislation here.
    BACKGROUND: 
    ABLE accounts—529A accounts—allow people with disabilities and their families to save and invest through tax-free savings accounts without losing eligibility for federal programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). There are three provisions related to these accounts in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA):
    ABLE to Work: an individual with a disability who is employed can contribute an additional amount to his or her ABLE account. This additional contribution cannot be greater than either:
    the prior year’s federal poverty level for a one-person household ($15,060 in 2024), or
    the beneficiary’s yearly compensation.

    ABLE Saver’s Credit: an individual with a disability who make qualified contributions to their ABLE account can qualify for a nonrefundable saver’s credit of up to $1,000.
    529 to ABLE rollover: an individual with a disability may rollover from a 529 education savings account to an ABLE account that are less than or equal to the annual ABLE contribution limit tax and penalty free.
    The ENABLE Act would make permanent the above provisions that are set to expire.
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Agriculture export growth narrows goods trade deficit – Stats NZ media and information release: Overseas merchandise trade: January 2025

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Agriculture export growth narrows goods trade deficit – 21 February 2025 – The trade balance for the January 2025 month was a deficit of $486 million, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

    In the January 2024 month, the deficit was $1.1 billion.

    Total exports were valued at $6.2 billion in January 2025, an increase of $1.4 billion when compared with January 2024. Imports were valued at $6.7 billion, an increase of $787 million over the same period.

    The narrowing of the deficit in January 2025, compared with the same month last year, was driven by agricultural commodity exports.

    Files:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Urges Lutnick to Protect Critical Work at National Weather Service & NOAA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    02.20.25
    Cantwell Urges Lutnick to Protect Critical Work at National Weather Service & NOAA
    “American lives depend on it,” writes Cantwell
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, calling on him to exempt the National Weather Service (NWS) from the federal hiring freeze, and protect all National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) workers from firings “that would jeopardize the safety of the American public.”
    “Without NOAA’s workforce, communities will not be prepared for the next big Nor’easter, hurricane, wildfire, or drought,” wrote Sen. Cantwell. “Ships will not be able to safely navigate through our waterways. Farmers will not have the data they need to manage their crops. NOAA’s workforce keeps people alive and provides communities with the scientific support tools to protect their families and grow their businesses. I urge you to appreciate these critical government functions and reverse the hiring freeze and refrain from mass firings of these invaluable public servants—American lives depend on it.”
    Sen. Cantwell has spoken out forcefully against the firings of federal workers.
    “The Trump Administration is trying to illegally cut the federal workforce in an attempt to come up with a budget and tax increases on middle class Americans, all while giving $4 trillion in tax breaks to corporations and the wealthiest individuals,” Sen. Cantwell said in a statement released Saturday. “Our deficit and essential programs like Medicaid can’t take the Trump hack job.”
    On Sunday, Sen. Cantwell sounded the alarm about reports that safety-critical Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) workers had been fired. “Now is not the time to fire technicians who fix and operate more than 74,000 safety-critical pieces of equipment like radars, navigational aids, and communications technology,” Sen. Cantwell said in a statement. “The FAA is already short 800 technicians and these firings inject unnecessary risk into the airspace — in the aftermath of four deadly crashes in the last month. The FAA’s safety workforce needs to be a priority for this Administration.”
    On Tuesday, speaking in opposition to the nomination of now-Secretary Lutnick on the Senate floor, Sen. Cantwell cited his “tepid support” for NOAA as a key reason for her decision to vote against his confirmation.
    “When asked for the record, ‘Should NOAA be dismantled, as called for in Project 2025?’, Mr. Lutnick would only say he’ll figure it out once he’s confirmed,” Sen. Cantwell said. “We needed a bigger commitment to NOAA. NOAA already supplies a big, important aspect of what we deal with, with weather forecasting, tracking extreme weather, hurricanes, wildfires, managing our fisheries, operating ships that conduct important charting for national security. Mr. Lutnick gave very tepid support for NOAA.”
    Project 2025 calls for NOAA to be “dismantled and many of its functions eliminated,” calling it part of the “climate change alarm industry.” NOAA provides critical services to the nation including weather forecasts, extreme storm tracking and monitoring, tools to enable communities to adapt to sea level rise and climate change, supporting fisheries management, and conserving marine mammals and other protected species including salmon and orcas.
    Sen. Cantwell is a champion of NOAA and helped secure $3.3 billion in NOAA investments in the Inflation Reduction Act to help communities prepare for and adapt to climate change, boost science needed to understand changing weather and climate patterns, and invest in advanced computer technologies that are critical for extreme weather prediction and emergency response. Her Fire Ready Nation Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen NOAA’s ability to help forecast, prevent, and fight wildfires, passed the Commerce committee unanimously earlier this month and now heads to the full Senate for consideration.
    The full text of last night’s letter is HERE and below.
    Dear Secretary Lutnick,
    I urge the Administration to protect the critical workforce of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”). NOAA’s National Weather Service (“NWS”) should be exempt from the January 20th executive order titled “Hiring Freeze”, which instituted a hiring freeze for all federal civilian employees, due to the critical role the agency plays in public safety and supporting our economy. In light of highly publicized firings at other agencies, all NOAA employees, including probationary or temporary employees, should be protected from firing or reduction in force initiatives that would jeopardize the safety of the American public.
    NOAA is the nation’s leading scientific agency charged with forecasting weather, monitoring our oceans and atmosphere, managing our fisheries, restoring our coasts, and supporting maritime commerce. NOAA products and services, such as forecasts, are crucial to the U.S. economy and affect more than one-third of America’s gross domestic product.
    Within NOAA, the NWS is responsible for protecting public safety and property and supporting the economy by providing timely and accurate weather forecasts and warnings. Our communities are extremely reliant on the data and research that NOAA and NWS scientists make available for decision-makers, emergency responders, and the public. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, last year there were 27 weather disaster events that cost over $1 billion each and resulted in 568 deaths. NWS meteorologists, using a network of satellites, buoys, balloon launches, ships, aircraft, and weather stations, collect data and develop forecasts and warnings on which communities rely for preparedness for hurricanes, heat waves, wildfires, tornadoes, blizzards, drought, and other extreme weather events.
    The NWS also supports real-time forecasts and services needed to protect the safety of the traveling public. The NWS Center Weather Service Units embed meteorologists at 21 Air Route Traffic Control Centers to provide tailored forecasts that ensure it is safe for aircraft to fly. The meteorologists identify, forecast, and communicate weather hazards, such as thunderstorms, turbulence, and icing, to help pilots and air traffic controllers make informed decisions that minimize risks to flights and delays.
    When a hurricane approaches our coasts, the National Hurricane Center sends Hurricane Hunters into the eye of the storm to give forecasters a better idea of the storm’s intensity and when it’s likely to make landfall. The Storm Prediction Center warns communities when a tornado or severe storm is developing to give them time to protect property and get to safety. The NWS also creates forecasts for emergency responders to plan for wildfire season, issues warnings to help communities prepare when fire conditions are severe, deploys specially trained forecasters to provide real-time lifesaving forecasts on the frontlines to keep firefighters safe, and models how smoke will move and impact air quality across the country.
    And far beyond our atmosphere, the NWS monitors space weather, such as solar flares and geomagnetic storms, to protect satellite systems, communication networks, and power grids. The Space Weather Prediction Center forecasts and helps mitigate the worst impacts of space weather including the potential for widespread and long-lasting blackouts, significant disruption of satellite and radio communication networks that are essential for safe air travel and military operations, and unreliable GPS signals that hamper navigation for ships, planes, and farm equipment.
    In addition to the NWS, NOAA provides a host of other life-saving data and services. The NOAA Office of Coast Survey ensures safe shipping routes in our waters by charting 95,000 miles of shoreline and 3.4 million square nautical miles of waters, providing more than $2.4 billion in annual benefits to the U.S. economy. NOAA manages the nation’s fisheries, which support 1.7 million jobs across the United States. The two Tsunami Warning Centers monitor seismic activity and ocean conditions to detect potential tsunamis, issuing timely warnings and advisories to protect coastal communities from disaster. And finally, NOAA plays a vital role in monitoring, forecasting, and researching harmful algal blooms (“HABs”) that produce toxins that can be deadly. NOAA scientists track HAB events using satellite imagery, water samples, and oceanographic data to provide early warnings to coastal communities, fisheries, and public health officials, helping to ensure commercially harvested fish and shellfish are safe to eat.
    Without NOAA’s workforce, communities will not be prepared for the next big Nor’easter, hurricane, wildfire, or drought. Ships will not be able to safely navigate through our waterways. Farmers will not have the data they need to manage their crops. NOAA’s workforce keeps people alive and provides communities with the scientific support tools to protect their families and grow their businesses. I urge you to appreciate these critical government functions and reverse the hiring freeze and refrain from mass firings of these invaluable public servants—American lives depend on it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Nominations now open for the first Food and Grocery Code Supervisor

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    The Albanese Labor Government is cracking down on bad behaviour by supermarkets to make sure customers and farmers are getting a fair deal at the checkout.

    Today nominations are opening for a newly established position of Food and Grocery Code Supervisor.

    The Food and Grocery Code Supervisor will help implement the new mandatory Food and Grocery Code of Conduct.

    The new code will protect suppliers and improve supermarket behaviour by introducing heavy penalties for breaches of the code, a prohibition against retribution, strengthened dispute resolution mechanisms, and other new obligations on supermarkets.

    The recently legislated code reflects the Albanese Government’s commitment to implementing all recommendations of Dr Craig Emerson’s independent review of the code and forms part of the Government’s broader agenda to crackdown on anti‑competitive behaviour in the sector.

    The Code Supervisor will review dispute resolution processes, identify issues, conduct industry surveys and report on findings.

    The new code will come into force on 1 April 2025, replacing the current voluntary code.

    The Code Supervisor will have appropriate qualifications, knowledge or experience in procedural fairness and Australian industry, and will have senior management, board or leadership experience with a strong track record of stakeholder engagement to achieve outcomes for the sector and broader community.

    Nominations are welcome from experienced individuals to be appointed as the first Food and Grocery Code Supervisor. Expressions of interest will be considered until 7 March 2025 and can be sent to the Food and Grocery Code Secretariat at FGC@treasury.gov.au.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Agriculture export growth narrows goods trade deficit – Stats NZ media and information release: Overseas merchandise trade: January 2025

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Agriculture export growth narrows goods trade deficit – 21 February 2025 – The trade balance for the January 2025 month was a deficit of $486 million, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

    In the January 2024 month, the deficit was $1.1 billion.

    Total exports were valued at $6.2 billion in January 2025, an increase of $1.4 billion when compared with January 2024. Imports were valued at $6.7 billion, an increase of $787 million over the same period.

    The narrowing of the deficit in January 2025, compared with the same month last year, was driven by agricultural commodity exports.

    Files:

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Storm recovery planning underway in Āwhitu

    Source: Auckland Council

    The Pollok Community Hall and Emergency Hub is working with the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Office, helping drive recovery planning in the Āwhitu community. This is part of a series of partnerships in heavily-impacted communities across Auckland. Communities are being supported to develop practical plans, which will include activities and priorities that can be delivered to improve well-being and flourishing as they recover.   

    Since major 2023 storms affected the Āwhitu region, its resourceful local communities have come together to help each other move forward with resilience. 

    At the heart of this collective effort is the Pollok Community Hall and Emergency Hub, led and delivered by the community. As recovery continues, the group is working alongside residents, businesses and organisations to rebuild with hope, and the aim of leaving no one behind.  

    Mayor Wayne Brown assesses slip damage in Awhitu

    A community tested by adversity 

    Storms in early 2023 caused widespread disruption, leaving many local families, homes and businesses in distress. Being on a peninsula, power outages, flooding and damage to infrastructure made life difficult for the community. But despite the challenges, the spirit of solidarity emerged as neighbours helped each other and local organisations quickly mobilised.  

    “We’ve had big storms before but Cyclone Gabrielle was different,” says Peter Sharps, Chairman of Pollok Community Hall and Emergency Hub.  

    “We just help each other. Whether it’s providing shelter for people that can’t access their homes, or locals using bulldozers to move trees off the road.” 

    Local farmer Richard Craig adds, “My family has been here since the 1860s. So, we were well-prepared, but the storm trashed everything.”  

    “Seven out of eight bridges on my property were submerged, and an arterial road collapsed onto our property. I had no income for six months while repairing the farm. But I survived with support from my bank, the Ministry of Primary Industries, and businesses were kind, offering discounted supplies which made a huge difference.” 

    Peter Sharps (credit Hon Andrew Bayly MP)

    Pollok Community Hall and Emergency Hub: Aligning with our mission 

    The group is dedicated to serving the community through a hall and emergency centre.  

    “Our mission is to strengthen the local community by fostering connections, offering vital services, and preserving historically significant sites,” says Peter. “This requires bringing people together. So, since the storm, we’ve organised several community meetings and formed a steering group to help shape a recovery plan that reflects the diverse needs of the community.” 

    “It’s hard to get people to come together for anything,” says committee member Francie Craig. “So, it was amazing to see so many people show up for our recovery planning meeting.” 

    As recovery progresses, the focus has shifted from immediate relief to long-term planning. Auckland Council is supporting through initiatives including disaster preparedness workshops and local recovery support.  

    “Wind and rain caused major damage,” says local Ian McNaughton. “I lost two acres of fencing and water supply. The rain wiped out the well, and damaged trees. With only one road in and out after Pollok, I’m keen for us to think about access to the peninsula.”  

    The community’s focus is on building a united approach to recovery that is sustainable and accessible for all. This includes developing a united vision as well as planning the practicalities like generators and making sure accommodation/refuge are available for everyone. 

    Āwhitu Road slip repaired

    Get involved in recovery planning 

    The group invites everyone in the community to participate in recovery efforts.  

    “Whether attending a planning session, volunteering or contributing ideas for future projects, your involvement is essential to rebuilding stronger than before,” says Peter. “Our recovery won’t succeed without everyone’s contribution. This is a collective effort, and everyone’s voice is critical in shaping our path forward.”  

    All residents are encouraged to join in recovery meetings and events, share their thoughts, and help create a recovery plan that works for everyone. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Files Amendments to Republican Budget Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, filed amendments to the Senate Republicans’ budget resolution in an attempt to improve the bill, which currently tees up tax cuts for billionaires by cutting critical funding for programs that Virginians rely on. Republicans are using a legislative process known as “reconciliation,” which allows certain legislation to be expedited and passed in the Senate by a simple majority, avoiding the 60-vote threshold needed for most other legislation. The Senate will begin consideration of the budget resolution later today.
    “I’d like to focus on cutting taxes for the middle-class. Unfortunately, Republicans disagree. Instead, they are coming after your Medicaid and Medicare benefits, your health care, education programs, and other critical funding that Virginians rely on so that they can tee up their tax cuts for billionaires. I’m filing several amendments to safeguard Virginians from President Trump’s proposed tariffs, which would raise costs; protect federal employees who provide essential services to millions of Americans; prevent cuts in funding for community health centers and national security programs; and more. I will be pushing to get votes on my amendments and will do everything I can to stop Republicans from passing policies that hurt Virginians and our economy and make us less safe,” Kaine said.
    Kaine filed a series of amendments, including:
    To cut taxes for middle-class Americans.
    To protect Americans from new, senseless taxes by preventing abuse of emergency authorities to launch trade wars with Canada and Mexico.
    To prevent cuts to federal funding for air traffic safety.
    To prevent the Department of Veterans’ Affairs from reducing its workforce below levels needed to staff and provide services at new or remodeled facilities.
    To prohibit funding for agency efforts to reclassify federal employees in the civil service outside of any schedule not currently in the competitive service.
    To prevent federal agencies and departments from terminating, rescheduling, or furloughing federal workers who are also veterans.
    To prevent federal employees in harm’s way overseas from losing critical protections.
    To protect Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and federal prosecutors from political retribution.
    To deny access to classified materials to anyone without a proper security clearance.
    To protect Virginians who receive health insurance coverage through Medicaid expansion.
    To protect rural hospitals from cuts that would threaten rural communities’ access to health care.
    To protect access to health care services provided by Federally Qualified Health Centers.
    To ensure working families are able to access affordable and high-quality child care.
    To prevent a reduction of programs that support high-quality teacher and school leader preparation.
    To protect seniors and people with disabilities who use long-term services and supports.
    To prevent reductions in staff at the Mine Safety and Health Administration, who ensure miners do not get hurt or die on the job.
    To undo the harm that the January federal funding freeze did to Head Start programs.
    To protect the Pell Grant program from facing cuts or changes to the program that will hurt low- and middle-income students most.
    To prohibit termination of national security programming implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
    To prohibit termination of foreign assistance contracts with U.S. farmers or with faith-based organizations.
    To prohibit funding for a new Middle East war in Gaza or appeasement of Russia in Ukraine.
    To prevent cuts to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
    To prevent cuts to voluntary conservation agriculture programs.
    To ensure that much-needed funding comes to Virginia to repair federally maintained trails—such as the Virginia Creeper Trail—impacted by natural disasters in 2024.
    To prohibit any efforts to privatize or defund the United States Postal Service.
    Kaine has spoken out against Republicans’ proposal on the Senate floor and during a Senate Budget Committee markup.
    President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are currently negotiating an extension to Trump’s 2017 tax law, which cut taxes for large corporations and the highest-income earners and substantially increased the federal deficit. They are now proposing broad-based tariffs and massive, across-the-board cuts to federal programs like Medicaid to fund these tax cuts for billionaires. Tax estimates have shown that if fully enacted, Trump’s tariffs could raise costs by $2,500 to nearly $4,000 per household, and American consumers could lose between $46 billion to $78 billion in spending power each year.

    MIL OSI USA News –