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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 20, 2025 [Image 1 of 6]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

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    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 20, 2025) U.S. Navy Capt. Mark B. Stefanik, right, mission commander of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), provides remarks during a pharmacist workshop with local healthcare workers at Vaiola Hospital as part of PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 20, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.20.2025
    Date Posted: 06.23.2025 22:50
    Photo ID: 9128246
    VIRIN: 250620-N-ED646-1049
    Resolution: 8009×5348
    Size: 5.77 MB
    Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO
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    This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 20, 2025 [Image 6 of 6], by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 20, 2025 [Image 5 of 6]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 20, 2025) U.S. Navy Capt. Mark B. Stefanik, center, mission commander of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), provides remarks during a nursing training workshop between U.S. Navy Sailors and local healthcare workers at Vaiola Hospital as part of PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 20, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.20.2025
    Date Posted: 06.23.2025 22:50
    Photo ID: 9128253
    VIRIN: 250620-N-ED646-2673
    Resolution: 8640×5760
    Size: 9.71 MB
    Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO
    Web Views: 0
    Downloads: 0

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    This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 20, 2025 [Image 6 of 6], by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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  • MIL-Evening Report: Here’s why some people suffer from motion sickness – and which remedies actually work

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University

    EyeEm Mobile GmbH/Getty

    Cars may be a modern phenomenon, but motion sickness is not. More than 2,000 years ago, the physician Hippocrates wrote “sailing on the sea proves that motion disorders the body”. In fact, the word nausea derives from the Greek naus, meaning ship.

    Whether you’re in a ship, car, plane, or riding a rollercoaster, motion sickness (also called travel sickness or seasickness) can make you retch, vomit, sweat and become pale, and feel nauseated, dizzy and tired.

    For some people, watching dizzying scenes in a television show or simply thinking about moving can make us feel woozy. Playing video games or using virtual reality headsets can also lead to motion sickness (in this case, called “cybersickness”).

    But why does it happen? And why doesn’t it affect everyone?

    What is motion sickness?

    Motion sickness can happen in response to real or perceived motion.

    We don’t understand the exact mechanisms underlying motion sickness, although there are various hypotheses.

    The most accepted theory is that our brains like to know what’s going on around us. If our body is moving, but our brain can’t work out why, this creates some internal confusion.

    Within our brains, the “vestibular system”, which includes sensory organs in your inner ear, helps maintain balance.
    It has trouble doing this when you’re constantly being moved around (for example, inside a car) and sends the signals throughout our body which make us feel woozy.

    Supporting this theory, people who have damage to some parts of their inner ear systems can become completely immune to motion sickness.

    Why does motion sickness affect some people and not others?

    Very rough movement will make almost anyone
    motion sick. But some people are much more susceptible.

    Women tend to experience motion sickness more than men. There is evidence that hormonal fluctuations – for example during pregnancy or some stages of the menstrual cycle – may increase susceptibility.

    Some other conditions, such as vertigo and migraines, also make people more likely to experience motion sickness.

    In children, motion sickness tends to peak between ages six and nine, tapering off in the teens. It is much rarer in the elderly.

    In a car, the driver is normally in charge of the motion, and so their brain can anticipate movements (such as turning), leading to less motion sickness than for passengers.

    Are some modes of transport worse?

    Motion sickness is typically triggered by slow, up-and-down and left-to-right movements (low-frequency lateral and vertical motion). The more pronounced the motion, the more likely we are to get sick.

    This is why you might feel fine during some stages of an air flight, but become nauseous during times when there is turbulence. It’s the same at sea, where the larger and more undulating the waves, the more chance there is passengers will feel sick.

    Recent reports have suggested electric vehicles make motion sickness worse.

    This may be because electric vehicles tend to launch from a standstill with a fast acceleration. Sudden movements like this can make some occupants more nauseous.

    The silence of an electric vehicle is also unusual. Most of us are used to hearing the engine running and feeling the vehicle’s rumble as it moves. The silence in an electric vehicle removes these prompts, and likely further confuses our brain, making motion sickness worse.

    Interestingly, when an electric vehicle is put into autonomous (self-driving) mode, the driver becomes just as susceptible to motion sickness as the passengers.

    What helps motion sickness?

    For some people it never goes away, and they remain susceptible to motion sickness for life.

    But there are ways to manage symptoms, for example, avoiding travelling in bad weather, looking out the window and focusing on stable points (such as the aeroplane wing during a flight) or a distant stationary object (such as the horizon). This reduces conflicting signals in your brain.

    It may also help to:

    Medicines can help. Your doctor or pharmacist can recommend a variety of over-the-counter medications, such as antihistamines, which may help alleviate symptoms.

    Some people find alternative treatments helpful, including ginger, anti-nausea wrist bands (sea-bands or pressure bands). However we still don’t have enough consistent scientific evidence to endorse these remedies.

    There are longer-term options such as prescription medications and skin patches. However, many have potential side effects, so you should discuss these with a health professional.

    Not all of these medications will be suitable for children. However, there are some options which may help alleviate serious cases, and these can be talked through with your family GP.

    Does it ever go away?

    Sometimes, repeated exposure to the activity (called habituation) can help reduce motion sickness. The ancient Romans and Greeks reported the more experienced a sailor became, the less prone they were to sea sickness.

    While inconvenient, motion sickness may also have some evolutionary advantages. It’s thought species prone to motion sickness (including humans, fish, dogs, cats, mice and horses) avoid dangerous patches of rough water or high windy branches.

    We’re safest when firmly on land and not moving at all. Perhaps motion sickness is simply one way that our body works to keep us out of harm’s way.

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

    – ref. Here’s why some people suffer from motion sickness – and which remedies actually work – https://theconversation.com/heres-why-some-people-suffer-from-motion-sickness-and-which-remedies-actually-work-258065

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Here’s why some people suffer from motion sickness – and which remedies actually work

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University

    EyeEm Mobile GmbH/Getty

    Cars may be a modern phenomenon, but motion sickness is not. More than 2,000 years ago, the physician Hippocrates wrote “sailing on the sea proves that motion disorders the body”. In fact, the word nausea derives from the Greek naus, meaning ship.

    Whether you’re in a ship, car, plane, or riding a rollercoaster, motion sickness (also called travel sickness or seasickness) can make you retch, vomit, sweat and become pale, and feel nauseated, dizzy and tired.

    For some people, watching dizzying scenes in a television show or simply thinking about moving can make us feel woozy. Playing video games or using virtual reality headsets can also lead to motion sickness (in this case, called “cybersickness”).

    But why does it happen? And why doesn’t it affect everyone?

    What is motion sickness?

    Motion sickness can happen in response to real or perceived motion.

    We don’t understand the exact mechanisms underlying motion sickness, although there are various hypotheses.

    The most accepted theory is that our brains like to know what’s going on around us. If our body is moving, but our brain can’t work out why, this creates some internal confusion.

    Within our brains, the “vestibular system”, which includes sensory organs in your inner ear, helps maintain balance.
    It has trouble doing this when you’re constantly being moved around (for example, inside a car) and sends the signals throughout our body which make us feel woozy.

    Supporting this theory, people who have damage to some parts of their inner ear systems can become completely immune to motion sickness.

    Why does motion sickness affect some people and not others?

    Very rough movement will make almost anyone
    motion sick. But some people are much more susceptible.

    Women tend to experience motion sickness more than men. There is evidence that hormonal fluctuations – for example during pregnancy or some stages of the menstrual cycle – may increase susceptibility.

    Some other conditions, such as vertigo and migraines, also make people more likely to experience motion sickness.

    In children, motion sickness tends to peak between ages six and nine, tapering off in the teens. It is much rarer in the elderly.

    In a car, the driver is normally in charge of the motion, and so their brain can anticipate movements (such as turning), leading to less motion sickness than for passengers.

    Are some modes of transport worse?

    Motion sickness is typically triggered by slow, up-and-down and left-to-right movements (low-frequency lateral and vertical motion). The more pronounced the motion, the more likely we are to get sick.

    This is why you might feel fine during some stages of an air flight, but become nauseous during times when there is turbulence. It’s the same at sea, where the larger and more undulating the waves, the more chance there is passengers will feel sick.

    Recent reports have suggested electric vehicles make motion sickness worse.

    This may be because electric vehicles tend to launch from a standstill with a fast acceleration. Sudden movements like this can make some occupants more nauseous.

    The silence of an electric vehicle is also unusual. Most of us are used to hearing the engine running and feeling the vehicle’s rumble as it moves. The silence in an electric vehicle removes these prompts, and likely further confuses our brain, making motion sickness worse.

    Interestingly, when an electric vehicle is put into autonomous (self-driving) mode, the driver becomes just as susceptible to motion sickness as the passengers.

    What helps motion sickness?

    For some people it never goes away, and they remain susceptible to motion sickness for life.

    But there are ways to manage symptoms, for example, avoiding travelling in bad weather, looking out the window and focusing on stable points (such as the aeroplane wing during a flight) or a distant stationary object (such as the horizon). This reduces conflicting signals in your brain.

    It may also help to:

    Medicines can help. Your doctor or pharmacist can recommend a variety of over-the-counter medications, such as antihistamines, which may help alleviate symptoms.

    Some people find alternative treatments helpful, including ginger, anti-nausea wrist bands (sea-bands or pressure bands). However we still don’t have enough consistent scientific evidence to endorse these remedies.

    There are longer-term options such as prescription medications and skin patches. However, many have potential side effects, so you should discuss these with a health professional.

    Not all of these medications will be suitable for children. However, there are some options which may help alleviate serious cases, and these can be talked through with your family GP.

    Does it ever go away?

    Sometimes, repeated exposure to the activity (called habituation) can help reduce motion sickness. The ancient Romans and Greeks reported the more experienced a sailor became, the less prone they were to sea sickness.

    While inconvenient, motion sickness may also have some evolutionary advantages. It’s thought species prone to motion sickness (including humans, fish, dogs, cats, mice and horses) avoid dangerous patches of rough water or high windy branches.

    We’re safest when firmly on land and not moving at all. Perhaps motion sickness is simply one way that our body works to keep us out of harm’s way.

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

    – ref. Here’s why some people suffer from motion sickness – and which remedies actually work – https://theconversation.com/heres-why-some-people-suffer-from-motion-sickness-and-which-remedies-actually-work-258065

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 24, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 24, 2025.

    Calls for New Zealand to denounce United States attack on Iran
    By Lillian Hanly, RNZ News political reporter Prominent lawyers are joining opposition parties as they call for the New Zealand government to denounce the United States attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iranian New Zealander and lawyer Arman Askarany said the New Zealand government was showing “indifference”. It comes as acting Prime Minister David Seymour told

    Warm-ups, layered clothes, recovery: 4 tips to exercise safely in the cold
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Harry Banyard, Senior Lecturer in Exercise and Sports Science, Swinburne University of Technology Maridav/Shutterstock Temperatures have dropped in many parts of Australia which means runners, cyclists, rowers, hikers, or anyone physically active outside need to take extra precautions to stay safe and exercise in relative comfort. Cold

    Sharks freeze when you turn them upside down – and there’s no good reason why
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodie L. Rummer, Professor of Marine Biology, James Cook University Rachel Moore Imagine watching your favourite nature documentary. The predator lunges rapidly from its hiding place, jaws wide open, and the prey … suddenly goes limp. It looks dead. For some animals, this freeze response – called

    Drone footage captured orcas crafting tools out of kelp – and using them for grooming
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanessa Pirotta, Postdoctoral Researcher and Wildlife Scientist, Macquarie University Sara Jenkins/500px/Getty The more we learn about orcas, the more remarkable they are. These giant dolphins are the ocean’s true apex predator, preying on great white sharks and other lesser predators. They’re very intelligent and highly social. Their

    Inaccurate and misogynistic: why we need to make the term ‘hysterectomy’ history
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Theresa Larkin, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, University of Wollongong Panuwat Dangsungnoen/Getty Images Have you had a tonsillectomy (your tonsils taken out), appendectomy (your appendix removed) or lumpectomy (removal of a lump from your breast)? The suffix “ectomy” denotes surgical removal of the named body part, so

    More women are using medical cannabis – but new research shows barriers push some into illegal markets
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vinuli Withanarachchie, PhD candidate, College of Health, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images The number of women using medicinal cannabis is growing in New Zealand and overseas. They use cannabis treatment for general conditions such as pain, anxiety, inflammation and nausea, as well as

    It’s time to face an uncomfortable truth: maybe our pampered pets would be better off without us
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nancy Cushing, Associate professor, University of Newcastle ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images Pet-keeping is often promoted for the benefits it brings humans. A close association with another animal can provide us with a sense of purpose and a daily dose of joy. It can aid our health,

    Work, wages and apprenticeships: sifting for clues about the lives of girls in ancient Egypt
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julia Hamilton, Lecturer in History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Weavers in the Tomb of Khnumhotep II, Beni Hassan, Egypt. Painted by Norman de Garis Davies (MMA 33.8.16) We know surprisingly little about the lives of children in ancient Egypt. And what records we do have about them

    Archetyp was one of the dark web’s biggest drug markets. A global sting has shut it down
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elena Morgenthaler, PhD Candidate, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University Operation Deep Sentinel Last week, one of the dark web’s most prominent drug marketplaces – Archetyp – was shut down in an international, multi-agency law enforcement operation following years of investigations. It was touted as

    How do sleep trackers work, and are they worth it? A sleep scientist breaks it down
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dean J. Miller, Senior Lecturer, Appleton Institute, HealthWise Research Group, CQUniversity Australia Many smartwatches, fitness and wellness trackers now offer sleep tracking among their many functions. Wear your watch or ring to bed, and you’ll wake up to a detailed sleep report telling you not just how

    ‘It feels like I am being forced to harm a child’: research shows how teachers are suffering moral injury
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenys Oberg, PhD candidate in education and trauma, The University of Queensland SolStock/Getty Images Australia is in the grip of a teacher shortage. Teachers are burning out, warning the job is no longer sustainable and leaving the profession. We know this is due to excessive workloads, stress

    NZ Greens call on state to condemn US over ‘dangerous’ attack on Iran
    Asia Pacific Report New Zealand’s opposition Green Party has called on the government to condemn the United States for its illegal bombing of Iran and inflaming tensions across the Middle East. “The actions of the United States pose a fundamental threat to world peace,” said Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson in a statement. “The rest

    View from the Hill: Albanese supports US bombing, reluctantly
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong went out on Monday to back the United States attack on Iran, it was obvious their support was through gritted teeth. Albanese told their joint news conference: “The world has

    Woodside’s North West Shelf gas extension is being challenged in the courts. Could it be stopped?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Hepburn, Professor, Deakin Law School, Deakin University The controversial extension of Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project off Western Australia faces two legal challenges. Both raise significant concerns about the validity of government approvals. One could even seek an injunction, preventing federal environment minister Murray Watt

    Australian CEOs are still getting their bonuses. Performance doesn’t seem to matter so much
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Denniss, Adjunct Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University RomanR/Shutterstock Almost all of Australia’s top chief executives are, according to their boards at least, knocking it out of the park in terms of performance. That is despite sluggish productivity, persistently high carbon emissions, rising

    Strait of Hormuz: closing vital oil and gas route would disrupt global supplies. How will Australia be affected?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sanjoy Paul, Associate Professor in Operations and Supply Chain Management, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney Below the Sky/Shutterstock The Iranian parliament has approved the closure of key shipping route the Strait of Hormuz, in a move that could further escalate the Israel/Iran war. The strait

    MIT researchers say using ChatGPT can rot your brain. The truth is a little more complicated
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vitomir Kovanovic, Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning (C3L), Education Futures, University of South Australia Rroselavy / Shutterstock Since ChatGPT appeared almost three years ago, the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on learning has been widely debated. Are

    Why the US strikes on Iran are illegal and can set a troubling precedent
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University After the United States bombed Iran’s three nuclear facilities on Sunday, US President Donald Trump said its objective was a “stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror”. US Defence Secretary

    How do I get started in the gym lifting weights?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mandy Hagstrom, Senior Lecturer, Exercise Physiology. School of Health Sciences, UNSW Sydney Thomas Barwick/Getty So you’ve never been to a gym and are keen to start, but something’s holding you back. Perhaps you don’t know what to actually do in there or feel like you’ll just look

    NZ’s plan to ‘welcome anyone, from anywhere, anytime’ is not a sustainable tourism policy
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Regina Scheyvens, Professor of Development Studies, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images Attracting more Chinese tourists to New Zealand, including during the off-season, was a major part of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s trade agenda during his visit to China last week. As Tourism Minister

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Watch out for ruru/morepork

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    Date:  24 June 2025

    One of the injured ruru which was found on the side of the road in Greymouth in mid-May has just been released after a spell recovering at the South Island Wildlife Hospital.

    “Usha” was found by a member of the public who used a towel to gently pick her up when she saw the ruru sitting on the ground unable to fly away.

    The bird was initially cared for by Cassie Mealey, a DOC Senior Technical Advisor who rehabilitates native birds in her spare time (under an appropriate Wildlife Act authority).

    After a few days of recovery and care Air NZ flew her across to the South Island Wildlife Hospital in Christchurch to see wildlife vet, Pauline Howard.

    The little ruru had x-rays that showed a fractured coracoid (a deep chest bone that helps stabilize flight muscles). This was likely the result of a vehicle hitting her. Treatment included pain relief, cage rest and fluids. Pauline said, “Usha was a model patient, and she had an uncomplicated recovery.”

    Once the fracture was stabilised and Usha had “rehab flight training”, Air NZ flew her back and Cassie released her into the wild near to where she was found.

    Cassie has had five ruru in her care throughout May, most with fractures from suspected vehicle strikes, and some with suspected secondary poisoning from mice that have eaten poison brodificaum bait used by households to control rats and mice.

    Chris Hickford, Greymouth DOC Operations Manager, says the work Cassie and the South Island Wildlife Hospital do to care and rehabilitate injured birds is really appreciated.

    “DOC can’t look after every bird, so we rely on a network of individuals and organisations nationwide who donate their time to do this work,” Chris says.

    Cassie says people are seeing more ruru in their back yards.

    “It is likely that the cooler weather and mice boom at this time of year that has driven them into urban areas where there is more food such as moths around streetlights and mice around houses and compost bins,” she says.

    After dark, ruru are attracted to streetlights, where they hunt moths attracted to the bright lights. They commonly fly into the sides of buildings or are hit by cars.

    “People can help protect ruru by maintaining old trees, as they like to nest in tree cavities instead of on the ground where they are more vulnerable. You can also build nest boxes, and place them in trees,” Cassie says.

    “Using traps instead of poison to control mice and rats also helps to protect the ruru population,” she says.

    If you see sick or injured ruru or other wildlife, call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Entire Senate Democratic Caucus Urge Leader Thune to Change Course on Proposed Cuts to Health Care and Food Assistance

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
     
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined every member of the Senate Democratic Caucus in calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to change course on Republicans’ plan to take health care and food assistance away from millions of Americans—including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and veterans—to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest.
    “If enacted, these cuts to food assistance and health care will mean widespread hardship for Americans, including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and veterans; irreversibly weaken state and local governments; and pull the rug out from under rural hospitals, nursing homes, community health centers, farmers, independent grocers, food banks, and so many others,” wrote the senators.
    “Just because the House has acted in this regard does not mean the U.S. Senate must make the same mistakes,” continued the senators. “Congress should be enacting policies that lower costs and make it easier for American families to thrive rather than raising the costs of food, health care, and other vital services.” 
    U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Dear Senator Thune:
    At a time when American families are struggling with the high prices of food, health care, housing, and other essentials, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that will raise costs even more by terminating health insurance for millions of Americans and taking food assistance from millions — all to provide tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporations.  
    If enacted, these cuts to food assistance and health care will mean widespread hardship for Americans, including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and veterans; irreversibly weaken state and local governments; and pull the rug out from under rural hospitals, nursing homes, community health centers, farmers, independent grocers, food banks, and so many others. Just because the House has acted in this regard does not mean the U.S. Senate must make the same mistakes. Congress should be enacting policies that lower costs and make it easier for American families to thrive rather than raising the costs of food, health care, and other vital services. 
    Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) guarantee access to affordable health care for millions of working and middle-class families across the country.  More than 80 million people are enrolled in Medicaid, while more than 24 million buy their own health insurance through the ACA Marketplaces. The nation’s uninsured rate has dropped to historic lows because of the health coverage and security afforded by these essential programs. The House-passed Republican reconciliation bill includes over $1 trillion in health care cuts, decimating Medicaid and dismantling the ACA. 
    The non-partisan, independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) finds the entirety of Republicans’ health care cuts will terminate health care coverage for 16 million people. These coverage losses are not without consequence. New analyses find more than 51,000 Americans will die as a result of the bill’s Medicaid cuts, which will also lead to the loss of 850,000 jobs. The Republican bill will increase costs for everyone and damage local economies; raise premiums and health care costs across markets; shutter rural hospitals and nursing homes; worsen unemployment from resulting job loss; and slam state budgets with new, unaffordable costs. 
    The House-passed bill includes the largest health care cuts in history. Its Medicaid policies will ensnare millions in red tape, making it impossible for them to enroll in coverage; increase premiums and cost-sharing for low-income seniors and families; and slash Medicaid payments to hospitals, community health centers, nursing homes, and other health care providers; among other draconian, harmful cuts. 
    The Republican bill’s underhanded cuts to the ACA will dismantle and destabilize the Marketplaces. A thicket of new red tape requirements will make it nearly impossible for working and middle-class Americans to access tax credits that make their premiums affordable and enroll in coverage through the Marketplaces. Republican cuts will more than double ACA premiums for tens of millions of Americans, putting coverage out of reach for small businesses, gig workers, family caregivers, and millions of others who buy their own health insurance through the Marketplaces. 
    The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the cornerstone of America’s anti-hunger efforts, helping to put food on the table for 42 million Americans, including nearly 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans. The effectiveness of SNAP has been shown time and again. SNAP reduces food insecurity and poverty; lowers health care costs; supports farmers, grocers and local economies; provides a long-term return on investment in our children and their future; and acts as an automatic economic stabilizer during times of weak economic conditions. 
    The House-passed reconciliation bill proposes nearly $300 billion in cuts to SNAP — the deepest cuts to food assistance in history. If enacted into law, CBO estimates that over 3 million Americans – including seniors, kids 7 or older, and families living in areas with a weak economy – will lose their food assistance entirely because of stricter eligibility requirements and red tape. Another 1.3 million Americans will lose SNAP entirely or have their benefits cut as a result of the provision requiring states to pay for a significant portion of SNAP — forcing states to choose between helping their residents afford groceries and funding education, public safety, investment in workforce and education, and other critical priorities. 
    Other provisions in the bill will reduce future benefits for tens of millions of additional Americans. In addition, hundreds of thousands of children will lose free and reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program. In total, tens of millions of Americans will see their grocery costs increase, and many will go hungry as a result.
    Just because the House has rushed to pass damaging policies that will raise costs and result in millions losing access to health care or food does not mean that it is too late for the Senate to change course. We urge you to set aside the House bill and instead work with us to lower costs and ensure all Americans can access the health care and food they need to survive.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: We Must Prioritize Patients’ Health Over Corporate Profits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – On Monday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Oz, delivered remarks during a press conference about the top bureaucratic obstacle facing doctors and patients: prior authorization in Medicare. He also applauded the Trump Administration for bringing all parties to the table to make healthcare more patient and provider-friendly for doctors, nurses, and patients alike.

    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full remarks
    Below is the full transcript as delivered:
    “Well, good afternoon, everybody. I want to say a special thanks to Secretary Kennedy and CMS Administrator Dr Oz, and especially President Trump, for inviting me to participate in today’s event to address the number one bureaucratic nightmare facing doctors and patients: prior authorization.
    “Now, long before I ran for Congress, I was a practicing OB-GYN for some 25 years, and I vividly remember a patient I once had scheduled for an infertility surgery. She’d taken time off work and arranged help at home, only to be told the morning of a procedure that her insurance company had added another step to the prior authorization process, abruptly canceling her surgery.
    “Now, whether you need a hip replacement or a heart catheterization, many patients feel their critical care has been delayed by an opaque and burdensome prior authorization process. It’s something I hear about all the time back home. Moreover, physicians and nurses complain that the process has become increasingly onerous because of constantly changing requirements, often demanding more time to navigate the red tape than to complete the pre-surgery medical workup.
    “Today, by having all the players in the room, we hope to see a commonsense solution to streamline and improve our healthcare system. We must prioritize patients’ health over corporate profits and arbitrary cost-cutting measures. For nearly my entire time in Congress, I fought to reform the prior authorization process and Medicare Advantage. Today’s event moves us closer to that goal, ensuring patients receive timely lifesaving and health-restoring care.
    “Again, I just look forward to working with Secretary Kennedy, Administrator Oz, and insurers together to overhaul this process. I’m going to continue to champion this fight in Congress and support their efforts. And again, I’m just proud to stand alongside President Trump’s A-team as we work to make healthcare more patient and provider-friendly for doctors, nurses, and patients alike.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Ngāti Pāoa health service Condemns Hate-Fuelled Actions at Destiny Church Protest

    Source: Ngāti Pāoa Health

    Ngāti Pāoa Health and social service, E Tipu E Rea (soon to be Ki Tua o Matariki) has publicly condemned the hate- fuelled actions at a recent Destiny Church protest. Over the weekend, on Saturday 21 June, disturbing scenes unfolded during a protest led by Brian Tāmaki and members of Destiny Church.

    This protest, which publicly denounced non-Christian religions, saw individuals dressed in traditional Māori attire- maro, taiaha in hand, and adorned with stencil moko-perform a haka intended to intimidate and shame other belief systems. Twelve flags were stomped on and set alight, among them the rainbow flag representing our LGBTQIA+ whānau.
    E Tipu E Rea, the health and social services arm of Ngāti Pāoa, firmly condemns these actions as a harmful and disgraceful misuse of cultural identity and a blatant act of hate speech.
    “We continue to speak out about this as we are extremely concerned for safety and mental wellbeing of young parents in our service who are part of the Takatāpui community and others across the motu. Our tikanga teaches us to uplift, to manaaki, and to protect the dignity of all people. What we witnessed was not a reflection of our tikanga, but a weaponisation of our culture to spread hate” said E Tipu E Rea CEO Zoe Witika Hawke.
    The health service offers a range of wrap around services in the first 2,000 days including midwifery, WCTO nursing, and mātauranga Māori to help whānau to connect with their reo, culture and whakapapa. However, the organisation disagrees with the use of Māori cultural expressions to target minority communities-including LGBTQIA+, Muslim, Buddhist, and other non-Christian groups and states that it is a gross distortion of what it means to be tangata whenua.
    “We do not support the divisive rhetoric or actions of Brian Tāmaki and his followers. Their protest represents a direct attack on the values of inclusion, aroha, and whakapapa that bind our diverse communities together,” said Witika- Hawke.
    E Tipu E Rea stands proudly alongside our LGBTQIA+ whānau, and in solidarity with Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and all other faiths and belief systems that are part of the vibrant fabric of Aotearoa. Our kaupapa is to uplift the mana of all young parents-especially in the face of stigma and discrimination-and we reject any narrative that seeks to elevate one identity at the expense of another.
    “We remind Aotearoa that Māori culture is not a tool of religious supremacy”.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Funding – Nurses need share of primary health care funding increase – NZNO

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    Increases in primary care funding announced today must be passed onto nurses to fix chronic staff shortages so New Zealanders can get in to see health care professionals faster, the Nurses Organisation Tōputanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says.
    The Government funds GP clinics based on the number of enrolled patients they have, regardless of the services they receive, through what’s called the capitation system.
    Health Minister Simeon Brown today announced capitation funding for this year is set to increase to 13.89%.
    NZNO College of Primary Care Nurses chair Tracey Morgan says nurses are urging primary care employers to pass this funding increase onto them via their wages, Tracey Morgan says.
    “This will help stem the flow of nurses out of primary care and into hospitals.
    “A skilled nursing workforce is desperately needed to keep care in the community, ensure vaccination targets are met, ease pressure on hospital emergency departments and prevent long term conditions worsening.
    “During collective agreement bargaining last year, primary care nurses were 16-18% behind their hospital-based colleagues in pay. The employers told the union that if the money was available, they would willingly pass it on to nurses.”
    Primary care nurses will receive a 3% increase in July through their collective agreement which also gave them a further 5% on ratification earlier this year, Tracey Morgan says.
    “However, this will still have them 10% behind hospital nurses with the same qualifications.
    “Simeon Brown says this funding boost is help patients see their doctor and nurse earlier. The ability to recruit and retain primary health nurses is vital to achieving this,” Tracey Morgan says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health and Government – Recognition of the GP workforce’s value to communities welcomed in funding announcement

    Source: Royal NZ College of General Practitioners

    Health Minister Hon Simeon Brown’s funding announcement prioritising patients’ health and recognising the crucial role of our specialist general practice workforce has been welcomed by The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.
    College President Dr Samantha Murton says, “Healthcare starts, and often

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Education – Whitireia Foundation scholarships enable study for nearly 900 students across 20+ years

    Source: Whitireia and WelTec

    Since its inception in 2002, the Whitireia Foundation has awarded scholarships to nearly 900 ākonga (students), supporting their journeys through tertiary study and into careers that make a meaningful impact in their communities.
    From nursing and paramedicine to construction, hospitality, IT and more, the Foundation’s impact spans a wide range of industries. More than half of all scholarship recipients have gone on to study in healthcare and social services, helping to fill essential roles in our communities.
    The annual Whitireia Foundation Scholarship Awards ceremony took place this month, celebrating ākonga who have received scholarships to support their study at Whitireia and WelTec in 2025. The event brought together ākonga, whānau, sponsors, Foundation trustees, staff and community leaders including Porirua Mayor Anita Baker and Ngāti Toa Rangatira Dr Te Taku Parai to acknowledge the achievements of this year’s recipients.
    Dr Leanne Ivil, Whitireia and WelTec Operations Lead and Director Teaching and Learning, says the Foundation plays a vital role in helping ākonga succeed.
    “Not only do these scholarships provide financial assistance, but they also give ākonga a sense of belonging, of being seen and supported. For many, the moment they realise that others believe in their future is a significant turning point.”
    Chair of the Whitireia Foundation, Kelvin Irvine, says the power of the scholarships lies in the connections they represent.
    “Education isn’t a solo journey. These awards reflect a wider community of sponsors, staff, mentors and whānau who come together to champion our ākonga. We’reincredibly proud to have supported nearly 900 ākonga to date, and we look forward to continuing that legacy.”
    Delia (Dee) Pahina-Kopa, a third-year Bachelor of Nursing Māori student, was awarded a Whitireia Foundation Scholarship sponsored by Tū Ora Compass Health for her second and third year of studies.
    “This scholarship has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders,” she says. ” It’s allowed me to focus fully on my learning and I’m incredibly grateful to the Whitireia Foundation and Tū Ora Compass Health for making that possible.”
    The Whitireia Foundation relies on the strong relationship between its trustees and sponsors who work together each year to support ākonga in their studies. Kelvin Irvine says sponsors come from a wide range of industries and their ongoing support reflects a shared commitment to helping ākonga succeed.
    “Many of our sponsors have supported the Foundation for years, while others have come on board more recently. What they all have in common is a belief in the value of education and a commitment to invest in the future of our young people and communities,” says Kelvin.
    This year’s scholarships will support students across a range of programmes at Whitireia and WelTec, including nursing, social work, IT, business, construction, creativity, hospitality and trades.
    The Whitireia Foundation, a volunteer-run Charity, aims to promote knowledge, interest and support for the educational activities of Whitireia and WelTec ākonga. The Whitireia Foundation would like to acknowledge the generous support of 2025 sponsors:
    – Alpha NZ
    – Aspiring Wallpaper Ltd
    – Britton House Movers Ltd
    – Dr Sally Hasell
    – Focus Projects Ltd
    – Ford Sumner Lawyers
    – Foster + Melville Architects
    – Gee & Hickton Funeral Directors
    – Geraldine Lyndhurst
    – Graduate Women Wellington
    – J A Russell Ltd
    – James and Janet Goggin
    – Kirk-Burnnand Family
    – Maude Legal
    – Montage NZ
    – Ngāti Toa Rangatira
    – Nikau Foundation
    – P & M Waite
    – Porirua City Council
    – Red Wolf  Security
    – Tanya and Neil Macdonald
    – The Y Foundation (YMCA)
    – Tu Ora Compass Health
    – Whitireia Foundation

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Cracking the code of early onset bowel cancer: the search for 10 key biomarkers

    Source:

    24 June 2025

    Bowel cancer is no longer just a disease of the elderly. In Australia and around the world, there’s been a concerning rise in bowel cancer cases among people under 50, and no one yet knows exactly why.

    Leading cancer researcher Professor Michael Samuel – from the Centre for Cancer Biology based at the University of South Australia and the Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research – is at the forefront of a major effort to find answers.

    Backed by a $573,833 grant from Bowel Cancer Australia through Cancer Australia, his team has launched a three-year research project to uncover why younger people are increasingly affected and why a significant number of patients relapse after treatment.

    “We’ve come a long way in the fight against bowel cancer,” Professor Samuel explains. “Thanks to better screening, fewer people are dying from it. But early-onset cases are growing, and that’s a mystery we urgently need to solve.”

    Recent statistics from the University of Melbourne show that someone born in 1990 is up to three times more likely to be diagnosed with bowel cancer than someone born in 1950.

    And the challenge doesn’t end with diagnosis.

    About one-third of patients who have their bowel cancer surgically removed later see the cancer return, but there’s currently no way to predict who’s at risk. In people under 50 diagnosed with cancer, the relapse rate is closer to 50%.

    “That means that some people are going through intense monitoring and therapy that they might not need, while others who opt out may end up facing a relapse that could have been prevented,” says Professor Samuel. “It’s not good enough. We need tools to predict, prevent, and personalise treatment.”

    This is where the team’s breakthrough focus comes in: 10 key biomarkers. These biomarkers (chemicals produced by tumours) are being investigated as potential indicators of both the risk of developing early-onset bowel cancer and the likelihood of a recurrence.

    Over the past 12 months, Professor Samuel’s team has worked intensively to lay the groundwork for this biomarker research. Their goal is to use what they learn to:

    • Identify people at higher risk of early-onset bowel cancer
    • Predict which patients are likely to experience a relapse
    • Help guide more accurate and personalised treatment plans
    • Reduce unnecessary treatments and the side effects they bring.

    Bowel Cancer Australia CEO Julien Wiggins says the risk of being diagnosed before age 40 has more than doubled since 2000, and 1-in-9 new bowel cancer cases now occur in people under age 50.

    “We need to know the “why” around the substantial increase in younger people getting bowel cancer,” he says. “Investing in innovative and collaborative research across all aspects of early-onset bowel cancer has the potential to improve survival and/or help build a path toward a cure.”

    With the investigation into the 10 biomarkers now fully underway, this research offers hope for earlier detection, smarter treatment, and ultimately, better outcomes for bowel cancer patients of all ages.

    This research project is a collaboration of the UniSA’s and SA Pathology’s Centre for Cancer Biology, the Central Adelaide Local Health Network’s (CALHN) and the Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research.

    Professor Samuel discusses the project in this video.

    For more information, please visit: https://www.centreforcancerbiology.org.au/research/tumour-microenvironment-laboratory/

    June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contacts for interview

    Researcher contact: Professor Michael Samuel E: michael.samuel@unisa.edu.au

    Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LEADER JEFFRIES: “DONALD TRUMP AND EXTREME MAGA REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

    Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference where he criticized the Rubber Stamp Republicans for not standing up for the American people while Donald Trump unleashes chaos, cruelty and corruption. 

    LEADER JEFFRIES: Good afternoon, everyone. The Trump administration continues to unleash chaos, cruelty and corruption on the American people. Donald Trump and extreme MAGA Republicans have been a complete and total failure domestically and internationally. Donald Trump promised that on day one of his presidency, he would end the war in Ukraine. He promised on day one of his presidency, he would free the hostages to bring about peace in the Middle East. And Donald Trump promised that on day one of his presidency, costs would go down in the United States of America. None of it has happened. Instead, costs in the United States of America aren’t going down, they’re going up. Donald Trump and extreme MAGA Republicans are crashing the economy in real time and driving us toward a possible recession. Donald Trump and House Republicans have not done a single thing to lower the high cost of living in the United States of America. Not a single thing. Instead, Republicans are trying to jam this One Big, Ugly Bill down the throats of the American people.

    The GOP Tax Scam represents the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. It’s an all-out assault on the healthcare of the American people. Children, families, people with disabilities, seniors, veterans will all be hurt by the GOP Tax Scam. Premiums, copays and deductibles will go up for tens of millions of Americans. Hospitals will close. Nursing homes will shut down. Community-based health clinics will be unable to operate, and because more than 16 or so million people in America will lose their healthcare, people in this country will die. That’s what Republican governance has brought to the United States of America. The GOP Tax Scam will also cut nutritional assistance from the American people. Children and seniors and older Americans will literally have food ripped away from them. And this all-out assault on healthcare, this all-out assault on nutritional assistance, is being done by Republicans so they can provide their billionaire donors with massive tax breaks that they don’t need and don’t deserve. The one big, ugly Republican bill will hurt everyday Americans in order to reward billionaires.

    At the same time, Donald Trump and his actions—which do not appear to be consistent with the United States Constitution—takes unilateral offensive military action without seeking the approval of the United States Congress. The use of military force, which is offensive in nature, must be approved by the House and the Senate. That’s according to the Constitution. It’s not optional, Donald. It’s not. The framers of the Constitution actually gave Congress the power to declare war for a reason. So the American people, through their elected representatives, would have the opportunity to debate the issue and make some decisions as it relates to what’s in the best interest and the national security of the American people. Donald Trump and the administration chose to ignore the Constitution. And so they’re going to have to come before Congress and explain their justification for an offensive military strike against Iran.

    Yes, we can never allow Iran to become a nuclear power. And of course, Israel has the right to defend itself, and we’ll support Israel’s security in an ironclad manner. But the Trump administration intentionally decided to ignore the aggressive diplomacy that was available to it, to try to address the Iranian nuclear threat and ignore the requirements of the Constitution, and now they’ve got to explain why. And we expect that justification, not just at the classified briefing behind closed doors tomorrow, but we expect them to explain to the American people the basis of the strike. What were the results in terms of actually thwarting Iran’s capacity to become a nuclear power? And what are the Trump administration’s plans to avoid another potentially disastrous war in the Middle East, with thousands of American lives are potentially at risk? What is your plan to avoid another foreign war, a promise you made, a promise that Donald Trump made to the American people last year? And just like every other major promise that he made on the campaign trail, he’s failed to keep.

    Full press conference can be watched here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Changes for prescribing ADHD medications

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey has welcomed prescribing changes that will enable GPs and nurse practitioners to diagnose and treat adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

    “I applaud Pharmac and Medsafe’s decision to widen prescribing rules for ADHD medicines from next February, this decision will give New Zealanders faster access to assessments and treatment,” Mr Doocey says.

    “This is a common-sense change that will make a meaningful difference in many lives of New Zealanders. I have heard stories of many people with ADHD who have been unable to get a diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner because of long wait items and costs associated with seeing a specialist.”

    Currently, GPs and nurse practitioners can only prescribe ADHD medicines to patients with a written recommendation from a paediatrician or psychiatrist, or after someone has already been diagnosed and had their first prescription.

    “This is a great step forward for timely access to support and for system efficiency. A number of our GPs and nurse practitioners are already working closely with psychiatrists to treat ADHD, so they already have the skills to manage this work,” Mr Doocey says.

    “It is still crucial that we balance risks. The Ministry of Health is working with sector representatives to develop a clinical principles framework for the assessment and treatment of ADHD. This will ensure there is quality and consistency for supporting patients with ADHD in New Zealand.

    “I want to acknowledge the many advocates with lived experience and others who have spent years advocating for this change. This decision is based on the recommendations received from both healthcare practitioners and patients.

    “We have heard your feedback loud and clear, and we know the positive impact this decision will have on many people’s ability to access what is often life-changing medicines.”

    This change is only one in a suite of measures to increase access to ADHD medicines. Last year, Pharmac also removed the requirement for funded access to stimulant medicines to be renewed every two years and is funding a new ADHD medicine, lisdexamfetamine.

    Note to editors:

    • Health agencies will be working closely with health sector groups over the next few months to support these changes. Not all GPs and nurse practitioners will be equipped to carry out this work immediately after the regulatory changes come into effect.
    • For younger people under 18, this change will allow nurse practitioners working within a multidisciplinary setting as part of paediatric or child and adolescent mental health services to diagnose and start treatment for ADHD.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: GPs and nurse practitioners able to start ADHD treatment from next year

    Source: PHARMAC

    From February 2026, general practitioners (GPs) and nurse practitioners will be able to start medical treatment for adults with ADHD, following decisions by Medsafe and Pharmac.

    This is a change to the current system, under which GPs and nurse practitioners can only prescribe ADHD stimulant medicines to patients on a written recommendation from a paediatrician or psychiatrist, or after someone has already been diagnosed with ADHD and given a first prescription. 

    Pharmac’s Acting Director Advice and Assessment, Catherine Epps says the new rules, which come into effect in February 2026, will mean that over time, more GPs and nurse practitioners will be able to diagnose and start adults on treatment for ADHD. For children and adolescents, who currently require input from a paediatrician or psychiatrist to initiate medical treatment for ADHD, the changes will allow nurse practitioners, working within child health or mental health services, to diagnose and start treatment for ADHD.

    “The decision, which is based on feedback from psychiatrists, paediatricians, GPs, nurse practitioners and patients, is one of many changes we are making to increase access to ADHD medicines. It follows our decision last year to remove the two-yearly renewal criteria for these medicines, making it easier to access ongoing treatment,” says Epps.

    Medsafe Group Manager Chris James says the change draws on the skills of GPs and nurse practitioners to improve access to ADHD treatment for the public.

    “We have a workforce of highly experienced general practitioners and nurse practitioners, a number of whom are already working closely with specialists to treat patients with ADHD. Implementing this change will mean they can do this work more quickly and efficiently without needing to wait for approval from a specialist.

    “It’s important we ensure a high quality of ADHD assessment, and that people can expect to receive appropriate care and support. We have been working closely with sector representatives to develop a clinical framework which will set out principles for diagnosing and treating ADHD, including the appropriate clinical care required of healthcare practitioners,” says Chris James.

    Earlier this year, Medsafe and Pharmac asked for feedback on the proposal to change the regulatory and funding restrictions for stimulant treatments for ADHD. More than 940 people and organisations responded to the consultation.

    Overall, most of the feedback was supportive. People explained how this decision will improve access to diagnosis and treatment for people with ADHD.

    Some were concerned about the supply issues affecting methylphenidate, and the impact this decision would have on it.

    To respond to these concerns, health agencies have delayed the implementation date of the decision. It will now come into effect in February 2026, rather than July 2025.

    This will also allow more time for more GP and nurse practitioners to develop further clinical expertise to begin assessing adults for ADHD and initiating their treatment.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greater security delivered for the British people with record billion-pound investment in new national biosecurity centre

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Greater security delivered for the British people with record billion-pound investment in new national biosecurity centre

    Huge investment in new National Biosecurity Centre to protect the British public and the economy from future pandemics.

    The country’s ability to prevent a future pandemic has been significantly enhanced today (Tuesday 24th June) with the announcement of a £1 billion investment in a new National Biosecurity Centre.

    This funding will deliver the next phase of a new National Biosecurity Centre – a cutting-edge scientific campus in Surrey that will serve as the UK’s foremost animal biosecurity facility.

    The investment is one part of the new National Security Strategy, to be published today, which marks a step change in this country’s approach to securing British interests whilst also creating jobs, wages, and growth for the British people as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

    Animal disease outbreaks represent a serious and increasing risk to public health, food security, and the UK economy. Approximately 60% of all known human infectious diseases are zoonotic, meaning they can be transmitted from animals to humans. Furthermore, about 75% of emerging infectious diseases originate in animals, making the fight against these diseases about human health and security too.

    Without strong and modernised biosecurity infrastructure, disease incursions could severely impact our farmers, agricultural production, devastate rural communities and disrupt key supply chains. The export of livestock, meat and meat products, dairy and animal by-products is worth £16 billion per year alone to the UK economy.

    The funding will now enhance the country’s detection, surveillance and control capabilities for high-risk animal diseases such as avian influenza, foot and mouth disease and African swine fever, whilst enhancing our ability to manage concurrent disease outbreaks.

    Environment Secretary Steve Reed said:

    The first role of any Government is national security.

    That is why we are making a record investment into the nation’s biosecurity capabilities, and in turn our national security, after years of chronic underfunding.

    Farmers and food producers will now be better protected from diseases, our food security strengthened, and public health better safeguarded against future pandemics. This government is getting on with delivering on our Plan for Change.

    The new National Biosecurity Centre will play an essential role in addressing the full range of biological threats we face, including from hostile nations, and will ensure that the UK retains the scientific capability, infrastructure and expertise needed to lead international efforts to identify, manage, and mitigate disease threats in the years ahead.

    The high containment laboratories for animal health, run by the Animal & Plant Health Agency at Weybridge in Surrey, urgently need renewal to handle escalating disease risks, which are growing in the face of our changing climate. The Government inherited laboratories in poor condition with their long-term future in doubt and the country facing increased risk without action.

    The new facility will join a network of national centres set up by the Cabinet Office under the UK Biological Security Strategy and announced in the National Security Strategy. This new network of government laboratories provides a sovereign capability that keeps the public safe and is essential to responding to biological security risks.

    The network will strengthen and formalise existing collaborations between the UK Health Security Agency, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. It will ensure we are better prepared for a crisis, can respond more effectively when an incident does happen and deliver a more holistic approach to biological research.

    Jenny Stewart, Senior Science Director at the Animal and Plant Health Agency, said:

    This funding is a vital milestone in the delivery of a world-leading facility that will protect the UK from animal disease threats for decades to come.

    Our scientists and specialists at Weybridge are at the heart of the UK’s disease surveillance and response capability and provide a global centre of expertise.

    Investment on this scale will enable them to continue their critical work in modern, fit-for-purpose facilities, supported by the very latest technologies.

    Preparatory work at the Weybridge site is already underway. Planning Consent has been secured, and a contractor has been appointed to build the main new facilities. The first interim labs to support critical science while we transform the site will be ready in 2027 and 2028. The main construction works start in 2027, with the full NBC live and operational in 2033/34.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Government honours exceptional exporters with Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    UK Government honours exceptional exporters with Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards

    Twelve exceptional UK-based SMEs have been named today as winners of the Department for Business and Trade’s 2025 Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards.

    • Twelve SMEs announced as winners of the 2025 Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards 
    • Now in their third year, the awards celebrate outstanding small businesses achieving exporting success 
    • Winning entries highlight the UK’s strength in sustainability and AI innovation 

    From ethical metal recycling to AI-driven edtech and digital identity, twelve exceptional UK-based SMEs have been named today as winners of the Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) 2025 Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards. 

    Now in their third year, the awards celebrate the international growth of the UK’s most dynamic small businesses. While the awards naturally reflect the sectoral diversity of British innovation, this year’s winners signal a global appetite for UK leadership in two high-growth areas: sustainability and artificial intelligence. From Osbit’s offshore wind infrastructure to Twin Science’s gamified climate action kits and ubloquity’s AI-enhanced trade platform, British SMEs are exporting solutions to tackle some of the world’s most urgent challenges. 

    Gareth Thomas, Minister for Services, Small Businesses and Exports, said: 

    The innovation and entrepreneurship shown by the businesses entering the Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards demonstrate the best of British business. 

    When small businesses export, the whole economy benefits. By celebrating the outstanding international trade achievements of UK SMEs, we hope to encourage more businesses to get on the exporting ladder and take the best of Britain to markets around the world.   

    This year’s winners were chosen from hundreds of entries across 12 sector-focused categories, including two new areas—Digital & Technology and Export Services—introduced to reflect evolving global opportunities. Each category includes one winner and up to three highly commended businesses. 

    In the Digital & Technology category, Porotech stood out for its AR and AI-powered wearables, with 90% of revenue from exports and partnerships with Amazon, Microsoft and Foxconn. Twin Science & Robotics, winner in Education & EdTech, exports to over 40 countries and has seen 70% annual revenue growth through its STEM kits focused on AI, robotics and climate literacy. 

    Sustainability also remains a major theme across the winners. Osbit, winner in Low Carbon Energy, delivers mission-critical offshore wind technology, with 65% of revenue from exports. Meanwhile, Avon Specialty Metals, recognised in Advanced Manufacturing & Construction, recycles high-performance metals and alloys and has grown international sales by 192% over three years. 

    Winners like Gerald McDonald & Company (Agriculture, Food & Drink) and LIMB-art (Healthcare) underscore the global demand for British-made, high-quality products. From innovative prosthetics to premium fruit derivatives, these SMEs prove that exporting drives resilience, expansion and innovation. 

    This year’s winners will receive a bespoke promotional package, including a one-year membership to the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade, a working capital masterclass with Lloyds Bank, an invitation to the winners’ reception in London, professional photography of their business, bespoke promotion on DBT channels and a digital badge, certificate and trophy to commemorate their achievements. 

    By creating jobs, driving innovation and exporting world-class British products and services, these businesses are making a vital contribution to the Government’s mission to go further and faster for economic growth as part of its Plan for Change.  

    A key part of this mission is supporting SMEs to grow, scale and enter global markets—recognising that when more businesses trade internationally, the entire UK economy benefits. Exporting supports a fifth of UK employment1, paying on average 7% higher wages2 and delivering 21% higher productivity for goods exporters3. 

    To help achieve its mission, the Government recently revamped the Board of Trade to boost SME exports and will soon launch its Trade Strategy. This will set out its approach to maximising export opportunities, including those arising from recently signed agreements with India, the US and the EU. 

    For free help selling to the world, visit business.gov.uk 

    2025 Winners of the Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards: 

    • Advanced Manufacturing & Construction – Avon Specialty Metals (Gloucester): Selling to 20+ countries with exporting accounting for 31% of revenue from sustainable alloy/metal recycling and AI-driven processing 

    • Agriculture, Food & Drink – Gerald McDonald and Company Ltd (Basildon, Essex): World’s largest supplier of premium Japanese yuzu juice, exporting to 4 continents 

    • Consultancy & Professional Services – Champions Speakers (Loughborough): Exporting to 66 countries, 122% growth in two years 

    • Creative Industries – Luminous Show Technology (Exeter): Special effects hardware used in Harry Potter and the Commonwealth Games, with 35% export revenue 

    • Digital & Technology – Porotech (Cambridge): 90% export revenue; cutting-edge AR and AI display tech 

    • Education & EdTech – Twin Science & Robotics Ltd (London): STEM tools used in 40+ countries, 93% export revenue 

    • Financial Services & FinTech – Ozone Financial Technology Ltd (London): Exports to 15 countries; 77% of revenue from international markets 

    • Healthcare – LIMB-art (Conwy, Wales): Stylish prosthetics sold in 10 countries; 30% of revenue from exports 

    • Infrastructure & Engineering – Maritime Developments Limited (Aberdeen): 92% export revenue from offshore energy tech 

    • Low Carbon Energy – Osbit (Riding Mill, Northumberland): Bespoke offshore wind equipment exported to 9 countries 

    • Retail & Consumer Goods – Jenolite UK Ltd (Biggleswade, Bedfordshire): Iconic rust removal brand exporting to 50+ countries, with £2.9M in export revenue 

    • Export Services – ubloquity (Scarva, Northern Ireland): AI, blockchain and digital identity solutions empowering businesses to scale globally  

    2025 Highly Commended Businesses: 

    • Advanced Manufacturing & Construction – Bespoke Stairlifts (Huddersfield), Delta-Xero Distribution Ltd (Fareham), John King Chains (Leeds) 

    • Agriculture, Food & Drink – Evenproducts Ltd (Evesham), PBS International (Crawley), Nourished (Birmingham) 

    • Consultancy & Professional Services – Jean Edwards Consulting (Brighton), Landell Mills (Wiltshire), The Config Team (Cumbria) 

    • Creative Industries – Jesmonite (Shropshire), Rainbow Productions (London), Wild Creations (Cardiff) 

    • Digital & Technology – Hitomi Broadcast (Maidenhead), iLivestock (Dunfermline), uqudo (Manchester) 

    • Education & EdTech – Alphablocks (London), Learning Resource Network (London), Lincoln College (Lincoln) 

    • Financial Services & FinTech – Bueno Europe (Birmingham), Hoptroff (London) 

    • Healthcare – Black Space Technology (Birmingham), Birmingham Biotech (Birmingham), Novocuris (London) 

    • Infrastructure & Engineering – Rosehill Polymers (West Yorkshire), Direct Access (Nantwich), Atmos International (Manchester) 

    • Low Carbon Energy – Munro Vehicles (Glasgow) 

    • Retail & Consumer Goods – RSscan Lab (Ipswich), Dr.PAWPAW (London), The British Hamper Company (Lincoln) 

    • Export Services – Intralink (Oxford), Abex Infoway Europe Ltd (London)

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Torres Calls for Federal and State Labor Agencies to Protect Inland Empire Warehouse Workers from Dangerous Indoor Heat

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    June 23, 2025

    Urges Inspections and Finalization of Federal Strong Heat Protection Standards Amid Rising Temperatures

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Norma Torres sent a letter to Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer of the U.S. Department of Labor and Secretary Stewart Knox of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency, urging immediate and comprehensive measures to safeguard warehouse workers in the Inland Empire from dangerous heat conditions as summer temperatures soar.

    The Inland Empire serves as a critical logistics hub—handling nearly 40 percent of America’s imported goods—supporting approximately 200,000 transportation and warehousing jobs. Recent years have seen record-breaking heat waves with outdoor temperatures exceeding 110°F and indoor warehouse temperatures reaching 89°F, posing significant health risks to workers. This year, the Inland Empire experienced temperatures of nearly 100°F before Memorial Day, and last week, the region was under a heat advisory.

    “Inland Empire warehouse workers are the backbone of our supply chain and economy,” said Congresswoman Torres. “They deserve protection from extreme heat with access to water, fans, and adequate training to prevent heat-related illnesses. Frequent and thorough inspections are critical to ensuring that important heat-related workplace requirements are adhered to and workers’ rights are protected.”

    For the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency, its Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) on July 24, 2024, finalized California’s Indoor Heat Illness Prevention regulation, which mandates safety measures when indoor temperatures reach 82°F. Rep. Torres applauded this action but called for ongoing reminders to employers and increased inspection frequency during heat waves.

    For the U.S. Department of Labor, Rep. Torres urges their Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to promptly finalize its proposed rule on “Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings,” published last year in August, to establish strong, enforceable protections for workers nationwide.

    The letter requests details from both agencies outlining their comprehensive plans for inspections, including training, information and equipment provided to workers during the summer, along with a post-summer report or briefing on:

    • Lessons learned from inspection efforts and their effectiveness.

    • The working conditions and job impacts on the hottest summer days.

    • Recommendations for employers and steps taken to address violations.

    “Protecting our workers from indoor heat hazards is not just a safety issue—it is a matter of fairness and respect for those who keep our economy moving,” added Congresswoman Torres. “As summers grow hotter, we must act decisively to prevent heat illnesses and fatalities in our warehouses.”

    Full letter

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Young Kim Bill to Support Taiwan in IMF Passes House

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)

    Washington, DC – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 910), a bipartisan bill led by U.S. Representatives Young Kim (CA-40) and Al Green (TX-09) to support Taiwan’s participation in the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  

    Watch Rep. Kim speak in support of the bill HERE. 

    “Taiwan – the 21st largest economy in the world and producer of 90 percent of the world’s advanced semiconductor chip supply – doesn’t just deserve a seat at the table at the IMF. The free world needs Taiwan at the IMF,” said Congresswoman Young Kim. “We cannot be complicit as international organizations cede leverage to Beijing and silence Taiwan’s voice. I thank my colleagues for joining me to support Taiwan’s participation in the IMF, and I will keep fighting to get this to President Trump’s desk.”  

    Congressman Al Green stated, “I am pleased to partner once more with Representative Kim on H.R. 910, the Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act. This common sense, bipartisan measure furthers the long-term interests of both Taiwan and the U.S. by supporting Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to participate in the International Monetary Fund, and other international financial institutions. Taiwan’s expertise developing one of the largest and most complex economies in the world would bring a valuable perspective to multilateral economic organizations. This legislation passed the House of Representatives last Congress, and I am pleased to see it do so once again in this Congress.” 

    The Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 910) would ensure the U.S. governor of the IMF advocates for:    

    • Taiwan’s admission into the IMF as a member;   
    • Taiwan’s participation in the IMF’s regular surveillance activities relating to Taiwan’s economic and financial policies;    
    • Employment opportunities at the IMF for Taiwan nationals; and,   
    • Taiwan’s ability to receive IMF technical assistance and training.    

    Senate companion legislation has been introduced by Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI). 

    Reps. Kim and Green introduced similar legislation in the 118th Congress that passed the House in January 2024.  

    In the 117th Congress, Rep. Kim led a bipartisan bill, which became law in May 2022, to restore Taiwan’s observer status in the World Health Organization and World Health Assembly.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Announces Appointments to St. Louis City Board of Police Commissioners

    Source: US State of Missouri

    JUNE 23, 2025

    Jefferson City — Today, at a press conference in St. Louis, Governor Mike Kehoe announced his appointments to the citizen-led St. Louis City Board of Police Commissioners. The board, established by the passage of landmark public safety legislation in House Bill (HB) 495, is charged to be the governing body of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD).

    “This board represents a renewed commitment to public trust and local oversight,” said Governor Kehoe. “By bringing together respected voices from across the city who support the men and women of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, we are ensuring that public safety efforts reflect the needs, values, and concerns of the people of St. Louis and the department. These appointments mark a significant move toward transparency, collaboration, and a safer future for the city.”

    The six-member board includes the St. Louis City Mayor Cara Spencer, who will participate with full voting authority, four governor-appointed voting members who are residents of the city, and one governor-appointed non-voting commissioner who either resides or owns property in the city.

    Governor Kehoe’s appointments include the following individuals:

    • Brad Arteaga is a successful entrepreneur in St. Louis City, serving as the president and owner of Arteaga Photos Ltd., BAKM LLC., and Arteaga LLC. In addition to his proven track record of managing and growing successful businesses, Arteaga has decades of active leadership and service on multiple civic and community boards including the St. Louis City Judicial Committee, Dismas House of St. Louis, Friends of Frances Park, and more. Arteaga will serve a one-year term as a voting member of the board.
    • Donald “Don” Brown is lifelong St. Louis resident and experienced automotive executive, currently serving as the Dealer Operator of Don Brown Chevrolet. With a career spanning more than four decades, Brown has held leadership roles across multiple dealerships and has been deeply involved in the community through various boards including the 3rd Police District Business Association, the Better Business Bureau, and the Friends of Kids Board of Directors. Brown will serve a four-year term as the non-voting member of the board.
    • Sonya Jenkins-Gray is a nationally recognized human resources executive with more than two decades of leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. She previously served as the director of human resources for the City of St. Louis, overseeing HR operations for more than 5,000 employees. She also previously served on the board of Mound City Bar Foundation and is currently the chairperson for the Progressive National Baptist Convention. Jenkins-Gray will serve a two-year term as a voting member of the board.
    • Edward McVey is a seasoned business owner and operator of Maggie O’Brien’s Restaurant and Irish Pub in St. Louis, where he has led operations since 2008. With expertise in contract negotiation, strategic planning, and team leadership, McVey has built a strong track record of business development and community engagement. He is active in local organizations including the St. Patrick’s Center and the St. Louis Boys and Girls Club. McVey will serve a three-year term as a voting member of the board.
    • Chris Saracino is the owner-operator of Bartolino’s Hospitality Group, which includes several full-service restaurants across the city. He is also the co-founder of Campbell Security and Services Group, serving households and communities throughout Missouri. Saracino has held several leadership roles with the Hill Business Association, The Hill 2000 Neighborhood Association, and the St. Louis Regional Sports Authority. He also prioritizes community service as an active member of several charitable organizations including the Kiwanis Club of St. Louis City and the Italian Open Charities. Saracino will serve a four-year term as a voting member of the board.

    The board will begin work immediately, with the assistance of Transition Director Derek Winters, to ensure an orderly and responsible implementation period, without disruption to residents of the city and commissioned and civilian personnel of the SLMPD. During the implementation period, the commissioners will work to determine the board’s policies for meetings and bylaws and begin their work in overseeing the Chief of Police and the department’s policies, contracts, assets, and budgets. The day-to-day operations of the department will remain under the leadership of the Chief of Police.

    All media inquiries related to the board may now be directed to the SLMPD, at media@slmpd.org. A webpage with headshot photos for the board is forthcoming.

    For more information on the roles and responsibilities of the St. Louis City Police Board of Commissioners, as designated in HB 495, click here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley, Clark, Warren, Trahan Stand with Planned Parenthood, Condemn Proposed Cuts to Reproductive Health Care Under GOP’s Big Ugly Bill

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

    Ahead of Dobbs Anniversary, Lawmakers Slam GOP Budget That Slashes Health Care Coverage, Defunds Planned Parenthood

    Pressley Shines Light on the Life-Saving Work of Planned Parenthood, Underscores Critical Need to Confront Converging Black Maternal Mortality and Reproductive Justice Crises that Cost Adriana Smith her Life

    Video

    BOSTON – Today, ahead of the third anniversary of the Dobbs decision that dismantled the basic right to abortion care, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, and the women of the Massachusetts delegation, Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03) joined Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts President Dominique Lee for a press conference in solidarity with Planned Parenthood as they collectively fight to stop Republicans’ latest attack on reproductive freedom in the GOP’s Big, Ugly Bill.

    Their advocacy comes as Donald Trump and Republicans are advancing a cruel budget reconciliation bill that would defund Planned Parenthood health centers, bar private health insurers on the ACA marketplace from offering abortion coverage, and slash Medicaid health care coverage — leaving over 300,000 Massachusetts residents unable to access basic health care services.

    “As we mark three years since the devastating day the Supreme Court denied us our bodily autonomy and ripped away the basic right to abortion care in America, we recommit to fighting for families across this country to access the basic medical care they need to survive, to be safe in birth, to be treated with human dignity,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Co-Chair of the House Reproductive Freedom Caucus. “It starts by defeating Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill – their shameful reconciliation bill that would put necessary health care further out of reach for millions of people and would drastically defund Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood clinics across this nation are quite literally saving lives – often the only option for miles for life saving cancer screenings, affordable birth control, and compassionate prenatal care. We will never yield to Trump and Republicans’ agenda to make America a nation of forced birth – this is not an inevitability, and I’m proud to join Whip Clark, Senator Warren, and Congresswoman Trahan in standing with Planned Parenthood in our fight to restore true bodily autonomy and reproductive justice.”

    “Tomorrow will mark three years since Trump’s Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. For three years, the Republicans have marched nonstop toward their ultimate goal of a national abortion ban — with total control over women’s health care in every state, including Massachusetts,” said Whip Clark. “And now, we have their Big, Ugly Betrayal of Women Budget, which will impose the single biggest health care cut in our country’s history and inflict the biggest assault on women’s health care since Dobbs. To put it simply, this is a life-and-death fight every day. Republicans are choosing to make life harder and more expensive and more dangerous for America’s 170 million women and girls. All to help America’s 900 billionaires.”

    “Since Trump’s Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, we’ve seen a new form of hell at every turn. Now, Republicans in Congress are on track to pass a bill that amounts to a backdoor ban on abortion — even in states where it’s protected. Republicans’ bill to cut Medicaid and defund Planned Parenthood is a one-two punch to women across the country, and we are not going to let them get away with it,” said Senator Warren.

    “Three years ago, Donald Trump’s Supreme Court opened the floodgates to extreme abortion bans in GOP-controlled states across the country – bans that criminalize doctors, endanger women’s lives, and force survivors of rape to carry pregnancies against their will,” said Rep. Trahan. “Now, Republicans in Washington are trying to punish states like Massachusetts for protecting access to abortion by withholding federal health care funding for families who need it most. It’s a coordinated effort to force every state to fall in line with Trump’s anti-abortion, anti-woman agenda, and we have to do everything in our power to stop it from passing.”

    “The so-called ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ is a backdoor abortion ban, even in safe-haven states like Massachusetts,” said Dominique Lee, president of the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts. “This bill would ‘defund’ Planned Parenthood by blocking Medicaid reimbursement, which could impact half of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts’ budget. PPLM serves more than 30,000 patients annually, and nearly 40% of them are on Medicaid. If this bill passes, it won’t matter that abortion is legal here. People could lose access to abortion, birth control, STI testing, cancer screenings and other care from the provider they trust most. Planned Parenthood will not abandon our patients, our staff, or our communities, but we need everyone with us to help stop this attack on people’s health and freedom.”

    A transcript of Congresswoman Pressley’s opening remarks is available below and the video is available here.

    Transcript: Pressley, Clark, Warren, Trahan Stand with Planned Parenthood, Condemn Proposed Cuts to Reproductive Health Care Under GOP’s Big Ugly Bill
    Boston, MA
    June 23, 2025

    Good morning. In a couple of days, our daughter, Cora, will turn 17, and as we’re looking at colleges, you know, one factor that shapes that decision – and it’s a key factor – is where she’ll be able to access healthcare. That’s now a part of our calculus and our decision-making. 

    This morning, she asked me, in the wake of recent events in the Middle East, “Are we going to be okay?”

    She has shared with me her concerns for classmates who are immigrants, who have expressed anxiety and fear about going away for a vacation, and whether or not they’ll be able to come back into the country – and they were born here. 

    So every day that she asks me, “Are we going to be okay?” – it becomes harder and harder to answer that question with confidence that “Yes, we will be.”

    But standing here shoulder-to-shoulder with my colleagues, you certainly fortify me in this work and in that belief that we will be okay and we will get to the other side of this. Thank you all for being here today. 

    I want to echo the sentiment offered by our Whip a moment ago that Congress should do everything in its power to reign in Trump and to prevent an endless war in Iran. 

    I want to underscore the urgency of protecting our reproductive freedom – I reiterate this in my role as the Co-Chair of the House Reproductive Freedom Caucus. 

    So we have to do everything to protect our reproductive freedom and preventing Republicans’ shameful – and it is shameful – reconciliation bill from putting necessary health care further out of reach for millions of Americans.

    When we say an abortion ban, what does that really mean? 

    A nation of forced birth. 

    A nation of forced birth – what could be more violent than that? 

    What could be more void of common sense and compassion in a country that does not yet have universal childcare, paid leave – an administration that seems to be hostile towards women, attacking our freedoms at every turn, degrading Head Start.

    There are 80 million Medicaid recipients in this country. 40% of births in this country are covered by Medicaid. 

    So I want to say thank you to our partners in good at Planned Parenthood, who labor in love day in and day out, navigating a very perilous and unpredictable terrain. Thank you for showing up for Massachusetts to provide our constituents with essential health care. 

    And I’ll just share when I came here in 1992 to, you know, pursue a higher learning – in a city where I did not know a soul – and found myself experiencing debilitating pain, I came to Planned Parenthood and was diagnosed with uterine fibroids. 

    And I was met with compassion and community and embrace, and that meant everything. 

    Again, I did not know a soul. I knew no one. But I knew that I could get answers and help with Planned Parenthood. 

    Later, as a survivor of campus sexual assault, I also returned to Planned Parenthood for counseling and STI testing. So I just want to personally, again, just express my heartfelt gratitude for the entire team here, from your security to providers and the like.

    Every time we’re in Washington and folks across the aisle – mostly, but not only, white men – start to attack the critical work of Planned Parenthood, I know the moment they open their mouth that they’ve never sat across from a dedicated Planned Parenthood provider or patient, because if they had, they would understand the vital importance of this work.

    Planned Parenthood is often the only accessible health care provider for families. In the Massachusetts seventh, we are fortunate to have a real density of health care services – but in many parts of the country, the only place you can access care for miles is a Planned Parenthood. 

    And Planned Parenthood clinics across this nation are quite literally saving lives. Planned Parenthood is often the only option for miles for life saving cancer screenings.

    Regardless of zip code, they are the trusted provider folks turn to for preventative and routine medical care. Planned Parenthood is the place you can go to to get affordable birth control and compassionate prenatal care. 

    The attacks on Planned Parenthood are nothing new. In this moment, they are far more coordinated and sinister than we have ever seen, however. 

    Those who aim to rob people of this essential health care in their communities are using every tool – the courts, complicit state houses in many states, and notably this Big Ugly Bill in Congress. 

    Imagine having the full power and authority of the United States government, controlling the White House and the Senate, and you choose to go after cancer screenings for mothers.

    The cruelty is the point.

    At this point, Republicans can’t deny that they’re actually in the business of making people across America sicker, poor and more vulnerable. 

    I walked in here today with a heavy heart, with Adriana Smith on my mind. 

    Adriana Smith was a 30-year-old nurse and the mother to a vibrant six-year-old when she experienced debilitating headaches – her pain was dismissed, not believed. She was sent home from the hospital without the care she needed. She woke up gasping for air, arrived at the hospital, and shortly thereafter, was declared brain dead. The blood clots the doctors had missed had claimed her life. 

    But to be a black woman in America means that not only was Adriana’s pain dismissed and her son robbed of a mother – no, because of an extreme abortion ban in Georgia, the hospital stated that they could not take her off of life support.

    And because she was nine weeks pregnant when she was declared brain dead, about a month past a missed period, the hospital would not allow Adriana’s family to make sensitive end of life medical decisions for their loved one. The hospital made her body an incubator. 

    This week, baby Chance was delivered by a posthumous emergency C section and remains in the NICU. Adriana’s family was finally able to lay her to rest and to pick up the pieces as they navigate their deep grief. 

    I wish I could say that Adriana’s story is a horrific anomaly, but we are experiencing up close the converging crises of black maternal mortality and denials of essential abortion care in this post Dobbs decision world.

    None of us are free until all of us are free. 

    So this week, as we mark the three years since the devastating day the Supreme Court denied us our bodily autonomy and ripped away the basic right to abortion care in America, we recommit to fighting for families across this country to access the basic medical care they need to survive, to be safe in birth, to be treated with human dignity. 

    This is not an inevitability. 

    A more just America is possible, and it starts by defeating this Big Ugly Bill before it dismantles essential health care in America. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Liquidia Receives $50 Million from Healthcare Royalty (HCRx) Following First Commercial Sale of YUTREPIA™

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MORRISVILLE, N.C., June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Liquidia Corporation (NASDAQ: LQDA), a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for patients with rare cardiopulmonary disease, today announced the receipt of an additional $50.0 million under its sixth amendment to its financing agreement (HCR Agreement) with Healthcare Royalty (HCRx) upon the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina denying United Therapeutics Corporation’s request for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order in its complaint filed against Liquidia and the first commercial sale of YUTREPIA™ (treprostinil) inhalation powder.

    Michael Kaseta, Liquidia’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are grateful for the continued partnership with HCRx and pleased with the early stages of YUTREPIA’s launch. The proceeds from HCRx will further accelerate our launch execution, advance our clinical pipeline, and support the expansion of future manufacturing operations, including the build-out of our newly leased manufacturing facility. Our early momentum and strong financial position reinforce our belief in Liquidia’s ability to achieve profitability without the need for additional capital.”

    Clarke Futch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HCRx added: “Today’s news reflects an important milestone in Liquidia’s commercial execution of YUTREPIA and further strengthens our confidence in the company’s long-term vision. We are pleased to support Liquidia as it further advances the commercial launch of YUTREPIA and prepares to expand future manufacturing capabilities to meet growing market demand in the years ahead.”

    Under the terms of the HCR agreement, Liquidia has now received $175.0 million of the $200.0 million in total potential funding. An additional $25.0 million remains available upon the mutual agreement of the parties, if Liquidia achieves aggregate net sales of YUTREPIA in excess of $100.0 million at any time on or prior to June 30, 2026. The additional $50.0 million that HCRx funded is subject to a fixed payment schedule through 2033. Aggregate payments to HCRx are capped at 175% of the total amounts funded. A true-up payment may be required if HCRx’s internal rate of return falls below a minimum threshold on the date the cap is reached, which is 13% for this funding of $50.0 million.

    About Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)
    Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare, chronic, progressive disease caused by narrowing, thickening or stiffening of the pulmonary arteries that can lead to right heart failure and eventually death. Currently, an estimated 45,000 patients are diagnosed and treated in the United States. There is currently no cure for PAH, so the goals of existing treatments are to alleviate symptoms, maintain or improve functional class, delay disease progression, and improve quality of life.

    About Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Interstitial Lung Disease (PH-ILD)
    Pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with interstitial lung disease (ILD) includes a diverse collection of up to 200 different pulmonary diseases, including interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, connective tissue disease-related ILD, and chronic pulmonary fibrosis with emphysema (CPFE) among others. Any level of PH in ILD patients is associated with poor 3-year survival. A current estimate of PH-ILD prevalence in the United States is greater than 60,000 patients, though population size in many of these underlying ILD diseases is not yet known due to factors including underdiagnosis and lack of approved treatments until March 2021, when inhaled treprostinil was first approved for this indication.

    About YUTREPIA™ (treprostinil) Inhalation Powder 
    YUTREPIA is an inhaled dry-powder formulation of treprostinil delivered through a convenient, low-effort, palm-sized device. YUTREPIA was designed using Liquidia’s PRINT® technology, which enables the development of drug particles that are precise and uniform in size, shape and composition, and that are engineered for enhanced deposition in the lung following oral inhalation. Liquidia has completed the INSPIRE trial (NCT03399604), or Investigation of the Safety and Pharmacology of Dry Powder Inhalation of Treprostinil, an open-label, multi-center phase 3 clinical study of YUTREPIA in patients diagnosed with PAH who are naïve to inhaled treprostinil or who are transitioning from Tyvaso® (nebulized treprostinil). YUTREPIA is currently being studied in the ASCENT trial (NCT06129240), or An Open-Label ProSpective MultiCENTer Study to Evaluate Safety and Tolerability of Dry Powder Inhaled Treprostinil in PH, with the objective of informing YUTREPIA’s dosing and tolerability profile in patients with PH-ILD. YUTREPIA was previously referred to as LIQ861 in investigational studies.

    INDICATION
    YUTREPIA (treprostinil) inhalation powder is a prostacyclin analog indicated for the treatment of:

    • Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH; WHO Group 1) to improve exercise ability. Studies establishing effectiveness predominately included patients with NYHA Functional Class III symptoms and etiologies of idiopathic or heritable PAH (56%) or PAH associated with connective tissue diseases (33%).
    • Pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD; WHO Group 3) to improve exercise ability. The study establishing effectiveness predominately included patients with etiologies of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) (45%) inclusive of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) (25%), and WHO Group 3 connective tissue disease (22%).

    SELECTED SAFETY INFORMATION: WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS 

    • Treprostinil is a pulmonary and systemic vasodilator. In patients with low systemic arterial pressure, treatment with Treprostinil may produce symptomatic hypotension.
    • Treprostinil inhibits platelet aggregation and increases the risk of bleeding.
    • Co-administration of a cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C8 enzyme inhibitor (e.g., gemfibrozil) may increase exposure (both Cmax and AUC) to treprostinil. Co-administration of a CYP2C8 enzyme inducer (e.g., rifampin) may decrease exposure to treprostinil. Increased exposure is likely to increase adverse events associated with treprostinil administration, whereas decreased exposure is likely to reduce clinical effectiveness.
    • Like other inhaled prostaglandins, YUTREPIA may cause acute bronchospasm. Patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or other bronchial hyperreactivity, are at increased risk for bronchospasm. Ensure that such patients are treated optimally for reactive airway disease prior to and during treatment. 
    • Most common adverse reactions with YUTREPIA (≥10%) are cough, headache, throat irritation and dizziness.

    Prescribing Information and Instructions for Use for YUTREPIA (treprostinil) inhalation powder are available at YUTREPIA.com.

    About Liquidia Corporation
    Liquidia Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for patients with rare cardiopulmonary disease. The company’s current focus spans the development and commercialization of products in pulmonary hypertension and other applications of its proprietary PRINT® Technology. PRINT enabled the creation of YUTREPIA™ (treprostinil) inhalation powder, a drug that has been approved for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PHILD). The company is also developing L606, an investigational sustained-release formulation of treprostinil administered twice-daily with a next-generation nebulizer and currently markets generic Treprostinil Injection for the treatment of PAH. To learn more about Liquidia, please visit www.liquidia.com.

    About HealthCare Royalty
    HealthCare Royalty is a leading royalty acquisition company focused on commercial or near-commercial biopharmaceutical products. With offices in Stamford, Conn., San Francisco, Boston, London and Miami. HCRx has invested $5+ billion in over 90 biopharmaceutical products since inception. For more information, visit https://www.hcrx.com. HEALTHCARE ROYALTY® and HCRx® are registered trademarks of HealthCare Royalty Management, LLC.

    Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, our strategic and financial initiatives, our business strategy and plans and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements, including statements regarding clinical trials, clinical studies and other clinical work (including the funding therefor, anticipated patient enrollment, safety data, study data, trial outcomes, timing or associated costs), regulatory applications and related submission contents and timelines; our ability to successfully commercialize our products, including YUTREPIA, for which we obtain FDA or other regulatory authority approval; the acceptance by the market of our products, including YUTREPIA, and their potential pricing and/or reimbursement by third-party payors, if approved (in the case of our product candidates) and whether such acceptance is sufficient to support continued commercialization or development of our products; the successful development or commercialization of our products, including YUTREPIA; our revenue from product sales and whether or not we may become profitable in the near term, or at all; future competitive or other market factors that may adversely affect the commercial potential for YUTREPIA; and our ability to execute on our strategic or financial initiatives, involve significant risks and uncertainties and actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied herein. Despite the approval of YUTREPIA by the FDA, it is possible that commercialization of YUTREPIA may be blocked or delayed in connection with legal proceedings that have been initiated or that may in the future be initiated, or we may be required to pay damages, including royalties, in connection with our commercial launch, as a result of these legal proceedings. We may be unable to achieve the net sales milestone necessary to receive additional funding under the HCRx agreement and, even if we do achieve the net sales milestone, additional funding is contingent upon the agreement of both HCRx and us. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “would,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks discussed in our filings with the SEC, as well as a number of uncertainties and assumptions. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment and our industry has inherent risks. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future events discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Nothing in this press release should be regarded as a representation by any person that these goals will be achieved, and we undertake no duty to update our goals or to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Tyvaso® is a registered trademark of United Therapeutics Corporation.

    Contact Information

    Investors:
    Jason Adair
    Chief Business Officer
    919.328.4350
    Jason.adair@liquidia.com

    Media:
    Patrick Wallace
    Director, Corporate Communications
    919.328.4383
    patrick.wallace@liquidia.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: GPs to receive record funding boost

    Source: New Zealand Government

    General practices are set to benefit from the largest funding boost in New Zealand’s history – because frontline care starts with your local GP, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. 

    “This Government is focused on real results. When you are able to see your doctor or nurse earlier, you stay healthier and out of hospital. That’s better for patients, better for the system, and exactly what we are here to deliver,” Mr Brown says.

    “Too many New Zealanders have struggled to get care because their local GP isn’t taking new patients, or the next available appointment is weeks away. This funding boost is about turning things around. It’s part of our $1.37 billion investment in Health New Zealand through Budget 2025 – backing your local family doctor to see more patients, reduce wait times, and deliver care faster to those who need it most.

    “The funding agreement reached with the sector yesterday reflects another significant step forward and will support GPs to continue to improve access to timely, quality healthcare.”

    Under the agreement, GPs will receive a 13.89 per cent funding uplift this year. This brings the total Government funding increase for GP clinics this financial year to $175 million – more than double the highest annual increase seen since capitation was first rolled out.

    “This reflects our ongoing commitment to strengthen and invest in frontline services to ensure New Zealanders can get access to the timely, quality healthcare they deserve.

    “We have already announced major investments to boost the number of doctors and nurses working in primary care. This funding boost will enable GP clinics to recruit and retain the additional workers as they graduate.”

    This funding increase provides: 
     

    • $59 million capitation increase for the number of patients enrolled with individual general practices
    • $60 million for improved patient access to appointments, and to encourage practices to provide more data to enable more performance-based funding
    • $30 million performance-based funding for improved immunisation outcomes, specifically ensuring more babies receive their first vaccine doses at the six-week milestone
    • $26 million in additional funding to help GPs keep fees capped for community service card holders and those on low incomes and to prevent fee increases for under-14s.

    “Supporting GP clinics to deliver minor planned care procedures closer to patients in the community takes pressure directly off our hospitals.

    “That’s why a further $5 million to expand access to minor planned care procedures in the community will be made available to the sector once implementation details are worked through. This will reduce wait time for procedures such as minor gynaecological procedures, skin excisions, iron infusions, and oncology infusions.

    “Childhood immunisations are a key priority for this Government. We want to see 95 per cent of enrolled children fully immunised and we know GPs play a critical role in achieving that. That’s why this agreement includes performance payments for clinics that lift childhood immunisation rates by up to ten percentage points, or to 95 per cent of their enrolled population, with partial payment for partial achievement. 

    “This agreement marks a significant and positive step forward for the primary care system. It responds directly to consistent feedback from the sector over the past year about the need for a more sustainable and responsive funding model.

    “I expect this investment to deliver real results – including shorter wait times, easier access to care, and better health outcomes for patients.”

    The collection of more primary care data will further support a more effective funding approach and ensure resources are targeted at improving patient outcomes. 

    “This is part of the Government’s broader plan to rebuild and strengthen the foundations of our health system, with primary care at the centre, and to focus on performance and delivery.

    “This is the largest investment in general practice in decades – but more importantly, it’s tied to better results. Shorter wait times. Higher immunisation rates. More patients getting the care they need in the community. 

    “This is how you rebuild a health system – not with slogans, but with funding, focus, and delivery. 

    “I would like to thank the primary care sector representatives, including GenPro, GPNZ and Kāhui Tautoko who have worked with Health New Zealand in good faith on this record uplift,” Mr Brown says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: HHS Secretary Kennedy, CMS Administrator Oz Secure Industry Pledge to Fix Broken Prior Authorization System

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services

    WASHINGTON, DC—JUNE 23, 2025—U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz today met with industry leaders to discuss their pledge to streamline and improve the prior authorization processes for Medicare Advantage, Medicaid Managed Care, Health Insurance Marketplace® and commercial plans covering nearly eight out of 10 Americans. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: More women are using medical cannabis – but new research shows barriers push some into illegal markets

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vinuli Withanarachchie, PhD candidate, College of Health, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

    Getty Images

    The number of women using medicinal cannabis is growing in New Zealand and overseas. They use cannabis treatment for general conditions such as pain, anxiety, inflammation and nausea, as well as gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis, pelvic floor conditions, and menopause.

    However, their experiences with medicinal cannabis remain under-explored in research and overlooked in policy and regulation. As our work shows, they face several gender-specific barriers to accessing medicinal cannabis. Some of these hurdles lead women to seeking cannabis from illegal markets.

    New Zealand introduced the medicinal cannabis scheme five years ago to enable access to legal, safe and quality-controlled cannabis products for any condition a doctor would deem suitable for a prescription.

    A recent analysis found the number of medicinal cannabis products dispensed has increased more than 14-fold since 2020, with more than 160,000 prescriptions administered during 2023/2024.

    In the first two years of the scheme, women were the primary recipients of medicinal cannabis prescriptions. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of prescriptions issued to female patients doubled to 47,633.

    Our findings from a large-scale national survey show that although women perceive physicians as supportive of prescribing medicinal cannabis, they were less likely to have prescriptions than men. This is similar to findings from Australia.

    Potential reasons include the cost of visiting health professionals, unpaid care-giving duties, lower workforce participation and a pay disparity – all creating barriers to accessing health services.

    Women were also more likely not to disclose their medicinal cannabis use to others, citing it would be less accepted by society because of their gender.

    Gendered risks in illegal cannabis markets

    Our latest study aligned with Australia in finding that women often seek cannabis from illegal sources because of perceived lower prices. Many could not financially sustain accessing legal prescriptions because medicinal cannabis is not funded by New Zealand’s drug-buying agency Pharmac.

    Study participants discussed the health risks of accessing illegal cannabis such as consuming products without knowing how strong they are or whether they have been contaminated with harmful substances.

    They also characterised illegal cannabis markets as unsafe and intimidating for women, with little legal protection and the presence of predatory male sellers. Some even described gender-specific experiences of physical assault, intimidation and sexual harassment, particularly when cannabis buying occurred in drug houses or locations controlled by the seller.

    Women accessing medicinal cannabis in illegal markets increasingly relied on female suppliers, viewing them as safer and more reliable. Some also helped connect others to these suppliers and used social media to warn other women of unsafe male suppliers. This created informal women-led support networks for access.

    Accessing legal prescriptions

    Women increasingly use cannabis clinics to access pain treatments.
    Getty Images

    One of our recent studies found many women begin their journeys with medicinal cannabis online via social media, often leading them to cannabis clinics with a strong digital presence. Women are now a growing demographic for specialised medicinal cannabis clinics in New Zealand and in other countries.

    Cannabis clinics have a reputation among medicinal cannabis consumers for being more knowledgeable and positive about treatments than general practitioners and other health providers. Women have been encouraged by positive online testimonies from other women using cannabis treatments for gynaecological and other conditions.

    Female medicinal cannabis patients also described the financial burden of accessing a prescription, including consultation fees and the costs of products as barriers to access.

    Their relationships with their GPs strongly influenced their decision to seek a prescription. Those with prior experiences of having their pain underestimated or misdiagnosed in mainstream care were more likely to source legal medicinal cannabis from cannabis clinics.

    Policy and practice

    The current scientific evidence for using medicinal cannabis for gynaecological conditions is still emerging. Clinical trials are under way in Australia to evaluate cannabis treatment for endometriosis and period pain.

    Women’s reliance on online sources and personal recommendations to learn about medicinal cannabis highlights a gap in public awareness and government education about the legal prescription scheme. Hesitance to discuss and recommend cannabis treatment among GPs also persists as a barrier to access.

    Online peer networks on social media platforms are promoting women’s agency and informing their decision making around medicinal cannabis, but also raise the risks of misinformation.

    Although marketing of medicinal cannabis to women may improve their engagement with the prescription scheme, it may also put them in a vulnerable position where they are encouraged to pursue expensive treatment options which may not be effective.

    The collective findings from our studies indicate complex financial, social and systemic factors affecting safe and equitable access to medicinal cannabis for women. To improve women’s engagement with New Zealand’s medicinal cannabis scheme, we suggest GPs should have informed and non-stigmatising discussions with female patients to explore when medicinal cannabis might be an appropriate treatment option.

    Better access to good official consumer information about medicinal cannabis and greater investment in clinical trials for gynaecological conditions would also improve and support women’s decision making about their health.

    Vinuli Withanarachchie receives funding from the Health Research Council for research on cannabis policy reform.

    Chris Wilkins receives funding from the Health Research Council for studies on cannabis policy and vaping.

    Marta Rychert receives funding for cannabis research from the Royal Society of NZ and the Health Research Council.

    – ref. More women are using medical cannabis – but new research shows barriers push some into illegal markets – https://theconversation.com/more-women-are-using-medical-cannabis-but-new-research-shows-barriers-push-some-into-illegal-markets-258797

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Inaccurate and misogynistic: why we need to make the term ‘hysterectomy’ history

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Theresa Larkin, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, University of Wollongong

    Panuwat Dangsungnoen/Getty Images

    Have you had a tonsillectomy (your tonsils taken out), appendectomy (your appendix removed) or lumpectomy (removal of a lump from your breast)? The suffix “ectomy” denotes surgical removal of the named body part, so these terms give us a clear idea of what the procedure entails.

    So why is the removal of the uterus called a hysterectomy and not a uterectomy?

    The name hysterectomy is rooted in a mental health condition – “hysteria” – that was once believed to affect women. But we now know this condition doesn’t exist.

    Continuing to call this significant operation a hysterectomy both perpetuates misogyny and hampers people’s understanding of what it is.

    From the defunct condition ‘hysteria’

    Hysteria was a psychiatric condition first formally defined in the 5th century BCE. It had many symptoms, including excessive emotion, irritability, anxiety, breathlessness and fainting.

    But hysteria was only diagnosed in women. Male physicians at the time claimed these symptoms were caused by a “wandering womb”. They believed the womb (uterus) moved around the body looking for sperm and disrupted other organs.

    Because the uterus was blamed for hysteria, the treatment was to remove it. This procedure was called a hysterectomy. Sadly, many women had their healthy uterus unnecessarily removed and most died.

    The word “hysteria” did originally came from the ancient Greek word for uterus, “hystera”. But the modern Greek word for uterus is “mitra”, which is where words such as “endometrium” come from.

    Hysteria was only removed as an official medical diagnosis in 1980. It was finally recognised it does not exist and is sexist.

    “Hysterectomy” should also be removed from medical terminology because it continues to link the uterus to hysteria.

    Common but confusing

    About one in three Australian women will have their uterus removed. A hysterectomy is one of the most common surgeries worldwide. It’s used to treat conditions including:

    • abnormal uterine bleeding (heavy bleeding)
    • uterine fibroids (benign tumours)
    • uterine prolapse (when the uterus protrudes down into the vagina)
    • adenomyosis (when the inner layer of the uterus grows into the muscle layer)
    • cancer.

    However, in a survey colleagues and I did of almost 500 Australian adults, which is yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, one in five people thought hysterectomy meant removal of the ovaries, not the uterus.

    It’s true some hysterectomies for cancer do also remove the ovaries. A hysterectomy or partial hysterectomy is the removal of only the uterus, a total hysterectomy removes the uterus and cervix, while a radical hysterectomy usually removes the uterus, cervix, uterine tubes and ovaries.

    There are important differences between these hysterectomies, so they should be named to clearly indicate the nature of the surgery.

    Research has shown ambiguous terminology such as “hysterectomy” is associated with low patient understanding of the procedure and the female anatomy involved.

    There are different types of hysterectomies, and the label can be confusing.
    Olena Yakobchuk/Shutterstock

    Uterectomy should be used for removal of the uterus, in combination with the medical terms for removal of the cervix, uterine tubes and ovaries as needed. For example, a uterectomy plus cervicectomy would refer to the removal of the uterus and the cervix.

    This could help patients understand what is (and isn’t) being removed from their bodies and increase clarity for the wider public.

    Other female body parts and procedures have male names

    There are many eponyms (something named after a person) in anatomy and medicine, such as the Achilles tendon and Parkinson’s disease. They are almost exclusively the names of white men.

    Eponyms for female anatomy and procedures include the Fallopian tubes, Pouch of Douglas, and Pap smear.

    The anatomical term for Fallopian tubes is uterine tubes. “Uterine” indicates these are attached to the uterus, which reinforces their important role in fertility.

    The Pouch of Douglas is the space between the rectum and uterus. Using the anatomical name (rectouterine pouch) is important, because this a common site for endometriosis and can explain any associated bowel symptoms.

    Pap smear gives no indication of its location or function. The new cervical screening test is named exactly that, which clarifies it samples cells of the cervix. This helps people understand this tests for risk of cervical cancer.

    Language matters in medicine and health care

    Language in medicine impacts patient care and health. It needs to be accurate and clear, not include words associated with bias or discrimination, and not disempower a person.

    For these reasons, the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists recommends removing eponyms from scientific and medical communication.

    Meanwhile, experts have rightly argued it’s time to rename the hysterectomy to uterectomy.

    A hysterectomy is an emotional procedure with not only physical but also psychological effects. Not directly referring to the uterus perpetuates the historical disregard of female reproductive anatomy and functions. Removing the link to hysteria and renaming hysterectomy to uterectomy would be a simple but symbolic change.

    Educators, medical doctors and science communicators will play an important role in using the term uterectomy instead of hysterectomy. Ultimately, the World Health Organization should make official changes in the International Classification of Health Interventions.

    In line with increasing awareness and discussions around female reproductive health and medical misogyny, now is the time to improve terminology. We must ensure the names of body parts and medical procedures reflect the relevant anatomy.

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

    – ref. Inaccurate and misogynistic: why we need to make the term ‘hysterectomy’ history – https://theconversation.com/inaccurate-and-misogynistic-why-we-need-to-make-the-term-hysterectomy-history-257972

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How do sleep trackers work, and are they worth it? A sleep scientist breaks it down

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dean J. Miller, Senior Lecturer, Appleton Institute, HealthWise Research Group, CQUniversity Australia

    Many smartwatches, fitness and wellness trackers now offer sleep tracking among their many functions.

    Wear your watch or ring to bed, and you’ll wake up to a detailed sleep report telling you not just how long you slept, but when each phase happened and whether you had a good night’s rest overall.

    Surfing is done in the ocean, planes fly in the sky, and sleep occurs in the brain. So how can we measure sleep from the wrist or finger?

    The gold standard of sleep measurement

    If you’ve ever had a sleep study or seen someone with dozens of wires attached to their head, body and face, you’ve encountered polysomnography or PSG.

    Eye movements, muscle tone, heart rate and brain activity are measured and assessed by experts to detect which stage of sleep or wakefulness a person is in.

    When we sleep, we cycle through different stages, generally classified as light sleep, slow-wave sleep (also known as deep sleep), and rapid eye movement or REM sleep.

    Each stage has an effect on brain activity, muscle tone and heart rate – which is why sleep scientists need so many wires.

    Accurate? Absolutely. Convenient? Like two left shoes.

    This is where the convenience of wearable at-home sleep trackers comes in.

    What sensors are in sleep trackers?

    Since the 1990s, sleep researchers have been using actigraphy to measure people’s sleep outside the laboratory.

    An actigraphy device is similar to a wristwatch and uses accelerometers to measure the person’s movement. Coupled with sleep diaries, actigraphy assumes a person is awake when they’re moving and asleep when still. Simple.

    While this is a scientifically accepted method of estimating sleep, it’s prone to mislabelling being awake but at rest (such as when reading a book) as sleep.

    There’s one key addition that makes wrist-worn sleep trackers more accurate – PPG or photoplethysmography.

    It’s hard to pronounce, but photoplethysmography is a key driver in the explosion of wearable health tracking.

    It uses those little green lights on the skin-side of the wearable to track the amount of blood passing through your wrist at any given time. Clip-on pulse oximeters used by doctors are the same type of tech.

    The addition of PPG to a wrist tracker allows for the measurement of raw data like heart rate and breathing rate. From this data, the wearable can estimate a number of physiological metrics, including sleep stages.

    Since fitness wearables already have accelerometers and PPG to track your physical activity and heart rate, it makes sense to use these sensors to track sleep too. But how accurate are they?

    Many fitness trackers leverage the sensors used to measure your fitness activities and heart rate for sleep tracking.
    The Conversation

    How do scientists test sleep trackers?

    Two main factors determine the accuracy of sleep trackers. How well does the device detect whether you’re asleep or awake? And how well can it distinguish the sleep stages?

    To answer these questions, sleep scientists conduct validation studies. Participants sleep overnight in a laboratory while wearing both a sleep tracker and undergoing PSG.

    Then, scientists compare the data from both methods in 30-second blocks called “epochs”. That means for a nine-hour sleep there will be 1,080 epochs to compare.

    If both the device and PSG indicate “sleep” for the same epoch, they’re in agreement. If the device indicates “wake” and PSG indicates “sleep” for the same epoch, that’s considered an error. The same is done for sleep stages.

    How accurate are sleep trackers?

    In a 2022 study of several popular trackers, most correctly identified more than 90% of sleep epochs. But because light sleep and restful wake are so similar, wearables struggle more to estimate wakefulness, correctly identifying between 26% and 73% of wake epochs.

    When it comes to sleep stages, wearables are less precise, correctly identifying between 53% and 60% of sleep stage epochs. However, for some devices and some sleep stages the precision can be greater. A recent validation study showed that a latest generation ring-shaped wearable didn’t differ from PSG for estimating light sleep and slow wave sleep.

    In short, most modern sleep trackers do a decent job of estimating your total sleep each night. Some are more accurate for sleep staging, but this level of detail isn’t essential for improving the basics of your sleep.

    Do I need a sleep tracker?

    If you’re struggling with sleep, you should speak to your doctor. A sleep tracker can be a useful tool to help track your sleep goals, but ultimately your behaviour is what will improve sleep.

    Keeping regular bedtimes and wake-up times, having a distraction-free sleep space, and keeping home lighting low in the evenings can all help to improve your sleep.

    If you love tracking your sleep, make sure your device has been independently validated. While sleep stage data may not be essential, devices that perform well in estimating sleep stage also tend to be more accurate at detecting when you’re asleep or awake. When reviewing your data, look at long term trends in sleep rather than day-to-day variability.

    If you don’t love your sleep tracker, you can take it off or ignore it. For some people, access to sleep data can negatively impact sleep by creating stress and anxiety for getting a perfect night’s sleep. Instead, focus on improving your healthy sleep strategies and pay attention to how you feel during the day.

    Dr Dean J. Miller is a member of a research group at Central Queensland University that receives support for research (i.e., funding, equipment) from WHOOP Inc, a smart device maker.

    – ref. How do sleep trackers work, and are they worth it? A sleep scientist breaks it down – https://theconversation.com/how-do-sleep-trackers-work-and-are-they-worth-it-a-sleep-scientist-breaks-it-down-258304

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with Laundering Proceeds of $16M Hospice Fraud Scheme

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    A California man pleaded guilty today to laundering more than $4.6 million in connection with a years-long scheme to defraud Medicare of nearly $16 million through sham hospice companies.

    According to court documents, Mihran Panosyan, 46, of Winnetka, worked with others to launder the proceeds of a massive Medicare fraud scheme, transferring the fraudulently obtained funds between multiple accounts before spending them. The scheme comprised three parts. First, three of Panosyan’s co-defendants used the identities of foreign nationals no longer in the United States to operate several sham hospice companies. Panosyan and his co-defendants maintained fraudulent identification documents, bank accounts, checkbooks, and credit and debit cards in the names of purported foreign owners. Second, the co-defendants caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for hospice services for patients who were not terminally ill and who never requested nor received hospice services. As a result, Medicare paid the sham hospices nearly $16 million. Third, Panosyan and his co-defendants laundered the proceeds of the scheme to conceal the source of the funds and their control over them. Panosyan transferred proceeds of the Medicare fraud between accounts in the names of the purported foreign owners, the sham hospices, and other shell corporations, laundering more than $4.6 million in fraudulently obtained funds that he used to purchase real estate, pay for private school for his minor child, and pay for other personal expenses.

    Panosyan pleaded guilty to money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Panosyan’s co-defendant, Petros Fichidzhyan, previously pleaded guilty to health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering. Last month, Fichidzhyan was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Trial against the other three defendants in this case is scheduled to begin July 29.

    The guilty plea today is the most recent conviction in the Justice Department’s ongoing effort to combat hospice fraud in the greater Los Angeles area. Last year, a doctor was convicted at trial for his role in a scheme to bill Medicare for hospice services patients did not need, and two other defendants were sentenced for their roles in a hospice fraud scheme.  

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Regional Office made the announcement.

    The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Michael Bacharach, Sarah E. Edwards, and Allison L. McGuire of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara B. Vavere of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California is handling asset forfeiture.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Welcomes More than $7 Million for Granite State Projects Through Northern Border Regional Commission

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    Grantee

    Purpose

    Amount

    Coos County Family Health Services

    To relocate and expand Coos County Family Health Services’ existing North Country dental clinic to a location in downtown Berlin. This new construction is the result of increased demand from the expansion of the adult Medicaid dental benefits in New Hampshire in 2023. The facility will be approximately 3,000 square feet, fully handicapped accessible, equipped for the work of visiting dental surgeons or other specialists, and feature space for student training of dental professionals.

    $222,437

    HealthFirst Family Care Center

    To renovate a recently acquired 2200 sq ft neighboring building, and connect it to their 7500 sq ft existing facility. This expansion is motivated by the 200 new patient requests per month that HealthFirst received in 2024. In the same year, the Franklin location served 3,054 patients with 7,961 visits. Of these patients, 1,679 were low-income. The expansion will add 5-10 permanent new full-time positions.

    $1,000,000

    Town of Boscawen – Feasibility Study

    The Town of Boscawen is pursuing funds from the NH Park’s Land & Water Conservation Fund, for which they have received preliminary approval. This feasibility project will produce an engineered site plan, surveying, architectural services, and meet other technical requirements for the grant. Through the full funding from NHDP, the project will culminate in a 50×30′ timber framed outdoor picnic pavilion, a Merrimack River overlook, new restroom facilities, major redesign and reconstruction of the park access road, additional parking, and full ADA accessibility to existing and new facilities.

    $39,000

    Franconia Children’s Center

    Franconia Children’s Center will acquire the building they have rented for over a decade and renovate that building to bring it up to current standards. This will allow them to add 30 new childcare slots. They are one of four centers within a 30-mile radius that accepts children under the age of three. Their service area includes 73 employers. Without acquisition, the trust that owns the building will sell the property and displace the childcare center, preserving an important childcare resource in the Franconia area.

    $428,629.72

    Town of Newport- Unity Road Waterlines

    The Town of Newport will continue a Phase 2 replacement of water lines on Unity Road, with the final goal of replacing nearly 4000 feet of line. Much of the existing system is over 100 years old, with some portions having been replaced in the 1960s. This water line is the sole water distribution system connecting the Gilman Pond and Pollards Mill sources to the downtown. It serves over 1600 homes and businesses, including Sturm Ruger, a local employer that employees 1200 people in the region.

    $512,000

    New Hampshire Boat Museum

    The NH Boat Museum will renovate their 6,500 sq ft main floor, to include community educational and meeting spaces, flexible exhibition spaces, offices, and conference areas. This is a Phase 2 renovation, building on a successful Phase 1 renovation in 2024 that increased their number of visitors, group tours, and venue events by 50%. The renovation will allow the museum to accept new community space uses, for which they presently do not have capacity. In addition to community meeting space, the renovation would allow for year-round operation of the museum. The facility is located in Moultonborough’s West Village Overlay District, slated for further economic and housing development.

    $250,000

    Littleton Community Center

    Littleton Community Center will renovate the carriage house adjacent to their main house behind Main St in Littleton. This project will revitalize the carriage house, repairing the roof and some structural issues, as well as work on the grounds and the installation of energy efficient HVAC, gutters, fire/security systems, and internet/ AV utilities. This will enable the community center to host large events of between 50-100 people.

    $1,000,000

    Town of Bow – Bow Mills Redevelopment Feasibility Project

    This project would determine the feasibility of a municipal water line extension, to activate 175 acres of developable land in the South St/Exit 1 area of Bow. Funds will support public engagement processes to better understand community priorities around the types of development planned. This project seeks to capitalize on the NH DOT I-89 Exit 1 redesign and reconstruction, which would construct direct driveway access to the development area from the exit ramp.

    $52,265

    Franklin Pierce University

    Franklin Pierce University will expand their wastewater treatment facilities in light of new environmental regulations, adding a third Rapid Infiltration Basin. This will increase their capacity for future occupancy and usage. Franklin Pierce currently enrolls around 1000 undergraduate students annually, 250 of whom are receiving training for healthcare roles in nursing, as physicians’ assistants, and in physical therapy.

    $960,000

    Town of Groton – Salt and Sand Sheds

    The Town of Groton will construct salt and sand sheds on the property of their recently USDA funded Public Works Building. The Public Works Building was originally slated to include these sheds, but budget constraints resulted in the project being phased, to pursue additional funding. Relocation of their sheds and public works building became necessary following increased flooding in their current location.

    $125,000

    Town of Plymouth – Low Service Zone Tank Replacement

    The Town of Plymouth will replace one of two large water tanks serving numerous businesses, various public service providers, a significant portion of Plymouth State University’s campus, and most shops and restaurants along Main St. The 2.5-million-gallon concrete storage tank receives water pulled up by a well pumping facility. It was constructed in 1972 and relined in 2009, but a 2015 assessment demonstrated significant deterioration, and a 2023 assessment showed critical deterioration.

    $1,000,000

    Partnership for Public Health

    The Partnership for Public Health will renovate their existing community public health building in Laconia to make it ADA-compliant, install new electrical & HVAC systems and enhance operational security through both physical security systems and a generator. This renovation will ultimately reduce operational costs, increase their capacity, and improve emergency response capabilities for the emergency preparedness group hosted by PPH. In addition, PPH offers health education, drug use prevention, chronic disease management, and resource navigation programs.

    $399,050

    Newport Chamber of Commerce

    The Newport Chamber of Commerce will renovate their historic railroad station, built in 1897, into a Welcome Center and home for the Chamber of Commerce, which presently has no dedicated space in the town. The railroad station is located just behind the center of Newport’s Main Street. The renovation will include a rental space to support the costs of maintaining the building, and as a community resource and meeting space. The project will bridge the Town’s Main Street to other local amenities, such as the Community Center, Meadow Park, Community Garden, Dog Park, and the Newport-Claremont rail trail.

    $500,000

    Main Roof Replacement – John Hay Estate at the Fells

    The Fells nonprofit will replace the roof of the Main House at the John Hay Estate, built in 1891. The roof was last replaced in the early 1990s. This project would shingle the roof in historical wood shingles and fix sections of copper roofing. The Estate hosts arts events, educational programs, weddings and ceremonies, and family festivals. Open to the public year-round, the estate has around 10,000 visitors each year. In addition to the property being open for nature hikes, they host around 30 classes, workshops and other programs annually, specializing in ecology, nature, horticulture, history, and art.

    $127,200

    MIL OSI USA News –