Category: Health

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – Holding a mirror up to the mental health and addiction system

Source: Te Hiringa Mahara – Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission

“Our new system performance monitoring report highlights the need for faster improvements to address declining mental health and wellbeing,” said Karen Orsborn, CEO of Te Hiringa Mahara – Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission.

The System Performance Monitoring Report released today by Te Hiringa Mahara outlines progress toward improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes for New Zealanders and shows the need to speed up much needed improvements across the system.

“Efforts to improve the system over the past six years have shown some early positive movement however these changes are not yet extensive enough to drive improvement at the scale and pace we need,” said Karen Orsborn.

“It has been 7 years since the landmark He Ara Oranga report in 2018. Our report shows that while there are pockets of positive change, the system has got a significant way to go to achieve the outcomes people expect.”

“Peer support services for example have seen an increase since 2018 with greater investment in the peer and lived experience workforce. There has also been an increase in kaupapa Māori specialist mental health and addiction services since 2018, but this has yet to reach representation of Māori accessing specialist services overall”.

“There have been gains, with significant improvements to access for people seeking mental health and addiction support through a GP or other primary care services, however we are very concerned about the continued downward trend in the number of people being seen by specialist mental health and addiction services over the last few years”.

“There continues to be significant unmet need for professional help for mental health among young people, Māori, Pacific peoples and disabled adults.”

“As the independent monitor of mental health and wellbeing we have provided a shared view of what a good mental health and addiction system looks like. The system shifts that are needed to achieve the vision of He Ara Oranga are clear”.

“This will rely on having meaningful lived experience leadership, services meeting the highest needs, respect for human rights, along with achieving both equitable access and outcomes from services to name a few”.

“What we need to see is improvement toward these shifts across the whole system. We are calling for an acceleration of collective efforts with the whole sector working towards the same

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – No pregnancy warning labels on alcohol

Source: Alcohol Healthwatch

– 34% of alcohol products have no pregnancy warning label, shows new report.

– 16% of alcohol products with the correct label have it hidden on the bottom of the packaging where it is less likely to be seen.

Every baby deserves the best possible start in life. But new report by Alcohol Healthwatch of New Zealand’s first audit of pregnancy warning labels on alcohol products, suggests that the low presence of correct labelling might be undermining this.

The report has some worrying findings, chief among them that over a third of alcohol products still do not have the correct pregnancy warning label. Just under half (44%) of the 400+ products audited either had no label, or had the label hidden on the bottom of the packaging.

The Government-mandated pregnancy warning label became compulsory from August 2023, following over twenty-years of advocacy by public health professionals and communities. Pregnancy warning labels are an important tool to share the information that no amount of alcohol is safe to consume when pregnant. Exposure of alcohol in-utero can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a lifelong disability characterised by cognitive, emotional, and functional deficits. FASD comprises over half of the estimated $9.1 billion dollars in alcohol harm felt in New Zealand annually.

“Communities have been fighting for a pregnancy warning label for twenty years,” says Sarah Sneyd, lead study author and Senior Health Promotion Advisor at Alcohol Healthwatch. “People tell us all the time that if they pick up a bottle of wine, they expect that it will have the pregnancy warning label on it. But what we’ve found is that even a year after being mandatory, there’s a good chance it won’t have the message.”

Spirits was the least likely to have the pregnancy warning label on it, with only 48% of spirits audited showing the warning label. This is likely due to its longer shelf life, as the law only states that alcohol manufactured from 31 July 2023 is required to have a warning label, not all alcohol sold. Wine was the next least likely to show the label, with only 57% showing the warning label.

“Spirits are some of the strongest alcohol you can buy, and wine is very popular among women,” says Sneyd. “And they’re the least likely to show a pregnancy warning label! It’s just not good enough – this is a massive loophole that needs to be closed.”

There is no requirement for any other health or warning label on alcohol products, such as the fact that it causes cancer. Furthermore, unlike almost every other consumable food or drink item, alcohol products (apart from RTDs) do not have to provide an ingredient list. Like Big Tobacco tactics, Big Alcohol has an incentive to delay or sidestep labelling requirements for as long as possible, to protect profit margins at the expense of health.

However, the audit revealed much higher rates of industry-designed labels, with 78% of products having an industry-designed label, including urges to “drink responsibly”. Often this messaging was located next to or near the pregnancy warning label, and may confuse viewers. This highlights the urgent need for a range of rotating health warnings to meet consumer rights for information. These labels must be prominent (i.e. not located at the bottom of packaging).

Sneyd believes that in order for consumers to make informed decisions, they need the information. “We’re talking about preventing babies being born with brain damage; it goes without saying that this is an important message. If we can get communities the information they are entitled to, then we’re one step closer towards every baby having the best possible start in life.”

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Wyden Presses VA to Reinstate Contract Helping Veterans with Cancer Care in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

June 10, 2025

Senator: “Cancelling this contract is mindless and cruel in equal measure for America’s veterans who deserve far better in return for their service to our country.”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today pressed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reverse its recent decision unilaterally ending a contract for the Cancer Registry Services to provide staffing and resources essential to maintain and operate VA’s Cancer Registry database services in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.

“This database is key to spotting trends across cancer patients, and allows our medical community to develop better guidelines to diagnose, treat, and beat cancer,” Wyden wrote in his letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins. “Cancelling this contract is mindless and cruel in equal measure for America’s veterans who deserve far better in return for their service to our country. The VA must use every tool at its disposal to support our veterans battling cancer, and I call on the VA to reinstate this contract immediately.”

Wyden’s letter following up on concerns he raised in February about the VA recklessly ending hundreds of contracts notes that cancer registries help capture the complete history, diagnosis, treatment, and health status for cancer patients across the United States.

“Approximately two million cases of cancer are likely to be diagnosed in the United States this year alone, and our veterans experience certain types of cancer at higher rates than the general population due to toxic exposures in military service,” Wyden wrote. “In fact, more than 16% of new cancer diagnoses in veterans are rare cancers, and more than 450,000 veterans are receiving cancer care at a VA hospital or facility.”

The senator added that the Cancer Registry Services contract was part of Congress’ direction to the VA to increase cancer reporting and collaboration with states.

“The contractor you have terminated so rashly was responsible for the monthly review of disease and pathology reports, radiology reports, treatment logs, and other computerized methods to identify reportable cancer cases,” Wyden wrote. “By terminating this contract, you have prevented the VA cancer registry from reporting accurate and timely data that would help cancer surveillance and shape our medical community’s response to veterans battling cancer. Interruptions in data collection and reporting will delay our medical community’s ability to recognize emerging cancer trends and treatment gaps, which will worsen outcomes for veterans and Americans battling cancer nationwide.

The entire letter is here.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland Youth Parliament ‘Future Youth Voice’ Conference

Source: Scotland – Highland Council

The annual Highland Youth Parliament (HYP) conference will take place at Inverness Leisure and Canal Park, Inverness on Friday (13th June).

Highland young people are focusing on future youth voices and what they would like a future Highland to look like. HYP is 25 years old this year so young people have been asked to bring a time capsule item to represent their area (to be opened again in 2050) and will be asked questions in a review of Highland Youth Parliament and related structures to improve how young people are supported to have a say, how this is promoted to young people and to help widen reach and representation.

The conference is expected to have approximately 100 young people from across the 29 secondary school areas in Highland participating at the event.

There will be stalls in the morning from a range of organisations and services working with young people across Highland and Highland Council youth development officers and young people will display the work they do out in areas around having a voice and making changes for improvement of services for young people in their local areas.

This will be followed by input from Jake MacCulloch, Chair of Highland Youth Parliament and Lauren McKittrick, the Highland Youth Convener.

The Scottish Youth Parliament will also speak with Highland young people re their work and consult on their new manifesto.

Kate Lackie, Assistant Chief Executive – People, The Highland Council will also speak with young people about The Highland Council’s Our Future Our Highland Programme then young people will break out in to groups to discuss wider topics of Education, Employment, Leisure and Recreation, Transport, Roads and Infrastructure, Environment and Health and Social Care, and highlight issues and actions they would like HYP to focus on in these areas.

Young people will then have the opportunity to participate in a Walk and Talk a Mile to discuss a couple of questions which will contribute towards the development of the 2026-2029 Children’s Services Plan, incorporating the Highland Children and Young People’s Participation Strategy.

The group will also be offered some fun and interesting activities – a free swim and gym session from High Life Highland. Inverness Leisure will also provide line dancing, Highland Archive Centre are offering a family history session and Inverness Botanics will be providing some interesting tours of the gardens and the work they do.

Highland Youth Convener, Lauren McKittrick said: “The HYP conference provides a platform for each area in the Highlands to be represented by the young people who call it home. I am looking forward to hearing the unique perspectives these young people will bring while discussing some of the important themes affecting the future landscape of the Highlands. There is no better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Highland Youth Parliament than a day full of engaging discussions, fun activities, and a time capsule!”

Jake MacCulloch, Chair of Highland Youth Parliament added: “Having attended the HYP conference last year as a young person myself and now this year as Chair, I’m so excited to see how the day plays out. It is such an amazing opportunity for young people to take part in, where they can voice their views and take part in activities and workshops tailored to certain topics! Like usual we will also have stalls from organisations supporting young people. This year we also have stalls from youth groups throughout Highland to show the amazing work they’ve been doing as we are celebrating 25 years of the Highland Youth Parliament, I’m sure we are going to have a great time.”

Kate Lackie, The Highland Council’s Assistant Chief Executive – People said: “The Council has a good track record of working proactively with the Highland Youth Parliament. It is important that voices of our children and young people are heard and taken seriously, especially when it comes to future policy making, which is why I am delighted to be leading a session seeking input into the Council’s key strategic priority areas. I am sure the conference will be an excellent platform to network, share good practice and look to the future. I wish everyone taking part a very enjoyable and successful event.”

Before the conference, Highland young people can participate in online training sessions, provided by The Highland Council and partners such as Scottish Youth Parliament and Education Scotland. They will cover a range of topics such as what it means to be a Highland Youth Parliament member, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, elegant challenging and campaigning online.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Join The Highland Council in supporting Clean Air Day 2025
Source: Scotland – Highland Council
The Highland Council is proud to be taking part in this year’s Clean Air Day – the UK’s largest air pollution awareness campaign – on 19 June 2025. Supported by Global Action Plan and Health Equals, the initiative is a vital step in helping our communities understand the health risks of air pollution and the simple actions we can all take to make a difference.

One of the contributors to poor air quality is engine idling — when car engines are left running while stationary – which can significantly increase harmful emissions. Changing idling behaviour will be the focus of this year’s events.

Why this campaign matters

Air pollution affects us from before our first breath to our last.

Children are especially vulnerable to the health impacts of polluted air.

Idling engines contribute to unnecessary emissions and fuel waste.

By switching off engines, we can all help reduce pollution and protect our environment.

To celebrate Clean Air Day, Highland Council’s Environmental Health Team will have an information stall at the entrance to the Victorian Market Food Hall, Inverness on Thursday 19 June from 11:00 to 15:00 and will be speaking to drivers around the town centre, providing a great opportunity to engage with the public and raise awareness on air pollution issues.

In the run-up to Clean Air Day, the team will also be revisiting schools who previously took part in an Air Quality Project to monitor air quality around school premises. This project had identified distinct peaks in pollution levels during school drop-off and pick-up times and pupils will be supported to run an Anti-Idling Campaign to raise awareness of the negative impacts of engine idling which will help encourage positive change.

Each participating school will be provided with an ‘Anti-Idling’ sign for their drop-off zone, an information pack and toolkit to help them run their campaign and a banner for installation at their school gate on the campaign launch day.

Participating schools will help raise awareness by:

Teaching pupils about why clean air matters.

Supporting pupils as they lead this important initiative.

Encouraging staff and parents to turn off their car engine when waiting outside the school.

For more information on how to participate in Clean Air Day, visit the Clean Air Day website.
10 Jun 2025

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MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Alabama Chiropractor Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion and Obstruction

Source: US State of California

Shortly after trial began, an Alabama chiropractor pleaded guilty yesterday to tax evasion and obstructing the IRS.

The following is according to court documents and evidence admitted at trial: Gary Forrest Edwards, of Shelby County, Alabama, owned and operated the chiropractic practice Hoover Health & Wellness Center. After not filing income tax returns for many years, in 2015, Edwards filed tax returns for 2009 through 2013. He later filed a tax return for 2017. On these returns, Edwards admitted that he owed more than $2.5 million in taxes. Nevertheless, he did not pay the taxes he reported due and did not pay the interest and penalties assessed against him.

Edwards took steps to thwart the IRS’s efforts to assess and collect taxes against him, including concealing financial accounts he owned from the IRS, transferring funds from accounts he owned to accounts in only his spouse’s name, filing false court documents to terminate federal tax liens against his property, and lying to IRS criminal investigators.

Edwards will be sentenced later this year. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the evasion charge and a maximum sentence of three years in prison on the obstruction charge. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco for the Northern District of Alabama will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Isaiah Boyd of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Garnett for the Northern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ciscomani Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to Address the Syphilis Epidemic

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Ciscomani (Arizona)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani reintroduced a bipartisan, bicameral effort to address the syphilis epidemic and ensure that mothers, pregnant women, and infants are as healthy as possible.

The Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue guidance to states on the best practices for screening and treatment of congenital syphilis under Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Indian Health Service (IHS).

Syphilis is a highly treatable and preventable disease that was nearly eradicated in the 1990s. However, in recent years, we have seen an increase in syphilis cases, with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that infections are at the highest levels since the 1950s. The Arizona Department of Health Services reported that cases of congenital syphilis rose by 244% from 2018 to 2022.

“As rates of congenital syphilis continue to rise in Arizona’s newborns, we must ensure that our mothers, families, and healthcare professionals have access to information, treatment, and solutions they need to address this highly preventable disease,” said Ciscomani. “Information saves lives and I am proud to co-lead the Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act to promote and expand access to screenings and treatment for syphilis to ensure that mothers, pregnant women, and babies are as healthy as possible.”

Ciscomani is joined by Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM). Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced companion legislation.

“We must do everything we can to protect mothers and their infants,” said Stansbury. “Congenital Syphilis is treatable, and it is critical HHS provides treatment, support, and education. I am proud to sign on to the Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act so women and babies in New Mexico get the care and treatment they deserve.”

“The syphilis epidemic has impacted many Mississippians, and I am working to protect mothers and children from this disease,” said Wicker. “The Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act will expand access to life-saving screening and treatment for congenital syphilis.”

“We must do more to help stop the increase of babies born in New Mexico with congenital syphilis,” said Heinrich. “My Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act will help us improve screening and treatment to protect pregnant mothers and babies in New Mexico from this fully treatable condition.”

This legislation is supported by March of Dimes, the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), and Affirm Sexual and Reproductive Health.

David C. Harvey, Executive Director of the NCSD: “Congenital syphilis is a national public health crisis—and it’s a crisis we can prevent. This bill ensures that every state has the tools and guidance needed to detect and treat syphilis in pregnancy. No woman or baby should suffer or die from a disease we have the power to stop.”

Karen Martinot, DNP, WHNP, Director of Programs & Clinical Administration, Affirm Sexual and Reproductive Health: “Affirm is proud to support the Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act. As the HHS OPA funded Title X Family Planning Grantee in the state of Arizona, our staff are keenly aware of the devastating consequences of undetected or undertreated syphilis on babies and families in Arizona. Affirm is committed to be part of solutions aimed to increase access to syphilis screening and timely treatment, educate health professionals and our communities, and decrease stigma around this vitally important health topic. Our babies are counting on us to reduce maternal and infant syphilis. We look forward to celebrating the passage of this bill

Read the full bill here.

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MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Management of stray animals in the EU – E-001104/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
1. In line with international standards[1] and for reasons of subsidiarity, the management of stray dog and cat populations remains under the responsibility of the Member States, including on policies for reproduction control, record keeping and protection.

The proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability of 2023[2] includes provisions on the management of dogs and cats kept in shelters, which are considered “former” strays[3], and they are registered in a national database in the name of the person responsible of the shelter. The proposal also requires the display of a warning regarding responsible ownership, when advertisements are placed on online platforms. This measure could contribute to decreasing the abandonment of owned dogs and cats, that is a common source of stray animals.

2. Even though the welfare of stray dogs is not governed at EU level as mentioned in the Commission’s reply to PQ E-001939/2021[4], some concrete actions have been taken. In particular, the Commission remains the main financial donor of Regional Platform on Animal Welfare for Europe of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)[5]. This Platform is a key regional mechanism to facilitate the implementation of the WOAH standards on animal welfare, including on dogs’ population management[6] by the 53 countries of the Regional Commission for Europe. The Commission also prepares the EU position on the WOAH international standard for dog population management.

[1] World Organisation for Animal Health, Terrestrial Code, Chapter 7.7. Dog Population Management: ‘Considering that sources and drivers of free-roaming dogs and management goals differ across communities, dog population management should be individually tailored to local and national contexts’ or “these recommendations for dog population management measures are described in detail in Articles 7.7.14. to 7.7.24. and should be implemented in accordance with the national context and local circumstances’.

[2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52023PC0769.

[3] There is a typing error in the proposal which reads “formal” instead of “former” stray.

[4] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2021-001939-ASW_EN.html.

[5] https://rr-europe.woah.org/en/Projects/animal-welfare-platform-europe/about-the-platform/.

[6] https://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Health_standards/tahc/current/chapitre_aw_stray_dog.pdf.
Last updated: 10 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Differences between Member States in the treatment of sheep and goat plague – E-001186/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament

Control measures at EU level for sheep and goat plague, (also known as Peste des petits ruminants — (PPR)), as well as for sheep pox and goat pox (SGP), among many diseases, are laid down in Regulation (EU) 2016/429[1] and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687[2]. Certain measures differ between these diseases.

Upon occurrence of a disease in an area previously free from it, Regulation (EU) 2016/429 provides for the possibility to adopt temporary national measures, also restricting trade.

Additional EU emergency measures specific to the disease and the affected Member State have also been adopted[3]. After their adoption, such emergency measures are harmonised in the EU and make the above national measures unnecessary, and restricting trade unjustified. The Commission is closely following this process to ensure proper implementation of EU legislation.

Those specific EU measures, in response to outbreaks of diseases like PPR and SGP in each Member State, are fine-tuned and tailormade, taking into account various factors.

The Commission is constantly evaluating them, in cooperation with Member States, to be risk-based, proportionate, and best adapted to the particulars of each epidemiological event, at the time ensuring full compliance with the EU legal framework, while safeguarding both animal health and the internal market .

To support and ensure a coordinated implementation, the Commission works with Member States via the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, enables real-time disease reporting through the Animal Disease Information System, performs Commission audits, and deploys Veterinary Emergency Teams[4] where necessary.
- [1] http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/429/oj.
- [2] http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2020/687/oj.
- [3] Infection with Peste des petits ruminants virus https://food.ec.europa.eu/animals/animal-diseases/diseases-and-control-measures/infection-peste-des-petits-ruminants-virus_en; Sheep pox and goat pox https://food.ec.europa.eu/animals/animal-diseases/diseases-and-control-measures/sheep-pox-and-goat-pox_en.
- [4] https://food.ec.europa.eu/animals/animal-diseases/veterinary-emer gency-team_en.
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – The explosive state of public health, which rewards private groups – E-001242/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament

According to Article 168(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union[1], Member States are responsible for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care, including the management thereof and the allocation of the resources assigned to them.

In 2020, 2022 and 2023, Greece received country-specific recommendations to ensure adequate and equal access to healthcare, notably for primary healthcare.

They were reflecting, among others, the share of the surveyed population reporting forgone medical needs for financial reasons (9% in 2024)[2].

The situation is worse for women and for lower income groups. Without prejudice to these national responsibilities, the grant component of the Greek Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) includes reforms and investments, with an estimated cost of EUR 1,537 million[3], to improve the resilience, accessibility, and sustainability of the healthcare system.

The national public health prevention programme in particular aims to improve the quality of life of the population and enhance the resilience of the health system by ultimately reducing behavioural risk factors.

Additionally, around EUR 280 million (EU allocation) has been allocated under the European Regional Development Fund to co-finance infrastructure and equipment at all levels of care in the Greek national health system[4].

Moreover, around EUR 250 million are allocated by the European Social Fund Plus towards investments to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of Greek primary healthcare services[5].

All these financial measures are expected to lead to improved health services in Greece and support the principle of equal access to health services, efficiency and social cohesion.
- [1] eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12012E/TXT&from=en.
- [2] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/bookmark/bac814b3-7a51-4326-8709-5d060d9796e9?lang=en.
- [3] Data retrieved from European Commission’s FENIX database (data current as of 15 April 2025)
- [4] Data retrieved from European Commission’s Cohesion Open Data Platform, accessible via https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/, data refer to spending categories 128 Health infrastructure, 129 Health equipment, 130 Health mobile assets (data current as of 15 April 2025).
- [5] Data retrieved from European Commission’s Cohesion Open Data Platform, accessible via https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/, data refer to spending Category c Accessibility, effectiveness & resilience of health systems (data current as of 15 April 2025).
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Action to facilitate and simplify funding for digital health projects – E-000550/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
The Special Report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) on digitalisation of healthcare (25/2024)[1] indicates that the Commission provided effective support to Member States overall.

The report identified a number of challenges, such as administrative burden, timing issues, insufficient administrative capacity in Member States and the need for national co-financing.

However, the Special Report confirms that the large majority of Member States made use of the available EU funds to digitise their healthcare systems, and that EU funds for healthcare digitalisation matched Member States’ needs overall.

The Special Report provided two concrete recommendations to improve reporting on the eGovernment Benchmark and the Digital Decade eHealth indicator, and to improve reporting on the use of EU funds for healthcare digitalisation. The Commission accepted those recommendations based on concrete implementation target dates.

As noted by the ECA, the Commission provided Member States with guidance on the availability of EU funds for projects in healthcare digitalisation given that it recognises the importance of supporting and guiding Member States in the use of EU funds.

Therefore, it will continue to share information recurrently on funding opportunities on several programmes with Member States, particularly through the eHealth Network.

The Commission is committed to exploring further improvements through the corresponding feedback and consultation mechanisms.

[1] https://www.eca.europa.eu/ECAPublications/SR-2024-25/SR-2024-25_EN.pdf.
Last updated: 10 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Introduction of a European passport for medical radioisotopes and its incorporation into European e-health records – E-000950/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament

Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom[1] lays down provisions at EU level for the protection of the public, workers and patients against the dangers of exposure to ionising radiation.

It requires to give information to patients who have undergone nuclear medicine procedures on the risks of ionising radiation and appropriate instructions aiming to restrict doses to persons in contact with them.

However, this directive does not include provisions on a European passport for medical radioisotopes. In 2011, the Heads of the European Radiological Protection Competent Authorities (HERCA) network[2] prepared a ‘patient release card’[3], to be used on a voluntary basis, as a standard document in case of transboundary movement of nuclear medicine patients across Member States.

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) may include information on procedures involving radioisotopes in line with their practices and legal requirements.

Article 14 of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation[4] defines the priority categories of personal electronic health data in the scope of the European Electronic Health Record Exchange Format (EEHRxF), the rights of natural persons and the certification of EHR systems.

Information on radioisotopes procedures could be exchanged as part of these priority categories, if relevant for healthcare provision, as they are not meant for non-medical uses.

The EEHRxF technical specifications will be defined under Article 15 of the EHDS Regulation and be based on input from experts and stakeholders.

A European medical radioisotope passport is not in the scope of the EHDS, but, under its Article 24, the Commission may support supplementary cross-border digital health services if Member States provide them through MyHealth@EU.
- [1] Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom of 5 December 2013 laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation, and repealing Directives 89/618/Euratom, 90/641/Euratom, 96/29/Euratom, 97/43/Euratom and 2003/122/Euratom, OJ L 13, 17.1.2014, p. 1.
- [2] HERCA is a voluntary association of 56 radiation protection authorities from 32 European countries including the 27 EU Member States.. More information at https://www.herca.org.
- [3] https://www.herca.org/download/4681/?tmstv=1743758182.
- [4] Regulation (EU) 2025/327 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2025 on the European Health Data Space and amending Directive 2011/24/EU and Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 OJ L, 2025/327 http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/327/oj.
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Welch Slams Trump Administration’s Request to Rescind Over $9 Billion in Federally Appropriated Funds

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) tonight took to the Senate floor to slam the Trump Administration’s reckless request to rescind $9.4 billion in Fiscal Years (FY) 2024 and 2025 Congressionally-appropriated funds, which provide vital support to Americans through public broadcasting and radio networks and promote U.S. global leadership.
In his remarks, Senator Welch emphasized how rescinding these funds will put American lives at risk, damage security alliances and global partnerships, and erode Congress’s constitutional authority over appropriations.
“The President likes to talk about his historic mandate. He did win—it was 2 million votes out of 152 million cast. It was a small margin of victory, the smallest by a Republican presidential candidate since the 1900s. My point here is not so much the size of the ‘mandate.’ Whatever the ‘mandate,’ a President should embrace the responsibility that he or she has to the entire country, and that includes folks who didn’t vote for him,” said Senator Welch.
“I do not believe even those who did were voting to risk their lives and their children’s lives by cutting funds to stop the spread of Ebola, or measles, or West Nile virus. This wasn’t a mandate to shut down programs to defend democracy where it’s under assault. This was not a vote to withdraw from UNICEF. This was not a vote, necessarily, to turn our back on the world’s refugees, including in particular, Afghan refugees who saved lives of our men and women in uniform.”
Senator Welch concluded: “Of course, Article I gives to the Congress the power to tax and the power to spend. And it is absolutely essential we do that carefully and wisely because our constituents are the ones who are going to pay the bill through taxes we assess, and they are the ones who are going to receive the benefits through appropriations we make. But to abdicate that power—which is essentially what this rescission would accommodate for the executive—is to turn over that power to the President. And it’s not just a matter of it being this President—it’s any President. In order for us to meet our responsibilities, we have to adhere to our constitutional responsibility under Article I. We are the ones who are subject to the will of the people—in the House every two years, in the Senate every six years—to account for how we tax and how we spend. Let’s not dodge by delegating that power to the executive.”
Watch Senator Welch’s full speech below:
The following programs would be eliminated or drastically reduced if the Trump Administration’s request for recissions are approved:
A cut of $1.1B for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
A cut of $500 million for Global Health Programs, for activities to protect child and maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, and other infectious diseases.
A cut of $800 million for assistance for refugees, like those fleeing genocide in Darfur and Burma.
A cut of $83 million for programs to support democracy, through organizations like the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, and Freedom House, which have always received strong bipartisan support.
A cut of $1.65 billion for the Economic Support Fund, which funds economic assistance for Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Lebanon, and scores of other programs that combat corruption, transnational money laundering and terrorist financing, human and wildlife trafficking, and that build markets for U.S. exports.    
A cut of $460 million for assistance for Georgia, Armenia, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the other former Soviet Republics.
A cut of $496 million for international disaster assistance that provides life-saving aid for victims of natural and man-made disasters, from earthquakes and hurricanes to armed conflicts.
A cut of $202 million for specialized agencies, including for the United States’ contribution to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Senator Welch has been a leading voice in pushing back against the Trump Administration’s unlawful efforts to dismantle vital programs and terminate billions of dollars in life-saving aid. Following the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE’s, unlawful firings of over 5,500 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees, Senator Welch demanded answers from the State Department on DOGE’s actions that directly violate funds appropriated by Congress through the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act.
In April, Senator Welch spoke on the Senate Floor on how President Trump’s January 20th Executive Order suspending admission to the United States for Afghan refugees has left vulnerable families stranded and abandoned thousands who face persecution. In his remarks, the Senator urged Congress to expedite the resettlement of Afghan refugees, many of whom worked with, and for, the U.S. government, our diplomats, and our intelligence officers.
Learn more about Senator Welch’s work by visiting his website or by following him on social media.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: About 11 thousand new rooms in modular hotels will appear in 55 regions of the country

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The moderators of the plenary session were Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov. The main topic was the changes that tourism brings to regions and cities, and economic sectors.

The Deputy Prime Minister read out a greeting from Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which the head of state, in particular, noted: “In recent years, tourism in our country has been developing dynamically, its infrastructure has been improving, new routes and popular, creative tourism products aimed at people of different ages have been developed. And of course, the tourism industry serves as an important factor in strengthening the socio-economic potential of cities and entire regions, opens up opportunities for creating modern jobs, increasing entrepreneurial activity in related areas – trade and construction, public catering and folk crafts. It contributes to the preservation and revival of historical, architectural and cultural monuments.”

A video greeting from Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was also shown at the event.

Dmitry Chernyshenko noted that for the first time at one site, at VDNKh, the tourism potential of the entire country is presented to citizens and foreign guests of Russia: “89 entities, 140 exhibition objects, more than 400 organizations and 4 thousand participants from 30 countries of the world, who from June 10 to 15 will be immersed in the world of tourism and Russian hospitality. An extensive business program is planned within the framework of the forum, more than 50 sessions, where the most important issues of the industry development will be discussed with the participation of 350 speakers.”

He emphasized that the Government is carrying out extensive and systematic work to develop domestic tourism.

“Without investments in the industry, there would not be such rapid growth of the industry. It is important to maintain a positive trend and the desire of businesses to invest in domestic tourism. One of the most effective mechanisms of the national project is the preferential lending program. 367 hotels with a total of 78 thousand rooms are being created under this program. The cost of the projects is almost 2 trillion rubles,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

In 2024, Moscow was visited by 26 million people, which is 2 times more than the official population of the capital. The city provides 14% of the tourist flow from the all-Russian one, and in terms of foreign trips, the figure is approaching 50%.

Another popular measure of the national project is the creation of modular accommodation facilities. Under this program, 13 thousand rooms have already been introduced. Taking into account the demand for the program, the Government decided to extend its validity, and a selection of projects was conducted for the next three years. And just now the Ministry of Economic Development summed up the results of the next selection of projects, within the framework of which it is planned to create about 11 thousand rooms in modular hotels in 55 regions of the country.

Dmitry Chernyshenko added that the Government has launched programs to support the development of large ski resorts. Currently, the creation of 17 new resorts from the Leningrad Region to Sakhalin is supported with a total investment of 76 billion rubles.

Also, as part of the national project, a separate federal project “Industrial Support for Tourism” is being implemented to support domestic manufacturers. Demand for equipment has been formed: cable cars, snow cannons, snow groomers, buses, and attractions.

The government has supported the development of Suzdal in preparation for the millennium since its foundation. This includes the construction of a road from Vladimir, and the modernization of utilities and the urban environment. Suzdal is an example of private capital participating in the formation of a unique environment for tourists and local residents.

“Our joint goal is to make travel around Russia not just an opportunity, but a natural part of the life of every citizen,” the Deputy Prime Minister concluded.

Maxim Reshetnikov also focused on measures to support the tourism business. He emphasized the role of a single subsidy for regions, which allows for the creation of in-demand tourism products locally.

“We provide a significant part of the national project resources to the regions in the form of a single subsidy, giving a fairly large degree of freedom in how to use it. For three years, this is 27 billion rubles, a considerable amount. It can be used to develop the city center, create a new tourist route, navigation or tourist information center. In general, to make travel more comfortable and interesting. The growth potential of the domestic tourism market is large, there will be enough tourists for everyone. But the ability to competently and unconventionally present your local features, flavor, “tricks” comes to the fore in the competition,” noted Maxim Reshetnikov.

Representatives of small tourism businesses from the regions shared their success stories. Among them are the founder of the Leto-Leto complex from Tyumen, which is implementing the concept of an urban resort, Vladimir Shevchik, the founder of the camping and glamping for active recreation Vetreno from the Yaroslavl region Ksenia Radchenko, the creator of the Russian gastronomic guide GreatList Alexander Sysoev, the director of the Ural design bureau Ratrak-Ural, which is engaged in the production of equipment for ski resorts, Alexander Pashnin, the general director of the ceramics factory from Suzdal Dymov Keramika Vadim Dymov, the general director of the company for the development of high-speed shipping Vodolet from Nizhny Novgorod Nikita Italyantsev.

The Governor of Krasnodar Krai, Veniamin Kondratyev, spoke about how tourism is developing in one of the most popular holiday destinations.

Dmitry Chernyshenko and Maxim Reshetnikov presented the Ministry of Economic Development’s badges “For Contribution to Tourism Development” for the first time.

The Deputy Prime Minister and the guests of the forum also assessed the exhibition area of the updated route “Golden Ring of Russia”. This route received national status on the opening day of the forum. The new status cemented its role as one of the key elements of the country’s cultural and historical heritage, and also opened up new opportunities for the development of tourism infrastructure. The exhibition area of the route unites exhibits from Moscow, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Moscow regions. The stands present the new brand of the Golden Ring.

The Deputy Prime Minister also inspected the exposition of the national tourist route “Silver Necklace” and the stands of the Altai Republic, Crimea, Zaporozhye Region, and Krasnodar Region.

Among the foreign expositions, the tour program included stands of Cuba and Venezuela, where guests were greeted with Latin American songs and dances. At the stand presented by the ANO “National Priorities”, patriotic routes were discussed with the participation of the Deputy Prime Minister, and at the exposition of the state corporation “Tourism.RF” – promising investment projects for the creation of new Russian resorts and tourist clusters.

Dmitry Chernyshenko and his delegation assessed the exposition of Russian manufacturers. They participate in the program of import substitution of equipment and machinery for the tourism industry. This is one of the areas of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality”.

The organizer of the International Tourism Forum “Travel!” is the Roscongress Foundation together with the Ministry of Economic Development with the support of the Government of Russia and the Moscow City Tourism Committee.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 11, 2025

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Responding to requests for a child or young person’s personal information

Source: Privacy Commissioner

This guidance aims to help agencies respond appropriately to requests for personal information about children and young people. The guidance covers:

Information Privacy Principle 6 (IPP 6) of the Privacy Act 2020.
Who can make an IPP 6 request for information about a child or young person.
Requests made by parents, legal guardians or other caregivers, including:
- when a parent, legal guardian or caregiver is acting as a representative of the child or young person.
- whether the Privacy Act 2020 or the Official Information Act 1982 applies
- what other laws may apply.
Requests made by a Lawyer for the Child.
Responsibilities of an agency before giving access to personal information.
Requests made by other agencies.
Applying the guidance in practice- some examples.

Information Privacy Principle (IPP) 6

The Privacy Act applies to any individual regardless of age. A child or young person has the same privacy rights as an adult but sometimes needs the assistance of another person to exercise those rights.

One of those rights is a person’s right to ask for information about themselves, set out in IPP 6.

An agency must respond to the requester within 20 working days and usually has to provide the information, unless one of the refusal grounds applies.

Information covered in this guidance

Download a copy of this guidance (opens to PDF, 333 KB).

Who can make an IPP 6 request about children and young people?

An IPP 6 request may be made by the child or young person themselves or their representative. A representative is a person who is lawfully acting on the child or young person’s behalf.

Information requests from parents, legal guardians or caregivers

The Privacy Act does not provide an automatic right of access by a parent, legal guardian, or caregiver to their child’s personal information.
Assessing and processing a request from a parent, legal guardian or caregiver is a two-step process:

Determine whether the parent, legal guardian or caregiver is a representative.
If yes, then determine whether any of the refusal grounds apply.

In most cases, a parent or legal guardian can be considered a representative, particularly where the child is too young or otherwise not able to act on their own behalf. Where a caregiver is making the request, determining whether they are a representative may not be so clear cut as they won’t have the same legal status as a parent or legal guardian.

The circumstances will be different for each request, so it is important that an agency considers each request on a case-by-case basis before deciding whether the parent, legal guardian or caregiver is acting as a representative of the child or young person.

Step 1: When is a parent, legal guardian or caregiver a representative?

For the purposes of IPP 6, a parent, legal guardian or caregiver may be considered representative of the child where:

the child is too young or otherwise not able to act on their own behalf, or
an older child or young person has authorised them to make the request on their behalf.

Before determining that a parent, legal guardian or caregiver is a representative, agencies should consider:

The age and maturity of the child and whether they are capable of understanding and exercising their rights under the Privacy Act.
Any court orders relating to parental access or responsibility (e.g. protection orders, custody and guardianship orders).
Whether, based on what is known to the agency, it is (or isn’t) likely to be in the best interests of the child or young person for the parent, legal guardian or caregiver requesting the information to be able to exercise their child’s Privacy Act rights on their behalf.

Where there is a family breakdown of some sort such as family harm, a custody or guardianship dispute or where the child is or has experienced abuse, the best interests of the child or young person should be a primary consideration. When determining whether it is in the best interests of the child or young person agencies should consider:

the interests of the parent, legal guardian, caregiver and the child or young person are no longer the same or are in conflict, and/or disclosing the information to the parent/legal guardian would go against the child’s interests.
whether there are reasonable grounds for believing the child or young person does not or would not wish the information to be disclosed.

If any of the factors above exist, an agency may determine that a parent, guardian or caregiver is not acting as representative of the child or young person and the request does not fall under the Privacy Act.

Where a parent, guardian or caregiver is not a representative you can consider the request under the Official Information Act (see table below).

Non-custodial parents

A non-custodial parent is the parent who doesn’t live with their child most of the time. Non-custodial parents with guardianship rights still have legal rights and responsibilities, ensuring they can maintain a relationship with their child. A non-custodial parent has guardianship rights if they meet the test in section 17 of the Care of Children Act 2004 (or are otherwise appointed by the Court).

A non-custodial parent with guardianship rights can exercise their child’s privacy rights in the same way the custodial parent can, taking the wishes of the child into account if expressed or known (for older children or young people).

Where an agency receives an information request from a non-custodial parent with guardianship rights, it should follow the same process for managing a request from a custodial parent or other legal guardian.

Step 2: Decision to release or refuse the request

A representative does not have automatic access to a child or young person’s personal information. An agency still needs to consider whether any of the refusal grounds apply in the circumstances.

In situations where parents are separated, agencies do not need the consent of the other parent (either custodial or non-custodial) to disclose information about the child or young person. However, agencies should consider whether the child or young person’s personal information also reveals personal information about the other parent (e.g., the other parent’s home address or contact details where there is a protection order in place).

When a request for information should be managed as an Official Information Act request

The Official Information Act (OIA) enables an individual to make a request for ‘official information’ (certain information held by public sector agencies). Official information can include personal information about other people, including children and young people.

Where the person requesting the information isn’t the child or young person or a representative, the request should be considered under the OIA.

The following table can help you determine which Act may apply depending on the specific circumstances of the request:

Individual making request	Purpose of request	Applicable Act
Child/young person – capable of making their own request.	Their own personal information	Privacy Act
Parent/legal guardian/caregiver of child/young person who is too young or not capable of exercising their rights. (Parent/legal guardian/caregiver probably a representative)	Personal information about the child or young person	Privacy Act, unless there are circumstances which suggest the Parent/Legal Guardian/caregiver is not acting on their behalf or in their best interests, then the request should be processed under the OIA
Parent/legal guardian/caregiver of older child or young person capable of making their own request with the older child/young person’s authorisation to make the request on their behalf. (Parent/legal guardian/caregiver probably a representative)	Personal information about the older child or young person	Privacy Act, unless there are circumstances which suggest the Parent/Legal Guardian/caregiver is not acting on their behalf or in their best interests, then the request should be processed under the OIA
Parent/legal guardian/caregiver of older child capable of making their own request where the older child/young person has made it clear they do not authorise the requestor to make the request on their behalf.(Parent/legal guardian/caregiver is not a representative)	Personal information about the older child or young person	Part 2 OIA/LGOIMA.
All other cases where a parent/legal guardian/caregiver of child/young person is determined not to be a representative.	Personal information about the child or young person	Part 2 OIA/LGOIMA. Subject to eligibility requirements in the OIA (s 12(1)), but not the LGOIMA

Other laws that may apply

Agencies should also consider whether any other laws may apply to requests made by parents, legal guardians or caregivers and proactive disclosures of children and young person’s information. These laws include:

The Health Act 1956 and the Health Information Privacy Code (HIPC) regulate access to “health information” held by a “health agency”. Under the HIPC, parents or guardians of children under 16 years are legally defined as their ‘representatives’, whose access requests are treated as though made by the child themselves.
As with any information privacy request, these requests may be refused in certain circumstances (Rule 11(4) HIPC).
Section 103 of the Education and Training Act 2020 says that principals should tell parents about matters affecting their child’s progress through school or relationships with others.
Under IPP 11 of the Privacy Act 2020, an agency may disclose personal information to a third party if it believes there are reasonable grounds that one of the exceptions in IPP 11 applies.

For example, this could be when the child or young person authorises the disclosure (IPP11(1)(c)) or where disclosure to parents is one of (or is directly related to) the purposes for which an agency obtained the information (IPP11(1)(a)).

However, unlike IPP 6 and the OIA, IPP 11 does not give a right to access or request information. IPP 11 gives an agency discretion to disclose personal information where that agency considers it is necessary to do so (rather than legally being required to respond to a request for the information). Whether an exception applies will depend on the circumstances.

Information requests from Lawyer for the Child

A Lawyer for the Child is a specialist lawyer appointed by the Family Court to represent the interests of the child or young person in Family Court proceedings involving custody or guardianship disputes, or situations of family harm.

To fulfil their responsibilities, the Lawyer for the Child often needs information about the child or young person held by agencies such as a school or healthcare provider. When making a request for information, the Lawyer for the Child will be acting as a representative for the child or young person.

The Lawyer for the Child should provide evidence of their appointment and brief from the Family Court. (A Lawyer for the Child is appointed by Court Minute and receives their brief by letter from the Court.) If it not clear whether the requestor is acting as the Lawyer for the Child, you should ask them to provide evidence of their appointment before you provide access to any personal information.

Responsibilities of an agency before giving access to personal information

Providing access to personal information to an unauthorised person can cause serious harm to an individual and be a form of notifiable privacy breach – where the personal information is about children and young people the harm can be long lasting and significant.

When providing access to personal information under IPP 6, the agency must (Section 57 of the Privacy Act 2020):

be satisfied of the identity of the requestor (e.g. the child or young person or the representative)
not provide access to the information if the agency has reasonable grounds to believe that the request is being made under the threat of physical or mental harm (coercion)
ensure that the information intended for the requestor (or their representative) is provided to the right person.

You may need to request additional information from the requestor to satisfy these requirements of the Privacy Act.

Confirming a requestor’s identity

Where additional information is required to confirm a requestor’s identity the agency should inform the requestor what information is required and why. Agencies must also ensure that any identification documentation requested is securely destroyed once confirmation of the requestor’s identity has been made.

Where a decision has been made to grant access to personal information, agencies should confirm with the requestor (or their representative) the method in which they would like to receive the information and double check email, or postal addresses are correct.

Information requests from other agencies

Where a request for information about a child or young person is made by another agency other laws may apply. These include:

Section 66C of the Oranga Tamariki Act permits Child Welfare and Protection Agencies to request and share information about children and young people for specified purposes.
Section 20 of the Family Violence Act permits Family Violence Agencies to request and share information about individuals who have been subject to family harm for specified purposes.
Any law that requires the information to be provided to the requestor e.g. section 66 Oranga Tamariki Act, section 11 Social Security Act, section 17 Tax Administration Act.

Where requests for information are made under one of these laws an agency cannot refuse the request under one of the IPP 11 refusal grounds (or a withholding ground under the OIA). An agency should assess the request and decide whether to share the requested information in line with the law under which the request was made.

Examples

See examples of how this guidance is applied in practice.

Download a copy of this guidance (opens to PDF, 333 KB).

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 11, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: FOLLOWING HIS PUSH, SCHUMER ANNOUNCES EPA RELEASES $1.75 MILLION IN FED FUNDING TO PROTECT DRINKING WATER FOR 40,000 IN ONTARIO & WAYNE COUNTIES

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

Earlier This Spring, Schumer Called On EPA To Release $1.75M In Fed Funding He Secured For Canandaigua To Upgrade Drinking Water System To Remove Toxic Chemicals Linked To Liver And Kidney Damage And Cancer

Canandaigua Had All Its Paperwork In Order For Months But Red Tape At The EPA Had Been Holding Up Progress, But Now Thanks To Schumer’s Push, Construction Can Begin As Planned

Schumer: Fed $$ On The Way For Clean Water Across Ontario & Wayne Counties

After calling on the EPA to cut through the red tape for the City of Canandaigua to install crucial equipment to remove disinfection by-product (DBP) chemicals from drinking water, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer announced the EPA has heeded his calls and released federal funding for the city to begin construction. Schumer explained the City of Canandaigua will remove disinfection by-product (DBP) chemicals – which have been linked to health issues including liver and kidney damage and cancer – from the water supply that over 40,000 New Yorkers across Ontario and Wayne Counties rely on.

“Access to clean water and modern water-sewer systems are fundamental, and soon thousands more families from Canandaigua to Walworth will have access to cleaner drinking water. I was proud to secure $1.75 million in federal funding so Canandaigua can upgrade its drinking water system and eliminate harmful chemicals that have been linked to liver and kidney damage and cancer. When I heard the final agreement still hadn’t been signed, I pushed the EPA to release these funds ASAP so construction can start soon,” said Senator Schumer. “Now, this federal funding can start flowing to boost public health for over 40,000 New Yorkers across Ontario and Wayne Counties while creating good-paying jobs. I will always fight to keep New York’s drinking water clean and our communities safe and healthy.”

Now that the EPA has signed off on the final agreement and released this federal funding, the City of Canandaigua can begin construction as planned. The city needed the EPA to sign off on the final agreement for construction to move forward, but had previously faced weeks of delays.

Disinfection by-products (DBP) have recently been found in excess of the maximum contaminant level established by the EPA in the water of systems that have purchased the city’s water. Schumer secured $1.75 million in federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act to enable the City of Canandaigua to install a new aeration system into its three water storage tanks that will eliminate the DPA chemicals. This system will specifically integrate aerators and mixers into the city’s water storage tanks to eliminate the harmful DBPs from the drinking water supply. These DBPs are formed when disinfectants, like chlorine, react with naturally occurring substances in the water which have known toxicity and carcinogenic impacts that have been linked to liver and kidney damage and cancer.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Balancing drug coverage for the long-term
Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)
Alberta’s government is committed to making sure Albertans have world-class health care coverage that provides affordable access to essential medications. However, the cost of providing coverage for Seniors and Non-Group Coverage to Albertans is increasing by nearly seven per cent annually. In 2023-24, the cost of administering these two programs was approximately $1.3 billion. By 2026-27, the cost of providing coverage to Albertans will increase by approximately $194 million.

To address rising costs and ensure coverage can continue to be provided in the years to come, the maximum co-payment for a prescription will increase by a total of $10 over a 10-month period. Beginning July 1, 2025, the maximum co-payment will increase by $1 each month until it reaches $35 on April 1, 2026. If co-payments had increased in line with inflation, seniors would now be paying approximately $48.

“Providing Albertans with coverage for their prescription drugs ensures they have access to necessary medications. But drug coverage costs are rising, and we need to take steps to address the cost. This change will help keep those costs in check, maintain a fair and balanced cost sharing approach, and allow the government to continue offering this important coverage.”

Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services

When the new maximum co-payment comes into effect, the majority of Alberta seniors will still pay less than seniors in most other provinces. For example, an Alberta senior needing a drug that costs $900 annually will pay $270 and the government will pay the remaining cost. In B.C., the same senior would pay $900.

Public drug coverage in Alberta covers about 40.1 per cent of all expenditures toward prescribed drugs in the province. This is the second highest among all provinces (Ontario is 40.8 per cent), which on average accounts for 30 per cent of prescription drug expenditures.

Eligible low-income seniors can apply for financial assistance with their co-payments through the Special Needs Assistance for Seniors program. All Albertans are encouraged to consult with their pharmacist about ways to reduce their costs, such as obtaining prescription quantities of up to 100 days, when possible.

Quick facts
- The average prescription co-payment is $11.30 for Albertans with Non-group Coverage, and $8.44 for those with Coverage for Seniors. It is anticipated these average co-payments will increase to $14.31 and $9.87, respectively.
- Approximately 18 per cent of Non-Group Coverage participants are charged the maximum co-payment under the current co-payment structure, while approximately five per cent of Coverage for Seniors participants are charged the maximum co-payment under the current co-payment structure.
- Coverage for Seniors and Non-Group Coverage are Alberta government-sponsored health benefit plans that provide drug coverage and other health benefits.
- A co-payment is the portion of the prescription cost paid by Albertans who use these plans. The cost is paid to the pharmacy when the Albertan has their prescription filled, and the government covers the remaining cost.
- Approximately 760,000 Albertans 65 years and older have Coverage for Seniors. The number of seniors in the province is expected to almost double to 1.4 million by 2051.
- Approximately 75,000 Albertans younger than 65 years have Non-Group Coverage.
Related information
- Coverage for Seniors
- Non-Group Coverage
- Special Needs Assistance for Seniors
MIL OSI Canada News –
June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Update 3: Alberta wildfire update (June 10, 3 p.m.)
Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)
While some communities have allowed residents to return, evacuation orders and alerts remain in other places. Additional firefighting resources are coming from across North America.

Current situation (as of 3 p.m., June 10)
- There are 60 wildfires currently burning across Alberta in the Forest Protection Area, and three mutual aid fires.
  
  25 are classified as out of control, seven are being held and 28 are under control.
  
  Two wildfires near the Peerless Trout and Chipewyan Lakes First Nations have merged and are expected to grow over the next few days.
- Since January 1, there have been 545 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area, burning more than 619,000 hectares.
- More than 1,000 Alberta firefighters, contract firefighters and imported firefighters are currently battling wildfires across the province.
- Resources currently being used include heavy equipment, air tankers, helicopters and night vision helicopters.
- Alberta has imported firefighters and aircraft from Yukon, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Hawaii.
- Information about wildfires can be found by visiting the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard.
Orders and alerts
- Updates on evacuation orders are available on www.alberta.ca/emergency.
- On June 10, the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 issued an evacuation order for everyone between the Smoky River and the Forestry Trunk Road, along all points accessed from the Forestry Trunk Road from kilometre 70 to kilometre 126.
- On June 9, Saddle Hills County issued an evacuation order for everyone located between Range Road 95 and Highway 725, and Township Road 794 and Township Road 802, including Moonshine Lake Provincial Park. This evacuation order was expanded on June 10 to include everyone located between Township Road 794 and Highway 49, between Range Road 94 and Range Road 85.
  
  Reception centre at Blueberry Mountain Hall, located at Highway 680 and Range Road 82.
- On June 9, Lac La Biche County downgraded its evacuation order for southern Winefred Lake and Grist Lake to an evacuation alert.
- On June 9, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo lifted its evacuation alert for the Conklin area.
- On June 8, the County of Grande Prairie No. 1 expanded its evacuation order to include everyone north of Township Road 700 to Highway 43, and east of the border with British Columbia to Range Road 130.
  
  Reception centre at Hythe Community Library, 10013 100 Street, Hythe.
- The Dene Tha’ First Nation’s evacuation order for the community of Chateh remains in effect.
  
  Registration centre at the Bushe River Administrative Office in High Level.
- The Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council’s evacuation orders for Loon Lake 235, Peerless Lake and Trout Lake remain in effect.
  
  Registration centre at 10451 170 Street, Edmonton.
- The Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17’s evacuation order for Red Earth Creek remains in effect.
  
  Reception centre at the Baytex Energy Centre, 9810 73 Avenue, Peace River.
- The Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17’s evacuation order for Chipewyan Lake also remains in effect.
  
  Reception centre at Lakeview Sports Centre, 102 Opportunity Drive, Wabasca-Desmarais.
- Evacuation alerts are currently in effect for:
  
  Hamlet of Marten Beach – Municipal District of Slave River
  
  Hamlet of Peers and area – Yellowhead County
  
  Hawk Hills area – County of Northern Lights
  
  Southern Winefred Lake and Grist Lake – Lac La Biche County
  
  The area between Range Road 95 and Highway 725, and Township Road 802 and 810; everyone outside the expanded evacuation zone between Range Road 95 and Highway 725, and Township Road 794 and Highway 49; and the area between Township Road 802 and Highway 49, and Highway 725 and Range Road 82 – Saddle Hills County
  
  North of Township Road 710 to 752 east of Range Road 130 to Range Road 124 – County of Grande Prairie No. 1
  
  Town of Swan Hills
- Alberta Emergency Alerts are issued by local authorities and are updated at their discretion. For the best source of information on the status of evacuation orders and alerts, residents are encouraged to follow their local authorities’ preferred communication channels for updates.
- People living in Alberta are encouraged to download the Alberta Emergency Alert mobile app, which immediately pushes all alerts out to subscribers.
Eligibility for Emergency Evacuation Payments
- Alberta’s government provides a one-time emergency evacuation payment to residents who had to leave their communities for seven or more days due to mandatory evacuation orders.
- Eligible adults receive $1,250 and $500 for each dependent child under the age of 18.
- Evacuees are encouraged to apply for these emergency payments online at evacuationpayment.alberta.ca, by calling the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992 or by visiting an Alberta Supports office for assistance. Locations can be found at alberta.ca/alberta-supports.
- Those in need of immediate emergency financial assistance can contact the Income Support Emergency Contact Centre at 1-866-644-5135. The contact centre operates 24/7.
Air quality
- Visit Wildfire Smoke Information for air quality monitoring information to make informed decisions about outdoor activities to protect your health. While wildfire smoke is affecting air quality in parts of Alberta, the presence of smoke does not necessarily mean there is fire near your community. Find information about the status of active wildfires and wildfire updates at Alberta Wildfire.
Fire bans
- A fire ban is in effect for the Forest Protection Area of Alberta.
- Under this ban, all outdoor wood fires are prohibited, and existing fire permits are suspended.
- Please confirm advisories, restrictions or bans for your area at alberta.ca/fire-bans.
- Fire bans outside the Forest Protection Area are the responsibility of municipalities and counties.
- Everyone has a role to play in wildfire prevention. Follow all fire bans and restrictions to avoid new fire starts. If you see smoke or flames in the forest, call 310-FIRE to report it.
- Applying FireSmart principles to homes and property can mitigate the risk of wildfire damage. Removing flammable materials and vegetation around the property and preventing embers from accumulating can help protect your home from wildfires. To learn more, visit FireSmart Alberta.
Roads and highways
- Highway 35 between the junction with Highway 692 and Highway 695, north of Manning, is open. Drivers should expect reduced visibility due to smoke. The highway may close without warning if fire conditions change.
- Highway 686 between Red Earth Creek and Trout Lake is currently closed due to a wildfire.
- Highway 671/Kelly Lake Road at the Alberta/B.C. border to Range Road 130, southwest of Hythe, is closed due to a wildfire in BC.
- 511 Alberta is the best source of real time information as conditions change on our highways. Follow on X (formerly known as Twitter) @511alberta.
- Alberta highways that are affected by the wildfires will open and close frequently depending on safety and weather conditions. Be patient and respect the staff at the closure/detour sites – they are there with your safety in mind.
Health
- The Swan Hills Emergency Department is now open. The Swan Hills Healthcare Centre continues to work towards a full reopening.
- For information about wildfire resources, including mental health, visit Wildfire Resources | Alberta Health Services
Education
- Six schools are currently closed in response to community evacuations:
  
  Dene Tha’ Community School, in Chateh
  
  Kateri School, in Trout Lake
  
  Elizabeth Quintal Schools, in Peerless Lake
  
  Clarence Jaycox School, in Loon Lake
  
  Red Earth Creek School, in Red Earth Creek
  
  Chipewyan Lake School, in Chipewyan Lake
- Swan Hills School, in Swan Hills, reopened on Monday, June 9.
- Parents and guardians should reach out to local school authorities for the most current information on impacts to schooling.
- All impacted school authorities had plans in place to ensure displaced students have access to educational programming.
Child care
- One child-care centre is currently closed in response to community evacuations:
  
  Opportunity Childcare, in Red Earth Creek
- Licensed child-care programs are required to notify Child Care Connect if they close unexpectedly.
- Parents and guardians should reach out to their child-care provider for information on closures.
Justice
- The Chateh and Red Earth Creek courthouses are closed until further notice due to evacuations. Visit the Alberta Courts website for the most current information regarding court scheduling.
Heritage Sites
- Alberta’s government is offering free general admission to our world-class museums and historic sites in support of displaced Albertans who must leave their homes due to wildfires.
- Alberta’s heritage sites offer informative and enjoyable activities and exhibits suitable for the whole family: https://www.alberta.ca/historic-sites-museums.
- Visitors to provide their postal code or government ID to verify their evacuation status.
- Sites will continue to offer free admission until evacuees are able to return home.
- Sites offering free admission:
  
  Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton
  
  Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller
  
  Reynolds Museum, Wetaskiwin
  
  Remington Carriage Museum, Cardston
  
  Oil Sands Discovery Centre, Fort McMurray
  
  Rutherford House, Edmonton
  
  Stephansson House, Red Deer County
  
  Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, Crowsnest Pass
  
  Fort George and Buckingham House, St. Paul
  
  Historic Dunvegan, Fairview
  
  Victoria Settlement, County of Smoky Lake
  
  Turner Valley Gas Plant, Diamond Valley
  
  Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump, Fort Macleod
Emergency Preparedness
- Get ready for emergencies and disasters by taking simple steps now. To be prepared, ensure you know what to do, where to go and have enough supplies for a week or more. Supplies include food, water, medications and important documents. Include supplies for pets as well.
- Read more about emergency preparedness.
Related information
- Active emergency updates
- Alberta Emergency Alerts
- Download the Alberta Emergency Alerts app
- Download the Alberta Wildfire app
- Wildfire smoke information
MIL OSI Canada News –
June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Oz Turns 65, Launches Videos to Help Americans Navigate Medicare Enrollment

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services

As he turns 65 on Wednesday, June 11, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz is using his own Medicare enrollment experience to help Americans better understand how to sign up for Medicare and select the coverage that best fits their needs. Through a new video and social media series, Dr. Oz is walking future enrollees through simple steps they can take to get started—beginning with Medicare.gov.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Suburban Chicago Physician Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Health Care Fraud

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago physician has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for billing Medicaid and private insurers for nonexistent and unnecessary services.

MONA GHOSH owned and operated Progressive Women’s Healthcare, S.C., a medical office in Hoffman Estates, Ill., specializing in obstetrics and gynecology services. From 2018 to 2022, Ghosh submitted and caused her employees to submit fraudulent claims to Medicaid, TRICARE, and numerous other insurers for procedures and services that were not medically necessary, including endometrial ablations and biopsies, ultrasounds, vaccinations, laboratory blood tests, and tests for sexually transmitted diseases. Some of the procedures were performed without patient consent. Ghosh also fraudulently overstated the length and complexity of in-office and telemedicine visits and submitted claims using billing codes for which the visits did not qualify in order to seek higher reimbursement rates. Ghosh prepared false patient medical records to support the fraudulent reimbursement claims.

Ghosh, 52, of Inverness, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to two counts of health care fraud. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Franklin U. Valderrama imposed the ten-year prison sentence and ordered Ghosh to pay approximately $1.5 million in restitution.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Jason Sargenski, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office; and Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kavitha Babu and Hayley Altabef.

“When physicians submit fraudulent claims to federal health care programs, they divert taxpayer-funded resources away from those who truly need them,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Dr. Ghosh’s fraud scheme was particularly egregious because she endangered the health of her patients through unnecessary medical procedures, including procedures that denied women of childbearing age the opportunity to start their own families with children. We applaud the victims’ strength to come forward and confront this defendant. Our Office will fight tirelessly for victims and work diligently with our law enforcement partners to safeguard taxpayer funds and hold accountable those who steal from the American public.”

“Dr. Ghosh spent years traumatizing patients, lying to insurers, and stealing taxpayer money to feed her greed,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “The depraved conduct uncovered in this case represents an extreme betrayal of trust toward patients who were simply seeking care and integrity from their doctor. The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue and hold accountable any medical professional who seeks to harm patients for their personal enrichment.”

“Physicians and other medical professionals who place profits ahead of patient care do so at the expense of the very people they swore an oath to protect,” said HHS-OIG SAC Pinto. “The sentence imposed in this case reflects the severity of the defendant’s crimes and the harm inflicted on numerous patients. This investigation underscores our agency’s commitment to aggressively pursuing those who fraudulently submit claims to federal health care programs and put patients at risk.”

“It is imperative that our service members have full confidence that the medical care they receive is both legitimate and delivered by healthcare providers who are unwaveringly committed to their well-being,” said DCIS SAC Sargenski. “Today’s outcome should reassure the public that DCIS, alongside our investigative partners, remains steadfast in our pursuit of those who harm the health, safety, and readiness of our men and women in uniform.”

MIL Security OSI –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Alabama Chiropractor Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion and Obstruction

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Shortly after trial began, an Alabama chiropractor pleaded guilty yesterday to tax evasion and obstructing the IRS.

The following is according to court documents and evidence admitted at trial: Gary Forrest Edwards, of Shelby County, Alabama, owned and operated the chiropractic practice Hoover Health & Wellness Center. After not filing income tax returns for many years, in 2015, Edwards filed tax returns for 2009 through 2013. He later filed a tax return for 2017. On these returns, Edwards admitted that he owed more than $2.5 million in taxes. Nevertheless, he did not pay the taxes he reported due and did not pay the interest and penalties assessed against him.

Edwards took steps to thwart the IRS’s efforts to assess and collect taxes against him, including concealing financial accounts he owned from the IRS, transferring funds from accounts he owned to accounts in only his spouse’s name, filing false court documents to terminate federal tax liens against his property, and lying to IRS criminal investigators.

Edwards will be sentenced later this year. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the evasion charge and a maximum sentence of three years in prison on the obstruction charge. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco for the Northern District of Alabama will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Isaiah Boyd of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Garnett for the Northern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, Durbin Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Help Runaway and Homeless Youth
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Dick Durbin (D-IL), introduced the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2025. This bipartisan legislation would reauthorize key federal grant programs to provide community-based programs with funding to help thousands of homeless young people nationwide. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Representatives Don Bacon (R-NE-2), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), and Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-3).

“Having a caring and safe place to sleep, eat, grow, and study is crucial for any young person’s development,” said Senator Collins. “Our bipartisan legislation would support young people who run away, are forced out of their homes, or are disconnected from their families, by extending basic social services to these most vulnerable youth in our communities.”

“Every child deserves a safe home, but far too many children are experiencing homelessness, are being forced out of their homes, or are escaping a dangerous environment,” said Senator Durbin. “The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act, which funds key federal programs that address housing insecurity, will help children find a safe, comfortable home when they need it most.”

“As the number of homeless and runaway youth increases, we must increase our federal efforts to assist and protect these youth who are particularly susceptible to trafficking,” said Representative Bacon. “This bill provides agencies with the means to support youth who are in vulnerable positions and gives them the resources to address these problems.”

“As policymakers, we can expand opportunities for youth who don’t have a safe place to call home and put them on the path to stability,” said Representative Bonamici. “The bipartisan update to the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act strengthens services and programs for youth experiencing homelessness and victims of trafficking. I thank my cosponsors and hope we can pass this bill soon and create a better future for these youth.”

“No kid should ever be homeless in America, yet over 2 million kids experience homelessness each year. It’s a national disgrace,” said Representative McGarvey. “I am proud to cosponsor this bipartisan legislation to provide the resources young people need to find stable housing, get back on their feet, and build a prosperous future.”

Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Peter Welch (D-VT) also joined as original cosponsors of the legislation.

The landmark Runaway and Homeless Youth Act was first passed by Congress in 1974, providing nationwide support to address youth and young adult homelessness. This reauthorization would expand protections to youths who are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking and would authorize funding for local programs to help provide transitional housing, street outreach, and crisis intervention programs to address the needs of homeless and runaway youth.

Specifically, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2025 would:
- Reauthorize, modernize, and increase authorization levels for programs under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act;
- Create a new Prevention Services Program that would make additional resources available to organizations providing counseling, mediation, and other services aimed at preventing youth from running away or becoming homeless;
- Increase annual competitive grants for rural youth demographics from $100,000 to $200,000;
- Require the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a national estimate of the prevalence of homeless youth every three years; and
- Increase the allowable length of stay in the Basic Center Program from 21 days to 30 days.
“Preble Street has been serving more youth experiencing homelessness than ever. These young people have been through traumatic events and are the victims of a wide variety circumstances outside of their control. To break the devastating cycle of youth homelessness, our responsibility – as an agency, as a state, and as a nation – is to ensure that there is an integrated system of care and safety for these young people. The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2025 provides critical support for the services and resources that will help us to end youth homelessness. As a strong advocate for Maine’s vulnerable youth, Senator Collins’ understands that by investing in solutions, we can ensure a safe, stable, and independent future for all of our young people,” said Mark R. Swann, Executive Director, Preble Street in Portland, Maine.

“RHYA programs prevent trafficking, identify survivors, and provide services to runaway, homeless, and disconnected youth. Through the excellent work of local street outreach, shelter, transitional living programs, and maternity group homes, these vital programs help homeless youth and parents access housing, education, employment, personal savings, and family reconnection services. The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act provides critical infrastructure for our nation’s most vulnerable children and youth who struggle to survive from day to day avoiding the predation of human traffickers, and criminal gangs. Reauthorization of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Trafficking Prevention Act will ensure that a bulwark continues to stand between these children and the cold hard realities of the streets,” said Chris Bicknell, Executive Director, New Beginnings in Lewiston, Maine.

“We applaud our congressional champions for reintroducing the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act. Young people across the country continue to face limited access to safe housing, education, and living-wage employment. This critical legislation strengthens and expands the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act program to meet the urgent needs of today’s youth, while continuing its powerful legacy. It also reflects what we know to be true: ending youth homelessness is a key strategy to preventing human trafficking. Every young person deserves safety, stability, and the opportunity to thrive—and this bill brings us one step closer to that vision,” said Darla Bardine, Executive Director, National Network for Youth.

“Senator Susan Collins has long been a champion for young people experiencing homelessness. We applaud her leadership in introducing the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act and in establishing the HUD Homeless Youth Demonstration Projects, two critical efforts that strengthen the systems meant to protect and uplift opportunity youth. For five decades, Sasha Bruce Youthwork has been on the front lines serving young people and families in crisis, and we are proud to honor Senator Collins at our Colors of Resilience celebration for her unwavering dedication to this work,” said Deborah Shore, Founder & Executive Director, Sasha Bruce Youthwork.

A complete list of organizations endorsing the bill can be read here.

The complete text of the bill can be read here.
MIL OSI USA News –
June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: June 10th, 2025 Heinrich, Wicker, Stansbury, Ciscomani Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Combat the Syphilis Epidemic, Protect Mothers and Infants

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Roger Wicker (R- Miss.), and U.S. Representatives Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) and Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) introduced the Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act, legislation to protect pregnant mothers and infants by requiring the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to issue guidance to states on best practices for screening and treatment of congenital syphilis under Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Indian Health Service (IHS).
In 2023, the New Mexico Department of Health reported a 20 percent increase in cases of congenital syphilis in New Mexico (91 cases). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranks New Mexico as the state with the highest rate of congenital syphilis and the second highest rate of primary or secondary syphilis. On October 17, 2024, New Mexico Department of Health issued a renewed Public Health Order to increase awareness of syphilis and increase screening of both adults ages 18-50 and pregnant women to decrease rates of syphilis in all regions of New Mexico.
Nearly eradicated in the U.S. during the 1990s, syphilis is treatable as it continues to be highly sensitive to penicillin. However, rates of infection are on the rise over recent years as the CDC reports infections are at their highest levels since the 1950s. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium that produces sores on the infected person. When left untreated, the infection can invade multiple systems in the body and cause life-threatening damage to organs. For pregnant women, congenital syphilis occurs when a mother passes the infection to her fetus.
“We must do more to help stop the increase of babies born in New Mexico with congenital syphilis. My Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act will help us improve screening and treatment to protect pregnant mothers and babies in New Mexico from this fully treatable condition,” said Heinrich.
“The syphilis epidemic has impacted many Mississippians, and I am working to protect mothers and children from this disease. The Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act will expand access to life-saving screening and treatment for congenital syphilis,” said Wicker.
“We must do everything we can to protect mothers and their infants,” said Stansbury. “Congenital Syphilis is treatable, and it is critical HHS provides treatment, support, and education. I am proud to sign on to the Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act so women and babies in New Mexico get the care and treatment they deserve.”
“As rates of congenital syphilis continue to rise in Arizona’s newborns, we must ensure that our mothers, families, and healthcare professionals have access to information, treatment, and solutions they need to address this highly preventable disease,” said Ciscomani. “Information saves lives and I am proud to co-lead the Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act to promote and expand access to screenings and treatment for syphilis to ensure that mothers, pregnant women, and babies are as healthy as possible.”
Specifically, the Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act requires the HHS to issue guidance to state Medicaid agencies, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Indian Health Service (IHS) on actions states may take to improve access to syphilis screening for pregnant mothers and infants, best practices for physicians treating cases of congenital syphilis, strategies for increasing access to telehealth services, and increasing access to treatment in the third trimester and at delivery.
The legislation is endorsed by the Navajo Birthworker Collective, the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), March of Dimes, the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
“The Navajo Birthworker Collective supports the Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act because our communities deserve access to timely screening and treatment to protect the lives and health of our mothers and babies,” said Amanda Singer, Doula, CLC, Executive Director of the Navajo Birthworker Collective.
“Congenital syphilis is a national public health crisis—and it’s a crisis we can prevent. This bill ensures that every state has the tools and guidance needed to detect and treat syphilis in pregnancy. No woman or baby should suffer or die from a disease we have the power to stop,” said the National Coalition of STD Directors.
The text of the bill is here.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NIH Director Commits to Providing Detailed List of Total Staff Reductions at NIH By End of Day; Senator Murray Grills Director on Cuts to Clinical Trials, Grant Terminations

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
ICYMI: Murray, DeLauro, Baldwin Blast Director Bhattacharya for Terminating Thousands of Active NIH Grants, Upending Research, Threatening Patient Treatment
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s exchange with Bhattacharya***
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya at a Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the president’s fiscal year 2026 budget request for NIH. Senator Murray secured a commitment from Dr. Bhattacharya to provide a detailed list of total staff reductions across NIH—by Institute, Center, and Job Function—under the Trump administration by the end of the day. Senator Murray also grilled Dr. Bhattacharya on the abrupt termination of at least 160 clinical trials and the delay and freezing of grant funding, which is disrupting lifesaving research across the country.
In her opening comments, Vice Chair Murray said:
“I am extremely proud of the work that I’ve done on a bipartisan basis to strengthen our investments in NIH, to support lifesaving research, and to really maintain American leadership in biomedical innovation. I’m not going to mince words today about how that progress is now being unraveled.
“What the Trump administration is doing to NIH right now is, frankly, catastrophic. Over the past few months, this administration has fired and pushed out nearly 5,000 critical employees across NIH, prevented nearly $3 billion dollars in grant funding from being awarded, and terminated nearly 2,500 grants—totaling almost $5 billion dollars for lifesaving research that is ongoing—that includes clinical trials for HIV and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Across the country, including in my home state of Washington, research institutions have been waiting for months to receive funding for grants they’ve already been awarded. Meanwhile, NIH is cutting down on grant awards—with thousands of fewer research grants this year, and almost 15,000 fewer next year if the administration has its way.
“Because, to pile on to this destruction, you and the President are requesting that we now slash NIH’s budget by 40 percent, or $18 billion dollars. I cannot fathom to what end. The Trump administration is already systematically dismantling the American biomedical research enterprise that is the envy of the world—throwing away billions in economic activity in every one of our states, and jeopardizing the lifesaving work of researchers across the country.
“This budget proposal would effectively forfeit our leadership in research innovation and competitiveness to China. It would mean we depend on China for the latest treatments for devastating diseases.
“No one in America wants us to do less cancer research. No one is asking you to make it harder to research Alzheimer’s disease. And no one is asking you to cut lifesaving clinical trials.

“We are hearing this from the experts themselves. You just received a letter signed by hundreds of your own staff who believe this administration’s actions risk breaking NIH and the lifesaving work it does. I really hope you heed their warning, and it should go without saying, but I expect none of them to face retaliation for raising those concerns.
“Everyone on this dais wants NIH to succeed. And you’re going to need to see some major changes from what you are doing right now to get us back on the right path.”
[STAFF PUSHED OUT ACROSS NIH]
Senator Murray began her questioning by following up on points she raised on a phone call with Dr. Bhattacharya last week, and that her staff has been asking for answers to for months: “We spoke on the phone last week, I appreciate that, I want to follow up on those questions and what I’ve been trying to get answers from you for months. You told me 25 staff have been fired from the NIH Clinical Center out of the 1,445 who have been fired across the entire agency. But that does not include staff leaving after being offered buyouts or threatened with future layoffs. I want to know, what is the total number of employees who left the Clinical Center and the entire agency as a result of the Trump Administration’s personnel actions in total?”
“The numbers I have in front of me are for the Reduction in Force, that’s the 25 I mentioned in our conversation. We’ll get those numbers for the retirements to you,” said Dr. Bhattacharya.
“Well, I told you I was going to ask for this [information] over the phone, I requested this multiple times, how come you do not have that for us today?” said Senator Murray.
“My misunderstanding, I thought you were asking for the Reduction in Force numbers,” said Dr. Bhattacharya.
“No. I was being very clear,” said Senator Murray. “I want to know, by the end of the day, can I have a detailed list of reductions in staff by Institute, by Center, by job function—not just the RIFs, but total staff reductions. Can I have that by the end of the day?”
“Yes,” Dr. Bhattacharya committed.
“Okay. Those are really basic questions, and I want to see that by the end of today,” Senator Murray said.
[GRANT CANCELLATIONS FOR CLINICAL TRIALS]
Senator Murray continued her questioning by asking Dr. Bhattacharya about NIH cuts to, and termination of, hundreds of clinical trials over the past few months: “Now I am also particularly concerned, as I told you, about cuts to clinical trials—which are harming patients’ care nationwide, and the chance for better treatments and cures. NIH has now terminated at least 160 clinical trials. In addition to terminating grants, you are also delaying grant awards and freezing, or significantly delaying, institutions from being able to draw down their grant funding, which is disrupting clinical trials—to say nothing of other research that it is now threatening. How many clinical trials across the country have been impacted by the grants you have terminated, frozen, or delayed?”
“Senator, I don’t have the number for the specific numbers of trials,” Dr. Bhattacharya replied. “We’ve worked to make sure that no patients enrolled in the clinical trials are, have any delay in their care as a result of the—in 2020, the NIH terminated a very large number of clinical trials.”
“Well I’m asking you about today, under your direction,” SenatorMurray said.
Dr. Bhattacharya responded, “I don’t have specific numbers, and a lot of that is subject to negotiations. I’ve set a process where people can appeal for, if there’s any decisions made regarding grant pauses and terminations and we’re actively working to make sure that that appeals process is going. The numbers are in flux, and I’m happy to get some of those numbers to you later.”
Senator Murray said, “Well we do know that patient care is being impacted, at your own Clinical Center and in more than 100 clinical trials in the country.”
“On May 30th, you terminated a 23-year research effort to develop an HIV vaccine, just as scientists, including at the Fred Hutch Center in Seattle, are on the cusp of a functional cure for HIV. Terminating those HIV vaccine trials now cuts off access to treatment for 6,000 patients in the network. You canceled a clinical trial evaluating new evidence-based interventions for Type 2 Diabetes in rural communities in Appalachia. You terminated a clinical trial studying immunotherapy in combination with monoclonal antibodies to treat women with recurrent ovarian cancer. That is what has already happened. So now you are coming to us today, proposing to cut NIH funding by 40 percent next year. Tell us how many fewer clinical trials would you fund in the next fiscal year with a budget cut of $18 billion dollars from NIH?” Senator Murray asked.
“Senator, can I just address HIV, because I am absolutely committed—in 2019, President Trump issued a challenge for us to eliminate the threat to HIV in this country,” Dr. Bhattacharya said. “And we’ve had a 22 percent reduction in HIV transmission since then. We now have the technological tools to do that, and I’ve been working on developing a program to actually implement this vision, so we can use—”
“But you did terminate the HIV research at Fred Hutch that, again, was on the cusp of a treatment for 6,000 patients nationwide. You did do that?” Senator Murray pushed back.
“I don’t—I’d have to get back to you on that,” Dr. Bhattacharya replied.
“You did do that,” SenatorMurray said.
“Senator, I think we actually have now the chance, with the existing technologies, Lenacapavir and other treatments, to actually address—” Dr. Bhattacharya hedged.
“I’m delighted to hear that, but I’m just telling you what clinical trials have been terminated and I’m asking you this because we have to write an appropriations bill,” SenatorMurray replied.“How many fewer clinical trials will you fund in the next fiscal year with an $18 billion dollar cut? That’s your budget request.”
“Senator, the budget request is a work of negotiation between Congress and the administration. President Trump has issued a letter to Secretary Kratsios committing the United States to be the leading nation—” dodgedDr. Bhattacharya.
“Well you’re not answering the question. We need to know how many fewer clinical trials, can you get that number back to me please? You’re asking for a budget, we’re trying to figure out what that will fund. That’s our job,” SenatorMurray said.
“The number depends on what the requests we get for proposals from all across the country. The budget itself would be dependent on what you all do, as well as what the administration does,” Dr. Bhattacharya responded.
Senator Murray pressed, “Well I know, but we are trying to write a budget with the knowledge that you have, with the request that you have, I’m asking a question, how many fewer clinical trials—we need an answer back to that.”
Dr. Bhattacharya again said, “It’s hard to give an answer back to that because I don’t know what the proposals are going to be.” To which Senator Murray replied: “You came here today to ask for a budget that reduces NIH significantly. I would expect as Director, you would know the impacts of that. We need to know what the impacts are in order to fund that budget.”
“Senator, I mean it’s hard to say what the researchers of the country are going to do in response, for a hypothetical budget—” repliedDr. Bhattacharya.
“Would you say there’s going to be MORE clinical trials under that? Under an $18 billion dollar, 40 percent cut?” Senator Murray asked.
“It seems unlikely,” Dr. Bhattacharya admitted. “But I will say this, that the budget itself is a negotiation between the administration and Congress. Congress allocates the funds. I am absolutely committed to making sure that, whatever the allocation goes, that we address the health—
“You are asking us for a significant reduction. It will impact the health of the United States of America. This committee has an obligation to know how you are spending that money,” Senator Murray concluded.
___________________________________
Senator Murray has been a leading voice in Congress raising the alarm over HHS’ unilateral reorganization plan and slamming the closure of the HHS Region 10 office in Seattle and the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Spokane Research Laboratory. Senator Murray has sent oversight letters and hosted numerous press conferences and events to lay out how the administration’s reckless gutting of HHS is risking Americans health and safety and will set our country back decades, and lifting up the voices of HHS employees who were fired for no reason and through no fault of their own.
In particular, Senator Murray has been leading the charge against the Trump administration’s efforts to gut lifesaving research at NIH and push out nearly 5,000 NIH skilled scientists, grants administrators, and other employees at the agency. Senator Murray released a statement decrying the Trump administration’s all-out assault on the NIH upon meeting with Bhattacharya in February, and at his nomination hearing in March, she pressed Mr. Bhattacharya on the Trump administration’s efforts to cut billions from biomedical research through an illegal cap on indirect costs, and their unprecedented halt on NIH Advisory Council Meetings, among other issues.
When the Trump administration attempted to illegally cap indirect cost rates at 15 percent, Senator Murray immediately and forcefully condemned the move, led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in a letter decrying the proposed change, and introduced amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget resolution to reverse it, which Republicans blocked. Murray has led Congressional efforts to boost biomedical research. Previously, over her years as Chair of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murray secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at NIH, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments.
Senator Murray forcefully opposed the nomination of notorious anti-vaccine activist RFK Jr. to be Secretary of HHS, and she has long worked to combat vaccine skepticism and highlight the importance of scientific research and vaccines. Murray was also a leading voice against the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon to lead CDC, repeatedly speaking up about her serious concerns with the nominee immediately after their meeting. In 2019, Senator Murray co-led a bipartisan hearing in the HELP Committee on vaccine hesitancy and spoke about the importance of addressing vaccine skepticism and getting people the facts they need to keep their families and communities safe and healthy. Ahead of the 2019 hearing, as multiple states were facing measles outbreaks in under-vaccinated areas, Murray sent a bipartisan letter with former HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander pressing Trump’s CDC Director and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health on their efforts to promote vaccination and vaccine confidence.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ensuring Access to Mental Health Services

Source: US State of New York

overnor Hochul today announced that all Medicaid managed care plans operating in New York State have improved compliance with rules for fair access to mental health and substance use disorder services, even as the Trump Administration rolls back enforcement of these critical protections. Among the plans reviewed by the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, Inc. and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield were found to be 100 percent compliant with all regulations.

“While the Trump Administration sleeps on regulations aimed at ensuring access to critical behavioral health services, New York State has achieved landmark reforms and is holding insurance companies accountable so that all New Yorkers can get coverage for this critical care,” Governor Hochul said. “The gains in compliance we’re seeing today reflect our steadfast commitment to ensuring these carriers cover critical mental health services and don’t restrict access to care.”

Last month, the Trump administration indicated in a federal court filing that it does not intend to enforce certain mental health parity regulations, including rules requiring insurance companies apply fair standards for behavioral health services. These regulations prevent insurers from imposing additional barriers — such as prior authorization requirements or restrictive provider networks — making it harder for patients to access mental health and substance use care as compared to physical health services.

In contrast, New York State has been actively taking steps to ensure Medicaid managed care plans are complying with regulations and providing New Yorkers with the coverage they are entitled to receive under law. The State Office of Mental Health reviewed six nonquantitative treatment limitations — provisions that are sometimes manipulated by these plans to restrict access to necessary behavioral health care — and found all carriers in compliance.

In addition, OMH’s comprehensive and rigorous examination also determined that both the Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, Inc. and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield were fully compliant with all 19 nonquantitative treatment limitations.

OMH, however, also found that most managed care plans did not fully demonstrate compliance with other provisions with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Some continually applied a different rate-setting process for behavioral health services and reimbursing providers for less than they would for medical and surgical services.

New York State has worked to hold managed care plans accountable for these violations. During a similar review of behavioral health claims filed between 2018 to 2020, OMH uncovered high levels of inappropriate denials for specialty services claims, including $39 million between December 2017 and May 2018. New York State took enforcement action on all 15 Medicaid managed care plans, issuing a total of 95 citations between 2019 and 2021, resulting in fines to 11 carriers totaling more than $1 million.

Resulting fines were used to fund the Community Health Access to Addiction and Mental Healthcare Project, also known as CHAMP. This program is the State’s independent health insurance ombudsman program for behavioral health care, which helps New Yorkers access treatment and insurance coverage for substance use and mental health treatment.

New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “Managed care plans have a legal obligation to cover behavioral health services and reimburse this treatment at or above the rates prescribed by law. Our efforts to hold Medicaid insurers accountable is removing barriers to care and helping New Yorkers get the mental health treatment they need. This work reflects Governor Hochul’s commitment to ensuring all New Yorkers have access to quality mental health care throughout our state.”

New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Access to harm reduction and mental health services saves lives and the measures taken under Governor Hochul’s leadership ensures Medicaid managed care plans are complying with the regulations and are creating no limitations to care for New Yorkers who rely on these services. Access to affordable coverage is a matter of health equity and the State Department of Health will continue to work with our state and local partners to expand access to harm reduction and mental health services and eliminate health disparities in New York State.”

State Senator Samra G. Brouk said, “As the Federal Government rolls back support for Medicaid, New York State is fighting to increase access to behavioral health services. As Chair of the Senate Mental Health Committee, I am working alongside my colleagues to make sure that federal parity rules remain in place, in spite of the Trump Administration’s failures to protect them. I applaud Governor Hochul for prioritizing behavioral health care and ensuring that Medicaid managed care plans are in compliance to provide New Yorkers with the health coverage they deserve.”

State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said, “Today’s announcement from Governor Hochul reminds us that every New Yorker deserves mental health care. At a time when the federal government is rolling back critical protections, New York is sending a message that we are building a future where every New Yorker can get the help they need, no matter who they are or where they come from.”

OMH monitors managed care organizations on an ongoing basis to ensure they are properly providing behavioral health services to their members. The agency works in partnership with the Department of Health, which has the legal authority to apply fines and enforce compliance in the Medicaid program.

Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is leading the nation in requiring health insurers to cover behavioral health services and continues to develop tools to ensure these companies are following all applicable laws. New York State’s new network adequacy standards will go into effect starting in July, entitling New Yorkers to an initial appointment for behavioral health care within 10 business days of the request, or seven calendar days following hospital discharge. Insurers unable to meet these timeframes will have to offer out-of-network mental health or substance use disorder coverage without increasing the cost for the consumer.

The state now also requires commercial insurers to reimburse covered outpatient mental health and substance use disorder services provided by in-network OMH and Office of Addiction Services and Supports facilities at no less than the Medicaid rate. In the FY 2026 Enacted State Budget, Governor Hochul also secured $1 million to ensure that insurers are providing the mental health care coverage policyholders deserve including new resources to strengthen compliance oversight, educating consumers and providers, and investigating and mediating complaints.

Governor Hochul also helped secure a state Medicaid waiver to cover social determinants of health, required commercial and Medicaid health plans to use transparent, nonprofit clinical guidelines and cover all medically necessary treatments.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Do you talk to AI when you’re feeling down? Here’s where chatbots get their therapy advice
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Centaine Snoswell, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland

Pexels/Mikoto

As more and more people spend time chatting with artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots such as ChatGPT, the topic of mental health has naturally emerged. Some people have positive experiences that make AI seem like a low-cost therapist.

But AIs aren’t therapists. They’re smart and engaging, but they don’t think like humans. ChatGPT and other generative AI models are like your phone’s auto-complete text feature on steroids. They have learned to converse by reading text scraped from the internet.

When someone asks a question (called a prompt) such as “how can I stay calm during a stressful work meeting?” the AI forms a response by randomly choosing words that are as close as possible to the data it saw during training. This happens so fast, with responses that are so relevant, it can feel like talking to a person.

But these models aren’t people. And they definitely are not trained mental health professionals who work under professional guidelines, adhere to a code of ethics, or hold professional registration.

Where does it learn to talk about this stuff?

When you prompt an AI system such as ChatGPT, it draws information from three main sources to respond:
1. background knowledge it memorised during training
2. external information sources
3. information you previously provided.
1. Background knowledge

To develop an AI language model, the developers teach the model by having it read vast quantities of data in a process called “training”.

Where does this information come from? Broadly speaking, anything that can be publicly scraped from the internet. This can include everything from academic papers, eBooks, reports, free news articles, through to blogs, YouTube transcripts, or comments from discussion forums such as Reddit.

Are these sources reliable places to find mental health advice? Sometimes.
Are they always in your best interest and filtered through a scientific evidence based approach? Not always. The information is also captured at a single point in time when the AI is built, so may be out-of-date.

A lot of detail also needs to be discarded to squish it into the AI’s “memory”. This is part of why AI models are prone to hallucination and getting details wrong.

2. External information sources

The AI developers might connect the chatbot itself with external tools, or knowledge sources, such as Google for searches or a curated database.

When you ask Microsoft’s Bing Copilot a question and you see numbered references in the answer, this indicates the AI has relied on an external search to get updated information in addition to what is stored in its memory.

Meanwhile, some dedicated mental health chatbots are able to access therapy guides and materials to help direct conversations along helpful lines.

3. Information previously provided

AI platforms also have access to information you have previously supplied in conversations, or when signing up to the platform.

When you register for the companion AI platform Replika, for example, it learns your name, pronouns, age, preferred companion appearance and gender, IP address and location, the kind of device you are using, and more (as well as your credit card details).

On many chatbot platforms, anything you’ve ever said to an AI companion might be stored away for future reference. All of these details can be dredged up and referenced when an AI responds.

And we know these AI systems are like friends who affirm what you say (a problem known as sycophancy) and steer conversation back to interests you have already discussed. This is unlike a professional therapist who can draw from training and experience to help challenge or redirect your thinking where needed.

What about specific apps for mental health?

Most people would be familiar with the big models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, or Microsofts’ Copilot. These are general purpose models. They are not limited to specific topics or trained to answer any specific questions.

But developers can make specialised AIs that are trained to discuss specific topics, like mental health, such as Woebot and Wysa.

Some studies show these mental health specific chatbots might be able to reduce users’ anxiety and depression symptoms. Or that they can improve therapy techniques such as journalling, by providing guidance. There is also some evidence that AI-therapy and professional therapy deliver some equivalent mental health outcomes in the short term.

However, these studies have all examined short-term use. We do not yet know what impacts excessive or long-term chatbot use has on mental health. Many studies also exclude participants who are suicidal or who have a severe psychotic disorder. And many studies are funded by the developers of the same chatbots, so the research may be biased.

Researchers are also identifying potential harms and mental health risks. The companion chat platform Character.ai, for example, has been implicated in ongoing legal case over a user suicide.

This evidence all suggests AI chatbots may be an option to fill gaps where there is a shortage in mental health professionals, assist with referrals, or at least provide interim support between appointments or to support people on waitlists.

Bottom line

At this stage, it’s hard to say whether AI chatbots are reliable and safe enough to use as a stand-alone therapy option.

More research is needed to identify if certain types of users are more at risk of the harms that AI chatbots might bring.

It’s also unclear if we need to be worried about emotional dependence, unhealthy attachment, worsening loneliness, or intensive use.

AI chatbots may be a useful place to start when you’re having a bad day and just need a chat. But when the bad days continue to happen, it’s time to talk to a professional as well.

Aaron J. Snoswell previously received research project funding from OpenAI in 2024-2025 to develop new evaluation frameworks for measuring moral competence in AI agents.

Laura Neil receives funding through the Australian government Research Training Program Scholarship.

Centaine Snoswell 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. Do you talk to AI when you’re feeling down? Here’s where chatbots get their therapy advice – https://theconversation.com/do-you-talk-to-ai-when-youre-feeling-down-heres-where-chatbots-get-their-therapy-advice-257732
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Capito Opening Statement at Hearing to Review NIH Budget Request

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
[embedded content]
Click here or on the image above to watch Chairman Capito’s opening remarks from the hearing.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS), chaired a hearing with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to review the president’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request.
Below is the opening statement of Chairman Capito as prepared for delivery:
“Good morning. Dr. Bhattacharya, congratulations on your new role as Director of the NIH. Thank you for appearing before the subcommittee today to discuss how the fiscal year 2026 budget proposal will continue efforts from NIH to reduce illness, enhance health and lengthen the lives of all Americans.
“My home state of West Virginia is faced with many complex health challenges. I know that if we work together, make wise investments and focus on what really matters, we can create positive momentum towards eliminating those challenges.
“Fostering NIH collaboration with smaller and rural states is critical, and one of the strengths of the NIH IDeA Program. This program provides funding to 23 states—including West Virginia—that historically have received little to no federal research funding.
“The IDeA program and other NIH funding streams have been instrumental for Marshall University, West Virginia University, and other institutions in my state in developing world-class research in neuroscience, cancer, stroke, vision, and addiction science.
“Researchers throughout West Virginia are making significant contributions to biomedical research in areas ranging from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease to substance use disorders.
“I look forward to hosting you in West Virginia soon to see first-hand all of the amazing research being done across the state.
“This will be a challenging year for appropriations, yet supporting biomedical research is a priority for me and has long been a bicameral, bipartisan priority for Congress.
“The United States leads the world in biomedical innovation and I, along with many of my colleagues on this committee, think it is important America remains the leader in biomedical innovation and research. Investing in biomedical research has proven to save lives while exponentially strengthening the U.S. economy. I look forward to hearing from you how this budget request would continue to advance this critical research and innovation.
“The NIH is a driver of economic growth, funding more than $94.58 billion in national economic activity last year.
“In West Virginia, NIH supported over 700 jobs and $147 million in economic activity in 2024 alone.
“For almost a decade, this committee has supported research toward the goal of finding treatments and a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. This goal is very personal to me since both of my parents lived with and eventually succumbed to the disease.
“These investments have allowed NIH to fund research into a wide variety of potential causes of the disease, and build evidence for prevention based on a healthy lifestyle. NIH-funded research on the amyloid protein led to the development of FDA-approved Alzheimer’s drugs in 2023 and 2024 to slow progression of the disease.
“All of this research is important, and I look forward to working with you to continue robust and diversified Alzheimer’s disease research.
“NIH-funded research is also behind many of the more than 600 new cancer treatments that the FDA has approved over the last 20 years.
“As a lead sponsor of the Childhood Cancer STAR Act, I look forward to hearing about your priorities and advancements to combat cancer and grow our clinical trial networks – especially among children.
“Although we are making positive strides, substance abuse remains an issue in my state. I look forward to hearing more from you about how combining the National Institute on Drug Abuse into a new National Institute on Behavioral Health will enable that important work to continue.
“I have heard from many University leaders – from schools ranging in size, location, and subject – about the impact of changes being implemented at NIH. These institutions are the reason America has kept the edge in biomedical innovation.
“As with any change in leadership, there seems to be a heightened sense of concern and confusion that diverting resources from research will result in a less healthy America. And I hope today we can work to come to a better understanding.
“We have a difficult task ahead of us this year, but it is my hope that we will come together, just as we have done in prior fiscal years, to use our limited resources in the most efficient and effective way to support the health and well-being of all Americans.
“Dr. Bhattacharya, I look forward to your testimony.”

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Reed Condemns Trump Administration for Dismantling CDC’s Independent Panel of Vaccine Experts

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed issued the following statement after HHS Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), which is made up of medical and public health experts — including pediatricians, epidemiologists and geriatricians — who make recommendations about who should get certain vaccines, including the schedule for childhood vaccinations:
“Secretary Kennedy’s unfounded, personal anti-vaxxer views are hazardous to public health and he is making this reckless move based on ideology and conspiracy theories, not sound evidence. The Trump Administration is removing trusted, accomplished, independent experts on ACIP and will likely replace them with ideologues who parrot Kennedy’s misconceptions and conspiracy theories about vaccines. This move is sure to increase vaccine-preventable outbreaks and endanger people’s lives. The most vulnerable Americans, including unvaccinated infants, immunocompromised individuals, and older Americans are most likely to suffer from this ill-conceived directive.
“I urge my Republican colleagues to speak up on behalf of their constituents and work with Democrats to hold this Administration accountable for breaking its promises and degrading public health.”
The CDC recently reported that routine childhood vaccinations in America have prevented over 1.1 million deaths, more than 500 million cases of illness and over 32 million hospitalizations over the past 30 years.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Children in urgent need of immunization as measles spreads in Darfur News Jun 10, 2025

Source: Doctors Without Borders –

Outbreaks of measles have spread widely across Sudan’s Darfur region over the past year, affecting people in many communities where Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are treating patients. While mass vaccination campaigns are finally underway in several locations across the region, it is vital to increase efforts to reach children who have never been vaccinated.

MSF first observed a surge in measles cases in June 2024 in Rokero, Central Darfur, where MSF teams have been running the local Ministry of Health hospital without interruption since 2020. At the start of 2025, cases were also reported in East Jebel Marra in South Darfur, and in Forbrenga in West Darfur. More recently, new surges are occurring in Zalengei, Sortony, and in Tine, eastern Chad—all places where MSF operates.

From June 2024 until the end of May 2025, more than 9,950 patients were treated for measles in health facilities run or supported by MSF in the region. Around 2,700 were complicated cases requiring hospitalization, and 35 deaths were recorded. To manage the influx of patients, MSF had to expand pediatric bed capacity in three hospitals.

Zubeida holds her 21-month-old, Halima, in one of three measles isolation wards MSF set up in Rokero Hospital. | Sudan 2025 © Thibault Fendler/MSF

Conflict and low immunization coverage compound threat

One of the root causes of this situation is the region’s already-low immunization coverage. “In Forbrenga, 30 percent of the measles patients we are receiving are above the age of 5 years and only 5 percent of them are vaccinated,” explains Sue Bucknell, MSF’s deputy head of mission in West Darfur. “This suggests that the lack of vaccination dates back further than the recent conflict.”

“The ongoing conflict is also contributing to this outbreak, constraining the capacities of medical actors to both prevent and respond to outbreaks of contagious diseases,” adds Dr. Cecilia Greco, MSF medical coordinator for Central Darfur. “Mass population displacement has made the illness spread even faster across the region, further complicating the situation.”

Reactive campaigns are only a Band-Aid on an open wound unless massive efforts are put in place for immunization and prevention across Darfur, including its most remote areas.
Dr. Cecilia Greco, MSF medical coordinator for Central Darfur

Since the war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, constant administrative impediments and regular blockades of key supply roads have caused vaccine shortages throughout Darfur. This led to the disruption of routine immunization programs in several locations, sometimes for months. In Sortony, for example, a camp for internally displaced people in North Darfur hosting more than 55,000 people, vaccination stopped completely from May 2024 to February 2025.

These constraints and shortages have also limited MSF’s ability to respond. Last year, MSF carried out several vaccination campaigns, including one in North Jebel Marra in November 2024 in which 9,600 children were vaccinated. However, due to limited vaccine supplies, MSF teams were forced to exclude children over 5 years old, despite clear needs. This inevitably reduced the long-term impact of these campaigns. While the vaccination campaign in North Jebel Marra initially slowed the outbreak, cases began to rise sharply again in February.

Asha rests in MSF’s isolation ward in Tawila Hospital, where her 14-month-old child, Marwan, was admitted with measles symptoms two days prior. MSF has had to triple its pediatric bed capacity in response to the measles outbreak. | Sudan 2025 © Thibault Fendler/MSF

Massive efforts are needed for prevention

Although mass vaccination campaigns are now underway in different parts of Darfur, they were delayed by lengthy negotiations. After MSF first raised the alarm about multiple surges in measles cases, it took months for the federal Ministry of Health in Port Sudan and UNICEF to release the needed vaccines from their stocks, finally enabling mass vaccination campaigns to be launched in different areas of Darfur.

Last week, 55,800 children from nine months to 15 years old were vaccinated in Forbrenga as part of a campaign led by the Ministry of Health and supported by MSF. In a similar campaign, 93,000 more children are set to receive the vaccine in North Jebel Marra and Sortony by the end of this week.

“Even if they represent a certain achievement, these campaigns should have happened much sooner,” says Dr. Greco. “Many measles cases and their consequences could have been prevented. And as much as they are needed, such reactive campaigns are only a Band-Aid on an open wound unless massive efforts are put in place for immunization and prevention across Darfur, including its most remote areas.”

The threat of further outbreaks of disease will persist unless such efforts are initiated. “Measles is not the only contagious illness currently present in Darfur with the potential to turn into outbreaks,” says Bucknell. Over the last 10 days, about 200 people with suspected cases of cholera arrived in MSF-supported health facilities in two different Darfur states. This follows a significant cholera outbreak in Khartoum state and other parts of Sudan.

“It is essential that federal and local health authorities, UN agencies, and all medical actors on the ground collaborate not only to catch up on the vaccination of all the children left behind by immunization programs over the years, but also to enhance their ability to respond quickly and efficiently should any other outbreaks, like cholera, start spreading in Darfur,” adds Dr. Greco. “This includes the capacity to supply vaccines in and across Sudan, without facing the same impediments anymore.”

We speak out. Get updates.

MIL OSI NGO –

June 11, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Israel and the OPTs: Minister for the Middle East Statement

Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Written statement to Parliament

Israel and the OPTs: Minister for the Middle East Statement

Minister for the Middle East statement to Parliament on UK sanctions on Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich

With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The two-state solution is in peril.

Catastrophic conflict in Gaza…

and a shocking deterioration in the West Bank.

This is an affront to the rights of Palestinians…

but is also against the interests of Israelis…

against their long-term security and their democracy.

Today, I will update the House on new actions we are taking…

to uphold human rights…

and defend the vision and viability of two sides living side-by-side in peace.

Mr Speaker, 2024 saw the worst settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank in the last two decades.

2025 is on track to be just as violent.

Between 1996 and 2023, an average of seven illegal settler outposts were established annually.

In 2024, settlers erected 59.

These outposts are illegal under both Israeli and international law.

Two weeks ago, the Israeli government itself announced 22 new settlements in the West Bank.

Every outpost…

every building the settlers erect…

is a flagrant breach of international law…

and disregards the views of Israel’s partners.

There are now in excess of five hundred thousand settlers living in the West Bank…

and over 100,000 in East Jerusalem…

the territory that must form the heart of a sovereign, viable and free Palestine.

Mr Speaker, the sharp growth in settlements alone is dangerous enough.

But it has been accompanied by a steep rise in settler violence and extremist rhetoric.

Itamar Ben-Gvir has led seven provocative intrusions into Haram Al Sharif/Temple Mount since 2022.

In 2023, settlers rampaged through the village of Huwara…

in what Israel’s own West Bank military commander described as a “pogrom done by outlaws”.

Last month, the villagers of Mughayyir ad-Deir fled their homes in fear after the construction of an illegal outpost 100m away.

This month, settlers attacked the town of Deir Dibwan…

setting fire to houses and injuring residents.

This violence and rhetoric is deeply concerning.

An assault not just on Palestinian communities…

but on the very fundamentals of a two-state solution.

An attempt to entrench a one-state reality, where there are no equal rights.

The two-state solution remains the only viable framework for a just and lasting peace…

I know it is supported on every side of this House.

Israelis living in secure borders…

recognised and at peace with their neighbours…

free from the threat of terrorism.

Palestinians living in their own state…

with dignity and security…

free of occupation.

Mr Speaker, we are steadfastly committed to defending that vision…

not just with words, but with action.

That is why we have pledged £101m in additional support to the Palestinian people this year.

Why we are working to strengthen and reform the Palestinian Authority…

Why My Right Honourable Friend the Foreign Secretary signed a landmark agreement with Prime Minister Mustafa…

and why my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister welcomed him to Downing Street.

Why we are clear that Hamas must release the hostages immediately and unconditionally, and that Hamas can have no role in Palestinian governance.

Why we are committed to working with civil society – Israeli and Palestinian – to support those who believe in peace and coexistence.

However, Mr Speaker, the gravity of the situation demands further action.

The reality is that these human rights abuses…

incitement to violence…

the extremist rhetoric…

comes not just from an uncontrolled fringe…

but from individuals who are Ministers in this Israeli government.

We have to hold them to account and protect the viability of the two-state solution.

And so today, we are sanctioning Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir…

acting alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway…

who have also announced their own measures today.

These two men are responsible for inciting settler violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank…

violence which has led to the deaths of Palestinian civilians and the displacement of whole towns and villages.

This violence constitutes an abuse of Palestinians human rights.

It is cruel and degrading…

and completely unacceptable.

We have told the Israeli Government repeatedly that we would take tougher action if this did not stop.

It still didn’t.

The appalling rhetoric has continued unchecked.

Violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity.

So let me tell the House now…

when we say something, we mean it.

Today, with our partners…

we have shown the extremists we will not sit by while they wreck the prospects of future peace.

Mr Speaker, our actions today do not diminish our support for the security of Israel and the Israeli people.

The agendas of these two men are not even supported by the majority of Israelis…

Israelis recognise that these individuals are not working in their interest.

As the Foreign Secretary said to this House last month…

we want a strong friendship with Israel based on shared values and our many close ties.

Our condemnation of Hamas, a proscribed organisation…

and the appalling attacks of October 7th is unequivocal.

Our commitment to Israel’s security and future is unwavering.

We will continue to press for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza…

the release of the hostages still held so cruelly by Hamas…

a ramping up of aid to those Gazans in desperate need.

The repeated threats by Hamas to the lives of the hostages are grotesque…

and prolongs the agony of their families and loved ones.

Hamas should release all the hostages immediately and unconditionally.

Mr Speaker, the situation in the West Bank cannot be seen in isolation from events in Gaza.

Extremist rhetoric advocating forced displacement of Palestinians…

denial of essential aid…

the creation of new Israeli settlements in the Strip…

is equally appalling and dangerous.

This Government will never accept the unlawful transfer of Gazans from or within Gaza…

nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic.

While Israel’s ground and air operations expand, Gazans have been pushed into less than 20% of the territory.

Hospitals have been destroyed and damaged.

Gaza’s entire population is at risk of famine.

Meanwhile, Israel’s newly introduced measures for aid delivery endanger civilians and foster desperation.

They are inhumane.

The Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah reported last week that it has responded to an unprecedented five mass casualty incidents in the two weeks prior…

in each case, Palestinians have been killed or injured trying to access aid sites in Gaza.

Desperate civilians who have endured twenty months of war should never face the risk of death or injury simply to feed themselves and their families.

We need further action from the Israeli government now…

to lift all restrictions on aid…

to enable the UN and aid partners to do their work…

and to ensure food and other critical supplies can reach people safely wherever they are.

We will continue to support the UN and other trusted NGOs as the most effective and principled partners for aid delivery.

Our support has meant over 465,000 people have received essential healthcare…

640,000 have received food…

and 275,000 people have improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

We support the efforts led by the United States, Qatar and Egypt to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

And we welcome France and Saudi Arabia’s initiative to chair an international conference later this month to advance a two-state solution.

Mr Speaker, it is a two-state solution that is the only way to bring the long-lasting peace that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve.

But it must not remain an empty slogan…

repeated by generations of diplomats and politicians…

but increasingly divorced from the reality on the ground.

Mr Smotrich said there is no such thing as a Palestinian nation.

Mr Ben Gvir has spoken of his rights in the West Bank…

a territory his government is occupying…

as more important than the rights of millions of Palestinians.

Their own words condemn them, Mr Speaker.

To defend those Palestinians’ rights…

to protect the two-state solution…

to see Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in safety and security…

this Government is taking action.

I commend this statement to the House.

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Published 10 June 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 11, 2025

Category: Health

Source: Te Hiringa Mahara – Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission

Source: Alcohol Healthwatch

Senator: “Cancelling this contract is mindless and cruel in equal measure for America’s veterans who deserve far better in return for their service to our country.”

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Israel and the OPTs: Minister for the Middle East Statement

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