NewzIntel.com

Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Siege of Gaza – MSF denounces deliberate humanitarian catastrophe

    15 May 2025 – The US-Israel proposition to control the distribution of supplies under the guise of humanitarian aid raises grave humanitarian, ethical, security and legal concerns, says international medical organization Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF). 

    Making aid conditional on forced displacement and vetting of the population is another tool in the ongoing campaign of ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population. MSF firmly rejects and condemns any plan that further reduces availability of aid and subjugates it to Israeli military occupation objectives.

    We are witnessing, in real time, the creation of conditions for the eradication of Palestinian lives in Gaza, says MSF.

    The obstruction of humanitarian aid is a direct violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2720, which calls for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians. Claims that aid is being diverted by Hamas remain unverified and in no way justify such measures. As the occupying power, Israel must facilitate impartial humanitarian assistance for the population in need.

    UN, EU member states, and all those with influence over Israel,including Australia, must urgently use their political and economic leverage to stop the instrumentalisation of aid. Humanitarian supplies, food, fuel and medicines must be allowed to reach the population of Gaza now.

    Since Israel’s resumption of attacks and its total blockade of aid on 2 March, Gaza has become a hell on earth for Palestinians. The survival of Palestinians lies at the mercy of Israeli authorities, who are denying the entire population access to food, water, medical care and shelter. Israel continues to pursue its campaign of ethnic cleansing by deliberately destroying the conditions necessary for life.

    Organisations including World Central Kitchen and the World Food Programme (WFP) have announced that they have no more food stocks available in Gaza: most community kitchens and bakeries have closed. MSF medical teams in Gaza City have seen a 32 per cent increase in the number of patients presenting with malnutrition over the past two weeks.

    Dwindling fuel stocks are limiting the ability to desalinate and distribute water. Those health facilities that still function – already critically inadequate in number and capacity for the population – are still being attacked and are suffering from rapidly diminishing stocks of medications and other essential supplies. MSF teams in Gaza have received no supplies for 11 weeks and face critical shortages of essential medical items such as sterile compresses and sterile gloves.

    Israel’s evacuation orders and established no-go military zones now cover 70 per cent of Gaza. The population has been forcibly transferred from one place to another, while not a single area of Gaza has been spared from attacks. The desperateness of the situation is such that MSF teams have treated and discharged patients only to see them return with new injuries.

    Israeli’s plan to instrumentalise aid is a cynical response to the very humanitarian crisis they created. If they wished, Israel and its allies could lift the blockade today and let humanitarian aid reach all those in Gaza whose survival depends on it.

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – PSA strongly opposes decisions released by Health NZ – further dismantling of our public health system by Government

    The PSA strongly opposes final decisions released by Health New Zealand for the following teams: Procurement, Supply Chain and Health Technology Management (PSC&HTM), Planning, Funding and Outcomes, and Audit, Assurance & Risk.

    “These decisions include the possible loss of specialists procurement, auditing and health innovation and improvement,” Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi national secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, said.

    “The possible loss of these roles has been forced on Health NZ by the Government imposing cuts to our health system that will affect patients. We call on Government to stop these endless cuts to our health system.

    “This is why we are still fighting this in the Employment Relations Authority, which is why this will not be implemented until the Authority has heard and determined the matter or the PSA and Health New Zealand have settled it by agreement.”

    The union filed these legal proceedings in the Employment Relations Authority in February because several proposed restructures breached the Code of Good Faith for the public health sector, the Employment Relations Act 2000, collective agreements and Te Mauri o Rongo – NZ Health Charter.

    “We’ll be making it clear to all our members that legal action is still going ahead and we strongly oppose these Health NZ changes.”

    Last month, the PSA agreed a settlement with Health NZ stopping the restructuring of the National Public Health Service and two directorates in the Planning Funding and Outcomes business unit: Data and Analytics, Community Mental Health Funding and Investment, and Data and Digital Services.

    Litigation remains in place for Planning Funding and Outcomes (Former Service Improvement and Innovation functions): Te Whatu Ora Improve; Evidence, Research and Clinical Trial; Operations; Population Health Gain; Consumer Whanau Voice; Former Office of the Chief Executive (OCE): Strategic Planning and Procurement Supply Chain and Health Technology Management.

    Earlier today, the PSA also announced further litigation against Health NZ to stop another round of cuts to their Audit, Assurance and Risk, People and Culture, Finance Stage 1, and Communications and Engagement teams.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – Children pay price of Oranga Tamariki contracting fiasco – Auditor-General issues damning indictment of Govt cuts

    Source: PSA

    The Auditor-General’s report into Oranga Tamariki’s provider contracts lays bare the reckless way the Government ordered cuts without regard to how children would be harmed.
    In 2023 the Government ordered a 6.5% cut of Oranga Tamariki’s overall funding, triggering a chaotic review of contracts with hundreds of community service providers – some even told their contracts would end with only days’ notice last year.
    “The report confirms what we have said all along – the Government has totally botched its rushed spending cuts with little regard to the consequences – children are the casualties of these decisions,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    The report says ‘its decisions were not adequately informed by evidence of how they would affect children and their families. The effects of decisions on children and their families are still not known. Given that this is the core role of Oranga Tamariki, it is unacceptable’.
    “It’s staggering that the Government can order an organisation that supports some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable tamariki and rangatahi, and their whānau to make such bad decisions.
    “Without doubt children will have been impacted as providers had to stop services or move children to other service providers at short notice – it’s just not good enough when the welfare of children should be at the heart of these decisions.
    “This all speaks to the cruel nature of the Government’s decisions which put saving money to fund tax cuts ahead of supporting vulnerable children.
    “The Government promised no impacts on frontline services – this report again exposes this lie as we have seen throughout the public service. There is nothing more frontline than protecting children.
    “The PSA is still awaiting a response from the Auditor-General about whether he will investigate cuts at Health New Zealand which also impact frontline health services – this report means he should.
    “The chickens are coming home to roost as we warned they would. Without doubt in the months and years ahead we will see more damage that the Government is inflicting on frontline services from these short-sighted cuts. More New Zealanders will pay the price – it’s unacceptable.”
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts and Legal Action – PSA takes more legal action to stop the Govt cutting health further

    Source: PSA

    The PSA is taking Health NZ Te Whatu Ora to the Employment Relations Authority to stop another round of job cuts to key teams that support frontline health services.
    The litigation covers the proposed restructures of Audit, Assurance and Risk, People and Culture, Finance, and Communications and Engagement.
    “These are damaging cuts of key teams which support the frontline – if they go ahead this will further undermine our health system and so patient care,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    “This is all because the Government has made a choice to cut taxes and underfund the health system – New Zealanders deserve better.”
    Significant jobs are at stake. For example Health NZ is is proposing to cut 338 People and Culture roles – a net reduction of 21% of the team – at a time when it is struggling to recruit people to staff hospitals and elsewhere.
    Health NZ also plans to cut one in four roles at its Audit Assurance and Risk team which ensures some $12 billion of annual funding of the primary health care sector is paid out correctly and not subject to fraud.
    “Our view is the restructures have been handled badly by the Government. It has ignored obligations under collective agreements to properly consult with the union and members. It’s required to work with those impacted on the design of new structures and not impose them in the way it has.
    “In particular, roles can’t simply be disestablished without considering alternatives like re-deploying impacted staff, re-training for other positions or reducing roles through attrition.”
    The PSA has so far succeeded in reducing cuts to other teams including Data and Digital and Pacific Healthafter filing litigation with the Authority.
    The Authority has also ordered mediation in relation to the PSA’s litigation over the proposed restructuring of two other teams – Procurement and Supply Chain and Planning, Funding and Outcomes – Service Improvement and Innovations.
    “The PSA remains strongly opposed to all job cuts at Health NZ which are being rushed through regardless of their impacts on frontline health services. It’s all about saving money in the short term, not supporting our health system.”
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Escalating violence in Tripoli threatens nearly half a million children – UNICEF

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    TRIPOLI, May 15 (Xinhua) — The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday said the escalation of violence in and around the Libyan capital Tripoli over the past two days threatens to affect nearly half a million children.

    “UNICEF has received reports of children, families and medical staff being held for hours in hospitals, including Al-Jalaa Children’s Hospital, as fighting raged nearby. For several hours, emergency services were unable to access the facility to provide the care they needed. Families are reporting that their children are in critical condition due to the ongoing violence,” UNICEF said in a statement.

    The organization urged all parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to protect children and their infrastructure.

    “We call for a lasting cessation of hostilities to ensure the safety and well-being of every child,” the statement said.

    Violent clashes broke out in Tripoli on Monday evening between forces loyal to Libyan Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh, including the 444th Brigade, and a radical group affiliated with the Presidency Council’s Security and Stability Administration. The escalation was sparked by the reported death of the administration’s chief, Abdelghani al-Kikli, also known as Ghaniwa. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: It’s wild mushroom season in Australia. Here’s how to stay safe and avoid poisoning

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darren Roberts, Conjoint Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, St Vincent’s Healthcare Clinical Campus, UNSW Sydney

    dannersjb/Shutterstock

    A number of Australian states including New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia have issued warnings in recent weeks about the risks of eating wild mushrooms.

    Mushrooms generally grow in cooler and wetter times. Although these conditions are present in some parts of Australia for much of the year, in many parts of the country, mushroom growth is seen around this time (autumn and early winter).

    Wild mushrooms can be easily accessible in public spaces, including parks, nature strips and forests. They’re also found in people’s gardens.

    Wild mushrooms attract attention for many reasons, including a new or unexpected location, their interesting colours and shapes, or sometimes because they look similar to edible varieties.

    So what do you need to know about the risks of eating wild mushrooms? And what’s the best way to stay safe?

    The health risks of eating wild mushrooms

    Eating toxic wild mushrooms can have varied effects on people. The reaction can depend on the person, but mostly depends on the type of mushroom.

    The most common consequences are gastrointestinal, for example nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. Less commonly, people can experience sleepiness, confusion or vision changes including hallucinations.

    Fortunately, most people experiencing these reactions will fully recover as their body eliminates the toxins.

    But some people suffer severe poisoning requiring admission to hospital. And eating certain high-risk mushrooms can result in permanent damage to vital organs such as the liver or kidneys, or even death.

    These effects have occurred from eating wild mushrooms in Australia, and consuming even a single death cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides) can be fatal.

    Amanita phalloides has increasingly been detected in Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory in recent years. It’s also known to exist in Tasmania and SA, and has recently been found in NSW.

    It’s possible death cap mushrooms are found elsewhere in Australia, but we just haven’t seen them yet.

    Incidents are increasing

    Recent alerts from NSW and SA show the annual number of calls to poisons information centres about mushroom poisoning is increasing.

    In NSW for example, the Poisons Information Centre responded to 363 calls in 2024 regarding exposures to wild mushrooms in NSW and the ACT, an increase of 26% compared to 2023.

    What’s more, a higher proportion of cases are requiring referral to hospital.

    Roughly half of calls to poisons information centres relate to exposures among young children under the age of five. While most children didn’t have any symptoms, this volume of calls pertaining to young kids is still worrying. A number of these children required assessment and monitoring in hospital.

    Death cap mushrooms are notoriously dangerous.
    Janny2/Shutterstock

    Many calls to poisons information centres also involve adolescents and adults who forage and eat wild mushrooms. Some consume mushrooms as a food, while others seek their hallucinogenic effects. This group is usually symptomatic when the poisons information centre is contacted, and many require treatment in hospital.

    Adults tend to have more severe symptoms because they consume more than children. Most adults who contact poisons information centres with symptoms have eaten wild mushrooms that were foraged outside of a guided tour with an expert.

    Not all cases of mushroom poisoning are notified to a poisons information centre, so it’s very likely these case counts represent a significant underestimation of the actual number of exposures and poisonings.

    All this suggests we may need more public health messaging around the dangers of wild mushrooms.

    Some tips for avoiding poisoning

    There’s no easy way to know if a wild mushroom is edible or poisonous, so we advise people against foraging for, and eating, wild mushrooms.

    Outside perhaps of an organised tour with an expert, the only mushrooms people should eat are those purchased from a reputable supermarket, grocer or market.

    Wild mushrooms can pop up in your garden overnight and toddlers learn about their environment by touching and putting things in their mouths. So it’s worth pre-emptively removing any wild mushrooms from areas where young children play. Wear gloves and discard mushrooms in rubbish bins for landfill.

    Some websites, such as iNaturalist, allow people to upload pictures of wild mushrooms so experts may be able to help identify them. However, the quality of the photos can affect an expert’s ability to identify the mushroom species correctly.

    If you’re going to use a platform like this, consider taking pictures from multiple angles, showing the top of the cap, under the cap, the stem, the size of the mushroom and the trees that it was found close to.

    Research has suggested certain apps may not be reliable on their own for identifying mushrooms.

    If you decide to eat wild mushrooms, as well as taking lots of photos, keep samples. In the event you or someone else gets sick, it may be possible for a mycologist (mushroom expert) to identify the mushroom consumed. Knowing the mushroom species can help determine which treatments are required, if any.

    Finally, note it’s not possible to detoxify mushrooms. Washing, peeling, cooking or drying a mushroom does not deactivate or remove the toxins.

    Who to call if you’re worried

    If you or someone you know develops any symptoms from eating a wild mushroom, immediately contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for advice. This is a national phone number that will direct you to the nearest poisons information centre, 24 hours a day.

    Even if a child or someone else has no symptoms after eating a potentially poisonous mushroom, call before symptoms develop. Symptoms can take many hours to present with Amanita phalloides, so being asymptomatic is not necessarily reassuring.

    In a medical emergency, for example seizures, collapse or unconsciousness, call 000.

    Darren Roberts is the Medical Director of the NSW Poisons Information Centre and a clinical toxicologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW.

    – ref. It’s wild mushroom season in Australia. Here’s how to stay safe and avoid poisoning – https://theconversation.com/its-wild-mushroom-season-in-australia-heres-how-to-stay-safe-and-avoid-poisoning-256561

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Probe of hospital incident completed

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Department of Health today said that there was insufficient evidence to indicate that St Teresa’s Hospital has breached the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance and the Code of Practice for Private Hospitals regarding an air-conditioning interruption incident at the hospital in 2024.

     

    The department was notified by a doctor on September 2, 2024 about an air-conditioning interruption in the operating theatres on the second floor of St Teresa’s Hospital on the evening of July 31, 2024, which lasted approximately one hour.

     

    Although an air-conditioning interruption is not a reportable event of private hospitals, the department considered that the incident might have potential patient safety concerns and initiated an investigation on the date the doctor reported the incident.

     

    The department’s staff conducted an inspection at the hospital, checked relevant documents, evaluated the effectiveness of its contingency measures, assessed the environmental condition of the operating theatres during the interruption and followed up on the remedial actions.

     

    According to the investigation, the incident involved a malfunction of the air-conditioning system that is used to regulate room temperature.

     

    During the incident, 10 surgeries were performed in various operating theatres. The hospital explained that dehumidifiers were immediately deployed in the operating theatres where higher risk surgeries were proceeding, including a surgery where an operation was being performed by the doctor who subsequently notified the department of the interruption.

     

    According to the hospital and the nurses on site, the severity of condensation in the operating theatre did not result in water dripping onto the surgical site of patients. The ventilation system used for infection control in the operating theatres, including air filtration equipment, hourly air change rate and a positive pressure environment, was operating normally.

     

    Apart from immediately responding to the incident, the hospital has worked with its contractor to identify the cause and take measures to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents.

     

    Based on the available evidence gathered, the department considered that there was insufficient evidence to show that the hospital has breached the requirements of the aforesaid ordinance or the code of practice.

     

    Regarding media enquiries on whether the department had received any complaints from patients, according to its existing records, the department pointed out that it received a call on September 12, 2024 from a citizen enquiring about the complaint procedure against private healthcare facilities. The caller mentioned that the air-conditioning system at St. Teresa’s Hospital was not functioning properly while surgeries were being performed.

     

    The department noted that the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance provides for a complaints handling mechanism against private healthcare facilities, which includes the formation of the statutory Committee on Complaints Against Private Healthcare Facilities,with the department serving as Secretariat, to handle complaints lodged by patients against licensed private healthcare facilities.

     

    The Secretariat promptly explained to the enquirer the function of the complaints committee and statutory procedures for lodging a complaint. One day after receiving the caller’s enquiry, the Secretariat sent information about the complaint procedures with complaint and statutory declaration forms to the email address provided as requested.

     

    The enquirer confirmed receipt of the information concerned and forms by email. Since then, the complaints committee has not received any complaint from the enquirer in relation to the incident.

     

    While the department emphasised that it completed its investigation based on all available information, it also stressed that it will continue to closely monitor licensed private healthcare facilities.

     

    It added that it will take appropriate actions as necessary to safeguard patient safety, if there is new and concrete evidence.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Pedestrian strike – Palmerston

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    A 43-year-old male has been arrested following a pedestrian strike that occurred this morning in Palmerston.

    Around 9:55am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports that a woman on a mobility scooter had been struck by a vehicle while using a pedestrian crossing on Temple Terrace.

    The 65-year-old woman was thrown from her scooter and suffered multiple injuries to her leg, pelvis and ribs. Emergency Services attended the scene, and she was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

    Police established a crime scene, and the 43-year-old driver, who remained at the scene, returned a positive roadside drug test and was arrested.

    One Temple Terrace outbound lane remains closed, and police urge motorists to avoid the area where possible.

    Police urge anyone with information about the incident to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number P25132429. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Joins Push Urging Trump Administration to Reverse Plans to Eliminate Consumer Product Safety Commission

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    Getting Rid Of This Commission Will Make Everyday Products More Dangerous For Americans
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined a letter urging Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to reverse plans to eliminate the bipartisan, independent Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC is the only government entity tasked with developing and enforcing product safety standards, facilitating recalls of unsafe products, and educating consumers and businesses about product hazards and best practices. The proposal to absorb some of CPSC’s core functions into a nonexistent division within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as the Department’s budget is being cut, is unrealistic and threatens public safety.
    “Since its inception, the CPSC has played a vital role safeguarding American families, and in particular infants, children, and older Americans. Thanks to the CPSC’s critical work, residential fires and fire-related deaths have decreased by over 40 percent. Crib deaths and child poisonings have dropped by 80 percent. The Commission’s work continues today, identifying emerging threats and protecting Americans from dangerous and banned imported products,” the Members wrote.
    “With the rapid growth of e-commerce and imported consumer products, especially from countries with less stringent safety regulations, CPSC plays a critical role to prevent unsafe and counterfeit goods from entering the U.S. market unchecked…We strongly oppose any attempt to eliminate, defund, or weaken the CPSC and demand that you immediately roll back any efforts to dissolve the agency. Americans rightfully expect that the products they bring into their home are safe, and only the CPSC has the authority and expertise to ensure that expectation is met,” the Members concluded.
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has worked to protect American consumers. Just this year, Senator Rosen was part of a letter pressing the Trump Administration on how mass firings at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will hurt Nevada families. She’s also introduced legislation to crack down on price gouging by corporate investors who are driving up housing prices. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Questions HHS Secretary Kennedy on Cuts to NIH Research, Alzheimer’s Program Workforce

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
    Q&A on NIH Research Indirect Costs Cap: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download
    Q&A on Alzheimer’s Law Implementation: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download
    Washington, D.C. – Today, at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Senator Susan Collins questioned HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Her questions focused on the Department’s proposed cap on indirect costs for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded research, as well as how workforce reductions at the Department could harm the implementation of laws such as the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act, a bill Senator Collins authored that was signed into law last year.
    Q&A on NIH Research Indirect Costs Cap
    Senator Collins:
    I chaired, recently, the first Appropriations Committee hearing of the year, and we focused on biomedical research and how important it is that America not lose its global edge in innovation that’s producing life-saving and life-enhancing discoveries. Among the many issues that we covered, as you might expect, the hearing explored the 15%, arbitrary, one-size-fits-all cap that NIH has imposed on indirect, but still research-related, costs for its grants.
    What we heard is that this cap will mean less basic research, fewer clinical trials, and that it will also cause our scientists and researchers to leave the United States and go to other countries. I believe strongly that this proposed cap is poorly thought out, that it’s harmful, and I know that it violates current law, because since 2018 we’ve included in the appropriations bill specific language that prevents NIH from imposing such a cap. So, I know the system needs to be looked at, but are you reviewing how NIH’s approach of this one-size-fits-all 15% cap on indirect costs would affect laboratories, whether they’re private nonprofit labs, or whether they’re in universities, as far as doing crucial biomedical research?
    Secretary Kennedy:
    Senator, we are, and you and I have talked about this issue. And I think the impetus for the cap was that there were a lot of private universities with giant endowments, like Stanford and Harvard, that were getting indirect payments of 78%. What that means, if you get a million-dollar grant, the NIH then has to pay you an extra $780,000 for administrative costs. And a lot of those costs weren’t even going to anything to do with science.
    But I understand the University of Maine, the University of Alabama, many other universities and state universities were not abusing it. We lost about $9 billion a year in those kinds of costs. And so, we have a plan for how to address issues like what’s happening at the University of Maine.
    Q&A on Alzheimer’s Law Implementation
    Senator Collins:
    Mr. Secretary, nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and caring for people with this devastating chronic disease costs us some $360 billion a year. I am the author of a law that’s known as the BOLD Act. It takes a public health approach to Alzheimer’s, it educates providers, promotes earlier diagnosis, it helps caregivers and it also promotes lifestyle changes. I have worked very hard to make sure that HHS has the resources to carry out this law, which was just recently extended. I’m concerned that the reductions in force, of approximately 10,000 staff across HHS, will completely undermine this Act.
    For example, the Healthy Aging Branch administers the BOLD Act for Alzheimer’s. It has lost all of its staff. So, how can you ensure that the CDC continues to implement the BOLD Act and the Alzheimer’s programs under it, when all of the staff responsible for that administration have either been placed on administrative leave or let go?
    Secretary Kennedy:
    I know that that division has been folded into the Agency for a Healthy America. And a lot of the reports that whole divisions have been liquidated were just wrong. They were divisions that were being reassigned under the reorg.
    On that budget line, I will work with you, I’m committed. You know, Alzheimer’s has run in my family, as you know. You know my cousin, Maria Shriver, who’s deeply involved in it. The NIH had a very, very checkered history on studying Alzheimer’s because of the amyloid plaque scandal. And we have an opportunity now to do really good science and find a cure very quickly, and also find out, equally importantly, why so many people are getting Alzheimer’s in this generation. I want to make that happen. I want to work with you, Senator, to make sure that that happens and that those programs continue.
    +++
    At a recent U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing chaired by Senator Susan Collins, she questioned Dr. Hermann Haller, President of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, on how the proposed NIH cap on indirect costs would affect the important biomedical research occurring in Maine and at institutions across the country.
    With Senator Collins’ support, funding for the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act has grown from $10 million in fiscal year 2020 to $34 million in fiscal year 2024. In September 2020, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services received one of the first BOLD Program Awards. This investment has allowed for great progress in implementing the Maine State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. In September 2023, Maine received a second BOLD award from the CDC for Alzheimer’s prevention programs, which provides implementation funding to build on its initial investments and allow the state to carry out the Maine Alzheimer’s Prevention Program and the CDC’s Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ferocity, fitness and fast bowling: how Virat Kohli revolutionised Indian cricket

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania

    Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday.

    While his Instagram message just said this was the “right time”, his poor recent Test form, mental fatigue and desire to spend more time with his family, charity foundation and expanding business empire have been suggested as other influential factors.

    During his 14-year Test career “King Kohli” has been the backbone of the Indian batting line-up, and his absence is a huge blow as the Indians prepare to tour England next month.

    The megastar scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries.

    These numbers put him in the top five Indian test batsmen of all time, but his legacy extends far beyond his batting achievements.

    Kohli, 36, quit Twenty20 Internationals last year (after India won its second world title). He may continue to play one-day internationals.

    Rising to the top of Test cricket

    Kohli has been the greatest Indian batsman of his generation.

    He made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies and played his final match against Australia in January.

    He scored centuries against every country he played against, with more than half of these coming overseas.

    His seven Test centuries in Australia is the second most by an overseas batsman.

    He was at his peak between 2014 and 2019, when he averaged more than 60 in Test cricket and became one of the “fab four” (the world’s best Test batsmen) alongside Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root.



    Read more:
    Is Steve Smith set to become the best? What data says about Test cricket’s elite 10,000+ run club

    This period also included six double-hundreds in 18 months, and 13 months as the number one ranked Test batsman in the world.

    Kohli the leader

    Kohli is India’s greatest ever Test captain.

    His tenure from 2014 to 2022 was a golden age for Indian Test cricket.

    India won 40 of 68 Tests (59%) in this period and did not lose a Test series at home. India was the number one ranked Test team in the world from 2016–20 and won its first Test series in Australia in 2018–19.

    These statistics make Kohli one of the most successful Test captains of all time.

    Beyond these numbers, he was a charismatic and aggressive captain who redefined India’s approach to Test cricket by bringing a more competitive edge to the team.

    He drove higher expectations around fitness, training intensity and fast bowling that continue to shape Indian cricket.

    Mandatory fitness testing and improved dieting and recovery practices, which redefined the team’s standards, are attributed to Kohli’s leadership.

    Similarly, Indian success was strongly contributed to by Kohli encouraging the development of a world-class pace bowling attack, which marked a significant shift from the spin-heavy approach of Indian cricket.

    Controversies

    While Kohli’s energy, passion and intensity contributed to his success as batsman and captain, they also led to numerous confrontations with opposition players, which some believed to be disrespectful and arrogant.

    His intense celebrations and assertive body language also drew criticism from conservative cricketing audiences.

    Kohli’s collision with Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test versus Australia.

    Many of these controversies have occurred in Australia, where Kohli enjoyed a love-hate relationship with Australian players and crowds.

    Examples include flipping the bird to the crowd, making sandpaper gestures (in reference to the 2018 Australian ball tampering scandal, also known as Sandpapergate) and shoulder-barging young Australian batsman Sam Konstas.

    What will his Test legacy be?

    For more than a decade, Kohli has been the heartbeat of the Indian Test team, and his retirement marks the end of an era.

    He reshaped the mindset of Indian cricket and cultivated a faster, fitter, fiercer, more successful team.

    Kohli was also one of the greatest ambassadors of Test cricket, and has played a significant role in ensuring the game remains relevant in an era increasingly dominated by T20 cricket.

    He made Test cricket aspirational again because he wanted it to thrive. He knew India needed to dominate the hardest format to be respected.

    His social media reach (272 million followers on Instagram and 67.8 million on X) is more than Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Tom Brady combined, and was even referred to by LA2028 Olympics organisers when they announced cricket’s entry into the games.

    In recent days, Kohli has been described as “a modern-day giant”, a “provocateur in chief”, and “his generation’s most profound figure”.

    Love him or hate him, he elevated the spectacle of Test cricket. His electric energy brought the best out of India and its opponents and made him impossible to ignore when batting or fielding.

    As respected cricket writer Peter Lalor noted recently:

    Nobody is irreplaceable, but nobody can replace Virat.

    The Conversation

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

    – ref. Ferocity, fitness and fast bowling: how Virat Kohli revolutionised Indian cricket – https://theconversation.com/ferocity-fitness-and-fast-bowling-how-virat-kohli-revolutionised-indian-cricket-256560

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 15, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 15, 2025.

    Ferocity, fitness and fast bowling: how Virat Kohli revolutionised Indian cricket
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday. While his Instagram message just said this was the “right time”, his poor recent Test form, mental fatigue and desire to spend more time with

    Curious Kids: if our eyes see upside down, how does the brain flip the picture?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Joyce, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Southern Queensland I heard that we see upside down, but our brain flips the image. How does it do that? –Jasmine, Mount Evelyn, Victoria Our eyes work thanks to light. Objects we can see are either sources of light

    Return of the huia? Why Māori worldviews must be part of the ‘de-extinction’ debate
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nic Rawlence, Associate Professor in Ancient DNA, University of Otago A museum specimen of the extinct huia. Wikimedia Commons/Auckland Museum collection, CC BY-SA The recent announcement of the resurrection of the dire wolf generated considerable global media attention and widespread scientific criticism. But beyond the research questions,

    After an autocratic leader was toppled in Bangladesh, democratic renewal remains a work in progress
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Intifar Chowdhury, Lecturer in Government, Flinders University Last July, a powerful student-led uprising in Bangladesh toppled the authoritarian, corrupt government led for 15 years by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh now shows modest signs of democratic recovery. Months into its tenure, a transitional government has reopened political

    Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior to return for 40th anniversary of French bombing
    By Russel Norman The iconic Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior will return to Aotearoa this year to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the original campaign ship at Marsden Wharf in Auckland by French secret agents on 10 July 1985. The return to Aotearoa comes at a pivotal moment — when the fight to

    Can we confront cancel culture by finding common ground between moderate leftists and ‘wokists’?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University A.C. Grayling’s new book Discriminations: Making Peace in the Culture Wars sees the renowned philosopher wading into the ethical minefields of “woke” activism, cancellation, and conservative backlash. Filled with thoughtful analysis, deep reflection, and fascinating

    Justice on demand? The true crime podcasts serving up Erin Patterson’s mushroom murder trial
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Cantrell, Senior Lecturer – Writing, Editing, and Publishing, University of Southern Queensland The trial of the so-called “mushroom cook” Erin Patterson, currently underway in the Victorian town of Morwell, continues to generate global attention. The mother of two is charged with three counts of murder and

    This 6-point plan can ease Australia’s gambling problems – if our government has the guts
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Livingstone, Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University WHYFRAME/Shutterstock We have a refreshed and revitalised Australian government, enriched with great political capital. During the last term of parliament before the election, opportunities to address Australia’s raging gambling habit were neglected. Could this

    Whatever happened to Barbie’s feet? Podiatrists studied 2,750 dolls to find out
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cylie Williams, Professor, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University elinaxx1v/Shutterstock What do you get when a group of podiatrists (and shoe lovers) team up with a Barbie doll collector? A huge opportunity to explore how Barbie reflects changes in the types of shoes women

    Economic pessimism is behind the drift of voters to minor parties and independents
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viet Nguyen, Principal Research Fellow, Macroeconomics Research Program, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne Growing economic pessimism appears to have pushed many voters away from Australia’s two major parties, Labor and the Coalition. Support for minor parties and independents has doubled

    A law change will expand who we remember on Anzac Day – the New Zealand Wars should be included too
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato The New Zealand Wars memorial in new Plymouth. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA Anzac Day has come and gone again. But – lest we forget – war and its consequences are not confined to single days in the calendar. Nor

    Newly discovered frog species from 55 million years ago challenges evolutionary tree
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roy M. Farman, Adjunct Associate Lecturer, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Australian Green Tree Frog (_Litoria caerulea_). indrabone/iNaturalist, CC BY-NC Australian tree frogs today make up over one third of all known frog species on the continent. Among this group, iconic species such

    Two lizard-like creatures crossed tracks 355 million years ago. Today, their footprints yield a major discovery
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Long, Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University Marcin Ambrozik The emergence of four-legged animals known as tetrapods was a key step in the evolution of many species today – including humans. Our new discovery, published today in Nature, details ancient fossil footprints found in Australia that

    Politics with Michelle Grattan: Andrew Leigh on more productive work in the age of AI
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australia’s productivity performance has stagnated for years, and Treasurer Jim Chalmers has declared addressing this is a second term priority. “Productivity” is now an added part of the remit of Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh, along with his responsibility for competition,

    Caitlin Johnstone: Israel admits it bombed a hospital to kill a journalist for doing journalism
    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone The IDF has admitted to bombing a hospital in order to assassinate a prominent Palestinian journalist in Gaza, Hassan Aslih, explicitly stating that they assassinated him for engaging in journalistic activities. The official Israel Defense Forces account made the following post on

    Men are shaving off their eyelashes on TikTok. Here’s why that might be a bad idea
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda Meyer, Senior Lecturer, Anatomy and Pathology, James Cook University Bhatakta Manav/Shutterstock Videos of men removing their eyelashes, by trimming or shaving, have been circulating on social media in recent weeks. This trend is based on the idea short eyelashes look more masculine. Hair can tell us

    Soon, your boss will have to pay your wages and super at the same time. Here’s how everyone could benefit
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Hodgson, Professor, Curtin Law School and Curtin Business School, Curtin University Dragon Images/Shutterstock If you have a job in Australia, you’ve probably noticed each of your payslips has a section telling you how much superannuation will be paid alongside your wages. But while your wages are

    What is the ‘glass cliff’ phenomenon – and why do women often find themselves on the precipice?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie-Anne Hammermeister, PhD Candidate in the School of Humanities and Communication, University of Southern Queensland GoodStudio/Shutterstock Speaking to the media after being named leader of the Liberal Party, Sussan Ley was asked if this appointment was an example of the “glass cliff effect”. Ley said “I don’t

    Fiji Indians in NZ ‘not giving up’ on Pasifika classification struggle
    By Susana Suisuiki, RNZ Pacific Waves presenter/producer, and Christina Persico, RNZ Pacific bulletin editor The co-founder of Auckland’s Fiji Centre is concerned that Indo-Fijians are not classified as Pacific Islanders in Aotearoa. This week marks the 146th anniversary of the arrival of the first indentured labourers from British India to Fiji, who departed from Calcutta.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Reminder: categorisation programme is closed

    Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines

    Following recent bad weather, the Recovery Office has noted an increase in homeowners asking to join the categorisation programme.

    While we sympathise with homeowners across the region affected by flooding, we are unable to admit any further properties into the programme.

    The programme was a limited, one-off scheme co-funded by Auckland Council and the Government in response to the 2023 North Island Weather Events.

    Affected homeowners were able to voluntarily register for a risk assessment between June 2023 and October 2024, and the programme was widely publicised over the 15-month period including via regional and national media, paid advertising campaigns, social media, community events and through local MPs and councillors.

    The agreement with the Government requires all category 3 purchases to be completed by the end of 2025.

    Outside of this limited programme, the council does not, categorise private properties to determine risk, and is not funded to acquire properties that are at risk of future flooding.

    The council’s Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience teams, along with Auckland Emergency Management, will continue to help homeowners understand their level of flood risk and what they can do to prepare for future flooding.

    Category 3 and 2P properties progressing

    As you can see in the graphic above, the Category 3 buy-outs are progressing well with 703 properties now settled.

    Category 2P works are also progressing with 17 homeowners having completed their mitigations.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advisory: Hui to further raise awareness on health woes

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation
    NZNO’s Ōtautahi/Canterbury members will join local leaders and politicians to talk about the dire state of their local hospitals and the public health system at a hui on Thursday.
    New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) will be supported by their Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) and E tū colleagues at the event to raise public awareness and place further pressure on the Government to increase funding for health.
    Included among the evening’s speakers is long-serving and long-suffering enrolled nurse Debbie Handisides who says the Government needs to immediately plug the sinking ship that is health care.
    Other speakers include Patient Voice Aotearoa’s Malcolm Mulholland, Councillor and mayoral candidate Sara Templeton, an ASMS spokesperson, Spinal Trust National Programme manager Andrew Hall, NZNO President Anne Daniels and a nursing student representative.
    Interview and photo opportunities available
    WHEN: Thursday, 15 May 2025
    TIME: 5.30pm-7pm
    WHERE: Aldersgate Centre, 309 Durham Street North, Christchurch
    Community members are welcome.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Secures Pledge from RFK to Review ‘Alarming’ Mifepristone Data, Support Bill Cracking Down on Big Pharma Ads

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Wednesday, May 14, 2025

    Today in a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) secured a commitment from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr. that he would review ‘alarming’ new data on the chemical abortion drug mifepristone. RFK Jr. also stated that in light of the new data, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) label for mifepristone should change to accurately reflect the adverse effects of the drug.

    A new study on the chemical abortion drug shows 11% of women experience adverse effects serious enough to send them to the ER@SecKennedy just pledged to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the drug – and said the FDA label needs to change
    That’s a win for life pic.twitter.com/gy65iCZjI5
    — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) May 14, 2025

    “You’ve previously testified to the committee that you would do a top-to-bottom review of mifepristone,” said Senator Hawley. “Do you continue to stand by that, and don’t you think this new data shows that the need to do a full review is indeed pressing?”
    “It’s alarming, and it indicates that at the very least, the label should be changed,”RFK said regarding the new mifepristone data. “I’ve asked Marty Makary at the FDA to do a complete review and report back.”
    RFK Jr. also promised he would submit his own recommendation to President Trump based on the data. This exchange comes after Senator Hawley has advocated for reinstating safety guardrails surrounding mifepristone since the new study was released, from introducing legislation to urging the Department of Justice to reconsider its defense of the Biden Administration’s policy on mifepristone.
    In the same hearing, Senator Hawley also questioned RFK Jr. on his stance towards tax breaks for Big Pharma’s television deals, prompting RFK Jr. to pledge his support for Senator Hawley’s bipartisan, bicameral bill cracking down on Big Pharma’s sweetheart deals.

    Now it’s on the record: @SecKennedy just pledged his support to pass my bipartisan, bicameral bill cracking down on Big Pharma’s sweetheart deals
    Let’s make it illegal for Big Pharma to make taxpayers foot the bill for Pharma advertisements pic.twitter.com/siN1GHd1r0
    — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) May 14, 2025

    Watch the full hearing here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Flat out Fabulous: Barbie puts her best foot forward over the years

    Source:

    15 May 2025

    Author supplied. The Barbie Team (from L to R): Barbie Fashionista (#197) wears an amazing yellow platform heel with ankle straps, Barbie Fashionista (#208) has Down Syndrome and uses sneakers to accommodate her ankle foot orthoses, Barbie Fashionista (#171) wears a high heel white ankle boot and lives with Vitiligo, Barbie Paramedic has her workboots ready to go, Barbie Fashionista (#210) models comfy yellow slides and Barbie Interior Designer wears ballet flats on both her foot and prosthetic limb.

    Foot health enthusiasts have researched Barbie’s footwear choices since her debut in the 1950s –and it turns out the iconic doll’s career really took off when she stepped into flatter shoes.

    But the study – conducted by Monash University, the University of South Australia and Queen Mary University of London – also found Barbie still loves her high heels, and real women who wear them should not be ‘heel shamed’.

    Inspired by the 2023 Barbie movie and published in PLOS One, the project explored correlations and relationships between Barbie’s foot posture, equity/diversity, employment, and time.

    The researchers, who included a Barbie collector, audited 2750 Barbie dolls and Barbie Land friends from between 1959 and June 2024.

    They used their unique FEET system: Foot posture (flat or equinus [tiptoe]); Equity (diversity and inclusion); Employment (fashion vs employed); and Time period (decade of manufacture).

    Over time, the study showed a decreased prevalence in tiptoe foot posture, from 100% in the first period, to 40% in the last.

    Researchers found that Barbie’s flat foot posture had a very strong positive correlation with employment, and time point, while tiptoe foot posture had a very strong positive correlation with fashion. Similarly, equity (diversity) had a very strong positive correlation with fashion, and strong positive correlation with employment.

    Given Barbie is known to reflect societal norms, the researchers contended that this was most likely true for most ‘real life’ high-heel wearers.

    “While Barbie has moved with the times, it appears footwear health messaging about high heel wearing needs to catch up,” says senior author, UniSA’s Dr Helen Banwell.

    “Health professionals castigating high heels through public messaging should remember that emphasising health benefits consistently drives positive behaviour change, over highlighting negative consequences.

    “Barbie clearly makes sensible determinations regarding her body autonomy; high heel wearers should have that same ability.”

    First author and Monash University Professor Cylie Williams, a podiatrist and School of Primary and Allied Health Care Deputy Head, says Barbie’s movie meltdown over her feet being flat when she entered the real world inspired the project

    “We talked about it, posted on social media and talked to our patients about it,” Prof Williams says

    “Then we thought: hang on, has Barbie always been rocking high heels that much? What do her foot postures say about her jobs, how inclusive is she, and has that changed over time?

    “While Barbie was working, we observed she was more likely to embrace flat shoes, sneakers and slides. Barbie also had more job roles since the 1990s and increasingly represented people with disabilities and used assistive technology. We saw Barbie in her wheelchair wearing her high heels, while Barbie with an above knee amputation wearing flats to accommodate her prosthesis.

    “Barbie wears flats when she’s busy breaking glass ceilings, working in health care or being an athlete. But she still loves her high heels when she’s not. Maybe it’s time health messaging caught up. Let’s stop heel-shaming and start empowering people to choose what works for them.”

    Dr Helen Banwell, who heads the University of South Australia’s podiatry program, says shoes were a hot topic for podiatrists and some health professionals were toey about high heels.

    “Most foot problems happen to people not in heels, yet high heels get blamed for everything from bunions to bad moods,” Dr Banwell says.

    “This study let us unpack the myths, celebrate informed choices, and see how a global icon like Barbie reflects (or challenges) social norms. Also, research can be fun, and it was way more fun when Barbie was involved.

    “Barbie clearly has body autonomy – so should everyone else. And if so, if high heel wearers want to rock a stiletto, we propose they are already aware of how they feel and how they can move in them. Let’s leave health messing to things that have a higher impact on health behaviours.

    “It is time we recognised that high-heel wearers, including Barbie as a socially constructed representative woman, make sensible choices based on what works for them.”

    Dr Kristin Graham, who is a senior lecturer at UniSA’s podiatry program, says research on wearing high heels was scant, but we know wearing high heels makes you walk slower, and the higher the heel height, the more instability, pain and possible injury risks.

    As a result, she says many health professionals discouraged high heeled footwear, often linking it to bunions, knee osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis and low back pain. Yet many of these health conditions were prevalent in the general population regardless of preferred heel height

    “We don’t know that there is a direct impact on long term foot and leg health,” Dr Graham says.

    “This is because it’s never been studied in detail or over time, and because people who wear high heels often wear them for a different length of time each day, or interchangeably with flat shoes.

    “We do know many of the things that people attribute to high heel wear, including tight calf muscles, bunions and heel pain, can happen in people who don’t wear high heels. So, while there might be a risk, we only know what the risk is while they are being worn, and it’s a variable risk because of how variable high heels actually are both in shape and height.”

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

    Media contacts:
    UniSA: Annabel Mansfield E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au M: +61 479 182 489
    Monash University: Cheryl Critchley E: cheryl.critchley@monash.edu M: +61 477 571 442

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Veasey Demands Critical Dallas County Funding be Restored to Contain Measles Outbreak in Texas

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Marc Veasey (33rd District of Texas)

    Headline: Rep. Veasey Demands Critical Dallas County Funding be Restored to Contain Measles Outbreak in Texas

    WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33), along with Congresswoman Julie Johnson (TX-33) and Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), demanded that $7.7 million in public health grants for Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) abruptly terminated by the Trump Administration be restored to address the measles outbreak that has reached the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  

    “DCHHS relied on this critical funding to safeguard public health in one of the most populous and fastest-growing metroplexes in the nation,” the Members wrote. “Stripping these resources without warning, amid a serious and unprecedented outbreak, significantly undermines Dallas County’s ability to respond to measles and other communicable diseases, placing millions of residents at immediate risk. We demand answers regarding this decision and urge the CDC to take swift corrective action to mitigate the harm caused by the revocation of these life-saving funds.”

    In the midst of a surging measles epidemic, the revoked funding included three major pandemic grants totaling $70 million, including a Vaccination Capacity Grant that was being used to coordinate measles vaccination clinics throughout Dallas County. Without this grant, DCHHS has had to cancel these vaccination clinics, just as the first case of measles was reported in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in a middle-school child on April 23rd. 

    The members are demanding answers from CDC on why this critical funding was revoked in the middle of an unprecedented measles outbreak, and how DCHHS can have the funding restored, immediately. 

     

    To read the full letter, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Veasey Blasts Republicans for Silencing Lung Cancer Survivor at Medicaid Hearing

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Marc Veasey (33rd District of Texas)

    Headline: Rep. Veasey Blasts Republicans for Silencing Lung Cancer Survivor at Medicaid Hearing

    Washington D.C.-  In a disturbing escalation of Republican efforts to gut Medicaid behind closed doors, Republicans on the Energy & Commerce Committee tonight silenced a constituent and lung cancer survivor who dared to speak out against their disastrous healthcare cuts that would be a death warrant for millions of Americans.

    Carla, a Texan and daughter of a WWII Veteran, dialed into the E&C Committee’s hearing to share her powerful story—how she lost her health insurance after the startup she worked for collapsed, and how Medicaid became her only lifeline after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Rather than listen, Republicans cut her off and attempted to reprimand Congressman Veasey for standing up for her right to be heard.

    Why the censorship? Because Republicans are pushing a $715 billion tax cut for billionaires—paid for by slashing Medicaid and ripping healthcare away from millions of Americans. And they’re doing it in secret: scheduling the Medicaid portion of the hearing in the dead of night to bury the news and avoid accountability.

    “They’re not just cowards—they’re liars,” said Congressman Veasey. “They’re lying about Medicaid. They’re too scared to face their own constituents at town halls, and too ashamed to defend their cuts in daylight. They tried to silence Carla—but I (we) won’t be silenced. If Republicans won’t defend Medicaid or the people who rely on it, then I will. To Trump and Republicans: STOP CAPPIN’.”

    From running away from the American people to shutting down voices in committee, Republicans are proving they can’t defend their own actions—because they know the truth would infuriate the voters they’re betraying.

    Congressman Veasey and Democrats vow to keep fighting back—loudly, publicly, and relentlessly—because Medicaid should not be a sacrifice for billionaires’ tax breaks.

    Rep. Veasey repeatedly called out Republicans for lying to the American people about Medicaid. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US researchers identify tissue changes linked to aggressive breast cancer risk

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

    Researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) have identified structural changes in breast connective tissue that are linked to a higher risk of developing aggressive breast cancer, according to a new study published on Wednesday.

    The findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, suggest that these changes, referred to as stromal disruption, could serve as a potential biomarker to identify women at greater risk, even before cancer develops.

    The research also found that stromal disruption is associated with poorer survival outcomes among women already diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.

    The team used machine learning to analyze over 9,000 breast tissue samples, including healthy breast tissues, benign breast disease biopsies, and cancerous tissues. They discovered that stromal disruption was more common in women with risk factors for aggressive breast cancer, such as obesity, Black race, early age, multiple childbirths, and a family history of the disease.

    In women with benign breast disease, substantial stromal disruption was linked to a significantly higher likelihood of developing breast cancer and a faster disease onset. Among breast cancer patients, those with greater stromal disruption were more likely to have aggressive cancer subtypes and lower survival rates, especially in estrogen receptor-positive cases.

    Such insights could help inform the development of cancer prevention and treatment strategies that target the stromal microenvironment. In addition, stromal disruption is inexpensive to assess and could be widely adopted, particularly in low-resource settings where molecular analysis is impractical or very expensive, according to the study. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Waters, Senator Merkley Launch New Effort to Boost Congress’ Oversight of Trump’s Mass Firings

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (43rd District of California)

    Washington, D.C. – As the Trump Administration continues mass firings of federal employees, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, today introduced first-of-its-kind legislation to strengthen Congress’ authority to protect workers and override federal staffing cuts implemented without consultation.

    The Reduction in Force (RIF) Review Act empowers Congress to overrule any president’s workforce cuts at all federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Health and Human Services. The bill makes RIF plans subject to the Congressional Review Act (CRA) and bolsters Congressional oversight of the executive branch’s actions.

    “Donald Trump and co-President Elon Musk are engaged in a lawless and reckless restructuring of the federal workforce. By firing thousands of federal workers, they are dismantling the infrastructure supporting Social Security, veterans’ healthcare, and our entire government. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress are sitting by and refusing to perform their duty under the Constitution to provide a check on this President. That’s why I’m proud to partner with Senator Merkley to introduce the Reduction in Force Review Act, which will restore Congress’ role in overseeing major changes to the federal workforce. Agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which I’ve been fighting to protect as Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, protect ordinary Americans from financial scams and predatory lenders. If Republicans want to declare open season on working families, they should at least have to vote on it,” said Waters.

    Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, led the Senate introduction of the RIF Review Act.

    “Trump and his unelected billionaire sidekick Elon Musk’s reckless decision to fire tens of thousands of federal employees threatens the critical services that families, veterans, seniors, and children rely on,” said Merkley. “This isn’t about fiscal responsibility—it’s about cruelly shifting resources away from those who need them most to the very richest among us. Gutting resources and staff from vital programs is not resulting in better services or increased efficiency, but is instead causing pain for folks in Oregon and across the country. Congress must step in and exercise its oversight of the executive branch.”

    The RIF Review Act makes an agency’s reduction in force plan subject to a vote in both houses of Congress under the CRA process and enhances existing RIF reporting requirements to include:

    • The specific reasons for the reduction in force;
    • The anticipated impact of the reduction in force on the employees and operations of the federal agency;
    • Any alternatives to the reduction in force that the federal agency considered, including the reasons that the federal agency rejected those alternatives;
    • A summary of the consultations that the federal agency has held with employees of the federal agency who will be affected by the reduction in force (or representatives of those employees); and
    • A summary of how the reduction in force will impact employees of the Federal agency who are veterans.

    In addition to Waters and Merkley, the RIF Review Act is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Doris O. Matsui (CA-07), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02) and U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). 

    The RIF Review Act is endorsed by the AFL-CIO, SEIU, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), and National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE).

    “The Trump administration’s reckless attempt to dismantle our government without congressional approval threatens vital services Americans depend on every day—from caring for veterans and safeguarding public health, to protecting our environment and maintaining national security. This illegal power grab would gut federal agencies, disrupt communities nationwide, and put critical public services at risk. AFGE is proud to support the RIF Review Act to protect not just the patriotic public servants we represent, but the integrity of American government and the essential services that our nation deserves,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley.

    “DOGE’s illegal firings are an attack on federal workers and on the communities across the country who rely on them. Veterans will be left waiting even longer for care, and the workers who ensure our food is safe and water is clean have been fired. If these cuts are not overturned, we’ll see seniors waiting for delayed Social Security checks, and kids and teachers going without vital school programs. The RIF Review Act is critical to stopping these reckless cuts and restoring the jobs that make these programs work. We urge Congress to act now: stand with working people and support this bill or let the Trump administration and an unelected billionaire dismantle the essential services that millions of Americans count on,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler.

    “This administration’s war on the services that Americans rely on is despicable,” said Doreen Greenwald, National President of the NTEU. “These illegal mass firings not only harm thousands of dedicated civil servants across the country, but also millions of taxpayers who need these services and local communities who will suffer from increased unemployment. I applaud Senator Merkley and Congresswoman Waters for their leadership in ensuring that Congress can step in and stop these efforts before it’s too late.”

    Full text of the RIF Review Act can be found by clicking here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pryor man sentenced to 2 years in prison for strangulation and assault

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BILINGS – A Pryor man who admitted strangling and assaulting his dating partner was sentenced today to two years in prison to be followed by three of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Thomas Larson Medicinehorse III, 19, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to strangulation and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a dating or intimate partner.

    U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

    The government alleged in court documents that on February 5, 2024, Medicinehorse and the victim, referred to here as Jane Doe, got into an argument. The altercation turned physical, and Medicinehorse strangled Doe by placing his hands around her throat. Doe’s vision went dark and she could not breathe.

    The next day, February 6, 2024, Medicinehorse and Doe got into another argument. Medicinehorse struck Doe on the face, arms, and legs, causing bruising and swelling to her right eye and various bruises on her arms and legs.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, BIA, and Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Consultation on Proposed Prescription Medicines List for Designated Podiatrist Prescribers: Analysis of Submissions

    Source: ppta-logo-38

    In May 2025 podiatrists who have undertaken appropriate training were granted designated prescribing authority under the ‘Medicines (Designated Prescriber-Podiatrist) Regulations 2025’.

    The Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora (the Ministry), on behalf of the Director-General of Health, working with the Podiatrists Board of New Zealand, is responsible for establishing a list of specified prescription medicines that designated podiatrist prescribers can prescribe from.

    In developing the list of specified prescription medicines, the Director-General must consult with those organisations or bodies that appear to the Director-General to be representative of persons likely to be substantially affected by the publication of the list of specified prescription medicines.

    The Ministry undertook a consultation on the Podiatrists Board’s proposed specified prescription medicines list from 13 November to 20 December 2024. This Report provides details on the process to arrive at the list of prescription medicines considered appropriate for designated podiatrist prescribers. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pfluger Secures Big Wins in the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced a strong, commonsense reconciliation bill after over twenty-six hours of debate. Upon passage, Rep. Pfluger released the following statement.

    “After over twenty-six hours of Democrat distractions, falsehoods, and baseless debate, Energy and Commerce Republicans stayed focused on delivering real, commonsense results for the American people. We have now completed our part in advancing President Trump’s agenda through the ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill.’ This package ends wasteful spending on woke Green New Deal-style programs, secures American energy dominance to support the rapid innovation of American industry, and preserves and protects Medicaid for all vulnerable Texans and Americans who truly need it. This legislation also expands rural connectivity through smart spectrum policy while safeguarding national security interests. Through these commonsense policies, we’re building a stronger, more secure America for generations to come.”

    Among the many Republican-backed victories supported by Rep. Pfluger in this legislation, this bill includes several key priorities Rep. Pfluger has specifically championed, which will directly benefit Texans and all Americans alike:

    Energy Wins:

    ·     Expedited LNG Exports (Section 41003) — Expedites approvals by deeming applications to non-free trade countries “in the public interest” upon payment of a $1 million fee, eliminating a previously lengthy review process. This streamlining preserves existing legal and regulatory authorities while potentially reducing approval timelines from years to months. This directly aligns with Rep. Pfluger’s bill to strengthen energy leadership and expand LNG exports.

    ·     Natural Gas Permitting Reform (Section 41005) — Creates a voluntary expedited permitting pathway with guaranteed timelines, requiring agencies to complete reviews within one year of fee payment ($10M or 1% of project cost). If review deadlines are missed, applications are automatically approved, and legal challenges are limited. This provision advances Rep. Pfluger’s permitting reform priority and provides greater certainty for major energy projects.

    ·     Strategic Petroleum Reserve Funding (Section 41008) — Provides a $2 billion appropriation for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), including $218 million for cavern repairs, $1.32 billion for oil purchases, and directs the remaining funds to reverse prior mandated sales. This targeted investment strengthens U.S. energy security and reserve readiness and directly supports Rep. Pfluger’s priority to refill the SPR.

    Environment Wins:

    ·     Air Pollution Monitoring Limitation (Section 42105) — Repeals and rescinds unobligated funds from IRA Section 60105, which had allocated $281.5 million to the EPA for expanding air quality monitoring networks. This reduces the EPA’s ability to identify new non-attainment zones, limiting additional regulatory burdens. This acts on Rep. Pfluger’s priority to protect the Permian Basin from costly regulatory designations that could impact energy producers.

    ·     Methane Emissions Program Delay (Section 42113) — Extends the timeline for the Methane Emissions Reduction Program charges by an additional 10 years. This extension reinforces Rep. Pfluger’s success with his legislation that President Trump signed into law earlier this year. It also supports his position against the immediate implementation of the harmful program’s current requirements.

    Healthcare Wins:

    ·     Affordable Care Act Exchange Reforms (Section 44201) — Amends the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) definition of “lawfully present” to exclude Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. This change counters the Biden Administration’s May 2024 rule, which expanded ACA eligibility to include DACA recipients, a move with potential legal and financial implications. This aligns with Rep. Pfluger’s previous Congressional Review Act efforts to prevent ACA expansion to DACA recipients.

    WATCH: Rep. Pfluger Dismantled Several Democrat Lies On Key Provisions in the Final Package, Including:

    ·     Lies on the LNG export user fees HERE

    ·     Work requirements for Medicaid benefits HERE

    How this bill protects Medicaid for vulnerable, eligible Americans HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Bathing water season in England begins as applications re-open

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Press release

    Bathing water season in England begins as applications re-open

    The Environment Agency will be testing water quality more than 7000 times during the season

    The bathing water season has officially started (Thursday 15 May 2025), marking the beginning of rigorous testing of water quality from the Environment Agency at bathing sites. 

    Our bathing waters bring important social and health benefits to local communities and help coastal towns prosper by attracting tourists from across the UK and the world.   

    Throughout the season, which runs from 15 May until the end of September, the Environment Agency will be taking more than 7000 samples at 451 designated bathing waters across England.   

    Today also marks the re-opening of applications for new bathing waters which have been closed since October 2023 and since then, the government has announced significant reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations to better reflect public use of iconic swimming spots. Successful sites will be announced next year. 

    Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell said:  

    We know just how important England’s swimming spots are to people and to local economies, so our teams are out taking regular samples at bathing waters across England from today. 

    The information from those tests helps us keep people safe, target our regulation and encourage investment to drive up water quality standards. It’s part of our core commitment to protect people and the environment. 

    We also welcome the opportunity to improve the management of bathing waters through the incoming reforms as we all want to see better bathing water quality. 

    Water Minister Emma Hardy said: 

    Our bathing waters across the country are a great source of pride.

    That is why this Government is committed to protecting them. Our landmark Water Act includes new powers to ban bonuses for polluting water bosses and to bring criminal charges against them if they break the law.

    A record £104 billion in private investment has also been secured to upgrade and build new sewage pipes to help clean up our waterways for good as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

    The water samples are tested in labs and then the results are uploaded onto Swimfo, which displays regular information on water quality across all designated bathing waters to help the public make informed choices about where to swim.  

    After the season has ended, the sample results are used to classify each bathing water as either ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘sufficient’ or ‘poor’. Classifications are shown on Swimfo and on signs at the site to inform bathers of typical quality.  

    This comes alongside applications for new bathing waters which will be assessed against the planned core reforms, set to come into effect later this year, and include changes to designation criteria for future sites. 

    Prospective applicants are encouraged to submit their applications using the updated guidance to make sure new sites are designated in line with the changes to the Regulations.

    Notes to editors:

    • Bathing waters are officially designated outdoor swimming sites. England has 451 designated bathing waters, which are monitored and classified by the Environment Agency.  
    • Applicants are encouraged to use the bathing water season to gather evidence for their applications. Prospective sites will be assessed for their suitability as a designated bathing water. Applications for the 2026 season will close on 31 October 2025.  
    • Defra has published updated guidance on how to apply for a site to be designated.
    • The Environment Agency has driven £2.5 billion of investment and facilitated partnerships to dramatically improve our bathing waters.  
    • Last year, nearly 92% of bathing waters in England met the minimum water quality standards. More information on 2024 bathing water classifications is available here. 
    • The UK Health Security Agency and Environment Agency also offer advice in their ‘swim healthy’ guidance, which is available to read before making any decision on swimming. 
    • Bathing waters are stretches of water throughout England which we monitor for two types of bacteria: E.coli and intestinal enterococci. We monitor for these two bacteria because they indicate that there are germs in the water which can make you ill.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NHS leaders face both ‘carrot and stick’ in new performance drive

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Press release

    NHS leaders face both ‘carrot and stick’ in new performance drive

    NHS leaders will face new performance-based pay system with bonuses for improved patient care and penalties for failing trust executives.

    • CEOs cutting waiting times and delivering improvements for patients could be rewarded with bonuses of up to 10% 

    • But failing trust execs face will have annual pay rises docked under tough new government measures 

    • New measures are part of government’s Plan for Change to deliver investment and reform for the NHS 

    Failing trust leaders will have annual pay rises docked under tough new measures aimed at improving NHS performance and driving progress on cutting waiting lists. 

    Bonuses of up to 10% will also be on offer for top performers under the new ‘carrot and stick’ approach. 

    The bold shakeup will transform NHS services from boardroom to bedside, cutting waiting lists and driving better patient care as part of the government’s Plan for Change. 

    Under the new plans, the government will look to learn from some of the most effective businesses in the country to recruit top talent to struggling trusts – with leadership vacancies in badly performing areas coming with a temporary pay increase of 15%, worth up to £45,000**.  

    Pay bands for senior managers will also be refreshed to attract and retain effective leaders within the NHS.

    At the same time, failing CEOs could see up to £15,000* docked from their salaries if they run into debt or fail to deliver improvements. This is in addition to any existing processes to tackle poor performance, where persistently failing managers could be sacked if they do not turn things around.

    The bold overhaul also establishes stricter accountability for very senior managers, demanding greater financial rigour across all NHS trusts and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and drive productivity.   

    Today’s announcement comes after Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting declared in November there would be ‘no more reward for failure’.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:  

    Some of the best businesses and most effective organisations across Britain and the world reward their top talent so they can keep on delivering. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t do the same in our NHS.

    We will reward leaders who are cutting waiting times and making sure patients get better services. But bonuses and pay rises will be a reward and not a right – because I’m determined that every penny we invest through our Plan for Change is money well spent.

    Our carrot and stick reforms will boost productivity, tackle underperformance and drive-up standards for patients.

    Sir Jim Mackey, NHS England Chief Executive, said:

    If we are to consistently reach the standards of care the public rightly expect, it is clear that we need to reward those who are delivering for patients.

    An important element of driving improvements must be strengthening the link between pay and operational performance at a very senior level – this happens in almost every other sector and there is no reason for the NHS to shy away from it, particularly when we rely on money that comes directly from taxpayers’ pockets.

    We will be working together with local leaders to improve transparency and ensure progress is recognised, while offering sufficient flexibility to attract talented candidates to the most challenging roles and organisations.

    Today’s guidelines setting out new penalties and rewards for trust leaders will introduce learning from leading businesses in the NHS.

    It will include strict rules for NHS bosses, who will be expected to spend budgets wisely and ensuring trusts are not going into debt. The government wants to see trusts deliver more efficiency, ensuring patients get more for taxpayers’ money being invested.

    Today’s move follows some of the most ambitious efficiency targets in the health service’s history. As set out in NHS England’s Planning Guidance published in January, NHS organisations will need to reduce their cost base by at least 1% and achieve 4% improvement in productivity and efficiency this financial year to deal with demand growth.

    The new performance-based pay structure will help deliver on these targets, improving services and delivering better care for patients. 

    As part of the plans, the government is also bringing together pay structures for senior managers at ICBs and NHS trusts to boost consistency and align standards. 

    Any trust or ICB that fails to comply with the new guidelines will be required to publicly justify its decision in its annual report under a strict “comply or explain” approach. 

    The tough new measures form part of the government’s Plan for Change, which will see the government deliver investment and reform to cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks. 

    Notes to editors: 

    • *The £15,000 is based on last year’s 5% pay uplifts, and the highest current salary of a trust CEO being £299,250 (under the new framework). 

    • **Based on the highest current salary of a trust CEO (under the new framework).

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford Continues Push to Safeguard Conscience Rights of Health Care Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford

    WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the Conscience Protection Act to protect health care providers and insurance plans from government discrimination if they decline to participate in abortions. The Conscience Protection Act provides enforcement for existing conscience laws by providing a private right of action for victims of conscience discrimination. 

    “When conscience protections aren’t enforced, health care workers are forced to decide if they should lose their job or violate their beliefs by performing an abortion. Many health care professionals went into their careers to protect life, not take life. Doctors and nurses should never have to make the choice between their career and their conscience. The Conscience Protection Act defends health care workers and empowers them to stand by convictions as they care for their community,” said Lankford.

    Lankford first introduced the Conscience Protection Act in 2019 and again in 2021 and 2024.  He spoke on the Senate floor after Democrats blocked his bill to protect all Americans’ conscience rights.

    Lankford is joined on the bill by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jim Risch (R-ID), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ted Budd (R-NC), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Todd Young (R-IN), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Mike Lee (R-UT), Jim Banks (R-IN), and Mike Crapo (R-ID). Representative August Plfuger (R-TX) is leading the legislation in the House of Representatives.

    This legislation is also supported by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Students for Life, American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists Action, Alliance Defending Freedom, Eagle Forum, National Right to Life Committee, First Liberty Institute, CatholicVote, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, and March for Life.

    Background

    Congress has enacted more than 25 laws to protect conscience rights for individuals who have a religious or moral objection to performing certain medical procedures, including abortion. Yet, courts have consistently declined to find that these laws provide a “private right of action” for an individual to commence litigation to defend their right of conscience—thereby leaving victims of conscience discrimination unable to defend their rights in court. Currently, if a health care worker refuses to provide abortions, the only recourse available is to file a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR). 

    In 2014, California required that health plans must cover abortions, which forced religious employers to offer plans that violate their religious beliefs. In December 2014, under the Obama Administration, HHS opened an investigation. Despite the then-current laws protecting conscience rights, in June 2016, HHS declared that California could force all its health plans to cover elective abortions, which President Biden’s nominee for HHS Secretary has advocated for and enforced as Attorney General of California.

    During the first Trump Administration, several landmark actions were taken to enforce current law and protect conscience: (1) created the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division, (2) partnered with the Department of Justice to notice and enforce conscience violations in Vermont and California, resulting in the disallowance of $200 million per quarter from the state due to former Attorney General Becerra’s refusal to comply with the law, and (3) issued the final rule “Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights In Health Care” to enforce existing statutory protections, which Lankford supported. Unfortunately, a federal court vacated the conscience rule in November 2019. Litigation on the final rule continued at the Second Circuit in New York v. HHS, and seventy-eight Members of Congress filed an amicus brief led by Senator Lankford in the case.

    In response to the Biden Administration’s proposed rule that would insufficiently enforce conscience protections for medical professionals, Lankford led his colleagues in filing a public comment letter demanding greater implementation and enforcement of all of the statutory conscience protections enacted by Congress, as reflected in the previous rule issued under the Trump Administration. 

    This week, President Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it is initiating a compliance review under the Church Amendments, which is central to the legislation. This key development pairs perfectly with the Conscience Protection Act and underscores the need for further action to protect conscience rights.

    You can read the exclusive in the Daily Signal HERE, and can read the full text of the Conscience Protection Act HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to trial of treating depression with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in those who haven’t improved after NHS Talking Therapies

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A trial published in Lancet Psychiatry looks at mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression in those who haven’t improved after NHS Talking Therapies. 

    Dr Elena Makovac, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Brunel University of London, said:

    “Treatment-resistant or difficult-to-treat depression poses a significant challenge for the NHS system, with its impact on healthcare costs being substantial and possibly underestimated. This is due to the multifaceted nature of depression, which often includes various somatic symptoms. This study addresses a critical question: what additional treatment options can be offered to patients who have exhausted first-line interventions, including a full course of Talking Therapies—typically 12 or more sessions? Patients with treatment-resistant depression not only continue to suffer, but the knowledge that no further treatment options are available exacerbates feelings of hopelessness, leading to further deterioration of their mental health.

    “A key limitation of the study is that, by comparing MCBT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) plus treatment-as-usual with the treatment-as-usual group, we cannot definitively determine whether the observed improvements were specifically due to the MCBT, or if they resulted from the fact that the MCBT group received more treatment overall compared to the control group. This improvement could potentially have been achieved with an extension of the originally delivered Talking Therapies.

    “While research into additional treatments for difficult-to-treat depression is essential, it is even more important to offer interventions grounded in well-understood mechanisms. This process begins with a crucial first step: answering the question of why some patients do not respond to Talking Therapies.”

    From our colleagues at SMC Spain

    Maria Serra-Blasco, Principal investigator, Digital Health Programme ICOnnecta’t, and member of the Group of Psycho-oncology and Digital Health at IDIBELL, said:

    “This study provides very strong evidence for the value of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) as a treatment option for people with depression who have not improved after receiving intensive psychological treatments within the NHS. Compared to treatment as usual, adding MBCT – delivered in a group and by video call – achieved a greater reduction in depressive symptoms, with benefits sustained up to six months later. Improvements in participants’ work and social functioning were also observed.

    “A particularly relevant finding is that this intervention, validated in a group and online format, proves to be effective even in people with complex clinical conditions: many of the participants had a history of depression from an early age, several relapses, comorbidities and were on medication. The fact that MBCT works in this context suggests that it can be an effective and safe alternative in cases of difficult-to-treat depression, and not only as an add-on, but also as a possible next step when other approaches have failed.

    “Validating this approach in an online and group format is an important step forward, as it considerably improves its scalability: it allows it to be offered to more people, at lower cost and without the need for travel, which is key to broadening access to evidence-based psychological treatments.

    “Furthermore, from a health perspective, MBCT showed good cost-effectiveness: not only was it clinically more effective, but it also reduced costs in health and social services, even considering the resources needed for its implementation. This evidence, together with previous studies, supports its inclusion in clinical guidelines as a second- or third-line treatment.

    “In Spain, MBCT has also been shown to be feasible and safe in primary care (Elices et al., 2022). Although it does not replace conventional treatments, it represents a promising, accessible and scalable tool that can expand therapeutic options in the public health system.”

    Jesús Montero-Marín, Miguel Servet Senior Researcher at the Teaching, Research and Innovation Unit of the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, member of the Department of Psychiatry at Warneford Hospital-University of Oxford (UK) and member of Spain’s Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), said:

    “The study published in The Lancet Psychiatry represents a major advance in the treatment of resistant depression. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) showed higher effectiveness compared to treatment as usual, even in patients who had not remitted after previous intensive interventions. The study methodology is robust, with a randomised, controlled design and 34-week follow-up, which supports the robustness of its conclusions.

    “This work provides conclusive evidence that MBCT can be an effective and cost-effective second-line treatment option in structured clinical settings. Although direct extrapolation to other health systems, such as the Spanish one, should be done with caution and requires further research, the model is scalable and compatible with primary mental health care. Its implementation could lead to a substantial improvement in the continuity of care for cases of difficult-to-treat depression.”

    ‘Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy versus treatment as usual after non-remission with NHS Talking Therapies high intensity psychological therapy for depression: a UK-based clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness randomised, controlled, superiority trial’ by Thorsten Barnhofer et al. was published in Lancet Psychiatry at 23:30 UK time on Wednesday 14th May. 

     

    Declared interests

    Maria Serra-Blasco:She declares that she has no conflicts of interest.

    Jesús Montero-Marín:“I am a member of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre and collaborate regularly with some of the papers’ authors.”

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, Kahikatea Drive, Hamilton

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Emergency services are responding to a serious crash in Hamilton this morning, which is blocking the road near Waikato Hospital.

    The two vehicle collision has occurred around the intersection of Ohaupo and Kahikatea Drive in Melville. The road will be blocked for sometime.

    Indications are there are serious injuries. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Make America Sick Agenda: Senator Markey Compiles Stories from Trump, RFK Jr.’s First Five Months

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Read stories from Massachusetts and across the country
    Washington (May 14, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, today unveiled a selection of dozens of stories received by his office on Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr.’s first five months. The stories, titled “The Make America Sick Agenda,” contains stories from people who have shared their experiences under the Trump administration’s Health and Human Services, including the impacts of cutting billions in life-saving research into diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer, revoking grants to hospitals and community health centers, and firing staff dedicated to helping families pay their utility bills. All the while, RFK, Jr. spreads misinformation about vaccines amidst an uncontrolled measles outbreak.
    “The stories included here are from the voices of people across the country who the Trump administration has betrayed. They are terrified of losing life-saving care. They are angry that their government would treat them this way. And they are frustrated that protecting billionaires is more important to the Administration than ensuring their ability to get the care they need, when they need it, without going into debt,” wrote Senator Markey. “These are the stories of the Trump administration’s Make America Sick Agenda. The American people deserve better.”
    Selected excerpts from the compilation:
    “My parents were the first generation in their families to go to college and I was a Pell Grant recipient. I am not from an ‘elite’ upbringing. I am a mother, a pediatrician and public health professor have dedicated my career to trying to address the health disadvantages accrued by people in lower income and otherwise socially disadvantaged and stigmatized populations with a specific focus on women and children. One of my NIH grants that sought to understand and improve the experiences in behavioral/mental health care of LGBTQIA+ youth ages 14-17 was terminated. The message sent is that these vulnerable youth do not matter, further making them feel unwelcome in this society. It also has had a chilling effect on my students and staff who are funded through this research, discouraging them from continuing to be part of the workforce trying to understand and make better the care and opportunities for those whom our societal decisions have disadvantaged for reasons that are beyond their control.” – Anonymous, Amherst, MA 
    “I have kidney cancer. As an active patient receiving extremely expensive immunotherapy treatment, if I lose my job, I’ll also lose health insurance. That is literally a death sentence.” – Joe, Bridgewater, MA 
    “I am a stage 4 cancer patient at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and am currently enrolled in a clinical trial there. I have a rare cancer that has no cure and few drugs to treat it. In the past 20 years, clinical trials and research about my cancer have been instrumental in helping people live longer. Cuts to the NIH and cancer research are devastating to cancer patients. Cuts to vaccine research also indirectly affect cancer patients as we are typically immunocompromised and need vaccines and for the population around us to be vaccinated. Anti-vaccine sentiments from HHS and the CDC could be detrimental to cancer patients like myself.” – Jennifer, Shrewsbury, MA
    “These drastic cuts aren’t just going to devastate local jobs and people’s livelihoods and a generation of scientists. They’re rapidly destroying the infrastructure for scientific research in this country, and that’s going to have very real effects on the public’s health. The treatment and prevention advances we need for ourselves and our loved ones just won’t be there. I cannot overstate how critical it is that we act NOW. The scientific research infrastructure is far easier to break than it will be to rebuild.” – Julia, Newton, MA
    “It is a sad commentary, that in a high-income country such as the US, we lagged behind other similar high-income countries in all healthcare indicators and now we are jeopardizing the even further the health of all Americans and our scientific reputation in the world. There is always room for improved organization and being efficient with our taxpayer monies but the restructuring that is taking place is without any reasonable justification based on evidence and thus, lacks in transparency to the American people. The future of all Americans is at risk here and the damage being done to the health of our people and the education system as well as our scientific innovation is devastating. We must push back.” – Anonymous, East Longmeadow, MA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DELAWARE COUNTY- Governor Shapiro to Announce New Proposal to Reform Private Equity in Pennsylvania Health Care, Additional Steps to Support Delaware County Community

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    May 15, 2025 – DELAWARE COUNTY, PA

    ADVISORY – DELAWARE COUNTY- Governor Shapiro to Announce New Proposal to Reform Private Equity in Pennsylvania Health Care, Additional Steps to Support Delaware County Community

    Governor Josh Shapiro will visit Delaware County in the wake of Prospect Medical Holdings’ decision to close Crozer Health to announce a new proposal to reform private equity ownership of hospitals in Pennsylvania. The Governor will also discuss his Administration’s efforts to support the Crozer Health workforce and announce additional steps the Commonwealth is taking to support the Delaware County community.

    In the last two weeks, the Administration hosted 10 live virtual meetings for impacted workers, sharing free employment resources and services so workers can find a new job, and together with Delaware County hosted a job fair featuring more than 200 employers and serving more than 1,000 attendees.

    WHO:
    Governor Josh Shapiro
    Dr. Monica Taylor, Delaware County Council Chairwoman
    Peggy Malone, President of Crozer-Chester Nurses Association
    Dr. Max Cooper, Crozer ER doctor
    Senator Tim Kearney
    Representative Lisa Borowski
    Representative Leanne Krueger

    WHEN:
    Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 10:45 AM

    WHERE:
    *Press must RSVP to receive the location, arrival, and parking instructions.

    LIVE STREAM:
    pacast.com/live/gov
    governor.pa.gov/live/

    RSVP:
    Press who are interested in attending must RSVP with the names and phone numbers for each member of their team to ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –