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Category: Health

  • MIL-Evening Report: We talk a lot about being ‘resilient’. But what does it actually mean?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McEvoy, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Curtin University

    Kinga Howard/Unsplash

    In a world with political polarisation, war, extreme weather events and increasing costs of living, we need to be able to cope as individuals and communities.

    Our capacity to cope with very real stressors in our lives – our resilience – can determine whether we thrive, just survive, or are deprived of a reasonable quality of life.

    Stress vs resilience

    Resilience means having the ability to cope with, and rebound from, life’s challenges and still achieve our goals.

    Stress isn’s something to be avoided. We need to feel some stress to achieve our best. Exposure to manageable levels of stress and adversity develops our coping skills and resilience.

    But if we feel too much stress, we can flounder or become overwhelmed.

    The ability to re-activate ourselves when we feel down, fatigued or disengaged helps to optimise our focus and motivation. Sportspeople, for example, might listen to high intensity music just before a competition to increase their energy levels.

    Conversely, the ability to dampen down emotional intensity can make use feel less stressed or anxious. Exercising, listening to relaxing music, or patting a much-loved pet can prevent high arousal from interfering with completing a task.

    Effective emotion regulation is crucial for adapting to life’s ups and downs, and keeping us on a relatively even keel.

    How does resilience develop?

    Resilience emerges from interactions between personal and environmental factors.

    In addition to emotion regulation skills, personal factors that can bolster resilience include academic achievement, developing a range of skills and abilities (such as sport and music) and problem-solving skills. Many of these skills can be fostered in childhood. And if one area of life isn’t going well, we can still experience confidence, joy and meaning in others.

    Sometimes we need to increase our energy levels, other times we need to lower anxiety.
    Ilias Chebbi/Unsplash

    People who reflect on traumatic experience and develop new positive meanings about themselves (getting through it means I’m strong!) and life (a greater appreciation) can also have higher levels of resilience.

    Genetic factors and temperament also play an important role. Some of us are born with nervous systems that respond with more anxiety than others in novel, uncertain, or potentially threatening situations. And some of us are more likely to avoid rather than approach these situations. These traits tend to be associated with lower levels of resilience. But we can all learn skills to build our resilience.

    Environmental factors that promote resilience include:

    • a nurturing home environment
    • supportive family and peer relationships
    • cultural identity, belonging and rituals
    • modelling from others overcoming hardship
    • community cohesion
    • government policies that provide social safety nets, strong education, anti-discrimination and inclusion
    • investment in facilities, spaces, services and networks that support the quality of life and wellbeing of communities.

    Can resilience be taught?

    Many factors associated with resilience are modifiable, so it stands to reason that interventions that aim to bolster them should be helpful.

    There is evidence that interventions that promote optimism, flexibility, active coping and social support-seeking can have small yet meaningful positive effects on resilience and emotional wellbeing in children and adults.

    However, school-based programs give us reason to be cautious.

    A trial across 84 schools in the United Kingdom evaluated the effectiveness of school-based mindfulness programs. More than 3,500 students aged between 11 and 13 years received ten lessons of mindfulness and a similar number did not.

    There was no evidence that mindfulness had any benefit on risk for depression, social, emotional and behavioural functioning, or wellbeing after one year. Teaching school children mindfulness at scale did not appear to bolster resilience.

    In fact, there was some evidence it did harm – and it was most harmful for students at the highest risk of depression. The intervention was not deemed to be effective or cost-effective and was not recommended by the authors.

    In another recent trial, researchers found an emotion regulation intervention with Year 8 and 9 school children was unhelpful and even harmful, although children who engaged in more home practice tended to do better.

    The evidence doesn’t support school-based resilience programs.
    Mitchell Luo/Unsplash

    These interventions may have failed for a number of reasons. The content may not have been delivered in a way that was sufficiently engaging, comprehensive, age-appropriate, frequent, individually tailored, or relevant to the school context. Teachers may also not be sufficiently trained in delivering these interventions for them to be effective. And students didn’t co-design the interventions.

    Regardless of the reasons, these findings suggest we need to be cautious when delivering universal interventions to all children. It may be more helpful to wait until there are early signs of excessive stress and intervening in an individualised way.

    What does this mean for resilience-building?

    Parents and schools have a role in providing children with the sense of security that gives them confidence to explore their environments and make mistakes in age-appropriate ways, and providing support when needed.

    Parents and teachers can encourage children to try to solve problems themselves before getting involved. Problem-solving attempts should be celebrated even more than success.

    Schools need to allocate their scarce resources to children most in need of practical and emotional support in non-stigmatising ways, rather than universal approaches. Most children will develop resilience without intervention programs.

    To promote resilience, schools can foster positive peer relationships, cultural identity and involvement in creative, sporting and academic pursuits. They can also highlight others’ recovery and resilience stories to demonstrate how growth can occur from adversity.

    More broadly in the community, people can work on developing their own emotion regulation skills to bolster their confidence in their ability to manage adversity.

    Think about how you can:

    • approach challenges in constructive ways
    • actively problem-solve rather than avoid challenges
    • genuinely accept failure as part of being human
    • establish healthy boundaries
    • align your behaviour with your values
    • receive social and professional support when needed.

    This will help you navigate the ebbs and flows of life in ways that support recovery and growth.



    Read more:
    People’s mental health goes downhill after repeated climate disasters – it’s an issue of social equity

    Peter McEvoy is a Professor of clinical psychology at the Curtin enAble Institute and School of Population Health. He is also a Senior Clinical Psychologist at The Centre for Clinical Interventions, Perth, and a Board Member of the Australian Association of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. He does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article. The opinions and perspectives in this article are his own.

    – ref. We talk a lot about being ‘resilient’. But what does it actually mean? – https://theconversation.com/we-talk-a-lot-about-being-resilient-but-what-does-it-actually-mean-245256

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    May 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Moolenaar, Dingell Bill to Prevent TB Outbreaks Advanced by Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

    Headline: Moolenaar, Dingell Bill to Prevent TB Outbreaks Advanced by Committee

    Today, Congressman John Moolenaar and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell’s (D-MI) bill, H.R. 1082, the Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act, was passed unanimously by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The bipartisan legislation, which first passed the House of Representatives last December, would require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct research and education campaigns to prevent deadly outbreaks of tuberculosis (TB) from infected tissue transplants. The legislation would also impose penalties on providers of tissue material responsible for any future TB infections. 

    “The tuberculosis outbreak in 2023 that tragically took the life of Shandra Eisenga should never have happened. Our bill honors Shandra’s legacy by ensuring no one has to endure what she and her family went through. I am grateful for the bipartisan support of our bill, and I will continue my work to make it law to prevent future deadly TB outbreaks,” said Moolenaar.

    “Shandra Eisenga’s death was a preventable tragedy, and we’ve seen far too many people lose their lives due to tuberculosis infection from bone graft material,” said Dingell, a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. “I am thankful this bill passed Committee on a bipartisan basis, and am thankful to the Washtenaw County Health Department and doctors at the University of Michigan who recognized this issue requires federal government action. We must do more to increase awareness of the risks of human cell and tissue product transplants and implement additional safeguards to protect patients from the dangers of these infections.”

    The bipartisan legislation was introduced in response to the death of Shandra Eisenga on August 10, 2023, due to a tuberculosis infection from an infected bone graft. Shandra was one of 36 patients in seven states to contract TB after receiving a bone graft from an infected donor in 2023.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Velázquez and Ocasio-Cortez Call on Secretary Kennedy to Reverse Job Cuts in San Juan Medical Products Laboratory

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)

    Washington D.C. – Today, Representatives Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sent a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stop the reduction in force (RIF) and reorganization plans at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) impacting FDA’s San Juan Medical Products Laboratory (SJNLMP).
     
    The SJNLMP is one of the few FDA-owned and operated facilities specializing in pharmaceutical drug analysis. It has evaluated and led to removal of thousands of adulterated products from the market that otherwise would have exposed American consumers to unsafe products. The laboratory also plays a critical role in ensuring that the drugs and medical products that are part of HHS’s Strategic National Stockpile remain safe and available for the nation’s armed forces and civilian populations during emergencies and conflicts.  
     
    According to constituents, on April 1, 2025, a RIF notice was distributed to the 20 laboratory employees and since then the laboratory has ceased operations.
     
    “Shutting down this laboratory is against your commitment to protect ‘essential services’ and ‘frontline jobs’ as doing so jeopardizes the safety of millions of Americans by weakening FDA’s ability to detect contaminated pharmaceuticals, respond to health emergencies, and safeguard national security,” wrote the lawmakers. “Additionally, this decision would eliminate over 20 highly skilled jobs in Puerto Rico.”
     
    Below is a selection of quotes from SJNLMP employees who received RIF notices. They have asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation.

    “April 1 was the worst day of my life — receiving the RIF notice shattered me,” SJNLMP employee said. “After years of dedication to public health, I felt abandoned, invisible, and heartbroken.”
     
    “Receiving the RIF notice felt like having the ground pulled from under us,” SJNLMP employee said. “After years of sacrifice and commitment to public health, it was devastating to be dismissed so suddenly, without acknowledgment of our work or our worth.”
     
    “Receiving the RIF notice was devastating and left me feeling discarded after years of dedicated public service,” SJNLMP employee said. “It created uncertainty, fear, and a deep sense of injustice. We were blindsided despite the critical role we played in protecting public health.”
     
    “When I received the RIF notice, I felt an overwhelming sense of shock and betrayal,” SJNLMP employee said. “It was heartbreaking to see our vital work disregarded so abruptly. The uncertainty about our future was deeply unsettling.”
     
    HHS’s RIF plans at SJNLMP will impact various FDA initiatives. Some are the  Health Fraud Program, which focuses on identifying and removing dietary supplements that are unsafe or advertised with misleading claims  from the market, the Shelf-Life Extension Program, which verifies the stability of SNS drugs and medical products, an existent Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to advance analytical methods for drug safety, and various Import and Surveillance Programs designed to monitor the safety of pharmaceutical imports.
     
    “We urge you to prioritize the health of the American people and the integrity of our pharmaceutical supply chain by ensuring that the San Juan Medical Products Laboratory remains fully staffed and operational,” wrote the lawmakers.

    “NTEU applauds Congresswoman Velázquez and other signatories for their leadership in urging the current administration to save the critically important FDA laboratory in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Keeping the essential work of this lab going forward is a matter of public health,  pharmaceutical safety, and American jobs.”—Doreen Greenwald, NTEU President

    “We support this Congressional letter, as the San Juan Medical Products Laboratory (SJNLMP) is essential for manufacturing in Puerto Rico and for quality processes. Losing a laboratory of this level represents a setback, given the equipment and the personnel with the required level of expertise.”—Dr. Jose A. Pérez Meléndez, President of Colegio de Químicos de Puerto Rico 2024–2025
     
    In addition to Velázquez and Ocasio-Cortez, the letter was signed by Reps. Darren Soto (D-FL), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
     
    For a full copy of the letter, click here.
     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – Auditor-General urged to investigate cuts to experts stopping health fraud – PSA

    Source: PSA

    The PSA is today requesting that the Auditor General investigate the proposed axing of fraud and audit experts which would see millions of health dollars no longer recovered through overpayment or theft.
    The Audit and Assurance Directorate at Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora is a critical unit focused on ensuring some $12 billion of annual funding of the primary health care sector is paid out correctly and not subject to fraud.
    But Health NZ is proposing to remove 23 roles, a cut of 28% of the workforce, along with other changes.
    “Millions of dollars of precious health funds will be lost if this proposal goes ahead so the Auditor General as the watchdog of the public purse should be concerned,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    “We have written to the Auditor General asking him to challenge the Government’s decision which will erode rigorous oversight and good governance over billions of scarce public dollars.
    “The impacted workers are highly specialised auditors and fraud investigators who save the Government millions of dollars each year. Each investigator recovers around $430,000 a year. These changes will cost money, not save money – there is no more blatant example of false economics.
    “If these jobs are axed, fewer investigations and audits will take place. It just makes no sense to save money through job cuts when you weigh that against the huge loss of money that will no longer be clawed back if this team is gutted. Any costs savings from job losses will be lost through mistakes and fraud going undetected.
    “The PSA strongly opposes these cuts which come at a time of huge pressure on the public health system and when the health dollar has never been scarcer because of Government decisions to underfund and cut health spending.
    “If the Government is so worried about the state of its books, it should urgently rethink this reckless proposal.”
    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 –

    May 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Wildfire smoke and extreme heat can occur together: Preparing for the combined health effects of a hot, smoky future

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Stephanie Cleland, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University

    In recent years, Canadians have been subjected to both severe wildfire smoke and extreme heat events, as evidenced by the record-breaking 2023 wildfire season and the 2021 heat dome. Western Canada in particular has a long history of wildfires and heat waves, and with climate change, communities have experienced an increasing number of days per year affected by wildfire smoke or extreme temperatures.

    It’s well understood that exposure to either wildfire smoke or extreme heat poses a significant threat to health. For example, there is substantial evidence linking wildfire smoke to an increased risk of hospitalizations for lung or heart complications, with emerging evidence that exposure may also affect birth outcomes and cognitive function. Similarly, we know that extreme heat can increase the risk of illness or death from conditions related to our lungs, hearts and brains.

    However, most available research has focused on the effects of these climate hazards in isolation, without considering what the health risks might be when wildfire smoke and extreme heat happen at the same time. We live in a complex world where we’re rarely exposed to one hazard at a time, and wildfire season overlaps with the warmest months of the year, making it essential to consider the potential risks of concurrent exposure to heat and smoke.

    While only a handful of studies have explored the effects of co-occurring wildfire smoke and extreme heat events, early evidence indicates that simultaneous exposure may actually amplify the adverse health effects, leading to worse respiratory, cardiovascular and birth outcomes than either exposure on their own.

    This emerging evidence of amplified effects, paired with expected increases in Canadians’ exposure to both wildfire smoke and extreme heat, prompted me and my colleagues at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control to explore how often, and where, these climate hazards are co-occurring in Canada. In doing so, we aimed to identify priority communities to guide public health communication and adaptation planning in the face of hotter and smokier summers.

    When wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-occur

    To understand how often communities are simultaneously exposed to wildfire smoke and extreme heat, we analyzed 13 years of temperature and air pollution data across British Columbia. We calculated the number of days affected by both wildfire smoke and extreme heat in each dissemination area (small, government-defined geographic regions that have an average population of 400-700 people). We also assessed if the frequency and intensity of these simultaneous climate hazards has changed over time.

    The number of days with simultaneous exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat between 2010-2022. The number of days are calculated for each community (dissemination area) in British Columbia.
    (Cleland et al., 2025), CC BY-NC-ND

    We found that wildfire smoke and extreme heat frequently co-occur in British Columbia, with all communities experiencing at least seven, and upwards of 65, days with simultaneous exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat between 2010 to 2022.

    We also identified that the frequency and intensity of these events has escalated over time, with 42.5 per cent of communities (approximately 1.9 million people) experiencing significant increases in their exposure. For example, between 2018 to 2022, communities on average experienced 4.5 days per year with simultaneous exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat, compared with only one day per year between 2010 to 2014.

    Trends in the number of days with simultaneous exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat between 2010-2022. The left figure illustrates which communities (dissemination areas) experienced significant increases in their exposure, and the right figure illustrates the number of days with simultaneous exposure during each year of the study period.
    (Cleland et al., 2025), CC BY-NC-ND

    We also found that communities across the province were not equally affected by these co-occurring wildfire smoke and extreme heat events. Those in the northeastern and south-central regions of British Columbia tended to experience more frequent and intense exposure.

    When we dug a bit more into the characteristics of these highly exposed communities, we found that they were primarily located in rural and remote regions of the province, often with lower socioeconomic status and a higher proportion of susceptible populations, such as older adults.

    These types of communities tend to have lower resilience and adaptability to climate hazards, with reduced access to the resources necessary to follow public health guidance and reduce their exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat.

    Preparing for hotter and smokier summers

    Our findings, together with evidence of amplified health risks, make it clear that Canada needs to prepare for hotter and smokier summers. There is also a clear need to increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of rural and remote communities in certain regions of British Columbia.

    To do so, we need to invest in strategies that account for the unique ways in which a community experiences wildfire smoke and extreme heat as well as their specific needs and susceptibilities.

    While Health Canada and the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control provide guidance on actions to take when exposed to wildfire smoke and extreme heat together, a recent review of public health guidance on simultaneous exposure to smoke and heat found that the current messaging is often incomplete and inconsistent. This unclear messaging can make it difficult for communities to adequately plan and prepare for these recurrent and intense climate hazards.

    Additionally, a lot of the strategies that cities currently rely on to reduce exposure to smoke or heat do not account for the complex world of multiple hazards. For example, cities often open cooling centres during periods of extreme heat to provide access to air conditioning, but these centres don’t always have air filtration.

    Similarly, cities often designate cleaner air spaces during periods of wildfire smoke to provide access to clean indoor air, but these spaces don’t always have air conditioning.

    Moving forward, Canada needs to invest in co-ordinated public health guidance and adaptation strategies that serve multiple purposes and account for the numerous climate hazards that communities face each year. In doing so, we can better protect the health and well-being of the communities that are experiencing increasingly frequent and intense wildfire smoke and extreme heat events.

    Stephanie Cleland receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

    – ref. Wildfire smoke and extreme heat can occur together: Preparing for the combined health effects of a hot, smoky future – https://theconversation.com/wildfire-smoke-and-extreme-heat-can-occur-together-preparing-for-the-combined-health-effects-of-a-hot-smoky-future-252245

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Stress, not identity, drives riskier cannabis use among sexually diverse youth, new study finds

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kira London-Nadeau, Postdoctoral Pediatric Research Fellow, Université de Montréal

    Cannabis is undoubtedly a polarizing substance. On one side: a century of restrictive laws made cannabis illegal. This was based on little science. On the other side: a torrent of wellness claims encourage consumers to buy cannabis products. These claims are also based on little science.

    With cannabis discourse evolving so rapidly, informed decisions about its use can be challenging. These questions are important for 20- to 24-year-olds, one in three of whom report using cannabis in the past year.

    Are there risks involved for these cannabis users?

    The good news is that an increasing amount of research is available to guide both individuals and policymakers. Our new study, which examines cannabis use among young adults, contributes to this body of information. We provide insights into what may increase risk, and which young people are more likely to experience this risk.

    What makes cannabis use risky?

    First, using cannabis doesn’t necessarily lead to problems for those who use. In fact, many people experience different benefits from their cannabis use — that’s why they use it in the first place.

    At the same time, about five per cent of people who use cannabis in Canada are at risk for addiction and other harms.

    Why, then, do some people develop these problems while others don’t?

    Cannabis use can look very different from person to person depending on aspects like frequency, reasons for use, social contexts (whether you’re using alone or with others) and quantity. In our recent study, we found that certain characteristics tend to be linked to cannabis use problems.

    These include:

    • Using alone

    • Using multiple times per week

    • Using more than two grams per session

    • Using to cope with negative feelings

    • Using to make activities more pleasurable

    • Using to have new experiences

    Our findings echo other research, especially when it comes to frequency, using to cope and using alone. This highlights how cannabis use problems don’t happen in a vacuum: they’re part of a more complex pattern of use.

    The impact on sexually diverse youth

    To complicate things further, various groups of young people may be more or less at risk of falling into these patterns. Of particular interest are sexually diverse youth (for example, lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer youth), as they are more likely both to use cannabis, and to develop problems linked to their use.

    Our analysis revealed a striking difference: sexually diverse youth were three times more likely than heterosexual youth to have riskier patterns of cannabis use.

    This does not reflect any inherent differences between these groups. Rather, sexually diverse youth also reported higher stress levels, and this is what explained their riskier cannabis use.

    We also explored other explanations.

    For instance, sexually diverse youth also experience more depression and anxiety, and this has been linked to cannabis use. However, even when taking depression and anxiety into consideration — which were higher among sexually diverse youth in our study — stress stood out as the key association with risky cannabis use.

    Recognizing the role of stress in cannabis use disparities among sexually diverse youth is not new.

    In fact, the most prominent reason put forward to explain these disparities is that sexually diverse youth face an additional challenge in their lives identified as “minority stress.” Minority stress refers to the collection of health consequences resulting from marginalization, ranging from outright discrimination to internalizing negative messages about oneself.

    Minority stressors have been linked to cannabis use among sexually diverse youth. However, our study reveals something a bit different. We found that more general sources of stress — like not feeling in control of one’s life or being overwhelmed by unexpected events — were key in predicting riskier use.

    Better mental health support is key

    The bottom line is that sexually diverse youth are facing more challenges and stress than their heterosexual counterparts.

    With growing sociopolitical violence against LGBTQ+ people in the United States and increasing anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments in Canada, these disparities are likely to become even more pronounced.

    Marginalization spreads in insidious ways. For sexually diverse youth, this means not only having more stress to cope with, but also fewer adequate, safe mental health resources. Indeed, sexually diverse youth face many barriers when it comes to accessing mental health services.

    What our study underscores then, is that cannabis use can become a key way of coping when stress is high and other options for support are unavailable.

    There are lots of ways that cannabis use can be lower risk: using less often, using with others rather than alone, using less at a time, and having other methods aside from cannabis to cope with negative feelings.

    However, these options must be available to sexually diverse youth. The implication therefore becomes clear: if we want to tackle disparities around cannabis use problems, we must improve mental health support for sexually diverse youth.

    It’s essential we don’t lose sight of the uneven terrain young people are navigating — especially those already facing elevated stress due to social marginalization. Risk isn’t inherent to cannabis, but it emerges in context. Our findings underscore the need for accessible, affirming mental health resources that can offer real alternatives to coping through substance use.

    Kira London-Nadeau receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé. She is affiliated with project Voxcann.

    Charlie Rioux received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Quebec Health Research Fund, and Research Manitoba.

    Natalie Castellanos-Ryan receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé.

    – ref. Stress, not identity, drives riskier cannabis use among sexually diverse youth, new study finds – https://theconversation.com/stress-not-identity-drives-riskier-cannabis-use-among-sexually-diverse-youth-new-study-finds-255206

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Donald Trump’s tariffs threaten Canadians’ access to prescription drugs

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Joel Lexchin, Professor Emeritus of Health Policy and Management, York University, Canada

    If the United States imposes 25 per cent tariffs on exports from Canada, nearly all economists agree a recession is inevitable. Estimates are that between 600,000 to 2.4 million jobs are at risk.

    Based on previous recessions, the unemployment rate could rise to 10 per cent and stay stuck at that level for some time.

    Adding insult to injury, about 55 per cent of Canadians are covered by employer-sponsored drug plans, which means that when these workers get laid off, they also lose their health benefits, including prescription drug insurance tied to their jobs.

    Affordability of prescription drugs

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Statistics Canada, about one-fifth of the population reported not having insurance to cover prescription medications. This coincided with a soaring unemployment rate that peaked at 13.7 per cent in May 2020. The problem of not having insurance for prescription medications was especially acute among immigrants and racialized people. These are the same groups of people that will be at the highest risk of any recession-linked job losses.

    Unsurprisingly, 23 per cent of those without insurance spent more than $500 out-of-pocket in 2022 on prescription drugs compared to 10 per cent for those with insurance. Canadians in the lowest income quintile spent more money on prescription drugs in absolute terms than those in the highest income quintile ($296 versus $268) in 2009, and it’s unlikely this disparity has significantly changed.

    Already there are estimates that the lack of access to prescription drugs leads to 370 to 640 premature deaths due to ischemic heart disease, 550 to 670 premature deaths from all causes among people 55-64 years of age and avoidable deterioration in health status in 70,000 people age 55 and over.

    When Canadians must choose between buying prescription drugs and paying for food and rent, it’s often no contest; patients skip their medications and suffer the consequences. The result is additional physician visits, more visits to already overcrowded emergency departments and more admissions to hospitals.

    Tariffs and drug prices

    Added to the threat of losing prescription drug coverage with job loss is the very real possibility that drug prices will increase. Thirty-two per cent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients that go into the medicines that North Americans take originate in China. U.S President Donald Trump has now threatened to slap U.S. tariffs on Chinese drugs and drug ingredients that were previously exempt.

    Canada already imports $8.76 billion annually in prescription drugs from the U.S. To the extent that tariffed drugs go from China to the U.S. to Canada, the cost of both publicly and privately funded drug plans will increase.

    Those people at the bottom of the income scale who pay out-of-pocket — and can least afford to pay more — will be saddled with those higher prices. If Canada follows the U.S. in imposing tariffs on drugs made in China, as we have done with electric vehicles, then the price of generic drugs made in Canada from Chinese ingredients will also rise.

    We can hope that any tariffs — on Canada or China — will be only temporary and we can avoid the ongoing effects on both access to prescription drugs and their price. But given Trump’s volatility and unpredictability, we can’t rely on that outcome.

    With the passage in October 2024 of Canada’s new Pharmacare Act, the government of Canada committed to “making sure that you can get the medications you need, no matter where you live or your ability to pay.” We need to expand Canada’s federal pharmacare plan to cover all Canadians for all medically necessary drugs. Indeed, the need has never been as acute.

    So far, only three provinces (British Columbia, Manitoba and Price Edward Island) and one territory (Yukon) have signed agreements with the federal government to cover contraceptives and diabetes drugs and devices — the only products currently covered under Bill C-64. The remaining provinces and territories urgently need to sign on. Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberals must decisively commit to expanding the range of drugs that is covered by pharmacare.

    All the provincial, territorial and federal leaders have pledged to protect Canadians from U.S. tariffs. Expanding pharmacare is part of that protection.

    Between 2022-2025, Joel Lexchin received payments for writing a brief for a legal firm on the role of promotion in generating prescriptions, for being on a panel about pharmacare and for co-writing an article for a peer-reviewed medical journal. He is a member of the Boards of Canadian Doctors for Medicare and the Canadian Health Coalition. He receives royalties from University of Toronto Press and James Lorimer & Co. Ltd. for books he has written. He has received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in the past.

    – ref. How Donald Trump’s tariffs threaten Canadians’ access to prescription drugs – https://theconversation.com/how-donald-trumps-tariffs-threaten-canadians-access-to-prescription-drugs-255581

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    May 5, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Pedestrian strike – Palmerston

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for information following a hit and run incident that occurred in Palmerston on Friday 25 April 2025.

    Approximately 7:00pm, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle whilst crossing the outbound lane of Temple Terrace in Gray, just before the Emery Avenue roundabout.

    The vehicle involved is believed to be an older model silver four-door sedan, travelling southbound along Temple Terrace at the time of the incident. The driver failed to stop and render assistance and continued to drive outbound after striking the pedestrian.

    A passerby observed the injured male and provided assistance at the scene until police and St John Ambulance arrived. The pedestrian was then conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

    Police are urging anyone with information or who may have dash-cam footage or CCTV from the area around the time of the collision, to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number NTP2500043020.

    Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Aggravated assault – Palmerston

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for information in relation to an aggravated assault that occurred in Palmerston overnight.

    Around 10:05pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report of an unconscious male at an address in Johnston. It is alleged the unknown offender seriously assaulted the victim before fleeing the scene. 

    Police and St John Ambulance attended, and the victim was conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital with serious head injuries. He remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

    The alleged offender remains outstanding, and investigations are ongoing.

    Detectives urge anyone with information about the incident to contact police on 131 444, quoting reference number NTP2500045794. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au.

    MIL OSI News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ray & Mascari Inc. Recalls 4 Count Vine Ripe Tomatoes Because of Possible Health Risk

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    May 02, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    May 03, 2025
    Product Type:
    Food & BeveragesProduceFoodborne Illness
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Potential Foodborne Illness – Salmonella

    Company Name:
    Ray & Mascari Inc
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    Ray & Mascari Inc.

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Tomatoes

    Company Announcement
    Ray & Mascari Inc. of Indianapolis, Indiana, is recalling 4 Count Vine Ripe Tomatoes packaged in clam shell containers [20 oz. (1 lb. 4 oz) 567g] with UPC# 7 96553 20062 1, and a master case label with Lot# RM250424 15250B or Lot# RM250427 15250B because of the potential for them to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.
    The recalled tomatoes were sold by Gordon Food Service Stores in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
    Ray & Mascari Inc. was notified by Hanshaw & Capling Farms of Immokalee, Florida that they were recalling the lot of tomatoes Ray & Mascari Inc. received and repacked into 4 Count Vine Ripe Tomatoes. Hanshaw & Capling Farms initiated the recall due to the possible presence of Salmonella in their facility. Customers who received the recalled lots have been notified and provided information to further contact their customers and distribution centers with recall instructions.
    This product is sold in plastic clamshells containing 4 tomatoes. The 4- count plastic clam shells have a VINE RIPE TOMATOES label containing a Packed by Ray & Mascari Inc., Indianapolis, IN 46204. The master case would be a cardboard produce box with a lid, containing 12 4 count containers. The master case label would have Lot# RM250424 15250B or Lot# RM250427 15250B.
    No illnesses have been reported to date.
    Consumers who have purchased these 4 Count Vine Ripe Tomatoes should discard the product and do not consume. Consumers with questions or reports of any illness may contact Ray & Mascari Inc. at 1-317-637-0234, Monday- Saturday, 6am-5pm EST.

    Company Contact Information

    Consumers:
    Ray & Mascari Inc.
    1-317-637-0234

    Product Photos

    Content current as of:
    05/03/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Topic(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: LEADER JEFFRIES: “WE’RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO STOP THIS BUDGET IN ITS TRACKS, BURY IT IN THE GROUND AND MAKE SURE IT NEVER RISES AGAIN”

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

    Rancho Mirage, CA—Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined Rep. Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Steering and Policy Co-Chair Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) for a Steering and Policy Committee Town Hall to share updates on how House Democrats are standing up for the American people and to hear from local residents on the issues most important to them.

    LEADER JEFFRIES: These are very challenging times. This administration is completely and totally out of control. They promised—they promised to lower the high cost of living. Costs aren’t going down, they’re going up. Inflation is going up. They’re crashing the economy in real time and driving us toward a recession. The economy is under assault, Social Security is under assault, healthcare is under assault, the American way of life is under assault, democracy itself is under assault, which is why we’ve been taking these town hall meetings on the road. We’ll continue to do it in Democratic districts and Republican districts across America. They’re going to run away from you, we’re running towards you.

    Because we recognized—last observation, and then I look forward to our conversations—Congress is a separate and co-equal branch of government. A separate and a co-equal branch of government. We don’t work for this president. We don’t work for any president. We don’t work for Donald Trump. We don’t work for Elon Musk. We don’t work for far-right extremists. We work for you, the American people. The American people. And that is why—that is why we’re committed to doing everything we can at this moment to stop the Republicans from trying to jam this reckless, extreme budget down the throats of the American people, which includes the largest proposed cut to Medicaid in American history. It will hurt children and families and seniors and women and older Americans and everyday Americans with disabilities. Hospitals will close, nursing homes could shut down and, in fact, people could die. This is a matter of life and death.

    And when we talk about this budget, we’re going to be very clear with the American people as to what it represents. It’s unacceptable, it’s unconscionable and it’s un-American. And we’re going to do everything we can to stop this budget in its tracks, bury it in the ground and make sure it never rises again—on your behalf, the people’s behalf.

    Full town hall meeting can be watched here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Assault occasioning actual bodily harm case in Mong Kok reclassified as murder

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Police reclassified an assault occasioning actual bodily harm (AOABH) case in Mong Kok yesterday (May 2) as murder.

         At 6.33am yesterday, Police received a report from a staff member of a hotel on Prince Edward Road West that a woman collapsed in a room.

         Police officers sped to the scene and found the 46-year-old woman lying on a chair. Sustaining injuries to her face, she was rushed to Kwong Wah Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 5.23pm on the same day.

         Initial investigation revealed that the deceased was allegedly assaulted by a man with a hard object. The assailant then fled away.

         Police arrested the 42-year-old man in Mong Kok for AOABH yesterday. He is being detained for enquiries.

         Upon further investigation, Police reclassified the case as murder. Post-mortem examinations will be conducted later to ascertain the cause of death.

         Active investigation by the District Crime Squad of Mong Kok District is under way. Anyone who witnessed the case or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 8741.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Task Group on New Medical School meets with universities that submitted proposals (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Task Group on New Medical School meets with universities that submitted proposals (with photo) 
    The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, “Establishing a third medical school is an important project in the development of medical education in Hong Kong. I am pleased to see the positive feedback from the three universities that submitted detailed proposals within a specified period. During the two-hour session with each university today, our expert advisers of the Task Group and representatives from the relevant policy bureaux had fruitful exchanges with the university representatives on the content of the proposals, including innovative strategic positioning, curriculum structure and assessment methodologies, and financial sustainability. We also took the opportunity to further understand the preparatory work and resource plans underpinning each proposal, such as collaboration models with local and non-local partners and the allocation of resources for software and hardware of the curriculum, teaching manpower and student recruitment and training. The Task Group will enhance speed and efficiency in the next phase of work, adopting a holistic and integrated approach to assess the proposals, with a view to completing the assessments within this year and recommending to the Government the option that best supports the development of Hong Kong into an international medical training, research and innovation hub.”
     
    The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said, “The 2024-2035 master plan on building China into a leading country in education newly released by our nation strives to accelerate the development of world-class universities and advanced disciplines. To tie in with this important blueprint, Hong Kong is making forward-looking preparations for a third medical school to further enhance our status as an international post-secondary education hub. We expect the new medical school not only to drive the overall advancement of the host university but also to strengthen Hong Kong’s competitiveness on the global stage. Strategically located in the Northern Metropolis University Town with a prime geographic location, the new medical school has immense potential for fostering synergy among academia, research, and industry within the vicinity and the Greater Bay Area. We hope the selected university will seize this valuable opportunity to take Hong Kong’s medical academic and research excellence to new heights through active collaboration within the region.”
     
    Established in October last year, the Task Group comprises seasoned local, Mainland and overseas academics in medical education and university management, professionals, representatives from the Medical Council of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, as well as representatives from the relevant government bureaux and departments. It has already set the overall direction and parameters for establishing the new medical school. The 10 key parameters for consideration are: (1) innovative strategic positioning, (2) staffing, (3) campus and teaching facilities, (4) clinical exposure and learning resources, (5) curriculum structure and assessment methodologies, (6) student admission arrangements, (7) funding arrangements, (8) implementation plan, (9) teaching and learning quality, and (10) research excellence. The Task Group issued a letter of invitation on December 2 last year to all University Grants Committee-funded universities to invite local universities interested in establishing the new medical school to submit proposals by March 17 this year, and three proposals were received by the deadline.
    Issued at HKT 20:05

    NNNN

    CategoriesMIL-OSI

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: List of Outcomes: State Visit of President of Angola to India

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 03 MAY 2025 5:30PM by PIB Delhi

    1. MoUs/Agreements:
       i. MoU between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Angola on cooperation in the field of Ayurveda and other Traditional Systems of Medicine
       ii. MoU between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Angola on Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture
       iii. Cooperation Programme between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Angola in the Domain of Culture for the period 2025 -29
    2. Angola signed the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework Agreement and became the 123rd member of the ISA.
    3. The Government of India has approved the Angolan request of LOC of US$ 200 Million for defence procurement.

    ***

    MJPS/SR/SKS

    (Release ID: 2126496) Visitor Counter : 45

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Empowering Bharat: CSC CSR conclave 2025 champions tech-driven rural transformation through CSR

    Source: Government of India

    Empowering Bharat: CSC CSR conclave 2025 champions tech-driven rural transformation through CSR

    Bridging the urban-rural divide: CSC academy leads the way in digital inclusion and skilling

    Posted On: 03 MAY 2025 11:46AM by PIB Delhi

    The CSC CSR Conclave 2025 marked a pivotal moment in India’s journey toward inclusive growth and rural empowerment, placing technology at the heart of social transformation. Inaugurated by Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the event spotlighted the powerful role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in bridging the urban-rural divide through Common Services Centres (CSCs).

    “CSC represents a radical idea bridging the urban-rural divide through technology,” said Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), during the inauguration of the CSC CSR Conclave 2025. His remarks highlighted the central theme of the event leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for a sustainable tomorrow through rural empowerment and inclusive growth.

    Shri Tiwari also cited the visionary role of Common Services Centres (CSCs) in strengthening India’s social capital, aligning with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision for rural digital empowerment. He acknowledged the vital role of CSC Academy in advancing CSR initiatives, especially in vocational training and digital empowerment for rural populations, and praised CSC’s alignment with national goals, particularly through programs like the PM Vishwakarma Yojana.

    The Conclave, organized by CSC Academy and the Indian ESG Network, brought together leaders from government, corporate, and development sectors to discuss how CSR can drive environmental sustainability, community development, and transformative change in rural India.

                           

    In his keynote address, Shri Sanjay Kumar Rakesh, Chairman and Secretary of CSC Academy, expanded on the transformative impact of the Common Services Centres (CSCs) across the country. He described CSCs not just as digital access points but as catalysts for change, operated by Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) who empower their communities. “CSR is not just a statutory requirement but a strategic driver for inclusive progress,” said Rakesh, emphasizing the Academy’s focus on scalable and measurable CSR programs aimed at reaching underserved rural populations.

    Dr. Biswajit Saha, Director (Training & Skill Education) at CBSE, also highlighted the role of CSC Academy in preparing the next generation for future challenges, particularly in fields like Artificial

    Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and Healthcare.

    The event featured a series of expert-led discussions that explored the intersection of CSR, environmental sustainability, and community development. Key topics included education, skilling, digital literacy, financial inclusion, women empowerment, and healthcare.

    Notable speakers at the Conclave included Shri Abhishek Gupta, Programme Specialist at UNICEF, who discussed the “Passport to Earning” initiative, and Ms. Parnal Vats, Manager of Government Engagement at VISA, who shared insights on the “Digital Village” program. Other distinguished speakers included Ms. Geetanjali Gaur, CSR Manager at Kyndryl, and Shri Rajiv Malik, CEO of Graposs Connect, who spoke about the CSC Olympiad initiative.

    The event also featured thematic panels led by experts. The Education, Skilling, and Employability panel, chaired by Shri Sunil Dahiya of the Wadhwani Foundation, included thought leaders such as Shri Raj Kumar Srivastava (IFS, Karnataka) and Shri Pallav Tiwari (UNICEF). Another panel, Women and Child Healthcare, chaired by Dr. Vashima Subha of Ernst & Young, included specialists like Shri Punit Desai (Welcome Cure) and Dr. Yogesh Patil (Biosense).

    The Conclave concluded with a renewed commitment to utilizing CSR to drive rural transformation, with CSC Academy reaffirming its mission to empower rural India through digital inclusion, skill- based education, and public-private partnerships. The event underscored the importance of collaboration across sectors to create a sustainable and inclusive future for all.

    ****

    Dharmendra Tewari/ Navin Sreejith

    (Release ID: 2126412) Visitor Counter : 28

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government’s tech reform to transform cancer diagnosis

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Press release

    Government’s tech reform to transform cancer diagnosis

    Cancer 360 brings patient data into one central system, so clinicians can prioritise those most in need and see patients quicker

    • Millions of patients to receive faster cancer diagnosis, helping slash treatment delays as groundbreaking new tech rolled out on NHS as part of major reform to health service
    • For first time, all NHS trusts will have access to technology that brings key patient information together so medical teams can easily spot those in need of urgent attention
    • The £2bn tech investment from the Autumn Budget will drive essential reforms, freeing up staff time and saving lives, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change

    Millions of cancer patients will receive a faster diagnosis, helping cut treatment delays and boost survival rates as the government rolls out pioneering new technology across the NHS through the Plan for Change.

    Currently, there are over 2 million people living with cancer, many of whom face a complex journey of tests, appointments or treatments. But a trailblazing new tool – dubbed Cancer 360 – brings all that data into one central system, so clinicians can prioritise those most in need and see patients quicker – with the technology set to benefit millions over the next 5-10 years.

    This government inherited a broken NHS. Lord Ara Darzi’s independent investigation found the NHS in ‘critical condition’ – with surging waiting lists and deteriorating national health – and set out the need to improve cancer waiting time performance and cancer survival.

    Cancer 360 represents the crucial reform that must accompany investment, shifting the NHS from analogue to digital, by creating a simple dashboard showing clinicians all the information they need about their patients in one place. Instead of having to gather vital information about each cancer patient from various systems, spreadsheets, emails, and records.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    This government grasped the nettle and made difficult but necessary choices to invest £26 billion into our NHS – a move that is already helping millions of patients and will help millions more.

    It’s a long road, but we’re already getting our NHS back on its feet, giving patients over 3 million more appointments, hiring 1,500 new GPs and starting the roll out of new tech that will save lives.

    It is only this government’s Plan for Change that will deliver for patients and make our NHS fit for the future.

    The real-time tool will help teams to easily track a patient’s progress, avert delays, and even produce personalised treatment plans. It will dramatically reduce paperwork and help ensure vital warning signs aren’t missed. 

    Cancer 360 is a prime example of the government’s commitment to reform – doing things differently by harnessing digital innovation to improve patient outcomes.

    Following recent expansion of the NHS App, which has already stopped 1.5 million hospital appointments being missed and saved 5.7 million staff hours since July 2024, Cancer 360 demonstrates how we are continuing to drive the NHS from analogue to digital, giving patients better care and more control over their healthcare journey.

    The investment comes from the Autumn Budget – where the government made difficult but necessary choices to put £26 billion in our NHS. This includes the biggest increase in NHS spending since 2010, excluding COVID-19 years – including £1 billion for digital transformation projects and £121 million for the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP). While this investment is crucial, it’s the reforms in how we use these resources that will truly transform cancer care.

    The new tool is built into the FDP, which brings patient information together from across separate systems into one safe and secure environment. Since April 2024, hospitals using the platform have typically performed 70,000 more procedures and reduced unnecessary hospital stays by almost 19% – treating more patients and freeing up valuable bed space.

    Suraiya Abdi, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Chelsea and Westminster Foundation Trust said:

    The implementation of Cancer 360 has enabled my team to monitor and safely carry our patients through their cancer pathway.

    The tool enables us to have in-depth conversations at our weekly meetings regarding a patient’s next step as well as allowing us to escalate queries directly to other teams for faster turnaround.

    The tool has reduced the amount of admin time spent by our cancer team therefore enabling them to focus on the patient journey. I have witnessed an improvement in performance, team spirit and most importantly patient experience.

    The government’s National Cancer Plan will transform the way we approach this disease, improving care and bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.

    Through the Plan for Change, the government is driving forward work to develop innovative treatments and technologies for patients. Last month the Prime Minister announced plans for a new health data research service, to transform access to NHS data so clinical trials can be fast-tracked to accelerate the development of the medicines and therapies of the future, in turn helping boost the UK’s world leading life sciences sector and drive growth. 

    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also recently announced thousands of cancer patients will benefit from new artificial intelligence which detects skin cancer. In addition, it was confirmed that the NHS will become the first health system in Europe to offer a new injectable form of nivolumab – one of the most widely used cancer treatments in England. 

    This forms part of the government’s wider ambitions to cut waiting lists under its Plan for Change. With a total of 3 million additional appointments already delivered 6 months early, the government is exceeding its own targets and driving down waiting lists at pace, which have fallen for 6 months in a row and by 219,000 since July 2024 – evidence that reform and investment together can deliver real results for patients.

    Notes to editors

    • Cancer 360, soon to be rolled out across all NHS trusts, demonstrates the shift from analogue to digital processes which is central to the government’s plans to reform the NHS. 
    • For patients, this means faster diagnoses, reduced waiting times, and more coordinated care throughout their cancer journey. It follows successful pilots at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Royal United Hospital Bath.

    Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS National Clinical Transformation Director, said:

    Every cancer patient deserves swift, effective care, and our new Cancer 360 solution harnesses data to ensure exactly that. By giving clinicians a comprehensive view of patient pathways, we can identify and address delays immediately.

    The NHS Federated Data Platform is already showing its value in transforming cancer care, helping our hard-working staff deliver better outcomes while reducing administrative burden. As Cancer 360 expands to more hospitals nationwide, I’m confident we’ll see meaningful improvements in both treatment times and patient experience.

    Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

    I’ve seen first-hand the stress and heartbreak that cancer causes in my own family.

    Dependent on archaic pen-and-paper systems, life-saving diagnostics appointments hung on whether a post-it note lost its stick, or a piece of paper went missing. That put lives at risk, and with the technology we have today, there’s no reason for any part of our healthcare service to run in such a way.

    Simply by keeping accurate records, the technology we are putting to work today will cut waiting times and save lives, delivering on our Plan for Change. That way, people can once again trust that their local hospital has the tools it needs to focus on what matters – treating their loved ones and keeping families together for longer.

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    Published 4 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cook, Four Guides for the Journey Ahead

    Source: US State of New York Federal Reserve

    Huge congratulations to Michigan State University’s James Madison College Class of 2025!1 It is an honor to speak to this inspiring and talented graduating class. Before I address the graduates, I would like to thank those who helped you get here: the parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, friends, teachers, and mentors. Congratulations and thank you to all who lifted up the Class of 2025.
    As a professor’s kid and as an MSU professor, I have come to treasure commencements as important milestones. It is wonderful to be with you today. The flowers are starting to bloom in Beal Garden, the lawns around Beaumont Tower are turning the perfect shade of Spartan green, and the ducklings are making their appearance on the Red Cedar. After another chilly winter, campus is reaching peak beauty—just in time for you to leave Michigan State.
    I am full of optimism about everything that lies ahead of you. Despite any sense of angst you may feel about moving on from Madison, I hope that you are filled with optimism, too. Spring is a time of new beginnings. You are ready for the next step. Today marks both the completion of a tremendous accomplishment, and an exciting new beginning. Some of you may be feeling uncertain. That is natural. Others of you may have detailed plans that you are ready to execute. Remember, if you keep your head down and your eyes fixed only on the map, you may miss unexpected opportunities. Life—like Michigan weather—is going to surprise you. As you leave here, I want you to remain optimistic and have confidence, because you are ready.
    When I was in your shoes, graduating from Spelman College, I remember feeling unsure of what the world would have in store for me. I did not imagine I would be a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, or even an economist. (I started Spelman as a physics and philosophy major.) I only came to see economics as a potential route several years after my graduation, following a chance encounter. At the time, I was continuing my studies in philosophy in Senegal and was struggling to find the right prism through which to explore big questions that interested and motivated me. I decided to set out for an adventure of a lifetime: hike Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. As luck would have it, during that journey I met a British economist. By the end of the trek, he convinced me that economics held the tools to address the questions I cared about deeply. Within months, I moved back home, enrolled in classes to prepare for a Ph.D. in economics, and began a path that ultimately led me to both Michigan State and the Federal Reserve.
    Today, you are leaving the safe harbor of Case Hall and East Lansing, ready to depart on your next adventure. As you do, I would like to offer four guides for you to navigate your journey ahead: hope, curiosity, persistence, and a commitment to public service.
    HopeMy first guide for you is hope. Hope is a value instilled in me from a very young age. I saw my parents and family members face difficult challenges. They persevered because they held out hope that their actions would lead to a better future, not only for themselves, but for me and my sisters, our community, and ultimately all of society. I am proud to have followed in their footsteps.
    As James Madison graduates, I know each of you has some corner of the world in which you have made a difference or wish to make a difference. It could have been through debate, JMC Senate, ASMSU, 4-H, ROTC, peer mentoring, Fed Challenge, a public service sorority or fraternity, or Model UN, among many other organizations. Whatever issue interests you, to make progress, you must undertake the difficult work of casting off old ways that no longer serve us, and adopting new ideas, new methods, and new technologies. This process requires faith put into action. Optimism expressed through effort. The daily choice to believe that you can make a difference. So, as you proceed, when you feel unsure, I urge you to guard your sense of hope. Let hope guide you to a better future.
    CuriosityMy next guide for you is curiosity. I encourage you to remain curious, for your attention and your time are among your most precious resources. From your first-year seminar, through your methods courses, to your senior seminars, your studies honed your capacity to seek new insights. I urge you to ask questions, hunt for the best available information, reason through it, and listen carefully to other points of view.
    Remain curious about what others can teach you, and do not settle for easy answers. It is imperative that you continue to be filled with wonder about the world so that you can make it better. Curiosity is magical, but it takes vigilance, practice, and study to avoid stagnation, and to reach new insights. Curiosity will lead you to wonderful opportunities if you trust its guidance.
    PersistenceThat leads me to my third suggestion for your journey ahead: be persistent. As Madison graduates, you know about preparation. To be persistent in your efforts, you need to continually prepare yourself for the next steps, even if you do not know the destination. It means grounding what you think and say in deep and informed knowledge, acquired through effort and reflection.
    You are graduating at a unique time in the history of the world. We have access to unprecedented quantities of data. We have tools to gather and analyze these data to understand and improve the world. I encourage you to view learning as a lifelong pursuit. I ask you to familiarize yourself with new technologies and tools, such as artificial intelligence, and incorporate them into persistent preparation as a companion, not as a substitute, to live an informed, productive, and fulfilling life.
    ServiceMy final guide for you is a call to service. I know you understand this as James Madison students. Public service is woven into the culture here. Historically, Madison graduates have entered public service jobs immediately after graduation in large numbers, including with the Peace Corps, Teach for America, nonprofits, and local, state, and federal agencies.
    Over the course of my life, many of my proudest and most enriching memories were opportunities to serve. (Were any of you in 4-H like I was? Do you remember the pledge? It is “Head, Heart, Hands, and Health.”) Whether it was my time as a page in the Georgia legislature, interning on Capitol Hill, serving on the Executive Committee of the American Economic Association (AEA), working at the U.S. Treasury and the White House, leading the AEA Summer Program at MSU, or now, as a member of the Federal Reserve Board, these opportunities to use my knowledge, skills, and time to try to improve the world have been invaluable to me.
    As proud James Madison graduates, look for different opportunities to serve the greater good over the course of your lives. Public service is not always easy, but it is always meaningful and deeply rewarding. That could involve working in education or government, conducting research to expand our knowledge, inventing new technologies, volunteering for a nonprofit organization, or mentoring more junior colleagues. There are many ways—big and small—to serve. So, as you navigate your lives, ask yourself which paths will allow you to contribute to the greater good.
    ConclusionGraduates—Spartans—you are entering the wider world, one filled with pressing needs, and countless opportunities. As you make your way, let hope be your constant companion. Heed your curiosity. Honor deep knowledge and thorough, persistent preparation. Embrace public service, however you define it.
    Growing up, I was often inspired by a poem, popularized by the scholar and spiritual mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr., Howard Thurman: “I’m tired of sailing my little boat far inside the harbor bar. I want to go out where the big ships float, out on the deep where the great ones are. Should my frail craft prove too slight for those waves that sweep the billows o’er, I’d rather go down in the stirring fight than drowse to death by the sheltered shore.”2
    Graduates, I urge you to plumb the depths of the deep oceans, where you will find the great questions that excite, challenge, and motivate you. You will face rough waters, the route will change, and your destination is not entirely known. As I said, life—like Michigan weather—is going to surprise you. But you are prepared. Your education and your experiences here have armed you with specific knowledge and skills, but also—more importantly—with a honed capacity to be curious, to persistently adapt, to serve, and to hope.
    Congratulations, Class of 2025! I cannot wait to see what you will discover on your way.

    1. The views expressed here are my own and are not necessarily those of my colleagues on the Federal Reserve Board or the Federal Open Market Committee. Return to text
    2. Daisy Rinehart, “The Call of the Open Sea,” Munsey’s Magazine, October 1905, 36, quoted in Howard Thurman, “Finding God,” in Religion on Campus: The Report of the National Student Conference, Milwaukee, December 28, 1926 to January 1, 1927, ed. Francis P. Miller (Association Press, 1927), 48. Return to text

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/SUD SUDAN – Until the very end, Pope Francis sent letters to South Sudanese leaders urging them to work for peace

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Juba (Fides Agency ) – “Pope Francis worked until the very end for peace in South Sudan,” Sister Elena Balatti, a Comboni missionary in South Sudan, told Fides Agency.“Unfortunately, South Sudan is once again on the brink of civil war. Despite his illness, Pope Francis sent letters to President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Vice President Reik Machar, now under house arrest, asking them to work for peace,” said the missionary.At the beginning of March, tensions rose between the faction led by President Kiir and that headed by Machar, who was placed under house arrest on March 26 (see Fides 27/3/2025).“The Holy Father was remembered by South Sudanese people with numerous messages of condolence on social media. The local population remembers well his visit to South Sudan in February 2023,” Sister Elena points out.“The Presidency of South Sudan declared April 25 a national day of mourning for the death of Pope Francis. President Salva Kiir Mayardit, in his message of condolence, explicitly recalled this visit and emphasized that the South Sudanese people understood very well how special a place South Sudan had in the heart of Pope Francis, who worked so hard for peace and brotherhood in this country. The President also recalled the historic gesture with which, after inviting the country’s government and opposition leaders to the Vatican in 2019, he kissed their feet in that ecumenical moment together with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, Rev. John Chalmers.”“The Pope’s visit, his gesture of kissing the feet of government and opposition leaders, and the closeness he showed to South Sudan during his illness from the Gemelli Hospital will remain in the hearts of all South Sudanese who remember him with gratitude,” concluded the missionary. (LM) (Fides Agency 3/5/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Looking Ahead: Dean Hritcko is Reappointed to the UConn School of Pharmacy

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Dean Hritcko speaks to pharmacy students during their professionalism ceremony in 2019 (UConn Photo)

    In 2019, Dean Hritcko took the stage to give a speech to students during their professionalism ceremony. Recently appointed, the Dean inspired ambitious pharmacy students to start their journey with passion and determination. The Dean’s goals have been clear from the start: “I look forward to leading the UConn School of Pharmacy through its accreditation cycle while continuing to grow its research, faculty, and stature.” After five years, the Dean has delivered on these promises and much more.  

    Dean Hritcko earned his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and his Pharm.D. from the Albany College of Pharmacy in New York. He has held numerous professional roles, including clinical pharmacy specialist in the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, district pharmacy supervisor, pharmacy manager, and registered pharmacist for CVS pharmacy. He also holds several professional certifications and affiliations, including with the American Pharmacists Association and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.  

    “I feel very passionate about the school itself and UConn, and I want to make sure that we continue on an upward trajectory.”  

    Dean Hritcko joined Husky Nation over 21 years ago, initially hired as the Director for Experiential Education. Over his two-decade-long journey at UConn, he has served in various roles: Assistant Dean of Experiential Education, Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs, Interim Dean, and finally Dean. When the previous dean of the School of Pharmacy stepped down, Hritcko saw an opportunity to step into this role and was eager to showcase his passion for the School in such an impactful way.

    Headshot of Dean Hritcko (UConn Photo)

    Dean Hritcko’s biggest challenge came in his first year when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Unable to conduct in-person lectures or labs, the School of Pharmacy and its students adapted to online teaching and learning. The transition back to in-person learning proved to be just as challenging, as both teachers and students were just becoming comfortable with online learning. Despite these difficult transitions, Dean Hritcko credits his phenomenal leadership team, faculty, and staff for their perseverance and adaptability.  

    When asked what he’s most proud of, Dean Hritcko passionately explains the new curriculum in the School of Pharmacy’s professional program, which was recently approved by the faculty. This curriculum change, now in the early stages of implementation, will help future students become better prepared for the demands of practicing as contemporary pharmacists. The Dean expects to see real change reflected in future North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) scores, a licensing board exam pharmacy students take to become licensed pharmacists.  

    In addition to the new curriculum, Dean Hritcko is grateful to celebrate the UConn School of Pharmacy’s 100th year of excellence, innovation, and care in his leadership role. During the past century, the UConn School of Pharmacy has been at the forefront of education, innovative research, and health care. 

    “I happen to be here during the Centennial year, which is another great opportunity for our School to celebrate where we are now and where we want to go into the future.” 

    Throughout the last five years, the School of Pharmacy has seen tremendous growth in both its research and its opportunities to change pharmacy practice within Connecticut. As emphasized by Dean Hritcko, these advances are the result of phenomenal researchers and innovative pharmacy practice faculty who have influenced state regulations related to pharmacy practice.  

    Dean Hritcko with Jonathon the Husky

    Raising over 17 million dollars for philanthropy, Dean Hritcko’s steady leadership has deepened the School’s enterprise, strengthened academic pathways, and has expanded its statewide impact. Under his leadership, the School has earned full eight-continued accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and updated the School’s Professional Program Curriculum.  

    The 2021 year was a testament to the excellence of UConn’s School of Pharmacy and Dean Hritcko’s leadership: the School received the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Lawrence C. Weaver Transformative Community while Dean Hritcko’s public engagement and health advocacy was celebrated and honored in the Hartford Business Journal and he received a Healthcare Heroes Award in the category of Community Service – Advocacy/Policy. 

    Looking to the next five years, Dean Hritcko aims to continue the School’s leadership in several areas, increase research capabilities for faculty in both practice and pharmaceutical sciences, facilitate further collaborations between faculty and the private industry (including working with companies and external entities), and find addition scholarship support for students. Additionally, the Dean looks forward to continuing to lead advocacy efforts in the areas of pharmacy practice and reimbursement for pharmacist services. By providing education to Connecticut’s legislators regarding pharmacist services and pharmacy education, the School will continue to exemplify UConn’s status as a land-grant university and its commitment to community impact.  

    Rooted in the accomplishments Dean Hritcko has achieved over the past five years, and in those he strives for in the next five years, is his passion for supporting students. In his various roles at UConn, the Dean has seen students struggle and strive to overcome numerous barriers, especially when affording a college education. By helping the students through scholarships and encouraging alumni and friends of UConn Pharmacy to contribute, the Dean has found a way to fulfill his passion for accessible education.  

    “It is our number #1 priority to help our students, in any way we can, to be successful.”  

    Dean Hritcko’s biggest takeaway from his time as Dean has been the people, “What they contribute to the success of our school is a privilege to be a part of.” These individuals have made the School successful, and the Dean is grateful to have worked with them. He will continue to value those around him in his next term while implementing his vision for all of what UConn Pharmacy is capable of! 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Med school proposals discussed

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    ​​The “Task Group on New Medical School” today met the three universities that have submitted proposals for the establishment of a third medical school.

    Co-chaired by Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau and Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-Lin, the discussions were focused on proposals from the Baptist University, the Polytechnic University and the University of Science & Technology.

    Prof Lo said that during the exercise the task group’s expert advisers and representatives from various bureaus conducted fruitful exchanges with the university representatives on matters including strategic positioning, curriculum structure and assessment methodologies, and financial sustainability.

    The task group also took the opportunity to better understand the preparatory work and resource plans underpinning each proposal. This includes collaboration models involving local and non-local partners, the allocation of resources for curriculum software and hardware, teaching manpower, and student recruitment and training.

    Prof Lo added that the task group will increase speed and efficiency in the next phase, adopting a holistic and integrated approach to assessing the proposals, with a view to completing the assessments within the current year and recommending to the Government the option that best supports Hong Kong’s development into an international medical training, research and innovation hub.

    Ms Choi highlighted that the 2024-2035 master plan for building China into a leading country in education strives to accelerate the development of world-class universities and advanced disciplines. To tie in with this important blueprint, she added, Hong Kong is preparing to establish a third medical school to further enhance its status as an international post-secondary education hub.

    Strategically located in the Northern Metropolis University Town, the new medical school will have immense potential to foster synergy among academia, the research community and industry within the vicinity and the wider Greater Bay Area, Ms Choi added.     

    The task group issued a letter of invitation on December 2 last year to all University Grants Committee-funded universities. The letter invited local universities interested in taking the new medical school project forward to submit proposals by March 17 this year. Three proposals were received by the deadline.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Get ready for the 2025 school year

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    In Brief:

    • The 2025 public school year begins for new students on the 3 February and continuing students on 4 February.
    • This story contains key dates and information for families.

    Canberra families are about to start another school year.

    Here is everything you need to know to help you plan for the 2025 school year.

    Student-free days and start of term

    There are four student-free days each year for ACT public schools. These are the first day of each school term.

    Student-free days are for staff development, enabling teachers and schools to plan in a student-free environment.

    Friday 31 January will be a student-free day.

    On Monday 3 February, new students will start school. Continuing students will return to school on Tuesday 4 February 2025.

    Other term dates for the 2025 school year:

    • Friday 11 April – Term 1 ends
    • Tuesday 29 April – Term 2 begins (students start school)
    • Friday 4 July – Term 2 ends
    • Tuesday 22 July – Term 3 begins (students start school)
    • Friday 26 September – Term 3 ends
    • Tuesday 14 October – Term 4 begins (students start school)
    • Thursday 18 December – Term 4 ends.

    Visit the Term Dates page for all school term dates.

    Financial assistance

    The Future of Education Equity Fund (Equity Fund) offers eligible families financial support to help with school essentials. It supports the more vulnerable families in our community.

    Low-income families of students – from preschool through to year 12 – can receive a one-off, annual payment. This is to help cover the costs of schooling, such as:

    • uniforms
    • sport equipment and activities
    • tuition
    • music lessons.

    The Equity Fund payments are $400 (preschool), $500 (primary school), and $750 (high school and college level, including CIT Year 11 and 12).

    Equity Fund applications for the 2025 school year are now open.

    Families can apply for all eligible students in their family in the one application, regardless of whether they attend different schools.

    School staff are also able to help families to apply.

    Applications close in November 2025.

    Find out more about eligibility criteria and how to apply online.

    Parent Portal

    The Parent Portal is now available across all ACT public schools.

    The portal allows secure sharing of information between parents/carers and teachers/schools online or via the Sentra for Parents app.

    Parents and carers only need to sign up once, and can add multiple children to one account.

    Find out more about the Parent Portal app.

    Building Strong Foundations for literacy and numeracy

    ACT public schools with preschool to year 2 students will receive extra funding for additional evidence-informed literacy and numeracy resources.

    These resources will be in place for preschool to year 2 classrooms for the start of the 2025 school year.

    Read more about the ACT Government’s Strong Foundations program.

    Wellbeing for students

    A new school year can be tough for some students, whether they are:

    • starting a new school
    • moving into high school or college
    • just dealing with any of the life changes thrown their way.

    The ACT Government has online resources that could be helpful in starting conversations on finding ways to support them.

    Visit the Education website to watch a video series on supporting an anxious child, and to access a mindfulness podcast series.

    Asthma management

    If your child has asthma, the start of the school year is a good time to make sure you’re managing it.

    You may wish to:

    • book an asthma review with your child’s GP
    • update your child’s asthma action plan with their GP
    • make sure the school has your child’s reliever medication and spacer
    • talk to school staff
    • book an appointment with one of the asthma nurse educators at Canberra Health Services.

    Learn more about children’s asthma education services.

    Child development

    Are you concerned about your child’s development? The start of a new year is a good time to contact the Child Development Service, to access free drop-in clinics and assessments.

    Find out more about the Child Development Service

    Healthy lunches

    Find tips on how to pack a healthy lunchbox on ACT Health’s Fresh Tastes Lunchboxes website.

    It includes a Grab and Go shopping list and tips for a waste-free lunchbox. You’ll also find tips on which food groups to include and how to swap for healthier options.

    Looking for more healthy lunchbox tips? Try the Cancer Council’s Healthy Lunch Box Builder. It’s a great tool to help build a lunchbox so your child can get a healthy brain boost throughout the school day.

    Free three-year-old preschool

    ACT three-year-olds can now benefit from 300 hours of free preschool at over 140 locations.

    This will save the average family around $1,329 a year.

    Read more and find where to access three-year-old preschool.

    Period products at all schools

    In 2023 the ACT Government passed new legislation to make free period products available at a range of community locations across the ACT for anyone who needs them.

    This includes at every ACT public school, which is something we already do as a system, and will continue to do.

    Pads and tampons are available in ACT public high schools, colleges, and combined schools. Pads are available in ACT public primary schools.

    They can be accessed at any time during the school day from the school front office.

    The Education Directorate will continue to work with ACT Health to ensure age-appropriate information on menstrual hygiene is available for students through our schools.

    Read more about free period products.

    40 km/h school zones

    Road safety is everyone’s responsibility. As students return to school, remember to slow down and stick to the 40 km/h limit around schools between 8am and 4pm.

    Mobile speed vans and police regularly patrol school zones. Let’s all slow down and support kids’ safety.

    Back to school with Transport Canberra

    The regular bus network and timetable will return from Monday 3 February 2025 including dedicated school services and ‘S’ trips which divert into schools. Please check your timetable so you are prepared and ready.

    Students can download the MyWay+ app and use the real time journey planner for a simply way to plan and pay for their trip to school.

    All school students receive a discounted fare when using MyWay+. Student concession MyWay+ travel cards purchased in 2024 and 2025 have an extended expiry date until 1 January 2026. If you would like to check the concession status of a card, please create a MyWay+ account and link the travel card to it. Alternatively, go to a MyWay+ retail outlet to check.

    You can get a new student concession MyWay+ travel card for your child from MyWay+ retail outlets. Please note that secondary and tertiary students must provide proof of concessions at time of purchase to get the correct concession applied to the card.

    To top up their MyWay+ travel card please go to a MyWay+ retail outlet or top up online through a MyWay+ account or the ‘quick top up’ option on the portal.

    Whilst Transport Canberra are not charging penalty fares at the moment, it wants to obtain the most accurate data possible and encourage best practice for all students. Please remember to tap on and off with the same device when your trip starts and ends.

    *Secondary students will need to carry their student ID card with them when travelling on the bus and light rail if they are using a MyWay+ concession account/travel card.

    Transport Canberra is working to improve the MyWay+ system by allowing primary account holders, like parents or carers, to link multiple MyWay+ accounts. This is about to undergo testing with the community prior to launching over the next couple of months.

    Transport Canberra will be taking an educative approach whilst the community and its workforce adjust to the change. Please be assured that kids can continue to travel on buses and light rail services. No child will be left behind.

    Parents of primary school students, please refer to your school’s pack for travel details.

    You can also plan your trip back to school with Transport Canberra’s Journey Planner.

    Find out more about going back to school with Transport Canberra.

    Parking around schools

    The start of the school year is a particularly busy time in Canberra’s school carparks and surrounding streets.

    Unsafe and illegal parking reduces visibility for students and motorists. This creates a hazard when students cross the road.

    Parking inspectors and license plate recognition vehicles will be out and about enforcing safe parking around schools.

    For drop-offs and pick-ups, arrange a meeting spot, arrive after the rush, or park a little further away from the school and walk with your kids the rest of the way.

    Read more like this:

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: DataGlobal Hub Is Virtualizing Entertainment and Educational Experiences

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHOENIX, May 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the digital frontier continues to expand, DataGlobal Hub is championing the transformation of how we learn, connect, and experience innovation through our AI-driven platforms, media initiatives, and global partnerships, virtualizing learning and engagement in ways that make AI knowledge more dynamic, inclusive, and impactful than ever before.

    Following our successful participation at MelaninCON 2025—the premier summit celebrating Millennial and Gen-Z Black Excellence and entrepreneurship—DataGlobal Hub proudly awarded one-year full-access scholarships to 20 emerging leaders. Courtesy of Datacamp, the scholarships provided access to over 500 Data, Tech, and AI courses, aligning with our mission to democratize technology and AI opportunities. Represented by Mojeed Abisiga – CEO & Co-founder and Justin Lewis – COO & Co-founder, this initiative reflects DataGlobal Hub’s commitment to empowering the world with what they need to know about AI.

    Building on this momentum, DataGlobal Hub will debut additional scholarships valued at over $598,000 during the upcoming Phoenix Tech Festival.

    Phoenix Tech Festival 2025: Igniting Ideas, Showcasing Innovation, and Building Tomorrow

    Taking place May 10, 2025, at the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Arizona, Phoenix Tech Festival offers a high-energy, immersive evening where attendees can engage in insightful AI discussions, hands-on tech showcases, and real conversations about the evolving digital landscape. From expert panels to dynamic exhibitions, the festival provides a space where ideas ignite, knowledge flows, and valuable connections are made.

    Conference Highlight

    Keynote Session by Richard H. Miller, Ex Senior Director Level Architect (Conversational Design for AI and NL) at Oracle “The Future Powered by AI”

    Expert Session: Designing exceptional AI user experiences and unlocking ChatGPT’s potential.

    Panel Discussion: “The Future of Technology, AI, and Innovation,” featuring leaders from WriteSea, Intel, REVOBOTS, University of Advancing Technology, Innov8ive Academy and more.

    Moderator: Tournd Bryn, City Lifestyle Magazine

    Cybersecurity & AI Expert Talk by Prof. Briant Becote, cybersecurity professor at the University of Advancing Technology and aerospace leader.

    Fireside Chat: “Beyond the Buzz: Real-World Content Creation with AI Tools for Brands That Need Results, Not Gimmicks,” featuring top creative strategists Brandon Falk and PJ Way.

    Doctoral Presentation: Using AI for stroke rehabilitation, by Prof. Matthew Prater.

    Workshops:

    Learn how Award-Winning AI Films are made: Behind the Scenes by PJ Way.

    AI-Driven Strategies to Scale to 7 Figures by Matt Burkett.

    Tech Showcase: Live demos from REVOBOTS, CEOPro.ai, DataRango, OPNRS, Team Paradise and Interview Buddy, showcasing real-world AI applications.

    Pitch Spotlight: Featuring breakthrough ideas from emerging innovators.

    Industry Insights Keynote: “Big Tech Sales Energy: The Secret Tech Job Nobody Talks About” by Argustic Dunbar, Senior RPA Developer and Founder of RPA University

    Afterparty: Featuring AI-generated art, music, networking, and speaker/ambassador photo booths at Sugar Cane Lounge & Cafe.

    Marketing Partnership

    We are also proud to partner with Metropolis Marketing, amplifying the reach of our vision and ensuring that our message of innovation and empowerment resonates across industries and communities.


    Call to Action

    Registration: Secure your spot now: https://dataglobalhub.org/events/phoenix-tech-festival

    Ticket price: $100

    Early bird offer: Get 20% off using promo code: data-head. Valid until May 5, 2025.

    After-party ticket costs $20.

    Scholarship Program: follow this link to enroll https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdErgV-pliKnHdbEK2IIbS98ww63OPL5T9YTwr9B1jwZHZL6A/viewform

    About DataGlobal Hub

    DataGlobal Hub is a trusted global media organization focused on news, analysis, and resources in the world of Data and Artificial Intelligence. Our mission is to empower individuals and organizations to thrive in the digital era through high-quality content, thought leadership, and community engagement. With a growing network of global experts and contributors, we remain committed to making AI knowledge practical, inclusive, and impactful.

    Learn More About DataGlobal Hub:
    Website: https://dataglobalhub.org
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dataglobalhub?igsh=YzljYTk1ODg3Zg==
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dataglobal-hub/
    X (Twitter): https://x.com/DataGlobalHub

    Media Contact
    Company Name: DataGlobal Hub
    Contact Person: Mojeed Abisiga, CEO
    Email: partnerships@dataglobalhub.org

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a7d0e183-4e4c-4f7d-baec-885847872d5e
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b8f92ad-65c0-4074-bdf2-b3b67d4ff61a

    The MIL Network –

    May 4, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Herz P1 Smart Ring Under Review: Can Vital Health Smart Ring Really Track Your Health? Best Smart Ring

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Akron, Ohio, May 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ever since the years of the pandemic have passed by, there is an increase in the percentage of the number of people who have started taking health very seriously. Gone are the days when one would want a professional to help them keep track of their exercises, routines, and make them understand about the number of calories they have been eating or burning. Of course, smart watches are a rage, even today, to keep track of Fitness activity, number of calories burned, your sleep, routine, and so on. However, there is a new entry in the world of smart devices to keep track of one’s health and fitness and those are None other than smart rings. 

    Don’t Miss Out— Best Smart Ring Is 50% Off for a Short Time Only. Shop Today!

    Unlike the other popular fitness variable devices in the market today, a smart ring is much smaller in size and does not even feel like you’re wearing a finger on your ring. If you are not a fan of wearing smart watches, fitness, trackers, or other variables that are worn on the wrist, but you still want some device to help you keep track of your well-being and health, then smarting is the one for you. Smart rings help to keep track of things like your sleep, your exercise, habits, and recovery. They also help by having a better battery life, so you don’t have to go and keep on charging it like your smart watches. Smart rings are low maintenance and discreet for a reason.

    Allow us to introduce you to Herz P1 smart ring, a remarkable device that promises to improve your overall well-being by intricate health monitoring. Wearing HerzP1 ring is like having a Health assistant right on your fingers, it is elegantly designed by making use of adorable space grade, titanium material and comes equipped with a very long lasting performing battery that lasts for up to 6 days after a single charge of hundred percent. Let us understand how HerzP1 ring delivers to be such a stylish and convenient health tracking variable device. What are its advantages and disadvantages, read on and find out if H1 smart ring is the one for you.

    A short brief introduction to Herz P1 smart ring 

    For years, major tech companies have charged steep prices for new gadgets — often with only minor upgrades. Consumers have grown tired of paying more for features that feel barely different. That’s why a rising tech startup, Herz Health, is gaining attention for disrupting the $5 billion smart health industry.

    With the release of its latest innovation — the Herz Health Ring, the company is offering a feature-rich wearable at a price point that’s far more accessible. Tech enthusiasts and early adopters alike are calling it one of the standout gadgets of 2025, thanks to its advanced capabilities and affordability.

    Introducing the Herz Health Ring — the result of a collaboration between seasoned health tech engineers and skilled ring designers. Their goal was straightforward: to create a sleek, comfortable ring that combines the functionality of a sleep monitor, fitness tracker, and best health device in one elegant piece.

    Designed for everyday wear, the ring feels light and natural on your finger. It’s far more comfortable than many of the bulkier metal smart rings out there. Whether you’re running, swimming, or accidentally knocking it against a surface, its durable titanium shell and scratch-resistant coating hold up under pressure.

    But what really sets the Best Smart Health Ring apart isn’t just the step tracking or sleep data — it’s the advanced health monitoring features. Some of these could make a real difference in critical situations. That’s more than convenience; it’s peace of mind. And that raises the question — how do you put a price on something that could one day protect your health?

    Save Big on the #1 Smart Health Ring. Shop Now Before This Deal Ends!

    Understanding the working mechanism

    The Herz P1 Smart Ring is built with advanced sensor technology designed to keep track of key health indicators. Equipped with both optical sensors and motion-detecting accelerometers, the ring continuously collects real-time data from the finger to deliver insights into your heart rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature.

    A key feature of this device is its use of light-based sensors to monitor cardiovascular activity. This method, known as photoplethysmography (PPG), involves shining a green light onto the skin and analyzing how the light is absorbed or reflected by the blood as it flows through the vessels. Because the amount of light changes with each pulse, the ring can determine your heart rate and measure heart rate variability (HRV) — offering a window into your heart health with impressive accuracy.

    The Herz P1 smart ring doesn’t just help track the number of steps you have done on a particular day or your heart rate. It works much deeper than this. While other smart gadgets provide you with basic statistics, the HerzP1 smart ring helps in tracking your HRV, that is heart rate variability, blood, oxygen levels, and sleep patterns, the entire 24 hours of the day.

    Beyond monitoring heart health, the ring also features built-in motion sensors that track your physical activity throughout the day. Using accelerometers, it can recognize various types of movement — whether you’re running, walking, resting, or sleeping. This information builds a unique picture of your daily activity, helping you better understand how your routines influence overall well-being.

    Sleep tracking is another key highlight. When worn overnight, the HerzP1 monitors different stages of sleep, including deep, light, and REM. Because the ring maintains constant skin contact, it captures detailed data that reflects how well your body recovers during sleep. The insights it provides can be a game-changer for anyone trying to boost energy, best sleep quality, or manage stress better during the day.

    Limited Time Offer! Shop Now and Save Big on the Best Smart Ring—Up to 50% Off!

    Features of Herz P1 smart ring 

    Here are some of the primary features of HerzP1 ring that we would like to highlight:

    • All in one Health tracking: the HerzP1 smart ring provides an entire spectrum of health insights. It attracts nearly 20 biometric indicators that include heart rate, physical activity, and sleep cycles. It empowers its users with real time and detailed health data.
    • Low profile, elegant design: unlike the smart watches, which are quite bulky when you wear it, the HerzP1 smart ring is thoughtfully designed to look like any other regular ring that you can wear. It is modern in appearance and is suitable for both your professional settings and casual settings. The ring provides the perfect balance between fashion and functionality, making it ideal for those who would love to wear a smart device to track their health in the more subtle way.
    • Exceptional battery performance: with smart watches, everybody complains about how they need to go and keep on charging them every other day. But with the HerzP1 smart ring, you can say goodbye to that worry. The HerzP1 smart ring comes with a long lasting battery that lasts up to 6 days upon a single Charge.
    • Data storage without any Internet connection: even when your phone is not nearby, the HerzP1 smart ring continues to store and collect more data for up to 7 days without even a Bluetooth connection. This ensures that you are constantly tracking all of your health sites, making this device ideal, especially in the times of travelling, digital detox, periods, or while you are working out! 
    • Support women’s health: for female users, this ring comes with a menstrual cycle tracking feature. It provides you with insightful information about how hormonal cycles, impact mode, energy levels, and sleep, thereby supporting women in practising a holistic approach towards their health awareness.
    • Exceptional device compatibility: the HerzP1 smart ring seamlessly works well with both android and iOS smartphones. Its mobile application allows for easy syncing and easy access to all of your health metrics. It provides cross platform support that helps users stay connected to the health data anywhere and at any time

    Where can you buy HerzP1 smart ring? What’s the price?

    We always recommend that you buy Herz P1 smart ring from the official website only as it ensures that 100% authentic product is delivered at your doorstep. Apart from this, you will also get an opportunity to enjoy seasonal promotional discounts and offers that the company might be running on their official website, the pricing is as follows:

    • A single HerzP1 best smart ring comes at a 63% discounted price of $59.99
    • A single HerzP1 smart ring comes at a 66% discounted price of $54.99 each
    •  A single HerzP1 best smart ring comes at a 69% discounted price of $49.99 each

    You can choose from five colour options for your ring and the size as well. The company also provides an incredible 30 days money back guarantee when you can claim a full refund upon returning this smart ring in its original packaging.

    Q: Is the Herz P1 Health Ring available on Amazon?

    A: No, the official Herz P1 Smart Ring is currently not available on Amazon. Be cautious of imitations or unauthorized sellers—we do not recommend purchasing from third-party sources, as quality and authenticity cannot be guaranteed.

    Wellness Meets Savings—Shop Vital Smart Ring Now & Get Up to 50% Off!

    Q: Are there any Herz P1 Health Ring reviews on Reddit?

    A: As of now, we were unable to find any user reviews of the Herz P1 Smart Ring on Reddit. We recommend checking the official website for verified customer testimonials and updates.

    Q: Does the Herz P1 Health Ring come with a user manual?

    A: Yes! The user manual is included inside the box when you receive your Herz P1 best Health Ring. It contains setup instructions, feature overviews, and usage tips.

    How to use Herz P1 smart ring? 

    • All you need to do is download the Herz P1 smarting app on your smartphone from your App Store.
    • Where your ring and pair it to your mobile phone by following the on screen instructions within minutes.
    •  Where is the ring on your non-dominant hand and consistently wear it to enjoy accurate health readings.

    Cons of using Herz P1 smart ring

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    Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this article. However, due to the dynamic nature of product formulations, promotions, and availability, details may change without notice. The publisher makes no warranties or representations as to the current completeness or accuracy of any content, including product claims, pricing, or ingredient lists.
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    The MIL Network –

    May 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Gillibrand Statement On President Trump’s Preliminary Budget Request

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 preliminary budget request, which proposes slashing critical investments in programs related to education, health, affordable housing, scientific research, environmental protection, and much more. The Trump administration says this proposal will cut domestic funding by $163 billion (-23%); however, the real cut may exceed $200 billion.
    “President Trump’s budget is playing games with American lives. By attempting to defund the programs that help communities stay safe, families pay their bills and keep a roof over their heads, and doctors treat their patients, this administration is abandoning the people who have built our country. Make no mistake — this budget proposal will not ‘make America great again’ — it will set us back decades and make life harder for working families.
    By slashing funding for basic needs like health programs, medical research, and nutrition aid, this proposal will make America sicker. By cutting billions of dollars for the Department of Education, removing investments to prevent violent crime, and divesting from agencies that protect our environment, it will make our country a worse place to live. And by eliminating affordable housing and energy assistance programs, divesting from small businesses, and gutting the funds that help economically distressed communities, it will make it harder for American families to survive.
    This administration has made it clear: they’re willing to cut at least $163 billion in vital investments that benefit everyday Americans just to deliver trillions in tax breaks to billionaires and corporations. That’s not just misguided policy; it’s an insult to every hardworking, tax-paying American.
    I am committed to working with my colleagues in Congress to firmly reject this dangerous proposal. We cannot stand idly by while the Trump administration eviscerates the programs that keep our country safe, healthy, and prosperous.”
    Among other things, President Trump’s preliminary FY2026 budget request:
    EDUCATION: Guts funding for the Department of Education by $12 billion (-15%). Eliminates and cuts dozens of elementary and secondary education programs (the vast majority of which are not specified), underscoring that President Trump’s vision for returning education to the states means state and local taxpayers will pay more to support students and educators at their local schools as a result of major cuts in federal funding. Eliminates several higher education programs, including TRIO, GEAR UP, Federal Work Study, Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS), and more, which help Americans pursue a postsecondary education and further their careers.
    HOUSING: Eviscerates the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with a 43.6% cut.
    Slashes HUD rental assistance programs by 42.8% while foisting responsibility over those programs onto state and local governments. Over 10 million Americans rely on HUD rental assistance, the vast majority of whom are seniors, people with disabilities, and children. This will rip the roofs off Americans’ heads and put even more families at risk of homelessness.
    Eliminates or cuts federal programs most targeted to build more affordable housing and address this country’s housing supply shortage, including in Tribal country.
    Eliminates the Community Development Block Grant that cities and towns across the country use to improve the quality of life for their citizens every day.
    HEALTH: Slashes funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by $33 billion (-26%).
    Cuts funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $18 billion or more than 40%—decimating funding for lifesaving medical treatments and cures.
    Decimates funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by cutting $3.6 billion—hollowing out the agency’s ability to save lives and protect Americans from health threats.
    Guts funding for substance use prevention and treatment and mental health services by $1 billion (roughly –15%) and eliminates the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration—the agency with expertise in tackling the substance use and mental health crises.
    Slashes funding for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by $674 million. CMS helps ensure over 100 million Americans have access to affordable, high-quality health insurance by overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Affordable Care Act marketplaces.
    The limited budget materials do not detail President Trump’s proposed funding level for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is essential for protecting the safety of our food and drugs.
    TITLE X: Eliminates the Title X program, which helps nearly 3 million patients get preventative care, birth control, cancer screenings, and more in every state.
    LIHEAP: Eliminates the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps 6 million American households heat and cool their homes.
    PRE-K: Eliminates all funding for Preschool Development Grants, which help states strengthen their early childhood education system and get parents the child care and pre-K they need. The limited budget materials released today don’t mention Head Start or the Child Care and Development Block Grant, but leaked budget documents show Trump wants to eliminate Head Start.
    DEPARTMENT OF LABOR: Slashes funding for DOL by $4.6 billion (-35%). Proposes to “Make America Skilled Again” by cutting workforce training programs that help Americans develop skills and secure good-paying jobs, by roughly a third. Eliminates Job Corps and the Senior Community Service Employment Program.
    DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: Slashes the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) budget by at least $3.7 billion (-10%).
    Guts funding for grants to help keep communities safe by over $1 billion (-26%).
    Cuts funding for FBI salaries and expenses by $545 million (-5%), endangering our Americans’ safety.
    Cuts funding for Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) salaries and expenses by $212 million (-7%), weakening the agency’s capacity to crack down on drug trafficking. Also proposes shuttering major DEA offices in countries around the world, noting that those countries “are equipped to counter drug trafficking on their own.”
    Cuts funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) salaries and expenses by $468 million (-29%) as part of the administration’s ongoing attempt to dismantle the agency in charge of enforcing our country’s gun laws.
    TRIBES: Slashes $911 million (-24%) for core Tribal programs that uphold the federal government’s legally-obligated and court-ordered trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal nations. This cut would decimate core Tribal programs including road maintenance, housing, and programs for children and families. The proposal would nearly eliminate funding for construction of Tribal schools, which are already too often dilapidated, and it cuts Tribal law enforcement funding by 20%.
    SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: More than halves funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) with a $5.2 billion (-57%) cut. Cuts funding for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science by $1.148 billion (-14%). These proposed cuts would decimate America’s edge in essential scientific research that will drive future economic growth.
    EPA: Cuts funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by more than half by abandoning state and Tribal programs that build and maintain drinking water and sewer systems, starving states of longstanding federal funding provided to pay for states’ work enforcing federal laws, and decimating funding for cleaning up toxic Superfund sites.  The request would also effectively eliminate research funding used to better understand the impacts on human health from polluted air and water and from toxic chemicals.  
    NATIONAL PARKS: Cuts $900 million (- 30%) from National Park Service operations, abandoning national parks that the administration says should suddenly be transferred to the states, while providing no funding for states to manage massive new obligations that such a dramatic move would entail. This would incentivize states to sell off public lands to the highest bidder, threatening valued open space and areas of natural and historical value to local communities.
    AGRICULTURE: Guts funding for agricultural research, which is critical to ensuring American agriculture is competitive with the rest of the world and provides key resources to help farmers and ranchers prepare and adapt in an uncertain environment. Zeroes out foreign food aid that supports American farmers and is a lifeline for people living in extreme poverty across the world.
    RURAL AMERICA: Slashes investments in core Rural Development programs by $721 million, including investments in safe drinking water, affordable housing, and resources to bolster the rural economy.
    NUTRITION: Eliminates the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides food assistance to low-income individuals 60 years of age and older to supplement diets and addressing potential nutrient deficiencies. The preliminary budget request does not mention any of the other 16 Nutrition Programs, including WIC, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and the National School Lunch Program.
    VETERANS: Without more details, it is unclear whether the President is proposing to shift tens of billions of dollars in funding for veterans’ care to mandatory funding (which Republicans have long vociferously opposed) or to decimate funding for non-medical care.
    FOREST SERVICE: Cuts $1.386 billion (-22%) from the Forest Service, gutting grant funding for state and tribal wildfire risk reduction, volunteer fire departments, and much more. The proposal would cut at least 2,000 National Forest System staff positions, which will severely harm the Administration’s stated goals of improving forest management and increasing domestic timber production.
    ARMY CORPS: Cuts funding for the Army Corps of Engineers by $2 billion (-23%), slashing funding used to maintain our nation’s ports and harbors.
    DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE: Cuts funding for the Department of Commerce by $1.9 billion (-18%). Outright eliminates the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which helps economically distressed communities across America get ahead.
    NOAA: Guts funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by $1.5 billion, which would eliminate all manner of programs that create good jobs, help local economies, and support ocean research, health, and coastal resilience. Proposes a reckless $209 million cut for NOAA’s weather satellites, which play a critical role in ensuring Americans have accurate weather forecasting and will result in a gap in observations when the current satellites retire early in the next decade.
    ENERGY: Slashes funding for the Department of Energy overall by $4.7 billion (-9.4%). Guts funding for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs by $2.572 billion (-74%) and proposes to rescind $15.25 billion from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law energy programs, which will raise energy costs for American consumers by halting vital innovation and energy projects.
    SMALL BUSINESSES: Slashes funding for SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development Programs by $167 million, proposing the elimination of nearly all programs, including programs that support veterans as they work to start and grow a small business.
    FEMA GRANTS: Cuts funding for FEMA non-disaster grants that help communities prepare for disasters, support efforts to prevent violence and terrorism, prepare emergency responders, and more.
    STATE DEPARTMENT & FOREIGN ASSISTANCE: Guts funding for the State Department and America’s international security, economic, and humanitarian assistance programs by $31.2 billion (-48%).
    The United States already spends less than 0.2% of our GDP on diplomacy and foreign assistance, which is less than a third of the percent we spent under President Reagan’s peace through strength approach, and Trump is proposing to halve these critical investments.
    Cuts funding for lifesaving and other humanitarian assistance by $4.7 billion (-54%), which will lead to preventable deaths and suffering across the globe, and threaten Americans’ safety and well-being by undercutting our efforts to stop disease outbreaks and prevent conflict. A cut of this magnitude will also lead to more migration of people fleeing poverty, conflict, and natural disasters.
    Cuts funding for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement account by $1.3 billion (-91%) which helps prevent human trafficking, stop drug trafficking, and much more, with direct implications for American communities.
    Slashes economic growth and development funding across multiple agencies and accounts by $6 billion (67%) and proposes the final dissolution of USAID.
    Guts funding for global health initiatives by $6.2 billion (-62%).
    Reneges on our treaty dues for the United Nations (UN), U.N. Peacekeeping operations, and a majority of other international organizations.
    COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT: Eliminates all funding ($770 million) for community-based anti-poverty programs that help low income individuals and families access services to alleviate the causes of poverty.
    COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS: Eliminates $291 million in funding for all current CDFI financial assistance awards, which help leverage private capital to support the development of child care centers, housing, health care facilities, and small businesses. Since 2010, CDFIs have financed over 1.3 million businesses and 557,000 affordable homes. 
    AMERICORPS: Eliminates AmeriCorps, which enables over 200,000 Americans to help serve communities across the country, including by responding to natural disasters, supporting veterans, fighting the opioid epidemic, helping older Americans age with dignity, and working in our schools, educating and supporting students.
    CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING: Eliminates funding for CPB, ending support for more than 1,500 local public television and radio stations. 
    INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES: Eliminates funding for IMLS and the support provided to libraries and museums throughout the United States.
    BUREAU OF RECLAMATION: Cuts funding for the Bureau by $600 million (-34%), gutting investments in key restoration projects.
    CULTURAL GRANTS FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES: Completely eliminates the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, which provide funding for every state and every congressional district for cultural economic development and the creative economy.
    NASA: Cuts NASA funding by $6 billion (-24%), the largest single-year cut to NASA in U.S. history, which would mark an incredible retreat for American leadership and ambition in space. Terminates the Artemis Campaign to establish a human presence on the Moon after the Artemis III mission. Slashes funding for the Science Mission Directorate by $3.43 billion (-47%), which would cancel numerous current and planned missions to better understand our universe, solar system, and Earth.
    ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Eliminates funding to 27 states by zeroing out funding for 6 of 7 regional commissions, which provide grants in economically distressed communities for disaster mitigation, opioid crisis support programming, workforce training, and much more. 
    INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE: Likely cuts IRS enforcement by nearly $2.5 billion (-89%). This significant reduction will help billionaire tax cheats game the system while working families continue to pay their fair share.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – RACS calls on all levels of government for reform

    Source: Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)

    The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) today issued an urgent call to governments across Australia to engage in genuine negotiations to resolve the pressing issues facing the NSW Health surgical workforce.

    Australians are now waiting almost twice as long on average for elective surgery than they were 20 years ago. Workforce pressures and chronic understaffing have contributed to a decline in performance across the country, putting immense strain on both clinicians and patients.

    “Our surgeons are dedicated to providing the highest standard of care for patients across NSW Health public hospitals, however, they cannot continue to do so under the current conditions,” said outgoing RACS President, Associate Professor Kerin Fielding.

    “We are increasingly seeing bureaucratic overreach and planning without senior clinician input, which has escalated over the past year. This has significantly impacted surgeon work practices, workforce wellbeing, surgical training, and most importantly, patient safety.”

    Associate Professor Fielding warned that the current conditions have led to resignations and industrial action across multiple jurisdictions, exemplified by recent strikes in NSW and the resignations in ACT.

    “The industrial action reflects the consequences of chronic understaffing, unmanageable workloads, and poor working conditions. These issues threaten the quality of patient care and jeopardise the sustainability of our healthcare system both in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand,” Associate Professor Fielding said.

    In addition to advocating for systemic reform, surgeons will come together this weekend at the College’s Annual Scientific Congress to discuss strategies for working with governments to reduce elective surgery waiting lists. The gathering aims to foster collaborative solutions to improve access and reduce delays for patients awaiting vital procedures.

    The College’s concerns are backed by a recent national survey conducted by the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation, which revealed mounting fears of a widespread exodus of medical professionals from public hospitals across Australia.

    “Without meaningful reform and collaboration, the system is under serious threat, many surgeons will leave the public sector, costing the government millions in training and support. We must work together now to turn this situation around before it’s too late.”

    The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons urges all stakeholders to prioritise dialogue and action to ensure a sustainable, safe, and high-quality surgical care system across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

    About the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)

    RACS is the leading advocate for surgical standards, professionalism and surgical education in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The College is a not-for-profit organisation that represents more than 8000 surgeons and 1300 surgical trainees and Specialist International Medical Graduates. RACS also supports healthcare and surgical education in the Asia-Pacific region and is a substantial funder of surgical research. There are nine surgical specialties in Australasia being: Cardiothoracic Surgery, General Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Urology and Vascular Surgery. www.surgeons.org

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    May 3, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Super antibodies’ for snake toxins: how a dangerous DIY experiment helped scientists make a new antivenom

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina N. Zdenek, Associate Researcher, The University of Queensland

    Scientists in the United States have created a new snake antivenom using the blood of a man who deliberately built up immunity to snakebites by injecting himself with many different kinds of venom more than 800 times over 18 years.

    The researchers showed “super antibodies” from the man’s blood prevented toxic damage from neurotoxins found in the venoms of 19 different snake species, including mambas and cobras.

    The new study may represent a welcome advance in antivenom production. Most current techniques are more than a century old and involve injecting venom into horses and other animals, then harvesting antibodies from their blood.

    Even so, new treatments are only part of the challenge of addressing the huge global problem of snakebites, which kill and maim hundreds of thousands of people around the world each year.

    How was this new antivenom made?

    Tim Friede describes himself as an “autodidact herpetologist and venom expert”. He deliberately immunised himself with increasing doses of a number of snake venoms over an 18-year period, in a risky practice known as “mithridatism” that we don’t recommend. Some issues include: Friede nearly died several times, and immunity can drop in weeks.

    Scientists took a small sample of Friede’s blood and isolated the antibodies his immune system had developed to counteract the venoms. Next, they determined which of the antibodies were broadly effective against two important types of neurotoxins found in the venoms of elapid snakes, a family of species including cobras, mambas, and taipans.

    The next step was to sequence the DNA from Friede’s b-cells (a type of immune cell) that produced those two antibodies, then insert the genes responsible into a kind of virus called a bacteriophage. Then, using the modified bacteriophage and human cells as mini factories, the researchers produced lots of the antibodies to use in their work.

    How is antivenom usually made?

    Antivenom is currently the only specific treatment available for snakebites. It is usually produced by first collecting venom (which is dangerous), then “hyper-immunising” a domesticated animal (such as a horse) by routinely injecting it with small but increasing doses of that venom.

    Christina Zdenek and Chris Hay extracting venom from a coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus).
    Russell Shakespeare

    The horse’s blood is extracted and its antibodies purified. The antibodies can then be injected into a snakebite victim, where they stick to toxins. This prevents the toxins from binding to targets in the body, and it also flags them for elimination by the immune system.

    Traditional antivenoms have their problems. They can cause a severe allergic response known as an anaphylactic reaction (up to 50% of the time, in some countries). They may also have limited effectiveness due to differences in venom composition in snakes from different regions, or at different stages of the snake’s life.

    Broad-spectrum or “polyvalent” antivenoms are made by injecting horses with mixtures of venom from different species or different populations of snakes. However, the elevated antibody content per dose can increase the risk of adverse reactions.

    Another challenge with mixed antivenoms is that some toxins that produce a strong immune response can suppress the production of antibodies against other equally dangerous toxins.

    Why has it taken so long to improve antivenom production?

    Antivenom production is not presently a very profitable business. The expenses are huge, there is limited economy of scale, the effectiveness of antivenoms can be geographically specific, and the products have a short shelf-life and may have strict refrigeration requirements.

    Snakebite is also a disease of poverty. The people most affected are those least able to afford treatment.

    In Australia, the government has been supporting onshore antivenom production since 2020.

    Christina Zdenek retrieves snake venoms from a freezer for antivenom tests in the lab.
    Russell Shakespeare

    How else can we treat snakebite?

    In the past decade, more precise, ethical, and potentially cost-effective methods of producing snakebite therapeutics have emerged. These include monoclonal antibodies produced in the lab, as well as more conventional drugs.

    For example, varespladib is one drug that has progressed to phase II clinical trials. It works extremely well against a major component found in many snake venoms worldwide.

    Hybrid products containing “designer antibodies” and inhibitors like varespladib may be the future of snakebite treatment.

    The new “universal elapid antivenom” is in many ways an improvement on traditional antivenoms. However, there are still several deadly toxins present in elapid snake venoms it does not address, such as the coagulotoxin (blood-attacking) prothrombinase found in the venom of eastern brown snakes and taipans.

    Why do we need antivenom?

    Many people around the world live with the daily threat of being bitten by a venomous snake. Farmers, graziers, children walking barefoot to school, and many rural and remote workers in tropical and subtropical region, are at risk.

    The World Health Organisation deems snakebite a neglected tropical disease. It kills one person roughly every four minutes. As many as 2.7 million people are bitten annually, resulting in up to 138,000 deaths and around 400,000 people permanently maimed.

    An eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis) passes through a suburban backyard in eastern Australia.
    Chris Hay

    Will this new medicine reduce snakebite deaths?

    When it comes to reducing the number of people who die from snakebite, novel snakebite treatments are undoubtedly important. However, developing new drugs is the relatively easy part of the problem.

    A drug is only as good as your capacity to deliver it when and where it’s needed. For snakebites, time is short and locations may be remote.

    Several antivenoms available in Australia.
    Christina N. Zdenek

    Far more attention and resources need to be devoted to all aspects of health infrastructure in the tropics, including the availability and distribution of life-saving medicines.

    Prevention is also critical. Reducing the number of snakebites will reduce the burden on health infrastructure by saving lives and limbs.

    To achieve this, we need far more resources devoted to research on snake behaviour, snake ecology, human–snake interactions, and public education about snakes. Snakebite is the result of an ecological encounter between two organisms, and we know disappointingly little about the circumstances in which it occurs.

    Christina N. Zdenek co-owns and works for the Australian Reptile Academy, a Queensland-based company that provides venomous-snake identification and handling courses for industry and the public.

    Timothy N.W. Jackson is co-head of the Australian Venom Research Unit, which has previously received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Department of Health, and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

    – ref. ‘Super antibodies’ for snake toxins: how a dangerous DIY experiment helped scientists make a new antivenom – https://theconversation.com/super-antibodies-for-snake-toxins-how-a-dangerous-diy-experiment-helped-scientists-make-a-new-antivenom-255611

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    May 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Smith, Schneider, Harshbarger, Matsui, Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Seniors’ Healthcare Options

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

    Washington, DC — Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), and Doris Matsui (D-CA), introduced the Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act. The members released the following statements:

    “Giving seniors more options to meet their healthcare needs is a valuable way to improve outcomes for patients,” said Rep. Smith. “Pharmacists are trusted, key partners in seniors’ care, particularly in rural communities where health provider availability is limited. Allowing greater flexibility for treatment of common respiratory illnesses is a commonsense solution to increase access to care. I thank Reps. Schneider, Harshbarger, and Matsui for partnering with me on this important legislation.”

    “Pharmacists have long played a crucial role delivering quality health care to Americans, including helping prevent the spread of infectious disease,” said Rep. Schneider. “We need to empower pharmacists to continue providing care to seniors and receiving reimbursement for services related to COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and strep throat. I’m proud to work on this important initiative with my colleague on the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Adrian Smith.”

    “This bipartisan legislation will modernize Medicare and help ensure our seniors — especially those in rural and medically underserved communities — have timely access to healthcare from the most trusted health professionals in their communities,” said Rep. Harshbarger.

    “Our pharmacies are directly in the heart of our communities, providing frontline care and services to those who need it most,” said Rep. Matsui. “Time and again, pharmacists have stepped up to meet public health threats and administer vaccines, tests, and other critical services that keep Americans healthy. That’s why we must make sure they have the federal support they need to continue this work. The Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act would ensure that Medicare patients can continue to access these services well into the future.”

    The Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act would provide for Medicare coverage of pharmacist-administered tests for common respiratory illnesses, such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), strep throat, and COVID-19. It would also allow pharmacists to prescribe treatments for these illnesses when properly indicated. These flexibilities were initially provided during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) through various emergency waivers but have since lapsed. The Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act would not preempt existing state scope of practice laws regarding the ability of pharmacists to legally perform these services. 

    The legislation is supported by the Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition. Coalition members include the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), Abbott, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, CVS Health, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Health Mart, Kroger, McKesson, Medicine Shoppe, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), Walgreens, and Walmart. The coalition released the following statement on the legislation:

    “The Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition commends Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) for introducing the Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act (ECAPS) to ensure seniors, including those living in rural areas and vulnerable communities, can turn to their local pharmacists for testing and treatment services that can protect them from certain common respiratory conditions. Congress must move quickly and provide seniors with Medicare coverage in states where pharmacists can offer testing and treatment services for conditions that, although common, can quickly become life-threatening if not properly managed.” 

    Read the bill here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Announces Release of Nearly $50 Million in Reimbursement Funding for Northern Light Health for COVID Pandemic Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Published: May 02, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that $49 million in delayed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding has been released to Northern Light Health by the Maine Emergency Management Agency to reimburse costs associated with its COVID-19 pandemic response. Northern Light Health was among the health care providers that faced significant delays in receiving FEMA disaster relief funding following the pandemic, despite the substantial financial burden it incurred while caring for patients.

    “This funding will help ensure that Northern Light Health is reimbursed for the vital health care it provided to Mainers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Senator Collins. “From expanding patient capacity, to securing personal protective equipment, and increasing staffing in critical care units, Maine’s hospitals stepped up to care for Maine communities during an unprecedented time of crisis. I strongly advocated for the release of these FEMA funds, and I am pleased to see them finally delivered.”

    “Northern Light Health is incredibly grateful to Senator Collins for securing critical FEMA reimbursements for the expenses related to the care we delivered to our community during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said James Rohrbaugh, Northern Light Health executive vice president and chief financial officer. “We understand FEMA disaster relief funding requires detail and scrutiny to ensure the funds are appropriately directed and that caused a significant delay to our receiving these reimbursements and thank the Senator for never losing sight of this.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan, Van Hollen Recognize U.S. Foreign Service Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan
    05.02.25
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), co-founders of the bipartisan Senate Foreign Service Caucus, announced a resolution celebrating May 2, 2025 as “Foreign Service Day.” The day recognizes the men and women who have served, or are presently serving, in the Foreign Service of the United States and honors the members of the Foreign Service who have given their lives in the line of duty. Foreign Service Day has been celebrated on the first Friday in May for generations. Last year, the Senators celebrated the Foreign Service’s 100th anniversary on May 24, 2024. The institution, as it is organized today, was established through the Rogers Act of 1924, which consolidated and reorganized the existing Diplomatic and Consular Services into a single entity. Since then, the Foreign Service has led U.S. diplomatic efforts across the globe and is critical to securing U.S. foreign policy interests.
    “America’s Foreign Service officers are tasked with promoting America’s interests, strengthening national security, and assisting U.S. citizens in the far corners of the globe, often with little fanfare or recognition.” said Sen. Sullivan, a co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Foreign Service Caucus. “I’m glad to have worked with Senator Van Hollen once again to salute the courageous, dedicated members of the United States Foreign Service.”
    “Our Foreign Service officers and State Department officials carry out the vital functions of advancing American diplomacy, promoting our values, and assisting U.S. citizens abroad. The work they do is essential to our national security and our standing on the world stage, and we are deeply grateful for the sacrifice they and their families make,” said Sen. Van Hollen, a co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Foreign Service Caucus. “This bipartisan resolution honors the immense contributions and critical importance of the Foreign Service to our nation and underscores why we must continue working to support our diplomatic corps.” 
    “Each year on the first Friday in May, we commemorate Foreign Service Day to honor those who gave their lives in service to their nation, defending the security, prosperity, and fundamental values of the United States,” said Tom Yazdgerdi, president of the American Foreign Service Association. “Members of the Foreign Service remain ready to defend, to take necessary risks and accept the hardships that come with serving as the first line of defense for our nation. I thank our caucus co-chairs for their commemoration of this day and the resolution recognizing the important work of the Foreign Service.”
    The Foreign Service is comprised of tens of thousands of personnel who serve at hundreds of embassies and consulates overseas. They are employees of the Department of State, the Department of Commerce, the Foreign Agricultural Service, the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
    In 2017, Senators Van Hollen and Sullivan formed the Foreign Service Caucus to provide a bipartisan platform for addressing the challenges facing those who serve in the U.S. Foreign Service around the world and to develop policy solutions to support the U.S. diplomatic mission abroad. As part of their leadership of this Caucus, the Senators worked to pass their Foreign Service Families Act, which became law through the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Senators’ legislation ensures that the Foreign Service is able to attract and retain a world-class diplomatic corps by providing expanded career options and support to eligible family members – similar to those provided to military families.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 3, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Seattle, Senator Murray Highlights Consequences of Trump & Elon’s Cuts & Layoffs at NIH—Hears from Leading Researchers, Patients, and Early Career Scientists

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: At Hearing, Senator Murray Slams Trump Administration for Threatening Biomedical Research and Jeopardizing Americans’ Health
    NIH Investments support more than $3 billion in economic activity across Washington State and more than 12,000 jobs – MORE HERE
    ***AUDIO HERE; PHOTOS and B-ROLL HERE***
    Seattle, WA— Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a roundtable discussion in Seattle highlighting why the investments the federal government makes in biomedical research are so vital, what’s at stake for patients and families as Trump takes a wrecking ball to this research, and why Congress must forcefully push back. Murray was joined by Seattle area leaders in biomedical research of national renown, patients who have benefitted directly from NIH research, and early career researchers who can speak directly to how Trump’s cuts and chaos are jeopardizing the future of biomedical research in America.
    During the roundtable, Senator Murray was joined by Dr. Jeff Sperring, Seattle Children’s Chief Executive Officer; Dr. Vittorio Gallo, Seattle Children’s Chief Scientific Officer; Dr. Mary-Claire King, American Cancer Society Professor of Medicine and Genome Sciences, UW School of Medicine; Dr. Jane Hoyt Buckner, M.D., President of Benaroya Research Institute; Kristin Weinstein, PhD candidate at UW School of Medicine; and Alisa Vitello along with her daughter, Olivia Vitello, who benefitted from medication developed through an NIH clinical trial.
    President Trump and his administration has systematically undermined NIH and the research it funds, which is having devastating impacts on biomedical research, innovation, and ultimately, the lives of millions of patients and families. The Trump administration’s actions are delaying funding and stalling research for lifesaving treatments and cures, weakening our biomedical workforce, cancelling vital ongoing studies and trials, and threatening to undo decades of hard-won progress.
    “Medical research is an economic powerhouse—it supports millions of jobs across the country, especially here in Washington state, and generates billions in economic activity. NIH funding is the cornerstone of our medical research enterprise, while medical research accounts for less than 1 percent of the federal budget, NIH has contributed to over 99 percent of drugs approved by FDA in recent years,” said Senator Murray. “But the real impact isn’t economic, it isn’t jobs, it isn’t awards, it is miracles that give people hope and more time with loved ones. That could mean a new vaccine to protect us from a disease. It could mean new treatment that saves lives. Or a breakthrough discovery that revolutionizes care and research, like Dr. King’s work showing a gene tied to breast cancer.”
    “That is all invaluable—but with President Trump—it is all on the chopping block,” continued Senator Murray. “He has already axed 800 grants, over a billion dollars in research for HIV prevention, breast cancer, pregnancy, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and more. He has also blocked $2 billion in grant funding from going out to universities and research institutions across the country.He slapped a $1 limit on NIH researchers’ payment cards—meaning labs can’t get gloves, pipettes, and vials—the basics they need to keep research going.He wants to massively cut funding for basic costs that keep labs running.And Trump is calling for at least an $18 billion cut to NIH funding. And it’s not just funding Trump has cut—it’s the workforce. Trump has pushed out nearly 5,000 people at NIH and counting.He is slashing grants to support early educators. And he is pushing out and scaring away international students. We are seeing canceled trials and delayed research. We must keep up the public pressure. People need to know what is happening. They need to know what is at stake.”
    Murray’s roundtable discussion follows a bipartisan Senate Appropriations Committee hearing she co-led this week, where she invited testimony from Washington state mom and patient advocate, Emily Stenson, whose daughter Charlie was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at just three years old but who, thanks to a National Cancer Institute clinical trial at Seattle Children’s Hospital, has been cancer free since December 2024.
    “Children are our future, and we drive advances—like improving survival rates for children with brain tumors, developing new therapies for rare diseases, and transforming care for kids with complex behavioral health needs—through research,” said Dr. Vittorio Gallo, Chief Scientific Officer at Seattle Children’s. “Without sustained NIH investment, nearly 200 clinical trials at Seattle Children’s could be delayed or paused. Funding is critical for us to deliver on our mission to provide hope, care and cures.”
    “I wanted to first tell you what’s happened to me in consequence of this craziness. I am now owed—4 months later—$1.8 million of a noncompetitive renewal on a project that has been approved at all scientific levels. The Notice of Grant Award has been signed. It was to begin last January 1. It has simply not been sent. It’s not canceled. It just hasn’t come. Somehow it is frozen. No reason has been given. There is no DEI component, it’s only sequencing of DNA…There are probably thousands more like me. That estimate of the of the total cost—the total deficit into those 800 [grants]—I think is only a very small fraction of the actual amount of money that we need as researchers, that has been guaranteed for us. They will need to burn this money if they don’t send it. This money is allocated to the University of Washington. They can’t use it for anything else. They might as well take out the bills and just burn them. In addition to the research itself, it supports 4 young investigators. We’re now 4 months in with their having no salaries from that grant. I’m using my own salary, I’m using gifts that I’ve been accumulating for 50 years to pay them. So far so good, but we’ll run out pretty quickly. Grants like this need to be dislodged from the iceberg in which they are now frozen,” said Dr. Mary-Claire King, American Cancer Society Professor of Medicine and Genome Sciences at UW School of Medicine. Dr. King was the first person to show that breast cancer can be inherited due to mutations in the gene she called BRCA1. Dr. King also shared the story of a woman who participated in one of her projects, “She said, ‘My mother died of breast cancer when I was 14. She missed my high school graduation. She missed the decisions about my going to college. She missed my college graduation. She missed my marriage. She missed the birth of her granddaughter. When I learned that it was possible to have testing to learn if I was predisposed to breast cancer, I was tested right away. I have a mutation in BRCA 1, that surely is what killed her. As soon as I was old enough, I had the same surgery that Angelina Jolie had, and I am now fine. My daughter graduates from high school this June, and I will be there. Just thought, you want to know.’ We owe it to her to bring the NIH back to health. So, thanks very much for what you’re doing.”
    “We study immune diseases, particularly autoimmune diseases and allergies. [Autoimmune diseases] affect 25 to 50 million Americans. [Allergies] affect 25% of Americans, in fact two kids in every classroom. And we’re funded 70% by the National Institute of Health, and that work you know, that supports fundamentally understanding these diseases and also clinical trials to test the next new therapy. As well as ways to prevent ever getting a disease like type one diabetes. We want kids never to have to face using insulin every day…I do this because I’m also a physician and a rheumatologist, so I care for people with arthritis, and I’ve been doing that for 30 years. And for the first 10 years of my career, we didn’t have much for my patients and our waiting rooms were filled with wheelchairs. You had to reorganize furniture for our patients. And then drugs called biologics were discovered—in fact, one of the first ones came from the Seattle area—and literally, patients got out of wheelchairs and walked in a week. That research started 30 years before, and that was funded by NIH research, and it would have actually never become a product if those studies hadn’t been done. Today, I still see patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and they’re doing so much better. We don’t have wheelchairs in our waiting rooms anymore,” said Dr. Jane Hoyt Buckner, M.D., President of Benaroya Research Institute. “You may not know you need the cure that is going to be discovered through this research, but in 10 years you may, or your family member may, and by not funding the NIH, some of those cures won’t be there in 10 years. And I also think some of our young people who are trying to choose a career in science are going to be turned away. And it’s only been 100 days, but the chaos that’s been created in that 100 days is already impacting people. We see it now, people choosing not to go to graduate school, people choosing alternative careers, scientists thinking I should move out of the United States. And I can also say I’m fortunate to work very closely with many people at the NIH, particularly on clinical trials trying to cure diseases of the immune system, and they are struggling to continue to do that work. They’re understaffed, they aren’t able to get things out, and they don’t know what’s going to happen next. I know they’re really looking to Congress to help us find a way out of this.”
    “Unstable funding from the NIH for biomedical research will have long-lasting, devastating impacts. Early career scientists like myself will be forced to go abroad to continue our training, patients will unnecessarily suffer or die from the diseases that this research could cure, and the United States will cede its position as the global leader in biomedical research,” said Kristin Weinstein, PhD candidate at UW School of Medicine. “I am holding onto the hope that the American public and its leadership will recognize the vital importance of biomedical research, reinstate federal funding for this work, and support our hard-working scientists. At the end of the day, I just want to be in the lab doing what I love most: Making scientific discoveries that will lead to cures for diseases like cancer and autoimmunity.”
    Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE have terminated nearly 800 NIH grants across the country, cutting off more than $1.1 billion in essential research and trials and continue to terminate more grants every week. So far this year, he has slow walked roughly $2 billion in vital NIH funding that should be going out the door to fund the research that might discover the next treatment or cure that will change—or save—a patient’s life.  
    These grant terminations are a result of the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders against whatever it deems DEI and targeted attacks on specific academic research institutions, which are disrupting landmark diabetes research, targeting promising mRNA vaccines, and spreading vaccine hesitancy amidst a measles outbreak. A full list of HHS grant terminations can be found here. To date, NIH grant terminations include: 
    Grants that fund research on HIV prevention, breast cancer, uterine cancer, stroke risk, cardiac health, suicide prevention, smoking cessation, eating disorders, COVID-19, pain, alcohol use disorder, depression, violence prevention in children, pregnancy health disparities, diabetes and obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease; 
    More than 270 grants totaling at least $125 million for research focused on improving the health of LGBTQ Americans; 
    Stop work orders for all NIH training grants that support diverse undergraduate and graduate students and early career scientists, including the Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE), the Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC), and F31 Diversity training programs. 
    The Trump Administration’s actions, including directly terminating early career training programs funded by NIH, are devastating the pipeline of early career researchers and threatening the next generation of breakthroughs, treatments, and cures. On March 31st, an open letter signed by nearly 2,000 of the country’s top scientists including a number of Nobel Prize winners urged the Administration to stop its wholesale assault on U.S. science, which is decimating research, driving scientists to leave the country and putting America at risk of losing a generation of scientists. 
    Trump has illegally sought to cut billions in funding for universities to conduct this vital research by illegally capping the indirect cost rate in direct violation of bipartisan appropriations law—a federal judge has issued a nationwide injunction against the cap on indirect costs, but the Trump administration is appealing the ruling. The uncertainty around NIH’s indirect cost rate policy has led universities and research institutions around the country to implement hiring freezes, rescind graduate student admissions offers, and shutter entire graduate school programs. 
    President Trump has pushed out nearly 5,000 NIH employees and 4,000 FDA employees—decimating the very work responsible for discovering lifechanging treatments and cures and ensuring they can safely get to market. He also reportedly plans to propose to nearly halve NIH’s budget.
    Senator Murray has been leading the charge against the Trump administration’s efforts to gut lifesaving research at NIH and pushed out nearly 5,000 NIH skilled scientists, grants administrators, and other employees at the agency. When the Trump administration attempted to illegally cap indirect cost rates at 15 percent, Senator Murray immediately and forcefully condemned the move, led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in a letter decrying the proposed change, and introduced amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget resolution to reverse it, which Republicans blocked.
    As a longtime appropriator and former Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Murray has led Congressional efforts to boost biomedical research. Previously, over her years as Chair of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murray secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at NIH, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    May 3, 2025
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