Category: Health

MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – EU budget priorities for 2026: resilience and preparedness

Source: European Parliament 3

MEPs adopted their priorities for the 2026 EU budget on Wednesday, emphasising defence, prosperity and sustainability.

MEPs endorsed Parliament’s guidelines for the 2026 EU budget by 441 votes in favour, 173 against, and with 70 abstentions, saying that next year’s budget should focus on strategic preparedness and security, economic competitiveness and resilience, sustainability, climate, and the single market. They want to see additional investment in research, innovation, enterprises, health, energy, migration, border protection, digital and green transitions, job creation and opportunities for young people.

In the adopted text, MEPs call for improved EU security, cybersecurity and defence capabilities, and funding for dual-use transport infrastructure. They demand proper support for farmers and also stress the importance of implementing the Asylum and Migration Pact. The text states that the EU’s economic resilience and sustainability depends on boosting public and private investment, increasing innovation, closing the skills gap and stepping up industrial production in Europe.

Health, Ukraine and debt repayment

Among other investment priorities, the guidelines call for continued support for health programmes and crisis preparedness, educational and cultural programmes to empower young people, and proper use of EU funds while upholding the rule of law.

MEPs also underline the need for sufficient resources given the sudden drop in international funding, and pledge unconditional and full support for Ukraine. They are concerned that repayment of the borrowing costs of the NextGenerationEU recovery plan must not lead to a reduction in EU programmes and funds.

Finally, while the 2026 budget has limited flexibility, as it is second to last in the 2021-2027 long-term EU budget, MEPs argue that, amid significant geopolitical changes and the worsening effects of climate change, the EU budget remains crucial in ensuring stability for Europeans, supporting established policies and providing for strategic priorities such as defence and security.

More details in this press release.

Quote

“After tough negotiations between our political groups, we have produced well-balanced guidelines that respect the values and ideals of all the groups. Our compromise underlines key priorities, including defence, security, energy, competitiveness, agriculture, economic resilience, crisis response, health, democracy, and a stronger Union in a changing world. We have delivered a strong position, showing the Commission and the Council that Parliament is a serious player, fully prepared to defend the priorities of our citizens,” said rapporteur Andrzej Halicki (EPP, PL).

Next steps

The Commission is expected to present its proposal for next year’s budget in June 2025. Parliament’s negotiators will use the guidelines as the basis for their discussions with the Council and the Commission. The budget needs to be agreed between the Council and the Parliament by the end of this year.

Background

The annual budget lays down all the EU’s expenditure and revenue for one year within the limits fixed by its seven-year budget. The budget guidelines set out what Parliament expects the Commission to take into account when drawing up its budget proposal.

MIL OSI Europe News –

April 3, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council seizes record number of illegal goods

Source: City of Liverpool

Over 30,000 illicit goods have been removed from a wholesaler in Liverpool City Council’s biggest seizure of a single premises to date.

Working with Merseyside Police, the Council’s Public Protection team recovered 7,700 vapes and 23,400 cigarettes from a property in Old Swan, worth £105,000.

An inspection by the teams found that the goods, due to be sold to local businesses in the area, were unregulated and could be dangerous to consumers.

The premises was issued a warning and could face closure if there is any further criminal activity.

Unregulated vapes and cigarettes could contain banned ingredients and may pose a serious health risk to anyone using them.

Rules around the sale of vapes are set out in the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.

The requirements restrict e-cigarette tanks to a capacity of no more than 2ml, around 600 puffs, while the maximum volume of nicotine-containing e-liquid for sale in one refill container is restricted to 10ml.

Additionally, e-liquids are restricted to a nicotine strength of no more than 20mg/ml.

Previously, the largest seizure of illicit goods from a single property saw over 4,600 illicit vapes taken from a store in L8.

In 2024, the Council removed over 135,000 illegal cigarettes and vapes from sale across Liverpool. Any vapes seized by the team are sent to be recycled by a Manchester based contractor that has been authorised by Trading Standards North West.

Councillor Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture said: “Thanks to the team’s quick actions based on intelligence they received, they managed to take thousands of potentially dangerous goods off the market before they could be sold to the public.

“While genuine vaping products can be a helpful alternative to smoking, they should always be sourced from reputable retailers.

“Regulations around vapes and cigarettes exist for a reason. Illicit products could contain ingredients that are harmful to people’s health, which is why removing them from the market is a priority.”

Merseyside Police Local Policing Constable Graeme Brannagan said: “We’re pleased to have worked alongside Liverpool City Council in this significant seizure, which makes our communities a great deal safer.

“Anyone with information about suspected illegal goods is urged to contact us through 101, online or through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and, working in partnership, we will keep taking action.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Ethiopia’s civil war: what’s behind the Amhara rebellion?
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Amanuel Tesfaye, Doctoral Researcher, University of Helsinki

Ethiopia is in the grip of a civil war between federal government forces and the Fano, a loose alliance of ethnic-based militia in the Amhara region.

This conflict in Ethiopia’s north erupted less than a year after the devastating Tigray war, which ended in 2022.

The Amhara are one of Ethiopia’s largest ethnic groups and played a leading role in the making of the Ethiopian state. Amharic serves as the country’s working language.

The region shares a border with Tigray. During the Tigray war, which began in 2020, various Fano groups allied with the federal government. A peace deal in 2022 to stop the war sidelined the Amhara militia groups, which strained relations with the government.

The Amhara conflict began as minor sporadic clashes with government forces in April 2023. This rapidly escalated into a full-scale insurgency by August when Fano forces launched a full blown attack in an effort to control the region’s major cities.

The violence since has displaced more than 100,000 people and left 4.7 million children out of school.

The death toll from the conflict is piling up. In March 2025, the government claimed to have killed more than 300 Fano fighters.

We are researchers studying ethnic nationalism, social movements and insurgency in Ethiopia, with a focus on Amhara. Based on our studies into the Fano and ongoing research on Ethiopia’s political reforms process, we see three factors behind the escalating armed struggle in Amhara:
- a mismanaged political transition from 2018 to 2020
- fallout from the 2020-2022 Tigray war
- a hollow pursuit of peace.
Mismanaged transition

Between 1991 and 2018, Ethiopia was governed by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front. This was a powerful coalition of four ethno-national parties representing Tigray, Amhara, Oromo, and Southern nations, nationalities and peoples.

Faced with a political crisis and growing unrest in 2014 following opposition clampdowns and arbitrary arrests, the coalition needed a change. Two members – the Oromo People’s Democratic Organisation and the Amhara National Democratic Movement – joined forces to oust the Tigray People’s Liberation Front from its dominant position. They did this by leveraging youth-led protests, which played out between 2015 and 2018.

Following the resignation of prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn in 2018, the two parties orchestrated Abiy Ahmed’s ascent to power.

For a moment, the relationship between the Oromo and Amhara wings of the coalition looked like one of equals. This didn’t last. In December 2019, Abiy merged the coalition into a single party, the Prosperity Party.

The Oromo wing positioned itself as the core of the Prosperity Party. It monopolised key political positions and economic opportunities. This included asserting control over the capital, Addis Ababa.

Read more:
Abiy Ahmed gained power in Ethiopia with the help of young people – four years later he’s silencing them

Amhara’s outspoken leaders who criticised this dominance faced removal, arrest or exile. The region’s president, Ambachew Mekonnen, was assassinated in June 2019.

Harassment, kidnappings for ransom and arrests were daily experiences for Amhara region residents trying to enter Addis Ababa. Members of the Amhara community also faced ethnic-based violence in various parts of the country.

These incidents provoked anti-government protests throughout Amhara.

Fallout from the Tigray war

A peace agreement signed in 2022 in South Africa ended a brutal two-year war in Tigray and neighbouring regions. However, it deepened the sense of marginalisation in Amhara.

While the agreement silenced the guns in Tigray, it sidelined Amhara constituencies by denying them representation in the talks despite the region being affected by the war. The agreement’s ambiguity regarding the fate of territories disputed between Amhara and Tigray, such as Welkait, further fuelled distrust.

The last nail in the coffin came in April 2023. The government decided to dismantle regional special forces. This was ostensibly aimed at consolidating the country’s fighting forces.

However, with unresolved territorial disputes and Oromo nationalist ambitions at the centre, disarming the Amhara Special Forces was interpreted as a move to weaken Amhara defences. Additionally, the more than 200,000-strong Tigray Defence Forces were left intact. This contributed to a sense of vulnerability in neighbouring Amhara.

Public protests led to clashes with government forces. These protests morphed into an insurgency by the Fano in the following months.

The insurgency has expanded its reach and has public support across the region and in the diaspora.

The Fano insurgency is taking place in a territory three times the size of Tigray, stretching the federal army.

Various Fano factions cite objectives that range from the protection of Amhara interests to constitutional change and overthrowing the federal government.

However, the insurgency is still in its infancy. It lacks unified leadership, a cohesive structure or a chain of command. Factional divisions and competition persist, and there are no clear objectives.

Hollow pursuit of peace

The government seems determined to crush the Fano insurgency by force. A state of emergency was declared in August 2023 for six months. It was later extended.

While the state of emergency in Amhara officially ended in June 2024, some restrictions remain in place. This includes de facto curfews in major cities, including the capital Bahir Dar.

The counterinsurgency relies on heavy Ethiopian National Defence Forces deployments and drone strikes.

On the other hand, the government has indicated its openness to peace talks. However, it has avoided meaningful confidence-building measures, such as releasing Amhara political prisoners. A Peace Council established to mediate between the Fano and the government has proven ineffective. Its spokesperson has noted federal reluctance to negotiate.

Read more:
Ethiopia’s war may have ended, but the Tigray crisis hasn’t

The government’s peace efforts have centred on repeated calls for insurgents to surrender. There are reports that the government wants to talk to different Fano factions separately in the hope of fragmenting the insurgency further. Secret talks with one faction of the Fano are an indication of this strategy.

The path forward

The government’s violent counterinsurgency and occasional peace overtures are unlikely to succeed. The Prosperity Party is not popular in Amhara. A meaningful peace process – rather than calls for surrender or attempts to co-opt factions – is essential. This should start with measures like releasing arbitrarily detained Amhara activists, journalists, academics and politicians.

The federal government also needs to be part of a multi-stakeholder negotiation involving all Fano factions, civil society, community leaders, and domestic and diaspora-based opposition groups. Unbiased mediation from regional and international players may also be useful. Past attempts at piecemeal talks with factions of armed groups – be it in Tigray or Oromia – have prolonged insurgencies or fostered new ones. Only a comprehensive, all-inclusive dialogue can address the crisis.

Such a process needs to address deep-seated structural challenges. This includes ensuring the protection of Amhara minorities living in other regions, and the region’s representation within local, regional and federal government structures. Territorial disputes need to be addressed through a process rooted in historical context, constitutional principles and the consent of the people concerned.

Ultimately, enduring peace requires ending the cycle of ethnic dominance in Ethiopia’s federal governance arrangement.

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

– ref. Ethiopia’s civil war: what’s behind the Amhara rebellion? – https://theconversation.com/ethiopias-civil-war-whats-behind-the-amhara-rebellion-252425
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: 1 April 2025 Departmental update Global meeting calls for stronger partnerships to tackle skin NTDs
Source: World Health Organisation
The second global meeting on skin-related neglected tropical diseases (skin NTDs) convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded last week with a strong call for integrated approaches and enhanced partnerships to achieve the 2030 NTD road map targets. The meeting took place amid ongoing challenges in global health financing.

“The fight against skin NTDs requires a unified effort in the face of growing challenges,” said Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall, Director of the WHO Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme. “For three days, participants emphasized the importance of robust partnerships across diseases to effectively implement recommended interventions against skin NTDs.”

The meeting, held from 24 to 26 March under the theme “Integration to Achieve 2030 Targets,” brought together participants from 97 countries (over 300 participants in person and over 800 online participants) including representatives of ministries of health, health-care workers, individuals with lived experience, researchers and partners. Discussions focused on embedding skin NTD interventions into national health systems to ensure sustainability and broader impact.

“Achieving the 2030 targets will require a stronger collective commitment to integration,” said the keynote speaker, Professor Roderick Hay, King’s College London. “We must support ministries of heath in implementing innovative strategies that guarantee equitable access to care for affected populations.”

Key highlights
- Integrated approaches: country presentations demonstrated the feasibility of jointly delivering interventions against multiple diseases, as well as mainstreaming such interventions within existing programmes; notably, findings revealed that over 90% of patients screened for skin NTDs also presented with other common skin conditions emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach within the primary health-care system.
- Development of new tools: presentations highlighted the potential of digital and artificial intelligence-based tools for capacity strengthening.
- Advances in research: discussions on telacebec – a promising new medicine to treat mycobacterial infections (Buruli ulcer, leprosy and tuberculosis) – highlighted the potential to significantly shorten durations of treatment.
- Psychosocial challenges: experts called for the integration of mental health services into NTD programmes, recognizing the profound psychosocial impact of skin NTDs.
- Climate change and One Health: discussions focused on mitigation measures against the impact of climate change on spread of skin diseases and stressed incorporating a One Health approach in disease transmission studies.
- Wound care and rehabilitation: discussions on mycetoma, noma and podoconiosis emphasized the need for early detection, integration of surgical and rehabilitation services into comprehensive health care.
MIL OSI United Nations News –
April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI: VISTA Inhibitor Clinical Trials Market Size FDA Approval Patent Report 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Delhi, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global VISTA Inhibitor Clinical Trials, Drug Development Opportunities & Patent Insight 2025 Report Highlights & Findings:
- First VISTA Inhibitor Drug Approval By 2028
- US Dominating Global VISTA Inhibitor Clinical Trials Landscape
- Insight On Ongoing Clinical Trials By Company, Country, Indication & Phase
- Key Drugs Clinical Study Initiation & Completion Year Overview
- Global & Regional Market Development Insight By Indication
- Global VISTA Inhibitors Market Dynamics & Competitive Landscape
Download Report:
https://www.kuickresearch.com/report-vista-inhibitor-clinical-trials-fda-approval-vista-ligand-vista-agonist-vista-expression-vista-protein-vista-antibody

The global landscape for VISTA targeted therapies remains an under explored but highly promising area within the field of immunotherapy. Despite the absence of any approved VISTA inhibitors to date, a growing body of research underscores the potential of targeting this immune checkpoint as a novel approach to overcome tumor immune evasion. VISTA, or V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation, has attracted significant attention from researchers and pharmaceutical companies around the world, driven by the need for new treatments in cancer and, to some extent, autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Although current efforts remain largely in the preclinical and early clinical phases, the advances made so far suggest that VISTA could become a key target in next-generation immunotherapies.

In US, the research and development of VISTA inhibitors have been characterized by robust academic investigation and active industry involvement. Numerous studies have delved into the mechanistic role of VISTA in modulating immune responses. For instance, a groundbreaking study from the Cleveland Clinic in May 2024 revealed a novel binding partner for VISTA—LRIG1—using innovative proteomic approaches. This discovery not only expanded the understanding of VISTA’s role in immune suppression but also pointed to a potential therapeutic strategy for selectively inhibiting the VISTA/LRIG1 interaction. Such insights have reinforced the notion that VISTA inhibitors could offer significant benefits in cancer immunotherapy, especially for tumors that exhibit resistance to conventional checkpoint inhibitors like PD-1 and CTLA-4.

The strategic moves in the industry further underscore the potential of the VISTA-targeted market. In December 2024, Florida-based TuHURA Biosciences made headlines by acquiring Kineta, thereby gaining the rights to KVA12123, a novel VISTA-blocking immunotherapy. KVA12123 is positioned as a best-in-class candidate with promising preclinical and early clinical data that support its future role in the immuno-oncology landscape. This acquisition reflects the growing confidence among investors and industry players in the long-term potential of VISTA inhibitors, even though the clinical pathway remains in its infancy.

Research on the VISTA checkpoint protein has gained significant momentum, with universities worldwide playing a pivotal role in uncovering its therapeutic potential. Institutions such as Yale School of Medicine, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, Columbia University, Washington University, Jinan University Medical College, and the University of Groningen have conducted collaborative studies, revealing crucial insights into the molecular mechanisms that regulate VISTA expression and its role in immune modulation, particularly in T cells and macrophages. These findings have spurred interest in exploring VISTA as a potential target for immune checkpoint inhibition, positioning it as a promising area for therapeutic development.

Major pharmaceutical companies, such as Roche, AstraZeneca, Novartis, and Boehringer Ingelheim, are already heavily invested in the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors and are now turning their attention to VISTA as a promising target for novel cancer therapies. With ongoing academic research and strong industry involvement, VISTA-based therapies could soon become an important addition to the landscape of immuno-oncology treatments.

Global collaborations and symposiums further exemplify the momentum in this field. Platforms such as the Annual Virtual VISTA Symposium and high-profile meetings like the AACR Annual Meeting bring together leading scientists, clinicians, and industry experts to share insights on VISTA biology and discuss early-stage clinical developments. These gatherings facilitate knowledge exchange and foster partnerships that could accelerate the transition of VISTA inhibitors from the bench to the bedside.

In conclusion, the global market for VISTA-targeted therapies, though currently under-explored with no approved agents to date, is teeming with potential. The convergence of innovative research from the US and Europe, strategic industry moves such as acquisitions and collaborative trials, and the concerted efforts of leading academic institutions collectively signal a promising future for VISTA inhibitors. As research continues to elucidate the therapeutic potential of VISTA, this emerging field is poised to become a significant pillar in the next generation of immunotherapy.

The MIL Network –
April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Ethiopia’s civil war: what’s behind the Amhara rebellion?
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Amanuel Tesfaye, Doctoral Researcher, University of Helsinki

Ethiopia is in the grip of a civil war between federal government forces and the Fano, a loose alliance of ethnic-based militia in the Amhara region.

This conflict in Ethiopia’s north erupted less than a year after the devastating Tigray war, which ended in 2022.

The Amhara are one of Ethiopia’s largest ethnic groups and played a leading role in the making of the Ethiopian state. Amharic serves as the country’s working language.

The region shares a border with Tigray. During the Tigray war, which began in 2020, various Fano groups allied with the federal government. A peace deal in 2022 to stop the war sidelined the Amhara militia groups, which strained relations with the government.

The Amhara conflict began as minor sporadic clashes with government forces in April 2023. This rapidly escalated into a full-scale insurgency by August when Fano forces launched a full blown attack in an effort to control the region’s major cities.

The violence since has displaced more than 100,000 people and left 4.7 million children out of school.

The death toll from the conflict is piling up. In March 2025, the government claimed to have killed more than 300 Fano fighters.

We are researchers studying ethnic nationalism, social movements and insurgency in Ethiopia, with a focus on Amhara. Based on our studies into the Fano and ongoing research on Ethiopia’s political reforms process, we see three factors behind the escalating armed struggle in Amhara:
- a mismanaged political transition from 2018 to 2020
- fallout from the 2020-2022 Tigray war
- a hollow pursuit of peace.
Mismanaged transition

Between 1991 and 2018, Ethiopia was governed by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front. This was a powerful coalition of four ethno-national parties representing Tigray, Amhara, Oromo, and Southern nations, nationalities and peoples.

Faced with a political crisis and growing unrest in 2014 following opposition clampdowns and arbitrary arrests, the coalition needed a change. Two members – the Oromo People’s Democratic Organisation and the Amhara National Democratic Movement – joined forces to oust the Tigray People’s Liberation Front from its dominant position. They did this by leveraging youth-led protests, which played out between 2015 and 2018.

Following the resignation of prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn in 2018, the two parties orchestrated Abiy Ahmed’s ascent to power.

For a moment, the relationship between the Oromo and Amhara wings of the coalition looked like one of equals. This didn’t last. In December 2019, Abiy merged the coalition into a single party, the Prosperity Party.

The Oromo wing positioned itself as the core of the Prosperity Party. It monopolised key political positions and economic opportunities. This included asserting control over the capital, Addis Ababa.

Read more: Abiy Ahmed gained power in Ethiopia with the help of young people – four years later he’s silencing them

Amhara’s outspoken leaders who criticised this dominance faced removal, arrest or exile. The region’s president, Ambachew Mekonnen, was assassinated in June 2019.

Harassment, kidnappings for ransom and arrests were daily experiences for Amhara region residents trying to enter Addis Ababa. Members of the Amhara community also faced ethnic-based violence in various parts of the country.

These incidents provoked anti-government protests throughout Amhara.

Fallout from the Tigray war

A peace agreement signed in 2022 in South Africa ended a brutal two-year war in Tigray and neighbouring regions. However, it deepened the sense of marginalisation in Amhara.

While the agreement silenced the guns in Tigray, it sidelined Amhara constituencies by denying them representation in the talks despite the region being affected by the war. The agreement’s ambiguity regarding the fate of territories disputed between Amhara and Tigray, such as Welkait, further fuelled distrust.

The last nail in the coffin came in April 2023. The government decided to dismantle regional special forces. This was ostensibly aimed at consolidating the country’s fighting forces.

However, with unresolved territorial disputes and Oromo nationalist ambitions at the centre, disarming the Amhara Special Forces was interpreted as a move to weaken Amhara defences. Additionally, the more than 200,000-strong Tigray Defence Forces were left intact. This contributed to a sense of vulnerability in neighbouring Amhara.

Public protests led to clashes with government forces. These protests morphed into an insurgency by the Fano in the following months.

The insurgency has expanded its reach and has public support across the region and in the diaspora.

The Fano insurgency is taking place in a territory three times the size of Tigray, stretching the federal army.

Various Fano factions cite objectives that range from the protection of Amhara interests to constitutional change and overthrowing the federal government.

However, the insurgency is still in its infancy. It lacks unified leadership, a cohesive structure or a chain of command. Factional divisions and competition persist, and there are no clear objectives.

Hollow pursuit of peace

The government seems determined to crush the Fano insurgency by force. A state of emergency was declared in August 2023 for six months. It was later extended.

While the state of emergency in Amhara officially ended in June 2024, some restrictions remain in place. This includes de facto curfews in major cities, including the capital Bahir Dar.

The counterinsurgency relies on heavy Ethiopian National Defence Forces deployments and drone strikes.

On the other hand, the government has indicated its openness to peace talks. However, it has avoided meaningful confidence-building measures, such as releasing Amhara political prisoners. A Peace Council established to mediate between the Fano and the government has proven ineffective. Its spokesperson has noted federal reluctance to negotiate.

Read more: Ethiopia’s war may have ended, but the Tigray crisis hasn’t

The government’s peace efforts have centred on repeated calls for insurgents to surrender. There are reports that the government wants to talk to different Fano factions separately in the hope of fragmenting the insurgency further. Secret talks with one faction of the Fano are an indication of this strategy.

The path forward

The government’s violent counterinsurgency and occasional peace overtures are unlikely to succeed. The Prosperity Party is not popular in Amhara. A meaningful peace process – rather than calls for surrender or attempts to co-opt factions – is essential. This should start with measures like releasing arbitrarily detained Amhara activists, journalists, academics and politicians.

The federal government also needs to be part of a multi-stakeholder negotiation involving all Fano factions, civil society, community leaders, and domestic and diaspora-based opposition groups. Unbiased mediation from regional and international players may also be useful. Past attempts at piecemeal talks with factions of armed groups – be it in Tigray or Oromia – have prolonged insurgencies or fostered new ones. Only a comprehensive, all-inclusive dialogue can address the crisis.

Such a process needs to address deep-seated structural challenges. This includes ensuring the protection of Amhara minorities living in other regions, and the region’s representation within local, regional and federal government structures. Territorial disputes need to be addressed through a process rooted in historical context, constitutional principles and the consent of the people concerned.

Ultimately, enduring peace requires ending the cycle of ethnic dominance in Ethiopia’s federal governance arrangement.

– Ethiopia’s civil war: what’s behind the Amhara rebellion?
– https://theconversation.com/ethiopias-civil-war-whats-behind-the-amhara-rebellion-252425

MIL OSI Africa –
April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Islanders invited to review and provide feedback on PFAS blood-testing and interventions proposals02 April 2025 The Government of Jersey welcomes the publication of the draft third report from the PFAS Scientific Advisory Panel, which sets out recommendations on blood testing, re-testing, and potential interventions… Read more
Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

02 April 2025

The Government of Jersey welcomes the publication of the draft third report from the PFAS Scientific Advisory Panel, which sets out recommendations on blood testing, re-testing, and potential interventions for Islanders affected by PFAS.

The report includes 13 draft recommendations, including the establishment of background levels of PFAS in the blood of Islanders outside the affected area. It also recommends offering blood testing to firefighters or others who may have been occupationally exposed during the period when firefighting foam containing PFAS of concern was in use. Additionally, it suggests that Colesevelam, a cholesterol-lowering medication, be offered to Islanders who meet certain criteria on a case-by-case basis.

Following the publication of the draft report, a three-week feedback period will commence to allow Islanders to share their views. Feedback will be reviewed by the Panel before finalising the report for Government consideration.

Deputy Tom Binet, Minister for Health and Social Services, said: “I welcome the publication of this draft report and encourage Islanders to share their views as part of the feedback process. Once the report has been finalised, the Government’s Water Quality and Safety Board will review its findings and give careful consideration to the recommendations.”

The draft report will be available at gov.je/PFAS. To provide feedback on the report please email PFASPanel@gov.je before 24 April.

The PFAS Scientific Advisory Panel is an independent panel. It’s made up of external experts recruited from a global pool of specialists in their field. The purpose of the panel is to coordinate and provide expert advice on PFAS issues. This is to enable an effective and evidenced based approach to decision making, enabling a sound and informed response to PFAS matters on the Island.

The panel will develop the following reports:
- review of therapeutic phlebotomy such as having blood taken to reduce PFAS levels (complete)
- assessment of the impact of PFAS exposure on health (complete)
- clinical interventions and blood testing and re-testing (draft)
- environmental management (in progress)
- updates on the previous reports For more information about the Islands response to PFAS, please visit gov.je/PFAS
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UKHSA launches call for evidence to tackle rising TB
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

UKHSA launches call for evidence to tackle rising TB

UKHSA launches a call for evidence to shape England’s 2026 to 2031 TB Action Plan as TB rates continue to rise.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is launching a call for evidence to help shape the next 5-year Tuberculosis (TB) National Action Plan for England, which will run from 2026 to 2031. The latest data for England show that TB rates are rising, and TB epidemiology is changing.

TB rates are diverging further from the trajectory required to achieve WHO elimination targets and renewed action is necessary to keep rates below the WHO-defined low-incidence threshold of 10 cases per 100,000 population.

In 2023, England recorded its largest annual increase (11%) in TB cases since enhanced surveillance began in 2000. Provisional figures for 2024 indicate a further 13% rise in TB notifications compared to 2023, continuing the upward trend. This reflects global patterns, with many countries experiencing setbacks in TB control efforts in recent years. Following the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, global TB incidence rates have increased.

The new Tuberculosis National Action Plan (2026–2031) aims to improve the prevention, detection, and control of TB in England by prioritising the most effective interventions, focusing on those most affected, and addressing health inequalities.

Our call for evidence seeks insights from:

academics

health and social care professionals

public health experts

epidemiologists

data and surveillance scientists

civil society representatives

policymakers

politicians

those with lived experience of tuberculosis

Their contributions will help develop targeted strategies to tackle rising TB rates.

The Call for Evidence will open on 2 April 2025 and close on 2 May 2025.

Dr Esther Robinson, Head of the TB Unit at UKHSA, said:

TB is curable and preventable, but the disease remains a serious public health issue in England. While England is still considered a low-incidence country for TB, the rise in cases over recent years means that we are now just below that threshold. This call for evidence will help us develop an action plan that prioritises the most effective interventions to reverse this trend, focusing particularly on the needs of those most affected.

The call for evidence builds on the progress made under the current Tuberculosis Action Plan for England, published in 2021, and seeks input to address the evolving TB landscape. UKHSA is consulting a wide range of stakeholders across and beyond government to inform the plan’s development.

TB is the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, surpassing COVID-19. The bacterial infection primarily affects the lungs but can also impact other parts of the body. Symptoms include a persistent cough lasting more than three weeks, a high temperature, night sweats, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

Those with expertise or experience in TB prevention, care, public health, epidemiology, health systems, surveillance, or civil society are encouraged to contribute to the call for evidence via GOV.UK.

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Published 2 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Measles alert for Western Sydney

Source: Australian Green Party

NSW Health is advising people to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles after being notified of a confirmed case who was infectious while in greater western Sydney.
The individual had recently returned from Vietnam, which is experiencing a large measles outbreak at present. They were not infectious while on their flight.
People who attended the following location should watch for the development of symptoms:

Family Doctors Berala (co-located with Berala Pharmacy and 4Cyte Pathology) – 174B Woodburn Road, Berala, on Saturday 18 January from 10am to 11:15am.

South Western Sydney Local Health District Director of Public Health, Dr Mitchell Smith said while this location poses no ongoing risk, people who visited the above location at that time should monitor for symptoms.
“Symptoms to watch out for include fever, sore eyes, runny nose and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that starts on the head and face, then spreads to the rest of the body,” Dr Smith said.
“It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after being exposed, so it’s important for people who visited this site at that time to look out for symptoms up until Wednesday 5 February. If you experience symptoms please call ahead before visiting your doctor.”
“We want to remind the community to make sure they are up to date with their vaccinations. Everyone should check that they are protected against measles, which is highly infectious.“Anyone born after 1965 needs to make sure they have had two doses of measles vaccine. This is especially important before overseas travel. Measles outbreaks are occurring in several regions of the world at the moment.”
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and effective. It’s given free for children at 12 and 18 months of age. It is also free in NSW for anyone born after 1965 who hasn’t already had two doses.
Children under the age of 12 months can have their first dose of MMR up to 6 months earlier if they are travelling to areas with a high risk for measles. Parents should consult their GP.
People who are unsure of whether they have had two doses should get a vaccine, as additional doses are safe. This is particularly important prior to travel. MMR vaccine is available from GPs (all ages) and pharmacies (people over 5 years of age).
For more information on measles, view the measles fact sheet

MIL OSI News –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Measles alert for Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs

Source: Australian Green Party

NSW Health is advising people to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles after being notified of a confirmed case who was infectious while visiting several locations in eastern Sydney.
The source of the infection is unclear and is being further investigated.
People who attended the following locations should watch for the development of symptoms. These locations do not pose an ongoing risk.
Sunday 30 March

The Bagel Co, 475 Old South Head Rd, Rose Bay, from 7:30am to 8:15am
Easts Basketball League at Waverley College, from 9:10am to 10:30am
Easts Basketball League at Rose Bay Secondary College, from 2pm to 3:40pm.

Tuesday 1 April

TerryWhite Chemmart Gaslight Rose Bay, 484 Old South Head Rd, Rose Bay, from 5pm to 5:30pm.

South Eastern Sydney Local Health District Public Health Physician, Dr Anthea Katelaris, said if you visited the above locations at those times you should monitor for symptoms.
“Measles is a vaccine preventable disease that is spread through the air when someone who is infectious coughs or sneezes,” Dr Katelaris said.
“Symptoms to watch out for include fever, runny nose, sore eyes, and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body.
“It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after an exposure, so it’s important for people who visited these locations to look out for symptoms up until 19 April 2025.
“It’s important for people to stay vigilant if they’ve been exposed, and if they develop symptoms, to please call ahead to their GP or emergency department to ensure they do not spend time in the waiting room with other patients.
“We want to remind the community to make sure they are up to date with their vaccinations. This should be a reminder for everyone to check that they are protected against measles, which is highly infectious.
“Anyone born after 1965 needs to ensure they have had two doses of measles vaccine. This is especially important before overseas travel, as measles outbreaks are occurring in several regions of the world at the moment.
“In addition, people at these locations who are immunosuppressed, pregnant, or anyone, including babies, who has not received a measles vaccine may benefit from preventative treatment. People in these groups should speak to their GP urgently or contact their local public health unit on 1300 066 055.”
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and effective and is given free for children at 12 and 18 months of age. It is also free in NSW for anyone born after 1965 who hasn’t already had two doses.
Children under the age of 12 months can have their first dose of MMR up to six months earlier if they are travelling to areas with a high risk for measles. Parents should consult their GP.
People who are unsure of whether they have had two doses should get a vaccine, as additional doses are safe. This is particularly important prior to travel. MMR vaccine is available from GPs (all ages) and pharmacies (people over 5 years of age).
For more information on measles, view the measles factsheet.
If you, or a loved one, is experiencing measles symptoms, or have questions about measles, please call your GP or Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

MIL OSI News –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Digital health platforms poised to improve predictive modeling and personalized treatment strategies, says GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

Digital health platforms poised to improve predictive modeling and personalized treatment strategies, says GlobalData

Posted in Medical Devices

The integration of patient data into mobile health platforms is part of a larger trend in digital health innovation. The recent collaboration between Momentum Health and the Harms Study Group (HSG) aims to enhance pediatric scoliosis management by leveraging technology such as 3D imaging, artificial intelligence (AI), and wearable tracking. As AI, machine learning, and data analytics become more sophisticated, healthcare providers can leverage these technologies to improve predictive modeling and personalized treatment strategies, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The Momentum Spine platform introduces 3D topography scans, AI-powered analysis, and real-time wearable tracking to replace traditional X-rays, reducing radiation exposure. Additionally, its brace monitoring functionality ensures patient adherence to prescribed treatment plans. These innovations align with the healthcare industry’s move toward personalized and data-driven treatment strategies.

Elia Garcia, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Children and adolescents with scoliosis, in particular, are poised to gain significant advantages from this approach. Remote monitoring of posture and spinal alignment reduces the need for frequent hospital visits, promoting a more proactive model of care. Furthermore, real-time tracking of activity levels and brace compliance allows patients to take greater ownership of their treatment. Managing a chronic condition like scoliosis can be psychologically demanding, but providing immediate feedback and positive reinforcement through digital tools may improve adherence and lead to better treatment outcomes.”

GlobalData’s report, “Regulatory Approved Apps Market Size by Segments, Share, Regulatory, Reimbursement, and Forecast to 2036,” reveals that as AI, machine learning, and data analytics evolve, healthcare providers can use these technologies to enhance predictive models and create more personalized treatment plans.

Garcia concludes: “Over time, collaborations like Momentum Health and HSG could lead to broader applications in spinal care. By improving patient compliance and reducing complications, digital platforms like Momentum Spine can help healthcare systems use resources more efficiently and reduce costs.”

MIL OSI Economics –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Medtronic embolization devices recall to impact flow diverting stents market sales, says GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

Medtronic embolization devices recall to impact flow diverting stents market sales, says GlobalData

Posted in Medical Devices

Medtronic’s latest recall of the embolization devices Pipeline Vantage 027 and 021 are likely to result in revenue losses in the flow diverting stents market. While the market is projected to grow steadily, the recall may prompt healthcare providers to consider alternative devices, creating opportunities for competitors like Stryker and Terumo in the short-term, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData forecasts the flow diverting stents market to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3% from $746.9 million in 2024 to $1.03 billion in 2034.

The recall comes after as many as four deaths and 17 injuries were linked to Medtronic’s devices due to tubes unable to properly attach to blood vessel walls throughout procedures resulting in risks to the patient for stroke, thrombosis and death.

Aidan Robertson, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “This costly string of incidents can be expected to cause some hesitancy towards using Medtronic’s flow diverting stents soon. Healthcare providers may look to more reliable devices when performing delicate procedures such as treating aneurysms in the case of this device.”

In the larger neurovascular embolization device market, Medtronic is a major player making up the largest portion of about 31.8% of the global market with competitors such as Stryker and Terumo takin up 25.3% and 17.4% of the market, respectively.

However, looking specifically at the flow diversion stents section of neurovascular embolization devices, Medtronic dominates this space taking up approximately 55.9% of the market with Stryker and Terumo covering 18.5% and 18.9%, respectively.

Due to the severity of this recall, there is a significant opportunity to make gains in the flow diversion stents market for Terumo and Stryker. However, it is unlikely to translate into major changes in market position in the overarching neurovascular embolization market.

The global neurovascular embolization market is expected to continue to increase as the healthcare system transitions from surgical treatments of arteriovenous malformations (AVM) to less invasive endovascular procedures which have shown better patient outcomes. Additionally, growth in this area is anticipated to be boosted by the increased incidence rate of AVMs due to population trends as well as advancements in diagnostic technologies.

Robertson concludes: “Medtronic has incurred a substantial complication in flow diversion stents that could result in notable losses. Although this presents a setback for flow diversion stents, it is unlikely to have a meaningful effect on their position in the overall neurovascular embolization market, which is expected to display significant growth over the next decade.”

MIL OSI Economics –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Banking: Medtronic embolization devices recall to impact flow diverting stents market sales, says GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

Medtronic embolization devices recall to impact flow diverting stents market sales, says GlobalData

Posted in Medical Devices

Medtronic’s latest recall of the embolization devices Pipeline Vantage 027 and 021 are likely to result in revenue losses in the flow diverting stents market. While the market is projected to grow steadily, the recall may prompt healthcare providers to consider alternative devices, creating opportunities for competitors like Stryker and Terumo in the short-term, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData forecasts the flow diverting stents market to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3% from $746.9 million in 2024 to $1.03 billion in 2034.

The recall comes after as many as four deaths and 17 injuries were linked to Medtronic’s devices due to tubes unable to properly attach to blood vessel walls throughout procedures resulting in risks to the patient for stroke, thrombosis and death.

Aidan Robertson, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “This costly string of incidents can be expected to cause some hesitancy towards using Medtronic’s flow diverting stents soon. Healthcare providers may look to more reliable devices when performing delicate procedures such as treating aneurysms in the case of this device.”

In the larger neurovascular embolization device market, Medtronic is a major player making up the largest portion of about 31.8% of the global market with competitors such as Stryker and Terumo takin up 25.3% and 17.4% of the market, respectively.

However, looking specifically at the flow diversion stents section of neurovascular embolization devices, Medtronic dominates this space taking up approximately 55.9% of the market with Stryker and Terumo covering 18.5% and 18.9%, respectively.

Due to the severity of this recall, there is a significant opportunity to make gains in the flow diversion stents market for Terumo and Stryker. However, it is unlikely to translate into major changes in market position in the overarching neurovascular embolization market.

The global neurovascular embolization market is expected to continue to increase as the healthcare system transitions from surgical treatments of arteriovenous malformations (AVM) to less invasive endovascular procedures which have shown better patient outcomes. Additionally, growth in this area is anticipated to be boosted by the increased incidence rate of AVMs due to population trends as well as advancements in diagnostic technologies.

Robertson concludes: “Medtronic has incurred a substantial complication in flow diversion stents that could result in notable losses. Although this presents a setback for flow diversion stents, it is unlikely to have a meaningful effect on their position in the overall neurovascular embolization market, which is expected to display significant growth over the next decade.”

MIL OSI Global Banks –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Europeans have more flexible views on how to respond to irregular migrants than policymakers think – new research
Source: The Conversation – France – By Martin Ruhs, Professor of Migration Studies, European University Institute

With an estimated minimum of 2.6 to 3.2 million irregular migrants in Europe and fierce public debates about them, policymakers face the difficult question of how to ensure migrants’ basic rights of protection from exploitation, destitution and ill health while also establishing effective migration controls. However, we know surprisingly little about how Europeans think about this policy dilemma.

In our study, the first of its kind in Europe, we surveyed 20,000 people across Austria, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and the UK to understand their preferences on policies regarding access to healthcare, social welfare and labour protections, as well as the obtainment of regular legal status or “regularisation” for irregular migrants.

The results challenge the idea that public attitudes toward irregular migrants’ rights are simply “for” or “against”. Instead, we find that variations in policy design matter – and when policies include both migration controls and protections for migrants, public support often increases.

Our method

To study public preferences for policies relating to irregular migrants, we conducted a conjoint survey experiment. In it, respondents were presented with different multidimensional “policy packages” that randomly varied in how they regulated opportunities for regularisation, as well as legal rights to access primary health care, financial support in low-income situations, and back pay of withheld wages.

Respondents were shown two policy packages at a time, and then asked to rate and indicate which of the two they preferred. For each respondent, this process was repeated five times. This method allowed us to study how a change in a particular policy feature – e.g., a change in how access to primary healthcare is regulated – affects individuals’ support for the overall policy package.

So, what do Europeans think? Here are some of our key results.
- People favour selective regularisation
Our results suggest that the public prefers targeted pathways for regularisation for irregular migrants. Across all five countries we analysed, respondents consistently preferred policies that allow irregular migrants to acquire legal status based on certain conditions, including a clean criminal record and a minimum length of stay in the host country. Somewhat surprisingly, there was no consistent preference between a five-year or ten-year minimum residence period.
- Healthcare gets more support than financial assistance
We found that giving irregular migrants access to healthcare is far less controversial than giving access to financial support for those living on low incomes. This aligns with findings from the US, where such support has remained politically divisive.
- Some migration controls boost support for access to rights – but not all rights
We also found greater support for irregular migrants receiving health care and back pay for withheld wages when these rights were linked to a migration control measure: obligations for public sector employees to report irregular migrants to authorities.

This suggests, as existing literature highlights, that many people experience an internal conflict between humanitarian concerns and a desire for stricter migration controls.

However, the pattern in our data does not hold for all rights: even when combined with reporting obligations, the provision of cash assistance for irregular migrants still does not generate public support.
- A preference for essential workers
Not all irregular migrants are viewed equally: our findings show that people are more supportive of rights and regularisation opportunities for migrants who previously worked legally in the host country – especially in essential roles like elder care. This reflects broader research on attitudes toward welfare deservingness, which found that public perception of migrants’ past contributions to society shape views on whether they should get access to rights.

How do attitudes differ across countries?

While there are many similarities in public views on regularisation opportunities and access to rights for irregular migrants across the countries we studied, there are also some notable differences. For example, support for providing primary healthcare varied: respondents in the UK were the least supportive, and respondents in Italy were the most. Similarly, while respondents in most countries opposed the provision of low-income support, Italian respondents were more ambivalent, showing no strong preference for or against this right for irregular migrants.

Overall, respondents in Italy showed the greatest preferences for inclusive policies, including the strongest support for allowing irregular migrants to apply for legal status. While our analysis does not investigate the reasons for this, it may reflect Italy’s history of regularisation programmes in recent decades, which may have made Italian respondents more open to and supportive of such programmes.

Rethinking public attitudes about irregular migrants

Public attitudes matter – they influence which policies are feasible and sustainable over time. Our research shows that EU and UK residents don’t default to blunt and one-sided policies such as blanket opposition to irregular migrants ever gaining legal status. Instead, people are selective, and prefer policies that distinguish between giving irregular migrants different types of rights. People also have specific views about when and why irregular migrants should have access to healthcare, social welfare, labour protections and legal status.

This does not mean that survey respondents wanted to offer unconditional legal status and access to rights to all irregular migrants. Instead, respondents often preferred an approach that combines selective access to rights with enforcement of migration rules. What our study indicates is that the public has more nuanced views on how migration should be managed than policymakers generally give them credit for. This suggests there may be more room for selective and inclusive policymaking than often assumed.

This article is based on a research paper co-authored by Lutz Gschwind (Uppsala University, UU), Martin Ruhs (EUI), Anton Ahlén (UU) and Joakim Palme (UU). The paper is part of the international “PRIME” project that analyses the conditions of irregular migrants in Europe. PRIME is funded by the European Union Horizon Europe programme. Views and opinions expressed, however, are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the EU or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the EU nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The author has received support from the European Union Horizon Europe funding programme for research and innovation (project number 101095113).

– ref. Europeans have more flexible views on how to respond to irregular migrants than policymakers think – new research – https://theconversation.com/europeans-have-more-flexible-views-on-how-to-respond-to-irregular-migrants-than-policymakers-think-new-research-253473
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI: Anywhere365 drives the transformation of customer experience with AI, and unveils new identity: AnywhereNow
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

London, UK 2 April 2025 – Anywhere365, a global pioneer in transforming customer experience with AI solutions, has unveiled its bold, new brand identity, AnywhereNow. Building on the company’s history, the new brand steps up into a faster paced identity, incorporating an urban theme that reflects a new sense of urgency, but still retains the company’s core values of innovation, accountability, customer-first approach and caring. 

AnywhereNow’s AI solutions help contact centres deliver exceptional value through enhanced engagement, efficient workforce collaboration, AI-driven insights and a comprehensive omni-channel service. AnywhereNow will continue to build on its AI-first strategy, embedding Agentic AI into all phases of customer interaction, leveraging the power of Teams, Azure Communication Services, and the Microsoft ecosystem, as well as considerable integrations including SAP, Salesforce and ServiceNow. In addition, AnywhereNow’s Copilot-ready Deepdesk Agent Assist, powered by Azure OpenAI, helps agents decrease call handling times and improves customer experience.  

Will Blench, CEO at AnywhereNow says, “Our vision remains constant: to enable every employee and every customer to be heard, understood and valued. Since launching the market’s first contact centre solution with native Microsoft Teams integration, we have proven our commitment to service excellence and gained the trust of more than 2000 global enterprises worldwide.”

“We now stand at the crossroads of three powerful market drivers: Hybrid work, Agentic AI and Cloud Communications, and are focused on helping our customers maximise their commercial advantage of those drivers,” adds Blench. 

Acquisitions and New Innovation 

AnywhereNow has a proven track record in successful M&A, most recently acquiring Deepdesk and Tendfor in 2024. The company continues to invest in innovation across its global hubs, offering a comprehensive set of AI-enabled products and services:
- Deepdesk: A powerful Agent Assist platform that helps contact centre agents solve problems quickly and easily. Now, through its Assistant Platform, companies can deploy Agentic AI to solve customer experience issues without human intervention. Deepdesk is growing fast and already has deep inroads into enterprise customers such as Rabobank and DHL.  
- Dialogue Cloud: The flagship offering for Microsoft Teams customer experience, offering intuitive user experience (UX) and a deep array of CRM and AI integrations, easily configured with the Low-code solution, Dialogue Studio. Dialogue Cloud also offers Dialogue AI Assist, a fully integrated AI platform that seamlessly embeds AI-assistance capabilities into customer interactions. 
- Tendfor: A leading provider of advanced cloud communication capabilities strengthens AnywhereNow’s leadership in the Microsoft Teams Phone ecosystem, providing a rich and easy-to-deploy experience. 
- IQMessenger: The AnywhereNow critical messaging platform is a world leader in the Health and Industrial markets. 
Partnerships 

Partners are integral to AnywhereNow’s success, and it is committed to maintaining its global partnerships through its Global Partnership Programme. Over the next year, AnywhereNow will continue to empower partners with tailored onboarding, training and enablement to deliver the best contact centre solutions to its customers.  

Looking ahead 

In an era of rapid technological advancement and changing customer expectations, AnywhereNow will redefine how enterprises communicate and engage their customers.  

About AnywhereNow 

Founded in 2010, AnywhereNow is a Netherlands-headquartered and fast-growing provider of Customer Experience SaaS solutions. AnywhereNow empowers voice and digital dialogues for organisations worldwide and brings to life Agentic AI platforms for increased productivity and effectiveness. AnywhereNow’s products are award-winning, recognised by industry analysts, and trusted by over 2,000 global customers, including Rabobank, DHL, Emirates, KPMG, Swarovski, Mazda, Deloitte, Aldi, Vodafone and Zeiss. For more information, please visit Anywhere.now 

Press Contact: 

Destiny Gillbee for AnywhereNow  

anywherenow@c8consulting.co.uk

The MIL Network –
April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Gaza: Critical medical supplies running out one month into deadly siege imposed by Israeli authorities – MSF

Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

Shortage of medication is forcing MSF teams to dress wounds with no pain relief and ration essential medicines. Israeli authorities must end collective punishment of people in Gaza.

Jerusalem, 2nd April – A month-long siege imposed by Israeli authorities in Gaza, Palestine, means some critical medications are now short in supply and are running out, leaving Palestinians at risk of losing vital healthcare, warns Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF). As Israeli forces continue to bomb the Gaza Strip, depriving people of basic needs, including food, water, and medicines may lead to a high number of health complications and deaths. MSF calls on Israeli authorities to immediately cease the collective punishment of Palestinians, end their inhumane siege of Gaza, and to uphold their responsibilities as an occupying power to facilitate humanitarian aid at scale.

For over a month, no aid or commercial trucks have entered Gaza, marking the longest period since the start of the war without any trucks entering the Strip and on 2 March, Israeli authorities imposed a complete siege of Gaza. On 9 March they cut the electricity, needed to power water desalination plants. This total blockade of aid and electricity has deprived people of most basic services, amounting to collective punishment.

“The Israeli authorities’ have condemned the people of Gaza to unbearable suffering with their deadly siege,” says Myriam Laaroussi, MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza. “This deliberate infliction of harm on people is like a slow death; it must end immediately.”

The siege has forced MSF teams have already to start rationing medications such as pain killers, providing less effective treatment or turning patients away. Teams are also running out of surgical supplies such as anaesthetics, paediatric antibiotics and medicines for chronic conditions like epilepsy, hypertension and diabetes. As a result of rationing, our teams in some primary health care clinics conduct wound dressings for injured people without providing them with any pain relief.

In addition, MSF teams are no longer able to donate blood bag donations to Nasser hospital due to a lack of stock, while the influxes of patients war-wounded by relentless Israeli force’s relentless continue.

The lack of soap and clean water for people means in primary health care clinics across the Strip, our teams are seeing an increase of people with skin conditions. In February, MSF teams treated 565 cases of skin conditions at the Al Hekker clinic in Deir Al Balah and 1,198 cases at the Al Attar clinic in Khan Younis. Just in two weeks in March, the number of cases at Al Hekker had already reached 437—nearly 80 percent of February’s total—while at Al Attar, 711 cases had been treated, almost 60 percent oof the number seen in February.

The blockade has left MSF teams are unable to provide medication to treat skin conditions, just small amounts of lotion to alleviate the pain. Skin conditions like scabies require treatment for the entire family to prevent spread and reinfection, but without medications, and clean water this is impossible.

For people with non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, the consequences of the lack of treatment may lead to severe complications, such as permanent disabilities and in some cases even death. Since the blockade, we have only been able to give patients medication to cover their needs for seven to 10 days.

“I don’t have any blood pressure medication left. My son searched for two days and couldn’t find any,” explains Sobheya Al-Beshiti, a patient of the MSF clinic in Attar, Khan Younis. “What can I do? Stay without treatment? If I don’t take my blood thinner, my nose starts bleeding, and I start coughing blood.”

During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Eid, patients in MSF clinics are reporting weight loss and lack of access to proper food.

“Right now, my blood levels are low, and my weight is also low. There aren’t enough food supplies to help me gain weight or increase my blood levels,” explains pregnant mother in an MSF clinic in Mawasi, Khan Younis. “The rising prices are a huge problem in the city: people simply cannot afford to buy necessities because of how expensive everything is.”

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

MIL OSI – Submitted News –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: Trump, Musk, & RFK Jr. Hollow Out HHS, Threatening Americans’ Health and Wellbeing

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
Trump carries out mass firings across HHS and subagencies today
ICYMI: Murray, Former Health Department Leaders, Sound Alarm on Trump and RFK Jr. Gutting HHS
ICYMI: Murray, DeLauro, Baldwin Demand Answers on RFK Jr.’s Plans to Gut HHS
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), responded to the Trump administration’s mass firings across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its many subagencies, which are responsible for protecting Americans’ health and delivering essential health and social services.
“Today, two billionaires are making good on their vow to take a wrecking ball to the Department of Health and Human Services and put Americans’ health and wellbeing at serious risk–and Republicans are letting them,” said Senator Murray. “These firings make a lot of sense if you believe measles spreading like wildfire is good–or think we should be slashing cancer research. While Republicans work to pass more tax breaks for billionaires, Trump, Musk, and RFK Jr. are ripping essential health services away from the American people and decimating our country’s ability to prevent outbreaks and keep families safe. There’s no two ways about it: this is the type of carelessness that gets people killed.”
Late last week, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to unilaterally push out 20,000 HHS employees (a ~25% reduction) and to dramatically reorganize and hollow out the Department–in clear violation of annual spending laws, including the one that Congress passed and was signed into law just weeks ago.
On Monday, Senator Murray led a letter to Secretary Kennedy demanding more information about the sweeping, devastating plans–noting that if this administration is truly committed to transparency, as it claims to be, and is confident its drastic plans will protect Americans’ health, it should be eager to share basic information about them. Thus far, however, the administration has provided no additional details to Congress or the public about its mass firings and reorganization.
This morning, thousands of health officials woke up to emails notifying them that they were being fired. In addition to the mass firings, HHS says it will eliminate 5 of 10 regional offices, trim 28 divisions into 15, and consolidate and move essential functions to other agencies.
Since taking office, Trump, Musk, and RFK Jr. have taken a sweeping array of actions to halt HHS’ essential, lifesaving work and diminish its capacity to keep families healthy. It has systematically choked off lifesaving medical research, and just last week, Trump ripped away resources communities nationwide are using to address bird flu, measles, the fentanyl epidemic, the mental health crisis, and more.
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA)
The FDA protects Americans’ health by ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medicines, biologics, and medical devices–and regulating food, cosmetics, and tobacco products.
The Trump administration announced last week it will cut 3,500 employees at the FDA. It has now pushed out senior leaders across the agency focused on food, drug, and medical device policy, as well as the head of the Center for Tobacco Products and the head of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Among the thousands of FDA staff fired by the Trump administration are experts who manage the review of new applications for drugs, vaccines, and medical devices–which will delay approval of new, potentially life-changing products that patients are counting on. Others reportedly pushed out include veterinary medicine experts working on bird flu preparedness and response, the top Type 1 Diabetes expert, and regulatory staff focused on negotiations on User Fee Agreements that fund some of FDA’s work–among many others.
“Americans depend on the FDA every time they sit down for a meal or pick up a prescription–but that’s no matter: Trump and Musk are hollowing out the agency and putting their health at risk. Let’s be crystal clear: there’s nothing strategic about firing thousands of people who inspect our food and ensure our prescriptions and babies’ formula are safe. While they work overtime to pass more tax breaks for themselves, Trump, Musk, and RFK Jr. are insisting on senseless cuts to all but destroy FDA, jeopardizing Americans’ safety and leaving patients waiting longer for lifesaving drugs to get to market,” said Senator Murray.
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC)
CDC is charged with protecting the American people from health threats, including infectious diseases like measles and bird flu.
The Trump administration announced plans to force out 2,400 employees at CDC.
Today, scores of CDC staff woke up to emails notifying them they are being fired. This includes mass reductions in force across most CDC centers, which will prevent the critical work CDC is responsible for from being carried out. Staff were fired en mass across CDC offices for domestic violence prevention, Smoking and Health, HIV prevention, Tuberculosis elimination, disability and health, childhood lead poisoning, asthma control, among many others. Trump has even reportedly fired the entire team focused on assistive reproductive technology like IVF–despite his wild claims to be the “fertilization president.”
The Trump administration has also reportedly fired nearly two-thirds of the CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) staff, or nearly 900 people. The Trump administration is now, for example, apparently working to shutter the CDC NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory in Washington state, firing dozens of workers today who study how to protect workers’ health and safety on the job, particularly those in fields like mining, the maritime industry, and firefighting, where workers face elevated risks.
“Decimating the CDC is a great way to make our communities less safe and less prepared to respond quickly and effectively when diseases–like measles and bird flu–put lives and livelihoods in danger. When the next pandemic hits and America is unprepared, it will be thanks to Donald Trump and Republicans destroying our public health infrastructure. Decimating the agency that helps prevent workplace injuries and illnesses is a slap in the face to workers across America–and will threaten the safety of firefighters, miners, construction and agricultural workers, and so many others while on the job,” said Senator Murray.
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)
NIH is the nation’s premier biomedical research agency. Each year, NIH supports biomedical research that produces life-changing and, in many cases, lifesaving treatments and cures.
The Trump administration has already pushed out top experts, scientists, and senior leadership, well over 1,100 NIH employees, and systematically choked off billions of dollars in NIH funding for new treatments and cures for devastating diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer.
Now, it is firing even more NIH scientists and staff–including veterans and more than 1,300 additional employees as of this afternoon–decimating the agency. President Trump and RFK Jr. are pushing out senior NIH leadership, including Institute and Center Directors at the Fogarty International Center (FIC), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).
“Since taking office, Trump has systematically worked to break the NIH–he’s taking patients’ hopes for new treatments and cures and throwing them right in the shredder. These sweeping firings at NIH will set back our efforts to discover medical breakthroughs that save lives by decades. And they won’t just delay research, they will halt clinical trials in their tracks and cut patients off from care,” said Senator Murray.
CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES (CMS)
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 agency has long been understaffed and under-resourced, including for essential functions like nursing home safety inspections and protecting Americans from surprise medical bills. Nonetheless, Trump and Musk are pushing even more people out–and jeopardizing Americans’ health care in doing so. Trump announced that 300 employees at CMS will be cut.
“The American people are looking to their leaders to make sure they can get quality, affordable health care–instead, two billionaires are gutting the very agency that helps over 100 million Americans get health care. Undercutting CMS is an attack on Americans’ health care–full stop. Firing the people who keep our systems running, who ensure long-term care facilities are safe, and prevent health care companies from ripping people off makes no sense and will hurt patients nationwide,” said Senator Murray.
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE (IHS)
IHS is responsible for providing direct medical and public health services to members of federally recognized Tribes, and it is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for Tribal communities across the country.
IHS is already struggling to provide quality health care to 2.8 million Americans who rely on its services, and the actions being taken by the Trump administration to freeze federal hiring, reduce office space, and reduce the HHS workforce that IHS relies on are making matters worse. Chronic understaffing continues to plague the IHS, and despite some hiring exemptions for doctors and nurses, quality health care can’t be delivered without sufficient administrative personnel at HHS and at IHS hospitals and health clinics.
Adding to the IHS’ staffing struggles, the Trump administration is arbitrarily canceling leases that house IHS administrative offices across all service areas and its medical supply warehouse, which stockpiles and distributes critical medical supplies to all IHS hospitals and health clinics. IHS needs more resources and staffing to fulfill its mission, not less.
“Trump and Musk are leaving the Indian Health Service and our Tribes in the dust–freezing hiring at an already-strapped agency, canceling leases it counts on, and now, gutting essential HHS functions that enable IHS to serve patients. They are breaking government with no idea of what they are doing and no regard for who gets hurt–all while they enrich themselves,” said Senator Murray.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA is charged with improving services and support available to people across the country for substance use disorder and mental health. The agency plays a leading role in tackling the fentanyl and opioid crisis, and it oversees the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
The Trump administration has announced plans to eliminate SAMHSA and collapse it into a new “Administration for a Healthy America.” But it has not provided any additional details on its illegal reorganization or how it will ensure SAMHSA’s statutorily-mandated, lifesaving functions would be carried out. Today, the Trump administration made more deep cuts to SAMHSA’s staff, which will result in the agency’s staffing levels being reduced by fifty percent since January–weakening the ability of communities to respond to the mental health and substance use crises.
“Just as we are finally starting to make progress getting opioid overdose deaths to trend down nationally, Trump and Musk have decided to scrap the agency responsible for our national response to the epidemic. These billionaires believe our country can afford to pay for more tax breaks for them but cannot afford to keep up the fight against the opioid epidemic. These chaotic, senseless moves will undermine federal support for all the work our communities on the frontlines are doing to tackle the opioid and mental health crises–and save lives,” said Senator Murray.
ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (ACF)
ACF is responsible for administering a variety of programs to help children and families thrive–including the primary federal child care grant program, Head Start, family violence prevention programs, and Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), among many others.
Today, the Trump administration made deep cuts to the staff responsible for carrying out these programs, threatening the services and essential oversight families count on. The administration also shuttered half of the regional offices for the Office of Head Start, which are charged with ensuring Head Start services delivered to families are high-quality, without any explanation of how it will fulfill its mission and continue serving children and families without these offices or staff. Trump also gutted the Office of Community Services, which administers the LIHEAP program to help low-income individuals and families afford to heat and cool their homes and administers the Community Services Block Grant program, which helps communities nationwide fight poverty.
“While the child care crisis crunches families’ budgets, Trump and Musk are focused on firing the very people who help make sure there are safe, affordable child care options available to families in every part of the country,” said Senator Murray. “Decimating this agency may well mean child care and Head Start centers don’t get the funding they need to keep their doors open, and shuttering regional offices will threaten families’ access to quality and reliable Head Start services. These firings will certainly risk kids’ safety–because that’s what happens when you get rid of the people who monitor centers’ care. These billionaires are ripping the rug out from under families just as they seek to give themselves more tax breaks.”
ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING (ACL)
ACL provides unique and critical support to help ensure seniors and Americans with disabilities can live independently and with the same opportunities as others in their communities. ACL programs improve access to health care and long-term care supports, fund essential services like congregate and home-delivered meals and respite care, and invest in essential research and innovation to better support seniors and Americans with disabilities.
The Trump administration announced plans to eliminate ACL in clear violation of annual appropriations law that explicitly funds ACL–and has provided no additional details on how its essential, statutorily-mandated functions will continue without interruptions that seriously hurt seniors and people with disabilities.
Today, Trump gutted ACL, firing scores of staff and leaving the administration of these critical programs in jeopardy.
“Trump and Musk are ripping the rug out from underneath seniors and Americans with disabilities by gutting the agency that helps them get the support they need to not only live independently, but also thrive in their communities,” said Senator Murray.
ADMINISTRATION FOR STRATEGIC PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE (ASPR)
ASPR leads our country’s medical and public health preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies–coordinating planning and response for when fires erupt, pathogens like COVID or bird flu emerge, and so much more.
The Trump administration has announced that ASPR will be consolidated into CDC, and today laid off a number of staff, including staff for the Strategic National Stockpile.
“As bird flu rages and measles spreads across the country in an outbreak with little recent precedent, apparently Donald Trump thinks it’s a good idea to destroy the very agency tasked with leading our public health preparedness efforts. Firing this staff puts our economy and our families in serious danger,” said Senator Murray.
HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA)
HRSA is charged with improving access to care for vulnerable and underserved populations. The agency runs critical programs to bolster the nation’s health workforce, improve maternal and child health, support high-quality care in community health centers and Ryan White HIV/AIDS clinics, address rural health needs, modernize the nation’s organ transplant system, and more.
The Trump administration has announced it plans to eliminate HRSA and collapse it into a new “Administration for a Healthy America” but has not provided any additional details on how this reorganization might work and how it will ensure HRSA’s statutorily-mandated functions will be carried out.
Today, the Trump administration reportedly fired hundreds of staff who provide support to the nation’s 1,400 community health centers, which operate more than 15,000 sites serving millions of patients across the U.S. regardless of their ability to pay. Others fired include those working on HRSA’s maternal and child health programs, who oversee states’ block grants and operate the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program to support mothers, children, and families. Staff were also fired from HRSA’s health workforce programs, where they work to engage with communities nationwide to address shortages of doctors and nurses, and provide scholarships and loan repayment for those working in high-need communities.
“It defies logic to get rid of the people who help strengthen our nation’s health workforce, support our nation’s health centers, and work to ensure children grow up healthy. These reckless firings and thoughtless reorganization will set back efforts to improve maternal care, help Americans in rural areas get basic health services, and so much more,” said Senator Murray.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Evisceration of Seattle HHS Office and Spokane NIOSH Office Amidst Mass Layoffs at HHS

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
ICYMI: Murray, Former Health Department Leaders Sound Alarm on Trump and RFK Jr. Gutting HHS
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on the evisceration of the HHS Region 10 Office in Seattle and the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Spokane Research Laboratory.
Today, the Trump administration began suddenly firingmost—if not all—workers at the HHS Region 10 office in Seattle—around 2oo people—as well as at the NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory—an estimated 90 employees. The future of both offices remains deeply unclear. The HHS Region 10 office is based in Seattle but covers all of Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Oregon; Region 10 also has the greatest number of federally recognized Tribes—272—of all HHS regions.
“It is infuriating and downright reckless for the Trump administration to have fired nearly everyone at the HHS Regional office in Seattle and the CDC’s NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory—all but decimating these offices, though they are still outright refusing to answer basic questions about their evisceration of HHS and the future of these critical offices.
“Closing the Seattle Region 10 office will mean a drastically diminished HHS presence on the ground in our communities, no one to help seniors, families, and providers with Medicare and Medicaid issues or conduct site visits in the community, little-to-no collaboration with local and regional health leaders on emerging public health issues—and so much else.
“And the Trump administration’s mass firings of people researching how to better protect American workers’ safety on the job is a disaster waiting to happen. Those firings included nearly all of the researchers at the Spokane NIOSH Research Laboratory, who are doing critical and time-sensitive work studying how to protect workers’ health and safety on the job in dangerous fields like mining, firefighting, and the maritime industry.
“These dangerous, thoughtless, and callous cuts will jeopardize Americans’ health and safety today, tomorrow, and years down the line—and I will not stop sounding the alarm and doing everything I possibly can to hold this lawless administration to account.”

MIL OSI USA News –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Scientists from Novosibirsk State University presented new type of training devices for forensic experts

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

The II International Scientific and Analytical Forum “Digital Law” was held at the “Boiling Point – Novosibirsk” of Academpark. The event was organized by Novosibirsk State University (Institute of Philosophy and Law), Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Law School of Heilongjiang University (PRC).

— We hold many joint events with the Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, but today, thanks to cooperation with Heilongjiang University, we are already reaching the international level of discussing the problems of legal regulation in the field of information technology. The Forum program includes many reports on various aspects of digital law. And all this suggests that its topic is becoming more and more relevant every year, the emergence of new technologies entails the emergence of new tasks and conflicts that need to be resolved with the help of legal mechanisms, — noted Vladimir Diev, Director of the Institute of Philosophy and Law of NSU, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, in his speech.

The forum program opened with a report by Doctor of Law, Professor of the Department of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Forensic Science at NSU Roman Borovskikh, dedicated to the university’s developments in the field of new technologies for training future forensic scientists.

— Forensic science is an applied science, it requires honing certain skills, which is best done at a testing ground. But it is not always possible to create a full-scale, physical testing ground, and here its virtual version comes to the rescue. Simulators are used in many areas of training specialists — in cosmonautics, medicine, and others. We have applied this approach in jurisprudence, — he said.

Modeling of training scenarios on simulators is carried out in several directions. First of all, lines of models are built on the investigation of different types of crimes: violent against the person (murder, rape, etc.), property (various thefts), economic, official, etc. Within each such line there is a gradation depending on a specific situation in which the investigation takes place – place, time, situation, etc.

— Our simulators are based on the idea of a computer game, a quest, but at the same time they incorporate the entire arsenal of forensic tools for investigation, evidence collection, verification of versions, and so on. That is, they allow you to simulate the situation of investigating certain types of crimes in a game form. And the first lessons on them have already aroused great interest not only among students, but also among our fellow practitioners and scientists, — emphasized Roman Borovskikh.

In addition to NSU students, participants of the first international student festival of cybercriminology were able to work on cyber simulators CRIMELABE Fest-2024, organized by the university last fall. The event was a success, and Roman Borovskikh invited all the forum participants to take part in the next festival, which will take place approximately in September 2025.

It can be expected that by that time the list of situations simulated on virtual training grounds will expand even more – simulator developers are constantly improving their product.

— Not long ago, we formed a working group, which included university employees as theorists and employees of the Investigative Committee as practitioners. The goal is to improve this educational technology. In particular, we added to the range of simulated situations the investigation of an airliner crash, sabotage at infrastructure facilities. And we continue this work. I think we will be able to show a lot of interesting things at the next festival, — Roman Borovskikh summed up.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Mullin Introduce Bill Strengthening Cybersecurity for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

Padilla, Mullin Introduce Bill Strengthening Cybersecurity for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus, and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) introduced legislation to strengthen the cybersecurity protocols for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in response to previous outages that resulted in a day-long outage for those in crisis.
“People struggling with their mental health shouldn’t be met with disruptions or service outages when they call the 9-8-8 Lifeline. We can’t let cybersecurity vulnerabilities get in the way of providing lifesaving support,” said Senator Padilla. “Our bipartisan bill would better identify and prevent cyberattacks to protect safe and secure access to the Lifeline as soon as people need it.”
“Increasing cybersecurity measures for the 988 Lifeline is imperative to suicide prevention,” said Senator Mullin. “Suicide is a heartbreaking tragedy, and every life lost is one too many. It is essential to keep the lifeline secure to ensure that those experiencing a mental health crisis have access to the resources and support they need when they need it most.”
Since its launch in July of 2022, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has received 10.8 million contacts, including 1.4 million within the Veterans Crisis Line. The Lifeline’s services are critically important and must stay secure. The cyberattack on the 988 Lifeline in December of 2022 exposed vulnerabilities in the system where individuals who tried to call the suicide prevention hotline were instead greeted with a recorded message informing them of the service outage.
Specifically, Padilla and Mullin’s 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act requires coordination between the Lifeline and the Chief Information Security Officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to prevent cybersecurity attacks and eliminate known vulnerabilities. The suicide hotline’s network administrator would also be required to notify the government of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and incidents within 24 hours of discovery. Lastly, the Government Accountability Office would be required to conduct a study evaluating cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities in the 988 system.
The 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act is supported by the following groups: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychiatric Association, Crisis Text Line, Inseparable, Mental Health America, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Jed Foundation, and Vibrant Emotional Health.
Last year, Padilla applauded the Federal Communications Commission’s adoption of his bipartisan Local 9-8-8 Response Act of 2023, making critical improvements to the 988 Lifeline to help callers access localized, lifesaving behavioral health resources.
Any person in crisis and in need of help can dial 9-8-8 to reach free and confidential professional support 24/7 or can visit 988lifeline.org/chat/ to start a free and confidential conversation.
Click here to learn more about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Full text of the bill is available here.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin: Hospital No. 31 has become one of the flagships of the capital’s medicine in 55 years

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

City Clinical Hospital (CCH) No. 31 named after Academician G. M. Savelyeva celebrates its 55th anniversary. Over more than half a century of work, the institution has become one of the flagships of the capital’s medicine. Sergei Sobyanin spoke about this in his telegram channel.

“The largest traumatology complex operates here, as well as departments of cardiovascular surgery, urology, and gynecology,

modern perinatal center and a women’s health center and other departments. Emergency and planned care is provided according to the most modern standards,” the Mayor of Moscow wrote.

Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @Mos_Sobyanin

Every year, about 70 thousand patients undergo treatment at City Clinical Hospital No. 31. More than 40 thousand operations are performed here, including those using robotic technologies, and over six thousand births are performed. In addition, the hospital serves as a clinical base for departments of leading medical universities in Russia.

In 2023, City Clinical Hospital No. 31 was named after Galina Mikhailovna Savelyeva, an outstanding physician, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation. This year, the staff of City Clinical Hospital No. 31 was awarded the Pirogov Order — for the first time among Moscow hospitals.

“I congratulate the employees on their anniversary and well-deserved award. Thank you for your work and care for the health of Muscovites!” added Sergei Sobyanin.

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

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

HTTPS: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12566050/

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 2, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Secures Preliminary Injunction Blocking Trump Administration from Unlawfully Terminating Federal Employees

Source: US State of California Department of Justice

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today released a statement after the issuance of a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump Administration from conducting unlawful mass terminations of federal probationary employees who live or work in California.

“The Trump Administration’s callous and reckless mass firings of federal employees have harmed thousands of employees and families including many veterans in our state who have dutifully served their country in uniform,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today’s decision is an important victory for the rule of law, which blocks the administration from terminating federal employees without lawfully required notice. California will continue to fight to protect our federal workforce, and the services Californians rely on.”

Background

Last month, Attorney General Bonta joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for conducting an illegal mass firing of federal employees. Soon after, the U.S. District Court for Maryland granted a temporary restraining order that barred the Trump Administration’s unlawful mass firing of federal employees from 18 federal agencies from taking effect and ordering the employees’ reinstatement. Today’s order prevents the federal agencies listed below from conducting during the pendency of the lawsuit unlawful mass firings of federal employees who live or work in California and requires the reinstatement of any affected employees who have not already been reinstated. The order also extends the injunction to encompass employees from the Department of Defense and the Office of Personnel Management.

Department of Agriculture	Department of Transportation
Department of Commerce	Department of Treasury
Department of Defense	Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education	Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Department of Energy	Environmental Protection Agency
Department of Health and Human Services	Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Department of Homeland Security	General Services Administration
Department of Housing and Urban Development	Office of Personnel Management
Department of Interior	Small Business Administration
Department of Labor	United States Agency for International Development

Nationally, there are more than 5.1 million federal workers. Nearly all federal employees serve a one-or two-year probationary period, and more than 200,000 are on probationary status across the federal government. In California, numerous federal employees serve in critical roles across key agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Forest Service, among others.

The abrupt, pretextual termination of federal employees was not only unlawful but also disrupted essential government services from support for veterans and farmers to protection of our cherished national parks and lands. This action also had far reaching economic effects. Specifically, in California, federal employees heavily contribute to our economy by paying state income taxes and generating substantial local revenue. As a direct result of the Trump Administration’s unlawful actions, the state Employment Development Department was forced to commit substantial human and financial resources to quickly offer unemployment and reemployment assistance and information to wrongfully displaced workers. During the month of February 2025, coinciding with the layoffs, California saw a 149% increase in state unemployment benefit claims by federal workers.

Attorney General Bonta is joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‛i, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, in securing the preliminary injunction.

A copy of the court’s order can be found here.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 2, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Blasts Trump Cuts to K-12 Education Funding
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

Washington (April 1, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement today following the Trump administration’s decision to cut $106 million in K-12 education funding in Massachusetts, and more than $2 billion to K-12 schools nationwide.

“President Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon have callously cut $106 million in funding to K-12 schools in Massachusetts – another salvo in their war on students and educators. To Massachusetts communities, this funding is a lifeline that helps provide students with math tutoring and dyslexia screening, update aging school buildings, and train educators to provide students with the highest quality instruction possible.

“With these devastating cuts, the Trump administration is hurting students, educators, families, and communities in the Commonwealth and nationwide. Massachusetts is the birthplace of public education and has the best school system in the country. But we cannot continue to make necessary strides toward a school system that enables all students to succeed when the Trump administration is ripping the rug out from under states and cruelly clawing back funds that are owed to the Commonwealth.

“As a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, I demanded that Linda McMahon promise not to cut funding for public schools. She refused. Now, Trump and McMahon are following through on their anti-student, anti-educator, anti-family agenda. They want to lock the promise of education and opportunity in an ivory tower and throw away the key.

“I will fight these callous cuts, and I will fight any other attempts from Trump, McMahon, Musk and their lackeys to gut public education.”

Impacted school districts in Massachusetts:
- Springfield ($47,357,654)
- New Bedford ($15,603,433)
- Fitchburg ($6,578,468)
- Everett ($4,897,300)
- Revere ($4,613,327)
- Boston ($3,468,659)
- Leominster ($1,868,215)
- Stoughton ($1,512,470)
- Worcester ($1,454,350)
- Chelsea ($1,448,715)
- Lawrence ($1,307,307)
- Dracut ($648,702)
- Holyoke ($395,863)
- West Springfield ($354,868)
- Lynn ($339,357)
- Fairhaven ($250,802)
- Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical ($115,465)
- Ludlow ($83,334)
- Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical ($21,461)
- Mashpee ($2,481)
- Mater Dolorosa Catholic School in Holyoke ($118,894)
- Saint Stanislaus School in Chicopee ($172,692)
Senator Markey is fighting back against the Trump administration’s attacks on education and standing up for students, educators, and their families. On March 20, Senator Markey slammed Trump’s Executive Order to dismantle the Department of Education. On March 11, Senator Markey delivered remarks on the Senate Floor to spotlight Trump’s plan to gut the Department. On February 27, Senator Markey introduced the No Cuts to Public Schools Act, which would prevent any cuts to federal education formula funding during the Trump administration. On February 10, Senator Markey held a press conference in Boston with Massachusetts educators and teachers’ unions on Trump’s vow to dismantle the Department, and the impact on Massachusetts students, educators, and communities.

On February 6, 2025, Senator Markey, members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, along with the Massachusetts Teachers Association, American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, Massachusetts Association of School Committees, and Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, released a joint statement after President Trump vowed to dismantle the Department of Education.
MIL OSI USA News –
April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Slams LIHEAP Firings

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

Washington (April 1, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement after President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the entire federal staff of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as a part of the mass firing of 10,000 HHS workers.

“The Trump administration’s mass firings at HHS are a direct attack on the health, safety, and dignity of American families. Eliminating the entire federal staff responsible for LIHEAP—a program that millions of households depend on to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer—isn’t reform, it’s sabotage.

“This is what Trump governance looks like: Dismantle the programs people rely on, create chaos in essential services, and leave working families to foot the bill. In my home state of Massachusetts, where energy bills are soaring—and some natural gas bills even doubling this year alone—LIHEAP is a critical lifeline. Now, as extreme weather pushes thermostats to extremes, and the threat of Trump’s tariffs looms ever closer, which will make energy prices climb ever higher, Trump has slashed the staff there dedicated to help. And with that, the Administration is cutting off the federal government’s ability to distribute the critical remaining 10 percent of this year’s LIHEAP funds that families are depending on.

“I’ve fought for LIHEAP for decades because energy access is a basic human right. From demanding full funding to hosting roundtables with local providers and national advocates, I’ve worked to ensure the program meets the scale of the crisis. That’s why yesterday, I reintroduced my Heating and Cooling Relief Act—to modernize LIHEAP, permanently expand access, and ensure no family is left without support because of bureaucratic dysfunction or political cruelty. These cuts make that fight as urgent as ever.

“I will keep fighting to restore these jobs, unlock the remaining funds, and guarantee that every family—no matter their income or ZIP code—has access to safe, affordable, clean energy.”

Despite the urgent need for relief, in 2023, only about 18 percent of income-eligible households received LIHEAP assistance, with less than 3 percent of eligible households receiving cooling assistance. Meanwhile, low-income families spend nearly three times more on energy bills than non-low-income households, and nearly one in six households are behind on their utility bills.

Senator Markey is a champion for energy access, affordability, and reliability. On Monday, Senator Markey and Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) reintroduced the Heating and Cooling Relief Act, bold legislation to significantly expand and modernize the severely underfunded LIHEAP. In March 2025, he hosted a roundtable with Massachusetts LIHEAP providers, consumer advocates, and national energy assistance organizations to discuss the urgent need to strengthen and expand LIHEAP. In July 2024, Senator Markey and several New England Senators sent a letter to the Department of Energy urging the Department to consider the disproportionate negative impacts of LNG on New England—especially on energy prices—in its underlying environmental and economic analyses for LNG export authorization decisions. In December 2023, Senator Markey led a letter urging the Federal Trade Commission to immediately intervene, investigate, and rigorously enforce consumer protection laws against certain electric supply companies. In October 2023, he celebrated the release of $130 million in LIHEAP funding for Massachusetts, helping residents afford winter heating costs. Additionally, he has pushed for greater investments in home efficiency and electrification to help low-income families reduce their energy burdens. He originally introduced the Heating and Cooling Relief Act with former Representative Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) in January 2022.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 2, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Can you tell the difference between real and fake news photos? Take the quiz to find out

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University

A (real) photo of a protester dressed as Pikachu in Paris on March 29 2025. Remon Haazen / Getty Images

You wouldn’t usually associate Pikachu with protest.

But a figure dressed as the iconic yellow Pokémon joined a protest last week in Turkey to demonstrate against the country’s authoritarian leader.

And then a virtual doppelgänger made the rounds on social media, raising doubt in people’s minds about whether what they were seeing was true. (Just to be clear, the image in the post shown below is very much fake.)

This is the latest in a spate of incidents involving AI-generated (or AI-edited) images that can be made easily and cheaply and that are often posted during breaking news events.

Doctored, decontextualised or synthetic media can cause confusion, sow doubt, and contribute to political polarisation. The people who make or share these media often benefit financially or politically from spreading false or misleading claims.

How would you go at telling fact from fiction in these cases? Have a go with this quiz and learn more about some of AI’s (potential) giveaways and how to stay safer online.

How’d you go?

As this exercise might have revealed, we can’t always spot AI-generated or AI-edited images with just our eyes. Doing so will also become harder as AI tools become more advanced.

Dealing with visual deception

AI-powered tools exist to try to detect AI content, but these have mixed results.

Running suspect images through a search engine to see where else they have been published – and when – can be a helpful strategy. But this relies on there being an original “unedited” version published somewhere online.

Perhaps the best strategy is something called “lateral reading”. It means getting off the page or platform and seeing what trusted sources say about a claim.

Ultimately, we don’t have time to fact-check every claim we come across each day. That’s why it’s important to have access to trustworthy news sources that have a track record of getting it right. This is even more important as the volume of AI “slop” increases.

T.J. Thomson receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is an affiliated researcher with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making & Society.

– ref. Can you tell the difference between real and fake news photos? Take the quiz to find out – https://theconversation.com/can-you-tell-the-difference-between-real-and-fake-news-photos-take-the-quiz-to-find-out-253539

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 2, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: The Medical Research Future Fund has grown far beyond its target. Why is so much of the money unused?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lesley Russell, Adjunct Associate Professor, Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, University of Sydney

AshTproductions/Shutterstock

Australian researchers are reeling from the international reach of the Trump administration’s ideological war on science and research, which threatens local research projects that receive funding from the United States National Institutes of Health.

In this context, some may have found a grain of comfort in Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s budget reply speech with his commitment of continued support for the Medical Research Future Fund.

The fund provides a concrete opportunity to supplant those US funds without further cost to the federal budget. But to date the Medical Research Future Fund has struggled to deliver on the promises made at its inception in 2015 that, a decade on, are still so needed.

What is the Medical Research Future Fund?

This research fund was the sweetener in the Abbott government’s 2014–2015 budget, which slashed spending in health and Indigenous Affairs. Virtually all the savings were invested in the new research fund, with the target of reaching $A20 billion at maturity (this happened in 2020) and then distributing $1 billion each year.

The funds are allocated in accordance with the Medical Research Future Fund’s funding principles. They are based on Australia’s medical and research innovation strategy (revised every five years) and priorities (which should be revised every two years, but have not been updated since 2022). These are set by an independent medical research advisory board.

However, it is the federal government, via the Minister for Health and Aged Care, who develops the ten-year investment plan and has the final say in how funds are used.

How is the money being used?

The current ten-year plan (for the decade to 2033–2034) has four themes: patients, researchers, research missions and research translation. There are 22 initiatives under these themes across a wide range of basic and clinical research areas, population health initiatives and commercialisation endeavours.

The Future Fund Management Agency is in charge of investing the funds which, by September 2024, had now grown to $23.85 billion.

But although the returns on investment have always been above the annual set targets, the returns to research have fallen well short. This is because in 2021 the Morrison Government – with Labor support – enacted legislation to cap the fund’s expenditure at $650 million a year.

Since 2015, the fund’s investments have earned $6.435 billion. Yet only $3.15 billion has gone out to fund research (data as of September 2024).

This year, the Future Fund Board of Guardians has set the “maximum annual distribution amount” at $1.053 billion.

The cap on yearly spending means $403 million that could boost research funding remains locked up in an oversubscribed investment portfolio. That pot of unallocated research funds will continue to grow unless there are legislative changes to lift the cap.

A tough climate for research

It’s not an exaggeration to say these are tough times for Australian researchers. Australian investment in research and development, as a proportion of GDP, has been falling steadily behind the OECD average.

Funding awarded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (the other main source of government funding for biomedical research) has almost flat-lined over the past decade, at an average of $887 million a year.

Success rates for researchers securing National Health and Medical Research Council and Medical Research Future Fund grants are at historic lows. The adverse impact on research and researchers is recognised on the National Health and Medical Research Council website.

The COVID pandemic, the growing obesity epidemic, the burgeoning mental health crisis, health threats of climate change, the disappointing failures of Closing the Gap initiatives, and growing health inequalities – all point to the need to spend more on research and to do this smarter.

The Medical Research Future Fund could and should do much more to fulfil its aim “to transform health and medical research and innovation to improve lives, build the economy and contribute to health system sustainability”.

So, is it working?

Over the years, there has been a range of criticisms of the fund’s processes. These prevent it from realising its mission and include:
- funds have been allocated outside the established priorities
- reporting on the fund’s activities and outcomes is not timely and lacks transparency and accountability (note the required report to parliament for 2022–2024 is not yet available)
- there is no collaboration across research missions and with the various agencies of the federal government, particularly the the National Health and Medical Research Council
- not enough has been done to ensure consumers and patients are actively consulted and involved
- funding is focused on disease groups with high rates of premature deaths at the expense of those that cause disabilities.
What’s being done to fix the issues?

Some of these issues are being addressed. In particular, efforts are underway to reform the governance and administration of the Medical Research Future Fund and the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Medical Research endowment account. This to ensure the community obtains the greatest benefits from these investments in health and medical research. However, the timetable is regrettably slow – this work began in May 2023.

The hard reality is that boosting Australia’s biomedical research capabilities and capacities requires bipartisan political commitment, which has been scarce in recent times.

The last two budgets from the Albanese Government offered little for research, aside from the existing commitments to the fund. To date, all we have from Dutton is a single statement highlighting his role in establishing the fund and his ongoing commitment to it.

It’s time to boost Australia’s reputation as a country that nurtures and promotes research excellence. This would be both an investment in Australians’ health and well-being and Australia’s economy and a counter to Trump’s denigration of biomedical science.

I have previously worked as a health policy advisor to the Australian Labor Party.

– ref. The Medical Research Future Fund has grown far beyond its target. Why is so much of the money unused? – https://theconversation.com/the-medical-research-future-fund-has-grown-far-beyond-its-target-why-is-so-much-of-the-money-unused-253338
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Leads Resolution Celebrating International Transgender Day Of Visibility

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of 20 senators in introducing a resolution to celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility and recognize the achievements and courage of the transgender community around the world.
“International Transgender Day of Visibility is about celebrating the transgender community around the world – their achievements, their courage, and their right to live freely and openly,” said Senator Schatz. “It’s also about raising awareness of the discrimination trans people continue to face, especially under the Trump administration. While the progress we’ve made on trans rights is under threat, we won’t stop fighting until there’s full acceptance and equality for all.”
Schatz’s resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).
The resolution is supported by Advocates for Trans Equality, Advocates for Human Rights, American Federation of Teachers, AIDS United, Amnesty International USA, CA LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network, CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers, Equality California, GLSEN, Human Rights Campaign, Interfaith Alliance, Just Detention International, Kentucky Youth Law Project, Inc., LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin, Maryland Communities United, Movement Advancement Project, National LGBTQI+ Bar Association, National LGBTQI+ Cancer Network, National Black Justice Coalition, North Shore Alliance of GLBTQ+ Youth, PFLAG National, People Power United, Point of Pride, Popular Connection Action Fund, Popular Democracy, Positive Women’s Network-USA, Pride at Work – Hawai‘i, Silver State Equality, Transathlete, and Trevor Project.
A similar resolution was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) and co-led by U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Mark Takano (D-Calif.).
The full text of Schatz’s resolution is available here.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall in Agriculture Committee Hearing: Bring Back Whole Milk to American Schools

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) participated in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry hearing today on his legislation, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. This bipartisan bill would bring back whole and reduced milk to American schools.
Senator Marshall highlighted the health benefits of consuming whole milk and how it ties into the Make America Healthy Again movement, which focuses on transparency, increasing access to whole, nutritious foods, and improving the health outcomes of all Americans.
Senator Marshall is an OB-GYN with over 25 years of experience practicing medicine. He is also the founder and chairman of the Make America Healthy Again Caucus.

[embedded content]

Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full line of questioning.
Highlights from the hearing include:
On the importance of whole milk to the Make America Healthy Again movement:
Senator Marshall: “We all came to Congress with a reason, and I sat down on my first day and had a list of 10 things I wanted to do when I got here. You know… save Medicare, save Medicaid, balance the budget, and get whole milk back in school. So, this is a great day for us to have a hearing on this, and I do appreciate the members of the Ag Committee coming here and having this discussion…”
“I think about whole milk growing up, where my grandparents delivered milk to us two or three times a week, and it was just part of our diet… and how important whole milk is.
“You think about the MAHA movement, the Make America Healthy Again movement, it’s about whole foods. And I think we could characterize whole milk as part of that MAHA movement as well. I think about the fat-soluble vitamins, which are so important, that we have to have some fat in our body to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K.”
On the health benefits of whole milk:
Senator Marshall: “I’m going to just talk a little bit more about healthy fats. And some of the good things about these healthy fats is [they help] with hormone production. So think about adolescents going through puberty, those types of things. So there’s good fats that help with that hormone production. Also, there are good studies to show that healthy fats also decrease your appetite for later that it has some satiety impact. Would you agree or expand on those thoughts?”
Dr. Eve Stoody, Director of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis Division, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion at United States Department of Agriculture: “I am aware of that research. We haven’t addressed it directly in the dietary guidelines, but I’m aware of the research that you’re referencing. So yes.”
Senator Marshall: “You also would agree with me that whole milk has small amounts of omega-three fatty acids, which support brain health and inflammation control as well?”
Dr. Stoody: “Yes, the dietary guidelines actually recommend for those one to two years of age that plain whole milk be the type of dairy that is consumed because of the importance of whole milk to supporting brain development, and then after that point, the recommendation is to move towards lower fat.
“There’s a bit of an evidence gap as to exactly when that transition to lower fat options might be most beneficial, but there’s definitely benefits of plain whole milk, particularly in young children, to supporting brain development.”
On the decrease of milk consumption:
Senator Marshall: “Well, association doesn’t necessarily determine the cause, but I think as we saw whole milk come off of the school lunch menus, we also saw consumption of milk come down consistently.
“Senator Durbin makes a good point about… it has to taste good… I don’t know that I’m aware of any good studies either proving my point, but certainly it seems to me that whole milk tastes a whole lot better, and that we’ve seen milk consumption go down when whole milk was taken out of the school lunches. Would that be accurate?”
Dr. Stoody: “I don’t have data for specifically school meals, and what has happened since, for example, 2010, 2012 when it moved towards just low fat and fat-free. But we do see that, as you mentioned at the national level, we see that milk consumption really drinking fluid milk starting to decline in the early 2000s and it has continued to decline. And I think it is very concerning, that current consumption in adolescence is about half a cup lower per day than it was, you know, two decades ago, right?”
On osteoporosis, osteopenia due to lack of milk consumption:
Senator Marshall: “I still want to make the point about my concern about osteoporosis and osteopenia, that bone mass density peaks around age 28, and what we’re seeing now is a generation of people reaching that age that didn’t drink milk and their bone density is down to standard deviation. Maybe it’s more than that.
“So while today, most women start developing osteopenia. And when you reach that peak bone mass at age 28 the rest of our life, that aging process starts. It’s really hard to build bone mass beyond then. So we’re going to have women develop osteopenia, osteoporosis a decade sooner, and we’re going to see men suddenly also have osteopenia as well.”

MIL OSI USA News –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Jacobs Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Help Cover IVF Costs for Servicemembers and Military Families

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

April 01, 2025

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—and U.S. Representative Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51) introduced the IVF for Military Families Act, bicameral legislation that would require TRICARE coverage of fertility services, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), for servicemembers and their families. The bill introduction comes after Congressional Republicans—in secret negotiations behind closed doors—betrayed military families by striking a Duckworth-Jacobs amendment that would have required such coverage from the final FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last year, even though it had passed in the House and through committee in the Senate. The lawmakers’ bicameral legislation would help ensure military families can get the same level of IVF coverage that’s accessible to Members of Congress and federal employees. In addition to Duckworth and Jacobs, the legislation is co-led by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (D-WA-02).

“After all the tremendous sacrifices they make, our brave women and men in uniform should never have to make the impossible and unjust choice between serving their country or facing financial ruin just to start a family,” said Senator Duckworth. “It was extremely disappointing that our IVF provision—which would have simply ensured that our servicemembers and their families have access to the same level of IVF coverage as Members of Congress—was removed from the final defense bill behind closed doors last year, even after so many of my Republican colleagues continue to loudly and publicly claim to support IVF. President Trump pledged to voters on the campaign trail that he would go even further by making IVF free if elected and has repeated the bold-faced lie that he is governing on the principle of ‘Promises made, promises kept.’ Republicans can now help him partially fulfill his broken IVF promise by joining our commonsense legislation that would make sure those who answer the call to serve have access to the care they need to build their family.”

“Our military families have sacrificed so much for our safety and security–they shouldn’t also sacrifice their dream to build a family,” said Congresswoman Jacobs. “But for too many service members, the lack of TRICARE coverage of IVF has left them with only a few choices: beat the odds and prove that their infertility is directly related to their service, pay tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for a chance at a family, forgo having children, or leave the military. This is wrong. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the IVF for Military Families Act with Senator Duckworth to give them every opportunity to build their families. To my colleagues: We now have access to this level of health care coverage, and we shouldn’t deny that same standard to those who wear our country’s uniform. And to President Trump: calling yourself the father of IVF is meaningless–take some action and support our bill.”

“Servicemembers who risk their lives to protect our families deserve all the support they need to grow theirs,” said Senator Murray. “Federal employees have access to comprehensive infertility treatment, including IVF – and TRICARE should cover those same services for our servicemembers, full stop. Struggling with infertility is painful enough without having to worry about the cost of treatment. I’ve worked for over a decade to expand access to IVF and other fertility treatment for veterans and servicemembers who need it, and am proud to be joining Senator Duckworth to introduce the IVF for Military Families Act to continue fighting to ensure our servicemembers never have to sacrifice their ability to start a family.”

“One in four military families experience infertility. Congress should take the long-overdue step of overturning outdated limitations on IVF to give service members access to the reproductive health care they deserve,” said Congressman Larsen. “Women and men in uniform should not have to choose between serving their country and starting a family.”

The IVF for Military Families Act would help create parity between Members of Congress and active duty servicemembers and their dependents by requiring TRICARE to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, including IVF. The bicameral bill would also direct the Secretary of Defense to create a program on fertility-related care coordination to address the unique needs of military families. President Trump promised that if elected he would make IVF free for Americans, saying: “We are going to be, under the Trump Administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment,” and “We’re going to be mandating that the insurance company pay.”

More than 10 percent of active-duty respondents said family-building challenges are a main reason why they’d leave the military, according to the Blue Star Families 2021 survey. The survey also reported that 23 percent of active-duty military and 27 percent of military spouses reported experiencing infertility, compared with just 12 percent infertility rate amongst the general population. Despite higher rates of infertility within the military, the vast majority of servicemembers and their partners who need help to conceive and have children must pay up to tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket to access needed care, including IVF. This lack of TRICARE coverage makes it harder for members of the military to build their families, and it negatively impacts mental health, recruitment and retention of top talent.

The IVF for Military Families Act is endorsed by: RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), National Military Families Association (NMFA) and Military Officers Association of America (MOAA).

“The majority of Americans–85%–support access to IVF, one of the most effective medical treatments for those struggling to build their family,” said Barbara Collura, President/CEO, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. “Yet so many people are shut out of accessing this care, including the brave Americans who serve in the military. They assume they will have the best medical care possible, yet we make it so hard for them to start or grow their family while serving our country. This injustice can be fixed by passing the IVF for Military Families Act, a bill that simply provides parity to the comprehensive IVF coverage that Members of Congress and their staff have now. There is no need to wait–let’s get this passed.”

“The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) is proud to support the IVF for Military Families Act. With higher rates of infertility impacting the military due the dangers of the job and the unique family building challenges our men and women in uniform face, it is a no brainer that TRICARE should cover fertility treatments like IVF,” said Sean Tipton ASRM Chief Advocacy & Policy Officer. “For decades, ASRM has championed increasing access to fertility treatment for all Americans, including federal employees. This is why we thank Senators Duckworth and Murray and Congresswoman Jacobs and Congressman Larsen for their leadership on legislation to ensure that military families have no less than the same fertility benefits available to Members of Congress. This should be a bipartisan issue, and we are hopeful the administration will look closely at this bill as it considers way to expand access and reduce out of pocket costs for IVF.”

Duckworth has been leading the charge to protect IVF for the millions of Americans who rely on it nationwide. Last Congress, Duckworth and Murray introduced the Right to IVF Act in the Senate—a sweeping legislative package that would both establish a nationwide right to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) as well as lower the costs of IVF treatment for middle-class families. Despite many of Republicans publicly claiming to support IVF, nearly every Senate Republican voted against the bill in June and again in September last year. The September vote was the third time Republicans blocked Duckworth-led legislation that would protect IVF nationwide last year.

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MIL OSI USA News –

April 2, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Courtney Introduce Legislation to Protect Health Care Workers from Workplace Violence

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT-02) introduced legislation to protect health care workers from workplace violence. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Worker Act would ensure that health care and social service workplaces implement proven techniques and are prepared to respond in the tragic event of a violent incident. Health care and social service workers were victims of 76 percent of all nonfatal injuries from workplace violence in 2020.

“Nurses, doctors, and anyone who is working to give our families health care deserve to work in a place that they are safe and free from violence, but in recent years we’ve seen workplace violence skyrocket,” said Senator Baldwin. “We rely on our health care workers every day to protect our communities, and in turn, we need to protect them from senseless acts of violence. That’s why I am introducing legislation to give our health care professionals long-overdue basic protections, helping address our healthcare workforce shortage and keeping our frontline heroes safe.”

“No worker—especially those we rely on for care—should be injured or killed on the job. Unfortunately, this workforce endures more violence than any other workforce in America. Tragically, a dedicated nurse from eastern Connecticut was murdered on the job in 2023 during a solo home-health visit to an extremely high risk patient with a criminal history of violence. Joyce’s preventable death was a reminder of the urgent need for Congress to buck up and act,” said Representative Courtney. “Our legislation would put proven tactics into practice in hospitals and health care settings across the country to prevent violence before it happens. I’m grateful for the bipartisan coalition— backed by the support of the workers directly affected by this violence—who has worked tirelessly to move this legislation forward year after year.”

The Workplace Violence Prevention in Healthcare and Social Services Act directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a standard requiring health care and social service employers to write and implement a workplace violence prevention plan to prevent and protect employees from violent incidents.

While workplace violence trends were increasing before the pandemic, recent research suggests the problem has worsened considerably, contributing to staffing shortages. Nearly half of nurses surveyed in 2023 reported an increase in workplace violence.

In the Senate, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA) Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Chris Coons (D-DE).

The legislation is supported by AFL-CIO, AFSCME, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Federation of Teachers, American Nephrology Nurses Association, American Nurses Association, American Physical Therapy Association, American Public Health Association, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses, Emergency Nurses Association, IMPACT in Healthcare, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union), Maryland Chapter of American College of Emergency Physicians, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, National Association of Social Workers, National Nurses United, PhilaPOSH, Public Citizen, and the United Steelworkers.

“No nurse should have to fear for their safety while caring for patients. Yet, workplace violence remains a persistent and escalating crisis in health care, putting both providers and patients at risk,” says Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, President of the American Nurses Association. “We know that health care and social service workers are five times as likely to suffer a workplace violence injury than workers overall, and one in four nurses report being physically assaulted. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act is a necessary and urgent step toward ensuring that all health care professionals have the safeguards they need. We urge Congress to act now to pass this critical legislation and protect those who dedicate their lives to caring for others.”

“Violence at work is something emergency department nurses are all too familiar with, and that shouldn’t be the case. For that reason, meaningful solutions that mitigate and reduce workplace violence in health care are long overdue,” said Emergency Nurses Association President Ryan Oglesby, PhD, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, NEA-BC. “The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act has been an ENA Legislative priority for years. Thank you to Sen. Baldwin and Rep. Courtney for their continued efforts to bring this legislation forward to help improve workplace violence prevention plans that keep the safety of health care staff and patients at the forefront.”

“I want to thank Congressman Joe Courtney and Senator Baldwin for leading this very important piece of legislation intended to improve the safety and well-being of those tasked with our health and well-being,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “IAM Healthcare represents thousands of healthcare professionals across the nation. Worker safety equals patient safety, and the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Services Workers Act is a step in the right direction for ensuring these heroes are protected as healthcare corporations fail to implement effective violence prevention measures.”

“Nurses need federal lawmakers to take swift action to protect us and our patients from preventable violence,” said Nancy Hagans, RN and president of National Nurses United. “For years, employers have refused to work with us to implement workplace violence prevention plans and to address the staffing crisis that creates the conditions for workplace violence. Congress can support frontline health care workers by requiring employers to invest in proven measures to prevent violence in our workplaces. We applaud Rep. Courtney and Sen. Baldwin for reintroducing this critical legislation that will save so many lives. Studies have shown that the most effective way to reduce health care violence is to have a plan in place before violence occurs. Nurses across the country urge Congress to use its power to save lives and swiftly pass the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act.”

“Public Citizen congratulates Representative Joe Courtney and Senator Tammy Baldwin on the reintroduction of the ‘Workplace Violence Prevention for Healthcare and Social Service Workers Act,’ said Juley Fulcher, Worker Health and Safety Advocate, Public Citizen. “The committed work of our physical and mental healthcare workers is invaluable to the wellbeing of our families and communities. Healthcare workers throughout the United States, often working long hours for limited pay, bear the brunt of understandable patient and family frustrations with a health care system that increasingly limits access to affordable health care. No worker should ever face violence at the workplace, especially not those laboring to care for our bodies and minds.”

“Workplace violence is a preventable scourge that impacts millions of frontline health care workers and their patients every day. Our nurses, health techs, social service workers and other professionals deserve much better than their current reality. They take care of us when we need them—and devote their careers to looking after the aging, the sick and the injured—yet they’re still, after all these years, fighting for basic, enforceable safety standards,” said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. “That’s why the AFT launched our Code Red campaign to tackle violence, secure safe patient limits and improve the quality of care patients receive; and it’s why this bill is so crucial. I thank Rep. Joe Courtney and Sen. Tammy Baldwin for introducing this bill and urge its quick passage.”

MIL OSI USA News –

April 2, 2025

Category: Health

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02 April 2025

UKHSA launches call for evidence to tackle rising TB

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Our method

How do attitudes differ across countries?

Rethinking public attitudes about irregular migrants

Dealing with visual deception

What is the Medical Research Future Fund?

How is the money being used?

A tough climate for research

So, is it working?

What’s being done to fix the issues?